As Estaben crested the hill overlooking his house, his heart sank into the pit of his stomach. A plume of black smoke rose from his home, its tendrils clawing at the sky.
The crowd around his burning house stirred as he approached, a murmur of whispers and curious glances. But Estaben had eyes only for one thing - his younger daughter, Chara, trapped inside the blazing inferno.
Chara's screams tore at his heart, her small form writhing as she struggled to escape. But she was not alone.
From the crowd, a tall, masked figure emerged, holding a long pole that he used to push Chara back into the flames. Her screams intensified, a primal, agonized wail that cut through Estaben's soul.
"Chara!" he cried out, shoving people aside with desperate urgency. Retrieving a lancet from his medical bag, he plunged it into the man's stomach, leaving him writhing in agony. The crowd dispersed in terror, and Estaben raced towards the inferno, plucking Chara from the flames.
Eighty percent of her body was severely burned, her anguished screams swallowed by the downpour.
Estaben's heart shattered as he surveyed the extent of his daughter's injuries, realizing they were beyond his capabilities to heal. Gently laying Chara down, he turned his attention to the dying man, yanking him by the collar with a fury that shook his entire being.
"Where is the rest of my family?!" Estaben bellowed, his voice disappearing into the roar of the storm.
"Ha…ha…They are already ashes," the man spat, blood trickling from his lips.Estaben ripped the lancet from the man's stomach and in a swift, powerful motion, he drove it into his neck, the crimson gush of life ebbing away as the rain washed the man's last breath from the world.
Tears streamed down Estaben's face, mixing with the rain that now fell in a torrential downpour, extinguishing the last of the flames.He carefully carried Chara,her back resting on his large arms.He gently laid her small, broken body beneath the protective canopy of a nearby tree, the leaves and branches shielding her from the onslaught of the storm.
His heart filled with anguish and rage, Estaben turned back toward the smoldering ruins of his home. Nothing remained of his family, not even their bones. He knelt in the ash and grasped a burning ember with both hands, tossing it to the ground in a desperate act of defiance.
In that moment, Estaben's grief and rage exploded into a primal, inhuman howl. With a voice filled with anguish and fury, he cursed the heavens and the earth.
"UT SERVITUTEM PATIARIS RELIQUIS ITAE TUTAE!"
The ancient words hung in the air like a funeral dirge, carrying with them a power both terrible and unavoidable. With the last remnants of his strength, he drew the smoldering piece of wood, its edge sharp and lethal, and plunged it into his own chest.
The storm reached a crescendo, the winds howling with the fury of a thousand hellhounds, the rain beating down with merciless force. As Estaben collapsed to the ground, a flash of lightning illuminated the night, and a deafening clap of thunder roared its judgment on the kingdom of Delphi.
As lightning pierced the blackened sky, thunder rumbled, and rain fell in sheets, driven by a powerful wind. The citizens of Delphi huddled in their homes, their fear palpable, as they whispered the same question: "Is this the end of the world?" No one dared to venture outside. Women clutched their children, praying for safety.
In the castle, the king and queen stood over the lifeless body of their prince, the flickering flashes of lightning illuminating the darkened chamber. Outside, the kingdom's knights battled to remain standing against the tumultuous wind. Dread etched itself into their hearts as they prepared for the worst.
In the outskirts of Delphi, three bodies lay motionless: one beside the charred remains of a house, another within the smoldering rubble, and the third sheltered beneath a tree.
Meanwhile, the skies were filled with an imposing sight: beings resembling humans but with dark wings, black fingernails, and fur-clad clothing covering only their intimate parts. They descended upon Delphi in the thousands, accompanied by their grotesque quadrupedal companions – large, winged demons with red-glowing eyes, razor-sharp teeth, and long, claw-like nails.
"What a magnificent kingdom!" one of the beings exclaimed, his voice ringing with malicious glee. "Let's see if we can find some humans to play with!"
"Do not act without my express permission, Magnus," a female creature declared, her voice authoritative.
Magnus, his eyes alight with a feral excitement, responded with a dismissive scoff. "Why must you always dampen our fun, Duvessa? Azazel would never treat us this way."
Unfazed, Duvessa retorted, "Azazel is not our leader, and my orders are to be followed. Now, control the others. We know nothing of this place or the entity that summoned us. Caution is advised."
Magnus and another being, Marina, nodded in agreement, though Magnus' eagerness to unleash chaos remained palpable.
In the midst of this unfolding chaos, a demon named Qarinah called out, "Lady Duvessa, I have discovered something. There is a young girl dying slowly there. Shall I finish her~?"
Duvessa's eyes widened with intrigue. "No, Qarinah. Bring her to me."
Qarinah, surprised by Duvessa's command, let out a soft "huh~?" and darted off to retrieve the dying girl, the kingdom's fate hanging precariously in the balance.