I relived my death and the events leading up to it, my killer’s mocking laughter ringing through my head as I returned to the present.

“Enough, send me back.”

“Hurrying to your own death. You must experience the past before you can face the future."

“No. I tried everything, and he ignored me.”

“You think yourself unreasonable?”

“Yes. He-”

“Are you scared you may succeed? That you won’t die?”

“Stop doing that.”

“Scared you won’t be reborn?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Then it’s time you learn.”

My memories as Kane and Zephyr separated into two individual egos, and I was immersed in my former life once more.

But first we must see the beginning.

* * * * *

My footsteps resonated through the oppressive darkness, shattering its silence. The sun barely pierced the thick grey clouds, casting the city in perpetual night.

I strolled along the worn stone street, feeling the gazes of shadowy figures nearby. Several were huddled beneath tattered blankets, seeking refuge from the cold. A few loitered on doorsteps, watching me warily. As I walked, their eyes locked onto me in recognition. Only once I passed did they begin to relax.

The dregs of society gathered here due to the absence of guards. They inhabited the rows of dilapidated wooden shacks and lined the intersecting streets. As I moved closer to the castle, the crowd thinned, their figures swallowed by an eerie fog that clung to the castle’s base. The air grew colder, the fog thicker. I drew on my ether, warm and golden, letting it surge through my body and into my eyes, enhancing my vision to pierce through the gloom.

Peasants huddled miserably on the streets, their eyes vacant as they stared into the fog, yearning for a break in their monochromatic existence. Pathetic. Their dreams of happiness, friends, love, money, and fame had turned them into husks. They chased ideals that didn’t exist, thinking they would be different from the countless failures before them. I had wished for these things once, as a child, but quickly learned that such desires were only lies, deeply ingrained in society.

They were blind to the truth, and consequently, ended up like this—broken.

When I first used ether, my ideals changed. Love, friendship, honour—none of  it compared to the sensation it gave. I placed a hand on my solar plexus, connected to my core, and traced the flow of ethereal, golden energy as it coursed through my body. For a moment, I stood there, savouring the sensation, the power it gave me. Removing my hand, I continued onwards.

The fog thickened as I neared the castle; an imposing fortress of rock and mortar that towered over the surrounding buildings. Four armoured guards stood at its gate. At my approach, two of them snapped to attention, removing their helmets in a gesture of respect.

“Lord Zephyr,” the older of the guards stepped forward, bowing slightly. I had no last name, so I was simply addressed by my first. “His Highness has requested an audience.”

He sported a well-trimmed beard and dark brown hair, with a stocky, muscular build. The stress lines etched on his face and the occasional wisps of grey hair portrayed him as a veteran, likely having fought in many of the same wars I had. The second guard, a teenager, paled in comparison. His unruly black hair partially covered his eyes, accentuating the despondent look on his face. Judging by his scrawny frame and hunched posture, he’d not yet undergone training.

“In a moment,” I replied.

The young guard gave a worried look to the veteran who spoke again. “His Highness requested your immediate presence. My deepest apologies, Your Grace, but you must-”

A momentary flare of my aura cut him off mid-sentence. Aura was an external application of ether, one that manifested a powerful killing intent in the form of an invisible, oppressive force. “I wish to change into something more comfortable. Will this be a problem?” 

“N-no, Your Grace,” he stammered.

Half an hour later I had changed into casual clothing, and the guards were leading me through the castle corridors towards the throne room. 

Our footsteps echoed through the stone walkway as we travelled in silence. The fortified hallways were occasionally broken by wooden doors and arched windows that offered an overhead view of the dilapidated city. Colourful tapestries and taxidermized animal heads embellished the walls between unlit braziers.

Normally, the halls were filled with people, but today they were strangely empty. I came to a halt, the guards quickly stopping ahead of me.

“Lord Zephyr, is something the matter?” The entrance to the throne room lay at the end of the hall, yet we hadn’t encountered anyone since entering the castle.

“Tell me,” I said, drumming my fingers on the hilt of my sword. “Did the King specify why I’m being summoned?”

The veteran soldier frowned. “He wishes to reward you for your valiant efforts in battle, Your Grace.”

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable,” I replied, stepping closer and flaring my aura. Both guards tensed in response.

There was nothing the King could give that I didn’t already have. Deemed as not only his strongest warrior, but the strongest in the world, my role was to win wars and suppress rebellions. In return, I was exempt from his laws and enjoyed wealth, authority and prestige equal to the crown.

With a mischievous grin, I strolled towards the petrified guards until I stood between them. I waited for a moment, allowing them to make the first move, however they kept their gazes stubbornly on the far wall as if engaging in a staring contest. "A trap only works when the prey is unaware of it.”

The trainee’s eyes widened, his hand darting to the hilt of his sword. I swiftly formed a razor-sharp blade of golden light around my hand and plunged it into the boy’s chest. The ether ripped cleanly through armour, flesh, muscle and bone. The veteran drew his sword, but I kicked him into the wall before he could react, forming a crater in its stone surface. Only then did I pull my hand from the trainee’s chest and dispel the ether. He collapsed to the floor, blood gushing from his mouth and the gaping hole in his torso. Shifting my focus to the veteran, I sensed the magic coursing through his body. 

“Your control is abysmal,” I remarked, drawing my sword. Despite attempting to fortify his body, he hadn’t been strong enough to properly mitigate the damage.

The veteran pushed himself off the crumbling wall and aimed a powerful side-swing at me. I anticipated his attack, channelling ether to enhance my strength, speed and cognitive abilities to an inhuman level, before closing the distance between us. Seizing the hilt of his sword, I halted the strike and crushed his hand. Slashing upwards, I severed his arm at the shoulder and stained the wall scarlet.

Surprisingly, it only took a moment for him to regain his composure, and he launched a sidekick at me. Catching it with my free hand I mercilessly slashed downwards, one fluid motion that cut off his leg at the thigh. The wounded veteran collapsed to the ground beside his trainee, blood seeping into the stone floor as he screamed in pain. After wiping the blood from my blade I returned it to its sheath and observed the veteran as he struggled on the floor. Despite his injuries, he mustered enough strength to crawl towards me. A trembling hand weakly clutched my ankle.

“You… heartless… bastard,” he managed to say through strained breaths.

“Pathetic,” I pulled my leg free before stomping his head in with a wet crunch.