Shadows of past
Valen sat in his chamber, the weight of the past pressing down on him. The distant memory of his father, the Duke of Veridian, remained clear in his mind, a man of tremendous power and influence. However, this power came at a terrible cost, one that Valen couldn't entirely understand, though the echoes of it haunted him.
It was his father's cruelty that changed the course of Valen's life. To awaken his Thanatos blessing, Valen's father had made a dreadful decision—he poisoned Valen's mother to ensure she would not survive his birth. This act of violence was carried out to claim the power he needed, breaking through to the Seventh Realm of the Sword. But Valen had always believed that his own awakening of power had come as a natural result of his bloodline, the truth hidden from him.
Valen had never known the full story. All he knew was the guilt that weighed on him, the dreams that plagued his sleep, the strange feelings that came with the faces he could never place. Dreams of a child, around the age of eight or nine, standing over a dead woman. The face of the woman was always unclear, but the image was vivid. Every night, he woke drenched in cold sweat, feeling as though something was terribly wrong. But the truth was locked away in the recesses of his mind, hidden by his own subconscious.
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Marcus's Story: The Village's Demise
A time came when Valen's life intertwined with that of Marcus Alderwood, a commoner whose family had once been part of a royal bloodline before they were overthrown. Marcus was a man forged by tragedy, having lost everything at a young age.
At the age of nine, Marcus's village had been destroyed by the royal family. It wasn't Valen's family, but the Alderwood family's fall had caused upheaval across the land. Soldiers, under orders from the new rulers, had razed the village, leaving no one alive. It was a ruthless act, carried out for reasons only those in power understood.
But Marcus had survived, thanks to his grandfather, an old knight who had once served the royal family. Though the knight was aging and no longer as powerful as he once was, he fought fiercely to protect Marcus. In their final moments, the old knight had managed to protect Marcus, ensuring his escape from the flames.
As they fled, the grandfather spoke to Marcus, his words heavy with wisdom.
"Darkness will always pull you toward it, Marcus. It will seem comforting, as it lets you escape the harshness of reality. But never forget, once you fall into the darkness, you cannot escape to the light. You will only imagine light for the rest of your life, but you will never see it. Power, true power, is meant to have a purpose. Don't lose yourself to it. It will change you, and you may never come back."
The old knight's words stayed with Marcus throughout his life, even after his grandfather passed away.
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The Sword: The Legacy of the Knight
After the death of his grandfather, Marcus found himself standing at the edge of the life he had once known. Alone and without a home, he wandered the broken world. But his grandfather had left him with something important—his sword. It wasn't just any sword; it was a weapon that had seen countless battles and victories, a relic of the past, forged to protect the weak.
Marcus stood alone, holding the sword in his hands. It was heavy, but not just in weight. It carried the legacy of a knight's honor, a history of loss, and the burden of protecting those who had no voice. It was this very sword that would define Marcus's path forward.
"You must carry this sword not as a tool of violence but as a symbol of justice," his grandfather had said before he passed. "Let it remind you of your duty, even when the world seems to want to crush you beneath its weight."
The sword became Marcus's companion, his reason for continuing his fight, for refusing to allow the darkness to consume him completely. It wasn't just a sword; it was a promise—a promise to carry on his grandfather's legacy.
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The Meeting at Elara's Funeral
The death of Elara, Valen's maid, marked a turning point in Valen's life. It was during her funeral that Valen finally crossed paths with Marcus.
Valen stood in silence, the air heavy with the loss. Elara had been one of the few people in Valen's life whom he had trusted completely. She had been loyal, always there to support him through his darkest moments. Her sudden death left him with a deep sense of emptiness that he couldn't explain.
Marcus, standing at the edge of the crowd, met Valen's gaze for a brief moment. The two had never truly met before, but they shared a bond of tragedy. Marcus stepped forward, moving toward Valen with a somber expression.
"Valen," Marcus said quietly, his voice steady yet filled with grief. "There's something you need to know."
Valen looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?" His heart was heavy, filled with unspoken questions.
Marcus hesitated for a moment, his hands clenched at his sides. Then, in a voice that seemed to carry the weight of years, he spoke the words that would haunt Valen forever.
"I killed Elara," Marcus said with a bitter smile. "Revenge. Her father was your father's guard. But he did nothing to save us when the village was burned. I had to make him pay."
Valen's heart pounded, a storm of emotions swirling within him. "But... why take her life?" Valen's voice was filled with confusion and pain.
"Because," Marcus continued, his gaze never leaving Valen, "I knew what it would cost me, but I couldn't let you be weak. You needed to see the world for what it truly was. I took that burden, so you wouldn't have to carry it."
Valen stood frozen, his mind racing. The words didn't make sense, but the conviction in Marcus's voice was undeniable. His world, already filled with confusion, was now even more fractured. The one person he had trusted, the one who had always been loyal, was now tied to the death of someone he held dear.
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End of Chapter 3