Her name was Synarel Vastel, a young girl that was the same age as him. He remembered seeing her before, at a few gatherings his family attended. She was someone he would now call, being old enough to understand it, a rare beauty. She was a Duskwight Elezen as well with a fragile form. Her skin looked to be a light shade of grey and while she was within the sun, it was difficult to tell she was of Dusk lineage. Silver orbs with a touch of blue were like open doors and she greeted him with a smile. Even when he was young, he was taken aback by both her beauty and kindness. Her brother, Venar, which he too held the rare beauty to his sister, met Azeiox soon after. It was hard to tell the two apart, Venar and Synarel, when they were younger. The trio become close rather quickly and nearly inseparable. They discovered new things, taught and protected one another as they grew older. When they finally came to their adolescent years, they all knew each other from the inside out. Over their childhood, they met the Valeroyant and Shiran Family, their children being Nymira, Armand, and Erath from the Valeroyant, Shiran Mitsuki, Mizore and Airyn.
However, when the trio started to discover relationships with others of the opposite sex, Venar and Synarel were the ones to branch out. Azeiox was simply happy to be there for his friends and didn't jump into it quickly like his close friends have. His views of the opposite sex and even the same sex, was different than others. He didn't quite see men or women but merely people and what they were of instead of viewing them based off of sex. It was during this time and because of those views that he did discover feelings for one of his close friends, Venar. He was distant from it but Venar, who grew to become quite popular with women like his sister with men, knew what it was that he felt and even reacted on it. They held a relationship that only Synarel knew of and even approved of and, for awhile, living within simple happiness.
None of them knew what their family planned. It wasn't mentioned until Azeiox's age reached the late teens of his family's plan for him, which was to be married to Synarel. He couldn't go against his parent's wishes, not after how they have been so patient with him and nor could he harm the Vastel family either, people who he saw as family. Even Venar understood and stepped back, no matter how much it harmed them both. Synarel felt guilty but she, too, understood. Later within the year, they became married; Azeiox and Synarel Nelles.
Things went rather well for the years to come. They lived normal, quiet lives within the same area they grew up in but Synarel saw how much it hurt her now husband to be with her. Despite the feelings she held for him, it was her who suggested that Venar and Azeiox continued to be together within secret. It took awhile to convince him but soon, Az agreed. They continued once more with their relationship yet were even more careful then they were prior. It was during one of these secret meetings did they hear of these figures sweeping across the lands and left strange occurrences when they left. It wasn't long until their area decided to have people check the surrounding areas and held tight security to protect their people. Yet the close families rested a bit outside of the village itself and there came a time to where Synarel needed supplies. She was practicing Arcanist magic, took her studies from the old books seriously and even planned a trip to Limsa Lominsa. They heard of the warnings and rumors and Azeiox decided to go with her. Venar decided to go on ahead the night prior to make sure the path was clear of traps, tricks and these figures. The next day, they continued on with their plans, Az and Synarel took off.
They were careful and quiet and Synarel seemed rather calm and at peace. Az, on the other hand, didn't not let his walls fall down, holding claw like weapons, one of many his father taught him to use but was one he favored most. They managed to get to the village and left at dusk. He finally felt like he could breath and even joke with Synarel, continuing their plans for the Limsa Lominsa trip, the first and biggest mistake he made..
They were ambushed by Hyurs, or at least they appeared to be so, their bodies hidden behind cloaks and hoods yet lacked the tips within their hoods to indicate they were Elezen or Miqo'te. Their forms were smaller than a Roegyden but their presence still brought fear. Az quickly pulled Synarel close to him, looking around the area. They were completely surrounded. He leaned forward to whisper within Synarel's ear before they finally broke off of one another. She may not have been skilled with weapons like he was but she knew her spells well. They fought with the group, both calling out for Venar. Az was concentrating on the teachings of his father and taking out the beings, even if it were only for a few moments before he heard the cry of Synarel, something he never heard before. He quickly came to a halt and turned towards her, seeing her being held with a dagger to her neck. It was the first time he has seen her look so scared or even cried. He had to make a difficult choice; Lay his weapons down and give into the beings or take the chance of charging for them.
He chooses to lay his weapons down.
Soon after, he was jumped by a member and felt the prick of a needle seeping into the flesh of his neck. He quickly threw the person off of him but fell to his knees. He felt as if his body was slowly being engulfed by fire from the inside out, sending wave after wave of pain. He struggled to get up, hearing Synarel call out his name, begging the others to leave him alone. His vision became blurred and his breath grew heavy and labored. His pain has only begun, he realized, after he felt physical heat near his back before he felt the scorching pain of actual burning, smelling flesh being cooked. He heard the beings speak but he was too distracted on fighting the unknown substance that was given to him, moving to lay on his back no matter how painful it was, raising his hands to grasp for whatever he could. The laughter of the beings and the cries of Synarel echoed within his mind. He cried out in pain as two others came forth to bind him, his finger landed on the claws and something within him snapped...
He managed to get to his feet, causing one of the men to mock him. When the two continued to move forward, once close enough, he cut them down where they stood, finding strength from an unknown area. The echos of laughter turned into cries of horror as he brought down one person right after the other, shoving his claws through the other's chest, arms, legs, anything he could reach. He couldn't stop himself, as if he lost full control of his body and all he could do was watch the massacre unfold. It wasn't long that Synarel's cries were silenced and Az felt her hands reached up to touch his chest and cheek. Her eyes held something he didn't understand or what to make of. She spoke but he couldn't make the words out. He didn't have to look down to know that she was penetrated by his claws and his arm quickly drew back. Even though he commanded his body to stop, commanded to pick her up and take her somewhere to get help, his body released the claws from her chest after her arms fell and her breathing became slower and slower. He carried her, resting her over his shoulder.
After the horror he witnessed, he committed, he traveled to where their homes were and continued with the massacre, taking out anyone who stood in his way, friend or foe alike. It pained him, to hear the cries of both his families, the begging of him to stop, the cries for the recently deceased before being silenced themselves. The last to be taken out by his hands was his own parents. He will never forget the look upon his father's face before the light left his eyes but what stuck with him most was the last words of his mother, her face stained with tears; "Why, Azeiox."
Az finally managed to break away from the spell that held his body, the fire dying down. He didn't understand why he did this, what happened and when he was laying Synarel down, why he didn't put her out of her painful misery. He broke down before her, the first time he has shed any tears, holding her close to his chest. She was muttering, her hand resting on his chest before her words grew slow. Her final words was the muttering of his name, sounding like she was trying to get his attention then finally passed. He didn't leave the home for hours, sobbing and begging them to return, that he was sorry and that he wanted to go back. He forgot of his own pain for the hours that came, resting her within his lap and held her close, petting her head and sobbed. It took him a while to finally stand, holding her close and rested her outside. Slowly, he moved the corpses of his loved ones outside.
The rain came forth, lightening striking the sky and thunder rumbled. He felt the soothing touch of the rain upon him, soothing the burn on his back but it was as if his body became completely numb. He grabbed a shovel and was digging graves for his departed family, moving like a corpse himself. He carefully placed them within their graves and before he covered their bodies with the dirt, he looked to them all carefully. The last person to be covered with earth was his wife, Synarel. Before he covered her, he held her close within his grasp, placed a kiss on her forehead and finished the burial. The rain washed the blood away from his body but he still felt it clinging to his skin.
It all seemed so.. Strange. He didn't understand many things and was surprised his body was within his control. On the outside, he left no trace of emotion or concern yet on the inside, he was broken. He left the home afterwards, leaving behind the life he once knew but never forgetting. He brought little with him, not much filling the satchel he carried within his arms. He didn't stop his travels for days on end before he finally came to a small village, located within the Black Shroud. He was very off putting to the others, his body concealed with a cloak and hood. Never speaking, never raising his head, he drifted from village to village before entering Gridania. He heard of the rumors from those wretched beings and plotted to search for them, make them pay for what they did to him. That is.. If they were the ones to truly blame..
Az continued his travels, following any word on these beings.
Days turned to weeks.
Weeks turned to months.
And months turned to years.
Even after the calamity, he searched and within his travels, saw more pain and misery. There were times where he blacked out and awoke somewhere new, his body drenched within crimson once more. It wasn't long until they became more and more frequent. He wandered streets, deserts, and forests until he stumbled upon two people he remembered within his past; Nymira Valeroyant and the Shiran siblings, Airyn and Mizore. Nymira was the first to learn of his acts, or 'sins' he called them and was the one that assisted him with stabling himself through Alchemy and was the one to create the tattoo he now wears, the tattoo working as a seal. The Shiran siblings didn't find out until he departed for a short period for Thanalan, to search the streets of Ul'dah for the beings, where he searches to this day.