1 Dusk Night

Deadmouth, 1817 (Formally Atlanta )

Though a day to grieve in remembrance of the last days of good, but was still a day to celebrate for a substitute. Seth Fiske stood close to the gaped woods taking into his lungs, the green and gold smell of autumn woods. Observing the twilit atmosphere, he took a bite of a piece of rabbit meat — what he had always liked to wear down at all times. He stared through the window holes and caught his first glimpse at the bunch of dancing ghosts wandering through the alley with blue-lighted chains beneath their thighs.

As they all have known, today marks seventeen years since Evil replaced Good.

The Dusk Night was a day Seth would always regret as his birthday. The day in which the Devils celebrate their triumph over God turned out to be the day he was born. It was as though, he was also a gift of evil and a part of the Devil descendants.

Even as his "Nanny mother" had told him to let go of his silly thoughts, he insisted on keeping his point of view. However, his nightmares of hearing screaming voices were the main thing that lingered on him the most. But today, he was a bit happy not because it was his birthday, but because he was going to have a steady sleep — no nightmares.

Still, in sight of the giggling Phantoms, his eyes widened when a ghost placed its hand, facing the direction of Seth's cottage — a part of the Slave's village.

'What do you think you are doing you reckless witch', he thought gazing right at the vibrating ball which was capable of generating plagues into countless humans.

To his slight astonishment, the foolish ghost redirected the Scourge Balls into the lonesome forest from across the alley. Seth then, let out a sigh of relief and veered around.

'Screw you! '

Nanny mother was approaching from the other room with another piece of rabbit meat. At first sight, Seth was about to yell in delight but later, he scowled as flashes of thought flew through his mind.

"Mom, where did you get all this from", he moved close with a curious expression and muttered, "Did you go against the rules? "

Nanny mother became spooked, she immediately masked up his rushy mouth and led him to the room.

"Are you kidding me, Seth, why do you ask me such a strange question in the middle of those nuisances?"

"Ummm, nothing is going to happen, Mom. Besides, those fools are enjoying their feast. They are out of duty now... The ghosts are on it now so we can talk with full relief in our minds since the ghosts are deaf", Seth said, showing how deep his dimples are with his charming smile.

Then, the people Nanny mother just called nuisance threw a long glance into the room, grimacing. With the abusive words she just said, she knew she had pushed the goat's horn to the wall. Seth's milky eyes stared at the old-looking men who were sharing the same cottage with them. And then, to his beautiful Nanny mother, nodding positively.

Nanny mother chuckled stood up from the aging stool and walked slowly through the exit door.

"Where are you going Mom? ", Seth said, "I'm coming with you".

"No! Stay back I'm going to get more rabbits. That's all I can give you as a gift on your... Birthday".

Her unsteady words indicated a quick action upon preventing the beasts (Armies) from taking notice of the word "Birthday". If they by any possibility, hear anything to do with a birthday, the birthday fellow and the one who said the word would probably perish, with their hearts used as slight chows. She was not ready.

******

Seventeen years back the universe came to be deteriorated. After God had fallen into the trap of the Devils, his essence was locked down in a place beyond discovery.

Hell came to be the superior home of the Devils and their hellish angels after dismantling Heaven and its populace. When the Devils attack the earth, all living creatures cease to exist. All perished.

The Earth was rebuilt with pure darkness and evil creatures causing the soul of humanity to tear apart. However, the only humans who had been spared were those who had to build a castle for the Devils.

But still, their lives seem not to be worth a living. For the past years, they began to notice changes in their body. They started to grow younger every day — a day past was a day lost. Some had vanished after getting younger to the age of a newborn while the dead humans regenerated based on reverse, growing younger.

After some while, they discovered that it was the Devils system that had been planted in them, sucking down their lifespan every single day.

At first, the humans tried to put up a war, but in the end, they were overwhelmed like some piece of crap. The more they tried, the more they died and got their hearts ripped off.

Thereafter, Seth's Nanny mother discovered that Seth wasn't afflicted with the Devils system. He never grew younger since the day he was born just moments before the Devils angels attacked.

Though it had been a secret, Seth had hidden in the cottage since he was born. He had never joined them in the building site let alone work in the Forests of Dark Falls.

He knew he had a different problem from that of the other humans but his own seems to be the most crucial; how would someone sleep every day going to dream of one particular nightmare? It was very crucial to him and he was baffled to the fullest.

After today's night, he would proceed with his nightmare in a mysterious place where he would hear countless screaming voices. Both men and women. It was as though they were stalked in a bondage that had caused their soul to suffer turmoils.

******

"Hey, your mom is so snobbish, she couldn't even apologize", the older man spoke out, with an angry utterance.

Seth bitterly smiled and walked into the main room, nodding negatively with a distasteful response. As if he heard nothing, he silently walked back to the window to continue his ghost watch.

'Why would she, Aren't you guys truly nuisances', he thought twisting his neck in the other direction, being foul-mouthed afterwards.

"Yeah, that's what consistent growth would do to you!", the other old man said, pointing to Seth with both hands, highly furious.

Seth smiled, blinking his short eyelashes down his eyeballs. However, he knew they were drunk, and trying to speak would be a lot of work to do. He could apologize later when they are with themselves.

Moments more, as Seth glanced at the dark skies, he sighted a fast blue light incoming from the half-moon. Glowy and sharp, its force and presence wiped down darkness at its sides reflecting lights beneath at some section of the forest. Seth's eyes dilated at that instant as the lightning seemed to be approaching his direction.

As the occurrence progressed, he watched the dancing ghosts run into the forests with rapid speed to avert themselves from being destroyed by the looming lights.

Noticing that the lights were very much nearer to him at this time he quickly changed position in his stance facing to the awnings atop.

Though, too late to dodge, the lightning erupted the woods, turned thin, and suddenly pierced through Seth's forehead. At that instant, Seth fell unto the sharp stones at the edge of the room with white blood gushing out from his forehead.

He instantly passed out and pitched face-first to a pointed pebble. After that incident, the lightning vanished and the ghosts were out again, this time, all eyes to the skies.

With a quick rush of panic, the old men approached Seth with their usual frail movements, frightened and confused. Although he didn't die, he passed out. But the nature of his wounds was what made them extremely afraid.

Seth tried to get himself awake but the situation was so overwhelming. He lifted one of his fingers still struggling to keep up from dying. But after countless trials, he finally settled, eyes closed, mouth shut.

Seth expected a steady sleep since he discovered he was not dead. But what is he doing in a desert? If he was to clarify, this place was very different from his usual nightmare scene.

The whole place was filled with dusty sands, short shrubs, and a large amount of dwarf rocks. Peeking far into the swamp, he saw black frogs hopping in and out. To his left, he saw dark-blue lizards climbing to the top of the cliffs.

Before he could know it, something flashed into his retina sounding calm words in his mind as though his hearts were speaking aloud.

< Congratulations, a Good system has been activated. You can unlock weapons to save your self>

Seth was startled. Good really had its system and it had allowed the other humans to suffer with evil?

"What are you saying, I really have a system. I thought I don't and that made me feel better because I don't want my lifespan to get sucked".

The system ignored his words and phrased them again. This time, long sentences filled his retina.

<These are your attributes

Name: Seth Fiske

Heavenly Name: Fated Reviver

Regard: Growing Savior>

Lifespan: 17yrs/00mths/00days/23hrs/41mins/15...16...17 secs

Skill: None

Lastest action: You tried to escape lightning and suddenly, you got stroked on your forehead

Blood measure: 8 ML&20MM

Key points: 0 Exp

Status points: 1 Pts >

Seth looked at his Heavenly name and his regard, he was a bit stunned. He had always seen himself as one of the Devils descendants and had already taken himself as an evil being who would end up killing innocent humans someday. But after this, he was pleased with his silly self.

"Is this really me?", he muttered, producing doubtful smiles, "Nah, I don't think so. It can't be me. Did I check the name very well?"

Trying to catch another glimpse at the written words, another word appeared. This time, it came with a red hue.

<Seth Fiske! The danger is incoming! I repeat, danger is incoming! Wake up!! Wake up right now!>

"What the hell are you saying?! What's going on?!"

<Seth Fiske run! The danger is incoming. A big being is approaching from the west. I repeat, a big being >

Seth was out already. Who might be the big being and what does it want? But what was important right now was how he would force himself to wake up. The more he delayed, the more his life got close to danger.

"I'm trying to force myself! But I can't".

<Activate Awakening mode with 5 status points >

When he looked at his available status point, he painfully grimaced. He hastily turned right and sprinted straight into a dark cave, breathing hard with an exhausted expression.

His status point was just one and he needed five. Even the system knew that Seth was in a big mess, though it knew how he could attain a point but it was seen not to be so easy at this current situation. Seth had already begun to notice flying sounds, probably, that creature must have wings.

Firstly, he has to find a safer place, better than this open cave facing directly to the west. Secondly, he has to get more than four status points to activate the Awakening mode.

"What am I going to do? Am I going to die here?", he asked the system with dismal looks on his face.

The system kept quiet at that time and later spoke as though thinking of what to tell Seth.

< Kill four lizards to get four points and attain Awakening mode. Big being is incoming in 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4...

"Shit!".

Seth stared at the cunning lizards which seemed to be smiling at him. "Are you smiling at me, really! ". When the countdown had reached zero, he fortunately saw nothing. At first, he cursed the damn system for triggering his heart. And next, he walked out of the cave running in the direction of the lizards. At least, he can attain more status points by killing them.

Ignoring the words of the system, he jumped across the stream to the west. He then bent and grabbed a long stick and continued his chase to the western part of the desert.

Like a huge giant monster, a flying creature blocked Seth's path. It was as though fear had knocked out the wind off his body. He couldn't scream nor attempt to run. At that moment, the creature didn't reveal itself. What he saw was its shadow, which had shown him the full appearance of the creature.

The system quickly wrote a new sentence on his retina, also red but deeply crimson.

<Wormwood (Nightmare manipulator) has attacked. You are likely to become initiated with the Evil system.

Chances of triumph: 17%

Chances of loss: 83%

Suddenly, the creature shouted: "What's that!

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