Death is a Virtue Nobody Knew About

Chapter 0

You learn their stories as children, a normal lesson taught to every kindergartener. You learn about the heroes of our world and their sacrifices. About their pain, suffrage, and strength. But never what really happens. Kids smile as they run about, screaming fairytales of these heroes, holding up statues based upon them, and fighting demons in their heads. Those legends may seem gone, but some say they're still here.
    "I swear! I saw one! They used their magic to lift the cars and everything!" A kid yelled to his friends, smiling brightly. They laughed at, mocked, and scowled at the poor boy, doubting his words. But I don't.
    "Hey, what else happened?" He smiled brightly and continued on about how he saw one.
    "It was a she! And looked super thin, like in the stories! She had long hair that was pulled back and wearing the coolest armor! Her magic flowed around everything as it felt like time slowed. She didn't stop it though, she rewound it! Everyone who died or like me who was hurt got healed, she was so cool! Crazy to think she's Famine!" The boy explained excitedly, and you could see the joy flowing off him.
    "Thank you! Here, can I show you something?" The boy nodded with a smile, so holding out my hand he watched as magic flow from it and all around.
    "Woah, you're one of them!" He cried happily, watching as I placed a finger to my lips before fading away to go home. But upon reaching it I couldn't help but frown. Everything was dark and nobody was happy anymore. But who could blame them? The legends, our heroes, stopped coming home in search to end the immortal. They would visit once a week, once every two weeks, once every month, once every two months, and then only once half a year, once a year, then they stopped. Walking into the dark place we called home, nobody was out today.
    "When will you come home?" I whispered softly before traveling away again. It was my job to protect them from the humans. I had erased the boy's mind when I showed him my magic. The heroes were supposed to be dead, they are supposed to be myths and legends, that way the enemy wouldn't see them coming, wouldn't see them plotting. The world was overpopulated with the immortal, many wishing for death but were unable to find it.
    "Soon." I smiled hearing his voice, holding onto the necklace that he gave me. The protection he had placed upon me when it clicked when our hearts finally gave into the truth and melted together under the stars, the moon, and the council.
    "Please, please be soon." I responded softly, holding tighter onto the necklace he gave me.

    He held his necklace tighter, a smile crossing his face. She would wait eons for him, wouldn't she? And he couldn't believe she was his. His brother watched him with a smile, his heart swelling with pride before disappearing into his own darkness.
    "Huh?" The man mumbled out, turning towards the spot he thought he had heard someone, only to see footprints leading to nowhere, and his smile grew. Over the years he had spent searching, the months he's been alone, he knew he never really was. For his brother may be a traitor but never to family. At least that's what he believed. Continuing his walk he kept searching for answers, kept searching for the missing pieces, but it was getting harder to find them. The world had grown so much in a century that his sister had to help create space travel so the planet wouldn't die of overpopulation. The immortals stood above all and controlled everything, saying this was the hero's wish. It never was their wish, it was the cost of their failure. It was how the enemy won yet lost at the same time.
    "Anything?" He turned to see another one of his brothers, shaking his head with a frown. They all wanted to go home, to rest. Most wanted the families they promised loved ones, some wanted rest, but the times were getting harder. The world was dying and everyone knew they needed to save it.
    "I don't know what to do anymore." He admitted to his brother honestly, his head down. He was tired, and he was sore. He had suffered so much for a losing battle with no reward as he had to push forward, as he had to keep fighting. His brother frowned, watching him. He was the youngest in their family, yet the strongest.
    "Go to her, get some rest. I'll take your area." The brother called out, placing a hand on the younger one's shoulder, who looked at him surprised.
    "I am no fool, go rest, go heal. The others would agree, all of the others." He added, the younger smiling softly and nodding as he turned, a portal opening for him.
    "Thank you. I'll pay you back." He told the older one before leaving. The brother just smiled, watching him leave.
    "You're a terrible hider." He called out, watching the shadow reappear, the brother who had 'left' now back, a small smile on his face as he walked forward. His clothes were old and starting to tear, his hair was long and held half up half down. He carried no weapons, and looked homeless to everyone but his family.
    "You amaze me with your growth." Despite being the second youngest out of the family, he was always referred to as the 'big brother' for how much he acted and cared like one. And even through his betraying times when he was un-trustworthy and nobody believed him, he always loved his family.
    "He must be tired, looked right at me, and didn't see a thing." The younger one of the two there stated, the other chuckling as he nodded.
    "Well D, he's been everywhere. I think his favorite place is here. You know why?" D smiled, nodding his head as he looked around. This is the forest where it all started, where they learned to grow. To fight, to trust, and most of all, to love.