Today I cried. I still want to.

Why am I so stupid?

Why did I fall for him?

D:

I'm in love. ):

I can't say it.

I hope you understand.

For I think about you all day. 'I love you' lingers on the tips of my fingers.

But I don't know you. Harsh reality comes between this. Common sense warns me that I don't know him, he could be someone scary.

But it's harder to believe. And if he was someone scary, why would he have a story? Why didn't he hit on someone else?

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I can't tell you those three words. Those three words of mirth, poison, pain, yet happiness. A double-edged sword.

I'm sorry. I hate myself. I'm sorry.

I love you...

"I wish...for power."

"Power, you say? Ah, human....you have made the right choice..."

Chilling, red eyes glared from the pit of darkness.

"Free me, and everything will be yours. Free me, and I will give you power...in exchange for a price."

"What would you like?" The man trembled slightly, but his face gave no emotion away. "Power? Riches?"

A leering smile flashed in the shadows. "Your firstborn's blood...and soul."

"Lord Kriel..."

The slim, tall figure made no indication as if it heard.

"Lord Kriel..."

"Yes?"

The advisor shivered at the coldness in the child's voice. Fourteen, but with the maturity and wisdom of an adult, Kriel was an intimidating figure.

"Your father...the surgeon says he only has moments."

"Did he call for me?"

"Yes...my lord."

Kriel swiveled around on the chair. The advisor cowered under the silver-blue gaze of the child, as if it glimpsed the very depths of his black, corrupted heart.

"My father called for me, eh? He's finally where he belongs." Kriel walked past the advisor, ignoring his fearful glances. "Finally, among the ones he killed. May they haunt him for eternity."

The king laid on the bed, panting heavily. Breathing was getting harder, and every so often, he would cough up blood.

The door to the room creaked open.

"Kri-kri-el."

"Father."

The lad went and stood next to the bed and bowed. The king raised his hand, but Kriel made no move to grasp it. It fell back onto the sheets.

"My chi-child."

"Father."

An agonizing silence passed. Finally, the king took in a deep breath, and spoke.

"I ca-cannot regret wh-what I did. De-dear chi-child, I am sa-sorry. For wh-what I ca-caused. Bu-but. It wa-was for your sake..." He coughed and spat out a scarlet splotch.

"Like killing Mother? You don't regret killing Mother?"

The king made no reply.

"You, you monster. You killed her. Shoved her down that pit. And in front of the eyes of the young. Do you understand what you've done? DO YOU? AND YOU SAID YOU SAVED ME? FROM WHAT? WHAT?" Kriel took a heaving gasp and continued, "You. Murdered. Your. Wife. The queen. OUR MOTHER. Me and Mai's mother! For what? For WHAT? And all those people you tormented. All those lives you threw away, used them like dolls. Torture. Pain. Those screams still ring in this damned castle. AND YOU CALLED YOURSELF KING? WHAT KIND OF SICK BASTARD ARE YOU?"

There was no sound. Not even the wheezing of the king's struggle for breath. He was gone. The king was gone.

"I hope you suffer forever. For from me, there will be no words to comfort you. Suffer, suffer eternally. Like the ones who you pained did."

Kriel stared at the body that was once the king. Then the child walked out, and into a group of dukes and dames.

"The king is dead." Kriel announced. "I will rule in his position. Burn his body. Let his soul scream in the agonizing pain."

The Essence: Chapter one: Introduction of the Essence gang

It was 2132 when the Essence of Longevity and Supernatural Abilities was created.

A team of scientists tested the Essence's properties on a group of children found on the war-torn streets of New York.

It worked.

The scientists were first overjoyed. But as one looked out the window, seeing the grey skies of the smokey world, and imaging screams in the far distance, he voiced a worry.

"Should we share our experiment with the world or not?"

The others fell silent. The head experimenter glanced at the five sleeping children, blessed with mankind's most perfect, and terrible creation yet.

"We must destroy the formula and the project itself." The chemist stated, grimly looking at the group with this horrible knowledge. "Unless...you would want the war to worsen. With this, the leaders could create an everlasting war."

"I agree." The biologist sighed, looking at the crystal-like object. "People are already suffering enough. With killers that live almost forever and with abilities...the world will be destroyed."

"But, it took years and years of work! Why not just hide the success?" The molecular biologist exclaimed.

"Listen!" Slamming his hand on the coffee table, the mathematician glared at the young molecular biologist. "Do you want everyone to die? Suffer? You lost your own mother from these idiots who believe in world domination." The young man flinched, but his elder went on, "It'll be worse! Those who have managed to escape will die as well! Children like these stranded, siblings having to watch their sisters or brothers die, husband and wife separated, do you really want to be the cause of all that?"

"No..."

"This is why we must wipe everything! Not even a hint that this thing existed!"

"Hey." The biologist placed a hand on the heaving mathematician. "Calm down. The lad gets it now." The mathematician glanced at the cowering molecular biologist, and stomped out of the room.

Sighing, the head scientist looked at the computer that held the key to youth and abilities. "Then question is..." The head scientist faced the room, and gestured at the five children, "what will we do about these kids?"

"We don't have names." It was the black-and-white haired kid who spoke up, as if he were the leader of the five children.

"Not have names?" The molecular biologist was shocked.

"Of course they don't." The mathematician looked over the cup of coffee he was drinking. "Might as well give them names, to start over."

"Hold." The biologist grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen. "I suggest...we should at first each take a kid. Train them in whatever fighting skill we have, and then see how it all goes. Any success on the destruction of the Essence?"

"Nope." The chemist sighed and ran her hands through her already wild hair. "Might as well call it indestructible and be done with it."

"This will not abode well." The head experimentalist rubbed his chin and sighed. "Training these kids to be killers is insane. Learning that something we made is indestructible is insaner. A great situation we got ourselves into."

"Well, it was your idea. Pick a kid." The biologist rolled the sheet and hurled it at the experimentalist.

"I suggest we introduce ourselves first." Finishing his cup of coffee, the mathematician dropped the cup in the sink. "I'm Charles. A math whiz, is what you can call me. Oldest one here."

"How old?" said the girl with tattoos over her arms and legs.

"Humph. 42."

"That's really old."

"Ye it is. Next."

"I go by Meshique. Here, I work as the biologist, or person that knows about living things." The biologist gave a small salute. "Salutations."

"Proditor. Youngest here. Somewhat same study as Meshique." The molecular biologist grinned and patted the black and white haired kid's head. "I like ya kid."

"Proditor!" Meshique prodded the biologist in the back. "It's Gerald that chooses first!"

"I don't really care. Anyhow kiddos, I'm Gerald, Ger for short." The head experimentalist shrugged his shoulders. "Head of this thing we made."

"Well, finally, I'm Aureus. I play with machinery, chemicals, well, anything that can be used to build something."

"Hi!" The black-and white hair child smiled and waved.

"That's over with." Meshique smiled at the energetic child. "We should decide now."