Blackness. It stretched infinitely without the slightest spark of light.
"So this is the Void? My body won't move... I can barely breath."
Aeris had been through alot of perilous situations but none of them held a candle to his current predicament. He couldn't quite tell how but he felt as if the Void was a living entity.
No one even knew what it truly was.
"It's taking my complete focus just to stay awake."
The sheer pressure the Void let out was eating away at his mind.
It wanted to erase his entire being, thought by thought. However, the Supreme King was not about to let the Void become his burial site.
"If I lose myself to this place, everything I've done - all the battles I've fought, and all my achievements would have been for naught... I still have a lot to do..."
Twenty Years Ago...
Inside a small orphanage at the edges of Azmith, the children gathered around their caretaker.
She held up a worn book titled Dawn of the Sovereigns.
"Ready for a story?" Her voice came out calm but carried a haunting edge.
"Yes, please!" the children shouted together.
She opened the book and began.
"A long time ago, Westvein was invaded by the demonic forces of the Archfiend Baal. They wrecked havoc and caused destruction everywhere they went. Ten powerful rulers joined forces to fight the Demon army. They were the first generation of Sovereigns."
"Woah…" the kids whispered.
"The war lasted for decades, but the Sovereigns defeated Baal in the end."
A gap-toothed boy leaned in. "What if they fought each other instead?"
"They'd destroy entire countries," she said. "Their aura alone could break a man's mind."
The children shivered.
A loud voice cut in. "Who was the strongest, Mother Pearl?" young Aeris asked.
"The Light Sovereign. He landed the final blow and sealed the gateway to the Demon World thus bringing the Age of Chaos to an end."
"Awesome..!" A young Aeris suddenly jumped up and posed like a hero.
"I'll be the richest most powerful Sovereign one day. I'll get to eat as much food as I want."
Kyle tossed a crumpled paper at him. The kids burst out laughing.
"You're scared of the dark," Kyle snorted. "Seriously, all you care about is food, I doubt you can even be a Brave."
"Shut up, Kyle!" Aeris snapped, red-faced.
Pearl clapped once. "Enough. It's late. Time for bed."
The children ran to their beds. Pearl moved from one to the next, tucking them in gently.
Aeris grabbed her hand. "Mother Pearl, do you think I can really become a Brave?"
She kissed his cheek.
"You can be anything you fight for, Aeris. Just don't give up."
He smiled. "Goodnight, Mother Pearl."
But that night didn't stay peaceful for long.
"Aeris, wake up!"
His eyes flew open. Smoke filled the room.
"Fire?!"
Pearl pulled him up, her face pale. "No time. We have to go."
Flames tore through the walls. Beams crashed down as she gripped his hand and led him out.
They found the others and ran through the smoke-choked hallway.
Outside, Aeris turned back.
The only home he had… burning to ash.
"Rawww!" A massive fire dragon descended with a ferocious look
"D-d-dragon…"
The kids froze. Some cried. Some wet themselves.
Pearl stood frozen for a moment. "What is a dragon doing here…?"
The beast roared again. A golden portal shimmered open beside her. She reached in and pulled out a radiant bow.
"Run! Into the forest!"
"I won't leave you!" Aeris shouted as tears streamed down his face.
She knelt beside him, smiling gently.
"Oh, Aeris… I remember the day I found you. You and Kyle drove me crazy."
Kyle looked down. "Mother Pearl…"
She tied her scarf around Aeris's neck.
"My beautiful boy... You have the biggest heart here, that's why I am giving you this mission - Protect the others. Grow strong. Become a Brave."
He sniffled. "Okay…"
She kissed his forehead and stood.
"Now, all of you should leave and never look back!"
"You heard her!" Kyle yelled with teary eyed.
"Let's go!" Aeris shouted.
They ran.
The dragon reared back and spewed fire after them.
"No one touches my children!" Pearl fired a golden arrow that split the flames apart.
"Go, Aeris!" she screamed as he led the others into the woods.
They didn't look back. They couldn't.
Tears blurred their vision as they ran.
Aeris and the rest of the orphanage children wandered deep into the forest.
"How long have we been walking?"
They lost track of time as all they could think about was getting far away from the dragon.
Benny tugged at Aeris' shirt drawing his attention.
"Aeris, I'm hungry," His voice trembled as he complained.
Aeris forced a smile. "Don't worry, Benny. We'll find something soon."
Just as he finished, an ash blur brushed past him in the blink of an eye.
"What was that?" Aeris muttered to himself.
A scream followed. Everyone turned to where Anna had been standing — and froze. She was gone. Only a puddle of blood remained.
Panic spread.
"What was that?!" Mira yelled.
"Stick together!" someone shouted. "Stay calm, we'll find her!"
Kyle grabbed Aeris by the collar. "Look at the blood! Anna wasn't lost—she was hunted. Whatever took her is still out there... and we're next."
Aeris slapped his hand away. "Scaring everyone won't help us!"
"I can't do this anymore!" Kyle cried out before running away from the group.
"No, Kyle, come back!" Aeris called, but it was too late. The blur reappeared this time, it targeted Kyle leaving behind another pool of blood.
Aeris gritted his teeth as he balled his fist, "Kyle..."
There was no longer any room for him to try and maintain order.
The others scattered into different directions. Even Kyle was no different.
All Aeris could do was watch in horror as the blur picked them off one by one.
Finally, the forest was quiet. Aeris stood in the middle of the bloody area. He clutched his chest breathing heavily.
'Promise me you'll protect the others.'
Tears gushed dowb from his eyes. "Mother Pearl... I failed you."
The memories he shared with the children of the orphanage and Pearl flashed in his mind—laughing, playing, huddling together on cold nights.
"Enough." Aeris wiped his tears and wore a look of determination.
He picked up a sharp twig and gripped it tightly. After taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Come out, you bastard! Show yourself!"
Silence.
"You took everything from me!" he screamed from the depths of his chest."
Suddenly, the blur darted between the trees again.
"Face me!" Aeris yelled, raising the stick. "I'm not afraid of you!"
The blur vanished again. Aeris stood ready, waiting for its next move. But it never came. The silence pressed on him like a weight.
"Stop playing games with me!"
A mocking snicker echoed around him. Aeris spun toward the sound, desperate to find the creature.
"It's hopeless..." Aeris dropped to his knees. His voice cracked. "Just kill me. I couldn't protect them... I deserve to die with them."
He lowered his head in shame.
A low growl filled the air. Aeris looked up and saw a massive wolf before him.
Its fur was dark and matted, its eyes glowing with a fierce, otherworldly light. The wolf's huge frame cast a shadow that swallowed Aeris.
Then, it shifted taking humanoid form and standing on its two feet.
A Beastial?
"My, my. You're a feisty one, alright. I came to hunt down the Dragon Sovereign's proxy. But all I found was a charred human corpse. What a wimp."
Aeris' heart sank. He wanted to believe Pearl had survived. His voice trembled. "Then why did you hurt my siblings?"
"Simple — I was bored."
Aeris gagged in horror as the images of his siblings' deaths replayed in his mind. "You... You're a monster!" he bawled.
The Beastial licked his lips, eyes gleaming. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good hunt."
"They weren't wild animals you could hunt!"
"I know, right? That's the best part."
Aeris stood frozen. He could not understand how anyone could be so cruel.
The Beastial's tone grew cold. "I don't expect a runt like you to understand. This is how the world works — the strong take from the weak. You should thank me. I spared your siblings the pain of learning that truth. You're welcome."
Aeris clenched his fists. "You'll pay for this!" He charged, tears streaming down his face.
Before he made contact, the Beastial vanished. Aeris' heart pounded as he looked around.
"Show yourself, coward!"
The Beastial, now a blur, tore through Aeris, ripping off his arm.
Aeris screamed before a kick sent him crashing into a tree. His vision blurred as he looked up at the Beastial.
"Tsk, tsk. I'll admit, kid, you've got fight. But reckless bravery is suicide." He grabbed Aeris by the neck, squeezing tight. "Shh, it'll be over soon."
Aeris struggled with the last of his strength, but it was no use — he passed out.
The Beastial turned to leave, but froze. His body stiffened. His eyes widened.
"What... is this chaotic aura!? It's on par with my master's."
He looked back. Aeris' lifeless body which was afloat and radiating a dense and thick aura making the very air nearly unbeatable.
"It's you..." He took a step back. "Y-You awakened your Ether core at the brink of death? Bullshit! That doesn't explain your power level. What are you?"
Aeris opened his eyes. They now glowed violet. His severed arm had also regenerated.
'I'm going to die.' The Beastial race are known for having keen animal instincts, and this Beastial's instincts were set off like an alarm.
Aeris gave a twisted smile. His entire demeanor changed.
"Are you ready to repent?"
The Beastial gritted his teeth, "Don't get cocky you bra-"
"Burn."
A powerful blast of purple flames enveloped the humanoid wolf. He cried in agony rolling on the floor in an attempt to subdue the flames but alas, it was to no avail.
"Huff... huff..." Aeris stood over the unconscious Beastial. Violet flames flickered around the charred body.
He looked down at his hands, still pulsing with energy.
Aeris clenched his teeth and broke into tears.
"Mother Pearl... Anna... Benny... Guys...."
His eyes glowed as the dark violet aura began to form around him like a miasma.
"Sovereigns..." He muttered with venom dripping from his tongue. "They turned my home into a battlefield... I thought they were noble kings. They're nothing but selfish pricks who are too lazy to get their hands dirty. Is this the true nature of the world?"
The Aura fully encased him before exploding creating a large pillar that shot straight into the sky.
"If that's the case... I will bring them to justice... I will become the bane of their existence... I will take all their wealth and riches and unite Westvein under a single rule - Mine!"