Prologue
Have you ever felt despair in your life? Have you ever feel sorrow and fear in your life that could make you want to crawl and hide in a place that none can find you? Have you ever lost something you held dear to you? If you have, have you ever seen it with your own eyes? I have.
It happened ten years ago. I'm still 7 years old when that happened. It's even still fresh in my mind just like it's happened yesterday. So much fire around me. So many screams and cries were coming from the villagers. So many villagers were running, trying to save their lives. So many pains and sorrows are written in the face of the villagers.
You're probably asking what was actually happening. This is what actually happened.
They destroyed my home.
They cowardly attacked us while we weren't paying attention. They cowardly attacked us when there were no soldiers that guarding our village. They mercilessly burned the village and attacked whoever they saw. Old and young, men or women, they just killed anyone they saw. You're probably asking again who "they" I keep referring into are. Well, if you want to know it so badly then I will tell you, they are –
The Cadmusians
In my world, there are two kingdoms that are at war. On one side, there is the Keimashin Shogunate in the east and the other side there is the Cadmus Empire in the west. They've been waging war on each other for so long that we've already forgotten what the reason behind this war is.
You're probably asking why there is still no winner after a war that has happened for so long from one of the sides. The answer is because they both have the same power as each other. You're probably asking again how they both can have the same power. Over time, one of them must have their power depleting, but not in my world.
In my world, the power isn't coming from the soldier, well, you can say that it is coming from the soldier, but the power is actually coming from the gods themselves. Well, actually they can't be called gods, they're just the people that came before us, also known as "The First Civilization". Because of their technologies and powers have far surpassed us, they're called the gods.
The power that I'm talking about is the artifacts that they've left behind, dubbed "The Regalias". These artifacts have power so great that they can't be destroyed and wielded by normal persons. Only those who have the blood of the First Civilization can use them, they are called "The Xixtears".
There are two types of Regalias. The first, Normal Regalias, that can be used by anyone as long as they have the blood of the "First Civilization" and the True Regalias, that can only be used by those who have the same soul wave as the Regalias. Normal Regalias, like they are named, are just common weapons that are used by them in the past, while the True Regalias are the unique weapon that are used by special people that is worshipped as the leader by them.
Like the Regalias, there are two types of Xixtears. The first, Normal Xixtears, are the people who have the blood of the "First Civilization" and the second, Force Xixtears, are the people who actually the reincarnation of the leaders of the "First Civilization." They don't have to have the blood of the "First Civilization" as they're already have the same soul as the leaders of the "First Civilization," meaning that they are very much stronger than any normal human beings and normal Xixtears.
By now, you should have realized it. Reincarnation. Yes, how many they are killed they will just keep reincarnating meaning that the kingdoms' power won't decrease no matter what. They can only hope the dead one will keep being dead as long as they can before they're reincarnating.
Now, after I have explained about my world, I will tell you about my story.
It happened ten years ago, in a village named Garuna in the middle of my world making it a strategic place. My father is the ruler of Garuna under the Keimashin. His name is Uriel Greyedge, the current head of the Crossedge family. I am his first son, my name is Death Blackedge. Well, technically, I'm not the first son as I have my twin brother, his name is Light Whiteedge. My brother always comments on my habit of saying that I'm the first son even though we're twin and I'm only thirteen seconds faster than him.
Now, you must have noticed me and my brother's surname. Yes, we have different surname, it's because the tradition of our family. Our family's bloodline comes straight from the "First Civilization" which means that all of us are Xixtears and we have our own powers.
My surname, Blackedge, comes from my power which is darkness. I can control darkness whatever the source is, be it shadow or darkness in human's heart. While my brother's surname, Whiteedge, comes from his power that can control lightning. While my father's, Greyedge, comes from his power that can control both darkness and light.
I live at my home, which is actually a castle, only with my father, brother, and my father's staves. My mother died a few years ago because of an illness which makes me usually alone at home. My brother usually goes out playing with his friend while my father usually busy with his works, making me always alone at home.
Talking about friends, beside me, there are also other Xixtears in our village. They're just one of Light's many friends and maybe my only friends. There are, Ember Wyrmspike, the fire-user. He is Light's best friend because he is as outgoing and active as my brother. They usually go playing together or pulling pranks on the villagers. Frost Coldstream, the ice and water-user. He is my best friend when he has time he usually stays at my home reading books with me. He is pretty noisy when it is come to Light's and Ember's stupid response that they gave when we're training, always mentions how different me and my brother. Terra Earthcore, the earth and metal-user. He is the oldest of our group, he's 8 while we're 7, and quietest of our group. He only talks when it's needed and when Light's and Ember's pranks have gone out of control. The last is Ventus Highwind, the wind-user. He is the youngest of our group, he's only 6, and because of that, he usually appears to be nervous around us which are older than him. He usually goes with Light and Ember pulling pranks, or with me and Frost reading books at my home, or just playing with his friends.
My story begins when we're playing in the Lupus Forest near the village. The forest is known because of the fierce wolves that inhabit it and because it covers largely of the region. Because of it the adults forbid their children not to play in the forest except in the outskirt of the forest which is where we are. We're playing when that incident happened. While we're playing suddenly the birds flied out of the forest. "What is happening?" asked my brother. "I don't know. Wolves?" said Frost. "No. Wolves can't reach the birds' nest up in the trees. It's something bigger or more dangerous than wolves," said me. After I said that, suddenly there's a fireball flying towards the village. "What is that?" asked Ventus. "That is a fireball! There's something that attack the village. Quickly, we must return immediately before whoever they are find us!" said me. Then, all of us started to run away.
I and my brother were running through the roads to the castle. "Hang on, Light! Just a few more feet," said me. "Brother, do you know who attacking us is?" asked Light. "I don't know. Bandits are impossible, they're too afraid to cross the forest and no mercenaries are brave enough to attack this village with our father in charge. So, that only leaves us one possibility. The Cadmusians. "Finally, we've arrived. Now, we must search for Dad," said me. Suddenly there's a fireball that hit our castle and caused the castle to shake and burn and the roof and walls started to crumble. While we're recovering from the hit, suddenly, some of the burned roof frame started to fall to my brother. "Light, watch out!" cried I. Without much thinking, I just ran and push my brother away from the rubble. "Brother, no!" cried my brother. I don't feel anything when the rubble fell to me. 'Ugh, is this how I'm going to die?' thought me. Suddenly, the rubble started to lift from my body and I started to see my father's face. "Death, are you alright?" asked my father. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just I think my left arm is broken." answered me. "Okay, let's get out of here," said my father. We started to get out from the castle with my father helped me to run. Once we got outside, my father gave us weapons. "Death, this scythe and blade are for you and Light, these swords are for you. Use it to protect you," said my father. "What're you going to do?" asked my brother. "I must help the other soldiers to defend the villages. I promise I will return once the battle is over." But, that promise can't ever be kept, because after my father said it there's an arrow that went through his heart. "Father!" cried Light. There are some enemy soldiers that were running towards us. "Look what we have here. Kill them all, starting from the man and then the white haired boy first. That black haired boy is injured, he can't do anything," said one of them. And then, they grabbed my brother and my father's body and preparing to cut their head. "Brother, help!" cried my brother. "Father, Light!" cried me. 'Ugh, why am I so weak?' 'Why am I so powerless?' 'Am I just going to sit here idly while they are going to get killed?' 'I want power; I want power to protect those who I held dear to me. I will give anything so I can get that power.'
'I want power.'
Suddenly, all around me started to disappear into darkness. 'What is happening? Am I already dead?' asked me in my heart. "If you're thinking that you're already death, the answer is no. You're still alive," said something in the darkness. "Who are you? Show yourself!" said me. Two hooded figures started to appear from within the darkness. "I am the God of Death. The one who gathers the souls of the dead at the underworld. My name is Thanatos," said the one at the left. "I am the Grim Reaper. The one who takes the souls of the living whose time have come for death. My name is Samael," said the one at the right. "We have heard your plea, son of darkness. We will give you power, but what will you give to us in return?" said them. Surprised by his words, I was thinking, 'Of course everything has its price but what will I give to them?' "So, what is your decision? What will you sacrifice to us, hm?" "I will give you…, my heart," said me. "Ah, the heart. Sacrificing it to us is going to give you tremendous power, but do you realize the consequences? You will receive great power but at the expenses of your feelings. You won't feel anything in your heart again. Is it worth it?" asked them. "Yes." "Are you sure?" I nodded. "Then, so be it. Prepare yourself." After they said it suddenly a ray of darkness came through me in the heart. At first, it is very painful but slowly the pain is gone. When the ray disappeared, I realized that I was no longer feeling despair like before, it's just hollow, I couldn't feel anything. "So, you have succeeded in standing the pain. Now, we will give you your power." They gave me the same weapons as my father gave me. "Are these?" said me. "Yes, these are the same weapon. Why do you think your father gave them to you? But the difference is they have been imbued by our powers and now you can use them at the highest potential. Call our name, and these weapons shall come to you. But now the contract is sealed, you must return," said them.
Slowly, the darkness's dissipating and I found myself on where I used to, when they are going to cut my father's and my brother's heads. The difference is now I have power. "Stop," said me while I'm trying to stand. One of them turned to me and said, "Who do you think you are can give us order like that?" "Heh, you're asking who I am," responded me. "I am The Reaper." In instant I ran to them while holding my weapons. A moment later, all of them have already crouching on the ground.
"Please, we beg your mercy," said one of them. "Mercy? Why should I give them to you? You're the one who attacked us mercilessly. Do you give the villager your mercy? No, you even kill them who're trying to run away, adults and children alike. Why should I give you mercy?" asked me. "We-we-we only did this because the commander orders us to. Please, we only did the order," said them. Because I didn't feel anything I didn't want to forgive them, but at that time I remember what my father said to me. "If you do the same as your enemy then you aren't better than them." I remembered even though I didn't feel anything again I still have my memories and my father always tell me to do what is right and don't do what is wrong. Thinking what my father would say if I didn't forgive them, I said, "Alright, you can go. But don't let me see you again and don't tell anyone that me and my brother are alive. Just tell your commander that all of the villagers have been burned to death and can no longer be identified." "Yes, we will. We promise. Thank you, thank you very much," said them and after that they started to run away.
Seeing that they already run away, I turned and grabbed my father's lifeless body and my unconscious brother. "Dad," said me. And then I started to run to the forest. In the middle of the way, my brother woke up. "What is happening? Where are they?" asked him. "I have beaten them and now they have run away," answered me. "Oh, but, what we're going to do now?" "Firstly, we have to go to somewhere safe and then we will plan our next move." "Okay then." After it, we're starting to run again into the forest. Since then, the time seemed to stop to me. Everything seemed to be still to me. Until I meet her.
