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Chapter ¹ - ?

Losing someone close to you is one of the most painful experiences one can ever have. Losing an entire family, especially when you are a child, is an indescribable kind of pain.

Ivar, a friendly and innocent boy, was always on the lookout for adventure. He enjoyed listening to his father's stories about his heroic adventures, and he looked up to him immensely. Ivar's relationship with his family was very strong, and he was a happy and lively boy who loved spending time with his loved ones. He would often play with the other children in the village, engaging in mock combat with a wooden sword and shield, just like his father, who was a great Viking warrior.

The village was peaceful and everything seemed perfect until one day when a group of Vikings invaded their village. These Vikings were led by a bloodthirsty man who wanted to wipe out the entire village. Ivar watched in horror as his father, known throughout the world for his bravery, fought alongside the other men in the village. His father battled tirelessly, but in the end, he was killed by multiple arrows.

Unfortunately, the bloodshed did not end there. After his father's death, the Viking invaders continued to wipe out the rest of the village, leaving Ivar and his family as the only survivors. But their survival was short-lived, as they were eventually caught and killed by the invaders.

Ivar, who managed to escape the massacre, was left with a burning desire for vengeance. He vowed to avenge his father and his family, as well as the entire village, by any means necessary.

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I've carried that pain my whole life, burdened by the guilt of blood on my hands. Consumed by vengeance, I became known across the world as 'Ivar the Berserker,' a ruthless killer without remorse.

It wasn't just my village that I lost. Along my path of revenge, I encountered people who mattered—friends, family, entire communities. And then there was the love of my life, the woman who should have been the mother of my children.

"Damn it!" I cursed, my fist colliding with the cold metal wall. I didn't feel the pain, only a burning anger and a heaviness in my chest.

Losing everything, especially the woman I loved and the child we could have had, filled me with self-loathing and disgust for the weak version of myself that remained.

Now, with this forced new life, I resent the gods who granted me another chance. All I yearn for is to hold my loved ones once more, to be with them, even if just for a fleeting moment.

*Swoosh.*

Erik turned towards the entrance of my cell block, where a man with a grave expression stood accompanied by five guards, armed and prepared for anything.

"Thelonious, how have you been?" Erik approached Thelonious, prompting the guards to advance.

"I'm fine. I came here personally as it's time for your execution, Erik," Thelonious said, though hesitation and pain flickered in his eyes.

Erik simply nodded, offering a small smile as the guards moved in to restrain him. Suddenly, Erik swiftly seized one of the men and forcefully collided him into another's head. Dodging the attacks of the remaining guards, Erik wrested a baton from one of them, striking him down with it. With a swift maneuver, Erik lifted one of the last two guards and brought him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

*Pow.*

Erik felt a twinge of pain in his back but disregarded it as he rendered the last guard unconscious with a punch.

"Erik, that... was too much," Thelonious remarked, surveying the five guards now incapacitated on the ground.

"Not really. I held back a lot," Erik replied plainly as he exited his cell block, with Thelonious trailing behind.

"Raven is waiting for you at the dropship. I'll create a distraction to buy you some time," Thelonious offered as he prepared to depart.

"Thank you, Thelonious. I hope our paths cross again," Erik said as he darted in the opposite direction of Thelonious's retreat.

"I hope they do."

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