Crunch... crunch…
Corpses lay scattered across a battlefield drenched in blood and ash.
An armored man, his spear soaked crimson, wandered aimlessly through the desolation—a grim silhouette amidst a scene that resembled hell itself.
His eyes, dull and lifeless, mirrored the carnage around him. He scanned the horizon for any sign of life, but the silence mocked his search.
Despite his grievous wounds, his face bore no expression, and his breath came shallow, as though he teetered on the edge of existence.
If not for his faint movement, one might have mistaken him for another lifeless husk among the dead.
Thud!
His legs gave out, and he slumped against a crumbling wall. Turning his gaze to the red-streaked sky, a bitter laugh escaped his cracked lips.
'Hah... If only they hadn't fled and fought to the bitter end... Not that it matters now.'
Memories surged unbidden, giving way to a flood of regret and reflection.
His mind reeled as he questioned the choices that had led him here, his breathing growing fainter.
Death's embrace whispered its siren song, tempting him with rest he dared not take before. But now, with his loved ones gone and his mission complete, the idea of surrender no longer seemed so unbearable.
As the shadows deepened and his vision blurred, faint footsteps reached his ears.
Tap... tap... tap...
Curiosity flickered to life. Who could still be alive amidst this wasteland? He lifted his head, his gaze settling on an approaching figure.
A woman.
She wore a flowing white dress that defied the grim surroundings, her every step exuding an otherworldly grace, as if the world itself bent to accommodate her.
Her beauty was striking, her features delicate yet commanding. The stark contrast between her ethereal form and the devastation surrounding her made the sight almost surreal.
Recognition dawned on him almost immediately.
'The soul of the planet, Miratheris.'
As though sensing his realization, the woman paused mid-step and turned toward him. Their gazes locked, and for a brief moment, time seemed to still.
Pat... pat... pat...
She approached, her movements unhurried, soft as the breeze while keeping eye contact.
Stopping a few steps away, she studied him with astonishment and intrigue.
"Incredible," she murmured, her voice lilting and resonant, like a melody carried through the ages.
"To think a soul still lingers here. When I awakened, I expected to find the land defiled and the Outer Gods roaming unopposed. Yet here you are, alive amidst a graveyard."
The man offered no response, his weary eyes fixed on her as though debating whether she was real or another cruel mirage.
"Child," she continued, stepping closer. Her voice grew softer, tinged with something akin to reverence.
"You are the last remnant of this world's defenders. The others fled, abandoning their posts, leaving only you to stand against the tide. Tell me, did you truly vanquish the Outer Gods?"
She reached out, her fingertips brushing his bloodied cheek. The touch was cool, almost soothing.
"Such a feat deserves recognition," she declared, her tone shifting to something regal.
"As the spirit of this land, I shall grant you a single wish. For standing against the invaders, for shielding me to the bitter end—name your desire, and it shall be so."
Her words stirred him from his stupor. His unfocused gaze sharpened, molten gold eyes locking onto her grey ones.
"A wish?" he rasped, his voice barely audible.
She nodded. "Indeed. Speak, and let the longing in your heart be known. Do you yearn to reunite with your family? Or perhaps you wish for the return of a lost lover? Whatever you seek, I shall fulfill it."
The man's thoughts drifted to the past as painful memories re-emerged. He recalled how it all began:
He had been a soldier drafted to fight an alien force, lured by a promise of protecting humanity.
But the truth revealed itself—he was nothing more than a pawn in a futile war against monstrosities that neither tired nor ended.
These horrors, thralls of the Outer Gods, had been biding their time, waiting for the planet's feeble barriers to collapse.
Even as heroes rose and fell, fighting desperately to honor ancient oaths, humanity's leaders had abandoned the cause. Cowards. Traitors. They fled aboard great vessels, leaving their home and their people to perish.
The man's molten gaze returned to the woman. Her piercing eyes seemed to see through him, waiting patiently for his answer.
His voice, rough with desperation, broke the silence. "I want to go back."
She tilted her head, her expression curious. "Go back? To what do you refer, child?"
"To the time before it all began," he answered firmly, his eyes burning with fiery resolve. "Before this war. Before the Outer Gods."
The spirit's lips curved into a faint smile, though her gaze turned contemplative.
"Oh, how fascinating. You would forsake this victory to tempt fate anew? To relive the trials that brought you here?"
Her voice grew grave. "I must warn you, young warrior. Returning to your past may awaken forces best left undisturbed. You risk not only yourself but the fragile threads of this world's fate."
His shoulders slumped as her words sank in, his head lowering in resignation. Yet the silence between them lingered, heavy with possibility.
"Still..." she mused, a hint of mischief entering her tone.
"Allow me to share a secret. We spirits of the planet each possess a singular gift, one power that defies the natural order. It is a force that can rewrite reality itself, though it may be used but once."
She circled him slowly, her long white hair trailing behind like mist. "Do you wonder what mine is?" She chuckled lightly. "It is called Rewind. Surely you can guess its purpose, yes?"
From her outstretched hand, a silvery sphere materialized, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.
The man's time seemed to be running out. He could still hear the woman's ethereal voice, but he no longer had the strength to respond. Moments before, he had lost his sight, and now a faint buzz filled his ears.
"Since you have made your wish, I shall honor it," she said, her voice resonating with finality. "Brace yourself, young warrior. For this is the path you have chosen."
She released the sphere, letting it slowly drift downward as she chanted.
"
By blood of the fallen and breath of the void,
By threads of fate that Time itself destroyed—
I unravel the weave of the hands that decree,
And cast you adrift in the tides of 'What Be.'
"
As she spun around the slowly drifting sphere with feather-like steps, her chant continued unabated.
"
Child of the ash, you who stood where none dared,
Take now the dawn that the cosmos has spared.
"
The instant it touched the ground, the world shuddered. A deafening silence fell, followed by an overwhelming surge of motion as reality seemed to unravel alongside the last of the lady's chant.
"Rotate, O Wheel of the Unwritten Dawn—
Undo."
The man's vision blurred, the battlefield dissolving into blinding light. Through the chaos, the spirit's voice reached him one last time, her laughter echoing in the void.
"I can barely stand the wait—"
Ting-ting... whsssshh... pwaaaah…
"Until our souls unite once more."