A deathly chill blew over everyone as Parth's loud voice resonated through the empty hall.
"Frederik, Roan you need to accept things. Just because you wish you can't bring back a person from death. Some things can't be undone. So…"
"Just accept it. Leave this to me."
"You need to learn to discard. Some things can't be saved. Discard those that can be discarded and hold onto those that can be saved. It's a bitter fact."
Roan's body shivered on hearing Parth's raspy voice. His heart thumped wildly seeing Parth's expression.
It wasn't a face that Parth usually makes. His whole demeanour had been changed as if the person before them wasn't Parth. Those eyes that were always filled with hope and joy were now cold and dead with no emotions in them.
Frederick patted Roan's shoulders trying to wake him up.
Frederick gritting his teeth gave a final look to all children covered with dark hair that had been turned into monsters jumping in the cages and then turning back, he spoke"Take care. Roan let's go."
Frederick and Roan then picked up the four kids and walked away.
Parth gasping heavily, looked up and closed his eyes.
"From the moment I met you, I knew it. You are a fucking asshole, Joseph. There is no sane person in the white robe. All of you are worse than bandits."
"You can't kill me. If you dare to kill me, I will use my life force and remaining divinity to detonate myself," Joseph shouted with a smirk.
His body emanated a holy aura that encased everything and almost blinded Parth vision.
The Priest behind him shouted frantically but their words struck over their throat as the holy light that burst out from their body started getting sucked by something.
"What is going on?"
The sound of footsteps stimulates the senses just by hearing them, slowly reverberating back.
The faint ray of the rising moon coming through the ceiling disappeared.
Slowly and steadily, a dark shade of darkness started to curb over the place.
"Who...."Joseph's body shivered and his mind became numb as if struck by lightning.
The vacant place where the boy stood before now stood a figure covered in darkness from which many dark tentacles emerged.
"Once my grandfather said to me."
"Too much light forces humans into a state of plight."
"Excess lights blind a human and burn them down. Those who seek salvation in light are often harmed by the light."
"That's why we exist."
"The magnificence of light owes its existence to us. In order not to let the light harm the world, and for the peace of society, we even devour the light at the cost of losing ourselves in the treachery of darkness."Parth defeating voice echoed following a piece of memories flashed in his mind.
.........
Arrogance…
There was a time when he stood at the epitome of arrogance.
When he was six, he kicked the maids nursing him…
At 7 seven he threw the kids of servants into the well, finding them an eyesore.
At 8 everything around him looked worse than insects. He made people kneel and clean his shoes just for the satisfaction
Fueled by the power of the nobility, except for his family everyone was ants in his eyes.
He was disgusted by lowly people who dared to touch him.
His notoriety had forced the servant to walk on a thin line.No one even dared to look into his eyes.
If not for his family secretly revoking the orders, many would have died under his tyranny.
However, his life of riches and luxury suddenly took a worse turn when...
"How dare you commit such an inhumane deed?"
A fierce pressure engulfed the whole room.
An old man with eyes as dark as the abyss stared at Parth.
Parth who had always played around was suddenly caught by his grandpa.
"You sold your nanny and all the servants who took care of you to a slave house and cut the hands of those that served you."
"How did this house give birth to a demon?"
SLAP!
"Grandpa, you dare hit me for them. How can they compare to me?"
"I am the heir of the Ghost Clan. I am the King here. A King should be treated as a king. And you have no right to interfere in my affairs."
"Father, let..."Parth's father tried to plead for his son.
"Shut up..."
The space stirred with strong gales.
"It seems, you need to broaden your horizon."
"Send him out. From now on, you are no longer the heir of the Ghost Clan."
"What? You can't do this to me. I am the heir…"Parth screamed but before he could finish his sentence.
BOOM!
Parth's body was sent flying with a kick and he crashed onto the wall.
"This too much Father. He is just 9. How can you hit him this hard?"Parth's father shouted.
"If I don't hit him now, this bastard will hit the whole clan and drown it into shambles."
"Arprit, start his special training. And don't make me repeat myself. He needs to learn now otherwise I fear he will walk onto the path of return."
Arprit gnashed his teeth in frustration.
Each heir of the Ghost Clan would partake in special training where they need to survive outside without the help of their clan.
Arprit who had gone through this event, knew just how harsh life one had to lead during that person.
However, it is done at the age of 12 whereas his child is only 9. So, how can he survive there?
"It's all my fault. After losing my wife, instead of looking after him properly, I spoil him too much."Arpit mumbled with a sad expression.
"Master, it's not your fault. You are just a helpless father."The butler spoke.
Arprit stared at Parth for one last time. He can't defy his father's order. He knew his father had been hurt by this incident.
The servants who took care of Parth like their own son were abused badly right under their noses. The nanny was someone who had helped his father in the bitter days so as soon as he got the report of being sold as a slave, he lost his mind.
What crime did they commit?
The nanny also loved Parth like her own son.
If loving someone else's son and taking care of him is a crime then this world would not have survived till now.
"Parth, I hope you can learn. I hope you..."
Words choked in his throat and his eyes became numb.
"I hope you learn and reform."
"If you want to blame someone, blame this stupid father of yours who can't even take care of his only son. I failed as a father."
......
Sniff...Sniff...
A stench odour coupled with a foul smell of rotten waste permeated the air. A bitter putrid aftertaste lingered on his lips.
Rolling around, a coarse pain coursed through his back. His eyes jolted awake and getting up, he found himself lying over a dense pathway washed with filthy water. Looking around, he found the area strewn with junk and waste.
"Where am I?"
"What am I doing here?"
Screaming in agony, he roared violently but all his questions were met with silence. Sitting in a dazed state for a few moments, a gurgling sound echoed from his stomach that woke him up.
Standing up, he took a whiff of air which almost made him vomit of sickness. He slouched through the place and after wandering around, he finally realized that he was in the slum.
Walking around, he met some children eating a loaf of bread. His stomach ached in hunger seeing them.
Parth had been fed five times a day before, so how can bear such an odd feeling? Stepping towards them, he shouted with a glare.
"You are lucky for me to grace you with my presence. Now, give me the food you are eating."
"What?"
"Who are you?"
"Did this guy have been living in delusion?"
The children giving Parth a weird glance mocked his foolishness.
"You.."
"Do you know who I am?"
"I am the heir of the Ghost Clan. I can make you kneel and determine your life without even lifting my hand."Parth shouted angrily.
The scene drew some passersby's attention and hearing Parth's words they started to mumble.
"What is this Ghost Clan?"
"Is it a new criminal syndicate?"
"Who is the one that called me a criminal? I am a noble. You filthy creature. How dare you raise your voice before me?"Parth retorted.
"Noble. He doesn't look like one."
"This kid has brain problems or maybe he is too conceited."
"Delusional."
"Hahhahaha!"
"Stop, I will kill you. Stop laughing."He shouted.
Parth's heart froze seeing the people surrounding him and mocking him like a fool.
No matter how much he shouted, no one cared rather being a bother, he was kicked by the passerby.
What surprised him was that no one knew about the existence of the ghost clan.
After getting hit and spat upon for some time, Parth came to understand his situation. It was only now that he realized that without his status he is nothing.
He is no different from a commoner or beggar who had to kneel before everyone for food.
Previously, he had always been arrogant and haughty but now witnessing people treating him like a joke made his heart bleed.
His heart heaved up and down in anger.
Turning around, he saw the children laughing at him. Unable to bear the shame, he ran away with all his might.
He did not stop back and kept on running as far as his legs could take him trying to get as far as possible from these people.
Parth loitered around in search of food.
Running to and fro, while looking for food, the only thing he could do was beg. He tried to look for a place to stay and food to eat but people kicked him out.
He even looked for Church wondering if they would help him but he was simply thrown away as he approached them.
Unable to bear the hunger, after a few days, he started to eat the leftover food thrown in the trash and tried to look for work.
One day drenched in rain, Parth trembled feeling cold. Covering himself with the paper and shards of clothes thrown by others, he tried to look for a place to protect himself from the bellows of the storm.
It was then, two figures walked towards him.
"I hear you are from Ghost Clan."
"Yes?"Parth raised his eyes with a glimmer of hope.
"We came from the Ghost Clan to bring you back."
Parth jumped up in happiness, hearing the man's words.
Unable to stop his tears from coming out, he wept in agony thinking that this nightmare was finally over.
However, little did he know that this was just the beginning.
The beginning of his nightmare.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m