1 Prologue - Derek

CW: Violence, Gore, brainwashing, cosmic horror, death

Year 914 after the last ascension

I started infusing mana into the crystal of my sword once again. The metal that made up the blade started glowing, while it was a very simple and easy usage of the crystal, I was very exhausted from the fights before. Fresh wounds covering especially my arms, with blood slowly dripping downwards. Not at a point that was concerning, but noticeable nonetheless.

„Captain, your orders?" Grimley, a young bloke, and very skilled for his age was the youngest of my unit.

Now we were standing in a hallway, with ceilings so high, that it reminded me more of the cathedral in the kingdom then an underground storage facility.

At the end of this hallway was an imposing figure in the same armor as the two other we faced before, the same armor as the ones who killed 6 of my unit tonight.

„Prepare for combat." I said with certainty, but the small tremor in my hand surely reminded me that six against this Warden was barely an equal fight, even if we were some of the strongest combatants in the kingdom.

The statue like being stood with their Greatsword, almost as big as them, in front of a huge door. Their sword looking like a cross in front of them.

And then they spoke.

„Trespassers, surrender now and your life's will be spared. Only death awaits, if you choose to continue. I speak with the authority of the Emperor and can guarantee your survival." a strong, bellowing and feminine voice rang out from the person under the platinum coloured helmet, which top almost made it look like as if it was a crown, while still obscuring the face.

I thought about the offer for a second, but there was too much to gain from winning. And even if we died, the crown would take care of our families, however that offer only stood aslong as we died or returned home with the artifact. Either we die here or in a dungeon while our families starve. Wardens always keep their promises, so i know that we would live, but who knows in what way.

„No can do", I replied, „but you could just let us past you and we would all live."

„Then I shall take vengeance for my siblings in arms that you have killed. Remember my name when you meet your gods. I am Warden Glacier, protector of the Dalyion Empire, Servant of his majesty, Erlio the third. And you will perish at my hands.", as she said those last words the corridor around her froze and a circle of atleast 20 floating icecicles started manifesting behind her, her breath being visible and the door behind her being frozen completely. She rose her sword up and took a combat stance.

„Into position, NOW!" i yelled to my remaining 6 team members. Trike instantly activated his calming Mana-Art. Pure rage and bloodlust would not help against an enemy such as this. Her subordinates already took out half of us, who knows what she can do. I started 'enhancing' my whole body, but especially my vision, legs and arms. I needed to be quick. Glacier moved forward, slow but steady. The corridor freezing around her as she moves. The rest of my team, my friends, were standing around me. Tilly spoke and broke the almost silent corridor, only the sound of the wardens armor echoing through it. „Thanks for everything friends", an armor and club made out of the concrete around her formed around her, she took my left flank, „let's get-"

Her sentence was interrupted. An icicle had replaced what was the left side of Tilly's face, she collapsed, I didn't even register what and how, i suddenly felt colder. I raised my sword up, the Light-crystal in it enhancing it. It was as if she had teleported, if my sword and I weren't enhanced, at that moment I knew my body would have been split in two. „One" the warden said quietly, almost as if whispering too herself. I felt myself getting pushed into the ground until I saw a beam of light gracing the Warden. She created a small ice spike between us to catapult herself away. She seemed to mainly fight through 'expulsion' of ice and enhancement. I haven't seen a crystal so I am guessing that she got Ice-corrupted Mana. An-. My analysis got cut short an icecicle flew towards my face, reaction wasn't fast enough to dodge completely. I felt my face freeze around the area where it hit, it hurt like hell. The now bloody ice got stuck in the wall behind me. My comrades launched attacks of their own. Beams of light flew around me, homing in on the warden. It was always pretty to see Grimlys magic. However she dodged most of them and those that didn't seemingly bounced off… no, they got reflected. „Trike! Mist! Now!" i yelled. Trike nodded and a smokelike cloud of dark blue, with what seemed to be little lights, almost like a night sky appeared around Glacier. Grimly stopped with the beams. With Tilly killed in action I was the only melee fighter left. The siblings Pedra and Lajirl patiently waiting for a chance to activate their Mana-Arts. This was our plan, but with Tilly gone, i don't know if can keep Glacier from attacking those behind me. We just needed one good hit with our combo and we would win. For a moment it was silent… and then the sound of metal hitting the ground could be heard, while the smoke obscured our vision, as far as i knew she couldn't see us aswell. I looked at Trike and he shrugged. She should be asleep, emphasis on should. I held my hands to signal to hold. I looked around me, I didn't hear her moving, but then… the freezing of the walls continued forward. „Mist down!" i yelled and Trike instantly disspelled it. The second it was gone three icecicles launched out of it. With my eyes I could only see one going towards Pedra which she managed to dodge. But the other two went to… thud something hitting the floor I looked over to the others and Lajirl was on their knees, with two arrows of ice sticking through their chest and stomach. They fell to the side, the blood running out of their body, freezing. „NO!" Pedra yelled, 'manifested' her Water spear and ran towards the warden. „Pedra, NO!" I screamed, but my words didn't reach her. „Two." the Warden whispered once again. The weapon made out pure water was slightly longer then the Wardens Greatsword, which looked very unhandy but somehow worked. The warden didn't even bother blocking and moved forward. The moment the tip seemed to hit Glacier the tip froze and fell to the ground. A small mirror of ice appearing at the same positions where it would hit, that was also how she blocked Grimlys Light! An icecicle launched at a moment where the warden swung her greatsword and Pedra had to jump back. It hit her leg and she stumbled. „Help her! Now!" I yelled my orders and rushed towards her. Beams of light charging towards our enemy, but before I and they could arrive a wall of ice suddenly appeared in front of us. While too slow to hit us, it blocked us off. We could see through it though and Pedra now kneeling similarly to her now deceased sibling looked up at the imposing warden, who towers over her. I 'enhanced' my hearing more since it almost blocked all sound. And I didn't expect to hear what was said. I tried breaking through the wall but I needed a bit more time. Just a short moment more. „Three." The Wardens greatsword falling downwards to split Pedra in two. In that moment Pedra said „I'm sorry". The Warden seemingly slowing the fall down just for a second but in that second Pedra managed to manifest a shortspear and… blood. Just for a second i could see blood coming from the Wardens Armor, the spear seemed to have pierced whatever shield she has. The greatsword cleaved Pedra in two, her upper body slowly falling to each sides. Gore and viscera spilling everywhere. It was, disgusting, I felt like throwing up right at that very moment. I could never get used to this amount of brutality, even if I had done my fair share of it. I threw my sword to the side and only used my mana to enhance my body. I was always the better fistfighter then swordsman and this would be more useful then my sword. I tried averting my eyes away from the remnants of Pedra, but they kept wandering there. I punched the wall, harder and harder, the only thing keeping me sane being Trikes calming technique. I gave a quick handsign towards Grimly who also was shocked by the body behind the ice. Grimly got out of it, saw the handsign and nodded. The wall shattered, not the section I kept beating but the whole wall. The Warden behind it looking towards Pedra and holding one hand to where she had been hit. When the wall shattered her eyes were then on me, she held her sword and swung it, I managed to jump on it while she swung it and- „Four and Five" The moment my enhanced fists met the armor I noticed that all the icecicles behind her were gone. I knocked her a step back and suddenly the room was consumed by a flash of light. When I could see again, the Warden was on the ground with small holes all over her body and armor. A bloodpool beneath her collecting. „Trike, Grimly?" I yelled and looked back, I got no response and I saw both them being pinned by multiple icecicles to the wall. I fell to my knees and felt tears running down my cheeks. How was I the only one? Why, why was it me? It was my time to die, not them. Not… my friends and for what? For a king that doesn't care? I looked at the warden. And she coughed up blood. And then she spoke, quietly: „It seems I have failed haha, I hope my God and Siblings can forgive me." she moved her head slowly towards me blood still gushing, „You aren't here as of your free will, are you? Don't continue, you will only find death alone. I won't apologize for fulfilling my duty, but i am sorry for this having to have happened. Will you tell me the names of the ones that have defeated me?" I stood up, walked next to her and knelt down again, I knew she wasn't a bad person, i knew that we were dead anyways, but it still hurt so much. „Tillya Korlest, the Shield of the Earth. Lajirl and Pedra Vorkhul, the Bow and Spear of Vorkhul. Trike Beverin, the Soother and Grimly Shortheln, the Beacon of Anderley. They were all convicts chosen for this mission, to gain freedom or atleast knowing that their family will be taken care of. But they were still some of the best people i ever knew." I sobbed, just for a short moment but I felt it stuck in my throat. „I see, and you are?" the warden asked, her voice getting weaker. „Derek. Derek Jahl, the Traitor of Light." „Oh, I have heard of you, thank you Derek. Don't go through the door, only death awaits I-" she coughed up more blood, „I think I will go ahead, you take your time. Please if you could my sword?" I didn't say a word, simply lay her sword upon her chest. I didn't need to say a word. Death awaits me anyways, I had to do this. I stood up and the Warden closed her eyes, for the last time. „It's been a while since I felt the cold, yet now it is the only thing I feel." Only a moment later I could not see her breathing anymore. Some of the tears froze on my face, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be done. I moved towards the door, the ice upon it melted away by now. I felt the cut upon my cheek, still I moved ahead. All my Mana was gone by now, if reinforcements came I was done for. And so I opened the door.

Before me was a path. A path of Grass, underground. It was only wide enough so that three people could walk next to eachother. To both sides of the path was a huge abyss, where huge crystals grew out of it and the walls around it. I looked towards the roof and there were… clouds? And stars and a whole sky. How? How is this possible? My eyes moved towards to where the path leads. A big crystalline altar with pure darkness behind stood there with what seemed to be a book upon it. I took one step an- „FrUeWEZfidwodfjfEugidIeghuejwqafoguekwkwrjgidwifjgkepqfE" what felt like thousand voices spoke in my head and I screamed. It hurts… it hurts so much. I couldn't think I could just… another and another. The closer I came the louder the voices were, but they seemed to clear up. And instead of a thousand it was only a hundred, then 10 and then one. „Be. One. Be. One. Be. One. With. I. Know. Truth. We. Truth" I saw the book now more detailed but it was nothing special, simply one old tome. While the path was green, the platform upon which the altar stood was what looked like basalt or obsidian. And then I stepped on it.

I had no idea what was going on, my friends were dead and now I am in this stupid cathedral. The moment I stepped on it I stopped being able to see. I could not see anything. The voice has also stopped and weirdly my sword was at my side. I hadn't picked it up but yet here it was. And it started glowing and warmer. And warmer and then… it burned my hand and I let go. I felt burns on my hand and it was the worst pain after the headache i had ever felt. The sword on the ground started to melt and the molten metal dripped down, it fell and fell and fell until I couldn't see the light it gave off and it was dark again. The pain pulsing in my hand was still there and I could swear there was a mark on it. Lights to the right and left of me suddenly turned alight and a path towards the same altar I had been to was now before me. What the fuck was going on? I had no other choice then to move towards it, the pain numbing down the further I got. „I have waited." the voice rang again in my hand „Do you want truth?" it asked but I didn't answer. „Do you want truth?" it asked again. Did I? „You want truth." I think… I do. „We want truth." Yeah we did. But wasn't it a shame that even though we both wanted the same, we weren't one. „We are I, do you wish to be we?" What? What the fuck is it talking about. I now reached the altar and stood before it. It seemed so… normal. But I wanted to know. I wanted the truth. I stopped crying, the pain was gone and I wanted to be we. „We can be one, we can be I, and I will know truth. You will be I and I will be we. We will know and I will know. Join?" What did it mean to join? I was scared, what did it want? „You become we, we become I, I will know truth. You want to be I?"I… think I do. I do. „Give up I so you can be We." I have to give up me? „You will be I." No, I will be something greater. I will know the truth. I will know my truth. „You will be we, we will be I and I will know truth." Yes, yes I will be You. I touched the book and I was we and we was I.