A boy awakes from his slumber, his faint blonde hair falling over his eyes, casting a shadow over his face and his faint sun-kissed skin tone being the only color. His fragile body trembles as he pushes himself upright. The surroundings are shrouded in darkness, the cold floor beneath him familiar yet unsettling, like an old memory that refuses to fade.
Suddenly, a bright shadow of light appears in front of him, growing steadily brighter until it almost blinds him. He scoots back, his palm slipping off the smooth floor as he tries to escape.
Regaining his composure, he glances up. A figure looms above him, leaning down, its right arm outstretched toward him. A voice murmurs, low and haunting.
One path will end all paths… choose wisely, or none remain, some endings are the only beginnings worth the cost, Remember… Even shadows can save a world.
The figure presses its palm through Sage's chest, ripping his soul from his body. The searing sensation is unlike anything he has ever felt: a heat that boils from the inside, making every fiber of his being scream in agony. But then, just as suddenly, the pain fades, leaving only an eerie silence.
A faint shout of his name–Sage–echoes through his mind, snapping him awake. His eyes flutter open, and he finds himself staring at the familiar wooden interior of his room. The morning light filters through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the floor.
Bang! Bang!
The sudden noise startles him. He turns to see a figure outside his window, his friend Yona, a boy with dark hair and black eyes, banging on the glass, trying to rouse him from his slumber. Yona's face is twisted in a mix of relief and joy.
"You're alive!" Yona exclaims, his voice muffled through the glass.
Yona clings to a branch outside Sage's window, his excitement nearly bubbling over as he continues shouting. Sage, still half-asleep and feeling oddly drained from the strange dream, stares at him blankly.
I know you see me! Don't ignore me! Yona yells, his voice rising with desperation.
Sage shifts his gaze away, his exhaustion weighing heavier than his curiosity about the events unfolding outside. But then, just as Yona's words fill the air, a sharp crackle sounds from the branch Yona is clinging to.
Before Sage can react, the branch snaps with a loud thud, sending Yona tumbling to the ground.
Sage glances down at his chest, where he had felt the strange, burning touch of the figure's palm.
What was that thing…? His thoughts swirl, trying to make sense of the sensation that had been so real, so painful. It felt like my soul was being boiled alive.
Just as he tries to focus on the memory, his door bursts open with a soft creak. His mother stands there, her face pale with disbelief and concern.
"Sage…" Her voice quivers as she takes in the sight of him sitting up in bed. She rushes forward, wrapping him in a tight, comforting embrace.
"We thought we lost you…" Her voice trembles with relief, her hands gently smoothing his hair. Sage, still reeling from the strange experience, closes his eyes and breathes in the warmth of her presence. He returns the hug, his earlier discomfort slowly melting away.
For a moment, the world feels normal again. But then, memories of the incident flood his mind of the chaos in Eirini Village, the screams of the dying, and the nightmare that led to the Slaughter of The Skeleton Orc.
A woman wails in pain as she gets decapitated by the skeleton orcs battered axe the villagers scatter around the bloodbath Why is that thing here! The man's head gets crushed by the skeleton orc's grip.
"Sage! Get a grip, let's go!" Yona shouts dragging Sage's hand, Sage frozen due to the shock Damn it, How can we escape with him like this! Yona grits his teeth looking back to see the skeleton orc charging at them. Yona expression turns dark
"Sage! Get it together, we need to go NOW!" Yona's voice pierced through the chaos, desperately yanking at Sage's arm. Sage stood frozen, his mind lost in the storm of panic and fear. How the hell are we supposed to escape this? Yona's gaze snapped over his shoulder, dread flooding his chest as he saw the skeletal orc barreling toward them, its eyes glowing with fury. His expression darkened.
"Sage! Focus!" Yona's shout broke through the haze, snapping Sage back into the present. But before either of them could react, the orc was upon them. Its massive fist collided with the two boys, sending them crashing through the air and smashing into the walls of a nearby house. The world spun violently, and the pain was immediate and all-encompassing.
"Ack!" Yona gasped, his body screaming in agony as numbness spread through his arm. He turned his head to find Sage, his breath catching in his throat as he saw his friend half-buried in rubble. Despite his own injuries, Yona gritted his teeth, trying to push himself to his feet. But before he could reach Sage, a knight appeared, swooping in and lifting Yona off the ground in one swift motion.
"Let go! My friend is still there! I need to help him!" Yona's voice broke as he pounded his fists weakly against the knight's back. The knight didn't stop, sprinting away from the wreckage. Yona glanced over his shoulder, his heart pounding as the orc picked through the debris, relentlessly searching for Sage. He called out desperately, "Sage!" But Sage remained motionless, unaware of the danger creeping closer.
(Eirini Village is small, quiet, and forgettable in the best way.
Low wooden homes clustered along dirt paths, their roofs patched with care rather than wealth. Smoke from morning fires drifted lazily into the air, carrying the scent of bread, damp earth, and livestock. Children ran freely between homes, laughter echoing without fear, while elders watched from worn benches beneath old trees. It was a place untouched by ambition, war, or fate content to exist, unseen by the world beyond it.)
Present Time
"Mom… what happened?" Sage asked weakly, his voice hoarse as he looked up at his mother, still holding him close. Her arms were a warm cocoon around him, but the worry etched on her face couldn't be ignored.
"There were bounders passing through when they sensed the entity nearby," his mother explained gently, her voice full of concern. "But are you alright? Do you feel any pain?"
Sage shook his head slowly, still dazed. "I'm fine…" He barely managed the words, his thoughts still jumbled.
"That's a relief," his mother sighed, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "You should lie down. I'll bring you something warm to eat." She placed a soft kiss on his forehead before leaving the room.
Sage remained in bed, his mind spinning. I should have died… so who saved me? The question gnawed at him. Time passed, and after a while, his mother returned with a warm meal, sitting beside him to explain what had happened.
"So, two bounders just happened to be passing by, killed the entity, and then left without a word?" Sage asked, trying to make sense of it all. "Did they not care about glory or recognition? Something doesn't sit right with me." He sighed, the weight of uncertainty hanging over him. I owe my life to whoever they were…
Before he could dwell on it any longer, Yona burst into the room through the window, looking triumphant.
"Ha! Finally broke in! You thought you could keep me out, huh?" Yona pointed at Sage with an exaggerated expression of victory.
Sage barely looked up. "I didn't even see you…"
Yona plopped down beside him, the energy of his usual antics subdued for once. "Do you remember anything?"
Sage tried to recall, his mind still foggy. "Not much… I remember running, then getting knocked down, and then… nothing. What happened to you?"
Yona shot up with enthusiasm, striking a dramatic pose. "I was saved by a knight!"
Sage raised an eyebrow. "So, you were too busy swooning over your 'savior' to even think about saving me?"
Yona shook his head, indignant. "No! I tried to help, but the knight scooped me up and carried me away like some kind of… well, like a princess!"
Sage rolled his eyes. "So now you're the damsel in distress. How lovely." He smirked. "So, what did this knight look like?"
Yona's eyes sparkled as he launched into the details. "Silver armor with scarlet red scarf, a sword that looked like a spine. How cool is that? No cross guard, though, which is kind of weird for a knight, right?"
Sage nodded, processing the details. "Anything else?"
Yona's eyes grew wide. "Well, the knight was… kind of petite. No, like really delicate-looking. Almost feminine." He paused dramatically, his face lighting up with excitement. "Wait–what if it was a girl?"
Sage gave him a flat look. "No way. There's no way a woman can be a knight."
Yona sighed dramatically, flopping onto the bed beside Sage. "Let me dream, Sage. Just let me have this one fantasy…"
(A Skeleton orc is a four star entity that had been rotting revealing parts of its bones and intestines, due to its quick healing replacing its rotting flesh and bones with layers of magic of its previous limbs making them much more powerful)
Beyond the rugged borders of Eirini village, the landscape begins to shift; dense forests give way to vast open plains, where the land feels wild and untamed. Here, two figures move with quiet authority atop a majestic Lumen wolf. Its fur, a blend of grays and earth tones, melds effortlessly with the surrounding wilderness. The beast stands nearly twelve feet tall at the shoulder, its muscular limbs carrying it through the terrain with terrifying speed and grace, a living shadow among the grass.
"Isolde," the woman at the front murmured, her voice a soft melody against the wind, "Did you recognize that boy back there?"
Isolde, the Knight, turned his head slightly, his armor creaking with the movement. His helmet and red scarf obscured most of his face, but his voice, a smooth, feminine cadence carried an undertone of curiosity. "Which one, Miss Valearis? The one with the dark hair?"
Valearis nodded. "Yes, him."
Isolde's brow furrowed slightly as he glanced back again, then shifted his focus to the road ahead. He hesitated. "You're right," he said, his tone sharpening. "He resembles Sir Azrael, those eyes, the red hue... and the way he carries himself. It's almost uncanny."
The wind howled, and Valearis's cloak billowed behind her like a shadow. Her hood slipped back, revealing the striking beauty of her features that seemed to belong more to the night than the day. Raven-black hair cascaded past her shoulders, and her pale skin glowed with an ethereal radiance. But it was her eyes icy blue, unblinking, and piercing that truly commanded attention. They were the eyes of someone who had seen the world's deepest secrets and held them within, knowing all too well the cost of such knowledge.
As she removed her hood entirely, the full extent of her presence became even more apparent. Her form was clad in a dark cloak embroidered with ancient runes, the fabric shimmering faintly as though the night sky itself clung to her. Beneath it, deep violet and blackrobes flowed like liquid shadows. An amulet, its obsidian stone encased in silver, hung around her neck, pulsing with an eerie, supernaturalenergy.
Her beauty was otherworldly, cold and unyielding, like the edge of a sword. It was the kind of beauty that could freeze the very air around her. Her voice, when she spoke, was smooth silken, yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority.
"Yes," Valearis said softly, her gaze distant as she watched Eirini village beyond the thick trees fade from view. "Those eyes... it's hard not to see the resemblance to Lord Azrael."
Isolde's voice was quieter now, more thoughtful. "Do you think it could really be him?"
Valearis didn't respond right away. Instead, her piercing gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the beyond the forest now seemed like a mere speck against the vast plains. She had always trusted her instincts, and they told her that something about this encounter was not what it seemed. The boy though no older than a mere child had the bearing of someone who had lived a thousandlifetimes.
The Lumen wolf beneath them let out a low growl, sensing the change in the air. Its pace quickened, its powerful legs eating up the distance with ease. As the wind picked up, the cloak around Valearis's shoulders billowed like a dark storm cloud, almost as though it had a life of its own.
"I don't want to jump to conclusions," Valearis continued, her voice steady, but with a hint of something else beneath it a restrainedtension. "It would be a great sin to hide someone of royalblood. But we do not know for certain if it is the Prince. Not yet."
Isolde's brows knitted together in confusion. "So, we just... watch?"
Valearis's lips curled into a small, enigmatic smile. "For now. There's more to this situation than meets the eye. And besides," she added "the other one was quite interesting as well."
Isolde tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "Interesting? In what way?"
A glint of amusement flickered in Valearis's eyes. "You weren't close enough to see it for yourself. I'll keep my thoughts to myself for now, but trust me, the situation is more complicated than it seems."
Isolde gave a slight nod, the silence between them thickening as they continued to ride. It wasn't often that Valearis kept things to herself, and her cryptic words only deepened Isolde's curiosity.
The Lumen wolf's speed seemed to increase as the plains stretched on before them. In the distance, Eirini village was a distant memory, swallowed by the vastness of the wild. There was something on the wind, a feeling, perhaps that whispered of impending change. Valearis's thoughts lingered on the boy and his companion, their faces etched into her mind. She would wait and watch. And when the time was right, the truth would reveal itself.
But for now, one thing was certain: The game had only just begun.
As the Lumen wolf bounded faster into the distance, its silhouette merging with the horizon, Valearis's thoughts turned inward. Sir Jazeera... your son is indeed quite interesting.
(Lumen wolves are a species from the Desolated Realm a world of entities, different from that of Grail Realm)
Sage and Yona are seated at the dinner table in Yona's family home, the warmth of the kitchen surrounding them. Both of them suddenly sneeze in perfect synchronicity, causing the entire room to fall into a brief, awkward silence.
Sage's mom, who's been quietly observing, chuckles softly. "My, my, did you both get each other sick?"
Sage and Yona immediately exchange a look. Their eyes narrow.
He's talking shit about me!
In a vast, surreal world constructed from their minds, Sage and Yona stand facing each other, the very air around them crackling with raw magical energy. The ground beneath their feet shifts between patterns of shifting sand, frozen landscapes, and molten rivers. This is their imagination, and here, they can create anything including a full-on battle to settle their differences.
Sage, a figure cloaked in swirling storm clouds, raises his hand, summoning thunder that cracks the sky. Yona, equally formidable, stands in a fiery armor of his own design, eyes glowing like embers.
"I know you're talking smack about me in your head" Sage sneers, his voice echoing with the rumble of distant thunder.
Yona responds with a scoff, his aura igniting with flames as he conjures a massive, blazing spear. "I could say the same for you dipshit."
They lunge at each other, their powers clashing in a blinding explosion of light and sound. Yona swings his fiery spear with precision, aiming for Sage's heart, while Sage counters with a bolt of lightning, twisting it into a serpent of raw energy. The two powers collide in a burst of sparks, a shockwave rippling through the imaginary world.
The battle continues, their fists clashing with elemental forces, sparks flying in every direction, shaping the very reality of their world. Suddenly, with a final crash, they both launch themselves into the air, and the world around them seems to freeze for a moment. Their eyes lock in a fierce stare, each determined to show who the true god of this realm is.
In a moment of mutual understanding, they both slam their foreheads together, their magical auras flaring up around them in a whirlwind of chaotic power. They glare into each other's eyes, silent but full of unspoken words.
And then-
Scene shifts to real life
They both glare at each other, as if their imaginary god battle hasn't quite finished. The room feels heavy with the lingering tension between them. Sage's mom, who'd been about to pour a second round of soup, pauses and tilts her head in confusion.
"Well, I didn't think a sneeze would turn into a staring contest," she muses, still not entirely understanding the silent war unfolding between them.