Continuation of Timeline No. 4 Past
The air in the dungeon was thick with the stench of mildew and despair, a suffocating shroud that clung to every surface. Dim torchlight flickered against the damp stone walls, casting grotesque shadows that danced like specters in the gloom. The iron door groaned on its hinges, a low, mournful wail that reverberated through the underground prison. David stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest, as the silhouette of the Captain filled the doorway—a towering figure clad in dark armor, his presence radiating menace. Ruby, trembling beside David, clutched his arm, her wide eyes reflecting the terror that gripped her fragile frame.
"Who the fuck are you, motherfucker?" the Captain snarled, his voice a guttural growl that seemed to claw at the air. His hand shot to the hilt of his sword, drawing it with a metallic screech that echoed like a banshee's cry. The blade gleamed wickedly in the torchlight, its edge promising death.
David squared his shoulders, his voice steady despite the storm of fear raging within him. "I am David," he declared, stepping protectively in front of Ruby. His hands were still warm from the magic he'd used to shatter her cuffs, the faint hum of power lingering in his fingertips.
The Captain's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "Well, well, David," he mocked, his voice dripping with venom. "These are your last days." Without warning, he swung his sword in a brutal arc, the blade slicing through the air with a whistle that seemed to scream of impending doom.
David's mind raced. Shield, he thought desperately, summoning a barrier of shimmering magic. The spell materialized just in time, a translucent wall of light that met the Captain's blade with a deafening clang. The sheer force of the blow sent David staggering backward, his body slamming into the stone wall with a sickening crunch. Pain exploded through his ribs, and he coughed, tasting blood on his lips. The wall behind him cracked, spiderwebs of destruction radiating outward, a testament to the Captain's monstrous strength.
"Impressive," the Captain sneered, his voice laced with mockery. "You withstood that? A magician, eh? Oh, this is going to be fun." His gaze shifted to Ruby, who cowered against the wall, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. "You sneaky bitch, thinking you could escape? Forget it. It's never going to happen."
David's blood boiled at the Captain's words. "Leave her out of this!" he roared, his voice echoing through the dungeon like a thunderclap. He pushed himself off the wall, ignoring the agony that pulsed through his body.
The Captain whirled to face him, his sword gleaming with malicious intent. "Leave her out of it, you motherfucker? What do you know about her?" he spat, his eyes narrowing to slits.
David's gaze locked with Ruby's, and in that fleeting moment, he saw the flicker of hope in her tear-streaked eyes. "I am her master now," he said, his voice resolute. "She is my student."
The Captain threw back his head and laughed, a harsh, grating sound that seemed to scrape against the walls. "Master? Student? Ha! That's fucking rich. She's my king's slave, and he's her only master. You think you can steal her?" His laughter grew darker, more unhinged. "She watched her father and mother die, and now she'll watch her master die."
The words hit David like a physical blow, but before he could respond, a chilling sensation washed over him—a dark aura, heavy and oppressive, coiling around his heart like a serpent. A voice, low and sinister, whispered in his mind: Use my power. Confusion gripped him, but instinct took over. He raised his hand, facing the Captain, who smirked as if anticipating a pathetic parlor trick.
"Some pity magic trick, huh?" the Captain taunted. "You look like a sheep struggling to die."
But then, the air shifted. A pulse of unseen force erupted from David's outstretched hand, a wave of gravity magic that struck the Captain with cataclysmic force. The knight's smug expression shattered as his body was hurled backward, crashing through the dungeon wall with a deafening boom. Stone and mortar exploded outward, the impact sending a shockwave that rattled the chains hanging from the ceiling. The Captain's body smashed into the adjacent room, slamming into another wall with a sickening crack. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed, his armor dented and his breaths ragged.
"Gravity magic?" he gasped, his voice trembling with disbelief as he clutched his chest. "A mage who wields dark magic?" His eyes, wide with fear, locked onto David's silhouette through the gaping hole in the wall. For the first time, the Captain's confidence faltered, his hands shaking as he struggled to rise.
The sound of clattering armor filled the dungeon as dozens of guards poured in, their swords drawn and their faces contorted with rage. They saw their Captain, bloodied and broken, and turned their murderous gazes on David. "Kill that son of a bitch!" the Captain roared, his voice cracking with desperation.
David stared at his hand, the source of this newfound power, feeling a surge of energy that both thrilled and terrified him. What is this? he wondered, his mind reeling. It was as if the stories he'd read—comics and novels filled with heroes wielding impossible powers—had come to life within him. Ruby's voice broke through his thoughts, her tone filled with awe and fear. "Master…"
He turned to her, his resolve hardening. "I'll save you, Ruby," he promised, his voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around him.
The guards charged, their swords infused with glowing auras, their footsteps thundering against the stone floor. Fifty warriors, each one a trained killer, bore down on David with relentless fury. But as they closed in, another word echoed in his mind: Slash.
"Slash," David whispered, and the air itself seemed to scream. An invisible force tore through the guards, a razor-sharp wave of energy that sliced through flesh, bone, and armor with horrifying precision. In an instant, the fifty guards were reduced to a gruesome tableau—bodies severed in half, blood pooling on the floor, their lifeless forms collapsing in a symphony of death. The dungeon fell silent, save for the soft drip of blood and the Captain's ragged breathing.
The Captain stared at the carnage, his face a mask of horror. "You… you monster," he whispered, his voice trembling. But his fear quickly gave way to rage. With a guttural scream, he unleashed his full aura, a torrent of mana that crackled like a storm. "You've messed with the wrong guy!"
David's mind buzzed with another word: Blast. "Blast," he said, and the Captain's arms exploded in a shower of blood and bone, the force of the spell tearing them from his body. The knight collapsed, screaming in agony, his blood soaking the floor as he writhed in pain.
David stepped forward, his boots splashing in the crimson pools that coated the dungeon. He loomed over the Captain, his voice cold and unyielding. "What was it you said earlier? That you'd kill me? Oh, and what else? I forgot."
The Captain's eyes widened, his body trembling with fear. "Please…" he whimpered, but his plea was cut short by Ruby's desperate cry.
"Master!"
David spun around to see a lone guard standing behind Ruby, his sword pressed against her throat. The man's face was twisted with a sickening leer as he ran his free hand along Ruby's trembling form. "Take one more step, and she dies," the guard snarled, his eyes glinting with perverse delight. "Leave the Captain alone, and I'll let her go."
David's heart pounded, rage and fear warring within him. The guard's hand crept lower, his fingers brushing against Ruby's chest. "She's so beautiful," he murmured, his voice dripping with lust. "I've wanted to get close to her for so long…"
"Blast," David said, and the guard's arm erupted in a spray of blood, his scream echoing through the dungeon. Ruby stumbled forward, collapsing into David's arms, her sobs wracking her small frame. "It's okay, child," David whispered, stroking her hair. "You're safe now. Your master is here."
He gently set her down, his eyes burning with fury as he turned to the guard, who clutched his ruined arm and whimpered on the floor. "You son of a bitch," David growled. "A pedophile trying to touch a fifteen-year-old girl?" He raised his foot and brought it down with merciless force, crushing the guard's skull with a sickening crunch.
Turning to the Captain, David delivered the same fate, his foot slamming down with finality. The dungeon was silent once more, the air heavy with the weight of death. David moved to the cells, unlocking them one by one. "You're all free," he said, his voice soft but firm. "Go somewhere safe. Live happily."
Ruby's voice trembled as she approached him. "Where will we go, Master?"
David looked at her, his heart aching for the pain she'd endured. "Let's get some rest," he said, guiding her toward the surface. As they emerged from the underground, the world above was a stark contrast—bright sunlight filtering through the trees, the air fresh and alive. But David's mind was already turning to his next mission: avenging the deaths of Ruby's parents, a vow that burned in his soul.
Suddenly, the world froze. The birds in the sky hung motionless, their wings suspended in mid-flap. The people they'd freed stood like statues, their faces locked in expressions of relief and fear. Ruby's hand, still clutching David's, went still. A chill ran down his spine as a figure materialized before him—a being cloaked in a dark purple aura, its form humanoid but faceless, a void where features should have been.
"Well, well," the figure said, its voice a deep, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate in David's bones. "A human wielding my powers."
David's heart raced, his mind struggling to comprehend the surreal scene. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the dread coiling in his gut. "What's happening?"
The figure tilted its head, the darkness swirling around it like a living thing. "I am the God of Darkness," it said, its words dripping with ancient power. "And you, David, are only beginning to understand the gift I've given you."
The world remained frozen, the air thick with an unnatural stillness. David's pulse thundered in his ears, the weight of the God's words pressing down on him like a physical force. The dungeon's horrors, the blood-soaked floor, the screams of the fallen—all of it paled in comparison to the chilling presence before him. What had he become? And what price would he pay for this power?
The God of Darkness stepped closer, its faceless form radiating an aura that promised both salvation and damnation. "Your journey has just begun," it whispered, and the world faded to black.