Hollow's Eve

Constant darkness, terror at every corner. Some of the most frightening creatures known to man. Believed to be so traumatizing for mankind that they opted to dismiss their presence altogether. Yet, their very existence proves that the top of the food chain extends far beyond what is taught in Academics. Fortunately for the feeble minds of humans, this world can’t be seen by the naked eye. It exists in a parallel layer on Earth that mimics our ecosystem in various ways, but is vastly different in others. Those who have had the misfortune to peak into this layer even for a glimpse had their minds forever trapped in insanity, incapable of comprehending what they witnessed. This is a world of horror… the realm of Hallows’ Eve.

This realm thrives on anarchy. The landscape is desecrated by centuries of war similar to the middle east, but worse since the supernatural is involved. The only way of life is survival of the fittest.

Ghouls are considered the bottom-feeders of “things that go bump in the night.“ They are scavengers; pigs that survive off slop, in their case, corpses. Various origins say that they can take the shape of what they consume. Lower-class shapeshifters. They generally are weak in stature, strength, and stamina. Not even known for their intelligence, it’s their fate to be inadequate, like grass only causing mild irritation, but nothing fatal. Gaia was truly cruel, dealing the ghouls an ill-fated destiny… or so we thought.

Zao Duh was especially weak. He often was forced to go weeks without sustenance, causing him to become nomadic. He would roam the vast realm of Hallows’ Eve, combing through the aftermath of battlefields in search of any remains to salvage. While most of his brethren would perish from either starvation or being erased by other stronger beings like cockroaches, viewed simply as unwanted and an unsightly pest. This seemed to be a destiny spun by the fate sisters until one unusually scorching summer day. The pest equivalent of a fabled monster was drawn to a distinct corpse on his daily scavenge. The lifeless carcass was wearing a beautiful heart-shaped locket that shined a shade of pink not known to this reality. After he devoured the rotting flesh, something ignited in the abyss of the humanoid fiend.

Zao continued surviving. Relying solely on instinct, he began to gradually evolve without realizing it.

His stamina increased from his never-ending travels. His mind sharpened as he became capable of predicting where the next site of a newly ended battle would be located, paying attention to warring factions and tribes. Studying their strengths and weaknesses to calculate who will lose the next bout and become his next meal. Before he realized it, he had the mind to rival a war tactician.

How was this able to happen to such a weak, braindead species? You are what you eat. Becoming nomadic and consuming the corpse of defeated warriors had an adverse effect on Zao Duh that would change the course of not only the ghoul species but provide him with the tools to pave another road of destiny that shook the very core of Hallows’ Eve.

More time elapsed, and Zao Duh evolved into arguably one of the fiercest warriors in all Hallows’ Eve. He no longer had to fight for survival. Scrounging on remains from old battlefields, he would openly challenge warriors in combat, in bouts that he would win with ease. The most powerful monsters in the land couldn’t stand a chance against him. Realizing the power he had gained ignited the tiny flame of ambition within him that would grow into hellfire. He decided to become the first king of all Hallows’ Eve.

In his pursuit to unite the realm under his reign, he encountered a demon unlike any other that he defeated. Fuerzia Poderio brought terror throughout the Hallows’ Eve at the mere mention of his name. He embodied the very essence of ferocity. He could abolish the consciousness of weaker beings just by being in their presence; even the most battle-hardened creatures’ instincts are clouded with fear within a 50-mile radius of his existence, igniting the fight or flight chemistry into their body’s ecosystem. His behemoth body was chiseled for war, always battle-ready. The absolute pinnacle of combat, retreat is never a part of his vocabulary. Azazel .

They fought non-stop for a week, the beautiful rumble that was never witnessed. Not because there weren’t any observers, but none were able to see the battle because of the speed of their movements, and the impact of their blows generated shock waves that very few could withstand. The surrounding air was so thick with both of their murderous intent that the sky and Moon looked of dried blood; you could feel the feeling of death surrounding you. As the bout continued to rage on, the terrain became scorched. The surface forever scarred, etching this battle into the Hallows’ Eve history for a millennium.

In the end, Zao Duh was the victor. However, seven days and seven nights for this victory came at a cost. Zao knew of Azazel’s arrogance and how he took great pride in this fighting abilities. To make his victory absolute, the ghoulish tactician devised a strategy that would play into his opponent’s weaknesses. This came at a cost; Zao baited Azazel with an opening for a killing blow that he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist, which secured his victory. It came at the cost of his dominant hand. His right hand.

How was the most tenacious fighter in the realm for centuries brought to his knees? Beaten within an inch of his life, wheezing for every breathe? He underestimated the ghoul much like the rest of the realm. In long forgotten times, ghouls were actually the most powerful creatures because they absorbed the strength of who they consumed. This only changed when the domain united against them in a war consisting of a single battle lasting a decade. The united front was only victorious because the struggle was never-ending; it led to the ghouls being heavily weakened due to extreme starvation. The united faction left the ghouls starved, cursed to eat only what they could find, which made them even weaker as time passed. The United faction disbanded out of greed. As time passed, there weren’t any alive to remember how formidable the ghouls once were.

During the weeklong rumble, Zao took every opportunity had to bite Azazel, gradually stealing his power with every chew. Azazel dismissed the bites singular attacks. Azazel was playing checkers while Zao played chess.

Forcing Azazel to admit defeat, he decided he would serve him. Respecting him as a warrior. To ensure service, Zao employed a powerful witch to cast a spell that would bind the two in the most fitting way possible.

Two years later, Azazel would become the most trusted confidant of King Zao Duh. Zao even considered him to be family. Thus, earning him the name “Desna Ruka ,” roughly translated to “The Right Hand.” Before anyone could fight his highness, responsible for uniting the Northern portion of the realm, they had to contest his right hand first. His right never lost.

There’s also another reason why his excellency was able to obtain such a vast kingdom in such a short amount of time. The curse. Whenever Zao would enter combat, Azazel was cursed to become Zao’s literal right hand due to the spell cast upon the two. Using Azazel’s life as a prosthetic limb increased the king’s power tenfold.

One ominous morning, Zao awoke to a massive fleet ready to contest his rule. Even his own soldiers stood against him. It was a coup d’état. But, with his death all but imminent, His ghoulish highness remained unphased. The only ally he had in this fight for his life is Desna Ruka… Or so he thought.

Seeking revenge for his defeat and humiliation, Azazel set the coup d’état in motion from the moment he was cursed after his loss. Patiently biding his time in order to seek his revenge. He knew he was no match for Zao Duh alone after their battle. He devised the plan to unite the realm once more, and while he would fight as his right hand initially, he would be able to break free and oppose the king when fatigue would set in. Delivering fatality with the strength that only he possessed.

“You with me, Desna Ruka” questioned Zao duh, confident that he knew the answer. Azazel smirked with a devilish, mischievous grin. “Until the very end.”