Fair warning; there's explicit mention of invasive thoughts throughout the chapter. This is Alfred's backstory, so just know what comes with that.

Just to mention, I don't know enough about older English to write all of the dialogue like that. So just pretend it's all in Old English or whatever they spoke back then. Consider this time period like the 1600s or 1700s.

He was so sick of it. So sick of being shoved into the mud, so sick of eating rotten food, so sick of not having clean water, so damn sick of being trash to throw away. So sick of seeing it happening to others. It took every ounce of strength he had to give the good food to the others. The kids, the elderly, the sick. He was strong enough to take this abuse, but they weren't. He never knew what that good food tasted like…the bread that was only a week old, the milk left in buckets that the farmers left behind, that one wolf he'd found just a few days dead…

He felt a drop of rain hitting his head as he slumped in the dirt, soon to be mud. He grimaced up at the sky. He wasn't sure how long he could do this. He put a smile on his face, one of the few things his mother had ever commented on. Before she died from some raiders. Those people looted their house and killed his dad in the process. But Alfred hid, like a good kid. And he'd been alone since.

What was he thinking about?

His smile? He was told that he was friendly, had a winning smile or something. He'd lost a few teeth though. But, hey, everyone did. The rain got worse and Alfred winced. He didn't have the strength to get up and find shelter. Then again, he couldn't go inside anywhere without money to buy something. Alfred had never felt actual money in his hand before. He'd seen it, wanted to steal it so badly…

But he couldn't steal. He wasn't that low.

He winced when he saw a couple huddle by, holding their hands up and stopping the rain with magic.

Magic.

Alfred grimaced, glaring as they took shelter in the nearest pub. He hated magic with a passion, so much that it nearly made all of his energy return to him. He hated magic users so much. He had a little magic, just a little. But when you barely ate or slept, you didn't really get to use it to its fullest potential. Alfred could sometimes summon a tiny flame or even some water on lucky days. But that was it. No fucking magic on his end.

He just wanted this world to burn.

Alfred tried to breathe deeply, focus on that, not on anything else. Not his throbbing head, his pained throat, his painfully empty stomach, his aching-all-over body. No, he just had to breathe. In and out. In and out. In and out.

He sat down, most likely in someone else's shit, watching people go on with their daily lives. Some had carriages, some had opulent clothing. Some had the gall to be fat while Alfred could count all of his ribs. This was bullshit and everyone knew it. Those people that had all the food they needed, everything they wanted, they controlled everything. Didn't give the people like Alfred a chance. Made them suffer more. There were taxes on everything, there were jobs that didn't give enough money…there were people that blamed the homeless for being too lazy.

It was fucking bullshit.

Alfred looked on as he saw a man with a gun step in front of a carriage and he blinked in confusion. What was this about? He looked well-dressed enough… The man walked over to the cabin and forced the door open. The woman inside shrieked as the man pointed the gun at her face.

"Give me everything," the man growled, holding up a bag.

Alfred gritted his teeth, going to stand on his weak legs. What the fuck?

Alfred stumbled forwards before the girl could even detangle her hair from her extravagant hair piece. He shoved the man with the gun, making him hit the door and slam into the outside of the cabin.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Alfred snapped. "You have everything you need!" The man had some extra weight on him, clothes without any rips, and even a gun. He didn't need to steal shit.

"Fuck off," the man shoved the gun towards Alfred, but a fire spell surged forwards and flung Alfred hard onto the ground. Alfred propped himself on his elbows to glare at the man, who was getting impatient with the woman. This was bullshit.

If only he had enough magic to stop this guy!

Do you want it?

"Yes," Alfred whispered out. He didn't know why, but that voice…It sounded like power.

I'll give it to you.

"Do it," Alfred nodded.

Give me your mind in return?

"Take what you want," Alfred panted as he stood up again. Once he was solidly standing on his feet he felt something in his chest. It surged. Like power. All the way through to the tips of his toes and fingers, burned in his stomach. Alfred smirked, feeling the strength burn through his whole body. It only hurt for a fraction of a second, but Alfred felt stronger than he ever had in his entire life.

Take his limbs.

The voice was clearer now, but it…didn't really sound like anything. They were just words floating in his head, telling him what to do. It was almost like he could actually read them in his head. They gave him instructions on how to use this new power.

Alfred held out his hand and the man stood stock still, unable to move. Alfred smirked.

Take them.

Alfred just barely moved his hand and the man's limbs ripped from their sockets. He screamed bloody murder and Alfred burst out into a fit of laughs. The blood spurted everywhere, onto the carriage, onto the woman, onto Alfred. And the man just dropped into the mud where he belonged.

"Serves you fucking right you jackass!" Alfred cackled, running up to kick the man as hard as he could in the face. He had so much strength surging through him, more than he ever thought he had. It was addicting.

Keep going.

Alfred slammed his bare foot into the man's face, his heel feeling the crack of his nose. The man kept screaming as Alfred kept laughing, shoving his foot into the man's face. It was dirty, probably something the man had never dealt with in his life. The perfect payback. Alfred kept going until he felt the face cave in and he frowned, pulling away his bloodied foot.

"Oops," Alfred smirked.

He could hear sobbing now and he looked at the source. The woman in the carriage stared on at him in horror.

Kill her. She's rich, after all.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem," Alfred breathed out and experimentally moved his hand forwards. The carriage flung to the side and he lit the whole thing on fire so fast it practically exploded. He couldn't stop laughing.

I'll make you so strong.

"Thanks," Alfred smiled, staring at his hands. He could see it. People talked about seeing auras all the time, but now he could see it. His own. It was black, it was huge, it was so powerful! Alfred laughed, looking at a whole building. Could he make that explode, too? The words told him how. With a flick of his wrist, he found out that the answer was yes. He burst out laughing, almost in tears.

Kill them all.

Alfred didn't hesitate. He laughed the whole time, finding out what temperature the body boils, what temperature it freezes, who long it takes to bleed out from various wounds. They all stared at his eyes and screamed and it was like music. If Alfred had ever heard any, he was sure this was it. The nobles crumbled under him and his new power. Why hadn't he tried this sooner? This was Dark Magic wasn't it?

That's exactly what this is. I'll give you all the power you want, all you need in order to do what you want.

"I want to change this world," Alfred said casually, staring at the child at his feet, their stomach slit in front of him. "I'm going to. This won't happen ever again, I'll make it better for everyone. Good for everyone."

And what about those that get in your way?

"Consider them already dead," Alfred smirked.

"Who're you talkin' to?" a voice asked behind him and Alfred glanced back. This man had better clothes than him, but no shoes. No stomach. His eyes were hollow, but confused. He was dark-skinned, meaning he probably wouldn't get a job even if he tried. "You got Dark Magic, right?"

Alfred nodded.

"What's it like?" the man asked him excitedly. Alfred smiled.

"It feels amazing," Alfred smirked. "I'm gonna change the world, just you watch."

"I wanna help," the man said, holding out a hand without fear. "This shit's gonna end. And with you? Damn."

"What's your name?" Alfred asked.

"Allen," the man smirked as Alfred took his hand.

"I ain't got a use for the weak," Alfred narrowed his eyes. "Can you fight?"

"Been fighting my whole life," Allen nodded.

"Then welcome," Alfred nodded. "I'm makin' an army. Just decided."

"Can't fucking wait!" Allen laughed. "I know where some are hiding out."

"Lead the way," Alfred nodded.

An army is a great idea. Get more. Get stronger.

"The way I see it," Alfred said as they stood around the fire. He and his growing army. Allen, James, Oliver, Francois…it was small. But they were effective. They had magic, they had strength, and they had will. Alfred glanced at the town, not too far away, that they were planning to attack, "they're not gonna know how to fight. We start with some fires and we'll be good. And once the sun falls and they're asleep it'll be even better. If we can get any slaves or servants on our side, great. Don't kill them if you don't have to."

Blood.

"Can I keep a few?" Oliver asked. "Rich people? I'm trying to test my poison magic."

"Yeah, sure, I don't see a problem," Alfred shrugged. It was decided mutually that Alfred, the strongest, was their leader. Despite being the youngest. He had a plan, besides. Get an army, take the world town by town, make it to the kings, take them by storm, take over the world. Control it and make it good for once. It was a wonder, really, how none of them decided to take to Dark Magic. Alfred had suggested it, but no one took the offer.

"Wait!" a clear, female voice filled the air and all of the men around the fire froze before looking carefully at her. She was relatively short, but she had a strong fire in her eyes. Her dull, blonde hair hung in her face, clearly mistreated. Despite her dirty appearance, however, her bright blue eyes shone with a strength Alfred had never seen before. She wasn't extremely well dressed, but she looked like she probably had a house…She looked ready to take anyone on in a fight.

Kill her.

"Who're you?" Alfred asked.

"Don't attack the town," the woman said simply.

Kill her.

"Take me instead, do whatever you want with me, I don't care," she said pointedly. Alfred raised a brow. He walked around his group before standing in front of her, looking down to match her fiery gaze. She was at least a head shorter than him, but Alfred had no doubt that she would put up a hell of a fight.

"You'd take their place?" Alfred asked.

Kill her.

"Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt those innocent people," she pleaded.

"Innocent?" Alfred laughed darkly. News of him was spreading across the land, evidently. People could recognize them, apparently even around a fire with the sun setting. So far, no law enforcement or bounty hunters could take them down, but it had only been a couple months. "These people are far from innocent. Why protect them?"

"They're guilty by your standards, not mine," the girl said, puffing out her chest slightly in an attempt to seem more intimidating.

Kill her.

Alfred laughed at her antics. It was kind of…refreshing.

"I like you," Alfred said, mussing up her hair. She flinched and pouted, but didn't fight back. "Sure. Deal."

Kill her.

Alfred looked back at his group, who were staring at him with wide eyes.

"Looks like we got another, boys," Alfred smirked. "No one's allowed to touch her, you got that?" He looked back at her and she seemed surprised by that. What, did she think he was going to let anyone abuse someone who was willing to sacrifice themselves? She even looked his age, too, interesting…

"Yes, sir," all of them nodded and Alfred smiled. He was by far the youngest, but they all treated him with respect. Maybe it was the power, maybe it was his innate ability to lead. He was maybe fourteen, the others were older, Oliver and Francois were adults at least.

"How old are ya?" Alfred asked her curiously.

"Sixteen," the girl nodded. "My name's Amelia, by the way."

"Alfred Jones," Alfred nodded, holding out his hand, which Amelia took with a confused look.

Kill her.

"A…pleasure," she muttered, but it was obvious she didn't mean it. Alfred frowned. Well, he would just have to change that soon, wouldn't he?

Alfred almost howled with laughter at a joke Allen had made. Everyone laughed, too, except for Oliver, who was whimpering about the curses that had spewed from the man's mouth. They'd made camp in a forest, taking a break. They were running low on energy and they couldn't change anything this low on energy.

Alfred looked over his shoulder, looking at Amelia as she leaned against a tree, carving a stick. Alfred believed that she'd have to know how to protect herself and so trusted her with a knife. She had agreed to stay, so there was no problem with giving her a weapon. She'd already had to use it three times.

"Go ahead to sleep guys," Alfred nodded.

"Come on," James grumbled. "I ain't tired yet."

"Hey," Alfred shrugged, "you're gonna need sleep. Strength. You guys don't have Dark Magic to keep you fueled."

"Ya know," Allen leaned towards him as the others stood up, begrudgingly going to their tents, something they'd scavenged from a torn up town. "I've been thinkin' about Dark Magic. I might give it a try."

"Don't," Alfred blurted out, surprising himself. Allen looked at him with a questioning gaze. Alfred sighed, shaking his head. He was getting damn tired of the voice hissing in his head, damn tired of being told to kill. He was starting to feel the guilt in his head, in his chest. And he didn't want to kill Amelia, not after what she did. But the voice…It kept giving him suggestions to get stronger, in both mind and body. "It's not worth it," Alfred mumbled, standing up. "Go to sleep."

"Yes, sir," Allen nodded, going to his own tent. Alfred sighed, shaking his head and looking at Amelia, who darted her eyes back to the dirt.

Kill her.

"Come over to the fire, you must be cold," Alfred called out to her and she looked up again, matching his gaze.

"You need sleep, too," Amelia said simply. "I know." She did, she slept in his tent, after all. "And you need food. You're not immortal."

"I wish I was," Alfred mumbled.

I know how to get it. Alfred winced.

"It's talking again?" Amelia stood up, dropping her stick. Alfred just stared at her. No one else had picked up on that, except maybe Allen but he never brought it up. "What does it sound like?"

"Like everything I want," Alfred said. Amelia walked up to the fire, but she stood on the opposite side of the fire, staring at him over it.

"Is it worth it?" Amelia asked.

Kill her.

"Yes," Alfred didn't even hesitate. "It's everything I need, everything I want. I don't regret this. I'm gonna make that army and I'm gonna change things. I promise."

"Are you prepared to spend that much time with its hold over you?" Amelia asked.

"It doesn't control me," Alfred shook his head.

"Then toss it out," Amelia said. "That's how it works, right? It's like a living creature inside of you?"

Kill her.

"I guess," Alfred shrugged. "But I'm not doing that, I need this strength."

"You look like a demon," she whispered.

"Good," Alfred said. "They need something to fear. To keep them in place."

"To kill all of them?" Amelia asked. Alfred looked into the fire. "I'm going to sleep. You should, too. You're not immortal."

I can fix that.

Alfred ran as fast as he could, the tears shoving past the dam. He tripped hopelessly over branches, feeling the twigs cut him as he face planted into the ground. He sobbed, curling into himself. The blood. He couldn't stop seeing it. The faces of the people he'd killed, they were all coming to him. There were hundreds. He could hear their voices.

Enjoy their fear.

He continued sobbing.

"Alfred," Amelia's voice whispered near him and Alfred flinched. He hadn't heard her. He sat upright, looking at her as he crawled backwards, hitting a tree. He couldn't stop crying. "Shhh, it's okay, Alfred."

"No, it's not!" Alfred cried, hiding his face in his hand. "I can feel all of them! They won't go away! I've…I've…" He swallowed. "I've tried so hard to forget them but they won't let me! It's trying to help me but it's not working!"

"Maybe Dark Magic isn't what you need right now," she said carefully and Alfred looked up at her. His tears were almost impossible to see through. "You can shove it out, I know you're strong enough. You weren't made to be this monster, this demon."

"How do you know?" Alfred's voice trembled. "You don't know me."

Kill her.

"I've been able to see the real you through the veil," Amelia offered a smile, holding out her hand and taking Alfred's, rubbing her thumb on the back of it. Alfred stared at their connected hands. "I know you can do it. Just shove it out. You're so strong, Alfred."

"But I need it," Alfred choked.

"Then invite it back when you need it," Amelia offered and Alfred stared at her in shock. "I'm not against it. You need the strength. I believe in your cause, I do. I've heard the way you talk about it and it gives me chills. I believe in you, and I'll follow you. But there are times you don't need Dark Magic, just send it out when you don't need it. Let it in when you need it again."

"Can I really?" Alfred asked. "Can I really do that?"

Sure. But you'll definitely come back.

"Show me how to do it," Alfred whispered to it. It always showed him how to do something, always helped him figure things out. It knew everything. Alfred closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. It felt like the strength was sapped from him, made his limbs feel numb, made him feel hollow inside. He gasped, snapping his eyes open. He needed it back so badly. He felt like he would die without it.

He lurched forward, capturing Amelia in a tight hug, clinging to her back. He needed it. He needed it. He needed it. His breathing became uneven and he felt like he was about to vomit. Oh, God, how could he live without it? His entire body felt empty, numb, like his heart was missing.

"You're going to be okay," she cooed, hugging him back. Alfred latched onto her so tightly he didn't know if he was hurting her or not. But he couldn't feel his hands. He was so empty. "I promise, I'm here. Your eyes are very pretty when you don't look like a demon." Alfred let out a hollow laugh, tears slipping past his eyes once again.

Kill her.

"I need it back," Alfred muttered.

You need me.

"Not right now," Amelia shook her head. "How do you feel? About your goals?"

"I'm a terrible person," Alfred sobbed, his face in her shoulder. He was a mess of emotions that he only just now noticed Dark Magic didn't let him feel. He felt guilty, so fucking guilty. He'd killed so many people and they weren't even his decision. He did it because the Dark Magic wanted him to. He'd never dreamed about going this far for his ideals before…

But he needed the Dark Magic to fulfill his needs. To fulfill his dream. He couldn't be the general he wanted to become without it.

"Sh," Amelia stroked his back. "It's going to be okay. You can use it again when you're ready. It's okay, I'll forgive you."

Kill her.

Alfred shuddered, holding her close. She…she smelled so nice…

"Okay, with this many people I'll definitely need you guys to take charge," Alfred said thoughtfully. Alfred was pretty amazed with how fast people were joining them. It happened whenever they raided towns, people would help them out or maybe even just ask to join. Still, Amelia was the only person to try to bargain with them. And she even said multiple times that she agreed with Alfred's ideals. Plus, she helped Alfred out when he decided to stop using Dark Magic, helped calm him down. No one else knew he did that sometimes, only Amelia. He couldn't let anyone else know about his weakness.

Right now, they'd finished raiding another town, this one had some pretty impressive houses of nobility, but Alfred didn't care. They were all dead bodies in the end. He, Allen, Oliver, Francois, James, and Amelia were standing around a table in a house they'd already looted fairly well. So far, they had maybe fifty other people, all of who were sleeping in other houses for the time being. This many people was a little too much for Alfred to deal with on his own. And these five had been with him the longest, he trusted them the most.

"What, like generals?" Allen asked.

"If you want to," Alfred shrugged. "If not, I can just go to some of the others. I know they'd love to do it."

"You have about fifty people," Francois mused. "That'll mean ten for each of us."

"And what about you?" James asked.

"If everyone's cool with it, I'll just stay in charge," Alfred said. "You guys say what everyone under you does, I say what you guys do. Like a real army."

"We really are making our way there, aren't we?" Oliver blinked owlishly.

"You really want me in charge of people?" Amelia asked and Alfred caught her eye with a smile.

Kill her.

"Yeah," Alfred nodded. "I mean, I've only seen you fight in self-defense, but you're not bad. If you don't want to, I understand, but-"

"No, no, I'll do it," Amelia nodded.

"Welcome to the team!" Allen laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Been a while comin'!"

Amelia rolled her eyes and Alfred smiled at her. She really did look nice when she was relaxed like that…

Kill her.

Alfred twitched.

Alfred groaned in pain, holding onto this throbbing stomach. He'd been stabbed in their last raid and, with Dark Magic, he didn't feel any pain. But he tried to make it something he always did, clear his mind and get rid of Dark Magic, especially after killing people. That was when it was the loudest, the voice. It felt like a buzzing in his head if he didn't keep it in control. He could heal this, of course, and he was in the process, but damn, it hurt.

He felt his head, cradled in delicate, yet rough hands. It was Amelia, she always helped him.

Kill her.

"It hurts," Alfred grimaced. He was bleeding so much, but he would be fine. Give it a few minutes and he could use Dark Magic to heal again. But he hated pain…so much.

I know how to make you never feel pain again.

"It says it can help," Alfred said quietly and Amelia traced a hand through Alfred's hair soothingly. She hummed.

Immortality. Only I can achieve it.

"Immortality?" Alfred asked, his voice quiet.

"It can give that to you?" Amelia asked.

"A-Apparently," Alfred muttered.

"How?" Amelia asked.

All you need to do is want it enough.

"Sorry," Alfred offered a smile up at her. She chuckled, running her hands through his hair.

"You don't need to smile all the time," Amelia offered.

"Mom always said my smile was my best quality," Alfred laughed lightly. "I'm a little ball of happiness, right?"

"If you want immortality, I won't stop you," Amelia said. "If you really want to change the world, it would probably be better if you can live longer than the rest of us, right?"

"I'll, uh, think about it," Alfred nodded slowly.

Kill her.

"What if we have Oliver and Allen take the east side?" Amelia offered. "Then James and Francois can take the west. You and I can storm the front."

"We have hundreds, there should be no reason for us to fail like this," Alfred mused, staring at the hand-drawn map one of their spies had gotten. They were growing significantly in number and some people even had the gall to try to pay them to not be attacked. Alfred just made sure to attack them first.

Now they were trying for something big. A castle. If they wanted to prove their power, now would be the time.

Kill them all.

He looked up at Amelia for reassurance and she nodded with a smile, causing the bundle of nerves in his stomach to go crazy. She knew they could do this. He knew they could do this. He could fight like hell and so could everyone in his personal army. He had faith in them to do this. In order for Alfred to change this world, they needed to show their power. If they could take down a castle, Alfred could also use that as a base of operations. And more castles meant more bases, which made life easier for everyone. This was make or break.

…

It was just a matter of hours. Some hours and what felt like thousands of deaths later and they had a castle. Hardly any of Alfred's own army had died. He knew that a couple of people were trying Dark Magic, despite his own warnings, but none of them seemed to have the strength or willingness to continue with it for very long. His own Dark Magic told him it depended on person to person if it worked well with both a person's mind and body, but he didn't listen to it much. Those that could use it, even just a little bit, were incredibly useful during fights.

Those that they fought, however, were all but obliterated. There were a few servants that joined their cause, which made Alfred proud. He loved when more people joined them. He'd been so happy in killing the king in charge of the castle that he'd pulled Amelia into a kiss. They both laughed uncontrollably afterwards. They were still just teenagers after all, Alfred sixteen and Amelia eighteen. Alfred just felt so…happy, even with the Dark Magic influencing him. He didn't even think he was capable of that.

Alfred sat down on the ground in the forest. Alone. Well, mostly alone. Amelia was there, but she was just as patiently quiet as always when Alfred needed her to be. He was trying to focus. He was going to do it…really. He was going to figure out this immortality thing. He just had to really want it…really, really want it. That was what the Dark Magic told him. And it had never been wrong. Its advice was a little unwanted at times, but when it told Alfred something, it was never wrong.

He listened.

Do you really want it?

"Yes," Alfred nodded. He didn't want to feel pain again, he didn't want to worry about dying anymore. He had to have the ability to stay around forever so that he could actually continue the world he wanted to create. Besides, he was eighteen now, almost nineteen. He was old enough to decide this on his own, and he couldn't just let himself get closer and closer to the average mortality rate. He refused to let this be half of his lifetime.

Alfred felt…something weird. An exhausting feeling overwhelmed him, but he didn't fall over, thankfully. He opened his eyes and noticed that he was holding out both of his hands. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and watched as something…glowing appeared in his hand. It looked like a little ball. A glowing green ball, the size of his palm.

Your immortality.

"Yeah?" Alfred asked quietly. Amelia sat down right in front of him, looking at the object in apt interest.

"That's it?" Amelia asked. "I wasn't really sure what I was expecting, but it's kind of interesting…"

"I think this is it…" Alfred muttered. "I mean, it's never been wrong, has it?"

"I guess not," Amelia mused.

Kill her.

"What do you do with it?" she asked.

Move it towards your face.

Alfred slowly moved the ball towards his face and he didn't even flinch when it started stretching towards him, taking over his face. He felt…funny. He felt his entire body healing, felt teeth suddenly growing, scars stitching over themselves, his malnutrition almost curing itself. But it didn't hurt. He flinched, the ball disappearing from his hand, but he felt it all over him, like something he could constantly feel…

He looked up at Amelia, who looked at him with slight concern on her face. Alfred blinked at her, taking in a deep breath.

"Did…did your teeth just grow?" Amelia asked. "And did they just…get whiter?"

"I think they did…" Alfred laughed lightly. He looked at her and noticed that…for the first time…he could see the contours and lines of her face. Could clearly see the color of her bright blue eyes. He looked at her more carefully. He was so used to seeing everyone as, more or less, a blob. He looked up at the trees and stared in shock when he could see the individual leaves. He heard people say there were individual leaves, but he never…believed them.

"What's wrong?" Amelia asked.

"Nothing," Alfred smiled, hugging onto her tightly. "Absolutely nothing. I've never felt so amazing in my life! Did you know about the little details?"

"What?" Amelia asked and Alfred pulled away, tracing her face delicately.

"The little details," Alfred mused. "I didn't know how blue your eyes were, or that you had…individual strands of hair. I thought it was just one solid thing. Your face is so clear now…"

"Was your eye sight really that bad?" Amelia laughed and Alfred laughed, too.

And Alfred leaned forward and kissed her, as hard as he could. He cared about her so much and she knew that. Alfred almost felt like he loved her, but he'd never felt it before. He wanted to, so he kept kissing her, and she kept kissing back. On top of it all, Alfred felt so much more powerful, like he could do anything. It almost made him cocky, want to see how far he could go with her.

His hands started roaming.

Kill her.

"They're coming for you," Amelia said, running into his room in the castle. Alfred looked up from his map, confused. Amelia looked actually concerned… It had been years since people started trying to stop them, hardly anyone could fight back, but none of them got very far. They had a good couple thousand in their army and Alfred was proud of all of them.

Kill her.

"Who?" Alfred asked. The voice always hissed at him when she came close, but Alfred didn't care. He'd gotten good at ignoring it, after all. Now, however, he couldn't help but feel a little on edge.

"They've gotten a bunch of magic users together, they plan on taking you down," Amelia blurted out. Alfred nodded, thinking pretty hard. Amelia's group was full of spies, and Alfred had learned to trust all of their intel.

"What are they gonna do?" Alfred asked suspiciously. It wasn't like they could kill him…

"I don't know, but they're confident," Amelia shook her head. "They know you're here in this castle, none of the fakes are stopping them. I think they might have spies in our ranks as well."

"I figured," Alfred sighed. He walked towards her, placing a small peck on her lips. "Hey, it's gonna work out, don't worry. It's fine. I promise I'll be back tonight. They don't stand a chance against me."

"I know," Amelia smirked, kissing him back. "I just want you to be safe."

"Nothing can hurt me, babe," Alfred laughed and he took a deep breath, walking towards the door. He could handle this, he had his Dark Magic and it could talk with him, help him figure this out, like always.

It always worked.

If Amelia talked to him about it today, then that meant the chance was high they would go for him today. Alfred was going to meet their challenge head on. Amelia also didn't give him a lot of information, which mean that they were keeping this a secret, trying to stop him for good. Or something like that. A couple other people had tried, but his immortality always stopped them. This felt a little different, though.

"Should I be scared?" Alfred asked.

Probably.

"Thanks," Alfred grumbled, walking through the castle until he left it on his own. People from his army stood on guard at the entrance and he nodded to them as he walked. When he was finished with this disturbance, he'd have to make sure that he could look through everyone and find those spies. He'd have to tell Allen, Francois, James, and Oliver as well…

He walked out of the safety of the castle walls, alone. But he wasn't scared, he was never scared. Nothing could hurt him, nothing could touch him. They must be close. If Amelia knew, then they were definitely close. She always stayed in the same place as Alfred, barely even left his side. So they had to be close. Where were they?

This isn't good.

"I'll be fine," Alfred shook his head. He could handle this. He could do this.

There was a forest close by to the castle and he figured, if anyone was hiding, they'd try for there first. There couldn't be that many, after all, if this was a secret mission.

The second Alfred entered the forest, however, he was put on edge.

This is bad.

"Really?" Alfred muttered sarcastically to himself. He glanced around, hoping to see where people were. He could feel auras around him, and that made him suspicious. There were a lot…

There are 50 of them.

Alfred froze when he heard that news. From the strength of their auras, they were powerful. Too strong for Alfred to take on his own very well, even with Dark Magic to help. There was no way there was that many…They might just…

They will. You're not gonna die, though. You can't.

Then what was going to happen, dammit? Alfred clenched his fists. Was there really nothing he could do to stop them?

Absolutely nothing.

Dammit! Alfred hit a tree as he passed it. He stopped walking where the Dark Magic told him to, near a clearing. There was fifty of them? How did they manage to do this secretly?

That magic. They're planning on freezing you in time. Keep using me and you'll be able to get out on your own. Don't worry.

"I'm worrying," Alfred grumbled. His thoughts went to his friends. If he was to just freeze in time…would he just disappear? Without a word? His eyes widened at the thought of leaving Amelia. She was one of his generals, they might go after her and he couldn't protect her, dammit! He growled at the idea. It was because of these idiots getting in his way that he couldn't protect her!

If there weren't so many, I'd say to kill them.

"You're fucking hilarious," Alfred rolled his eyes.

"Don't move!" someone shouted and Alfred glared in his direction. He was fucking livid and he could just barely see the person that had spoken. He stopped moving and shuddered. Alfred smirked.

"Oh, don't worry, I know I'm outnumbered," Alfred drawled, his hands laced behind his head. "What's up, what's this huge plan of yours?"

"You know about it?" another person asked, dropping down from a nearby tree.

Alfred shrugged. "You have your spies, I have mine."

"Are you gonna fight back?" another person asked and Alfred watched countless people come into view.

"You wanna find out?" Alfred asked.

"Let's just do it," the first person stated. Alfred looked around at the dozens of magic users. They were all kinds of people; humans, elves, dwarves, you name it. Alfred laughed slightly, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Amelia, trying to find a way to help her. He felt so stupid…

And then he blinked.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't standing in the forest anymore. He felt…strange. Like he wasn't in his own body, but he could clearly see a massive wall made of metal. And there was a strange buzzing all around him, it was so strange…

"This location is quite queer," Alfred mused, looking around. Then he looked to his side and saw a man standing in front of him. He was a human, but his aura told Alfred that he had more magic in him than most elves. He had silvery hair and intense purple eyes and he was incredibly tall. Alfred only had one thought when he saw the man, and it wasn't even his own, it was from the Dark Magic.

Kill him.

Voilà! You finally get Alfred's backstory! Hope it didn't disappoint. I've had this written for a really long time, just had no idea where to put it, but I think here is as good a place as any. You finally get to really know about everything Alfred's been hinting at. I do really like him and Amelia, worked really hard on that relationship.

Oh, yeah, also, thanks a ton to ILiveForTheAnime for giving the best review I've ever gotten. You've made me laugh for days, so kudos to you!

Anyway, that's it for now. See you guys next time!