In an unknown place, the rays of Gaia struggled to penetrate the suffocating darkness, ensnared by dense trees and towering mountains that seemed to stretch into eternity, their peaks looming on both sides.
The path leading to one of the mountain's summits was tinged red with blood, an eerie reflection cast by the shadows of trees that loomed overhead, creating a ghastly atmosphere.
As the path twisted further, the ground became a graveyard, littered with lifeless bodies, each one etched with horror on their faces, as if they had witnessed something unspeakably terrifying and deadly.
Limbs were missing, bones bent at unnatural angles, hands broken, and lifeless eyes stared blankly.
At the mountain peak, amidst the dozens of lifeless bodies, sat a man. The corpses formed a macabre throne beneath him.
SWISH
A breeze passed, causing his raven-black hair to flutter and revealing his cold, crimson ruby eyes that seemed devoid of any emotion.
In his hands, he gripped a katana, its blade buried in the ground, blood seeping from it and staining the earth beneath.
His blood-streaked face gave him a demonic appearance as his eyes wandered into a past memory.
// Flashback //
A carriage journeyed through a valley beside a vast ocean, carrying a couple and their twin daughters.
"My sweet little children."
A woman with silver hair and amethyst eyes gazed at the two infants, one in her embrace and the other in her husband's.
"Ronen, see, Yui just pouted."
She excitedly pointed out her daughter's antics to her husband, who remained aloof, displaying the same stoic face.
"She hates your chattering."
Ronen averted his gaze, calmly looking out of the window, not engaging in his wife's games.
"W-what, hmph, guess your father hates me, Adanyl."
She looked at her daughter as she brought her in front of her face, glancing at her husband while feigning sadness and hurt.
"Laila, aren't you... Thud."
Ronen, not wanting to endure his wife's antics, tried to surrender before suddenly the carriage came to a halt, making Laila lose her balance. Ronen helped her, asking, "Are you fine?"
His senses detected a strong aura, causing him to narrow his eyes and grasp the gravity of the ambush.
"I-I am fine, but our child."
Laila looked towards her children, comprehending the seriousness of the situation, as she too sensed an unknown group of people outside.
"You take care of Adanyl and Yui."
His wife took both of the children, and Ronen's hand reached for a dark black blade resembling a katana — an 8-star Aura sword, potent enough to lay waste to an entire kingdom.
Ronen descended gracefully from the carriage, each motion calculated and steady. His sharp eyes locked onto six figures shrouded in a thick, malevolent black mist, emitting an ominous aura that vividly displayed their immense power.
SILENCE
The ambient sounds of waves crashing against the shore were the only accompaniment. Ronen's gaze remained fixated on the figures before him.
In a mere blink of an eye, one of the shadows closed a ten-meter gap and aimed a slash at his face.
To onlookers, it seemed as though Ronen's head had met with the strike of an extraordinarily swift blade.
However, for the shadow, it was like slashing through thin air, the shock of realization hitting him abruptly.
He recoiled back to his original position.
THUD
As he stood frozen, his body bore dozens of red lines, and soon, he crumbled into several pieces on the ground.
"Who sent you?"
Ronen's demeanor remained composed, even as fury simmered beneath the surface.
He unsheathed his sword that had already some blood stains, it radiated a dark aura as a dense mana zone formed around him.
With a blur, Ronen disappeared from his spot, prompting every shadow to brace themselves for the impending battle. Their auras surged, showcasing their unparalleled might, unrivaled by anyone on the continent.
.
.
THUD
Ronen tossed the lifeless body of a shadowy figure to the ground, his wife's cry echoing in his ears.
"No, my child!"
Her voice pierced through the chaos, drawing Ronen's attention to an elderly man with a white beard and long white hair.
"Calm down, Lady Lalia. After all, you don't want these girls to wake up, do you?"
The old man held two girls delicately, like kittens, in his hands. He noticed mana movement inside Ronen as he warned, "Don't even think, Ronen."
"U-Uncle Wang?! I already promised Alisia. Why!"
Laila's eyes were fixed on the old man, her thoughts in turmoil. She had heard from her sister-in-law about an amber-eyed woman, and a single description had confirmed that the woman was Alisia.
She knew Alisia was not from this continent, hailing from somewhere else just like her. Their families had always been in rivalry, but Laila never expected her seemingly peaceful life after marrying Ronen to turn into a living nightmare just because she knew Alisia's whereabouts.
"Lady Laila, promises are empty shells. I can't have loose ends, don't you think?"
Wang's words were chilling, conveying the gravity of the situation – she and her family had to die here. Laila clenched her fist, her resolve strengthening, "Mother will not leave any one of you."
Wang didn't dismiss the woman's determination, fully aware of her mother's reputation. Yet, he was willing to take the risk to secure a better future for his young master who was about to enter this world.
"Only if she knows," he said, and as his words reached Laila, her eyes widened before she gritted her teeth. A single word escaped her lips, more like a whisper, "Husband."
Wang's eyes, which had reflected the helplessness of two couples, suddenly widened as he saw blood seeping from his body due to a massive sword strike.
"Kughh! "
In that split moment while his wife kept Wang busy, Ronen had channeled all his mana to convert into Ether, a type of mana suitable only for a sword aura, yet he used it solely to protect his family and also closing such a long distance in a fraction of a moment with Ether flowing through his veins took a toll on his body.
His mana reservoir was completely depleted, he knew the strength of the opposing party due to which he took such risk.
His hands reached towards his children, managing to grab one but before he can secure other he was thrown backward with a harsh kick to his chest.
BANG
Both of people thrown to a distance holding a child with them.
"Yui ! "
Laila's anguished cry filled the air as she stared at the child in Wang's grasp, a gaping wound on his chest revealing bone – a body not that of a simple mortal, its resilience akin to steel, yet torn with ease.
"Ughh... you finally did it, Ronen,"
Wang grunted, forcefully hurling the infant towards the sea. Ronen, having exhausted every ounce of his mana to survive that single strike, pushed his limits before giving his child to Laila.
He sprinted towards his other child, utilizing his life force to fuel his drained mana. In a desperate leap, he snatched his child from mid-air just before plunging into the sea.
His gaze caught a glimpse of his wife standing alone in front of that monstrous figure, clutching a reflection of their child in her hands.
In that fleeting moment, he hurled his sword towards her. The blade shattered into tiny fragments before merging into his wife and child's bodies – a confirmation measure for their safety.
If the sword were ever extracted from their bodies, he would know he lost a life.
He clutched his child tightly, plummeting into the vast ocean without mana. Survival depended solely on his life force, sacrificing himself as any father would for their child.
SPLASH
// Flashback Ends //
A tear slid down from those cold eyes as he felt one of the two sword fragments get extracted.
He had known until now that his family was safe, but now that he sensed one of the two links severing between him and his child, he decided it was time.
He looked towards a little girl sitting on a tree bark, a dagger resting beside her. Her face was devoid of any emotions, much like his own, even in the midst of such a gruesome scene.
"Let's go to Heindal Continent, Yui"