THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

David staggered to his feet, clutching his throbbing shoulder. The pain seared through him, but it was nothing compared to the chaos unfolding around him. His breaths came in short gasps as the screams of the villagers filled the night. The brothel behind him collapsed, the flames devouring its once-solid frame. Embers danced in the cold wind, a cruel mockery of life amidst destruction.

His hands trembled as his gaze fell upon the mercenaries in their leather armor. They moved like wolves among sheep, their swords glinting red under the blaze. Blood splattered across their faces, yet they grinned with unbridled glee, reveling in the carnage.

David's voice caught in his throat. "What... what is happening?" he murmured, his words lost in the inferno's roar. His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of the nightmare. "What timeline is this? How can this... I've never lived this before. I died as Winter, in the cave... didn't I?"

A pang of dread struck him like lightning. Memories of his life in Ternion clawed their way to the surface. The weak perish; the strong thrive. Those words haunted him, spoken like an immutable truth. But now, standing amidst the devastation, he realized how much they crushed him. He had been a cog in that cycle—both a victim and a perpetrator.

Before he could steady his thoughts, a piercing scream echoed from the heart of the village.

David's eyes widened in horror. Through the smoke and flickering flames, he spotted a figure—a man he recognized. His stomach twisted into knots as he saw the man pinning Brendah to the snow, her struggles weak beneath him.

"No... No!" David's voice broke as he stumbled forward, his legs heavy like lead.

The man's face was shadowed, but the glint of his blade was unmistakable. With brutal efficiency, he drove the sword into Brendah's chest. She arched, a crimson stain spreading across her dress as her head tilted to the side, her lifeless eyes locking onto David.

"No!" David fell to his knees, his hands clawing at the snow. Tears blurred his vision as he watched the life drain from Brendah. Her lips, bloodied and trembling, moved as if to speak.

But fate wasn't done tormenting him. Brendah's face twisted, her skin bubbling and crackling as dark flames consumed her. David's breath hitched as her features morphed into someone else. Her burning lips curled into a pained cry.

"David!" —Vivian

The flames roared higher, engulfing Vivian's form, only for it to shift again. Katrina. Shay. Seraphina. Luna. Angelica. Each of their faces emerged from the fire, their eyes wide with terror, their voices begging him for salvation.

"Save us, David!"

"No!" He clutched his head, his nails digging into his scalp as he screamed. "Stop it! Stop this!"

The images assaulted his mind, tearing at his sanity. Their voices overlapped, a cacophony of despair that shattered his resolve. He rocked back and forth on the cold ground, his mental state crumbling like a fragile glass statue.

Suddenly, a hand yanked his white hair, jerking his head upward. David winced, his tear-streaked face meeting the cold, predatory eyes of the man who had killed Brendah. The man leaned closer, his breath icy against David's cheek.

"Look," the man hissed, his grip forcing David to stare at Brendah's charred body. Her flesh was blackened, the fire consuming her entirely. David wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He was trapped in the horror, his sapphire eyes dilated with fear.

Brendah's corpse exploded into a shower of embers, revealing a figure David had buried deep in his memories.

"No... no..." David's voice was barely a whisper, his lips trembling.

The figure stepped forward, her eyes hollow, her body frail. "Mama?"

The word slipped from his mouth, laden with pain. His mother's form stood before him, her once-warm eyes now void of life. David felt the sharp sting of tears as his mind shattered further, unable to process the cruelty of what he saw.

The man behind him chuckled darkly. With a swift motion, he drew his blade across David's throat.

David gasped, his hands flying to his neck as he fell onto the snow. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ground beneath him. His vision blurred, the world fading as his body went limp.

Yet the torment didn't end. His mind plunged into a deeper abyss, the pain of seeing his mother in such a state far surpassing the physical agony. Darkness spread across the land, swallowing the flames and the screams, leaving only silence and cold.

David lay there, his breaths shallow and labored. His mind screamed for release, but he clenched his fists, telling himself over and over: "Enough... no more... no more."

Then, amidst the oppressive darkness, a gentle mote of light appeared above him. It floated softly, its glow soothing like a balm on his broken soul.

David closed his eyes, the warmth of the light brushing against his skin. But just as he began to surrender to it, a voice echoed in the void, sharp and commanding:

"No! Don't let her take you!"

David's eyes shot open, his bloodied body trembling as the light wavered above him.

David's gaze lifted, desperate, searching the void for the source of the voice that had pierced the darkness. He clung to the hope that whoever—or whatever—had spoken would drag him from this torment. But before his eyes could adjust to the faint light above, a pair of cold, familiar hands cupped his face.

"Shh," a voice whispered, soft yet hollow. "It's okay to let go." Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

His breath hitched as he looked into her lifeless eyes—eyes that once held warmth, now void of life and brimming with unspoken sorrow. His mother's face, pale and haunting, hovered close to his own, her touch unnervingly real.

"Ma…" David's voice cracked as tears slid down his cheeks.

But something felt wrong. The ache in his chest twisted into something deeper, something primal. Heat began to radiate from his body, an unnatural warmth that built steadily, crackling like embers beneath his skin.

The entity's eyes widened, the facade flickering. Her voice, once soft, turned guttural and sharp. "Stop! Do not interfere!"

The darkness recoiled, trembling as David's heat surged, flames licking at his flesh, defying the cold grasp of the nightmare. His sapphire eyes glowed, defiance surging in his chest.