The Past [1]

[A/N: Arathus was the previous name of River Hart our protagonist]

[POV: Arathus (8 years old)]

'The world is filled with dark places, which makes it hard at times to see the light; and with its intangible nature, leaving only disparities in its wake, one can only hope of surviving through the darkness, making it to the other side unscathed.'

"Make it to the other side? You mean that there is a place that we are not aware of?", Rune, my trusty companion, had been by my side for as long as I could remember. I am only eight years old, after all, and he was my only friend.

"I don't know," I replied to his question, my voice tinged with curiosity. "Maybe there's a special place on the other side that we don't know about yet."

Rune held up an old stone tablet we had found, its ancient markings telling a mysterious story. It was a treasure, a precious find in this desolate landscape.

"But why is it that this slate or tablet…whatever it is…didn't get affected? All around us lay the remains of countless bodies, their bones scattered and forgotten. Yet the tablet remained untouched.", I muttered.

"This seems good stuff, don't you think so?", Rune asked.

"Of course it is good but how much? We don't know", I said.

"Let's see…", I muttered looking around as I spotted a lower class devil smelling one of the corps. An eight legged rampant bull.

"Hey…puppy…*whistle*" The bull turned its head towards us, its ears perked up with curiosity and horns glowed radiant blue.

"Oh you idiot…", Rune said.

"What, you silly" , "What are you so scared of? We've fought a bull before, remember? Just bring out the swords!"

"Um, about that... I, uh, don't actually have the swords with me right now and I don't have any magic like storage space to store them and you can't see them."

I stood there dumbfounded, "Oh yeah... my bad!"

Without missing a beat, I grabbed the ancient slate and mustered all my strength. With a heroic throw, I aimed it right at the bull's head, expecting a mighty blow. But to my surprise, the slate just bounced off harmlessly.

"Rune... "

"Run!" I shouted, my voice filled with panic. I turned on my heels, ready to make a quick escape.

But Rune, the sneaky fellow, was already sprinting far ahead of me.

"You traitor!" I called after him, trying to catch up. "At least wait for me!"

He glanced back grin and shouted, "One dead is better than two, my friend!"

"What are you staring at?", Rune asked.

"Wait…", Muttering suddenly, I decided to pause my steps. I looked at the old golden slate that I had thrown at the bull.

"The slate… we don't know if we'll be able to find this location again…" Time seemed to slow down as I made up my mind.

I sprinted towards the charging bull, grabbing the rusted sword laying besides the dead bodies in hand. The ground trembled beneath its powerful hooves, and dark energy emanated from its massive form.

As the bull lowered its head, its blue horns gleaming with an eerie aura, I leaped high into the air. In a daring move, I aimed to tackle the bull head-on with the plain side of the sword, using all my strength.

The impact was tremendous, sending shockwaves through my body. It felt like an epic clash of titans, the force propelling me in the direction of the golden slate. Time seemed to stretch as I soared through the air, the world around me a blur of danger and determination.

Finally, I reached the slate, my fingers stretching out to grasp it. With a triumphant shout, I managed to seize it just before landing on the ground, my body rolling to absorb the impact.

The bull roared in fury, its charging momentum disrupted by my audacious move.

"Ugh…damn that was reckless", I groaned standing up facing the bull as it turned around and was showing no interest in chasing Rune.

The bull snorted, its nostrils flaring with anger. It pawed at the ground, sending dust and debris flying. Its muscles bulging with raw strength.

The air crackled as the bull charged once again, its horns aimed straight at me.

I took a deep breath as I sidestepped the charging bull with swift reflexes, narrowly avoiding its lethal horns. The ground shook beneath its weight as it barreled past me, its momentum carrying it forward.

"HaHa... You sucker!" Without wasting a moment, I sprinted in the opposite direction, away from the bull and towards Rune, who was watching the scene unfold from a safe distance.

"Why'd you throw it if you had to bring it in the first place, idiot!" he shouted.

"I don't know, it seemed strong, but I guess it's not enough to inflict damage on that..." I replied, panting heavily as we ran side by side.

"Now where to?" he asked, his voice filled with both concern and annoyance.

"How do I know? We'll find some plac-- whoahhhh!" Suddenly, from the red muddy ground, chains shot up and bound tightly around our legs, pulling us up and suspending us upside down in the air.

I squirmed and struggled, trying to break free from the iron grip of the chains, but they held us firmly in their grasp. Rune's face contorted with frustration as he too attempted to free himself.

"Great, just great!" he muttered sarcastically. "Now we're hanging like a couple of ripe fruits. What's next? Shall we wait for the vultures to come and pick us off?"

I couldn't help but chuckle, despite our dire predicament. "You always have a way with words, don't you? But I have a feeling this is just a minor setback. We'll find a way out of this mess."

Suddenly, the ground all around us, as far as we could see, started rumbling. The red mud, dead bodies, bull demons, and other lower class demons began to tumble as if they were standing on a thin layer covering a massive hole that had just ripped open.

In a matter of minutes, the scene before us left us utterly dumbfounded. We realized that we had never been standing on a barren land to begin with. Beneath us lay a vast and dark abyss, its depth unfathomable and its diameter impossible to determine.

The chains that had ensnared us emerged from this gaping hole, as if reaching up from the abyss itself. It became clear that what lay beneath us was something entirely different, something that filled us with an indescribable sense of fear and unease.

We exchanged bewildered glances, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what we were witnessing. The once familiar landscape had transformed into an enigmatic gateway, revealing a realm that existed beneath the surface, hidden from ordinary sight.

"What... what is this?" I stammered, my voice barely audible amidst the cacophony of rumbling earth and crashing debris.

Rune shook his head in disbelief. "I have no idea, but whatever it is, it's not something we should trifle with."

As we gazed into the abyss below, a chilling breeze rose from its depths, carrying with it an otherworldly aura that sent shivers down our spines. The unknown awaited us, beckoning with both curiosity and trepidation.

"We should... we should find a way to get out of here," Rune suggested, his voice filled with a mix of apprehension and determination.

But before we could even plan our escape, the chains that had held us captive suddenly began to vibrate and loosen their grip. Panic surged through our veins as we realized we were about to plummet into the abyss below.

"No, hell NOOOO…," we both shouted in unison as with a sudden jolt, the chains released their hold on us.

As we hurtled through the air, our screams of terror echoed into the vast darkness that surrounded us. The rush of wind and the overwhelming sense of freefall overwhelmed our senses, leaving us both breathless and disoriented.

"You assholeeee…," Rune shouted, his words carried away by the rushing air.

"What did I do?," I shouted back, my voice barely audible amidst the chaos.

"I don't know, but that doesn't change the fact that you're one," he replied, his voice laced with both annoyance and fear.

"You fucker…," I cursed, unable to fully comprehend the situation we had found ourselves in.

Amidst the chaos, I clutched onto the slate tightly, its golden surface now glowing with an ethereal light. As the rust and decay faded away, the slate transformed into a charming and beautiful artifact, radiating a warm golden glow.

To our astonishment, the surroundings of the abyss were bathed in the gentle golden light. Intricate inscriptions appeared on the massive walls that encircled us, their glowing symbols both mesmerizing and mysterious.

The walls stretched beyond our sight, and we couldn't fathom how far they extended.

Looking down, we saw that the same golden inscriptions with finer patterns adorned the surface below us, forming a gateway with a prominent dragon symbol.

As the inscriptions activated, the walls trembled, emitting powerful rumbles that reverberated through the air, accompanied by an immense pressure that surrounded us.

"Hold on tight!" I yelled, bracing myself for what lay ahead.

With a surge of energy and a burst of golden light, the gateway beneath us opened, and we were suddenly immersed in a torrent of water.

The impact was jarring, causing my body to ache as bones jarred and muscles strained. Rune, too, seemed to have taken a beating from the force of the water.

Holding our breath tightly, we fought against the powerful currents, propelling ourselves towards the surface with all our might

The water demons that lurked beneath us were a formidable sight, their monstrous forms and menacing gazes sending chills down our spines.

[A/N: Cacophony - a harsh discordant mixture of sounds.] (Sorry for the delay guys, I am taking admission in University, so I'll have hard time posting this month.)