Soft sand shifted under his legs as his battered figure made its way around the collapsed debris of ships, closer to the towering building that now stood above them like a forgotten giant while dragging a girl who held his hand behind him.
His eyes held no trace of emotion, just deep-seated tiredness that penetrated his body.
There was no place on him without a wound but even the biggest one of them began already heal slowly but not even that filled him with excitement and as he raised his gaze to four towering towers his heart skipped a beat.
Giant figures passed through the clouds while casting their shadows down on Earth. They danced around the four towers and sat on them while others continued to fly above the clouds hidden from his sight and revealing only incomprehensive parts of their bodies covered in stone-like skin until they disappeared behind a towering monument.
Even without knowing their face, just their size sent shivers down his back and made him walk faster than before.
Step after step left soft footmarks on the ground but each time he turned around there was nothing just white sand, sharp rock, and a sea where rows of hundreds of people still observed him in total absence of any sound.
The wind blew into his face but the perfect song he was familiar with did not come with hundreds of gazes and disappeared the same way it came.
Curious about something he stopped where he was and listened closely to the blowing wind until a faint whisper of an old lost song entered his ear and filled his chest with unnatural calmness until the song was once again gone.
Sighing in relief he then turned around and continued to walk.
There was no way to tell how much time had passed but at one moment Hildebrant lifting his head was able to gaze at the bronze marble gate, so big that his small figure looked like that of a rat.
It was to the point where he wanted to turn around from embarrassment but taking up his courage, he approached the gate and then just stood there observing it while the girl continued to hold his hand with a strong grip.
Noticing him looking at her she raised her gaze from the floor and then understanding his intention she reluctantly let go of his hand and then stood close next to him without moving an inch until he moved too.
Taking a step closer Hildebrant put his hand on the gate while the girl continued to observe him and stood behind him on his right.
He then pushed with all his might and the entire gate trembled a little but then stopped moving and Hildebrant breath became raged. Blood flowed out of his wounded and burned arms and his not long-ago mended skin now began to crack and tear.
Gritting his teeth he pushed again this time he poured flames into various parts of his body most of his hands began to let some of the red flames escape from cracks in his skin.
The entire gate shook and with another mighty push, it moved a little, sending an old creaking sound to his mind.
It was as if eternity passed before he finally created a small gap for both and then stopped pouring his flames into his hands and fell on the white shore completely spent.
He no longer could move but when the girl began to lift him, he had still enough energy to turn his head to the side where deep harrowing darkness changed like a living being prepared to hunt its prey.
Hildebrant watched it and then it looked back.