Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

For the third scenario, Rio found himself atop a tower. In front of him stood a man, holding a sword, still dripping crimson with the blood off the innocents he slaughtered. His face was masked by the shadows, but Rio could still feel the chilling aura of calm in his eyes , like the carnage around him was nothing but a minor inconvenience.

Since the scene was frozen, Rio walked around, taking in the scenery, and trying to guess, or grasp the truth of what was happening here.

It was a new moon's night as Rio didn't spot any glimmer of light in the sky except the stars. The dark clouds floated freely, taking along an eerie sense of peace and dread in the air.

It was the kind of silence that presses against your eardrums and makes your heartbeat thunder in your chest.

The tower was a battlefield, littered with corpses clad in armor marked by a crude symbol of freedom—showing the dead belonged to some sort of army or gang for rebels.

Below, a sea of torches flickered as soldiers and civilians alike swarmed the base, their faces twisted with rage and desperation. Some tried to scale the tower, jumping over each other, while others hurled their weapons, flaming arrows, and even explosives _hoping to bring it down.

Rio ignored everything and walked to the edge and peered over. The city beyond was a patchwork of fire and shadow, its once-proud spires now crumbling under the weight of smoke spreading non-stop.

He turned back to the man with the sword, who's standing alone in the center of it all. The one bathed in blood. The architect behind this massacre and sea of corpses scattered around.

[His name is Kaelion.]

Suddenly the voice spoke, and as if a dam broke loose, a flood of memories poured into Rio's mind unstoppably.

The man who was but a stranger mere moments ago, suddenly seemed to have become the best friend of his. Someone who's been with him for decades. Through every thick and thin.

Like a brother.

Someone for whom he was willing to take a bullet for in a heartbeat. Someone whom he promised to protect and cherish all his life.

Though Rio knew everything was an illusion, that it was all but mere memories of Aelthar passing through his mind just for a trial – his subconscious still couldn't help but get confused between the reality and the fact about how real everything felt.

The face of Kaelion started to shift and morph into something he was very familiar with. The face of his friend whom he missed often, and would love to see again someday.

"Ali," Rio muttered looking ahead, the name slipping out his lips, before he could stop it.

Clearly showing how immersed he was in the falsity of this trial.

The voice of Aelthar didn't explain or speak for this trial, as if even the god wanted to avoid this topic, and not relive this moment.

But that wasn't the case for Rio. If he wanted to go further, to get the legacy of Aelthar _ he had to face this.

According to the new memories in his mind, Rio learned everything about this scenario.

Ali and him — no, Aelthar and Kaelion, were best friends, almost inseparable.

With his power and influence, Aelthar turned this broken kingdom into the world's largest democracy and helped Kaelion succeed to the throne. Making him the first king for a new nation.

But after years of peace and prosperity, while Aelthar moved on amongst the mortals, changing cities and kingdoms to further his experiences_ something happened at the royal palaces which twisted the sweet and innocent Kaelion into a demon hungry for power.

When his reign ended, instead of giving up the throne like he was supposed to, he started to abuse his authority and squash any opposition. Causing unrest among the populace, leading them to take up arms and start a rebellion.

And tonight was the final culmination for this game of thrones.

Knowing he or his few loyal and feared minions couldn't hold back the raging rebellion, he sank further into the abyss and slaughtered many cities to summon a demon _ hoping to form a contract and get power beyond reason to secure his eternal reign.

Sadly Aelthar learned about all of this a little too late. And by the time he came back, the kingdom he built was in ruins, the city, he shared beautiful memories with, was now set ablaze – and if that wasn't enough, he had to make a major decision as soon as he came back, one that would become his lifelong thorne of guilt.

The ceremony to summon the demon was almost complete, and the only way to save the lives of everyone living in this empire, was to kill Kaelion before he forms a contract.

Rio clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, until they bled. Yet the physical pain didn't even cause him to flinch. His heart too much in the turmoil to take account here.

"Heh," He sighed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "What a mess." He said, as he couldn't even imagine what Aelthar must have felt like at that moment.

Heartbroken, helpless, betrayed, lonely __ the guy didn't even get a chance to say sorry, or goodbye. Or use any excuse, reason, or ask any explanations either. _ he had to choose between his kingdom, or his kin.

His brother, or his brethren.

[There's no point in hesitating. The longer you take to make a decision, the more heartbreaking the result would feel like.] The voice spoke for the first time, urging Rio to stop wasting time.

And he was right. The more he thought about Ali – no, Kaelion, - it's not Ali, it's Kaelion – the more he thought about Kaelion or his kingdom, the more complicated he felt.

If choosing between two lives in the previous scenario was hard, then this was hell.

From the judgement he used in the previous scenario, he should save this nation as it holds a large number of lives __ but doing so, meant breaking a piece of his heart, and losing it forever..@@novelbin@@

Finally after a long time of struggle and sluggishness, Rio announced his decision.

"I choose to save this nation." He spoke and waited for the illusion to disappear or the voice to ask any explanation, but nothing happened.

There was no response in return.

"I said, I choose to save this kingdom and stop the demon from descending in this world." Rio shouted again, louder this time, yet heard only the silence.

Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire

An unsettling thought crept into his mind and he couldn't help but turn his head to look at the sky.

(Don't tell me I have to kill him myself to end this trial?) Rio thought, and as if on cue, felt a cold touch on his palms.

He looked down and found his wrists holding a sword tightly.

"What's the meaning of this? In the previous trials, just announcing my results was enough. So why…," Rio was speaking to the sky, when the voice interrupted his speech and answered back.

[Telling your thoughts to no one is very easy, compared to pulling yourself together and convincing your heart to continue. – you announced your decision, so stick to it.]

[Kill Kaelion, or let the kingdom be burned.] The voice spoke, but seeing him still frozen in shock and contemplation, it tried to ease the atmosphere.

[There's also a third option,...]

"What?" Rio asked hurriedly, as if a drowning man grasping at straws. Knowing he'll still drown nonetheless, but still willing to waste his hopes on a hopeless solution.

[Kill yourself.]

'Bitch, wha..' Rio thought as he cursed in his mind, but ignoring his anger, the voice continued.

[It's simple,-- kill yourself.]

"But if I die, then there'll be no one to stop Kaelion, and then this nation will be destroyed." Rio answered, "And knowing the demons, Kaelion won't be safe either. With the lies and tricks they use daily, Ali would be dead in no time too. Making everything meaningless."

[Will it?]

[If everybody dies, then no one has to live in guilt or pain anymore.] The voice explained, [No matter what choice you make between the two, you will be left to live with the pain of losing something which was very dear to you – so why not just die.]

[Death is peaceful. It's the origin and the end of everything, so why not just accept it with open arms.]

The god was still going on about death and darkness, when the frozen world suddenly started shifting. Time began to move once more.

Even the wisp of Aelthar's soul floating in the temple, watching the trials unfold, couldn't help but look down.

There, on the highs of tower, Rio stood with a sword plunged into his heart.

And then to the heart of his best friend.

Aelthar was wrong. Everyone didn't have to die.

He killed Kaelion to stop the demon ceremony thus saving the nation, while in death, also saving himself from an eternity of grief and guilt.

Blood pooled at their feet as they collapsed together, their breaths shallow and synchronized. Rio's vision blurred, but he managed a faint smile.

"Together till the end." He muttered, remembering a memory, clear as day, echoing the promise Aelthar had made long ago as his final words.

[.....] The God's soul watched the scene from his statue in silence, and unknown to itself, a tear slipped past it's eyes and fell to the floor.