Devyn woke with a gasp, his body in agony. Coughing, he turned to his side and rubbed at his eyes. His back and head hurt worse of all. Groaning, he sat up in the bed. Wait…
Images from earlier that day flooded his head as he jumped from the bed, the blanket that had been wrapped around him falling to the floor at the sudden movement. He winced as pain lacerated his head. Instinctively, he reached up only to feel bandages wrapped neatly around his forehead.
Where was he? Had he been taken somewhere by that boy he had met in the café? The room wasn't one he had seen before. The walls were painted maroon, the carpet plush beneath his feet. However, there weren't any personal items in the room that indicated that the room belonged to someone. Most likely it was a guest room. Only the bed and a brown nightstand occupied the room.
Devyn knew that no matter what, he needed to leave the room. Besides, that was most likely the only way he was going to figure out where he was. As discreetly as he could, he pushed the golden handle on the door down and peered outside. He caught a flash of a black cloak before he pulled away, his heart skipping a beat. There was someone outside his door, guarding it.
Stifling a groan, he turned from the door and looked for any other possible ways out. Across the room on the far opposite wall was another door. He repeated the same tactics as last time, opening the door cautiously as he peered through the crack to see where it led to. White walls and tiles blinded him, making his head hurt.
Groaning, he blinked a few times before opening the door wider. It was just a bathroom. The rest of the room didn't even have a window in it… How else was he supposed to get out of here? Just as he was starting to panic, a knock caused him to jump.
Devyn twisted to face the door as he slowly shut the bathroom door. Should he answer? Even if he didn't, they knew he was here. Instead, a tall figure pushed the door open anyway, his sharp fingernails curling around the door frame.
The boy's breath caught in his throat as he looked at the man. The resemblance between them was uncanny. The man had spiky blonde hair and electric blue eyes. He regarded Devyn with cold eyes, his face hard and emotionless.
He held himself with respect, his arms folded behind his back as he stepped towards the boy, his boots falling heavily on the carpet. He turned slightly to call to someone. "Are you sure this is him, Xavier?"
Devyn's attention turned to the door. He hadn't noticed it before, but the boy who had attacked him at the café was now standing in the room, the door clicking shut softly. Xavier grinned as he sipped at a cup containing a thick liquid.
"Can't you tell? He looks just like you." Xavier giggled softly as he regarded Devyn with curious yellow eyes. He gulped as he turned towards the man.
The man snorted as he held out his hand towards Devyn, who flinched slightly. Confused, he looked up at the man. His lips twitched as he narrowed his eyes. Hesitantly, he shook it. "My name's Ren. I'd like for you to tell me everything those Exorcists have been teaching you."
The boy was speechless. A thousand questions ran through his mind. Everyone here seemed to know exactly who he was, but… He had never met any of them. Besides, they were demons! Why would they think for a second that he would tell them anything?
"Wait!" Devyn cried out as they began to leave the room. Ren barely gave an indication that he had heard him. "Who exactly are you people? I don't even know why I'm here, or what you want from me."
Ren gave Xavier a quizzical look, who only shrugged and grinned, a fang poking out from his top lip. "Like I told you before, he knows nothing. He probably even thinks he's a human too."
Annoyed, Ren gave a jerk on Devyn's arm, dragging him out into the hallway. It looked almost like his room, except there was now a banister looking out into the fields. His mouth fell open and his heart sank at the sight.
The sky was a blood red, a black moon hanging low in the sky. A large lake filled with blood sat on the horizon, buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. A large dome encircled all of it. Demons with pointy ears bustled down the streets. Hellhounds fought over garbage cans and trash.
Devyn's knees almost gave out as he realized where he was and who was standing in front of him. Every lifetime a new successor took his position, but his title would always be the same. "This is the Underworld and you're… You're Satan…" His voice came out quiet and breathy, like he couldn't quiet catch his breath.
The man didn't answer, only tightened his grip. The demons stopped answering his questions after that, opting to keep quiet until they reached their destination. A thousand questions circled in Devyn's head as he took in the sights around him. This was a mistake. There was no way he was a demon, and he didn't belong here.
He needed an escape plan. But how was he supposed to get out? He couldn't make a portal between the two worlds, only demons could. Somehow, he needed to trick one into opening a gate. Or he could jump into one that had already been opened.
Ren pushed a door open and jerked on Devyn's arm, sending him face first into the room. He landed with a grunt on a red carpet. Pushing himself to his feet, he glanced around the room that was oddly different from the rest of the palace.
It was dark with no windows, save a few torches lining the wall with blue light. A metal throne sat in the front of the room, elevated off the floor. Two demons, half-breeds by the looks of it, stood guard on either side. Swords and axes were strapped against the black armor that hugged their bodies. Neither of them paid the people in the room mind, but Devyn still felt uncomfortable in their presence. He could feel just how powerful they were from here.
Ren gently slid himself down onto the throne as Xavier stood off to the side, waiting expectantly. The king only sighed as he regarded Devyn with boredom. "So, they really told you nothing? I suppose that's to be expected. They were training you to be a lapdog, after all."
Devyn bristled as he gritted his teeth. He took a step towards the throne, and only then noticed the guard's hands inching towards their weapons. "Why am I here? I have nothing you want."
Ren's lips twitched into a smile as he leaned forward. "You should know the reason you're here. You're my only child, and I need a son to inherit the throne after I am gone. Besides, sooner or later, you will tell me everything you know about the Exorcists."
Anger and realization flooded Devyn's body as he took two steps backwards. Was that why Kento never talked about his real parents, because they were demons? It was a logical explanation, but he didn't want to believe it. He wasn't a demon. "I'm not like you! Just wait. My father will be here soon to rescue me, and when he does, you'll regret ever bringing me here."
Ren's lips curled in anger, his eyes flashing a dark blue. He waved a hand to one of the guards as he stood. "Take him to his room. Interrogate him, then find a tutor. If he refuses to be obedient, beat him until he does."
Fear rose in Devyn's chest as he inched away from the guard. He had eyes like a cat and one eye. His short, jagged black hair almost covered the other one. He jerked his head towards the door as he reached around his waist and pulled out a rod. When he clicked it on, it hissed and snapped.
Devyn flinched as he followed the man's orders reluctantly. They walked silently back to his room, the weapon behind him still drawn. Servants and maids gave them a wide berth as they walked through the hallway, fear darkening their gazes as they looked to the floor. Once they were a good distance away, they almost sprinted in the opposite direction.
Once they were in Devyn's room, the man locked the door behind them before putting away his weapon. Devyn sat on the edge of the bed as the man stayed as close to the door as possible, his arms folded against his chest. "We'll start with the basics first. If you try to escape, we will find you and bring you back, no matter how many times we must. But I'll warn you, the punishment will only get worse and worse."
Devyn only gulped and nodded. No matter what, he wasn't going to tell this man about the Exorcists or his father. Even if it killed him. Steeling his resolve, he met the man's gaze.
They talked for what seemed like hours. The guard started out with simple questions, like if he had known about his heritage, how old was he. But then he began to ask about Kento. He wanted to know his ranking, his age, how strong did Devyn believe his adoptive father to be. Some of the questions he refused to answer. When he did that, the man would threaten him with the electric rod, but Devyn stood his ground.
Finally, when the man was satisfied by the information, he left without a word. Devyn felt sick after he was gone. He didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him. But he wanted to leave, and the only way he would be able to do that was if someone came to rescue him. If they could, that is.
Two weeks passed by in the Underworld. Not a single word was heard from anyone from the Overworld, not for Devyn, anyway. No one was coming for him. Every day his hope dwindled and was replaced by bitterness and anger. His father wasn't coming for him.
Already he had learned some of the demons' policies and history. When a demon is elected as King of the Underworld, he is given the title Satan. Once he produces an offspring, that offspring is next in line for the throne. If the demon dies with no living offspring, the throne is left empty. With no one left as successor, demons are left to fight over it until a victor emerges.
This has been the same for thousands of years in the Underworld, and Ren's – his biological father – bloodline have been seated on the throne for 500 years. Devyn would be the next to inherit the throne. He was planning on taking the throne out of spite for his father. After everything they've been through, not even Alex, Sophie, or his father had tried to send word. There had been no portal openings since he had come here to live, and there had been no attempts at one.
Besides, he was learning more things here than he had as an Exorcist. Already he was learning how to use his own sword, and apparently, he would soon tap into his own demonic powers. However, the humans had suppressed his powers at a young age. His own body would eventually fight the suppression once he adapted to the environment in the Underworld.
As of now, he was sitting in a dark corner of the library, reading the second book in the history of his new world. The shelves were lined with a thin layer of dust, almost never having been touched. As far as he knew, no one came to this corner of the library except for children wanting to learn more about their world.
Sighing, Devyn raked a hand down his face as he finished the rest of the chapter. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned as he glanced at the clock. He had already been reading for three hours and his head was aching from the small print. Besides, it was almost time for him to practice his swordsmanship with Xavier.
He replaced the book from where he found it, a cloud of dust rising into the air as he did so. He headed down the hallway, passing a few of Ren's guards. They bowed to him silently but kept their gaze on the floor. Devyn repeated their movements, keeping up the pace.
If he didn't hurry, he would be late. If that happened, he would be in a lot of trouble with his father. Last time he was late, he had been forced to extend his training for an ungodly number of hours, and he had been sore and unable to move for days. He definitely didn't want to go through that again. Besides, he was starting to forget all his worries and hopes of returning to the Overworld. He liked it here. This was his home now.
He wanted to tap into his demonic powers, to fight the Exorcists. It wasn't just out of spite for Kento. After learning his history thus far, he had realized how much of a nuisance these Exorcists really were. They killed innocent beings! These demons didn't deserve to die. They hadn't asked to be born this way, just like he hadn't chosen to be born a half-breed. He hadn't asked Kento to take him in...
Once he reached the double doors that led to the training room, he composed himself. He needed to clear his head before entering. Taking a deep breath, he pushed his arms out in front of him, the doors swinging wide open. His master was already standing in the center of the mat, longsword in hand. He motioned for Devyn to come forward.
Devyn grabbed his katana on the way through, the familiar vines engraved on the hilt bit into his hand as he squeezed it. A girl was leaned against the wall, her thick green hair flowed down her back, her yellow eyes glowing softly as she smiled at him. Pandora had become his best friend the third day he had been here. She was extremely sociable and they had gotten along perfectly.
Now she came to all of his swordsmanship practices to watch him. Afterwards they would get something to eat before she helped him try and tap into his powers. Only once they had succeeded in unleashing a small burst of electricity that had caught the curtains on fire. After that they hadn't stopped trying. They had started hanging out every day and even become closer than Alex and him.He gave a short wave to her as he passed, lining up with his master. The other man had a blank look on his face, his yellow eyes dull and unnerving. His grey hair was cropped short, and his skin was beginning to wrinkle. Devyn knew that he was at least 350 years old, almost the end of a demons lifespan. But he was a damn good master, the sole reason why Ren had even agreed to hire him for his son.
As they sparred, Pandora watched as she popped a few pieces of candy into her mouth, something that Devyn had brought with him to the Underworld. He had given some to her as a gift, and she had fallen instantly in love with the sweet taste. After roughly an hour, she walked outside to get a breath of fresh air.
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