00:08

00:08

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Year 2086

How can someone feel so pathetic when they already are? Because that's something that Axis is already feeling right now while looking at Dhara. If only they had guns, he might have helped them.

Only Dhara was fighting them and as much as they wanted to help, they couldn't do anything but stay put. They can't be more of a burden than they already are. Add the fact that he's not aware of what those species can do, only adds to his frustrations.

Looking at Iris, they had one thing in common, they're both cowards. He never expected to get along with her quickly. She probably relates to what he feels right now more than anyone else.

The creature jumped towards Dhara and she rolled to the next side of the fountain. She squinted her eyes and gripped her tool. Preparing her rake, she activated her Al partner that may take a while to appear. Before she could even do it, the creature hit one of the vendors, she gasped and ran towards it. Bullsh*t! This is so tiring!

"We need help, Dhara needs help." Iris whispered. Feeling worried while listening to the sound of crashes. They may not see it but they are sure that most of the citizens there need help. If only the farm is near here, some of them might help them. But that's not the case here.

Dhara lifted her legs and kicked the cord on its face. The Dyson Life Fluid (DLF) slowly drips from its eyes. Just by looking at those translucent violet liquids made her remember so many memories. What an awful sight.

With a swift spin, Dhara deflected the things it was throwing at her. Avoiding some of it, she ran towards the small platform, carrying it before throwing it to one of the cords. There's still nine cords left.

As Dhara lunged forwards, she pointed the rake's sharp part to the species where it directly hit the cord's chest. She heard something crack like a glass and retrieve the rake.

She looked at the chest part of the cord and saw it was a sphere shaped glass in color blue–a Dyson. It was the source of their strength and served as the mind of a cord.

A DLF flows outside of it. That made her lips quiver from anger. Damn RAY!

As another cord ran towards her, she angrily looked at it and released a strong punch followed by numerous rapid blows. The ground pulsed with the rhythm of her attacks. I don't know what's going on with RAY's mind to send these failed cords and how he is able to send it here.

On the other side of the area, the two find the right timing of escaping the incident. Axis looked at their surroundings and saw that most of the cords are distracted by Dhara.

"I think we can move already." Iris whispered. She took Axis's arm and grabbed it tightly before running amidst the chaos. The sound of the crashing glasses and the screams of the people there filled the place. They have to be at the farm as soon as possible.

Anticipating the cord's next move, Dhara was too late to notice that one of the cord's arms hit her abdomen. Her back immediately struck the hard wall that made her grunt. These cords do have an ounce of braincells.

She immediately rolled over to the side when the cord almost smacked her body. Dhara closed her eyes and tried to turn on the system that could enhance her reflexes to be fast–near to superhuman level. It might not be faster than the others but at least it will be helpful enough. She predicted that before the enhanced system shut off, she might finish these already. She hoped. Dhara looked at the cords again and realized that there were only five left. Her frowned. Where are the two?!

Axis and Iris kept running in the field while looking back and saw two cords following them. "Can you run faster?!" the boy shouted. Iris shook her head. "I can't!"

A few more steps, they will be there. Just a little more effort. A few more. Iris's head is almost spinning from the exhaustion and her sight is starting to get blurry. Axis noticed it so he grabbed the girl's hand and ran faster. Just a few more. We're near!

One of the cord's arms extended like a rubber that immediately wrapped Axis's other leg. "No!" Both of them were screaming when Axis pushed Iris to one of the trees near them. There's a space inside the trunk that made Iris sight nowhere to be seen in the other cord's eyes.

In the middle of the area, Axis tried to escape the cord's wood-like arms. He frantically assessed his surroundings and saw a rock. He tried to get the stone and repeatedly hit the cord with it but failed. With Axis's leg tightly bound, his breath hitched. Gasping for air, his adrenaline surged his body to desperately find an escape. He needs to escape!

With a gritted jaw, he dragged himself across as the cord slowly opened its mouth. I can't die right here! He hoped for a miracle to happen. I still have something to do! I want to go back to them! As his heart tightened and in his the pursuit to escape, a loud thud echoed his ears and slowly saw the cord turning into ashes. There he saw a silhouette, holding the cord's dyson with his bare hands.

"Hello, are you just gonna hide there?" Elli whispered sweetly to Iris's ear. Iris was startled by her sudden appearance.

"Elli!" she shouted while her heart celebrated. Finally! They're here! They can finally help Dhara in the central.

"But how did you guys know?" Iris asked. Elli looked outside the trunk and saw the two boys. With Axis in the ground and his brother holding the cord's dyson with his bare hands.

"We heard your screams. I originally didn't have any plans to help you guys but Elix forced me." Elli said. She helped Iris to stand up before looking at the place. Elli already killed the cord that was looking for Iris and now her brother has taken care of the cord that was chasing that new boy.

Elix saw the new boy in the ground while holding a dyson. He laughed when he saw Axis's face. So he's indeed a cyborg but his body seems not well equipped with its system changes.

"Don't worry. It's gonna be fine." he said before crushing the dyson. Elix can feel the DLF in his hand and it's burning effect on his hands but that doesn't matter to him. He's already used to it.

"We need to help Dhara." Elli reminded Elix when she got near him. Beside her is Iris who's eyes were all puffy and red.

"She's gonna be fine. Those people need our help more. They need to hide and we need to reduce casualty as soon as possible." Elix responded.

"Seems like there's still five left." Elli informed while closing her eyes. Elix who's listening quickly nodded. Both of them looked at the two pitiful people.

"You guys should go back to the farm and inform Trixie about this." Elix said to Axis before they quickly left without carrying anything. Their outfit is also the same as the other. A farmer's clothes. Axis was dumbfounded. He was sinking in his thoughts. Don't tell me they are—?! No, that can't be!

"Are they twins?" he asked still dumbfounded. Iris nodded. Those two strangers are siblings. They both have gray colored hair and deep gray eyes. Both of their aura screams a superior presence and both of them seemed to be clashing with each other. Almost like they are fighting, trying to prove who is better. That's what Axis thought.

"Let's run and go back." Axis said as they both ran to escape and go back to the farm but for the last time, he saw the two cords that were following them earlier were now gone and was slowly fading like an ash.

~~~

(Terminologies)

Cord—A tree-like species with three eyes and four arms. Their arms are like a branch. They are theorized as a species that's from a child's nightmare.

Dyson—The cord's source of strength and serves as their mind. It is a sphere shaped glass in color blue.

(DLF) Dyson Life Fluid—A translucent violet liquid that's inside the dyson. Similar to humans, it is like their blood. This will have a key point in the story so please remember it.