[Take... care of yourself, Athos… Please, live on… For us…]

It happened quickly and quietly, Athos felt the Bonds with his parents get cut off and vanish.

The light had gone out of Athos’ eyes, his tears fell endlessly with the rain, his cries echoed through the gloomy alleyways and his heart was filled with grief. Athos never expected that the final moments he shared with his parents would be their conversation with him last night. Their warm embrace, their soothing voices, and their kind and encouraging words, Athos was longing for them.

[Ath… Remember, you… are not… alone.]

Lucis and Florestella's voice echoed through his mind.

An overwhelming sorrow engulfed his thoughts, Athos’ heart felt heavy, and his head was burdened by his regrets.

‘If only I was stronger… We could have escaped together.’

As he mourned for his parents' abrupt departure, seeds of hatred started to sprout in his heart. He cursed his weak self for being unable to protect the things he cherished and the people he cared for. Athos’s heart felt heavier with the overflowing emotions that surged within him...

[Do not blame yourself.]

Eventually, the hatred, the regrets, and his grief turned into a burning rage. Tears stopped falling from Athos’ face and his heart throbbed vigorously with rage.

'I promise, to become strong… Mother, Father… please wait for me.'

His warm, kind, and gentle heart vanished and was replaced by a wave of raging anger.

'I'll kill them all.'

A part of Athos died today.

***

*Splish*

*Splash*

*Splish*

*Splash*

The sound of Omri's swift footsteps resonated within the narrow alleyways of the eastern district of Anima. The rain had flooded some of the low-lying areas of the city and Omri was running forward through the countless puddles that formed on the cobbled ground.

Fortunately, due to Omri's actions, both of them had escaped the bloodbath in the plaza.

"Haaah… haaahh… haaahhh..."

Omri was gasping for breath, he had been running constantly with Athos in tow on his shoulder. He was also maintaining the protective barrier around them for more than fifteen minutes now. It was a precaution Omri opted to do in order to lose anyone who dares to follow them.

"Omri… please… please let me go." Athos' voice trembled as he begged Omri to put him down. "I promise to go with you Omri, just… let me down… please."

Hearing Athos' weak voice got Omri worried, he stopped on his tracks and set down Athos on the ground. Omri then removed his restraints and gazed at Athos with a somber expression.

"My prince… I'm really sorry about their majesty… I was…"

"You… only followed my parent's wishes… you need not apologize, Omri."

Omri saw it on Athos' face, something had changed inside him. His dispirited eyes reflected a hint of rage and apathy. It was the face of a child who fell into despair and hatred fueled his purpose to live.

He was disheartened to see the miserable Athos, Omri then wrapped his arms around Athos and gave him a tight hug.

"No! Let me apologize to you… my prince." Omri's voice trembled. "I'm sorry… that this shield of yours wasn't strong enough to protect their majesties as well." Tears slowly rolled in Omri's cheeks, he then released his embrace and wiped off his tears.

"I already told you, my prince… Your burden is also mine too." Omri then looked at Athos with a sincere smile. "You're not alone in this, so please don't carry it by yourself."

The feelings of frustration swept through both of them. Athos in particular felt more guilt as he contemplated his actions earlier.

"It's my fault too for being too weak… Omri, do you think-"

*Ssshhiiing*

The sound of a sword unsheathing resonated through the alley. Athos didn't finish his reply, as he felt a sharp pain course through his back.

"W-what…?"

Athos tasted blood from his mouth, he sensed something warm trickle from his stomach, he then looked down and saw a tip of a black sword pierce through his lower abdomen.

The tip twisted a bit and then was swiftly withdrawn, Athos immediately felt the pain after the sword had been pulled out from his body. He collapsed to the cobbled ground writhing in pain and his blood stained the ground red.

A man in a hooded red cloak suddenly appeared a few paces away from Athos.

He held a blackened, blood-stained zweihander on his left hand. The robed man then wiped off the blood from his sword and returned it to its sheath. He then turned and looked at Athos, his mouth curved upwards and formed a smile of satisfaction.

Everything happened in an instant, Omri was caught off-guard and was shocked how quickly it happened in front of him.

"No! My prince!"

He rushed towards Athos' side and cast a healing spell on him.

"Ugh… Haaah… Aghh…" Athos struggled to breathe, If it wasn't for the Fated Protection, he would have died the moment when the sword was retracted.

"Omri…" Athos' consciousness was fading. He was losing a lot of blood. "It… hurts…" Athos's vision dimmed, he then fainted as his body went into shock.

Omri quickly assessed Athos' wound, it was terrible as it was imbued with an enchantment that nullified healing spells, the wound also bled profusely. Omri then swiftly tore off his cloak, he then used it to apply pressure to Athos' wound to suppress the bleeding.

'Damn this! I don't have enough mana to cancel the enchantment nor heal prince Athos. Why must this happen?!' Panic was visible in Omri's pale face.

Omri noticed the cloaked man gawking at them, it looked like the attacker was amused with what he was seeing and was observing the both of them instead of attacking. Omri then drew out his sword with his left hand and aimed it towards the attacker.

"W-who are you?!"

***

*Plip*

*Plip*

*Plip*

"Is that… water?"

I opened my eyes to the sound of water drops falling, however, I wasn't able to see anything. It was too dark and I couldn't sense anyone or anything nearby. I tried to sit up but I couldn't make my body move.

"Where… am I? What is this place?"

Only silence answered me back. It seems like I'm currently stuck and paralyzed in this strange, dark space.

"Hmm… let's remember what happened… I was talking to Omri… and then… Ouch!"

My head suddenly hurts, it felt like someone was crushing it, I also felt someone was stepping on me and was breaking every bone in my body.

"....YyOounGg OonNeE~"

A trembling voice rang through my head. It sounded like someone… No, something was trying to talk to me.

"...WwHhaAtT aaRee YyouU DoOingG HeeRree?"

I mustered my strength to reply back to the unknown voice however, my mouth refused to speak.

"AaAhhH… YyOouU MuussTt bBee NnEeWw TtOo ThHiss PpllLaAcCe."

I felt the pain from my head and body vanish, the feeling of paralysis disappeared too. It seems I was able to move now in this dark space.

"Where am I?" I asked the unknown voice.

"YyYoouU Aarre iInn TtHee BBbeginNningg!'

"The beginning? What do you mean? There's nothing here but the darkness… I can't even see anything." I replied with an inquisitive tone.

"TtThaAts BbecaUse yYouu Aarre tThHeE EEenndDd!"

"The End? Wait a moment-"

A brilliant light suddenly flashed and my eyes were blinded. Eventually, the light faded and I saw a wide empty space before me.

[My son, this is the story of this world please listen carefully.]

My jaw dropped, this voice... it was father speaking to me. I quickly looked around to check if he was near however, I couldn't see anyone or anything. It was all just a white space and his voice continued to ring through my head.

[In the beginning, there was nothing. No lights, no sounds, no thoughts, only the Abyss existed.]

[One day, Fate descended down into the darkness and illuminated the Abyss. Light spread out like wildfire, along with it, thoughts started forming within the Abyss.]

I saw five masses of shadows form in front of me, the shadows were capable of speech, and each one of them came close and whispered to my ears.

"WhOoo Am Iiii?"

"wHaaAT aM iIIi?"

"wWhyY aM I aLooNnee?"

"WhAat wasSs mYy ppurpOoseeE?"

"WwwWhhHyy doOo I exisSstTtt?"

[As the light spread within the Abyss, gold and red threads started to materialize and form, their vibrance increased and slowly the Abyss started to retreat.]

[Fate answered to the Abyss: "You are The Beginning…"]

I sensed a great amount of Mana coursing through space. It felt like something was gathering it.

[Mana started to channel within the threads and started to glow. The golden threads were illuminated with a brilliant luster and the red threads started to pulsate like a living artery. The threads slowly extended throughout the space and multiplied exponentially, some of them started to connect and intertwine with each other."]

[...And you will also become The End.]

[Light slowly ate the darkness, the Abyss shrieked in anguish as the light penetrated through its body, it's painful cries resonated through space.]

"AaaAAhHHHhH!!"

"AAaccCCkKkkkK!"

"uUwWaAaahhhHh!!"

I covered my ears from the loud shrieks. It was too much for my ears to handle.

[Eventually, the screams fell silent and the Abyss disappeared. Leaving only the mass of floating threads jumbled together in the space."]

[Fate then reached out to the threads and proclaimed that this place shall be called Jumana.]

Water started to fill the space, eventually flooding the entirety of it. I felt my feet get drenched.

[Fate then gathered the threads and threw it to the water. Gradually, the threads intertwined with each other and formed into a tapestry. The mass then floated on the water and transformed into the land.]

I saw Mountains soaring in the north, plains, and valleys formed in the west, an archipelago formed at the east, and vast canyons and deserts littered the south.

[My son, remember this story well.]

I heard my father's voice from behind, I quickly turned around and I was stunned to see him. He looked a lot younger and the clothes he wore were the same ones he had during the eve of my 7th birthday.

[Happy Birthday, my son.]

I was stuck inside my memory room.

~~~~~

To Be Continued.

~~~~~