Song recommendation: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8hT3oDDf6c)
"Do you love me ?"
Ace stared up at the figure beside him. He flew from the bed startled and stumbled over the table.
"You...." Ace exhaled shakily.
"Where are you going?"
The bottles of wine crashed to the floor as Ace hit the wall. He remained pinned there, throwing a hand over his eyes gripping the wall for dear life.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" He raced through the word weakly.
"Aren't I beautiful?" came the voice again.
Ace didn't dare look up. He inhaled shakily as two white feet stepped over the broken glass and came in front of him. His eyes came up with a fright. It looked in every regard to be exactly like Clover but he knew instinctively it was not them.
"What are you...."
"Shhh," a finger came over his lips.
Then the cold lips touched his. He was frozen solid. His eyes blinked rapidly as tears rolled down his cheeks. He dashed the tears away and inhaled rapidly.
"I don't feel well," he murmured.
"If you stop fighting, it will hurt less," replied the shadow of Clover.
Ace sank to the ground staring ahead listlessly. He cradled his knees and tucked his head under his arms.
"I just have to call your name?" Ace said in a small voice. "then you'll leave me alone?"
There was no reply. Ace slowly came up and stared at the figure crouched in front of him.
"Rhiann" he exhaled breathlessly, "Rhiann. Rhiann. Rhiann,"
The moment he said the words, the figure stood and walked back across the glass once more. Their blood footsteps dotted the floor as they sat back on the bed. Ace's eyes which were fixed to the floor ahead slowly panned up.
White skin utterly devoid of colour wrapped in a dark silk lay stretched out before him. His eyes met their red eyes with uncertainty. They had jet black hair that reached the floor and were reclined back with a look of absolute superiority. The strangest thing was despite the difference, Ace couldn't help but still see Clover in their delicate and forlorn expression.
"What is this?" Ace stared at them bitterly, "why do you have that face? You said..."
"I would show you my face and I have," Rhiann interrupted. "Do you find me beautiful?"
"How can I?" Ace remarked coldly. "you've stolen some else's beauty,"
"Or is not them who stole mine?" Rhiann replied with a smile. "Well it is as it should be,"
"What does that mean?"Ace glared at them suspiciously.
"Come here," Rhiann leaned forward, "I'll whisper it to you,"
"No," Ace answered at once, "Stay where you are!"
Rhiann let out a sigh, "Go. Stay. How fickle you humans are,"
He stared down with a distant forlorn stare that had not changed in spite of his appearance. He turned to the window which was filtering a dark red hue.
"Such ugliness. How I miss the night," he said quietly, "but you give me some comfort. I wonder why?"
He turned back to Ace.
"Maybe it's the darkness in your eyes. I can't stop looking even from the moment you were born,"
Ace swallowed uneasily, "So you've cursed me from the start,"
"Yes, perhaps," Rhiann replied, "but if you were a child of light, I should have never been able to snatch you."
"I might have been, if not for you."
"No, I think not," Rhiann smiled, "Every small turn, from your coming to the demon world, to your wandering the desert is the working of fate. The elder gods weave the threads of destiny. I have only given them what they demand."
"Are you saying the reason I was brought to the demon world was...because the gods decided it? I never had control of my own destiny?"
"I only whispered in the ear of that greedy demon a tale of glory enough to bring you all here. Of the hundreds of children he brought before me, you were the one who survived. It was not decided. You made it happen through your own force of will. Call it destiny or call it coincidence - they are both the same thing,"
"How can the gods be so cruel?" Ace faltered.
"You were made in our image. Where do you think human cruelty comes from?"
"But you must be the cruellest of them all," Ace spat, "you have caused me nothing but suffering!"
"The elder gods are far crueller than me," Rhiann replied, "though I find it amusing how quickly you humans curse the gods for your misfortune. When you take your great victories, how eagerly you attribute your success to your own brilliance. And then upon your bitter defeats you visit your hatred upon us,"
"You are a god that deserves to be hated," Ace replied unflinchingly.
"And for that I have been punished with impunity," Rhiann frowned, "Isn't time, you humans received your punishment as well? The great balance demands it,"
"So this is punishment then?"Ace sniffed, "you're punishing me?"
Rhiann gave a small smile, "Little one. I am not the one who is punishing you,"
"Then who is?" Ace implored.
"The one who wears my face," Rhiann replied.
"Clover?" Ace's brow furrowed.
"That's right," Rhiann smiled, "Every second they don't give me what I want, they make you suffer for it. They know it well."
"You're the reason the Clover was afraid..." Ace said slowly.
Rhiann stared down with the same desolate smile.
"What has Clover done?" Ace asked quietly.
"That child has done many wicked things," Rhiann replied. "Don't you know it well?"
"But what did they do to you?" Ace demanded more adamantly.
"They broke a promise made to me," Rhiann stared down with a look so devoid of mercy it turned Ace's blood cold.
"What promise?" Ace managed to get out.
"Their father was hungry for power, as every demon is," Rhiann answered. "I offered it to him, in exchange for his first born child. That child is the one you call Clover,"
"What?" Ace stared up apprehensive. "Why would you ask such a thing?"
"I need a body to contain my soul so I can finally rise out of this world. Only theirs will suffice,"
"And Clover refused?"
"That child is no fool. They knew that fate plays its hand one way or another. So instead of offering themselves up, they used a trick to prevent my rightful rebirth,"
"A trick?"
"They lured a child from the human world to take their place,"
"The girl who became the demon king...the one that spoke to her...it was Clover?"
"Now you see. Such wickedness cannot go unpunished,"
"Then the reason you chose me is because of Clover..." Ace's voice trailed. He stared ahead completely motionless, "everything that has happened to me...it's because of Clover,"
"Exactly," Rhiann smiled, "I am not the cause of your pain. Nor your torment."
"It's Clover," Ace repeated in a daze.
"Yes," Rhiann went on, "I never wished to harm you. But neither can I prevent it while that child eludes and plots against me,"
Ace stared up with a completely glazed expression, "I understand,"
"And do you see that you need not be afraid of me?"
"Yes," Ace replied.
"Then come," Rhiann beckoned him forward.
Ace complied. He rose slowly from the corner of the room and stepped toward Rhiann. The glass cracked under his boots as the crimson mantle enveloped him in red. He stared into Rhiann's eyes as if hypnotised.
"The curse on you is strong," Rhiann's finger grazed Ace's cheek, "but it can be broken,"
"It can?" Ace said quietly.
"Indeed," Rhiann smiled, "I know how to break it,"
"Tell me," Ace said in a voice barely a whisper.
Rhiann whispered into Ace's ear and he listened quietly. When Rhainn pulled away, Ace's expression was completely still, unchanged and dark.
"Do you know what you need to do?" Rhiann said in a low voice.
"Yes. I know what I need to do now,"Ace replied.
"And are you afraid?" Rhiann asked.
"No," Ace returned.
"Good," Rhiann wore a broad fixed smile on his face, "because your reward will be great,"
"I don't need a reward," Ace said, "I just want this pain to go away. I want it all to go away,"
"It will," Rhiann took Ace's hand and kissed it tenderly, "I promise,"
"And this will fix everything?" Ace's voice cracked.
"Everything," Rhiann smiled, "everything will be as it should be. Now, all you need to do is listen to me and everything will be alright,"
Rhiann patted the bed softly and Ace sat down beside him. He leant on Rhiann's shoulder obediently. The red shadow coated them both in death like repose. All the while, Ace kept quietly repeating to himself over and over:
"Everything will be alright,"
"That's right," Rhiann's gaze turned to the window once more. "It will all be fine. This eternal slumber will end. We will both finally see the light and it will be our absolution. It will shine so bright, we need never look upon the shadows again.
Just wait with me a little longer."