Chapter 11

A mature beauty with raven black hair and amethyst colored eyes, and a stoic looking middle aged man with deep black eyes and light brown hair. They were alone in their respective cages. Nathan was overwhelmed as they looked just like when he last saw them, as if all these years were only a fever dream…

Their bodies were bound by shackles, and the chains extended from them kept them firmly in place. Even their mouths were blocked so they couldn't speak.

'H-how is this possible!? I saw them die! I saw them bleed out in my own arms… so how!?' Nathan was truly flustered as he came face to face with the biggest regret of his life, his parents.

He looked them both in the eyes, as if trying to see through this illusion, but he didn't see the expected panic or fear, rather… relief?

Nathan forcefully calmed himself down and tried to analyze the situation he was in, 'My parents did die, there is no doubt about it, so this must be an illusion or…!' Nathan suddenly felt like he was struck with lightning as he came to a realization!

'Souls! We are present here with our souls! So this must be them! The Herald is capable of interacting with souls!' Nathan knew that this may all be a trick, an illusion set up expertly, but he didn't care anymore. The stakes were too high, and he was not risking the souls of his parents, no matter the cost…

Nathan locked his eyes with his mother, his gaze filled with untold pain and anguish, 'I have always felt responsible for their deaths. Even if I was a kid, even if I was weak and helpless… these are all excuses!' The more he thought, the deeper he sank in his own guilt.

'I was weak, and I couldn't do anything to protect them. I had the power to prevent any of those events from happening, yet I did nothing. Should we have chosen a different road, should we have not gone out that day, should we…'

Nathan slapped his cheeks hard, so hard that the sound echoed throughout the cavern. 'They are in front of me now, I have the power to protect them now! That is all that matters…' He remembered the bright smile of that cheerful girl, that brought warmth to his once frozen heart, 'I'm sorry Lucy. I'm terribly sorry that I won't be able to accompany you any longer… this is a burden that I must carry, but you are forced to pay a price for it… back then, and even now, I'm so pathetic that I can only watch as my loved ones get hurt… I hate this…'

"Mother, Father… forgive this useless son for being unfilial. I have missed you so much. Every night, I would think about my caring Mother and kind Father. Oh, how I wished I could see you one last time. This is truly a dream come true for me, even if the conditions are a bit forced." 

Nathan got on his knees and kowtowed towards them, "Please, allow me to have this one act of filial piety…"

He got up and called out, "I have made my choice! Free both of them!"

His parents' eyes widened as they started to struggle against the chains, while making incomprehensible noises, and Nathan had a pretty good guess as to what they were trying to say, but his decision was already made, 'This is the consequence of my own weakness.'

Wisps of black fog rushed towards Nathan and gathered around him, before forming a massive scythe that dwarfed him, its tip was right under his chin, wanting to reap his miserable life.

Nathan literally saw death. His knees buckled and his heart stopped beating. The air refused to enter his lungs and the lava around him felt chillingly cold. His body quivered in fear but he stared directly into its eyes. His gaze was serene and his will, unshakable.

"Your choices have been made. You have one final chance to change your choice, would you like to make a different decision?" The booming voice of The Herald reverberated in his soul, yet Nathan did not show the slightest hint of hesitation.

"No." The scythe rose up slowly, before swinging down with increased momentum, but to Nathan, it looked all the more slower. As his life flashed before his eyes, the scythe reached his neck.

'Sorry Mother, Father. Once again, I was powerless to protect you. Forgive this useless son of yours…'

'Forgive me Lucy. I promised you happiness, yet I am forced to break that promise. You deserve better than someone pathetic like me…'

And with that, his head flew in the air, before everything went pitch black.

Nathan had died…

***

Lucy also woke up in similar circumstances to Nathan, and after The Herald finished speaking, she too was presented with her two options.

The first one, as expected was her dear Grandfather who sacrificed his life in order to protect hers.

But the second person she saw left her dumbfounded…

Within the massive bird cage, bound by shackles and chains sat someone she never wished to see there…

Pitch black hair and obsidian black eyes that she would never mistaken,

Her second option was none other than Nathan!

***

In a dark void where nothing could be seen, somewhere far away from the third trial, there was a flight of stairs that although they were not connected to each other, they floated by themselves while maintaining a close distance. At the top of the stairs stood a giant floating platform that was hundreds of meters in diameter. The floor was filled with lines and carvings that emitted an ancient feeling.

The Herald slowly walked up the stairs and reached the platform. He approached the middle, before stopping some distance away.

In the middle, an elongated octahedron shaped crystal was floating. It shone like an amethyst jewel, and in the middle of it there was a yellow ball of fire, that illuminated the surrounding. 

"How goes the trials?" A soft feminine voice echoed from the crystal, not carrying much emotion.

"The trials have proceeded smoothly and should be over soon. I believe that we have found the candidate worthy of guiding our path to rise once again." The Herald kept a very respectful tone, while his voice was that of a whisper, something Nathan would find very surprising.

"Oh~? I was not expecting to find a candidate. Perhaps Fate is smiling upon us. Tell me more about this candidate." The crystal shone a bit more as if a bit of life returned to her.

"Yes, Your Excellency. His name is Nathan Netherstar. He watched his parents die at a very young age and closed his heart for the rest of his years, until he met a certain girl within the trial grounds who managed to thaw his frozen heart and They vowed to marry. Although the girl was extremely beautiful, he never once looked at her with lust, and always respected her boundaries."

"He is also a very smart and observant person with extreme adaptation qualities. Nothing that ever happened to him seemed to cause him panic, the only time he did so was when his wife was granted the Mark of Inheritance of The Benevolent Fairy Empress."

"Oh~? She actually had fate with The Benevolent Fairy Empress… such a pure soul… continue~"

"Yes. He is also a very responsible person, who doesn't fool himself with lies. He faces the consequences without backing down, or giving in to fear. He has tasted the bitter taste of weakness and helplessness. Also, his top priority is his loved ones, which means he has all the traits we have been looking for. But there is one more thing that assures me that we can pin our hopes on him."

"What else could there be? He is already qualified, as you have monitored his thoughts and actions for so long. So, is there more to him?"

"Indeed, your excellency. He also received a Mark of Inheritance, The Netherspring Dragon God!"

The crystal vibrated violently, "What!? He was chosen by The Netherspring Dragon God!? There is no time to waste! Herald! Begin preparations! We will begin the ritual as soon as possible!"

The Herald seemed to anticipate her outburst, as he too, was shocked beyond belief when Nathan received his inheritance. 

The crystal went silent for a moment before continuing, "Wake up Melian. We shall entrust her to this chosen."

This time The Herald was truly shocked, "But your excellency! Melian is far too precious to risk! We have spent many millennia of dedicated time and resources on her! Isn't it better to just grant him a stronger connection to Melian?"

"You do not understand the importance of the inheritor of The Netherspring Dragon God. Since he has made his choice, Then we shall trust his judgment. Entrusting Melian to him guarantees a far more brighter future for us, should he not fall along the way on his journey. My word is final. Wake up Melian and prepare for the binding ritual." And with that, the crystal returned to its dormant sleep.

"As you wish, Your Excellency…"

After The Herald left the crystal, woke up for a few more seconds before falling dormant again,

"Netherstar…Netherspring… Fate truly loves to play games…"