“Get up, silly!” cried a brunette with shining chocolate eyes, poking the charcoal-haired boy in the side. He stretched slowly, playing gently with a strand of emerald grass, opening his auburn eyes into slits. “We’ve been gone far too long! Oh, Mother will never forgive me…!”

Menadue slowly stood, wavering gently under the moonlight as he watched Deirdre run off towards the small village in which they both lived. His fingers sparked a dim light, an ember falling onto a nearby home.

Chaos quickly surrounded him quickly, and Menadue was entirely shunned. A cry erupted through the glowing night, flames licking themselves upwards as the black-haired boy suddenly realized what was truly going on.

“Deirdre!” he cried, speeding through the village as if thunder to find his childhood friend, his only friend within the village that despised him for what he had been and is still and always will be. He soon found her, huddled in the corner of her home, holding a small white feline whose mewing was never heard and whose eyes were as blue and clear as the legendary Ocean.

However, it had been too late for she, and he had…

Menadue awoke in the morning, soon dawn, with a startled cry that shook the grown white feline awake, causing it to stretch with an arch of its back and fall back into a peaceful slumber. His auburn eyes wandered swiftly towards the large petite feline, smiling at it with caring eyes, if only for a brief moment, petting its head lovingly, now realizing where he had gotten the troublesome animal.

“So that’s where, huh?” Menadue told it in a whisper, stroking it head as if in a trance. “Well then… Everstill it is… Forever, my friend, my little girl…”

-

In aufsetzen die See über triumphieren, verzagen, Gier

Mit ein blödes Grinsen man Wille beitreten die
gelegen Hallen über Gefräßigkeit

-

Hindurch Ungestüm ihrer Begier werden raus

Und hindurch stolz Hände Wille man
heraushören sein zurückkommen vom verdammt.

-

- Wahrsagen Verdunkeln, The Prophesy Of Dark

- Dying Embers -
- Chapter 004 -

-

Menadue calmly walked down the oriental corridor, stone carved into angels and demons battling to the death within the Alternate World which one was supposedly bound. Annan chattered beside him, however unspoken towards and ignored by his superior.

The auburn eyes of the black-haired man took notice of the Dark adept Cardon farther down the corridor; smooth black hair with matching onyx eyes, his garb the average attire of black, his pale hands thin and lovely all at once, a sharp square chin and lust command to boot.

Menadue merely smirked at the irony of it all: this was a pure suicide mission, attempting to find Phobein Choel, and this Cardon was wasting his good looks on such a trivial thing?

Their Light adept companion for their journey was already awaiting them, with cerulean eyes and dark red hair, a soft smile towards Cardon, Annan, and he himself. Menadue did nothing to curtsy her, however both Annan and Cardon bowed their heads to her, hands folded in their prayer: the hands were facing their opposite palm in an X-like formation with the top hand’s little finger crossing between the middle and index.

A confusing way, however the only way taught and known to the people within this cult, Menadue realized.

“I must stop that…” he mumbled to himself, gaining Annan’s utmost attention and arching a brow towards his good friend, who merely groaned and turned away. Keir, his eyes a piercing snowflake white and his hair its complete contrast , appeared with his wooden staff a demonic black with a deep red glow, causing the Light adept to shudder under the pressure of its darkness. Cardon immediately went onto his knees and impressed his Lordship grandly, however his outlined eyes only focused on the fire adept he trusted the greatest.

“I see you’ve made your first impressions already, my son, Menadue,” Keir noted, smiling. Menadue growled in annoyance, knowing Keir was in a definite good mood, unlike himself.

“I dislike the darkened one,” Menadue said blatantly as he walked towards Keir’s side, noting of Cardon’s obliviousness surrounding him. “He does not realize this day we are equal to you, My Lord Keir. And besides, his pretty face will be wasted on the journey ahead.” Cardon scowled at this comment, causing Annan to chuckle characteristically, hiding his smile.

Keir placed a hand onto Menadue’s bare shoulder, sighing as he looked up towards the high ceiling, a picture of the past painted upon it; a white bat-winged man garbed in black flew towards an innocent child and her family with a trident in hand, pummeling through barrage after barrage of ruins and corpses.

“You each have a particular talent that is needed for these lonesome trials ahead of you all,” Keir spoke softly, his wise words echoing off of the carven stone walls, gaining all four’s attention. “Cardon’s dark attributes will appeal to invisibility, causing you to go unnoticed within uncharted territories such as Athnatica or Plattarica’s barren range. Sophia’s light may heal on her will immediately, no to mention her smile has sewn many a heart. Annan’s local experience and social skills will help with the travel, along with teleportation. And you, Menadue, show leadership beyond my own on a good day. All four of you also possess the elements needed…”

“Darkness, Fire, Water, Light,” Sophia recited from years’ past, “those which unlock the grand tower’s gates shall seal the fates of us all.” Annan folded his hands in prayer.

“Let us only hope,” he spoke, bowing towards the grand Lordship that is Keir and exiting the wide room, Sophia exiting in the same fashion alongside Cardon, following suit. Menadue stood where he was.

“Is there anything I need to know before I take my leave?” Menadue asked His Lordship, who nodded with utmost wisdom from years and years beyond. He placed a pale hand onto his opposing spiral horn pertruding from his shoulder, his knowledgable white eyes showing a slight disrespect.

“Do not chant what the walls tell you to,” Keir spoke, confusing Menadue into oblivion. “The walls lie, they cheat and hate, they have no respect for their makers. They will they you what to do, however they shall never be honest. Even if they close around you, do not listen to them…” Keit turned towards the farthest wall away, his eyes narrow with hatred. “That is all.”

“Keir, must you do this?” cried a red-haired girl in very oddly-looking clothes, yelling at a black-haired teenage man with knowing white eyes. His eyes shown with a certain hatred, turning towards the red-head.

“Do you not see the power Ciel holds?” Keir asked the girl, who did not reply. “He could kill both of us in a mere instant if he had the chance! I know I haven’t lived very long, but I know that much!”

“You…” Her emerald eyes shown dully with tears, squeezed shut with a gleam of sadness. “You don’t get it! I don’t care about Ciel or his power! I don’t envy that freak at all!” Keir was taken aback by this statement, however the next took him against a hard wooden wall: “What I care about is you, you idiot!”

“You…”

“I care about you, Keir… I do, I really do…”

“… Envy… Ariel…”