Chereads / Brothers of Light and darkness: “The Struggle for Balance” / Chapter 4 - Chapter one : The connections part three

Chapter 4 - Chapter one : The connections part three

Lucian's thoughts

How can this world change when people witness injustices and remain idle?

Particularly those with influence and a voice who could truly make a difference. I can comprehend the plight of the marginalized who lack a voice and face repercussions even if they attempt to speak out. However, it is the inaction of those in power that frustrates me the most.

Of course, there are those who maintain their integrity despite their power.

Corruption and power can intoxicate individuals, and there are those who, despite having the means and a voice to effect change, remain indifferent to their surroundings.

They remain apathetic because the issues do not directly impact them. However, when they are personally affected, they suddenly become concerned and seek solutions.

"Now welcome back to our tale. As we delve into Chapter One, Part Three: The Connections, prepare to catch a glimpse of the future god, Irah, during his mortal days before his ascension to divinity."

As Irah and two of his friends find their way back to their village after patrolling the area, Amaru, one of Irah's oldest friends, says to Yumi, "Hey Yumi, look, there goes Irah spacing out on his thoughts again. Hmm, what a guy!"

"I've known him for a while, even before I joined the Guardian Knights. We didn't interact much, but when we did, we always connected. He helped me out on many occasions," Amaru continued, his voice filled with nostalgia. "After I got accepted to join his regiment, I started to build a deeper bond with him, especially after the surprise invitation to work closely with him. It was an honor to join his team."

"After that, with all the experiences and adventures we had, he never stops surprising me. You know how he can't be caught off guard. Even when he's lost in thought, he sees things coming from afar."

Yumi responds to Amaru, "Well, my brother is something special in his own way, though many won't acknowledge him because he won't let his integrity be bought. He keeps his hope up even in the darkest moments. His perception is so enhanced that not even the worst scenarios faze him. By the time something happens, he already has a solution, whether combat-related or not."

Amaru replies, "Yes, with each experience he goes through, he adapts, and that is one of his strengths. He doesn't seek power for his own benefit. All he wants is for everyone to have a peaceful and interesting life."

Yumi says, "Yes, Amaru. His dedication to others is truly inspiring. He always puts the needs of the village and his friends above his own. It's what makes him not just a great warrior but a great leader. His vision for a peaceful future is something we all strive for."

As Yumi and Amaru keep talking, Irah, lost in his own thoughts, says to himself, "Hmm, I'm glad I have you guys with me. The corruption of this world can go beyond the law of nature itself." At that moment, his mood suddenly changes as he becomes serious yet calm and thinks to himself, "What is this weird sense?" as he tries to identify it, but finds it difficult.

A thought comes to mind, "Hmm, I can't seem to see what it is, but I can still feel it."

"That means there's something out there, but it's far enough away that I can't fully see what it is. This is concerning."

At that moment, Amaru calls for Irah, "Hey Irah! You okay over there?"

Irah responds, "Hey! Yeah, Amaru, I'm okay. Just a bit hungry, that's all."

He thinks, "This might be nothing, but still..."

As time passes and they approach the village entrance, a fire blast comes at high speed from far away in the woods. Before Irah can react, a second blast comes from above.

Within seconds, Irah, Amaru, and Yumi find themselves trapped in the blasts. As they make contact, a huge explosion damages the village entrance and injures some of the Guardian Knights. The village guardians quickly react and rush to Irah, Amaru, and Yumi's aid.

After the big explosion, a big fire and smoke around the affected area start to simmer down. As the guardians close in on the area, they try to see if they were okay. As one of the guardians' captains says, "Well, to be expected. Great work, Irah. Many casualties were able to be prevented because of you, but some construction work would help out to get more in shape," he says with confidence, a smile, and a small laugh as he finishes speaking.

All of a sudden, a loud voice comes out of the smoke.

As Irah screams, "Now go!"

Guardians spread out as a being of light emerges from the smoke, revealing the location of the attack origin.

As the beam reveals seven strings made with beams of silver light magic, five guardians move with quick reaction. Four of them each went to one location, and the 5th one took out all of Zahar's forces from one location with minimal effort, but yet had a few challenges. As he clears one area out, he heads to the last one with a quick dash reaction and says as he approaches the last location,

"Damn! They are well organized, I give them that."

As he shouts, as he closes in, "You'll need more than that to get through us."

As the smoke finally goes away, Irah is revealed untouched and without a scratch. A serious expression is revealed from Irah as he quickly moves to the location where the 5th guardian headed, where he meets the commander of the Guardian Knights of his village.

As Irah arrives, he says with a calm but serious mood as the aura starts to get just a bit tense but yet calm, "Hey commander, how have you been?"

As the commander responds, "It's going well, full of excitement for what I can say."

As he laughs and says, "Hahahah, yeah, a very exciting day."

"The villagers close to the area have been evacuated to the other side of the village, thanks to your warning."

To which Irah responds, "No problem. At the beginning, I wasn't sure what that weird sense was, but just to be on the safe side as we were continuing our way to the village, I left some strings of silver light magic that, after coming in contact with it, can trace each target that it comes in contact with without them even knowing it."

As the commander responds, "Hahaha, so now I see, this is why it is so difficult to get you by surprise."

To which Irah responds,

"Well, that is one of the reasons, but there is more to it than you think."

As Irah starts to look with a calm but serious expression at the enemy, he says,

"Now, what have you come here for?"

With a malevolent laugh, the leader that led the attack laughed,

"Hahahaha, hmm, I should have known better, but I still felt compelled to try."

With a dark tone, he says,

"Well, as for why I am here, I think you could imagine why."

The air grew heavy with tension, even as both sides remained outwardly calm.

It was as if an invisible storm was brewing between them, with their expressions masking the truth beneath the surface.

To be continued