Chapter-HundredTwenty Nine, Blood To My Hands

Chapter-HundredTwenty Nine, Blood To My Hands
Deadly Tree’s POV (Part One) 

Blood coated my hands.

Warm.

Fresh.

Beautiful.

The screams of demons echoed throughout the battlefield like music crafted purely for my entertainment while bodies collapsed around my feet one after another. Black smoke filled the crimson sky above the underworld as fire rained from broken towers in the distance.

And I loved it.

Every second.

Every scream.

Every death.

Darkness slithered around my body like living shadows protecting their queen while demon soldiers rushed toward me blindly with weapons raised.

Fools.

One lunged first.

I caught his throat effortlessly before twisting hard enough to snap his neck.

The crack echoed loudly.

Another demon swung a blade toward my head.

I smiled.

The weapon never touched me.

Black vines exploded from the ground beneath him instantly, piercing through his chest before lifting him screaming into the air. Blood poured down the twisting roots while his body convulsed violently.

The smell of death wrapped around me like comfort.

Like home.

I laughed softly as more demons hesitated.

Fear.

I could smell it on them.

My master had made me powerful.

Far beyond these pathetic creatures.

One tried running.

The shadows beneath my feet shot forward violently, wrapping around his legs before dragging him across the stone floor screaming for mercy.

Mercy.

What a useless word.

I raised one hand slowly.

The demon exploded.

Blood splattered across the walls.

Silence followed.

Then—

Applause.

Slow.

Mocking.

I turned calmly toward the throne platform behind me where Master Luicen sat watching the slaughter with amusement glowing inside his black eyes.

“Deadly Tree,” he called smoothly. “Are you having fun?”

I smiled instantly.

“Yes, Master.”

The title came naturally now.

Like breathing.

Like instinct.

Everything inside me belonged to him.

My power.

My soul.

My darkness.

He had freed me from weakness.

Freed me from fear.

Freed me from pain.

At least…

That’s what I kept telling myself.

Luicen slowly rose from his throne before stepping down toward me carefully.

His black robes dragged across the blood-covered floor while demons bowed their heads instantly as he passed.

Power rolled from him in suffocating waves.

Beautiful power.

He stopped beside me before motioning lazily toward the far corner of the chamber.

“Now,” he murmured softly, “this man betrayed me.” His smile darkened. “And you are going to make him suffer.”

My black eyes shifted toward the prisoner chained against the wall.

Broken.

Bleeding.

Weak.

Silver chains dug into his wrists while bruises covered most of his face.

But strangely…

He was staring at me like he knew me.

Not fearfully.

Not angrily.

Sadly.

The expression made something twist uncomfortably inside my chest.

I ignored it.

Humans and wolves always looked pathetic before death.

“ You get to die,” I spoke directly into his mind through the bond of my magic, enjoying the way his eyes widened slightly. “So pick. Painfully… or quickly.”

The male’s breathing became uneven.

Then he growled softly.

“I’m your brother,” he replied through the mind link. “This is not you.”

Brother?

The word hit strangely.

Like hearing an old forgotten song.

Something flickered through my mind for half a second.

Silver eyes.

Laughter.

Warmth.

Gone instantly.

Pain stabbed sharply through my skull.

I frowned slightly.

Annoying.

“You picked the hard way,” I replied coldly before laughing aloud.

The prisoner’s expression fell slightly.

Like my laughter hurt him somehow.

Why?

I didn’t know him.

Did I?

No.

Impossible.

Master Luicen would never lie to me.

I slowly lifted my hands while darkness coiled around my fingers like smoke.

The room dimmed instantly.

Demons backed away nervously.

Good.

They should fear me.

Ancient magic slithered beneath my skin while whispers echoed softly through the chamber walls.

Dream magic.

One of my favorites.

I tilted my head slightly while staring into the prisoner’s terrified eyes.

“You will sleep,” I whispered darkly. “But there will be no peace waiting for you.”

Black vines slowly crawled across the floor toward him.

He struggled violently against the chains.

“Gemma please—”

The name hit me like a knife directly through my chest.

Gemma.

Pain exploded behind my eyes instantly.

A girl laughing.

Thunderstorms.

Arms wrapped around me.

A voice saying:

“You’re safe with me.”

I staggered slightly.

The visions vanished immediately.

My breathing became uneven for one dangerous second.

Master Luicen noticed instantly.

His eyes narrowed carefully.

“Deadly Tree?”

I straightened immediately.

“I’m fine, Master.”

The discomfort disappeared beneath the darkness again.

Good.

Weakness disgusted me.

I turned back toward the prisoner slowly.

“No more talking.”

Dark magic exploded outward from my body violently.

The torches turned black.

Shadows climbed the walls.

And then I began chanting.

“In somnis claude animam tuam…”
(Within dreams, trap your soul…)

The air thickened.

The prisoner started shaking instantly.

“Per timorem consume mentem…”
(Through fear, consume the mind…)

Black smoke poured from beneath his feet while his breathing became panicked.

Demons nearby stepped farther away nervously.

Even they feared nightmare magic.

Good.

“Da ei oculos ad terrorem…”
(Give him eyes for terror…)

The prisoner screamed suddenly as the curse entered him.

I smiled wider.

“Et fac eum vivere mille mortes…”
(And make him live a thousand deaths…)

His body convulsed violently against the chains.

Blood leaked from his nose.

His eyes rolled black.

The chamber filled with the sound of his screaming.

Beautiful.

Master Luicen watched proudly beside me.

“A dreaming curse?” he asked calmly.

I laughed softly.

“That’s not all, Master.” I stepped closer to the prisoner while darkness twisted around us both. “The dreams become their worst fears.”

The prisoner screamed louder instantly.

His mind was already trapped.

Already breaking.

I could see flashes of the nightmare forming around him.

Dark forests.

Death.

Fire.

Loneliness.

Loss.

Every hidden terror dragged violently to the surface.

Exactly how fear should be.

Master Luicen smirked slowly.

“Well done, Deadly Tree.”

Warm satisfaction curled through me at his praise.

Praise mattered.

His approval mattered.

More than anything.

The prisoner suddenly cried out again.

“Sean!”

The name echoed through the chamber.

Pain stabbed through my head once more.

Sean.

That name again.

Why did it hurt?

I pressed fingers briefly against my temple.

For one split second—

I saw silver eyes staring at me with heartbreak.

A voice whispering softly:

“You’re my little sister. I’ll always protect you.”

My chest tightened painfully.

No.

No no no.

I snarled suddenly as darkness exploded outward from me violently.

The visions vanished immediately beneath rage.

Weakness.

Just weakness.

Nothing more.

Master Luicen watched me carefully now.

Far too carefully.

But then he smiled again.

“Enough for tonight,” he said smoothly. “You may go rest.”

I nodded instantly.

“As you wish, Master.”

Without another glance toward the screaming prisoner, I turned and exited the chamber.

Though strangely…

The screams followed me.

Not physically.

Inside my head.

The voice calling Sean.

The word brother.

The name Gemma.

Why did they sound familiar?

The corridors of the underworld stretched endlessly before me, lit only by crimson fire burning within skull-shaped torches.

Demons bowed as I passed.

Some avoided eye contact entirely.

Smart creatures.

My chambers rested deep within the eastern towers far away from the torture halls.

Massive black doors opened the moment I approached.

Inside, the room glowed dimly with dark purple fire while silk curtains hung from towering stone walls.

Rotting flowers rested in silver vases beside shelves filled with bones, potions, and ancient spell books.

Comforting.

Safe.

A knock echoed softly moments later.

Three demons entered laughing loudly.

Friends.

Or at least the closest thing demons had to friendship.

“Deadly Tree!” one grinned sharply. “We heard you broke another prisoner.”

I smirked faintly.

“He screamed beautifully.”

The demons laughed instantly.

One carried several black bottles glowing faintly green.

Mushroom liquor.

One of the strongest drinks banned from the living realms centuries ago.

Powerful enough to poison most creatures instantly.

Perfect.

“Drink with us,” another demon said excitedly.

I nodded.

The bottles floated upward through magic before pouring themselves into silver goblets.

The smell alone was enough to burn mortal lungs.

I drank deeply anyway.

Fire tore down my throat instantly.

Pleasant.

Music soon filled the chambers while the demons lounged carelessly around my room telling stories about slaughter and war.

Normally I enjoyed this.

Normally the chaos quieted everything inside my head.

But tonight…

Something felt wrong.

My mind kept drifting back toward the prisoner.

The way he looked at me.

Not with fear.

With grief.

Like seeing me hurt him more than the curse itself.

And those names—

Sean.

Gemma.

Brother.

I gripped my goblet tighter.

Fragments flickered suddenly through my mind again.

A warm hand holding mine.

Laughter near water.

Someone teaching me how to fight.

A voice yelling:

“Gemma run!”

Pain exploded violently through my skull.

The goblet shattered in my hand instantly.

The demons fell silent.

Black blood dripped slowly between my fingers.

“You alright?” one asked nervously.

“Yes.”

My voice came out too sharp.

Too cold.

Silence filled the room awkwardly.

I turned away from them slowly before walking toward the balcony overlooking the burning underworld below.

Thousands of souls screamed somewhere deep beneath the towers.

Usually the sound soothed me.

Tonight it didn’t.

Because no matter how hard I tried—

I couldn’t stop hearing his voice.

I’m your brother.

My chest tightened painfully again.

Impossible.

I didn’t have a brother.

Did I?

Darkness curled harder around my feet as frustration built rapidly beneath my skin.

Master Luicen saved me.

He created me.

He gave me purpose.

So why did those memories feel real?

Why did they hurt?

And worst of all—

Why did part of me suddenly want to go back?

Back to the prisoner.

Back to the silver-eyed male who looked at me like losing me had destroyed him.

The thought alone terrified me more than any nightmare I had ever created.