CHAPTER 8 – RECOVERY
Johnny woke to a vast plain of endless white that took up the upper half of his view. The lower part of his view was an endless black void. The vision began to shake as Johnny saw the void rapidly start to consume the whiteness in the room until there was only a small hole that looked like the size of the sun.
I must be dead. Thought Johnny.
"You are not dead; this is a vision and a warning. The loathing one will destroy everything if he isn't stopped." A voice broke the silence.
Johnny looked around for the source of the voice. "Who is the loathing one and more importantly, who is talking?"
The voice repeated back. "My name isn't of any concern. Names have power. If my name is even mentioned, the loathing one will consume me. Then the whole universe will be next." The voice ranted. "I can tell you my known name to my followers." The voice sighed. "I am known as Radiant, and my followers go by the Radiant Alliance."
Johnny watched as the vision changed to a planet. The surface was covered with ice and snow. Johnny looked at the world in awe, his expression turned to horror as he watched the planet dissolve into nothingness.
"Every time the loathing one consumes a world. He gets more powerful. He is already beyond the point where the alliance can no longer go into the void." The Radiant said with a tone that sounded like there was no way to win.
"What do you need with me." Asked Johnny.
"You and your prototype car can save the universe. The dimensional drive on the prototype as an asset the Loathing One would love to have." Said the Radiant One with a concerned voice.
"There is no way I can save the universe with the prototype. Besides, the dimensional drive is damaged beyond repair at the moment!" Yelled Johnny."I was just doing my own thing for Banzai Bangers, when I ended up here." Johnny ranted." I was also nearly killed." He added with disdain.
Johnny then thought back to when he came into the portal. "He remembered the car fishtailing from the wind. "You.., YOU WERE THE ONE TO MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL OF THE PROTOYPE WITH THAT GUST OF WIND!" Johnny screamed.
The Radiant spoke to Johnny is a sad tone. "You are making too many assumptions. I was only going to have you arrive at the Radiant Alliance HQ. The Loathing One had sensed my presence and interfered with that gust of wind. Also, I had planned for you to meet up with my followers. Somehow you ended up way off. No doubt to the loathing one or possibly one of his minions."
"Then why should I even help you. You just seem as bad as the Loathing One." Yelled Johnny.
The vision then shifted again showing Earth. "Because the loathing one has sites on Earth soon…" Said The Radiant voice. "I know you want to go back to Earth. But if you don't stop the threat here from the rift eaters. There is no chance of going home." Stated the Radiant voice.
As Johnny watched in horror as the Earth dissolved into nothingness as well. "Help the alliance, defeat the rift eaters, enter their domains, and destroy their cores. The cores of the rift are what empowers the Loathing one." Replied The Radiant voice.
Just then the vision began to falter. "I must go. He found me talking to you. If he catches me, the universe is doomed." Replied The Radiant. "The alliance can help you fix the prototype later on. Also they will assist you in your fights to come. Now go before it is too late." The vision shifted to before the earthquake scared off the creature. Just as the monster reached Johnny. His vision went black…
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Johnny woke up feeling very weak. He found himself on a warm cot. His body was stiff and sore as he tried to move. He realized his body was covered in bandages. Even though he felt better he realized he still could be in danger. He sat up slowly looking around. At first, he thought he had just woken up from being in a terrible accident at a Banzai Bangers event. He then thought back about his imprisonment, and the ensuing fight. This made Johnny more warry of his surroundings. He found himself in a giant makeshift tent. One of those kinds seen at an old fashion circus. The tent was all white in color. The only other thing Johnny could see was a white privacy curtain then surrounded him. Johnny found his racing suit was also gone. It had been replaced with a white robe like all the others were wearing. He was about to start panicking when a voice that was soothing and calming made him relax.
"Calm yourself, you don't need to panic. You are safe now." Said a person in a feminine tone. Johnny swore the voice sounded a bit Irish. He then looked in the direction of the voice to see a green-haired elf. She had just entered the tent he was in. Johnny froze as he looked into her emerald eyes. It was the same elf he saw in his dreams. Her skin was smooth as silk that was alabaster white. Her body could be compared to royalty as it was tall and slender. She was wearing a simple white drawstring robe that had a hood pulled down. The robe had a golden emblem on it.
"You are safe here." The elf said reassuring Johnny. Johnny began to calm down from her tone.
"Where am I, what had happened, and who are you? Also, how am I not feeling any pain? Although, I feel a little stiff and sore." Johnny asked in a fast panic tone before taking a deep breath.
"My name is Julia, and I am a member of the Radiant Alliance." She said with a prideful tone. "Also, as for where we are. We are back at your campsite you had setup." The elf replied. Her expression then turned grim. "As for why you are not feeling any pain…" She trailed off before speaking again.
"You were severely injured. You almost died a few times when I was healing your wounds and injuries." Julia replied in a worried tone. "I had to get more help from other healers. With their help I was able to save you." She continued.
Johnny gulped. "Uh, thanks for that Julia. Tell the other healers I said thanks as well." Johnny replied.
She then turned to look at Johnny's forehead. "Another thing, the fragment in your head is giving off a weird magic reading?" She asked out of curiosity.
"Magic reading? We don't have magic from where I am from." Johnny replied with a bit of curiosity as well. He then thought back to when the orc said it gave him radiant magic.
"Well, the orc told me he had given me the use of radiant magic." He rambled off.
Julia looked concerned with his statement. "How the orc managed that I have no clue. At least that shard in your head somehow helped the healing process go way faster." She added. "Normally, it would take someone days or weeks to heal with those kinds of injuries. You healed up with about a day." She continued.
"As for what had happened. That watcher was going to have a Rift eater to consume you." She stated. "Watcher?" Johnny asked raising his brow.
"Watchers are the ones who are followers of the loathing one. Their jobs are to make sure the influence of the Loathing one isn't messed with." She told Johnny she said fast and smooth.
"Even though the shaman was defeated. The influence he left here is still too high." She told Johnny.
"The Loathing One tried to have the shaman make you ascend into a void portal when you arrived here. They had gotten wind of our plans." She stated with a shutter.
"We planned on having you enter the portal at our HQ, but the loathing one foiled those plans. We were able to at least interfere with the portal disruption." She continued.
"That is how you ended up where you did. I then tried to track you down. When I realized you were imprisoned. I ran back to the local alliance hub to gather a rescue team." She finished.
"So that orc shaman was a watcher, and the creature that I saw in the barrier was a Rift Eater, I assume." Said Johnny in a frustrated tone.
That is correct." She replied.
"For now, you should rest." She spoke in a commanding voice. "I am going to go meet with the other elites and inform you are awake." She continued. "Then we will figure out how to move on from there." She finished as she got up to leave.
Johnny stopped before she was about to head out though. "It was nice meeting you Julia. My name is Johnny by the way." He told her with a smile before she left.
Another healer came in to take her place as she left. Johnny just decided to relax. He laid down and just daydreamed. Hopefully, this doesn't turn into an issue like the orc shaman. He thought as he yawned.