Book 3. Chapter 26

“The Beginning of the Darkness” Part 1

“I need to talk to you,” Aegir commented as soon as he saw Kalysto arrive outside the castle and outside the protective magical barrier she had created just before leaving for the third trial. Unaware that she had just returned from Earth after spending a couple of hours healing wounds in the emergency section at a hospital of which Sakura's father was one of the shareholders, taking the opportunity to raise Jhil's skill level faster.

The former saintess stopped her pace and frowned, looking at the demon king quizzically.

“Yes, of course,” she replied, not knowing what else to say.

“Not here. Come with me,” he added, approaching her and placing his hand behind her back. Before Kalysto could protest the sudden contact and unnecessary closeness, he had already teleported them to the outskirts of the kingdom, into a beautiful field of colorful flowers at the end of a forest, and just before a steep cliff that gave a beautiful view of the immense sea surrounding the four demonic kingdoms, which occupied the entire southern part of the continent. Desmond being the largest of the three that were inhabited. “Here,” Aegir took off the cloak he was wearing and put it on a rock. “Please sit down,” he added chivalrously, pointing to the royal cloak extended to prevent her from soiling her clothes.

Kalysto didn't know what to make with the sudden attention. And for four full seconds her gaze traveled from the cloak to him, and back again. Unsure of what to do in such a situation. Suddenly remembering Alice's insistence that he was romantically interested in her, something Kalysto had been insisting on denying.

“Did you finally find any information about Mhiralla's whereabouts?” she asked, wanting to keep the conversation on topics that were safe.

“No,” he answered with a thin smile, knowing full well what she was doing. “But I found a way to help you with your problem,” he added, sitting down right next to her, making her all too aware of his sudden closeness.

“The most effective way to kill a goddess?” She perked up immediately, turning to look at him hopefully.

Aegir watched her silently, half disappointed at her lack of reaction to his nearness, especially since he had never had to work hard for female attention before. Not only because of the title he held, but because of his very pleasing appearance and immense power.

Aegir cleared his throat before continuing, uncomfortable at the little progress he had made after months of courting her.

“Not yet, but I've figured out a way for you to have a system,” contrary to what he expected, Kalysto's shoulders slumped, obviously disappointed at his words.

“It wouldn't do any good to have a new system, even if I had absorbed it from Darla, the same thing that happened to me with Mhiralla would happen again. She will take it from me as soon as we meet again,” although in Darla's case, her system was frozen, so it was of no use to her either.

“There would be no problem if you use the darkness god's system since he is sealed. And even if he is awakened, the dark god gifted us demons, a select group actually, a system as an advantage against the rest of the races since the goddess of light refused to participate in our creation. Besides, I am a member of the royal family.”

You, but not me. She thought, arching an eyebrow. And while I suspect there are fairies and elves somewhere in my family line, I doubt there is demon blood.

“Where are you going with that?” she asked suspiciously.

“The god of darkness would not take away your system even if he woke up, not if you are my mate," he proposed with complete seriousness

Kalysto stood up immediately and took a step back, needing some distance between them as she looked at him with utter surprise.

“Are you telling me that in exchange for having a system I must be with you?... sleep with you?” She say, feeling insulted.

“No," he assured her, standing up and stopping right in front of her, preventing her from escaping. “I'm not stupid Kalysto, I know you're attracted to me even if it's not as strong as what I feel for you," he clarified, "I'm just asking you to give me a chance, asking you to not kissing, no touching and no sleeping with anyone else but me.”

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“All I'm interested in right now is destroying Mhiralla and making her suffer no matter what," she changed the subject, not at all willing to agree with him.

“I'm fine with that," he assured her, "I'm willing to wait for you and I'll support you every step of the way," he promised.

“Ha! And you expect only me to do this while you sleep with others?” she refuted, trying to find an excuse to refuse and extinguish the strange, small, terrifying flare of an unknown emotion that glowed in her chest. Along with the rage at the very thought that he would have the total freedom to bed Khara, something it was obvious the demon woman desired.

A low, soft, seductive chuckle echoed in the air.

“Of course you have my total loyalty and chastity," he replied.

“I doubt very much that you are chaste," she reproached him. Disbelief shining in her voice, as she stepped back again, away from him.

“For you I will be from now on," he assured her, stepping closer to her again.

Still the memory of her mother's lovesick look, with her face full of bruises due to her stepfather's violence, shone in Kalysto's memory and her body immediately tensed.

And her stomach churned with disgust at the thought of becoming like her mother.

“You are not like your mother, Kalysto," he assured her in a low voice as he stroked the back of her knuckles across the ex-saintess face. “I will never treat you the way he treated your mother, and I would never let you treat me that way either.”

His words took her by surprise, causing her to look up and meet his ruby eyes.

“...Get out of my head.”

“I'll try, but you're asking me to do something as hard as stop breathing," he replied as he did so, and pulled his hand away from her, suddenly aware of how unpleasant male contact was for her, despite the growing attraction and curiosity she denied feeling for him.

Kalysto cleared her throat and folded her arms, somewhere between bewildered and confused by the direction the conversation had taken. She had never considered herself to be a romantic person, and although her father had always been very attentive to her he had never been that way with her mother. Besides she had never been in a relationship and had never felt the need to be in one.

So she had absolutely no idea what to do next.

Aegir seemed to notice the confusion in her gaze, so he hastened to clarify.

“I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do and as I said before I am willing to wait for you to complete your revenge,” he said at the same time that a simple black window, without any arabesque or colored decorations given at the ends like Persephone's, appeared before her.

“...How long would the contract last?” she asked curiously, suddenly interested to see the look of bewilderment and anger that would appear on Khara's face as soon as she found out.

“Until our souls cease to exist, or until we both agree to cancel it.”

Fifteen minutes later they were both back in the castle and inside the room where the throne was.

“This is Rezhor, one of my warriors. His wife recently became pregnant with their second child,” commented Aegir, introducing her to a demon who was missing half of his right arm and whose bandages were stained with blood.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Kalysto.”

“The honor is all mine my lady,” the look of complicity that the demon gave to his king implied that it did not seem to be a secret that the king was interested in her.

“Are you sure you wish to do this? The process may be a bit painful,” she said, not wanting him to refuse at the last moment.

“My lady, as you can see I recently lost my arm and without it I no longer serve as a Warrior. Besides, my wife wants me to retire, with the times we live in, she is afraid of becoming a widow and having to raise our children on her own. I assure you that my king has promised to compensate me enough so that I can buy a piece of land on which my brother-in-law can help me build my own house and thus have a legacy to leave to my children.”

“I understand,” she said even though she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something strange about his arm. “Has your wound healed yet?”

The muscular demon seemed uncomfortable with her question.

“Your friend Alice tried to heal it, but being human her skill is not compatible with us and only made the wound worse,” answered the king.

Come on, Kalysto, focus! she thought, as she felt the familiar coldness run through her from head to toe.

“I see,” she replied as she nodded her head and approached the other demon, after placing her hand on both of his cheeks, she whispered, ”Absorb system!”

Again, Kalysto could feel the energy entering her through her fingertips and palm. A few seconds later a simple black window appeared before her.

Making her heart beat wildly against her chest, excited at what she was seeing.

[Status window]

[Name: Kalysto Luna

Age: 21 years old

Race: Half-breed

Level: 150

Fatigue: 90

Class: N/A

Professions: Enchantments

Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of Anissha) (“Guardian of the seal”.)

Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram

HP: 140,000/140,000

MP: 175,800/175,800

DMP: 17.000

Strength: 37.000+55

Vitality: 3,800+80

Agility: 50.000

Stamina: 42,520+110

Intelligence: 4,050+100

Charisma: 50

Luck: 70

Ether: 135

Status: Cursed. Tired. Excited.

Available points: 0]