ACT I – II
THE COURT OF LUCIFER

Tranquility embraces the obscurity of the night. It is a peculiar occurrence in the Ring of Iacto. The eighth layer in Hell has always been infamous for its tortures that even the dead wish for another death rather than being broken on the wheel, a specific penalty meant for the sinners of pride.

Every day, the entire territory is filled with corpses howling like a choir of demise with their unending screams of agony. Except for tonight...

A woman drenches in perspiration as she takes heavy breaths. Servants are scrambling to assist her as her husband holds her hand, a loving act that does not do anything to ease the pain, only offering comfort to a birthing mother.

The sizzling torches of fire and heavy grunts are the only sounds heard in the Court of Lucifer. The couple has only come to visit but the woman has been sent into labor right before they are about to leave.

One last push and the baby's first cry disturbs the peace.

"It's a daughter, my lord," the nursemaid informs as the man helps his wife to sleep.

They leave the couple alone and take the baby to another room for cleaning.

The nursemaid stares at the little thing in her arms, eyes flashing with awe. The baby has an abundance of curly black hair, but her golden irises mesmerize the nursemaid. It is a symbol of the most prominent race and the first residents of Hell, the Daemons.

She hands the child to another servant and peacefully retreats. Her duties are done for today.

"Argh!"

The nursemaid is not even halfway out of the room when the piercing scream alerts her. All eyes, including hers, dart to the servant in charge of dressing the newborn.

One by one, their mouths hang open upon the sight in front of them.

Thick vines sprout from the baby's arms, gradually engulfing her entire body. Agonizing wails fill the room as blood oozes everywhere. The plant tightens and pricks the skin of a little child until it covers the entirety of her plump flesh. Tears and blood mix together, staining the previously white sheets. An unending bawl of pain ensues while the bloodbath becomes more nauseating.

Fear overrules the people's heads, a person exits without hesitation and others follow. It is a vision so grotesque that the little child is left in that tiny little room to suffer alone.

The servants quickly alert her father who comes rushing to the adjacent room.

The familiar scene is something the man has witnessed before. He sits beside his child whose tears have not stopped. He wants to put an end to it, but no one can stop a divine punishment. His only wish is for his first child to prevail.

A rampant vine suddenly attacks but even when lost in worry, fire sizzles from his hand. The black embers of Hell-fire burn all the lashing plants in the air. The charred vines become ashes yet another sprout came, consequently attacking him.

The best option is to leave but the young lord cannot do so. He wants to be with his daughter, knowing that it can be their last day.

Minutes elapse before the live plants withdraw and return to the child. The constricting thorns become looser as they go. It trails its way to the baby's chest and there it stays like a beautifully inked tattoo of thorns.

The man's uneven breath gradually calms down as he catches sight of the intricate mark in the center. It is truly the symbol of the Candidate of the Court of Lucifer.

The first successor is born and now she will have the chance to hold the title of the Devil King.