《Embers of the Survivor: Volume 1》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    The Frontier of Ordinary


    Nil & Aubin


    The cold, swirling air filled the town where Nil lived. It was a memory of Christmas days that always warmed his heart, now colder than frozen coal. The bright day contrasted with the darkness within Nil¡¯s heart. With the rise of the golden sun, the home Nil lived within sprung to life. The noises of traffic and people signaled him to wake up. He groggily pulled out a grey hoodie, once soft, now a rough fabric. Nil slipped into his jeans and laced the ties of his black shoes. He was still tired, being early in the morning. Brushing his teeth as he walked down the stairs, he thought of his brother Aubin.


    Nil and Aubin had been planning for this day for weeks. This day was their family gathering, one they had only a couple of times each year. As rare as these days were, they were always the highlight of Nil¡¯s year. Nil couldn¡¯t help but burst with excitement. He could catch back up with what was going on with his family. He stepped toward the door to his apartment, opening the door for Aubin. They looked at each other.


    ¡°Aubin!¡± Nil yelled, ¡°The stuff is in the kitchen! I¡¯ll help carry it!¡± Together, they both carried the bags filled with food and gifts. After they grabbed the bags, the journey was to their parent¡¯s home. It was a long way, a few miles as Aubin recalled. Determined to get there on time, they set off, their footsteps echoing in the busy world that was their town.


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    Aubin spoke to Nil, ¡°Don¡¯t worry if we end up late. There¡¯s no rush. Though it is disrespectful.¡± Nil still pushed himself harder, regardless. Finally, they reached the location.


    They opened the door to a home full of memories. After setting the food down, Aubin and Nil hugged their parents in an embrace. It had been ages since they had seen their parents. And quickly after the embrace, Nil and Aubin were pitching in to help with the dinner.


    There weren''t a lot of ingredients or time they could work with, but they made it work, anyway. Nil cooked the chicken, while Aubin focused on the sweets. The two brothers took on the responsibility of cooking in honor of their parents, who could no longer manage such things. In the end, they managed a victory in which nothing caught on fire.


    As they sat down, Nil lifted his drink to his mother and father. ¡°I thank you for everything you have given me. I will do whatever I can to repay you someday.¡±


    Their father smiled, nodding to him. Then Mom said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry sweetie, you already have made us proud.¡± As the sun dipped below the horizon, they ate for the rest of the time, with everyone filled with laughter and joy. Afterward, everyone said goodbye, and once again, Aubin and Nil were walking home. But as they went to a section of sidewalk, Aubin walked back to his home.


    Aubin waved to Nil, a big grin on his face. ¡°See you tomorrow, Nil.¡±


    Nil was once again alone, walking back to his home. He walked up the steps, the weight of night starting to settle over him. He hoped that he would have enough time to take a nap before his night shift. Putting on his night clothes he thought about how truly boring his life is now. He brushed his teeth, turned off the lights, and went to his room.


    He lay there on the soft mattress, the weight of the day finally leaving his shoulders. Slowly, the sounds of the town faded away as he closed his eyes, and then he fell asleep.

 Chapter 1

    Hello! I am Ajtoole, writer of this novel. First, thank you all for reading this and I am very thankful. I have my work on several platforms, like so to be YouTube, other writing platforms and other things. Be sure to check out my channel and my discord server for updates. This book is close to full release, with the Prologue and Chapters 1-3 just being a teaser for whats to come. I am very excited to show all of you my work that I''ve put so much time into.


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 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    The Man of Blue Flames


    Nil


    I looked down at them. The world around me froze in time. With each second, memories flooded my mind. As I looked down at my parents, the landscape slowly began to change. It was cold, with snow everywhere. The town was back, and there was a kid in a backyard playing in the snow. That child looked exactly like me as a kid because it was me.


    ¡°Hey Sweetie, the cookies are ready!¡± The same kid¡¯s eyes glowed with excitement. He remembered Christmas was always his favorite time of year, with the snow falling, colorful lights, and the warm almond cookies his mom would always make.


    The scent of cookies and other sweets his mother would make filled the air, and he still remembered how good it smelled. He loved building a snowman with the snow they would get. When hearing his mom, he rushed straight into the kitchen from the backyard. He nearly slipped while unzipping his coat. Afterward, he hung it on the stand in the doorway.


    His uncle chuckled, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re stepping kiddo, we don¡¯t want you cracking your head open!¡±


    A big smile spread across his face, ¡°It¡¯s ok Uncle Jalen, I¡¯m ok!¡± He enjoyed the warm, chewy cookie.


    He loved almond cookies and would get so excited when his mom made them every year. ¡°Hey Bro, is there any left for me?¡± Aubin was there too, a much younger version of him.


    He gave Aubin one of the cookies. ¡°Here you can have one of mine.¡± They sat next to each other at the table with a smile. ¡°Are you excited about the festival?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. They said there¡¯s gonna be cotton candy there!¡± They looked at mom. ¡°When are we going to the festival?¡±


    ¡°When Dad comes back from work, don¡¯t worry sweetie, he should be back soon.¡± Aubin sighed, and he looked very impatient.


    Suddenly, Dad opened the door, and they were so excited again that they ran to him, hugging and kissing him.


    ¡°Dad hasn¡¯t been home in a while,¡± Mom¡¯s voice started to shake as if remembering something. ¡°He¡¯s been working very hard.¡±


    Dad laughed and hugged them back. ¡°I miss you too. Are you two ready to go to the festival?¡± They excitedly said yes, putting on their coats and waiting at the front door.


    They walked through the snowy streets, and he would always touch the snowflakes, then melting in his hands. He loved the beautiful colors of the lights, with every house had a snowman. He wished he knew how to make a snowman. They continued to walk past trees full of ornaments and lights. In the distance was the Christmas festival and all the people celebrating with it. It was beautiful. He stood there amazed by the size of the place, as it was like their house but like a hundred or two hundred times bigger! There were so many people, some old and young. Everyone here had bright smiles, sharing food and other things.


    This was the first time the festival had ever been in their little town.


    He started running before his mom stopped him. ¡°Hold on honey, let¡¯s find out where we want to go first.¡± He went into the town hall, and the smell of food filled his nostrils the moment they opened the door.


    Stands with mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, ham, carrots, and so much more. It was the most food he had ever seen, and everywhere he looked was candy. A grand table in the middle of the room had many people eating. They started too as well, and it was the best food he had ever eaten in his life.


    After we ate, there was a room with music and people dancing. The ballroom was huge, with bright lights that shone on the tiled floor. There was a beautiful chandelier on the ceiling, littered with ornaments of angels. He watched as his parents danced in the moonlight, while his brother played with the other kids. His Uncle sat with his wife, enjoying a great time.


    He heard a voice behind him, ¡°Hey, kid.¡± He stumbled backward and turned around. The man was hiding under a table. He asked him, ¡°Which way do I go north?¡± He pointed toward their grandma''s apartment complex.


    Mom told him to find the front porch of Grandma¡¯s house to find out where North was. ¡°Thanks, kid.¡±


    He hands him a candy cane. ¡°Make sure to enjoy it, because nothing lasts forever.¡± He watched as he ran from the room, never for him to see him again. I returned to myself as the memory faded.


    The candy cane that was in my hand turned to dust as the memory dissolved into the smell of burnt corpses and ash.


    I looked down at what remained of my parents. Did that man intend on this? My family was in a ruined house and they seemed to be hiding from something. I was sweating and couldn¡¯t take in what I saw. My family¡¯s scene was horrifying, beyond inhumane. Dizzy and lightheaded, the sight made me nearly vomit.


    As I wept in horror at the sight, I had no sense of any reality of what was going on around me. My tears and sweat grew with each second, not stopping for anything. I continued to sob for them on my knees for what felt like hours, as I scraped against the ground, trying to hide from my realization. My hands trembled, grieving from their loss, with it all being in vain.


    I lay there in ruin, destroyed. I asked myself in sorrow, ¡°Why me? What did I do to deserve this?¡±


    Aubin stepped in, standing over me. ¡°Brother, I know this all is hard.¡± He laid his hand on my shoulder, ¡°You must keep pushing forward, and don¡¯t give up. We need to get out of here.¡±


    The memories kept flashing back, making me struggle to even stand. But every time I fell, Aubin was there to help me back up. My brother¡¯s words eventually gave me the strength to get back up. We continued through the ghost town, searching for an escape.


    ¡°You know, what are we going to do when we get out of here?¡±


    Aubin looked at me, and he reassured me, ¡°Whatever happens, we are in this together. We will figure it out. Once we find somewhere, you and I could settle down. Maybe you might find someone you love.¡± The thought of hope filled my mind, a change to move on, to build a better life. But then my mind was blank. Something caught our attention through the mix of flame and smoke, inhumane sounds in the distance.


    The uncanny piercing sound, like nails on metal, made me clench my ears. I gazed into the distance at the sound, my eyes fixating on a horrifying figure. The figure looked like a skeleton with flesh clinging all over its body. It was a horrible sight, its bony arms stretching skyward, its towering presence casting a long, foreboding shadow. Its form was a terrifying display, every muscle and bone laid bare as if a cruel hand had stripped away its very skin. Its hands were enormous and horrifying, but familiar. I then realized that those were the hands that had taken our uncle. A glowing orb pulsed in its chest, bound with vines and shreds of flesh. Every stomp from the creature made a cracking sound that nearly stopped my heart.


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    I yelped at the creature¡¯s steps. The beast now looked toward me, its empty eye sockets staring into my soul. The beast stomped toward me, the ground trembling.


    My brother shot the creature before it got closer, stunning it. ¡°RUN!¡± I followed Aubin¡¯s lead, tripping over rocks and rubble as the creature chased me.


    The cries of the creature echoed through the crumbling ruins. With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed forward, and my legs carried me further from the heart of the decaying maze of what used to be my hometown.


    Each step I took was a gamble on the unstable ground of burnt grass, debris, and gravel. I could feel the creature behind me, its presence driving me onward. I heard hurling rocks, some shattered and sending sharp pieces into my skin. No matter what, though, I never dared to look back. Now running past fewer and fewer buildings, I felt like I was going to give out, but the fire would never end.


    I heard my brother yell out to me, ¡°Hide!¡± But even as I turned, I saw it grabbing rocks again.


    Then a wall of rubble exploded toward us. I froze in my tracks, dumbfounded by the sight. Just as the wave of debris was about to strike, my brother pulled me behind a crumbling brick wall. I heard the wall protecting us get torn to shreds. We went back to running when we listened to the creature stomping towards us again.


    We stopped as the creature loomed over us, listening for any sound in the flames. I tried to hold my breath as the creature smashed anything that made a sound. The creature seemed to start walking away.


    Seconds stretched to what felt like an eternity. I whispered to my brother, ¡°I think it¡¯s gone.¡± Without warning, the surrounding ground exploded as the creatures smashed it.


    I lay there. Suddenly, a shot pierced in the air, diverting the creature''s attention from me. My brother shot the creature. He tried to shoot it again, but it slammed him into the ground. I watched as it ruthlessly threw my brother at a wall, and then the creature threw a huge rock at him. It crushed the rock in its hand and flung it at my brother, mimicking the impact of the shotgun blast. The creature attacked my brother ruthlessly with rocks as he lay there defenseless. The creature grabbed another rock as it stomped closer to him, looking at him cautiously.


    I had to do something. Revenge consumed me. With a plan, I had to avenge my brother. I grabbed my axe and tried to hit the creature. Before I could react, the creature grabbed my left arm and raised me into the air. My axe only managed to make a shallow scratch on the creature¡¯s body. Before I could get another hit, the beast crushed my left arm in an instant. A searing shock of pain enveloped me. After it crushed my left arm, it punched me right in my gut, sending me into a wall a few yards away. I lay there with no weapon, several bones broken and defeated.


    Pain throbbed through my head and body. This was the end for me. I watched as the creature stomped toward me, and it dragged its hands along the ground as it got closer. The creature crept closer, and then a building crumbled onto it, engulfing it in blue flames. Ignoring the strange blue flames, I took the chance to reach my brother, my heart pounding. Aubin looked as if he was in agony, and we had to leave and find a way out, to just be anywhere but here.


    I stumbled to my brother, ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± ¡°You need to go and find help.¡±


    Confusion surrounded me.


    My brother tried to get back up but failed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to stay here. You have to come back for me.¡±


    ¡°But Aubin, you could die.¡± I didn¡¯t want to leave my brother here for that monster to come back.


    Tears filled my eyes at just the thought of leaving him. I refused to believe it. It was unfair. Why did we deserve this?


    ¡°You have to go, but it will be okay.¡± My brother lay there and had tears in his eyes, too.


    ¡°Remember our promise, that we look out for each other? I promise we will find each other again.¡± Sobbing, I stumbled away.


    It took everything I had to leave him. The guilt was unbearable, and I refused to raise my head.


    I heard my brother say one last thing, ¡°You are our family¡¯s treasure, live on for their memory. I love you, my brother, and I wouldn¡¯t ask for anyone else to be my brother.¡±


    I ran, crying until I couldn¡¯t cry anymore. After a while of walking, trying to keep my balance, I realized I had made it out of the town. Even though I was no longer in the town, the fire was still everywhere. I forced myself to continue running, just trying to find someone, anyone. My left hand dangled uselessly, throwing off my balance. No matter where I ran, I found no one in sight. I was alone. Though limping and barely able to walk, I pressed on, driven by my promise to Aubin.


    ¡°I have to keep my promise to my brother.¡± I remind myself, ¡°I will come back for you, brother.¡±


    I looked at the bottle of water that I got from the town hall. I had forgotten about the bottle and just realized it was there. Out of desperation, I drank from the bottle to help with my thirst, but immediately after, I started to feel sick and dizzy. As I looked closer, I hadn''t even realized there was mold on the bottle until then, and I felt like I wanted to puke. Cursing at my stupidity, I collapsed, vomiting onto the ground. Eventually, I was able to get back up, and I continued to stumble away from my burning town.


    With each step, it got harder and harder to breathe. At some point, I fell over, and I couldn¡¯t get back up. Then suddenly, a voice rose from the flames. ¡°Get up. You¡¯ve got a job to do.¡± I looked up, and it was my father, looking down at me.


    I cried to him, ¡°I can¡¯t, it¡¯s too hard.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t raise you to be weak. I raised you to be a man. The world needs you, even Aubin needs you. You¡¯re not allowed to rest yet.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but it resonated with me. Driven by his words, I managed to find the strength to keep pushing forward. My father disappeared into the smoke, and I took his appearance as him being my guide.


    In the distance, I saw blue flames on the grass. The fire also seemed to be making a trail somewhere. My thoughts returned to the blue fire. They had been leading me here, and there had to be a reason. I decided to follow the blue flames with the hope that I could find some help. As I started to run again, still dizzy from my puking, I felt happy that I was finally able to find help. Motivation came back to me, as I felt there was a way out of this wasteland.


    Dizziness caused me to bump into the crumbling building, which immediately began to fall apart. I managed to get out of the way before it fell on me. Before I could react to the building falling, I heard the creature in the distance again. Panic filled my veins once more, making me run as fast as I could. I didn¡¯t look back, because I knew that creature was running after me. I tripped over debris but kept going. Now hitting boulders head-on, my vision kept getting more blurry than it already was. I looked back and saw the creature getting closer. Knowing the creature was gaining, I kept running, driven by fear.


    I went through the narrow pathways, hearing the creature stomp and trees being snapped in two. The creature sounded closer, its roars morphing into a mix of distorted, almost human, muffled shouts. No matter what they said, I held onto what Aubin said to get out of here. My legs started to go weak, and I felt like I was going to black out. Moments later, my legs gave out, and I slammed into a wall, further damaging my left arm. The wall shattered on impact, and I fell headfirst into a pile of debris and glass.


    Without any time to spare, I got back up and kept running. I saw a church in the distance. I ran through in the hope of slowing the creature down. The creature tore the remaining walls, continuing its chase. A rock struck my leg, a jolt of pain sending me sprawling face-first into the ground.


    A few seconds later, I weakly managed to look back and see the creature standing in front of me. The creature walked closer, its corpse-like body hunching over. The fingers were like claws that ended in sharp, bony points. After some time, I realized the creature was not looking at me. Then the air became still, broken only by flickering blue flames. My gaze followed the direction the creature was looking. There was a man in the distance, shrouded in the smoke.


    I looked up to see the tall man better. He had light blue hair and had a necklace bearing the same symbol that had been on my axe, an S with three crossed lines. The necklace shone brightly against the desolate wasteland. He had a cloak on that was tattered and ripped, and a mask covered his mouth. The man seemed calm and collected, and I felt a wave of relief, but I was also cautious because the creature was behind me.


    The man drew his axe and made a hand sign, as fires of blue colors danced around his hand smoothly. Unlike the chaotic flames surrounding us, the blue flames dance with an intensity, shining brighter and radiating even more heat. He took off his mask, revealing his face. I heard the creature resuming its pursuit, and my vision began to fade. The blue flames flowed from his hand, swirling around me like a protective barrier.


    The man softly spoke, ¡°May those of suffering find peace, and for the burning of this beast by the fires of this night.¡±


    After the man said those words, the blue flames formed the shape of a sword, and the man directed it toward the beast. I saw the sword of blue flames fly towards the beast with a flash of light and fire, blasting it into the air as the fire beautifully danced in the night sky. The man walked closer to me and then I passed out.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    The Curse of Burning Flesh


    Aubin


    ¡°You are our family¡¯s treasure. Live on for their memory.¡± Those last words echoed in my mind, now a desperate plea that clung to the smoke-infested air. Did I make the right choice? I only could hope now that Nil found safety.


    Trapped under the weight of stone, the thought of that being my last words clawed into my mind. It could be that everything was in vain in the end. I watched helplessly as the creature turned its attention to Nil, my brother. Aubin. Nil¡¯s brother. Former construction worker. My uncle, my family¡­ all fading into the haze of memory.


    This fire had taken everything from me. Everything was gone. My uncle¡­ there was no other choice¡­ the now vivid memory burned within me. I was soon to join them too, wasn¡¯t I? The monster''s rampage continued in the distance, only moments ago being near. Above, clouds raged on, covering the sky in a dark, unforgiving grey. Flames consumed everything. It was an endless cyclone, suffocating the land.


    I felt like giving up. I already did what I could for my brother. There was no hope I could get out of here. I told myself, ¡°Snap out of it. You¡¯ve still got this.¡±


    I tried to get up, but the boulder was on the way. Every time I pushed, shoved, and did everything I could, it wouldn''t budge. It weighed like a ton. Regardless of any strength I had left, I couldn¡¯t get it off me. Out of anger and desperation, I punched the boulder, only stopping from my hands being beaten and battered. What was weird to me was that after all that struggle, it left a dent. The rock was heavy, but it was also brittle in a way. With every punch, little dents in the rock appeared with dust. With the pace I was going, the dents wouldn¡¯t change anything, but it was a start. It gave me hope. After a few minutes of punching the boulder, I didn¡¯t even make a little progress, besides a few cracks. I figured it was over for me, that I would die under this rock, but then I saw it.


    It was the axe my brother used to fight the creature. I remembered how he charged after it just to be slammed into a building. The axe was still lying there in the debris. I tried grabbing it, but no matter how much I reached for it was just out of my reach. Just as I was about to give up, the ground rumbled as several buildings fell. I managed to grab the axe and began hitting the rock, with it eventually crumbling. I broke free and stumbled upward. It was very hard to walk from my leg, feeling like the bones in my leg were a pulp of rocks. I struggled my way through the rubble. My hands scraped against the rock like claws, bleeding and bare.


    My legs trembled, heavy like lead. My hands were limp, numb with pain. Everything in my body was hurting. With every minute, the wasteland was caving in, crumbling my mind like sandpaper. One image I held in my mind kept me conscious. That image was my brother. I had to live for him, and I can¡¯t leave him alone in this world.


    Several wounds covered all over my body, they were deep. It was hard to breathe, like fresh air didn¡¯t exist here. Finding shelter was important now. Worry carved into my soul. Where did my brother go? I hoped he was okay. The beast ran after him instead of me. I was guilty that he may be dead. I continued walking through the wasteland, looking for any shelter. Hopefully, I could find something.


    As I walked through the remains of my town, I remembered some buildings I helped build. The grocery store, the school, some apartments, only their remains settled as I pass by. I continued through the wasteland that used to be my home, flipped upside down its face.


    I looked up to a building I still recognize. The building was the place where I went to school, but I still wondered how it was still standing. For a moment, I felt a bit of nostalgia and happiness. Something in the distance takes me away from my thoughts and straight back to reality.


    A wave of heat enveloped the area, with a blue flame erupting in the distance. After the flame, I saw the Hellspawn from the town hall get flung into a building. I almost tripped over as I saw it. Before I could take another step, I heard the beast emerging. Its claws drag across the ground like sleet against the burnt soil, silencing all sound in a radius. The tall skeleton of flesh stared at me. I held onto the axe tightly.


    The beast let out a terrifying roar as it chased me. I scrambled to get up and to start running, fear embedding into every fiber of my muscles. I went through the remains of buildings, then the school. It was quickly behind, destroying everything in its path. Now backed into a corner, I tried to hit it, but I got knocked into a building. I lay there, with the creature looming over me. Any dim light was cast out from its shadow. I squeezed my eyes shut, hiding from my fate. Suddenly, an explosion came from the distance, shaking our ground.


    The Beast turned away from me, stomping towards the explosion. I nearly passed out, but someone grabbed my hand.


    A woman appeared in my vision, taking me to the rubble. Hiding from the capture, she whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t be out in the open.¡± She had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, with old leather clothes on.


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    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am Matilda. I¡¯m a part of the gang called The Fist of Iron.¡± She pointed to the beast. ¡°I need to get a sample of it. If we know its composition, we could get rid of it faster. Though you look hurt, we will get you to safety.¡±


    I followed Matilda through the rubble, watching the beast carefully. Matilda made a sword out of thin air. It had a thin metal handle with an emerald blade, and she used it to slice the beast¡¯s leg. Before the beast could stomp Matilda, another man grabbed her.


    The man stood tall in the wind, with his face covered with a crimson scarf. He looked to be twelve feet tall, with muscles all over his body hidden by a leather vest. He had long red hair and deep blue eyes. He landed an uppercut on the beast, forcing it to back away. With a flick of his fingers, a barrier formed as a shield. He grabbed me while carrying Matilda and started running while protecting us.


    Matilda asked the man, ¡°Orin, where are we going next?¡±


    ¡°Outta here!¡± Orin carried us through the debris of the town, with the beast following us not too far.


    I looked back in fear as I saw the beast charging up something. Flames erupted from its hands, swirling and molding into a weapon. It formed into a spear, overflowing with heat. The creature launched it at us, and a searing wave of heat washed over me as the ground began to crumble in a massive explosion.


    There was fire everywhere, enveloping me. The surrounding ground collapsed around us, opening up into a cave. I lay there, weak and burning. Orin was protecting me and Matilda with a glowing shield. He struggled to keep the beast at a distance, with it slashing and tearing at the shield.


    Anger and revenge boiled within me, and I used it to fuel me upward. I grabbed my axe and sliced one of its arms, with the beast roaring in anger. It backhanded me, sending me flying into a wall. Debris pelted my body like a million pieces of glass were in my flesh. I couldn¡¯t breathe, the air thick with smoke and ash. My vision blurred, and all I could hear was stomping.


    I looked up to see the beast coming towards me, with its eyes burning with hatred. Orin tried to fight the creature, but it hit him in the gut, and he fell to the floor. I yell out, making the beast come towards me again.


    When I felt like I was gonna die, suddenly an incredibly loud noise rang in my ears. I couldn¡¯t hear or see well, but the beast was on the floor covering where ears would be. I couldn¡¯t hear or see well, with the world now being a blur of motion. But when I could see, the creature was on the floor, screaming in pain. Orin had picked me up again, and we were running. However, one thing became clear to me, it was that the creature said something.


    It had screamed out in my uncle''s voice, ¡°Aubin, why are you leaving me? Don¡¯t leave me here alone, please! I don¡¯t wanna be alone, please!¡± Tears ran down my face, and I knew it wasn¡¯t him, but it felt so real.


    It continued to wail out to me. ¡°How could you leave me, leave your family? Why?¡± Those words crushed me from the inside. My mind went numb, tears dried up. Guilt filled the gap.


    We continued to charge through the wasteland. The creature¡¯s haunting cries echoed in my mind as I fell unconscious.


    After a while, I woke up on a mountain I remembered. It was the mountain next to our village. The village was still on fire. It was hard to see from here, but the flames continued to burn the area. I looked next to me. Matilda and Orin were there, but there was another person.


    There was a man. He was wearing jeans and a hoodie. He was a bit shorter than me and had curly hair from what I could see.


    His face was filled with concern and anger. ¡°That was stupid of you.¡±


    ¡°We needed the sample. I¡¯m sorry Valenor.¡± Matilda looked at Valenor, seeming to be nervous.


    Orin spoke up. ¡°I will take the blame. It was my idea.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t let it happen again. We can¡¯t have people dying. Also, who is this?¡±


    ¡°We found him in the debris.¡± He looked at me with suspicion. After a while, he told us to get going. Matilda helped me walk down the mountain and to the end of the island.


    This part of the island wasn¡¯t burnt, with trees still around and wildlife exploring. The light from dawn filled the sky, some reflecting off the water that made a river. We went through a forest, and it was so peaceful. I felt safe, but guilt hit me like a train.


    Matilda was helping me walk. ¡°Is everything alright, you can tell us anything, you know that, right? We aren¡¯t here to hurt you.¡± Those words loosened the tension that was in my mind.


    Valenor added, ¡°Yeah, sorry if I¡¯ve been grumpy. It¡¯s just all this happening. You guys could have died out there, and I¡¯m stressed out.¡±


    They reassured Valenor that everything was fine, and they continued to worry about me. Pressure ended up getting the best of me. I couldn¡¯t hide what I wanted to hide.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just shocked by that fire behind us.¡± I lied, I had to. I couldn¡¯t let them worry about my brother. It would be selfish. It would be a risk to go back there, not now. Besides, I don¡¯t even know if he is alive. I can¡¯t let them risk their lives again. Not for something that might be already too late. If my brother was alive, he wouldn¡¯t be on the island anymore.


    After what felt like hours of exploring the forest, we got close to the shore of the island. Soon after, we stopped for a minute to rest. We stopped in a shaded area, one that had trees and grass. It was close to the cliffside of rocks.


    We all sat down with exhaustion, but were relieved. Valenor spoke to me. ¡°So, you are Aubin? I have a few things to say before we continue.¡±


    I nodded to him and let him proceed, with his words sparking curiosity in me. ¡°We are some of the people focusing on eliminating that creature from the map. If you would like to, you can help us. If you don¡¯t, we will take you to another town for you to settle as you were. We will not judge you for either choice, and I would say you should settle down from those injuries. But it¡¯s your choice.¡± Silence filled the void as I had to make a decision.


    I thought for a while. My brother, if I help with this mission, maybe I could find him again if he¡¯s still alive. ¡°I will come with you guys. I want to be part of the cause.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    We followed Valenor to a boat for our escape from the island. We got onto the boat. Orin was setting the sails as Matilda helped me lie down. From here, I saw a clear night sky, free of ash and smoke. I looked back one more time, the village still engulfed in flames. The town looked like a scar on the island, a wound that continued to spread, burning anything that was within an invisible bubble. The bubble stretched for miles, with the fires being inside.


    Within that bubble and even a little outward, the fires bled through the night, killing anything in its radius. As I lay there, one thing stayed with me during this whole event. I hope my brother is okay.