Chapter 1 [Conqueror]

PROLOGUE

[Third Person POV]

Amidst a land devoid of life, the still silence, which was eternal enough to confuse even the observers of existence, sat a man on a mighty throne.

A desolate world where only he was alive, with countless corpses, blood, rivers, and nothing but his lonely self. 

His sole existence separated the world from the ones who wished to see it, with powers strong enough to conquer the whole world.

But even with these powers, the sadness and regrets gleamed in his eyes.

The man sat on the lonely throne gazing through the endless stars…his lifeless eyes staring at the vivid brilliant universe, knowing it would be the last time he would ever see this.

Amidst his melancholy thoughts, he heard haggard and tired breaths.

Turning his gaze away from the cosmos, he stared at the beings kneeling.

The features of each varied vastly from one another, but the distorted expression on each of their faces was proof of the suffering they were being tormented too.

"We will win…hah…we will…find your successor and kill him…hah…Ahhh," said one of the kneeling beings as he screamed in pain but hopeful eyes.

The man calmly stared at the beings with an indifferent gaze. The cold look was enough evidence that the beings crawling before him were mere pests in his lifeless eyes.

The screams of the beings followed along as he stared at them. Their screams would be the last melody in his life.

"As I said, as long as you don't go back, no one will know about him…even he won't know the truth." He replied in a hoarse voice as he looked at their figures writhing in pain.

"How many years do you think your sacrifice can save your people? Khuahahaha…you will die soon enough, and once the time frame is over, we will win, we will be the conquerors, the true rulers…khuahaha….AGH," the being mocked him while his emotions showcased joy, anger, frustration, and pain.

The man on the throne rested his chin on the back of his hand and closed his eyes.

He had always been a man of few words all his life, and he considered each word to have its responsibility and importance.

These are the teachings that he passed onto the sole existence for whom he had come this forward.

The only person whom he considered as family.

But in his last moments, he couldn't restrain his words of scoff and pride as his time ticked off.

"Even though you are licking dust, you sure have some mighty words, but don't worry, I have sent him far away. He won't ever remember anything. Maybe what you said is true. You will be the conquerors eventually, but…but…if he were to return, then forget about being rulers." His words echoed with power enough to fill terror to their cores as he continued.

"You all will hardly be able to call yourself even beggars…so pray to them that he won't ever return, you never encounter his wraith, that your kin never bears your sin and perish in his wraith…because he is." His eerily heavy but calm voice contradicted his words, gradually filled with pride, and echoed through the surroundings, but his words stopped as he coughed blood and realized that the time was near.

"Are you done bullshitting? Do you think he alone can defeat us all? You must be out of your –" the being tried to retort in vain to dismay his fear. 

"Noisy," the throne figure commanded in a heavy voice, suffusing them with an icy tremor that electrified their souls.

With a flick of his fingers, he erased their existence forever and turned his gaze toward the distant universe…as he muttered his final words.

"This is the end for me…I apologize for sending you away, my disciple…making you run away…but you are not ready…not yet…Truthfully, I don't want you to come back…but if you do, you will bear a colossal fate." His words were laced with regret and sadness.

"I don't want you to bear it …I want your happiness…and please forgive me." His voice filled with love, regret, sadness, and a plethora of emotions as his life flashed before his eyes. 

A tear rolled down his eyes while muttering his final words as his body turned into ashes and spread across the universe.

His existence only to be considered a legend forever.

********

[???'s POV]

"huff…huff"

As the gunshots rang and bore holes through my body, I fell into the profound, unending expanse of the boundless sea.

I had these questions in my last moments with no answers.

Why? What did they do? Why take them away from me?

As I submerged further into the water, my thoughts filled with regret, pain, and longing, I muttered my final words.

"I am sorry I couldn't fulfill your last wish over my vendetta. I love you and am sorry I couldn't protect you both. You gave me the world, yet I couldn't...I…I am sorry." My hoarse voice filled with regret.

But I took my revenge. I did it.

As I was submerged in the relentless sea, my gaze fixated upon the vast expanse of the sky above. 

But instead of a sense of fulfillment for achieving my revenge, my mind flooded with regrets in that desperate moment, cascading like a turbulent torrent. 

The weight of my choices bore down upon me, amplifying the agony as crimson streams of life escaped from my wounded body, staining the water around me.

I got my revenge, but I can't fulfill their last wish anymore.

I will die at age fifteen as a criminal who even brought the government to its knees. 

I think I should have listened to him.

I am sorry.

I wanted to make them proud, but here I am. 

And all of this after living with them for only four years…Why did it go like this?! What did we ever do?! It all broke apart in an instant…This is how my life ends after those endless years of torment.

I am drowning…It's suffocating.

Well, this was it for me …I am sorry I couldn't protect you, Auntie and Uncle…no… Mom and Dad.

Is this what death feels like?

I am sorry for everything.

I am sorry I couldn't protect you all.

********

[Third person POV]

A desolate space filled with the putrid smell of blood existed in the unknown.

Amidst the space, an eerie silence filled the air, which was covered in thick blood.

Everything broken surrounded the space covered in the red mist.

Through the endless red mist, a man sat leaning against the wall while he took his last breath.

His clothes were dyed red with blood, and his rough, slow breath was eminent as the cacophony for his last moments.

Even though he realized that this was his last breath, the fulfillment of achieving his goal could be seen on his face.

He stared at the place where he had finally succeeded and broke into a bitter smile as he knew that although he achieved it, he wouldn't be able to see things through to the end.

A goal he pursued for years, in madness and suffering, in loneliness and pain, in past and future.

He calmly closed his eyes and took in a breath filled with blood.

He broke the eternal stillness and mumbled these words as his body burned.

"I have done my part, brother. I hope you receive my gift well…umm…I miss you a lot." His hoarse voice was filled with longing and love.

Tears rolled down his face as his life flashed before his eyes through the joy, sorrow, despair, and grief as he remembered someone's face.

"I don't know how things will go, I don't know whether this is the right choice, I don't know whether we will succeed in our dream. Regardless of the conclusion, I hope you find happiness in your journey." 

"I guess I will join you guys…haha." He broke into a peal of bitter laughter as he opened his eyes.

With the overwhelming burst of emotions, he sobbed in sadness.

"Hey, I know you are listening…please…just please…keep the contract and help him," his desperate voice echoed in the silence, addressing the unknown.

His pleas were confusing as no one was alive here except for himself. But he patiently waited for a response as he calmed his inner turmoil.

A daunting voice broke the eerie silence in the unknown.

"Human, I will keep my promise. I swear it upon my true name." a deep voice responded to his final pleas. The voice was emotionless and coarse, but the young man was fulfilled.

"Thank you," he replied. He smiled one last time as he remembered everyone and vanished forever into the silence.

The chains in the room turned to dust, and gradually, everything turned to dust as his existence was forgotten forever.

"I can only allow you this much as part of our deal, Human. I hope you be at peace." The heavy voice echoed in the place where nothing existed, and everything vanished.