Magnolia walked through an endless void of darkness, disoriented and uncertain. He had no idea where he was or who he had become. The weight of his actions and the trauma he had endured weighed heavily on him.
A piercing ping echoed in his ears, relentless and deafening. He clenched his head, tears streaming down his face, his expression one of sheer anguish.
"Just... Just stop, just stop," an unknown voice urged.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Magnolia screamed, and at his outburst, the noise faded into an eerie silence.
Magnolia looked up, his tears ceasing. He saw the source of the voice—a large, ancient being sitting by a dimly lit campfire. Hesitant, Magnolia approached, the figure remaining still.
As he neared, he saw that the being was old and imposing, with a hawk-like head covered in gray feathers. A rusted crown adorned its head, and it wore a tattered white robe.
"Who—who are you?" Magnolia asked.
The being turned its head slowly to face him. "Don't you mean we?"
"Huh?"
"Who are we? Simple. We are Ra—the Sun that fell long ago and the Sun that rose six years ago."
"I don't understand," Magnolia said, bewildered.
Ra examined Magnolia with a calm, almost indifferent expression. He placed a hand on Magnolia's head. "All will connect in your mind... eventually. Now awaken, Me."
Before Magnolia could respond, he opened his eyes, jolting upright in the bed he had been lying in.
"Oh, you're finally awake, little volcano." Magnolia's vision focused, and he recognized the general standing before him. He lunged forward, aiming a punch, but the general caught it effortlessly. Magnolia was confused; his fist wasn't aflame as he expected.
The general swept Magnolia's legs, causing him to fall. He placed a hand on Magnolia's back, eliciting a grunt from him.
"You might've killed my men, but that was only due to your awakening, nothing more, nothing less," the general said firmly.
Magnolia, his eyes filled with tears, looked up at the general. "Y-you killed my father...!"
The general's expression softened, seeing the pain in Magnolia's eyes. The boy reminded him of his younger self.
"Your father isn't dead. If you want to see him again, straighten up and follow me."
Magnolia's eyes widened. The general released him, and Magnolia quickly wiped away his tears, following him out of the room. His white pants were scorched at the ends.
They entered a large room filled with people. All eyes turned to them. Whispers filled the air:
"That's him, the boy who wiped out a platoon of elite soldiers."
"No way, that kid? He looks scared."
"SILENCE!!!" A commanding voice cut through the noise, drawing everyone's attention, including Magnolia's.
"Now that I have your attention, you're all here because you enlisted or were recruited. You will be trained efficiently. If you don't have a contract, you will be given one that connects with you. Any questions?"
A man raised his hand. "Not to question you, my Lord, but why are there children here?"
"Children?" The general responded with a hint of surprise. "Yes. These children are the next generation of the assault squad. They awakened at the ages of five, six, and seven."
The crowd parted to reveal eleven children grouped together. Magnolia noticed that the boy in front, who had been glaring at the Pharaoh, was fiercely staring at him.
"My Lord, don't forget about our star here," the general said teasingly, stepping aside to reveal Magnolia.
"Ah, yes, the boy who single-handedly defeated a platoon of soldiers and even forced my general to use his contract."
Magnolia felt the weight of everyone's gaze—some with anger, others with curiosity. He felt smaller than ever.
Why did the Pharaoh and the general have to single me out like this? Magnolia thought anxiously.
He was jolted from his thoughts by a girl approaching him. She looked about his age, with light skin, blue eyes, and a baby face, dressed in an assistant nurse's uniform. She waved her hand in front of Magnolia's face.
"Hey, weird eyes boy."
"Weird? Me?"
"Yeah, come with me if you don't want to get trampled by all these overzealous men and women."
Magnolia followed her as she led him to the group of children.
When he reached the boy who had been glaring at the Pharaoh, the boy spoke, "Mr. Superstar." He extended his hand in a handshake gesture. "My name is Poison. What's yours?"
Poison had light skin, a round face, brown hair, and green eyes. He was taller than Magnolia. Magnolia shook his hand and introduced himself. Poison then pointed to the boy beside him.
"That's Kibo."
Kibo had brown skin, large eyebrows, and multi-colored eyes (white and blue). His long, shaggy dark blue hair and baggy pants gave him a relaxed appearance. He ignored Magnolia, twisting his hair.
Poison pointed to the girl next to Kibo. "That's Amelia."
Amelia had dirty blonde hair, sapphire eyes, and a plump face. She was short, dressed in loose clothing, and gave Magnolia a friendly wave.
Poison then pointed to the left of him. "That's Abraham."
Abraham had brown skin, a round face, and oval brown eyes. He wore a long sleeve shirt and loose pants and adjusted his glasses as he nodded at Magnolia. He was taller than Magnolia.
"You've already met Luna, I presume?" Poison said.
Magnolia nodded.
Poison then pointed to the boy beside Luna. "That's Matthew."
Matthew had light skin, black hazel eyes, and a long face. He was skinny and wore tight clothes.
Poison pointed to the girl next to Matthew. "That's Valentina."
Valentina had tan skin, gray eyes, and blackish-brown hair. She wore a black shirt and shorts and glanced at Magnolia before looking away.
Poison continued, pointing to the boy leaning against the wall. "That's Sous."
Sous had a round face, slim build, orange eyes, black hair, and brown skin. He wore only shorts, exposing his bare chest.
Poison pointed to the girl leaning on Sous. "This is Sofia, Sous's sister."
Sofia had brown skin, slightly lighter than Sous, small orange eyes, and a round face. Her attire was minimal—slim pants and a tight top.
"And last, but not least, is Em—"
Poison glanced around, not finding who he was looking for. "Hey, where's Emma?"
"Stop being a big baby," Luna said, dragging Emma forward. Emma stood shyly before Magnolia, shorter than everyone else. She looked up at him with a blush, her green eyes and short brownish-blonde curly hair framed by a baby face and a birthmark on her neck.
Magnolia and Emma exchanged a lingering gaze, both unsure of what to make of each other.
"Hey, superstar." An arrogant voice interrupted their interaction, drawing Magnolia's attention away.