Chapter One
Looking around, I was tired of the war, the desperation of this battle, and everyone's desire for it to end. I looked around, searching for Lucius.
"Lucius! Where are you?" I looked around, where the bloody battle between Narnia and Valenor was taking place. Desperately, I started to run, searching for Lucius.
"Where did you go, Lucius? You are always gone when I need you!"
Soldiers fighting with each other, bodies lying in blood, eyes closed and pale faces, their lungs failing, they were gone. 'I must stop this war now' I thought to myself. While spotting Lucius, running in his direction.
"What are you doing here? I was looking for you!" I look at Lucius.
"That is unexpected, considering our current circumstances." He said in a matter-of-fact
"Hehe, you never change, Lucius," I sighed. Looking at him, I noticed something. "You are wounded."
He looked in my direction. "Oh, this? It's simply a scar."His smile was a stark contrast against his pale, blood-splattered skin. His golden hair was tangled and unkempt from days of battle, and his usually vibrant blue eyes were now dull and shadowed with exhaustion.
Lucius was clutching the wound in his abdomen, blood seeping between his fingers. Despite the pain, he looked at me with a gentle smile gracing his lips. I met his gaze, blinking back tears and forcing my lips into a trembling smile. "Lucius, let us end this war…" I suggested, at the same time as walking towards him.
"It is not that simple, Erebus. Please explain further." He hissed in pain as I channeled my ethereal energy—the same energy that many kingdoms denounced as "devil magic"—to mend his gaping wound. "Close," I commanded, my voice unwavering as I met his gaze with an intensity that mirrored the power surging through my fingertips. "Let's end his war, create an empire, call it Khangfor. Where all magic can be together, where our people can be in peace, and where they can be equal to them with no discrimination. Just peace." I knelt before Lucius, my power dissipating into the air around us as I spoke. "End this war by killing me, Lucius, I'm tired of this, there is no use, this is only killing our people".
"Erebus, please reconsider your statement. It's unwise to pursue such a course of action. We can find an alternative solution to resolve this predicament. Remember our pact? We vowed to face the world together. Do you recall?" Lucius's eyes, usually a bright ocean blue, were now clouded, and a single tear traced a path down his cheek and met mine as he reached out and grasped my hand.
"Oh, Lucius…" Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as they streamed down my face. The salty drops traced paths down my cheeks, reaching my chin before dripping onto my clothes, leaving behind dark, damp spots. "It is okay. But this is the only way to end this. On the other hand, this is the greatest opportunity for your Mother's revenge and your goal: Create peace between our nations, my dear Lucius." Dark mist swirled around me like a nocturnal shroud, obscuring everything from view. 'Lord Kud, I may join you today' I smiled to myself, knowing that it was the end. I said, "Stringing him like a puppet," and Lucius's body was involuntarily enveloped by my power, forcing him to comply with my every command.
"Lucius, I, Heir of the god Kud, as my last command, I want you to end this war by sacrificing me and taking my blood as evidence of your victory, make peace, and create the greatest empire in the future, Khangfor."
"Cease this immediately! You are aware that I am unable to utilize my powers currently! I am weak! Wait— Erebus! Stop! You know that I cannot survive without you!" Lucius attempted to fight my magic, but it was futile. I knew he was in a weakened state, and that is why I used my powers on him.
Seconds turned into an eternity as the world fell silent. Every sound disappeared, leaving only Lucius and me. His body moved with a chilling obedience to my final command. The end was here, and I knew it. "I understand, my dear Day. I've observed that you've been tirelessly engaged in this conflict for days without rest. As a result, you've temporarily lost your powers. Forgive me for taking advantage of this situation." A faint smile touches my lips. "It may be foolish to express this now, but I love you."
Lucius's sword pierced my body, a cold blade slicing through my organs, and the pain was agonizingly slow. As I collapsed to the floor, my powers ebbed away, leaving me weak and helpless. Through blurred vision, I saw Lucius cradle me in his arms. His embrace was a stark contrast to the icy grip of death closing in on me. I looked up and into his eyes, shimmering with unshed tears. My life flickered, and at that moment, I felt an overwhelming sadness. The world around me was fading to black.
"Lucius, your tender heart betrays you," I murmured, a bittersweet smile gracing my lips. "I knew your love would never allow you to harm me... But I love you, regardless."
Lucius' voice was thick with sorrow, "The vow that we would face the world together has been shattered. You promised to remain by my side, yet now you depart. How can I possibly bear this agony?"
I silenced his anguish with a kiss, salty with his tears and my sorrow. "Forgive me, my love," I whispered against his lips, my heart breaking. "Farewell. Find happiness."
The battlefield lay silent around them, the clash of steel and the cries of the dying replaced by an eerie stillness. The smoke cleared, revealing a sky washed clean by the rain, the sun's rays finally breaking through the clouds. Lucius's tears fell like diamonds in the newfound light, his body wracked with sobs as he held his lifeless form