SHADOW BEFORE CREATION

An Old Friend

Arthur sat at the heart of Atlach-Nacha's space, in a world that was no longer a world, beneath a sky that had lost its meaning after the death of its god.

He sat cross-legged, motionless, his enormous body nearly the size of the human planet Earth.

There was no anger in his expression, no visible sadness, not even the joy of victory.

He was calm… the calm of a warrior who had finished the battle, but not the war.

He was gathering his power quietly and steadily.

He had consumed Baston's entire power, and he knew that any carelessness, any moment of distraction, could cause that power to vanish as though it had never existed.

So he sat… still and focused, allowing the power to settle within his body and soul.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Then his enormous body slowly began to shrink until he returned to his normal size.

Arthur opened his eyes and looked across the entire world of Atlach-Nacha, at its shattered space, its split planets, and the traces of the end he had left behind.

{Arthur Narin.}

A calm voice echoed through the heart of space.

The void itself distorted, and the rift Arthur had previously created in the fabric of existence trembled.

From a small portal emerged a familiar figure.

Arthur recognized him immediately.

Someone he had fought alongside long ago.

Someone who had grown stronger because of his power and survived situations where death had been closer than a breath.

Someone who had played a major role in keeping Arthur alive until this day.

A warrior… whom Arthur truly respected.

"Cthulhu… I see you again."

Cthulhu stood there, his body nearly the same size as Arthur's, and silently looked around at the world that had come to an end.

{Arthur Narin… I—}

Arthur calmly interrupted him.

"We fought together before, and thanks to your strength, I survived many miserable situations.

I think you can just call me… Arthur."

His voice was low and steady, his eyes dull.

A faint smile appeared on his face, but it could not hide the sorrow that had once again broken something inside him.

Cthulhu felt it.

He felt the great warrior standing before him… and the human who had lost so much.

"Arthur… I apologize for Atlach-Nacha and his daughter's actions."

Cthulhu said it in a calm, sincere voice.

"What happened has happened, Cthulhu.

We are at war, as you know.

And in wars… there must be losses on both sides."

Cthulhu sighed.

"I agree with you as a warrior.

But according to the logic we outer gods and Great Ancients follow, we have one covenant:

Only our enemy should feel our power.

Not their family, not their friends, nor anyone close to them."

He fell silent for a moment, then continued in a heavier tone:

"Atlach-Nacha… broke the warrior's covenant."

Arthur gave a faint laugh, devoid of amusement.

"Man… for supernatural monsters and entities, you are kinder than humans themselves."

Cthulhu smiled calmly.

"When I fought alongside you, I told King Azathoth about you.

When he learned of you… he smiled.

He wanted to fight you."

He paused for a moment.

"But first, he wanted to test you against the Great Ancients.

And he ordered them not to involve any outside party.

Only you… and them… as warriors."

He looked at Arthur seriously.

"Atlach-Nacha broke that covenant.

And as a warrior… I sincerely apologize for his filthy actions."

Arthur slowly shook his head.

"There is no need to apologize, Cthulhu.

Perhaps you have laws and covenants,

but I am human, my old friend."

He raised his gaze toward the dark space.

"Humans… have no real laws.

They have no steadfast covenants.

Only a few possess honor,

while the majority… are willing to do anything to achieve victory."

He smiled bitterly.

"Atlach-Nacha… simply did what humans do,

if you want the truth."

Silence filled the space.

Then Arthur said calmly:

"To be honest…

I am accustomed to the pain of loss."

He raised his head even higher, as though addressing the universe.

"Without loss… can it even be called life?

And without life… what is the meaning of my remaining alive?

Is it simply to enjoy myself?

To live without pain, without a price?"

He turned toward Cthulhu.

"I am not the hero of a novel,

nor am I a lucky human who lives without loss,

whose strength keeps increasing, and whose happiness is absolute."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I am Arthur Narin, Cthulhu."

"Narin…"

Cthulhu muttered.

"I have always wondered about the meaning of that name… Does it mean—"

"Yes."

Arthur interrupted him.

"Narin has three meanings.

The first… is the broken and suffering one."

He took a deep breath.

"Since I opened my eyes to life, my father gave me the name Arthur,

and Narin… is a name I inherited from him."

"Narin… the broken ones."

He looked into the distance.

"We were once a great clan, powerful and highly influential.

But… the strong do not last long, my friend."

Cthulhu sat beside Arthur, listening in silence and respect.

"My great-grandfather… was the first to carry the name Narin.

He killed a great man among some humans named Hamraun."

He laughed lightly.

"He killed him because he was a damn bastard.

A hypocrite, a filthy man, someone who possessed every trait of a bastard."

He fell silent for a moment.

"Because of that act…

the Narin family was persecuted.

Generation after generation…

until the clan dwindled."

His voice lowered.

"Until my time came…

and there was no one left of the Narin family except my father… and me."

He sighed.

"My father… was truly a great man.

To tell the truth, I only remembered this recently.

Before, I was certain that he was a damn bastard,

but now I remembered the truth."

He smiled bitterly.

"We, the Narin family… have grown accustomed to pain and brokenness."

Cthulhu sighed, then snapped his fingers, produced a cup, and began drinking.

At the same time, a cigarette appeared between Arthur's fingers.

Arthur smiled, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"Einver…

Michael…

Estaroth…

Cain…

Rath…

Rain…

Um…

and many of my brothers.

Yi Shun…

Shin Yoosung…

Little Moon…"

He stopped.

"And now… Rath once again."

He looked at the cigarette.

"I have lost so much, my old friend…

but will I stop?"

He asked calmly.

Cthulhu looked at him and wiped his mouth after drinking.

"So… will you stop?"

Arthur slowly stood up and looked at the dead world around him.

He took one final drag from his cigarette, then extinguished it with his bare hand.

He headed toward the portal that would return him to Sung's world.

"Will you stop, Arthur?"

Arthur smiled and turned around.

"Who knows…

Perhaps this too is a story for another time."

He looked at Cthulhu.

"I'll see you later… my old friend."

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