Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"That dummy Sene, how dare he screw me like so?" Staring at the four walls, around me carrying the heavy sent of dung. My stomach began to turn, and my eyes grew misty. It had been close to a week since I was banished to this barren cell. "He is going to get it when I am out of here."

Snorting lightly, I closed my eyes, allowing the abyssal qi held within my bones to run over my mind, and a string of words ran through my lips, "Into the Abyss."

Linking my mind and soul to the Hive, I could not help but be touched by a plethora of emotions. Ranging from the most bottomless of despair to the deepest love. Lost in this sensation that made me lost for words each time.

There were many secrets I held regard, 'into the abyss.' While the Hive connected everyone, I was the exception in many ways. I was allowed to hide my secrets and so much more as the lord of this race. And with enough time, I could control anyone in the Abyss that shared my blood.

Taking hold of Ava's mind and body, who was deep into the depths of the Pale Gate. I held a sweet smile upon her lips as I tasted the sweetness of freedom once more.

"Death?" I swiftly called.

"My queen," Said the Pale Lord, falling to one knee, as he appeared in a mist of ash.

"You had said you wished for a meeting. Unfortunately, Arsene is not with me on this one."

"His presence would be meaningless, My Queen. We only included him because you are married to him, and that apparently means something." He softly swore, arching his aged head, and smiled with his eerie eyes. "There are two orders of business, my lady. Unfortunately, we did not know when you would arrive, so none of the other lords were here."

"This is about the Festival you mentioned before, Right?" I recalled, glancing around the grey skies, touched by an amethyst hue I had never seen in the Abyss before.

"We wish to show The One, of our progress your grace. From your point of view, it has not been more than a hundred or so years, but billions of trillions of Dao Cycles have passed, if not more, since we gain sentience. No more are we mindless beasts who seek nothing but destruction." The Pale Lord claimed as I beckoned to him to stand. Watching him rise to his feet, I nodded, allowing him to continue. "You see your grace, we of the Abyss, wish to see what lies within the Thirty-Three Heavens and beyond. We wish to be a part of the One's Game. Two Chaos Cycles ago, after Zariel, the Protector of The One, was struck down by the Heavenly Father once more, we sent out a message to him as to allow us to be free."

"But didn't that just happen?" I was confused recalling that Zariel was struck down no more than a hundred years ago.

"From your perspective, your grace, but each heaven, the timeline becomes more distraught. So a single second in your heaven could be a Chaos Cycle in Zariels current Dimension."

"I see. Please continue then."

"Of course," Said Death gracefully, "Well, you see. he told us as the Lord of Order, he could not allow us to enter The One's domains. Not till we are restricted. This leads us to you. We wish to limit the Hive's information based on their cultivation when outside the Abyss."

I frowned and crossed my arms, "Surely, you are jesting me? Limit the Hive information based on cultivation? Even if I did that, the battle prowess of a single-stage would allow one to jump several steps without issue. Then assume there is a genius like Zariel born who specialized in combat. Nothing would change."

"That is why we wish for the Festival, your grace. You see, Arsene is to be the bridge between the Abyss and the Heavens. The One has no power in our land, not when you guard and protect us. He cannot see here. He could change his mind at any moment. We need this, as does Arsene. Failure means The One could seal Arsene's Path of Abyssal Night." Said the Pale Lord, gravely lowering his head.

"So this Festival," I asked as he nodded.

"We Four Lords of the Horseman Gates, contacted The Abyssal Devourer, Izavith. Seeking her approval and thoughts, she has said that everything could be ready in a decade, but we would need your approval. To link the Four Horseman gates. As you know, the Four Horseman gates exist in each of the twelve realms, each of them leading to mine or the other three realms."

"There shall come a Flame of Night to carry forth the cycle. Seven Stars born of Chaos shall awaken. Angels blood shall fall, bring forth a coming night, that shall stain the light, breaking its eternal war. Around this night shall exist, Four Gates of Apocalypse, that shall bring forth the End and Beginning." I grimly recited as horrid a revelation touched my heart, "The beginning of this war if it starts, is to be held within the Abyss. There Angel's blood shall fall, and the 'End' will commence.'

"There is a high chance of that. This Festival is where the Gates to Iluthath shall open. If Arsene is to be the coming night, that shall shatter, the light, breaking its eternal war, he will need to enter the land of the Abyss. To the Fallen City, where it all happened. To the Kingdom that was once banished from the Material Plane and ravaged by the Laws of the Abyss. He is to return to the Kingdom of Iliah, the birthplace of the Silver Devil, Lord of the Order and Chaos, Zariel Snow."

---

Opening my eyes within this cell, sensing someone's presence. A cold frown touched my lips as I gazed at Selna, the Master of Kurt. He had shown me a picture of his master long ago. No one could forget those massive cans she held.

"Death, I grant you permission. However, I will oversee everything, Izavith does, including the prize." I coldly mentioned finishing my conversation with death. I held my gaze upon Selna. "How may I help you."

"I'm here to get you out. However, it would seem like I interrupted something. What's going on?" She asked, noticing the dense abyssal energy racing from my pores.

"The Age of The Abyss.." I calmly said," Now, I need to speak with Aldrich and Asmodeus."