Lost hope

A couple of hours prior to the tragedy...

"Hey big sis"

"What?"

"I still can't believe it"

"About what?"

"About what happened a couple of months ago"

"Ohhhhhhhhhh" She looked away.

"Why does it feel that you are super guilty right now big sis"

"Nothing" She rolled her eyes.

"I know you're lying" He paused and looked straight into her eyes. The mark of guiltyness seen at her big sis's face "So, you were there after all" He said, feeling a bit angry and embarrassed about the confession that happened months ago. His eyes glaring daggers at his big sister for her eavesdropping on an important scene.

His big sis has been teasing him for the last couple of months, sometimes, she becomes quite clingy all of a sudden, as to why he wanted to find out, and he did.

Her sister, realizing that she was found out, then apologized wholeheartedly.

"I'm sorry my cute Evan!!!" She said, while trying to hug him, but he dodged, really angry to his big sister. She tried a couple more times to hug him, but he always managed to dodge the attacks, till she gave up.

"I'M SORRY!!!" She cried down on the floor, regretting the sin she has done towards her cute little boy. She sniveled along as she talked to him "I can't. Just. Stop. Worrying. About. You!" She continuously cried, till she bawled her eyes out. At first, he was still trying to act tough. After a couple of minutes, he gave in.

"Fi-Fine! I forgive you" He hesistated for a bit, but managed to say it anyway.

"Re-Really?" Her face glowed by what he said. After blowing in her handkerchief, she hugged him really tight, until he slowly suffocated to death.

"I spy with my own two eyes, a tsun tsun." A young man said outside the door. He is wearing a black formal shirt and slacks while wearing a white long sleeve inside.

"Shut it" Evan said.

"What's the formalities about, Dirk?" Clarisse asked, still tightly hugging Evan to death. Burying her face to his.

"Something, or someone, messed with the barrier in the village"

Evan looked at his big sis as her eyes slowly gone serious. She let him go and walked closer towards Dirk. They then talked about the situation a bit and Clarisse grabbed her cloak from the cloak stand. She walked again towards her little boy and gently rubbed his head.

"Just wait here for a bit Evan, as big sis just has something to attend to"

"Can I go with you?" He asked. Quickly changing his stance towards the situation.

"No" She coldly answered.

"Pretty please" He said with matching beautiful eyes. Trying to make himself cute while repeatedly blink. Clarisse got a nosebleed afterwards, staring at her boy.

"Ye-"

"No" Dirk said. He pulled Clarisse away from the boy while grabbing a handkerchief on his pocket. Clarisse still fought on getting Evan along.

"But why not?" She asked.

"Because he's the one we need to protect" He whispered closely to her ear.

"Nooooo" She still hesitated. He forcefully pulled her away till they got outside.

"I'll bring you your big sis back after we handled the responsibility at the village" Dirk said to Evan, focusing all his strength on not letting Clarisse go.

"Nooooo, we must bring him with us" She said, as she started punching him wherever she could.

"Sorry for the intrusion" He waved goodbye and slowly closed the door.

"Killjoy" He said as he pouted.

>:T

A couple of hours later...

"And that should do the trick" Clarisse said, raising both her hands while chanting an incantation. Dirk moved forward and touch where the barrier is supposed to be. A blue dome filled with pentagons slowly revealed itself, until the other side is seen. The side where Dirk and Clarisse is slowly vanishing until it can't be seen by the naked eye.

"Big magic you got here Clair" He said. "If it was me chanting all this, my makyo would already been depleted by the time I finished"

"But, its still strange though" She answered as she lowered her hands to her waist, trying to think on how could someone destroy the barrier, that even a high class monster couldn't penetrate.

"Indeed" He replied "But, atleast whoever destroyed it must be really scared off their butts seeing that the barrier was reinforced fourfolds"

"Can't risk getting the villagers get killed after all. Since, if they die, we would never know what might happen to Evan afterwards".

They continued to investigate the surroundings until they both sense a high concentration of makyo.

"Can you sense it?" Dirk asked

"Yeah" Clarisse replied

"Can you do one of those observer spells again?"

"Well, I already did. I placed four of them in strategic locations in all directions" She then checked the observers using her spell "There's no way something could be....." She paused.

"Hey, what is it?" He asked, she didn't answered. Her face slowly turning pale from fear.

"Hey" He shook her on both of her shoulders "Tell me, what did you see".

"Mo-Monster"

"Monsters? How many?"

"A-A-A-A-A..." She stuttered.

"A what? Tell me" He asked, slowly making his voice high, till it went from a shout.

"A horde. Of. Monsters. Is. Coming. There. Way. Here" She said while stuttering, trying to maintain a cool composure, but failed.

"A horde?" He said, fear creeping on his voice. "Well, atleast you got this barrier up? Right?"

She went silent again, she lost her words to speak.

"Hey, give me that spell that makes me see the observers" He said, completely worried now. His heart beating faster than usual, and his face now sweating from the anxiety of it.

She chanted the spell that makes him able to see the observers placed. He saw on it a lot of monsters coming their way here, from the lowest to the highest.

"Wha-WHAT!?"

"And that's not the worst part" She now cooled down, trying to maintain herself calm with the upcoming horde now close on their village. "Look at the northern side". He then looked at the northern observer, and a huge figure with flapping wings is coming over to this direction.

"No, no way" He was left in utter disbelief.

"Even the divines themselves has trouble dealing with chimaeras, and your telling me that one is coming in this direction right now?"

She never answered his arguement, she just tried to think of a way out. She tried to think of a plan where everyone could be safe, but, sacrifices were needed, one way, or another.

"Go"

"What?"

"GO"

"To where?"

"To Evan, quickly"

"Are you sure you can hold? I mean, that's a chimaera going right this way. Even your barrier itself cannot withstand a divine beast"

"JUST GO" She pushed him away. "Evan's saftey is top priority here, I'll buy you as much time as you need".

After that, she slowly transformed. An incomplete set of light green armor formed itself across her body. A chestplate, leggings, bracers, it began to reveal itself as seconds go by. Only the helmet itself isn't seen.

A couple of minutes passed by, and a long green armband started to tick near her hand, the time colored in light green.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// 100 : 11 : 31 : 43 //

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"Can I atleast know where you get that sudden power up?" Dirk asked

"Well, I've been training all this time? Don't you know that?"

"We're so close to dying and you still joke huh?" He planned to never leave her side, to stay with her until the bitter end, even if it meant the world will fall. "Never thought you knew concealment, but, that's my girl after all"

"Oh yeah, one more thing" She pulled him close to her using his necktie, their lips suddenly intertwined against each other, the sweet taste of the other's lips, her soft lips, and then she pushed him away. "Bye Marco" She waved, and white bits started to form, beginning from the bottom to the top "But I guess this will be the last time will meet" She paused, crying by the pain that surrounds her heart. Regretting the days she wasted, the days she loved, the days she spent with him.

"No no no no no no no" He repeatedly say. He looked at her, saying the words over and over again, unable to do anything.

"I love you, Marco"

Then, the last thing he saw is fire raining from the sky, and a young girl, smiling with her last moments.

Afterwards, he was gone.

>:T

"Why is big sis taking so long?" He wondered, as he was looking at the nearby window that overlooks the village.

He has been planning all day with her big sis on what to do on his twelveth birthday. He planned to invite Alicia and Mr. Dirk and celebrate in the inn. He waited and waited but no knock on the door ever came. He started to be weary and sleepy from waiting his big sis all night. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from the kitchen.

"What the?" He said, confused by the sudden sound coming from the kitchen. As he was just thinking about who might it be, a man in a black shirt and slacks, with long sleeves in the inside revealed himself from the kitchen.

"Mr. Dirk". He guessed, and he was right. The man walked towards him with a bit of burns on his clothing, his tears echoed across the house.

"Mr. Dirk, your clothes..."

"Let's go" He grabbed his hand and gone outside until a huge bang was heard across the area. The air suddenly became pressured that their hair gently blew from it.

"What was that?"

"Don't mind it"

"But, what is it..."

"I SAID, DON'T MIND IT" He shouted, as he forcefully pulled him away from his house. He struggled until he broke free from his grip.

"WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE VILLAGE THAT YOU SUDDENLY BECAME LIKE THIS MR. DIRK!?" He said, then, overcome by curiousity, he looked at where the village is. He saw fire burning the nearby houses, the screams of the villagers at their wake as monsters and beasts alike swarmed like ants, killing anyone they see on site.

"He-hey?" He stuttered, shivering in fear. "I-Isn't that the village"

He didn't spoke a word.

"Whe" His legs lost their strength, resulting in him falling on the ground. He started to look around "Whe-where's big sis?".

"She's safe on the other side of the mountain. There's a teleporter nearby here that can bring you to safety" He lied. As telling the truth might result in the boy go in a rampage and head towards the village alone.

"O-Okay" He stood up with whatever strength he had left. He slowly walked again towards Dirk until he remembered something very important.

"ALICIA!"

"What?"

"Alicia, she might be in danger"

"Sorry, but, we can't afford saving her now".

"No!" He shouted. "If we're not saving her, I'm not going with you". He left, running towards the direction where Alicia's house.

"Wait, kid, stop...."

Then, while running down the mountain steps, trying to reach him down using his speed.

He was gone.

>:T

"AHHHHH" He screamed. After running away from Mr. Dirk, he suddenly vanished and now he fell from somewhere he didn't know.

He slowly stood up, still reassesing if his legs can still stand up, and was grateful for they still have the strength to do so.

He looked around the area and saw himself in the middle of the road, with the surrounding sides were trees and bushes of different sizes.

"Wait, I remember this road" He said, having a sense of sudden familiarization. As if this pathway is something very important to him, something he was very attached to since he was a child. A memory flew from his brain and it struck him where this is.

"This is the road we take when we're going home" He thought. "If I continued to walk north, I'll definitely find her place".

After the incident he saw a couple of minutes ago, he found something to inspire from, something that will make him still walk even if fear filled his whole body.

"Alicia, I'm coming. Wait for me"

>:T

"Are you really sure we shouldn't go to the boy's house?" The hooded lady asked.

"Of course, as we have the biggest bait that boy wanted"

"And that is?"

"Really? You really don't know?"

"Who is it anyways?"

He looked annoyed and utter disbelief

"It's Alicia!"

"Ohhhhh, right" She suddenly got it.

They've been waiting in the sidebush from the pathway towards their house, as he knew that, one way or another, he'll come here knowing that Alicia is still in danger.

"You know, we've been waiting here for hours, the explosion just came in, and the boy still isn't here" She said, fearing that the destined one might not come and will result into their deaths "What if he never came, what if he never cared for her in the first place..."

"Shush" He silenced her "Someone's coming"

The sound of boots hitting dirt is now heard by the hooded man, who was applauded for his good sense of hearing.

"The boy is near, just keep your eyes peeled and ready your weapons" He said as he readied his dagger in his hand, the lady her lethal potions.

"ALICIA, WHERE ARE YOU!?" Someone shouted from a far. His footsteps now heard from a far while he continued to call for her name. "ALICIA!!!" He shouted.

"NOW!" They showed up and the hooded man threw his dagger while the woman her potions. The smoke coming from the vials spew everywhere, coming from the explosive components of the liquid while fire came from everywhere.

"You think we got him" Asked the hooded man.

The hooded lady's arms suddenly shivered and started to look pale. The hooded man, curious and anxious from her expression, started to look at the place where the boy was supposed to be. The dagger was stuck to the tree on he opposite side while the effects of the potion was seen from the ground.

But no boy was seen.

>:T

"What's with my clumsiness today and I kept tripping" He mumbled. He stood up again and saw himself inside a corridor. Paintings, vases, and tables were seen from the surroundings. The walls were colored in white due to the moonlight shoning on the window in the right, while he felt something on his boots. He looked down and saw red carpet on the floor.

"This might be Alicia's house" He thought to himself. "I don't know what happened but, sweet" He gently laughed, before remembering the task at hand.

"ALICIA!" He shouted "WHERE ARE YOU?".No one answered. He continued to walk down the corridor, staring at awe on how grand the place is. He never got the chance to go to her house as she didn't wanted him to know. That's why him exploring the house, searching for her, was a blur to him.

"ALICIA" He tried again "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"HEREEE!!!" said from a voice far away.

"ALICIA?" he looked and found himself in an intersection. He waited for her reply to see which were the nearest.

"OVER HEREEEEE!!" She shouted again. Her voice echoing from the east.

"Over there" He ran towards the right and shouted again.

"ALICIA!"

"EVAN!"

He heard her nearby and ran towards the sound, to see him stopping on a dark wood door. He tried to open the door using the handle, but it was locked. He put his ear closer to the door.

"Are you here Alicia?"

"Yeah, I'm here"

"Can you open the door from the other side?"

She tried to open the door, but to no avail.

"My parents locked me out of the outside" She said "There's no way I can get out".

He tried to look for anything, anything that might be useful on breaking down the door.

"Come on, anything, anything!" He thought to himself over and over again. Just by this one chance, can someone actually give him something useful for once in his life. He tried to find anything that might be useful that he might brought along, until he touched his neck.

He brought out the item and saw a necklace with a white diamond on its clasp. A simple necklace worn around his neck, something that he never have before, neither did he felt either.

"What can I do with a stupid necklace" He thought to himself "I need is something that can break the door open, not some piece of..." The diamond then spew light out its shape, and with it, a dagger was suddenly in his hand.

"Wait, when did I have a dagger before" He wondered, as he never had a chance to bring anything before, but now, he had a dagger in his hand.

Before his confusion and curiosity took over him, he thought of something else.

"Alicia, stay away from the door" He warned

"Ok, if you say so" She slowly backed up from her door.

He tried to weaken the lock within the door by using the dagger. A couple of minutes went by and the door suddenly unlocked itself. He then kicked it open and he saw Alicia, frightened and scared. Her room was nothing to how parents treat their daughter. There was only a small bed on the left, and a lot of windows in the room. No decoration, nothing.

"What was happening to the village?" She asked

"I don't know, but, we got to get out of here" As he grabbed her hand and ran towards the outside of the house. The dagger on his hand, her soft hand on his left, as Alicia was behind him as well. They had gone down the stairs, and ran towards the door.

"Almost there" He said.

They reached the door and made there way outside.

"You really thought that you can escape us that easily" Said by a hooded figure on the outside.

Behind him was something he thought was on the village.

Monsters crowded behind him as they roared and snarled at their new food.

And with the village's destruction, so too, was their plan to escape.