Symphony to Chaos: A tale of Darkness

The wind howled in despair, whistling like a runaway train. A symphony of fear penetrated the bones of the living beings forced to cross the line, making them vibrate at the same frequency until they turned into dust. The darkness was thick, like a heavy, impenetrable curtain, and no star dared to lend its brightness to illuminate the path.

At the foot of the highest mountain, a faint greenish light indicated that the final destination was approaching. The wooden hut profaned the air with its poisonous thorns embedded in every wall. They had no beginning, no end. No one knew where they came from or if they would go away one day. Perhaps the cabin itself was trying to deter those foolish enough to go there.

Running as if the ground were burning his feet, he ignored all warnings of danger. He carried in his arms a young woman with skin as gray as a rainy day. Life had been drained from her. Not a drop of blood circulated in her veins. No sound came out of her purple mouth. Her eyes, still open, bore the darkness of the deepest abyss. She was empty.

The fearless warrior reached the invisible gates, drew his blue flaming sword, and tore through the magic that protected the place as if it were thin paper. That sword had been forged in the eternal fire of distant lands and handed to him by the one who now withered in his arms like a faded flower.

Surprisingly, the front door was wide open as a deadly invitation. A long aisle led him to another one, then another, and another. The hut was larger on the inside, with passages that seemed to disappear from sight. He was on the verge of madness, being tossed from one maze to another, with no prospect of finding the right way. It was when the green light snatched him away and led him to a cold room.

A throne made of obsidian emerged from the ground without any prior warning. Seated on it was Chaos. His true form was far from human, bearing no resemblance to any known creature. In fact, he could assume any form he wished, stealing anyone’s identity. Fluid like a river, bright like a star, and gloomy like the deathly forest surrounding him.

The horrifying whistle spread by the wind emanated from him. It was the punishment for those crossing the line of fear. That song extinguished the sentenced souls and swept them into absolute nothingness, but not before tormenting them with the truth of their pathetic existence. Everyone, without exception, would go through this judgment, where the sentence was always the same. There was no good, no bad, no just, no unjust. Chaos reigned.

Upon seeing the lifeless young woman in the warrior’s arms, the sovereign Chaos enveloped her with his green light and placed her at the foot of his throne. Assuming a human form, he maintained the arrogant royal air as he bent down to touch her. His eyes carried the same abyss as the woman's. Endless. Empty.

“This is your deed and your deed alone,” Chaos's voice sounded like thunder in the midst of a storm. The warrior was enraged; consumed by grief, by anger, by endless sadness.

“My deed? You killed her, you despicable creature. I saw when you took her vital radiance.”

“I warned you about what would happen if you challenged me, warrior. I do not threaten in vain, nor do I take my word back.” Despite his arrogance, his words carried bitterness. He was suffering.

"Where did you put her? I'll give you a minute to tell me before I rip your fake head off with my sword."

Chaos was amused by the despair of the one in front of him. His cynical smile revealed the intention of torturing the opponent until he begged for mercy. However, it would not be necessary; after all, he had in his possession the only thing that would make the brave warrior surrender.

“Is this what you seek?” 

He stroked the dead woman's long hair with one hand, while used the other one to take from her chest a fascinating sphere with an iridescent glow. The sphere attracted the attention of the two of them like the vortex of endless darkness attracts light. They couldn't escape. Without looking away, the warrior tried to organize the words: 

"Is that…"

“Her vital radiance, yes. Humans call it 'soul'. Stunning, isn't it?”

“That means she hasn't crossed the line yet.”

“No. Not yet.”

“Don’t you dare.”

The warrior drew his flaming sword, which triggered dark laughter from his enemy.

"Stop wasting your time. The sovereign Chaos cannot be killed, your sword wouldn't even scratch me. And yes, I would dare. As much as it destroys me, I would torture and end her mediocre existence forever, just to see you suffer..."

The blue blade cut the air before he finished the sentence, but it did not fulfill its role. The powerful being that ruled the shadows of the world froze the magical flames and directed them towards its owner. The warrior flew until his back hit the wall. Despite the impact, he was physically fine. It was just a warning, but not strong enough to shut him up.

“How can you claim to love her and condemn her like this?” the warrior demanded.

"Yes, I love her,” Chaos screamed. “Since the first day I laid my eyes on her, this awful passion has been consuming me, confusing me. I want her. Do I need to be cruel to make her mine? So be it!”

"I know you can undo this. What do you want?"

"Come on, you are smarter than that. You know what I want."

He knew. He knew exactly what Chaos aimed for. The young woman would not be his if the brave warrior did not surrender. But Chaos couldn't kill him. He was the last being that could not be destroyed by the absolute power of the darkness, as he was born of light. Rising slowly and recognizing there would be no other way out, he knelt and begged:

“Bring her back, I'll do whatever you want. I only ask that you let me see her for a moment.”

“You are in no position to ask me for anything, warrior. But this is what I will do: I will seal my word with my energy so you will know I have no other option but to fulfill it.”

Tears filled the warrior’s eyes as he looked at the gray body laying on the obsidian floor. He reached out to touch her cold face and kissed her forehead.

“Forgive me, my princess, I will always love you. Have a life full of peace.”

The painful goodbye broke him like a crystal glass shattering into a thousand pieces. His heart bled at the idea of breaking the promise he had made to her: that he would always be by her side for all eternity. At least the sorrow would be worth it. It was a last attempt to fulfill another promise: that he would protect her with his own life. And so he was doing.

Standing up, he took the golden feather that Chaos had imbued with his energy and signed the agreement they had reached. The warrior picked up the sword that had been thrown away and, looking at his beloved, plunged it into his own chest. Dark beings could not steal the vital radiance of light-born humans, but light-born humans could put an end to their own existence.

A thin layer of blood covered the fire sword, until the flames were completely extinguished. His vital radiance came out of his mouth, illuminating the entire room. Above the throne, the vortex of endless darkness appeared to collect what belonged to it. 

Slowly, the warrior's body disintegrated like incandescent dust and was sucked into the vortex along with the vital radiance he expelled. In less than a minute, his existence was wiped away, as if he had never set foot in this world. Chaos, who was watching everything avidly, was satisfied and rushed to fulfill his promise. 

Killing her had been the hardest thing he had had to do in all of his immortal life. Now he could bring her back, and she would be his. Little by little, the radiance entered the young girl's nose and filled her body. Her skin was no longer gray, and the most beautiful golden shade adorned her. Her lips, red as the sweetest strawberry, were traced by lines that were both blessing and curse. 

The eyes regained their usual sweetness, abandoning the dark and deep abysm that occupied them minutes ago. A sigh was heard, indicating that the ritual was over. She was alive. When she woke up from her almost eternal sleep, she looked around in fear, seeking her beloved. She was lost, distressed, alone. Her last memory still terrified her: a kiss of death. 

With her vision still blurred, she saw a man next to her and ran to hug him. 

“He kissed me,” she cried. “Chaos gave me the kiss of death.” 

The woman clung to him as tightly as the thorns around the house cling to the wall. A familiar voice answered her and brought relief mixed with tears. 

“Shhhh, it’s okay.” 

“I was so afraid of never seeing you again, my warrior. Where is he? How did you defeat him?” 

The hug continued endlessly. She could not part with her beloved. In her limited understanding, he had freed her from the clutches of the dreaded Chaos. Her vital radiance was present throughout the drama that took place there, and yet she lay in ignorance. 

“I will always be here for you, my princess. You don’t have to worry about Chaos anymore,” the warrior whispered. 

Spontaneously, she threw herself into his arms and kissed his lips sweetly. He looked confused, quickly pushing her away. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

Silence reigned for a few seconds while he understood what had happened. The sacrifice worked, his lips wouldn't hurt her. Realizing the new reality, he desperately ran to kiss her back like a hungry lover. She was finally his. 

“You look different,” she said, almost out of breath.

 “You have no idea the hell I went through without you.” 

“Chaos is gone, now. We will live in peace.” 

He looked at her with compassion and smiled in a strange way. A smile that hid all the secrets kept. 

“Yeah, he’s gone.” 

The young woman was happy! She had just returned from eternal oblivion into the arms of the one who challenged and defeated the sovereign of darkness for love. She was so elated that she got lost in the details. If she had paid attention, she would have noticed much sooner. Her treacherous vision deceived her, and all her joy collapsed like a house of cards. 

As he looked at her with desire, deep down, deep in his eyes, she saw: a green spark; darkness; abysm. The flames of lies burning where there once was light revealed her worst nightmare shaped into the form of her only love. She was alone. Condemned. Terrified. 

The song whistled by the wind ran down her spine, while her weak voice tried to mumble something without success. He was standing before her with a cynical and horrifying smile on his face, expecting her to complete what she was trying to say. She had to say. 

The young woman felt tears burning her eyes, but gathered all the strength she had left to let the name out. The name that could tear down entire worlds. The name that made the earth its kingdom of fun and mocked life with contempt.

"Chaos!"

“Hello, darling”.