No Sacrifice No Victory

The Fall Of A Friend And the Rise of A Lord

The young man felt his short hair blowing against his forehead in the cold, damp air. He couldn't recall the last time he could feel the sun on his once proud face.

When was the last time he saw a blue sky, heard a bird sing, or even saw her before this punishment on him? He couldn't remember as it happened so long ago.

Then, he noticed another male standing next to him, "Yo, bud, I brought you something?" the male held out a perfectly ripe plum. The male gasped at the sight of the fruit, "Oh, you're not serious that whole plum is for me? Bud, you shouldn't have," He joked.

"Fine, no need to be sarcastic," his friend said, leaning against the wall. "Oh, but this is what I needed. I'm in exile, and Esmund Nestoris brings me a plum. Hooray," he said, dripping with sarcasm.

Esmund sighed, "I wish I could help," he said with a hint of sadness, hoping to calm his friend's anger. But it was in vain. Shad's frustration grew, "Oh, sure, you'd just rush to my rescue," he shouted, his anger bubbling.

Esmund got up abruptly and began to walk away. "Yeah, it was good seeing you, bud. Just run off like you always do," Shad said, tauntingly. Esmund stopped in his tracks and whipped around in anger. "No, that's you! You're the one who's always running off, looking for more power, more sources of immortality! You're the one who wouldn't quit while we were ahead. And you had to drag everyone into your mess," Esmund exclaimed, his voice rising. The tension between them was palpable.

"You're not in this mess! You're still free! Everything I did was for us!" Shad bellowed.

"You did it for yourself, and you've become this obsessive demon! I warned you about crossing the masters, but no. Shad Voltaris has to drag everyone else into his mess. You put yourself here, not me!"

Esmund crushed the plum, hurled it at Shad, and stormed off without another word.

"Fine! Leave! I never want to see your face again! Ugh! Man, I wanted that peach," Shad sneered at the end.

Betrayed by his friend, Shad's heart was consumed by anger and hatred. He allowed these emotions to transform him into a powerful demon, one who would become known as The Shadow Lord. He demonstrated his power with his physical strength. He could breathe life back into the dead, but only if they surrendered themselves to their anger and hate, becoming his devoted followers, the Shadow Knights.

Shad's terror upon the land would end when his former comrades Esmund Nestoris, Enki Kaltaris, and Kul'Zach Mendoris injure him. Subsequently, Shad journeyed to one of the Voltaris encampments in search of Master Dominus, the leader of the Voltaris and father to Ingressus. Shad implored Dominus to aid him, but Dominus was the one who had initially banished Shad and refused to help him.

Shad tries to end Dominus' life, but out of self-defense and a mere accident, Dominus' blade pierces Shad's heart. Shad looked at Dominus in both shock and pain. Shad watched with blurry vision Dominus walk away and disappear into the thick snow.

Shad woke up slightly and saw Irene smiling at him. However, the smile faded as she took his relic and stepped back. Shad tried to dart towards her, but in the blink of an eye, he found himself sealed in the Nether. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

(Irene is Aphmau before reincarnation.)

After that incident, he became angered and full of hatred and soon knew what to do. To get his revenge and make them pay for wronging him.