The wasteland stretched across the entire horizon, forming an endless land of drought.
Even in such an alienated area, there was a village. The wooden huts appeared abandoned, but this was not the case. All the inhabitants were hiding from the invaders. Some of the unfortunate ones observed the empty street from the corners of their eyes. They knew perfectly well that if they were spotted, they would surely die.
The terrifying wait was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. A man dressed in dark robes walked calmly. He did not care about the passing of time, savoring the uncertainty of the inhabitants. The skin of the Lord of Darkness was dark and rough. He had been using black magic for many years, so the side effects were obvious. His darting, red eyes searched for even the slightest sign of life.
Impatient, he waved his hand toward the nearest house. Instantly, the wooden walls flew into the air, revealing the inhabitants. The family sat in the corner, praying for survival. Unfortunately, their god did not seem to hear their pleas. In the place where the sanctuary had stood a moment ago, the sorcerer entered.
"Is anyone here?" he asked theatrically, knowing the answer perfectly well. Without waiting for an invitation, he sat down on a nearby chair. Now he could take a good look at his victims. The husband, wife, and child knelt, hugging each other in fear. The Lord of Darkness rolled his eyes. He hated all displays of love or other positive feelings. A situation like this should bring despair to mind, not concern for others.
"I understand that you don't want to answer..." He turned his gaze to the rest of the village. To think that people would settle in a place like this. He was truly intrigued by the situation. This land belonged only to the most powerful beings of all worlds. They shouldn't be here. He stood up, determined to fix this. As he approached the boy, who was trembling with fear, he felt his heartbeat. Not only theirs, but that of the entire village. Everyone was watching the spectacle.
"Kill me!" The father stood up to defend his child. Seeing the reaction, the sorcerer smiled mockingly.
"Spare them!"
"We don't understand each other." His hand was shrouded in darkness. The scorching sun seemed to disappear, and the rays faded into deep blackness. After a moment, his entire hand was under the spell. It looked as if a demon was emerging from the depths of hell.
"I will kill you all." Tentacles emerged from his hand as if they were self-aware, and initially explored the surrounding area. After a moment, they were ready to obey orders. Turning into razor-sharp spikes, they rushed towards the unfortunate victims.
"Ahhh!" Black blood poured in streams as both the hand and the shadowy blades fell to the ground.
The Lord of Darkness looked back. He was unable to say a word.
"This is my territory," said the young man standing on the street surrounded by houses. He wore a black cloak that seemed even darker than his opponent's robes. His hair and eyes were red as blood. His hair was styled in a way that some would call fashionable, others kitschy. His ears were adorned with earrings. The left one was decorated with a blue scale from the most powerful race of dragons. The right one was a crystallized phoenix tear. Both accessories were so similar that he sometimes forgot which was which.
Seeing the villain's disbelief, he took a step forward. The ground shook slightly. The sorcerer did not know if he was shaking because of this phenomenon or perhaps out of fear.
"By what right...?" was all he managed to whisper. They were in the realm of the highest level. Creating any interference in space required considerable power. Lord Darkness created a portal in the air, from which shadowy tentacles crawled out. The artificial limbs surrounded him in a cocoon capable of protecting him even from the strongest attack. The boy approached the enemy, who was now hiding from confrontation. The same sorcerer who, just a moment ago, had been confidently demonstrating his superiority. The redhead shook his head. It was interesting to see the despair resulting from the difference in strength. However, he was wrong about that.
The shadowy cocoon was not for defense, but for transformation. The shell began to crack, and the enemy emerged from it. He looked much younger than before. His skin was smooth, which made him look like he had been newly born. Butterfly wings appeared on his bare back. The colors changed dynamically.
"Tremble before my true form." He appeared right behind him. The boy jumped back, showing his zero reaction time. Since he was fast himself, he was able to correctly assess the enemy's speed. He analyzed the chaotic movements, and when the sorcerer took to the air, he decided to take action.
"I will not tremble!" He took a golden necklace from under his cloak. The treasure ended with a diamond as red as his eyes. This artifact was so powerful that the enemy swallowed hard at the mere sight of it.
"For I am the Apostle of Destruction." The reality surrounding them began to melt, and space merged into a single gray mass. The Lord of Darkness realized that his new body was cracking like glass. Soon it would be reduced to tiny pieces. The cracks were becoming more and more extensive, and the unfortunate man began to scream. The scream was a bit strange, as it resembled the meowing cat. Over time, it became so unbearable that the boy was forced to wake up.
"Scarlet Link of Destruction..." Opening his sleepy eyes, he greeted the red-haired cat. The animal had no respect for the epic battle taking place in his master's head. He got out of bed, grabbing his red hair. Black roots were beginning to show. However, he didn't care about such details. As he poured food into the cat's bowl, he looked out the window. It promised to be another unbearably hot day. He put on a snow-white shirt, which he immediately covered with a black coat. He didn't care at all that he would probably boil on such a hot day. As he left the house, he realized that he had forgotten some important items. Entering his room, he grabbed a box of fiery lenses, a pair of blue earrings, and his new acquisition, a magic necklace. He immediately equipped himself with them, and his hazel eyes changed color to red.
The cobbled street reflected the scorching rays of the sun as always. Despite this, the tall houses provided shelter in the form of shade. He stood in such a place, observing the neighborhood. He liked this place. Cars could not drive on the local road, which meant that carefree wandering was possible.
"Good morning, Ap..." greeted his neighbor. An elderly woman dressed in a gray bathrobe was standing in the doorway. Like every morning, she had come out to smoke, and like every morning, she couldn't remember the boy's name.
"Apostle of Destruction," he finished.
"Yes, yes..." She exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Congratulations, by the way... You finally came out to people." Hearing this, the boy raised his eyebrows.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what? A girl was asking about you this morning," she explained.
"I see." He nodded.
Who???
He wasn't seeing anyone, so the revelation took him completely by surprise. Maybe it was someone from his class. He shrugged.
On his way to school, he looked closely at the houses around him. New shops were springing up everywhere. Over time, the residential district was transforming into a commercial district. The longer the journey, the more modern the buildings became. After a while, trees appeared on the side of the road. The greenery harmonized perfectly with the colorful structures. It was under one of the first tree trunks that he found a familiar store. He always bought sweets here, and at the same time, he was like a master of three children.
"Apostle of Destruction!" greeted his most promising adept. The twelve-year-old boy had eyes as blue as the sky, which made him stand out from the crowd. His master sincerely envied him, as he himself had to wear contact lenses. The child's blond hair was styled in a very similar way to his idol's. The difference was that the Apostle had a talent for hairdressing. The little boy's hair looked as if a herd of horses had run through it.
"The Ethereal Avenger," he smiled. "Long time no see."
"What is that?" This time, the second companion spoke up. The slightly overweight boy apparently didn't want to look like a complete laughing stock and decided to shave his head. His master fully respected this decision.
"Oh... This?" It took him a moment to understand the question. He took a gold necklace with a red diamond at the end. It was his latest purchase from a one dollar online store. In his dream, the item had worked like a charm.
"An artifact that can destroy the structure of reality. It's called..." He paused, realizing that he hadn't come up with a name for it yet.
The children's eyes widened, unable to wait.
"The Aglamel Necklace..." He decided to combine a few syllables. This practice had never failed him.
The boys looked excited. Their master was a role model, and so it was certain that tomorrow they would be holding their own artifacts tomorrow.
Watching his apprentices argue over the name of a new attack capable of destroying mountains, he noticed something.
"Ethereal Avenger, Indestructible Bull... Where is Swift Lightning?" Only now did he realize that the girl was not with her friends.
"Is something wrong?" His heart leapt into his throat.
"Go play." He heard a man's voice behind him. He was just bringing a box full of sweets into the store. The Apostle understood that the Ethereal's father wanted to talk in private. The shopkeeper had hair the same color as his son's, but he knew how to take care of it. He looked at the newcomer with his dark eyes.
"As for Emilly..." He put the box on the counter. "Her parents forbade her from playing with my son. She was forced to be fully active in the girls' soccer club. She probably won't be coming here anymore..." He concluded sadly.
The young man clenched his fists. The girl was one of his students. It was difficult to swallow this loss. She would return to normality, and then the title "Lightning Lightning" would only cause her embarrassment.
"I, for one, like your games. It's thanks to you that he smiled for the first time since his mother's death." The man noticed his interlocutor's regret.
"Imagination is very important for children." he added
"But someday they have to grow up..." Apostle finished as if reading her mind.
"That goes for you too." He pointed to Agamel's necklace. "You're already halfway through high school. We've known each other for a few years now, and I still don't know your name."
"Apostle of Destruction..." He looked away.
"Is that what it says on your ID?" He laughed. "The clerk must have lost his job."
"My documents are just a cover with a fake name."
He replied with a straight face. "I am the fearless Destroyer of Worlds."
„Candy bar, Destroyer of Worlds?" He handed him a snack, and he accepted it with a smile.
When he was about to continue his journey to school, he remembered one thing.
"Did anyone ask about me?" Perhaps the mysterious girl his neighbor had seen had also visited this area.
The shopkeeper scratched his short goatee. After a moment, it dawned on him.
"Actually... there was one here."
"Who?" he asked curiously.
"No idea. Completely incognito. Sunglasses, a big white hat..."
"Don't tell me you're dating her!" He widened his eyes. "She must be some kind of star and she likes you... Imposible!"
"Yeah, thanks for believing in me..." He rolled his eyes. "I don't know her," he clarified.
"Then maybe it's some kind of mafia..." The boy already knew shopkeeper was going to hear something ridiculous.
Even though he was an adult, he had a vivid imagination. "Maybe you're actually a drug dealer, and "Apostle of Destruction" is your nickname.
"You got me." He raised his hands.
"Seriously, though, be careful. Apparently, there's a dangerous gang hanging around here somewhere."
He warned him like a good friend.
"Thanks for your concern, but I can knock them down with just a glance..." As he walked away, he adjusted his contact lenses.