Harmony of Hatred: The Wicked Pianist

After leaving an unforgettable trail of destruction in Velmira, Julian Lucien Malrick moved towards Veridianne, a nation in turmoil amidst a rapid industrial revolution. Cities were filled with smoking factories, chimneys towering like new hellish spires, and the social divide widened—the rich lived in unimaginable luxury, while the poor suffered in agonizing poverty. Veridianne was fertile ground for the seeds of dissonance, a perfect melody for the Maestro of Darkness to play.

Julian arrived in Veridianne's capital, disguised as a wealthy industrialist interested in art and cultural investments. The disguise was perfect. With his long, neatly combed hair and a cold yet sharp gaze, he was the image of a man who knew what he wanted. He began holding public concerts, no longer in palaces, but in grand opera houses, targeting the elite and the new bourgeoisie. His captivating music flowed, seeping into souls hungry for power and recognition.

With every note, Julian instilled whispers of unchecked greed. He pushed factory owners to further oppress laborers, politicians to be more corrupt, and bankers to be more inhumane. The brutal labor riots, once sporadic, now became more organized, driven by blind rage. The elites' parties grew increasingly decadent, exposing their hypocrisy in a repulsive manner. Julian observed it all with cold satisfaction. He was the architect of destruction, and every riot was a new symphony he created.

[Confrontation with Another Demonic Follower]

However, Julian's presence did not go unnoticed. In Veridianne, there was an older demonic follower, an agent who had been operating under the radar for decades. His name was Voren, an old alchemist who had forged a pact with a lower-tier demon to gain power over the underworld and control Veridianne's organized crime network. Voren, with his wrinkled face and cunning eyes, had sensed the new wave of power that came with Julian. A threat. An intrusion.

One night, Voren summoned Julian to his secret lair, a damp and dark underground chamber, filled with strange vessels and the scent of foul concoctions. Around him, some of his most loyal followers stood, trembling in the shadows.

"Who are you?" Voren's voice was hoarse, trying to project the authority he possessed. "You came into my territory without permission. You spread chaos in ways I couldn't have foreseen. You disrupt the order I have built."

Julian smiled, a smile devoid of warmth. "Order? You call this order, Voren? Your power is merely a faint echo of the true symphony. I am Julian Lucien Malrick. And I am sent to bring true power."

Voren laughed, a laugh that sounded like grinding stones. "Young man. You may have new power. But I have served the Master for decades. You know nothing of the demonic hierarchy. You will not be able to claim my territory." Voren raised his hand, a dark spell escaping his lips, foul energy flowing towards Julian.

Julian didn't even flinch. The wave of energy struck him, yet it passed through him as if he were a phantom, leaving no trace. Voren's power, which might have destroyed an ordinary human, felt like a whisper of wind before Julian. He was the Maestro of Darkness, now fully one with the power he had received.

"Pitiful," Julian whispered, his voice filled with genuine disgust. He stepped forward, each stride eroding Voren's courage. The old alchemist recoiled, his eyes wide with fear. He realized. The power Julian possessed was something far beyond his comprehension, beyond the lower-tier demon he served.

"Mercy, Maestro!" Voren screamed, collapsing to his knees, his face pale. His followers fled, leaving Voren alone. "I didn't know! Mercy! I will serve you! I will be your slave! I will give you everything I have!" He crawled forward, trying to kiss Julian's shoes.

Julian looked down at him with a cold gaze. "Forgiveness?" His laughter sounded like a discordant violin scrape, yet filled with cruelty. "You are too weak to be forgiven, Voren. Weakness is the greatest sin in my symphony." With a simple flick of his hand, a wave of dark, cold purple energy emanated from his fingertips. The energy consumed Voren's body, making him shriek, his voice turning into a horrifying wail. The old alchemist's body convulsed, his skin shriveling, and in the blink of an eye, Voren turned to ash, vanishing into the wind. There wasn't even the smell of sulfur left, just perfect emptiness.

Julian smiled in satisfaction. He had purged the old order. Now, he could build his own empire in Veridianne, undisturbed by pathetic demonic henchmen. The world was his stage, and every note he played was a command for the souls he wished to conquer. Julian's presence in that country was like draining all its energy. All of Voren's followers, now leaderless, submitted and bowed to Julian, seeing the absolute power of the new arrival.

[Seeds of Vengeance and a New Disciple]

However, amidst the surge of his power, Julian sensed something different. An entity strong enough and possessing an aura of darkness, yet not of the same kind as the lowly demons he despised. This was a purer, rawer aura. Julian followed its trail, traversing the city's squalid alleys, until he found its source: a teenage boy tormented as a laborer. His body was thin, his face smudged with soot, yet his eyes shone with a dense light. Julian sensed a deep wound within the boy's soul, a wound carved by the cruel deeds of the people of that land against his family. This wound had cultivated powerful seeds of vengeance within the boy's mind.

Julian offered a faint smile. He liked the boy. A pure, burning hatred, untainted by corrupt power. A hidden gem.

Julian approached, his mere presence causing the labor overseers to tremble and flee. He knelt before the boy, who stared at him with empty yet furious eyes.

"What's your name, child?" Julian asked, his voice soft yet filled with undeniable authority.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then answered quietly, "Elias."

"From this moment on," Julian declared, his gaze piercing Elias's soul, "your name is Solan Grimveil. You are my disciple. I will teach you how to channel that hatred, how to turn it into a power that can scorch the world."

Elias's, or now Solan's, eyes widened. There was a glimmer of hope and cruelty intertwined within them. "Yes, Master. Thank you for your kindness." There was a tremor in his voice, a horrifying mixture of fear and grim excitement.

Julian stood, offering his hand to Solan. "Tell me, Solan. What should we do with this country?"

Solan took Julian's hand, standing tall beside him, his small body seemingly enlarged by the new aura. He looked towards the smoking city, then back at Julian, his eyes gleaming. "Can you just annihilate it? I cannot bear to see the people of this country laugh and survive after everything they've done."

Julian laughed. A deep, satisfied, and slightly mad laugh. He absolutely loved the boy's hatred. A pure, uncompromising hatred.

"Very well," Julian replied, his smile widening. "I will incinerate this land."

With a casual flick of his finger, Julian sent a wave of energy shooting into the sky. In an instant, the sky above Veridianne turned blood red. From the horizon, fire began to rain down from the sky, not ordinary fire, but fire that burned with fury, incinerating every building, every factory, every soul within. Screams of panic and agony filled the air, but quickly subsided into an ash-filled silence.

Julian and Solan stood amidst the destruction, flames burning around them yet not touching. Casually, the two walked away from the place, towards the now crimson horizon, ready to seek a new stage for devastation.