1 Chapter 1 - The Ritual (Part 1)

The year was 2230. Mankind, as you know it was gone, what was left of them lived in gargantuan underground cities. Bunkers, Vaults, Metal Crypts… they had many unofficial names, but their official term were 'Havens'.

There were a couple hundred scattered throughout the globe with a few hundred thousand survivors struggling to keep going for yet another day.

'What happened?' You may ask. You may even continue with your own theories like 'Was it a great war? Was it a virus? Was it a meteorite? An intergalactic civilization?'

Well, nobody knows anymore. The truth is, something catastrophic happened in the year 2020 that in the span of a few years resulted in the deaths of billions. Above ground, as we know was no longer hospitable. The air became toxic to our lungs, the plant and wildlife underwent strange mutations and turned into ferocious monsters.

Even our dead couldn't rest anymore. The decaying corpses and skeletons of our deceased emerged from their graves attacking anything and anybody in sight. Our home, our planet turned into a hellish nightmare.

The various powerful governments tried controlling the situation at the start, enforcing various regulations and New World Orders, but eventually, over the span of decades, their ideologies crumbled just like the old civilization.

But, as the saying goes, life will always find a way. From the rubbles of the past, from the despairing darkness that descended upon us, a thin ray of hope broke through.

Nobody is certain what happened to cause the change, but after around a hundred years of suffering, mankind found an incredible discovery. After successfully hunting one of the easiest creatures, the Mutant Rabbits, the hunting team found a strange, glowing green crystal in its body.

The crystal itself was relatively small, with a strange gaseous substance swirling inside of it. There was a certain warmth to it, when the first hunter touched it, a desire began to bubble from deep within him. It was a primal urge, an instinct that he didn't know he had.

With decisive and sudden action, he did something that forever changed the remaining mankind and drove history to the unknown. He swallowed the small object, surprised that it was easy to crunch and swallow.

As the dark green cloud traversed down his gullet and entered its stomach, the man suddenly felt an explosion of energy, power inside his stomach. He fell to the ground groaning, crying in pain under the shocked and scared gazes of his teammates.

However, the pain slowly transformed. His body that was tormented with something unbearable, underwent some mystical change. He felt a new source of energy, a new foundation of power brimming inside him, coursing through his veins. At the same time, new, shocking knowledge appeared in his mind, informing him about the new power he just embarked upon.

He was the first to awaken, the first of the ones later termed as 'Evolved'. A new stage, a new evolution for humanity. They were beings that awakened to new powers, they were stronger, faster, more intelligent… simply put they were better than the 'Dredgers' the average citizenry.

Some gained mystical powers, some could control various aspects of nature, traverse incredible distances, or even summon a companion to his or her side.

This was the beginning of the new era of mankind, something that held great prospects and hopes but in the end… was the beginning to the end…

---

On top of a dilapidated building, a figure could be seen standing, gazing down at the destroyed remains of a once gigantic metropolis garbed in a tattered, ragged dark brown robe. His face that was safely tucked away under a baggy hood was protected by a strange-looking metallic mask. Two circular-shaped blood-red lenses shone through the shadows.

The figure, that looked to be a male merely by its body shape, was looking below the streets, seemingly unaware of the dangers that such a feat could contain. Above ground, various types of monsters, airborne or not could attack him and most likely take his life in seconds.

A group of prehistoric-looking lizardlike creatures circled in the air, eyeing their prey, but for some strange reason, none of them dares to launch an attack. Below the ground, creatures of various sizes were eyeing his silhouette, but just like their flying brethren, they remained still and continued to growl menacingly.

An invisible aura surrounded this man, alerting all the predators about the deadly dangers this being could unleash upon them. Their instincts which were much better than the humans were shouting, crying at them to keep their distance and do not get close to this terrifying existence.

The man continued to silently gaze at the ground below, keeping his attention on the large variety of gathered creatures.

A single sigh, escaped from behind the mask, causing the voice modulator to activate and release a robotic tune.

Suddenly a gust of air blew by behind him, the sound of wings flapping could be heard.

Despite being aware of the new presence, the man remained stoic, unmoving. His gaze was still plastered on the large congregation of creatures below, uncaring of the one behind him.

Merely a moment later, an audible thud could be heard, the sound of something solid hitting the rabble rang out. A feminine soft voice came shortly after, bubbling with reverent devotion.

"My lord, the preparations have been completed to your specifications. We are ready."

A long robotic sigh came from the being as a response once more. A few seconds of silence ensued upon the two, none of them spoke a word.

Eventually, after almost half a minute, the masked stranger broke the ensuing quiet, his robotic, modulated, emotionless voice rang out.

"Did you find the artifact?"

As if the question was already expected, the feminine voice came almost instantly.

"Yes, my lord. We have found it, we have also managed to lock on to the target and the destination. However, if I may ask… Is this truly the only way?"

The robed being didn't respond to the question at first, he simply raised his gaze, averting it finally from the ground below and focusing on the stars above.

It was a late night. The dark sky was littered with golden, shining dots, each marking another star, and maybe, just maybe, another intelligent life. A new life, with new hopes and dreams… Some good, some bad, each unique in its own way.

"It has been too long… I grew tired. I can't go on like this any longer." He muttered, breathing his words into the wind. His long, tired sigh told tales of a life filled with countless stories.

"B-but… my lord…" A weak, meek response came from behind, passing by, ignored by the robed being as he continued.

"Say, my dear Sera, what do you see when you look at the sky above?" He asked but did not wait for a response from the one behind him, and went further on.

"I see the trillions upon trillions of shining stars, each carrying their own hopes and dreams. Each may very well nurture life on their own, just like ours. They may be similar to us or may not. They could suffer as we do, or they could strive in their utopia."

Not sure of how to answer his master, the woman behind struggled to phrase a sentence.

"M-my lord, I-I'm not sure…"

Before she could finish, the robed man heaved a loud sigh once again and continued without bothering with the woman's answer.

"Don't mind me, my dear Sera, I'm just a senile old man. I was just mumbling nonsense." He shook his head. From his tone, a deep sadness could be heard.

He took one last look at the sky above, heaving yet another sigh before he finally turned around to take a look at the woman that just arrived.

Sera, as she was called by the robed man, was a slender, graceful-looking woman. She had long, blonde hair, that reached all the way down to the lower parts of her back. Her bright, azure-colored eyes shined with a reverent passion focused on the master in front of her.

She wore a dark purple business suit with a strange emblem, a skull-shaped goblet, embroidered with golden thread just above her heart.

She looked average as if she wasn't an awakened, but a simple dredger, but there was a strange, intangible, invisible aura that surrounded her. It was something unique to great warriors of legends, who survived countless battles, always emerging victorious.

Strangely, despite the fact that the air was supposedly toxic and harmful to humans, she seemed perfectly fine even without it.

Hearing her master talk like that, she shook her head with fervent passion, causing her generous curves to sway with her body.

"No, master, don't say that! You are the fi-"

Before she could finish, the figure raised his right black leather gloved hand in the air, silencing the woman once again.

"Please don't, Sera. I'm old and tired now. It has been way too long. It's time for me to go." Not willing to accept the fate his master has succumbed himself to, Sera shook her head in an obstinate, but sadly, pointless denial.

She reached out, wanting to hold her beloved master in her embrace once again, only to stop and pull her arms back midway in the air.

"M-master… please don't do this… There has to be another way… It is way too cruel of a fate, both for you... and for him."

The robed figure stepped closer to the girl, who was now battling against her own tears, trying her absolute best to show a strong stand. She didn't want to show weakness to her beloved lord, whom she served for so long…

"My dear Sera…" The figure reached out with his right hand, gently touching and caressing the woman's cheek with the back of his hand. "Don't be sad, we all knew that my time will come. I was too weak in the end, I couldn't hold it any longer… Be strong, after all, this should be the last failed cycle. He is the one."

The master's words were too much for Sera, her tears broke through the blockade, and began their journey across her already bright red cheeks. She wanted to talk, she wanted to tell her master to not go, to not leave her alone. He was her everything. Her only family. Without him, she didn't know how she was to go on.

"Sera, you were never just a servant to me." As if understanding the girl's tumultuous thoughts, the hooded man continued. His tone, which was melancholic just a moment ago, had some newfound warmness to it as he reminisced about the life they spent together. "You were my family, my beloved daughter. You know better than anyone, I can understand how you feel… Still, we must do this."

He pulled his hand away, as he continued. The warmness from his voice vanished, replaced by the melancholy he had just a few moments ago.

"You know it just as well as I, that my time is done. I have failed, I can't contain it anymore. I have to do this, we have to do the ritual…"

Sera looked at the man in front of her, with a hazy gaze. Her eyes were still blurry with all the water that she was still trying to force back. She wanted to make her master, no, her FATHER proud.

She gave a weak nod at his words, taking a long time to enjoy the moment. She knew he was right, she knew that what they were about to do was important. Still, it was hard to just accept it. The master, the father-figure she looked up to, she adored, was about to go through his final journey and leave her alone forever.

"F-father…" She whispered meekly, looking longingly at the hooded, robed man. She wanted to reach out, and see his face one last time, but she knew that she couldn't. She shouldn't.