The wind peacefully made its way through the forest, gently swaying the leafs of the oak trees, lightly pressing upon the tall grasses untouched by man in so many years. The quiet sound of a stream, an offshoot of a bigger river, whispered quietly, filling the small forest with stories from afar.

With those stories, a traveler arrived. A battered, bruised, and damaged man, shredded skin curled up on his body as charred flakes peeled off. His body trembled under the influence of the cold water brushing against it. He was washed ashore, lying face down, his jaw ripped and torn, eyes open.

Dark, clouded, with black, weakly throbbing veins spread through them, and around his face, originating from the eyes.

The sun shone upon his half-submerged body and laid its warmth upon his back. It was steaming. The body is still hot enough to create a small mist around it. Muscle tissue revealed, visible through the gashes, and ribs flayed of flesh revealed themself under the sunshine. Blood slowly oozed from the wounds.

He coughed.

The body spasmed from the pain. Wrecked by flashes of piercing sensations.

More coughs followed. A retch, agony reached higher levels as the water that the man swallowed while unconscious traveled upwards in his throat that had been torn, burned, and peeled of flesh, the blinding pain awoke him from his stupor. His mind was ignited with blazing pain as his brain got overwhelmed by the input of sensations.

He groaned, and the sound that escaped what was left of his torn mouth sounded deflated, a growl of surrender. The overwhelming exhaustion was almost palpable. A blanket that surrounded every cell of his body, threatening to pull him back into the embrace of sleep. Sleep, from which he knew, he would not wake up from.

More on instinct, than from conscious thought, he clenched his palms. Some of the fingers were broken and pointed in the wrong direction. Still, whatever power he could muster, he used to tighten his palms around the strands of grass under them. The joints popped and creaked. With more guttural growls, he pulled himself out of the stream, and slowly, agonizingly slowly, he pulled himself forward.

Forearms shivered, and twitched, as fried nerves sent out the wrong commands.

After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to drag his body into the clearing in the woods.

Mud and dirt stuck to his face, gritting between the leftovers of his teeth. Spit absorbing the earthly taste, grounding him in reality.

He was alive. Barely. But alive.

He hadn't even noticed it before, but his ears were ringing. Quite loudly, like a train's horn blaring non-stop in his head, the migraine that accompanied it was easily drowned out in the onslaught of pain his body experienced.

He just laid there, lost, without any thoughts. Mind empty of distractions. Just the physical existed.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

With each breath, more pain followed.

With each breath more energy he regained.

He survived. Somehow, he survived.

The ringing in his ears was constant, drilling into his head like tightening screws. He couldn't even hear his own growls of pain. He could only barely register how his body trembled as his chest deflated.

„...uk”

…

„LUKE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! FUCK THIS IS DIFFICULT!” Through the haze of pain, the wall of damage his mind scarred around, he could hear a voice in his head.

„LUKE YOU FUCK! CAN-YOU-HEAR-ME?!” Now that squeaky voice became even louder than the ringing, overshadowing it.

He was so tired and broken, he couldn't even form a thought. Only flashes of experiences and feelings came through. He sent them inwards. Into his own psyche to rattle around what remained unshredded, in its depths. From where the voice came from.

„ WHAT ?!”

He sent the emotions once more, surprise and exhaustion barreled towards the screaming source of noise.

„WHAT ?!”

Again, he focused and this time some annoyance slipped into the message.

„DON'T GET SNARKY WITH ME YOU BIG LUG! IT'S ME! LITTLE FELLA!”

It took a moment for Luke's mind to recollect the memories of his friend. Like a scrapbook, different snippets of past times formed a somewhat coherent picture.

Surprise and shock radiated through his mind, he sent it back.

„Yeah. It's me. Don't know what you did but based on the fact you can't even think you must have fucked up badly. The one time I want to hear someone's voice after months of torture in silence you are quiet. You still suck ass buddy, you suck it hard.”

Luke choked on his own blood as he chuckled. A feeling of being sorry transmitted together with a haze of pain he was experiencing.

„Uf, they messed you up badly. I hope you kicked some butt! Don't know what the fuck you did, but the place I'm in went fucking nuts. The sun suddenly blazed and swelled, and solar flares marred the desert and caused eruptions of that fucking glass everywhere. When that went to shit and the sun suddenly stopped its rotation the sand snarled back. They erupted into the sky, trying to clash with it. I thought I was done! The hole I'm plugging became larger, instead of being slowly ground away by the sand I was suddenly drowned in it!”

Luke had to use all of his will and focus to even try to understand what he was hearing. Still, in disbelief, his friend is able to communicate. He was just content to hear his voice.

The Little Fella continued his ramblings.

„ THE WHOLE FUCKING PLACE SHOOK LIKE A CRYING BABY, SOMETHING EXPLODED BELOW ME, I THOUGHT IT'S GONNA RIP MY ASS APART! Also, while on this subject, I was quite excited to finally have some ass cheeks but them being ground down by Void Glass Sand took that want away, if I could I would chop them off and give them to some starving kids or something.” He took a breath in „Anyway, something slammed me against my back and actually pushed me out... a bit, I don't know what happened but you absorbed something, something that was missing previously. I think you left some parts of yourself elsewhere and that's where the leak came from. Gather them up and I won't have to fucking stay in this mad place!”

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. He could scarcely recollect sometime during smashing Klaus's forehead inward, he absorbed something back...his own trace of Void.

His body shambled as the realization hit. He must have separated a part of himself unconsciously. Left it in that piece of shit in the heat of the moment. When the emotions got the better of him.

The cogs in his mind turned slowly, rust peeling off them with each jagged rotation.

Images of Bubbles, Lettuce, and maybe even Her flashed before his eyes.

Still unable to form full words within his own mindscape he sends the revelation back at Little Fella.

„After things settled everything went eerily quiet, and the Sand changed. It's more like gravel now. Still hurts like a motherfucker but it's more manageable, and consuming me much slower. Whatever you did, keep it up, maybe I'll actually leave this shithole.”

Luke etched this revelation into his mind. He could not forget that no matter what, he still had his debt to pay back.

„FUCK! I can't manage this connection much more, it's draining me too much. Keep it up fuck face, I'll be waiting... AND HURRY UP IT SUCKS IN HERE!” And the echoes splashed against his mind, something within a closed shut, the passageway distanced itself from Luke's reach.

Leaving him with only his own murky thoughts and ringing in his ears.

Somehow, he managed to flip over onto his back. The grass gently nestled itself into his open wounds. Drinking up the flowing crimson as if morning dew.

He could not truly believe it. He defeated Klaus. He may be able to rescue Little Fella.

No, he definitely will rescue him. There is no question about it.

With determination came a smile, and from that broken, pained grin came more power. Power to strive, power to live.

* I still have debts to pay, and people to care for. * He finally managed to put his thoughts into words.

Looking at the foliage of the trees he noticed something peculiar. Tens of crows surrounded him.

A murder of crows was waiting for him. He could figure out that it was the work of the Avian Lord.

With renewed vigor, he strained himself as he elbowed his way to sit up. With groans, he dragged his ass-backward until his back touched upon a bark of a tree. There, he rested. Exhaling deeply.

Something dropped from above onto the open palm resting on his lap.

A black, metal ring. Unassuming, no magical residue upon it.

* Weird. * he thought to himself.

Raising his chin up, he looked upon the crows. And finally, one of them flew down from the branches, Luke could feel the tethers of a mental bridge connecting the flock. In the real, Avian magic required a collective to be as effective as beyond the Veil.

The crow dug its talons into his thigh. Even that was enough to make Luke wince in pain.

He felt a probing on his mind's surface. He opened up to let the connection in.

Immediately, as the bridge connected he was assaulted with a wave of sorrow and sadness, enough to shake even his own scarred mind, so used to such emotions.

Concerned, he slowly asked.

„Avian? What's... what's wrong? Are you all right?”

Before any words were spoken, the crow jumped a bit forward, enough to tap a metal piece previously hidden in its beak against Luke's collarbones. Right where the storage amulet was hidden under his skin. Luke could feel some items were transferred to his possession. He didn't even check the contents. He just waited.

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„ ...Lukas, I come bearing sad news. Accept The Remembrance, and please. Be calm. Just... don't... Just please, see it all...” The sadness was oozing off each word, sticking to his mind like oil, dousing his mind in sorrow.

As he felt the package of memories enter his mind, he allowed it to sink into his mindscape. With concern and fear, he allowed himself to relieve it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Bowels of the City shook, tremors spreading wide and far through them.

Dust, debris, and pieces of glowing moss fell on the head of the Crab Man, caking him in the dirt. He looked up, wondering what might have caused that disturbance. He could feel some small skirmish on the land above, grazing his wards a few hours ago. Weak, probably some animals going rampant. Maybe they just got back to it.

He wanted to focus on the Artifact he was building now, a present for Luke. For his graduation.

*I still can't believe how fast he grew up, that boy has some future in front of him. If he only stays out of trouble.* Thinking that, he places a delicate, murky cristal right into the bronze intestines of a clockwork machine, hidden in an enlarged, isolated subspace of a black metal ring. He fused the metal of the cover with heat magic, boiling the bronze and inscribing the pre-prepared enchantment. It sizzled with heat, smoke rising into Monsoon's nostrils.

Yet, he smiled, knowing how much this would help his little prodigy. He already sent him a lot of books to parse through after he left The Nest. Even some materials from his hoard.

„ Oh, ho, ho, those rascals,” he thought to himself when he replayed The Remembrance Avian Lord sent him. The look of surprise in Luke's eyes as he passed the ledge, was priceless. He didn't feel that much warmth in such a long time... not since he lost them.

His workbench shook again.

Scrunching his eyebrows, he started to get angry. His bottom limbs were clacking against the stone tiles in annoyance, his massive pincers clacking to the rhythm.

* It's really delicate work I'm almost at the end, I can't mess this up now.*

„ Aaaaaand..... Done.” The item clicked, something hissed, something snapped and started its unending motion. The thing glowed slightly until the light wobbled and dimmed down. Now, it seemed inconspicuous, with no energy signature, nothing worth noticing. Just a piece of junk.

„ Perfect,” he said.

The item he was creating was one of his best creations so far, easily an Artifact of Power, at least a grade above him. It took some really innovative work and expensive materials to create it.

* The ring will not only dampen the spread of both of his powers but should theoretically balance and cancel them out outside of his body. So if everything goes well maybe Fate will look upon him more favorably, he shouldn't cause so much destruction and bad luck wherever he goes and maybe he will stop being so impulsive and stupid. I just want that boy to be safe and be able to live normally again. That is my only wish. „

As he thought that, a commotion happened above him.

Something ripped apart the barriers in his domain, his surroundings cracked as the Runes flared to life.

His domain was under attack.

„ MONSOOOON!!” The howl ripped across the halls, the tunnels, the earth itself.

His legs turned into jello, barely managing to hold his weight. He was trembling in fear, an autonomous reaction to the trauma he received. The last time he heard that voice so loudly, so full of anger he suffered. He lost everything. He fell into a state of shell shock. That state was climbing upwards from the depth of his mind, together with all the trauma. The barriers Avian Lord conjured crumbled under the wave of terror.

He was shaking violently. In a panic, he activated all the wards on the doors to the hall. They groaned under the influx of power, shined in the dim light of the underground. With a madman's rush, he started dawning armor and spells upon himself. Charging up. Magic items buried deep in mounds of trash trembled in the hall and flew towards him, staying in orbit around his massive carapace.

He was terrified to his core.

HE WAS COMING FOR HIM.

AGAIN. AGAIN!

Instinctively, his body retracted. Cowering and trembling in fear. Taking steps back as he felt the tremors of his domain.

He was getting closer.

As his mind was on the verge of collapse from panic, the reinforced gates of the Great Hall exploded, they immediately turned into shrapnel and shot all throughout the hall. Some pieces digging into his barrier. With enough power to actually strain it.

Knowing that this wasn't even a magical attack, just a punch from that bastard terrified him.

„YOU FILTHY BEAST, DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO WELCOME YOUR GUESTS PROPERLY? HOW TO TEND TO YOUR BETTERS?!” The maddened titan yelled at him, revealing his humongous form from the dust as he got closer. The cold, azure eyes pierced into Monsoon enough to cause him physical pain.

Klaus Senior likes to enjoy playing with his prey. He smiled, slowing his walk. Really taking in the terror and shock drawn on The Crab Mans's face. He could smell his body oozing terror, and see the shakes. His smile grew wider.

As his knife-sized fangs were revealed from the lips pulled taught, something in Monsoon snapped. He panicked and threw some items at Klaus. A bundle of rope with golden inscriptions unfurled into a swarm of strings, wrapping around Klaus's body, trying to immobilize him.

He didn't even slow down, taking another step the rope shredded to pieces. His grin intensified.

„You are worse than dirt, you are not worth my spit”

That ignited something in Monsoon, from the spark of fear a blaze of untamed hatred came to life.

„ YOU BASTARD!” He bellowed as the Hall shook responding to his emotions. With all might he could wield, he started casting all the insta-release spells in his possession. He flayed his claws and his arms, chucking spell after spell, earth lances, items, even simple bricks enhanced by magic.

They all shattered upon Klaus's uncaring body. A fog of magical smog and dust surrounded him, yet not even a speck could touch his unstoppable figure.

Monsoon, driven by mindless rage closed the distance himself. Empowered by tens of square kilometers of magical mazes, and hundreds of tonnes of earth he swung with a shining pincer, the earth coalesced around it so tight and compact it flowed like magma.

CRASH.

The whole underground shook, magical beasts scattered in terror, and tunnels collapsed.

And from that cacophony of destruction a loud, obnoxious laugh pierced through.

„WEAK!” Monsoon heard just a second before a terrible pain bloomed from his appendage, the sound of grating stone filled his ears as his pincer got grabbed by a clawed hand and crushed effortlessly, then, with a twist and a pull as casual as picking a flower, Klaus detached Monsoons claw from his body. Grey Ichor showered the old man.

„AAAAH!!!” He screamed in torment, taking panicked steps back.

Klaus's grin opened up. And slowly, without losing eye contact. He raised the torn-off limb to his face and bit a chunk of it off. Allowing for blood and pieces of stone to shower his own face, he chewed it thoroughly, and with a forked tongue liped around his lips.

„Your wifey was tastier, she suffered more. Children too, they were fresher.” He spoke.

Veins popped on Monsoons head, and the torn-off limb, clutched by his human arms started spurting out more blood as the Crab Man's heart pumped with hatred.

Tears of indignation streamed down his face. He choked on his own snot as it mixed with dust.

Grinding between his teeth that were clanking from despair.

„You monster! You took everything from me, everyone! HER!” He lounged at Klaus with a desperate swing of his other claw. It smashed against the impenetrable hide of his opponent doing no damage. Impotent in his actions, his legs buckled under him. He slid his carapace onto the ground and began to weep.

The claw hit the ground with a loud thunk. Still, the clang of it was muffled by the violent sobbing.

Klaus towered above the pitiful figure, and he smiled. He felt so content, so powerful. So happy.

He raised his leg and with a snap, he lowered it over the joint connecting the claw itself to the rest of the limb. The foot is embedded into the stone tiles up to the ankle. Sloshing from the overflowing ichor as he pulled it up.

While Monsoon was rolling around the ground, dismembered and on the verge of madness Klaus picked up the other claw and started consuming it.

Deep in thought, in between bites and chewing he started talking.

„You know... I always knew something like that would happen. That's why I never included a nonviolence clause on your part of the Oath. I wanted this...”

More chewing sounds rebounded from the walls of the Hall.

„I... Needed this. How joyous were your screams? To let you live, even in this squalor, would simply be a job left incomplete. But I learned to enjoy your shame, it was so, so delicious.”

He bent down, his grin dotted with Monsoon's own flesh.

„I really enjoy seeing you suffer.”

CRUNCH

„I really, really am happy that finally, I have a reason to finish this farce. The fight in the underbelly of the city was getting tedious and quite difficult, to be honest with you...”

A blast of water crossed with bronze wires shot out from an item grasped in Monsoons hands, it collided with Klaus's torso and did not harm.

He wiped his face and continued talking.

„So when I got a distress signal from my youngest son's beacon I couldn't be happier to leave that shithole. Now, I admit that when I found him dismembered, tortured, and left to rot in the realm of the cattle I may have been a tad... angry.”

As he said the last words he swung his left arm, and traces of light followed his claws and cut off Monsoons legs and part of his carapace, the victim squeled in agony.

„ But it only took a moment for me to FEEL the Void infection in the area, to see the havoc. When I found the spot my son and that thing clashed in the middle of the city I was sure, it came from your stinking trash heap you call home. You, you were responsible for this.” Again, he smiled even wider.

„ He was the weakest one of the sort, but still, he was my boy. And the fact that you contributed to his demise is unforgivable.” He frowned.

Monsoon started maniacly laughing.

„ That's what this is all about? HAHA ! I have no idea what took care of that miserable cumstain of yours but if I had the limbs to do it, I could only clap it in approval.”

As Klaus heard this the veins on his forehead swelled, with a focus of will he forced Monsoon's remaining legs and human arms to freeze and crack, shatter for his insubordination.

The howl of pain the dismembered crabman released was so animalistic no one could ever claim that it came from a sentient being.

„ You fucking animal, the fact that you even dare gaze at your betters is enough of a reason for me to kill you. I need to teach you a lesson.”

He moved closer and casually flipped the bleeding man onto his back, he did it with no effort and only using one arm, even though Monsoon weighed enough to crack stone and leave a deep imprint as he hit the ground.

„ You know what was the tastiest part of that whore you called a wife? The heart, I know about your little filthy mating ritual, and I know that you shared your organs to connect.”

The pause and dread of what may follow immediately silenced Monsoon, his cries stopped and he only trembled as the Amber Talons stepped on his stomach, digging deep furrows in his armor as if a knife through butter.

„ I always considered myself merciful, I allowed you to keep a part of her, a souvenir. And you know it's bad manners of me not to finish my meal...” He almost whispered as his fangs moved closer to Monsoon's wrinkled and blood-covered face.

„No...please, no... I'm begging you, just kill me. Let me keep her, please...” He whispered, tears now flowing like a waterfall untamed.

„ Hmmm, my manners do mean so much to me... How about you tell me what killed my son and I'll make it quick. Finding Void Spawns was always so tedious during the war, they erase themselves so thoroughly that even the best of our Blutige Stalker-Hunde are having problems with them. And I don't want my doggies to be frustrated, they get so rabid. So many innocents must die to calm them down. Now, you wouldn't want that, right? All that blood on your claws. To lose that precious piece of her?“ He asked with a smug grin.

„So just be a good animal and tell me what I want to hear, do it and I'll make your death quick.“

He moved closer as his offer was presented, they almost touched cheek to cheek, and he whispered his promise into Monsoons ear.

Something deflated in the Crab Man, his body stilled, tears stopped, and his breathing returned to normal, almost as if the acceptance of what must happen brought him into a state of melancholy and calmness.

He murmured something quietly, Klaus had to move his ear closer to his mouth to hear what he was saying.

„... I SAID FUCK YOU YOU FUCKING SCHNITZEL!“ He screamed into his ear, and with the last effort, he shot out the tendrils from his mouth, seeping with all the filth, poison, and toxins his body collected in the last 100 years.

The slimy tendrils dug into Klaus's ear, and he screamed. Acidic solution filled out his ear canal and started eating away at the soft and vulnerable tissue. He growled in rage.

Standing back up, the movement ripped away at the tendrils, leaving them immobile and seeping out vile ichor onto Monsoon's chest, corroding it away.

Like a maddened bull, Klaus started stomping around while grabbing his left ear with both arms, hunched over and infuriated. He cursed and shook his massive, horn-covered head like a pitbull ripping at his prey.

With a disgusting squealch he managed to rip out the tendrils that dug in deeply, and with them followed his own flesh and a river of blood.

From the silence, only a weak laugh emerged. Monsoon, now with his ribs revealed, all of his borrowed power depleted and his body deflated chuckled to himself, content with this end.

That chuckle infuriated Klaus and ignited the sadism spark that he held at bay so far.

He moved closer, without speaking any words.

„Come on you bastard, do it! Kill me! What, can't you hear me?!“ Monsoon was trying to provoke him, to end his suffering faster.

Klaus loomed over the broken body.

Dropping his fake smile, his face became indifferent.

„ I won't let you go out so quickly, I will claim the only thing precious to you, that trash that you hold so dear too, and allow you, in your final moments, to think about what a failure you are, that your weakness cost her her life, you children. It was all your fault and you will die alone, and forgotten by all.“

He bent down and his index finger straightened. The claw flashed. It came into contact with Monsoon's melted flesh and cut it and the bones under it without any resistance. Silently, effortlessly.

„NOOOOOOOOO!!!“ he screamed while he flailed the nubs that remained of his appendages.

A beating heart was revealed. A part of it was visibly discolored. Foreign. Belonging to his beloved.

The only thing that remained of her.

Klaus moved with speed and precision, cutting it out perfectly while freezing up some internal parts that remained just enough so that Monsoon wouldn't bleed out instantly, the heartbeat became erratic. Tired.

Looking uncaringly into the eyes of Monsoon, Klaus lifted the flesh in his palm and slowly allowed it to drop onto his tongue, the needle-like fangs chewing through it.

With a loud gulp, he swallowed it, leaving Monsoon shell-shocked.

„Thank you for the meal.“ He said as he turned his back to him, and started walking.

He left him there, alone, on the verge of death, stripped of honor, love, and dignity.

Left him to die.

With his internal magical structure rapidly decaying, and his body getting closer to death with every second he had to hurry.

He sent out a mental signal. For the Avian Lord to come as fast as possible. He needs to find him, he needs to find the boy and pass on his final wish. His last creation.

With that thought, he called upon the Sygnet and it flowed to him. Using the last of his life's essence he enchanted the ring with his dying will. It strengthened all of its properties, even leaving an imprint of his own being on it.

„ Good, at least now I can watch over him even when I'm dead.“ He whispered while smiling weakly.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

Minutes passed and with each beat of his heart, he became weaker. It was getting colder, tears streaked down his face as for the first time in tens of years he was truly alone.

Basked in his own failures.

Suddenly a powerful gust of wind entered the hall, and dust and debris rose up like a storm.

With a terrified gaze and ruffled feathers, panting, Avian got closer.

„OH GODS, WHAT HAPPENED, QUICK WE NEED TO HEAL YOU!“ His mind bridge shook as emotions slammed against its boundaries.

Coughing up blood, he answered.

„ It's too late friend, I cannot be saved, by you or anyone. I need you to do me one last favor.“

Avian got closer, and crouched down, gently, with tears welling up in those huge eyes of his, he wrapped his arms around the torso of his dearest friend and hugged him, bringing the damaged body into the warmth of his feathers.

„Monsoon, I'm so sorry. I should have come quicker, I should have...“ He was interrupted.

„Shush, friend, it's ok. Thank you for witnessing my last moments, and for being there for me when I needed you the most. You did what you could, it was more than enough.“ Avian's claws tightened around the stub of the shoulder, now wet with gray blood.

„I need you to pass on The Remembrance, and the gift to the boy. Find him, I know he killed that bastard's son. Tell him I'm proud. Tell him I want him to live a good life, the life I was too weak to live. Do not let him repeat my mistakes. Here-“ He manifested a key ending with the shape of a claw at the end and The Sygnet. „ You know what to do with the key, pass it onto him when he is ready. The ring is my farewell gift, he has to receive it, he has to! Promise me!“

„I promise.“ He answered with determination.

„Then I can finally rest, Luke, I'm sorry that you have to see this, I just want you to know that in my last moments, I don't regret saving you, in my last moments I showed my oppressor defiance previously impossible for me, and it was all thanks to you. Thank you, boy, thank you, and live a good life in my stead.“ He said with a smile and finally let go.

His body relaxed, teeth unclenched, eyes rolled back into his skull.

Avian just sobbed quietly, with his tears hitting the destroyed carapace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Remembrance ended.

The wind rustled the leaves loudly.

The grasses were swaying in their own, endless rhythm.

Luke absentmindedly grabbed The Sygnet and absorbed it into his space item.

Unable to register his body screaming at him, he stood up. Swaying, he steadied himself.

The Murder of Crows tried to pierce into the storm that his mind became but nothing came through. With each second the waves of madness and anger, sadness and despair clashed against each other and rose to new heights.

The black lines on his body deepened and spread out even further.

He put both of his palms on his face, they trembled as tears seeped from between the fingers and he was unable to draw breath.

As the emotions surfaced, his palms ignited with dark power. Claws extended, pure Void, Entropy, and End.

A desperate Howl emerged, with each moment rising higher and higher, filled with hatred, of the world and of himself. Shame, sadness.

The Howl tore through the forest, Void latching onto everything it passed. Birds tried to fly away, only to decay and rot after one flap of the wings. Trees turned into rotted mush and ash.

Earth cracked and grasses died. The river stopped in its movement and turned black, boiling.

In the grand finale, a bubble of pure darkness formed around Luke, isolating him. With a swipe of his own claws, he left two deep furrows on his face. Permanently leaving deep wounds, forever marking this moment, imprinting it onto his very being.

With Bloody Tears now filling up the two gashes starting under his eyes and ending just under his cheeks, he released all the emotions bottling in him with an even louder scream.

The bubble expanded, like an explosion of endless night, it consumed all it touched. Reality itself shattered, screaming at the damage. Veil shook unable to cope with the lashing it experienced.

Entropy Untamed consumed the forest, forever changing that spot in the world and the man that was at the center of it.