webnovel

Ancient Dream

.

Smigmi · ファンタジー
レビュー数が足りません
3 Chs

Prologue

Within us, who is it that lies, steals, cheats, and betrays?

Is one born a traitor, or does the decay of the world mold us into treachery?

All my life, I've sought happiness and kindness, fighting the chains of hatred.

Once, just once, I wished to trust, to lean on another.

But even you, in the end, turned away, leaving a dagger in my back. I sensed it would happen, but I held onto the fleeting hope that perhaps this time would be different. That maybe this time my journey wouldn't end in betrayal.

Yet, it was only the echo of an ancient dream.

------------

"Inferior".

That's the term the world seemed to tattoo on my forehead. Always lacking, always lesser. A description that seemed to loom over my every endeavor, resonating with my perceived worthlessness.

Everyone hides behind a mask, some more convincingly than others. Some masks are crafted from ideas of equality, freedom, and the promise of kindness's reward.

Utter Bullshit. True equality is a myth.

Your life's path is mostly determined by where and to whom you were born. Privileges like wealth, knowledge, and status are gifts for a chosen few, while the rest, like me, are labeled  "inferior".

In this challenging world, where the weak often get overlooked and your background defines your potential, I had an ambition. I wanted to succeed and get to the top.

Ever since I could remember, I had this innate hunger to climb to the very top. It wasn't out of blind luck or some kind of divine interference that I wanted to achieve this; I believed in my grit and abilities. Yet, at every significant milestone of my life - be it in school, at work, or even in personal pursuits - I felt someone was always one step ahead of me.

I gave it my everything. I was diligent, hardworking, even clever at times. But there was always someone, someone naturally gifted, whose talent made my efforts seem laughable. They grasped in minutes what took me hours. They always seemed to be a step ahead, effortlessly.

The drain of constant setbacks was a heavy weight on my soul. The once burning ambition to stand tall, to prove them all wrong, began to smolder and fade. Each failure, more piercing than the last, shattered my determination.

And so, when they said I was "worthless", I began to wear it like a second skin. The world's perception and my reality began to blur.

The dream, the hope, and the ambition, all lay in tatters. Time and again, outshone by those more skilled, more adept. The label of "inferior" wasn't just a word; it felt like my truth.

Resigned, I trudged on, heading to another mundane day as a Stocking Associate. An unremarkable role on an average day, or so I believed.

My eyes were Trembling. I couldn't make up what was in front of me anymore. I had lost all sense of direction. The only thing I heard were confused voices of the people surrounding me.

A brilliant orange Light enveloped the whole surface.

After the light was all, I could see, the world started shaking. Buildings all around me started shattering. It was not comparable to an earthquake. After falling on the ground, I quickly tried to dodge the debris raining down on me.

However, I wasn't quick enough. My left leg was crushed, and my consciousness started to fade due to the pain I was experiencing. I wanted to scream, however no matter how hard I tried, there was no sound. That's when I felt blood trickling down my throat. I didn't notice it at first, but a piece of glass of the shattered building had torn my vocal cord. Completely numb of the pain, all I could hear were the screams of everyone struggling for their survival.

The very fabric of reality seemed to groan and shatter. First, it was a mere whisper of a fracture, a thin line splitting the once clear sky. Then, as if the universe itself couldn't bear the weight, the sky ruptured open, revealing a chasm of impenetrable darkness.

From this abyss, golden chariots emerged, gleaming even in the absence of sunlight. These majestic vehicles, seemingly forged from starlight, were led by beings of such ethereal beauty that they could only be described as angels. As they descended, the chariots came to a gentle halt, and the angels disembarked with grace, forming two perfect lines on either side, creating a pathway. The atmosphere tensed as if the world held its breath.

Then, from the very heart of the rift, another figure stepped forth. This was no ordinary being. Where the angels shone, he was luminous, crafted from pure, radiant white light so bright that it appeared to emanate from the depths of the darkest void. As this celestial being surveyed the devastation below, his gaze, full of ancient wisdom and untold power, eventually met mine. That very moment was overwhelming, and in his gaze, my vision was drowned in white. The brilliance of his presence blinded me.

Amidst the sounds of the crumbling world, a poignant realization pierced through: the very magnitude of this event was beyond comprehension. It was an Armageddon, a turning point in the annals of time and existence.

What a despicable and miserable life I've led.....

As the edges of my consciousness began to blur, a voice, deep and resonating, echoed everywhere and nowhere at once: "Shall we commence with the ⚍⚎⚍⚌⚍⚎?"