《Humanity》


 Chapter 0 - The Beginning of my Story

    Since the invention of gunpowder Man no longer has any natural predators. On earth we are at the top of the food chain. We are a race that exceeds its carrying capacity and spreads its influence across every corner of the globe. Humans have conquered every beast and every disaster that was thrown its way. (Except Global Warming of course :-])


    However, that dominance lies only within the earth itself. When compared to all other races we are by far the weakest. We just lack that special ¡°thing¡± that makes us stand out. It¡¯s to be expected of course for we, being born without fangs, claws or the ability to perceive magic, chose to develop our intellect instead.


    Despite our best efforts we are not a violent race, we were never created to be one. It is said that God created us in his image. I don¡¯t know if that is true or not but one thing is for sure, God favors us extremely.


    Never thought God would play favorites huh? Well without him humanity would be finished. He has protected Mankind since the first chapter in its conception. He established a barrier which prevented other races or aliens, as we call them, from invading and also granted us the ability to develop faster than most races. Now you know why we never saw anything when we looked to the stars. I mean seriously, we have evolved to such a high degree in such a small span of time.


    Every teenage boy¡¯s pocket contains a device that can carry out millions of processes per second, a smartphone. Just a few decades ago computers were rare and now they are compacted into the palms of our hands. This kind of evolution would take millions or billions of years for other races. Yet we are the most ungrateful race ever.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    We blame him for everything and he just leaves us be. God has accepted the way we are, truly a fine divine being, however he is the only one who believes we are worthy of such respect in the entire universe.


    There is a reason Mankind has remained hidden from the eyes in the stars. You know how a mom dotes on and spoils her youngest child. Well it¡¯s similar to that. In Gods eyes humanity is his greatest creation. Too bad his other creations don¡¯t share the same sentiment. Every other race wants its chance in the spotlight and would take any opportunity to exterminate the human race. We, being the youngest race, wouldn¡¯t stand a chance hence the need for God¡¯s barrier.


    But there is one event where all of this hate and jealousy can be expended- Colossal Impact. A massive, bloody, free-for-all style tournament that is held every 267 earth years. One representative is chosen from each race and is transported to the tournament grounds to do battle.


    Even with God¡¯s disagreement the tournament is still carried out in favor of the other ¡°divine¡± beings¡¯ decisions. God has helped us as much as he could however the result remains the same- defeat.


    Now enough exposition. Hopefully you got the message. However if you are like me and couldn¡¯t bother to pick up on anything from that here is the summary.


    Humans= shit compared to everyone else


    God= Good guy


    Everyone else= Bad Guy


    I do hope you continue to read on and picked up on something special at the end of this journal. The reason I put pen to paper was to tell of a journey spanning galaxies. As my end draws near with each passing second I want to narrate a tale to inspire losers to be heroes. A tale of friends and enemies, love and hate, death and birth¡­ This is my story.

 Chapter 1 - Weakness and Strength

    Fragile Soul and Fragile Bones-The distinct qualities of a human. In any game the human race is usually the jack of all trades, the race with unlimited potential. They tell you when you are young dream big and you can achieve anything. Work hard and you can do everything. But¡­.


    It is never that simple. If all humans are born equal then disparities begin to arise due to the environment they grow up in. Your future being decided the moment you are born, sickening thought right?


    However there will be that moment, that single moment that will change your life and rewrite your destiny. Despite what you may think not all of these moments are times of bliss but rather of crushing despair.


    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    It seemed like the devil himself was beside me that day. The rain fell in slow motion beating off the black caskets. In my ice-cold-eyes reflected the scene of mourning before me. Man and woman alike wept over the departed, a young couple barely reaching into their thirties.


    Tears mixed with the crystals from the sky further casting a wave of depression over the area. Yet, from my eyes nothing fell. Was it because the deceased were not my ¡°real¡± parents? No it wasn¡¯t. I had to remain strong in the eyes of that one person. However, I couldn¡¯t devoid myself of every emotion.


    I¡¯m human after all.


    A feeling of emptiness invaded my body and mind. It seemed to gorge at my vitals as everywhere seemed to hurt and my brain felt like mush. I didn¡¯t know what to think.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Those two took me in and treated me like their very own son and till this day only the 3 of us knew of this fact.


    My eyes fell on the mourners, rich and affluent people that seemed to care. Their tears formed an ocean but when my parents were facing financial problems where were they then. When the world seemed to despise this happy family where did these ¡°close¡± friends and relatives go?


    I tell you they were easily the best actors you had ever seen. But I won¡¯t be broken that easily. I closed my eyes. ¡°Thank You for everything guys. I¡¯ll take care of things from here¡±, I whispered in an attempt to push myself forward.


    As my mind struggled in and out of turmoil I felt something soft squeeze my hand. Standing beside me was the only person left in this world that I truly cared about, my little sister, Lilith.


    Her pale face was shrouded with sadness and misery. From her two deep-blue, beautiful eyes fell tears of honest sadness. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. I didn''t believe that, until at that very moment.


    She was truly a girl to wear her heart on her sleeve. I slowly embraced her and from my lips escaped the only thing that could be said at that moment, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lily, I will become stronger and one day I will take you back. I will protect you just as our parents did.¡±


    Lily looked up at me a trace of hope and happiness in her eyes. ¡°Y-You Promise?¡± ¡°Yes, I promise,¡± I expressed in a solemn tone. She rubbed her eyes while simultaneously fighting back the tears.


    She put on the most brilliant smile and simply replied, ¡°Ok, I will be waiting brother!¡± Sigh, truly a girl whose expression was easy to read. In a couple of hours I am going to be separated from her.


    Can I really keep the promise I just made?


    Am I really worthy of such trust?


    Lightning buckled and flashed illuminating the dark sky for an instant before returning to the darkness it once came. The curtain call had arrived for my happy family life and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that a part of me was lost in that last gasp of light.

 Chapter 2 - Daily School life

    Let¡¯s fast forward a few weeks from the funeral. I can still feel the sting from when I was separated from Lily but I must face the facts. In my current state I don¡¯t have a chance of getting her back. At least the aunt that took her in was fairly wealthy so I won¡¯t have to worry about her financial situation but as for her happiness, sigh.


    ¡°Just you wait Lily I will come and get you bac-¡±, my somewhat self-encouraging speech was interrupted as I was smacked in the face with a piece of chalk. I subconsciously stood up only to see my teacher staring daggers at me.


    His menacing gaze grazed my body before he pointed to his textbook. ¡°Mr. Wiggings I trust you can give us an answer for the question?¡± he asked firmly.


    Kill me now. Come on dude I don¡¯t even have the textbook out. He knows this so it¡¯s the classic attempt to embarrass me in front of the entire class. I could feel the eyes of my classmates peering into my soul they must want a good laugh. I will give them something to laugh at.


    Ok think, I have about 30 secs before he questions me again and spills the answer before reprimanding me in front of the class. In front of me the black board was wiped clean, he must have erased anything that can give me a clue beforehand.


    He must have really needed to make an example of someone, too bad he chose the wrong person. So in front of me is a no go. I can¡¯t afford to look in my classmates¡¯ book at the side either as he would notice such an obvious attempt. So the only option is¡­The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Oh Mr. Wiggings do you think you can find the answer by looking up at the roo-¡±, ¡°6.4¡±, I replied cutting him off. ¡°Wha-what?¡± he questioned. ¡°X is 6.4, by utilizing Pythagoras Theorem, after summing and then square rooting the squares of the two known sides the answer is found to be 6.4.¡± I said slowly emphasizing each word.


    Plop! The teacher dropped his textbook triggering an explosion of laughter from the classroom.


    It started as a giggle but the combination of the confused teacher¡¯s facial expression and his desperate attempt to catch the falling book was certainly a sight to behold.


    ¡°G-Good Very Good, please take your seat¡±, he managed after regaining his composure. I took my seat as I was told and released a silent sigh. I was lucky. If the time of day was off by just a bit I wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer the question.


    Above the teacher was this massive analog clock. In addition to giving students a heart attack during exams with its constant ticking the surface is quite reflective.


    In fact if you look closely everyone in the class can be seen to some degree. I suspect that was also how he caught me lost in thought. Thankfully he made the mistake of raising his textbook at a particular angle that created a mirror image on the clock.


    From there all I had to do was reverse the image and run the calculations in my head. However if sun was too prevalent the glare would prevent me from seeing anything. Sigh, I really lucked out. Well no matter.


    I protected my image in this new school and even managed to make this boring math class a bit fun for the rest of my classmates. Although I probably made an enemy I shouldn¡¯t have.


    A few classmates snuck me a thumbs up in which I replied with a simple smile. I began ignoring the class again contemplating on whether any of this would ever help me get my sister back sooner.


    As I was lost in thought I heard a collision. I shifted my gaze to the window and was appalled at what I saw. Is that a flying book?

 Chapter 3 - The Book

    Well physics be damned. Before my eyes was a book plain and simple. Only problem was books don¡¯t fly. Despite my distance from the window I could still make out some details of the book.


    The color left a deep impression on me. It was the color of blood, but not the vivid red of the freshly spilled, but more the browning red of old blood. It gave off an ominous aura.


    Did the book have eyes?


    If not what was this feeling?


    It¡¯s as if the book was observing my every move, taking note of my every breath. My breath quickened as beads of perspiration cascaded down my cheeks. Why am I so afraid? It¡¯s just a book.


    Boom! The book crashed against the window again but this time it meant business. Cracks began to spread across the window like the web of a spider encasing its prey.


    Why isn¡¯t anyone responding to this? As I shifted my gaze back to the teacher he acted as if nothing had happened. In fact as I surveyed my surroundings the cracking of the glass was met with no response from any of my classmates.


    Morbid thoughts ran rampart through my mind. The sounds of chains echoed through my head. I felt imprisoned within my own classroom. The sound of chains became louder and louder as the book seemed to gnaw at the window. It wanted in.


    As the noise of chains reached its peak the book began to glow. Similar to a flash grenade used by soldiers the book seemed to explode in a flash, bathing the classroom in light. The blinding light forced my eyes shut and as my senses were in disarray I heard something. It was a voice.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°It is nearly time to become one¡±, an eerie voice whispered to me. As the lightshow ended the book was gone and the window had been magically repaired. ¡°I should really take it easy on those energy drinks, they have got me delirious¡±, I said to myself wistfully.


    I have been working part-time late at night recently, surviving only on some good old coffee and energy drinks. But was it really exhaustion or was it something more. I have got a bad feeling about this.


    Surprisingly the school day passed by uneventfully. I was half expecting the book to return and open a wormhole to engulf the entire school. Look we can all hope right. Yeah I¡¯m one of the few students who just happened to hate school. Can¡¯t say it was all bad though.


    Messed with a few teachers, got along with some classmates, it certainly wasn¡¯t a bad day. Sure the uncle that took me in lived quite a distance from my old school but maybe meeting new people and friends isn¡¯t so bad. However there was that book today. I haven¡¯t felt that bad since the funeral. Something must be wrong with me.


    ¡°Well Lily seems you brother is going slightly insane¡±, I said jokingly to no one in particular. ¡°YOU ARE INDEED!¡± a voice resonated through the air.


    Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to get a response. The air around me began to tear and warp. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I shouted in a panic.


    Wait calm down.


    I took a couple deep breaths to slow my heart beat. I felt the air around me. It was hard like concrete. It was as if I was encased in an invisible barrier. ¡°So I¡¯m trapped?¡± I questioned. ¡°Yes you are¡±, the same voice resonated through the air once again.


    The sound seemed to come from all sides so I couldn¡¯t pinpoint its exact location. Well best take a gamble. ¡°Where are you? Show yourself!¡± I ordered. ¡°Fine, Fine don¡¯t get your knickers in a twist!¡± the voice snapped back. It was there it reappeared.


    The object that caused fear to well up inside ¡­ the book had returned.

 Chapter 4 - Xam

    It was the book from earlier. Just as it had disappeared without a trace, it seemed to materialize from nothing once again. I finally got a good look at it as well. In addition to the blood red covering, two symbols covered the front of the book.


    They both looked like wings yet they couldn¡¯t be more different. One resembled the wings of an angelic creature. It was larger and arched high above the darker wing. They were whiter than a soft colored cloud on a bleating summer¡¯s day, so white that a pure glow seemed to emit from them. I could feel the radiance from this image overpowering the darkness of the other wing.


    On the other side of the spectrum was the dark wing. If you looked closely one would realize that the wing was also somewhat maroon but was tainted mostly in black. Made entirely of coarse scales, the wings were curled below the angel wings almost as if it was kneeling before it.


    The bones were visible around the sides and similar to bat wings, only their veins stood out greatly in contrast. As the bones reached the top of the wing, a large ivory spike, curved like an elongated shark tooth, protruded from the top of the wing. It was a hideous sight; the sight one could only associate with images of the devil himself.


    ¡°Can you stop staring, you¡¯re creeping me out¡±, the voice insisted. ¡°So you¡¯re the book from earlier today¡±, I questioned. ¡°Well do you know of any other flying books? Well do you genius!¡± he yelled in response.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He was quite a rude fellow but I didn¡¯t feel the same horrible feeling as before so that was something at least. ¡°So care to explain why you trapped me within this¡­¡± I paused, knocked the solid air in front of me and sighed inwardly, ¡°This pocket of air.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe something so irrational left my mouth but I figured panicking or trying to make sense of this situation was not going to help me in any way.


    ¡°Now listen here Jackass, just because I am allowing you to speak doesn¡¯t mean you go around accusing people of whatever you fancy,¡± the voice snapped back immediately.


    ¡°But what else could it be?¡± I questioned. ¡°Since I saw you things have-¡±, ¡°And also why are you acting as if this is the first time you saw something supernatural¡­ Wait no! No! NO! That bitch did not set me up. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be the first!¡± the voice screamed excessively cutting my sentence in half.


    However what he said deeply intrigued me. Who was she and what did he mean by first? As I contemplated the world around me began to shift and twist as the space within the air pocket began to get brighter and brighter. ¡°Shit it¡¯s happening faster than I expected. Listen save the questions for later and brace yourself!¡± he exclaimed quickly.


    Before I could retort I was bathed in light again and my senses were knocked into disarray. The buildings around me had disappeared. The cars and people were all gone. The ground had changed. The sky had changed. My entire surroundings had morphed into a foreign entity.


    I was surrounded by what I can only describe as monsters. Monsters of every shape, size and gender littered the area around me. The voice was still beside me.


    The book, still giving the finger to the laws of gravity, spoke ¡°Those pricks aren¡¯t going to be difficult to beat,¡± He sighed ¡°Call me Xam we have a long road ahead of us.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Trouble

    After migrating from the world of logic I once knew I ended up here. Now let me tell you the transportation was most definitely NOT first class. I nearly threw up the delicious rice and curry I had for lunch. Now let me tell you, I like my curry so to make me want to puke it out you got to do some serious shaking.


    But to describe this feeling as ¡°shaky¡± only would be an understatement. The world around me just felt wrong. I felt as if I was the focus for a multitude of earthquakes and the feeling, certainly, was not a good one.


    As I struggled to breathe and even open my eyes I was hit by a sudden impact forcing me to the ground. Despite what one may expect it was actually a blessing in disguise as the pain and dizziness had subsided.


    With the ringing in my ears gone I could now assess the situation around me. What I saw before me was the same as before, monsters.


    There were some hideous ones mixed in as well: multi-eyed creatures, creatures with disfigured faces (if you could even call them faces), creatures with gnarled teeth and fangs, gigantic behemoths and even small imp-like creatures.


    That¡¯s not to say there won¡¯t any nice ones among them such as fairies and the like but when you see a gigantic monster standing higher than the tallest building in your country you tend to overlook some stuff.


    ¡°Oi stop day dreaming and listen to what he is saying scrub,¡± a voice behind me grumbled. It came from a flying book. His name is Xam. Try not to think of it too much. My eyes focused on the figure in front of me. ¡°Is that an old man?¡± I whispered to myself.


    Scratch what I said earlier this fella was the real monster. The map of wrinkles on his face told of the most incredible journey. A journey I really didn¡¯t what to undergo. It was at that moment I understood why girls fear aging so much.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°-And so the collars around your neck indicate your number. The higher the number the better your living arrangements will be,¡± the old geezer mumbled weakly. Oh, looks like I caught him mid-sentence.


    Got to admit his voice matched his age better than I expected. But collar huh. I subconsciously felt around my neck. Oh crap¡­


    There was one alright. It was grey, dull and made of some kind of metal. It was surprisingly warm to the touch and fit well. Must have been why I didn¡¯t notice it before. ¡°Now to just get it off,¡± I grumbled to myself as I began scratching at the collar. There must be a clip somewhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea fool¡±, muttered Xam in response to my actions. You know he was quiet for quite a while, must have been listening to the old geezer. I preferred him when he was quiet. ¡°I don¡¯t need you-¡±


    SCREEEEEEEEEEE¡­ BOOM!


    A blast of a magnitude I had only witnessed in movies sprung forth. The air crackled and buckled under the explosion. As the shockwave collided with me, my body bent into a 90 degree angle and flew back taking some poor sap with me to the ground.


    PIIIIIII-


    My ears were ringing again and my vision was distorted. In my mind echoed a voice. ¡°That originated from someone trying to remove his collar and judging from the size of the explosion he was quite a big fellow. Now¡­ what were you going to say?¡± I instinctively knew that it was Xam. The irritating tone and bashfulness gave it away.


    I touched my neck once more and made a mental note not to try anything foolish. I sighed inwardly. Lily your brother nearly got his head blown off from a dog-collar. Oops that¡¯s right the fellow I knocked over.


    With the ringing in my ears now gone I pulled myself back to my feet and turned around to help the sap up. My out reached hand was rejected by the person in question. She seemed to be a little girl not much older than my sister but if I had any idea as to how these things panned out I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be clocking over a century by now. Ignoring that, it seemed as though she was currently undergoing the process of becoming a tomato.


    I had never seen a person visibly turn red before so it was quite a spectacle to behold. And if I had to link an emotion to that it would either be embarrassment or anger. ¡°Sarah!¡± with a shout from the brat in front of me a blade greeted my face with a gleam.


    Yep it was the latter after all. Oh Boy.

 Chapter 6 - The Princess and Her Knight

    With the sword pointed at me I instinctively rose my arms up. It might have just been my imagination but that sword looked more dangerous than any gun I had ever seen. Its wielder was a woman clad in golden armour.


    How I knew it was a woman under the helmet? Ahem let¡¯s just say her curves and bumps particularly stood out to me. Returning to the situation at hand¡­


    ¡°Um, so¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I muttered eventually. We were at a standstill and frankly my arms were getting tired so I carried out plan A, one known by men around the world.


    ¡°No matter what happens we are always wrong¡± It might be a coward¡¯s approach to a situation but hey if it prevents a fight and saves me energy I¡¯d be killing two birds with one stone.


    Frankly this tactic always worked on my sister so it should work on this brat. ¡°Yo-You¡­¡± the tomato began muttering under her breath while shaking. I didn¡¯t know this tomato had a vibrating option. Also, shit this isn¡¯t going to be as easy as I had anticipated.


    ¡°How dare you! You actually had the guts to attack me, 5<sup>th</sup> princess of the Albion Kingdom, Elizabeth Meriel Keila!¡± the girl named Elizabeth snapped forth.


    ¡°Now hold on, attack is a rather strong word. I just accidently knocked you down,¡± I insisted. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault the explosion knocked me off my feet and I happened to collide with you,¡± I continued.


    Sigh¡­ what am doing arguing with this brat. I have to find out more about this strange place. I¡¯ve got to find a way out.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    With that I attempted to leave as I considered my explanation to be sufficient but of course the blade moved closer till it touched my neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± the knight ordered.


    Her voice was soft yet it still set shivers down my spine. With cold steel against my neck I was pinned and unable to move. A single trust from that sword at this range would mean the end of my life.


    I¡¯ve got to play this situation very carefully. Elizabeth pushed her face close to mine and spoke, ¡°You, a human actually had the guts to make excuses for yourself. I¡¯ll make you pay for the trouble you have caused me. Sarah kill him!¡±


    Shit, am I going to die for something so irrelevant. No think there has got to be a way out.


    ¡°But princess the tournament, we can¡¯t¡±, the knight replied.


    ¡°Hmm, just take a limb or two then. You should be grateful peasant that I am kind enough to spare your life¡±, Elizabeth declared, her face beaming with pride.


    Kindness my ass! Ok¡­ calm down. I have got a rock concealed in my palm.


    She¡¯s most likely going to dismember my arms first with slash as its closest to her blade. The moment before that happens I push the sword up, pull her forward, slam the rock into her face and somehow make it to the princess to hold her hostage. Damn that¡¯s a stretch but that¡¯s all I can do given the situation.


    ¡°For being so smart you¡¯re actually quite a dumbass aren¡¯t you,¡± the one voice I didn¡¯t care to hear blurted out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say you¡¯re lucky and managed to avoid the slash. Do you really think a rock hitting her helmet will stun her long enough for you to make it to the princess and even if you do what are you going to negotiate with you¡¯ve got no weapon to harm her faster than the knight can react.¡± Xam relayed to me.


    I know that. I know but what other choice do I have. This isn¡¯t some algebra question I can solve; it¡¯s a life or death situation. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Xam muttered. ¡°Want to switch?¡±


    Switch? What¡¯s that? Ah it doesn¡¯t matter here she comes.


    ¡°If it can help me just do it!¡± I screamed much louder than I anticipated. ¡°Gladly!¡± Xam exclaimed. The sword made contact with my arms before I could push it away. Blood was drawn; it¡¯s over¡­ Before darkness could take me to the land of the unknown I heard it.


    It was the sound of chains.

 Chapter 7 - Fear

    My eyes opened. It was a world etched in charcoal as even the faintest of glimmers were stifled and ceased to exist. Nothing could be seen and the only sound that echoed through the void was the sound of chains.


    Without knowing why or where I was going my body moved forward. For some reason I just knew I had to reach the source. I crept closer. Slowly and quietly I approached. My eyes fell upon something squirming in the shadows. Every time it moved the chains that held it down shook.


    The feeling I felt when I first gazed upon the book returned. While my breaths grew shorter the being opened its eyes. Orange-red eyes, seemingly the origin of a blazing fire, peered into the corners of my soul.


    The stare down continued amidst the silence of the void. The figure shrouded in darkness struggled against the chains and forced his hand towards me. My body was paralyzed with fear and no matter how hard I tried it wouldn¡¯t respond to my orders. I closed my eyes once again and the sound of the chains finally disappeared. Amidst the darkness a voice resounded,


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long¡­¡±


    With the command given the princess turned her back and began to walk away.


    Was it due to fear of blood that she turned her back? No it was something far worse.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want my dress to be stained by the blood of a commoner and more so a human¡± she thought silently.


    ¡°I spared his life right, so that means I¡¯m being considerate¡­right?¡± She questioned while silently staring at the ground. Her mind was in turmoil. She remembered her home. ¡°But is that the kind of ruler I want to be?¡± Confused she looked back at her knight unsure as to whether to stop her or let the dismemberment continue.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    While Elizabeth was questioning her own decision the female knight Sarah was being bombarded with numerous feelings. Feelings of regret, sadness and reluctance coursed through her eyes. With her sword resting on the shoulder of the man before her she spoke.


    ¡°I am sorry human¡± she whispered.


    She had nothing else to say. She didn¡¯t need to say anything else. She was given an order and as a knight she must carry it out. Sarah honestly felt pity for humans. They were a race very similar to her own in terms of body structure but they were vastly inferior in almost all aspects.


    Earth was the prototype of life and while it was the first it was not the most powerful creation.  Being the first and favorite race of the god of creation they were shunned, bullied and oppressed at every opportunity by other races.


    Yes she felt pity for this human before her that was about to suffer. He had his head bowed down and he seemingly trembled in fear.


    "Let¡¯s end this quickly"


    A quick and decisive cut as painless as possible that is what she hoped for as she slashed her blade down.


    However the result was quite different from what she originally foresaw.


    The man actually moved his hand toward the incoming blade.


    "Is he attempting to block¡­ No something is wrong." She thought as she knitted her brows. My blade is traveling faster than the speed of sound how can he react to it. Clang!


    Her sword collided with his palm and instead of blood a heavy metal on metal sound erupted from the collision. His hand then wrapped around the blade as he pulled the sword towards him.


    "Shit this is dangerous!"


    She didn¡¯t know why or how but the aura of the human changed.


    She had to let go of the sword. The sword she inherited from her parents. The greatest partner of a knight. She had to sacrifice it. Everything in her body screamed to let go of the sword. When looking at this human another emotion had arisen.


    Was it pity? No.


    Was it regret? No.


    Was it sadness? No.


    It was an emotion she had not felt throughout her entire life. It was the feeling of fear.

 Chapter 8 - Something Not Human

    She released her blade and stumbled backwards as Max advanced. Without waiting for her to recover he appeared before her.


    ¡°ECCHHH ACCHHH!¡±


    He grasped at her neck, denting the armor around her throat and slamming her towards the ground.


    Booom! The ground cracked open as the debris was flung everywhere.


    ¡°Sarah!¡± The princess ran towards the fallen knight. As powerless as she was she had to do something to help her protector¡­


    And her friend.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Sarah was currently facing an unforeseen situation and didn¡¯t notice the incoming princess. ¡°I have got too use magic that¡¯s my only chance!¡±


    Being a highly trained royal knight she understood the importance of remaining calm. She wouldn¡¯t underestimate him anymore for being a human. Sarah knew very well that this person was as strong as any other competitor in this tournament.


    ¡°Come spirits of flame!¡± she cried. She was going to blast this human to the other side of the universe.


    Her body began to glow a faint red as she attempted to break free of her assailant.


    However in response to this Max just smirked and drew close to her ears as he began to whisper.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°How cute¡­ Fire magic I can do that too.¡±


    And it was then it occurred. It was a scene that Sarah would remember throughout the entirety of her life.


    The human before her also began to glow, not faintly like her, but rather his body morphed into a blood red color. He resembled a red star blasting radiation to the corners of the universe.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s see if you survive this!¡± He exclaimed as the red glow began to converge towards his palm.


    ¡°Ah-ah,¡± despite being a knight of the highest order Sarah still felt fear of this palm as she had lost her ability to speak.


    ¡°Here it comes!¡± Max screamed as his palm crashed forth.


    ¡°No!¡± a high pitch scream blasted throughout the air before it was silenced.


    Boooom!


    A loud explosion once again ripped forth.


    <hr>


    Sarah awoke and what greeted her was a roof she did not recognize.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± She questioned to no one in particular.


    ¡°You¡¯re in one of the living quarters for contestants,¡± a soft voice whispered to her in response.


    Turning her head to the side her gaze fell upon Princess Elizabeth who watched her with misty eyes.


    ¡°P-Princess what is wrong?¡± Sarah attempted to sit up and comfort her but the pain forced her down.


    ¡°N-No Sarah don¡¯t get up, I was just incredibly worried. I thought I lost you.¡± The princess sobbed with her head down.


    Wiping the tears from her eyes her face exploded into a vibrant smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I would do if I lost you but¡­ I¡¯m just glad you are safe.¡±


    Sarah ruffled the princess¡¯s hair and pulled her into her embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry princess I won¡¯t be beaten that easily¡± She said in order to comfort Elizabeth.


    ¡°So in the end what happened?¡± Sarah asked after Elizabeth had calmed down.


    ¡°Before the human dealt the final blow a god interrupted him as you know if a contestant kills another contestant the collar explodes¡± Elizabeth replied dutifully.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Sarah responded rather weakly as she touched her own collar around her neck.


    ¡°Sarah what was wrong with that human. He used magic right?¡±


    Sarah looked towards the roof as she contemplated on the man once again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was but that wasn¡¯t a human¡±

 Chapter 9 - Chains

    Drip¡­


    Drip¡­


    The sound of water hitting the ground, yes, I awoke to that sound. My eyes immediately fell on a screen like entity before me.


    I watched as a battle unfurled. Similar to watching a movie in the cinema I was shrouded in darkness with the light only coming from the projected screen.


    Drip¡­


    I couldn¡¯t move or even turn my head to the side. All that I could do was watch, this action film that I had no control over. The actors were surprisingly familiar one looked like me and the other the female knight that was about to dismember me.


    Drip¡­


    Now that I think about it is me. Is this a dream? Did the female knight knock me unconscious or did I die? Morbid thoughts encircled my mind.


    Drip¡­


    As if to answer my questions a voice spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead or unconscious we just switched.¡±


    ¡°Switched?¡± I remember hearing Xam mention something like that before I entered the charcoaled covered world.


    Drip¡­


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I fooled myself. I knew what it meant I just needed to hear it from someone else.


    ¡°Sigh, well to start look at your hands and feet¡± The voice commanded.


    Drip¡­


    I could move my head. Why couldn¡¯t I turn my head before? No I could always have moved. I just didn¡¯t want to.


    My gaze fell upon my hands and then my legs.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Drip¡­


    Drip¡­


    ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± The voice questioned in a concerned voice.


    I didn¡¯t realize it but I began to laugh hysterically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize?¡± I replied while attempting to curtail my laughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s to forget the pain¡­¡±


    Yes what fell was not water but blood, my blood. Through my hands and feet were the thick chains that held the being back in the charcoaled world. I had probably awoken before but the shock and share pain I experienced knocked me back out only to have me reawaken in denial.


    ¡°Well it won¡¯t last for too long. Try not to go insane.¡± The voice resounded solemnly.


    After sometime had passed I lost consciousness once again.


    I awoke this time free from the chains.


    The world of charcoal eventually faded and I was brought back to the real world. Well by normal standards there was nothing ¡°real¡± about it.


    Sitting up, I was greeted by the same old man I saw when I first arrived in this fantasy-like world.


    ¡°Hello I am God¡±


    He greeted me with 4 simple words. As nonsensical as it was I might as well confirm it.


    ¡°God? You mean like the God?¡± I questioned once again stupefied by the words that came from my mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He calmly responded.


    I wasn¡¯t just going to believe it but I guess I should just roll with it for now.


    ¡°So ¡°God¡± what happened?¡± Maybe if I believed he was actually God I would have shown more manners.  Luckily he didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°You nearly killed that knight¡­ I stopped you and you fell unconscious after exhausting all of your energy.¡±


    Wait don¡¯t you mean she nearly killed me. My memories are still fuzzy from that incident but I was pretty sure she held the advantage in the end¡­


    Unless the fight I saw in the charcoaled world actually happened. But it wasn¡¯t me who fought her. A lookalike? No that can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Just go along with what he is saying for now,¡± echoed Xam.


    It seemed he returned and was hovering at my side. Still ignoring gravity I see. For some reason I believed In Xam so I decided to go with it after all.


    ¡°Y-Yeah sorry about that.¡± I responded rather weakly.


    The man who referred to himself as God just responded with a smile. Wait was he smiling at me or Xam?


    ¡°Well don¡¯t mind it, just don¡¯t forget to prepare.¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°Read that book if you need to know about your situation¡± The old man said pointing at a book on the table beside the bed before leaving the room. I nearly got a heart attack. I thought he was talking about Xam. In these types of situations Xam would clearly be some kind of special artifact or something and I really don¡¯t want to talk part in a battle over a book so the less people that know of Xam the better.


    ¡°Hey Xam-¡±


    I wanted to ask him about the charcoal world and that thing I saw on the screen. But-


    ¡°Just shut up. I¡¯m trying to rest here leave me alone.¡± He interrupted strongly.


    Sigh. Fine if he wasn¡¯t going to give me answers I might as well understand the position I am in first.


    Bound in some brown material, cracked and dry with age the book the old man recommended certainly stood out albeit not as prevalent as another flying book we all know and love.


    Written on the cover were the words Colossal Impact.