Tears of Ashes En-Us

Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Journey

When the new day dawned, Eldric felt a wave of determination fill his being. The frustration and pain of the first escape attempt still burned in his memory, but now, with a more elaborate plan, he was resolved not to fail again. Together with Lira and the other children, he prepared for a new assault on freedom. The captivity was a prison of suffering and brutality, but for them, it had also become a symbol of resistance and an unyielding yearning for freedom.

In a tense silence, the group gathered, aware that this could be their last chance. Eldric looked into Lira's eyes. Even wounded and fragile, she emanated a strength that inspired everyone around. They exchanged silent promises: if one of them fell, the other would fight until the end.

As the night enveloped the world in its dark cloak, they advanced. The darkness was their ally, and their hearts beat like war drums. Eldric led, his mind focused and his body moving with precision. The forest around them seemed alive, whispering secrets and dangers, but freedom called to them. They reached the passage they had discovered, where the fresh air and open sky made them feel freedom was almost within reach.

The group, more united than ever, ran down the trail. Eldric and Lira were at the forefront, their steps in sync. When they finally crossed the last barrier, an overwhelming ecstasy took hold of them. Shouts of joy erupted, a pure sound of triumph. But happiness was quickly cut short by the warning shouts of the bandits. The brutal reality returned like a cold wave.

Eldric did not hesitate. Feeling the power of the Vérium pulse in his veins, he turned to face the attackers. Black flames ignited around him, dancing like living shadows. The battle unfolded like a nightmare, intense and chaotic. The Vérium, fueled by his rage and despair, transformed Eldric into a devastating force. He fought with fury, each blow a manifestation of his desire for freedom.

Lira, even amid the chaos, urged the other children to run. The battlefield became a hell of fire and steel. Eldric saw several children escape, but his concern for Lira tormented him. He shouted her name, his voice lost in the roar of the flames. When the bandit leader emerged from the smoke, Eldric felt his heart freeze. The man laughed cruelly, as if he had already won.

"Did you think you could escape?" taunted the leader, advancing like an unrelenting shadow. Exhausted but with no option to retreat, Eldric raised the black flames again. The fight with the leader was fierce. Eldric attacked with everything he had, but the man was skilled and cunning, separating Eldric from Lira. Horrified, he watched the leader bring her down. Eldric's scream echoed in the night as he unleashed a final burst of energy.

The Vérium burned, relentless, consuming everything. Eldric emerged victorious, but as he turned, he saw Lira gravely injured. The cruel laughter of the leader echoed like a ghost, and the reality of loss and failure weighed heavily on Eldric. He picked Lira up in his arms, tears burning in his eyes. He ran, thoughtlessly, to a nearby cave, seeking desperate protection.

The cave was filled with bats, a dark sanctuary. However, the danger had not passed. Two white wolves emerged from the shadows, growling. Exhausted, Eldric had to fight again. He used the Vérium, the black flames dancing around him, consuming the little energy that remained. He struggled to bring down the wolves, but each effort drained his strength.

Finally, Eldric fell to his knees. The tragedy weighed on him: he had escaped, but at the cost of so many friends' lives, and Lira, the only person he loved, was dying in his arms. He whispered desperate promises, but he knew he was losing. The Vérium still burned in his veins, but it was also his curse. As tears burned on his face, Eldric understood the darkness that now enveloped him.

He braced himself for what was to come, knowing that the path ahead was shrouded in shadows and pain.

The fog hung over Eldric's village, thick and impenetrable, a constant reminder that danger was never far away. Life there was simple, marked by days of hard work and cold nights under a sky that rarely smiled with stars.

Eldric, at just five years old, already stood out as an isolated figure. On the fringes of the village's games and festivities, he drew suspicious glances. His hair, dark as ebony and almost purple in the weak sunlight, made him the target of murmurs about ancient superstitions. The village, steeped in traditions and fears, was an environment where he always felt like a stranger.

Despite this, Eldric sought joy in the few things around him. His father, a humble woodcutter, taught him to handle small axes, while his mother, with her hands calloused from sewing, sang songs that calmed the boy's fears. The only person outside of his family who offered him friendship was Lira, the merchant's daughter. Lira saw beyond the darkness that surrounded him, being a ray of hope in his shadowy world.

As Eldric grew, strange occurrences began to surround him. When he was six, he and Lira were playing in the forest when they found an injured boar, groaning in pain. Moved by an impulse of compassion, Eldric reached out with a trembling hand, feeling something awaken within him. An ethereal black flame enveloped his palm. The boar's wound closed before Lira's startled eyes, and the animal ran back to the safety of the forest.

To Eldric, it felt like a miracle. Perhaps this power could be used for good. He began to train in secret, dreaming of one day using it to heal people and, who knows, be accepted by the village. But he soon realized the dark reality of his ability. At eight years old, trying to warm a stone with the Vérium, he watched as the rock crumbled to dust. The power was as much a blessing as it was a curse, capable of destroying as easily as it could heal.

Years passed, and Eldric became increasingly withdrawn. Even as he continued to struggle to control the Vérium, he felt the weight of darkness growing within him. His dream of protecting those he loved, especially Lira, turned into a silent mission.

But tragedy soon arrived. At the age of ten, his life changed forever. That night, the air was unnaturally quiet, heavy with tension that foreshadowed horror. The sound of horses and screams filled the silence as armed men invaded the village. Eldric awoke with a start, hearing the sound of wood breaking and voices shouting in an unfamiliar tongue. He ran to the window and saw hell unfolding: houses ablaze, people fighting and falling before gleaming blades.

Dazed, Eldric stepped out of his house, searching for his parents amid the chaos. The smoke burned his eyes, and the smell of charred flesh was suffocating. He spotted his father facing a burly man with an axe, but it was a short and brutal fight. The final blow took his father down, echoing in Eldric's heart. His mother ran to him, bloodied, pulling him with desperation.

"Run, Eldric! Don't look back!" she shouted, her voice filled with fear. But Eldric was frozen, unable to abandon his parents. He saw Lira, crying, being dragged away by her own father as she called for him.

But there was no escape. Warriors in dark armor seized Eldric and Lira, separating them from the other youths. All the children of the village were spared, divided into groups of seven, with Eldric and Lira kept apart, as if something even darker surrounded them.

Eldric's last vision before being taken was of his mother's lifeless body, fallen on the ash-covered ground. The fire consumed the remnants of the village, and he and Lira were dragged into the unknown.

The following months were a nightmare. They were held captive, forced into grueling training. The children were made to run long distances, scale steep walls, and fight each other. Eldric excelled in the fights, but each victory only increased the weight of his condition. The bandits, merciless, transformed the youths into war machines.

At night, Eldric and Lira whispered to each other, trying to find hope amid the darkness. He spoke of the power of the Vérium, the miracles and horrors he had witnessed. Together, they dreamed of escaping, of finding the peace they had once known.

Afterthree years, Eldric knew it was time to act. He and Lira spent another yearmeticulously planning their escape. They studied the bandits' habits, searchingfor weaknesses. With the memories of their burning village etched in theirminds, they were ready to risk everything for freedom.