The Children of Chaos

Chapter 01: Soulwater

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burn

set the world ablaze

taunt the survivors

this is all a game

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The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the deserted streets as Nia watched Meyere disappear into the dark mansion. A chill ran down her spine as she remembered the sinister smile that had graced Meyere’s lips moments before the door closed behind her, and despite being by the fae demon’s side for the past five years now, the sight of her still made Nia want to run and hide in the farthest corner of the Earth.

Meyere Cryze was a creature of beauty and darkness, with hair as black as ebony and eyes that seemed to hold the universe’s stars within them. But beneath the enchanting exterior lay a hunger for humans, a fact that repelled most — but bound Nia to her through an unfortunate agreement.

Yeah, she didn’t have much of a choice.

So here she was, a reluctant food source to a creature who could end her life with a blink but hadn’t — not yet. Not after five years. It was also her duty to watch out for her, to protect her from those who wished to see her burned at the stake. It wasn’t a duty she’d chosen by choice obviously, but rather a favor she owed Meyere’s brother, and his favor was her life.

“Watch over Meyere, and I won’t consider taking the souls of your family,” Keryth had snarled at her.

She pressed her hand against her neck, feeling it pulsing. Meyere had done a messy job of healing her. Nia stared at her bloody fingertips, wincing at the sight. Soul-sucking never involved blood, but Meyere made it a mission to make Nia’s life miserable — and she always found the most creative ways to do so.

As she walked away from the Cryze mansion, Nia felt a familiar, heavy presence beside her. Talen, the son of Death, materialized in his human form, his white-blonde hair gleaming in the moonlight as his eyes narrowed on her.

“Trouble again, Selenia?” Talen’s voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it, betraying his concern. Nia forced a smile, turning her back away from him, praying he wouldn’t notice. But the lingering scent of demon had been scorched on her back, and Talen had already smelled it from miles away. His fingers ghosted over the fresh bite mark on her neck before he tore the back of her shirt to expose the skin beneath it.

Nia hissed in pain as Talen gripped her wrist to keep her in place, his hand lightly fluttering over the mark on her back. She wiggled away from him. “Augh! Talen, that was my last good shirt!” She spun around so he didn’t have to look at her exposed back, but it was too late.

Talen blinked before slipping off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders, eyes cast downward as he muttered an apology. “Nia, who did this?” She ignored him as she made her way down the cold streets, eyes flickering at the alleys that lined between the rundown homes. It was dangerous to be out this late.

Laws didn’t apply in Lutoa — not since the children of chaos made their home on Earth.

"Nia!” Talen appeared in front of her, white smoke clouding around him, rising with his anger. She bumped into his chest, the top of her head colliding with his chin. She glared up at him before moving to go around him, only to have him grip her shoulders, rooting her in place. His eyes darkened, crystal blues disappearing as blank ink pooled into the whites of his eyes.

His voice dropped to a low, guttural whisper. “Tell me who did this, Nia. Say his name.”

Nia lightly flinched but didn’t respond. She stared at him, willing her expression to remain unreadable, but Talen had known her too long to be fooled. His fingers tightened just slightly, enough to press into the bones of her shoulders. “You need to say his name,” Talen breathed, his face mere inches from hers.

“You know I can’t.” She was bound to Keryth by a blood pact, and if he died, then her curse would be bound to Meyere, and then, there would be no way out. And beside, Nia was pathetically waiting for the day Keryth would sever ties with her, and she’ll be able to walk free.

"Nia!”

“Talen, no.” She didn’t want to talk about it. It hurt to talk. Everything hurt like hell when a demon symbol was scorched on your back. She wanted to scream in pain, her limbs still shaking from the shock of it all.

Today had been a particularly hard day for her. She had resisted when Meyere wanted to feed, Nia’s soul nearly drained from Keryth’s feeding in the morning. In turn, Meyere reported this to her brother, who attached a shadow on Nia as punishment. It slithered around her body, leaving rails of angry red burns that stung. The shadow wasn’t moving right now, but she knew that this small moment of peace would barely last.

After all, Keryth’s anger knew no bounds. Soon after he placed the shadow, the smell of burning flesh filling the school hall, he also took the souls of all the humans present in the hallway and nearly force-fed them to her before Vijreon stepped in.

Vijreon had to block her airway and suck the souls out, his mouth pressed against hers as he ate at them hungrily before they could have a chance to enter her convulsing body.

Nia touched the base of her neck as she thought back to it, swallowing with a grimace. She knew that if any soul was fed to a human, they would rot from the inside out. It was a fate worse than death. The soul fragments, like poisons, would devour what little light remained in the person. And that was all what Keryth wanted for her anyway — to crumble, slowly, painfully.

It was a terrible way to go, to say the least, and like Meyere, Keryth was quite innovative in his torture techniques, especially with her. And with Nia — there was never any mercy.

She didn’t know what she wanted more, the sweet relief of death or finally growing numb to all the pain the Cryze family was inflicting on her daily.

As if sensing her trouble, Talen placed a hand on her back. Nia bit back a scream, but within seconds, the pain from the shadow evaporated, and she slumped against him in relief. “Talen, have I ever ... have I ever told you that I’m grateful for everything you do for me?” she mumbled against his shoulder, still shaking.

“All the time, Selenia. All the time.” He was one of the few people in the world who didn’t look at Nia like she was scum. He looked at her with admiration and respect. Withlove.

Even her own brother hated her. Bryer sneered at her job as a protector of one of the fallen gods.

“You’re pathetic,” he’d spat at her before she left for Meyere’s that morning. “Enslaving yourself to a god when you could be one of the Favored.”

Bryer dreamed of being with the elite race of humans: the Favored. All of his friends were, and he was itching to reach his nineteenth birthday to finally be eligible.

But just like Bryer hated Nia’s job, Nia felt the same about his. She thought the title of Favored as demeaning and disgusting. The Favored were humans, carefully selected, only to become perfect little idols for divine amusement.

Circus clowns, Nia often thought, and unlike her, they didn’t bleed for the gods. Instead, the Favored’s blood was sacred.

Talen pressed his lips to her forehead and lifted her in a bridal style, heading in the direction of her home. He could have easily been at her home within a blink, but yet, he held Nia close, relishing the warmth of her breath on his neck. He looked down at her, watching as her face flooded with relief. His touch took away all her pain, and he wanted her to have as much alleviation as she could. He walked as slowly as he could, turning on the broken pathway that led up to her house.

The door opened without a touch, and Talen walked inside the place Nia and her siblings called home. Her “house” was more of four walls and a roof rather than a decent place to live, and if Talen could, he would give her his lavish mansion in the woods, a home deserving of Nia.

He placed her on her bed, watching her squirm in agony when his hands pulled away from her. The shadow slithered around, and Nia let out a cry. Talen’s eyes darkened as he knelt down beside the bed. “Nia,” he said quietly. “Nia, I need you to open your mouth.”

Nia’s brows furrowed in confusion, pain making her movements sluggish. Her vision blurred with tears. “Wha ... What are you—”

“It’s going to hurt. I’m sorry.” His voice softened. “Let me do this.” He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a vial with a silver liquid — glowing almost.

Nia’s eyes widened as she recognized the essence. “No,” she breathed, backing up on the bed as panic rose in her chest. “Talen, that’s soulwater. You know what that does to me.”

“I know,” he said gently, his breath fanning her cheek. “Just trust me, Selenia.”

She stared at the vial, remembering the last time she tasted the cursed remedy — the excruciating cleansing of that would burn through her nerves like fire. Despite the first couple of seconds being the worst pain imaginable, the relief that followed felt like floating on a cloud — be it short-lived.

“I trusted you last time and I nearly died,” she rasped, the pain blinding her vision. “I don’t want to—” Her words died on her tongue as Talen’s fingers gripped her jaw, tilting her head back. Her eyes widened in alarm, but her body was too weak, too much in pain to fight him off.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice trembling. Then, before she could resist, he uncorked the vial with his teeth, spat the cork aside, and poured the silver soulwater between her lips.

It hit her tongue like acid.

Nia choked, her back arching off the bed as the liquid raced down her throat, spreading through her limbs. Her eyes rolled back, and a ragged scream ripped through her chest, her nails clawing at the sheets. The soulwater seared every inch, and no sooner than it started, it subsided. The shadow had retreated to somewhere within her, and Nia finally gasped in relief.

She opened her eyes, cheeks wet with tears. “You bastard,” she whispered hoarsely. Her voice was raw, nearly gone from the screams of pain.

Talen didn’t smile. He didn’t speak, just brushed the damp strands of hair from her face. “You can hate me,” he said softly. “But a few seconds of pain in exchange for three days of relief is worth it.”

Nia tried to glare at him, tried to summon some expression of resentment. But her body betrayed her, muscles trembling. “Who ... Who are you to de-decide that for ... me?” she gasped.

“It’s all worth it for you.” His jaw tightened, hand clenched into a fist at his side. “If I have to rip the chaos out of this world to keep you safe, then I will.”

She turned her face away from him, gaze unfocused as it landed on the cracked walls next to her bed. Then, with a quiet exhale, her eyes fluttered close as she let darkness take over.

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