Chapter 1-3: Origins III

  As he entered, he raced away to his sisters’ room, quickly checking every other room, including his own, but Nathaniel was nowhere to be found. He burst into his sisters' room to find both of them in robes, covering themselves. They screamed in unison, “Just what the heck are you doing here?!”

  “Go to your own room, James!” shouted Anna.

  “Mom and Dad said I should be here until dinner is served,” James insisted.

  “At least knock on the door! It’s very weird!” both sisters excimed at the same time.

  “Body awareness, sexual tension, and other issues will never come into py with blood retives. There’s no reason for me to knock if I don’t feel anything, which leads me to this room with my sisters.” James shrugged Nonchantly. “Anyways, where is Nathaniel?”

  “Why are you looking for him?” Anna asked, her curiosity piqued.

  “Seriously, I’m just looking for him,” said James, looking away. “Because I want to apologize for what I said.”

  His sisters exchanged shocked looks. “You, James Combat, want to apologize to your brother?!” they excimed in unison.

  “Seriously, it’s just so simple to do that! What’s wrong?” James replied, irritation creeping into his voice.

  “It’s just so… uh… what can I say, new about you,” Anna said, her bewilderment clear.

  James sighed in frustration and looked out the window. His expression shifted, and a sense of aspiration filled his blue eyes as he stared at the distant pnets.

  Anna and Rose noticed the change and smiled at him. “What are you thinking about, James?” Rose asked gently.

  “Well, it’s… *sighs* I’m wondering if there are more gaxies outside here. I mean, as much as Father taught me, I only know eleven gaxies so far—just ours, Ephnia, Arcadia, Taikao, Twilight, Vane, Zexus, Xyrilon Fall, Aetheria, Verdantia, and Darksatin,” James expined.

  As they looked outside, Anna and Rose joined him, their green and purple eyes reflecting the moonlight beautifully. “You know, there is this other gaxy in our universe, but it’s too distant. I don’t think Father would approve of letting you go,” said Rose.

  “Hmm… now I’m curious! Can you tell me about it?” James asked eagerly.

  “The Milky Way,” Anna began, “It’s a gaxy like no other. It has many easily destroyable pnets, but only one pnet has living beings.”

  “Father took Rose and me there when we were kids, but I doubt he would go again because no one there uses energy like we do,” Anna expined.

  “What do you mean by that?” James inquired, intrigued.

  “As much as we use energy to cause destruction, run as fast as we can, control the darkness, wield shadows, fsh lightning, and more, the beings there—or rather, humans as they call themselves—use energy for normal daily life tasks, like washing dishes and more,” Rose eborated.

  “Humans?” *[If I gather more information about this, it might just turn out to be an ideal area for life.]* “Tell me more about these—”

  Before James could finish, a maid entered their room. She was dark-skinned with a light smile that brightened the surroundings. Her mesmerizing velvet eyes sparkled, and long white hair cascaded down to her waist. Cd in a dark blue maid outfit with a white dress at the bottom, she announced, “Kids, dinner is ready, Young Master and Mistresses!”

  “We’ll be there, Diane,” they all replied in unison.

  “Well, you better,” Diane said before leaving the room.

  As soon as Diane closed the door and made her way downstairs to the dining room, she found the children already seated at the long brown table. In the center, a gss vase held beautiful flowers, and an array of delectable foods was spread upon the table. Rose and Anna were in the middle of a pyful argument.

  “I came here before you! Just admit it, Anna, I’m faster!” Rose insisted.

  “Wow, since when did that become a fact?” Anna responded, her hands on her hips.

  The two then turned their attention to their parents, who sat quietly nearby. “Hey, Dad, Mom, who arrived first?” they both asked in unison.

  “If we split the seconds we saw you both arrive, I’d have to say it was a draw,” Jamie replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

  “I agree, it seems like a draw to me as well,” Jane added.

  The siblings sighed in frustration. “You two always say that… but okay, we’ll see!” they said in unison.

  After the family shared a moment of prayer to give thanks for the meal, they began to dig in. The atmosphere was calm as they chewed on their food, but James felt the tension in the air. He gnced at his father and then suddenly dropped his fork. “Anything you’d like to say, Father?” he asked, causing Jamie and Jane to exchange nervous looks.

  Unaware of the underlying tension, Anna and Rose turned to face their elders, waiting for a response.

  Jamie managed a smile and addressed the maids who were still standing off to the side. “Lucy, Aurora, Diane, please help yourselves to your meals,” he said warmly.

  “Oh, we couldn’t possibly, Master Jamie. Having dinner with the masters is forbidden for servants,” Aurora replied with a polite bow.

  “Plus, we already had our meals…” Diane added, but then, their stomachs grumbled in unison, betraying their earlier cims.

  “We’re sorry for our voluptuous hunger, Master,” Lucy said, bowing again, a hint of embarrassment on her face.

  “Please, join us for your meal, and make sure to call Audrey, too,” Jane insisted.

  “Yes, Mistress,” said Diane, heading toward the kitchen door.

  As she opened the door, a spacious white room was revealed, filled with an array of refrigerators and cooking machines. At the stove stood another maid, Audrey Nakamura, wearing a grey apron that matched her curly blonde hair, which cascaded down her back. She had shining purple eyes and looked tired, breathing in and out as she worked.

  Once the two maids had left the room, Audrey adjusted her bck dress, topped with a bck apron, and walked over to join the family at the table. “It's good to have your acquaintance, Master Jamie and Mistress Jane,” she said, bowing politely.

  As they sat down and began eating, James sensed the tension in the air and couldn’t help but ugh. “You know, Father…” he began with a serious look, “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  Jamie attempted to avoid eye contact, shrugging off his son’s remark until he accidentally dropped his fork. “You never cease to surprise me,” he finally admitted with a chuckle. “As, that’s something I would expect from my son.”

  “Can we cut to the main point? I don’t want to waste time here; my bedtime’s coming up, after all,” James pressed.

  Sighing, Jamie gnced at Jane, who nodded reassuringly, before looking at his two daughters, who appeared confused. “I’m sorry, but what exactly is happening here?” asked Anna and Rose in unison.

  “My children… you wouldn’t believe it if I told you, but James seems to have unlocked a gateway to madness—a threat to his own life’s destiny never to be trifled with… a cursed sword, which even I struggle to look at,” Jamie expined gravely.

  “Wow, sounds like some Shakespearean drama. Why don’t we break the ice before it gets too cold?” James quipped.

  “Wait… don’t tell me James actually picked up the Sword of Eternity?” Anna gasped.

  “Wow, I always expected sharp daughters, but that’s too sharp to bear in mind,” Jane added, her concern rising.

  At that moment, both sisters lunged at James, who swiftly dodged them. “What the heck, Anna, Rose?!” he shouted, a mix of confusion and anger in his voice.

  “Don’t you dare yell at us, you reckless kid! Do you understand the trouble you've caused just by grabbing that sword?” Rose blurted.

  “The SoE was wielded by a great generation of fighters until our grandfather faced the Brutal Wash,” Anna expined, her eyes wide with arm.

  James’s brow furrowed. “Oh, I’ve heard about that battle during the Gaxy War, but what’s the Brutal Wash?”

  Jamie took a deep breath. “Brutal Wash is a name surrounded by legends. He was a powerful figure, and it’s said that a dark energy corrupted him, turning him into a monster. During a monumental battle, your grandfather fought him alone and, in the end, was forced to seal away his dark power within the sword. It seems your grandfather believed he had triumphed when he vanquished his enemy, only to find himself overwhelmed by the darkness afterward. He fell victim to a sickness that ultimately cimed his life. Before he succumbed, he reported vivid hallucinations of a room drenched in blood, then a shadowy figure with piercing dark eyes. In the end, all he saw was darkness surrounding him, marked by an unsettling, irremovable smile.”

  James listened intently, a mix of determination and anxiety flooding his senses. “So you’re saying I’m the next protector of the Cosmic Realm?” he asked, his voice filled with resolve.

  Jamie nodded. “It is said that chaos descends the moment that sword is removed from its rightful pce.”

  “If that’s the case, then let me be the one to protect it,” James said, looking back at his father. “Just like you and grandfather, even if it costs my life.”

  His sisters and father stood behind him, their voices united in support. "We know you will, James." They all said in unison, the weight of their legacy echoing in the air around them.

  His sisters watched with worry etched on their faces as their brother stood up and headed to bed. “Will he be okay?” they both asked, concern radiating from them. Their expressions revealed a deep care for their little brother.

  “He’s growing. It’s only a matter of time until he leaves this house. So, I’d say he’ll be alright,” Jamie reassured them.

  “Alright, girls, take the ptes and then you can head to bed,” Jane instructed the twins, who nodded in agreement and began to clear the table.

  Just then, the front door flew open with a bang, and Perlin strode in, accompanied by another maid. She was cd in a green winter coat and had striking yellow eyes along with golden hair that cascaded down to her heart.

  “Guess who’s back?” Perlin announced with a grin.

  “Go to sleep,” Jane replied curtly.

  “Rude as always, Mrs. Combat! But no worries, I’ve returned Beverly Seriah without a scratch,” he said proudly.

  “Hey, Mistress! We’ve returned from the icy region of the other pnet!” Beverly chimed in, her breathtaking voice filling the room with warmth.

  Meanwhile, Lucy shot a sharp gnce at Perlin and Beverly, her irritation palpable. However, she quickly masked her anger with a forced smile as she approached them. “Hey, Perlin, can we talk for a second?” she asked, her tone deceptively sweet.

  “Sure… but maybe ter. I’m preoccupied with a bath soon,” Perlin replied casually.

  “Oh, so you’re bathing with your side chick, Beverly, too?” Lucy retorted, her voice dripping with jealousy.

  Perlin smirked, clearly aware of Lucy’s feelings, and decided to py into it. “What’s wrong? Are you jealous?”

  “Jealous? Me? No way…” Lucy sputtered, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she turned her face away.

  Beverly, known as an adventurous maid who loved fighting monsters and growing stronger, gnced at Lucy and smiled. “Lucy, you know I don’t even like Perlin, so just rex,” she said reassuringly.

  “Okay, if you say so,” Lucy replied, still looking off to the side, trying to shake off her annoyance.

  As the children headed upstairs to sleep, Jane and Jamie also retreated for the night, exhaustion lingering in their eyes. “Oh, and Perlin, your food’s in the kitchen. Audrey made it,” Jane informed him.

  “Actually, I don’t think I’m really hungry—” Perlin began, but his protest was cut short when he caught sight of Jane holding a pte with starry, craving eyes.

  With a resigned smile, he proceeded to dig into his meal. After savoring his scrumptious food, he finally decided it was time to call it a night, the comforting weight of a full stomach lulling him toward sleep.

  The Kingdom of Arkus falls into the depths of their dreams however, as they rest, a hidden darkness allures at a distant pce.

  Transitioning to a world faraway from the Gaxy of Arkus, drifts into gaxy where the most dangerous criminals id. The pce had a stunning and complex beauty along with a peaceful corretion, which juxtaposed with the distant giant block building, where chains were common. Locking up all the criminals and preserving peace in the Boundless Verse, was the gaxy, Darksatin.

  The gaxy is off course renowned of its famous prison, Dreadspire. Rumors has it that to hold all the prisons, a special metalloid, created from only the best technology of the Vane Gaxy called Vexite is made from the bars. Using this metalloid on even the floors and walls of each cell disables the use of energy. It was also known to be able to kill immortals! A striking feat which made the Vane gaxy quite superior. The prisoners are thus, just birds in a cage, locked in the prison of Dreadspire, and suffer despair everyday. However, one prisoner was quite complex.

  Two guards were assigned to monitor a prison, locked in the deep depths of the it, a testament of knowing that the person inside was off-a-great threat level. With courage that abundant them, along with an induced motivation that they were trusted, they headed there at once.

  As they arrived, they were utterly shocked by the confined space the pce had. The scenery had a peculiar blend of eerie isotion and unexpected wonder. Stepping inside it, they noticed the walls, made of cold, dark Vexite, seem to hum with a mysterious energy. The flickering overhead light casts pyful shadows that dance along the rough surfaces, transforming the cell into a canvas for the imagination.

  But on that moment, as their presences seemed to be sensed in, a bang was heard, the striking of a prison. Attracted immediately by the source, they notice a lone cell and a person seemed to be in it.

  Inside the confined space of the cell was a man wearing an old, grey steely mask that obscured most of his face, leaving only his striking purple eyes visible. Even though the mask was fixed to his visage, the eyes fshed with a strange light, yet no energy could be unleashed. The man sat shackled in chains that bound his hands and legs, a ughter echoing from within him as he watched the guards coming to him.

  "So, this is the man we're guarding today?" one guard gulped, his unease only skyrocketing. "Roy Graamore Shredder...that's his name. He is of a great lineage of sughterers, the 'Brutal Wash' in fact." one of the soldiers said, studying the looks of their prisoner.

  For a moment, as he heard Roy's incredulous ugh, he was shaken but his willpower never wavered, as he gritted his teeth, "What is he ughing at though?"

  "His own deathbed?” the guard remarked, disgust evident in his voice.

  Who knows what a criminal like him thinks about?” another guard replied dismissively, "But we should be ready for what might come."

  As the two guards settled, facing Roy as if they were about to fight him, suddenly he went silent, only making the atmosphere tense more. The serious guard narrowed his eyes, his shoulders becoming more tense as he summoned his energy into his body. The other guard despite feeling frightened, materialized his energy as well.

  Noticing they're spontaneous mindset, Roy drew his attention to them, "Attacking a defenseless man it seems?" he sighed. "Even when I'm locked up you see me as a menace."

  "Why wouldn't we? You're a beast's lineage!" screamed the frightened guard. His body shook uncontrolbly though he held his bance.

  "Vexite bars are behind me you know? And chains on me as well." Roy mentioned.

  "It doesn't change anything Roy!" the other guard shot seriously.

  A deafening silence followed as Roy heard the statement, his mouth caught in the air as he took a breath. "Are those going to be your dying words?" he asked. The words stung into the guard's throat, drying it up.

  Confused, the frightened guard looked obliviously as he questioned, "What do you mean by th...."

  Before he could finish his state, suddenly he colpsed on the ground, surprising the serious guard. His eyes widened as he looked at him, "What...! But how did he...!" the guard looked at Roy and yelled, "What did you do to him!" pointing his finger at him.

  The guard charged a purple energy, a pure form of an orb-like attack which resided in his two fingers. As soon as it emerged useful, he pointed and bsted it at Graamore, hopefully to pass through the Vexite with a concise aim.

  However, as he attempted to, a ball of red suddenly appeared from the sidelines, cshing with the attack as the two attacks decimated.

  The guard was stunned, rooted on his position witnessing the scenery. To enjoy the show, Roy jeered, "It seems you've finally realized, that we're not the only ones in here." he confirmed.

  As the guard's senses screamed, it seemed it was all in vain. A striking blow hits him from the shadows. A dark figure was the st thing he saw, his hands sparking with a red source of power. It smirked on his final blink as his vision blurred, unbeknownst to see, suffering the same fate as the other guard.

  As the final guard fell, the figure, still cloaked in shadow yet undeniably powerful, turned its gaze toward Graamore, a faint, sinister smile forming on its lips. “It took you long enough to get here, of course, not longer than the time a woman took to leave me,” Roy taunted, matching the figure's smile with one of his own.

  “I’m very sorry, perhaps I’ll just leave you locked in your cage like a wild animal and work for me behind the scenes,” the figure suggested, its tone dripping with mock sympathy.

  “Ohh… that would be very kind of you, but we both know that without my power, my intelligence, and my squad of chess pieces, you’ll always be in check,” Graamore replied, standing tall and closing his eyes in contemption. “So how about we do something? You be a good little boy and open the cage for the lion.”

  With a scoff, the figure produced a key, swiftly unlocking the gate. Graamore broke the cuffs on his hands with a swift motion, his confidence visibly growing. “I’m impressed you were able to get the exact key to open my cell. Mind telling me how?” he asked with a hint of curiosity.

  “Simple,” the red figure confessed pridefully, “It's simple, I have a great intellect that's all.”

  Graamore cpped slowly, feigning enthusiasm. “Wow, you really managed to pull that off in two years. I’m proud of you.”

  “Why would you be? I mean, you were the one who passed those genes onto me. You’ve always exploited someone, haven’t you?” The red figure shot back, its expression betraying no emotion.

  In response, Roy smashed the wall of his cell in frustration, cracks spiderwebbing outwards throughout the prison. The figure regarded him with an impassive expression. “Was that supposed to scare me?” it said coolly.

  “Anyways, your crew—or would you prefer to call them your squad—is just at your flying ship. You’d better hurry; if the Darksatin guards arrive, they’ll be leaving without you,” it warned, beginning to turn away.

  “Wait…” Graamore called out to the red figure, a sinister smile creeping across his face. “How about we have a little st bit of fun?”

  With a newfound purpose, the red figure devised a way to simultaneously unlock all the other cells, setting the prisoners free. As they poured into the corridors, excitement erupted, cheers echoing through the prison. However, their jubition quickly attracted attention.

  “Would you pack of animals shut up?” shouted the red figure from the top of the stairs, Graamore standing beside him. Both their eyes glowed—red and purple, respectively—casting a foreboding light over the scene below.

  “As you can all see, we’ve freed you from your svery… at least that’s what you think,” the red figure chuckled softly, watching the looks of shock wash over the crowd. Whispers rippled through the mass of prisoners, their hope mingling with fear.

  “From now on, because he has taken you off your life inside Darksatin, you shall be under the rule of his one and only, Lord Roy Graamore Shredder. Is there anyone with objections?” the red figure added with a serious demeanor.

  A swell of rebellion erupted in the crowd as they shouted insults, defiantly cursing the two figures before them. Graamore, however, welcomed the chaos. He unleashed a tremendous wave of energy that sent a chill through the crowd, silencing them instantly.

  “Since everyone has such great objections, how about this: give me one representative to save your lives. If he wins against me, I’ll let all of you go to wreak havoc. However, should he lose…” his eyes glowed with dark energy, a magic circle illuminating ominously around him, “I’ll kill all of you mercilessly without a doubt in my mind, for I have no patience for disobedient chess pieces.”

  The crowd began to murmur uneasily, weighing their options, until a muscur man stepped forward, energy radiating from him. “I’ll do it, and I’ll make sure to win this,” he decred confidently.

  Graamore eyed the man, his purple irises lighting up with intrigue. “Tell me, young man, who are you?”

  “I’m Tesika Suba, and I’ll be the representative of the prisoners,” he replied, bravely meeting Graamore’s stare.

  “What a bold choice. Your energy appears quite high. Tell me, what is your energy level, and which gaxy do you hail from?” Graamore inquired, intrigued.

  Tesika sighed deeply. “Since this is the st time you’ll be seeing me alive, I’ll share my past. I was a commoner in the Vane Gaxy, and I have no energy, making me an outcast. I was arrested for fifty counts of murdering innocent people… guess that’s all. Now shall we get to the main event?”

  “We certainly shall,” Graamore replied, remaining at the top of the stairs, surprising Tesika, who had expected to descend with him.

  The red figure took his pce as the referee. “READY… STEADY… AND… FIGHT!”

  As soon as he announced the match, Graamore lunged forward with incredible speed, delivering a devastating punch to Tesika’s stomach. The brutal blow split Tesika in half, disemboweling him in a shocking dispy of violence.

  The crowd gasped in horror, their cheers silenced as they stood frozen at the gruesome sight, blood staining Graamore’s mask and coat. “Well, I guess he lost… which means,” Graamore announced, a dark energy surging in him as he turned to face the remaining prisoners. “You’re all going to die now.”

  With fear gripping their hearts, the prisoners rushed toward Graamore, their energies surging in a desperate attempt to fight back. But the scene was illuminated by a blinding fsh of purple light, leaving no room for survival.

  Soon, Graamore and the red figure were seen walking out of the prison with a legendary presence, the facility erupting behind them in a massive explosion, scattering debris and leaving the gruesome past in pieces. The air crackled with energy as they stepped into the unknown, the night cloaking their next move in darkness.

  “Was it really that necessary?” asked the red figure, gncing at Graamore with a hint of skepticism.

  “It was for a good purpose—a way to demonstrate that it’s time for war. I’m awakening another Gaxy War,” Graamore said, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

  In the distance, two figures, a boy and a girl who appeared to be teenagers, walked toward the two retives. Dressed in bck and white with blue and red stripes respectively, they approached Graamore with cautious respect.

  Roy sighed, looking at the twins with utter annoyance. “You two are still alive?” he asked, half-amused.

  “Yes, Lord Graamore, still at your service and at your pleasure,” they responded in unison.

  [These two are Hirona and Shuya Kawaguchi. I collected them years ago from the lower-ranked gaxies. They possess teleportation abilities and dragon magic energy of different elements—a useful pair in my arsenal,] Roy thought to himself.

  “Lead Lord Roy to the ship; we need to start our reawakening,” the red figure commanded.

  “Just what a prince would say. You really are like your father,” Shuya remarked, smirking.

  “Call me Red Lightning. It’s not the coolest name, but go with it, alright?” the red figure replied dismissively.

  “Yes, Prince Red,” both twins responded dutifully. “Now follow us; it’s getting a little suspicious here. We might get caught.”

  The twins led Red and Roy to a hidden area near a cliff. As they neared the edge, a ship hovered in the air. It looked ancient yet formidable, constructed from the rare Stallion metal and equipped with cannons that emanated a dark presence.

  Suddenly, a figure lunged toward Graamore, cws outstretched for a powerful attack. But Graamore blocked the assault effortlessly, and as he did, the assaint revealed himself. He resembled a wolf, wearing a wolf's head for a mask, yet possessing the fangs of a vampire. Pale and fierce, he cpped his hands together in acknowledgment of Graamore’s strength.

  “Not too shabby! For a moment, I thought you’d gotten weak since your imprisonment, Lord Graamore,” the wolf-like creature taunted.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’m stronger than before, Mianoro Neo,” Graamore replied coolly.

  Mianoro Neo—a unique hybrid of a vampire and werewolf from a high-ranked gaxy known as Irasunas—was dangerous, but Roy had managed to tame him.

  “The muscle head and that girl you kept are still inside the ship, waiting for you,” Mianoro informed.

  “So you actually protected them? You’ve been getting soft, Neo,” Graamore teased with a smirk.

  “It doesn’t matter what you think; we need them for the job,” Mianoro countered. “Let’s get inside and meet them as we head out.”

  “Finally! Time for my revenge to unfold. For all those gaxies that discriminated against me, they will pay, including Arkus.” With that procmation, Graamore strode into the ship, followed by the others.

  Inside, they were greeted by a peculiar man with a head resembling a golden hammer and grey eyes. At the ship's controls was a girl with short, luminous white hair and innocent green eyes, clutching a bde tightly but stammering in awe, “Oh… uh… Captain, you’re back.”

  “It’s good to be back, but we need to start something. Have you ever heard of colonization—gactic colonization?” Graamore said, a wicked grin stretching across his face.

  “There’s our captain, always cooking up the most diabolical pns,” Hammerhead, the hammer-headed man, remarked grinning widely.

  The girl, Yoshino Hinata, had changed since joining Graamore. Initially seen as innocent, but her powers—and her unique charm intensified.

  The hammerhead shaped guy still too, looked prideful, his energy surging a steely attention seeker in the atmosphere.

  “Get ready, everyone. Our time to act is now!” Graamore decred, a surge of dark energy radiating from him. Just then, a dark tiger materialized beside him, purring softly and surging with the same dark energy as Graamore. He patted the creature's head affectionately. “I’m gd to see you, Lyon. Now let’s get our destruction back into action.”

  As all preparations were made, Roy raised his arms, cws glowing ominously. “Can’t leave without a little trademark.” A sadistic smile pyed across his face, “I’ll show you what it means to start a war: Destruction Series: Never-ending Terror.”

  Fshing his purple eyes, he unleashed a colossal orb that bsted towards the Darksatin Gaxy. The ship took flight as a massive explosion obliterated the gaxy in a blinding fsh. Miraculously, the pace remained intact but barely withstood, but that was merely the prelude to chaos.

  As corpses began to rise, their eyes glowing with the same malevolent light as Roy’s, they staggered toward the pace to unch a deadly assault. Roy ughed from a distance, his grin spreading wider as he savored the impending pandemonium.

  Red Lightning turned to Roy, determination igniting in his eyes. “This man is terrible… but fantastic! There’s no way we’ll fail. A new generation of the Brutal Wash's destructive team has begun.”

  With that, Red Lightning pulled back his hoodie, revealing a menacing gaze. “During this journey, I’ll have to kill you all, so prepare yourself, James Combat.”

  To Be Continued