Chapter 1: White Union

Snowfall had finally arrived at the small southern town of Herbren. The children laughed and cheered as they played in the snow while the parents watched over them, conversing about the year that had passed and the year that was to come. 

In the middle of the town, a dozen women dressed in evergreen and a dozen men dressed in solemn blue danced and sang. Among the actors, two stood out the most. The tanned woman wore a crown of various flowers and her hair was golden blonde; she represented the Earthmother, primordial of all that is life. The man, pale as the snow with hair onyx black, wielded an oar on one hand and a lantern with the other, its flames dancing along with the man; he represented the Spiritfather, primordial of all that comes after life. 

The play depicted the first time they met, their slow romance, and their eventual marriage under a large spruce tree. And thus the first snow was created. Usually, only couples would watch this play, but this year, people of all ages and walks of life surrounded the stage. After all, this play would be the last one for this town for many years to come.

The Durchdenwald Republic had fallen and all that remained was the Rot, their former heroes turned traitors. The town attempted to retain some sense of normalcy, but it was inevitable that they would eventually have to escape to their once-enemy, the Empire of Gerechtigkeit.

When the play ended, there were some cheers, but they quickly died down into the solemn, grieving silence of grim realization. After a few moments, the crowd dispersed with barely a word said to each other. For the night, they would like to spend time with their loved ones, reading to the children stories of heroes that never existed, indulge in the pleasure of being together, or get a few last drinks with a couple of friends.

Ryder wrote all he saw on the last page of his journal. To end such a journey in a sad tone, his heart could not help but feel crushed. He snapped the journal shut and stuffed it into his bag.

Ryder sighed and pulled out a leather deck box filled with a musty smell. It was a rancid stench that made him almost puke. But it was the only thing reminding him he was alive. Inside were pristine cards that looked unused, their sleeves outline the stars of the night sky and their faces outline many different characters. In total, there were seventy-eight cards. 

Ryder pulled them out and began shuffling: 

Cut the middle, put it on the top, do it again two times.

Cut the middle, spread it among the rest, do it again two times.

Cut the middle and rotate them to face the other way, repeat the first and second step.

Cut the middle and put it on the top one last time.

Thus, the cards shall answer your call.

Ryder glanced behind him. A pale elf with white hair and cold red eyes stood behind him, the moonlight enhancing her enthralling beauty. Ryder felt the wind slightly pull towards her and push away like a tide. He placed his left hand on the evergreen hair tie that tied up his auburn hair into a ponytail. He breathed out a sigh.

“It is nice to see you, Merial,” he said with a disappointed tone.

The elf did not speak. Her hand was stretched out and a dark liquid coagulated into a war scythe that towered over her, the edges of its blade tinted in blood-red. Ryder was not fooled by the length; even if he got close, it could shorten itself into a dao if need be. 

“So we are really doing this…” Ryder smiled wryly.

Merial nodded curtly.

Ryder pulled three cards from the top of his deck and the cards unsummoned itself into his deck box.

“There is no turning back on this.”

“I know.”

Merial clicked her tongue and readied a combat stance, crouching and holding the war scythe with both hands, pointed straight at Ryder.

Ryder checked his cards: Sun, King of Swords, and Strength. Golden sparks appeared around Ryder’s right hand, coalescing into a longsword of white fire. He held it with both hands and readied his stance.

Blades that once accompanied each other on the battlefield now turned towards each other. Something inside Ryder screamed for him to stop, but he could not. He would not allow it. He would not allow himself to walk away, pretending everything was fine.

He shook his head. 

“Let’s limit the death toll to none. We don’t want to incur Spiritfather’s wrath, right?”

Merial nodded. 

“I don’t plan to do so just yet.”

The two stared at each other for a few moments, waiting for one to make the first move. Focusing a bit of mana onto his foot, Ryder dashed forward to meet Merial who dashed at the exact same time.

The battle was silent. To the average person, it was merely a couple of seconds. Within those few seconds, the Moon and the Sun battle for supremacy, an instance of blinding radiance emitting with each clash. 

The two were equals on the battlefield and had worked as a pair for most of their careers as warriors. They knew each other very well: their strengths, weaknesses, what they love, and what they hate. All were used against each other in this battle between former comrades.

Merial swung down her war scythe. Some people would block, but that would be a mistake. The strike was shallow, made with the crescent blade upward. A block would allow Merial to gain leverage and hook the opponent’s weapon downward, creating an opening for her to strike down again, this time with the crescent blade downward. Thus, it was better to dodge and block the second blow.

Ryder redirected the scythe to his right and got close. Merial tilted her head to her right, the scorching blade scratching her cheek. She ignored the burning pain and shortened her weapon into a dao.

Ryder and Merial clashed blades, dancing with each other on the road, occasionally drawing blood here and there. They could not fight with their will and abilities lest they destroy the town, so a show of skill was all they could do. Therefore, one mistake was all it took for the other to win and right now, no such mistake was made.

Such a tragic fate for two comrades to fight to the death. Of course, it was not true death but the loss of one’s mana core and vessel will end one’s path to divinity. For an ascendant, that might as well be death. Ryder bit his lips. He hated it. He did not want this to happen. 

When they won the war for the Republic, they were supposed to go on their merry way and celebrate in a tavern somewhere. They would attend William and Ornica’s wedding. They would drag that deadbeat dad Xushan back to his wife and child. He and Merial would say farewells and then travel the world together until they reached the end of their threads of fate. It was supposed to be a happily ever after. 

But they were strong. Too strong. They were all trained to be monsters on the battlefield. Even one who played a support role in the squadron could kill off an army by their lonesome. The people that had once cheered for them and revered them began to lament them. Children who would dream of approaching them cried in fear and ran every time they saw them. The country’s love turned into paranoia, then into hatred and disgust. That was when they were betrayed. And thus started the Republic’s fall.

One last battle. One last clash. One last skirmish. One last kill. The war never ended for the Twilight Squadron, but they pushed onwards, with only their friends behind them. However, it was never enough. In the final battle, the Republic set up a trap and called on forbidden magic to deal with the monsters they created. Indeed, it stopped the string of victories of the Twilight Squadron, but it brought forth an entirely new enemy, one that only made most of the Twilight Squadron turn into real monsters. Thus, the Republic fell with Twilight and the Rot was born.

Returning to the present, two broken friends clashed against each other. They should have embraced each other, helping each other move on. However, they were far too lost. They had lost all reason. All purpose. All they knew was how to fight and fight they shall use to end the story of Twilight. Fight they shall use to ensure one of them at least lived.

Ryder finally made a crucial opening. Merial overcommitted and Ryder managed to grab her wrist and his elbow landed on Merial’s nose. Merial was stunned for one second, but in a battle between paladins, a second was an eternity. Ryder dashed forward. He had the opportunity to pierce Merial with his sword. He could end all of this madness. However, he could not. Although touched by divinity, he still maintained mortal ties. His own selfish wish for a happy ending with his friends still existed. Therefore, he hesitated. That hesitation allowed Merial to recover and slash his chest open with her dao. 

It was over. Ryder was on the ground, staring at the starry void above. His body was starting to feel cold as blood slowly spilled from his wound. Every time he breathed, his chest stung with pain, causing him to grimace.

Merial walked to his side and crouched down. Her blank red eyes attempted to remain indifferent, but Ryder could see a hint of disappointment and melancholy.

“It was my win. You know what happens now…”

Ryder closed his eyes. Merial pressed her hand on his wounded chest and sent an immense amount of mana into it. Ryder screamed in agony as his chest felt like it was being shattered. Finally, the pain subsided. 

His core had been shattered and his pathways buried. He was a normal human once more. 

Ryder smiled, coughing out blood. 

Damn this world. Damn the gods. Damn fate. 

His vision blended the real world with a fantasy of the Twilight Squadron sharing a drink after the war. Ryder closed his eyes.

***

Merial did not leave. How could she? 

She knew very well what Ryder could do. Destroying his core and mana pathways would not stop him. Therefore, she needed an extra safeguard. To protect him. To ensure only she would carry the burden. So he could live the dream he wished for everyone. She tilted Ryder’s head to the side, exposing his neck. Merial let the hunger take over for a brief moment and bit down. She remained there sucking his blood just long enough that he would not die, but still be marked as a servant, and servants could not disobey their master.

She only felt the weight in her heart get heavier. 

“It is all right now. I will take care of us. You will live the normal life you wanted for us,” she whispered.

And she will be the one to carry on their duty.

She transformed into a snowy owl and flew away from Ryder. She did not look back. If she did, she would beg for him to come with her like he usually did. But they must do this. One had to make the sacrifice and stop their old comrades. This was the only thing she could do for the last person she cherished.

It was a fool’s wish. But that wish was the only reason they could go on.