MIDNIGHT PRINCE: Empire of Sin

The years went by in a flash and the young traumatized girl, that took the blade instead of a life of peace and normality, became a mad hound that hunted down all manner of criminals in the most grueling ways possible.

She was no hero, she was sure of that fact. She did not think that what she was doing was noble or that it served any purpose other than fueling her vengeance.

It was just for her own self satisfaction. Her own desire for revenge against the cruel criminals who decimated her family and her life.

The ones who caused the death of her parents were from an organization called Pandemonium.

Devil Worshippers.

Her only judgment when meeting them was an absolute infliction of death.

Truly she had sunk low. So low that she might have never walked away from the darkness if she had not met her. That one fateful encounter that completely changed her view of life.

Mei Kaminari.

The young lady and heiress apparent of the Kaminari family. A powerful family of hunters and the family of the old man who had saved her and her sister and adopted them.

The old man, Musashi Kaminari, had asked Cecilia to take care of Mei, essentially working as her attendant and while Cecilia was a little reluctant to follow through with that proposal, she owed him simply too much to even think about refusing.

That day was a day she would never forget for the rest of her life. It was the encounter that would change her whole world and make her walk out of the shadow of her parents' death.

Cecilia was a very talented woman. One of the foremost prodigies of her generation, in fact. She had learned many things faster than normal hunters would ever hope to learn and was strong enough to hunt down supernatural creatures with next to no problems.

But Mei? Mei was a pure monster. A force of nature that defied all common sense.

By the time Cecilia took one step, Mei would have taken 10 or even 100 steps. Words couldn't define her potential and talent.

It was hard for her. It was frustrating, seeing someone so talented deny everything they've worked hard for. All her attendants slowly gave up as they decided they had no use and could not keep up with Mei's growth.

Cecilia, however, never gave up.

She gritted her teeth and continued to train alongside and eventually, through their close interactions and sparring, the two of them became friends. Then confidants. And finally, sisters in all but blood.

They trusted each other with their lives. Believed in each other and their respective convictions. Cecilia became strong enough that even when Mei went on a rampage, she could keep up with her and proudly walk shoulder to shoulder with her.

During those days, she became known as the Vermillion Knight. The result of her bright red armor and use of her crimson red greatsword— Muspelheim.

Even after Cecilia left the Kaminari family in Japan and began working as an independent hunter in America, she always kept contact with Mei.

Her life was great. It was finally taking a positive direction, away from the scars of her past.

She had walked out of the shadows of her trauma. She had advanced her career to the point of being considered and even a prime candidate for the position of Zodiac and she was living more freely than anyone else.

If nothing else had changed, she would have continued to walk this road.

Sadly, life had other plans for her.

———

"What am I gonna do now?"

She still could not understand how it happened.

Cecilia was currently standing in front of a burning corpse. That of her long time friend and sworn sister— Mei Kaminari.

Even now, she was confused and lost. Mei appearing at her doorstep with a pregnant belly. Discovering that the father of the child was the infamous Cain. Taking care of Mei during her pregnancy and when she gave birth, finally watching helplessly as her friend lost her life during childbirth.

All of this was so absurd, so out of the spectrum that even now, she felt like she was simply trapped inside a bad dream. That she would wake up soon and everything would be well and dandy again.

But, as she watched the body of her friend slowly burn away into ashes while being incinerated by the flame, reality finally hit her. And she became all the more lost due to it.

"I… What am I going to do now?"

Tears began to gather at the corner of her eyes. Once again, she had lost someone she cared for in the most unjust way possible.

The cry of a baby startled her awake from her spiral of negative thoughts and she looked down in her arms to look at the origin of the voice. It was a cute baby with sparse black hair and deep blue eyes.

'It's because of you…'

Her eyes burned with unbridled rage. She felt hatred from the bottom of her heart for the small child that was resting in her arms.

'If it wasn't for you…'

Her tears streamed down even more as different thoughts fought and disoriented her mind further, severely degrading her mental state.

She was only in her twenties. Her life was barely starting. She was now free of her nightmare and obsessions. She was about to move to a bigger stage of her life. Perhaps even become someone who would go down in the annals of history in the hunter world.

​ But now, she had to take care of a child that was not even her own? The baby of a monster?

That night… Cecilia was truly near the brink of losing herself to the darkness. Once again, pitted into that corroding corner that had accompanied her most of her life. She wondered if she should simply dispose of the child or send him to some adoption agency or an orphanage.

But, even though he was the child of a monster, he was also the child of Mei Kaminari. Her sister and family.

Could she truly use an innocent child as a scapegoat for her feelings of anger?

In the end, the good side of her won the tug of war that was constantly pressuring her mind.

The following days were true hell on earth for Cecilia as she fell to an all time low.

Depression became her companion and alcohol was her only escape. Escape from the reality of her situation.

She had fled from everything she held dear. She went into hiding, discarding her honor and wealth. Discarding her identity as a hunter.

Even when her parents had died, she had never fallen so low.

She was alone. All alone in this cruel world, at least it was so in her mind.

Everyday, she would wonder if she had made the right decision or not. If she should visit the Kaminari family or if there was any other solution other than what she was going through.

But she had no one to give her advice and thus fell into a spiral of self depression, doubt, and hatred.

It was when she was crying, when she had given up on all hope that the little Adam approached her.

A small and weak baby who couldn't even properly walk or think for himself. He did not even know what was happening, but already, he was trying to console her in his own ways.

Most likely there was no deep meaning to his actions. He was just a baby after all. But those were enough for her to wake up from her haze and truly observe the small infant for who he was rather than what he was.

She realized then that Adam's lineage didn't matter.

It didn't matter that he was Mei's son or Cain's son.

Since she had chosen to take care of him rather than abandon him, she had to raise him right.

On that day, for the first time in her life, Cecilia acted as a mother— She was twenty-two years old on that fateful day.

(AN: Cecilia did not instantly begin liking Adam. It took time and effort before she was able to truly consider him as her own son rather than just an adoptive son or the son of a monster. Now she loves him more than anyone and anything in the world. I hope you liked this dive in Cecilia's back story.)