Alaric Vane Grimshoor stood at the window, his stormy grey eyes glinting with a faint silver rim as he stared into the velvet expanse of the night sky, where stars shimmered like scattered diamonds, with the moon, casting a pale glow over the mortal realm.
A realm that had been his home for nearly four decades.
He was an ancient demon, a being of darkness and power, who had walked the human world disguised as a mortal, hiding in plain sight while navigating the treacherous path of his tribulation to ascend as the god of the Demon realm.
Against all rules, the elixir he had taken before this journey still ran through his veins, preserving his memories as his true self, and keeping his powers intact - a burden he bore with stoic resolve.
His thoughts churned, a storm of conflicting desires as he remembered the day he met Lance, a human whose heart was pure. They had met in a smoky tavern filled with the stench of ale, where Lance had proven himself trustworthy and Alaric had taken him under his wing, forming a bond that defied species and realms.
Lance knew what Alaric was, what he was capable of, and yet the human feared him not.
The knock at the door was rapid and desperate, snapping Alaric back to the present. He knew who it was, who it had to be.
The door busted open, revealing Lance's stricken face who had came in with an insane urgency as if he was being pursued.
"Alaric, please," Lance whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his despair, while carrying his wife's lithe frame which dangled almost lifelessly in his arms.
"You have to help m-me. Rosa...the physicians said she'll be g-gone on the third day, I can't lose her, please Alaric." The human pleaded, clutching unto his friend's hand with tears rolling down his cheek.
Alaric's expression was a mask of stone, the once dim silver glow in his eye shining brighter than before, as he pulled his hands free from his friend's, his movements, deliberate.
"Lance, I warned you, I am not a miracle worker." He spoke. His words were warnings wrapped around in cold restraint, and a caution against all hope Lance held.
Alaric's eyes met Lance's red-rimmed ones, and he saw the desperation there, the pleading, the hope. "You're a demon, Alaric. You can do anything. Please, I'm begging you to save my wife."
The demon's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with a spark of irritation, his gaze drifting back to the world beyond the window. He was a demon, yes, but he was not a god...yet. He could not simply wave his hand and change the course of fate without it affecting his purpose for walking the mortal realm.
"I will not risk my tribulation for this, I have too much at stake." He began, his voice firm and unyielding. "If I used my powers here, it will ripple into the demon realm. The Demon council would know I had taken an elixir to retain my memories and powers....I could lose part of my cultivation." He explained. "Or worse, I could lose a part of my being." He whispered.
Lance's face crumbled, his eyes welling up with tears that immediately rolled down his cheeks. "Alaric please," he fell forward, his hand grasping Alaric's leg as if he were a lifeline. "I'll do anything, anything it is that you want, just please, help me save my wife, I beg of you."
Alaric stared down at his friend with a thoughtful expression before his feature softened, his heart heavy with the weight of Lance's request, a glimmer of contemplation creeping into his eyes.
He could save her, he knew he could. But at what cost? What would it cost him?
That was a question he himself, couldn't answer.
For a moment, he hesitated, his resolve wavering, as he looked at Lance, really looked at him, and saw the expectation, the hope, and the trust beneath those orbs. And In that moment, he knew the weight of Rosa's fate hung precariously on his shoulders.
"Lance, I will help your wife." He finally spoke, his voice low with a hint of reluctance stuck in his tone. "But I must warn you, my powers comes at a steep price. A life for a life, that's the cost of my healing."
Lance's eyes widened, his face paling, and his tears momentarily stopping. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alaric's expression was grim, his eyes clouding over, as he began to explain. "When I revive the essence of one's life, another life is to be taken in its place - a loved one. It's always someone close to the one I'm trying to save."
Lance's face contorted in anguish, he looked down at his wife in his arms, then his gaze drifted back to Alaric. "My sons." He whispered, his voice cracking. "I can't sacrifice them. They're all I have left." He mumbled underneath his breath, and shook his head frantically at the thought of sacrificing one of his sons to save his wife. "I'll do it, I'll give my life for hers. Take mine, please, just save her." He pleaded.
A look of compassion took over Alaric's expression. He was a menacing demon, feared for his ruthlessness in the underworld and yet, he couldn't help but to feel a pang of admiration for the human love towards his wife.
"I won't take your life, Lance." He assured. "You're my friend, and I won't be the one to take you from this world."
Lance's face fell at the demons words, his expression morphing to well up new tears, as he realized the cruel fate that had been laid before his wife. "Then, it's hopeless." He whispered, his voice cracking while staring at his wife. "She'll die, and I'll be left with nothing."
Alaric's facials turned pensive, his gaze settling unto Lance's wife. "Not necessarily," he said. "I can make a compromise. In return for Rosa's life, I will own the first female descendant of your family and I will obtain her when she comes of age."
Lance looked lost for a while, staring at Alaric, unsure of how to comprehend the demon words. His wife had given birth to two boys, no daughters, no female heirs to speak of, so what was the demon saying?
Alaric's lips curled into a small understanding smile, seeing the puzzled look on the human's face. "I can wait. I will wait until one of your descendants bears a female child. When she turns 21, I will come for her, and her soul will be mine."
A conflicting look passed Lance's eyes, but the pressure of his desperation outweighed his logical thinking. He knew Alaric was a demon of his word, and he knew he had no other choice at that moment than to take what the demon had offered in exchange for his wife's life.
"Deal." he said, his voice clear.
Alaric extended his hand which lance took immediately, sealing their pact with a handshake, a searing rope of silvery-light fusing their palms together, before a mystical circle blazed with energy formed around them.
The pact was sealed, and the healing began. Alaric's power surged forth, channeling life forces into Rosa's frail body.
Moments passed, and her eyes fluttered open, her skin glowing with warmth, as she drew in a deep, ragged breath.
Alaric allowed himself a small, almost imperceptible smile — he knew his choice had uttered his tribulations and there would be a price to pay for his deception towards the council.
~~~~~~~~
FOUR CENTURIES LATER.
Alaric's eyes burned underneath his blindfold, unwavering and intense, as he gazed into the fiery orb hovering in the air. Golden light danced across his chiseled features, accentuating the sharp planes of his face.
The vision of a beautiful girl was etched into his mind, her porcelain skin and ethereal beauty was so exquisite - like she was carved by the gods themselves.
She could have passed for a Fae with her otherworldly beauty, but she was human, a mere mortal, and yet, she was so much more, at least that was how Alaric had envisioned her to be based off his brothers descriptions.
Centuries had passed, and still, he remembered the pact that had set this moment in motion. She was the first female descendant to make it to twenty-one, the one destined to fulfill that ancient agreement he had with his human friend.
And now, at last, she had come of age.
He and his brothers stood tall, their presence commanding attention as they gazed into the floating orb, staring at their little dove, the object of their obsession, and the focus of their desires.
Alaric, Zephyrus, and Lucian had been watching over her since the moment she was born into this world, the two younger brothers taking turns into guiding her life, protecting her from harm, and keeping her safe from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.
Zephyrus leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief making his dark orbs glow crimson in color. "Finally," he said, a slow grin curling his lips. "Our little dove has fluttered far enough. I've grown tired of chasing away those insipid human boys. It's time we brought her home."
Lucian, the youngest of the brothers, wore a graceful smile, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "We've waited long enough. I've also grown tired of scaring away her little boyfriends." His smile grew wider, a smile a devil shouldn't be wearing. "Four centuries of waiting, brothers." He added.
The two younger brothers shared a look, their eyes burning with a fierce, possessive light, before settling unto their older brother, waiting for his order.
Even though Alaric couldn't see the girl, his gaze never waltzed from the vision of the girl. He moved his lips, his voice a low, commanding whisper and he spoke to his brothers. "Go, bring her home."
They chorused, "Yes, brother."
Zephyrus arms rose, finger tips igniting with red burning flames that shimmered like molten gold in the darkness. He drew intricate patterns in the air, and a fiery portal blazed to life in the void of the demon realm. The portal yawned open, revealing a glimpse of the human realm with city lights twinkling from a distance.
With a nod, Zephyrus and Lucian stepped through, bodies blurring as they disappeared into the portal. It snapped shut behind them, leaving Alaric alone with the vision, a shadow lingering in his thoughts.
"Mine." He growled, a devilish grin taking over his features before he vanished, his body dissolved into swirling grey mist. The air was thick with the faint scent of smoke and darkness. Only a whisper of his presence remained, a warning, a promise, and a prelude to the storm that was about to descend on the mortal realm.
Even as he moved, a part of him remained tethered, a freedom the world had stolen, a sky he could no longer claim. Blindness was a weight he bore with ease, yet something more had been clipped from him, subtle yet absolute, leaving a gap that no power could fill.
And somewhere in the city below, unaware of the centuries-old pact that now hung over her life, a girl was asleep, completely oblivious to the eyes that would soon claim her.