CTS Time RE 250.08.20 – 10:23 PM
The dim glow of the artificial moon cast soft light over the towering structures of the Diamond Spacehub. The city dome shimmered in the night, but inside the hotel room, a heavy silence filled the air.
Bolt was fast asleep on the bed, his slow, steady breathing the only sound in the room. Across the room, Blaze sat hunched over a holographic panel, his fingers typing rapidly as he searched for information about tomorrow's tournament. The blue light from the screen reflected in his sharp eyes, but his mind wasn't entirely focused.
He skimmed through the details: Three groups—A, B, and C. Each group had eight players. Jasper was in Group B, and Blaze himself was in Group A. The standard rules were listed—one point for knocking an opponent's blade, two points for completely bursting their blade from the handle grip.
But something felt off.
Blaze frowned. There was no mention of a prize. No trophy, no title, nothing. Just a tournament with unknown stakes. That alone was unsettling, but his mind drifted elsewhere.
With a sigh, he pulled out his Star Credit Card (SCX) and checked his balance. His fingers trembled slightly as he swiped the card over the scanner.
He muttered to himself, "I remember having at least nineteen thousand credits... But what now?"
The screen flickered.
Balance: 2,456 credits.
For a moment, Blaze just stared, his mind refusing to process what he was seeing. Then, it hit him like a punch to the gut.
"What?!" His voice rose in shock, the frustration bubbling over. "You've got to be kidding me!"
His sudden outburst startled even him, and he clenched his jaw, forcing himself to breathe. It wasn't about the money. Not really. It was about what had happened earlier. His anger, his scolding, the way Rose had shrunk back under his words.
He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. Did I really go that far?
His mind replayed the moment—her guilty expression, the way she flinched when he raised his voice. I let my temper get the best of me. He had always been protective of her, because she reminded him of his sister.
That day... the day he found Rose, she had lost everything. Her family. Her friends. She had no one. And Blaze—maybe out of guilt, maybe out of something deeper—had decided to be her shield in this vast, lonely universe.
And what did I do today? He clenched his fists. Instead of protecting her, he had made her feel even more alone.
Blaze exhaled sharply and stood up. His gaze drifted to the balcony, where Rose sat alone, her arms wrapped around her knees. She hasn't said a word since dinner.
Blaze stepped outside, the cool night air brushing against his skin. Rose didn't turn to look at him. She kept staring at the vast, artificial sky, lost in thought.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Rose..." His voice was softer this time, no longer filled with anger.
She didn't respond.
Blaze took a slow breath. "I... I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I was angry, but that's no excuse." He clenched his hands. "You were just trying to enjoy yourself. And I—" He sighed. "I let my frustration take over. That's on me."
Still, Rose remained silent, her fingers gripping her sleeves.
Blaze lowered himself onto one knee, bringing himself to her height. He looked at her face, noticing the faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. His heart ached.
"I'm sorry," he said again, his voice filled with sincerity. "It wasn't your fault."
Rose finally turned toward him, her expression unreadable. Then, without a word, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in a small, hesitant hug.
Blaze's breath caught in his throat. She was always stubborn, never the type to show vulnerability. But now, feeling the slight tremble in her shoulders, he realized just how much his words had hurt her.
Gently, he placed a hand on her head, his fingers brushing through her hair in a comforting gesture. "Come inside," he whispered. "It's cold out here."
Rose sniffled lightly but nodded against his chest.
Blaze gave a small smile, ruffling her hair. "And... I'll make it up to you. Somehow."
She didn't say anything, but as she pulled away and wiped her eyes, he could tell she had forgiven him.
For now, that was enough.
The hotel room was silent, save for the soft hum of the city outside and the rhythmic breathing of the two sleeping figures. Rose and Bolt lay peacefully on the bed, their faces relaxed in slumber. For the first time that night, they looked at peace, as if the chaos of the day had finally faded.
Blaze, however, couldn't sleep.
He stood by the doorway for a moment, watching them. His expression softened, but only for an instant. Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned away. "Good night," he murmured, though he knew they wouldn't hear him.
Making his way back to the desk, he sat down, leaning forward with his elbows on the surface. His mind was restless. The weight of everything—his past, his promises, his future—pressed heavily on his shoulders.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. Tomorrow's tournament. He should be thinking about that. About strategy, about his opponents. But something else pulled at him, something deeper.
Then it happened.
A sudden pulse of energy surged through the room, cold yet searing at the same time. Blaze stiffened, his heartbeat quickening as his eyes darted toward the source.
His blade—lying untouched on the desk—was glowing.
A deep, crimson-red energy crackled along its edges, pulsating as if it were alive. The light flickered, shadows twisting unnaturally around the room. Blaze felt his breath hitch. This power... it was calling to him.
Slowly, almost instinctively, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the hilt.
The moment his skin touched the blade, a sharp heat shot through his palm. Blaze closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as the energy coursed through him like fire. His body tensed—and then, in the blink of an eye, everything vanished.
The Destruction Realm
When he opened his eyes again, he was somewhere else.
The air was thick, suffocating, filled with the scent of burning ash and molten rock. Blaze stood on the edge of a volcanic wasteland, the ground beneath him cracked and searing with flowing rivers of lava. The sky was a swirling mass of black and red, lightning arcing through the storm clouds.
And in the center of it all—Devolos.
The towering dragon-like entity loomed before him, its scales dark as obsidian, pulsing with eerie energy. Six glowing green eyes fixed on him, filled with something between amusement and hunger.
When Devolos spoke, its voice dripped with malice, like a serpent whispering venom into his mind.
"You have changed, Blaze. Those little insects—"his voice curled with disdain—"are distracting you."
Blaze's jaw clenched. He knew exactly who Devolos was referring to. Rose. Bolt.
He met the beast's gaze, his voice firm. "I know what you are, Devolos. You crave blood. You want destruction." His fists tightened at his sides. "But I promised myself that with your power, I would erase everyone who played a part in my sister's murder."
Devolos let out a deep, guttural chuckle, the air around him vibrating with dark energy.
"Then why do you hesitate?" the creature hissed. "One of them—the very ruler of this universe—stands before you, and yet you do nothing?"
Blaze stiffened. His breath felt heavier in the burning heat of this realm. The ruler... He knew what Devolos was implying.
Revenge was so close.
Blaze exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "I know, Devolos... But I have responsibilities. I have promises to keep."
The dragon growled, its massive tail slamming into the lava beneath it, sending up a wave of molten fire.
"Emotions. Promises. Weakness." The words slithered into Blaze's mind like poison. "These things waste your time. You are growing soft because of this foolishness."
Blaze felt something twist inside him. The old part of himself—the part driven by pure vengeance—agreed with Devolos. He had spent years sharpening his anger into a weapon, using it to fuel every fight, every step forward.
But now?
Now, he hesitated. Because of them. Rose. Bolt.
Was he really growing weaker?
The question clawed at his mind, but before he could answer, his surroundings flickered.
The red sky shattered like glass, the lava-drenched ground crumbling beneath him—and in the next instant, he was back.
Back in the Hotel Room
Blaze gasped, his lungs dragging in air as if he had been drowning. His vision blurred for a moment before adjusting to the dim light of the hotel.
He was back at the desk. The blade was still in his hand, but the glow had faded. The energy was gone.
But its words remained.
He clenched his fist, pressing the blade against his forehead, as if trying to block out Devolos's voice. Weak. Soft. Wasting time.
Was that true?
To be continue....