His pain writhed inside his burning heart.
Each bristle of grass around him was painted black from the beast's goo. His sister was right there, in front of him, standing in place.
"Get your creepy tendrils off of my brother!" Aletha exclaimed as she hoisted her arm upward, preparing to attack the beast.
Yet the creature hadn't reacted, nor had it moved. It stood in a stagnant position, shifting its hazy glare at Aletha. Only the wind could be heard for a moment because of how silent it was.
To take full advantage, Aletha crouched down and tried to sneak her way to her brother without being caught by the monster's gaze. She figured the demon was blind as, by seeing its eyes, she noticed a fog cloud over it, so Aletha tried as much as possible to be quiet.
One. Two. Three seconds pass. The creature's growls and croaks echoed over the whistling forest. Aletha was just centimeters away from her brother's grasp.
Four. Five. Six seconds more, and Aletha's feet barely skimmed the metal arm on Asahi's hand.
(Just a few steps away.) Aletha thought quietly.
Although it had been roughly a minute since encountering the beast, Aletha had yet to catch a good sight of the creature because of how dark it was in this secluded area in the forest. She hurriedly turned her head toward the monster and held her rampant breaths, fearing not alerting it.
But the sight that would be presented before her eyes was almost just enough to make Aletha scream.
The beast looked like some sort of lizard with an abnormally large body and a tail, covered in a strange otherworldly black substance. Its entire body was covered in spikes that resembled claws, and its eyes were as big as two silver coins.
Its face was similar to a human, but instead of lips or a nose, it only had a single slit-like opening that ran across the top of its face.
It also possessed long arms that ended with four sharp fingers each.
Its most noticeable feature however, was its massive wings.
They were probably longer than a human's torso. Their surface was smooth and glistening, almost like scales. But unlike any other winged creatures, these wings didn't have feathers; they were all solid. They extended far into the air behind the creature.
The wings weren't the only thing that made Aletha shudder. There was something about those wings that seemed unnatural. For one, it felt as if the wings were constantly moving, almost as though they were trying to escape their own bodies.
There was no doubt that this beast wasn't normal.
Every small stride Aletha took caused her heart to rush.
She knew that her entire body was exposed to the monster's sight, but it had not seen her for some odd reason.
She pulled her hair back and grabbed her brother's wrist, dragging him slowly away from the pile of dirt. Asahi held back his cries, and just before the monster could see them, he fell on the ground, feeling the gentle grass bristles support his back.
As Aletha slowly lifted herself up, glaring at her wounded brother, she leaned over to Asahi's ear and whispered.
"You will be alright."
Without warning, the creature slashed at Aletha with its razor-sharp claws, digging into her skin like sticks poking through the sand.
Aletha's breath caught in her throat as her legs shook under her. She let out a short yelp
.
"AHHHHH!!!"
The sound of flesh tearing was audible as Aletha fell backward onto the hard ground, holding her injured shoulder. Her vision went black for a brief second after she hit the ground, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw the creature flying away from them in the distance, heading straight for the sky.
Aletha was too afraid to get up. Instead, she clutched her shoulder tightly while looking up at the sky.
Asahi was still lying on the ground. He was completely unconscious, breathing heavily, his face pale white. Blood poured down the side of his face, making his wound look even worse.
Aletha began to cry. "Brother! Brother!" She screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Don't die on me..."
She began to shake violently, unable to control herself anymore. Her mind became a blur as she stared blankly at the ground below her.
"Why? Why is the monster after us? What did we do to deserve this? Does the world... hate us now?" Aletha sobbed.
Her voice grew distant, echoing over the trees.
But then, just before she thought she was safe, the winged creature flew down and tried to strike Aletha, swooping down and digging its sharp wings through the dirt.
Luckily enough, Aletha hurriedly rolled out of the way and dodged each strike, furious about the creature's decision.
Yet as she stood still with a confident pose, Aletha completely took the beast off guard and immediately fled away from it, through the bushes toward a secluded area away from the monster.
However, her plan didn't last for very long.
While Aletha was running away, the monster had finally found its target. The beast lunged forward, snarling, aiming its claw-like hands at Aletha.
(It's coming right for me. I'm going to die…) Aletha thought desperately, but she couldn't move. All she could do was stare at the beast that loomed over her, ready to attack.
"No, please don't hurt my brother!"
Then suddenly, after she blinked, she found herself to be transported to an entirely different area, several meters away from her original position.
"H… Huh?"
Her heart palpitated, her breath grew cold in realization that her brother was in danger.
Aletha could hardly imagine what grim stuff could be done to her brother, making her stressed beyond comparison.
In panic, she hurriedly ran over through the bushes, in search of Asahi, but to no avail, she couldn't find him.
Struck with horror and stress, Aletha cried out to the seemingly endless forest.
"Where am I?"
Yet only the wind answered her.
When she looked at her pale hands, she was reminded of the times she used her blade.
A thick, glittering, long blade coated in the color of black and white, with pale dots shimmering across its sleek and sharp surface. A pattern that matched her attire.
She remembered delivering blows with this powerful weapon. To slay even the largest of enemies with just one strike. The blade was perfect.
'It would be a relief if I could use it now.' Aletha thought as her eyes darted over to her palms. But unfortunately, that thought had only lived inside her imagination. For she couldn't find her sword no matter what she did.
This was the worst position to be placed into, being devolved into nothing but a measly human now.
Frightened on what would happen next, Aletha froze still and prayed.
"Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me..."
As she heard leaves rustled around her, a man stood a few steps away from where she had been, calling out as his eyes widened in shock.
"Hey! What's going on here?"
To Aletha, the man appeared to be a brown blur because of his swift movements. And so, her superstition bested her, thinking the man was with the monster.
She charged at him with all her strength, arms wide open, yelling, "I'll kill you!"
But just as her hands were about to skim the man's attire.
"Look, stranger. I'm trying to help!" The man called out to her as he held up his hands in defense. The intensity of the situation immediately died down as the mellow rays of the sun shone on them.
Although the man was a stranger, Aletha had no choice but to stop attacking and listen.
It wouldn't be long for him to add on, "If you don't want my help, then so be it. This will be the only time I'm doing an act of kindness. So please, don't disregard it."
A silence formed in between them.
Aletha had indeed been trying to attack the man, but it was only after hearing what he said that she stopped herself.
And when she saw his face...
"...A human?"
At first glance, this man looked like a regular person—not just any person but someone who could pass for a commoner or even a peasant.
His long brown hair covered his entire head and fell down his back, his eyes were a deep green color, and a small mustache and beard framed his lips. The skin on his face was smooth and cleanly shaven.
He wore black pants and a plain black suit that hung loosely off his shoulders. There was a belt wrapped around his waist where his sword and knife rested. It was a simple outfit, nothing fancy, flashy, or ostentatious.
There was something odd about his appearance, though.
For some reason, he seemed familiar.
Perhaps it was his looks, or maybe it was how he carried himself?
Or perhaps both?
Regardless, Aletha ignored him and started swinging at him in full force, despite the warning.
"Why are you here?"
Her weak and thin arms flew around the man like the wings of a hummingbird.
Yet after each strike, the man quickly deflected each hit with his bare hand.
In fact, it didn't take much effort for him to block her attacks. As Aletha's panicked swings began to die down, Brich stood in a straight posture and smiled confidently, taunting her.
"Heh. Is that all you got?"
Not a dent was seen in him, even after all she did.
Not in his shoes, pants, shirt, or hands, nothing relating to injury was seen upon the man. Aletha's heart paced in shock, disbelieved that the man remained unharmed.
After the man brushed the dirt off his attire, he shook his head and sighed, asking her.
"Do you want me to help you or not?"
When Aletha realized that the man wasn't going to hit her, she immediately lowered her guard down and stared at the man with her mouth agape. Tense about the situation thinking her brother could still be in danger, she quickened her pace and screamed.
"What is your name? How dare you attack a stranger!"
Brich wasn't at all phased by her blunt reaction. He just pushed that silly act aside and shrugged his shoulders, answering Aletha casually.
"My name is Brich."
Immediately after, Aletha reacted with a rude and offended tone.
"Well then, Brich, how about you don't scare me like that again!" Her body was still tense, afraid to look at Brich again knowing that she was weak. The best thing she could do was stay quiet.
Hearing the monster's menacing growls resound over the forest, her eyes trembled, she took deep breaths, and she clenched her fists, mumbling with a desperate tone.
"Please… just help me."
The only thought that came up in her mind at this very moment was that there was no other choice than to trust this man right now.
After all, she thought, if she tried attacking him again, he would surely win against her.
Silence after silence, as the seconds of Asahi's demise ticked away, Brich offered his hand to Aletha and pulled her back on her feet.
"Follow me!"
He then turned his head over to the patch of greenery where the monster was and mumbled as he saw Asahi's body resting against the dirt.
"That beast..."
Aletha felt sick looking at the corpse. She wanted to vomit at the sight of Asahi's torn apart remains. But before she could make another move, Brich grabbed her arm and led her behind a thicket of bushes.
They hid themselves inside the dark and dense foliage.
"I'll protect you," said Brich.
As Aletha held tightly onto Brich's sleeve, they watched from afar as the creature approached the dead body.
"Don't worry, I have this under control," whispered Brich, patting Aletha's shoulder. "Your brother... will be fine."
Aletha's heart stopped in horror and shock.
"What do you mean? H... How..."
She couldn't finish her words, she was beyond terrified seeing her brother, the most powerful being she knew, scattered in chunks of dust and flesh; it made her sick to her stomach.
"This can't be real. This can't be real. This can't be real..."
Aletha repeated the same phrase over and over until her voice ran out of breath.
And so Brich decided to comfort Aletha, who was losing hope.
"It's alright. Everything will be okay. I promise. Just relax and let me handle this. Don't worry yourself. Okay?"
A gentle smile graced Aletha's lips. She nodded, feeling safe once more.
"Okay. Thank you."
Aletha placed her hand on her chest and breathed deeply.
"I don't even know who you are, and yet... It feels as if you are friends with me already. How... will you help me out?"
Aletha asked the man in hopes that he wouldn't leave her side again.
But Brich just gave a small nod and replied,
"Someone else will arrive."
Before anymore could be said, his entire existence vanished into light particles.
* * * * * * * *
It seemed like hours had passed since Brich disappeared into thin air. In all actuality, it had been only five minutes.
He had been gone for such an extended amount of time that Aletha became restless and worried. It didn't seem like Brich was coming back anytime soon. She wondered what happened to him while she waited anxiously for his return.
There were times when Aletha looked around to see if anyone was watching her.
When she noticed that no one was paying attention to her, she'd get paranoid and jumpy.
And then, before things could get any worse, Aletha wrenched her gaze to strange growls.
The beast was standing at all fours, growling at her as it revealed its hideous eight magenta eyes.
"Help me! Help me!" she screamed as she jumped out of her skin, running through the bushes and trying to escape from the creature.
At the last minute, Aletha realized that Brich left her alone.
Panicked, she kept on screaming, hoping someone would come along and save her. But no matter how loud she shouted, no one ever responded.
Soon enough, Aletha lost track of the path she was taking and found herself wandering aimlessly. And so she began to panic even further. Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, feeling hopeless without the security from her brother.
"Where am I going?!"
Just as she was about to give up, she heard a familiar voice calling her name.
"Aletha! Wait! Please wait!"
Asahi appeared out of nowhere and called her by name. Aletha froze in place upon hearing the voice she longed to hear.
"Brother…?"
Her voice trailed off as she stared at Asahi with wide-open eyes. Her body quivered in fear.
"You're here... you're... alive!"
Aletha rushed forward and wrapped Asahi in her arms. They both shared a tight embrace, crying their hearts out together.
"I'm sorry. For abandoning you. It's just... I felt so weak, that I was scared-- Sigh, I'm so glad you're okay…"
Aletha sobbed uncontrollably. All her fears and worries seemed to melt away with every tear she shed.
After several minutes of emotional release, Asahi broke free from Aletha's grasp.
"Are you hurt? Do you need some water?"
"No. It's just... I don't understand how you came back to life."
The warm moment was immediately interrupted as soon as the winged creature lifted itself up and screeched at the siblings.
"SCREE!"
At this point, Aletha gave up. She didn't know what to do. She was weak, powerless, much like her brother. In fear and despair, Aletha embraced her brother as tightly as she could, screaming.
"HELP ME! HELP US!"
There was something Asahi knew that Aletha didn't before he returned to her. He could recollect that silver-haired boy had told Asahi to run and hide somewhere safe, explaining to him afterward on how he will save his sister.
However, because of just how powerless he was now, Asahi was too scared to move. He and Aletha remained rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fright.
The beast opened its mouth wider, revealing rows of sharp teeth. It started to charge towards them as they cowered behind each other.
"Oh no..."
This is it. This is really happening. We're gonna die.
Both Aletha and Asahi were petrified. There was nothing they could do but accept their fate.
Until, suddenly—
A vast purple beam of light shot through the wall of trees and pierced through some of the monster's body.
The beast let out a painful shriek as the light continued to burn it, causing it to fall down onto its stomach. A second later, another purple ray shot through its torso, which made the creature scream louder than before.
In the next instant, the beast collapsed completely onto the ground. The two siblings watched with amazement as the beast lay there motionless.
"Wha?! What happened?!"
Asahi was still dazed from the attack. His eyes widened as he witnessed the beast lying flat on its back.
But the sight wasn't over yet. An enormous shadow appeared above the beast as it turned its head upwards. The monster's face contorted with rage as its huge claws clenched tighter, ready to strike down at the new threat.
Suddenly, the beast stopped moving as if time itself stood still. Then, in the blink of an eye, the beast's entire body burst into flames.
It was dead, leaving with it a huge dust cloud in its tracks. As the dust lifted, it unveiled a silver-haired boy with two cat ears perched on his head. Asahi's eyes widened, recognizing exactly who he was. The one who resurrected him.
"Come now, strangers. We don't have that much time. Another monster is approaching right behind us!"
Clutched on his hand was a large azure-purple blade glowing with magical energy. The boy pushed Asahi and Aletha out of the way and stepped forward to the approaching creature, shouting at it.
"Who in all god's name are you to attack travelers?!" he yelled as he raised his blade up high, pointing it directly at the beast's head. "Goopy filth from The Ending doesn't deserve to walk on the soil of my nation, you hear?"
His tone was arrogant, aggressive, and powerful, contradicting the soft appearance radiating from his body.
"Die!" he said as his sword flashed across the sky, slicing cleanly through the beast's neck.
It was no more than a fleshy brown mist that fell to the ground once he had made his move. The monster instantly crumbled to the ground like a pile of garbage. But before it could even die, the monster's head exploded with a loud pop.
"W-What?! What did you just do?!" Aletha exclaimed in disbelief as she stared at Sadiki with her mouth agape.
"No worries, that isn't the threat I was worried about." The mysterious boy replied as he lowered his sword. "Now, let's get out of here... before."
"Before what?" she asked.
"Before SHE comes."
Aletha's heart dropped.
She looked around at the charred remains of the beast that once attacked them. There was only one thing left to explain.
Sadiki turned around to look at the forest for any signs of danger. At this point, he was confident enough to know that the beasts weren't the real enemy. As he charged up his glowing azure blade, the silver-haired boy, Sadiki, hollered at Asahi and Aletha.
"This will hurt a little bit!"
Before they could even respond to the boy, he unleashed a mighty shockwave, knocking back Asahi, Aletha, and him away from the forest, leaving the creature's remains.
"Ow! Owie owie oowie!!" Aletha cried out as she rolled along the ground, trying to stop the pain. After that, their visions faded into darkness.
* * * * * * * *
. . .
Several minutes later, after the explosion...
The large creature's dark magenta eyes narrowed, the purple substance that made up its body puddled against itself. The only reason why it couldn't speak was because of its wings. With the monster's wings severed, it could finally communicate.
Despite the abrupt attack from Sadiki, the creature was still alive. But it wouldn't be much longer, as without its wings, its blood continued to leak out of it.
Without warning, the slammed its sharp claws into the ground, creating cracks and chasms throughout the forest floor.
A second later, the creature felt something suddenly hit the top of its skull. It looked up and saw a glint in the sky.
Then it heard another sound. The sound of a woman.
"Failures." Her entire appearance was cloaked in a shadowy veil. Every single thing in her generated this aura of pure mystery. The same kind of mysteriousness that surrounded the words of the ancient texts.
The creature's eyes widened as it realized what this person was.
"You're…"
"Dead. You've lost." She tilted her head to her right and saw a stampede of footprints emblazoned onto the forest floor. She angrily clenched her fists and sneered at the creature, whispering.
"They're gone."
The creature's face twisted into a scowl as it glared at the shadowed woman.
"Gone like the light and darkness of The Ending. Princess, you are acting strange to what I have seen you act before. Is there something wrong?"
The shadowed woman sighed.
"Failed on capturing. I am infuriated."
The creature squinted at the woman.
"What? Why would a ruler like you choose to capture such powerless beings?"
Silence filled the space in-between them.
Just by seeing The Princess' cold pink eyes was it enough to make even the biggest creature tremble before her.
Immediately, the veiled-woman responded with a forceful push, nearly crushing the creature. Then, she snapped her fingers and forced it into the ground.
As silence filled the forest, The Princess stared into the sun and answered the creature's question.
"Familiarity. There's familiarity within them." There was so much weight in the words that the woman spoke, it seemed that each time she tried to speak, she would feel pain. The creature could even see the veiled-woman hunch over in pain as her lips moved.
To avoid hurting The Princess, the creature remained silent and let her lead herself outside the forest. But just before the light hit her veil, The Princess spoke again.
"Clueless. Clueless about the truth. Clueless about their world. I don't remember. I can't...."
Her voice trailed off as she walked away. The creature had no idea what The Princess meant, but she didn't seem happy.
After walking through several trees and plants, she stopped and turned around.
"I'll say this. They are not like us. Not anymore."
As she said those words, the creature saw her hands begin to glow with a white light. The light quickly grew brighter and brighter until it enveloped everything around her. In mere seconds, she transformed into a figure of pure energy. A being of blinding light that pierced through the sky, illuminating the "night."
"They are something different, for… we are also the same. Everyone, dismissed. Leave at once and continue on with our goal. For even though... that they and we are similar, I have to be apart from them to be together."
That was the last thing that The Princess ever said as her light engulfed a major spot of the forest.
The creature watched silently, unable to understand or comprehend what was happening.
And then…
Suddenly, the creature's vision began to fade.
Everything became hazy as the creature fell unconscious, and so did everything around the radius of the light, until none of their presences remained visible, only leaving silence in its wake.