Man cannot fear what they cannot see.
_________
Something appeared to flow through my tendons, jolting me out of deep sleep. A deep voice kept whispering in my ear as if the wind was saying things I couldn't understand but was moving my body.
"Chaos, wake up... it's time..."
My dreams came back to me. Misery abounds. Crying in pain and pleading voices. All of those things—I considered them a dream in the depths of the night.
I slowly wake up from my slumber. I stretched my body, arms, and neck. I could hear the clattering sound of my long-lying bones. My eyes darted around the dimly lit room. Only the lamp on the wall provided me with light. And there it was... the mirror in which I saw myself. My vision had become obstructed—my eyes were shielded by the black crown I was wearing. A voice was whispering to me that I shouldn't take it off, so I didn't. I was clad in dark armor. My hair was long and white. I inherited it from my father.
I walked out of that room. And was greeted by a quiet corridor. I headed to the end of that hallway, and a light flashed on me. It looks like a hall with crystals all around. There are flaming torches on each side. It looks antique but is still beautiful and looks durable. I don't know how many centuries it's been like this. I don't care. I heard a crack. I did not act on where I was standing and just tried to feel the presence.
"Show yourself."
"Lord, Chaos. I can't believe you're awake."
"My father, he's gone, isn't he?" I slowly turned to him, and he immediately bowed his head, as if he was afraid of me. His arms are crossed in front. I glanced at him and realized that he might be the guardian of the realm above and here in the depths. . . Tartarus.
"I'm sorry to inform you that he didn't win his fight." I had no reaction. To wake up from a deep sleep, it's one of the signs that he is completely gone.
I started walking towards the exit of that hall, and I felt his obedience.
As soon as I got out, I went to the bottom part of my kingdom. It was divided into two: the prison and the one where souls are judged after death and where the wicked receive divine punishment. Every chain that binds them has written what they have done. The souls of the devils from the mortal world. No matter how painful their cries are, I didn't pay attention to anything else.
"I want to go to the world of mortals."
"Lord Chaos. . ."
"I'm tired of staying here, listening to these souls' pleas. I don't want to deal with State, who is busy giving punishment."
"Did I hear that right?" Without emotion, I looked at the devil behind me. He has this little smugness on his face, which I don't like.
"Sate," Sate Riddle, the devil.
"Chaos, my friend!"
"Devil," he laughed sinisterly. His dark long hair was braided. He was holding a whip; a burning whip.
"Nice to see you in flesh, visiting this place."
"But the Lord Hades has commanded that once he is gone, you will be the King of the underworld." someone interrupted. What is his name?
"The gods of Alynthi shouldn't know I exist. I need to leave this place in the meantime." I know my mission—to destroy Alynthi, but it's not time yet. I need to find out what's going on first. I need to know where and how I will make my first attack.
I turned to State, who was just looking at us.
"Take charge here, the devil. I'll be gone for a short time. I'll be back."
"What? Again? Have you considered whether I might want to join you on an adventure? Going to parties in the human world, having fun, pulling some pranks, and punching some motherfuckers and asshole mortals." I frowned.
"You're a devil; devils stay in hell."
"Oh come on! Maybe you're not a devil, but you're still the god of Tartarus, and even the whole underworld is yours, you think? We share the same kind. . . so, maybe you want to include me? I'm bored here. We can be best buddies." I breathed heavily. Remind me that this Sate is the son of my father's friend. Friend? Not at all. That's not friendship. I do not indulge in any of the activities they're doing here against mortals, so as my father... our responsibility as the gods of this underworld is to oversee it, manage the afterlife, and forbid the souls from escaping or from going back to the land of the living. While Sate and his father, Satan, are punishing souls who have been cast here. But as the death god, I can also be the end of men.
When I turned to him, I slowly vanished into a cloud of smoke, and I appeared right above the underworld kingdom. I stood at the top and gazed at the mountains in sight.
My wings gradually appeared, spreading wide and ready to take me above the clouds. I am Chaos Chaos. The Prince of the Underworld, the god of Tartarus, and I am bound to destroy those who betrayed my father.
In a snap, I was already flying fast across the clouds, heading in the direction of the sun... and falling from heaven onto the ground of the mortal world. Like lightning...that no one was aware of.
My appearance shifts. My hair was cut short. My armor turned out to be a long black coat and a fitted long sleeve underneath. My crown was gone, and my wings were hidden. My shadow, however, could not conceal the truth. I can still see my wings spread and the crown on my head. But that doesn't matter to me.
"In that case, you must act as a mortal, Lord Chaos." Just what I thought. He will follow me here. I started to walk, and he kept following me.
"Tell me where I should stay..."
"As far as I know, your father's former right-hand man has his own house here."
"Draco Shadegrove?" Draco is a dragon; my father's dragon, but in this world, I'm sure he's a human.
"Yes, my lord." He teleport me to the place where I could find Draco. It was a two-story driftwood gray house.
Even if I'm asleep for a hundred years, I have an idea about the world's revolution. It's in my dream. I knew a lot about mortals. About this world. The changes—I have a lot of knowledge about how things work here and can easily cope. No one will know I'm the death god not until I tell them.
"What's your name?" I asked him.
"Oh, I'm Acciulus Rapidclaw... m'lord. The vampire prince, I mean the last vampire who's carrying the blood of Dracula." I looked at him from head to toe.
"And what is a vampire doing in my realm?"
"I was taken in by your father to look after you. I'm his loyal servant. And it's my pleasure to be there. M'lord." I didn't answer, especially when the door opened and Draco looked at us. I can see from his shadow his dragon form. His eyes widened in shock and he immediately knelt down and bowed.
"Lord Chaos!"
"What are you doing?" I asked, my eyebrow creased. He awkwardly lifted his head and shifted his eyes side-to-side before he stood up.
"Ah, Draco. He decided to leave the underworld... To know some things here." His jaw dropped. Gross.
"What?! No way. Forgive me, m'lord, but I don't think you should be here. How about the dead that is—" He pulled me inside. He peeked outside before closing the door. I frowned because he gripped my arm.
"Who will oversee the dead? You know, m'lord, they cannot cross the bridge that's dividing the world of the living and the world of the dead."
"I left Sate in charge." His jaw dropped even more, and his jaw almost spat.
"That... t-that devil? Oh no. You shouldn't have trusted that scold. Sate has this rebellious side that'll do whatever he wants. He's an untamed, unstoppable devil!"
"No, he won't," I said calmly.
"So, where should I stay?"
"I have an extra room. But then, if you really want to be here, you have to attend my school."
"Are you studying?" Acciulus asked as I started to take off my coat.
"Yes! All the stuff about this world."
"You don't plan to come back?"
"Uh... There is if M'Lord needs my help. I won't think twice."
"I don't want to attend school. I am not mortal."
"However, you must act as if you are one."
"Where's that school?"
"Tartaros Academy." I frowned and sat up.
"A what?"
"Oh, it was inspired by Tartarus anyway. Don't be surprised. There's a book about the gods and goddesses here... People thought that was a myth. The things written in the book are pure fiction. About you... the gods and the goddesses." a myth? Really? I shook my head. That's better.
"Give me that book."
"What will you do?"
"I will destroy it."
"Well, I have the last copy. I won't let you destroy it. I love those false facts. It's fun." I lost my attention there and went to what he said earlier.
"Last copy?" The smile disappeared from his face. Acciulus and I stared at him.
"Well, people started to burn every copy. Actually."
"Why? Even if it's a myth. Shouldn't they still be interested?"
"Actually, at first they all believed it was true. That gods and goddesses really do exist is a fact. Giving gifts to people, saving them from evils. Until some believed it was all just a myth... and the belief in myths began to be distorted. Mortals started a rebellious movement of not believing in gods and goddesses anymore." My forefinger played on my lips as I listened to what Draco said.
"For they all said. They have to stop believing in what they cannot even see."