The Astral soul system-Chapter 94: True story

"Alright, long ago before abilities were a thing,humans got their special powers from gods"

Zen nodded. This was the same as Lilith’s story

"So among these gods was the dark god,an immensely powerful being and the very first god in existence"

Aurora paused to make sure he was paying attention.

"For some reason,almost everyone who awakened with the mark and therefore the power of darkness turned to unspeakable evil. The other god’s chosens tried fighting them off but they were too strong and almost destroyed the world "

Zen nodded. This was a bit different from Lilith’s story.

"Eventually there was a great war and the followers of the dark god were defeated and the god itself slain "

Okay this is very different.

"Although the dark god was defeated, there were still traces of his power, and once in a while,a person would awaken with the dark god’s power. Awakening was completely random so the unlucky individuals themselves were at no fault "

"But after the war, the other gods’ followers didn’t want to take any risks and before they knew it, they were slaughtering the newly awakened dark users immediately they awakened this power. Adults, teenagers, even infants. All so they wouldn’t become a threat, and for some time it worked,the world was at peace "

Aurora looked at Zen and smiled when she saw she completely had his attention.

"That was until one child awakened this power. Unlike other children his age,he was clever and the moment he realized he had awakened the dark god’s power, he hid his mark, going around pretending to be a dud, lying to everyone, his friends, his family, everyone he cared about, afraid they would turn against him. But one day, as fate would have it, his adoptive mother had noticed the mark on him and immediately told the rest of the family. The boy was filled with fear, expecting the worst and even preparing to run away, but to his confusion, his mother held him close, softly reprimanding and scolding him for being so careless. You should have hid it better, No! You should have come to me so I’d help you hide it, she said, and the rest of his family agreed, consoling him and assuring him he was safe"

Zen was fully immersed at this point. This was completely different from what Lilith had said.

"The boy was relieved, he embraced his family. He may not share blood with them, but they shared everything else, especially their burdens. No longer having to hide his abilities at home, the boy happily expressed himself to the fullest with his curse turned gift. He entertained his poor family with tricks and discreetly helped them with his powers when necessary. His growth was rapid, insane even. He was progressing with the speed of a top mage,his exceptional talent for his abilities showing that he really was born to have them as they became his ultimate form of expression. His soul might have been dark but his heart and mind were as bright as the sun, constantly driving him towards the goal of doing more and more good with his ability and one day getting his kind accepted by the rest of the world. He wasn’t a fighter, but a natural born artist,a poet,a writer,a dancer,a painter and a musician among many more things. Unlike most kids his age, he wasn’t drawn to the crudeness of battle, the theater was his favorite place to be and he made sure to visit every single day, dreams of one day using his gift in his art and being applauded for the genius artist he was,painted his face rosy. He wanted to prove that these gifts could be used for more than just senseless war and bloodshed. He wanted other people like him with this gift to come out and show themselves not as monsters but people blessed with the most beautiful of hearts bursting with imagination, inspiration and life,as beautiful creatures with unique stories to tell. The only thing keeping them hidden was fear, right? They would probably show themselves if they knew they could live in peace, right? All they needed was a little encouragement and they would share their gifts! And as for the rest of the world that would hate and attack them, he’d show them they could be peaceful and live in harmony, inspiring others not with their might but their hearts,he just needed to convince them, convince them that dark ability users were humans too. He was naive,he knew that, but was that really so bad? Was it really so bad for a kid to dream?"

Aurora paused once more, pouring herself a drink.

"Keep going "

Zen said a bit impatiently, surprising even himself. Similar to Lilith’s story, he had a strange amount of interest in this tale, like something in his soul was...pushing him to it.

"Hmm, you’re impatient. How do you know it’s not the end" Aurora teased.

"It’s not " Zen said with certainty. Something was definitely wrong with him.

Aurora looked at him for a few seconds before smiling mysteriously.

"Looks like you’re a bit of a theater kid yourself...or at least were"

Aurora poured Zen a drink too, taking a sip before continuing.

"So the boy set out on his quest at a tender age, traveling from town to town searching for people like him. As with everything else, his family supported him wholeheartedly despite doubting his plan. He met people like him, people that had been forced to hide and had been shaped by the hate the world sent their way, but instead of becoming depressed and slowly dying out, they thrived in their pitiful circumstances,each and every one of them using their gifts in unique ways,in their crafts, services, and even day to day life. They had all adapted creating unique styles and techniques that they used to survive. The boy was shocked, unique creativity and resourcefulness had become something each of them adapted to survive, and it showed in their lives. This was incredible, the boy could already see that these people were pure like him,all he needed was for the world to see it too. Slowly he learned from them, becoming part of them and watching with fascination as they used their unique skills and adaptations in pasttimes like music,art and other things. Together with his loving family, the young boy quickly became one of them,his exceptional talent and bright heart winning him a place among them despite his age, and in a few more years, he had become like their king. A child monarch adored by all that won not by battle but his art and love and wisdom and talent. One of his sisters was even so impressed she pledged her undying allegiance to her king, saying that if he gave her his blessing of darkness, she would serve him with all her heart forever. The rest of his family didn’t say the same in such a grand manner but he knew they felt the same. He was now one of the greatest scholars the world had seen, he’d obtained a place of power and was loved by all his subjects. His plan was ready to advance. At this point he was about your age, Zen. He then decided to leave his new family and return to his old village, not as the old him, but as a ruler that wanted to change the world,to continue his plan, carefully planning everything out about how he would slowly show the world that they weren’t the monsters they believed them to be. Before leaving, he told his citizens to continue their peaceful lifestyle and to value human life above all else"

Aurora took a sip from her drink, scrutinizing Zen’s face before continuing.

"The first thing he did after returning was greet his only two friends he had before he left, showering them with gifts he’d gathered during his journey, showing he’d had them in his mind the entire time. They had been with each other all throughout their childhood and shared everything with each other... well almost everything. The boy played with his friends, confident that they hadn’t changed and his own feelings for them hadn’t changed either. One of his friends happened to be a beautiful girl and even as a child the boy had special feelings for her, and after so many years, he was relieved to see his feelings hadn’t changed and only got stronger. He kept his secret as well as he could but one day, his dear friends had been in danger and without thinking, he jumped in to help them, using his polished skills that had been refined by the dozens of unique and special methods he learned from his citizens. Once the danger had passed, he faced his friends with a cold sweat, trying his best to explain himself and in a panic, confessing to his friend and giving her the love poem he’d written himself after hundreds of attempts and years of careful attention. It was most likely the most precious piece of art he created. His friends asked him to give them time to think, they were very confused about what to do. Out of respect, the boy gave them all the time they needed to consider both of his confessions. He waited patiently, preparing to pour his heart out to them to try to convince them, and the next time they met, his friends had accepted his propositions, both of them. Excited, he told them about his plan and how he hoped to achieve it, explaining in great detail how he wanted to help everyone "

"This isn’t gonna end well, is it?" Theia asked Zen but he didn’t replied.

"The boy was overjoyed. With his best friend and the love of his life at his side, nothing could be better. Reinvigorated, he put more effort into his planning,eager to complete it for his family and his new allies. One night while he was sleeping, he awoke to the smell of smoke and realized his house was on fire. He wasn’t worried about himself, his powers had gotten to such a stage that protecting himself from flames was easy, he was horrified because all the plans he had made and documented were in the house. He hurriedly rushed to his secret room, but it was too late, it was all gone. The boy was a little depressed but quickly got over it. No matter how valuable those plans were, they weren’t as precious as a life, he was just happy no one was hurt. Something was bugging him however, it had almost looked like the fire had started from the inside. He quickly gathered what he could and ran out of the house before getting suprised by the people that had gathered his house. He believed they’d wanted to help so he quickly made it clear he was fine. He was suprised however when they started shouting, the devil survived, he really is a demon, just like the rest of those dark ones. The boy quickly realized that they had found him out and tried to settle it all peacefully, claiming he’d never wrongfully harmed another soul and trying to appeal to their humanity, but they didn’t listen and tried to burn him again. Amidst the chaos, he suddenly heard someone mention that the stronghold of the "demons" would soon be destroyed. In a panic,he ignored these people, using his powers to the fullest to get there as quickly as possible. He hadn’t killed any of them, they were all just angry townsfolk with no power, and they had done him no real harm, so he held no malice for them, so he just ignored their attempts to kill them and left as fast as he could. Luckily he hadn’t seen his friends there so they were probably still sound asleep or somewhere safe "

"When the boy reached his kingdom, he was distraught to see it decimated, and whatever was left of his people were being chased by armies of gods’ chosens and the holy empire. What broke his heart even more was that even now his people didn’t attack, prioritizing his orders and therefore the lives of their attackers, so even if they fought back, they didn’t kill and left their opponents alive before running . Little by little everything was falling to pieces. How could this have happened? He was so careful. He suddenly noticed two specific people in the chaos that were also hunting down his people while cursing him and his people,it was his friends. The boy was stunned, unable to comprehend what warranted this treason, but from their spiteful and hateful words towards him, he realized, they were just using him. The girl he confessed to even said that she might have considered being with him for his riches, but the moment they learnt his secret,they got a better idea. They laughed, praying he burn in hell, believing he was already dead. The boy grit his teeth, his heart in pieces. He was about to jump in help his people when someone creeped up behind him and covered his mouth before holding him in place from behind.The boy panicked and was about to attack when the hooded figure revealed herself to be his sister who had pledged allegiance to him. He was relieved to see her again but he didn’t have time for hugs. He asked her to let him go but she refused saying it was too late. He demanded she release him but she refused saying she had heard them setting up a trap for him. Before anything else could be said,they saw the traitorous friend he had told his secret to,walk towards the rest of his family that had been captured and forced on their knees. He openly called them traitors to humanity and evil for conspiring with the dark king to deceive and destroy them all. The boy constantly ordered his sister to release him from her grip, even bringing up her vow of fealty, but she refused saying this was the trap. The boy cried out as he watched his friend execute his family in front of him while his sister hugged him tighter and consoled him from behind while battling her own tears."

Zen waited impatiently as Aurora took another drink. He needed to hear it end.

"The boy was angry. He yelled at his sister, asking how she escaped if everyone else was captured. The sister smiled strangely, and before anything else could be said, they both heard a whooshing sound followed by a thud. The boy asked what that was but the girl only smiled,it repeated itself a second and third time, and the boy suddenly realized his sister’s grip on him was weakening. He looked at her face and saw blood escaping her mouth. Her figure looked as delicate as a twig in a storm. She suddenly fell to the ground weakly, finally releasing him. The boy,too afraid of losing another loved one tried to help her but saw a sight that terrified him. Her back was riddled with dozens and dozens of arrows,all piercing painfully into her back. He looked at the path she had come from and saw a trail of blood leading elsewhere. She had endured the pain and instead of finding help she came to stop him from doing something stupid, like she always had. The boy slowly looked up and saw a familiar face with a bow and arrow in her hand. It was the girl he confessed his affection too, aiming an arrow at his head. The girl cursed him to hell and fired the arrow without hesitation, but black tendrils emerged from the ground, destroying it mid flight. He used his immense power to grab her and force her to her knees. The girl, fearing his rage began to beg for her life, swearing empty promises and using sweet words of his love for her to try to convince him to spare her, and saying she had no choice "

"The boy was drunk on rage. He’d lost everything, his family, his people, and friends. He wasn’t hearing any of it. When the girl realized he wasn’t listening, she went mad, screaming that if given the choice she would do it again and again to protect the world, and that evil like him disgusted her to no end. The boy didn’t care anymore. She had taken everything from him,it was time she repayed with her life. With a flick of his wrist, multiple dark tendrils pierced her chest, destroying her empty heart, and skewering her on the spot, ending her life " 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"The boy tossed her body aside and knelt at his sister’s feet, holding her gently but too afraid to pull out the arrows. He wasn’t a healer so he had no idea what to do. He looked at his burning kingdom and realized all truly was lost. There was nothing he could do,he was powerful, but he couldn’t take on a whole army. For a second, he stayed there, sobbing softly with his sister’s corpse in his hand. He suddenly felt a hand on his face and looked to see his sister smiling at him while softly caressing his face. With her dying breath she told him to do what he wanted to do and change the world, saying if anyone could do it,it was him. A few seconds later, she drew her last breath, leaving him screaming in agony "

"The boy, while still mourning, heard a whisper. She’s right,it said. You can change the world. The boy suddenly noticed a pitch black obelisk made of some stone like material. He slowly walked towards it,drawn to it. In a strange trance he walked to it, cutting his palm and drawing blood. He approached the obelisk, admiring it before placing his bloody hand on it. A loud explosion suddenly just happened with the boy at the center of it. Black light descended from the heavens. Suddenly,all the dead members of his small kingdom started glowing. They all started turning into glowing piles of dust and started flying towards the obelisk, creating a fantastic spectacle in the sky. The souls of his fallen people all merged into his, forming a pillar that reached the heavens as black light descended from the sky and was visible for half the entire world. The beautiful phenomena lifted the boy up into the air as the world welcomed the new god of darkness. When the ceremony was over, the boy had changed, he was no longer human. He basked in his new power before gently taking his sister’s corpse in his arms, and disappearing from the face of the earth without a trace."

"The next morning, people were terrified when the sun didn’t come up. In fact there was no light at all. No moon,no stars, nothing. The entire world was plunged into darkness, forever"

"What happened next?" Zen asked.

"No clue. But you see where I’m going, right?"

Zen nodded. His ability was almost completely identical to what the new dark god used.

"Who else knows about this?"

"Every top family"

"..."

"Don’t be upset. It’s probably just a coincidence, the chances that your power comes from some vengeful dark god is very low "

Aurora was right, but Zen had learned that some legends might not just be stories.

Zen got up, took a grateful bow and started walking out. He turned back, looking at the string that was pointing to one of the books, but decided to ignore it for now.

"Are you sure you don’t need help?" Aurora asked looking at him

[Hp: 20/200]

"I’m sure "

***************

Zen got to the room and saw only Neo. Maximilian and Xavier had gone to visit their families for the week, and Neo was fast asleep in his underwear.

Zen didn’t even bother getting undressed and dropped onto the bed.

Theia landed softly on his back

"You could have just asked for help,you know?"

Freya sighed.

"Through and through, you’re still a soldier. I guess I’m partly to blame for that though "

"Someone please explain what’s going on!!!" Lilith exclaimed