Despair

As the world turned dark, a warm, yet cold embrace surrounded me. But... that comfy feeling only lasted for a short while. Soon it felt like the darkness was ripping apart every pore, every cell in my body, seperating my soul from my flesh. It was an unimaginable pain, something that would make you think you were in Hell. Or maybe I really was in Hell.

After what seemed like an hour, but was actually only a few seconds, the pain stopped. The darkness' warm yet cold embrace surrounded me again. And then, I woke up, being pulled out of the darkness.

*Whish*

In front of me sand dunes. In fact, they surrounded me. It was a sight you'd expect to see in the desert of Sahara. But I was in Country A, a place far off from that. I stood up, sand in my mouth, I spat it out and walked slowly towards the top of the sand dune in front of me. The howling winds and small grains of sand pierced my skin as I came across something I would never expect.

"Is that a... wooden fortress?"

In front of me, stood a massive wall made out of logs and what seemed like a weird blue substance around it in a dome shape.

Unbeknownst to me, that would be the day my life changed entirely for the worst, or maybe for some, it would be for the best.

----

"*Yawn* Why can't something interesting happen these days? Like a passing caravan of traders.. maybe even some women... kekeke" a man with an unkempt beard and greasy hair said while laughing in a comic villain way which just turned out weird.

"Shut up before you jinx it. What would your weak ass do if Knights of Crestfall came our way spouting their nonsensical bullshit about justice huh? They're blessed by the God of Justice Arkelt. You'd just end up dea- huh?" said another man, bald, in a stern voice before abruptly stopping and staring off in the distance.

"What is it? Don't try to pull any pranks on me asshole." said the man with the unkempt beard

"Look! There! A human, and it's alone at that!"

"Is it a woman?! Huh?!"

"Why is women the only thing your dirty ass thinks of, it's a man, and he's walking towards us!"

"Which stupid bastard would just walk into Crimson Brotherhood's headquarters just like that?"

"Stop yapping and follow me out of the gates, let's take him inside and interrogate him. Maybe he's a high ranking priest of Knights of Crestfall."

The two men quickly left, blades in hand.

----

"Huh.. are those humans?"

I squinted my eyes to get a better look, the sand in the air was not helping at all. I saw two men, a little shorter than me approaching with... blades?

Who uses blades in this day and age? I decided to try and communicate, maybe they might understand me.

"Hey!! Heyy!! Over here! I'm lost! Can you please provide any help?!" I yelled as the two were finally nearing me.

Unsurprisingly, it seemed like they didn't understand me and pointed their blades at me.

"Calm down! I'm not a threat!" But it seemed like words fell on deaf ears as one of them got behind me and knocked me straight out with the hilt of his sword.

***30 MINUTES LATER***

'Gah, my head feels so damn heavy... where even am I?' I thought as I slowly opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by what looked like a shack with a few candles and a table next to me filled with knives, hammers and... is that a... dental tool? I spotted the equipment on there along with a tooth ripper. And what seemed like water on a bowl.

*Tak tak tak*

The sound of leather boots hitting the floor was heard as a door in front of me opened as it revealed a man over 6'4 feet with a bandana and tattered clothes, along with a sword on his waist and chainmail hidden underneath his slightly open jacket. He has straight hair that went to the back of his head and a necklace made out of.. teeth... human teeth.

As he entered, I finally came out of my daze and realized that I was tied to a chair and my mouth bound with a robe wrapped around my head. I tried to speak but to no avail. And then, the man spoke, but in a very different language I had never heard.

(Author note: < > signs indicate Plantorian language being spoken for now, it will change after some time)

<So, we got ourselves a nice little present. Hello there fucker. I would like for you to kindly tell us who sent you and if you have any relations to Crestfall and those bastards hell bent on justice>

"H-huh? What? I don't understand you. Please, just let me go, this is a misunderstanding." I said desperately hoping he understood me.

<Look at this fucker speaking gibberish, do you think I don't know that you understand Plantorian? There's no other language you retarded fuck.>

"What? I really can't understand you sir, please release me while I try to conta- GAH" I was interrupted mid-speech from a punch straight to my gut which felt like a truck, I vomited blood and whatever food I had eaten before my daughter and wife died.

<Seems like you want to learn this the hard way. Look man, I'll give you two choices, A) you get tortured and you tell me who sent you, B) you tell me who sent you and still get tortured for trying to be a smartass with me, so, what's it gonna be?>

"Please... no.." I tried to speak as I got punched in the jaw this time.

<Option A huh, good choice I guess, better not leave the hard work for later huh.>

That was the day my nightmare began.

Day 1

I was repeatedly punched and cut while trying to understand what my attackers were saying.

Day 5

I think they got bored of punching and cutting me... Now it seems like they use me and my screams as stress relief. A new person comes in every day and rends my flesh and skin with a rusty knife while others break my bones with sledge hammers. The first bastard who started this torture also pulled out 2 of my teeth to add to his collection. After every torture session someone comes and emits a green light from their hands, which seems to heal my every wound in just minutes. I also can't feel any hunger or thirst, I haven't eaten in a while.. I miss the taste of food.

Day 15

I can't. I can't handle this pain. I... will I ever see Abby's smile again..? Will I ever taste Natalie's cooking again? I don't know anymore. It feels like everyday it's increasingly harder to handle this. Nothing can compare to the pain my wife and daughter died, but I don't think my mind can handle this anymore.

Day 67

I spotted something today, something that seemed like the screen some of the other torturers called in front of them from time to time. It said... "Skill Acquired from Title perk, Death's Successor. Skill: Pain Tolerance Lv.1"

Day 134

Is... is there even any point anymore? Why must I suffer this. I don't know what I did wrong. I don't... I do- I- Why am I even living anymore..? Wait, no, Abby, Natalie, I won't give up. I can't, I can't be... weak.

Day 187

I've made out some of their words by observing them. It seems like they've given up on interrogating me and simply using me to train their skills and let out stress. During this time "Pain Tolerance" has leveled up to Level 3. I don't understand how I can see screens made out of nothing, but nothing surprises me after not feeling hunger or thirst for so many days and witnessing that weird green light.

Day 343

I figured out the word they use to call out that screen in front of them.. it's "Avicta". For some reason no matter how much I try to call it out, it doesn't appear.

Day 476

I don't remember much anymore. My hair has already modtly turned grey instead of their pitch black color. My eyes feel... dead. I figured out most of their language, it seems I'm on a planet called Plantoria and they speak Plantorian. It seems like they're bandits or some sort of slave traders because I can hear screams of other people occasionally. Oh... what was my name again? ...Well, it's fine, it's f-fine as long as I remember Abby and Natalie... R-right Honey?

Day ???

My name? It doesn't matter anymore. Nor does my life. I only live so I can maybe rely on that tiny thread of hope that this world will allow me to see my family again. I only live for them, nothing more. And now- I couldn't finish my thought. I heard it. I heard that sweet, tempting voice growing inside me again.. telling me 'You're at just the perfect state of mind.. aren't you... it's time... don't you want to see your family again... Abby is crying for you, she wants her daddy, your wife is begging to see you one more time... now let me embrace you, let me... give you powerssss' the voice was tempting, I couldn't realize that it was also like the voice of a snake, hissing... however it was already too late.. I was hopeless. And so, I accepted its cold embrace, as it screamed in joy... 'YEESSSSSSSSSSSS! BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU WISH FOR... DEATH'S SUCCESSOR'

And thus, I took my first step towards my inevitable doom, for my daughter.