Act I
Chapter VI
2nd Millennia of Pera Dunamis, Continent of Richten - 1st of Deepmoon
Feeling heavy, my arms, my body writhing in pain, and my blood escaping through my fingers. My vision wavers, and I struggle to focus on the sinister intruder, who stands just a few paces away, a cruel smile playing on her lips. Gazing upon the shrouded presence, I am overcome by a wave of déjà vu as a faint sense of familiarity takes hold.
“Look at his eyes, Vorath. I wasn’t imagining things,” the assassin says, her voice soft as an icy whisper.
The air beside her darkens, coalescing the shadows into a shape of a larger form, nearly the same size as Khaz. Its gaze remains unwavering, displaying a calculating focus. “It is imperative that we report this to Umbrus.” As the shadowy silhouette materializes, a tall, muscular man reveals himself, dressed in dark, tightly fitted fabric, with a mask that appears to blur the rest of his face, while wielding an over-sized broad sword that is shaped practically like a butcher knife.
My mind navigates through the jolting pain in order to search for a way to rescue Serena from here. In spite of my body’s reluctance to move, I insert myself between the assassins and Serena. “Are you Shadow Stalkers?” I ask, trying to stall for time.
“The boy knows,” the female assassin says, brandishing her bloody dagger, which almost resembles a scalpel.
Vorath puts his arm out in front of Nyx, suppressing her aggression. “What is your name, boy?” his tone is authoritative, yet controlled.
Surprised by the man’s sudden inquiry, I race to find a suitable answer. “Leon Sovira Margrave,” I lie, hoping they bite what I pulled out of my rear-end.
A conflicted expression stretches across Nyx’s face as she lowers her weapons. “You’re right, Vorath. We need to report back to Umbrus. This takes higher priority than Khaz Loya,” Nyx says, tossing over a small vial of clear liquid to the ground in front of me. “The antidote, take it quickly. Otherwise, you will die.”
Before they turn to leave, a bright flash illuminates the courtyard. Aldrich and Khaz arrive on the scene, their expressions a mix of calculation and fury. Without hesitation, Khaz charges at the two assassins, his blade igniting with flames. “Get them to safety, Aldrich!” he shouts over his shoulder.
Aldrich swiftly comes to my aid, his gaze assessing my wounds. “Hold on, Leon. I’ve got you.” He supports my weight and helps me to stand, his grip strong and reassuring. Serena clings to my opposite side, the vial in her hand.
As we retreat, I glance back to witness a fight my vision struggles to keep up with. Khaz engages in a fierce battle with Nyx and Vorath, their movements a blur of shadows, swordplay and wild infernos. Khaz’s blade blazes. Flames erupt from his sword, and Khaz conjures a small dragon from the inferno. The creature roars, joining the fray with snapping jaws and scorching breath.
The courtyard is a battlefield of light and darkness. Khaz’s fire magic and the summoned dragon clash with the shadowy forms of Nyx and Vorath. The assassins move with lethal grace, their attacks precise and deadly, but Khaz meets them blow for blow. The dragon lunges at Vorath, who parries with his over-sized broad sword, the sound of clashing metal ringing through the night.
“We’re almost there,” Serena says, her voice trembling despite her calm words. Aldrich leads the way as we navigate through the garden paths, each step bringing our group closer to sanctuary. My vision blurs from the pain, but I focus on Serena’s face. No way am I gonna die like this.
As we reach the safety of the mansion’s walls, Aldrich carefully lays me down on the marble floor. Serena rapidly opens the vial and hands it to me. “Drink this, Leon.”
I swallow the liquid, feeling a cool sensation spread through my body. The pain in my side is still unbearable, but my vision clears. “Thank you,” I say, my voice hoarse.
Aldrich scans the courtyard for any sign of pursuit. “Serena, escort Leon down that hall.” “I will alert the royal guards, and assist Khaz.” He leaves back the same way we entered the mansion.
As Aldrich secures the doors, I seize one last view of the battle raging on. Khaz’s figure is a blur of fire and steel as the conjured dragon encircles him against encroaching shadows. Nyx and Vorath tirelessly fight, their forms shifting and merging with the darkness. The young knight blows his horn, a loud ear piercing bellow followed by a bursting cloud of smoke that enshrouds Khaz and the Shadow Stalkers for a moment.
In the mansion’s safety, Serena and I catch our breath before she picks me up, supporting my body. “I suppose you need to slim down, Leon,” she jokes, lightening the gravitas of the night’s events.
Instead of chuckling, the sharp pain in my side prevents me from doing so. “I reckon I’ve lost enough tonight,” I jest, referring to my blood loss. Serena smiles, wiping off the dried streaks her tears left.
It seems as if an eternity before reaching the end of the hall, met by iron doors, the sculpture of a griffin engraved in the center. It opens before us. Knights in resplendent armor charge past us as they go towards the sound of the horn Aldrich blew. Women in pearly white cloaks, dressed in nun-esque attire, rush by our side, relieving Serena of escorting me.
After escaping the claws of the Shadow Stalkers, my grip loosens over my consciousness, succumbing to the pain overwhelming my mind. Darkness engulfs me as I pass out, slipping away into an inky blackness.
When I open my eyes, I find myself in a mysteriously blank dimension, mirroring the place I had seen before. The surroundings are empty and vast, stretching into an infinite void. Small lights flicker into existence, illuminating the shadowy backdrop. They resemble tiny pieces of glass, each reflecting different scenes like fragmented memories.
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I move closer to one of the glowing shards and see a vivid picture of Khaz battling the Shadow Stalkers. His movements are swift and powerful, flames erupting from his blade. But then, the vision takes a dark turn. Khaz’s opponents outmaneuver him, causing his defenses to weaken and ultimately striking him down. The depiction of his lifeless body, surrounded by shadows, fills me with a sense of dread.
I avert my vision away from the horrifying scene and focus on another shard. This one shows me in battle, facing an enemy doggedly. My gaze glows with an intense light as I fight, and I see myself succeeding, defeating the foe, and standing victorious, with tears running down my cheeks. The stark contrast between the two visions leaves me bewildered and anxious.
As I stand there, trying to make sense of these fragmented scenes, I hear the whispers again. They are the same ones I heard last time, resounding yet calm, reverberating in my mind. “Pride,” one tone says, a soft whisper in the darkness. “Ego,” another follows, the rhythm steady and familiar. “Greed. Wrath.”
“Who are you?” I ask, my words bouncing back into the void. “Where am I?”
Many echoes respond, overlapping each other in a chorus that surrounds me. “We are parts of you, Leon. Fragments of your psyche.”
My confusion deepens. “Why am I seeing these visions? Why are my eyes gold?”
“You are of an extraordinary bloodline,” the entities explain, their tone patient yet insistent. “This blank world is your canvas, to uncover your true potential.
“True potential?” I echo, trying to grasp their meaning.
“Yes,” the voice reply in unison. “What you see here is a glimpse of what can be, both the dark and the light. They are possess your worst and best parts of you. Fear, Hope, Pride, Regret, Love, Wrath,” the voices crackle both menacingly and innocuously. “Your gold eyes are a sign you are closer to activating your greatest need.”
I struggle to digest this. “But why now? Why is this happening to me?”
Instead of answering my question, the chorus chants single words of emotions. As the echoes speak, the radiant shards around me begin to shift and merge, forming a larger, more coherent image. I see myself standing amid a battle, my eyes glowing with a fierce light. But this time, I am not alone. Two figures stand beside me, one dark and unreal and the other angelic.
The illumination strengthens, engulfing me wholly. The pain in my body fades, replaced by a profound sense of clarity and purpose. As my consciousness pulls away from this vision, I know that I have been granted a glimpse of the strength within me, a strength that I must learn to control. It’s still all so confusing and hard to believe.
I wake up to the sterile scent of medicine and the soft glow of lanterns filling the room. My body aches, but the pain feels muted, dulled by the remedies they’ve administered. As my sight acclimates, I see Serena lying next to me, fast asleep. Her face is peaceful, different from the chaos we escaped from. I glance down at myself, noticing the bandages bound around my wounds.
The curtains of my room part silently, and a nurse steps through, her eyes widening slightly when she sees me awake. She approaches the edge of my bed, placing a tender hand on my shoulder. “How are you feeling?” she whispers, careful not to disturb Serena.
“Sore,” I reply, my voice raspy. “How long have I been out?”
“Only a few hours. You lost a lot of blood,” she explains softly, hovering her hand over my bandages. An aura emerges, glowing subtly, as she scans my wounds. “But you are stable now,” she calmly articulates, holding her palm over my dressings.
I nod, grateful for her reassurance. Just then, the curtains part again, and Aldrich and Khaz walk in. They both look relieved to see me awake.
“Leon, how are you holding up?” Aldrich asks, his tone a mix of concern and relief.
“I’m alive, thanks to you both,” I say, trying to smile. “What happened after we escaped?”
Khaz steps forward, his expression serious. “We repelled the advances of the Shadow Stalkers.
“We heard Serena’s cry. Thankfully, we hadn’t left for the royal castle before then. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have made it in time,” Aldrich explains, clenching his fist. Although we suffered the loss of two guards and several wounded during the Shadow Stalkers’ retreat.
“I wish I was strong,” I say, my eyes swelling, feeling guilt for the lives that have perished and the hurt. “I could’ve done something more than just being a liability.”
“Hey, you did well, Leon,” Aldrich says, placing his hand on my shoulder. “The guards did exactly what you did, protecting those they hold close to their heart.”
Shedding a tear, I smirk in appreciation. “You always know what to say, Aldrich, despite being of a younger age than me.” In fact, noticeably more junior than me, the young knight is only fifteen. I’m only three years older.
I take a deep breath, the memories of my unconscious dreams flooding back. “While I was out, I had… images,” I begin, my voice trembling slightly. “I saw Khaz fighting and dying in one. In another, I saw myself fighting and succeeding. And there were these voices, talking to me, telling me about my true potential or something. I can’t help but feel that it wasn’t just a random dream.”
Khaz’s stare narrows, a flicker of recognition in his gaze, but he stays composed, keenly attentive.
“The voices claimed they were parts of me,” I continue, “fragments of my psyche, because of my bloodline or whatever. They said they’re the reason my eyes turned gold.”
Aldrich looks puzzled, but Khaz’s expression remains unchangingly inscrutable. “That’s quite a revelation,” Aldrich says slowly. “Do you have any idea what it means?”
“I do not know, to be honest,” I admit. “But it felt real, like a part of me I’ve been unaware of until now.”
Khaz finally speaks, his voice measured. Aldrich, I will need some time alone with the boy. The young knight nods and leaves without question. Khaz then glances at Serena, an expression of consideration.
He hesitates briefly, then lets out a deep sigh. “Listen to me carefully, boy,” his voice calm and measured, “You are a Margrave, your surname Kyriarchos. You are what we call pure-blood. There are only two bloodlines that are pure Margraves—Sovira and Kyriarchos. Because of your heritage, you should have inherited… certain abilities. What they are, I suppose that is what those visions are for.”
The new information stuns me, leaving me with even more questions. “Abilities? What do you mean, Khaz?”
Khaz’s gaze is intense but kind. “It means that you have a unique potential, one that is awakening. But it is too soon for you to grasp the full scope of what you are capable of.”
I feel a mix of frustration and curiosity. “Why can’t you tell me more? Why now?”
“You are not ready for the full truth just yet, Leon. There is still much for you to learn and understand. For now, it is important that you rest and recover. Tomorrow, we will begin your training in earnest. You and your companions need to be prepared for the challenges ahead.”
I accept his words even though they leave me with more questions. “Alright, I trust you.”
He nods, leaving the room. I lie back on the bed, my mind still buzzing with the revelations and the mystery of my identity. The idea of having a unique potential of abilities waiting to be unlocked is both wondrous and daunting. But a growing sense of determination is also present within me.
I have clear goals. To locate my parents, ensure my friends’ safe return, and uncover my true self. If I truly want to overcome anything that’s thrown at me, I need to become the person who deserves those results.
Serena stirs beside me, waking up and looking at me with concern. “Leon, are you okay?”
I manage a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… a lot to think about?”
She clenches my hand. “You’re not alone in this.”
Her words comforting, and as I close my eyes, I feel peace. The future holds many possibilities. It’s up to me on how it will end up. Who would have thought a punk high-school graduate would end up being in a situation like this?