Elias shut the door behind him, as the outside city noises muffled and shut out. The soft hum of neon lights flickered through old curtains, casting dim shadows across his cluttered apartment. The dream still lingered in his brain—vivid, haunting, inescapable. The screams of his family were like ghosts, following him even now.
He rubbed his tired eyes, his exhaustion far outweighed by his restlessness. Celestia's words still echoed in his head. She had seemed to think he had potential, but was that enough? He had been just some average Joe, a clerk who struggled to make ends meet, and now he was being summoned to become more.
He knew he needed to choose what to do next. The die was already casted; he had surmounted the point of no return. Wrapping his jacket closer, Elias stepped out again onto the dark street; the cold night air hit him with every step as he walked along.
He walked aimlessly, trying to clear his head, until he found himself standing in front of an old, abandoned building that he frequently passed on his way to work. The windows were broken, and the faded graffiti on its walls told stories of how many years it had been left to rot. The building had a number of floors, most of them in states of decay.
This place would do.
Whatever powers he had awakened, he needed to try out away from prying eyes. He climbed through a broken window and found himself inside what was once a lobby. The floor was completely covered in dust and debris, the air itself thick with mouldy scents. He climbed the cracked stairs up to the third floor, hoping it'd be enough space.
In the dimly lit room, Elias focused on the strange mark on the palm of his hand. He attempted to remember that surge of power when he was saving Celestia earlier-how it seemed to just flow through him, as though he was tapping into some kind of ancient reservoir of mysterious energy. Inhaling deeply, he concentrated.
For several agonising seconds, nothing did. The mark stayed dull and unresponsive. Angered, Elias clenched his teeth. Come on. He fisted his hand, willing the power to activate.
Suddenly, a faint flicker of light appeared on his palm. It was weak, barely more than a glow, but it was something worthy to be concerned. Elias's heart began to race as he felt a warmth spreading through his arm, that same warmth which had coursed through him when Celestia had kissed him.
"Yeah, okay, let me try that again," he grumbled to himself. This time, he concentrated a little harder, envisioning the energy course through his veins, an electric current coursing through. This time, the glow was brighter, and as if he was drawing from some deep hidden well deep inside him, surging power swept in.
The ground beneath him erupted, and a cloud of dust and debris shot upwards. The sudden outburst of energy was so great it sent Elias tumbling backward. He panted, staring at his hand, now shining with a faint, silvery aura.
"Holy. I actually did it," he whispered. Well, that wasn't much, but it was a good start.
The sirens from a distance broke his concentration. He moved to a broken window and peeked outside. Several military trucks moved at an incredibly high speed on the main road. Armoured personnel carriers were closely behind them, lights flashing in the darkness.
"Looks like they are still cleaning up after that incident involving a rift," Elias said gruffly. He wanted to know whether they moved toward another site of a ripped rift, or more beasts were pouring through the city.
Satisfied that he had made some progress, Elias climbed back out of the building and started to make his way down the quiet streets. He needed to get back to his apartment and figure out his next steps. Celestia had told him he needed to harness this power, and now it was clear he needed to do so with a great deal of haste.
Reaching his building, a huge holographic news screen flickered to life along the side of a nearby skyscraper. The screen began to flash an advertisement in bold letters across the screen:
"BE A BEAST MASTER – ENTER THE FRONTLINE AGAINST THE BEASTS!"
Elias wrinkled his nose at the screen, his interest piqued. The ad was some elite Beast Tamer Academy, its logo emblazoned, and a deep voice spoke:
Are you ready for the challenge of taming these gargantuan beasts that threaten our world? Enlist now and be part of the prestigious team known as Beast Tamers! Save mankind and be at the top of these air-soaring, sea-traversing, and land-dominating creatures.
The screen flipped to the footage of a man proudly standing in front of a huge, armoured creature: an enormous, fearsome beast indeed, completely covered with pointed black armour, with eyes glowing red. The man was in his tactical suit, standing confidently beside the beast, who followed his every command.
World-renowned Beast Tamer, Bartholomew Stark, is now recruiting for the upcoming Beast Tamer trials. Join the elite team of tamers and prove your strength!
Elias froze, staring at the figure of Bartholomew Stark. The man had headlines probably more than any other man alive, and he was well known for being a beast battler, second to none in his skills of taming them.
The ad further went on to list down the details of the recruitment and how one would go about applying for the trials. But the mind of Elias was already stuck at that single point.
"If this Stark guy's behind it," Elias said to himself, "Then why can't I also be someone like that? I'm also a human, just like him!"
He had never thought about the Beast Tamer trials before, but now this was just the perfect opportunity. If he wanted to get stronger, to have a real chance of fighting against the beasts and-when the time would come-against the ones responsible for the tragedy of his past, then he needed to take that chance.
With a now different determination in his eyes, Elias turned away from the holographic screen and went inside to prepare. The trials were coming soon, and this was to be the first step into a new life-one where he wouldn't have to idly sit and watch as others fight.
Whatever the case may be with regard to this, he would not back down this time.