ã€ŠEmbers of the Survivorã€‹


 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, and realization quickly behind.

    Dread, one for the day of work ahead. He wished he could just get a little more sleep, knowing well the duty was inevitable. The noises of traffic and people signaled him to get up, his workflow following its motion. 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.

    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.

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    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.¡±

    And there he goes, Nil walking into the distance. An old man Aubin recognized as his uncle Jalen yelled out to him. The two stepped from the gravel road and back onto the pavement. They arrived at the construction site, with distant echoes of hammers and machinery. They continued inside.

    Aubin grabbed a trowel and a hammer, with Jalen supplying the clay. Both worked as hard as they could, sweat showing off exhaustion. It was now their time for lunch break, they stepped down from their workplace down underground to the lunchroom.

    Aubin sat down, catching his breath as Jalen ate a sandwich. It had been a long day for him. Glad he took care of his parents, it finally was a time he could rest. Mom and Dad will be okay, they have a babysitter for them tonight until they can bring them to a nursery home. Nothing was going wrong, for once in his life, it was going his way. No delays or accidents, just a regular day. Everything was fine until it wasn¡¯t.

    With a shake from the ground, what once was a near-silent space was bombarded with noise at all angles. Windows shattered and lights short circuit while infrastructure crumbled unto them. They hid beneath the tables, hoping they wouldn¡¯t be crushed. A rock fell onto Jalen¡¯s leg, wailing in pain and unable to move. Dust and glass covered them, but Aubin wasn¡¯t going to let them stay here. He fought through the debris, unearthing Jalen and carrying him out of there.

    From some miracle, the rubble stopped raining to the floor, with the clouds of dust. Aubin looked out to the horizon, and everywhere for miles in the village burned in flames.

 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    Beast Within the Fire

    Nil

    A cold, shivering feeling of dread clung to my body as I heard the alarm clock. It reminded me of what I become, a failure. However, I still got up to start an extra night shift. If only I could have gotten that nap I needed. My name is Nil, and I¡¯m seventeen years old. I lived in an apartment on the seventh floor and had a brother named Aubin who visited me every few days.

    My life had become a work cycle, with sleep being the only escape. Loneliness filled my soul every day, with only my brother Aubin that could relieve such feelings. He was the main reason I could keep going.

    After leaving the sheets on my bed, I started my morning routine. First, I brush my teeth and then get dressed. The toothpaste filled my mouth with a nauseating, sour mint taste. I grabbed the rough fabric work uniform from my closet. It was always there when I needed it. The bitter earthy smell of my cup full of coffee filled my nostrils as I got ready to walk to my workplace. The soft snowflakes stuck to the window, so I returned to grab my coat as well. As I put my coat on, I looked outside one more time. It was yet another night, one that I had a shift on. The lights of small homes lit up the view, cars were driving, and people were walking. It was peaceful.

    But as I felt the floor shaking, something felt off. The lights flickered, and all the furniture shook along with the floor tiles. And before I knew it, a roar blasted through my ears and went through the apartment, followed by a shockwave. Waves of heat enveloped my body like fire, and then the shockwave threw me through the walls like a rag-doll. After a while, my vision began to recover. I scrambled to get back up, only to breathe barely.

    My mind cleared more and more over time. I started looking at my surroundings. I pushed myself up from the floor, ignoring the loud piercing blare of the fire alarm. All other noises drowned in the roar of fire. The moonlight was cloudy, with smoke making the room dim with a dark orange glow from where the window once was. Dust and debris replaced furniture and walls.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I half mumbled to myself. Suddenly, pieces of the building fall onto the floor, covering me.

    Before getting crushed, I managed to find a spot to have cover. My eyes grew wide with tears as the horrible smell of burning wood suddenly consumed my nostrils. I lay there as I coughed from the smoke. I tried to cover my nose and mouth with my sleeve to be able to breathe, but there was just too much ash. Not being able to stand it anymore, I started finding a way out of the rubble. I pushed the debris out of the way, finally being out from under it.

    It seemed like days since I got back up from the floor, with everywhere in the room filling with dark black smoke.

    ¡°What?¡± confusion started to fill my endless thoughts, ¡°Smoke?¡± I lowered myself down onto the floor so I could breathe better since the smoke rose. Once I was on the floor, I continued my escape. What made things worse was that my vision was starting to become more blurry, with my muscles weakening quickly after. I was starting to pass out.

    I pinched my arm violently to keep myself awake. I couldn¡¯t let myself pass out. My arms and legs felt like rubber now, with them limping as I tried my best to escape from this fiery prison. The rubble was everywhere, now making it even harder to move. As I continued through the ruins of my room, I noticed various objects were still on fire. The dry paint of the walls oozed down to the floor. A desk I once used for work, now broken apart like toothpicks. And my closet leaked fire as if it were lava. When I looked around, the door was leaking more and more smoke into the room. It was as if I was in hell¡¯s kitchen, and that I was fresh meat on the devil''s chopping block.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I wondered. I struggled to make out my surroundings as my eyes adjusted to the dim, flickering light. The black smoke thickened as I continued to crawl on the floor like a slug, barely even being able to move. The more I stayed in this room, the more a distaste of smoke filled my mouth. I needed to get out of this burning room of hell, with the sooner the better.

    Soon I got past the initial debris of my room. Even out of my room, my body would still sink into the rubble like mud with each step. The rubble felt like hands pulling me deeper. I had to push myself up, and for the rest of the time, I had to limp my way around. After knocking some debris down, I eventually found the exit door. I went to the door and banged. Rocks covered the entrance, making the effort useless, but I kept pushing the door with all I had left in me. After shoving my whole body into the door, it finally opened.

    Bursting through my door, I fell face-first onto the rubble. I weakly push myself back up, bumping into walls before regaining my balance. I went through the hallway and to the kitchen.

    I looked around to find almost everything in the apartment in flames. I stopped myself for a moment. ¡°Wait, there should have been some people to put out the fire by now. Where is everyone?¡± I realized that if people were able to rescue me, they would have been able to do it by now. As I continued through the rubble, I reminded myself that no one was coming to save me.

    The tiles of the floor were cracked and the furniture in this hallway was torn up, making it more difficult to move around. Now with the desire to escape the apartment complex, I started to search my way out, coughing from the smoke.

    After reaching the end of the hallway, I found a half-broken door to the stairs. I tried to open the door, but rubble covered the other side. Even when slamming myself against the door, the door continued to not even budge. Seeing a window next to the door, I punched the glass near the door until my fists were bleeding. The window refused to shatter, no matter how hard I tried.

    I said to myself, ¡°Even if I could break down the window, how am I supposed to get out of the stairs?¡°

    I started to freak out, not having a way out. ¡°No, no, no, No!¡± While I sat on the floor weeping, ¡°I can¡¯t die like this!¡± an important memory of my grandma filled my mind.

    Instantly, I started stumbling back into my apartment. I went through the door and to a closet in the bedroom, not wasting any time. I hurried through each closet, searching through boxes as the flames roared louder. After a while of searching, I looked in an old closet I thought was just for the boiler. The closet was behind the refrigerator, which was now on the floor in debris. Inside the closet I found a box, and inside the box were some shattered glass and old paintings. What stood out to me was an axe.

    The worn-down axe was decorated with pieces such as glass cups, jars, and pots. The axe was originally from my grandma, but she handed it down to me. A short rush of relief envelops me as I see the axe, knowing that I could break down the door. I hurriedly grabbed the axe and started breaking down the door. Even with the axe, my hands were covered in blood and numb, making it very difficult to break down the door. I tore down bits of the door with each strike until there was a big enough hole for me to. go through. I staggered through the doorway and went into the stairway. Now that I thought I was finally out of danger, I sighed, full of relief. But, as I became more aware, I realized that the stairway was starting to collapse.

    I stumbled down onto the stairway in a hurry, trying to find a way back outside. Pieces of walls crumbled with the sound of wood snapping in half and glass shattering. I was only able to get to the second floor before the stairway collapsed. Before I could do anything else, the floor beneath me also started to cave in, with floor tiles and everything falling from other floors. I ran through the hallway, looking for any escape before seeing a broken window. I took a deep breath. Without any more time, I ran as fast as I could, jumping out the window, and falling fifteen feet with a thud.

    I felt a sharp pain in my left arm, and it was the same one I landed on. I looked behind me to see the building collapsing before my eyes. When I tried to get back up, I felt so weak that I just collapsed. After a few minutes of lying on the ground, I struggled back up and continued to look for anyone as the fire danced everywhere in my vision. While all this was going on, I realized something. I wondered if my family was in danger.

    I asked myself, ¡°I haven''t seen my family anywhere. Could they be in danger, too?¡±

    I stumbled past the burning ashes and debris, with the injury of my arm making it hard to keep balance. The soles of my feet now felt numb, and so did my toes. It was hard not to gag as the distaste of smoke continued to make me sway for breath. No matter what happened, I kept walking. I approached the now worn-down town bell, and it was still recognizable. It stood out among the dry and barren land. I continued past the bell and further through the ruined town. Every time I passed a ruined home, I would look around for anyone in need, but no one would be there.

    ¡°Is anyone here?¡± I yelled out loud, getting no answer. After a while I gave up yelling out to people, there was no point.

    After stumbling from one ruined home to the next, I found something I recognized. It was an old stand shop. I looked at the old shop. It was the place I used to go to with my dad. The feeling of loneliness hit me again and again as I remembered my father, and that I was alone in this wasteland. There was only hope in my heart that they were safe. I continued to move through the scorched remnants of what was once recognized as my hometown, a terrible scent clinging to my clothes and seeping into my every breath, being my only company.

    My heart sank with everything I saw. Houses, playgrounds, the school, everything now being piles of rubble in a wasteland. I stepped on a certain piece of ground that felt different. There was a hole in the ground. Seeing it then, I remembered that this was the field I used to play in. I remember when I would play with my brother and sister in this field. We used to play tag as we were done with school for the day and had to wait for Mom and Dad to finish work. I saw only sorrow from those memories, remembering that they had been burned away into the hellish soil.

    Out of the noise of fire, I heard a familiar voice. The voice was soothing but scared me. The voice said, ¡°Brother, are you alright?¡± I stopped, my heart started beating faster than before. I remembered that voice, and just hearing it made my body tremble.

    Tears filled my eyes as I looked back to see two men in the distance. I recognized them instantly. They were family. The first man was my brother. He was a year older than me. His face was hollow, with eye bags and bloodshot eyes. My brother had bandages over his leg and had a shotgun strapped around his back. He also had a leather coat on with jeans that had several rips in them. The other man I also recognized was our uncle. He had an eye patch and way more bandages than my brother. He looked much worse off than us, with only a shirt and torn pants.

    My uncle winced in pain with each step he took, with his gasps following after.

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    ¡°Aubin!?¡± I ran towards them, nearly following over, ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± It didn¡¯t matter to me anymore. Relief filled me as I reunited with them.

    Our uncle said, ¡°What matters is that we''re alive, so we need to find supplies.¡± My brother pointed in a direction. ¡°We should go this way.¡±

    ¡°Sure, we haven¡¯t checked that way.¡± Our Uncle stumbled as he walked and reached out a hand to me. ¡°My leg still hurts from a part of a building falling on me. Please help me walk.¡± I helped my uncle walk as my brother took the lead, looking for supplies and shelter.

    We walked past destroyed buildings and rubble of homes. We were all silent. After some walking, we found the path to the town hall. We took the path and continued to it. The closer we got to the town hall, the more rubble began to pile up, with the town hall being the center of all these ruins. A large sign on the town hall was burnt and pieces of it were falling apart. The frames of the building were torn apart, with the roof in the area being open. The door was barely holding on, with only one hinge left. When I tried to open the door, it fell onto the floor, ripping off its hinge and breaking into pieces.

    After the door fell, we went inside and all agreed to set camp there without a single word needed. Inside it was less destroyed, enough to make a camp. The walls were still intact, with a layer of soot covering them. We had a roof over our heads, that¡¯s enough for me. Now that we were inside the town hall, I sat down and thought about what to do in this situation. We couldn¡¯t last that long in here. Whatever we did, we would have to do it quickly. I thought of maybe looking for other survivors, or maybe finding a place with water. That was the most important thing right now. I started to grow more tired with each second, and my mouth was dry too. I couldn¡¯t think straight. I needed water right now.

    My thirst made it hard to hear Aubin asking Uncle Jalen, ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    I saw Uncle Jalen looking down at me as I winced in pain. Our uncle¡¯s voice was cold and serious. ¡°We will go find supplies. That¡¯s our priority. We really can¡¯t be here for long, so let¡¯s take what we can.¡±

    We walked through a hallway in the town hall that goes to the cafeteria. We thought that the cafeteria was the most likely place for supplies. I was still dizzy from my thirst, and Aubin had to help me stay on track. After exploring for a while, we eventually found our way to the cafeteria. We ended up finding a bottle of water. I quickly drank it, giving half of it to Aubin and Jalen.

    Now that my thirst was gone, I was able to think again. ¡°So where were you two when¡­ you know.¡±

    My Uncle¡¯s expression grows more grim than it already was. He rubbed his forehead, with his voice being a low tone. ¡°We were in the basement when everything was like this, and when your brother and I went back upstairs, we found all of our coworkers were gone.¡±

    Uncle Jalen¡¯s voice trembled the more he spoke. He paused and looked up to the ceiling as if he was reliving the moment. ¡°What¡¯s terrifying is we went in there for only like ten minutes looking for the materials they needed. There was a large rumbling that seemed to shake the entire building.¡±

    I continued to ask him, my voice filled with anxiety, ¡°Then what happened?¡±

    ¡°I burst through the door, only to be met with rubble in every direction. Everywhere was smoke, with us barely being able to see a few feet past us. Aubin grabbed my hand, and he led me through the destruction. I had to climb over boulders and broken walls. Every step I took could have been our last, with barbed wire and glass everywhere. A piece of the ceiling broke off and came straight for us. I managed to get Aubin out of the way, but it managed to fall on me.¡± My Uncle¡¯s face started to sweat to a noticeable degree, and it seemed like he was holding back tears.

    ¡°We need to find out what happened before-¡± We stopped moving in concern that our uncle wailed in pain. I held my uncle up before he could fall over.

    My Uncle said, ¡°You two go. I¡¯ll go back to camp and rest, so I won¡¯t slow you two down.¡± My Uncle grabbed a large stick on the floor and started walking about to the camp we made. I wasn¡¯t going to let him go, though he was wincing in pain. What would he be able to do without us?

    I went to stop him but my brother nodded at me and I let him go, ¡°He will be fine, and we are in a hurry.¡± I watched as my uncle stumbled into a wall before continuing until I couldn¡¯t see him.

    We continued to walk through the hallway, looking at lots of the paintings and decorations on the walls that were burnt and destroyed. We got to another part of the town hall we hadn¡¯t been to and started searching. I stepped into the first room, and it was an office. In the middle office was a heavy wooden desk, torn and burned to its very core. One of the desk¡¯s legs was gone, and it was barely standing up. The chair next to it was flipped upside down, with the seat being torn off. I walked up to the desk, dusting off the ash it collected. When looking over, there was also a little bookcase hidden behind. Some of its shelves were torn off, and it looked like a craftsman''s worst nightmare. I approached the shelf, briefly looking over before going back to the desk. Every time I moved drawers on the desk, a loud piercing screech followed. After searching the desk, I went to the bookcase again. I took anything that looked important, there were only empty bottles and books.

    I continued to the next room. The room I walked into looked like a living room, with what remained of a couch. I took the ripped cushions off, looking in the cracks. A broken table lay in the middle of the room, so I checked if anyone had anything under there, sadly there was nothing. What was weird was that everywhere I looked, drawers were scattered on the floor. I picked some of the drawers, some were torn and ripped in half, but all had nothing in them. I went through all the destroyed furniture and anything I could find. I picked up the couch and moved it over to see if anything was under the couch. Then I looked through the drawers and under the table. I was still empty-handed, and I started to feel bummed down. After a few searches, I ended up coming across a new room.

    It was a bedroom, with a picture frame in some rubble. When I took it out of the dust and debris, I saw that it was my grandma. Warmth filled me, and then I worried. My grandma lived here, but where could she be? I hoped that she was okay, and maybe she was able to evacuate. Maybe if we were able to find supplies, we could have enough time to find her. She still had to be here somewhere. I placed the picture in my pocket and continued through the other rooms. After the picture, no matter how much I searched, I kept finding nothing, and it was frustrating. My brother said he didn¡¯t have much luck either. Offices, bedrooms, every room ruined in shambles. The remains of families only made me worry about my own. At this rate, we will be searching for hours for nothing. We eventually got to the end of the collection of rooms. At the end, there was a hallway leading in two different directions so that we could look for more rooms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go this way.¡± My brother pointed to one of the hallways, and it looked to have a large closet end. I nodded and went down another way to the hallway.

    The other room was the office of the mayor. I remember this being the mayor¡¯s office from that one time recently. The mayor asked me about the bills that I have been struggling with and offered to help out. He was a pretty nice guy. I looked around the room for anything, but at the end of my eye, I saw something. I glanced over, only to be met with shock and fear. My heart raced, and I stumbled backward. The palms of my hands drew sweat and my bones shivered down to the core of my soul. A skeleton on the floor in the office appeared in my vision. When I looked closer, it had a suit on. It was the suit the mayor put on.

    I continued to panic, yelling at the skeleton. ¡°What happened to him!?¡± My breath was still heavy from the terrifying sight. I was still terrified of what happened to him. I looked around, trying to find some reason it was there. There were claw marks wedged into the walls, there were also burnt remains of books everywhere. So much was going on, but I had to lead. None of this made any sense.

    Whatever happened to this man, it was instant and had no way of escaping. Though what could have been, what caused all of this? There had to be something I didn¡¯t know about here, but it didn¡¯t matter now. As I started to regain my sense of surroundings, I stepped back up. Fear enveloped my body, and still, I tried to ignore the skeleton. Deciding that it was best to take my mind away from the skeleton, I got back to trying to find supplies. I looked to my left and saw an old bottle of water. A broken glass top made the liquid leak out and contained in a green stained glass. I grabbed the old bottle, nearly dropped it, and ran out of the office as fast as I could. I kept bumping into walls while I fled. Since I was running so fast, I didn''t realize all the tiny rocks in front of me, and I fell face-first onto the rough floor littered with rocks. The impact sucked the air out of my lungs, forcing me to stop in my tracks. My axe had fallen on the floor. As I went to grab my axe, a sharp burning pain hit my hand, and I quickly lunged back in pain. On the back, the axe had a weird symbol on it that I hadn¡¯t seen before. The symbol was a glowing blue and very hot to the touch.

    I wondered to myself if it could be a trademark symbol or something. I also wonder if this was the thing that burnt my hand. ¡°Why is it hot?¡±

    I oversaw the symbol for right now as my brother behind me said, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±

    ¡°No, but look, there¡¯s this-¡± My brother stops me and points to the closet he had shown me, ¡°I found supplies in there. Let¡¯s go back and tell Uncle Jalen quickly.¡± I nodded, and we went back through the hallway to find our uncle. While we walked back to camp, Aubin showed me what he found. A watch, some water bottles, and a few bags of carrots and potatoes. We could manage with this. Maybe things were finally turning for us.

    When we got back to the camp we set up, our uncle was waiting patiently standing against the wall.

    ¡°You guys are back already?¡± ¡°Yes, we found a room filled with supplies we could use.¡± My brother sounded proud and led the way. What was odd to me at the time was that there were claw marks on the walls, and they were the same ones from the mayor''s office. I was almost sure I hadn¡¯t seen them before, but I shrugged it off, as it wasn¡¯t important right now.

    We continued through the hallway and I continued to think about what caused this fire. Was it by accident? How could this have happened by accident? Our town had no enemies with other towns or countries, so it couldn¡¯t have been that. It couldn¡¯t have been a bomb, the fire would¡¯ve been out by now. It couldn¡¯t have been by nature either, lightning fire and things like this never get this out of hand. People would have handled the fire if it had been by accident by now, let alone there wouldn''t have been any deaths. It¡¯s like I¡¯m at a complete dead end with the mystery and I only know what it can¡¯t be. What''s even more weird is there¡¯s no ash buildup, so it is still brand new. And based on what my uncle and brother said, they didn¡¯t even realize what happened.

    All of this confusion was getting to my head at this point. What could have made this fire so quickly? At this point, I was hungry, thirsty, and tired. How the fire got this big was less of a priority to me, for right now I¡¯ve gotta figure out this food problem first.

    I continued to be frustrated until our uncle said, ¡°You seemed puzzled, anything wrong?¡± His cheerful voice, different from his grim one, comforted me but also startled me.

    ¡°Uh, nothing.¡± However, I said that I still wondered about how this all happened. I decided to ask my uncle to clear my mind. ¡°I do have one question.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°How could this place be destroyed so quickly?¡± My uncle looked puzzled. ¡°Maybe it could have been a weapon.¡± My uncle explains further, ¡°Perhaps it was like a weapon made from fire.¡±

    I haven¡¯t thought of such an idea, though how could anything use fire to attack? What concerned me, even more, was how cheerful and intelligent my uncle sounded. It may sound rude but, my uncle never really had a vocabulary. I mean, it could be just a coincidence, but I was getting more suspicious.

    My uncle was always grumpy and sad, so this change in emotion is very weird. The only time I¡¯ve seen him happy was a few years ago. He was with his wife, though she passed away a year ago. I get why he couldn¡¯t see the world brightly like he used to. That¡¯s why him being happy was almost scary to me. It might be him just going crazy because our home is gone, but I don¡¯t know.

    My uncle said proudly, ¡°Maybe it could have been a monster, one of great power.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°Yes, it could have been a monster that used a magnificent weapon of fire to destroy the town.¡±

    Suddenly, my brother stopped me, and he clutched my arm. Something was wrong, I started to realize too. My uncle had never acted like this. He was always grumpy. This is unnatural, whatever is happening to my uncle. We stopped right in front of the closet with all the supplies. I didn¡¯t go inside, and I knew there was something wrong with our uncle. Something about him. We knew we couldn¡¯t trust him. My uncle continued to walk gracefully and proceeded to pick up some supplies. It was unnerving to see my uncle acting like this. It¡¯s almost as if he didn¡¯t care about what was happening around him, as if he didn¡¯t realize the disaster we were in. My brother was grabbing something from his bag. It was the shotgun. Uncle Jalen started heading back to us, without a care in the world. From hearing the loading of the gun to seeing the uncanny smile on my uncle''s face, the cold feeling of knowing what was to come was the only thing I could think of. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got this stuff, we should go back home and-¡± Then I heard it, the piercing crack of the shotgun, and then a thud. Uncle Jalen had fallen to the floor. I couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to see my uncle, as he was already gone.

    In a shaken voice, I heard my brother say, ¡°We need to go.¡±

    Suddenly I jumped back as I saw a large hand appear. It crawled out from the hallway and into the room. The hand was fleshy and skinny, with bone exposed. My mind went blank, leaving only the question of what the thing was. I stood there, more still than a statue. I watched as it grabbed our uncle and crawled away, back deeper into the building. We never saw him again.

    My brother grabbed me. ¡°LET¡¯S GET OUT OF HERE!¡± We started running through the hallway, bumping into walls along the way. Once we were back at camp, the hand appeared again but did not attack us. Whatever it was doing, we weren¡¯t its biggest interest. I watched as it grabbed the food we found. It was going to run off with our food.

    My brother shot the hand with the shotgun, then the hand fled. It slivered back the way it came from, not leaving a trace of its existence. My brother slowed down to look at the rounds. ¡°I only have two rounds left, so we need to use them wisely.¡± I agreed we needed to get out of this building now. We grabbed some of the food and ran, trying to be as hasty as possible.

    We left the building, going back to the building in hopes of finding an escape. I focused on a few rocks in the blurry distance, and they had the same symbol as my axe, but a little brighter and there seemed to be no fire where the rocks were. We didn¡¯t have any other direction, so it was promising. Maybe the symbol is leading me somewhere.

    I started to get excited that the symbol could be leading me to an exit. At this point, I was just looking for anything to escape this fire. ¡°Brother, let''s go in that direction!¡± I kept running. ¡°It looks promising!¡± We continued running towards the 3 rocks, hoping to find a way out of the fire.

    As we ran to the rocks, I saw more and more debris. Beds, windows, doors, and pictures were all in the mess of the ruins of this village. When we got to the 3 rocks, I was still in the fire, to my confusion.

    ¡°What?¡± I started to worry and panic, as I thought we would be out of the fire by now. How long does this fire go for? ¡°I thought-¡±

    Aubin cut me off, as he wasn¡¯t going to slow down. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± I nodded and kept going.

    Even with my brother¡¯s words, I started to get more worried as I thought there was no fire from here. My pace increased with each step from where I started, and I still was desperately trying to find a way out.

    Now, in a frenzy, I ran faster and faster. Suddenly, a spot on the ground caught onto my leg, forcing me to trip and crash into glass and debris. Ash covered my face and body, making it difficult to see. I struggled back up, not ready to give up yet. Now annoyed, I got ready to go faster, but then saw people in the distance.

    I couldn¡¯t make out fully who it was from here, but in the distance, they looked like people. As I drew closer in case they needed help, hope filled my heart once more. Maybe these people were going to rescue us, or they were survivors who knew what. was going on. When my vision returned, I realized what it was. My veins turned to ice, my body froze quickly after. It was as if my body could not take in what I saw. They were my parents.

 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.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    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.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°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.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    The Hidden Island

    Nil

    I wake up with a headache, feeling dizzy. I looked around me, and the place I woke up in was unremarkable. The room smelled like grass, and the walls had a smooth but ancient stone appearance. Everywhere in the room, the humidity of salt water made itself present. In a room filled with cracks, spray paint was the only thing covering the walls. It was also dark, with only the sunlight from the tiny window giving me visibility. The room only had a bed and a table. I looked around, not knowing where I was. I tried to find an exit but wasn¡¯t very successful. After giving up a few minutes and laying on my bed, I heard the calm noise of ocean waves. It reminded me back to my home, with the peaceful grass flowing as I used to play in the field.

    The memories flooded into my mind, my family, my home, and my brother. My legs weighed more than metal as I fell to my knees, and tears fell down my face, surrounding me as the fire that clung to me once did. The image of my parents and my sister kept replaying in my mind. My heart raced faster than an engine, and my eyes darted around, hopeful for something to say that it was all a dream. Emptiness and guilt tightened my lungs, freezing me in place as I struggled to breathe. I looked around to find somewhere to run away from whatever this was. But everywhere I looked, there was no escape. Giving up, I began to calm down. But I soon realized there was a window.

    I looked through the window only to see a cliff and the ocean as if I were thousands of feet up. My heart races and I jump back in front of the window, terrified from the height I was at.

    I ask out loud, ¡°What is this place? Who brought me here?¡± A shadow comes from the darkness and is the same man that I saw before I passed out.

    He had a beard, with shining wise eyes. The man had shining boots and chest armor that seemed lightweight. His armor plates were a dark gray with blue lining. He also had a cape at his shoulders, along with a strap on his waist. He had a shining white band on his head, along with his thick leather gloves.

    ¡°An island, we call it Irepha.¡± His voice was gentle but assertive.

    I looked at him in confusion and wonder. Who could he be? He walked closer, and I backed away. ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer. I don¡¯t know who you are and don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°I lost everything, my home, my family, everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but sitting here won¡¯t solve your problem. You may have lost everything, but I¡¯m offering you a chance to rebuild.¡±

    Who was this guy? Why does he think he can tell me what to do? I shoved him as I looked for an exit.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get how it feels. I lost everything. I don¡¯t care for what you have to say.¡±

    Silence filled the room. ¡°If you wish to leave, it¡¯s to the left.¡±

    I walked out of the room and to the outside. It was a field, with grass and the cliffside from the window.

    The man had followed me. ¡°If your choice is to not join my journey, then so be it. But I will offer you one more time. I seek to rebuild. I will slay the beast that destroyed your home. Afterward, you won¡¯t have to see my face ever again.¡±

    The deal seemed like the only option left. I had nothing left to fight for, and arguing wouldn¡¯t solve it. Maybe this could be a chance to find my brother or to get revenge on the creature that ruined everything. After some thought, I looked at him again. ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m only coming to kill that monster.¡± I followed him back to the room.

    He looked at my hand, so I looked down to see my hand being a metal arm. I looked at my hand and screamed, an object mimicking my hand and being made of metal.

    My mind raced with questions. ¡°WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAND!?¡± ¡°Uh, we had to put a prosthetic on it. Your hand was far from being repaired, so to save your life we have to put on a prosthetic.¡±

    ¡°It includes some defense, though. You will protect yourself for once.¡± The man assured me.

    I didn¡¯t even realize it was there until now. Trying to pull it off, I failed to do so. I decided not to bother and to sit down because of all the struggle of doing nothing. When I calmed down, the design of the arm looked more vivid than before. It was a light gray with smooth lining, also being easy to use. I recall what he said earlier and wonder, What could this have that can help me? The metal hand was also lightweight and shiny. It was the same color as his armor, and it seemed to have a gap to fit something.

    ¡°Well, sorry for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Si-yeir, and you are?¡±

    ¡°Nil, my name is Nil Horus.¡± I clenched my fist, both angry and scared.

    ¡°Well Nil, I wanna show you something.¡± Si-yeir walked to a table in the room, and the table only had a scrolled-up map. Old and ripped at the edges, the map shown

    I looked at him in confusion again. ¡°What is it?¡±

    I wondered if could the map relate to that beast on the island. What happened to the creature, anyway? Did he kill it or is it still alive?

    ¡°The same creature that attacked you is this one. It¡¯s the same one that destroyed an island a few hundred miles away.¡±

    Si-yeir started unfolding a map, showing me a huge array of islands that I had never even seen before, ¡°I don¡¯t know how it got there, but if it keeps ravaging these islands, the islands will be gone in a few days.¡±

    I looked at him, still needing answers for several things. ¡°Why is it doing this, and how is it doing this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but it burns the islands and kills the people on the island until there is nothing left,¡±

    I remembered my brother and uncle, and what happened to them. I now knew that it wasn¡¯t just my town this was happening to, and it got me infuriated. ¡°Well, then we have to do something about it!¡± I demanded in anger.

    ¡°Not yet. We must have more firepower, and I know a guy just for that.¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on another island. He is pretty far from here, but I know a way to get there pretty fast.¡±

    I looked at the map and looked at the islands. On the map, there was one with a pin and it seemed to be bigger than other islands by several times.

    ¡°How could we get there?¡±

    Si-yeir ignored my question. ¡°C''mon, there''s something I need to show you.¡±

    Si-yeir opened a gateway that otherwise wouldn¡¯t be there and revealed a huge hallway that looked very different from the room I woke up from. I follow Si-yeir in a grand hallway, with various paintings of several people I didn¡¯t know about. The carpet floor was soft, and the walls were shining. While seeing several hallways branching off from our hallway.

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    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°The armory and the medical home. I will tell you why once we get there.¡±

    We continued walking until we met a gigantic door. Si-yeir put a code on the keypad next to the door and it opened. After the enormous door opened, we arrived at the medical home.

    Several people were in beds being treated, and the stench in this room was bad. I started to cough and gag. ¡°Why are we here?¡±

    He answers unfazed by the stench, ¡°These are the survivors of the attack, and they are currently being treated and hopefully saved.¡± ¡°We never found your brother. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Si-yeir said in a more soft and concerned tone, ¡°But we may still find him, and many people are still missing.¡±

    I looked at Si-yeir and my heart was racing. ¡°Do we know where he is?¡±

    Si-yeir looked at me as if it took effort to get out what he was going to say. ¡°No.¡±

    My heart races as I look at my brother in grief and I say rashly back at him, ¡°Why us? We never even did anything to that beast?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s doing this.¡± Si-yeir answered sadly and then looked me in the eye, ¡°But we can stop the creature before it attacks anyone else.¡± Si-yeir patted me on the shoulder, he smiled and looked at me.

    Si-yeir looks at me confidently. ¡°Now let''s go to the armory.¡±

    We walk back into the grand hallway, now going to the left hallway. We come to another door, and again, Si-yeir puts in a code. Si-yeir opens the door to the armory, showing various weapons. The weapons vary from swords and axes to guns and cannons, some of which range from being made of steel to some of wood. I walked around the room in interest and amazement. Then I went farther into the armory until I saw some weapons in particular. Weapons made of blue crystal glowed in the room, and there was an axe and over a hundred Katanas. The weapons also had the same symbol that Si-yeir has, which furthers my interest.

    I asked out loud in curiosity, ¡°Hey what are these-¡°

    ¡°This is the armory, where we could make all the installations for your arm. This may also be a good time to tell you what I am.¡±

    ¡°I am what they call the Alyzir. We have special abilities that we can use, and they can be given at birth.¡± Si-yeir explained further, ¡°We are born into a clan, and we can inherit techniques of our own and some abilities used by all clans.¡±

    Si-yeir waves his hand and blue fire lights his hand. ¡°My ability is that of the blue fire. Not only can I use it for anything, but I can also make my weapons float in the air.¡± Si-yeir waves his hand again and the Katanas I saw earlier floated in the air.

    ¡°When we die, our techniques end up returning to a state. Which ends up being what you call an Alylite.¡± Si-yeir hands me a blue crystal sphere. ¡°They can take any shape and tend to be used for the Alyzir¡¯s power or to revive them entirely.¡± He said. ¡°Though reviving them is just a myth, destroying them is an option.¡± Si-yeir returns the sphere and says, ¡°That Alylite is my father¡¯s. He died protecting me when I was just a child. When I die, I will most likely return to that because my father did.¡±

    Si-yeir looked down in sorrow. ¡°There used to be millions of the Alyzir. It didn¡¯t matter if they were human or not because any race had gotten a technique.¡± Si-yeir looked down in sorrow. ¡°But most died from war, from a Titian. A certain Titian.¡±

    I looked at him in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s a Titian?¡±

    ¡°Titians are our descendants. We were in a time of grief, disease, and conflict.¡± Si-yeir started to tear up. ¡°The worst one, he killed most of the Titians.¡± As I¡¯m concerned about him, I asked. ¡°What was the titian¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°His name was Peraclipsis.¡±

    Si-yeir shivered and stuttered, not in fear, but sadness. ¡°The moon glowed a dark, bloody red that night.¡±

    I could tell that Si-yeir''s voice was becoming even more shaky. ¡°Peraclipsis killed every person in sight, no matter who they were, but with the sun rising, we trapped him with lights and the sun. We locked him away, never to be seen again, but he said one last thing.¡±

    Si-yeir now looked me dead in the eyes. Fear gnawed inside me as he repeated the Titian¡¯s words, ¡°When the land meets the third blue moon, may the day of the eclipse come. I will be free, and rain carnage on the ones who chained me to the ground.¡±

    I watched as Si-yeir took a moment of grief. He put the Alylite back into his pocket, regaining his composure. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I grabbed a pistol from the wall and followed him to another room within the armory.

    I followed Si-yeir into a room. Everywhere you can see pieces of armor hung on stands or the wall. ¡°Well, find some armor you like while I find the parts for your arm. Heavy armor will probably be not effective for you, for we will have to go large distances on foot.¡± Si-yeir left while I wondered what kind of clothing I would wear.

    I always wanted to be a cowboy. Thoughts of my childhood returned as I decided what I would wear. I remembered the time my dad held me as he would ride his horse into town. We could afford a horse that we saved up a few years for. While I looked through the armor and ended up finding an old cowboy hat and a leather jacket, I also found a pair of old shades. I grabbed the pistol from my pocket and put it on my side strap.

    Si-yeir came back and held some parts. ¡°Come, there''s something I need to show you.¡±

    I followed Si-yeir back into the main room of the armory. Si-yeir took my arm and put some parts that seemed random to me inside the metal arm.

    ¡°Now. Open your hand and point at the stand over there.¡± As I looked toward the stand, he pointed to the stand and I began to unclench my hand. Within less than a second, a huge beam of light came from my hand and flew towards the stand.

    The stand exploded into a pile of flames and ash before I could even react. I stumbled back in shock and looked at the metal hand. ¡°What just happened?¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Pretty cool, right? That hand can shoot a variety of weapons. From fire to lasers.¡±

    This hand can do that? I can shoot lasers? I looked at my hand and remembered the person he was talking about. Maybe I could use this hand to free people, or to shoot monsters. ¡°Alright, so how do we get to that island?¡±

    Si-yeir walked downstairs and led me out of the armory. ¡°By ship, we¡¯ll need to go to the exit.¡±

    We walked back to the main hallway and went to another hallway, less grand and smaller. We walked down the hallway until we met a door.

    Si-yeir opened the door, and it revealed stairs down to a dock. ¡°Because I can only carry myself or one person when flying. We will have to go by ship.¡±

    I looked at him in confusion, ¡°Wait, so how did you get me here, then?¡±

    ¡°By ship.¡± He answered and walked the steps, ¡°C¡¯mon, I''ll show you.¡±

    I followed him down the steps and to a ship. The ship was enormous and made of wood. It looked like one of those huge pirate ships. The wood was clean, and the sails were blue. Light brown painted wood made the exterior, and the figurehead at the front of the ship was a dragon.

    The sails were fresh, and all had the same symbol Si-yeir had. I ask, ¡°So how far is this island?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, a few thousand miles probably.'''' I look at him in confusion and then walk to the boat. Why wouldn¡¯t he know where that person is that we need? The boat didn¡¯t seem to go far, with its wooden stern and sails. I had no idea how we would ever get there.

    ¡°I know what you''re thinking.¡± He said out loud, almost like reading my mind, ¡°I have a cool little trick we could use.¡±

    Fire flowed from his hand and into the boat as he made his hand into a relaxed gesture. The boat glowed and the swords and Axe I saw earlier flew out the door we walked through and into the boat.

    He looked at me and said confidently, ¡°Now the boat should be faster.¡± I say cheerfully as I see the sails high in the sky, ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡±

    As I walked into the inside of the ship, and a room full of decorations. The room was full of paintings of Si-yeir and other people. There were glass decorations of dragons and other creatures I didn¡¯t recognize. The carpet on the floor was bright and soft, and the pillars of the ship were grand and strong.

    I complimented with, ¡°This place looks nice.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. The ship is called the Megaleio. My father gave it to me when I was a child.¡± I followed him through the ship.

    As we walked down a hallway, I saw several rooms with names. There were the living quarters, food storage, entertainment, and bathing rooms. We approached the end of the hallway with a room not called anything. Si-yeir opened the door, and we went inside. The room had a table with a stand with a glass case. I looked at the case, and one of them had a sword.

    The sword was clean. It was a regular gray color for the blade and the handle was gray, too. ¡°This will be your weapon. I don¡¯t have much of a purpose for it.¡±

    Si-yeir opened the case. ¡°Every weapon made by the Alzyir will be gray until they get an owner, then they will change to the owner¡¯s soul?.¡±

    He rested the sword in my hands, and suddenly it glowed light blue, and as I waved the sword, the surrounding water moved at will. ¡°Now you can change the power of the sword by changing the soul,¡± Si-yeir explained, ¡°or you can take the souls of others and use their powers, but you have to slay them with the sword.¡± He goes up the steps going back upstairs, ¡°Besides, let''s get offshore.¡± I follow Si-yeir up the steps.

    We carried tons of supplies, a lot of the bags were heavy, and some felt like enormous boulders. The same swords from the boat float backward, but instead of going back to the armory to be organized, they seem to be absorbed into Si-yeir himself. I continued carrying crates, bags, and anything else Si-yeir could find.

    ***

    After what felt like an entire hour of carrying whatever we needed to carry onto the boat, we set sail and started our journey. Now I climbed onto the boat exhausted, clinging to my knees as I gasped for breath. I looked up, to my surprise. Si-yeir was using his fire, making the winds stronger.

    I asked, still exhausted, ¡°You can do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m trying to keep a reserve of my energy for any battles.¡±

    I walked down into the ship and went down the hallway. As I opened the door to where the quarters would be, I looked around for a room and went inside. Then I laid down on a bed, and even with the aggressive waves rowing the boat, I went to sleep.

    ***

    I woke up and looked through the window, and it was barely morning and the dew of morning still appeared to be out. The sun shined through the window as the waves splashed against the boat. Now getting out of bed, I walked outside my room to see Si-yeir sitting in a chair.

    I greeted Si-yeir. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning,¡± He looked out to the sea. ¡°have you ever heard of the story of Peraclipsis?¡±

    ¡°No, I have not. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± he replied, ¡°It''s just something about him. I¡¯ve been wondering about it.¡±

    As I looked at him in confusion, I wondered. What does he mean by that?

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got work to do,¡±

    I told him. ¡°Remember, I¡¯m not here to do your dirty work. I¡¯m here to kill that beast.¡±

    ¡°Did you forget about your brother? He should be your focus.¡±

    I remembered the face Aubin had when I left him in that village, and anger filled me. ¡°There¡¯s no point in looking because he¡¯s already dead.¡± Si-yeir sighed, then got up from his chair and went upstairs. I followed him upstairs and to the hull.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    Burden of the Protector

    Nil

    The day after we got ready, I trained as hard as possible. Si-yeir told me I couldn¡¯t learn an Alzyir technique because I had none. I used the upper deck to try to practice, and the space was a little small. Regardless, he said if I trained I could get at least something. It was strange though, usually, people get techniques from what Si-yeir said. I walked to Si-yeir, wanting to learn more about techniques.

    ¡°You may not learn a specific technique, but you can learn the basics. And it already seems like some strength from genetics engraved into your body.¡±

    ¡°Basics? Teach me the basics. I want to learn.¡± I needed to know everything I could. If anything were to attack, I would need to be ready.

    Si-yier took a deep sigh, then formed a white matter from his hands. A spark ignited the matter, forming a flame.  ¡°Alzyir has a basic technique that anyone can learn. I am talking about its basics. While techniques are useful, you need to know fundamentally how you use Alzyir. It will help you learn, and may this be your first step. Focus on forming the energy from your mind.¡±

    I did what he said to do. I tried as hard as I could, but no matter what, the energy would not appear. Regardless, I kept trying, trying and sweating. I grit at my teeth, emotions boiling within me. Was I even able to make the energy? I can¡¯t do it, anyway. It was all hopeless, because how could I ever focus enough?

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up now. These techniques take time to master, take your time.¡± Even with what he said, frustration was still all I had. This man didn¡¯t get it. I mean, how could he? He¡¯s probably been doing things all his life. There was no way I could do this, and this entire mission was stupid. I should have just quit right here.

    Hours go by, and I try to channel my energy with all my might. Nothing happens. I kept trying constantly, with no improvement. No matter what I tried, the same outcome would arise.

    Eventually, I gave up for the day. I went back to doing work on repairs with the ship. I knew for sure that the old man was wrong. Maybe he isn¡¯t even well in his head. I mean, look at him. He forced me on this mission to kill the same beast that took away everything from me. The fact he even thought I had a chance was just foolish. I even started questioning Si-yeir¡¯s motives, he had to be hiding something.

    Sometime later, I was done with repairs, but still eager to know how to make the energy. When I could, I asked Si-yeir. ¡°Could you explain more about how to make that energy? I¡¯m still struggling to grasp it.¡±

    Si-yeir got up from his chair and demonstrated precise movements with his hands. He made flames flow through his hands. The flames were as calm as before and just as beautiful. He said. ¡°Energy is the very core of your being. It is the first step. You manifest the very nature of your soul by using energy. It will be the raw form of your soul. The energy is your sword.¡±

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    Afterward, he turned the once-orange flames blue. They flowed more vibrantly and calmly. ¡°After, techniques manifest your emotions, dreams, everything. They change the energy under your will. It is how you wield your sword.¡±

    Si-yeir kept trying to hold up the fire, but at some point, the flame went out. Panting and shaking quietly, he tried to shrug it off. But I had already seen his condition, and I didn¡¯t know what to say. Concern was all I could feel, but I refused to say anything. Si-yeir told me about another thing which was burnout. ¡°If you keep using techniques for too long or do too much, you can experience burnout. The only way to recover from burnout is by resting or Vokaran.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s Vokaran?¡±

    Si-yeir manifested his blue fire once more before hitting the wall. The wall¡¯s wood split in two, but nothing from that occurred. ¡°I failed at landing it, but it is something very rare. You have to transform yourself, like enlightenment. It can take any form but normally forms by a hit, and is a transformation of one¡¯s self. Vokaran gives you massive boosts for a short time. Anyway, I will be going back to my room for now.¡±

    ¡°Wait, where are you going? How long will be on this boat? Is there something wrong? You haven¡¯t told me everything yet.¡± Si-yeir was walking back inside, and he looked back at me. We made eye contact for what felt like a minute.

    Looking down, he told me. ¡°A few more days. Don¡¯t worry about it. I just¡­ I just need some time to myself.¡±

    Left alone up on the upper deck, I wondered why he left. This entire time, he had been suspicious. From the way he talked to him staying inside, it was all strange. Why did he pick me, of all people? I couldn¡¯t trust him, I¡¯m sure of it. Regardless, I continued trying to do what he said.

    For another hour, I kept repeating what he said. Nothing helped, and I only grew more angry. But something just appeared in my mind. A thought, remembering his words. Everything suddenly became way more clear, and I understood. It had to do with my mind, not my body.

    This entire time, I was thinking about what I would do with it if I made the energy and not trying to make it. The energy is what I should focus on, then what I will do with it after. Slowly, I started trying to make it with my mind, with nothing happening. I took a deep breath and focused solely on making the energy. And then, something within me sparked. A glowing white energy formed around my hands, and then I used it to hit the wall. The impact was stronger than what I could do normally, and I was beyond excited.

    As I tried to replicate the energy, I couldn¡¯t replicate it again. Eventually, I gave up, angry with myself. At Least though, I could do it. Even if it was for a moment, I will never forget it. The energy was within me.

    The daylight sun dimmed until replaced with moonlight. I was getting tired, with my body exhausted from exercising all day. But as I walked past Si-yeir¡¯s room, the door was open. Since I had the chance to peek inside, I did so. I saw Si-yeir looking at a wall, sweating and panting. His hands shook and even though I couldn¡¯t see his face, I could tell he was pale. It was strange to me, this was the first time seeing him tired like this. Regardless of his condition, I kept going to my room.

    When I got to my room, I found a note on my bed. It was the picture that my grandma had. My memory kicked it, going from my burning village to Aubin. The memory of him crushed under the rock, with a face full of worry. Was he still okay? Tears filled my eyes, followed by shame and worry. I wished I could have saved him, and it was all my fault. Why didn¡¯t Si-yeir save him?

    Eventually, I got myself to just deal with it. Nothing was going to change now, and I had to keep. Though my distrust of Si-yeir only grew, for he only saved me. He left me with more questions than answers.

    Just something about him was off. He wasn¡¯t giving me all the information, or he was hiding something. I had to get to the bottom of what was happening here, and if my brother was still out there. Si-yeir''s motivations had to be known to me, and what he was doing here. But most of all, I needed to know if my brother Aubin was still alive. Hopefully, he was, and that''s all I had, hope. I sat down, beyond tired of today. My thoughts faded to nothing as I fell asleep.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    The Man Woven with Pain

    Nil

    It has been 3 days since we started our journey, with the weather only worsening. The wind was now biting into my skin, freezing me. Showers became storms, with the weather going from rain to hail. Sometimes the ocean froze over, and we would have to wait for it to melt unless Si-yeir used his flames. Si-yeir had said that this was a path he hadn''t taken before, though it was faster based on the distance. It was like a shortcut, a hard one to cross though, but due to time, it was needed. He had expected the weather to be more harsh in this region. He did say there was another reason that some sea creatures appeared more often on the normal route.

    It was the middle of the day, and it was beyond freezing. I looked out to the distance of the ocean, snow, and ice filled the ocean.

    I asked Si-yeir, ¡°Do you think there''s anything out there?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said plainly, but then he reassured me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I doubt anything is around here that wants us here. It¡¯s too cold for anything to reasonably stay in this climate.¡±

    His reply didn¡¯t satisfy me. Something had to be near, like something was in the distance, waiting to strike. Maybe a massive fish or an octopus, just something. The creaking of the boat didn¡¯t help. Maybe it was just me, but I noticed that I¡¯ve been becoming more paranoid. Just since everything that happened, I felt like I hadn¡¯t recovered yet. My chest was always tight, and shaky hands didn¡¯t help me make reasonable movements. My family being dead, my brother being missing, that monster, they lingered in the back of my mind. They haunted me like cancer, and that cancer clawed into my mind, controlling every thought I had. It¡¯s just¡­ I hope my brother is okay.

    Suddenly a tremendous thump rumbled the ship. I yelled out loud, ¡°What was that?!¡±

    Si-yeir looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m dropping the anchor because I have a job for you.¡±

    I wondered what job Si-yeir would want me to do. Maybe it was more repairs? ¡°What job? Didn¡¯t I remind you some time ago that I¡¯m only here for the primary mission?¡±

    ¡°Well, I need you to go down in the sea, you need to find this orb in a temple, it is a sphere of influence that helps one of our enemies. Mainly a Titian named Thalassir.¡± Si-yeir walked into the captain¡¯s deck and I didn''t follow.

    I yelled out, ¡°I¡¯m not going! Why would I risk my life for something that doesn¡¯t matter to us?¡±

    He laughed as if I was stupid. ¡°We aren¡¯t leaving until we get this done. This isn¡¯t just me saying that, it¡¯s our allies, too. It strengthens the seas to creatures, and would make it harder for us to travel without being attacked. People will likely die if we don¡¯t destroy that orb.¡±

    I walked back to my room, frustrated. This guy was just using me, and he has to be. I knew he wasn¡¯t listening to me. I went back upstairs and to the boat, but the blue fire didn¡¯t allow me through. But then, I thought of the people, of my brother. What would my brother do? Aubin would agree, from what he said some people¡¯s lives could be at stake because of this one object. Maybe just this once, I would agree only to help save lives.

    I went back to Si-yeir. ¡°What should I do once I find it?¡±

    ¡°You need to destroy it and find a blood ember, a small red glowing stone. You will find them bunched together.¡±

    Si-yeir leaned back in his chair. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure your sword will manage your breathing. Since that¡¯s what you manifested. After this, we will be going straight for Eirini.¡±

    ¡°Alright, so when do I go into the sea? Also, what is Eirini?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about it later. You should get going now,¡± Si-yeir said.

    I grumbled to him, ¡°Don¡¯t think you don¡¯t owe me a favor. Also you will need to pay me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I already have. There¡¯s a bag of coins in your cabin, as compensation for risking your life. Thank me later.¡± I stood there, shocked. He was paying me? I looked back at him, and he was laughing while coming over to pat my back.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll do it then.¡±

    We go back to the outside of the ship, and I go to the plank. As I get ready for this job Si-yeir wants me to do, he uses his fire to make me float in the air. I held on to my sword tightly as I leveled out at two hundred feet above the ship, also confused as to why I needed to be this high up. It was cold up here, and the wind was blowing like crazy. The wind whipped at my clothes, like freezing needles jabbing at me.

    Si-yeir yelled from below me. ¡°Ready?¡±

    I answered. ¡°Wait, what was I- '''' Not even a second later, Si-yeir drops me into the sea.

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    I free-fall as I yell and scream in protest. Instead of slamming into the water like concrete as I expected, I fly through the water, going to the bottom. As I hit the bottom of the sea, the sand gave me a soft landing. I could breathe, somehow I didn¡¯t need air as long as I held the sword. Also I wasn¡¯t being crushed by the water pressure. Because of my sword, I could see. It glowed brightly in the darkness, but I couldn¡¯t see that far with it. I walked in a random direction, hoping to find the location. The seafloor was nearly pitch black, though I felt like I was going in the right direction. After a while, I found the temple he was talking about. The temple looked like it was old and abandoned, and there were these vines everywhere. It was like a pyramid, with a hole in it for an entrance. Worn-down stone bricks covered in moss built the walls, with pillars holding up the entrance.  Gigantic statues of figures stood over me, old lights broken and walls crumbled. It was pretty creepy, but I walked inside and went through the maze of the temple.

    As I walked through the entrance, the water stopped in its tracks. It was like a bubble, surrounded by the entrance of the temple, and the water couldn¡¯t get in. A barrier separated the water from the air, though I didn¡¯t know what the barrier was exactly. I got out of the water and continued through the temple.

    The entrance room was enormous, with pillars and staircases down. With three hallways I could go down, I chose to go forward. I descended the stairs in search of the orb Si-yeir sent me to destroy. But as I walked through the halls, strange engravings in the wall intrigued me.

    I touched the walls and swept away the moss, showing walls with symbols. The symbols had pictures of massive giants, serpents, and many servants. It was very interesting, as they and the symbols bowed to a serpent in the middle, a serpent taking up most of the wall. Even though the symbols were there, I couldn¡¯t read them even if I knew the language, so I just continued through the temple.

    While walking through the hallways, I got to a room that broke the maze of walls, and the maze was grand. Several times in the maze, I hit dead ends. After a long time of going through the maze, I got to a larger room. There was a dark, glowing blue orb in the middle of the room. I got closer to the orb, and I realized it was also glowing a light blue color. This has to be the thing Si-yeir wanted me to destroy.

    As I got even closer, dizziness clouded my mind. I stumbled as my vision blackened. I looked around, panicked, as everything turned black, but became something else. The surrounding ground replaced the floors with worn-down concrete. There was a cell in the middle of the room, hanging over with chains. Out of nowhere, a man suddenly appeared, that was in chains. It all seemed like an illusion. I could feel that all of this was real, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was where I was, like a dream.

    The man spoke, ¡°I feel someone''s presence, but from far away, who may you be?¡± The man had symbols all over his arms, some with scars or tattoos. Something about him was off though, overwhelming my senses as his existence made my

    ¡°I am Nil. Who are you, and how did you get here?¡±

    ¡°Interesting name, and this must be some type of dream you are in. May I assist you?¡± He opened his eyes, and they glowed a dark gray color. ¡°I am Peraclipsis, but some people call me the moon god.¡±

    My feet became cold, and sweat dripped down my face. Fear and confusion enveloped every fiber of my being. Heart beating, I stuttered over my words. ¡°You¡¯re that monster!¡±

    Peraclipsis looked annoyed and also confused by my reaction. ¡°And where did you hear that from?¡±

    ¡°You killed thousands of people, Monster! At Least that¡¯s what Si-yeir said.¡±

    ¡°And what do you think those people did to me? I protected the children and the families from those beings. People that killed those I loved, destroyed everything I had. That man¡¯s father was my enemy, and don¡¯t you think there was some bias in his preaching?¡±

    He looked at me, ¡°Whoever you may be, do not always trust what people say. You can¡¯t tell what the truth is in all these lies. We might as well be victims of the laws that govern this world.¡±

    And as I came here before, I faded back into darkness before appearing back at the temple, and I grabbed the orb and crushed it. Though I thought about what he said, maybe Si-yeir was going to betray me. Maybe Si-yeir was an enemy, but I¡¯m not sure yet.

    As I destroyed the orb, the floor around my feet began to crack. Hands small and large scraped there away from the ground. I sliced the hands and jumped backward before the hands could grab me.

    More of those hands arose from the ground to reveal a larger clump of hands and legs. It stood at around my height, and had a large mouth with sharp teeth. The creature came at me, so I sliced it again. It dodged the attack and rammed me into a wall. A barrage of punches landed on me, with me only able to block my face. Jabbing the creature with the hilt, I managed to get it off me. I sliced again, and it backed away before falling over.

    The creature lay on the floor motionless before it moved again. I ran back into the maze, away from that monster. But as I stopped to catch my breath, I heard it in the distance. I kept running, going back to where I came from to get away. As I went back into the maze of the temple and out of the temple, I felt a wave of relief that I was far from where that monster was. The voice of it weakened to a whisper from how far I was.

    Now with me being out of the temple, frustration arose, because how was I gonna go back up to the surface? It¡¯s not like I could swim back up. Then it hit me. The path I went across had my footprints. If I got down here from that place, I should have some way of getting back up. As I went back to the entrance, I came across those red stones Si-yeir talked about. I collected the red stones and continued through the temple. The red stones glowed and soft ones crumbled to dust in my hands. By the time I was back outside, I had two intact. I stepped back onto the sand of the seafloor. While outside, I waved my sword above me and suddenly I swam upward incredibly fast until I reached the surface. When I went to the surface, I climbed back onto the ship. Si-yeir was waiting for me, in all his comforts. How was it fair that he could just sit in his office while I had to do his work?

    I found Si-yeir again, and he brought me back into his office. I gave him the stones that he wanted, and he told me, ¡°Alright, we can get going now. Good work.¡±

    I looked at the stones again and asked, ¡°What do they do? They have to be somewhat important if I had to run for my life just to get them, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are. They help with locating beings, and it will be critical for our mission. We need to give it to a few people before we go after that beast.¡±

    Before I left, Si-yeir stopped me. ¡°Before you go, I need to clarify the Peraclipsis story. He tends to go into people''s dreams while in those temples, trying to get them to side with him. We have had this problem before, so I will tell you the truth. Peraclipsis isn¡¯t all evil, but he is flawed in his thinking. If he returns, the reason we need to stop him is that of him being wrathful. He does not forgive and therefore will kill many that stand in his way. It would be wrong for me to say he is only evil.¡±

    I was suspicious of Si-yeir. Why would he need to say this? Peraclipsis was making good points. Si-yeir brought me here against my will, won¡¯t tell me about anything, and is against what Peraclipsis said for what seemed like no reason. They had him in there, chained and beaten, buried never to be seen again. While Si-yeir sat in a chair without a care in the world, having luxuries and enjoying life. It angered me.

    After he clarified, I went back to my room and lay on my bed. I wondered to myself about who we would need to give those stones to. Probably more of those people like Si-yeir who get to enjoy their life. They don¡¯t know how it feels, and they get to enjoy life as we suffer in the darkness. They used us and punished us if we tried to rebel, and Peraclipsis is an example of that. I found the coins he talked about. The coins were labeled exclusively for Eirini. That encounter with Peraclipsis kept reliving in my mind, because is Peraclipsis that bad of a guy? Even with all this going on, I still was worried about my brother. My heart was crushed, ?and I didn¡¯t think he was alive. I lied about not believing, but hope still clung to me, even if it was hopeless. Just maybe, he could be out there, and if he was, I would find him. After a few minutes, my eyes faded, and I went to sleep.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    End of an Ocean Voyage

    Nil

    It was a very stormy night. Rain showered our ship with pellets of hail. With the wind that blew hard against my face, it always felt like a struggle to be on the upper deck. Night after night, our ship grew battered with storms, and we would have to make sure the boat didn''t overflow, and it slowly tired me out. One night, I had taken extra clothing and towels to fill the holes in the top floor from several storms, but even then, the rain kept seeping through.

    This last night in particular was the worst so far, but I¡¯m guessing it''s only going to get worse from here. With every night, the storms got louder, and the waves slashed harder against the ship, and I got more and more worried about where Si-yeir was taking us.

    Could we be going to a place with horrible storms or do these storms normally appear here? The storm''s thunder continued regardless of whether it was night or day, and the waves continued thundering, making me wonder if we would make it to wherever we needed to go. I woke up in the evening, my head hurt and I was tired. I went downstairs to the kitchen area, stumbling over as the ship rocked from the storm outside.

    We were also rationing food now. Only half a box had any food at all. I guessed Si-yeir didn¡¯t need food because he didn¡¯t go to the room much. Every time I saw him, he would never eat or drink. There were few fruits, and that annoyed me even more. I wondered to myself as my stomach ached in pain. What were those bags and crates we had if they weren''t for food?! Even when I tried to open the crates, screws bolted them shut. After I found some food to eat though we had little, I went to the bottom floor and repaired the damage on the walls. In the walls, some leaks and cracks were flooding the room, and if these leaks went unchecked, it might as well be the end of the ship if we continued to be in this storm. I savored every last bite of the grain I found, its crunchy and stale taste barely getting me by. After half an hour, I fixed the cracks in the wall, and finally, all the leakage was solved. I walked back to my room and ate the little food I could find.

    Si-yeir was nowhere to be seen, and I had to repair the boat as he sat in his office. He didn¡¯t even check if there was food and something about him was off. After I ate my food, I laid down on my bed and rested.

    ***

    It was now nighttime, and it was pitch black and quiet. I go up to the top deck to find Si-yeir. While I went through the dark hall and up the stairs, the stairs creaked in the middle of the silence, annoying me a little. It¡¯s just another thing that the longer we were on this ocean voyage, the more it was being worn down. When I got up to the top deck, it was still pouring like crazy.

    I confronted Si-yeir, and he was lighting up the lamps. Si-yeir asked as I covered my head from the rain. ¡°Who¡¯s on watch tonight?¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± he replied. He looked at his axe and then at me. ¡°If anything happens, I¡¯ll wake you up. After this night, we will be within the borders of Eirini.¡±

    Before I went back inside, I looked back at Si-yeir. I got confused, and he looked pale and shocked. Before I could see why, Si-yeir pointed to the sky. I looked in the sky to see what was so bad, and then I saw it.

    The moon lit the ships and the surrounding water in a dark blue shade. The blue moon shined brighter than 3 full moons. Waves that once were violent and made no noise or movement, as if they stood in shock as well.

    I looked back at Si-yeir. ¡°That could only mean one thing. Right?¡±

    Si-yeir nodded, and I could still hear the fear in his voice. ¡°We have more important things to do.¡± Si-yeir continued to darken with any mention of that man, and it worried me.

    Even with my suspicions, this seemed like he was being genuine. I wondered to myself. How cruel can that guy be if every mention of him terrifies Si-yeir? By this time I was getting tired by now, so I went back downstairs and to the living quarters. I went back to my bed and dropped asleep, now that the waves weren¡¯t even responsive.

    The sound of fire surrounded me, along with the smell of burnt wood. I opened my eyes to smoke and flames on my face. What was once the ship shifted into a familiar feeling of hatred and suffering. Where once my home, now a memory of what happened. I looked around in confusion, now recognizing the smoky and fiery area. It was my home. ¡°I¡¯m at home again, but why?¡±

    I opened my door, and this time smoke didn¡¯t barge into my face, but everything, even the rest of my house now replaced with the chalky taste of ash. Fear sunk me into the ground, with sour smells of smoke swaying my breath. The only thing that wasn¡¯t ash was this specific room, which was my bedroom. Regret fueling my emotions, I continued through the room and outside, hoping for comfort. I walked around in the debris. The air was clear enough for me to see that the village was just remains.

    I pick up some ash as I continue walking in shock. After finding nothing but more of what remained of my home, I turned back for all the debris and the house to be gone. And I heard a familiar voice that made my heart wrench. I looked backward to be startled by a person. The person I saw said, ¡°Brother.¡± My body trembled and sweat went down my face. It was my brother. In perfect condition, he looked exactly like he was before the disaster. With a smile on his face, the pain of regret jabbed into my gut. My heart was paining at his very presence. I collapsed while crying.

    My brother looked down at me, and then patted my shoulder. ¡°Like all the disasters you saw before your eyes, you will hear my voice again. But do not be fooled, like much on your journey for the truth, I will be there to fool you. You must learn strength in yourself.¡±

    ¡°But brother, what will I do without you? You''re the only family I have left.¡± I stood on my knees, tears pouring out from my eyes.

    ¡°You have a job you need to do. Many innocent people who are suffering need protection. Your journey isn¡¯t over, and you will face several challenges, but our paths will cross again, Nil. I promise.¡±

    My brother crumbled to dust in the wind, and I cried on the ground. I looked in the distance, still crying, at the beast that I once saw in the village. It was even more terrifying than before, towering above me and having four arms. The creature wasn¡¯t waiting for me to finish crying, so I didn¡¯t waste time either. Regardless of the environment, my will to stay away from the monster never vanished. After running away from the creature, I eventually fell down a cliff from the island of Irepha. The impacts of water slammed into me like concrete, nearly knocking me unconscious. Now in the water, I tried to come back up, but with no success. The beast slammed into the water, grabbing me as I started to drown. I tried to scream, but my lungs ran out of air, and no noise would come out.

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    The beast said my name repeatedly, but suddenly, the beast melted. What was once the creature I feared now magically turned into a pile of rocks with the water quickly turning into the air after. I fell into a room. The room looked like a prison, worn down with cracks and plant life everywhere. Flowers bloomed and vines thrived. It was the same one from the temple dream, but more vivid. The smell of a Monday morning raised my suspicion. Lights were shining in the center of the prison-like room. In the center of the room, there was a man, at least nine feet tall.

    The man¡¯s clothes were ripped and tattered, and symbols of the night lined his arms and chest. His build was even more muscular than Si-yeir, and three chains held him in the center. They groaned and screeched as they held the man in place. I got a little closer, curious, but suddenly the chain that held his right hand snapped. I stumbled and jumped back, startled by the chain snapping. The man opened his eyes, and they were pure gray, glowing brighter than the lights blasting at him.

    My heart raced, and I fell to the floor. I realized who this was because it was the man from before. This was Peraclipsis. He looked me in the eye. ¡°The world always tries to deceive.¡± My dream faded back to the darkness of pitch black.

    I opened my eyes in the middle of the night, and it was raining like crazy. Still with tears in my eyes and being shaken from the dream, I got annoyed by being disrupted in the middle of the night. I walked to the outside of the ship. Si-yeir was working at the sails as we rocked and thunder cracked.

    I stood there, my face cold and wet. ¡°You are my enemy, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You kept me alive for another reason, didn¡¯t you?

    ¡°What are you talking about? I saved you.¡±

    ¡°You only saved me for your benefit and never cared about the others. How are you so selfish and cruel, and do you even know how it feels to suffer? You made me starve, and made me do your labor.¡±

    Si-yeir¡¯s eyes lit with fire. His face tensed with concern, covered with urgency. ¡°Don¡¯t ever claim I don¡¯t know how it feels to suffer.¡±

    ¡°What have you felt that is even close to what has happened to me?¡± My blood continued to boil until he spoke.

    ¡°I lost my home, lost my family to that man Peraclipsis. I lost my father at birth because of him. Nil, I know you have a ton of pain, but there''s a reason I¡¯m being hard on you. I can¡¯t do everything on my own.¡±

    Where anger filled my body overrun with shock. Once clenched fists relaxed, my breath slowed down. He continued. ¡°I did the best I could, and that blue fire was from me. Fifty other people were found there, all injured and needed help. I couldn¡¯t run in there, and not only would I risk my life, but those as well. Not only that, other groups came to the rescue as well. Still, I am sorry, but just because I couldn¡¯t find him, doesn''t mean he isn¡¯t alive.¡±

    For a moment, we were both silent. I didn¡¯t know how to feel, but his words were genuine. Thunder boomed louder than ever before, with the wind blowing even harder. ¡°C¡¯mon Nil, we¡¯ve got bigger issues on our hands.¡±

    With a huge crash from a wave, it knocked us over to the side. We fell back into the cabin area, and Si-yeir got up and helped me. He looked and his eyes widened. ¡°THE BOAT IS OVERFLOWING!¡±

    We were panicking and rushing to our feet. We ran from my front to the hallway and the storage room. The ship twisted and turned, making moving around the ship difficult. The wind howled from every direction, making every step a gamble. We grabbed the buckets and ran up the stairs. I trip up the stairs but quickly get back up to the hull. We tried bucketing water and throwing it back into the sea.

    The waves of water that hit the ship only got bigger. I slipped multiple times on the wet and tilted floor as I tried to take water out, ramming my body onto the cold wooden floor. While I tried to get back up, massive waves of water threw me to parts of the ship. I slammed into the wood of the ship like pavement and the waters only continued to flood the ship. Being flung back by waves of water, I nearly went overboard, but Si-yeir grabbed my hand and helped me back up. Si-yeir ran into the distance and started using his fire to get rid of the water.

    Si-yeir looked at me. ¡°We have a few minutes to leave this ship before it goes under!¡±

    I went back into the ship and grabbed the remaining food as Si-yeir made a makeshift raft, and he melted metal wire from the lamps into the wood of the raft. As Si-yeir finished the raft, he yelled out to me.

    ¡°GET ON BEFORE IT¡¯S TOO-¡± Suddenly, an immense creature from the sea emerged from the water.

    It was a huge centipede, and it towered above the water, showing its six huge mandibles on its face, sharper than my sword. Our ship was about a third of its length, being dwarfed as it surrounded us with two heads. The creature''s scales were a murky dark green, being smooth on the surface, and its face was black with a hard shell. Si-yeir could barely get out of the way before the creature charged. It crushed wood and metal on contact, making a hole in our boat. The ship tilted further, making it impossible to stand up straight. Cold sweat and fear overwhelmed my senses.

    The creature slivered back into the sea as we tried to regain our balance. I tried to use my laser cannon on the creature when it came out of the sea, but the laser only annoyed the centipede further. A shield of water would diminish the laser, with the laser barely doing damage to the tough scales. It came out from the sea and charged after me as I fired a few more shots with my laser cannon, with the lasers barely damaging the scales of the creature. The creature shot a jet of water at me that sliced through the wood like hot butter. I tried to get out of the way, but the jet water pierced through my leg. I wailed in pain and fell, holding my hand to the wound from my leg. The creature continued charging towards me, shooting more water at me that stabbed through my skin while tearing the boat apart. I stumbled out of the way as it bit into the ship, with the cabins further inside being crushed in an instant.

    Before the creature could use its mandibles on me, Si-yeir shot blue fire at its face, forcing the creature to back away. An army of swords blinded the creature and emitted blue fire, burning its face further. The creature charged at Si-yeir on the boat and tried to bite him. Si-yeir dodged its attack, but the centipede slammed into the middle of the ship, splitting the ship in half, and we flew into the water. I fell into the water and struggled to get back up. I lay in the water dazed for a decent ten seconds before trying to go back up. After I regained consciousness, I looked around me frantically while trying to get back to the surface. It gets harder and harder to breathe as I go up until I nearly pass out. Si-yeir grabbed me before I passed out and used his fire to make a bubble, and I gasped for breath.

    The creature was now in the water with us, then again charged towards us, but I used my laser cannon and Si-yeir used his swords to make the creature back off. Si-yeir summoned a wave of swords in every direction of the creature, stabbing it on all sides. It wailed in pain and charged after us, even more angrily. The creature quickly revealed its second head, whose armor had a spade to ram us upward from behind, making me and Si-yeir go flying in the air. I fell onto the boat, slamming onto the hull, and the impact felt like it shattered my back.

    I watched with my vision now blurry as Si-yeir launched toward the centipede, drawing his axe. Si-yeir dodged the creature''s attack and sliced at its chest. It roared in pain and swung its second head at Si-yeir. I grabbed my sword and used it to have some water lighten Si-yeir''s crash as he slammed into the ship, now bleeding as he limped.

    The creature threw debris at me and forced me to drop my sword. I tried to use my laser cannon again, but it only annoyed the creature for another time. It continued to shoot jets of water again, and some sliced at my right eye. The pain was unbearable as I clutched my eye, trying to stop the seeping blood with my hands. I dropped to my knees as I lay there. It tried to slice me again with the water, but I grabbed my sword in time and the water bent around me. Almost instinctively, the sword made the surrounding water form a bubble. I enveloped a water shield on its way with my sword, but it was still not effective against its scales. It slammed the ship, making me lose balance. I once again lost my sword, but this time it fell into the sea. Now defenseless and half-blind, I felt defeated and hopeless. The Centipede stood before us and prepared to launch more jet water at us.

    Before the creature could do another attack, there was a sound in the distance, a very loud noise. The noise was like that of a tsunami and a train. I looked in the distance in a mix of curiosity and fear seeing a man who appears to be on the top of a moving pillar of metal.

    The man was very tall, about seven feet tall, with white hair and gray, glowing eyes like Peraclipsis. He also looked a little younger than Si-yeir, but a bit older looking than me. He was a muscular man with chains decorating his pants and had decorations of scales and horns of sea creatures as necklaces and on his chest. There were chains on his leggings that glowed white hot, with the chains were two mini scythes, shining in the sun brightly. He laughed at the creature, enraging it. The creature proceeded to attack the man, but two large metal hands came from the water and immobilized the creature. The creature continued trying to retaliate, but the two metal hands crushed the creature''s head instantly.

    I watched as the once-powerful centipede lay there dead as it sank into the sea. The metal formed around the ship we were on and the ship seemed to be being picked up. I watched, still exhausted, metal encompassing the ship and raising it from the ocean. The man walked toward me and reached out a hand to pick me up. Before I could see any more, I passed out.