Chapter 06: The Fear of Darkness
In the heart of the rubble, Touya's one arm was completely useless; his body was like a shattered puppet. Under the crimson glow of a frozen dawn, the blood he had spilled to its last drops was symbolizing the final spark of his life. The light in his eyes had gone out; he had surrendered to nothingness. He could feel Death's cold breath upon the back of his neck.
Just then, the pile of debris that had collapsed onto him shifted slightly. And the Mountain Troll's head – robbed of its brain, its half obliterated – fixed its single eye upon Touya with a final hatred.
Touya exhaled with one last effort. At that very moment, as he tried to gather all his strength to lift his body, something out of the ordinary occurred. The pitch-black, ice-locked ground he lay upon began to shimmer with an ancient and eerie, crimson radiance. It greedily swallowed his dripping blood in the form of circular lines.
One of Touya's eyes could no longer see anything. It was insignificant. He was going to die anyway.
Then, a voice rose. A male voice, deep, alluring, but also laden with a crushing authority. Every syllable of it was as sharp and cold as a blade of glacial steel.
"Your will is enveloping your soul like armor."
The voice resonated like a bell in an ancient temple: "It has been a long time since the Gods shed their final tears. Now, all of them have descended from their thrones to bear witness to your will. The Gods are watching you. Rise, heir of the ancient one."
And the voice rose once more, this time like a verdict: "Your will knows no bounds. Your falsehoods render fate itself null and void. You have been found intriguing by Miara. Your soul has been deemed worthy to be given a Simple Name. Arise, The Fear of Darkness."
"Time shall forget you, yet the shadow you leave behind shall echo for eternity. You are no longer just a name, but the very one who holds the pulse of the darkness. Thrones are overturned, kings are forgotten. But fear… it always whispers."
"Even in prophecies written in blood, your name was absent; for terror existed even before you were. Those who kneel before you shall never escape, those who resist you shall not draw a single breath. Your Voice is not an echo — it is the calamity itself."
"The gates of heaven remain shut on your account. Even hell cannot recognize you, for not even it can be this dark. Those who come after you will not seek the light, for their eyes will grow accustomed to the endless dark. Whoever looks into your eyes watches their own end. And when your name is uttered, the night shudders."
These words were the epic declaration of the Simple Name bestowed upon his soul. On Miara, the chosen were given Simple and True Names by the planet itself. Simple Names could be elevated and evolve into a True Name, granting access to near-legendary powers. However, if the bearer was weak or dysfunctional, even the most epic of names amounted to nothing.
Before Touya could find the strength to answer these ancient words, he lost consciousness. Still, he knew one truth: He had not died.
And then, another voice. This time a different one: Slender, delicate, of almost divine beauty – a female voice. It was like the whisper of an angel.
"The God of Freedom is looking upon you." "You have inherited the lineage of a God."
—
Another hand
Lanert slipped out from within a dark creature. His ability to control them permitted him to attack, but should this ability be exhausted, it would also be his end. For the present, it was useless.
And there she appeared, Viera, her beautiful white hair flowing in the wind, her parched dark blue eyes sharp as an eagle's. With a menacing demeanor, she was poised to swing the long Jian sword in her hand.
Lanert took a deep breath, joining his two hands behind his back. He could not conceal the dangerous air about his inviting stance.
Matters, from this point forth, were going to take a turn for the far darker.
[Arc Finale: The Fear of The Darkness]