In The Academy As Sukuna

Ch 48 - Aiden Arceid - The Child of Two Hells

Listening to Guts' Theme while reading this is beautiful :3

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here."
– William Shakespeare, The Tempest

The halls of the sect were beautiful, intricate decorations carved on their walls, glowing in the dim light.

But to me, this has always been hell, the darkest place of my life.

I was the only son of this sect's leaders, born to be great, carrying the blood of one of the greatest demons to ever live.

At least, I was supposed to be.

The day I was born, my parents received the greatest shock of their lives.

I had a decent amount of mana, which would be considered half-good in the sect, but that wasn't the problem.

I had no demonic essence, not even a single drop, it was as if I wasn't demon, but a mere...human.

I was pushed around ruthlessly, treated with disdain by everyone, even my parents.

"Disgrace."

"Failure."

These were the words I overheard every time I walked out. They never said it to my face, but I knew.

I knew...better than anyone...how defective I was.

But, there was something special about me...my eyes.

I could see something in everyone, something glowing inside them.

I named it...the Soul.

I don't know what it is, but every time I tried to tell anyone about it, I would be dismissed.

"Stop seeking attention," they would say, their faces twisted in disgust as they walked away.

I would cuddle up in the small room I lived in, crying all night.

My parents hated me, my teachers hated me, the students hated me...I had no one in this world.

My train of thought was broken as I arrived at the place.

There was a huge door in front of me, intricate designs and patterns carved on it meticulously.

This was my father's room, where I was called.

My heart beat in my chest, threatening to burst out. I knew that this wasn't going to be something good.

"Just go in," I muttered to myself, steeling my resolve as I pushed the door open.

I was greeted by four cold eyes staring right at me, my mother's and my father's.

They looked at me without emotion, as if they had no connection to me whatsoever.

I stood there, frozen, not being able to think of a single word to speak.

"_____," my father spoke my name, his voice laced with disgust. "You have proven yourself to be more useless than before."

My heart sank at those words.

I had trained without break, just wanting to be acknowledged by them, but no matter how hard I tried, nothing changed.

"I-I tried...I've bee–"

"Ten years," my mother spit, her voice distant. "You've been alive for ten years, and all you did was show you're worthless."