ISADORA

WHO IS SHE?

"Help!!!"

"Argh!!!"

Screams pierced the air, bouncing off shattered buildings. Fire from overturned carts cast a hellish glow across the market as well as toppled market stalls. The scent of smoke and burning flesh hung thick in the air, causing suffocation. Every step the creature took sent the ground bowing beneath him and terrified citizens sprawling.

With a sweep of his clawed hand, he sent carts flying. Horses screamed as they bolted, crashing into headlamps that splinted into flames. Buildings trembled, collapsing to the ground, with the windows shattering into pieces. The cobblestone street cracked deeply under the weight of his fury.

His eyes glowed molten red like hot lava. Black veins rippled across his skin, stretching as dark energy oozed from him. Shadow writhed around his demonic form, twisting the light like smoke. Every step pushed the heartbeat of the city to terror, and every growl made the branches and trees shrink to their death.

Mothers screamed, sprinting away with their children clutched to their chests. Merchants and guards flee for their lives, pushing others down. Some got wounded, others—dead because of the heavy stampede.

The creature snatched two men from the streets, his eyes glowed red, and the veins stretched deeper. Their screams were cut short as he shattered their heads under his grip. He swallowed their blood, the warm spray coating his face like armor.

The air vibrated with his roar, matching the growling storm above. He snapped another neck and drained the life without mercy.

A woman accidentally fell in front of him, buried her face in the ground, and shook vehemently.

"Please," she cried. "Spare me."

The creature roared, and fire came out of his mouth onto the woman. She immediately turned to ashes, getting blown away by the dangerous dark wind.

In the blink of an eye, another man was in his hand. He stretched his claw, aiming for the heart...

"My eyes are damp with my tears."

He heard a voice say in his ear.

He left the man, dropping to his knees.

Scream rippled through his throat, jagged and loud, making the walls and ground shudder in fear.

Despite his cracked bones, the man crawled away.

"Argh!"

The creature screamed out, tearing a side of his clothes.

"My body is heavy with my blood."

He let out a horrifying scream, quickly leaping into the air.

He teleported away.

~~[SILVARROW PALACE, QUEEN OPHELIA'S ROOM]~~

"He's at it," Nyla muttered, staring at the crowd.

The dark air reached the entire Gloamhaven, and they knew... a demon had been awakened.

"Can't you stop him?" King Dimitri asked. "He's destroying the city." Voice heavy with panic.

Just then, five guards rushed in, kneeling before them.

Before they could speak, the air turned hot, smoke curling from the ground. Everybody scurried out of the way as fire lined up straight into the room.

Slow steps echoed into the room, the fire circling him.

Isadora's chest rose and fell, the wound escalating to her chest.

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing his black, torn robe up to his face, which had dried blood.

King Dimitri couldn't prevent his eyes from going wide, and Nyla looked shocked. Sapphire's mouth hung open as she stared at him.

Queen Ophelia covered her mouth, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes as she whispered...

"Zephyros."

Zephyros spared neither of them a glance as he walked to Isadora. He raised his hands above her, spectral fire beams glowing between them as she lifted her in the air.

His eyes glowed red, shooting fire lasers into her wounded stomach.

When he was done, he dropped her on the bed and faced the door, ready to leave.

Uncontrollable tears fell from Queen Ophelia's eyes as she stretched her trembling hands to touch him. She withdrew it on seeing his claws.

"Prince," Nyla muttered, but he didn't turn to her.

"B..."

He disappeared before Sapphire could complete her word.

King Dimitri was too speechless to say a word; he just looked on.

Queen Ophelia slowly sat on the floor, crying.

A smile appeared on Nyla's lips as she stared at Isadora's body.

"He has healed her."

They all turned to her.

She nodded.

"He grew up to be so tall and handsome. He didn't even acknowledge our presence. He hates us... even me, his mother. He..." Queen Ophelia choked on her words, crying harder.

"Find out the names of the people and their families that were involved in the destruction. We'll have to compensate them."

The guard bowed to King Dimitri and left.

"I don't understand one thing," Sapphire said, gaining their attention. "He wanted her dead. Why then did he heal her?"

~~[ZEPYROS SANCTUM]~~

The sanctum belongs to Zephyros, located at the top of the highest mountains. It was built in riches... the furniture was made purely with gold and silver. He had the sanctum built at a very young age before he was locked away. He wasn't surprised; the sanctum was still in the form he had left it. Maybe that's the only thing they decided not to take away from him.

He had just finished taking a cold spring and was sitting on the rooftop of the sanctum. From there, he could see everything that was happening in the city, including the destruction he had caused.

"I'm full," Vareil, his vampire, groaned.

"Why did you heal her?" Nox, his demon asked.

"He had to... I think she's..." Fenric, his wolf, went shut, seeing the deadly glares from Vareil and Nox.

It was as if they were trying to shrink him with their eyes.

"Quiet," Zephyros muttered darkly.

Nox wanted to talk when he blocked off their communication.

He stared down at the city, not feeling remorseful. In fact, it felt so good.

The very day they decided to lock him all alone, his heart was also locked in. He doesn't feel compassion, love or pity. The only thing he feels now is hate, and until the world smells his hate, he'll destroy everything.

He rolled a fireball in his hand, letting it fall over the cold mountain. The fire fizzled out before it reached the end.

He smirked darkly, shifting his gaze to Queen Ophelia's room.

He could still remember the only person who survived his claws.

No one has ever survived his claws. Whenever he stabs a person with his claws, he releases poison that will shrink the person's internal organs within seconds.

She was supposed to die, but didn't. His poison was in her body for hours, and that brought him to the question.

"Who is she?"

~~[NYLA'S LARE]~~

She closed the door behind her and clapped her hands twice. The green lights came on, blending everywhere with their floating greenness.

She was just returning from the palace after confirming Isadora would wake up within the next twenty-four hours.

Sapphire's question couldn't be ignored.

They were smart enough to know that Zephyros was now filled with hate. Saving her was the least of something he'd do. He destroyed the city without remorse. He has no compassion left.

Her bag left her shoulder, floating in the air as the fate book came out of it.

Nyla folded her legs, sat in the air and spread her hands apart. She closed her eyes, wanting to reminisce, when a noise interrupted her.

She opened her eyes to meet the fate book in front of her. It was flipping its pages very fast... faster than Nyla's breath per second.

Nyla fixed her gaze on the book, aware it was trying to tell her something. The pages began flying in the air, going around Nyla while causing a sudden breeze in the lare.

She chanted some incantations, and soon the torn pages went back to the book, attaching themselves.

It flipped, and getting to the center, it stopped flipping.

Nyla looked at the book, wondering why it had stopped on their fate page. She recently read it at the palace.

Her eyes fell on the written words. "No," she mumbled, shockingly. "This can't be." She covered her mouth.

She lost focus on her balance and fell on the floor.

Her eyes widened in total shock and disbelief.