RETURN OF THE DARKNESS
Chapter 1: SANCTIFICATION
The universe of Elden once stood in a symphony of perfect balance, a cosmic masterpiece woven from four threads of primordial elements. Fire bestowed power and blazing spirit, driving the heart of the world. Water wove tranquility and the eternal flow of life, permeating every cell of living beings. Wind carried wisdom and change, scattering the seeds of knowledge and renewal to the corners of the world. While Earth provided resilience and foundation, the ground upon which all life stood and grew.
Each element, along with the gods representing them, had their own portion, duty, and limits. An eternal harmony of mutual respect. However, that grand symphony shattered. One faction, led astray by greed for perfection, decided to transcend its destiny. They seized a portion that was not theirs, declared themselves the undeniable absolute truth, and named themselves the Faction of Light. For them, perfection existed only in the dazzling light, with no room for shadows or other colors.
Elden, or as they now renamed it, "The Holy Land of Annora," was transformed into a silent plain ruled by their cruel dogma. Under shimmering banners reflecting the false light of holiness, old names were erased from history, ancient rituals were forbidden and condemned as demon worship, and any form of difference—be it race, belief, or physical flaw—was branded an "impurity" that must be purified. What they called "purification" was organized, systematic slaughter. What they touted as "salvation" was nothing but cruel experiments that tortured body and soul in an attempt to purify what they deemed impure. Villages were wiped from the map, libraries holding ancient knowledge were burned to ash, and anyone who didn't fit their perfect image faced a single choice: submit or perish.
On this day, the pungent smell of charred embers and congealed blood hung in the air of a small settlement on the border. Black smoke billowed high, smearing the blue sky they claimed to have sanctified. The sounds of cut-off screams and lamentations drowned by the thunderous steps of relentless golden-armored troops had been replaced by the hiss of fire consuming the remnants of wooden houses.
Behind a pile of still-smoldering rubble radiating heat, two figures tried to blend into the shadows, holding their breath until their chests felt ready to explode: Luna and her young daughter, Lucy.
A throbbing, piercing pain pulsed in Luna's forehead, deeper and longer-lasting than the sobs she managed to hold back. The rough cut on her brow, where a pair of horns—the pride of her Fire Demon race—once grew magnificently, now only left raw flesh crusted with blood and pus. It was the silent witness of her desperate attempt earlier that morning, using a dull knife to rip away her own identity, a painful sacrifice to hide a feature that could be fatal for them both. Their hair was both red, like a flame trying to be extinguished, now tangled and covered in dust. Their robes were tattered, clinging to skin sticky with cold sweat and fear. Lucy's small eyes, which should have been bright, were red, burned by smoke and pure fear, continuously streaming tears that left clean trails on her dirty cheeks.
Luna: "Shhh... sweetie, don't make a sound," whispered Luna, her voice hoarse and trembling, while patting Lucy's shaking back. "Listen to mommy. Please... close your eyes and listen only to Mommy's heartbeat. Think of it like a game of hide-and-seek."
Lucy: "But, Mommy... it stings..." Lucy whimpered weakly, suppressing a cough from the smoke.
Luna: "I know, sweetie. I know. Try to be strong, okay? For Mommy."
Around them, the sound of iron boots still echoed, interspersed with shouted commands and rough laughter. The remnants of the Light Faction troops were conducting a final sweep, searching for "impurities" that might have escaped, while occasionally looting any remaining valuables. The terrible smell of charred meat—whether from animals or...—made Luna's stomach churn.
Lucy clutched the edge of Luna's robe so tightly that her small knuckles turned white. Those tiny fingers sought a hold, an anchor in a life nearly snatched away by a cruelty they couldn't comprehend. Her whole body trembled like a leaf in the wind.
Suddenly, shadows moved above the rubble that was their hiding place. Tall silhouettes were projected by the still-blazing fire, adorned by the contours of banners with the symbol of a shining sun—the emblem of Annora. Their golden armor reflected the wicked orange flames, clinking like a lullaby of promises wrapped in holy lies. An authoritative, cold voice gave an order.
Authoritative Voice: "Check the western sector. Leave no trace of impurity. The Goddess Annora watches over us."
The clang of swords being drawn was followed by a monotonous chant of prayer, a prayer that quickly turned into an enthusiastic song of annihilation.
Soldier Voices (In unison): "With light we purify, with fire we cleanse..."
Luna's heart pounded, its sound echoing in her own ears like a war drum. Her embrace around Lucy tightened, as if wanting to make her daughter a part of herself, to hide her within her ribs. But it was too late.
Crack!
A gauntleted hand brushed aside the rubble and firewood above them with brutal force.
CRASSSHHH!! Their hiding structure collapsed.
Sunlight, filtered through the smoky haze, dazzled Luna's dark-accustomed eyes, followed by a cold face hidden behind a helmet that left only a slit for soulless eyes. The soldier saw them, and a thin, satisfied smile appeared behind his visor. He gestured to the others.
Soldier 1: "Got them! Two leftover rats! Still demon-horned! Brutal, they even cut the horns off," he shouted with a voice full of disgust and triumph.
Roughly, the iron hand grabbed Luna's tangled red hair and yanked, pulling her out of hiding in one swift motion. Lucy, screaming in fear, suffered a similar fate, dragged roughly by her small, frail arm. They stumbled, kicked and shoved towards a small field in the center of the village, where the ground was already compacted by boot prints and stained by dark patches Luna didn't want to think about.
They were forced to their knees on the hard, gravelly ground. A circle of Light Faction soldiers closed around them, forming a wall of cold armor and pitiless, hollow stares. They were a spectacle, a pre-sacrifice ritual, proof for the soldiers that they were "doing holy work."
Lucy: "Mommy… I'm scared. Hic hic..." Lucy clung tightly to Luna's arm, her face buried in her mother's lap, afraid to see the cold faces surrounding them.
Luna took a deep breath, trying to find the last remnants of her unspent courage for her daughter. Blood from her wound dripped slowly, soaking the ground.
Luna: "Hold on tight to Mommy, sweetie. Close your eyes. Don't look. Everything will... will be alright after this," whispered Luna, her voice trembling but trying to sound convincing. She hid her own despair behind a bitter smile and eyes already welling with tears. She knew this was indeed the end for them.
As if the soul-crushing fear of the Mother and Child wasn't enough, suddenly, all small sounds ceased. The clinking of armor, the crackling of fire, even the whisper of the wind seemed to pay respect to something. The soldiers straightened their postures, their hidden faces looking more solemn. From the ranks of soldiers, one figure stepped forward. His steps were majestic, measured, and full of authority, making the ground seem to tremble in respect for his presence.
This figure was tall and perfectly postured. His long blonde hair flowed like silk over gleaming, intricately engraved golden armor, breaking the firelight into ironic rainbow spectrums. His face was extremely handsome, like a statue of an angel descended from heaven, with a strong jawline and a straight nose. Yet, his beauty felt cold and lifeless. A thin smile that didn't reach his golden eyes hovered on his lips. To his followers, that expression was a blessing and a guarantee of salvation, but for those about to be annihilated, it was the final dawn before eternal darkness.
A soldier whispered with reverence and fear, "Leones... The Emissary."
His steps halted right in front of the bowed Luna and Lucy. His eyes, gold like coins, swept over them from above. Not with hatred, not with pity, but with absolute emptiness, the way one looks at an insect about to be stepped on, something so trivial it's not worth feeling.
Leones: "O seeds of disgrace. Defilers of the world. Cursed race that has tainted the holiness of our Mother Elden," spoke Leones, his voice clear, cold, and perfectly projected, like an orator reciting the law. "Your polluted blood has defiled this holy ground. Only through purification by the grand light of Annora can this land be sanctified again."
Without preamble, without readable emotion, Leones raised his white-gloved hand. Above his palm, the air vibrated and swirled. A spear made entirely of pure light materialized instantly, emitting a destructive aura that made skin crawl and hair stand on end. Orange lightning flashes surrounded the weapon, emitting a hissing sound thirsty for destruction. Leones's handsome face briefly showed a faint, almost sadistic smile, like a tamer impatient to punish a wild beast.
Leones: "BE GONE, IN THE NAME OF PURIFICATION, FOR THE MOST HOLY GODDESS ANNORA.!!!!!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the silent field.
The spear of light was swung, not with a rough motion, but with a lethal precision aimed directly at the two helpless figures. Luna only had time to close her eyes, clutching Lucy even tighter, while a short, horror-filled scream was choked from both their throats.
Luna & Lucy: "NOOO—!"
Then, an ear-splitting thunderous sound, not the sound of burning flesh or crushing bone, but the sound of an impossible hard metal impact, as if something had halted the course of that destiny with an iron hand.
KRRRAAASSSHHHHHH!!!!!!
A deafening silence seized the field. The entire sequence of events—the impact, the screams, the promise of annihilation—seemed sucked out of the world, replaced by a tableau that froze common sense.
Leones, the Hero Emissary, stood rigid. His arrogant smile faded, replaced by a deep furrow of astonishment between his perfect brows. His eyes, usually radiating blind conviction, were now filled with large, unspoken question marks. Behind him, the ranks of the Golden Armor troops, once so arrogant, fell silent. The sound of their clinking armor stopped completely. They all witnessed an impossibility.
At the tip of Leones's holy spear, which should have pierced the bodies of the two "defiling demons," now stood a figure. A man who appeared to be in his forties, with short hair as white as the first snow falling on remote mountains. Yet, the impression of age was negated by his eyes: pupils of glowing purple in the shape of an eclipsed ring, shining with an internal light not of this world, surrounded by a sclera blacker than the darkness of the netherworld. His faint smile revealed a row of sharp, irregular teeth, like shark teeth, seeming ready to tear apart not just flesh, but also soul. His body was shrouded in a kind of dense, living darkness, enveloping him from neck, hands, torso to the tips of his feet like armor made of night itself, a stark contrast to his pale, lifeless face and hair.
And it was on the tip of the mysterious man's index finger that the tip of Leones's powerful light spear stopped. He held it without visible effort, without trembling, even without shifting his gaze which observed Leones with an almost bored curiosity, like a scientist looking at an uninteresting specimen.
Mysterious Man: "Still," the man said, his voice deep, resonant, and flat, "far from enough."
With a casual motion, as if swatting away a bothersome fly, he pressed down with the tip of his finger.
KRAAAANGGG!!!
The sound wasn't just a shatter, but the sound of reality cracking. Leones's spear of light, a Holy Relic blessed by the Goddess Annora herself, shattered to pieces. Its tip cracked, spreading like a spider's web before finally bursting into fading, dusty fragments of light, swept away by a suddenly strong wind.
The watching soldiers could barely believe it. Soldier 2: "HUHHH?!?! W.. WHAT IS THAT, WHO IS THAT??" they shouted in unison, their voices full of fear melting their discipline.
The mysterious man let out a small sigh, as if disappointed. Mysterious Man: "Hmmm. Still not enough."
The insult burned the remnants of Leones's pride. His combat instinct, honed through hundreds of battles, took over. With a reflexive motion, light energy gathered in his empty hand. A golden glow solidified, forming not a spear, but a large, brightly glowing battle axe, vibrating with pure, raw destructive power.
Leones: "HOW DAREEEE YOU!!!!" roared Leones, his anger overflowing, covering his astonishment.
He slammed the light axe down with terrifying speed, creating a trail of light in the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of lightning-fast, relentless blows rained down. Each strike, any one of which was powerful enough to split a large boulder or the strongest armor, was blocked, parried, or simply accepted by the mysterious man's body without leaving a mark. The darkness shrouding him only rippled softly like thick fluid, absorbing every impact like the deep sea swallowing rain.
When the storm of his rage subsided, Leones was panting, sweat soaking his face. All that remained in his hand were flickering, formless remnants of energy before they finally faded. His holy relic was completely destroyed.
The mysterious man raised one eyebrow, his gaze still flat and uninterested. Mysterious Man: "Done?"
Leones: "Tch!" Leones spat to the side, blood trickling from his lip bitten in concentration and anger. In that split second, his sharp strategic mind analyzed the situation. His unparalleled experience, victories, and battle tactics cried out in one voice: this was no ordinary opponent. This wasn't about losing or winning. This was about survival. He had to give it his all, right now.
He's strong!! he thought, panic beginning to creep like frost into his bones. The difference in our power is too vast! Who... what is he?
He jumped back several meters, maintaining distance. His mind raced. He's not human, not an ordinary demon either. He's a monster beyond my comprehension. Only one forbidden technique... might... be able to touch him.
He stared at his empty hand, then at his luxurious robe. At the hem of his robe, several miniature sun-shaped relics were attached. These relics began to shine brightly with a humming sound, and his fine cloth moved on its own like a living serpent, wrapping around his arm and hand, concentrating all the holy energy he possessed, even absorbing residual energy from the soldiers around him until they collapsed weakly.
Perhaps my own body won't be able to withstand the power of this technique, he thought bitterly, accepting the consequence. But it's the only card left. For Annora!
Leones: "UURRRKKK!! Vanish!!!" he roared, suppressing the pain beginning to burn his veins.
He stretched his hands forward, and the world seemed to hold its breath. The energy gathered was so immense it made the air vibrate.
Leones: "ANNORA'S MERCY LIGHT BURST!!!!"
A giant laser-like beam of glowing red light—a rare color of wrath from the Light element, signifying energy forced beyond its limits—erupted from his hands. No longer a formed weapon, but a raw, unstoppable, destruction-thirsty wave of energy. Its sound was deafening,
BZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTT!!!, like thousands of giant angry bees, scorching the air and burning the ground in its path, leaving trails of boiling lava. It shot directly towards the mysterious man, Luna, and Lucy—a final decision to ensure nothing remained, even if it meant sacrificing part of himself.
The mysterious man didn't even move to avoid it. He just stood casually, then raised his right index finger once more, as if pointing at something.
Mysterious Man: "Red light, huh? Not bad. Rare to see Light forced to change color into wrath like this," he said, his voice sounding like he was observing a chemistry experiment. He shook his head slowly. "But, why do you all always have to shout the name of your technique? So strange. As if words could add to its power. Doesn't true power speak for itself?"
He glanced slightly behind him, looking at Luna and Lucy who sat slumped, filled with unspeakable dread, as if giving a lesson.
Mysterious Man: "You two, demons behind me. This is what happens when one doesn't understand the fundamental gap between Elemental Principles. They force their will, but forget the laws of nature. They pursue light, but forget that light too dazzling only produces blindness."
The destructive red beam finally arrived, just a hand's breadth from his face. Its heat could melt stone, yet the man remained calm.
Luna hugged Lucy tighter, closed her eyes, prepared for the inevitable end.
However, the mysterious man simply pushed the tip of his index finger forward, touching the center of the raging energy wave.
Then, something impossible happened.
Instead of an explosion, there was a piercing silence.
The giant laser beam—with all its power, rage, and arrogance—seemed to find a black hole at the tip of that finger. SHUUUUTTTTT!!! The sound was short and sharp, like air being sucked into a vacuum. The red beam shrank, was pulled in, and swallowed whole by the man's fingertip without a trace, without resistance, without a remnant. As if it had never existed.
Only silence remained, and the path of molten lava-like ground before them, bearing silent witness to the power that had just vanished so completely.
The mysterious man clicked his tongue, showing a deep expression of disappointment. Mysterious Man: "Pathetic."
Leones fell to his knees. His magnificent armor was cracked and smoking from the backlash of his own forbidden technique. His breath came in gasps, not from exhaustion, but from total mental devastation. His eyes were empty, staring at the place where his greatest technique had vanished without a trace. His mind refused to believe, shivering in fear.
No... no... no... NOOO!! His brain screamed, echoing within his skull. This can't be! It's impossible!
Leones: "WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS!!!" he shouted, his voice breaking between anger, fear, and despair.
The mysterious man looked at him with slight pity, like an old teacher seeing a very stupid but stubborn student who had ultimately destroyed himself.
Mysterious Man: "You know," he said, his voice suddenly sounding very old and wise, "in every life with different principles and elements, there is always a law of balance. Every element has its natural opposite. Like you, who wield the element 'Light'. And me, who represents 'Dark'. In principle, in a truly equal fight, I should be weak against you. Light should indeed dispel darkness."
He took a step closer, and the darkness around him seemed to grow denser and more alive, dancing calmly.
Mysterious Man: "But, do you know? That only applies if the quantity of your Light is comparable to my Dark." He paused, and for the first time, his faint smile contained something profound and terrifying, like someone about to unveil a secret of the universe. "Your Light... is small. Very small. And..."
Before his sentence finished, the sky above them changed.
The remaining blue of day turned into a deep, dark purple, like a giant bruise on the face of the sky. Clouds swirled rapidly, forming a terrifying vortex. From within that vortex, something resembling giant roots or tentacles made of pure, dense darkness—Tendrils—reached down, writhing and crawling through the air with unnatural movement, encircling the entire area like a living, breathing cage.
Then, the sun was completely covered. A total eclipse enveloped the world, but this was no ordinary eclipse. The moon covering the sun wasn't gray, but emitted a glowing Purple light with a pulsating aura of deep black that absorbed all remaining light. And from behind that eclipsed circle, far behind it, a silhouette far, far larger began to form.
It was a form so vast it surpassed understanding. A cosmic entity whose breadth seemed to encompass the entire horizon, a shadow composed of pulsating, living darkness. The silhouette had many irregular, sharp, moving fangs. And amidst its darkness, dozens, even hundreds of eyes shone with the same purple light as the mysterious man, opening and looking down coldly. It was a sight that would make the bravest soul cower.
The mysterious man on the ground raised his hand, and the terrifying maw of the entity in the sky moved in unison with his words. The voice that emerged wasn't just from his mouth, but was an echo that shook the soul, coming from all directions, from the sky and earth, from inside the head of every person present.
Now everyone understood. The man before them was merely a small manifestation, an avatar or projection of a far more absolute, more ancient power, which was looking down from the sky with all those eyes. He was the living representative of night and darkness itself.
Both mouths, the one in the sky and the one on earth, spoke simultaneously, echoing the final, hope- and sanity-shattering words:
Mysterious Man & Sky Entity: "Very... Weak...."
The horror depicted in the sky was no longer just a sight; it was a new reality forcing itself upon them. Leones and his remaining troops could only gape, their souls torn between their dogmatic belief in the absoluteness of Light and the terrifying evidence stretched above them. They realized, with a piercing bitterness, that the uncertainty they faced wasn't about life or death, but about the total annihilation of everything they understood.
Leones: "N..NONSENSE!!!!! SUCH A THING CAN'T EXIST!!" screamed Leones, trying to deny reality. "It's just an illusion, a trick of the darkness!! I won't be fooled!"
Yet, his once-mighty cry was now drowned in the cosmic vastness above, sounding like the whimper of a child. The mysterious man, now clearly not human, merely raised his right hand in a casual motion, palm facing up as if weighing something invisible.
Leones: "I AM LEONES!! THE CHOSEN ONE, ANOINTED BY THE GODDESS ANNORA HERSELF! I AM THE PILLAR OF LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD!!" he cried again, trying to convince himself.
The mysterious man's hand then clenched, slowly. That simple movement seemed to trigger a mechanism of the universe. The vortex of purple-dark clouds above spun faster, and from its darkest core, dozens, hundreds, of even denser, sharper Tendrils of darkness reached down. They moved with terrifying intelligence, each targeting a petrified Light Faction soldier frozen in fear, like serpents ready to strike their prey.
Leones watched his men, Annora's chosen, standing still like statues, their eyes wide open staring at the destiny descending from the sky. He felt his own holy energy fade and die, drowned by this absolute, undeniable presence of Dark.
Leones: "I CAN'T... CAN'T POSSIBLY LOSE..." he whispered now, his bravery crumbling into pure fear. Tears of despair began to stream down his perfect cheeks, cleaning the dust on his face. It felt like all his achievements, all his devotion, all his victories meant nothing at all before this power. "...please... I... aahhhh…" He fell to his knees, no longer in the pose of an executioner, but in the pose of one surrendered and broken.
The mysterious man looked at him without hatred, without anger. Only an acceptance of an unavoidable natural process, like someone about to pick a ripe fruit.
Mysterious Man: "Farewell," he said, flatly.
He slammed his clenched fist downward.
ZRAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT….
It wasn't the sound of an explosion, but the sound of massive, simultaneous penetration. The sound of hundreds of Tendrils piercing armor, bone, and skull in one perfectly unified, terrifying moment. A sound that was brief, sharp, and full of finality.
Then, silence.
A silence deeper than before. A silence that felt dense, heavy, and unbearable.
Luna, still sitting on the ground, froze. Her eyes, already filled with tears of fear, now witnessed a scene that would haunt her forever. Every Light Faction soldier stood rigid, like newly finished statues. From the crown of each one's head, a Tendril of darkness was embedded downwards. No one moved, no one screamed. Only slight twitches in some fingers or eyelids, the last signs of dying nervous systems. Blood flowed not in spurts, but like quiet little rivers from the wounds on their heads, dripping to the ground and staining their perfect white uniforms. It was a neat, efficient, and very, very personal extermination.
Yet, amidst that sea of uniform death, there was one groan. One figure still moving. Leones. The Tendril destined for him did not cleanly pierce his head; perhaps due to the nearly faded remnants of his holy protection, or perhaps just by the absurd will of the entity before him. One Tendril was embedded in his shoulder, shattering the joint and collarbone, while another pierced the side of his chest, barely missing his heart. He gurgled, bubbles of blood coming from his mouth. A bitter irony: earlier, only Luna and Lucy remained from the cleansing. Now, only he remained from his own cleansing troops.
With great difficulty, Leones looked at the mysterious man, his eyes already beginning to dim, filled with pain and disbelief.
Leones: "Impossible... You... true darkness..." he hissed with his last breath.
The mysterious man approached, his steps silent on the bloody ground. He looked at Leones with his head slightly tilted, showing a hint of cold curiosity.
Mysterious Man: "Noisy," he said, briefly.
From the cluster of Tendrils above, one more shot down. This time, with absolute accuracy.
Crack!
The sound of a skull breaking was clear in the chilling silence. The Tendril pierced precisely between Leones's eyes. The light in his golden eyes extinguished instantly, and his mighty body finally went limp and lifeless, falling sideways with the heavy sound of falling armor.
That sight, coupled with the physical exhaustion and emotional shock that had lasted since her village was attacked, finally became too much for Luna. Her breath hitched, her vision blurred, and the world around her faded into darkness. She fell sideways, fainting unconscious.
Lucy: "M.. Mommy?! Mommy!" Lucy screamed softly, shaking her mother's limp body. "Wake up! Hic... don't... don't leave me, Mommy!"
She didn't realize that the figure who had caused all this was now standing right behind her. His cold, large shadow enveloped Lucy's shivering small body.
Mysterious Man: "Your mother is fine, little demon. Just tired. I've finished them all off," said the mysterious man, his voice sounding different now—flatter, no longer echoing, but still full of authority. "Now, the question is: what will you do?"
Lucy slowly turned her head, her red, wet eyes looking towards the voice. She looked up, witnessing the figure who had just effortlessly decimated the strongest troops of the Light Faction, as if merely exterminating ants.
Mysterious Man: "Run? Fight me? Or... return to living in a false peace that will someday be destroyed by them again?" continued the man, as if offering choices. "I merely happened to descend here, to rectify the audacious act of someone who disrupted the balance. Your fate is not my concern."
However, what happened next wasn't a verbal answer. Lucy's gaze changed. Her fear, for a moment, was swept away by something else. Something deeper, sharper, and far more dangerous. Her green—or perhaps amber, hard to see under the dust and tears—eyes no longer pleaded or feared. She stared at the mysterious man with a burning ambition, with a steely resolve completely unsuitable for her tender age. That gaze wasn't the gaze of a grateful victim, but the gaze of a strategist seeing an opportunity, a path, however dark and dangerous that path might be. She saw absolute power, and a deep desire was born: I want to be like that.
The mysterious man fell silent for a moment. That gaze... disturbed something within him. A memory very, very old, buried deep beneath layers of time and solitude. That gaze reminded him of someone... perhaps a "younger sibling" who had also once looked at him in a similar way, centuries ago. It was a feeling almost unfamiliar, a vibration of emotion nearly forgotten.
Mysterious Man: "Wow," he finally said, his faint smile returning, this time containing a bit of genuine surprise and a hint of interest. "If looks could kill, maybe I could finally taste death. Heheheh." His laugh was short and dry, like the scraping of stones.
Then, from Lucy's trembling lips, came a faint voice, yet filled with astonishing intensity and determination.
Lucy: "I... want... to be strong.."
Mysterious Man: "Strong?" the man repeated, as if urging her to continue.
Lucy's breath grew deeper, her chest rising and falling. She glanced at her unconscious mother's body, then looked back at the man, her gaze burning even brighter.
Lucy: "I waaaaant… TO BECOME…..."
Then, with a voice loud and clear, echoing in the field full of corpses and ruin, she shouted her desire with all her heart and soul.
Lucy: "I WANT TO BECOME YOUR DISCIPLE!!!!!"
Silence…
The Mysterious Man looked genuinely surprised, his white eyebrows raised.
Mysterious Man: "Hah???"
Lucy's gaze didn't waver. The ambition in her eyes burned so brightly, challenging, almost impolite. An incredibly awkward atmosphere enveloped them—a young child from a nearly extinct race and an ancient entity embodying cosmic darkness.
Lucy: "I WANT TO BE YOUR DISCIPLE AND GET STRONGER!!" Lucy shouted again, as if afraid her request wasn't heard.
Mysterious Man: "Hey, little demon," the man retorted, his voice sounding more alive, almost amused. "Getting stronger isn't as simple as the short thinking in your equally stunted body. It's a path of endless suffering. A curse, not a blessing."
Lucy: "I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO BE YOUR DISCIPLE!" Lucy argued, refusing to hear the rejection. "TEACH ME TO SUMMON THOSE THORNS FROM THE SKY!"
Mysterious Man: "Thorns?" the man repeated, now truly amused by her childish choice of words. "Is that what you call them?"
Lucy: "YES, THOSE! I WANT TO BE STRONG LIKE THAT! I WANT TO BE STRONG AND PROTECT MY FAMILY!! I DON'T WANT TO RUN AND HIDE ANYMORE!" Lucy shouted, her tears flowing again, but this time they were tears of determination, not fear.
Their voices clashed—the voice of a determined, naive child, and the voice of an eternal power bewildered. Lucy kept insisting, disregarding reality, disregarding danger. She knew nothing about how the world worked, and that's what made her request so pure and so dangerous.
The mysterious man fell silent. His mind, which usually processed cosmic calculations and reality predictions, was now analyzing this absurd request. Logically, it made no sense. It wasn't beneficial to his mission. It was a distraction, an unnecessary complication. He was Balance, not a babysitter.
Yet, then, something else emerged. A strange sensation. A feeling he almost didn't recognize anymore. It was... a sense of care? A sudden empathy arising from the darkness of his own heart, triggered by the memory of that vague "younger sibling" and by the absolute steadfastness radiated by the little girl before him. A desire not to see that light of ambition extinguished like the others. Or perhaps just a desire to see how far this little "light" could endure within his darkness. An interesting experiment.
His superior calculations suddenly felt irrelevant. His heart, which had turned to stone over eons, felt slightly... intrigued? This might be helpful, a strange thought whispered in his mind. Let's conduct a little test.
Mysterious Man: "Heh," he murmured, and then a short laugh escaped his lips. "Heheheh. A disciple, huh?"
He stood up straight, and his aura changed slightly. He was no longer just the mysterious man or the distant entity; he now seemed like a Teacher, however terrifying and unconventional that title might be.
Mysterious Man: "Very well," he said, his voice firmer. "I shall grant your wish, little demon. But remember, once you step into my territory, your life will become agony. 'Lucky' might not be the right word for you. Death or madness would be a better and quicker fate than the training you will undergo with me."
He looked at the sky, where his terrifying form was slowly fading as the sunlight returned, as if speaking to himself and to all creation.
Mysterious Man: "For I am the beginning of all things good and evil. I am whom you will see when you first open your eyes and when you close them for the last time. I am who will accompany the nightmares in your sleep. I am who existed before the beginning of existence, and I am who will remain after everything is gone."
He looked down, staring directly into Lucy's determined eyes, and for the first time, introduced himself by his true name. His voice resonated again, not just in the air, but seemingly echoing within Lucy's very soul.
Reaper Tenebra: "I am the Reaper Tenebra..." his voice echoed, and the darkness around him vibrated in tune with his name. "I am DARKNESS itself.
And before that living darkness, a little girl with hair of fire and eyes of steely determination nodded slowly, accepting her new destiny.
End of Chapter 1