———The Throne Falls———
The throne room was silent.
Torchlight flickered against the stone walls, but the shadows refused to retreat. The air was thick, humid with sweat, soured by
fear.
The Queen's Guard stood in formation, unmoving. No one spoke. No one breathed.
They waited, waited with fear, waited for the inevitable.
Then-
"Queen Sinephilim!"
A voice, hoarse and panicked, tore through the tension.
"They've breached the inner hall, they're here!"
The horned Demon Queen Sinephilim rose from her throne. Her red skin glistened in the torchlight, long obsidian hair cascading like a shadow. Her black eyes burned, not with fear, but with the weight of too many corpses. Too many losses. She did not wear her battle armor; she had on an elegant black dress. Fitting for her funeral.
"So… it's finally time." Her voice was quiet. "Leave. All of you. Now."
Silence.
"With all due respect, my Queen," said Glunch. Stepping forward in weather-worn armor, one shoulder dented from old battles. His beard was streaked with silver. "We don't fear death. We never have."
Her oldest guards, her family in all but name.
A sad, proud smile touched her lips. "Then prepare yourselves. We welcome death together."
Their answering cry echoed like thunder.
The final storm had come.
****
The throne room doors opened with a groan.
And the Five Heroes stepped through; executioners draped in righteousness.
The castle was evacuated a few days ago. Only the Queen's Guard remained, refusing to leave her side. These heroes would not stop until she was dead. She had sacrificed so much just to save so few; she had even
watched her brothers die.
"Ah… the so-called heroes." She rose from her throne, voice cut like a blade. "I trust your bloodless stroll through empty halls was
satisfying."
Her hand lifted, black lightning crackling at her fingertips.
"I am Demon Queen Sinephilim. And this ends here." A fool's bluff but she would die with her pride as a leader intact.
"Your filth will be purged from this world," Priestess Zerva spat.
The high priestess stepped forward. Her gold-trimmed robes shimmered with divine fury; her staff pulsed with holy light. Hatred had hardened her features into something near the monstrous.
Once, your church preached coexistence. Now, it called for genocide.
"We had a truce, and you killed her!" shouted the next.
Prince Willow Soluna.
The Elven Prince was beautiful, pale-skinned, a mirror of his sister except for his long golden hair that flowed over a red cloak, daylight over blood. But it was his eyes, ruby, raw, full of fury and grief that spoke volumes.
His sister, Sylvia, Sinephilim had met her, one hundred years ago; she was the one who came forward and asked for peace between demonkin and elves. Her assassination by rogue demons is what sparked this bloody war, demons Sinephilim herself had condemned. The truce was broken, only justice mattered.
The elves had answered with war.
Blood for blood.
"The curse your ancestors birthed into our soil will be repaid with your corpse," growled the next.
Rashka, the scaled warlord, stood like a mountain, green scales gleaming, jaw clenched with wrath older than kingdoms. Her father had cursed their lands during the Great War. She had tried to purify it, given much to build a good relationship with the lizard folk. It meant nothing. Just another blade turned against her.
Then came the man who had orchestrated it all.
Aucteros.
The strategist. The prophet. The book mage.
He has tan skin with a warm, almost sun-kissed tone. His eyes glow a deep burnished orange. His hair is long, pure black, tied high in a scholar's ponytail, sleek but practical. He wears flowing white and gold linen robes, layered with a dark blue mantle draped over one shoulder, giving him a dignified, almost divine presence. Fitting for the man who called himself the master of fate.
"Your end is already written," he said, smiling with the confidence of a man who believed it. "And I'm its author."
His smile was all knives. The black tome floated beside him; its golden glyphs whispering power. He looked too thin to be dangerous, until one noticed the way the air bent around him.
And last… him.
Rhenvar.
The cursed knight of the Shadow Fortress. The legendary hero of the elves.
He stood in obsidian armor, eyes hidden behind his shadowed helmet. The crimson glowing great sword Souleater hung across his back. He didn't reach for it. He didn't have to, Rhenvar was known for using his fists but since Sylvia's death, that cursed sword was all he used.
Sinephilim had met the cursed knight before during the war; he was a monster who slaughtered relentlessly. Yet Princess Sylvia praised him for his valor. The Princess' face would light up talking about him; she claimed
he was immortal. Sinephilim assumed she was right; no human lives for as long
as he has. She doubted he was even a human.
Rhenvar said nothing. His hidden eyes locked on Aucteros.
Shadow magic pulsed at his feet, primordial, cursed, divine. The kind of darkness that didn't just kill, but made its victims feel
fear.
Sinephilim's breath caught looking at Rhenvar's cursed sword.
That blade had killed her brothers, turned them to dust. She had witnessed it. She couldn't even bury them.
If anyone was meant to take her head, it was him.
"If it's my life you want, come take it!" She smiled manically.
Magic crackled at her fingertips as she launched forward.
Aucteros struck first. His hand rose, and a guard's head exploded into a red mist. The floating book at his side flared with power.
Sinephilim had felt its power.
Was that divine magic? Impossible.
Sinephilim lunged for Rhenvar. He didn't draw his blade, only blocked, grunting under the force. Breath ragged. She drew blood.
So… It seems he can bleed. Good, it means he can die.
"You will pay for everyone you killed monster!" Her strikes rained against him. He fought only to defend himself. Magic raked across his armor, forcing him back until she tackled him, slamming him to the floor.
His helmet rolled away.
A regular human stared back, pale skin, light blue soulless eyes, long dirty blond hair spilling across his face. A bit of scruff.
Handsome, in a way.
He really was just… a man.
Not a devil. Not a monster.
Somehow, that made it worse.
This is war.
She thrashed her claws down. Sinking them into his neck. Rhenvar coughed choking on his blood.
Some knight who cannot die.
All around her, the last of her Queen's guard was being slaughtered. Tetser, who had read her bedtime stories. Exisil, who had taught her magic. Beckuul, who once stole the last apple in the kitchen.
Her family. Fighting into their last breath.
Aucteros grinned and exploded Exisil's head.
"Your dead…" she whispered, charging him.
A fireball slammed into her side, knocking the breath from her lungs. Willow's flames burned divine and righteous. She screamed and struck back, only to crash into Zerva's holy barrier.
Rashka came from behind with his axe, she ducked and backed off.
The last of her Queen's Guard fell. She noticed as she stood alone.
"WHY?!" Her voice cracked. "All we wanted was peace! You foolish monsters! I'll kill you all!"
Magic erupted from her in a shockwave, shattering Zerva's barrier. Willow's flames licked her skin but no longer burned. Rashka's enchanted axe shattered against her.
Power surged through her veins, pure, unstoppable. Her new form was a mixture of divinity and damned. New bat feathered wings dragged behind her. Her veins glowed white under her bright red skin.
Was this my true power? Is this why my brothers stepped down from the throne?
"There it is!" Aucteros laughed. "That is what I was waiting for! Just as I predicted!"
She surged toward him.
Too slow.
The prophet dodged easily, holding a glowing divine crystal, the same that had stripped her father's power, the same crystal Karn used to kill him.
"Impossible… how did you- "
"Let's take all that power from you, shall we?"
The crystal pulsed-
-and her newfound power vanished.
Her knees hit the stone. Her hands were tanned. Her obsidian hair turned silver. Horns, gone. Magic, hollow but not gone. Even her eyes changed, from void-black to violet, shimmering yet furious.
She wasn't a demon queen anymore.
She was something else.
"A cursed fallen exposed!" Aucteros mocked. "Behold the false sovereign!"
The heroes hesitated. Zerva stared in shock. Rashka snarled. Willow looked uncertain, his eyes on Rhenvar.
Sinephilim noticed Rhenvar moved toward her.
So, the rumors were true.
She laughed.
Aucteros knelt beside her, whispering, "Thank you. You made this far too easy."
She didn't care about power, or the throne. Only her family, her friends, and the people she saved.
Her hand closed around the nearest weapon, Glunch's axe. "I'll take one of you with me!"
She grabbed Aucteros' arm. Fury shivered in her chest.
She swung.
"Rhenvar! Shadow-lock her! NOW!" He yelled.
The once dead knight stepped forward, whispering, "For my master."
Shadows wrapped tight around her.
"Finish her!" Aucteros screamed.
Rhenvar appeared behind her, crimson blade raised-
Sinephilim's veins glow a faint white light and she wrenched freely through sheer force of will. The axe came down, cleaving through Aucteros' arm in one furious strike.
He screamed.
She spun, expecting Rhenvar's blade-
Instead, he knelt.
"Your orders, my master."
She blinked.
"Orders? Kill them all." The words left her lips before she could think.
"As you wish."
Rhenvar vanished, reappearing beside Rashka. Souleater cut through the lizardman as if he were air; his body turned to dust.
"RHEN!?" Willow shouted, eyes wide.
"Dammit, dimension door, NOW!" Aucteros roared.
The book's power flared. "Bring us to the Holy City!"
Just before the magic consumed them, Rhenvar appeared behind Aucteros, blade inches from his neck-
Too late. They vanished.
Silence fell.
Sinephilim looked at Rhenvar. His stare was empty.
"Why did you help me?" She asked.
He pointed to the severed arm she still held.
"You have my ring."
She looked down. A black ring, dark engravings pulsing like a heartbeat.
A divine artifact?
"This ring… with it, you will obey?"
"Yes."
He stood motionless.
He was controled... used against his will.
She could have kept him, used him. Made him her weapon. Her chance for vengeance was in the palm of her hand.
Everything's gone, everyone's dead...
"I don't keep slaves, Rhenvar."
She tossed him the ring.
"Do as you please, oh great hero."
She sat on her throne, surrounded by corpses. Tears welled in her eyes as her eyes scanned the bloodstained room.
Rhenvar picked up the ring and slipped it onto his finger. For the first time, he moved like a man, not a monster. He took his helmet and disappeared into the shadows.
Sinephilim sat alone weeping.
—Rhenvar: The Cursed Knight of Chaos—
I bet your blood tastes bitter, you were truly a worthy opponent on the battlefield, demon queen. Smart, ferocious, and indomitable.
Rhenvar stood silently in her shadow; arms crossed. She held the ring, Darkness' ring, the artifact that bound a piece of his soul, the
chain around his throat, the source of his shadow magic. She had it in her hand, complete control over him.
And she tossed it away.
Just like that, she gave him freedom.
He watched her cry.
"Pfft, who knew you were also an idiot," he muttered, voice low and annoyed. "You should've at least used me."
She should have used him. Instead, she sat there crying.
Tears weren't a weakness. Not to him. When a friend cried, he would hold them close. He only hoped hers would turn into something sharp enough to cut through fate.
Shadows pooled around his feet like a throne as he leaned back.
"…Sylvia. Willow."
The names slipped out. His friend and his fiancée, the only two who'd ever looked at him without seeing a monster. Sylvia was dead, murdered by Aucteros.
Her face came to him. That fake, goofy smile. The way she spoke of peace and purpose. Her long icy-blue hair and cold ice blue eyes. And then the worst memory, her body on blood-soaked sheets, the ring gone from her
finger, its abyssal glow clinging to Aucteros's hand.
It wasn't my fault. I didn't know.
He'd given it to Sylvia when she asked him to marry her, never realizing it would shackle him. Darkness had given him the ring when she brought him into this world, it was part of the deal to protect it. He hadn't known it would enslave him. And Aucteros had taken full advantage of it.
Centuries in the Shadow Fortress, waiting for more Worldeaters. Until the twins found him. Willow and Sylvia, sunlight and moonlight. Five hundred years ago, they'd pulled him from the abyss and reminded him the world
still had color, still had purpose.
A bitter laugh escaped, echoing through the gloom.
"Every time I find peace… friends… family… it gets ripped away."
No point in thinking about it anymore.
He watched as the demon queen gather corpses in the courtyard. Torchlight licked the remains of battle. She lingered over Rashka's ashes.
Interesting, she noticed.
Souleater carved through reality, turned bodies to dust, and sent souls to the Chaos Temple. But it left an echo, a funeral for the
consumed.
He had always resisted using the sword. Only because he didn't want Willow and Sylvia to see what he really was.
There were still souls to devour. Memories to steal. Secrets to uncover.
A rift of red light tore open, bleeding crimson into the dark, and he slipped through.
****
Temple of Chaos.
The ceiling stretched like an endless void scattered with hundreds of thousands of red stars, souls he'd consumed. His domain. His home. Outside reality.
"Viir," he called.
A flicker of red zipped onto his shoulder.
"Oh, Rehpotsirhc, you finally show up again!" She squeaked. "I've been keeping our ass alive. Busy busy!"
He rolled his eyes. "It's 'Rhenvar' now, remember? Every time you call me Rehpotsirhc, it feels… off."
Viir struck a dramatic pose midair, palm-sized, crimson skin, wild red hair, glowing red eyes. Part parasite. Part little sister. All
chaos. She was more powerful than him and a part of him, like Souleater, like his
armor, like the temple itself. Daughter of the Goddess of Chaos.
"How's the seal?" He asked.
"Vulnerable, but holding," she chirped. "The Church nearly shattered it. And that worm Aucteros' commands were really hard to ignore you know! I had to force-feed in a frenzy just to keep it from breaking."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome, dummy." She punched his head with a fist the size of a peanut.
His gaze drifted to the stars above. "I need Rashka's soul."
"Eugh. Lizard breath? Why?"
"There's something I need to know."
"Like?"
"Aucteros' plan. I think he wanted the Worldheart."
Destroying a Worldheart meant destroying the world. Protecting it had been part of his deal with Darkness. He had driven away Worldeaters before so isn't new, Aucteros was careful with his schemes. He had only told his plans to Rashka. This Rhenvar knew.
This is bad if he really is after it.
Viir zipped upward, plucked a glowing star, and dropped it into his hand.
"Here."
The soul trembled. "Please… just tell me why…"
"What's done is done, Rashka," Rhenvar whispered, then devoured it. Red light poured into his eyes.
Memories surged, Rashka's childhood in the fields, his sister Sela's gold scales, his mother's smile, his vow to save their lands, his coronation, hatred, pain, loyalty.
And then Aucteros and his grin.
The truth unraveled, a plan to steal the demon queen's divine power, the key to the Holy Vaults, and the Vaults lead to the
Worldheart. Aucteros had lied, telling Rashka it would save his homeland. And Rashka believed him.
"Pfft, dumbass," Rhenvar muttered.
The soul's emotions clung, but he shoved them down. Absorb too many and you forgot who you were. Even with his sealed, he knew that risk. Lived it. He even enjoyed it in passing memories.
The last memory ended, Souleater taking Rashka's life.
Rhenvar stumbled, breath shallow.
"Fuck. He's in the Holy City. With her power. There's no way I can reach it in time, this world is fucked."
Willow…
Viir hovered beside him. "Won't that scary shadow lady be pissed?"
"She'll probably die so who cares."
"Isn't she bound to our soul?" Viir said, tilting her head.
Shit, she's right... still there's no time.
He dropped onto the stone floor, shadows curling around him, soothing his blood stained armor.
"Dammit… I'm sorry, Willow."
"So Willow's going to die?" Viir's voice softened.
I'm sorry Viir, I know you kinda loved Willow too.
"So, it seems."
Viir flopped onto his forehead. "Well, that sucks tehe~, we must stay here. So, we don't die! Mother said she made this place outside of worlds."
"That's the plan, Viir. Let it blow over and see what happens."
One red star flared brighter than the rest. I glow more defiant that the other red stars.
"Rhenvar, cursed knight," The star whispered. "Hear my plea."
He sat up.
"Shut up, soul, or I'll eat you," Viir said cheerfully, licking her lips.
"Please," the soul begged.
Rhenvar waved his hand. "Viir, grab it, we can use some entertainment."
She fetched the flickering light and dropped it into his palm.
"…Karn," he said, surprised. "The demon queen's brother. You're still around?"
Rhenvar looked at Viir, she only shrugged with a goofy face.
"I am," said the soul. "And I need your help. Please! Please save my sister. Save Sinephilim."
"I could just eat you."
"Please, hero."
"Pfft, I'm no hero, Karn."
"I saw you. Under all that power, all that rot, you're still a man. Still good. Let me speak to her. That's all I ask."
"Bold words. Especially after seeing what I am. Why should I help you?"
"If you could save someone close to you… wouldn't you?"
"…Yes. I think so… But one is dead. And one can't be saved."
"Let it be a last wish."
"Do you really think I'd let a soul talk to a living person? Dude. It's easier to just eat you now and I don't know, not give a shit
later."
"Yet, you speak to me. Willingly. You were against the war. Against the Worldeaters. You are a God."
Dumbass. I was cursed by a Goddess.
"Us souls speak to each other, many hate you. Many pity- "
"Ok, look." Rhenvar got up. "I hate repeating myself- "
"Please…"
He stared at the soul, then at Viir, then at the abyss.
Eh fuck it.
"…Fine. But she comes willingly. I can't force her; it doesn't work like that."
"She'll listen. She needs hope. Just tell her… I'm waiting."
"Whatever," Rhenvar opened a rift, red light curling at the edges. "Viir. Keep the lights
on."
"You got it, boss~ tehe!" She giggled, striking a ridiculous pose.
"Heh you're so weird."
——Willow: The Echo of Ashes——
Willow paced the stone hallway, fury simmering beneath his skin. His boots echoed down the corridor, red cloak trailing like a firelight. His heart felt like it might ignite.
The heavy doors creaked open.
A healer entered, head bowed. "You're here for Aucteros' condition?"
Willow rushed to him. "Is he conscious?"
"No. Still recovering. He needs rest."
Dammit.
"Tell me the moment he wakes, that's an order."
"Yes, Prince Willow Soluna." The healer bowed.
Willow stormed away, fists clenched. Flame threatened to bloom from his palms.
What the hell happened? Rhenvar was cold, silent, mercilessly slaughtering without hesitation. That wasn't the man I knew.
Not before Sylvia died.
Since then, Rhenvar has changed. He started using Souleater, the cursed blade he once feared Sylvia might even touch. Became distant. Hollow.
A traitor? No… something doesn't add up. He was a hero to the elves.
Willow stopped in his tracks.
Aucteros.
Rhenvar followed him like a dog on a leash. Spoke of vengeance. Justice. But the massacres, the flames, the dead children… those weren't Rhenvar, he wouldn't…
Unless I had missed something.
Unless my vengeance made me blind.
His hand trembled.
The war. Was it all a lie? The demon queen sacrificing position to protect innocents and I joined just to kill her.
I should have stopped him. I should've stopped Aucteros.
But Rhenvar's voice echoed in his mind.
"Think of your sister."
He remembered the day Sylvia died. Rhenvar had been there. Said a demon assassin killed her. The elves believed him. So did Willow.
But what if he lied? Or worse, what if he was being controlled?
Even then… Rhen stayed. Cold words, but constant presence.
Cold. That's how he remembered he felt that day.
His heart clenched.
I love him. And that love… had blinded me.
Rashka didn't just die. Rhenvar cut his soul. I saw it. I felt it.
Willow knew something was wrong. He saw the signs. But he ignored them because he could not lose him, too.
If I had died instead of Sylvia… maybe this wouldn't have happened. She would have done the right thing.
Guilt twisted his chest.
Those times in the church… when Zerva said Rhen needed containment… he agreed. Said it was for the best. Said the shadows were too strong.
But that wasn't him. Not really.
Did he love her that much? Did her death destroy him?
And Aucteros… I vouched for him. Trusted him. And yet, fate bent around him. He knew all the right words. All the right people. Now I see it.
Sylvia warned Rhen about something Aucteros said… Then Rhenvar tried to kill him and I… stopped him.
Told him to let Aucteros go. Because he promised to help me. My love… truly blinded me.
First Sylvia. Then Rhenvar's devotion to Aucteros.Then Zerva…
"Zerva!" He snarled.
Willow ran.
****
Zerva's Prayer Room.
Willow kicked the door open. "ZERVA! I NEED ANSWERS, NOW!"
Zerva knelt at the altar, face stained with tears. She turned slowly, red-eyed, shaking.
"Answers?" She whispered. "We were fooled. All of us."
Willow marched forward. "What are you talking about?"
"The Demon Queen… she isn't demonkin. She's a goddess." Her voice cracked. "Aucteros knew. He always knew."
Willow's chest tightened.
"I don't care about gods." His voice dropped. "Was Rhenvar under Aucteros' control?"
Zerva hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."
Everything I suspect makes sense now.
Willow clenched his fists. "Then why didn't you say anything? What did you do to him in the church?"
Zerva flinched.
"Aucteros promised- "
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Willow's voice rose. Flame igniting around him.
Her voice trembled. "We tortured him."
"You what?!"
"He said it was the only way! He said it would stop him- "
"Stop him?! What did Aucteros promise you? Power? That was it wasn't it? Rhen's shadow magic?" Willow stepped closer, eyes burning. "You knew he was controlled and you still, did it?!"
Zerva looked away. "The book said he was a devil- "
"The book?! A book? That's your excuse?!" Willow's voice cracked. "Rhen is everything to me! He was your friend! He trained you! He loved you like family, and you tortured him!"
Zerva screamed. "Yes! I know! But Willow you vouched for Aucteros! You stopped Rhen that day! Sylvia knew something was off and you shut her down! YOU LET HIM IN!"
Willow staggered.
She's right. Aucteros, you scum. What the fuck are you planning.
Rhen, why did you listen to me. Why did I stop you? This is my fault.
Zerva wiped her eyes. "I carry that sin. But don't pretend you're innocent. You weren't there. You didn't see what Rhenvar really is.
Aucteros was right about him."
"Shut up," Willow growled.
"He's a monster, Willow. He always was."
"Shut up."
"Rashka didn't just die. Rhen ate his soul- "
"SHUT UP!"
Flames exploded across Willow's hands.
Zerva stumbled back. "I seen him, what's deep inside his soul, the monster he is." She cracked up. "You didn't see his true form, the
black fire, the chaos. He's not human, Willow!"
Willow turned to the door.
"Fuck you Zerva, I have all what I need to know. Aucteros is going to die. I'll burn this city to the ground if it means he is within its
ashes."
"You can't! It's holy- "
Willow turned back, eyes glowing with fire.
"Really Zerva, do you think I care what you have to say after what you did to Rhen?!"
He didn't wait for an answer.
He left her there as she cried.
****
Later, Alone
Sylvia. Rhen.
You're all I ever cared for. I'm such a fool for trusting Aucteros.
I'm going to make you suffer. Slowly.
And I'll enjoy every second of it.
——Sinephilim: The Demon Queen——
Fires devoured what remained of her kingdom, her people, her family, her life.
Everything was gone.
The throne, the castle, even her name, are all meaningless now. Let the bandits raid the vaults. Let the vultures pick through the scraps. What truly mattered to her was already burning.
"I should've fought harder," she whispered without thinking, jaw clenched.
"I should've protected them…" Her voice cracked. Her fists trembled.
They killed everyone.
A finger tapped her nose.
"Boop."
She blinked and startled. "Wha…?"
He stepped out of her shadow like a bad memory, Rhenvar, the cursed knight.
"Y'know," he said casually, "while you're busy monologuing in despair, Aucteros is siphoning your stolen power and gearing up to end the world. Just figured I'd mention it."
Her eyes narrowed. She ignored his words. "I see you really are immortal… Why are you still here?"
Rhenvar sighed, hands on hips. "Apparently, I'm here to save your life."
"I'm not interested in your games, jester." She sneered. "Or should I call you by your other titles? Mad shadow. Aucteros' dog. Or the idiot who danced with the elven prince."
He shrugged, unfazed. "Better a dog than a corpse, like your brothers I guess."
You monster.
"I should reclaim your ring and drag you back to your leash. At least then, I'd get some peace and quiet."
That one landed. She saw it in his eyes, a flicker behind the icy blue.
"Relax, former demon queen," he said, voice a touch colder. "I didn't come to fight. I came to deliver a message."
He stepped closer, gazing at her.
"Your brother Karn wants to speak with you."
Her heart stopped.
That name. There's no way you speak that name to me you monster-
Her thoughts ended.
"…Karn is dead," she breathed.
Rhenvar tilted his head. "Yeah, I thought so too. Viir was supposed to eat him." He muttered to the side, "Still not clear on that part." Then louder: "Turns out he's… kind of alive. Soul stuck. But I can take you to
him."
She hesitated.
Hope… ugly, aching hope, slipped through the cracks of her grief.
"Why?" She asked softly. "Why would you offer this?"
"Because he asked," Rhenvar said simply. "And because he won't shut up about it."
"You're lying."
"I lie. Often demon. But not about this."
Her eyes searched his face. Lips tight. Fists trembling.
One chance… the man's beyond mortal. I ripped out his throat. And he's alive, acting like nothing happened. The stories were true… he can't be killed. This is a good opportunity to see what he is and what he's
planning in those shadows he cast.
"…Fine," she finally said. "But if this is a trick, I'll tear your soul apart from the inside out."
He offered his hand. "Wouldn't be the first time someone tried."
She grabbed it without hesitation, it was cold yet oddly, welcoming.
Crimson light swallowed them whole.
****
The Chaos Temple.
They stepped into a ruined temple.
Black floor. Black walls. An endless sky of red stars shimmered above in eternal stillness. She could not hear anything, but one word did escape her lips.
"…Beautiful," she murmured before she could stop herself.
The stars pulsed faintly. They felt alive.
Was this his domain? It feels… chaotic. Is he really… a God?
The only shape in the room she could make out was a pedestal and a body-shaped indent in the wall behind it.
"Welcome to my little hideaway from reality," Rhenvar said, arms wide. "The chaos temple. Oh, and look! This here is where my sword goes, and my armor goes here in this wall!"
She felt odd seeing him excited, like he was showing off.
He's so... relaxed.
A red blur zipped past her eyes.
"OH MY Rheeeen~! You brought a girl!"
The voice was high-pitched and annoyingly smug.
A palm-sized crimson fae zipped through the air, spiraling around her like an overly excited insect. An insect that looked at her like
food.
"Mother would be so proud! You finally brought someone home! Is she the ONE!"
"…What."
"Viir," Rhenvar snapped, flicking her midair.
"Ow! Pfft. Killjoy." Viir crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.
Rhenvar turned to Sinephilim. "We'll give you privacy. Don't keep her waiting, Karn."
With that, he and Viir sank into the shadows and vanished.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then one of the stars drifted down from the heavens like a falling ember. It shimmered, then began to change.
A shape formed.
She gasped.
"…Karn."
He stood before her exactly as she remembered, tall, his red skin glistened, strong, horned. That same gentle smile.
He pulled her into a crushing embrace. His voice trembled.
"Sister… thank Father. I have this one chance to tell you the truth."
She couldn't move and barely breathe.
"Karn, I-" her voice cracked. "I tried so hard, I failed, I failed our kingdom."
Wait, Karns here, he's really here, I can save-
He pulled back, smile never fading. "I know your heart, Sin. I know you're already thinking of a way to save me. But you can't."
"Why not? You're here. Rhenvar brought me. There must be something we can do."
"No." Karn's smile faded as he sat down. His voice grew serious. "This place… this magic… it's not part of our world. Rhenvar isn't just cursed. He's something else. Divine, maybe. Or damned. Maybe both."
"A God?"
He shook his head. "I'm not one to pry. But still, he saved you, because I asked.
Saved me? From what?
She stared at the red-lit sky, unsure what to say.
"Why?" She finally asked. "I have nothing left. My power. Our kingdom…"
Karn looked up at the red stars with her. "Because you're my sister. And because you're special."
Now Karn looked into her eyes. "Your mother and our father together fought against an entity we have never seen before, wielding powers that did not come from our world."
Sinephilim knew the story. It hurt Karn just to tell it.
"She loved him. But after her death, Father lost his mind." Karn continued.
"I know. You had to stop him with the crystal."
"Do you know why?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Because he was going to use you to do something… dangerous."
"What… what are you talking about! Father would never- "
"Sin…"
"No father loved- "
"Sin! Father loved but you, your mother's death spiraled him. Yes. But he held onto hope he could bring her back but when he found out how…"
Karn looked away.
"Sister, that isn't what is important. Please listen. And end foolish thoughts. Please!"
Karn was serious, far more Sinephilim had ever seen. She understood. This was life or death…
"When you were born you became the key. Your body held a power, and that power unlocks the inner sanctum beneath the Holy City. The place where the Worldheart sleeps. Where the world can be destroyed."
She looked him. His face tensed.
"And now?" Karn's voice darkened. "Aucteros has that power."
Her stomach dropped.
"He's there… now…"
Karn nodded solemnly. "And there's no way to reach him in time."
"Karn, this is ridiculous!" She said in disbelief. "This must be a jest."
"It is not sister, our world is going to end."
"No… no. I won't accept that. I saved so many innocent people. I gave everything even our kingdom! Like you- "
"You don't want to accept it. But you must."
He placed a hand over her. "I want you to live. There is still hope. Rhenvar, he is here to save another world. Viir told me, in one of
her little rants. He may know how to restore our world."
She blinked. "You trust him? He killed you. He killed so many- "
"And maybe he can fix what he helped break. Don't blame him, Sin… he is a troubled man. You saw it in his eyes."
She looked away.
"I still don't understand. Why do you believe in him?"
Karn smiled faintly. "Because you're still alive. He brought you here, all I did was ask. Most would have feared the thought, yes he
is immortal. But underneath is still, a man."
Before she could reply, his body flickered. The star rose back into the sky.
And she was alone again clenching her fists.
"RHENVAR!" She screamed.
Rhenvar and Viir reappeared from the shadows, like summoned ghosts.
"So," he said, scratching his head. "Ready?"
"For what, cursed knight?"
He looked past her, at the void, at the stars, at the dying world outside.
"For the end of this world, Demon Queen," he said. "And hopfully a chance to save it. If she's not dead…"
Not dead?
"Rhenvar… can you explain."
"Pfft… I could but just look at it, as a gamble, like a card game."
You gamble worlds? Just what are you?
——Aucteros: The Worldeater——
Pain is fleeting. Preservation is not.
He reminded himself of this truth as he sat up, staring at the stump that had been his arm. At least he had healed and did not bleed out.
"Good," he hissed, glaring at the stump. "The priests finally did something right. Shame I can't reward them with anything. But my choices that led me here."
He strapped on his book and wrapped himself in the church's white cloak trimmed in gold and left his room.
Unease stirred in him. The demon queen had broken Rhenvar's shadows as though they were nothing, a fate he had not foreseen in his book.
No matter. The Worldheart was mine.
His thoughts drifted.
Demon Queen Sinephilim.
That woman had taken my arm, using that idiot with his ring to get the opening she needed to live. Still, I got what I came for, her divine power, stolen and soon it will be sealed into my flesh. That power belongs to
another master now. A true savor.
Time to finish it.
"Aucteros, the hero!" someone cheered.
They loved him like dogs, worshipping their savior, the very man who would lock them all away.
Morons. They had no idea what was really at stake. They were nothing. Not like this.
Even now, he could bend most of these fools who adored him. Their minds, so weak, so easy to twist. They bowed with hardly a nudge. But cracks in his plan were already showing. One name spoke to him.
Willow… that pretty, porcelain-faced love-struck fool… of all the magic I can copy, his is the most useless. Simple fire magic, to think
he grew that powerful. His fate even in my book was far different… he should have never grew that strong.
He's just a throwaway. I bet the idiot is interrogating Zerva right now. After he is finished with her he will definitely hunt me down. I need to act fast.
He turned the corner. Looking back, hoping he wasn't being followed.
I should have left him with the demon queen. Rhenvar would have killed him. The irony. But no, the teleportation spell had been set for allies, and I had been on the verge of death. Another miscalculation. How? It
matters not.
But now, Willow's presence pressed at the back of his neck like fire.
"General Aucteros!" a soldier called, saluting. "We've prepared the path to the inner sanctum. Your orders?"
He didn't bother answering.
Why waste breath on the living, when the world's soul was at stake?
Through sacred halls he walked, every step pulling him closer to his true goal. Not victory. Not dominion. Preservation. Salvation. The end of this world. Its story would be sealed; its souls locked away. Safe.
Then the next stage of his journey would begin. More schemes. More manipulation. He bore the power of a god, with which he could deliver both wrath and mercy.
He raised the divine crystal.
The demon queen's essence flooded his veins. It gnawed at him, reshaping him. His skin radiated, shifting hue. His body thrummed with divine power.
He laughed. "So, this is the power she had? Incredible! Wasted on someone as pathetic as her." His arm began twisting, threatening to transform.
No!
He forced the demonic essence back, locked it within the crystal.
He did not need her ascended form. He only needed her pure divine power. His mission was not selfish, not for power.
The chamber of the Worldheart opened before him. No mortal eyes could truly grasp it's color. It was like reality itself, peeling open. He reached out.
"Finally. I can save you. I can save everyone. If only they knew the truth, but they would never believe- "
A burst of fire cut him off.
-and he was hurled backward like a rag doll. His body smashed the stone wall. Blood filled his mouth.
"What the- "
"Oh, did that hurt, asshole?" The voice was a snarl of fire.
Willow stepped through shadows like a flame given form. His hair blazed; his eyes burned of hot coals.
"Willow," Aucteros spat, "you arrogant elf bastard."
Willow gave no answer. Only fire.
A fireball slammed into his chest, ripping through his new divine skin like nothing. Another followed. And another. The blinding pain shook his vision. No room to breathe.
He lurched forward, scrambling for a spell. He needed time.
"Willow, wait- "
Another blast cut him short. His lungs seized.
"Aucteros you piece of shit, you said you'd help me!"
Fire hit him again.
"Gaaaah!" Aucteros roared in pain.
"Enough of your lies."
His feet, his hand, his body were burning away. Willow was cooking him alive.
"You asked me…" He coughed. "How to get Rhenvar away from Sylvia…"
But Willow's scream cut him off. A wildfire in elven form. The blast tore the air from Aucteros' chest.
"YOU DARE SAY HIS NAME!" Willow howled.
He wasn't angry. He was incandescent. He walked through his own inferno as if it was a gentle spring breeze. Aucteros' defenses crumbled. The demon queen's divine power couldn't even keep up.
This was bad. I must think. I need time.
Willow loomed, his hair aflame, magic pouring from him like
he was the sun itself.
He turned to the Worldheart.
"So, this," Willow growled, "is what you wanted, all this time?"
"No," Aucteros whispered.
I must stall him. Just one second. I must save it.
"Willow, I did it for you! You asked me! We're friends!"
Willow's contempt burned hotter than his flames.
"You smug fuck! What did you do?"
Aucteros rose shakily, edging inch by inch toward the Heart.
His book in hand. "Well… I…" He got closer and closer.
Aucteros froze.
I could tell the truth. We could save the world together. But no, he knew would never believe it, not after so much manipulation.
So, Aucteros smiled.
"I killed your sister."
The heat in the chamber surged. His breath fled. He was almost there.
"Wait… Willow…"
Willow lifted a single hand. Fire circled him.
Wait, was he really going to burn it all? The entire city?
"Echo of ashes," Willow whispered.
Aucteros screamed, not in pain, but in rage. All his plans gone. He didn't hesitate. His book snapped open, whisking him into another dimension. Flames licked at his heels as he fled.
He collapsed into another world, coughing smoke.
"Damn… damn him!"
That idiot had destroyed everything, the Worldheart itself, absorbed into his own body.
He shuddered.
Willow had no idea what he had done. At least he lived. I could kill him and steal it from him later. But I failed my mission. Failed to
secure the heart.
I will rise again. Every failure was another opportunity.
He studied his book, the black tome with golden glyphs, a gift from his god. He would not fail the mission.
He pulled himself together.
This world, he hadn't chosen it. But it felt lighter and less serious. He flipped through the book.
"Another fantasy world. A romance novel, interesting."
A crown prince. A love triangle. A royal wedding. A perfect stage to hide, manipulate. The Worldheart here tied to royal weddings? Pathetic. But useful.
I will get this heart. Twist their drama. Kill their heroes. And in the end, I would save the world.
He wandered until voices found him.
"Sir, there's a person over here!"
Knights on horseback surrounded him. One dismounted, bearing red hair and a lion-crest.
Prince Charles Lyonheart. The second prince. Just as the book described.
"Who are you?" Charles demanded. "What are you doing in demonic beast lands, alone?"
Aucteros bowed, feigning reverence.
"I am but a humble servant," he said, lips curling into a smile. "To give you more than the throne, Second Prince Charles Lyonheart."
Charles narrowed his eyes. He had the power to read and control minds. Aucteros felt him brush against his thoughts, but the book would allow him to show only what he wished.
The prince smiled. "Oh? You are coming with me." Charles' grinned turned wicked.
And thus, his games began again.
——Rhenvar: The Cursed Deal——
"Okay, demon queen… it's going to be hard to get used to, but, uh…" Rhenvar glanced around awkwardly.
She's probably gonna freak out.
Sinephilim's eyes widened. "Where… where are we?"
They floated in pure whiteness. No sky, no floor, no wind. Just endless, echoing silence.
Rhenvar chuckled. "So… yeah. This is what it looks like when your world gets destroyed."
"WHAT?!" Sinephilim screamed.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Viir chimed, fluttering upside down. Wings fanned like a smug bat. "Think of it as… aggressive decluttering."
Sinephilim's anger flared. "How can either of you find this amusing?!"
She tried to lunge, but the void clung like tar. She couldn't move. Rhenvar and Viir hovered just out of reach.
Then- flash of shadows had taken them.
****
The Shadow
Goddess' Tea Table
A stone table appeared, dark and polished. At its head sat a figure cloaked in shadow, darker than the void itself. White glowing eyes and mouth were the only light that came from the entity. Shadows bent around her will.
The Goddess of Shadow.
Rhenvar exhaled. "Teatime. Sweet. Though I still prefer alcohol or blood."
Damn she did live. Well better enjoy it before the lecture starts.
Sinephilim blinked. "What is happening?"
The figure turned to her. The void shivered.
"I am the Goddess of Shadow," she said softly.
"…I call her 'Darkness,'" Rhenvar shrugged. "She's never told me her real name."
Her glowing eyes shifted. "And you, Rehpotsirhc, would do well to remember who you're speaking to." She sighed. "You and your little succubus failed."
"Failed? Woah, hold on. How many Worldeaters have I stopped before?" He said annoyed.
"A few and yet my world is gone now." Her teacup clicked.
"Pfft, technically not my fault," Rhenvar muttered. "You sent me there a thousand years ago, and I did my job. You knew Aucteros was a Worldeater, and you never contacted me. So, maybe take a little responsibility for- "
Shadows surged. Tendrils of blackness erupted from the ground, crawling into his mouth, ears, under his skin.
"GAAAAH!" Rhenvar gagged, eyes rolling back.
Cold pain.
Darkness stirred her tea. "Poor husband. You know better than bitting the hand that feeds you. Your immortality isn't a gift; it's a
curse. Just like my ring. Make no mistake. I prepared you for this, and yet you left my temple and had fun with those little elves, while another Worldeater successfully
destoryed my domain."
Sinephilim's mouth dropped. "…Husband?"
That's what she caught? Really?
Rhenvar wheezed as the shadows receded.
"She wishes," Viir scoffed.
"It's symbolic like a bond," Rhenvar gasped. "I accepted her ring. Got her power. It isn't even a marriage. Plus, she's not my type."
"My ears aren't long enough," Darkness agreed, sipping calmly. "And it's a leash, not a bond."
Rhenvar sat upright. "You could've warned me the damn ring lets anyone control me."
"I did not need your consent. You are a dangerous variable. Do remind me, what happened in you the last world you were in?"
Rhenvar said nothing. He remembered.
"You destroyed it," Darkness said flatly.
Sinephilim flinched. "You… destroyed another world?"
Rhenvar's gaze dropped to the rippling void beneath them. "Not my fault. Temporary insanity."
"Sure it was, which is why you wear my ring," Darkness replied. "The chaos magic you use is unpredictable. You've stayed in control so
far… but it won't last. And when you snap, someone needs the power to stop
you."
If they even can. Doubt she'd stop me either. Gods only care when it suits them.
"But why use someone like him?" Sinephilim demanded. "Why not use warriors from our world?"
"Because most Gods are forbidden to interfere in their own domains," Darkness said. "Our set laws are like most other Gods. We stay out of the world and watch. A law your mother broke."
Sinephilim stiffened. "My mother?"
"You are very special because of her. A sister I once held dear, reborn among mortals. Your power bends fate. That's why I had hope you'd be saved. Your presence will convince other gods to help us. You are a fallen God."
That… doesn't explain shit.
"That doesn't explain anything!" Sinephilim snapped, rising to her feet.
Rhenvar chuckled.
"Are you saying I'm a Goddess or something?"
"Yes." Darkness then smiled, a slow, cold curve. "Let's make a deal." She leaned forward. "Help Rhenvar. Save a few worlds. I'll tell you the truth about your mother."
Sinephilim crossed her arms. "It's not like I have a choice, do I? But I need to know what we're doing."
Rhenvar leaned in. "There are infinite worlds. Each with their own gods and rules. Some are stable. Others are fragile. Worldeaters like Aucteros feed on the fragile ones."
Darkness nodded. "He stole your power. With it, he unlocked our Worldheart, the one your mother sealed. And it was devoured."
"And the other Gods of my world?" She asked.
"Gone," Darkness said. "Consumed when the Worldheart fell. Luckily, I alone remain and tethered to him." She gestured at Rhenvar.
"You're welcome," Rhenvar muttered.
Viir grinned. "You should be grateful."
Darkness ignored her and rose. "I need to prepare your entry into another world. Its Gods are cautious. They will need convincing."
She vanished in the shadows.
Silence.
"Well shit," Rhenvar slouched back, "that went better than
expected. Didn't even get eviscerated."
"Can we really save my world?" Sinephilim asked.
Rhenvar shrugged. "It's a gamble, like I said…"
More silence fell between them.
Sinephilim looked at him. "Thank you… for letting me speak to Karn."
Rhenvar's smile faltered.
Better not tell her Viir should have ate him.
"Pfft, yeah. You're welcome."
She exhaled. "If we're going to work together, you need to know. I don't forgive you."
She met his gaze. "I know Aucteros controlled you. I know it wasn't your will. But you still killed my brothers."
"I know," Rhenvar said quietly. "And I won't ask you to forget it."
"Good," she replied. "Because I won't."
Rhenvar shrugged. "Ok."
Darkness returned, calm as ever.
"The gods of this world agreed to let you in. Because an intruder's already there."
Aucteros.
She pointed at Sinephilim. "They've granted you a blessing."
"A what?"
"A power, born from their realm. It's their condition for allowing Rhenvar to accompany you."
"Wait! I don't get one?" Rhenvar asked.
"No. They don't trust you."
"Ouch."
"They also refused to tell me where the Worldheart is. Because you are a Worldeater."
"So, we're going in blind? At least tell us what kind of world it is." Rhenvar pouted.
"It's some kind of romance novel."
"You're kidding…"
"I chose it personally. Because you're terrible at relationships." Her laugh was hollow.
"Rude!" Viir chirped.
"It was a jest. Anyways. I'll send you to the ones they favor. Don't mess it up."
Sinephilim frowned. "If this is a different world… what about language? Writing?"
"Oh, that's the one nice thing," Rhenvar said. "When you enter a world you just… understand everything."
"Oddly convenient," Darkness admitted. "Are you ready?"
"Hell yeah," Rhenvar said, standing.
"I am," Sinephilim answered.
Darkness snapped her fingers.
The world came alive.
Rhenvar sighed. "Please don't let it be a harem."
Viir cackled in the distance.