The air was thick with smoke, which made Talon's eyes water as he struggled to see through the haze. He pressed the collar of his shirt against his nose and mouth, attempting to filter out the acrid stench. Amidst the chaos, he could hear distant echoes of clashing blades and the muffled shouts of the ongoing battle. Unsure of what to do next, he hesitated, searching for a path through the smoke.
He did not have to search for long, through the smoke, a burning silhouette revealed itself.
'I saw this man before, this is just another nightmare, it's got to be.' Told Talon to himself. His mind still racing, searching for answers, but his line of thoughts were interrupted by the burning man.
"Why are you trying so hard? what are you trying to achieve? Was it worth for you to leave us?!" Shouted the man engulfed in flames, before he regained his composure and continued again. "You know what, it doesn't matter anymore, you made your choice, and I made mine." Said the man with a loud sigh before he showed a weak smile, barely visible amidst the smoke and the flames.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, the man conjured massive flames, surrounding everything in sight. The very earth became scorched by them. These flames headed towards Talon, threatening to burn him to ashes.
Before the flames could reach him, ice collided with the massive pillars of flames, instantly turning them into steam. Damien walked up to Talon's side. "Good work there, kid, but I'll take it from here," said Damien as he patted his shoulder and walked towards the man. "Nice to see you too C—"
"Shut up Damian, I don't want to hear anything from you, the time for words is over!" declared the man as the heat intensified around him.
With a heavy sigh, Damien summoned his twin blades made of ice while the man condensed the flames in his hand, before pulling out a black blade from the flames. The two stood in silence, locking eyes with intensity.
The previous sounds of battle slowly died down, the battlefield descended into silence as every soldier gazed at their respective leaders. Talon's mind was blank, he could not figure out what was happening exactly.
'What's happening? I was in the meeting room with the hunters. How am I even here? And why is Damian here? If this is a dream, than why am I seeing Damien?' As Talon's mind raced, searching for answers, he observed Damian a little closer. The man looked haggard, appearing ages older, with dark circles around his eyes. It was obvious that Damian hadn't shaved in months.
Before Talon could think of anything, the two men facing each other shouted one word each. "AVALANCHE! — INFERNO!"
The world froze in entirety, just so that it could melt under the intense heat coming from the man in flames. The two rushed at each other with murderous intent while steam surrounded everything in sight.
Yet, strangely, Talon could clearly see through the steam. He gazed at the two, but before they could collide with their weapons, the sky itself split in two, and everyone vanished, leaving only Talon staring at the torn sky. A chilling silence enveloped him, and a sudden feeling of dread settled in his gut.
In the eerie stillness, a terror beyond comprehension seized Talon. The air turned heavy, and a sense of impending doom gripped his soul. A monstrous arms emerged from the torn sky, sending shivers down his spine. The being uttered incomprehensible words that echoed int Talon's mind, leaving him paralyzed with fear.
Before he could comprehend the words said by the being, a sudden and painful jolt shook him, the world around him twisted and warped. He awoke with a gasp, his hearth pounding in his chest.
As his heartbeat gradually slowed, and he composed himself, Talon looked around, just to find out that he did not wake up completely. He wasn't in the meeting room with the four huntsman, and his two guardian, but in the dark hill shrouded in mist. Yet again, he woke up closely to the church, it's doors were open this time too.
"Maybe I only wake up here to open doors, when I have these… nightmares?" Mumbled Talon to himself before something caught his eyes. Before the church, stood a lonely grave, it looked like none of the others around the hill.
The lonely grave stood out, distinct from the weathered conditions of it's counterpart scattered around the hill. Unlike the worn appearance of the other graves, this lonely one was in pristine condition, as if untouched by the passage of time.
Talon approached the grave, compelled to inspect it more closely. To his shock, this grave was filled, and on the headstone, a name was inscribed.
"Even in death, you mock me!" shouted the boy, his mind consumed by rage as he fiercely punched the tombstone, making his fist bleed. "You should be in a ditch, not in a grave; even that's too good for you!" roared Talon, delivering a powerful kick to the grave once more.
"All that shouting irritates me to no end, so shut your mouth, kid," said a figure shrouded entirely in red mist as they walked out of the church. The expression on his face revealed deep irritation, evident in his furrowed brows.
Talon's gaze fixed on the figure before him, a chilling contrast to the one he had encountered before. The man, shrouded in red mist, exuded an entirely different aura—terrifying and unsettling.
A shiver ran down Talon's spine as he remembered encountering someone similar during his previous visits. However, the man then had worn a kind expression. The one before him now, though, sent a wave of fear through Talon.
The distinct scent of blood hung heavy in the air, assaulting Talon's heightened senses. His keen nose, finely attuned to the slightest nuances, detected not just a small amount, but an overwhelming presence of it. The thought crept into Talon's mind: How many did this man kill?
A palpable fear gripped Talon as he slowly began to back away from the ominous figure, his instincts screaming at him to create distance from this unknown and menacing presence.
"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be lying in one of these graves," scoffed the man before he nonchalantly turned and walked back into the church. Talon remained alone on the hill, struck mute in the overpowering presence of the man emanating the overwhelming scent of blood.
Before the man closed the church door, Talon's attention was drawn to something unusual. The stained glass portraying the one-eyed priest and the colossal obsidian serpent had been entirely replaced. In its stead, a new stained glass depicted a one-eyed soldier clad in light armor, dual blades in hand while he bathed in blood with a manic expression. However, the glass was cracked, worn down.
"This doesn't make sense, who are these—" Before Talon could dwell further on the two strange men he encountered on the dark hill, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the man.
"You should leave now; you still have some... prey to hunt," said the man with an expression that sent chills down Talon's spine, before he shut the church door, jolting Talon awake.
***
When Talon regained consciousness, a peculiar sensation tingled in his right arm. As he looked down, a wave of terror surged through him, he was holding an arm in his hand, cleanly torn off.
After the initial feeling of terror subsided, he scanned the room, only to discover the entire meeting room in chaos. The huntsman, Aegis, was suspended against the wall, his movements restricted, staring at Damien with a defiant expression frozen on his face.
Archer aimed her bow directly at Damian, yet she found herself incapable of releasing the arrow as Paul held a longsword against her throat, effectively thwarting any attempt to shoot.
The huntsman named Lance nonchalantly sat in his seat, propping his legs on the table. When his gaze met Talon's, he greeted the boy with a friendly wave and a smile. Then, gesturing downward, Talon noticed the huntsman, Striker, lying on the ground just in front of the boy, with his left arm missing.
Striker's eyes widened with horror. He clutched his bleeding stump, writhing in pain, and then, with a guttural scream, he unleashed a torrent of curses at Talon.
"You really are irreparable, nothing but a monster! No matter what these two want, you will do nothing but cause chaos and despair. This world would be a better place without you!" Striker bellowed, his voice filled with a mix of agony and anger. The room seemed to echo with his harsh words.
Talon's eyes narrowed as he spat back at Striker, his tone, full of venom, "Yes, maybe it really would become a better place without me... so I'm going to live as long as I can!"