"What has befallen your world is indeed my fault. The crossing of my fate with yours has brought you no good, only ruins like it did to mine.
" So I will step aside, and leave the choice for you to make. Whether your decision be in my favour or not, I shall accept it as the price for my deeds," Veyrath says, before turning to descend downward on the wooden steps that led away from the throne.
And upon hearing these words Will loosen his grip on the Aetherfang, but the angry expression on his face he wears still, even the crowd behind him loosen up their stance .
Veyrath steps closer until he stands face-to-face with Will. "So what do you decide" Veyrath
Will exhales slowly before speaking. "Take me home," he says.
With his right hand place upon Will's shoulder, he move past him and now stands facing the crowd gathered.
"Peace, my fellow Aethryns(being of Dravareth ), peace. It grieves me deeply that the hand raised against us is of mine own bloodline. Yet this I vow unto you, I shall not return until I have brought him forth to stand before justice. Until that hour, my son, Dravenor, shall reign as your king in my stead."
Without need of summon, Dravenor emerges from behind the throne, follow closely by his mother. With measure grace, he advance and seats himself upon the throne, while his mother takes her place at his left side.
Mark by both light and shadow, the young prince carries himself with a regal calm. His storm-gray eyes bore the weight of his father's legacy, and his dark hair, kisses with faint silver strands, whispers of a destiny greater than himself. In his presence lingers both the promise of salvation and the peril of ruin yet to come.
His mother, on the other hand, though spoken of as a figure dreadful as any monster, is no stranger to beauty. She carries the air of serene grace about her, a calmness seem to soften even the harshest of judgments.
With both now present, Veyrath turns to Will and begin to mutter a spell of incantation.
INCANTATION
"By the shroud of worlds unseen, I break the veil that stands between.
From throne of shadow to mortal ground, let paths unbound in silence sound.
Through fire, through void, through endless skies, let realm to realm before us rise.
Now vanish we from this domain, to his, our fates remain."
Right before the spell takes hold, Will cast a quick glance at Dravenor and his mother. From their countenance and presence, he briefly wonders if they were truly of the same essence as Veyrath. The thought lingers only for a heartbeat before the incantation surge to completion, and in the next breath, he and Veyrath vanish from that realm.
"This isn't...he paused, wait, where am I "? Will begin to panic in fear trying to figure out the environment he's in.
The world he was expecting is gone. no sky, no sun, only a vast and endless space. Yet this space isn't not empty; it breathes with a strange, oppressive presence, as though the void itself were alive and watching. Darkness stretches in every direction, thick and velvet-like, swallowing all trace of horizon.
Here and there, faint glimmers drifts like dying embers in a sea of shadow, lights that flare for a heartbeat before vanishing as if they had never been.
The ground beneath his feet is neither solid nor fluid, but something in between, shifting subtly with each step, as if he walked upon the skin of a slumbering beast. A faint hum pulsed through the void, low and haunting, vibrating in his bones rather than his ears.
The air, if it could be called that, was cold, but not with the chill of winter. It was the kind of cold that seeped into the soul, leaving silence where thought should be. Every breath he took seemed to echo, drawn into an abyss with no end.
This isn't the realm of Veyrath, nor the earth Will longs for. It's something in between, a place unbound by time, a corridor of eternity.
"Surrender the Aetherfang only then will I let you live" a voice echoes.
"Oh ....this again" Will exhaled in frustration.
"This is becoming stupid Veyrath and you know it, you pull this all up just for this !" Will moves his head around hoping to catch a sight of Veyrath
He let out a sigh of relief as footsteps begin to echoe in his direction, believing them to be Veyrath's. But his relief quickly turns to shock when he sees strange beings, creatures resembling those from Veyrath's realm. yet the one leading them was not Veyrath.
Will releases the Aetherfang, certain that if it strikee the ground, Zerakthul and his army would disappear, just as it has always done with Veyrath. But this time, nothing happen.
This is finally it Will says to himself as he picks up the Aetherfang back from the floor
"Surrender the Aetherfang, child. This shall be thy final warning,refuse, and thou shalt perish," spake Zerakthul, his voice resounding like the roar of a lion.
Will understands this situation was unlike any before. If he hurls the Aetherfang at Zerakthul, it would only return to him. And from the weight of Zerakthul's aura , the serious look on his and the firmness of his stance, Will knew he isn't one who would listen, nor a being who cares for explanation.
"Of thine own will?" he scoffed. "Bullshit."
Will closes his eyes, steadying his breath as though instinctively knowing how to wield the Aetherfang. With a sharp exhale, he fix his gaze on Zerakthul and begin his charge.
"Death it shall be," Zerakthul declares, unmoving. His eyes remain fix on Will, who charge toward him with unbridle rage.
Will's mind flashes back to the vision of his world crumbling, and the sight of its destroyer standing before him instantly ignites a fury he can no longer contain. Fire burst from his body without consuming him, his eyes blazing red, the Aetherfang in his grip erupting into flames.
With a roar, he charge, each step scorching the ground. The blade tore through the air in burning arcs, every strike fuel by grief and rage, a storm of vengeance made flesh.
Zerakthul did not flinch at the sight of Will; instead, a deep, mocking laugh rumbles from his chest. "A new wielder," he says, the words dripping with scorn as his laughter slowly fades into the air.
Will finally close the distance and hurls the Aetherfang at Zerakthul. But in an instant, Zerakthul vanish, reappearing behind him. With a swift strike, he knocks Will to the ground.
Before Will could rise, Zerakthul's kick sent him hurtling through the air. And before he could even touch the ground, Zerakthul was already upon him, striking again. The assault continues relentlessly, each kick following the last, driving him back again and again, five times in unbreaken succession.
"Perishing for an object of which thou knowest naught is but a fool's demise," speaks Zerakthul, looming over Will. With great effort, Will serks to rise, yet he couldn't stand aright, Zerakthul's fist smites him down once more. He was cast unto the earth, and the flames that had wreathes both him and the Aetherfang were quench in but a breath. There he lay in grievous torment, his body laden with agony.
Will was still groaning in pain with his hands still wrapped around the Aetherfang, Zerakthul walks closer to him and stretch out his hands in the hands and suddenly a sword appears on his hands.
Zerakthul drive the sword into Will's chest
The blade tears through Will, flooding his body with fire and agony. His breath comes in ragg gasps as blood pours from the wound, each heartbeat a thunderclap of pain. Knees buckling, he cling to the Aetherfang with fading strength, vision darkening at the edges. Yet even as cold crept into his limbs, he lift his gaze one last time, eyes burning with defiance, refusing to let Zerakthul see him broken.
And right there He dies
The awakening
Will opens his eyes to warmth instead of pain. He lay on soft grass beneath a golden sun, surrounded by blossoms and flowing streams.
"Where am I?" Will murmurs, still lying on the soft grass as the sunlight warms his face. His hand drifts to his stomach, searching for blood, but found none. Shock washes over him. Slowly, he rose to his feet, tilting his head as his gaze fell upon the sea of radiant flowers surrounding him.
He was still lost in the beauty of the view when his eyes caught sight of someone approaching. The sun's glare, however, obscured his vision, making it difficult to discern who the figure was. Raising his hand to his brow, like a soldier offering a salute, he shielded his eyes from the blinding light to catch a clearer glimpse.
Dress in a flowing light-blue gown, her black hair shimmer as the sunlight kisses each strand. As the view grew clearer, it became undeniable, the figure approaching was a woman.
"Will" she calls out
Will froze for a moment, utterly shocked by what his eyes beholds. Could this truly be a dream?
"Mum"?
"You're right, it's me," she said, her voice soft and tender.
"Mum!" Will cried through his tears as he ran to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"I've missed you… so, so much," Will whispered, his voice breaking as uncontrollable tears streamed down his cheeks.
"And here I am," she said, her voice as soft and gentle as before.
Will released his embrace from his mother, yet tears continued to stream down his face.
Will's mother reached out and gently wiped away his tears with the palm of her hand.
"I could stay here for every" will
"No you can't, the world needs you" she affirms Will
"I'm a good boy now, a responsible one. I have a job, and I no longer waste my time playing video games or sneaking out at night with friends to cause trouble. So please, let me stay with you, Mum. The world doesn't want me. It's either you come with me, or I stay here with you," Will said, breaking down into uncontrollable tears.
"Just let me stay"
"Oh, my son, you have an even greater destiny ahead of you. You don't belong here. Go,protect the world. Only you can," she said softly, before fading away into nothingness.
"Mum! … Mum! Mum!" Will cried out, only to be pulled back to reality. This time, he found himself in his room, with Veyrath standing close beside him.