Dante was seven years old in the year 1580. His father had gone out hunting, and Dante was in the backyard with his older brother, playing under the watchful eye of their mother.
"Hey Dante, want to play hide and seek?" his older brother, Alpus, asked innocently.
"Yes, let's play. Go hide, and I'll seek," Dante said, finally seizing an opportunity to be rid of him.
As his brother ran off, Dante approached his mother with a fanatical smile. "Mother, how are you?" he asked, his voice filled with an unsettling sweetness.
"I'm fine, son," his mother replied, startled by the intensity of his gaze. "Where did Alpus go?"
"We're playing hide and seek," Dante answered. "Aren't you going to look for him?"
"I'm with you right now. I'll look for him later, ma," he said, settling down beside her.
Dante had always felt a strange and unnatural attachment to his mother. She belonged to him, and only to him. He resented how she gave his father and Alpus any attention. They were distractions, obstacles in his way.
Dante's eyes lingered on his mother as he thought, Don't worry, soon we'll be alone. He remembered the drugs he'd obtained from Erittel, the healer's daughter. It had been a plan that had taken months to carefully set in motion.
As evening fell, Dante's father returned from hunting, his heavy boots thudding on the ground as he entered the house. Dante's mind raced. Time to start the plan.
"I want to cook with you, Mom," Dante said, a casual request that hid his darker intentions.
"Okay, dear," his mother replied, her voice light, unbothered by his sudden need to help.
"Dad, Dante and I played hide and seek," Alpus's voice rang out from the kitchen, "He couldn't find me for two hours straight!"
Dante's eyes narrowed as he and his mother stepped into the kitchen. "Dante, help me with the knife," his mother said, and he went over to hand it to her, his thoughts swirling.
The family sat down to eat, his father as always serving more to his favorite son. This would be your last meal, old man, Dante thought darkly, his eyes flicking to his father, who remained oblivious.
"So Dante, Alpus tells me you couldn't find him in your game," his father asked, his tone casual.
"Yes, Dad, I couldn't find him anywhere," Dante replied, his voice flat.
"Don't worry, son. You'll find him next time," his father said, trying to console him, thinking Dante was sad about the game.
"I love buffalo so much!" Alpus mused, clearly enjoying the food. His father absentmindedly patted his head, brushing over the scar on his first son's forehead.
As they continued to eat, something unusual happened. Alpus started sweating heavily.
"What's wrong, dear? Slow down," his mother said, concern creeping into her voice.
"I'm fine, Mom. The food is just so nice," Alpus reassured her, but his face soon contorted in pain.
A moment later, Alpus dropped his spoon, clutching his stomach and screaming. "My tummy! My tummy!" he cried, writhing in agony.
"Alpus!" both of his parents screamed, rushing to his side.
"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Alpus begged, tears streaming down his face as his body convulsed.
"Apakthu, carry him. Let's go to Belford's place!" his mother shouted, but as his father lifted Alpus, something strange happened.
His father, too, felt a sharp, burning pain in his stomach. He staggered, struggling to hold his son. The pain intensified, and he collapsed, dropping Alpus hard onto the floor.
"What's wrong?" his mother screamed in disbelief, rushing to her husband. She turned to find him on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Mom, make it stop!" Alpus whimpered, still clutching his stomach in agony.
Lorelei, terrified, stood helplessly, not knowing what was happening. As she tried to go for help, a sudden blow struck her in the head.
Before her consciousness faded, she looked back and saw her son, Dante, standing over her with a club in his hands.
Lorelei awoke some time later, groggy and disoriented. She tried to move, but her body was weak, as though she had been asleep for much longer than she realized.
"You're awake. That's good," Dante's voice was eerily calm. "We need to leave soon. Morning will be here soon, and people will start noticing something."
Suddenly, memories flooded back into Lorelei's mind. "Alpus! Apakthu! Where are they?" she screamed, her heart pounding in her chest. The last thing she remembered was seeing Alpus in pain, her husband collapsing, and then...
"They're not here anymore, Mom," Dante's voice chilled her to the bone. "Finally, we can be together."
Lorelei's stomach dropped. "What happened to them?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"If you're talking about Dad and Alpus, don't worry," Dante said, his voice eerily calm. "I cut them apart. I'll make it look like an animal attack. No one will find out."
Lorelei's heart sank as the horror of her son's words sunk in. She remembered the times her husband had been so determined to protect her, the way her sweet little boy had always come to her for comfort after hunting the neighbor's animals. And now… now, this.
"Why?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Why what?" Dante replied, sounding confused.
"Why did you kill them?" Lorelei screamed, the tears flooding her face.
Dante's expression darkened. "Isn't that the point? So we can be together, finally," he said, his tone dripping with twisted logic, as if it were the only possible answer.
"I hate you. I hate you!" Lorelei screamed, desperately trying to break free from the chains that held her down—chains that had once been used by her husband to hold wild animals, now used to restrain her.
"You don't mean that. I know you love me, Mom," Dante said, his voice soft but taunting. He chuckled lightly before continuing, "Let's start leaving. We can go through the forest and find somewhere else."
He approached her, unlocking one of the chains, but as soon as her hand was free, she lunged at him, trying to hurt him.
Dante stepped back, livid. "What are you doing?" he screamed, his face contorted in anger. "Is it because of them?"
He stared at his mother, his face twisting with fury. "Are you really crying for them?" he spat, and then, in a fit of rage, he grabbed the club he had used earlier and began bashing Lorelei's head over and over.
Lorelei collapsed to the floor, the pain unbearable. Her thoughts flashed, If only I hadn't given up my powers, this wouldn't have happened. But no, if she hadn't given them up, she wouldn't have met them. She thought of her husband and her sons one last time as darkness consumed her.
Dante stopped. His mother was still. Her body lifeless.
"What… no! Mom!" he cried, shaking her, but there was no response. He hugged her broken form, crying out in desperation. "No, you can't die. Not like this."
Hours passed before Dante finally rose from the body. His eyes were wild with madness, his body trembling with hunger. In a delirium, he began to devour her, not even realizing what he was doing. His eyes glowed red as he consumed her flesh. He didn't notice when he turned to the bodies of his father and brother, tearing into them as well, his hunger insatiable.