The Devil's OBSESSION

The dark room was like a place out of time, a place to rest withought consequence.

The darkness in that way, was a sanctuary, a place to recharge and forget the thing the world said had to be done.

It wasn't that Azazel couldn't or wouldn't, but rather he needed that time of stepping out of his insatiable thirst for blood for a while. So, in the darkness that stole even his own form, he decided to remain.

In this room lies his past memories of terror, agony and pain which he choose to never recollect. And life wasn't fair to him because the curse led him back to his anguish.

Every forth night of the month, he stayed in the dark room because on that day, he becomes a blood sucking demon. A natural devil itself!

His insatiable desire for blood was a curse placed on him and no one except his fated one could he his tranquilizer. He needed to find his weakness! But it was hard! Nothing and no one could harm him! He was untouchable and immune to all forms of emotion.

Where could he find his weakness?

Flashback

In the dark room

"Whip him!" said emperor Lucian.

The whip snapped across Azazel's back and he clenched his teeth. He held his breath like he always did to avoid letting a single sound slip from his mouth.

He knew what would happen if he failed to seal his lips, so not a single sound escaped his lips .

"You should have fought back when you had the opportunity. I trained you to be dangerous just like me, your father."

The emperor ranted as the whip descended on Azazels back one more time.

"You will be the emperor soon but I cannot leave my empire in the hands of a pathetic son." He said.

Once more, the whip slashed his back.

"Let them fear you with just your aura. Let them have not the slightest boldness to look at your face and fear your eyes!"

The emperor kept ranting but the words flew past Azazel's ears as all he could think of was how to end his misery.

"You choose to be a coward, so this is what you will face! Whip him harder!" Lucian ordered with a thundering voice and the impact of the whip on his skin echoed.

His clothes whistled through the air, shredding into million pieces as the guard whipped him continuously.

The dark room was filed with nothing but the sound of the slashing whip against his skin and the groaning of his voice.

A Few hours later, the torture still continued and the inhabitants of the castle shuddered.

The castle maids stood outside the dark room and conversed amongst themselves.

"Did you hear that sound?" Clara asked.

"Heard what?" asked Trisha.

"Yes, I heard it!" Susan said with a pitiful nod. "The prince is being whipped again."

"I heard king Lucian want to make his son a mighty terror." Trisha said.

"Yes and I'm a bit worried for the day he becomes king!"

Sly finally noticed Azazel, who had come out of the dark room but was standing motionless, with an unseeing look in his eyes. He traced his sight and found him staring at the maids with a deadly glare

"Don't you have anything doing rather than gossiping? It looks like you don't value your life!" Sly said and the maids flinched. "Get out!" He yelled. And they scurried away like little mouse.

For a certain, Azazel knew everyone called him a cursed prince behind his back but he could not say anything about it. They should all pray he doesn't remember them personally on the day he takes over the throne.

He wanted to yell at them for whispering behind his back but there was no steam in his voice. Taking whip lashes was bad enough, but to know that his subjects dreaded the day he'd grow up and become king made him infuriated.

"Sly!" He called. "Is that what they call me?" Azazel asked and Sly nodded

"I know they must fear me!"

"More likely!" he nodded again. "And honestly, that is all that matters."

"Do you also fear me?" He asked and Sly hesistated for a moment.

"I did. But not anymore."

Sly took Azazel to his room and saw that the whip lashes, which had echoed for hours in the dark room, had been healed. Not surprised, he said,

"You should have killed that man." Azazel shook his head.

"The whip is tormenting to me but, it's what I must endure! Father will not take it lightly if I kill one of his subordinates!"

"If not that you are a devil, these wounds, which are now healed, could've really killed you!" said sly.

"And that is why father does not hesitate to go all out!" He said with a menacing grin.

"You need a bath." Sly said and he nodded.

"Hmmm!" He got up and started heading for the bathroom.

Sly watched his bloody back and wondered. The prince was suffering simply because he was a devil. Was it his fault that he was cursed?

The emperor, Lucian, Azazel's father, was a really cruel king. He knew his son would never be able to follow in his footsteps so he cursed him.

A cruel king he shall be! And until he sheds blood, he ould have no rest. He would have no peace. Like a mad dog, he would kill all that he came across and no one could stop him.

This was all to make him a cruel and fearless king with no weakness whatsoever.

And that was how he became what he was today.

Azazel, the devil and a bloody killer. Azazel, the man with no emotions! Azazel, king of the underworld!

Underworld

The mob was silent as a crypt. No one dared speak up due to its stillness, If a needle fell it could be heard.

In the epicenter of the empire are some syndicate whose head bowed due to the dark aura portrayed from their emperor whose mafia name is kingpin.

(boss)

Who could look into those eyes that fumed with rage, eyebrows scrunch and lips tightened?

He is known to be inhumane! He is known as lucifer and the only name they are entitled to call him in the spiritual realm but still nobody dares whisper his name.

In the empire were sitted Azazel and his syndicate who are also demons.

Their names were Butcher, Mad hatter, Parole, Gut and Sly.

"Please, release me I'm innocent! I didn't steal any money!" said the man in captive.

Then, there footsteps were heard

"Sly, anything?" Said the man with whose footstep echoed in the cellar.

"No, boss!" Sly responded with a slight bow. "He is unyielding!"

"Do you think I won't find you, Mullin? You stole 100 thousand dollars from me and disappeared without thinking of the repercussions!"

'What a fool?!'

Mullin was shaking so hard, his pant were already wet as a result of his dripping cold sweat. It was capable of soaking his entire clothes.

"Is your tongue tied, Mullin? Answer me!" He demanded. "Where is my money?!" Azael growled and the ground shook.

"I'm ...... I....... boss, I'm sorry." Mullin bowed while shaking. "Please, it won't happen again!"

"You should have thought of that before stealing my money. I heard you squandered 'my' money on women and gambling. How pathetic you are?!"

"Alarmed boss am sor...."

Azazel cocked his gun and shot him in an instant.

"Clean up this mess!" He ordered.

Azazel Alaister in the human realm is know as the Kingpin of Veneto. He rules half of the human world with his power and fame.

"Any news on Nario, Sly?"

"Yes boss!" Sly responded.

"Well, have you investigated him?"

"Yes boss!"

"Then, I'm all ears! Spill!" He sat on his chair and crossed his legs while Sly reported.

"His name is Nario Accardo, the fourth richest man in Mexico. He owns the post-Soviet organisation."

"Have you contacted him?" Azazel asked, taking out a cigarette and a lighter.

"Yes boss, but he says he isn't paying any thing and we think the reason is because he has a backer!"

Azazel looked up from the lighting cigarette and then at the lighter.

"Hmmm!" He placed it in his mouth and thought for a while.

"Boss, it's the west-end gang!" Sly said.

"It seems those cats aren't minfing their fucking business, like I asked them to and it's getting on my nerves!"

"And he believe they can protect him."

"Why are humans so foolish? We should pay him a visit but not now I have somewhere else to be." He squashed the burning cigarette on the wall. "Just prepare the guys."

"Boss," Sly called "Naamah left a message! She said the old-timers are conspiring against you!"

"Well, it's about you having a partner and giving birth to an heir!"

"Why are these old fools trying to make my life more tiring than it already is? Do they want to die?"

"I can't have a partner because everyone fears me." He said. "Besides, have they forgotten what happened in the past?" He shook his head. "I choose to decline this request.'

"Boss, do not forget you are doing this to avert the curse place on you!" Sly reminded. "You have to find the right girl fast!"

"Do you think the right girl will fall out of the sky because I wish for it?" He cackled and got up from his chair. "Prepare everyone! We're leaving!"

"Yes, boss!" Sly bowed and Azazel teleported out of there.

At the Empire!

Nameej walked in and bowed bowed before Azazel, sitting on the throne.

"Greetings, your majesty!" Namaah greeted and raised her head. "You sent for me?"

"Namaah, is there no other alternative to avert the curse?" Azazel inquired.

"No, your majesty!" Namaah shook her head. "The Emperor must have an heir to avoid getting overthoned by others."

"I hate that law!"

"Plus, your insatiable desire for blood was a curse placed on you by the former Emperor! The only way to ease it is to drink the blood of your most precious desire!"

"Because of that curse, I lost the only woman that has ever shed light in my dark life. Why does it have to be my most precious desire? Father really didn't think to let me go even after his death!" He silently lamented, thinking of the only woman he had shared his bed with.

She died due to his relentless thirst for blood.

"Your majesty, that feeling you had for her was pure lust. You wouldn't understand because she is the first and only girl you've ever slept with." Nameeh explained. "She isn't your fated weakness so just forget her."

"That may be the case but I don't think I'll ever forget her!" He claimed with a sad expression.

This gave Nameeh cause to worry. How were they going to find his real fated weakness if he can't even differentiate kust from pure desire.

"She was such a beauty, don't you think?" He asked in an almost sarcastic remark.

"Your majesty, you have to chose! Give up the girl that you lusted after for a moment and bring yourself to find your fated weakness! The only one who can ease your curse! It's either that or you give up on the throne!" She bowed and left.

Azazel was lefty to think of Nameeh's words. She was right but he couldn't do that. It was the first time he felt any emotion other than rage and bitterness. Lust, was it? It was still a new desire!

"I had a nightmare. I was running, terrified, something dark was chasing me." Emma said. "It's presence made me shriek and it's intent to harm me made me shudder."

It was as if she was feeling that same feeling she had in her dream. The terror she felt, it was bone chilling.

"It wanted me." she said, rubbing her shoulders. "It was greedy to have my blood and suddenly I fell. I caught a glimpse of its fangs and sharpnails that look like claws!"

Emma could feel her heart beat faster as the footstep drew nearer.

"Who are you, and what......do... y...ou......want?"

"You will know soon enough!" said the voice and she was sure it was a man.

He leaned closer and she shit her eyes.

'This is it!' she thought and then felt his strong arms pick her up and slam her against a wall.

His face was hidden in the dark so she couldn't tell who he was.

Emma tried to scream, but his cold hands came down quickly on her neck and she felt his fangs sink into her neck.

She winched in pain!

"You are mine!" the voice exclaimed and wrapped his arms around her passionately as he sucked her blood and then, she woke up.

That terror, she couldn't forget it but amongst the terror was passion, greed, longing. It felt like he genuinely wanted her.

Emma was a 22 year old girl who lost her parents at the age of 18. Since she was of age, she was able to start living on her own and since then, it had been a tug of war in her life.

She couldn't complete her studies because she had no financial support from anyone and was alone. All she had was her best friend, Izzy.

She wasn't exactly great at handling jobs and kept hoping from one to another. This made her financially handicapped and so she had t rely on Izzy for a while.

"Emma, are you awake?" Came the voice in front of her door but she didn't respond making whoever it was, standing in front of her door to conclude she was still asleep.

"You will be late to work." They said a d opened the door, revealing herself to be Izzy, Emma's best friend.

Izzy found her sitting on the bed and sighed.

"You've been awake the whole time? Really, you know you have to get to work yet you're just sitting there. Do you have any idea what the time is?" She lectured.

"I know. How I wish I could just quit this job but I can't! I'm getting fed up Izzy." She started getting up from the bed. "Every second, work. And every minute, work! Ita all work! Give me a break!"

"I understand but you know your boss isn't going to be happy to see you waltzing behind schedule." Izzy reminded and she sighed.

"Yeah, right!"

Few hours later

"Izzy, take care. I'm off!" Emma announced as she made her way to the door.

"Take care and don't cause any trouble if you wish to last a week in this job, okay?" Izzy adviced, adamantly.

"Yeah, yeah! I get what you're saying!" She said. "But don't worry, I've got this one covered in the bag!"

Emma left the house and looked up at the sky. Putting that strange dream aside, she decided to look to reality. Besides, there was no way that man or whatever he was, was real. If he was, he'd be a vampire for sure.

"pfft!" She laughed at her thoughts.

Emma worked at Deli divine restaurant. It hadn't been long since she started working there since she wasn't the exact type to be stable in a single job, but she hoped his time it would be different.

"I heard some of you gave room for incompetent which I am going to readdress." The manager, whom they refer to as Boss, spoke.

He was addressing the staff of the restaurant before they open up for the days business.

"And any one who is involved in such act will likely be fired." He adjusted his glasses.

Emma quitely snuck in while this speech was going on, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

"Most especially Emma!" He said and she paused! All eyes were on her.

'Oh God, kill me already!' she cursed within.

"Why are you just coming to work?" he asked and she quickly came up with an excuse.

"Actually Sir, it's not what you think." she said. "There was traffic so I had to walk the whole way and I live ten miles away from here. My legs are killing me."

"Do I look like a fool to you?"

"No sir!" She replied.

"I know when most of you start cooking up lies to fool me." He approached her and stood directly in front of her. "You live just ten blocks away, it's not up to ten kilometers." He exposed her lie and she gulped.

"I moved?" She shrugged with sweat pouring down her face. 'Gosh, am I going to get fired so soon?' she thought desperately. There was only one thing to do. She bowed her head. "I'm sorry sir! This won't happen again, I promise!"

Seeing she was being sincere, he decided to let it pass this time.

"I don't want something like this to happen again. We're a serious business restaurant and most of our clients are VIPs that you only see on TV. What would happen if our service was delayed even by a grain?"

"I'm sorry sir!" She apologized once more.

"It's alrighty, for now! Just make sure it doesn't happen a next time." He turned to the rest of the staff and she sighed in relief. "There should be no room for excuse, ever! Understood?"

"Yes sir!" They chorused together.

"Now, were about to open. Time to work like your life depends on it!"

"Yes, sir!" They responded once more like military men.