There laid the body of a man with beautiful features in a big ballroom, with lilies and roses all over.. There wept a woman in a big white gown, now soaked in blood, with the body of her supposed husband whose warmth she can no longer feel. The woman looked at the man standing far from her with despair and agony. She finally uttered the words - "Why would you do that Father... I loved you. But was it necessary? You've killed countless of people in your life, but now you even had to kill the man I love....?"

The man with a stone face looked at the woman with no particular feelings in his eyes for her. It didn't seem like he cared about her agony at all.

There was a moment of sense in that hall. The palace where a couple would be bound with each other for the rest of their lives now seemed like a haunted castle that night. The sound of swords clashing continuously did not seem to stop even for a second. Probably a lot of people were fighting for their masters. It seems like the end of the world, none can guess what second they are gonna lose their lives.

Finally, with a lot of courage, the woman again looked at the man, "I know you never loved me, I never mattered to you. I know...  I know...." " I know that you hate me for the death of your wife but even a tiger won't eat its cub..... but then you the infamous devil. arent you? How can someone expect any feelings from you... you are a cold-hearted man The Dark Lord of Nyxshade...... But today nobody can stop me from being with the love of my life... Not even the gid himself."

The woman grabbed a dagger at a distance from her and stabbed herself. With her closing the eyes, everything seems blurry to her. In her final words, she only wished - " If there is an afterlife, then let me be with him...."

Suddenly there flashed a light so red that almost seemed black. This light made everyone feel like it was going to burn them to death.

But for someone it was warm. Warm enough to make them feel they are embracing the god.

After some time everything seemed lifeless, no one moved, and you could hear the wind howling. not a leaf dared to make noise. Perhaps it was the end of the world.

Mystryl's POV -

"Do you think the Lady would be able to survive this time.....? I mean she was really weak from the day this pregnancy was announced. I am not sure if the young heiress would ever be able to embrace the warmth of her mother.... what a pity it would be...."  I heard a voice which made me come out of my deep sleep.

the moment I opened my eyes. I felt as if destiny had played some kind of joke on me. It was Maria, my nanny. She looked rather young. I tried to look at her more closely but then suddenly I heard the door open with a bang which made Maria and the other turn around and they bowed their heads with respect and cleared the way. Although I could not see the person from the dangerous aura they were emitting, it seemed like he was a descendant of the dark lord.

As the person came near me, I could see his face clearly, it was the younger version of my father. He looks like he is going to kill someone today. But more than that it seems like he is in pain. But in a flash, the expression in his eyes disappeared and now it looks like he has finally caught a glimpse of life. I can really not make out from my father's expression what he is thinking but then no one else can either.

He was coming closer to me and I tried not to cry under his aura. I hate him. I know. He killed my love, he ruined the world. He himself is a creation of disaster. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him........ Urgh I feel tired just by thinking of what has happened.

God..... I was really not ready to face my cruel father. And I can no longer hold eye contact with him.

Wait why are his hands coming towards me... is he gonna try to strangle me... don't tell me he is not gonna kill an infant is he...?

wait.... Why am I in his arms.... is he embracing me....? why are you taking me towards the window...? you are not gonna through me out of the window are you...?

"Your Lordship, the lady is still a newborn, she will not be able to tolerate the harsh winds of the North... You should not take her any closer to the window...." I heard Maria saying that. Maria doesn't seem like she hates me. But why is it that? But again she is just showcasing love for me..... it's a pity she doesn't do theatre.

But why are you the Dark Lord listening to what she is saying?

wait.... don't tell me you are gonna kiss me...

Mystryl's POV -

Why is he doing this to me...? I am sure he never did any of these when I was younger. Everyone said that it was because I was born, my mother's health deteriorated and she eventually died. Wait..... if I am here, should my mother be alive right now..... I want to see my mother, I have never seen her ever, I wanna be held by her, for god's sake I have never thought that I would be able to feel my mother's embrace. Father take me to my mother....

Author's POV -

As Mystryl started scrambling her feet—or that she tried—instead, she awkwardly failed. Sensing her discomfort, maybe the Dark Lord's instinct suddenly gave in, and he looked at the nurse as if asking her, "What does my child want?"

Looking at her lordship's direction Maria said - " Maybe...... the young lady is looking for her mother. As it is very predictable that the newborns already know who their parents are....."

Everyone fell silent, perhaps they already knew that their Ladyship would not even be able to hold her kid so what's the point of even going there?

Lord Nyxshade thought for a minute and then he wrapped the young Mystrl in a thick and soft blanket awkwardly and started taking long strides out of the room towards the other end of the hallway.

The maids and the assistant followed them. Dark Lord's assistant who was guarding the big door they were in front of right now, opened the door for them. All of them entered the room, there was a bed covered with white curtains. You can probably see the nurses taking care of the lady lying on the bed so carefully as if it were a flower they were trying to keep away from withering in the cold of the north.

From a distance, the figure looked like it was just bones with a cover of skin. There was a lingering scent of different medicines. I could barely keep my calm knowing who was so close to me. It was my mother, the one who I have only seen in portraits or maybe even that memory is too vague for me to remember now.

When my father started moving towards the bed, I could barely control my tears and started wailing like I was supposed to since I was a newborn. The woman perhaps like any mother responded to my crying and looked at me and then the Dark Lord with a slight smile to pass me to her.

While the Lord, placed me near her, she placed her right hand beside me and curved towards my direction. It was then I could actually see my mother's beautiful face. She was pretty as, pretty as a goddess herself. She has dark black hair with entrancing greenish blue eyes, you could also see brown in them. You could see what this disease has done to her, what I have done to this beautiful face of my mother. Only if I was never born......

"What are you thinking, my dearest?....." My mother's voice dragged me out of my thoughts. Her voice is hoarse and dull.

I placed my hand on her cheek and her eyes lit up as if a plant had come alive from the frozen winter just by the first sunray if felt.

The duke ordered everyone to leave the room, perhaps he was giving me and my mother the time, I don't remember. Maybe this will be the only memory I will have of my mother and I want to cherish it for the rest of my life.

The Duke slid under the blanket and placed it over me as well. His face was not expressionless this time. He kissed my mother's forehead and then mine... "U will be fine... my love" he said to my mother and turned to me as if it was a sentence to my mother but a promise to me. My father has always been a man of few words, but this time... it seems different.

Fine... just this time, I will trust... Just this one time, I won't throw any tantrum and let us be like a normal family. I don't know if we will ever be able to have the same space and time to us. So let's just freeze this one memory of all three of us together. Perhaps this is what will keep us sane, me and the darklord, both need it.