Chapter Text
A figure walked through the ruins of a castle. The blue lights from the sky of Nether's Soul Sand Valley cast shadows upon the figure. Their steps were silent, just like their presence- almost as if they were trying to avoid waking something up, something that was resting there... or protecting those ruins. They entered a room that was no better than the rest of the castle: burn marks scored every surface, and all the furniture that had once been a luxury was broken beyond repair. The floor was covered with the debris of shattered swords, shields, window glass, and bones. Dried blood was splattered around like paint.
The silhouette walked towards something that looked like the wreckage of a table, where the only intact thing- almost like someone protected this spesific thing from whatever happened here -in the whole castle lay- a notebook with flame motifs on its black cover.
They slowly opened the book; the pages were filled with handwritten notes that looked like they were made by a child. The figure pored over the first page.
"11.09.XX12
Today is my birthday! I am so so so happy! My big brother gifted me this notebook and said that I can write my precious memories in this so I won't forget them! My brother is so cool that he even helped me decorate my... diary, at least that's what my brother calls this thing!
Well, now that I think of it... I should introduce myself!!! I am FlameFrags! I am 11 years old(just turned today :)) I am the second prince of the Soul Land Kingdom! And my brother is the first! His name is ManePear!
I am a pedigreed (I really don't know what that word even is, but my father said that, so!) Nether Soul Demon (it's really a long name for a species, but my father says it's an ancient name and I should respect it). My brother, on the other hand, is a half-tiger and half-Nether Soul Demon! My father said it's because of his mother's genes. He also said some other stuff about how being a 'hybrid' works, which I forgot, but I remember him saying, 'His mother's ancestors had tiger genetics and they are recessive... I am not even sure how your brother became half-tiger.' I found that very funny, though!
Oh, and I also forgot to mention that me and my brother have different mothers... my father explained the reason, but again, I forgot! Oh... I gotta go now, mother called me so we can celebrate my birthday! I loved writing, I am gonna write more soon!"
The silhouette turned the page and glanced over it. Not finding the second page very interesting, they flipped through a few more until something caught their attention, prompting them to stop and actually read.
"17.09.XX12
Today, my brother and I started to train to become strong warriors! My brother is already better than me... but I know I can surpass him!! My father says I have a lot of potential... and he also says my brother is good for now, but he could never be better than this because he has no potential and he could never become the next king... I don't really believe that. I think my brother is very strong and he gets better every day! I don't know why father thinks like that... It makes me sad, but my brother doesn't seem to care...
I hope my father can see my brother's potential too! But I need to go now, our training for today is gonna start soon!"
The silhouette kept flipping the pages, sometimes eyeing the date... The writer of this diary seemed to write daily at first, but after this page, the progression seems to become weekly. They stopped at another page.
"02.10.XX12
I couldn't sleep tonight...so I wanted to walk around. Then I overheard a conversation between my father and Mane's mother...I want to forget it but at the same time, I don't because...well let me tell you the conversation first
My father: "YOU KNOW THAT HE IS USELESS! HE BELONGS TO THE FUCKING OVERWORLD NOT MY KINGDOM! I ONLY KEEP HIM BECAUSE HE IS STRONG BUT HE IS BECOMING A BAD INFLUENCE TO FLAME!"
Mane's mother: "AND YOU WANT TO KILL HIM FOR THAT?! YOU CAN JUST LET HIM GO TO THE OVERWORLD! YOU ARE NOT KILLING MY SON!"
my father: "SO YOU EXPECT ME TO LET HIM LEAVE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT MY KINGDOM?! NOT HAPPENING."
I couldn't listen to the rest...they never said his name but I know it's about Mane...I don't want him to die...
I am not in the mood to write. Sorry. I am gonna go and find Mane"
They kept reading, noticing how the entries became monthly and increasingly detached. Most of them focused strictly on training, with no mention of that fateful conversation. That was until they stopped at a page warped and wrinkled- as if water, or more likely tears, had once stained it.
"01.01.XX14
They... they killed him Mane is dead MY BROTHER IS DEAD. HE IS GONE they executed him because they think he betrayed the kingdom- but I know better! he he would never he must be framed I tried to tell them but they didn't listen they didn't LISTEN they just killed him like that this must be a nightmare please let it be a nightmare I can't not without him I don't know what to do he always said that I shouldn't cry no matter what but I can't stop crying I can't lose him I can't I can't I can't no no no no I hate everything why him???? why why why please don't take him give him back please he did nothing wrong.
My father... that day... it wasn't a dream Mane told me it was just a bad dream IT WASN'T HE KILLED MY BROTHER I feel like throwing up no no no no no."
The writing was messy and felt like it was rushed. Punctuation was completely forgotten; it seems the writer felt really emotional and wanted to let everything out by writing this. After this one, there wasn't any entry until a few years later, and it was the last few written pages of this notebook.
"I don't think the date matters but still, let's keep the tradition going.
11.09.XX20
It's been six years since I was in this kingdom. After that day when...I lost my other half, I ran and took this with me because it was the only thing that I had left from Mane- the rest was already taken by my father and burned with Mane's body- but I didn't write anything...I didn't feel like doing it. I don't even know why I am writing right now maybe because...whatever it doesn't really matter.
After I ran, I really didn't know what to do or where to go. I didn't want to leave The Nether because it is my home and leaving my home after losing my brother...wouldn't make anything better besides I never went there and I am not sure if I want to...but maybe one day I will...Mane always said he wanted to see it...but he never got the chance.
Back to the matter at hand...I kept running for days or I don't know...I really don't remember what happened at that time very well. At one point...I found a small kingdom of sorts. They welcomed me with open arms.
It was until then they learned which kingdom I am from, from what I've learned...they were enemies with my father and didn't really like the Soul Land Kingdom. I ran from there too.
I made myself a small little...cave to live in, somewhere far in the nether, in a biome that I didn't know of. It had a lot of blue, they reminded me of the sky of the place I grew up in.
I trained by myself all those years. I don't know why. Maybe because...I was used to doing it a lot with Mane or maybe because I just didn't have any purpose. Maybe both.
One day, I had a dream of something other than Mane...it was my kingdom, the one I left behind. I saw it in fires that weren't ours. It looked like the fires the small kingdom I mentioned earlier used. The entire castle slowly got destroyed and everyone, every single being in the kingdom died. I heard everyone calling out to me.
Something in that dream made me uneasy so I decided to go back.
When I arrived here...the kingdom was in ruins. Just like in my dream. I saw the souls of those who lived there. They all begged me. Begged me to protect their fragile souls. I wanted to refuse. They killed the most precious being in my life after all.
But then...I saw Mane's soul. It was...different from the rest. He told me to protect the Soul Sand Valley and the souls that lived in it. I don't know why. Then his soul disappeared. I stayed standing there, thought of a lot of things.
But finally I decided to...do it. I am gonna protect the Soul Sand Valley because I don't have any other purpose in my life. But I can't stand seeing those souls that I had spent years hating.
So I covered my eyes with a blindfold so I wouldn't see them. They agreed to be silent after I said I would protect them. Ah also a weird thing is that...I never saw my father's soul. I even saw my mother but not him. I am glad I didn't.
This is the end of this...diary. If anyone finds this when I eventually die too...then let it be known that the Soul Land Kingdom never deserved to exist in the first place and its protector never actually protected it. He protected the happy memories he had in this place."
The silhouette stood still for a few moments, absorbing the weight of the words, before slipping the notebook into their bag. Silently leaving the room, they began to prowl the corridors, searching for other valuables-treasures that, like this ancient diary, might shed light on a kingdom forgotten centuries ago.
Their exploration of the castle was cut brutally short. They had barely crossed a few more threshold when a cold blade pierced clean through their skull. The body collapsed onto the stone floor with a heavy, dull thud, its fresh crimson pooling into the dried bloodstains of past intruders.
A tall figure loomed over the fresh corpse, swallowed by the castle's dim, suffocating shadows. Without a sound, the guardian unzipped the bag, retrieved the notebook, and pulled it out with unexpected gentleness.
The figure walked slowly back to the room where the diary belonged, returning it to its final resting place.