Bright Shadows (Born As Fear, Forged By Pain)

In a realm separate from the mortal world, a place in a kind of limbo where the sky was white and the ground was filled with lush greenery, two beings stood over a mangled, almost unrecognizable corpse. It was burned and stabbed, with bones visible sticking out from the body like twigs, its face smashed so no facial features could be seen. The two stood there in silence, one having a fragile, almost ethereal presence, a frail male humanoid form with squinted eyes. The other, an incorporeal silver entity, appeared human from a distance—but upon closer inspection, there were no recognizable facial features. Its masculine form was merely a vessel to contain its true essence, which, to anyone else, would seem alien.

The air around the silver entity pulsed with sickening anger, waves of it radiating from its being. It gently caressed the remaining hair of the corpse—now nothing but a mass of twisted flesh and broken bones. "I was too late..." The words escaped in a hollow whisper. "I will avenge you, Serenity."

Suddenly, the oppressive pressure emanating from the entity ceased. The more humanoid figure visibly shivered, avoiding the silver being's gaze. He was the careful one and knew the risk of angering the entity before him. He was too far gone. There was no reasoning with him now.

"Logic," the silver entity said, his voice cold and void of emotion. "Take care of Karma for me."

The frail humanoid hesitated, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "Don't be rash. Even if you manage to kill them, the King can just revive them."

"I don't care," his response was final, filled with a chilling resolve.

Without another word, he reached out and tore open the sky, revealing the fabric of space with a violent motion, rending it apart like a broken tapestry. The gash in reality widened, and he stepped through it, vanishing into the abyss of nothingness.

"Even if you can't be killed… Please, don't be careless," Logic murmured, his voice tinged with worry, but he was already gone.

"I will make them feel hell," he whispered to himself, his presence radiating sheer menace as he left the empty plane behind.

He felt the killers—the ones responsible for Serenity's death—drawing near. Their arrogance, their pride, and their malice were palpable, directed at a new target. He could sense them now, as they brutally attacked a downed, unrecognizable figure, completely unaware of the destruction that was about to rain down upon them.

Finally, he stopped. His anger swelled, a rising storm that seemed to break all barriers. He unleashed his power, shattering the seal on the coordinates and appearing before three beings from the torn space. They all visibly resembled him in form but with their own distinct colors—red, yellow, and blue. They turned slowly, their expressions shifting from arrogance to hesitation as they felt an overwhelming void of nothingness emanating from the silver being.

Fear's presence was suffocating, unnatural. It felt as though the very air around him was collapsing, pulling the light from the world. His power wasn't supposed to affect them—he was just another primordial force—but they felt something far worse, something they had never felt before. Their vessel's heartbeat started to rise; they could feel themselves starting to perspire as if an unnatural heat was surrounding them.

"What is this?" the red one said, as if intrigued by his body's reaction.

The creature at their feet, which resembled a small grey and white beaten puppy, started to whine before its raised head fell, and foam dripped from its mouth.

The yellow one, looking at the small puppy as if disappointed, gave a scoff, before harshly kicking the unconscious animal over 10 meters to the side.

Then, the three slowly gave their full attention to their newly arrived sibling.

The yellow being (Joy), its voice dripping with sadistic joy, spoke first. "How did you like our gift, Fear? Did it make you happy?"

A cruel smile stretched across the red being's face (Anger), its tone mocking. "We warned you not to get attached to these 'Lessers.' They break so easily."

"And that lesser even made you choose a gender and create that little abomination," the blue being added (Sadness), their voice laced with venom. "It was only right, as your siblings, to guide you back to the right path."

Fear's eyes burned with a chilling fury, the darkness inside him expanding, pulling at the very air around him. His gaze locked onto each of them in turn, and for a brief moment, all three of his siblings felt the sharp sting of their own emotions. The arrogance, the pride, the sadism—they felt it all waver, ever so slightly, under Fear's unyielding presence.

"Your guidance," Fear said, his voice low and deadly, "should be returned tenfold."

And with that, the atmosphere shifted. A silence stretched between them, filled with the weight of impending destruction. The three primordial beings stood frozen, their mocking tones faltering under the oppressive Darkness emanating from Fear. The emptiness surrounding him was like an abyss that swallowed sound, light, and even thought itself. It was clear he wasn't here for a mere grudge—he was here to tear down everything.

Anger was the first to recover, a forced grin splitting its face. "What do you plan to do, Fear? You're the weakest of us without your powers. Always were."

Joy snickered, seemingly regaling confidence, circling him like a predator sizing up wounded prey. "Your abilities won't work on us. We're equals, remember? Our powers cancel each other out."

Sadness', ever the cold and calculating one, chimed in with a smirk. "You're not strong enough to fight us physically. So, what's your plan? Going to cry, complain, whine?"

Fear said nothing. His glowing, featureless form simply stood, silent, as his silver presence darkened. The air around him seemed to warp, bending reality itself.

Anger roared and lunged first, its fist igniting into a blazing inferno of aura as it struck toward Fear with enough force to rupture the ground beneath them. The blow connected—but instead of sending Fear flying, it stopped an inch from his face. The air around Anger's fist shimmered as if hitting an invisible wall.

"What—?" Anger's eyes widened as their arm was yanked backward with a sickening crack, as if an invisible force was twisting it unnaturally. Anger screamed, staggering back.

Joy and Sadness, previously hesitant, wasted no time. Joy charged, their body crackling with bright aura, while Sadness summoned crystallized liquid aura, launching them like missiles. The attacks collided with Fear, creating a blinding explosion that shook the surrounding plane, tearing the fabric of space itself. Entire galaxies in the background flickered, their light snuffed out from the sheer force of the impact.

As the dust settled, Fear remained untouched, his body unmoving. Slowly, he raised a hand, his fingers tightening into a fist. Joy and Sadness suddenly froze mid-air, their bodies suspended as if held by an unseen hand.

"What is this?!" Joy shrieked, its voice trembling for the first time. They struggled, but their movements were futile.

"This isn't possible!" Sadness's voice, usually calm, cracked with fear. "Telekinesis isn't supposed to be this strong! The amount of willpower needed would be astronomical!"

Fear tilted his head slightly, his voice cold and unyielding. "You've spent so much time indulging in the emotions of others—absorbing them, feeding off them. You've grown physically stronger, yes. But in doing so, you've weakened your will. Willpower is the source of telekinesis."

With a flick of his wrist, Fear sent Joy and Sadness hurtling through space like comets, their bodies colliding into distant celestial structures, shattering them into dust. Anger, clutching its broken arm, attempted a desperate sneak attack, swinging a molten red aura blade toward Fear's back. Without turning, Fear gestured again, and the blade dissolved into nothingness.

"Pathetic," Fear muttered, his voice devoid of emotion, but his face had a growing grin full of building elation.

He turned to Anger, lifting the red being off the ground with a casual wave. Anger's body convulsed, its form writhing under the crushing weight of Fear's power. Joy and Sadness reappeared, charging once more in a last-ditch effort. Fear didn't even glance their way—he simply expanded the darkness around him. The wave of force obliterated everything in its path, leaving nothing but blackness.

The three siblings hovered, battered and broken; their confidence shattered. They stared at Fear with something they had never felt before: pain and terror.

"This isn't you, Fear! It was for your own good," Joy pleaded with a voice desperate.

"You can't kill us, we're just concepts. We will never stay dead," Sadness added, though its tone was more uncertain than ever. "The King will bring us back!"

Fear stepped closer, his silver form now glowing with an ominous light. "Then I'll kill you again. And again. Until you understand the pain she felt."

He raised his hand, the darkness around him condensing into a singularity of pure destruction. A miniature black hole. The siblings screamed, struggling against the inevitable. Just as Fear was about to strike, a new presence tore through the plane.

A deafening boom reverberated through the realm, and the space around Fear shattered like glass. From the void emerged a figure, taller and more imposing than any of them. The King.

Draped in an aura that shifted between blinding light and infinite darkness, the King's mere presence silenced the plane. His voice was like a thousand whispers layered atop one another, a sound that could crush entire civilizations.

"Enough," the King commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

Fear's form flickered, the singularity dissipating as he turned to face the King. His siblings slumped to the ground, their bodies trembling.

"You defy my order, Fear?" the King said, his voice a question.

"They deserve this," Fear replied, his voice unwavering despite the oppressive weight of the King's presence. "They killed Serenity." Fear repeated, his voice colder now, each word like the tolling of a funeral bell. His silver form trembled with restrained fury as he stared at the King, the embodiment of balance and dominance over all Primordials.

The King tilted his head ever so slightly, a motion so subtle it was almost imperceptible. His form shimmered in and out of focus, as if the reality around him struggled to contain his existence. "And if they did?" His tone was not accusatory, nor was it sympathetic. It was simply a statement, devoid of feeling, as though discussing the weather.

Fear's glow intensified, the silver light pulsating with raw, destructive energy. "You know why. You know what they've done. And you say 'if?'"

The King regarded him with something that might have been curiosity—or perhaps it was nothing at all. "You speak as though her life was unique. Countless lives have ended. Countless will end again. You mourn one."

"Exactly. So why can't I end them?" Fear growled, his silver aura pulsating with renewed intensity. His glowing form stood defiant before the King, whose shimmering, featureless visage betrayed neither empathy nor malice.

"Unlike those three, who have no purpose, I guide. I give survival to others, the caution to survive. They intoxicate the world with their useless feelings, provoking irrationality, chaos—abusing those who have done nothing to them, merely for their own twisted pleasure. Why do they even exist?"

The King's form flickered, the light around him dimming as if reflecting his presence. "Because without you, I would have to carry you. You four are merely my excess baggage—waste that I shed to ascend. To become this."

Fear's voice dropped, venom lacing every word. "You are no God, merely a temporary substitute."

The King paused, his glowing eyes narrowing with the faintest trace of amusement. "Your life is a gift. You should praise its creator."

Fear laughed bitterly, his voice echoing in the fractured plane. "I never wanted this gift."

At this, the King's luminous eyes flared, a rare spark of interest gleaming within them. "Then I shall take back my gift."

Fear scoffed, his silver light glowing brighter. "Not even you can kill me."

"Correct," the King admitted, his tone remaining as calm as ever. "At least, not alone. The laws of this world make it nearly impossible to erase you. But I have to simply adjust those laws."

The King gestured to the three recovering Siblings—Anger, Joy, and Sadness—who flinched at his command. "You three. Cut off his limbs. But do not use a killing blow."

The trio froze, their quickly regenerating forms trembling as they exchanged glances. Despite their tormenting nature, the new feeling, Pain, which Fear had inflicted on them, was fresh in their minds. But the King's power was nearly absolute. Reluctantly, they rose to their feet, their shimmering forms casting twisted reflections in the space as they closed in on Fear.

Fear's silver light flared as he readied his telekinetic power. But as he focused, the energy sputtered out, his abilities locked away. He turned his gaze to the King, his eyes blazing with fury. "You didn't—"

"I negated the concept of telekinesis and regeneration," the King interrupted, his tone as detached as ever. "Even for me, this is difficult to maintain. But you, Fear—you will not escape this."

Before Fear could respond, the three Primordials lunged at him. Enraged, he fought savagely; his physical form far weaker than theirs but driven by sheer willpower. Each strike landed brutally, but without his telekinesis, he was quickly overwhelmed. Anger's claws, formed with aura, tore into his arm, severing it in a flash of crimson light. Joy ripped into his legs, with its sadistic glee turning to grim determination under the King's gaze.

Fear roared in defiance as his limbs were torn away, gold blood spilling into the void. His light dimmed with each agonizing strike, yet his eyes never wavered. Even as Sadness plunged a hand into his side, ripping apart the last connection to his remaining arm, Fear glared at the King.

"You think this will be the end of me?" he spat, bloodied and mutilated but unyielding. "You think this makes you stronger?"

The King stepped closer, his presence casting an oppressive shadow over the broken Primordial. "This is not about strength. It is about the future."

Fear's breath came in ragged gasps, his form crumpled and incomplete yet still radiating defiance. "You will regret this."

The King knelt beside him, his voice barely a whisper yet echoing in Fear's mind. "I do not regret. I will patiently endure."

As Fear's silver light began to fade, the King rose and turned to the trembling trio. "Leave him. His death will be slow, as it should be. Since you caused this, you must share part of the burden."

The Primordials hesitated, but the King's authority drove them away. Fear, lying in the fractured space that continued to distort, watched as his vision dimmed. His gold blood floated around him like distant stars, the light of his existence fading.

Yet even in his final moments, his mind burned with one last thought: Serenity, I will see you again.

The void consumed him, leaving only silence behind.

A soft dragging sound could be heard as the beaten puppy, who was long forgotten and merely playing dead ever since the arrival of the King, made its way toward the pooling gold blood. After taking a sniff and a hesitant lick, it eagerly began to lap at the blood. After a minute or two, visible changes began to appear in the pup's body; its former injuries seemed to heal at an astonishing rate. Surprised by its newfound regeneration, its little tail began to wag from side to side. A muted and soft howl came from it as a silver teardrop formed on the crown of its head and began to glow. Then, as if sensing something, it tried to hide or escape. But with every previous obstacle around destroyed, no hiding spot would work, as if responding to its unspoken wish. A transparent veil covered it, as if erasing its existence.

As the void calmed and the remnants of Fear's battle dissipated, two arrived: Logic and something or someone unique stepped into the fractured space, their forms shimmering against the backdrop of nothingness. Logic, with his frail humanoid frame, exuded a composed, calculating aura. The other, with the outward appearance of an 8-year-old girl, radiant and ethereal, had an air of empathy and sorrow that seemed to flow with her every step.

They stopped at the center of the battlefield, where Fear's mutilated body lay in a pool of gold blood, his once-dazzling silver light reduced to a faint flicker. Logic's expression tightened, his usual calm replaced by an uncharacteristic tremor. He knelt beside Fear's broken form, his hands hovering over the corpse as if afraid to touch it.

"He's gone…" Logic's voice was a whisper, visibly strained with something unspoken.

The young girl, standing silently beside him, finally knelt and placed a trembling hand on Fear's forehead. Her radiant form dimmed, reflecting the weight of her sorrow. "Dad, why? You said you were the strongest. … You lied… Without you and Mom… What do I do?"

Logic's hands clenched into fists, his sharp mind calculating the implications of Fear's death. "Those three…" he muttered, his tone darkening. "Anger, Sadness, Joy—they've overstepped. They killed Serenity. For a petty grudge. Declaring war on the Deities, indulging in mindless destruction without restraint."

The young girl's gaze lingered on Fear's lifeless form. "Dad said he would protect us, and they took him from us… because they could."

Logic rose to his feet, his frail frame shivering with restrained fury. "Hehehe, ha ha… you want to use this to threaten me? I'll kill all of you and leave no trace."

Karma's eyes glowed faintly, her sorrow replaced with a quiet questioning look at someone whose mood shifted so strangely. "You think this is funny?"

Logic nodded, his mind already forming a plan. "Yes, it's hilarious. In fact, I could use this as motivation. So I should be telling them thank you."

The girl looked at her father's body once more, her voice soft. "What about Dad? We can't leave him here."

Logic's gaze softened, the first trace of humanity returning to his expression. "We'll honor him. We'll ensure his sacrifice is not in vain."

With careful precision, Logic raised his hand, and the void around Fear's body shimmered. The gold blood began to coalesce, forming a protective barrier that encased his remains. A faint light pulsed within, a testament to the enduring strength of Fear's will even in death.

"This is only the beginning," Logic said, his voice steeled with determination. "We'll make them pay, Karma. For Fear. For Serenity. For every useful life they've destroyed."

'Useful?'

Karma thought that the word he said, seemingly randomly, was out of place, but she decided to ignore the strangeness in place of revenge.

As Karma stood beside Logic, her form radiating an aura of steadfast resolve and growing hatred, she spoke. "Maybe I should take away what they love."

Logic's face twisted with a bit of unease as her childlike statement was said with a soulless look. He was just glad he wasn't on the receiving end.

The two vanished into the ether, bringing the shimmering cocoon of light where Fear's body rested. The battle lines had been drawn.

AN: Put in any name ideas for the puppy in the future here Thank You$$$