Peering into the ashen eyes of the Pale Lord, I narrowed my gaze. "The way you speak is as if you've already seen it. You're from my future."
"And I am also your family's past." The Pale Lord said, snatching a bottle and pouring herself a glass. She glanced at Tene. " this is fucking good. You got any more?"
"It's from my personal cellar," Tene replied with a small smile. " I'll have someone bring you a few bottles if you like."
The Pale Lord bobbed her little head. " Thanks," she said and glanced at me. "At first… we didn't understand. Shit. I didn't even finally understand till we came here. None of us knew who Mephisto was. Shit, even now. We don't know him. The Myriad Heaven's greatest flagship of a man."
The Pale Lord sighed, grimacing with an expression of pain. " Ever heard of the spear of Longinus? I'm sure you have. You were screwing the owner of the copy. Did you know that the real spear is sealed in heaven? Do you know why?"
"It gained power from piercing the mortal flesh of the child of god. His clone." I answered grimly, glancing at Tene, who nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah. The Myriad God of this realm is odd. But that's a story for another time. When the Forsaken entered Arcadia, they were still weak. Still young. But their abilities were so powerful they quickly rose to the top. And inherently, I had no problem with that. It happens all the time. There are always heroes and warriors."
"And that is what happened to your Ancestor. Fucking Alvorian, your first Ancestor. Till I ripped his heart from his fucking chest, cursing him for all eternity."
"You cursed him?'
"Everything he touches will rot. Will decay before his eyes. And there is no cure. No escape. His kids. His wife. His everything is gone. All he is left with is a family name and loose descendants with no natural connection to him. I broke that fucker."
I frowned. "Why?"
"Why? Because he took my home. Took all I held dare. Him and the Fel. Got greedy. And… became tarnished by the power they shouldn't have held: which brings me back to the Artifact similar to the spear of Longinus sealed in heaven that fell into their hands. The Family of Seven found something they shouldn't have. An artifact that broke everyone. Themselves included."
Instincts flaring, I felt a strong pressure on my chest. A hint of exposure shrouded my flesh as I didn't dare bring up the Throne Mother used to tell me about. It was safe to say that this object might not even be real. It might just be a story. But at this moment, no one is looking for it.
"The Seven Families all ascended in power. All of them. Becoming peak beings. But it wasn't without a price. Not without a great price. For a long time. For a long, long time, Arcadia became a battlefield.
"Imagine all thirty-three heavens perishing in a single night. Imagine a monster carrying the power of a god whose existence is so shattered they can kill and restart it all with a snap. Arcadia lost ninety percent of its mortal population in a single night.
"In a year, they were all dead. Only gods could exist. After a Hell Cycle, on a battlefield, were we were forced to lay down an immortal field that grants true immortality. We managed to hold the line against the Forsaken and Fel.
"The Fel?" I mentioned having heard little about this race. I've heard it mentioned here and there, but it wasn't ever really a point of conversation.
"Ask your fucking master. It's his fault they exist. Grievous little shits. They are also one of the reasons your mother was killed. Just in case your brother didn't tell you. Vermin is what they are. Just as bad as demons but worse."
Maintaining my composure, I merely nodded. It wasn't the time for emotions. "Continue."
"You got whiskey?" The Pale Lord asked, and without a second thought, Tene pulled out a strange little decanter. And tossed it to the Pale Lord.
"Careful. It knocked Lucifer on his ass a few times."
"My type of woman." The Pale Lord remarked.
"You are nothing like I expected. Nothing."
"Don't be fooled by the body. I ain't no fucking kid."
'I'd think you were a man if your voice was deeper." I mused, utterly amazed by the mannerisms of the Pale Lord. She cursed more than me.
The Pale Lord snorted. " I'm in healing. Never recovered fully from the war, and being knocked back in time didn't help. This form you see is merely temporary. Although it has grown on me."
"Has it? Well, that is not my problem. So the Seven Forsaken Families lost their minds from the power of this Artifact they found."
"It was a genocide on a level no one had ever seen. I've seen many things. Many things. But nothing so tragic, so cruel. I'm not kidding when I say we lost everything in this war. We lost so much that… every year in Arcadia for a single month… we experience rain… a blood rain."
"That's… possible?" I hesitantly probed, feeling my heart drop at the image. I didn't value the lives of others… but not everyone was like me. Not everyone can be like me.
But even I have bottom lines that get skewed at times. But they exist. Whatever happened to the Forsaken and this Fel raise is odd.
"Yes… It's possible." Tene spoke with sadness in her tone. " But not on the scale like in which the Pale Lord speaks of.
"And we don't have a reincarnation pool. At least not yet. So all those souls… that died were eaten and destroyed. And I mean destroyed, forever gone. You bastards here like war. And I guess Arcadia quickly became like that after the Riencations Pools or Hells was invented there with the Arrival of the Myriad Heavens, but Arcadia was a very peaceful place.
"Gods back then couldn't abuse the souls of the dead. Once a man, woman, or beast died. That was it. No one benefited. But Heaven and Hell are needed. I'd rather see souls abused than to watch one destroyed."
"Your kind." Said Tene, lifting her glass of wine to her lips. "You don't seem like it. But you are very kind."
"Your people Arsene… they broke me. And that's not easy to do. I lost my kingdom. My friends. Children, I helped raise from the ground up. People whose very soul was so pure that the sun fell at their deaths. Too ashamed to rise.
"I'm a Snow," I confirmed."Do not make connections where they don't exist. If you keep blaming me for the past of people I never met. You'll only garner my scorn… and unlike you. I'm not so reserved… I need a drink."
Held within her sights, the Pale Lord nodded. "I know… and I'm sorry. But this isn't something I will ever forgive. I suspect if it were to happen to you---"
"I'd kill everyone. No exception. But you're not me."
"No… I'm not like you."
There was a grimness over the table when Tene suddenly spoke out. " This Artifact? Destroyed?"
"Shattered. They used the last of their power to seal us. But not before we shattered any chance for the Forsaken to recover. We broke the Fel. Leaving only remnants."
"But the Forsaken Recovered, didn't they," I said knowingly.
"Not to their peak like they once were. Not even close. But yeah. They recovered. Somehow." Downing a glass, The pale Lord's cheeks instantly grew flushed as she wobbled. " Shit, that's hella fucking strong. Wow!"
"Glad you like it." Tene swiftly remarked, lowering her wine glass to the table with grace. " me and you are going to talk after this. Just us. I'm going to make a friend out of you one day."
"Don't waste your time."
Tenebrae gave a warm smile. "Do you know why many say the darkness was weaved?"
"The Abyss weaved you into being."
"True, but they don't know that. No. Because the darkness is like a blanket. I've watched over the sleeping faces of my children since the beginning. It's my nature to shroud them in my protection. Whether you like it or not. I will be there."
"Did I just steal your wife?" The Pale Lord shamelessly asked, lifting her lips into a cheap smile.
"Don't worry. Tenebrae will get what's coming to her." I teased, shooting the little minx a grin.