When a man is consumed by darkness, he can either be remain broken or become the embodiment of that darkness within.

Standing over the graves of his two sons, a tiger type demi-human was crying. His name was Lake Luondo, a tiger type demi-human who lost everything he ever cherished. Now, he was left with nothing, the only thing left now for him was death. Maybe there, he can reunite with his family.

“Why did you take my sons, why couldn’t you let them live and take my life instead? Why? Why?!” he punched the ground hard. Uncharacteristic of what is expected of a big and tough tiger demi-human, he seemed to be so vulnerable; it was as if he was bleeding out, just inches away from closing his eyes. Yet, as if cursed by fate, his body was still alive, feeling the pain greater than anything physical- the loss of his loved ones.

“Life is often cruel.” He heard a voice, he turned around in alarm, but he saw none. For a second he questioned whether he was going insane, before he heard the same voice again.

“But such is fate.”

“Who is there!? Show yourself!” Lake Luondo roared into the distance, if there was anyone nearby, then they surely would be scared, after all he was a demi-human with physique of a feral beast. Yet, the voice calmly continued.

“Lake Luondo, your sons have died…”

How does he know my name?

“…No, they were murdered…by human knights of the Holy Order, they were killed right before your eyes, while you were chained up and imprisoned.”

Lake’s eyes opened wide. This disembodied voice seemed to know everything about him.

“Your wife soon died of grief, and now, here you are, grieving for your dead cubs.”

The voice got right to the point, the most painful part is that every sentence was the truth.

“Are you perchance a ghost, or a spirit, perhaps my consciousness? How would you otherwise know all about this?”

Lake refused to believe that someone could know everything about him just like that. Was he followed? If this is not a person, perhaps it is the signs that his grief had led him astray, resulting in madness. Maybe that was his punishment, for not being able to protect his cubs, losing the very thing that kept him thinking; his sanity.

“How indeed. But if you are comfortable thinking of me as the little voice in your head, then be my guest.”

“Damn it! Damn it! My sons’ lives were snatched away, my wife died of grief, and now I am losing my sanity! Why does this human kingdom take everything away from me?”

Lake’s words were laced with grief, anger, and despair. But somehow, he did not lose control, like some demi-humans or as they are called beast people do. He did not go feral and lose control of his instincts. His force of will was too strong for that, however, at this moment, he almost wished he could let his inner beast of destruction let loose.

“Unfortunately for you, you were not born a human; a tiger type demi-human is not exactly someone human beings will see as benevolent. Even if you grew up to become strong enough to defend yourself, same could not be said of your cubs.”

“My cubs…my poor cubs. They were so little, so young…they were not even tall enough to reach my waist.” Lake Luondo now started to shed tears as he kept speaking.

“When my twin cubs were born, I felt that my life was complete, I thought, I could happily leave this world after my sons have matured. I thought they would outlive me by far…Yet; here I am, weeping over their graves. I could not protect them. I am pathetic.”

“I understand how you feel.”

Unlike the cold distant voice he heard previously, this one seemed to contain genuine sympathy. But hearing something like this seemed like a mockery to a grieving father.

“No you don’t! You are just a figment of my imagination; you are not even a father!” Lake Luondo roared into nothingness. Maybe, if he got angry enough, this voice in his head would go away.

But then, a veil parted, and a form of a man wearing mask over half his face emerged. Lake Luondo gasped in surprise.

I was not losing it, there really was someone watching me…

“I am a father…Or more accurately, I should say, I was.”

Masked man stood next to Lake Luondo as he continued. His voice was no longer cold and indifferent, but laced with suppressed emotion. But even if the emotion in his words were barely recognizable, Lake felt that his words were genuine.

“There never passes a day when I don’t think about my son, even if I hated my predecessor, I can never make myself forget about the son he and I cherished. Back then, I thought everything would be ok and I would watch my son grow up.”

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The masked man chuckled a little.

“I even entertained silly thoughts that I would have grandkids someday…But now, the only place I can see him is in my dreams.”

Tiger demi-human sadly nodded and patted masked man’s back.

I see…He is just like me…

“It seems we are both fathers who lost what they cherish the most and left with nothing.” Lake felt that although he just met this person, in a sense, they were the same.

As a demi-human, Lake had very keen senses, so telling when someone is telling the truth by their odor, sound of heartbeat, or breathing, was not an issue. This man did not utter a single lie while he talked to Lake, but strangely, his body also partially smelled like a corpse.

“That is indeed so. Except we were left with something, were we not? Unfinished business of ours? To make the score even with those who have taken everything from us, to avenge our loved ones, and achieve victory over those who have wronged us.”

“You don’t mean…?”

“Correct. The only thing we were left with is our desire for vengeance. Those knights who have killed your sons, do you think they give a damn about the lives they cut short or the futures they have severed? They are most likely in a bar right now, talking about how great of an achievement they made by beheading non-humans.”

Lake Luondo’s eyes now turned feral with anger, his large fists clenching, and muscles on his back stretching as his body became engulfed in rage.

As mad as he sounds, this masked man is right. I might not like it, but he is correct on all counts.

“You are right.” Lake finally admitted. “But there is nothing someone of my race can do. Demi-humans are second class citizens, humans say demi-humans should feel lucky to be even allowed to live in human cities. I simply don’t have the ability to change anything.”

“That is where you are wrong. You can take up a weapon and you can slice those knights into pieces. You can stand up and fight back, strike terror into their hearts; make their worst nightmare come true.”

“You sound like that is even possible.”

“Oh, it is possible. Join me and together we shall burn this kingdom to the ashes.” The masked man extended his hand.

This guy is crazy. But right now, I have nothing left to lose.

“All right. I will join you” Tiger demi-human shook the man’s hand. Considering tiger demi-human was about two and half meters tall, he really tried his best to bend his back to be able to shake the masked man’s hand on an equal level.

“Henceforth, you shall be my subordinate. My group is called Shadow Lords, of which you are now member. Following my orders and loyalty is a must. Do you accept?”

“If it means avenging my boys; then yes.”

“Then the contract is complete. I welcome you, Lake Luondo, to my team.” From behind the masked man appeared several figures, all wearing masks.

There were more of them?! But I suppose I should not be surprised by now. But that means he has been tracking me for some time, but why?

One was a demon with one left eye, the other was most likely a snake person, and then there was a one armed man. All of them were invisible before their leader called upon them.

“Demon, demi-human, and human, I suppose you are not a human either, then?”

“Nope.” Masked man took off his mask.

Tiger demi-human almost fainted from shock after seeing his face.

It was as if he was death himself, standing right beside him.

“I am the Dark Lord, the one who leads the Shadow Lords. Lake Luondo, I promise you, you shall achieve your vengeance.”

“I will be looking forward to it.” Lake now bowed to Dark Lord in respect.

“But I must ask, have long have you been watching me?”

“Only today.”

That was the truth, partially. Dark Lord indeed had Shadow Lords track Lake Luondo down only today, but that did not mean it was the first time he did so today.

Nay, this was by far not the first time he talked to Lake on this day; he already did so four times in previous loops, obtaining information about Lake from his own mouth. Now, using the Information Lake himself provided in previous loops, Dark Lord used Lake’s desire for revenge to gain a strong beast man as his servant.

Contract is complete, he can no longer back out.

I did not expect myself to end up talking about my son.

My son…Kunjarik. I may have hated Nur Finnerman…I destroyed him.

But my son… Kunjarik … I miss you.

* * *

“I am not joking, Wylin, that miracle child is the real deal! When I showed him the cut on my palm that I got just the other day, he just touched it, and it was healed at that instant!”

Miya, maid of Sevilles mansion, ended up talking about her recent visit to the temple that was nearby.

“You are being delusional. It must be some kind of a sham; they must have good healers who are very capable or a person with a blessing that allows recovery. But a miracle child? Don’t be absurd.”

Wylin, the other maid was not having any of it.

“But that is the truth! There were so many people whose injuries were healed, diseases cured, and sightless eyes made to see again. The temple is having many visitors because of it.”

“Believing in such a thing is simply ridiculous. That is just a sham used by temples in order to have more people pay for their services. After all, help in a temple is not free.”

“But still…”

“Ladies, if you don’t mind, would you mind telling me about this curious miracle child?”

The master of the mansion, Runfar Sevilles appeared out of nowhere, shocking both of them.

After calming both of them down, they told him where the temple was, and Miya even offered to show Runfar where the temple was.

I suppose there is nothing wrong with visiting the temple, as long as none tries to dose me with holy water…

* * *

“I am sorry, but he not available at the moment.” A woman, who served in the temple, by the name of Rainu Wesel, said to the nobleman and the maid accompanying him.

Apparently the miracle child they were looking for was not there right now, but Miya stayed for a little to pray, meanwhile, Runfar chose to look around the temple.

So many statues and paintings depicting gods…Solaris, Aquorion, Ignis…and…

Runfar’s gaze stopped on the goddess that was holding sand hourglass, with one hand upon the birth of a man and the other on the death of a man.

…Chronos. The picture looks almost nothing like the real thing, but the meaning is the same nevertheless. I will get you one of these days, just you wait!

Runfar was so focused on the picture that he ended up running into a child.

The child fell on the ground. When Runfar offered him a hand to stand up, the child looked up at Runfar and cried out in panic.

“Don’t eat me!”

Huh? What are you talking about….

Runfar’s trail of thought was cut off as he saw the child unfold two large white extensions from his back. Those were wings, real wings.

The boy was not a human.

“Morphus! What are you doing? You are not supposed to show them to anyone!”

Voice of Rainu Wesel was audible, but Runfar paid it no heed.

Morphus, heh? What a curious little one…