Our blades clashed for the final time. The metal roared through the courtyard and her blade slashed through my torso.

As I fell to the ground, I closed my eyes to shield them from the blood. Even in my dying moments, all this blood was making me sick. I’ll die exactly how I lived in those eyes. A coward is all I will ever be. No matter how hard I try to change.

Losing this fight wasn’t like the others; this one felt good. I was happy to lose. I guess this is really what I wanted. The demon lord put up a good fight. She fought me until the bitter end.

Now I just have to wonder what happens on the other end. Does the Goddess look like her statues, or was it completely made up? They always said you’d meet her as you pass on, but I believe such a pleasure isn’t suited to my death. A bloody coward who ran into the castle of the demon lord with no intent of leaving alive. Only time would tell what awaited my soul when my eyes opened. Though deep in my heart, I wished for something peaceful, like a field of flowers, maybe even my hometown, and seeing her again.

Instead, my eyes would open to bed covered in a semi-transparent black veil. The bedding was softer than jackalope fur. I could feel myself drifting back to sleep as I lay there. Begrudgingly, I sit up from the bed, letting my ginger hair fall to cover my face. It was longer than normal and the curls seemed far worse than normal. My clothes had been stripped away for a soft green robe trimmed with black fur and a pair of black shorts. Bandages and stitches covered my body. The wounds could easily open at any time as moving around even while seated hurt.

Peaking my head through the veil, a room of stone bricked walls greeted me with a ceiling to match. White marble laid the floors edged with dark green quartz. Magical torches hung all around the walls in black holders.

Shifting across the bed, I exit from the right side. The cold floor sent chills through my body. Reaching back onto the bed, I grabbed one of the smaller blankets and wrap myself inside to try and offset the cold floors.

In front of me were two empty wooden wardrobes. Extending my hand from the blanket, I run it across the top. It was the smoothest thing I’ve felt in my life. Next to the wardrobes were two massive doors adorned with runic symbols and gemstone door handles. It probably led out of this dream, but I didn’t really care for leaving at this moment and explored the room further.

The room had a large braided green rug with a fancy legged wooden table in the middle. A giant black couch lay in front of the table, held up by wood similar to that of the table. I liked the pattern weaved into the couch and its surrounding armchairs. It reminded me of some floors back in my hometown. An unlit fireplace encased in black bricked faced the cough and was surrounded by bookshelves filled to the brim with children’s toys. I had to resist the urge to grab one. I wasn’t some child who would play with some dumb stuffed animals, or at least that’s what I told myself.

Making my way toward the windows, I find them covered in some black metal. I wonder why they could be covered like this. Maybe the glass was broken, but it was out of my power. Making my way toward the start of my self-led tour across the room, I find myself at a desk. It was different from the rest of the wooden furniture in the room as it was topped with black marble and had fancy green marble legs. Looking through, I find nothing but a mirror made of white marble. 

Picking up the mirror, I decided to look at myself to see if I had dreamt up anything different about myself. My skin was still that of a brown lion. Scars shattered across my neck and behind my ears. Everything was the same except for my eyes, they were bright green. Normally my eyes were brown. This one thing confused me to the core. Only one known person had green eyes and it was the Demon Lord herself. This was unbelievable. I had to wake up from whatever this was.

Raising my hand, I tried gathering mana into my palm to summon my sword but they wouldn’t come to my hands; they had never acted like this before, but I could figure this out without them, I hoped. Inching my way towards the door, I find the door wasn’t locked and peaked out into the hallway; finding it completely silent and empty. Looking around, I find only black drapes adorned on the windows and paintings of various people. As my eyes adjusted to the hallway lighting, I found myself on the ground as I realized who was in the paintings.

The Demon Lord Abraxas and her five generals. This wasn’t heaven or hell. I was still alive on this Goddess-forsaken rock. Crawling across the hallway, I pull myself up on the window sill and look out toward the sky. High above, the moon was raised in the pitch-black night. The outer garden was empty, which was weird since demons were at their most active during the night. Snapping myself back into reality, I shouldn’t be worrying about this. I had to find a way to escape before they noticed my presence.

Looking down both directions of the hallway, it seemed that north was my only option. The magical torches that lit the hallway only went north, and wandering around in the darkness wasn’t my strongest ability. Making my way back across the hallway, I close the door to the bedroom and wrap myself in the blanket once again and make my way down the center of the hallway.

This place felt baron even with all this fancy decor. Marble vases on small tables, mastercraft paintings, walls crafted with runic patterns, long rugs with black braided trim, and green diamonds spread across. It was beyond clean, but maybe that was just how Abraxas liked her castles. After some time I found myself trying to count them but lost the number some time ago. 

I would come across the first door in maybe seven minutes. A giant door for a giant bedroom. It had a similar layout to the bedroom I woke in, but everything was even greater. Many sets of armor were scattered across the room. It felt very lived in with many papers and books across the floor. As I try to enter the room to explore more, I fell to my knees coughing up a bit of blood. The pain from my freshly sealed wounds had started to catch up with me.

Leaving the doorway, I hugged the wall directly under the lit torches and continued my journey down the hallway. I would come across many doors and branching pathways, but I would just follow the torches to not wander about in the darkness.

Many of the doors I opened were mostly useless places to me. Bed chambers, pantries full of mushrooms, a room with one massive red mushroom growing out of the floor. These were at least the ones I was able to reach the door handle of as most of the handles are beyond my short reach, these demons were far larger than us humans. Strangely enough, I wasn’t able to find a single bathroom. Maybe demons didn’t need to use it like other races, but it wasn’t anything to worry about for now at least.

Following the torches, I find myself in front of two massive marble doors. The left had a snake eating its own tail carved into it, while the right had a pair of angel wings turned upside down with a broken halo above them. 

Peering through the open door, I find myself inside a massive library with thousands of books and paper shattered all around the floor. This place was messier than the bedroom I found earlier. The carpet was a beautiful shale white fur, it was probably made of the same fury as my robe and blankets.

These bookcases were taller than me or anybody I ever knew. I would have to climb on the shelves to reach the second row. Wrapping my hands around the spine of a book, I pull with all my might only to fall on my butt as the book falls beside me, making a loud slam as it did. Reading the text on the front, it was written in the demon language. I had learned a little of the demon tongue, but it wasn’t enough to understand this book. Looking at the rest of the books were in some ancient text I had no idea about.

Despite their size, many of the books were very light. I was simply amazed. I wonder if I could steal one of these books before I left, but reality soon hit me like a boulder as my wounds ached to remind me that I can barely carry myself out of this castle. 

The library was like a maze as I weaved my way through the books. I might have gotten myself a little lost in this sea of words, only finding a difference in things turning a corner, and finding a large staircase. I could faintly hear the sounds of writing coming from the top of the stairs. Not having many other options, I cast a spell of silence on myself and grab ahold of the railing and make my way up the stairs. It was a struggle to pull myself up the large stairs. I could feel myself losing more and more energy as I did. After a couple of minutes or so of climbing, I was able to reach the top of the stairs, only to find myself in a larger maze.

After what felt like hours, I turn a couple of corners and find two demons near a massive window leading to a balcony. One sat at a desk surrounded by stacks of paper and was frantically writing things down as she sorted the papers. I couldn’t get look at them from the angle I was standing at. While another stood beside them looking down at the desk, giving helpful advice, it seemed. 

The demon standing next to the desk had sickly pale skin. Large scars ran across the bridge of his nose and up from his neck to the bottom of his right cheek. Bright red eyes and long eyelashes were hidden behind black circular glasses. Golden hair wrapped into a messy bun held up by two long pins. Twin braids fall down the front of his face, reaching below his neck. Three black horns, differing in size, grew from the upper left of his head; the highest was the largest, while the lowest was the smallest. His ears were pointed and had a black scruffy tail. He wore a dark blue Hanfu adorned with white lilies across the center and the edge of its sleeves.

It had seemed that both of them hadn't detected my presence due to my spell, so I decided to listen in.

“Lady Abraxas. I do not understand why you have chosen to save that human boy. Not only did he attack your castle and slaughter many of our kind. He is the hero who was born to slay the Demon Lord. It was simply easier to kill him when you bested him in battle, my Lady.” He held a hand to his chest and bowed toward Abraxas, who kept writing as she began to speak.

“Firstly Bune, this is OUR castle, not just mine. Everyone who lives in this castle shall refer to it as such.” She shot a glance at Bune, raising an eyebrow and pointing before continuing her work and her explanation.

“We have been watching the boy for some time, Bune. Ever since they took him from home. His life was stripped away just to stop us. He has no family, no friends; no support from anybody. This boy was only seen as a tool in our destruction. I’ve experienced many fights in my decades, and during that one, the boy was holding back. He simply wished for his end.”

 “A fair statement, my Lady but we simply do not have the accommodations for such a small boy. How will you give him what he wishes.”

Abraxas shot a look at Bune, which seemed to bring an instant worry to his face. As she began to speak to him in a language, I could not understand. I take this as my prime moment to get out of here and process what they said. Swiftly but quietly, I moved back through the maze of shelves. 

So Abraxas has known about me since I left the Camellia Village. She knew I wasn’t trying to win our fight, but still, she decided to save me. I don’t understand what she was thinking, but I had to get out of here before I was noticed.  

Finding my way back to the stairs and start my descent back down, holding onto the rail and softly dropping off each step. Until a sharp pain from my wounds caused me to slip down the rest of the stairs. My body crashed with every step, I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes as I lay at the base of the steps. 

“My Lady, I shall go find out what that sound was.”

“No need Bune, I shall see to it myself. Just finish this work for me.”

Her chair scratched against the floor as I pulled myself from the floor and forced myself to run through the maze of books while trying my hardest to ignore the piercing pain throughout my body. Reaching the main hall of the library, I find the door but as I rush toward the door only to trip on one of the loose papers on the floor. Now laying on the ground, I look up at the greatest Demon Lord in known history, Lady Abraxas. 

She towered over me, her bright green eyes beamed at me, accompanied by a smile, a small fang peeking from the right. Dark brown skin and braided jet black hair rushed down her back. Each braid possesses a golden band with a blue gemstone at the center. Across the bridge of her nose, she had a matching scar with Bune. Black wings reached from her head to her knees, easily able to block the doors when extended outwards. Her tail was sharp and pointed into a heart shape. A black lace shawl laid in her arms and flowed under her wings. An open back ebony dress attached at her neck fell to her ankles, followed by black heels.

“So you have awakened the hero Sylvan, or can I just call you Sylvan, little one.”

I laid there on the floor, trying to hold back tears. Pulling myself up into a sitting position, I meekly raised my fist to her.

“Now that’s just rude, little one. Raising your fist to the person who saved your life, even though you made a mess in my castle and tried to have me end your existence. Someone like you simply can’t die because you wish.”

“... What is that supposed to mean? You’re not making any sense. This doesn’t make any sense… explain.”

“My dear, what’s not making sense? I’ve simply given you a soft warm bed to sleep in. Healed your wounds to the best of my ability. I would’ve even given you food if you asked, darling.”

As I listened to her words, I instinctively scooted away from Abraxas and avoided her gaze. She was being far too kind to me for some reason. I don’t deserve or need this. I would be better off dying to my wounds.

“Hahaha. You look just like an impling who’s been caught with their claws inside the mushroom jar.”

“You're just going to use me like the rest of them, aren’t you? My strength is all anyone ever wants from me. What makes you different Abraxas?

“Well, for everything my dear, I don’t wish to obtain your power or use you like some tool. instead I offer you a deal.”

Abraxas stepped closer and crouched down, matching my height.

“My deal for you daring is that you shall live here with me and become a part of my family.” 

Inaudible sounds left my mouth upon hearing her response. Lady Abraxas the greatest Demon Lord, wanted me Sylvan the hero of the humans, to live with her? This was unbelievable. Nothing she said was making sense. Why would she? How could she ask this? 

I tried to gather my words to respond, but my breath was slipping away from me. Nothing was able to escape from my lungs, no matter how hard I tried. This pain was different from the rest, but I couldn’t understand it. My head felt like it was falling into an endless abyss as the tears started forming in my eyes and falling down my face.

“Oh no my dear, it’s alright one did not mean for this to happen.”

In my defenseless state, Abraxas reached down and took me into her arms with ease. I tried my hardest not to show my face, but every time I moved, she’d just place it back and wipe away my tears.

“Breath child, one does not wish to hurt you or even force you to do anything that you do not wish. I simply want the best for a child who hasn’t been allowed to live.”

Her face held a warm smile and her eyes were filled with care. It was the first time in some years that someone had looked upon me with such affection. In time, my breathing returned to normal and my tears were no more. Maybe I’d take her offer, but for now, I couldn’t respond as my body had used the last of its energy only moments ago.