Hope…

Hope was a privilege I didn't have. 

Optimism was considered lunacy in a world that had succumbed to its inhabitants. All that was left was a pile of nothing. 

Even as buildings collapsed and villages were wiped out, they didn't care.

They continued to battle, either unbeknownst to or uncaring of the consequences of their actions. The War Of Broken Oaths, a battle on a scale never seen or heard of before… it raged on like a tsunami, engulfing the lands in an eternity of darkness.

They continued to quarrel, ignoring the screams of the common folk. The begging, the crying, the weeping, the rumbles of a hungry stomach, and the screeches of those who had been wronged… it all fell on deaf ears.

That was when everyone knew… there was no one coming to save us.

A battle of two seemingly invincible sides was a horrifying one for the bystanders. It was like the clash of Heaven and Earth, Light and Darkness, Sun and Moon, Fire and Ice… there was just no end until both sides collapsed.

Or until the world collapsed.

It was terrifying. 

The nights became colder and colder, the stomachs became hungrier and hungrier, the lives became fewer and fewer. The only thing that remained were the flames of no tomorrow, the ashes of the fallen… and the most beautiful of all…

The stars of the moonlit sky.

As I rested my gaze on the mesmerizing scenery, I felt as if the stars were waving goodbye. Amid the endless sea of darkness, I felt comforted by the grains of light that peeked through, illuminating the world.

I felt at peace.

That even though the world had collapsed, there were things that remained unchanged… unaffected by the tragedies. 

For it was all I had left.

"Ugh…" I let out a groan, clutching my left shoulder as I stared down at my missing arm. The sparks of an undying flame crackled at the torn sleeve that previously cloaked my arm. The splotches of blood lined the sleeve.

A bolt of electricity raced down my spine, causing my entire body to vibrate. Dark spots clouded my vision, my lightheadedness pushing me down to my knees. I stared down at the sea of corpses beneath my feet in agony.

Where had it all gone? 

I turned my head towards the nearby mountain range, the Kelki Mountains… The range previously renowned for its beauty, the white sheets that engulfed the peaks, and the fluffy clouds that cloaked them from dangerous eyes…

It had all disappeared. 

All that remained was ashy smoke and the sordid smell of blood that wafted to my nostrils. 

I felt sick.

But I refused to give up. 

So what if hope was akin to stupidity? So what if optimism was like lunacy? For me, the ability to change the course of nature was all the hope I needed. The ability to watch it all end was a privilege offered to no one but me.

Even though I hadn't started it.

I sure as fuck would end it all.

As I stood up, the sea of blood rumbled at my feet. All those who had defied me, wronged me, and attempted to end me… how would they feel, having ended up at my feet after all their struggles?

I kicked a skull away, a smirk slowly forming on my blood-ridden face. 

So this was lunacy.

Excitement drove my actions… actions with the intention of changing the course of nature yet again. My blood bubbled with exuberance, but also with the rage and frustration of what I had had to endure all these years.

My right hand–the only one in tact–pulled out a longsword with a silver blade. With my eyes focused on my goal, I braced my core before channeling the last of my energy through my fragile body.

I didn't care if I broke.

I didn't care if I died.

But I sure as hell wouldn't fall before I could prove myself.

As a radiant aura enveloped my sword, my grip shook. The power was overwhelming, especially for my injured body. I couldn't endure the overflow for long… or else I would lose my sanity.

I planted my feet into the crimson, wet soil beneath. I tightened my grip to the maximum, and as a tiny flame combusted in my eyes, I swung down as hard as I possibly could. 

My childhood… 

The promise I made to my mother before the war.

The expression of pride I so yearned from my father.

The warmth of love I was never able to share.

Hunger…

Starvation…

The thirst I desperately tried to satisfy…

And the lack of power to change the outcome.

Everything that made me, 'me.'

Ryan Hawk.

It all came together as a single tear slid down my cheek, dying at my lips. My eyes were probably glistening… I couldn't tell.

My lips quivered as I held myself back.

Slash!

A roar escaped my lips, a release of everything I had held back. My lungs tore as I lost all breath. My heart stopped pumping blood. Everything had become numb, to the point where I couldn't discern life and death.

Had I already died?

I wasn't certain.

It sure would be nice if I had.

"N–No…"

I managed to utter a single word as I stared. I hadn't died… not yet. 

What I saw before me… it was beautiful.

I was happy. I was happy to the point where I didn't remember the last time I had felt so satisfied… so full. As if my life had a purpose… as if 'I' had a purpose. 

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The mountain range collapsed, the boulders racing down as it all came crashing down. Rubble and dust engulfed the wasteland as winds capable of tearing apart a nation blew in rapid succession.

The War Of Broken Oaths.

It had finally come to an end.

It was the end of an era.

And the dawn of another.