Free Rupture: Rise of the Demon King by Milo Woods Page A

to change no matter what you do, Mori.”
    Mori froze. “How do you know my name?” she said, twirling to face her.
    “I know a lot of things. For example … Seeko’s feelings for you.”
    Mori blushed and looked away. Seeko nearly did the same. Feelings? There were no feelings . Seeko looked at Hannet. This girl was dangerous. This girl probably always got what she wanted. After all, she knew in advance what she was getting.
    Mori left at Seeko’s silence. Seeko stayed put, staring at Hannet.
    “I’m sorry,” Hannet said, “but Mori is used to getting what she wants. She is a spoiled brat.”
    What a hypocrite, Seeko thought. But what did Hannet want?
    Hannet strode past him, following Mori. “Well, we better not keep them waiting.”
    Seeko chased after her. “Keep who waiting? Where are we going?”
    She looked back, smiling. “Just follow us; you’ll see.”
    Before long, Seeko found himself in a small room with maps strewn all over the walls and tables. A tall woman stood at the largest table, examining one of the maps. She wore a black dress, cut low to show off her body, and long black gloves that passed her elbows. She peered up when Seeko and Hannet entered right after Mori, and Seeko saw the woman’s lovely green eyes peer past the long black hair that framed her face. Pretty was the word that crossed the dumfounded Seeko’s mind.
    “Lady Ludivina,” Hannet said, “I have found him. I present to you Seeko Dris, the Hero of Endetia.”
    Hannet bowed as she said this, but Seeko just continued to stare at the lady, mouth agape. A thought finally crossed Seeko’s mind after an eternity: I forgot to bow.
    He flung himself down halfway, bending awkwardly before the woman. “Sorry!” he said.
    The girls laughed and Seeko rose back up, ashamed. After they stopped, Lady Ludivina spoke up in a low, seductive voice: “If anything, we should bowing to you. You are our hero, after all.” She gave a little half smile.
    Mori moved a little closer to Seeko. “My lady, we came here to meet someone … Is that someone you?”
    Again the enchanting smile. “You have already met who you came to see.” She ignored Mori’s narrowing eyes and Hannet’s smirk. “Hannet? Have you already told them what you saw?”
    “Not yet. It wasn’t quite the right moment …” Hannet moved next to Ludivina, so that she could clearly see both Seeko and Mori. “Seeko, have you heard the prophecy involving you?”
    “I heard that I have to stop the demons by destroying the necklaces that bind their portals, or something.”
    “That’s somewhat correct,” Hannet said. “Do you know who made that prophecy?”
    Seeko pretended to think. “Hmmm, was it you?”
    “No need to develop an attitude, Seeko,” Ludivina said.
    “I want to tell you of my vision, Seeko.” Hannet closed her eyes. When she reopened them, they were dull, lifeless. “A boy falling, landing near Irris. He is … different … from the rest. I see … five portals that the demons protect. I see necklaces on the guardians of the portals. I see this boy standing in front of each portal, sharing our strife. The weight of the world is on his shoulders … I cannot see if he survives. Even if he does, this world extracts a terrible toll from him.
    “He is the one that will bridge the gap between demon and man, to truly understand them … And he will separate them and us because of the truth. He will become one with them. This world will take everything from him.”
    Her eyes returned to the normal silver.
    Seeko looked around, skeptical of what was really happening. “What the hell does that mean?” Seeko said.
    “A fitting fate for our noble hero,” Ludivina stated.
    Seeko looked to her. “Hmmm.” He stared through the table. This was what it meant to be a hero? Losing everything? He felt like he had already lost everything.
    “I can’t see exactly what will happen to you. Your journey will reveal all the details. All I know is that it will