Despite his extensive memory which spanned entire decades, his memory of childhood was incredibly brief. All he could remember was a fireplace that warmed his back as he stared out at the snow which blanketed the landscape. Free from any obligations after all preparations were concluded as the onset of winter was more important than any future prospects for almost every impoverished region.

  During that time, he was able to relax and appreciate the nature around him. Fascinated by the change in scenery, he would calmly sip from his mug filled with tea as he keenly observed each snowflake as it landed like a fairy descending from the heavens. The only change in a silent landscape that somehow transformed the world he had always known into something interesting and novel. It was a time devoid of any troubles or ambitions.

  Then one day, his rustic clay mug disappeared. He did not bother searching for it. Not because it held no sentimental value but because something more intriguing had taken its place. A vessel of ethereal design, made of an exotic shimmering metal that seemed to breathe as if alive. On the sides were exposed veins of intense mana that flowed with unfathomable currents that rivalled the motions of the ocean. And oddly enough, the essence of the vessel reminded him of fresh snow at the beginning of winter.

  That was the start of everything and the augur to an eternal purgatory.

  An endless hell without a haven to bask in the peace of stillness.

  __________

  Explosions shook the earth as rounds and rounds of artillery pounded the ground. Each shell left deep craters the size of inverted hills. When an aircraft fell, another would immediately take its place to continue razing the field.

  Right behind the aircraft leading the charge were legions of men and machines. Clad in the uniforms of the Empire, they marched forward in a practiced pattern to hide their fear. Each step they took left an imprint in the sea of corpses at their feet. The corpses of their former compatriots and creations.

  It was a battle they could not afford to lose even though their opposition was but a single man. An absolute monster which cleaved through entire armies and fortresses in a single swing. An abomination that encroached upon their sovereignty and crushed them to the point that their nation was forced to resort to drafting even their prized mechanics. Their most celebrated occupation with the ability to create mechanical wonders and possessing the authority to protest even the actions of their Emperor. Now, reduced to common foot soldiers.

  Even their current action of wide scale bombardment had no meaning. They knew that their explosives would be evaded, deflected, destroyed, or even defused the very moment that detonation was triggered. And that was if they could even reach their enemy. But logic had fled long ago in the presence of such overwhelming fear.

  They had weapons that forced powerful nations into unconditional surrender. They had transcendent machines that could crush heroes that made history. They had an iron grip on those they subjugated and their own empire was free of disharmony.

  But they did not have the mercy of their opposition.

  After a long and arduous war which left them with only sacrifices and only their capital remaining as their territory, they surrendered.

  In the midst of a brutal war, their very own Emperor marched into the trenches and knelt deeply. With great emotion, he pleaded, “We, the Antares Empire, yield unconditionally and offer our lands, people, and resources. Please … let this bloodshed end”.

  In response to his earnest plea, the man gave a statement filled with derision and mockery.

  “It must be easy living off machines that do all your bidding without question. Did you forget the brutality of war after hiding behind your machines for so long?”

  “I spend my time removing the bastards that pose even a bit of challenge. Then, you just go and raze these defenseless nations as training exercises.

  Don’t get me wrong. I’m not acting on behalf of those you slaughtered. I’m just taking back what I gave. I remove your threats and all you have to show is mechanical crap”

  The Emperor lay in stunned silence as he attempted to comprehend the monster’s reasoning. He could admit that his desire for conquest was not fully rational or purely patriotic but it could be understood even by people that were not sympathetic towards his cause. He then slowly raised his head, intending to ask for clarification when a soldier rushed forward.

  Around the Emperor was an entourage dedicated to his security. They were not prepared beforehand as the Emperor intended on going by himself to show his sincerity. Thus instead of trained and thoroughly screened personnel, they were the soldiers that remained on the battlefield.

  “Glory to Antares”, the zealot declared to himself. The distance between him and the monster was negligible and he was sure that he’d be able to reach him. Even if he did not succeed, he could be the ignition that would revive the Empire. And he was right as many were considering the opportunity created by the Emperor.

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  His eyes then widened as his eyes met the monster who had been glancing towards him.

  Before he could react, he then felt it. There was no motion other than a side glance but his body seized up. As he tried desperately to croak out in pain, his head exploded. A confetti of skull fragments, brain matter, and a torrent of blood emerged. His headless body began to teeter then it returned suddenly.

  The zealot dropped to the ground and began squirming as he convulsed with unfathomable pain. In his throes of agony, he considered it a powerful illusion but it happened again.

  Right before his head expanded to the point of cracking, the process reversed completely. But the pain remained. From within emerged a wail which tore up his lungs and rattled the resolved soldiers.

  The monster then eyed the crowd. To their shock, he looked at every person with similar intentions and then smirked.

  “I will return and spare those that can last past the next sundown”

  He then disappeared leaving the people in devastated shock.

  They who had conquered the world were now being conquered. Their attempts to surrender had been met with mockery and apathy. The lives and resources meant to support a glorious future had been instead fed to a deep black hole with absolutely no end.

  —-----------------------

  “Target sighted. Conduct defensive measures”, the voice on the comms stated.

  Immediately the procession stopped their march. Hesitant to take even a single inch forward, they cradled their rifle and scanned their surroundings in panic.

  Amidst the silence, the only motion was that of the fleet of aircraft flying overhead and their propulsion engines roaring as if in defiance to their state of affairs.

  A cadet then tensed involuntarily and braced himself for something he could not comprehend.

  Abruptly, the fleet of aircraft froze in place. The propulsion engines continued to roar but there was no longer any motion. Huge cracks revealed themselves in slow motion and the groan of collapsing metal began to fill the air.

  The fleet of aircraft had been cleaved into pieces. In less than a moment, each and every flying ship in a formation that numbered in the hundreds had been compromised.

  Debris and shrapnel, the size of houses, then fell back towards the earth with great force. Staring up at the pieces which would darken their overhead view right before crushing them instantly, the men grew grim and bolted. The previously orderly troops scattered in a futile attempt to escape amidst the great chaos.

  Noticing the change on the battlefield, the command promptly rained volleys of powerful explosives down on their location. Each with varying magnitude in firepower. Some possessed the power to evaporate cities while others could only shatter large boulders. However, only the weaker ones had been detonated while the rest joined a canopy of deadly fireworks that erupted like airborne volcanoes. It was as if “that thing” knew the strength of each and every bomb, only letting the weaker ones rain down on his prey, prolonging their suffering.

  With fanatic desperation, the cadet ran with speed he had never known he was capable of. Despite the uneven footing filled with shrapnel, carcasses, he covered a great distance and was still able to scramble further.

  In an instant, a machine with a jet black alloy coating shot onto the battlefield. It then reassembled itself immediately and lunged forward. Immense shockwaves of resistance were felt across the battlefield as the jet black machine assailed an unseen entity.

  Thousands of the same model as the machine were swiftly deployed right after. They were then all dismantled at the same time. To an onlooker, the only thing they saw was an explosive force that scattered jet black shrapnel as the confrontation occurred and concluded within seconds.

  From behind, a small sphere fell with great velocity and successfully landed with a crack in its metallic shell. Plumes of molten metal then erupted before igniting and engulfing the center of the entire battlefield in flames.

  Incapacitated by the series of shockwaves emitted from the great detonation, the cadet blacked out as he was being crushed by piles of debris.

  Some time then passed and he began to stir when the ringing in his ears lessened. As he listened, he no longer heard any explosions, sensed any motion, and time seemed at a standstill.

  But he was not at leisure as he was completely pinned by layers of massive rubble. Fortunately or unfortunately, the rubble fell in layers and created a gap that left him alive. However, his right leg had been eviscerated while his left leg was crushed into a slab of compressed flesh and bone.

  The cadet knew he would have been wailing in pain if not for the potent painkillers granted to every deployed troop on the very last day of their Empire. An act of solace for their inevitable deaths. They were not fighting for glory, honor, or even resources. They were only fighting for survival.

  Footsteps then resounded on the silent battlefield. If he had analyzed them, he would have found them odd.

  Calm, composed steps without hesitation in a sea of dried blood and metal fragments.

  However, all he had was desperation and the desire to escape.

  The cadet screamed at the top of his lungs, “HELP!!!”

  For his efforts, pebbles and dust tumbled into his open mouth and he began to choke.

  Then the footsteps ceased right above his grave. The ground itself moved.

  In an instant, a massive opening was made in the ground and the light of the day began to shine through. However what he found instead of salvation was the certainty of death.

  Peering from above was a man with a cloak dyed in obsidian, an ornate mask of celestial silver, and the Insignia of Dying Sand, the Hourglass.

  The monster which drove the world’s “greatest” empire into desperation single handedly.

  Unconsciously, he swallowed the specks of ash and pebbles out of sheer terror. He then began to sputter as he coughed his lungs out.

  The monster then spoke, “Ah, Commander Tavelly. Congratulations, you survived past sundown”

  He then reluctantly responded, “...I was never a Commander…”

  The monster grinned, “Makes sense. An upstart like you could never flourish without opportunities”

  Tavelly found it odd. The monster spoke as if it knew of him. He then shook it off.

  “Since I survived-”

  “Indeed. You survived the destruction of the Empire. You're free to leave”

  There was a slight sense of relief that began to bloom, only to be immediately crushed.

  “Do as you will, last survivor of the Empire”

  As the reality set in, notions of grief, loss, and death began to plague his mind. They were then all erased as if he had been freed of all apprehensions. The only thing that remained of Tavelly was his rage.

  “Why?”, he asked with gritted teeth.

  “What could possibly make you go this far?”, Tavelly demanded with radiant eyes that burst forth with fierce crimson.

  The masked man paused before laughing.

  “To test Providence. This has always been a war between Gods”