[Indonesia, 19:54 Pm.]
As I opened my eyes, I gazed at the stars scattered across the vast sky, shining so beautifully. A gentle breeze brushed against my face, like water washing over it. Fallen leaves drifted down, lightly touching my skin, while the cool air beneath the trees made everything feel fresh.
I kept my head raised, staring at that night sky. My suit, though neatly worn, was now stained with blood.
I stood there in silence, stretching out my hand, as if trying to grasp the distant sky—to reach out and hold onto a dream that felt so far away.
Clenching my fist, I pressed it against my chest, against my heart. The pain... it was nothing. It was better this way. My eyes followed a leaf as it slowly descended to the ground. My gaze dimmed, like a plant longing for water.
Yes, eyes that had lost their light.
From afar, I saw them searching for me.
I wanted to laugh, to feel joy... or perhaps cry like they did. My heart ached to scream.
I wanted to be with them.
"Hahhh..." Do I feel relieved now? "I don't know..." Even I was unsure.
For their sake, right...?
I knew that the highest form of love was letting go. And now, I let go... even if it meant only watching from a distance.
My throat burned, yearning to shout just a single phrase—"I'm here!" But I didn't.
As I recalled their smiles, my own lips curled into a faint smile, one that had long been lost. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and as I exhaled, a wave of relief washed over my heart. Joy and sorrow intertwined, creating a tightness in my chest. I wanted to scream, but not out of sadness or regret—rather, out of gratitude.
Tears fell from my eyes. Not from sorrow, but from a happiness too deep to put into words.
"Even when tears are falling... smiling and laughing aren't so bad, right?"
My eyes slowly regained their light. With a smile, I stood up. Before turning away, I took one last look at them.
"I leave everything in your hands... Hero."
Memories resurfaced—happy moments spent with those I cherished. They seemed ordinary, yet they meant everything. And then, there were the painful memories, carrying deep meaning within my story.
"Damn... I used to play in the dirt all the time... Now I remember that." (soft chuckle)
A warm and gentle breeze surrounded me, as if trying to embrace me, to wipe away my tears. As if something—or someone—was trying to comfort my heart.
The cool wind ruffled my hair, and at that moment, my eyes sparkled once more, as if reignited with light.
Even though every step felt heavy, I would keep moving forward.
I walked further away from them, towards a place atop the hill.
(Fragments of red crystals fell from the sky, like rain.)
(The dark clouds began to emit bright light, and the black trees in the sky started to fade.)
(A white-blue light continuously sent out shockwaves in the middle of the sky.)
(The blue light slowly took the form of a person.)
With my severely injured, limping leg, I kept walking through the forest, where the leaves continued to fall around me. Even for a brief moment, I realized that the path was filled with wildflowers, their fragrance attracting swarms of butterflies fluttering nearby.
Was I starting to hallucinate amidst all this chaos?
"(######)!!! (######)!!!"
I kept walking.
Step by step. Ignoring the faint voices calling out to me.
Until I stopped.
(The wounds spreading like crimson crystals burned across my body, even consuming my entire left arm.)
(Slowly, "it" began to dissolve my hand, but even so, I kept moving forward, enduring the pain.)
Step by step… until finally, I saw it.
In front of me stood a maple tree, its crimson leaves glowing vibrantly. The leaves gently drifted down one by one. I reached out and took the pendant hanging from the tree. The moment I touched it, it transformed into a blood-red crystal.
As I gazed at the sky, I saw a white-blue light shining above.
"You are stronger than me. Even in the midst of this chaos, you always find a way." (smiling) "Your heart is truly kind. I'm relieved."
"But that alone is not enough... You need power in this world."
"Hahhh... Even just breathing feels heavy… My struggles, my suffering, they all end here. Though… I know this story will continue."
"But this is my choice… For the best, for what is right… even if the path is lined with barbed wire, raining arrows, piercing swords… Everything is for the best."
"Moth—"
"I feel confused, sad, happy, grateful, angry, and proud."
Sad—because of how pitiful I am.
Happy—because my dream has finally come true.
Grateful—because in the end… I still have a heart.
Angry—at myself, because in the end, someone is crying for me.
And proud—because at least I made it this far. I am still alive.
Suddenly, tears streamed down my face. Clenching the only hand I could still move, I gritted my teeth and screamed.
"I want to keep smiling! I want to be happy! I want to be by her side!!!"
"Do I not deserve to live?!"
"But… this is all my fault!!!"
"Mother… Father… They died because of me!!! Because I was useless!!!"
"You do deserve to be happy."
"And to smile…" said a child.
I broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. The emotions I had been suppressing for so long finally burst out, right in front of this child.
At that same moment, cracks appeared in the sky. It was as if the sky itself was shattering, and from within, strange figures emerged. They surrounded the blue light from every direction.
"You have fought so hard in this chaotic situation… against an enemy you don't even understand."
"You could have run… but instead, you chose to fight, to protect the family below you."
"But now… it's my turn to stand at the front line."
I grasped my pendant tightly, and in an instant, a crimson-red aura erupted around me, spreading across the entire battlefield.
"I am a sword."
"And swords are used for destruction."
"But this time… I will use it to protect!"
(My decayed hand was slowly enveloped in my own blood, forming a massive spear.)
(The blood-red aura condensed around my body, forming four wings.)
"Uaaaaakkhhhhhhhh!!!"
(The crimson-red light was forged, little by little, in my right hand—slowly solidifying, growing harder and harder.)
I looked up at the sky.
A dark crimson light began to descend.
Blood-red crystal shards rained down, surrounding me.
I glared ahead.
Despite the overwhelming danger, despite the tense atmosphere… I took a deep breath—
And smiled.
ZHHHUUUUUSSSSTTT
I soared straight into the sky.
Even from a distance, I stood at the same height as the blue light.
I became a blood-red radiance, glowing brilliantly in the dark night. From one end of the lake to the other, everyone saw it—both the crimson-red and the white-blue light, like two stars shining in the night sky.
People from all across the region looked up at the glow, even the animals stopped to watch.
"Keep your promise... and come back," whispered a woman who knew him.
I simply smiled as I faced everything ahead.
Why?
Because…
"I have a soft and gentle heart."
"Just like my beloved mother's."
That is the only thing I take pride in… within this wretched self.
If you choose to do good, it doesn't mean you are weak or foolish.
It simply means… you have a heart.
(My wings shed their feathers.)
(My hand felt like it was shattering.)
(My body felt like it was about to explode.)
(Even with all this pain, with every ounce of my strength, I raised my right hand.)
"I WAS THE VOID… AND NOW…"
"I AM THE SWORD OF HOPE."
[My story began… two years ago.]