Prologue: LOST

Visions of a land engulfed by destruction haunted Eternus, who lied unconscious in a hut in the middle of the Hidden Beast Glades.

The horror sight of houses lit ablaze, corpses rotting in the streets, and bloodthirsty monsters tearing at the guts of anything alive strangled the little boy like a vicious serpent.

Those visions continued, leading to even more torment…

Twisting and turning, Eternus recalled memories that he would give anything to forget.

He saw Black ghouled figures tearing a couple apart and feeding on their innards.

"Mo..ther Fath.er!" weakly said Eternus through his hazy subconscious.

Another flashing vision appeared of the Boy's own shadowy figure stained with blood. Where Rotten hands reached out from the underground, pulling him down to the depths of Gehenna. As they did, he heard painful demonic cries screaming at him.

"YOU LET US DIE! Why are you alive? ~ You were weak!!~"

Breathing hard and sweating, Eternus grasped his chest but the agony only intensified further.

The whispering voices kept on repeating his name over and over, "Eternus… Eternus… Eternus"

And with a last jerk followed by a louder call "ETERNUS!" his eyes finally opened wide and he immediately sat upright gasping loudly.

As caught his breath as if he had run a marathon, he saw his Master Inura in front of him who had woken him up from that awful nightmare and the Mage Vankolv just standing behind him.

"So you've finally awakened!" Inura smiled mildly.

Vankolv also spoke from behind, "And had a nightmare no less…"

"The road of warriors such as us is a difficult one, so don't dwell on such tiny matters… Get up, We've got to go hunt for food. The sun is about to set." Inura tapped Eternus on the shoulder.

"Okay." He said with an empty expression careless of his condition. Eternus normalized his breathing and his wide-open eyes drooped into a careless gaze.

Vankolv's care for the Boy showed when he argued with Inura, "He's been unconscious for five days straight. It would be unwise to take him out for a hunt while he is still too weak."

The word weak struck like a needle in Eternus's head, he furrowed his brows and left the room slamming the door shut.

Inura simply smiled and left the room after giving Vankolv a little wink.

Inside the deep forest, while Inura looked for the perfect prey to hunt, Eternus followed him with still a blank expression as silent as a rock. Finally, Inura spotted a large deer with a maned neck, paws and distinct spots on its coat.

"Look over there, that is a rare Deerpard. They are extremely fast but very nutritious, we can go for days with it. But be careful, they are fast and deadly… Those paws hide razor-sharp claws inside." Inura cautioned to Eternus and continued while poking him with a bow. "Here, take this… You shoot the arrow and distract it and I will attack by surprise!"

Annoyed by the poking, Eternus just took the bow and threw it out of the bushes. The Deerpard noticed its falling thud and bared its fangs and 5-inch-long claws, looking directly at the bush where the two were hidden.

'This brat!'

Inura exclaimed inwardly and sighed while unsheathing his sword.

Eternus lifted his eyelids to watch the action.

"Hmph, Like you needed my help for that, Chief." He snorted bitterly.

The Deerpard leaped forward and attacked first but with only one slash to the throat, Inura killed it immediately with his Crimson Blade.

He looked at Eternus with a hint of anger in his eyes, "This hunt is a lesson for you…You must learn to fight and fulfill your destiny!" He lectured the Boy.

Eternus did not take this lecturing well and popped a blood vessel. He spat aside and bluntly asked, "Fight for what?"

Inura tried to explain, "Fight for yo-" but suddenly got distracted by a sense of danger. "Be alert, We're not alone…"

Eternus remained standing blatantly and careless.

Inura concentrated to take a measure of the situation, "One, Two, Three… No, there are Six of them… Goblins"

He exclaimed with a smile, "What a perfect opportunity!"

He grabbed Eternus by the collar and threw him in front of the bushes as a lure, "Come out and take him, you filthy beasts!" He called out to the Goblins. However, Eternus did not care in the slightest as if he didn't have any will to live...

Little green-skinned figures with worn clothing and long noses began appearing out of the thick trees, all of them holding wooden clubs as weapons, approached the dead Deerpard but Inura quickly repelled them with his deadly Red Aura.

Frightened, they backed off and moved to the next best option and slowly surrounded Eternus, growling and hungry with menacing eyes which would terrify any ten year old… Except Eternus who stared directly at them with no fear whatsoever.

"What are you up to, Inura?" He asked with a serious look on his face.

Inura removed a short sword from his belt and tossed it right in front of Eternus.

"Do you think I'm going to fight them? I don't care about living anymore. I won't fight." Eternus disagreed and showed disgust toward the Sword in front of him.

Inura got annoyed at his deadbeat behavior and told him in an annoyed tone, "And you're supposed to be the destined legend? I've had it with you, boy. If you don't show me something, I will let you die and be devoured by those creatures."

After seeing no response from Eternus, another idea lit up in his brain and he suddenly changed his tone from annoyed and angry,

"I took the duty to train you, Boy. Don't you think your parents might still be alive if you weren't so WEAK!"

It was that one word that lit a fire in his heart… "Weak…? Don't you think I know that?!?" Eternus slowly stood up and clenched the short sword. He continued, "I can never forget it… Those smiles, All that love, gone because of me… My weakness!"

As he slowly pulled the sword out of the ground a mysterious yellow energy surrounded him, his eyes began to glow and black sparks buzzed around him.

The Goblins hesitated and took a step back out of fear and confusion. However, one of them was foolish enough to attack and jumped towards Eternus but before it could even strike, Eternus grabbed it by the face and smashed it into the ground.

With a little grunt, he buried his sword into the creature's bony chest.

It took only one goblin to flip his switch and after that, Eternus slashed every single one of them one by one as ruthlessly as one can imagine; A knee into the second goblin's face, A punch into the third's ribs, A stab into the fourth's face and a neck-crushing strike to the fifth.

Inura smiled, showing his teeth in amusement at this massacre as Eternus slaughtered the witless lot.

Just as Eternus took a breath after he beheaded the sixth and the last goblin, something suddenly struck him from behind, causing him to crash into a nearby tree.

It was another Goblin but only much bigger and bulkier than normal.

Shocked at this unexpected guest, Inura screamed out to warn him, "Enough boy! That is a Hobgoblin, You cannot handle it… Stay down, I will kill it!"

Eternus, somewhat enjoying his killing frenzy, totally ignored his words and came out of the tree he just crashed into.

"All I want is freedom from this curse… Those haunting smiles and my own weakness." He said as he walked slowly toward the Giant monster.

Just as he said this, another memory flashed of his mother's blood-stained lips saying with a waning breath.

"Why … son?"

Following that resentful whisper, His father's dying scream echoed in his ears after that, "YOU COWARD!!!"

Those memories filled rage in his heart and energy as pure as sunlight yet at the same time corrupted emerged from his body, his eyes began to glow and he screamed!

"AAAAAAGHHHHH!! Why would they say that!? It doesn't make any sense!!"

He charged toward the witless taunting and growling monster.

The Hobgoblin swung its giant club down to squish Eternus but he dodged it and appeared right behind it. With one slash to the nape, the Hobgoblin fell to its knees, paralyzed. After that, Eternus nonchalantly drove his sword into its heart from behind, finally ending its life.

The whole scenario surprised Inura, his eyes were wide open in awe but at the same time, he bared the largest of smirks full of excitement!

"Splendid boy! Just Magnificent!" Inura clapped for the Boy, "I didn't know you had that much fire in you!!! Just wait till we're through, I'll make you the warrior you're destined to be!"

Eternus lost it once again and yelled angrily, "Destiny! Destiny! Destiny!… Why should I give a damn about Destiny.. huh!? Everyone I love is dead now because of me… I should've died along with them but I wasn't even worth that…" He spat to the ground, holding in tears that wanted out.

Inura tried to reason with Eternus, "Boy! Your Destin-" but Eternus interrupted him and yelled once again,

"Shut up!!" He threw the short sword toward Inura who easily dodges it by tilting his head slightly. The thrown sword buried its blade into the tree beside him.

"Hmph." Inura snorted in a condescending way as he looked at his own reflection in the blade stuck in the tree.

"Not a word…" Said Eternus ruthlessly and disappeared into the woods.

Inura nonchalantly grabbed the Deerpard he hunted and walks back toward the hut.

"He'll be back soon enough…" Inura predicted with a twisted smile.

Eternus sat on top of a hill where the breeze waved the tall grass and shook the branches of trees.

"It's just been five days… What happened to me? Why me?" He said and curled up into a human ball, "My parents loved me… Why did they say that to me in the end?"

He sat upright in discomfort and then lied down again on the ground. His gaze peered deep into the space of the endless sky.

"I used to be happy… I know I used to smile… I had friends… but now … How did it come to this?"

He looked at the evening moon and noticed that it was waning explicitly as if an eclipse had begun, the sight of it brought discomfort and disgust to Eternus's face as he said to himself.

"Vankolv said that the Sun and the Moon both eclipsed that day… When the Champion of Light was born Ten years ago… Tch, Champion of light?… What a joke!"

While peering into the moon and mocking himself as the Champion of Light, suddenly, His breath stagnated for some unknown reason. His eyes fixated on the completely eclipsed moon rendering him unable to move a muscle.

The only thing he could see was the white moon covered in darkness and the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat.

His state was incomprehensible even to himself.

'What is happening to me?!' Unable to speak, he exclaimed inwardly with anger.

[Just a few days ago…]

Early in the morning at a time when birds set out to hunt for food, a well-built house that was not too extravagant either echoed with the sound of a young Boy.

"FATHER!!!!"

It was Eternus, bearing a smile so vibrant that anyone who looked at him couldn't help but smile with him.

"Wake up! It's morning already… We have to train!!" He demanded to train with his father, having the energy of a baby goat.

His father slowly sat upright and mildly stretched, "Didn't you have sword training with Chief Inura today?" His father said in a tiresome tone.

Regardless of his excuses, Eternus had enough and pulled his father out of bed, "Mother is already in the Kitchen making breakfast…" He giggled with mischief.

Natum felt uneasy and embarrassed being pulled out of bed by his ten-year-old son. He shook off all the dopiness and stood up in front of Eternus.

"Okay fine… Let me go wash my face first, then we train!" He yawned.

In the yard, Wooden swords clashed. Eternus and his father, Natum, showed off different techniques to each other in training while Narcia, his mother cheered for them from the side.

Natum noticed that Eternus's blows grew faster and stronger by the minute.

"What fascinating talent!" He exclaimed with fascination and pride for his son.

Eternus acting all haughty spoke also pride while parrying his father's blows, "Hehhe, You better keep up with your training, father or you might fall behind."

"Cocky brat! As if I'd ever let that happen." Natum exclaimed involuntarily, feeling that blow to his ego, "They call me Natum the Lightning Bolt for a reason!"

"Uhm…" A soft voice grabbed his attention and from the corner of his eye, he saw his wife glaring at him.

"Alright Narcia, He's not cocky…" He took back his words, "But I wasn't lying about the other part."

Natum looked at Eternus and smiled.

He raised his sword high as if to strike a powerful blow. Eternus readied himself to parry it but just as he held his sword up to block, Natum cleverly swiped a kick to his legs, causing him to fall.

Now standing in front of him with his sword pointed toward Eternus, signifying his victory.

"Don't just rely on your blade... There are more ways to win a battle than just with the sword." He advised his son.

After the match concluded, Natum gave off a gentle smile and sat down with his son on the stairs.

"You will grow stronger than anybody else in this realm… It is your destiny, My son." He spoke in a fatherly tone with his hand placed on Eternus's head.

Not to make the mood too serious for the 10-year-old Boy, He continued, "But don't think you can beat me just now… Coc- Ahem... I mean Son"

Narcia giggled gracefully at Natum's little joke and so did everyone else.

His father lifted him up and swiped the dust off his clothes. As he did, the Boy's face showed a serious expression.

"I don't know about destiny… but I will get strong to protect you and Mother when you're both old!" Said Eternus with his voice utterly resolute.

Narcia came forward with a proud and happy face, kissing his son on the forehead. She smiled at her little happy family that couldn't be far from perfect and told her little boy with a finger to his nose,

"Alright Eternus, Breakfast is ready… Go wash up!"

"Yes, Mother!" Eternus rushed inside immediately.

"You know he pulled me out of bed today… He's getting stronger by the day." Natum boasted with pride after Eternus left to wash up.

Narcia giggled and replied, "He did grow up faster than others of his age, and he is much stronger for a Ten-year-old too. I wouldn't be surprised."

The happy couple then went inside to have breakfast soon after talking some more about their angelic little son, Eternus.

However, Just a little while after they had moved inside, Something fell out of the sky into the yard.

A Dead Raven.