(( In first person perspective! Also this happened about a couple months ago in-game, but I didn’t make a post about it til now. ))
I should have been grateful for the second chance I was given. It’s rare, almost a miracle, for one to be touched by death to return to the realm of the living, once more able to walk again as a mortal man instead of a corrupted shell that such a man used to be. It gave a lot of hope for my future Sister-in-Law that had much expectations for me to father a future child.
However, it was not by choice. It was a wish that cost a lot more than I would’ve allowed to offer had I been conscious of the act. The journey I took was to find answers, but instead I was ripped away from what I was to become something that I could no longer accept. The voices of the dead went silent, my eyes no longer peered beyond the veil, my gargantuan size reduced to a normal man, and my blood returned to the crimson fluid it was once before. Now I was nothing more than a simple man in plate armor with only a fraction of the powers I had, vulnerable to forces I was once impervious or incredibly resilient to. Even the armor and axe that was one black and red no longer radiated a red glow: just a hollow shell of black metal remained.
As much as I tried to embrace the life of a mortal man once more, it could not replace the sense of duty and honor to the dead I had, be it those I find roaming the world beyond the veil or those in Draenor looking up to me for inspiration to fight a war to save their world. Some started doubting what I could do, causing commotion in Sanctuary as to how they should be led. Zerik, my trusted Talonpriest and second-in-charge of Sanctuary, knew the unrest could lead to either the doubting individuals to depart on their own or go so far as to cause an internal uprising if there was no hope left for their leader.
“Sir, there must be a way to restore you to your former glory lest we ultimately lose Sanctuary to unrest.” The Talonpriest was right to believe this situation could only get worse if something wasn’t done. I learned from my future wife of what happened, which led to the only course of action I could think of.
“I’ll make way towards the Edge of Reality for answers and take my beloved with me.” The two of us nodded in agreement. As I made haste to head out for the answers I sought, Zerik smiled with parting words:
Although it took a fair bit of time traveling, my beloved and I reached--correction, returned--to the Edge of Reality. It was there I found a shadowy figure, clad in a plated robe, hood, and scythe in hand, floating before us.
“Why have you returned, Elf?” The figure pointed to her with his scythe with a menacing address to her presence. I stepped forward in his way, returning the gesture with my axe pointed back at him.
“We come for answers. What was the black blood all about, and why am I effectively neutered of my abilities? Why am I condemned to this fate?” Although the hood shadowed my face, my glare could be felt piercing into the figure’s gaze.
The figure nodded, unmoved... but intrigued. “You were given the second chance to live a mortal, and yet you come asking this? If you insist: the blood was merely a catalyst to awaken your abilities. Sure, it was forged from your blood when the Scourge plague infected you to the point of madness manifest, but it was no more than the trigger to bring out your soul’s potential. You realize what this means, I imagine?”
“That’s implying I, a Valorheart, have a dark soul, or even further: have the soul of a bringer of death.” It could be seen as an unsettling thought, but having existed half this lifetime as a walking monster it was moreso seeing logic than seeing the monster. “So if this special blood was merely a catalyst, why am I effectively powerless now?”
“Without the blood, your being went into a form of shock. You never did lose your abilities, but...” The figure peered once more to my wife before me once more. “You will need to figure out for yourself how to wake yourself up from the shock.” With that, the figure vanished, leaving the two of us the mystery. It took a while for us to ponder, but a thought came to mind...
I closed my eyes in deep focus, looking within for the very trigger needed. If the figure was speaking true, something would be here already to restore myself to my full, former glory once more. Many fragments of memories were revisited, but slowly faded as a red light could be seen in my mind. It was tempting to slip into a subconscious state, but I kept myself focused and vigilant for the answer. My lips parted to speak cryptic words, the red light illuminating the darkness around it even further. The black metal armor and axe slowly radiated the crimson glow as the words were further spoken. Just as things made sense back when I was slipping into madness from the Scourge plague, things made sense now as I realized exactly what was within.
With that knowledge, my eyes opened once more to reveal the blood red aura they had before.