Aris: "cause it was the very first day I named you... The colour of your chain reminded me of a rose I once saw bloom in the snowy and icy mountains, despite the cruel weather and environment, it stood tall with pride, and that what I see in you. so promise me.... that just like that rose you too will live with pride..." She spoke her voice getting lower by the second, the light in her eyes fading, like a candle flame flickering in the wind. The rain pounded against her face, droplets clinging to her eyelashes like tiny diamonds, and Cyan could see the pain in her eyes, the regret and the longing. He felt like he was drowning in his own sorrow, the pain in his chest like a physical blow, a crushing weight that threatened to suffocate him.
Cyan: "I...I promise," he choked out, his voice cracking, a broken, shattered thing. "I'll live...I'll live with pride...I promise." the sound of his cry's palpable and shaky, like a leaf trembling in the wind.
Aris: "Good" She said as her voice barely above a whisper "I am sorry I won't be there just who when your journey just got harder but know that I will be there... always." she spoke, followed by a cough, the sound like a crack in the earth, a sudden fissure that seemed to split the ground open.
The flames had already died down, the smell of Wet burned wood. Mingling in the air, as the rain pured down harder from the night sky, the sound of splattering water palpable and the world seemingly calling out to Aris. The darkness seemed to press in around them, a living, breathing thing that threatened to consume them whole.
CYAN: " Shhh, breath... Breath" He said his voice low, the words barely audible over the pounding of the rain.
Aris: "I can't see... and I feel so cold, are you still there... bro... ther" She said, her voice above a whisper, broken, her eyes lifeless, like two empty wells. The sound of her voice was like a gentle breeze, a soft sigh that seemed to carry on the wind.
Cyan: "Yes, yes I am here... Just keep speaking" he yelled, his eyes focused on healing, his finger as shaking uncontrollably, like a leaf trembling in the wind. His tears streamed down his face, a river of grief that seemed to have no end.
ARIS: "Can I... Have your hand, brother" She spoke as her voice faded, like a whisper in the wind, the words barely audible over the pounding of the rain.
CYAN: "Yes.. You can hold it for as long as you want, just keep on breathing" He gave her his shaky hand, tears streaming down his visage like a faulty tap, his sobs echoing through the air. The sound of his sobs was like a mournful dirge. Aris's grip on his hands relaxed, her eyes losing their focus, a faint smile on her lips, a look of peace settling over her face, like a gentle snowfall on a winter's night. Her chest stopped heaving, her body going still, the only sound the rain pounding against the ground, a mournful dirge that seemed to echo through the very fabric of reality.
The world seemed to hold its breath, the rain slowing to a gentle patter, as if the heavens themselves were mourning the loss of Aris. The darkness seemed to press in around them, a living, breathing thing that threatened to consume them whole, but Cyan didn't notice, his eyes fixed on his sister's face, his heart shattered into a million pieces.
Cyan's scream was like a wounded animal's, raw and primal, as he realized she was gone, her hand slipping from his grasp, a void opening up inside him, a chasm of pain and grief that seemed to have no bottom, a darkness that threatened to consume him whole. The sound echoed through the desolate landscape, a mournful cry that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth. He placed his head onto her chest, his body shaking with sobs, as the rain washed away the blood and tears, a relentless, unforgiving force that seemed to mirror the turmoil within him. The rain pounded against his skin, a thousand tiny needles that seemed to pierce his very soul. He felt a void of hollowness that grew larger inside himself, an emotion that threatened to consume him, Everything turned dark as he lifted her from the ground, his knees strongly pressed to the ground as he hugged her body tightly, his fingers shaking like a vibration. The sound of his ragged breathing was like a death rattle, a grim reminder of the fragility of life.
"No, No... No" He muttered to himself as he drew her in closer inside his embrace. Lighting flashed, creating a flash of light that illuminated the dark sky, a brief, brilliant burst that seemed to sear itself into Cyan's retina. The thunder that followed was like a crack of doom, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth.
Cyans bone-like earing, which he'd never taken off for as long as he could remember, fissured slowly, overwhelmed by the intense aura that coursed through his veins, fueled by the intense mix of emotions that grasped his heart. The sound of the earing cracking was like a tiny bell tolling, a mournful sound that seemed to echo through the desolate landscape.
CYAN: "Nooo....!!!!!!" he yelled on top of his lungs, his voice lanced with emotions unexplainable. The echo of his yell was like a roar that went on forever, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth.
The sound was like a living thing, a creature that seemed to writhe and twist in the air, a monstrous presence that seemed to pulse with a malevolent life. While amidst his scream, Small blue sparks of lightning danced around him, with Arise in his arms, dancing in the descending drops as it quickly turned from blue lightning pure red hinted with black.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of ozone, a pungent scent that seemed to sear itself into Cyan's nostrils. The lightning was like a wild thing, a creature that seemed to dance and twist in the air, a mesmerizing display of power and fury. As his Aura burst out into blue, Quickly switching to red, As his scream died down, followed by sobs, The burst of Aura dying down with his scream...
The small red lightning, playing around him like sparks of electricity that bonded the rain drops and the ground. The sound of the lightning was like a crackling fire, a sound that seemed to fill the air with a fierce, primal energy. Cyans sobs were palpable as he tightened his embrace of Arise's lifeless body, his sobs becoming more intense. The sound of his crying was like a mournful melody, a sad, slow song that seemed to echo through the desolate landscape. He suddenly stopped crying, and started laughing, as if he was crazy, tears running down his visage, but his laugh menacing, He switched from crying and laughing like a mad man.
The sound of his laughter was like a wild thing, a creature that seemed to unleash itself upon the world, a monstrous presence that seemed to pulse with a malevolent life. Suddenly he became quiet, the sound of silence palpable as his voice slipped into a cold and detached echo.
CYAN: "I will put an end to this.... I will kill them all... Every last one" he spoke, his voice shaky like a shiver of hate. His desire for revenge was deep, like a hunger unquenched. The words seemed to hang in the air, a promise of vengeance that seemed to sear itself into the very fabric of reality.
The world seemed to shudder, the very foundations of reality seeming to tremble with fear. The darkness closed in, a living, breathing thing that seemed to writhe and twist with malevolent intent. As he spoke those words, Small rocks levitated from the ground, heading towards him while adorned with the crimson sparks of lightning, slowly creating a mask that covered only his left eye, each piece connecting with the last like a puzzle.
The mask was black in color and red etchings, like claw marks of a scratched tree by a lion. The masked seemed like it sealed his oath, a symbol of his unyielding determination to avenge his sister's death. The air was filled with the acrid smell of ozone, a pungent scent that seemed to sear itself into Cyan's nostrils.
The sound of the rocks moving was like a soft whisper, a gentle rustling that seemed to echo through the desolate landscape. The mask seemed to glow with an otherworldly energy, a fierce, primal power that seemed to pulse through Cyan's veins like a river of fire. The mask settled onto Cyan's face, a cold, unforgiving presence that seared itself into his skin like a branding iron.
The red etchings glowed like freshly forged embers, casting a crimson light over the desolate landscape, pulsating with an aura that seemed to draw the very life force out of the air. The scent of ozone and smoke hung heavy, a pungent reminder of the destruction that had been wrought, mingling with the metallic tang of blood and the sweet, clinging scent of death.
As the mask settled, Cyan's left eye underwent a transformation, glowing with an otherworldly energy of crimson, as if the very fires of hell had been unleashed within his soul. The red iris pulsed with a malevolent life, a fierce, primal power that seemed to burn with an unquenchable thirst for revenge, a wild, untamed force that threatened to consume him whole.
The mask seemed to be pulling him deeper into its darkness, a vortex of pain and anger that seemed to have no bottom, no escape. The world around him faded away, leaving only the mask and the promise he had made, a promise of vengeance, of retribution, of blood.
The rain continued to fall, a relentless, unforgiving force that seemed to mirror the turmoil within Cyan's soul, the droplets hitting the ground with a steady rhythm, a mournful melody that underscored the gravity of the moment. Red electric sparks danced on the ground and in the air, like tiny, malevolent sprites, as if the very fabric of reality was beginning to unravel.
The sky darkened, the clouds swirling with an unnatural speed, the rain intensifying until it was a solid sheet of water, a curtain of pain that seemed to cut through the air. The air was filled with an electric charge, a sense of anticipation that crackled with tension, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for Cyan to make his move.
With a slow, deliberate movement, Cyan stood up, Aris's sword in his hand, her body cradled in his other arm, her head lolling against his chest. He turned around, facing the ruins of the Ronan village gate, the shattered remnants of the once-proud entrance looming like a specter, a grim reminder of what had been lost.
Each step felt like a leaden weight, each footfall echoing through the desolate landscape like a death knell, as Cyan walked towards the forest, his eyes cold and hard, his heart a barren, frozen wasteland. The masked shimmered in the dark, rainy scene, the eye glowing with an otherworldly light, the left eye burning like a crimson star through the eye hole of the mask.
Time lost all meaning as he walked, seconds stretching into eternity, until he reached the edge of the forest, where the fire had not reached, where the trees still stood tall and unburned. The beasts of the forest, sensing the darkness that had descended upon him, slivered away in fear, their eyes glowing like lanterns in the darkness as they fled from the monster that had once been a boy.
The shadow wolves, those fierce, phantom creatures that had once stalked him and his companions, now cowered in fear, their tails tucked between their legs, their eyes fixed upon the boy who had become a vessel for the very darkness they had once feared.
The air was heavy with the stench of death, the color of crimson, a morbid reminder of the destruction that had been unleashed. He walked without turning around, his eyes fixed upon some point in the distance, his heart a frozen, barren wasteland, his soul lost to the darkness that had consumed him.
The forest seemed to part before him, a dark, twisted tunnel that led deeper into the heart of madness, and Cyan, with Aris's sword in hand, walked willingly into the abyss, his left eye burning like a beacon, guiding him forward.
He walked for miles, his glowing eye fixed unwaveringly ahead, the sound of his leather boots echoing through the forest like a death knell. His clothes were torn, the goblin blood and his own washed away by the rain, leaving behind a tattered, ragged appearance that spoke of the trials he had endured.
Aris lay still in his arms, her skin pale and clammy, her eyelashes frozen in a delicate, eerie stillness, her lips dry and cracked.The forest seemed to hold its breath as he passed, no monster daring to bother him, as if sensing the maelstrom of fury that churned within him.
A few hours later, the rain ceased, leaving behind a gentle shower and a fog that settled in, bathing the entire forest in a steamy, eerie cloak.The time was probably somewhere around 5:05 in the morning, and Cyan never stopped, his feet carrying him forward with a relentless determination, his eyes fixed upon some point ahead, his heart a frozen, barren wasteland.
Time moved, or seemed to, as he walked out of the forest, emerging into an empty plane, a vast, featureless expanse that stretched out before him like an endless, white sea. In that plane, too, he kept walking, as if driven by some unseen force, his feet moving with a mechanical, unstoppable rhythm, his eyes fixed upon some point ahead, his mind a complete blank, devoid of thought or emotion. His front view was unclear, shrouded in the thick, impenetrable fog that surrounded him, a veil of uncertainty that seemed to cling to him like a shroud. As he walked, a huge tree loomed before him, its massive trunk blocking his path, its height lost in the fog, its roots as big as Cyan himself. The tree seemed to tower above him, a giant, immovable sentinel, a challenge to be overcome.
With a slow, deliberate movement, he placed Aris's body on the ground, her pale form seeming to blend into the earth itself.
He infused Aris's blade with his aura, which had turned a deep, blood-red color, the color of fury, of vengeance, of death. The aura burst forth, cloaking the sword in a fiery, crimson light, as if the very essence of Cyan's being had been poured into the blade.
With a cry that echoed throughout the plane, a cry that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth, Cyan attacked the tree, his sword slashing through the air with a deadly, unstoppable precision. He swung and struck the tree with aura-infused slashes, but the tree was too thick, too massive, and his sword only managed to leave scratches, mere scratches, upon its bark. He attacked and attacked and attacked, over and over and over again, seconds turning to minutes, minutes turning into hours, the daylight returning as the night fog slowly dispersed, revealing the tree in all its massive, unyielding glory.
The tree refused to budge, to yield, to fall, and Cyan's determination only seemed to grow, to intensify, his grip on the sword tightening as the aura on the blade intensified, until it seemed to burn with a fierce, white light. Two hours more later, the daylight was already bright, but the sun had not yet emerged, hidden behind a veil of clouds, as if even the heavens themselves were hesitant to witness the spectacle that was Cyan's fury.
Cyan's breath was visible, warm smoke coming out of his mouth, the glow of the mask had disappeared, leaving the black mask attached to his face, a grim, eerie reminder of the power that lurked within him. He had run out of breath, his body slick with sweat, his muscles screaming in protest, and yet he still stood, still held the sword, still fixed his gaze upon the tree, his determination unbroken, his will unshaken.
He had managed to put only a dent, a mere dent, in the tree's massive trunk, and yet he would not stop, would not yield, would not rest until he'd triumphth As his mind drifted to a flashback, a memory of Aris's smile, of her laughter, of the way she had looked at him with eyes that shone like stars in the darkness.
The moments she used to pat his head while messing it up, with a grin on her face, everything. The images seared themselves into his mind, a burning brand that fueled his fury, his determination. The scent of damp earth and crushed leaves filled the air as he stood amidst the desolate landscape, the tree looming behind him like a specter.
END OF CHAPTER 13
THE ARCHON OF ANNIHILATION | BY PHILLIP CHIMOWA
SPACC | Sorry guys, this conclude's the first volome of the novel.