Prologue

Darkness. How I have yearned to meet it again. It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a peaceful moment in some dark. After the twins, Daemonis and Daemoni had banished me, the rightful King of the Demonic Throne, the only refuge I had was Earth.

Earth.

The World of Light.

It was the last place a demon would go.

Chapter 1.

When the desire for power had increased, the twins had only gone so far as banishment. On my tenth day on the Throni Daemonium, those devils had overpowered my royal guards and they forced me to retreat. I had no choice. They were indestructible together. They exhausted me and sapped all the strength from my muscles. I had just enough oomph in me to transport myself to Earth.

When I mentioned Earth previously, I called it the World of Light. I do not know whether humans have the same viewpoint as demons- we are inexplicably different- but to me, it was if brightness could seep through every crack and every crevice. No matter where I hid, in the deepest of caves, or darkest of valleys, light found a way to creep in. Maybe it was just the intense yellow-white illumination of the Su- No. I do not wish to speak that name. The deadliest of all enemies to the demons, that creation tormented me every day. But then again, maybe it was life itself, shining brightly from every fissure, representing itself through the glare.

That is what I am afraid of. We demons have no life. No soul. And here in Earth, you have an abundance of both. For years, I lived miserably, pondering my own existence, wondering if I could die from over-exposure to such intense bright lustre. I realized that you can't. But you can be tortured. And such torture. I felt frustrated from lack of power, wrath at the two demons who sentenced me to such anguish, regret at not having retaliated quickly, but the feeling which dominated amongst these titans of emotions, was sadness. Utter sadness.

All-day. Every day. Unending. Infinite.

As I sat miserably in the Krubera, Cave of Dismay, I suddenly felt sleepy. Demons never sleep. Maybe it was the Life of Earth, breathing through the wind, turning me into a human. Into a mortal. I sat shivering all over, my dark demeanour turning pale, wearing a heavy black robe, but feeling ever so naked. The dried blood looked hideous on my white skin. My teeth chattered, my bones cracked slightly at every tiny movement. My sinews felt as if they would snap clean off. And the worst part... All of this was not because of the cold. In that moment of realization, I wept. One single tear. But how meaningful it was. The tear slid down my cheek and fell on my robe. Demons are incapable of crying, I thought... and then slept. And then dreamt. A memory.

From five years ago.

I am sitting on my throne, cheerfully plopping grapes in my mouth, slightly unsettled by the unusual disappearance of my cousins, the twins, but enjoying all the same. Poor me. I threw a grape in the air, opened my mouth to catch it. I missed. It fell on my robes. Such beautiful robes. Pitch black in colour, made of the finest cloth in the Realm of Demons, adorned with grey and white sequins and beads. My dark, silky hair swept across my hair in an elegant fashion, but no crown. We don't wear crowns. My small but stylish beard, the most fashionable of all beards, was loved by all demons of the Realm. They liked it but liked me more. By 'me', mean my personality. I am not that cruel as other demons are, but that's because I choose not to be. I want justice and peace in my kingdom. Don't all great kings desire peace? I certainly do. But my forgiving nature was exploited. I curse myself every time I think of this.

I should have imprisoned them when I had the chance. They had attempted the assassination of my General of Army, but I had spotted the assassin archer from afar, on the balcony overlooking the Dark Hall, during the Grand Demon Ball, which was held on the second day of a new king's reign. My reign. We quickly intercepted the shot and captured the contract killer, and the worst of them; He was an Insipid, one of the most experienced shooters ever, and most inconspicuous. We interrogated him professionally, and he broke. Turns out he had been employed by the twins, in their quest for power. But I pardoned them, the demon I am, and I guess I shouldn't have. Because they formed a rebellion, and almost eight days later, they came smashing down my door.

I dropped the pristine bowl of grapes and it fell to the floor. I stood up, full of wrath. Who dares to interrupt my private time?! 

"What madness is this?!" I yelled as Daemoni overpowered my sentries. 

"I assumed you would know, dearly beloved demon," Daemonis spoke calmly and unsheathed her bow and arrow. 

Cursed cousin!

 She shot swiftly and the poisonous arrow was released. But she wouldn't get me that easily. I dodged to the side, and the arrow whooshed past me and landed with a thunk in my throne.

 I drew my sword and ran towards her... but stopped in my tracks. The twins were now chanting mantras together and the dark aura surrounding them became stronger and revolved even faster around them. 

After they stopped, I saw only one person. The twins had now formed a perfect 'Vinculus', a bond. They had combined forces and had become one. Their power was now double of mine.

I cursed. I charged.

Too slow. They drew out their own sword and blocked me with relative ease. Our swords clashed against each other, and no matter how much I tried to attack offensively, they always managed to stop me. I tormented them with hits, but they were more powerful; they deflected effortlessly, and I found myself drained of strength.

 They were too strong. I gave yet another blow, but they performed intricate moves rapidly and in one fleeting motion, I saw my life flash before my eyes; they had just stabbed me. 

I released my sword and clutched at my stomach. I took a few steps back, feeling dizzy, dull. How could I, the best swordsman in all of the Realm, one of the most powerful of demons, have failed a fight? No time to brainstorm; I was losing consciousness quick. The twins were now separate once more, but was it a trick of the light? Everything blurred for me, but I focused my vision. 

"You will never defeat me..." I spluttered out.

 The 'Vinculus' laughed in the voice of Daemonis; a high pitched shrill laugh. She was younger than me, and I had admired her intelligence and beauty, but now, there was no one I despised more than her.

 "Your naïveté knows no bounds, weakling," Daemonis spoke harshly. 

"Be banished. I doubt you have the determination to rise once more." 

She picked me up using the dark forces and threw me across the room. I crashed on the throne and it smashed. I felt disoriented in many ways. I felt pain, torment, and for the first time, I was bleeding. The blood was black, pitch black. It seeped out, fast and swift, unmindful of me, almost happy to leave my weak body for-ever. 

I felt inexplicably angry, and my rapid breathing clouded my ability to think clearly. I had to leave fast, now. The transport mantra for Earth was the quickest, simplest and the least exhausting than the other mantras. Ironic, considering how much we stay away from that place. 

I recited it, harnessing all the energy left in my figure, feeling weaker by the second. The twins were now separate once more, and they laughed when they heard the mantra. 

"Earth?" one of them said. I couldn't decipher who, I was so confused. 

"You wish to subject yourself to even more pain? How foolish of you. Ha!" 

I finished the mantra. Black foam and smoke surrounded me, and before I teleported, the last thing I remember was the dark cackle of Daemonis, laughing evilly.

I woke up in the darkness, trembling once more.