"You are bold enough to assume that I won't kill you." 

I could hear Availa telling me to leave it alone, but no matter what she did, she was of his blood. How could he be so quick to eliminate her as if she was one of his human threats? I knew I was digging myself further into the grave that Maddox had carved out for me, but I couldn't help it. I wasn't going to let someone who had kept me company and kept me sane during my time here, be killed by him.

I couldn't and I wouldn't let another person be killed. "Stop being a bitch and think about what you're doing!" I snapped angrily and Zero shuddered at the harsh wind, her knees threatening to give out under her. She looked utterly petrified and confused, looking at the man who ruled her world. I guess she thought she'd never see the day where he turned the trigger on them. Moreover, I couldn't imagine why he would want to harm Availa when she had done nothing but praise his name. I could feel my teeth grinding into the gum at the sheer audacity of this bastard. He was no good—he really was no good.

"Silence yourself and remove your body out of my way." Maddox warned, his onyx eyes tightened, the crinkles around them appearing more pronounced as he threatened to kill me too. Fuck whatever deal we had. He looked as if he wanted to rip through my soul with his bare hand and he had the power to do so without even trying. Though I knew all of that, I didn't give a single shit. I sniffled, using my arms to bind my eyes from the rapid wind as a luminous blue light glowed from the floor around him, the sphere lighting up with various symbols. 

I should've felt scared. I should've felt panicked. I should've ran when I had the chance. Ah, should've, would've, could've. "Dude," I looked at him with an incredulous look on my face, frown morphing into disgust. "What the literal hell is wrong with you?" I questioned, watching as his wings descended back into his back, his neck cracking with the help of his hand. He started to walk around as if nothing happened, a neutral expression plastered on his face.

How could someone be so heartless?

I had never met someone so horrible, so despicable, so surfeiting. He was the very person that parents warned you to stay away from because they didn't want anything if it wasn't for themselves. They were selfish and incompetent. They only ever looked out for themselves and when it was convenient, they helped others. That was only if they had something to gain from it. 

I knew I never hated before like this, without a reason, but he was the first person I had ever come to loathe with so much passion. I thought I hated him before when he came to town, but this right here, this was something much bigger. I felt literal contempt for him every time I saw or heard of him. People say that you have to love someone first before you hate them, but I disagree because this man, this creature has given me everything that I need in order to despise him.

I knew it from the jump when the ground started cracking that same day in Wichita. I knew it from the jump when I could no longer hear my parents' voice anymore. I knew it from the jump when the hell began to unravel in front of my very eyes.

"T-Troy, please don't," Availa squeezed my hand from behind me and I looked over my shoulder, seeing her shiver as she blinked up at me with her big eyes filled with tears. "It was my fault," She whispered, pressing her forehead into my back and I felt rage flare within my empty soul as I turned my head back slowly to face this shit demon lord. "Is it now?" I hissed lowly in reply to her, standing up so that I was eye level with Maddox. He held no remorse, no hesitation, no regret and lack of emotion. He didn't seem to care about anyone but himself and that made him so dangerous.

"Mr. Morelli," A dark and ominous voice cracked the silence, a mere whisper beneath the sound waves. "If you would like to keep living," He tilted his head as the fire around him gradually increased in size. I gulped at the intense heat radiating from him, feeling sweat soak my skin. "Then I suggest you move," The finality in his tone told me that he would not care if I died. It told me that he would take all of zero seconds before he incinerated me to pieces. It was either let Availa die or we would both die.

 I knew what I was going to do.

"Troy, just move—" I cut Availa by yanking her up by her arm. "Shut up and go!" I pushed her in the direction that we came, watching her stumble about in hesitance. "But y-you—" I shook my head, pointing very adamantly towards the dark hallway, watching her eyes well up with tears. "Don't give a shit about me. Just go!" I snapped my fingers and she gave me one last look, eyes teary and whatnot before she vanished into thin air. I let out a breath of relief, knowing that she at least would be taken care of.

I felt the air bristle in front of me and I turned back to see Maddox standing on two feet now. "S-sir," I heard Zero whisper and he held a hand up, a green gleam from his palm silencing her. "If you don't mind, Zero," His voice was gravely and held every ounce of authority as he pinned me to the ground with his now red stare. He could look at me however he wanted to. I wasn't buckling nor was I hiding. I was Troy Morelli, damn it, and this was what I did for a living. "I'd like to be alone with Mr. Morelli here."

I could tell that Zero, in her stoic and calm nature, was afraid to leave me here with him. That was enough to tell me that this was a thing that never happened here in Hell. It told me that Maddox never tried to kill his people so this was something incredibly serious. It was enough to tell me that I was in deep shit, regardless if I tried to outrun or not. I didn't plan on running anyway.

"Go ahead," I motioned to her, keeping my eyes on the very scary man in front of me. "It'll be okay," I put on a smile for her, watching her twiddle her fingers nervously. I was seriously taking a gamble on this. I didn't need to be promising her that everything was going to be okay when she hated me in the first place. They all hated me even if they didn't vocalize it. Yet here I was, using the fact that their lord didn't kill me upon sight to my advantage, telling them that I would be back when it was obvious that they didn't care for me.

"O-okay," She stammered before she decided to run on foot, her hair flailing behind her as she left the room filled with heated tension, literal sparks zinging between one human and one demon. "Like I said," I folded my arms, taking a step closer to the man radiating death. I gathered from my actions that I really wanted to die. "What are you going to do about it?" I raised a brow, pretending like I wasn't the slightest bit afraid. If anything, his powers were really cool. 

Cool for someone I'd rather take a shit on.

Maddox tilted his head, the fire around him surging into his stomach. His voice was no longer demonic and utterly terrifying, but it was deep like usual. He no longer looked murderous, but he looked calm with that smirk on his face as if nothing fazed him. I could literally fear the rage simmering beneath him but for some reason, he refused to let it show. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "My my, you'll be incredibly fun to tame," He put his hand up to his chin, rubbing his stubble as he narrowed his eyes.

Was he serious right now?

Was he really going to act as if he didn't just try to kill one of his own people?

Was he really going to play that card?

"You got some fucking nerve, you god damn demon lord," I snarled, flaring my nostrils as I stepped closer, making sure he really understood how pissed I was. "You have the audacity, not only to come into my fucking city," I took a step forward, watching his eyes narrow as his body began to emit blue rays. "And take over like the pompous bastard you are, take my people and use them for your pure entertainment because our lives mean nothing to you," I heaved a breath as his eyes began to darken, fangs creeping over his lips threateningly. "But then you try to kill a person who shares the same blood as you?" I wrinkled my brows, frowning.

"Why? What the hell do you think is wrong with that situation, huh?" I spat. "I mean, I knew I hated you for a reason but this, nah man," I waved my hand in front of him, trying to dispel the cold feeling that was tiptoeing up my spine. "This takes the fucking cake and icing."

His face remained apathetic like the cold-blooded piece of shit that he was. He showed no emotion to my words and that only angered me further. Availa was really crying over someone like him. That was the breaking point for me. Seeing that only made the reins that were wrapped around my feelings rip into pieces. 

"I hate you so fucking much, it is so unreal how much I hate you," I seethed and he still showed no emotion as he stood in front of me, his tall and broad stature swallowing me whole. My body peed resentment for this man. I breathed and I ate pure resentment every single chance I got. "You are the actual reason why I feel so bitter. I tried so hard to let it go, but every single day that I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of what I lost because of you," I pointed a finger at him, feeling my blood boil at the sight of him.

Literally looking at me made me want to vomit. Maddox didn't even seem the least bit moved by my words, his face not even betraying him. "How could you be so terrible and destroy the lives of people you don't even know? Tell me how the hell that benefits you, cuz I sure as hell don't see a reason." I waited for him to give me a plausible answer, but he just stood there, staring down at me because he knew that I was right. That punk ass bastard had nothing to say, nothing to offer for the pain that he caused. He killed me softly with his silence.  

I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me, feeling myself giving up. There was much that I could do. There was only so much that I could take. "All I wanted to do was be able to spend my life with my parents," I shook my head, a disloyal tear leaving my eye. "But you took that chance away from me," I could hear my voice cracking and it bothered me so much. I could feel my eyes burning with the sting of tears as I tried so hard to keep them from coming. I knew that once that one fell, I would start to bawl with the force of someone vomiting. 

Everyone said that I was crazy for defying every single law created by this stone-cold man, but they knew nothing. They never would. "You don't understand!" I yelled, feeling my hands shaking as I tugged on the strands of my air, voice quivering and shaky. "You never understand!" Maddox just stood there, his head tilted back as he continued to look at me as if my mere talk was boring him. I couldn't comprehend how someone could be so...ruthless. 

"Say something!" I screamed. I was getting tired of his consistent eye contact, my eyes filling with tears while his just filled with emptiness. I was done with trying because he clearly didn't understand pain. Especially when he was the reason for said pain. 

The man dubbed 'Sir Alistair' took a deep breath, blowing a red mist from his lips as he clicked his teeth, rubbing his jaw. He didn't say anything but he just chuckled in a self-deprecating manner, taking his eyes off of me. He just looked at the ground, stroking his jaw as he found something interesting on the floor. I bit my lip, shaking my head. How could someone be like this?

"Come with me."

I blinked to see him holding his hand out towards me. I narrowed my eyes as he held infested rats and roaches on his palm. "I'm not touching your god damn paw!" I frowned and he let out an audible sigh. "It's for me to transport you with ease," He explained casually and I jolted my head, wondering if he really was going to ignore everything that I just said to him. "Bitch, are you fu—" Maddox sighed once more. "If you desperately want to know the truth, I suggest you take my hand," He shook his hand again and I stared at it, wondering if it was infected.

But I wanted to know this truth. I slowly slid my palm into his surprisingly smooth hands. I guessed that it made sense since he never killed with his bare hands. His hand tightened around mine and he gave me one last look before we were zipping through the air, feet off of the ground as we sped at the way of wind. 

I couldn't see anything since it was so fast, but I could feel us moving through the entire house, going down below the first floor. He held me to him tightly so that I wouldn't run into anything and I supposed that it was a nice gesture. His grip was soft and gentle, but I felt secure. Thanks, asshole. Soon, we landed in the middle of a dark area.

"What is this?" I asked, removing myself his grasp, looking around in the darkness to see a bunch of doors leading to somewhere. "This is my underground shelter, if you will," Maddox replied with a hollow voice, holding his hand out to one of the doors. "There are many places down here. I have a wide selection." I had no idea why he was telling me this, but he walked closer to the wide door, a red beam unlocking it.

"Let's go," I stepped inside of the room behind, the sight baffling me. It appeared to be similar to a bunker, but wider and longer with actual rooms inside of it. It wasn't quiet, rather, it was bustling with the sounds of people laughing and chattering. I blinked in obvious confusion, recognizing them to be of human descent. There were no evident marks on their skin and it became blatantly clear as they came to bow before the demon lord.

"Sir Alistair!" They chanted and I sense no hostility within their tone. Why? Why was there none? They should be wanting to rip this man's head off. I went to speak against their behavior but something stopped me from doing so. "Troy, is that you?" My body froze on the spot as my head automatically moved, shivers crashing into my chest. "W-what is this?" My brows were furrowed as I stumbled, so much shock and uncertainty striking me right in the core. No, this couldn't be happening. No. No. "No," I whispered, my voice falling as my vision began to blur with the remembrance of salty tears.

There before me were the two people that I wanted to see ever since I stepped in No Man's Land. Before me were the people that I thought I'd never see again.

Vasily and Maria Morelli. 

"My sweet baby!" I heard that voice and it sounded the exact same, her heels hitting the floor as she came to embrace me. Her arms were the very place that I enjoyed being in because they reminded me of home. "I heard you've been causing trouble," My father spoke and tears filled with my eyes as he looked at me with those familiar green eyes. "H-How?" I stuttered, a tear escaping my eye as I held them tightly, not wanting to let them go after all this time. All of that misguided hope and wishes that I would see them again came true. Dreams of them still being alive became a reality. This wasn't a joke. I could feel them in my arms. I could feel their tears hitting my head and there was no way to describe how that made me feel.

"Now you finally see everything," Maddox's voice was hollow as I took in the sight in front of me, a trembling grin placating my face. "It's hard to understand something when you are the one involved. You know nothing, Mr. Morelli," He explained cryptically, the anger from earlier gone and dissipated into regret. 

"So do not tell me how terrible I am," He gritted his teeth, his eyes turning blue as he looked away from me, walking towards the door. I could sense the sadness in his voice as I looked over my shoulder, frown evident on both of our faces as I watched him walk away from me. His voice was dark and grim, nothing like his usual tone and I knew that this was something more.

"When I already know."