He gazed at me, his eyes fixed on my face—one that mirrored his own reflection—and then he stumbled back, knocking over the throne behind him. His eyes betrayed the fear that had already ensnared him. He let out a cry, an unnatural, inhuman sound. To him, I was a demon, clawing my way out from the abyss of hell—his own creation!

I took a step forward, and the king retreated, tripping over something behind him and falling to the ground. He raised a trembling hand toward me, making a feeble gesture as if to push me away. The guards beside him hesitated, glancing at one another in confusion. The suddenness of it all left them unsure of how to act.

“Father… What are you afraid of? Is it me, or the things you’ve done?” I advanced once more, and in his panic, the king scrambled backward on all fours.

“Stay… stay back! You’re supposed to be dead… you should have been dead…”

“Yes, I died… You stabbed me, left me to burn in the flames… The boy without a father, Sidora, died that day. The child who clung to his mother, he died too. But I—murdered, burned, and buried—I have crawled back from the darkest depths… to stand before you again!”

My voice rose, becoming a beastly roar.

“Why did you kill my mother and me? Why couldn’t you let us live?!”

He stared at me, retreating as fear gripped his heart, his words dissolving into incoherence.

“It wasn’t my fault… That foolish woman… She threatened to reveal that I had a bastard son… I had no choice! If my wife found out, the king wouldn’t have spared me… I would have lost my chance at the throne… I would have been ruined…”

“For honor and status, you killed my mother and me? Just for that?” I started laughing, uncontrollably, hysterically.

“So, you killed the woman who loved you… and your son, whom you never even met… Then set the house ablaze to cover your crime… Ha… ha…” My laughter echoed, but tears streamed down my face.

Mother, how could you have loved a man like this? I can never forget… After being mocked and bullied for not having a father, I’d come to you and ask about him. And what did you always tell me?

“Your father is a gentle and strong man! Your eyes, your hair, your skin—all are from him… He didn’t abandon you. He had important things to do, great ambitions. We can’t hold him back… One day, he will come for us, and we’ll be together forever… We’ll live happily, and no one will ever hurt you again…”

Ha… Mother, such beautiful lies. Were they meant to deceive me, or yourself? Father did come, after all… with armed soldiers and murderous intent… He came with swords and fire to take us away…

I finally stopped laughing and fixed my gaze on the man before me, my eyes glowing with an eerie red light, fueled by rage. I would never forgive this man… He would taste every ounce of the pain he inflicted on me.

“So, this is the truth, Father? You killed Mother for this woman?” I waved my hand, and two skeletal soldiers dragged a figure from the shadows.

“Did you abandon my mother to be with her?” I approached the woman, grabbed her by the chin, and lifted her face. Whatever nobility she once possessed had vanished; her face was pale, her eyes filled with terror.

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“Lily!”

“Your Majesty!”

The guards tried to rush forward, but dozens of skeletons intercepted them.

“What do you intend to do?” The king had managed to stand, but his legs were still trembling.

“I have no grand plans… Just thought you should experience the agony of losing a loved one…”

“No…” he roared, attempting to rush forward, but an arrow embedded itself in the ground at his feet, a sharp reminder not to act rashly. The smoke behind me thinned, revealing a dozen skeletal archers.

One of the skeletal soldiers, holding the woman, raised his sword. In one swift motion, her head was severed, and a torrent of crimson blood sprayed across the ground.

“Lily!” He screamed, his voice filled with anguish, and tried to reach her, but I was quicker.

“Petrify!”

The magic bound him in place, leaving him helpless. His guards clashed with my skeletons, but despite losing a few, the battle was in my favor. My army of the dead was endless; his soldiers, however, were few.

“Ah, I almost forgot! You are the kind of man who could stab your own woman three or four times… Surely this isn’t much pain for you… What a pity, that I wasted her life…” I feigned regret, watching every flicker of emotion in his eyes. The ecstasy of revenge coursed through me. Years of hatred would be avenged in this moment.

“You demon!” He cursed in torment, but his words only pleased me.

“A demon? Of course! A child of a great demon must also be a demon, isn’t that right?” I sneered at him while he glared at me with venomous hatred.

“What crime did she commit? Why did you kill her?”

“Her crime was that she was your wife,” I interrupted coldly. “But it won’t end there.” I locked eyes with him. “You will feel my pain… You abandoned my mother for this woman, and this is her fate!”

I snapped my fingers, and a skeletal soldier approached, carrying an object in its hands.

I grabbed it, holding it up where the old fool could see it clearly. His eyes filled with despair and grief.

“George…”

“This must be my brother, right? Ha… Father, you sent him to lead the troops, but no horse can outrun magic… Pity, really. He almost escaped. He’s not like me, though—he’s your beloved son… Don’t look at me like that, Father. It took me quite a bit of effort to retrieve his head. Such a shame, when the head and body are separated, resurrection becomes nearly impossible… He should be properly buried, don’t you think?” I tossed the head to the ground and kicked it aside.

Even this wretched man could show such a face? The satisfaction of revenge flooded me. Now he would understand the pain of losing a loved one—but this wasn’t enough. I could never forget the savage grin on his face when he stabbed my mother.

“Ah, I almost forgot! There’s one more!” After savoring his agony long enough, I pretended to have an epiphany. “Bring him!”

A child’s sobs echoed. I watched as the old man’s face turned deathly pale.

A group of undead dragged a young boy forward. He was barely twelve years old.

“Father! Your Majesty!” The child cried out, his voice full of hope as he looked to the old man for rescue.

“This must be my little brother. Ha, he certainly resembles you… and me.”

“You would even harm a child?”

I stepped closer to the old man, leaning in, my voice a soft whisper. “You taught me this, Father. Wasn’t I only eight when you drove a sword through me? I’ve learned everything from you… Ha ha ha…”

“Little one,” I turned to the boy, who was trembling like a cornered animal before a predator. “Do you know me? I’m your brother—your half-brother…” I smiled, but the fear in his eyes only deepened. Instinctively, he understood the danger behind my smile.

“Father, you hid him well,” I remarked, turning back to the old fool. “But the protective magic was far too conspicuous… Ha ha…”

“Don’t hurt him…”

“Oh? Why should I listen to you?” I smiled as I watched the helplessness consume him.

The guards charged desperately, but my skeletons were too many. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t break through. One by one, they fell, swallowed by the sea of bones…

The old fool’s last hope was gone. I turned to the boy and extended a hand toward him.

“Stop!” An old, authoritative voice cut through the air. That voice—so familiar. Who was it?

A portal of magic opened, and a familiar figure emerged.

“Stop, Sidora!”

“Master?!” The old mage stood before me, casting his first spell to pull the boy from my reach.