One by one, the members of my family got slaughtered.

I could do nothing but watch.

Slowly, the ground beneath me became dyed with the color of life.

A blood red sea of death.

“Don’t avert your eyes.”

My younger brother, my most loyal advisor, said.

“Look around you. Look at the souls that your foolish kindness had reaped.”

Then, he too was gone.

The man in the shadows spoke,

A voice most familiar to my ears.

He approached with silent steps.

His face was now visible.

...

I knew this man.

...

Ahaha…

Haha…

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I see...so it was you!!!

I couldn’t stop my insane, pained laughter as he raised his sword...

And pierced me through the heart.

----------

When I came to, I was floating in a vast white space.

I did not know what I was doing here, nor did I know how I got here.

What was I even doing before?

Just as I was thinking this, memories of what had happened came rushing back.

Oh.

Right.

I was dead.

Executed.

Slain by the one I trusted most.

...

At that, I couldn’t help but laugh.

After all, it was something like a cliche ending to a third-rate tragedy play, so unbelievably ironic that I almost had second thoughts about it.

Almost.

“Lost soul,” a voice echoed, “for your deeds in your past life, both good and bad, you shall be judged with Scale of Truth.”

Who was the one that had just spoken?

I looked around in search of the owner, but there was none.

A gigantic weighing scale materialised out of nowhere. On one side, rested a pure white feather. On the other side, there was nothing.

“Now, shall your soul be lighter than the Feather of Justice, you shall be allowed to continue on to your next life. However…”

The nameless voice paused, letting his words sink in.

“Shall your soul be heavier, you shall be condemned to eternity in Purgatory.”

Hold on, just what...was the voice saying?

I had no clue as to what was going on.

As the voice faded away into nothingness, a light blue orb appeared. Drifting down gently from above, it landed on the other side of the scale, occupying the previously empty spot.

Then, there was the silence.

Absolute silence.

Time itself seemed to have frozen all together.

And finally...

The balance began to tip to one side.

Slowly.

Ever so slowly.

I watched as the pan carrying the small, glittering orb…

Sunk to the very bottom.

“The verdict has been reached. You, poor lost...ill-fated soul.”

Answers.

“Once a King, once the master of the noble House of Aqua...but now no more.”

I needed answers.

“You, the one God had chosen…”

But, there were none.

Nothing made sense anymore.

“...and then abandoned. You, Zephyrion Aquadeus Atlantis...”

Darkness began to swallow up the pure white space around me.

Reaching for me,

Suffocating me,

Engulfing me whole.

…

I refused to surrender.

“Shall be condemned to eternity in the Void of Repentance!”

I refused to surrender.

The light was disappearing.

I refused to surrender.

The scale in front of me shattered into millions of tiny pieces.

I refused to surrender.

I refused to surrender.

I refused to surrender.

…

I.

Will.

Never.

SURRENDER!!!

With a thunderous roar from deep within my heart, I stretched my hand toward the fading light with all my might...

Before falling into the darkness forever.

--------------

“You sure love apples, don’t you?”

He would ask me from time to time.

“I like its sweetness.”

I would often reply.

He would then pretend to be in deep thought.

“That must be the reason your hair is such a horrifying red.”

He would conclude.

“Your absurd love for this fruit.”

At that, I would chuckle in amusement.

“Here, why don’t you have one too.”

I would then offer him an apple.

As always, he would shake his head.

“No no, I mustn’t,”

He would say,

“Because to me, such sweetness…”

“...is nothing but the deadliest of poisons.”

--------------

Alone.

No, not alone.

Cold.

No, it’s not cold nor warm.

Silent.

No, there is music. Music that I know don’t really exist.

Empty.

…

Yes. Empty.

In this place where it is not light nor dark, where it is vast yet also small, where the ear hears strange music in absolute silence…

Empty was the only word that could describe it.

Vacant eternity.

So so desolate,

That one could lose one’s mind.

...And maybe I already did.

Are you bored, human?

…

It was that voice again.

Whether it was real or a fragment of my own imagination, it would whisper to me from time to time...

And ask me the exact same thing.

I answered it for the... I can’t even remember how many times.

Time, after all, did not exist in this place.

“No, not really.”

This was the answer I provided. Always.

A pause.

Then…

Do you regret committing the sins that had led you here?

...

Sins?

I smiled.

“No, not at all.”

Another round of silence.

What is your wish, human?

My wish?

“To get out of this place, of course.”

And after that? What do you plan to achieve?

The voice asked me the same question so many times, I did not even have to think.

“I don’t know.” I said casually, as if I was answering a question about tonight’s dinner menu.

“I’ll just have to think of something after I get out.”

And with that, the conversation would end, just as always-

Do you wish for wealth? For power? For fame beyond one’s imagination?

For the first time, the voice asked me something new. Unexpected.

I did not reply.

Or is it that, behind your seemingly carefree smiles...lies an unquenchable thirst for revenge?

Revenge.

Did I wish for revenge?

Take back what I’ve lost, and make him suffer for what he has done?

Hahahaha...ha…

...

Don’t joke with me.

“Revenge?” I said, my voice tinged with amusement, “There can’t be a more useless thing that exists!”

Revenge, what good could that do?

Satisfy my hatred?

My desperation?

My desire for “justice”?

...

No, none of those.

Because I had already abandoned these feelings, long time ago.

Only one thing remained.

Greed.

Even as my desire for revenge began to fade,

My greed continued to grow.

Revenge alone, was no longer enough.

“It is not ‘revenge’, it is a continuation! A challenge!” I carried on, unable to sustain my crazy laughter, “For the things I’ve lost, I will regain. And for all the things I’ve failed to accomplish, I will claim them this time, no matter what.”

I could hear my declaration echo in the nothingness.

No answer.

I guess this was the end of the conversation.

...

At the cost of your humanity,

No, not the end yet.

And the lives of many innocent others,

Go on, I was listening.

Will you forsake all to ascend to the top?

Oi, were you even listening to me earlier?

Didn’t I say that I would let nothing block my way?

I smiled to myself.

“Isn’t the answer obvious?”

...

Thunderous laughter followed.

???

What was so funny about my reply?

You are interesting, human. Never have I met someone as arrogant as you, or someone with such a twisted personality.

Thanks for the compliment.

Therefore, for entertaining me, I will tell you a way to get out of this place…

Oh?

If, and only if, you can defeat me.

Oh.

There were strings attached...as expected.

But, it was a start at least.

“And how can I do that? A sword-fight? Rock-paper-scissors? A game of poker?”

The owner of the nameless voice snorted like an old buffalo.

Patience, human. Take a look around you.

I looked around.

The empty space I became so accustomed to was no longer there.

Instead, I was standing alone in front of a gigantic gate of the purest black.

Shall you seek to defeat me, you must pass my test first. Defeat the guardians of the twelve Altars, and you shall find yourself in my presence.

I began to walk up the stairs leading to the gate.

But, be forewarned, human. You shall soon face powerful beings beyond your wildest dreams. If you fail, you must start over from the beginning. You will not cease to exist, but you will still feel pain.

I lifted myself up the last step of the stairway.

How long will you last? I am excited to see. But first, I will give you a warm welcome…

I placed my hands on the gate’s cold surface.

Welcome to my realm, human. And I, the mighty Lord of this domain, am the one that you humans call…

With a strong push, I parted the heavy gate…

The God of Chaos, Erebus!

And entered the cage of Evil.

-------------

I found myself standing in front of the gate once again.

...

What...just happened? Didn’t I just enter a few moments ago?

Was that the extent of your abilities?

A voice.

Erebus.

You must be confused. But, take a moment to think. You should remember what happened.

It was then that my memories came back.

The chilling, dusty floors.

The ceiling that was so high that it could not be seen.

And.

The enormous, three-headed dog.

…

Right. I remember now.

I was eliminated as soon as I stepped in.

So, how was it? Erebus asked.

How did it feel to “die” again?

A smile began to spread across my face.

Was it painful? Was it scary? Was it enough for you to give up?

Yes, it was painful.

Yes, it was scary.

But...

All it did was make me want to try again.

And try again was what I did.

One time.

Two times.

Three times.

Are you here again? Give up, you will never even pass Altar One.

Four times.

Five times.

Six times.

Up to Altar Two now? You’ll never make it to me at this rate. Give up.

Ten times.

Twenty times.

Thirty times.

So you have finally found a way to get past Medusa? Congratulations, but I wonder how long your victory will last.

One hundred times.

Two hundred times.

Three hundred times.

Altar Seven? Not bad, but you still have a long way to go.

Four hundred times.

Five hundred times.

Six hundred times.

...Human, are you insane? Are you completely oblivious to the idea of pain?

Seven hundred times.

Eight hundred times.

Nine hundred times.

...You...what are you?

...

“Just a weakling that doesn’t know how to give up.”

And on the nine hundred ninety-ninth time…

I finally made it past the last Altar.

-----------

“Zephyrion, Zephyrion,”

He would often say,

“When I grow up, I will be a General. And you, the King!”

“But I won’t be King,”

I would reply,

“Because ‘God’ won’t choose me.”

There he would laugh.

“No no, I wasn’t talking about Eden,”

He would say while shaking his head,

“Why do you set your goals so low?”

I would then respond with a look of confusion.

“The world, Zephyrion, the world!”

He would say while pointing at the distant skies.

“When we grow up, we will be the rulers of the world!”

-------------

In front of me, was a single path lined with a fancy, red carpet.

I traced the path with my eyes.

On and on, it seemed to stretch on forever. A path with no clear destination.

So you came, human.

Erebus’ voice was strangely calm.

“Ah...you were home after all.” I said, “In that case, sorry for intruding.”

It took him a while to reply.

Why must you try so hard? You are nothing but a mere human.

His question amused me.

“Because we humans,” I replied, “are best at being stubborn.”

…

What is your real goal?

“What? Didn’t I already say it was to get out-”

Cut the nonsense. Answer my question. What is your real goal?

Erebus, it seems, was getting impatient.

At that moment, I suddenly recalled a memory from my childhood.

…

Alright.

“I want to become the King.” I said, “The King of the world.”

I was only half-joking with that.

Silence.

Then, there was laughter.

You, a heinous sinner condemned to eternity in Purgatory, wants to become King? Moreover, the ruler of the world? Has your insanity reached a new level?

He didn’t believe me.

Obviously.

...

But that didn’t matter to me.

“You see, it was a promise I made to someone...long time ago.”

Erebus’ laughter increased in volume.

Insane, absolutely insane! But, that twisted mind of yours draws me to you!

Consider it fate! Let me make you a deal. If you manage to defeat me with only one try, I will show you the way out...and personally assist you in your delusions of world domination!

With me, the God of Chaos, by your side, nobody will ever be able to stop you!

Interesting.

“And if I fail?”

If you fail...you will never have a chance to leave this place again.

One chance. A gamble to win it all or lose it all, huh?

…

It sounded like a lot of fun.

“I accept!” I said.

In that case...show me your resolve!

Just as he finished his sentence, the path in front of me vanished…

And was replaced by beast-like creature with gleaming golden eyes.

Erebus, in the flesh.

At last.

I will let you deal the first blow, human. So don’t hold back, come at me with all your might! Erebus roared, his pure black cloak ablaze with raging flames.

But, I was no longer listening to him.

“...Silence…”

Tiny patterns of ice began to form beneath my feet, spreading across the floor like wildfire.

“...Pierce…”

A gigantic icy spike pierced through the floor, missing Erebus by mere inches.

“...Encage...Exterminate!”

Similar spikes erupted from all sides, trapping him in a deadly cage of ice.

He looked at the icy creations...and smiled.

Shatter. He said.

And with that simple word, the icy hell broke apart into thousands of glistening crystals.

Is this all you got? He asked.

It was my turn to smile.

“No, I was just about to begin.”

I raised my hand toward the darkness above.

“Guardians of the chamber of Ice,”

Interesting! Then allow me to show you a few spells of mine…

“Heed my summons, heed my cries!”

Tendrils of wavering shadows began to surface from the ground, reaching out towards me.

I started to run.

“Come to my aid in this time of need,”

The ground beneath me began to crack, revealing the sea of flames below.

I leaped from one section to the next, trying to remain on solid ground. Then, I lowered my hand, positioning it in the direction of Erebus.

“Annihilate the evils that dare block my way!”

A storm of ice descended on the path in front of me, tearing apart everything in its wake.

I watched as it headed toward Erebus, threatening to absorb him into its depth...

Erebus raised his hand with a bored expression.

The storm slammed into the spot he was standing at, before bursting into a shower of freezing dust.

…

...

Everything was now silent.

Erebus was no longer there.

...Was the spell a success?

You disappoint me, human.

My eyes widened in surprise.

This deep, bone-chilling voice that I had gotten so used to was back.

I thought you would be a much more entertaining opponent...but I was wrong.

He was still there. Unharmed.

Standing right behind me.

Before I could turn around fully, I was hit with the force of a thousand fists.

Unable to hold my ground, I crashed into the rocky walls nearby, bringing about clouds of falling debris.

“Khoff khak khak…” I coughed, as the metalic taste of blood entered my throat.

I slid down the wall, falling forward on to my face at the base.

Almost immediately, I was lifted up by my hair, forced to look into the eyes of my adversary.

It’s over, human. The end. You have lost. Begone!

A massive ball of dark energy began to form behind him as he spoke.

…

Was this really the end?

…

No.

It’s not over.

Not now.

Not ever.

I would never give up.

Never surrender.

Never admit defeat.

...Even if I would have to bring the entire universe down with me.

And with that, I opened my blood-stained mouth to chant for the very last time.

...That spell...it can’t be! Human, do you understand what you are doing!?! Do you wish to destroy your own soul as well?

Erebus let go, stepping away from me.

I continued chanting.

Stop this instant!!! There will be no going back! Not only this place, but you too, will cease to exist!

I continued chanting.

...Stop…

I continued chanting.

...Stop…

I uttered the last words.

...STTTTOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!

With a fearsome cry, he lunged at me once again…

Before the scene around us exploded into a flash of blinding light.

---------------

I was lying on my back, staring at the ceiling too high to be seen.

My mind was strangely blank...yet, I knew the fight was over.

It was over.

My hands, my legs...I could not feel anything.

It was over...

But, I was still here.

It was...over?

...

Erebus had managed to stop the spell.

...I had lost.

If you were the most powerful being of all, what would you do?

He too, was lying on his back. Just a small distance away.

I gazed at the darkness above me in oblivion.

“Conquer the world, of course.”

But after that? Having obtained everything you have ever wished to gain...wouldn’t things become very boring?

At that, I smirked.

“Nine hundred ninety-nine,” I said, “was how many times I challenged the Altars. Yet, no outcome was ever the same. The answer is simple.”

He was silent.

“If things begin to become boring, then just make them interesting again. That is what makes the world such a fun place to be.”

…

No reply.

Was my answer unsatisfactory?

And then...

Mwahahahaha!!! I see! So that was all there is to it!

Erebus was laughing.

I listened to his deafening laughter with closed eyes.

Human, can you still stand?

“If I want to, perhaps.”

Then you better get ready, because we will be going…

“Oh, are we? Where shall we be going?”

To the human realm, of course! Didn’t you say you wanted to conquer the world?

I opened my eyes.

Breaking the seal will be difficult...but it will be well worth it. Because this time, I will have something fun to do…

As he spoke, the ground beneath us began to radiate with an eerie, reddish glow.

A magic circle.

So hang on tight, because this will be one hell of a ride.

World domination, for real?

Didn’t I lose though?

…

Well, either way…

It didn’t sound that bad at all.

Let the games begin!

And with that, the story of how I met Erebus ended…

...and our cursed ascent into ultimate power began.

To be continued...