"NOOOOO" The dual wielder was pushed off from the cliff with a perplexed look on his face. He couldn't think of any reason as to why the oracle who has been with the party for far too long would betray him.
He could've put up a good fight. He was the party's initiator. He could've brought them time to escape. He could've done more.
Remorse. That's all that he felt right now. Although confused as to why the oracle blocked off the rest of the team's survival. His morbid face gradually eased as he fell closer to the abyss. His life flashed through his eyes as he remembered everything that led him to where he is.
A broken vow, shattered trust, disappointments, vice, sins. All his life this man was a straight-off bastard.
"Retribution, huh? Death won't even allow me to die in peace. Alphea, or whoever you are. You are nothing but a fool. If only you knew who among your so called children can kill those bastards. Piss off. I hope you're not the one receiving me into the afterlife."
*CRASH
-----------------------
Lying on his back, broken bones and blood was all that the dual wielder could feel. Not knowing for how long he's been out, he scanned his surroundings and saw nothing but darkness.
*Cough*ACK
He coughed a mouthful of blood and choked on it.
"How pathetic. I didn't even die. HAHAHAHA i guess the heavens do want me to suffer. Joke's on you, you bastards! There's no place like hell!" The dual wielder laughed and cursed madly as he was holding to what little life was left in him.
"Oh? What's this?" He looked to the right and saw a speckle of light.
"Heh? I'm dead either way. Might at least die somewhere I can see my own skin with." The dual wielder crawled desperately and dragged his body towards the speckle that he saw.
*Drag
"The world never was fair. Talented and gifted people are everywhere. Great and marvelous people who, if given the right time and resources can contribute greatly for the betterment of humanity. Yet, why wast it inevitable to hand the course of our world to the so called heroes?"
*Drag* The light grew bigger as he saw what seems to be a passageway and dragged himself further in.
"Aren't they just people who were pampered with everything that we were deprived of? What made them special? Is it because they had a great starting point in life? Is it because they never encountered those setbacks that forces you to choose the short hand of the stick?"
*Drag* The light grew brighter as it revealed the bloodstains formed a trail behind him along with the open area within the cave that he entered into. A beautiful scenery unraveled as luminous crystals and stones were embedded on the walls and the ceiling. Of course, he's to numb to notice any of that.
"How can the rest of those who have potential be buried amongst the talentless? And when they do try to break the shackles that humanity put on itself, why do they need to suffer so much in order for them to achieve the success that those with power take for granted? Why do they have to face the mockery and the scornful eyes from the people around them?"
*Drag* The light grew clearer and transparent revealing the silhouette of an object.
"Malice. I think that's it. A feeling that manifests when the insecure sees the talented who puts in the hard work; afraid of one day being left behind and be thrown off their self made pedestals."
*Drag* An object floating over a throne was surrounded by lights of gold and red hues.
"I would've done the same if I were them. Who would want to waste their possessions to people who might turn their back against you after they've received what they could. There's no other person you can fully trust in this world except for your own self."
*Drag* The dual wielder was in his last breaths when he arrived in the throne's midst.
"DAMN IT! If only I knew the world was gonna turn upside down, I could've lived a more meaningful life. If I had known, I could've changed my ways. And what's that thing supposed to be?"
He finally saw the object that was the responsible for the speckle of light that he saw and all the light that's within the space. A beautiful tear-shaped crystal with gold and red hues could be seen; majesty he's never witnessed.
The desire to touch it came over him but his mangled up body couldn't grant what he wanted. "Crud. Oh right, I had that useless dog."
He expended all that's left of his energy and summoned a beast. A wolf, the same size as a full grown child with white fur and golden eyes emerged from thin air. "GRRR"
"Heed my orders, dog. Help me up so that I may be able to get that thing."
The white-furred wolf, although indignant, heeded his orders.
The beast lied down allowing the dual wielder to grab its neck. The beast slowly got up and walked forwards allowing the man to support himself as he trudged towards the crystal.
Footsteps and gasps of air were all that could be heard.
The faces of the people in his team flashed through his eyes as he reached out for the crystal. As his hand was only inches away, his own tears slid down his cheeks falling to the floor. And, his body soon after; his hand still reaching out as it rested on the throne. The dual wielder, the remorseful, was dead.
*Thud
"Repenting of thy sins at death's door. I shall grant thy desire. I put my faith in thee," a pristine voice echoed throughout the space.
The crystal descend to the back of the hand of the man and seeped through his skin and was absorbed by his body,
The ground rumbled as the lights within the space grew brighter and more aggressive. The lights burst all throughout the space as crystals started falling down the ceiling.
The body of the man was enveloped with the gold and red hues forming a cocoon made out of light.
The intensity of the rumbling increased as it was made the space grow more unstable.
The cocoon split open unleashing violent rays of light making the rumbling transform into a total earthquake. Pebbles, stones, and boulders consecutively fell down producing loud bangs.
The lights from the cocoon gradually faded revealing nothing but dried blood on the surface of where the man was. The space finally caved in burying everything inside it.
-----------------------
*DOOT*DOOT
A hand reached out for the bed side table as it tried to find a weathered clock to turn it off.
*Beep*
"Ughh this stupid trash is so annoying. I wish I never bothered fixing it." A young man sat up on his bed revealing his fit shirtless body as he absentmindedly stared out the window. Drowsiness was still in his system somehow making him inseparable from his bed.
"Neil! Breakfast is ready. If you don't get up soon, you're gonna be late." A yell finally snapped the young man out of his daydream.
"Ughh" The young man named Neil slowly got up and started his day with his routine set of calisthenics and stretches.
He went down the stares and was immediately greeted by the kitchen and its salivating aroma of hot cocoa, freshly baked bread, and battered eggs.
"Wash your face before you eat, hon." A middle aged woman with deep blue eyes and blonde hair greeted Neil as he ran down the stairs.
"Got it, aunt Leah! Where's uncle max? I wanna ask him what tools would be more ideal to use when tweaking a device. It's for my last chance practical test at the workshop today. Shrub is really breathing on my neck this time." Neil revealed a big smile as he headed towards the bathroom.
"He'll be here soon. He was staying up all night maintaining the weapons he used back in the old days."
*Splash
The mirror revealed the reflection of a handsome male with jet-black hair and deep blue eyes. As he was wiping his face a knock followed by a man's voice came from outside the door.
"Hey, Neil. A letter came in for you. Leah said you wanted to ask me about the tools. Just use the traditional ones. it gives you more control and a smaller margin of error. Remember that those fancy tools are only for big machines. Anyway, I'll leave the letter on the table. Move faster, son. You might have Shrub scraping your back again today."
"Sheesh. Alright, I'm moving."
Neil sat down the table and chowed down on the food. He slowly stopped as he noticed the letter in his periphery. Curiosity got the best of him as he went for the letter and brought out its contents.
Inside were a flyer and another folded paper.
"Lima Academy invites you to join its ranks. Apply now!" The flyer was pretty straightforward, an invitation with instructions on how to apply and be screened.
Neil folded the flyer and opened the other paper. As Neil read the first part, he sucked in cold breath and his hands began to shake from mixed emotions.
"It's me. You probably already know who I am based on the timing. If you don't then you're plain off dumb. So, I'll cut the story short. Join the academy if you want to unravel everything."