The Light Will Not Fade

The Concordia Family's Estate was a relic of the past a house that once held the glory of leading humanity, teeming with life. Now, only faint whispers remained. No longer would you see children running around and playing, no guards outside of its perimeter. Only the occasional cold breeze would pass by and say their hellos. Such a desolate sight of what once was a great noble estate.

Eryndor, the current head of the Concordia family, was strolling through his garden basking in the sunlight and contemplating about the decisions of the corrupt rulers who blatantly rejected his warnings. His face was visibly showing emotions of sadness knowing that innocent lives would be lost because of their hubris and that there was nothing he could do without forcing them by blade.

His brow furrowed as he stopped before a crumbling fountain, gazing into its stagnant waters. The reflection that stared back at him was that of a man burdened by a legacy too great to bear, his expression lined with sadness and frustration.

"They will not listen,"

"Their pride blinds them, and it is the innocent who will pay the price."

As he turned to walk deeper into the estate, a tremor rippled through the ground beneath his feet. At first, it was subtle, like the faint stirring of a restless earth. But then it grew—a deep, guttural rumble that shook the stones and sent loose leaves fluttering from the trees.

"An earthquake? No, a natural disaster of this level could not be possible. Could it be?"

"... What I feared had manifested already? This soon?"

A cold wind swept through the garden, biting at his skin despite the warmth of the sun. He felt it then—a presence. Malevolent and suffocating, it coiled around his chest like a vice. It came from the direction of the Empire, and it carried with it a bloodlust so potent that the very air seemed to tremble in terror. He Recognized such aura from the countless descriptions from the Battle of Scarlet Rivers. The darkness.

The air turned sharp and cold, stinging his lungs with every breath. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the garden, their edges flickering as though alive. Even the birds fell silent, the world holding its breath in anticipation of the coming storm.

"This is what the Sword Saint had to face? How could he even walk with this kind of bloodlust in the air?"

Eryndor immediately snaps out of his trance, remembering that it the duty of the Concordia Family to confront such a cataclysm. He took a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts. Eryndor, as the current generation's Head of The Concordia, must prepare for the chaos that is to ensue in the world. No longer would he have the luxury of thinking for himself, he must do what must be done.

As he prepares to enter the estate to access the war room, he heard the terrified screams of the few maids in the estate as well as the presence of a demon. Without a moment's hesitation he drew his sword, a masterpiece of craftmanship reflecting the light as he rushed towards the commotion, preparing to fight whatever it is waiting for him. He could only pray that the encounter did not take any life that has sworn loyalty to his family.

What he saw right as he arrived at the scene could only be described as a one-way massacre. All of the employee's of the family was killed whilst trying to run away, their bodies twisted into grotesque shapes. A hulking demon crouched among them, its gnarled claws tearing into a maid's body as it fed. Its skin was blackened and cracked, steaming as though it burned from within, and its glowing red eyes gleamed with savage hunger. The demon could be seen feasting on the bodies of the maids. Eryndor could not keep his calm demeanor anymore, his rage barely contained within his mortal body as his blood boils with fury, he readies for combat. To kill the demon as painfully as possible as the price for massacring his people, he envelops his blade with a brilliant flame with the spell most commonly known a, "Holy Fire"

"You foul creature of night, you kill without a thought as if life itself is mere sand to be discarded by the wind. You shall perish, foul beast. No mercy shall be granted, not by me, nor by the heavens themselves."

The demon turned to him, its maw still dripping with blood. It bared its jagged teeth in a twisted grin, as if mocking his challenge. Clearly not finding him to be a fight, still arrogant for a creature with no intelligence.

"You underestimating me will be your biggest downfall, creature"

With a roar, he charged. The demon lunged to meet him, claws swiping with brutal speed, but Eryndor was faster. He sidestepped, pivoting behind it in one fluid motion, and drove his blade deep into its back. The creature let out a guttural, bone-chilling scream as the Holy Fire consumed it. Its charred flesh cracked and peeled, releasing plumes of acrid smoke into the air. Thrashing wildly, it clawed at the ground before collapsing in a heap of ash. Eryndor only watched in silence, his eyes looked hollow portraying to satisfaction, only sorrow. 

He carefully collected the bodies of the deceased carrying them to the front of the estate and did the least he could do, dig up graves as to honor the dead for their honorable and faithful service to his family.

"Your deaths will not be in vain"

"I will see this through. I will fulfill our duty."

He prayed to god to be as merciful as he can be towards the innocent deceased. After shedding a tear in silent he picked himself up, to honor those who died unfairly at the hands of the darkness, he will fulfill his Family's Duty.

He returned to the manor and retrieved the family's heirloom blade, Dawn Breaker, from its resting place. As he strapped it to his side, he cast one last look at the estate—the home that had sheltered his family for generations.

As he fastened Dawn Breaker to his side, he couldn't shake the feeling that he would not return the same man who now stood in the shadow of his ancestors. The path ahead was uncertain, but one truth burned brightly in his heart: the light must endure.

"I will return" 

"If fate allows it."

With that, he stepped into the unknown, the weight of his ancestors and the hope of humanity resting on his shoulders.