The Life As The Devil's Son

Chapter One: Captured

10 years later....

My eyes were tightly shut, and my mind felt clouded as I lay in bed, listening to the gentle sound of the wind outside my bedroom. Suddenly, a strong smell of burning wood invaded my senses, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered if it was just a dream. But the acrid scent grew stronger, filling my lungs, and I jolted up from my bed, coughing uncontrollably. As I blinked my eyes open, I saw smoke enveloping the room, making it difficult to breathe. Panic surged through me as I gasped for air, attempting to crawl towards the bedroom door. But the smoke obscured my vision, turning everything into a blur.

Amidst the haze, a shadowy figure appeared, running towards me and urgently calling out my name, "Austin!" The voice echoed through the hallway, and I immediately knew it was my brother. He leaned down, helping me onto my feet, and together, we stumbled outside to safety.

Once we were away from the house, my brother grabbed my shoulders, turned me towards him, and furrowed his brows in concern. "I'm going back inside to find our mother. You stay here," he instructed firmly.

"No, I want to help!" I protested with a trembling voice.

He pleaded, "No, I need to know you're safe. Please promise me you will stay here!"

I gazed into his eyes, my heart pounding in my chest, and nodded, unable to find the words to express my fear for both him and our mother. Before I could say anything more, he rushed back into the burning house. I attempted to follow him, only to be forcefully lifted off the ground and sent tumbling into the mud. I screamed my brother's name, "Blake!" My cries echoed into the night as I saw a figure approaching.

At first, I thought it was my brother, but then a woman's voice reached my ears, urging me to run. "Mom!" I shouted, my legs shaking from pulling myself up in the slippery mud.

"Honey, run!" she yelled as she rushed over to me.

My body trembled in terror as I slowly turned around and saw a dark figure closing in on me. My heart pounded harder, and I froze in place. The man's face was momentarily exposed in a flash of light, revealing a demented smile that sent shivers down my spine. His hand pressed against my shoulder, and in an instant, everything went black.

As I gradually regained consciousness, my vision remained blurred, leaving me disoriented in the darkness. The sound of approaching footsteps caused me to jolt up. I instinctively retreated into the corner, curling up and hiding my face in my knees, paralyzed by fear. My voice trembled as I mustered the courage to call out, "Who's there?"

The footsteps drew nearer, and an eerie tingle crawled down my arms, heightening my unease. Slowly, I lifted my head, only to witness candles suddenly illuminating the room, revealing a man with dark hair and glowing red eyes standing before the cell bars.

My eyes widened, and my heart raced with terror. I had never experienced such fear in my life.

"Where's my mom? I want my mom!" I pleaded as my body quivered uncontrollably.

The man's lips curled into a twisted grin as he advanced, tossing a lifeless rat into my cell and filling the air with a putrid stench. Instinctively, I covered my nose, trying to shield myself from the repulsive odor.

"What do you want me to do with that?" I managed to ask, my voice muffled by my hand.

With a sinister gleam in his eyes, the man leaned in closer and instructed in a low, chilling voice, "You want to see your mother? All you need to do is cast one dark spell."

I shook my head in confusion, still attempting to ward off the noxious smell, as I stammered, "I don't, I don't understand."

"Has your mother ever told you about your heritage?" He questioned me while raising an eyebrow.

"Tell me what?" I blurted out, my eyes searching his face for answers.

The man let out a weary sigh, unlocking my cell door with an ominous creak before closing the distance between us. He reached down, gripping my chin tightly as he studied my face. Instinctively, I jerked my face away from his grasp. With a swift exhalation, I forcefully expelled saliva and directed it toward his face.

A growl of displeasure rumbled from deep within him as he wiped the spittle from his face, his eyes narrowing with anger. "You shouldn't have done that," he fumed.

He straightened himself, turning away from me momentarily to call out to someone named Jack, his voice echoing through the cold, damp cell. Another figure emerged, initially appearing like an ordinary human boy. But as his eyes shifted to black, he expressed a sinister smile that exposed his razor-sharp teeth. My fear escalated, and I scooted back, my body vibrating with panic.

In an instant, Jack yanked me up, securing tight cuffs around my wrists that dug painfully into my skin. I cried out in agony as he dragged me forward, chains clanking loudly.

"No, let go of me!" I protested, attempting to break free from Jack's iron grip, but he proved to be too strong.

He forcefully tugged me down the hall and kicked me to my knees in front of another cell, my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I blinked repeatedly to make sense of the figure before me. There, in the dimly lit corner, stood a face that looked oddly familiar. As I leaned forward and squinted my eyes, I noticed her dark brown hair flowing past her shoulders, and that's when it hit me.

"Mom!" I called out in desperation, attempting to run toward her, but Jack yanked me back down, forcing me to my knees once again.

The man yanked open her cell door, seized her arm, and squeezed it, causing her to wince in pain.

"Leave her alone!" I pleaded, struggling against Jack's hold, but his grasp was unyielding.

"Tell him who I am right now!" the man commanded, his grip on my mom's wrist tightening.

She mustered the strength to look at me and gritted her teeth in pain as she spoke. "Honey, this is your father, Travis."

My jaw dropped, but before I could process the truth, Travis heartlessly threw her against the wall, causing her to crumple to the floor with a loud thud.

"Mom!" I called out, my voice shaking with fear and disbelief.

My eyes bore into Travis, struggling to comprehend how he could be my father. What kind of father would treat their own child this way? I thought to myself.

The turmoil of emotions swirled inside me like an erupting volcano. Sweat poured down my face as I backed away nervously. Travis then forcefully grabbed me and pulled me by the chains, callously throwing me into the cell with my mother before slamming the door shut.

As he departed, leaving us in the confines of the cell, I crawled towards my mother, reaching out my hands to comfort her, my voice soft and concerned: "Mom, are you okay?"

Feeling her grip on my hand, I looked down, seeking reassurance from her. "Mom?"

"I am okay, honey," she replied with a weak smile as she summoned her strength to pull herself back up.

I glanced around, panic rising within me as I realized my brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Mom, where is Blake?" My voice trembled with fear, desperate for an answer.

Her head bowed in despair, and she couldn't bring herself to reply.

"Mom," I urged, trying to establish eye contact with her and seeking the truth in her gaze.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she shook her head, and it was then that I knew what had happened to him.

"No, no. He can't be!" I shouted, my voice echoing in denial.

"I'm sorry, honey," she whispered, her eyes filled with sorrow as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I cried out in agony, seeking solace in my mother's embrace. She held me tightly as I bawled in her arms.

This was officially one of the worst days of my life. It felt like I was in hell; little did I know I actually was.