Finally, after the massacre that had occured even though the goddess had told Luca not to take too many lives, only the commander remained.
He stood frozen in fear amidst the carnage, surrounded by the bodies of his fallen soldiers, his face pale and slick with sweat. He watched, his eyes wide with terror, as Luca approached, his movements now slower, more deliberate, the blood staining his hands and arms a deep, gruesome crimson.
Luca's face, the burns that had so disfigured him earlier, were now almost completely healed, his features returning to a more human, albeit still somewhat scarred, form.
The change, the sudden shift from monstrous fury to something resembling...normalcy...was even more terrifying than the massacre itself.
Luca stopped before the commander, who couldn't even run because his legs wouldn't respond to him and then reached out, his hand closing around the commander's throat, lifting him off his feet with seemingly effortless strength.
"Gwak!~ Haak!~ Gahhh!~ Gkkk!~"
The commander gasped, his eyes bulging, his hands clawing at Luca's grip. He looked down at the sea of blood and bodies beneath him, then up at the face of the man the thing that held him suspended in the air, and a wave of despair washed over him.
He knew. He knew there was no escape.
He choked out a final desperate plea, his voice raspy and weak. "You...You can't...Kill me..." He gasped for air. "I'm...a noble...employed by the... emperor...himself! If you kill me...the consequences...unimaginable!"
Luca tilted his head slightly, as if considering this new information. He feigned a look of surprise, his eyes widening slightly.
"Oh, no." He said, his voice laced with mock horror. "I can't possibly do that! That would be...terrible!"
The commander, clinging to this sliver of hope, felt a surge of relief. Perhaps...Perhaps he could still survive this nightmare. Perhaps this...creature...could be reasoned with.
But then Luca continued, his voice dropping to a low, chilling murmur.
"So to avoid the hassle of facing such consequences..." He said, his smile returning.
"...I'll just have to kill the emperor too."
The commander's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Luca, his mind struggling to process the sheer audacity of the statement. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Luca, still holding the commander aloft with one hand decided that it was time as well, so he placed his other hand on his chest. He then slowly, deliberately, pushed his hand into the commander's chest, through the armor, through the flesh, through the bones, until he grasped the still-beating heart within.
He looked at the commander, his eyes locking with his, and then, with a slow, deliberate twist, he ripped the heart from its place.
Thwarch!~
He held it up, the still-beating heart pulsing in his blood-soaked hand, and showed it to the commander. The commander, his vision fading, his life force ebbing away, stared at the grotesque trophy, his eyes filled with disbelief at seeing his own heart before his eyes, before immediately passing away.
Luca, still holding the heart in his hand, casually crushed it, the squelching sound echoing through the ruined temple. He then dropped the now-lifeless heart and his body onto the pile at his feet, his expression unchanged.
He looked around at the carnage, at the bodies of the soldiers, at the blood-stained ground, and then, with a sigh, he turned and walked away.
To be more exact, he walked back towards the group of elders, now with a gentle look in his gaze as if he hadn't just butchered over a hundred lives. He also noticed their gazes, a mixture of awe, fear, and something else he couldn't quite place.
"What's with the stares? You'd think you'd seen a ghost...or something worse."
The elder elf, her face etched with wisdom and a hint of sadness, chuckled softly. "You're not far off, child...You are a demon, after all."
Luca's eyebrows shot up at the accusation. "A demon? Hey now, just because I killed a bunch of people doesn't make me the bad guy. In fact, I did it for—"
"A demon on our side." The elder interrupted, her gaze softening. A small smile touched her lips. "That makes all the difference."
Luca for some reason felt a strange warmth spread through him at her words like she truly understand his intentions, even after seeing the gruesome display.
She then glanced at the pile of other hearts near the edge of the ritual circle and said with a rueful smile on her face, "And I believe we won't be calling you 'undead' anymore. I saw what happened to those who did."
"...A persuasive demonstration indeed." She said which made him chuckle as he wiped the blood off his hands into his clothes.
"Also..." The elder said, her gaze meeting his. "I see your face has...returned to normal. A surprise, to be sure."
"So, what do you think? I'm much more better looking then I was before right?" Luca asked as stepped closer to let her have a closer look.
"Well, your still not as handsome as our elf race...But for a mortal you truly are pleasing to the eye whether in terms of your looks or attitude." The elder joked while the rest of the elders chuckled in agreement, as they hadn't even met a human as casual and friendly as him.
But the suddenly, the elder's smile faded, replaced by a look of profound sadness.
"I'm truly glad..." She murmured as she looked deeply into his eyes like she were trying to etch his face into her memory for one last time. "...that I got to see the face of our savior before I moved on. And I'm pretty sure everyone else thinks the same as well."
Luca's brow furrowed at the sudden statement that didn't seem too good.
"Moved on? What are you talking about? Where are you going?" He asked as he had a bad feeling about this. He then joked saying, "Haha...Don't tell me by moving on, you're going to the heavens now?"
He expected them to laugh in return and say of course that wouldn't happen. But to his utter shock, that didn't happen as the mood only grew even more sombre, while the others also gave wry smiles like they were accepting their fate.
The elder elf then sighed, a long, drawn-out breath that seemed to carry the weight of centuries and she decided to reveal the unfortunate truth.
"Well, what you said is actually true, Luca. We're...slowly moving on from this world. And soon, we'll be gone." She said and then held out her hand like she were trying to show something.
And after having a single glance, Luca stared in disbelief as the edges of her hand shimmered and blurred, dissolving into nothingness. The other elders followed suit, extending their own hands, each one exhibiting the same unsettling effect.
Luca's heart pounded in his chest, a cold dread creeping over him. He took a step back, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. "
What...What's happening? What is this?"
"We knew this would happen." The elf elder explained calmly, her voice unwavering even as her form began to dissipate further. "When we established a direct connection with the gods, using the ancient ritual...it takes a toll. It consumes the life force of those who perform it."
"That's why only the elders came to this island." The elder with dragon wings and a tail added, her voice weak but accepting. "It was a last resort. A necessary sacrifice."
Luca watched in disbelief as the elders continued to fade just like they sai. Their ancient, wise faces bore gentle smiles, and their translucent forms shimmered in the blood-tinged air. The gruesome remnants of battle around them made the sight all the more surreal.
They were dying—no, passing on. It was like they were moving into some other realm, their bodies dissolving bit by bit in soft glimmers of arcane light.
Luca then turned to the elder elf, his voice subdued. "So there's really nothing I can do to stop this?"
She shook her head slowly, the movement causing motes of her hair to drift upward like faint wisps of smoke.
"No, child." She murmured. "We knew from the start that our fates were sealed the moment we invoked the ritual and...we have accepted it."
The others nodded, their faces peaceful. They wore expressions of quiet contentment, as if they carried no regrets into whatever waited for them beyond.
Luca felt a pang of guilt and sadness tighten in his chest, but at the same time, he respected their resolve.
He let out a long, resigned sigh. "Well..." He said. "I guess that's that." He glanced at the elder elf. Despite the solemnity of the moment, a small, mischievous smile tugged at his lips as he continued saying, "It's a pity, you know. I was just getting used to being coddled by you grandmothers."
"...Those few minutes were…kinda nice."
A ripple of gentle laughter passed through the fading circle of elders.
The elder elf—her form already half-translucent, edges shimmering like morning dew—smiled at Luca through the thinning veil of reality.
"For us to, child. It was quite nice...to have a human fight for us." She whispered, her voice resonating with a quiet gratitude. "To see such…passion to protect us…in a being we once feared. I wish…" Her shimmering hand reached out to him, though she no longer had the substance to grip his sleeve. "I wish I had more time to see it, to watch how you might change this world."
Luca, blood still smeared across his arms and clothes, managed a small, sad grin. "I'm not sure anyone should be admiring me when I'm in a frenzy since I'm not the best influence." He said with a half-joking shrug. "But…thanks. I didn't mind fighting on your behalf."
A ghost of a chuckle escaped her lips, a fragile sound that echoed faintly across the crimson-soaked chamber. She glanced at her own hand, saw it fading more rapidly, and the soft humor on her face turned to gentle urgency.
"Time…we have so little of it left. There is something you must take, dear saviour." Her eyes flicked over to a corner of the ruined temple, where an old leather sack leaned against a crumbling wall. "That bag contains scrolls, records, and artifacts—information on our customs, on the other clans, on how to handle…delicate matters. It will help you negotiate, to…guide them."
Luca followed her gaze, noticing the satchel for the first time. It was stained with soot and dust, but intact. He nodded, stepping over pools of blood and toppled stone to retrieve it. He hefted it in one hand, feeling its weight.
"Guess I'll need to read up." He said, forcing a little grin. "No rest for the wicked, huh?"
She let out another soft laugh, though her voice was rapidly diminishing.
"You will need much more than rest to handle the clan leaders back on the continent. Our daughters can be...untrusting." Her expression turned serious. "Especially of a human. Some may outright reject you. But…please, be patient with them. They have suffered. We all have."
"...You musy prove yourself worthy of their trust."
Luca's gaze fell to the bloodstained floor, where the bodies of fallen soldiers lay in grotesque stillness.
"I can do patience." He said quietly. Then, looking back up, he tried a smirk. "As long as they don't call me an 'undead' or some nonsense, we'll be fine."
A chorus of fading chuckles rose from the circle of elders, their spectral forms shuddering like candle flames in a draft.
Even the salamander elder, her fiery hair flickering translucently, managed a weak grin. "Yes…Yes, be sure to warn them." She teased in a whisper. "We don't want our own saviour to turn on us after all."
"Well, I'd rather not do that again if I can help it. Kind of messy." Luca raised an eyebrow, half-amused.
The elf elder's smile turned affectionate. "They'll learn." She assured him softly. "But…please don't be too hard on them." Her lips curved into a tender smile. "And…especially…be patient with my granddaughters and the other elders' granddaughters as well."
"...They are formidable young ladies, all quite cheeky and opinionated in their own ways. But they all have hearts in the right places. But may the gods have mercy on you to deal with their antics."
She added with a twinkle in her fast-disappearing eyes.
Luca gave a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as he pictured dealing with a whole contingent of no-nonsense, sass-loaded demi-humans.
"Cheeky, huh?" His smirk widened. "I can do with that. That's so much better then being normal and boring like most people are...I'm actually quite excited to meet them now."
He then caught sight of the elder's hand—it was almost gone, nothing more than particles of light drifting away like dust motes.
The corners of her eyes crinkled with a blend of sadness and acceptance.
"Child…One last favour." She glanced around to her fellow elders—each face turned toward him, united in the same silent question. "We never asked your name. We called you many things…But not your true name." She swallowed, or at least made the motion, the sound hollow in the empty air. "So…Tell us."
"...Tell us the name of the savior who fights for our people."
A hush fell across the temple. Even the flickering torches, half-snuffed by the carnage, seemed to dim in anticipation. Luca stood there, blood-spattered, bruised, and somehow still very much alive, among the passing spirits of those who had placed their trust in him.
He exhaled slowly, his gaze resolute.
"My name..." He began, pausing to roll his shoulders as if the weight of all the lives he now carried pressed upon him. "...is Luca...Luca Faust."
Silence lingered for a moment, broken only by the faint crackle of distant flames. Then Luca spoke again, his voice low and solemn, ringing with the weight of an oath.
"And I swear on that name—on the blood I've spilled today and the power I hold—that I'll protect everyone on this continent. I'll bring your clans to new heights, to a future you'd be proud of." He pressed a hand to his chest as if sealing the vow in his heart. "...You have my word."
A collective sigh seemed to pass through the entire spectral circle.
The elders' faces, though ghostly and half-gone, blossomed with satisfied smiles, as though they could already see the future he promised taking shape.
The elder elf spoke for them all in a voice as gentle as a final breath. "Then it is settled, Luca. May the gods and the earth guide your path."
"…Our hopes rest with you."
With that, what remained of the elders forms glimmered brighter for an instant—then, in a slow, graceful flicker, they vanished entirely.
For a heartbeat, their presence lingered in the air, a warmth amid the stench of blood and the quiet hush of aftermath. Then that too was gone.
Luca remained standing in the center of the ruined temple, the bag of scrolls and artifacts clenched in one hand. Around him, pools of crimson shimmered under the waning sunlight that filtered through the damaged roof. He shut his eyes for a moment, letting the hush settle into his bones—letting their final words fill the silence.
When at last he opened his eyes, he turned toward the temple's broken doors. The world beyond lay steeped in uncertainty, but he had his vow. And he had the memory of the elders faith in him.
"Well..." He murmured into the emptiness and let out a grin. "I can't possibly fail my job as their saviour now, can I?...I'd probably be haunted by their ghosts if I do."
He took a step forward, the leather sack slung over his shoulder, heart heavy but determined. The ghosts were gone, but their legacy—and their hope—remained.
And so, with their silent blessings, Luca Faust, the supposed saviour of the demi-human race left the shattered temple behind, ready to guide a new destiny for the clans that had placed their trust in a man known in history only as several titles.
The Terror That Time Forgot
The Revenant King of Endless Nights
The Beast That Devours Eternity
But the name he was mostly reffered to by the forefathers of nations who had witnessed his actions: The Forsaken One, Bound by No Grave.