Being Darksbane came with its own set of burdens, and the one bestowed upon me was particularly heavy. In our bloodline, each heir is granted a demon at birth, an ancient bond that intertwines our fates. But it is the demon who chooses the perfect host, and Arbraxes, the prince of hell, had selected me. With the strength and power imbued in him, my health became the collateral. The energy he brought is intoxicating, a raw force that courses through me, yet it constantly siphoned my vitality as a child causing high fevers and brittle bones.
As I grew, it became evident that the price for such royal lineage was far greater than any common exchange. Where others flourished, I withered, overshadowed by the very power that was meant to enhance my life. My mind would often echo tales of my family, stories of great assassins who wielded power without hesitation or fear. I used to wish I could be as fearless as they once were.
When merged, Abraxas held almost complete control over my actions. It was a precarious balance; he led while I followed, a silent observer in my own life. We were meant to function as a unit, to operate seamlessly as teammates, the reality of our bond was far more complex. In moments of danger, he would surge forward, guiding my limbs in a way that felt hauntingly familiar as if my body was already tuned to move in those ways. There were times when I felt empowered by his strength, his courage, his fearlessness. Then there were other times when I felt…like I needed to be able to stand on my own, like I could be doing more instead of solely relying on my abilities.
It became clearer over time that our connection wasn’t rooted in mutual respect but rather in dominance. Abraxas wielded his influence over me like a puppet master over a marionette, irking my spirit even as I benefited from him pulling my strings. I longed for true collaboration, for a partnership where both of our wills could intertwine and create something beautiful.
This rift in our relationship colored everything I faced. It made me question every decision, every instinct to question if they were even my own or Abraxas's. As I stood on that metal bridge, Abraxas's essence pressed against the walls of my mind. It wasn’t merely about defeating the boy in front of me. It was about everything I needed to be. I was a darksbane and that meant I was powerful, feared and yet also honored. Abraxas needed me to be all of those things, i would never be the perfect match for him. His choice was a mistake.
I lowered myself onto the metal bridge beneath my feet, grounding myself as I took a deep breath. With each inhale, I let the dark, chaotic energy of Abraxas rush into my veins, awakening something within me that had long been subdued. The rush coursed through me, a bittersweet elixir that ignited my senses. My sight, hearing,touch and even my sense of smell became infinitely better. I could feel every snowflake that that fell upon my skin and watched as it seemed to melt instantly as it touched my skin, I could feel my hair begin to change Strands transformed into a brilliant white, save for the blood-red tips that cascaded like deep crimson flames unlike my normal tone of raven black that almost reflected a blue hue in the sunlight—an unmistakable mark of my bond to Abraxas, a telltale sign of my blood line and our abilities that lay beneath the surface.
my gaze locked onto the boy charging toward me. My glaring red eyes shone with an intensity that was not my own; they were eyes that belonged to the demon within me, an unsettling reminder of the fierce power that ran through my veins. The air around us shifted with tension, and I felt Abraxas stir inside me; his essence flickered with playful menace, as if taunting me to take hold of the power he sent surging through my veins. Abraxas’ influence twisted our connection, and I could feel his tongue slip between my lips, brushing against them in a teasing caress, in this form it was always him that did the speaking. He was able to make others pause as he commanded the attention of everyone in a room. The sensation made my heart race, a strange blend of strength and vulnerability.
As the boy closed in, I could see the cuffs in his ears that marked him, just like Kaleigh's and lukas's. I could almost feel bad if it weren't for my emotions burning deep beneath a layer of Abraxas own steely reserve, I could sense the determination radiating off the kid the need to end my life right here on this bridge. The clash of destinies felt imminent, a collision of our paths that had been set in motion long before today. Before I was even born, before either of us had even a sliver of a chance. The kid had kind eyes, in another lifetime we may have been friends.
I lifted to face the approaching boy, I made my choice. I would embrace both my connection to Abraxas and the darkness of my life building it till I nurtured it in my own way. With my heart pounding and my body alight with energy, I prepared to confront my opponent. The searing pain that raced through my limbs allowed me to grow just a bit taller, my ears coming to small points visible behind my bangs thanks to the tight bun I had pinned to the back of my head never allowing it down. My tongue flicked over my sharpened teeth, the latent power I had yet to fully embrace. This partial transformation felt like a peek into the darker depths of what I could become, a reflection of the other side that lived within me. I could feel his energy draining my own because of my own stubbornness to not complete this bond sooner. I should have tried harder to not be so stubborn at times, brax may have been pushy about it…but it was all for my own good.
The boy seemed taken aback for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise, perhaps even fear although I think a big part of myself believed that to be wishful thinking. I reveled in the shift of his demeanor, my head tilting to the side studying every move he made, drawing strength from the power coursing through my veins. I possessed something no one could ever take away or harness for themselves. The power of a demon.
I took a step closer, the air around us thick with tension. The very essence of who I was felt potent, an exhilarating mix of danger and allure. And yet every part of myself screamed at me to run, go back the other way. The boy shook his head and raised his two long thin blades to attack. My body moved without my command and raised a dagger to meet the boy's swords He looked stunned almost as if he didn't expect my frail stature to be able to completely block him but there it was the clang and sparks of his weapon being stilled by the dagger in my hand. The vibration of the halt must have reached his hands as he dropped one of his swords into the abyss below.
“Do you like what you see?” I asked, my voice low, laced with an edge that matched the transformation within me as I grinned at him with sharpened teeth that could rip through his flesh in an instant. He swallowed hard, and for a heartbeat, I could sense his uncertainty. It felt good—powerful—to hold someone’s fascination in my hands.
my focus sharpens on him. The flicker of fear in his eyes, urging me to explore this unfamiliar territory. I laughed. This was my initiation, after all, though not just into the world of assassins, but into what my father must have felt when he first bonded with Acheron. Our gaze met for a minute before the boy composed himself and placed a well-aimed kick at my head. Instincts kicked in, and I bent backward just in time sliding back a bit, the swift breeze of his shoelaces brushing against my cheek. A surge of adrenaline coursed through me, igniting the latent power within.
I gripped the bridge behind my feet, the damp stone cool against my palms as I raised my feet up, lifted them straight up and swung them back and landed with perfection one foot in front of the other. The 500,000-foot drop through fog and silence caused my breath to hitch in my throat. Swallowing hard, I rose to my full height as I caught my balance and raised my daggers, the shimmering blades reflecting a sliver of the bright grey light around us. The boy released a series of blows with his one sword. One connecting with my upper arm which bled profusely, another to my left hip. I dodged as many of the bows as I could as the boy drove me backwards.
The boy chuckled, a mocking sound that echoed ominously over the foggy abyss beneath us. "So this is the so-called legacy the great shadow Orin Darksbane and the bitch Nyreah shadow scale left behind? A weak little girl!" He laughed again, the sound grating against my focus. “It’s almost laughable. They made this incredibly easy for me.” His derision stung, it was an insult that even Abraxas was not tolerating. I narrowed my eyes, tightening my grip on the daggers as a rush of defiance surged through my veins. Yes, I was small in stature and I may be frail and easy to break, and perhaps I lacked the experience he assumed would render me helpless, but Abraxas was determined to get us across this bridge and he wouldn't stop until he accomplished it..
“Say what you will about my mother bastard,” I shot back, my voice steady words that spilled forth had been in my mind but it was Abraxes allowing them to glide off our tongue.. The boy lunged forward, a smug smirk still plastered on his face, my dagger flew down to dodge it as I jumped back. I prepared myself to strike with every ounce of Abraxis’s power coursing through my blood. I would not back down now not even if the heavens crashed down around us. I could feel Abraxas joy as he made use of one of his many special abilities, the Dance of a Thousand Blades, executed in a series of kicks, spins, and cartwheels, slicing the boy in the upper arm, cheeks, wrists, chest, and ribs. “But despite your vile insults, my father was a good man! He loved me. It was him who begged my mother for the mercy that saved your sorry soul.” I didn't dodge in time, taking a punch directly to the face. I licked the blood from my lip and met his gaze with a wicked grin. And threw my dagger with perfect aim as it buried itself to the hilt in his stomach. “ My mother would have killed me in an instant if it meant my dad would lose control the way he did to carry out that mission. How ironic it was that my father’s mercy saved you, only for you to die by the shadow’s daughter.”
With my final move, I landed a strike at his neck, careful not to cut him as he was already bleeding enough. I giggled, moving my dagger aside, gripping the collar of his uniform, and holding him over the edge of the crevice. Horror filled his eyes as he shook his head and clawed at my hands “Bye bye,” I whispered, kissing his cheek before sending him tumbling into the fog bank below.
That ability may have just saved my life, I coughed, splattering my hand with a bright red liquid that could only be one thing: blood. My heart raced as I realized the toll it took on me. The energy coursing through my veins was a double-edged sword without a complete bond, and now I felt its bitter bite. I had put everything on the line to gain the upper hand in this, The echoes of my own desperation mingled with the thrill of victory, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had crossed a line I could never uncross.
As I caught my breath and turned to walk the rest of the way a sharp gust of wind blew causing me to lose balance. My foot slipped and I went tumbling over the edge. In a split second, I found myself dangling, catching myself by my fingertips. My heart raced as I stared down into the abyss below, the fog swirling beneath me excited to swallow another life. Panic surged through me mixed with pain from my shoulder that threatened to dislocate, but instinct kicked in. I steadied my breath, searching for a grip, an uneven ridge; anything to pull myself back up. Every second felt like an eternity as I focused on the strength in my hands, determined not to fall.
I let one of my hands glide over the smooth ledge of the nine-inch-wide bridge that held me precariously in place, and that's when I felt it a small rise of uneven metal. It wasn't much, but it was enough! Summoning every ounce of strength I had left I gripped it with my fingers, I swung my leg upward, managing to hook it over the edge of the bridge. With a determined push, I situated myself to find my footing once more. The relief washed over me like a wave as I steadied myself, my heart still racing from the close call. I took a moment to catch my breath, knowing I had to keep moving forward.
The cold stung my skin, while my lungs burned with every ragged breath I took. My legs felt heavy, each step a monumental struggle, and my body screamed at me to stop, to turn back. But I couldn’t. I had to keep going; I had to make it to the other side. I felt Abraxas receding back into the spiritual plane his role in this death trap finished no need for him to exert so much energy by being in front. Though his presence was lingering and would be until I slept, of this I was sure. My foot slipped a bit but I was lucky catching myself just in time; there it was, the other side—the doorway to safety—just 15 feet away from where I now stood. My heart raced as I steadied myself. Each step felt like a victory against the elements, anything to get off this beam.
My form hadn’t returned to normal, but if I was being honest, I liked the white my hair had become with the red tips. It felt different. As I stepped into the safety of the doorway, my gaze locked onto the small, mousy-haired girl with two cuffs in her ears. She had a striking resemblance to the boy I had just faced. Although Abraxas was no longer controlling my actions he was still very much acting as a mouth piece. She stood frozen, her eyes wide with surprise, while the boy beside her, preparing to step onto the bridge, seemed equally taken aback by my presence. Their jaws dropped in absolute shock. This was not the response I expected; I had hoped for indifference or perhaps a slight nod of acknowledgment, but their expressions made me feel suddenly exposed, like a spotlight had been turned on just for me. The atmosphere on the other side of the door seemed electrified with unspoken tension as I continued to hold their gazes. "What?" I asked, my tone more defensive than intended. This was my moment I refused to have them take it from me now.
I rolled my eyes and narrowed my gaze at her. “Didn’t think I would survive? Sorry to disappoint. It’s very clear you know my goddamn name, so fucking record it and stop gawking like you didn’t know I was the superior opponent.” I stepped closer to her, my eyes boring into her light hazel eyes. “Little secret love, Next time you send a friend to their death, be sure they understand the full extent of their opponent’s abilities.” I tapped her cheek and smiled. I shook my head watching as she quickly scrawled my name on her paper, tears flooding her eyes. “It’s Kirishina. One R,” I called over my shoulder, the satisfaction curling my lips. As I walked away, I sensed someone approaching. A blond boy stepped forward, sorrow and anger written all over his red blotchy face. “Are all you Darksbanes lacking in emotions? Or any kind of compassion. That was her brother you just murdered! Have a heart!”
My eyes widened, and a smile stretched across my face at the thought. As I let out a laugh that made my stomach ache "Emotions? Compassion? heart? Please,” I retorted, I gripped him in an embrace and whispered in his ear. “In this world,that kind of talk will get you killed. Emotions are a distraction that will only hinder you on a mission. Maybe if he had trained harder and maybe opened a book and studied, they wouldn’t have ended up as another casualty.”
I took a step back, relishing the boy’s shock. “Welcome to the real world, darling. This is what it means to be an assassin, steel yourself and make note of my power and don't underestimate me next time. Perhaps, if she cared so deeply for her sibling she shouldn't have sent him out on that bridge to meet me in the middle.” I was inches from the boy’s face as I tapped his cheek with my finger clicking my tongue as I waved my finger back and forth. tsk tsk. “All of you betrayed are the same, you know. You judge me and look upon me with disdain, all for the mistakes of my parents. Maybe try getting to know who I am before making your snap judgments.” i said as i stepped back smiling looking around to every pair of eyes that had now locked on me.
The boy recoiled at my remark, his eyes wide with terror. I turned away, a chuckle escaping my lips as I walked off, relishing the power I felt. The transformation and bond between me and Abraxes was now complete. All I had to do now was eat food from the netherworld, and there was no going back. Each step I took felt lighter, fueled by the thrill of having embraced my true power, is this what it felt like for my father with Achron? i couldnt help but wonder..
“no, Achron is the demon of madness and more abrasive than I am, and a good friend to me.”
Abraxes' words became my very own thoughts, intertwined until we were one mind. Friend? Of course he was your friend; you seem like the type to befriend a demon that incites madness, I mused, fully aware he would catch the thought. There was a dark hint of humored acknowledgement that hummed through the bond.
I found my place against the wall on the far side of the vast cavern, sheltered from the snow and cold that swept through the metal bridges. From my vantage point, I kept a watchful eye on each doorway, waiting to see who would emerge from their own dark passage. One by one, 3 initiates entered through different doors, the knowledge sat in my head that only some would return—or perhaps none at all. My gaze finally fixed on Kaleigh as she stumbled down the steps of her own entrance, the man at her doorway catching her and helping her find her footing taking her name she had just had a fight of her life. Her blond hair hung matted against her face, stained with blood from a gash across her cheek and another over her brow that were definitely going to scar. It was a sight that tugged at something deep within me; her face was now permanently marked from this day.
Her gaze finds mine, and through what I am sure is agonizing pain, she smiles at me and limps to my side holding her leg. “You bonded with the demon prince finally! God, that white is bold.” her eyes wide as she exclaims excitedly, she had been waiting. She wanted to see if my father was the only one whose hair turned white it's been a curiosity of hers for many years. I giggled at her excitement as if now was the time for laughter with so many dying on the bridges just beyond the wall of the cavern across from us. "Yeah, I did. I don't know how proud my father would be knowing his daughter killed a child he had granted mercy to, but I wasn't getting through that without Braxes' help." I sighed, the weight of my thoughts heavy. "The Academy is already going to strip us of everything that makes us well, us. But in this form, I…"
How do I tell her I couldn't feel regret or guilt or really anything meaningful at all? The truth settled like a stone in my stomach. It was as if emotion or feeling of any kind was just beyond reach, leaving me empty. "But in this form, it’s like I’m just… here,” I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t tell if I’m alive or just existing.” Kaliegh’s gaze softened as she pulled me into a hug, her warmth wrapping around me like a protective shield. “You are both, existing and alive,” she whispered, her voice steady and comforting. “Telmyths are told a different story when it comes to your father... it’s your mother they hate. You were in her belly when they began that war. It wasn’t until an arrow fired at your mother grazed the armor over her belly piercing it that Orin Darksbane lost control. It was understandable to the parents; the life of his child was threatened. Any man there would have lost it too, and even though you almost died before you even had the opportunity to live, he still fought Tynon for the mercy of all of us here, despite his moment of ruthlessness. According to what we are taught tynon was so furious with the rebellion of his own son that he placed the contract on him and Nyreah himself…forgive me… i have no proof of that, i cannot-” i held my hand up to stop her and shook my head “ In our family, Tynon's word is law anyone who would disobey his direct order well… disobedience is not tolerated his son or not. I almost guarantee that is likely the truth "I smiled softly at her.
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