Chapter 5:
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The air around Lyius suddenly filled with a dark and chilling voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Startled, Lyius frantically looked around, searching for the source of the menacing voice.
"Your existence devoid of purpose, lack of identity, my slave." The voice said in a distorted tone.
Amidst the growing cacophony, Lyrius's breath reverberated through the air, its urgency cutting through the din. The once familiar surroundings now bore a haunting purple hue, intensifying the sense of disorientation. "Who are you? Where are you?" he shouted, his words almost drowned out by the escalating noise.
Lyrics felt a shiver run down his spine as a chilling, booming voice resonated through the place. "You called for me... And I have come," echoed the haunting words, causing the hairs on Lyrius' hands to stand on end.
As the words echoed, a voice called out in a mocking tone, asking, "Do you remember existing? Do you remember yourself?" The sharpness of the words hung in the air, leaving an unsettling feeling in their wake.
Lyrics felt a sudden, tight lump forming in his throat, and his vision started to blur as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness. His body grew weaker, and he struggled to take each breath, wondering in confusion, "What is happening to me?" as his legs gave up.
-skip-
"Hey, brother, look at this! I caught a fish!" a small kid exclaimed excitedly as he ran up to his older sibling. The kid looked at his brother but it felt like something was missing, creating a sense of unease in the fading light of the day.
The elder brother turned to his younger sibling and gently extended his hand, saying, "Let's go home, Kris." The younger brother paused for a moment, gazing down at his hands. After a brief moment, a warm smile graced his face as he reached out and took his brother's hand.
-skip-
"Will you make me the happiest person alive and spend the rest of your life with me?" A young, hopeful man in love asked a beautiful woman. The woman's eyes were filled with tears of happiness"I will." Her words were choked with emotion as she smiled widely.
"Yesss… Let's celebrate our love with the best wedding ceremony imaginable." The young man exclaimed in joy.
-skip-
As a red-haired girl carefully wrapped a bandage around her younger brother's grazed arm, she couldn't help but let out a sigh, her concern evident in her eyes. "You should be more careful, you know. You could have lost your life," she admonished gently.
"Sorry, sis. I was just so excited and, well, I kind of fell into the river by mistake," her younger brother replied sheepishly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, which only elicited an even deeper sigh from the girl.
"Just be careful next time alright?" The girl smiled at him…
-skip-
"Mother, please take these medications," the young boy said gently as he offered his mother a glass of water with some medicine. The mother looked at her son with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"I feel like such a burden, having my child take care of me while I'm bedridden and helpless," the mother wept.
Seeing his mother's distress, the son furrowed his brow and sternly admonished her, telling her not to speak ill of herself.
-skip-
Lyrius's eyes snapped open, and he began screaming in anguish. The pain of every single experience he had endured surged through his mind, causing his brain to go into a state of memory overload.
Amidst the unsettling darkness, a chilling voice taunted Lyrius as he lay writhing on the ground, the words echoing in his mind, 'Who are they? They are you... but you are not them. At the same time, you are they.' Each menacing syllable intensified his agony, emphasizing his confusion and helplessness.
Lyrius clutched his head, crying out in agony but no tears leaked into his eyes. Meanwhile, deep within his master's shadow, Magnus let out a mournful cry of distress, realizing that he was getting out of the shadow to come to his master's aid.
Just like that, everything came to a sudden halt, and the excruciating pain in Lyrius's head vanished. He lay on the ground, taking several deep breaths as he had depleted his reservoir, leaving him too drained to even contemplate moving.
"Rise," boomed a commanding voice from the grand throne. Weary, Lyrius lifted himself and found himself in a majestic throne room. As he struggled to his feet, his gaze met that of a towering demon perched upon the throne.
Despite his overwhelming fatigue, Lyrius managed to muster up the strength to ask a probing question. "Who are you?" he inquired, his voice barely above a whisper.
The imposing figure shot out a sly smile before snapping his fingers, and in an instant, the menacing demon vanished, transforming instead into a strikingly handsome young man with pitch-black hair. He was draped in an opulent, regal-looking cloak that exuded an air of sophistication and wealth.
"So you are **************," the man said as he carefully examined Lyrius, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Lyrius raised a quizzical eyebrow in response, struggling to hear the man's words as he noticed the man's lips moving but no sound coming from them
The man taunted Lyrius, sneering, "Are you so feeble that you can't even *********? Well, that's a shame." Lyrius scowled in response. He can hear the demon try to say something but no words reach his ears.
"Who are you, demon?" Lyrius growled, his voice brimming with contempt, as he confronted the man. The demon grinned, revealing razor-sharp fangs. "I am the mightiest being in existence... Demon Lord Arkoniel. And you, *********," the demon said, trailing off with a sigh as he noticed that Lyrius remained unfazed, showing no signs of reaction.
Arkoniel clapped his hands, and a white-haired girl glided gracefully toward him and Lyrius. "What is your wish, Brother?" she inquired. Arkoniel responded with a commanding tone, "Accompany him to the human realm. Ensure that he remains untouched by its influence."
"Your name is supposedly Lyrius Wintersbourne, right? From this day forth, my sister will be by your side at all times." Ankoniel said with a loud commanding voice, responded with defiance, asking, "Why should I allow some random demon to accompany me anywhere?"
"All shall be explained when the time is right," Arkoniel replied.
Lyrius was abruptly jolted awake, finding himself sitting upright in the comfortable bed where he had rested the previous night.
As he blinked and tried to gather his bearings, Magnus leaped onto the bed from his shadow, showering him with affectionate licks on his cheeks. Magnus had finally reunited with his master after the harrowing ordeal they had both endured.
Lyrius heard a discreet "Ahem*," which prompted him to turn and see the sister of the Demon Lord Arkoniel standing right in front of him.
"I am Vespera Arkoniel," she declared with a commanding presence, her voice echoing through the chamber. "I shall be your protector from now on." Her proclamation was met with a disdainful scowl from Lyrius, who seemed displeased by Vespera's assertion.
"I don't need your protection," Lyrius said with disdain as Vespera let out a soft sigh and plopped down on the side of his bed. "I'm not going to protect you anyway. I used to pressure my brother to send me to the human world so I could travel. He never allowed me to go away, but now he finally let me go with you. Don't spoil it."
As the demon let out a whine, Lyrius couldn't help but feel a sweat roll down the back of his as he struggled to form words in his mouth. "I won't be protecting you anyways, but being by your side will deter any demon from attacking you. After all, no demon lord would be foolish enough to attack the sister of the Strongest Being in Existence."
Lyrius let all the words run through his mind and he let out a scowl. "Why do I need protection against the other demon lord?"
"I wonder... You won't understand it anyway," she said as she motioned for Magnus to come to her. As he approached, she began to pet him gently. "Let brother explain it to you when you meet next time." she then let a sequel out and said, "I always wanted a pet too, you know. But my brother never allowed me to keep one, no matter how much I begged."
"Magnus is not just a pet to me," Lyrius exclaimed, rising from his bed and casting a meaningful glance at Vespera. "He is my familiar, a companion bound to me to my death" He then added with a scowl. "If you want to stay with me… You have to follow some rules."
As he made his way to the bathroom, he couldn't shake off the thousands of thoughts swirling in his mind. The vision of the enigmatic people he had seen haunted him, and he couldn't fathom why the demon lords were pursuing him. Furthermore, the mysterious protection offered by Demon Lord Arkoniel only added to his sense of unease.
As the refreshing cool water enveloped his senses, he found solace in releasing all his thoughts. In that moment, he muttered, "All the more reasons to grow stronger."
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