Chapter 3 - Morning Star & Evening Star

Waking up at dawn wasn't exactly on my list of favorite things to do, but considering I now had a half-dead being from another world who had literally fallen out of the sky sitting across from me, sleep had been a lost cause anyway. Looking over, I see the mystery boy looking at me with those eerie eyes of his that hold no emotion. 

Leaning back, I placed a hand on my chest with a smirk. "Cevar Dacre. Third son of Count Dacre of the Western Front and champion of Zanas, the god of the future—not that any of that would matter to a demon."

The guy—Varian, apparently—stared at me, his expression unreadable. No anger, no recognition, just that steady gaze, like he was sizing me up. It was a little unsettling.

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Didn't you, like, fall straight from the gates of Hell or something?"

He shook his head. "That wasn't Hell. No matter how similar it seemed, that was the Black Dimension—the place where the gods banished the Einherjar."

That made me pause. Einherjar? Now that was a name I hadn't heard In a while..

"Wait… so you're not a demon? You're an Einherjar?"

He nodded. "I am an Einherjar and a champion, but I do not know how I am free, nor do I understand much about this world."

Great. A clueless warrior spirit with no memory and a vague connection to the gods. This just kept getting better.

I tilted my head, curiosity winning out over skepticism. "Champion of whom?"

His eyes darkened like he was trying to dig through a memory that wasn't there. "I do not remember… but I know it was a god of death."

I let out a sharp breath and ran a hand through my hair with a short laugh. "Okay, let me get this straight… You're the champion of some long-forgotten death god, a warrior from a race the gods literally threw into a void, and you have no idea why you're here?"

Silence.

I clicked my tongue. "Great. Just great."

Then I grinned. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to be an excellent teacher. Consider this a gift for not trying to kill me."

Grabbing a stick, I crouched and started sketching in the dirt. The shape was rough, jagged in some places, smooth in others. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it would do.

"This," I said, tapping the dirt with my stick, "is the continent of Therealis." I dragged an X near the western edge. "And this is where we are—the Western Front, smack in the middle of the Forest of Lost Souls. All of this," I gestured broadly, "belongs to the lovely kingdom of Assyria."

Varian barely glanced at the map, unimpressed. "And?"

I smirked and jabbed at another point. "And this is where we're headed: the Magic Tower of Babel and the Magic Academy of Babylonia." I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice for dramatic effect. "Zanas told me you'd be tagging along."

His expression twisted as he looked at me. His once-still hair began flowing. I started to feel pressure as if he was forcing the air to become heavier.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Zanas said you'd be stubborn about it." Leaning back on my heels, I shot him a knowing look. "Listen, mystery boy. The academy has an extensive library—probably the best place to start if you want to dig up anything about your god of death. Or, you know, keep wandering around aimlessly with zero clues. Up to you."

His fingers twitched slightly like he was irritated at how much sense I was making. His hair became still once again the air not as condensed as before. 

Silence stretched between us again, but this time, it wasn't the peaceful kind. Something was off. The weight in the air hadn't faded, and if anything, it felt heavier, pressing against my skin like an unseen hand. The sun that was once glaring throughout the trees had become nonexistent as the sky became pitch black.

Varian must've sensed it too, because he slowly stood, his gaze fixed beyond the cave's entrance.

Then—I heard it.

A low, dragging sound.

Something moving through the trees, slow and deliberate. Not an animal. Not something natural.

I was on my feet in an instant, fingers wrapping around the hilt of my sword. "Stay here," I muttered, stepping toward the entrance.

Varian didn't move. "It is coming."

I froze. "What?"

His eyes locked onto mine, dark and certain. "The thing from before. The rift."

A chill crawled up my spine.

Before I could respond, the dragging stopped.

Then—something breathed.

Low. Deep. Like a beast inhaling for the first time.

The shadows beyond the trees shifted, something peeling itself from the darkness. My grip on my sword tightened, my instincts screaming at me to move.

Then, it stepped into view.

Tall. Twisted. Its limbs were too long, its body hunched like it had been forced into the shape of something human but hadn't quite figured out how to be one. Its face—or what should have been one—was smooth and empty, except for a jagged, splitting grin stretching far too wide.

It didn't belong.

I exhaled sharply. "Great. Just what I needed—a nightmare made real."

Varian stepped beside me, his voice as calm as ever. "It is looking for something."

I didn't take my eyes off the thing. "Let me guess. You?"

He didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Because the moment I spoke, the creature snapped its head toward us.

And then—it moved.

Fast. Too fast.

I barely had time to react before it lunged.

I barely had time to move, instincts screaming as I threw myself to the side. The thing's clawed limb carved through the space where I had just stood, leaving deep gashes in the earth.

Varian didn't flinch.

Instead, he stepped forward, his black eyes narrowing as the air around him shifted. The unnatural weight I had sensed before grew heavier, pressing down on me like an invisible force. The creature hesitated—just for a moment—but that was enough.

I moved.

Blade flashing, I dashed in, aiming for its exposed side. The moment my sword connected, a deafening clang echoed through the forest. My arms shook from the impact, but my blade barely left a scratch.

I gritted my teeth. "Figures it wouldn't be that easy."

The beast turned on me, a jagged grin stretching wider.

Before it could strike, Varian his creepy hair began to move with a mind of its own again then he disappeared.

He blurred—one second beside me, the next directly in front of the creature. His fingers curled into a fist, then shot forward, striking the beast square in the chest.

A shockwave rippled outward. The creature staggered back, its grotesque limbs twitching as if the hit had disrupted something within it.

I whistled. "Not bad."

Varian, however, didn't stop. He stepped forward again, his movements eerily precise. His footwork was deliberate like he was following some ingrained pattern, some technique buried deep in his forgotten past.

The creature screeched and lunged, swiping wildly.

I darted in from the side, slashing at its legs. This time, I aimed for the joints. My blade bit deep, cutting through sinew and bone. The beast collapsed onto one knee, snarling in frustration.

"Now!" I shouted.

Varian didn't hesitate.

He placed a palm against the ground, and for a moment, the air itself seemed to warp. Shadows coiled around his fingers, turning into something else thick and writhing like living tendrils. Then, with a flick of his wrist, those things shot forward, wrapping around the beast's limbs and pinning it in place.

Its grin faltered.

I smirked. "Got you. Albion sword style, first form: drifting fang"

I changed my stance my sword in my right hand over my back in a half squat as soon as it seemed as if I was about to fall I disappeared reappearing behind the beast my sword going through its neck in a fluid motion.

The creature spasmed violently before going still.

Then, slowly, its form began to dissolve, fading into nothingness like mist burned away by the morning sun. The oppressive weight in the air lifted, and the forest seemed to exhale.

I let out a breath, rolling my shoulders. "Well, that was fun."

Varian stared at the fading remains, his expression unreadable. "It knew me."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He glanced at me, eyes shadowed. "Before it attacked… it recognized me."

I frowned. That wasn't exactly comforting.

"Well," I said, stretching, "sounds like another reason to get to that magic academy of yours. You wanna figure out who you are, right?"

Varian hesitated, then gave a slow nod.

I grinned. "Then let's get moving, mystery boy. We've got a long journey ahead."

And with that, we left the forest behind, stepping into a world that was about to get a whole lot messier.