[Underground — Monster Academy — Venom's Den]
One hundred years ago, before the academy was even finished, the earth shook with a war no scroll dares to record. Angels clashed with devils and demons in the skies, their battles painting the heavens in fire and ash. But in the chaos, one name whispered louder than the thunder of wings— Venom.
He was not the strongest nor the eldest of the devils, but he was the most cunning. With words sharper than any blade, he bent armies to his will. With a smile, he betrayed kings and saints alike. It was Venom who nearly tore the balance of the multiverse apart— not with brute force, but with patience, manipulation, and secrets.
And so, when the war finally ebbed, the victors did not kill him. They feared that even death would not silence him. Instead, they chained him beneath the earth, far below where light could never reach, he managed to escape but the damage has already been done. He was sealed with an angelic ring, forged in the flames of sacrifice. Only the blood of a chosen light-bearer could ever undo it.
For a hundred years, the world above forgot. Children were born, cities rebuilt, and the academy rose as a beacon of order. His name became a ghost story everyone forgot about, his face blurred into legend...
...But legends do not die. They wait.
And Venom? Venom never forgot.
The academy above pulsed with life—chatter spilling from crowded corridors, the clatter of boots against polished floors, and the ringing of bells signaling another round of training. Light poured in through enchanted windows, washing every surface in golden warmth. To the unknowing eye, it was perfect and Untouchable.
But beneath that perfection, below the roots of stone and spell, a whisper stirred.
A door, sealed long ago and buried deep in forgotten ruins, groaned against the pressure of ancient locks. Beyond it stretched a hall of shadows, where light had never set foot. Here, the walls seemed alive, breathing faintly as though the underground itself hungered. It was not a place of silence but of murmurs— the low, endless murmur of chains rubbing, flames cracking, and distant voices that weren't truly voices.
At the far end of that hall, upon a throne carved from black obsidian and fused with jagged bone, sat Venom.
His red cloak draped like spilled blood over the steps beneath him, and the dim firelight picked out the sharp lines of his jaw, and the playful cruelty of his smirk. His red hair caught the faint glow, though his eyes—those piercing, dangerous eyes— shone brighter than the flames. Handsome, poised, yet unmistakably predatory, Venom looked every bit the devil's masterpiece.
He leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. His other hand tapped lazily against the armrest of his throne, each tap echoing across the chamber like the tick of a clock.
"Tick, tick, tick…" he murmured to himself. "Time bleeds away, and yet the world above plays children's games. Stances, trials, parades of pride. All while I sit here." He chuckled low, the sound rolling dark and smooth. "But not for long."
A set of footsteps interrupted his musings—soft but deliberate, the kind of sound made by someone who knew exactly where they were going, and feared both being too fast and too slow.
Venom didn't turn instead he smiled wider.
"You took your time," he said with his voice low, but every word laced with command.
The hooded figure entered the chamber, the long cloak dragging faintly along the stone. They bowed once, but not too deep. "My apologies. I could not slip away without notice. The academy is… on alert."
"Alert?" Venom finally looked at them, one brow raised. "Do you mean cautious— or paranoid?"
The ally hesitated. "…Both."
Venom's laugh echoed off the walls, that kind of sudden, sharp evil— villain laugh. "Good. Let them be paranoid. It means they sense the storm, though they know not where it brews." He rose from his throne, the folds of his cloak unfurling as he stepped closer. "Now tell me… what news?"
The ally lifted their chin, steady though their fists clenched beneath their cloak. "The ring remains with Principal Camila. She does not remove it— not even during rest. It will not be simple."
"Urgh..." Venom's smirk curved into something crueler. He circled the figure slowly, like a wolf circling prey. "Do you think I sit here dreaming of simplicity? Simplicity is for sheep, for angels who believe rules protect them. I do not want simple. I want certain."
The ally swallowed but pressed on. "It is possible. She has been careless once or twice, distracted during meetings. If I wait..."
Venom cut them off with a raised finger. "Patience. Everyone preaches patience. Do you know how long I've waited? How many centuries these walls have held me, gnawing at my bones like rats in the dark?" His voice sharpened, slicing through the chamber. "I have endured exile, silence, humiliation. Patience has been my prison, not my virtue."
The ally lowered their head. "Then what would you have me do?"
Venom leaned in, close enough that his crimson eyes glowed in the shadow of the hood. "Steal. Manipulate. Poison. Smile at them while you cut their throats. I don't care how. I only care that the ring becomes mine."
He stepped back, with laughter curling again in his throat.
"And the girl?" Venom's tone softened, but the way it lingered on that single word— "girl—" was heavier than iron.
The ally knew who he meant. They hesitated, choosing their words carefully. "Her powers awakened. At the temple. She's a light angel... A very powerful one. I noticed something strange when her powers was tested too"
Venom's eyes lit up with delight. He threw back his head and laughed, this time full and rich, echoing into the deep. "Perfect! Oh, perfect. The angel of light, child of destiny, paraded before them all like a jewel. And not one of them realizes the jewel's edge can cut. Delicious!"
He strolled back to his throne, running a hand along his cloak. "Light above, shadows below. Tell me, do you know what happens when light and shadow finally touch? The world fractures. Destiny bends. And I…" His smirk sharpened. "I will be the one to bend it."
The ally finally spoke again. "She has friends. Loyal ones. They defend her and stand at her side. It may complicate matters."
Venom scoffed, lowering himself onto his throne with a dramatic sweep of his cloak. "Friends? Do you know what friendship is? A rope woven of lies and need. It burns at the first taste of fire. They are children playing hero. Break one, and the rest will fall."
The ally shifted uneasy.
"Ah…" he purred. "You doubt. You wonder if perhaps this girl is stronger than you, or...stronger than me?. You wonder if her prophecy is true." His smile thinned. "Doubt is a lovely thing— it means you still have a soul to lose."
"I do not doubt," the ally replied firmly, though their voice betrayed the faintest crack.
Venom leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Good. Then prove it. When the time comes, do not hesitate. Her blood— just a drop is all I need. A splash upon these stones, and the chains that bind me will dissolve like mist. The girl will unlock my freedom. Her destiny is not hers..." he paused "...IT IS MINE." He continued with his evil villain laugh.
The cavern trembled faintly, as if agreeing with him. The red veins along the walls pulsed faster, Then glowing hotter.
"And remember this," Venom continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "You are my eyes and ears within their holy cage. If you dare fail me or betray me... I will peel your soul from your flesh thread by thread until even the devils pity you. Hm hahahaha. Do I make myself clear?"
The ally bowed low, with every muscle taut. "Yes, master."
"Good." Venom leaned back, with his smirk returning, though his eyes burned. "Now go. Let them think you are one of them. Let them laugh with you, train with you, hell— trust you. All the while, we weave their funeral shroud."
The ally turned and walked toward the shadows, the hooded cloak dissolving into the dark until only footsteps remained.
Venom watched as they leave, tapping one finger against his armrest again. Tick. Tick. Tick.
When the last sound faded, he whispered into the empty chamber.
"Valkyrie Saltsman. The Alpha and hybrid. Angel of light." His smirk widened into something feral. "Your blood will buy my freedom. And when I walk above once more, your friends, your teachers, your entire world… will burn in the color of shadows.."
His laughter rose again, it was cruel and thunderous, filling the chamber until it seemed even the foundations of the academy shivered in dread.
And yet, above, the students laughed in their halls— blissfully unaware that betrayal already walked among them.