Crownless: The Fallen World

Chapter 1: Prologue

He felt his body floating in a vast space, dark and bleak. Strangely, he felt at peace. It was as if there wouldn't be anyone that could threaten his life every minute. He was tired of this life already. He wanted to rest now.

However, it seemed like he couldn't rest. The burden he was carrying, the responsibilities that he needed to fulfill. He forgot all of it momentarily at the moment of peace. He couldn't forgive himself for thinking of resting. He shouldn't forget that he was the cause of countless people dying because of his existence. He shouldn't rest.... he shouldn't.

There was something cool that hit his face. It trickled down his cheeks, and multiple more came. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the heavy clouds in the sky. The trees protected him from the shower, and the temperature gradually cooled. It was indeed peaceful. He had been moving constantly despite having his life threatened as far as he could remember. However, his hope of finding even a day of rest never diminished. An opportunity appeared, and he planned to enjoy it until it lasted.

He could feel the fatigue of his body slowly recovering, but his eyes couldn't even keep up. If he fell asleep right now, he wouldn't be able to live once the assassins found him so vulnerable. He needed... to stay awake at all costs.

When he couldn't combat his lethargy, he suddenly heard people talking from a few kilometers away. He silently cursed at himself for letting his guard down and making his fatigue win over him. He bit his lower lip and forced himself to sit up. His clothes seemed to be in tatters from the explosion he just survived. Well, that didn't matter either way. The least he should be grateful for is that he managed to survive. He didn't know why he ended up in this place. The site of the explosion was quite far from here. How did he end up here then?

When he slowly spread thin spider-webbed energy, he noticed the barrier installed here. His confusion became more apparent. How...? This kind of mechanism would eliminate the one who infiltrated the barrier without the permission of the registered owners.

How was he still alive? He should have been dead the moment that he entered the barrier. So, how? Why?

He suddenly wanted to know who these people were. Did they know him? If so, when? He had never been around this area before. Was it... from the part where he couldn't remember anything from his childhood? No, he shouldn't think like this. He needed to know their identity. Whoever they are, whether an acquaintance or a foe. He quickly summoned the strength he accumulated at a small amount of rest and climbed a sturdy tree to watch from above.

Then, a beautiful person appeared in his line of sight. That person seemed to be expecting something when he began to look around. When he couldn't find what he came to look for, the life in his eyes slowly dimmed. However, that person quickly regained his spirit and carefully looked around. The pattern in his eyes changed as he seemed to be tracking him. It sent cold shivers down his spine. This person was dangerous. The person looked straight at him and waved as if welcoming a long-lost friend.

"Sebastian!"

Author's Note: 

Hi, this is Hainlee00. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience I caused you by deleting the previous chapters just because I found it cringey.... I will try to do my best to keep this version for the last time (which might not be fulfilled, but I will try.... sob) In any case, I will also try to release chapters daily for 14 days (since I'm only a small author) and the chapters vary from 500 words to 1.4K words, or more if I lost myself in writing. You'll see my notes again by then! 

Happy reading!