Prologue

Thick sheets of storm clouds dominated the sky. Their colors of gloom held back the sun’s hues of fire. Heavy rain down poured from their masses and flooded the city. Ilvichlex stood on his apartment building’s threshold. He tilted his headed back and sneered up at the sky, rain streamed down his face, and he had to blink the drops of rain out of his eyes. With an irritated sigh he pulled up his jacket’s hood and headed out into the street.
Desolate buildings in ruins cast shadows and darkened the forsaken city streets. Ilvichlex treaded as stealthy as he could to avoid run-ins with the Rogues that still roamed and the cannibalistic demons on the hunt for their next meal. His boots splashed the puddles on the side-walk, and his long jacket clinked in rhythm with his steps, but both came to a sudden stop. Ilvichlex scanned the surrounding areas and tried to listen past the pitter patter of the rain.
Feral cries could be heard…cannibals. He cursed and ducked into the nearest alley for cover.
Ilvichlex crouched in the dank and wretched smelling alley as the cannibals drew closer to his position. He was in the back of the alley hidden from sight as the ravage demons began to sweep the streets. Dirt crusted their bodies that were mutilated and pierced.
Soon he saw two figures at the light of the alley; they carried with them blunt pipes and flashlights. Ilvichlex held his breath and involuntarily backed up farther… crack. The figures flashed their lights in his direction as he looked down to see he had stepped on glass. He glanced back at the approaching demons then to the dead end alley; there was nowhere to go-except up.
Hastily Ilvichlex spun around and ran up the brick dead-end, his boots scrapped against the surface, and his hands nearly slipped on the wet pipes as he found hold. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the lights shine and scan where he was just crouched. “Fucking rats,” a cannibal cursed. He heard a trash can crash to the ground and the two demons steps fade away.
Ilvichlex sighed in relief and continued his slippery climb up. He reached out for the edge of the roof and struggled to find a grasp, his fingers strained and whitened as he swung his legs up and onto the roof. His breath was short as he rolled on the roof and stood. As he wiped the grime that covered his hands onto his pants he looked out to the city.
The sight saddened his heart. Had it really been so long ago the city was thriving and was vibrant with mortals going about their daily lives, ignorant to the danger that was among them. Now, though, the life was sucked dry from its core and all that was left was a hollow shell and the brutal acts that took place every day to survive this place.
All it took was one demon to kill the heart of this city, to slaughter all the mortals here by releasing the Rogues to their mercy. Ilvichlex intended to get that demon, the one that slipped through his fingers. Not, today, though, he was going to see the only reason he stayed in this mortal world, his wife and child.
The rotted gate to the graveyard screeched as Ilvichlex pushed it open. His boots sunk into the soggy earth and his jacket dragged along the wet grass as he walked the lines tombstones. It was a grim place before all hell was let loose, but now it was worst, it was over grown and unkempt, stonewalls were crumbling, and even the angels heads were decapitated.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and he felt his bottom lip quiver as he headed down the last column of the graveyard. There at the end rested his wife, Elizabeth and child Edmund.
Ilvichlex stood at the center of their headstones and pulled from his breast pocket a frozen rose and buttercup. He loathed and hated the demon that had made them, but he knew his Elizabeth and that his son had found them beautiful. Ilvichlex set them on their graves gently and pressed his lips to their headstones, a farewell kiss. He backed away and knelt in front of them.
He let out a heavy breath and thought back on the beautiful memories that came before their deaths. Hand in hand they strolled down the public park, gold and red leaves blowing down the path. The lake at the center sparking in the sun’s fading light of dusk. He looked out of the corner of his eye to Elizabeth. Her yellow hair blew around her face and the pink on her cheeks contrasting her creamy skin, yet bringing out the shade of her lips. She caught him staring and smiled brightly and gently shoved him to the side. “What are you staring at?”
“Hopefully, my future bride,” he said as he got on one knee and pulled from his jacket’s pocket and small black velvet box, he opened it slowly to reveal a diamond ring. Elizabeth stared down at him in awe, her hands over her mouth, and bright green eyes wide. Beads of sweat began to gather at his brow when she didn’t answer right away, but when she lowered her left hand down to him, he’d never felt better in his life. He knew that from then on she’d always be his.
Ilvichlex stood up and pulled out a pistol he had holstered on his hip. Rain poured down on him as he slowly pressed it to his temple with shaky fingers. As the cold steel dug into his flesh he pulled back the hammer with a click. He gulped and closed his eyes as his heart pounded and his breath came in short bursts. Ilvichlex put his finger to the trigger and clenched his teeth so hard his jaw popped.
“I’m coming after you Araken Astrales!” he bellowed as he pulled the trigger and shot himself with a one-hundred percent Hell’s Frost bullet. He fell face first onto the graves of his loved ones. Blood pooled from his skull and seeped into the ground, his body limp and breathless as black fire enveloped him. The black flames nipped and burned his body; they took him from the mortal world where he committed suicide to be re-born in his world of origin, Hell.
Hell, where the demon that caused the mortal world to spiral into chaos and the murderer of his child still lived…where Araken Astrales still lived!

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 05.02.2011

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