TALMAN TALES - NEW WORLD ORDER

  Chapter 9 – The Inevitable (Part 1)

  Friends, I won’t keep you on the rack for long. Let’s jump straight back into what happened. I have 9 months, then I’ll meet the truth-crazed maniac. You can call me Luma if you want, you madman. And you call me Zeki, deal? Nice to meet you, Zeki.

  Gladly, finest Lord Gotti-Gottfried, I shall comply with your request and continue the story. I’m sorry, truly, dear bookworms. After 2.5 years of training under the best mentors in history, one event drew closer and closer. The teams were assembled. The supplies were stocked up.

  9 leaders, 100,000 allies. A countless number of enemies. And right at the front, you could see me. I had become the symbol of freedom. Looking into the faces of all my supporters made the dark fire inside me flare.

  I—who had walked the path of darkness and used those abysses to bring light into this gray landscape. I could see them all: full of hope and dreams, they stood before me. Willing to give their lives for a better future.

  The road to the kingdom of Abrofar was long, but an untamed will for freedom made it look like a short stroll through the woods. All of us had worked toward this moment for a long time, always giving our best. We all gave our blood—especially me, since Uwe kept sucking me dry.

  Only one side could win. Darkness or light. Those who fed on hate and those who hated all hate faced each other. An event that came close to the great war of the Schattenreich—only now taking place 1362 years later.

  It really should’ve earned a new calendar. Two goals were set: on the one hand, the Mushkaren and their allies—those had to be destroyed, wiped out, removed from life, call it what you want, they had to make room. A new world order was meant to be proclaimed.

  “Destroy” sounds nice, hehe. Fuck off, voice-man. ZEKI TALMAN YOU WILL SUFFER, I SWEAR IT TO YOU. Yeah, and my grandma’s name is Ssiperv Hcid. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, YOU COMPLETE IDIOT—read it backwards, annoying voice. YOU’VE FINALLY GONE TOO FAR, YOU’LL SEE. Yeah, let me tell the story.

  Congrats, Zeki—you can suppress him. Thanks, Luma. The other goal was to free our beloved brother Stahlhaart. But that wasn’t easy, because we had to fight him in order to achieve it.

  If there’s one thing I know, it’s that Stalhaart wasn’t exactly lounging around. I was afraid of the change I would see. What if Stahlhaart wasn’t the same anymore? There was only one way to find out.

  Even though it would still take a long time to reach that point, I was already thinking about it now. The first months passed, and thanks to the Scholars we were able to welcome another 2000 followers. Come on—why are you hesitating? Stand by the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable.

  The rest… the rest of them—those who weren’t willing to join our path. Our enemies were massacred to the last one. See? That wasn’t so hard, Zeki.

  As I said, I’m not proud of my deeds. My movement costs a high price—one I will pay for eternity. I, as leader, lead them into darkness; I, as leader, will guide them into the light and close the gate to the unlight forever.

  Even if I know that to achieve this, I must wander in the dark forever. I give the world my soul to shape the generations to come. I, Zeki Talman, wanderer between light and darkness, will end this eternal cycle.

  You’ll do NOTHING, you flat-brained idiot—don’t you get it? Ready for the next round, asshole? YOU HAVE NO IDEA, ZEKI. Why do you have to haunt me of all people—what do you gain from it? STRENGTH. Fine, then feed on it, but let me write in peace.

  No matter the cost, I was ready to pull off our very last coup. Together and united, we advanced. Right beside me was Uwe—he had equipped himself with a steel basketball.

  He had become an important partner, even if the ongoing payment was slowly draining my blood and I had to undergo regular treatments of Aurelia’s healing magic. Friends, that woman can do many things—but her healing process is pure torture.

  The additional recruitments for Team 1 were only the first bell toll. In total, there were 9 bell tolls in this story. Each team was warned before the coming storm.

  I told my loyal companions about the circumstances of the Mushkaren—their structure, and that they might have become far stronger. I also told them the state of my friend, so they would imprint it in their minds.

  Despite the circumstances—ones they surely knew about, but most likely couldn’t truly imagine—they remained faithful at my side. They stood with me, uncertain, on a journey into darkness. A path that had begun 15 years earlier with a small dreamy boy.

  A walk full of hope. During this time, I grew immensely—not only physically, but mentally. From a boy destroyed by the world into a man who crushes calamity.

  With my own hands I had to dig my parents’ grave; with my own hands I had dug my freedom.

  I never had a choice. Powerless when I witnessed my parents’ murder, powerless when I began the journey to Sensei, penniless when Viktoria held me and tortured me. But if I had a choice in anything, then in who would accompany me on my path.

  I survived only by coincidence and luck. Really, my day of death had already been sealed during the first journey—but my fate, as so often, made a turn and kept me alive.

  I could rely on my friends and companions; together we could overcome every hurdle. I had lost many allies, but I had also leveled much to the ground. I had so many battles behind me.

  I raised my gaze, could look into my companions’ faces again. I knew this was our last fight. Whoever won this fight would be rewarded with world domination. My will to lead this realm into a new era as its ruler was stronger than ever.

  Even if absolute control demanded a high price, we were all ready to pay it. Our journey progressed only slowly—no wonder, we were moving 102,000 fighters.

  The third month began, and the next bell toll was about to follow. After the recruitment of innocents and the extermination of the unwilling became our first doom, the soldiers of the White Scent experienced a surprise.

  After Amelie skillfully played out her abilities and, through her flawless mapping, located an underground cave with about 250 Mushkaren. Luckily, they hadn’t noticed the little flower.

  Team 4 and Team 8 developed a flawless plan to lure the beasts out of their ranks. Our thinkers used the members of the White Scent to draw those 250 out, so the Bringers of Suffering could take care of the rest.

  Finally, a bit of action on our road—but something was off about the whole thing. We successfully lured the dumb creatures out of their hiding place, even though it cost us 250 warriors from Team 8.

  The moment we had them in the trap, I could perform my first rage transformation in a long time—an impressive 25 meters.

  Together with Uwe—who could also transform thanks to my blood—we wiped out the 250 Mushkaren without problems and without further losses. But then the nightmare on earth began. We felt safe—right as we moved on, we heard a loud bang.

  The ground beneath Team 8 collapsed, and 500 more soldiers plunged to their certain death. Then the familiar horn sounded; as if out of nowhere, more than 2000 bloodthirsty warriors appeared before us.

  The second bell toll had demanded its victims. Even though we escaped this first suffering, Team 8 had many losses to mourn. Of course, we could defeat the Mushkaren.

  As a trio with the Royal Guard and the Giant Folk, my Bringers of Suffering could grind the Mushkaren into dust. We didn’t have much time. We all pitched in to give the 750 warriors who had fallen in the first battle a proper burial.

  The first time the population got to feel hate. Naturally, it scared many off. Each team lost 250 weaklings who were already traumatized after the first battle. It happened fast, and suddenly we were down to 99,000 members.

  In my infinite mercy, I did not pursue violence against those who fled. We had a rule: either you were with us or against us. However, they had to leave us their name and place of residence—if they tried to betray us.

  Our safeguards were in place, and our untamed will was only driven further. I was surprised myself that the first phase of war met us after only 3 months of travel. The darkness had apparently spread unbelievably far.

  Of course, our movement also made big waves. We dealt a lot with small bands of Mushkaren followers. Come on, Zeki—tell them. Fine, Luma. I won’t lie. Friends—hard times, hard measures, you know the drill.

  We tortured the prisoners of war—every last one of them to death—to get important information. Apparently, the darkness was deeply devoted to loyalty. A forced lie. Loyalty through fear is worth nothing. The only loyalty that has weight for me is loyalty through conviction.

  Anyway, we tortured those poor beings for hours until their weak hearts gave out—or Aurelia refused to treat them anymore. Only to get no information at all. It remained a fight in the dark.

  Think of me what you want—my word carries weight. My decisions are the right ones. My path is the only path. Anyone who has a problem with that should try to rebel against the god of this world.

  Anyone who causes problems will feel my full power—will suffer in the blazing hell of my strength. I had earned the status of a god and couldn’t afford to give away my power with mercy.

  Any creatures driven by hate—feeding on suffering and grief—were smashed by my divine fist. That’s how I like you, little man—keep speaking the truth. YOU WILL BE THE NEXT ONE TO FEEL THIS POWER.

  Then let it come at me, Zeki. You’ll see what powers I possess. Harassing a god is not a good idea—get lost already. As I said, dear listeners, I am no longer who I once was.

  My mental health had suffered enough, but the 2-year break strengthened me. I had cut off every influence; I had no idea who I could trust and who I couldn’t. All of this led me to a decision: I trust nothing and no one except my strength—and myself.

  That choice saved my life. Blocking all opinions and accepting only my own was surely the best thing I ever did. My path suddenly became so clear. I was about to starve in the darkness—so I threw all ballast off my shoulders.

  Just like I did with the servants of hell: I threw them away. I DESTROYED them. This world pursued a goal—mine. And if it wasn’t, then the path was expanded. My actions left me drowning in guilt, but my plans would be able to justify them.

  I, Gro?lord Talman, promise a secured future. I WILL RULE THIS REALM WITH AN IRON FIST AND LEAVE NO ROOM FOR DARKNESS. I will wipe out everything that does not bow to my will. I had witnessed war long enough—a world plagued by depravity.

  It was time for a new world order, with me as its master. I was so tormented by my thoughts that I forgot to tell you about the third bell toll.

  The third of 9 warnings was sounded. We didn’t know it at the time, but something awaited us—worse than hell. Worse than the first war in the kingdom of Abrofar. We were just too stupid to recognize the wake-up call.

  The universe didn’t resist change—it was satisfied with the endless suffering everywhere. We had already been traveling for 5 months when a messenger from Team 1 reached us. He brought the news: they had a spy in their ranks.

  Sensei Bi-Shi-Zu faced a disaster—enemies had been informed of his location. Our reinforcement unit was about to break. “Tell me your name, young messenger,” I said to the young man standing before me.

  “My name is Albo, my lord.”

  “So you are an envoy of Sensei Bi-Shi-Zu?”

  “Yes, my lord, allow me to report everything to you.”

  Albo told me that the reinforcement unit had a defector.

  Someone who had enjoyed great respect with Sensei had turned out to be a disguised enemy. Alexus was his name. Team 1 stood on the brink of collapse and needed our support. We rushed to them at once—but we were shocked by the circumstances we found there.

  We arrived in the middle of the fighting. An entire battlefield lay in ruins. At first glance alone, I could make out 1000 brave warriors in black—those who had joined us. A tragic scene I had unfortunately seen far too often.

  I felt it: the boiling inside me began again. I hated losing allies. Here, I lost several thousand in a single blow. I boiled with hatred. Everything that had gathered inside me so far prepared itself.

  Like a volcano, I lit my inner balloon—filled with the most sensitive feelings—and I exploded with rage, hate, and thirst for revenge. I grabbed Uwe and pressed him to my burning chest. He dug in properly.

  I could perform an immense rage transformation—nothing could stop me. I had successfully found a new way to present my divine power: a complete stage of transformation. 30 meters tall. Uwe had made it to 15 meters.

  My skin turned the deepest black. I threatened to burn in my own hate—but I had a goal. Those who caused this suffering would be held accountable, no matter the cost. Uwe took care of the lackeys Alexus had sent.

  3500 creatures—that was the number. But the relentless Bringers of Suffering, with Uwe at their head, could destroy them all. One after another, Uwe sucked them dry to the last drop. But I had forbidden him one thing: the blood of those who fell on our side was taboo for him.

  I swore to him that if I ever caught him enjoying the blood of our allies, then may God have mercy on him. He managed to control himself—probably because of the massive amounts of blood he had already consumed.

  Somehow, his excessive blood consumption had positive effects: with every drop, he grew stronger. He didn’t just steal their blood—he stole his victims’ strength. Meanwhile, I made my way toward Sensei.

  With my 20-ton body, I left huge craters in the ground. But it wasn’t time to enjoy beautiful nature. I reached Do-Mi. I could see why he was our instructor. I arrived quite late—he had been surrounded by countless enemies.

  It didn’t seem to bother him at all. I rushed toward him when suddenly I heard a voice in my head—it was Sensei, addressing me with a few words.

  “Zeki, I know you’re on your way to me. Save your strength and enjoy the show.”

  So I did. I transformed back and sat down on a tree.

  Sensei had gone insane. In the middle of the troops that encircled him, he decided to sit down for a moment. I moved forward immediately, but I couldn’t believe my eyes. Sensei ignited a bright bolt—an explosion of light that blinded everything dark.

  Then I could perceive Sensei in a floating state, protected by a large reflection of himself. As he explained afterward, it consisted of pure light. This apparition mirrored every movement of its master with pinpoint accuracy.

  I had witnessed an ancient combat technique. With erratic hand movements, he began spinning in a circle, raising an energy field around himself.

  With the light reflection, this created a massive whirlwind that opened among the enemies and erased everything in its path. With this ability, Sensei had dug an 80-meter-deep hole. But the finale was still to come.

  After trapping all enemies in the trench, he rose up and used his immense energy field to let lightning rain down on those beings. Not a single enemy survived that attack—every one of them was pulverized down to the bone.

  All that remained was a massive hole filled with the grilled remnants of the attackers. “Well, Zeki—how did you like the fireworks?” I was glad he was doing so well, but even if he had the ability, he should please stop looking into my thoughts.

  It was thrilling to witness the potential of my instructor. I knew Sensei Bi-Shi-Zu had something up his sleeve, but my expectations were blown apart. Yet this show came at a high price.

  The leader of the black reinforcements had lost 4500 capable servants—they were surprised and slaughtered. Witnesses reported offshoots of the typical Mushkaren; these beasts looked far more terrifying and powerful than the ones I had described to them.

  Many of the remaining creatures, who had fought so bravely for our victory, were left shaken.

  I looked into many eyes. They all looked equally empty. I couldn’t bear it—my people, my servants, my allies, my friends, and most importantly MY COMRADES—to abandon them.

  Hey, Zekli, why did you prefer staring at the old man instead of helping YOUR COMRADES, YOU WEAKLING? Be honest, Zeki. Own it. This is your only salvation. AM I ALLOWED TO SAY SOMETHING TOO? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I DIDN’T HELP? Zeki, tell him. Please.

  I’d rather watched my Sensei put on a magnificent scene, because I knew that when this disaster finally ends, I will write a book—and I wanted to tell this story. SO YOU ABANDONED YOUR COMRADES, you asshole.

  Yes I did, numbskull. I’m not proud. I’m endlessly sorry that I sacrificed these innocent beings for my own plan. I don’t know what to say. Zeki, wipe your tears—it’s all fine. I’m proud of you. Thanks, Luma.

  I also want to apologize to you readers—you who will hopefully read this book and understand my story, you who will ultimately decide how I am remembered. I am truly sorry. Let’s continue with the 4th bell toll.

  Don’t forget to be honest, Zeki. I know, Luma—I won’t lie to my readers, no matter how much it hurts. The storm boiled up again. This warning had teeth—like a famous footballer from a distant land I knew from stories my father told.

  It hit my Team 7. The Bringers of Suffering were in serious danger. I remember it exactly. Night fell. We were on watch. We exposed ourselves to that endless silence, filled with hate and suffering.

  Our task was to protect all other teams. Together with Team 6, the Royal Guard, we prepared at all times for an attack. With our immense selection of abilities and an even greater number of supporters, we could build many well-secured bases.

  We left much destruction behind, advanced slowly, but at the same time strengthened the infrastructure of my future realm. But our walls could not withstand the immense forces coming from the Mushkaren.

  They stormed our ranks. Driven by hate, they wanted to destroy us. I sounded the alarm immediately, but I couldn’t perceive any allies. My team, Uwe, and I knew how to defend ourselves—we could hold those bastards back.

  But there were so many of these beasts. Whenever we defeated one, three more of those disgusting creatures appeared right away. We were overwhelmed. The irony of fate struck me.

  My Team 7—the Bringers of Suffering—experienced suffering they could not even imagine, and I couldn’t prevent it. YEAH EXACTLY, YOU FLAT-BRAINED IDIOT, you couldn’t prevent it. SHUT UP, YOU TOAD. And now Gotti-Gottfried too? Don’t you start as well—leave me in peace.

  I had to watch one after another of my warriors get slaughtered. And there it was again—the feeling I’d been clawing for so desperately: that hate, that immense rage.

  I could feel it: with every one of them losing their life in the most brutal way before my eyes, each of them fueled my strength. Zeki—don’t hesitate.

  I… I… I ENJOYED IT, DAMN IT, LUMA. FOR THE FIRST TIME I LIVED OUT MY POTENTIAL. I ENJOYED IT. YES, I DID IT. ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW? Dear readers, I’m sorry. I can and must apologize to you again.

  My life is a tragedy, but to protect this world from the same fate that struck me, I need every spark of strength I can get. Only through my own strength can I reach a better future.

  I can’t justify these deaths, but I gained a lot of strength from them, and that’s why I will keep fighting for the well-being of all who remain. The project could not fail. Let’s continue in my tragedy.

  10,000 powerless creatures, warriors, and friends from Team 7 were erased. The Mushkaren brought absolute suffering in the form of pure hate upon my troops. Perhaps Luma wants to tell you more about it—but honestly, please.

  I would love to, Zeki. Just lend me your hand and let me write. But I would have one request, Zeki.

  What would that be?

  May I write a whole interlude chapter—with many more perspectives?

  Luma, who even are you? What do you mean you can describe many other perspectives?

  You’ll find out, Zeki. Your 26th birthday is waiting.

  Does it absolutely have to be at my parents’ destroyed grave?

  There’s no other way, Zeki. Trust me.

  So can I write one?

  Do whatever you want..

  Chapter 9.5 – Luma’s Eyes

  Where do we start? Best at the first bell toll. Zeki, name me a random wise one from Team 1 who was involved in the recruitments.

  Warrior 187: Mammut Manuel.

  Good—then I’ll tell you more precisely about Mammut Manuel.

  I will write from the first-person perspective to bring you readers closer. I wake up in the body of Mammut Manuel.

  “Hey Manuel! Feel like working with us today? We could definitely use someone with your qualities.”

  “Sure, I can do that, Siegfried. What’s the plan for today?”

  “First we’ll search for new allies in the new territory, Malokopia. We have a lot to do.”

  Of course we had a lot to do. We had just entered the new lands and tried our best to recruit as many new comrades as possible.

  Quickly about me: My name is Mammut Manuel. I’m 2 meters tall. Pretty small for my kind, but I had one decisive advantage: because I come from a side branch of my kind, my relatives and I can walk upright.

  My appearance is fairly unspectacular. With my 25 years of life, I managed to collect a few pieces of clothing. But my favorite is a black sweater; additionally I wear white glasses.

  But now to the duty part. I want to tell you a small funny story that happened to me during my work. We had just arrived in Malokopia, made plans for a base, and were in constant contact with the Malokopen.

  But we had a problem: they were under the influence of Maloko VI. That Malokope ruled with a hard fist and was not willing to join us.

  That truly put us before a challenge. We had orders to destroy any opponents—but not under my command. Recruitment Unit 85, with me as point man, was my assigned unit that day.

  We sought out Maloko VI. We were entrusted to have an important talk with him. We were also prepared to inform him about the consequences that would otherwise follow. But Maloko VI did not trust Herr Talman.

  He said, “This bird will not rule my people. I will make sure of that.”

  I was instructed to remove any rejection of Herr Talman from life immediately, but I didn’t want to do that without talking to him first.

  That put me in danger. Herr Talman must not find out about it. Well, tough luck, Mammut Manuel—should’ve had a different number. I tried to have a proper conversation with the leader.

  But he was so opposed to any words I spoke that I couldn’t build any connection with him. He was a nice little guy, so I offered him kindly one more time to surrender and join his people to ours. Again, I couldn’t reach him.

  Instead, he gave me a clear statement: “You short mammoth think you can tell me something? I’ll tell you one thing—HERR TALMAN IS NOT CHOSEN TO RULE MY PEOPLE.”

  I asked him what he meant by that.

  “The order of rulers of our people is set exactly. If anything changes, our downfall is guaranteed.”

  I answered gently, even though inside I was boiling. “Maloko VI, don’t take this the wrong way. I’m forced to destroy anyone who stands in our way.

  You’re a good guy. We don’t want to take your rule from you. For now, it’s enough if I can be sure your people will fight on our side.”

  At last the leader agreed to the deal, and so we welcomed more than 200 capable Malokopen into our ranks.

  So, Zeki—now we come to the second bell toll. Please name me a random warrior from Team 8, the White Scent.

  Warrior 3408: Tri, the human of the third degree.

  Good—then I slip into Tri’s skin.

  “Hey Mom. Hey Dad.

  You will most likely never read this letter. If you do, then I have fallen in battle for freedom. I just wanted to let you know how I’m doing.

  Even if I’m writing this mostly for myself, it feels good to know that I might not leave this place without my last words to you. Since I left you almost 3 years ago, a lot has changed in my life.

  I was picked up on the road by a beautiful young woman with violet hair. I couldn’t help but follow her. She introduced me to new friends.

  I know this might hit your stomach a bit hard right now, but contrary to what you wanted, I chose my own path. I joined a program that fights for the freedom of the Schattenreich.

  I’ve got a full 2.5 years of training behind me and I’m battle-tested. It’s exactly what we always wished for—I can do my part for peace in the Schattenreich and surely also for peace between the different human grades.

  Now I’ve been on a journey for about three months; together with over 100,000 comrades, we’re building a new infrastructure. I’m confident we’ll achieve a better future for everyone, so you don’t need to worry about me.

  I love you,

  your Tri.”

  Hopefully I can hand this letter to my parents in person—but now I really have to go to work, otherwise I’ll be late. Another day of hard labor… whatever. A better future demands its price.

  Together with 499 other strong figures, we’ve been sentenced to cave work today. Just because I was late once, I get to do the dirty job. Today, Leader Neo is visiting us—he’s supposed to help us explore the cave together with his flower.

  Neo really was a good leader. Nothing could rattle him or his clever little head. But his explanation of the plan didn’t go smoothly. In a mysterious way, he got interrupted several times while he was explaining it to us.

  Apparently he was used to that, because he didn’t let the disruptions annoy him. We continued—and it didn’t take long before Amelie sounded the alarm. There were 250 enemies in the cave, waiting for an ambush.

  So we did the only right thing: we lured them into an ambush. I had the most dangerous—but most important—task. I was the one who was supposed to draw those beasts out.

  Very slowly I went into the cave. When I could make out their location, I threw a stone right at the head of one of those snot-stupid animals.

  On top of that I yelled, “COME AND GET ME, YOU BLOCKHEADS!” Which—fairly—angered those monsters, before I could shake them with my excellent speed and lure them into the trap. I got to safety before the relentless Leidbringer took care of the rest.

  It didn’t take long, and my great idol, Zeki, wiped the 250 Mushkaren out with his troop. We had just celebrated our victory as a team when suddenly the ground beneath our feet collapsed.

  We fell quite a distance downward—straight into the arms of the bloodthirsty Mushkaren. They had been waiting for us desperately. When I slammed into the hard ground, I broke both legs. My speed was useless now.

  I couldn’t do anything except watch my comrades die. All of them were slaughtered. As I lay on the ground waiting for my end, I could feel my life again.

  I closed my eyes and relived the moments with my family, the moments with my comrades. This is where my story was supposed to end. My last thoughts went to the letter—I had written it this morning. I lay badly wounded in a heap of corpses.

  My end was sealed when I opened my eyes and saw a Mushkaren in front of me, carrying a large rock on its shoulders. It lifted the rock up and smashed it into me over and over. My remains splattered in every direction.

  My help came too late. So now I lie crushed like a cockroach in the ruins of this tragedy.

  Zeki, the next bell toll was written. Luma, now we flip the script—name me a random warrior from Team 1, please.

  Interesting idea, Zeki. This is a story I always wanted to tell. We go to Warrior 221. Brallon is his name.

  Every day I think back to my comrades. In my 39 years, I’ve seen a lot.

  Among other things, I knew the feeling of losing a comrade better than many others here. His scent still lingers in the armor I wear every day. My great shield was also an unwanted heirloom from my comrades.

  I had to make the best of my situation. The two of them would’ve wanted it that way. I have to give everything to keep my comrades from death. With this shield, I can surely place everyone under a protective hand.

  Five months had passed since we began our journey. Our leader, Sensei Bi-Shi-Zu, was truly a monster of martial arts. Only that little Talm?nnchen—I don’t need him. He scares me.

  TALM?NNCHEN, IS THAT IT? WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? Zeki, please calm down.

  It was a fateful day. We had a traitor in our ranks. Alexus, a high-ranking soldier, betrayed us and left us to die. That day, I was the leader of a unit. Thanks to my performance, I got to lead a unit for the first time.

  About 50 beings had been put under my command. It was supposed to be a calm day—sometimes you have to come down a bit. Guess there was no peace. On my first day as squad leader, I was tested immediately.

  Alexus’ betrayal spread quickly—especially when we were attacked by his allies. They had cut the Sensei off from us. But we still had quite a lot left. Together with my troop, I gave the order to attack.

  With Sohi’s armor and Tragan’s shield, I could lead my troop well. They would’ve been proud of me. I managed to block all those beasts with my shield—none of my soldiers even got scratched.

  Until the next wave came.

  My strength was slowly running out, but I knew I couldn’t give up, no matter how much my muscles burned. I had to keep moving, keep pushing my troop toward the goal. We waited a long time for support.

  Suddenly I heard a massive scream—there he was, our tragic hero. The little Talm?nnchen had noticed our suffering. Zeki, breathe deeply, I know. But he sent us Uwe as help; he himself rushed to help the Sensei.

  Even though Uwe was a huge help, he couldn’t stop everything. I could see Zeki in the distance.

  Why the hell was he sitting on a tree?

  My troop faced a massive challenge. Even though we had already lost more than half our men, we had to fight.

  When Uwe arrived, the number of enemies dropped rapidly—but it didn’t help us. I was faced with a terrible choice: either my life, or my comrades’ lives.

  I didn’t have to think long. At last the moment had come when I could hold Tragan and Sohi in my arms again. In memory of my older brothers, I chose—immediately, without hesitation—the survival of my comrades, the way they once chose mine.

  In front of us stood several hundred of those terrifying creatures. Even if the sight brought no joy, I instinctively knew what had to be done. I gripped my shield one last time. Fixed into the shield, I carry a half-burned picture of my brothers.

  Then I charged—without daring to look back. To my men, I left one final command.

  Even though I wasn’t allowed to flee—following a stupid rule of the Talm?nnchen wasn’t worth my comrades’ lives—so I ordered them to run. But it was already too late.

  My shield, which should have protected many lives, protected no one but me.

  My comrades. My friends. All of them were murdered before my eyes, one after another. Uwe arrived at the scene after the massacre.

  Of course he could suck those vile monsters dry to the last drop. But he moved on immediately again—leaving me alone in the wreckage of my fallen comrades. He was driven onward to Zeki—the one who had gotten comfortable on a tree.

  He helped neither me nor my comrades, neither his allies nor his leader. Gro?lord Talman had gotten comfortable on his throne and abandoned us. I looked up at him on the tree, disappointed. Apparently the Sensei was giving him a great show.

  So… so… I had never seen it like that. It… I’M SORRY. I DIDN’T WANT THAT.

  Well… you still can’t justify it, Zeklbert.

  CAN’T I ENJOY EVEN A LITTLE PEACE FROM YOUR ANNOYING PRESENCE?

  Don’t scream like that, you servant. Zeki, forget his words—stay strong.

  If my humble self may also speak for once: for someone living in Zeki’s head, disturbing my peace is a violation of house rules—SO SHUT THE HELL UP.

  Gotti-Gottfried, you run into him everywhere.

  What are you trying to talk me into, you miserable bastard? You dare act safe, yet you’ve read it yourself—how gladly little Zeki abandons friends. Just piss off, annoying voice, and let Luma keep writing.

  YOU WILL ALL REGRET THIS, I SWEAR IT TO YOU. LUMA, ZEKLO, AND GOTTI-GOTTFRIED—YOU WILL BE TORTURED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND THEN AGAIN IN MY BLAZING WRATH. I WILL TORTURE YOU UNTIL YOU WHIMPER FOR MERCY. YOU’RE ON MY LIST.

  Put onions for your tears on the list too. Come on, keep going, Luma.

  Thanks, Zeki. Are you ready for the next bell toll, Zeki?

  I don’t know if I want to—but I have to face my truth and find out.

  Good. Then name me a random member of the Leidbringer.

  I’ll take Warrior 7. Nebeis was his name—he was my favorite Leidbringer. He looked like one of those strange machines that decorated Edi Edhart’s casino. He was 7.77 meters tall, weighed exactly 7777 kg, and was exactly 777 years old.

  This creature fascinated me immensely—even though Nebeis could spread enormous suffering. I know that all too well.

  Will do, Zeki.

  “No, Nebeis, please spare me.”

  With one bite I devoured that unworthy thing. His bones were rancid—that’s normal for scum like they are. I need to line up my next steps.

  I can charge my power with corpses, but those Mushkaren pigs tasted so extremely like shit. I don’t want to know how many of us died. Judging by the fact that everything around me was slaughtered, I could only hope the number wasn’t worse.

  I knew I had to help, but everything was burning at once. It would probably be smartest to support Ruler Zeki Talman in battle. However, I knew no one could match his strength.

  So I fought my way toward the battlefield at Schattenbach—the greatest river in the realm. Many of my comrades endured a brutal battle here with the Schei?karen. They had one decisive advantage: they were adapted to the current of Schattenbach.

  I had never seen anything like it. My comrades were caught like cows by these bastards with a lasso—and destroyed in the raging current.

  Not a hundred, not a thousand—tens of thousands of us were brutally murdered. But not me. I still had hope. Alone, I stood on my battlefield against 200 hungry Mushkaren. I held my ground, even though I knew I wouldn’t survive this massacre for long.

  My only goal was to destroy as many of those dogs as possible. But my prayers were heard. I felt the earth begin to tremble—first faintly, then more and more clearly.

  I could pinpoint the epicenter immediately. It was my savior, Zeki.

  For the first time, I could watch his rage transformation with my own eyes. He was gigantic—much bigger than I was, surely twenty times as heavy.

  His sprint—exactly 36.7 km/h—hit straight into the heart of those cursed freaks. He slaughtered them all. Without mercy, without restraint, with the same love for brutality that I cultivated—only on a level you could barely imagine.

  I loved watching him fight. For the first time in my life, I was thrilled. I mean—my entire existence is built on bringing suffering—but I had never spread suffering like that before.

  I could feel so much hate in Zeki—an immense amount of that explosive fuel. Far more than the Mushkaren ever dared to carry. But if war demanded it, then Zeki was simply ready to deliver it.

  That day, I knew I would never be able to repay my debt. I would be loyal to my RULER ZEKI TALMAN forever and ever. I was amazed that someone could carry so much hate inside without shattering completely.

  And it made me happy—because finally someone was taking the lives of those wretched beasts who wiped out and annihilated 80 percent of my entire kind. I waited a long time for the moment those beasts would suffer the same torment they had spread.

  Nebeis, I’m glad I could help you.

  Wait, Zeki—the truth is still coming.

  What do you mean, truth, Luma?

  Just read.

  Let’s jump a bit forward.

  More precisely: eight hours after Zeki saved my life. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t do much in my condition—my body was covered in wounds.

  With a final effort, I dragged myself to Aurelia and told her what had happened, even though the war had already come to an end. Of course, I also wanted to ask whether she would heal me, out of mercy.

  I rated my chances pretty low. No one wanted to help creatures like me. I was only meant to bring suffering. But not Aurelia. Her good heart made her soften—and so she healed me.

  She pulled out her wonderfully fragrant staff and began the procedure. Surely, this concentrated magic should have felt like paradise on earth.

  But I was disappointed.

  Instead of standing in a fully equipped casino in a warm environment with thrilled customers…

  I was tortured and healed at the same time.

  Her healing magic was pure torture. I don’t know what this woman understood by “healing,” but this wasn’t it. And then her face while she treated you—she enjoyed the agony with which she healed you.

  That woman was truly devil and angel at once.

  I was finished with the procedure. Aurelia even conjured flowers for my recovery. Even if her torture was worse than the war against the Mushkaren—she still knew how to spread good mood.

  The next morning came, and our ruler called us to an emergency meeting. I stood right at the front, in the first row. I desperately wanted to thank my savior. His speech began and I listened to every sentence, captivated.

  He told us the greatest battle of his life so far had been won. Countless Mushkaren lost their miserable lives—though death is still far too merciful for those animals. But countless allies also gave their lives for this war. Our force was halved in a single blow.

  On the front line of this drama, as always, stood our ruler. But he had made it clear to all of us beforehand that it wouldn’t be easy.

  We had so many fallen comrades to mourn. Surely countless stories were left behind, stories that could never be spoken. Spirits were understandably heavy.

  But Ruler Talman, as always, had the perfect remedy to lift the troops:

  A motivating speech.

  My settings allow me to store things via photos—my own black photo album with a silver button. Literally, because you need that button to access the information. I took thousands of photos of my hero.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  I will never forget his speech. It lit fire in all of us. His words were:

  “10,000…

  That is the number that remained. The number of those still breathing, even though suffering has long tried to steal their breath.

  The number of those who did not flee—not because they had no fear, but because they understood something: our fear is our weapon. I know you are tired. I am too. I know you carry scars. I carry hell in my chest.

  But look around. 10,000 souls.

  10,000 sparks. And I swear to you by my damned name: We will burn—so hot that darkness itself recoils from us.

  I am not your hero. I am your mirror. In me you see what all of us can become. The Schattenreich was once an abyss.

  Today it is our foundation.

  And I… I am ready to smash every stone, every bone, every goddamn lie, to give this place new splendor.

  Whoever stands against us will fall.

  Whoever doubts us will fall silent.

  And whoever betrays us…

  …will taste the wrath of the last light.

  10,000 are enough to change the world. And you are those 10,000.

  Go with me. Not into the light. Not into the darkness. But into what comes after us.

  Talman will be whispered. Talman will be screamed. Talman will be feared. And that is a good thing.”

  A deafening echo followed this declaration of war.

  TALMAN! TALMAN! TALMAN!

  That was all you could hear. My ears were numb from the immense volume 10,000 creatures could produce. It went even more absurd: we had developed full-on fan chants for our leader.

  After the turmoil finally ended, I had devised a clever plan to fill my photo album. I desperately wanted a close-up of me and the leader. So I waited in front of his private palace in the center of the newly won territory.

  I was just so grateful to him. I even brought my savings—25,000 Olevs. Today would’ve been his lucky day.

  My kind—the one-armed bandits—aren’t exactly lucky. But if a one-armed bandit becomes extremely lucky, then the one who caused it can win up to 1000 times their stake in a single game.

  Many influential creatures gained their wealth from one-armed bandits.

  But Zeki wasn’t as happy to see me as I was to see him. I wore my best golden garments. I glowed in the dark courtyard—and still he gave me no attention.

  He came home. My eyes sparkled at the beauty of his. I addressed him:

  “Zeki, will you play with me, my savior? I owe you my life.”

  But his answer was the cold shoulder. He didn’t want to bother with the common rabble.

  I had never felt anything like it. It was a mix of sorrow, hate, rage, annihilation, and pain. That feeling left nothing but emptiness inside me.

  I let my immense hate run free and screamed:

  “VERY WELL, ZEKI TALMAN—THEN MAY THE NUMBER 7 CURSE YOU FOREVER.

  IN THE PAST, IN THE PRESENT, AND IN THE FUTURE—IT WILL HAUNT YOU.”

  That made it a little easier, even though I knew those were just empty threats. The ruler didn’t take someone like me seriously. I wasn’t strong enough for him.

  Surely he was just too tired to deal with me. Even though this experience caused pain I couldn’t imagine, life went on.

  Even though everyone would remember him, he denied me my personal memory—my motivation to endure this hell on earth. For creatures like me, only strength matters. We cling to anything that radiates power and destroy everyone weaker than us.

  Sounds like a pretty brutal life. But deep inside, we strive for happiness. The recognition and praise of stronger lifeforms is pure bliss to us. In this world where the weak are erased and executed, a bit of change feels good.

  Now I still want to say goodbye to you—who will likely never hear my story. You are the ones who make me alive. I can only give you one tip: value every life.

  Whether it’s your dog, your neighbor, or someone completely different—value that lifeform, and happiness will be with you.

  What do you think, Zeki?

  I think I’m a damn asshole, and I can’t deny it. Mammut Manuel taught me that there’s also a diplomatic way.

  Tri’s farewell letter—which would have been forgotten without Luma—taught me what friendship really means, and how powerless you are against the fate that was decided for you.

  Brallon’s perspective showed me what disappointment can be. I was so stunned by the scene the Sensei put on for me that I forgot to help those who relied on my strength.

  Nebeis’ perspective revealed what a damn asshole I am.

  You’re right, Zeko. You’re an asshole—but a damn good leader. In leadership, you have to give up humanity.

  That’s the first sensible thing that’s ever left your lips, annoying voice.

  You’re right. I’ve lost a lot of my old face, but my dream to rule this land as leader remained.

  I never thought I’d thank you, but there’s a first time for everything. Thanks… uh, what’s your name anyway?

  I don’t have a name, Zeki. I lost it a long time ago. Think of one for me.

  What do you say, Gotti-Gottfried—should I not trust him? Didn’t I just learn that you can solve a lot with diplomacy? Why wouldn’t that work? Gotti-Gottfried, I’m sticking to it. I’ll give him a chance—maybe then he won’t be so aggressive toward us.

  What do you think of Frank, as a memory of Herr Rosenberg?

  Good. From this point on, my name is Frank.

  Good, Frank. The readers know Gotti-Gottfried and Luma—how about introducing the next squatter in my head?

  Fine. But I want my own chapter too, like that Luma ape.

  You can have that, Frank..

  Chapter 9, something itches me—I don’t care – Title

  Seriously? “Title” as the title? Change that, please.

  Fine then, again from the top, my ruler…

  Chapter 9.75 – Stories from Long-Gone Days

  So lend me your hand, Zeki. It’s time to make this book worth reading.

  So, dear readers—my name you already know, but my story you do not. I was born exactly 1400 years ago. Life back then was simple. You ate what grew around you.

  For us, it was almost exclusively juicy B?renbeeren. These things weighed about 20 kg each and were easy to harvest. You could conjure many different things from them. My mother was known for the best B?renbeeren dishes in my city.

  You need to know: before the dark ruler Dayo sent this world into an endless cycle of hate, we called our realm the “Sonnenland.” Around us were great rolling hills, covered with huge trees and life of all kinds that gathered through the gentle valley.

  Among them were many friendly creatures. A realm full of fertility was the raw material of that way of life. You paid respect, and you received respect—simple as that.

  By not fighting each other but helping one another, a bond formed between creatures—one that held endless potential for a highly intelligent society.

  All of that changed when, in the seventh year before the great war in the Schattenreich, a new ruler began to rise.

  Dayo was a short man with light-blue skin. His kind is unknown to me to this day—and you can believe me, because I’m certainly a few years older than you.

  “Forgive me, noble Frank, but allow me the question: Are you in your heart truly certain of that conviction?”

  GOTTI-GOTTFRIED, YOU WRETCHED SEWER RAT, I’LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES.

  Watch how you speak to Gotti-Gottfried, buddy—otherwise your chapter ends faster than you think.

  Zeki—if you would please let me continue, and perhaps send GOTTI-GOTTFRIED, THAT WRETCHED GYPSY, back to his assigned area in your skull—then I’d be very grateful.

  Rest assured: I, Gotti-Gottfried, shall withdraw immediately and humbly into my assigned chambers in your mind and remain there in silent loyalty. But please remember the house rules—the lord needs his peace, and so do I. I shall depart in peace.

  OTHERWISE YOU’LL SEE SOMETHING—I’LL TORTURE YOU.

  Get lost, squatter. Let me tell the story.

  Last warning, Frank.

  It’s fine, Zeki.

  Anyway—Dayo quickly won the hearts of the inhabitants. He was a friendly guy, and on top of that, the first one to keep records about magic. He was a strong mage. There weren’t many mages; we could muster a group of four, the “Quattro Force.”

  But Dayo wasn’t like them. He realized his magic was far greater than the others’. That turned this greedy swine into the bottomless maw he truly was. He was well-read in every art of magic.

  His proud age of 250 years and his even more magnificent collection of formulas, knowledge, and techniques regarding magic made it easy for him to simplify many things.

  What unsettled us a bit was the fact that he was also very well-read in dark magic—something we normally despised. Yet he used that vile magic to do good. He strengthened the Sonnenland through his actions.

  For his followers, he used dark magic, for example, to bring the dead back to life—or to create helpful undead creatures whose purpose was to boost the economy in our land.

  Sure, he won followers with these methods. But it would come back to punish him—using dark magic so carelessly. Not for nothing had we stayed away from that tool for thousands of years.

  They said: whoever uses dark magic once gets pulled into its relentless grip. And that idiot used that gift for seven years—almost daily. He was convinced his dark deeds were for the good of the people.

  Our realm was split into two districts: one belonged solely to the Mushkaren—the only creatures who, let’s say, weren’t exactly friendly. Then there was the realm of the free creatures.

  We had made this division—a peace agreement with Fiachra, the leader of the Mushkaren. They had been on this planet forever. They said Fiachra had lived for 25,000 years.

  The Mushkaren weren’t eager for war. They simply wanted to be left alone and have no contact with other races. So we found a solution everyone could accept.

  Everyone but Dayo.

  After he had bred an army of undead over many years, his plan to break the peace began. He sacrificed tens of thousands of his most loyal devotees for a vile ritual of dark magic.

  He summoned the god of darkness and begged for his power. In exchange for that favor, he became a soulless puppet of the curse that would haunt this world from then on. With that, he sealed the eternal cycle that continues to this day.

  The simple decision to use dark magic like a football on a daily basis drove this world down the drain. But Dayo went further than anyone else. It wasn’t enough for him to merely have that army—he also had to use it.

  After sacrificing countless thousands of his comrades in that bloody ritual, he found his true form and became more unbeatable with every second.

  It cost him immense power to revive the followers who let themselves be tortured personally so Dayo could rise into a god. With his newly gained power, he could send far more powerful warriors into the world.

  Soldiers bred for war—for a war of immense scale against the innocent Mushkaren. The free creatures banded together one last time. Thus the counter-movement was born: creatures who enjoyed their freedom and didn’t want to provoke an unnecessary war.

  75,000 creatures had gathered, convinced they could overthrow Dayo. But they were powerless against the countless troops Gro?lord Dayo could field.

  His army consisted of 90,000 living beings and twice as many undead puppets of himself—everyone ready to die for him. Before Dayo took his decisive step and attacked the Mushkaren, he had to make sure his position of power was secured.

  For that, only one solution fell right into his lap: wiping out his opposition. From this point in the story, the new calendar begins—the one you orient yourselves by.

  Welcome to Year 0. Back then we still called it “The First Year of Dayo’s Glory.” This is where the war of the free creatures for a better future began. Right in the middle stood me—Frank—actually a “leuchtender Gef?hrte,” meaning a member of the counter-movement, right in the middle as a spy within Dayo’s ranks.

  I managed to earn a high rank and a lot of respect with the ruler. I was able to witness many important war strategies and thereby help my guild immensely.

  Even though I knew that if I were caught, I would suffer under Dayo’s power forever, I couldn’t look away while tens of thousands of creatures were about to be slaughtered. I did everything in my power to help the leuchtenden Gef?hrten.

  But my effort was not going to pay off—someone set a trap for me.

  After plenty of thinking about why the ruler’s last missions all went straight down the drain, and why the “puny beasts” of the leuchtenden Gef?hrten could win 7 battles in a row, Dayo outsmarted me with his unbridled intelligence.

  He had suspected for a long time that he had a spy in his ranks. So he grabbed his 10 most important men—me included—to work out 10 new plans. He gave me forest combat: a fog-soaked landscape with little visibility.

  After I had carefully memorized his plan, it was time to develop a counter to it. I had my friends—my comrades—play a hiding game with the attackers in the trees of the forest. They made it. They survived and won that battle.

  But that exposed my double life. The next morning, when I reached the base, I was arrested immediately and brought to Dayo. With the help of his magic, he investigated me down to the bones—he learned everything about me. Tied up, I had to lie in a steel tub.

  It was surrounded by 5 black-glowing steel pillars, each of them emitting an immensely powerful magic beam. For 45 days I was held captive in Dayo’s magical torture cellar.

  Around the clock, those beams blasted me—burning hotter than the sun on my skin. After more than 1000 hours of pure torture, I received my sentence: the god of darkness would take care of my soul.

  I was dragged to a public place and locked in a golden cage. Then the ritual to summon the god began. 5000 of my comrades—who were imprisoned by those bastards—were sacrificed to make me suffer.

  The mood darkened. The smell of blood in the air was overpowered by a grotesque stench. Then it happened: the ground opened up, blazing dark flames poured onto the scene of my torture and spread suffering wherever they went.

  The god of darkness gladly accepted Dayo’s offering. With a claw, this god grabbed the pile of corpses the ruler had stacked up and sucked every last drop of soul out of my innocent comrades.

  I was trapped in the middle of a field of black flames and fallen friends. My suffering was already more than enough—but I did not expect the atrocities this merciless god committed without a shred of remorse.

  To him, we simple peoples were a joke. He played with our lives for fun. Then the black flames hit me—this endless burning on my skin inflicted unimaginable pain.

  Dayo condemned me to dwell as a destructive undead lifeform inside the minds of creatures and systematically destroy them—until the Mushkaren king Fiachra finally gives up his miserable life.

  Wait a second, Frank—what are you saying? So Fiachra is alive?

  Yes, Zeki, that’s it. I’m so harsh with you and I strive for your power because I know what’s coming.

  Even if I sometimes come at you like an asshole—against Fiachra it takes more than that. You cannot show weakness.

  If I may also speak for once, gentlemen: Zeki, I took the liberty of analyzing his background and found nothing. Doesn’t seem very trustworthy.

  Luma, I think because Frank was erased by the god of darkness, that’s why you can’t find anything.

  I trust Frank. Why would he make up stories like that? What would you have stunk up and lied about in your book without my вмеш … without my вмеш? TRUST ME, PLEASE. I WANT TO WARN YOU. I WANT TO HELP YOU.

  Sorry, Gotti-Gottfried. I won’t scream around anymore—just go to sleep.

  If I hear one more DAMN WORD from you, you asshole, I’ll rip your skull off. Do we understand each other?

  GOTTI-GOTTFRIED, YOU LOUT, LISTEN—IF YOU COME WITH THESE TRICKS, PEOPLE! PEOPLE! LISTEN. STOP. DAMN IT. STOP SCREAMING AROUND IN MY HEAD LIKE IT BELONGS TO YOU. GET LOST, ALL OF YOU SQUATTERS—GET OUT OF THE LINE IN MY SKULL.

  Okay, let’s all calm down. Zeki, I’m sorry, but you have to trust me.

  I’m giving you a chance, Frank.

  Like I said: I want to prepare you for the eternal war with Fiachra. We need powerful allies in the fight against this devil.

  We? I’m the one who ultimately has to fight this battle. And don’t forget—even if I don’t know where they are right now—I have powerful allies.

  Oh yeah? And which of those bums is even left?

  They’re all spread across our world. I just have to contact them.

  Good—then start with Pablo. You still have the quill, even though he said he wanted distance from you and your wars, right?

  Yeah… sure I still have the quill. When all this is over, I’ll personally bring him the news of peace.

  Come on, play with the quill—you surely want to talk to him too.

  No, Frank. I’m leaving Pablo in peace. The guilt about his condition still haunts me.

  Good, Zeki. You just regained a little bit of your humanity.

  What do you mean “a little bit of my humanity,” as if I ever lost it, Luma?

  We’ll see how you feel in the next chapters. You know what happened 4 years ago—and I do too. You can’t lie.

  I’ll include it in the book, don’t worry. I won’t lie.

  Friends, if I may say something—to get back to my idea: I suggest you ally with Gro?lord Braunstein. With him you can double your combat power.

  Seriously, Frank? I should ally with the man who BRUTALLY MURDERED MY PARENTS 19 YEARS AGO? The one I’ve been searching for my whole life—the one I will make suffer in ways even you don’t know? You think I should join forces with him?

  If you want to turn your noble dreams—ending this eternal cycle—into reality, then not only should you… you MUST.

  Gro?lord Braunstein is the next one who comes close to your strength. I’m begging you, Zeki. You have to connect.

  How do you even know Braunstein?

  That’s for another chapter. Let’s put it this way: he was my project before you.

  At first he was just as weak and pathetic as you—until I stepped onto the stage, recognized his potential, and began training with him the way I did with you. But unfortunately, great strength and power put creatures like you and Braunstein in a difficult position.

  When he was finally strong enough to break away from me, he banished me from his head. His path began to slip—until he ultimately let his power run free and found pleasure in murdering children.

  Maybe you know the story of a man sentenced to 80 years of torture.

  Yes, Frank. I know that story far too well. And that’s exactly why I WILL NOT, IN THIS LIFE, WORK WITH THE TORTURERS OF MY PARENTS.

  Zeki, I understand you and your situation too well. I know you want revenge. I know your path started because of it. But please don’t do anything stupid. The path of revenge will, sooner or later, lead you only to the same abysses Braunstein has already lived through.

  Only the path of reconciliation can solve this problem.

  Which path I take is my business, understood, Frank?

  ZEKI TALMAN, YOU WORTHLESS GOOD-FOR-NOTHING—LISTEN TO ME.

  No, Frank. I will keep walking the path of revenge until I make that pig suffer.

  Fine. Then think up a fictional world for your book. Yours won’t exist much longer.

  Let me explain all of this to you—in person. But there’s a catch: to present myself to you in person, we have to return to the beginning of your story.

  The magical tree that survived thousands of years—the memorial site of your parents—seems to me the only suitable place.

  Yeah, great, let’s hold a little wreath party at my parents’ grave. First Luma, then you—what do you want there?

  Zeki, I can only tell you when you’re there.

  Same for me, Zeki.

  Wonderful. A birthday party at the place that left nothing but emptiness in me—sounds great. Why don’t we start planning right away? Should I invite Aurelia or Pablo first?

  Zeki, we’re sorry. There is no other option. Please just trust us.

  Guys… if it were that easy to trust you.

  I’ll wait the remaining 2 months, and then I’ll decide whether I’ll hold the “party” or not.

  Let’s move forward in the story. The readers paid for stories—not for our conversations.

  Lend me your hand again, Zeki. I’ve told you about the times before the Schattenreich, you know the turning point too. Now to the most important part of the best part of this book: the great war of the Schattenreich, led by ruler Dayo.

  After long effort, Dayo succeeded in wiping out his opposition. He drove the land of the free creatures into slavery—his followers realized it too late.

  I was always present—not as a person, but as a shadow. Even after my “death,” I could still follow Dayo’s bestial chess moves against the Mushkaren. About 2 years after my death, the ruler had formed his army.

  400,000 living and undead beings stood close at his side. His most important companion, however, was the immense source of dark magic he carried with him at all times.

  With that ability, he could grind several thousand Mushkaren into dust within seconds without feeling exhaustion. To be fair, the Mushkaren back then were at most 10 meters tall. Compared to us that’s huge—but compared directly to the beasts today? Tiny.

  Nowadays those bastards easily reach 30 meters. They grow slowly—but their entire lives. So you can imagine how massive King Fiachra is: a creature older than any record, whose age can only be guessed.

  Anyway, Dayo made it his mission to eliminate that scum and reconquer the lands of the “free” creatures. They marched for days, weeks, months—yes, even years. The march into the kingdom of the Mushkaren took 20 years.

  Many creatures died along the way from old age. 20 years just for the march? Almost 20 years ago my suffering began. When I think of that time, the scale of this war only truly hits me.

  Exactly, Zeki. The war that lasted over 100 years total isn’t called “The Great War of the Schattenreich” for nothing. With his followers, he could—similar to you, Zeki—lead entire territories of the realm to new splendor.

  Even today you can still recognize some fragments of the infrastructure built back then. Since the march took so long, there was plenty of time to care for the new realm.

  The 80 years of war spent on the Mushkaren’s soil wiped all those efforts out. Countless battles were fought, immense masses of blood spilled. All of it changed the world—understandably.

  Slowly, the process of the eternal cycle of hate, fear, suffering, and grief began.

  With his troops—by then more than half of whom likely weren’t alive anymore—Dayo reached the land of the Mushkaren. The ground was laced with black flowers. The sky was ravaged by thunderstorms. Not a single bit of daylight made it to that place.

  You looked for any life besides the Mushkaren in vain. Their land was so different and yet so similar to ours—only darkness had already won here long ago.

  Then the fighting finally began. After 20 long years of travel, blow after blow hit the free creatures. The Mushkaren’s way of war was terrifyingly distinctive. Almost everyone who lived through this war—undead or living—was left shaken.

  I saw it with my own eyes: how many of my acquaintances lost their lives or their souls. In years 20–40, you could clearly witness the early phase of the war. Dayo had many victories to his name.

  Out of more than 300 battles in that period, the free creatures won 243. But the Mushkaren did not mourn losses.

  For the simple reason that they had been able to grow carefree for over 20… maybe 30,000 years. About 2 million Mushkaren lived for one purpose only: war. The rulers before Dayo had given their lives for peace between creatures.

  Even after that problem was solved and Fiachra signed a peace treaty, no one truly felt safe.

  The Mushkaren set exactly three conditions for peace. I know them so well because my father taught them to me every evening together with a prayer for peace—but that’s another topic.

  The three conditions were: 50% of the Sonnenland’s area, no hostilities against Mushkaren, and the surrender of the then-ruler Alfons III. Alfons himself decided to accept that deal.

  He gave his life for a better future. Dayo stole that opportunity from us and broke two of the three conditions—without remorse.

  After the first 20 years of war, a peace offer finally became possible for the first time. Dayo rejected it and had the Mushkaren’s messenger murdered in cold blood. Still on enemy land, he paraded him in front of the public—like a dog on a leash—for humiliation.

  I don’t have to tell you that King Fiachra was not a fan of actions like that—which brings us to the next turning point.

  Welcome to the war years 40–85: the decisive years of the war. Dayo prepared 9 bell tolls for the Mushkaren.

  Let’s start with the first bell toll: the public humiliation of Fiachra’s brother. Fiachro, as I said, was brought behind enemy lines as a messenger, carrying a letter from the king himself. You can only guess what was written in it.

  His suffering, however, was not going to end anytime soon. Dayo tortured and tormented him for 14 days, before humiliating him as the grand finale before hundreds of thousands—stripping him of every last shred of dignity and will to live.

  That was only the first of nine bell tolls. I said “blow after blow,” so let’s continue immediately.

  The second bell toll covers Fiachra’s reaction when he learned of his brother’s cruel death. We wrote the year 46.

  War year. Fiachro’s death was now three years ago. Fiachra himself appeared at the battlefield of the next bell toll. Dayo thought he was safe—but he did not expect the untamed fury that poured off Fiachra. And that takes us straight into it.

  The sky darkened again. Pitch black. The earth began to tremble. Doom spread—you could feel it, it wore you down. When the first shock finally faded, the next horror became visible in the distance.

  50 gigantic blood-red eyes lit up in the darkness—followed by a speech that still spreads terror to this day. King Fiachra spoke from afar to Dayo and his troops, his voice calm—and yet deafening.

  The sky glowed dark red as Fiachra opened his maw and unleashed the blazing flames hidden inside him.

  “I call out to all free creatures: you have officially delivered your death wish to me.

  I wanted to preserve the peace of this land. Now you will witness my concentrated power. I apologize to all innocent creatures who must lose their lives because of the decisions of their ruler.

  You played with my brother’s life. You despised him and hated him.

  Watch as I play with your lives. Feel the pain. Feel the grief. FEEL THE HATE OF THE MUSHKAREN.”

  Honestly, I was very glad to be present only as a bodiless soul. After that horrific address, everything went completely quiet.

  Right before the explosion, two bell tolls rang out—so shrill and loud that anyone who heard them immediately lost their hearing.

  Then came hell on earth.

  In absolute darkness and total silence, the free creatures were attacked by the Mushkaren.

  During the charge of those bastards, the only thing Dayo’s troops could perceive was the trembling of the earth. Many were brutally slaughtered, mutilated, or worse.

  In between, Fiachra’s untamed madness—his miserable… it was filled with harsh, blazing explosions that struck the entire base of the free creatures. Powerful craters formed from the impacts, and even more powerful Mushkaren stormed the defenseless troops.

  Dayo had to come up with something to answer this. But there was a reason he was the most powerful mage up to that point. His dark magic could hold up against the swarm of Mushkaren.

  Again and again I could make out mighty black-glowing lightning strikes—each one a natural disaster of its own. In total, Dayo made 577 such devastating magic bolts rain down on the enemies.

  I remember Aurelia tortured me with bolts like that too—hers were pure white. Right, Zeki. Dayo used dark magic, after all.

  Each of those lightning strikes left another crater behind—filled with corpses of Mushkaren and free creatures.

  Ruler Dayo had no hesitation about pulverizing his own people with that weapon. Over those four grim years of war, ruler Dayo lost about half his troops. King Fiachra had come with 500,000 Mushkaren—and withdrew again alone.

  700,000 lives erased in a span of 4 years. The only advantage: many of the trapped souls under Dayo could finally find peace and were freed from their role as weapons of war.

  Many of the survivors were—rightly—shaken by the conditions in the kingdom of the Mushkaren. After 4 years in total darkness and silence, King Fiachra finally withdrew.

  The power struggle between him and Dayo left nothing but destruction, grief, and innocent lives.

  Which leads us directly to the third bell toll.

  I call this bell toll “Dayo’s lust for power” for good reason. Many of his creatures no longer wanted to fight for him—which makes sense. I mean, who wants to fight for a ruthless, power-hungry ruler who doesn’t even know his warriors by their number?

  Correctly guessed, Zeki—do you notice something?

  Luma, don’t start drawing conclusions here. I’m not Dayo.

  Exactly, Luma—stay out of my chapter. It’s just me and Zeki here.

  Zeki… Luma, let Frank continue. It was getting interesting.

  As I said, many of his followers refused to keep fighting for him. For Dayo there was only one opinion: his own. He had every one of those “weaklings,” as he called them, tortured—only to heal them, and then torture them again.

  He built himself a realm of followers who had long since stopped serving him out of loyalty.

  During the war, he had to accept many setbacks. Even so, he conquered and successfully defended many territories of the Mushkaren. He was also the only one who could withstand a direct attack from Fiachra.

  After celebrating his “victory” in the first battle against the mighty Mushkaren king by torturing and killing countless of his “faithless traitors”—as he named his shaken comrades—he had his entire army use brute labor to build a wellness region.

  He ordered a massive infrastructure project to give the remaining soldiers in this war at least a little recovery. He called this city Ris Karlen. Across an unbelievable area of 130 square kilometers, he installed every form of calming method imaginable.

  In those quiet years, a lot could be built. Together with his 200,000 motivated workers, he managed to stomp an astonishing facility for inner peace and recovery straight out of the ground.

  When I think about it— a place of recovery for his traumatized soldiers, in the middle of a war? The man was a damn genius. The survivors of the terror were very grateful for this sanctuary, and even Dayo could really use this break during the few years of calm.

  But now let’s get to the bell toll that adds yet another chapter of horror to this story.

  After the completion of the Ris Kalen mega-city, Dayo and his followers could hardly wait to enjoy the main attraction: a gigantic accommodation with various luxury services.

  But this is where the fracture happened. On opening day, the ruler himself set out to enjoy some rest—yet the head of this attraction, one of Dayo’s most devoted followers, could not let him enter the oasis of peace.

  An employee had previously spilled a massive amount of B?renbeeren juice in the ruler’s room. Of course, the person in charge, Nutras, only wanted to offer his leader the very best, and therefore respectfully asked him to wait for the cleaning work—so he could have the perfect experience.

  He also knew this mistake would mean his death, so he gathered all his courage and begged the ruler for forgiveness.

  “We’re in the middle of Ris Kalen and I’m not being let in because B?renbeeren juice was spilled? Stand up—just B?renbeeren juice?” Nutras tried to calm Dayo down, but it was already too late for him and his hard-working staff who had made a mistake.

  Out of nowhere, Dayo completely snapped. Furious, he left the main attraction. His growing hatred became tangible. He reached a completely new form of rage. Naturally, he drew his mighty staff to make it clear to the employees: such missteps would not be tolerated.

  His skin turned the deepest violet, the atmosphere became heavy and crushing. He rose high into the air—almost 150 meters above the building. Up there, he performed a ritual of his dark magic. With erratic movements of his staff, he tore open a massive hole in the sky.

  Onlookers could only watch as dark energy found its way toward Dayo from every direction of the heavens. He glowed in the purest black in the air. And when he had finally charged his power, he unleashed a hail of bombs onto the building.

  They were not ordinary bombs. They were reinforced with vile beings that snatched the souls of those bombarded and locked them forever in a prison of hate. No one in that building was safe from Dayo’s endless wrath.

  Many creatures took their own lives—jumped to certain death—when they saw ruler Dayo in that form above their workplace. The entire building, and everything around it in the surrounding radius, was destroyed and annihilated.

  Dayo banished hundreds of his most loyal creatures into eternal hate because of a simple mishap by a careless employee. They say the crater from this ghastly tragedy can still be seen today.

  Thus Dayo, without realizing it, was warned for the third time in this war by the blooming hand of fate. But his hunger for power knew no limits—everywhere, he had to display that he alone ruled the fate of the free creatures and that of the Mushkaren.

  Dayo was far too sure of his strength, and therefore ignored the warnings with ease.

  Let’s continue with the fourth bell toll. I call this one “Dayo’s Mirror.”

  After the most horrific leader the Sonnenland had ever seen grilled his own comrades and banished them into the worst endless torture machine of damnation, the next warning of fate followed.

  Dayo was struck by terrible suffering. The dark magic he used day after day began to take its toll. He was eaten away piece by piece by his own powers and had to look into even deeper abysses more and more often than he already did.

  I’d love to reveal the secret connected to that very power, but I don’t know it myself. Old tales from my youth only pass down that with such abilities, you can accomplish immense deeds. I bet old Master Eibrau knows something about it.

  Right, Zeki—you have to contact him to solve this riddle.

  Zeki, you should stop reading up on these powers.

  Luma, don’t tell me what I should do or not do. I can’t use those powers anyway, and Aurelia would never use them, I know her.

  Not even if you asked her, Zeki?

  Not even then. I’m sure of that, Luma.

  Fine. But consider yourself warned.

  Luma, stop butting into my story all the time, damn it, you little fruit—my precious readers are getting all worked up.

  Dear readers from far away, I apologize, but unlike you, I exist in this world—taking precautions isn’t wrong.

  Off you go, Luma. I want to continue.

  Where was I? Right—those immense powers you could gain through dark magic carried risks. Dayo became more radical with every passing day, and that also showed in a fateful encounter.

  In the Sonnenland, there was a great belief in two legendary beings who always found their way into this world whenever fate threatened to tip. No one knew what they looked like, what they were called, or how they sounded.

  No data was ever gathered about them—yet belief in them was so strong that they could, with ease, convince the entire Sonnenland.

  They say these beings could, on their own, save the world from looming doom—or set the land ablaze. The decision was left solely to the one who encountered them.

  Well… SURPRISE!

  Gotti-Gottfried, if you take one single step out of that door, that’s it for your presence. Do we understand each other?

  Mind your tongue, good sir—AND DON’T SCREAM LIKE THAT, YOU HALF PORTION, OTHER RESIDENTS WANT TO SLEEP!

  Frank, if you lose it, that’s it for your chapter. Do we understand each other?

  Lucky you. Sleep well, Gotti-son-of-a-bitch.

  The lower folk will kindly refrain from ruining my mood.

  I SAID SLEEP WELL.

  Alright, friends—Gotti-Gottfried, go to sleep. Frank, calm down.

  Why is Luma the only squatter in my head who can behave halfway decently—honestly? Friends, stop making such a racket, please. All I get from it are headaches.

  I don’t want to be plagued by endless headaches. I don’t know why, but I think that fate is reserved for a duck.

  So—are we all understood?

  Sure, Zeki, if you want it that way.

  How about you, Frank—do you want to say something too?

  It’s fine, Zeki.

  Good. I’m not going to wake Gotti-Gottfried now. Please continue, Frank.

  Well… surprise! Dayo was chosen to meet the legendary beings and… surprise! He completely shit the bed.

  The quiet years had ended. Dayo’s troop was gaining more and more territory—by now, more than 40% of the Mushkarenland had become territory of the free creatures, and it kept growing. Little by little, a noticeable fatigue could be seen among the troops of the Mushkaren.

  The attack waves were no longer as large in scale. Dayo could take a well-earned break from his job as terror-driver and war criminal and go on a journey through his conquered lands.

  On this walk, he reached the H?llenberg—an ancient volcano that slept deeply, but was ready to awaken. He stepped through the deep red glowing gate into the interior of the mountain. Even the Mushkaren, with their heat-resistant bodies, did not dare enter that environment.

  Dayo, however, didn’t care. By now he had more than enough suffering souls trapped in his mighty staff of dark magic to easily drench himself in the cool screams of his followers—caught in an endless expanse of suffering.

  So he wandered deeper and deeper into the sleeping volcano, and once he reached its heart, he could feel an extraordinary presence. The heavy air that had ruled the path within the volcano suddenly became light.

  The atmosphere that would have dealt any creature a fatal blow dissolved into nothing. The bestial stench of burned creatures who had dared to enter the volcano was gone, as if it had never been.

  Dayo could have lowered his shield of the suffering—but he didn’t. He liked listening to the tormented souls as they turned their pain into sound.

  You can probably guess it—even if not… spoiler alert: the place Dayo had entered was the home of the two legendary beings. Apparently they lived in the middle of that hell so only the chosen could ever visit.

  The entrance to this paradise within the flames sealed shut, and Dayo was forced to act. A dark, loud voice rose within the chamber. No one could be seen, and yet the voice was clear and unmistakable.

  “Greetings, Dayo Amrotius III. It has been a long time since I have seen a human in my chambers. Tell me—how does a human reach my home? You should normally burn after three meters.”

  Dayo hesitated with his answer. Of course he couldn’t reveal how he truly made it into the room.

  So he did what, in his view, was the only right thing in that situation: he lied to save his ass.

  “I just walked in. I can’t explain why.”

  But Dayo hadn’t counted on legendary beings. He was exposed.

  “Well then, I will explain it to you. I don’t know if you realize it, but I, too, can perceive the screams coming from the direction of your staff of dark magic. A human born as a golden mage, meant for greater things—yet fallen to dark magic.

  You are giving me yet another reason to wipe out humans.

  I count well over 300,000 souls in your store. Tell me—what intentions do you have in using this valuable power?”

  Dayo finally surrendered to the truth, because his attempts to lie would surely fail.

  “I want to save the Sonnenland. Every creature should be able to walk in freedom and bliss.

  I want to lead my followers into better times and build this world together with them.”

  One might say Dayo pursued noble goals and gave his will to a better future—but that was not the case. The legendary being corrected him.

  “Good. Your intentions correspond to the truth. But tell me: if you want to save the Sonnenland, why has it already become the Schattenreich? If every creature is meant to swim in happiness—why not the Mushkaren? Tell me—”

  “I think—”

  “DO NOT DARE INTERRUPT ME, DAYO AMROTIUS III, OR YOU WILL FEEL THE DIFFERENCE IN POWER BETWEEN YOU AND ME.

  Now, if you will excuse me—where was I? Tell me: if you want to lead your followers into glorious times and build the world with them, why do I hear over 300,000 screams of lament from your staff?

  Why are you not leading your followers into glorious times, but wandering with them into the hell you created yourself?”

  Dayo was speechless—understandably. He had no choice but to confront his deeds and accept the truth about himself.

  “I thought as much. You wouldn’t be able to get a word out when someone holds up the mirror of your repressed actions. You are the best example of what happens to a human when he is given too much power.

  Get out of my sight. I do not need to curse you—you are already doomed.”

  Dayo didn’t know how to react. He thought through many plans.

  “Don’t even think of fighting me. Leave.”

  Dayo had only briefly considered which techniques might defeat this opponent—but even that move was effortlessly countered by the legendary being. Now he could do nothing but flee miserably.

  Surely the truth about himself pained him. But what angered him even more was how this legendary being treated his race—humans.

  Because I was killed in a ritual of the ruler, my soul was bound to him. I was one of the 300,000 screaming—good for you, though, because now I can finally tell this forgotten story.

  After this encounter, Dayo made many plans for how to proceed. Among them: he decided to blow up the H?llenberg entirely—securing his revenge for the insults against humans.

  Now to the end of my chapter. With the fourth bell toll, I’ve told you enough for now. The rest you’ll learn when I see you in person. Alright, Zeki?

  I’d actually like to hear more stories, Frank. It distracts from my own crap.

  Zeki, you shouldn’t distract yourself. You should look.

  Luma, I know what I’m doing, thanks.

  Well then—let me at least finish telling you the fourth bell toll, Zeki.

  In the days after the encounter, Dayo suffered severe psychological swings. His personality changes had been known before, but not to this extent.

  I know it exactly, because I clung to Dayo like a burr so I wouldn’t perish miserably in the creature world.

  Every day he forged a new attack strategy. He kept saying, more and more often, “I can’t let this stand. I didn’t come this far for nothing,” to himself. Apparently humans begin to believe what they tell themselves if they repeat it often enough.

  Every evening he indulged in the suffering souls trapped in hell, and he loved raising the temperature even further so he could enjoy the endless torment of his followers. You could say that in this difficult phase, it was his only comfort.

  After about three weeks of sorrow, outbursts of rage, and confessions of hate, Dayo approached the H?llenberg again—this time with a plan that would put the bombardment of Ris Kalen to shame.

  He made it his mission to drive that legendary being—who had humiliated him and his race—out of its land through targeted revenge. So once again he rose high into the air, positioned himself above the mouth of the volcano, and began spreading terror.

  The echo of the suffering souls that served as a battery for Dayo’s atrocities rang far across Dayo’s new realm. No one could fail to hear it. Those screams, driven by pure suffering, grew sharper and more unbearable with every passing second.

  The ruler glowed again in the deepest black in the sky. The black currents of magic moving toward him certainly didn’t make it better.

  He charged up—and with every second he gained power, he squeezed the last drop of suffering out of countless souls.

  Then it was finally time. Dayo was ready to pull off his biggest coup yet. He lifted his staff, spoke a ritual into the air in twisted words, then drew a pitch-black symbol with the staff.

  The sky darkened. The concentrated screams of lament rose to a volume so intense that within tens of kilometers it caused hearing damage. The atmosphere grew more aggressive, the air more crushing. The sky began to vibrate under the immense power about to be unleashed.

  Just before releasing the most powerful magic beam the creature world had ever seen, even Dayo visibly suffered under his own tactics. He wanted to squeeze the maximum from his power, so he drove himself deeper and deeper into the glowing darkness.

  Now he had reached maximum power. He was about to aim the black beam at the volcano when a voice rang out—louder than the wailing souls.

  “DAYO AMROTIUS III—FIRE THAT BEAM AT OUR CHAMBERS AND FEEL THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WILL AWAIT YOU.”

  But it didn’t disturb Dayo in the slightest. The sky flashed—five minutes long, the dark realm became a single bright, shining spot.

  At the end, you could hear only an immense whistling tone. Dayo had blown apart the entire volcano with one attack and annihilated countless innocent lives in the surrounding area.

  Even today, at that place, you can hear the shrill tones of the tormented souls that were squeezed dry and used for this attack.

  And with that, I want to end my chapter.

  Zeki, thank you for lending me your hand and reading my story together with the other squatters. I hope you were able to understand my actions toward you. This is not meant as a justification for my methods—only a perspective that might shift the weight of things.

  And to you as well, dear readers, my thanks are owed. You are the ones who decide who is good or evil. Sure, you have repeatedly seen sides of me that were not appealing—but I hope I was able to explain here why I did what I did.

  Luma, I also have to apologize to you. In this chapter I kept taking your voice away, treated you like a squatter in Zeki’s head.

  I didn’t want to miss my chance to pour my thoughts, my torment, my voice—simply all of me—into this chapter. In my position, finding a personality so young and yet so strong is like hitting the jackpot at Edi Edharts.

  Because you, dear Zeki, lent me your hand, I was able to tell my story and I won’t be forgotten. Thank you again for that. Noble sir, I hereby allow you to apologize to my humble self as well.

  GOTTI-GOTFFRIED, YOU MISERABLE JUICE-SACK—OF COURSE I KNEW YOU’D RUIN THIS MOMENT. YOU SEWER RAT, YOU EMBARRASSMENT, YOU TRUMPET, YOU GRASS-PICKER, YOU… FUCKING… WASTE OF OXYGEN—I’M GOING TO KILL YOU. OH YEAH, DARE IT, LIE-LORD—COME TO ME, BACK OF THE HEAD, LEG 8, 7711, ZEKI’S HEAD.

  IT JUST PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH THAT YOU WANT TO PLAY THE HERO HERE. I KNOW YOU. WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU ARE, WHERE YOU’RE FROM—I KNOW YOU INSIDE OUT, YOU GOULASH-HEAD, YOU CHATTERBOX, YOU LONG-NOSED CLOWN.

  NOW! QUIET! ARE YOU ALL INSANE, YOU ABOMINATIONS—FRANK, SHUT UP, GOTTI-GOTTFRIED, SHUT UP, AND LUMA, FOR FUCK’S SAKE—SHUT! YOUR! MOUTH! I DON’T WANT TO DIE OF HEADACHES EVERY SINGLE TIME. YOU DAMN SONS OF BITCHES, BEHAVE IN MY HEAD:

  What did I just do, Zeki? OH MAN, NOW THE NEIGHBORS ARE KNOCKING TOO—WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM ME NOW?

  Zeki, what did you do? Are you stupid? That’s right, Zeki—they deserved it. I will refrain, Master. YES, DAMN IT, I KILLED THOSE MISERABLE TOADS. I SLAUGHTERED THEM. I PLAYED FOOTBALL WITH THEIR HEADS—AND YOU KNOW WHY? SIMPLY BECAUSE I CAN.

  BECAUSE I HAD THE URGE TO KICK THAT SON OF A BITCH TO THE MOON. CALM DOWN NOW, ZEKI—I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?

  I… I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say—what did I do? Luma, tell me—what did I just do? Please, Luma, don’t leave me. TELL ME, DAMN IT.

  Didn’t you just see that, Zeki?

  No. I was completely in a rage.

  Zeki, you murdered your neighbors—a toad family, with a small child. You didn’t just murder them—you dismembered them and leveled their house with a single shot. You ripped every bit of life out of them.

  I… I… that wasn’t me. I can’t remember doing it.

  If it wasn’t you, then look outside your door—see what kind of battlefield is out there.

  That can’t be. Did I really do that? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME—AHHHHH—I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE; JUST FUCK OFF, LEAVE ME ALONE, FUCK OFF, FUCK OFF, FUCK OFF, DAMN IT.

  Zeki, you just took an innocent family out of this world.

  Innocent? INNOCENT? I have to listen every damn day to how that fat toad pleasures his wife—and then that shitty kid, EVERY 20 MINUTES IT STARTS CRYING, I HATE IT.

  I CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT BECAUSE HIS UGLY WIFE SCREAMS HER BODY OUT OF HER SOUL, AND THEY GET MAD WHEN I SCREAM ONCE? With all due love, Luma, they are anything but innocent.

  Zeki, honestly—can you justify playing with life like this?

  Luma, honestly—of course I can. Who’s going to stop me?

  I figured. You’re very strong. But do you know what real strength is? Not how many wars you’ve won. Not how many enemies you’ve killed. Not how short your fuse is—but how you treat those who are weaker.

  Sure, it’s easy to treat creatures that can’t match your strength like dirt. But real strength comes precisely from those situations where you meet weaker creatures at eye level.

  Zeki, I’m sorry for you, but you have to hear this—if you haven’t already read it yourself. You’re telling a story here: your life. Even if you fight against it—you’re not always the hero.

  Actions like what you just did show nothing but weakness. You love saying you’re the leader who takes creatures by the hand and walks with them into better times.

  You claim you’re the chosen king who will bring the Schattenreich back to new splendor. If you’re going to give speeches that big—THEN SHOW IT, DAMN IT. THEN BE THE ONE WHO DOES IT AND SAVES THIS WORLD.

  But I have to tell you honestly: I’ve known you longer than you’d like. The Zeki from before—with dreams, with hopes, WITH GOALS—that Zeki has been gone for a long time. Weathered in his own suffering. Bitter inside his own story.

  ZEKI, BOY, I CAN’T WATCH ANYMORE AS YOU DRIVE YOUR GOALS INTO A WALL WITH EVERY NEW ACTION. WITH EVERY CHAPTER IN THIS BOOK YOU MOVE FARTHER FROM YOUR PATH, and honestly—IT’S DESTROYING ME TO SEE YOU LIKE THIS.

  But, Luma…

  QUIET NOW, ZEKI. NOW I’M TALKING. YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS.

  You laugh at Dayo and think what a bastard he is, but you don’t see THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY BECOME DAYO. I just want to prevent this story from repeating itself and you making the same mistake Dayo made back then.

  Honestly, it scares me that it didn’t hit you during Frank’s story. YOU and DAYO have more in common than you’d like, so PLEASE, ZEKI—PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE—I’M BEGGING YOU—DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. I’M HERE. YOU HAVE HELP.

  Sure, Luma. My life isn’t perfect. Even I—surprise—make mistakes. Even I have emotions. Even I didn’t overlook that I’m not the hero I wished I was.

  I can tell you: it’s not exactly easy to carry the whole world on my shoulders.

  I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THIS, LUMA. I WAS FORCED INTO IT. MY MISERABLE SUFFERING SHOULD FINALLY END. WHY ME? Why… why… why… why… WHY THE FUCK ME—WHAT DID I DO TO YOU, TELL ME.

  YOU! I KNOW YOU’RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW—WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? FREE ME FROM MY SUFFERING. WHY COULDN’T I JUST DIE?

  WHY COULDN’T CHEF LE FAVRE JUST LET ME LIE IN THE SUN? WHY DID I WAKE UP AFTER RESUSCITATION AT BI-SHI-ZU? WHY COULDN’T I DECORATE VIKTORIA’S THRONE WITH MY DRAINED CORPSE? I JUST WANT TO DIE, BUT I’M NOT ALLOWED TO. Luma, do you understand? I’M NOT ALLOWED TO DIE. SOMETHING IS KEEPING ME HERE.

  Well, you’re the main character, Zeki—that’s why.

  WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU NOW?

  I’m the author of your life, Zeki.

  WHY AM I NOT ALLOWED TO DIE—TELL ME… TELL ME, DAMN IT—WHY DO YOU LET ME FLOP AROUND LIKE A FISH ON BI-SHI-ZU’S HOOK?

  JUST FINALLY DEAL ME THE KILLING BLOW, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE—JUST KILL ME. I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT.

  Zeki, you still have two whole books to write. I can’t just take away my beloved main character like that.

  I couldn’t even finish the first book without throwing my whole life away—AND YOU EXPECT TWO MORE BOOKS FROM ME?

  To hell with your books, you son of a bitch.

  Tough luck, Zeki. Against fate, even you are powerless.

  How the rest of your life goes depends entirely on you, bestselling author.

  That’s it. I just need a break from all of this. Who the hell set me up?

  Thanks, you bastard, for this ending to my chapter.

  Frank—who do you think gave you your name? If you still want to tell your stories in this book, then get your shit together.

  Did you like it?