Chapter 9 ~ Wrath of Michaelis Part 1~
It began as a whisper in the air. The day had been beautiful, and the sky was like a dome of blue. Then the clouds gathered in the blink of an eye and suddenly the sky was as dark as evening. The temperature dropped drastically, bringing a chill to the air. The mournful cries of the ravens followed as Toshi huddled with his son, a blanket draped around them for warmth. They watched the rain soak the backyard.
"She was brave…" Whispered Kondo. " I've heard her stand up to them."
He paused for a second, his eyes were glassy and empty as if his soul left his body at the mention of Chizuru. "I've seen their weapons."
Toshi's heart ached as he tightened his grip around the young boy, his fingers trembling with a mixture of sorrow and guilt.
The child's tear-streaked face was etched with a haunting sadness that pierced Toshi's soul, a pain that no words could alleviate. He couldn't fathom the horror the boy had witnessed, the trauma that would forever scar his innocence.
"This is all my fault," Toshi whispered, his voice laced with regret. The weight of his absence hung heavily upon him, his mind replaying the tragedy over and over again. "I'm sorry."
The boy winced, a flicker of resentment crossing his face as he shifted away from Toshi's grasp.
The crack in his voice reverberated through the room, carrying the weight of unanswered questions. "Why weren't you there?" he choked out, his words laced with bitterness. "You should have been there."
Toshi's heart shattered as he watched the pain in the boy's eyes, so raw and vulnerable.
In an attempt to forge a connection, he cupped the boy's chin, gently but firmly, forcing their gazes to meet. "You don't think I regret this?" Toshi's voice trembled with the weight of his guilt, his eyes pleading for understanding. "It is a guilt I will carry for the rest of my days." A flicker of understanding passed through the boy's eyes, his anger momentarily softening. Toshi sensed a shift, a glimmer of trust beginning to take root. "Then please trust me, I have the power to make them regret their existence."
With a slight smile, Toshi placed a comforting hand on the boy's trembling shoulders. "I know," Toshi replied, "That's why I need you to promise me first, that you will agree to take a shower and then eat something."
The boy's eyes softened, a hint of acceptance seeping through his guarded façade.
The weight of his sorrow seemed to momentarily lift as he murmured a barely audible "Okay." Slowly, he pushed the blanket back towards his father.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself against the rain's relentless assault and made his way towards the bathhouse.
Toshi longed to stop him until at least the storm was over, but he was finally listening to him, so he let him be.
As Kondo disappeared into the torrential downpour, Toshi's gaze lingered on the spot where he had stood.
Still wrapped in the blanket, Toshi went to his room and opened the door. The partition door was opened. And the rain-soaked part of the place.
Immediately he felt his heart hurt at the sight of the empty bed chamber. The idea still didn't sink in that she was gone. Deep in his heart he still hoped to hear her voice again, even though he buried her with his own hands.
He shook his head and then sat in the corner of the room where the table is. He took out a piece if parchment and pulled the ink from the drawer. He needed to message his sister and tell her what happened. Maybe she will be able to take Kondo and care for him. He started writing and then halted a second later. Ayia does have her own kids to worry about. Can he burden her with his demon son as well?
"What am I going to do?" Toshi whispered. "How am I going to secure my baby's future?"
This was the moment he regretted drinking the medicine that turned him into a demon. Then again he never expected any of this to happen. He was the one who should have died, and Chizuru will remain here with their child.
Kazama! That could be it. There is no one else. He pulled another piece of parchment and started again. An urgent message for him to come and take his boy. Then maybe they can also talk about the recent changes in the weather.
"Alright!" Toshi said and like the birds were reading his mind, one raven flew inside the room and landed on his shoulder. Toshi let out a soft chuckle as he tied it down to its leg.
"Please, go to him immediately." The bird flew away, out of the half-opened partition door in the blink of an eye, still, Toshi wondered if this was what madness looked like.
It hurt to know he would never understand. He took out clothes to his son, then he lit a candle and went into the bath-house.
The boy was standing and washing himself for the last time, in the evening light. If this was anyone else he would have wondered about this. However, his boy is a demon, so it is not surprising that he does not need much light.
" I'm sorry son, I needed to do something first." He placed the candle on the ground and then opened the towel for him. The boy backtracked to his father until he felt the towel wrap around him.
Toshi immediately carried the boy in his arms and hurried through the rain and into the house. The weather was freezing.
The father closed the door to the backyard behind him and then placed down his boy.
Kondo ruffled his hair, and then he looked at his environment- the house was unrecognizable.
The darkness made the place look like an abandoned house, for ghosts and ghouls to dwell in" Wait here. I'll find the lamp in my room."
" No need!" Said Kondo. The boy snatched the clothes from Toshi's shoulder and silently went to his room and closed the door.
So, back to the silent treatment! A frustrated cry escaped his lips, Toshi was just too tired to deal with all of this alone! He has still yet to sleep and get some rest. But how could he do that? His boy needed him. It felt like he was at the brink of death, he went to his room and fell face down on his futon. He couldn't bother to close the partition door that caused the room to be slightly soaked from the storm outside. He hoped that his child will remain in his room for awhile.
…..
The Cambion paced restlessly in his chamber, his breakfast was untouched, a heavy air of anticipation filling the room.
A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the darkness, casting eerie shadows across the walls. The distant rumble of thunder seemed to beckon him, as if it held secrets only he could decipher. With a determined gaze, Kondo raised his hand towards the window, fixated on the swaying leaves outside.
"I know what I can do," he whispered, a sinister smile playing at his lips. Visions of retribution against the wretched humans danced in his mind, but he needed to uncover the full extent of his powers.
Taking a cautious step forward, he opened the chamber door and peered into the deserted hallway.
The silence was suffocating, broken only by the relentless downpour and thunderous echoes.
His heart pounding, Kondo tiptoed towards his parents' bedchamber and stole a glimpse through the slender crack in the partition door. Toshi lay there, sleeping.
"Very well," he murmured, his resolve deepening.
Stepping out into the pouring rain, Kondo felt the biting chill seep into his bones, a reminder of his human frailty. A surge of irritation coursed through him - he was a demon king, he should be impervious to such weaknesses.
Halting in the middle of the path, he stared into the distance, the cascading waterfall resembling spilled ink staining the lake.
This was just the beginning. The world would soon tremble in the wake of his wrath.
He took a deep breath, and then let his fingers dance, the tips tingling with anticipation.
His heart raced with a mixture of excitement and determination as he thrust his hand outward, fingers splayed toward the sky. He felt a surge of power burst through his veins, a raw energy that pulsed with the intensity of a roaring inferno. In an instant, a thin line of fire erupted from his palm, shooting upward with a blazing brilliance. It soared through the rain-soaked air, illuminating the darkened sky like a radiant beacon.
Its vibrant glow painted the world in hues of gold and orange, casting dancing shadows that flickered against the stormy backdrop.
Kondo's eyes widened with a mixture of awe and satisfaction. The fire burned fiercely for a couple of seconds, illuminating the surroundings with an ethereal glow, before gradually fading away, leaving nothing but a dissipating trail of smoke in its wake.
Yet, in that fleeting moment of brilliance, he felt a surge of power coursing through him, invigorating his very being. "Yes," the boy chuckled softly to himself, his voice carried away by the howling wind. His gaze shifted, briefly glancing at the house one more time. "I apologize, Father. I must do this, for my mother."
Kondo turned away, his soaked clothes clinging to his lithe frame. He took off immediately, his footsteps quick and purposeful, as he made his way through the tunnel entrance of the valley and out into the wide road beyond. Raindrops pelted against his face, a constant reminder of the world's relentless assault, but he paid no heed.
His focus was unwavering. It did not matter which village he reached first, for his path was set. Every step he took carried the weight of a purpose far greater than himself. He was driven by a desire to avenge.
The human scum who had brought despair upon his family would pay the ultimate price for their sins.
The road stretched out before him, a desolate path winding through the storm-ravaged countryside. The sound of his footsteps merged with the symphony of rain and thunder, creating a haunting melody that reverberated in his ears. The world around him seemed to blur, the rain and mist creating an otherworldly haze that clung to his every move.
As Kondo pushed forward, his mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead. He contemplated the powers he had recently discovered, the flames that danced at his fingertips. It was a gift, a manifestation of his true nature, and he knew that he had only scratched the surface of its potential.
With each passing moment, he felt a deepening connection to the elements, a tether to a realm beyond the mortal realm. His journey had just begun, but he would not falter. He would not yield. For his mother, for his father, for himself, Kondo…no, he was Michaelis and he would unleash his wrath upon the world that rejected him and took away his mother.
The boy who had once been shackled by his own powerlessness now stood on the precipice of something greater—a force to be reckoned with, a demon king destined to be a thorn in the humans' sides.
….
"Sweet dreams, sweetie," the mother whispered. The child answered with a slight chuckle, barely audible as he nestled into the safety of his soft futon.
His mother smiled gently, her eyes filled with a tender warmth, before she closed the door, leaving him to drift off into a peaceful slumber. It was her way to ease his stress, the boy was scared by the sudden vanishing of the sun. A nap could help for now.
As the room fell into silence, a peculiar sound caught the boy's attention. It was a delicate scratching, almost like tiny claws gently scraping against the wooden wall.
Confusion flickered across his face, and he hesitated for a moment before opening his eyes to investigate the source of the noise.
His gaze swept across the room, searching for any signs of disturbance, but found everything exactly as it should be.
With a quiet reassurance, he closed his eyes once more, determined to dismiss the strange occurrence as mere imagination.
"Sleep, my love," a murmuring voice whispered, barely audible above the gentle rustle of leaves outside.
The air grew strangely cold as if a window had been left ajar, yet the boy knew he had never opened it. His heart fluttered with unease, causing him to open his eyes once more. To his horror, the room seemed to be consumed by an ethereal mist, a haunting white veil that crept into every corner, emanating a frigid chill that seeped into his bones.
"Mother?" he stammered, his voice trembling with fear, but no sound louder than a whisper escaped his lips.
Paralyzed by terror, he found himself unable to move or call out for help. The room seemed to darken as a voice, deep and raspy, filled the air, tinged with an eerie sense of familiarity. It was the voice of Michaelis, the demon from the ancient tales whispered among frightened children."Have you ever heard the tale of the demon lurking, waiting for you to drift to slumber so he can snatch your soul?"
The young boy's breath hitched, tears streaming down his cheeks, his eyes fixated on the closet on the other side of the room. The door creaked open, a slow and deliberate movement, revealing an abyss of impenetrable darkness. Dread coiled around the boy's heart, squeezing it with a vise-like grip.
The closet, once a safe haven for his toys and clothes, now harbored an unknown horror, lurking in the shadows. "What is happening?" he whimpered, his voice barely audible.
Panic surged through his veins, threatening to overwhelm him entirely.
And then, piercing through the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged, slits of malevolence that seemed to pierce his very soul.
The boy's body trembled uncontrollably, fear rendering him immobile.
"Simple," Michaelis hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "I'm the demon you all feared, I have come to ruin you all."
The boy's breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his chest like a captive bird desperate for escape.
A scream, finally freed from the shackles of his terror, erupted from his lips." Mom, mom!" It took a second for her rushing footsteps to be heard.
"What's the matter!" She slid the door open and yelled immediately. Light flooded into the room, illuminating the darkness that shrouded it.
The child was sitting on his futon, his trembling finger pointing at the closet. "There is a demon, Michaelis, he is coming."
Drawing closer to the bed, her breath caught in her throat, constricted by the sight that unfolded before her eyes. A scream tore from her lips, a primal, guttural sound that reverberated through the walls, as her mind struggled to comprehend the horrifying truth. Red unflinching eyes watched her from the darkness in the closet.
"Stay away demon, leave us be in the name of all that is holy."