From the Book of âThe History of Omegaâ
The world is called Omega â a word that holds no meaning in any known tongue. And yet, it is spoken in reverence.
Some say the name was chosen by the god who created this realm.
Others whisper that it wasn't chosen at all.
Perhaps, the world named itself.
I A V A I
Arâcenâs mind:
Why is this happening again? Panic tightened my chest, yet my feet refused to move. I was frozen, as if the world itself whispered that denial was safer. But noâsomething deeper urged me to face the truth.
Aspher:
âShit... what is happening?â Her voice cracked with fear, but determination shone in her eyes as she dashed toward the village, heart pounding like a war drum.
Arâcen:
My steps were slow, heavy with dread, as if the earth itself was resisting me. Then, through the haze, I saw itâsomething flickering at the edge of my vision.
Aspher:
The village was chaosâshouts, the scent of smoke curling in the air, a scream cutting sharp through it all. An old manâs cry for help, raw and desperate, echoed through the streets.
Arâcen:
A mist swirled silently around our home. No one else could see it but me. It clawed at the edges of my mind like a ghost from the past, a harbinger I thought Iâd never see again.
Aspher:
I pushed past terrified villagers, weaving through narrow alleys until I spotted himâthe old man, trembling and bleeding. Without hesitation, I grabbed him, dragging him toward safety, ignoring the searing pain in my arms.
Arâcen:
âWhy is this road so much longer than I remember?â My breath hitched, panic threatening to swallow me whole. The mist flickered again, dancing mockingly close to the door.
Aspher:
With a fierce kick, I shattered the door. âWhere are you?!â My voice broke through the chaos, the weight of urgency fueling me forward.
Arâcen:
I reached the door, my hand trembling as I grasped the handle. The mist thickened, as if trying to block me from what lay beyond.
Aspher:
The roof creaked ominously before a chunk crashed down, dust choking the air. My grip on the old man tightened as I fought to stay upright, shadows swirling around us.
Arâcen...
I reached out.
Fingers hovered over the handle, trembling.
Why is this road so long? Why does my heartbeat echo like thunder in my ears?
I grit my teeth. Just open it.
I just have to open it.
My hand touched cold metalâ
BOOM.
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The wall to the right of the door exploded inward with a roar of splintering wood and stone. I fell back, shielding my face with my arms as debris scraped across my skin.
When I looked up,
He was there.
Towering.
A silhouette backlit by the flickering flames of the village behind him.
A manâno.
Not a man.
Horned.
Eyes like molten pitch.
A mocking smirk that stretched across a face scarred by a thousand battles.
A demon.
No...
A bounty hunter.
His gaze locked onto me, calculating.
Like a butcher picking the freshest cut.
I scrambled back.
My foot caught on the step. I almost tripped.
But then I saw it.
Past him. Through the hole he just made.
Mother.
She was in the kitchen.
Her long dark hair whipped around as she ducked under a crashing beam. Her eyes glowed faintly, the way they only did when she was using real magic.
Her bladeâone Iâd never seen beforeâwas drawn and glowing with crimson light.
She moved with a grace I didnât know she had.
Cutting down one, then twoâ
Three figures, cloaked in red, demonic insignias marking their armor.
More bounty hunters.
I gasped.
The one in front of me turned slightly to glance behind, and I didnât waste that moment.
I ran.
Around the edge of the house.
I could still hear the screams from the village.
The mist hadnât reached this farâbut I could still feel it creeping.
Aspher... where are you?!
My mind was chaos. My breath, uneven.
What am I supposed to do? What can I do?
Iâm not trained.
I canât fight.
But Mother... she's aloneâfighting for her life.
Arâcenâ¦
I couldnât move.
The wind howled through the broken wall, tugging at my clothes. My legsâfrozen. My armsânumb. My brain screamed at me to do something, anything. But all I could do was stare.
My mother was outnumbered.
There were at least four of them nowâtwo circling from behind, blades drawn, one charging head-on, and the last⦠the one in front of me, slowly stepping through the hole he made, cracking his neck like this was all a game.
This isnât happening. This isnât real.
I clenched my fists.
And unclenched them.
And clenched again.
Still⦠I couldnât move.
Why now?
Why like this?
Why canât I move?
Because you're scared.
Because you're weak.
Because all youâve ever done is hide behind your sister's shadow, behind your motherâs kindness. Behind silence and books and daydreams.
A crack rang out.
I flinchedâmy mother's blade colliding with a bounty hunter's axe, magic clashing in a burst of light.
She's fighting for her life.
And here I am.
Frozen.
A scream tore from inside the house. My mother's voiceâlow, feral, laced with power I didn't recognize.
Thenâ
CRASH.
One of the demonsâflung through the window like a ragdollâhit the ground just a few feet from me, rolling across the grass with a grunt. I jumped and nearly fell over, snapping out of my daze.
He coughed, wheezed⦠and then, slowly, began to rise.
Massive.
Twice my size.
Burn marks across his armor, one eye shut from swelling.
He saw me.
I saw him.
And that was the moment everything stopped.
I couldnât run. I couldnât call for help. There was nothing left in me but fear andâ
âAhahaha... hi,â I said, my voice cracking like a twig underfoot. I forced the dumbest smile I could manage, because what else could I do?
âHi... mister Big Bad Wolf...â
My hands were shaking so much I could barely feel them.
The demon blinked.
âWhat?â
I had no idea why I said that.
My brain had left the building and left sarcasm in charge.
But he actually paused. Confused. Like no one had ever spoken to him like that before.
And in that half-second, my body finally moved.
I grabbed the nearest thing I couldâ
A rock.
A stupid, small rock.
But it was something.
"Donât come closer!" I shouted, holding it like a divine relic. My voice cracked halfway through, but my grip tightened.
"Or... or Iâll throw this at you really hard!"
His confused expression turned into a laugh. A deep, guttural thing that echoed through his armor.
But he didnât lunge.
Not yet.
Because behind himâ
There was another crash.
A blast of red light.
A shout that shook the air:
âSTAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!â