Prologue

Aran gazed at the pale wall in an empty room. He was alone, yet was surrounded by people wearing bloody faces. They were accusing him of being an ally to the devil. He agreed with them. He sold his honor; the most important treasure a man can have in the name of loyalty. He let a monster take away the freedom and innocence of the kind folk.

"Coward!" A woman with bloody tears mocked, glaring at him with contempt. Her clothes were tattered, and her hands were bruised.

"Too cowardly to take a step," a man with dark skin and green eyes added. His head was stitched to the neck with a red string.

Several others did the same. They called him a coward, a devil pawn and on and on. He didn't pay attention to them as he heard those words every day. Each word of those who suffered was engraved in his heart. A figure in the shape of a human with no facial features protruded from the wall. It was completely white like the wall except for those hands dripping with blood. He stood there, face blank facing the abnormal creature which painted his hands with blood.

"You are a hard man to find" A voice that sounded like horror, men and women screaming, an embodiment of pain and suffering. Aran blinked and the pale humanoid disappeared. He turned around and saw a figure in dark armor with a round helmet that covered his entire face without leaving any holes for eyes. He carried a long sword with a strange design of red gleaming vines engraved.

"I heard about your encounters at the northern Ariteri. I knew you'd come for me,"

"Kill me, please," the man begged.

"Not yet" he swung his blade and the head parted from the body. Blood painted the white wall red. The armored figure picked Aran's head.

"Open your eyes Aran," Aran opened his eyes.

"I will show you everything that will happen. It's a cost for your blind eye,"