I will tell you my story from the very beginning. My name is Alucard, and this is how I lost everything in one single night. My wife. My child. My friends. My family. My fellow warriors. All of them. Gone. Just like that. In the blink of an eye. Or maybe it was slower. Maybe it felt like forever while it happened. I still don't know. But I will tell you every detail. Every sound. Every smell. Every tear. Because if I don't, I might forget. And I never want to forget them.
It all started with the sunset.
The sun was going down behind the tall mountains that surrounded the Kingdom of Aslan. The sky was painted in beautiful colors—orange, pink, purple, and gold. It was the kind of sunset that made people stop and smile. Children laughed in the streets. Merchants closed their shops. Families sat down to eat together. My wife, Lily, was cooking dinner in our small home. Our little boy, Elias, was playing with a wooden sword I had carved for him. He was only four years old, but he already wanted to be a warrior like his father. I was sitting outside on the steps, sharpening my blade. The metal made a soft *shing* sound with every stroke. Life was simple. Life was good.
Then the clouds came.
They rolled in fast. Too fast. One moment the sky was clear. The next, it was covered in thick, black clouds. They were heavy and low, like a blanket of smoke. The wind picked up. It howled through the streets, blowing dust into people's faces. Doors slammed shut. Children were called inside. The air grew cold. Colder than it should have been for that time of year.
Lightning flashed.
It was bright. So bright it turned the night into day for just a second. Then it was gone. Darkness came back, heavier than before. Thunder followed. It roared loudly across the entire Kingdom of Aslan. The sound shook the ground. It rattled windows. It made dogs bark and babies cry. I stood up from the steps. My hand tightened on my sword. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.
Then the rain started.
The clouds opened up like giant mouths. Rivers of water poured down. Not normal rain. This was heavy. Unnatural. It came down with force, like someone was throwing buckets from the sky. The streets turned to rivers in minutes. Water rushed through the alleys. It soaked everything. My clothes. My hair. My blade. People ran for cover. Some slipped and fell. Others shouted in panic.
That's when we saw them.
At first, it was just a few shapes in the distance. Moving slowly down the hill toward the kingdom. We had lookouts on the walls. They rang the warning bells. *Clang. Clang. Clang.* The sound echoed everywhere. Soldiers grabbed their weapons. Gates were closed and locked. Archers took their places on the walls. I kissed Lily and Elias quickly. "Stay inside," I told them. "Lock the door. Don't open it for anyone but me." Then I ran to join the others.
But as I got closer to the main gate, I saw the truth.
It wasn't an army of men.
It was monsters.
Demons.
Beasts.
Hundreds at first. Then thousands. They kept coming. Multiplying like shadows. Some were tall and thin with long arms and sharp claws. Others were short and fat with mouths full of teeth. Some had wings. Some had horns. Some had too many eyes. Some had none at all. Their bodies were twisted. Disfigured. Wrong. They moved together like one giant creature. One mission. One goal.
Total eradication of the human civilization forever.
I had heard stories. Old tales told by firelight. About creatures from the dark. From hell. From nightmares. But those were just stories. Folklore. Things to scare children into behaving. Not real. Never real.
But here they were.
Real.
Alive.
Marching straight toward our powerful gate.
The gate was made of thick iron and stone. It had stood for hundreds of years. No army had ever broken it. Not once. But these things? They didn't even slow down. The first wave hit the gate like a storm. *Boom.* The sound was deafening. The ground shook. Dust fell from the walls. The gate held. Barely.
Then the second wave came.
*Boom. Boom. Boom.*
They didn't use weapons. They used their bodies. Their fists. Their heads. Their claws. They smashed and tore and ripped. The gate groaned. Metal bent. Stone cracked. Screams came from inside the kingdom. Not just from soldiers. From families. From children.
Then the gate fell.
It didn't just open. It shattered. Like glass. Pieces flew everywhere. The Horde poured in. Wave after wave. A flood of death. Chaos. Terror. They didn't walk. They ran. They roared. They screamed. Their voices were not human. They were pain. Hunger. Hate.
Walls caught fire. I don't know how. Maybe from their breath. Maybe from magic. Maybe from the lightning. But flames shot up everywhere. Buildings burned. Wood cracked and popped. Smoke filled the air. Thick. Black. Choking.
Buildings crumbled. Stone by stone. Roof by roof. People ran. Some fought. Most died.
The air reeked of blood. And heat. And death. The Horde was satisfied. You could smell it. Like a beast after a kill. Proud. Full. Ready for more.
We fought back.
Aslan was proud. We had the greatest military in the land. Thousands of soldiers. Swordsmen. Martial artists. Mercenaries from far away. We formed lines. We raised shields. We drew swords. We shouted our battle cry.
"For Aslan!"
We charged.
We slaughtered.
I swung my blade. Left. Right. Up. Down. Blood sprayed. Heads rolled. Limbs fell. I cut through demon after demon. My arms burned. My lungs screamed. But I didn't stop. None of us did.
But the more we killed, the more came.
For every one we felled, ten more appeared. From the shadows. From the smoke. From the fire. Endless. Unstoppable.
We slaughtered hundreds.
They slaughtered thousands.
The streets ran red. Bodies piled high. Human. Monster. Didn't matter. All dead.
The fight went on. Hour after hour. The heat of battle never ended. Sweat mixed with blood. My vision blurred. My hands shook. But I kept going.
Then I broke formation.
I couldn't stay with the others. I had to get home. To Lily. To Elias. I turned and ran. Through streets. Through valleys. Through alleys and tunnels. The Horde was everywhere. Killing. Eating. Tearing people apart. I saw things I will never unsee. Children pulled from their mothers. Old men eaten alive. Women... worse.
I fought when I had to. I ran when I couldn't. My blade flashed. My feet flew. I didn't stop. Not once.
Finally, I reached my home.
But it was too late.
The house was surrounded. Demons circled it like wolves. My heart stopped. My vows wavered. My will cracked. But I fought. I slaughtered. Again and again. My blade sang. Blood rained. I killed them all. Every last one. Until none remained.
I searched the rubble.
Nothing.
No blood.
No bodies.
Just emptiness.
"LilYYY!" I screamed. My voice broke. My blade slipped from my hand. It clanged on the stone. Tears streamed down my face. Hot. Salty. Endless. I watched my home burn. The flames licked the sky. The smoke rose high. My life. My love. My everything. Gone.
Then I heard it.
"Help!!"
Her voice.
Lily.
From the next street.
Rage exploded in me. Like fire. Like lightning. I grabbed my blade. I ran.
I turned the corner.
And there she was.
Three black demons held her. One gripped her arms. Another tore her dress from her body. Piece by piece. She screamed. She fought. But she was losing.
On the ground, near the trash, lay Elias. My son. Barely alive. Two double-headed beasts loomed over him. Their mouths dripped. Their eyes glowed. They were about to feast.
No time to think.
I bit my lip until it bled. I sprinted forward. My blade raised high.
But before I could reach them, more appeared.
Monsters. Huge. Powerful. They stepped out from the dark. From the shadows. From nowhere. They blocked my path.
"How?" I whispered. But no one answered.
I saw Lily ahead. I saw Elias. I heard him call.
"Dada…"
His little voice. Weak. Scared. His tiny hands reached for me. Like always. When he wanted to be picked up. When he wanted to ride on my shoulders. When he wanted a story. When he wanted love.
I would always give it.
But not this time.
"No," I said. My voice shook. "I will save them both."
I took my stance. Feet apart. Blade ready.
"Come at me, animals!!"
They roared. The sound shook the ground. Their claws were long. Sharp. Deadly. I felt their bloodthirst in my bones. It made my skin crawl.
Five of them.
One from the left. One from the right. One from behind. One from above. One from below.
They attacked all at once.
Claws. Teeth. Fire. Shadows. Everything.
I moved.
"Blade Arts: One Thousand Blade Strikes!"
I chanted the words. My body became a blur. I evaded every attack. I struck back. My blade flashed a thousand times in a second.
*Slash. Slash. Slash.*
I cleaved through their flesh.
*Thud.*
*Thud.*
*Thud.*
*Thud.*
*Thud.*
One by one, they dropped. Dead. Their bodies hit the ground like sacks of meat. Blood pooled around them.
I breathed hard.
"Ah… ah… ah… ah… ah…"
I counted my breaths. My chest burned. My arms trembled. Using so many blade arts in one night had taken its toll. My body screamed. But I wasn't done.
I tightened my grip. I dashed forward again. Toward Lily.
"Help me, Alucard!" she yelled. Her eyes locked on mine. Her hands reached out. Waiting. Hoping.
"I'm coming, Lily!" I shouted. I leaped into the air.
My blade whistled through the wind.
I took the head of the first demon. The one holding her arms.
*Thud.*
Lily fell to the ground. "Hold on, Lily. I'm coming."
I leaped again.
The second demon opened its mouth. Its eyes followed me. Then it breathed fire. Huge balls of flame. Hot. Toxic. They flew at me like comets.
"Blade Arts: Air Step!"
I chanted. I moved through the air like wind. Dodging every fireball.
*Swish. Boom. Boom. Boom.*
The fireballs hit buildings. Explosions rocked the street. Flames shot up. Smoke billowed.
"Blade Arts: Shadow Doubles!"
I multiplied. One hundred versions of me appeared. All around the demon. It couldn't tell the real from the fake.
I climbed its back. Silent. Fast.
I cleaved through its flesh.
*Thud.*
Its head hit the ground. Then its body.
The last demon turned and ran. The beasts followed. Cowards.
I didn't chase them.
I couldn't.
My body failed me.
Overusing my arts had drained me completely. My legs gave out. My arms went numb. I collapsed.
"Lily!!!"
I crawled. On my hands and knees. Through blood. Through mud. Through corpses. Human and monster. I dragged myself to her.
She lay still.
No movement.
I reached her.
"Wake up. Wake up."
I held her in my arms. Her body was cold.
*Slap.*
I slapped her face. Hard.
"Argh…"
She gasped. Weak. Barely alive.
"Alucard…" She held my hands. Her fingers were ice. "Is our child alright?"
I looked.
Elias was unharmed. The beasts had fled.
I nodded. Tears fell on her face.
"Let's go," I said.
We helped each other up. I hung my blade on my back.
"Let's escape from h——"
*BESH… BOOM.*
A huge hand hit me.
It came from nowhere.
I flew.
Across the street.
I crashed into a building.
Stone cracked. My body broke. Blood filled my mouth.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't feel my legs.
I watched.
Helpless.
Multiple demons surrounded Lily.
They violated her.
They tore her apart.
They ate her.
Alive.
Then they turned to Elias.
My son screamed.
"Alucard!"
Lily's voice tore through me.
I pushed.
I screamed.
I begged my body to move.
Nothing.
It was broken.
Bleeding.
Paralyzed.
I watched it all.
Every second.
Every scream.
Every tear.
Every bite.
I prayed.
For a savior.
For a miracle.
For death.
None came.
Lily's screams faded.
Elias's cries stopped.
The fire rose higher.
It swallowed the kingdom.
The screams of thousands echoed.
My vision blurred.
Darkness came.
And I was alone.