Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Driving through the blistering streets of the Sunken Isles, unable to handle this heavy heart of mine. I refused to allow Sigfried to assist me. I could not allow him to involve himself in my foolish sin.

How many years had it been since I last saw Silven? We were nothing but kids back then. Survival was the only thing we understood.

It was all I knew back then. How many people could say they understood what it means to be homeless? What it means to rummage through the trash in hopes of not filling my stomach but instead filling it enough to keep me alive. It mattered not if it was poisonous; I knew I would survive with my Heavenly Body.

An Overlord is what my Master called me, the day she gazed upon me for the first time. My Physique was so powerful. It was not just the Court of Nox calling for me, but the Court of Blood.

At first, I had always wondered why I would survive even in the harshest of environments. A cursed, I called it for the longest. No mattered what had happened. I would always awake, stronger than ever. However, each time I awoke. I would see those I called brother and sister dead. Their bodies withered beyond recognition due to a lack of food.

There were over twenty of us back then. Twenty of us living over the streets of Cytis. Each day we would beg, steal, and hope. Tammy was the first to go, a young girl five years of age. In the winter, under the sun of noon, she collapsed in the streets. However, none bothered to show care or much less glance at her lifeless corpse.

That was until the guards found her body and dumped it in the sews. Cramming her body alongside the others, they found around Cytis. We were unable to recover her.

It was horrid back then, horrid.

Pausing my footsteps, I gritted my teeth and peered over the horizon.

"My Lord, we have something to report." A hazy voice spoke out, appearing on one knee in a tornado of wind; he continued, " The one who you came with, Asura Bloodgrave, has issued a challenge."

Arsene, that bastard never listens.

"Silven was never one to care what people thought of him. He will ignore Asura." I coldly remarked.

"But the Court of Blood may not. We did a little digging, and it seems like Asura's next course of action is to start using this very city's lives as bait. I am sure you know how much business the Court of Blood is involved in. If we started using the citizens to start looking for them, the Court of Blood would not hesitate to kill them. Nevertheless, there are sure to be a few lucky citizens to relate anything they found and remain alive. The Court of Blood cannot risk this."

"That coldhearted bastard!" I growled, clenching my fist till blood ran from my palm.

"He has given the Court of Blood a week." My attendant swiftly explained. "And they are sure to show. Albeit, a trap shall await Azura Bloodgrave. What would you like me to do?"

Passing my hands through my hair, I cursed, over and over. 'This has nothing to do with Arsene! Why can't he just let me be! I needed to get to Silven first.' Glaring solemnly at my attendant on one knee. A wave of chilling darkness surged like an endless abyss over me as I took a heavy breath.

"Put a hit on Asura the moment he steps out of the Holy Swords. The same applies to Amilia Bloodgrave. If they step out, cleave their heads from their body. Get a Heavenly Lord to do it. I already warned Asura." I viciously commanded.

I hated Arsene, there was no question about this, and this was something he would surely do to me if the tables were turned. No hard feelings, but Silven is mine. He has to be mine.

Clitting my tongue, I continued my search through this city. The first place I had hope of looking in was the Slums. However, such a search was fruitless. Scouring this sunken Isle, my expression slowly began to grow grimmer with each passing day that slipped out of my hands.

There had not been any news from the Court of Blood, and I could only hope they had not sent a message directly to Arsene.

Making my way towards the Stronghold of the Court of Nox, I entered my room in a downcasted manner. It was there I saw a vicious azure flash grab my throat, cracking my body over the stone walls. Breaking a few bones in the process, I groaned, eyeing the icy maiden glaring profusely at me.

"Master," I strenuously barked, through her deadly grip tightening around my neck without end.

Selna, with her cold sterling eyes, carrying a gleam of scarlet, snapped, "You have a lot of nerve, my little disciple. Out of all the Chosen Masters, I have been known to be the laxest and most patient God. Yet here we are. My disciple not only left against my wishes, but he didn't even have the gall to inform me of an angelic attack.

Slowly crushing my throat, Master's silver eyes slowly began to turn darker with a scarlet hue. Fearing the worse, I spoke fast, "Master! I needed to do this!" I desperately cried, pushing Divinity to try to defend against her monstrous strength. "Silven is here!"

"Yet I had to find out from Tal. You are only a star-lord, yet you dared to go out into the Bed of Chaos with a target on your head and to make matters worse, you are challenging Arsene Snow." She barked. Losing her graceful appearance, Master Selna slammed me through the stone wall. Blooding my head, I vomited a mouth full of blood over her wrist, but masters grip did not lighten in the least.

Weezing with each breath, Master scuffed, dropping me to my knees. She sneered, "I ought to strike your soul with the Whip of Iliah, then just maybe you will learn to respect your Master. When will you drop this foolish obsession? The both of you were but children when I found you. Leave this matter be."

"I betrayed him, Master."

Striking me over the cheek, blasting me back into the wall, a searing pain took hold of me as I made an imprint into the stone.

"Your a damn fool Kurt. I will speak to Arsene. Aiza is already half-dead because of that bastard.. I will not allow you to die unless I do it myself. You dummy!"