Either Chapter 11 or 12 will be the last chapter... Maybe. Not sure. Thank you for your patience. let me know your thoughts on the chapter, and uh... This chapter was quite the interesting one to write.
-The Box with a Button-
Less than twenty years before the barrier is broken...
Sparring practice has been cut short after an accident happened between the Prince and his sparring partner.
Two children sat on the ramparts of Green-Gold's fortress walls, gazing at Mt Ebbot as the sun set upon the western horizon.
There is no color to be seen. No green of Grass. No blue of stone nor sky.
Not even the sun emitted anything other than light, and it sets behind Ebbot's gaze.
The world is colorless and grey.
"Oh, quit your crying Addie. It was just a scratch. See? Mom was able to bandage it up in no time! Everything will be fine." A young, smiling, bandaged, crisp-faced Gael lightheartedly spoke to a young, shaken, crying Prince Adrian. Gael's forehead bandages were faintly stained red from the incident.
"Lighten up. You didn't even hit me that badly. I mean, yea, you scored a crit on me, but it could've been worse!" Gael added.
Adrian paused his worried behavior and turned to his adopted brother. Gael continued.
"You could've taken my head clean-off!"
Adrian turned-away - crying even harder than before.
"Oh for the love of-. Come on, Addie! It was just a joke! Lighten up, will you? I mean, what would Dad think if he saw you like this? Cheer up for the people around you, if not for me."
Finally, Adrian's whimpering softened, then dispersed. Gael pat his brother on the back.
"Now that's better. MUCH better!" Gael turned to observe the sun set below the horizon. "Beautiful, isn't it, Addie? Sometimes I think I go crazy, because occasionally I think I see something there that isn't like the rest of the world."
Silence...
"Addie?"
Gael turned back to face his brother. Adrian's gaze was locked-onto the Mountain.
"Have you ever wondered, Gael... We always start at LV-1. There's never really an LV-0... It'd probably would require a consistent, complete, and permanent removal of the intent to kill..."
Gael didn't say anything, continuing to listen.
"It's in us all. We're born with that freedom to do what's wrong. Our curse... of violence... a L.O.V.E. curse..."
Gael raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying Addie?"
"In- In a dying, dead world cursed with violence, grief, vengeance, and everything gone so horribly wrong... Is is so wrong to not want to attribute to all the pain and suffering in it?"
Gael paused, the words he sought eluding him. He nodded his head unable to reply. Adrian continued.
"I'm not ignorant to the world around me. I know perfectly well of how wrong everything is. It's... I'm just-... I'm..."
"Scared?" Gael chipped in.
Adrian took a deep breath, staring into the setting light of the sun where the light faded, and the night sky began; The skyline resembling a multi-shaded barrier between the light-colored greys and whites, contrasting the darker shades of night.
"... I'm Afraid..." Adrian admitted.
"I'm terrified...
"I don't want to hurt anybody... I don't want to hurt anyone... But the world... Doesn't want to give anyone a choice. It will not give me a choice, will it?"
Adrian heard stirring from Gael's spot.
"Just a fool's dream. I'm sorry Gael, I didn't mean to bother with such a petty ramble-." Adrian turned to find Gael had gotten down from his seat onto the Wall's walkway, and he was kneeling to Prince Adrian with his head facing the floorboards.
"Gael?" Adrian dismounted from his seat to stand in front of his adopted brother. "Is everything...?" Adrian paused. Gael spoke.
"I, Gael, the adopted brother of His majesty Adrian of Green-Gold, swear on my life and soul to be your sword. My life, forever yours."
Gael's tone was sincere with no sarcasm.
"Never may a single execution point be yours, for I will fight in your place... I fight for the fool's dream; your dream...
"I swear on my life, that when the times come where others demand 'kill or be killed'... I will be what stands between you and them.
"And when the day comes, when my humanity abandons me, I ask that you vow to destroy me... to protect the lives I threaten.
"My Prince... My future King. My life, my *SOUL, eternally... is yours.
"I am your sword, that you will never have to fight. You will never have to kill, and as long as I live, you'll never be killed."
The young Prince Adrian stood before his brother, completely speechless. He thought his own words to be stupid, naive, and foolish, yet here, in Gael of all people, was one willing to believe in him to see what anyone else would consider a pipe-dream come true.
Adrian couldn't say anything. For the first time, ever, in his life, he felt something he never thought could be possible; Hope.
. . .
Sixteen years, four months, and twelve days before the barrier is broken...
Adrian found himself in a black room, alone. No noise, no echo of footsteps. The black room seemed endless...
"Hello?" He called out to the darkness.
No answer.
"Hello?" Adrian called out again. No answer. He was alone in silence. Adrian would've been used to this, before Gael came along and took the mantle of being his sworn guardian (and to a lesser extent, his brother), but now Adrian walked around. An uncanny feeling haunted Adrian; Dread.
Adrian looked around, eventually finding what looked like a white rope, tied into itself on the floor loosely resembling a circle.
Then the circle shifted; moving on it's own accord - evolving into an outline of some unidentifiable thing.
The something shifted into shapes, using the white rope as an outline. From the black formless mass, it shape-shifted into a figure towering over Prince Adrian.
From the top of the figure, a white blob formed itself into a mouth-less mask with two vertically cracked eyes; one going up, the other going down. Both cracks presumably meeting at the back of the face.
The figure started making a noise. It was not human. It resounded like a machine given a voice, but impossible to decipher. Then the mass gazed down at Prince Adrian. The mask on the blob formed an ominous, unpleasant smile. Then, it "spoke" in a sense - not with cohesive words, but with an indescribable, eerie noise as if one was to try to speak a language never meant for the human mouth.
As the figure 'spoke', several hands slowly formed from the goo-like darkness with no explanation, slowly reaching toward Adrian with menacing intent.
Adrian was seized with fear and ran. He heard it repeating the previous noise over and over. Adrian saw a door several feet in front of him. He ran to it, but the hallway seemed to move farther and farther away from him as the thing chasing him got closer, it's noise louder and louder. With a rush, Adrian got to the door; going through it's arch and closing it behind him.
The door had several security locks connected to it, all which Adrian rushed to engage. After finishing the final lock, he put his back to reinforce the door. After a solid minute, Adrian heard no noise. Taking a sigh of relief, he slid his back across the smooth wood surface, sitting down, closing his eyes. A feeling of security and safety washed over Adrian as he was able to relax from whatever it was he was running from... Then, Adrian observed his surroundings. He was in his father's throne room. Then, from the throne, a figure sat on it. The figure was human. It was wearing his father's garb, wore a red-stained sword across it's lap. The eyes... The body's eyes were shut tightly, and red tears reigned down from them.
"Are you ready, my son?"
Adrian heard the body speak to him. He held his breath.
"Are you ready..." it held out his hand to reveal a star-like shining object built-into a skipping stone in the palm of the body's hand.
Adrian saw movement to the side of the throne. He saw it; the shape shifting form with the damaged eyes.
"To play god?" The body finished it's sentence.
The figure lunged at him, and Adrian awoke, flailing his arms as if he was fighting off an invader. Gasping for breath, he tried to regain his bearings.
Adrian was lying down in his bed, in his bedroom. His bed sheets tossed around like poorly maintained horse blankets.
It was just a nightmare, right? Prince Adrian gasped to himself, trying to recuperate from his recent terror. Then, the door burst open with Gael; his special club in hand, surveying the room before quickly advancing in and closing the door behind him.
"ADDIE! YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"Gael?!"
"Get dressed! There's been an attack!"
"WHAT?! WHERE'S DAD?!"
"Get dressed, grab your sword and let's find him before the bad guys do!"
After Adrian equipped some basic clothing, The duo rushed through the elaborate halls of the Keep with little worry about any unknown traps or ambushes. The would-be assailants seem to have sprung those on themselves beforehand, or dispatched by awaiting guardsmen. The sight was unpleasant to say the least, but not unexpected.
"DAD! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Adrian called out for his father.
A loud crash was heard down the hall, caused by one of the assassins; a puncture wound in his side, stumbling over some fallen pottery that had shattered on the floor with another conspirator trying to assist. Gael gnashed his teeth at the intruders; his expression curdled and seemed more like an animal than man. Gael snarled.
"You get the Throne-room... Protect your father."
Adrian couldn't see Gael's face. Only what Gael would be up against.
"What about you?"
"Me? I'm taking out the trash this morning!" Gael charged forth at the retreating assailants.
Adrian readied his weapon and sprung though the maze-like halls to get to the throne room. When he approached, he heard something fall.
"DAD!" Adrian charged in - the oak doors wretched loudly as if in agony as Adrian readied himself against an attack from anywhere from the room, but it was dead silent.
There was no noise. There were red stains among the pillars leading up to the King's seat, and a strange pile of black ashes littering the tables.
From the throne, a figure sat on it. Adrian recognized the figure. It was wearing his father's garb, wore a red-stained sword across it's lap. The figure's eyes were shut tightly, and red tears reigned down from them.
Adrian, gasping for breath approached the figure upon the wooden throne.
"D-..." Adrian's voice quivered.
"Dad?"
Silence.
Adrian stood at the foot of his father's throne, taking his father's hand into his own. He felt a pulse. It's fading.
"Dad..."
The body turned.
"Are you ready, my son?" It spoke.
Adrian held his breath.
"For what?"
Adrian's eyes darted to a moving shadow from across the room. He saw a mask with vertical cracks in it's eyes; one downwards, one upwards. The mask is smiling. Adrian blinked, and it was gone.
"Are you ready..."
As Adrian turned back to his father, in his other hand, he held it out to reveal a star-like shining object built-into a skipping stone in the palm of the body's hand. Adrian recognized it from his nightmare.
"To be a god?"
Adrian stood, dumbfounded.
"What is it?"
"If you ever are to perish, this star will bring your *SOUL to the time...
"And place... you last used it..."
Adrian, unquestioning to his father, reached for the strange star-like thing built into the stone, gently taking it from his father's hand. In an instant, a single word contained in a black box with white outline appeared before Adrian.
PERSEVERE
Adrian didn't know what to do. As if by instinct, he nodded his head. Then again in an instant, the box's outline became color and the words changed.
*FILE CREATED: ADRIAN
*GAME SAVED
"Dad... What do I do?" Adrian started breathing heavier, almost panicking.
"What do I do?!"
The King turned to his son the prince.
"Persevere, my... son..."
. . .
Sixteen years, four months, and one day, before the barrier is broken...
Adrian found himself back in the black room, alone. No noise, no echo of footsteps. The black room again seemed endless...
"Hello?" He called out again to the darkness. Adrian looked around once again, seeking the white outline from before.
Then Adrian heard it; the noise. He turned around and there was the unidentifiable mass with a face.
The black formless mass contorted and shape-shifted itself before Prince Adrian.
"I don't fear you." Adrian sternly anchored his feet where he stood.
"What do you want from me?" The prince asked the mask.
The blob shifted, shaped, and replicated itself into several hundreds of thousands of near-insect sized squares, then the primary mass with the face vanished.
The uncountable squares produced the form of another human being. It's form was a man; a Legionnaire. He's injured and weeping.
"It must end..." the man spoke.
From the uncountable squares, another being was produced; an impoverished woman in ragged clothes. She walked in the aftermath of a battlefield.
"Where are they? Where are my sons?" she cried, surveying face after face.
The squares continued to produce more and more people around Prince Adrian until there were enough to fill a town square; not a single one looking like the other.
All of them, one thing was glaringly common; they were all victims of violence.
"Peace?" Adrian guessed.
Everyone turned to look at the Prince. Silence. Some of the forms nodded their heads.
"How do I help you?"
Adrian turned around in circles trying to see all the people at once, but every time someone fell from view for even a moment, they were gone.
"How do I save you?"
Eventually, Adrian was alone in the room. Then he turned around and saw the shape-shifting mass with the cracked face holding a small metal box. Attached to the box is a button.
"what does it do?" Adrian asked.
The uncountable squares produced an image of people throwing down their weapons and turning away, then the image dissipated back into squares.
Adrian awoke from his sleep. He turned to his nightstand and pulled out the strange star in stone from his drawer.
*GAME SAVED
As Adrian proceeded to his father's funeral, he was interrupted by a courier carrying out his rounds. He was holding a package wrapped in grey paper.
"Something in the mail for you, my lordship."
"Just call me Adrian."
"Sorry sir, just habit."
"It's fine."
. . .
After the depressing day was over, Adrian unwrapped the package. Within was the metal box with a note attached;
"Only use when with no other choice."
Twelve years, three days before the barrier is broken...
"Brothers and sisters not of Green Gold's land. Inheritors to the fallen Republic and crumbling Empire... I call your attention to thee.
Your Tribal conglomerates, your kingdoms, empires, confederations and republics...
I, King Adrian of Green-Gold have tried to reach out and end the violence between our nations.
I have visited all your lands to help you. I thought I could help you prosper as sovereign nations.
For four long years, we of Green Gold have done everything in our power to remain neutral, and bring reconciliation.
But you have made it clear that you are not interested.
First-hand, I bore witness to your practices, your methods. You have shown me first hand the cruelty you are capable of.
Your heartlessness, bitterness, and wickedness...
Through all of you, I have witnessed the evil of man born within all.
You proceeded to demonize me and my people- plunging my fore-fathers nation into a gratuitous total war for no reason other than reaching out to you.
I have given you all a choice, and in return you leave me with none.
You have made your choice to fight, and in return, I choose to use a tool that will strip that choice away from you.
I am making the choice to end the two-thousand year war you are hellbent on continuing.
The tool will have you throw down your weapons and cease your violence.
With this power in my grasp, I, Adrian, not as a king, not as royalty, but as a human being...
I declare this senseless, two-thousand year conflict... Over!"
A young King Adrian of Green Gold gave his speech at the rally of the nations; a rally usually purposed for nations to spit at and mock each other. Now, all the nations unify to have Green Gold receive the blunt end of it.
No cheering. Only the Jeering of countless people; entire nations of people who have no intention of anything different. Whether the cause be pride, arrogance, or whatever, it didn't matter. No one wanted to see the conflict end.
For their own safety, Adrian and his companions fled back to his homeland.
. . .
Twelve years before the barrier is broken...
The Great Northern Wall of Green Gold; the physical barrier of towers and walls built countless miles into mountains both vertically into the Mountain heights, and horizontally from Mountain's range west to Mountain's range east, south of all the nations.
The only way through was a single gargantuan gatehouse made from black stone. It's history preceding written history itself; a time before war was even a word.
There was no way it could've been made by human hands.
Throughout time, the wall was fortified even further by the Green-Gold humans; two-thousand years to improve the already unimaginable defending advantage of the nation.
The wall itself was the apple of Green-Gold. It was a luxurious defense any other land could only dream of acquiring.
Here, Gael and Adrian stood miles above the land at the top of the wall, surveying the northern horizon.
In Adrian's hands was the metal box with the button - the button that would, presumably, end the war.
The air is thin. The wind is quietly wishing to pass through.
"So..." Gael asked Adrian. "What exactly is the box?"
Adrian paused.
"I have no idea Gael. Apparently, we just... Press the button... And from the center of the world, hundreds of miles from here, hundreds of miles away... It'll make everyone drop their weapons and... Stop the war- stop ALL the wars..."
"Do you think that will actually happen?"
"If I am remembering it correctly Gael...
"Upon pressing the button of the device, there will be a pause. Then, after a moment of silence, the thousand-year war between all of humanity will finally end."
"Anything else that the box said, or had notes attached to?"
"Well, I'm... confused... under the assumption that this actually does work. And..."
"Addie?"
"... There's no way it can be this simple Gael. We just press this button, and... magically, no one wants to fight? It... It sounds impossible... Like it's too good to be true... It's too... Simple."
"What if it is true, Adrian? What if we can, really stop all the wars, all the pain, the bloodshed... with just the press of a button? We'd be saving the world, right?"
Adrian took a deep breath, taking the box into his hand and facing southward skyline.
"Adrian, Whatever Happens after we press that button... I'll be right next to you... And so will Abella... And your unborn kid. Right?"
Adrian nodded his head, smiling.
"Let's save the world, Gael. They made their choice to fight and hurt others, so we'll take away their ability to choose to hurt others."
Gael turned to his brother patting his brother on the back; nodding his hooded, bandaged head.
"L. V. Zero, just like you said all that time ago? Remove their intent to kill?"
"L.V. Zero. From now on... No more intent to kill. No more pain. No more death. No more suffering."
"Then let's end this stupid pointless war. Two-thousand years is more than enough! They had their chance to end all this voluntarily from their own accord."
Adrian nodded his head and pressed the button.
"For the Fool's Dream." Adrian blurted.
"For the Fool's Dream." Gael recited.
At first nothing.
Silence.
"The warranty didn't happen to expire, did it?" Gael joked.
"I DID press the button firmly down, as it said to do..." Adrian hesitated.
"Ehh... Maybe-"
A flash of light from the north accompanied by a delayed noise louder than point-blank thunder. The world itself shook as if it was a rattling cage...
Adrian and Gael lost balance and fell down to the wall's floor.
A deafening sound like thunder echoed through-out the world. Wind shredded throughout the world, ripping through clothing and carrying away small objects as if they were sheets of paper.
Dead Silence...
Adrian struggled to his feet to peer over the wall.
The Northern sky was black as charcoal with it's clouds swirling into a spiral hundreds of miles north. The northern ground - from as far as the eye could see, to the base of Green Gold's Northern Wall, south of all the northern land...
Every nation north of Green Gold, every city, every home, every family... Nothing but dust and ashes were visible.
Adrian couldn't believe what he saw.
"What... What happened? Where did everything go?"
"Why did this happen?"
Adrian turned to the button he himself pressed.
"No... This... This isn't what it was suppose to be...
"What..."
Adrian turned away, vomited onto the floor, then turned back to the ghastly horizon.
"All those people..."
Then, in the shadow of the aftermath, Adrian heard it;
Countless screams. They rang like an uncanny chorus of cries. It went on, continuing for a minute, and then cut-off. Silence.
"This is not what I wanted...
"I didn't want this... They didn't deserve this. What... My gods... What have I done? What have I done?!"
Adrian fell to his knees and wept at the horrible choice he unwittingly made.
- Once upon a time, a long time ago -
In a strange cave in a strange place, where a river from the North flowed south into the mountains...
There was a smiling doctor.
He was no healer, he winged.
His wisdom was wicked, it dinged.
He didn't heal, for he was a trickster.
He helped others hurt, by designing ghastly toys.
He enjoyed watching people hurt others with his ghastly toys.
One day, the doctor made the strangest, ghastliest of toys to out-do all the others.
That day, someone had enough.
Someone called him wicked, and bashed the smiling doctor's face with a rock.
After hitting his face with the rock, someone cast him into the river far below his cave.
From his cave, he fell down and down into his river.
From his river, he fell down and down into a sacred mountain...
From there, the world was able to continue playing their games with the smiling doctor's toys.
But two thousand years later, a king wanted to end all the world's ghastly games.
From dreams, the doctor gifted the king a key;
A key to giving life to the doctor's final toy;
The toy to win and end every game.
He tricked the king to play his game.
He tricked the king to shoulder a terrible, unbearable shame.
In the end, the false doctor had the last laugh.
In the end, of monsters and man, who is really a monster? What is a man? are we to choose peace? Is it even a choice?
Or will someone reset, and force every soul to relive the horrible, terrible game of hell once again?
He wings.
He dings.
Beware the false doctor;
The doctor who speaks with his hands...