Get ready for one of my best chapters. And for all the time I made you guys wait, enjoy this looong chapter. Twice as long as I usually write.

Prepare for the moment you all have been waiting for, prepare for justice and pain, and most of all....prepare for your heart to be ripped out of your chest. (Possibly)

*Author is not liable for any deaths and rages, and feels that readers may experience

SomberMagicks created the lovely cover! Cover submissions are still open, just post to Deviant Art and tag me CATtheDrawer and I will use it, as long as it goes with the book. No drawing random shit.

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Sweet Desire

Chapter 4

"We're all in the same game; just different levels. Dealing with the same hell; just different Devils"

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The throne room was one large, stone room that extended far out in front of him. The walls were decorated with tapestries that were placed carefully in set increments from each other. Tapestries that depicted the founding of Emedo.

In front of Adam was his father, his back was turned to Adam as he faced the throne where he would normally be seated. Behind the throne was a large window that let in vast amounts of sunlight that cast dark shadows over his father due to the shadow created by the throne, which stopped just inches from Adam's feet.

There was silence as Adam took several steps into the room, his footsteps echoed around them. He broke the silence, "I'm sure you know why I'm here." He spoke carefully and measured the tone of each word, of each syllable, he didn't want to betray any sort of tremor.

"Please remind me, it must have slipped my mind," his father answer.

"Your time as king is over, it is time for you to step down and surrender."

"Hm," his father mused with a light chuckle, "So would you be king?"

His father didn't let Adam answer that question, "Do you know what the role of a King is? Is it to rule? To protect? To take over?"

Adam remained silent.

"Of course not, Kings are supposed to liberate; Kings must work for the best way to bring freedom to their subjects, whether that is by protecting or taking over. I've been working towards that even now--"

Adam gritted his teeth, "Through war? Is that how you believe you can...you can liberate whatever it is you are trying to liberate--"

"Of course not, that was my last resort, you think I wanted war in the end? Haven't you realized that Adam?"

His father continued to stare straight ahead, keeping his back turned to Adam.

"Your last resort for what?" Adam narrowed his eyes and took several slow and cautious steps further into the throne room, toward his father.

"For freedom."

"What?"

"Freedom from a power that plagues this world, a power that shouldn't exist within the hands of humans. Freedom from magic. Magic should only be held by the gods, it corrupts the mind of humans, I have been looking for years on how to eliminate it," His father turned to face Adam, a dramatic shadow cast over his face.

Adam scowled, "So you started a war!"

"Have you been listening! War was my last resort, and I never started this war. It was your friend, the young Duhitian King."

Adam sighed, he calmed himself, he remembered he just needed to convince his father to surrender.

"I'll ask again, surrender now. This free world you are searching for cannot be found. Magic is no curse, I have met people who prove that fact--"

"Like that Vesuvius boy? The one who tricked you into throwing your life away with some sort of spell. I know he hasn't died yet so don't try to use that as an excuse, where did he run off to?" His father scoffed.

Adam frowned, "He disappeared," Adam was drawn into the conversation. He didn't mean to.

"Don't you find it odd? That the young man this war is practically centered on vanishes, leaving you and your friends to fight his fight?"

Adam scowled, his hand moved to rest on the hilt of his sword, "And why is this war centered around him? Why is Seto so important for you to have?"

"Not have, kill. The last descendant of the Magicks family, if he dies, magic dies with him. And the Nyx will not be around to grant magic to the human world again."

Adam narrowed his eyes. Nyx? Who was that, wasn't that the Vragan god? Why on Ethereal would his father bring up a Vragan god?

"But Seto is a good man, he doesn't deserve this shit from you, a guy who's never even met him face to face without trying to hang him."

"Regardless of one man, magic infects all those who possess it. I've seen it happen many times before and it will continue many times after, unless I stop it."

His father took several steps toward Adam, "If you wanted me to surrender, you would have ended this conversation ages ago. But you haven't, whether because you're scared or you know I'm right--"

Adam gritted his teeth, "You're wrong!" But in a way he was right. Adam would have put a stop to this conversation ages ago if he truly wanted this war to end. And well, he did, but because he was a coward who wanted to believe in second chances he was willing to throw away the lives of the people fighting this war because he believed he could change his father. Adam believed that only he, his son, could win in this fight.

Adam bit his lip from his outburst and looked away in shame, "Fine..." Adam looked up to the left and stared at the tapestries on the wall, "I want you to tell me something."

"Go ahead my son, ask away."

Adam did his best not to let his voice shake, "Did you truly try to have Jordan killed?"

If his father answered no, then maybe it was all just a misunderstanding. To the people of Emedo, it was Vragan that had assassinated the 1st prince, but his own brother, that very same 1st prince, claims it was their father.

His father stayed silent for a moment but then said, "The format of your statement tells me Jordan is alive--"

Adam's eyes lit up for a moment, he spoke hurriedly, "Yes! And he's here, he believes you're the one who tried to assassinate him, but it must not be true. You wouldn't really try to kill your own son."

His father smiled, for a moment there was fleeting hope in Adam's heart. He could work with this, help his father see the wrong of his actions and help him end it all; he could--his father laughed. He laughed with one hand placed over his eyes.

Adam was stunned into silence.

This was not a laugh of joy, but one of amusement. A laugh that told Adam everything he needed to know. His father did try to kill Jordan...and there wasn't a bone in him that was sorry or regretful for that.

His father continued to laugh and Adam took a step back in disbelief. He wanted to believe that his father was not the man people said he was. He wanted to believe there was some sort of awful mistake. He wanted to believe anything else other than what he was seeing.

"Wh-why are you laughing? I...I refuse to believe you would kill your own son...my brother," Adam said, "I remember you crying that day...I remember you in your study, I remember you crying, I remember..."

Memories of that day flooded back to Adam and for the first time in 14 years he saw something different. For what he saw as crying...he saw quiet laughter instead.

Adam's eyes widened, "You were laughing...that day...what I thought was crying was actually...laughter. Why?"

His question felt hollow and empty and he saw his world crack.

His father ceased laughing, "Jordan was corrupted by too many things...Pity, unnecessary love, magic. Jordan was my first child, my prodigy, my successor. For what I wouldn't be able to do in my lifetime he would need to carry on for me.

"Jordan was ambitious, strong, power hungry. Some would argue that those were bad qualities, but I say are necessary for a King. To balance the world, a King must rise above the masses and be the force to keep everything in order.

"Kings cannot be weak, and they cannot falter, they must stand tall above the forces that may try to deter or fool them.

"But if you're looking for someone to blame for what drove him away, then the blame falls only on you."

Adam's eyes widened.

"If I had known earlier I would've kept the two of you separate, if I had know you would force me to take matters into my own hands you would have never seen your brother. You gave him too much love and care for matters that he should've ignored," his father snarled, "Because of you, your brother was driven away. Because of you I lost a son."

"That isn't true. That is not true at all!" Adam yelled, he clenched his fist, "Don't blame me for your own actions! I was still young!"

"Exactly! Your naivety got your brother killed--"

"He isn't dead."

"He might as well be," his father spat. "What good is a son that doesn't share the same desire as I do, he was my blood, he was my heir. He was supposed to do what I could not, but now it falls onto me, because now I see you are just as useless."

Adam glared coldly at his father, "Jordan is still your blood, he is still your heir, but he has always been his own person and you should never think that he would be a spitting image of yourself! You are cold, and heartless; you aren't the father I remember as a child--"

"I have always been this way Adam. You are just a fool to believe this world is as you wish it!"

"Shut up! Don't criticize me for believing in people! And what about mother! Was her death your doing too, did you murder her for your own sick belie--"

"Don't be daft! She committed suicide, I had nothing to do with her death!"

His father drew his own sword from his sheath and pointed it at Adam, "You're so angry over the past you haven't realized you've drawn your sword, have you?"

Adam's eyes widened. In his hands he recognized the leather feel of the grip of his sword, he looked down to see his knuckles white from how tight he was holding the sword.

"I accept your challenge, let's see if you've improved since our last little father-son-duel."

Adam stumbled back as the distance between his father closed in nearly an instant. Adam brought his sword up to block his father's attack, but his delayed response and his unbalanced footsteps did not work in his favor. Adam grunted and nearly fell to the ground, despite the age of his father, he was stronger than Adam anticipated. But he should've expected this, his father is the man who taught him after all.

Adam twisted his body to regain his balance and allow the remaining force of his father's attack to fall to the ground, but as if expecting this, his father redirected his movement. Instead of the sword slamming into the ground as Adam had hoped, his father angled the remaining force of the attack towards Adam's leg.

Adam had no time to block and hardly any time to move. His attempts landed himself in pain as the sword sliced through the fabric of his pants and cut his skin drawing blood to the surface of the wound.

"You're footwork seems to have gotten sloppy, your reaction time is lacking. What have you been doing these past 4 years? Sleeping? Ha! You are a failure as a soldier, as a prince and as a son---are you expecting to defeat me and take the throne?"

Adam winced and backed away, he kept his sword high and watched his father back off too.

"Jordan will take over, he's the rightful heir...but you...you don't deserve the throne."

Adam lunged forward attempting to stab through his father's defenses, his father easily sidestepped and swung for Adam's side.

Adam turned bringing his sword close and blocking the attack. Unlike Mitch who was against dirty fighting, Adam understood the strength in it. This was a war, and he knew full well that there is nothing fair about war.

His father backed away. Adam ducked as his father swung for his head, and with hardly any time to rest, he kept going. In a moment, Adam rolled to the ground and pushed up with his sword above him. He used it to block his father's sword while he kneed his father.

His father double backed and hissed, "Smart...you're learning, but pay attention, I'll show you how it is actually done."

Adam looked in confusion at his father. His father lunged and swung, Adam blocked. But in a similar fashion, his father swiped his feet behind Adam's. Adam shouted as he fell back unable to catch himself. His father leapt back to avoid Adam clinging to him. The wind was knocked clean out of Adam and in the pain he clutched his sides, his hands absent of a sword.

"Fool," his father muttered as Adam screamed when his sword sliced into Adam's side, "You are worse than Jordan ever was," The cut was shallow, "Do you want a second chance? Or should I just end you now?" his father smiled.

Adam glared with such malice one would think it was a double-edged sword.

His father leapt away and chuckled at Adam's weak attempt to kick his father's feet out from under him. "Nice try, but try a little harder next time. If there is one."

Adam pushed himself up, his hands reached for his sword before he moved to stand. He winced as the pain in his leg and side made him falter, the torn flesh hindered his movement. His father chuckled some more, "Perhaps you should pick up the pace if you want to end this before the poison ends you."

"Wh-what?" as if on cue Adam felt a wave of nausea overcome him; he wavered and nearly toppled over again, but he stood his ground. He should've realized his father had tricks...but this was war. Nothing is ever fair in war.

If only Jordan was here...he should be the one here. He couldn't fight his own father and win, but Jordan was so much better than him, so much more convicted than him. Even through his own anger, Adam still had doubts.

Adam stumbled, his father smiled several feet in front of him. He heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps and glanced toward the door. He felt a surge of energy, they had come, they were coming!

"Your highness!" Adam's eyes widened, that energy he gained a moment ago vanished as he watched a guard rush into the doorway trailing blood and clutching his side. One of his eyes was clearly sliced and would likely never see again, "I bring news--" The guard noticed Adam and moved to draw their weapon with their blood coated hand, but the King turned to face the guard and halted his movements with a wave of his hand.

"Spit it out."

"B-but, there is an intru--"

The King narrowed his eyes at the guard and the guard silenced himself. Adam felt his muscles freeze momentarily, there was a pounding in his head, his vision was spotty. He needed to end this, he should move now, while his father was off guard. But Adam didn't want to. He wanted to hope for a moment everything could be solved...was he naive for that thought?

"King Mitchell has fallen in battle your highness!"

Adam's eyes widened at those words. Impossible, Mitch couldn't die! There was no way.

"Interesting...well done. Go get your wounds checked." Adam watched as his father turned to look back at Adam. The sound of the guard limping off distracted Adam. Where were Jordan and Ian. If the guard came here, then he should've passed Ian and Jordan. How could the soldier get pass them, how were they? Adam crumbled to the floor as his legs gave out. Like acid pulsing through his veins he felt his whole body burn with fire, his throat felt constricted and he struggled to breathe for a moment.

Everything seemed to be failing.

"Looks like I have won Adam. Your comrades are falling around you, you will die soon. Whether you like it or not, I have won."

"N-no..." Adam struggled to get out. His father chuckled, "You're wrong..., you won't win."

"I've already won Adam, this is proof the gods smile upon my endeavor. I will destroy all human magic in this world...whether by killing the Vesuvius boy, or annihilating Vragan. Whichever comes first. And my job is already so much easier... with Duhita's army under my control, I will finally be able to end these decades of work--"

"NO!" Adam screamed. There was no way he would let that happen. Adam pushed himself, he needed to stand. There must be a chance Mitch was alive, Ian and Jordan must be fine. Everyone had to be fine!

"NO!" Adam yelled, he gritted his teeth and held back a cough, his teeth bit into his lip drawing the metallic taste of blood into his mouth.

If Adam died, he would die protecting his friends, he would die saving his kingdom from this monster.

He didn't want to believe it, but he needed to. One way or another he needed to convince himself that the man before him was no man he could continue respecting. Against his own desires Adam needed to force all his anger towards his fath--towards this monster. He needed to erase all doubt. He needed to hate, it was the only way.

"There's no way..." Adam pushed against the ground harder. The burning pain was difficult to ignore.. He almost gave up, he almost fell back to the ground.

A face flashed. A woman, young, pretty with eyes like stars... A woman who smiled with hands that warmed his any day she held them.

Adam clutched his sword even harder and yelled as he stood, "There's no way I'll let you."

Adam couldn't see his father, or more of he saw him, but didn't care to look into his face. His father frowned, he readied his sword in an almost bored manner.

A face flashed. His brother, muscled and strong protecting him. His brother standing beside him with his hand ruffling his hair, the feeling of his hair being tussled brought tears nearly to his eyes.

"You will never destroy Vragan."

A face flashed. Amber eyes with brows scrunched tight. A younger Mitch yelling at Adam the first time they battled...the only time Adam won. Mitch was so upset over the loss. Adam wanted to smile, but not here.

Adam raised his sword, "You will never kill Seto."

A face flashed. Cold eyes that saw no light, only darkness. Cold eyes that warned Adam to do his work or face this man's wrath. This man who has stood by him for years and never left him despite his foolishness. His dearest friend Ian.

"You will never destroy my family again, monster."

The King's eyes widened for a moment, a glimmer of light returned to them. As if remembering something. The King shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Adam. A slight smile appeared, a mocking smile.

"What will you do in your state?"

Adam could hardly stand, his legs trembled, the burning throughout his body was growing so intensely he felt as though he were melting. If Adam stood any longer he would crumble, so he lunged.

Adam swung. His sword reverberated on impact with his father's, his father grunted. Adam swung again with just as much force. If this were a battle for efficiency, Adam would be losing, but this was war, and nothing is ever fair in war.

His father stumbled back from yet another attack.

Adam couldn't let himself be a coward, any longer and he cold lose someone for real. He hated more than anything losing those close to him and breaking his promises to them.

Adam winced as his father cut Adam when he was distracted, but he pushed on.

The fight between the two of them was more like a fight between a glutton and cornered, starving dog over a scrap of food. Who needed it more? Who was willing to fight for it more? Who would win?

Adam yelled to his father, "Mitch isn't dead! He would never die in this war, not against you! My brother isn't a failure, Seto isn't a curse, and my mother was far too kind to take her own life, at least not without you having a hand to play in it!"

Adam swung his sword down over his father's head. His father brought his sword up to block, the force sent painful shocks to both of their arms, but it was the King who dropped his sword. Adam's sword lodged itself deep within his father's shoulder and not even the screams stopped Adam.

He was seething with so much anger...so much hate...that is he were to look at himself outside of his own body, he wouldn't recognize the man before him.

"I looked up to you! You were my father, and I was your son! I thought that meant something!"

Adam wrenched his sword out of his father's shoulder, he stumbled back and grunted. The rush of adrenaline dulled the pain of the poison. The blood gushed in spurts out of his father's wound and dripped down his sword staining the leather grip. The bone was clearly visible beneath the torn flesh, but his father still stood tall.

"I wanted to believe in the good in you! I wanted to believe that my life wasn't an entire lie!" Adam swung down again, his father raised his good arm in defense against the sword. There was the feeling of bone splintering, muscle being torn, and screams of pain. The screams still fell on deaf ears.

"You lying, heartless, greedy asshole!" Adam couldn't understand why it took him so long to realize this fact about his father. He couldn't see why he ever thought this man could be good.

In his hate, everything made sense in a different light, everything Adam did was justified by the rage in his heart.

Adam raised his sword for one final swing, and had his father not stumbled forward with eyes screwed shut in pain, Adam would've swung. The blow would've killed his father instantly. But he held back because of that one motion. A motion of vulnerability and weakness, something he never saw in his father.

The pained look and his father in this weakened state snapped something in Adam. He couldn't help but cast his sword aside.

His father collapsed and Adam attempted to catch him, but his adrenaline began to wear off and the two of them fell to the ground.

His hate and anger vanished in an instant as he realized what he had done. How could he, Adam Azure, do such a thing? How could he kill him, he just wanted him to surrender, he wanted him to go through a fair trial. He didn't want to kill his father.

"I-I..."Adam faltered as he held his father's body, "I'm...I'm sorry. Oh Notch, help me, please help me."

He felt his father groan, Adam felt his heart soar, he didn't want to be a murder of his own family, not like his father. "You're alive!"

Adam helped his father roll over onto his back, "St-stay wit--"

"Everyone has a desire...everyone has a wish..."

Adam silenced himself, his father winced and groaned n pain. As for Adam he began to feel the effects of the poison once more, a feeling that almost made him writhe in pain.

"But...only those with...enough conviction will succeed."

"The only feeling that brings about the change is...anger."

"St-stop, be quiet. I...I don't care," Adam gulped, he didn't want to hear this. His father was right, he only had the strength to fight back when he was angry. It was only then was everything black and white, but he didn't want to be that kind of person.

"It consumes, it destroys, the only way to succeed is to overpower..." his father continued to ramble, as if he were in a half dead state, like he didn't quite know Adam was there.

"Sh-shut up, just stop," Adam glanced worriedly as the blood seeped to the floor and stained his clothes. He never wanted this outcome.

"Hate what has wronged you...remember that...let your anger be your strength..nothing good comes from sympathy."

Adam tried shaking his father, "Snap out of it! Stop!"

But his father didn't respond. The sticky, warm feeling of the blood that coated his hands grew to bother Adam, so much red, so much warmth. This was his father's, this was the blood of a man who he thought was a better man. This is the blood of a King, of a father, of a heartless man.

The very thought drove Adam to fear as his father rambled on and on about Notch knows what. Every word drowned out Adam's own thoughts, all he could hear were statements about power, anger, hate, and desire. He wanted it to stop, he wanted it to be quiet.

"Adam..." Adam jumped as his father spoke his name, "Adam..."

"Y-yes?"

"Magic...will betray you, it will destroy you unless you overpower it...magic is a curse that ruins everything it touches...Seto Magi...is not your friend..."

Adam shook his head, "N-no, you're wrong." But his words fell on deaf ears. For there was no living soul near him to listen.

When no answer came, no rambles about desire ensued, Adam realized quickly that this was the end. There was silence, just like he wanted, just like he wished for, his fleeting desire fulfilled, and he hated it the moment he realized it.

"You're wrong. You're wrong, you're..." Adam choked back sobs, "Wake up, keep speaking, please..."

Adam hiccupped, he felt tears stream down his face.

Why?

Why did he cry for a man that had no heart? Why did he cry for a man that was ok with killing his own family, why did he cry for a man who desired to destroy an entire kingdom?

Was it because this man was his father?

After everything Adam had come to learn, he could not ignore the one fact that the man lying dead in his lap was his own blood.

And that truth rocked Adam to the very core. There was a scream and it took a moment for him to recognize it was his voice. His body acted without his consent, Adam screamed louder. He tried to lift his father's body off him, but his arms were weak. He was nauseous, his vision was spotty.

He screamed, he was more desperate.

This was his doing, he killed him, he was the murderer, he was his father. How could he do something so cruel in anger, how could he let himself act so awfully?

Adam tried harder to shove the body off, he felt a desperate frustration rise and after several attempts he rolled the body off and scrambled back. He ignored the burning pain aching through his body.

Through his desperation Adam managed to stand on his feet and stumble away from the body. The blood of his father trailed to Adam and he glanced to see he was coated in the warm sticky mess.

He gagged, his head swam in terror at what he had done, at what he allowed himself to do, and the result of his actions. Out of even more desperation he began trying to wipe the blood from his clothing but this only proceeded to smear it all over. He couldn't touch his own face because of the amount that stained his hands and tainted his nails.

It was all over him, all over him. All over. All over. All. Over.

So. Much. Red.

Red.

Red.

War, sticky, and red.

"Oh Notch what have I done! Please help me!" he wailed. Another wave of nausea enveloped him and Adam found himself falling backwards against a wall. His hands left stains along the floor. Blood, red stains.

Tears continued to pour down his face, out of fear and terror and confusion over a matter he couldn't get over. He killed the King. He killed his father.

Adam felt trapped, he weakly tried to pry himself away from the wall; he could still see his father's body and he wanted to be farther away.

The poison still coursed through Adam's body and his actions grew weaker as time continued. His eyes felt heavy, and through his tears and fears he lapsed into darkness.

~~~~~

Not as cliche as other stories where a character faces their evil father is it? Most of those stories have the character valiantly fight against their evil father, kill them, and live happy and fine after. 

But it was very different for Adam. Adam loves people too much, a love that even extends to someone like his father.

:)

Gonna try and write a GO chapter, oh and the next Sweet Desire chapter should be neat, but it may take time to write.

Theories? S.O.U.L?