Hissing

''Your Darkness, we've hunted down a group of wolves trying to sneak inside the dungeon.''

He turned to the mirror, his eyes narrowing as he studied his reflection. Slowly, he lifted his arms, allowing the surrounding women to drape a dark silk cape over his shoulders. The fabric, rare and exquisite, bore the golden emblem of Hell—a roaring dragon woven with precision. Its gleaming hue matched the choker at his neck and the cuffs on his wrists, completing his imposing look.

The cape fit around his muscled body. It brought out the aura of a demon in-charge of other monsters. Hell's whip tight around his left wrist and under his golden cuffs, sprinkled with little diamond stones on each.

His hair skillfully braided by one of his women into thick braids before it was being packed neatly into a tight ponytail, held together by a pin shaped in the form of a hissing snake.

He gazed to admire how the cape revealed the tone of his muscles, beautifully decorated with various descriptions of Hell and torture. He smirked at the restless women who dressed him up and prepared him for an audience with his demons.

He could never guess the day they would all get used to his immaculate appearance.

One of them knelt down quickly to present his crown for him to wear on his head. The king of nightmares scoffed as he turned away from her to face his loyal ministers with him in the room.

The Demon prince needs no crown on his head to show that he is royalty, and he shouldn't be messed with.

The way he looked and how he carried himself communicated everything to his subject that he was many levels higher than them.

Hell could bear witness that he has never worn or carried the burden of a crown on his head.

All three closest ministers of his fell on their knees and bowed completely along with the female demons with him in the room.

He moved closer to them with an uninterested look on his face. It's been a long time since he had seen their ugly faces. Ever since he left to explore that very interesting world and has become unexpectedly infatuated by one of its inhabitants—he didn't know so many years had also passed in the realm of the immortals.

It also means a pile of work to sort out and strike fear into the hearts of the children of the moon.

He stepped out of the room, his ministers scrambling to their feet to follow. He moved so fast yet elegantly at the same time, while the demons struggled to keep up with him.

Wherever he went, heads bowed in respect. He had lived many long years before any of them thought of existing.

When he found them in the dungeons, they were nothing but pitiful monsters that hid in caves and were afraid of the light of the moon. Trembling under the smallest exposure of it and would run mad should they have to bear it for a longer time.

By his power, he darkened their land and placed a curse over them. An impermeable shield encircled them that repelled the light the moon brings and has been standing as long as he stands. Though it was a small thing compared to what he is capable of doing, they saw it as a big thing—named him their God and since then, began to worship him.

The only wise creatures he has known so far apart from those blind moon lovers outside the dungeons.

He is not entirely a demon, but he loves to see himself as one. His behavior also speaks for him of what he could be.

They called him many names and tried so hard to understand him and the root of his existence.

A pleased smile spread on his full red lips.

They would never know his name.

Only one person he saw was worthy of knowing it. The meaning of his existence is safe with her.

The demons guarding the entrance to his unholy courtroom bowed deeply before rising to push open the heavy doors. A loud groan echoed as the doors announced his arrival before he could.

He waited until they lowered their heads, and he began to move with his royal cape trailing behind him. The demons settled on their seats left and right all rose to acknowledge his presence.

He couldn't help but smile at the number of wolves his demons were able to capture, shamelessly trying to sneak into his domain just to have his head on a silver plate.

It always amuses him as to how they haven't yet given up on that dream to assassinating him.

He moved between the new captives he was going to be having fun with all night as his three loyal ministers waited behind them.

His gaze locked on his throne as he strode past, ignoring the bowed heads around him. Yet curiosity lingered in their eyes, wondering where he had been all this time. His thirty-feet long snake, Apophis, who has been doing a wonderful job safeguarding his throne, came to give him a warm welcome. He reached his throne and turned to acknowledge those who feared him the most than his enemies outside the dungeons.

No one dared raise their head until he was seated, or they would end up in the belly of his beloved pet. Its thick long body was like a wall around him and his throne. He couldn't help being amused by the terror that shone brightly on the faces of his new captives at the sight of him.

Probably the stories they told about him in their kingdom didn't do much justice to seeing him in the flesh. Sadly, none of them would live to tell the true tale of his dark beauty.

The demon prince smiled as his blue-red eyes were fixed on one in particular—he was on his knees with the rest of them, and he was the most captivated by him.

''Like what you see?'' He mused out with his soft yet dark underlying tone. He gestured to himself and his beloved pet he was guessing must be very hungry.

Everyone held their breaths, including his subjects that had their heads bowed in admonition of his presence.