Warnings: Preferably +18. Child abuse. Blasphemous language. Physical and psychological abuse. Strong scenes of violation. Occultism and witchcraft. Discretion is required.

Witchcraft

Part One: Red Drawings.

"Are you a demon? No, I'm a man. And therefore I have all the demons inside me".

G. K. Chesterton.

The last solar rays had just disappeared; the sky, which previously had a soft, faded orange color, had been replaced by a dark and velvety blue as a forget-me-not petal. Soon the moon, like a pale and spectral face, would emerge from the glooms. Already there were starting being heard the enigmatic noises that there were producing the invisible beings who were inhabiting in the depth of the trees. There was a smell of sap and dampness in the air.

Finally the Moon made its appearance, painting of silver the few yellow leaves of the trees of the forest that belongs to the Duke of Venomania. The branches of the trees, naked, were shining as if they had hoar-frost. The icy ponds were shining as if they were made of crystal... The faint rays also painted of silver the blond and disheveled hair of a very young male servant, who had his head between his knees, surrounding them with his arms.

The Duke Gakupo had ordered him to spend the whole night in the outdoors of the forest, as a punishing for having left the party he had organized for his friends: "Leaving out of my presence, and also without my permission! Apparently you think that you have the fucking freedom to go out whenever you want, eh? And if I needed you at that moment...? Nothing of "but, master!", Len! You will spend the night outside, like the disobedient dog that you are! And don't even think about going back until tomorrow!"

With that, Len would have to spend the entire night there with cold, hunger and fear until the next morning.

He had managed to calm a little his stomach with a few mushrooms and seeds that he found digging the frozen ground around, but there was no place to shelter from the cold wind that crossed Asmodín at that time of the year... Len was exposed to hypothermia or, for not be so cruel with him, at least a very bad cold.

He observed how, from there, the lights of the castle were going out. He already was imagining the Duke Gakupo sat in his comfy armchair, opposite to the great and cozy fire of the chimney, surely with a glass of wine… and with some of his women sat in his knees or to his feet; Len rubbed his hands against each other, feeling the old bandages of the wounds of his palms… Ah yes, I forgot to tell you: his owner punished him with no allow him to change his bandages for the broken mirror of his room.

He punishes him for leaving his damn little party! Who wouldn't have left, eh? Did Duke Gakupo really pretend that his servant would see until the end, that horrible spectacle of his twin sister being groped and abused by those disgusting Dukes? As if it wasn't enough that Gakupo was always on top of her... At that thought, Len clenched his fists tightly, feeling the strained wounds, scarcely healing...

One more scar, of the many that the servant had not only in his body, but also in his soul and that hardly would stop bleeding some day.

Off all the injustices, baseness and affronts that the Duke Gakupo had done to him in all these years… this one was undoubtedly, the worst among all… What? Does that mean that there was more? Unfortunately yes, dear reader.

Len could well turn his head back and see that little ten-year-old boy again, too scrawny to face the Duke, too shy to even think about trying it... Because that boy felt immense gratitude for his master... Yes, Len had felt that for Gakupo... He had given him a home, he had cover him into the fold of his cloak, offering him protection...! The Duke of Venomania, choosing him, over those children who were much more robust or vigorous than him...!

Would Len have agreed to go with the Duke of Venomania if he had known the dark four years that he would be condemned to live? Certainly... any other young man of his same social status would have been infinitely happy and grateful to the Heaven, on his knees, to serve to such an important personage of the royalty that Gakupo was, because that could become, if that was in benevolent hands, in a career that could take that young man far, even passing as a squire and, perhaps, as a knight... But we said, my reader, "benevolent hands"... And the hands of Duke Gakupo, of benevolent, there was hardly a shadow, and for him, NOTHING.

"I left the rats's nest and ended up in the serpent's lair" Len thought narrowing his eyes at the sounds of rustling leaves that the wind was making to the naked trees, as if they were sobbing... As the same with him when the Duke gave him his first beating...

It hadn't been intentional: He had shouted at him from the living room to hurry or he will throw him into the street... And precisely for the hurry, Len had thrown the boiling tea over him... right in his pants. The boy remained petrified in his place, watching as the Duke Gakupo howled in pain and jumped to remove the burning liquid, while in his light linen pants a huge stain formed, as if he had been pee on himself... Funny scene for us, but not for Len.

―Mas... Master...―The servant stammered, trying to apologize―, let me help you, I...

A tremendous slap cut his words.

Len's eyes filled with tears; It was a brutal and painful blow. Shaking like a leaf, he took his little hand to the cheek, which was more purple every second... That pathetic image he had, Gakupo hated it... Another slap sounded, as if the hand had been magnetized. The boy stepped back, terrified―Master!

Len's apologies or pleas were worth nothing. Eager to give him a lesson, Gakupo looked for a hardwood palmette and after chasing him for a moment, he cornered him against a corner and hit it violently on the reddened cheek, making him bleed: He deserved it for having tried to resist.

―You're a complete useless! Spill your lord's tea on top! And after that, tried to escape! Are you really stupid, Len?―He slammed again the barbaric instrument on the poor child, hurting him even more―;What are you useful to me, huh? Of what?! I should throw you out on the street right now!

―Mas-master! ¡Master! It was an accident! Forgive me!―Len cried, trying to cover his face with the palmette, which fell on him like a hail...

But the Duke of Venomania didn't care: He had to prove to his useless and weeping servant that HE was his master, his lord, his protector... that he should always be useful and never... NEVER, annoy him. Nor ever rebel to him. Never... He felt absolutely nothing for what he was doing. He didn't feel disgust or repudiation for being brutally spanking a little boy of ten years... He was just putting him in his place.

Two minutes later, the Duke Gakupo stand up quickly, saving the palmette in the lapel of his suit, which exuded some blood. He left Len cowering in the corner, trembling and sobbing. Gakupo gave him a disapproving look.

―Stop crying, Len. Believe me, it really hurts me more than you―And while saying that, he looked at him with a cruel fold at the corner of his thin lips―. Hmm... Look what a mess you made here ... I'd better take a bath... and when I get back, I want to see "this" clean, you understand?

―Yes... yes, my lord―Len muttered, trembling not only because of the beating he had received, and also for of the threatening order he had given him. He hurried to clean up the whole mess and when Gakupo returned from his bath (and in his white nightgown already put), his owner smiled with indifferent appreciation and patted him on the cheek, just in the most lacerated one, but Len remained quiet, enduring the pain.

―Good boy... Did you see that you can be useful? And since we're talking about utilities... ―He gave him a small bag of brown cloth, in which gleaming silver coins could be seen, which Len observed in surprise―. You will be an even more useful boy if you don't think of leaving out of here and telling the nuns what happened, won't you? Because... it would be something very ungrateful of you, little Lenny, because I adopted you, did I...? And you would have to leave of my house... And the street is the worst place for a child like you... ―He smiled when he saw the scared face of Le―: Stay here with me... You will be very helpful for me...

Len looked at him in panic. Staying here? With this monster? "No! Never! I'd rather die!" the little one thought... His first thought was to be shouting "NO!" with all his strength and run, run away the farthest from this terrible place and this terrible man... But then, he thought better: If Len fled, where would he go? He couldn't (or wanted to) return to the orphanage, which since the departure of Rin, he had felt very lonely and abandoned. The streets? Where he would face a helpless and uncertainty fate...? Although it pained him to admit it, the Duke Gakupo was right: The street was the worst place for a child, and more for one like him: If Len didn't die of hunger or cold in the first week, he would be beaten to death by the police, who abhor the vagabonds and beggars so much...

Len only had those two options: Or flee and face a helpless and miserable life... Or stay and serve to the Duke Gakupo. The second option was meaning a helpless life also, but at the same time... there was that feeling of gratitude; small, but hidden... ―Well, Lenny? What do you chose?―The Duke asked to him, stretching out his hand, where the little coin sack rested.

―Yes... I'll stay with you, master.―Len whispered, lowering his eyes.

Gakupo smiled.―Good boy.― And he patted his head... as if he was a lapdog. Len smiled automatically at the caress, but inside, he wished for one thing: To be a bird and fly away, like that lark that he had seen in the window sill, and that he had gone away chirping to the clear cold of the afternoon... Flying far on the horizon, farther from this... and closer to Rin.

…

The palmette wasn't the only thing that Len had to endure: Once, Len couldn't avoid (because he was dying of hunger) in taking one of the bananas from the dinning table's basket... and the worst wasn't that Gakupo discovered him and forced him to return it... but was the fact that he "forced" him to eat it again, making him almost vomit. If Len broke something accidentally, the result was a few strokes with a wooden cane and without right to dinner. Cold baths and long confinements in the shed of the backyard, closed with padlock, leaving him to cry of fear in complete darkness, for hours... And all for what purpose? "Because I want you to become a man, Len, "spare the rod and hit the child (1)", just as a dog obeys its master," said Gakupo.

And incredibly, Len was enduring all this little by little, almost ignoring it, learning to do everything carefully so as not to anger his master, so the punishments stopped being so strong... You would think that Len became a masochist, but the truth is that, more than accept it, Len had resigned himself to this life, and during all that long time, he believed that this was the path that God had given him and that he should conform to it...

At least... he believed that, until the day he saw Rin in his master's bed.

When Len blinked, he felt his eyes were stinging. He went to a nearby pond under a tree and ran handfuls of ice water over his face, rubbing them. He looked at himself in the turbid green waters, observing his trembling reflection, whose eyes were reddened, from so much crying... from fear, from pain, from distant memories... ―Damn it...―He muttered, slapping the water with a brief outburst of rage, making his reflection disappear and unintentionally scare a frog that was hiding there.

He looked up at the sky. His blue orbs stopped in the silver arc of the crescent moon, just before disappearing behind a blanket of grayish clouds... A frozen drop fell on his left eyelid and slipped slowly down his cheek, as if it was another tear, another one of many that he already had spilled so much... Another fell, this time on the bridge of the nose... A storm was going to come.

That was very worrying for Len, because, what would he do now? He couldn't go back to the castle, because that would be rebelling against the punishment of Gakupo and it would be worse for him; It wasn't worth it either, for although he pleaded, he knew very well that his master wouldn't let him enter inside just for the rain... He would have to get wet all night... or seek shelter. But where would he find it? What if he get lost in the woods? For a moment, he was tempted by the idea of staying curled up under the tree and waiting for the bad weather to pass... But the rain began to increase strongly and the whistle of the wind became a roar, loaded with sharp pinpricks of cold... He couldn't stay there, in the outdoors. Then, Len had an idea: With the help of a small pocket knife that he always carried with him, he marked a large cross on the wood of the tree.

He kept walking forward, marking more and more crosses on the humid trunks of the surrounding trees, confident that they would guide him back to his path when the storm subsided. It was a bit difficult for him to walk, because he could barely distinguish what he was seeing in front of him with the rain blurring everything around him and being soaked to the bones.

Almost ten minutes later, Len stopped under a large chestnut tree, observing what was ahead, almost hidden in the wet undergrowth: It was a cave, half buried in the roots of a twisted tree. He's saved! Even so, Len approached cautiously, praying that there was no bear inside. Finally he steeled himself and entered into it.

The cave was slightly narrow, but deep enough to take it as a shelter from the rain. Raking a rock against the wall of the cave, he made appear sparks over a few logs and dry roots, igniting them. When he formed a decent bonfire, Len took off his tie and vest, which were dripping water. He placed them on the floor and sat down again, with his head between his knees, watching the rain fall. He almost fell asleep, when... He saw how the first lightning tore through the sky and made the forest resound.

Len's heart filled with anguish. No, not because he was afraid of the thunders, but affliction for Rin.

Rin…

¡PUUUUM! ¡…PUUUUUUM!

Rin… Oh, Rin.

Surely she must be very scared right now. Len could almost see her curled up on the bed, hugging the pillows, crying and moaning in fear at the loud sounds... She was scared and trembling, needing her brother to be there to comforting her, to hugging her, to making her see that everything would be fine and he will never leave her alone... But he was not there, he wasn't accompanying her... He wasn't protecting her, not now or before.

―Rin... Little sister... ―Len whispered quietly as he entered his master's room again, since Gakupo had called him. He had gotten up and went outside, leaving Rin lying on the floor, for he had pushed her out of his bed, as if she was an undesirable object.

Len knelt next to the girl, who was almost passed out by Gakupo's new rape... He stroked her lacerated cheek, and she opened her eyes, returning Len's anguished eyes her blue gaze, completely... empty. He couldn't contain himself anymore and hugged her tightly, shedding bitter tears as he contemplated her naked and battered body, full of bruises and hickeys.

―Rin... Rin... why you? Why did this happened…? Forgive me, forgive me for not helping you... forgive me...!―Len moaned between sobs, holding his twin against his chest, caressing her messy blond hair, wanting to escape, escape as far as possible from there, and die. Why, of all the women in this whole world, did he have to rape her? Is not that Len was wishing that to another young woman, but... Why Rin?! He squeezed her harder against him, desperate for not feeling her respond to his embrace... Rin was practically a dead doll in his arms.

He heard a contemptuous chuckle behind them. Len closed his eyes tightly and squeezed Rin even stronger against his chest, filling his self every second with a corrosive and deadly hatred against the owner of that damn laugh, against the cause of all his misfortunes, against the corrupter of his beloved Princess...

Gakupo practically boasted himself with this terrible scene. He loved seeing his servant like that: Completely shattered.

―Servant, take Miss Rin to her room and then come back here, to talk about your punishment.

Len didn't move.

―Len, are you deaf or what? I ordered you take her... now.―There, Len couldn't stand it anymore:

―Curse you! How could you do this to me?! Do this to my sister?! CURSED YOU, CURSED YOU BE...! Aaaah!―Gakupo had grabbed Len by the hair, shaking him violently, making him drop Rin. A very loud slap sounded.

―That was because of your insolence. This... ―He gave him another―, for refusing to obey. And this...―And another one―, for my carpet.―He finally released him and Len fell to his knees, cowering on the floor.―.And the next one will make you stop worrying more about your dear sister. Now, your apologize―Len tightened his jaws―, Lenny...

―I... I beg your pardon, master―Len articulated with a tone full of hate and saturated rage―, I won't do it again.

―Good dog. Now, take her to her room.

He nodded and wanting to die, Len lifted his sister's body in his arms after covering her with a sheet. He took hesitant steps forward, still sheding tears on his bruised cheeks, wishing he had enough strength to run away from this Hell with Rin, although he knew he couldn't... He passed Gakupo, who remained undaunted, oblivious to his unbearable pain... He suddenly grabbed his forearm with a cold, stony hand, like a dead man's, to purr to him:

―Thanks, Len... For making her come here with your silly letters. I hadn't the pleasure to deflower a virgin for a long time... And your lttle sister turned out to be particularly... tight.

―Enough!―Len moaned with a broken voice, covering his face with his hands. It was a horrible feeling that was constantly chasing him... Seeing Rin being used and discarded by the Duke, again and again, like a handkerchief that is used to clean your nose... In that way his beloved twin was degraded by him... As those perfect lips were desecrated by him without rest...

Those lips... Len couldn't stop thinking about it, sometimes with a sense of disgust and regret, sometimes with a warm and sweet feeling in his heart... Almost unconsciously, the servant put his fingertips on his lips, remembering it again: Those lips he had felt so soft and so warm... The most delicious thing he had ever tasted... and wanted to taste again... Again!? How can you think of something like that, Len?! She is your own sister!

And after that, after you having done that, are you able to consider the Duke Gakupo as a hellish beast... when you yourself are just like him: a monster?

"No, no... that's different...Is different. I... I would never hurt Rin... my sweet Rin. She is my princess and I am her knight; I swore to protect her, I swore to do anything to see her always smile, always happy... I will kill myself if I hurt her someday... "

―Rin...―Len whispered to the practically deaf nothingness of the thunderstorm, closing his eyes.

…

He was awakened by a drop that fell on his forehead. His back hurt a lot from sleeping on that hard floor. He squinted at the ceiling of the cave... And was surprised to see what was there; He even rubbed his eyes (marked with dark circles), to make sure he was not imagining it:

An eye was watching him from above.

An eye? Len forced himself to get up to watch it more closely. He stretched out his hand with some fear, until finally touching it with the tips of his fingers: It was a kind of elongated eye drawn with some kind of dark red ink; the eyebrow lengthened in an all-long arch, and underneath it a line formed, as if that eye were crying (2). A subsidence in the branches caused the small fire to sizzle and release sparks, briefly illuminating the ceiling of the cave... revealing more red drawings.

Amazed, Len took a long branch and after igniting the tip with the fire, he raised it to see the rest of them... Showing him that almost the whole cave was full of strange drawings:

He saw more eyes of all forms, all of them staring in him. He saw circles surrounded by two crescents at its sides (3). Drawings of cups and tears. The moon in all its phases. Stars and suns. Crosses surrounded by a circle. Straight lines that crossed each other, forming stars or inverted crosses... All of them with the same dark red color of the dried blood. The servant watched and felt them, between terrified... and fascinated.

Then he turned to look at the deepest part of the cave, completely dark. Would also be there those strange red drawings? He was dying of curiosity, but he also had some fear, because who knows what would be there... In the end curiosity could more and Len was encouraged to iluminate that corner of the cave: Indeed, there were also drawings... However, those crimson pictures were much stranger and more disturbing than those in the entrance:

They was showing strange human figures, some seated, others apparently dancing in the middle of a kind of bonfire, forming a perfect circle with their arms up, and between that ring, there was a snake forming a circle, chasing and almost biting his tail... Along, he saw animals like bears and wolves, or insects like beetles and butterflies... And just where the cave ended, Len let out a cry of amazement: It was a kind of mural, where were some strange words in bloody red color:

"Is fuil an foinse saoil ... Cuirimid é ar fáil duit, ionas go bhfaighidh tú grá agus cumhacht dúinn" (4)

Len didn't understand what the heck that meant, but around the inscription there was a succession of pentagrams, inverted stars and crooked crosses, almost forming an oval... And just below it, there were more figures of people, all lying down, writhing violently, while there were other figures standing, raising a kind of sword or knife... Len, scared, stepped back and felt that he kicked something with his foot. He looked down... ―Aaaahh!―He screamed and jumped back: It was a human skull, which had a huge hole in the back of his head, as if it had been opened when the person was alive... The skull rolled in front of him, showing Len a gruesome smile on his toothless mouth. Len leaned against the wall, his heart leaping with dread, while with the burning branch (already about to be consumed) shone for a few moments more pieces of broken bones in the corner. What kind of place was this?!

And when he thought of running out of that macabre place, with the bad luck of continuing to get wet... he heard a whistle like a bird crossing the rain and echo in the corner of the cave where he was. Len was stunned as he sharpened his hearing, hearing the spectral whistle again, this time louder. Then he heard the voice of a woman:

―Here, I found it!

Oh no! They were going to come here! Panicked, Len dropped the burning branch and ran to trample the small fire. In that fraction of a second, Len observed shadows moving in the trees, walking towards the cave. The servant bent down and quickly crawled back into the dark and dreadful corner... And just two seconds later, the dark figures entered the cave: They were three tall figures, completely wrapped in black robes and with their heads covered with hoods.

―Hummm... I had already thought we'd have to get wet, like frogs―A man's voice said, something raspy and rough. Another voice made a clicking sound with her tongue.

―Tsk! You should thank me, instead of whining to me, Taito―A woman replied with the voice that Len had heard before―; This isn't so bad, and look: there are even branches to make a fire... Be gentlemanly and do it for us.

The other plunged a resinous branch into the steaming pile of firewood and used it to rekindle the fire, illuminating the dark costumes of the characters and the macabre drawings on the walls. The two who spoke lowered their hoods with parsimony: The woman was tall and somewhat old, with long blond hair and piercing green eyes; Although her mature face was quite beautiful, you could see a shadow of cruelty, fanned by the effect of light from the flames. The man named Taito, was somewhat shorter but with a corpulent build and his scarlet eyes contrasted with his dark purple hair; his expression was monotonous, almost bored... The third character, who hadn't yet dropped his hood, had sat down with his back to the wall and lowering his head, as if he were dozing.

―Perfect... ―the woman rolled up her sleeves―. Master, we're ready―She spoke to the seated character. He raised his head and muttered with a stony voice:

―Do it once, Sweet Ann...―he growled. Sweet Ann nodded and took a little bag out of her clothing, she opened it and pulling out a grayish powder, began to circle around the fire, while singing:

Terra et aqua, et aer et ignis,
virga, et gladium pentaculum:
Opus oratiónem meam,
Et exáudiet vocem meam!

And she threw the powder into the fire, making it sizzle and rise violently, ruffling Len's hair and illuminating the cave completely, as well as the faces of Sweet Ann and Taito. The woman drew a dagger and began dancing erratically, waving and throwing her long blond hair back, making a kind of mandolin with it... Len almost revealed away with a gasp, because Sweet Ann raised an arm and sank the dagger at it, twisting it, causing the blood to flow abundantly and slide along her arm, until it dripped onto the fire.

"Sweet Mercy, she is a witch, all of them" the blond servant thought watching with stupefaction.

Candelas, et incensum, et calicem cultro,
Sicam pythonissam vires:
Uos surgere vitae,
Et veni in carmine ayudad! (5)

Taito accompanied her with verses in a strange dialect that Len couldn't understand; he was spinning in a half circle that he had traced with the tip of his shoe, while he rotated his index finger in circles. The third character was clapping hands to the rhythm of the song of Sweet Ann... Len was practically petrified, terrified by the rituals of Taito and Sweet Ann... Moments later, the woman buried two of her fingers in the wound and began to draw a crescent moon in a corner of the wall... looking exactly like the other drawings of the cave. In that momentr, Len gave a moan of horror, when he turned around and saw the other drawings... The hooded man let out a grunt.

―I heard something.

Len immediately covered his mouth, praying that they hadn't heard him. Sweet Ann stopped singing and Taito narrowed his eyes. They were silent for a few seconds, as if trying to hear that sound again...―Maybe it was a cat―Taito finally replied, shrugging.

―No, I listened well and that didn't sound like a cat― the hooded man replied with a calm tone―, ...I had also noticed this bonfire, when yesterday there was nothing here... and it was smoking, as if it had just been turned off... by someone.

―Nee, Taito...― Sweet Ann purred suddenly, getting up after having been crouched with her back to them―,...is this yours?

In her hand, even with traces of coagulated blood hung... a yellow tie.

Len's soul collapsed at his feet. Now... He was officially a dead man. As if she had read his thought, Sweet Ann turned her face to the darkest corner of the cave... Len stepped back to the mural with the inscription, his heart beating violently... watching as the woman walked slowly there, making the crease of her skirt will release whispers against the floor...

Finally, he felt the witch's icy hand on his wrist.

Len began to scream in panic, released of the woman's grip, which she was surprised and tried to run to the entrance of the cave to try to flee through the woods... But then he felt a hand grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground... The servant was dopeyed for a moment by the blow and when he opened his eyes again, he saw the witch's penetrating green eyes, glued on him.

―Good morning, sleeping beauty―She said with a radiant smile, looking at him eagerly. Len let out a strangled cry of horror and tried to back away.―. What's the matter with you?

―I didn't see anything!―Len squeaked in a tone as raspy as Taito's―. I didn't see anything, I swear! Let me go!

―Oh, he's scared―the woman replied mockingly, talking with the tone of a little girl―. Did you lose your mommy, little one?

―Yes... yes...!―He lied, wishing they would let him go―, let me go and I'll look for her!

The woman giggled―No, no... we cannot do that, little one―She replied, arching her eyebrows.

―He has seen us―Taito replied, crossing his arms― . He will tell everyone.

―No, I won't say anything, I swear!―Len shrieked, getting more and more scared―. I haven't seen anything and I won't say anything! Let me go, I'm begging you!

Len knew perfectly well that his life was hanging by a thread: Both in the village of Asmodín and in the whole region of that time, there were numerous legends about witches and sorcerers: that they met in caves or in the clearings of the woods where they executed profane rituals with animals and even with people as "sacrifices". They also knew that any unfortunate mortal who discovered them, would be immediately sacrificed to their Gods of Darkness, partly as an extra offering... and partly to silence that possible witness who would expose them to the Church and the Inquisition.

―What will we do with him, Master? Do we keep him?―Sweet Ann asked stroking the cheek of Len, who was completely paralyzed―, I haven't had a pet to caress for a long time...

―Don't be selfish, Sweet Ann... I say that we haven't offered to the Great Goddess a bit of... young blood for a long time. Hum, this one here is too skinny, but we have to take advantage of circunstances...―Taito replied grinning malevolently, while palpating Len's throat, watching the gasps and screams of the young boy, imploring for his life.

― You guys never leave me anything!― the woman laughed with a sing-song laugh― , can I even "pamper" him a bit? You know how the young men make me feel...―She added in a lustful tone, terrifying Len even more.

―All right, is enough.

Taito and Sweet Ann stopped palpating and touching the terrified young man and released him. The black-hooded man had risen, showing that he was even taller than Sweet Ann. Kneeling on the ground, Len raised his head, trying to see the face behind the hood, but he only managed to see a nose, a little prominent.― Who are you, lad?―He asked him, in the same calm tone.

―I... I... ―Len looked sideways back, watching the entrance of the cave, guarded by a grumpy Taito. He looked again at the strange character and took a deep breath―. I'm Len. Len Kagamine.

―Hmmm…―he growled, nodding―. I see. Where you come from?

―I co-come... from the castle of the Duke of Venomania, sir―Len answered lowering his eyes. The strange character growled again.

―The famous Duke Gakupo of Venomania?― Len nodded―, ...Interesting. And what are you of him? His son?―To Len, that question hurt him like a thorn in the back, because he was supposed to be his son... That's what he said to the nuns in the orphanage... What a lie. He clenched his jaw and shook his head―.Ok, ok... His knight?―Len shook his head―, Squire?―Len shook his head again―, Page?―Len clenched his fists, twitching with rage and humiliation, while denying once more―. Ehm... Servant?

Len raised his head, staring him in the eyes... Slowly, he nodded. Taito snorted.

― A servant! The miserable dogs of society! Humm, it's not a big deal, but he would serve as an "appetizer", don't you think?― He said as a crooked smile formed.

―No! He's very cute! At least let me caress him first!― Sweet Ann laughed, grabbing him by the shoulders, startling him― , come on, Master!

―Enough, Sweet Ann―the man replied calmly. He looked at the blond, like a spider watching a fly.―. Young Len, I suppose you are aware of the situation you're in, right?―Len swallowed and gave a nervous nod―, I don't want to think that you're so despicable as to go to the Church and screaming that you saw... witches, aren't you? But... we cannot take that risk of letting you go... ―He bent down and gripped his throat―, I could easily kill you and offer you to our Gods...―Len held his breath―, ...or, you could join us.

―Jo-join... to you?―Len whispered in a broken voice.

― But, Master! He's just a boy!― Taito protested angrily― . How can a brat like him be useful to us?

―Look beyond your ice pick, Taito.―The man replied the with a dry giggle―. In case that you don't remmember, children have more power than any other being. And since they are (supposedly) closer to God, it will be more fun to corrupt one, don't you think?―Taito went livid and crossed his arms. Sweet Ann laughed―. What do you say, Lenny? You choose that... or the other option.

The servant felt as if his throat were obstructed by a frog. The deal wasn't better posed: Or he has to be involved with them in witchcraft or he will be used as a sacrifice (or as a pet minimum, judging by the greedy look of the woman...) For someone from the time of our Len, that was something worse than be tortured, when God was everywhere and if you do that, you would earn a free pass to the Kingdom of Satan...

But in spite of everything... deep down, Len didn't completely dislike the idea: If God was supposed to be everywhere and help those in need... Then, why did he continue to ignore his pleas and prayers to kill Gakupo and free his beloved twin? Why, instead of giving him a sign of encouragement and hope... there was only one horrendous scene of Rin dancing almost naked in front of the Duke's friends? Even if anyone denies it... deep inside, most of us would feel some fascination for this dark and strange world... Len felt it in that way: He didn't deny that the drawings on the walls had caused him a certain fascination...

And finally... at least they gave him an alternative to being "sacrificed", right?

Len looked up at the man's face... or rather, his prominent nose and took a deep breath―I'll do it.

―You made a reasonable decision, young lad― the man whispered―.You may be a servant, a... poor lapdog―He laughed at the nickname―, but that doesn't stop you from knowing our ancient and noble... artistry.

When Len went outside and observed the diluted, dull blue of dawn, inhaling the smell of the wet ground and the wet ferns, walking automatically as if he was in a dream, barely looking at the marks of the crosses in the trunks... He knew that something had changed forever. He knew that he wasn't the same person he had been when he entered at that cave to take shelter from the rain... He knew that nothing would be the same anymore.

Innovator looked up from the sprout he was eating when he saw the servant leave the edge of the forest when the morning lights had passed. He neighed of joy at seeing him (He preferred him much more than the Duke of Venomania, who really terrified him when he used to chose him to ride him) but... the horse also noticed the absent, almost blank look of the blond boy. Len slid his hand into his long, silky horsehair, looking into the animal's dark eyes, which seemed to ask him: "What happened, Len?"

―It's been... it's been a very strange night, my friend,―Len whispered to the horse, still caressing him mechanically, as if he had his head somewhere else―; I think... that some things... will change a bit now... ―The animal blinked, confused: What did he mean by that? Then it was heard in the distance, the voice of the owner of both:

― Leeeen! Come here and make me my breakfast! Do it now, useless brat...!

Len sighed.

―Come on, buddy―he said, moving his large head to guide him back to the stable. Innovator let out a snort and followed him, while Len rolled up his sleeves... There, the horse caught sight of him, though fleetingly, the small mark with a dagger point on the forearm of the young servant...

...A strange red drawing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

To be continued…

Author's Note:

(1) The original saying is: "spare the rod and spoil the child", but Gakupo altered it on purpose.

(2) The Egyptian eye "Udjat" is also known as "The Eye that sees everything"

(3) Represents the Great Goddess: The Full Moon, surrounded by Crescent and Waning Moons.

(4) Translation of a derivative of the Celtic language (Irish) into English: "Blood is the source of life... We offer it to you, so that you grant us grace and power,"

(5) These are chants that were used in witchcraft, usually as prayers before beginning a session. In the world of witchcraft, the blood occupies an important place, more than anything in the so-called Red Magic, which uses blood and organs, whether of animals or humans (and whether their own... or of others).

The Red Magic, which will be treated in its darkest facet in the following chapters, can be used for benevolent or malignant purposes... Here it will be malignant, as is logical.