Shivani: A Legend Begins Here

The Greatest Sacrifice

Before Alaric could say or do anything, he suddenly found himself inside a huge bubble. It was floating as far away from the crowd.

“Stop them! Don't let that thing escape!”

“Don't you dare touch my family!”

For what felt like hours, Alaric stayed rooted in his spot. He can also feel his daughter stirring on his arms, but he was too overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. He just stood there as he watched his brave wife fight to her last breath.

They were already a distance away when Alaric heard his wife's words.

Forgive me. I love you.

Blinking a few times, the vision of his beloved sacrificing herself for them invaded his mind like a tsunami.

Falling on his knees, he screamed as loud as he can. “Miriella!” It echoed until the depths of the abyss. He wanted to go back, but he knew that it was already too late. Their strong bond that kept his heart beating was utterly severed.

Alaric's mind lingered on the notion of hope that has now become useless. His heart shattered into millions of pieces as he continued to scream her name. Just then, a single tear slid down from his eyes, followed by another one. Before he knew it, a steady stream of salty water flowed down his pale cheek.

His eyes were burning as his chest felt heavy as if it was filled with water. He could no longer see clearly. All he knew was that she was gone. Forever.

Thinking back, he already prepared himself for this day, but he didn't expect a wicked trick playing with his plans. The result was as cruel as any deserted mirage.

He was only snapped out of his daze when he felt slight movements. Glancing down on his sleeping daughter, Alaric couldn't help, but marvel on how her birth caused so much pain, destruction and mystery.

Tracing her face carefully, he couldn't help, but smiled. She was perfect in every way. Time seemed to stop, and he somehow forgot all the recent events as he held his tiny girl in his arms. Her small body is very delicate, like a fragile doll. She also feels so light and smells divine.

“Don't worry, little one. I will be your protector for as long as I live, and my love for you will last for a lifetime.” Alaric carefully kissed her forehead. He was afraid of hurting her.

When he felt her tiny movements, he smiled even more, but it soon disappeared on his face. His eyes almost bulged out of its sockets. He even felt his blood draining from his face. His body was temporarily incapacitated, and he was rendered speechless as he stood there with an incredulous expression.

Alaric couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had never seen anything like this even in his worst nightmares. The adrenaline flew through his veins, but he can't even move a muscle. In front of him, his child's right eye was like a flame of burning inferno. However, her left eye was a black flame that formed a brilliant octagram. Soon enough, he saw the formation of a heptagram star that slowly appeared on her forehead.

“How?” Alaric's brain stuttered for a moment as every part of his body tried to catch up. His face was already white as chalk, while his mouth was frozen wide open.

Before Alaric could do anything, a sudden flash filled the bubble. As soon as it was gone, he saw her eyes turned dark red. Not a second later, he witnessed how they morphed into a shade of dark blue with hints of black. Upon seeing the familiar color, he sighed like a slight spring breeze. They were exactly like his wife's.

His beloved. It was like a punch to his guts. How could he forget her! Just then, a sense of resolve suddenly returned to him as he hugged his daughter. He loved her more than himself, and he would do everything to protect her. He wouldn't let his wife's sacrifice to go in vain. “We love you so much, little one.”

oooOooo

An unknown amount of time passed, and they are already floating a few meters above a huge skull entrance. It was situated near a soaring peak. The highest point within their realm.

Looking around, Alaric saw a barren land with nothing, but several fragments of precious stones that were scattered everywhere. They glinted from aquamarine-blue, and dull crimson beneath the scorching heat of the sun.

As the bubble descends, Alaric prepared himself for the impact, being careful enough to avoid unnecessary injuries.

As soon as his feet touched the rocky ground, he held his gaze at the entrance of the cave. It had an ample amount of light, but not enough to reveal all of its secrets. From where he stood, Alaric heard droplets of water inside. He even smelled its ancient age. The stalagmites and stalactites were like huge fangs. Even the stains on them looked like dried blood. The howling from the wind coursing through it wasn't helping his bravery, but his duty as a father got the better of him.

Alaric knew that he needed to act fast, but before entering his doom, he slowly walked towards the edge. He saw everything from there.

Their world was severely damaged. The large forests no longer held the vibrant emerald color as it was now charcoal and ashes. The oceans have become a deserted vast land, while several mountains were split in half. Countless bodies of sea creatures were scattered everywhere.

Billowing from the ground were formations of thick smoke. It extended unto the horizon: touching the sky, tainting it with its menacing darkness and suffocating despair. It didn't help that flames of fire escaped from time to time from the hold of the increasing smoke. As it reached the heavens, it moved along with the strong gust towards him. The revolting scent of rotting flesh, blood, death and decay immediately filled his nose. It caused a chill to seep deep within his soul. He also felt the oppressive rays of the sun. It's becoming unbearable as the seconds passed.

For the first time in his life, he was yet again petrified by the powerful sound of a trumpet that filled their entire realm. The howling of winds crashing towards the lands, the breath of hell and the pained scream of his fellow brethren. He helplessly watched how they were tossed around like rag dolls before being swallowed by a huge fire.

It was a terrible sight! Never in his life have he seen and experienced something like this! Who would have thought that their Immortal Race would go extinct?

He was only forced back to reality when he felt an overwhelming heat touched his bare skin. Whincing in pain, he rushed towards the cave, but the never-ending darkness soon consumed him.

oooOooo

As Alaric moved forward, he was instantly taken aback when he suddenly couldn't breath. An invisible force was choking him, but he just couldn't sense anything.

Starving for some air, his heart raised at a tremendous speed while his lungs shallowly rose and fell from time to time.

Alaric stood there for what felt like an eternity. All he ever wanted, is to see any form of light. He had seen darkness before, but this wasn't like any of those. This hell immediately robbed his senses and replaced it with panic! He tried to move, but something stopped him. Alaric only knew his eyes are still there because he can feel himself blinking. In his genes flowed the blood of a predator, but he felt as if he's the prey in this kind of blackness.

I have a very bad feeling about this! His instinct was yelling at him, yet, he couldn't pinpoint it. His body is already trembling, but he managed to shift his daughter into a more comfortable position. Should the worst happen, then he would ensure her safety.

Soon enough, an immeasurable force suddenly crushed him from every possible direction, pounding him with an absolute brutality. He wanted to run, but the adrenaline coursing through his system was shutting down his ability to think logically.

Hearing his daughter's cry somehow snapped him out of his stupor. His fatherly instincts instantly stirred to protect his child, but failed as he couldn't even move a muscle. In return, he screamed in frustration. Seconds later, and he could already feel a hot liquid rushing down his cheeks as he slowly brought his crying daughter over his chest. It seemed as if this was the end of the road for him as he was slowly deprived of his senses.

“I'm sorry, my Princess! I failed you as I failed your mother!”

As he was about to shut his eyes, a flash of memories from his beloved clouded his mind. Her last words. Her kind smile and most importantly, her greatest sacrifice.

Gritting his teeth, he snapped his eyes open. “No! I won't give up now! I must take my daughter to safety!”

With all his might, Alaric forced his body, ignoring some cracks from his bones. With every step, the pain amplified. His muscles quivered. Black mists swirled at the edge of his mind drawing him into sweet oblivion, but he stood his ground.

Guided by the love of his family, he continued his journey through the abyss.

Alaric didn't know how much time they spent on that hell, but soon enough, he saw a faint light. “Just a little bit more!”

Desperate to get out of that place, Alaric failed to sense an entity that was standing a few meters behind him.

It was grinning madly as it stared at Alaric's form.

As soon as Alaric set foot on the other side, a foreign wave of power immediately hugged his whole body. Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, he just stood at his spot like a statue. He was only brought back to reality when a burning sensation passed through his veins, but it was already too late to for him to do anything. He could only shut his eyes as the energy found its way towards his muscle tissues and broken bones.

“Ah!” The pregnant silence was soon overcome by a loud scream. It reverberated throughout the area, but Alaric gave it no mind. He was more worried by the continuous snapping of his bones.

After a few minutes, he finally fell to his knees. Hugging his daughter closer to him, he forced himself to stay still. He knew that his body was already nearing its limits. He could only wait for a miracle. Alaric felt the beads of sweat falling on his forehead. He could almost taste the bittersweet liquid as it passed on his mouth.

Just when he thought that everything was falling out of place, an unexpected thing happened. He could still feel the foreign energy, but it was different from what he remembered. It was very refreshing. Slowly opening his eyes, he blinked for a few times as his mind tried to register what just happened.

“If my theory is correct, then...”

Gathering all of his strength, Alaric stood up which left his eyes wide open. “Impossible!”

Somehow, all of his broken bones were restored. He can't even feel the tiniest pain. Speechless, he glanced down on his body while his brain was desperately trying to connect the dots.

It took him a few seconds before realization hit him like a ton of rocks. So, I was right.

The moment he entered the cave, he was already within the territory of an unknown and powerful entity. He considered himself lucky enough to overcome it. If not, then he would be trapped in there for all eternity. Nonetheless, it all felt so real!

Illusion or not, it's more important that they survived. Sighing a breath of relief, he turned to look around, but he wasn't prepared by what's in front of him. He looked like a pop-eyed doll from one of those claw machines.

“Who would have thought that such a paradise existed? This is really breathtaking!”

He had heard of this place before, but he always thought that it was only a Myth. A Fairy tale that was born from their ancestors imagination.

The place is a definition of perfection. From where Alaric stood, he saw the sky. It was night-time, but the bright rays from the giant moon gave the surrounding its needed light.

In a distance, some animals were roaming around freely. The pleasant breeze was like music to his ears. It was blowing softly, enough to let the glowing flowers dance and fill the area with their sweet and fresh fragrance. Colorful butterflies and other winged creatures were flying everywhere, followed by a sparkling diamond on their path. Glancing around, he was momentarily astonished as soon as his eyes landed on some trees. Their fruits were something that he had never seen in his entire life.

For the third time, Alaric was hypnotized. He didn't even dare to set a foot on the grass in fear that he might ruin this paradise.

He was in perfect harmony, yet his senses were screaming at him. His guts told him that everything was wrong, yet, he couldn't pinpoint it. Soon enough, his body became rigid. From his back, Alaric felt a gloomy presence in the form of a thick black smoke. It was slowly crawling all over his shoulders, making its way towards his mouth and nose. He tried to resist, but it was stronger than he was. Soon enough, he couldn't even feel his daughter anymore. Just the thought of it made his heart racing.

Suddenly, Alaric jerked his head upwards as the smoke continued to enter his body. His eyes were also starting to turn black, but before the entity could take control, a strong quake snapped Alaric out of his trance. Out of reflexes, he jumped on top of a huge boulder. The entity was already gone when his vision cleared.

Looking down, his eyes almost fell out of its sockets. In front of him was no longer a paradise, but a massive graveyard. It was spooky. All the gravestones were covered in all kinds of slime and weed. There was also an eerie sound as all the graves started to bulge while some collapsed. Due to the continuous trembling of the ground, skeletons started to rise out of them.

A single glance is all he needed to realize where he was. This place was none other than a necropolis that were built by their ancestors!

I don't have much time! Shifting his daughter to a more comfortable position, he began to scan the area.

oooOooo

Another few minutes passed, but Alaric still couldn't find what he wanted. Dozens of what if had already clouded his mind.

What if the tree doesn't really exist? What if it was just a fairytale? The paradise is only an illusion so what if...

He instantly jerked his head when he caught something in his peripheral view. It was very faint, but Alaric was a hundred percent sure that he saw something glowing on the far edge of this place. He wasn't sure if it was what he was looking for, but it wouldn't hurt to go and check.

As he reached the other side, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It was real!

There in the center of million grassy wands, stood the infamous Divine Tree. An enormous mighty feat of nature. It stood out from the rest of the landscape as it was bathed in shimmering diamonds with different colors. The stars, and the moon that dotted the sky lit up the place. Everything was in awe of its beauty. Even the waters shushed in admiration.

According to fairy tales, this tree was already hundreds of thousand years old. Nurtured by the Dao Lord himself, it served as the portal to the three multiverse. Most importantly, it bears a single fruit once every thousand years. One bite is all it takes to seal the powers of even the most powerful deities.

Alaric smiled. It would be perfect for creating a temporary identity for his daughter.

Without wasting any time, he advanced forward. As soon as he touched the trunk, he was instantly thrown backwards. Good thing he regained his balance, or he would have dropped his child. Glancing back, a huge blue-like thing suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“A barrier!” Alaric said to no one in particular as he began to observe its complexity.

“How am I suppose to know something like this?” Cursing himself, Alaric racked his brain to work. He didn't have much time, but as long as he haven't figured this out, then he's stuck.

He had already planned on using force, but it would only speed up the process of the apocalypse.

Left with no other choice, he inhaled as he closed his eyes, calming his mind. It won't do him any good if he panicked. He stood still for a moment. Trying to recollect his memories about those things.

“If my stock knowledge is correct, then this tree is the heart and the center of our realm so using force is out of the question. I needed to know its weakness before breaking it.”

Alaric tried, but to no avail. As the seconds passed, he grew more and more anxious. His slender fingers were pressed into the skin of his forehead. His bones were rattling in a constant panic. His heart pounding so hard against his rib cage as his pulse pressed outward, jerking the veins from within.

A burning lava is already approaching, and he haven't even made progress. Not to mention that the heat is making him lose his concentration. Glancing down on his baby girl, he saw her already staring at him curiously, as though scanning his face. Alaric knew that she was only an hour old, but kids in their world is much more advanced in everything than those children from the lower planes.

Just then, Alaric saw how she slightly tilted her head to the side. At that moment, he could have sworn that he saw her eyes glinting for a split-second. The next thing he knew, the barrier was gone! He didn't even have a time react as it was immediately followed by a masculine voice.

“Which vermin dares set foot upon this holy land!”