Kingdom of Heildin, Capital City: 936, March 16th, Friday, 12:00 AM.
“Kids, I know it’s Friday but you should be in bed already!” the voice of a concerned mother spoke from a room upstairs.
Her daughter and son giggled down stairs, watching their favorite TV show ‘Cards O’s: Battle Beasts.’ The light in the ceiling illuminated the living room during the night as the children leaned forward in the couch—their smiling eyes beaming at the screen with undivided attention.
“Kids...” the mother made her way down the stairs with sad furrowed brows—sighing in defeat as she smiled at her cheerful offspring. “So, what are we watching tonight?” she sat in the middle of the couch—her children jumped in her legs and snuggled-up together.
“The emperor is losing, Mum!” the boy said—his mouth wide open as he kept his gaze glued to the television.
The girl nodded rapidly, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen. “The golden baron is strong, but the emperor can still win!”
-Having no other choice, the emperor drew his last card with a fast-beating heart—reacting with a confident smirk once he finished inspecting the last monster in his hand. “I told you before, Baron... my deck has no p—"-
The show was interrupted suddenly, the screen went gray with static and the lights of the house turned off completely—leaving the shocked family in a pitch-black room with a mostly functioning television. The kids screeching cries of fear echoed throughout the living room as their mother tried to sooth their fear.
“It’s okay, kids...” her voice quivered slightly.
A black screen with the low yet ear-piercing sounds of a siren replaced the previous gray static—a white text on the television presenting the current hour and date. The mother’s lips and eyes trembled as she held her children tight in her arms, her heart pouncing out of her chest as she read the message on screen, ‘Civil Danger Warning’ was displayed in red.
Kingdom of Heildin, A Few Miles Away from the City: 936, March 16th, Friday, 12:00 AM.
Standing in the middle of the empty and ravaged field, Sebastian set his gaze in the tall and sturdy walls protecting the Capital City of Heildin—the home he grew up in. Heaven’s Castle stood out amongst the tall buildings—its dignified presence emerging above all. Many past memories crowded the major’s mind at the sight, reminded of times before his life took such a drastic turn.
He was brought to life into a wealthy family, with a surgeon father and a financial manager mother. He always had the best toys and received the best education during his childhood, many took for granted the bright and successful future ahead of him—his free and upbeat spirit however, had no interest in meeting the expectations of his peeps.
Once he became of age, Sebastian announced his decision to move away from home and travel instead of following a career in university. A bit disappointed yet not surprised of their son’s decision, both parents attempted to persuade him to reconsider—knowing well that their stubborn child had already chosen his path.
Sebastian traveled through Heildin in search of different and exciting experiences, writing down his adventures on his tiny portable computer and publishing them online for all to see—even though no one but himself ever read them. During one of his trips around the country, he met a young girl of beautiful dark brown hair and dazzling gleaming blue eyes—gathering water from a river with tattered clothes. Her name was Clara Alcon and she lived in a remote village nearby, Sebastian followed her home as she chattered about her family and friends.
He lived at her house for several weeks while planning his next expedition, writing down every activity during his stay at the small peaceful village. Eventually, Sebastian grew fond of the place and its people—and most of all, Clara. Putting his computer and notes aside, he remained in the village where he would eventually marry the love of his life—bringing forth an offspring of his own and blessing her with the name, Claire Lionheart.
“So, it was you...” a feminine musky voice broke the major out of his own thoughts.
He turned to face a pile of severed and dissipating specters around the woman, the glaive in her hand radiating a strong azure glow—surrounded by powerful sparks of lightning. “Hi, miss Atalanta!” Sebastian offered a wide smile with the innocent eyes of a child.
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“You seem to be under control still...” Atalanta said under her breath with a puzzled voice. “Why attack your own kind? Have you given up on your humanity already?” she protested to his actions—taking a fighting stance with her glaive behind her back, the blade pointing to the ground. “Or is Cerberus behind all of this?”
“I’m afraid not,” the major replied—his spectral gear firing up with an intense crimson light. “I am a specter... this is what we do.” he concluded with a lie, knowing well that he is simply following Sovereign’s instructions.
Taking a fighting stance of his own, Sebastian rested his massive sword on his shoulder and held his shotgun to his side—ready to face The Golden Lightning in combat.
Kingdom of Heildin, Heaven’s Castle: 936, March 16th, Friday, 12:00 AM.
Claire stormed through the stone halls of the castle after being informed of a possible specter invasion—her mind raced endlessly, unable to keep focus on a single thought. The most prevalent subject however, was her father—who she knew was assigned to the southern border of the Deadlands, just north of Heildin.
With pistols—Juno&Jupiter—in hand, she reached the main gate of the castle on her own, hoping her team would catch up to her soon enough. The sudden clanking sound of footsteps caused her to turn sharply in their direction—relaxing her shoulders after spotting the king’s eldest daughter; the black knight, Eutychia.
“Lady Eutychia?”
“Those weapons of yours,” the knight approached Claire with less than friendly stomps. “What is your company playing at?”
Claire took a step back, taking a defensive stance. “What are you talking ab—” at a sudden spark of azure light, the lieutenant jumped backwards and covered her face with her arms—avoiding getting blinded by the intense flash.
Eutychia unsheathed the long sword from the scabbard in her lower back—pointing it forward towards Claire. A beautifully crafted cold steel sword matching the color of her armor, its cross-guard designed to look like a screaming specter.
“You are telling me your company isn’t behind all of this?” the princess’ accusatory tone showed the confidence in her own words.
“What!” Claire reacted with a mix of confusion and anger. “Why would we let the specters break free?” she snarled at the girl, pointing one gun at her. “We all want the same thing; the specters are the enemy not Cerberus!”
Eutychia huffed with disdain, approaching the lieutenant slowly—like a predator about to lunge at its pray. “Then why reject my father’s offer?” she inquired, observing her opponent with her uncovered azure eye. “If we both have the same goal, then why does your boss refuse to cooperate?”
“You are asking the wrong person...” the lieutenant replied—pointing her second gun at the princess.
In the blink of an eye, Eutychia leaped at Claire from a fairly close distance—her blade to her side and ready to strike. The lieutenant kept her cool and stood her ground however, summoning the spectral bike for assistance.
The motorcycle roared furiously as it collided with the knight’s blade—who managed to keep a firm stance against it. With a quick twist to the side, Eutychia was able to flank the bike and strike with a powerful kick—launching the spectral gear away from her.
“Dirty tricks don’t work on me.”
Kingdom of Heildin, Near the City Walls: 936, March 16th, Friday, 12:00 AM.
“Now, where the hell is he!” Loki shouted to the stars, sitting in boredom at the top of the wall while waiting for Sebastian. “You know what, who cares about what happens to these people?” he stood back on his feet, convincing himself with ease in order to leave his post. “Let them get brutalized by the specters, at least that’ll be fun to watch.” he laughed with amusement, entertained by his own thoughts.
“Loki...” a familiar voice called out to him, a hint of disappointed in his tone.
The knight’s eyes opened wide with excitement, his ears recognizing the voice of his old acquaintance. A man he knew for several years, yet never had the chance to face in battle—the gladean knight that molded him into the powerful warrior he’s become.
“Ninigi...” Loki turned to face the voice with a sadistic smile—setting his eyes in the light brown-haired knight with a messy ponytail. As his eyes met Ninigi’s, Loki couldn’t stop himself from laughing—a rush of adrenaline fueling his body and mind, eager to test his own power. “I was hoping for a strong specter, but this...? This is the chance I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”
“I’m not here to fight you, Loki...” the composed knight replied, a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. “You and I are two of the few gladean knights still alive... this is not what Gladea would’ve wanted.”
A powerful stream of energy coursed through Loki’s artery network—his divine pathway glowing with a strong azure light. The power within his body accumulated in both of his palms, forming a pair of long swords made of his own energy—their marvelous azure blades reflecting the light of the moonlight.
“Who cares about some goddess!” he snapped with an eager smile—taking a fighting position. “Even you didn’t want to listen to her,” his maniacal grin grew wide. “If you did, Specter would’ve been dead by now, right?”
Ninigi closed his eyes to take a deep breath, ignoring the loathsome words of his old student. “We are not war machines, Loki.” the knight calmly stated—keeping a relax and unthreatening stance. “Like humans we can—”
“We were created to kill!” Loki interrupted his master, growing impatient as his desire to fight grew even more. “Isn’t that the origin of our existence? To eradicate the specters?” he huffed with a smug grin. “You may reject this power, but I am different. Unlike you and the exile, I have what it takes to kill a god.” the agitated knight cracked a confident chuckle. “Which means I have what it takes to kill you.”
END OF CHAPTER