Flame Inside ✿ Damien and Matthew

Chapter 44

(Trigger Warning: Death)

The castle halls were grim and dark as the four ran through them towards the sound of battle. All across the ground were bodies of imps and soldiers, all having died at Diana's hands. The apprentices stormed through the halls, radiating determination and power, with their incubi following behind them.

As they rushed into the throne room, however, they stopped to see Diana and the Demon Lord standing off. Diana had her saber tightly gripped in one hand while she glared daggers into her opponent. The Demon Lord carried a large smirk on his face as he stood on the Dias of his throne. As the apprentices of Hecate and their incubi entered, his smirk grew that much wider.

Matthew, however, cared more about the woman kneeling on the ground beside the Demon Lord with her hands on her knees, frowning at him, "Mother!"

The Demon Lord's eyes zeroed in on Matthew, "There he is... my son."

"Get him out of here now!" Diana commanded.

"What?" Emma asked, staring at Diana as she continued to face the Demon Lord.

Thalia was already grasping Matthew's arm and moving to pull him from the room when the Demon Lord simply laughed and pointed at Matthew, "Well, what are you waiting for? Claim your throne!"

Matthew gave his father a confused look as he allowed Thalia to gently pull him towards the exit, asking, "What are you talking–?" He cut himself off as his body pulsed with a faint blue light. Thalia lost her grip on him as he curled over himself and gripped his head, digging his fingers into his hair.

Emma rushed to his side immediately with Damien by her side as she asked, "Matthew?! Matthew, what's wrong?!" He could only groan in pain.

"Get him out of here!" Diana commanded once again, this time far more forcefully. Thalia immediately tried to grab his arms, but before she could, Matthew vanished into a dissipating afterimage.

Emma stared at where her fiancé once stood in confusion before her attention was caught by Diana grunting loudly and the sound of steel clashing. The three remaining members of the group turned to see Matthew and Diana clashing swords. Diana gritted her teeth as Matthew glared into her gaze. "Dammit, fool!" Diana cursed as Matthew growled.

The Demon Lord's voice soon echoed through the room as he commanded, "I said: TAKE. YOUR. THRONE!"

Matthew's body pulsed again, forcing him to push against Diana and send her flying back. Thalia catches her, grunting slightly upon impact, but she steadies Diana as the succubus moves a hand in front of Emma, blocking her from Matthew. Damien moved behind Emma to stand beside his fiancé, a panicked look on his face as he scrambled to come up with a plan to help his brother.

"Matthew!" Emma called. Matthew looked up at the group in front of him, his expression twitching from trying to maintain control of himself. His eyes flickered between blue and gold as he gripped to his sword tightly. Emma wasn't afraid of him, so she stepped out from behind Diana and walked towards him, holding out her hands and ignoring Thalia's protests to her actions that rang through her mind, "Matthew, it's okay. You can overcome this."

"S-Stay back..." Matthew forced out.

Emma ignored him and continued to walk forward, needing him to be okay. She could tell that the spell the Demon Lord had on him wasn't powerful enough to consume him. She needed to break its entire hold on him once and for all, "Fight it, Matthew. You are strong enough to beat this!"

Matthew dropped his sword and gripped his head, digging his fingers into his hair and curling over himself. He scratched his nails over his horns, angry and aggravated, "I don't want to hurt you!"