Nightmare trudged through the desolate streets, his steps heavy and burdened. The fading light of the sun painted a somber hue on the world around him. Every corner he turned, every shadow that flickered, seemed to whisper of the impending doom that awaited him at home. Yuri, his adoptive father, had always been his sanctuary, his pillar of strength in a cruel world.
His heart pounded in his chest as he pushed open the creaking front door. Dread clung to the air, suffocating him. And then, his worst fears materialized before his eyes. Yuri lay lifeless on the floor, his body brutally mutilated. The sight of his father's blood mingling with the dust and despair shattered something deep within Nightmare.
"No! Yuri!" he screamed, collapsing beside the lifeless form. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the crimson stains. "Why? Who would do this?"
A chilling voice echoed through the room, sending shivers down Nightmare's spine. Shabiri, a man of darkness and madness, emerged from the shadows. A sadistic grin curled his lips, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Ah, little Nightmare, your world has become a canvas for chaos," Shabiri taunted, reveling in the pain etched across Nightmare's face. With a flourish, he revealed a vile flame pulsating with an otherworldly energy. "Behold the Frenzy Flame, the curse that will bind chaos to your soul!"
Nightmare recoiled, his breath hitching in his throat. He had heard tales of the cursed flame, whispered among the desperate and the damned. The flames devoured him, searing his skin, his mind, and his very essence. Agony consumed him as Shabiri's voice slithered into his consciousness.
"Chaos shall unite the fractured world, young Nightmare! Embrace the chaos, let it flow through your veins. Chaos will bring forth a new era!" Shabiri shouted, his voice ringing with maniacal fervor.
Blinded by pain and confusion, Nightmare stumbled away from his shattered home. With trembling hands, he bound a blindfold around his eyes, shutting out the cruel reality that had befallen him. Through the darkness, he ran, his heart pounding in his ears, searching for solace in the unknown.
His chaotic journey led him to the Lands Between. There, amidst the gray abyss, Nightmare stumbled upon a group of weary mercenaries. Their leader, a man named Seifuku, exuded an aura of resilience.
Seifuku's eyes softened as he looked upon the broken figure before him. "Who are you, child, and what brings you to this forsaken place?"
Nightmare's voice trembled as he spoke through his pain. "I am Nightmare. My father... he was taken from me. Cursed with the Frenzy Flame, chaos now consumes my soul."
Seifuku's gaze lingered on Nightmare's blindfold, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "I see. But even in darkness, there is hope. Join us, Nightmare. Together, we can forge a path through the chaos, a flicker of light in this desolate realm."
As the words settled upon Nightmare's wounded heart, a glimmer of hope stirred within him. The mercenary group offered him a chance at redemption, a chance to fight against the chaos that had torn his world asunder.
