RAVEN'S POV :
My hands wiped away the ceaseless stream of cold sweats in hurry at the sound of footsteps approaching my chamber. I found myself pacing in every direction available except the one that led towards the doors. I was panicking at the thought of his yet another ruthless response for my strange impotence. Just then, the sound of both of the giant doorknobs of my chamber being clicked in unison blared louder than usual in gratitude to my paranormal hearing aptitude.
The next second, I was already behind the giant layers of blood-red coloured curtains that framed amidst the interior of my chamber and the royal balcony. His footsteps were quite audibly inching towards me but I chose to resume my pretence.
"Raven!"
My ears heard his stern voice quite clearly but my mind refused to respond. So, I remained inert.
"RAVEN DEMOGORGON! DO NOT IGNORE YOUR KING, YOU INSOLENT YOUNG MAN!"
Not wanting to add any more fuel to his already burning anger and annoyance, I slowly turned towards him.
"Hello, father. Did I wake you?"
I attempted to sound as unpremeditated as I could because I earnestly didn't want my anxiety to be noticed.
Again.
Not by His Royal Highness, King Alastor Demogorgon himself explicitly.
"Do you really have to ask whilst knowing the very answer, young man?"
He was indeed in acrimony. I turned away and faced the dark horizon. Only this time, it seemed even darker than a few minutes ago.
"I'm sorry, father. It shall not repeat again. I'll try my best to avoid such interruptions."
The older man sighed deeply before appearing by my side.
"That's exactly what you've been repeating for the past few decades and have you once been able to keep your words?"
No.
Not even a damned single time.
"Listen to me carefully, Raven. You are a Demogorgon-Human half breed and to embrace that supernatural fragment of your birth you HAD to feed on human blood. YOU HAVE NO BLOODY CONTROL ON WHEN OR WHERE THAT FIRST TRIGGER CAN OCCUR BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPULSE OF YOUR INHUMAN NATURE."
While he was trying to reason me with the facts about why I should exactly forget the past and embrace the reality, he was unknowingly worsening my angst.
Every word he uttered only increased my already anxious state of mind, enhancing the immense pain that particular memory brought along, every single time. As though sensing the change in my aura, his voice softened a little.
"Raven, listen... it was bound to happen to every half breed at one point of their life. Yes, it is unfortunate that your first trigger for blood lust victimized Meredith but be aware of the heights of supremacy that first feed bequeathed you with, young man."
The supremacy...
Speed, that defeats the spear of lightning in the hands of Zeus himself.
Strength, of a thousand lethal dragons that can tremor even the most noxious volcanoes to their cores.
Senses, sharper than the blood-soaked blade in possession of the Underworld King.
Bites, venomous than most fatal poisons, can drain souls in mere seconds.
And a subterranean dictating hunger for human blood that's blind to any limits or... loved ones.
"I'm sorry but I can see nothing but an eternal burden of disastrous curses in this supernatural existence, father."
"WATCH YOUR BLOODY TONGUE, RAVEN! WE ARE NOT CURSED! DEMOGORGONS ARE THE MOST GLORIFIED CREATURES WALKING ON THIS FACE OF EARTH! AND THESE POWERS WERE BLESSED BY THE DEMON KING, LUCIFER HIMSELF!"
My eyes squeezed shut in wrath while I clenched both my teeth and fists tighter to avoid hurting the only person I had left with to call family. However, the intensity of his irritating voice only grew louder with every word as he was technically roaring at me.
Grabbing my shoulders in severe hostility, he forced me to meet his now reddened silver orbs. Dark veins were popping around them with his canines that emerged threateningly out of their thirsty dens. He was turning into his Demon Self.
Despite my dark and dreaded reputation among the subjects and every last person in the castle and kingdom, The Great Alastor Demogorgon had never once acknowledged my métiers. In his egotistical eyes, Raven Demogorgon is nothing but a feeble boy who can't even relieve himself from the nightmares resulted from the remorse of slaying his mother as his first feed.
"LOOK AT ME, RAVEN! DON'T HIDE FROM YOUR TRUE SELF! YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR DEMONS ARE HIDING! LET THAT BEAST YOU'RE TRYING TOO HARD TO TERMINATE DICTATE YOUR PATHETIC HUMAN FEELINGS! AND QUIT ACTING MORONICALLY LIKE YOUR MORTAL MOTHER!"
"ENOUGH!!!!"
Out of the blue, I heard a vulgar growl in resemblance to the deadliest thunderbolts interrupt The King. For one moment, I felt the magnificent fort quiver beneath my feet. Even sounds of nature fell into an intimidating cemetery silence. As my gaze shifted onto the man before me, I caught a glimpse of terror strike through his shocked orbs. It was not the first time, but still, sensing him have a slight knack of fear of me, somehow boosted my ego and I felt a familiar evil resurface from that ego. At the same time, I also did notice how he was back into his human self.
Then, who does the lethal roar belong to?
"Saw that? All you have to do is acquire acceptance over what you are, instead of disguising yourself as what you want to be, Raven." The satisfaction that radiated in his arrogant eyes was quite foreign to me. He inched nearer and his silver orbs zeroed in my emerald ones.
"THIS IS WHO YOU ARE, RAVEN DEMOGORGON!"
Confused with his acts and words, I glared deep into his eyes, and the sight I saw slit my soul into tiny million pieces.
"NOOO!!!"
I fumbled away from the man as another regal roar echoed in the air. I saw the reflection of a predatory beast in his eyes. Veins in blood-red were webbing in his darkened green orbs. Sharp canines that were deserted to starve in unnerving bloodthirst for decades were ready to rip any human flesh at sight into fulfilling its devilish desire. Nothing seemed familiar about it, despite sharing the same features as mine.
Then, it hit me.
I have transformed into my demon self.
Again...
It was me who roared. Yes, it had happened before but no, I'm never proud of the experiences.
I immediately forced myself to recall slaying dozens of lives in seconds just like I always did, whenever my demon self took control. It was ruthless and demonic. I was struggling to shove the beast back into the far deep caves of my instinct but that's when I realized how it grew stronger with every appearance. I forced the worst memories in my mind to be retrieved.
I deliberately recalled the times when the king had triggered my inner devil at a number of events only to terrorize the subjects and feed fear into their core at the mere mention of my very name. He had always manipulated my weakness to release the monster inside in order to earn such a dreadful deranged reputation. So, I used those torturous memories where I witnessed the very same fear in my mother's eyes in those innocent subjects, in order to drive away from the source of it.
It has always been a battle between my humanity and inner hellion.
Slowly, I felt the demon retreat as the human in me took charge. Inflamed by how Alastor Demogorgon had once again succeeded with manipulating me and lured the devil out, I stomped away to my previous spot and settled on the steps. He followed before stopping right behind me as I was firmly ignoring him like he always ignored me.
"One day, when you shall be enthroned as the Emperor of Crimson Crown, you WILL thank me for aiding you to embrace your identity, Raven Demogorgon."
With that said, he left and I couldn't even bother to see him off as I was blinded by severe infuriation. I reminded myself of how I shall not be intrigued by his royal offers but what he said was not ignorable. My demon self was indeed stronger than my human self.
Perhaps, it could be stronger than Alastor Demogorgon himself. This is why I sense immense dismay his features portray every time my demon self emerged. However, I knew that I must find a way to release myself from this sinful parasite that's been living inside of me and feeding on my humanity.
But then again, how was I supposed to do that?
Eliminating every remorseful thought of all the chaos the beast within me had created before, my senses grew more determined in discovering the light in me because until now, I still don't know where my demons hide.
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