(นิยายภาษาอังกฤษ) Altera Chronicles

ลำดับตอนที่ #1 : Prologue I: The Beginning of The End

Prologue

The Beginning of The End 

Judas proudly strode through the broad, dimly-lit hallway of his castle, unable to contain the mischievous laughter he had been holding inside for so long. Today he had chosen to wear a white and yellow cloak made out of the most expensive fabric he could find in his wardrobe, just for this special occasion. It had been centuries since he felt such a thrill, and he was not going to let anything stop him from doing what he was planning to, not even his servant, Eves, who was hurryingly catching up to him from behind. And unlike his master who wore luxurious and comfortable clothing, Eves only had a simple shirt and worn-down pants.

         “My lord, please rethink your decisions!”, the lowly servant yelled out, now practically sprinting just to simply catch up to his master’s pace, “I am telling you; this is not a good idea!”

         Judas, however, did not give a care in the world to his servant’s words as he continued to march forward, heading towards the large double doors at the end of the hallway. As he approached his destination, Judas lifted his arms to his side and pushed the doors open with little to no effort, prompting Eves to stop in his tracks and cover his ears from the loud creaking.

         Not long after, the double doors swung open, revealing a spacious circular room, lit up by purple-flamed torches on the walls and large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Long black spikes and beautiful carvings adorned the circumference. Black podiums acting as a platform for various sculptures of beastly creatures were scattered all over the room. Numerous unique and otherworldly artifacts, such as a golden staff that glowed purple at the tip or a black dagger that emitted a dark mysterious glow, could be seen displayed inside a museum-like glass that were placed all around the perimeter.

In the center of this grand room was a wide circular table made entirely out of dark bricks with a translucent glass covering the top. Levitating in the middle of the table was a massive black cube that rotated in place. Small cracks littered its entire surface and pieces of debris circled the cube as muffled sounds and purple light wafted out of the rift in the cracks.

Finally, towards the furthest wall of the room, hung a large elegant portrait of none other than Judas himself. The portrait was painted by the most skilled artist in all the realms of Elena, and it was specifically painted in a way that flawlessly highlighted Judas’s ethereal appearance and features—his astonishingly beautiful face, his long obsidian hair and fingernails, his eight graceful pair of wings that sprouted from his back, and his magnificent medium-length horns that protruded from his head. Below the painting was a lengthy, golden rectangular plate, carved with the words: Judas the Treacherous. A given title that Judas cherished. A title befitting of the most powerful Demon Lord the Abyss has ever known. A title obtained by spilling blood.

         Judas spared a moment to close his eyes and take in a deep breath of fresh air inside his most favorite room inside his castle.

         “My lord?” Eves suddenly spoke out from behind his back, causing Judas to snap out of his trance.

         He swiftly swirled his head around, the mischievous smile still wide on his face, “Ah, if it isn’t my favorite servant.” His voice carried a playful lilt, his tone light and pleasing, like a cat toying with its prey. “What is it that you want from your master?” He asked, leaning forward and staring intently into the soul of his lowly servant.

         Beads of sweat began forming on Eves’s forehead and soon he began to tremble uncontrollably. He had served under Judas long enough to know that this meant he was in trouble, and Eves was desperately forming the words in his mouth, “I-I was just w-wondering if you had really thought this through, m-my lord.” He replied.

         “I have.” Judas answered almost instantly, “Is there a problem?” He raised his eyebrow in a sarcastic manner.

         Eves took a moment before replying, “Well, it’s just that… t-the last time you did something like this, Elena was e-extremely furious by your actions and personally sent you a message, warning you to s-stop before she takes matters into her o-own hands.” Upon finishing his response, Eves immediately looked down at the ground, hopelessly praying to be safe from Judas’s wrath.

         “Oh, Eves.” Judas disappointingly shook his head, “If you think that I am even slightly afraid by that deranged woman, then you are an even bigger fool than I thought.” He pointed his finger at Eves infuriatingly.

         Startled, Eves responded, “I did not mean by that, my lord. I am simply just worried for your safety. Can you imagine the catastrophe that could unfold should she ever come down…” The words slowly faded away from his tongue as he realized the sudden change in his master’s expression.

         “You know, Eves.” Judas interjected, his tone now no longer light and playful, and his face no longer rested that once playful and sinister smile. “I miss the old days where you were still obedient like a dog.” He continued, staring intently into the lowly servant’s eyes. “You no longer amuse anymore.” He finished off before snapping his fingers in the air, causing a slight sonic boom in the room.

         Before Eves could speak another word, before he could even comprehend what was happening, his scrawny body began to fade into dust from his head to toe within seconds.

         Judas let out a disappointed sigh, guess I’ll just have to find another one. With this he turned back towards the table with a giant cube in the center of the room and began walking towards it.

         As he stepped closer to the table, a devious smirk flitted across his face and his fingers tingled in anticipation. Leaning forward, he pressed his finger against the translucent glass before him. Upon contact, the glass transformed into a portal-like screen, projecting a live image of Altera, the unfortunate realm that was chosen to undergo his scheme.

Judas's eyes fixated on the screen, capturing the sight of mountains, trees, and birds soaring beneath the clear sky. A wild thrill surged within him, causing his fingers to fidget with excitement as he contemplated where to unleash his masterful plan. He began swiping across the image on the glass, searching for the perfect location for his orchestrated plot.    

After scanning the landscape for some time, he came to a sudden stop when he spotted a vast desert on the screen. Leaning in closer, he observed the area intently, and his grin widened further, exposing his sharp teeth, as he had found exactly what he wanted.

         Perfect! He thought to himself with excitement, holding his right arm up in front of his torso and slowly unfurled his long fingers. Suddenly, abyssal matter began forming on his palm, slowly merging into a fixed shape.

         As he watched it neatly forming into a diamond-shaped crystal, Judas’s devious smile grew so wide that it touched the tips of his ears. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he watched the crystal float in his palm before grabbing it with a firm grip. With a flourish, he dropped the crystal into the portal-like screen on the table and into the mystical land of Altera.

         Judas clenched his hands together, his gaze fixed on the object, his grin unwavering as it descended into the realm of Altera below. Filled with a sense of purpose, he deactivated the portal screen and left the room, whistling and humming with excitement. 

Now we wait…

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