Rhapsodia Chronicles

Chapter 2

O M E N

"Come, children of the gods. The advent is nigh."

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22 years later...

T'was a still and serene night, and the twin moons adorned the evening sky that embraced the land of Rhapsodia. Though as peaceful and calm it was supposed to be, there were still some places where darkness seeped in. And within that darkness, one could only imagine the horrors that lurked within.

The sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence deep within a forest and a disheveled man could be seen running. With fear present in his eyes, he continued to run as fast as he could, hoping to escape whatever it was that was chasing after him. He soon heard rustling sounds coming from behind him and he immediately picked up his pace, panicked and restless. He would throw a quick glance behind him every now and then to make sure that he kept his distance from his pursuers. How many were chasing him, he was not sure anymore, as he had lost count a long time ago. At that moment, it did not really matter to him anymore; all he was focused about was not to be caught by them.

He ran as swiftly as he could. But in his hurry, he grew oblivious to his surroundings that he soon tripped on his foot due to a misstep. The man came tumbling down with a loud thud, his face falling first on the ground that scraped some of his skin. He let out a grunt as he winced in pain and cursed under his breath. There was no time for him to spare wallowing in pain, he thought. Any time wasted only meant that his pursuers would catch up to him sooner. And thus, just as when he was about to get up, a voice soon shattered his thoughts, snapping him back to an unfortunate reality.

"Going somewhere, my petty little bandit?" the voice asked in a mocking tone. A young man with fiery red hair and wearing a half - nude armor that exposed his upper torso, soon emerged from the shadows.

The bandit man froze in his place, his eyes widened in horror as he choked back a gulp. He did not have the courage to turn around and face the owner of the voice, no. Absolute fear crept up his body as he remembered how he lost his comrades in the hands of the man who stood behind him. There used to be seven of them. They were a group of petty little thieves and in that fateful night, they just ransacked a small village nearby, looting everything they could get their hands on and even taking away some of the village girls to get some 'fun' after. They decided to stay in the forest where they celebrated their successful 'hunt', as they called it when they were suddenly attacked by mysterious beings led by the young man.

"Why do you run?" the young man asked as he walked closer to the now trembling bandit. His boots pressed lightly against the ground despite how heavy it appeared to be and he stopped in front of the bandit. Mysterious beings with a grotesque appearance also emerged from all corners of the shadowy part of the forest, their fangs bared as if ready to strike anytime.