First Encounter

The new Demon Lord walked slowly but majestically as he approached a now quiet Peter.

"Welcome Peter, I've been expecting you". He said in a calm tone as he grabbed Peter by the chin and stared into his eyes. Melissa and Alice froze in fear because the power the Demon Lord was emitting was nothing like they have ever seen before.

"Wh-o are you and what do you want," Melissa asked trembling.

"Ooh excuse my poor manners, I'm Vermont your new Demon Lord," he said politely "and it's not a matter of what I want it's more of getting what is rightfully mine".

He walked back towards Peter and tried peering into his soul to see the power he was about to wield but immediately he cast his demon gaze on him Peter's body reacted and shot a beam of light throwing Vermont ten yards away from him.

The castle guards rushed in to attack Peter but he felt something on his back and suddenly a dark smoke appeared from behind him and sucked in Melissa and Alice alongside himself into it and they disappeared. The Demon Lord feeling disgraced by Peter's show of power instantly killed all the guards who witnessed the embarrassing scene.

"What was that power?" Peter asked trembling.

"He's the first son of the previous Demon Lord Nazario," Alice said "Vermont is an excellent sorcerer I must say. He's been getting ready for that position ever since I've known him and his bloodlust is relentless".

"You know him?" Peter asked in confusion.

"Of course I do, I grew up in the castle with my mom and your mom before she died". answered Alice.

After his first encounter with Vermont Peter was always up in Melissa's library going through every book of spells in an attempt to get stronger he would memorize spells during the night and when morning came he would go to the fields and practice as much as he could.

He never wanted to feel the helplessness he felt on that day. he learned golem magic as he sought out a training partner, he would've preferred Alice or Melissa but he didn't want either of them nor himself getting hurt during sparring sessions.

On one very cold night as Peter went about his usual routine he came across a book he saw on the top shelf behind other neatly arranged books, as he opened the book he felt guilty as the dust he blew off it would've been able to cause a mighty sand storm in the kingdom of the crawling creatures.

When he opened the first page he was shocked as the page was pitch black unlike anything he had seen before in the library, he flipped through all the pages and it was still the same as the first-page pitch black even darker than the corner of the room where no light could reach.

He tried to scribble on the pages to see if words would appear but nothing, he poured oil on it which was an ancient method of revealing hidden texts in manuscripts but still it was fruitless, he then thought of something that he had not seen in any of the books he read before almost like his body was reminding him of what to do. He put his left hand on the Black page and said "revelare te mihi" instantly the pages of the book became as bright as day. He read the first words in the book which said: "magie sufleteascâ" which translated to Soul magic immediately he turned to the next page he felt a cold chill run down his spine with a feeling that he shouldn't be reading the book but even as he felt that way another part of him urged him to go on reading.

He saw the first heading which said "chemarea sufletelor" which translates to the calling of souls. It was a Magic Technic that allowed the user to call the soul and body of anyone provided they had particular items of that person. Peter was about to turn to the next page when suddenly light filled the room; it was Melissa she ran to Peter and hit the book off his hand, while Peter felt like he was reading the book normally in the library in reality he was floating in the air with his left hand still on the Black pages of the book.

Alice ran into the room as she saw Melissa eleven feet from Peter muttering incantations, she was terrified because she didn't even see anything of such nature during her time at the Castle. After over an hour Peter fell to the ground with blood coming from his eyes, nose and his ears Alice went blank at the sight it was a truly terrifying one.

"What happened?" Peter asked when he woke up the following morning.

"You were almost lost my dear boy" Melissa answered. it was obvious that fear was in Melissa's eyes, even a newborn could see it.

"Explain to me what happened Peter," Alice said.

As Peter tried to recollect the events of that night his hands trembled and his feet became strangely cold, in fact too cold the sand under his feet became wet and his head began to feel light he was about to collapse again but Melissa used the healing spell and he became alright.

"I was going through the shelf for a new book to read then somehow It felt like I heard a voice behind the shelf. I took out the books from the shelf and found a book just laying there all dusty, then I picked it up and got the dust off it after which I opened the book to read it but the pages were black and somehow after a while I was able to read them. but it seems like I slept off" Peter explained.

"You were eleven feet above ground Peter". Alice said anxiously.

"that was dark magic Peter, something you shouldn't get yourself involved with. I don't know how you found that book because I placed a cloaking spell on it" Melissa said, "anyway there's nothing to worry about now I've destroyed the book".

Melissa left the room still shell-shocked at what had happened that night, it was still a mystery to her because even a mage as powerful as herself couldn't find a spell that allowed her to read the book.

The book had been in her possession for over 10 years but she didn't know how to get through the Black pages and how a fourteen-year-old boy was able to see the contents baffled her. She fought back every ounce of curiosity that wanted to ask Peter what he saw and convinced herself she was better off not knowing.