Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Chapter 2: Name

It was warm, so warm. Yet all I could see was darkness; my hell was gone, but I was plunged into another. My only comfort was the warmth gently flowing through me.

I knew what I was, I knew what was happening, but that didn't matter; to be stuck in an infinite realm of darkness for what seemed like an eternity was maddening.

There was no way of telling time aside from counting, but I was afraid. I didn't want to count my days of prison but rather my days of freedom. I wanted to be free...I don't know how much longer I could wait.

Opening my small undeveloped eyes, I stared into the darkness before laughing maniacally, those bastards always talk about cultivating within the womb, but that is just a hopeless dream for me. I have no knowledge of such things, and blindly absorbing energy is foolish even with an adaptive body.

As the days or years began to pass, I finally found something for me to do. Before my death, I was considered a genius by society standards, but now I know how foolish I was. With my increased comprehension, I finally realize how naive I was, how pathetic I truly was.

Laughing in self-ridicule, I scoffed at myself before organizing my thoughts. Remembering the memory palace technique created by Simonides, I began practicing it with extreme precision. It had only taken a few seconds to organize all my thoughts into a palace.

Staring at the millions of virtual images in front of me organized from the end of my life to the beginning, I grinned as a flood of exhaustion overtook me. Falling asleep, my days or what seemed like days consist of adjusting my memory palace.

At first, it was only there to help me remember everything, but as I kept working at it, I began to be able to split my mind. Having two different minds working on different thoughts.

And then it happened, something that brought joy to me for the first time. After an eternity of darkness, I heard a voice. It was gentle like water and as soft as silk. Tears filled my eyes as I kicked out, causing the woman to giggle.

Her words were foreign; nevertheless, I cried like never before. I could feel something flowing within me that caused me to close my eyes. A gentle warmth consumed me, and before I knew it, darkness arrived.

Seconds, Minutes, hours, days, months, years, I did not know how long, but the only thing that consoled my mind was her. Until it finally arrived, I could feel a massive force warping around my body.

I know they say never head to the light but fuck that, like a mad man. I flew towards the exit head first. I could feel various liquids flowing across my body and a heavy yet suffocating pressure on my head, but I didn't want to stop; I could not stop—her soft voice was ringing within my ear like a bell as she gave a final push.

'Light,' I thought in tears, it may have coincidence, but I bawled my eyes out, staring at the brightly lit room.

"Congratulations, it's a boy, my lady."

With tears still in my ears, the rugged voice of an elderly person sounded. Feeling her callous hands around my body, I squirm, trying to flee from her grip only for her to place me in the arms of someone else.

Staring curiously at the new person holding me, I broke out in a massive grin before giggling like a child. She had long black hair, golden eyes, and a gorgeous face. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

"My baby, my Arsène." She said with a warm smile, kissing my tender yet bloodied face. Her soft lips gently caressed my cheeks, bringing a warmth I was all too comfortable with.

BANG!

A loud, startling noise shook my core as I stared at the door that was bust into by a tall, grizzled man with ashen-colored hair. His dark eyes shone bright with joy as he raced towards be laughing hysterically.

"Emma, Emma, Emma, we did it. We really did it." He shouted with a loving smile staring straight into my eyes.

Emma, the woman holding me in her arms, smiled weakly, "Y-Y-Yes, but Val, please lower your voice. You're scaring poor Arsène."

Quickly covering his mouth, Val began to sweat bricks as he gazed at me in panic. He shivered a little before starting back at the elderly woman, "How is she?"

"It was one of the shortest sessions I ever had; the little lad leaped out as soon as Lady Emma started pushing. Aside from some swelling and pain, your wife should recover in a few hours. As for your son, his swelling will go down in a few days, if not weeks." The Elderly woman explained with a kind smile.

Grinning at her husband, Emma lifted me up before bringing me towards her nipple. My eyes went wide, but a deep hunger began consuming my mind.

'damn you, nooo, nooo, nooo damn, I don't want breast milk I want MEAT!!.' Against my protesting, my mouth opened wide as I began sucking on her nip in a fiery manner.

Against my will, my body began extracting the sweet nectar from her bosom, sending me into a daze. The more I consumed, the more exhausted I seem to be; no matter how much I tried, nothing seemed to work as my consciousness slipped into darkness.

Reopening my eyes to the darkness, I panicked, remembering my time in the womb. A loud cry escaped from my lungs as two men holding two spears appeared next to me. Eyeing the perimeter coldly, a bright light appeared from the two of them before it faded.

"The young master has arisen inform Lady Emma and Lord Val." One of the soldiers said coldly while eyeing me in an oddly respectful manner.

It was not long before a young bewitching woman dressed in a black sleeveless sundress appeared with a radiant smile lifting me up.

"Is my baby finally up," Emma asked as she gently poked my cheeks?

"You inherited your father's Ashen Hair. Damn, I thought you would be like Richter, but you have my golden eyes. My baby will be one of the most handsome men in the kingdom." She whispered to me, carrying me out of the room.

We were rich, staring at the massive courtyard. I could only make weird noises as I stared at the enchanting area I was in. It had reminded me of a massive garden filled with hundreds of various plants, yet all elegantly groomed.

"This is all yours, Arsène; this entire courtyard is yours. Once you are able to move on your own, you shall be living here." She declared while giving me a brief tour of what would be my new home in the near future.