Chapter 1: The Beginning

I am dying... My entire body feels like it would shatter at any moment whilst any trivial movement I try to produce had become strenuous and difficult.

The all encompassing abyss was slowly corrupting me, the darkness relentless in it's approach to consume my entire being.

No matter where I looked, the inky void remained, being a spectator to my plight.

Many would find being in this situation, in such a place, would be filled with despair and a sense of hopeless. However, to Artorias, this was simply his duty as a knight. A duty he had failed...

Having been tasked with a critical mission that would free the entirety of Oolacile from the emerging Abyss, Artorias had been given a heavy burden. 

He had entered the Abyss with his loyal companion, Sif. However, the darkness was simply too great. The abyss seemed almost infinite, stretching endlessly as the two were slowly consumed by it. As his left arm became contaminated by the darkness, broken and becoming futile, he had given his shield to Sif as he could no longer bare the burden. 

Imbued with divine magic, his greatshield could protect Sif from the corruption of the abyss.

"Kqraaa.."

His reminiscence had been abruptly interrupted by a creature of the abyss, an amalgamation of darkness.

Artorias swivelled his head, his gaze being placed on a creature with oversized arms, pale skin and a mutated, repulsive head.

Lifting his greatsword with his right hand, Artorias felt the pressure of his trusted weapon, a weapon that he could once swing effortlessly with precision had now felt as if he was trying to move a mountain. He was currently a husk of his former self, fatigued and injured.

He could only show a fraction of his swordsmanship with his current state, however, it was enough to take care of this creature.

The mindless creature shot a predatory gaze at Artorias as it gave a scream and pounced at him.

Artorias, with a calm mind, tightly gripped his blade as he rotated his body, nimbly dodging the creature before swinging his sword, cleaving it's head off.

With a plop, the creature fell to the ground, the noise of it's fall subtly echoing in the abyss.

Artorias was currently breathing heavily, fatigue evident in the release of his breaths.

He swiftly tried regulating his breathing, knowing that it would help him with his endurance and slightly reducing his fatigue.

Feeling the large exertion from such a simple move, Artorias felt a little bitter knowing his end was imminent.

"How many was it? A few thousands? No... tens of thousands." Artorias thought to himself.

He had been in the abyss for such a long time, he couldn't keep track of how many days had passed, but it felt as if years had gone by. In this terrible place, he had killed and killed endlessly, leaving a trail of corpses in whichever direction he took.

Artorias sluggishly moved to find a corner where he could rest, a place where his back wasn't vulnerable to any enemies.

Plopping on the ground, Artorias held his greatsword, keeping it close to him. His fatigue doesn't seem to be going away, even increasing despite his relaxed posture. 

His body felt numb and cold as dreariness seemed to be on the verge of taking over him. His vigilance seemed to have dropped due to overexertion and also the corruption of the abyss slowly taking its toll.

"It seems this is where it ends..."

Artorias spoke to himself, knowing he couldn't continue fighting any longer.

As his last moments of his life drew nearer, Artorias contemplated about how he had lived. His life had been a noble one, a life where he had accomplished many feats that would leave numerous in awe of his achievements.

Yet, despite this, Artorias felt as if he truly didn't live. He felt empty...

He had been one of the Knights of Gwyn, a prestigious title that holds much power and responsibility. But, at his dying moments, he only thought of his one and only companion, Sif. At the very least, she wouldn't be consumed by this eternal darkness...

"Sif... May your days be filled with the echoes of our journeys and the warmth of our shared moments." Artorias spoke as he reminisced about his journey of the past to the present.

"Farewell, my friend..."

As darkness consumed his vision, Artorias thought that he would lose his consciousness, losing the ability to think. However, he was simply suspended in a world of black, not capable of any movement.

"It seems that the abyss has completely devoured me. Will I be stuck here for all of eternity? I wonder how long I would need to stay here before I lose my soul and sanity." Artorias spoke, or tried too, however, he couldn't move any muscle of his body. It's as if his entire body had disappeared and what was left was his consciousness.

-

I was floating in the endless expanse of the void. A place all too familiar so it was nothing new. However, I couldn't move any of my limbs.

I felt weightless.

This strange feeling felt somewhat liberating.

I finally feel at peace. Free from trouble, free from my duties, free from killing.

I have been stuck in this dark place for what seemed like an eternity without nothing to keep me company apart from my thoughts.

However, at this moment, Artorias suddenly caught a glimpse of light ahead of him.

"Hm?" 

Curious, he tried moving to the source of light, well, more like trying to use his willpower to move himself as he couldn't feel his body.

It seemed to be working as he was inching closer and closer to the source of light before he was completely enveloped in a blinding brilliance of colours.

After his eyes had somewhat adjusted, he saw some silhouettes and could hear the strange noises that came out of their mouths which he believed was because it was a different language.

"Congratulations Sir and Madam, he's a healthy boy!"

"Ah!? The doctors eyes widened, urgency lacing in his words, "Hold on, my lady, it's not over. There's a second one coming – twins!" 

-

"Another healthy boy! Congratulations Madam!" The doctor said.

Artorias's mouth formed an 'O' shape as he tried comprehending what had just happened to him.

"I am... a child now?" Artorias asked aloud only to hear his own voice babbling incoherent sounds. He further came to this conclusion after seeing his tiny baby hands waving in front of him.

Artorias looked at everyone present in the room. He saw a beautiful woman that evoked a sense of kindness with auburn hair and brown eyes. He then noticed a man with a big grin forming on his lips and slightly teary eyes. He seemed like quite a cheerful guy. However, before he could look any further, he felt someone grab him.

Startled, Artorias tried resisting only to realise it was futile due to his very small body.

The man he had previously observed was staring at him with an even bigger grin, holding him by the waist before lifting him up to his eye level.

"Hi little Tori, I'm your daddy, can you say dada?"

"What is this man saying?" Artorias thought, finding his situation extremely perplexing and becoming slightly annoyed at his smug expression.

He then heard the sound of a soothing voice near him. He couldn't understand them, but it felt nice to listen to. "Honey, he was just born."

"Haha." He laughed sheepishly before handing me to the beautiful woman. I then noticed another baby who was also picked up by the man before–he assumed–said the same words to him.

"Hi little Art, I'm your daddy, can you say dada?"

The woman who was holding me, facepalmed at his antics.

"Hmm, they both aren't crying. Doctor, I thought newborns were supposed to cry when they are born." I heard the soothing sounds of the woman holding me speak.

"There are cases where the infant does not cry. Please continue resting for a couple of days Mrs. Leywin, and let me know if anything happens to Artorias and Arthur, Mr. Leywin."