Chapter 1: The Lost

In the middle of the vast galaxy, a lone figure of an onyx starship drifted aimlessly. Its surface was rough, littered with scratches and bulks yet still maintained its luster, as if a lone survivor of a furious galactic war. Inside, a young man rest in a frozen pod, clad in an onyx cybernetic light armor of advance technology. In his right chest, an emblem of a black panther attached reflecting the red interior light of the battered ship. Below the emblem, printed (ZERO) .

Suddenly, The red lights died down, then the ship came to life, state of the art machinery of various kinds lit up one by one. Drowning the dark room with life, then… an electronic yet gentle voice echoed through the ship.

[Habitable planet detected, brace for landing...]

then after, the serene ship trembled violently, accelerating with astonishing speed. It breached a planet's atmosphere, succumbing to gravity's pull. The starship's black head turned yellow hue slowly becoming a fiery red as it maneuvered horizontally like a falling star. A trail of crimson painted the sky as the falling star streaked across, passing beneath the gaze of three night moons.

It sailed past a colossal tower of black that streak to the sky in the middle of a sprawling alabaster city. It's citizens stare with awe, as they gaze at the crimson line left by its passing. The star continue, passing a floating metropolis amidst clouds.

Traversing a black canyon of weightless rocks, forming a asteroid wall that rose to the sky. Then continued to a freezing landscape. Endless mountains cloaked in ice towering above the horizon. After sometime, it reached the frozen shore then entered the ocean, and traverse far far into the vast sea. Reaching a giant hole, It flew past the deep blue hole surrounded by marble, crystal eyes gaze as it past.

The journey continued, the ocean water turn to blood as it close to a land revealing a shore of blood beside a ruin kingdome. And an vast forest hiding ferocious beasts underneath.

The starship lowered it's height, losing momentum. Yet maintaining speed.

At it's front reveal a illusory wall that reach the night sky, it's surface made of complex runes and symbols, forming a beautiful tapestry of white. Behind it was an empire, gigantic swords thrust to the ground standing tall and mighty. Then a wide dreadful rever, where a giant sunken ship rose above water, inhabited by ferocious scaled beasts.

After it's long flight, the starship began to fall. Passing a misty ring forest crowned by a colossal crimson tree, planted in a floating island upheld by roots. Until finally reaching a sandy desert with pristine white sands painted in lavender by the moons shine, ready to cushion the starship's landing.

***

In an eerie desert of lavender unfolded before the starship—a landscape of glittering white sand illuminated by the ethereal glow of the nocturnal moons. The combination of colors produced an otherworldly lavender hue. Above, a starlit nebula enrobed the sky, a breathtaking masterpiece of shimmering particles that could leave any observer in awe.

As the white sand transformed into a violet tapestry under the moons radiance, the desert exuded a strange beauty. 

Upon one of its hills, a girl adorned in a wedding dress ascended gracefully, her steps gently landed in red carpet. Ahead, a crowd wore opulent attires and jewelries, patiently awaited her arrival at the hilltop.

Her scarlet hair billowing in the wind, untouched by the moon's glow as her ruby eyes held a serene gaze. With pale, flawless skin, and a perfectly curved body that exuded an unparalleled beauty. Contrasting against her obsidian-black and crimson weeding gown, she emanated a mesmerizing allure that made the crowd held their breath at the sight. 

With grace, she reached the carpet leading to the altar, where a winged man with hazel hair awaited her. The joyous anticipation of marrying a goddess filled him with delight—how could he not? Standing in front of him, she extended her soft hand, causing his heart to quicken.

Together, they walked forward, before coming to a halt in front of the altar where an old man in pristine white stand.

the bride and the groom stand side by side. a birdman in his thirty's, his cheeks flushed with a tinge of red despite his maturity. By his side stood a youth, devoid of any discernible emotions, no joy or sorrow. 

The elder standing before them began the ceremony, his voice resonating through the crowd.

"May the ceremony commence, may your love unite our lands and bring about peace."

The attendees sat with smiles gracing their faces, not for the couple's love or happiness, for there was none, but for the potential outcomes this union could bring.

"Tonight, we gather to witness and celebrate your union in marriage—a union that will end the ceaseless disputes between two races and unite them as one."

The old man stepped forward to begin the ceremony, his voice echoing through the hushed air.

"May the weeding commence, may your love unite our lands, and peace may we found."

He turned his gaze to the groom, Ron, Prince of the Gricks, and posed the question. "Do you, Ron, Prince of the Gricks, accept Scarlet, Princess of the Vampires, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse? And forsaking all others, will you be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

Ron took a deep breath, his voice resonating with conviction. "I do, till eternity tears us apart!."

The old man nodded, then face the beautiful bride.

"Do you, Scarlet, Princess of the Vampires, accept Ron, Prince of the Gricks, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse? And forsaking all others, will you be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

All eyes turned to the bride, Scarlet, Princess of the Vampires. The weight of her decision hung in the air.

Scarlet's lips quivered.

she seems lost.

"I…"

However, her words were abruptly cut off, as the crowds instinctively turned their heads toward the commotion at the back. In the far distance, amidst the ethereal beauty of the nebula, a solitary crimson star blazed with an intensity that grew exponentially by the second.

"What's that?!" gasped a bewildered guest, their voice barely audible over the murmurs of the crowd.

All eyes remained fixated on the enigmatic phenomenon unfolding before them. The scarlet star expanded with a furious radiance, reminiscent of a shooting star on a collision course with their world. It swelled to an unnatural size, causing a collective gasp to ripple through the onlookers.

"Get away from here!" someone shouted, their voice filled with urgency and a hint of fear.

Before anyone could react, a tremendous boom pierced the air. A black ship, propelled by unimaginable speed, hurtled toward the wedding tent, violently scattering sand in its wake. It crashed into the ground with a bone-shaking impact, skidding across the eerie desert sands before abruptly coming to a halt.

The once majestic and opulent tent was now reduced to a chaotic jumble of shattered fabric and twisted sticks. Miraculously, everyone had managed to evacuate in the nick of time, escaping the devastating collision, but not unscathed. However, the aftermath of the crash left their joyous celebration in ruins.

Angry murmurs and pained grunts filled the air as eyes turned toward the dark, metallic object that lay motionless in the sand.

Resentment seeped into the hearts of the onlookers, as they realized that not only had this object disrupted their significant event, but it had also endangered the lives of many noble attendees. Fearful for their safety, no one dared to approach the mysterious artifact, uncertain of the consequences it might unleash.

 To their astonishment, the object's heated surface began to cool, releasing wisps of smoke as it opened up. And then, with an air of mystery and foreboding, a figure emerged from within—a human figure cloaked in a black armor that covered his entire form, shimmering like an otherworldly knight under the eerie glow of the moon.

As the crowd's gaze fixated upon this enigmatic being, a sense of unease and tension settled over them. 

Suddenly, the novel prince who's wedding is ruined. Get up and walk forward, his luxurious clothes stained red, as bloods flow down from his graceful hazel-red wing.

Everyone step aside in respect as the blood dyed winged prince stepped forward. His noble bearing undeterred by the chaos and destruction, and voiced his indignation.

"I don't know who you are," he declared, his voice projecting authority mixed with an undercurrent of anger,

"But you had better be prepared to face the consequences of what you've done!"

The black knight, unmoved by the prince's outburst, stood before the assembled crowd with an eerie stillness. His motionlessness heightened the unease among the onlookers, for it seemed as though this enigmatic figure could withstand any harm that might befall him. He stood like an impervious sentinel, an embodiment of fearlessness in the face of a numerous enemy.

And then, in a moment that defied expectation, the knight finally moved. His stance faltered, as if the strings that once held them upright had been severed, causing him to collapse into the sand like a marionette released from its puppeteer's control. The sudden display left everyone frozen in astonishment, their minds struggling to comprehend the inexplicable events that had unfolded before them.

Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the soft whispers of sand carried by the desert wind. The crowd stood motionless, their eyes fixed upon the black knight, their thoughts consumed by a maelstrom of curiosity, fear, and anticipation.

Little did they know that this encounter would mark the beginning of a journey, a harrowing journey of a soldier that will change the world. 

This is the start of the legend of the lost.