• Chapter One

    tab "Darkness stirs, engulfing everything in its path and suffocating life. The mind is weakened, and the soul withers away into nothingness. The body deteriorates and is replaced with a demonic form. All good that was once there is turned into evil. Not even the purest of hearts can withstand its power. All demons serve under the rule of The Dark One, the bringer of chaos and destruction. This demonic transformation is his punishment for those who defy him. It is a fate worse than death."
    tab My mother used to tell me that story all the time, as a reminder to mind myself when the elite guards come to our village. The elite guards are the most skilled demons under The Dark One's rule. They come to the town of Belun once a year to chose the next humans to serve The Dark One. They come disguised in human form, so no one knows if they really are there. Anyone who mocks The Dark One, is sent to become his next slave.
    tab One day, my father and mother had had enough of his reign of terror. They tried to assemble a resistance to fight The Dark One and win back their freedom. But The Dark One was too powerful for them. The army my parent's had put together was too small and too weak. The Dark One faced them head-on and wiped them from the face of the earth. But this was not enough for him. He decided to teach the whole world a lesson. He sent a massive demonic army to Berlun. The whole town was massacred and burned to the ground. Me and my brother were the only ones who survived. I was only eight.
    tab "Kialla!" I turned my head as I heard my named called. My brother Cobi was standing there glaring at me holding a pile of boxes. "Would you stop daydreaming and help me out?" he snapped. I rose from my seat and helped him with the boxes. It's been ten years since the massacre. Me and my brother ended living in Slynia. Out of all the towns in Canae, this was the worst. You couldn't walk two steps without being mugged, the streets were filled with trash, and there was an infestation of mice. It was like living in a sewer. But it was still better than having no home. We worked in a small sundry shop. The pay wasn't much, but it was enough to survive. There are also some interesting customers who come to our shop. Last week, a man who had lost an eye and both his legs said he fought against The Dark One, and that his injuries were the battle scars. I knew that his story wasn't true, but it made the day more interesting.
    tab "I think that's enough work you two." I turned around and found our manger, Makello, walking towards us with a pouch in his hand. " You're the best employees I've ever hired," he continued,"You deserve every piece of gold in here." He handed the pouch to my brother.
    tab "Thank you, Makello," Cobi said, taking the pouch. As soon as we left the shop, Cobi gave me some gold pieces to spend. "Don't get into any trouble," he reminded me.
    tab "I won't," I assured him. I walked around town looking through windows and checking out shops, but nothing caught my eye. I was hoping to find an interesting book or a new skyboard. My last skyboard broke while I was grinding a rail. I needed one that wouldn't break so easily. But my search was in vain. None of the shops had what I was looking for, so I started to head home. The sun was setting now and I knew Cobi would lecture me again if I wasn't home before dark.
    tab On the way home, I took a shortcut through the alleyways, even though Cobi warns me not to. He can be a little overprotective at times, but I guess it's because he doesn't want to lose me, like we lost our parents. Their deaths had changed us. Since Cobi is two years older than me, he holds himself responsible for anything that happens to me. We've helped each other survive these past years and we don't want to lose each other.
    tab Suddenly, I heard a rustling noise behind me. I looked around, but there was no one there. I disregarded it and kept going, checking behind me every now and then to see if anyone was following. After a while I gave up, since it was probably just a mouse. I began to daydream again as I continued on my way. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the man sneaking up on me. I let out a shriek of surprise as he grabbed me from behind.
    tab "Shut up and stop squirming!" he said putting his hand over my mouth. I continued to struggle anyway, but my screams were suppressed by his hand. "I said shut up!" the man commanded again. Seeing that I would not cease, he took out a knife, and raised it to my throat.