"Why didn't you stop it?" a figure spoke, their body clad in black armor as a pair of red eyes shone from his shadow, the figure's gaze looking over a large plain of a decimated city. "Why didn't you force a take over and stop me from doing all of this?"
'Your rage was too great, and even if I tried, you would've just found something else to unleash your blind fury on regardless.' a voice echoed in their head, their own gaze turning from the decimation and walking off. 'I warned you of the consequences of these powers, and of the decimation they would bring if left unchecked before you grew strong enough.'
"And you don't need to remind me." the figure spoke, their gaze glowing orange as they began to fade into their own shadow, a red sun rising behind them. "I cannot deny the blame I have, nor can I deny the fact that I caused the deaths of all those here. I can, however, live so that what the dreams of those who trusted me will become a reality, and make sure none of them died in vain."
-present time-
a man awoke with a start, his gaze in a state of panic as he looked around his surroundings. He was in a lush forest, surrounded by trees and his body resting on a bush. He pulled himself up as he started checking around him, soon finding a sheathed dagger with a black handle that he picked up, setting it on his side as he turned and began walking through the forest.
'Well then, let's hope that I made it, Myrkr.' the man thought as he looked through the forest, soon hearing something similar to drums as he walked towards what looked like a clearing, his left hand resting on the dagger's hilt as he pushed himself through the trees. As he got closer and closer to the edge of the area, he caught his foot on a root and tripped out into the clearing, both of his hands flying up and smashing into the ground, stopping him from face planting on the spot. The drumming was louder now, making him look up from his position as he stumbled back up, seeing what looked to be a village that looked medieval in design, making the man smile as he started walking towards it.
'So then, where exactly am I?' The man thought as he walked into the town, seeing decorations and what looked to be paper-like scales on a few of the windows, his gaze going over the rest before he had reached a large plaza, where he found the drummings origin, soon hearing a flute and lute begin to play along with them. There were three people playing the instruments on a platform; a man, a woman, and a child as groups of people seemed to be having a festival as he walked through the area, his gaze overlooking the assortment of foods and what seemed to be toys as he looked over the area. He also noticed an old man sitting on a throne far to the left of where he entered, people walking up to him in a line as he seemed to talk to each about their problems.
"Excuse me." came a stern voice, making the man turn to find a girl directly behind him. She had on a simple brown tunic, wearing a pair of brown pants that looked flexible and sturdy enough to give good protection. Her eyes, from how he could guess, seemed to be as blue as sapphires, with her hair a golden blond and wrapped together with a string holding it in place. He also noticed a patch that held a shield with twin swords crossing together, making him stand straighter as she looked at him. "I'm sorry, but we can't allow weapons in the city at the time of the festival. I'll need to confiscate the weapon from you until the sun sets, where you can pick it up in the city guard's barracks."
"Oh, sorry about that." the man muttered as he undid the dagger and handed it to her. 'Well, it's definitely a realm where they've never heard of or seen me.' the man thought as he smiled to himself, the girl soon giving him a confused look as she took the dagger. "Where am I, exactly?"
"A foreigner, then? No wonder, and you better follow me if you want to know where to grab this thing." the girl spoke as she wrapped the dagger in a small cloth, soon walking off with the man following her. "You're in Emerial, both the heart and trade center of the Central lands, ruled by one of the sixteen kings that reside here."
