Eros did not consider himself a stalker, however, he had spent the past 7 years stalking Velvo's LivePulse account. The mad prince had over 300,000,000 followers, ranked as the number 1 most followed individual on the platform.
Every time Velvo posted, it brought a smile to Eros' face to still see that nasty scar along his left eye. The smile would soon vanish after seeing what Velvo was actually posting. Most celebrities would post normal things, like selfies or the leisure activities they were doing. Velvo was not normal...
He posted videos of him killing slaves, stomping on the heads of newborn babies, slaughtering crying women with no remorse, and forcing men to watch as he tortured their families in front of him. The most sickening part was that his comments loved every bit of it, every clip and photo of the demented things Velvo would do. They encouraged him to do it, sending likes and reposts to help support his page, some even commented more sadistic ways he could torture them.
Velvo Volarion, I can't wait until the day we're face to face again...
In today's post, he recorded himself talking to a young woman about the same age as him, slapping her across the face when she refused to speak. Despite the exhaustion and dirt covering her face, she was quite beautiful. Her long, light green, messy hair covered some of her face, as her sea blue eyes stared intently at Velvo while he continued to smile on camera with her. That was Belle Seravelle, the current queen of the Empyreans, the young woman who Eros would rescue no matter what.
Hang in there Belle, in one month, we'll save you...
His thoughts were interrupted by Sasha, who wrapped herself around Eros' left arm. She blushed as she stared into his eyes, looking away when he matched her gaze.
"So, um... I guess we'll both be participating in the festival together..."
"Yeah, sounds like fun..."
"Fun? I'm scared! I don't know what will happen in there! I mean, I know there's a plan we're supposed to follow bu—"
"Forget the plan."
"Bu—"
"No matter how much we plan, things will happen in there that we won't be able to control. You'll be fine as long as you follow your instincts. You're an Astral Artist after all, you'll have to be creative once we're in there."
"I understand..."
Sasha let go of his arm, stopping in her tracks. She looked at her feet, fiddling with her hands as if she was building up the courage to ask him something.
"What is it?"
"Well, we'll each be split into groups that will be sent to work for different sponsors."
"Right?"
"If I don't end up in your group, there's a chance we may have to kill each other in there."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"Don't you get it? They told us that sponsors are paying the association for artists that they can disguise as slaves to participate in the festival and increase their chances of winning. If we all went in there and refused to kill each other until we found the queen, it would not only anger the sponsors but it would also anger the empire. It would also give away our cover which would cause Emperor Volarion to openly declare war against the association..."
"Which means that the only solution to keep the association's hands clean is by murdering each other until we find Belle..."
Eros eyes saddened at the realization. The 345 artists selected by the heads of the association have all been chosen as sacrifices for a bigger cause.
"Remind me, how do you win the festival?"
"By being the last slave alive. That means once we find the queen, we'd have to protect her and kill everyone else, artists and slaves alike, and then let her kill us after..."
"I see..."
Eros offered Sasha a bright smile, confusing her as she began to wonder whether or not Eros had fully understood the words she said.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because there's another way to win."
"How?" Her bright green eyes widened at the realization, panic spreading across her face. She began waving her hands in the air. "No! No no no! You don't mean?"
"That's right, I'm going to defeat the champion of the festival."
"But they have never been defeated before!"
"I've never participated until now..."
"Bu—"
"Relax, Ms. Green..." Eros gently placed his hands on her cheeks so that she would stop moving around, her worried eyes now fixated on his calm violet eyes. Her face turned a bright shade of red, brighter than a Volarion's hair. "I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry about me. I promise you, no matter what happens in there, I'll protect you. I'm the strongest after all..."
He playfully laughed while walking away, leaving Sasha frozen in place holding her cheeks.
At the very least, I won't have to worry about her trying to kill me in there. I need to find out more about this champion, I should find Lucerio.
After going to the 13th floor, Eros found Lucerio coming out of a tattoo parlour where he had just gotten his Mark of the Moon.
Damn it! I missed it! He never takes off his gloves, I could have finally seen his skin colour...
"Lucerio, what do you know about the champion of the festival?"
"I know it's not human, I've seen clips of it tearing slaves apart with ease..."
"But what about its art?"
"You're asking me that? The one who can't see Astral Aura nor emit any?"
"Yet despite that, you're more dangerous than any other artist in this association..."
Lucerio remained silent, observing Eros until he felt uncomfortable. This conversation had reached its end.
Eros walked past Lucerio to go into the tattoo parlour, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. He walked up to the front desk, a large lady wearing a pink t-shirt with a heart tattoo on her left arm ignored him.
"Hello, I'm he—"
"Name?"
"Eros Eldritch."
"Mark of the Moon?"
"Yeah..."
"GERALT! YOU GOT ANOTHER CLIENT!"
A man in the back shouted back at the woman:
"HOLD ON! I'M DOING SOMETHING!"
"I DON'T CARE! YOU GOT A CLIENT HERE!"
"GIVE ME A SECOND YOU OLD HAG! I'M ON LUNCH!"
"IF YOU DON'T COME HERE NOW, I'LL SHOVE THAT LUNCH DOWN YOUR THROAT!"
"FINE! FINE! FINE! YOU HAPPY NOW!?"
A middle aged man ran out from the back, wiping some sauce from his face with a cloth.
"Follow me..."
He brought Eros to a chair to sit down on, showing Eros a picture of the tattoo he had once thought he'd never have to bear again. During the 7 years in the academy, Eros had removed the birthmark with laser therapy.
Fate really is cruel... making me get the mark again. I suppose there's some kind of weird, sick irony in a slave pretending to be a free man who is now being contracted into pretending to be a slave once more. I wonder if Mother and Father were actually born slaves who became artists or if they were artists who became slaves?
Eros wondered on that thought for a few moments before the tattoo artist snapped his fingers repeatedly, bringing Eros back to reality.
"I'm sorry, repeat that again please."
"I said whose account am I billing for this?"
"Oh, I see. Just bill it to Ivan Shieldings..."
"Roger that, boss."
The man took Eros' left hand, beginning the process of creating the tattoo. It was painful at first, but eventually Eros got used to the pain. In fact, he sort of enjoyed the sensation, it kept him alive.
Man... Velvo really messed me up, didn't he?
Before long, the man had finished the tattoo. Eros looked at his left hand, it was as if he had never got rid of the cursed mark to begin with.
"You like it, boss?"
"I don't know if I like it, but it sure as hell looks like the real thing..."
"Of course it does! I take pride in my work, I may not be an Astral Artist like you, but I'm still an artist!"
"Of course, you should be proud. This is fine work after all."
I think I'd rather lose my tongue again than have to bear this mark once more. I hate it. I hate this stupid mark.
"Have a great day, boss!"
"Yeah, you too..."
Perhaps before I kill Velvo, I'll carve this mark into his heart...
Eros grinned in a twisted manner, scaring the tattoo artist. The man slowly backed away from him, afraid that Eros planned on hurting him.
Sepheros once told me that my fate interested him. I'm a slave who lost everything to a prince, an Eldritch who lost to a Volarion, just like my ancestor once did. If we're fated to duel once more, if I'm fated to die to a Volarion so that history may repeat itself, I'll shatter that fate! I will win this Festival of War! I will find Belle Seravelle! I will find Elise! I will free the Empyreans! And if the world tries to stop me, if they wish for the opposite... I'll burn this world to the ground!