'Darkness' a tragic novel which tells the tale of five psychopath villains, destined to destroy the world in different ways.
It's a place where survival is a cruel joke, where corruption has festered so deeply that survival was never an option without dirtying one's hands. And that system made the five villains: Aamon, Hecate, Ardat Lily, Cain Lore and Abaddon Mir. Violence, betrayal, and abuse were the main three things that drove them mad to the point, where no return is possible.
Their hatred was so strong that even the so-called protagonist couldn't stop them from destroying the world. More to say, they eventually met their own end by meeting each one.
The mere thought of living in such a place, sent a chill down Keith's spine. Who wouldn't cherish their own life, even someone with a crazy personality?
But first, Keith wanted to confirm he was inside the novel for real or not. He stepped out of the bedroom, intent to gather useful information. As he wandered the massive mansion, he observed the peculiar attitude of the servants. They didn't even acknowledge his presence at all, their gazes sliding over him as if he was nothing more than a shadow.
It was obvious, Eric Jonas, the owner of the body was nothing more than an empty shell in their eyes.
However, Aiden was different. He didn't have much respect for his but still treated him warmly.
"Here you are!" Aiden's voice carried frustration as he approached in hurried strides.
"Aiden? Why are you here?" Keith turned to face him, confusion evident in his expression.
"I've been looking for you. Didn't I tell you to wait inside the room? Why are you wandering around like a lost chicken?" Aiden sighed, grabbed Keith's hand, pulled him toward the bedroom and said, "Your food is going to get cold."
Keith allowed himself to be dragged back, but his mind wasn't there at all.
'What kind of situation did I end up in? Not even a single person has any respect towards this body's owner... What kind of life did you live until now, you damn jerk.'
Cursing the real Eric in his mind, Keith finished his breakfast.
"Aiden, I want some sincere answers from you. Can you be honest with me?" Creating a serious environment around, Keith asked Aiden.
"What do you want to know?" Aiden asked.
"Why am I treated like an invisible person in my own house?"
Even so, Keith had read the novel from the beginning to the end. He had no information about an extra like Eric Jonas who took his own life in the beginning of the story.
He had no role in the whole novel, but his death was the key point which changed one's fate, and that person is, Aamon.
So it's sure, Eric had a death flag hanging around him, so figuring out was a top priority. Because Eric's life was his from now on.
Aiden furrowed his brows.
"Why ask something you already know?" He sighed, however upon looking at Eric's serious face, he continued. "It's because they're all your stepmother's people.
Your silence has made you an easy target. If you had fought back before, things might have been different. But all you've ever done is endure their mistreatment like a coward."
Keith clenched his jaw. 'A coward?'
He never thought one day someone would describe him that way, even if it was technically Eric who had lived this miserable existence.
"So that's how it is! Fine, then let's change everything from scratch." Keith muttered.
"What?!" Aiden, unable to fully hear what Keith had said, asked.
Before Keith could say anything, a loud, saccharine voice echoed through the mansion.
"Eric, my baby... Where are you? Mom's here…" A woman's loud voice interrupted them.
"That voice..." Aiden's face darkened.
Observing the change in Aiden's face, Keith understood the one who came here wasn't any good. But still he went to meet the person himself.
"Be careful." Aiden warned.
Descending the staircase, Keith found a regal looking woman, Emile Jonas, Eric's stepmother, seated comfortably on the sofa, an air of superiority surrounded her. Beside her sat a teenager who had resemblance to her, Alan Jonas, Eric's half-brother.
Emile's face lit up when she saw him. "My baby, I've been so worried. I heard some news about you. Were they true?" She stood, approaching him with deliberate slowness, and gently touched his bandaged forehead. Her fingers lingered—but then she pressed down.
A sharp sting spread through his skull, but Keith didn't flinch.
Instead, he smiled.
"How can I answer if I don't know what news you're referring to?" He grasped her wrist and pried her hand away, his grip firm yet calm.
Her expression flickered, the mask of concern slipping for a brief second before she regained composure. "Did you pick a fight with your high schoolmates?" The sugary tone melted into something more venomous.
Keith chuckled. "They started it. I ended it. These kinds of things are common in teenage boys. You don't need to worry."
Alan scoffed, stepping forward. "Since when do you talk back to my mother?"
Keith tilted his head. "Why can't I speak like this? Is she my mom?"
The words struck like a whip. Alan lunged forward, grabbing Keith's collar in fury. "You—"
Keith didn't let him finish. With a quick move, he twisted Alan's wrist, forcing him to his knees.
"A-Ah! My hand—! Let go, you bastard! It hurts!" Alan howled, writhing in pain.
Gasps filled the room as servants gathered, drawn by the commotion.
"Let him go," Emile ordered, her voice sharp.
Keith obeyed—if only to see what she would do next.
Regaining her composure, Emile spoke. "I only tolerate you because you weren't worth my time.
But now look at you—turning against me." She took a step closer, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Just like I ended your mother and brother's lives, ending yours wouldn't be difficult. Even your father wouldn't question me."
Keith's eyes darkened. 'So, that's how it is'.
A slow, almost serene smile spread across his face. "You shouldn't have said such things…"
She frowned. "What?"
"Aunt, it's not about some personal grudge but when you are a risk factor in my life, I can't let you go just like this, right?
So just die for me." With an angelic smile on his face, Keith slit her throat in a split second using the knife he had secretly brought from his room.
Scarlet sprayed in the air as silence gripped the room. Servants screamed, fleeing in terror, while Alan stood frozen, staring at his mother as she collapsed, choking on her own blood.
"M-Mom..."
Keith stepped closer, wiping a splatter of blood off his cheek. "Now, it's your turn, Mama's boy."
Alan wanted to run, but his body was paralyzed by fear.
"P-please… let me go, big brother… Please…" he whimpered.
"It's not that I want to, but it's a lesson I learned from my life. Never let any future threat live for another day. So… Sorry!" In the next moment, the knife pierced through Alan's heart. It went in multiple times until his breathing stopped completely.
"Aiden… Aiden…"
"Huh!" Awakening from the shock of what he just saw, Aiden responded. "Y-young master…" His throat felt dry that the words barely came out.
"Aiden... Are you still willing to stay by my side?" Before heading out to eliminate all the living evidence against him, Keith curiously asked the one who witnessed everything without blinking an eye.