The little boy ran back from school, backpack full with  homework and his giant snow jacket. It was too hot to be wearing it, so, against his teacher's warnings, he stuffed it in there and left the school.

Next to him, his brother ran alongside, wearing his jacket and hugging an armful of New Year's goodies. 

They both raced to the front door to see the joyous greeting of their mother, whose arms were open in an inviting embrace. Tumbling over each other, they both giggled as they hugged her close. 

Their mother smiled. "Chase,  you were supposed to wear more than that. You're still recovering from the cold."

Chase pouted as he rested his head in the crook of her neck, smiling. "But it was really hot today."

She laughed slightly, looking up at the sky. "You're right, it's warmer than usual, isn't it? I wonder if it's something significant. Never mind that. How was school, Wyatt? You always tell the best stories about your brother."

Wyatt grinned toothily. "We played on the seesaw and he didn't fall off!"

Their mother clapped. "Good job! Let's go eat lunch, Daddy will be home late today. He said he had an appointment."

The rest of the day passed by normally. At eight o'clock, the twins prepared to go to bed. They tossed and turned until they started to fall asleep. 

There was a sudden shrill scream.

The boys, startled, sat up with wide eyes. 

Chase got out of bed, running out barefoot down the hall with Wyatt in his slippers. 

Tick, tick. 

Tock. 

They both clutched each other in fear, eyes widening as tears sprang up. 

Blood everywhere. 

The knife in her back. 

Their mother, dead in the middle. 

Chase turned green as he clutched himself, Wyatt slowly crawling over to her in the blood. "Mommy?" He shook her, tears blurring his vision. "W-wake up. Please...please...you promised that we could eat cake tomorrow for breakfast. W-we were gonna go get new sne-"

"Look out!" Chase screamed, pushing his brother away. 

They looked up at the figure, paling as they clutched each other. "Dad?"

Their father's eyes were cloudy. A streak of blood ran down his face. "Katharine..." he mumbled, looking down at Wyatt. "You made a monster of a child. L-look at us now. You were evil, you deserved to die..." His eyes shifted momentarily to red. "Lucius is right. I have to get rid of Wyatt."

With a slash, their dad attacked. Chase screamed. Wyatt stood and ran as fast as he could, opening the door as they ran off away from their house. 

As they ran, it began to snow, covering their footprints and the trace that they had ever left. 

Tick, tick. 

Tock. 

*****

The little boy sat beneath the cherry tree, looking down at the pond below him. He grabbed a pebble and threw it down. It landed in the water with a plop. 

A figure slowly appeared in front of him. "Greyson!"

He looked up, eyes widening. "Rufus."

Rufus rubbed a hand over his chin, poorly shaven stubble showing faintly. "You're being a damned creep again. Why don't you go and get some friends? Maybe they'll teach you not to be weak either."

Greyson tilted his head. Rufus let out an angry sigh and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, lifting him up. "Do you even understand English?" 

Greyson opened his mouth to tell his brother that the shirt was choking him, stopping when he heard a familiar, feared voice. 

"Rufus! What are you doing there?" 

He paled at the sight of his third oldest brother, Marcus. 

"Oh, you have the thing. Mother wants to talk to it."

Rufus rose an eyebrow as he set Greyson down, who coughed slightly. "He's still your brother even if he's weird, Marcus."

"I don't see anything human in him. He's not even comparable to a dog. A dog would have more use than he does. I'm surprised why Mother and Father bother to even keep him if he serves no use to them except for leeching off of their money."

Rufus frowned. "Shut the fuck up, Marcus Salazar Belmont, and at least have the decency to treat your brother like a human being. I swear, you're worse than Thomas."

Greyson kept quiet, hiding behind his oldest brother's leg. 

Rufus glanced down at him and pushed him away gently. "Go on and talk to Mother. I'll take care of him."

He nodded quickly and ran off, wiping the tears off of his face quickly before going upstairs slowly. He knocked on the door, bouncing on his feet as he waited for a response.

"Come in."

Greyson walked in and dipped his head. "Mother."

Jessica smiled from her vanity table, looking in the mirror as she put on a new pair of earrings. "Your father and I have made a decision. As you know, your father has to go on a long business trip. Plus, you're also on break from school for a bit."

He bit his lip. "What do you want me to do?"

She stood as she combed her hands through his hair to make it tidy again. "You're going on a trip with your father for the next six months. You'll be staying in Quebec for a while. You'll be taught French while you're over there."

Greyson's eyes widened. "I don't want to go along with my dad!"

She pursed her lips. "Honey, your father does have a temper, but all you have to do is stay out of his way. You're a fine boy, don't listen to what anyone else says. However, we've discussed it, and we'd like for you to have more...experience, shall we say."

He scowled, pulling away from her quickly. "I don't want to go with that man!"

Jessica scowled back, her expression darkening. "Greyson David Belmont, the decision is final and you do not have power to change it. We are doing what is the best for you, do not act like a brat with me or I will have you locked up! That man is your father and you will do best to respect him."

He stormed out of the room, running down the hall. They didn't understand. 

They didn't understand just how awful Duke Lighting was.

They didn't understand what had happened the last time he was with him. 

Eyes red from tears, he quickly ran into his room, closing the door. 

They didn't understand the man that Duke was secretly working with. 

They didn't understand that the man Duke was working with was a psychopathic overlord.

They didn't understand that the man was the son of the devil. 

No.

They did, and that was the worst part. 

He looked in front of the mirror, looking into his reflection. 

'What cold, dead eyes you have. Are you even human?'

Three words slipped out of his tightly drawn lips, fists clenched on the table. 

"I'll kill them."

*****

Bodies were littered throughout the streets. Smoke had settled over the small town like a gloomy, dangerous fog. 

There was no light except for all the buildings on fire. 

The worst part was that she recognized the bodies as well. They were a small-knit, cookie-cutter town. Everyone knew each other, and that was the worst part. 

Cassie tripped over rubble as she looked for someone, someone that was still alive. 

There was a sudden sound from the ruined building next to her. It was an agonized moan. 

She peeked in carefully, eyes widening slightly. "Jacob?"

The man stopped his agonizing whimpers and crawled forward.  "Cassie, i-is that you? Where did your parents go?"

She wiped her eyes with her dirty, soot-covered arm. "They didn't make it. The...the entire...b-building collapsed." Cassie took a step forward to pull him out. 

Jacob started panicking. "Watch out!"

Cassie's eyes widened as she looked behind, finding a man clothed in black. There was nothing visible except for his dead, black eyes. He swung a kitchen knife at her. She shrieked and dove to the side, the knife grazing her arm before it missed and hit Jacob in the forehead. 

He let out a gurgle, blood spurting out before he collapsed completely. 

The man in black glanced at her before grinning widely. "The-the man said not to have survivors. You...you have to go. Then I'll be rewarded! I'll...I'll find love, and I'll be famous!"

Cassie screamed and scrambled backwards into a corner as the man got closer and closer to her. He raised the knife above his head.

A sudden light came from behind him, mist falling around her as the man stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. 

"We never gave you the order to kill everyone. And now I see, you've become so greedy with power just because we assigned you to destroy this place."

The man opened his mouth to speak, bursting into white, misty particles. 

Cassie looked up at the tall man. He looked almost...mystical. He looked like a being from another world, with mist curling around him. He was tall, with long, silver hair and deep red eyes. There was a scar running down his eye, and two black stripes on the bridge of his nose.

She stared in silent fear and wonder.

The man smiled as he sat on the counter and looked down at her shivering figure. "Oh, the actions a human will take to fulfill their own satisfaction. Do you agree, Cassidy Blaze? Humans are selfish creatures. Actually, scratch that. The world is selfishness crafted into a living place." He held out a hand to her. She glanced at it in fear, hands trembling at her sides. 

He smiled, looking genuinely happy. "You can trust me. I'm different. The world is not in my blood. I want to change it into a place wear people can live peacefully. Don't you want that too, Cassidy?"

"I...I don't know you."

The man laughed as he got off of the counter and bent down to her eye level. "I'm Royce Hunter," he introduced. "I have an offer for you, Miss Cassie. I promise you that I will protect you with everything I have to offer. Would you like to join me?"