1. Prologue (His Past) - 16. The Dark Crystal

"Angel ..."

'Who ...'

"Angel ... Angel ..."

'Who's calling me ...'

He opened his eyes slowly and found himself lying in the middle of a dark meadow.
"Am I dead?" he whispered. Somehow he couldn't feel the pain in his body anymore.

Angel stood up and looked around him. There was nothing there except an endless meadow with a dark night sky above him. But in that foreign meadow, thousands of small lights scattered like fireflies. His smile began to develop as he looked at them. As his hand moved to catch one of them, the voice that called out his name came back.
"Angel ..."

"Angel ... Angelus Raizel ..."

He looked around once again, trying to find the origin of the voice and realized it was from a dark crystal that was floating in front of him.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" he asked.

"I know your name, your strengths, your weaknesses, your mind, your heart ... Because I have been with you for a long time." The crystal slowly turned into a dark aura that formed like him.

His eyes widened in surprise, he never saw something like this before, even an expert magic user couldn't do it.
"What are you?" he said in confusion.

His double gave him an evil smirk.
"Angel ... Do you want revenge? They have betrayed you, trampling your loyalty. Aren't you more worthy for the throne than others?"

Angel looked down and deep in thought.
'Throne ...' Back then ... When his father was alive, he always tried hard to learn so that he deserved to be a king like his father. But after the tragedy that took his father's life and his family doubted his identity, he had other considerations. Because being king was not only about the power he would get, but the most important thing was how he could protect his people as well as how he could maintain the kingdom of Asteria's stability. Unfortunately, even with his abilities, he knew well, if he became king, it would only create a big rebellion in his kingdom, especially among the nobles. Which would destroy Asteria from within and of course, it would take a lot of casualties. That's why when his uncle ordered him to give up his right, he agreed.

He smiled bitterly.
"I never expected to be a king. I just hoped ... I can protect my kingdom like my father protects me."

"But you met your tragic end because of it. Don't you want revenge? Don't you hate them?"

Angel fell silent again. Of course, he wanted revenge, but... he remembered what his father taught about his duty as a royal family, remembered his people's happy face who always greeted him every time he was on his mission, remembered how much he loved his homeland, Kingdom of Asteria, more than his own life. Besides, his family was a royal family, in order to take revenge, bloodshed was needed. That blood was the blood of the people and soldiers who had nothing to do with his grudges. And he didn't want that ...

He shook his head and turned his gaze back to his double.
"I don't want to see other people suffer just because of my ego."

His double looked angry, suddenly he raised his hand towards Angel and released the dark aura that bound his body. Angel struggled to get free but in vain.

"Foolish! Don't you have any ambition in your life? Do you think that by giving up, everything will be alright? What is your purpose for risking your life? Your purpose for your swordsmanship? Your purpose to study harder than others? Isn't it so that you can become a king like your father? "

Angel stopped his struggle and gave his double a glare.
"Am I not clear enough? Protecting my kingdom to my last breath. That is my ambition."

His double looked more irritated than before.
"What pathetic ambition is that ?! You should aim higher! Be a king among the kings! Bring all other kingdoms under your feet! Make all the kings serve you!"

"It will only destroy the peace!" said Angel in anger.

"So stupid --- Yet stubborn ..." His double said in disgust.
"I will make you understand." His double extended his hand to grasp Angel's face. In an instant, he could see all of his bad memories.
When his father died before him.
When he was almost expelled because he was considered an illegitimate child.
When he was punished for mistakes he didn't do.
When his uncle forced him to make an oath in front of his father's grave to give up his right to the throne.
When his uncle assigned him to the front lines without regard to his safety.
When he was badly injured but no one cared about him.
When he had done everything ... but was still accused as a rebel and was cruelly executed.

"Argggggg!" shouted Angel. His eyes reddened, his body trembled and his heart ached terribly. The dark aura that bound him disappeared, he fell on his knees. All of his strength disappeared along with his common sense, replaced by a bitter feeling that dominated his heart.

His double gave him a mischievous smile.
"Angelus Raizel, be a king with me, together --- we will conquer the world. Make them kneel before you."

His double extended his hand.

Angel raised his head slowly, staring at the hand that was extended to him for a few moments blankly. The pain in his heart devoured all his senses. Finally, he reached his double's hand in despair.

His double turned into the dark aura that spread around him, devouring all the light, leaving him in complete darkness. His voice came again.
"From now on I am you and you are me."

Angel fell with blank eyes. Slowly he could feel his heart become empty and cold…

The night sky was clear, moonlight illuminated Whitedevil Rose field near the Death Forest which at this time, all of its flowers had been turned red, indicating they just got their victim. Near the cliff, Angel's body lay stiff. Tendrils of that poisonous plant still bound his body, making sure he couldn't go anywhere even if the body was possessed by evil power which turned him into an undead. Occasionally his hair was combed by the wind.

On that silent night, suddenly, Angel opened his eyes. The tendrils that tied him instantly withered and dried up.

* Ba-thump *

His heart beat again. The dried blood in his veins emerged out of nowhere, showing that he wasn't undead. Slowly, he lifted his upper body and sat down like a corpse that had risen from his coffin, except that he didn't even have any coffin beneath him.

He pulled out Loyalty which still stuck in his chest with his left hand without a flinch since he couldn't feel anything and stood up. A powerful mysterious power flowed through his body. All the wounds in his body recovered in second and only left scars on his body as a reminder of his bitter experiences. His pain went away, so did the pain in his heart.

The plant tendrils began to crawl to reach him again. He extended his right hand, the dark aura coming out from his hand formed a black sword with a mysterious power enveloping it. In one swing, the dark aura from the sword spread, making the entire plant at the bottom of that cliff crumble into dust.

Angel looked at the black sword in his hand.
"From now on, you are my only friend, Nightmare," he whispered. His mind was blank, all he could feel was the evil atmosphere of the Death Forest calling him.

Slowly, he moved his feet into the Death Forest and swallowed by the darkness.

Note : Sword description is in Glossary