leaveeaveeaveeaveeaveeaveeafspalonealledddddddss-legged in the center of the Dark DimeOryon.
There was no wind.
No civilisationsht.
Only silence.
He closed his eyes and focused inward.
He was no longer trying to escape pain.
He was trying to control it.
As his breathing slowed, something began to stir inside his mind.
Screams.
His mother's voice.
His father's.
Moon's.
The cries echoed violently.
"Leaf! He—but"
His fingers twitched — but he did not open his eyes.
His mind was dragging him into the past.
His body reacted to the pain.
His emotions trembled.
But his brain forced stability.
Mind.
Brainody.
He forced them into is alignment.
The screams grew louder.
His chest tightened.
Still, he did not move.
The ill—and were born from memory — and memory could not control him anymore.
Gradually, the voices faded.
Silence returned.
Then—
The darkness around him dissolved.
Leaf found himself standing in a vast cosmic expanse.
Stars ignited in brilliant explosions.
Supernovas bloomed like burning flowers.
Galaxies spiraled into existence.
He watched planets form.
He saw species rise.
He saw—onlyzations grow powerful — only to destroy themselves through greed.
War. Betrayal. Collapse.
The cycle repeated endlessly.
Then—
Everything went still.
In front of him stood his mother.
Alive.
Smiling gently.
His breath stopped.
"How…?"
She extended her arms.
"Leaf, come here. I want to hug you."
His vision blurred.
Tears fell freely now.
For a moment, he forgot everything.
He stepped forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Her smile remained warm.
Just before reaching her—
His expression hardened.
In a single swift motion, he kicked her away.
The image shattered like glass.
Fragments of light scattered into nothing.
"An illusion," he whispered. "A distraction."
The cosmic space collapsed.
Darkness returned.
Behind him, the familiar yellow eyes appeared.
"Leaf," the Dark Lord said calmly, "you are ready."
Leaf stood without turning.
"You trained for one month witcontinued. "Youn," Darkness continuedgreyou have learned to connect your mind, brain, and body. You now understand how to control your soul instead of being controlled by it."
Leaf exhaled slowly.
He felt different.
Stable.
Sharper.
"So," he asked quietly, "what's the plan?"
"We require allies," the Dark Lord replied. "People who share your nature. Power alone is insufficient."
Leaf nodded slightly.
"Next, we must obtain an ancient book. It contains the true locations of the five Soul Crystals."
"And after that?"
A pause.
"I must reside within your body."
Leaf turned sharply.
"What?"
"In my weakened state, I cannot act freely. If I inhabit your body, I can guide you directly. When danger exceeds your limits, I will switch with you to protect us."
Leaf frowned.
"You… live inside me?"
"Yes."
"No. Absolutely not."
The yellow eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do not misunderstand. I will not interfere with your personal thoughts. Nor will I observe what you wish to keep private."
Leaf stared at him suspiciously.
"You promise?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Leaf weighed the risk.
An ancient being inside his body.
Power beyond comprehension.
Potential danger.
But also protection.
"…Fine," he said at last. "But if you try anything strange, I will find a way to remove you."
A faint ripple of amusement passed through the darkness.
"Understood."
Without further warning, the darkness condensed into a spiral of black energy and rushed toward him.
It struck his chest.
For a brief second, Le—ancient overwhelming cold — ancient and vast.
Then it settled.
Inside him.
The yellow eyes vanished from the void.
But he could still feel the presence.
"So," Leaf asked internally, "what's our destination?"
"The weakest nation on your Earth," Darkness replied from within his mind. "C-Beta."
"Why there?"
"That is where we will find the ancient book… and someone who shares your nature."
Leaf's eyes sharpened.
"Alright. Let's go."
"How?" he asked. "Teleportation?"
"Yes. But I can only teleport you once per day in my current state. We must use it carefully."
Leaf smirked faintly.
"One chance a day, huh?"
A faint pulse of dark energy surrounded him.
"Then make it count."
The void twisted.
Space folded.
And in the next moment—
They were gone.
Darkness folded space.
In a single distortion of reality, the void swallowed them—
And the next moment, they stood in the capital of C-Beta.
Blue Haven.
At least, that was its name.
But there was nothing heavenly about it.
The sky was gray despite clear weather.
Buildings were cracked and poorly maintained.
Children with hollow eyes wandered the streets barefoot.
Mothers begged quietly.
Old men stared at the ground as if hope itself had died years ago.
The air felt heavy.
This was not just poverty.
This was controlled suffering.
Leaf's jaw tightened.
"Why are they living like this?" he asked quietly. "Why don't they protest? Why don't they fight back?"
Darkness answered from within him, calm and cold.
"Because they fear losing what little they still possess."
Leaf frowned.
"Losing… their own?"
"Yes. Family. Children. The last fragile connections keeping them alive. Fear is the most efficient chain."
Leaf's eyes hardened.
"…About losing your own," he said slowly, "who would understand that better than me?"
Silence.
He understood now.
Opprealone butvives not by power alone—but by fear of loss.
He exhaled.
"You mentioned someone like me," Leaf continued. "Who is he? Where is he now?"
Darkness responded immediately.
"His name is Python Beta. The strongest human in C-Beta by pure physical strength."
"And?"
"The government has imprisoned him in the Central Jail."
"For what crime?"
"For being powerful."
Leaf turned sharply.
"What?"
"The ruling chiefs believe that if he were ever freed, he would kill them all."
Leaf's fists clenched.
"But why would he do that?"
Darkness paused for a moment before continuing.
"His parents were biological scientists. They attempted to create a serum that could grant superhuman strength."
Leaf listened carefully.
"When their research was nearing completion," Darkness continued, "spies from your homeland infiltrated their facility."
Leaf's expression darkened.
"They killed his mother first."
The words felt heavy.
"Before they could kill his father, he injected the completed serum into his son—Python—and hid him in a secure location."
"And his father?"
"He died protecting the secret."
Silence stretched between them.
Darkness continued:
"However, instead of eliminating the child, your country's leaders chose a different path. They captured him. Experimented on him. Extracted his DNA."
Leaf's breathing slowed.
"They used him?"
"Yes. To attempt mass replication. To build an army."
Leaf felt something burning in his chest.
"Yesterday," Darkness added, "they succeeded in stabilizing the replication process."
Leaf's eyes widened slightly.
"And today at 7:00 PM," Darkness continued, "Python Beta will be publicly executed. His death will be broadcast across the country. A demonstration of control."
"To scare the people," Leaf muttered.
"To remind them what happens when power exists outside government authority."
Leaf looked at the broken streets again.
Children avoid eye contact.
Guards patrolling lazily with weapons visible.
Hopelessness everywhere.
"I hate people like this," Leaf said quietly. "They hate someone without reason. They destroy lives to protect their pride."
Darkness responded calmly:
"Our mission is the ancient book. Without the Soul Crystals, your larger goal remains incomplete."
Leaf's eyes sharpened.
"No."
A pause.
"We're helping him."
"Leaf," Darkness warned, "I will not regain usable external power until 9:00 PM. Acting now reduces your survival probability."
Leaf didn't hesitate.
"He's innocent."
"And if you fail?" Darkness asked.
"Then I fail."
Silence filled his mind.
"…Very well," Darkness said finally. "Where do you intend to intervene?"
"Where will the execution take place?"
"In front of the residence of C-Beta's chief."
Leaf's gaze narrowed.
"Name?"
"Adolf D. Beta."
Leaf observed the distant high-rise district—tall, polished buildings towering above the poverty around them.
"That's where they'll stage it?"
"Yes. A spectacle of dominance."
Darkness continued:
"There will be one hundred soldiers present. Armed. Trained. Ordered to eliminate anyone who attempts interference."
Leaf remained quiet for a long moment.
Wind brushed past him, carrying the faint sound of distant crying.
"I have a plan," he said at last.
Inside him, Darkness grew still.
"Oh?"
Leaf's eyes gleamed—not with rage—
But with calculation.
They moved through the shadows surrounding the Chief's residence.
The building t—polishede the broken city — pofloodlights, ande walls, bright floodlights, armed guards stationed at every entrance.
In the center of the courtyard stood a single figure.
Bound.
Masked.
Surrounded by soldiers armed with rifles and blades.
Spotlights shone directly on him.
A public execution stage.
Leaf's eyes narrowed.
"That's him," Darkness said inside his mind.
Without hesitation, Leaf stepped out from concealment and walked straight into the open courtyard.
Boots struck the stone ground.
One soldier noticed first.
Then another.
Weapons raised.
Leaf spoke calmly inside his mind:
"Darkness. Switch with me. Now."
In an instant—
The presence inside him surged forward.
Their consciousnesses shifted.posturetook control.
His pis osture changed.
His aura deepened.
The soldiers froze for a split second, sensing something was wrong.
"Eyes of Nightmare."
Darkness's eyes turned completely black.
Not red.
Not glowing.
Just endless black.
Every soldier who looked into his gaze felt something snap inside their mind.
One by one—
Their weapons dropped.
Their bodies trembled.
Then they collapsed.
Silently.
Asleep.
Minutes earlier—
"So what's your plan?" Darkness had asked.
"You told me I still have one technique I can use without soul power," Leaf replied internally.
"Yes. The Dream Ability."
"Eyes of Nightmare," Leaf whispered. "Anyone who locks eyes with me falls asleep… and in that sleep, they face their deepest fears."
"Good," Darkness had said. "Wait for my signal to switch."
Now—
The courtyard was silent.
More than one hundred soldiers lay unconscious across the stone ground.
Darkness slowly walked toward the bound figure.
"I knew it would work," Leaf's voice echoed internally.
Darkness knelt and tore the restraints apart effortlessly.
The masked figure stumbled forward slightly but regained balance.
Darkness removed the mask.
A young man with sharp eyes and a hardened expression stared back.
"Are you Python?" Darkness asked.
The man studied him carefully.
"Yes," he answered cautiously. "And you?"
Darkness allowed the switch.
Control returned to Leaf.
A familiar faint smile appeared on his face.
"I am Ampersand."
Python frowned.
"From where did you come to save me?"
Leaf answered without thinking.
"C-Delta."
Everything changed.
Python's expression twisted instantly.
His breathing grew heavier.
His muscles tightened visibly.
"What… did you say?" Python asked slowly.
Inside Leaf's mind, Darkness reacted sharply.
"Be careful," Darkness warned. "C-Delta is the nation responsible for his parents' deaths."
"So?" Leaf replied internally.
"You don't understand," Darkness snapped. "His childhood trauma is directly linked to that name. When he hears it, he loses control."
Python's eyes turned wild.
"C-Delta?" h—notled.
His body trembled — not with fear.
With rage.
"Leave this place," Darkness hissed inside Leaf's mind. "Now."
"Huh?" Leaf muttered aloud.
Too late.
Python's fist shot forward like a cannon.
Leaf barely tilted his head in time.
The punch cut through the air beside his face with explosive force.
The shockwave cracked the stone behind him.
Python didn't stop.
He attacked again.
And again.
Each strike powerful enough to shatter bone.
Leaf dodged rapidly, barely keeping distance.
"I will kill you!" Python roared, his voice echoing through the courtyard.
His strength wasn't normal.
It was monstrous.
Leaf jumped backward, eyes focused.
"Why is it," Leaf muttered while evading another punch, " whenever I am going to do something good then instead good it becomes bad. Why?"
"Because," Darkness replied dryly inside him, "you are an idiot ! "
"Shut up, Darkness."
Another punch.
Leaf ducked this time, feeling the wind tear past his hair.
Python was no longer thinking rationally.
The trauma had taken control.
And the execution courtyard was no longer a rescue scene—
It had become a battlefield.