Volume 22 The Light

A man and a woman arm in arm were exploring the depths of the sea, their love was pure and true. The woman holding onto the man's face said, "I love you Miguel." After sharing a passionate kiss the man replied, "With my heart and soul I love you Mary."

The woman was Ji Lie and Zetia's mother, it was indeed true she was the goddess of beauty, every feature on her was perfect. Miguel was the god of water, the seas and oceans all fell to his glory.

When the war broke, Miguel was assigned to lead the troops into glory and claim victory to the heavenly realm. Before his departure Mary stood at the gates and bid farewell to her lover, "Come back to us…I am with child Miguel."

Miguel gave Mary the ring passed on to the brides of his family, "I will return to the both of you…wait for me my love."

One day as Cyrus was patrolling the lands, he saw a beautiful maiden hanging clothes outside a small cottage. He asked one of his man, "Who is this maiden?"

The man called a woman who was familiar in that place for information, "My Prince, she is the goddess of beauty…her fiancé is General Miguel." Cyrus smiled as he kept starring a her, "Call her to the palace."

When Mary arrived at the palace she was dressed in expensive robes, she bowed her head in the presence of a royal. Cyrus offered her the finest grape wine, "My apologies for declining the wine, I am with child."

Cyrus offered Mary a room to stay in the palace, she was treated like a royal. Miguel sent Mary letters and she would reply to her lover. A year passed, Mary gave birth to a girl child and named her Zetia…she was the goddess of water.

The more they interacted the more Mary gave in to the love of Cyrus, he cherished her daughter and provided to all her needs despite knowing she was engaged. The head of maids visited Mary late at night, "Mary, open your eyes and use your head…Miguel might never return from the war…will you be able to raise your daughter alone. This is your last chance to use your head and seize the opportunity."

After Cyrus had returned from the battlefield, he was welcomed with Mary late at night.

Mary tainted herself when she slept with Cyrus, in the temple they finally got married and their marriage was blessed with the king. When Miguel heard the news, he returned to the heavenly realm to see if it was true.

Upon seeing her lover in royal robes with a crown over her head Miguel's knees felt weak and he fell on the ground. Mary dismissed the guards to have a private word with him, she said, "I know I betrayed our love…I waited Miguel but you never came."

"I am back now Mary, look at me. I will forgive you for the sake of our…" "I no longer feel the same." Mary with tears dropping out of her eyes interfered.

"Did he force you into this? We can run away with our child…Mary I love you and even till now my love hasn't lessened." Miguel held Mary's hands as he tried to convince he to run away with him.

Breaking free from his hands she replied, "I lost the child Miguel…you and I have no bonds to tie us together but with Prince Cyrus our own child is growing in my womb. You have to move on Miguel for our love ended…I don't expect you to forgive but please move on."

Miguel collapsed on the ground when Mary walked away from him, his whole world had shattered.

When Miguel reached the court with his case the matter was dismissed, he was thrown in jail for defaming the royals. All his witnesses were bought by Cyrus to testify against him, Mary sneaked him out of prison, "Miguel, you have to give up."

Those were the last words Mary said to Miguel, cooped in a cottage deep in the woods Miguel forged a sword. With each strike to the metal he poured out his loneliness and misery, he vowed to win Mary back by killing Cyrus.

When the sword was complete he decreed a duo with Cyrus over Mary, other gods laughed at him for he was no match for the Prince. Standing before a raged clothed Miguel, "What if you lose?"

Miguel clenching his sword replied, "I will never set foot in this realm." Cyrus drawing out his sword with a smile replied, "Very well then…" Miguel had bitten more than he could chew.

Cyrus showed him no mercy, with a grin on his face Cyrus said, "Never set foot here again, how can a weakling like you claim what is mine." Cyrus kicked him so hard on the face that he lost consciousness.

The guards dragged him out of the realm and threw him in the ocean, hoping to finally end his miserable life a mysterious helped him out of the water. When Miguel opened his eyes he saw a dark figure standing before him.

"I can lend you power if you offer me souls to feed on, my brothers need bodies to roam this world and escape the flames of hell…" "I have nothing left to fight for…excuse me and let me die in peace." Miguel crawled towards the sea.

"What about your child? She is alive…" "I have a daughter! But Mary said she lost the child…are you lying to me." Miguel crawled towards the dark form.

The dark form was absorbed into his sword, when Miguel touched the sword he felt the power flowing inside him. His eyes changed black, the wounds on his body immediately healed.

King Theon sensed the presence of greater evil, when he stepped out of his room half the guards were already converted to evil beings. The guards caused chaos as they killed and ate the flesh of people.

"Do you still have guts to keep what is mine? Give me back my Mary!" Miguel's eyes were pitch black, his soul was already tainted with evil. King Theon standing before him asked, "What have you done?" "Once I have your power…I will have my wife back."

King Theon held back his son from interfering from the battle, "I still have my dignity, a real man faces his demons head on till his last breathe."

Miguel and Theon's fight escalated out of control, during the fight it was clear Miguel had the upper hand. Theon with his lightning power summoned the rains, he made a grave mistake to fight with a water god in the midst of rain.

With severe bruises on his body Theon said, "Evil only unleashes chaos…"

Miguel separated Theon's head from his body, he replied, "You unleashed hell when your son took my wife and child."

Cyrus was held by the guards from intervening, he stood in tears as his father was killed. Miguel saw Mary standing on the doorway, he dragged his sword as he walked towards her.

He touched her cheeks and said, "Mary…I love you…please my love…" "Mama, I am scared…" a shivering girl was standing behind her, she was a spitting image of her father. Miguel looking on the blood on his hands, moved backwards…. he tried to wipe the blood, but it couldn't come off.

Mary hugged the little girl and whispered, "It is going to be alright…The monster will not hurt you…" "Stay away from my family you monster…" Cyrus clenched his fists as he drew his sword.

"Monster…I am not a monster! I am…not…!" Miguel caught a glimpse of his appearance on a pool of water before him. He saw how scared his child and Mary were of him, he laughed before he suddenly rode his sword away.

Miguel arrived at the ocean, tears of blood came out of his eyes, "I am not a monster…" He swam deeper in the ocean, the sight of the Fugia flowers mesmerised his eyes. Miguel smiled before he cut his own throat with the sword, he bled to death.

"My father just wanted his lover back…she drove him to take his own life. It seems this sword is our companion…you wanted to set this world free…I wanted this world to show me love." Ji Lie saw the wrath corpse of his father behind the throne.

Zetia looking back at Cyrus said, "Feed my little puppet!" He rushed towards Ji Lie with the sole aim to kill, with the amount he fed on he was even more powerful. "A father killing his own son…how amusing."

Cyrus was fast and quite skilful, his martial and swordsman skills were on a higher level. Ji Lie used the hundred sword formation to paralyze his father. He released the demons from his father's body, the demons were sucked in Zetia's sword.

Ji Lie used the lightning formation to weaken Zetia's sword but the force wasn't strong enough. "At this rate, do you think you can stop me!" Zetia using blood on the battle field created a sword storm, as Ji Lie fought the storm he got serious hurt.

Zetia drew out the hundred sword formation from the dark sword combined with blood, Ji Lie played a tune from his zither and broke the sword…one after the other they fell on the ground. Zetia knew she was fucked up, the sword became heavier and heavier.

Zetia looking at the battlefield said, "I already knew I was the misfortune…but despite knowing all their sins I wanted my mother's love. She chose death to save your life…just like my father she left me all alone. They all chose you over me!"

Zetia's tears were blood, "Why did they neglect me? Wasn't I enough?! With all this power…I still haven't found what I am looking for…instead of love and happiness…I got darkness and hatred." One by one the wrath corpses fell on the ground…Zetia was drawing the dark energy in them. Zetia was unstable, she kept drawing the power…Ji Lie knew there was one option left to finish the battle.

Ji Lie looked at his son who was holding the corpse of Takato weeping on the ground, Hwan was painting from exhaustion from the countless fights with the wrath corpses.

Ji Lie with a smile on his face replied, "I found my purpose…even till now I have no regrets." He looked at the ring on his hand, "This is my last act of love Hwan, I know this will hurt you deeply but with time please forget me and move on."

Ji Lie stabbed himself with the dark sword, Zetia with a grin on her face said, "I am a legend who…" "As the god of light release, I sacrifice my soul to cleanse the darkness that has stained this world. With my soul let the light that has been lost once again shine on this world…set the spirits free!" His eyes glowed white…the dark clouds were cleared as the sun shun over the darkness.

Zetia tried to break free but Ji Lie held her hand, the sword broke into shards…Ji Lie ripped out Zetia's core and broke it with his hands. The darkness roamed around him as he cleansed the evil spirits, the hell monsters retrieved back in hell.

Looking down at Hwan, he dropped tears and whispered, "I love you…live for the both of us my love…as I break you free from the bonds that tie us together…I also break your curse." Hwan tried to stop Ji Lie from completing the cleansing ritual…as he walked closer and closer the flames burnt his skin.

Henry burnt half his body when he held him down from walking any further, "Please stop…there has to be another way! If you do this, I will never forgive you Ji Lie…take me instead! Ji Lie…." A bright binding light covered the earth…Ji Lie's body disappeared with the light.