Thorn's Final Stand
Thorn takes a fighting stance. As the creature charges toward him, he closes his eyes.
"Total concentration... balance," he murmurs.
Steam begins to rise from his body, and a mist-like vapor flows from his skin. At that moment, the creature lunges, aiming its trident at Thorn's stomach—but Thorn, with smooth precision, touches the weapon and redirects it. The creature stumbles slightly off-course. Seizing the opening, Thorn drives a fist into its gut, making it cough up blood. Then, with a spinning kick, he slams his heel into the creature's head.
The creature is sent hurtling through the woods, crashing into a rock formation. In a flash, Thorn appears again and throws a punch—but this time, the creature catches his arm mid-air. With a brutal twist, it spins him and hurls him like a wrecking ball through the trees.
Before Thorn can recover, the creature hurls its trident. It hooks his arm and slams him against a rocky hillside. Blood trickles from his forehead. Dazed but not defeated, Thorn grabs the trident, unhooks it from his flesh, and stumbles to his feet.
He charges.
The creature charges too.
A furious exchange of fists erupts in the forest. Each blow carries the weight of Thorn's will—his village, his sons, and the aching memory of his wife. Their clash is so violent it shakes the woods. Thorn gains the upper hand, finally launching the creature back with a devastating strike.
As it lands, the creature removes its hood. It looks more human now, but its crimson eyes and subtle distortions reveal Echoflayer origins. A reddish glow envelops its body. Then it summons its trident.
Thorn rushes in again—but suddenly, his body freezes.
The reddish glow begins to seep out of the creature and into the weapon. The trident points at Thorn. A small, blue orb begins to form at its tip.
"What did you do to my people?!" Thorn roars. "What did you do to my village?!"
The creature grins. The orb, now the size of a soccer ball, glows orange.
It fires.
Still paralyzed, Thorn takes the blast head-on.
A deafening boom rings out across Aerthys—heard even in the halls of Ignisia. The light from the explosion burns as bright as the midday sun. The mountains tremble.
When the dust settles, Thorn is nowhere to be found.
The creature, spent, vanishes into the woods.
Back in the village, the paralyzed people can only watch in silence, guilt in their hearts, as Thorn and his family fought for them. Every morning since, the laughter of the Hosi children has brought them some measure of peace.
Soldiers from Ignisia now guard Thorn Village around the clock. Rose's death was cruel, but the villagers grieved with the Hosi family and vowed to protect them.
Word of the incident spread across the land like wildfire.
And so, all nations of Aerthys understood: war is coming.
Present Day...
Shawn kneels by his mother's grave with a bouquet of fresh flowers. The sky is pale with early dawn. He closes his eyes and prays, tears falling down his cheeks.
Meanwhile, in the Greenlands — 6 A.M.
Mole trains in the grassy fields, Zephyr watching from the side.
Zephyr: "Hey, Mole!"
Mole: "Yeah, old man?"
Zephyr: "How close are you to catching that Terragrim?"
Mole: "Oof... not even close. That thing is insanely fast."
Zephyr: "Hmm. Then I'll need to speed up your training."
Mole: "Why the rush? Not that I mind getting stronger fast, but..."
Zephyr: "Because a war is coming."
Mole: "A war?"
Zephyr: "In two months, every king in Aerthys will gather in one place. King Arin suspects an oncoming apocalypse."
Mole: "That's terrifying. But... what does that have to do with me?"
Zephyr: "Do you know anything about your family tree?"
Mole: "No. Dad never mentioned it. Not even once."
Zephyr: "The name Hosi has been carried for thousands of years. Some say you're descended from royalty. But that's not why it matters. You and your brothers are the last ones who carry that bloodline."
Mole: "...What does that mean?"
Zephyr: "Long ago, a boy fell in love with a princess. To propose, he wanted to offer something worthy. So, he stole the Crystal of Life. After they married and had children, the curse began. He stopped aging. He gained unspeakable power. But he lost control."
"He ravaged Aerthys for three weeks until the king and his forces defeated him. They sealed him away."
Mole: "So what's that got to do with us?"
Zephyr: "To break the seal, a child of his bloodline must be sacrificed. So the king wiped out his family... or so he thought. One child survived. He changed his name to Hosi."
Mole: "...And the Echoflayers?"
Zephyr: "They were that ancient army. Their appearance three years ago in Thorn Village exposed the bloodline's survival."
Mole (worried): "So... me and my brothers are the key to breaking the seal? Then why hasn't King Arin killed us already?"
Zephyr: "Because he's looking for another way."
Mole: "Why would he help us?"
Zephyr: "Let me finish. You heard me mention 'the king of Aerthys,' right?"
Mole: "Yeah, I found that strange."
Zephyr: "After the war, that king divided the land into four kingdoms. I don't know why. But now, all four kings are reuniting because the same threat is returning."
Mole (thinking): "Now I understand what Mom meant about protecting Lloyd... I know what I have to do. I won't lose anyone else. I've already lost too much. I will get stronger."
Elsewhere...
Outside Ignisia, near a calm river, Zick sits in meditation. He focuses hard, struggling to control the flow of energy and elemental force within him.
It's proving difficult—but he keeps going.
To be continued...