She was so hungry her stomach hurt badly. Her footsteps wobbled as she walked down the street, begging for food and money as she passed people. Most ignored her. Some gave her sneers and pushed her away if she got too close.
That's just how this world was in the 31st century. Those that had took and those that had nothing begged. Though she wasn't considered much of a person, her hair was dirty and unkempt, her clothes much the same. She was just a homeless beggar and she knew it.
Her thoughts were only of food and maybe a rest for her aching body. Her tummy growled something awful and she found an empty alleyway in the crowded cityscape. She wasn't going to find help today so she decided to rest and try to not hurt as much.
The metropolis she lived in was dirty and overpopulated, the lights from the high rises barely visible through the fog of pollution and while technology had advanced to staggering capabilities society had almost completely turned its back on humanity and compassion.
She had fallen from grace years ago, her family's debts being passed down to her and she had run as far away as she could from debt collectors and thugs. Now she looked around the alley she found herself in.
There was a dumpster and for a moment she was so hopeful she actually smiled, her dirty face crinkling as she rushed over and tried to pry it open. Maybe there was food inside?
She pushed at the lid only for volts of electricity to surge through her body and send her tumbling back once it stopped. The dumpster glowed a menacing red as it warned in an automated voice.
'No unauthorised usage of this dumpster allowed. Any more attempts will be reported to state police.'
She flinched at the words, having enough sense to know she wasn't going to find any food with the booby trapped dumpster. She slumped down against the wall behind her, hitting the cold ground and she felt every piece of rubble through her worn jeans.
Well, that dashed any hopes of a meal tonight.
She wasn't welcomed back in the shelters, her standing was already too low. She looked at the metal bangle on her wrist, clamped on at fourteen by the state to show her credit score and social standing at a glance. The screen glowed an ominous red. She had nothing to her name, no credit, no money and no home. She had slipped from being a third class citizen to a fourth sometime last night which meant she was as good as dead.
No shelter or charity would touch her now.
She didn't want to cry but it happened anyway, small sobs leaving her as she bundled up in her dirty jumper and hugged her knees. She was going to die and no one would mourn her, no one would care.
It took her half an hour of sobbing before she composed herself and looked around the alleyway. It was mostly covered by the tall buildings around it and dark, leading to some gated stairs she could probably sleep under come nightfall. Though she guessed the gates were probably electrified too.
Looking around she spotted something on the floor by the dumpster, a book. She crawled over, needing something to distract her and even if it was just a catalogue it would be a nice thing to be distracted by for a time.
She carefully got it from under the dumpster, avoiding the yellow metal and soon her prize was in her hands.
"Gates of Valen-Lore." She read aloud, her voice scratchy from lack of water. It had an illustration of a handsome demon on the cover, wearing heavy knights armour with his helmet off and staring off to the side, his curly black hair was short and messy, his sharp eyes a steely blue like the ocean in the past. His large demonic looking sword in hand and an eerie looking castle behind him.
She found herself sitting with her legs crossed as she opened the book. It was a game guide for a deep immersion game that had come out years ago. Every page was a detailed walkthrough of the game with hidden extras, art and lore all sprinkled throughout. Kim read through it avidly. Getting lost in the fantasy world of monsters and magic.
If she had ever played it she would have started the game as an adventurer, making her way through the demon lord's castle to his throne room. Where she would confront the man and defeat him, taking over his castle and running it herself after killing him.
She thought it a waste to kill the cool character she had started to like. His profile named him Liel and spoke about him in great detail.
Name: the Demon King Liel
Star sign: Born under the blood moon and the stars of the lord
Birthday: March 14th
Race: humanoid, demon
Alignment: evil lawful
Bio: The evil demon lord of the castle. He has lived centuries, ruling his castle with an iron fist. There is no mercy for those that stand against him but sometimes… in the dead of night… You may hear the mournful melody of his piano, grieving over the lost lives of his family due to an attack by the humans of Veris when he was a child.
Now he swears all humans will pay for their evil acts upon demon kind.
Though he is weakened by numerous heroes' attempts at taking his throne he is still a fearsome opponent.
His favourite food is steak and cheesecake.
Weakness: his great power comes from not only his natural skill and temperament but a special amulet he wears around his neck. It strikes fear into the heart of his enemies, the dragon's blood amulet. If this amulet is knocked off or stolen during battle, many of the demon lord's abilities would cease to be a threat.
Abilities: Iron willed, dragon's flame attacks, shadowmancy, magical resistance, physical resistance, lord of the castle, demon transformation, swordsmanship level 100
Special items: the dragon's blood amulet, the demon's sword.
She reads his bio avidly. Taking it all in and rereading segments. This is the most fun she's had in weeks and she wastes away the rest of the daylight reading the book front to back.
When the daylight leaves she can still read if she huddles near a window in the alley, but even that turns off when the night gets late. She sighs as she's plunged into darkness but at least she's hidden from view from the street.
She uses the book as a pillow as she tries to sleep, dreaming of the castle of Valen-lore and its demon lord and denizens.
It's sweet dreams that fill her mind even as her body gives out on her.
When she wakes up, she's laying on her back on cold stone ground, the thin carpet only giving her poor back a small bit of comfort. And she runs her fingers over the scratchy material as she wakes up. Where is she? There was a roof over her head, arched walls and large gothic windows to her right that let in moonlight.
She struggles to get up, her body aching and her stomach still growling loudly. She stands up on numb legs, shaking a little as she looks down the halfway she finds herself in. her heart feels like it's been dropped in ice. Has she been kidnapped?
What had happened and where is she?
The ends of the hallways are both dark and foreboding with not a sound of life from either end. She doesn't know which way to go until a whoosh of fire lighting up catches her attention, she turns to behind her, seeing lanterns on the wall light up one after another, descending further into the darkness and lighting up a way for her.
She doesn't know what else to do so she follows the lights, walking slowly as she forces one foot in front of the other. The air is frigid and she hugs herself tightly.
That's when she realises she's no longer wearing the clothes she had on before. In shock she looks down at herself, seeing a lack of shoes and a light pink nightdress looking thing on her body!
It's soft and clean and smells of fresh linen as she tugs the material to her face. She shakes more in fear now. Whoever kidnapped her had changed her clothes? She felt so violated and scared.
But the hallway behind her was getting darker, like the shadows were chasing after her and she quickly got to walking again, making her way forward the hallways opened up to a larger area, its high rooftops were vaulted with beams with hanging chandeliers that glowed red with candles. The walls were painted dark with similarly coloured wood panelling and stone work. It wasn't like anywhere she'd ever been before and yet oddly familiar.
At the end of this larger hallway were two large doors, made of dark wood and edged with iron framework. Their handles are large and both adorned with a demon's head.
She went forward, she had no choice. She hoped she could find a way out without encountering anyone but that was a slim hope.
By the doors was a chest, a wooden chest of all things and she curiously opened it up. Inside were two bottles, some rags and cleaning instruments.
She took the bottles, they were labelled "health potions" and their contents were a bright red. Her stomach growled and she did something stupid. She uncorked one bottle and downed it, just for something to ease the pain and prayed they were not cleaning products.
It tasted like fresh fruit and almost unbearably sweet. She looked down at herself to catch her skin glowing! A light was emanating from her for just a few seconds and she felt fantastic all of a sudden. Her aches now gone and her stomach settling. It was really like a health potion from a video game and she almost drank the second one too. But she may not find food again anytime soon… So she put it in her pocket and kept it for later.
She pushed at the doors, heaving as her weak body was exerted from the weight of the doors. She pushed them open just enough to squeeze inside and gasped.
This room was huge! With large roman style columns flanking each side and a red carpet snaking its way up to stone steps, there a raised platform held what could only be called a throne. A large regal seat with red cushions.
But that didn't interest her, what interested her was the person sitting on the throne. She recognised him immediately, his demon armour unmistakable and terrifying and somehow even more beautiful in person.
Silver and steel made up the full plate armour with spikes on each shoulder, his legs and gauntlets dipped in black ash that swirled like a miasma around them with sharp clawed tips and his helmet covered his face but for a space for his two horns that jutted out.
She was looking at Liel the demon king. She had no doubt but she was now sure she was dreaming. She couldn't be looking at the real demon king, that was just a game!
So her earlier fear evaporated like water in the desert, a bright sunshine smile on her face as she rushed up to look at him closer. The room was silent but for soft tapping as she ran on bare feet.
Just a few feet away she stopped, eyes bright and twinkling as she took him in. He's wearing his helmet that covers his face, masking his emotions and his head tilts up to observe her.
Her heart jumps. He's looking at her! She gives a shy wave, tilting her body this way and that shyly. So handsome!
This was an amazing dream, she hoped it would last for a while. But all good dreams must come to an end as he began to speak.
"So… another hero has come for my throne. Aren't you all tired of the bodies I send back?" he asked but he was the one who sounded tired. He raised a hand and a sword appeared from thin air, standing with its hilt up for him to grab and hold.
The demon king's sword, heavy and terrifying with dragons heads at its hilt.
Her smile faltered as he stood.
"Nothing? You do not look like the average hero, that is true, but I wont show any mercy to those that come to threaten my home." His words bring back that fear she was feeling before but before she could explain herself he had raised the sword and brought it down, sending a shockwave forward that made her fly back. Her scream was shrill as she landed and rolled on the ground. Her body screaming in agony from the harsh landing as she gasped for air.
This was the beginning of the game for sure. He was going to kill her!
She looked up to see him jump from his place at the throne, aiming for her with an attack meant to kill as he brought his sword down. She didn't want to die!
She begged someone to help her in her thoughts, going into a foetal position and clutching her head as she waited for death.
Only for the sword to make a loud clang as it hit something solid.
"What?! What did you do?" Liel demands as Kim looks up and sees a curved wall shielding her from the blade. Liel stood atop it as he struggled to pull his sword from being embedded in the stone bricks.
Had she?
She scrambled to get up, backing away from Liel as the wall crumbled away, leaving him to land on the ground and observe her once more.
"You would use my own castle against me? What manner of skill are you using!?" he yells and she shakes her head.
She's too scared to speak and when he raises his sword she braces herself. Looking at the columns and praying they'd do what she was thinking.
As he rushes her, she puts her hands up and the columns break apart, falling in his way as he struggles to dodge them. He jumps back, incensed by the way his shoulders shake.
"I will kill you." he swears and Kim feels the dread in her heart. How was she supposed to survive this?
"Please stop!" she begged but he aimed his sword at her, not listening to her.
The book- she had read this segment over and over! The first battle between the player and the demon king. She had to beat him and take his amulet, his source of power.
With a goal in mind she tried to think of a way to accomplish this. Liel struck forward, breathing fire into his sword and rushing towards her. Blasting the ruined columns out of his way as he came for her life.
"I don't want to hurt you!" she yelled, throwing her hands up and two large walls sprung from the ground, encasing him for just a moment as they turned to cement. The goo surrounds him, engulfing his armour and he struggles against it. She could feel the pressure he was putting off in the trap, how he strived for freedom and she pushed back, holding him there as she rushed forward. For a moment she let go of her newfound power to reach for the amulet around his neck. His body jerked away from her and he freed himself from her trap just in time to jump back, a hand protectively over the amulet.
"How do you?-" he stammered, looking bewildered as he stood there with his sword still flaming in one hand.
She didn't let him finish. If he was going to try and kill her then she would defend herself. Looking up she saw her next target, a large ornate chandelier hanging up above, giving light and it started to swing and shake as she focused on it.
"Come down, come down" she begged in her mind, hearing the snaps of chains. His heavy footsteps alerted her he was coming and fast. So she waited, using herself as bait as the chandelier broke and free-falled down to them. She jumped out of the way as it crashed on top of him flattening him to the ground with a loud grunt of pain.
The chandelier, now askew and its candles rolling across the ground, kept him pinned to the ground enough for her to rush forward and tug at the amulet. It came off with a snap of its golden chain as she stumbled back.
It was warm in her hands. It was a diamond shape and blood red with gold filigree around its edges.
Almost immediately the armour around him dissipated, leaving a demon in regal clothes trapped under the chandelier. He looked up to her, face exposed, his horns a deep grey blue that jutted from his forehead like the edges of a pitchfork.
He had a look of pure hatred in his eyes…
"You have your prize… now… finish it." he spat out venomously. There was blood starting to pool under him and she grimaced. Holding the amulet in one hand.
"I won't kill you." she pants. Her body exhausted as she crawls forward towards him.
His eyes are wide and confused. Deep like the sky with no clouds she had seen in pictures once.
"Why? You wanted my castle for your filthy race." he said and she shakes her head vigorously, her long brown hair flying about.
"I don't want that! I just-" she struggled to find the words. She had just wanted to survive but she'd hurt him in the process. "How do I help you?" she asks, remembering the potions she had drunk earlier and bringing one out.
He scoffs at it.
"Such a low level potion won't fix me." he chuckles darkly but she still uncorks it and offers it over.
"But it'll help right?" she insists, offering it to his mouth. He stares at her as he drinks it awkwardly, his body glowing like hers did and he groans under the weight of the chandelier as he finishes drinking. "Here, let me try." she stammers, standing up and wishing the chandelier to rise once more.
It slowly starts to pull itself skyward, the chains rattling as she has to keep wishing and putting her all into making it rise. It's so heavy, like she's lifting it with her own hands!
When it's off of Liel he stands up, his clothes bloody but he stands tall and regards her.
"Who are you? He asks, his voice and eyes make it obvious he doesn't trust her and she can see why.
"My name is Kim. I woke up here." she says and he raises an eyebrow.
"From where?" he asks and she struggles to answer, wracking her brain but the memories are becoming fuzzy.
"I don't know? A city?" she says and he looks at her in disbelief.
"You can't remember? What can you remember?" he asks, pressing her and she tries to answer but as the chandelier clicks back into place she feels faint.
"I don't. I just wanted some food." she says before toppling forward into warm arms that catch her. Her eyes drift closed as Liel calls for someone's aid.