Engines

The lush green forest surrounding the paved roads carried the voice of birds humming and bees buzzing. Then at the slightest hint of a voice, a voice so warm and gentle, a voice only one person could hear, the voice of an elderly angel in the wind; and this voice sayd...

"Wake up you fat pig!"

"Dear, if you could do me a favor and shut your fat mouth, I might actually get some sleep." The elderly old man responde in a sarcastic tone.

In a cabin, deep in the forest lived an elderly couple that bickerd throughout the day, the noise of their debates could be heard for miles, and yet the couple always came home to each other. Their house in the forest sat right off the main road, and they would often travel but on this day, it was different.

"I'm leaving, Shira my beloved."

The man had wrinkles upon his face and arms, he wore a brown vest and long shirt with a monocle that laid upon his tophat. He was average height, gray hair with a beard, a little on the large although his buttons weren't bearing strain. Dark pants and nice leather shoes, and a cane at his side. A friendly looking man.

"Good, then maybe the floor won't crack under you." The woman started with a scowl.

She was proper in her presence. She had black natural hair, but due to age there were many white and grey hairs. She wore a nice brown dress with red highlights that covered even her feet, a pair of glasses rested on her eyes and a dark corset. She was tall, tall as a giraffe.

"Actually, I'm going to go with you to town this time."

"Whatever you wish dear. I wonder if Belethors is open? He has a great selection of tea!"

The couple started up there Stanley Steamer, and drove down the dirt road, heading to the closest town, Corden, roughly 64 kilometers of the couples cabin, yet in another place.

"[Ryo, you have been walking since last night, it's a whole nother day! You need to rest.]"

"I'm okay Mizukio, it's only been walking for a few hours."

"[You haven't eaten, nor do you have water, if you have walked so far that we've past the corn field and have landed ourselves in the forest.]"

"What, don't you like the scenery?"

"[You need to rest.]

"No, I'm fine."

As Ryo collapses upon the dirt next to the road, he rests.

He rests in a forest, so green and calm, with butterflies & bees so loud you can hear them from a mile away, and as he slumbers the sound of a steam engine powering down the road, don't wake him. No, instead he slumbers.

"Daiskue, look out, there's a boy on the side of the road!"

"What, is he okay?" The man responded

"How should I know meathead, pull over!"

The sound of the steam engine pulling to the side of the road and stopping, echoed throughout the forest. Then the doors slammed, the couple got out of the vehicle, looked over and analyzed the boy on the ground, and then came to a conclusion.

"We should take him with us dear."

"What, why?"

"The boy looks starved, and he's been walking a while. Let's take him home to give him a proper meal, it looks like he hasn't eaten in days."

"All right, but if he makes any sort of mess, you're the one responsible. The woman started with a sincere look, but a discerning tone.

"Right I'll lift on 3. 1... 2..."

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"Your name is Imani Ejiero, correct?"

In a different location, in a grey interrogation room, with just a light, table and two people. Imani Ejiro and the red haired women.

Imani was young, eleven years old, and wore a long sleeve shirt with a white apron. She has long brownish bushy hair and darker eyes, as well as a similar face shape to Ryo. Carries a satchel of medicinal herbs and her brother's necklace, which originally belonged to their mother.

"Yes."

"So you are the daughter of Minato , and brother to Ryokai Ejiero?"

"Yes, why? Do you know anything about them? If so, I need to know!" Imani raised her voice, you could hear the concern as it was projected from her mouth

"I'm sorry, your father is deceased, but your brother is still alive."

"Were... where is he? I want to see my brother!

"My piears and I, do not know, but we do know he is Alive and is very special. Enough about him, let's talk about you. How did you survive the incident?"

I was in class when the bell rang to leave and get food."

*ding, ding, ding* The sound of the bell swinging side to side made its way into the students eardrums. The classrooms that had papers and boards across the wall's and a teacher with white hair and a floral dress dismissed the students, and they ran. The young kids ran to their places in the courtyard to play games and get food.

"Hey, Imani, want to come play?" A boy who looked earnest and wore generic plain T and shorts called out.

"No i'm good, i'm gonna get some food then draw." She shouted back

"All right, have fun!"

Imani made her way down the halls, staring at the pipes that carried the steam to all the rooms in the school wondering where they lead, wondering, why does steam power the projectors that cast images, why does the steam make cars drive, why is steam so good? And the like, then suddenly, the ground began to shake. It rumbold and rumbold as she screamed for help, "AAAAA" but no one came, as she was the only one in the hall.

"That's when you fell?" the woman asked

"No." Imani responded, "I didn't fall in. Someone grabbed me, and threw me into a classroom, but the man fell, he was crushed by…" she couldn't continue.

"It's okay, you don't have to continue. What happened next?"

"I got buried by the roof of the classroom. After that I was pulled out by the officers."

"Imani, do you know what Kizu is?"

"No."

"Kizu is an internal energy that you release from your body, and everyone releases it differently. There were trace amounts of Kizu when the foundation officers found you, so I think you can use Kizu, if you can; I want you to join the Black-Light Program. We'll train you to use Kozu, and you can be strong with it. Strong enough to protect your brother."

Imani could only say what she truly wanted "I want to see Ryo, if i join, you'll help me find him?"

"Yes." The women responded

"Then I want to join!"

"That's all you had to say, Welcome to Black-Light, Imani."

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"Aaaaa" Ryokai screamed as he woke from a bad dream. A dream he didn't recognize.

Daiskue spoke softly "Relax boy, its only a dream."

"Where am I?"

"You're at my house in the woods, we found you out cold on the side of the road. What were you doing out there by yourself?"

Ryo responded shakenly as if he saw a ghost. "Corden was destroyed, everythings gone."

Ryokai opened his eyes to see his surroundings. Wooden floors covered by rugs, a bookshelf in the corner of the room, a green couch he was currently laying on. A fresh fireplace, and the man standing in front of him.

"Thank you for taking me in, but i best be off."

"Wait, if you're here now, how did you survive?"

"I fell in a hole, and climbed out after the destruction. The entire city has been annihilated."

"I feel like there's more to it than that, what's your name boy?"

"Ryo, it's Ryokai Ejiero."

"Now, Ryo, I know you can use Kizu, so there's something you're not telling me."

The expression of the man became serious and blank. And as Ryo saw he didn't panic, nor did he look away, he just stared back.

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Imani Ejiero

Likes socializing, reading, and sweets

Fear of scorpions, spiders, and being alone

5' 2 or 157 centimeters 87 lbs or 39 kilos

11/y - 32nd of Lothric

Long bushy hair, long sleeve shirt w/ white apron. Carries a satchel of medicinal herbs and wears her brother's necklace, which she had before the destruction of Corden.

Ryokai's younger sister