Evelyn stood silently in the moonlight, her eyes were filled with worry, then she started transforming.
First was her skin turning purple, the color spreading like ink in water. Her dark silky hair began turning blue, the color seeming to flow from her roots to the tips. Then her eyes changed, the pupils elongating into slits like a cat's. The transformation was both beautiful and terrifying, a testament to the strange and dangerous world they lived in.
"I was infected. I might become one of those abominations soon," she said as she vanished with the wind, but not without a tear hitting the ground.
The clearing, once filled with magic and love, now stood empty and somber. The glowing flowers dimmed, as if mourning Evelyn's departure. The waterfall's gentle roar seemed more melancholic now, a constant reminder of the fleeting nature of moments and emotions.
Meanwhile, Kai had arrived at his destination. The forest gave way to a small clearing where a simple wooden house stood. Despite its modest appearance, the air around it crackled with energy, hinting at the power of its occupant.
"Hey, if it isn't my favorite Warrior," a man in light blue clothes called out. Unlike the rest of the Corps members who always wear black, this one was in blue. It was what the Transcendents wear. He had golden eyes and hair, and you could feel the space around him cracking from his intense might. Occasionally, lightning sparks twirled around him.
"You called for me, Master Leo," Kai said, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. He was not in the mood for laughs and jokes; he had just had to ruin a perfect night.
"Umm, yeah, yeah," Leo nodded his head. "You take things too seriously," he told Kai. "You wouldn't become a Transcendent like that, hahaha," he laughed as he teased.
Veins threatened to burst out of Kai's head. He was used to their master's eccentric nature; sometimes he would be serious, and other times he wouldn't.
Seeing Kai's unyielding character, not being in the slightest bit for plays, he gave an embarrassed laugh. "He wasn't like this when you first joined the corps," Leo thought out loud.
"I told you master to not think out loudly," Kai sighed in defeat.
"Okay, for the serious business," Leo said as he walked closer to Kai, then tapping on Kai's forehead, he lifted him up to the air.
"Where are we going?" Kai asked as he floated in the air. He knew it wasn't his powers; it was Leo's power helping him float.
"Look at the skies, what do you see," Leo pointed at the sky.
"Water that could fall and drown us at anytime?" Kai answered truthfully.
"Sigh, how can you be so stupid," Leo looked at him as if he was looking at a fool, then tapping his head once more, he transferred a bit of his powers to Kai. "Guide it to your eyes," he instructed.
Kai did as he was told, then looked back at the skies. What he saw left him speechless. "This..." He didn't know how to explain it.
"You see the nodes right?" Leo asked.
Kai couldn't understand why Nodes were scattered in the sky, each one big enough to fit a few persons. "Where do those nodes lead to?" Kai asked. Some connected to each other, while some didn't, but they all had one thing in common: they were all green. 'Is this how Transcendents see the world?' Kai couldn't help but ask inwardly.
"Those nodes all lead to different worlds. There is one to yours though," Leo explained. "Can you see why we must protect this land, this world filled with mortals?" Leo asked. He showed Kai due to how he was; Kai questioned why the Corps members die saving a world that isn't theirs.
"Look there," he pointed to another place, "and there and there," Leo pointed to many more places. "What do you see?" he asked.
"Those nodes are dark, some are red," Kai answered.
"Those are nodes that could lead to threats. The people there all have bad intentions, and we must stop them," Leo said.
"But... doesn't that mean our fights are futile? The nodes are countless. If one day they all became a threat too..." Kai didn't finish his words. He knew Leo understood.
"The Corps has existed since chaos knows when. There is only one enemy we have been fighting, and he is set on conquering worlds. He is the one we must stop," Leo explained.
"It still doesn't explain why we fight for people who don't know about us," Kai said.
"This world is the core of your world," Leo explained. "If this world is conquered, no other world will be saved. Only this world has a node to other worlds," Leo explained. "Your families up there, friends will be no exception to the threat that would come if this world falls," Leo added.
Kai breathed in and made a resolve. He clenched his fist but said nothing. After a moment of silence, "Why did you summon me?" he asked again.
Seeing Kai's determined look, he smiled brightly then floated downward before retracting his energy from Kai. 'It's already great that he could handle my powers even when he isn't a Transcendent,' Leo thought to himself.
"A rogue wizard appeared in a world of non-supernaturals. You are to go stop him from causing any more damage," Leo explained.
"You could have issued it via the communicator," Kai said.
"That dark round thing? I don't want to. Besides, you will need to get through a node for the mission. Go prepare so I could help you cross through... you are going to another world, baby," Leo said with a smirk.
"Tsk," Kai clicked his tongue before going back to prepare. He planned to go tell Evelyn about his mission. He knew this one would take months to finish, but after searching till the sun showed up, he couldn't find her. He had a bad feeling about this, but he shrugged it off while leaving a note for her in his abode. He knew she would come to visit him, and since she was the only one with access to his house except him, she would see the note.
As Kai prepared for his mission, his thoughts kept drifting back to Evelyn. The memory of her standing in that magical clearing, bathed in the soft glow of the flowers, haunted him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that there was more to her attempted confession than he realized.
Packing his essentials, Kai's movements were mechanical, his mind elsewhere. The weight of his sword at his side was comforting, a reminder of his duty and purpose. But for the first time, it also felt like a burden, keeping him from the one he loved.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, painting the world in warm hues of gold and orange, Kai made his way back to Leo's house. The forest seemed different in the daylight, less magical and more ordinary. But Kai knew better now. He understood that beneath the surface of this seemingly normal world lay connections to countless others, some peaceful, some threatening.
Approaching Leo's house, Kai took a deep breath, steadying himself for what was to come. He had never traveled through a node before, and the thought filled him with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
"I am ready," Kai said as he waited for Leo to send him through the Node. His voice was firm, masking the turmoil of emotions beneath the surface. As he stood there, poised on the brink of a new adventure, Kai couldn't help but wonder what challenges awaited him in this new world, and what changes might occur in his absence. With one last thought of Evelyn, he steeled himself for the journey ahead.