The sky turned red as the world fell into chaos. Demons were fighting for their lives. They roared, cried, screamed, and died. It was not a beautiful sight for a 16-year-old boy who was too young to stand in the middle of a war.
The demon boy scanned his surrounding in a daze. His mind was too preoccupied, trying to take what was happening. He stood like a statue in wreaking havoc, frozen in place. A short intake of breath followed his lips.
His lips began to tremble lightly as the world around him got all blurry. He felt something warm fall on his pale face, running along his cheek at a fast speed.
Oh, oh.
He touched his face and realized those were tears streaming down his face. He wiped them with his sleeve but could not stop them from coming out even more. He blinked the tears away, trying to cease them, ignoring the pain he was feeling in his chest as he was doing so.
He could feel the mixed emotions within him. Anger, betrayal, hurt, and devastation. He could not focus on any emotions, he could not focus on anything.
Someone pushed him to the ground and ran past the poor kid. His breath hitched as he took the impact. His black wing fluttered in distress, covering him like a cocoon.
Demons and the undead ran past his body; some of them almost stepped on the boy as they fought. They ignored the boy who was wrapped in his own wing and lay helplessly on the ground.
The dark wing opened slightly, revealing a bundle of fluffy black hair inside of it. The kid opened his eyes slowly, giving out a pair of damp red eyes that used to be bright as the sun. He tried to stand up but quickly got shoved away.
Dirt was covering his pale skin as the boy fell for the second time. He grimaced at himself, noticing the cuts on his hands. He gritted his teeth and wiped his last tear harshly. The boy stood up again and quickly spread his wing, flying into the air.
His ears perked at a maniacal laugh that filled the air. The boy turned his head over to the source of the sound. His bloodshot eyes caught the sight of his brother on top of the highest building in the city.
His brother was holding a hand on his face like a madman, his other hand gripped the back of his own hair, and his brother Kiaran cackled in triumphant. The boy could see the madness filled in Kiaran's red eyes as he watched the world burn.
The kid's eyes moved over to the demons who stood alongside his brother. The identical black wings proudly stretched behind them.
His sister's long black hair danced with the wind as she coldly stared down at the demons. Yet, you could find a hint of madness behind Adreanna's beautiful red ruby eyes.
His father stood between Adreanna and Kiaran. The fury behind his red eyes was showing as he faced the king who struggled in his grip, trying to catch a breath while his father choked the man even more.
A kind smile formed on his father's face, yet a hint of dark wicked madness flashed in his eyes.
"This is what you get for picking a fight with the Vergessene family." His father spoke sternly to the demon king.
His father took off and flew into the air, holding the king's neck and bringing the man with him. The boy watched as his father went even higher in the sky, wings that were bigger than him flapped in the air. The king desperately gripped his father's hand in distress, eyes wide as he looked down.
"You want a fight, right?" The father darted. He tilted his head as he stared at the king's teary eyes. "Here, I'll give you a war."
He let go of the king's neck. The man screamed and tried to grab ahold of the father but missed. The boy jolted at the sight, breath hitched as he quickly flew over to catch the man.
The wind fought with him, blowing his messy hair as he tried to hold the king who was still falling down. His heartbeat thumped loudly as he stretched his hand out to the king. He widened his eyes as the man got closer to the ground. He bit the inside of his mouth and put more speed.
He caught the man right before he hit the earth in a swift move. He lowered his feathers down and landed on the ground slowly, letting go of the king who quickly ran away to his people before looking at him with a look of gratitude.
The boy's chest heaved up and down as he stared at the madness that had befallen him. He could not help but tremble at the sight.
The boy turned around to the sound of wings blowing behind him. He was met face to face with his family who was staring at him like he was the lowest person in the world.
"Axel, you keep betraying us," Adreanna spoke, her red ruby eyes staring coldly at her youngest brother. The sound of yelling and screaming surrounded them, yet the family stood there like the world was silent.
"Me? I'm the one who betrayed you?" He asked in disbelief, his pale face glowering in anger.
Axel gritted his teeth, ignoring the lump in his throat. "You are the one who left me to die." He spat. His sister's face stayed emotionless at the statement, gawking at him.
"You," Axel paused as he pointed an accusing finger at his father. "You abandoned me." He continued as his breath was ragged in a fury.
"And you manipulated me." He moved his finger to Kiaran.
"I'm tired-" Axel brushed his hair in distress, eyes glassy as he watched the three people he used to be willing to die for. "-I'm so tired of this family's bullshit."
His brother took a step forward, reaching a hand to Axel. Kiaran smiled softly with his pleading eyes as if he was not the one who had gone mad the moment before. "You know I still love you, Axel. You can always come back."
His sweet words had been spoken, a mask of a loving brother stared at Axel in patience. It was ironic how Axel would believe it before. It was foolish how naïve the boy was.
"Look, you're doing it again," Axel darted, the face of a broken boy staring tiredly at Kiaran. "You're doing the manipulation." He stated flatly.
"Oh, you know I still love you, Axel." Axel mocked, mimicking his brother's words. His eyes flashed with disappointment as he stared at his brother.
"No, no, you fucking don't." Hissed the boy as he desperately held the tears that were threatening to fall.
"You never do." His voice went quiet at that.
"You are siding with the king, Axel," His father spoke up; the kind smile that he always used was gone now. "You're siding with the one man that almost killed your sister." He retorted darkly.
"But you don't have to kill him, you don't have to kill them all!" Axel ventured, he stared at the man who was supposed to be there for him. "They are people, they have a family too, just like us."
"The king? He has a daughter too, there must be a way other than war, fath- Cain!" Axel tried to justify, ignoring how he almost called him a father again.
"I never raised you to pick a side other than your family, Axel." Cain disapproved as he waged his wing wider.
"That's the thing, Cain," Axel chuckled bitterly as he showed his broken smile. "You never raised me at all."
Cain was taken aback by the statement, he widened his eyes and quickly hid it well. "Well then, seems like our path ended here." The man spoke and turned his back on the boy, just like he always did before.
Adreanna followed Cain right away, stealing a last glance at her brother with hidden emotions, something that the girl was never good at showing.
Kiaran though, stood there a little longer, staring at his little brother who used to be so naïve, so lovable, so loyal. The one thing he could control was gone now. He took a last glance and turned away from the boy.
Everything was happening too fast.
One second Axel was seeing his messed up family turn their back on him for the hundred times, the next second there was a heavy pain as a rusty sharp black arrow found its mark in the boy's heart.
He staggered back and stood in shock. Something was splashed on his face from the arrow. Axel touched his face, thinking it was his tears again, instead, he was met with red liquid on his hand.
Adreanna snapped her neck at the sound of something so close, too close to her was shot. She was always sharp with her surroundings. She watched Axel fall backward, achingly slow in her vision.
It took a moment for her to snap out of her daze, and by then, Kiaran was screaming, a desperate scream that pierced everyone's ears. It shook the world, screeching the reality all around them.
"Axel!" Her father shouted, staggering as he ran to the boy's limp body. Kiaran caught up with Cain as the both of them kneeled down to Axel.
Adreanna just froze there, she only watched from afar. She could not take what was happening, she never felt this way before. It was too overwhelming. Everything was wrong; this was wrong.
No, no, no, no, no, this could not be happening. He was just there betraying his own family, screaming in their faces, accusing them like the little child that he was. So why would he- why would-
Adreanna looked around, she could feel her anger boiling. She could feel something aching in her heart. It was new to her, yet she was too busy searching for the person who caused this, the person who made her feel something.
Axel, on the other hand, was trying hard to open his eyes. He could not hear anything, everything hurt, it really hurt. His ears were ringing. Someone was holding him, it was warm despite the coldness he felt in his heart.
He opened his eyes to see his father with worry on his face. Something his father never showed to him before, and he realized his father cared right now. It was warm.
Oh, that was nice. That felt really nice.
He moved his teary eyes to the person beside him, holding his hand tightly as if he would go anytime soon. Oh, it was his brother. Axel saw his brother's mouth move so fast. Was he talking to him?
He tried to listen to his brother, furrowing his eyebrows as doing so. He could not hear a word, it was all vague. His eyes felt so heavy, it was really heavy, and he was tired.
"You know I love you, Axel."
He heard the words now. This time it sounded so genuine in his ears. No manipulation, just a brother's word. It was really warm.
Oh, that was nice too, that really felt nice.
He needed to keep awake, his sister told him to. Oh? Adreanna? She's here too? Was she crying? He never saw her cry before, she still looked pretty, though. Her tears that fell on his face were warm too.
It was nice, actually.
He breathed slowly, trying to stay awake. He could not keep his eyes open. He knew he should. Because if he didn't do it then he would-
Kiaran hovered over him, something felt wrong in his chest. There was a pain in his heart as he saw how broken his brother's face was. Axel was confused, though. He thought he already felt pain before, could you feel pain all over again?
He did not know, though. No one really ever taught him anything other than Kiaran. His father abandoned him and always left him with his favorite child, leaving him alone with his manipulative brother who made him do bad things.
But they were here now, hugging him as his father lifted him up. He felt so loved; he never felt so loved. Everything was so warm.
It was nice, he felt like he could take a nap.