00. Prologue: How did it come to this?
How had it come to this?
The cliff side overlooked what once was a town. Small and friendly, they had become friends with the demons in the local area, and all of it seemed to have become empty in the wake of war. She stood upon the very edge, a ledge she had grown accustomed to in her travels, and sharp fangs dug into flesh as she bit her lower lip. She remembered the blunt end of her human teeth before… before all of this. Memories she closed her eyes against as she pushed them away. Off in the distance, she could hear them. A fight was ensuing somewhere past the village, one that would destroy her no matter who emerged victorious, and her heart beat against her sternum painfully. She had tried this once before, but in a place devoid of knowledge or reasoning. It was a dark place she had been in, one that led her to her path in life, and yet she stood ready to make the sacrifice she had to if it meant that everything she cherished would survive. As long as they would survive, could live, then it was worth it right?
Yes. It whispered to her. The hair stood up on the back of her neck as she opened her eyes to survey the grim scene once more. Yes, it would be completely worth it, she decided. Mind made up, she took that step and pitched herself forward.
Wind whistled past her as she fell, eyes watching with resignation as the ground began to rapidly come into view. Trees were darkened and rotted below. The grass that once was bright and green was now browned, lifeless, and littered with bodies. The air tastes of brimstone and death, all of which only incites the tears that race down her pale cheeks. Frigid air blows past her as she lets herself fall. Her instincts scream out at her, begging for her to take flight and save herself from the impact of the ground that raced toward her. A soft chuckle escapes her cold lips as she closes her eyes, letting gravity take her down, plummeting toward the ground. Relentlessly her instincts scream at her, shout, beg, plead, but still she falls. Her power hums beneath the skin with her nerves. She was not supposed to be nervous. She knew what would happen. Yet, here it was. Fear pumped through her veins as wind whistled by her. A grimace crossed her calm features and her eyes snapped open as she gasped. Was this really what she wanted? Did she want to die here? Now?
Yes. Her instincts cried out. Because it is worth it!
Yes, it was worth it. Everything she had experienced here had been worth it, and this little village had been the start of it all. From the beginning of this war, to her mere existence. This village was the source of all her pain, of all her suffering, and yet it was also the reason she was able to do this. This tiny village once surrounded by rolling green hills and paddy fields was everything to her, and she felt her resolve strengthen as she closed her eyes once more. This… was it. This was the end.
This was worth it.
Then why did her heart feel so heavy? She had caused it all. All of that pain and suffering had been her fault! If she had not of touched that damned glass, if she had not recognized him, then things would have played out the way they were intended to, right? No, the disruption of balance was not what ailed her heart. Instead, two faces came to mind. Two men who she loved dearly in two completely different aspects smirked at her from behind closed lids as tears were forced from her cheeks by whipping winds. Heat burst from behind her, a scream of her name forcing her to look over her shoulder. Familiar hues were wide in fear as a hand reached out for her, and for a moment she weakened. Did she dare believe that things could be resolved differently? She turned mid fall, hope rekindling her determination. She reached out, his name on her lips as she fell, their fingers almost brushing against one another in a desperate attempt for hope.
No. She decided, her open palm glowing faintly. Everything would be meaningless if he continued down this destructive path to his demise. Tears welled in her eyes as she pushed, her power throwing him back and up as she continued to fall. She turned in time to see the ground coming up to her faster and faster, with the wind around her whistling in her ears as another shout reached her.
"ASAMI!"