Annihilation

The room was drowning in a heavy silence after the words spoken by the child.

The man, who had spent years torturing others without a flinch, felt something he had never known before: fear.

He took a step back, the tongs he had been holding fell to the ground with a sharp metallic sound.

His heart was pounding wildly, but he tried to hold himself together, attempting to regain control of the situation.

"What are you saying, little one? Don't play the hero in front of me!"

The man tried to appear composed, but his voice betrayed him, shaking as he spoke.

The child smiled, but the smile was inhuman.

It was cold, as if it were an expression of something ancient and dark that had awoken within him.

Then he looked at his hand, stared at it, before narrowing his eyes with deep suspicion.

"My soul...?"

He slowly raised his head, a devilish smile spreading across his face, followed by a deep laugh, as if it came from the depths of hell, shaking the walls and sending chills down the spine.

"I think I'll forget everything…"

He then looked at the man who was trembling before him, tilting his head slightly.

"Why don't I leave a mark… before I disappear from this world?"

Before the man could respond, he felt a sharp pain spreading throughout his body. It was as if the very air had turned into a knife, cutting through him from the inside. He fell to his knees, screaming, but his scream didn't escape, as though the place had become isolated from the outside world.

The child stood before him, his eyes burning with a mysterious blue glow. He spoke calmly: "I thought this world was my prison... but now I realize it's just the beginning."

With every word, the aura around the child intensified, as if feeding on the pain and despair that filled the room. The walls began to crack, and the air was ignited with dark energy. The man, who had been screaming moments ago, was now lying on the floor, his body motionless, his face frozen in absolute terror.

But the child did not look at him. Instead, he raised his head to the sky, as if his gaze pierced the ceiling and saw beyond it. He murmured to himself: "This world is full of pain, but it's not enough. There's another world... a bigger world... a world that deserves to see the true meaning of pain."

...

Outside the house, some of the alley's residents stood silently, those who had ignored the boy's screams before, pretending not to hear. They watched the house with unease, a strange feeling coursing through their veins, a mixture of tension and fear, though they didn't know why.

Then...

The door of the house creaked open slowly, as if the gates of hell had been flung wide. He stepped out, his footsteps heavy and powerful, as though they were pounding the earth with destructive beats. Shadows danced around him, and his eyes gleamed with a mysterious glow, as if something had emerged with him from this cursed place.

Everyone froze in place.

One of them whispered with a trembling voice: "This... this isn't human…"

But the boy did not look at anyone. He walked with determination, the ground beneath his feet seemed to bend to his will. He stood on the ruins of his old alley, raised his head to the overcast sky, and let out a devilish laugh that shook the very souls of those around, before speaking in a voice that was heard by everyone in the neighborhood:

"A good number... so... die."

His words spread through the air, carrying with them an invisible cruelty that radiated from every corner of the area.

...

Elsewhere, far from the devastation...

In a grand palace overlooking a lit city, a middle-aged man sat behind a large desk. He wore an elaborate cloak, and a small crown symbolized his authority. Before him stood a knight in shining armor, holding a letter in his hand.

The knight spoke with a worried tone: "My lord, we've received reports of a strange tremor coming from the forbidden zone. We don't know its source, but the energy we felt... it's unnatural."

The man examined the letter thoughtfully before speaking in a low voice:

"The forbidden zone? Didn't we leave it to become a haven for outlaws?"

"Yes, but... this is not just a disturbance. The sorcerers who attempted to read the energy there lost consciousness. It seems something has awakened."

The man was silent for a moment, then stood up and spoke firmly: "Gather the elite. We cannot ignore this. If there is a new threat, we must eliminate it before it gets out of control."

...

At the edges of the slums...

In an abandoned side alley, a thin woman stood, her features pale, her body suggesting illness, but that didn't hide her stunning beauty, a regal kind of beauty that never fades, no matter how fatigue mars it. Beside her stood a young girl, no older than seven, a miniature version of the woman: soft golden hair like the winter sun's rays, and golden eyes that sparkled with innocence untouched by cruelty.

Behind them stood a tall man, wearing black armor adorned with silver and agate, designed to evoke both fear and magnificence. On his chest was the empire's emblem, intricately carved, and at his waist hung a beautiful white sword.pulsing with immense power. His face was concealed by a fine helm, only his sharp, watchful eyes visible. This was "Erdin," the empire's most powerful knight.

Suddenly, Erdin turned swiftly to the east, his eyes gleaming with serious concern.

The woman asked him in a soft, regal tone: "What's wrong, Erdin?"

He didn't answer immediately. He stared at the horizon for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice: "Nothing important, Your Majesty... but I just sensed a dangerous aura coming from the exile zone."

The woman raised an eyebrow in interest: "A dangerous aura?"

Erdin sighed: "Maybe one of the gangs there stirred up trouble... or something like that."

He shook his head slightly and added with seriousness: "But... no. That aura... it couldn't have come from an ordinary person. There's nothing but exiles and criminals in that area. But what I felt... is something else."

She looked at him silently for a moment, then spoke firmly: "Let's go and have a look."

Erdin stepped back: "What? Absolutely not, Your Majesty! That area is dangerous. Your venture into the slums was already a risk. And we have the little princess with us."

The woman let out a short laugh and said: "Dangerous? Erdin, don't exaggerate... what could possibly threaten us with you here? There is no one in this kingdom who would dare approach, as long as you're standing beside me."

He didn't respond, but he gripped his sword's hilt carefully, his eyes still fixed on the east.

...

Under a pale sun, in the vast courtyard in front of the palace, a line of armored knights gathered. Each of them wore heavy armor, silver-plated and adorned with intricate engravings representing a blazing flame, the symbol of nobility and power. Their helmets, adorned with long purple ribbons, concealed their faces, leaving only their sharp eyes visible, scanning the horizon with anticipation.

On their shields were golden emblems depicting a dragon coiled around a flame, signifying their strength and allegiance to the royal guard, known as the "Dragon's Flame." Each knight carried a long sword, its hilt decorated with jewels, and a small round shield engraved with the kingdom's emblem.

At the front stood the man in the royal cloak seen earlier in the palace. He wore distinctive black armor, decorated with golden threads crossing in a design resembling a massive tree. His helmet revealed only half his face, and he carried a heavy hammer on his back, known as the "Hammer of the Ruler," a weapon famous for its immense strength.

He spoke in a loud, commanding voice: "Knights, the forbidden zone is not just a haven for outlaws. What happened there threatens the security of the kingdom. You are the elite, and I depend on you. Our destination is clear, and we will not return until we uncover the truth behind this disturbance. Prepare yourselves!"

The knights echoed in unison: "For the kingdom! For the flame!"

After hours of traveling through rugged paths and witnessing the devastation that filled the surrounding areas, the knights arrived at the edge of the forbidden zone. The air here was different, saturated with the scent of decay and death. Everything seemed to be on the verge of perishing, even the trees were dry and cracked, their black leaves falling like ash.

The commanding officer stopped and raised his hand to halt the knights. "Stay alert. Something here is not natural."

They moved cautiously, the sound of their horses echoing in the eerie silence. Suddenly, the scene before them changed. The ground appeared covered in a strange color, a mix of dark red and brown. As they got closer, they realized what they were seeing wasn't just contaminated soil, but... bodies.

The corpses stretched along the road, piled on top of each other like a heap of straw. The faces of the dead were twisted in terror, their eyes wide open, as if they had seen something that should not belong to this world... something that had even made them forget how to scream.

Some were missing limbs, and the dried blood covered the area like a nightmarish painting. Others showed signs of torture, as if their souls had been slowly dragged out of their bodies. There were even some who had nothing left but charred bones, as if they had burned alive under unbearable heat.

The knights began to lose their composure, one of them muttering with a trembling voice: "What is this...? Who could have done this?"

The commander approached, his eyes coldly scanning the corpses. He gently kicked one to see if there were any signs of life, but the body was cold and lifeless.

The commander was silent for a long moment, his eyes scanning the catastrophe.

"What is this... by the gods...?"

There was nothing moving.

Not even a trace of the one who had done all this.