Prologue
The volcano erupted, and streams of lava spread everywhere, covering the earth like a blanket. Ash and smoke spewed out, as more and more lava was expelled. Streams of lava cascaded down the mountain, and slowly spread everywhere. The volcano trembled and shook, it had been dormant for over a thousand years and today it erupted with an untameable fury.
The air was thick with the sounds of screams. Screams of the poor humans who had the misfortune to live on this island. Screams filled with terror and pain, as the lava destroyed their homes. Screams of torture, as the lava burned them alive. Encasing them in stone as it cooled. As the lava rolled down and ash and smoke clouded the sky, a silhouette could be seen. A hooded figure, wearing a long cloak and a scythe in his hand.
The lava cascaded around his feet, yet he remained unharmed. He stood at the very top, looking down at the great tunnel from which lava exploded. His face was barely visible, but what could be seen would incite terror into the hearts of the bravest warriors. His pale skin, sunken eyes, and his lack of lips gave him an uncanny resemblance to death itself. He was staring at the volcanic pit, eyes wide in concentration.
The lava churned and exploded out once again; this time, a deep echoing voice resounded with it.
“Who goes there?” the whisper echoed. “Who dares?”
The hooded man stood there; his eyes were now glimmering. “Your devoted worshipper,” he said, his voice deep and guttural. “I have finally revived you, my Master!”
“Revival?” the volcano whispered. “This is not revival, this is not living. Whatever you want from me, I cannot give you.”
The hooded figure bent down, gazing deep into the pit. “NO,” he shouted, his voice filled with desperation. “I saw you in my dream. You came to me. You taught me how to revive you. I sacrificed all those humans to you. Just like you asked. You promised me rewards… Rewards.”
“Not enough,” the voice from the volcano groaned. “Not enough sacrifices. Not enough to bring me back.”
“Then tell me,” the hooded figure said. “Tell me what I must do. Tell me.”
The voice started to whisper in a twisted and arcane language. A forbidden language. A language that would shake the very soul of a person, should it be heard by one. The hooded figure gasped, covering his ears with his bony hands. A scream erupted from his lips as the voice continued to whisper the arcane language. Blood started to leak from his ears and still the voice whispered. The macabre words that should never be said, were said. And he heard them. The hooded figure heard it all. He sat on his knees, weeping and clutching his ears, as the voice whispered to him the ancient secrets.
The secrets from the darkest, deepest pits of hell were whispered to him in the filthy and occult language of hell. Slowly, the whispers stopped. Silence reigned. The screams of the humans had long since disappeared. The only sound was the weeping of the hooded figure.
“Did you understand?” the voice whispered once more. “Did you understand what you just heard?”
“Yes,” the hooded man replied, his voice shaking. “The cursed language was a torture to hear, but I understood. I understood every word.”
There was no reply, and after a minute the hooded figure stood up. His mind burned from the words of the ancient spell that the voice had told him. He could feel the power of the words of the spell. He could sense the destruction they could cause.
“All I have to do is the ritual?” the hooded figure finally whispered. “Then, you will give me the power you promised in my dreams?”
“Perform the ritual. Bring me the sacrifice,” the voice whispered. "Your master is benevolent.”
The hooded figure started to shake once again. “You want me to cast the spell. You want me to whisper the words of hell,” he gasped. “It will kill me. Saying the words of that spell will kill me.”
“Well, my devoted worshipper,” the voice whispered, “you can escape it no longer. Your fate is sealed. The moment you spilled blood and sacrificed those humans, your fate was sealed. The moment you stepped on this mountain and revived me, your fate was sealed.”
The hooded figure started to shake his head, and he slowly started to walk backwards. “No…” he stammered. “You came to me in my dreams. You promised me power, and now all you offer is death. I won’t… I won’t.”
“You will,” the voice said, demonic. Suddenly the hooded figure rose in the air, his eyes open wide. He tried to scream, but no voice escaped his throat. He saw flashes of images, horrible images. His eyes started to bleed as the voice tormented him with unbearable visions. Visions that threatened to break his mind.
Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it ended. The man fell to the ground where he lay, not moving. Anyone would have thought that he was dead from the vile images he was shown. Yet, a few minutes later, he slowly got up. His eyes were glimmering red, his face frozen into a horrifying expression.
“Now, you see?” the demonic voice whispered. “Your fate is sealed. You have no choice. Accept your fate and become my ever-willing servant. Refusal will only result in torture. The torture that you saw.”
The man stared ahead, his eyes vacant. He did see. He saw his future was chosen for him. He saw what was written for him, and that he must bow. Bow to a master far more powerful and superior than he had ever imagined.
“Yes,” he whispered. “I see now. I am yours. My life is yours. I will sacrifice my life and perform the ritual. You will be revived, and no one will survive your fury.”
The voice started to laugh, a cold, terrible laugh. “It’s time for a new era. There will be a new leader. The ultimate, immortal leader.”
Chapter 1
Bellatrix
Bellatrix felt the wind blowing through her hair as she screamed. The monster under her dived, and she grabbed on for her dear life. The monster accelerated, and then started to turn upside down. Bellatrix screamed once again, closing her eyes. It was almost over, she thought to herself. It will soon come to an end. The monster turned once more, and she screeched as she was turned upside down once again.
