Bloody Dawn and the Crimson Flame
The world had always been a cold place for me. But that coldness didn't come from the seasons; it came from the eyes of others.
"God..." I whispered, staring at my reflection in the mirror. "Why was I born cursed?"
The day I opened my eyes to this world, the midwife had reportedly fled the room screaming. The reason was clear: my ashen gray hair and the burning, demonic red glow in my left eye. People didn't just fear me; they were repulsed by me. My mother, Elira, would shudder every time she touched me, as if she were touching a serpent. And my father, Elandor... he was simply silent. He had built invisible, insurmountable walls between us.
They never allowed me outside. To them, I wasn't a child; I was a shame to be hidden, a danger to be suppressed.
But curiosity is a poison more potent than fear.
That night, as the moonlight seeped through the small window of my room, I couldn't take it anymore. I slipped out and vanished into the night. The air was cold enough to burn my lungs, but it felt intoxicatingly free. Until that voice rang out...
"A DEMON! THE CURSED CHILD IS OUTSIDE!"
That scream, tearing through the silent streets, froze my heart. As I ran toward home in terror, I could hear the furious footsteps behind me. When I burst through the door, my mother was awake. Her face was twisted into a horrific mask of fear and rage.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" she shouted. Her voice cracked like a whip across my face. As tears streamed down my cheeks, my father rushed in. He pressed me against his chest—tighter than he ever had before. "It's okay... You're here. It will pass," he whispered. But it wouldn't.
When the sun rose, the house was surrounded by an angry mob. Voices shouting "GIVE US THE CURSED BOY!" shook the very walls.
My mother grabbed me and shoved me into the dark closet at the end of the hallway. Her hands were trembling. She cupped my cheeks in her palms and looked deep into my eyes. "No matter what happens... never make a sound, Riven. Never."
She shut the door on me.
I watched through the cracks of the closet. My father stood before the door like a titan. "I would rather die than give you my son!" he bellowed. He threw a stone, trying to hold back the crowd. But rage was stronger than logic.
The door broke. The first thing the invaders did was seize my mother.
My mother's screams... they still echo in my ears. She begged for mercy, falling to her knees. But in the eyes of those villagers, there was no mercy—only blind hatred. An axe blow, a low grunt, and my mother's lifeless body hit the floor.
The world stopped in that moment. I wanted to scream, to shout until my lungs tore... but terror choked the voice in my throat. When my mother's blood seeped under the closet and reached my feet, my father burst in. He scooped me up and headed for the back door.
"RUN, RIVEN! DON'T LOOK BACK!"
I didn't want to leave my mother. I reached for her, but my father's claw-like grip dragged me away. "Live... please... just live," he whispered one last time.
That night, as I disappeared into the darkness of the forest, I made a vow to myself. Those villagers, their families, this disgusting world they defend... they would all burn. For every drop of my mother's blood, I would burn a city.
I ran for days. My throat was raw from pain and crying. But something stronger than the fire of revenge took hold of my body: Hunger.
My stomach was clawing at itself. I heard a weak rustle in the bushes. A chicken. I approached silently. I was no longer a child; I was a predator. When I caught the chicken, I had neither the time nor the strength to build a fire.
As the warm blood filled my mouth, I tore the raw meat away with my teeth. It was disgusting... but I had to survive. "Mother would be angry... then she would laugh... I miss her so much..."
Tears soaked the earth as I curled up beneath a tree. "Revenge... I must survive so I can kill them all."
Just then, that voice from the depths of my mind turned the world to black.
"Do you desire vengeance?"
When I opened my eyes, I was in a void of pure white. "Who are you?!" I shouted.
A low, echoing laugh was heard. "I am the Demon King."
"What?! Why are you in my dream?!"
"Your thirst for revenge summoned me, Riven. That red fire within you... it is my legacy."
"How is that possible— AAGH!!"
My left eye suddenly ignited. It felt as if a thousand white-hot needles were passing through it. The white void began to turn a blood-red.
"Ah... I apologize. It was too soon," the voice said in a mocking whisper. "But this is only the beginning. Every time you open your eye, you will see the world differently."
I woke up drenched in cold sweat. My left eye was still throbbing, but it was different now. I could feel the energy of the trees around me, the scent of moisture in the air, and even the fear of those villagers miles away.
My curse had awakened. But it was no longer a curse. It was my blade.