Kite gasped as he ran for his life.
His boots pounded against the broken earth, the cacophony resulting from multiple explosions ringing in his ears. The sky, once a canvas of serene blues, was now streaked with the smoke and fire of destruction. The machines from beyond the sky—colossal titans of metal and malice—descended upon the last bastion of his planet with relentless fury.
He turned around and gulped. It was hopeless, but he had to save his comrades and secure their escape.
Kite's grip tightened around the hilt of his ancient blade, a relic that hummed with a resonance only he could feel. It was more than a weapon; he had inherited it from his mom who had inherited from her mom and so on. It was a legacy, a symbol of hope in these desperate times.
With a roar, Kite flew into the air as wings of crimson ki launched him into the sky. His golden blade, now imbued in a crimson aura, sliced through the air in a fine line.
Each swing was a dance with death, each parry a plea for survival. The riders of the metal titans were cunning adversaries, adapting to his every move with terrifying efficiency. But they weren't the only ones who could adapt!
Kite's heart pounded as he faced the relentless mechas, their cold metal forms looming like harbingers of doom. The air was thick with the stench of burning metal and the cries of the fallen. He knew the end was near, but the fire within him burned too fiercely to surrender.
With a battle cry that echoed across the desolate battlefield, Kite charged forward. His blade clashed against the mecha's armor. Sparks flew, illuminating golden eyes and defiant expression. He fought valiantly, cutting down enemy after enemy, but they were too many, too strong.
A mecha, towering and ruthless, targeted Kite even as Kite stood on top of one of another mecha. Its arm transformed into a cannon, and with a deafening roar, it fired.
Kite's eyes widened as the blast approached, time slowing to a crawl. There was no escape. The impact was catastrophic, destroying the enemy mecha he stood on.
In his final moments, Kite's thoughts drifted to his comrades, to the world he could not save. He hoped his comrades could make it to safety and live to fight another day, especially his best friends. Then the world turned white.
---
Kite's consciousness flickered like a distant star in the void. He felt the pull of something beyond, a force gentle yet insistent. Was he going to the afterlife now? Was he even worthy? He had failed to save his planet from being taken over.
"Hey, wake up," a tiny voice called out. It sounded like the voice of a girl around ten or so.
When he opened his eyes again, it was not to the war-torn world he knew.
He laid in a meadow, the grass beneath him soft and the sky above a pastel blue.
His golden eyes turned toward the girl with purple eyes. She had a bow in her hair and held a wooden staff too big for her size.
A gasp escaped his lips. The girl looked like Lilica, one of his fellow soldiers.
"You okay?" she asked. "Why were you sleeping in the middle of the forest?"
He touched his forehead. Why was he here? He had no clue what was going on. The last thing he could recall was the blast from the mecha hitting him and feeling a strange tug.
Kite's mind reeled as he tried to piece together the fragments of his shattered reality. The girl's voice, tinged with concern, brought him back to the present. He attempted to push himself up, but his arms felt different—smaller, weaker. Glancing down, he saw hands not scarred by battle, but smooth and unblemished, the hands of a child.
Panic fluttered in his chest. This couldn't be. He was a warrior, not a… child. Yet, the evidence was undeniable. His gaze lifted to meet the girl's once more, searching for an explanation in her familiar yet foreign features.
"I… I don't know," he stammered, his voice higher than he remembered. "I was fighting, and then…"
The girl tilted her head, her purple eyes studying him with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Fighting? You're just a kid. Were you playing a game?"
Kite shook his head, the weight of his confusion heavy upon him. "No, it was real. The war, the mechas… I'm not supposed to be here."
She extended a hand, helping him to his feet. "Well, you're here now, in the Forest of Whispers. I'm Liliana. And you are?"
"Liliana…" The name echoed in his mind. Even her name was similar to Lilica's. "I'm Kaito, well everyone calls me Kite. At least, I was…"
His words trailed off as he caught sight of his reflection in a nearby stream. A young boy stared back at him, golden eyes wide with wonder and fear. This was him, yet it wasn't. He was Kite, but he was also someone new, someone reborn.
Liliana watched him, her expression softening. "You look lost. Come, I'll take you to Grandpa Mirrin. He knows many things. Maybe he can help you remember. Also, don't forget your sword."
He gasped and turned to see his golden sword resting beside where he had been laying. Why was it here?
Kite walked over to pick it up and felt a strange power pulsating from it. It was similar to ki, yet different. Was it the energy of this strange world?
"Liliana! Where are you!" a boy called out.
The call snapped Kite back to the present, and he clutched his sword tightly, the familiar weight a comfort in his small hands. He turned to see a boy approaching, his features sharp and his stride confident. The boy's hair was a cascade of blond locks that caught the sunlight, giving him an almost ethereal appearance.
The boy reminded him of his best friend, Rikuto.
"Liliana, who is this?" the boy asked, his gaze falling on Kite. There was a protective edge to his voice, a hint of suspicion.
"This is Kite," Liliana replied, her tone light. "He was lost in the forest. I'm taking him to Grandpa Mirrin."
The boy studied Kite, his blue eyes intense. "Kite, huh? I'm Elian, Liliana's neighbor. You're not from around here, are you?"
Kite shook his head, still struggling to understand his own situation. "No, I'm not. I don't know how I got here."
Elian crossed his arms and hummed.
"I found him in the grass. He was sleeping beside that sword of his," Liliana explained.
The boy's blue eyes scanned the canopy of the forest. "Didn't your gramps say this forest is an odd place?"
Liliana nodded.
Kite tilted his head, curious as to what the boy meant..
"Lilia's gramps always says that the Forest of Whispers holds many secrets," he continued, his gaze returning to Kite. "It's said that those who are lost in heart or soul find their way here, drawn by the forest's ancient magic."
Kite's grip on his sword tightened, the metal warm against his palm. Could this forest's magic be the reason for his presence here? He looked at Liliana, seeking confirmation.
Liliana nodded, her eyes reflecting the dappled sunlight. "Yes, and it's also said that the forest can sense the essence of a person. Maybe it sensed you needed help, Kite."
Elian stepped closer, his curiosity piqued. "That sword… it's unlike anything I've seen around here. Where did you get it?"
Kite hesitated, the memories of his past life colliding with the reality before him. "It was… it was my mother's, and her mother's before her. It's been in my family for generations."
Elian whistled softly, impressed. "A family heirloom, then. It must be powerful."
As they spoke, a gentle breeze swept through the forest, carrying with it a whisper, a voice that seemed to speak directly to Kite's soul. "The path you walk is shrouded in mystery, young one," it said. "But fear not, for the forest is a friend to the lost."
Kite felt a sudden calmness envelop him, the panic and confusion ebbing away like a receding tide. He was lost, yes, but not alone. With Liliana and Elian by his side, and the enigmatic wisdom of the forest surrounding him, he felt a burgeoning sense of peace.
He had almost forgotten what peace felt like.
"Let's go see your grandfather," Kite said, determination lacing his words as he looked at Liliana. "I have many questions, and it seems this forest—and my sword—may hold the answers."
Liliana nodded.
Together, the trio made their way through the Forest of Whispers, the trees parting before them as if in reverence to the journey ahead. Kite knew that the road to understanding his new life in this world would be fraught with challenges, but just like against the mechas, he couldn't run away.
Kite's golden eyes fell back to his golden sword. When his mom gave him this sword, she told him it would protect him when he most needed it. It being here with him meant it must've had something to do with this new life. But why did it bring him here? Did he have some grand purpose here? He hoped not. War was tiring. All he wanted was to get to be a normal guy for once, not a warrior or a hero.