My name, a slot in my Demon System that has been empty this entire time... What a question. My eyes look into the dark sky, a sight filled with so many little lights. The rain splashed down on my face, and the massive world that floated above shone brighter than before. My eyes sparkled as I looked into the beautiful sky. Flashes of light lit up the world, and with them, loud booms followed. My hands reached up into the sky, grasping at the massive rock. My hand clamped close, and my eyes sparkled.
Pulling my arm back. My chest felt lighter, and a giant smile appeared on my face.
"What are those small lights?"
The man looked at me, confused for a moment before following my gaze into the night sky.
"Those are stars, and that big planet there is called Umbra Astrum. They are all celestial bodies that float in the endless darkness." The man explained.
My eyes glowed as he told me. They looked up at the sky once again. Stars... Beauty... Endless... Visions of the massive star that I saw flashed through my mind, that giant planet, the massive prison of black... The abyss was truly magnificent. It is never-ending. A blaze ignited in my heart, my eyes focusing on Umbra Astrum.
"I want to go there one day..." I said while pointing at the massive planet.
The man sighed. "Dream big, kid."
Looking into the sky, my heart raced. This place was full of adventure, full of pain, full of peace. This is my place. This is where I want to be; this is my home.
"I'm Luna... and I live on Clara Astrum."
That was my name, Luna. It reminds me of the stars; that's why I chose it. It symbolizes that I am bigger than what I seem. From far away, I'm small, but inside I hold much more.
The man looked at me and smiled.
"Hey there, Luna, it's a pleasure to meet you."
I smiled back, showing him my perfectly white teeth.
"It's nice to meet you, too!"
The commander and I chatted for a little longer. I asked him about many things. According to him, the giant ball of fire in the sky is called the sun, but in reality, it is just another star, one that is far closer than the others. He told me about the world we lived in and about other realms. This realm was known as Clara Atrum, and we were on the continent of Aurolion, in the Kingdom of Elarion. The other realms are Celestria and Mortuus Lux.
The commander spoke fondly of Clara Astrum, describing a world full of adventure. He spoke about the diversity of Clara Astrum and how many races thrived on it. The elves, dwarfs, humans, lizardmen, beastmen, and so many more! The commander stated that Clara Astrum was a massive planet, home to endless plains, mighty forests, vast oceans, scorching deserts, terrible marshes, horrid badlands, and mighty mountain ranges.
He reminisced about his glory days and how he travelled across the continent, searching for fame and treasure. He spoke of the elven kingdom of Astrael and how he was chased out of the capital, Astralyth, after stealing a relic he found within the palace. He mentioned that he was invited to the dwarven kingdom of Khazdrum, and that was where he had hand-forged his battle axe, in the capital, Grimhold, at one of the city's ancient forges.
He continued to speak about all his adventures and how he ventured through many of this continent's lands, including the lands of the many beastmen tribes and the lizardmen kingdom of Zar'Khesh. He laughed as he told me a story of how he almost drowned in their capital city, Xal'Thuun. Chuckling, the commander moved on, speaking about a time when he was a mercenary for a massive city called Stormgate. He spoke about how the city stood as a pillar between the human kingdoms of Elarion and Valthorne.
"Stormgate was a massive city in Elarion; people spoke of how the city would never fall..."
The commander's face hardened as he told the story.
"They said the city would never crumble, but that was until a massive beast appeared. It towered hundreds of meters into the sky; it had wings that rivalled the size of mountains and impermeable scales. A fire dragon... In a single night, the monster reduced Stormgate to ashes."
He spoke about the blazing fire, the screaming, and the blood; he shivered for a moment. He said that he was lucky to make it out of that hellscape alive. That was his final adventure; he settled down in Lumere, married, had two daughters, and lived a good life up until recently.
According to him, around ten years ago, his wife passed away from illness, and he was left to raise his two daughters all by himself. He said that when she had died, Bella was only 14, and her sister Angie was 8. Earlier in the week, his youngest daughter was in the forest by herself, picking herbs to bring back to Lady Liora.
Angie was working hard to become an apprentice, but while picking herbs, she stumbled upon the Aurelion Frenzied Bear and met a gruesome demise. The commander said that they found her intestines hanging in the trees, with each of her limbs spread across the ground. When they found her head, they noticed that the beast had ripped out both her eyes. He blames himself for Bella's death, as the rage that consumed the commander was the reason the hunting party was formed, which cost his eldest daughter her life as well...
While speaking, his hand gripped the window frame hard, causing a massive crack to appear where he was holding it. His breathing accelerated for a moment before calming. He breathed out and closed his eyes before moving on to the other realms.
Celestria... According to the commander, he knew little about Celestria, only that it was a realm no one had ever visited; the only well-known fact was that it was home to the Angels, a race of mythical beings with divine power. People say that if an angel ever descended into Clara Astrum, it either means the beginning of a new era and the end of the old one. Apparently, they are fierce warriors with wings of light that could pierce the mightiest of creatures.
Rain fell harder as his face grew sad.
"The final known realm is Mortuus Lux..."
My mind wandered as he spoke the name, my stomach tingling, and my heart began to race.
"It is the cruellest of worlds... A desolate landscape filled with horrible monstrosities. Death, pain, and demons are all that wander in that blood-soaked hellscape.
My eyes widened, the word "demon" replaying itself in my head.
"Are demons as bad as you say?" I asked.
He looked at me, pity in his eyes.
"Kid, you can't even comprehend how terrible they are."
He grasped the wooden frame even harder.
"I've only faced one in my entire life... Luckily, it was just a fledgling... But that day was when my world changed."
He took out another roll of herbs, lighting it and taking a puff before speaking again.
"I travelled the world with my companions, spent years with them by my side, but on that day... That accursed day, they were taken from this world, taken from me."
Raising his head to the dark sky, he closed his eyes as water soaked his hair, and droplets flowed down his face. His slicked-back hair was drenched, making his forehead shine.
"It was terrifying, kid... A devil that stands 3 meters tall, with long, jet-black horns that protrude from its head, wings of bone, skin the colour of blood, and eyes that burned crimson. A creature that you would only see in your worst nightmares..."
Taking another puff, he let the smoke curl into the night sky, disappearing with the wind.
"First to fall was my friend Frank, head ripped from his shoulders, arms torn from their sockets."
His voice cracked slightly as he continued.
"Next was Jenna; her arrows never missed, but that day was the first time they were ever blocked. The demon grabbed the arrow mid-air, sending it flying back at her, piercing her heart and ending her life in an instant."
He reached over and stroked something inside his room that I could not see.
"The last one was my own brother James, a great battle mage. We fought like true warriors, working together as a team. The fight seemed in our favour, until... until he ran out of mana."
His mouth trembled, and his hands shook.
"The only reason I'm here today, kid, is because of him. He fought through the exhaustion, through the pain, casting one final spell that trapped the demon in place for a mere moment... But that mere moment was all I needed to bury my axe in its neck. I still remember the sound it made as my axe cut through its flesh, its scream a fearful, bloodcurdling scream."
He sighed.
"We won that battle, but I was the only one who survived; my brother used the last of his life casting that spell."
The commander coughed, covering his mouth with his remaining good hand.
"So kid, if you ever see a demon, run as fast as you can in the other way; don't look back, don't stop, just keep going."
The man puffed again, releasing smoke and looking into my crimson eyes.
"You have the eyes of a demon but the spirit of a true survivor... So, kid, survive, fight for who you love, and most importantly, fight for yourself."
Looking at him, my heart raced, my body jolted, and, looking down into the darkness, I gave the man a silent nod. I knew demons were fierce creatures; I knew that some were not all good, but never did I realize that they were cruel... Am I cruel? Will I make people suffer?
Breathing for a second, my mind calmed down. Yes, I will; that is the nature of this world, and if I need to hurt others to keep myself and the people around me safe, then I will not hesitate. Looking at the man, I opened my mouth, but before speaking, the commander cut me off.
"Hey, kid... It's been a long night. I think it's time to call it.
The commander blew smoke out one more time before using his thumb to extinguish the flame. He tossed the burnt herb roll into the darkness before looking at the sky once again. The sky whitened as another bolt shot through it, a roar following behind it. The rain pattered against his face as he breathed a deep, long breath. Looking at me, he smiled.
"Sleep well, kiddo," he said before walking away from the window and closing it.
The man was gone, leaving me alone with the rain once again. The cold wind blew through my pure white hair; leaves rustled, and puddles danced. The world was so chaotic, but also so peaceful. Looking at the world, I breathed out.
As time passed, the rain lessened, and the roars faded into the distance. The sky was begging to glow, and songs full of chirps filled the soaked village. The lanterns began to fade as, over the horizon, the sun appeared, casting an orangish-yellow glow across the land. I watched as it rose over the massive trees that surrounded the small villages. People began to walk down below, a few even waving at me, which I returned with a big smile and a wave of my own.
My eyes flowed over the bustling morning activity before I was knocked out of my trance. At my door, someone knocked. Hearing the noise, I quickly closed the window and ran to my bed, hopping into it. With a loud "click," the door opened wide, revealing Matt standing there.
"Ready to go?"