The Demon Queen walked beneath torchlight. Rhenvar observed her from the shadow she cast. His body flickered and bent with her shadow.
I bet your blood tastes bitter.
He licked his lips.
Still, you were truly a worthy opponent on the battlefield, demon queen. Smart, ferocious, and indomitable.
"Pfft, who knew you were also an idiot," he muttered, voice low and annoyed. "You should've at least used me."
He watched her cry.
Tears weren't a weakness. Not to him. When a friend cried, he would hold them. He only hoped hers would turn into something sharp enough to cut through fate.
"…Sylvia. Willow." The names slipped out of his mouth.
His friend and his fiancée, the only two who'd ever looked at him without seeing a monster.
Sylvia was dead, murdered by Aucteros.
Her face came to him in a memory. That fake, goofy smile. The face she made when she scolded him. The way her long ice-blue hair whipped when she punched him in the face.
And then the worst memory, her body on blood-soaked sheets, the ring gone from her finger, its abyssal shadow clinging to Aucteros's hand.
It wasn't my fault. I didn't know.
He'd given it to Sylvia when she asked him to marry her.
He slipped the ring on. His hand curled into a fist.
A bitter laugh escaped, echoing through the gloom.
He watched as the demon queen gathered corpses in the courtyard. Torchlight licked the remains of battle. She lingered over Rashka's ashes.
He leaned in her shadow.
Souleater did not kill. It consumed, sending the harvested souls to my Chaos Temple. Does she mourn Rashka?
He had always resisted using the sword. Only because he didn't want Willow and Sylvia to see what he really was.
Rashka… right, his soul was the answer. Memories to steal. And Aucteros's secret to uncover.
A rift of red light tore open, bleeding crimson into the dark, and he slipped through.
****
Temple of Chaos.
The ceiling stretched like an endless void scattered with hundreds of thousands of red stars, souls he'd consumed. All humming. To anyone else, it would have sounded like screaming.
This was his domain. His home. Outside reality.
"Viir," he called. "I'm home!"
A flicker of red zipped onto his shoulder.
"Oh, Rehpotsirhc, you finally show up again!" She squeaked. "I've been keeping our ass alive. Busy busy!"
He rolled his eyes.
"I told you to call me Rhenvar, remember?"
Damn, it still feels weird being called my real name.
"Hey, you said to use that around the twins!" Viir struck a dramatic pose midair, palm-sized, crimson skin, wild red hair, glowing red eyes.
Rhenvar waved his hand. Souleater vanished from his back and reappeared in the pedestal. The ghost-like blade's glow pulsed outward.
"You know," Viir floated close to his face. "Scary shadow lady never said that ring could control you."
"I know," Rhenvar said looking at the ring. "What the fuck. Why didn't Darkness tell me?"
"We should destroy it!"
"Viir, this ring, it's bound with a piece of our soul," Rhenvar said. "It's not that simple."
"Ha!" Viir spun. "You liar, you just want to keep its cool shadow magic!"
"Well no shit, shadow magic is badass."
"But totally weak compared to our magic."
"Yeah yeah, you're the daughter of Chaos," He sighed looking at her. "Is this the part where you're more skilled with her magic?"
"Because you forget everything!" Viir huffed. "We're stuck forever. Temple, armor, sword… we're a family package deal!"
"How could I forget that," he said sarcastically. "By the way, how's the seal?"
"Vulnerable, but holding," she chirped. "The Church nearly shattered it. And that worm Aucteros's commands were really hard to ignore you know! I had to force-feed in a frenzy just to keep it from breaking."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome, dummy." She punched his forehead with a fist the size of a peanut.
His gaze drifted to the stars above. "I need Rashka's soul."
"Eugh. Lizard breath? Why?" She asked.
"There's something I need to know."
"Like?"
"Aucteros's plan. I think he wanted the Worldheart."
This is bad if he really is after it.
"Say no more," Viir zipped upward, plucked a glowing star, and dropped it into his hand. "Here."
"Please… just tell me why…" The soul trembled.
"Well, I never liked you," Rhenvar whispered, then devoured it. Red light poured into his eyes.
Memories surged. Rashka's childhood in the cursed lands and the scent of rot. His sister Sela's gold scales and his mother's smile. His private vow to save their lands. Then his coronation, and the pride he felt winning the blood games.
Finally he focused on the memory of Aucteros and his stupid grin.
The truth unraveled, a plan to steal the demon queen's divine power, the key to the Holy City's Vaults, where the Worldheart had been locked away. Aucteros's lies came next. Telling Rashka its power would save his homeland. And Rashka believed him.
"Pfft, dumbass," Rhenvar muttered.
The soul's memories and emotions clung, but he shoved them down. Absorb too many and you forgot who you were. Even with his seal, he knew that risk. Lived it. The warmth it gave was addicting, one taste left him hungry for more.
The last memory ended, Souleater taking Rashka's life. The feeling of dread and pain when Souleater tore his soul apart and reforged it in the Chaos Temple.
"Aucteros was a Worldeater.." Rhenvar sat down.
"Sylvia called it!" Viir squeaked.
"Yeah she did. Now that bastard's in the Holy City. There's no way we can reach it in time. This world's fucked."
Willow…
Viir hovered beside him. "Won't that shadow lady be pissed? It was your job to protect that stupid thing."
"She'll probably die when Aucteros destroys the Worldheart," His voice softened. "Besides she's partially to blame."
"True but she is bound to our soul." Viir said, tilting her head. "She'll probably survive, our soul magic is powerful."
That's why Darkness gave me shadow powers, so I don't use it.
He lay down onto the black stone floor, shadows curling around his black armor.
"Look, what's done is done. Besides we've been doing this, for what five hundred years so-"
"Rhen," Viir cut him off. "It's been a thousand years."
"Holy shit, that long?"
"Tehe~ time flies when we're having fun with the twins!"
"Dammit, I'm sorry, Willow." Rhenvar blurted.
His eyes twitched and burned.
Another crack in the damned seal…
"So Willow's going to die?" Viir's voice softened.
"So, it seems."
Both went silent.
"Aw, he was so fun." Viir finally said.
"I'm sorry, I know you kinda loved him too."
Viir flopped onto his forehead. "Well, that sucks tehe~, we must stay here. So, we don't die! Mother said she made this place outside of worlds."
"That's the plan, Viir. Let it blow over and see what happens."
One red star flared brighter than the rest. It glowed more defiantly than the others.
"Rhenvar, cursed knight," The star whispered. "Hear my plea."
He jolted up.
No way. A soul actually has the balls to call on me?
"Shut up, soul, or I'll eat you," Viir said cheerfully, licking her lips.
"Please," the soul begged.
Rhenvar waved his hand. "Viir, grab it, we can use some entertainment before we eat it."
She fetched the flickering light and dropped it into his palm.
"…Karn," he said, surprised. "The demon queen's brother. You're still around?"
Rhenvar looked at Viir, she only shrugged, putting on a goofy face.
"I am," said the soul. "And I need your help. Please! Save my sister. Save Sinephilim."
"Nah." Rhenvar said drawing the soul closer to his eyes.
"Please, hero."
He jerked his hand back. "Pfft, I'm no hero, Karn."
"I saw you. Under all that power, all that rot, you're still a man. Still good. Let me speak to her. That's all I ask." The soul's voice was sincere.
"Bold words. Especially after knowing what I am. Why should I help you?"
"If you could save someone close to you… wouldn't you?"
"…Yes. I think so… But one is dead. And one can't be saved."
"Let it be a last wish."
"Do you really think I'd let a soul talk to a living person? You realize you're just my food right?"
"Yet, you speak to me. Willingly. You were against the war. Against the Worldeaters. You are a God."
Dude, more like I was cursed by a Goddess.
"We souls speak to each other; many hate you. Many pity- "
"Okay, look." Rhenvar reached to feed on the soul. "I hate repeating myself- "
"Please, I don't care if it costs me my erasure. My soul means nothing compared to my sister."
He stopped. His eyes darted to Viir.
He stared at her for a long moment. Then back to the soul and finally at the abyss above.
"You're not seriously considering this are you?" Viir asked.
Then he looked at his ring.
"…Fine. But she comes willingly." Rhenvar said getting up.
Why not. I'll call it a debt repaid for the ring.
"Hey-"
"Viir, it's fine." He looked at Karn's soul. "I can't force her; it doesn't work like that."
"She'll listen. She needs hope. Just tell her… I'm waiting."
"Whatever," Rhenvar opened a rift, red light curling at the edges. "Viir. Keep the lights on."
"You got it, boss~ tehe!" She giggled, striking a ridiculous pose.
"Heh you're so weird."