Trials of Fate

"Life is an unending path; you choose where you go. The path might be short, long, wide, or narrow. You decide how and where you walk to in your life. The decision lies in your hands, and only you can decide where the path leads to."

-Anonymous

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Location: Unknown

Time: Year 16 of the Era of Change

Era: Era of Change

In vast vestige known as the void or, as many would like to call it, space large battles were transpiring in almost every corner of the sector known as the GLK 123 system, or better known as the Milky Way. Battles of epic proportions were underway, and vast swaths of life were being snuffed out as if it were nothing. Large cruisers spanning thousands of kilometres accompanied by an unending amount of celestials were destroying and burning multiple defenceless worlds. They could do nothing but be wiped out; even if they were innocent, no one was spared.

The ones that were supposed to protect them were nowhere to be seen; they had vanished and abandoned their worlds, leaving them behind to be ruined. As all of this chaos and destruction was happening far away from this world with burning fleets and merciless celestial soldiers, a golden man drifted in meditation near a giant star, as if absorbing its energy. This golden man also had a beautifully shining golden sword that seemed to be able to cut anything in its path. The golden man suddenly opened his eyes and smiled with splendour, yet this smile, if others were to see it, would not fill them with awe but with fear, for this was deep darkness and evil in this smile, a smile that could kill.

The golden man reached to his sword and swung it in the direction of the star. Without warning, the star then slowly became smaller and smaller until there was nothing left but a speck of dust. The golden sword now shined even brighter than before, its splendour wanting to explode with unfarmable amounts of energy. Seeing this, the golden man shook his head and smiled even more, saying:

"Not yet my sword, you know we have to wait. We must gather our strength so that when we face those cowardly celestials, we can watch them burn to the ashes. With but a swing, they shall forever regret their foolish decisions." As the golden man said this, the sword became paler and seemed as if all the energy it had, had been stilled and stored for the future. Being pleased with this, the golden man chuckled and proceeded to look off into the distance. The golden man knew the day was coming when he and his faction, as well as the other celestial factions, would join hands and wipe out the entire Milky Way and the Desolate Sector.

What his fleets and soldiers were doing now was only the beginning of a long war. No! A genocide, a purge that would clean the sector so that no speck of life would be ever found again. Thinking of this, the golden man floated off to the next largest star he could find, further accumulating his energy for the battles to come.

Unbeknownst to the golden man, though, he did not notice or sense that someone was watching him, a young celestial with dark brown hair and grey eyes. He also wore a grey robe with simple sandals on, accompanied by a simple-looking stone sword, which had a dangerous aura. This man was clenching his fists and was glaring with rage-filled eyes at the golden man and his fleets that were ravaging the worlds. Yet before the young celestial could do anything he would regret, an old hand touched his shoulder. This hand belonged to Alforn, one of the leaders of the Celestial faction in the Milky Way. The young man turned his head to Alforn with confused and pleading eyes. He wanted to save those people; he disagreed with what was happening. It went against everything he knew. Alforn, though, shook his head and simply said: " We cannot and will not act. There is much more at stake than you can imagine, my student, now come we still much to do before the final battle over our survival shall transpire." As he said this, Alforn opened a blue portal behind him and waved towards the young celestial to follow him. Seeing this, the young celestial sighed and looked at the burning worlds with deep grief and anger as he entered the portal. After he entered, Alforn turned one more time to look at the worlds. His eyes that were usually as cold as ice and empty of emotion as the void, were filled with sadness that no one could describe. It was the eyes of an old man, a mortal seeing something he couldn't control, he couldn't understand, not the eyes of a powerful celestial. Yet once again, his eyes became cold and emotionless once more. He proceeded to enter the portal and left behind countless worlds that were meant to be protected by them, to be secure, to burn in suffering.

Location: Unknown

Time: Year 16 of the Era of Change

Era: Era of Change

Steven and the little dog were once more walking on the seeming less unending concrete road. On this road, there was nothing but pure concrete. There were no drawn lines, just concrete. There was nothing next to, above, or beyond this road. It only went straight. Anything and everything else was pure white, an unedging void of nothing, just an unending stretch of a white canvas. Steven was still perplexed by all of this. Nonetheless, he continued walking straight ahead, following the concrete road and the little dog ahead of him. Yet Steven started to question himself, why was he doing this? What was going on? When was this going to end? How did this dog know so much about him? These questions occupied Steven's mind considerably, and he asked himself whether he was doing the right thing. The little dog had helped him a lot, but he barely knew it, yet it knew so much about him. He questioned whether this little dog actually had good intentions and what this concrete road was. He felt that he would gain something, something powerful, incomprehensible, if he continued walking this road. Yet, the cost he would have to pay would mean him losing something very precious to himself. He felt it was his humanity that he would lose for the cost of unshakable power. Although Steven couldn't deny that he would really want this power, he didn't know if he was willing to give up the very thing that made him who he was. He saw what had happened to his friends and how they were slowly gaining emotions for others again, yet he didn't know if he would be the same. If he chose power and change, would he turn out like them, devoid of emotion for all but a few individuals, cold and hardened by the world? Only caring for oneself. Steven didn't know what awaited him, yet he knew he didn't want to continue on the path set out for him. He wanted to make his own path, no matter what, for he would rather choose a different path and fail, knowing it was what he decided than choosing a pre-determined path and succeeding, yet knowing he had no hand to play in it. He wanted to determine where he would go. He would create his own destiny.

Thinking about all of these things, Steven smiled to himself and stopped walking. Seeing this, the little dog looked at Steven with irritation, wondering what the boy was up to. Yet, before the little dog could say anything, Steven started walking to the left. He did this until he reached the end of the concrete road on the left. He then turned around and looked at the dog. He smiled and said: " You know I am thankful for all that you've done for me, and I hope one day I can make it up. But I feel like I need to go a different path, my path, a one I forge, not one that has already been laid out for me." Saying this, Steven smiled and turned around, slowly walking outside of the concrete road. He was now walking on an empty white canvas, where there was no path; there was nothing. Yet Steven felt that this was the path he had to take. One where he would decide what happens no matter the consequences, for only so, would he be able to accept whatever would happen.

Seeing this, the little dog looked at Steven with widened and shocked eyes. It couldn't believe what the boy was doing. It was incomprehensible, stupid and naïve. He didn't understand what the boy was thinking. A path was already laid out, it would have its challenges, but in the end, it would be completed. How come this boy couldn't understand that. Thinking of this, the little dog barked at the boy and yelled at him, asking: "What is wrong with you? We already have a path! It has been laid out for us, you only need to complete the trials, and we can get out of here!" Steven hearing this, saw that the little dog was shaking with fury while yelling at him. He smiled and shook his head, and then proceeded to say:

"Whatever comes, I shall face it. I am weak, cowardly, incompetent, and like I to break myself down. I am afraid of what I will face, yet I know if I don't do this, I will regret it if I don't decide to make my own path. I will give up something to walk that concrete road. Maybe I am childish, maybe I am foolish. But what I do know is that I darn as hell will do what I want!"

Saying this with a determined gaze and a puffed out chest, Steven turned around once more and started walking into the unknown white canvas. The little dog wanted to pass out from all the anger it felt, yet thinking about what Steven said, it felt a sense of admiration. From the pathetic little boy ahead of him, he felt that something compelled him to go with the boy. To see if he would succeed, if he would be able to forge his own path or destined to be but a pawn in the game of the so-called "Gods". Thinking of this, the little dog sighed to himself and chased after Steven, already preparing itself to tell the boy he told him so when he failed. Steven seeing the little dog run up to him and walk by his side grinned and shook his head in amusement. But he did not question the dog, nor did he leave a snarky comment. He only said: "Welcome to the journey, I suppose, the journey of a "hopefully" normal human." Hearing this, the little dog snorted and rolled his eyes at the boy, thinking: "Normal? Who are you kidding? If you were normal you would have kept walking straight!"

Following this, the two kept walking into the unknown, not knowing what they would face, Yet unbeknownst to them, what they would face, was something that would change everything. Steven was change. Everything he came into contact with, every action he did, was change. For he was someone that did not belong, someone that did not move and act like a pawn should. Through Steven, much change would come, for he was unpredictable and incomprehensible. He was anything but normal in this new and crazy world. He would be the catalyst for many unimaginable things.

Location: Foundation Faction Harbour

Time: Year 16 of the Era of Change

Era: Era of Change

Very far yet not too distant to where Steven was, a very tense and awkward situation was currently underway at the previous Foundation Faction Harbour, which was now a battlefield. The man known as number 175 stared at the ants in front of him with contempt. He usually never had to deal with such pathetic and meaningless beings. Yet, for the last, for him seemingly unending time, he had been stuck with dealing with them, which caused him immense dissatisfaction and frustration.

Thinking of how he would deal with these ants based on how they would answer made number 175 feel slightly better. Knowing he could have some fun in squishing these tiny ants gave him great satisfaction. Before he could further think about anything, a large and muscular man with a red glowing pickaxe started walking towards him. This man showed no fear. This impressed number 175 immensely. The closer this man came to number 175, the more he realised how amazed he was with how these ants always displayed something new. Just a few years ago, none of them could do this. Yet, it was as if these ants were finally becoming stronger, solidifying themselves and discovering more of their powers. Number 175, despite hating the ants, couldn't help but feel excited, imaging the new opponents that he would be able to fight and then, of course, crush them painfully. For even though they had become more assertive, to number 175, they still had a meaningless existence. They were so weak and clueless of what was happening around them, and in the end, they were only pawns for the truly strong, those who control their own and those of others destinies.

As number 175 was still deep in thought, Phillip was right in front of him before he noticed it. Phillip was shaking to his very core, yet he gritted his teeth and looked number 175 in the eyes. When Phillip did this, he felt overwhelmed by pure power, something he had never experienced. Phillip felt like he was about to pass out at any minute. Yet, he knew that if he did not face this man now, all of his companions would die. Phillip couldn't allow that, for he was responsible for them, and they still had many battles ahead of them. Therefore, he could not afford to die here. He could not afford to lose any of his comrades here. They were vital to the Crowned Knights of Freedom and their battle against the Foundation Faction.

As he thought of this, number 175 had already stopped thinking and was staring at Phillip. He was astounded by the courage the ant had to withstand his powerful aura and even look into his eyes. Yet, to his surprise, something that stunned him even more happened. A few men started walking up to Phillip and stood behind him. One was a young man, another an old one, as well as a scarred man. They all released their auras as well as if to back up Phillip. And as if to answer this, Phillip opened his shaking mouth and asked: "Ho- how can w- we help you? Sadly, we are not a part of the Foundation Faction and don't know who you are looking for. But those scum over there might be able to help you." As Phillip said all of this, he became more steadfast and confident with his allies powers behind him, helping block out the immense power of the man in front of him. Hearing this, number 175 broke out laughing, to the point that he was almost crying. He then said: "Amazing! Truly outstanding, so many interesting ants I have been discovering as of late! I admire your courage, therefore because I am such a kind man, I shall spare you! Be grateful, be proud of yourselves, ants, you impressed a being such as I! Now, let me ask again to the people concerned. I do not care what puny pathetic Foundation Faction you belong to; I only want to know one thing! The boy who came 5 years ago, where is he? If you cannot answer me, I shall rip you apart, bit by bit, piece by piece, until I get a satisfactory answer."

Hearing this, the fat ogre looking like overseer, trembled in fear and summed up all the courage in his heart to answer the mighty being: "Grea- Great! Great One! Many slaves shipped over here the last few years if you are looking though for a boy from 5 years ago. The groups of slaves from 5 years ago were all sent into the Underground mines. Anything else you would have to find out from those tratuns and rotters!" As he said this, he pointed at the grotesque-looking spiders and rotting corpses filled with maggots.

Looking to where the fat man pointed, number 175 squinted his eyes. He did not like what he saw. He despised the things called rotters, as they reminded him of Maggons. Yet, he held himself back from annihilating their existence and proceeded to walk towards them. As he arrived in front of them, he made them all kneel with a wave of his hand. The grotesque creatures were overwhelmed and could not resist the power of that man as they proceeded to naturally kneel. Seeing this number, 175 grinned and simply said: "Take me to your leader, you filthy animals!" Following this, number 175 came one step closer to finding his target, yet the plans number 175 had in mind would not go according to what he wanted. For he was overconfident and arrogant. He did not understand that, despite the so-called "ants" being weak, it did not mean that they could not put up a fight and resist. He would come to regret his arrogance, as it would cost him dearly.