[800 years ago]

|Hua Cheng ~ 5 years old|

The earliest memory that I have of my childhood was from that one wretched day, when the only man who took care of me was killed and I was abandoned like an abused dog. Not that my life was any better before but it became worse after that moment, until 800 years later, I received solace in Dianxia's arms.

Please! No! No! No!

My shriveled eyes pleaded with them to not hurt him, yet they mocked me for I was frail and useless child in front of them. This body might be weak, but not my soul. With a shriek that sounded unholy to mortal ears, I lunged forward to stop them from hurting the man who could be my father!

As one of them raised their hand to stike a final blow, with all my might I bit his hand and for a moment this heart was placated hearing his painful howl, but alas it did not last for long as the very next second pain seared through right side of my face.

Pit. Pat.

Drop by drop blood trailed down as one of the barbaric hooligan tore my skin apart from forehead to lower jaw with a jagged end of a broken glass bottle. Agony and misery were always my companion, but this pain was unexpected. Blood burnt my eyes as those men held me captive and continued to beat the man in front of me. His body reeked of unspeakable stench.

"You promised to pay us! Where is our money old man?" One of them yelled. If someone would have told me that this day would come, I wouldn't have been surprised as the man who is lying there submissively is a drunk and heavily indebted soul, but he is the only family I have. If any. Please don't hurt him!

He long stopped breathing but the monsters were not appeased. As a final jab to what little humanity was left within me, they dragged the man's body and threw him out of our hut amidst the torrential rains. He was covered in holes with his flesh peeking out of him. Their laughter surrounded us and one of them spat on my face.

"The anger in your eyes will not be helpful kid. When one succumbs to hunger, he will eventually give up on everything. That piece of shit was not worth a penny," his eyes trail over my body "but you can be. How about you follow us and we'll talk to our boss? At the most you can become a beggar and earn some alms for yourself."

Unable to take their words, I fight back with all my might. The power within me is not much but the rage is real. Kicking his shin, using the puddle of water and height to my advantage, I slide down and kick the other in his groin. Each moment was enjoyed by me while it lasted, for I was overpowered and they threw me around like a ragged ball. Did that simmer my anger?

No.

The rain drenched my face and covered the tears that seeped down quietly. As for blood oozing out of my face, it did not matter. There would be no one to apply salve on it. I didn't need anyone. Vowing to seek revenge on every second of my humiliation, they missed the smirk that my face sported. For my time will come. Soon.

With one last kick to my heart, my frail body welcomed the dark oblivion and all I could hear was a snicker from somewhere far beyond.

This is not the end of me. Not now. Not for a long time.

"Do you seek revenge?" A voice questioned me from the depths of my memory, a voice that was familiar, yet not one I could place it as recent.

"Who are you?" Mine croaked.

"It does not matter. If you accept my help then we shall be together forever." The voice scared me a bit.

"Why do you wish to help me?" I enquire with a facade of bravery.

"Your birth star resembles mine." It answered vaguely. My birth star?

"Will you not ever leave me?" Did it speak the truth?

"I'll forever be your shadow!" A mock that I missed to sense.

That deal happened to change my entire course of life. It became a bane of existence. A dark envelope that I could not shake off, until the day I died and my soul was finally returned back to me and I became something else. Someone else. For him.

It was still dark when I opened my eyes and squinted around to find myself soaked in blood and rain. Turning with a groan, next to me was body of the man who I assumed was my father or a man who simply took care of me out of pity. He was nothing more than a drunk man, who fed me one meal a day if not decent and clothed me when I grew out of my rags. He often blabbered that he once had a fulfilling life and a wife who was a foreign beauty, but she turned out to be a witch and casted him in eternal doom. He seldom spoke, looked or even interacted with me. This didn't bother me, he was quiet and so am I.

Once when he was drunk and at the verge of passing out, he did reveal to have a son of my age, but feared his own son. Said he was a son who shouldn't have been born. Reason was unknown. Would I ever get an answer from him? Now that seems to be forever a mystery.

"Kid, the person whom you seek revenge against is just beyond that border. Go. I am here with you." The voice calls out. Averting my eyes away from the scene in front of me, I walk away.

Under pouring rain, the streets were lonely and deserted, save one lamp protected under a shade. A stooping figure leaned against the broken wall and in his one hand he held a bottle of liquor.

Insolent.

Each step that I took, eeriness followed me like a shadow. Chillness surrounded me and my inner glee grew with each second. Blood. I could literally taste the metalic tinge in my mouth.

"Whose there?!" He suddenly yelled and my steps halted. When his question is met with nothing but silence, I could sense his panic growing. "Wh... who is there!?"

"Kid, what is it you want?" The voice nudges my inner thoughts and the only answer on my lips was, "His life." Thinking back to this moment in life, I never knew the reason for my answer, but one thing was for sure, anger was always prominent.

"Very well." A screech resonated and dark spirit shot out of me, the lamp shade swayed and just for a lone second of my life, time stood still and the next moment I heard him wail. At my next breath, darkness around us dissipated and everything was back to normal or so I thought.

No. No. No.

The vision in front of me was not what I hoped for. The perpetrator was killed. His body all mangled. I didn't mean to kill him. The moment of reality dawned upon me and I realised what had just transpired. The voice, the dark spirit had just avenged me. Fulfilled my wish. This is not what I wanted. I am not a murderer. No. No. No. I just wanted to spook or threaten him, not kill him! What have I done?

"Kid." The voice mocks again and I visibly shiver with a realisation that it would never leave me.

"We shall be together, Kid. You made a deal with me. We can never be separated. Remember, there is no place you can hide from me. I'll always follow you. You'll have no one but me. I will be there. I will always be there. This is your prophecy!!!" The voice crackled like a maniac and I sprinted as fast as I could but to no avail. It never left me. "You and I are destined kid. We share the same birth star!"

Every word of the voice was true. Where I went it followed. I was never alone again. Irony. I had no one but the voice. The darkness. The loneliness.

Until Dianxia.