Prologue
Beneath a moonless night sky, two blurry figures flitted past the dark landscape at an inhuman pace. One tall and broad, the other small and slim. They were both cloaked in thick black garb, and didn't emit a single sound as they made their way through the forest terrain, leaping from one large branch to another. The trees did not sway an inch, nor did a single leaf fall, even as they moved through the area.
The figures made it through the forest, arriving in front of a mountain range. Just as they were about to continue through the mountain pass, numerous masked individuals emerged from hiding, instantly surrounding them.
At the forefront of this new group was a man clad in crimson robes, his black hair partially tied up in a bun. A small smile played at his lips as he gave a signal to the masked men while simultaneously lifting his right hand high into the air. Innumerable balls of flame, radiating immense heat, painted the previously dark sky with color. They swiftly became larger than a carriage wheel, appearing as though numerous miniature suns had risen, lighting up the area in an incredibly bright radiance.
The masked men jumped into action at the signal, drawing their weapons and charging at the two figures in the middle of the encirclement. The larger figure of the two ran forward to meet the incoming ambushers, roaring with thunderous might. The soundwaves from the roar were almost tangible, reaching the men in front of him in a split second. Pitiful screams erupted as they clutched the sides of their heads before crumpling to the ground.
The large figure stomped hard on the ground, suddenly shooting in the opposite direction, passing by the smaller figure and arriving in front of the men at the back. His body expanded rapidly, immediately reaching the height of three adult men. His cloak ripped apart, revealing a body full of tempered muscles. A greatsword half the size of his enlarged body appeared in his hands. He spun on the spot, cleaving through the masked men as easily as cutting through parchment.
The smaller figure remained at the same spot. However, they weren't completely motionless. One of their fair and slender hands was raised, pointing at the robed man in the distance. No magnificent display of might was released by this gesture. Yet, the balls of flame floating in the sky began shrinking in size before being completely snuffed out. The surroundings immediately returned to complete darkness, returning to the silence and stillness from before.
The large figure stomped on the ground, leaving an afterimage as his large frame abruptly appeared in front of the robed man. He tightly grabbed both of the robed man's arms and twisted, shattering the bones within. He then grasped the man by the head and lifted him into the air.
"Who are you? What are you after?" The large man shouted furiously, his wide hands tightening around the robed man's head.
The robed man did not respond, the small smile still gracing his lips. It had not disappeared, even after the bones in his arms were crushed. His lips extended further, turning into a grin. At this moment, his body began to shrivel and shrink, quickly turning into a desiccated corpse.
The large man angrily threw the body to the side, embedding it into the nearby mountain cliff. His breathing was heavy, his face red, and his blazing eyes framed by furrowed brows. The small figure approached him from behind, placing her soft palm on his leg. The large man looked down and sighed, before shrinking back to his regular size.
"What should we do now? No matter where we run, no matter where we hide, they find us. I have run out of ideas." The large man grimaced as he pulled at his short black hair with both of his hands.
"I know you are frustrated, but you must maintain your composure. For our little boy, you need to keep calm."
The small figure pulled back her hood, revealing a small, round face with delicate features and smooth, pale skin. Her dark braided hair draped over her shoulder, trailing down to her waist. From beneath her cloak, she raised her left arm, revealing a small bundle of cloth. Nestled within this bundle was a tiny baby, suckling on his own thumb as he remained in a peaceful slumber.
"I know, my dear wife, I know. I just can't contain my anxiety. My instincts are telling me that they will continue to appear. He died before I could get anything out of him. This one shriveled up into a corpse, just like the previous ones. I've never even heard of such a thing." The man began pacing back and forth, unable to keep himself still.
"I have never read about such a thing in any records, but I have a hunch. I believe they are some sort of puppet, being controlled by someone. This person seems to be extremely persistent in their desire to catch us. I don't know how much longer we can continue to flee. We need to find a place to hide our precious son." The lady gently stroked the sparse strands of soft hair on the baby's head. As she clenched her jaw tight, the glow in her eyes sharpened, shining with a fire that matched the strength of her love for her son.
The couple continued on their way, leaving behind the numerous corpses for the wild beasts. They made their way past different landscapes, attempting to put as much distance between themselves and their pursuers in the hope of escaping their grasp. They did not pause to rest as the days and nights passed by in a blur. The only time they stopped was to feed the baby. Even the season began to change; the leaves falling off the trees as the howling wind grew colder and fiercer.
However, it was to no avail. They were ambushed once again, ending with the same result.
"Who are you? Tell me!" The man roared, gripping an old, wrinkly woman wearing robes by the throat. She had the same small smile on her face. This time, however, she actually opened her mouth in response.
"I guess these things aren't enough to catch you. I'm thoroughly impressed. Enough with these playthings. I shall come for you myself."
The withered woman began cackling as she, just like the others before her, began shriveling up and turning into a desiccated corpse.
The man's face crumpled upon hearing those words. He turned to face his wife with a helpless look. The powerlessness in his expression was so palpable, it made her heart race and her body weaken.
"We must find a safe place to hide our son. Now."
The couple streaked through the night sky, the bright light from the full moon above casting their fleeting shadows on the wilderness below. Now focusing on speed, rather than stealth, the lady flew through the air, whereas the man stepped on air itself to propel himself forward.
As they were passing by a misty mountain, the lady suddenly came to a stop and looked down. The man continued onward for a brief moment before running back.
"What is it?" The man asked restlessly. His lips were chapped, and his worried face was pale under the moonlight.
"Wait a moment. That small village down there. See that couple walking down that dirt road?" The lady raised her hand to silence Atlas, then pointed down to a tiny village filled with dilapidated shacks.
Atlas focused his gaze below, his sights landing on a couple with graying hair. He focused his hearing on them as well.
"Benji, remember when I told you that we should build our shack in the main village? You didn't listen to me, and now we have to walk back by ourselves in the middle of the night every time we attend a celebration!"
"Lyla, it's nice being isolated, just the two of us. Besides, if we lived in town, everyone would hear you whenever we're being intimate…"
"Benjamin Fletcher! How else would we conceive a child? But no matter how hard we try… All we have left are gray hairs and premade baby clothes."
These were the words being said by the couple down below.
"Husband, We have run out of time. I think leaving our son in such a rural village might be better for him as well. The old couple down there seem like genuine and honest people. From their conversation, it appears they have been unable to conceive a child, so they'll take better care of him. What do you think?" The lady met her husband's dark eyes, her own filled with both sadness and optimism.
"I trust in your instincts. Your decisions have never been wrong before. It is my fault we are in this situation. I'm always dragging you down with me. I'm sorry, my love." The man apologized with a melancholic tone. He hung his head low, his shoulders drooping as his confident bearing disappeared.
"My loving husband. It is not your fault. If this is what fate has planned for us, we won't be able to change it now. However, it is still not too late for this child. Let me quickly go and place him in the old couple's path. We must hurry and depart from this region, so we don't draw our enemies here."
The lady stroked her husband's face reassuringly, as she smiled gently at him. She then flew down to the large cypress tree at the entrance of the village and placed the bundle she was embracing safely between the roots. She withdrew a metallic badge from her robes and quickly engraved a name into the corner before placing it inside the bundle. She caressed the boy's face one last time. Her stomach twisted, and she felt sick at the thought of abandoning her own child.
At this moment, the boy awoke, and he looked up and met the lady's eyes. His large, round eyes were filled with love as he stared at her face for a while before he grinned in joy. She smiled gently in return, even as her tears ran down her cheeks. Suddenly, she heard the footsteps of the old couple approaching her from behind, prompting her to quickly fly back up into the sky.
The husband and wife gripped hands tightly as the aging pair discovered the bundle within the roots of the cypress tree. Their eyes teared up as they saw their son for the last time in their lives.
"We've wasted too much time already. We must go now; otherwise, they might track us down here. We can only pray to the heavens to protect our son. May he live a peaceful and prosperous life as a normal village boy, instead of entering this treacherous world of cultivation."
The husband muttered a soft prayer before pulling his wife with him as he ran away from the village. Although she was being dragged away, she didn't look away until the villager couple's small shack disappeared into the distance. With her son's fate now out of her own hands, she, too, could only utter a small prayer in her mind.
May you live a long and happy life, Damon.