3 The Demon's Wing

"Ugh... Where am I?" Riel found himself in a dark space blanketed by stars; he was unable to move at all. His body was in constant motion as the stars fluttered past him. He didn't know where he was going but he felt an odd sense of security as the stars swirled passed him as if he was in the embrace of the universe itself.

Looking onward he didn't feel the passage of time; he didn't know how long he had been drifting in space it felt like an eternity, but also only a few moments he truly couldn't tell the difference. As he gazed on at the darkness surrounding him it almost felt familiar but he just couldn't put his finger on how, he just knew that it felt good.

Unbeknownst to Riel as he stared at the darkness of space around him his gray eyes glowed with an eerie light as the small open circles below each of his pupils began to spin around his irises in a rapid fashion quietly absorbing the light from the stars surrounding him as well as the darkness of space.

He drifted like this for an unknown amount of time as he thought about his previous life and the hurt, he experienced. Being alone like this drifting through space for an undetermined amount of time caused him to think more and more about his previously life. He didn't want to experience betrayal like that again and the more he played back the scenes of how he lived before within his mind the more times he realized he should have noticed his family members true thoughts and also the way his girlfriend really felt about him.

The pain his ignorance brought him was agonizing, but the more he dwelt on it the more he realized that at the end of the day it was all a fault of his own, sure he couldn't make them love him but he also didn't have to be blind to the signs either. He decided for himself that he would do better in his next life not to repeat the same mistake.

He repeated this oath to himself as he traveled, and as time went on, he didn't even have to think of it anymore it became a part of him; an oath never to be deceived again and to see the world as it truly was with no glorification blocking the truth. He felt a great amount of relief too as the time passed, he felt that he could finally move on to his next life with nothing holding him back.

Almost answering that statement, a bright white light appeared in the distance and his body began to speed rapidly forward toward the light. The stars looked like nothing but streaks now as he glided past them.

Riel instantly appeared before the light, it was a large circle floating in space among the stars and the moment he appeared before it he was sucked in by the light and afterword's it slowly disappeared.

After the light finally disappeared the white-haired young man once again appeared within the surrounding space. "He's finally taken the steps needed to move forward in his life he's finally ready. Sigh... I'm glad you've finally returned old friend." He muttered to himself as he too, quietly vanished.

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The Nightray Empire was silent on this particular evening as if the entire country was holding its breath. The clouds in the sky were rather dark, a deep contrast to the red sky as the sun was just about to call the moon forward to complete its cycle. The tension in the air was rather high within the empire for one simple reason, the 5th child of Emperor Nightray was about to be born.

The Capital of the empire, Edelon was restless; as for the Emperor and everyone in the empire the birth of a new prince or princess was a great affair filled with many implications for the Nightray Empire but also the neighboring Empires within the Black Dragon continent. Everyone wanted to gain an edge on each other and one new piece meant one more obstacle in the game for complete control over the continent.

Within the Imperial palace, "Push and breath Empress! it's almost there just a little more and the child will be out!" The mid-wife exclaimed with excitement.

Yes, Darling push and let's welcome our child home! the emperor said with a smile wide enough to show exactly how he felt in this moment. even though he already had received 4 other children into the world nothing could damper this moment for him he felt ecstatic.

The Emperor looked on at his wife smiling in silence as she tried with all her might to bring the child home.

"Nghhh!!!" She screamed clenching her jaw with all her might as she gave her final push. With all her efforts the moment arrived and the child finally made its debut to the world. Outside of the palace however, the sky was changing.

The sun that was just about to set suddenly rocketed back into the sky and gave off a light brighter than it ever had before, like a dying star giving its final glorious radiance. The light coming off the sun was so bright that even the clouds and the redness of the sky couldn't be seen. At the height of this shocking light just as quickly as it came it vanished, and what replaced it was complete darkness that covered the entire continent as if the sun exploded. The darkness was so pure that people outside of their homes felt like they had gone blind instantly. People across the Black Dragon continent saw this phenomenon and were completely baffled by it.

"What's happening is the world ending!?" some people exclaimed and across the continent panic was beginning to spread. Within the Nightray empire chaos in the streets began to ensue. City guards despite their fear of the phenomenon were sent out to pacify the citizens but it almost wasn't enough.

Similar situations played out across the Black Dragon continent as well, and the general consensus was that whatever was going on above the sky would be catastrophic. The truly strong on the continent however, had a different view point.

...

To the north of the Nightray Empire Across the vast Teria Forest lay another empire called Brightflame, and within the Imperial palace in a large cave located at its very core sat a very withered old man that looked as if even the smallest touch would cause him to turn to dust. He was in deep meditation but when the sky started changing drastically his withered eyes final opened. His eyes looked like to two miniature suns blazing in full radiance. The man looked up toward the top of the cave as if even those dark walls couldn't block his senses.

"A phenomenon this large is unheard of; and since it seems to cover the entire continent who... or whatever this is will change everything; Friend or foe we must be prepared."

To the far east of the Brightflame Empire lay another empire of equal strength known as Flood Dragon. The emperor seeing the phenomenon thought in a similar fashion to the withered old man in Brightflame and quickly rushed to consult his ancestor.

He rushed to a secret chamber standing in front of a jade green door he prepared to knock despite his fear but before he could a tired voice sounded from within the chamber.

"I know whats happening... a child has been born somewhere and its potential has no limit. if it is an enemy, we need to destroy it before it can deal with the rest of us. I'm sure the other old monsters have similar thoughts we have to tread carefully here." The old man sighed from within his chamber. In the BloodFiend Empire to the south and even in the strongest of the empires Regalia similar situations were taking place.

...

Nightray empire. Imperial palace. empress chambers.

"Wraaah!" The child gave its first cry after exiting its mother's womb. "Empress it seems this is the 2nd prince!" The midwife exclaimed. Right after she said that something unexpected happened. The boy's forehead started glowing with a piercing light and then it instantly wrapped around his tiny body. "This!?..." The king seeing this was very alarmed.

The empress also was shocked. "Quickly give me my son!" The mid-wife complied almost fumbling the child in her shock. Once her child was safely in her arms, she inspected him very carefully; this glow was not something she had ever seen before so it caused her to panic.

The emperor was much calmer as he looked at his newborn son. Even so he decided to not take any chances. "Open." He said in a calm voice and his piercing black eyes transformed into a deep purple and his pupil also mutated to a diamond shape.

The Nightray royal family was known for their special eyes which have several different abilities the emperor himself was no exception. Something each member of the clan shared however was the ability to see the myriad of energies that traveled in the air as well as the energy within a person's body. Using his eyes to gaze at his son and more specifically the glow coming off his body he determined that the light although shocking wasn't harming his son.

"Dear, don't worry he will be fine." He smiled toward his wife. He still refused to relax though and kept his eyes trained on his son for any new developments. He was right to do so because the glow slowly started to contract to the child's chest until a ball of piercing light hovered above it.

That however wasn't the end of it, As the ball of light hovered above him the room began to darken until almost nothing could be seen with the exception of the ball of light that sat motionlessly above the child's chest. Suddenly an aura of pure darkness enveloped him to the point where his features could no longer be made out. It was almost as if he was in a cocoon made of darkness.

"What!?! Klein do something he could be in danger!" The empress yelled toward her husband who stood there in shock. The emperor was starting to panic as well so he walked toward his wife and reached out toward their son but before he could do anything an old yet firm suddenly gripped his shoulder.

"Don't be rash child let it happen the boy is not in danger." The old man said in a calm voice. The husband and wife pair who were panicking at first began to calm down after hearing his words but they still couldn't ease their worry

"Okay... if you say so father." The emperor said not at all surprised to see him appearing silently within the room. the old man firmed his grip on the emperor's shoulder to further comfort his son trying the reassure him in his panicked state as he gazed at the child covered in darkness.

The darkness lingered on the boy's body for a few more seconds before finally doing the same as the light, now the child had two condensed balls of energy above his chest. slowly they started orbiting around his entire body 9 times before finally settling on his forehead were, they slowly started sinking into his skull.

Bzzt... bzzt...

a small sound that resembled the flow of electricity erupted from within the child's body; it no longer glowed but once the two orbs sank into his head all the veins in his little body began to flow and intertwine with the light and darkness for a split second and just as quickly as it came it vanished. Silence but also tension filled the room. The mid-wives surrounding the empress dared not speak in this moment for fear of the emperor killing them on the spot for interrupting.

After not moving for some time the child slowly opened its eyes and, in that instant, a rainbow-colored light came from inside them almost looking like a small aurora. Then that to once more sank back into his small eyes. Everyone watched on silently, this child's body was giving off so many displays that by now they were all numb to it. It wasn't until the boy started moving again did the phenomenon cease.

"ahh... finally he's safe." The empress sighed in relief. The emperor was also smiling they were both very glad to see their son safe. The old man was happy to but after looking into the infant's eyes he frowned very deeply.

"Klein he isn't out of the woods yet look at his eyes." He said with a grave expression. The emperor's joy was instantly cut short as he looked into his son's eyes. they were a crystal-clear gray with diamond-shaped pupils so dark they seemed to trap all light that entered never to return and in his irises two small open circles were spinning slowly in a hypnotic fashion.

"Wait! this can't be father why are his eyes already activated?! he is too young our clan's physique is strong, but he won't survive this if it continues a mere child can't take this strain." He said almost losing control. "Relax Klein, that's not biggest of our problems you were to focused on his birth earlier that you didn't see what was going on outside; you didn't notice the problem he caused. The boy caused a natural phenomenon that I'm sure nearly covered the entire continent luckily it did, or every single empire would be here right now to take his head."

Both parents were horrified to hear this claim. If every empire were to attack at once the Nightray royal clan would be vanquished completely.

The old man sighed. "There is nothing we can do about that; I however, must seal him his power is far too great for his little body to handle." After saying this the old man raised his palm and made a grasping motion; and within his hand a single earring appeared.

It was obsidian colored, and it was shaped in the form of a bird's wing with 4 main feathers and at the shoulder of the wing was a pearl that was as dark as the void itself all of it was held together by a 1-inch long chain. The old man stared at the earring for a moment before walking toward the child to attach it for him. Before he did so however he looked at the Empress then back at the mid-wives.

His eyes turned a deep blue and 3 lines formed in the shape of a triangle appeared around his diamond-shaped pupils. "You will forget everything you have seen here today; except this, the 2nd prince was born blind. Now leave at once." he ordered in a calm voice.

The mid-wives said nothing as their eyes lost all luster. they nodded silently and made haste to leave the room.

Before he spoke any further, he put a small barrier in the room to make sure no one else could hear or sense a thing. there was already one that surrounded the empress chamber that had a similar function but he wanted be completely safe. "Listen carefully the both of you this earring is called the Demon's wing, and it isn't ordinary, this is a relic from the first ancestor of our Nightray clan; he hoped that one day we would be able to use it, but ever since he obtained this all those millennia ago not a single member of our clan has been worthy; that is until now." He paused for a moment but continued.

"This earring is a seal for our clan members given to us by a benefactor of our first ancestor, its meant as a form of protection as well as guidance for anyone in our clan that could awaken the eyes before the age of 5, I just never thought there would be anyone who could." He said in a solemn voice.

"There is a catch, however..." He said sounding a bit sad. "Once I attach the earring to him, he will be blinded until he is strong enough to remove at least one of the feathers and his power is further sealed with each feather that still remains attached to the pearl. as to what level his power needs to reach to completely unseal the power in his eyes, I do not know. So, he could remain like this for a very long time. To protect him and our clan however we have no choice."

Both parents were shocked at this revelation. The empress had a worried expression. "He will have a hard life being blind in a clan like this. and we can't even tell anyone why?" she said, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"No dear we can't afford it, not since he caused such a phenomenon, all of the empires know the nature of our clans' power; if they were to know he had his eyes since birth they would kill him out of fear even if they couldn't be sure he caused it. We have to do this..." He was saddened by the life his son would be forced to lead because of this decision but they had no choice. After he said this he nodded toward his father with a very solemn expression.

With everything out in the open the empress looked heart broken and her tears began to fall but even so she nodded toward her father-in-law as well. "I'm sorry my child it will be hard for you..."

The old man was sad as well but he did not hesitate, he clipped the earring on the child's ear and a small amount of blood leaked from the hole that the piercing created. The blood however, was instantly sucked into the earring itself and in that moment a golden light appeared around the child's eyelids shutting them as his electrifying gray eyes slowly turned black as his eyes finally shut.

All of them were silent for a moment and the empress had her head down weeping silently to herself. Seeing his wife in shambles the emperor was sad but there was nothing he could do to comfort her. After a while she finally regained her composure. "Riel..." she said in a sad but hopeful tone.

"His name will be Riel Nightray." The emperor was happy to see his wife recover at least a little bit.

"It's a fine name you chose darling, Riel it is."