Simon
We followed our Truth Seekers through the jungle as they led us back to the hideout.
I couldn't understand how everyone remained so composed with everything going on. They were younger than me, yet they handled a life-or-death situation with a level of grace I didn't think I could ever manage.
I was lucky to be part of this group, because I could have easily been among the students who perished when the guardian attacked the central pyramid.
This must be what my owners meant when they said the twelve great clans were a step above the rest.
But during my time in this rift, I have learned some weren't as bad as I thought. I couldn't believe I opened up to Sora and Stravos of all people about my past and my abilities.
That was something I had always kept locked away, and it surprised me that they didn't even look down on me afterward.
They actually praised me.
They made me wonder if I was better than being property.
But I had to figure out how to support them better. If I was going to make it out of here and live the life I wanted, I couldn't keep relying on them to carry me.
I had to do better.
I couldn't be a burden to them anymore.
After about an hour of traveling through the jungle, a few faint glows caught my attention in my peripheral vision.
They were getting closer.
My hands tightened around the multipurpose tool at my hip. I wasn't the best fighter by any means, but I needed to do something.
"We got phantom echoes inbound," Sigmond said to the whole group.
You can do this, Simon; be smart, be controlled, and follow the plan Stravos implemented.
Before long, a dozen or so echoes swarmed us, taking on all kinds of forms. I jumped aside as an attack came from above.
Then I saw them.
Two echoes stood among the swarm: a shaggy-haired, pale-skinned man missing a leg and a woman with jet-black hair missing an arm.
My blood ran cold.
They were my owners.
"Simon, move!" someone shouted from behind me, pushing me aside as they intercepted an incoming attack.
The echo that had taken the form of my adopted father swung an elbow at me, but Sora blocked it.
For a moment, I could only stare.
It looked too real.
I can't freeze like this again.
Sora quickly shocked the echo with a bolt of lightning, forcing it back, then rushed over to help me to my feet.
My fist clenched.
Beating me was never out of the question for them; they did it whenever they saw fit. No matter if I ever truly deserved such a repercussion.
I couldn't fight back then; I was weak and young. I still am now, but at least I have support.
Then I felt something flow through me, something that improved my confidence, boosted my awareness, and gave me the determination to push forward.
I looked to my left and saw Sora give me a subtle smile and nod.
She's amazing.
"Let's stick to the plan. The echoes are here to throw us off our game; we just have to remember this isn't real, and we will get through it." She said.
I nodded, clenched my multitool, and jumped back into the formation.
After several quick engagements, our group fell into rhythm.
We evaded, countered, and attacked like a well-oiled machine. For once, I wasn't just trying to keep up. I used my Node ability to disrupt the Echoes' footing areas with high mineral concentrations, creating openings for heavy hitters like Stravos to finish them off.
Compared to the behemoths that we faced, the echoes were a bit more relentless in their pursuit of our lives, and every time I thought I escaped the echoes of my owners, they appeared next to me.
"Did you really think you could escape us? You will be spending your entire life repaying your debt to us," one of them said, whispering in my ear.
My heart raced as I sent a mental message to Voen for backup. I dodged an incoming attack, slammed my hands against the ground, and manipulated its hardness, causing the echo to sink beneath the surface.
I quickly hardened the ground around her, trapping my female owner in place.
I quickly jumped out of the way, allowing Voen's sonic blast a clear runway to hit the target.
The attack allowed us to continue our advance, but it didn't put down the echo for good.
They just reformed after dissipating.
"How do we take them out for good?" I asked everyone through our tether link.
There was silence in our communication, as we went through another round of evasions and counters.
"They have to run out of cosmic energy. Normally, when we dissipate them, it should take much longer for them to reform in a rift. That's what we learned, at least. But something is accelerating the process. I just can't figure out what," Sigmond said as he chopped through another echo.
"That doesn't sound good at all," Voen said.
"But I think I have an idea: if we switch up our approach, I might be able to find a solution to the problem," Sigmond said as he flipped over a large root.
Sigmond relayed his idea. I was surprised he could think of something like that on the fly, and within moments our group worked to put it into motion.
Stravos and Ida pinned down an echo, holding it while it squirmed in their grasp. Sigmond rushed over and placed one hand where its core would have been, siphoning its cosmic energy and distributing it to everyone in the group through the tether.
The echo's light dimmed, fading till it was no more.
"It worked," Ida said, as the three of them moved onto the next echo, as our group continued to follow the truth seekers through the jungle.
I sighed in relief as I watched the echo fade. We were really getting somewhere. For the first time, I felt like I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But just as I jumped over a log, something crashed into my shoulder, knocking me off balance and sending me tumbling into Voen.
Voen caught me and threw me to the side as he evaded a strike from a one-armed echo.
"We demand payment!" the echo screamed as it charged towards me.
I imbued my legs with cosmic energy and sprinted to catch up with the group, filling the void in our formation.
The echo lunged at me; I ducked and rolled. I placed my hands on the ground, loosened it, and hardened it once again.
Voen covered for me, while I used my multipurpose tool to swipe at another echo, attacking from my side.
I made contact; the echo tumbled, but my multitool bent. It wasn't made for combat, and now I regretted not fashioning one for myself earlier.
When Voen and I rejoined the group, most of the echoes were dealt with, leaving only two.
My owners.
They chased after us like rabid beasts, quickly closing the distance.
Even with cosmic energy augmentation, I wasn't fast enough to outrun them.
One of the echoes clawed at the back of my calf, sending me crashing to the ground again.
My face fell into a patch of moss.
Something took hold of my ankle and dragged me backward.
I clawed at the ground, doing my best to fight their strength, but I wasn't strong enough to fend off both.
Then a bolt of electricity shot out and struck them both.
I looked up and saw Sora and the rest of the cluster coming to my aid.
The grip around my ankles slackened, and I pulled myself up and sprinted towards the group.
When I turned around, I saw both echos pinned down, fighting as Sigmond began draining them of cosmic energy.
The echos fought and clawed at anything they could, cursing me, until they finally faded away.
This better be the last time I ever see them again.