Through a Glass, Darkly (English Version)

by Roux Marlet

Taufan, former king of Windara; Halilintar, loyal servant of Maharani Kira'na in the Gur'latan Empire; and Gempa, a baker in the Republic of Quabaq. When these triplets who have never seen each other since being born with cursed destinies finally meet as adults, disaster awaits. There is a reason the three of them are named after disasters. / Dark Fantasy AU, Elemental Triplets

BoBoiBoy © Monsta

Through a Glass, Darkly © Roux Marlet

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The author gained no material profit from this work of fiction.

Alternate Universe, Fantasy with Magic

BoBoiBoy's Elemental Triplet (original trio)

Rated M for violence & couple scene (more than 2 pairings ahead)

Available in Indonesian & English versions.

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PROLOG

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Everyone carries a demon inside. Taufan, a scion of the Windara royal family, who ascended the throne at eighteen and was overthrown by his people at twenty, was no exception.

The former Windara king was violently pushed into the arena until he fell to his knees. A sword was also thrown before him, clattering loudly on the stone ground.

"Can't fight with a pair of swords, huh? Weak."

Regrets always come too late. Taufan regretted that when Windara was still safe and secure and he had a skilled sword master in his youth, he had wasted his training time on momentary pleasures. Now, when he needed it the most, on a foreign land in a distant country, he had only basic skills with a single sword.

The arena erupted in cheers. His opponent was coming. That monster, that demon. He carried a pair of swords in his well-built left and right hands, advancing towards Taufan who was still kneeling on the ground and hadn't reached for his sword yet.

Behind all the shouting, Taufan could hear it. Mockery, sarcasm, even bets.

"I bet you ten Dalc, he'll fall in a minute."

"A minute? Ten seconds would surprise me!"

"Hey, is he really the Mad King of Windara?"

"Is it true? That means he's weak, right? Until he was coup d'état by his own people..."

Stop it... Taufan thought miserably. He'd had enough of all his suffering and regret up to this point. His beloved mother was killed, his country destroyed, and now he was forced to face the biggest gamble of his life after several unbearable tortures until this morning.

His body was sore, his soul exhausted. Then, if Taufan were to die in this fight, he would never see that smile again... A beautiful smile belonging to a bright face that was always draped in a pink veil.

"Stand up!"

The demon-monster shouted at him. The crowd cheered even louder, making Taufan's head spin. How could the blind demon know he was still sitting pathetically on the ground, Taufan didn't want to think anymore. He grabbed his sword with his right hand and brought his battered body to its feet.

"I don't want to fight you," Taufan exclaimed, and the cheers of the crowd grew louder. Damn, just standing in front of him made him stagger. "You know this isn't a fair fight either."

"There's no point in negotiating with me," snapped the demon as he began to remove the mask that covered the top half of his face. "I have never failed to carry out the orders of my Lord Maharani."

"Weak, weak!" the people cheered.

It wasn't the fight against this demon that Taufan considered unfair. It was the motive for holding this one-on-one battle until one of them died, which made no sense and was far from fair.

But who was Taufan to think about the question of justice when he had failed to become a leader in the past?

"Yaya..." Taufan drew his sword and stared at his opponent. If Taufan died, he would lose Yaya. If this demon before him died... well, Taufan would return to Yaya, and the Maharani would lose something precious. Never before in his life of slightly more than two decades had Taufan felt so conflicted inside. Why did he and this demon have to fight if what they were fighting for was different from the very beginning?!

"GRRRRRM. I'll finish you!"

The mask had come off completely, thrown carelessly by its owner. Taufan's sapphire eyes widened as he was struck by two still-sheathed blades. The young man fell backward, his back hitting the stone floor as his attacker pinned him down.

"I wonder what the state of your face is like right now," the demon growled, a flash of red emanating from his ruby eyes, entire body, and sword-wielding hands.

"Aaaaaarrrgghhh!" Electricity was sent throughout Taufan's body, sending him into convulsions, and even his grip on his own sword slipped.

No, no, no... Taufan could only end up here fighting for something. Just then, his eyes, which had begun to lose all focus, saw something in the demon and with it, a strong urge rose within him.

"GROOOOAAAAAAAHHHH!" This roar belonged to Taufan.

There was a loud gust of wind and the red demon was thrown across the room and crashed into the stone wall. The people fell silent, stunned.

Everyone carries a demon within them. Taufan did too; in the not-too-distant past, the demon had awakened and brought destruction upon Windara... and, today, it had risen again.

Someone was smiling on their throne watching it all.

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To be continued.

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The title of the story is taken from the Bible quote 1 Corinthians 13:12, but the story is not about any religion. The universe is set in a fantasy world, inspired by many songs, and the rest is just Roux's imagination. (Trying out fantasy writing, here~)

(For the Dalc currency, it's taken from the Spy x Family universe XD)

Roux is very open to criticism and suggestions! Especially from writers/readers who have been in the fantasy genre for a while :3

That's it for now, thanks for reading :)

[November 19, 2023]