The evening was silent, only able to discern nocturnal animals vague chirping, and melancholic howls. Lantern-like stars and the winter-white moon in the monotonous sky, deemed to be celestial beings, shining their angelic lights gloriously over the dim brown trail, leading out of this woodland. Despite this serene setting I walked in, my mind was only thronged with mixtures of anger and grief.

The images of Taekhyu's death… her peaceful smile, loomed in my head like a horrid nightmare while I trekked to the rift. She didn't deserve to die; auntie wasn't supposed to pass away like that. Taekhyu was such a sweet and warmhearted person. Which only caused my fury to grow, conjecturing as to why that woman Nitanz killed her own mother in cold blood. Taekhyu took care of her since she was a little child… fed, advised, trained, and loved. It isn't reasonable to me, and I'll figure out why she killed her.

While I traversed down the trail, a slim silhouette became distinguishable, maybe fifty meters from me. 'Dammit, is it that guy again?' I asked myself as fear caused me to halt my steps.

At that time, the silhouette detected me, turning its head towards my position and advanced. I could feel dread holding me still, as if I was stuck in quicksand. But I can't waver now, I must get back home. I willed my frosted aura around my body, prepared to battle whoever this unspecified being was.

That was the plan, until the being frantically waved its arms, like it was signaling me. Then at that point, "Skysin?!" A familiar, angelic voice called out to me.

I tilted my head, wholly befuddled by this occurrence. When the silhouette ran through a beam of light produced by the moon, I became relieved. A woman with curly raspberry-colored hair, tied into a high ponytail that fell to her slim waist. Her glossy golden skin seemed to have gleamed from the light above, and her obsidian eyes are widened with surprise. Her attire is that of an assassin, wearing a blackened full-body suit that tightly hugged her slender body, along with loose sleeves that flowed behind her arms. Including, a hooded cloak of the same color that draped near her lower torso.

"Ru!!" I shouted with content running over to her.

Ru fell to her knees and embraced me,"...thank Malerenz you're ok." She muttered, pulling me close to her. She pulled out a small, circular tablet and raised it above her head, making it produce a ray of light high into the sky, like a beacon.

Shortly after, dad had appeared from above and landed right next to us. He lifted me into the air, filled with laughter, "...Sin!! My boy, everyone was worried sick about you. Where have you been son?" Dad asked concernedly.

"A man who controlled beasts attacked me, I had to run into a cave and stay there. The beasts wouldn't leave the area, so I was basically held prisoner."

Ru looked at the right side of my shirt, "were you injured? Did a beast hurt you?" She questioned, troubled by my bloodied appearance.

"I-I'm fine...it's a beast's blood," I replied, I didn't want to tell them about Taekhyu, not yet at least. It hurts to think about her, and that smile... it wouldn't depart from my conscious.

Dad sat me on his shoulders, and we all made way to the rift, "your mom is definitely going to feel much better for sure. It's such a relief you're safe.... everyone was searching for you. And little miss Elaine would always come by." He chuckled, and Ru simply nodded in silence, agreeing with him.

I could feel myself become flustered just thinking about Elaine, and how is mom going to feel? I know she'll kill me without question. This matter didn't cross my mind on how mom would come to think of my disappearance.

Later that evening, Ru had returned to the castle, going inform to Elaine and her family that I'm safe. Plus, me and dad finally made it back home.

Standing only a few inches away from the steep marble stairway, leading to our front porch, I gazed at the white door sitting stilly up above. I could feel myself growing anxious, gradually building up like water filling a cup. Walking up the stairs, I positioned myself in front of the door, and my anxiety had become unbearable, like a measly animal entering a wolf's den.

Yet, I felt a large hand settle atop of my head, and I looked up to see dad with a reassuring smile across his face. "I know you're afraid about how your mom will feel son. But I'm sure she'll just be happy your safe. She couldn't even sleep since you were gone. Her anger will gradually build up in a few days...more than likely," dad lightly chuckled ruffling my hair.

"O-ok," I stuttered, warily opening the door, imagining that a raging woman would be standing in the hallway menacingly, with two giant black horns in her head. Only to greet flames, blazing with fury inside the house.

However, I came to descry the dimly lit hallway from the moon's fluorescence, ergo, I advanced through the hall. On the corner on my right, I noticed a faint light from the living room, along with a shadow moving around. When I came about, mom was tensely walking back and forth in front of the fireplace.

"H-Hey mom," I feebly voiced as my words began to trail off. Mom quickly turned her head to me, and dashed around the couch, embracing, and lifting me into her chest. "Where have you been...? I was worried sick about you Sin," mom exclaimed, mixed with vexation and sadness.

"I'm sorry mom," I apologized, folding my arms around her slender neck.

"And what happened to you? Whose blood is that? Who attacked you? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, it's a beast's blood I had fought off." After she sat me down, I informed them about the unfamiliar man I ran across.

"I haven't heard of such an emblem with a cross before... I'll notify my men and Raine tomorrow to investigate," dad stated.

"I'm just glad your safe," mom said kissing me multiple times.

I noticed that her stomach had returned to its normal state, then a question came to mind. "How's the baby?" I asked.

"Oh, she's doing fine. She's just the cutest little girl," Mom passionately chuckled. "Luna's sleep right now, but you'll get to see her tomorrow."

I acknowledged her statement, then I finally felt the drowsiness take over me from all that took place. Mom and dad gave me one last hug before I made way upstairs. When I entered my room, I changed out of my apparel and only wore a pair of extremely baggy trousers. I glanced at the floor; my shirt engulfed in auntie's blood. I could only clinch my fists and shut my eyes then laid down on my bed, attempting to fall asleep.

*****

A few days had passed since that ordeal. I was seated at our rectangular glass dining table with mom, dad, and the newest member of our family; my younger sister, Melluna. Melluna has short azure hair, beige skin, and big plum-colored eyes, wearing a yellow onesie.

It's awful that I wasn't there when she was born, but I'm happy that she's doing great and nothing's wrong with her. While we ate delicious griddle cakes mom had made, Melluna was speaking her baby language, waving her small arms at me. "What is it, Luna?" I playfully asked, dropping my head near her. Instead of placing her pudgy hand on my face… unfortunately, she snatched onto my nose.

"Ow-ow-ow, Luna stop, please...?" I entreated her, feeling my tear ducts begin to release liquids of pain. 'Why is she so strong?' I asked in my thoughts.

But all she did was laugh away speaking gibberish, still latched onto my precious nose. While mom and dad chuckled at this, my luck had finally shone, loud knocks were heard from the front door. Melluna had released my nose, making a questionable hum as she turned to where the noise had transpired.

"I'll get it," I quickly volunteered, before Luna would put her undivided attention back onto me, and my nose.

I dashed to the door, and opened it, coming to see Elaine, Crim, Nirvana, Aunt Savitra, and a tall slim man, wearing a simple green robe. He has rosy skin, long hot-pink hair tied into a ponytail that fell over his shoulder, relaxed chestnut eyes, and a small scar on the right of his chin.

"Skysin!!" Elaine cheerfully shouted, leaping and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Nice shirt dude," Crim snickered. Elaine glanced down, coming to find out I was shirtless. She quickly backed away completely flustered, her face flourished with red, and her lips began to wriggle. Which everyone began to laugh at her.

Nirvana, and aunt Savitra gave me a hug as well. "Glad to see your alive, Reynard," Crim chuckled in relief, giving me a fist pump.

"Hello Skysin, I'm Tenwrey Hyuseff - Nirvana's father. I'm duke of Raven region," he greeted giving me a handshake.

"Nice to meet you Tenwrey," I replied. 'So, he was a challenger? I wonder what the dimensional highway is like?' I pondered in my thoughts.

"I hear you're quite the fast one. Care to race sometime?" Tenwrey chuckled.

"Anytime, just don't say you have arthritis when you lose..." I chortled shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh yeah? Just how fast are you kid?"

"Pretty sure he can move faster than sound without vital alone," Nirvana giggled.

"Fa-wha-... Without vital??" Tenwrey's brown eyes basically popped out his sockets, along with his mouth gaped hilariously. I nodded with an obnoxious smile, proudly puffing my chest out. "You know what… never mind kid," Tenwrey quickly dismissed, entering the house scratching his head. Then as followed, so did the rest of our guest.

While the adults conversed amongst their selves in the dining area, I explained my unnatural occurrence about the man to my friends while we were occupied in the living room. "Safe to say your odd speed can get you out of any situation," Nirvana chuckled.

"You weren't hurt, were you?" Elaine asked observing my body.

"Nah I'm fine, I escaped without harm, somehow, heheheh," I giggled while Elaine continued to examine me.

"Your girlfriend was worried sick about you," Crim snorted with a devious smile.

"Says the one who kept bickering me if he was home," Elaine fired back crossing her arms.

"I- You... ok..." Crim lightly mantled rose dropping his head as we all chortled.

When the adults entered the living room, I couldn't help but notice how short mom is compared to the others. Regardless of Aunt Savitra being only a few inches taller than her. "Hey mom, how tall are you?" I questioned her, getting onto my feet.

She paused and gloomily drooped her head, all while Luna began squishing her cheeks together. The adults all cackled away from my question, but I genuinely wanted to know. "Yeah, how tall are you, auntie?" Crim chimed in.

"I'm… I'm fi-"Five-foot three," Dad interrupted mom, mocking her own short height.

"To put it this way, Val is almost a midget," Savitra added, covering her mouth as her shoulders bounced trying to control her laughter.

"I'm at a reasonable height, thank you," Mom stated withdrawing her head away from them. But Crim and I began to chortle, trying our very hardest to not break down.

However, mom heeded this. She handed Luna over to dad, then I felt that threatening atmosphere steadily arise when her anger grows. Both me and Crim became dead silent, watching misty black aura slowly creep from her body, wrangling around her, like dark tentacles. Me and Crim quickly glanced at each other, already understanding what to do in this dire situation… run.

At that moment, mom darted towards us, Crim and I ran towards the hall leading to the kitchen. "I'm sorry Crim," I uttered empathetically.

"Wait… what do you mea- "Goodbye brother..." I pushed Crim into a nearby wall, and dashed away, only to hear him yelling in agony, cursing on my name.

*****

Later in the evening, after everyone had left, I was upstairs with my family. While mom was putting Luna to bed, "Sin, I'm going to be heading over to the first kingdom Gremis tomorrow. I'll be there for a few months" dad explained as we exited the room.

"Can I go??"

"You'll have to ask your mother about that one, son..." Dad mumbled turning to mom. She furrowed her brows, thinking back to what occurred.

"Pleasee mom??" I asked wrapping my arms around her waist.

"I don't know, you just got back Sin..." She muttered rubbing her shoulder.

"I never been there though, I wanna explore Gremis with dad. Please??" I pleaded her once again, creating a puppy face, poking my bottom lip out.

Mom blushed and her eyes began to sparkle, similar to stars "...ughh fine... you can go. Just… try to not to get dragged into something, please," she sighed rubbing her cheek against mine.

"I promise!" I cheered hopping ecstatically.

"Well then, looks like you better head to sleep kiddo. We'll be leaving around dawn," Dad merrily said.

"Ok, good night!" I gave them both a hug. Then I ran to my room, excited to explore a new planet. However, before I went to sleep, I decided to do a few reps of the Bergion technique auntie taught me. I need to get as powerful as I possibly can, to better myself for the future that'll be arriving.

*****

Tellund Ragnar-

Glancing over my left, I gazed out of my transparent window, viewing the midnight sky, hovering over my wonderful Ragnar kingdom that me and my family had sovereign. A bustling nation thronging with civilians, filled with tall grey-brick buildings and ceilings made of layered wood. The area is flat, covered in green grass with large patches snow. We're positioned by the ocean, able to watch boats enter and exit giant ports near the shoreline.

Next, I had focused onto what I wore. I'm a tall man that has peach skin with a sturdy figure, and brawny shoulders. A leather shoulder guard placed on my left that wrapped around my bare muscular chest and my right. I have short, black-spiked hair with patches of grey on my head, along with a mustache and a long bushy beard. A short scar on my hairline, ending midway onto my forehead. Along with beady dark brown eyes with thin eyebrows.

My attire: a brown and white robe wrapped around my neck, falling behind me like a cape. Sporting leather gloves on my hands that came up to the mesial of my large forearms. An animal skin belt enveloped my wide waist, possessing two beast skulls latched to it as well. The first; a bull with two horns on the sides of its skull. The other; a lion beast, revealing its jagged fangs. Also, a fur skirt that was set atop of my brown cotton pants, tucked into my leather boots.

'Things could've gone differently if I was stronger. If it wasn't for those bastards Rellgis and Sedreen...' I thought to myself, buried in anger and regret, gritting my teeth while applying a small amount of pressure to my arms, placing my palms on the window.

Strangely enough, I didn't hear any sound.

In fact, I noticed that it was dead silent, too quiet, actually. At that very moment, just when I was about to call out for one of my maids. I felt a dreadful presence instantly arise behind me.

With haste, I infused my body with vital and created terra out of thin air, molding a giant roughly shaped spear. At that time, I blasted the rock directly through the wall behind me, causing a huge aperture to another room.

But the presence had disappeared faster than it emerged. I deliberated that maybe I was just conceiving things wrongfully. So, I shrugged it off and began advancing back to my quarters.

"Hello, King Tellund..." A woman's silvery, yet frigid voice chimed in my ears, like a huge bell ringing endlessly.

I terminated any further movement, this voice immediately sent distress through my very being. The sheer pressure I felt behind me was immensely fearsome, I could feel my legs tremble in fear, it felt as if I'd drop on my knees any second.

It was far prodigious than anything I had ever stumbled upon or battled before. The distinction between this woman and those two men, Rellgis and Sedreen, was deemed to be boundless. My lungs wouldn't take the time for me to relieve air, I couldn't breathe from whoever this presence was. As if this being was a goddess herself. I was terrified to move, let alone turn around, to witness who was behind me.

"You may face me," the woman calmly demanded. I willingly listened to the mysterious person, who basically gave me permission to do so. My eyes widened when I looked down, being smitten by pure beauty, as well as preposterous horror for who was standing around the height of my upper stomach.

Her skin is a fair tone of rose, undeniably cool and beautifully smooth. The silver hair she possesses is plaited in two loose braids, falling off the sides behind her head and draping over her small shoulders, like immaculate silken chains. Her face…is true perfection. Short eyebrows, and curly eyelashes that matched her hair; complementing those bewitching eyes being the color of a freshly-sliced watermelon. Lastly, those plump pink lips, curving all the way up to her sleek cheeks.

She had on a platinum necklace that wrapped around her lissome neck. The regal dress she wore is a color of vermillion, tightly fitting her well-endowed and entrancing figure. A black belt enveloped her slim waist, and a slit on the right of her dress; allowing her voluptuous thigh sporting nubile stocking-tights to be viewed. Her black arm-sleeves were vaguely seen, gracefully holding her hands behind her back. And on her feet, two sky blue colored heels.

I think I really came across a goddess; her beauty is truly unparalleled to any other woman I've encountered before.

"~Oh my, you're making me blush from how you're staring at me... you naughty-naughty man~." The woman's face flourished with red, playfully setting her hand on her cheek.

I was unable to grasp any words while my mouth stupidly gaped open, staring at the gorgeous woman below me. "Show some manners, Tellund," the woman hissed devilishly.

I was then brought down to both of my knees, gazing at the hardwood floor. I'm utterly dazed, incapable to decipher what just happened. 'How the hell did she do that, she didn't lift a finger...' I thought to myself in frustration, unable to move. Even my eyelids wouldn't budge.

The god-like woman chuckled sinisterly, puffing her ample chest out, keeping her head held high, like an undefeated warrior or monster who fought an infinite number of battles. "I have great plans, Tellund. And I'll need you to help me play this little game of…chess," she sensuously laughed, filled with unholy machinations.

"I-If I may ask? Just what is you-your name, milady?" I stumbled on my words, anxiously praying to my god Malerenz, that this nefarious woman wouldn't end my life.

At this point, she stood directly above myself, looking down on me with those keen eyes. As if I was nothing but a toy she would simply use, until she finally lost interest. Her smile disappeared, showing an unemotional expression, "Nitanz...lesser man."

"J-just what is it you're planning… milady Nitanz?"

Nitanz playfully waved her index finger in a back-and-forth motion, "...I'm not giving you that information just yet. I'll just tell you this, I'm sure it's enough in for you. The kingdoms will be on their knees to me soon. So, I'll give you two choices as for now. You can either join me, and of course - I promise you can still have your kingdom and riches if you do..."-She made a vicious smile- "But if you refuse… I'll come with a decision to either slice your head off, make it a trophy on my wall as it slowly decomposes, and take over your kingdom. Or later in time, watch you fall into despair while murdering the maggots of this lovely nation. Then I'll kill you afterwards... when I'm done torturing you..." Nitanz laughed immorally.

Filled with dread and horror; I could tell that she was telling the truth. 'This woman is nothing but a maniac,' I chimed in my head, only wishing this was but a horrid nightmare. I bowed, slamming my head and hands on the cold wooden floor, as if I was worshipping a god. "Please! Let me join you, milady Nitanz," I helplessly pleaded to this fiend of a woman.

Nitanz softly chuckled, "you may raise your head."

As I did, her soft hand was placed atop my head, and at that calamitous moment, my eyes began blinking rapidly, like I was falling in and out of consciousness from the raw pressure this woman was oppressing onto me. It was overwhelming, I could feel my stomach churn and became horribly nauseated.

"I'll notify you when the time comes, it'll be a good while, much later in the future. So, for now, just enjoy yourself Tellund, ok?" Nitanz asked, removing her hand from me.

I fleetingly nodded, to the point it felt like my neck were to break if I continued. Then in what seemed like an instant she disappeared without leaving a single trace.

Still felling nauseous, I released my vomit onto the floor after enduring that devil of a woman for an extended amount of time.

I glanced over to my left and the hole…isn't there anymore? "Ju-just what is that woman, what type of power does she possess? Not just that either, but from what she told me, there's no doubt that there'll be war again..." I spoke aloud, wondering what type of enemy forces she has. If she's that powerful on her own, then what exactly is her kingdom like, especially in combat?

I began laughing hysterically in the empty hallway due to frustration, along with an inconceivable amount of fear, "it feels like I made a deal with the devil..." I placed my hand on my face, terrified for what's to come in this now hopeless future.

*****