~Chapter 7~
~I will break you into pieces~
Magnus and the Council
"Magnus, we have called you here today. We know it has been a long journey, but we have much to discuss," a man said.
Magnus stood before a council of five unknown individuals.
"Yes. I hope you have been pleased with the work I've done," Magnus said, bowing respectfully.
"Benimaru has informed us that you've completed stage one of the magic resuscitation," another council member commented.
"Yes, all of her power has been restored. It took longer than expected, but we are ready to move on to the next phase."
"Nonsense," another exclaimed sharply.
"It is too soon. We cannot afford to rush into things. We have waited too long for this," someone else added.
Magnus's expression hardened. "I have shown nothing but positive progress," he said with a hint of annoyance. "How long will you pretend that I'm not capable of doing my job?"
"And what about this boy?" another member asked. "What is so special about him that you let him gallivant around the dome with little to no repercussions?"
"The boy is special," Magnus replied. "He has shown the greatest potential of any candidate. Ever since the incident in the woods, I've kept a close eye on him."
"We understand that he has your attention. True, the incident ten years ago was alarming. But we don't have time for your games. We know how to bring the skies down—we do not need this boy. You may have jeopardized the entire plan with your little side project," another member interjected.
"He brought it down," Magnus said firmly. "Even if it was only for a second, he did what no one else could."
"We came to you with a solution, Magnus. Do you doubt our vision?" one council member asked angrily.
"No, the church has never given me a reason to doubt," Magnus said, bowing again.
"Then leave everything to us. You have pushed the boy far enough. Dispose of him before things spiral out of control."
Magnus remained silent.
"Do you understand?" another council member shouted.
Magnus sighed but replied calmly, "I expect he will need to come to Veloria soon. I will handle it when he arrives."
"Good. And Magnus," the voice warned, "we see everything, even from out here. Know your place."
One by one, the council members disappeared.
Magnus clenched his fists, fury etched on his face. He kicked a chair, sending it flying across the room. "I'll show you all," he muttered.
Turning to Benimaru, he ordered, "Wake the priests. Move to the next stage. We won't wait any longer."
"Y-yes, sir," Benimaru stammered as he hurried out of the room.
Lilith's Barrow
Lately, my dreams have changed. The girl in white no longer haunts them. Instead, a different nightmare comes—one where I cry harder than I ever have before. One where the sky falls, revealing a world of red. A world filled with shattered wood, falling trees, and blood. So much blood. It stains my fingers, covering them completely.
There is one name I hear myself screaming in the dream: Livana.
"Livana, you said you would protect me," I cry, and then I wake up.
The strangest part is that when I wake, my hands ache. The runes on the back of my hands return, burning into my skin. I don't know how to explain any of this anymore.
Sometimes, I sit and wonder what Eliza, Ola, Isaac, Bethany, and Ren would be doing right now if we were still at the orphanage. Was it a mistake to go to that cabin that night? Would we still be laughing and playing Hot Pocket right now? The thought hurts too much to bear.
It has been a little over two weeks. My fifteenth birthday was yesterday. Time flies, doesn't it?
Lilith has been training Melody and me every day since I arrived. Ola and Ren still haven't woken up, and I'm getting worried. But I guess I just need to be patient.
Two months passed, and training went well. I had learned a lot from Lilith. Ola and Ren had stabilized, but they still hadn't woken up.
"Listen, Madoxx," Lilith said one day, her expression serious. "I believe you're ready for a real challenge. You've made remarkable progress over the last two months." She paused, her gaze distant. "Honestly, though, I'm concerned about your friends. The medical ward has done all it can. Their physical wounds are fully healed, yet they remain unconscious. Why that is... well, it's a mystery to me.
"That's why I'd like you to collect some herbs for me. I believe I can use them to help your friends."
She hesitated before continuing. "I'm tired of lying to you, son. The truth is, the day after you arrived, Nyssa diagnosed the problem. Your friends are under a hex—a powerful spell cast by Magnus, I presume. They won't wake unless the spell is broken."
My stomach twisted as I absorbed her words, but Lilith pressed on. "North from here, deeper into the forest, you'll find a mountain. At the peak lies a hidden kingdom. In that kingdom grows a rare herb called morubasa. It possesses strong magical properties that can neutralize any magical sickness or curse.
"This task won't be easy," she warned. "Your skills will be tested. But I believe it will strengthen you, help you grow, and, most importantly, help your friends."
Her words filled me with doubt. The last time she said something would "test my skills," I'd almost died. Lilith had a bad habit of downplaying life-threatening situations.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked, confused and slightly frustrated.
"I knew you'd rush off on your own, acting rashly, and probably get yourself killed," she replied bluntly.
"Well…" I hesitated. I couldn't really argue with that logic.
"Don't worry," she added with a faint smile. "I'm not so cruel as to send you out alone. Melody will go with you."
Melody was a highly capable fighter, and over the past two months, we'd grown more accustomed to working together.
The next day, under Lilith's orders, we set out. I'd never seen much of the surroundings since I couldn't remember how I'd even arrived at Lilith's home. We climbed a long flight of spiral stairs that seemed to stretch up several floors until we reached a wooden door.
When I pushed it open, I was struck by the sight of lush greenery, the earthy scent of fresh soil, and the soft glow of moonlight illuminating the forest.
"Why are we going out at night?" I asked Melody dryly.
"So the shadow man doesn't steal our souls," Melody replied, her expression deadly serious. She held my gaze for a few tense seconds before a smirk broke through her facade.
"Don't mess with the boy," Lilith interjected, her voice filled with amusement at the whole scenario
Take care of each other. Even though the Shadow Man doesn't exist, that doesn't mean the forest is safe. There are plenty of terrifying monsters that roam these woods, so be mindful of that."
I could tell Lilith was trying to ease my conscience, but she ended up making me even more scared to go out there. The only encounter I'd ever had outside the orphanage was with the Keeth, and that in itself was a terrible experience. Now I was heading back into the woods to do it all again.
We set out with Melody in the lead. She walked with a confident stride, moving with purpose. It was the same prideful air she had when she fought—something not strange, but definitely noticeable.
"Hey, Madoxx, we will find the herbs and heal your friends," she suddenly said.
"I know we will," I replied with a subtle smile.
We wound our way through the woods. The sky was gray tonight, and the wind blew violently—a storm was likely heading our way. The silence of the night was broken by creaking tree branches being tossed about by the wind. Animals made noises in the dark as they howled and ran through the forest. The forest was thick and damp, the ground covered with patches of grass but mostly just mud and twigs.
We walked for a few hours until we took shelter under a tree when the rain began to pour violently.
"Let's make camp here," Melody said.
"Yeah, that's a good idea. We need to rest—we've been walking for quite a while," I responded.
"I'm not tired or anything," she said, pouting. "I could walk for days and nights if I had to," she added.
"It's not a competition," I said dryly.
"I didn't say it was. I was just saying I'm not tired," she complained.
"Sure," I said, smiling.
"I'm not Madoxx. The Great Melody would never be beaten by stamina."
"Yeah, yeah," I said, giggling. "Go to sleep, oh great one. We have more walking tomorrow."
A few moments passed, and Melody was fast asleep, snoring loud enough to wake up the entire forest. We had set up a small fire under the tree, and even though the ground was rough, hard, and a bit uncomfortable to sleep on, it was also cozy. The rain had eased up, and the wind was blowing gently, with small droplets drizzling down, setting a calm and nostalgic feeling. Sometimes, we would go on small camping trips in the backyard of the orphanage, pretending to be brave explorers braving the harsh, unforgiving outdoors. It was funny and a bit sad that now I was a real brave explorer, fighting nature, but none of my brave adventure buddies were at my side to fight the battle with me. Bittersweet as it was, I still managed to drift off to sleep.
"How long are you going to ignore me?" a faint voice said.
I opened my eyes to a blinding white light. It took a moment for my vision to adjust, and when it finally did, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was sitting on a cloud, floating above a forest under a blood-red sky.
The voice seemed familiar, just like the one I heard in the forest with the keeth, or during my fight with Lilith.
A pale girl with white hair stood before me.
"Who—"
"Who am I? Where are we? Why are we on a cloud?" she interrupted.
"Yeah," I said, taken aback.
"My name is Livana," she said, her eyes drifting up toward the red moon. "I'm here to guide you, to make sure you fulfill what you're meant to do. It may sound strange, but that's my purpose. There's a lot you need to understand, but revealing everything at once won't work—it hasn't before."
"What do you mean it hasn't worked before?" I asked.
"That's not important right now. Just know that when you wake up, you won't be alone in this forest. I'm not talking about animals, or even people—not the kind you're used to, at least," she said.
"What? I'm so confused. Why all the ambiguity? Tell me what you mean," I said, frustration creeping into my voice.
"Fight with everything you have, Madoxx, or your journey ends here," she said, her piercing blue eyes locking onto mine.
For a moment, I felt something strange—a pull, almost an urge, as if something above was calling to me. My chest grew hot, as though my very core wanted to break free and soar into the sky. But instead of rising, it was suddenly yanked downward, plunging beneath the clouds and into the forest where I saw myself lying unconscious. In an instant, the sensation shot back into my body, slamming into my chest. Then I woke up.
"Hey, Madoxx, someone's out there," Melody said.
Melody knelt close to me, scanning the dark forest, her eyes searching for something hidden in the shadows.
I quickly got up and stood beside her, alert. Livana had warned me this would happen; I wasn't about to take it lightly.
Suddenly, we heard rattling in the woods, followed by a powerful gust of wind. A figure shot up into the sky, then landed directly in front of us.
We instinctively jumped back, putting distance between ourselves and this mysterious figure.
"I... I... I am..." it stuttered. "Stone Father has sent... sent... meee... sent me here," it continued in a jumbled, stuttering tone.
As I got a better look at it, I realized it wasn't human. Its skin was rough and stony, and it moved like a puppet, almost robotic. Its entire body was made of coarse stone, cracking as dust fell from its joints whenever it moved or spoke.
"I... I..." The creature paused briefly, then continued in a more coherent voice. "Yes, I am stone. I too am stone." Its tone had shifted, becoming more composed, almost as if its personality had changed instantly. "It is a pleasure to meet you. However, I'm sorry to inform you that I have been sent to neutralize you, using all my strength."
This calmer demeanor was cold and emotionless. The creature's movements were jerky, as if it was trying to mimic human expressions, attempting to look humble and sad, though its face showed nothing but stone. "I am stone, and I was sent..." It hesitated before speaking again. "Look at me, a perfect tool of distraction."
Its demeanor changed once more, this time to anger and bloodlust. "Be happy, for your death comes at the hands of a perfect being!" it screamed, its voice becoming erratic and exaggerated. "Die, die, die, die, die!" it repeated, growing louder. "Stay out of my way, stone! I am stone, and I'll handle this! These Pebbles!" It seemed to argue with itself, as if speaking to someone else. "Die, die, die!" it repeated again, its voice growing louder with each word.
Suddenly, it lunged forward with terrifying speed. The bloodlust was sharp. If not for my training with Lilith, I would've been killed right then. I quickly dodged out of the way as it shot past me and Melody, crashing headfirst into a tree and splitting it in half.
It stood up, visibly frustrated. "Damn it!" it snarled, letting out a monstrous howl that sent shockwaves in all directions, flattening the surrounding trees. It was a terrifying sight—its howl alone had destroyed the forest around us.
"Now, now you die, die, die," it repeated before freezing, its demeanor shifting again.
"How brutish," it said calmly. "Stone, you should learn the elegance of fighting with direction and calmness. You make a mockery of our creators with this animalistic filth you call fighting. You fool."
It looked at us with a determined gaze before disappearing—then reappearing in front of me in a split second. With almost no time to react, I instinctively blocked as it punched, the force of the blow sending a rippling vibration throughout my entire body.
Melody wasted no time. She lunged forward to attack, but Stone vanished again.
"There is elegance in practiced attacks," it said, attempting to smile. The expression looked forced and unnatural, like it was trying to mimic something it couldn't truly understand.
"This one is dangerous. Be careful," Melody warned.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Stone shouted sporadically. "There is no elegance in this! True art is in chaos and destruction!" it howled, lunging forward once more. We jumped out of the way, but this time it disappeared and reappeared above us. "No, no, no, no, no, not again!" it screeched, vanishing again.
In a flash, it was in front of Melody, throwing a monstrous punch that sent her crashing into a nearby tree. Before I could react, it redirected its focus to me, landing a brutal punch to my face that sent me flying in Melody's direction.
"This is real power! Chaos will always prevail!" it exclaimed.
Melody stood up, spitting out blood 'Pathetic. Your punches are soft," she taunted, getting into her fighting stance. She stomped the ground, turning the soft, muddy dirt into hard stone, then delivered another powerful kick, shattering the stone into small boulders that shot into the sky. She leapt into the air, disappearing and reappearing in front of the boulders, unleashing a volley of kicks that sent them hurtling toward Stone at high speed, each impact explosive.
Stone laughed mockingly. "Hahaha! Pathetic! You think your soft stone can harm me?"
Melody didn't react to the taunt. Instead, she punched the air in front of her, sending razor-sharp gusts of wind toward Stone. This time, the creature dodged, but Melody was already moving. She dived toward the ground at incredible speed, and as she landed, the earth erupted, sending massive boulders flying in all directions. She rose, her knuckles and feet now covered in thick, hardened rock.
"I will break you into pieces," she declared. With a powerful kick, she unleashed a massive stone wave toward Stone
Stone extended his arms to block it, successfully halting the wave, but it pushed him back considerably. Before he could utter a word, Melody lunged forward, punching through the stone wall with fists of molten lava. The lava-covered fists shattered the wall and she followed through with a devastating right hook that sent Stone flying, his body bouncing off the hard ground before crashing into a tree.
Not giving the beast a moment to catch its breath, Melody charged forward again, delivering a relentless barrage of high-speed, lava-infused punches to its gut, each strike more deadly than the last.
Before delivering the final punch that split the tree in half sending stone flying even further
She retreated to my side as I stood, amazed by her strength.
"Let's not disappoint Mother. She trained us; we can't lose to something this weak," she said, smirking.
"Yeah, you're right. It's time for me to pull my weight."
Clenching my fists tightly, frost crusted over them as a cold steam exhaled from them.
"No, no, no, I will not accept this!" Stone stood tall as his arm withered away into sand. A massive hole gaped in his stony stomach, revealing a view right through it.
He wheezed, mimicking what he imagined pain must feel like, before bursting into a cloud of sand. A few moments passed before the sand pile began reconstructing itself into a human figure again.
"Pathetic," it said calmly, examining its hands. "I warned you, Stone. Your rashness was your downfall. You have disgraced our creators." It looked disgusted—or at least it tried to imitate that expression.
"Nnnnnm... nnnnn meee... mee... mee mreee," an inaudible voice stammered. It was the first Stone personality. Its body movements became stiff and robotic.
"I... Stone... I will... will kill," it said, stumbling over its words.
Suddenly, it shot me a deathly gaze before lunging at me. "Release!" I commanded as I clenched my arms. A gust of cold air burst out in all directions, frosting over patches of grass, mud, and pebbles as ice spread from my feet, freezing the ground and our surroundings. Stone, still in mid-air, lunged towards me, trying to land a hit. Two jagged ice spikes shot from the ground in front of me, catching Stone mid-air.
The sound of cracking ice and the intense chill overwhelmed the area.
"Wha... Wha... what is this?" Stone stuttered.
"I'm sorry," I whispered as the ice spread over Stone's rocky body, crusting over him. It slowly crept across his form before shattering into thousands of sharp pieces.
"Wow, look at you! 'I'm sorry,'" she mimicked in a condescending voice, bursting into laughter.
"You think your so cool" she laughed pointing at me falling the floor laughing harder and harder.
Before I could respond, the ground began to shake violently. Shattered pieces of stone scattered around us started pulsating and rising into the air, drawn together as though by an unseen force. Slowly, they formed into a figure—a towering humanoid shape forged entirely of jagged stone.
"No… no, no, no, no…" A deep, grating voice rumbled from the figure, the sound like grinding rocks.
The figure trembled, its voice growing louder and more furious. "I will not disgrace Father! No… no, no, no!" it repeated, the words echoing through the air. Its fury seemed to ripple outward, shaking the ground beneath us.
Then, with a booming voice, it roared, "Bear witness, Father, to your glorious creation! Watch as I swallow this world releases he shouted. tomb of sand!"
Before we could react, a faint purple glow erupted from the creature's chest, growing brighter and more intense with each passing second. The ground and air filled with intricate, glowing magic circles. Suddenly, waves of sand exploded out of the circles, filling the air. The sand coalesced into massive, mountain-like pillars, razor-sharp and speeding toward us like projectiles at impossible speeds.
"Madoxx… it's time to remember," a voice whispered, clear and steady amidst the chaos.
It was Livana's voice.