The Human-Raised Prince: “Some Things Come with a Price”
By Alyssa Fallavollitti
It was a rainy Tuesday morning, which meant it was a school day. “Noah! You’re going to be late for school again!” His mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs. This happened every morning because he was almost never on time.
“I’m coming mom!” Although he was running late, he was in no hurry. He calmy walked down the stairs and grabbed a piece of buttered toast that was prepared for him and took a bite, leaving it hanging in his mouth. He grabbed his stuff and waved to her as he walked out the door. It was pouring, the air smelled like a combination of fresh dew and mud. He put his hood up as he finished his toast and mumbled to himself. “Ugh, I hate the rain! It always messes up my hair and makes it all poofy.” He lived relatively close to his school, so he always walked.
After a short five-minute walk, he arrived at school. He could see people traveling down the halls through the damp windows. As he walked into the building, everyone’s eyes instantly fell on him. He didn’t pay any attention to the people staring at him, he just rolled his eyes and flicked his black hair out of his face as he kept moving. Despite being popular amongst his peers, he only associated himself with a select few. Some people tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he just ignored them and kept walking. He didn’t have much time to stand and chat with his friends because he was already late. The bell for first period was going to ring in three minutes. He made his way to his first period, which happened to be his least favorite class: Algebra. He sat down in his seat and paid zero attention to the teacher; numbers hurt his brain. Time went by quickly since he was on his phone the entire class. His last class of the day was History, which he found interesting—sometimes…. When the focused topic of the class was the history of demons and the world they come from; which is called Faetia, he was all ears. He didn’t fully believe it, he just enjoyed hearing his teacher spew bullshit about something that didn’t exist. It was quite entertaining to watch a grown adult go all nerdy over some fake subject.
After classes, Noah met up with his two closest friends. Axel was one of them, he had white hair with dark red highlights and hazel eyes. He wore a dark red shirt, black ripped jeans, high-top tennis shoes and a red and white bandana around his neck. His other comrade was Logan. He had dark brown hair and grey eyes. His outfit of choice consists of a white T-shirt with a black leather jacket, white jeans that were also ripped, and tennis shoes. Axel seemed to have something important to tell them, before either of them could say hello, he began to talk.
“Did you guys hear of the latest crime attempt?” They looked at him with a clueless stare. “I’m guessing that means no.” He paused for a moment. “Multiple people have been trying to break into the Demon Museum to find out information about the portal. People have been saying that it isn’t impossible to go to Faetia. They think they need to activate the portal somehow.” He pulled up an article about it on his phone and let them read it.
Noah scoffed. “That’s ridiculous, I doubt this demon realm thing is even real. It’s probably all some made up fairytale to get us to believe utter bullshit.”
“I don’t know man, either way there hasn’t been any successes as of yet.”
Logan shrugged. “Well, I better get going. Last time I skipped dinner to hangout my mom was not happy. She made her homemade lasagna tonight, there may not be a next time if I skip again. I’ll see you guys later.” He waved and they all parted ways.
Noah made his way back home. Once he arrived, he threw his backpack on the floor and went to his room. His mother was still at work, so he was home alone. He didn’t do any of his homework, instead he played Xbox and listened to music. At 6:30 it was dinner time. He and his mother sat at the table together.
“So, how was school sweetie?”
“Boring as usual. They teach us the most useless stuff! When will I ever need to know the equation for polynomials?” He rolled his eyes thinking about it.
“Noah dear, we’ve been over this. Some people find it interesting. Plus, you may not need everything they teach you, but it could become useful one time in the future. Especially math! That’s probably the most important subject to learn.”
“Whatever you say mom.” He took a bite of his food. “Oh, so I heard that people have been trying to find out information about the portal to the demon realm in the museum. Apparently, they think it’s possible to activate it or something. I think it’s all completely made up. That portal probably isn’t even real.” She remained silent for a moment; her eyes widened slightly. She seemed to be in thought, he noticed this.
“Mom, Are you alright?” He cocked an eyebrow and looked at her with a confused look on his face. She shook her head, coming back to reality.
“Oh, yes dear. I’m alright.” There was an awkward silence for a moment. He brushed it off and went back upstairs. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Axel had told him; he believed it was all fake, yet something wouldn’t let the possibility of it being real leave his mind. He picked up his phone and looked at the time, it was 7:00. He was going to text his friends and tell them that he was going to investigate the portal, but he got distracted and forgot.
The story history tells is that there were two races, human and demon. These two races lived in separate realms which were impossible to visit—or so they thought. About a thousand years ago, these two worlds were visitable through a portal. However, the demons disliked humans coming to Faetia. They hated humans to begin with, so they would go to the human’s world and wreak havoc. They would kill innocent people or trick them. The prank was done mostly by males. They would disguise themselves as humans and seduce a man or woman. They would then impregnate her or get themselves pregnant and leave, never seeing them or the child again. It was a sick prank that they enjoyed. Eventually, they both grew tired of each other and made an agreement to destroy the portals and never visit one another’s worlds again. Thus, contact between the two races ended. The portal in the human realm sits in a very popular Demon Museum, as demon history is a highly researched subject amongst humans. The one in the demon realm sits inactive in the center of their town. Present day, the two worlds are still sealed off and separated.
He could not stop thinking about demon-related topics. His brain was super active, causing him to not sleep. It was about midnight when he snuck out the door and headed to the museum without his mother’s knowledge. The entrance was decently guarded due to the recent break in attempts; the inside, however, was not. He grabbed a medium-sized rock and threw it in the opposite direction of himself and the entrance. The people standing watch at those doors immediately followed the sound of the rock hitting the ground. He mumbled to himself. “What idiots, they fell for the oldest trick in the book.” He quickly and quietly snuck in. The museum was huge: there were multiple exhibits from the history of demons and human interaction, different types of demons, abilities, old clothing, artifacts found and more. The hallways seemed like they went on forever. Luckily, there was signs with arrows pointing to each exhibit, otherwise it would take forever to find the portal. After about ten minutes of walking and turning corners, he finally made it to the correct area. It had cracks and residue on the sides. He examined it further and noticed embellished symbols on the base. It looked like some sort of hidden message that he couldn’t make out. He looked around and noticed a sign that had an exhibit with secret codes and how to decode them. He went to that area and saw those same symbols. He took a photo and matched each one with a letter until he figured out the message. The message read: “Place the red, blue and green gems in their spots and dare step in to enter Faetia, the city of demons.”
“So, I need to find these three gems, huh?” He looked closer at the imprints where the gems need to go. Each gem has a different unique shape. He explored the exhibits, rummaging through things and reading signs until he found the gems in the relic exhibit. They were displayed in three separate cases on pillars with small cushions beneath them. Each gem had a brief description engraved on a small metal plaque. He began reading the descriptions to himself.
“The red, also known as the Blood Gem, is a symbol of a demon’s bloodlust. They show little to no mercy on their victims and often drink or keep a vial of their blood as a trophy of their kill.” This one was shaped like a tear drop, most likely to represent a droplet of blood.
“The blue, also known as the Spirit Gem, represents both good and evil spirits. The “good” spirits are the humans, and the “bad” spirits are the demons. This gem’s purpose is to represent the existence of both the good and the bad.
Finally, the green, or the Heart Gem. “Getting its name by not only its shape, but it’s meaning. It represents the heart chakra. Humans often love or cherish things and people, demons do not. They are usually very selfish and only care about few things.”
Noah thought about each gem, once again talking to himself. “So, the Blood Gem symbolizes something about a demon, the Heart Gem symbolizes something of a human, and the Spirit Gem symbolizes both. That is why these gems are needed to activate the portal. Hm… interesting.” He stared at them for another moment, then took them out of their cases. They all felt smooth and glimmered in the light. He headed back to the portal. Carefully, he placed each gem into its designated spot and stood back. A minute went by, nothing happened. Two minutes, nothing. Three minutes, also nothing. “I knew it, this whole demon portal shit was a lie. I can’t believe I was so gullible to believe such fairytale garbage.” He rolled his eyes and went to turn away, until he noticed the gems begin to glow and activate the portal. He stood there in disbelief and hesitation. He knew next to nothing about demons after all. The only things he knew was the small amount of random crap he would listen to his history teacher talk about. Despite that, he took a deep breath and went in.
The feeling whilst inside the portal was weird. It was almost…warm. His vision was not fully clear, and it felt like he was floating. It felt like time had completely stopped, but after a few moments he was spat out of the other end. He wobbled and took a minute for him regain his balance. Once he did, he looked around amazed. He expected it to be unbearably hot like a stereotype of hell, but it was just like a hot summer day back at home. However, it was still very humid; he could feel the sweat starting to form on his forehead.
He couldn’t believe it, he was in Faetia, the city of demons! The city was massive. There were buildings that were modern-looking, just like back in the human realm. There were some differences, though. The buildings were all made of darker material. Nothing was bright or colorful. In the distance, he could see a huge, black-bricked castle. It was so tall, part of it was out of his field of vision due to clouds covering the top. He stepped down from the base the portal was standing on and without taking note of where he was, he began wandering around. He was shocked. He never thought a city for demons existed, nevertheless stepping foot in one. The residence all stared at him, none of them were kind glares. He felt uneasy but tried to ignore it. Another stereotype he was expecting to see that was absent was all red skin. They all had different colored skin, from tan, white, grey and any color imaginable.
Unfortunately, he didn’t roam very far until he ran into some trouble. A demon approached him, and her facial expression was the opposite of friendly. She had long brown hair with tan highlights, dark brown eyes, and heavy makeup. Her outfit was a black torn crop top with some unfriendly messaging on it and white shorts. She had fingerless striped gloves and boots with fluffy rims at the top. She was significantly taller than he was, forcing her to have to look down on him.
“What’s a human like you doing here, huh? It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen one. I wonder if they taste like I remember.” She licked her lips. Noah tried to run away, but she grabbed his arm before he could make an escape, leaving him scrambling around in fear. He tried to punch her with his free arm, but it only felt like a flick. “Now, now. It’s rude to ignore someone when they asked you a question.” She revealed sharp claws, held him tightly and went to slit a part of his skin, but then changed her mind and retracted her claws. “Actually, I have a better idea. If I take you to the King, he may reward me with something better than the taste of human blood!” Her eyes sparkled thinking about the possible riches or luxury she could be gifted. She picked him up and hung him over her shoulder like a bag. Any type of struggling or squirming he did was futile.
“Put me down! I just wanted to explore this realm!” he kicked and punched, but it was all useless. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“This is just sad. I knew humans were weak, but I didn’t know they were this weak.” Annoyed of his squirming, she dug her claws into his calf. “Would you just shut up already?! You should have known better than to come here, now you’re probably just going to die in this realm. That’s why all humans are to us are food. They’re too stupid for anything else.” He flinched from the sudden pain in his calf but remained silent. They approached the castle gates, where they were greeted by guards.
“What’s your business here? The King is not expecting any guests today.” They stood tall and strong and had very deep voices.
“I apologize for the sudden arrival. I’d like to present a gift; or one might even say sacrifice, to King Sean.” They glanced at each other then at the boy hanging over her shoulder. Another guard was signaled to escort her. “Make it quick, he is very busy you know.” They lowered their staffs, stepped aside, and let her in.
The inside of the castle was beautiful, yet dark. It looked even bigger on the inside than it did the outside. Even though it had a dark theme, it was more elegant than he thought a demon castle would be. The walls and floors were finely polished and glimmered in the light from candles nearby. There were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, though the one in the center stood out the most. It was made of bones…Human bones. She entered the throne room and threw him onto the ground. She kneeled before a tall man sitting at the throne at the end of the room. This mysterious demon had red and black hair, twisty horns, and large wings.
“Ah, Echo. What a pleasure to see you again. What have you come for this time?” His eyes shifted to Noah immediately, but politely allowed her to explain before saying anything.
“This human somehow made his way here, and I thought that you would like to see him for yourself! I’ll also offer him as a sacrifice or gift to you if you’d like.” Intrigued, he stood up.
“A human came here? That hasn’t happened for decades!” Echo pushed him closer as he stood there practically shaking in fear. He examined him further, then froze when he looked at his collarbone. Quickly refocusing, he cleared his throat.
“Echo, I will be taking this human off your hands. I will gift you whatever you’d like. I just ask you wait a moment before I do. A guard will escort you to a guest room where you can consider your request until I’m ready for you.” He then looked at another guard. “Watch over the castle while I’m gone.” He then turned his attention back at the petrified teenager. “You’re coming with me.” He rushed off with his arm gripped so he was forced to follow. They went into a secret area, where there was no one else other than them. “Listen, I’m going to need you to calm down. Consider yourself lucky because I’m not going to hurt you, but if you try to run off other demons might. I’m going to tell you something, and you’re probably not going to believe me.” Although he was confused and still scared out of his mind, Noah nodded. The King began to speak. “If you know the history of humans and demons, you’d know that long ago the two realms were once visitable at all times.”
“I knew a little bit about that, what does this have to do with me, though?”
He thought that was obvious. “Humans really are thick-skulled, aren’t they?” Noah took slight offense to that but didn’t voice his opinion. “You’re my son. You’re the heir to the throne, which means you’re a demon, Noah.” He jumped back in shock and disbelief.
“Me? A demon?! No way! Wait—how do you know my name? How would you know I’m your son?!”
“I put a mark on your body. You can’t see it yet because your demon powers haven’t been activated yet. It’s Faetia’s Royal Sigil.”
His head was spinning, there was so much to take in. “So, if this is true, wouldn’t that make me a half demon? My mother is a human you know.”
“That isn’t your real mother. You see, your real mother was the queen, but she was murdered by another human who hated demons. They killed her in search of you; they wanted you dead, so I couldn’t keep you here anymore. The only place I could put you where they would never have found you was in the world where they came from.” He paused for a moment to let him grasp what he had just said. “I rushed to the human world and approached the first human girls I saw and told them what happened. I asked each of them if they could care for you as if you were her own, until one finally said yes.”
“But don’t demons hate humans? Why would you bring me to a human if you hate them so much?”
“Yes, I hate humans with a passion. All demons do. We are clearly the superior race. Humans are weak and powerless, we however, are quite the opposite. I had no choice, though. It was either hide you there, or you get killed…”
He stood in silence again for a moment. “Let me get this straight. I was born to the king and queen of two royal demons, some humans tried to kill me, so you hid me in the human world?”
“Yes, that’s right. You’re of royal blood, Noah. I put that mark on you so I could find you when the time was right, but it looks like fate brought you to me.”
“Actually, I was brought here by some demon girl against my will. Not to mention she almost drank some of my blood.” He still wasn’t fully convinced and was very confused. How was a demon killed; aren’t they immortal? Why do demons resent humans so much? Although his head was full of questions and doubt, he didn’t say anything and just went with it. It was better than being murdered, after all.
Sean chuckled slightly. “Either way, we need to get you prepared. There’s a lot to teach you. Then we need to get you crowned King! My time as ruler is almost up.”
“Wait, before we go, will I be able to see my human mother ever again?”
He had a grim look on his face but wiped it off and put on a fake smile. “Let’s get your powers activated first. Usually this isn’t allowed. However, you are royalty, so I will take you so we can explain to her that it’s time. She will know what I’m talking about.” He led him outside behind the castle into an open field area and handed him a crystal. “Typically, we would have to wait seven days or get you in a huge fit of rage that evil consumed your heart for this, but we don’t have time for that. Instead, we will do a ritual. I need you to prick your finger and put a drop of your blood on this crystal, then let it soak in.” Using a small needle, the King handed him, he did what he was told. He let a drop of blood fall onto the crystal and watched it slowly absorb the crimson liquid. “Okay, now I need to you to hold the crystal against your chest and clearly speak these words: “I am a demon. Fire, blood and chaos is what we crave. Unique in our own ways, with different abilities and strengths. Release the powers and demonic aura I possess within me. Let my true colors show, for I am a demon.” Taking a deep breath, he spoke the words his father told him to. With little time in between his last word, the crystal began to glow. Black and red aura surrounded him. He felt a small sharp pain on the top of his head, and when he touched it, he felt something growing from his head. He felt…Different.
“What’s happening?!” He was frightened, but his father assured him everything was okay. He tried to remain calm, even though he still didn’t fully trust him. The crystal painlessly absorbed into his chest and the aura slowly began to dissipate. Once it was fully clear, Sean grew a smile on his face. He put a piece of broken glass up to Noah’s face so he could see his reflection. He now had horns, fangs and a demon tail. “No wings? Don’t all demons have those?”
“No, not all demons can fly. Humans think they know everything, but they only know a small sliver of things about us. You can either float and don’t need wings, have wings or can’t fly at all. You also must figure out your abilities and learn to control them. I will have someone to teach you all you need to know about being a demon. Welcome home, son.”
They both couldn’t help but get a little emotional. Noah hadn’t had a father figure his entire life, and Sean lost his son as a baby. They embraced each other in a hug. It felt nice to be reunited, even if he still isn’t sure if this is all true or not. “Am I allowed to go see mother and friends again now? I at least want to say goodbye. I’m assuming from the little I know about demons; I won’t ever be able to live my human life again. Which means I won’t be able to see them ever again.” He nodded with a straight face.
“I will allow you to visit whoever you wish one last time; however, you won’t be going through the portal you came out of. By now someone has probably noticed that it’s open, if we go through there we will be spotted. Instead, we will open our own portal using magic.”
“If that’s possible, have demons secretly traveled to the human world even when the portal was closed?”
“Yes, not very often though. Even though many demons hate humans and love pulling pranks, or even killing them, they dislike being in their world. I have a feeling that certain demons have a plan regarding that, though.” He didn’t give him a chance to reply before waved his hand, signaling him to follow. They walked back into the castle and into a room with a big crystal ball-like thing in the center of a fancy table. There were gems, crystals, potions and herbs everywhere. He picked up a few materials, then drew a circle on the wall with a piece of chalk. There were three shelves: one above the circle and one on each side. He placed a candle on each shelf, then grabbed what looked like the three gems he had to use to activate the portal before.
“Are those the Blood, Spirit and Heart gems you just picked up?”
“Yep. The humans and the demons both have them. We used duplication magic before the portals were deactivated about a thousand years ago. As you will see, we can use these to open our own portal as well.” He places the Blood Gem on the left shelf, the Heart Gem on the right and the Spirit Gem in the center. That is the same order he placed the gems in when he activated the other one. He waited and let some of the candle wax drip onto the gems, then took the gems and drew a symbol with the candle wax, each side of it being drawn by a different gem. “These candles aren’t normal candles, they’re specially made, but we won’t get into what they are made of today.” The symbol that was drawn was a heart with demonic horns and tail. It had an X-like shape, except it curved around the entire symbol. The heart was drawn by the Heart Gem, the horns and tail by the Blood gem, and the curvy shape that went around it was drawn by the Spirit Gem. Without hesitation he lit the center on the soon-to-be portal on fire, and it immediately opened, making a portal. It happened in a blink of an eye; it was like magic! Noah was amazed. “Alright, I’m going to give you this pearl necklace, until we gather your friends and mother, you need to wear this on your neck. It’s fused with demon magic that will hide your newfound demon appearance. The portal isn’t visible to the humans, so we don’t need to worry about that. Now let’s go.” He took him by the hand, and they entered the portal. Just like before, he ended up where they needed to go, the human realm. “Wow, it’s been forever since I’ve been here. Alright, the portal will close in exactly two hours, so we have to make this quick.”
“It’s only been like an hour, but it feels like it’s been forever for me too. Come on, let’s go get my friends.” They make their way to Axel’s house and knock on the door. He doesn’t do much other than sit at home, so he answered pretty quickly.
“Hey, Noah! Where the hell have you been?! Your mom has been worried sick, she almost called the cops! Also, who is that?” he pointed to Sean.
“Heeeeey dude. I know, I kind of left without saying anything. I’ll explain myself in a bit, I need you to come with to my house. I’m going to get Logan, then we’ll head there. This is super important.”
He cocked an eyebrow but nodded. “Alright, let me grab my shoes and we’ll be on our way. Oh! And did you hear that someone managed to break into the Museum and activate the portal? That’s crazy!”
“Hah, that is crazy.” He tried his best acting natural. He could tell something was bothering him but decided to wait for him to tell him when he was ready. He quickly put his shoes on and moved on to Logan’s house. He knocked on his door and waited. Unlike Axel, it took a minute or two for him to open the door.
“Oh, Noah! Where have you been? I called you like a thousand times!”
“Hi Logan, I’m sorry, I got caught up in something…I’ll explain in a minute, I need you to come with us to my house. It’s pretty important.”
He nodded. “Before we go, who’s—”
“I’ll tell you both about him when we get to my house.”
“Ah… okay.” They made their way to his house. The closer they got, the more nervous and sadder he got. Was he really going to believe a demon and leave his mother? He could be lying…But he knew his name and everything. How could he not be telling the truth? His mind was full of thoughts, but he decided that he would wait and see what his mother’s reaction was, that could help him decide.
His mother saw him, and his friends walk in the door. She ran to him and hugged him. “Noah Alexander Rivers, where in the world have you been?! I was worried sick! You didn’t even leave me a note or anything!”
“I’m sorry, mom. I’ll explain everything to you now. That’s why I gathered my friends here.”
Ms. Rivers looked up and noticed the disguised demon. her expression instantly changed from worried to devastated. She already knew exactly what was going on. Sean just gave her a slight smirk. “I know what’s happening…I’ll let you explain to your friends, though…”
Her reaction confirmed that everything he was told was true. He felt guilty, if he had just stayed home this would have never happened. “Well, do you guys remember our conversation about people trying to break into the portal to activate it? I’m sure you do, and if you haven’t heard, someone successfully broke in.”
Both their eyes widened slightly in shock, especially Logan. “Dude, don’t tell me—”
“I was the person who recently activated it. I went into the demon realm. That’s where I’ve been, but that’s not all.” He sighed. “Long story short, I was taken to the castle there by some girl demon who almost killed me. I was told that I’m not a human, that I’m secretly a demon. To show you why I believe this, I’ll need to make sure that the blinds are closed and that absolutely no one can see in here. You also have to promise not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone.”
They nodded. His mother went ahead and closed all the blinds. He took a deep breath and removed the necklace from his neck, his father doing the same. As soon as he did, both their demonic features were exposed. His friends were in disbelief. Even his mother was shocked, she’s never seen his demon features, as his father locked them away when he was a baby. “Not only am I a demon, but I’m also a demon prince. This is my father, the King.”
“Wait, you screwed a demon?!” He looked at Ms. Rivers in shock. “That’s an experience you don’t hear about every day.”
“God, no! I didn’t do such a thing!” She sighed. “He approached me one day; I was about nineteen at the time and asked about how I felt about demons. I told him I was infatuated with them. He then revealed to me that he was a demon himself, and that his wife was murdered. He told me that he was the King, and that cruel humans were after Noah, the heir. They never knew how they got into the demon world in the first place but had no time to question it. Of course, I didn’t believe him at first, until he took me to a secret spot and showed me.” She had tears forming in her eyes as she told the story. “He asked me if I would be willing to take care of him as if he was my own. I accepted but told me there were risks involved if he wasn’t raised right. If he got too angry or evil, his powers would be unleashed. If anyone found out he was of demon blood, he would be taken by the government. So, I knew all along. I knew this day would come. The day he would find out and have to leave.” Tears flowed down her cheeks as she squeezed him into a hug one more time. “I love you, Noah. Even if you aren’t of my blood, you’re my son. Don’t ever forget that.” Some of her tears fell onto his shoulder, leaving a few wet drops on his clothes. He couldn’t help but cry as well. Even his friends were shedding some tears.
“I love you too, mom. I will never forget you.” Sean was getting impatient. He tapped his foot on the ground; he wasn’t very fond of the human realm.
“Go and grab anything you want to take with you. Your phone or any electronics won’t work, so those are useless.” He nodded and went to his room, grabbing a few of his favorite clothes. He knew he wouldn’t have internet connection, but he decided to take his phone for the photos he had saved to his camera roll. He then went back downstairs.
“We’re going to miss you, dude. Can we take one last photo at least?”
He faked a small smile. “Of course.” They all took a photo on their phones. He made sure his demonic appearance was hidden for his friends’ photos. After a few more minutes of chatting and saying their goodbyes, his father looked at his friends. “I think it’s time you two leave so you can allow him a few more minutes of time with his mother. As much as they didn’t want to accept this, they nodded.
“Okay. Have a good royal life, Noah.” They managed to smile through the tears as they walked out the door. That is the last time they will ever see their best friend. They were still in disbelief, it felt like a dream. Once they were far gone, his father crushed something in his hand, and his mother instantly collapsed to the floor. She seemed to be suffocating, but she was also coughing up blood.
“Mother?! Mother what’s wrong?!”
As she was on the ground, she gasped a few things. “I knew this would happen one day, but I’ve always wanted a child. I knew that since I’m infertile, I couldn’t have a kid on my own. So, I made that sacrifice. I don’t regret it one bit.”
“What do you mean?! What’s going on?!” He went to kneel on the ground, but his father grabbed him and ran out the door with him. “What are you doing?! Let me go! Mother is dying!” He ignored him and kept running. Before they entered the portal again, he screamed at the top of his lungs with tears pouring down his face. “MOM!!!”
They came out right where they had entered before. Noah looked traumatized, sad, and angry. His face was as red as the Blood Gem. Sean sighed and began walking away, but he followed him. “What happened to my mother?! What did you do?! Tell me you monster!”
Sean is very short-tempered, so he easily got angry at his sons, yelling. “Enough!” He took a deep breath as he pinched the area of his nose by his eyes. “When she accepted to take care of you; a demon baby, she essentially sold her soul. It’s one of the prices you must pay when taking on a rare responsibility. Her soul was put in a small and easily crushable glass pearl. If the child ever managed to find their way back to the demon world, or if they released their powers, they would die. She was supposed to be dead when you got here, but her soul was too resistant, and I had to be the one to take her life.”
“You took the life of the woman that raised me! The one woman who accepted me and listened to you! How can you even look at yourself?!”
“I had no choice, Noah! If I didn’t, she would’ve died from a curse! There was no escaping death. Once a parental or sexual bond between a demon and human occurs, the human basically sells their soul to them. If that demon leaves, some sort of cursed magic from the demon will linger and slowly kill them in a month’s time. It would’ve been a long and painful death. Starting with a normal cold, then slowly progressing to nausea, and coughing up blood. Then she would start getting major chest pains, until finally her heart was basically crushed. She would’ve suffered. I did her a favor if anything.”
He remained silent. He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed and heard. He felt sick to his stomach, but his father brushed it off. “I know that was a lot to take in. Go and take a walk around the castle to recover. Make sure you take your pearl off so other demons know you’re not a human.”
Devastated, he took his pearl off and wandered around the castle. He couldn’t stop crying, the one person he looked up to was killed right in front of him. He felt guilty for her death. “If I wasn’t so damn curious, my mother would still be alive!” He looked up in frustration and noticed the same symbol that his father drew on the portal on a banner on the wall. Once he noticed it, he realized it was on more than one banner, it was on multiple. It was everywhere, banners, clothing and even on weapons. He then remembered about the mark that was said to be on his collarbone. He approached a mirror, and indeed saw this mark. What did this symbolize?
He had been roaming for about thirty minutes when his father approached him. “I know you’re mad at me, but please follow me.” Hesitantly following, He led him to a balcony on the castle. He could see the entire city from here. Massive buildings, demons on every corner and of course chaos on the streets. “Soon, all this will be yours. It may not seem very great now, but once you get accustomed to it, you will be glad you took this opportunity. She may have lost her life, but she knew what she was risking when she took the offer. She will always be in your heart. I don’t necessarily like humans, but she was the one exception. She raised you well, so I must be grateful for her sacrifice.”
He sighed. He was still angry, but he had to accept it. “You’re right…” He gave a slight smile and hugged him. His dad took his crown off and placed it on Noah’s head. He couldn’t help but smile, he removed it from his head and glanced at it. Yet again, the symbol was engraved on the center of the crown. It was surrounded by red gems. He looked up at his father still holding the crown in his hands.
“Now go get some rest, because tomorrow starts your training. Soon enough you will be crowned King of Faetia!”
