Crimson Red

The night was still. The stars danced in the sky, streaking it's glow against the dark indigo. The village was awoken by horrid screams that echoed through the silence. The screams came from an unusual place, the King's castle. Villagers flooded the front gates of the castle, desperately trying to see what had caused the commotion. The castle's large steel engraved doors slowly creaked open. A hush went over the crowd. A young man named Kai with beautifully bloodshot hair that shaggily rested against his pale skin, calmly walks out into the moonlight holding two long blades over his shoulders. They were drenched with red and dripped to the ground, leaving a trail behind him as he walked to the out into the open area. He closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the sky, allowing the glow of the moon to wash over his face. It gently highlighted the blood that outlined his slender figure. Whispers sliced through the silence questioning the situation.

"What the hell is going on?!"A villager yelled through the gates.

Kai opened his eyes, exposing their copper hue to the moon. He lowers his head to greet the now rowdy villagers as a devilish smile slithered across his face.

"I just took care of a problem."

The villagers were left in confusion by his statement. Then the ground began to rumble as lavender light erupted throughout the castle.

"Where is he!" A deep husky voice roared with absolute anger and hatred.

An immense amount of energy flowed out from the castle, knocking over some of the villagers. Kai backs away towards the gate smiling, ready to meet his next opponent. The King's eldest son Blyne, stormed out throwing the steel doors across the grounds. Thick lavender clouds swirled around him, whipping his long silver hair at the sky. The glow revealed the blood that stained his white silk robes. Kai could feel the fury radiating from Blyne's eyes and he enjoyed the feeling, knowing that he was the cause of it.

"You treacherous swine!" Blyne screamed as he threw a bolt of lightning towards Kai.

He was able to dodge the strike but not fully. The bolt had singed the side of his cheek. Quickly he regained his stance. Blyne formed a sword of lighting and slashed at him with the force of a God. Swinging his blade faster than Kai could react, he teleported himself across the grounds. His breath was staggered. He thought he had successfully dodged the swings of Blyne's wrath. A sharp warm pain began to grow along his chest. He was sliced from shoulder to shoulder. Blyne was faster than he thought. The pain excited him with the thrill of the fight. He accepted it and enjoyed the smell of his own blood.

"Not bad." Kai licked his lips.

"I will make you suffer a thousand times more than they did." Blyne's lavender radiance grew stronger and brighter.

"Don't worry, I made sure they didn't suffer. It's all in the wrist." Kai cockily smirked teasing Blyne, infuriating him even more.

Kai raised his hand to the sky commanding the glow of the moon to coil around him, brightening the yard with a pale blue light.

"Now it's my turn." He excitedly smiled.

He smashed his hand to the ground breaking the earth beneath Blyne's feet. The eldest son jumped to avoid the sudden attack and landed on the ground that was now covered in clouds of dust. He remained cautious, carefully searching for the slightest movement. He could hear the sounds of rapid footsteps glides passed him. Kai's blades flew out of the dust aiming at his neck. Blyne bent backwards to evade the blades, his eyes widened as he saw luminous copper eyes glaring at him through the dust. Kai's leg stuck him in the side with a force that sent him flying into air. His body toppled to the ground, Kai proudly stood above him as the dust settled. Blyne rose up from the dirt, his anger now boiling inside him.

"You murdered my family! Slaughtered my parents! My brothers! How could you betray your king?!" Blyne yelled.

Kai's smirk disappeared and a more tense and serious grimace took its place.

"You should know." He hissed at Blyne.

"I will rip the heart from your chest and its pathetic existence with my hands." Blyne's palm began to form a lavender storm around it.

Kai's demeanor changed. He took his stance glaring at Blyne with vengeful eyes. He stabbed both of his blades into the dirt, never taking his eyes off of the demon in front of him. He dug the blades deeper into the ground. Engraved on the base of his left sword was the name "Karrie Red". He glanced down at the name then locked his eyes back onto Blyne who was gathering energy from the sky into his hand. He removed his hands from the grips, took a deep breath and whispered to himself,

"This is for you."

He closed his eyes and grasped the cold metal of the blades, screaming with anger as they pierced into his palms. He gripped harder causing pools of blood to form around the blade boiling against the ground. His screams penetrated the ears around him. They could feel the pain he released from his chest. Suddenly his mind went blank, retreating itself from his body that was still screaming and clenching the blades. But he felt no pain, not anymore. The glow of a memory appeared in the darkness of his mind. A woman with pale pink skin and long blood red hair that tickled her knees and flowed over a yellow dress, laid injured on the ground in front of him. Crying, reaching for the Kai and screaming at the demon guards to leave her son alone. The small boy was being held by his tiny arms by two grotesquely large demons as they roughly yanked him from his mother's grip. Kai felt helpless and could barely fight back against the large masses that dragged him away. His mother fought. She wasn't strong but she put up one hell of a fight and was able to fend off the guards and free Kai from their grasp. She released a bright blue light from her palms shielding Kai and herself against the demons that attacked them. She pushed Kai to run away.

"RUN!" She fiercely yelled.

"I can't." Kai began to sob for his mom.

A guard shot an arrow of fire. It pierced through the shield stabbing his mother in the stomach.

"Mom!" Kai screamed.

Summoning all the power within herself, she fell to one knee and formed a tornado of fire around the guards. She pulled the arrow out and threw it aside. The taste of blood flooded her mouth. She turned to Kai and smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." She held back her tears.

"As long as you live and breathe, I'll be fine."

Kai ran up and hugged his mother squeezing her tightly. She caressed his face wiping the tears from his eyes. His mother's beautiful skin was now covered in blood and dirt. Her hand was faintly warm against his cheek, making him feel safe again.

"I promise I will never leave your side. But you have to run now and don't stop." She cried as she gently pushed him aside.

"How will you find me?"

"I'll catch up to you." She smiled at him.

Kai knew she was lying but wanted to believe in her words. He bolted off, running as hard as his small frail legs could go. He ran down off the hill, tripping over his own feet and stumbled to the bottom. He winced in pain holding his ankle. He forced himself to get back up and kept going, limping as fast as he could go. Then a bright flash followed by a loud electrical pop went off behind him. He stopped and turned around. He saw the King and Blyne standing above his mother. Blyne picked up the half charred woman up by her neck. She was too weak to fight back and hung there, limp in his grasp. Kai quickly tried to run back to her.

"Mo-" He went to scream but was interrupted by the painfully loud screams of his mother. Blyne had reduced her to nothing more than a pile of ash that flowed through the air.

Murmurs of the villagers awoken Kai from his meditative state, bringing him back to present situation. His blood arose from the ground swirling around him. It settled on his skin seeping deep into the cells, turning his once pale complexion into a deep crimson. He could feel a surge of power awaken from inside him. Blyne's eyes widen in shock. The energy coming from Kai began to intimidate him. Big black horns twisted out from the temples of Kai's head. He opened his eyes to reveal the deep black shade they now possess. The cuts on his hands vanished and were replaced with flames. His whole purpose for being there was to eradicate the Demon King and his lineage, to avenge the death of his mother. Blyne prepared himself electrifying his entire body with bolts of lightning as a lavender storm coursed around him.

"Playtime is over." He charged at Kai.

They attacked each other, moving quicker than eyes could follow. Blyne blocked his chest from Kai's attack and was thrown across the dirt. He caught himself and could feel his arms sizzle from the blow. He could feel the immense power Kai now possessed but backing down was no longer an option. He charged at Kai again summoning swords from the ground. He attacked him cutting the side of his leg. Kai commanded his blades, causing them to fly from behind Blyne, slicing the dip of his shoulder. They swung their swords, clashing the metal of their blades together causing the ground spit up dirt. Swords went flying out of the dust. It was silent. All that could be heard was the hard breathing of both Kai and Blyne. The dust began to settle. Kai felt a strange sensation in his abdomen. He coughed and blood trickled down his chin. He looked down to see Blyne's arm pierced straight through him. Kai grabbed his arm tightly with both hands so he couldn't move. Blyne tried to tear his arm out but Kai held on digging his nails into his skin. The pain increased with every movement triggering him to cough up blood each and every time.

"This is for Karrie Red." Kai spoke in a raspy voice.

"All of you should have just died that day." He growled. Kai weakly laughed.

"Unfortunately for you, I didn't." Blood dripped to his lips as he smiled.

Kai snapped Blyne's arm, breaking it at the elbow causing him to shriek in pain. Kai powerfully yelled as flames poured out from his body, down Blyne's arm consuming him whole. The flames scorched Blyne's skin as he desperately screamed to be released.

"STOP IT! LET GO! LET ME GO!" Blyne screamed in pain as he was being burned alive.

Kai held on to him as Blyne clawed, punched and frantically attacked him trying to escape the excruciating torture.

"You didn't let her go. So, allow me to return the favor. Ashes for ashes." He smirked.

The flames' heat grew. Their orange hue transformed into thick black flames engulfing both Kai and Blyne. The flames were too thick to be seen through. Just echoes of horrifying screams bounced around the yard. Gradually the screams could no longer be heard. It was dawn. The sun beautifully lit the sky with its golden rays. The flames died down revealing the charcoaled body of a barely still alive Blyne. Kai fell to his knees weakened and tired.

"Damn." Blyne weakly spoke with is last breath.

His body crumbled into a pile of ash still hot to the touch. The villagers stared in utter shock. He killed the mighty prince. The royal family was dead. What would happen now? The whispers grew louder. Kai remained on his knees. Tears escaped his eyes washing away the black and bringing them back to their copper hue. His skin faded back to its pale color and his horns broke off in pieces of ash. He fell to his hands crying like a child. He didn't care that everyone was watching him. Emotions he had bottled up exploded out of him and he unable to stop. He did it. He avenged his mother. It was done. The sudden realization that his purpose for living, was gone. The reason he trained so hard and became stronger than that frail little boy crying for his mother, was gone. He had nothing left to live for. A pool of his blood circled around him. He became dizzy and collapsed to the ground. He was ready to die, ready to meet his fate. He started to fade away. As he closed his eyes he heard a beautifully familiar voice softly call out to him. He opened his eyes barely having enough energy to keep them open. Kneeling next to him was his mother, radiant and smiling. She stroked his hair moving the strands away from his eyes.

"M-mom?" He weakly cried out.

"My son, you were very foolish today and very brave." She smiled at him.

"I did it for you."

"I know."

Kai wanted to get up and embrace her but he couldn't command his body to move.

"Kai you can't give up now. You still have so much could do." She shook him.

"But mom I have nothing left."

"Of course you do! You have your life and you have me." She caressed his face wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Remember when you live, so do I. If you die, I die here with you." She smiled.

"I miss you mom." Kai cried.

She leaned down laying her head on his.

"I am always with you. Didn't I promise I'd never leave your side."

"Liar." They both chuckled

She placed her hand over his eyes.

"This is not the end. Your story isn't over yet." She kisses his forehead.

"I love you my beautiful son."

"I love you too mom." Kai felt her warmth disappear. He kept his eyes closed and smiled to himself.

"My story will be continued."

A blue light flashed lit the yard stunning the villagers. They all looked towards the battlefield. His body was gone. All that was left was nothing but ashes and blood smeared across the dirt written with the name Crimson Red.