"You're… the demon lord?" Ethan repeated.
"Yes, indeed I am. Are you in shock?" Asked Alphard.
"I wouldn't say so…The demon lord of the legion has been dead for centuries, so forgive me if I'm trying to process this." Ethan replied, his hand still reaching for the hilt of his sword.
"As much as it pains me, my legacy has been so dead, most people even forgot I existed. And I would have loved it to be so, but you see… fate had other plans." Alphard shifted the way he sat.
"Uhh?"
"It would seem my soul has refused to fall into deep slumber, so instead, it split in two, and my other half was reincarnated, while the other was stuck in an unending amount of reincarnation".
Ethan stared at the demon lord while he was explaining,
"What are you talking about?".
"What I'm saying is…" Alphard stood up, "You and I… we are of the same soul".
"What?"
"You felt it too, didn't you? The sharp connection the moment our eyes met. That was the bond between our two souls." Alphard began walking towards Ethan.
"You are saying we are the same person." Ethan asked again.
"Yes, we are. And just like you, I was betrayed by someone. My kind is being oppressed in this era, something I wouldn't stand for even if I was held at blade point, and you were betrayed by the people you fought to protect".
"Betrayed? I wasn't…" Ethan fell to one knee, his hand on his head as he began to feel a sudden ache.
"Yes you were, but you simply don't remember. Right now, you are on the verge of death, only mere minutes away from dying".
Alphard stood in front of Ethan -
"And once you do, we'll reincarnate again, only to repeat the cycle. But, if both our souls merge back into one, we can survive this and have our revenge".
"Arrrrrgh…" Ethan groaned painfully.
"Pick your choice, Ethan, would you rather have your life end here .. or will you take my hand, and embrace the other side of yourself."
Alphard said to him, stretching his hand as he awaited.
Ethan slowly raised his head…
"No one knows my pain, no one knows my sacrifice." He suddenly uttered.
A smile formed on Alphard's face as he continued,
"This lonely path I paved, one of which I'll watch my subjects follow my every command."
Ethan uttered again, this time rising to his feet, "Till the last day, till the last battle, my fate is forever cursed".
"This soul has no home, forever a spectacle in the face of chaos… We, the burning legion!!!" They uttered together, while staring each other in the eye.
...
"Slowly now… come on, take it easy." The bandit urged, his voice a low murmur as he guided the boy with silver hair forward, the clanking of chains accompanying each step.
The boy, visibly battered, lacked the strength to resist, his movements sluggish as he complied. Stepping into the open, blood trickled from a wound on his temple, a painful reminder of his recent ordeal. Beneath his feet, the rough terrain felt unforgiving against his weary soles, each step a testament to his resilience.
Surveying his surroundings, the boy's eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight filtering through the dense canopy above. The forest enveloped him, its ancient trees standing sentinel in the darkness.
It didn't take long for him to discern his predicament—he was deep within its heart, a captive in this natural fortress of solitude. And somewhere amidst the shadowed undergrowth, his iron prison lay hidden.
'I see… so the soul merge worked, I survived… and so they chose to kidnap me instead?' Ethan's mind echoed with the question as his legs trembled beneath him, giving way until he knelt upon the forest floor, his resolve faltering.
"Arrrrrgh! What's with this kid? Oi!!! Get up!" The bandit's taunts pierced the air, accompanied by the jarring clinks of the chains as he attempted to coerce movement from the exhausted boy.
Despite the bandit's efforts, Ethan remained rooted to the spot, his body refusing to obey commands. Frustration etched deep lines on the bandit's face, mirrored by the scowl of another man emerging from the iron prison.
This newcomer, a formidable figure with rugged features and a formidable presence, bore the weight of a massive blade across his chest as he addressed the bandit with a gruff tone.
"Is the lad giving yah problem mate?" His voice resonated.
"Unfortunately. Honestly, let's just kill the bastard already," the man holding the chain grumbled, his patience wearing thin. "Why do we have to keep him like this? It's obvious the Astros family ain't paying the ransom money."
"I'm afraid ya right." The bearded man strode past the boy, his indifference palpable.
Meanwhile, Ethan's eyes widened in shock at the mention of his family's name. Three days had passed since his abduction during hero training, yet the memories flooded back with startling clarity.
Recollections of his current new life surged to the forefront of his mind, each detail a painful reminder of the world he had been torn from.
Ethan Astros, his name ringing with the weight of his current reality—a chosen hero thrust into the spotlight at a tender age. His extraordinary command of multiple magics had earned him favor even from the King of Orion, who had taken him under his wing.
But fame had its price. Ethan had become a target, hunted by assassins and malevolent entities thirsting for his demise. Despite the protective cloak of royalty, Ethan found himself ensnared by the cruel hands of bandits who subjected him to days of unrelenting torture.
Still on his knees, Ethan slowly lifted his head, locking eyes with the two bandits before him. Before he could fully discern their features, a vicious kick to the face sent him sprawling, the world spinning into darkness as agony consumed his senses.
His body collided with the unforgiving ground, the weight of his bindings pressing into his flesh as blood trickled from his battered nose, staining the earth. With a pained gaze, Ethan's eyes sought solace in the vast expanse of the sky above.
"What a waste of my time," the bearded man scoffed, his disdain palpable as he planted a heavy boot on Ethan's chest, pinning him down. Peering down at the fallen hero, the bandit's words dripped with contempt.
"Pathetic, don't yah think? Even yah mom had to sell yah out. Quite sad".
Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief, his mind reeling at the mention of his mother.
"Mom…?" He whispered, the word barely audible amidst the chaos of his thoughts.