Black mist shrouded around to form a black sphere. Which caused an entity to walk through. Its glossy black leg stomped behind Demon, notifying him of nearby danger.
Instantly, regret and dread plagued the minds of everyone in the arena. Including Kas and Alise. Everyone felt ashamed of something, and begged forgiveness for no reason at all.
Causing Demon to brush over the fact he was in serious danger. One hand, equally as dark and sinister as the leg, reached down for his head. Effortlessly wrapping around the back of his skull.
He unleashed an earsplitting cry of agony. "ARGH! KILL ME! DO IT! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE ANYMORE!"
Motherly instincts took control of Ether's body. Instructing him to direct his full aggression towards the threat. With one big dash, he was face to face with the entity that was torturing his sibling.
Jakery retreated, knowing this wasn't time to fight back. Tears began rolling down his cheeks as his nightmare manifested itself into reality.
Upon contact, Ether felt his armor quickly burn up. As if acid was being poured onto them. The creature unleashed several sharp appendages to capture the attacker.
Vile tentacles twisted up his knee, to his stomach, and around his neck where they threatened to penetrate his skull for a quick death. Until a barrage of red flashes blinded everything.
The next thing all three siblings saw, was the world beneath them get smaller and smaller. As if they were going up somewhere. Followed by the underlying hums of four flapping wings.
"It's okay. The Light Legion will take some time to get riders up and going. Calm down and recover from the experience, although I suppose its traumatic for the young one?" Valentine ordered.
Ether glanced over his shoulder to see walls of a once great city being tainted by the putrid touch of a creation that was forsaken from all that was good.
"D - Demon, where? Where is he?" Ether shouted.
Faint crying caught his attention. Jakery rested beside him, balled up. One hand wrapped around what appeared to be another hand. Until Ether realized Demon was inside.
Guilt washed over Jakery, wishing it was him that was punished, not his older brother. He cried, hoping Demon had survived. While holding his hand. Warmth quickly faded away as a deadly chill took over.
Exhausted and defeated, Ether still had shards of the overprotective mother he had inside his heart. Which encouraged him to hug Jakery with one arm, use the other to anchor them on top of the beast, and his legs to hold Demon in place.
"Sherpa, where -"
Valentine quickly rose one hand. "I am not your Sherpa anymore. I am Valentine Tavious, your equal. Sherpas and students were a thing of the Light Legion. Now, we stand as Variants."
"V - Valentine, where are we going?" Ether muttered.
"Somewhere who's only remains are forgotten memories and unspoken conflicts," Valentine replied.
Warm tears dropped onto Demon's shoulder. Jakery dug his head into his sibling's neck, hoping his sorrow might bring him back to life. In return, Ether pressed his forehead on Jakery's head.
Black wings parted the clouds above. Carelessly but quickly storming through the skies. It screeched, displaying its utter dominance over a domain so open yet so desolate.
After its first screech, Ether realized what they were on top of. A Sky Beast, more specifically, a Storm Chaser. The common myth of Storm Chasers being ridden by the dead and damned came back to him.
"Wrong," he thought to himself. "We are the Coros siblings. We'll only crumble when none of us remain. Just as long as one of us stands, all three of us stand united. We are all safe, we are all okay." He lied to himself.
Almost an hour later, the Sky Beast began to hover. Valentine scanned the world beneath them. Until his eyes caught his long time wild friend.
He slowly brought the beast in for a landing. Which shocked Jakery, resulting in Ether responding by checking over his sibling for any injuries. Allowing Demon's defeated body to roll off.
"DEMON! NO!" Jakery cried out.
Valentine pressed down on the beast's neck, causing it to land faster. But not fast enough to catch up to the falling body.
The remaining siblings fell silent. Ruined by a traumatic experience that would forever be edged into the darkest corners of their memories.
But Valentine was different. His eyes narrowed, hope burned bright in his heart. Which reflected off his crimson eyes.
Just as the siblings looked over the Sky Beast's body, expecting to see an explosion of gore and blood. They instead saw a Feral holding onto Demon.
She rocked their sibling back and forth like a sleeping child. Whispering lullabies into his ears in her native language.
"V. Tavious, master of beating hearts, get-er of love, and other titles I have given you! Is this little one yours?" She called out.
"Oria!" He happily shouted back. "My favorite untamed Feral. That one belongs to my passengers. Glad to see you kept your promise."
She laughed. "Tell your passengers this little one is mine. He's cute, I like him. Reminds me of a Thresher..."
Ether jumped off the beast, landing on a cold stone ceiling. "That's my brother, and you're going to give him back to me."
He feebly tried to get back on his feet. Only to fail. Shame washed over his gut as his tough words dwindled down to become a mockery. But unexpectedly, the Feral put Demon down beside him.
"I have sisters, too. If something like this happened to us, I would be demanding them back. I'm sorry, little one," Oria apologized.
Jakery carefully climbed down from the stationed Sky Beast. He quickly collapsed onto Demon's body, holding him tight as if he was sorry of letting go.
Unity took over their minds. They were together, close to each other. Where they wanted to be forever. Under the protection of the other, even when they weren't able to provide.
"What caused them to act like this?" She asked Valentine.
In response, he ran his cold hand over Oria's cheek. "That's a story for dinner. But for now, be a good girl and get them some food. I'll prepare the beds."
Oria nodded, happy to feel the discomforting cold of his gentle hand once again. She slowly backed up, leaping off the bunker they were on. Where she dashed away to hunt for food.
Valentine walked across from where they stood. Beside some railings meant to keep them from falling off, a door rested on the ceiling floor. He opened it before turning to the siblings.
He picked Demon up, then waited for Ether and Jakery to get up and follow him. In emulation, Ether picked Jakery up. They quickly stumbled across the ceiling, down the stairs, and into a room on their right.
Inside, rows upon rows of beds neatly made rested. No one has slept in them for a while. Long enough to make the room smell like a forgotten warehouse.
Ether placed Jakery down on a random bed, before mustering his strength in order to push the bed closer to another nearby bed. It made sharp scraping sounds as metal rubbed with stone.
Once it was over, he went to the other side and did the same for another bed. It drifted across the floor until it was connected to the bed in the middle.
"Put Demon down here," Ether ordered.
Valentine followed his wish. Carefully placing Demon beside the middle bed. His lifeless body remained still, allowing black mist to come pouring out of his nose like water.
Ether climbed on top of the middle bed. "Here is our biggest challenge: recovery."
"Rest up. Me and Oria have the rest figured out. Once we're all ready, we can figure out the next step in our plan. But for now, we are waiting to be executed if we go out there like this," Valentine replied.