-April 7-


    <It’s time to wake up, Makoshi and Nare! You guys have slept for three days! We need your help now!>


    Uuaaaaght. I try to realize what is happening…3 DAYS?! I look at the teacher astonished


    <3 days?!?! Why?>


    <The unsealing process need a lot of energy, and for our bodies it’s exhausting. Aaaah nothing of this does matter now, an Egg hatched! Go!> Eh?


    I wear the special school uniform they gave us and go outside.


    <It’s so bright outside, can’t see anything> A tear. My eyes hurt!!!


    Nare looks at the teacher as she sets foot outside. I still can’t see what is happening, but there’s a strong smell, different from the one of a city.


    <What’s the meaning of all this, Teacher>


    Mmmh? MMMMH??? My eyes widen. The school wasn’t a school anymore, it looked more like a jungle. Creepers on the walls everywhere, giant trees, exotic flowers and everything you could find in a jungle.


    <YEAH, what caused all this? And everything happened in one night?!>


    <The Nibor. It belongs to a species that release a liquid from his body which makes grow plants, flowers and, as you can see, even trees. It does that because it’s its habitat, without the smell produced by the jungle, it can’t survive>Nare asked to the teacher


    <Is this Nibor dangerous?>


    <Yes. You must have noticed this smell? It’s a nice smell, but it’s fatal if inhaled for too much time. So, before someone dies, go kill that Nibor>


    <<Yes!>>


    It should be easy to annihilate it…now that I think about it, death is something really fast, huh, if I were in its shoes, what would I thought? Awakening in a planet where everyone is your enemy, I would feel lonely. I think it is just taking shelter from us, but its shelter can kill us…what do I do? I don’t want to be killed, nor I want to kill that poor Nibor…


    Nare shakes me


    <I know what you’re thinking about, but now it’s not time to feel pity for it. We have to make this jungle disappear>


    Okay, don’t panic, don’t waver, don’t think, just go in and kill that thing. She’s so serious about it, I admire this girl.>


    <Oh! Nare, Maki, take these little objects, it will indicate the position of the Nibor. I will explain you how it works after you come back alive! Now go, good luck!>


    <Are you read Maki, we can do it, we were chosen!>


    <You’re right, let’s go!>


    …


    <For their first mission, this ain’t gonna be easy>


    I keep walking around like an idiot, I don’t find a way that takes me to the Nibor. Aaaah what do I do? Why am I incompetent when it comes to these kind of things. Generally I would give up, but I can’t, not now, not again. People could die because I was lazy, I can’t let this happen. AH! Right, I have a Pax now, it will be surely of help!


    If you looked at me in that moment, I had dead fish eyes…I lost it. I start running and screaming out loud


    that’s worse than the day I lost my barbie!>


    <Were you…looking for your Pax? You left it behind, it’s here with me>


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ah! A goddess, a goddess stood infant of me. So bright!


    <Thank you Nare>


    <Now, Pax, cut the trunk of that tree!>


    …


    We stare at each other for some seconds


    <Oi oi, don’t look at me with those eyes…just cut it already…ok you aren’t good at cutting things, I got it. That’s fine> I will get by on my own.


    Nare and I enter into the school from the back door. It’s a complete mess. Windows corroded by something, the floor covered of roots, giant flowers and…drool? Is it the Nibor’s drool? Guess we will find it out soon.


    This is like a maze, an endless maze. We keep bumping into blind alleys and coming back from where we came. Aaah I want to cry, do breakfast and my mom’s warm hug. That’s right! What about my mom? I haven’t come back home for 3 days, I miss her and my little sister, and they must miss me! Where’s the family when you need it?


    I stumble on a root and almost fall. I stumble again, again, again and again


    <AAAAAH, Nare! Do someth-> Eh? Eeeeeeh?


    Where did she go? gulp I start sweating.


    <Ooooi, Nareeee, where are youuu?> I call her, I don’t say it out loud, I don’t know why, but I just don’t. I hear ripetutive noises coming from behind, I think I peed my pants!


    I’m lost. Even my Pax is scared, I can feel it.


    …


    Isn’t it getting darker? Everything look…dead now…what’s happening? It’s creepier than before. I feel like a child who lost his pastels, I don’t know what to do. And I’ve got the impression that something is observing and following me…I hope it is Nare


    I wonder how many hours have passed since I got into the jungle, but I’m sleepy, so I will light a fire and try to sleep. I search for some dry leaves and twigs. I put aside another pile of twigs in case the fire died. I light the fire and sleep.


    Crack...I open my eyes and I find myself 500m from the school, in the air. Am I fllying? The sky feels so close, I want to touch it, just like my dad, he once touched it, maybe more than one time, it was his job after all. I will come to you dad!


    <Maki> a warm voice heats me up


    <...Dad?!>


    <You''re still a baby. What are you doing, don''t forget who you are!>


    I couldn''t help crying. The forgotten voice I remembered, the voice of my father


    <What are you talking about dad?>


    <Don''t let it manipulates your feelings...>


    <It...it is fine, you are here with me. I don''t want to come back to reality>


    <Maki I''m dead>


    Yes, this is all a dream. The Nibor is probably making me see things that don''t exist anymore, but I don''t care, even if I died! My father is here, I won''t let him leave me alone again, not this time


    <I know that...I know that...but we can finally meet again, after long time!>


    <Wake up>


    I slowly open my teary eyes. Aaah what''s this smell, it makes me wanna sleep again, but I can''t, my father told me I have to save my friend. But I''m seriously flying now...


    <...IN THE MOUTH OF A MONSTER! AAAAAAAH>


    I''m falling and I''m gonna be eaten alive by a giant carnivorous plant. The mouth closes, but I''m already in the stomach of the plant. Where did this monster come from? Has the Nibor created this thing? Above all...what is this sticky liquid, I better get out of here, but how. That''s right, the Pax!


    I look around me, everywhere, but it is nowhere to be found. Am I alone? Is it angry because I left it behind and it left me alone? I didn''t do it on purpose, I''m still not habituated to it!


    ...


    <!>


    I start feeling sick. What''s happening? It is like something wants to come out from my body...I vomite blood. Blood blood blood, a lot of blood. Do I have internal bleeding?...No wait...! The blood changes shape, it transforms into my Pax.


    <What''s going on here?>


    The lianas of the Pax lengthen till the stomach lining and starts eating it


    <Each liana has a mouth? And look at those sharp teeth>


    GUOOOOOOOH the plant roars. I''m scared, not of the plant but of the Pax, I mean, it won''t do anything to me, but I wouldn''t like to be the plant in this moment, getting eaten from the inside. This sounds painful.


    <Aaaah I''m finally out, thank you Pax for saving me!>


    Now, let''s start looking for Nare! I''m sure she is already fighting against the Nibor, I hope she is not having problems with the invader, and it''s her first battle for her as well after all.


    <Let''s go Pax!>


    <hr>


    <Shouldn''t we call someone else to help them, Principal? You already know that the Nibor they are fighting with, is tough opponent. It belongs to a species that can duplicate>


    <No, they must kill it on their own, or they will never learn how to use thei Pax correctly>


    <You''re right but one thing before you go, didn''t you notice it...you know, that the Nibors are getting stronger and stronger! It might be harsh to defeat them in the future>


    <Yeah I''ve noticed, it is worrying me too>


    <Do you still think they won''t need help?>


    <No, not now, but if things get out of control, we might ask for another Destroyer to come>