Dark Enchanted World Of Demons And Monsters

The sun was a distant memory of the past. The sky is now a bruised canvas, painted in hues of blood and ash. It's as if the world itself was bleeding. The air hummed with a constant low growl, the sound of demons prowling in the shadows, their presence always felt, a chilling reminder of the world's true master. Wherever the darkness goes, demons shall follow and with them the scents of sulfur and brimstone, thus making the world, hellish to live.

Humans are now on the brink of extinction. Facing famine, diseases, and the never-ending invasion of demons and monsters. Making things worse, most lords of their lands, the very nobles who should have protected them, are now turning against them. Only intending to save themselves and to live life as lucrative as they can.

Hope for mankind is now dismal and essentially far-fetched. However, even in the darkest times, there will be pockets of light. It could be a small community that resists the darkness, a group of survivors who band together for mutual protection, or even a single individual who defies the odds and holds onto hope. Yes, these very people will not let even just a flicker of hope disappear from their grasp. So they decided to gather all of the young talents, no matter the class or race. To educate, to train, and to prime them up with the rules of survivability. They will be taught by the best of the best that humanity can offer. They will guide them through harsh and strict tutoring. To make them the best version of themselves.

All of them will be the symbol of light for mankind. The light that would give them, even if it was bleak, hope in this lumen-deprived world. A world where there is only one small continent basking in light and it is now struggling to keep it. Truly a world of darkness.

Amongst these prodigies, a young man with potential that could only be seen once in a thousand years chose to hide his talents. Phyxiuz Ezriel has short, dark, curly hair with tantalizing crimson eyes and light brownish skin. Although his body is of medium frame, its muscles are ripped and hardened through rigged training. He comes from a family that would work tirelessly just to get a stable income for their own needs. Despite that, their bond is unbreakable. His parents showered him and his little sister with love and care, hugs and kisses, and, of course, a bungalow that they called home.

Phyxius always accentuates his love for his family. He would often say to them "When I become a knight, I'll buy us tons of food and luxurious clothes. Just like what the nobles would wear. Father and mother would not need to work since I will provide for us. I would even buy my cute little sister all the toys that she could want. It would be just a matter of time now and all of our sacrifices shall bear the fruit of our labor." This statement would tell you how our protagonist treasures his family dearly. He would fight anything and even offer his life just to save his family. Well, he would do everything just to keep his family safe. It's one of the reasons why he hid his genius and kept a low profile throughout his time in the academy. However, today is the day that he would finish the school program and finally go out in the world and fulfill his promise to his family. Today will be a day to be merry with his family. Today is also the day that a tragedy would loom out from the shadows and destroy the very thing that he cherished the most. Today will be the day when the darkness of this world will swallow his heart and numb it, unable to feel love again. Perhaps someone would become the key to opening up his heart one day but until then, he would be covered in a veil of loathing.

Right after the convocation. Phyxius and his family would travel to an eatery called "Gargantuan Kitchen." It's a very sought-after place for the common masses. It serves sumptuous but inexpensive food that would often attract nobles. The service this establishment provides is exemplary and it doesn't discriminate commoners from nobles. The path going to the eatery is not hard to travel to. It would take them about an hour to ride their horse-drawn cart at its minimum speed. The most notable place that they will be passing through would be the valley of Tristram. It is an eerie site but it was never reported to be dangerous. Nevertheless, light is stark in this valley. We could say that light has dwindled on the continent of Philippus; at least, it is not as much as it is in this place. It is still being traversed by merchants and commoners alike since there have not been any reports of accidents or demons popping out of the place.

They've planned the trip for more than half a year now, so the Ezriel family is more than excited about the thought of finally coming to the place and savoring the eatery's famous dishes. Phyxius is most thrilled about eating their signature dish which is the Laysion Pork Belly. It is a dish where the pork belly is stuffed with herbs, spices, and some seasonings. The outside is just seasoned with salt and some other condiments. It would be tied with a cord and cooked in the oven. When cooked, it is crunchy outside but tender and juicy inside.

While musing over this eponymous dish, He and his father saw something standing beside the bushes nearing the end of the valley. "Father, do you see that?" Phyxius mulled. His father frowned, trying to focus his eyes on the direction he pointed out, "Yes, son, I could still not make out of it since it's still too far off the distance, but it could be someone who just needs a lift." His father explained. Phyxius took his sword that was hidden on the side of the cart. "Well just to be sure, we're going to take extra precautions because we may never know why that person is lurking in the bushes like that." Phyxius anxiously responds. "Mommy, why did brother take his sword out?" His little sister innocently asked who was still around three to four years old. "Oh, it's nothing serious, sweety; your brother is just trying to act like he's some sort of a knight to show you how cool of a brother he is." His mother jokingly responded to his sister. The child giggled as she watched her brother blush with what her mom said about him. "You don't have to act cool in front of me, brother. I already know how strong and cool brother is, and I love you for that." His sister genuinely reassured her brother. "Hahaha! We all do sweety, we all know how strong and cool your brother is and it's one of the reasons why we all love him. Isn't that right dear? His mother trying to get his father to agree. "Of course it is, but father is still stronger than your brother, sweety; see this muscle right here? It's still too early for your brother to climb over this baby right here." His father flaunts his biceps to his sister. " Mom, Daddy is at it again, giving weird names to his muscles." The little girl protesting with her father's flaunting. "Dear, why don't you just focus on the road and stop bragging about your muscles? We all know that despite you having them, you don't have any inkling on how to use them in a battle, unlike how our son does." His mother puts his father in his place. "Okay okay, I got you, ma'am. " Sarcastically said by his father. They all laughed together after this playful exchange. It again reminded Phyxius how fun it is to be with his family.

As the cart drew closer to the person who was practically cloaking behind the bushes. Phyxius belatedly realized what was hiding behind it. Surprisingly it was not a person. No, it's far from being a person. It was a creature that had hoves as its feet, tails attached to its lower back, horns on its forehead, and diabolical wings that didn't come out until when they came closer to it. There's only a word creeping out on Phyxius's mind. That word was undoubtedly, "Demon". He spoke his mind unintentionally and everyone was stunned by his remarks.