Myst, Might, Mayhem Novel Chapter 1

The heat is scorching. The building in front of me is on fire. The inside and outside of the building were a scene of chaos. “Help!” “Save me!” People engulfed in flames were running and screaming. In my hands, as I watched them, was a scythe that was wet with something. The sight of the scythe, stained with blood, was eerily unsettling. “Euaaaah!” “H-help me!” People who ran out of the burning building rolled frantically on the ground to put out the flames on their bodies. However, there was no way that the flames that had already engulfed their bodies would be easily extinguished. They died in excruciating pain as their flesh burned. Even though it was a horrific sight, I didn’t feel a single pang of guilt. No. I don’t even know what guilt is.

[Creak creak… Make a promise.] [What are you saying?] [That you will never… reveal your true nature…] […Grandpa.] [Did this old man teach you that!] […I understand.]

The promise I made with Grandpa before he passed away kept running through my mind. But that promise was broken. No, it would be more accurate to say that it was impossible to keep.

‘I’m sorry, Grandpa.’

I can’t stop this until I find the ‘bastard’ who made Grandpa so miserable. Even if the end result is the reality that Grandpa was worried about. The more I see blood, the harder it is to control myself.

The crimson tide pulsed before my eyes, the metallic tang heavy in the air. The more blood I saw, the tighter the leash on my control seemed to loosen. What kind of twisted grimace did I wear now? Witnessing this grotesque tableau of burning flesh and spraying blood, I could feel the corners of my mouth twitching upwards. This, I realized with a chilling certainty, was pleasure. My true nature, perhaps. A far cry from the rigid shell my grandfather had tried to mold me into. This was liberation, a freedom from shackles.

A guttural sigh escaped my lips. “Whatever.” The reek of blood, somehow invigorating, fueled my pursuit. I was getting closer, closer to the elusive “him,” closer to the truth. But first, loose ends needed tying. The survivors.

I gripped the familiar weight of the sickle in my hand and stalked towards the remaining few. Each step I took was met with terrified gazes; their fear wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, it stoked the fire within, sharpening my murderous intent.

A sickening crunch resonated underfoot. As I lifted my leg for another step, a voice, choked with terror, pierced the air. “Hey, sickle devil!”

Sickle devil. A fitting title earned during my relentless hunt. Anyone even remotely connected to “him” met their demise at the end of my blade. People whispered of the sickle marks left on the corpses, a chilling trademark. Unknowingly, I’d carved a name for myself – the sickle devil. Just a month. Perhaps the jump from isolated mountain villages to larger towns had accelerated my notoriety. But hey, that just made things…easier.

I took a deep breath, the stench of blood and vomit filling my lungs. What the hell just happened?

I looked up, my vision still blurry. A figure stood before me, bathed in the flickering light of the torches held by the survivors. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his long black hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a simple black robe, and his eyes were a piercing blue.

“Who are you?” I growled, my voice thick with blood.

“I am the one who will stop you,” he replied, his voice calm and confident.

I laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “You think you can stop me? I’ve killed dozens of people, and I’m not about to stop now.”

“You are not a killer,” he said. “You are a victim.”

“Victim?” I spat. “Of what?”

“Of your own anger,” he said. “Of your own hatred. You have been consumed by your desire for revenge, and it has blinded you to everything else.”

I felt a surge of anger, and I raised my sickle to attack him. But before I could strike, he moved with blinding speed and disarmed me. The sickle flew from my hand and landed in the dirt, several feet away.

“You are no match for me,” he said. “I am a warrior of light, and I will not let you continue your dark path.”

I glared at him, my face twisted with rage. “You don’t know anything about me!” I screamed. “You don’t know what I’ve been through!”

“I know that you are lost,” he said. “And I am here to help you find your way back to the light.”

I felt a surge of emotion, and I started to cry. I had been so angry, so full of hatred, for so long. But now, in this moment, I felt something else: hope.

“Please,” I whispered. “Help me.”

The warrior of light smiled. “I will,” he said. “I promise.”

And with that, he reached out and took my hand.

The warrior of light led me away from the carnage, and we walked in silence for a long time. Finally, he spoke.

“My name is Aedan,” he said. “And I am here to help you find your way back to the light.”

I looked up at him, my eyes still red and swollen from crying. “How?” I asked.

“By teaching you to control your anger,” he said. “By helping you to let go of your hatred. By showing you that there is still hope for you.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure if I believed him. After all, I had done so many terrible things. How could I ever be redeemed?

“It will not be easy,” Aedan said. “But it is possible. You have the strength to overcome your past, and I will be here to help you every step of the way.”

I took a deep breath and nodded again. I was ready to start my journey to redemption.

Aedan led me to a small village, where we stayed for several weeks. He taught me how to control my anger and how to let go of my hatred. He showed me that there was still good in the world, even after all the pain I had caused.

Slowly but surely, I began to heal. I learned to forgive myself for my mistakes, and I started to feel hope for the future.

One day, Aedan told me that it was time for me to leave the village and go out into the world. “You are ready,” he said. “You have learned what you need to learn. Now it is time for you to put your knowledge to the test.”

I was scared, but I knew that Aedan was right. I was ready to face the world.

I thanked Aedan for everything he had done for me, and I set off on my journey.

I traveled for many months, and I met many different people. I helped those in need, and I fought against injustice. I learned to use my skills for good, and I found my place in the world.

I am still on my journey, and I know that I will never be perfect. But I am grateful for the second chance I have been given. I am grateful for Aedan, who helped me to find my way back to the light.

And I am grateful for the opportunity to make amends for my past.

The figure raised his hand, and the survivors cheered. He looked like a hero, basking in the glory of their praise. Then he spoke, his voice filled with curiosity.

“So you are the sickle devil. I must say, I’m impressed. You managed to withstand my triple strike.”

‘Triple strike?’ What the hell is he talking about? The only thing I understood from what this guy said is the nickname sickle devil.

“Ugh… ugh…” I forced back the vomit that was rising in my throat. I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s definitely dangerous. I tried to stand up, but my legs and feet were too weak.

“Your evil deeds end here, sickle devil.” The man walked towards me slowly.

‘He’s dangerous.’ I gritted my teeth. If I can’t move, my life is in danger…

-Swish!

‘!?’

What the hell? He was walking slowly, but he’s suddenly standing right in front of me.

‘He’s fast.’

How can a person move so quickly? It was unbelievable.

The man raised his hand again, and this time, I saw a glint of metal. He was holding a sword.

“I am Aedan, the warrior of light,” he said. “And I will be your executioner.”

I felt a surge of fear, and I tried to scream. But no sound came out.

Aedan swung his sword, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down, and saw that the sword had pierced my heart.

I fell to my knees, and Aedan stood over me, his sword still dripping with my blood.

“You have killed many innocent people,” he said. “And now, you will pay for your crimes.”

I closed my eyes, and waited for the end.

But then, I heard something unexpected.

“No!” a voice cried. “Don’t kill him!”

I opened my eyes, and saw a young woman running towards us. She had long black hair and green eyes, and she was wearing a white dress.

“Who are you?” Aedan asked.

“I am Anya,” she said. “And I am here to save him.”

Aedan looked at her with surprise. “You would save a murderer?” he asked.

“He is not a murderer,” Anya said. “He is a victim.”

“A victim?” Aedan asked. “Of what?”

“Of his own pain,” Anya said. “He has been through so much, and he has lost his way. But he is not a bad person. He just needs help.”

Aedan looked at me, and I saw the doubt in his eyes.

“Will you give him a chance?” Anya asked.

Aedan hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded.

“Very well,” he said. “I will spare his life.”

Anya smiled, and she turned to me.

“Come with me,” she said. “I will help you find your way back to the light.”

I nodded, and I stood up. I was still weak, but I knew that I had to go with Anya.

I turned to Aedan, and I said, “Thank you.”

Aedan nodded, and he said, “Go. And may you find peace.”

I turned and walked away, and Anya followed me.

We walked for a long time, and I told Anya about my life. I told her about the pain and the anger, and I told her about the darkness that had consumed me.

Anya listened patiently, and she never judged me. She just offered me her compassion and her understanding.

Finally, we came to a small village. Anya led me to a house, and she said, “This is where you will stay. It is a safe place, and you will be able to heal here.”

I thanked Anya, and I went inside the house. I was exhausted, and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I slept for a long time, and when I woke up, I felt different. The pain and the anger were still there, but they were not as strong as before.

I knew that I still had a long way to go, but I also knew that I was on the right path.

I had found my way back to the light.

“Hmm,” the middle-aged man groaned. When he was away, I hadn’t noticed, but he had a long scar above his left eyebrow. His right hand held a blackened sword, as if it had been burned, and its sharpness was not ordinary.

‘I have to get away.’ All my senses were warning me. That no matter how much I struggled, I would not be able to defeat this man.

Then the middle-aged man spoke softly, his face completely different from before. “I thought it was someone who was digging around, but it turns out to be a teenage boy who still hasn’t even lost his baby fat.”

He felt like a completely different person. But more than that, something else caught my ear.

‘Digging around?’

In that case, this man is…

-Swoosh!

“Ack!”

Before I could even think about it, the man grabbed me by the neck. Even though I’m only seventeen, my height is not lacking compared to an average adult male. But he was holding me up so easily. I looked at the back of his hand and his wrist, but there was no change in his muscles. So how was he able to lift me up like this, as if I was a feather?

As I was wondering, the man frowned.

“You… haven’t learned martial arts?”

“Mar… tial arts?”

“You don’t even know what martial arts is? Hah!”

The man was surprised. What on earth is martial arts that he’s reacting like this?

“Interesting. A guy who hasn’t even learned martial arts is still alive after taking my blow… .”

“What the hell are you talking about… .”

-Thud!

“Ugh!”

My abdomen is burning. The black blade of his sword had pierced my abdomen. The man smiled eerily and spoke in a voice devoid of life.

“It would be better to kill you now and avoid any future trouble.”

-Swoosh! Thud!

“Gasp!”

As soon as I pulled out the sword that was stuck in my abdomen, the man stabbed my left chest. As the sword pierced my chest, blood rushed up my throat along with excruciating pain.

“You should have just lived quietly. Why did you go out and provoke your fate?”

“Caw… Caw…”

The man threw me to the ground as I gasped for breath. Then he turned around, raised his black sword, and shouted.

“The evil deeds of the Kyeomsalgwi are now over. Everyone, rest assured!”

He once again acted like a hero. The survivors, who did not know the man’s true colors, cheered with joy.

The pain from the wound that pierced my chest was excruciating, but I was even more enraged by the man’s hypocritical appearance. I had finally found the man who might be my enemy, but I ended up being defeated in vain.

From the beginning, I was no match for him.

‘Grandpa… .’

My vision gradually blurred. I’m going to go to Grandpa’s side without even getting revenge. He’s going to nag me for breaking my promise…