Flames licked at the sky, painting it a vivid orange and red as the Valorian estate crumbled around us. The once-bustling grounds were now a battleground, filled with the screams of chaos and terror. I felt like I was in a nightmare, but this was all too real. My heart raced, and every instinct screamed for me to fight, but I was paralyzed with horror as I witnessed the destruction of my family.
"Ryuji!" Satsuki cried out, her voice trembling with fear as she clung to my arm. "What do we do? We can't let them get us!"
I barely registered her words as Zedd emerged from the inferno, his figure cloaked in shadows. The glint in his eyes was predatory, an unholy delight that made my blood run cold.
Satsuki reached for my hand but it was too late, Zedd had impaled her from behind and the life in her eyes went blank.
Haruto arrived and used his lightning magic to keep Zedd at bay, but he quickly teleported to my brother's side, that monsters hands on my brother's head, he crushed him.
I was filled with despair, my heart torn as tears ran through my face, a feeling of what I could only describe as emptiness
"Look at you, Valorian," he taunted, a smirk playing on his lips. "Your precious family, reduced to ashes. Just like the dreams you once had."
"No!, Please.." I shouted, my voice filled with desperation. I could feel the magic within me surging, but it was as if Zedd's presence dampened it, a dark aura wrapping around me like chains.
With a flick of his wrist, Zedd summoned a wave of darkness that knocked me to the ground, placing my head down the ground and making me watch the madness unfold. My breath escaped in a pained gasp as I struggled to rise. "You think you can protect them?" he mocked. "Watch closely, little warrior."
Time slowed as Zedd's cruel intentions became horrifyingly clear. I could only watch in horror as he called forth a monstrous creature—one I had seen earlier in the chaos. Cyprus, my loyal companion, growled protectively but was quickly overpowered.
"No!" I screamed, but it felt like my voice was lost in the whirlwind of destruction. Zedd's eyes glinted with malice as he commanded the beast to attack.
The creature lunged, sinking its teeth into Cyprus with a horrifying crunch. I felt my heart shatter as the life left my wolf's eyes, the trust we shared extinguished in an instant. Cyprus's whimpers can be heard as I struggled to move my hand, visibly shaken. I could barely comprehend the grief that washed over me as I screamed in agony, desperate to reach out, but I was held down by Zedd's relentless power.
"Look at your family," Zedd whispered, his voice dripping with venom. "Look at what happens to those who stand in my way."
I turned my gaze, and the sight twisted my gut into knots. Satsuki and Haruto lay motionless on the ground, their bodies lifeless, the joy of our childhood snuffed out like a candle. The Duke of Valoria, my father, fought valiantly against Zedd's forces, but he was overwhelmed, falling like the others.
"Father!" I cried out, anguish clawing at my chest. "No!"
Zedd's laughter echoed in the chaos, a cruel symphony of destruction. "Your precious legacy is crumbling, Valorian. It's time to embrace the darkness. This is what it means to be powerless."
Finally, the estate became engulfed in flames, the heat creeping closer as it consumed everything I had ever known. My heart ached as I felt my family's absence, the crushing weight of grief threatening to drown me.
In the distance, I caught a glimpse of Cyprus's remains scattered on the floor, I had drowned, in emptiness. At that moment it felt like I should have given up, to surrender and lose hope.
Instead, as the last remnants of my world burned around me, I felt a spark ignite deep within—a hunger for vengeance. I would not let their deaths be in vain. I would make Zedd pay for every moment of pain he had inflicted on my family.
The Duke of Valoria's voice echoed in my mind as I stumbled over the ashes of my once-beautiful home, the flames crackling and consuming everything. "Ryuji, my son… Persevere, don't let the Valorian name die tonight. Your mother would be so proud of you."
As I knelt beside Satsuki and Haruto, their bodies still and cold, I felt a burning resolve in my heart. I was scarred, but I would rise from these ashes. I would not allow the darkness to claim me, not while I had breath in my body.
And as the estate crumbled into a smoldering ruin, I vowed that I would return stronger, a force of retribution against the one who had taken everything from me. The Valorian legacy would not die here; I would carry it with me as I sought vengeance.
Hours later Headmaster Merlin had found me, with the help of Kaede I was rushed into medical assistance, burns all around my body along with a scar on my right arm, it would be a symbol of the suffering I endured that night.
End of Volume 1