{Saturday, 13th March, 1114}
[Plodor, Wingedor Empire]
Inside, darkened beams supported a low ceiling. The air was humid and warm, the scent of spiced meat and grilled fish was thick.
A bar stretched out from the wall, filled with all types of liquor. Scattered around the tavern were wooden tables and chairs filled with a variety of different profiles.
A pair of old men played cards on one, and a group of youngsters were cheering. Another table had people shouting at each other.
In the corner, a narrow staircase curled upwards like a spine. At the other end, a small stage raised by a wooden platform carried a group of boys and girls, each with an instrument.
They were currently in the middle of a song.
Sitting near the performing bards, Gerald sipped on Dali beer, a Wingedor specialty, imported from the city Dali.
His grey eyes were icy and almost unblinking. His features were sharp and lean.
A thin scar horizontally traced his jawline.
Wearing a plain dark coat with a high collar, his grey-white hair was brushed backwards, hiding another scar on the back of his head.
He was drinking alone. However, no one batted an eye.
Enjoying the catchy performance, his gaze suddenly shifted towards the tavern entrance.
Standing in silence, the figure scanned the tavern before locking onto Gerald. Recognising his friend, Conrad broke into a smile and hurried over.
Taking the seat across from him he gleamed. "Gerald! It's nice to see you, my friend."
Gerald nodded. "Conrad."
"Haha still the cold man you are."
Gerald's mouth curled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I've been through alot."
"I know Gerald, I know." Staring straight at his friend, he asked, slowly forming a mischievous grin. "How old are you this year?
"Thirty-eight, the same as you."
Conrad gave him a mocking expression. "Not exactly"
Gerald kept a straight face. "Exactly the same until tomorrow… same number."
Conrad laughed. "I can't believe it's been 20 years. Do you remember the first day we joined the Church of the Star."
"Barely."
"You would always fall asleep during her excellency bishop Ailean's lectures. Now look at you, becoming a bishop yourself. Her excellency would be proud."
"How is she doing?"
"She's an archbishop of the Church of Order overseeing the Veria diocese now. We rarely meet."
"That's a shame. Why don't you convert to the Church of Order like her. Being a Stardian must not be that great."
"I can't change Gerald. My faith is in the Star. Also with many converting to the other churches, there are not enough personnel. I can't just abandon them."
Gerald chuckled and shook his head.
"You know they will abandon you first right? But I praise your diligence." Glancing at Conrad, he asked. "Do you want some Dali beer?"
Conrad raised his hand. "Ah, no liquor today. I need to be my full self tomorrow."
"You are still the same, Conrad." Shaking his head, Gerald took a sip of his beer. "What do you plan on doing tomorrow?"
"We are heading back to Ganalis. Ship to Veria harbour, then carriage for the rest of the way."
"What about after?"
The black haired man sighed. His blue eyes seemed to dim
"As soon as I'm back, I will be thrown back into work… I'm in charge of raising new Stardians for this year's batch in Ganalis. Uh, My wife will still be working as usual, and my daughter needs to be enrolled into a new school. "
"Oh right! And Murphy will turn 16 next month. She has a pleasant surprise waiting for her."
"They are lucky to have you."
Conrad's gaze turned downwards, letting out a wry smile.
"How's Plodor treating you?"
Gerald answered. "The food and tea is great. Sometimes I feel like I was born a Wingedorian."
Conrad's tone grew serious.
"Gerald… I know you despise the kingdom, but having you back… in Ganalis would be such a boon. You know I will never stop asking you to come back, Alexis is also waiting for you."
"You really do never change." Taking another sip out of his cup, he glared at Conrad. "If I return, how would I be able to face Elena and my kids, Conrad?"
Conrad winced. His friend's tone was icy.
Gerald carried on as if nothing happened.
"But how is Alexis doing?"
"That girl became a bishop last month. I never hear the end of it. Actually, I am already dreading my return…"
The two of them exchanged a few conversations for a while.
Eventually, Gerald finished his beer. As if in response, the music changed. The catchy tunes were now replaced by a ballad, the singing rich in emotion.
Since the day you've lit my heart up like dawn
Leading me away from shadows I once called home
Had our paths crossed a little earlier
Would the outcome have been changed?
It was beautiful and alluring…
Amidst the bustling environment. Conrad leant back in his seat, his limbs beginning to feel heavier.
His eyelids drooped.
Slowly the chatter around him died down.
From the day my soul was enraptured by your light
Drawn to someone as pitiful as I
If only I carried a light like yours
Would our ending have been different?
Quickly glancing around, Conrad saw that the groups of people that were in the tavern earlier had all… disappeared.
Only Gerald remained. But the song still continued.
"Gerald…?" He asked, but what happened next shocked him. Lunging forward, Gerald pulled out a knife and slashed at Conrad's throat.
Still drowsy and disorientated, Conrad barely registered the attack, failing to dodge the fatal strike.
The blade effortlessly pierced his skin, carving a deep gash across his throat. Jets of warm blood violently erupted from severed vessels.
A searing pain jolted Conrad awake. The ballad was still playing.
From you, I found the strength to stay,
A fragile hope that brought me to sleep,
His vision blurred, tunneling into darkness.
From you, I found the path forward
A fragile hope that blurred illusions and truths,
Staring at the lifeless body opposite him, Gerald slowly retracted his arm, the blade stained with crimson. Settling back onto his chair, he drew a cloth, wiping the blade clean.
Though Gerald seemed to be alone in the tavern, the lady singing the song could still be heard.
In that moment, a bracelet on Conrad's left wrist shattered, releasing a cluster of light that quickly surged towards his open wound.
Gerald's hands froze. At the same time, the singing voice seemed to stutter.
The bloody gash began to seal. Conrad's unfocused and glassy eyes suddenly glowed with life. His pupil dilated as a gasp tore from his lips.
Not wasting a moment, Gerald leaped forward, committing his full body to a second strike.
Conrad ducked to the side, causing Gerald to crash into the chair he was just on a second ago. Gerald turned and swung his knife at Conrad.
The singing voice grew heavier.
Conrad rolled to his left, narrowly dodging Gerald's knife, though a wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over him.
Out of nowhere, he felt a blade from behind skid across his nape, drawing blood. However, the cut was shallow, it was as if the knife had scraped against stone.
Upon 'resurrecting', Conrad was fully aware of his current situation, so he had already sent a mental command to his other bracelet, turning his skin into stone.
He knew his vacation to Plodor would be dangerous. Therefore, he had borrowed three high grade artifacts from the Church of the Star. One was to heal a fatal wound, the second was to turn his skin into stone. The third was…
"Leno!"
In that moment, the bracelet on his left wrist flared with crimson red, sending a bolt of crimson lightning at the hidden assailant behind him.
"Leno!"
A split second after, another bolt of lightning shot at Gerald. He didn't have time to question his friend. Conrad quickly rolled to his left again, creating space between him and his attackers.
Remaining on one knee, Conrad slammed his left palm on the ground.
"Letras Demina!"
A wave of white-gold light quickly exploded from his palm, covering the whole tavern. An ocean of warmth enveloped Conrad and Gerald.
Conrad's drowsiness was instantly repressed.
Glancing over at Gerald, his eyes widened as he watched his friend dissolve into the air, only to re-appear just a few steps away.
The spot was coincidently close to where the hidden assailant had cut his nape.
His mind raced. The dissolving Gerald was fake, the hidden assailant was the real one.
Seeing the glowing domain dispel his illusion, Gerald cursed. The singing finally stopped. Slowly walking towards Conrad, he shouted whilst raising his right hand.
"I invite Conrad Decaine to be my audience!"
"Gerald, what are you doing?" Snapping out of his daze, Conrad yelled, his voice carried a tone of anger and desperation. His drowsiness was fully expelled.
However, he felt something suddenly drain from his body.
Gerald snarled. "I am going to kill you, your wife and your kids."
Anger surged over Conrad's body again; in the next moment, he felt the same unseen force tearing something away from within him.
My Essence!
Not letting anger cloud his judgment, Conrad rose and sprinted towards the tavern doors.
He needed to escape. Him and Gerald were both of the Light Spectra, however, Gerald was a Tier above him. Conrad couldn't win. Even with his artifacts.
Not daring to look back, he cupped his hands together, conjuring a ball of light.
He had planned for the ball of light to temporarily blind Gerald, allowing him to reach the tavern doors. Even Arcans from the Light Spectra were not immune to blinding attacks.
Before the blinding light grew any larger, Gerald opened his mouth and let out a high pitched note.
Conrad felt a wave of force ram into his brain. Yelling in pain, he fell to the ground, covering his head with his hands. The ball of light dissolved.
A second later, the beautiful ballad resumed. However, instead of a lady, the person singing was a male. Conrad looked towards the source of the singing.
It's familiar. It's so… familiar It's as if… the voice was–
Conrad's eyes widened.
–Gerald's.
Conrad's eyelids suddenly drooped. His whole body felt heavy as his thoughts turned sluggish.
The light… domain… isn't working… these… mind… attacks… shouldn't have an effect…
Gerald conjured a flute out of thin air. Stopping his singing, he blew into the flute, playing a short staccato tune. Suddenly gushes of winds shot from all directions.
Feeling his tiredness lift, Conrad slowly rose, conjuring a layer of light to surround him. But he was too slow.
Two blades of wind crashed into the light shattering the half-formed tangible shield. The remaining blades of winds cut Conrad from all behind, above and below.
Conrad was tossed around like a doll before being slammed onto the ground face down.
Following this, Conrad heard a string instrument being played. The melody was fast paced and jumpy like something out of a circus. Feeling mocked by the music, a sharp pang of anger struck him.
Feeling his Essence drain, his field of vision was instantly consumed by dancing flames. The blazing embers swept across half of the tavern like a surging tide. Whilst, his stone-like skin withstood the onslaught of flames, the sensation of burning flames ignited all over his body.
Conrad tried standing up but he could only manage a half kneel. Raw agony continued to claw at his skin. Grimacing, he summoned a pillar of light to descend on himself.
A soft column of light broke through the roaring inferno, wrapping around Conrad. The pain lessened but not by much. His eyes darted desperately, searching for a way to escape the flames.
But everywhere was the same, the endless inferno surrounded him in all directions.
Realisation struck Conrad. Gerald is from the Light Spectra. He can't manipulate flames and wind. Icy tendrils crawled down his spine.
Why didn't he realise this sooner?
Who is-
A sharp, crystalline note from a flute pierced him like an arrow, interrupting his thoughts.
All of a sudden, a huge force slammed into Conrad's like a battering ram. His body flung halfway across the tavern crashing back-first into a table and shattering it.
A wave of cool air washed over him. Conrad was out of the flames. His breathing was ragged.
Gerald emerged from the sea of raging flames.
Conrad's eyes widened as he saw Gerald's cold figure slowly transform into a beautiful woman with red hair.
Conrad clenched his jaws.
A- Actor… The Performance Spectra!... This is definitely not someone I can handle! I need to run.
"It's too late." The lady smiled coldly. As her icy smile began to widen, the red haired woman moved towards Conrad.
A thundering sound shook his vision as he began to feel the earth beneath him swallowing his body. Another thundering boom deafened his ears as the floor seemed to crack open, exploding into a cloud of splinters.
The sounds of beating drums continued, relentlessly tearing through the tavern floor.
Countless shrapnels tore through his body, ripping his flesh apart and drawing fresh blood.
At the same time, Conrad's flesh seemed to turn bright as white feathers began to bloom all over his skin.
Distracted by what was happening, he had failed to realise that one of his bracelets had long dimmed.
Conrad was out of Essence. His artifacts were now useless.
He was turning into a monster.
Berserkness!
He tried to summon light, but nothing materialized.
Time seemed to slow down.
Conrad's mind flashed, unraveling memories.
Mary. His first time meeting her in school, their first kiss, their wedding, her unreserved laugh, the smell of honey in her hair.
Cillian. His contagious smile, playing with toys, lifting his baby boy up.
Murphy. His daughter. Her tight embrace, her childish nature that she only showed to family.
"I, Conrad Decaine, promise not to peek at Murphy's notebook until she shows it to me herself."
"I promised her… I promised…"
If only fate could be rewritten,
If only promises could not be broken,
An attempt to follow you,
An attempt to align our fate,
The melody curled through the flame-ridden tavern, tender and moving.
My birthday present… Mary and Murphy… I really want to know… what they got me…
His joints slumped. His eyes turn dull. His last breath left his body.
Before fully turning into a monster, Conrad Decaine had lost his life.
The shadows drifts back to where they belong,
Leading the soul towards their grace,
His legs were fully submerged by the ground. His torso was impaled by multiple wooden planks, holding his upper body up but leaning backwards at a slight angle. His head was drooped backwards. His arms dangled from his shoulders, now a mangled mess of flesh.
A faint smile lingering on our lips,
As we fade into a soft, radiant dream,
Dressed in a double-breast waistcoat, Conrad's lifeless body formed a triangle with the floor. Though at a glance, no one would have known it was a waist coat.
Since the day you've lit my heart up like dawn
Leading me away from shadows I once called home
Had our paths crossed a little earlier
Would the outcome have been changed?
From the day my soul was enraptured by your light
Drawn to someone as pitiful as I
If only I carried a light like yours
Would our ending have been different?
Finishing the song, the lady bowed.
Standing in front of Conrad, she slit his throat. Blood poured down his sides like a waterfall.
""Ah, the world needs more men like you…" A wicked smile was carved onto her face.
A figure descended the stairs wearing a dark coat with a high collar. His grey-white hair was brushed backwards. A thin scar horizontally traced his jawline.
He walked towards the killer, his grey eyes stared on Conrad's body.
"Linda, you've done well."
Wiping blood off her blade, she scoffed. "I planned to finish it in one strike."
Gerald shook his head. "We couldn't predict that he would have a Super artifact." Reaching the corpse, Gerald removed two bracelets from his dead friend's wrists. "Alongside two Great ones too."
Linda smiled. "In the end, I turned it into a worthy spectacle."
Linda's figure began to morph. Her height grew as her red hair shrunk until it only reached her eyebrows. The red hair faded into a black colour.
"Still… he was too trusting. With the war looming close, I can't believe he would still risk a vacation in the enemy territory."
Smiling, she spoke. This time, it wasn't her female voice. It was the voice of Conrad Decaine.
"He was a loving father and husband. His daughter had always wanted to visit Plodor, and his wife had always wanted to try our food."
Handing Linda the two bracelets, he continued.
"Also, tonight would have been the last chance for us to talk as… friends instead of foes. At least for a while."
"I'm sorry I couldn't give him a painless death."
Gerald walked past her, "I don't care."
Linda stared at him with Conrad's blue eyes. "Do you really not feel anything? You guys were basically brothers."
"What matters most is that phase one has been completed." His voice was cold and emotionless.
Laughing, the voice of Conrad spoke again. "Gerald, you're really a piece of shit."
Ignoring her, Gerald walked towards the tavern's doors. For a brief moment, his gaze flickered to the ground.
"I've already disposed of his bodyguards. Just say that they perished during an assassination attempt."
Leaving Linda to clean up the mess, Gerald grabbed the door handle.
He suddenly stopped. A shadow was cast over his face.
"Don't mess up phase two. With your infiltration successful, the war will begin."