IT WAS AN OLD MEMORY FROM JUST A WEEK AGO. THEIR SCHOOL DAYS WERE COMING TO AN END, AND TACKLER, BAPO, HOUND, AND STELLER HAD GONE TO A RESTAURANT NEAR A CAFÉ THAT WAS UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION. THE EVENING CAST A SOFT, ORANGE GLOW OVER THE AREA.
THE RESTAURANT HAD A COZY YET MODERN FEEL, WITH WOODEN TABLES AND CHAIRS, AND DIM LIGHTING THAT CREATED A RELAXED AMBIANCE. THE WALLS WERE ADORNED WITH FRAMED PICTURES OF LOCAL LANDMARKS AND ABSTRACT ART. THE AIR WAS FILLED WITH THE TANTALIZING AROMA OF FRESHLY COOKED MEALS, MINGLING WITH THE FAINT SCENT OF SAWDUST FROM THE NEARBY CONSTRUCTION SITE.
TACKLER WAS WEARING A GREY HOODIE AND BLACK PANTS, LOOKING COMFORTABLY CASUAL. BAPO HAD ON A FULL-SLEEVE YELLOW SWEATER WITH A TURTLE NECK, ADDING A POP OF COLOR TO THE EVENING. HOUND, WHO SPORTED EAR COVERS AND A T-SHIRT, WORE A BLUE JACKET OVER IT, PAIRED WITH BLACK JEANS. STELLER STOOD OUT WITH HER LONG COAT, ADDING A TOUCH OF ELEGANCE. THEY SAT AROUND A TABLE WITH SEVEN SEATS, SEEMINGLY WAITING FOR THEBE, AQUA, AND HOUND.
BAPO PULLED OUT HIS PHONE FROM HIS PANT POCKET, WHICH HAD A PLAIN BLACK COVER, AND DROPPED A MESSAGE ON THEIR COUSIN'S GROUP CHAT:
"The order's here, we are gonna eat it and leave."
AFTER A FEW SECONDS, TWO MESSAGES POPPED UP ON THEIR PHONES FROM AQUA AND THEBE:
Message 1 from AQUA: I'll be there, just wait! I studied too hard.
Message 2 from THEBE: Swallow it and I swear I'll pull it out of your mouth.
AS BAPO PUT HIS PHONE DOWN ON THE TABLE, THEY STARTED DISCUSSING WHAT TO EAT. THE RESTAURANT'S LOW HUM OF CONVERSATIONS AND CLINKING CUTLERY SERVED AS A BACKDROP TO THEIR LIVELY DISCUSSION.
HOUND, looking a bit distracted, asked, "What are you guys gonna order?"
STELLER took a deep breath and shouted, "Zinger Burger!" Her voice echoed slightly in the restaurant, drawing the attention of some nearby diners.
HOUND looked at her awkwardly, not sure how to respond. Before he could say anything, BAPO also shouted, "That's the same thing I want!"
THEIR SHOUTS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF MORE PEOPLE AROUND THEIR TABLE. TACKLER GOT UP AND SMACKED ONE OF THEM ON THE HEAD, A SMIRK PLAYING ON HIS LIPS AS HE SHOUTED, "Don't shout!"
Both BAPO and STELLER noticed the irony and retorted, "Look who's talking…"
THE WAITER APPROACHED THEIR TABLE, PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THEIR ORDER. THE FOUR OF THEM QUICKLY PLACED THEIR ORDERS, AND THE WAITER WALKED AWAY WITH A POLITE NOD.
HOUND started telling his story about how his school bag got torn. His animated gestures and expressive face made the tale even more engaging.
"And so," HOUND narrated, "I tried to pull my bag from the desk, but it ripped, and all the books fell out. Now, is that my fault?"
TACKLER, with a playful grin, replied, "Was it the bag's fault then?"
STELLER chuckled softly at this exchange. BAPO, always the voice of reason, chimed in, "You really need to be patient with things…"
FEELING NOSTALGIC, TACKLER TRIED TO SYMPATHIZE WITH HIS COUSINS ABOUT THEIR IMPENDING GRADUATION. "The school final days are already here, huh?" HE SAID, HIS VOICE TINGED WITH EMOTION.
BAPO, secretly delighted that school was ending, nodded slightly. HOUND also nodded, albeit more subtly, while STELLER found TACKLER's sentiment a bit cringeworthy and said, "Cringe."
TACKLER, slightly taken aback, asked, "What was that, huh?"
STELLER, unwavering, replied, "Cringe is what I said. Who says that anymore? You need to stop watching anime…"
TACKLER, feeling the sting of her words, fell silent. HOUND, seeing this, stood up for TACKLER, "Hey STELLER, that was kinda harsh."
STELLER, realizing she might have overstepped, wanted to apologize but didn't want to break her tough persona. "I don't care…" she said defiantly.
BAPO added, "They call her heartless for a reason…"
IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHIFT THE CONVERSATION, STELLER BEGAN TALKING ABOUT A RECENT INCIDENT INVOLVING TACKLER, WHICH SHE HAD HEARD FROM AQUA.
"I mean… he is way worse than me… last time, he accidentally hit a bike and then blamed the other guy for it. Poor guy."
HOUND's perception of TACKLER began to shift. "Is that true, TACKLER?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
TACKLER nodded slightly, feeling a mixture of guilt and frustration. BAPO, ever loyal, stood up for him, "He did right! I stand with him!"
STELLER, reflecting on BAPO's words, realized that TACKLER might have been influenced by him. "Now I realize why he blamed the other guy. BAPO put that idea into his head," she thought to herself.
Trying to defend himself, TACKLER started, "But then look—"
HOUND cut him off, "Criminals belong to jail, not in restaurants. I didn't expect this insolence from you, TACKLER. Shall we never meet you again." Just as he finished, the waiter arrived with their food, and HOUND's tone shifted, "Oh, the order came."
TACKLER, still wanting to explain his side, smacked HOUND on the head playfully, "Listen to my story too!"
STELLER, fed up with the shouting, yelled, "Stop shouting!"
BAPO sighed, realizing this argument would never end. "This will never end…," he muttered under his breath.
[BACK TO PRESENT]
After the explosion settled down, ILLEGAL HOUND was the only one who was awake, waiting for the other three to wake up. Morning turned into afternoon, yet they still hadn't woken up. He sat there, frustration etched on his face as he thought about how he couldn't save STELLER and couldn't stop TACKLER from leaving.
ILLEGAL HOUND: It's so frustrating…. (sniffs)
The rain had gone away, and the sunrays pierced through the clouds as if nothing had happened. The fire, which had been waving like dandelions after the explosion, was now extinguished. ILLEGAL HOUND sat there doing nothing, hours passed, and it seemed like an eternity. He had found the bags of his cousins, slinging them over his shoulder, and sat near the other three, who were still unconscious.
Afternoon was still at peak, and finally, HOUND saw his three cousins waking up from what seemed like death itself. Relief washed over him, but depression lingered, overshadowing his happiness. They woke up with headaches and no memory of the explosion, only recalling running from a falling meteor. Their instincts and expressions mirrored the moment before their deaths, hearts pounding with fear.
BAPO instantly woke up and shouted.
BAPO: THE METEOR! RUN!
Realizing there was no meteor, BAPO looked around in confusion. SAIFUR hastily got up, scanning their surroundings.
AQUA: What happened? Where are the others?
SAIFUR, desperate, turned to HOUND.
SAIFUR: How long were you awake?
ILLEGAL HOUND: ... Since the explosion…
SAIFUR: Did you see THEBE? Tell me!
Desperation laced his voice, but HOUND shook his head no. BAPO, still confused about the explosion, looked around bewilderedly.
BAPO: Wait… what explosion?
AQUA noticed TACKLER and STELLER were missing.
AQUA: Where are the others?
ILLEGAL HOUND remained silent, hesitating to reveal the truth.
BAPO: HOUND, what's wrong?
Realizing what happened, SAIFUR's voice trembled.
SAIFUR: Hey, HOUND, they are alive…. aren't they?
HOUND struggled to control his tears.
ILLEGAL HOUND: …. STELLER died… while saving all of us….
Dismay and despondency washed over them.
AQUA: D-died?
BAPO was confounded.
BAPO: What do you mean, "while saving all of us"?
HOUND's voice shook as he recounted the events.
ILLEGAL HOUND: …. Me and TACKLER were there when it happened…. We tried to stop her, but she said she knew this was going to happen…. She thought she was the reason for all your deaths… so, she cast a huge healing magic on all of us… that's why we're all okay… but there's a price for everything, you see…
AQUA's jaw tightened, a mixture of sorrow and hatred etched onto her face.
AQUA: Where's TACKLER?! He should be here then, where is he?!
HOUND fell to his knees, his voice barely audible through his tears.
HOUND: I couldn't do a goddamn thing!
Tears glistened as they rolled down SAIFUR's cheeks, overwhelmed with grief.
BAPO put a comforting hand on SAIFUR's shoulder.
BAPO: Where the hell is TACKLER?
HOUND's voice broke as he explained.
ILLEGAL HOUND: He told me to keep all of you safe….
BAPO: Huh?!
HOUND repeated, louder, his voice breaking down.
ILLEGAL HOUND: HE TOLD ME TO KEEP ALL OF YOU SAFE!
BAPO and SAIFUR listened in frustration, their emotions raw.
ILLEGAL HOUND: He said that he will avenge STELLER's death and get all of you out of here! He said that he will go and kill the OP user himself!!
SAIFUR: What the hell is he thinking?!
HOUND's breath hitched, eyes filling with tears.
ILLEGAL HOUND: He thinks that…. Since he couldn't stop her… and there was no other choice to save all of you… SHE made the choice to save all of you, and HE made the choice to avenge her…
AQUA snapped at him.
AQUA: Are they out of their minds?! Why the heck are they going that far?! She shouldn't have (sniffs) done that…
BAPO's voice shook with anger.
BAPO: I'll make sure he realizes how much he messed up when I see him…
His wrist thrusting in anger, tears welled up in his eyes. The silence that followed was heavy, only the sound of their mourning for STELLER's death could be heard.
W..What do we do now? [AQUA said, her voice heavy with depression]
As they mourned, a message flickered before their eyes, reading:
"You can get Revival Leaf from 3 towers, which are scattered in this city. This city is not that big, so the towers are near. In case any of you dies… Use the Revival Leaf to revive them, so that you can continue your journey. It must be noted that each and every one of you must be alive till the end, and do not repeat the same mistake again."
From, ???
The person who sent this message, IT, didn't want to lose a single element at the very start.
???: Maybe, that will make it up for her death. We can't afford to lose any of these powers…she must live on… It's just the beginning, we definitely can't lose her.
IT looked at THEBE, who was sitting with his legs bent and his hands on his knees, not saying a word after crying his lungs out with sorrow, unaware of the news about the Revival Leaf.
The aftermath of the explosion was stark. The landscape was a mixture of destruction and eerie tranquility. Charred remains of buildings stood like solemn sentinels, and the ground was scorched, with patches of blackened earth. The silence was broken only by the occasional crackling of cooling embers and the distant chirping of birds that had begun to return to the now still battlefield.
On the other hand, after the message disappeared, a map materialized with three marked locations. BAPO looked at it, his face scrunching up in confusion.
BAPO: Huh?
When SAIFUR read the message, he stopped crying, feeling a glimmer of hope rise within him.
SAIFUR: It said that… we can revive someone… Guys, I think we can save STELLER…
SAIFUR stood up, a newfound hope energizing him, and shared his idea with everyone around him. AQUA, though curious about the sender of the information, was uncertain if she could trust it. Yet, mysteriously, her gut feeling told her the information was true.
ILLEGAL HOUND, who had fallen into the depths of despair upon STELLER's death, lifted his head and looked at SAIFUR, questioning:
ILLEGAL HOUND: We can?
SAIFUR, eager to motivate and instill hope, extended his hand to help HOUND up.
SAIFUR: Yeah! We can! They said that we can revive someone by giving them the Revival Leaf!
AQUA couldn't keep her curiosity at bay.
AQUA: Hey… Why are we so sure that this information is true? What if it's another trap? We just saw that this attack, which actually killed us, wasn't from THEBE, even though it said it was THEBE. But no… it wasn't him…
Realizing THEBE's arrival was false, SAIFUR felt disappointment creep in. HOUND was already deep in despair from the recent events. However, BAPO, still standing and trying to contain his emotions, spoke up:
BAPO: We don't have any leads at all… There's a chance this information could be fake and that each of the marks could have very serious battles… but he clenched his fist if there's a 1% chance of us saving STELLER, then I'll go. I bet TACKLER would do the same thing. I know that bastard wouldn't have read the message at all…
Hearing these words, the others felt assured, even though they had no idea what dangers awaited them. They decided to take the risk and get the Revival Leaf. SAIFUR helped HOUND get on his feet by reaching out his hand, and AQUA felt relieved that there was still hope and that things could return to how they were. However, one thing troubled BAPO.
BAPO: Maybe… we can save her, yeah… But… about TACKLER…
They didn't want to debate it; all of them seemed in favor of saving STELLER first but were worried about TACKLER's condition as well.
AQUA: I think we should save STELLER first… if they gave us this message, then it must have a time limit…
ILLEGAL HOUND: But… TACKLER can also die… He still doesn't know how to use his power efficiently…
They had to choose one over the other. After thinking for a while, SAIFUR decided:
SAIFUR: I think… we should save STELLER. TACKLER will be okay by himself, maybe… glances at BAPO to make sure he is right Right, BAPO?
BAPO: W-Why are you asking me, bro? I don't know! You are the one making the decision here…
BAPO seemed torn, in favor of both but not wanting to be late. He wanted to reach either of them as soon as possible. AQUA brimmed with the possibility of finding TACKLER along the way.
AQUA: Alright, we are saving STELLER first. If we're lucky, we might find TACKLER on the way as well!
As they were talking, something fell from the sky. They approached to see what it was and were horrified by its appearance.
AQUA: W-W-Who-se hand is this?! [She puked at the sight]
It was a hand, severed as if by a blade. When BAPO neared it, he noticed the sleeve looked familiar.
BAPO: Wait a minute, I recognize this sleeve…. It's from our school… it means…
HOUND realized it, fear creeping into his voice.
ILLEGAL HOUND says in fear: It's TACKLER's hand?
Realizing it was TACKLER's hand, they were unsure about his safety, further staggering their decision between saving TACKLER or STELLER first.
SAIFUR: Ain't no way he is safe…!
BAPO saw a note in the sleeve and carefully picked it up, stained slightly with blood.
BAPO: There's a note…
Though empty, BAPO put the note in his pocket, HOUND wondering where it came from.
ILLEGAL HOUND: Where... where did it even come from…?
SAIFUR, feeling unsure and panicking, spoke.
SAIFUR: Guys, we're not getting anywhere… I really don't know what to do now… It feels like I am losing both… [his heart sinking with negative thoughts]
AQUA and ILLEGAL HOUND remained silent, not wanting to say anything given the dangerous situation.
BAPO: …
BAPO made a decision.
BAPO: Let's go save STELLER first…
SAIFUR provoked him for deciding so boldly.
SAIFUR: Can you seriously decide that? Even after seeing what just happened to TACKLER?
BAPO shouted in anger to make SAIFUR understand the situation.
BAPO: Then why don't you decide?! We are running out of time… we will lose both of them if we take too long. I said that from the beginning…
BAPO's eyes seemed tired, tears welling up but restrained, standing tall as he made the decision.
AQUA: But…
Initially scared, HOUND saw BAPO standing tall and couldn't bear his own cowardice. He decided to step up with BAPO.
ILLEGAL HOUND: He's right… TACKLER knows when to run, he might be safe from danger right now… He also knows how to stop bleeding… and…
He looked at AQUA.
ILLEGAL HOUND: There's a chance we can find him along the way, right, AQUA?
Hearing this, AQUA's fear subsided, and she smiled gently, standing up with them. The last one, SAIFUR, seeing the others ready to move, scoffed with a smile and said:
SAIFUR: Guess, my acting worked here…. [giggles with happiness]
HOUND put the map in his bag and picked up their bags. SAIFUR and AQUA tried scruffing off the dirt from their bags, but it was stuck, so they gave up and went for one of the Revival Leaves.
The air around them was tense, the atmosphere filled with a sense of urgency. The sun, now low on the horizon, cast long shadows over the desolate landscape.
In another dimension, where THEBE is
THEBE: So, STELLER can be saved, huh…?
???: Yes, I told your cousins to get the leaf to revive her…
THEBE: gasps in relief It really had me for a moment… But, what about TACKLER? Wait, let me look it up…
On the screen, it showed TACKLER sleeping somewhere, but a red outline was visible at the corner.
THEBE: Not again…
He adjusted the screen and saw it wasn't TACKLER, but another place. A strange dark being with a slimy appearance was visible, hiding in a bush. It was glitching, with a glitchy fluid continuously pouring through it, but not spilling, rather looping. It seemed near the white tower with a wide hole, and a leaf was visible within it. THEBE asked in wonder about the dark being.
THEBE: What is that… thing?
??? did not answer.