A week had come to pass ever since Lilith's first visit. She had grown more attached towards Nick, as each passing day her likings towards him only grew more and more so.
Her visits were rather often, as she had wanted to learn more about him, returning whenever the opportunity arises to visit Nick's cellar late at night
Their conversations were of each others' as they began learning one another's lives.
Once again, night had fallen in Ixerath as Lilith had escaped her castle to visit Nick in his cellar. She was sitting on the usual wooden chair, wearing a cloak that covered her nightdress.
She was listening to him as he was telling more of himself; tales from his past.
"There was this.. one time when I was much younger, around the age of eight or so." Nick began, as he was in midst of recalling the memory of his young self.
"I was innocent then, filled with only the desire for thrill and adventure. So my parents sent me off to a boot camp, under a company that my father was working under." He scratches his chin for a moment as he continued with his tale.
"It's a pretty long story for many things had happened then, but unexpectedly my presence there had changed the better of most people. I ended up winning an award; for being one to change most hearts, for saving a one's life from danger, and for pushing friends to conquer their fears." He finished as a small smile grew on his face as he was able to recall such a pleasant memory.
"Haha, what is that?" Lilith began with a laugh, as Nick tried hiding his embarrassment.
"Eight—eight years old, and you had already become a hero at such a young age!" She teased him.
She wasn't mocking him but instead was not able to contain herself as she was caught off guard in hearing of such tales.
"I would love to see a lil Nick." She said to herself in her thoughts.
"Yeah, I did." He answered her, as he continued reminiscing his past.
"Back then, I only had dreams of wanting to go on an adventure, to travel to worlds such as this with my friends as companions." He stopped for a moment, letting out a soft sigh.
"But realistically, I just went off wanting to be an astronaut." He continued with his words.
"An astronaut?" Lilith asked as she had never heard of such a word before.
"It's somewhat of an adventurer, who journeys above the clouds and towards the stars ahead." He explained as Lilith was left in awe.
"You're able to travel above the clouds in your world?" She asked with her eyes sparkling with interest.
"No not me, but we had the technology to do so. Like reaching the moon." He told her.
"The moon? Wow! That's amazing!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"I've always wanted to see the stars and the moon, but being able to travel there is another thing itself!" Lilith continued.
"What do you mean by that?" Nick asked, as her words had peaked his curiosity.
"Well, if you haven't known, the skies in Daemonia is often only covered by smoke. So it's a very rare opportunity for us to be able to see a star or moon up from the sky." She said with her excitement had slowly died away, but her face did not show any sadness as she had already been used to her lifestyle.
"Well, I am sorry to hear that," Nick began to apologise as Lilith was quick to stop him.
"Don't be, let's continue where you left off; about your younger self." She said as she was still interested in wanting to hear more.
"Well, I was such a fool back then," Nick said regretfully.
"But even so, I never did expect my adventures coming into reality. That your world would exist beyond the reaches of my gateway." Nick added.
"Oh, regarding about the gateway, have you of any idea on how it came to work?" She began to ask, wanting to see if she was able to put the gateway in Ixerath to any use.
"Ours had been inactive for more than a thousand years, and it seems that the historical records with anything in regards to it seemed to be missing."
"Honestly, I wish I do, but I too am in search for the same answers," Nick said with a short sigh as he knew little about the gateway, to begin with.
"Do you miss your home?" Lilith asked out of the sudden, as she tried bringing up another topic.
"Yeah.. maybe a little." It took a while before Nick's reply as he began feeling nostalgic, recalling of his home.
"What was it like, back there on your world?" She pressed on with her questions, intrigued to learn more about his world.
"Probably the same as any other world would." He said as he began thinking of words to describe his world.
"Blue skies, mountains soaring high, oceans as far as the horizon. And cities; the size of a country." He answered her question.
"Now when I think back about it, it wasn't so bad back there,"
"Oh!" He exclaimed as he had just remembered the difference in their worlds.
"But what would set a big of a difference in our worlds would be that in my world, there are only but a single race that rules the land; humans. Our science and technology too had advanced throughout the coming years."
"Like wagons and carts here. We rarely have those back at home, and they're replaced with vehicles; big and small powered by engines. There weren't any needs for horses anymore. Ah, and we have flying contraptions too."
"Flying contraptions?" Lilith asked as it had peaked her interest.
"We have those here too." She noted.
"Oh? You do?" Nick exclaimed to his surprise in learning that this world's technology being quite advanced, and not too far behind from his world's.
"Yeah, airships; their engines powered by a complex machinery built with a combination of magic and our world's science."
"Mmm. But ours are different. We call them aeroplanes instead; big, flying contraptions, built in an ideal shape of a bird. It soars through the sky, at a speed faster than any other. It'd only take a couple of hours to travel to another country while crossing the ocean." He explained and saw that Lilith was keen to hear more.
"It's a nice world. Peaceful, filled with smiles and joys as the people lived without fear." He said with a faint smile.
"But sadly, that is only but the surface. A mask; they wear to hide from the truth. And the truth is, that even with a world that has but a single race, we are still unable to achieve peace. Wars are raged on, for territory, resources, control and for religion." He went on as his smile had died away, into a coldness that filled the air around him.
"But even then, I would still miss home. For it was the place I was born in." He said at last, after a brief moment of pause, as he was still able to find warmth in missing his world.
"It's not that easy for a bird to leave its nest." He added, with a smile directed at Lilith as she had been silently listening to his story.
"What of your family and friends back at home?" Lilith asked.
"I can't say for sure on their behalf, but for me, I do miss them, yes. But it might only be a one-sided feeling. My family definitely would want to see me again, they surely would've missed me." He answered.
"I want to see them.. to see my mother's face once again. But that wouldn't be possible." Nick continued as sadness began to grow on his face.
Lilith was curious to know of what he had meant by that, but Nick was quick as he immediately went on and continued with their conversation.
"Enough about me, I want to hear more of your family." He stated as he was the only one sharing about himself.
"It's quite a story," Lilith said as she hesitating to continue.
"I wouldn't mind listening, go on." Nick pressed on.
"My mother was a great person. She was deeply respected by the majority of the people in this country. She was diligent, beautiful and elegant. All the qualities that I don't have." She said with regret.
"Huh, I'd say otherwise." He said, sharing his opinions as he disagreed on her negativity towards herself.
"I admire my mother by a lot, growing up wanting to be just like her." She continued, pretending as if she had not heard Nick's opinion.
"Trying to follow in her footsteps, I accomplished a great many of things. Some would deem my accomplishments better than my mother's, but it only felt as if I was still living in her shadows." She said with sadness plastered on her face.
"You must have been really close with your mother," Nick said, breaking the brief moment of silence that had filled the air in midst of their conversation.
"Only for a while, she died when I was still young. I had no siblings, no distant relatives, only that with a head maid being the closest to a family I have left." She continued, before returning him a smile.
"I didn't turn out to be like my mother at all. I became more of a troublemaker; causing troubles to the maids here and there. I used to always get an earful from the head maid for breaking rules like sneaking out in the night."
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
"I guess you didn't really change much since you're still doing it now too." Nick teased her with a grin on his face.
She began to laugh after hearing his statement, as she wiped a tear off her face, "Haha, I guess so."
"But I've grown smarter to make sure to return before she realises something being amiss." She added with a snicker.
"I used to always escape my bedchambers late at night, rushing to the garden so I could play in the dark," Lilith said as she reminisced of her childish past.
"A garden?" He asked with a genuine sense of curiosity.
"Yes, it was filled with such beautiful exotic flowers, but not the ordinary kind since the soil here would kill most plants and trees. Instead, these flowers are crystallized, and every so often the would shine a wonderful colour, even under the clouded sky." She said, recalling the warmth she felt from seeing their beautiful colours.
"Wow, you must be one wealthy lady to have such an exotic garden," Nick said in awe, to know the existence of such flowers.
"Maybe I am, but seeing the faces of the maids as they begin freaking out; realising of my disappearance, had always filled me with laughter." She chuckled, recalling their expressions.
"I'm sure you have." Nick agreed with a snicker.
"From the stories you've told me, you seem to have grown into a perfectly fine, beautiful lady." He complimented her, hoping to see her blushing but was surprised to see her nodding in agreement.
"But your mother indeed seem to be a great outstanding figure. What about your father?" He asked as he realised she had not brought up anything about her father.
"I don't know much of my father, he died before I was born." She answered him, with a regretful look as she was quite saddened for not being able to have met her father.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Nick said as it seemed that he had asked something he shouldn't.
"But I've heard that he was human. It's one of the reasons why I retain more of a human appearance." She stated as he realised that she did seem different than the other demons he had seen so far.
"Ah, speaking of which, I haven't seen any of the men before, do they retain humanoid appearances like you and the others do too?" He asked as he had realised he had only seen the females demons but the males were absent.
"Them? No. They are far different from what you're imagining them to be." She said, shaking her head in denial.
"Like their appearances; they're more monsters than intellectual beings like us." She explained.
"They're weaker than us and hardly able to be controlled under the law. So most of them are kept, in the slums or outside the districts of the city. Their existence is only here as frontline soldiers, for hard labours and such." She said as she smeared them with hatred.
"So they're like ruffians," Nick said.
"Ruffians?" She asked, confused as she had not heard of such a word before.
"Uncultured people that only cause trouble." He pointed it out.
"Yes, more likely so." She agreed.
"The demon race is ruled differently here than the other continents. Our race serves under a hierarchy where the women rule above the men." She said as she began explaining more about the demon race.
"But the demon race now isn't as what you would expect of them to be; being ruthless and war hungry. We have achieved somewhat of a respectable standing among the other races." She told him, correcting his views on the demon race.
"Yes, we may lust for power. But we too have conscious in finding peace. And our peace and freedom was something that our queen; the Demon Queen, had achieved and fought for us." She said proudly, trying not to brag too much of herself.
"Since you haven't seen, the city. I'll tell you more about it. Our city here; Ixerath, is as modern as any other major cities throughout the other continents. With the science and magical research that had been shared with us, our technology too had advanced to such. Maybe not as much as your world would. But we too have machines powered by energy." She went on, telling more about them.
"Cities filled with lights, machines that help to ease our work." She stated, nodding to the lamp that was placed above her.
"It seems like your queen had built such a great country," Nick said as he unknowingly complimented her.
"She must be a remarkable person to turn others' view on the demon race to be more of a respectable kind.” He added.
"That's what many had said too." She said letting out a soft sigh.
"Wouldn't you agree too? No?" He asked, confused as to why she would denounce on her queen.
"I'm unsure, really." She answered as she was unsatisfied with her accomplishments as her race was still under crisis.
"With all the crisis at hand, and the state of the nation in danger. She hasn't really done enough." She said biting herself with her own words.
"Well, that is to be expected," Nick said.
"We can't do everything." He added as his words had slightly cheered Lilith up.
"I've heard this story from my mother, that before the wars; during the construction of the gateway. The demon race was at the pinnacle of existence. Magic used to run in our blood, but then it was lost and forgotten, leaving only but a few that still have the affinity for it." She continued.
"And the queen is one of the few. But it seems that as much as she had done, bringing back the lost magic that was once ours seemed almost impossible." She said as her face began looking depressed.
"No, it was impossible." She corrected herself.
"Huh, it seems that our history is nearly the same. We too used to have magic in our world. I don't really know much about the truth behind it, but only that it was brought back to its homeworld; here." Nick said as he was quite surprised to find their history to be in common.
"That's probably one of the reasons why I had ended up in here, for digging my nose too far." He added with a sigh.
"I'd like to hear more about it tomorrow. It's late now, and I should return back home before the head maid actually notices my absence." Lilith said, ending their conversation as she rose from her seat.
"Yeah, you should." Nick agreed as it would cause her trouble if she were to get caught sneaking out late. He was worried for her, for if she were to be caught, he would be unable to see her.
"Have a pleasant night, Nick." She said with a smile.
"In a cellar like this? I'll try my best." He joked with a smear as he watched her leave.
As soon as Lilith had left, closing the door behind her, Nick's face turned sour, as dark thoughts began filling in his head.
It had been almost two weeks since his imprisonment, leaving him growing restless and impatient. He wondered if Lilith would be of some use to him; in help of freeing him from these bars.
Doing so would mean the acts of him tricking her to be used for his advantage. It would leave a bad taste to him, for committing such acts. But he's running out of cards, and this was the only way for his path of revenge to be open.
"Well, she did seem to have other ulterior intentions. Her identity is suspicious itself too." He thought.
"Just you wait, Nick." He said referring to his future self. He gritted his teeth and felt his blood boiling with anger.
“I’ll wipe that grin off your face, and I will kill you.” He swore out of vengeance as he was still unable to forget his anger.
It had been hard for Nick, keeping up a mask that wore before Lilith. His smiles and laughs were not genuine as it was only hiding his pain and anger.
But even as he had grown impatient, he knew best that acting hastily would end up biting him; for a single mistake would be a fatal flaw to his plans.
He wanted to build their relationship slowly until they were close enough for him to ask for favours.
"It wouldn't be long now." He told himself as he laid his head down on the cold ground to rest.
The coming day came as Lilith had once again returned for a visit to Nick's cellar. She had a few exchanges of words with the prison guards before she had entered to see him.
"Ever since your Highness had come to visit him, his screams during the day had come to a stop. I'm not sure what your Highness had done, but of course, I won't be sniffing my nose into it!" Orsha said as she bowed apologetically.
"But I wanted to relay my thanks for doing so. It's been more peaceful now ever since." Orsha said as she gave her gratitude to Lilith who had seemed to have unintentionally made the prions guards' lives merrier.
But the words that Orsha said had left her to wonder as she was curious and intrigued to know more of his screams.
"So I was told that your screams had gone into a stop," Lilith said as she had unexpectedly brought it up in midst of their conversation.
Nick had told her more of himself and the expedition, he launched. He only told her that the expedition was to uncover the lost magic in his world, as it led them to find the lost island from the legends; Avalon.
He was quite surprised to find out that Lilith too knew of Avalon, given that she was of a demon race as the history would be unknown to her. But the Arthurian legend still remains well known even in this parts of Mégia.
Mégia, he wondered a lot about the choice in name. He once had endless questions he wanted off from his chest in regards of this world. But his hatred had gotten the better of him, as he had placed everything aside; his mission, his ideals and his responsibility, all for revenge.
Nick was rather surprised in hearing that question being brought up by Lilith. But he understood that sooner or later, he would have to explain his situation if he was to earn his trust.
"Why were you in agony?" Lilith asked him with concern plastered on her face. She was curious to know if he was hurt in any way.
He felt a mix of emotions as she was concerned for him. He was disgusted in a way, as he assumes that she too wore a mask; playing nice to get answers out from him.
But Nick was wrong to assume so, as her concern and her personality she shared before him remained true. Other than her keeping her real identity a secret, she had not told a single lie. As everything about her past and her family was the truth.
But then, some parts of Nick felt thankful to be asked, as deep down, inside, he had wanted to get it off his chest.
"Two years..." He began, as he had made his resolve and decided to tell her everything.
"Two years ago, a tragedy had befallen upon me; leading me to my death. I won't go too much into detail about it, but only that after my death; a week or so. I had a dream of an encounter with an angel; a messenger from God." He continued.
"I was told that a dark presence was drawing close, and would consume the world of old, Megia into war."
Lilith slowly came into realisation as the war Nick had mentioned was referring to the war that she and her generals had previously planned to start before Nick's future self had interfered.
"Maybe that was what he had meant when he said he had previously encountered us in his past life." Lilith thought as she recalled of future Nick's words.
"I was then given the chance to return back into the world of the living through reincarnation or resurrection which many would prefer it to be." Nick continued with his story.
"But it wasn't simple as I had been given a new form, a new body, as I had ascended from a human into a child of Light; an—"
"Angel," Lilith said, finishing his sentence for him.
"Yes, an angel." He repeated once more, his eyes gleaming with curiosity as he felt peculiar in how she had known first.
"It led me to the expedition I told you of. But I was childish and unrealistic, foolish enough to involve my friends in this quest of mine."
Lilith was shocked and filled with worry as Nick's face had turned dark, with his eyes filled with only pain and grief. It had seemed that he had finally shown his true face before her. It wasn't intentional, but with the slightest thought of his future self had filled him with intense anger.
"It was all going fine until he came." He continued with a grim voice.
"Who?" Lilith asked, even already knowing the answer to it. But she asked it nonetheless, as she wanted it confirmed.
"Nick..." He spat out his name, with his fist clenched tight as he bared the pain tightening in his chest.
"My future self." He finished his words as Lilith was not wrong.
"He came to find us in Avalon. Stopping us from reaching the gateway, our milestone that we were so close to reaching."
"Only for it to come to an end." He said as both hands covered his face as he sunk his head into the ground.
"He killed them." He said at last, in an almost shrieking voice, that sent chills in Lilith's spine.
“Every one of them!” He said as he began screaming silently in his heart out of pain.
Tears began streaming off his face as he slowly rose to face Lilith again. She felt moved to see his face, as it is now filled with pain and tears, but it seemed that his anger had still remained.
"And once I'm able to escape from here, I will find him! And I will kill him!" He swore once again upon his vengeance, as he had finally shared his true intentions with her.
Lilith let out a long sigh as she had decided that it was time for her to take action in setting him straight.
"But how are you to defeat him if you're in this poor, pitiful state," Lilith said as she rose from her chair, standing him as she looked down on him with her cold, blood coloured eyes.
"You are weak, and you'd only get yourself killed if you face him again without proper preparations." She said out from experience as her words shot deep and straight into Nick as he knew that it was true.
He wasn't ready to face him, for he needs time; time to train himself, to achieve a strength that would be comparable to match his future self's.
"I can help you," Lilith said at last. It wasn't her pity that she had given him, but instead, it was opportunity.
"What do you mean by that?" Nick asked in confusion, as he began wiping his tears away.
"I'm sorry that I had been deceiving you of my identity, but I'm not a simple lady from a rich family." She said in apology.
"It's alright, I already had my suspicions of you, not just anyone could simply visit the prison cells this late at night, Only if you were; someone very important." He said as he pointed out that he had already known.
"Indeed, then allow me to introduce myself once again," Lilith said as she stood tall with elegance before him.
"I am Lilith of House Daemonia; the true queen and ruler of all demons." She said, finally introducing herself to him, as he was surprised by her identity’s reveal. Even as he had suspected of her being someone with a high reputation, he had not expected for her to be the queen herself.
“Be honoured and blessed, young boy. For I, at last, have decided." She added with her words filled with grace and authority.
"That my search had finally come to an end. I've been waiting for decades to ensure the survival of my bloodline; the true royal blood that rightfully rules this continent."
"Become mine, boy. And I will grant you your freedom." She said at last, with her hand stretched out towards him as an offer.
"But why me?" Nick asked, suspicious yet surprised to hear of such an offer being made from the Demon Queen.
"For I wish to conceive a child. A strong child capable of leading the next generation. But finding the potential candidates were rough as all had not met my tastes. Except for you," She said once again, pointing her finger at him.
"Your potential to be stronger than your future self; to be the strongest of all that exists in this world, had made me fallen for you. So I had slowly begun wanting to learn more about yourself, leading to my frequent visits." She explained with a sinister gleam on her face, as only but lust filled in her eyes.
"But I understand, that you would need time to decide. So I will leave it as it is, and return back tomorrow night for your decision." Lilith said as she had finished making her offer, and decided that it was time for her to leave.
"Wait!" Nick immediately called back to her without hesitation.
"Hmm?" She said as she turned around to see his face filled with desperation.
“I’ll do it, I will become your property.” He said as he gave his answer to her earlier than she had expected him to.
"I had been stuck in her for way too long. As each day passes it fills me with worry; worrying of what chaos he would bring upon the world. And I can't sit idly, not after the chance for escape was being offered to me." Nick said as he explained his reasoning for his quick decision.
"I’m honestly pleased to hear of you accepting my offer,” Lilith acknowledged his words with a warm smile.
“Very well then, I will make arrangements for your release. And we will leave tonight for my bedchambers.” She said as she left with a nod for the prison guards' room.
The night was long as Nick had been brought to Lilith's bedchambers. He was surprised to find that Lilith was very energetic and had kept himself to her for hours. It was only until morning when he had finally managed to escape from her clutches.
Lilith may not have been a succubus, but he nearly would've mistaken of her as one as she had in someway sucked most of his energy, leaving him restless and tired after they had finished.
With little energy Nick had left, he made his way out of her castle. He passed by the demon maids but none of them had tried to stop him, only but to give glances and gossiping behind him.
There were no guards to stop him from his escape, as Lilith had kept her word in allowing him his freedom. She had informed the Queen's Guards to allow him out as he managed to walk out unscathed.
It wasn't long before he had finally reached the steps of a bridge that leads towards the gateway. The gateway wasn't far from the castle, as it was only several minutes away by walk, but it took longer as there were guards on patrol in the streets, forcing him to be patient.
But as soon as he had reached the gateway, as he faced the large, metal arch. He had just realised the greatest and most fatal flaw in his plan to escape; he never did manage to find a way to get the gateway working.
A mix of sadness and anger that had pent up inside him exploded. He was just so close in escaping, only to be stopped by his own lack of knowledge.
He felt miserable as he screamed with all his heart out of frustration and desperation to return home. And to his surprise, the gateway unexpectedly came to life as if it had heard his cries.
It was almost as if he had unconsciously activated it. But Nick did not hesitate to question or wonder why, as he immediately took the opportunity that was given to him to escape.
But as soon as he took a step forward, he felt his weight pushing him down, as he had been forcing himself with the little energy he had left that was barely keeping him awake.
"Not now!" He screamed in his heart as he started to slowly drag his body to move towards the gateway's mouth.
There were sudden sounds of loud steps far behind him. Nick who had been alerted by it had his heard turned to look.
He saw that the guards who were on patrol had heard his cry, assuming him to be a suspicious target, they came rushing for him.
He screamed in his heart once again, forcing himself to move quicker. With every bit of energy and strength he had left; he jumped forwards, entering through the gateway.
As he passed through the gateway, it was only but seconds before he was shot back out to the other side. Falling hard onto the ground, he had finally returned to his world as the gateway slowly went dead as it always had been before
He began looking around to find himself in the same place he was previously in, weeks ago; Avalon.
He tried to force himself up, but he could no longer feel his body move, only but his hand that was outstretched forwards.
Lady luck was on his side as he saw a figure of a woman in armour came rushing towards him.
His hand reaching out for help, with little breath he could muster, he was only able to get out a few words to in aid his cry for help, “Help... me.”
The stranger had heard his cry, and as soon as she reached him, she knelt down on one knee before him.
“Yes, my King.” Were the words he last heard before his consciousness had finally given away.