Archfiend

Hours seemed to pass - it’s what it felt like, at least - with paper page flapping against paper page, one after another; finally, Samael nodded to himself after seemingly finding his page, and thus, the perfect place to start his story:

“As most of us already know…Yamo was founded by the ancient fallen angels of olden times; upon the hollow bricks of kingdoms laid to waste, a new nation and society were built. Within this society, originally housed in the body of goddess Lilith and soon passed directly to Lilim the 1st, rested the ancient gem of legend: Archfiend. Archfiend is a mysterious entity in and of itself - a pearl-shaped diamond housing a cosmic vortex inside. Some say it is sentient, whispering to its wielder in dreams, guiding and empowering them. Others claim that it corrupts the soul of mankind, tempting with riches and pleasures galore. Regardless, the gem gleams with a light that does not reflect the sun, pulsing like a heartbeat, and those sensitive to energy can feel it… hungering. They say that whoever wields the power and influence of this gem-yes, whoever holds the sacred item in the palm of their hand, be they nobility or not - they are given divine claim to the throne of Yamo, and authority over all archangelkind…This was the first Lilim's decree during her time. But Archfiend also possesses a myriad of spells and techniques; the most defining trait is a corrosive, all-consuming power, known as Malapsorption - the power to drain the living energy of others. Furthermore, the magic of Archfiend - like the mana in all things - is fueled by what scholars call the "Three Essences": Spells, Cyphers, and Divine Authorities. Together, the gem can accomplish divine leaps of even fate itself…

Legends differ on how Lilith herself came to possess Archfiend within her body, but with it, Lilim the 1st united the fractured remnants of the angelic diaspora and forged Yamo out of chaos. But not without cost. The delusion of grandeur proved too tempting, and betrayal struck within her court of followers; the gem was shattered, scattered to the winds…and seemingly lost to time—endless, voided time…But no more. You see, what most don’t know is this: Archfiend is not dormant. It chooses when to awaken, when to act, when to bestow power. And lately, the gem has started glowing again, even though no heir has touched it in over a century. In fact, according to the elder soothsayer, the Archfiend gem is coming once more. The gem is to be reborn soon and very soon, among King Enoch’s bloodline.”

“Ackfaned?” I said, tilting my head. Admittedly, I giggled at the clearly butchered pronunciation of things.

“No, no daughter - Archfiend. ‘Ar-kuh-feen-duh.’ And yes - Archfiend actually has a lot to do with you. You see, much like with the very first Lilim, Archfiend has actually come to develop within your heart. Or, it may even be appropriate to say that the gem IS your heart. That my daughter is the destiny I speak of: you are destined to be the rebirth of the goddess’s greatest asset, and with that, archangelkind is sure to flourish…You’d be something of a hero to us.”

I gotta admit, I was pretty honored, “No way! This is so awesome! See that, mommy and Sam?! I’m going to be like a hero! That means I can take care of both of you!” My head swiveled back and forth to see the pride in their eyes. Sam responded with an enthusiastic clap; that wasn’t surprising at all. But mother…? She just…stood there. Scurrying about like a chicken, I found myself clinging to the soft, slender leg of her gown, and my head jerked up, eyes agleam with wonder…She just looked down at me and gave a small, delicate smile, waving at me exactly like how she did before; wasn’t she happy for me? For years now, ever since I was a baby, I was being raised, prepared even, all for THIS moment! This could be the chance of a lifetime, way greater than any stupid college scholarship! A-And yet…she hardly seemed enthusiastic. Initially, I wrote it off with a giggle but…what if there was a reason she was so unresponsive and vain? Knowing Leeuw, she wouldn’t fell this way naturally; she had to have a reason—something provoking these feelings in her. But before I could continue thinking about it, her smile widened, sharpened, and her laugh returned my affection as my father wrapped his thick, muscular arm over her shoulder like a fine scarf to the neck. But her eyes were heavy.

“We’re both so happy for you, Lilim. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that you’ll do us proud; I guarantee you, your mother and I never doubted you once. Isn’t that right…Leeuw?”

“O-Oh! Umm, yes, of course! N-Never better! Ohoho!”

“Wait, but…Daddy is already king. Why does he need an Archfiend?”

Enoch wasted no time, step after hollow step he took in nearing his daughter Lilim, his form being coated in the shadows of dim light as he spoke, “Equilibrium, dear. You see, I am the Archangel king and lord. But naturally, that presents a problem—with the existence of Archfiend, birthright by royalty means nothing. I would be forcibly brought to my knees, humbly resigning me and your mother, and even Samael himself to pitiful, unfortunate lives of servitude. Servitude…to you, daughter. We would never be a true family again; we wouldn’t be anything more than common slaves. Utter sews. We would be…‘Harpies’; just as mankind or even angels, to you, all living things would be reduced to nothings. And surely, you wouldn’t want to condemn your dear family to that fate?”

“What?! N-No father, no! I don’t wanna ruin lives! I-I’ll give the right to choose! Yeah, I'll do that!” I was getting desperate, panicked at the implications; my eyes quickly shifted to my ever-silent mother, searching for some sense of approval…Instead, I saw only tears and heard light, but echoing sobs of her voice.

“It is not so easy, Lilim,” said Enoch, “It’s by Lilim the 1st’s decree; we all are sons and daughters under her banner. We’re bound to worship and revere her. So you see, the only option is to possess Archfiend now. Besides, you are already in line to take the throne; I was even giving it to you as a birthday present in the coming years! But now with Archfiend developing in you… I-It’s hopeless for me. For us! We would never be…well, equal. Never again.”

“There is one possible remedy, my lord; if I may?… What if she gave Archfiend to you?”

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, my mother’s head shot up, a look of utter despair and panic rising to her face. She gasped naturally, but immediately stuffed her worries back under that same veiled smile, complimenting my father’s proud expression. In that moment, reality struck at my better judgment like a well-maintained hammer, and my head was a welded nail. Leeuw wasn’t just concerned; she actively rejected the idea of going through with this. But why? It didn’t take long before, even though I hated to admit it, I realized the implication: to summon the Archfiend gem, and actively relinquish it to my father in order to preserve the status quo, I would have to be split open at the abdomen, and the gem surgically removed from my corpse…

For years up to now, I did my best to keep any clues to my reincarnation a secret; I had this self-righteous attitude that I was doing this world a favor by not causing any trouble, and just accepting my role in this show. But after connecting all the dots—my father’s saccharine smile, deceptive as all get out, my mother’s silent, premature grieving, and Samael’s easily-crafted plot; everything compounded together made me lose control. For the first time in forever, I did the unthinkable: I spat in the face of my father and called him a liar to his core. Not in whispers, not in angered mutters behind closed doors—but aloud, in front of my closest family members. His eyes twitched, just barely, the mask slipping for a fraction of a second before he recovered with that same sugar-coated grin. But the damage was done. Everyone saw it. The dutiful child, the meek heir, the reincarnated pawn—had just broken script…