Kile
Sweat poured down my face as I focused all of my energy into speed. If I slowed down for even a second it would all be over. I would never be able to see Miko again, he would be lost forever. That's what the strange person had basically just told me. Everything hinged on me being able to find it.
I can't believe this is real!
Miko, I'm coming for you, just you wait!
Throwing my clothes out of my closet without a second thought about how dirty my room was becoming, I searched for the sacred item. My mom's need for a constant, pristinely cleaned room would have to wait. If I couldn't find it, everything would be over. It was of the utmost importance that I find my suit.
I can't look homeless in front of aliens! Where are you at, you stupid suit!
"Hey, Miko's boyfriend. We've got like 3 minutes till the portal closes. So hurry up."
I jumped at the girl's command. Stop calling me his boyfriend! We're just friends!
With even more fervor I threw my clothes on the floor until I finally found the suit. A beautiful maroon color with a beige tie. Black shoes to seal the deal. The suit cost me an entire paycheck, but its elegant splendor was well worth the price.
I was planning to wear this suit to prom, but a festival in another world sounded even better.
After a few weeks of being scared out of my mind, I would finally see Miko again. I knew he wasn't dead!
"Hey Kile, who's this? You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!"
Crap, my mom woke up. I'm in trouble.
Miko
2 days earlier
Laughter, cheer.
Squeals.
The earth is loud. Children are running around playing. Some kick a ball, some throw a frisbee. Some play tag, some play hide and seek. The mothers watch their children play. They talk about their man's job, their knitting, cooking. The latest book they read. Some of the dads got off work early, met with joy from their wife and kids.
The earth is loud from joy.
Fire, smoke.
Screams.
The earth is louder. The children are running from death. Some run to Mom, some run behind a tree or rock. Some shelter their friends, most die instantly. The mothers watch their children flee. They scream for their children to run, to hide. They watch their friends die. Some of the dads got off work early, just in time to see their family burn.
The earth is louder from fear.
Ash, bones.
Silence.
The earth is silent. The children are silent. The mothers are silent. The fathers are silent.
The earth is silent.
Silence, silence.
Shhh...
All is silent except for it. Its red eyes and bottomless void of a smile stared into me, into my soul. Its laughter rings off of the bones sprawled across the earth. Its laughter spoke the undeniable truth.
Everything would crumble to its endless malice.
I woke from the nightmare in a feverish sweat, instinctively reaching for the moon artifact I had received from the Leviathan quest. As my shaky hands rubbed across its surface, I began to feel more and more calm.
I've had the same nightmare this entire week. Ever since the... Leviathan.
I sat up, holding my head with my palm. The pounding of my head would start any second now. It was impossible for me to get any sleep. I would sleep soundly for a few hours but then the...
Whatever it is would show up. That formless monstrosity. Its smile ate at me every night as if it was seeking to dominate me. Every night it would show its smile.
But only after I relived those villagers' deaths. Even as I hid myself behind my training, I knew I would never be strong enough to bear that weight. It was too much, the truth and the burden. The burden of a savior.
But I wasn't one to shy away from burdens. The weight could be a lesson, a reminder of sacrifice. It would be an obligation to save those still living. An obligation I had every desire to fulfill. There was a lot I had to make up for, but I was determined to uphold my duty.
That's the gist of what I tell myself every time I wake up. The truth is, I don't know if I even believe those words. I do know that the others do, however. Aruna, Roan, Farvakhin. And that's enough for me.
I looked over to see if Farvakhin was awake. He was, of course. As usual, he was looking out of his window, head pressed against the wall. Oh yeah, he stays in my house now.
At first, Nola was angry and suspicious of Farvakhin, quick to deny his entry. But the second we said that he was a scientist, her entire mood changed. Hey, Farvakhin was it? Welcome to the Fae' Ro kingdom!
Unfortunately, some newcomers moved into our sect, so one of us had to share a house with him. Roan instantly said no, and Aruna was a girl. Sure, Farv- (Aruna called him Farvie once and got put into a headlock. It was funny in the moment to see her get a taste of her own medicine, but his reaction did serve as a warning and reminder. He didn't want us to use that nickname. He offered Farv as an alternative, and that's what we call him now.)
Anyways, sure Farv is old enough to be her father, and additionally, he is obviously not a creep. Still, it is weird and Aruna clearly wasn't comfortable sharing a house with a guy.
So that left me. Come make yourself at home, Farv.
I smiled. His presence helped to calm me when I woke from the nightmares. That's what friends are for, right? To pick each other up when we're down.
I really didn't mind sharing a house with him.
Not looking away from the window, Farv said, "You slept a bit longer than usual. Here pretty soon you'll go right back to being a little sleeping beauty again."
He smiled at me as I rolled my eyes. He'll believe anything Aruna tells him. It was as Roan said after they hid some of his swords from him. The 2 devilspawns were made for each other.
In a 'pranksters-in-arms', stooges kind of way.
Exasperated, I said, "I'm not some sleepyhead like the princess says."
"Sleepy dolt. She calls you sleepy dolt."
I turned to him, attempting to put on the meanest glare I could muster. I ended up chuckling uncontrollably and throwing a pillow at him.
Farv made an exaggerated yelp and then screamed "Ow!"
He flung the pillow back at me. Honestly, he has quite an arm. If he was in my world he could be a quarterback. Well, he'd probably be too good for the Browns, but any other team I meant. Step aside, Tom Brady.
Smiling, he turned his head back to his window. "I was just about to go to sleep too. You're so mean, Miko."
I laid back down, knowing our little middle-of-the-night feud would keep the nightmares at bay.
After a few moments of silence, he said, "I got another memory back, you know."
Intrigued, I rolled over so that I was looking at Farv again. "Oh?"
He was still smiling, gazing out the window at the night sky. "Yeah. Terra and I, we'd take Jack with us up to this one rock. It stood high above the ocean, giving us the most beautiful views at night. Waves would crash at its base, and even though we were high up sometimes the water even sprayed us a bit. The view of the sky was so beautiful we'd stay up all night watching the stars, waiting for the flying fish to wake up. You know, I think that's one of the few ways we could keep Jack quiet. Little kid and all."
I watched as he became lost in his thoughts. Even with all the tragedy, these memories of peace and serenity kept him happy. I think he was the happiest when he was allowed to reminisce about his family.
I turned around so that I was lying on my back again, staring at the ceiling.
I wonder how Kile is doing right now. He was probably panicking, to be honest.
That is one thing that sucks. I don't think time stopped on earth.
They all are probably scared, thinking I died. Or was kidnapped, or something like that. I wonder how it looked to them. Did I just disappear? Did I get run over by a truck? Did I get stabbed and turned into a slime?
Whatever it looked like to them, I was sure at least my dad and Kile were worried.
Hopefully, they'd push forward, even if it felt like an impossible task.
I wished that I could tell them that everything was going to be ok.