The wanderer & The seeker

Amid the scattered debris, Nikos knelt on his knees, his labored chest struggling to draw breath. His battered silver armor barely covered his torn and wound-laden body. Dust clung to his grim face, and his frozen eyes remained fixed on the lifeless body cradled in his arms—the body of the one who had been his companion, his wife, who died for him: Andrea. Her pale face was smeared with traces of dirt, while his trembling fingers slid across her cheeks in a desperate attempt to reclaim the warmth of life that had faded. Explosions echoed all around, yet his ears heard nothing but a heavy, dreadful silence. He did not scream or weep, for he knew deep within that none of it mattered anymore.

He sighed in exhaustion and sorrow before his weary eyes drifted over the horrific scene of devastation that had overtaken the capital. The city, once a symbol of prosperity, was now a landscape of chaos and ruin. Its towers, which once proudly touched the sky, had crumbled into smoldering heaps of rubble. Blazing fires, scattered wreckage, and the air thick with toxic black smoke combined to form a canvas of terror and destruction.

Among the ruins, the groans of the wounded faded, dissolving into the sounds of collapsing buildings, as if they were part of an endless, tragic symphony.

Amid the dancing flames, Nikos spotted a shadow moving slowly through the glow and ash. He didn't need more light to recognize it—a deep hatred filled his chest in an instant. The figure was clad in dark attire, a black cloak wrapped tightly around his body. In one hand, he held a tattered rag, and in the other, a mask concealing his face. With deliberate care, he lifted the mask, revealing familiar features: a face that resembled Nikos', yet with expressions starkly different.

His eyes were as cold as, reflecting a deadly indifference. It was as if the destruction surrounding him was nothing more than a trivial play, unworthy of the slightest concern. Behind those golden eyes lay a dark depth, an endless abyss of impenetrable darkness.

"You've blown up the capital, Cyrus, destroyed it along with everyone in it. I hope you feel a sense of accomplishment after taking the lives of all those innocent people," Nikos said wearily, laying Andrea's remains aside.

Cyrus responded calmly, the crackling of flames echoing in the background: "Really, Nikos, don't say such embarrassing things. You know everything I've done was only to fulfill the promise I made to you."

Nikos laughed, a sound filled with bitterness and pain, and muttered hoarsely, "Damn you, Cyrus, you've taken everything from me: my name, my honor, my title, my comrades… my family. Don't you see you've kept your promise?"

Cyrus didn't move. He didn't even blink.

The silence that followed was heavier than any words.

...…

...…

...…

With deliberate slowness, Cyrus spoke as he turned the rag in his hand. "Don't curse me, brother. Curse your own actions, In the end every action has consequences. You are the cause of everything that has happened to you."

As he flipped the rag, three disfigured heads rolled to the ground: a woman's, a man's, and a child's.

Cyrus looked up at the sky and said, "Now, I have kept my promise, brother."

His gaze dropped from the sky to Nikos' face, which was stricken with horror and disbelief. Cyrus inhaled deeply, as if finally shedding a heavy burden, a mountain he had carried on his shoulders for so long. It was as though the chains that had bound him had been cast off, like a bird that had at last escaped its cage after a long struggle.

He stretched his arms wide, embracing the hot breeze and rising smoke. He stood there, waiting for the feeling he had always dreamed of, the feeling he had sought so desperately. The seconds slipped by slowly: one, two, three, four, ten, fifteen, forty, a full minute—and still, nothing changed.

Slowly, his fingers began to tremble, at first slightly, then with increasing intensity until he lost all control of his hands. His chest heaved violently, his heart pounding against his ribs, and each breath he took felt like a desperate struggle.

His knees shook, barely holding him upright, and his eyes darted frantically, searching for someone, anyone. His trembling lips whispered, "W-where are you? Why? Why don't you show yourselves when I need you? You've haunted me since birth, used me, broken me, driven me to commit acts I never wanted to do. And now, when I need you most, why can't I find you? Where are you?"

The only response was silence—a crushing void that swallowed his words as if they dissolved into the air of the dead. His hands rose, trembling, to cover his head, and his voice faltered in fear: "A-answer me. What is this feeling? This emptiness?

Terrifying-it's terrifying. A nightmare, th-this has to be a nightmare."

From a distance, a entity emerged from the shadows, its face hidden behind massive dark veils. It walked steadily toward him, stepping through the rubble of destroyed buildings and charred bodies, until it stood before Cyrus. For a moment, It stared at Cyrus' condition before leaning over and whispering something in his ear. Within seconds, Cyrus regained his composure. His breathing slowed, his knees steadied, and the pounding in his chest returned to normal.

He lowered his hands from his face and took a deep breath, then muttered softly,

"So that's how it is." He looked at Nikos, a bitter smile crossing his otherwise grim face, and said, "I'm sorry, it seems everything was for nothing... It seems it wasn't even my desire."

On the other side, after seeing the heads strewn across the ground, Nikos froze.

Time itself seemed to come to a standstill, and even the crackling of the fires dimmed, leaving Nikos' expression to betray the horror unfolding in his mind.

When he finally processed what had happened, his eyes widened in pure shock, and his body began to tremble violently, as if struck by a lightning bolt. In an instant, a bright blue aura erupted from his body, and his veins bulged, glowing with a blue flame-like intensity.

With a deafening scream that filled the air, he roared at the top of his lungs,

"CYRUUUUUUUS!"

Nikos charged toward Cyrus in a frenzy, his anger boiling inside him, emotions surging through him with unnatural force. He paid no mind to his deep wounds or the chaos around him. In that moment, all he wanted was to kill the one who had taken everything from him.

In the blink of an eye, Nikos stood before Cyrus, and with a single blow, he pierced Cyrus' chest and ripped his heart from its place. Blood exploded in every direction, and Cyrus coughed up blood, which splattered onto Nikos' face.

But Nikos didn't even blink. He just yanked his arm free from Cyrus' chest with a fierce pull.

Cyrus tried to remain standing but quickly collapsed, falling lifelessly to the ground.

The entity observed the scene for a few moments before bending down toward Cyrus and whispering into his ear again.

Amidst the blood pouring from his mouth, Cyrus muttered weakly, "H-help me?

Forget... forget about that. There's nothing left for me. I just want to know who you are."

The entity whispered again, but Cyrus interrupted, his voice weak and faltering. "D-don't argue with me... in my final breaths. Tell me who you are now, or... leave."

Without another word, the entity vanished into the air, as though it had never existed.

Consumed by hatred, Nikos spat, "I don't even want to know what you're hallucinating about, you wretch. Just die." He clenched his fingers around Cyrus' heart, slowly crushing it before tossing it aside. Standing over him, Nikos raised his foot high, ready to crush his skull.

Cyrus looked into Nikos' eyes one last time before closing his own, exhaling his final breath as he began to sink into the abyss of darkness.

In that final moment, surrounded by the void, a familiar sound echoed in his mind—an unsettling sound, out of place in the silent darkness. He knew the sound all too well, and he hated it with every fiber of his being. It terrified him like nothing ever had before. The moment he heard it, he realized he was cursed—cursed for all eternity.

It was the sound of pages being torn from a book.

—————-

As the first rays of the sun emerged on the horizon, the towering mountains revealed themselves, standing as if they were challenging the sky. Their snow-capped peaks reflected the early morning light, returning it in a magical gleam. Rivers gracefully flowed from those lofty heights, winding through the rocks like a gentle melody, filling the air with sweet harmonies of nature.

On the slopes of these mountains stretches the majestic Halbros forest, with its towering trees reaching for the sky and dense branches filling the air with the fresh scent of nature. Green moss carpets the trunks of the ancient trees, while sunlight sneaks through the leaves, painting golden patterns that dance upon the ground.

In the heart of this serene beauty, the village of Selene stands as if it were born from the depths of the forest. Its small houses, with their terracotta roofs and ancient stone walls, blend harmoniously with the surrounding nature. Cobblestone streets wind between the homes, adorned with colorful flowers that delight the eyes. The gentle waters of fountains cascade softly, as if whispering songs of tranquility to all who pass by.

In a gleaming marble corridor at the center of an elegant building in the heart of the village, the anxious footsteps of Alexander echoed clearly between the tall walls. He paced back and forth, his shoulders tense, and his worried eyes never leaving the closed door before him. Thick strands of his dark hair fell over his neck, while his youthful face was etched with a deep anxiety he couldn't hide.

From inside the room, Andromeda's cries pierced the silence of the building, each wave of pain weighing heavily on Alexander's heart. Every scream seemed to stop time, making each passing second feel like an eternity, holding his breath in agonizing anticipation.

Suddenly, silence filled the air. Only a few moments passed before a soft, delicate cry broke the stillness, announcing the arrival of new life, carrying with it a wave of hope that spread through the room.

The door quietly opened, and a young maid appeared, holding a baby wrapped in soft towels in her arms. A gentle smile lit up her face, bringing a sense of peace to Alexander's troubled heart. Her eyes shone softly as she spoke in a voice filled with joy, "Congratulations, sir. Everything went smoothly. Both the lady and the baby are in perfect health."

As soon as these words reached Alexander's ears, he could no longer contain his emotions. A wide smile spread across his face, as if a mountain of worries had been lifted from his heart. With a light touch, he took the baby from Elisa's arms and held him close to his chest, as if cradling the most precious thing in the world. The moment the baby settled in his father's arms, his cries softened, and a deep calm fell over the room, as if Alexander's embrace alone was enough to soothe him.

Elisa smiled gently and playfully remarked, "It seems the bond between father and son has already begun."

Alexander chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling with joy. With a delicate gesture, he gently pulled back the towels from the small child's body and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. Moments later, an idea crossed his mind. With a steady hand, he placed his fingers on the baby's chest and infused a small amount of aura into him.

Among the onlookers, an elderly man noticed this action and quickly rushed forward in protest. "Sir, the child was just born, you shouldn't…" He trailed off, gasping as he saw what unfolded.

Despite having just entered the world moments ago, the baby began absorbing the aura with an intense thirst, as though quenching a deep need. Beneath his delicate skin, the aura veins began to glow vividly, tracing intricate, shimmering lines.

Everyone stood in complete shock, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. In stark contrast, Alexander burst into hearty laughter, filled with pride and joy. His eyes gleamed with a radiant light, as if he had expected this all along.

One of the elders cautiously approached, his eyes wide with unparalleled astonishment, muttering in a low voice, "This extension and ramification… this child, he's a true miracle."

Amid the atmosphere of joy and awe, a piercing cry of pain shattered the moment—Andromeda's voice echoed through the hall. As soon as Elisa heard it, she rushed into the room without hesitation, closing the door hastily behind her, leaving Alexander standing there, holding the baby in his arms, his gaze now fixed on the door with growing concern.

Alexander's heart raced with each passing second. He held the baby, who had begun to cry again, and with shaky steps, moved toward the door, banging on it forcefully. His voice trembled as he called out, "What's happening? Is she alright?" But there was no answer to his plea.

One of the elders tried to calm him, saying, "Please, sir, it's likely just the aftereffects of childbirth. Give them some time, and all will be well."

Alexander frowned and reluctantly took two steps back. Every minute felt like an eternity, until at last, silence returned, and the pain subsided. The door opened once more, and Elisa appeared, cradling another baby in her arms, identical to the first. Her body trembled as she whispered in a shaky voice, "Sir… the lady has given birth to twins."

Alexander's expression froze, his eyes widening in shock. With heavy, disbelieving steps, he approached Elisa. Carefully, he handed the first child to one of the maids, then slowly took the second baby from Elisa's arms. But as soon as the baby touched his arms and settled against his chest, it burst into a loud, piercing cry, each moment intensifying the wails.

Furrowing his brow, Alexander removed the towels from the child's body and placed his fingers on the baby's chest, gently attempting to infuse a small amount of aura into him. This time, however, the baby's body convulsed violently, rejecting the aura as if it were poison seeping into his veins. The baby's cries grew more desperate, and blood began to trickle from his tiny nose, as if a fire were raging inside him.

Alarmed, Alexander examined the child more closely and, to his shock, discovered that the baby completely lacked aura veins.

A look of fury spread across Alexander's face. Without uttering a word, he handed the baby back to Elisa, then turned and swiftly left the room. Moments later, the elders followed in his wake.

After they left, Elisa and the maid exchanged glances before returning to the room, each carrying one of the twins in her arms. They approached the bed where Andromeda lay, and the moment her eyes fell on the babies, a tired smile spread across her lips.

They gently placed the twins beside their mother, who gazed at their tear-streaked faces. Softly, she caressed them with her hands, and as soon as her fingers touched them, she felt all her exhaustion melt away, replaced by a deep sense of peace.

With her long, black hair cascading like silk over her shoulders, Andromeda smiled as she looked at her children and softly said, "Lift them up to me."

The servants nodded and carefully lifted the twins, placing them gently in Andromeda's arms. As soon as they felt the warmth of her chest, their cries gradually quieted, and a peaceful silence filled the room, as if everything had finally fallen into place.

Andromeda held her babies close, feeling the gentle rhythm of their tiny heartbeats against her chest. With each passing moment, her pain faded away, allowing her children to begin the first moments of their lives in the comfort of her loving embrace.