Fragments Of Misery

What happened to me… From that instant, mere obscurity was all I’ve known. Was it a vision? Or what humans called a nightmare?

Darkness swallowed my senses. The feeling was slightly similar to when I first woke up in this world. I looked down at my feet, my body was visible, it reflected faint weak light, like that of a guttering torch carried by a lost guardian in Hell.

… Callistra… Abysmals… Celestials… Raskolvia… Kingdom of Kryndor…

… Holy Infernal Pantheons… The War… Kristor… Dunn Ostranik… Heretics…

The same whispers that had driven me insane when I first arrived in this world now echoed sharper through my brain cells, causing me to scream in agony.

“Aaaaaaaaghhh!” The inevitable scream felt like it cracked my throat open. I rolled on the obscure ground, slamming my head on it, before finally catching a glimpse of faint brilliance.

Above me appeared various white-colored orbs that shone in the middle of darkness, not enough to clear it, but enough to attract my gaze.

The moment my gaze landed on them, the agony that tormented my senses faded away. The white glowing orbs multiplied whenever I looked at one of them, becoming immeasurable in a blink of an eye.

Can I reach it? I raised my hand, foolishly trying to contact the ridiculously distant orb.

It unexpectedly approached me, close enough I could contact it.

The moment my finger touched it, a flash of light appeared in my vision so fast, I felt as if my eyes were removed.

...

My sensation was shut off, then flickered on again. The feeling was almost identical to when my body swapped with the sinner’s. My ears caught the noise of people screaming.

When I opened my eyes, I was completely in a different place. It didn’t feel like I could move, as if I was just a spectator through someone’s lens, that someone being the past Veylen himself.

I was inside a fancy, noble mansion; the atmosphere was both eerie and unpleasing. In front of me were two females, one young black-haired girl and one old blond-haired woman. Their faces twisting in anger.

“Are you simply planning to ruin the reputation of the family with your incompetence?!” The old woman screamed in my face, her spit landing on my cheek.

“If you’re just going to stay a talentless nobody, you’re better off dead!” The black-haired girl punched me so fiercely, causing blood to drip from my nose. I didn’t feel a thing.

Are these Veylen’s past memories?  By that time, I was already certain this wasn’t reality, it was Veylen’s memories. Or at least, what’s left of them. I only saw things from his point of view.

Tears kept dropping from Veylen’s eyes as the two raging women continued assaulting him. Their actions carved the look of hatred deep into his face.

The intense quick flash of light snapped my vision again. I opened my eyes, visualizing a totally different scenery this time.

The sky was nocturne, like that of hell, but instead of ash covering it, this one was clear and starry.

I—or Veylen was walking alone at night, heading back home after a long day at the university. The street ‘lamps’ flickered in the dark, guiding him somewhere he deep inside didn’t wish to reach.

“Die, you filthy heretic!” I heard—he heard the voice of a man screaming. The cries of a child echoed after, coming from the dark alley by Veylen’s left side. Before he knew it, he walked towards the source of the noise.

He saw a middle-aged man violently abusing and beating a white-haired little girl, calling her names such as “Heretic” and “Rejected”; her mesmerizing purple eyes silently begged for mercy.

Veylen subconsciously dashes into the man and slams him to the wall before punching him several times. His fists were dyed in dark red.

He carried the little girl and ran away before the night guards could notice him.

The blast of light flashed my vision again, blinding and drowning me in darkness.

I opened my eyes, again Veylen’s mind being my lens. Now inside his fancy noble-like room, sitting on his bed with the purple-eyed little girl.

FLASH!

Veylen was ‘washing’ the girl's hair. An unusual smile rested on his face.

FLASH!

The little girl ran towards Veylen, who just entered his room coming back from university, and she hugged him. He smiled as he patted her head gently.

FLASH!

The little girl was covered in a warm-looking blanket inside Veylen’s closet, a hidden portion of the closet. He seemed desperate to keep her hidden from his family. He sat beside her reading stories till her faint violet eyes closed as she fell asleep.

FLASH!

Veylen was feeding the girl as he patted her head. He laughed at the satisfied expression she had on her face.

FLASH!

Veylen bought the girl new expensive clothes and watched her try them on. A proud, happy look crossed his face.

FLASH!

“Did you remember anything about your family?” Veylen asked a hesitant question.

“No, nothing yet.” The girl’s eyes looked down sadly. “Maybe I just don’t have one,” she added.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be your family.” Veylen hugged the white-haired girl. “After all, you’re the only person I consider to be my family,” he added, tears dropping from my—his golden eyes.

F-L-A-S-H-H-H-H! . . .

I—Veylen, no, I—he was walking on the huge back terrace garden, heading back home as usual.

The noise of things being moved around brought a spike of dread to my—his heart; it seemed that his family decided to do some reconstruction on the mansion, which required moving a lot of things, things such as “closets.”

His eyes widened, his steps accelerating as he ran across the huge mansion—FLASH!

I was—he was standing in front of my—his room’s door—FLASH!

“I’m back—”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

breath

breath

breath

There was, BLOOD … and dripping on—FLASH!

Kristor, and child, and head, and BLOOD.

A headless BODY, I—he trembled in… there was blood and… no head…

and—F-L-A-S-H-H-H-H-!

My brother, Kristor, B-E-H-E-A-D-E-D… the person I considered… M-Y-F-A-M-I-L-Y

FLASH!

RUN

RUN

RUN

.....

Blinded again by the glowing blast, I sank into obscurity.

Even my eyes hesitated to open this time, but they did anyway. The sound of clashing sharp swords echoed around me.

Again through Veylen’s eyes, the sight I saw was all too familiar. It was the battlefield I woke up at in this body.

It was the place where Veylen died.

Holding his sword tightly, Veylen fought the hooded man before him, blocking his attacks and swinging aggressively, searching for a killing blow. The fight was one-sided, and Veylen was the weaker one.

He saw his mercenary group comrades die one by one in his peripheral vision as he struggled to deal with his opponent.

Why are they suddenly betraying us…? His will to fight faded away each time he clashed swords with the man before him. His will to live had already reached its conclusion.

Veylen dropped his sword on the ground the moment his opponent stabbed him through the stomach.

His blood poured on the ground with such high density that just looking at it made Veylen feel as good as dead.

“C-Callis—” He struggled to let out a single breath.

As he was on the verge of falling, he saw his opponent’s right hand gleam with blue light before it penetrated Veylen's chest and crushed his heart from within.

Strands of long silver hair covered the man’s eyes, pointy rough facial hair clinging to his chin as he grinned.

This was the last scene Veylen saw before his demise.

C-Callis…

C-Callist…

C-C..

...Darkness...

“Callistraaaaaaaa!!” I screamed the moment I woke up.

The name my mouth aggressively yelled was the name Veylen gave the white-haired, purple-eyed little girl, “Callistra.”