When the boy awoke, the devils were gone. The remnants of his family lay scattered around him, their bodies unrecognizable. Trembling, he knelt amidst the carnage, the stench of charred flesh and blood hung heavy in the air, suffocating him as he sat motionless amidst the ruins. His knees were scraped and bleeding, and his trembling hands clawed at the dirt as he tried to comprehend the horror he had witnessed.
They were gone, his mother, his father, their lifeless bodies desecrated by the devils who feasted upon them. The images were burned into his mind, replaying in a tormenting loop.
"Why? Why didn't they just take me too?" he whispered coarsely, his voice cracking.
The devils' mocking laughter echoed in his memory. "Nameless…" They had spared him because of something he couldn't understand—the absence of a demon name.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. Anger and grief warred within him, but a new emotion began to simmer beneath the surface: hatred. He would not forget the faces of those devils, nor the way they had savored the desecration of his family. Someday, he vowed, they would pay.
The boy wandered aimlessly through the scorched landscape, each step fueled by sheer willpower. His legs ached, and his body screamed for rest, but he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. Not here. Not where their laughter still seemed to haunt the winds.
The world around him was as cruel as the devils that tormented him. Jagged peaks loomed in the distance, their dark silhouettes cutting into the crimson sky. Rivers of molten lava snaked through the barren lands, and the occasional howls of wild beasts sent shivers down his spine. He passed what remained of another demon settlement, the huts collapsed and smeared with blood. Bones littered the ground, a grim reminder of what awaited those too weak to survive or fight back.
His stomach growled, and his knees buckled, but he forced himself forward. There was no place for weakness in this world. He knew that now.
As he was making his way forward, his stomach continued to growl, to remind him that it was time for him to put something in it, as he had yet to have anything to eat since yesterday morning. The mere thought of what had happened boiled his blood and churned his stomach. The haunting images of his parents' lifeless bodies, the look in their eyes just before they were devoured by those monsters, made it impossible for him to even entertain the thought of looking for food, so he just kept moving forward while ignoring the hunger he was feeling.
It was near dusk when he stumbled upon a crumbling stone altar nestled in a hollow beneath a ridge. Strange symbols were etched into its surface, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. Something about the place felt… ancient. Powerful. He could feel it thrumming beneath his feet, calling to him.
"You look lost, child."
The voice sent a chill down his spine. He spun around, his eyes darting across the shadows. A figure stepped into the dim light of the altar—an old demon, hunched and cloaked in tattered robes. His horns were cracked, and his eyes glowed faintly with a pale yellow hue. Despite his frail appearance, an air of authority surrounded him.
"Who are you?" the boy demanded, his voice wavering.
The old demon chuckled softly. "I am no one of importance, but you… you, young one, are a curiosity. A nameless demon at your age? Rare, indeed."
The boy's fists clenched. "If you're here to mock me too, save your breath."
The elder's expression grew somber. "Mock you? No. I am here to guide you, should you wish to listen. Tell me, child, do you know what it means to lack a name?"
The boy hesitated before shaking his head. "The devils said it's why they can't… eat me."
The elder nodded. "True. A demon's name is their essence, their anchor in this world. Without it, you are both less and more than a demon. Unbound by the rules that govern us, yet denied the strength that comes with a name." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But there is potential in such a state… if you're willing to embrace it."
The boy's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
The elder gestured to the altar. "This place is old, older than the demons and devils that walk this world. It is said to be a fragment of purgatory itself, a realm caught between life and death. If you truly wish to grow stronger, to carve a path no demon or devil has walked before, you must claim its power."
The boy stared at the altar, unease coiling in his gut. "What… what happens if I do?"
The elder's lips curled into a faint smile. "That is for you to discover. But know this: the path you choose here will define you. Once you step forward, there is no turning back."
The boy hesitated, his gaze fixed on the glowing symbols. His parents' faces flashed before his eyes, followed by the cruel smiles of the devils who had taken them from him.
He stepped forward, placing his hands on the altar. The symbols flared brightly, and an otherworldly energy surged through him, burning like fire and ice. He cried out, his knees buckling and his vision slowly fading, but he refused to let go. As darkness ensnared his sight, images flashed in his mind, visions of ancient battles of destruction and power beyond comprehension.
When the light finally faded, he collapsed to the ground, out cold. The elder watched him silently, a glimmer of satisfaction in his ancient eyes.
"Rest well, young one," the elder said, picking up the boy and ensuring he was comfortable in his arms. "What you are about to experience is a lifetime's worth of battles and hardships that no demon has experienced since ancient times." the elder whispered while looking at the sleeping boy in his arms with a look of sadness and a slight smile on his lips.