Witnessing the destruction, lying to himself about its divinity. Speaking to others, bonding with many. Their lives no more, that crushing feeling to his heart. Carrying on, stifling those sentiments. No longer able to do so, stating his reason, finally finding it.
Not remaining in silence anymore, memories not leaving him. The young woman turning to him, extending her hand to him. His eyes to her, this person shining light into his darkness. That king watching, seeing him take hold of her offer, rising to his feet.
"That was how I felt as well, and why I needed to look further." Stepping away from him.
"I lied to myself, every single day. Though, no more..." His frustratingly shaking fists.
Their reason for joining the military, witnessing the destruction from a deity. One searching further, another lying to himself. Both meeting on the same plane, their determination to go forward.
Refusing to allow for it, following their hearts in this madness. Their eyes to the king, that one nodding in agreement towards them. Shifting his gaze to the tower, those two shortly looking in the direction.
"Now the only thing remaining, is to silence Valos." Zephyr folding his arms, walking up to them.
Waiting a long time for another chance, that individual in his mind. Her bright smile, everything slipping away from him. A king failing to protect her, his boiling hatred. Their eyes on a massive airship at the top, the swirling malice around the structure. A foe awaiting him, Zephyr hearing their voice, that chilling entity speaking directly to him.
You will lead more to ruin? When does your selfishness end, King of Beasts?
Carrying his hatred for years, yearning to bring meaning to the demise of one. His selfish path, bringing others within this whirlpool of madness. Walking onward, those words ringing through him. His countless battles, making more enemies.
Everything towards his direction, wandering in a black abyss. His way without light, someone watching from afar, her sad green eyes on him. Memories to the lion's mind, a night still haunting him.
A cold night underneath the blood moon, two in a field of black roses. The young woman in front of the king, her long crimson hair, her green eyes on him. Her dark top, a red dress wrapping below. Running her hand through her hair, facing away from him.
Sadness from her, her quickly beating chest. That flower behind her ear, this night on her. Feeling her unrest, the lion stepping back a bit. Turning to him, holding her hands behind her back.
"Zephyr, I have to tell you this now." Lowering her head.
"Tell me what...?" his hand behind his head.
"Every decade, someone is chosen as a sacrifice, to settle a deity." Her sorrowful voice.
Her words to him, his hasty heart. Thinking back to the past few days, someone smiling through her grief. Keeping this to herself, shouldering a great burden on her own. A tradition amongst those people, not caring for it. Refusing to allow her to die, stepping towards her. Extending his arms, gripping her hands, her sad expression on him.
"I will take you away from here, there is no need for you to die." His urgent tone.
"No matter how far I go, they will find me. Please, let me enjoy this final night with you..." Slightly looking away.
His final night with her, spending it with her. A desperate king trying to think of a solution, that helpless feeling within him, an event forever plaguing his mind. Growing stronger over his years, his goal towards bringing meaning to his companion's demise.
Selfishly pursuing his direction, leading others to ruin. Alicia noticing his unrest, watching the lion walking ahead. That one stopping not far from the two, folding his arms, his vision on the tower.
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"Rozalin...your death will have meaning." His low voice.
Waiting a long time for this moment, his guiding hatred. That deity speaking to him, two in opposition for years. This instance before the king, his willingness to see it through to its end.
That person to his mind, her bright smile no more. Someone once filling with life, enjoying many simple things. A person widening his vision, showing him much. Alicia and Aaron walking to his side, those three companions looking to the other.
"Well, if I am going to die. Might as well go out in style." The shrugging man.
"Heh." Zephyr faintly smiling.
Three unlikely individuals coming together, each riding along the same direction. Their will to proceed, following what is within. Those three walking onward, shortly finding themselves at the entrance. The intensifying malice, eyes watching from the shadows.
Zephyr standing aside, Alicia soon moving forward, a computer system at the front. Typing in the command, these companions gaining approval. The massive door opening, their eyes on the dark room ahead. The lights turning on, a long white path ahead of them. Some doors at the end, screens on the walls. Those few entering, the door immediately closing behind them.
"Looks like there is no going back now." Aaron folding his arms, glancing behind.
"Not like we can turn back either way." Zephyr moving onward.
Waiting years for this moment, his great hatred. Yearning to bring meaning to the demise of a person, preparing for this second confrontation. His nearing chance, refusing to remain in silence.
A sigh leaving Aaron, shortly shrugging. Their route towards a deity, each playing along in this madness. Believing in their course, joining on a common goal. That man trailing the king, his hand behind his head.
"At the top of this tower...the truth will come out..." Alicia slightly looking away.
Heading forward, readying herself to learn the truth behind this insanity. Images never leaving her mind, searching further for answers. Those willingly following along, ignoring the damage by a deity. Making their way onward, this quiet tower. Ascending higher, soon entering into a room. Many dusty pods in the area, Zephyr walking up to one. Wiping away the dust, his widening eyes.
"Ro—Rozalin...?"
Alicia and Aaron's eyes to him, seeing the lion slowly stepping away. That person floating there, his disbelief at the sight. A shocking situation, trying to rationalize the reason behind it. Seeking after an answer for years, carrying his deep hatred. This never dawning on him, his quickly beating chest. Hitting his back against another pod, his head towards the direction.
"Zephyr...who is Rozalin?" Alicia's hand to her chest, her concerning eyes to him.
Turning to the way, hesitantly raising his hand. Wiping away the dust, his shaking vision, seeing another one. Running around the room, sweeping away one pod after the next. These many clones, his increasing agony.
Screaming out, sliding down a pod. The king on his knees, his hands on the device, Alicia running up to him. His deep anguish, the young woman kneeling to him. Aaron looking at the duplicates, shortly shifting his attention to documents on a desk.
"Zephyr...who is this...?" Alicia's worrying tone.
"Someone...important to me. Why are there clones...? Unless..."
Steadily fitting together these pieces, his deep frustrations. Failing to protect her, those going further, bringing this situation into actuality. A pure individual in the past, forcing her into a sacrificial role. A king unable to do anything, spending that last night with her. Desiring for her to live, opposing the rationality of his enemies. Those flowing memories, remembering the dreadful day.
The sun shining down at the center of the village, Rozalin standing in a pentagram. Malice brightly burning, many cheering on the madness. Those binding her, her sad eyes. Screams shortly sounding, the young woman looking in the direction. Zephyr racing through, that proud white lion. Soldiers chasing after him, this one refusing to give in.
"Zephyr..."
"Complete the ritual!" a general commanding.
His hasty heart, his powerful resistance. Breaking through his enemies, running down his dark path. Reaching for one at the end of this darkness, her ringing words. Someone coming into his life, showing him another way forward.
Watching her contain a secret, coming out with it the previous night. Refusing to let her go, that intensifying blackness. Determination from him, coming closer to her.
"Zephyr, what I wouldn't give for things to go differently..." Smiling at him, tears to her vision.
His widening eyes, seeing the reacting malice. That disappearing person, the energy rushing into the sky. Stopping his movements, everyone looking on, the heavily shaking land. A dark void in the air, an enormous malefic dragon shortly descending, landing in Rozalin's place.
A sacrifice to bring a beast into this world, his deep hatred. Loudly roaring, drawing the attention of the monster. Charging at them, these two mighty foes against one another. An eventual conclusion to the battle, that king's bloody body. Making his way to safety far away from the village, collapsing in the mountains.
"Hey Zephyr, might want to check this out." Aaron walking up to him.
His confrontation with the deity, suffering a crushing defeat. Barely escaping alive, devoting his life to bringing meaning to the demise of one. These ill sentiments within him, his growing frustrations. Zephyr and Alicia's eyes to the man, that soldier presenting the documents to the lion. Taking hold of it, his eyes widening at the title.
Project Rozalin.