Resolve (3)

As the bright light from the azure ball receded, Evan found himself in a space full of never-ending darkness. Gazing down, he discovered that his body was shining with a light golden colour.

Trying to move, he felt that he was light. Extremely light, as if he was floating on clouds.

'Where am I? The last thing I remember is leading my consciousness into the azure ball before darkness completely took over after I felt a cold object enter my back.'

Evan tried to discern anything familiar in this infinite blackness that surrounded him on all sides. Alas, the darkness was too thick, inhibiting his vision.

'Is this what death feels like?'

Remembering the events which led to this situation, Evan wore a pensive expression.

'Why would a dark wyvern suddenly appear in the outpost? The difference in strength between us the humans and the monster is comparable to that of an ant and a lion. I suffered grievous injuries just from the pressure it released, which shows just how many leagues ahead of me it was. This is the type of strength I want! Sigh, in the end, I was just an ant graced with enough luck to be born into a supreme family.'

'I wonder who betrayed me?'

After recalling everything which occurred, it wasn't hard for Evan to piece everything together and find out that they had stabbed him in the back.

Feeling an all too familiar rage begin to bubble up inside him, Evan exhaled a shaky breath as he tried to keep his emotions under control.

'Fuck this! Why do I always end up getting betrayed?'

Remembering how he decided to begin to open up more and place the fragile fragment of trust that he possessed in humanity's good side, Evan cursed at how foolish and naïve he was.

'Humanity is destined to be destroyed not by external threats such as monsters, but internally. The humans whose greed knows no bounds shall cause the demise of an entire population of people just because they can. Why should I put my effort into helping such a wretched race?'

Feeling numb at this point, Evan didn't care anymore. The sheer amount of pain he had experienced as a result of other humans was just too much for his young shoulders to bear.

Cursing under his breath, he began walking in a random direction with his despondent thoughts as the subtle glow that his ethereal figure gave off barely illuminated the way in front of him.

Walking deeper and deeper into the blackness, Evan kept his eyes open in case he missed something which could tell him about this place.

After a while of tedious walking, he felt like giving up as he began imagining the blackness becoming alive as his mind conjured malevolent shadows with eerie grins on their faces, ready to drag him into the unknown.

Shivering, Evan felt fearful as he shook his head repeatedly, muttering to himself that he was just imagining things.

Finally, after what seemed to be a lifetime, Evan finally stopped walking. Trying to walk a step more, he felt as if it had erected some sort of barrier there, preventing him from moving.

Looking around, his lustreless pupils reflected the darkness, which was eerily similar to the grand void.

'Wait! Are my eyes deceiving me, or was that a tiny source of light over there?

Narrowing his eyes, Evan turned his gaze to the right, where he saw a tiny spark of light bloom in his peripheral vision.

Finding that his eyes weren't deceiving him, he heaved a sigh of relief as the darkness was starting to make him really uncomfortable.

Looking intently at the spark of light, Evan watched with grim anticipation at what would happen next.

After one spark manifested, it created a domino effect as countless other sparks of light began blooming, dispelling the ever-present darkness and revealing what it hid behind.

'T-This!'

Gazing at the sight before him, Evan's eyes widened as he struggled to contain the surge of bursting emotion which threatened to overwhelm him.

Obscured by the blackness was a large mansion standing imposingly as the sword symbolic of the Hale Family was plastered on its front gate.

Gazing at the golden grille of the gate, he struggled to stop the flood of emotion he was feeling as tears slowly began trickling down his face.

Trying to push open the gate, Evan found that his body had just phased through it as the courtyard made its way into his vision.

In the courtyard of the mansion, servants were scurrying about the place as the peal of children's laughter echoed incessantly, warming the hearts of those working there.

Keeping a lid on his emotions, Evan phased through the front door of the mansion.

Unfolding in front of him was a myriad of whitewashed corridors kept spotless all day round by the servants hired by his family.

Rushing through the familiar corridors, Evan arrived at a room in the centre of the mansion as the excited discussion full of familial warmth entered his ears. Deepening the sorrow he was currently feeling.

Phasing through the door, it displayed a wide, opulent room in his vision as he saw four figures happily chatting with each other. The first two figures were adults as they lovingly gazed at the two children seated on their laps.

The male was a broad-shouldered warrior with hulking muscles, making him look especially fearsome. In addition to his striking golden eyes and black hair, he appeared charmingly handsome.

Seated next to him with the elegance and grace of a noble lady, the female possessed caramel-brown eyes which oozed warmth and care. Alongside her silky brown hair and porcelain white skin, she appeared the fitting image of a doting mother.

With bright smiles on their faces, the boy and girl possessed enough cuteness such that even the toughest of hearts would melt after gazing at their faces. With baby fat still present on their faces, the children appeared the epitome of preciousness.

"Papa! Papa! I want to grow up and become strong, just like you!"

After saying that, the little boy around the age of six or seven flexed his arms, showing how much muscle he was packing.

Hearing what the little boy said, the adult male issued a booming laugh, which shook the room as he ruffled the hair of his kid.

Wiping the little tears that appeared in the corner of his eyes from laughing too hard, his face turned solemn as he stared at the golden eyes of his son.

"Evan, pay attention to what I'm about to say, as this is one of the most important things I will ever tell you. We, the Hale Family are destined to be humanity's guardians protecting them in the light and in the dark. We make countless sacrifices so that others cannot experience the sorrow we experience. So you must have a purpose behind your desire for strength, something which fuels you in your toughest of moments. Enabling you to rise up again and show the world how tough a Hale is."

After finishing his piece, the bulky male saw Evan's eyebrows furrow, trying to comprehend what he meant as his tongue stuck out in an adorable manner.

The sister, who was on the mother's lap, showed a cute pout as she raised her small fist in the air and declared lovably.

"When I grow older, I want to protect Papa, Mama, and Evan!"

Another wave of warm laughter ensued, as the doting mother and father duo showered their daughter and son with as much warmth they could give.

Watching to the side silently, Evan had a flow of tears streaming down his face as he bit his lips hard enough for blood to start flowing over his chin.

With his vision being blurred by his tears, he failed to see more of the interaction as the memory disappeared, allowing the pitch-black darkness to appear once again.

'Guardian, huh? Why should we sacrifice ourselves for the scum of the earth that doesn't deserve to live? Why should we have to go through all that pain and suffering only for some incorrigible fool to do some vile thing at the end of the day?'

Surrounded by the all-encompassing darkness on all sides, which tempted him to join the dark side and exact his revenge on humanity for all the pain and suffering it caused him, Evan bit his lips, struggling to make a decision.

As his father's words echoed through his mind, Evan clenched his fist tightly as his golden eyes, which dimmed after being betrayed, flared up with renewed passion.

'I shall gain enough strength to protect you guys and show the world that Evan Hale isn't someone to be messed with lightly. As for being a guardian of humanity, that will always come secondary to my family. This is my purpose! My resolve!'