Saecilius just ran, ran like it was the only thing that mattered, as soon as he heard the screams in the camp, he knew what was happening. Enemy attacked, he dared to take a look to his back before sprinting, and after he saw those blue lightsin the dark night, his blood froze. Ghosts but there were a dozen of them now and they were slaughtering the soldiers in camp with their horrifying rays of light. And to think if he did not decided to desert tonight and stayed a few minutes more in the camp, he would be dead too.

He hopes his friend Nomen was fine, but he had no illusions. He was dead, as soon as attack began, Nomen ran to the camp before giving him a last look as he sprinted away from the camp.

But it was fine... it was fine... he thought as he stopped to took a breath and looked around nervously, as if like fearing a ghost could materialize any moment and turn him into ash. He was going home now, he was going home, everything will be fine, he will see his wife again.

Saecilius slowly walked, but mostly ran in the forest, his body was still shaking with fear, listening the voices of forest almost calmed him, despite everything he has seen. He just continued to walk in the forest, he did not know how much time has passed. But since the sun was slowly rising, hours must have passed but he wouldn't know for sure. He was slowly feeling tired, he decided to sit on a somewhere nearby, since he was now sure that he was away from ghosts. He decided to lean against the broad trunk of a tree, breath heaving out of him in great wheezing gasps. Fatigue finally gripped him, rendering his limbs as heavy as lead bars. The fear-induced adrenaline that had propelled him here had finally run out. He couldn't take even one more step further.

Saecilius was glad that he could finally rest with a clean head. He had plenty experience with forests as his parents brought him to teach him to hunt many times in his childhood. He looked around he had no idea where he was but he knew how to find his way by looking at sun. He was glad for those lessons now, it will help him to survive in this forest and find his way. If he was honest to himself, he missed that feeling, he missed his parents. They were not saints of course, no one was, but he still missed them terribly anyway ever since they died. He only hoped that they were in better place.

He also missed his wife and children of course, he was going to see them one way or another. Emroy willing even if it was the last thing he would do, even if the ghosts arrived to his village to kill them all, he would see them once more again.

He continue the listen the voices of forest to clean his head, it was peaceful. He was grateful for that but also being alone, unarmed and injured, Saecilius would probably a prey for bigger predators that inhabited in this forest. Despite everything has happened, Saecilius actually found himself loving the beauty of his surroundings as he looked around. Not to mention that since he was in the middle of nowhere, it should be harder for those monsters perhaps even ghosts to find him. He decided to stay still for an hour.

After few minutes he heard a muffled voice, he was pretty sure it was a human voice. his curiosity overcomed his survival insticts so he decided to investigate as he cautiosly walked among the trees towards the voice. He walked for some time but he couldn't find it. Suddenly He felt a hand on his feet. He let out a scream as he expected a some some sort of predator but to his relief and surprise it was a human and a Saderan soldier. he was lying on his stomach and couldn't see the rest of his body due to a huge shrub. Probably this soldier was a fellow deserter like him.

''Pleasee... help.. help meee.'' soldier could barely plead him with heavy breaths.

Glad that he was no longer alone Saecilius was about to reassure him everything will be fine and moved to help him, but reassurences died on his throat, he now realized the shrub hiding soldier's legs were painted with blood. He moved the shrub and let out a horrified gasp and moved his hand to his mouth.

His legs were missing.

Saecilius then looked at the soldier with pity, he granted others mercy kills before, it was hard but necessary evil. So he decided to put him out of his misery. Saecilius took his sword to his hands to give him a quick death. But then Saecilius suddenly heard growls and hissing behind him, he slowly turned his back as he expected an animal but it was not an animal.

Bunch of half-naked people were standing behind him, they looked human, all of them were bald, their heads and bodies had horrific cuts. He couldn't even tell their gender, all of them had some sort of weapon in their hands. Swords, axes, bows and even pickaxes and shovels. But worst part was their eyes, he thought, they looked so empty, he could only describe it as soulless.

They suddenly began chase him, adrenaline kicked again, Saecilius suddenly forgot all his tiredness and he ran, just like the same way he first ran when he first escaped from the slaughter, just like he ran the second time when he saw those ghosts. He ran again but this time he was much faster than ever.

Lunatics chased him like they did not know anything else, he hoped to lose them in the forest, as trees would block their vision, the ones with the bows tried to shoot him, but thankfully all of them missed due to trees and bushes.

He managed to outrun them as he sprinted for one or two minutes until he reached a cliff, he couldn't see the lunatics but could hear the noises they made, when he looked down on the cliff, he gasped when he saw a waterfall and a river.

That meant he had a choice now, either jump to the river with a small surviving chance, or don't and suffer a slow death at the hands of lunatics. Choice was simple.

Saecilius quickly sucked in a deep breath, then offered a prayer to Emroy, he then leapt from the cliff to the waterfall. He fell into the river from waterfall as he screamed. After he finally drowned beneath the river, he quickly attempted to swim surface of the water. Thankfully water was very deep and calm so he didn't break any of his bones and managed to swim the surface.

Water carried him, sometimes through rocks,moss and mud. He did everything he could to not to get in the water. He then felt something in his hands, looking down he found that it was a huge water-logged log that was getting driven in the river just like him, he hugged the log like it was a lover, and just let the river carry him. Once again he did not know how much time has passed as river carried him. He just tried to relax then closed his eyes. When he woke up, he realized he was no longer moving, as he felt a heat on his skin, he moved his head to look around and found out he was in some sort of beach. Through mud, sand and moss he crawled with his remaining strenght and decided to lay down.

So he just lay there in the sand, he was somewhat aware of three people were approaching him. He raised his head and looked over at where the voices were coming from. To his relief, from their uniforms they were fellow Saderan soldiers.

It's over, he thought to himself, his mind finally calming down. I am alive

He lay down on the bed in the tent. It wasn't very comfortable, there wasn't much wool on the wood bed as it should be. But to Saecilius after what he went through, it felt like the greatest bed in the world. He relaxed his head on the pillow and just calmed, his mind was slowly recovering. It was the Saderan reinforcements rushed for his help, he may have failed his desertation from the army but he didn't care right now. After mages healed his wounds. Legate questioned him, he lied the Legate by mixing the truth with lies. Saecilius told the legate how countless enemy golems attacked and destroyed the camp. If he told him ghosts were the attackers he had a feeling Legate would just laugh him and Saecilius could have done something he would regret later. Then he told Legate he was tasked to report the recent news for Saderan Empire. Thankfully Legate did seemed to believe him and did not asked any further questions and left him in his tent.

One of the mages entered the camp ''You have a visitor, can you talk with him?'' mage asked.

A visitor? he definitely did not expected any visitors, could it be someone he knew? '' Yes I think I can'' he told the mage.

Mage nodded and exited the tent,later he came in with a man, Saecilius's face fell. He instantly understood this was a noble just from his clothes and with that damnable smug arrogant look on his face.

''So this is the only soldier who survived'' He said without even bothering to greet him or ask how he was doing. A resentment and hatred slowy started to form inside Saecilius. ''Well done I think, you are the only one who made it'' Noble said. Saecilius already knew he was the only one, and he definitely did not need reminder from this guy.

''Mages told me that you will make a recovery in few hours, you will get promoted and you will move with us to engage the monsters''

His eyes widened ''Excuse me?'' he whimpered in horror.

Noble then give him another arrogant stare ''You did not expected to live the rest of your days just lying in a bed now didn't you?, we are going to need everyone, that includes you'' He told him, then he and mage exited the tent.

So this it then, after all he went through, all of the things he had done to survive, all the things he as seen, it was for nothing. He was again right where it had started, just with an empty promotion. All the things he endured did they not mattered!? were they for nothing!?

Nothing.

Something hit his mind like a rock, as if like suddenly he knew everything, as if like all the secrets in the universe were revealed to him. Now it made sense, it was for nothing, nothing mattered, he realized.

''hah'' he give a giggle

''hahahahahahah'' he started to laugh

''HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! HEAHAHEHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

He laughed like a lunatic, how could he not? he now understood everything, how could he be blind to the truth for such a long time!?

He then put this head back on the pillow with a smile on his face, he was still giggling a little, a mage entered in the tent, as he caitously apprached him ''Are you... all right soldier?'' he asked nervously.

Saecilius looked to the mage, a cold smile formed on his face, with a chilling tone he spoke:

''Of course I'm all right... why, in fact I never felt more alive...''

Vassal army slowly approached the Hill as they prepared to make war against the monsters, King Duran waited in his tent. It's time for the attack now. He thought, Gods willing this will be end in our victory.

He exited the tent with bodyguards to ride his horse when one the men suddeny approached and kneeled in front of him

''My lord, other kingdoms departed to assault on this Hill'' he reported to his king.

''What about the Imperial reinforcements we were promised?' He asked him.

''My lord, no imperial troops has been sighted around the Hill''

''What!?'' Duran shouted with shock.

They were almost in the range now, if Elijah could smile he would. He couldn't help but to wonder how he ended up like this, from Mojave to an entire new world fighting with Romans. It was VERY odd how there were two civilizations of the both worlds decided to copy Rome. Caesar's legion and this Saderan Empire. He tried to find a logical explanation, perhaps this ''GATE'' was opened in the Earth's ancient times and humans in Roma era moved from Earth into this world but then Gate closed and they stuck so they created their own Rome? It was the most logical explanation he could find at the moment without much information about this world's history and relics. Minds of the prisoners proved useless as most of them did not even knew how to read. But if that is the case, then why were they so stagnant? they were extremely primitive. In such a long time they at least should have understood the basic gunpowder. Perhaps this ''magic'' prevented the development of technology and innovation? it's only advanced through different ideas when you worked for it. And if this magic provided everything why they should bother with innovation? it could explain this world's stagnation.

This made him remember the Brotherhood, oh those fools, how hard he tried to fix them for years. He realized too late they were unsalvageable. He wasted his valuable years for them when he could have done something much more productive. Technology was just a tool, something meant to be studied to understand how it worked then modified and used. It was not something to be worshipped and kept as a museum relic like what Brotherhood believed. Doesn't matter, they died, if they had understood his vision and had just obeyed him they could have reaped the rewards now. Only Veronica understood him to reform the Brotherhood, a girl he raised as his daughter and apprentice. But that fool number twelve, Christine tried to take her away from him, Veronica belonged to him and him only and to nobody else. A shame Veronica was too obsessed with insignificant man-made morals to understand him. Morality was just a construct, invented by humanity to keep their evolutionary animal insticts on check. Respect was much more important. And he respected to Veronica, to The Courier Six and to The Think Tank.

Speaking of the Courier Six,to this day, he was very glad he managed to catch that one back in Sierra Madre, her pip-boy had fascinating information when he first hacked it. Why, according to the pip-boy she even managed go to the Big Empty and survive from it! She greatly reminded him the other courier who told him about the Sierra Madre. Someone like her definitely could rescue him from Sierra Madre's trap. Still he definitely did not expected they would go this far together. But was glad to be wrong. When Courier managed to go into the vault and revealed him how she knew Veronica. Elijah realized that he needed someone like The Courier for his plans. Thankfully, she seemed to take an interest and fascinated with his plans and technology of Sierra Madre too. So they teamed up and tied up the loose ends by detonating their collars. Then they unlocked the archives of Sierra Madre together. The rest was history... Courier Six was so much like Veronica, expect... wiser. She understood him, from his point of view, She was Veronica's replacement.

He shaked his head to clear these thoughts from his mechanical mind as the vassal army approached, whether he was flesh or metal it seemed some things for him would never change. He then took the slave collars, printed from the madre vending machine he placed near one of the constructed buildings.

''Do it'' he ordered to the modified sentry bots, as they revealed their mini-nuke launchers on their backs.

Giselle walked in the forest without destination in her mind, walking in nights for a lone woman normaly would be idiotic. As they most likely would be robed,raped and killed. But Giselle was not a mortal, she was an apostle of the Godess Hardy, Lady of The Dead and Underworld. No one would dare to attack her. So she just walked in the forest calmly appreciating it's beauty. Then she had a familiar feeling in her mind, her godess, her beatiful mistress wanted to converse with her.

She sit under a tree, then she concentrated as she psychically connected her mind to her mistress. Soon she found herself in completely dark as only her mistress's form was visible. Her godess then started to speak.

''Giselle as you know I helped saderan mages to open a gate in Alnus Hill, I wanted to teach a lesson to the Saderan Empire, they have grown arrogant and corrupt. So I opened it into a world destroyed by forbidden knowledge to teach them humility. While I achieved what I wanted, I fear I made terrible mistake.''

Giselle saw something on her godess's face she never thought would saw.

Fear

And that scared her ''My mistress, What do you mean?'' Giselle asked to her mistress.

''I underestimated the horrors created by forbidden knowledge Giselle, their power is great and more terrifying than I imagined, I fear all of us, this world, it's people and perhaps even us gods could be in danger, they are far more evil, tyrannical and cruel than anyone in this world and because of their forbidden knowledge their scale is much more vast.

''B-b-But how, great one?''

''I'm not sure, my dear faithful servant, but we can't let them run amok and destroy this world too, you must go, bend the every dragon, including fire dragon to your will. We need an army to defend this world'

''I live to serve, my mistress'' Giselle bowed, then she cut the psychic connection.

She found herself back to the forest as she get up to move to complete her task, she then heard a weird voices, similiar to animal growlings, but to her apostle senses it did not sound like animal at all. She moved towards the voices, finally she could see the figures in the dark They were human... but also not; They barely had any clothes on them, with horrific cuts on their bodies and heads. They looked and growled threateningly to her like a wild animal. She then looked at them with her soul vision, as an Apostle of Hardy she could sense souls, Giselle let out a horrifed gasp, poor men still had human souls, but their souls were trapped, she could sense them suffering, screaming inside, begging to be released from their mortal bodies but couldn't control it. She had never seen such cruel necromancy before.

As they attacked her, Giselle realized what kind of horrors would be unleashed upon this world, and somehow instinctively knew; it was merely the beginning.

I am not ashamed to admit that some parts in this chapter were inspired from the fic called ''Mythos Effect'', go and check out, it's a great story.