A Silent Vow

The sky was suffocated by a blanket of black clouds, thick and unyielding, swallowing every trace of light. The air trembled with the echoes of war—explosions erupted in the distance, painting the darkened sky with fleeting bursts of crimson and orange. Amid the chaos, a voice cut through the cacophony, cold yet commanding.

"Stop the expansion! Attack at the roots!" a Girl ordered, her tone sharp with urgency.

Amidst the bodies that littered the broken battlefield, a lone figure struggled forward. A boy—no older than sixteen—dragged himself through the blood-streaked soil, his white cloak tattered and stained deep red. His right leg, severed below the knee, left a smeared trail in his wake, yet he pressed on, his body trembling with pain but refusing to falter.

His breath came in ragged gasps, every movement a battle against his failing strength. Then, as he lifted his head, his gaze locked onto the source of it all.

A massive tree stood, its roots spreading like plague, tearing through the earth with unrelenting hunger. Its towering form pulsed with an unnatural glow, its leaves infinitely reflecting light between them, illuminating the battlefield with an eerie radiance. Above its peak, a golden halo spun slowly, untouched by the chaos around it.

The sight struck him with a chilling realization. Horror crept into his wide, bloodshot eyes.

"No...!" The word escaped him, barely a whisper yet weighted with disbelief.

"This cannot be happening."

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword—a weapon battered beyond recognition, its once-pristine blade now a worn ruin, barely holding together. Faint, red pulses of light flickered from its fractured metal. With sheer determination, he planted the sword into the ground and forced himself up, balancing unsteadily on his one remaining leg.

"This is the last one... We are so close..." he panted, sweat mixing with the blood smeared across his face.

Then, he noticed something. The tree's movement had shifted, its growth accelerating, reaching toward something unseen. Arden's breath hitched.

"It will all be ruined if he gets it."

Before he could move, pain seared through his body like molten fire, sending him crashing back to the ground. His vision blurred, his limbs convulsing with agony. His fingers dug into the dirt as he gasped for air.

"Why...? How...?" he rasped, voice weak with disbelief. He clenched his teeth, forcing his trembling body forward, crawling once more.

"This thing... Why is it still eating at me...?"

His breaths were shallow, his body cold, yet his will remained unbroken. With every ounce of strength left in him, he dragged himself onward.

"I can't die here..."

Tears welled in his eyes, yet his expression was one of sheer defiance. The faces of those who had fought alongside him flashed through his mind, their voices echoing within the depths of his fading consciousness.

"Not like this... Not when they all helped me get this far..."

And so, Arden pushed forward, inch by inch, refusing to let fate decide his end.

It was ten years ago—yeah, a whole ten years back, in a quiet town far from the bustling city of Heista. A place untouched by the chaos of the world, where three lives bloomed, blissfully unaware of the storm that loomed just beyond their sight.

A journey that will change everything.

Yes, a journey to the end of this world... or perhaps, the beginning of a new one."