Jerome followed Aliyah into the center of the jungle. In the center, there was a crater. Inside the crater was a huge village.
"This is a nice home." Jerome said.
"I know. But it's getting worse and worse. Our clan's soldiers disappear at night. And along with children. Which is why I'm glad your here." Aliyah explained.
"What if I don't wanna help? Because if you want the truth…I could really careless." Jerome said to Aliyah.
"What if it was your sister!?"
Jerome rolled his eyes and stood beside Aliyah.
"How can I help?"
"Well….I've made an announcement earlier today. I'm leaving the clan to attend to my duties! Since I'll be gone, the enemy will expect the clan to be weakened and attack. That's when you'll come in and stop it. But as soon as it happens, talk to the trees; I'll come to your aid and help!" Aliyah explained.
"Talk to the trees?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"They strike at night?" Jerome asked.
"Yep. And I believe it's a one man job. I don't believe there's a group behind this."
Aliyah started walking towards the clan. The trees of the jungle moved out of her way and cleared the path.
"What the hell." Jerome said.
"We need to prepare for the attacker! So I'm gonna show you around and then some. So hurry up!" Aliyah yelled.
Jerome rolled his eyes and followed.
Meanwhile. Adisa was waiting outside the cave and waited.
He could see the man walking out and headed towards the south.
"Is he headed to Jerome?" Adisa asked himself.
"I can since Jack's aura here also. They're definitely working together! But what are they up to?" Adisa asked himself.
He ignored the man and focused his attention on the cave. Adisa creeped his way inside the cave.
It was dark. A little too dark for Adisa's comfort.
"I know your here, boy. Come on out…we can have a little chit chat." Jack whispered in the darkness.
Adisa's heart dropped when hearing what Jack said.
(How the hell did he know!?) Adisa thought to himself.
Adisa stepped out in to the opening and met Jack face to face. Both of them were a couple feet apart from each other.
"How'd you know I was in here?" Adisa asked.
"It's simple. Your aura is that of a god. Not just your own."
Adisa spat on the ground and pulled out his blade slowly.
"I don't want to fight you. At least not yet, anyway." Jack said.
"Then what is it?" Adisa asked.
"I want to make a little deal with you…is that so much to ask?"
"A deal? Are you kidding me? You destroyed a whole clan! And killed their kind hearted leader, you ordered your people to attack Jade's dad, attack a city and kill all the people, and much more. The only deal I'd make with you…is if you'd let me slash your neck with no cost!"
"I don't blame you. But. It's like your not understanding my pain."
"What?" Adisa asked in confusion.
"I know what I've done is wrong. But it's not like the world hasn't done me wrong also." Jack explained.
"All the crimes you've done! I don't wanna hear this bullshit!" Adisa spat out.
"No one does. I have my reasons for doing what I do. I need my revenge!" Jack explained.
"Revenge? On who?" Adisa asked.
"The ice king." Jack answered in a angered tone.
"Ice king?…you must mean Frost's father!"
"Yes. And even if I was to kill Frost. The king could care less about him. And his sister is far more powerful than I am." Jack explained.
"What does the king have to do with the things you've done?"
"Everything!!" Jack yelled in anger.
The cave started shaking.
"He took everything from me! My friends, family, and my innocents. He is the creation of the monster that stands before you today!!" Jack yelled out.
Adisa said nothing. He put his sword away and listened to Jack talk.
"Once, a couple years back when I was the general for the frost clan. I was sent on a very special mission! One that determined if the clan would eat for the next couple of months or not. But during the mission…me and my men were ambushed by the people we were trading with!"
"When we arrived back home me and my men were punished and I was sent away. Can you imagine that? Having all the people you love and care about ripped away from your life. Knowing your not going to see them again!"
Adisa started thinking about Frost and the others. He felt sadness enter his heart.
"When I arrived to the castle…my men had their throats cut open right in front of me. All while I was tied up and feeling weak and helpless!"
"After seeing my men dead. The king took my family away from me and killed them right in front of my eyes. My wife,my kids, everything's was taken from me that day! I was thrown out the clan and had to survive on my own!" Jack explained.
(I since lots of pain and sorrow in this man's heart. I'm sorry, Jack. That you had to go through all that.) Adisa thought to himself.
"Then one day…I man with bright green eyes found me struggling to survive! He showed me a new path…the path for revenge!" Jack yelled out.
"But I have a plan. A plan that will make me strong enough to kill the king and his whole clan! What I'm doing is ending a painful cycle. A cycle of pain from the king. I'm not the only soldier who has gone through all that while being in the clan! There's more. Do you have any idea how that can affect you mentally, child? I'm in a dark place with a dark heart! And for me to get my revenge…I must do it!" Jack said.
"Do what, Jack!?"
"For me to obtain the power I desire…I need to capture one of them."
"Jack I feel your pain, man! And I know the world you grew up in is what has made you the killer you are! But…you can't just-" Adisa stopped talking when relishing Jack was already gone.
"Tsk. Damn it. The next time we meet and if your doing wrong…We will fight it out. I know he's much stronger but…something's off about him." Adisa said.
Adisa started thinking about the man with green eyes walk south. He darted out of the cave and ran in the same direction.
"When Jack said a man with green glowing eyes…it was him! That was the man who attacked the blind clan and started all this mess for us."
Adisa ran faster and faster.
"I have to get to the clan. And fast!"
Jerome sat on top of a building as night was starting to get closer and closer to fall.
The cold wind blew as he looked up at the orange sky.
"Still…no sign of strange activity. They say people just go up and vanish out of nowhere. It's kinda strange." Jerome said.
Jerome stood up on the roof and stared at the people walking below him.
"These people…they aren't like my clan. All happy, powerful, eat well, and…have bonds."
Jerome was getting ready to call it a day until a loud explosion went off in the back.
Jerome turned around to see the whole clan already been destroyed.
It was like the whole world went in slow motion.
(All I did…was turn my back for a second. How - who could have killed so many people- so-so fast!)
Before Jerome could draw another breath from his body. His stomach was slashed.
Jerome fell off the roof and moved his head around to see what was going on.
"Reaper…activate!"
Jerome's reaper formed around his body. The giant creature let out a loud roar that shook the ground.
"Ahh…the reaper." A deep voice said from the darkness.
Jerome turned his head to see a green glowing sword in the dark.
Jerome tried to stand up but fell back down. He was coughing up lots of blood.
"Who…who the hell are you!?"
"What am I you say? Haha, we'll I'm certainly not you! Mister killer. I know all about you, Jerome Soul." The man said.
"Who are you? Answer me!"
"It's not WHO I am. It's WHAT, boy. I am a god!" The man said.
"A god? What the hell are you saying!?"
"I'm not your average normal "human" walking around, Jerome. Let me tell you something. Why is it you think I was so fast to white this clan out before your eyes?" The man asked as he stepped out of the shadows. He took off his hat and stared at Jerome.
Jerome's heart skipped a beat when seeing the man's face.
"You-there's no way…you look just like- who…who the hell-"
The man walked closer and closer to Jerome.
The closer he got, the weaker Jerome felt. His reaper started to disappear.
The man put the sword to Jerome's neck and smiled.
"You didn't talk to the trees…Jerome."
Jerome said nothing but look in shock.
(This is the power of the second district fighters from this organization!? His aura is far greater than Jack's.)
"The boy named Adisa. Isn't the only one with something inside him." The man said.
Jerome couldn't move his body.
"There's no damn way! Why the hell did you betray us!?" Jerome yelled.
"You must be mistaken me for someone else. Do I look like someone you know!?" The man asked.
Jerome said nothing. He tried to crawl away, but the man put the bright green sword in Jerome's cape.
"Your looking east. The sky clan? There's someone you know that-maybe it's finally them! Well then…I'll keep you alive for today, Jerome. But there's someone else I just kill. And whoever kidnapped all those people…I sure hope they don't find you out here weak and un able to fight!"
Jerome squeeze his fist so hard that he started bleeding.
"There's no damn way. This guy…he's definitely your-
Jerome passed out on the ground.
The man pulled his blade from Jerome and began walking very slowly towards the sky clan.
"There's no need to rush when you have TIME on your side." He said.
Thirty minutes later Adisa arrived to the Leo clan.
He was out of breath.
"What-what happened to the clan!?" He yelled out.
Around him was nothing but dust and flames.
"Shit,shit,shit, Jerome! Where are you!?"
Adisa ran around looking for someone. But all the bodies were gone. "No trace of them? What's going on?"
Adisa looked and looked for anyone. But there was nothing left.
"Jerome attacked my clan while I was gone." Aliyah said in anger to Adisa.
"What? No, no he wouldn't do such a thing. I know he has a dark heart but…I know he didn't do this, he couldn't have-"
"It only makes sense. I left him to guard the place and when I come back it's gone!"
"No! A man was coming here! A man with green glowing eyes! He was headed here!"
"Are you sure?" Aliyah asked Adisa.
Aliyah took a moment and looked around at her clan. Anger started to fill her heart.
"I'll be joining you and your clan on this investigation starting tomorrow. But right now, Adisa. Get the hell away from me. I need to blow off steam and fast!"
"Aliyah…I promise we will get to the bottom of this. Jerome and your clan are missing. That only means someone took every last one of them!"
"I know. I'll be there at 12am…at Kani. Let your captain know I'm coming. And I'll catch up with you later."
Adisa put a piece of ash on the ground and walked away. While walking away something blue popped in his view.
It was a piece of ice.
Adisa had rage in his eyes. "Frost…you better not be the cause of this. Or I'll kill you!" Adisa said to himself.
Adisa was headed back to the Kani clan with information and questions.
The night sky was dead with no stars or anything. Just a still sky. And a young boy with rage built up inside of him.