In the beginning...

"Luna, hurry up and support!" 

"Shut up kid" The woman called Luna said, holding her phone and looking up into the multicolored sky.

"Ooh, he's here." She said, shouting in excitement, hearing the faint sound of a steampunk-esque engine..

I'm fighting a f***king death knight. I mean, If I were any weaker, I'd be dead.

"Luna!"

"Ugh" She swiped up on her phone, creating a gag on his face, the distraction caused the large, dark armored knight to kick him in the stomach then, right as its sword was about to swing-

CRACK! A pile of boulders that was once a small floating island came crashing down and, on the ledge where Luna was standing there was another 20-year-old with a stoic expression, he had brown hair and overalls, with a blue shirt. A direct opposite Luna, who was more cyberpunk, had short, purple hair with a hooded black camo jacket and black legins. He stared for a bit. 

"Ash," he said in greeting

"Jake" Ash said in return, ripping off the gag as he got up from the rubble "My hair is bloody now"

"Sleep it off, there's no one your age to impress," he said, pointing up.

A redundant boulder was coming at him

Fuck you, Jake. Then everything went black

When he woke up, he was underneath it, twisted in every witch way without feeling the slightest pain. 

I feel like these guys just keep me around to test my healing limit.

Taking as deep a breath as his collapsed lungs could handle, he chanted,

Ivory dawn.

The boulder cut into smaller pieces and floated away, due to the nature of his power, after a bit, they remained suspended in the air as the terrain shifted, 

How annoying He sighed, we're on a mountain now, where are those two- he thought, looking around. 

Then he saw them-no, he saw it. A scene had never been so inhumanly cruel to the universe ever. The formation of a creature so vile, so disgusting that Lucifer himself would fill his eye sockets with molten lead ...

Jake and Luna were kissing. Willingly. Deep inside, he felt that Jake was threatened at gunpoint by Luna, but he knew that it was willing. 

They're doing this while I'm out with them, wow. How do I get those two back-

Then he noticed something. 

I don't think I need to get back at them myself... He thought with a grin.

Nah they'll find out. I'm walking back to base though. Ugh And walked away.

Meanwhile With the two lovebirds, a shadow cast across them and Luna swore, looking up at it. 

"Hydra." 

Breaking apart from Jake, she pointed her phone at the creature. Then it was gone from her hand as the green eleven-headed hydra crushed it with its tail, Jake quickly used his chains to subdue the hydra but one of its heads sprayed poison on the chains setting it free. They used that distraction to retreat and run away. 

"It has 11 heads, this isn't good," Jake said. 

"What would be able to make a hydra of all things need to grow two more heads," Luna said as they were running. They hid behind some rubble to prevent it from seeing them as Jake made a plan. 

"Something that forced it to grow stronger. Fast." Jake said, looking at it from their spot, thinking.

"If you were to create a barrier around that, how long would it take before that thing breaks through?" He asked Luna, who had materialised a new phone.

"A normal 9-headed hydra is about an hour, but with its increase in strength, I would say 8 minutes if I'm not interrupted" 

"Alright," Jake said, "let's do this..."

As Ash was walking down the valley smiling, he began to think.

I'm going to kill both of them- 

Sure A screen said sarcastically, appearing in his head. 

He groaned Why are you here again?

Just go back and fight it, I'm gonna need to force you again, aren't I? 

No, I'm tired. 

But what about Spiral, The screen whined I want to see you test it out.

Fuck off. Ash replied

I know you're not talking to me. 

Oh yes, I-

As he started to reply, he felt something control him as he pulled his all-silver sword from the sheath in his back. 

If you won't do it, I'll do it for you. the screen said. 

Fuck you. So much He thought as he resisted his hands grabbing the hilt and clenched his teeth together to prevent his mouth from chanting. 

It's experimental, you saw what happened when I first found it out.

Oh, Ok. The screen replied. 

Unclenching his jaw, he sighed in releif at the screen's understanding. 

I think you mistook what I meant, that's my bad. The screen said as Ash lost control of his mouth too I meant "Oh, Ok I don't give a shit." 

His mouth moved by itself, saying the word he set to activate the technique. 

Spiral. 

He felt like he jumped into the water, as the world turned black and white, with everything as far as his eyes could see made out of a combination of white and black threads, losely woven together, but he didn't regain control of his body, with every involuntary step he took, he heard ripples as if he was in the ocean. His body felt unstable, probably because he was made up of those threads as well, threads that were unraveling by the second. He reached the clearing where he left the pair and they looked to be frozen, creating a plan whilst hiding from the hydra. 

Since you're here, you might as well do it yourself. The screen, the only thing unaffected said, returning control of his body.

...You're right. He agreed, stunning the screen for a whopping millisecond. 

Of course, I am, but seriously, an impressive technique you've made here. The screen, in awe said. Even Lyra couldn't come up with this shit. 

Who? 

Hurry up, you're unraveling. The screen said, dodging the question. It was the time limit before the spell cut and he felt excruciating pain, as what happened the first time. 

Grabbing his sword, he walked up to the still frame of the Eleven-headed hydra now made of entirely black thread, saving the white sockets where its eyes were. Curiously, he brought his blade up to the point where all its necks met and lightly slashed toward the right, an action that would have barely scratched it in real life. The threads cut and the ones that didn't, moved so voilently to the right that you would have thought that he used more force than necessary. 

That's actually really cool. He said, impressed with himself. Right? 

I know right The screen said, managing to sound giddy with excitement as Ash smiled. You're ready-

Wait Ash said I know that we may seem to have our differences, but you've always been there... 

...Kid- The screen started

I'm not done. You helped me when I came, told me what fruits to eat when I was a dumb 5-year old, found my sword, and thought me how to defend myself-

What are you getting at? It interrupted.

Ash smilled You're the first family I've ever had, without you, I wouldn't have trained for weeks to get this. So thank you. 

...The screen said. 

Are you alright? Ash said, feeling shy now I know it was suden but- 

Why did you have to do this now kid, I feel bad now.

Feel bad about what. 

... The screen was silent

I'm sorry. It finally replied.

Then everything went cold. For the first time. Its presence left that corner of his mind he never knew it occupied. And he didn't know how he felt about that. 

Worry about that later. He thought though he started to panic when he realized how much the screen's presence took of him. It was like he had so much more space in his mind, but it was just...empty. 

Fuck He thought, leaning on a tree, with tears falling in the form of black thread, but forgetting that everything was made out of sensitive threads, They split apart, leaving him without support. Falling over, the last of the treads surrounding him unraveled, and he landed back in the real world, which suffered the consequences of what he had done. 

It all happened at once. The body of the hydra slashed do the right, most of its blood moving to the right, leaving a gaping cut across its combined necks, and a lot of blood on a tree that split into half. Ash looked up from the ground at what he caused. 

I'm pathetic. he thought sadly, feeling like the kid that woke up one day in this disorienting world. 

A small flicker of pain went through his mind. 

Huh, at least the pain got better- 

Then it came. The blood. 

It escaped from his mouth as he stood up, looking around to find where Luna and Jake had gone too. He wiped it from his face, looking at his arm in confusion. 

What? 

"Hey Ash," Luna shouted waving her phone, walking out of hiding. "that new technique paid off, didn't it-" Her smirk faltered as she quickened her pace and started running to him. "What happened." she asked, worried "I've never seen blood from your mouth, are you...crying." She wiped his face "What's wrong" 

"I'm fine, probably overworked myself," he said, sitting down. 

 Then, his body locked into place, his muscles seized, as if they were metal rusting. Ash started to panic. 

"Luna, I need help." he said, struggling to keep his breath steady, as the extra turmoil stressed his mind "I-I can't move." 

"Ugh, you're so lazy," Luna said, grabbing his hands to help him up. 

Then, as if a switch went off, Ash screamed, causing all the birds in the area to fly away. Fire Licked up his bones and it felt like molten sodium was being poured down his throat, not just hurting, but exploding any organ that hadn't already vaporized. He clawed at anything he could grab in his blind pain, like Jake, who had somehow appeared amid his torture, His screams echoed again and again, finding new varieties of wildlife to scare away. In the middle of all of this, he heard his friends discuss how to help him. 

"Call Anita, Quick. I'll hold him down." He faintly heard Jake say as he restrained his ankles, which only made him scream more.

"Okay, I wont do that," he said, leting him go

"She's on her way." Luna came back. "Give it a minute or two." 

"So what are we supposed to do then," Jake said. 

"You're supposed to know that!" 

"We are not doing this shit today," he said, Jake hesitated. "Probably just a side effect. Like growing pains.""Growing pains don't usually make people scream," Luna shot back.Jake crossed his arms. "You ever had a muscle cramp so bad you thought you were dying?"Luna raised an eyebrow. "You're bad in bed, aren't you?"Jake groaned. "How does that have anything to do with this?" 

Are they being serious right now? He moved his attention away What's happening to me? He called out to the screen, a desperate attempt to call it back, to get a reply, any reply. 

Still Nothing. That's probably what hurt most of all, the one who had been with him since he found himself in this world as a kid, who told him where to find food, taught him how to fight, found him his sword... 

"Oh dear, that's not good." A new voice came in close, Anita most likely "Well, let's shut you up." 

He didn't know what happened after that, After he felt a bit of pressure on his neck, he fell into darkness, his first day being truly alone.

 He hated it, the physical pain had stopped, but he stood there. Wlaking through diferent places, states of mind. All the memories he could remember flashed in front of his eyes, he had this dream countless times before, but it had always ended the same way. They stopped and he was in a comfortable room, only him and this thing from earth. Burgers.

 Then the screen would rudley interrupt, they would argue about how that type of food was bad for his training. He would wake up and they do everything together. Eat while talking about the training he didnt want to do, the fighting he was forced to do. He wanted to go through it again, and again, and again. He wanted to have hope that at the same time, he would interupt the dream and they would start fighting. 

 But that wasnt happening, he knew it deep down. 

 Suddenly the memories stopped. His heart skipped a beat as he smiled. 

 Dont scare me like that again. He said, trying not to cry. 

 No response. 

 He was transported to nothing, no couch no room. Just Nothing. Tons of new space in his mind... 

 And he hated it. Everything in him knew it. One by one, the tears came as he crouched and started sobbing. 

A gentle pressure on his hand pulled Ash from the darkness. His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light of his room in their hideout. His breath hitched as lingering images from his nightmare faded, leaving behind the damp streaks of silent tears on his face.

"You okay?" a calm voice asked. "You were in a lot of pain yesterday."

Yesterday? I was out that long? …Actually, that would make sense.

He tried to respond, but his throat felt like sandpaper. "Thanks, Anita," he meant to say, but it barely came out as a rasp.

"Here, drink up."

She handed him a glass of water, and he took a long, greedy gulp. Wiping his mouth, he finally managed, "Thanks, Anita."

A quiet pause settled between them. There wasn't much else to say.

Anita squeezed his hand gently, offering a small, knowing smile. "It gets better over time. Trust me."

Ash met her gaze, raising an eyebrow. "I hope you're not trying to move on me. I'm a minor."

She let go, chuckling. "See? You don't need the screen to still be Ash. Trust me, I know." Then, without another word, she turned and walked out of the room.

Ash exhaled, rubbing the last traces of tears from his face before sinking back onto the bed.

Meanwhile, in the main room, Anita's smile vanished the moment she stepped in. She glanced at the group, her expression hardened.

"You're right," she said, voice steady. "We'll do it tomorrow."

The others nodded.

"Let's start planning."