(Third Person POV)
[Hollywood, USA, 2026]
"With rising tensions, The Nation known as Dynastius has declared that they would no longer trade with the Superpowers of the World. With the sudden ascension of its King, who is simply known as Zero, there has been worry about war breaking out. The United States has stated that Dynastius's resources have benefited the economy for the past 15 years."
The T.V's sound was heard loud and clear inside the dressing room, the massive flat-screen was mounted on the wall, displaying images of a large castle that had several banners and massive unknown flags.
Inside the dressing room, several staff members were rushing about, frantically murmuring amongst each other. They were all wearing formal attire, as if they were getting ready for some event.
A tall man with blonde hair was slowly walking towards a chair on the side of the room, where two women were working on an individual who was sitting. One of them was working on the man's hair, combing and trimming it with her scissors. The other was adding simple makeup, making sure his simple, masculine look looked pristine.
The young man had black hair and dark grey eyes which stared back at the reflection of the mirror as the two young women were working on him. He was rather attractive, with a chiseled jawline and fair skin.
He simply sat there, quietly staring at the mirror.
"We should be ready in 15 minutes." The Blonde said as he looked at his watch, "Samuel. Today's activities went by smoothly. We were able to record today's batch of interviews in time. Now, off to the premiere."
He looked at Samuel, who simply sat there as the women were finishing up on him.
"Hm." Samuel said, "Good....."
This was Samuel Grey, a popular Hollywood Actor who was the face of modern westerns. Every movie he starred in was a massive success, reviving the thrill of Gunslinging Movies. Whether it was action westerns, Comedy Westerns, or even Horror Westerns, Samuel Grey was the iconic name that would be in the credits of those films. He started his career when he was a child, starring in the final Western Film of a legendary actor who was renowned for those roles.
At only 25 years of age, Samuel has been working nonstop, pumping out many movies which had high ratings. To say that he was on the fast track to becoming a legend in the acting scene would be an understatement. He has had his fair share of scandals, regarding sex with co-stars and other incidents that highlight the man's lustful but composed nature.
Now, he was being prepared for the premiere of his newest Film, Shadows 2: Screams of The Black Mountain. This was the sequel to the iconic Horror Western, which was about to come out within a week or so.
The women finished up their work, stepping back and looking at Samuel. They had satisfied looks on their faces, as if they were proud of their work. Samuel simply looked at the mirror, seemingly apathetic of the situation.
The blonde man looked at him, "What's on your mind, Samuel?" He asked, clearly knowing that there was something up with him, "Hm?"
As he said this, the sound of the T.V was heard:
"Word of a potential Revolution in South America has spread like wildfire. An enigmatic figure known as Father Cross has been making waves. The identity of this man is unknown; some think he is nothing but a myth. According to the rumors, he has ties with the Drug Lords of Mexico and Colombia. This has placed many governments on edge, with tensions getting worse by the day."
The blonde man looked at the TV, "Hm." He said, "Maybe we should turn that off."
Samuel looked down, "Can you all give us the room?"
He was speaking to the staff members, who simply stopped and looked at him with surprise.
The makeup artist looked at the blonde man, "Liam, he needs to be ready for the limo by now." She said softly, "We got him a date, we can't be late."
Liam raised his hand, "Let me handle this." He said, "Just give us the room. Now."
All of the people inside left the room, leaving Samuel alone with Liam.
Liam looked at Samuel, "I've been your agent for years, Sam." He said, "So I know that every time you clear the room before an important event, you have something insane to say."
Samuel stood up, his tall and muscular figure fully displayed as he looked at himself in the mirror. There was an intense emotion within his eyes, as if there was something that was bothering him.
He gestured at the TV, "Can you believe that?" He asked, "The state of the world....?"
Liam glanced at the TV, "It's getting intense, yes." He said, "But that's nothing to worry about, Sam. For now, let's focus on the movie. This is a highly anticipated Sequel. People are going to like this alot."
Samuel sighed, "Forget the movie." He said as he turned to look at him, "They won't like it more than the first one."
"You never know." He said, "It could be a nice hit."
"The script was ridiculous." Samuel said, "Trevor really let himself go in his directing. But I won't lie, it is not terrible."
"I admit, the changes were unforeseen." Liam continued, "But let's not forget that the soul of what Westerns are is still in there."
"Hm." Samuel said, "If you say so."
"What's on your mind, Sam?" Liam asked, "Is it this? The tensions of the world?"
"War could break out." Samuel crossed his arms, "World War 3, they call it."
"Don't worry about it." Liam said, "It won't affect us, alright? We need to stay focused and move forward, alright?"
Samuel looked at the TV, seeing flashing images of a war-torn battlefield, "People are dying over there." He said, "Dynastius, Africa, and South America. This could get ugly."
"What does it matter to us?" Liam said, "Samuel, you're an actor. You can't expect to do anything. Besides, this isn't the womanizing Sammy I know. Why are you focusing on things like this, anyways?"
"My Father died in Iraq, okay?" Samuel cut him off, "My Grandfather fought in Vietnam. War runs in my blood. And what my private activities are do not matter for something like this, Liam."
"I know, I'm sorry. But you're not a soldier." Liam said, "You're just an actor. I hate to even say that, Samuel. You're not one to worry about things like these."
"That's not my point." Samuel said, "My point is that....."
"What is it?" Liam tilted his head
"Nothing..." Samuel let out a frustrated sigh, "Nothing."
Liam walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "Listen." He said, "I understand, old friend. I understand that this worries you. Hell, it is a scary thing; a World War. But don't worry, the whole thing about World War 3 starting has been going on for the past 6 years; this is no different."
Samuel looked down, "Something tells me this is different." He said, "That this is real."
As he said this, the TV was heard:
"Reports throughout the Globe about mysterious disappearances have gotten much more prominent in the past couple of months. With the United States being the nation with the most cases of strange disappearances, there has been many investigations. Official state that this could be the work of unknown entities."
Liam looked at the TV, seeing images of streets filled with clothes lying on the ground.
"Hm...." Samuel said
Liam sighed, "Now that is what worries me." He said, "Mysterious disappearances. You know what that means."
Samuel side-eyed him, "Don't forget where we are." He said seriously, "We can be heard."
"I know." Liam said, "Listen, we're out of time. We have to go already."
"Right." Samuel said, "Wait for me outside. I have to wash my hands."
"Don't take long." Liam made his way to the door, "We're really on a tight schedule tonight. After the premiere, we'll hit that burger joint you've wanted to try out."
Samuel walked towards the bathroom door, "It's still open that late?"
"I asked Roger to check it out a few days ago; it's open 24 hours." Liam opened the door to the dressing room. "It's good; they have a nice Bacon Burger. Three patties, man."
"Oh, now I'm craving that," Samuel said with a slight smile
"We can also call some girls for you, you know?" Liam said with a smirk, "Get your head distracted, you know."
"That won't be necessary." Samuel said, "For tonight, I just want to take it easy."
"Alright, but if you change your mind, just let me know." Liam said, "There are a few women that have wanted a piece of you."
"No." Samuel said firmly
Liam walked out with a chuckle, saying nothing after that. He closed the door as Samuel walked into the bathroom, leaving the Dressing Room empty.
Samuel walked inside the bathroom and went to the sink, turning the faucet on.
"Hm...." He said as he looked at the mirror, widening his eyes at what he saw, "What the fuck?"
He saw swirling blood behind him, forming some sort of portal.
"What in the fuck is that?!" Samuel turned his head around and saw the swirling blood forming a massive oval that was around his height. "B-Blood.....?"
Suddenly, massive tendrils shot out of the blood and pierced Samuel's body.
"W-What the....!!!" Samuel shouted in pain, blood splattering from his body
His body was twisted and turned, bones cracking loudly as he widened his eyes in pure pain and horror.
"AAAAHHHH!!!!" He shouted as he was pierced through the chest, "H-H-Help!!"
But his voice did not leave the room and nobody heard his pained cry for help. The swirl of blood let out a loud hum as the tendrils began to drag him down as his body began to be broken violently, his face distorted with pure pain and agony.
Within a couple of seconds, Samuel Gray was gone, being pulled away from this world by an unknown entity.
The bathroom was empty, and only a slight splatter of blood remained on the floor as the faucet was on; the sound of the running water was heard.
Then, the door to the room was open, "Samuel?" Liam walked inside, looking around, "You taking a piss? Come on, let's go!"
He walked over to the open bathroom door, seeing that Samuel was not there.
"What?" He said, walking inside, "Sam? This isn't funny; we have to go now."
He looked around, seeing nobody in there. He then noticed the splatter of blood on the floor, causing his stomach to drop.
His face went pale, "Oh no...." He said,
"Oh fuck, oh shit...."
***************
[The Blood Star Realm, The Distorted Godlands]
Somewhere in the Abaddon Kingdom, in a town on the border, the sound of a horse's galloping filled the street. A man with long black hair and golden eyes was seen riding the steed, an alarmed look on his face.
"Shit, shit, shit!!" He said as he held on to the reins, "Fuck, I'm late!!!"
The horse barreled through the street; its loud neighing woke the neighbors, as it was already quite early.
A patrolling guard saw him up ahead, "Hm?" He said, "Wait, John? What's the hurry?"
The man passed him, the wind pressure caused by the horse's galloping caused the guard's hair to flutter.
"It's today!!" He shouted, "Sorry, but I'm late!!"
"Today...?" The guard frowned as he held a torch in his hand, "...Oh.....Ohhhhhh...Well, congrats John!! Haha, you'd best hurry!!"
John reached a house at the edge of the town, a large brick building that had a stone wall surrounding it, with an iron gate at the front. He immediately dismounted the horse and swiftly tied it to the post out in front.
"S-Sorry, Cricket!" He said as he rushed to the gate, "I have to go, I'll give you water in a moment! I'm late!"
The horse shook its neck, snorting loudly followed by a loud neigh.
John rushed to the front door, his cloak fluttering as he ran, "Dammit..."
He opened the door and barged inside, making his way up the stairs and going to the rooms that were in the second floor. He then ran to a closed door at the end of the hallway and opened it, seeing that a group of women was hunched over the bed.
"Sonya!" He called out, "Sonya, I'm-"
He was cut off by the sound of a baby crying, which caused him to freeze and widen his eyes. The woman stepped back, and he saw a red-haired woman sitting up and leaning against a group of pillows. She was wearing a white robe, holding a newborn baby with black hair. The woman was beautiful; the robe wrapped nicely around her curvy and buxom figure, bits of the top were untied, and her cleavage was exposed.
She had beautiful blue eyes that looked at the child with pure love and care. She was caressing the child's cheek ever so gently; her attention was solely focused on him.
"I'm sorry, Sonya!" John said, "The Commander said it was a quick sweep of the caverns, but it ended up in a total shitshow and I-"
"Shhhh...." Sonya's soothing voice cut him off, "You'll startle him."
John was taken aback by this, but he closed his mouth, shutting up.
One of the women stepped towards John, "It is a healthy boy, Master John." She said with a smile, "Congratulations."
John blinked slowly, "A.....a boy?" He said, "....I finally have a son?"
The baby was pouting; his eyes were closed as he rubbed his tiny hands against his cheek. John stepped closer, looking at the child as his eyes widened when he set his gaze upon him.
"I....." John said, "A....a son, Sonya...."
Sonya looked at her, a genuine smile on her face, "Yes. A son." She said, "We have a son. Finally, John."
John reached for her cheek and leaned in, kissing her on the cheek, "I apologize for being late." He said, "I will make it up to you."
"It is fine." Sonya said, "I do not mind at all. You are here now."
"Yea....." John said, "Thank you, Sonya. You've done so well. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." Sonya chuckled, a blush appearing on her face, "I've finally given you a son, my love. I am overjoyed."
John smiled, "Yes....." He said, "What is the boy's name?"
Sonya looked at the child who was still pouting, "Samuel..." She said softly, "His name is Samuel, after the man who saved my mother when I was a child."
John nodded, "Right..." He said, "Samuel.....that is a fine name. His name is Samuel...."
"Samuel Greyclaw...."
******************
[A Year Later]
"G-G-G....." Samuel said as he was in the arms of the maid, "Gggggg..."
The maid was a beautiful young woman with brown hair and brown eyes, she had a slender yet curvy body that was covered by the modest maid outfit. She was holding the child in her lap, her arms gently holding him as he was flailing his arms around.
They were inside the boy's room, sitting in a chair next to his large cradle. The baby was wearing a black and grey outfit that fit baby boys of this world. He had a serious pout on his face as he was trying to speak something.
"Oh, Master Samuel is trying to say something!" The Maid said
A head popped into the room, Sonya Greyclaw's blue eyes staring at the baby, "What?" She said, "Samuel is trying to speak???"
The Maid nodded, "Yes!"
Sonya immediately ran into the room, wearing a simple red dress that hugged her mature curves. She had a warm smile on her face as she got on her knees, gently grabbing the boy's hand.
"Go on, my baby!" She said with a genuine smile, "Speak! Say Mama!"
Samuel was pouting; his round cheeks were blushing red as he flailed his free hand around ,"G-G-Gu..."
"Oh?" Sonya frowned, "Is he going to say, Gugugaga? It's quite typical of babies...."
"Oh," the Maid said, "I got excited, thinking he was going to form his first words."
Sonya smiled and gently squished his cheeks, "Well, he's such a lovely baby, isn't he?" She said, looking at Samuel's big blue eyes, "So handsome, my little boy."
"Gggggg....." Samuel's pout got more serious
"Go on, say it!" Sonya said with a smile, "Gugugaga~!"
"Gun!" a soft voice escaped from Samuel's mouth, "G-G-Gun!"
The Maid and Sonya were taken aback by this, they never expected to hear such a word coming from a baby's mouth.
"Gun?" Sonya tilted her head, "Why would he say that?"
"I don't think anyone has ever said such a word." The Maid said, "Does he mean....a gun like....a Runepowder weapon?"
Samuel flailed his hand around, looking up and pouting, "G-Gun!" He said, "Ba! Ba! Ba!"
Sonya couldn't help but chuckle, "Fufu~" She said, "Such a peculiar child, his first word being such a strange one."
She stood up, straightening up and turning around. She then began to make her way towards the door.
"I'll go and fetch Lydia." She said, "We need to resume her studies and-"
"Lady Sonya!" The Maid exclaimed, "Master Samuel is....!!"
Sonya turned to see that Samuel was slowly stepping towards her, the mere sight was enough to take her by surprise. She widened her eyes in complete shock, and her mouth became agape.
It was quite clear what was happening.
He was taking his first steps.
"S-Samuel!" She said as Samuel reached her and clutched onto her dress, "Samuel, you're walking!!"
Samuel looked up at her, "Mama."
Sonya's eyes widened even more as tears formed in her eyes, "M-Mama?" She said, "You called me Mama?"
Samuel tugged on her dress, "Mama." He repeated, "Gun. Ba! Ba! Ba!"
He pointed to the side as he had a serious pout on his face.
Sonya swooped her arms down and picked up her son, kissing his cheek as she hugged him, "Eeeek!" She shrieked, "My baby boy said his first words!! I must call John and tell him of this! Samuueeeeel!"
"I love you so much!"
***************
[2 Years Later]
"Gun!" A toddler Samuel was saying as he pointed his fingers at a young red-haired girl in front of him, "Bang! Bang! Bang!"
They were inside the Greyclaw Home, in the living room. Samuel was wearing casual attire of black pants and a white button-up shirt. Despite being 3 years old, he seemed to be growing quite fast.
The young girl seemed to be 10 years of age, a serious frown on her face. Her long hair was fashioned into twin-tails as she wore a white dress.
"You're being annoying, Samuel." She said with a scowl, "Don't point your fingers at me and shout Gun at me, you fool."
A younger girl walked up to her, she had short black hair and mismatched eyes; her right eye was golden yellow and her left was blue.
"Sister." She said, "Samuel wants to play."
"I have no time to play around, Lydia!" The girl said, "I'm currently studying to become a mage. I don't have time to play with this foolish brother."
"Maria." John Greyclaw walked into view, wearing attire similar to Samuel, "Be nice to your brother."
He stood to the side, holding some papers in his hand as he looked at the children.
Maria crossed her arms and pouted, "I am to become a Mage who serves in the Midnight Legion." She said, "I have no time for petty things like this."
John looked at Samuel who smirked and kept pointing at Maria, "Hm...."
"Hehe, bang!" Samuel said, "You are slow, you are dead."
"You little...!!" Maria scowled and stomped forward
"Sister..." Lydia held her back, "He's just a child."
"Hahaha...." Samuel laughed, "Sister is too funny."
"You're all children...." John muttered as he looked at the papers, "Samuel, come here, son."
Samuel looked at him and walked over, "Yes?"
John crouched down, "What's with this?" He asked him, showing Samuel the papers, "These are rather strange drawings."
The papers showed drawings of what looked like revolvers, horses, and even a cattleman hat that seemed rather foreign to someone from the Blood Star Realm.
Samuel frowned, "What?"
"Do you know what these are?" John asked, "You did draw them."
Samuel pointed at the revolver, "Gun."
"Yes...." John said, "But.....why?"
"I don't know." Samuel said, "I like Guns."
"Guns...." John stood up as he sighed, "Very well. Your bath is ready, go and take it. Meadow is waiting."
"Alright!" Samuel said as he took off into a sprint, heading for the stairs, "Bath time! Bath time!"
John stood there, watching how Samuel ran up the stairs. He then looked over at his daughters, who were looking at him with concerned expressions.
"Girls." He said, "Have you finished your studies for today?"
Lydia shook her head, "No, Father."
"I'm about to." Maria said
"Go ahead and do that." John gave them a smile,
"We'll eat some sweets afterwards."
****************
"Hm, peculiar." A tall elderly man said as he looked at the drawings, "How old is your kid again?"
He was tall and burly, with a thick and bushy white beard, as well as long white hair. He wore what resembled mage's robes, with a black cloak over it. He had round glasses on as well, which he adjusted while looking at the drawings.
He was in front of the Greyclaw Home, leaning on the stone wall that surrounded the property. John Greyclaw was next to him, his arms crossed as he had a serious expression on his face.
"Samuel is 3." John said
"3 years old and displaying impressive drawing skills." the Man said with a chuckle, "Quite the genius."
"That's not the point." John looked at him, "The drawings. What are they? What do they mean?"
"What am I, a damn fortune teller?" the Man frowned
"Do you have an answer or not?" John scowled
"You said he keeps shouting Gun at random?" the Man said, "Hm....."
"Yes, what of it?" John responded
"This is clearly a type of Runepowder Firearm." The Man said, "They're extremely rare in the Blood Star Realm, so it's unsurprising that nobody has ever heard of them. Hell, I haven't seen one in person. The Hellish Horizon has a country that is rich in Runepowder and they reportedly wield firearms similar to this one. I read a book on that realm once and it had a small illustration on it."
"I see." John said, "The horses.....the hat.....what does it have to do with the gun?"
"Not much, I would say." The Man said, "Runepowder Firearms are rare here, but there are Realms where they are very common and are in abundance. I heard the Towering Realm is just that, but.....I wouldn't know what it has to do with your boy...."
"No theories?" John asked, "Sincast, I'm asking for help here. I'm starting to get worried. My boy.....he gets nightmares....."
"Hm...." Sincast said, "Nightmares, you say....that is interesting. Has he shown magical attributes yet?"
"Not yet, but his magic power is there." John said
"Interesting. When you begin the Attribute Test for your girl Lydia, do it for him as well." Sincast said, "We'll see what he has then. Also, try to document what these Nightmares are. I'll return in a Year when your daughter is ready for her test."
"A year?" John asked, "Why not try and see what's wrong with him now?"
"Aside from the fact that I want to see what his attribute is?" Sincast asked, "I am a busy man. I'm embarking on a journey to Duskstar."
"What?" John asked, "Why go with the Dusk Elves?"
"Because of political reasons." Sincast said, "Our Queen has sent several emissaries to represent her."
"Queen Asothia did....?" John said, "What for?"
"Peace, from what I gather." Sincast told him, "At least, the current regime does not want to continue the bloodshed. It's been a steady 5 years since the last brutal battle."
"Yea....." John said, "I know....>"
Sincast gave him the papers, "Till we meet again, old friend." he said,
"I'll be back."