The cold blue of the flames that licked around him was the only thing allowing Rin to see in the black of night. He had no need of a campfire, for obvious reasons, and it wasn't really cold. Even sleeping on the floor wasn't so bad. The ashes were soft, like a blanket; it was the first time he had ever thought of them like that. The grey scale that covered West Gehenna had always made him think of death, and his own inability to control himself. Now, it was just something that was convenient to what he needed. He exhaled, and looked up at the sky. It was void of stars, and somehow, still tinged red, even in darkness.

It had been a day since he'd incinerated the town. Somehow, he still felt nothing when he thought about it. His mind drifted to the thought, expecting the pull of guilt, but instead, finding nothing. It was a strange sensation. Since then, he had just been wandering, aimlessly, in what was, probably, a straight line. There wasn't much point to walking anymore, so he simply laid down, and went to sleep.

It took hours to reach any kind of civilisation. It seemed like he would have found more, but there was just ash. The first thing Rin noticed, was that he could feel dirt beneath his feet, not the same soft grey. In the distance, he could see a city. It was the biggest one he had seen so far.
"So, this must be central Gehenna."
He didn't quite know how he knew, but he did. So, all he could do was keep going towards it. He'd come this far, after all.

The walls towered over him, hard, and black, like obsidian. The gate was just as unwelcoming. Normally, it would have struck fear, immediately, into Rin, but still, he felt devoid of anything. Not even the long journey had him feeling weary. Without thinking, he approached the gates.
"Oi! What do you think you're doi-"
A shout was cut short. Rin remembered about his ever present azure flames. They must have been a bit of a giveaway. The next thing he knew, he felt a hand on his arm.
AAAAAGH!
It shot away, seemingly burnt by the fire. Rin looked at him. There was both a look of confusion and fear on his face. It was quite an amusing combination, it made his face look twisted and distorted. He obviously had no idea what to do.

Another demon came over, took one look, and the same expression was plastered on his face. They both glanced at each other before one said, in a high, quiet voice.
"U-Umm.. We need you to- Could you please- Umm... We need to go and inform the king. Coul- Please, would you, umm... Wait here? For a moment? We won't keep you waiting long!"
He quickly dashed off, while his counterpart simply stayed, trying to avert his eyes. Rin would have laughed at their nervousness, if he could force the noise from his gut.

A minute passed.

Then ten.

Then thirty.

Finally, the demon returned with, what looked like, another guard. He was probably a higher up.
"Excuse me, but would you please follow me into the city, there is someone who wishes for you're presence."
He then bowed low, and gestured for Rin to go inside the now open gates. Rin blinked, and then walked right in.

No going back now.

"Please, follow me."
The demon led the way down twisted, dark alleyways. There weren't many open streets here. It was more like a maze of back alleys and roughly cobbled, thin footpaths between buildings. It was also night, which didn't help, even with the blue light Rin provided. Before long, they arrived at another set of gates. The gnarled metal reminded Rin of twisted limbs, a rather disturbing comparison, but it's what popped into his head at first sight. They were black, just like the front gates, but, unlike the others, seemed to be polished, but rarely opened. They had the dusty, abandoned feel. Really helping with the ambience. Rin half expect bolts of lightning to start striking down, and booming thunder to roll over the sky.

With a sound like nails on a chalkboard, the gates edged their way open. Rin simply exhaled, and walked through them. Maybe he would have been more hesitant if had felt something, anything. But, this was not the case. If anything, he was more curious to see what was lying ahead.

The palace itself was huge. It seemed that black was the preferred colour around here, because it was the same shade as most of the other structures in the city. There were five spires reaching towards the sky, all connected to one large, main building. The front door was actually grey, not black. It was decrepit, looking like it hadn't been opened in years, which seemed to be a recurring theme around here. But, with an almighty crunch, they were forced open, and the inside could be seem, clearly. It looked just like an empty hallway, so large, it seemed like the whole sky was in there.
"Young Prince, we have awaited your arrival. I will lead you to the throne room."
Rin sighed in reluctance and, eventually, began trailing after the demon who had spoken. He didn't take much notice of the demons who came to speak to him anymore. They were either trying to kill him or use him, and it became apparent very quickly which of the two they were when they showed up. There was no point dwelling on it.

The palace was huge on the inside too, as was expected. Even in his hollowed state, Rin still felt mildly in awe. But nothing compared to the throne room. It didn't take long to get there, as it was in the centre of the building, and the entrance practically led straight to it. The room was so much... Smaller, than the rest of the rooms Rin had seen. To be honest, it was more of a shock to Rin than if it had been monstrously huge. There were torches lighting the walls and a small staircase leading to the throne, within the small room. The only thing large about this room was the person sitting on the grand seat. Though he was only as tall as the average human adult, his presence permeated the room like a stagnant fog that pressed down on you, almost making you hunch, instinctively, if not out of respect, for it was abundantly clear who this person was.
"So, we finally meet face to face, my long lost son. The last I saw you was through the eyes of your dying, adoptive father, now, I can finally see you with my own."
Rin scowled, recalling the night, with a small twinge of anger.
He stood and allowed the light to fall on his face. It was strange. It was like he looked like several people at once, but also, like his face couldn't decide what it looked like. One of the main contenders was a deathly pale young man, with piercing blue eyes and long, arsenic white hair, but it changed too quickly for Rin to get a good look. It was hard to look him in the eye.
"To be quite honest, I was not expecting this. The only thing I can do now if keep you under protection and wait to see what happens. Of course, there is a lot for you to learn, but all in due time. You there! Situate him in the southern Wing, in one of the guest rooms."
The demon, who Rin had completely forgotten about, bowed so low, he thought his spine would snap.
"O-of course, consider it done! This way, Young Prince."
He gestured at the door and, seeing no point in prolonging the encounter, began to walk away, but he was stopped for a moment.
"Rin? You may not look much like your mother, but I can see her in you..."
That was all he heard before the door to the throne room slammed shut, leaving Rin even more confused than if he had spoken to Mephisto, and that was quite the feat.

As much as he hated it, Rin had to agree with the King of the Demons. All he could do now, was wait.