The sky had grown a deep, ominous shade of red, like a giant bruise that was spreading across the horizon. It cast a strange and eerie light over the world, bathing everything in a sinister glow.
The air begin to thin and become stale,all the sound around have all become quiet. A sense of dread and emptiness fills the surrounding as the sky continued become progressively darker and shifting to a deep crimson. The air was suddenly filled with a foul stench and a scream as if someone asking for help.
"UGHHhh the smell is crazy."
Suddenly Auns hear a voice that whispering him to run. He was shocked but he realised this voice.
"Buzzz…buzz..r.r.r..runnn…. "
"Hah? What?" THE HECK! Where the hell is that coming from?' he muttered to himself, scanning his surroundings for any clues."
He stopped in his tracks, a puzzled look on his face as he tried to pinpoint the source of the strange sound that suddenly filled the air. He strained to catch their whispers, but the words were indistinguishable, only the faint murmur of voices reached his ears.
"Buzz..r.r.r.runnn"
"Run?…WAIT…You.. aren't you the one that speak to me while I was drowning. What do you want from me and what is happening. Ohh is this another dream. YES! It is right?" FUCK!." He shouted.
"Buzzz…buzz"
"Hey! I can't understand what you're mumbling! Stop whispering like a goddamn secret agent and talk like a normal" Auns shouted with irritation.
"Buzz…buzz….is..is it fine now??
"Huh? Yeah kinda" He said while he cupped his hand aroun his ear
"please calm down and hear me out. This is due to the cultist' work. They try to turned this town into a living sacrificed to summoning the false god. You need to be wary as there are something evil lurking here." The voice said.
"Hahh?? You mean this RED SKY was due to them" Dang, those cultists are really upping their game. They've turned the sky red! Now that's dedication.Talk about making an entrance, eh? They sure know how to make an impact" Auns exclaimed energetically.
"AUNS!!" the voice said in frustration.
"Okey, okey, i get it, alright!" He said slightly mocking with a smirk on his face.
The voice sighed in frustration.
"You know, Auns, I need you to listen carefully. Do you remember the dream you had before?"
Auns furrowed his brow in thought,
"Dream?..What do you meant by that. You.. do you mean those people that are in my dream. You.. are you seriously trying to fool me with that." Auns said while trying to digest what it said.
" I know you don't trust me but I am the pocket watch that had been with you since coming to this world.
The voice continued,
"But you ever notice that those dreams you had before, were they similar to what's happening now?"
Auns thought for a moment, his expression becoming more serious as he considered the possibility.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, those dreams did seem pretty damn similar to what's happening right now. I swear, if this is some kind of prophetic vision crap, I'm gonna be pissed." Auns responded with irritation.
"That's right, Auns. Those dreams you had were indeed a prophetic vision. It is part of my power, however you can only use my power to some extent, it's not fully controlled because your body is still weak and did not have enough spiritual energy" The voice confirmed,
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. So, my dreams were some sort of prophecy, right? And I can sorta use your powers because my body sucks. Big deal. What am I supposed to do about it, huh?" Auns answered sarcastically,
"Did you not hear what I just said? I am an ancient relic, sought after by many for centuries, even the emperor himself.You should feel honored to have me aiding you, albeit still in limited capacity." The voice responded with a sense of importance.
"What did you just said? Hahhahha are you kidding me. Are you boosting about yourself right now? "Auns said while laughing sarcastically when suddenly a sharp sound and a crackly noise,
"Tinggg…"
Auns winced as the sound of the ring resounded loudly in his head, the piercing pain making him clutch his ears.
"What the hell...?" he muttered through gritted teeth, his face contorted.
Out of nowhere, a black creature suddenly appeared. It was round in shape, with tiny little hands and legs, and small wings on its back. The creature was covered in soft, black fur, giving it a gentle and almost fluffy appearance. Despite the sudden arrival, the creature seemed curious and unafraid, its small head tilting to one side as it observed its surroundings. The black creature shout,
"MOMMY"
"Arghh! What is that ugly....cuuuutee thing you are. Awwww OMG you're so cute. Auns said while nuzzling the black creature and gigling like a fool.
" its a creature that will help you. It is also one of my power that you could use at this moment. I am sorry but it's the only one you could use as your body will not stand it and exploded if I transfer all my power to you. You have met him before, the one in the bathroom." The voice said in a stance tone as if trying to show his mighty
"Hah? In the bathroom? You mean the shadow that try to strangle me the others day? Auns said.
"MOMMY hugs... ermm.. hug hug hug" The black little creature shouted repeatedly.
"What do you mean by that" Auns replied while holding his ear as he couldn't stand the noise from his surrounding.
"As you can see it just wanted a hug , I mean the others days too. Its doesnt meant to scare you or anything like that. It doesnt have that high IQ and couldn't hold a long sentence. Ohh BTW and you should name it too " The voice said.
" Ohh okey. Then...Toto! It perfect... " Auns shouted and before he could complete the sentence, the little black creature said
"You suck at name thing " the cute little creature suddenly talk while making a serious face with a slight raise of it eyebrow.
"Wha what! You said it couldn't hold a full conversation!" Auns question while his face flush red holding his embarrassment.
" Ehemmm! Well what it said is true" the voice answer.
" Okey then what about, Blackey?That will be your name. Satisfied!?" He said while tilted his head to the side.
"MOMMY" it said while jump and sat at Auns's shoulder.
The little black creature had a small hands and legs that making it look like a ball of fluff. With it high pitched and cute voice.
"No !wait this isn't the time to introduce and knowing each other." the voice said.
After that the voice continued to explains the situation.
" Those cultist are using the people of the town as a sacrificed. They laid a huge circle and a human as a medium to summon the false god. The circle had already covered the whole town and a barrier has been casted to prevent escape of the sacrifice. They had already started to chanting at the centre of the town. If the ritual succed, everyone in the circle will slowly sucked of their blood till they turned into bone".
"The situation is critical and you just tell me that now. I should run now before I die. It was only one month and a few weeks and I will lost my life again ,HELL NAHH!."Auns said.
"Calm down, Auns. I am not done with the explaination" the voice said.
"NAH AH like I am gonna listen to you. I gotta make a run first" Auns said while running back and forth thinking about his short life
"STAY PUT AUNS!!" The voice said angryly, frustrated by his behaviour.
"Arghh" Auns head ringing due to the voice, unable to move his body.
"Hahhh" The voice sigh and continued to explaining the things that are happening.
"Okey, here me out first. This world is much more different than your prevoius world.The 'righteous people' use spiritual energy as a medium to fight with those evil doers. They are called "THE GIFTED" and they use ancient relics and cultivate their spiritual energy and divinity to be stronger. However not all people can withstand this much power and only 20% of people in this world can and only 1% can hold a higher one."
"However, the existense of the church and assosiation had keep the balance of power . Each of them had their own respective region. They were responsible to keep peace and safety for 'commen people'. Commen people were refered to a person who doesn't awaken their relic fully and were mostly powerless toward 'The Gifted'. So, 'The Gifted' were bound to chose one of them to keep them in check and avoid chaos"
"AVELIN" ,is one of the most famous assosiation and had biggest influence among the others assosiation. They were responsible to investigate those who misuse their power and figuring out their motive.
"Its like a police then?" Auns abruptly interrupt
"Yeahh ..However you need to keep your guard up infront of them as they may conspire with the cultist.
"BUTTTT…you shouldn't worry about this because you have ME, The Great Sage!". It said with a proud demeanor.
Your done explaining? Can i run now?
Auns quickly picked all his money and a few clothes to put in his leather suitcase. He also rushed and wear his black knee length coat and a black top hat and quickly make a run.
"Wait, don't forget to take the pocket watch. It can be a protection for you in emergency and hide your presence from your enemy." He continued
Then he burst out from the shop and sprint down the street. As he was outside, he instantly hit by a loud, echoing chant that seemed to come from everywhere at once. The chanting grew louder and louder, reaching a peak that sent a shiver down Auns' spine
"Hail to the ancient deity, O great lord, we seek your favor. Accept our humble offerings and grace us with your presence. We call unto you, O powerful one, to bless us with your glory and power."
Ughhh..is the ritual starting? Auns mumbling, terrified to be getting caught by the cultist
Auns could see a group of people standing in the centre of the village in a circle while holding their hand up to the sky as if asking to be grace by their so called god.
A chilling symbol that could be seen at the back of their hood. The symbol took the shape of an inverted pentagram, its five points forming a sinister pattern that seemed to radiate an aura of malevolence. It was as if the symbol itself was a malevolent entity, silently watching and waiting for the next unfortunate soul to stumble upon its presence.
Auns couldn't take his eyes off the symbol, studying it with a mixture of awe and trepidation as if he was bewitched by it.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, even louder than the chant. People nearby clutched at their ears, writhing in pain. However, Auns remained unharmed, protected by the relic.
Amidst the noise and chaos, a woman's anguished wails cut through the air. She clutched her head as if trying to block out the torturous sound, her face contorted in agony. Her body was wracked with spasms as she convulsed in pain, her screams blending with the relentless chanting of the ritual.
"Arghhh..help..help..please..its hurt…" a voice cried out
To block out the distressful scene, Auns intentionally deafened himself to the woman's cries, closing his ears to the mournful clamor. He also averted his gaze from her suffering, shutting his eyes to the painful display.
"Ughhh..is the ritual starting?…I don't need to know what's going on in front of me. I'm blind, and I'm dead" he mumbling to himself trying to con nok vince himself to just going foward and get out of here.
Auns ran with tears streaming down his face, desperately trying to hold himself together. He bit his lip, tasting blood as he fought against the overwhelming emotions threatening to consume him.
"I can't do this," he thought to himself. "I'm not a hero. I can't save everyone. I just need to keep going, keep running."
With each step, he whispered to himself, "Not again, not again…I am not going to die the second time"
Auns sprinted through the chaos and nearly reached the barrier, his eyes catch a sight of two men dressed in hoods with a familiar symbol . its intricate lines and angles weaving together in a pattern that hinted at hidden meanings and dark secrets were exactly the same symbol as the cultist who were performing the ritual.
Auns paused briefly, his eyes narrowing as he observed the two men standing near the abandoned house. His mind filled with confusion, he thought to himself,
"Why aren't they taking part in the ritual? Are they up to something else?"
The shadows from their hoods danced across their faces, only adding to the mystery and tension of the situation. Auns' grip on his weapon tightened, his senses on high alert as he tried to make sense of the strange tableau before him.
As Auns continued to observe the two men, he was suddenly interrupted by a guttural grunt of pain that emanated from within the house. The sound sent a chill down his spine, and he involuntarily tensed, his mind racing as he wondered who or what could be causing the distress.
As Auns watched the suspicious duo loitering near the haunted house, he suddenly heard a guttural grunt of pain coming from inside. Thinking aloud, he thought,
"What the heck? Am I in some kind of horror comedy movie? Should I burst in there and save someone's butt while delivering some witty one-liners?" Auns couldn't help but shake his head in amusement, realizing he was either about to become a hero or a punchline.
Either way, he decided to march into the abandoned house and see what the heck was going on. Auns cautiously approached the abandoned house.
Auns' mind was already working out a plan. He thought,
"I have to help whoever's in there, and while I'm at it, I'll teach those cult bastards a lesson for disturbing my peaceful life. They ruined my café and my plans for a quiet existence in this world. It's time for payback."
Auns carefully moved through the surroundings, approach the house, making his best effort to remain unnoticed. However, he accidentally stepped on a pile of branches, creating a loud noise that echoed through the area.
"Crunch.."
"What was that noise? Cultist 1 said
"Huhh? What do you mean? "Cultist said in confusion as he didn't hear anything
" Shhhh… I think someone is outside" Cultist 1 said in low voice as not to alert the person outside
"Calm down, it's probably nothing. I'm sure no one is out here." Cultist 2 said as to assure his partner
"I'm telling you, I heard something. We need to investigate." Cultist 1 said in complete determination as he was sure about what he heard.
"Damnit, they heard me. What am I going to do now?"
In a panic, he quickly darted towards a nearby barrel, hoping that it would provide him with enough camouflage.
Cultist 1 slowly made his way to the door, his eyes darting around, trying to find any signs of what he had heard. He cautiously peeked out from the door frame, peering into the darkness beyond as he tried to determine if what he had heard was real or just his imagination playing tricks on him. He stood there, his senses on high alert, as he listened intently for any further noises that might give away the presence of someone outside.
"This is odd, I could've sworn I heard something. I need to check it out." Cultist 1 said in disbelief.
Auns, hiding in the barrel: "Damnit, he's really taking his time checking the area. I hope he doesn't find me in here."
"See!! I told you there isn't anyone here. Relax… I know this is your first time completing the task so just follow my word. Lets just quickly finish our task."
With that, he stepped back inside, closing the door behind him.
Auns sighed greatfully as he was lucky. Then he quickly peep out to see throuhght the gap to see the situation inside. Auns peeked through the gap, but the dim lighting made it hard to see clearly. He saw a person lying on the ground grumbling with pain, covered in a pool of blood. As he tried to get a better view, he was completely stuned.
" What the actual f*ck your doing there Elrand? Looks like someone took a baseball bat to his a*s. Did someone mistook him for a piñata and went for it?Or maybe he got into a fight with a blender. Who knows?" He wispered to himself.
He realized with a shock that the man lying on the ground was none other than his friend Elrand, battered and bloody. He look pale but his eyes was burning with anger,passion and revenge. That was the only word that could describe how he look at that time.
Auns wanted to save him but he also know how dangerous it is. If he just stay there and wait for them to leave then he might could save him and remain safe.
" I just need to wait, that's it. Just did how I did just know, deaf myself and they will leave" He repeated himself.
"You fucking cultist, I will kill you all, I'll make sure your death more gruesome than how you did to my little sister" Elrand shouted with pain and tears.
"Hahhaha, what the hell are you saying, couldn't you see yourself" said the cultist.
"FUCK x3, this god forsaken world. Why.. WHYYYY..why did you do that to my sister, sh…she just a little kid who doesnt even know this world yet. She was INNOCENT , a sweet and kind person who didn't deserve to die so brutally."
"If you want to KILL, you should've just kill me instead! KILL ME!!"
"WHY! Just WHY!!! my sister….Please!…please if …if there is god in this world, at least let me see this people die before me" he said while sobbing in pain and plea for someone to help him.
"Arghhh FUCK.. why are you asking to be killed. YOU ARE DYING. And why are you telling such a sad story" Auns said in his heart while rethinking about his short life.
"Ahh SHIT..I think I am gonna cry..hik..hik.." Auns whimpering while trying to hold his hiccup.
" *caugh blood…haa..haaa.. I miss her so much" he said in a raspy voice. " I never knew those days wouldn't last forever"
Elrand's mind drifted back to memories of his sister when they were kids. They used to play together, laugh together, and share all their secrets. He was lost in his thoughts, remembering her smile, her laugh, and the sound of her voice.
His sister would always called out to him when its time to play.
"Brother!!…brother, come play with me?" Her voice echoing with the word , her small hand tugging on his hand.
The thought of seeing her again in the embrace of the light brought a bittersweet wave of sadness and relief, and he spoke softly to himself,
"I'm coming, Aria. No more pain or suffering. We'll be together soon."
Elrand thought to himself, " I should have done this earlier.
"THUD!!" the sound echoing loudly in the air as the boot makes contact with Elrand's stomuch.
"Arghhhhhh…. haaa..haa. haa" Elrand gasping for air as he clutched at his stomach and a cry of pain from him.
His recollections were interrupted as he was suddenly kicked in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood. The memory faded as the pain brought him back to reality. He doubled over in pain, gasping for air as he clutched at his stomach as the memory faded and the reality of his situation came crashing back down on him.
The cultist sneered down again at Elrand, his eyes burning with hatred.
"You still think you have a chance?" he spat.
"You're nothing but a weak, insignificant insect in the grand scheme of things. We are the masters of this world, and you and your people are nothing but pawns in the 'Leader' game. If you don't submit now, I'll make sure you regret it. I'll make sure you suffer more than you can imagine."
"No, no, no…" Auns wispered to himself as he watched Elrand convulse in pain through the gap on the barrel.
"Please…no" Auns wanted to do something, to help in some way, but fear kept him rooted in the spot.
To be continued…
>You shoul spend some time here and have some fun before going to the next chapter
~ Interaction Time ~
What do you think Auns gonna do?
a) get out of the barren and help Elrand
b) sobbing in tear and got caught
c) stay still in the barrel until the man left