Where it all began

The beast's tail slammed into Gray, prompting him to block it with his sword, however, the hit was so strong that he was sent flying a few feet away.

'I don't remember that overgrown furball being this strong,' thought Gray as he coughed up blood, using his katana as a crutch to stand up.

"You survived that?" asked the goblin in a somewhat noble way, looking at Gray as if he were intrigued by his existence.

In a flash the goblin was behind him, breathing down his neck, "I will add your head to my collection," whispered the goblin as it slashed at his neck, aiming to lop off Gray's head.

Gray blocked it, but just by a hair, a thin line of blood ebbed from his neck where a part of the silver blade had cut.

He pushed back, swinging his sword at the goblin, the clanging of blades clashing was the only sound that could be heard, everything else was silent.

The goblin seemed to predict every single one of Gray's moves, a bored look on its face as it blocked off all of Gray's attacks without so much as a sweat.

Gray on the other hand was sweating profusely, veins began showing on his arms as he put his all into his attacks.

In the next second Gray found the world turning upside down as the goblin swept him to the ground, the air in his lungs being forced out all at once.

"Not even a demon's blessing can save you from corruption," said the goblin as the wound on Gray's neck turned black, and began spreading outwards at a visible rate.

Gray turned the katana into a dagger, slashing it quickly towards the goblin, however, the goblin blocked his attacks with relative ease, showing mastery in swordsmanship.

Using the little space that the goblin had yielded to fend off his barrage, he quickly stood up, jumping back several spaces to create distance.

But once again the world around him went upside down, this time the hot breath of the goblin's beast was forced down his nose as its front paws held him down.

"This is fun," laughed Gray, turning the dagger into a pistol and using what little mobility his hands had to aim at the beast.

Several gunshots were fired, all of them sending out flaming hot bullets that normally would pierce through flesh easily. However, this time the bullets could only manage to leave a flesh wound on the armored beast.

The beast lifted its paw in reaction to the sudden pain, giving Gray enough space to get out of its vise.

"Behind you," whispered the goblin, its silver sword thrusting into Gray's back right out his stomach. Blood gushed to the floor as the goblin withdrew its sword, slashing once more at Gray, severing his right arm clean off at the shoulder joint.

His weapon fell to the ground at the same time as his arm, at this point a puddle of blood began forming beneath Gray, and a black substance began running up his skin.

The wound on his neck had become corrupted, a thick black goo oozed from it, causing the cut to become deeper with time.

The goblin simply stood there, watching him with intrigue in its eyes as if waiting for something.

"If you don't hurry up I'll collect your vessel. It seems you rather liked this one since his mark is so big," said the goblin, looking at Gray's mark which now extended till his forearm.

However his words fell on deaf ears, Gray's mind had been corrupted by the black substance, putting him in a state of coma, lost in the abyss that was his mind.

"Mother?" whispered Gray, his eyes staring into nothingness.

"It seems I've already broken it. Very well then," said the goblin raising its blade into the air.

"Goodbye," as it said this its blade came rushing down towards Gray's neck and time seemed to be suspended in that very second

***

"Gray I'm gonna get you," said a warm voice as Gray ran around the kitchen table.

"Mom, mom, help me," laughed Gray, his father chasing after him with a smile on his face.

"Stop running in the kitchen you two," scolded Gray's mother playfully as she prepared pancakes.

"We better listen to her bud, before she turns into a monster eats us all up," said Gray's father lifting him off the ground.

Rays of light trickled through the kitchen windows, giving the memory a warm feel.

"I guess even people like you have happy memories," said a voice that sounded more like an echo than the actual thing.

***

The scene changed, now Gray was on a swing in a park, with his father pushing him. Gray laughed happily as he swung up and down, the color of the flowers around him so bright they seemed almost exaggerated.

"Mother? Won't you come swing with me?" asked Gray in his little voice as he looked at his mother reading a book under a nearby tree.

"I'm coming darling," replied his mother as she stood, rubbing her round tummy with a smile on her face as she walked towards the two.

"Who would have thought," scoffed a figure watching the happy family from behind another tree, it had white hair, and although the shadow of the tree covered his face, his gleaming red eyes were still visible

***

Once again the scene shifted, this time they were in a car.

"Dad are we there yet?" asked Gray for like the thousandth time, and once again his father replied with, "Nearly there bud,".

"You said that ten minutes ago," complained Gray as he crossed his arms, pouting angrily.

"Don't worry darling we're almost there," said his mother, caressing his face as she sad this. Her belly was bigger this time.

"I'm sorry bud, it will only be a f-"

*Beeeeeeeppppp*

"Richard watch th-"

Her voice was cut off by the sound of metal being crushed.

"So this is where it all went wrong huh?" smiled the figure, this time standing at the side of the road, staring at the wreckage.