Bandit

Teyat quickly grasped his current situation, as if the throne he was sitting on, the sword he held, and the book beside him were all a part of him. Even the spirits bowing before him felt like an extension of himself.

Teyat addressed the man with onyx-colored eyes standing at the front.

"Identify yourself."

His voice was cold. The man with onyx eyes immediately requested permission to stand.

"With your permission, my lord."

Teyat nodded, and the man stood up.

"I have no name, and I do not know who I am, my lord. From the moment I was born from the darkness, I was not born as a baby but with this body. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had a mission and that I must wait for the right day. You created me and this place before you died, my lord."

"So, you've been waiting all these years for my return?"

A smile formed on the man's face.

"Yes, my lord."

Teyat leaned forward slightly from his throne and asked:

"Then what is this place, this book, and this sword beside me, and who are these spirits?"

"They are all yours, my lord. The throne you sit on, the sword you hold, and the book beside you are your most important sources of power. They are the legacy you left behind before you died. All this time, I've tasked spirits from the lineage of Darkness to carry out missions, reincarnating them, but none could fulfill their purpose and they fell into depravity. I've been safeguarding them in the 'Book of Darkness' for you and awaiting this day."

Teyat brought his hand, burning with red flames, to his chin, which was alight with black flames.

"I see, but—"

Suddenly, the man with the onyx eyes interrupted him with a smile.

"I apologize for interrupting, but we have no time left. My mission is reaching its final moments, and the soul you helped create is on the brink of destruction. We must begin the reincarnation process immediately."

Teyat was taken aback.

"But I have so many questions to ask you; I don't understand anything."

The man's voice rose suddenly.

"My lord, we don't have time. My soul is depleting; we must begin the reincarnation process at once. Please, come this way."

Not knowing what was happening, Teyat did as he was told.

•

Teyat rose from his throne and quickly descended the five steps.

His crown, sword, terrifying aura, and throne were all gone. The spirits that worshiped him vanished as well, and the dark flames burning fiercely on the ground were extinguished.

All that remained was the book that descended the steps with Teyat.

Even the white writing on the book's pages disappeared.

But the man with the onyx eyes was still the same.

His onyx-colored black hair and black eyes, as well as his red and black fabric, were still in place.

Suddenly, the man with the black eyes took Teyat's hand.

Teyat looked at him in surprise because he noticed his body was slowly becoming transparent.

In an instant, the dark realm began to merge into the book beside him.

It was as if the book was absorbing the dark realm into itself.

White lights burst forth from the dark realm.

As the dark realm disappeared into the book, it was replaced by a pure white space.

Teyat watched in astonishment.

The man with the black eyes was now almost entirely transparent and, before disappearing completely, he said one last thing to Teyat.

"Please stay strong, my lord. I have no regrets waiting for you all this time."

And then, the man who had been almost transparent was gone.

Teyat was left alone in the white space with the book.

A look of great surprise was on his face.

'Huh?'

As Teyat gazed around the white space in confusion, his consciousness suddenly faded.

For his soul left his body to take over another one in the world he was about to enter.

And because Teyat's soul was strong, it easily overpowered the soul of the body it was going to take over.

Teyat opened his eyes in the body he had entered.

As soon as he opened them, he found himself in a forest.

Right beside him, he saw people dressed in rags, tied together like slaves.

Men, women, children... They were all tied together and being quickly led somewhere.

Teyat looked at his hands in astonishment. Then he looked at the group of people being dragged away.

'Huh?'

Teyat looked down at his clothes.

He saw a garment wrapped in brown and black fabric.

Suddenly, someone ahead of him shouted.

"Hurry up, damn it! You're looking at yourself like it's the first time you've seen yourself.

Quickly, let's finish off these people!"

Teyat looked straight at the man with a surprised expression because the man was wearing the same clothes as him.

"O-okay..."