The Realm of Greed shone with gold.
Firelight danced across jewel-covered walls. Guards stood still. Servants moved quietly, never speaking. Everything felt heavy, like the room itself was listening.
At the center of the chamber stood a round table made of black stone and gold, a young human woman was tied to it and five brothers stood around the table, Mathias stood tall at the head of the table.
His eyes burned.
He looked at the others—Balak, Barnabas, Lachlan, and Alexander. His voice was calm, but heavy.
"My wife died for this," Mathias said. "For drinking innocent human blood, has our dear brother Samar, forgotten that we are the king of demons? We are meant to be ruthless and dark!."
No one spoke.
"She did what we are doing now," he went on. "What we have always done."Balak lifted a bowl and drank slowly, Alexander did the same, Lachlan looked away as he drank while Barnabas moved last, slow and silent.
"This blood gives us strength, it tastes like heaven itself," Mathias said as he rose to his feet. A waft of unimaginable power flew through the air from Mathias to his brothers.
Every servant and guard lowered themselves at once, bowing their heads to the kings.
"This blood makes us strong," Mathias said. "We need it. We crave it." The fire cracked softly. "And yet Samar calls it a crime," he said.
No one disagreed with Mathias because they were all guilty of drinking innocent human blood and stopping them would be almost impossible.
"Who is he," Mathias asked, "to tell us how to feed?" The brothers stayed silent. Their silence was agreement.
"My wife was not evil," Mathias said. "She was hungry. Just like us." He clenched his hand. "Samar did not kill her because she was wrong," he said. "He killed her to remind us that he holds power." The room felt colder. "This law weakens us," Mathias said. "Wrath weakens us." Mathias stepped closer to the frail human and in an instant, his fangs were out and he pressed his mouth to the neck of the human draining all the blood he could get from her.
The human's body tensed once unable to scream because she was too weak, warm tears poured out from her eyes —then went still. Her head fell to the side, lifeless. The chains rattled softly as her weight sagged against them and then the guards stepped forward quickly, unfastened the chains and lifted her away like discarded offering.
"One day," Mathias went on, "I will drink the same forbidden blood—"
His eyes darkened.
"—from the skull of Samar himself."
Evil grins were seen from the faces of each brothers, their eyes darkened and their aura filled the room with darkness, hunger and pure terror.
"If Samar stands in our way," Balak said, his voice low and steady, "then Damn the whole of wrath! They must fall." Balak lifted his cup first. The blood inside shimmered dark and warm. Alexander followed, his hand steady, Lachlan raised his cup without a word, Barnabas moved last, slow and deliberate.
Mathias lifted his cup.
"We will do whatever it takes," Mathias said. "Whatever it costs."
"Brothers, we all know that Samar is too strong and we are no match for him! How do we destroy him?" Barnabas asked.
Mathias smirked, he obviously had a plan before calling the meeting, "Every demon has it's weakness, regardless of how strong and dreadful, our dear brother Samar has his own weakness" he said coldly.
"Tell us how," Lachlan said, his face tight with confusion. No one had ever dared to fight Samar—the King of Wrath, ruler of the underworld. No one had even survived facing him, let alone won. All the brothers in the room wondered because they knew who Samar was, he was CHAOS himself.
"Have you ever seen Samar's mate?" Mathias asked, none of the brothers responded. "She is the only daughter of the king of the sea, her name is Ida" he said.
"But Mathias, have you already forgotten that Samar has chosen to be without a mate? He refused marrying her and took the punishment for rejecting her, we all know this story. Ida can't be his weakness anymore!" Alexander said.
"What is the punishment for rejecting a mate?" Mathias asked his brothers and they all looked at him, confused and quiet. "His water of eternal rest was given to her" he said.
Suddenly, what he was saying was beginning to make more sense to them. "Ah! Now it makes sense," Lachlan said, his face lighting up. "He will be destroyed by the hands of his own mate. What a shameful end, a perfect downfall for the almighty king of Wrath!."