Let me tell you a tale. It's a long one, to say the least. This story is a comedy, but also a tragedy. It is a story of war and loss, of love and hope, of misery and despair. It is the record of my life, and of the lives that twisted and tangled with my own. It is a modern fantasy, an epic of how the world transformed. Whether the world changed for better or worse, I could not tell you. This is a legend of Gods and of Men.

It all began with evolution. The natural process in which living things adapt and change to their environment. Evolution brought humanity this far into the modern era. But in recent years, humanity grew arrogant and complacent with itself. Mankind knew nothing of the impatience of Mother Nature, and her willingness to act through her own creations. A small group of humans awoke to their stagnant reality and sought change. These people would attempt to bring us to the future, by whatever means necessary. This desire for a bright future was the spark of Earth's transformation.

It’s funny, to think that Nature had sought the aid of Science to push humanity from the grip of complacency. No one could have expected just how violent the journey to the future would be. The union of Nature and Science would bring forth a gathering of ashen clouds. A seemingly endless rain of blood would shower the Earth. The cries of the fallen would haunt the air. Many would remember the great storm for decades to come. It was to be an event of epic proportions.

To think, I had lived my life oblivious up to that point. I never realized that humanity's bloody warpath of progress had continued in secret. I couldn't see the crimson rain cast down from above. Instead, I saw sunny blue skies and puffy white clouds. The world had trapped me in its illusory embrace. I was blind to the prices paid by humanity. Prices paid in blood and flesh. Few knew of the souls sacrificed to achieve a greater good. But it seemed that my ignorance was the most sinful of all. It seemed that I was the only one worth punishing.

This is not a happy story. It's the tale of an ignorant boy. This is the story of how Science and Nature conspired against that same boy. They punished him severely for his transgressions against destiny. This is the story of how I died.

*****

I lived in Evo City, a man-made island located in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. It was built far enough from the equator to grant it all four seasons. Just as Nature desired. It was the one way she held dominion over a city built by men of Science. Within this island, men worked to establish power over evolution. By the will of Science, men experimented on their own humanity and forced it to evolve. Day after day, man strived for transcendence to no avail.

The island itself was rather large and even had its own government. It stood alone, away from cancerous ties to the empires of the world. Many people came to the city to escape imperialist politics and live in comfort. The city had a Residential District full of affordable housing. There was an Entertainment District for pleasures both innocent and depraved. Even an abandoned Slum had emerged within the outer parts of the city. All these districts connected to Center City, the economic heart of Evo. Center City was where people went to fulfill their daily routines, or shop to keep the economy moving. Center City also housed the offices of the city's government. The title of "Heart of the City" was more than fitting. All that just to fund human experimentation. It was quite the con when you think about it. So many sheep flocked towards a shepherd made of fool's gold. Nature and Science seemed to be irresistible. After all, mankind was born of Nature’s womb and fell in love with Science.

*****

Rain fell upon the luminous city of midnight covering the ground with a shimmering coat of aqua. My clothes felt damp and heavy as heavenly tears came crashing down on the world below. I trudged along the shining, wet pavement with a hood wrapping my face in cold shadow. I could see my reflection within the deep puddles of the road. Staring back at me was a sharp, pale face wearing a sullen expression. Twin colored eyes glared from within the rippling dark. My left eye was completely black like the void of the puddle below. My right eye bore a simple pupil shielded by its white halo. Messy, jet black strands of hair stemmed down from my scalp into sharp, unkempt bangs. I looked contemplative, like a young Greek statue. But unlike the Greeks, my body was lithe and common. Agility was my forte as opposed to Olympian strength.

Simplistic clothing adorned my lanky figure. A white t-shirt beneath blue checkerboard hoodie safeguarded my torso in cloth. Simple black pants and shoes shielded my legs and feet from the elements. I didn't complicate my appearance, nor did I really take pride in it. I dressed simply, with a hint of style.

I sank into the glare of my reflection for some time, until the sound of sirens approached the alleyway. Red and blue lights poured into the backstreet. A voice that was not my own began to ripple throughout my mind.

"Hostile contacts moving in at twelve and six," said the voice in near monotone.

An irritated sigh of warm breath danced with the cold rainy air. I saw police cruisers pull up to the alleyway. The Evo City Police Department emblem displayed itself along the doors with pride. I sighed to myself and focused on channeling energy. I felt my hand begin to tingle as what looked like a pulsating black sphere enlarged above my open palm. The orb began to contort and transfigure into the shape of a longsword held tight in my grasp. The blade was blacker than the rainy night sky and looked as endless as the universe. The weapon looked as if the fabric of reality around it was being consumed into its abyssal depths. With a swift motion I tore open a gash in the space ahead of me, and I escaped into the black matter. The police officers stormed the alley in search of their suspect only to find silence. I had vanished from perceivable reality and slipped away from their sight, but they were still in mine. I watched as they searched for their target. I could see the police officers speaking to each other, but no sound could enter my ears.

"What are they saying?" I muttered.

"They are looking for you. We can take them out here, or we can let them go for the time being."

I sat lying in wait as the officers continued to search the area. I could've dispatched them with little effort. It wouldn't be the first time I had killed someone. But if I attacked, it could have resulted in some unwanted attention from the ECPD. My existence was meant to be a best-kept secret. There could be no witnesses to the kind of power I possessed. I lived in the cracks and crevices of a world where flesh creatures lust for the will to dominate. But, at the same time, I knew I could leave those officers chasing their tails. While that meant they might eventually find me, I would still be a low priority target. The cops had much bigger fish to fry. I was considering leaving the officers alive until the voice swayed my decision.

"You’re gonna have to decide quickly. She knows where you are," said the voice with a great sense of urgency.

I immediately broke free from my shroud and emerged in reality. I cleaved into a police officer with my blade of dark matter. The officer fell to the ground with a large gaping wound. A gash stretched from the officer's left shoulder and tore through his torso like a canyon. It was like my sword had erased part of his body. I summoned another blade to my free hand as the officers opened fire. A sword of glowing white matter shimmered with light that rose from the blade like smoke. I swiftly blocked the bullets with my light blade as they hurtled towards me. A simple flick of the wrist guided my black blade with great speed. Within seconds I stepped back into negative space as gunfire rang out into the rainy sky. I wanted to make a scene. I was sending a signal flare for the one who was hunting me. It would only be a matter of time before she arrived.

Soon enough, the inferno had found me. Yet I remained hidden in the void as she reaped the souls of her foes with flames. I could see her with my waking eyes. Crimson hair flowed behind her with the same chaos as the flames she wielded. Her eyes were blue like ice, with reflections of embers dancing across her gaze. Her figure was slender and pale like a ghost.

A tight corset of black leather clung to her curves and pushed up her bust. A red on black plaid skirt covered her waist as a pair of fishnet stockings climbed up her legs. The boots she wore on her feet were tall and brought forth a powerful presence from within the glamour. The boots were black, of course, with belts and buckles wrapping around their length.

A pleasure filled grin stretched to the edges of her beautiful face as she burned her foes to ash. It was only when that last survivor begged for his life, that I emerged to face her. The woman wreathed in hellfire. The woman who brought this fate upon me. The woman who killed my father. The woman who killed me.

I glared at my foe as she stood holding the body of a dead cop. I watched in anger as the cop's body crumbled into dust that fluttered down to the wet pavement.

"You’re a tough one to find," she said with an almost flirty tone.

"Only when I don't want to be found," I responded before silence overtook us.

We stared into each other’s eyes with murderous intent. The air around me rose in temperature slowly before finally igniting into a storm of flames. I leapt above the fire and found myself closer to my target. I brought my light blade down upon her. My strike collided with a flame-imbued arm as the woman took a defensive stance. I swung my abyssal sword as she blocked its twin only for her to defend once more. The strike of my blade grazed her hand, erasing the flames that enveloped it. That was when I struck. I slashed her arm with my light sword and kicked her back. She flew backward and skidded along the wet pavement as I approached. She grinned to herself as she licked the blood from her wound.

"You’ve gotten stronger. I like it."

The burning girl stretched out her arm and unloaded a barrage of fireballs from her palm. I reacted in an instant and recalled my dark blade. Black matter gathered at my palm in a pulsating sphere as I guided my hand. The space in front of me tore open like cloth erasing every projectile that came near it.

"You have no idea."

I summoned my black sword back to my hand and charged towards my enemy with furious footsteps. The girl began to channel flames through her hands. Steam began to rise from puddles as they bubbled and boiled over. The voice in my head shouted with utmost urgency.

"Stop! You can’t survive her next attack!"

It was too late. She let out a blood-curdling scream of rage and sent a massive blast of white flames towards me. Without even thinking, I sliced my way into negative space and hid away from the blaze. I sighed in relief as I just barely escaped being burned to a crisp. My eyes locked on the woman as she searched for me in a rage.

"You are still much stronger than me," I said under my breath.

She was always stronger than me. She was strong since the day I first encountered her. The day she ended my life in the blink of an eye.

*****

People long ago used to believe in Abraxas, the god who saved humanity from a fake world. A German writer talked about the world being like an egg. For a bird to be born it must destroy the egg, the world. The day I died, I emerged from the egg and destroyed the world I called home. I have flown to Abraxas. I have long since seen the true world and destroyed the egg. The world that trapped me within its perpetual fantasy. The life I lived was no more than a dream that I awoke from. My own life was the egg that I had left behind shattered. Yet, it is a dream I still wish I could go back to. I would have given anything to return to the broken shell that remained. For the pleasures of my new existence are few and far between. Abraxas has saved me, yet I continue to resent the god’s help.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

My life began on a sorrowful note. My mother passed away giving birth to me. My father kept her death from me until he thought I could handle hearing those words. It's something I remember blaming myself for. My father always told me my mother was beautiful, and that it was not my fault that she died. I can barely remember the first and last time I saw her. I like to think she was beautiful, a goddess in her own right.

My father, on the other hand, reminded me of a knight out of a fantasy world. He was a strong and brave man who would protect me with his life if it came to it. But, I don't think he ever anticipated that his promise would seek fulfillment. Even then, he laid his life down for me without hesitation. He died a proud warrior to the bitter end.

*****

I remember it as clear as day. The day my world shattered like glass. My father had brought me to the street mall that had just opened up in Center City. The sky was bright and cheery that day. Everything seemed perfect, as things often do before tragedy strikes. It was the subtle calm before the storm.

It happened in a flash. An explosion ripped its way through the east side of the market. Panic flooded into the streets, carried by smoke and fire. As the dust finally settled, I saw her. The girl who would kill me. Her scarlet hair appeared to glow like the flames she wielded. I looked on in shock as she picked people up one by one and dug her scolding hands into their skin. The girl watched in bliss as her victim's flesh and bone atomized in her clutches. I could hear the chilling screams of every single person destroyed by that girl’s power.

I remember turning back to my father and shouting at him to do something. He was frozen in place. I tried my best to get him to snap out of his daze. I kept shaking his arm and tugging on his collar. I had no idea how futile my actions were. Every attempt to try and drag my father from his stupor would have no effect. My mind was just forcing me further and further into denial. It was only when I began to give up that the illusion broke apart, and I saw the truth. My father was burned alive by the girl’s flames. The fire charred and tore through my father's body. He was completely unrecognizable. His skull was almost completely exposed and crumbling into dust. I stood there in absolute disbelief as I saw the face of my father, mutilated by that girl’s flames. I watched as my father’s body slowly disintegrated. I was too scared to even shed a tear as I clung to his decaying hands before they finally faded away on the wind. I remember screaming. I didn't cry in panic. Instead, my tears were shed in rage and sorrow. I felt a feeling swelling up inside me that I had never known. My father became nothing more than a memory. The good life I had was gone and I was left alone.

My breath felt hot as I glared at the woman while she strolled through her killing fields with glee. And in that moment of suffering, I did the unthinkable. I felt an unfathomable rage fill me as I charged towards the woman. I surged forth, letting loose a terrifying battle cry. I did not stop when I saw that fearsome grin of hers. In one swift motion, she hurled a single ball of flame towards me. I felt my survival instincts take control, as I dodged the incoming blast. The woman didn’t seem too surprised and began to fire off a few more blasts. I took cover behind a pile of rubble and began to breathe heavily. Scorched bodies lay at my feet, some still breathing and staring at me with eyes begging for life. My mind was racing with fear as fireballs shattered into clouds of embers against the rocks. Soon, my fate wouldn’t be much different from the ashen corpses strewn around me. I could hear the woman speaking firmly, as she walked ever closer to my cover.

"Come out and fight me, kid! It’s your own life you're wasting here! Might as well go out a hero, right?"

I clenched my fists tight as I prepared myself. I planned to dash from my hideaway and tackle the burning woman.

"Good luck saving what’s left, kid," said the woman in a malicious tone.

I felt the weight of her words drag my heart into the depths of despair. My body was drenching itself in sweat. Rage consumed me. She was taunting me. She had no value for life. Her view of humanity was skewed and malformed. She believed everyone below her to be weaklings, and that she was the top of the food chain. To her, those who could not stand up to her or surpass her had no right to live. Her power was immense, there was no way I could resist her for long. I was only human. Despite my fear, I still felt my body vault over my shield of rubble and charge towards the woman.

"That’s it. Come to me," the woman muttered to herself.

I watched her body begin to glow with an immense white light and felt the air burning away at my skin.

I can't recall much after that. I saw a white flash and felt a heavy pain on my back. I remember blinking in and out of consciousness while feeling pain throughout my entire body. Everything hurt. I could only feel that heavy, numbing pain. With each flash of consciousness, I stared at that woman in absolute, soul-crushing fear. But then, something else wormed its way out of the blackest pits of my fear. I felt acceptance.

I felt a gentle warmth overcome me as I tried to sit up against the stone wall I had been flung into. I was feeling content. I gave my fate a pained smile with whatever energy I had left. The woman came ever so close, with fire in her fingertips. I had accepted death. Back then, the thought of going on to be with my father didn’t seem so bad. After a while, I couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. I was ready to leave. Memories from sixteen years of life flashed in my mind. The woman approached and crouched down in front of me. A menacing smile carved itself into her face. She dragged her hand gently across my burned head as she spoke.

"I’ll give you some credit, you lasted much longer than most. Tell you what, I’m a nice girl. I’ll give you a little reward."

I stared at the woman with wounded eyes as she stood. Then, out of nowhere, I felt a sharp kick to my scorched stomach. I screamed out in agony as I slumped over from the blow. The woman grinned as she raised her leg to kick me once more.

"Your reward is a long and agonizing death! A fitting death for someone who can take the pain~!"

The woman dropped her foot into the back of my skull. I felt the heel of her boot press me into the smoldering stone ground. I screamed out in unbearable pain as I felt the skin of my face sizzle and peel away. The smell of my own searing flesh invaded my nostrils. My mind was stuck on a loop. The same four words kept repeating in my head.

"I’m going to die! I’m going to die! I’m going to die!"

The woman continued to grin as she licked her lips. She tilted my head up from the chin and stared into my bloodshot eyes. I felt her fist pound right into my cheek over and over and over again. An inescapable rain of blows fell upon me. I felt like any second my jaw would break off from its joints. Finally, she kicked me back to the ground and I let out a raspy scream as a sharp sting shot all throughout my back. The woman, still flashing her murderous smile, began to stomp onto my weakened chest.

My hands stretched towards the clear blue sky as it cast its warm light down onto the decimated ground. I couldn't even continue screaming as I felt my ribs crunch and collapse on my lungs. Blood began to flow from my mouth onto my burnt flesh, bringing me only more pain. The woman continued to stomp into my long since collapsed chest. Finally, she placed her foot on my shoulder and grasped my hand. She pulled on my arm with all her power and I felt every snap and tear. After seconds that felt like hours, my arm broke off from my shoulder, and then she broke my other arm. I couldn’t even scream anymore. All I could do was stare at the peaceful sky above in unbearable misery.

Next, she would break my legs. My whole body was a plaything for this sadistic pyromaniac. I couldn’t escape her, I couldn’t even crawl. I was stuck, flat on my back, body burned and bloody, with all my limbs broken. The woman flashed a satisfied smile at her work and glared at me with familiar ferocity.

"I think you’re ready to die now. The flames will slowly tear you down into nothing. I hope you’ve made peace with whatever god you pray to."

I saw the woman gather flames into her palm. That ball of flame would be the thing to kill me. I gave the woman a nod as if to say "do it." She smiled and hurled that ball of fire towards me. I could see it heading towards my eyes in slow motion. Each second felt like an eternity in Inferno. The memories of my life continued to play out like a movie. This was it, there was nowhere to go but forward. Forward into the fire. I closed my eyes and smiled as I welcomed the end. I wanted to die with a smile.

I remember hearing a strange sound as I embraced Death's skeletal body. In that moment I pulled myself from Death's bony arms and opened my eyes. That was when I first laid eyes upon him. Someone had come to save me, but he was no knight in shining armor. This knight’s armor was a coat blacker than the deepest abyss. He was beautiful, with his jet black hair glistening in the light of the flames. Thin, square shaped glasses rested gently on the bridge of his nose. A single finger pushed the frames against his face as he glared at his opponent. He looked to be a number of years older than me. His thin body cleverly disguised the strength and weight of a legendary warrior. All his clothes were completely black like a shadow. The most noticeable article being his long coat that waved in the wind. Its blood red interior brought out a fierce contrast to the abyssal black. His jet gloves had white lines running over-top his knuckles. Clutched in his right hand was his Excalibur. A large Scottish Claymore. An old and simple weapon for such a brave, yet strange man. I could barely hear what he said to the woman, but one thing stood out.

"You really have lost yourself, haven’t you, Nina?"

Nina. That was her name. The name of the woman who killed my father. I was alone because of her. I watched as the strange man stared down Nina. Nina chuckled as she channeled flames through her palms.

"And you haven’t changed one bit, Genesis!"

I watched as a flurry of flames surged towards the strange man named Genesis. In seconds, the raging flames were cut down into nothing but embers by a simple steel blade. I would have been amazed had I not been waning in and out of consciousness. Everything was just a blur. I remember watching the man named Genesis fighting that girl, Nina. I remember feeling hands lift me onto what I believed to be a stretcher of some sort. Then there was nothing, just the blackness. I was surrounded by shadows.

*****

Everything blurred together into one confusing memory after I was taken from the street mall. I remember seeing the man named Genesis talking to another man with long blond hair. The blond man said something strange, but I was so broken and beaten that it was almost impossible to hear. I can only remember a single sentence said by the blond man.

"The boy is important, we have no choice but to proceed ahead of schedule."

My consciousness started to fade as I heard Genesis' voice.

"But is he even ready to accept his fate?" responded Genesis with concern.

I blacked out again after that. My eyes wouldn’t open again until I was brought into what looked like a laboratory. The lab was completely white, like the heavens. Light seemed to flood into the room from the corners and edges. I watched as the blond haired man looked at me with sorrow consuming his eyes. I could barely hear, but I could read the words coming from his lips.

"I’m so sorry," the blond man muttered as he prepared a syringe.

The man held up the small syringe and flicked it twice. I soon felt the needle of the syringe penetrate straight into my neck with gentle precision. I clenched my teeth as the needle pierced its way through my charred flesh. The blond man was injecting something into my veins. My eyes began to widen as a strange sensation came over me. It felt like something was invading my body. Black and white flashes danced in my vision. My body jerked violently with each sudden flicker. Something was happening to me. What was happening to me? Fear and inquiry dragged me back into the depths of unconsciousness. My vision faded taking the flashes with it as I fell into a coma once more.

I came back to consciousness in what felt like seconds. This time, I awoke to the sound of an electric razor. I could feel the buzzing of the razor as it shaved off the hair that remained on my burned skull. I remember clenching my fist in pain as the scientist continued to shave me bald.

After removing my remaining patches of hair, the blond man laid me on my back and put me under anesthetic. Despite the anesthesia, I still could feel a slight, yet sharp, pain in my skull. It felt like someone was tunneling their way into my brain. Something was inserted into my brain. My mind had been invaded by some foreign device. I began to go into a panic.

"Something was in my mind. Something in my brain. Boring a hole in my brain. Something. Brain. Something. Boring. Brain. Boring. Hole in Brain. Boring."

My thoughts became a jumbled, incoherent mess. My breath grew heavy, my heartbeat quickened.

"Just what the hell are they doing to me!?" is what I thought as I endured this bizarre intrusion on my mind.

Then, a cornucopia of bizarre colors clouded my vision with bright explosions of chromatic light. My whole brain felt like it was about to split in two. The sharp pain in the back of my head worsened. Colors continued to flash in front of my mind’s eye. My body felt like it began to seize violently with each new flash of color. There was a ringing in my ear and it kept getting louder. A surge of information flooded over me in seconds. More colors flashed. The pain grew worse. The ringing was all I could hear. The sound kept me from being able to think, my brain was falling apart.

"My brain, the skull being drilled through. The blood. I'm going crazy!" was the only thought that escaped the vivid explosions.

This torture went on for only ten minutes, yet it felt like ten thousand years of psychotropic insanity. Ten thousand years of unimaginable sensations that had flushed out my brain. Everything that was once me was being overwritten, like computer data. When at last I woke up from the nightmare, I heard a voice. I heard a voice inside my head.

"Where am I?"