Path Through The Fate

Darkness enveloped everything. There was no sound, no color, only an endless emptiness that filled the nameless space. It felt like an eternal nightmare, with no beginning and no end. In the midst of this void, Vin Crimson's body drifted helplessly, tossed about by an unreal current of time. He had no idea how long he had been trapped in this emptiness; the concept of time had lost all meaning. His body felt like it was floating in a bottomless sea, losing all sense of direction, grasp, and reality.

Amidst the void, flashes of his life began to emerge. Like shards of glass, fragments of his past floated around him, each piece reflecting a dim light that flickered and then vanished. He was forced to witness it all, like a spectator in an old film filled with defects and sorrow. Faces that once brought warmth now seemed distant, like blurred shadows behind thick fog.

His mother's smile, once his refuge, now felt far away, almost like a dream that never truly happened. Ryan's support, Lisa's cheerful laughter, and Diana's warm embrace, all of it began to lose shape, slowly dissolving into the emptiness. Their presence, once the reason Vin had fought to survive, now seemed like nothing more than illusions created by his own mind to ward off loneliness.

In the midst of this silence, a cold voice of an unfamiliar woman suddenly echoed. Her voice was lifeless, devoid of emotion, yet each word felt like a dagger piercing Vin's heart. The voice had no apparent source, yet its presence was unmistakable. Her words spoke of emptiness, of fate, and how he was nothing but a tiny fragment in a vast, aimless wheel of time.

Unknown Female Voice:

"Vin Crimson, everything you have is only temporary. What are moments? Memories? Fate? They are nothing but shadows. A fleeting illusion that will disappear with time."

Vin tried to answer, but his voice vanished into the void. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. No one heard him. No one cared. His heart felt empty, like a vast hole that could never be filled. He wanted to fight back, but his body didn't respond.

Fragments of his childhood memories suddenly appeared, like flashes of light too bright for the surrounding darkness. He saw himself training with Kyle under the scorching sun. His memory shifted to when Diana held him tightly after he fell, then to when Ryan praised him for successfully swinging a sword. But all of it now felt like a fairytale, too beautiful to be real.

Unknown Female Voice:

"Dyron? It's just a dream. A colorless fairytale. Vin, you are nothing more than a child with big dreams. But what is the meaning of a dream if its path is only filled with thorns and destruction?"

A shadow of Kyle Crimson, his father, appeared in the distance. Kyle's stern face, which had always been Vin's source of strength, now seemed to fade. He stood amidst the fog, slowly merging with the emptiness around him. His father, whom he had idolized, was now nothing more than an illusion. And where his father's figure disappeared, a shadow of a strong man holding a pitch-black sword appeared, Astral Demon Darius.

The sword, with its terrifying obsidian gleam, seemed like a symbol of the very emptiness itself. Hard yet hollow. Shiny but empty. The sword seemed to reflect Vin's feelings, reminding him of the fate that continued to haunt him.

Unknown Female Voice:

"Power? Magic? You have none of that, Vin. You only have determination that burns like the fire of hell. But what is the meaning of fire in the midst of eternal emptiness?"

Vin tried to move his body, struggling to free himself from the darkness that bound him. But an excruciating pain spread throughout his body, like burning embers scorching every nerve. Through his blurry vision, he saw a blood-soaked black figure standing before him. The figure had no eyes, no emotion, but its presence was a crushing weight on Vin's soul.

The shadow slowly approached. Its body began to dissolve into black mist, merging with Vin's form. The pain was unbearable as the mist entered his body, slipping through the gaps of his right hand's nails. In an instant, a dark tattoo began to form on his skin. The tattoo stretched from his wrist to his elbow, emitting a terrifying aura.

Vin opened his eyes slowly. The real world began to return to his vision, but everything felt slow and heavy. His body felt as if it were burning, especially his right hand, now fully covered in the dark tattoo. The tattoo appeared so real, as if it had become part of him.

Diana stood nearby, shocked by the change in Vin. Her eyes were filled with worry, but also a deep surprise she couldn't hide. She recognized the pattern of the tattoo. It was identical to the one Kyle Crimson, Vin's father, bore. It had once been considered a symbol of a great destiny full of suffering.

Ryan stood on the other side, struggling to hold back his emotions. He wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin. Even Lisa, usually full of smiles and comforting words, could only stand silent, her eyes reflecting deep sorrow.

Yet, despite all this, Vin felt something had changed within him. He didn't know what it was, but the tattoo felt like a new burden he had to carry. And although the pain slowly faded, the emptiness remained, filling every corner of his heart.

In his mind, the voice of the mysterious woman echoed again. Her words were filled with judgment, forcing Vin to face a truth he could not escape.

Unknown Female Voice:

"That big dream, Vin. Do you know the price you must pay? Every step you take will leave a wound, and every decision you make will only deepen the darkness that surrounds you. Like your father, you will lose everything."

Vin's thoughts drifted to the past, to the figure of Kyle Crimson. His father had been a symbol of strength, but also a reminder of the suffering he had to endure. Kyle often spoke of his own journey, full of thorns, and how his obsidian sword was not just a weapon, but also a curse that brought destruction to those around him.

Unknown Female Voice:

"Vin, you will never be better than your father. You are merely a shadow of empty dreams that will never become reality."

Yet, in the midst of all the emptiness, Vin realized one thing: he couldn't stop here. His life, though full of suffering, was the only one he had. If he gave up, what would all his struggles have meant?

In silence, Vin looked at Diana, Ryan, and Lisa. He knew they might not fully understand what had just happened, but their presence was the reason he kept going. And even though the world around him seemed to change, even though the peaceful Village of Virella now felt like an illusion, Vin swore to himself that he would not let the emptiness win.

Amidst all the pain and confusion, he made a decision: no matter what happened, he would fight against his fate. Even if it meant fighting the entire world of Dyron.