I

Within an abandoned warehouse there were a small group of hooded individuals; 8 of them in total: Javier, Nancy, Sheila, Raymond, Daniel, Alexander, Cecil, and Naomi. These were the individuals that served Magnus, the menace of Mort. Two of them were orphans that were *adopted* into the life of servitude, two of them came to serve Magnus willingly, one of them got kidnapped, one of them were bought from the black market, one of them was held hostage, and one of them was the witness who knew of Magnus's atrocities and his origin. They paid attention to what the witness had to say about the red haired giant.

"Gather around children, I have a secret to share." Alexander said as he made a beckoning gesture to the other seven, though Cecil, the hostage, was tied up in a chair to thirst, courtesy of Magnus and his mild torture method compared to the horrors that the murderer of Mort has done.

"I don't wanna hear one of your crazy stories!" Cecil spat.

"Pay attention, child, you could learn something if you listen carefully." Cecil sulked at his commentary before the witness shifted his gaze unto the two volunteers. "As you all already know, I served Magnus the longest. I'll give you a word of advice, don't confront him unless you have something he wants. For example: any useful information related to his plans, whereabouts of his enemy's current location, concrete evidence. He may be an irascible man, but if you give him a present", Alexander used air quotes for emphasis, "he can be complacent. Rule number 1- don't prod him about his personal life nor interrupt him, give him the silent treatment or ignore him. Nothing enfuriates him more than being ignored. Give a firm nod after he gives you a command, he likes that."

"That's not a secret! You're brainwashing them!" Cecil shouted, though his voice sounded throaty.

"I'm just giving them a word of advice to these younlings. These two are the only ones willing to serve him." Alexander replied referring to Javier and Nancy. This was long before they fell in love with each other.

"Instead of teaching them how to act like slaves, why don't you tell us how to get out of here?!" Naomi shouted, the dark skinned girl that was sold from the black market.

"Patience, child. A properly performed escape plan requires patience and vigilance." Alexander said.

"Rule number 2- Radiate confidence without arrogance. Remain calm even when he is glaring at you, he gives off a dark aura when he intimidates his prey. The way to counteract this is to transmit an air of humility without groveling. Show him that you are the right servant for the job." Alexander adviced, though Daniel raised his hand to ask a question.

"I have a question."

"Yes, Daniel?"

"How come you haven't done anything to stop him since you know all of his secrets?"

"Oh, that's simple. I'm powerless for you see...with these binds, my magic capabilities are supressed. I could bust myself out without my powers, but who will protect you from his bloodlust? Hm?" Alexander responded, revealing the fetters on his wrists.

II

The door of the warehouse opened and the pale moonlight showed the silhouette of Magnus, his features hidden in the dark. When entered, his shadow towered over the hooded hostages. "Dan, grab a shovel and start digging! Ray, untie him!" Magnus barked his orders as he walked closer to the dark skinned girl, leering at her. "Naomi, make me beef stew with pigeon peas, and easy on the pepper. I don't want you to repeat the same mistake from last time." Naomi could see the glint of his eyes like a distant torch, she stood up and ran as fast as she could. Sharon tried to follow her, but Magnus grabbed her arm and yanked her with brute force, then lifted her up to meet her gaze. They were both on eye level, viridian eyes imploring against fiery ones. "Consider yourself fortunate that you found favor in Raquel's eyes. Otherwise, I would give your flesh to the dogs." He dropped her like a burlap sack full of boulders.

"Ow!" Sharon winced.

"Javier, Nancy, take Cecil outside." They both nodded and ran to grab Cecil by the arm. One on each side with Cecil in the middle as they took him out of the warehouse, María following them outside.

Now Magnus and Alexander were alone at the warehouse. "Any last words, traitor?" Magnus looked at him.

Alexander took off his hood, revealing his pale complexion, black raven hair reaching to his shoulder blades, and brilliant vermillion eyes contrasting the faded walls of the warehouse. His thin lips, dry from hunger and dehydration. "Who are you calling a traitor? I warned you since the beginning to not strike enmity with El-Shaddai. You dismissed my warning and did it anyway. Your ambition along with your airs of grandeur cost all of us our position in Haven." Alexander stood up with the sound of rusted chains clanking against the floorboards. "You not only lied to me, you lied to a quarter of the angels, including Gael!"

Magnus grabbed Alexander by the neck and pushed him against the wall. "You betrayed me! You knew about the portal and you kept it from me! It was my only way out of this planet!" Magnus strangled him, choking him. Alexander's eyes rolled up until his scleras could be seen. "You're pathetic!" Magnus released Alexander from his grip.

Alexander gasped for air, as his vision focused, he saw that Magnus already summoned his knives. 365 blades of various shapes and sizes glistening in the moonlight. He knew the technique very well, the iron maiden, Magnus only needed to wave his hand to finish him. From where he laid, Magnus looked like the reaper with the black cloak, without it, he looked like a red devil.

III

He was about to wave his hand, ready to end him. "Lord Magnus! Lord Magnus! LORD MAGNUS!" Raymond shouted.

"How dare you interrupt me!" Magnus roared as he looked toward the exit, the blades pointing at that direction. He walked to the threshold of the door, and looked back at Alexander. "I'm not done with you yet." The floating knives vanished as he exited the warehouse. Alexander let out a sigh of relief.

"This better be important!" Magnus growled.

"Cecil escaped!" Raymond shouted.

"Imbecile! You only had one simple task!" Magnus kicked the 11-year-old in the chest and the boy landed three feet behind him, his back landed on two Boxwood shrubs.

Magnus ran up to find the others. He ran up twenty eight paces forward before falling into a hole that reached up to his navel. Estimating approximately at 3.9 feet deep and 82 centimetres wide in diameter. Magnus got himself out of that hole to find that Daniel was unconscious without a shovel in sight.

"Tch, never let a child do a man's job." Magnus grabbed the left side of his own black cloak as the wind flapped it, leaving Daniel where he found him.

Cecil ran from the rural area of Umberville. He barely made it out of there.

In his weakened state he could barely keep his balance as Javier and Nancy brought him to the site where he was going to be buried. Cecil looked at his right to see Nancy and Javier on his left. "Can one of you give me something to drink? I'm parched."

"Sucks to be you, pal." Javier replied.
"Water. I need water." Cecil laid his head unto Nancy's shoulder.
Hey-hey-hey! Get off of her." Javier pulled Cecil away from Nancy. He grabbed hold of Javier and took out a knife from Javier's belt and fell on top of him.*
"Javier!" Nancy shouted when Cecil cut Javier's neck and licked the blood from the knife. It was disgusting, but he had to do it to regain the energy he lost. Nancy took out a dagger but Cecil was faster. He disarmed her and knocked her off balance. She fell next to Javier as he took the dagger and ran but he skidded into a halt when he saw Daniel climb out of the hole, he tried removing the dirt from his cloak that he didn't notice Cecil grabbed the shovel and hit on the back of the head, knocking him out. Daniel fell to the ground, Cecil dropped the shovel and ran away. Raymond returned after he locked up Sharon, and he saw Cecil jump over the fence and he shouted, alerting Magnus of his escape.

Cecil walked on the road, hoping to find the nearest town for him to hide in. The cold night air caressed his sweaty face. He needed to keep going or that monster will catch him.

IV

An hour has passed and he finally reached to the nearest city. He sat on the bench to rest until he felt a shadow pass by.

"What was that? No! That can't be...could it?" He thought, then second guessed. His eyes darted around to check if he was being followed. The thought of being persecuted was starting to get to his head. But just in case, he stood up to find a place to hide.

Alexander looked up to see the full moon. A sigh escaped from his lips. "Is such a beautiful sight, though the tides rise and fall crashing the waves of the shore. Is strange when someone's powers are at its peak in this period in time." Alexander broke the fetters, discarding the now dented iron shackles.

Cecil ran as fast as he could from where he was going. "Such a shame. He could've been a suitable apprentice, if he wasn't so stubborn." Cecil's shadow outstreched on the brick and wooden walls from the houses of the neighborhood when a yellow ball of light past the starry night sky like a shooting star. "Is quite rare to find a hemomancer nowadays. Too bad Magnus will eliminate him, and let his corpse on the ground to rot." Cecil skidded to a halt as he shielded his eyes at the yellow orb of light in front of him as a boot came out from it. The yellow light shrunk, revealing the black cape and torso of the menace as it evaporated. Magnus eyes flared as it grabbed Cecil by the collar of his shirt. "Without my influence, nothing will stop him from his killing spree." The wall of the alley showed two shadows, the shadow of a young man being hoisted up and another shadow of a cloaked giant. Magnus dropped him as he raised his large hand to summon sharp spikes from the cracks of the concrete to skewer Cecil like a shish kebab. Cecil's body shook and trembled as blood came out from his mouth as his arms went limp. His olivine eyes stared out in the starry night sky before the dark cape of his killer covered his face and made his corpse disappear like a magician, only leaving the bloody spikes as a reminder that Magnus made his mark.

Alexander flicked his wrist repeatedly to test his flexibility and the circulation of his movement as he returned to his duties, without Magnus's approval. Naomi prepared the stew, just as Magnus instructed though Alexander appeared and entered into the kitchen. "How is that stew coming along?" He asked.

"It's almost done." Naomi replied as she stirred the stew with the ladle. She took a spoonful of the stew for Alexander to taste test. He grabbed the handle of the ladle and took a small slurp.

"Mmm. Delish, only needs a pinch of salt." He commented.

"Aren't you hungry, Alexander? You've been locked in the warehouse for days without eating." Naomi experssed her concern, despite that she was bought like a slave from illegal human trafficking, he was the only captor that she trusted.

"A little fasting never killed anyone, if done correctly of course." Alexande replied. "Sometimes, you have to deprive the flesh from unnecessary intake or else it will puff up from too much weight."

"When I was held captive, my previous captors gave me stale bread and tap water. Now I take some fruits and vegetables without Magnus knowing. Otherwise, I'll go to sleep without eating." Naomi confesses as she added a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper.

"Remember, Naomi, gluttony is a sin. Don't let your desires consume you." Alexander reminded her.

"I know, Mr. Alexander, you're the only one who helped me cook the recipes and taught me about master Magnus's eating habits. If you hadn't helped me through this ordeal, I would've been killed like the others." Naomi replied as she turned off the stove.

"What can I say, I love to serve. I was chosen as the protector of man. That was until I was deceived and cast away from my position as guardian of Haven." Alexander passed the bowl to Naomi as he left the kitchen to clean the basement.

VI

Magnus returned from his hunt, or to be more blunt, to eliminate a pest that would get in his way from world conquest if the hemomancer got away. "Naomi, where is my supper?" Magnus sat down at the dinner table, before the young negress brought the stew with pigeon peas. "Right here, Lord Magnus." She laid the plate in front of the rufescent giant. Then she retreated to the kitchen before he took a bite from the stew. This time, Magnus was more compliant in eating the dish that Naomi made.

Sharon was assigned to watch over Rachel, the master's daughter. The girl was sound asleep, even if she grew fond of the little girl, she needed to escape from this dreadful place. She missed her family, her friends, her pet dog Lulu. I need to get out of here.