Black Heart

Chapter four: Enter The Trio

(Still here? Yay! I love you 🥹
Anyway I just wanted to clarify that none of the photos above are mine! And I don't want the credit, I just found them on google.)
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Ludachel's days unfurled in rhythms set by the desolate expanse that surrounded him, a stark contrast to the bustling city where the corrupt thrived and the downtrodden struggled for survival. With Eve as his companion to which his loyalties lie, mother in all but blood. He roamed the outskirts of a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse, hidden from the prying eyes of those who governed through fear and greed.

At nineteen, his form was a testament to the harshness of his environment and the gentle soul that persisted within. Tall and lean, his movements carried the grace of someone who had learned to navigate a landscape both cruel and indifferent.

His hair, as dark as a raven's wing, fell in loose waves around a face that could have been chiselled from obsidian. His eyes, a deep, enigmatic blue, mirrored the vastness of an ocean in a storm, yet in their depths lay an unspoken kindness, a beacon for any who dared to look closer. Despite his rugged beauty, there was no mistaking him for anything but what he was—a man honed by circumstance, his sharp eyebrows and although delicate he had a crafted jawline speaking to a resilience and strength that defied the fragility of his youth.

Each day, Ludachel ventured into the desolation with Eve, scouring the ruins for components to sustain her mechanical shop. This shop was more than a means of survival; it was a beacon of hope, a bastion of ingenuity and defiance in a world that had all but forgotten such traits. Their bond was one forged in the fires of necessity, yet tempered by love and mutual respect. Eve taught him the value of silence, the importance of listening to the whispers of the wind, the stories told by the cracked earth beneath their feet. In return, Ludachel offered his strength, his unwavering loyalty, and a companionship that filled the void left by a world stripped of camaraderie.

Yet, a lingering feeling that the reality he perceived was but a thin veil over a truth far more complex. Shadows flickered at the edge of his vision, forms and faces that vanished when he turned to look directly at them. Whispers filled his ears, voices crying out in fear, in confusion, a cacophony of souls lost amidst a plain of nothingness.

These apparitions, unknown to Eve, were a burden Ludachel bore in silence, fearful of their implications.

It was on one of their scavenging trips, amidst the skeletal remains of a city once pulsating with life, that Ludachel's divine nature brushed against the veil of his ignorance. They were searching through an abandoned factory, its walls groaning with the memory of industry, when Ludachel paused, his gaze fixed on a point in space that to Eve, remained empty.

"What do you see, Lu?" Eve's voice was tinged with concern, for she had begun to notice the subtle shifts in Ludachel, the occasional distant gaze, the furrowed brow of confusion.

"Nothing," Ludachel lied, tearing his gaze away from the spectral figure that hovered just beyond his reach, its eyes wide with the terror of the unknown. "Just the light playing tricks." he brushes off, pressing the back of his hand into his eyes and rubbing in frustration.

But the light held no such power. It was Ludachel's burgeoning divinity, a birthright he had yet to understand, that allowed him glimpses into the realm of the dead.

Unbeknownst to him, he was the god of death, a steward to those souls adrift in the void, scared and confused as all had been since life first flickered into existence.

This burden, invisible and incessant, carved into him a depth of empathy that few could fathom. He felt the pull of these lost spirits, a silent plea for guidance, for understanding. Yet, without the knowledge of his divine heritage, he was powerless to answer their calls, to soothe their fears.