"Sister, Sister I love you." My ten year old self proud to just blurt that shit out.
It was true though. I did love her.
To see her face crying, when they dragged me away from the Orphanage broke my heart.
That agonizing pain.
I can still feel it, it's still there.
It hurts really bad... Like bad bad.
Why is it hurting so bad??
---
I opened my eyes.
Romulus had broken the hold from Sin. Somehow breaking free to open an escape route. I look around to see I had fallen on top of the beast, lying still.
The pain in my chest though. I looked down to see myself impaled by some fucking sword.
F*CK
F*CK
F*CK
What is this?
"Jasmine" I croaked, where's the Saintess??
I look around to see all the Hero Party members lying on the floor, mixed with the rubble. They weren't breathing.
I got up off the beast, slid down and dragged the members to a corner. Rummaging through their bags to find anything useful to stabilize them. Their lives were top priority. Nevermind the f*cking sword going straight through me... I managed to find a few healing potions and elixir bars.
After giving them the potions, their vitals seemed steady; I could see them breathing a lot more easily now. I sighed in relief and started eating the bar, the elixir bar filled me up with mana allowing me to move the flow of it within my body. When I felt it moving, I pulled the sword out and moved the mana towards the wound on my chest- seeing the slowly heal, all I could do now was inspect the surrounding. Where are we?
It looked like a dungeon almost, except cleaner? A cave spanning as far as the eye can see, luminescent moss lighting up parts of the cave. This place must have been under the care of the Stormholden royals. So what was this place? Underneath the Palace, this was never mentioned by Wrexler.
Even the Crows didn't know.
"This cave I'd say was the biggest secret of the Stormholden line"
I snap my neck towards the sound.
Sin had floated down from the hole in the ceiling, gracefully stepping on top of Argo - the late king of Stormholden.
"What were they hiding?" even I was curious, the Crows were always with the royals- bound using the King's blood, dark magic. Nothing should have been kept from the Crows...
Sin tilted his head.
"Who're you?"
---
Silence filled the cave, I held my breath. Sin started radiating dangerous amounts of his mana- threatening to suffocate all of the unconscious members and me.
"Wrexler Crow 22" I replied.
"Ah, number 22- Argo look at that, he's your fan." Sin clapped his hands in delight. I frowned, why was he talking to the unmoving...
The beast open his eyes. The blood vessel in its eyes broke filling it with blood; giving them a horrifying look. Sin looked at them in admiration, lovingly caressing the behemoth monster.
"Number 22- you don't have a name? It doesn't matter I suppose, the Crows were always lackeys in the end" Sin continued.
"As you see, it takes a lot to hurt Argo here- he was once the mightiest of warriors. Even on par with Wrexler himself"
"How did he end up like that?" I had to know. What made the King, end up like this f*cking monster before me.
Sin looked at me- right into my eyes.
F*ck.
The sheer aura he gives off could kill me a thousand times over. Yet he didn't. He turned his head back to gaze at the terror. I wasn't worth a single thing to him...
"It was his son."
"..." I didn't say a f*cking word.
"You see, the Stormholden line goes back eons.... and eons and eons- well a long time really. It's widely known that they had taken a majority power to build up the foundations of this very kingdom- upon the foundations of ancient magic....against ancient enemies."
Sin had left behind his behemoth and started walking towards me, I didn't have much strength but I mustered all I could to stand up and take the sword that was just not too long ago in me.
The Dark man saw this, and smiled.
"Pathetic, really. Humanity I mean. The way they squirm like maggots, building themselves up from the decay of others."
I steadied myself, gathering the surrounding mana around me- ready to strike. My feet struck the ground as I launched myself towards the Dark man.
I swing down the sword, Sin pushes the blade away like it was nothing.
Suddenly appearing face to face.
His dark eyes reminded of the Obsidian fields- trapped souls that could never be released. He used pure mana from the surroundings to blow me away- past the Hero members lying on the ground. Into the dark.
Thud! I landed on my back, sliding across the ground. Gasp for air- the wind knocked out of my lungs completely.
I can't get my bearings, I couldn't move. The wound couldn't be closed properly, blood still seeping through.
He continued talking whilst I was momentarily dazed.
--
"Every step the Hero party took, I knew. Every single plan they made, I knew- I orchestrated everything!! The fall of Arcadia, the Beast fires; even Terminal's disappearance. Powerful players, capable of overturning my plans, removed from the face of this disgusting planet."
It was dawning on me, each event caused near fatal destruction to the continent- destabilizing peace, terror spreading, allowing Demons to spread from their continent and reap the chaos.
The man in front of him right now.. planned all of it. For what purpose??
I was too numb to feel fear; my body just laid there. I stared into the darkness, waiting for Sin to enter; my mind calculating ways to avoid whatever would happen next.
I couldn't help but be distracted for a moment...there's something in the darkness. The scent of blood was recognizable, something was hidden here.
--
"Oh? You noticed?" Sin appeared through the darkness along with his behemoth. The beast following behind his master.
He snaps his fingers.
Titus Stormholden, first prince and heir to the throne. Hovering in mid air, drowned in a blue hue.
--
Blank.
Titus, the first prince- the best of the King and Queen, loved by the people.
I helped him train.
I was there for his growth. The last time I saw him was before I left to join the war.
--
"Titus, be careful with Dungeon hunts- its time to head back to the castle and prepare for the up coming situation" I was always brief with him.
He'd grown up to be quite the man, the feeling of protecting a child and watching them grow had moved my heart to an extent.
"Yes 22" The bright young man replied. Brown hair and bright forest greens eyes, inherited from his mother and royal traits from his father...
--
The bright eyed boy couldn't be seen anymore.
Sadness tugged at my heart- I had to lower my eyes.
I vomited.
The Queen and the siblings of the Stormholden line were kneeling- linking hands in a circle around the hovering first prince.
Blood dripping from their eyes, like tears, staining their cheeks.
---