Book 1 Chapter 1: Unfold

*WHOOSH*

It happened too fast, too fast to even feel.

"QUICK GO" A mighty roar let loose.

It happened for no particular reason at all, spite? Grievance? Jealousy?

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

The dark alleys offered little to no sanctuary, maybe at times when you weren't being looked for could you hide in the grimy and loose paths. Right now however, they were a maze with one inevitable outcome at its end and that was death.

How far you could run, the tactics you used to survive, just merely made it worthwhile.

A grey cloaked man shot by corners at inconceivable speeds; every time he rounded a corner his hand would catch its edges to throw him forward hundreds of meters to the next edge. A cloud of black cloaks followed his wake of noise, silent in their pursuit. They seemingly floated on the air itself, but no tangible part of their body could be seen other than the cloaks they wore. They could be men, women, children, who knew exactly. What those that saw them pass by did know however, were that they were all monsters.

Under the grey colored cloak was a stoic face. The grey figure in the end wasn't running for their life, they were delaying the lives taken by and of others. The longer they ran, the longer others had to actually survive.

*BZZT*

A bolt of crimson fire shot backwards from the grey cloak, cracking the earth under tremendous heat as it passed by the stone underneath it. The walls of the alley shattered as it passed, carrying with it debris and molten stone as it flew. It gained in speed and slammed towards the black cloaked pursuers like a meteor from hell itself.

The figures parted, allowing it to pass right by them without heed. A tunnel of darkness surrounded its journey down the rest of the alley. The darkness had an eerie aura to it, and flickered with an almost pealescent color of the rainbow as it stood to contain the meteor of molten fire. The darkness vanished into a cloud of mist as the pursuers carried on after the grey cloaked figure.

The meteor, having reached the end of its journey, struck a building and imploded. It pulled the entirety of the buildings around it into itself, before disappearing.

The grey cloaked figure ran its hand along each side of the alley and spikes of water shot out into the imposing wall adjacent to it. It quickly thickened into pillars of ice several feet in circumference. Each pillar then shot out thinner spikes of water that froze into thorn like shapes.

The figures danced around the pillars, or even became intangible like ghosts and passed straight through them.

*SHINGGG*

In one last chance to slow the pursuers the figure pulled out a blade of silver hidden under the cloak. When it was drawn the air around it undulated and let loose a cry that shook the alley. With a flicker, the blade moved hundreds of times in succession before stopping and landing back in the sheath. 1,000's of wind blades shot forth right as it clinked into the sheath, as if that sound was the command to let loose cataclysm.

The blades wove through the air like waves, and anything they passed by was sliced and cut. Lacerations filled the alley, in the wake of the blades, while the stone before it cracked under tremendous pressure.

The figures danced and wove as best they could. When several tried to become intangible and pass through them they were bisected in half without pause.

They, even at the great speeds they traveled already, slowed down to carefully move about the blades.

"GIVE UP" A voice boomed from amongst the black cloaks.

"NEVER!" The grey cloaked figure replied without hesitation.

"The journey is almost at its climax, better end it here" The voice replied with a sinister cackle.

The only reply he received back was a finger waving in the air as the figure danced around yet another corner, shooting forward again.

Minutes passed, seconds already felt like centuries, and yet the grey cloaked figure had survived for almost 5 minutes.

"Almost time to end it…better start now…HEY!" The grey cloaked figure stopped dead in their tracks, before gazing back with silver eyes to the black cloaked figures.

They in turn stopped as well, slowly moving forward until they were just 30 meters apart. A tall man walked forward from the black cloaks, and gazed back at the figure with burning crimson pupils.

"Last wishes?" He asked amused. Seconds later the black cloaked figures around him vanished into thin air one by one. The distance between the grey cloaked figure, and the large black cloaked figure was too short for escape.

"Remember when I won the tournament in the tower of death…and I chose the fate of many as my reward?" The grey figured pulled their hood back to reveal a young man. He was handsome, with chisel cut cheeks and jaw lines. His silver eyes paired well with his pitch black hair.

"You're…" The man took a step forward as if to get a better look, and shook his head and sighed, "So I have failed…and yet succeeded. To think it was you this whole time…under the identity of a dead man. Speak what you may. You shall still have to die…" The man flexed his muscles, but nodded in appreciation to the person before him.

"I didn't choose the fate of many…I choose the second chance." The young man took off his cloak, and flicked it out into the air causing it to whir off into the distance before disappearing. It was as if the cloak had a mind of its own, with it was the young man's blade and everything he had on him except for the simple clothes he now wore.

"I don't need those anyway…what is this second chance you speak of, it wasn't listed amongst the reward?" The burly 2.2 meter tall man was wary, the young man had no reason to lie right now. Whatever this 'Second chance' was could be powerful. It could also be a lifesaving reward, as implied in the name.

"Second Chance: Die, but be reborn to gift others what you once had." The young man said succinctly as if saying it from memory.

"That…doesn't make any sense, reincarnation? What does it mean to be reborn only to give others what you once had? Are you still reborn, or are imparting experiences?"

"Honestly? I don't know what will happen, but I knew this day would come…so why not, take a chance?" A smile bloomed on his face to this thought, as if he had no care in the world anymore. This was truly a dangerous state, as it would seem on the surface he had nothing left to lose.

"Boy…just tell me where it is, and I won't kill you" He meant it, the whole reason he was pursuing the person, or who he thought they were, was to procure knowledge to an ancient treasure. One powerful enough to change the tides of war, famine, politics, the entire world. Nobody knew what power layed within it, but all knew of its potential. It was on the level of the gods, and it could be used to save humanity.

Yet, the group he had been after had kept the secret to reaching it to themselves. Not out of selfishness, but because even if they gave it for the right reasons one day it would be used for the wrong ones.

"I cannot…I am the last anyway…I ran this long, to let those of our bloodline live…they have no knowledge of any of this and so it isn't worth pursuing them…" The young man clutched his heart, as he slowly knelt onto the cobble stone beneath his feet.

"It could save humanity! Why would your clan kill themselves, even if it was used for the wrong…we could put it back after making the world right!" The man yelled with a roar as he bolted forward to clutch the young man.

"Yes…why would we kill ourselves? Unless we…already knew what layed within Pandora's box…" The young man's voice quivered as his arms slowly slumped to his sides.

"No…NOO…TELL ME…Why…" The man clutched the boy before him and began to cry.

"I'm sorry…"

Blood poured forth from his mouth, and the silver within his eyes faded to a dark oak brown that dulled into lifelessness.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1,000's of years passed in the blink of an eye, yet many things happened within the time. Kingdoms rose and fell, empires fought and faded, emperors and kings fought to the death in the skies.

The sands of time knew all, but cared not.

Races appeared on the planet, different than the ones of old and those that dwelled within the sea and oceans. Strange towers, cities, and forbidden zones appeared across the world like miracles as they had since the beginning of time. New lives were born, and old lives were ended.

This was time, this was fate, this was destiny, this was a choice. Many phrases like this were spoke amongst the masses, regardless of species and politics. Power, glory, Dao, history, these were some of many reasons people rose and fell.

What's your choice?