Chapter :- 12 Training Arc Begins
Prologue: The Unconscious Warrior
The air hung heavy with the scent of medicinal herbs, moonlight spilling through the hut's cracks as Erl's grandfather tended to Nero's motionless form. Months had bled into one another since the betrayal—since Ayumi's blade had pierced not just flesh, but trust. The old man's gnarled hands paused over Nero's chest, sensing the storm beneath the surface. "Sleeping, yet fighting," he murmured, unaware of the tempest raging within the young man's soul.
Scene 1: The Abyss Within
Nero's mindscape—a fractured realm of memory and rage.
Azure flames erupted around him, spectral blades carving through the darkness as visions replayed: Ayumi's hollow gaze, the nobles' laughter, the suffocating weight of betrayal. "Why?!" His scream tore through the void, the blades spiraling wildly, shredding the illusory world.
Grandfather (observing the physical chaos):
"Such power… yet it consumes him." The hut trembled as spiritual energy crackled, shelves splintering. The old man raised a hand, sigils flaring to contain the destruction. Too late. Nero's soul teetered at the edge of an abyss, its shadows whispering promises of vengeance.
Scene 2: The Light That Clings
A warmth pierced the cold—a voice, soft yet unyielding. Arms wrapped around Nero from behind, anchoring him.
Eri:
"Don't let them take you." Her presence glowed like dawn, pushing back the darkness. "You taught me that light exists, even here. Look—"
Memories flickered: two figures shielding Nero's fallen body, bloodied but unbroken. Loyalty amidst betrayal.
Nero (voice cracking):
"They left me…"
Eri:
"No. They fought for you." Her tears mingled with his. "Don't become what you hate."
The blades stilled. Nero clutched her, the void receding. For the first time in months, he breathed.
Scene 3: Awakening
Nero awoke to a world of muted greens and grays—the Eye of Destruction, a village clinging to life amidst desolate cliffs. Eri hovered nearby, her grandfather's eyes sharp beneath his hood.
Nero (rasping):
"Where…?"
Grandfather Baltimore:
"A sanctuary for those the world discards." His staff tapped the earth, the ground humming with latent power. "You seek Aryavarta? Foolishness. You'd perish at the barrier."
Nero (clenching bandaged fists):
"My family's there. I won't abandon them."
The old man smirked. "Then prove you're more than a wrathful child. Train. Grow stronger. And take Eri with you."
Scene 4: The Pact
Eri:
"I'm not a burden." Her voice trembled, but resolve hardened her gaze. "You saved me once. Let me fight beside you."
Baltimore's condition hung between them—a partnership forged not by pity, but merit.
Nero:
"Only if you match me by the training's end."
Eri nodded, a spark igniting in her eyes. As she left, Nero turned to Baltimore. "What did you see in my memories?"
The necromancer's smile faded. "Everything. Including the truth about Ayumi's strike. No spell compelled her—she chose it."
Nero's rage flared, but Baltimore gripped his shoulder. "Save your fury. Fernando orchestrated it all—the King of Aryavarta, and a puppet of the Dark Seekers."
Scene 5: Whispers of the Divine
Training commenced in a valley choked with primordial energy. Baltimore unveiled a weathered tome—Gift from the Primordial One.
Baltimore:
"Divine Gates—power beyond gods. To wield it, your soul must endure agony worse than death."
Nero's scars ached in memory. "I've already suffered."
Baltimore (grim):
"What you endured was but a prelude."
As days blurred into weeks, Nero's body and soul reforged. Eri matched him strike for strike, her magic intertwining with his in lethal harmony. Yet shadows lingered—Baltimore's tales of Fernando's sacrifices, the cult's hunger for eternal dominion, and the faint, ever-present hum of the Divine Gates calling.
Scene 6: Foreshadowed Storm
One night, as Nero meditated, visions surged: a throne of bones, a masked figure (Fernando) chanting over a bloodied altar, and Ayumi—her eyes vacant, a dagger in hand.
Baltimore (later):
"The Gates show truths even I cannot grasp. Tread carefully, boy. Aryavarta's corruption runs deeper than you know."
Nero gazed at the horizon, where the barrier shimmered like a cursed veil. Soon.
Epilogue: The Necromancer's Secret
As the chapter closed, Baltimore penned a hidden journal entry:
"The Gates stir. Nero's soul is worthy, but the cost… Can he bear becoming more monster than man? Or will Eri's light anchor him? Time will tell. And Fernando—he knows we're coming. I see his shadow in every raven's cry."
Writer's Note:
Thank you, dear readers, for joining Nero's crucible. The path ahead is fraught with revelations and ruin—Aryavarta's secrets will bleed, and loyalties will shatter. Until next time, remember: even in destruction, hope persists.
—Your humble scribe, chasing horizons.