Hamlet Stein, one of the 12 Moonstones of the video game series, "Dungeons of the Xenoverse."
The first major villain to be killed by the main character, Noah Krüger, and the weakest of the 12 Moonstones.
Throughout the first arc of the game, he was seen as a cruel man who killed anyone who stood in his way.
His goals were never clear, but as Johnathan drifted through his dreams, he began seeing vistages of Hamlet's past.
Years ago, when Hamlet was still a child, he'd return home to his sick grandmother, carrying fruits he managed to steal, money he extorted from kids who were older than him, and some meds he managed to buy.
While kids his age could already read and write, Hamlet only knew the hustle of stealing for survival.
The single-roomed squatter camp, surrounded by many others in the slums of the country Narlington, in the town of Vilhelm, was cramped, only housing a bed, a fireplace and a shelf where he kept his loot.
Hamlet's grandmother, a woman who was extremely skinny with a single birthmark on her left cheek.
Her hair was grey and shortened to the length of her shoulder, while her eyes were just as blue as Hamlet's.
The 9-year-old smiled faintly as he gently shook his grandmother's hand, waking her up.
Because of the previous wars, his grandmother had learned how to sleep with her eyes open.
'Crazy...' Hamlet often mumbled to himself as he watched her yawn.
"Hammie..." his grandmother, Frill, said as she smiled.
"Sit up straight. I've brought you some fruits and some medication," Hamlet instructed as he helped her sit up straight, balancing her back with the single continental pillow.
First, he handed her the orange he had peeled and sliced. "For your vitamin C, or something."
Then, he handed her a plate full of other cut fruits.
Once she had consumed the entire thing on her plate, Hamlet handed her a glass of water and helped her take the pills he brought.
Frill burped and chuckled, rubbing Hamlet's cheek. "Thank you, sweetie."
"Anything for you, granny," Hamlet responded, resting his head on her lap, not even a trace of a smile visible on his face.
Frill rubbed his head and coughed. "Y'know, I think it's time you thought about your future. What is it that you wish to become, Hammie?"
Hamlet thought for a good while before responding with, "An Elysian..."
Elysians, also known as Hunters, were the world's most revered people.
They raided dungeons, felled monsters that threatened to spill onto the Earth, and more importantly, they saved Hamlet and Frill's lives.
They weren't always poor.
4 years ago, Hamlet's parents were killed in a dungeon outbreak, leaving behind the two, who were saved by Ryusui Krüger, a top-rated elysian.
Hamlet wanted to be the mirror image of that man.
"Saving those who can't save themselves, ey? That sounds noble," Frill complimented. "But you must change.
"That means no more stealing."
Hamlet lifted his head and looked at his grandmother, his gaze innocent. "I won't stop. I still need you here with me, so I'll steal as much as I need to."
Frill sighed. "It's time you thought about your future. You won't be living in this squatter forever, you know?"
"I don't mind. It's got its own set of charms..."
After he said that, a massive rat ran out through the hole in their wall, making him shiver.
Frill chuckled. "Thank you, Hamlet. When you do become great, don't forget your roots."
"I won't!"
After hugging Frill and having his small share of fruits for dinner, Hamlet lay on the floor and blanketed himself, falling asleep.
Hours passed, and right in the dead of night, a shriek of a man from outside jolted him awake.
His heart pounded as he sat up straight, cast his blanket aside, and darted towards his grandmother.
Suddenly, more screams filled the air like sirens, forcing Hamlet to stay by his grandmother's side.
Before he could even call out to her, their makeshift ceiling fell onto both of them.
Hamlet shielded Frill as the concrete hit his body, forcing the entire building to rupture and collapse.
Dust and soot filled the area as Hamlet pushed the huge concrete slab off his back.
An uncontrolled fire spread through the slums, alongside monsters of various shapes and sizes.
Each one slashed the citizens, devouring them after successfully killing them.
"Granny? Granny, wake up!" Hamlet shook her shoulders, glancing at his surroundings as he did.
Then, he did something he saw a healer do once.
He placed his index and middle finger together, placed them on her neck, and started checking for a pulse.
His eyes darkened as he began shaking her shoulders, even gently tapping the side of her face.
"Granny, come on, this isn't funny... I'm not laughing... Wake up!"
Right when he thought things couldn't get worse, Hamlet heard a low growl approaching him from behind.
Glowing red eyes stared at him while a slobbering mouth with sharp fangs reflected his image.
The wolf must've been at least 7 feet long. Its black fur allowed it to blend seamlessly into the night, but the fires made it all the more menacing.
Hamlet's breath ragged while a lump formed on his throat. The wolf lunged at him, its claws sharp enough to cut through steel, and slashed the youth on his back.
Hamlet groaned and screamed, blood gushing from his sensitive skin while leaving a huge claw mark.
The wolf then tried biting him, but Hamlet released Frill and faced it head on, got bit on his right hand, and jabbed the monster on its nose.
The wolf snorted and tried shaking Hamlet off, only for Hamlet to lift his free hand and punch the monster with otherworldly strength.
His right hand was freed, but was bloodied and practically useless, bent in ways only seen in fiction.
The wolf was still distracted.
He ran back to his grandmother but fell face first before he could reach her. The wolf quickly recovered and ran towards Hamlet once more.
'Please... No more...' he pleaded as time seemed to move in slow motion.
'If a god truly does exist, please... save her... She's all I have left...'
Bones cracked and blood splattered, the ground shaking as a head rolled clean off the body of the wolf.
Hamlet, who had accepted his fate with death, pried his watery eyes open.
The hulking figure before him barely glanced at him for a moment, but Hamlet immediately recognised him.
His hero, the man who saved him and his last family member the last time, was here before him again.
Bright golden hair and sharp green eyes that pierced right through Hamlet.
"Ryusui Krüger..." he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ryusui turned to Hamlet and clicked his tongue in distaste. "Why did I have to get dragged back here? Right where you broke peasants won't pay me for saving your worthless lives..."
"Huh?"
"Seriously, you slum infested bums are the reason why I don't take outbreak jobs. Tch, how insignificant."
Right after saying that, Hamlet heard a loud chomp right behind him.
His breath quickened as he quickly turned his head, only to find another black wolf tearing through Frill's torso.
Her intestines had spilt all over the ground while her body lay still, with blood flowing like a waterfall.
Hamlet screamed as he ran towards the wolf. Before he could get too close, Ryusui grabbed him by the neck and threw him behind him.
"Idiot. Dire wolves don't care whether you're a child. Besides, that hag was already dead.
"I'll take you to the refugee camp and call it a night. That way, I can at least make something I can call petty cash."
Hamlet tried getting up again, only for his entire body to resist.
'Are you... afraid...?!'
Hamlet was then carried by Ryusui, leaving behind his grandmother and the carnage brought forth by the dungeon outbreak.
In that moment, Hamlet's perspective of elysians changed.
Ryusui wasn't righteous, nor did he care about all lives. The way he addressed the unfortunate in the news and how he addressed Hamlet was a complete contrast.
Money over people.
Profits over saving lives.
Adoration over heroism.
That's when he thought about an elysian who had allegedly ignored countless lives that were put in danger because of a similar outbreak.
'So... they're not heroes...?' Hamlet wondered, his eyes involuntarily shutting.
'I hate them... I hate elysians...'
***
[Hamlet Stein POV]
I groggily opened my eyes and groaned as I did, turning my head to the side as I saw the young man with glasses from before.
Emmett, I think his name was, was scribbling something on his notes when he noticed me waking up.
"Lord Stein, welcome back," Emmett bowed before me and averted his gaze as he straightened up.
"... Emmett, what happened to me?" a deep and smoky voice escaped my lips.
Under normal circumstances, I would've giggled like a little girl, realising that I finally have the manliest voice I could've asked for.
But that memory of Hamlet and his past, which wasn't shown in the game, was deeply embedded into my memory.
"You died."