He sprinted through the forests, with his hood and long, braided dark hair swinging like an excited wagging wolf's tail. Floating in front of him was a luminescent pink orb, distracting and swaying from side to side. It didn't seem to belong in this environment, or, foremost, not even in the elements of the world—an alien-like substance.
As Belial swung his sharp claws toward the anomaly, swiftly it dissipated into tiny pink particles and vanished into thin air. Belial hastily sprang out of his wolf body, transformed back into human form, and tilted his head from left to right, utterly confused.
"Where is it?!"
His palms were drenched in sweat, and his limbs blistered with soreness. Despite his sour mood, Belial forced himself onward, driven by worry, pushing through the forest to reach Asahi and Aletha.
He thought that everything in Millmoor was fine, but to his dismay, as he approached the crest of the hill, it was nothing like he could have ever imagined.
The wreckage began to smoke vigorously from the smoldering remains of the family of structures. Deadly fumes filled the air, blocking out the sunlight and unleashing a heavy ash. A thousand roots sprang from the ground, like rising flowers sprouting from the soil. The vast, round hills and grass fields were drenched in sinkholes, puddles, and streams.
A flood of emotions overtook him—anger, shock, fear. Unprepared for what he saw, Belial felt his composure slip. His heart pounded, and blood rushed as realization set in.
"What… happened. It's only been two days. Who did this?!"
Bouncing back, Belial hastily transformed back to his feral form and cantered across the hills. He could feel his feet slip and slide on the damp soil, the puddles, and the grass. His steel gray claws extended from Belial's large silver clouds, latching and grappling on each fragment of the dirt.
His lips were tight, and his ears pointed slightly forward. Its neck hair and hackles were standing on end. Ivory teeth appeared between the jaws.
(These puddles… match the description of Sally's. She… actually used it.)
His fur was stained with mud, like residue that had touched his skin. His fur fell off his skin, and his four legs transformed back into human form.
Dazed by the ruin, Belial recognized the cause—the puddles and streams pointed to Sally. Still reeling from confusion, he hurried toward the village, scanning the desolate surroundings for survivors among the smoldered farms and houses.
All of it, including the crops, was razed by the engulfing flames.
(Tremble)
Belial suddenly lost balance. He wobbled and rocked, trying to hold on from the sudden quakes that shook the ground. He tripped on a tiny stone, planting his face against the soil.
His heart rushed, spikes of adrenaline coursed through his veins; he couldn't help but lift himself and ignite his hands with a green luminescent flame.
Dangling nearest to his hips, hidden from the mocha fabric of his cloak, was a shimmering white crystal. It gleamed and illuminated white essences.
"Do I really have to resort to this?"
While his gleaming emerald eyes peered through the reflecting Adcrystal, he felt a presence touch his heart. An elderly man echoed Belial's voice, whose tone sounded brittle, yet deep and friendly.
"I show you my deepest gratitude for going through your hardships and for such lengths to get water for us. I can't believe you have created an entire water system worldwide just by using your hands and others; for that, I must commend you. With... this achievement... erm..."
Belial's hands were smaller, being only at the age of thirteen. His hair was still short, reasonably skinny, and looked quite human. Belial stood near a straw-built house, nestled within the sandy, bumpy dunes of Zomrack.
"No, no! I don't need a reward. This is all because it was the right thing to do. I want people to grow strong, be brave, confident, and happy, just like me. I don't want them to follow the same... fate... like my parents."
Abuse, Pain, and Greed; that's what got the best of young Belial. His parents were deceptive thieves, all of them doing it for the sake of people experiencing poverty. They formed a particular group specifically for the purpose of stealing alone, called The Fleshers.
These individuals lurk in the world, all searching for dividends to keep a stockpile within their 'safe' located within almost all nations, excluding Wraileza.
(Memory is still foggy.)
The old man chuckled and pulled out a polished, clean crystal from his long pockets. As the roaring sandy winds blew against his long gray beard, he slowly placed it on Belial's hands and smiled.
"This is my token of gratitude, please... use it wisely."
Young Belial nodded, a llama-drawn carriage passed by, and the elder continued.
"When I was your age, I too was a daredevil adventurer, searching through the lands just for the hell of it. I even went to such lengths to discover the depths of The Gorge. Young one, you know what that is... right?"
Belial nodded and slowly placed it in his pocket.
"Isn't it like... a massive chasm that separates three nations? With regenerating crystals, mines, and creepy monsters? I-I've heard that place has been in numerous wars."
The old man sighed, slowly walked up to Belial, and patted his shoulder.
"Now, now... You don't need to know that match... young one. You have a long journey to go... I'm sure that you will be alright. Use this crystal in times when you need it. My family appreciates your performance and determination in installing an entire water system that runs through not only our nation but also almost all of the continents underground.
While present, Belial heard and recollected the foggy vision; he passed through a tunnel of roots and reached an untainted place unearthed nearest to the smoggy shores of Sally. There was no sight of people, nor even monsters within the place, but only himself. Could it be that this place was nothing but a mirage made from the parting fragments of his memories? Belial whispered to himself.
"Why do I feel familiar with this place?"
He heard sounds of rushing water.
"It's like… I have been here before."
Suddenly, as he approached the coastline of the lush, squishy dirt, a beaming, bright white light blinded his eyes.
* * * * * * * *
There were a plethora of sand-covered yellow pillars of earth spanning kilometers through a long tunnel. Beyond, a massive pipeline was filled with falling streams of water rushing across the gigantic pipes that stretched from the distant, glittering light toward the outskirts of the unfinished construction.
The sand dust sprinkled and fell toward the carved ground, like droplets trickling over the sky.
Nothing but darkness shrouded the underground, with only the light of a pixie able to shine and dispel the fog.
"Come on, men, we're almost there."
A large group of men wearing steel hats and equipped with mining and construction gear was traveling across the tunnels to complete the remaining sections of the water system. The final part, the segment, the puzzle piece that completes the universal pipeline, was positioned right below the nation before it began.
It was a daunting and perilous effort for the crew, and one called from the dark, dripping depths of the cavern yelled out someone's name as he examined the metal rods.
"Belial, come look at this! I detect that there is a malfunction within…."
Immediately, Belial approached the worker, peering through his crystal-green eyes at the gleaming, sand-covered steel pipe, then commented as he tweaked a few mechanisms.
"It appears that some sand monster had tampered with it. Don't worry, the Queen of Zomrack was against building the system here."
"And yet… You took the risk?"
Belial lightly chuckled.
"Well… of course. My determination and persistence were what pushed me to do this. Anyway, let's finish this last tweak. It's the only one missing, the last puzzle piece that would finish the rest of the puzzle."
The rest wiped the sweat off their faces, took a deep breath, and resisted the urge to surrender, continuing to work. They all wore armor pieces on their shoulders, neck, and torso to serve as protection if one were to fall while doing their work.
They had connections, each coming from a nation, all having childhoods and friendships.
All had a differentiating life.
(Clank)
The sounds were crippled echoes of the continuous clashes of their tools. One spark after another, the structure neared completion.
But it was fine until…
"Chief Belial! Above you!"
The warm haze of sunlight pierced and flicked across the collapsing earth. Boulders of rocks flew down toward the ground, impacting and colliding with the newly built pipelines. Five of Belial's people fled into the air in a hasty swarm and were smashed with stalagmites.
Belial's emerald eyes widened.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a magenta-colored beacon pierced from the surface and shrouded the entire bowl of the cavern in a putrid, pansy purple mist.
Men screamed; the pipeline erupted a gush of water and spewed against the solid brown walls. Belial raced across the cavern and tried to reach his men.
But before he could grab him, their existences all perished into glittering violet sparkle dust.
His breathing quickened, his eyes trembled, realizing that the existence of his friends had perished right in front of his very eyes.
Fear gripped his heart. He choked on sand dust and fell on his knees, screaming.
"H-How?! W… Where did they go?"
From above, a silhouette pierced and streaked across the underground, carving lines, puncturing through the structures, and insatiably demolishing the waterline.
Varying shades of purple marred the atmosphere. The flashing lights nauseated Belial, and explosions struck and drilled through the underground, forcing pillars to collapse.
"HUH?!"
Fear, anger, and confusion crashed into him. Belial's throat lurched. Still believing his friends could be alive, he was yanked from hope as something caught his eye—his body flung like a ragdoll.
The boulders that flew and fell from the surface were frozen in mid-air, like a static rock, unable to move.
He vividly heard his heart thumping, with every other sound other than his breathing swiftly muted.
A genuine feeling of absolute terror ran through his eyes as he saw a dark, feminine silhouette covered in a veil slowly amble closer toward him.
. . .
He could hardly move; he twisted his fingers, but that didn't work either. He was utterly paralyzed; a silence enveloped him. In his head, as he was floating still, he mumbled.
"Who… is she? Wh…Why do I feel familiar with that monster?!"
(Tap)
(Tap)
(Tap)
The mysterious black-shrouded figure bent to Belial, peering her malicious obsidian eyes through his soul. Her voice forced Belial's hearing to ring.
"No one listens to me. This world feeds on all the negative aspects of the universe. And yet, despite that, none had chosen to join me."
The monster clenched her charcoal-covered fists and gritted her teeth, feeling even her mind deteriorating. She painfully gripped Belial by the neck and stared deeply into his trembling cyan eyes. She continued, giving a mischievous smile.
"I recognize you… demon. A man who came from lands afar-- forgotten by his army of people. A supreme ruler of a land, transformed into this… thing. Such a moldering image, a pitiful incarnation of what once was a thriving ruler. Tell me, what was it that made you be in such a... state?"
Belial could hardly recollect the words that the veiled girl was saying. He couldn't recognize her words, but he definitely realized who the girl was.
As he slowly got forced down to the ground, Belial clenched his chest and answered.
"Aren't you, The Princess? The ruler of The Ending? What… have you done?"
Silence. An unruffled, unbearable, muted aura fumed from the girl. She tilted her head toward the rays of the sunlight, slowly lifted her brittle arm into the air, and beamed an unnerving smile.
"I see… You still ARE one of them. Now I can state that the forces of both the Adlement and The Prism have reached you, forcing your memory to fade away."
"..."
Uncertain, Belial struggled to make sense of The Princess's words. The threat of saying the wrong thing paralyzed him, his fear holding back any reply.
It was actions like these… that made my Dark Heart evaporate from the concealing swarm. All I remember is that we had a history together until that decrepit, merciless element tore ALL our matter to ruin. Now I can't remember anything, even Marina… who still was trapped behind reality; just like… me.
I pushed my hatred aside, Belial closed his eyes, and The Princess dared to speak once more.
"Join me… and we shall reclaim and demolish this curse. I have an army, and I know you have one. Your kind was involuntarily tarnished, and I have met the same fate. However, I have a method to reverse this. That is… if you take the precaution to join me."
Belial hastily backed away, spat on the floor, and raced across the demolished pipes.
"Never! You slaughtered my friends! Why the hell would I ever join you?! I will never join The Ending!"
The Princess released a sigh, shook her head, and clenched her fists.
"Typical. I knew that this would be the result. If only they knew that I was the one who sprout."
The memory fogged up.
* * * * * * * *
Belial gasped and inhaled fumes. He choked and fell onto the floor, recollecting the memories that tore him up. He lifted his head and tilted toward the puddles stretching across the fields.
"...no…"
He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and turned toward the smoldering structures. Belial couldn't believe his own memories, but despite the chaos around him, he thought.
"Could it be… that my presence… d-didn't originate from this--
A loud, red explosion erupted from the ground. Pieces of dirt flew into the air and fell to the ground like a raging thunderstorm. Belial disregarded his thoughts and sprinted through the village in search of the wanderers. Dirt skinned his face, puncturing him like a bee's stinger.
"ROAR!"
The beast screamed, slamming his beefy green fists across multiple paths. It formed gaping, puke-brown craters across all the green fields. Trees were tossed, villagers screamed, and purple lights stung the cynical atmosphere.
His footsteps scrambled across the soil.
"Where…"
He pierced his body through the thickening smoke.
"Are…"
(Boom!)
Belial's eyes widened.
"What… is that?"
Standing at the center of the crater was a floating figure shrouded and surrounded by a circling gust of blue luminance and hovering water.
His eyebrows raised in shock, his emerald pupils dilated like bouncing balls.
"This can't be…"
Another distant memory blinded his eyes.
* * *
The voice was hazy and intelligible at first, but gradually, as the sight of the present world faded in Belial's eyes, a memory gleamed in.
"This hydropower is known to come from the ancient, darkest depths of the world's sky. An entity that followed the pendant ever since it was forged and repaired by the sovereign of Destia."
A past unrecognizable voice echoed as the sight of the area blended in with the empty white canvas. Two silhouettes appeared, one representing a tall woman and the other a male figure. The voice continued as the sounds of the environment faded in.
"If it were to be broken, a massive sapphire-colored geyser would emerge from the rocky depths of the earth, and its dust would be scattered across the soil, forcing bodies and puddles of water to emerge."
The place looked vastly different compared to Drimi's site. It was damp, moist, and shrouded in fog, with a thick canopy of trees overhead. Most likely, it was a forest.
Belial looked a lot more gladsome, with his dark hair loose and unbraided, his emerald eyes gleaming, and his face slightly darker than usual, as he sat nearest to Sally.
He looked healthier, fitter, and more optimistic than he had in his current state.
One would start to question how he changed. Nevertheless, that shall wait.
Belial replied with a sarcastic tone.
"Have you ever… spoken to me before? I don't remember you speaking to me at all ever since we met."
Sally's face brightened. Raindrops slid down her face toward her attire. She couldn't have felt so embarrassed, even if nothing embarrassing to her had happened. She responded to Belial in a nervous, shaky tone.
"O-Oh, r-really? I-I… I apologize. W-Well, um… are you free to speak to me now?"
Belial couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Seriously? Haha, y-you can't be serious."
Tears flew in his eyes.
"Goodness, you're funny, Sally!"
. . .
Silence.
The silence settled, stirring a pang in Belial. His voice shifted as he caught sight of Sally's trembling eyes. Rain started to fall through the high, thin treetops, and Belial noticed how Sally's gaze wavered.
"D-Don't take it in a bad sense… I-It's a good thing that you are funny. You make people laugh and forget their problems. They give up and surrender their precious time, all for you."
Sally sniffled and lightly creaked a small, soft smile.
"...r-really?"
Following with hand gestures, Belial answered Sally with a crooked smile. It was the only method he could think of at that current moment.
"Yeah. I bet if you could have a smidge or teensy bit of confidence in you, you could serve as a comedian for the city of Pladtioa."
He tilted his head toward the sky and noticed the sun behind the sea of dark clouds, which inched closer to dusk. Even dusk's signature orange hue shone and scintillated above and below the rain clouds.
As the gray skies, the downpour, and the surrounding forests of the past faded back to the present, Past Belial's last quote resounded in his mind.
"Rainstorms… are quite rare nowadays. Haha!"