ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ: ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ

Prologue - A Mortal Amongst Monsters

• Art by yomoyomo_ill on Twitter •

• Chapter release - 11/03/2022 •

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You never fit in when you were younger, no matter how hard you tried. Every person you tried to talk to would awkwardly shuffle away, and when you made it to high school some would ignore you or even smack you in an effort to get you to leave.

You were always the weird kid with no friends. No one wanted to be friends with you. Not when you shared your lunch with the others who were left behind. Apparently, they didn't even dare stoop so low.

Some made rumours as to why you had moved schools. Dumb, stupid kids with their stupid fucking rumours. Snobby, snotty kids who stick their unwanted noses in places they shouldn't, snide faces sharing secrets that you didn't want anyone knowing. No chance to start with a clean slate thanks to those blabbermouths.

Some say you almost beat another kid to death. You did. That kid deserved it. With a face like an urchin turned inside out, cursing words more rotten than the meat Mama Bear would eat. More rotten than a carcass lying on the side of the road like a ragdoll. Those words daring to pass their lips, cursing you.

Some say it was because of your mother. You could say that was true. After all, it was her who made the deal, it was her who brought them into your life, but it was her who convinced you to lay the first punch which ultimately lead to your dark path.

Some say it was because you had demons whispering in your ear. They weren't wrong. Wherever you went it was likely she went with you, gangly hands brushing against the ground with every step. Messing, side-swept hair that looked as dark as her pitch-black eyes. A once pristine uniform tattered with time. Agatha was her name.

You didn't really see what the last thing had in connection with the others. But when it came to rumours brought about by kids, each and every one of these reasons was true.
Despite only being eight at the time, you had in fact almost beat another kid to death. You didn't really have a defence, but you didn't know what else to do when some random kid decided to smack talk your mother.

'I bet she left because you were a mistake!' They had jeered.

'I can see why!' Their friends joined in.

'Pain is necessary!' Agatha had whispered in your ear, nudging you ever so slightly.

And so you acted.

You had no idea what you were doing until a teacher had pulled you off their bleeding body, each breath they took rattled and every time they tried to move they groaned in pain. Despite only being eight, you had almost killed someone and you held no remorse. Beside you, Agatha grinned from ear to ear, her claws pressed carefully together as she giggled silently.

You were sent home early.

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