~The Kitchen Corridor - Main Castle, South Wing~
Mikael runs down the dimly lit corridor, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he clutches his infant son tightly against his chest. His heart pounds with a mix of fear and desperation, each step echoing ominously off the stone walls. He knew the guards would act quickly once his absence was discovered, but he never expected them to catch on so soon. The cold, unforgiving air stings his lungs as he races through the twisting halls of the castle, the cries of the guards growing louder behind him. He knows he'll never make it out through the main entrance—it's too heavily guarded—so he veers sharply, heading down into the cellar where a secret passageway lies hidden.
The cellar is dark and dank, the air thick with the smell of damp earth and old stone. He fumbles through the shadows, his hands trembling as he searches for the hidden latch. The echo of his father's words still rings in his ears, filling him with a renewed sense of urgency. Finally, his fingers find the small metal lever, and he pulls it with all his strength. The wall creaks open, revealing a narrow tunnel that plunges into darkness. Without hesitation, Mikael plunges into the tunnel, his son's soft whimpers the only sound as he hurries through the pitch-black passageway.
The tunnel is cold and oppressive, the walls closing in around him as he runs. Every sound is amplified—the slap of his footsteps, the distant shouts of the guards, and the quickening beat of his heart. The tunnel seems endless, and fear gnaws at the edges of his mind, but then he sees it—the soft, pale glow of moonlight filtering in from the exit. Relief washes over him as he knows he's almost there, almost free. But as he emerges from the tunnel onto a narrow ledge overlooking a vast, moonlit lake, his hope falters.
"Damn this mountain castle!" he curses under his breath, realizing the cruel irony of his situation. The kitchen worker who had whispered the secret of this passage to him had never mentioned that it led to a dead end. Panic grips him as he scans the sheer drop below, the cold waters of the lake far beneath him. Was it a setup? Had his escape been sabotaged from the start?
Just as the doubt begins to consume him, he hears a sound that chills him to the bone—the unmistakable scrape of boots against stone, followed by a low, menacing growl. He whirls around, and there, emerging from the shadows, is his father. Lord Cain stands tall, his eyes burning with an unnatural fire, his teeth bared in a feral snarl. His presence is suffocating, a force of darkness that seems to swallow the light of the moon.
"To think my own son would betray me this way," Cain snarls, his voice dripping with venom. "Your mother would be so disappointed."
Mikael's heart aches at the mention of his mother, but his resolve only hardens. "Disappointed? No, if mother were here she'd be disappointed in you! How could you want to raise your own grandson to become a killer? All for some stupid prophecy at that! Even worse, you're going to send your other grandson away just because he's human? Human or not, he's your grandson! I'll protect him. I'll raise him alone, and one day I'll come back for the other one and save him too. He's not destined to be evil just because some crazy loon said so centuries ago. No one is bound by fate. We have the ability to choose our own paths!"
Mikael's words echo into the night, his defiance palpable as he inches backward toward the ledge. He knows there is only one way out of this, and as he glances over the edge at the drop below, he steels himself for what he must do.
Lord Cain's eyes narrow as he senses his son's intent. In an instant, his form begins to shift and twist, morphing into his true demon shape—a towering figure of raw power and rage, his skin darkening, his eyes glowing with an unholy light. Just as Mikael turns toward the ledge, Cain lunges, slashing at his back with razor-sharp claws. Pain sears through Mikael's body, and he cries out, but he doesn't stop. With a final, desperate push, he leaps from the ledge, the cold night air rushing past him as he and his son plummet toward the lake below.
Lord Cain watches in stunned silence as his son disappears into the mist, his roar of fury echoing across the mountainside. "Mikael!" he bellows, his voice reverberating through the night, but the only answer is the distant splash of water and then… silence.
~
Mikael awakens to the sensation of cold earth beneath him and the distant rustle of leaves. His body is wracked with pain, every movement sending fresh waves of agony coursing through him. His mind is foggy, disoriented, but then he remembers—his son. With a sharp intake of breath, he looks down at the bundle in his arms and breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that his child is still breathing, still safe. "Thank goodness," he murmurs, his voice choked with emotion.
He winces as he shifts, the deep gashes on his back reminding him of the price of their escape. The wounds burn, but he can already feel the demon blood within him beginning to heal the damage. He forces himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain that shoots through his body as he surveys his surroundings. They are in the midst of a dense forest, the trees towering above them, their branches weaving a protective canopy that blocks out the sky. Just up ahead, through the thick underbrush, he spots what looks like a village. The soft glow of lanterns flickers between the trees, offering a glimmer of hope.
But hope is a dangerous thing. Mikael knows that his father will not rest until he finds them, and when he does, he will kill him without hesitation. He cannot risk bringing that kind of danger to the innocent villagers. He has only one choice—to part from his son, to lead his father away from this place. The thought is almost too much to bear. Once again, he will lose his son, but this time he is giving him away himself. A bitter laugh escapes him as he realizes the cruel irony. "I'm going to do just what I hate my father for."
He looks down at his son, observing the baby's soft silver hair and innocent gray eyes. He thinks of the other twin, with his purple hair and violet eyes, and how different they are. "I guess you guys weren't identical, huh? Oh well, you're still brothers just the same."
Tears well in his eyes as he wraps his son more tightly in the blanket. "I'm sorry we couldn't be together longer, son, but I'll find you again. I promise you. I'll save your baby brother and then come back for you. After that, the three of us will go together and find your big brother too, and we'll be a family. You be a good boy." He kisses his son's forehead, his heart breaking as he places the baby on the stoop of the outermost house in the village. With a trembling hand, he knocks on the door and then quickly hides behind a bush, his heart pounding.
A woman opens the door, her eyes widening in surprise as she spots the baby lying on the ground. "Oh my, it's a baby."
"Mama, why's there a baby outside? Is it alone? Is it okay? Are we going to keep him? Will he be my brother?" A young boy's voice pipes up from behind her, his curiosity boundless.
"Caleb, shush, it's late and you'll wake the neighbors," the woman scolds gently. "I don't know where he came from or if we can keep him or not yet, but for now, we need to get him inside. We'll sort it out in the morning. Come on, inside we go."
As they retreat into the warmth of the house, shutting the door behind them, Mikael breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. It looks like you've got yourself a good family, son. Good for you. Until we meet again." With one last, lingering look at the house, he turns and slips back into the shadows of the forest.
The sound of the demon guards draws closer, their voices harsh and menacing. Mikael knows they're hot on his trail, and he has no time to lose. He allows them to catch a glimpse of him just long enough to lead them in the opposite direction of where he's left his son. He runs through the dense underbrush, his body protesting with every step, but he pushes on, determined to keep them away from the village.
As the night deepens, Mikael realizes he must transform if he's to truly outrun them. He hates doing it, loathes the loss of control, but there's no other way. With a deep breath, he allows the demon within him to take over, his form shifting into something more monstrous, more powerful. He speeds through the forest, never stopping, not even when the landscape becomes unfamiliar. It's all he can do to protect his son.
~
~Lord Cain's Bed Chamber- Main Castle, North Wing~
Laurent approaches Lord Cain's chamber with trepidation, his heart heavy with the news he must deliver. "No sign of them, my lord?" he asks hesitantly, though the silence that greets him is answer enough.
Lord Cain's gaze is distant, his thoughts clearly elsewhere as he broods in the dimly lit chamber.
"Oh dear," Laurent mutters, wringing his hands. "That may be a problem. You see, it seems there was another side to the prophecy. Apparently, the great savior will be born in a child who's an unbound Junsui—a child whose powers will awaken later in life rather than at birth, which is why I didn't detect anything. If that's the case, he will be able to stop the Supreme."
"Oh, is that so?" a cold voice interrupts. Remy enters her father's chamber, her dark eyes gleaming with malice. "So, I gave birth to both the savior and the supreme one, did I?" She laughs, the sound chilling and devoid of any warmth. "This makes this all the more interesting then. I will raise this child to be the supreme lord, and then I will have him face his brother, the savior, and make sure he kills him. How deliciously twisted!" Her evil laughter echoes through the hall, filling the chamber with its dark promise as Lord Cain simply smirks, the irony not lost on him.