Chapter 27 The prince of evil
Fabian remained silent for some time, contemplating whether to tell her or not. She looked so desperate, and he couldn’t bring himself to keep the truth from her—especially since she knew nothing about the kingdom.
“Okay, I’ll just say it word for word. I won’t sing it, to make sure no one hears.”
Lyriel nodded in agreement, bracing herself to hear the lyrics and discover why the high priest had banned the song. Perhaps it held hidden meanings. She listened intently as he began to recite them.
“There once was a man who gave me a gift,
His eyes glowed like the moon…”
Fabian began in a flat tone but as he spoke the first sentence, Lyriel felt a strange cold descend upon her. She froze in place, her eyes rolling back until only the whites showed—though to Fabian, she appeared completely normal
His voice faded into the background and was replaced by a slow drumbeat played at intervals, followed by a hauntingly beautiful male voice that sang the words. The tempo was slow at first but rose higher as the song progressed.
“…He gave me my father’s head on a golden plate,
I ate it as I starved.
His wings were mighty and rose to the heavens.
He crowned me with ash and called me the evil of evils.
He ripped out my soul and breathed into me.
Now I’m a demon, the prince of evil.
Oh oh oooo, oh oh oh oh,
Oh oh oooo, oh oh oh oh oh…"
A strange breeze swept through the area, but Lyriel was no longer there. She felt a group of people dancing around her in a demonic manner, all covered in masks, singing the song into her ears.
"...See the heavens, the floodgates of heaven,
Where the sun will hide his face in wrath.
The world comes to an end—a terrible end.
Your soul is mine in this world and that to come…"
“Lyriel!!” Fabian’s voice cut through the drumming and chanting, and Lyriel snapped awake from the trance.
“What happened to you? You just zoned out! Are you okay?”
He noticed Lyriel beginning to panic and quickly laid the mirror flat on the ground. Then he walked up to her and held her shoulders.
“What is it? Tell me!” he asked in concern.
“This song…” she cried. “It is demonic! It traps the soul and mind of those who listen.”
Fabian’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Traps the soul? What do you mean?”
She looked around, searching for the demons, but saw nothing—it all felt like a dream. A moment ago, she had been listening attentively to Fabian. How had she suddenly ended up in the midst of demons? How had they been able to trap her with their songs?
Curiosity had always been her weakness, but this time she had gone too far. It had exposed her identity to the demons of the human world and had almost cost her life. How could she possibly correct such a mistake?
“We need to leave!” Lyriel panicked, and began to run, running further into the forest. The cottage was only a few steps away and she could only hope that Eli was at him, at least to comfort her, but knowing Eli, he might probably return the next day.
Fabian picked up the mirror and hurried after her, even he did not want to be left alone in the dark forest. He should not have told such dark stories to someone who was new to the kingdom. He had only fulfilled the girl’s request. It was a tale known far and wide—perhaps where she came from was a very secluded place.
When they reached the cottage, Lyriel took the mirror from him and walked inside, slamming the door shut—much to Fabian’s surprise. She didn’t wave goodbye or thank him for helping her carry the mirror.
He ruffled his hair and turned back toward the forest. It seemed he had frightened the girl with his stories. Yet the kingdom itself was far more terrifying. There was always darkness hidden behind the face of beauty.
Lyriel dropped the mirror into the corner and climbed onto her bed, but almost at once she slid back down and poured herself a cup of water from the jar. The chill did little to calm her nerves. She returned to the bed and curled into herself, trembling with fear.
What had happened in the forest was completely new to her. She was a being of light who had seen much magic and many supernatural things no human had ever seen—but what she had just experienced was something far darker. She had never felt such evil before. It had almost consumed her. If Fabian hadn’t called her out just in time, she wondered what her fate would have been.
Mighty angels? No way!
Angels were the most powerful beings of light. No one could even dare look into their eyes, and they were always at war with darkness. But if what Fabian said was true—if angels had descended and embraced darkness of their own free will—then the human world was surely doomed.
“I should have listened to my mother and stayed in my kingdom,” she murmured. “The human world is scary.”
After wallowing in self-pity for a while, she suddenly gasped as it dawned on her. She had forgotten to give Mr. Clement his money and collect her own percentage. That lousy boy, Fabian, had made her so angry she hadn’t even realized when she passed Mr. Clement’s house.
She quickly emptied all the coins from her pocket and spread them across the bed. “What am I going to do now?” she murmured.
She peeped out the window and sighed deeply. It was still early evening, the sun not yet set, but she was too afraid to walk alone through the forest. Perhaps she would beg Eli to move his cottage to the village, where she could see and interact easily with other people. Forests were meant only for wild animals—and after Fabian’s story and her own encounter with demons, her fear of it had only grown.
For now, Mr. Clement would have to wait until the next day. She would make sure to apologize to him sincerely.