Cursed by a Dying Demon

One day, while he was hunting in the woods, a demon approached him. The demon told him that he was watching him his whole life. "You'll be our hope. Make a better world for both the light and darkness, for I have failed to do so." The demon pierced his heart with his hand and cursed him, turning him into a half-elf and half-demon. The pupil of his eyes narrowed and its color changed into ashen silver. His fangs grew a little. His dark brown hair turned into ash grey. He felt strength surging throughout his body. After the curse was done, the demon bows and reached out his sword to Aldwin as he was slowly turning into stone. "Take my sword with you, use it in any way you want. Take care, Y'llanel Aldwin," he said as he completely turned into stone.

Aldwin was wordless of what just happened. Somehow, he felt the urge of grabbing the sword, as if it's pulling him in. He couldn't help but grab the hilt of the longsword. By the time he grabbed it, it showed him memories of his true past.

[His past...]

Both of his parents died when he was at the age of twelve. Her human mother was raped by bandits in front of him, then they burned her at a stake. His elven father was crying in despair after watching the whole scenery. The bandits laughed and laughed, then they slit his father's throat. They chained Aldwin and made him a slave. He was shocked when he heard the bandits' gossips. He knew that the bandits' leader was a female elf.

After serving multiple bandits, with him being punched and kicked around, he was imprisoned, covered in bruises. He was the only young elf in their village, A'linte. So he thought the bandits are going to use him as a tool. The picture of his father and mother popped up in his head. He cried and screamed in agony. He only thought of killing himself. He desperately searches for any object that can kill him but couldn't find a single one. He looks at the wall and ran towards it. Just as he was about to bash his head, he hesitated.

"Why? Why should this happen? Mother... Father... Why?!" he cried. "We were just living in peace! Minding our own! I... I... *sobs* I couldn't do anything to save them. Even saving myself... I can't... *sobs* do it."

"Now you've seen the way of the darkness." A mysterious deep male voice came from behind the bars.

He looks behind him and saw the silhouette of a tall and huge man.

"Who are you?! One of the bandits?! Why did you kill my parents?! We did nothing to any of you!"

"I'm no bandit. You intrigue me and I decided to save you."

"Save me?! You want to save me?! Kill me, now! There's no point anymore... This world... I can't take its cruelty. Why live further if cruelty is what this world has to offer... I wish there were only good and no evil. I wish to die rather than live through this cruel world," he sobbed.

The mysterious man suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of him. A blade came out from his cloak and sliced off Aldwin's arm. Aldwin screamed in pain. His face is becoming pale and his eyes are losing their color.

"Death is painful, kid. Are you prepared for it?" the mysterious man asked.

Aldwin couldn't answer and continued gasping for air.

The mysterious man grabbed his other arm and broke it in half with his bare hands.

"I said, are you prepared for it?!" the mysterious man asked again. "This is what death feels like!" he added.

Aldwin screamed again. His voice cracked and couldn't scream any louder. He couldn't breathe properly. He cries and muttered, "No... I don't... want to... die. I can't anymore... it's painful..."

"Hmph. Pathetic child. Stand up, if you still want to live. Show me that you will continue to fight, not only for your life but also in honor of your lost ones!" He came closer to his ears and whispered, "Will you let them laugh at your father's despair?"

Aldwin's face is covered in shadows.

"Will you let the bandits reminisce the pleasure they had with your mother?"

Aldwin grits his teeth. The veins on his head are showing.

"Will you let the bandits' captain disrespect her own brethren?"

He tried his best to stand. Strangely, his body feels heavy as if someone is holding him down. "Her..." he growled. "I'll kill her... I'll give her eternal pain... even in death! I'll make her suffer eternally!" Somehow, he managed to stand. He looks at the man and demanded, "Take me to her! Help me kill her!"

"I will not, for it is not my business but yours. You're not prepared. You're still young and weak. I will take away your memories. While your memories are away, you will always feel empty, searching for purpose. For now, listen to what I will say. I will tell you all you need to know."

The man told Aldwin who he is and his story. He was born from the dark side, a demon. He saw the cruelty of his brethren. He followed their cruelty because it's what he saw and what his fellow demon taught him. He killed more than ten thousand men. He only changed after he fought with a brave female elven general. It is from her he realized that he did not need to follow his brethren's cruelty. The general told him, "Evil benefits from the good, and the good benefits from evil. If you were to continue your path of destruction, the world will be in ruin. Then what will you be without us, the light? If the light were to erase all evil, the world becomes stagnant and repetitive, what will we be?" He knew the answer, but it was too late. With his help, the evil forces are overwhelming the light. Now fights back his own brethren to reach his goal, to balance light and darkness and make the world a better place.

After the man told his story he pulls out a sword from inside of his cloak. He told him the purpose of his strangely designed longsword, it will be the messenger from the past to the future. Once he touched it in the future, his memories will be returned and the strangely designed longsword will just be an ordinary sword handcrafted by a demon. He taught him the Infernal and Abyssal languages. He told him that he will curse him till the day he dies. "Never give up. If you ever fall, stand up again. Learn from your mistakes. Keep on fighting for the better future of our world."

Lastly, he told him the name of the bandits' leader.

"Her name... is Enavene Hyliaeth. She is out of your reach. First, you have to understand different emotions. You have to be emotionally intelligent if you were to continue your path. I will leave you to a place where you will learn different emotions, from both good and evil. Once you are emotionally intelligent, it is when I will approach you and return your memories. That is all."

The man raised his sword.

"Close your eyes, child."

"Wait! This doesn't make sense at all! What balance? We don't need balance! It's the only way to erase evil! If light were to erase all evil, then this world will be a better place! That's the answer!"

"You don't understand a thing yet, child. With you who you are now and your fragile mind, you will just end up like the enemy, a single-minded fool. Now close your eyes. I will heal you and return your body the way it's used to after I take away your memories."

"Hey! I'm not--!"

The man stabbed him. "Farewell, our remaining hope."

[End of memory...]