In a faraway land, a cursed ghoul ran between the rotted trees. Panting as he never did in life, the death magic coursing through his body shook as he glared back.
Behind him, other ghouls ran covered in blood, rushing to hide in a hole behind a small hill.
“Did it go away?” One of them whispered, his knees shaking.
Another ghoul closed his mouth, “Shut the fuck up! What if it heard you?”
The ghoul glared back at him, screaming inside, ^Why are you shouting then?^
The earth quaked, and the trees cracked as a horrid stench washed over the lands. The devils froze, feeling their souls shake like scared rats.
SIZZLE! Their skin started charring as a wave of hold magic washed over the forest, but they remained still, clenching their teeth in terror. If only they could remain hidden for a few seconds. The monster would move away.
CRACK! Tentacles smashed the trees away, lifting the trunks and throwing them away. Massive claws dug the ground, moving mounds over mounds of solid stones and dirt.
One of the ghouls gulped, crawling up the dirt and sneaking a look at the monster.
ZON! The ghoul’s vision started to twist. He could see a black shape but not comprehend it. His mortal mind struggled to interpret the creature. Soon enough, a sharp headache assaulted his brain, causing his body to start shaking, falling on his face covered in sweat.
“Don’t gaze upon the ineffable. It’s useless to try to understand something that doesn’t exist within your mortal boundaries.” A woman’s voice came out, searing the ghoul’s body. 𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝒎
A black tentacle came out of the monster’s body, touching the ghoul’s forehead, “Even this one, it’s the simplest shape your mind can interpret.” SWOSH! The ghoul’s body disintegrated into ash with the overflowing holy magic, and his undead soul started sinking into Hell.
“You killed a lot of people in life, but dying by my hand would send you way deeper, far than you deserve.” The monster growled, catching the ghoul’s soul with its tentacles, and pulling him from the dirt.
The soul quaked, unable to move or resist, “You shall feed me for a thousand years, and I will release you into the lowest heaven.”
The tentacles pulled the ghoul’s soul into a giant, abyssal maw with teeth, and magic, binding it with the tens of thousands feeding the monster.
“I heard a monster was on the loose,” A man’s voice came from behind the monster. He smiled, “And look who I find, my dear, sweet sister.” Gray smiled, pulling his staff away.
The monster shifted into a humanoid form, facing Gray. Sena smiled, “I’m sure no one survived seeing me,”
“The corpses can speak,” Gray smiled, “You didn’t eat everyone that saw you. Some only died from their flesh brains overloading.”
“Now that you know it’s me, can you leave me be?” Sena stared at him, and Gray held his heart.
“Oh, no! Sister is shoving me away,” He cried, “And I came here since I was concerned you might be in danger.”
Sena sighed, “Danger? You know you and me are the danger?”
“Hehe,” Gray giggled, “You’re absolutely right,” He pointed at her, “But unlike me, there are still some things that can harm you.”
Sena stared at him, “Father eliminated all the abominations. None of them would be wandering around the world anymore.”
“In that you’re wrong,” Gray’s face shifted, “They can’t be eradicated. Father merely shoved them outside the crystal sphere.” Gray opened his palm, revealing a tiny black sludge.
Sena jumped back, “Where did you get that!” She cried.
“It fell from the sky to the south, and killed a whole region before I could reach and eliminate it.” He sucked the sludge through his palm, “The dracorage mythic. The shards of that accursed meteor are smashing into the crystal sphere, cracking it.”
Gray glared at Sena and growled, “Once the real thing hit the sphere, it would not only cause all the dragons to go mad and ravage the world, but those things would return, alongside the age of chaos.”
“Do father know?”
Gray nodded, “He knows, but can’t do much about it. Keeping this world intact alongside everything else is draining his life. We need to find a way to erase that meteor before he hits the sphere, and no, simple magic won’t affect it.”
“Won’t Father or Lilia have the power to blast it away? I’m sure they have it,” Sena stared at Gray with a sad face, “Why aren’t they acting,”
“I was told by mother not to tell you. At least for now,” Gray replied with a sad face, “It’s not that they can’t, but it shouldn’t be just blasted like any mundane thing. It must be completely erased from this world, from the future and past.”
Gray lifted his palm, several orbs of magic floating between his fingers, “It should have never existed in the first place. Complete eradication is the only safe solution.”
He then smiled, “Let’s change the grim subject. What brought you here?”
Sena flinched for a second, “I came to find the cursed metal,”
Gray blinked twice, “For that baby dragon? Can’t he come fetch it himself?”
“He’s sick. He didn’t get it before evolving,” She looked away with a red face.
“Mother would laugh at you for a decade. He’s so weak.” Gray stared at her with a teasing smile.
“I don’t care what Aunty Morena thinks. I chose whom I like,” She growled at him, as if about to bite him.
“Father killed mother four times before she finally submitted to him. One when she was alive. One when she returned as a dracolich, one when she went to hell, and one when she got back.” He smiled, “You’re too soft compared to that.”
“My mother is different than you. She had the wisdom to see our father’s potential. I also see Arad’s potential,” She stared back at him.
Gray nodded, “I see,” He smiled, “But to be honest with you, I don’t care as long as you’re happy and having fun.” Gray’s magic started flowing, “I will come skin him alive if he fails to provide those two.” His eyes flashed with an eldritch flame, dripping death magic like death itself.
BAM! Sena punched his face, “Don’t touch him. I don’t need more trouble.”
Gray didn’t even flinch, “More trouble. Someone attacked you?” He growled.
“Not me, but Arad. A devil tried to force him into a contract.” She sighed, “Aren’t you supposed to be overseeing them?”
CRACK! Two horns emerged on Gray’s head as ten black wings burst from his back, “Leave it to me,”
“Thank you,” She smiled, looking at the ground, “Now to find the metal.”
Gray stared at her, “A contract, you call me brother, and I shall bring you all the cursed metal in this cursed land.”
Sena giggled, “You’re making it a contract?” She smiled, “Dear brother, can you help me get the cursed metal?”
Gray smiled, “Of course.” He smiled with a happy face, lifting his arms.
The earth shook as hordes of zombies rose from the ground, dragging every bit of metal out.
Sena looked around, “You already sent them, didn’t you?” She giggled, “Did you plan it?”
“I sadly didn’t,” Gray shook his head, “It’s just a trick mother taught me last decade. Worm corpse exchange.” Gray opened his palms, “A magic that allows me to swap my stored undead with the worms in the ground,”
Sena stared closely at the magic, “I can’t understand necromancy no matter how many times I look at it,”
“It really isn’t that hard,” Gray replied, “Your only problem is seeing souls as living beings, not currency to be used.”
“I know the souls aren’t alive,” Sena stared at him with a tired face.
“Sorry, I might have explained it wrong.” He smiled, “I see souls as coins to be used. You see them more like cattle. You can throw chickens at someone as an attack. You can’t see that possibility due to your attunement to holy magic.”
“Since they were alive and deserve a better ending,” Sara stared at Gray with a smile. “Compared to the eternal life in the heavens or the eternal suffering of the hells. A mortal life is pathetic, worthless, and nothing but the dirt at the doorstop,” She waved her hand.
“I agree with you on that,” Gray nodded, “If mortals here understood what awaits them, they won’t spare any effort to try snatching a spot in the heavens, and avoid the hells.”
Sena flicked her fingers, and the metal the undead brought disappeared, “You’re right. But I must go now.” Sena turned around, “Arad needs me,”
Gray smiled, “Call me if you need anything. I’m always listening where death exists.”
Sena looked back at him with a smile, “Thanks, brother,” ZON! She disappeared in a silvery mist, and Gray looked around.
He walked toward the trees, standing at the edge of the hole where the ghouls hid. He stared down at them with a smile, “You were listening, so I offer you a choice. Heaven or Hell?”
One of the ghouls forced himself to speak, “Heaven,”
Gray smiled, “Fine, go to hell. I need servants there,” With a flick of his finger, they all burned with crimson flames.
Gray then stared at their ashes with a smile, “You only turn into a ghoul if you kill and eat innocent people in your life. I’m not going to spare you,”
****
Back home, Sena returned after just a few hours. She appeared right beside the unconscious Arad.
“I brought the metal. Where should I put it?” She asked with a smile. But then froze, seeing the ant queen curled above him in her ant form.