They're two things James know about himself. First, he doesn't trust anyone. Which makes sense as he was betrayed ever since his childhood at his orphanage.
From when he found out that the nun which he consider a mother was responsible for him being punished for crimes he never committed and everyone was covering for her, which he responded by burning the entire orphanage With everyone inside. To his supposed best friend who Manipulated him then got burnt alive by him. To the many clients that tried to finish him off only to end up six feet underground.
Those were more than enough reasons to not trust anyone. And with the kind of people he's facing, he knew that he'll have to be better than whoever will want him dead. Luckily, his survival at the orphanage, experience with other assassins, and the general ancient, modem and even fictional knowledge he acquired kept him alive and going.
Which explains the next thing about him, he's a die hard. He escaped every known prisons, survived every known tortures and killed every known assassins just to come back and kill the one behind it and the known associates. And that made him a Hitman no one wants to mess with. A man almost considered invincible, until a Hitler wannabe found the smartest way to take him out, nuke the entire city.
Normally, James would have considered it a little bit overkill but knowing his own past and feats, he shouldn't be surprised. With how dangerous he now was and how easy and boring things now where, it was only a matter of time before a psychopaths would think of something extreme. And that extreme finally blasted on his face in the form of a nuke. Well, it seems to have paid off cause now, he's dead.
Or so he thought, as right now, he's floating in an endless void. And after waiting for so long, he finally asked the one question he believed represent all questions: "WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON?"
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"....Ookayyy. Wrong expression." Then, suddenly, darkness started to gather and form right before him. It started becoming bigger, then bigger, then bigger till it formed a giant being of pure darkness.
It was completely covered with armor, it metal surfaces reflecting off lights like the purest steel, though James wondered where the light was coming from. And his face was covered by a helmet with three giant curved horns hanging on the top like a dark, majestic crown. It's hair being purple flames gently blazed like a tamed wildfire. And it shadow cape flowed behind it in an air of superiority. And finally, it's gaze from it's purple light filled eyes and it's aura both screamed of a divine and ultimate predator.
James has met people and horrors more than he could count. He has been in death door so much it finally bored him. But this, this was true fear.
The entity narrowed it eyes at him as if judging his entire existence. Then, after a long silence, spoke "Thy soul is dark and corrupted. Thy mind is filled with hatred and vengeance, and they aura is filled with malice and deception. Thou are a being of pure evil and darkness." Each word was filled with the tone of a divine judge who was describing his fate being the darkest and most abominable one ever.
"However, thou evilness and darkness protect thy core. Thy core being pure, fragile." Now, despite it's clear confusion, it's words were like a being describing the purest and most beautiful part of existence to have encountered.
The being closed it's eyes, trying to completely understand the mortal. After a while, it opened it's eyes to address him "Thou are a being willing to sacrifice everything to protect what thou hold dear, even thy existence. A being whose judgment is divine. A being still deserving hope." This time, it spoke like a sage who understood the universe, with a hint of admiration.
James didn't know what to say. All his life, he believed that he was damned. That he was beyond salvation. That the hatred he received in life won't be different when dead. To hear that he still has something pure in him, that there's still hope to save him, from someone honest, bought him so much happiness, he started to cry. A cry so long, he believed he held up since the orphanage incident.
After he was done shedding tears, he cleaned his face, then tried to look as decent as he can in front of his savior. "I don't know what to say... Except thank you... Uhh?"
"Ashborn. The shadow monarch." The being finally introduced itself. "Though thy hope will not come easy, as darkness might intend to consume thee. Thou must be able to use thy darkness to defend thy light. Thou are ready?"
James understood what the monarch meant. As his past was so dark even faith deny him hope. So if he wants to defend whatever light he has left from the overflowing outer darkness, then he'll have to fight fire with fire.
Seeing his resolve, Ashborn made it's decision. Embers of darkness started leaking out of the monarch before enveloping James. " I have given thee another chance to live. Use it well . And when the time comes, I'm sure thou will know what to do." And then,.... He was gone.
"Do thou believe he is worthy?" Ashborn turned to look at a smaller giant. It was covered in pitch black armor, a single large horn on it's helmet and a black loincloth on it's waist. It's shoulder plates was formed like the upper jaw of dragon like monsters. And flames erupted from not only it's head like a flaming hair but also from it's back like divine wings.
"Yes, Bellion For I believe he has what it takes to be my successor." Ashborn replied.
"As thy wish my liege " Bellion bowed down to it's king before they both looked at where James once was.
"Study him. And when he is ready, thou shalt test him."
"As thy wish my liege."
IN ANOTHER WORLD
In a Faraway village surrounded by a thick forest, a giant silver white dragon was destroying everything around it, killing people in the process.
Civilians where evacuating the area , trying to get to a safer place. While knights and and adventurers were charging at the beast , trying to defeat it. But none were successful.
In a certain house , however, a man was staying there without caring much about the dragon while drinking a bottle of rum. In front of him was a woman who was on a bed , looking so pale and sickly that she might die any second.
But that wasn't the only problem, as her endless wounds and bruises are proofs of her being abused endlessly. Her night black Hair is a complete mess, her smooth face shows signs of being smashed by hard objects, and her sky blue eyes shows complete fear as she's looking at her torturer while covering herself with a bed sheet.
The man looked through the window at the destroyed neighborhood and frowned. "That thing is going to destroy everything. Might as well get out of here while I still can." He said to himself before looking at the woman, his face turning to that of lust. "But why don't I enjoy with you whore before I go?"
She was further frightened when she heard him. "Come here whore! Show me that sweet body of yours!" He ordered as he went to the bed while she backed further to the wall . All seemed to be lost for her until, a miracle happened in the form of a giant paw crushing him completely and narrowly missing her.
When the paw was lifted and nothing else happened, she gave a sigh of relief then unraveled the bed sheet which revealed a pale baby girl being hardly a year old and having a look similar to the woman.
The baby looked at the new scene in front of her then turned to the woman in confusion. The woman just looked at the baby with joy before putting her gently on the floor. "Go on sweetie. Go out and play." She told her.
The baby was looking from the scene to the woman then back to the scene before she started crawling towards the opening but stopped midway. She turned around to at the woman still lying on the bed. "Don't worry sweetie, mommy is right behind you." The woman, confirmed as the baby's mother, assured her.
The baby looked at her mom for a long time, tears rolling down her face, before she raised her right hand and waived it in a childlike manner. "Bye bye." The baby said before crawling away for good.
The mother was surprised, but soon started crying in happiness. No matter how anyone tried to put it, what happened means that her daughter understood and was giving her a farewell.
Due to that , she knew and was glad that her daughter will survive on her own thought her only regret is not being there for her . "Goodbye ..... My love ." Was the last thing she said before closing her eyes, never opening them again .