Day after day, the palace became a prison of monotony for its inhabitants.
Their lives settled into a dull routine, where the air was thick with discussions that turned into arguments, yet every problem remained unsolved. Kanis and Lorna, in particular, engaged in an unending rivalry. Their disagreements, once trivial, escalated into heated exchanges filled with insults. Each was determined to outdo the other, striving to impress the king and his advisors with their loudness and bravado.
In contrast, Marcus maintained a quiet presence. He lingered mostly in the shadows, leaning in to whisper in the king's ear. The old man found more trust in Marcus than in anyone else, often nodding in agreement and allowing him to guide important decisions.
Kain observed from a distance, his silence profound. He was like a ghost, unseen yet acutely aware. While Kanis and Lorna squabbled like strays fighting over scraps, Marcus claimed the entire table without uttering a word.
---
Back in his chamber, the mounting tension finally erupted.
"Kaaarg… I swear, this is driving me crazy!" Kanis shouted, hurling a cup against the wall. It shattered, its contents splattering across the floor. "That fool hasn't even visited a single pleasure house all week!"
Leaning casually against the wall, Kain crossed his arms, watching Kanis carefully. "Perhaps he got castrated," he quipped, a playful smirk edging his lips.
Kanis let out a reluctant chuckle. "Yes, perhaps."
With a deep breath, he composed himself, smoothing his clothes as if trying to regain his dignity. Silence filled the room once more, until he glanced over at Kain.
"The thing you said about my brother… how strong is he?"
Kain shrugged slightly. "If you had to battle him," Kanis pressed on, "do you think you would win?"
Kain considered the question. "His energy isn't more powerful than mine," he replied. "I'm confident of that."
He shifted thoughtfully. "Right now, I'd say I have a seventy percent chance of victory."
Kanis frowned. "That's a decent result, I suppose."
Kain smirked. "Though I'm not fond of those odds."
His gaze sharpened. "A thirty percent difference is a fatal price to pay."
Kanis fell silent, reflecting on Kain's words. "That's why it's better for me to fight at my full potential," Kain added.
The room was engulfed in another silence. Kanis shoved his hands into his pockets. "If he gained energy from heaven," he mused, "couldn't I draw something from hell?"
Kain's smile widened. "I could."
He let the implications linger in the air, waiting. "But," Kain continued softly, "there's always a price to pay for that."
"What price?" Kanis asked, impatience coloring his tone.
"You will give your soul," Kain said, the calm in his voice almost chilling. "Without negotiation. Irreversibly."
He took a step closer to Kanis. "And you'll be bound to me forever."
"Absolutely not," Kanis replied instantly, his voice firm. "Invoking you would be pointless if I become another's servant. I refuse to be anyone's servant, even a demon's."
Kain regarded him with approval. "Very well."
Turning to the window, he gazed outside. "By the way, I'll be away for a bit."
"What do you mean?" Kanis queried.
"Remember? You need to keep watch over Lorna," Kain reminded him patiently. "If you see any changes, use the mark."
Kanis frowned. "For how long will you be absent?"
Kain smiled mysteriously. "It's a surprise."
Kanis sighed deeply. "Anyhow," Kain added, casting his gaze to the horizon, "I'll return in a couple of days."
"Where are you going?" Kanis asked, incredulous.
"It's a surprise," Kain repeated, grinning.
Before Kanis could respond, Kain sprang from the window. He leapt into the air, but by the time Kanis reached the sill, Kain had vanished without a trace.
---
Outside the palace, Kain soared through the sky, cloaked in purple mist that rendered him invisible as he descended softly to the ground. He flew swiftly over the streets of the capital, leaving the palace far behind, heading toward a destination far grittier and less refined.
Descending near the lower districts, he landed with precision amidst filthy alleys. As he surveyed the scene, a sly grin crept across his face, recalling the meticulous preparations he had made.
"Let's see what you've managed," he murmured to himself, gliding toward an open area filled with dilapidated buildings, one of which had a roof torn away as if by some monstrous force.
Before the exposed structure, he found a group of bound captives, tightly packed together, their heads bowed in fear. Some were praying, others whispering, while a few simply stared at him with hollow eyes.
"Master," greeted Number One, her tone calm as always. "As you ordered, we gathered one hundred people in this ruined part of the slums."
She gestured toward the terrified crowd. "Even if someone alerts the guard, it will take at least thirty minutes for them to arrive." Her gaze shifted to Kain, and she added, "I assume that will be ample time for you."
Kain nodded slowly. "You have done well," he replied, moving closer to place his hand on Number One's head. She bowed respectfully as he released his energy, and the three demonic beings around her silently obeyed.
Kain's gaze drifted to the humans before him, their fear palpable. Some recoiled as they caught sight of him, their ropes cutting into their skin. Others prayed fervently, tears staining their cheeks, while a few merely stared in a blank daze.
With a lazy flick of his wrist, Kain summoned four thick strings of energy that coiled into his palm. He sent them hurtling towards four demonic beings kneeling at his feet. As the energy pierced their bodies, they writhed violently, emitting distorted sounds as if they wrestled with something inside them, the noise crescendoing into a horrific symphony.
Kain was undeterred.
With another swift motion, he conjured blades that spiraled around him, humming with a lethal energy that bent the air itself. Then, he flicked his wrist again, unleashing the blades into the crowd.
A cacophony of screams erupted, blending into a cacophony of terror, as chaos broke loose among the captives. They clawed at their restraints in vain, some finding their feet while others collapsed in desperation.
But Kain was relentless. With another gesture, he sent new blades crashing into the panicked throng, slicing with ease through flesh and bone as though they were soft vegetables. Heads rolled, bodies split, and blood sprayed the scene like a grotesque painting.
In mere seconds, the screams faded into an eerie silence, punctuated only by the sound of something descending from above. The demons continued to tremble, their faces contorted, blood streaming from their mouths as they fought against the violent force he had unleashed within them.
Kain strode through the now still crowd, stepping into a puddle of blood. With his eyes closed, he felt the souls rising, separating from their dying hosts and floating upwards. Flickering red lights blossomed around him, drawn to his presence.
Concurrently, the blood began to rise, coalescing into a whirlpool of red and white swirls above him. In its center, Kain remained focused, watching as souls entered the vortex, one after another, until they were consumed, making the vortex whirl faster and larger.
When it finally ceased, the air cleared, leaving one solitary red soul, roughly the size of a tennis ball, hovering before him. A dense, bright gem radiating with energy.
Kain opened his eyes, studying it for a moment. Cupping it in his hands, he swallowed it whole, feeling a surge of powerful energy course through him. Heat enveloped his body, igniting from his chest and radiating outward.
With a soft exhale, Kain closed his eyes again, flames igniting around him, wrapping him in intense orange-red fire that distorted everything nearby.
At that moment, a voice resonated in his mind:
[The final rites of ascension have been completed successfully.]
The flames raged higher.
[Lifting restrictions on stats and skills' usage.]
Kain's fingertips twitched with a new power.
[Congratulations.]