"Can't you understand?! Leave me behind!" A young man's voice thundered as his sword cleaved through yet another creature.

He gazed ahead, witnessing a vision of despair. A bleak landscape stretched before him, littered with twisted corpses of grotesque beasts and withered trees. An icy breeze, devoid of any soul, gnawed at his body, as if coaxing him into its frigid grip.

He had lost track of how many he had slain. Countless monsters had fallen by his hand, and still, there were more to be killed. But he would not stop until...

Until he met his own end.

"No!" A cry of anguish echoed from behind, his sister Sasha's voice pleading.

"Yes! Ethan, do what you're good at, you wretched bastard! Kill them! Kill them all while I search for a way to open this cursed door!" Another man bellowed, frustration oozing from his words.

Ethan gasped for air, struggling to stand. He staggered backward as his wound reopened, crimson blood spurting from his legs. Desperately, he leaned on the pod that had brought them to this accursed planet.

This had started as a simple mission—to retrieve the egg of a deceased alien. Yet, who could have thought that the advanced radar would fail to detect these abominations?

As if sensing his vulnerability, a mouth filled with jagged teeth burst forth from the ground, attacking his injured limb. With a grunt of pain, Ethan thrust his sword, unleashing a chilling silver wave of sword energy that pierced through the creature's maw.

His weary eyes surveyed the desolation surrounding him, and he pleaded to those within the pod, "Please... go. Leave me."

"Brother... don't say that." Sasha's voice trembled with sorrow from within the confines of the space pod. "J-James is on the verge of opening the door. Uncle Martin is contacting headquarters. Help will come soon, Ethan. Just hold on, please."

Ethan let out a soft chuckle, but it was a bitter laugh that reflected his deep frustration. Resting his head wearily against the icy glass of the vehicle, he felt a wave of desolation wash over him.

Ethan had arrived just a moment too late. Only a single step stood between him and the team—his family.

The design of the space pod was meant to ensure that once emergency mode was activated, gaining entry was nearly impossible unless one possessed the strength of a giant to tear it apart.

Because of the sudden assault of the beasts, the emergency mode had activated. And now Ethan was trapped outside.

All of a sudden, in a swift motion, he drove his sword into the ground, unleashing a surge of energy that rippled through the land.

Within a few meters of him, the once dark soil transformed into a haunting shade of crimson, as if the accursed planet thirstily absorbed the spilled blood. But its hunger was insatiable, and the darkness soon reclaimed its hold.

How could the information have been so wrong? They had no enemies, no one harboring hatred towards them. It made no sense at all.

Ethan's head spun, and his thoughts became sluggish, weighed down by a profound sadness.

"B-Brother!" Sasha's voice shattered his daze, pulling him back to the present.

A small monster that somehow survived his attack had latched on him, biting at his wounded leg.

With a grunt of pain, he stabbed at it. Green energy flowed out of his hand and covered the open wound. But it was temporary.

Drawing in a deep breath, Ethan took a step forward and spoke with a heavy weariness, "I... I'll go ahead. The rest of you should leave."

Before they could protest, Ethan continued, his voice tinged with exhaustion, "Please... I don't want any of you to see me dying."

Silence hung in the air, the weight of unspoken words suffocating them all. Ethan tightened his grip on his sword, gazing at its gleaming edge, and silently affirmed his resolve.

The immediate area was now safe, but he knew the dangers that lay ahead. Slowly, cautiously, he pressed onward.

"Where do you think you're going?!" James shouted from behind, desperation seeping into his voice.

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"Brother... You promised me you'd protect me! Please, come back," Sasha's broken sobs pleaded, reaching Ethan's ears.

Yet, he refused to look back. Sniffing back his tears, he fought to maintain his composure. This was not the time to weep. His vision needed to be clear. He had to defend them and secure their escape route.

Ethan was aware that James had forcibly immobilized the space pod, but its destination had already been set, locked on autopilot. There was no way to alter its course.

They would never lay eyes on his face again. Ethan clenched his fists, biting his quivering lips, and let out a sorrowful shout. "James, I... entrust my resolve to you. Protect my sister at all costs! I know you have feelings for her. Prove it! Prove it by staying by her side until the very end."

His footsteps dragged along, each one heavier than the last, as he continued, his voice tinged with a broken laughter. "And you, Martin... you old bastard, fucking marry!"

Ethan sniffled, a forceful, desperate inhale. "And you, Sasha... I am so sorry for breaking my promise... and I love you."

He wanted to say more but no words came out of his mouth.

Tears streamed down Ethan's face as he hastily wiped them away, his heart shattered into irreparable pieces.

He had made a solemn vow to his late step-parents that he would protect Sasha, but now it seemed utterly impossible.

The sound of their cries rang in his ears, a chorus of anguished pleas from behind. He could hear his sister's feeble voice, strained and hoarse, calling out his name.

It hurt. His whole body hurt. But his heart ached more.

Ethan wanted to turn around to look at his sister. To see her for the one last time. But he knew he couldn’t.

He felt scared. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to laugh with his new family again.

He wanted to see his sister’s smile again.

He wanted to celebrate her upcoming nineteenth birthday so much.

He wanted… to do so many things.

Despite the crushing weight of sorrow upon him, Ethan knew that he couldn't miss a single moment.

A single moment could lead to his death and the monsters would attack the spacecraft.

He couldn't let them be in danger.

*RAWR!!!*

As if proving his point, a few more monsters dug out of the ground and attacked him at the same time. More and more monsters appeared on the horizon and charged at him.

Hundreds and thousands of monsters swarmed at him as Ethan striked down the demons around him. Ethan clenched his fists tight and with a roar, dashed at the hordes of creatures.

Blue energy covered his body, his aura got higher and higher. The air exploded.

Amidst the cacophony of their terrifying shrieks, he heard the faint rumble of an engine in the distance, signaling their retreat. Relief mingled with an overwhelming sense of desolation in his heart.

Then he let go of all of his stored energy.

*Booom!!*

With a loud bang, his body shot forward like lightning. Whenever he moved, limbs and flesh flew. Wherever he stepped, the land cracked into pieces.

Bloodshot eyes glinted with a madness born of relentless slaughter. He utilized every weapon at his disposal—his head, his legs, his mouth, his fists—unleashing a storm of annihilation until his final breath.

Time passed, On the scarred battlefield, Ethan fell on his knees, his body ravaged and broken. His left hand and an eye were cruelly claimed by the merciless fray.

He looked at the sky, it was filled with dark clouds, their darkness holding a peculiar allure. A melancholic beauty entwined with his pain-stricken heart.

With a hollow thud, he fell to his side, his vacant eyes saw the leftover monsters edging over him, growling as if telling him that they’d tear him apart into pieces, torture him till the end.

Ethan chuckled at that thought and coughed out more blood and his internal organs.

He had overexerted himself and his energy. Now he couldn’t even lift a single finger.

Fate was so cruel and somehow fair. Ethan had torn apart these monsters and now it was their turn to do the same with him.

Luck seemed to be on his side. The beasts were denied their prey, their victory.

The abominations' gaping maws loomed mere inches from Ethan, but then, the world came to a sudden halt.

Beside him, a presence stirred, as a mysterious figure materialized from thin air, their hood concealing their identity.

In an instant, a lethal aura erupted from this enigmatic being, obliterating the monsters that surrounded them. Strangely, Ethan remained untouched by the overwhelming force.

Time resumed its relentless march, accompanied by the howling wind and the exploding land. Ethan's vision cleared, revealing an eerie stillness.

He wanted to speak, to inquire about this unexpected savior, but before he could utter a word, the hooded figure cast aside their cloak.

Ethan's eyes widened, his mouth agape, and more blood spilled from his trembling lips. Yet, amidst the pain and injury, he could not tear his gaze away from the person before him.

It was a woman. In her late twenties, she possessed an otherworldly beauty, her brown hair elegantly braided. Cold, unyielding gray eyes met his bewildered stare, her expression devoid of emotion.

"W-what?" Ethan's voice trembled with disbelief and astonishment, for the woman who stood before him was...

His sister, Sasha.

Confusion swirled within him, but a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. The sight of his sister filled him with a flicker of joy. Ethan failed to notice the gleam of a sharp knife clutched in Sasha's hand.

Sasha's voice pierced the air, icy and detached. "In the world of shadows, where whispers wordlessly fade, our dreams lay shattered, claimed by fate."

With those enigmatic words hanging in the air, Sasha lunged at him with lightning speed...

...and plunged the knife deep into Ethan's shattered heart.