In a luxurious mansion on the outskirts of the city, Alexander, a tall man with black hair and eyes, and Ava Lancaster, a beautiful woman with long black hair and beautiful grey eyes, were living one of the happiest moments of their lives. They had just welcomed their second child, Theo, a baby full of life and promise. With a smile on their lips and a heart full of love, they laid him down in his crib, surrounded by the best luxuries money could buy. Satisfied, they retired to their room, not knowing that that very night everything would change.
Darkness fell over Lancaster Manor and with it, an evil presence crept through the shadows. Selena, a powerful and dangerous witch, had set her sights on Theo. Moving silently through the shadows, she burst into the baby's room, whispering ancient spells as she lifted him from his crib with hands filled with evil. The little boy made no sound, as if trapped in a deep sleep.
While sleeping, Alexander had a disturbing dream that made him suddenly wake up. He felt something strange, an anguish that led him straight to Theo's crib. His horror was indescribable when he saw the empty crib. Without losing control, he ran to wake Ava and gather two of his trusted men. Determined to get his son back, Alexander followed the trail of darkness that the witch had left behind.
They came to a clearing in the nearby forest, where Selena was about to finish a sinister summoning ritual. Theo lay in the center of a mystical circle, surrounded by unearthly flames that glowed brightly as the witch muttered in forgotten languages. The air was thick and charged with dark energy.
With a fury fueled by fatherly love, Alexander burst into the ritual, interrupting the spell just as Selena was about to finish it. The witch screamed in frustration, knowing she had lost control over the magic she had summoned. But as she fled, a dark shadow seemed to merge with Theo's small body, leaving an eerie feeling in the air.
Alexander ran to his son, picked him up and held him tightly. Even though he had saved him from the witch's clutches, both he and Ava felt that something had changed. However, at that moment, the relief of having their son back prevailed. The couple returned to the mansion, unaware that Theo's future was now intertwined with a darkness that was only just beginning to reveal itself.
Fifteen years had passed since that fateful night, and the Lancasters' lives seemed to have returned to normal. Theo, now a young man of 15, was a diligent student at the prestigious St. Michael's Academy. Although he had always been reserved and serious, his classmates respected him for his kindness and willingness to help. One of his most admired traits was his ability to solve complex problems without losing his cool.
In the classroom, Chloe, a blonde, blue-eyed young lady, his childhood friend, sat next to him as she did almost every day. She was lively, with an infectious smile and an energy that contrasted with Theo's calmness. They had grown up together and, despite the differences in their personalities, their friendship had remained unbreakable.
"Hey, did you finish your history essay yet?" Chloe asked as she pulled out her notebook. Her tone always held a mix of curiosity and admiration.
Theo, focused on his notebook, looked up and gave her a slight smile before nodding. "Yes, I handed it in this morning. Do you need any help?"
"Of course!" she replied quickly, leaning towards him. "You know history isn't my thing. You always seem to remember every detail effortlessly, how do you do it?"
Theo shrugged, with a modesty Chloe knew well. "I'm just trying to focus. It's not that complicated if you find the key points."
Chloe watched him for a moment, then rested her head on her hand, thoughtful. "You're amazing, you know? Even though you're so serious sometimes… I wonder how you manage to stay so calm all the time."
Theo smiled slightly, a small but sincere gesture. "I think someone has to be the quiet one between the two of us, don't you think?"
They both laughed lightly. Chloe watched him a little longer, a strange feeling in her chest. She knew Theo was different since that night his parents always vaguely mentioned. Something dark seemed to follow him, though he never spoke of it.
"We should study together this afternoon," Chloe suggested, suddenly changing the subject. "That way you can help me with history, and I can explain math to you."
Theo nodded. "Sounds good to me."
Chloe, ever the optimist, smiled widely and returned her attention to the class, while Theo glanced at her from the corner of his eye, feeling the gratitude of having someone so constant and close throughout his life. Although he didn't say it, he deeply valued Chloe's friendship. She was, in many ways, his connection to normality in a world that always seemed to be on the verge of changing.
Dusk was falling as Chloe said goodbye to Theo at the school gates, just like any other day. However, something in the air seemed different. As she walked home, the silence around her grew thick, eerie. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, and before Chloe could react, she was enveloped by a dark energy that dragged her into an alley. She didn't have time to scream.
Hours later, Theo received a strange call. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the voice on the other end of the line.
—Theo Lancaster, Selena said in a cold, mocking tone. If you want to see your friend Chloe again, come alone to the warehouse at the port. We have unfinished business.
The young man hung up without hesitation, his gaze fixed and determined. He couldn't let Chloe suffer, and he knew that the witch was behind it all. Although he didn't fully understand what Selena wanted after so many years, he felt a growing anger inside him. He grabbed his coat and headed straight to the port.
As he arrived at the abandoned warehouse, the air was charged with an evil energy. As he opened the rusty metal door, he saw it: Chloe, tied to a chair in the center of the room, her expression frightened. Beside her, Selena, the witch who had disturbed his life 15 years ago, smiled with a twisted evilness.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Theo asked, his voice firm but restrained. He knew something was about to break loose.
Selena glared at him, taking a step forward, her eyes shining with resentment.
"I am Selena, the one your father robbed of her destiny fifteen years ago," she said, her voice thick with resentment. "My magic was sealed by his intervention, and I have been languishing in the shadows ever since, powerless, while you lived peacefully with your family. But today… today I will finish what I started."
Theo frowned, not taking his eyes off Chloe. "What do you want from me?"
Selena smiled sinisterly. "Your body is of no interest to me, Theo. It is what you carry within you. Fifteen years ago, I was interrupted just before I could complete the summoning. Now, the being residing within you… my lord … can be released. I only need you to give yourself to me, and this will all be over. Let me finish the work your father ruined."
Theo, instead of shuddering at the witch's confession, let out a low, dry laugh. "Pathetic? Is that what you are, Selena?" he said with mockery in his tone. "You dragged me into this trap to free a demon. Well, I hate to disappoint you, but Astharot and I… we get along pretty well. I have no problem with him."
Selena stared at him, stunned, her smile crumbling into a look of pure disbelief. "No! That's impossible!" she screamed, furious. "The demon consumes whoever harbors it, devouring them from within!"
Theo stepped forward, his eyes shining with a strange, almost inhuman energy. "Maybe with someone else. But not with me."
Filled with rage, Selena let out a scream of fury. "Curse you!" Raising both hands, she began to channel her magic, gathering all of her dark energy. "If I cannot free my lord, then I will destroy your friend!"
A bolt of dark energy shot towards Chloe, who watched in terror, unable to move. But in the blink of an eye, Theo was already at her side. Moving with superhuman speed, he untied Chloe in one fell swoop and knocked her out of the way of the attack. Selena screamed in rage as she saw her spell fail.
"You're not touching her," Theo said, his icy calm at odds with the witch's fury.
Desperate, Selena gathered all her power and launched a massive fireball straight at Theo. The flames roared with scorching heat, but Theo, unfazed, raised a hand. In an instant, the attack was cut in two, dissipating into the air as if it had been nothing.
Selena froze, her face a mixture of horror and surprise. "How is that possible…?"
Before she could react, Theo was already at her side. With a single movement, his hand glowed with energy, and in the blink of an eye, Selena's body was cut into multiple pieces. The witch didn't even have time to scream before she vanished into dark dust.
Theo was silent for a moment, watching the shadows dissipate. Chloe, who had witnessed everything, was speechless, her heart pounding. Finally, she approached him, her eyes shining with gratitude.
—Theo... thank you —she murmured, excited—. I don't know how you did it, but you saved me.
Theo, ever calm, gave her a slight smile and nodded. "Let's go home, Chloe. It's all over."
The next day, Theo and Chloe met at school as usual. Chloe had spent the entire night thinking about what had happened, unable to understand how Theo had done what he did. He had saved her life, but there was something else, something dark that he hadn't told her.
During class, Chloe kept glancing at him, waiting for the right moment to arrive. Finally, when the bell rang marking the end of the school day, Chloe decided she couldn't wait any longer. She ran after Theo, who was already heading for the exit, and stopped him in the hallway.
"Theo, wait!" she called, standing in front of him, her expression full of determination. "I need to know what happened last night… what that was all about. Who are you really?"
Theo looked at her for a moment, silent, before nodding. He knew he would have to tell her the truth eventually, and after everything Chloe had witnessed, she deserved to know.
"Okay, let's talk outside," Theo said calmly.
They left the building and walked to a nearby park. When they were sure they were alone, Theo took a deep breath, preparing to tell her what he had been hiding all his life.
"Chloe, what you saw last night wasn't something I learned out of nowhere." Theo looked down at the floor, as if gathering his thoughts. "Ever since I was born… I've heard a voice in my head. At first, I didn't understand what it was. But when I turned five, I started to understand. That voice was from a demon, and it's been with me ever since."
Chloe looked at him, surprised, but didn't say anything. She just nodded, urging him to continue.
—At first, I tried to get along with him, but he ignored me. He didn't want to talk to me, he didn't want anything to do with me. But over time… —Theo gave a slight smile as he remembered— I started to grow fond of him. It was strange, but I felt like he wasn't evil, just… trapped.
"Trapped?" Chloe asked, frowning. "How?"
Theo looked into her eyes, his expression more serious than ever. "When he finally spoke to me, he explained everything. The demon is called Astharot, and he was dragged into this world by the summoning ritual Selena tried to complete when I was a baby. The problem is that he didn't want to be summoned."
—So…? —Chloe looked at him, increasingly confused.
"Selena forced her way in. And when my father interrupted the ritual, instead of Astharot taking my body, mind, and removing my soul, he became imprisoned within me." Theo paused, remembering that day clearly. "He can't do anything within my soul, or control my actions. He's… trapped, as if he lives locked inside me."
Chloe gasped. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Theo, carrying something so big for so long.
"So... how do you have his powers?" she asked, trying to understand everything that had happened the night before.
Theo smiled slightly, a hint of irony. "When I learned that he couldn't hurt me, I asked him if that meant I could use his powers. At first, Astharot laughed at me, but then he told me that, in theory, if he was inside my soul, I would have access to all of his power. Then… he taught me how to use it."
Chloe opened her eyes in shock. "Did he train you?"
—Yes. Since I was five, I have been training every day to learn how to control my power. At first it was difficult, I didn't know how to handle so much energy. But little by little, I improved, until I got to what you saw yesterday.
Chloe was silent for a moment, processing everything she had just heard. Finally, she looked up, her eyes shining with gratitude.
—I can't believe everything you've been through, Theo… and yet… you saved me.
Theo looked at her with a seriousness that disconcerted her.
—I didn't do it just because you're my friend, Chloe. I did it because… —she paused, as if unsure of how to phrase her thoughts— I'm not going to let anyone else suffer because of what happened 15 years ago. Selena tried to steal my life from me before, but I'm not going to let that happen anymore.
Chloe gave a small smile, feeling like she understood Theo a little better, despite all the darkness surrounding him.
"Thank you for trusting me and telling me this," he said softly. "I will always be with you, no matter what happens."
As they headed home, Theo decided it was the right time to tell Chloe more about his connection to Astharot.
"Chloe, there's something else you need to know about Astharot," Theo began, his voice deep and serious. "He's not just any demon; he's one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He's the Horseman of War."
Chloe's eyes widened in shock. "A horseman of the Apocalypse? That's… amazing and terrifying at the same time."
Theo nodded. "I know. Despite its nature, I have learned to control its power. At 15, I feel capable of handling it, and it is a challenge I have set for myself. But there is more I want to tell you."
As they walked, a flashback took Theo by surprise. He remembered a day of training when he was ten, in a forest clearing, chopping down trees with a strength he had learned to master. It was then that a strange demon appeared before him, an imposing figure with horns and red hair with fair skin and a determined look.
"Lord Astharot!" said the demon, kneeling on the ground. "I have been searching for you for ten years."
Confused, Theo dropped the axe. "What's going on? Who are you?"
The demon stood up, his gaze fixed on Theo. "I am Gremory, the second in command of your army. Astharot, you do not know this, but you are actually a ruler of Hell."
The revelation hit Theo like a bolt of lightning. "Ruler of Hell? How is that possible?"