Yeah, yeah. So much for an update schedule, hm? Anyways, I just got into this Zenonia thing, and I had this incredible urge to write. So what do I write? A Zenonia fanfiction of course! So I share my stuff with Volcora before anything gets published. She does the same with me for Zenonia stuff. Yup, that means I get to see stories that you'll never see! Be jealous! Just kiddin. So anyways, right, Zenonia. Heh heh...


Entry 1/5

On some rare occasions, some people may seem to stay forever young for many years. They reach a maximum of twenty years of age in development and appearance. There are a few causes and factors that lead up to this unnatural event.

1. (Very rare) The anomaly was born with this disorder. Through magical waste and "pollution", the child is turned into an unaging mutant, though they will look and act the same as any other child.

2. (Somewhat more common) The anomaly is exposed to high levels of dark energy, therefor causing their body cells to desperately scramble to retain the somewhat dark characteristic of "beauty". This characteristic is easier to achieve with youth.

3. (Almost never) The anomaly was resurrected from the dead. They are then reborn in an eternally young body. The means of which this could ever happen is still under research.

For all three cases, the anomaly is always assumed to be younger than they actually are. When told of their assumed age, the anomaly will usually go through fits of anger and shouting.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ecne was staring up at the small, young-looking boy up in the tree. Said boy was sitting calmly and polishing his large black blade.

"Are the rumors true?" She demanded. "Did you try to seduce one of my maids?"

Regret glanced down at her curiously. "Yeah. So what if I did?"

Ecne chuckled. What a fiery attitude.

"Oh, I could just eat you up! You know, I think I'd be chasing after your love if you weren't so young!"

Regret's eyebrows shot up, and his words were muttered through clenched teeth.

"Excuse me?"

Ecne's grin soon grew to a smile of pure delight.

"I said that you would be too young for me." She said teasingly.

Regret jumped down from the tree, eyes shadowed. He took a few steps too close to Ecne, invading her personal space.

When he looked up, the female general saw pure flames of rage pulsing through his intense glare.

"I... AM... NOT... THE LITTLE BOY YOU THINK I AM." He muttered darkly.

Ecne stepped back, her smile gone.

"What?"

Regret looked up and pulled up his now shiny blade to the commander's throat.

"SAY IT ONE MORE TIME AND PAY DEARLY. SAY IT!"he shouted.

Ecne looked stunned... And scared.

"Okay... Jeez. I won't say it." She muttered.

The blonde boy's figure relaxed ever-so-slightly and he began to walk slowly away. He turned back and said, with a forced voice, "I'm somewhere in my 50s. Probably older than you. Remember it."

Ecne was frozen in pure shock and fear for a few seconds after the blonde boy left.

XXXXXXXXXX

Entry 2/5

Predictably, the anomaly will be quite energetic like any child or teenager. After all, most people are more active in their youth than in old age.

The anomaly will display extreme agility, stamina, and strength, for both their physical age and their actual age. They will probably try to show off this extreme ability by entering races, weight-lifting competitions, and obstacle courses.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ecne had learned her lesson about calling Regret "too young". Nowadays, she would do just the opposite and call the boy an "old geezer".

He didn't mind.

At the moment, she was watching Regret and, although this seemed quite unlikely, his SON walk through the gardens.

Chael was chatting aimlessly with his father, straying the topic to this and that.

"Hey, did you know? I finally asked Frey out on a date! She was pretty happy. Aren't you proud? Huh? Aren't you proud?" He asked the smaller blonde.

Regret bumped the commander on the back and said, "Nice job, son! Score! When is it?"

Chael puffed out his chest and answered proudly.

"We're going to that one nice restaurant near the bar. It's tomorrow!"

Regret laughed and quickly narrowed his eyes. A devilish smile began to spread across his face.

"Have you... Oh.. I dunno... TRIED anything with her yet?"

Chael took a while to process this question fully. When finally understanding the hidden meaning, his face lit up like an apple.

"FATHERRRRRRRR!" He yelled beginning to chase the smaller blonde around the garden.

Ecne watched intently as the commander chased the hero around the garden. Chael soon fell far behind. Regret was just too fast...

Super-humanly fast.

Finally, the commander stopped and began to pant for air.

"Okay, okay! I give! Don't think you're off the hook just yet, father!"he yelled to Regret.

Ecne examined the small blonde and found that he was not at all fatigued.

'Hmmmm...' She thought.

XXXXXXXXXX

Entry 3/5

The anomaly will usually be annoyingly immature, even more immature than usual for their physical age.

Equipped with an adolescent sense of humor, the anomaly will probably go around bugging anyone they possibly can at the moment. A tip for anyone that lives near one of these perpetually young mutants would be:

Don't ever let them catch you in an embarrassing situation.

XXXXXXXXXX

Frey snuggled contently into Chael's chest and sighed. They were sitting comfortably on a wooden bench in the garden. The wind was calm, the flowering plants added a sweet aroma to the air, and the temperature was perfect. Over all, the two lovers were quite happy staying in their current position for the whole day.

Chael breathed steadily to try to calm his speeding heart.

Suddenly, the still feel of the moment was ruined by a certain blonde-haired hero popping up from the bushes, making the couple jump.

"So... When's the baby coming?"

The two stared at Regret blankly until the implications settled in.

When, finally, they understood what the question actually meant, living hell broke loose.

Chael started to chase Regret around the garden while Frey angrily shouted after the mischievous blonde boy.

Like before, it wasn't long after the chase began that Chael tired out and slowed to a stop.

"FATHERRRRRR! Why do you have to be so damn immature!" He shouted as Regret chuckled and stopped running.

When Frey caught up to the two boys, she began to scold the smaller blonde. All three people were quite unaware of the eavesdropper that was hiding in the bushes.

'Hmmmm...' General Ecne thought as she watched Regret face the wrath of an enraged girl.

XXXXXXXXXX

Entry 4/5

The anomaly, along with being quite immature, will also be exceptionally flirtatious. Many have been known to be womanizers even. Young women will naturally be drawn to the anomaly's eternal youth, so the mutant will accustom to responding.

The anomaly will usually decide against settling down and loving just one person because that person will most likely age normally, submitting to the grasps of oldness.

A tip to all families with daughters:

Keep your daughter away from these perpetually young mutants.

XXXXXXXXXX

Regret sat at the bar, leaning back against the counter, elbows behind his head in a relaxed position. All around him, men and women were laughing and saying things they'd rather not say while sober. Regret sighed.

He was physically too young to have any alcoholic drinks.

Suddenly, the door swung open and in walked a timid brunette girl. Her long brown hair cascaded past her shoulders. She looked to be around 14, and she was obviously NOT here to get herself some booze. The way she stepped gave away too much innocence, not to mention she was under-aged.

The girl walked to the counter and began to talk softly to the bartender. Regret could catch all of the conversation due to the fact that she was standing right next to his seat.

"My father wants some... uh... white wine. It's 40 gold, right?" She asked.

The bartender nodded and the girl slid a small pouch of gold over the counter. She quickly received the bottle and began to leave when Regret gently tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, what's the hurry? Stay a while." The girl bit her lip nervously. She was debating whether or not she should be talking to the handsome young man.

Regret patted the seat next to him and chuckled.

"Don't worry, I don't bite."

The girl reluctantly sat down next to the blonde and began to nervously look left and right. Her figure was tense and she was obviously mapping an escape route.

Regret gave a frustrated sigh and tried again to reassure the girl before making a move. It was no fun toying with a nervous, uptight girl.

"You know, I'm sober."

The girl still didn't relax.

Regret was nearing the end of his patience. He tried to play his last card.

"You still don't trust me, hm? Well, just make you a bit more agreeable, I'm from the Holy Guard!" He shot up, kneeled down on the floor, and put his hand to his chest.

"Sir Adas, at your service." He said, glancing up playfully.

The girl snorted and began to crack up.

"Adas? As in the shoe brand?"

Regret shook his head.

"It's just my name. I'm not tied to the shoe brand in any way or form. Sucks for me, huh?"

The girl began to relax, and she eagerly nodded.

"W-what's it like? You know... Being in the holy guard?" She timidly asked, already warming up to the charming blonde.

Regret blinked a few times. This girl was just SO innocent, so sweet.

So JUICY.

He played along and said,

"It's pretty nice, but to get the whole feel, you'll have to hear out my tale. Would you care to listen from the beginning?"

The girl nodded and Regret launched into words.

"I came here foolishly seeking fame and fortune. Little did I know, I would find both, plus one more thing. That one thing was more important than both of what I originally searched combined. That thing was a just purpose in life..."

He went on and on, telling wondrous tales of tundras and forests, comrades and enemies, angels and devils.

The girl listened, soaking up every single detail with great joy. She loved a good story.

When finally, the hero neared the end, he jumped up from his seat, drawing his sword.

"The vile monster showed no fear when I drew this very blade. He thought he could defeat me, destroy me, without breaking a sweat. That misconception would soon cost his life."

Regret climbed onto an open table, causing many people to look up and stare.

"I cut off his first leg, just like that."

He said, slashing his blade at nothing in particular. Then he stabbed the sword into the wooden board of a table that was his stage.

"Then I cut off the other three with just as much ease."

Regret chuckled as he dislodged his blade and jumped off the table.

"Without his legs, Shaturu could not support his body anymore. He collapsed, leaving one of his most fatal weak points open. His face."

"I swung my blade in a straight horizontal line, slicing at his eyes. Blind and exhausted, the monster turned back into his smaller form, where he shortly disappeared from this world."

"And so was the end of the Dark Lord, Shaturu."Regret concluded as he sheathed his sword and bowed, earning much drunken applause from the customers of the bar.

The girl stared at the blonde in wonder.

The bartender chuckled behind her, slowly cleaning a wine glass.

"Quite the story-teller, ain't he?" He said, winking at her. "The amazing thing is that all his tales, every single one of them..."

"Are true."

The girl gasped. She had been talking to a real, flesh-and-blood hero!

Regret sat back down.

"Now that you've heard my story, you'll understand when I say, 'the Holy Guard gives me something to do.' It's not very life-threatening nowadays. But-" he paused. "-enough about me. Let's talk about you. What's your name?"

"Aria... Aria Sanchester. I-I'm 15."

Regret nodded slowly.

"Aria... A beautiful name... Fitting for such a beautiful girl."

Aria began to blush profusely.

"Come again?"

The blonde hero smirked.

"I said that you had a fitting name for such a beautiful girl."

Aria couldn't believe her ears. Much less did she believe her eyes as the blonde lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers.

The brunette tensed, but quickly relaxed as Regret reassuringly patted her on the back. she knew that she should be running away by now, but it felt so good...

'So warm. So soft...' She thought dreamily.

Then, something unexpected happened. The blonde hero slipped his tongue into the girl's mouth.

Out of sheer surprise and terror, Aria's hands shot open, completely disregarding the fact that they were holding the bottle of wine she had purchased earlier.

Regret quickly pulled away from the kiss, leaving the brunette to catch her breath and gather her wits. The blonde moved like the wind, grabbing the neck of the bottle just before it touched the ground. He then straightened up and held the bottle out to Aria.

"I believe you dropped this."

'Impossible.' Aria thought. 'He would've had to have lightning-fast reflexes to catch that bottle.'

Suddenly, the door opened again, revealing Commander Elisa of the Holy Guard.

"Sir Adas! There are some monsters straying dangerously close to town and I'd like you to go-" she stopped, realizing that no one was listening. All she had to do was take one look at the timid brunette's blushing face and the small hero's smug grin to understand the situation.

"Adas! You cheesy little flirt! What did you do to that poor little girl?!" Elisa yelled.

Regret chuckled.

"I kissed her. Ain't that right, Aria?"

Said brunette covered her mouth with one of her hands and nodded slowly.

Elisa slapped her forehead and let out an exasperated sigh. She wearily pointed to the door.

"Out. Now."

Regret pranced out the bar with a devilish smile.

No one noticed the woman in booth 4 with wild, curly blonde hair observing the scene.

'Hmmmmmm...' The woman thought to herself.

XXXXXXXXXX

Entry 5/5

Although we have been calling these mutants perpetually young, in the first and second cases of the mutation (the mutant was born that way and exposed to dark energy), the anomaly will NOT stay young their WHOLE lives. After hitting 60, the anomaly will quickly and painfully age for a week, the end of the week marking their death. For the first day or so, the only sign will come as a sort of sickness.

The anomaly will have used up all its life force on staying young, therefore cutting their life-span short. There is nothing they can do about this, as it quite hard to regain life force.

XXXXXXXXXX

Chael finished reading the page, placed his bookmark, and leaned back in the wooden seat. He looked around his room, taking in his surroundings. The candle on his desk gave out a flickering light, casting eerie shadows on the walls and his bed.

Chael looked back down at the book. The title was "Ye Olde Guide to Monsters and Mutants". General Ecne had handed him the book last week, telling him to read the last chapter before vanishing without a trace. She was not sighted from there on out.

There was one page left of the chapter and Chael figured he could save it for the next day. At the moment, he was completely and utterly exhausted from the day's events, so he plopped down onto his bed and promptly fell asleep.

Through the light snores of the commander, one might've heard a small creak as the bedroom door opened.

And through the light of the flickering candle, one might've also seen the red eyes peeking through.

No.

A simple red would not justify these malicious irises. These eyes were a deep, dark, sinister crimson.

These eyes weren't merely red.

They were blood-red.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next night...

Frey walked slowly down the dimly-lit hallway towards Chael's door. The commander had not been out for the whole day, and Frey was starting to get worried.

At first, when he was not at lunch, everyone had just assumed that the blonde man had locked himself in his room so that he could do some concentration training (he did this at least once every week). No one had bothered to look for him.

But now, things were getting weird. It was around 8:00 p.m. and the commander had still not come out. He was usually done by now.

Frey quickened her pace. She walked past door after door until finally reaching Chael's room. She knocked on the door and heard no response.

"Chael? I'm coming in." She called out softly, beginning to turn the knob, only to find that the door was locked.

Frey looked up and glanced around, searching for the key Chael usually hid somewhere near his room.

After about ten minutes, she was about to give up when she spotted a golden glint out of the corner of her eyes. She walked toward the glint, leading her to a small lantern mounted on the wall of the hall.

The key had a piece of string looped around it that was attached to the lantern. Frey grabbed the key and yanked, easily snapping the thin, fragile string. She inserted it into the keyhole and turned.

She couldn't see anything in front of her due to the fact that there was no light in the room. She went back outside and grabbed the lantern off the hallway wall, plunging the hall into darkness as she took it inside the room.

The sight that awaited Frey froze her dead in her tracks.

The room was splattered with blood. Thick, dark, repulsive blood, all over the walls, floor, and ceiling. And right smack dab in the middle of it, the source of all the viscous red liquid, was...

... Chael.

His eyes were blank and his facial features were pulled into an expression of pure and utter horror. His body was covered in deep slashes, fatal wounds. Right next to him was a half-full wine glass. The glass was filled with a red substance.

"... Chael?" Frey whispered. She slowly began to walk towards the body, ignoring all the blood around her.

"... Chael?" She called out again, knowing said commander wouldn't respond. She kneeled near the corpse, desperately shaking her lover by the shoulders. Tears were starting to spill out of her eyes, landing with a plop on the blonde man's face.

"Chael! Come on... Wake up!" Frey yelled, ignoring the rational side of her mind. She rested her head on the commander's chest, finally accepting the truth. Someone had murdered Chael and drank his blood.

She gently pressed her lips on the commander's forehead, and then onto his slightly open mouth. One last kiss.

Then, Frey shakily stood up. She scanned the bedroom, searching for clues that would give away the identity of the killer.

She would get revenge.

XXXXXXXXXX

Frey glanced onto Chael's desk. Maybe something he was working on would spread so,e light onto the situation.

She peered at the mess of documents and contracts on the commander's desk. One thing caught her eye out of all of it. A single, brown leather-bound book jumped out at her.

Frey picked up the book and turned to the page marked by the bookmark. She took a deep breath and began reading.

XXXXXXXXXX

Entry 5/5 cont.

As for the third case, certain facts are still missing. There has only been one subject on which experiments have been taken.

Theoretically, if the anomaly in the third case is living in isolation, they will die when they hit age 56. Just like the first two cases,they will begin aging rapidly and painfully for a week after their 56th birthday before meeting their end.

However, if allowed to live in civilization, the anomaly will mercilessly slaughter any person in their path, completely disregarding any laws of affection binding them to friends or family.

Why do this? Although it has already been stated that it is hard to regain life force, there is a possibility. In the third case, the anomaly is granted a dark magic to take life force from blood.

The anomaly will extract blood from their victims and drink it.

XXXXXXXXXX

Frey reeled in horror from the words on the page. What could this mean? She flipped to the beginning of the chapter.

The chapter was named "The Perpetually Young". Hmmm...

Mercilessly slaughter...

The multiple slashes on Chael's body.

Drink blood...

The half-full wine glass filled with red liquid.

Perpetually young...

Who seemed to not age?

Suddenly it hit her.

The killer's name was...

Frey was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the soft creak of the door opening behind her.

Nor did she see the red eyes that emerged from the darkness of the hallway.

No.

A simple red would not justify these malicious irises. These eyes were a deep, dark, sinister crimson.

These eyes weren't merely red.

They were blood-red.

And the owner of these eyes was a small, blonde boy.


Yay! Done! It took a long time (3 days) to actually get this finished. This is BY FAR my longest single chapter. Give a shout-out to Volcora for editing the last entry. Anyways, I would really appreciate some feedback so I can improve my writing. Sanks!