Chapter 1: Chapter One – Promise

"How pitiful... Millenniums of reincarnation finally broke your untainted heart that had preserved no matter what you had experienced throughout these thousands of years..."

Underneath the thick clouds, a man sat on the ground. Tattered clothes, sturdy and unbreakable chains wrapping around his skin, akin to the white snow falling from the gloomy skies. This man's appearance was truly pitiful, adding the red and purple hues of bruises, blood and wounds all around his body. His white robes were stained with blood, it was his own blood and nobody else's. His long white hair was in disorder and his overall appearance doesn't look proper at all, unlike him in his highest glory. 

A transparent orb, as small as a speck of dust levitated in front of this man. "Broken but untainted. Your heart is truly beautiful. Much worthy than all the other 'heroes', whose minds and hearts filled with greed and desire upon receiving power and standing..." The transparent orb dimmed as it recalled everything. 

The corruption of heroes, demonic races and the neverending winter...

This man stood all against it by himself. 

"Truly, a hero."

The orb started to move around the man. Since the beginning, it had been by this man's side without any exception. It accompanied but never lent a hand despite the unfair and overwhelming scenarios the man went through.

It only stopped when it finally faced him, only a few centimeters apart.

His eyes were closed and blood was seeping out from the corner of his lips. He looked lifeless but still can look so breathtakingly beautiful and so noble.

He appeared to be unconscious but when an ice-cold snow landed on his eyelid, his lashes fluttered open and his eyes, akin to the green leaves that has long so disappeared, deep and calm, met the transparent orb in front of him.

After a short silence, the man spoke finally. "... I see. Is it time for me to restart again?" His voice was hoarse and rough after being deprived of water for a long time however there was still a faint soothness left. His lips curled but the orb had no reaction.

The man could still smile despite what he went through but... It was a smile filled with pain and anguish. His eyes were void and empty, as if he had lost all hope already. It was expected.

'His heart had already broken.'

At the same time, it thought of that, warm tears fell from the man's eyes to the land covered with snow where he kneeled. "Two thousand and nine hundred ninety-nine lives... It's time for my three thousandth life, isn't it?" 

All his four limbs are chained but he still was given a little bit of freedom to move. He raised his right hand, that has not been broken yet, towards the orb. But he couldn't reach it. Tears brimmed his eyes and his hand fell back to his side. 

Looking at the man's pitiful appearance, the light emitted by the orb continued to dim. "This world is truly cruel... You have suffered too much." But at the same time, he is too kind. To still want to save this world despite how it continued to torment him again and again... The orb thought that, this man is truly stupidly kind and stupidly harsh to his own self. 

When it tried to move closer to the man, however, its light brightened and it changed direction, moving backwards while trembling for a while. With reds in the corner of his eyes, the man stared at the orb blankly. After a while, the orb returned to normal. It was silent for a few seconds before speaking, 

"The gods have decided. You are to start your three thousandth life once this life ends. Everything's still the same, you can do however you want in your new life and body." It moved closer to the man's face and dimmed its light a bit. "For over thousands of years, I have accompanied you. During your highest glory or when you were at your lowest... I have witnessed it all."

Its light gave some shine to the man's eyes, who never once looked away from the orb's form. "You knew me more deeper and longer than my creators, and so do I."

Before the man knew it, the snow falling from the gloomy skies had turned into sharp pieces of ice. Thousands, if not millions fell on his body. His skin was torn and wounded again and again but he gave up resisting pain a few lives ago already. Thus, he paid no mind to the state of his body and stared at the orb who grew dimmer and dimmer as seconds pass with his teary, red eyes.

It was like that until...

Even his eyes were taken away from him. He bled from the eyes but he simply closed them. 

"Do tell me."

The orb glowed and slowly, altered its form from a small transparent sphere into a familiar figure of a human. Long black hair silkily flowed from its shoulders and benevolent eyes staring down at the chained man in front of him. The transparent figure bent its knees and held the man's face with care and tenderness. Its eyes softly met the man's gaze and fixated all of its attention on him.

"I'll grant you, one last favor." 

The blood, the wounds, bruises, and even the scars that had grown on the man's body disappeared without a trace, as if no harm has ever happened to him.

"I've also grown tired of seeing the gods, my creators torment you for hundreds of thousands of years." Its lips curled down upon seeing the look of loss and confusion on the man's face. However, it refused to say anything about itself and simply tucked the long strand of hair on the man's face behind his ear. And then it let his face go and stood up straight.

Long white robes touched the white-covered ground while its bare feet stood on top of the cold snow. 

The man raised his head. 

"Tell me what you wish for."

By granting this man's wish, its creators, the god of this world and the cause of the neverending misery of this man in front of it, would forsake him as their creation, and erase its entire being. 

As it thought of the consequences, it felt that it wouldn't regret its decision. However, if he had one regret, it would be...

"I... A wish...?" Light slowly lit up the man's eyes as he looked up at the figure in front of him. "A wish..." He repeated. 

His lips trembled, from the cold and the emotion rising within his chest. He had a lot of wishes. Wishes for himself and wishes for the greater good. After everything he went through, he felt that none of his wishes would ever come true anymore. He had lost hope for it. However, right now, he was finally, finally given a chance.

And yet, he stayed silent. His brows creased and bit his lips, painfully looking upon the figure.

"A wish, in exchange for something, isn't it?" 

It hesitated to answer. It knew that this man would know if it lied to him, hundreds of thousands of years they had spent with each other, there was nothing they both didn't know about each other.

So, it nodded after a while.

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The man hung his head low and went silent. It could wait, could be with him for an eternity but right now, he was in a hurry. He needed an answer fast.

Voices, overwhelming noises of the gods filled its heads. Anger, complaints, displeasure. It closed its eyes and waited patiently. It can endure.

However, it didn't have to wait long after all. 

"I've lost everything and have nothing to offer. However, I have a wish..."

The man's hoarse voice rang throughout the snowy plain and again, it opened its eyes and met gaze with him. 

"What is it?"

"From the very start of this journey, I have never asked your name and you, also never told me. I wish to know your name."

Its mind went blank upon hearing the wish of this man, who had suffered every kind of torment, torture, and pain known. 

If he wished for the end of his immortality, although it would be difficult it would do anything to grant it.

If he wished for the ruin of everything, it would bring the weapon of destruction from outside the world, release incurable diseases, flood the lands and burn everything.

If he wished for the fall of the heavens, it would kill the highest god and burn the land of the heavens to the ground.

If he wished for the end of the heroes, it would hunt every single one of those corrupted 'heroes' and present their heads to him. 

The righteous man in front of him deserved every apology, gratitude and treasure from everyone. However, all he wanted was its name?

Regardless of what it thought, it didn't question the man's wish and answered.

"███████. That is my name."

The man's eyes lit up. Emotions finally showed on his formerly emotionless face and pale red lips opened. "I see..." His words were barely audible and understandable however it heard him loud and clear. "It suits you."

Truly. 

He is still so foolish and so pure.

It closed its eyes and sighed. 

As he did so, the halo above his head cracked.

"I also have a wish. A wish that not even the gods could grant." Its voice was deep and low, while it looked down on the man with gentleness. "All that I wish for is your happiness."

After hundreds of thousands of years, the corner of its lips raised slightly. Benignly smiling at the man as it placed its hand on his head, and mumbled a chant the man couldn't understand. It took a minute to finish the chant and when it was done, the figure was already disappearing at a fast rate.

The man was puzzled and confused, "What did you do?" It shook his head. The smile on its lips earlier was already gone and all that was left was an expression that showed regret.

"... Do you regret doing this?" He had an idea what it had done but he didn't bring it up. 

"What I regret is not doing this earlier. If I had done this sooner, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much." It moved its hand from the man's hair to his face, caressing it so gently. The man felt drowsiness ever since the chant finished. Despite that, he forced himself to open his eyes. 

"William. Do grant my wish for me, will you?"

"... How am I supposed to live now without you beside me? I've gotten too used to your presence..."

"Once you wake up, you will be surrounded by a loving and warm family. You will be surrounded by friends that care for you. You will find someone to be your significant other, and someone will be by your side until your death. William, you don't have to pick up a sword in this life."

Its whole figure had disappeared, only leaving a single transparent orb left. "I wouldn't be able to watch you anymore. But I wish you well. The gods will not be able to touch you in this life."

William tried to reach out his hand towards the transparent orb but it also crumbled away. 

"Farewell, William. Please be happy."

As soon as everything of the orb was gone, William's eyes blurred and eventually, everything went black. 

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