A altar cut from pristine white jade stands in an endless dark plane. On it, a bloodied body lies still; from it, stiff, ragged breaths can be heard. A shattered blade rests pinned to its center, making more blood leak as the body rises and falls. In its reflection, a tall man, clothed in a blue cloak, can be seen hovering above the black void. Bored and unbothered, he steps forward.
"Ah... Why did I have a feeling that it was you, my friend?"
With that said, in the blink of an eye, he appeared near the altar noiselessly.
"Who would have thought that this sloppy, cursed blade would be able to hold you down this long... But alas, it seems it has begun to lose its power. No matter, though; the king has no need for you anymore."
Grabbing the handle, he pulled the shattered blade out of the unmoving body, parts of it starting to fall as it began losing its power. The body it had been pinned to began to twitch. Its weak mouth started slowly to open, a weak sound coming from it.
"Was… it… worth… it? The... sacrifice...."
The tall man answered, surprised.
"What? Your sacrifice was planned from the very start, if you hadn't known. But the kingdom has found a new, better way to sustain Arelis, if you must know. Your purpose has been fulfilled; you can rest now..."
He turned around and began to walk into the darkness, leaving the weak body behind to turn into a corpse. As he was leaving, a soft whisper found its way to his ears.
"They... Will... Betray you... The... Same... Way... You betrayed... Me..."
After that, the tall man disappeared, leaving the whisper to drown into the darkness.
-
"Argh... What the hell was that nightmare!"
Rising from his bed, a 17-year-old boy with wheat-like hair and blue eyes got up from his bed and started stretching, enjoying the sunlight's warmth coming from his window.
"They're starting to be more frequent now... what's up with that?"
Putting on his black tunic and boots, Arthrus left his house and headed toward the town.
"Let's see... I gotta check up on my sister today and visit the shop so I can prepare for tomorrow."
After all, his life was bound to change significantly after tomorrow.
On his way to the town, he was thinking about the weird dream he had that morning.
"What did I even see in that nightmare? It makes zero sense! Shouldn't all dreams and nightmares have some kind of meaning? And who were those two guys? I feel sorry for that poor guy on the altar... what did he say in the end? 'Betrayed me' or something? Also, they mentioned Arelis? Isn't that the long-lost star? Ahh, so many questions and yet absolutely zero answers!"
While he was pondering those questions, he made it to the city. First, he went toward a small building with a stylish design. As he walked into it, he was greeted by a familiar face.
"Hello sir, how can I— Oh, Arthrus, it's you! Here to check up on your sister?"
Arthrus was familiar with the person behind the desk. It was Lucia, the caretaker of the hospital.
"Nice to see you too, Lucia. I see that you're surprised that I'm coming here more often. Yes, I guess I'm kinda nervous because my sister is entering that phase."
Lucia got up from the desk and gestured for him to follow her.
"I understand. We Astronis are all like that; after all, we are deeply connected to each other. But don't worry, she's making steady progress. She will materialize in about a month; you will be informed when that happens."
They reached a bright room at the end of the hallway and entered it. In it, a luminous orb was floating, its look resembling a constellation. With a relieving sigh, Arthrus relaxed. He knew what kind of danger Disintegration was to humanity, and more importantly, what his sister meant to him. After all, Astronis don't have parents, so the only love they get is from each other.
"I see... Well, I will be leaving her in your care."
He spent a few more minutes in the room and started making his way toward the market.
"I need to prepare... first, I need a weapon and some decent armor. I'm not expecting to get a relic immediately — they're rare as hell — so I'll need some gear for starters."
He arrived at the market and started browsing the stalls. After some time, he finished shopping and stopped to take a look at his items. The first item was black chitin armor with a scarlet ruby as decoration. The second item was a normal-looking iron shortsword. The third was a skull-shaped necklace.
"Let's see what kind of attributes these items possess."
With that said, Arthrus took the armor in his hand and concentrated on it. After some time — which felt like an eternity — runes started hovering in his head. Being an Astronis, he could understand them. They read: Lesser Fire Resistance.
After appraising the armor, he took the shortsword and did the same. This time, the runes read: Minor Bleed. Lastly, he took the necklace, and the runes read: Death Aura. Confused, he read its description:
"The user emits a deadly aura, fearing enemies; as the user slays his foes, its power grows stronger."
Satisfied with his purchase, Arthrus started making his way back through the market. After a few steps, he felt a weird feeling coming from a certain shop. It was a shabby, broken hut, with an old, ragged man sitting behind a cracked counter. Near him, a pouch was resting on a small pile of rubble. There was nothing special about the pouch, but there was a small hint of stardust orbiting around it, hidden from the naked eye. Stunned, Arthrus approached the stall.
"Ah... Young man, you have a keen eye. Nothing in my humble store is ordinary! You must know it, because you spared me some of your time. Tell me, what caught your attention?"
Arthrus, stunned by the old man's vitality, took a moment and answered.
"I'm interested in that pouch, old man. Can you show me what's inside it?"
The old man got up from his chair and picked up the pouch.
"This useless thing? I thought you might have great observation skills, young one, but it seems I have been mistaken. In this pouch are only broken pieces of glass, nothing of any value."
Walking weakly, he put the pouch on the counter and gestured for Arthrus to take it.
"Another man's trash is another man's treasure, old man. How much do you want for it?"
Taking the pouch, Arthrus stashed it in his pocket and reached for money.
"I have no use for some shattered glass. Take it."
Having said that, the old man returned to his seat and went about his work.
"I see... Well, thank you. Goodbye!"
Arthrus continued to walk through the market, on his way to his home, he pulled out the pouch and appraised it. Faint stardust started to light up around the pouch. It read:
Shattered Harvester
Rank: Relic