In a foreboding and sinister forest shunned by the living like a plague, sat a white-haired boy perched on the trunk of an ancient, gnarled tree. His straight jawline, smooth skin, and curly white hair that cascaded down to his shoulders gave him an ethereal, almost fragile appearance. His presence was feeble, like that of a dying flower, evoking a peculiar blend of pity and allure. Despite the delicate visage of an eighteen-year-old—an age he would reach in two days—there was an unsettling dichotomy about him. Marcus Azaroth's beauty was a trap, for the moment his indifferent eyes opened, the deep crimson of his pupils sent a chill through the spine of anyone brave enough to meet his gaze.
The villagers avoided him not only for his unsettling presence but for the unspoken dread that clung to his name. Marcus's existence was a quiet anomaly, and he welcomed the isolation. The forest, his sanctuary, was a place no sane being dared to tread. Known as the Desolate Garden, it was a cursed expanse of twisted trees and eerie silence, bereft of life save for the cold whispers of the wind. Yet Marcus found solace in its sinister embrace, sitting amidst the eldritch beauty to practice his craft.
Marcus was conducting a refinement ritual, channeling natural mana through his body as a conduit. The forest itself was his assistant, each tree a silent participant, while a rare flower—the elusive La Foliae—served as the primary ingredient. His goal was to nurture a cultivation treasure known as the Devil's Blessings, a dark artifact said to grant the user the ability to awaken their latent powers. The process, however, came with a price: the long refinement time and the certainty of awakening a dark or sinister ability. Marcus didn't flinch at the name or the implications; after all, darkness was already a part of him.
For a brief moment, silence reigned. Marcus reveled in it, his mind clear and his focus unwavering. But the tranquility shattered like fragile glass as a loud, melodious voice echoed through the forest.
"Marcus! Marcus, you idiot, come out already! Grandfather is looking for you!"
The voice belonged to Elsa Silverbane, a young woman with silver hair that shimmered like moonlight. Her beauty was undeniable, though her choice of attire did little to enhance it. She possessed the grace of a fairy but carried the soul of a tempestuous warrior, a tomboy through and through. Despite her charm, Elsa's presence was as intrusive as a thunderstorm. She was the only soul brave enough to tread into the Desolate Garden, unafraid of its ominous reputation.
Marcus remained still, willing himself to blend into the forest's shadows. But Elsa's persistence was unrelenting. Her voice grew louder, more insistent, dragging him out of his refuge. Like a devil's whisper in his mind, Marcus entertained fleeting thoughts of silencing her permanently. Yet he dismissed them. Elsa was his adopted sister, and her grandfather, Kelvin Silverbane, was the one of the reasons Marcus was alive today. The weight of that debt kept his darker impulses in check—barely.
Resigned, Marcus ended his ritual, leaping down from the tree with the grace of a shadow. He deliberately made a faint rustling noise to give Elsa a hint of his location, then headed toward the village. As expected, Elsa was quick to spot him, her silvery eyes gleaming with triumph as she caught up.
"Hey, idiot! Will you wait for me, you mutt?" she barked, her tone both teasing and exasperated. Marcus said nothing, his silence a shield against her ceaseless chatter. But Elsa was undeterred. "Come on, say something! You know tomorrow is a special day," she prodded. "I wonder how many sentences I'll get out of you today. Yesterday was seven. What's your guess for today?"
Her self-directed conversation continued unabated, her words filling the empty air as Marcus walked ahead. "We're almost at the village, and you know I'm promised one sentence from you for fetching you. Grandfather's orders, remember?"
Marcus's patience wore thin. Her relentless prattle gnawed at him like a persistent insect. Finally, he broke his silence, his tone as cold and indifferent as ever. "Why are you early today?"
Elsa beamed at the victory of earning his words. "Grandfather's gonna be traveling tonight. He wants to celebrate our unsealing ceremony early. He's taking me to the capital, but don't worry; I'll come back for you once we're settled."
Marcus nodded, his expression unreadable. The idea of her leaving the village didn't stir him, but something about the earnestness in her silver eyes unsettled him. He quietly averted his gaze, focusing instead on the approaching village entrance. For Marcus, the village was a prison cloaked in the guise of a sanctuary. Every inhabitant, from the bustling market vendors to the chirping birds, was a puppet, either flesh, undead, mechanic, vodoo etc. The entire village was an elaborate construct designed to contain kelvin Silverbane—a gilded cage where he was both prisoner and protector, after all it was the Silverbane prized exile ground.
The sight of the village stirred memories long buried. Thirteen years ago, Kelvin Silverbane had brought Marcus to this place, an incident Marcus often revisited with muddled emotions.
Eldium Village, was one of many in the Undyingflame Kingdom,it was just a normal village on the surface and on the kingdom map but know to only a few it was also the name of the great silverbane family prison or with flattery it could be called a protection area or exile land, it was a peculiar and foreboding place. It functioned as an elaborate prison where animated puppets acted as anchors and binds , chaining the village's captives to their eerie existence. Every moving entity within Eldium, from the villagers to the birds in the sky, or the worms in the earth was a puppet. The village itself comprised numerous brick-and-wood houses, with the headman's mansion standing apart as the only structure made entirely of brick. Despite its unique function, the village's architecture was unremarkable—conducive, but nothing more. It true location though was a mystery to even reputable Silverbane members.
Kelvin Silverbane, however, had no choice but to be there. His exile to this strange village followed a tragic act of vengeance, one which he would not hesitate to perform once again if given the opportunity to start all over or should he say that if given the opportunity there would be one less great family at that point in before the incident even occurs for he would remind the continent that he his the predatory eagle for a reason: the merciless slaughter of every member of of the main bloodline of a great family responsible for his son and daughter-in-law's ambush and murder. If not for the fortunate timing of his granddaughter being left in his care the week prior, Kelvin would have been bereft of any direct descendants. His wife the one eyed hound was nothing to talk about since their emotional bound got destroyed not long after his son was birthed to this cruel world
On his journey to Eldium with his granddaughter in his arms, Kelvin witnessed a sight that would forever be etched in his memory. Thirteen years earlier, deep within the forest, he had encountered a white-haired toddler crawling through the wilderness as though he owned the place. Kelvin's senses tingled—an instinct he trusted implicitly—compelling him of an abnormally yet his rational mind choice of ignoring it flare was a regrettable mistake he was never aware he made. He believed the child's aura signified great potential. Little did he know that the "aura" he sensed was not talent but something far more ominous. Something which he should have Flee from at the first instance, doing this world a great merit if one may say.
"Hey, old man! Don't you know it's disrespectful to trespass on someone else's property?" the toddler had said.
Kelvin had been stunned, believing his mind was playing tricks on him. Before he could process the situation, the child continued, "Are you a mute or what? Staring isn't polite, you know. Looks like I've got myself a deaf and dumb guest—how troublesome."
The boy, who a confidence that belied his age. His sharp words and sinister undertone unsettled Kelvin. "What are you doing deep in the woods, young one?" Kelvin asked cautiously, trying to find a hint of sanity in this mad conversation, clutching his granddaughter closer.
Marcus narrowed his eyes. "You dare to ask me questions while trespassing on my turf? Feeble old man, do you have a death wish?or do you think I will hesitate to kill you and consume your bloodline as supplement, If it weren't for the child in your arms, I'd have sent you to the afterlife already. Such disrespect to I, Marcus Azaroth. Oh the four heavens and the seven hells, how low I've fallen. Hahahahahaha. Even the abyss must be mocking me."
Kelvin, realizing the gravity of the situation, decided to negotiate. "I didn't expect you to be a reincarnated being, Marcus. Such existences are rare. I am Kelvin Silverbane, and I offer my apologies for the intrusion."
Marcus's eyes gleamed with interest and something much darker, though his demeanor remained calculating. "A reincarnated being, huh? So you're not a simple old man after all. An ancient family, no less. Let's make this simple, old man: what can you offer me?"
Kelvin knew he had made the right choice the questions 'what can you offer me and what do you require' were meant two completely different things the first meant can you pain the price of what you are asking it can also means why should I, while the later means let me consider if it would be profitable for me . Those two questions can be used to determine the power scale of the entity you are dealing with but one must always be weary of reverse psychology when dealing with psychology, so he immediately proposed a deal. "I wish that you will train my granddaughter in the ways of war. In return, I will take care of you as my adopted son. With your talents, you'll find the forest less treacherous under my care."
Marcus laughed, the sound dark and mocking. "A deal with me is like making a deal with the devil. Are you prepared to pay the price? Still, your proposal intrigues me. I'll agree, but I'll add my own terms. Also do you think are frail mind would be able to handle the art of war I am willing to present."
But kelvin reply was with a chuckle "while my daughter is still young give her some time and she will surprise you, after all she is a Silverbane, not to mention I and my spouse blood flow through her veins not to mention her mothers"
The negotiation culminated in a mana contract, a powerful agreement binding both parties by the will of the world itself. Marcus, whose mana core was sealed, contributed his vitality, while Kelvin staked his mana. Chains materialized between them, the moment the pact was completed one on Marcus wrist while the other was firmly around kelvin neck marking Kelvin's disadvantage in the arrangement. Such materialization was only temporary and wouldn't last more than a second but it was more than enough of a hint that you have been cheated of course the chain materialization could be avoided but where was little and cute Marcus or kelvin suppose to find a blank contract in a forest in the middle of no where.
As Kelvin carried Marcus toward Eldium, he couldn't shake an ominous feeling. Marcus, hidden from Kelvin's view, wore a sinister smile. 'I warned you, old man. When I regain my powers, you'll regret this pact' The terms were clear, though Marcus had twisted them to his advantage. He had always been a devil with contracts, a master manipulator who thrived in loopholes and shadows.
Back in the present, Marcus's lips curled into a faint, sinister smile as he walked beside Elsa. The chains of the contract had also made a link to Elsa one which was invisible to most even kelvin but ever-present to him. It amused him how easily Kelvin had walked into his trap all those years ago. Marcus had warned the old man, but Kelvin had been too blinded by his obsession of the best for his sires to listen.
When I regain my ability I will make sure to extract your soul and make you a slave through the favour on this contract' while kelvin who was moving through the forest, spine shivered for reason unknown to him."You are oddly very proficient with contract" kelvin stated wanting to start a conversation to shake off the odd feeling around him while Marcus replied "Indeed old man, I am after all my ability in my past life is all about contract. And also old man you have made me speak more sentences than I do In days so you better make it worthwhile else the repercussions might not be pleasing" wanting to protest about being called an old man kelvin opened his mouth but after comprending Marcus words he relented, and so three beings two human and one demon made their way away from the site of a crimson pact
As the village gates loomed closer, Marcus's thoughts darkened. "Soon," he thought, his crimson eyes glinting with a predatory gleam. "When I regain my power, this cage will crumble, this continent will burn and those who sought to control and consume me will face the consequences."
Unaware of his internal musings, Elsa skipped ahead, her laughter ringing like a bell. Marcus followed, his steps deliberate and quiet, a shadow trailing the light. Together, they crossed the threshold into the village, where their fates intertwined, unseen forces steering them toward an uncertain future.