His pain writhed inside his burning heart.
Every blade of grass around him was stained obsidian by the beast's foul ooze. Just ahead, his sister stood frozen in place—a silent sentinel amid the darkness.
"Get your hands off of him!" Aletha exclaimed as she hoisted her arm upward, preparing to attack the beast.
Still as a statue, the creature did not stir. Its murky gaze slid toward Aletha, and for a heartbeat, the world was so silent that only the whisper of the wind dared to break it.
Aletha crouched low to the ground, carefully creeping closer to her brother, shifting her path to avoid the monster's direct line of sight.
One. Two. Three seconds pass. The creature's growls and croaks echoed over the whistling forest. Aletha was just centimeters away from her brother's grasp.
Four. Five. Six seconds more. Aletha's feet barely skimmed the metal arm on Asahi's hand, goosebumps prickling her skin.
(Just a few steps away.) Aletha thought quietly.
Although about a minute had passed since encountering the beast, Aletha still couldn't get a good sight of it in the darkness. She turned her head toward the monster, holding her breath to avoid alerting it.
But the sight that would be presented before her eyes was almost just enough to make Aletha scream.
The beast resembled an oversized, spiked lizard with silver coin-sized eyes, coated in black ooze.
Its face was similar to a human's, but instead of lips or a nose, it only had a single slit-like opening that ran across the top of its face.
Its most striking feature: massive, smooth wings, deadly with a single flap.
With every cautious step, Aletha felt her heartbeat thunder in her chest.
She knew that her entire body was exposed to the monster's sight.
Quietly, Aletha pulled her hair back and grabbed her brother's wrist, dragging him slowly away from the pile of dirt. Asahi held back his cries, and just before the monster could see them, he fell on the ground, feeling the gentle grass bristles support his back.
As she slowly lifted herself up, she glared at her wounded brother, leaned over, and whispered into Asahi's ear.
"You will be alright."
Without warning, the creature slashed at Aletha with its razor-sharp claws, digging into her skin like sticks poking through the sand.
Aletha's breath caught in her throat. Her legs shook under her, and she let out a short yelp.
"AHHHHH!!!"
The sound of flesh tearing was audible as Aletha fell backward onto the hard ground, holding her injured shoulder.
Her vision went black for a brief second after she hit the ground, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw the creature flying away from them in the distance. Terror pinned Aletha to the ground, her heart pounding like a frantic drum. Heart thumping rapidly.
Instead, she clutched her shoulder tightly as she looked up at the sky, fighting the urge to scream.
Asahi was still lying on the ground, completely unconscious, breathing heavily, his face pale white. Blood poured down the side of his face, making his wound look even worse.
"Asahi!" She screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Don't die on me..."
She began to shake violently, unable to control herself anymore.
Her thoughts spun into a dizzying haze. She stared, unseeing, at the earth beneath her.
"Why? What did we do to deserve this? Does the world... hate us now?" Aletha sobbed. "I… just want a peaceful life."
Her voice grew distant, echoing over the trees.
But then, just before she thought she was safe, the winged creature flew down and tried to strike Aletha, swooping down and digging its sharp wings through the dirt.
Luckily enough, Aletha hurriedly rolled out of the way and dodged each strike, furious about the creature's decision.
Yet as she stood still with a confident pose, Aletha completely took the beast off guard and immediately fled away from it, through the bushes toward a secluded area away from the monster.
However, her plan didn't last for very long.
While Aletha ran away, the monster finally found its target. She heard its approach before she saw it.
The beast lunged forward, snarling, aiming its claw-like hands at Aletha.
(It's coming right for me. I'm going to die…) Aletha thought desperately. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't move.
All she could do was stare at the beast that loomed over her, ready to attack.
"No, anyone but my brother."
Suddenly, she blinked—and found herself several meters away in a new area.
. . .
"H… Huh?"
Her heart palpitated, and silence entered around her. Even with the sudden calmness, her breath grew cold as she realized her brother was in danger.
Dreadful visions of what might befall her brother clawed at Aletha's mind, leaving her more anxious than ever. She hurriedly ran through the bushes, searching desperately for Asahi, but couldn't find him.
Struck with horror and stress, Aletha cried out to the seemingly endless forest.
"Where am I?"
Yet only the wind answered her.
When she looked at her pale hands, she was reminded of the times she used her blade.
A thick, glittering, long blade coated in the colors of black and white, with pale dots shimmering across its sleek and sharp surface. A pattern that matched her attire.
She remembered delivering blows with this powerful weapon.
To slay even the largest of enemies with just one strike. The blade was perfect.
('If only I had my sword now.) Aletha thought, staring at her palms.
But unfortunately, that thought had only lived inside her imagination. For she couldn't find her sword no matter what she did.
She had never felt so powerless, stripped of everything but her fragile humanity.
Frightened about what would happen next, Aletha froze still and prayed.
"Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me..."
As she heard leaves rustling around her, a man stood a few steps away from where she had been, calling out as his eyes widened in shock.
"Hey! What's going on here?"
To Aletha, the man was nothing more than a brown blur darting through the shadows. Her fear twisted reality, convincing her he was in league with the monster.
She charged at him with all her strength, arms wide open, yelling, "I'll kill you!"
But just as her hands were about to skim the man's attire.
"Whoa whoa whoa, I'm not the enemy here!" The man called out to her as he held up his hands in defense. The intensity of the situation immediately died down as the mellow rays of the sun shone on them.
Although the man was a stranger, Aletha had no choice. She stopped attacking and listened. "If you don't want my help, then so be it. This will be the only time I'm doing an act of kindness. So please, don't disregard it."
A silence formed between them.
Aletha had indeed been trying to attack the man, but it was only after hearing what he said that she stopped herself.
And when she saw his face...
"...A human?"
At first glance, this man looked like a regular person—not just any person but someone who could pass for a commoner or even a peasant.
His long brown hair, deep green eyes, and a neat beard gave him a familiar look.
He wore loose black clothing, a belt holding a sword and knife—plain, simple, unremarkable.
There was something odd about his appearance, though.
For some reason, he seemed familiar.
Perhaps it was his looks, or maybe it was how he carried himself?
Or perhaps both?
Regardless, Aletha ignored him and started swinging at him in full force, despite the warning.
"Why are you here?"
Her weak and thin arms flew around the man like the wings of a hummingbird.
Yet after each strike, the man quickly deflected each hit with his bare hand.
In fact, it didn't take much effort for him to block her attacks. As Aletha's panicked swings began to die down, Brich stood in a straight posture and smiled confidently, taunting her.
"Heh. Is that all you got?"
He stood untouched, not a scuff on his shoes or a wrinkle in his clothes. Aletha's heart raced in disbelief—her attacks had left him utterly unscathed.
After the man brushed the dirt off his attire, he shook his head and sighed, asking her.
"Do you want me to help you or not?"
When Aletha realized that the man wasn't going to hit her, she immediately lowered her guard. Staring at him, mouth agape, she tensed up and quickened her pace, then screamed. You attack me? "
Brich wasn't at all phased by her blunt reaction. He just pushed that silly act aside and shrugged his shoulders, answering Aletha casually.
"My name is Brich. I attacked you out of self-defense. Look, I'm trying to help you, here!"
Immediately after, Aletha reacted with a rude and offended tone.
"Well then, Brich, how about you don't scare me like that again!" Her body was still tense, afraid to look at Brich again, knowing that she was weak. The best thing she could do was stay quiet.
As she heard the monster's menacing growls resound over the forest, her eyes trembled, she took deep breaths, and she clenched her fists, mumbling with a desperate tone.
"Please… just help me."
The only thought that came to her mind at this very moment was that there was no other choice but to trust this man right now.
After all, she thought, if she tried attacking him again, he would surely win against her.
Silence after silence, as the seconds of Asahi's demise ticked away, Brich offered his hand to Aletha and pulled her back on her feet.
"Finally. Follow me!"
He then turned his head toward the patch of greenery where the monster was and mumbled as he saw Asahi's body lying against the dirt.
"That beast..."
Aletha felt sick looking at the corpse. She wanted to vomit at the sight of Asahi's torn-apart remains. But before she could make another move, Brich grabbed her arm and led her behind a thicket of bushes.
They hid themselves inside the dark and dense foliage.
"I'll protect you," said Brich.
As Aletha held tightly onto Brich's sleeve, they watched from afar as the creature approached the dead body.
"Don't worry, I have this under control," whispered Brich, patting Aletha's shoulder. "Your brother... will be fine."
Aletha's heart stopped in horror and shock.
"What do you mean? H... How..."
She couldn't finish her words; she was beyond terrified seeing her brother, the most powerful being she knew, scattered in chunks of dust and flesh; it made her sick to her stomach.
"This can't be real. This can't be real. This can't be real..."
Aletha kept repeating the phrase until her voice gave out.
And so Brich decided to comfort Aletha, who was losing hope.
"It's alright. Everything will be okay. I promise."
A gentle smile graced Aletha's lips.
"Okay." She nodded, gradually starting to feel the sense of security. Thank you."
Aletha placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
"I don't even know who you are, and yet... It feels as if you are my friend already." She said as she looked into the dirt. "How will you help? Your magic? Your sword?"
"Oh, it's not me who will save you," Brich said with a prideful smile. "But someone else."
Before anything could be said, his entire existence vanished into light particles.
... Time seemed suspended. Moments passed in silence.
It seemed like hours had passed since Brich disappeared into thin air.
In actuality, it had been only five minutes.
Brich's absence stretched on, each minute feeding Aletha's restlessness and worry. Doubt gnawed at her as she waited, nerves fraying with every passing second.
Without warning, the scene changed again—Aletha was back where the creature was, defenseless and afraid. Suddenly, she felt a slimy grip on her ankle. The monster hurled Aletha into the air and slammed her into the ground, gnawing and tearing at her.
"Weak."
That word streamed into both their minds. Aletha gritted her teeth, and despite being in pain, she whipped a branch at the creature and screamed.
"STOP!" She said as she shuddered. "Where in the world is Brich?"
Before she could even wield it, the twig shattered into pieces; all the attack did was anger the beast even more.
. . .
Heavy pressure forced both of them to the dirt.
The creature drooled and scraped its legs over its back. That same word burst in them as they felt their life spill out.
"WEAK. WEAK. WEAK..."
Birds chirped, the winds whistled, and insects hummed.
Even in this circumstance, the world wasn't focused on Asahi and Aletha, as if their lives were worthless.
Disbelief overtook both of them.
Was this what it came to?
To be defeated by a battle with the unknown, to awake to what COULD be their world, lose their powers that made them gods in the first place, torn and shredded by a monster…?!
"UNLEASH PURNIMO ULTIMATUM!"
Suddenly, a massive lavender beam of light struck the monster straight in the face, launching and shriveling its first layer of goopy skin into oblivion.
The beast let out a painful shriek.
It unleashed its two tongues but shrieked even louder as the purple light continued to burn it, bringing it to fall down onto its stomach.
A second later, another purple ray shot through its torso, finishing and reducing the creature into nothing but ash.
Moments later, the creature fell flat on the ground, leaving a huge cloud of dust in its wake.
As the dust lifted, it unveiled a silver-haired boy with two cat ears perched on his head.
Asahi and Aletha were paralyzed in shock, not just from pain, but from the inability to clearly identify the mysterious person who unleashed that powerful beam.
In seconds, they saw the enemy that had almost killed them effortlessly disintegrate from a beam of light.
"Brich, ESCORT the strangers to the hills, now!"
A familiar brown-haired man rushed to both of them and carried their dust-covered bodies on his back. The mysterious boy and the man ran through the forest toward an open field of grass.
But as Asahi and Aletha's vision slowly faded into darkness, the wounds and cuts on their bodies swiftly healed from a faint green luminance, and the mysterious two placed them soundly against their shoulders.
The same tranquil voice yelled as he heard loud growls from each corner.
"Get the carriage. It should be a kilometer away…."
"On it, Sadiki!"
The silver-haired boy turned to Asahi and Aletha, rubbed their heads, and whispered to them with a calm voice and an uneasy smile.
"Y-You two… will be alright…."
As Aletha was escorted, she caught a glimpse of a mysterious woman veiled in dark mist. Her magenta eyes shocked Aletha, but as Aletha blinked, the figure vanished.