The Demon Prince

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

I don't remember how it all happened; all I could remember was a sharp pain shooting through my back, the warmth of blood flowing over my back. The smell of copper filled my nostrils, I knew I had been damaged beyond repair. Like a shooting star, I fell from the sky. When I looked up, the sight of my wings made my stomach turn. Cut off was too weak of a word, no . . . They had been obliterated. As I fell down, bracing myself for when my body would collide to the ground, I felt one pair of eyes on me this entire time. The eyes of the youngest Demon Prince never left my body as I was plummeting to my death. I had expected him to have that satisfied smirk on his face, he was after all the one that caused my nearing death. A single tear slid down my cheek, as I muttered out the words: ❛ Someone . . . Help me, anyone. Please. ❜ For just a split second I could've sworn that I saw his eyes widen, that he started reaching his hand towards me. But then he got hit with an Ark. I knew all hope was lost now, no one would be coming to save me. I would not survive this.

Every bone in my body was broken, every muscle hurt. Every cell of my being cried out in pain. Despite all of this, I was glad that I was able to feel pain. It meant I was still alive. I might by dying, but I was holding onto live with every last bit of strength I could gather. Holding onto all of those things I still had to do, all of the emotions I still wanted to experience. I still wanted to love someone as fiercely as Meliodas and Elizabeth loved each other. I had never admitted this before, but I was jealous of her. Despite this war, a Goddess and a Demon had found love with each other. The purest form of love, defying every rule of both Clans. When I first met him, Meliodas, the previous leader of the Ten Commandments, I had tried to hate him. And failed. The moment I saw his kind eyes looking at Elizabeth as if she was his light and anchor, I was never able to hate him. Despite all of the toxic lies Ludociel whispered into my ear, because that is what they were; lies. I saw that now. Even though for a moment I thought we had that love, I could see the truth now. He had manipulated me every chance that he got, and I was stupid enough to have fallen for his lies. If Ludociel had truly loved me like that, he wouldn't have gazed upon my broken body and thought that I was damaged beyond repair. He would've tried everything in his might to heal me, to make sure that I would survive. Even if he had truly given up all hope, he could've stayed with me until the end. He would've chosen that above fighting the Demon Clan. Instead, he had wiped away my tears, placed a kiss on my forehead and whispered: ❛ I will avenge you, I promise. I will make them all pay for this, every single last member of the Demon Race. Even if it is the last thing I do. ❜

Couldn't he understand? I didn't want to be avenged; I was still clinging on to life. I wanted to be saved. ❛ Help me, please. ❜ I managed to utter, though I realized there was no one nearby that could save me. The only person that could left me to die. All hope was lost. Maybe I should let go, at least the pain would be gone . . .

❛ Save her, I command you. ❜ I heard a voice say, a voice I've never heard in my life before. It beheld such authority, more authority than even Ludociel possessed. But I could hear the desperation as well, as if he would be lost if I died. ❛ Master, I don't know what will happen - I just don't know what she'll become if I do this. She's a Goddess, a Goddess has never been transformed before. ❜ I heard the metal of a sword scrapping against its holster. I tried to open my eyes again but failed. I was at the edge of death, if they wanted to save me, they had only minutes left . . . I heard a sigh, and my body head was tilted up by someone. A warm liquid fell on my dehydrated lips, I opened my mouth to let it in. My strength returned to my body, and I fluttered open my eyes. Crimson eyes met my own, but instead of being startled I took more of his blood. ❛ She'll survive, Master. Now go, you have a War to win. ❜ He spoke to the person behind him. ❛ Don't tell her about me being involved, I will tell her myself when the time is right. ❜ Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a flash of red soaring up into the sky.

The more I drank of his blood, the more my strength returned to me. My broken bones mended together again, and finally I was released from all of the agony I had been feeling. Everything in my body was healing, except for the stumps that were left of my wings. All that was left now was four pink scars, still sore. A reminder of the person I was before this transformation. ❛ I'm sorry, little one. I thought I would be able to heal you, but with the amount of blood you needed . . . It seems you've already transitioned. ❜ Mind clouded, I stood up and walked to the pond not too far from here. I gazed at my reflection in utter shock. I was no longer met with my eyes displaying the Goddess symbol. I wasn't even met with my own azure eyes anymore. My eyes were now crimson, and from my mouth came fangs. A Vampire . . . Not even hours ago I was a Goddess, and now I was a Vampire. Belonging to the Demon Race. This male might have saved my life, but at what cost? I would no longer be able to return home, I would live a life of exile. Sooner or later, Ludociel would find out what had happened, what I had become. And when that happened, all of the love in his eyes would turn to hatred. He would want to annihilate me, along with the rest of the Demon Clan. Maybe his twisted mind would even think that he was doing me a favour, saving me from a life in darkness. He hated the Demon Race, more so than any other Goddess or Archangel. I could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at Meliodas. Those eyes that always looked at me with such kindness became hard, filled with the desire to kill. And now, if he would see me, those same murderous intentions would be directed towards me.

A hand rested on my shoulder, the Vampire sighing behind me softly. ❛ What's your name, little one? ❜ ❛ I am Illyria, a member of the Goddess Race. Or at least I was. ❜ I shrugged his hand away from my shoulder, still gazing at my own reflection. I thought it would've been harder to acknowledge that I was no longer a Goddess, but it was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. For as long as I could remember, the Celestial Realm never felt like home. Especially when the War started. We were trained from such a young age to hate the Demon Race, to fight them, even kill them. Suddenly, I was pushed into the battlefields as well. Up until this very moment, my entire life had revolved around the Holy War. Now I had been given the opportunity to change something about that. Vampires were only a minor part of the Demon Race, considered as the lowest class of Demons. Some of them did fight in this war, hoping to gain recognition from the Demon King. Most of them however lived lives of their own desires. Now, I could finally do the same. I could make a life for myself.

❛ I will avenge you, I promise. I will make them all pay for this, every single last member of the Demon Race. Even if it is the last thing I do. ❜

Ludociel's last words to me replayed in my mind, my stomach tightening. As if he needed me to bring destruction upon the Demon Race. Even his last words were selfish lies, spoken only to justify his actions. But with this immortal live given to me, I would avenge myself. Only on those who deserved it; and I had two people in mind.

Zeldris, the Executioner, had taken my life so carelessly. He watched me fall to my death. I had wished to survive so badly that I even imagined him coming to my rescue. Oh, how wrong I had been. Why would he rescue the Goddess he had murdered so brutally. The raven haired Demon was known for his hatred against the Goddess Race, especially after being betrayed by his own brother who fell in love with a Goddess. I was just another death caused by his hands, one of his victories. He had broken every bone in my body with his vicious attack, obliterating my precious wings. I promised myself that I would do the same thing.

Ludociel was no better, for three years now he had claimed to love me whilst feeding me with his lies. He had promised me an eternity together, side by side. Forever and always. But when it really mattered, he had left me here to die. With one final kiss, he left my broken body on the verge of death. Time and time again, he had chosen this War above me. He'd use my death as an excuse to fuel his hatred towards the Demon Race. He would now say that he was killing them in the name of lost love. All of the love I once felt for him quickly turned into hatred.

They would both come to regret this day. They would both find out that I was a force to be reckoned with.