This world is unjust.
It took Nyx 11 years to come to this realization.
Famine and disease filled this land as all hope died along with every breath.
The nobility, perched high in their castles and mansions, were blind to the suffering beneath them.
Wrapped in the comfort of excess, they continued to feast and revel while the commoners died on the outskirts of their lands.
Their stomachs were full while their neglected lands echoed with the hollow cries of starving people.
Hoarding wealth, increasing taxes and turning a blind eye to the desperate plight of the people.
In Nyx's eyes, these people were evil.
These lands corrupted by demonic energy were barren and devoid of life.
The people were ignored and left to die in these wretched plains of pestilence.
Without aid, the common people were unable to relocate, much less survive.
The young boy, could remember nothing but thirst and hunger.
The blue sky.
The smell of his mother's cooking.
The warmth of his father's hands.
The smile on his sister's tiny face.
Time became irrelevant as he became desperate to find his next meal.
Corrupted bugs the size of cats and dirty rain water polluted by miasma in the air were delicacies for him and his family.
A small family of four was all the young Nyx had in his life.
Until everything he loved in this world was taken by death's cold hands.
The boy, no more than eleven, kneeled on the cold and dry earth with trembling hands.
Fistful after fistful, the boy dug into the earth with nothing but his tiny fingers.
Blood dripped from his finger tips and dirt filled his wounds, but the boy did not stop.
The thick and oppressive stench of death clung to the air as he stopped digging to look up at the sky.
Anger raged within Nyx as he cursed the gods and this world.
Sadness filled the boy as he lowered his mother into the ground.
Her once warm hands had become lifeless and cold before he could properly say goodbye.
He had already buried his little sister, her tiny body too frail to withstand the famine.
She would try to follow their mother to help in whatever she could.
She was forced to grow up too quickly.
His father, who's body had withered from fever, passed in the night not long after.
He would boil the bark from trees and give his share to his wife and children.
Only concerned for the safety of his family.
Each grave felt heavier than the last, each mound of dirt heaped on with the weight of a broken heart.
He had no choice.
There was no one else.
The world had shrunk to the four corners of this graveyard.
His family.
His world.
Now reduced to nothing but the dirt beneath his feet.
His eyes burned with exhaustion, but the tears wouldn't come anymore.
They had run out long ago.
Nyx stared at where his family now laid in peace.
Emotionless.
Lifeless.
He had run out of hope. Despair and fear filled his lungs making it hard to breathe.
His eyes became heavy with only the pain from his hands to keep him awake.
Nyx put his hands on the dirt and dug his fingers within it.
Rage clouded his heart as he looked down at the ground.
BANG
Nyx head-butted the ground with all his strength.
Blood seeped into the dry soil as it swallowed it greedily waiting for more.
BANG
Once again Nyx ignored the pain and continued hitting his head to the ground.
Anger took over his judgement.
BANG
He no longer wanted to suffer.
He wished to give himself to deaths embrace.
BANG
He was angry at the world, but he was more furious at himself.
At his weakness.
BANG
This wasn't just bad luck…
It was them.
Those nobles and the rich ones who didn't care.
They had so much to eat, while my family withered away.
My village.
They've all withered away.
Starving to death and dying slow, ugly deaths from sickness and hunger.
I can still hear mom's coughing.
Dad's bones rattling as he tried to speak his final words.
My sister's exhausted eyes, begging for food that never came.
And yet…
Those bastards stayed in their comfortable mansions.
They send their soldiers to stop us from entering their cities.
They mercilessly kill us.
While the rest of the world rots away.
Nyx hated them.
He hated them with every ounce of what was left of him. But it wasn't just them, he hated himself too.
If I were stronger, maybe I could've helped, maybe I could've found a way to stop it.
I should've been able to do something.
I wasn't enough.
Weak.
So weak.
My whole family is dead, and I couldn't even fight back against a world that doesn't even care.
Tears finally fell from his weary eyes. Blood and tears mixed on the soil beneath him as he finally collapsed.
As his consciousness slowly faded, his eyes caught a glimpse of a black rock rise from the puddle of blood and tears.
The rock's shape was odd, and the colour… it was the darkest black that Nyx had ever seen.
Nyx marvelled as he focused as hard as he could on the rock.
He felt as if he was being stared at through the darkness.
Finally, his eyes closed… and then.
[DING]
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[YOU HAVE BEEN DEEMED WORTHY]
[TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP TO NEW HOST]
[PROCESSING]
[NOT ENOUGH ENERGY]
[RESOURCE ABSORPTION COMMENCING]
*******
The sound of hurried steps could be heard rushing down a long hallway.
The walls were adorned with beautiful paintings and ornaments.
High ceilings made the steps echo loudly as a middle aged man with bright blue hair and a haggard beard ran at high speed in full body armour.
Each step covering tens of meters as the man shot through the hallway like a speeding bullet.
Soon, the end of the path appeared.
A huge pair of golden doors met the man as his feet stomped the floor to stop instantly. A shockwave ruffled his hair and cape as he kneeled and spoke with a rough voice.
"Your majesty, I have come with an urgent report from the wastelands".
Silence followed for a couple of seconds as the man's loud voice continued to echo through the hall.
"Enter"
The domineering voice sent shivers down the man's spine as it reverberated within his mind.
The man stood up swiftly and walked towards the golden doors. They began to open just enough to let the man through before closing shut once again.
Inside was a glorious hall befitting the royal family of one of the strongest empires on the continent.
The blue haired man dropped to one knee as he showed respect to the man sitting on a golden throne before him.
"General Carsen."
The emperor spoke, allowing General Carsen to look up.
As the General looked at the humongous being sitting on the throne, a mix of emotions flashed through his eyes.
The man had long white hair and a trimmed, full white beard. A scar covered his left eye and many more adorned the rest of his body.
"It has been confirmed that all dark mana from the wasteland has begun to converge to a single point in the south."
The general spoke seriously.
"We suspect it to be reaching the border of the Rosel kingdom and the wasteland."
General Carsen took a deep breath before he continued with a grim tone.
"The Rosel kingdom has been grossly negligent of their borders since we defeated the demon king of the east. It seems the amount of commoners affected by their repressive rule is astronomical."
Emperor Alaric, seated on his throne draped in gold and crimson, lowered his gaze to general Carsen, the empires most trusted commander.
With a voice as firm as the mountains, he issued his command.
"The Rosel kingdom has grown tyrannical due to us being occupied with the remnants of the demonic war. They have oppressed their people for far too long."
"Take charge of the four military divisions and march towards their border at once. Their noble rulers must answer for their cruelty."
"Subdue them, General, and bring justice to the commoners that have suffered."
"All who resist shall be executed where they stand."
"Any noble who surrenders will be spared, their crimes are to be investigated and brought forth to the empire's high court of justice."
"Strip them all of their lands and titles."
"Let them witness the might of our empire, and let the people be freed from their chains."
The weight of the emperor's words echoed through the hall as the general bowed, ready to carry out the will of the empire.
"Your will is my command, your majesty. We will march without delay"
General Carsen bowed deeply once more and began to exit the hall.
As the doors closed behind him, the emperor's voice rang once again.
"You have five days."
The doors slammed shut and General Carsen stood still for second, a dangerous glint shining in his eyes.
"As you command."
The general spoke softly, before disappearing into the air.