The Devils

The tension in the air was palpable. Seraphina and I sat in the private drawing room, planning our next move after the tea party victory. Everything had gone exactly as planned; Seraphina's prestige had soared, and our enemies were retreating into the shadows. But as we mapped out our future, something shifted in the atmosphere. A sudden stillness, like the world was holding its breath.

The door to the drawing room creaked open, though neither of us had summoned anyone.

Two figures, cloaked in darkness, stepped inside. Their faces were hidden behind intricate silver masks, each adorned with devilish horns. The room, previously bathed in warm light, seemed to darken around them, their presence imposing, suffocating.

Without a word, they moved forward, their steps unnervingly silent. In a flash, gleaming swords were drawn, their tips pressed against both my throat and Seraphina's.

Seraphina's eyes narrowed, but her posture remained calm—controlled, as always. I, however, felt a sharp sting of recognition. These weren't just ordinary assassins or enemies seeking vengeance. No, I knew exactly who they were.

The Devils.

They had no formal name in the novel, but their power was unquestionable. They were the hidden rulers, controlling vast portions of the world from behind the scenes, manipulating kingdoms, heroes, and even villains like Seraphina for their own amusement. In the original storyline, they had been the catalyst for Seraphina's downfall, turning her into a tool for their twisted games. Their influence was vast, their resources unimaginable, and their reach unstoppable.

Until now.

One of them, the taller of the two, broke the silence, his voice smooth and cold. "You, Cedric Valen, and you, Seraphina Draven, have overstepped your bouthat. We know you killed our puppet king but no matter. This is just a warning. The world you seek to control does not belong to you. It belongs to us. We are the—"

I didn't let him finish.

Before the words had even fully left his mouth, I moved. With a swift, calculated motion, I pulled a concealed dagger from my coat and slashed upward, disarming the masked figure in front of me. In the same fluid movement, I drove the blade into his throat. A spray of blood followed, and the Devil collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath as his life drained away.

The second masked figure, caught off guard, made to strike at Seraphina, but I was faster. Grabbing the fallen sword from the first Devil, I swung it cleanly, decapitating the second attacker before they could react.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the faint sound of blood dripping onto the marble floor.

Seraphina's eyes flickered with surprise, though she quickly masked it with a cool smile. "You didn't hesitate."

I wiped the blood from my blade, my expression cold. "I knew who they were."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "The Devils?"

I nodded, my mind racing. "They're not just any group of manipulators. In this world, they were the ones responsible for everything. They sought to control everything—nobles, royalty, even the heroes. Their influence stretched into every corner of the world."

Seraphina's smile faded slightly, her expression turning serious. "And you killed them without a second thought. You do realize what you've just done?"

I met her gaze, unflinching. "I've just messaged that I against them. Simple as that."

Her eyes widened, just for a moment. "Against the Devils? Against the world?"

I sheathed my dagger, my heart steady, my mind sharp. "Yes. I know exactly what I've done. These people think they can control the world from the shadows, manipulate lives for their own amusement. I'm not going to let that happen. Not to you. Not to anyone."

Seraphina stared at me, her usual calculating expression giving way to something else—something deeper. Admiration, perhaps. Or understanding.

"You've truly changed the game," she murmured, her voice quiet but filled with an odd sense of respect.

I looked down at the two bodies now staining the floor with blood. The Devils had been untouchable in the original story, their power immense. But I wasn't bound by the rules of the novel. I could rewrite the story, bend it to my will. And if that meant going to war with forces that operated beyond the surface of the world, so be it.

"I don't care about starting a war," I said, my voice steady and cold. "If they want to come after us, let them. I'll face them head-on."

Seraphina's smile returned, this time more genuine, more dangerous. "You're either a fool or a genius, Cedric."

"Maybe both," I replied, turning my gaze to the window, where the world outside seemed oblivious to the storm brewing within.

Seraphina stood, her presence commanding as always. "Very well, then. If we're going to war, we'll need to be prepared. We've upset the balance of power, and the world won't take kindly to it."

I nodded. "We'll be ready."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the room in shadow, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the coming conflict settle over me. The Devils were not to be underestimated. But I had no intention of being their pawn. Not anymore.

And if war was what it took to free ourselves from their grip, then I would gladly embrace it.

The game had changed. And now, the world would have to deal with me—on my terms.

The room was still dark, the shadows of the dead Devils lingering on the floor like silent witnesses to what had just transpired. The tension hadn't fully dissipated; Seraphina stood beside me, her violet eyes searching mine, an intensity in her gaze that I had never seen before.

I had just killed two of the most dangerous people in this world without hesitation, and I could feel the questions brewing in Seraphina's mind. Her usual cold detachment had given way to something more raw—curiosity, yes, but also a sense of deep intrigue.

"Cedric," she began, her voice low but firm. "There's more to you than you've let on. You didn't just kill those men because they threatened us. You knew them. You knew what they were, even before they revealed themselves."

I didn't reply immediately. Instead, I moved toward the window, looking out into the night, my thoughts racing. The Devils had shown up far earlier than I had anticipated. Their presence was a ripple in the story I knew, a deviation from the events that were supposed to unfold. And it wasn't just their arrival—it was everything. The King's death, Reinhardt's demise, the accelerated rise of Seraphina. It was all wrong. Out of sequence.

I exhaled, my breath fogging the glass slightly as I stared into the distance. I couldn't keep it from her any longer. Not after this.

"I'm not from this world," I said, my voice steady but laced with a weight that I'd been carrying for too long. "This world… it's a novel. A story I read in another life."

I turned to face her, and for the first time, I saw genuine shock in Seraphina's eyes. Her composure faltered, just for a moment. "What are you saying?"

"I've lived this all before. Or rather, I read it. I know how the story was supposed to go. I know how you were supposed to suffer, how everything was supposed to fall apart for you. You weren't meant to win. The Devils, Alistair, Evelyn, all of them… they were meant to be part of your downfall."

Seraphina stared at me, her expression unreadable. "So you knew everything? From the beginning?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I knew the trials you would face. The betrayals, the suffering, the eventual demise that was waiting for you. But it's different now. The Devils… they showed up early. Too early. The King's death wasn't supposed to happen yet. And that's why I had to act. I had to change the story."

Seraphina's eyes narrowed, and she crossed the room, her voice a dangerous whisper. "And why are you telling me this now?"

I turned fully toward her, meeting her sharp gaze with my own. "Because the King was part of your suffering, Seraphina. He wasn't just a ruler; he was one of the Devils' pawns. His death disrupted everything. I didn't anticipate that he was tied to their schemes, not at this level. That's why they've come for us now."

Her eyes darkened at the mention of the King, but her lips curled into a faint, amused smile. "So, you regret killing the King, then? Knowing what he was?"

I stepped closer, my voice cold and resolute. "The only thing I regret is not making him suffer more."

Her smile faltered, and I could see the flicker of surprise in her eyes. I continued, my voice low and filled with venom as I recalled the tortures I had inflicted on the man. "When I poisoned him, I made sure it left no visible marks. But the pain? The mental anguish? He deserved every second of it. The poison wasn't just to kill him; it was to break him. I wanted him to feel powerless, the way he tried to make you feel."

"Did the poison made him suffer that much."

"Yes, and I also did tortured him myself when I sneak in his bedroom and other mental torture. I hit him in such a way here it would left no marks I learned that when my teacher did that too me while learning nobility and all, it was in Cedric's memories or something that I still don't undersatand."

"So you hit him with a stick?"

"A rod to be precise, I didn't had time to go and ask my master to ask for a stick. I hit that stupid king on all places including his manhood till the sun arise, and I unfortunately had to feed him poison, the time went fast, even though I did made him suck the poison out of his manhood. He must have felt nothing though with all the numb and pain."

Seraphina's expression shifted. She was no stranger to cruelty, but hearing it laid out so plainly, hearing the satisfaction in my voice as I described what I had done, seemed to stir something deeper in her.

"And why tell me all of this now?" she asked, her voice softer, more introspective.

"Because the game's changed, Seraphina. I changed it the moment I decided not to follow the path laid out for me in that story. The Devils… they won't stop coming for us now. Not after what I did. And you deserve to know the truth. You deserve to know that I'm not just some noble trying to climb the ranks. I'm trying to tear down everything that would have hurt you. Everything that was supposed to destroy you."

For a long moment, Seraphina didn't respond. She simply watched me, her eyes narrowing slightly as she processed everything I had just revealed. Then, slowly, her lips curled into a dark smile.

"So, I was never just a pawn in your game, then?"

I shook my head. "No. You were always meant to be more. And now, we're going to destroy anyone who stands in our way. Together."

Seraphina stepped forward, her cold hand grazing mine. "Good. Because I've always known you were different, Cedric. I just didn't realize how much."

I held her gaze, my resolve unshakable. "This is our story now. And we'll write it however we want."

The world outside remained silent, unaware of the chaos that was brewing inside this room. The Devils had come too early, but they had underestimated us. And now, with Seraphina by my side, I was ready to face whatever this twisted world had in store.

No more games. No more following a script.

We were rewriting fate.