Prologue

Thyme pours out the vial onto a circular symbol. A magic spell disperses.

He has a goal- and no matter what stood in the way- he had to fulfill it. He stands in front of the final blood sealed door as it opens in front of him.

As the door accepts the blood seal it opens up into a room with the statue of a young girl. He is awestruck.

He’d heard legend of a girl whose statue guarded Ka’atra, but he didn’t know the girl was so beautiful. He gets a closer look at the figure.

From the looks she seems to be a late teenager, slender figure, shoulder-length hair. The color is only grey as the statue is completely stone. Closer inspection reveals something heartbreaking about her last moments- an outstretched hand, a singular teardrop, and a defiant smile. His heart wavers for an instant as he wonders the story behind that smile.

“There’s no time for this,” a voice speaks beside him. The voice isn’t an imagination but no body stands beside.

Ah yes… He brushed off the sentiment. After everything… his purpose is resolute. He holds up a powerful artifact. Despite the girl’s spell having lasted for over seven-hundred years – its bonds still remain strong.

As he holds up the object he calls upon the demon’s magic who has guided him to this spot.

With the help of the demon and the patience of a half hour-  he channels enough energy to finally shatter the the spell.

Within their limitations- demonic magic was one of the most powerful… however limited.

The man watched on as the statue of the girl came to life slowly. This was a crucial moment. If she returned as well- there was no telling what she would do to stop them.

“Now!” the demon spoke and Thyme throws a negating powder that causes her form  to remain stone.

As her transformation halted – Thyme took a deep breath as he stood before a large door: the last barrier.

He’d made it. While it was in the shape of a door- it was really just a giant block of sealing stone.

He didn’t know about this seal- he looks at it with hesitation.

“What can you do?” he asked the demon.

The demon sighed, “This is the last of what I can do…” The giant stone plate, which was probably two tons of pure magic rock began to disintegrate.

The demon too, vanishes as its magic disintegrated the rock.

“I can no longer take form…” the demon’s voice spoke once again. The man wondered why the demon cared enough about his own cause. Regardless- he cared little for the demon’s purpose. He only cared for Ka’atra’s powers.

Before him, the hole opened up to a room in the deepest part of the cave.

He was hesitant as he wondered what lay inside of the dark chamber.

Ka’atra was known as the most powerful dark lord of all time- almost bringing the entirety of the world to its knees with his unique magic.

Rumor had it- so the story went- that a woman from an older race, known simply to humans as Ancients (their original names long forgotten), had met a strange man who had swept her away with his charms…  It wasn’t known whether this man was a devil- but for some reason, her first child held a new element: the power to win over humanity: the power of darkness.

It was the reason he’d come. The power to accomplish something otherwise impossible. He’d known that magic was real, after all, he’d seen it before while calling upon the dark arts.

He’d heard tell of a tale. Forbidden magic- ‘death’ magic… also had the power to extend the life of another.

It was for this purpose that he’d come.

Forbidden magic…

To give his incurable love a new body and a full life.

At first- it was only to heal her that he researched forbidden magic. The demon assured him that it was possible, but as her death grew more imminent… he became obsessed.

“Dear…” she responded with a smile, “It’s okay.”

Thyme wouldn’t have it.

It was at that moment- the demon had come to him, “I know of one that could do something…”

—

That something was his hope beyond hope and what had driven him here… It drove him to make the pact with the demon – it drove him to gain the blood of the seven guardians whose lineage sealed the locks and it’s what drove him obtain the artifact that could break the spell of time.

He shook his head for a moment. After all this… he took a step forward and entered into the deepest chamber of the cave.

“My lord…” Thyme bowed to the statue that stood before him.

An all-encompassing darkness filled the room where he stood as he watched the statue become a man.

After all his hard work… he’d finally succeeded.

—

“You’ve done well- my servant,” he heard from the man before him as a giant cloud darkness filled the room, “ask of me and I will grant you any request within my power.”

“Master,” the man spoke fearfully.

“Speak,” Ka’atra replied with a gentle voice.

“I have heard tell of one of your great powers…”

“You have need of my power??” Ka’atra replied with a smile and a clap. The entire room lighted up in an instant. Flames arose on the sides dancing happily, illuminating the pedestal on which Ka’atra stood.

Instead of an older gentlemen that Thyme expected- a young man stepped down from the pedestal and approached him. He slightly brushed the back of his index finger along Thyme’s face.

Then he stepped back lightly and gave a sort of grand bow before him, “by all means…”

“My fiancé is on the brink of death…” Thyme spoke. Hope filled his voice after the great display he’d just witnessed.

Ka’atra was silent for a brief moment, “What is her name?”

“Emily…”

Ka’atra furrowed his brows in contemplation. He seemed to be searching for something.

“I’m sorry young man…” Ka’atra seemed to speak with a true sense of sorrow, “I’ve found her… but she is dead…”

Dead?! He’d only been gone for three days.

Thyme was shocked, but this was the dark lord Ka’atra. There was no doubt that he would do something.

“Can you bring her back?”

“I’m very sorry,” Ka’atra replied as he placed his hand on Tim’s shoulder in consolation, “but the dead are dead.”

Thyme couldn’t believe it.

“What of all the powers of magic?”

“There was only one with the power to raise the dead…” Ka’atra.

“But aren’t you the most powerful man to ever exist?”

Ka’atra replied impatiently, “I am not a healer! I am a master of darkness! My magic is not to cure… it’ for CHAOS and HAVOC! You should have asked your God to heal her- not a devil.” At devil, Ka’atra slumped backwards, seemingly with a little shame.

“But I was told that-”

“Who told you thisss?” Ka’atra hissed with a sense of anger.

The man shied away from responding… At first he was angry for a moment…as he looked for the demon. Then he remembered- to trust a demon? He tilted his head in shame.

—

The man appeared disheartened, “Is there anything you can do?” he asked.

Ka’atra sighed, “There is something… but I suggest you don-”

“Anything!” the man responded with wild eyes.

“Very well…” Ka’atra spoke ominously, “Step back.”

Ka’atra held out his hand and before them both the body of a decrepit woman appeared in the center of them both. Her body was even more decayed than before three days ago.

“Emily…” the man responded in sorrow, looking at her pitiful figure- tarnished by both decay and her own infirmity.

Ka’atra held out his hand and her body slow began to piece itself together. The decay vanished and her skin became smooth. Her face down to her toes slowly seemed to gain complexion… it was her! As before the infirmity that plagued her. It had been so long since he’d seen her before the sickness. He’d forgotten her beauty.

Her eyes opened slowly.

“Emily!” he responded.

“I hunger….” The body responded.

He looked into his bag for some sort of food. “I have granola…”

She slowly began walking towards him.

“Uh, sorry,” he replied not aware of her approach as he looked through the bag.

She then grabbed him and bit into his arm.

“Emily?” he spoke once again as she began slowly feasting on him.

He wrapped his other arm around her and sat her down with a sad look. Her head followed him downward and she bent at the knees.

He looked at Ka’atra for a moment wonderingly.

Ka’atra replied, “Should I stop the spell Thyme?”

“Please…don’t…” Thyme responded and turned back down to his beautiful wife.

He began petting her softly while she slowly feasted on his flesh.

“Okay, Emily…” He held her close as he sat down holding her in his arms.

If this was his punishment for asking for the forbidden… so be it. He was just grateful that he could hold her once again.

Little by little he slowly slipped into unconsciousness as the blood trickled down her lips.

Ka’atra looked on with curiosity. Very surprised at the man’s reaction, he simply spent his time sitting on a rock absorbing the scene in entirety.

To allow her body to feast on him… it could not be said that the man was not truly in love.

After the man slipped into a death in front of him- Ka’atra snapped his fingers and the woman once again became a simple vessel. The magic was one he gained from a dark wizard long ago, undead magic.

“At the very least…” Ka’atra used his magic to break apart a hole in the wall. He then placed the two bodies into the hole together, hand in hand.

“Now,” Ka’atra turned his attention to the opening to where the entrance was, “…where was I?”

—

As he was about to leave- a voice spoke from the side.

“Welcome back… Ka’atra.”

Ka’atra then turned his attention to his left- at an invisible figure that had been the demon.

“Oh, so it was YOU who deceived the man about my magic,” He spoke to the ethereal form with his arms crossed, frowning.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the voice replied, “I am a demon.”

“So you are,” Ka’atra responded.

“Besides,” the demon responded, “I didn’t tell him anything untrue…he let himself believe what he wanted.”

Ka’atra looked towards the voice with a look of disapproval.

The voice replied as the seconds passed, ““This isn’t funny, Can you bring me back now?”

Ka’atra sighed after another few minutes, “Very well.”

Ka’atra held out his hand towards the demon and the appearance of a beautiful woman crossed her legs in front of Ka’atra.

“Shall we be off then, demon?” Ka’atra spoke, not caring whether or not the demon followed.

The woman smiled as she followed two steps behind Ka’atra, “Yes, Ka’atra…”

“And Ka’atra…” the woman spoke.

“Yes?” Ka’atra replied not turning his head at all as he walked.

“Please… call me…* ” as the demon told Ka’atra its true name.

“Hmph,” Ka’atra responded, “as I told you before demon…I would not want to forget your true nature.”

The demon shaped like a female sighed and followed him out.

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