Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Lost in the myriad of darkness that coursed not only through my veins but my soul, the path of Abyssal Night, devoured the light around me, making it mine. Seconds trailed by, becoming like a fleeting dream, and before I knew it, I was once again within the throne room of bael.

Situated near the dark throne, Zax stood with his arms crossed and his head down as if he were sleeping.

"Did you know there was another like you to come along before your brother destroyed everything? Back then, there had only been a single King of Hell appointed by my lord and the rest of the Kings, Dukes, and Princes of Hell. During that era, no one knew they were not the original; they thought themselves true kings. It was a little naive, but it was how Lord Lucifer wanted the lower hells to run."

He lifted his head, carrying a drowsy expression filled with a reminiscing glow, "In this era, the war between the devils and demons was destructive, reaching all over the seven layers of Hell. And it was due to that war that, my lord made it so that I could allow the ring to wander around the Exalted Wheel."

"I'm going to guess; this leads back to the man who accepted your trials," I said, and the imp patiently nodded.

"As you should know, there are technically only two successful races that were allowed to remain in the Exalted Wheel, the Humans and the Forsaken—"

"The successful? Wait, what happened to the failures?"

"A question the Mother of demons, Lilith, always asked herself and Lord Lucifer. What happened to them? No one knows, but from what I do know, was that Lilith had become obsessed with that question. What would God's failures look like? Can they even be considered failures? Did they not fit the parameters of the layered heavens that they were cast away? It was one of the great mysteries that Lord Mephistopheles suggested to Lilith to get her out of his way and keep her busy."

I smiled—what a cruel scheme. But if this Lilith was portrayed correctly from biblical times, it's safe to say she was also a mistake. Is she trying to find a family she calls her own? To find people who understand what it means to be thrown away.

Mephisto probably planted that scheme in her when she lost the right to be Adam's wife.

"He may have suggested it was within this Heaven, so you have seen her influence here more than other Lords or Angels. And it's for that very reason Lilith has been granting Baphomet her blessing." The imps lips arched upwards, " Did you know the last person to attempt this trial was a human or something quite close to human?"

"Huh?"

Feeling my eyes widen, Zax nodded. " Yes, well, it's not a surprise as humans are pretty monstrous, at least, High Humans are. They are, without a doubt, among the top five strongest races, matching devils and reaching close to the power of Angels. There are many more categories for 'humans' whose power varies, but they are all mad with power. But the one who came to me was quite average in terms of bloodline, but what drew me to him was his insanity. Now there was a man that was developed to be a demon." He said, cracking a deep smile.

"This was during Zariels era?" I asked.

"A little before he was born, but here's where things get interesting; when I looked at his soul, I saw it was not a Soul Flame like all creations possess. Instead, it was a shard, a jewel of all things; I'd never seen anything like it. So when I informed my Queen, she too fell star struck. Everything about this man had been wrong; his skin, dao, and cells. It was all different. Fear crept into my heart after God knows how long that day. And the funny thing is, I was asked to do what I am doing to you by Lilith to him. But my God, no matter what I did, that bastard's past his first trial without issue."

My heart hammered against my chest as I frowned and clenched my fist. Had I wasted so much time that I failed to live up to my adaptive nature?

"And then we went to the Soul Trial." he said, causing a frown to brandish his lips, " That was when a being of indescribable power came, cleaving this mysterious being in twain with a single strike. Blood gushed like a river as she came bleeding from every pore. Graceful as those in the higher realms, she leaned onto a lone tree, trying to catch a breath, and said.

"Ten out of Ten dead,"

My brow scrunched as I heard Zax try to imitate this woman's voice. "Who was she?"

"Can't say anyone knows." Zax grimly remarked, " But her silvery hair and power led us to one conclusion, she was a Forsaken. I'd never seen Lilith so angry that she called upon a demonic tribulation of the highest order. Capable of killing any Chaos Lord at the time, I thought the very land of Iluthath was about to implode, but to our horror, she merely flicked her wrist, destroying the tribulation with a flare of her forsaken qi." He paused, clenching his fist, " That woman was the first appearance of a true forsaken in the Twelve Planes."

"Who was she?" I uttered, having a name already on the tip of my tongue.

He glared at me and continued. " Your Mother, of course. And in a single moment, she vanished, leaving both Lady Lilith and I lost for words. We theorized she was a guardian of sorts, as she seemed heavily injured for some reason, but no one knows why."

"Zantar, the other fallen, now the Demon Mother. just how many people are trying to reopen Iluthath?" I whispered, feeling like I was getting closer to the answer behind Zantar's motivation. His quest for Zariel's safe in the Plane of Oblivian, his involvement with the Angels. Could it all be due to my Mother? If she was a guardian, what was she protecting? And was Zantar preparing for a bigger War?

"A fine tale, is it not?" Zax said, and my insides bubbled with unease.

"The Demon Mother is communicating with you, isn't she."

He crackled with a sharp laugh and beckoned towards the throne, "No more questions, take a seat. It's time."