I'm back for the first time in forever! well, I'll say that No Matter What They Say will be updated soon so you needn't worry. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little long but it's the stepping stone to a climax *wink* *wink*

Any comments or a simple compliment, please review below. hope you guys like and favourite too!

Ichigo's point of view

I stare at the ceiling that was as still and as dark as night. I could no longer tell whether I'm safe or if I'm still caked under layers of chaos and anarchy. Sure, I slept but I would be better off staying awake. I had nightmares, but they last till the day and throughout the night. Because my nightmare...

It's a person... or more like...

It's something.

My eyes whirled at the surroundings and I felt as if I was falling.

Had Shiro decided to kill his father? To protect me? And if it was, then what did he do that out of? Out of love? Out of anger?

I breathed out cold still air. The room reflected my feelings somehow, and now it was freezing cold. Cold...

Darkness circled his empty dark workspace, chuckling to himself. His laughter filled the void, and the void laughed back at him. His plan was ever so simple yet ever so destructible. He would claim the throne to his father's land through Plan A or more likely, Plan Z.

His plan A would unfold before him gently. He required patience, and possibly all the luck his unlucky self-had in him. But it was fun, not to mention... for the blood of a king to spill onto his hands. He will wait for 5 days, after all- his father wouldn't like it if his son were to kill him 5 days before he was due to fade to ash.

Plan Z was the epitome of a thrill ride. He would start with Sin, then Wrath and finally Death. He would bury their flaming ashes under the flesh and bones of mortals. He would make it clear he was the sole and only presentable child of Hell. He would prove that Hell is vicious and deranged. He would prove to the people he was the true heir to a throne even his father wasn't suited to sit on. He would make it crystal clear.

His hands... there will be blood.

His smile... they were finally genuine.

His brain... it was finally free.

And he would rule the land he was supposed to rule.

The people will know of him, and they will remember it. They will remember what it was if they misinterpret him.

I breathed through my mouth for the infinite time. I lit a candle in his dim room so I could for once see well. I believed Shiro. I know that I do believe him. So why am I getting warnings after warnings saying I should have never trusted him? I dressed in the same old toga I wore since day 1. My hair was still as long as ever, and I run my fingers along it. I live in a castle as the exemplar of a prince that was insane. I work as his locked-up sex slave. I am denied any access to any other being outside this room. I know nothing out there. Did I choose this life? Do I have a say in anything after this thought? What have I become already?

I…

Who am I in this catastrophe? The hero or the victim?

The door creaked as I continued thinking. "Void?" Shiro appeared out of the dark. He gave me a gentle smile and came to sit down beside me. He kissed my forehead affectionately… as if I wouldn't know. As if I was still as dumb as ever. I laced my fingers with his. He gave a small groan, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"… I'm very well assured now that you're fine." I nodded in response. My throat felt dry and itchy, forbidding me to say anything. "I need some freak on you, however." He pushed me down on the bed and tore the toga off again. He breathed on my skin and kissed it. "Shiro… I can't today." I tugged at his long strands of hair.

I can feel his dark intensive aura rolling like waves around me. "Are you in any position… to deny this?"

"No."

"Very well." He looked at me and smirked. "You sure can be feisty"

As his waves wash over me in never ending emotional tides, I felt myself unveil and submit to his deeds. He pulled at my hair, he clawed my skin. He made his marks, he slapped me when he wanted to. I let him do what he wanted because it felt good to me. Because no one would ever think he was brainwashing. Because I was still dumb, and I would succumb to anything and everything he is. "Void." He would groan. He would whisper my name to me. He would lick the insecurities away from me. That was how he did it.

That was why I still believe him.

Because he was the only one who saw me in such an unpleasant form, yet made me feel so perfect. I believe him because he made something so broken become something so flawless.

I am living a lie that I know of.

I'm fine with it…

Aren't I?

Our bodies melded together. He pinned me against the wall. He leaned in on me, I expected his kiss. But as he got closer, I saw his eyes. It was glowing bright yellow. I attempted to scream, but he got to me first. "You can try, Void" and he knocked my head against the wall. There was a tinge of cold seeping into my hair. I knew it was my blood. But I allowed him to do what he wanted after I was gone.

I woke up to the familiar darkness, but there was a presence I never knew before.

Whatever it was, it was strong and comforting. I exhaled and closed my eyes. I didn't suppose I needed to know who or what it was, maybe it was better if I didn't know what it was. I felt a hand tug at me.

That was funny. I wasn't wearing anything.

My face flushed. It must have seen everything.

"Please, I mean no harm. Come." I looked over at the source of the sound, puzzled.

It must be… Death. I climbed rather reluctantly towards the man. My head was throbbing in pain, but it was no longer bleeding. I sat next to him and sighed. "Here to warn me about not trusting Darkness again?" I meant it as a joke, but concealed within the joke was still the bitter truth. "…" He said nothing. He gave me a cold glare, but comforting still. He held my hand and walked me outside the room.

Afraid to get on Shiro's nerves, I remained on the other side of the door. "I'm sorry. I have orders." I bowed sincerely, respecting his poised irritated reaction. "I do too. Come." There was a note of persuasion in his voice, and somehow I was persuaded to follow. Was this one of his powers?

He took me along some hallways, all while his posture was clean and his noble aura vibrating into me. He wasn't like Darkness, definitely. Darkness always slumped, he never looked interested. Death tapped his foot when we reached a dead end. A stone door appeared and moved away from us.

I saw clarity.

I saw a light.

I saw freedom in mind.

The garden was all red and green, each a flower from the species of roses. I sat at the marble gazebo with each their columns carved with the symbols of the seven deadly sins with Death, overlooking a land with single-storey buildings a dark murky grey, red soiled land for farming, and hills that go as far as the eyes could see.

I sighed in relief. There wasn't a time since I came here that I've seen so much light.

Death nodded. He turned towards me and looked me in the eye, his blue over black eyes stared right through me. He was looking at something behind me. I turned to look, and there was a man standing there. "My liege." He bowed before me and Death.

I looked for Death behind me. He wasn't there.

"Greetings, Prince." I didn't know what I was doing, but the unwary feeling exploded. Death brought me here to be captured, I should never have trusted him. I punched his subordinate square on the jaw, I felt as if I could tear his flesh. My world is confusing enough as it is, I don't need them to confuse me even more.

I won't be taken away.

He got up after my punch, his eyes closed and his cheek was red from the small cut that left him bleeding. He fixed his jaw. I sent him an uppercut to his jaw again. I want him defeated, unable to get up.

He let me do it. He let me hit him as much as I want however painful it seemed to be.

He handed me a scroll after he surrendered from my kicks and throws and bashes.

I took it, he left. I lean against the gazebo railings as I read through it.

"Dear Void, the exemplar of my dear brother Darkness. I, on behalf of Wrath and Sin, would like you to reconsider something that is if not urgent but crucial indeed. You must understand, dear Void. We want you to end the life of Darkness."

I gripped the scroll hard, I wanted to throw it away, but I kept on reading.

"Please refrain from getting agitated. We understand your position and your way of thinking. We must make it clear to you, however, that our brother's intentions are not what you have made yourself believe it to be. He killed our Mother. Within him, there is another person, a twin you can say it. He has no name, he does not live in our eyes but I and we have seen how he has acted when he takes over Darkness. He is deadly, he is not what you want to meet your whole life, and even I can say so for my case. I wish that Darkness was never birthed to be with such a creature, but fate is fate and it is unchangeable in the books."

"He took a scalpel and threw it to her brain and it buries deep within her skull. Imagine that, a new-born prince to have killed his birthing mother as he was held in the arms of a handmaiden."

"I wish to rid Darkness of this curse, and the only way to do this is to kill him as he and the other are inseparable. It is heart-breaking, yes, but I cannot allow my brother to suffer like this. Sin has been giving him amnesia-inducing drugs to keep him from knowing about his other side. Wrath and I were keeping the secrets from Hell. It is too much a burden to keep things as it is, for Darkness now wants to murder father to keep you safe. It is the same a bad thing to neglect your safety in this palace, but my brother is infinitely more important. If his other side takes him over, it will mean the extinction upon existence itself."

I scrunched the scroll.

"Please, Void. His unconsciousness is getting active by the second. I doubt not that it will awaken soon. We love him. He is precious, our cherished brother. But this side of him, this side that not even Hell himself can protect us from, no matter shall we be the victims who die alongside, he must be… exterminated."

"As a sacrifice. For the justice, we have learnt to respect and admire."

His words coat his intentions like honey and syrup. I can't bear it. I don't have a sweet tooth that he can fool around with.

Darkness wanting to kill his father? That I know. But I will not kill him, I will never do that. He has stood with me at times I fall, he has seen all that should not be seen.

I trust him.

I will trust his decisions too.

well wasn't that cool? xD you can unleash your anger in the review section below too. PM if you have questions.