**CAW

**CAW

An annoyed crow could be seen flying towards a column of black-purplish light pulsating a mysterious power. Under the flying crow, a young man was walking at a leisurely pace. If one observed the crow, one could tell that it was cawing in displeasure at the young man. Probably close to infuriating the poor bird.

Staring up the crow, a smile formed on his face as if he understood what the crow was trying to say. Without a care for the annoyed cawing, he continued to stroll at his own pace. Time was not a problem to him at all. The crow felt truly vexed and begun to grow four times larger than the young man below him. Suddenly, it grabbed the young man's clothing with its talons up into the air. It then flew a few hundred meters towards the column of light, and chucked him into it.

Before the young man disappeared into the light, a cackling caw resounded afar as if the crow was laughing. It was finally free of the annoying man.

"I'll get back at that crow later," mumbled Silver, floating within the column of light.

His eyes planted themselves at a white orb floating in front of him. Full of curiosity, he touched the white orb with his right hand. Barely a second later, a startling flash of light temporarily blinded him, engulfing everything within its way.

Eventually, the light subsided whereas Silver was nowhere to be found.

Silver felt the atmosphere around him had changed, so he slowly opened his eyes. Taking a peek, he felt stunned at the spectacular scene, widening his eyes to see stars, planets, comets, and many galactic wonders.

"So, you're the inheritor, huh? I thought you'd be at least a female," inquired a feminine like voice behind him in a disappointed tone.

Startled, Silver turned around to face the feminine voice, but saw nothing except the vast space. Unsure of whether to speak or not, he chose to stay silent, waiting for the voice to speak again.

"You won't be able to see me unless I allow it, this universe is my domain. Actually, a few billion universes to be exact. I've been waiting for quite a long time for an inheritor, it's a shame you're not a female. I would be happier to cater to a female than a worthless male."

"Well, can't help it if I was born a male," grumbled Silver after waiting for voice to speak again.

"Well, either way, you making it this far means you're fated to gain my inheritance due to my promise with that damn crow."

"The Three-eyed Crow?"

"Yes! That hellspawn of a crow! Your star mark is born from his power, that's why he chose you to be my inheritor. Why? Why? Why me? Why did I have to meet that hateful crow!? Hurtful! Despicable! WHY!?"

Silver stood there quiet, listening to the voice ramble on for hours of their hate for the crow.

Scrunching his brows, wondering what had the crow done to make this voice banter so much, it felt like he'd been floating for years listening to their tirade. Silver witnessed a few planetary destruction, a star crumbling into a supernova, and a few planets being sucked into a black hole. Somehow, for a split second, he saw an individual using all of their fingers, individually fast, pressing on a weird letter board, staring at a glowing device, scrunching their eyebrows too.

'Am I going insane?' thought Silver, pushing the otherworldly scene to the back of his head.

"Where was I? Oh right . . . the inheritance. You have to pass my test, it's not one of those battle type quests either! A bit more complicated, sort of… not really," informed the voice, finishing their rant.

"You will go through two scenarios, so choose wisely."

Just as she finished speaking, Silver found himself in an enclosed cubicle space. Two orbs, floating in the air, giving him a view of two different worlds. Both gave him a sense of longing and familiarity.

One scene, placed him into a world full of chaos. Many rebelled within the continent, fighting back against an army of demonic beasts and beings. Beaten, battered, bruised and dying, they all continued to fight with impenetrable determination. They only had two choices, to keep going or die trying. Every individual, group, army were filled with unmatched spirit, continuing to fight until the end. Even those considered cowards chose to protect the weak with all their might.

A sense of unity, expressed within the horror of a great war. If the world crumbles, they will crumble too. They marched on through the war, patching up every cracks, scars, cuts, stabs, and wounds, holding themselves together without a look of defeat. Those that couldn't fight, supported and tended to every wounded person, running around in fervor tinged with fatigue but they continued taking quick breaks.

Not a spill of complaints came out of their mouths.

As Silver continued watching, his heart began thumping, blood boiling in rage, sympathizing with these unknown people, wanting to fight with them too as if they were close brethrens of his.

The scene finally faded, allowing him to assess his other choice.

Looking to his left, a new scene appeared. It was Ethereal Expanse. Peaceful and serene, a life of simplicity. He watched himself leisurely living the life as a husband within Windfall Village. Not the old one he remembered, but a new one, enough to be called a city. This version of him overlooked the whole area with great power and respected by all.

His mother and father sat behind him, drinking tea, relaxed yet seemingly proud.

A young girl stood beside, grabbing his arm lovingly, announcing the great news. A loving stare, as excitement filled the air. Their parents showed joyous expressions, congratulating his wife. Four individuals came by and greeted him with respect and familiarity. The four divine beasts had become his sworn brothers (and sisters) as they spoke about the good news.

Years flew by, tending to his wife and three year old daughter. He taught her how to read, write, speak, and show etiquette. Living his years happily.

Soon, the orb fast forward and showed his life thousands of years later. Silver had become even more powerful, taking his wife to ascend to the greater world, Divine Horizon.

** zzz . . . tzzz . . . (Like a radio tuning)

Before it continued, the scene on the right abruptly turned on, even the voice exclaimed aloud but Silver couldn't hear her. Something like this has never happened before when she created the Orb of Choices.

Both of them watched the right orb, revealing a tall, slender woman floating in the midst of a battlefield. She stood at approximately 1.7 meters in height, surrounded by an incandescent black flame and icy-blue mist clouding the air. Her right hand held a black handled, crystal clear bladed sword, slowly lifting it up.

Her long luminous white hair with sheens of crimson-red, fluttered in the wind covering her mournful expression. She was a significant beauty, but one could tell she was truly exhausted. But, her eyes shone with an unbreakable resolve, ready to die fighting. With her left hand, she took out a strange medallion.

It was black and red, as a black and blue energy swirled around a pure white Huli Jing that was imbedded within. This Huli Jing appeared untainted by the vile's of life, ready to battle alongside the exhausted beauty

Raising her right hand, gripping the medallion with the left, she swung her sword with all the strength she could muster. Every single enemy, before the incoming slash, were incinerated and frozen instantly. Thus, this powerful slash alerted the powerful being hidden within the dark-clouds.

Soon, they floated out and stared at the exhausted woman.

"You think with your cultivation and weak dual constitution can stop us? Even that insignificant fox was barely enough for me to lift two of my fingers. This also included that damnable ice wench joining him. They should be honored to have me exert a little more qi!" exclaimed an ice cold, arrogant young man with a strange mark on his forehead that exuded tremendous amount of frost qi.

"You seem similar to those two. Are you their child? Heh, enjoy the afterlife with him and that damnable wench then!"

He gave a flick with his fingers, condensing a vast amount of frost qi into an ice spear. With another flick, the ice spear shot out, heading towards the exhausted woman. Before the spear neared her, she gave a heart-warming smile and released all the qi she cultivated throughout her lifetime.

This was her final attack, using her own life to stop the ice-cold faced young man and the seven around him. These seven individuals began laughing in a deranged enjoyment, staring at the dying girl in crooked amusement.

"An ant will always be an ant, what make you think you can stop us gods," spoke one of the eight, laughing maniacally afterwards.

"I wish I could see you one more time . . ." mumbled the young girl, disappearing into motes of light. Streams of tears rolled out of the corner of her eyes, sliding down her hardened cheeks. Finally, she exploded as her power quickly engulfed the deranged demonic-beings.

Both the ice and flame clung onto them as they tried to retreat but they were too late. In the midst of the attack, a shadow flew by, unnoticed and gathered the motes of light. Even Silver didn't notice it, as he was too concentrated with the suicidal attack.

"Damn, she almost got us!" shouted the female, her left face covered with ice, trying to break it off.

"These flames and ice won't come off!"

"Argh, it hurts"

"Let's retreat, we need to recuperate, let them temporarily have their peace… for now," insisted the cold-faced young man, cutting of his left arm still ablazed in black flames.

"Fine, let's go"

"Hmph, if I find the reincarnation of that woman, I will torture her for eternity!"

The scene ended, a battlefield covered with an never-ending flame and unmeltable ice separated the continent filled with ice and snow. With this last stand, it allowed the others to safely retreat and recuperate too.

But this peace will only be temporary. Those who had been affected harden their resolve to become a mighty and powerful being to protect those they cherish. Even the most vile and crooked felt a strong hate for these demonic-beings, wanting to rid them from this world.

This encounter only lasted a moment's time. However, it brought a unity that was once seen before the world was sealed during the first great war.

Strong emotions stampeded in Silver's heart, filling it with intangible sorrow following with a heated wrath that he never felt before. Without a hint of hesitation, he instantly chose the orb on the right. His heart was telling him he broke a simple promise, allowing his mind to open up while an unimaginable power flooded through his entire being like a great tsunami caused by a dive of the divine Kun Peng.

"I WILL NEVER LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS," screamed Silver, breaking the limits of his body, memorizing the eight faces.

His soul finally returned to the void, as his current body crumbled into ashes floating along the breeze.

. . .

Deep within the vast void, a cocoon drifted without a destination. Hundreds and thousands of cracks appeared on it as rays of violet light broke through the cracks. Finally, the cocoon shattered, illuminating the world of darkness into a world of violet.

The sound of a beating heart, loudly palpitated throughout the void, reverberating across the Desolate Tundra and other 8 continents. Which each beat, the seal on the will of the world slowly crumbled, attempting to break free from the confines of its prison.

Blacky, in a humanoid form, stood there listening to the heart beat that echoed throughout their world. Blinking once, he turned his head to the left, staring at a few floating wisps of souls in front of him, pondering silently.

The wheel of fate began turning at an unstoppable rate.

'Will a new era emerge or will the current chaos continuously run rampant in this world.'

-

:: July 3rd to 7th I'll be at Anime Expo! Basically the first week of July ::