Chapter 0 - Hero

This is a story about how darkness creates life and how life ends with darkness. A story about how a man sacrifice his life to saved the world and in the end, he was consumed by darkness.

“Ria. Remember my words carefully, even if I forget about you, even if my feelings for you vanishes and even if the world turns against you. Remember. Urggh that I am... argh! Always. by your side! I lov--y.”

“Arghhh!”

The man turned into a soulless body, permeating the aura of darkness, chaos and evilness. His body decays and his skin and whole body became covered with purple aura that can be seen at the speed of ***** eye. Seconds later, he opened his eyes which contains massive power of darkness, seemingly piercing through everyone’s heart, which made the woman fall down unto her knees.

“Black eyes? Wh-what happened to you?”

Tears flows down the beautiful maidens eyes through her cheeks. The glowing eyes were full of love towards the man but it seems it will be not going to be reciprocated by the dark eyes of those man.

“Ria, oh Aria... I didn’t expect to be disgusted by my feelings for you before. It was a big disgraced for me and embarrassment. I will give you all time to leave this place at once! If anyone of you ever bother my resting tomb, the world will pay for your sins! I wish you choose well before going against me.”

“Vsyr! Why? Hu hu hu. Why must you left me!? I should be the one who had take your place! Hu hu hu, why? Why?”

Aria ‘s cries can be heard as she was taken by her men down the cold ice mountain. The snowstorm and cool gust of winds blew off and a light appears on the horizon.

“Its because I love you, Aria...”

As that voice faded, a massive laser-like beam enveloped the mountain which had come from a far. The ice mountain disintegrated to dust and all that was left was a big crater which depths was unknown. Cool ashes and windy winter enveloped her view which had seen all from a far. Her gazed and body had been frozen as well as her heart, in that all second... Vsyr was melted along with the dust and snow.

“Vy-v-vy-Vsyyyyyrrrr!!!”

-----

--

“Noooooo!”

Sleeping in the bed, a beautiful female child can be seen. Her hair was short blue, like the color of the skies and the sea. There was also slight color of winter white that was mixed within her hair that can be seen at the end of it. Her eyes were violet with the hue of the stars, filled with tears as she cried from being able wake up from that nightmare... she shouted “no!” and continue to teared up.

“Ria! Ria! Ria! What’s wrong!? Why are you crying? I have prepared the food, here, eat first so that your fever will died down ok?”

He put the bowl at the wooden table, it was surprising a mushroom stew mixed with tasteless herbal ingredients that can help a person with fever heal a tidy bit faster.

“Vsyr? Is that you? You were alived!”

“Huh?! Of course! Who do you think I am, do you think that I will sacrifice myself for you without even thinking about my escape? Even if you are my mother or sister, I would never do that okay? Ha ha ha!”

“Idiot! Hmp”

“What did you dream by the way to make yourself so loud in the morning? He he he! Let me guess, I became a hero that sacrifice myself for you and die right? Ha ha ha! How handsome of me, as expected from myself! Valiant and heroic as always! Ha ha ha!”

“Huh? What was that dream again? Hm, its probably about my idiot brother. Tsk, who cares about you?”

“Ouch, you hurt my feelings again, my~dear~little sister. Eat your foods alright? I’m going to go hunting now and don’t ever get sick again!”

“Eh? When have you cared about me?”

“Huh? I sacrifice myself to you and even bring you your soup. Hmp, do you think I care for you? Ha ha ha, look at the cost of your medication... my wallet and your wallet which we painstakingly tried to filled up became empty all of the sudden! Wait for me, I will hunt some more ok?

“...”

“Why are you looking like down? Eh? Ehh?! No, no, no. Don’t cry please... have I’ve done something wrong? I haven’t said anything wrong at all! “

“Wu wu wu, brother~ i’m so useless! I, hic*, our money, hic*. Was spent on my medication! Hic* wu wu wu, snort* wu wu”

“Eh? What’s wrong with that?”

“Idiot!”

“Ah! I know! Don’t cry ok? Its not what I meant, what i’m saying is that your medication is too expensive to get. So, you must heal well soon and you must make sure that not a single waste can be seen on that bowl. He he! I am the one who cooked it afterall, so I want you to appreciate the little things that we can offer. Always remember that, he he! I’m a hero, what’s the used of money if in turn I would lose you? I’d rather spend it all, ok? Ha ha ha, don’t cry, you looked like a lost kid from some far off country, he he... country bumpkin”

“Hmm, get out!”

‘And here I was, being kicked out... I should have go instead. Why does she thinks like that? Am I hard to understand that I need to always explain myself? No way, I’m a hero! he he he.”.

------

Chapter 0.5 – Sink and the Uninvited Venturers

During ancient times, heroes all over the world fought for justice and darkness fought for recreation. Across the boundless lands and seas, wars and explosion takes place in one area of the world where it sustains far heavy damage than the others.

In bird’s eye view perception of the world, there is a land where a huge sinkhole can be found. Its debts are incalculable and thick darkness was looming within. Neither light nor people can enter this restricted area, not only it was uncertain below but life will ceased to exist there if you had stayed for too long.

Climbing down the sinkhole using the tiny rocks in the wall, a little male kid with blue and whitish snow hair coupled with purple eyes have decided to challenge its debts today. This boy looks like Vsyr which was the brother of Aria, what treasures and danger awaits the debts is still unknown even for him.

‘So exhausted... there are no more rocks left for me to grab. Whew, I guess this should be the time where I pulled out my specialized pincer knife.”

Vsyr pulled out a knife which appearance is like the pincer of the crab. He stabbed the knife unto the wall and as it stably settle itself, he let go of his hands from the rock and using his other hand, he grabbed tightly the knife. He then pulled out another knife and uses the 2 knifes so that he can switch it for him to create a support that will help him climb down.

Seconds passed and minutes, sweat falls down his body. His hands were numb and it feels like it had lost its energy, like a withered vegetable that loses its nutrients and it grabbed tightly to the knife. The darkness swallows the light as nothing can be seen now.

Flicked* a small light suddenly appeared in front of Vsyr, its color was yellow but the light it emitted was only visible for a few meters before it was swallowed by the darkness.

‘I shouldn’t have ventured this sinkhole. Argghh! What should I do? I’m going to die from falling! My arms are losing a whole ton of energy and my hands are sweating unceasingly which made things slippery especially the handle!’

Swoosh*

“Oh-no~”

His one hand slipped and knife was left.

Swoosh*

‘I’m dead. Little sister! Take care of yourself from now on. I love you.’

His other hand slipped and tears was left in the air as he had fall down. Sadness can be seen in his eyes and his contorted face tells that he was really afraid to die and pain.

‘There’s no cure for regrets in the world, if I had another chance. I will not try to die in the dumbest possible way. Let me be a hero in my next life’

Thud~* Cracked*

The light that was with him distinguished and darkness covered his eyes. If he had another life, it should be better than this one.

In the sinkhole where he fall, red eyes can be seen surrounding his 180°.

*Grrrr~

*Dripped

“A~wooooo!”

*Gnashed

The wolf pounced towards the body of Vsyr and while on the mid-air, the wolf opens its mouth widely enough to cover the whole vision of lifeless eyes of Vsyr.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

“Huff* huff* huff*” panting

“Where is my brother?”

“That idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Argh!”

Aria whom was left in the old wooden run down house woke up from a bad dream. Her fever had already died down and she immediately run throughout the house to check for her brother.

“Where are you? Where are you? Where ...”

She was murmuring while biting her fingernails. Extremely worried and stressed-out. She murmured a little longer before a memory comes to her mind.

‘Im going to go hunting now. Don’t ever get sick again...’

“Right, I need to asked the Hunters Guild, maybe he had stopped by and asked for a mission.”

Hunter’s Guild, was formed ever since the first world war of creation and chaos. It was one of the specialized guild of the Eternal Empire which comprised of thousands upon thousands of members. Hunter’s, Expedition’s, Technological’s, Alchemist, Artifact’s, Runatic’s and Unique’s Guild completes the guild under Eternal Empire.

Hunter’s Guild, specialized in monster’s hunting and subjugation and assassinations

Expedition’s Guild, specialized in land and water explorations and an empire’s scout and spies

Technological’s Guild, specialized in magic evolution, magic technology and non-magic technology

Alchemist Guild, specialized on medicine, pill making and plant creations

Artifacts Guild, specialized in weapons and shields creation as well as puppetry

Runatic’s Guild, specialized in creation of runes and development of magic circles

Unique’s Guild, specialized in training people with unknown potential, ability and talents.

Eternal’s Empire hold’s tremendous power that can make every single individual of this nation bowed their heads towards their members. Fortunately, they implemented a rule that those members under their subjects will be contained to the guild’s large geographical area. Any member’s that comes out without permission shall be banned forever and that’s why you cannot see a mob of them wandering throughout the nation that can be a possible caused of endless troubles.

Knock* Knock*

“Oh come in-come in, welcome to the hunters”

“Hm, as always, its so noisy here and there is lot of drunkards early in the morning. How messy.”

“If it isn’t little Aria, what have you come here? I heard that you’ve got sick lately, are you fine now?”

“Yes, umh, have you seen my brother perhaps?”

“Ah, yes, he said 3 days ago that if you stopped by, I must tell you that ‘you are not allowed to follow him”

“3 days hm~ is that so? I guessed I should go by myself today. Thanks and bye!”

“Come back again and have a chat with big sister here sometimes!”

Aria rushed out of the Hunter’s Guild, the city outside of it was buzzling with activities and the city guards on the high wall stood proud and tall. She immediately cover her head with cloak and thereafter quickly ran to the northern wilderness.

“Do not follow me, Im in the restricted area”

“Is what he is telling me. Tsk, my dream and that restricted area. I feel a bad omen, I should bring a few foods and pincer knife before going in that sink hole. What the hell are you doing there anyways? It was still unexplored you idiot greedy monkey!”

And so, she swiftly jump from trees to trees and slide through slope and swim to the other side. She avoided dangerous monsters and snacked those weak ones. Finally, after climbing the huge plateau... a country like sinklhole can be seen from a far.

Standing far away, Aria, looks nervously for any sign of which his brother entered in.

What awaits her is unknown, 1 week had passed and her brother’s condition was still uncertain.

-----

Chapter 1: Deceitful Paradise

“Hm? Where am I? Is this the heaven? Is this what they called a ‘second life’?”

Flicked*

A light appeared in the form of fire that tells him that he was in some unknown place.

“Why is it so dark here? Am I in hell?”

Thad* Thad* Thud*

“The walls are solids, this stench of blood. Ooof what the hell happened here?”

A distorted rotten bodies of huge wolfs appeared on the ground. The stench in the air makes the face of Vsyr filled with disgust.

Blurgh*

“What the hell? Those big wolfs have been eaten viciously by what?”

He looked towards his surrounding and his vision suddenly blurred for a while before feeling a wet sensation in the back of his heads.

“Eh? What was that all about? A blood?”

As he was continuing the road, the ground was vibrating stronger and stronger which made him a little nervous.

“Its either a monster wave or a volcano. Wait, am I even in the volcano? That’s impossible...”

He continued his way and the vibrations becomes stronger and stronger.

“Hmm?”

He placed his hands unto the walls and knocks at it a couple of times. He then confirmed that

“There is a way on the other side of the wall”

He looked at his surroundings and he sees that there is a stone and a dead wolf lying on the ground.

“The stone should break this wall, haiz my head is really bleeding, I need to take care of this.”

He picked up the stone and stomped it to the wall and the stone cracked apart but the wall was only bent a few inches before it starts healing itself.

“Eh? What the? A healing stone? Is that even possible? You have left me with no choice.”

He rushed through the wolf and using his hands, he broke its legs apart. Using that leg, he smashed the wall endlessly faster and stronger than each strike.

Bang!* Bang!* Bam!* Bam!*

Cracked*

The wall had cracked and so, he uses his feet to send a flying kicked to that wall and a hole was finally created which was enough to fit his size. He immediately enters the hole before it closes then he remembered that he had no food left. In that 4 hours of fighting with the wall, he had been exhausted to the extreme.

As he looked forward, it was not darkness nor monsters which welcomed him. He saw a beautiful paradise full of stranged glowing in the dark plants and a raging waterfall which was the source of vibration to the grounds.

He realises that there is a world under the surface of his world after looking around. He also noticed those flying birds and animals which are too unfamiliar to him. In the scope of his vision, he sees a huge elephant with burning hot horns on its face and noticeably, its body was also covered with strong blue scales that even if an enemy target that weakness, it will not be able to tore that defence.

Rubble* Rubble* Rubble*

While enjoying the beautiful scenery in front of his eyes, the ground beneath that elephant cracks, soon the elephany falls unknowingly to a huge worm's mouth and it successfully ate the elephant whole. The worm have spikes all over its body that is serving as its defence which was like a fortress of swords that can sliced the ground and enemy to minced meat without breaking a sweat.

Vsyr's whole being trembled and his eyes stared blankly towards that huge worm but before he can even think straight, a huge bee appears on the sky. While the worm was still on the mid-air planning to return to the ground after a hearty meal, the bee using its trident glowing-in-the-dark violet and patterned sky blue needle stings the worm and it immediately fallen limp to the ground which is not certain if it just caused it to be paralysed or it makes it dies.

“Ah! Humm, urg “

He almost screamed loudly but he managed to cover his mouth with his hands. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva while his eyes became teary from shocked.

After the bee stings the worm, the plant besides Vsyr suddenly sprout tall in the sky. Its leaves is akin to a peacock which is both colorful and deceiving that continues to glow brightly and not long after, it opened up silently and slowly in tge direction of the bee just like how a peacock opened up its tails. A colorful bloody-red flower blooms at the center of it. Yellow fluid gushed out at the center of the plant and as the flower blooms fully, a sharp mini pointed small cones like needle appears on its flowers. Like a harpoons and arrows, they fly straight towards the bee. Seconds later, the bee noticed it and tries to escaped but the swarm of colorful like insects flew towards all of its direction that made the bee unable to escape. The swarm was the needles of the flower, attached to it was the yellow fluid that serves as strings. After a few seconds, the cone needles returned to the flower and the bee that was attached to it goes straight to the center of bloody-red flower before it closes fully. Following after was the peacock like leaves around it and it then it wraps itself like a ball that immediately goes straight underground.

Shocked by the situation, the sudden sprouting of the plants which was just a couple of meters away of him makes him denies the cureent knowledge of the world. He was paralysed frozen and limpidly fallen to the ground.

The rumblings decreased for a moment but not long after it followed by an earthquake. From the mouth where the water falls, a huge creature’s head rose from it and it caused waves to be distributed throughout the land. After sensing the danger, glowing purple mushrooms that was scattered in the area flew like a balloons one by one in the air slowly. The creature with its tentacles snatches away the worm, its sharp sword like defence was like an broken string that falls to the ground without resistance and its long and huge body was dragged mercilessly through the crystal clear heaven-like lake where the creature was residing.

Afterwards, everything returns to normal which looks like nothing even happened to that place. Vsyr who watched it all happens habe learned a lesson that God have already given up on him that he had already decided to send him to hell which was located in the underworld. His eyes turned plain white and his feet and body decided to remove his ability to move.

-----

Chapter 1.5 : Blind Faith’s up to Fate

“Hm, I hope that my brother is safe. That brainless monkey. I swear! I will twist your leg if I ever see you!”

For 3 days, Aria travelled a great deal just to reached the opening of the sink hole. Her hair was messy and dishevelled and you can tell that she was currently pretty irritated. Setting up a camp not too far away from the entranced, the aroma of delicious food spreads through the air. Even the beast were attracted to it but, she paid them no-mind since this is the last day before she sets off towards the in-depth of the sinkhole.

“Hmm, my skills are pretty amazing. How do I going to climb down this hole? There is no rope near the perimeters which means my idiot brother entered it without even a support. I swear, I will punched you real hard.”

Looking at the stars and night sky, she remembered the time when they celebrated her 7th birthday. Her brother prepares a beast meat which they hunt together and it was so delicious that she fell asleep while resting on his legs. That time, her brother would stroke her hair very slowly just so she can sleep peacefully. However, that memories seems so distant to the current them because they are too old now and too embarrassed to do it.

“I’m 13 and my twin brother is the same. I hope we could do it again, having fun and making happy memories...”

The night passed and as the moon hide itself from the horizon is when the sun rose up to the sky. The clouds were opened wide as the sunlight spread towards the innocent face of Aria. Today is the day when she must go to the depths of the sinkhole.

“Ok, pincer knives check, body condition check, food and water check. Let’s go!”

She checked her surroundings again and noticed that she was not attacked by those hungry beast nor invaded at night when she let her guard down. She didn’t dwell too much on it and she immediately jump down the hole.

Using the power of wind magic, she escalate herself pretty well and she also shrink the speed of the wind slowly.

Flicked*

A blue light appear in front of her but the light can only reached for a few meters before being swallowed by the darkness.

“This should be the ideal time to manually go down or else, I would attract unnecessary attention if they were to sense that kind of magic”

“Light magic should be fine since its got a little magic consumption as well as its reached can only be sensed at which how far can it able to light the way. Hm, the good thing was its power was being swallowed by the darkness and so the traces are fully covered up.”

She painstakingly stabbed her knives through the wall and using that, she pretty much manage to climb down. Unlike Vsyr, she reached the ground for only 3 hours which is an hour faster than him.

“Ugh, my arms are so weak and exhausted. I cant feel them anymore hu hu hu. Brother, I’m going to puched you real hard.”

She immediately settled down and find a good place to rest. She uses her light magic and expanded its power. Using it, she immediately found a small cave with one opening. There she rest for a couple of hours before trying to find her brother again.

Rumble* Rumble* Rumble

While walking very close to the wall. Shakings and vibration were happening continuously. She knows that someone are fighting from afar with one another but she cant do anything since she was just at pre-preparatory stage. She gazed towards the depths at the edge of the road while supporting herself to the wall so that she will not fall down to the depths of the road where she doesn’t even know what lies ahead of that.

“This guys are so greedy, they are maybe fighting over a treasure but, they will just going to get themselves killed by doing it. I’m sure that it had already been sense by the creatures of this place and it was nit safe anymore"

RUMBLE* RUMBLE*

SWOOSH*---SWOOSH*

The ground were shaking violently and even the air was making sound of air pressure where surely, a big winged creature have caused it.

Grrrrr*

RUMBLE* RUMBLE*---

SWOOOOOOSH* SWOOOOOOOOSH*----

The sound was terribly closed yet it cannot be sense by Aria. She was looking for the surroundings until she saw a big violet eyes that seemingly looking at the depths of her heart. She was left frozen and speechless that even her heart can’t produce a loud sound of beating.

Tud* Tud-tud* tud—tud*

The eye blinked for a moment before looking away at the direction where the battle was happening. If Aria’s guess was correct, it wasn’t a huge sinkhole that appears in their country but instead, it is just the entranced towards this incredible huge cave, waiting for intruders to be their next meal.

Aria stood still without making a slightest sound. Swooossh* she listen towards the sound to know if it were still nearby. She doesn’t see anything nor know the exact look on that creature because of the thick darkness around.

“One thing is certain, this cave must never be explored. The creatures here are terribly huge. Is that a bird? The beast and monsters on the surface of these country will pale in comparison when it was compared to here. Its like a comparison between a child and an adult.”

‘What should I do now? I can’t move and i’m still shaking... even though I calmed my mind down?’

‘Brother please be safe, all I have left is you. Please, just please...’

Aria was still shaken by that huge creature. She knows not fear but her body can’t cope up with it. As time quickly passed, an hour have flew away. Aria have already calmed down and she immediately rushed towards a more deep adventure.

“Is my brother even really here? What if he was already at the surface waiting for me? What if he had already been eaten? What if my dreams have already happen? What if it was true? Wuuu brother, where are you?”

She sat down on the side of the road and hugged her bag, without knowing the answer, she had this familiar instinct that she must continue going down or else she was going to regret it for the rest of her life. She unconsciously fall asleep and the light magic beside her slowly dimmed and died down.

Meanwhile, on the other side. Vsyr saw that in the middle of the paradise lies another huge sinkhole which is somewhat similar on the surface. Blue crystallite was glowing on the surroundings, Stalagmites as sharp and beautiful as a sword can be seen all around this particular area. The lights were dim but it can be seen that in this cave, there is no dirt nor hard stone in the perimeter of the entrance but instead a grains of sands. Some sands acts like a waterfall which continuously falls at the deeper part of that sinkhole with an unknown depths recorded to man.