The Given

CHAPTER FOURTEEN √ Gamble

Given

Why does it hurt? Why does her words affect me this way? Why is my frozen demon heart quivering in pain? Did she really mean what she said? Somehow I can't lie to myself cause I know she is right somehow. Is she?

I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my own reflection on the mirror.

So why didn't you do it?Your the bad guy anyway what are you trying to prove by saying it to my face!

She's right. Am the bad guy. What was I proving by not forcing myself on her. I could've saved myself from this regret. Yet I know. I know that I wouldn't be able to do so, no matter how many times I brag.

You just did it so you would look good in her eyes. The voice inside my head scolded. No!
"Stop denying it, you just wanted to impress her. For what? To be toyed for? Your control to hold back has turned into a joke!

Shut up!

I walked out of my room and headed to the one person that I could sit with and have a meaningful conversation with.

Lord Lark. He is by so far the oldest demon lord with millennia as years of his existence. He hated to involve himself with mortal matters but he made it a habit to visit the human realm for me. He was the one that had the heart to take care of me after I was given to the demon lords. As the eldest he took the responsibility of educating, training and controlling my imbalance.

He hated humans. He hated me at first but slowly I won him over. How? I have no idea. Other lords made my life in the demon realm which is a small portion of the underworld a living hell. From throwing me to fight with fierce mutated beings to swimming in the river of the damned. Voices and souls calling me to join them in their misery.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to days and days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months and months turned to years. Years turned to decade and decades turned to centuries. Still I had no way of escaping away from the hell I lived in.

Eventually I learned to embrace it. Embrace the darkness and called it home. My heart froze from the hardships and tortures I had to endure. My soul manifested the dark and evil in the realm making me deadly and stronger. Finally I had enough. I wanted revenge. Revenge for the same beings that had thrown me into the hands of these demons. The humans.

All lords denied me of information of how to get out except him. And I wasn't very happy to discover the way.

" For you to leave Given you have to conquer one of the powerful beasts of hell. Since the most powerful resides with the king of the underworld I suggest you conquer the prince demon."

" How. do I. conquer. it!" My voice was desperate and hoarse from lack of any fluid other than my own blood down my throat. Lord Lark held my hand but I flinched away from contact. He smiled. For the first time I saw a genuine smile down this hell hole.

" I have no reason to hurt you Darius" I scowled." Don't. Call. That!" I was stubborn and human speech was still foreign to me but I can't blame myself. I trusted no one. Even if he was going to help me accomplish the impossible am not risking it.

" let me tell you the history of the powerful beasts in the underworld. The most powerful one is 'Void'. He's like a dragon. He's massive ,deadly and its mere appearance may result to death for weaker mortals and beings."