Lord Shadow

The night breeze entered through the draft in the hut. Tonight it is windy and the forest outside the hut is playing their song, the humming of the insects and the howling of demonic beast.

The young girl shivered in her sleep, her head is still leaning on the wall. Azief got up and took a blanket and covered the girl.

Feeling that is not enough, he lifted her up and put her down on his bed as he look at her forehead that have the same crystal like him.

Then he looks at that woman and feels something in his heart. A tugging sensation and it hurts. Very much so.

‘What are your relations with this woman Azul? Is she your sister or is she someone you love?’ Azief seems to be asking himself.

He did not know what to do right now. He thought he could just refine the energy of the saber like he refines other energy.

Usually, the thing he refines would disappear as their essence is sucked dry by him. But this saber is different

But it seems this saber holds some special properties that are unlike any other things he tries to absorb.

There is a will inside it. A will powerful enough to bring him to this illusionary world all endowed with natural laws that it doesn’t seem that it is an illusionary world.

The more Azief is here the more he believes that this world is not as simple as he thought in the beginning.

Azief could tell this world is a simulated world, a memory world of Azul.

Then he went to his bed and started meditating instead of went to sleeping.

He wanted to organize his thoughts and tries to determine whether he can access Azul memory.

And the moment he meditated, the memory comes easily for him like he was flipping a book, at least some parts of it.

He is Azul from one of Demonic Tribe. His tribe is called the Merapi tribe. It is a small tribe in the periphery of the Demonic Realm.

The world he lived in is unexplored and there are many tribes, most of them are primitive, warlike only when bothered.

He is a war orphan, his parents died in a war with the Celestial that guarded the World Gate of this world.

The woman sleeping on top of his bed right now is his betrothed and her name is Meihul.

The custom of the tribe is to betroth the young male and young female early since life is hard in this world and not many survive into adulthood.

However no matter how hard Azief tries to concentrate he could not access the memory of what Realm is he in and other memories.

It was like he was blocked from accessing those memories. Azief believe that Azul blocked those memories from him.

Maybe, because it would show him too much or to test him later. Azief also got some information about what race he is

The way this race of people cultivates their power is to absorb the infernal energy in the surroundings.

Infernal energy is hot and vile. It contains a volatile essence which makes this race easily angered and easily triggered.

Azief believes his race is the Asura. But not True Asura but maybe a diluted bloodline that was born from True Asura because it did not look like the Asura he saw in his journey

And it is because this race has a Killing heart that he believes that this race is Asura race. As he sifted through the memories of Azul, he also found out the division of power in this world.

And there is nine level of power in this world

Crystal Forming, Infernal Crystallization, Crystal Refining, Diamond Forming, Infernal Absorber, Diamond Dispersal, Soul Forming, Divine Soul Formation and Essence Creation

All of the level has four stages.

Primary stage, Middle stage, High stage and Pinnacle stage.

He is now at Diamond Forming Pinnacle Stage which is equivalent to Seed Forming in Azief world and could be considered a strong warrior of his tribe.

He is still young, only fourteen years since he has been born. Azul could be considered a prodigy in martial arts and comprehension of the Laws of heaven and Earth.

But this race seems to grow fast, strong and sturdy yet, they did not seem to overwhelm this realm like they were beings suppressed from procreating.

He then sighed.

He thought about the one year meeting and thinks to himself the rate of time in this illusionary world and the outside world.

He fears he would miss his own meeting. Where would he put his face if he did not even attend his own meeting.

He was the one that declares that he would distribute the world region and if he is not present…that would truly be a joke.

He tries to will himself out from this world but his efforts are futile.

Would he really have to live inside this memory until he became the Divinity of Fire? He asked himself.

It was then as he was thinking about this matter some sound startles him. The wind of the forest still blows, but the smell of foul aura could be felt with it.

Azief now believes he is in an Asura body. Aura usually has to be seen. But Asura could smell Aura.

There is a sound of footsteps of many men coming to his hut. And they seems to be talking with each other.

And from the sound of their voices, they didn’t seem to come with kind intentions.

Azief eyes brightened, his sense woke alive as he felt energy coursing through his body, his crystal seems to shine with golden aura.

There is a ruckus outside. Then a shout startles Azief resonating and shaking the peace around this hut.

But the young woman is still sleeping soundly in his bed. He did not want the girl to be awakened.

‘Azul get out! I will kill you today!’ Azief almost forgot that he is Azul before he realizes that person is calling him so he went out.

The young woman is still sleeping which is weird

Outside is a large Asura flanked on his left and right by other Asuras.

‘Azul! Obediently kill that girl and you may return to the tribe! You are appreciated by the Tribe Elders and the Shaman saw great thing in your future! Do not throw away your future for such a calamity star!’ The Asura is older than him.

At least that is what Azief thought. The Asura is also around the same level of Azief cultivation base.

The Large Asura seems to be also in Diamond Forming pinnacle Stage. The aura around him and the hard crystal on his forehead make this clear.

Azief then looked at that girl inside the hut and shakes his head. Now it makes sense. This is probably the regret of Azul.

He probably kills the girl and return to his tribe.

Azief asked himself

‘Azul is this one of your regrets?’ He did not expect an answer. But an answer he got. A chilly gust of wind flew by and then time stopped.

Everything stopped, the water, wind, sound and stand still like a paused video. A voice then sounded filling this world; the voice is majestic and grand.

‘I, Azul, at the age of fourteen am a talented warrior, and already reached Diamond Forming. This girl is my betrothed but she is cursed with an innate constitution that defies the Heaven. When the Tribe Shaman knows about it he wanted to kill her, fearing that her existence would alert the Celestial and bring down the tribe. I acted in defiance of my Heart. I was young and I was stupid. The girl loves me with all of her heart and I slit her throat in her sleep. When I broke through the World Gate I slaughtered the Celestials and dye the Thirty Three Realms with Celestial blood. Yet, no matter how many I killed, the regret lingers and this regret will stay with me until eternity. This is my first lesson to you, young man. My Heart is the Defiant Heart. I abhor Heavens rules, and I slaughtered Celestial sundering their Heavens with my first Saber.’

Then there is a silence. A great silence descended that seemed to be able to collapse this word and fills Azief heart with desolation.

Azief shakes that feeling away and then asked

‘Then I just don’t have to kill her and I will solve your regret, right?’ Then the voice answered

‘If you did that, you will slowly deviate from my destiny. It is because I killed her, that I was able to return back to the tribe and grown stronger. If you did not kill her tonight, then the next night the entire tribe will come. No matter how strong you are right now, you are still not strong enough to hold an entire tribe by yourself. After all, even this world has its own rules. You did not come here with your body but you inhabit my body. This is a test. But it could also be considered an opportunity’

Then the voice boomed as he asked

‘Choose, mortal! There are two paths in front of you right now, like there was two path for me to choose back then. Kill her and walk my path to the end and gain my Defiant Heart and the essence of the sabers as you intended. Or save her….and walk an uncertain future where you might come out of this with nothing.’

Azief contemplated at this choice. He then asked to the sky.

‘Will you help me?’ Azief ask

‘I am but a lingering Will. I am Azul but not the real Azul. I am only his Will and know only the thing he lets me know. If you deviated from the past, even I don’t know what will happen.’

Azief took time to digest that information before asking another question.

‘What happens if I die inside here?’

‘Then you would no longer be allowed to enter and your effort will all be nullified and void.’ The voice answered

Azief thought again, this time taking his time, not rushing to make any decision and the Will did not seem to urge him.

He closes his eyes and thought of that woman inside the hut. He feels something for her. He did not know whether it was love, affection or just familiarity.

Of course this feeling belongs to Azul and not him.

But right now, he is Azul and he is feeling what Azul is feeling. But the lingering will made him choose.

Which means, while he is Azul he is also Azief.

And maybe that’s the point.

For some reason Azief felt like he was grasping at the answer why this world forced him inside. But he only grasped it for a second before that inspiration disappear.

But he knows one thing.

He knows that if he kills that girl, he would certainly regret it. The lingering will said as much.

Her face would haunt him as long as he exists. But, if he saves her, then the certain path in front of him…..would be lost.

The more Azief is inside this saber, the more he realizes this saber is not some normal weapon. In his journey he heard a few Beings mention the Source Wall.

They refer the World beyond the Wall as The World below the Wall or the World outside the Wall.

And the Source Wall is not easy to be broken. But this Azul that called himself the Divinity of Fire, slaughtered Celestial and break through the Source Wall.

Not many in this Universe could break through the Source Wall. And even then only few people could slay Celestials.

This made Azief believe that this saber hold many more shocking secrets because of who owns it in the past.

Like the Eternal Rings which comes from mysterious origins, this saber also holds some great background.

And from the word of Azul lingering will it seems that the Six Sabers originally belongs to him.

The Will said “I abhor Heaven rules, and I slaughtered Celestial sundering their Heavens with my first Saber”

From this word Azief deduce, that maybe, just maybe that the Six Saber originally belongs to Azul.

Azief is in a dilemma. This is an inheritance by an expert that breaks the Source Wall. It is a great temptation.

Should he just kill the girl and walk the path laid out in front of him?

Or should he walk that untrodden path?

He thought of his own experience and the things he did to reach his current position. He thought of all these things and then he smiles like he got the answer.

He then slowly opens his eyes and he said to the sky

‘I made my choice.’

‘Good. I will restore the world’ the lingering will said, his voice echoing as it slowly fades out. Everything moves again, the water flows, the wind blows, and sound appear again

Then like before, the large Asura ask him a question like nothing ever happened to him. Azief bitterly smiles.

It was like he is in a choose your own adventure games with choices every few dialogues.

‘So, what is your choice, Azul?’

Azief took a deep breath and look at the sky. His eye is clear and his heart is firm. He knows what he wants and he is not afraid of anything.

He is only afraid of his heart.

Azul shakes his head. And then he shouted these words to that group

‘Over my dead body!’ Azief has decided.

When he looks at his memory, he saw he killed many people. But he never killed a person he knew he would regret killing.

Even his enemy is sometimes spared from death like that warrior that fought with him in Poland.

He is still recuperating in his dominion and Azief treated him especially well because he appreciated that person talent and will.

The other reason was because while there is always a cause for regret for any actions one might take in their life, Azief would never intentionally do something that he knew would make him regret even though that might cause him to die.

Because, he knew the weight of regret.

There is never a person without regret. The only difference is the weight of that regret

Some people could bear killing that girl and lives with it.

But he could not. He would rather die than doing something that he knew would surely make him regret.

Regret is inevitable.

He knew this.

But he also knew one should not create regret intentionally. It is when seeing in hindsight that things become regret.

But, if you know, that even without hindsight you knew you would regret, then why do it?

So, he would never ever hand that woman to this people. If he dies so be it. Even if he could not complete his Perfection, his Heart will still be firm.

No regret.

‘You are seeking Death!’ The large Asura said as he unleashed his punch, as wind converged on his hand and is about to strike Azief stomach.

Just before that punch connected to his stomach, Azief then was bombarded by a memory. It was like he returned to that time and is a silent observer as he watched the memory.

The memory was a memory of him when he was little around the age of four.

He was playing on a nearby fire cliff around the Tribe Mountain when he was pushed by a person causing him to fall down and went unconscious.

A small creature licks his cheek and he was awoken.

The moment he woke up he was thirsty. But his body felt heavy and he could not even more. His body is full of wounds and festering wound is all over his body.

He prayed for water to the Celestial and like the Heavens could hear his prayer, rain falls down.

He savor the water….but weirdly enough this rain of water heals his wound and fills him with energy.

When he looks up he saw it was not the Clouds of Heavens that rain down rain but instead there is a tree with clouds as its leaves.

It is in the most magical things Azul have ever seen in his life. He never heard of tree with clouds on its branches. Even the Heavenly Court did not have such things.

This cloud seems to store rain from above and when when it is full it the Cloud on the branches of that tree would rain down Healing water.

Quenching his thirst, Azul finally got enough energy to walk around.

He slowly got up and found himself on the bottom of the cliff where the Tribe Shaman said no one ever survives it.

Many of the Elders said that the cliff holds an evil power and that there is monster and rivers of fire that would melt their skins.

It is because of those stories nobody ever come near the cliff. Who would have thought Azul luck is bad enough that he fall down of that cliff.

Instead of a craggy rock formation at the bottom of the cliff or rivers of fire, like the story of the Elders and the Tribe Shaman there is a field of flowers and green grass.

And this flower is unlike any flower he has ever seen and the grass is so green and fertile. The flower could be eaten and when it is eaten it recovers back any lost energy and made someone not feel hunger.

It almost seems like it is paradise. However there is something that seems to break this beauty. Something that seem incongruous with the idyllic and beautiful nature of this place.

On the end of the flower field, is a cave.

Curious as most kids do, he enters the cave when he had enough of travelling the area, trying to seek a way up

Since he could not find a way up, he decided to explore the cave. He went exploring when it was daytime. The light is scarce but it enough for him to see the since f the cave.

When he steps inside for the first time, he saw skeletons, thousands of them and thousand more of broken swords and sabers on the ground.

The wall of the cave is full of sword scars and marks. It portent to a great battle happens here. The skeletons seem to be from Demonic Kind and even Celestials.

Azul was scared at first and run out from the cave.

But then after a few days, sustaining himself on the lake nearby and the few game that is running around on the forest nearby, and wanting to see the topside world again, he muster his courage and enter that cave again

This time he brought a torch with him, determined to explore the cave until the end.

This time the sight of the skeletons did not scare him as much.

He then walked inside deep into the cave and as he walked deeper to the bottom, the more skeleton he saw and the more broken weapons he saw.

In the end, he reached into a gate.