Thing Aren't Always As They Seem

Chapter 4

Nothing could've ever prepared me for the sight that greeted me inside my chamber. My wife had been disgraced, her body abused and bloodied from multiple stab wounds. She'd been left to die on our bed. Natsu, who was only three, sat by her side, gently nudging her and sobbing out for his Daddy.

There were several men still in the room, and they were making their way to Natsu. I had no way of knowing what their plan was. Perhaps they only meant to kidnap Natsu and force me to agree to their demands, but when I saw them point their weapons at my son, I became possessed by something ugly and dark.

To this day, I hold no memory of what I did to them. Igneel told me he tried to stop me, but when he couldn't, he took Natsu with him and left the room to keep him from seeing any more. I know Natsu saw something because he acted scared of me for a time, but we were all we had left, and we huddled together in our grief.

My pain soon turned to hatred, and I was consumed with only one thought. Destroying my enemies. Without meaning to, I left more and more of Natsu's care to Igneel.

The empire mourned for the loss of its Empress, and we went to war with Rivera. They soon learned what it meant to come against me, as they were brutally wiped out by the might of our armies. I thought this would bring me pleasure, but it did no such thing.

Sona was still dead, her last moments filled with more pain than I could ever imagine, and I couldn't forgive myself for that. I wanted to bring her back to life. To see those beautiful green eyes smile at me again. To hear her say she forgave me for not being there.

Everyone I conferred with insisted it couldn't be done, but I wouldn't give up. It had become an obsession, and I was caught in its grasp.

Igneel begged me to think of Natsu, but I was too far gone. I had been a bit of a scholar before I had met Sona and I devoured text after text, looking for any way to bring her back. And I found one.

I brought her back to life for two glorious days, but in doing so, I cursed myself.

My activities caught the attention of Ankhseram, the God of Life and Death. He was furious that I had dared to interfere in his domain, and he appeared before us.

He took Sona away from me and placed her somewhere I would never be able to reach until I died, before cursing me to live until no more of my bloodline walked the Earth.

I didn't believe it at first. I tried many things to prove Ankhseram wrong, but no matter what I did, I couldn't die.

I had only one thing left to live for.

Natsu.

He was my pride and joy, my treasure, and once I accepted Sona was outside of my reach, I tried to be the best father I could.

He split his time between myself and Igneel, to whom I'd assigned the job of his protector. I worked hard to give my best to Alvarez and to Natsu, my pathetic attempt at an apology for all the destruction and misery I'd caused with my petty revenge.

And for about two years we managed to live happily. Until the day, I very publically survived when I should have died. That changed everything.

People outside of the palace began to fear me. There were murmurings of deals with devils around the time I was trying to bring Sona back. There was another attack on the castle, this time from my own people.

I didn't want any more blood on my hands, so I offered to surrender. I'd let them take me into custody, as long as they allowed Igneel to leave the palace with Natsu.