"Run away! That bastard is heading this way." The soldier who shouted ran as if he had seen death before his eyes.
"W-Why does it have to be him?" A trembling voice burst out from another soldier, and within a second he sprinted away.
It wasn't only two scared soldiers that ran away with their loose tails. Seven hundred and fifty-six in total from the rear.
"Soldiers, Why are you running away?" The general gaze was at the singular entity that was approaching them with his two legs covered in metal armor. "HE-he–an old man," his words were delayed and emotionally tormented with fear.
'No, We can't win against this monster. My king, what were you thinking going against this kingdom' The general inwardly screamed these words, his instinct crawling his mind with only instruction it gave: 'Run, we can't win'
The Corpses of Thousands of soldiers were lying down on the ground and their blood made the ground soft and red. Not too long ago, these dead were all triumphing with joy that they would win this battle, but when the man stepped on the losing battlefield.
They all were crushed with brutal strikes and died in failure.
Who was this man that caused the whole army to be engulfed in mountainous fear? His identity?
"I warned you not to come here, but your arrogant king must be foolish enough to think he has a chance against my kingdom." The commander spoke his words with a piercing voice that didn't sound pleasing.
He is the commander of an infirm kingdom. Infirm? Yes, you heard it right. The man who just killed the thousands with two hands and a sword, belonged to a kingdom that wasn't in the category of strong but rather unstable and weak.
Thomas is the name of this man who annihilated a whole army on his own, He was a lone warrior who fought when his kingdom was in danger.
He had aged now, rather than being young, he didn't appear with the youth features, but wrinkles on that roughly old face and white hair were the evidence he was old now.
In about two years, he made the decision to retire, his strength was growing rather than falling off the cliff. There was no end to his prime.
He was called the strongest man of his era, someone who could single handedly conquer a kingdom if he desired to. Nevertheless, he and his king didn't want to get involved in the unnecessary clashes.
Three years before his retirement ceremony. The old king was replaced by the greedy and pathetic son of his, who corrupted the kingdom and dragged it down to the ground.
If it wasn't for Thomas, this kingdom would have been occupied by enemies with high quality weapons and a massive army, in a few months.
Three years passed like a wind, a day left before Thomas retirement ceremony. The soldiers were huffing and puffing while they were decorating things, they wanted to make it the best ceremony for their one and only teacher and Commander.
"Here, get the golden altar on the left, not the right."
"Riana, Fix that Portrait on the wall, it's tilted."
"Sorry, my hands aren't free."
"Hywon, Sariya, Move that statue to the left, not to the right, it needs to look fascinating."
They were all giving each other instructions; it was a great chemistry of understanding between the soldiers to fix the mistakes they were making.
Thomas, at the end of all this, was peeking at his soldiers if he was a spy who observed the movements of others without being discovered.
He giggled and internally remarked, 'Seeing them work all together makes my heart pound with happiness,' Seeing them enjoying their tasks and laughing while working was a real joy for Thomas, but there was a bitter sweetness in his eyes.
This joy and laughter, he didn't know how long it would last for them.
He had to get going, the king was calling for him. While on his way to the king's room. He met with a stranger who wore wizard-like clothes and a red cloak with a strange, worldly book in his hand.
The strange man made eye contact with Thomas, His eyes were beaming with beauty that one can't describe. 'Who is this man? And why is he coming from this direction?' Thomas inwardly questioned himself.
"Who are you?" in a strict tone, Thomas demanded an answer. Nevertheless, the man passed by him without uttering a word from his smooth lips.
"That, You will know one day. Your blindness is indeed unfair to you." With this said, the man reached a distance far beyond, and Thomas belatedly realized how fast the man walked.
What did he mean by that?
'He came from that direction, leading to the king's room. I need to check if the king is safe." An uncertain feeling of apprehension hindered his mind and heart, was it because of the worry for the king? This man might have harmed him? Who knows.
Thomas rushed towards the room and urgently opened it with a single hand. He didn't care what the king was doing but what mattered to this loyal man was his king's safety.
"Young King, Are you alright?" Thomas inquired with an anxious voice.
The king was sitting on his bed, his legs were touching the floor with a wine glass on his hand, He was calmly waiting for Thomas, Seeing the door promptly open and Thomas's urgent voice ranging in his ears.
He abruptly gazed at him and asked in surprise, "Yes, I'm alright, What could happen to me?" he was utterly confused at his question.
Thomas came forth with his stride steps that came to a stop when he was close enough to the king. "Young king, There was a mysterious man I met. He a heading from the direction of your room, I thought he came from your room so i came rushing."
The king, with a strange look on his face and his eyes perplexed, stared at Thomas' face and opened his mouth, "No, other then you, only my servant came in to inform me that he told you to meet me"
"Then I should inspect the area and see if there are any intruder around somewhere."
The king laughed, which made Thomas bewildered by King's unexpected laugh. After his boarded mouth shut, the king said. "If he's walking around, he will be found quickly and others will arrest him. Thomas, come and sit with me."
The king gestured at the chair near to him with a round table in between the chair and the bed.
Thomas reluctantly sat on the chair, feeling profound anxiety even after learning that the king was safe.
An already prepared cup of wine was presented to Thomas, He glared at the wine in the cup.
"Drink it, Thomas." King slightly stretched his arm that was holding his metal cup and said, "Since it's your last day before you retire, why not enjoy yourself?"
Thomas' end on both sides of his mouth curled up and he grabbed the cup with his old and experienced hand. A short thought floods in his mind, 'it's really odd that the king isn't asking me to not retire'
"It's to bad that I can't stop you from retiring, this kingdom will fall apart without you, Thomas."
After inheriting the throne, he knew in the next three years Thomas would retire, Thomas announced it to him on the same day when he became the king of the kingdom.
Before this new king, this kingdom was a shining Lion that was nothing but a nightmare for other kingdoms. They all lived with fear that one day, if this kingdom decided to take their lands, they would be vulnerable against them.
But after the new king emerged, he was incapacitated to lead the nation, with lack of proper intelligence to solve issues for civilians and more.
On that day, the kingdom was falling toward the ashes. He knew Thomas' strength was that a solid wall that protected this kingdom was essential. But guess what? He offered him wealth in order for him to rethink his decision. He wasn't smart enough to think of a better and more convincing way; rather, he believed money can solve everything.
If it was someone else, the chances were high that he would take it, but no… this was Thomas, a man who decides something and then doesn't go back to it.
Offer after Offer, only to receive countless rejection.
Thomas was old, he wanted to give time to his family too. It's not like he was giving the kingdom nothing in return. obviously, trained soldiers that he personally trained in rain and dry, survive to live, and die for honor.
"It's time for new generation to show their strength and loyalty to this kingdom." he paused and his eyes lowered to the liquid in the cup, "It's sad but everything happens for good," he said, his face somewhat nostalgic.
"You are right, Thomas."
The cup's metal touched Thomas' lips and the liquid flooded from his mouth down to his throat.
Abruptly, His eyes went wide. He threw the cup away. 'Thud' 'Thud'.
Thomas bewilderedly realized what was inside the cup, "Young king, Are you trying to poison me?" standing up from the chair, he shouted.
"Poison?" The king smirked and further said, "The wine that you swallowed is lava poison, I know you have tolerance against poison, I'm not a fool." The king showed his true colors to Thomas.
'Lava Poison?' it was a mysterious name that he had never heard before.
'Eh?' Thomas felt the pain, it was like his internal organs were melting, which exactly was happening inside his body with the wine that Thomas drank.
The pain was so severe that his mind went numb, he couldn't think anything and fell to the ground. His vision was fading.
"I have to admit, Thomas. You really trust me blindly. I'm not my father that will let you live in peace" he got up from the bed, taking two steps forward, he stood in front of Thomas' suffering body.
'Bang' 'Bang'
"Kagh!"
The king kicked Thomas on his guts, that were being dissolved from inside, "You fucking bastard. How dare you humiliate me. Why didn't you accept my offer and serve me?"
Thomas couldn't talk because his vocal cords were destroyed. Only a small whisper came forth that wasn't understandable.
The king hand ran down his hairs, frowning at seeing Thomas hideous look, "After you, I will make sure that your beloved once follows you behind in afterlife."
With all his strength, he stretched his hand to the king, and with his fallen voice, he said, "Don't Tr–"
'Thud'
The hand fell to the ground lifelessly, Just before his death, he saw his memories through the semi-transparent vision.
"Finally, it's dead," the king said with a smile on his face.
Only a dying last breath came out.
When his eyes were shut permanently, he felt his own consciousness, he could think but couldn't see.
'Am I dead?' his inner thoughts were working fine once more, 'was this the reward of my blind trust for the young king?' he sighed inwardly in bitter regret. 'But where am i? What is this darkness?'
He sensed a sensational touch to him, it was like a warm skin that was touching him. He felt his own body but it was strange, he felt weak and he couldn't move.
'Did I survive?' he asked in a newly found hope. "Look how cute he is?"
"I know, but don't try to hold him to tight."
"----our mighty Regres—I mean mighty Kevin—"
Thomas Bewilderedly asked, 'What are these voices? Are there people around me'
'I have to open my eyes'
He tried his very best to open his two closed eyelids. After several tries, he succeeded in opening his eyes and the first thing he saw was a face that he didn't recognize.
'Who is he?' Thomas inwardly asked.
It was a man's face, that had black hairs and two red eyes that were staring directly at him. Thomas sensed it, 'He's a dangerous man'
The man smiled at Thomas and said, "Clark Benjamin, we will name him, Clark Benjamin." His voice was both gentle and dangerous.
"HUH?" A female was sitting on the bed and a male was standing beside her.
"I should be the one to name him, I'm the father, not you!" The man with envy said, while the female on the bed lightly laughed.
Thomas belatedly realized his situation, he was reborn and was given new and refreshing chance, He had to restart from the start again but with different life and meaning.
This time it was modern world with ongoing advancement of technology.