In the training hall, a girl was currently training herself to limits her body could handle. She was constantly pushing herself in the gravity 10 times more than what the world outside had.
The pressure on her body was so much that even taking a single breath was getting hard, her heart couldn't even pump enough blood for her body to hold on, her lungs feeling constricted as if someone had squeezed every last bit of air from it. Soon her mind started getting foggy as it failed to do its job.
'Is this how you felt, master?'
The face of her master, whom she was bound as a shadow, came to her mind. The one who gave everything to her, and the one whom she failed to protect.
The guilt she felt over his death could never go away, no matter how many times she punished herself.
She would've taken her life on the very next day, if her life was hers to take. But she couldn't. Her fate wasn't so nice to her this time.
'I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you.' She thought as she finally lost consciousness.
When she fell unconscious, alarm warnings started going off in the chamber, as the gravity returned to normal. The doors and vents opened automatically to give entry for the fresh air.
Looking at her sister in that situation, a single tear rolled down Erza's cheek as she clenched her fists.
The memories of time they spent in this same place, the fun and jokes they shared while standing on the side where she was -she remembered everything, as the images kept flashing past her eyes.
"Look after our sister for me, they're both dumb." The whispers and laughter of the past echoed in her ears as she gritted her teeth.
"I'll kill them. I'll kill all of them." She swore to herself, as she went forward to help her sister.
-
Far away from the mansion, in an open place that showed signs of crumbled buildings and destruction all around. A lone man stood between what seemed like a warzone, with nothing but lifeless bodies scattered all around.
Holding a golden sword in his hands, which was dripping with the blood of the enemies he slain just now. His face was devoid of any emotion as he wiped out so many people.
A soldier walked towards him with shaking steps, his voice stammering as he looked at the man covered in blood. "We_we found another location of their base, guild master. Should I send the squad nearest to them?"
He was reporting the news, when the letter in his hand disappeared, along with the man in front of him.
"They'll pay for their actions. I'll kill them all myself." A voice came to that soldier's ears and he could only shake his head.
The man who left was sword saint Agnus Blake, wielder of the special sword Shade, and guild master of the shade guild.
Ever since his son died, the man had been on a crusade against the terrorist organization known as Warzy.
The people he killed who worked for it, the branches he obliterated which belonged to them -couldn't even be counted on paper anymore.
And yet the man showed no sign of stopping, hellbent on completing the vow he took 2 years ago.
After learning it was the people from Warzy, who were responsible for the attack on the Draugr Depths dungeon. Fueled with grief and rage, his vengeance had only become the guiding light of him.
He had swore to himself back then, that since Warzy did it to start a war between the elite families and nobles. He'd start a war, a war against them. And he won't stop until all of them were dead and buried just like his son.
And looking at the chaos and corpses he left behind everywhere he went in the past 2 years, no one could take him lightly.
Warzy, an organization driven solely by profits. It was made and run by people who were loyal to no one but themselves. They were terrorists who craved war as their passion.
Their twisted personal craving for chaos so they can thrive in the destruction and make themselves more powerful.
An organization, which once almost ruled the crime syndicates of entire Arcadia, had been reduced to nothing but mere vermin, rats hiding in their holes, not even daring to step out in the light now.
They could do nothing, but only wait, wait until the golden sword of Shade slash their heads and end their misery.
-
In another corner of the world, a team of guards was roaming in the large desert.
The seemingly endless sea of sand stretched as far as the eye could see, with no relief from the scorching sun. Their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of life, or basically just anything except this sand.
Each of them were carrying some equipment, machines and scanners, all seemingly searching for something.
Their faces displayed exhaustion and frustration, for despite their best efforts, they had found no traces of anything.
They were the squads of Alphas. For the past 2 years they only had one task, one mission - to look for the opening of the dungeon that disappeared after its crash 2 years ago.
The squads whose only job was to stay in the cities and look after the business of Genesis, and fix some small issues if any arose. Have been roaming all over the world now. Searching leads and rumors for any connection with that dungeon.
Since every dungeon in Arcadia was a part of some other world, their job was to search for a dungeon similar to the one where their young master was trapped.
The rewards and profits promised for any news regarding these dungeons, have made countless men drool in their sleep. While those who dared to still keep any news about them secret, never woke up from his sleep again.
"There's nothing here, let's move on to the next location." One of them spoke, and hearing his order everyone started packing their stuff and leaving this damned desert behind.
Just to move onto some other damned desolate place.
*
In the floating islands of Astralaire Venera, a group of certain individuals belonging to certain guilds were working together to clear a new dungeon that appeared a few days ago.
It would've been cleared by the world association, as the islands were near their territory, but due to the unusual mana signature and irregular readings they've handed this dungeon over to the royal family of Schilla.
Though it was a loss, the world association didn't want to take any risk, as they were busy preparing for the entrance examinations for their new academic year.
Ever since the accident they had in the tournament of Draugr Depths dungeon, they've taken a huge hit in their reputation. And they didn't want to take a chance of something similar happening in entrance exams.
Royal family, who had no interest in the dungeon, just auctioned it to the guilds who paid more money. Giving them a chance to enter, while also declaring that whoever can clear it, will own its rights.
This is why a group of selected members from teams of top guilds came together to investigate it.
And when the cracks of the dungeon finally opened, showing the spatial distortion that allowed entry of outsiders. Every one of them was surprised by what lay within the dungeon.
*
–tring tring truatraa–
Artemis was going through some documents in her office, when her focus was broken by the sound of the communication crystal placed near her. Looking at Myra's name, surprised that she called her, when she was supposed to be in the dungeon.
She picked the crystal by passing her mana into it. She waited for a few seconds but other than the sound of some huried breaths she couldn't hear anything.
"What is it?" Artemis asked.
Myra took some deep breaths, and informed her. Her voice was heavy with emotions, as she couldn't form words from her mouth "We_w_we found him."
Her words made Artemis leave her seat as she stood up in shock, her heartbeat was racing uncontrollably as her hands started trembling, "H how _"
She couldn't finish her words as she was too scared to finish her question. How could she ask if he was alive, when that's the only hope that kept her going for these 2 years.
Artemis closed her eyes as she prayed to every God possible that the next word she hears won't be what her heart couldn't handle.
"He_ he's alive" Myra managed to utter the words, her tone still in disbelief over everything that she witnessed. Her words were shaking but then a smile came to her face as she informed her master again, this time in a confident tone.
"He's alive, master. And I'm bringing him home."
The words echoed in Artemis' ears as the plain crystal in her hand dropped down, tears kept gushing out like a dam that was finally broken.
"I knew you'd come back." She said, as she started smiling loudly while the tears showed no sign of stopping.
##
A/N - BOOOM now he's Alive now. Why won't he just die already. Sigh, guess now I'll have to write more of his story.
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