chapter 1

In the deepest, darkest circles of hell resided the broken up ruins of a fallen kingdom constantly being bathed in an endless pool of smoking embers and lava, the Underworld kingdom that belonged to the one and only Dark Lord.

"MUHAHAHAHAHA! Well...well....well, what do we have here?" A male figure seemingly made entirely out of sinister shadows said resting upon his throne of jagged skeleton bones and black spiked vines, utterly savoring the sight of his demonic and winged palace guards bringing in two cloaked figures whose hoods has kept their identities a secret for now, only to be pushed down to their knees against the throne room floor having their hoods pulled back allowing the Dark Lord the luxury of quickly recognizing the two. 

The first cloaked figure was revealed to be a tall and mature looking woman with long and sleek deep black hair cascading all the way down to her perfect hourglass waist and flawless supple light skin to match. The second figure was revealed to be a somewhat younger woman with skin much similar to the older woman but having the distinct exception of being covered in fiery freckles and having short brown hair with spiral curls reaching only barely past her shoulders.

"Ah...well if it isn't the esteemed Queen Maria of Hilguard, alongside her precious darling of a daughter, Princess Persephone." The Dark Lord would say, a wide grin as sharp as blades slowly stretching across his otherwise void like face. "Now what, pray tell, do I owe the honor of having such royalty in my humble home?"

An orchestra of laughter echoed throughout the throne room due to the room being filled almost to the brim with the Underworld demon population at attendence, almost as if they knew such high class royalty would be arriving.

"You know very well why we are here! To stop you and your horrible kingdom from declaring war on the top world!" Persephone soon shouted back at him, her fiery irises almost erupting in flames showing her anger towards the menacing figure.

"Persephone! Please! Let me handle this...." Maria announced to her own daughter, her calm and composed voice persuading the princess to hold her tongue for the moment.

"I suggest you listen to Mommy, or else Daddy would have no problem pulling out his belt to teach a thing or two about respect." The shadow man said with a stern expression, now setting aside his much more casual tone.

Persephone looked quite confused for a moment slowly looking at the Dark Lord first, then her mother.

".....Daddy?"

&quo t;Oh..." The Dark Lord would say sounding quite concerned now, craning his neck back over to Maria meeting the Queen's gaze. "Eighteen years had gone by...and you still haven't told her yet?"

Maria would look down at the floor as guilt and shame filled her eyes and voice.

"I was afraid, she wouldn't be able to handle the truth."

"Truth? What truth?" Persephone asked, now starting to sound scared to which the Dark Lord simply chuckled in response, his laughter rich with malice filling Persephone's heart with dread.

"That, your mother and I, used to bed each other back when I was still a mere human being....and months later, she gave birth to the future ruler of my kingdom...you."

"No.....No I would never take over your Kingdom, I'd rather let it collapse and rot here in the Underworld with you in it!"

"....Such harshness, is that any way to talk to your father?"

"You are not my father. You will never be, my father!"

"....Shame. I suppose this means I can't look forward to taking over the top world with my own loving daughter by my side....oh well, I'm sure the deaths of millions of mortals will help me forget all about it."

"No! Theodore, please-" Maria would suddenly shout out without thinking provoking the shadow presence into creating a searing hot wall of sinister looking black flames in response to her words.

"I told you....to never call me by my mortal name...ever, again."

"....Fine. But the man I knew, the man I loved, I know for a fact, could never say no to a challenge. I'm sure that part of your past has not changed....has it?"

The Dark Lord would place rippling hand to his non-existing chin falling deep in thought.

"....Are you proposing, a bet?"

"You could say that. You propose a challenge, any physical challenge you want...and if either my daughter or I pass it...you will call off the war, and sign a peace accord declaring you will never attack the top world."

"....Is that so? Hmmm...Give me time to think about it, until then....you can spend a luxurious night here... in the dungeons." The figure would say before a loud snap came from his claw like fingers. "Take them away."

At once Maria and her daughter were dragged out of the throne room by the winged demon guards and were sent to spend the night in the murky, dark, and cramped depths of the underworld kingdom's ruined dungeon.

"I suppose this is "Father's" idea of luxurious hospitality." Persephone would say with a heavy sigh, taking the time to peel a bit of cobwebs off her shoulder before looking over at the Queen who sat solemnly in the corner of the small brick room. "Mother...you challenged the Dark Lord...to a mere bet? Is this why you didn't want to tell the rest of the kingdom of your plan?"

"I know Theordore all too well...he would always take any chance to prove his superiority over others, one of the reasons why I found myself....unable to resist his charms. I just hope he picks a task that is feasible,"

"....And if he doesn't?"

"....."