Oh, the Misery - Arcane Male Reader Insert

Prologue: Dear Friend Across the River

Ominous red smoke clouded the skies the same way crimson blood now stained the ground

A fight, no, a massacre was taking place here

Here, at the gates of the so-called "city of progress"

If only they could see the people that sworn to protect them, taking the lives of others without a second thought, some with glee, even

If only they cared

Bodies and debris now covered the bridge that connected them with their home. The fog, covering most of the horrors, save from the infrequent explosion, or the flashing light that gunshots provided

In the midst of all this chaos, misery, and carnage, were two sisters, the oldest one guiding the other with her hand, while the child sang to try and drown the horrors that were unfolding around them, covering her eyes as to not be stained by it

" So come across the river "

In war, it was widely known that there was no such thing as a winning side, just who was left to rebuild. Friends were lost, lovers brutally separated, and families exterminated

And of course...

" And find... "

Parents would be removed from their children's lives

The youngest kid stopped her song the moment she noticed her sister not walking anymore. Slowly, she moved her hand away to see what was happening, only to find her sister's devastated expression, staring at the scene before them

She gasped once the destruction came into view and felt her sister's hand tightening her grip

But then

A figure emerged from the smoke. An Enforcer

The girls gasped, and the oldest one pushed the other behind her in an attempt to protect her

The Enforcer slowly raised his weapon at them, without hesitation or remorse whatsoever

And that's when he was hit with a metal pipe that knocked his weapon away. Another figure lunged at the Enforcer, swinging down at the man with brutal force

Quickly, the sisters hugged each other to shield themselves from this. Two clashes were heard and then...silence

"It's okay...you're safe now..."

The sound of a dry voice grabbed their attention, the girls turned to see a young boy, around the same age as the oldest, bleeding from his left arm and his right eye too bruised to even open

This kid seemed familiar, a face that they had seen once or twice before, but there was no time to think about it, as metallic clanking grabbed their attention

A man nearby was beating down another Enforcer, throwing him down and ending his life with iron-cast gauntlets

He looked over his shoulder to see the children, his expression akin to that of a wolf after killing his prey

The girls were scared, while the boy let out a relieved sigh

The man approached them, with a more relaxed look to him, tired even. The young boy rushed to hug his father, who promptly returned the action

Seeing as he wasn't a menace, the sisters eased around this person, hoping that he could give them an answer they craved:

The location of their parents

And, unfortunately, he had it

It was with a heavy heart that he looked to the small pile of bodies nearby. As the smoke covering the scene began to die down, the girls were met with the shattering sight of their parents

Now lying lifeless on that bridge. Giving their lives for a cause that now seemed so...pointless

And as the girls inevitably broke down, the man who lead this entire revolution now looked at his bloodstained fists, and slowly, he glanced over at his own child

He was standing there, with more bruises and cuts than he could count, holding a metal pipe that was about to give in

The same kid he had promised his deceased mother to keep away from this war

It was then that he made a decision

And so, the gauntlets fell to the ground, and as the Enforcers began to retreat, the man took the girls into his arms, with his kid following closely

The former leader gazed at the sky with a defeated look on him. His mind set on the sacrifices everyone had made this day

Even the sacrifice that he almost made

And as he held the young orphans, one thought echoed in his head

"Never again"