"Marry me."
The words echoed through the cavernous obsidian throne room, uttered from the mouth of the very fiend Caius had fought so hard to reach. He stood, chest heaving, claymore poised to strike as sweat dripped into his eyes. The battle here had been long and arduous.
Caius had slashed through hordes of gnashing demons, climbed endless jagged stairs through winding halls lit by firelight. All to reach this summit and fulfill his destiny. Yet now the Demon King's surprising words gave him pause.
Shadows danced around the dark throne room, cast by flickering torches ensconced on the columns of black marble. The air was heavy with smoke and the metallic scent of blood. His own blood, from wounds inflicted by the King's monstrous guardians. Wounds that his tattered tunic and dented armor now bore the marks of.
The Demon King sat perched on an imposing onyx throne, their form obscured in swirling shadows. Only the flickering of glowing eyes in a faceless void betrayed their presence. Caius studied them, heart hammering in his chest. The offer of marriage from this fiend whose evil had plagued the land for centuries left him stunned.
Caius had expected to find a wretched, hellish monster awaiting him, ready for slaughter. Not this shocking proposition. He tightened his grip on Izila's hilt, unsure. Could it be the prophecy was wrong? A trap set for him? Perhaps a test of his character? Caius steeled himself, knowing whatever scheme the Demon King plotted, he would not falter from his destiny.
He had sworn an oath to defend the light, no matter the cost. And he would carry it through, be it by this blade forged to vanquish evil, or by rejecting the false allure of empty vows, no matter how they pulled at his weary heart. His fate was sealed the moment the star mark first appeared on his flesh. And so Caius gave his solemn answer.
"I cannot accept your offer," Caius responded firmly, raising his sword once more. "Whatever trickery drives this proposal, I will not fall prey to it."
