1 Fate

The sun's rays were mystical and filled my body with warmth as I hefted up the two pales of water by my side. I lived in a quiet countryside village with my mother, father, little sister and brother along with my Master. My Master teaches me about magic, swordsmanship, and even the ways of the Nobles just incase the need would arise.

I took no time standing around as I walked through the lush greenery and tall bronze-barked trees. It was truly a fantastic sight, but I knew I had work to do so I decided to speed up my pace. My Master used to be an Archmage for the Grand Tower of Mages, a place that houses all of the worlds greatest and most talented Eclipsed; a term the non-magic users call the mages of the world.

I passed by a few Magical Beasts at the bottom of the power spectrum, but none of them attacked me. Instead, they dipped their head in acknowledgement before attempting to speak to me. "Sorry, little one. I must get going before Master Kassus scolds me for being late!" I began to sprint as fast as I could with Wind Magic enforcing my legs, making me nothing more than a blur.

Suddenly, the smell of smoke filled my nose, and dampened my senses due to its pungent odor. I ran faster as the panic settled within my mind, only to find that a large bonfire had been set up at the outskirts of the village. "Oh, Novras my boy, you're back already? By the Gods, why do you look so panicked!?"

Suddenly, I began to laugh lightly as I waved my hand in front of my face, almost like I was able to wave off my previous fears. The man who spoke to me had short gray hair, a neatly trimmed, gray beard that covered most of his face, and bright blue eyes that radiated concern. This man was, of course, my father and he was also the village chief's younger brother.

"Nothing's wrong, dad. Just thought the village was finally under attack or something, ahaha..." My father's warm hand ruffled my hair as he chuckled to himself and replied. "Silly boy, we have Archmage Kassus protecting us! Nothing could ever get into our village without him noticing." I nodded my head and sat the water down, noticing that only a small bit had been spilled in my rush.

I conversed with my father for a moment longer before noticing my Master standing off to the side patiently. I excused myself and quickly ran over to greet him. "Master! It's been three weeks since I've improved my magic. I think it's time we go over Level Four Type Ma-" My Master flicked my forehead with an annoyed grunt as he said "Listen, kid. You're the most dumb and talentless idiot I have ever seen. However, you have something even I don't have. You have the strength and willpower to move forward no matter the obstacle, but you work a little too hard sometimes."

He turned and motioned for me to follow before continuing. "Now, don't get me wrong, hard work is always appreciated, but sometimes it becomes a curse that ruins everything you have ever worked for. All in a mere second. Please, spend more time with your family. You never know when you will see them for the last time..."

Just like that, he disappeared into thin air, leaving me somewhat angry, happy, and sad at the same time. In that short confrontation, my Master had brought many things to light. And that light was now shining in my eyes, refusing to let me forget about it. It was true that I often ignored my family in order to improve my magic so that I could enroll in an academy to give them a better living, and it was true that I worked too hard most of the time, too eager to pursue the future instead of living in the present.

I sighed heavily, partly from annoyance and partly from indignation, before turning on my heels and walking toward my family's wood and stone house. I opened the creaky wooden door and was tackled by two silver haired and eyes kids, which were no older than five. "Did you find something cool, Big Bro!?" My little brother had an excited and curious light in his eyes as he clung to my shirt with a large smile.

I smiled warmly and ruffled his hair before saying "Yes, actually. I met a few Magic Beasts and talked to them while filling up the pales." His eyes lit up as he jumped up and down while asking "Can I go see them? Please, please Big Bro!!" I glanced up at my mother, a beautiful woman with dark black and silver hair, along with stunning silver eyes and a kind, gentle face that always adorned a warm smile.

She rolled her eyes with a wide smile before nodding her head, signaling for me to respond to Zeal, my little brother. "Of course. I'm sure they would be delighted to see you, Z." Suddenly, my right sleeve was pulled and I looked over to see my little sister, Navia, looking up at me with wide eyes. Zeal and Navia were twins, and were my pride and joy, just as much as they were for my parents.

"W-Will the monsters come after us...?" Navia asked with a timed and frightened voice. My smile turned soft as I bent down and hushed Zeal up before saying "Of course not, Navia. We have Master Kassus here to protect us, and I'm more than strong enough to drive the Magic Beasts away. However, I have to ask you to not treat them as monsters, because they are just like us. They have feelings, can grieve for their lost ones, and laugh just like us."

Navia's eyes sparkled with a curious light as she asked "R-Really...?" I nodded my head and picked the twins up while bringing them to their rooms and telling them stories of Heroes defeating strong monsters, saving the world in the process. Ever since they knew I was training to become a Mage, they too wanted to share my ambitions.

It was getting late, meaning it was time for the two to go to bed. After a few minutes of coaxing I was able to get Zeal and Navia to go to bed before I walked back out into the poorly lit halls; the wooden floor creaking underneath my feet at every step. The house was too quiet, and a bone-chilling cold was permeating through my body as frost began to slowly creep along the corners of the walls.

"Mom?" I called out, but no one answered. A strange feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach as I began to slowly walk backwards toward the kid's bedroom once more. Suddenly, a loud crash came from behind me and I spun on my heels before swinging the door to the kid's room open, finding the bed empty with the window completely smashed. I swore under my breath and coursed my mana through my body as I ran out into the living room, finding no one there either.

I ran out through the front door and saw a horrifying scene unfold before me. Magic Beasts, Mythical Beasts, and even Demons and their pets were all rampaging freely in the village, slaughtering everything in their path. I hesitantly gripped my hands and grit my teeth as the smell of smoke and the sounds of the dying were pervading my senses.

My eyes began to mist over, but I didn't lose my cool. My eyes darted around until I found what looked to be the weakest monster that was alone. I quickly cast an Invisibility spell and snuck up toward the wolf-like beast, snapping its neck and casting a Mind Read spell before its memories faded away with its spirit. Images of Demons and Beasts marching through the forest in silence filled my mind, making me even more confused as to how and why these creatures were doing this.

I looked back up with a wrathful fire in my eyes as the Demons and Beasts began to congregate around the village square. A black-robed figure appeared on the small wooden stage before speaking to its sick crowd with a deep, raspy voice. "My dear allies, the time has come for our little...party to end. We have what we came for, and disposed of all evidence relating to the existence of this village."

The man began to cough violently before continuing. "There seems to be a few snakes left..." I could have swore that the man's gaze lingered on me before sweeping over the burning rubble of the houses. "But I am sure you all will take care of these unwanted guests. Now, my personal guards will teleport with me to the Capitol while the rest of you stay and kill any witnesses left behind. Call me with your communicators when you are finished."

Five tall, red-skinned, burly Demons stepped up to the platform with the robed man before disappearing into a large flash of light, momentarily blinding me. My heart was beating faster than ever; the man's piercing blue eyes burned into my mind like a brand, sending fear and rage down my spine every time I thought about it. The Demons and Beasts scattered around the village, giving me ample time to search for survivors on my own.

A part of me believed my family was still alive, but the other knew better than to get my hopes up. There was an army of Demons and Magical Beasts at out literal doorsteps. No one would be able to come out of this unscathed, be it mentally of physically. I moved in silence, following the small packs of the man's soldiers so that, in case they did find survivors, I could kill them before saving the people with the least amount of noise.

I was walking behind a small group of bear-type Magic Beasts when I saw two corpses on the ground, their bodies badly burned and mutilated, but their eyes were wide with fear and despair. I knew who these two were just from their eyes alone. They were my Aunt and Uncle. Their jovial and happy demeanors were gone forever as their bodies lay there in the cold mud, flies buzzing around their corpses.

I clenched my fists and bit my lip hard enough to draw blood in order to prevent myself from screaming out in terror and grief. However, I couldn't help myself when I shifted my gaze a few feet away from where I was previously looking. It was almost like the world was trying to torture me, leaving the bodies almost perfectly intact for me to see. Save for the small cuts on their throats, the bodies of my mother and father were in pristine condition.

Tears flowed down my eyes and I lost control of my invisibility spell, immediately alerting the surrounding Beasts and Demons to my position. A cold blade pressed against my throat from behind as a rough voice spoke out in rough Common. "You. State name and purpose. Me see you before..." I turned my furious gaze to the Demon behind me and yelled out as I raised my palms and flooded the air with Wind Magic, slicing the Demon's head off and slicing its body up pretty bad.

I was covered in purple blood with the entire army surrounding me in a tight circle, leaving no room for escape. I looked back down at the bodies of my parents and felt something inside of me snap. Something I had never felt before. Mana flooded my body and I released a deafening roar as I let the mana inside of me burst forward, incinerating those closest to me. A shimmering barrier of multiple colors revealed itself around the bodies of my parents, making me feel even more pissed off than before.

I was starving, not for food or anything of the sort, but for bloodshed and violence. I needed someway of venting my frustrations and pain, and this was the perfect excuse to do so. I felt my mind turn cold as the only thing that entered it was the desire to kill. I flashed in front of the closest Beast and plunged my fist through its pitiful heart, killing it much quicker than I should have.

A black aura surrounded my body as my breathing turned into labored gasps with each strike I threw. Shockwaves were produced from the sheer force of my punches while the ground splintered and cracked with each step I took. Time around me began to slow as my other senses dulled, leaving me with barely any semblance of touch or smell.

I didn't care. It was a price worth taking if it would help me kill every single one of these bastards here. My hand sliced through the skull of a Demon with ease, leaving its body to slump to the ground with a wet thud, making the other Demons behind it take a step back in fear. "Heh. I've always wondered if Demons could feel fear..." I muttered to myself as a crude and vicious smile made its way onto my face.

The Demons fell within mere seconds and I was on the move once more. My smile long faded away. There were too many Beasts and Demons to kill all at once with the pain in my body increasing with every breath, leaving them ample time to retreat into the forest. I slumped to my knees, gasping for breath while tears streamed down my eyes.

An empty feeling in my stomach began to grow and devour everything I had left until even my tears began to slowly rise from the ground and back into my eyes, almost like they had never left in the first place. With a pained scream, I slammed my fist onto the ground at my feet, shaking it and causing my black aura to expand outward.

Within second the dead bodies of those I had killed and those of the villagers began to rise as their wounds healed; their eyes pitch black and their faces devoid of any and all emotion. At first I was terrified, however, I quickly turned to see my parents standing behind me with worried expressions, albeit faint. My legs turned weaker than what they already were and I was forced to crawl over to them on my hands and knees, a hopeful smile on my dirty and bloody face.

"M-Mom...Dad...are you...truly alive...?" I asked as I neared them and firmly grasped their cold arms with tears constantly flowing from my eyes, only to go back in moments later. They glanced at each other with sad expressions before my father bent down and gently caressed my head. "Son. Please, you must never live your life trying to avenge our deaths. Live happily and forget about us...it's the only way you can be happy now that it's come to this..."

I tried to refute his words, but he gave me a stern look before continuing. "We don't have much time, and I'm sure you have questions, but let me make this clear. We will not tell you who killed us. We're afraid that if we do you will be hellbent on your own destruction. So please, live a meaningful life far away from the battlefields...get a wife...and...and make us proud, s-" Their bodies suddenly burst into a cloud of black ash along with all the others, leaving me feeling even more lost and empty than before.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!! Bring them back damnit!! I'm not done talking to you...come back!!!" I yelled over and over again, but no matter how hard I tried I knew it was hopeless. Everything and everyone I had ever cared for was gone, forever. There was nothing that I could do about it, and that alone made me frustrated since it filled me with a sense of hopelessness. "If only I was stronger...If only I was smarter and predicted this...or...or...If only..."

With every word I uttered my pain and loneliness grew tenfold. Clouds began to form overhead before rain filled the air. I felt my rage sharpening and growing until my mind became clear, and I was able to think clearly. I looked down into a small puddle and saw that my eyes had turned from a dark blue to a piercing silver, and my hair had turned a sickly-gray instead of black.

My pupils, however, were not that of a Human. They were white vertical slits, like that of a reptile's. I emit a low, feral hiss full of anger before screaming out at the top of my lungs. "I'LL KILL THE BASTARD THAT DID THIS!!! YOU HEAR ME? I SAID I'LL KILL YOU DAMNIT!!!!" Thunder boomed from above, but I could still hear a voice call out from behind me.

"Really now? I'd love to see you try, Novras..."