Forgotten

~†~ Forgotten ~†~

As the Morning Star ascends into the midnight sky,

Darkness falls on Aurian, Calamity will rise.

~†~ Prologue ~†~

Approximately Six Years Ago In Kolosai

Zalam Lucifer Eluxes De Infernum

After years trapped in a cursed slumber, the ruler of Kolosai finally stirred, pushing himself upright languidly. His upturned crimson eyes opened, their serpentine slits as black as the void. Lucifer was the picture of perfection, with porcelain skin, refined yet narrow features, and cascading black curls meticulously braided into a waist-long half-ponytail. It was decorated with an ornate silver Xiao Guan crown and two crimson ribbons that trailed down his back. His lavish hanfu clung to his lean torso, the black fabric of which was emblazoned with fine silver filigree. Yet no amount of beauty could have hidden the darkness festering within him.

A grimace twisted his features as he reached behind himself, his fingers brushing the hilt of the sword buried deep in his body- The final reminder of his wife’s betrayal. After a few agonising moments, it finally clattered to the black stone floor, the sound shattering the silence that filled the elaborate bedroom he’d woken in.

The wound throbbed before sealing itself, glowing emerald as the ancient spell binding him unravelled; Lilith’s attempt to imprison a god born of Calamity had been nothing more than futile- As expected. Even weakened to the power level of a mere demi-god, Lucifer couldn’t be stopped. Hell- Even while sealed, he had cultivated his Evil Qi- A rare, ruinous energy- Within his Mind Sea, and through astral projection, he’d still been capable of commanding some of his followers- Though his most effective were still left bound by the same spell that had confined him in the palace.

He staggered to his feet, eyes locked on the lifeless form of his treacherous wife. Lilith, once a vision of dark beauty, was now no more than a bloodied corpse in the palace where time had halted with his sealing. The sword and bloodstains told all there was to their tragic tale; A woman spurned by her heartless husband, accepting death in the hopes it would protect her child. What a waste. He thought. I could’ve given her anything, had she remained loyal.

His lips twisted upwards as he laid her body on the bed, determined to revive her- Not out of love, but vengeance. Yet even he, master of the dead, could not restore a soul that had shattered- No, there was only one being that could do such a thing, and for now, she was out of his reach.

“Oh, Lilith,” He purred, voice dripping with twisted affection as his fingers traced her skin with possessive gentleness. “You do enjoy making things difficult for me, don’t you?” His sneer barely concealed his wrath. “But don’t you worry… When you wake... The nightmare you feared will be nothing compared to what I’ve brought to life.”

A cold smile curled his lips as his Evil Qi surged in the likeness of choking black smoke tinged by an emerald sheen. The suffocating energy thickened the air as he placed his hand over her stomach, guiding the energy into the void where her soulcore had once been. It would halt her decay, stitching the wound shut and serving as a replacement for her missing life force until further methods could be explored.

With Lilith’s condition handled, Lucifer wasted no time, pacing through the palace corridors, ignoring the soldiers slumbering away throughout the corridors- Even stepping on them, if they dared to have fallen in his path. His mind was set on finding Dante, his fiendish general. The dungeon was his first stop- Dante had likely been in the torture chamber, indulging his favourite pastime before the curse struck.

The underbelly of the palace exuded an oppressive chill, its obsidian floors slick with unidentifiable fluids. Black-bricked walls stood strong, layered in arched doors that led down narrow corridors to cells or rooms where guards were meant to keep watch. The large room at the back of the main corridor, with its rusted iron table at the center, where a skinless figure lay, bound and bloody. Twisted implements- Blades, chains, and devices of unspeakable pain- Littered the walls. The air was thick with the stench of blood, human waste, and iron- All of it just as horrific as Lucifer thought it should be.

He found his cruel pet there near the victim’s feet, sprawled on the cold floor like a pathetic worm lying in its own dung. The man wore a golden mask that covered his full face, and a black hooded cloak with ornate golden embellishments. Only Lucifer had ever seen what was hidden beneath, but he certainly hadn’t bothered to remember such an insignificant visage.

He grinned as his forked tongue flicked between his blood red lips before giving Dante a sharp kick to the ribs. Immediately, the general sat upright, his weapon flashing in his hand as alarm coursed through him. The deadly blade only lowered upon confirming the identity of his assailant.

“Get up, you useless thing,” Lucifer commanded with an irritable hiss. “I have a task for you.”

Dante rose with a languid stretch, his gaze unflinching. His loyalty, though unquestionable, stemmed more from the vast difference in their power levels than any sense of devotion. Like a double-edged sword, he was a formidable weapon; Useful when carefully controlled, yet deadly once one’s back had turned.

“Dante,” Lucifer turned to examine the being lying on the table, his tone icy. “You are to tear a seam through the old portal, and provide a path into Mesis for me. You’ll have no problem with that, will you?”

“It will be done, Zalam,” The title fell from his lips like poisoned honey, each syllable dripping with sarcasm as if he were thinking ‘I’m bored. Get it over with’. Then, his tone lightened, his words laced with feigned enthusiasm. “I’ll carve up as many things as you like... It’s what I do best, after all.”

“Good,” Lucifer’s crimson gaze darkened, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. “Once you’ve passed through, find Zadkiel. Follow him from the shadows for a while and report to me weekly… I’ll have further instructions for you once you’ve arrived.”

“And the girl, My Lord?” Dante’s tone was beginning to grate on Lucifer’s nerves. “Shall I keep an eye on her, too?”

“Emmerenne,” Lucifer snarled her name as though it were the taste of bile on his tongue, his lips curling with disdain. “She means nothing... Not yet,” His expression flashed with irritation. “For the time being, the boy is the only one who matters on your end. I’ll handle her myself.”

“Have they met yet in this life?” Dante asked, barely masking his curiosity with apathy.

“They have met... and parted many times,” Lucifer spat, his voice filled with disgust. “Fate mocks me, tethering them together no matter how many times I’ve broken their bond,” His eyes glowed with savage fury, his words a razor-sharp hiss. “Those damned forsaken heroes. No matter how many lives we must live, I will drag them to the pits of hell and chain them there while I rewrite our intertwined destiny.”

“You’ve never been one to wait patiently, have you?” Dante’s lips curled in a twisted smirk, his dark eyes glinting with amusement.

“Why should I when victory is in my grasp?” Lucifer hissed as his eyes turned to Dante’s, a warning colouring his features. “Do you grasp the weight of your task, and what will happen if you dare to fail me?”

Dante’s eyes hardened, though a glimmer of rebellion still danced within them. He knew, far too well, that negligence would be met with horrors beyond his imagination- And that was not a fate he was willing to tempt.

“Your wish is my command,” Dante said, his voice even yet still tinged with sarcasm.

“See that you do,” Lucifer’s gaze lingered on the man before him, as if he were weighing the very essence of his General’s worth. Then, he turned on his heel, the dark folds of his hanfu swirling around him as his footsteps echoed across the stones.

The game was no longer a pastime- It was an art, and Lucifer was its master. The pieces were in place, the fated heroes oblivious to the traps closing around them. They would fight, but their struggles would remain meaningless.

As he strode through the corridors, his mind buzzed with plans for the war to come, and an end that would herald his absolute reign.