《The New Age of Monsters》 Prologue: From Future to Past. Flame sat against a wall, skinny and malnourished from being locked in the dungeon all this time. "Ugh... I guess this is it? My own family betrayed my father and I. I couldn''t defeat them, and they assassinated Father." Flame couldn''t be angry or anything; this was simply the way things were. The weak crumbled beneath the strong, and he was simply weak. The dungeon he saw himself in was old, the chains he was bound to were slightly rusted, and there was a skeleton from a previous prisoner, though unknown to Flame. However, despite this grim fate, something pestered Flame. The gnawing hunger that he had was driving him crazy. That, combined with the growing hatred of his family. "They betrayed me and Father..." He clenched his fists, and a bright green and purple flame began to manifest. For some reason, it was like his thoughts were being overwritten. He began to laugh, his hair, once blue and a symbol of his family lineage as a Royal, now turned a deep crimson for reasons unknown. Yet, soon he would find out why. The main color the people had was orange, while their eyes normally had the same hue. His irises, once blue like the sea, began to turn red like blood. His teeth, already unusually sharp, became even sharper. His pupils narrowed, becoming akin to a predator.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Such was the transformation of the fire that began to manifest on his body. It was green and purple in color, with bits of the fire forming razor-sharp jaws across his body. Flame''s hunger had both cursed and blessed him. The flames that would soon devour not only his family but his world as well. Then, slowly, a white flame floated in front of him. It had whispers coming from it, beckoning him to touch it. He reached out his bony, chained hand and grazed the flame. Suddenly, it shot into his head, merging with his brain as Flame felt his head burning. He screamed out in a brief cry of agony, but the pain quickly subsided. A torrent of knowledge flooded his brain, but certain things were broken, fragmented... burnt away. As if these were intentionally done. Then, a fragmented, blurred figure appeared before him. It looked like Flame, but something was off. Flame didn''t speak a word, but as he was about to, the figure spoke. "Hey there. I''m you from the future, blah blah blah. With the knowledge you are given, do things differently, okay?" Future Flame said, his white, misty body flickering. "I gave you the last bits of my energy and essence. Not all of it," he grinned. "But just enough." Flame stayed quiet, trying to comprehend all of this. The sudden burst of knowledge caused his nose to bleed and caused him to feel dizzy. "Break the loop, will you?" He chuckled. "Besides, don''t you hate your family? Don''t you want to embrace that hunger, that bloodlust? Devour them. Don''t disappoint." Were the final words of Future Flame before he faded away. 1:The Hunter Flame sat against the wall, thinking about the future he just saw. More importantly, himself and the end. "So... That''s what this new kind of fire is?" He sat in silence for a few more seconds. "So they think they can betray me and Father, huh?" Flame began to grin; his new fire type, Devouring Flames, burned away and consumed the chains. "Devouring Flames... That''s what this is." He conjured the same green and purple flames, turning them into jaws. "Hm..." Flame began to grin, walking toward the bars. He gripped them, beginning to melt them with heat alone. "Wonder why they didn''t make these fireproof." He walked out of the cell, looking around and sniffing the air. He could smell much better. He heard footsteps coming toward his direction, and so he hid. He climbed onto the ceiling instinctively, which is something he wouldn''t normally do. He gripped onto the cobblestone and watched as a guard walked down the dampened hallway. Once the guard turned, he noticed the bars being melted off. Alarmed, he turned to run to the new king, but Flame dropped onto him. Immediately, he used the Devouring Flames to chomp onto the guy''s neck. The guard''s head came clean off, Flame using the flames to consume the rest of his body. "Killing... Felt good." Flame grinned as the memories of the guard flooded his brain. "Vent Gorish, 32 years of age, born on the 82nd Lunar Cycle of the year 1173. Wife and two kids... Bummer." Flame didn''t feel bad at all. If anything, from now on, everything was just survival to him. He picked up the sword that the guard had and wielded it with a practiced ease. "Time for the fun!" --- Emberessa sat in her room, carefully brushing her hair. She thought back to Flame, her youngest brother, and let out a small sigh. "Backstabbing him and throwing him into the dungeon wasn''t necessary. We could''ve just convinced him; he''s only thirteen, after all." There was a knock at her door. Rosemary, the youngest sister of the three, seventeen years of age, stepped into the room. "Sister, dinner is ready. Do make haste." Emberessa sighed, nodding. "I know, I know. Do tell Ash I shall be on my way." She said, standing and fixing her dark red dress. She would brush her hair a little more, making sure there were no tangles before turning around. Rosemary was nowhere to be found. "Hm? She must''ve run to the dining room. That girl was always such the glutton." Emberessa giggled to herself. She stepped out of her bedroom, turning to the right and seeing a pair of feet being dragged into another room for a brief moment. Confused, but largely unconcerned, she believed it was the middle sister, Marcia. She sighed, and with careful steps (as to not step over her dress), she made her way to the room. The door was slightly ajar, a faint flickering light coming from the inside. However, she quickly noticed smoke starting to come from the room. "Marcia?!" She called out, the urgency in her voice evident. She burst open the door, having to shield herself from the smoldering blue blaze that began to fill the room. Emberessa, not wanting to inhale the smoke, covered her mouth. Due to her being Moltsarian, she was immune to fire. She rushed into the room, looking around for anyone. She then notices Marcia, incapacitated on the ground. "Marcia!" She rushed over, picking up her younger sister. They shared the same blue hair, much like the rest of her family. As she began to walk toward the door, she felt a sharp pain from her back to her chest. Looking down, she saw a sword piercing right through her chest. Shlick... Thump. The sound of Emberessa''s body falling to the ground faded to the crackling fire that began to spread outside the room. Flame stood over head body, a cold, indifferent look in his eyes. "More food to fill me." A giant maw of flames formed beneath them, consuming both Marcia and Emberessa. Once again, memories began and knowledge of things he never knew about flooded his brain, causing another nosebleed.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. As he thought, none of them initially were thrilled about killing his father, nor him. All except for Ash, his eldest brother. However, they still followed through. "I guess they all have to die." Flame thought as he walked out of the room. "Ash was the one who presented the idea." The fire began to spread throughout the corridor and halls. After all, there was carpet on the ground. While killing his family was on his mind, another thing bugged him as he thought. His future self had given him memories as well, but some were purposely erased; at least that''s what he deduced. One such memory was the working of Devouring Flames. While the name was there, how it worked was a mystery. So far, it stole the victim''s memories, knowledge, and attributes/traits down to a tee. It was good for getting strong fast, but he had a feeling there was more. "Marcia always had a talent for making fire weapons." Flame said as he grinned. --- The sound of cutlery clinking filled the dining hall as Ash had invited some royal friends over. Chatter and laughter filled the room, everyone oblivious to the chaos that had brewed. "Say, Rosemary, where are the rest?" Ash asked, food still in his mouth. Currently, there were 125 people at this meeting. In the ballroom opposite of the dining hall, people were dancing and having a wonderful time to themselves. "Hey Ash, I''m sorry to hear about your father. I hope he didn''t suffer too much while ill." A random woman said. She was a human, bowing to Ash slightly. "It''s okay... It was all just so sudden..." Ash said, putting on a facade of sadness. "I already told them to hurry." Rosemary said as a flaming arrow suddenly shot through her head. The people in the dining hall sat in shock, the sudden attack catching them all off guard. "Greetings, brother!" Flame said, walking through the door from the right. Ash''s eyes widened. "How are you¡ª" Before his sentence was finished, an arrow was shot through his throat, then his head. With the situation setting in, people began to scream, scrambling around to escape. However, Flame had other plans. "Oh no, dear friends..." Fire began to circle around the room, keeping people from escaping. "Regardless of the story concocted by my brother, you have heard. Whether you meant to celebrate my father''s death to honor or mock him, I''m still weak and hungry, and I must get stronger." Flame said, a smile flashing his teeth toward the guests. --- "Come back, Nora!" A boy with short black hair and quite the build ran after a dog made of shadows. Shadow being the boy''s name, he was also part of a warrior race, though it was not named. They were human for the most part, except for their unnatural physical prowess, more than their magical ones. He stood quite tall, and his eyes were as black as his hair. He had begun to hear whispers around his village that the Lanrock kingdom, home to the Moltsarian people, had collapsed from the inside. This sudden collapse left not only trade routes disrupted but also a huge power vacuum. When investigated, the kingdom was found burnt to ashes, and strangely, there were no bodies. But that wasn''t on Shadow''s mind. His shadow dog was getting away! He chased after it; the sound of dried leaves and twigs crushing beneath his feet was all he could hear besides the panting of his breath. His dog disappeared, however, returning back to his own shadow. "Nora!" Shadow groaned as he immediately stopped in his tracks. "Whoa!" He stopped only a few inches away from a massive cliff. He looked down. "That''s a pretty long drop." Coincidentally, as he said that, the loose dirt beneath his feet gave out, causing him to fall. Luckily, Nora appears below him, catching him on her back. "Ugh..." Shadow groaned and sat up as Nora disappeared. He looked around and wondered where he was. His village had told him about uncharted territory and how it was most likely Dead Lands. Dead Lands were lands that have never been explored. Among his people, there were legends that Dead Lands were responsible for much of the disappearances of explorers. Cautious, Shadow managed to conjure up a greatsword made of... Well, shadow. He moved through the dense forest, looking left and right to be aware of any monsters or predators. However, nothing turned up strangely. If his survival skills taught him anything, it''s that forests like these would be home to lots of animals and at least some predators. Here, there wasn''t even a trace. That''s what he thought until he stepped on something soft and squishy. He looked down, looking at his feet to find he had stepped on a half-eaten bird. "So there are predators here..." He continued to walk forward, now more alert. The trees started to become more sparse and spread out as he pressed on. He then came to a clearing, a desecrated shrine of an unknown figure being in the center. Atop the shrine where the head was supposed to be sat a boy about Shadow''s age. He had long red hair, red, predatory eyes, brown skin, and only wore pants. There sat Flame, the rumored sole survivor of the incident. "Oh? A visitor." Flame said, a grin forming on his face. 2:Fugitives. Shadow stood before Flame, who sat cross-legged on top of the statue, almost like it was his own mini throne. "Cat got your tongue?" Flame asked as Shadow stood there, jaw agape. -Shadow''s POV- I stood before him. Flame, the supposed sole survivor of the Lanrock Kingdom''s downfall. There was something off about him. My instincts were telling me to turn and run, but logic knew better. Running from this guy meant death. I gulped, choosing my words carefully. "I just fell down here; I don''t mean any trouble." Flame grinned at me, his pupils narrowing even further than they already had. "I see," he spoke calmly. "You seem fun; why don''t I tag along with you? Don''t worry; I won''t hurt you." He jumped off the ruined statue, and now that I saw it, my eyes widened. This was a Sentinel Shrine! "You... You destroyed a Sentinel Shrine?! That''s bad luck and a curse from the gods!" Flame turned around, looking back at the shrine. "Is that what it is? Whoops." He laughed. This kid is actually crazy. Just what happened while in his kingdom to promote this kind of behavior? "Okay then... I guess you mean well." I said as I rubbed the back of my head. I then pointed down the way I came. "I fell from over there. There''s a cliff at the end of that small trail, so... I''m not sure how we''ll get out." Flame just tilted his head to the side before grinning, facing me. "Just follow me." He said, starting to walk back the way we came. I followed a few meters behind him, not wanting to stick too close. We eventually reached the Cliffside; its size made me question, even with Nora, how did I survive that fall? The rocks were jagged and looked like a death sentence to even touch. Flame, however, crouched down and placed the back of his hand atop his palm. "Hop on." He said, looking up at me. "You''re..." I laughed a little. "You''re going to toss me up there?" Flame nodded, signaling me to put a foot on his hand. Could he even lift someone like me, a boy who weighs 135 lbs only at 13, and I stand at 5''7"? He looks like he stands at 5''4. Sighing and bracing for the worse, I stepped on his hand. "Three," he called out, "Two, one!" I felt my organs being pushed downward at the sheer force that had thrown me well above the cliff. Actually, I could see the whole forest and smoke coming from my village... Multiple trails... of smoke. "MY VILLAGE!" I yelled as I braced for cover, crashing through multiple branches, as these trees were at least 45 meters high. I crashed onto the ground, Flame already waiting there for me with his arms crossed. I stood up. "My village! Let''s go!" I said frantically, running in the direction of the village. I could hear Flame running behind me, but he stayed silent, almost as if he were observing my moves. When we reached, I dropped to my knees. My village, burning right in front of me. Flame... He''s Moltsarian... He did this. I stood up, spinning around on my left foot and throwing a right hook at Flame. Of course, he grabbed it. "Now what was that for?" Flame asked, his face turning from amusement to confusion. "You... YOU DID THIS! YOU BURNED MY VILLAGE!" Flame''s eyes narrowed. "If you took a look, dumbass, you would see your people currently being slaughtered by men from another kingdom." He said as he kicked my chest, sending me sliding across the ground. I heaved and clasped the right side of my chest. If he had hit the part where my heart was, it could''ve ruptured. Thankfully my lungs didn''t. I turned around, my village burning right in front of me. I then saw a little girl, one that resembled me. Alyssa... My sister. "ALYSSA!" I yelled, running toward her. She seemed to have heard me, because she immediately turned in my direction and ran at full speed. The closer I got to her, the more sadness and relief I could see on her face. She ran right into my open arms, to which I embraced her tightly. "Oh Alyssa..." I felt tears forming in my eyes. "Where are Mom and Dad? Are you hurt?" She looked up at me, her expression telling me everything I expected but didn''t want to believe. I began to sob. My parents were gone now, and all I had left was my little sister. She probably blames herself due to her ability. "Don''t worry... Alyssa, it''s not your fault." I said between small cries. I saw a shadow loom over us, and as I looked up, it was a man on a horse. His gaze was cold and indifferent, but holy, he was ugly. "Where is the boy known as Flame?!" He barked; however, I heard some footsteps behind me. "I''m right here." Flame spoke, his expression remaining neutral. "Flame! Under the Boltru Empire''s orders for not only treason against your own nation but for the genocide of your own people and family, you are to be arrested and put to death. Or we could just kill you right here." The man spoke with a serious tone.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Flame stood there, the same unsettling grin beginning to form on his face. "My dear accomplice and I will never surrender." Hold on. Did he just call me his accomplice? HE''S TRYING TO BRING ME DOWN WITH HIM?! "NONONONOOO!" I stammered quickly, "I don''t know him! I just met him!" Before the man could even respond to what I said, Flame had leaped onto his horse and grabbed the man''s mouth, instantly setting him ablaze. I then watched as multiple, flaming jaws began to tear him limb from limb. I shielded my sister from the horrific sight. The man''s screams were cut short but alerted the rest of the platoon to his whereabouts. -Flame''s POV- I couldn''t take this little sentimental bullshit this boy had going on. He had potential, and I''ve taken it upon myself to unlock it for him. Don''t be sorry, boy, with the shadow abilities! I will bring you down with me! "Hey! Stop right there!" A serious voice called out. "Shit! They got General Ace!" "Leave no one in the village alive! Capture Flame and bring him back so we can execute him!" I looked down at Shadow as a grin spread across my face. "Grab your sister and run with me, boy." "My name is Shadow!" He yelled, picking up his younger sister in his arms. I would then dart the other way, Shadow almost being able to keep up, but I was slightly faster. We heard the clopping of hooves head toward us. They were getting close. I turned around and stopped dead in my tracks, my smile barely being able to be contained. I had three kinds of flames. Devouring Flames, Angelic flames, which were the white flames that slammed themselves into my skull, and then invisible flames, which I got from an assassin while sitting on the statue. This was all excluding my Azure flames, which I was naturally born with. There were 12 men. Should be easy enough. None of them are mages, and they all seem to be well equipped. "I''m on a time crunch here, so get ready!" I dashed forward, leaping onto the closest man and kicking him off his horse. Immediately, I used Devouring Flames to devour the horse, before extending that warm welcome to the man on the ground. I turned around, watching as Shadow continued running. "This bastard... He''s leaving me!" My right foot ignites in Azure Flames. This move would likely cost the majority of my energy, but I don''t have time. The soldiers were charging toward me, and so I spun around, my foot raised in the air. Good thing I was flexible. I then slammed it down, causing the ground in front of me to shatter, and a large, 20-meter-tall pillar of Azure flames consumed them all. I panted, seeing their charred bodies on the ground. "Serves you right." I used some of my Devouring Flames to eat the bodies of the horses and all but a soldier''s arm. I grabbed it, taking off the armor piece before running after Shadow. -Third Person POV- Shadow had kept running, never looking back. As unhinged as Flame seemed to him, he couldn''t help but thank him. He didn''t know if he would even be alive if Flame hadn''t showed up. Though something gnawed at Shadow. His own weakness. It bothered him. "Heya, Shadow!" Flame said, running beside him. Sweat dripped down his face as he seemed to be slightly slower now, matching Shadow''s speed. Shadow looked at him while he munched on a severed arm, causing Shadow to nearly gag at the sight. "Ugh... Did you have to bring that?!" Shadow asked. "You would leave me behind if I took my time!" Flame protested, pouting slightly. The two stopped in a dense forest, the same forest where they had met. Resting against the broken shrine, Shadow hugged his sister tightly, who had been sobbing quietly at the loss of her parents. Flame watched as they had their moment; initially, he wanted to kill Shadow but found potential in him. Not as a friend, but as a rival. He had the potential to be strong, and in Flame''s eyes, being strong was all that mattered. This caused him to show slight disdain toward Alyssa, who had done nothing but cry! Flame was about to conjure up Devouring Flames but thought back to his family, the happy times he once had. Perhaps this terrible feeling he had felt was jealousy. Flame clenched his fist. However, his anger was soon cut short by a chilling feeling that caused his instincts to scream at him to run. He turned around; a large, cloaked figure with the upper half of their face concealed stood before them. Shadow held Alyssa protectively whilst looking at Flame; he immediately sparked his hands with Azure Flames. "So, Flame. I have a question. Would you rather go to Purgatory, or would you rather go to Hell?" The figure asked, their voice a strange, soothing feeling. Flame, perceiving that as a threat, lunged at the figure as he threw a punch. The figure easily caught it, not seeming fazed by the burning sensation that could be heard. "Just answer the question, and I''ll leave." The figure said, looking back to the desecrated shrine of the unknown deity. "Just take this as punishment for destroying that shrine." The figure said as Flame''s eyes widened. He was at the mercy of another. It reminded him of how he was at the mercy of his brother, and he wasn''t going to take that. He didn''t want to. But he had to. He relented, the blue fire fading away as Flame then answered. "Purgatory." The moment he said that, a crack in the air formed beneath him and shadow. The strange figure letting go of Flame''s fist. "I swear I''ll find you again! Then I''m going to rip you apart and tear your guts from your body! Tell me your name!" Flame yelled as he began to fall through the air. The man took off the hood, revealing yellow, wild eyes and messy brown hair, as well as a scar on his right cheek. "Goren." The figure said as the rift closed. Flame looked around, Shadow and Alyssa falling beside him. They were falling through clouds, but once they exited, they were greeted with large rolling hills and a kingdom on top of a sky island, which they were to soon crash into. Purgatory Zone (Neutral Ring) Earth, year 7384. 3:A New Home. Shadow, Alyssa, and Flame fell through the sky, plummeting toward the floating city beneath them. Alyssa, knowing her ability, wished for them to get hurt by the fall. However, when they crashed into the ground, nothing happened. They weren''t hurt in the slightest. They just hit the ground with a thud, and that was it. Flame slowly sat up, not paying attention to his surroundings but thinking about the man he saw, Goren. He wondered to himself why he didn''t just use Devouring Flames, but he knew why deep down. He just didn''t want to come to terms with it. He wouldn''t have enough time to even consume a bit of skin from that man, and it pissed him off. He sighed, knowing he would just have to eat more in order to destroy that man in the future. Flame turned to Shadow, walking over to him. "So, uh... This is Purgatory?" He asked as if Shadow would know. "Well, that was the Would You Rather question, right?" Shadow said sarcastically as he made sure Alyssa and himself were okay. "Don''t get smart with me!" Flame said as he looked around. They were in the center of the city, right next to a large fountain. They were surrounded by shops and a few quaint houses; some were just a mixture of both. People walked by the strange trio, primarily staring at Flame. Flame looked around for a map or anything to give them any sort of whereabouts. "Dammit... Nothing." "Oh dear... stray children." A man said to his wife. "Don''t interact with them, dear... If they haven''t been picked up by the Church of The Divine Goddess, then they must be deemed cursed..." His wife whispered. Flame''s hearing was much more than exceptional. He held his tongue, which wasn''t really like him, but it was all he could do. After all, this was uncharted territory. Just then, as he was thinking about it, a man in a white robe slowly walked toward them. He was bald and had a square jaw, blue eyes, and a rough-looking face. He stood quite tall compared to the children and seemed to be in his late 40s. "Ahh, young ones. Have you been led astray? Abandoned by your families and in need of a home?" Before Flame could even speak a word, Shadow immediately covered his mouth. "YES!" He yelled, the priest seemingly taken aback by the sudden outburst. He became a little flustered and looked down sheepishly. "Ahem... Very well then. I will guide you to the nearest orphanage run by the church. There you will be taken care of until someone comes and adopts you." The priest extended his hand. The group looked hesitant, aside from Shadow. Anywhere they could say and gather their bearings, he wouldn''t mind taking that chance. So far, Shadow was the best shot they had at rationality. Alyssa was too young, and Flame... Well, was just crazy. "Very well then. Just follow me." He turned around, beginning to walk down the crowded streets. The three began to follow him, sticking close behind. Flame, however, despite his madness, had the knowledge of an adult. He didn''t trust this man in the slightest. While he didn''t doubt some people stuck to their faith, some had ulterior motives. "I could care less about Shadow and that whiny sister he has!" Flame thought to himself. "But they do need my help after all. They''re not strong enough to survive on their own." Flame told himself he didn''t care, but something about these two made him want to stay around them longer. "Sir? We''re new to this world; mind telling us what goes on here?" Flame asked, and the priest stopped dead in his tracks. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Another world, you say, young one?" The priest turned around, chuckling. "This is even better than I thought. You must be a gift of The Sentinel of Divinity!" The three seemed confused. While Shadow knew the basics of Sentinels, beings that were said to have reached Sources, he had never heard of one being named Divinity. "Do... Otherworlders come often?" Alyssa asked, making the priest raise a brow. "Only when our world is in dire need of it. They are called Heroes, akin to our world''s Saints and Saintesses; they are those but from another world." He explained as he continued to walk forward. The three continued to follow behind him. The priest walked up to a man clad in simple knight''s armor and mumbled something to him. He then patted his shoulder and walked away. The knight walked up to them, his face obscured by the helmet and visor. "Come with me, little ones. I will send you off to Queen Teresa Molgith." Shadow and Alyssa both seemed a bit happier. Instead of going to an orphanage, they were going to meet a queen! How fortuitous! They began to follow the knight, eventually coming to the edge of the sky island. The knight reached behind him and took out a small horn, blowing on it. "Give it a moment." He said, watching as a wyvern flew high into the air. "Get ready to jump on! These things don''t stop moving!" The knight yelled as Alyssa and Shadow got ready. As the Wyvern made a turn around, the three managed to hop on, all while gripping onto the leather saddle on the dragon''s back. --- "You''re telling me a source was found?" Queen Teresa looked down at a green-haired male with glasses, his gaze cold yet calculating. "Correct." He said, having his hands in his pockets and a slouched posture. He had green eyes and fair skin and a pretty handsome face. "The Source was found in the Morisfield caves in the Morn Forest, southeast of here." Teresa nodded. "Well, I assume it''s stable since you''re alive." "Correct." The man said as a woman with a hoodie, shorts, and some sneakers walked into the room. She had dark skin and blue eyes. Her hair was an ocean hue that faded to purple around the back and edges. "Sup, Intel! You giving Ms. Teresa a hard time or something?" Neolia said with a grin. "Shut up, Lia. I''m just doing my report. A source has been found." He said, shrugging. "Anything else, Teresa?" The queen narrowed her purple eyes. "Alert the guards to secure the perimeter. We can''t let anyone get it." Just then, a guard burst through the large oak doors, causing everyone to shift their attention to him. He took a knee at the throne. "My queen! A travel wyvern has arrived, delivering three otherworlders!" The queen''s eyes widened slightly. "We just received these two last week. What could possibly be coming for us to need five?!" --- A bandit had been running from authorities. His mind had been racing, his heart pounding. "What the hell?! One of them had been a mage! Fuck!" He looked behind himself, not seeing anyone. As he turned back around, he tripped over a branch and fell down a hole. Thud! "Ugh..." The bandit came to, waking up with a groan. The bandit stood up, or at least tried to. His left leg had been broken from the fall, and he could feel blood dripping down his forehead. "Holy... Agh!" He felt a sharp pain in his skull, not due to the fall, but because he heard a screech, a voice, a cry, beckoning him. The voice forced its way in. "MISUSED SOUL, ACCEPT IMMORTALITY." The bandit blacked out for a moment before standing before a giant sphere with an orange outline. He felt himself being dragged toward it, like he was being sucked in. He tried to resist, but his left leg gave out on him, causing him to trip and get sucked into the sphere. Knowledge flooded his mind. He had fallen into a source. Sources are things that grant power once absorbed, but not everyone can handle it. After all, a source can be anything. The source then collapsed in on itself, leaving behind the man. His eyes were milky white, and he seemed dazed. He vomited on the ground and clenched his head as he felt his body begin to heat up. Not long after, he burst into flames. He screamed in agony, trying to put out the fire, but it was of no use. Feathers began to grow on him, and his pupils narrowed. His new form cast an eerie shadow on the cave walls. 4:More To The Eye. Queen Teresa looked down at the three children from her elevated throne. "So you must be the three Otherworlders he spoke of." The rays of sunshine peered through the ornate glass windows behind her, giving her an aura of radiance. Teresa had purple eyes, long black hair that draped over her shoulders and to her mid-back, and a radiant yet slightly oppressive aura. She wore a long-sleeved black dress that hugged her body nicely. There were small patterns around the waist and shoulder to arm areas. On her ears, she had crystalline earrings, and around her neck, a nice necklace with a purple gem in its socket. Her skin was fair and flawless, as if granted something by the divine themselves. "Tell me your names, little ones." "My name is Shadow," Shadow said, motioning over to Alyssa. "This is my little sister Alyssa." He then pointed to Flame. "That''s Flame." Intel would gaze at the three. Currently, he and Neolia were 15 years old. "There''s something special about these three. Are you guys perhaps mages or Route Walkers?" "A what?" Flame tilted his head, unsure of what the second one was. Even after all the people he consumed, he couldn''t find any real knowledge on Route Walkers. "Route Walkers are people who have absorbed Sources, gaining a Route. Which is pretty difficult to explain to someone who hasn''t heard of one before. No two people can have the same Route. It turns into a kind of system once obtained. You receive quests, objectives, and even level up. "But unless you''re someone like Neolia, systems only last for a month at most. After that, you''ll only get occasional notifications once you''ve attained a new Route of ability. Routes have different aspects to them and even sub-routes, but that''s for you to find out." Flame and Shadow blinked. "So, tell me, Neolia," Queen Teresa spoke as she looked down at the three, then looked at Neolia, who was to her left. "What''re the potential of these three?" -Neolia''s POV- I sighed, using [Scan] to determine how strong these three were and at least gauge their potential. Firstly, I scanned Shadow. [Shadow] [Age: 13] [Mana?: No] [Route: None] [Ability: Shadow Conjuration and Manipulation.] [Level (as put into your measure of analyzing strength): 8.] [Alignment: Neutral-Pure] [Potential: SSS] [Soul Color: Black with white outline] I stared at his stat overview, confused about various things. First of all, he had no last name, which was odd considering most did. Not only that, how does he have abilities without having mana or a route? Is he an Anomaly like Intel and me? His race, not species, isn''t displayed either. Player has never failed to display something before... That''s it, I''m scanning to see if he''s an Anomaly. [Scanning... ERROR!] Definitely an Anomaly. Let me scan the little girl. [Alyssa] [Age: 7] [Mana?: No.] [Route: None.] [Ability: Opposite Wishes.] [Level: 3] [Alignment: Pure] [Potential: SSS+] [Soul Color: Pink] [Scanning for anomalies... ERROR!] "She''s an Anomaly too... Alright then. What about the boy?" She then scanned Flame; however, all that came up were errors. [Source Timeline not found.] "What the hell does that mean?!" Neolia yelled aloud. Covering her mouth once she realizes, now embarrassed. "Ahem... Anyway, their potential is real high up there." Queen Teresa nodded, clearing her throat. "You two will be put under Neolia and Intel. Though they are only slightly older, they have proven their usefulness." "Okay." Intel spoke, waving his hand slightly. "Come on now, kids." He turned around, starting to walk to the large oak doors to the left. As they walked through, Shadow and Alyssa looked around in awe, as they had never seen such a lavish corridor before. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A red carpet stretched down the hallway as doors and hallways would either connect or branch off to other parts of the castle. Flame didn''t seem all that impressed, however. After all, he was royalty, and he was used to such lavish things until his family decided to backstab him. Neolia, ever so curious about Flame, spun around and smiled at him. "So! Uhm, what''s up with you? What''s your story?" Flame looked at her, an interface popping up on her screen. [Flame Apollyon] [Age: 13] [Mana?: No] [Route: None] [Ability: Devouring Flames] [Potential: ???] "Flame Apollyon, is it? Interesting." Neolia said as they walked into a large room with a circular table. "I never told you my last name." Flame said, his eyes narrowing. "It''s part of my ability. You''re not the first one to question me like that." Neolia said, her gaze shifting forward. "Since we''re alone, I can tell you this. All five of us are Anomalies." "What are those?" Alyssa asked, Intel flicking his glasses to adjust them. "Anomalies are beings that aren''t connected to anything that would give them power. For instance, all mages draw mana from The Source to perform magic. However, an anomaly could use magic without even drawing from that source." He spoke with a sense of clarity. His emerald green eyes were serious, yet dull. "I assume I''m an Anomaly due to my knowledge. I''ve even built a device to monitor timelines. Speaking of which, all of you are here for that specific reason." Flame looked at Intel, stopping in his tracks. "You''re the one who summoned Goren to us, aren''t you?" His hands flickered with Azure Flames. "Well, that deserves a punishment, doesn''t it?" Neolia looked at Flame with piqued interest. "You wanna have a little spar?" "Flame, think rationally! We just met these people, and you''re trying to kill them!" Shadow said, as Alyssa nodded in agreement. Neolia raised her hand, a small grin playing on her face. "It''s okay, I''ll allow it. Follow me." She began to lead them to a specific room, the sound of weapons clinking and clashing coming from the other side of the door. "We''ll spar in here. Others will watch." Intel said, opening the door. "Everybody clear the area." The soldiers sparring and training notice the five walk in, getting nervous once they see Neolia specifically. They cleared the training area, which was about 15 meters long and 10 meters wide. Intel stood on the opposite side of Flame, who had his arms crossed. Neolia stood outside of the sparring area between the two. "Alright. Listen, no killing. No playing dirty, and have fun!" She created pompoms that were blue and purple in color. "Ready, set, GO!" She swung her left hand down. However, neither of them made a move. The room itself held its breath as it seemed they were examining each other. -Intel''s POV- This kid is already unhinged, I can tell. Are the anomalous effects that strong on him? He''s standing about 14 meters from me, and he''s keeping that same stance. I watched his legs spread slightly, with the left slightly behind the right. That''s his starting foot. I watched as he uncrossed his arms, the blue flames reigniting. Here he comes. I blinked, and he was already in the air, a flaming claw inches from my face. However, I wasn¡¯t fazed. After all, Atombots are my latest invention, granted it did require some testing to stabilize the atoms they attach. His hit never connected to me, and in fact, it couldn¡¯t press any further. Flame seemed confused, raising an eyebrow at the sight. ¡°Interesting,¡± he said as he backed off. ¡°Are you a mage? Mana barriers?¡± I chuckled, ¡°Dude, this is hardly anything. I don''t have mana, nor magic. I''m just innovative, you could say." I crossed my arms as my ego was enticed. "I see." Flame chuckled, extending a hand. I watched a different color of fire shoot out. It turned into a maw, which gave me an eerie feeling, and I instinctively backed up. I then heard my AI assistant speak in my head as the maw clamped down mere inches from my face. [Atombots Destroyed. Rebuilding...] "No way..." I thought as I quickly assessed what had just happened. It didn''t take me long to deduce it, but those flames... Whatever they are, they are dangerous. "Flames that are similar to the Gluttony Sin Route. Except something is off about them. Unlike Gluttony, who does it out of overindulgence, your flames do it out of hunger for power." I had deduced how these flames worked, at least partially. Flame didn''t say anything. The guards watched in a stunned silence. Flame then spoke after a few seconds. "What do you mean we were meant to be here? Or we were here for a specific reason, whatever you said." Flame began to circle me. "I remember what you said about a man named Goren. I have no idea who that is. All anomalies are bound to meet each other at one point. Not by fate as some would believe, as we aren''t bound by such a concept. We are bound by each other. It''s a ruthless game when you''re an Anomaly." I said as I continued to stand straight. "My timeline monitoring device was going haywire not long ago. While I examined it, it came from a timeline that you, Shadow, and Alyssa carry the signature of. When something entered your timeline, it snapped, like a twig being stepped on. So, not only whatever happened altered your future... It broke specifically at the time when you met Shadow." I tried to explain it the best way I could. Flame''s Azure Flames faded as he just stood there, confused and perplexed. For goodness sake, he lived in a medieval world; he had no idea what timelines were. -Third Person POV- Intel and Neolia looked at each other before sighing. "Alright. Let''s just end the fight; we''ll explain it to you in better terms later." Neolia said, making the pom-poms disappear. --- "This slimy lad... I swear he was around here!" A guard spoke as he and his squad continued to search for the runaway bandit. "Sir, come look at this." Another guard called, causing the first one to walk over. They found a large hole with a strange glow, like flickering faintly. "Huh, must be a bonfire¡ª" As if on cue, the glow began to brighten until a bright orange figure blurred past them. Embers fell from a trail left behind by the beast, who soon let out a deafening screech. The bodies of the soldiers began to heat up and burst into flames; they didn''t get to scream as they were transforming into flaming creatures. Their armor had either melted away or had been simply grafted to them, becoming part of their new flaming forms. The creature, now revealed to be a burning phoenix, opened its beak and charged a ball of orangish blue energy. It fired with extreme force, causing a shockwave to shoot out from the initial firing. It had shot a beam that the Phoenix then dragged across the ground horizontally. This caused a string of massive explosions to follow the beam''s path. With only the drive of animalistic instinct to guide it, it makes its way toward the Teilith Empire. 5:Sentiments and Intrigue. Neolia stood before Alyssa and Shadow, hands on her hips. "Alright... I see what I''m working with here. Shadow, why don''t you show me how well you fight?" Shadow nodded, creating a greatsword made of shadows. Its blade was about 6 feet long, and the guard was about a foot in total. The blade was extremely thin, and it seemed like Shadow had a good grip on the guard. He dashes forward, already being quite fast despite his size and age. What threw Neolia off was the fact he seemed to lift the blade effortlessly. It then clicked. He''s wielding shadows, which carry no weight. Shadow slammed the blade downward, which Neolia easily dodged. "What if I hurt you? Or worse?!" Shadow said, letting his guard down for a moment. "As if. You have potential, but you''re nowhere near my level." She dashes forward, striking Shadow right in the gut and causing his eyes to shrink. Neolia backed up and sighed, placing a hand on her hips as she shook her head. "Dude... Even Intel is physically stronger than me without his enhancements." Shadow lurched forward, clutching his stomach as the shadow greatsword disappeared. "That punch... Wasn''t normal!" Neolia tilted her head. "What do you mean? That was a weak punch. You just need to get stronger. You won''t do that by holding weapons of your own creation, and as it stands, you''re unable to add mass to your shadows." She extended her hand. "Create Greatsword." With a simple command, blue sparks of lightning shot from her hand and materialized into a sleek greatsword. It is 6 feet in total, from pommel to tip. The blade itself is a gleaming silver with a slightly curved tip. The sword is double-edged, making it neat for certain circumstances. There is no guard to it, which seemed odd to Shadow, and the handle was wrapped in a fine leather that was made for an easy grip. "This will be part of your weight training from now on." She drops it onto the ground, the sword making a loud clang when it hits. He bent down and attempted to lift the sword, but he found himself struggling to even hold it upright. However, he relished challenges that came his way. --- Intel stood inside of a dark room with steel flooring. The only light was coming from a bright green holographic screen with various lines going in various angles; it was a mess. "Examine timeline D628-XK cut off." The lines on the screen disappeared except for one. However, this one was odd. It had a line that went on like the rest, but above it was a line half the length of the original. The screen examined the two lines, a circle forming on the cutoff of the line above. "There''s only two options to this... Either something interfered with our timeline externally, or we got erased. The former seems much more... favorable." Intel began to sweat. He examined the two closely. "The device went crazy when those three entered our realm... This looks like the start to a 5D chess game. It went specifically haywire when it detected Flame... Indicating he might be the source, but he seems largely unaware of what''s even going on. The kid is primitive." Intel then felt something: the heat rising. "What do you want?" Intel asked. Flame leaned against the steel wall. It was gray in color with lines bulging from them. Between those lines, patterns of extremely narrow arrows pointing upwards. "Words can hurt, you know." He commented as he tilted his head to get a better view of the screen. "What is all this?" Intel crossed his arms. "You don''t seem like the type to care about words. This is the timeline monitoring device; I made it because I was bored." "Innovation is the greatest feat of all living beings." Flame said, walking up to Intel and looking at the device. "I can explain to you as to why I''m the most probable cause." Intel narrowed his eyes. Flame was only thirteen, yet he spoke in a way that hinted at far greater life experience. "Why do you speak that way? Any normal kid your age would be trying to touch stuff and bombard me with questions. You talk as if you''ve gone through everything before." Flame raised a brow. "Do I? Interesting..." "Your vocabulary gives it away. Such as the word innovation. When did you learn that word?" Intel asked. "After I ate my brother. That''s besides the point, though. I was visited by my future self." Flame turned around, starting to walk back to the exit. "Woah, woah." Intel spoke, causing Flame to grin as he turned his head toward Intel. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "You were visited by your future self? How?" He snapped his fingers, illuminating the room and turning off the screen. The floor opened between them, and a circular table with two chairs ascended. "Have a seat. I''ve got to hear this." Flame took a seat along with Intel, explaining the series of events that happened prior to meeting Shadow. Intel sat there; the years in his head had already begun to turn from the first word. "Well... that''s troubling. If your future self told you to end a time loop, you''ve already done it. The thing is, why would he burn certain memories? More importantly, how does one burn a memory?" Flame sighed, standing up from the chair and walking to the door. "You''re concerned about the how more than the why? Get a grip... I''ll search for answers from him... or me?" Intel stayed silent, watching Flame walk out. --- Shadow walked with Alyssa through the grand hall, watching the city below. They went from a sky island to the ground below. A lot has happened. "Alyssa," Shadow asked as he stopped in his tracks. "Do you think I''m strong?" He asked, sweat dripping from his brow. He had trained with his new weapon recently, and he could feel the improvement since his muscles were tightening themselves. "Of course I do! I never doubted your strength at all..." She said, turning to face him. Her eyes widened as she saw tears start to run down Shadow''s face, prompting her to run toward him and pull him into an embrace, the best she could at least. "What''s wrong?!" Shadow fell to his knees, clutching Alyssa''s bright green dress. "I failed... If only I didn''t wander off... Mom and Dad would still be alive!" Shadow had been trying to keep it down the entire time, wanting to look tough for his older sister. He couldn''t bear such a weight anymore; the loss of the ones he had loved tore him inside out. Alyssa frowned at her brother''s sobs, but she had to be a strong little sister when her brother couldn''t stand on his own. "Listen to me... It''s not your fault." She began, caressing his head and back. "Mother and Father often spoke of how proud they were of you. What a fine warrior you turned out to be. They even believed you would be chief." Alyssa began to smile, even chuckling at the memory despite the grim moment. "They were confident in you, Shadow. They knew you were strong enough to be on your own. When they yelled at me to get away, they just told me to look for you and run away with you. To never look back. They died smiling. They were happy they did their job. They said they loved you." Alyssa held Shadow gently, her smile never fading. Shadow, upon hearing this, moved his upper body away from her as he wiped his face. "They said that? Really?" He sniffled. Alyssa nodded, "Remember Shadow. Strength isn''t everything. People like us aren''t meant to carry the weight of the entire world on our shoulders alone." She helped Shadow up, looking out the window to see the beautiful city below, as the sun began to dip over the horizon. "Strength isn''t everything..." Shadow mumbled as he stood up. The beauty of the world was before him, the beauty that his parents nourished him to see. "Yeah..." Intel was around a corner, leaning against a wall. "That girl has stunning vocabulary... And she seems to be about seven years old. Perhaps I might have an assistant." Queen Teresa giggled as she walked toward Shadow and Alyssa. "What a sentimental moment you two were having. I can''t imagine a child so young having to bear such loss. You have my greatest sympathies." The two turned to her, being startled and bowing. "Greetings, Queen Teresa!" She laughed, "Please, just call me Teresa. You know, the girl is brave. To be out in the middle of a massacre, away from her parents and highly in danger? She''s just as I was when I was a little girl." Alyssa blushed at the compliment, becoming slightly embarrassed. "T-thank you." "How do you feel about combat?" Teresa asked, and Shadow immediately put a hand in front of Alyssa as his eyes narrowed. "No. No way. As if I''m going to let you put her in danger!" "Shadow! I can handle myself..." She said, but Shadow wasn''t having it. "I said no! I''m not losing another person close to me!" He snapped at her, causing her to jump a life, but she snapped back. "Shadow!" She yelled, "Remember what I just told you! People aren''t meant to carry everything on their own!" Shadow paused, a look of contemplation falling on his face before sighing and putting his hand down. "Fine... If she gets hurt, though, I swear¡ª" "Nothing will lay a finger on her with my protection. She will be fine." Teresa said, smiling down at them. Suddenly, the room began to shake. "What''s going on?" Alyssa asked, looking around frantically. "It appears the catastrophe awaiting the world has arrived... Or at least the catastrophe of my kingdom. I can handle it myself, but I''m curious to see as to why fate brought you all here. You have my protection; don''t worry. Go out and fight." She said, turning around and walking away with a strut of confidence. --- Flame held onto one of the towers of the castle, overseeing the horizon as he saw the sun set, but another light shone. A light that was unmistakable to his kind. The light of fire. "I feel your instincts... Your drive, you beast. You feel mine too, don''t you? Curiosity drives me forward, but what really gets me moving is the thrill! The fight I''m trying to win! A fight that proves who I am..." Flame thought back to his entire life with his family, a family he no longer had, but an ideology that he kept from the day he learned it. "Strength is everything in this world. I can carry the weight of everything!" Flame began to grin as his hands ignited in his Azure Flames. "Without strength, I am nothing! As long as I prove how strong I am, I will remain as Flame Apollyon! I will never fade!" Flame laughed, "Now come at me, you devil!" He said as the Phoenix screeched, its cry carrying over the horizon. 6:Adapt or Die. "Okay. Before you all head out, listen up." Queen Teresa spoke up, leaning against her throne. "This is your first battle to prove yourselves. Go ahead and do it. We''re dealing with a Source Victim. This seems to be based off the mythical creature known as a Phoenix." Shadow had a look of silent determination in his eyes. "I''m not going to explain what it is, but it''s up to you guys to defeat it. Good luck." She said, dismissing everyone before they left. Everyone rushed outside to already see the city in flames. The screech of the Phoenix could be heard in the distance. Intel spoke up, raising a hand. "Alright. I''m assuming Flame is fighting that thing. So while I check on him, all of you go ahead and protect civilians." He said, running off. Shadow looked ahead of him; beings made of fire that were once people wandered around the burning streets. He didn''t know how to feel about attacking them. Neolia stood beside him, her expression neutral. "They''re no longer people until they turn back; for now, use what I''ve taught you." As she spoke, 5 infected civilians came limping toward them, their bodies consumed by the fire. "Think of this as your tutorial. No cheats, no help, one life." Neolia said, backing up. This left him and Alyssa versus the 5 zombies. "Begin!" Neolia said, summoning pom-poms and shaking them. -Shadow''s POV- "She''s treating this like a game! Surely she''s jesting; she thinks I can handle this? My primary objective is to protect Alyssa..." I watched one lunge toward me at a surprising speed, its body bent forward as it did so. I immediately and swiftly maneuvered around it, swinging my blade upward and aiming for the throat. My strike struck true as the greatsword cleanly passed through, and I watched its head fall off. There was no blood, no screams, gurgling... Not a single sound. "Go, Shadow! Go Alyssa!" Neolia said in a sing-song tone as she jumped up and down waving the pom-poms. Wait, when did she have on that outfit? She was wearing a shirt, but it only covered half her waist, and a skirt too... Gotta focus! I watched as Alyssa swung her sword with ease. She wasn''t coordinated, since she had no swordsmanship prowess, but she did a good job at defending and parrying. For once, I trusted my gut to leave her be. I trust the queen. I saw two Flaming Zombies in front of me, so I sheathed my greatsword and rushed forward, creating two shadow longswords. "Abyssal Cleaver!" I dashed forward, appearing behind them and watching their torsos bisect. Something seemed off, though. Despite me watching them ''die,'' they didn''t feel like they were dying. "Alyssa! Back up!" I yelled as Alyssa had just finished stabbing a zombie, panting. She backed up next to Neolia, who stopped cheering. "Eh?" The bodies began to shake violently before bursting into flames. We watched the Flaming Zombies put themselves back together, continuing their limping process. "Fuck... They can''t die." -Third Person POV- [Meanwhile] Queen Teresa sat on her throne; the glow of burning buildings was the only bit of light that illuminated her windows. A kingdom she had spent so long cultivating, now up in flames. However, she remained calm. For such a trivial situation could be solved and mended by her hand alone. However, she rarely exerts her authority. She extended her hand, and a blinding light illuminated the room. Queen Teresa was a special person, as she had both a Route and was considered an Aspect by her people. Aspects are beings that have a certain magic property tied to their souls, thus have the potential to embody that magic. However, with Queen Teresa, her Route and Aspect were intertwined. She had the Route of The Summoner, which allowed her to summon any person from any point in time. However, due to having the Aspect of Creation, this takes her ability a step further. It worked in three ways. During summoning, she''s able to ''create'' her ideal summon by creating them mid-summon. So she is able to create her summons, but it has to be during the summoning process. This makes it so the person, or people she summons, have never existed prior to her summoning. That is if she uses her creation Aspect with the summoning. If she just uses the normal Summoning Route, she can summon anyone. Whether they be historical figures, normal people, future people, or even people from alternate timelines or universes. The last way she can do it is to overwrite the physical body of the soul(s) she summons and create them a new one. With all three of these summoning techniques, she''s also able to grant them blessings or abilities with no distinct limit. It is unknown how Queen Teresa became an Aspect, as even though they are born, they usually have a strong lineage. Queen Teresa''s lineage doesn''t have a single Aspect, not only that, she differs from one in a variety of ways. Once the light had faded, 3 individuals appeared. One being a man with short silver hair and wearing a black trench coat that went to his ankles. He had brown skin and black eyes. He stood tall, having a sword behind his back pointing directly downward. He was pretty handsome as well. He looked around, confused, "Huh?" The second one was a woman with a witch''s hat on that was a midnight blue in color, her hair, silky and long, reaching to her waist. It was as blue as the oceans and even had an otherworldly-looking texture to it. She was slightly shorter than the man next to her. Her skin was fair, and she wore glasses over her green eyes. She wore a gray cloak obscuring her body, and she carried a wooden staff that spiraled inward. "Maran? Where are we? We were in the middle of a test!" She turned to the man beside her, that being Maran. "Why is your hair silver?! What am I wearing?!?" "Oh my... It appears we''ve been transported into another world..." A woman with glasses spoke. She stood at the same height as Maran, "An isekai, if you could call it that, Mavis." She said, looking down at the woman with the witch''s hat. "Though we were alive, could it be transmigration? I''m unsure." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She had brown hair that reached her shoulders, yellow eyes like a lemon, and brown skin. She had no visible weapons on her, but she had fingerless gloves. She also wore a sleeveless compression shirt that emphasized her muscular, yet lean, body. The shirt was white, and she wore black, baggy pants. "I assume that''s our summoner." She pointed to Queen Teresa. "Greetings, Maran, Mavis, and Rose." She said, listing them in order. "There really isn''t enough time to explain, but as you can see," She pointed out one of the windows opposite her throne near the entrance. It was nighttime, but the light from burning buildings illuminated the area. "People need help. Are you willing?" The trio looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the queen. For some reason, just looking into her eyes was unsettling. Though they wanted to press for more answers, they couldn''t deny that this was an opportunity to get away from the mundane of modern Earth. Maran stepped forward. "Fine, we''ll do it." --- Intel climbed onto a building that wasn''t on fire, looking around. He heard a loud screech and saw a blur crash into a house, causing smoke and debris to fly into the air. As pieces of wood flew at him, they bounced off of a force field. "Shit... Even Flame is having a hard time. That kid seemed off, not just mentally." Flame rose from the debris and ran out into the street. He looked around as the fabric of his shirt burned away. He tore off the rest of it, growling as he saw a bright light form in the smoke. "Again?!" He yelled, dashing out of the way of a large beam that shot through the smoke, revealing the Phoenix. At first, it did nothing, but then it caused a massive string of explosions. People screamed, and soldiers scrambled to fend off the flaming zombies that quickly began to overwhelm them in number. "Damn it... DAMN IT! WHY...? Why... why can''t I kill this thing? It''s too big to consume entirely with Devouring Flames... And for some reason, no matter how many times I bite it, it doesn''t work for some reason! No knowledge, no new ability... It just heals..." Flame thought as he dropped to his knees. "If I can''t kill a flaming bird... What am I?" The thoughts resurfaced back to the damp prison cell. Then, just as easily as he had gained it, Flame''s confidence, his pride, his ego, and his will to live had been shattered. Fragile as it was, faced with any kind of adversary that didn''t go down as fast as he had liked. He couldn''t take it. Not being able to kill something meant he was weak in his eyes. "I can''t..." Tears began to form in his eyes. As much adult knowledge as he had gained, he was still a child in the end. The Phoenix, towering at least 12 feet tall, with a wingspan of about 28 feet. It looked down at Flame, its eyes narrowing. "Just do it... Kill me." Flame began to laugh, watching as the beak of the Phoenix opened; a bright orange ball of energy began to form. Before it could do anything, a hail of bullets rained down on the Phoenix, causing it to screech and fly off in a trail of... steam? Flame looked over, spotting Intel on a roof. "Flame, come on. We have to talk." --- The group met back behind the castle gates, standing on a bridge that was built over a stream. The embers of fire continued to float into the air, giving the appearance of fireflies but orange. "Flame, what was that? You just totally gave up." Intel said, looking over at Flame. "I can''t kill it... It''s too big to consume with Devouring Flames... I... I''m at my limit." Flame sat on the edge of the bridge, staring down at the water below. "I can''t even get its abilities to enhance my own¡ªI''m a failure." Shadow and Alyssa looked at each other before looking to Flame. "Alyssa, you''re better at talking about teamwork than me; go ahead." Shadow, said as he took a step back. "Flame... It''s okay," Alyssa began. "You can do it alone if you wish, but maybe some assistance is needed? Maybe there''s someone that can help you advance." "Shut it, little girl!" Flame snapped, his already bruised pride getting hurt even more at the prospect of getting a lecture by a little girl. Alyssa didn''t flinch or even show slight fear. "Flame. We are young. You can''t expect to be the strongest person in the world¡ªsometimes fights just require a little help or strategy." Flame''s eyes narrowed. "You''re one to talk about strategy? Bullshit! I was raised by a father who knew nothing but peace and war! He knew all about strategy! He was a warrior! NOT SOME..." Flame took a deep breath. "Lowly peasants like you and Shadow. I only spared the both of you out of my own amusement." Neither Shadow nor Alyssa said anything. No one did. Though Intel and Neolia didn''t know about their past, the way Flame''s unhinged attitude was prominent to them, they wouldn''t put it past him to just kill someone for no reason. Flame was clearly hurt and not thinking straight, not more than he already was. "It doesn''t matter anymore. We''re doomed." Intel sighed. "Done whining like a baby?" Flame attempted to impale him with his hand, but once again, the force field did its thing. "SHUT IT!" Shadow immediately rushed in, holding a shadowy blade to Flame''s throat. "Consider your options carefully, Flame." Alyssa looked up at him with hopeful eyes, seeing at least some capacity for good in him. Intel sighed. "As I was saying, if you''re done whining, the battle isn''t entirely lost. Mana is the enhancer of all things; wielding magic is only a small part of that. Neolia here could give you Mana and give you the chance to evolve your Devouring Flames even further." Neolia stepped forward as Shadow put down his sword and Flame backed away from Intel. "Yeah, I mean, Mana is a good thing to have. I could give it to all of you, actually; it''s not hard. You want to get stronger, right, Flame? It''s do or die. Aside from Queen Teresa, you''re the only one with the ability to kill this thing, no issue. It''s okay to ask for help once in a while. Now will you adapt? Or will you fall?" Neolia asked. While Flame pondered, Intel interjected. "Your frustration is understandable; it''s a Phoenix. They can come back to life. However, this one is different. Its size is crazy, so that means it''s King Phoenix, which can not only resurrect an infinite amount of times, but it can also resurrect others as zombies and keep them alive." Flame stood there before sighing. "Fine... I''ll do it." He swallowed his pride. If he wanted to survive, he needed help. Would that discredit his strength? He didn''t know. For a brief moment, he questioned his ideology of strength truly being the absolute means of life. Neolia then struck Flame''s chest, her hand piercing his chest. Flame coughed blood but felt something flow through him. It made him feel... stronger. His senses were clearer, and he felt as if he had more mental clarity. He winced in pain as Neolia withdrew her hand, but immediately, she healed him and shook off the blood. "Feeling better?" Flame nodded, his expression relaxing some. "Yeah." He looked at his palm, watching as his hand ignited into his Azure Flames. They burned more intensely than he could ever imagine. "Don''t think this makes us friends..." Flame said, a faint flush being visible on his face as he began to walk off. "I''m ready for round two." Neolia looked at Alyssa and Shadow. "I just wanted to hit him. I didn''t have to give him Mana that way. It''ll take some time for his mana core to develop, but it should happen quickly." She said, placing her hands on Shadow and Alyssa. Both of them then tensed as they felt a shock go throughout their bodies, but then they felt the same effects as Flame. That was the power of Mana. "Now... Go save the city, will you?" Neolia said as both she and Intel smiled at them. Alyssa and Shadow looked at each other, smiling, and with a look of determination, they followed after Flame.