The Fell Star's Return

Chapter 4: Byleth

Blood. It covers everything.

Countless bodies litter the ground, all residents of this once peaceful utopia cut down without mercy and with no regard for age or gender. The blazing remnants of awe-inspiring buildings and temples crumble everywhere as streams of red and green blood fill the streets.

That is all that remains after the slaughter that befell this place.

Surrounded by this carnage, a group of people stands in a clearing, but their features are impossible to make out as their forms are shrouded in darkness.

These mysterious figures are gathered around the corpses of several extremely large creatures, all different and yet strangely similar. The remains of a few green-haired people are tangled in with the monstrous bodies as well.

A tall and imposing figure holding a crackling red sword surveys the now silent surroundings before turning back to face the pile of bodies with a twisted grin on his lips.

Soon, a dark purple magic circle begins to form as it encompasses the strange pile of bodies as well as the shadowed individuals near it. The gigantic magic circle flashes on and off, seemingly struggling to activate before it finally stabilizes after being sent more magic at the cost of several sacrificed lives. The strange group, as well as their gathered corpses, then all disappear in a flash of light.

After a few minutes of absolute silence, one of the piles starts to fluctuate as a lone figure begins to crawl out from under it.

Shifting the remains of children and adults alike, the survivor finally manages to break free, collapsing to the ground in a coughing fit. It's a young woman drenched in the dark ichor of her fellow people, though a hint of green on her head manages to shine through the gore covering her form.

For several minutes she merely sits on the ground, gazing at the death and destruction around her while shaking and crying.

Looking up at the hazy red sky with tears streaming down her face, she screams something up at the sky, seemingly pleading. As nothing responds she eventually becomes despondent, bringing her head down to look at the ground.

After a brief moment though she seems to notice something as she slowly raises her head and turns to look in a particular direction, eyes widening at what she sees. Desperately, she tries to say something that's impossible to make out and reaches out her bloodied hand. But before it reaches it's target, the vision fades away.

Opening his eyes with a start, a small boy stares at the wooden ceiling in thought for a moment before covering his ears.

Loud snoring echoes through the house, making a noise that would prevent even the most exhausted of people from being able to sleep.

Shaking his head a little bit, he rolls out of bed and heads to the front door. There, laying just next to it, was the youth's father, having barely made it inside the door prior to passing out on the ground, a half-empty bottle lying next to him.

Stepping over him without a glance, the kid heads out the door and into the still-dark morning. Stretching and breathing in the fresh air, he goes over to a nearby stream and drinks some of the clear water before starting to remove his clothes.

He takes off his shirt and pants, leaving only his smallclothes so as not to dirty them, and sets them to the side.

Their lodgings being on the outskirts of town, the boy goes into the woods and begins his warmup, starting with a jog. Moving at a light pace through the trees, he thinks back on his strange dream.

For as long as he can remember he has been having weird visions whenever he goes to sleep for the night. Sometimes they show battles, sometimes people, sometimes places, but there are only ever two constants.