“In life you can never complete much, only pass it along to the next generation.”- Unknown Author

(Vane POV) 18 years later

I’ve lived my whole life in blur of flashes. Over and over.

I remember machines caring for me and hundreds of others while scientists of the empire probed tampered with our biology. The few lucky hundred died within a few years. Then the surgeries happened. Again, and again. Cut after cut. Implant after implant. I was being made into an avatar of war.

I remember the crimson moons, the frozen planets and the dead cities. The vessels of my empire raining down fire onto an already burning from the rage of our weapons.

I remember Death.

I remember Hell.

And I remember suffering

The only true warmth I felt came from warm blood. In my abysmal cold, only the heat of war could comfort me. I knew of no other way. They had what had been taken from me. However, it is only now that I realized what that. Here in this cold, lonely, and empty void where I am cursed to watch the endless stars. Where I am cursed to descend into madness.

They took everything… 

… and I want it back.

“…I-I w-will become human…” 

In the endless void I found much hope in this new rage but attained no comfort. For years I had been in a ruthless cycle of rage and sleep. For a decade, the loneliness had been destroying something within me. I could feel it. The machines within me beginning to break down and malfunction…

… Slowly, I’m becoming human once more. 

But it feels wrong. Something was warring within me. My own newly confounded human side told me it was beneficial but the subroutines within screamed otherwise. 

However, little did I know that rage and humanity was soon to be put to the test… 

… whether I was ready or not

(Logus)

 The village of Lato, it has always been a quiet, peaceful, and remote place. Far from the frontlines of the east, they were part of the fortunate to have been spared from the flames of war.

This quaint little area is found near the edge of a valley in the west surrounded by lush green forests and calm streams from the springs of the mountains. Where there were no trees there were rich golden farmlands and rustic homes made from stone, timber, and steel. 

Here live a small population of some hundred farmers, craftsmen, and hunters. All had relatively comfortable lives…

Until now.

(Lato) Later at night

“Hey Korther! Let’s go, we’re about to miss the Starfall!” a small high-pitched voice yelled out. It belonged to a young girl of about 5 years of age.

Near the streams, there were two children skipping across them. A boy and his little sister. 

This spot was famous among the villagers for its reflection of the moonlight and the stars. It was nicknamed “The Mirror” by the hunter that discovered it some few decades ago. This place was also a favorite among the children for stargazing. 

Every other year, when stars become less and less visible, hundreds of meteor showers would crisscross above in the dark azure sky above the small village.

However, this was going to be different because of a certain someone new in their home world.

“The time has come hasn’t it?’ bellowed a deep, ancient, and powerful voice.

Above the world of Logus, in the beautiful azure, there was a small, unnatural blue orb of light blanketed by the white clouds. 

Suddenly, the orb fell at a terminal velocity towards a continent far into the west of this world, into a city. 

At first glance, this mist-covered city seemed amazing beyond belief. The structures of this city came in many forms and shapes. Some were elongated towers reaching for the sky while others were large gardens with beautifully paved roads. With superb quality and architecture, one would expect a hundred people a few decades to make one of the hundreds of towers that dot the city. However, one close look at this city would inspire terror in even the most fearless of warriors.

The entirety of the city was almost ethereal, fading in and out of existence. The majestic white buildings were not made of white brick but of millions of bone fragments from strange looking creatures. Even the huge gardens were nothing but the petrified existence of their former selves, roots, flowers, and all. This place was home to the Etherians, a race of ghastly creatures serving the old gods of Logus. They resembled old wrinkled corpses and primarily served as the warriors and servants of their creators.

At the very center of the chilling but amazing scenery, the orb of light landed in front of a giant temple of pitch black stone. Looking as if millions of skilled workers had poured their lives into creating it, it was engraved with such detail to the point of it being almost microscopic. This was the pride of the Etherians, a temple for their masters.

Immediately after landing, the orb took a different form, the figure of an old man and entered the temple. Easily opening the giant doors.

“Inform the Old Gods and the Bound Council. An invader has arrived.”