The Devil's Temptation!

123 Another Episode Of Grief II

Harder!” The loud angry voice that darkly amplified in the backyard belonged to no one other than Luderick, who strictly ordered two guards to flog the hell out of a fifteen-year-old Roshan.

“Such impertinence! You need to know your place, human! And mind your callous attitude when speaking to a high-ranked Demon like me!” He raged, obviously pissed by something and that made Anna wonder what Roshan must have done this time to be mistreated like this.

But the young demon barely flinched as the whip aggressively tore his skin open countlessly on his naked back, meanwhile Anna flinched at the whipping sound each time it struck his back painfully and it was no way appealing to watch,

His expression looked departed, like a body with no soul. Those Hazel-green eyes were fighting to keep themselves open, but she knew he was in terrible pain, maybe not physically, but those eyes proved it.

He was naked to his waist region and those milky colored skin that she secretly admired were now marked with whip marks and painted his body red, she had the urge to run to him, wrap her hands around him and beg them to leave him alone, but it would be all pointless since this was a memory of his past.

Starkly, the flogging must have been going on for hours for him to have such an amount of injuries on his bare skin, and it was under broad daylight, when the sun was out and shining so brightly, the heat would be enough to pepper his wounds.

“Stop!” Came Luderick’s orders and the guards politely lowered their whip.

A satisfying look made its way to Luderick’s face after seeing the young boy spit out a mouthful of blood due to the excess flogging and Anna just froze in her spot as she remained immobile, finding it difficult to move or even turn away from the horrible sight.

“You’re lucky to find yourself alive after taking the life of your own father, how despicable!” He spat.

.....

But to his dismay, an evil smirk formed on Roshan’s sinful lips as he tilted his head up to meet Luderick’s stare. Despite being in such a tremendous state, it wasn’t enough to ruin his charm as his face remained untouched, except for the little cut in his forehead.

“Tick tock.” He made the sound of a clock as he cocked his head to the side, the look in his Hazel-green eyes and the way his hair was a complete mess on his head made him look no different from a psycho as a sinister smile plastered his bloody lips.

“Tick......tock.” his hands which were chained to a metal pole made it difficult for him to move but he balled his fist and met luderick’s stare with a menacing one.

“Watch your back uncle, cause you might be next.” Those threatening words left his lips so easily, baffling Luderick who didn’t expect to hear such intimidating words from a fifteen-year-old demon and he felt infuriated by it.

“Seems like you haven’t learnt your lesson, flog him till he loses the ability to speak.”

“What??” And the thrashing began before Anna even knew how to react. The first lash came as a surprise to Roshan as it stung his back like that of a scorpion’s tail but he closed his eyes and refused to give in to the pain.

There was a white-haired boy who silently watched from a corner. Unlike Roshan who was looking miserable over there, the white-haired Enigma was neatly dressed in a royal robe, watching the scene from a distance and keeping his presence unknown.

“Is that Azazel?” Anna blinked her tears away, surprised to see how young and charming the two Demons looked, and the fact there was no serious change in their appearance today made it easier to know who was who. Azazel might probably be two years older than Roshan but why was he just standing there??

A woman dressed in a black exquisite gown suddenly showed up from the background, rushing to stand beside Azazel and holding his hand.

“What are you doing here?” The woman half-scolded in a whispering tone, “you shouldn’t be here, let’s leave.”

“But, he’s my brother.” Azazel said to her, but the woman instantly silenced him with a glaring gaze.

“Don’t utter such nonsense, if I remember correctly, I only gave birth to one son. Come on!” She took him away, yet Azazel’s gaze refused to avert from Roshan until he was out of sight.

“Flog him harder!”

Roshan wasn’t spared and was continuously tortured until he eventually passed out during the whole flogging session. Anna just stood there, holding back her urge to run to the boy and even if she did, he couldn’t see her, no one could and that’s what hurt her the most.

How could they treat someone like this?? She was even angrier with Luderick and she doesn’t think she’s seen someone more heartless and evil like him in her entire existence.

Time seemed to speed by and before Anna knew it, it was already noon. Roshan’s tired eyes flickered open and he stared at the metal chains holding his hands in place.

They were already hurting from being in that stagnant position for too long and since there was no one to watch over him this time, streaks of tears rolled from his eyes as he tried to fight the pain in his back.

“No one wants to listen.” He muttered to himself, “no one wants to listen...”

“I can.” Came the neutral voice of Azazel who appeared in sight. Roshan instantly lifted his head up to meet his sparkling blue eyes and he eyed the white-haired Enigma from head to toe.

“Who are you?” Came his demanding question which Azazel calmly replied to.

“I’m your brother, the name’s Azazel.” He curtly introduced himself before shaking his head in pity.

“Father divided us the moment you were born, so it’s understandable you don’t know me since I stay in another part of the palace walls.”

“What do you want?” Roshan was clearly not in the mood for discussions as he moved forward, the chains clanking to his movement and restricting him from going near Azazel.

“No one wants to listen right? I’m here to do that.” Azazel subtly answered while rounding the confused being.

“I wouldn’t be here if I were you.”

“I do as I please.” He stopped in front of Roshan who looked ready to commit murder, or rather, looked ready to even hurt himself again.

“I can ease your arm from the pain, but you have to promise me you won’t make any stupid attacks on me.”

“What makes you think I’d do that?”

“The fact you keep staring at me like you want to dice me in two is enough reason, deal?”

Roshan rolled his eyes and seriously thought about it before taking a retreating step back.

“Deal.”

“And if you break your promise?”

“I don’t break promises, I’ll keep to my word.”

Feeling assured by his retort, Azazel reached for the lever on the wall and lowered it so Roshan’s arm wouldn’t feel strained, but they were still chained.

A look of relief washed down his face as his arms were lowered and he dropped to his knee, already weak and tired as he panted heavily.

“You’re hurt.... pretty badly, your healing process might take time.” Azazel quickly analyzed.

“Why are you helping me?”

“Cause I felt it was the right thing.”

“I killed father.”

“So?” Came his blatant question, “father is basically the ruler of netherworld, so hypothetically, he’s not dead.”

“The dead go to the netherworld.”

“And so will you if you don’t get out of here.” He warned with a serious gaze this time, “the more you stay here, uncle will use you to do his bidding, you’re like a weapon that is capable of causing primal chaos if mishandled.”

“You want me to flee?”

“Your choice,” he shrugged, “I just felt the need to save you which is what I did, the rest is left to you, brother.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you are one.”

Since his torture began, this is the first time a real smile formed on Roshan’s lips.

“Won’t they suspect?”

“Of course they will, if they aren’t dumb,” Azazel mildly concluded, “which is why I didn’t free you completely, you’ll have to break the chains yourself and get out of here.”

“Look at my condition, how do you expect me to...”

Azazel crouched before him, placing a hand to his shoulder and just like that, his body shun, signifying the energy transfer had begun and to Roshan’s amazement, he felt healed to a good extent.

“I’m leaving, do what you can from here, it was nice meeting you.” And he walked out after that. Annalise’s mouth hung agape at the sight, Roshan and Azazel stayed in the same palace for fifteen years and are only crossing paths today? What strange rules did his father have?

Anna watched as a deep broken roar escaped Roshan’s throat when he forcefully pulled the chains from the iron poles, and to her shock, they snapped open, freeing him from their shackles and Anna finally understood what Azazel did there.

If Roshan freed himself, everything would seem like Roshan broke from the holds of the shackles by himself, leaving whatever suspicion they might have of someone helping him at the back of their minds.

Roshan who finally got himself freed didn’t waste anymore time before following the hidden door at the corner of the yard. Annalise’s intention was to follow him but she stopped after sighting someone in a red cloak go after him.

Confused, she followed the red cloaked being instead, finding herself being swayed away from Roshan’s memory and now focused on the bright red cloak being who looked suspicious.

Anna quietly followed the stranger, until whoever it was suddenly stopped walking and Anna halted as well.

A soft chuckle escaped from the lips of whoever it was that got lost in the cloak, but it sounded feminine, giving Anna a hint that the person under the cloak was a Lady.

“I can see you.” Said the lady as she turned to look at Anna and her eyes widened. How is it possible?

“You can see me?”

“It’d be a shame not to.” Came the lady’s strange response and before Anna’s dumbfounded gaze, the lady took off the cloak hoodie from her head, revealing her face and causing Anna’s expression to pale at the sight.

The lady smirked innocently, “surprised?”