Andrios walked cautiously through the dense, dark forestAfter he separated from the mercenaries, he told them that he was going to inspect a place , the trees towering above him like silent sentinels. The air was thick, filled with a strange heaviness, and the eerie whispers that surrounded him made his skin crawl. It was as if the forest itself was alive, watching him from the shadows.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large swarm of crows appeared, their black feathers gleaming in the faint light. They circled above him, their eyes glowing with a cold, sinister light. Their shrill cries echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down his spine. These were no ordinary crows — they were something far darker. As they moved, they blended with the shadows, becoming part of the darkness itself.
Andrios (shocked):
"What are these creatures?"
Before he could react, the crows swooped down, their talons outstretched, aiming to tear him apart. The air around him grew cold as the crows attacked from all directions, using the shadows to conceal their movements. They weren't just birds; they were creatures of the dark, their bodies twisting in and out of the shadows as if they could bend light itself.
Andrios swung his fiery sword, slashing through the air with precise movements. The flames from his blade lit up the darkness, momentarily pushing the crows back. But every time one was repelled, another seemed to emerge from the shadows, more vicious and relentless than before. The crows' sharp, piercing shrieks cut through the air, sending waves of dread through him. They seemed to be feeding off the darkness itself, growing stronger with each passing moment.
Andrios (gritting his teeth):
"You... aren't just birds... You're shadows!"
The crows were no longer just creatures of flesh and bone; they had become one with the darkness around them. Their forms flickered in and out of existence, using the shadows to their advantage, making it nearly impossible to strike them. Andrios realized that these crows were not just attacking him—they were trying to trap him in the shadows.
As he fought, Andrios noticed the shadows growing deeper, more oppressive, almost alive. The crows used the darkness to disorient him, making him question what was real. He swung his sword wildly, but the crows' attacks were becoming more coordinated. They were drawing him deeper into the forest, where the light of his sword was the only thing holding back the overwhelming blackness.
Andrios (struggling):
"You won't defeat me!"
With a roar, Andrios pushed forward, thrusting his fiery sword into the ground. A shockwave of fire erupted from the blade, pushing back the crows and clearing the darkness around him. But even as the crows were pushed back, their shadows remained, swirling like a storm around him.
Then, Andrios heard a voice—low, whispered, almost as if coming from the very air around him.
Voice in Shadows:
"Foolish one… you cannot escape the darkness…"
Andrios's heart pounded as the shadows around him grew thicker, more oppressive. He raised his sword again, determined to fight, but the voice was only a reminder of the deeper danger lurking in this forest. These crows were no mere animals—they were agents of the darkness itself.
With one final effort, Andrios launched himself at the remaining crows, his sword blazing with fiery light. As he struck, the crows screeched one last time before being consumed by the flames. But even as they fell, the darkness remained, and Andrios knew this was only the beginning of what awaited him in the forest.
Andrios (whispering to himself):
"This isn't over… not by a long shot."
Andreus came out of a cave on the way, looked at his sword deeply and put it back in its sheath. It seemed that he remembered old moments
First Phase: Innocent Childhood
Andrios, at the age of sixteen, grew up in a small village located in a region known for its wealth and natural resources. The village was bustling with life, as nobles and traders frequented it due to its riches, and the people lived peaceful and worry-free lives. Andrios was a beloved child among the village residents, enjoying the love and care of his parents and friends.
One day, as Andrios and his best friend were playing in the vast fields outside the village, they started talking about their thoughts and future dreams. His friend often told him that life would be better if they could get more food and resources. While the village was rich in resources, food sometimes became scarce. So, they decided to steal some food from a market vendor.
As they quietly snuck into the market to steal food, everything went according to plan, and they took the food without being noticed. They laughed together as they ran away, but these moments of joy wouldn't last long.
In a grand hall, nobles sit around a table with maps and plans. The air is tense.
Noble the first (the leader):
"We need money. The markets aren't helping, and our coffers are empty. This village has fertile land. We can exploit them."
Noble the second (ambitious partner):
"We'll offer them loans and appear as saviors, but we'll make sure they're stuck in debt."
Noble the first (skeptic):
"What if they resist? We need to be careful."
Noble the second (smiling):
"Don't worry. We'll promise them everything, then take it all when they're trapped."
Noble the third (laughing):
"I'll send guards to the village. We'll look like benefactors, but they won't know our real plan."
Noble the first (with a smirk):
"Exactly. We'll make them believe we care, then take everything they have."
The next morning, Andrios left his house to find a convoy of nobles and soldiers entering the village. There was a conversation between them and the village residents. After negotiating with local leaders, the nobles began distributing weapons and supplies to the villagers. But Andrios wasn't convinced by their intentions. He asked his friend in surprise, "Who are these people? Do you think they really want to help us?" His friend replied, "Who knows, they might be here for something else."
The next day, after some time had passed, the nobles started executing their plan. What they had promised turned out to be nothing but a lie. In the middle of the night, they invaded the village, seized most of the resources, and began killing the innocents, including Andrios's parents and his friend.
While Andrios was in his home, he heard sounds coming from outside. He looked out the window to see noble soldiers invading the village and tearing apart the peaceful life they had. He tried to escape to protect his family, but he couldn't make it in time. His parents had been killed, and so had his dear friend. The shock was devastating, and everything changed in an instant.
After losing everything, Andrios was captured by the nobles and taken to one of the darkest prisons in the land of chaos. There were many prisoners, some of whom had lived in poverty and constant suffering. Andrios was tortured in that prison, enduring relentless beatings and humiliation.
During his time in prison, Andrios began to resist the injustice and pain. While imprisoned, he learned the art of combat and how to endure. One day, while wandering the prison, he met an enormous prisoner who appeared cruel and unyielding. Andrios tried to attack him at first, but the prisoner was far stronger than him.
Despite the harsh beginning, Andrios's resistance grew. He met the giant man, who would later become his mentor, and began learning the arts of combat. The man taught Andrios how to harness his inner strength and endure pain. After three years of continuous training in the prison, Andrios became a formidable warrior.
One day, Andrios decided the time had come to escape. He killed the guards and stole the key to the prison. When he managed to break free, he returned to the destroyed village. The land was filled with ruin, but he was determined to take revenge on those who killed his parents and destroyed his life
Inside the dark prison, Andrius was enduring cruel treatment. The guards were beating him and torturing him, but the worst of it was the giant man who shared the same cell. This man possessed extraordinary strength, and he seemed like he had come from another world. His body was unnaturally large, with muscles bulging under his dark skin, making him appear as a beast. His glowing red eyes carried an anger Andrius could not comprehend.
The giant man spent most of his time ruthlessly beating Andrius inside the cell. His blows were relentless, as though they were erasing any trace of resistance. His hands pressed against Andrius like heavy chains, and his movements were furious, as if he was releasing all his rage on the helpless prisoner. Andrius felt unbearable pain, but he never surrendered. He tried to stand his ground against the torment, despite his body crying out in agony.
However, the giant man was not teaching Andrius anything. He was simply venting his anger on him due to their shared imprisonment. His attacks on Andrius were unprovoked, and every time Andrius tried to resist, he was met with more punishment. Those dark moments would become the foundation of Andrius' development, teaching him patience and endurance in the face of pain.
The giant man's name was "Kaligar,"
Over time, Andrius began to understand Kaligar's way of thinking. He observed the man's strength and violent movements, and with every strike, Andrius started learning how to respond better, how to avoid blows, and how to build his endurance. Kaligar was not consciously teaching Andrius, but Andrius learned from him simply by observing his behavior and using every moment of torture to learn. As time went on, Andrius found himself in an internal struggle between the pain he was enduring and the lessons he was gaining in an indirect manner.
Days passed, and Andrius became tougher. He learned Kaligar's fighting style and defensive moves, and he started using this knowledge to improve his combat skills. He realized that sometimes Kaligar would pause after delivering powerful strikes, as if there was something off in his approach. These moments of weakness were Andrius' opportunities to enhance his own techniques.
One day, while Andrius was lying on the floor after receiving a powerful blow, he felt something unusual. Kaligar was approaching him in an odd manner. There was a sense of impending danger in the air, and Andrius decided that this was his chance. With everything he had learned from him, Andrius decided to face him head-on.
After several quick strikes, Andrius managed to evade a fatal blow, and using a technique he had learned from Kaligar himself, he seized the moment of Kaligar's vulnerability and delivered a decisive strike to his heart. Kaligar's eyes closed as he fell to the ground, shock written across his face as he felt his blood spill out.
But Andrius didn't stop there. He quickly shoved Kaligar's body aside and began to hide inside it, blending in with the shadows. Time was not on his side, and the guards were approaching. At the right moment, the prison guards entered the cell and saw Kaligar's lifeless body. They assumed he had died, and they casually tossed it away into the designated disposal area for dead bodies. The guards had no reason to suspect anything.
As the body was thrown away, Andrius remained hidden inside it, toughening himself as he listened to the soldiers leave. Using this moment, he managed to escape certain death and began to sneak out of the prison, concealed in the darkness.
After obtaining a massive sword The one who stole him from a prison began planning and tracking down Nobles' location
One by one, he killed the nobles in cold blood, each strike a release of the pain he had suffered. The last noble begged for mercy, but Andrius showed none, ending his life with a final blow.
Not content with just their deaths, Andrius set the palace on fire, watching it burn as a symbol of his vengeance. With his revenge complete, he walked away, finally at peac