The Throne of Shadows
The air was thick with an eerie silence, the kind that preceded a storm of untold destruction. The red sky above twisted like a living thing, its crimson hue bleeding into the dense black clouds. The massive obsidian castle stood ominously against the hellish backdrop, its spires piercing into the heavens like jagged fangs of an ancient beast. The ground trembled as if it feared what lay within those cursed walls.
Inside the colossal stronghold, the throne room loomed with a suffocating darkness. Shadows slithered across the stone floors like living phantoms, whispering secrets of forgotten gods and unspeakable horrors. At the heart of the room sat the Masked Man, a figure wreathed in enigmatic terror. His very presence bent reality, a force of pure destruction held together by a mask of unwavering control.
The shadows shifted as the doors to the hall creaked open, revealing Ruby, the red-haired warrior who had sworn her allegiance to him. She was clad in black and crimson battle gear, a mask obscuring her face, yet her eyes burned with an unquenchable fire. Without hesitation, she strode forward, kneeling before the throne.
"Master," she spoke, her voice steady but laced with reverence. "I have found them."
A chilling silence followed before the Masked Man leaned forward slightly, his molten red eyes gleaming from behind his cracked mask.
"Oh?" His voice was smooth, yet carried a depth that could shatter souls.
"The God of Thunder is dead," Ruby announced, the weight of her words lingering in the vast hall.
A low chuckle, cold and unforgiving, rumbled from the throne. "Things are unfolding exactly as we intended."
He lifted a gloved hand, tapping a single finger against the armrest. The very air in the room grew colder, the shadows deepened, as though the castle itself was feeding off his malevolence.
"Shall we proceed?" Ruby asked, her tone unwavering.
The Masked Man exhaled slowly, as if savoring the moment. "Not yet… Soon. Very soon, we shall meet… David."
The castle trembled as a pulse of dark energy erupted through its very foundation. A distant, guttural growl echoed through the halls, as though the structure itself was alive, anticipating the carnage yet to unfold.
The Battle of Shadows
Beyond the throne room, deep within the training grounds of the demonic fortress, the air cracked with raw power. The ground itself bore scars from countless battles, etched with the marks of destruction.
A dark bat screeched through the air, navigating the towering spires before swooping down to the arena, where two warriors stood poised for combat.
Ruby, the red-haired masked warrior, clenched her lightning-forged sword. Sparks danced along its blade, illuminating the battlefield in flickering hues of blue and white. Facing her was the Masked Man, his stance effortless, his presence overwhelming.
Without a word, she vanished, her speed breaking the sound barrier as she appeared behind him in a flicker of crimson lightning. Her blade slashed down, but in a movement too fast for mortal eyes, he sidestepped, the attack missing by a breath.
Before she could react, his hand shot out, fingers wrapped in dark energy. He struck with precision, aiming for her ribs, but she twisted midair, summoning a sphere of fire without uttering a single incantation. The flames roared to life, engulfing him.
A deafening boom echoed as the fireball detonated, sending shockwaves rippling through the arena. The ground cracked, flames licking at the edges of destruction.
But from within the inferno, he emerged untouched. His cloak billowed, his crimson eyes fixated on her with an amused glint. "Impressive. But not enough."
Ruby gritted her teeth, teleporting once more, appearing behind him with a twin-bladed water sword. The moisture from the air thickened, twisting into an unforgiving tide beneath his feet, morphing the ground into a quagmire of drowning shadows.
With a mere flick of his wrist, the Masked Man ascended, defying gravity, his silhouette looming high above. And without warning, he extended his arm.
A black sphere of fire, massive and pulsating with chaotic energy, materialized above his palm.
"Let's see if you can withstand this."
He unleashed the firestorm, the sky splitting apart as the colossal energy ball descended toward her like a miniature sun. Ruby didn't flinch. Instead, she raised her sword high, the blade crackling with dimension-splitting thunder.
"Final form!" she declared, her voice a storm of power.
With a single slash, a colossal arc of lightning roared through the sky, colliding with the black fire. The explosion that followed swallowed the battlefield whole, its shockwave traveling for miles, shaking the very foundation of the demon castle.
As the dust settled, Ruby lay on the ground, her breaths ragged, exhaustion evident. The Masked Man stood tall, unharmed.
He descended, his boots touching the ground without a sound. He gazed down at her, his mask cracked, revealing the left side of his face—David's face.
Ruby's eyes widened. "Master… your mask."
Slowly, he reached down, picking up the broken piece. With a mere touch, the mask reassembled itself, returning to its flawless form.
He extended a hand toward her. "You've grown strong, Ruby. But not strong enough. You still have much to learn."
She grasped his hand, her resolve burning. "I will improve, Master. I swear it."
As she stood, a dark presence filled the air.
David's expression turned grim. "The gods are still blind to the death of the God of Thunder. It will make things… easier."
Ruby nodded. "David has made contact with the Elf Queen."
A slow smirk formed beneath his mask. "Oh? It seems events are unfolding faster than expected. Let them come. Soon… we shall meet."
A whispering voice slithered through the air, unseen and untraceable.
"Ohhh… it looks like time is slipping away," the voice echoed, sending an ominous shiver through the castle walls.
David narrowed his eyes. "I know. I must act quickly. Or else…"
The voice chuckled in response. "You know what will happen to you."
The shadows swallowed their words, the castle settling into an eerie silence. But outside, the world itself awaited the inevitable storm—a massacre that would shake the heavens.
And David would be at its center.
A War Yet to Come
Far beyond the demon castle, in a secluded orphanage, the real David stood with a gentle smile as 15-year-old Ruby practiced magic. A dark arrow shot from her hand, piercing through an ancient tree, splitting it in half.
David patted her head. "You've grown strong, Ruby."
She beamed up at him, innocence still shining in her eyes. "Really?!"
David smiled, but it faltered. He turned away, his gaze shifting toward the distant horizon.
"Today's training is over. Go play with your friends."
As Ruby ran off, laughing with her companions, David's expression darkened.
The time had come. He had to move.
His next destination? The Sword Kingdom.
A kingdom that was destined to drown in blood.
The massacre was about to begin.