THE RISE OF EXILE 2

MADDOX MIRK 1

"Wake up."

Those were the words that woke Maddox up in the midst of the darkness. He sees nothing else around because he is surrounded by unnamed darkness. But he already remembered everything. Him being different from the Mirks and what his mother said before he fainted in the lowest and darkest part of their manor. He remembered the first girl he had seen the moment he opened his eyes that day. He remembered everything. He remembered that he should have hated her but that hatred turned into uncontrollable emotions of wanting her, the more he fell for Sumire. Maddox remembers all the memories he was with Sumire.

The good times he had fun every time he teased her and made fun of her made him smile unconsciously. At times he repeatedly falls for her whenever he sees her rare smile. Maddox smiled as he watched Sumire's every move, and witnessed how she has grown into a beautiful woman that no man would ever lay their eyes on her. Even though he proposed to the girl and he was always rejected many times, he was still happy, especially since he knew that Sumire's attention was not on the relationship but on strengthening and protecting the empire, which made Maddox even more attracted to the maiden.

"How could I hate a desirable thing like her?"

But Maddox suddenly remembered what Sumire had done to him recently. How she grab his heart out without hesitation. He doesn’t even see her emotions cruising in her eyes or is hesitant to do so.

"How can she do that ??"

"Did everything we went through even cross her mind?"

"What was the last thing that stuck in her mind when she grabbed my heart? And what did she think after he did that?"

Maddox laughed out loud and suddenly the six eyes of the formless darkness surrounding Maddox opened and Maddox saw Sumire unmoved by her stand. Sumire didn't even care what was happening in front of her. She just keep her face stoic and gave him a blank stare.

Sumire, Calib, and the other top hunters were shocked when they suddenly heard Maddox's laughter inside the formless darkness.

"HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

That laugh is too loud that it roars inside. It was the kind of laughter that anyone in the hall felt the oppressive and negative emotions blending that is heavy enough to handle. It’s not the kind of laugh that’s fun or happy, nor is it because he’s planning something bad will about to happen. That laugh was full of disappointment and desperation.

Gradually, Maddox's chest heals where its heart was abducted and the exceeding formless darkness around him slowly and merges with his shadow which seems to have its own will, it moves and stands next to Maddox's right side. The strange shadow has its own shadow. Six dark wings appeared on its back, there are 6 horns on the head and 6 red eyes are arranged by pair from chest to belly. It has no face but has a red thread sewn into its mouth that does not exist.

"Sumire."

Maddox called to the girl's name smilingly in a deep tone that synchronize the shadow's voice next to him. There was no more white residing in Maddox's eyes. It was replaced by extreme darkness and his iris became crimson red and the pupil was all black.

"So this is the real you."

Sumire smiled. Maddox chuckled evilly and so is his Shadow next to him as if he is doing what Maddox is doing.

"Thanks for destroying my second heart, I remember everything."

Maddox's meaningful response made Sumire frown slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Sumire asked with a smirked on Maddox's face.

"You don't need to know because you will meet your own demise today."

Maddox said that Calyx and Four are alerted in their position. Rius, Ace, Seven, and Krauss were also surprised by what Maddox said. They didn’t expect him to say such a thing to his beloved. Especially since they know how much Maddox likes Sumire. And even if Sumire grabbed Maddox's second heart they were sure that wouldn't be enough reason for Maddox to say those hateful words to Sumire.

"Maddox has another reason why he utters that word." Ace said like he knows something isn't right with Maddox's today.

"What surprised me was Maddox's shadow next to him. This is the first time I've seen that. And it's not Maddox's switch."

Krauss said and wondered, Ace, Rius, and Seven agreed with him. This is very different from Maddox which they know as modified Selten.

"What is this?"

Seven asked as he started to get scared of Maddox standing in front of them. Even if they only facing Maddox's back, they feel Maddox was still facing them.

"What exactly is he?"

Rius asked, he couldn't help but ask himself.

"You know from the beginning I've noticed something strange about you. There's a part of your personality that really wants to kill me, and that side of yours has shown now. I'm glad you've been honest. And now I have no reason to keep you alive Maddox."

Sumire's response was cold and void of emotions but Maddox answer her with a burst of thunderous laughter that seemed like it was Sumire's funniest joke and it amused him.

"I know that you're strong, Sumire but you're not as strong as me."

Maddox replied with the side of his lips raised in mockery. By then, Maddox suddenly flicked his right fingers and a huge war flail appeared on the right hand of his shadow, and without warning, he swung it in great speed towards Sumire's direction but was quickly block by Calib's ice wall.

"Calib I appreciate your effort but I want you to focus on protecting the Castellon De Vania so it doesn't collapse. Cover all the places with your ice magic, don't worry the ice won't hindrance my fight with him. I'll lure him inside the General's Hall. And don't interfere. "

Sumire begs Calib that the young man doesn't want to obey her command but he sees how serious and determined Sumire is to kill Maddox alone he just nods.

"Alright, but I can't promise you that I won't interfere if your life is in danger."

Calib replied, by then Sumire suddenly disappeared in just a blink of his eyes and Maddox immediately followed her.

"Calib are you f*****g sure we'll just let Sumire fight Maddox alone?"

Calyx asked as the three of them were left alone. Ace, Krauss, Seven, and Rius also suddenly disappeared in the place.

"I'll keep watching over her, I'll cover the whole of Castellon with my ice magic, I can detect all their movements and I'll also be able to interrupt their fight without Sumire knowing."

Calib replied that the snow started to pour outside the Castellon De Vania and that every drop of snowflakes was absorbed by the ice walls. Inside the Castellon De Vania was gradually turning the floor, walls, ceilings into ice. The windows, chambers all parts of Castellon from outside and inside, lower and upper part of Castellon are already covered in ice. Calyx was impressed because he knew the amount of mana that Calib used to put defensive magic in such a large place.

"Finally we're just the two of us here inside the General's Hall. Let's die together."

To be continued...