HADES (Death Is A Man)

Who Are You

BLACK

Outside the moon was hidden by the early morning clouds, it shone faintly through the window blinds, forging the perfect mirror image of the woman lying asleep as a Shadow on the wall.

The fan in the room rotated slowly, Carmela lay on the sofa heaving heavily, she appeared to be in a deep sleep as Black stared at her closed eyes that had not fluttered all those while.

For Black earth was the closest thing to home, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror. ACouldn'tsee his human body but instead, the animalistic body he used in the underworld stared back at him.

Something bitter twisted in his stomach as it rumbled, he bent over what looked to him as a white vessel and threw up the darkish content of his bowel.

He appeared weak after vomiting, the time he had spent in the mortal realm was having a toll on him and

tried to figure out why it bothered me so much.

He knew he was running out of time and his human body was running out of time, he had to find a soul to feed on or his human body would keep on getting weakened till he could devour another soul.

The thought of the woman still asleep on the sofa

made his throat tighten with an unexplainable feeling. He wanted to be there when she opened her eyes. He stared at her through the mirror and could see she was still curled on the sofa.

Black couldn’t hold on to resentment or anxiety of what he may

have to do in the future, he wanted this place and his father's throne to himself, he wanted all souls to sing his praises and exalt him, he wanted to live his life like that, be Prince over the mortals and immortals. He would take it one day at a time and let the inevitable work its way out when it did.

He knew it meant the destruction of One world as the two would be merged into one. It had been planned all those long while. To get his ass into the realm of the mortals and forge his path away from his father and brother.

Black was sure his brother was on his way back to earth, he was certain his father had discovered he was missing and had sent his brother back most probably to get him. He had a plan specifically for that, he will make it hard for Azrael to find him "Prince of Darkness" or not.

The woman coughed from the room drawing his attention away from his thoughts, she fluttered her eyes before opening them. She sat up quickly when she saw a face peering down at her.

"Who are you ?" She asked.

"Where am I?" She glanced around and could recognize the sofa, the familiar scent of her apartment.

"How the hell did she get to her apartment when a while ago she was ..."

"I remember you !" Carmela said. "I saw you at the pub ."

"You are right ... " Black thought of a more appropriate word to call her instead of 'Mortal'.

"Then I walked out and those men tried to rape me." She paused. "You rescued me, oh good gracious! You saved me from those men." She embraced him.

"How did you know where I stayed.? " Carmela asked.

"You whispered it subconsciously when I picked you up, you looked dead as at then," Black whispered. "I guess this is your abode?"

"My abode ?" Carmela stared at the man standing in her front and studied him slowly for the first time since she opened her eyes.

Though it seemed weird and outdated that he called a house an abode, she wouldn't deny he had amazing physical features.

He was insanely beautiful beyond any human imagination, she couldn't find the right words to qualify his beauty and felt that to say handsome would undermine him.

However, it was his eyes that drew more attention. His deep blue eyes were as if it was staring right past her body into her soul.

"You have something trailing down your nose." She said calmly to him, raising a finger to her nose to signify what she was trying to say.

Black took his hands toward his nose, he could feel something moist.

"Do you need to see a doctor or something?" Carmela looked worried asking. "I hope those jackassed men didn't hit you hard on your face ."

"No, I am fine," Black assured her while walking toward his dark jacket and hat hanging at the door.

"Where are you going, it is still quite early," Carmella called out at him.

"What Is your name?!" Carmela asked, almost screaming her head out.

He stopped with his back to her, his shoulders tensing.

“Hey?"

A few seconds passed, and then Carmela thought he might not respond.

"Black" he muttered as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

Carmela stared blankly at the door until the numbness in her turned into an emotion she couldn't quite recognize at that moment.

"BLACK" she whispered the name into the still-dark room

Black walked briskly, she was right the street was empty early that morning. He coughed again and this time more dark liquid oozed out of his mouth to the floor.

A cop flashed a light from the distance and moved closer to the figure that went bent on his knees to the ground.

"Are you alright?" The cop asked a bit cautiously.

"Are you alright, Sire?" He asked again, taking slow steps toward him.

"Hello?" The cop tapped him from behind.

Black held the cop's hands as he turned his head to face him without moving an inch. The cop looked at Black's hideous face in fright. His eyes blinked as Black absorbed his energy and soul into himself.

He dropped the man that had become nothing but a skin of dry bone on the floor when he was done and walked away from him quickly without looking back.

"BLACK!" A voice called from behind.

He turned as he heard his name echo from a far distance.

Azrael was not too far away.

He needs to hide away from his brother. Azrael is relentless and it wouldn't take that much time before he is caught by that brother of his. One thing is sure, and that is the fact that he would not leave the mortal world unless he was able to fulfill all that he had planned.

Azreal might not be the ambitious brother, but he is different. He is different from his father and brother.

Whatever he wants, he would strive to get it. Since there's nothing left for him to do in the immortal world, he would make himself useful in the mortal world. He plans to become the ruler of the mortal world and he would achieve his plans.