I stood at the center of a barren wasteland, all around me screams of terror and despair mixed into the air. I stared blankly at the sight of demons rushing in to kill every single being that breathes life.
I felt nothing as hope slowly drained from their eyes, the small village near the stream was immediately annihilated because of me. I had summoned my army and destroyed the village as my brother commanded. The war he's been fighting has been going on for years, and I stood by his side and followed his every command.
I have many names granted upon me by the humans whom I've killed. The Goddess of Death, The Merciless General, The Reaper, you name it. There was so many names that I've forgotten which one was originally mine.
I strolled around the village as if nothing happened while demons ate the souls of the people living here. Life, what was so interesting about it that they'd curse me for stealing their lives? If anything, they should thank me for ending their boring lives.
In this world, nothing has been interesting, everything felt boring.
Even my duties as a General for my brother's army didn't make me feel anything. I was simply doing it for the sake of doing something.
The glowing color of the stream caught my attention, the sapphire blue under the moonlight looked very beautiful.
I stayed there a little longer, even after the army went back. I sat near the stream, taking off my boots and letting the water touch my skin.
"Ah."
I looked up from the sudden voice, at the other side of the stream stood a young man with golden hair. Flowers in his hands.
"The village is destroyed...did you do this perhaps?"
I glared at him, how can a mere human think he could speak to me so carelessly?
"The flowers I picked for the young ones, I cannot give it to them now." He looked down sadly at his hands, then he kneeled down on the stream. "I can only pay tribute to their deaths by sending them away with these flowers."
His words caught my attention, I didn't think this man was harmless so I let him be a little longer, after that I will end his life like the corpses of the people behind me.
"Was those people precious to you?" I inquired, staring at the flowers he was letting go at the stream.
"Not really, but all life are precious."
I chuckled, "Can you really say that to the person who took their life?"
The man glanced sideways at me, "It does not matter to me who and what you are. All beings are the same in my eyes."
Strange, I tilted my head sidewards, I've never met a person who had such thoughts like his. Even my brother thought that we are superior from other beings.
"I've met you before, you know."
My eyes went wide, I don't think I've ever met this person before, and if I did, he'd probably be dead by now. No living being has ever escaped the chaos that I brought.
"Hundred of years ago."
My eyes flashed and I quickly stood up, summoning my scythe, "Are you from the Holy clan?" I hissed.
The corners of his mouth went up, as if finding my actions funny. "I belong to neither race, Reaper."
"Then what are you? You mentioned seeing me a hundred years ago."
"I am someone who oversees the way of the world. I am here but not here at the same time. I frequently visits villages like these one from time to time. Most of those places are gone now though." He eyed me meaningfully.
"I've never heard of a report about you on my brother's files."
"Ah, yes. The Demon King, and his desire to conquer this world. I often feel bad for the both of you, neither siblings know the beauty this world has."
I clenched my fists, "What beauty are you talking about anyways? There is nothing here in this world, nothing but a tedious place."
"For you, who hasn't seen anything must feel like that, but to me, who's been here since the beginning of time knows."
I gritted my teeth, "What do you know anyways?" I snapped, my temper flaring.
The man chuckled at my response, he reached out his hand to me, "Would you like me to show you?"
Under the moonlight, in the middle of the stream, there he stood with his hand out for me, his captivating smile and gentle eyes that for once didn't look at me with hatred or despair. His long golden hair fluttering in the wind, I didn't know what possessed me, but the moment felt so ethereal that I willingly reached out my hand to him.
And from then on, this dull world that didn't have any color, looked dazzling in my eyes when I was together with him.
———
Years passed by quickly, after meeting him there wasn't a day where I never felt alive. He showed me the beauty of this world, how precious life was, and everything that he did made my grey world brighter.
I didn't view human life as nothing now, I no longer became active in the war that my brother fought, instead of leading armies, I spent my time with him where we travelled this world together side by side.
What he said was true, he was someone who was here but wasn't at the same time. The people we visit would know about him, but after some time passes, they never remembered him like he wasn't there in the first place.
I was annoyed by the humans lack of memories, how could they forget him who was so bright and beautiful? I wasn't like them, so I know I'll never forget him.
"Luna," he called, my head immediately looking towards his direction. We were in a small town where he played daily with the children.
My heart fluttering when he called me by the name he had given me. I never had a real name, only called by my titles I achieved as a General. He gave me the name Luna, as it reminded him of the bright moon on the day we met.
"Shall we go home?" He flashed me his gentle smile, making me smile back in return. Home, it was a place I never knew the meaning of, but now, it was the place where we both go back to, where both our presence was residing in that house.
We both waved goodbye at the children, walking down the familiar path towards our place. "They loved you as usual today."
He chuckled, "Not as much as you think, they've been asking me advice on how to approach the pretty sister."
"Is my demonic presence still there? Am I scaring them?"
He laughed at me, "No, silly. They want to talk to you but they're having a hard time approaching you."
"Would playing with them make you happy?"
"Of course."
I grinned, "Then I'll play with them tomorrow."
On our way home, we saw an injured puppy on the ground. He immediately went by the pup's side and soothed its cries. However, the pup while bleeding, thought he was dangerous and bared his fangs, biting his reaching hand.
"Ugh!" He flinched.
I tensed up, my anger flaring at the sight of him hurt. He must've sensed my leaking wrath behind him as he quickly turned his gaze and calmed me down.
"Its alright, I'm not badly hurt. Come, lets take this puppy home and take care of him." He gently smiled down at the whimpering puppy, his eyes already shining with the creature before him.
I grumbled under my breath but didn't complain, for I know that taking care of life was something precious to him.
At our home, he quickly took care of the puppy, he healed the small pup and bathed him, in no time the pup looked better than it was earlier. No doubt that this creature was gonna be a part of our home now since he already started making a spot for it on our house.
While he was busy I used my magic to heal his injured hand, he was too busy taking care of the puppy that he didn't even thought of himself.
"You should be careful, your body is like those of a human. What if you died?"
He snorted, "I won't die."
I narrowed my eyes, "What makes you say so?"
He sat down ang looked at me, his golden eyes contemplating for a moment before he grinned. "Alright, I'll show you."
I raised my brow at him, wondering what the hell was he talking about when he reached out inside his chest, golden light shines as his hand passed through and took out something from inside him.
He showed the object in his hand, "This is my heart."
"How can an hourglass be your heart?"
"This hourglass represents my existence.Once the hourglass resets, everyone whom I've met, will forget about me. As I am a being who's here but not at the same time. My heart is the key to the shackles of this world, if I die right now I'll simply be reborn once the hourglass turns."
"So you'll be fine as long as you have your heart?"
"Of course."
"Then I'll protect it. I will take care of you even after a thousands of years passed."
He laughed at my words, "I doubt it."
"I'm serious!"
———
Years flew by in an instant, spending time together with him felt like eternity of pure bliss. I truly believed that nothing wrong could happen to us, that everything would be the same as long as we were together.
One day, the dog that we've been raising together finally took it's last breath. Cali became a part of our home, he was a joyful creature who understood the both of us, he comforted me when I felt sad that people started forgetting about my important person, and Cali made that person happy whenever I didn't know how to cheat him up. Us three felt like a home. But now that Cali is gone something in me felt ominous, that soon, something bad was going to happen.
He cried while we buried Cali on the backyard, I stood behind him with a blank face. He must be thinking on how I couldn't even shed a tear for Cali, what he was experiencing right now was what he called grief, I didn't understand that feeling quite well so I stood behind him quietly, sure I felt sad that Cali was gone, but it didn't change the fact that life was fleeting.
I decided to leave him alone with Cali's grave for a while, as I went into the forest to pick some flowers for Cali's grave. I didn't know how long I spent time there, but chills run up my spine when I felt the familiar feeling of the underworld gate opening.
The flowers fell down on the ground as I run towards our home, hundreds of years has passed since I abandoned the underworld and travelled the world with him, I hadn't heard any news about my brother or the war he fought. My heart sank when I thought of that person in harms way, this demonic presence coming from our home was no doubt my brother's.
When I arrived at our home, I saw my brother standing over that person, he laid lifeless on the ground. My brother looked over his shoulder at me, there it was, his cruel smile and cold eyes that never changed. In his bloodied hand was a glowing hourglass.
"I must thank you, sister. For you have brought me the piece I've been searching for all these time." He laughed cruelly. "With this I can finally unleash my full power on this world, destroy the Holy clan and feast on their souls." His eyes shook with madness, shoulders shaking as he anticipated the future that he had wanted for hundreds of years.
"What have you done...?" I whispered as my eyes remained on his limp body, blood leaking out from under him.
Suddenly, my world fell silent, the color that have been so shining brightly faded away. Strangely, everything became empty.
I can hear my voice ringing in my ear, replaying countless times the promise I've made.
'I will protect you.'
I forced my legs to move towards him, kneeling on the ground I shook his body. "Hey..."
He laid unresponsive to my call, I shook him more, pleading that this was only a cruel joke.
"Hey...Arius, come on wake up. Don't be like that."
I looked down on my shaking hand, his blood warm on my fingers, yet his body has long gone cold. I tried using healing magic on him, but alas his eyes remained close. How I wish his golden eyes opened once more.
A shadow loomed over me, "Look at you, what a pathetic state you've become sister. Is this what this man did to you? Make you weak that you'd beg on your knees like that?"
I froze as I listened to his words, I could feel something in me breaking slowly like a dam, and I knew that once it broke the wave unleashed would bring calamity.
"Join me sister, and leave this foolish man behind."
"Foolish...?"
There wasn't a moment where I felt like a fool for following him that night, everything in my life became brighter when he was in it, like the sun, he was the center of my world.
And now that person is gone. My sun, my world, my home, all became nothing in an instant.
I slowly turned my head towards my brother.
Ah. Its his fault. This person took my precious 'life' away from me. Now I know what he felt like during those few moments.
I stood up. You, who took my precious person to me, you who destroyed my world, you who ruined everything, I, too, shall destroy your hope and dreams.
In an instant I rushed towards my brother with an intent to kill. I used all my magic to fight off against him, destroying the restrictions I had on my powers, knowing the price to pay. Using my full powers was equivalent to using your life force.
But it didn't matter to me as long as I killed this person. A life, for a life. Everyone must pay a price.
The faintly glowing hourglass in his hands caught my attention. A sudden hope bloom inside me. If I had that, come back to life right?
He easily threw me away like a bug on his path. Smirking his magic wrapped up around the hourglass, I knew what he was doing, he was trying to absorb the hourglass into him. Before he had a chance I quickly threw my scythe towards him, which he caught in his hands in an instant.
I used that moment of distraction to kick the hourglass out of his hands, it flew high into the air, without faltering I muttered a forbidden spell under my breath. A circle formed quickly underneath us both, shackles burst forth and wrapped itself around my brother. I knew I didn't stand a chance against him, for he was the King and I was merely his General. Thats why using my life force for the spell was the only way I could stop him.
I couldn't kill him now, but I'll definitely do it.
"STOP THIS NONSENSE THIS INSTANT!" He hissed as the shackles continued to drag him down back towards the underworld.
Using my life I casted the seal for the underworld.
My brother unleashed all his magic at once, trying to stop me from sealing him away. But we weren't siblings for nothing.
Life force was stronger than magic.
I fell down on the ground as the seal became complete, my last memory of my brother was his face turning into stone from the shackles of the seal. From now on, the underworld can never be opened.
I let out a cough, dark red liquid splashed on the grass. This was the price to pay for using forbidden magic, but it didn't matter to me, for that person was gone in this world.
A few steps away from me was the hourglass. I forced my body to move, there was still time, I can still bring him back if I put his heart back. He had said himself that he'd be reborn as long as he had the hourglass.
Shaking fingers reached out towards it, as I lifted it up the crack became visible. My eyes went wide at the sight, "No, no you can't break." I whispered frantically.
However, the crack continued to spread without stopping until it broke into pieces, the golden sand slipped through my fingers.
"No...but why?" I stared in disbelief.
Suddenly, his words rang in my ear.
'My heart is the balance of the world.'
Could it be that it broke because I used forbidden magic to seal away the underworld? Because I broke the balance the hourglass got destroyed into pieces.
I glanced at his limp and cold body. "What have I done?"
With no strength left I crawled towards him, laying down beside his side where I rightfully belonged. I held his cold hand, "I'm sorry."
I didn't know that sealing away the underworld will bring his death. In a sense, I killed him. I had destroy our home, and now I was going to die with him.
It wasn't that bad parting off after him. I've lived a long life, and the last few moments of it were happy together with him. I'm glad that I met him, I'm happy that he taught me the beauty of this world and how to value life.
Moving on like this with him felt like peace to me.
Before I could take my last breath, the broken pieces of the hourglass floated into the air. The 13 pieces broke apart and scattered into the world, a piece remained behind and floated above my chest.
I didn't know what happened as I fell unconscious.
———
The years came and go, it felt like a long time has passed, a never ending time where everything felt dull.
When I opened my eyes after the accident, I had realized that I was asleep for a decade. I drowned in grief as I realized that I remained behind, and that everything was not like it used to.
My world became dull once again, I lost sense of myself as I roamed from place to place, wondering why I was able to live, and what was the reason for my continued existence in this world.
After a long time, I had realized I did not age. Nor did I die no matter what attempts I did. I realized too late that a piece of that hourglass was inside me all this time.
Was this his way of protecting me? Or him telling me that he was still here in me? But no, I doubt it was something like that.
This was my curse for destroying the balance of the world. The underworld was sealed off, and the Holy clan was left to rule the world. Centuries passed as humanity progressed while I continued to roam this world.
The 13 pieces that scattered all over the world caused disturbance. Where ever the pieces were, the civilization around it got affected, humans were born with powers, unknown creatures was given life, and strange places appeared.
As for me, who have one of the pieces inside me, continued to live endlessly. A life I didn't want, immortality for my crime. Now that Arius was gone, I had took his place and oversee the balance of the world.
Whenever a piece would let itself known, I had to go come and collect the piece to assemble the hourglass, and every century that it came, wherever it was, he was there.
A person who resembled him. It was him but not at the same time.
Whenever a piece appeared, a reincarnation of himself would also be there. As if it knew that the piece belonged to him.
I watched his life come and go as the pieces started to complete.
In every life that he was reborn, I was by his side. Supporting him and teaching him the beauty of life like he taught me.
It was repetetive process that did nothing but hurt me. But no matter what I do, no matter what reincarnation of him it was, it was still Him.
Same, but not at the same time.
And yet I loved him all through his reincarnations.
Now, the final piece has come, in his 12th life, the hourglass would be complete.
And it came the end of my life.
———
(Hello guys, this is a one shot I'd thought of today. I wanted to try it out and if people liked the story I will continue the story in more detail. Focusing more on Luna's journey with the final piece and what will happen between them.)
