Prologue: Contrition

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The roars of thunder and the sound of crashing waves continues to tell him that his time has come.

It's been years and years of endless suffering.

But what did he gain from it?

Nothing.

His desire for revenge...

His insatiable hunger to kill...

Forty years of journey...

Forty years of torment...

And now... looking back at the past...

He realized...

It was all for naught!.

He couldn't avenge the ones he loved.

He couldn't destroy the country that turned his life upside down.

He failed them!

He failed his family!

He failed his friends!

He failed his comrades!

He did everything!

Yet he gained nothing!

Misery.

Grief.

Anger.

He climbed the highest of mountains! He journeyed across the endless oceans! He even travelled across the world! He fought his way through life and death. It was all to seek power. It was all to avenge his loved ones. But it was futile. In the end, he still lost.

The man looked up at the sky with tears in his eyes. He remembered his wife, his children. He remembered his friends, his comrades. He remembered everything that he has done in his life.

What did he do to deserve this?

He touched he wound that would ultimately end his life and opened his mouth for the last time.

Why?

Am I wrong to seek vengeance?

Am I wrong to crave for their demise?

Gods! Deities! Tell me! What did I do to deserve this?!

I lived a good life! I helped people in need! I have always been faithful!

And yet... And yet... YOU LET THEM MASSACRE THE ONES THAT I LOVED!

YOU LET THEM TEAR THE FLESH OF MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND MY COMRADES LIKE ANIMALS!

I DID EVERYTHING TO BECOME A GOOD MAN! A GOOD FATHER! A GOOD FRIEND!

WHY? WHY! WHY?!!!!!

I DESIRED FOR REVENGE, I OBSESSED MYSELF TO SATE MY HUNGER FOR VENGEANCE!

I TRAVELLED FAR AND WIDE TO GAIN POWER!

I DID EVERYTHING THAT I CAN!

I TRAVERSED DANGERS, I OVERCAME THOUSANDS OF LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS!

AND NOW, NOW THAT I GAINED THE POWER TO AVENGE MY LOVED ONES, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I AM GOING TO DIE HERE?!

HAHAHAHAHA!

DEATH?

EVEN IF I DIE I'M GOING TO CURSE THIS WORLD! ONE DAY, IF I WILL EVER HAVE THE CHANCE, I WILL SURELY BE THE ONE TO DESTROY THIS WORLD!

I WILL! HAHAHAHA! TRUST ME! KINGS? GODS? I DON'T CARE! THE DAY WILL COME WHEN ALL OF YOU WILL FACE ANNIHILATION!

I WILL DO IT! HAHAHAHA!

I WILL..

I will...

Emillia...

I promise...

...

The thunders stopped, the waves calmed down, even the heavy winds was vanished. At that moment, the skies cleared. For the last time, he saw the light of the sun. For the last time, he saw the bright blue sky. He smiled. At least, in the end of his life he saw something good. He closed his eyes as his consciousness drifts away to the land of the fallen.

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As he opened his eyes… he saw a vision.

In a place unknown to him.

There… he was standing, perhaps floating.

He turned around yet… there was nothing.

Darkness… it was clear, unperturbed darkness.

A feeling of confusion spread throughout his mind.

Where am I?

He asked himself.

He thought of the events that happened before he woke up.

He thought of the things that could perhaps lead him to this desolate place.

And then it came to him...

I died?

I… I failed?

Questions.

Questions after questions.

A tear fell from his eyes. He finally remembered.

He failed them.

He failed everyone that he loved.

He couldn’t avenge them.

He felt anger, he felt sorrow, he felt a certain hatred coursing throughout his body.

I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!

Emillia, I’m really sorry.

He disdained himself.

As his eyes were filled with tears… as his heart was stricken with endless pain and regret.

He knew that at that moment...

It was all futile.

It was nothing but a fruitless ambition.

“I can feel wrath, I can feel misery. Tell me. Why is your heart filled with sadness?”

And then he suddenly heard a voice.

He looked left and right… he looked down and above. But then, there was no one.

Who?

He asked himself.

And the voice spoke once again.

“Answer me.”

Who are you? Where are you?

He asked.

“No one. Nowhere. I am nothing but a voice. A voice that could feel your wrath. A voice that could feel your sorrow. So tell me, answer me, why is your heart filled with sadness?”

As the voice asked, he felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly.

He fell on his knees as more tears fell from his eyes...

Because I failed them! I couldn’t avenge my loved ones from those who had slaughtered them!

He feels weak. He feels terrible. His body, his mind, everything is a mess.

“You failed them? Did they ask you to avenge them?”

Shock.

Everything seemed to stop.

At that moment, silence engulfed everything.

He doesn’t know the answer to the question of the voice.

A surge of questions entered his mind.

I...

As he held his head and closed his eyes, he remembered something...

It was the parting words of his wife.

The parting words of the one he loved the most.

“Kael, be happy. I w-will, always be watching over you. I love you.”

Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

The moment he heard her voice, his body fell on the ground.

His crying turned into wailing. At that moment...

His mind just couldn’t take it anymore.

He repeatedly punched the ground as he screamed…

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

He wanted to avenge them.

He wanted to bury all of those that killed them to the ground… but...

But was that what they truly wished for?

I don’t know.

As he asked himself, the answer to his question appeared on his mind.

Tears fell even heavier.

And then the voice spoke once again.

“If you ever had the chance to live again, what will you do?”

I-I will…

What will I do?

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I-I don’t know.

His anger dissipated.

His thirst for vengeance was suddenly gone.

He heard his wife’s voice again and again.

Did Emillia really ask me to avenge her?

Will Emillia be happy once I avenged her?

As his mind was filled with chaos. The voice spoke once again.

“No.”

T-then how? What will I do to make her happy?

“Remember her words.”

I don’t know… I can’t… what was it?

“Remember.”

He winced as heard the words of the voice. What does he need to remember?

What was her wife’s final wish?

He closed his eyes again. And there, in his mind…

Emillia...

She was crying while looking at him. Her eyes were filled with sorrow as if she was longing for something.

As he looked at the figure of his wife crying, he couldn’t help but feel bitter.

Why?

Why is she crying?

He mustered all his strength and walked towards Emillia.

Emillia, don’t cry. I’m here. I will always be here for you!

He wanted to reach her. He wanted to hug her. He wanted to hold her hands and tell her…

I’m here...

And then he realized...

Why can’t I seem to reach you?

He was desperate. He wanted to be with her. He was filled with desire to hold her.

Emillia! Answer me! Please, I’m coming. Don’t cry anymore!

But somehow... it just can’t reach her.

“Kael… you failed me.”

Her words struck him like a thunderbolt. 

At that moment, he fell on his knees while his arms were still reaching for Emillia.

Was it because I couldn’t avenge her?

A certain question appeared in his mind as an agonizing pain was slowly crushing his heart.

But I did everything! I tried my best! I’m sorry. I couldn’t… I couldn’t avenge you.

“When did I ever asked you to avenge me?!”

Blood dripped from her eyes.

As soon as he heard her words, he found himself unable to speak anything.

“I wanted you to be happy! I wanted you live! I wanted you to stop suffering! I was always watching you... I was always trying to tell you to stop. I was always… always trying to tell you that you’ve done more done enough for us.”

Tears fell from his eyes. Was he really mistaken after all this time?

I’m sorry, I-I didn’t know.

“Kael…”

Her voice was quavering. It was filled with sadness.

I’m sorry Emillia. I’m sorry for making you sad.

He looked at her.

And then he finally understood.

Those years he spent searching for power… for strength. It was all…

My own selfish desires.

He became obsessed with the prospect of revenge...

He wanted to eradicate the fury inside his heart by unleashing it…

He wanted to…

But now… he realized…

I was selfish.

Emillia wanted him to be happy.

She wanted him to continue his life.

He was mistaken by thinking that he can make his family satisfied once he avenged them.

“Kael… you’re the most important person in my life and I… I’m more than happy for everything that you’ve done for me. Kael, you’ve done enough… you can now... rest.”

As she said those words, he stood up.

As if the chains that were holding him back crumbled into pieces.

He ran.

As fast as he can, he ran.

Finally, he can reach her!

Finally he can hold her!

Emillia!

She opened her arms as if welcoming him.

And then… he embraced her.

It was an embrace that would seem to last for eternity.

A hug so tight that it felt like he had let out every emotion from deep inside his heart.

But soon… every blissful moment comes to an end.

Once she parted her lips, he felt his heart shattering.

Crumbling into thousands… no, millions of pieces.

“Kael… farewell. Thank you and… I love you.”

What are you saying? Emillia?!

And soon he noticed… her body was slowly dissipating.

Like an illusion crumbling to nothingness.

Why? Please take me with you!

He didn’t understand what was happening.

But soon…

Seconds after seconds…

Moments after moments…

His strength left him as he said the words he had been dying to say…

I love you too, Emillia…

Gone…

Emillia was gone.

By the moment he spoke those words, he saw a smile on her face. And soon Emillia completely vanished from his tight embrace.

“Have you made up your mind?”

Kael suddenly heard the voice once again.

Once again, he was on a place filled with everlasting darkness.

Who are you?

“Like I said, I am no one.”

Then what do you want from me?

“I want you to answer my question.”

Question?

“Yes, the same question as the one you didn’t answer a while ago.”

He was still lost in thought but after a few moments, he finally recalled the question of the voice.

“If you ever had the chance to live again, what will you do?”

After speaking with Emillia, he finally had an answer.

An answer that perhaps… he had long forgotten because of his endless pursuit for vengeance.

An answer that should’ve been his answer since that day…

I would like to live my life to the fullest.

“And your desire is?”

I want to see her again... I...

“Will you still seek for vengeance?”

I-I don’t know.

“Answer me.”

If living my life to the fullest meant satisfying my desire for vengeance, then I might.

“Hahahahaha!”

W-what?

“Then I implore you to decide for yourself.”

What do you mean?

“I will remain by your side. And I will watch the remainder of your next life. I want to know. I want to see you answer my questions one by one. For now, let us depart.”

He couldn’t fathom what the voice meant.

He was tired and restless.

But then soon, he closed his eyes.

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PROLOGUE END

AN: Hello there, folks! I actually decided to rewrite this story from the prologue and… here it is! I thought that the plot of this story is something… good and enjoyable. Not good to be compared with the tops but I think it’s worth continuing. So yeah… here goes Abysmal Euphoria and I hope you guys enjoy it and its future chapters!

Also, check out my main project, Empyrean Ascent~ Arch is now signing out!