Chapter 1: Born Anew

Why.

Such a simple word, the start of a question even but not in this case – I already knew why, I knew why my life had come to an end even if the news reports tomorrow say it, was simply mysterious circumstances; it doesn't matter anymore, none of it.

I inherited my father's company while he was on his deathbed – the old man was adamant it was me, determined even, even when my brothers tried to use their lawyers to argue that he was in no way of sound mind to change his well he hadn't done so, his Will had me the eldest son to be the one to inherit his legacy. Whether due to some sort of misplaced trust in my abilities or simply because I was the first-born of six and he couldn't decide which one of his spoilt children should profit from the blood, sweat and tears of a lifetime.

He gave it all to me, a coward whose own wife was simply a pawn placed there by his brothers – yep that's right, my younger brothers had already planned for this well in advance.

Well, I should say that I was a coward.

Things have changed since then, many things in fact – yet I've never told my story... well, it couldn't hurt to recount some of my past, could it?

…

"Lewis." Her voice was cold as she spoke, her eyes glazed over and distant unlike I'd ever seen them before – like a sculpture made of ice, I'd never seen this side of the woman I loved in the three years that we'd been together; it was as if a switch had flicked, and she was nothing more than a stranger passing by. "I'm breaking off the engagement." She spoke calmly as she flicked the ring towards me, I hadn't even noticed she'd taken it off – no, it wasn't that she'd taken it off, but there was a new one in its place glaring at me.

"Bu-"

"No. You don't have to say anything, I've had three years of listening to the crap that comes out of that mouth of yours, especially in bed." She faked a mock shiver before her lips slowly curled into a smirk. "Oh, and just so you know – the child isn't yours. You really should've made sure of that before you proposed darling. Well, don't you worry about that you'll be on your way soon enough I just thought I should let you know." The sneer on her face made my stomach turn, something was wrong – more than just this situation, I could feel my stomach getting hotter as if someone had set up a fire inside of me.

"You didn't!" I started to walk towards her but as I did she moved out of the way towards the stairs, her steps deliberate and intentional.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Time seemed to slow down with every step she took, even then it took me more than a few seconds to understand what she was planning to do – the sneer didn't leave her face even as she fell, she made no attempt at self-preservation and I was so close yet still too far to stop her.

I could already hear the sirens before she hit the bottom step, everything was over and there was nothing I could do to stop it anymore. It seemed like an eternity before the police crashed through the door but it was only seconds, they had probably been posted outside by one of my siblings – paid off to make this whole thing seem more believable.

It seemed like forever but eventually I was charged with assault and drug use just for good measure, whatever she had spiked me with had tested positive for pretty much traces of everything it could, it was claimed that upon hearing that the child wasn't mine I'd entered a 'drug-induced rage' and attacked her, luckily the officers had been responding to a call nearby and had simply heard a loud crashing from the home.

How lucky of them.

My life at the top of the world had crumbled in mere days because I wasn't prepared for the burden that living life at the top has when not prepared for it – but that's the thing about looking at the past in retrospect, there's so many things that I could've done but so what? There was no pill for regret that could take me back in time.

For three months I was in that prison cell, I was kept segregated even from other prisoners so the guards were my only contact – apart from the occasional 'contact' with my other siblings, I was gagged and bound because I was a 'dangerous criminal' after all, and they couldn't risk me trying to hurt them behind a plastic screen. None of them spoke when they came, over the months they'd come one after the other to simply look at me and then leave, as if this was their way of saying goodbye.

The only thing on my mind as they came one after another, however, was I ever a brother to them?

I suppose not, none of them came to try and defend me – in fact I overheard a guard saying that I was almost completely forgotten about to the outside world by now, the world had moved on and I had been left behind by it... but then even the guards started to 'forget' I existed.

Meals came later, water less frequently and I would be locked in the cell for days straight with nothing but the walls to keep me company and any food I had rationed the previous days.

Until they simply stopped coming altogether...

…

One

Two

Three

Ten?

Twenty?

I don't know how many days have passed anymore, the last of the food I'd rationed has already gone – if it wasn't for the leaking pipe I'd have long died but I don't think I can live like this any longer – I'm trying, I'm trying to hold on but it hurts to even keep my eyes open and yet I know if I close them for even a second I'll never open them again at this point.

I opened my mouth to scream but no sounds came out, I wanted to hit something, but my body wouldn't listen to me anymore. As my eyes slowly closed with the last of my strength I bit my tongue as hard as I could – the pain managed to shake me awake but even it was slowly dulling it was then that I knew this might be the end...

"Do you want power?"

A faint voice echoed in the cell, it was quiet and yet to me it was as clear as if it had been whispered into my ears.

"Do you want revenge?"

It spoke once more, this time the voice was growing louder, angrier even?

"Do you want to live?!"

This time it was like a roar, I flew off the bed and hit the wall from the aftershock – my whole body was wracked with pain but it forced me to pull myself up and it was then that the voice spoke again, this time much softer than before.

"What."

"Do."

"You."

"Choose."

…

In the darkness of the cell the nod of my head was insignificant – it was barely even a nod as I could barely move to begin with but that was all it took it seemed, whatever had spoken to me seemed to already know my answer and had acted according to my will.

"Be reborn Monarch of Shadows, Ruler of Darkness and companion of the Divine Light – finish your business in the Mortal Realm and return to your new kingdom victorious! Bring glory to your new name! Bring honour to your title! Rise Lewis Von Koarnes!"

The world seemed to react to his words as wind surged from nowhere forming a mini-cyclone with me at the center, it cut into me like millions of knives – reshaping me and forging me into something new, something different.

"AHHHHHH"

I couldn't help but scream in agony, and yet it felt so good to hear my voice once more.

"Rise my King, for glory!"

The voice roared once more, an invisible energy surging into my body and remolding my broken flesh and mind. I screamed until a new darkness engulfed me, swallowing me whole and as if I'd never existed the cell was empty.

…

"What do you mean the prisoners gone?!" The Wardens face bulged with anger as one of the guards reported the situation, "We did what you said Sir, we kept reducing his food as much as possible and we only checked on him today after we were sure he'd almost be dead but he wasn't there!"

The Warden rubbed his temples in disbelief, it was impossible for a man on the verge of death to simply disappear. "Just get out, get out!"

"Dammit," he mumbled as he watched the guard scurry away, "How the hell am I meant to explain this?"