Heir of Sol

The flames slowly enveloped me, but they were comfortable instead of painful. It felt like I was wrapped up in a warm blanket while it was cold outside. I could feel it burning away my hate and pain. I felt my body regain its strength and my left arm reattach itself.

I slowly stood up as a wispy and melodic voice asked "Do you truly wish for peace and prosperity? Or do you just want to make sure that those you love and cherish are safe? Would you sacrifice your life for strangers, or only your family? I cannot find the answer myself, for your heart is clouded by a Darkness that even I cannot pierce."

I flexed my left arm before asking "Who are you...?" in a cautious voice. I heard a soft chuckle before the voice answered "I am of no importance, just a mere tool who's purpose is to serve its master. Now, what are your true desires, young Blake?" I attempted to look around, but all I could see was bright flames in every direction.

As I thought of a way to get free, I replied "I don't know. A world at peace does sound nice, but that can never happen with greed and ambitions running rampant. I guess I'd rather protect those that I truly care about instead of someone that I barely know, innocent or not." The voice went silent for a moment, making me think I had said something offensive or wrong, but the voice let out a loud cackle as I got the weird feeling that it was wiping tears from its eyes.

The voice eventually stopped laughing and cleared its throat before saying "Sorry, it's just that you reminded me of an old friend who was just like you in his early stages of life. Anyways, I feel like it'll be fun tagging along with you. Reach out your hand."

I knit my brows but did as the voice said and held my hand out. The flames began to swirl around my palm and take the form of a sword. The flames burst to reveal a beautiful blade with a pure scarlet color, a gold-blue edge, and a solid black cloth wrapped around the handle. It was the sword that my father had just been wielding...

I realized that I was back in front of my father, who had quite the expression on his face as he pointed at Sol with his mouth agape. I heard Jack's voice echo in my head, filled with concern as he asked 'Leo...what just happened? Are you okay...?' I tried to speak as softly as possible when I responded 'Yeah, I'm fine now Jack. Thank you for asking.'

I brandished Sol, causing a large swath of flames to burst out from underneath me, before looking at my father and saying "You've caused so much pain in this world. Now it is my duty to erase you from it and bring back the peace we once had...I'm sorry, dad..." I fought the tears welling up in my eyes for, even though he was a piece of shit, he was still my one and only father.

I dashed forward and slashed him from his left shoulder down to his right hip before doing the opposite. He stumbled backward with a gasp of pain as blood hushed from his wounds, but I pressed on. I slashed him across the chest before spinning and kicking him in the jaw, staggering and dropping him to one knee.

I slammed my knee into his jaw, knocking him down, before holding Sol up high and saying "Farewell..." I slashed Sol downwards, conjuring a large pillar of flame that erupted from the ground under my father. It was a quicker death than he deserved, but I couldn't force myself to torture him. I watched as his body burnt and was turned into a fine dust before being blown away in the winds.

I stowed Sol away in my inventory before running over to Suki's mutilated body, wondering why her Ghost hadn't healed her yet. Jack came out and frantically began to scan her and try to heal her with the Light but, after several minutes, nothing had happened.

I began to get desperate, going so far as to channel my own lifeforce into her, but there was still no response. It wasn't until her Ghost had finally appeared that my anxiety had been damped just a little. Her Ghost, Sumi, began to explain that she was having a hard time reviving Suki because her connection with the Light was too weak.

An idea popped up in my head. "Wait, you remember the story of Lucifer Blake resurrecting a whole city from death after it had been wiped out due to collateral damage, right?" Sumi and Jack nodded and I continued "Well, they said he did it with the Darkness, not the Light..."

Jack began to shake as he said "No, nope, you're not going to do that!" Sumi nodded and said "Yeah, I agree with him. It's far too dangerous. We could just go and get a few other Gho-" I slammed my fist on the ground and said "If we wait too long, she'll be gone for good! Move out of the way!"

I felt panicked because I had no idea what I needed to do to bring her back. I couldn't imagine living without the only other person who cared about me besides Akina and my mother. I needed her to be alive so I could talk to her about my problems again. So I could hear her scold me when I did something wrong...

Tell me...

"Tell me damnit!" I turned my gaze toward the broken, tattered, and seemingly lifeless Traveler that floated above the City and yelled "Tell me why we have these powers if we can't save the ones we love! Tell me why you never answer our pleas! Tell me why you've abandoned us!!"

There was no answer, at least not from the Traveler. A cold, ominous, and dark laughter spread through my mind as a bone chilling voice said "Yesss...that's very good, very good! You have indeed been abandoned, but I will never abandon you...just accept me, and I can bring your precious sister back to life...!"

I jumped slightly before asking 'Jack...is that you...?' I heard Jack begin to speak before being cut off by the voice. "Ah, ah. This is your decision, not his...now, will you accept me or not...?" I felt...incomplete without Jack constantly talking in my head. It made me feel like my weaknesses were exposed and laid out on a desk for everyone to see.

The voice laughed and said "Ahaha, a little exaggerated don't you think? No? Just me? Ok then..." I repressed the growing fear welling up in my stomach as I asked 'Who are you? And why are you trying to get me to 'accept' you or whatever?' The voice adopted a serious voice as it said "It would be better if you didn't know who I was...don't worry, I'm not your dead father's Ghost if that's what you're worried about."

The voice snickered as I began to think I was going crazy. I stopped paying attention to the voice and renewed my efforts on healing Suki, but to no avail. Her wounds closed, but her eyes never opened nor her heart start beating once more. She was colder than ice.

"Do you see now? You can't revive her without me...do it, accept me into your heart and you will gain the powers to bring her back. I swear on my Maker's name that I can help." I was at a loss. I had no idea what to do. Am I not really able to bring her back...?

"Damnit, screw this! Fine, I accept you!!" I yelled as I began to beg for Suki to open her eyes. I needed to hurry and find Akina as well, or else I may be left with nothing...

The voice cried out in joy as a sharp pain racked my heart. It felt like a sharp dagger was slowly being pushed through my body, each second bringing more and more pain. I fell to the ground and started to spasm while coughing uncontrollably, a black substance coming out from my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

I tried to scream, but I couldn't. All I could do was lay there while slowly choking to death. A burning sensation spread out across my body as I felt my Light slowly corrupting and withering away. I fought it as best as I could, but my light was getting dimmer and dimmer, an all-consuming Darkness replacing it.

But then I remembered. I remembered that, if I died, then everyone else will too. I clawed the ground and slowly rose to my knees, forcing my body to respond to my will. I began to feel for my connection to the Light before grabbing hold and pulling as hard as I could, trying desperately to not let this chance slip through my fingers.

I felt my body's strength returning as I continued to gain my Light back and combat the Darkness. With one, final push, I yelled out "GET OUT, YOU BASTAAAAARRRD!!" A jagged, black line began to form above my eyes before slowly making its way down to my chin, resembling a scar from a blade.

I felt my Light return to my body, but there was another power constantly at war with it, fighting for supremacy. A flood of knowledge invaded my mind, giving me access to all kinds of things that I would never be able to replicate, let alone come up with.

I slowly reached out my hand and let the dark energy flow through me before sending it out toward Suki, watching as it enveloped her body and encased her in some black and milky-white cocoon. I waited for minutes, trying to calm the raging emotions within my heart as I brushed my bangs out from my eyes.

The cocoon burst and Suki was staring up at the sky with a confused look before she began to feel her ears with a surprised expression. I jumped on top of her and fought my tears as I began to thank whatever decided to listen to my pleas.

Suki eventually swat me off of her before beginning to question me on how the hell she was alive. I told her everything that happened starting from when she fainted in the woods. Suki had a shocked expression on her face as she stared at the pile of dust that used to be my father.

I had pulled Sol out to prove that I wasn't lying, for one can only wield Sol if they had been chosen by the weapon itself. Suki had said she felt better than before and insisted that she could move on her own when I offered to carry her. I picked up my mother and dashed off in the direction Akina and her parents had went with Suki following closely.

The streets were deserted and every building was on fire, burnt to ashes, or completely eradicated. There was blood and bodies everywhere, many were innocent people since the Guardians had all fled the City at the first sign of danger.

After seeing so many bodies, so many children laying on the street, bloodied and mutilated, I vowed that I would slaughter every Guardian that had fled to preserve their own lives. I will avenge all of these senseless deaths, no matter if I knew them or not. It just felt like the right thing do do.

Right?