Sorry for taking so long, life is a bitch but I finally got this up! Made this one long so you guys can enjoy it better!
If you want to check out my DA, check out EmeraldOverlord to see any art I have on this story or anything else.
You know the famous folklore that parents told their children at night? Those tales that were etched in the sands of time and repeated over the years as a popular tale for both the young and old.
The stories were often morbid in nature, meant to scare children into obeying their elders for tales of what happened to naughty children were quite popular back in the day who weren't fond of listening to their parental figures.
These classic tales remained popular even in modern day as despite some creating more kid-friendly adaptations with happier endings than the originals, the lessons and the basic premise of the folklore remained intact.
Yeah, those tales, the ones etched in the sands of history.
In Hell, the folklore that was told on Earth sprung to life, for the creatures they were based on festered in the inferno whether they be Hellborn themselves or Sinners whose sins had in life turned them into the folklore others had created.
The fabled creatures on Earth that were considered myths were very much real in the Inferno.
The literature itself was popular in both Realms alike, Hell itself had their own sort of myths, though they were less myths and more a part of history with information on the supernatural species that populated the Realm of Vice and Sin.
However, with the influx of Sinners led to a surge of mortal culture imprinting itself into Hell's society and influential people managed to adapt their own twists on well known literature and turn them into movies that Sinners and Hellborns enjoyed, loving the morbid and twisted topics that were filed to the brim with great depravity.
Stories that featured to the darkest horrors of the world, like famine, war, and the wicked nature of individuals who took part in malicious actions in abuse, murder and rape in excruciating detail.
And the most damning thing is, they had the nerve to end the story off with that phrase that was framed in the history of literature: Happily Ever After.
Helsa scoffed, just thinking about that phrase made her roll her eyes,'Happily ever after…That phrase has etched it's way into history and plagued the the fantasy genre for years to come…Not only is it repetitive but it's dumb too…'
One might ask why Helsa cared so much about the topic and it was a rather simple explanation.
Belphegor had imprisoned her in the lower depths of his laboratory, having designed a room to accommodate her presence, appearing how you'd expect a teenage girl's room to look with lavish pillows and furniture..
It'd almost pass for a normal bedroom had you ignored the glass window separating her world from theirs and despite how fragile as it looked, it was clearly encased in magic as it didn't even budge when she pounded her fists on it.
It seemed Belphegor had taken extra precautions to ensure she did not escape and while she hated to admit it, he had done a wonderful job at this as not only was the only door sealed with some of magical aurora, but it only unlocked from the outside meaning that Helsa couldn't get out unless someone opened the door for her…
And that clearly wasn't happening anytime soon, leaving her to rot in the cell for the time being.
The closest thing she had to any sort of 'solace' was that Belphegor had 'gifted' her some old books a few days back. He had taken notice of her boredom and decided to take pity on her by granting her access to some of the novels he had collected.
Apparently when Belphegor wasn't performing unethical experiments on people he spent his time reading and he had an entire collection of old literature from this timeline stored in his personal adobe.
Which was how Helsa found herself reading the ever famous story, Rapunzel, where a girl with overly long hair was locked away in a Tower for the vast majority of her life by a witch only to be saved by a Prince, living happily ever after…
She'd rather die than admit it, but she found herself relating to the isolation, though she felt rather envious at the same time. Rapunzel would eventually get rescued by the end of her tale.
Helsa had no such luck, there was no handsome Prince running to save her. She was alone, cut off from the rest of society as the world went on as if she weren't there…
Just thinking about it made her bitter and she gripped the book tightly with dismay.
'Reading is so not my cup of tea…' Helsa thought as she slouched on the bed boredly, tossing the damned thing aside with great irritation.
Times like this made her remember her school days and how little interest she had in the vast majority of her classes.
The only thing she really cared for was getting a good grade so that she could pass but outside of that, she never gave shit about what they taught. She wasn't one to study and while she was more than capable of getting good grades herself, she often found herself too lazy to bother and simply flirted with the smart kids to get the best grade.
And when it came to the larger exams…let's just say senior year was made easier when she got a bit 'personal' with the male teachers.
Even before her eighteenth birthday, Helsa always noticed that some of her male teachers had their eyes on her and seemed to give her 'special' treatment by letting her turn assignments in late without penalty or refused to mark her late despite Helsa coming to class thirty minutes behind schedule because she wanted to get her nails done.
She'd have to be dumb to not realize they were attracted to her and she was more than willing to take advantage of their attraction when it aligned with her goals.
Whenever a large exam happened, Helsa approached the teacher after class under the guise of wanting help studying for the finals before laying her trap card and attempting to seduce them in exchange for an A+.
This worked like a charm as the male teacher she tried this on had clearly been waiting for an opportunity like this and seized it by sleeping with her.
This however, is only part of her plan.
Because afterwards, Helsa used this information as blackmail, threatening to alert not just the entire administration, but her parents as well that they had slept with a minor.
It would've caused quite a ruckus as Hell School was one of the few schools that valued their reputation. It was a school meant for well-off demons and while there was corruption, they sought to keep their less savory controversies under wraps by paying off others into silence or disposing of teachers who were too much trouble to keep around.
Jailbait was rather…controversial in Hell and despite this, Helsa was aware that a good portion of their teachers were predators.
Rumors were constant among the student population that certain kids were sleeping with teachers to get better grades and there was a minor controversy that the reason their gym teacher was replaced with middle of the semester was because he had been caught peeping at girls through the locker room and thus, has to be let go to avoid further controversy.
It was to the point that she managed to compile an entire list of their names and threatened to expose them for sleeping with her while she was underage if they didn't keep their mouths closed.
Her plan worked without a hitch, the teachers she pulled this ploy on were too scared to go against her demands and she got one of the highest scores on the finals as a reward for her efforts.
It was a cruel and malicious act, but like the vast majority of things in her life, she didn't regret it. Sentimentality was considered a weakness and there wasn't any room in her heart for love….
Well, she thought that until Vox showed up and caused her to feel the slightest bit of guilt for the first time in her centuries of life. It was a feeling she had never felt before and the vulnerability made her wish to hurl at times..
What made it worse was the knowledge her brother was posing as her while she was locked away.
She knew how gullible Vox could be and she still found herself offended that anyone, much less Vox, could fall for such a ploy.
She was desperately hoping that someone would see through it, but recalling how deviously accurate Seviathan's impression of her was, her doubts grew and it kept her on edge. She was already feeling hopeless as it was and these circumstances weren't helping her case in the least…
Things only got worse when Helsa heard footsteps approaching nearby. She positioned her body upright and recompose herself, not wanting to appear weak to anyone who bothered to see her in this sorry state.
Predictably, the person on the other side of the glass was no other than Belphegor. Helsa had since gotten used to his presence as he was the one who had taken sole custody of her and was in charge of her basic care and what-not.
"Hello my beloved niece, how are you doing, Princess?" He asked in an upbeat tone.
Helsa's eyes narrowed suspiciously, the man was never this happy and she felt a tad uneasy. She pulled up her hands and signed,"What's gotten you all worked up today?"
"Oh, can't a man just be happy?"
The Princess of Envy scoffed,"Do I look like a fool to you, Belphegor? You always have a method to your madness. You've never smiled like this before when you visited. Explain yourself, now."
"Clever girl," He cackled, amused by Helsa's skeptical nature,"I've always been fond of your calculating mind. Certainly seems to run the family, doesn't it, dearie?"
Helsa glared at him, unamused by his small-talk,"Get to the point, Belphegor…"
"And just as impatient as your mother…" He remarked,"There's no need to be so demanding, all will be revealed in due time. However, before I unveil the surprise, we must take care of a few…precautions before we start."
She cocked an eyebrow,'Precautions? What's he going on about now? He's not thinking of actually experimenting on me is he?' She asked herself with great unease, her expression drenched with dread.
"Oh don't have such a long face Helsa. You know that there's always room for improvement and while you're quite adept with your skills, there's always time to perfect things…"
"Like how you 'perfected' my brother?" She snapped.
"Helsa, there's no need to be so hostile," He ushered,"You know that your brother wanted to become the way he did. He begged for my help after he was abandoned by your lot. It would've been wrong for me not to do something after seeing how distraught he was. Even more so when none of you bothered to come back for him, leaving to rot without batting so much as an eye."
The Princess flinched at the accusation, her mouth dry as she was about to put up her hands again to speak, but Belphegor cut her off.
"No need for keywords. Your actions speak clearly. No matter your justifications, the end result remains. You abandoned your brother, your own flesh and blood. I suppose the phrase,'the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb' was correct in this instance."
A flicker of shame welled up within her in that body, her once frozen over heart throbbing ever so slightly under such scrutiny. She abhorred this feeling of weakness and Belphegor twisted the knife with his words and was doing her no favors.
"Are you judging me?" She asked.
"Judging? Hardly. Just stating the cold fact, that's all," He remarked,"Besides, it's not as if you didn't know. I'm just pointing out the obvious, whether you admit it or not, you know I'm right…"
Helsa bristled up, the way he said those words was without emotion, as if he were discussing the weather. Very few things could make her blood run cold, but Belphegor's uncanny nature made her freeze up from time to time.
"What do you plan on doing with me?"
"As I said earlier, I want to perfect you, my dear niece."
"I'm not becoming my brother…" She retorted,"I don't know who you think you're fooling, but I'm not as desperate as my twin and I have no plans on becoming as deranged as him. I've seen your work and I don't plan on becoming a twisted monstrosity for you two gawks at…"
Belphegor chuckled,"I had a feeling you'd say that. But don't worry, I have done my research, Helsa. And so long as you follow my instructions, you'll at least fare somewhat better than your brother…"
"Do I even have a choice?"
"Not really, but I assure you that I have everything under control. You simply need to do as I say…" He said before approaching her cell door, undoing the magical seal on it temporarily as he had in prior days whenever he let her out before getting her to exit the room,"Come on out, Helsa…"
Helsa remained in place for a moment before ultimately deciding to take the first step out.
There was no point in trying to hold off the inevitable and despite the sense of dread she felt, she tried to console herself by remaining calm, knowing being outwardly scared would only make it worse…
For whatever reason, Belphegor removed her cuffs from her wrist just prior to entering. She wasn't sure why, but she figured this was some sort of way to comfort her or something…
Not that it helped for long given what was in front of her.
The lump in her throat only grew as Belphegor led her to a chamber filled with candles in circular motion, something she had frequently seen before in Hell.
Demons were summoned daily by mortals depending on what they desired and sometimes they called forth the Deadly Sins themselves, selling their souls for all eternity in exchange for whatever they had wanted at the moment.
Whether that be revenge, wealth, fame, glory or even a mix of all the above. Mortals souls were considered a currency to Deadly Sins as it bought them powerful minions once the mortal's time to die rolled around.
She had seen the circles before but never got this close to one and just the sight of it made her skin crawl.
Matters only got worse when Belphegor held up a dagger to her. Her sense of smell as a siren remained strong despite her time on land and she could smell the scent of blood on it.
It made her a tad queasy and she had a feeling she knew who it belonged to…
When Belphegor tried to get her to take it, Helsa refused, seeming hesitant. Instead of getting angry, he merely sighed before saying,"I understand your unease, Helsa. I can hardly blame you, Blood Magic is a tricky craft and dangerous as well and like dark arts, it requires sacrifice. But I assure you, it's gonna be alright so long as you trust me and follow my instructions…"
The Princess remained uncertain, she didn't want to trust Belphegor, not by a long-shot but it was far too late to turn back and if she wanted to get through this with the least amount of harm done to her body, following his instruction might be wise…
So she took the knife from his hands, glancing at him wearily as she did so.
"Wise choice, Princess, your cooperation is very much appreciated," He remarked,"Now, what I'm about to ask from you is a bit much, but you need to slit your wrists to draw blood for the ritual to work."
Helsa stared at him like he grew a second head,"That's insane. There's no way this will work…"
"It worked with your brother, I don't see why it wouldn't work with you," He admitted.
"I'm not my brother," She reminded him,"Besides, we wield different elements. He had water and I had ice. There's no way this will work…"
"Fret not, Helsa. Water and ice are pretty similar to one another, mainly because ice is just dense water. They're the same substance at the end of the day, just in different forms and while you and your brother wield it differently, your powers are quite similar. I suppose being twins helps in that regard. You two are alike in your blood and have far more in common than you realize…"
Helsa flinched at this revelation.
Perhaps had she bothered to pay attention in science class she would've remembered that crucial detail but alas, Belphegor's late science lesson had rather horrifying implications…
There was no getting out of this and it seemed Belphegor had done his research if his explanation was anything to go by…
She was trapped, boxed in a corner with no way out. The Huntress had become the hunted and now, she had to hope to whatever God there was that perhaps she'd get this ritual intact…
Helsa gulped quietly before rolling up her sleeves and gripping the knife, her hands quivering ever so slightly as she cut her skin, biting back a whine as a tiny bit of blood
Belphegor spoke to her once again,"Go on, cut yourself further and form a pentagram of blood so the ritual can work as intended."
Helsa bit her lip but did as she was told, hissing in agony as her blood trickled on the floor. Once she completed it, she looked at Belphegor in confusion, as if expecting something to happen at that very moment.
"You didn't think that was it now did you?" He asked amusingly, laughing at her lost expression,"In order for the ritual to work, I believe you need to communicate your desires. I know this is strange to you but think of this as a Deal with the Devil of sorts. Blood Magic will grant you great power, for a price that is. Make it clear what you want and it'll do just that…"
Helsa's expression grew grim. She had a feeling it would go this route and she was not excited for it…
She recalled what her brother looked like and feared that the ritual would make her look as monstrous as he did. Say she was vain, but Helsa valued her looks far too much to allow herself to become a hideous monstrosity.
Belphegor seemed to sense this and said,"If you wish to keep your face, I suggest sacrificing something you could do without. Like a limb or so…"
Helsa cringed, that hardly sounded any better yet it was at least an alternative. She was given an ultimatum and either way, she lost something of value to her…
"What'll it be, Helsa? You can either follow your brother's example or choose your own path?" He asked,"The choice is yours…I won't judge either way. It's your life after all…"
It was a pick your poison situation and Helsa took a deep breath as she contemplated her choices, glancing at her body for what could be considered 'expendable'.
She thought about losing her leg at first, but immediately banished the thought. She wouldn't be able to run that well if one of her legs were out of commission.
Having been forced to rely on others to get around when she had a tail out of water was quite inconvenient and Helsa didn't fancy having to be hauled around in a wagon, let alone learning to balance on one foot.
That'd be too risky…she'd have to try something else…
'Maybe an arm would do nicely…'She remarked internally, glancing down at her hands wearily. It was a scary prospect losing a limb, let alone having to choose one but it was either her arm or her face and she refused to let herself become as unsightly as her elder sibling who had allowed his thirst for revenge to transform him into what he was now.
'An arm is better than my face…' She thought, having made her decision,'Right arm it is…'
The split second this thought crossed her mind, Helsa's eyes widened when the room began to spin,demonic symbols appeared before her and the flames of the candles turned a blue color, the heat rising as utter chaos took hold, the wind howling like a pack of wolves.
Helsa froze at the hellish sight around her as the ritual took hold and saw this hellish magic encircle her right arm and let out a blood curdling screech as whatever malicious force behind this ritual was trying to tear her arm clean off in order to collect it's due, her body being struck with pain that crumbled her ot her knees.
It felt as though she was dying. As if someone was trying to tear her apart and there was nothing she could do as it got worse with each passing second.
'Was this what my brother felt? As if he were dying?' Was a throat that coursed through her mind as the ritual took its effect.
She screamed as this force tore her left arm right off her body as her arm was taken from her and evaporated into the air as if it was never there.
Blood began gushing out of her and Helsa immediately grasped the open sore and froze it in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
It worked, though the damage seemed to already be done by then.
Her heart was racing and the world seemed ready to collapse on top of her, fear freezing over her entire being as it all came crashing down, becoming faint from the loss of blood. Even with her wound covered, it felt as though she was still worse for wear.
Helsa was horrified when she noticed that her blood was freezing whenever it came into contact with cryogenic properties evident in her bodily fluids due to the ritual that had taken place.
It had worked, horrifying enough….
Helsa gasped when something jabbed in her neck and seconds later, her eyes had rolled into the back of her head as she fell unconscious.
Belphegor quickly intervened upon seeing Helsa's blood was freezing the area, pulling out a syringe of anesthetics and injecting it into her.
He sighed,"Sorry niece, but I can't have you freezing my entire test chamber over…" He remarked,"Regardless, you handled the ritual quite well, you fared even better than your brother, even managed to stop the blood loss is a tad problematic and you'll need medical attention, but I'm certain you'll recover just fine."
He lowered himself down to her level, carrying Helsa into another area so that he could stabilize her. He bandaged her nub and placed her in a hospital bed to keep her stable, hooking her up to a machine so that she could keep breathing.
'Only time will tell…However, I should inform Bethesda and Frederick of this change. No doubt they won't appreciate me having done this to their daughter without their consent…' He told him,'I just have to hope my investment in these two was truly worth it…'
Meanwhile…
Seviathan had been impersonating his sister just as planned.
The plan was going smoothly, no one seemed to truly suspect him outside of Husk, but even then, he wasn't worried. The man had no evidence he was anything but who he presented himself as…
And besides, if push came to shove and Husk truly posed a risk to their plans, he was more than willing to make him 'disappear' for whatever reason. Say he wandered too far from camp and got grabbed by some scouts, the works…
It worked with Vox…and he was certain that it'd work with him if it came down to it…
Not like he was worried or anything, but precautions were always nice to have.
At the moment, Seviathan carrying a bucket of water back to camp since Charlie instructed everyone to get more resources for the long haul and she decided it was his turn(or rather Helsa's) to get it.
He didn't exactly fancy taking orders from her of course, but he figured faking it until he reached his goal was his best option. As much as he desired revenge, he knew that this was not the correct moment to strike…
As he prepared to head back to camp, Seviathan abruptly dropped the water when a strange feeling came over him, a connection that hadn't been there prior suddenly activated and left him in a state of puzzlement.
He felt concerned, not for himself strange enough but for…his sister? He couldn't understand it, but this feeling made him feel as though something happened and a part of him wanted to check up on her.
'The others might notice I'm late…' His mind rationalized,'Sister can handle herself…Can't she?' He was a tad uncertain and knew that he wasn't supposed to return to base unless it was to relay information.
Going back to check on Helsa would no doubt get him an ear-beating for acting out of line and it might get him in more trouble if the others took note of him being out for too long…
But that small, nagging feeling in his mind refused to subside and he ultimately gave in, deciding that it wouldn't hurt just this once to check on her. Besides, he wanted to know if this was just a strange feeling in his mind or if there was something else at play…
'Only one way to find out, Seviathan…' He told himself,'Time to pay my sister a visit…
With the help of his clone, he traveled back to the Deadly Sins base, leaving his true body in a temporary shut-down until he went back for it.
Seviathan's eyes snapped awake as he found himself back at camp. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, seeing Helsa was nowhere in sight.
'Where'd she go?' He thought to himself before remembering,'Oh right, Master took custody of her shortly after I took her identity. She's likely inside his lab if I had to guess…'
So he headed towards Belphegor's base and let himself inside where he entered the laboratory. He called out,"Master? Are you there? I felt something strange and I was wondering if something happened to my sister while I was away…"
He received no reply, the laboratory appearing dead quiet. For whatever reason, it appeared that Belphegor was not in his place of solitude, to his bemusement.
He found it odd he wasn't here, but ultimately decided that he'd ask questions later.
Normally, tracking his sister down would take a bit of time, but this strange otherworldly sense came to his advantage and led him to her for whatever reason.
When Seviathan found her, she was lying unconscious on a hospital bed with a missing arm. It was a dreadful sight and for a second, he felt…unnerved.
Thinking fast, Seviathan shook Helsa in an attempt to wake her up. She didn't stir at first, but eventually, Seviathan shaking her back and forth awoke her from her chemically induced slumber as she slowly, but surely came around.
Helsa let out a groan as her eyes opened, her vision blurry as it adjusted to her surroundings.
Helsa grit her teeth, her body aching and she felt rather weak,'Ugh…my head…Was…was that all a dream?' She asked herself only for her gaze to fall where her arm previously had been, dismay filling her eyes at the sight,'No…no…it was real…It was all real…'
Before Helsa could possibly mourn the loss, she was suddenly ripped back to reality when she saw Seviathan standing there. She flinched at his presence and was uncertain how to react, staring at him in silence until she noticed something off.
Seviathan…wasn't speaking. He was just staring at her and even with that mask on, she could tell he was just looking at her intently, as if she had something on her face.
It wasn't even like he was looking at where her arm had been, he was just staring at her face and she was becoming uncomfortable by it.
'What the fuck is he looking at? What is his deal? Is my lack of an arm that jarring that he needs to look at me? It's creepy as fuck…'
These thoughts were something Helsa intended to keep to herself, but obviously, things weren't going her way as Seviathan informed her that her thoughts were not' as private as she thought.
'It's a tad rude to speak about someone when they are right in front of you, sister. I thought even our parents told you that…' He retorted telepathically, Helsa having a heart attack upon hearing her brother's voice in her head.
'What the fuck!?' Helsa exclaimed, backing away in terror upon hearing Seviathan speak,'What are you doing in my head, Seviathan? Get out!'
'Tch, I'm not in your head anymore than you are in mine,' The Feral Prince informed calmly,'And believe me, sister, I'm just as surprised as you are. It's been so long since I heard your voice, I'd go as far as to say I missed it…'
For a split second, she heard her brother's old self seep through the madness, his true voice being heard for just a moment. He sounded…almost genuine, his rich yet mature voice that befitted one who was meant to wear the crown.
He sounded like the brother she used to know. Her ignorant yet not malicious other half who she once cared little for, something that she had come to regret nowadays.
This wouldn't last as Seviathan's deranged, child-like act returned, effortlessly tuning his voice to sound like an unhinged man-child as the creature she once called brother asked,'So…what happened to you? You've changed since we last met…'
He said this while glancing at where her arm had been.
'What do you think? Belphegor experimented on me…'
He rolled his eyes,'I can tell that much. But what did he do to you?'
Helsa sighed,'He taught me Blood Magic as he did with you. And as you can see…it came at a cost…'
'I see…I must ask though…why your arm, sister? Is your vanity truly worth sacrificing a limb?'
'Belphegor did advise me to sacrifice something I could live without and a limb is far easier to replace than your face…'
Upon being told those words, Helsa took notice her brother's form stiffened and he seemed…envious?
It was impossible to tell what true emotion was held given his mask concealed his expression but she could tell he seemed a tad miffed by the news.
'Oh did he now?' He asked with great irritation,bitterness seeping into his tone,`How delightful. I'll be sure to have a 'word' with him when I get the chance…'
Seviathan's tone was threatening and Helsa could sense thinly contained jealousy and rage in his deceivingly calm voice.
'How the hell is this even possible?' She inquired,'How are we speaking to each other? We never were able to do that before…'
'Your guess is as good as mine,' He admitted,'Though if I had to assume, I'd say you learning Blood Magic helped establish a firmer connection between us. We can sense when the other feels fear or is in danger and communicate with each other through telepathy. Quite interesting if you ask me…I wonder if the Master intended for such a thing to happen…'
Helsa winced, she had heard of twin experiments and only now had it occurred to her that this was likely all a part of Belphgeor's plan to make them even more intertwined with each other's lives…
And the worst part was….that it worked…It really, really worked…
'Not that I'm complaining. After all, siblings share everything and our minds should be no exception…' He taunted with maniacal glee.
The Princess flinched, clearly not as enthusiastic as her brother about sharing her every thought with him. Not only did it feel like an invasion of privacy on both ends but with how…deranged her brother's state of mind was, she wasn't sure the ability to share information with him was a good thing….
'Aw, don't have such a long face, sister. This is a good thing! Now we'll be even more like a family!' He encouraged, offering her a hand,'Speaking of which, as your brother, I believe it's in your best interest to leave the bed. I understand it's comfortable but I believe it'd be best for you to get used to your circumstances while you can. What do you say?'
Despite phrasing it as a question, Seviathan's tone made it clear this was not optional as he was quick to take Helsa's eye contact as consent to be removed from the bed, much to her chagrin.
As it turns out, having no arm gave you balancing issues and Helsa hated to admit she leaned more on her brother than she would've liked when she was brought to her feet, stumbling as she fought to regain her balance.
'Relax…' He ushered,'you'll do yourself no favors stumbling over yourself sister…Try taking it slow before you fall flat on your ass. Unlike all the other times, you won't pick yourself up so easily so I'd advise not rushing…'
God..he sounded so damn pretentious and she could tell he was mocking her.
But she knew not to punch him. Not only would she probably fail miserably trying, but she knew he was right…and that was what truly stung.
So she bit her tongue, grit her teeth and barked through her brother's mocking advice as she struggled to adjust to her new circumstances.
He had tried to separate his hand from her' when it appeared Helsa was learning to walk without him, but Helsa firmly grasped his hand in response and squeezed. The action took him off guard and he fell silent for a moment, as if uncertain how to react to it.
Seviathan seemed tempted to pull away and for a second, Helsa feared he might shove her but instead, he merely let her do this while scoffing in irritation, remarking how she was growing 'soft'.
While it was clear he was annoyed by her clinginess, he didn't bother shoving her away.
Perhaps it was just her reminiscing on old memories, but a part of her felt strangely comforted by the gesture, even though she knew she logically shouldn't.
This wasn't the same Seviathan she had known…it was a twisted, corrupted version of him that scarcely resembled the brother she knew.
He was malicious, deluded and outright sadistic towards those around him, quite unlike the brother she had known prior…
It was subtle, but there was a sliver of his original personality still intact despite the blatant corruption inside and out…
Maybe she was becoming delusional, growing a tad soft as her brother would say, but a part of her was hoping that perhaps her brother's true self was in there…somewhere…
As the twins walked down the hallway, they couldn't help but hear voices up ahead…Familiar voices at that.
'Our parents…' Helsa and Seviathan thought to themselves, Seviathan sounding more enthusiastic than his younger sister did.'They're here…'
'But what for?' Helsa asked wearily.
'What else? To see their 'beloved' children again…' He remarked, his deranged seeming hopeful despite the odds.
'They're not even our real parents,' She reminded,'Besides, they sold us to Mammon to punish us. Don't you remember that?' She asked in hopes of jogging his memory, praying that her brother wasn't a total lost cause.
Her brother's hope wavered at that reminder but ultimately his mind was too stuck on the subject of family to toss it out so quickly,,'That was then, things have changed since then. I can prove it to you, we can be a family if you just give it a chance. I'll show you…'
The Princess of Envy cringed, having an awful feeling as they got closer and closer.
When the twins entered the room, they soon realized that Belphegor and the Von Eldritch were engaging in a conversation of sorts and they had the misfortune of stumbling right into it.
"Mother, Father, look what I found!" He exclaimed, hoping that his parents would be pleased to see them.
The reaction Seviathan received was anything BUT that as their other parents' jaws dropped at the sight of Helsa's severed arm.
Bethesda let out the most piercing screech imaginable as she shouted,"Helsa, your arm! It's gone!" She shoved past Seviathan and rushed up to the Princess with outright shock and glanced at her up and down."What happened to you?"
Helsa couldn't give her an answer, even if she tried. She was too in shock at the sudden concern to truly react and tensed up when the sudden touching.
"Belphegor, what is the meaning of this?" Frederick hissed,"You never mentioned this when you told us you were monitoring our daughter! What did you do? Did you cut off her arm for sick kicks!?"
Belphegor seemed offended,"I would never harm my precious niece in such a manner, Frederick. Cutting off her limb myself is something I couldn't bear to do. I advised her, but the choice ultimately was hers…"
"Don't your word games on me, bastard," Frederick hissed,"You already turned my son into a freak of nature now you're trying to do the same to my daughter?"
"Frederick, calm yourself. I understand your anger but I assure you, there was a good reason for what I did…"
"Oh yeah, and what was that?"
"I wanted to test something with your daughter. You know I was always fascinated with twins and I had a little hypothesis I wanted to test. I wanted to see if twins with similar powers were capable of telepathy so I taught Helsa Blood Magic. It wasn't too hard, Ice is merely dense water and it seems it worked given Seviathan came all this way back for her, must've sensed something was amiss and wished to see if his sister was alright…'
"Are you kidding me? All of this was part of your sick experiment?" Bethesda snarled,"Have you gone mad? Not only did you use our children as lab rats, but you let her get rid of her arm just to prove a theory? Do you not realize you just ruined our daughter's life? Now how's she supposed to find a suitor if she doesn't have an arm? No man is going to want her while she's like this!"
Helsa rolled her eyes,'Is that seriously what she's thinking about!? My arm is fucking gone and yet she's worried about men finding me sexy!'
It was probably a good thing only Seviathan could hear her, else Helsa would've been raving up a storm.
"Don't be so dramatic,Bethesda" Belphegor commented,"Arm or no arm, Helsa is a beautiful young lady with plenty of assets .A man would have to be a fool to reject her over something as trivial as a mere limb. Besides, I can always craft her an artificial one if she desires…"
"You've done enough to her as it is," Frederick snorted,"Don't make it worse. You've turned our son into a hideous creature and you thought you had the right to experiment on our daughter in a similar fashion?"
Before Belphegor could respond,Seviathan whined, sounding rather hurt,"Father, must you be so cruel? You know you don't have to call me hideous…I know I'm not pleasant to look at but you don't need to rub it in…"
"Don't tell me what to do boy," Frederick snapped,"Watch your tongue. Can't you see we're worried about our daughter?"
This sentence struck a nerve,"Am I just an afterthought to you?" He said in a raised voice,"Why must my sister get preferential treatment? She's done nothing to deserve it! I deserve to be treated just as well if not better than her!"
"Quiet Seviathan, you know not of what you speak," Frederick said threateningly,"Do not raise your voice at me young man…"
"Oh I know plenty, Father," He sneered,"I know that you don't appreciate me enough. After all, my sister is clearly the favorite…Aren't I your heir? She's not even in line for the throne and yet I get little to no praise despite my skills..It's not fair…none of it is!
"Why you little-" Frederick growled and raised his hand, angry at his son's defiant attitude and prepared to 'discipline' him.
Seviathan saw this coming and normally, he would've cowered at seeing his father get physical. His father's wrath was something he felt great fear at and was one of the few people that caused his confidence to shrivel up and die in the depths of Hell itself…
In normal circumstances, he would've merely accepted the hit, but he had changed.
Seviathan didn't consider himself the same person. He was not that weak child anymore and his bloodthirsty nature took hold of him.
When Frederick tried to hit him, something snapped and Seviathan shoved him to the ground. The move stunned everyone there and for a second, Seviathan himself was shocked he had done that, but quickly overcame it.
The nerve in that bold action and Frederick balked as he asked,"How dare you? Just what kind of spawn are you to raise your hand against your own father?"
Seviathan would've been afraid years ago, yet he remained tall in the face of punishment. Helsa could sense her brother's emotions from there and the scariest thing was, there wasn't a hint of fear in him. Surprise, yes, but fear?
No. There was none. In fact, he seemed furious, a hint of rage had bubbled to the surface and evaporated any fear he should've had at that moment…
Things likely would've gotten out of hand had Belphegor not intervened, quick to tell Frederick and Bethesda to leave, claiming that it'd get hectic if they stayed. They seemed to be against it at first, but Belphegor insisted that he'd privately speak with Seviathan about what he did.
They didn't seem to trust him, but the decision fell out of their hands as Belphegor demanded they leave and wasn't asking any longer, rather demanding they leave his laboratory before he booted them out himself.
Bethesda tried to take Helsa with her, but was stopped as Belphegor said,"Helsa needs to stay here to fully recover from the loss of her limb and manage her powers. She is to remain in my care until further notice."
"But she-"
"Like I said, she is to remain in my care until further notice. Do I need to repeat myself or do you comprehend what I'm saying, Bethesda? Because I believe I'm making myself rather clear…"
She looked ready to argue, but Frederick whispered something in her and she reluctantly stood down. They stormed out of the laboratory, fuming with rage as they did so.
"Seviathan, restrain your sister's powers and take her to the lower chamber," Belphegor instructed, but was taken aback when Seviathan asked,
"Can you do it yourself, Master? I've wasted enough time here and I do have a mission to accomplish. I don't fancy wasting any more time when my 'care' is not appreciated.." He remarked bitterly.
He fell silent before inquiring,"Must we have a talk, nephew? Your outbursts are quite undignified for royalty. You know it mustn't always end in a strife. Let us talk in my office once you are done putting your sister back in the chamber. I'll make it worth your time…"
Seviathan narrowed his eyes under his mask before saying,"Fine. I'll hold you to your word, Master…Come sister, let's get this over with…"
Helsa had little choice in the matter as her brother put a power suppressor chain on her remaining wrist before escorting her to the lower levels. As Seviathan was preparing to open the door to her cell, Helsa's voice entered his mind.
'You don't have to do this, Seviathan…'
'Do what?'
'You know what I mean. You don't have to side with them…' She urged,'
'Tch! And join my betrayers? Nice try, sister, but you're not convincing me to side with those traitorous bastards. Nor will I ever yield to Charlotte's command willingly. I can hardly stand her bossing me around while filling your shoes as it is. How did you ever listen to her? I thought you despised her….'
'I do,' She retorted,'Just because I worked with her doesn't mean I like that flat-chested bimbo and I most certainly am not her 'friend', no matter what she says otherwise. I'm simply pragmatic enough to realize that working together was the only way we'd make any progress. Surely you of all people would realize that brother, given you did the same thing….'
'I did…and look what I got for it? Blindsided by her boy-toy and left to rot. Had Belphegor not been so generous, I would've been DEAD and none of you would've realized it. Hell, I doubt most would've cared given how none of you bothered to come back for me…'
Helsa winced at the accusation, her brother's voice seeping with venom,''Seviathan, we couldn't have…It'd be too risky and-'
'Excuses, excuses,' He balked,'I imagine had it been you who had been left behind, your little boy-toy would've gladly thrown himself back in to save you. He would've failed obviously, but I'm certain you would've appreciated the effort none-the-less.'
'What did you do to him, Seviathan?' Helsa asked wearily, not liking how he spoke of Vox.
'Oh I hardly did anything…' He cackled,'I merely finished what you started…'
'You didn't…' She hissed, shaking visibly as she connected the dots,'You didn't fucking do that…I swear to Satan, Seviathan, you better not have done it…'
'But I did,' He said confidently,'It was hardly a challenge. Your boy-toy was head over heels for you. And wanting to know something, he actually confessed. He confided his undying love for you…to me! With how nervous he was, I'd go as far as to say he thought you actually CARED! You should've seen his face when I broke his bleeding heart and returned him to where he belonged…'
Helsa grit her teeth and grabbed Seviathan by the collar with her remaining arm, fury burning in her icy cold eyes,'How could you, Seviathan!? He saved us and this is how you treat him! He didn't deserve that!'
'Why so vehement, sister?' He cooed,'Don't tell me actually got attached to your boy-toy now did you? I wanted you to not get too attached to your prey and now look at you? You almost look like you're going to cry. To think you were the most feared Demon in all of Hellschool and yet you're about to break down over that bleeding …'
His voice reeked of disappointment and thinly veiled annoyance despite sounding mocking as ever. He clearly didn't feel threatened by her and viewed her violent gestures as funny, knowing out of the two of them, he was physically superior.
'I don't get why you're so upset, sister. You told me yourself you were just like him. What changed? Don't tell me he got into your head and filled it with lies now, did he? You should've known better than that…'
There was silence before she said in a low tone.
'Let me help you…'
'Help me?' He snorted,'Sister, if anyone needs help, it's you. Besides, you have nothing I want, why would you do anything with me?'
'Because I know what you want, brother. Do you truly believe that they can be your family? They won't accept you. Hell, they don't know, and they still think we're their original children. Do you think they'd even look at you if they knew the truth of where we came from? Imprinting on them because they are similar to our parents' doesn't mean they are our parents and it won't do you any good. It's not too late to back out…you can still change…We can be a family…'
Seviathan tilted his head to the side for the longest time, as if he were thinking over her words before abruptly shoving his twin inside of the chamber and locking the door.
Helsa stumbled back, barely able to maintain her balance and desperately trying to open the door, banging her fist on it to no avail.
'Seviathan, let me out! This isn't funny! Stop this madness!'
'Who said I was trying to be funny, sister?' He taunted,'Do you take me for a fool? Trying to deceive me by acting as if you understand? You don't know my pain!' Seviathan then snarled.
'I may not, but you don't need to do this. We can still be a family, Seviathan. Just the two of us…'
'Tempting offer, dearest sister, but I'll have to decline the proposition. I cannot betray Belphegor after all…'
'That man made you a monster…'
'He made me the ultimate weapon,' He clarified,'He did far more for me than ANY of you ever did! When you all left me to die, he offered me a chance to prove myself worthy and I have no intention of letting him down.'
'Do you not see what he's done to you?' She asked genuinely, hoping to reach out to him.
Seviathan scoffed,'I see clearly, sister. It is you who is the blind one. I owe him my life, I'd be nothing without him. Perhaps one day you'll see it my way once I dispose of the other traitors…Goodbye, dearest sister…Belphegor and I need to have a few 'words' with each other…'
The way he said that last line sounded ominous, threatening even.
Seviathan turned his back on her, ignoring Helsa's screaming inside of his head for him to come back, going upstairs and leaving his twin in the cell.
Helsa slumped on her bed as she found herself isolated, alone and upset. Her attempt to reason with Seviathan went horribly and even if her words penetrated him in the slightest, his corrupted mind refused to see it her way.
The Prince truly desired a 'family' who adored him…but he had no idea what the fuck that meant and his definition of 'love' was to either force others to adore him and if he couldn't have that…..
Well…Helsa dreaded to think what he'd do if he couldn't get that. Because no one, not even her would be safe from the aftermath of that sort of thought crossing her brother's disturbed mind.
The Prince of Envy was quick to pay Belphegor a visit as promised. The Lord of Sloth was waiting for him with anticipation.
Seviathan was…uncharacteristically quiet when he entered. He didn't say a word and even his footsteps were quieter than a mouse. Belphegor probably wouldn't have had none he had entered had he not felt his piercing gaze through his mask.
"Hello dearest nephew, it seems you've finally arrived,"He stated calmly at his desk, taking note of Seviathan's less than pleasant mood, his body language remaining hostile despite his collected demeanor.
"Something bothering you?" He inquired as the Prince of Envy remained silent, glaring at him through his mask.
Abruptly, Seviathan spoke, his raspy voice threatening to crack as he said,"Matter of fact…there is…"
The Prince then tore off of his mask, revealing his terrifying set of jaws that could tear the flesh of others like paper. The sight would've made even the most hardcore demons shiver and Seviathan's eyes were filled to the brim with visible rage as he grabbed his 'Master' by the collar and demanded,"Why?"
Belphegor didn't move away despite the close proximity, merely asking calmly,"Whatever do you mean, nephew?"
Seviathan scoffed,"Do not play dumb with me, Belphegor! Tell me why the dearest sister got to keep her face and yet I couldn't keep mine? Why did you advise her to choose her arm while I was never given such instructions? What makes her worthy yet not I?"
"Oh…so that's what this is about…" Belphegor sighed,"temper, temper, my dear nephew. There's no need to get so hostile. I promise, there was no ill intent and I was merely advising your sister. Blood Magic isn't exactly a well studied art and you were a…test of sorts. I wasn't sure if you'd even survive the procedure and yet you pulled through despite the odds…"
"And yet why does my sister not experience what I experience? She doesn't seem to require blood to feed nor does she seem to have changed. Mentally, she's just about the same!"
"Helsa wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the Ritual and likely only gave up what was necessary. You gave up a lot to control Blood Magic the way you do and that likely explains why you're more affected by the long-term use than she is…"
The Prince snarled,"Is ignorance supposed to be an excuse? Do you not realize how hideous I am? Mother and Father are unsightly! How am I expected to be loved if they cannot accept what I truly look like? Everyone who knows what I look like considers me hideous? Even my own sister recoiled at the sight of me the first time she saw me unmasked and called me a monster…"
Belphegor glanced at him with a look that could've been mistaken for pity.
Only for Seviathan to cackle madly,"She was right of course, but it does hurt a pinch when not even your precious little twin can look you in the eyes. I do so much and not an ounce of recognition, barely any praise. It's not fair…"
"I see your predicament…" He sighed,"I figured something like this would happen. Frederick and Bethesda never approved of my scientific experiments and they don't seem to be a fan of work despite improving on their original designs. I've perfected you and yet they only have insults and mockery for my efforts," Belphegor then paused before asking,"Seviathan…do you hate your parents?"
"Why do you ask?" He responded, not answering the question directly.
"Because it seems that there was a lot of unbridled rage that came to the surface when you pushed your father. You're so eager to please him go unnoticed most of the time and he hardly seems to care for your existence despite your best efforts and you expressed no remorse for said attack."
"Are you trying to guilt me, Master? You know that won't work…"
"Of course not. I'm merely stating facts. It's obvious that underlying resentment is buried in that heart of yours and the Blood Magic is simply bringing it to the surface. Something like this has been a long time coming and I'm honestly proud of you for standing up for yourself. Perhaps you are ready for what I'm about to grant you…"
Seviathan seemed intrigued as he watched Belphegor snap his fingers and pulled a large jar of pure white liquid. Despite it being watery in nature, Leviathan could tell that it wasn't water at all and his sense of smell…
His sense of smell detected a familiar scent from whenever the Heavenly Forces dropped down during Extermination to permanently put an end to any demon they saw straggling about. The smell of Holy Metal was unforgettable and Seviathan quickly connected the dots of what the container was.
"Know what this is?" Belphegor asked.
"Holy Metal," Seviathan stated simply,"Or at least, a liquid version to be exact…"
"Right you are, nephew. I bet you're wondering how this is even possible. You see, Holy Metal is quite a…hard material. Only the hottest of fire can truly melt the ingot and as you can imagine, it's a rarity in this Realm…"
"How much do you have?"
"Far more than you realize,my dear nephew," He admits with a chuckle,"Don't worry, I'm more than willing to lend you some. So long as you agree to keep this between us of course. I'm not exactly supposed to share these things with others and I've gotten enough flack for giving you Blood Magic as it is…"
Seviathan nodded,"What am I to do with this? You know this is a dangerous substance don't you?"
"Which is why I'm informing you to refrain from using it unless necessary," He reminded,"However, if you wish to defend yourself against your Father, I believe it'd be best to have this as a deterrent."
"Will it kill him?" He asked in a far too urgent voice,"I must know…"
"So long as you don't aim in a vital place, he'll survive. You don't even need to use much, merely a small dose is all that's needed to incapacitate him. He'll be in a lot of pain of course, it's like poison to us but he'll live…Though he probably will wish he wasn't depending on where you aim…"
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind…" He remarked, more to himself if anything,"Though I am a tad confused why you're letting me have such a rare and powerful item…"
"As repayment for your services. I value your loyalty and it wouldn't be fair to not give you something as a solace given how poorly a hand you've been dealt with. Besides, I felt it'd ease tensions given how upset you were about your face…"
The Prince perked up at this,"You are ever so generous. This gesture will not be forgotten…"
"Believe me, I know. However, I must ask that you carry it in a vial to avoid suspicion. No one can know that I gave you this…"
Seviathan nodded and watched with glee as Belphegor held up two vials of Holy Metal, the powerful liquid sitting in the bottle as if waiting to be used.
Belphegor then used his powers to dye the liquid red, much to his confusion.
As if reading his mind, he replied,"I do not want anyone knowing I gave this to you. The best way to ensure nobody finds out is if they assume it's merely bottled blood in the vial rather than Holy Metal."
"I see…" Seviathan remarked,"Thank you for bestowing this great power to me. I'll be sure to keep this handy if need be…However, I must get going. Duty calls, you know."
"I'm aware. I'll see you eventually, Seviathan…"
The Prince then turned his back and left the room. When he closed the door behind him, he contemplated his choices as he glanced at the dyed vial. Belphegor had truly granted him such a divine power and Seviathan couldn't thank him enough for it.
Power was truly what Seviathan considered important and Belphegor and him had an unspoken understanding of each other in that regard. The drive for knowledge and another's drive for power and praise was a deadly combination and he was more than willing to put his new skills to the test when push came to shove.
Thanks for 23,670 views, tell me what you think below!
Enigmus-288: Easiest way to tell the story in a coherent manner. Switching what character's we focus on makes sure we don't stay stuck on one plot point for too long and makes sure we are aware of everyone's standing as a whole.