The Shadow of the Simulacrum

Chapter 26: Rise and Betrayal

Summer 1809 (19 years): Part One 

My name echoed like a curse on the terrified townspeople's lips. The once-peaceful town was now engulfed in endless terror. Every night, the sky seemed tinted blood-red, a reflection of the horrors my disciples and I left in our wake. Wherever we went, death followed us, and no one could escape our influence.

Seeing the fear in their eyes gave me an intense sense of freedom. It showed me how much my power had grown. I had finally become what my father feared: a being dreaded by all. But this satisfaction was no longer enough. Each day, my thirst for power grew, an insatiable desire.

However, despite my dominance, something still held me back. A shadow loomed over me, reminding me that I was not yet the sole master. This obstacle had a name: Artemis.

Artemis, my uncle, had granted me immortality and introduced me to the mysteries of dark magic. He had taught me the art of manipulating minds and had shaped me into a confident leader. But he was also the one who constantly reminded me that I was merely a shadow compared to his power, that he would always remain my father's brother, a being above me.

I could no longer endure this humiliation. My ambition knew no bounds, and I refused to be anyone's puppet, even that of the one who had taught me everything. To become the sole master, I needed to free myself from his grip, to show my disciples that my cruelty had no limits, even towards the one who had shaped me. It was time to kill my own mentor and to rise as the most feared being. My name alone should be enough to make anyone tremble at the sound of it. And for that to happen, Artemis had to perish.

I planned to trap him by inviting him to a ritual he could not refuse. I made sure he believed in my gratitude, promising him additional power as proof of my appreciation.

"You deserve a gift worthy of you, my uncle, since our meeting when I was just sixteen. I owe you everything, dear mentor."

Artemis, flattered by my false gratitude, accepted the offer without hesitation. Skillfully, I had disguised the location where we were meeting, an abandoned sanctuary, claiming it had once been the lair of a vanished cult, keeper of dark magic secrets more powerful than anything we had ever known. But the truth was that we were the only community of supernatural beings truly feared.

The ritual was a deception, a simulacrum designed to divert his attention. My disciples played their roles in the diversion perfectly, making it seem like an ordinary ritual, while the true purpose was much darker.

Illuminated by the flickering flames of the candles surrounding the altar, we stood side by side, our sacred books open before us, dressed in our traditional black hoods. As Artemis focused on the false incantations inscribed on the floor, I prepared the fatal potion, the same cursed liquid that my father's followers had forced me to drink during my punishment in the forest.

"Take this cup, drink to complete the ritual," I said with a sly smile, forcing him to turn towards me.

Artemis grasped the cup with a sickly jubilation, placing his lips to it without suspicion. It took only seconds for his expression to change, his features freezing as he recognized the taste of poison. He tried to react, to attack me, but I was quicker, dodging his clumsy assault. He collapsed at my feet, disoriented.

"Bind him!" I ordered coldly to my disciples.

Moments later, Artemis, half-conscious, gazed at me with a mixture of contempt and despair. "Horace, I thought you were above this, beyond your father!"