'Aileen's Past' Time
Fidemis Calander: Modern Era: ????, ????, F. 1493
Demon Lord: Xoketh.
One of Verstronia: Dreamless Story's greatest hidden enemies and the current strongest [Raid Boss] since the game's first inception.
As you might have guessed, a [Raid Boss] are a type of extremely strong enemy where players are able to team up in order to defeat it. Up to 5 parties can join one [Raid Battle] at a time. More specifically, up to 6 players can be in one party for a total of 30 players. It goes without saying that [Boss Enemies] that requires 30 players to beat it is an extremely strong opponent. Xoketh is no exception.
An ancient ruler of demons only talked about within legends and folklore. Its existence was only known within the rarely uncovered ancient records found in Ancient Ruins dating back to the Omnias Era and mentioned within the Church of Faith's, the most popular religion within Oswil, religious texts.
The term 'Demon Lord' is not a representation for a single entity within VDS, but rather a type of unique boss enemies which only started to appear in late-game content.
According to the initial game story, creatures such as demons, fairies, elves, beastmen, and other similar fantastical intelligent life only exist within stories or minds of the imaginative and do not actually exist in the modern world Eruvia.
In fact, the inhabitants within the game (NPCs) would say that such things were only fairytales in order to scare children whenever they were mentioned early in the game.
The Church of Faith, as the continent Oswil's largest and most widely spread religion, holds a number of religious text explaining the relationships of these Demon Lords as harbingers of evil, enemies of the one 'True God', Eon, creator of all things.
Used as a representation of evil and sin, many parents used their existences as scary bedtime stories to teach their children to avoid bad things otherwise Demon Lords would come to devour them. The VDS version of the boogieman.
In modern-day Eruvia, the existences of Demon Lords are recognized as mere characters of myths and legends.
Except, they were much more than a fairytale.
As told by the ultimate setting of VDS for which all character stories are derived, a force hidden within the untold darkness of history begins to move into the open.
Having been disturbed from their forced slumber, ancient evils have been gradually awakened, whether accidentally or purposefully, to create chaos and destruction.
Before even the official story began, the first real sign of the reawakening of 'Darkness' begins with the revival of a single Demon Lord. The name of that Demon Lord....is Xoketh.
Due to a disagreement about the ownership of a certain extraterritorial area, the Terreo Empire declared war upon their long-time rival the Eareo Empire resulting at the beginning of a bloody battle that would have carved its name in history as the Scarlet Border Wars.
However, the reason why the war was given the moniker 'Scarlet' was not because of the number of casualties resulting from the clashes of both sides, but rather because of the sudden appearance of a certain Demon Lord.
No one knows why Xoketh appeared during the war. Even I, who has reached the most recent chapter of the game, still don't know the background. But it was his appearance that signaled the beginning of a dark tragedy.
Since the moment 'he' appeared on the battlefield, the lives of soldiers from both sides were reduced to less than half their numbers in less than 10 minutes.
As the body count grows, so did the battleground becomes evermore dyed with the blood of the fallen soldiers.
If you were to ask from a surviving soldier what the battlefield looks like then...their trauma would be so severe that you wouldn't get a clear answer.
It was from this instance that the 'Scarlet Border Wars' became a name no one would ever forget.
More soldiers died on that day than all the total casualties since the start of the war combined.
It was clear that more will die if the Xoketh wasn't stopped.
Fortunately, as he had only been just awakened, the current Xoketh was at his weakest.
Even so, the number of soldiers strong enough to challenge him can be counted in one hand from both empires.
Luckily, due to the war's large influence, those 'strongest soldiers' were all present during the war.
Aileen Daemon was one such 'strong soldier'.
Dancing through the battlefield. In one hand, she holds a single sword. With one swing of her sword, her blade reaps countless heads of the Terreo Empire's soldiers. Her flawless sword form and brilliant technique, along with her beauty, earned her the nickname 'Sword Saint' after the war was over.
Aileen, along with the other 'strongest soldiers' from both sides, grouped together in collaboration to defeat Xoketh.
After an epic battle, where both sides took near-fatal damage, the conclusion of the battle was drawing to a close.
In a final gambit, Aileen Daemon used the last of her strength to deliver the final blow that would finally kill Xoketh.
The blow was successful, Xoketh been left with a fatal sword wound through his weak point and would soon die.
However, Xoketh would not be known as a Demon Lord if he died like this.
For one last surprise, Xoketh used his dying breath to send a single final attack towards the last person who had delivered the final blow to finish him off: Aileen.
Caught off guard, Aileen took the attack at full-force.
However, the last surprise attack of Xoketh is not as simple as it seems.
With his final move, Xoketh finally took his last breath and completely stopped moving.
In the next moment, Xoketh's newly created corpse disintegrates and transformed itself into a black haze which dissipates into the air completely.
Aileen, who took the attack, however, received no apparent damage.
With the death of Xoketh, soldiers from both sides cheered in extreme happiness, forming a unity despite being enemies, from escaping mutual disaster.
Due to the current situation, the war itself could not be continued. Instead, a call for a truce and a ceasefire agreement was established between the Eareo and Terreo Empires.
The 'strongest soldiers' who had fought Xoketh together were celebrated as war heroes and will be given badges of the highest honor for their services.
To prevent panic, both empires decided that the details of what happened during the final parts of the war were to be kept as a national secret.
As the bloodthirsty atmosphere due to the war gradually began to disappear, that was when Aileen noticed that something was wrong with her.
As if she was on fire, Aileen's skin began to feel like it's burning. Sudden pain occurs all over her body while mysterious black tattoos start to appear all over her skin. The black lines of the tattoos moved as if they were alive.
Shocked and bewildered, Aileen, with her companions that fought together with her during the war, brought her as quickly as the can to the best hospital in Arcross, the capital city of the Eareo Empire.
Although they had the best doctors to look at her, the doctors were unable to diagnose the mysterious symptoms. Various other doctors, nurses, and even medical researchers were called in, but to no avail. All of them were unable to diagnose what was wrong. While this was happening, Aileen's symptoms continue to get worse.
While watching helplessly from the side, that was when one of Aileen's companions was reminded of having read an ancient text he recently discovered describing Aileen's current symptoms exactly. As an avid reader whose hobby is to find the rarest text he could find, it was pure coincidence that he was able to diagnose Aileen's symptoms.
And in those ancient texts, those who suffer from these very symptoms are known as 'cursed beings'. In other words, Aileen had been inflicted a 'curse' by Xoketh.
He was right. In his final moments, Xoketh released his final attack in the form of a fatal 'curse', a mysterious ability which only beings like Xoketh can perform. A mysterious power that naturally lost within history since the only capable users have since disappeared long ago.
In the modern era, the existence and knowledge pertaining to 'curses' has been reduced to mere shadows of what they once were, becoming the playthings of occult enthusiasts and desperate revengers.
Even when Aileen's symptoms were perfectly deduced, it could be said that Aileen's survival possibility is close to zero with no information of any cure.
However, miracles are called miracles because they occur unexpectedly.
Within the hospital that Aileen was sent to, a light of hope dwells.
As one of the acclaimed hospitals within the Oswil Empire, the hospital works not only as a normal hospital but also as a research facility for testing the most cutting-edge technology and treatments, advancing the field of medicine to new heights.
To develop those new treatments, acclaimed medical scientists have been researching medicine from all kinds of angles, from testing a new combination of chemicals to researching alternative medical techniques from other cultures to test their validity. Of course, the study of medicinal recipes found in ancient records made during the Omnias Era is also included.
Aileen's companion, having determined Aileen is suffering under a 'curse', was left frustrated and helpless. In an act of desperation, he interrogated the medical staff if there is anything they can do to help and that Aileen was 'cursed'.
After hearing his explanation, the eyes of the medical researchers that were within the room widened. With a bit of hesitation, doctors claimed that they might have a cure for Aileen's symptoms, but there is no guarantee.
That cure turned out to be Aileen's first contact with the nameless 'Blackthorn Rose Drug'.
With nothing to lose, even against the disagreement from some of her companions, Aileen agreed to be used as a guinea pig for the untested drug.
The moment she took the drug, the effects were immediate. The pain instantly receded and the black tattoos that appeared all over her body faded away.
Having seen the results, all of Aileen's companions cheered in celebration and thanked the doctors profusely for their help.
However, that was when the medical researcher had to explain the bad news which could not be ignored.
Having observed the effects of the drug work as described from the ancient text, it had proven the validity of the ancient records. However, what was written in the ancient text was not just merely the formula and its effects.
Along with a description of the effects of the drug, a single disclaimer was also included: the effects are only temporary.
That was when Aileen had also first learned about her future dependence upon the drug and the cost which she would have to pay to maintain that dependence.
Aileen's companions despaired once again. They ask if there is anything else that they could possibly do.
Unfortunately, miracles don't continue on forever.
Silent for a few moments. When Aileen once again moved her mouth to speak, a look of determination filled her gaze.
This was when her decision to live within Merez Forest was made.
Shocked, Aileen's companions wished to stop her, that there was no need for her to do so, and that they should be ones that could get the Blackthorn Rose for her.
Listening to the words directed at her, full of worry for her well-being, warmth filled Aileen. But her decision remained firm.
As with Aileen, her companions too gained fame and recognition for their services on the front-lines.
Many of them, in fact, received positions of importance as a reward for their services. The jobs they hold will become the pillars of the Empire in the future.
Aileen claims that it wouldn't feel right for her for them to use their precious time just for her sake.
After a long period of arguing and convincing, Aileen's companions reluctantly back down.
From looking at her honest and strong gaze, Aileen's companions were slowly convinced and were touched by Aileen's concerns for them even at the expense of her health. Having been thoroughly impressed by her stoic behavior, they wished Aileen best of luck and told her to call them anytime if she ever needed anything.
With the blessing from her companions, Aileen begins to make her journey to live in the Merez Forest.
However, there is one thing that Aileen had failed to inform her companions about.
Within Aileen's mind, while she was secretly sorry for turning down their offer for help, but she also has a secret which she feels she must protect…at any cost.
Aileen was, at this very moment, currently pregnant with Ashe.
She kept the pregnancy a secret from her companions as if she had told them they would not allow her on the battlefield.
If she were to spill the beans now, she would receive not just a small earful.
For the sake of avoiding a scolding, she had been mulling over what can she possibly do to hide the fact for a while. That was when she had been coincidentally inflicted with a 'curse' and then learned about her future dependence upon the Blackthorn Rose. She knew she found her chance.
'If I were to live alone within the depths of Merez Forest, they will never find about my pregnancy', she thought.
'And besides, I have to live….for the baby's sake.'
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Forestwind3
Forestwind3 As you have seen, this chapter had been mainly a little bit a history lesson about the relationship between Xoketh, Aileen, and Ashe. Unfortunately, the history lesson will continue for a little bit more for the first part of the next chapter, but it will return back to main story in the latter half so bear with me. Thank you so much for reading.
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