Then, a sudden clarity struck him—he remembered the final scene of the dream.
Fear crept into every inch of his being. He would not speak again; couldn't. Words were unnecessary, silent screams to contend with in his chest, the weight of what was coming their way.
A deafening crack of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a resounding boom that shook the very earth beneath them. The shockwave it unleashed rippled outwards, an overwhelming force that flattened everything in its path. The village, once alive with laughter and light, now lay barren-wasted—levelled, reduced to dust and ash. The air was thick with dust and ashen dust mixed with the acrid smell of destruction.
Haruki and Michiko had been thrown to the ground, the wave knocking the wind out of them. Somehow, they had survived, though their bodies ached from the force. The air around them buzzed with the lingering energy of the blast.
Haruki's mind reeled, but one thought pushed through the haze of fear and exhaustion. Home.
He scrambled to his feet without a word, his legs unsteady but powered by frantic determination. He bolted forward, ignoring the rest of his body's throbbing, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Michiko hesitated for barely one second before running after him, her face etched with worry.
As they reached what was once Haruki's home, his heart sank. The structure was no longer standing, reduced to fragments of wood and stone. His chest tightened, dread clawing at him as his eyes scanned the wreckage.
Amid the rubble, movement caught his eye. His father was there, struggling to crawl toward him. Blood stained his face and clothes, and one of his legs was twisted at an unnatural angle. His breaths were shallow, his movements slow and laboured.
"Father!" Haruki's voice broke as he shouted, the word carrying all the fear and desperation he felt. He rushed forward, the devastation around him forgotten in that moment.
Haruki fell to his knees beside his father, his shaking hands hovering over him, unsure of how to touch.
His father's body was battered with bruising marks. The breaths were laboured as if fighting an inner battle, each cough leaving more blood inside his body.
"Father....don't speak," Haruki stammered through his tears that swelled up behind his eyes. "Save your strength! We can—"
His father raised a shaking hand, silencing him. The old man's eyes were the picture of weariness but full of determination.
"Ha....Haruki," he grated out, the voice barely audible but deep with determination, "Listen.my son." He paused to cough, the blood dyeing his lips as he struggled for breath. "Never give up.and become stronger. Stronger than I ever was."
Haruki's hands balled into fists, the words hitting him like a roundhouse blow.
"You have....a gift," his father continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "The Beast Master ability. It's your destiny.your burden. Find Ryuji.in the Kaze Shan Mountains. He will teach you what I couldn't."
Haruki's heart was pounding in his chest as his mind rebelled against the truth just spoken, but before he could make a word, his father's trembling hand reached out, closing weakly around his arm.
"And.....there's a hidden box.just beneath my bed," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible now. "It.was a gift.from your mother. Take it. Keep it safe."
Tears streamed down Haruki's face as his father's grip slackened. "Father, don't go! Please, hold on!" Haruki pleaded, shaking him gently."
But his father's eyes began to close, his expression softening as though finding peace in his son's presence. His lips moved one last time, forming words Haruki barely heard.
"Live, my son."
As Haruki knelt beside his father's injur3r body, his grief consuming him, a deafening roar shattered the silence. The ground trembled beneath them, and Haruki's blood ran cold.
He slowly raised his head, his heart pounding wildly as he saw the huge hawk-like creature plummet down from the blood-red sky. Its wings spread very wide and blocked what little light was left, and its crimson eyes burned with an unrelenting fury.
Not waiting for Haruki to be able to react, the creature swooped down with pointed claws glinting viciously. With a powerful screech, it stretched out and snatched the limp body of his father.
---
Taren slammed his fist against the wall, the impact reverberating through the cold cell. "What the hell was that? Why the hell did I dream that? And who the hell is Haruki?"
"And what was that 'you are seeing a dream?' What the fuck is happenin' in the world?".
The name hung in the air, strange but somehow meaningful. His breath came short, his heart pounding in his chest, as if his body was trying to recall something his mind had locked away.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his skull. "Ahh, shit!" Taren groaned, clutching his head as if it might explode. The ache spread like fire, burning through his temples and stabbing behind his eyes. His vision blurred, each pulse of pain making it harder to think.
His eyes started to feel like burning coals, a unbearable pressure building at their base. He stumbled backward, his hands flying up to cover his face. "What the hell is happenin'?" he bellowed, his voice cracking beneath the strain.
The pain was too much, and Taren dropped to his knees, pressing his palms against his eyes, trying to shove the pain in. "Ahh, it sucks!" he yelled, his voice raw and desperate.
A man came in. The door of the cell creaked in resistance as it swung open. Heavy footsteps echoed in the dim, heavy air. Taren hardly raised his head, his head still clutched, his eyes on Osric, who had come in. Osric stood over him, long and gaunt in the small space. His dark brown hair was matted and filthy, falling down his dirty face in shaggy strands. Despite the lines etched into his face from exhaustion, there was a kind expression to him—a softness that contrasted with the harshness of their surroundings. His rags hung limply from his shoulders like Taren's, dirty and drenched in sweat and the stench of captivity.
Osric was also a slave of Aurelia, and Taren has been living with him since he was three years old. They have been living together for almost nine years.
"Oi, Taren!" Osric's voice cut through the tension, sharp and urgent. "We've been summoned. The Aurelia Kingdom. Something about the prince needing us."
Taren didn't move at first, his fingers digging into his temples. "The prince?" he muttered, his voice low, almost a growl. "Why the hell would he need us?"
Osric shrugged and leaned back against the wall, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Like I know. Does it matter? Orders are orders. If we don't go, you know what happens."
Taren forced a bitter laugh and let his hands drop away from his face. "Yeah, I know. More chains. More whips. More of this shit life." He sprang up, eyes blazing-not with pain this time, but with something deeper, something raw.
"I'm done, Osric," Taren said, his voice trembling with rage. "I'm sick of this. Living like rats in a hole. Bowing to people who don't give a damn if we live or die." His fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms.
Osric watched him silently, his expression unreadable.
"I want freedom," Taren shouted, the words ripping out of him like they'd been caged for years. "I want to live my life my way, not as some damn slave. I'm going to get stronger—strong enough to break these chains, strong enough to make them regret ever putting me in this place."
For a moment, the room was silent, save for Taren's ragged breathing. Osric finally pushed off the wall, his brown eyes narrowing slightly. "Big talk," he said, crossing his arms. "You'd better mean it. Because if you don't, this world will chew you up and spit you out faster than you can blink."
Taren met his gaze, his jaw tight. "I mean it."
Osric looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Good. Now, pull yourself together. The prince doesn't like to be kept waiting, otherwise we're done."