The village was in ruins. The once thriving homes, the sound of laughter, and the warmth of familiar faces had all been replaced by the thick smoke of destruction and the smell of burning wood and flesh. Saamu stood at the center of it all, his heart still pounding with the power he had just unleashed. The river goddess's magic flowed through him, her energy weaving into his very being. He could feel it, surging like a wild, untamed river ready to burst forth and consume everything in its path.
His hands were still shaking, the glow of ethereal power lingering in his palms like a dying ember. The invaders had retreated, but Saamu didn't care. His eyes scanned the wreckage around him. His village his home all gone. The people who had been like family, the warriors who had fought beside his father, all lost in the violence of war.
A voice, soft but commanding, echoed in his mind, as if it had always been there, waiting to be heard.
"You have only just begun, Saamu. The world trembles before you."
The river goddess. Her voice was both soothing and unsettling. She had given him power, but with it came something else, something darker. The beast within him had awoken, a force of primal nature that had been dormant for too long. Saamu wasn't sure if he was ready for it, but he had no choice but to face it. The beast was a part of him now. It was in his blood, in his bones, and it was hungry for more.
He clenched his fists, trying to push the thoughts away, but they wouldn't leave. He had just killed. He had just unleashed a power that had decimated his enemies without mercy. Was this who he was now? A king of beasts? A ruler of destruction?
Saamu took a deep breath, his chest tightening as the grief of his losses threatened to overtake him. His mother's face flashed in his mind, her gentle smile, the way she held him close when he was scared, the way she had always believed in him. She had given him this gift, this power, and now, he was left to navigate a world that was no longer familiar. A world that had been torn apart by war.
"Saamu, my son," the voice of his mother whispered, though it was only in his mind. "You are strong. But strength comes at a cost. You must not let the beast consume you."
The beast. Saamu felt its presence in every fiber of his being. It was a hunger that would never be satisfied, a power that would drive him to the edge of madness. And yet, it was what he needed to survive.
He glanced at the ruins of his village, the smoldering remains of his childhood. There would be no going back. He couldn't undo the destruction. He couldn't change the past. But he could change the future.
With his mind set, Saamu turned toward the heart of the village. There was nothing left here for him. The people who had once known him were gone, and the warriors who had fought beside his father had either perished or fled. His path forward was unclear, but he knew one thing: He would make those who had destroyed his world pay.
As Saamu moved through the charred remnants of the village, his feet heavy with the weight of his decisions, he could feel the river goddess's power growing stronger within him. She was his guide, his protector, but there was something more that made him uneasy. The power she had granted him was vast, but it was not without consequences. He could sense the darkness swirling around him, threatening to consume him if he wasn't careful.
Suddenly, a movement caught his eye. From the shadows of the burning remains, a figure emerged, a small girl, her clothes torn and singed, her face streaked with dirt and blood. Saamu froze, his instincts sharpening. Who was she? How had she survived the carnage?
The girl looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear, but there was something else that reminded Saamu of the hope that still clung to life, even in the face of destruction. She seemed lost, abandoned like him. Her gaze flicked to the river goddess's power emanating from Saamu's hands, and she flinched, sensing the danger.
"Who are you?" Saamu's voice was low and threatening, but it was also tinged with curiosity.
The girl swallowed hard, her lips trembling as she spoke. "I'm… I'm just a survivor. They came… they took everything…"
Saamu felt a pang of sympathy for her. He knew all too well the feeling of being left behind, of losing everything. But his sympathy was fleeting. The beast inside him roared, reminding him of his purpose, of the path he had to walk.
"You need to leave," Saamu said coldly, his tone unwavering. "This place is no longer safe."
The girl looked at him, her expression softening. "But… you're different. You've got power… You can stop them. You can make things right."
Saamu felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Her words echoed in his mind, and for a moment, he hesitated. Could he make things right? Or was he too far gone? The beast stirred within him again, clawing at his resolve.
Before he could respond, a group of soldiers appeared in the distance with more invaders, their swords drawn, their eyes locked on Saamu. They had returned to finish what they had started. Saamu's breath quickened as he turned to face them, the river goddess's power bubbling within him like an unstoppable force.
He raised his hand, and the earth beneath him rumbled. The water surged from the ground, coiling around his arms like serpents, wrapping him in its embrace. The invaders froze, their eyes wide with terror as they saw the power Saamu commanded.
"You came back," Saamu's voice was low, a growl that sent chills through the soldiers. "But now, I will make you regret it."
With a flick of his wrist, Saamu summoned the full force of the river goddess's power. The water surged forward, crashing into the invaders like a tidal wave. The soldiers screamed, their bodies tossed aside as Saamu's magic tore through them. Their weapons were useless against the wrath of the river.
When the chaos finally subsided, Saamu stood in the center of the battlefield, his body pulsing with power. The girl watched in awe, her eyes wide with fear and admiration. Saamu had not only survived, but he had become something else like a force of nature, a king in the making.
But as the adrenaline faded, so did the satisfaction of victory. Saamu's heart thudded in his chest, and he realized that, despite his triumph, there was still something missing that couldn't be filled by power alone.
The beast within him had tasted blood, and there was no turning back.
Saamu turned away from the battlefield, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The world was his to conquer, but the question remained: Could he control the beast within, or would it consume him like it had consumed so many before him?
The journey of the Lord of All Beasts had just begun.