Awaken

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

In a large department building, within the shadows far away from the dim morning light, a white-haired boy stood still, frozen.

Frozen in terror, or frozen in fright?

He simply only stared at a shadow in the darkness.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

In the darkness, the shadow stared at the boy.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

Jonah stared into the darkness.

The shadow stared back.

The tiny hairs on the back of his head rose as he listened to a beat.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

A sound that only he could hear. A beat he couldn't stop listening to. A heartbeat that he was forced to hear.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

Another beat; a music only he must hear.

Jonah didn't know when he began hearing his own heartbeat, but it was too innumerable to count. His lungs joined with the beat, and they both rose with a crescendo.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱-

Louder and louder, the boy couldn't even hear his own gulp. Everything wanted to be free. He wanted to be free.

It was as though his own heart was trying to escape.

To run from the shadow.

Yet, he kept staring at it.

It was just a few steps ahead of him, and he can barely make out its outline. That was how he could see the shadow.

Alas, it was very vague, and he can't tell what it was. No matter how hard Jonah stared it, it was as though it was camouflaged with the darkness, blending in. He can't guess if the shadow really was a human.

Or…something else.

The only thing he 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 guess was that it might be taller than him. Anything else was just a guess or miss.

For a while, the white-haired boy simply wanted to scream.

Jonah wanted to yell; he wanted to warn Chaya. Since she had just woken up and began falling back to sleep, maybe she'll hear him.

Then, maybe she can run away.

These thoughts flooded his head. Yet, whenever he felt he had to do it, whenever he felt as though he had mustered enough courage, a hand pulled him back into the void.

in the back of his head, something whispered to him.

What if he yelled, and more monsters came? What if he ran, and it chased him? What if he simply blinked, it'll disappear again?

What if. What if. What if. What if.

So many what ifs, but no real answer.

It was just like a week ago,' Jonah suddenly thought.

When he stood in front of that fire monster. It stood tall over him, and he froze.

The white-haired boy couldn't move. He just can't.

He'll die.

He knows he'll die.

The boy just wanted to run away from all this. Why can't he just be free? Where was his dad when they needed him? Who will help them? Who will help his little sister? Heal her? Why? Why why why why why why why-?

Jonah was just a thirteen year old boy.

And he had so many regrets.

So in the end, he simply stared at it. He desperately wished for it to disappear; he wished for it to just be a part of his imagination.

He wished it was just a nightmare.

Suddenly, Jonah's heartbeat stopped.

The boy slowly placed his hand over his heart.

No, it didn't stop. He simply couldn't hear it anymore.

It wasn't pulsing next to his ear, begging for his attention. His lungs seemed to have disappeared as well even though his chest rose and fell.

Then, the boy heard a voice.

"𝗢𝗵, 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸…"

Jonah's heart dropped further into the abyss.

The voice sounded as if it came from a middle-aged man. Older, refined, classy, and yet…hidden. Almost airy, calm, but with a deep brassy tone.

A strange dichotomy, as its voice reverberates around the boy, almost as if multiple people were speaking all at once.

That was the only thing he could hear.

'Was that…that shadow's voice?'

The boy gulped. He thought it would sound like a monster gurgling or outer god horror.

Not…this.

"𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿," the shadow whispered.

Jonah felt his heart drop. He didn't know it could drop even farther down the void.

"How…how do you know I have a sister? Who…who are you?" he rasped out. Jonah gulped again, and he tried to moisten his lips.

"Hmm?" the voice said. It sounded perplexed. Then, after a moment, it '𝘢𝘩𝘩'ed.'

"Hmm…it was impolite of me to not introduce myself first. Yes, that's right. How very impolite of me…"

Jonah took a step back as it 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸. Like a timelapse of a plant growing day by day, the voice-shadow thing grew taller and taller, and the further it grew, the more Jonah had to slowly raise his neck.

Finally, it stopped growing. The bot finally had a clearer view of how tall it was.

He himself was only 5'2, a little higher than the other thirteen-year old boys, but this shadow was well above 6 feet.

From a shadow, it became a swath of a black space. The darkness looked as though it only existed to accentuate the shadow.

Jonah gulped again. Even after this, he couldn't even see its eyes.

"I…am one of the 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬," the voice said.

'𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬?'

The voice didn't care to stop. It continued speaking.

"But that doesn't matter, for there is something even more important to you. Your little sister."

Then, as it spoke, the shadow grew 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 taller. Rather than grow, it 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥. Leaning down over him, it looked as though it appeared to be almost standing tall over him despite it clearly being many steps away.

Raising his neck, the boy felt it was so, so close to him. He felt as if he was close enough to hear its breath.

But he didn't hear anything but its voice.

And there was something else more worrying.

'He knows,' Jonah thought, and he tightly gripped his shaking hands.

'He knows I have a little sister.'

"She is akin to a small flame in a blizzard," the voice slowly said. "Slowly disappearing…fizzing…dying. Even now, she's dying as we speak."

Then, a flame sparked in his chest.

At that moment, the cold around him seemed to have disappeared, and the boy gripped his hands even tighter.

"You…you shut your mouth! As if you know anything about that!" Jonah yelled.

Then he froze. Alas, the shadow didn't stop.

"Ah, but that I do. But I don't have to convince you, because you have already discerned it to be true."

"You…you…!"

Jonah gaped like a fish out of water. Opening, and closing it, he tried to force out words.

But he couldn't. He simply can't.

"Come now, you know those thoughts that brew in your mind. Those dark thoughts, filled with cynicism and pessimism…" the voice whispered, next to his left ear.

The boy instantly jumped away, but the shadow never moved from its spot.

It never had.

"They speak to you seductively, pulling you into endless despair. That your lovely little sister is dying; that there's no hope for the future; that a dark path lays ahead…child, you're terribly frightened."

Jonah just stared at the shadow even harder. He still couldn't just make out what it really was.

It was as though a fog covered it. Every time he looked at it, he couldn't see anything but a shadow.

"But there is no need to be embarrassed. Everything has a fear of something. Prey fearing predators…people fearing even the tiniest of insects…that's how people lived longer in the past, and their fears were passed down to you. To all of you. Alas, I digress. The reason I'm here is that…𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂."

"...help…me?" Jonah slowly asked.

'Red flag alert!!!!!' the boy screamed in his head.

That was the biggest flag he had ever heard since…ever.

"Yes, I can help you," the voice affirmed. "I have magic. I have knowledge. I have…power. For I…I-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩."

The white-haired boy blinked. Then he blinked again.

Again, and again, he blinked several times.

Jonah felt as if all the darkness around him lightened just a bit. All the pressure weighing down on his shoulders and against his chest, relaxed.

The boy breathed out a sigh of relief.

The pressure was still there, though. Just a slight bit. It's still there, but Jonah could shoulder it better.

"Hmm?" the voice said. It sounded incredibly perplexed. As though coughing had never happened to it its entire life.

"What's this 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩-!"

Jonah blinked again, and he slowly relaxed his hands. The shadow in the darkness seemed to be moving strangely. Curling, wriggling-the boy doesn't know. He only watched, as it seemed to be in torment.

"Wait, just let me-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩…let me-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 why am I even-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 coughing!?"

"..."

"How can I cough?! Is someone cursing me?" the voice shouted, raising its…voice. "Is it you, O' Lord Almighty? Or was it one of you ignorant seven fools? O' dear Lord, can a person as miserable as me get a break for once?"

Jonah didn't understand one bit of what it was saying, but he kept his eye on it, watching it seemingly trying to get itself back together, or some resemblance of that.

It was weird.

Really weird.

Finally, after a couple more seconds, the coughing died down, and the voice calmed down.

"My apologies. There was something in my throat-for you see I-nevermind. Moving on, it's been so long since I last spoke, I'm actually excited, if you couldn't tell."

"...huh?"

"𝘒𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮…do forgive me. Now then, let's both forget that, shall we? Now…𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮 𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮…"

Jonah blinked again. The voice in the shadow began talking in his deep, brass voice.

However, instead of the pressure; the weight on his shoulders and chest didn't increase. This time, the boy felt…more at ease.

"Oh lost soul….oh, lost child…I hold the power to grant your wish. I can light the path you walk. I can be your lantern in the darkness, and I can help your sister. All you need to do is-"

"You didn't tell me your name."

"...hmm? Pardon? I didn't?" the voice asked. "Oh… I didn't, did I?"

"...uh, yeah," Jonah said, and he scratched the back of his head. "You just started coughing all of a sudden."

The voice in the darkness paused.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Jonah suddenly thought the shadow was thinking about something. Don't ask him how he knew; it was just a feeling.

After a moment, the voice spoke.

"I thought I had asked you to forget that, no?"

"Uh…sorry…I guess?" Jonah said, slow and tentative.

"Anyways, I can't say my name."

The white-haired boy blinked.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to…is what I would say, but names hold great power," the voice said.

"If I give you my name, a tragedy will be all but assured. If you truly want to know, then you might lose your mind and die an incredibly painful death. Or worse."

Jonah gulped. He hoped the voice in the shadow didn't hear it.

"...so…what can I call you?"

"...what…can you call me?" the voice murmured. "Oh, I see…this is how 'people' introduce themselves to each other. Ah, my apologies, it's been an incredibly long time since I last talked to someone. Now, for what you can call me…𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮…hmm. I am…simply me. Nothing more, nothing less."

The boy squinted his eyes.

"My apologies, was it that baffling?" the voice said, clearly amused. "I suppose I didn't phrase that correctly."

As it talked lightly, Jonah kept watching it. He didn't let his eyes off of it, even for a moment. Every time he felt he had to blink, he blinked quickly.

The boy kept gulping down his saliva. He clenched his gloved hands. He felt his hands sweating underneath the gloves.

Finally, the shadow spoke up.

"I am the shadow that hides quietly in the darkness. I am the coward that fears the light. I am…hmm..."

The voice paused once again.

"Huh, this is harder than I thought. Should I say…no. Hmm. Hmmm…wait. Now then, 𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮."

Jonah watched it with bated breath,

"I…am one of the 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬. One who grants wishes to those who swear fealty. I am-"

"The 'Voice in the Shadow,'" the boy suddenly said. Then, he quickly covered his mouth.

'Oh crap.'

The voice paused. The shadow didn't move, nor speak for a long time. Every second passed made Jonah sweat even more.

Eventually, it spoke.

"...the what now?"

Jonah felt more sweat dripped from his forehead, and into his eyes. He didn't wipe the salty, burning sweat away.

The boy kept his eyes wide open as he stared at it.

Silence weaved around them, like a spider slowly creating its web. As Jonah's eyes began straining, the voice suddenly spoke.

"Really? That's what you're going to call me? '𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸?' Really? Do you know how tasteless and distortedly edgy that name is? I may be old, but I know the 'trend' of people on the 'Internet' these days. And that title is almost the epitome of what 'edgy' is."

",,,you're…not directly telling me your name," the boy slowly said. "So I might as well call you something…like Voice."

The voice 𝘩𝘮𝘮'𝘦𝘥. Then it 𝘩𝘮𝘮'𝘦𝘥 again. Then again. And then again.

Then, it said something else.

"You know what? You're right, child. I suppose it is fine for you to call me "Voice." It has a certain…𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 to it, don't you think?"

'No, I don't,' Jonah thought.

But the boy just nodded his head.

The voice seemed to stare into Jonah, and it made him feel the disgusting sweat drenched the back of his clothes.

"...you-"

"𝗔𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛!"

Jonah jolted into the air.

A scream echoed from far down the hall. It was a childish scream, a scream filled with youthful innocence and fright.

It was a scream said in a voice extremely familiar to him.

'Chaya.'

The boy's heart dropped further into the void.

"Chaya!" he yelled as he turned away from the voice.

"Oh what now?!" said the voice, clearly indignant.

Jonah didn't notice nor care. Instead, he ran off with a start,

"Can't a person get a decent dialogue or something in this day and age-I mean…ah, it seems your little sister needs help. If you need help, in any way shape or form-"

Footsteps echoed filled the marbled-tiled aisle as the boy ran as fast as he could. He felt as though he could run forever.

It must be the adrenaline, rushing through his veins, making his weary muscles numb. Forcing his feet down onto the floor, making each step echo with a loud 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨, Jonah huffed and puffed.

Even then, even as he heard and felt his heartbeat once again, he could still hear a voice next to his ear.

"-your friend in the darkness shall always be waiting."

The boy didn't stop. Instead, even while he was running he only looked over his shoulder.

For a brief moment, all he saw was darkness in its place.

The shadow was long gone.

So, Jonah sped up, and footsteps continued loudly rang down the aisle as he ran as fast as he could.

While he was still running, he heard an echo of a laughter. It was as though the voice was next to him.

"Lolololo…lalalala-! I..,will always be here...waiting…"

He didn't know if it was just his mind playing with him, but he just put more strength into his feet, almost slipping a few times from the trash on the floor.

"If you're afraid, if you're in need of help…call me…𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲..."

The boy ran deeper into the building as the voice faded away, along with its laughter.

…

𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧.

𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧.

𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧.

Jonah never stopped running. Chaya's screams served to boost his speed.

Finally, he turned the corner, and he saw them.

Two of the large monsters, its red-orange flames writhing all over its body. They slowly approached a small girl, who was slowly backing up into a corner.

"Chaya!" he screamed.

Grabbing a piece of trash on the floor-a cardboard box-he tossed it to the closest monster.

Even before it landed on its back, it began to be fried into a crisp. Then, it landed with a simple 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥 and fell onto the floor beneath it.

"Look at me, you monsters!" the boy screamed again.

They never turned to look at him. They kept lumbering towards the shivering girl.

"Ple-please…anyone…save me…Papa…mama…Jonah…" Chaya whimpered.

Jonah quickly looked around. Then, he saw a metal pipe on the floor.

He ran over to it. Picking it up, he then looks back at the two monsters.

Then, the boy took a deep breath. Gripping the pipe harder, he then began running.

Time seemed have slowed to a crawl as he approached the back one. The heat washed over his face as he leaped into the air.

Jonah felt as if something came over him, and he felt as if he knew what to do.

With his metal pipe, he struck with all his strength into its back.

𝘛𝘏𝘜𝘋.

A loud echo of metal hitting something hard rang outwards.

He felt the blow connect, and although the monster just took a step back, it was an opening for him to rush past it, and get to her little sister.

As he fell back onto the ground, the monster slowly began turning its body around.

'An opening,' Jonah thought.

While it was turning around, he immediately ran past it.

Within a few seconds, he stood between the two monsters and his little sister. Suddenly, he felt something wrapping its tiny arms around his waist.

"Big brother…Jo-Jonah…" the little girl whimpered.

"I thought you…you left me alone…"

I would never leave you alone, Chaya…" Jonah said, never turning his gaze away from the still approaching monsters.

Then, he paused for a moment.

"This time was an exception."

The white-haired boy winced and stabbed himself mentally. Suddenly, he felt something standing over him.

Looking up, he saw the fire monster raising its arms.

Just like that time in the alleyway.

The fire. The smoke. The scream-

Jonah leaped to the side, pushing Chaya away as the arm smacked into the ground.

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬!

The marble-tiled floor cracked underneath its arm.

The boy immediately leaped away again as another arm smacked where he once was standing.

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬!

Jonah backpedaled away, and he felt Chaya clutching onto his coast as the two monsters stood back up.

Then, they began closing in on him. Creating small 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥𝘴 on the ground with evey step, they towered over him by more than a foot.

Jonah kept stepping back as they stepped forward.

This continued, until he felt his back hit a wall.

He turned to look behind him, and he saw that he was in a corner. The corner where they were sleeping.

The boy looked back at them. They were just a few yards away. A few yards away until they were trapped.

Thoughts raced through Jonah's mind.

Many were impossible, but he saw one.

And he took it.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he took Chaya's hand, and ran towards the right wall. What seemed like minutes passed as he slowly ran past the leftmost monster.

The heat burned his face as the monster slowly swung its arms. Then, he ducked underneath it, carrying Chaya along.

Crouching on the ground, he put strength into his feet, and blasted off.

He made it. Jonah thought.

'I made it. I made it past them.'

He made it past them.

Then, something smacked itself into Jonah's right arms

And the monster swung its arms, managing to give a glancing blow onto Jonah's left arm.

Although it was slow, its strength was no joke compared to the ordinary human.

The moment he felt the blow connect with his arm, Jonah felt his bones cracked. One moment, he was on the ground. The next, he was flying into the air.

Midair, he felt Chaya and the metal pipe flying away from his grasp. In seconds, he landed on the floor 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥, and he tumbled and rolled across the floor before rolling to a stop.

At that moment, Jonah saw his whole word fade into black.

…

In the depths of the ocean, a white-haired boy was still. Floating along with the ocean's currents, he simply let himself drift along with it.

There, his thoughts drifted away. Here, he felt safe. Here, he felt free-

"Your little sister is going to die, and you're dreaming? Poor child, get your priorities straight," a voice said. A deep, bassy voice that sounded as though it came from an echo away; distant and far.

The boy's mind was foggy, clouded. He couldn't understand a word the voice said. He couldn't even form thoughts at all.

He simply floated freely in the deep, dark ocean's waters.

"I mean-𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮. Oh lost child…fate has allowed us once more to cross paths again…after about a minute or two."

'I…met him before?' the boy thought. He felt like he knew that voice, but he just can't seem to remember.

His mind truly was in a haze; in a fog.

The boy tried to make his way out of it, but he just couldn't. Everywhere he looked, he could barely see anything past his feet.

It made him feel claustrophobic.

He can barely breathe-

"You wish for freedom," the voice said, and his fragmented thoughts, barely put together, fell apart.

"To be free of worry. You wish for the safety of your frail, little sister, innocent and happy, to last a lifetime. However, the world doesn't wish for you to be free, for it is flawed from the very beginning. 𝘐 don't wish for you to be free-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, I mean…I want to help you. Yes, that's right. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱…𝘆𝗼𝘂."

The boy had given up trying to remember. Instead, he felt inclined to accept those words.

Help? Him? Isn't this what he always wanted?

The words…they pulled him in, like a whirlpool. He couldn't help but be pulled along with it.

It drew him in, with or without his consent.

"Yes…accept my hand…accept my grace…accept my mark. Accept it, and you will have the power to save your little sister. To make her happy. To keep her safe. From the terrible monsters that prowl this land, like 𝘮𝘦-I mean, like the 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀…"

'It was right,' the boy thought. 'Perhaps this mysterious and not suspicious voice can help me save her…'

Wait, save who? What was suspicious?

Who did he want to save again?

"Yes, that's right," the voice said. "Join me. Yes, cut down those who dare attempt to hurt your little sister. No, not just that, those who 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 think of harming her. If they cross you once, kill them..."

It paused and 𝘩𝘮𝘮'ed.

"No…not just them…𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 would be shown mercy. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 would be redeemed. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 would be given a second chance. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 would accept the chance for it to happen."

If it was even possible, the voice's tone fell even deeper.

Almost inhuman.

"Yes, that is simply how the world is, and it is utterly vile and disgusting. Therefore, the only choice is to join 𝗺𝗲. Indeed, join me, and we can change this world together. Not like those seven fools who still see hope in it. They, who still love it even when they were wronged by it…"

Slowly, yes surely, the once, calm, deep bassy voice gradually shifted to a snarling, guttural and mad mess.

"Those damn fools, ignorant and stubborn. They have all this power, and yet they don't use it right. They're simply slaves. Slaves! 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗺-𝙃𝙄𝙈-𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆-𝗮𝗮𝗮𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗥𝗚𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛!"

Then, it began sputtering strange words. When it began raving random, incomprehensible words, multiple voices sounded as though they joined in its madness.

The boy couldn't understand it anymore..

"𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹!" the now guttural voice screamed, once tantalizing sweet like an audiobook's voice.

"𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀! 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝘀! 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀! 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀-𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀! 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗦-!"

Calm, angry, sad, depressed, deep, light, humorous, laughter-they were all infused into the voice.

All of it was like a chorus singing. They all joined in a chaotic harmony, a dichotomy in which seemed impossible.

Yet, it was right here.

Still, the boy could barely understand anything.

The voice became so, so incredibly loud, his ears throbbed in pain. They pulsed, and a whine akin to a very high pitch siren screamed in his ears.

The white-haired boy screamed soundlessly. He shook his head rapidly left and right, but it just wouldn't go.

He felt he would go insane.

For minutes, he kept covering his ears, writhing. Just as he felt he would explode…the voices all suddenly stopped.

They all halted, extinguished.

Gone.

Silence engulfed the boy, and only the soft, ocean's gray waves flowed and ebbed.

Eventually, the boy slowly relaxed, letting the ocean's currents keep him afloat.

As he did, a voice suddenly whispered into his ears. It was the deep, bassy tone it once spoke in.

"𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, sorry about that," said the voice. "I got a…little too carried away there…𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮…"

It sounded a little apologetic, in an uncharacteristic tone.

The boy felt rather surprised.

'Hmm?' he suddenly thought. 'Why am I surprised?'

"𝘒𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮, 𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮," the voice coughed. "Let us forget that, and we shall get straight to the point…accept my pact. Accept it Jonah. 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙞𝙩. We are all here, waiting for you…you just need to simply say…𝘆𝗲𝘀."

"Just say…yes?" the boy muttered.

He felt something begin wrapping him in an embrace. It was strange, but…tantalizingly comfortable.

All his worries began melting away as he soaked into its embrace.

As it did, more fog began to cover his eyes. He felt his nose gradually being blocked; his ears clogged; his arms and legs numb.

"Yes," the voice whispered. "Just say the word, and we shall accept you. 𝘐, shall accept you. So…simply say the word. Say it. 𝘚𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁."

The boy felt hazy. Something was clogging his ears, as though he was high up in the airplane. An uncomfortable feeling that he tried to do away with, but it just won't leave.

"𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩," the voice suddenly…coughed.

Again.

The white-haired boy shook his head.

Ah, that's right. He was still here, listening to the voice. Floating in the depths of a dark ocean.

"𝘒𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮, my apologies…again. Sorry…again. This is…well...anyways…𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘮, just…just say it, Jonah. Just one word, please…" the voice said.

The boy hesitated, and for a moment, just a moment…the fog disappeared.

It was strange.

Something spoke inside of him to take its offer, to do away with all his worries.

Yet…something else said no. Nevertheless, before the boy could listen to it clearly, it was drowned in the voice's calm, bassy deep audiobook-level voice.

But...what if…

"If I say it…" the boy slowly asked, somehow talking underwater. "Do you promise to help me keep my sister safe? To keep my sister happy and healthy?"

"..."

"..."

For a moment, there was silence. The deep bassy voice didn't speak, not for a long, long while. The boy felt as though he had made some mistake.

Then, the voice suddenly spoke.

"Really?" it asked. "Really? There isn't even an ounce of suspicion in you-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 I mean…hmm…"

Again, it suddenly stopped talking. Possibly, this time, it had fallen into thought.

The boy wouldn't know if it really did…probably.

He had just guessed.

Silence followed in its wake as the voice became silent, distant. It was as though it had already left the ocean's waters.

Still, the boy simply waited. He felt he had all the time in the world. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

Eventually, the voice spoke once again.

"...yes," the voice agreed. "I promise. I promise thee. I promise to keep your little sister safe, happy, and healthy. I swear an oath to the earth. I swear an oath to the sky. I swear…an oath…to heaven. I…swear an oath…to…to the Lord God Almighty. I promise."

At the end of the voice's…voice, it sounded strangely hesitant.

The boy didn't notice.

Instead, he was caught up in enjoying the feeling of the figurative weight gradually lifting off from shoulders and chest.

He sighed, strangely enough, in the water.

Finally…he can be free. Finally…he would no longer need to worry.

"Then…ye-"

Just then, a blue light shone within the darkness of the water's depths.

It pierced through the void; it pierced through the fog, like a lighthouse in the stormy, foggy seas.

It was dim, but it gradually became blindingly bright. So bright that the boy tried to cover his eyes.

Even though he covered his own eyes from the bright light, it had already drawn his attention towards it.

The light…it was…full of hope. A real warmth, like sitting next to a hearth with his family.

It felt like a dream.

"You…you're one of those fools, aren't you. You're not the First. How are you already awake?" the voice snarled.

"Speak, tell me your title. Your name! Which one of the seven fools are you? You already had your chance, now you 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲-?"

The boy paid no attention to it, even as the voice became a guttural mess, for his eyes were already drawn away towards the light.

It spoke to him. It grabbed at him.

It made him feel determined.

And the boy finally remembered.

𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘩 remembered.

'Chaya,' he thought.

He had to go find her.

Suddenly, he felt as though a hand reached out to him. Something warm. Something hopeful. The fog in his mind, slowly dimming, finally disappeared altogether.

It really was like a dream.

And it was a strange dream, for something out of a dream appeared.

Then, that figurative hand grabbed him.

Literally.

Invisible, and clearly large, the giant hand wrapped its fingers around the boy's entire body.

Before he could even freeze in terror, it suddenly pulled him upwards.

Water felt as though it was rushing against his face, akin to swimming against a waterfall. The boy couldn't squirm, even when he tried desperately.

He was forced to only stay still.

Jonah felt as though he was drowning. Still, he struggled to open his eyes, and he saw the shimmering light on the ocean's surface. It glimmered, being shined on by a warm light.

The sun's light. It filtered through the ocean's surface, and even while he was pulled from the depths, he smiled.

It was a light he hadn't seen for a week.

It felt like a long, long time since he truly felt warm.

Jonah felt a jolt of guilt. He never thought he would appreciate the sun's warmth. It was once a common occurrence, almost shining everyday.

He really took it for granted after all.

So, he surrendered himself to the giant hand, and relaxed. He tried to enjoy the dream as much as possible.

Just like a dream, it always leaves at the best time. Before the boy broke through the surface, he heard a voice far, far below him.

"So…you are serious about this, you seventh fool," said the voice.

"Fine, so, I must leave then. Fine…fine. There will come a day where you will beg for me for help. Probably. Maybe just the boy. Oh, my dear boy Jonah, I shall wait for that day with great passion. Hahahaha…𝘏𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘢…𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗛𝗔-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. Really? Really now? So you're the one who's making me cough-!"

Then, the white-haired boy broke through the surface of the water, the fresh, sea breeze flooded into his nostrils, burning his eyes and-

…

Jonah's eyes shot wide open. As he did, he inhaled a deep breath. The feeling of drowning in a dream was too much.

𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧…𝘩𝘶𝘧𝘧…𝘩𝘶𝘧𝘧…

The boy, after a few breaths, began easing up. Just for a moment, he relaxed. His arms; his legs; his muscles; his mind-they all relaxed.

Everything relaxed.

Then, unimaginable and immense pain filled his left arm. No, the pain was already there before he opened his eyes.

He had just noticed it. And it made him notice by ramming into him like an isekai truck-

"𝗔𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛!"

A loud scream echoed throughout the building. Rolling around the hard, stone-cold floor, the boy screamed gibberish and what not.

What the hell, it actually hurts so much.

Jonah had never, ever felt such pain before. Clutching his left arm, he bit his lips. He tasted something coppery in his mouth.

In fact, if it wasn't for him biting his own lips, he probably would've laughed out loud after that first scream.

Yes, laugh.

As strange as it is, exhilaration ran through his veins, along with the adrenaline.

It was hilarious. Hilariously laughable.

It was kind of funny, seeing how terribly weak he was. In fact, a laugh is about to rise from his chest.

From seeing how Chaya left his arms so easily-

Hmm?

Chaya?

Chaya.

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘺𝘢.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮.

He looked up, and he saw the two, tall lanky monsters. Covered in fire, they slowly walked to a small lump a few yards away from him.

"Chayaaaa-!" Jonah roared.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU MONSTERRSSSSSSSS-oh crap that hurts-!"

The boy bit his tongue at the last second. He stiffened and winced as more pain flooded into him.

Still, breathing in and out quickly from his mouth, he flipped over onto his stomach. Then he started crawling towards Chaya, who was yards away.

With his right arm seemingly broken, Jonah continued pushing himself forward even at a snail's pace. Adrenaline looked to be fueling his body as the pain seemed to fade, even just a moment..

Unfortunately, the monsters didn't stop. They simply lumbered to the closest human to them...Chaya.

At this rate, the monsters will make it to her first, and Jonah could see that.

"Get away from my sister you-you monsters!" the boy yelled, but the monsters didn't halt nor stop. not even for a moment.

He desperately tried to crawl faster towards his sister, who remained motionless.

"Chaya…get up!" he yelled again. The lump didn't respond.

He gritted his teeth, and he kept pushing his right arm. He tried to get up, but his legs would fall over like Jenga blocks.

Why was he even thinking about Jenga at this time?

It was no use. He can't get up. So, he only watched in terrible horror the monsters tower over the frail girl.

He prayed. He prayed desperately for something to happen. Just something, something, something-!

The boy's mind blanked as they raised their arms high.

He can't. Not again. He can't lose one more. One more. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲-

From a distant paradise, something warm shined on his back just then.

"Hmm?" the boy suddenly blinked.

'Paradise? Warm? Here?'

Just as the light shined on him, suddenly, the two fiery monsters stiffened. As though they had been frozen in time, they simply…didn't move.

Their arms still raised above them, they were…well, yeah, they just stopped.

Just like that.

The white-haired boy stared at them for a good minute. For a good whole minute, he only stared at them, as though he could kill them with his eyes.

In the end, nothing happened, and his body suddenly gave out.

With a 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥, Jonah's whole body gave in to the hard cold floor.

His numb muscles twitched, shook, and whatever jazz they do when a person is tired out.

'Thank…thank god. Thank you, whoever or whatever stopped them. Thank you…' he thought.

Slowly, he turned his body over onto his back. Huffing and puffing, the boy closed his eyes, letting his head rest against the stone-cold floor.

The world stopped, like it did for the monsters, it did for him. It froze as though it stopped for the boy, and he rested against the pavement then. He wanted to sleep. He wanted it to all end. He really did.

Then, as if someone else didn't want that, the light shined even brighter.

He covered his eyes from the light with his right arm, but it was no use.

The light always finds a way around an arm in order to burn his eyes. So, he slowly opened his eyes.

From within the light-the blue light, something blurry emerged.

From within it, it descended slowly in a manner that was beautiful and magical. As it descended, the gray aisles, pillars, and floors-they all faded away into a darkness.

It was just like a dream.

The light glimmered among the stars in the starry night sky-except it was the only star Jonah can see. Then, as it got closer, he thought he finally saw the blurry thing for what it was.

A blue butterfly.

It descended from somewhere above, glimmering and surrounded in a blue-purplish dreamy aura.

Jonah's eyes blankly looked upon this unique creature as something began fogging up his mind.

To be honest…he didn't care about the creature. He looked past it instead. He only wishes to be basked in the light's warmth.

It was just like that time in the dream…where he felt the sun's warmth once more.

He really did feel regret for taking the sun for granted.

So, as the boy took in its warmth, he felt something brush against his mind. It was a magical feeling…as though he was being connected to some higher being.

He couldn't describe the feeling. It was way too strange, except that he felt as if he can understand some of it.

This something asked him to raise his hand. To accept it. To be given a chance to save the ones he loved.

At least that's what he thought it was saying.

Either way, Jonah felt as if he had to do something.

So, in a daze and an almost mechanical-like manner, he simply reached out his right hand towards the blue light.

As he reached out to the light…the boy had a thought. It was a thought that barely mattered, but it was his only thought.

So, he listened to it. If he was being honest…he would've tried to run away from it. Even from this light, it was suspicious by a long shot.

But…he felt as if as long as he grabbed it...it'll save his dear little sister.

So, as Jonah reached out his hand further, he felt something touching his hand...and he instinctively grasped it.

Then, from this hand, the whole world turned blue, blinding all those who looked upon it.

Except for one.

…

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩

Two girls ran through the snow. One girl, far behind the other, was huffing.

With each huff, white mist floated away from her mouth. With each footstep, it brings her closer to the other girl.

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩

𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩

It had been a few seconds since she began running, and it really was tiring. Trying to lift her leg each step, she pushed through the snow.

The mana that settles itself into her body, strengthening her body, and the mana circulating round and round, keeping her warm can only help so much.

She might as well melt the snow to make it easier, instead of training her body to uselessly waste mana to make her life a little better.

The blonde girl ahead of her had already increased the distance between them, waving her arms about and sprinting as though she had sprinted for her entire life.

As if she had ran since she could walk.

It had been a few seconds since Avalow had turned the corner, and Anna still kept trying to chase after her.

The hooded girl blamed it all on her weak, physical body, and not because blaming is easy to do.

As she began approaching the corner of the building, suddenly, a flash of yellow hair emerged.

Nearly tripping, Anna almost bumped into the blonde girl.

Just as she was about to run past her, something grabbed her coat.

"Careful-!" Avalow said.

Shrugging her off, she ran past the corner because she didn't care-nope, that didn't happen.

Anna simply just backpedaled. That is, until she was behind the blonde girl.

Then, a blue light abruptly shimmered into existence, turning the world around them blue. No, more like wherever it touched.

It was a familiar light-a light Anna had seen in her dream.

Still, the two girls hidden behind the corner were exempted from the fate of being truly blinded by it.

From the light, a sudden wind blew past the two. Howling, it blew against the two, ruffling their hairs.

Well, just Anna's hair.

She simply felt a slight breeze

Instead, Avalow took the full force of the wind, her hair flying all over the place.

Anna simply stood behind her. What a good meat shield-no, 'friend' she has. She even warned her ahead of time.

While the wind blew against them, Anna felt something brush against her head. Well, brush against her 'mind.'

'Amor?'

Eventually, it faded away. The sudden wind slowly ebbed, and the light disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

Two two simultaneously looked around the corner.

In the distance, a tall building stood, spanning miles upon miles of square feet.

Through the windows of a large building a white haired boy around their age, in a coat, slowly got up from the ground.

They moved their eyes, for something else caught their attention.

Farther away deeper in the shadows of the building, there were two monsters...standing above a little girl.

The two girls simultaneously sprinted towards the little girl.

…

"Ugh..." Jonah groaned, standing up slowly whilst holding his head. He stumbled to the side, and his eyes kept twitching.

After that bright blue flash of light, he felt as if it spun in a circle for twenty seconds.

Shaking his head, he unconsciously looked up, He then saw two strangers sprinting past him.

"...hey. Hey! Hey!"

The two didn't answer him. They instead kept on running.

Scratching the back of his head, Jonah followed their path with his eyes. Ahead of them, he saw that they were running towards the two fire monsters…

And his little sister.

His little sister?

"Chaya!" the boy yelled.

Picking up the metal pipe that had conveniently fallen by his side, he started running towards his little sister.