On earth, within the city of London, inside a medium-class family's house, lay a boy In deep sleep. Then, he woke up. He went about his usual routine—brushing his teeth, taking a dump, washing his hands, face, then preparing breakfast.
This seventeen year old greeted his parents with a slightly exaggerated smile as he went to his seat at the dining table.
"What's on the menu, mother?" He asked in tasty anticipation. "Nothing special, just bread with butter and cheese, along with some tea if you wish." His mother replied with a doting smile.
"That sounds great!" The boy expressed, excitedly awaiting his mother's cooking despite the plain menu.
"I'll be sure to finish quickly so ready up!"
Suddenly, the dark haired boy with messy hair realized something amiss!
"Mother, where is father?"
"Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know since you went to bed so early yesterday. Your father left early in the morning for a conference meeting.
"I deduce he will be home quite late today."
"I see…" the boy whispered, his dark eyes gazing at the empty plate before him.
"Anyways, here's your food. Eat slow and steady okay?" The mom said with practiced efficiency.
"Don't worry, I will!"
The mom carefully took off her apron and hung it on the hanging rack, she quickly brushed her long, elegant brown hair and put on her waitress attire.
"Well then, I'm off to work! Behave properly at school today, okay?"
"We'll see." The boy mused.
"You're so hopeless sometimes you know that… anyways, see you later!" She bid farewell with a gentle wave and a warm smile.
"See you later, mother!"
The boy quickly finished his pieces of bread and took a large sip of his tea. Then, as he stood up, it felt as though the floor had turned watery as he somehow sunk through it. His vision became a blur, then he felt his head against a watery surface. His vision gradually turned black as the water rose, soon enveloping him whole…
"Gah" "Glup" "Gulp"
He found it all meaningless as all his struggles were hindered by the devilish liquid surrounding him.
"Is this really how I die? By drowning inside my house?… at least, at least it's peaceful; All I can hear is the momentum of water, the echoes of my past struggles, and a very loud nothingness…"
He let go of his struggles and succumbed to the inevitable, falling into a deep, deep slumber.
…
He opened his eyes widely in surprise, he found himself on the ground, surrounded by the sounds of clashing waves and his very own breath.
"Welcome, your lordship. However was thy journey?" A feminine, lifeless voice echoed within him.
he sat up straight as he looked over his shoulder, only to see a doll-like lady with pale skin. Her hair was in a bun, silver and eerie. Her eyes bore a sharp crimson, though, unlike others she did not possess pupils. She wore an elegant, black dress with complicated, red markings etched in a symmetrical pattern across her dress.
"Your lordship?" The doll-like lady repeated in confusion.
"Lordship…?" The boy asked in confusion. "No, before that, where am I? And who are you? Why do you speak as if though you know me? Do you even know my name!?"
The doll-like lady struck out her arm in a gesture to help him up. He wearily inspected the hand for a moment before accepting her help.
She then bowed slightly as she answered his questions, "Your lordship, you are currently at the church of night, residing at an island west of Ighmund, the city of ruin. I am your last remaining maidservant, Thalia. And your name is Bertram Hall. Anymore questions you wish to ask?"
The boy, Bertram, was rather confused at her reply. How did she know his name? When did he hire her as a maid servant? And where even is Ighmund!? Bertram had never even heard about it before!
"That's right! Didn't I drown? Then, how am I still alive…?"
Bertram tapped his chin repeatedly as he pondered away. Thalia merely stood there, waiting patiently for her lordship.
"To summarize the current information I have; I died, then I woke up on another, completely unfamiliar island with a really pretty lady calling me her lordship…
"Did I really… transmigrate into another world!? That is the only logical answer I can come up with. Though I've experienced it, it's really hard to believe!"
After a minute of planning did he finally ask, "So, Thalia right? Can you lead the way to this church of mine?"
She nodded as she said, "right this way, your lordship."
As he followed he saw countless graves spread across the small land, which was supposedly under "his" possession.
After about two minutes did they finally arrive at the church's entrance.
"Is this truly my home?" He asked curiously.
"Indeed it is, your lordship. Though the wretched scenery, it is magnificent compared to the rest of the world which was thrown into ruin by the fell lord. In truth, this sole building may very well be the last to stand."
"Is that so…" he muttered as he looked at the church in front of him. The roof had a large hole in it, the entrance lay in bloody ruin, the windows had fell apart, and the floor was… surprisingly clean!
"Thalia, did you keep the floor clean all by yourself?" He asked, still staring at the half ruined church before him.
She nodded and said, "yes, your lordship. Is it not to your liking?"
"That's not it," Bertram stepped closer, almost inside as he continued, "I was simply impressed. Well done!"
She gasped for a moment, a faint spark appeared in her lifeless eyes for a small moment.
"Thank you, your lordship. I will forever remember your kindness!"
"My kindness? I was simply impressed at how a little girl such as yourself managed to not only keep this place clean all alone, but also survive here in solitude!" He thought to himself as he stepped inside the church.
He cautiously traversed the cleaned indoor pathway and arrived at the nave. There was countless, long benches, some were seemingly hurled around in anger, while some were simply shoved a little to the side.
"This doesn't seem like a 'home' in my eyes…" he thought as he spotted something ahead! It was long and sharp, engulfed by the moonlight's illumination it cast a ray of light down the inner path of the nave.
"Thalia… why is there a sword floating above altar?" He asked as he slowly stepped toward it. "Pardon? That's your weapon, your lordship. An inheritance left to you by his previous lordship."
"An inheritance huh…"
"Wait! Why did he leave me a sword!?!?"
Thalia slightly tilted her head in confusion as she answered, "how else than without a blade are you supposed to murder?"
Bertram paused for a moment then gulped before his eyes turned into panic and surprise, "what the f*ck!!!"
Bertram thought for a moment before taking a deep breath of relief, "she might've just meant 'murder' as in killing animals to survive here!!!"
"You're quite funny huh? You meant 'murder' as in slaughtering animals, not people, right."
She simply gazed back at him in confusion.
"Right…?"
"I must apologize as I struggle to understand the problem in killing 'people'."
After a small moment of tension, Bertram randomly asked, "why? Just why do I need to kill others? Just what is your reason for such a statement?"
With an overwhelming loyalty and obedience toward her master, she answered with honesty, "what would you say defines a 'person'? Their mind that can invent and discover, also learn and evolve. Or their feelings, which can either birth love or destroy in anger?"
"What type of philosophical question is that? If I'd have to say, then maybe emotions?" He raised an eyebrow as he awaited a clearer answer, the response of the question's maker.
"Almost. However, in truth, the answer is both." She said, still maintaining her usual cold, yet elegant gaze.
"Well duh, I thought I had to choose between one or the other! This isn't fair at all!" He remarked as he revealed his more competitive side.
"Pardon the misdirection, you lordship. Though, what I wished to ask was.. if one possess more emotion than intellect, what do they become. Or if one possess more intellect than emotions, what are they then?"
Bertram sat down as he thought for an answer.
"If they possess more emotion than intellect they may become narrow minded, acting on the first thought almost as if driven by instinct.
"The other is simply the opposite—they become cold, ruthless, and calculative. They may be driven by senseless desire or goals, pushing others down in order to achieve their own form of success.
"Was that satisfactory for an answer?"
"It was, your lordship. Now, imagine those traits, however, amplified by eternal night." Her gaze pointed at the stars hanging effortlessly in the sky through the ruined roof.
"Eternal night?" He asked instinctively.
"The eternal night, a disaster that occurred more than during the age of ruin, three millennia ago.
"It amplified human emotions in ways that lead to transformation. Some call it evolution, while others a curse to dispel. These transformations lead only to ruin, wild destruction and the current era known as, 'the age of monsters'."
"How could humans lay a whole planet to waste in only a few thousands of years?" Bertram raised an eyebrow.
Thalia realized a sense of futility in her explanation, thus she closed their distance and leaned over, tapping her lord on the forehead twice!
Before he could react, his vision seemed to twirl and blur with each passing moment, a clear throbbing engulfed his head in pain.
Suddenly, it all vanished as he was met with the view of a ruined city. Though there wasn't much to look at other than buildings of different purposes lying in dirt, crooked roads and a clearly torn theater tent. There was one thing that caught his eye—a large clock tower which was still functioning, clicking and twirling as it should.
"Is this that city she was talking about? I believe she called it 'Iggyman?' No, that's not it! Maybe 'Iggund'?"
"Wait… am I hovering in the air right now?"
Before he could continue contemplating, his form which was levitating quickly travelled towards the ground, followed only by an echo of his high-pitched scream! Just as he was about to collide with the ground, his form suddenly came to a halt mid air!
"I'm gonna puke if this continues any further!!!" He shouted in rage.
"Wait, who's that? A person? Why is he walking amidst this god forsaken landscape?" He thought as he spotted a middle-aged man in tattered clothing walk, seemingly aimlessly through the roads.
"I should go talk to him! Maybe he knows where this is and this place is called! I swear it was something with 'Iggy'!"
As he approached the man he heard a weak and crusty voice, almost bereft of liquid say, "I give up, I can't… I can't continue any more than this!"
The pale man in tattered clothing stood still and closed his eyes as he gazed at the everlasting moon.
"Has he lost his mind or something? What is he even doing? Looks like he's embracing the night." Bertram mused to himself as he floating toward him.
He tapped the man's shoulder and cheered, "don't give up so fast man! I'll help you out with whatever you need!"
"My daughter…" the man said with tears flowing from the corners of his eyes. "She was such an angel! She didn't deserve that… that end…"
"Cant he see me?" Bertram thought.
"Don't worry, my child. I too, will meet the same end as you…"
Bertram looked at the man with a sad expression and asked, "what end?"
Suddenly, the man looked into Bertram's eyes and said, "the end of our humanity."
The man's body grew In size, his facial features malformed, he grew countless limbs across his frame and from those limbs grew eyes and horns alike. His chest pulsed as it grew, seemingly stealing all the flesh and bones from the abdomen!
He "transformed"!
Just as the "person" had completed his "transformation", he launched himself at Bertram in an uncoordinated manner and tried to grab him with his countless arms!
Just as Bertram was about to be grabbed, his vision blurred once more, twirled in all directions and soon awakened on the bench where he sat before, inside the church!
Panicked, his face turned pale, looking as though he was about to puke at any moment.
"Do understand now? What you are slaughtering is not 'people', but monsters that once were 'people'.
"Bring an end to this night, and you may find the 'door' to your own world, your 'true' home."