Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"Vita, you can send him back," Zariel said, startling me, as I looked at Izavith, who crossed her arms and nodded.

"Fine,"

"She's got a nickname? Gods tell me your not friends with this monster?" I asked my little brother.

"Aurelia likes her, and she herself seems chill enough. Then again, you seem to make enemies out of everyone, so your opinion is mute." He said, and everyone around him agreed with a nod.

Once again, stabbing me in the heart.

"Tsk. Before I go, I have to ask. What's GOD like?"

Watching the drowsiness of Lilith slip away and the glimmer in Izavith's eyes sparkle, Zariel smirked, "Super chill, dude. He loves our sister, and we smoked some Ravane a few times."

"Ravane?"

"It's like Cannabis, but better. Lucifer, Mephisto, and I all got together one morning with him to eat, drink and smoke."

"God smokes!" Everyone shouted.

"What happened to your body is a temple?" I pointed out in utter disbelief.

"It's all-natural."

"So is a whole bunch of poisons." Said, Lilith.

"Don't know what to tell you guys; it was Lucifers B-Day, and shit happened. Now I've got to go. Good luck."

Zariel vanished before anyone could speak out, leaving us pondering the meaning of life. God! The creator smokes weed or Ravane, whatever it's called. By the Hells, what is happening?

"I'm surprised the night mother wasn't there too," Izavith said. "She is kind of like God's little sister."

"Tenebrae? Really? How strong is she even?" I questioned, but Izavith shrugged.

"She's just an avatar, like Lilith. You know Hell itself has a physical form, too, right? Their quite weak in those forms, but they have actual cognition now. So it comes at a fair price."

"I did not know that," Lilith muttered as Izavith wheeled her to me. "And you, do you know how long it's been?"

"Please don't tell me; I really don't want to know." I pleaded, knowing all my plans must have turned to shit with my absence. "Just tell me, are the chosen still safe."

"Safe? Not really. You're on a rampage right now. Your Dao is so out of control that the Seven Sins are running rampant. They're calling you the Abyssal Sin. Merely with your presence, you are causing actual demons and devils of Hell to lose control of themselves. You're full-on in Hollow mode fucking shit up. I had father fight you a few times to direct you away from Angelic bases so they won't kill you."

Just how long was I asleep.

"Wait, I called for Freya and Ty. Are they safe?"

"Bearly. Ty managed to save Freya from your wrath when you exploded with the Flames of Hellfire, but they were both gravely injured." She said, and my expression sank. "I think Zax will be continuing your next trial now that a part of your soul has awoken, even if it's extremely frail. You should prepare yourself."

I nodded as a pressure within me awoke, "How bad is it out there?"

"Bad Sene, The Hollowed version of you has mastered every form of combat skill you were ever taught or learned. You and the Tarnishing—" She shook her head, cutting herself off. "Just recover. Telling you won't make a difference. Hurry up and return; the day I kick your ass is fast approaching. And it's time I tell you what the sex of our child is."

Eh? What did she say?

Flashing me a mischievous smile that pierced my heart more than any blade, I appeared once more in the throne room of Bael. Having been banished from wherever I was.

"Son of a Bitch!"

Glaring at Zax standing near his master's Throne, I resisted the urge to vomit over him. "Hurry with the next test; I now have astral force."

"So it would seem. Still in its infancy stages, but you do," He remarked, studying me with calm chilling eyes, "And I suspect your conversation with Izavith was informative?"

Trying to show no emotion, I didn't answer. If I understood one thing, it was that people with higher realms than I could easily peer through even the most apathetic of men. The stronger one was, the more he observed, and the higher his comprehension tended to be. I couldn't risk it. I wanted that Throne.

"Even silence is an answer, you know." He challenged with his usually obnoxious smile.

But I must say Zax's trial had succeeded in something. I was not going to be blinded by my pride and meet his challenge. There wasn't a need to get him involved.

If I am right, Zariel and the Order of Chaos will only have a few years' advantages over the rest to prepare. I can't ruin that. We might have more if I can open and shut the entrance to Arcadia.

Zax's stern expression sank, and before long, he smiled, "Fine, keep your secrets. But for now, of the four souls you have, only one is active, and that's how you are still capable of thought. Right now, you need to stabilize yourself. Take a few years, he said, vanishing before I could say a word.

Did he gleam something?

"Oh Arsene,' Izavith's voice entered my mind, "The Demon Mother's presence in this world is very active. I wouldn't trust any demon or devil that you haven't tarnished. That means Zanris."

This is all too crazy and way above my head. What type of place is Arcadia that allows Monsters like the Forsaken Founders to run wild?

Feeling like I was caught in a web of plots that somehow aligned with me, my meditation for the next few years consisted of how to answer specific questions without lying.

I don't trust the Demonic Mother, and I certainly don't trust Mephisto. The very name makes my skin crawl in both a good and a bad way. I wasn't sure why but I felt almost compelled to trust my instincts about Mephisto, whose presence seemed to linger behind almost every plot.

I hadn't regained many memories of Mephisto, but I did learn one thing. Lucifer and Mephisto were the founders of Contract. They were the ones to incorporate a devil's deal into the core of the Nine Hells.

This meant they knew all Contracts that used Hell or a devil's power. Mephisto and Lucifer cannot be allowed to team up in Arcadia.