Rain pours over the city, hastened by the shock wave's blast. Or is it?
The dawn sun is now obscured by black clouds as the day starts to unfold.
Going Back In Time...
Fia stood, watching Rhys, Luke, and Seeker disappear into the distance. She felt a surge of readiness as the hordes of the Anathema approached, their thirst for destruction threatening everything she cherished.
With purpose in her steps, Fia moved behind the hospital, where a man had thrust his sword into the ground, murmuring words as if in prayer.
"Beyond, are you ready?" Fia asked.
The man, with long golden hair and clad in white armor with a cape, his sword glowing with a golden light, ceased his prayers. He looked up and replied, "Never will I be."
Fia, her expression resolute, responded, "I know, but you must."
Beyond nods, "I know." Retrieving his sword, he secures it across his back. The light dims.
Together, they take cover in the forest, waiting to ambush the hordes coming from the north.
Beyond plants the sword firmly in the ground, both hands resting on its hilt. The sword shines brightly.
This place is about to become a battleground.
An Hour Slipped By...
Beyond remains completely still, his eyes wide open and glowing with the same light as the sword. He is prepared.
Fia's voice quivers as she says, "Something is wrong." She moves ahead of him, gazing north where the hordes are expected, with the forest stretching eastward beside them. The silence is unsettling. "We kept channeling, but they changed direction. Why? They are drawn to power. They should be here by now, unless there is a... stronger force? No... how can it be?"
After a brief pause, she continues, "Beyond, I'll trace their path back to the city. You head north. If either of us discovers anything, we'll signal each other."
Beyond nods, closing his eyes briefly. Retrieving his sword, he secures it across his back. The light from the blade dims as he adjusts the strap, readying himself. Before they part ways, he speaks her name softly.
"Fia...."
She turns, heartache and determination mingling in her gaze.
"Keep thine eyes wide open and guard thyself."
Her smile holds warmth.
"You too."
With that, they both set off in opposite directions.
As Fia moves, her eyes begin to shine with her powers, allowing her to see clearly in the dark night. The road ahead is clear, with nothing unusual in sight. She moves swiftly, her senses heightened, alert for any sign of danger.
Venturing further, she notices a sudden and unexpected change in the atmosphere. The once chilly night air begins to warm, wrapping around her like a comforting blanket. Confused, she pauses and looks around, her breath visible in the cold just moments before. "H-huh… this is strange," she murmurs to herself, her brow furrowing in concern. "Just a minute ago, it was freezing, and now it feels almost… warm?" The shift is unsettling, and Fia can't shake the feeling that something unusual is happening.
She glances around as she runs, scanning her surroundings. Nothing seems out of place, but the sudden change in temperature unsettles her. Despite this, she remains focused on her mission to trail her friends.
With a surge of energy, shockwaves emanate from her hands, propelling her swiftly across the long distance. In no time, she arrives at the hill overlooking the city. She pauses, taking in the view, and her eyes widen in shock. The entire city is being overrun by a thick, creeping fog that seems to swallow everything. "Huh… this fog…" she mutters, her voice barely a whisper.
Her thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a piercing scream. Instinctively, she scans the area, pinpointing the source near the train yard close to the city. Without a second thought, she resumes running, descending the hill in a hurry, her heart pounding with urgency.
She arrives at the training ground, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.
Before her stands Cyrus, pounding the ground like a crazed fiend, each punch sending shockwaves rippling through the earth.
The sight of him in such a state shocks her. She glances at him, noticing the eerie red glow in his eyes. This is no longer the boy she once knew.
***
To become Anathema is to embrace the inevitable approach of near death, an inescapable fate. Before this transformation, those who succumb to the Shattering experience a terrifying change: their eyes turn and glow red. After this, an unknown entity emerges, taking some form to mark their descent. Once the eyes have turned, there is no saving oneself.
***
Fia even looks at him from within using her powers, but what she sees only deepens her horror. The corruption has spread through every fiber of his being, leaving nothing of the boy she once cared about.
Clenching her fist, Fia feels raw energy surge through her veins, ready to unleash a devastating shock blast. Just as she is about to strike, Cyrus suddenly halts and turns towards her, his eyes filled with a strange, pleading intensity. His lips move, whispering words no one could hear but himself, "Fia… help me…"
A faint plea.
The shockwave hits, shattering his hands and sending him hurtling through the air.
Fia's heart wrenches with sorrow as she watches Cyrus being flung into the distance. "I'm sorry…" she whispers, her voice trembling with regret. She lifts her gaze to the sky, channeling another blast upwards, a desperate signal to Beyond.
With a determined sprint, Fia races towards the city gate, plunging into the dense, suffocating fog. As she passes through the gate, her body begins to vibrate with an intense aura. The vibrations emanate from her form, causing the fog to move aside as she walks through it due to the disturbance in the air. With the power, her eyes can pierce through anything, making her see the grotesque horrors hidden within.
The city is a macabre tableau of flesh and blood, each step uncovering increasingly disturbing scenes. Despair washes over her as she realizes that all their efforts have been in vain. The fog parts temporarily with each step, but she knows it will return as soon as her vibrations subside, unless the conditions that created the fog are altered.
Suddenly, she hears a voice nearby, one she recognizes instantly. "Seeker…?" she mutters, moving towards the sound.
The atmosphere around her grows warm, then hot, causing the fog to dissipate into the dark cloud above. The cloud grows larger and darker, looming ominously overhead.
She stops.
There he stands, four blades piercing his abdomen.
She stares at him, watching blood sputter from his lips.
As the fog clears completely, Seeker stands motionless, his hand drenched in blood, eyes vacant.
Before collapsing to the ground, the rain starts to fall. He looks at her and manages a faint, heartbreaking smile.
His smile seems to halt time itself, the raindrops freezing in mid-air beside his mouth.
I T W A S S U P P O S E D T O B E H E R
In a heartbeat, Fia reaches Seeker as he collapses, grabbing him under the knees and back to lift him. She moves him towards the sanctuary, her heart pounding with urgency. Along the way, Seeker's hand reverts to its normal form, causing the blood to flow freely. She runs as fast as she can, holding him tightly.
A piercing thought strikes her mind, "…Why?..." As she looks around, the realization dawns on her. "...Is this the fog's doing… Seeker… were you aware?... Is that.... Why you...…"
The Scene Shifts To Amana's Gate...
After the fight in the sanctuary, The Unknowing Man hums as he walks outside the gate.
The heat is unbearable, and he fans himself, moving his hand up and down in a rhythmic motion. "Oh boy, what a day. Even the rain is warm," he mutters.
Right then, he sees a man bathed in an eerie red glow, with crimson veins and molten lava dripping from him. Despite his fearsome appearance, the man in red seems desperate. He is holding a girl who appears lifeless, though there is no visible injury. In a desperate voice, the man in red pleads, "Help her… please..."
The Unknowing Man sighs, "Oh dear, oh dear… so it was you, playing with the weather. Hehehehe. Don't you worry. Here." He extends his hand, and from it, a glowing shard emerges. "Follow this shard; there you'll find someone who could help."
The shard flies through the gate into the city, and the man in red follows it.
The Unknowing Man smiles, resumes his humming, and walks towards the training ground.
And in the training ground amidst the chaos, Light crawls due to Cyrus's devastating punch. He feels the sting of blood dripping from his nose, mingling with the scratches that mar his body and face.
Each movement is agony, but he forces himself forward, driven by a single, desperate thought: "Samantha, please be safe…"
As he inches closer to where she is, his heart pounds in his chest. He spots a body lying on the ground, and his voice, barely more than a whisper, trembles with fear and hope, "Samantha, is that you?" He keeps crawling, his breath ragged, coughing up blood with every painful inch.
He kept pushing forward until he reached her.
Samantha's body lies on the ground, a horrific testament to the relentless power of Cyrus's punches.
One leg is missing, the other twisted grotesquely. Both her arms are shattered, her fingers blown apart. Her skull is barely holding together, her face a ruin of torn flesh, her eyes gone, her nose and ears clogged with blood, and her mouth a mess of broken teeth and blood—all from the brutal pressure waves of Cyrus's punches.
Seeing this, Light's eyes fill with tears, his heart shattering into a million pieces. His face contorts with sorrow as he whispers, "No… no, no, no, no… Samantha… please… NO!... I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you…" At that moment, a faint, labored breath escapes Samantha's mouth. She is alive! Barely. Light hears it, and a glimmer of hope flickers in his eyes. He reaches out to touch her, but in that instant...
A foot stomps down on Samantha's fragile head, crushing it with a sickening crunch.
Light's face is a mask of shock and horror.
The Unknowing Man, who has been humming a tune, steps on Samantha's face and says with cruel indifference, "Oh dear, oh dear, I didn't see you there. Huh… oh dear, the girl from before. Well, well, it is what it is." He then breaks into a chilling laugh.
Light's face twists into a mask of rage, his teeth clenching so hard they might shatter. His power surges, making the atmosphere around them crackle with electricity. The air grows thick with tension, and sparks dance around his body. He is about to unleash his fury and destroy this man.
Seeing this, the Unknowing Man smiles, a sinister grin unfazed by the boy's rage. "Now, now, this is not the time for wrath, little boy," he says nonchalantly. At that moment, he waves his hand, and a portal opens up under Light. From the portal, ten infant hands emerge, grabbing Light and dragging him down. Before Light can even react, the portal swallows him.
The Scene Shifts To Fia...
Fia arrives at the sanctuary, now on the fifth floor. Her heart pounds as she carries Seeker, his blood soaking through her clothes. The four gaping wounds in his stomach bleed profusely.
This floor, unlike the others, is a fully equipped hospital designed to treat the injured and the weary. The walls are lined with pristine white tiles, and the air is filled with the faint scent of antiseptic. Rows of beds with crisp, white sheets are neatly arranged, each accompanied by medical equipment.
Fia carefully sets Seeker on one of the beds, her movements gentle yet urgent. Seeker's breathing is shallow, and his face is pale.
She takes a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The fifth floor is a place of healing, a sanctuary within the Sanctuary, and she needs to believe that. As she works, her mind races with thoughts of Beyond and the others, hoping they are safe.
"Hang in there," she whispers, her voice filled with determination. "I'm going to get you through this."
Fia quickly assesses Seeker's injuries. The claw-like blades have left four deep punctures, dangerously close to vital organs. She needs to act fast. Grabbing a bundle of sterile cloths, she presses them firmly against the wounds. "Hold on," she murmurs, applying pressure to stem the bleeding. Seeker groans, his eyes fluttering open for a moment.
With the bleeding somewhat controlled, Fia reaches for a bottle of antiseptic. She pours the liquid over the wounds, Seeker's body tensing as the antiseptic stings. "I know…" she says, her voice soothing.
Her hands move with practiced precision as she threads a needle with surgical thread. One by one, she stitches the punctures, her mind focused solely on saving Seeker. Each stitch is a promise, a vow to keep him alive.
Once the wounds are closed, Fia wraps Seeker's abdomen with clean bandages, securing them tightly but gently. Tears well up in her eyes as she whispers, "I'm sorry… I put you through this…"
She stays by his side, monitoring his breathing and pulse. She whispers words of comfort, "You're going to be okay," she assures him, her voice filled with determination and hope.
Suddenly, a shining shard flies through the door.