Prologue – More Devil than Man
After being convinced of what they
heard, the authorities go out to arrest a man named Tenebris who is said to be
sacrificing his wife who was forcefully impregnated and another child of his.
Tenebris has been on the authority’s watch list for a while because of the cult
that he started called the Way of the Black Flame. The authorities raid the
cult’s hideout and find that they are too late to rescue the wife and two children
as they are torn apart in a sadistic way that sickens the officers in such a
way that fills them with disgust that makes them want to leave while also being
filled with a hatred that makes them want to see justice through. They enter
into the room as Tenebris is finalizing the ritual and is being lit from the
inside by black flames that periodically light up from his body.
“What power do you hold over me now?
I have just made the ultimate sacrifice and killed the most innocent of people
and yet you have not intervened. I have shown that not even God will interfere
with my desires! Today, the Flame of Cognizance will yield to my black flame!
What I call will be good, will be good, and what I call evil, will be evil!”
Tenebris proclaims in a voice that makes everyone in the hideout afraid even
his followers.
Tenebris’ black flames make him grow
two long black horns made of black flames on his head as he feels power welling
up inside of him. Fighting against their fears, the authorities try to arrest
Tenebris and end up starting a bloody fight with him and his followers. Though his
followers fall easily, Tenebris is a different beast entirely as he leaps from
the ground and walls to avoid being hit. It takes the death of twenty guards to
injure Tenebris enough to arrest him especially since his horns couldn’t be cut
off or extinguished. He is immediately given a life sentence and thrown into a
solitary jail cell.
During his time in jail, the guards
reported Tenebris yelling and screaming about his wife and angels terrorizing
him, but they do nothing to help him since they think he is getting his just
reward for his offenses against God. Tenebris goes from panic, to anger, to sadness,
to begging for mercy, and finally to silence. This all happened over the course
of half a year and when it became silent, the guards could hardly believe it.
They even try to get Tenebris to act up again because of how much they enjoyed
him acting crazy, but Tenebris would hardly respond to him even when they
denied him food for several days. Tenebris ends up as a silent prisoner who prays
and talks to his guardian angel, wife, and children. It’s as if he’s become a
different person entirely.
Some speculate that this is a trick
of his so he could get out of prison or at least his cell while others say that
he’s performed some kind of ritual that makes him appear to be holy. The events
outside of the prison make other people think that he’s stealing other people’s
holiness as the Pillars of Cognizance abandon their duties and leave the Flame
of Cognizance to fade without anyone to make sacrifices to keep it burning.
They lock the doors and run away with the keys to it so no one can stoke the
flames. Because of this, people’s perceptions of good and evil are blurred and
they start acting like purposeless animals rather than humans. Few held their
grips on truth and one of those that still does is Tenebris. While the events
on the outside happened, he was left praying as the guards died quelling a riot
in the prison or joining them. This riot happens while a civil war between
those who wanted the Flame extinguished and those who wanted it to burn brought
the city to ruins. Once the violence settled, the roof of Tenebris’ cell collapses
as if unlocked by divine providence.
He escapes his cell, finds his old
outfit, sword, and food then heads off to a church where crowds of people are
wondering about who will go out to get the keys to the Flame of Cognizance.
Everyone is surprised to see Tenebris among the crowd and even more surprised
when he vows to get the keys and keep the Divine Flame going. The remaining
bishop blesses him before he heads off since he seems genuine while everyone
doubts that he will stay true to his vows.
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