A Drop of Tear

The ground trembled beneath their feet.

Smoke coiled in the air, painting the castle in streaks of shadow and fire. Broken debris snapped , still crackling from the aftermath of their battles.

But none of that mattered now.

Because at the center of the destruction stood Menma.

No—what had once been Menma.

His body was no longer the one they knew. 

But now something was different with him 

He had grown horns, whom curled wickedly from his temples, his dark skin etched with veins of glowing crimson that pulsed with unstable power.

His eyes, once sharp and playful, were now nothing but burning pits of madness. Steam hissed off his shoulders. The earth beneath him blackened.

He let out a breath, and the castle around him bent backward as if it itself feared what he had become.

"Annie," Zayne muttered, stepping in front of her instinctively. "He's not going to stop."

"I know."

Annie clenched her fists. The sight of him hurt—this wasn't her son who used to toss jokes mid-fight, the boy who risked everything for his people.

This was a monster wearing his face. But she saw it… deep beneath the fury. A flicker. A scream that wasn't making it out.

"Hold back," she whispered.

Zayne nodded. "Just enough to knock him out."

Too late.

Menma blurred forward, leaving a crater where he stood. Zayne barely reacted in time—his arms crossed in front of his face as a fist slammed into him like a falling mountain. He rocketed back through the walls , dirt pluming into the air.

Annie didn't wait. She spun sideways, both hands surging with her Light Creation, her eyes locking onto Menma's figure as he lunged again.

She used,

Light Creation // Light Whip

Using it to struck his arm—warping bone and tendon—but he tore through it like paper. A backhand swiped across her face, sending her skidding across the forest floor, carving a trench behind her.

Blood trickled down her cheek. She forced herself up.

"Menma!" she shouted, voice cracking with desperation. "It's Annie! Snap the hell out of it!"

He paused. For just a moment. Head tilted. Like something reached him.

Then he roared, and the trees behind her burst into flame.

Zayne emerged from the smoke behind him..

And used his speed to catch Menma by surprise,but Menma used his claws to block the attack.

However the force launched the berserk warrior forward, and Annie caught the motion mid-step, pivoting with a flash of yellow light—her magic striking the side of his leg to slow him down.

Menma twisted, planting a fist into the ground to stop himself.

The impact sent a quake rolling out from him.

He spun around, face twisted in rage, and started running towards Annie..

Whom dashed to the side, flanking Menma, her Creation swirling in her palm—light but sharp like a jagged spear.

She hesitated.

Just for a second.

He turned his head. Locked eyes with her. And in that instant, she saw it.

Tears.

Real tears. Streaming down his cheeks, cutting paths through the soot and ash.

Then his scream tore the air apart, and he rushed her.

Annie ducked low, 

And used her Creation to create.. 

Witch Creation // Light thorns

Into the ground between them—roots twisted upward unnaturally, grabbing at his legs. But Menma leapt straight over them, a blur of muscle and demon power , and brought his fist down like a comet.

Annie vanished just in time, appearing behind him mid-roll, carrying a light sword and swang it across his back.

It hurt Menma,as he let out a huge cry,but it wasn't enough to make him lose consciousness .

But he didnt waste any time .

And turned and slammed both palms into her chest.

Her body hurled backward, smashing into a piece of a wall with a sickening crack. She gasped, pain shooting through her ribs.

"Damn it… Menma…"

Zayne was on him again, his eyes glowing , lines of his creation trailing behind every step. He weaved in and out of Menma's swings, fists glowing with red Impact.

One, two, three solid blows landed against Menma's ribs, jaw, stomach—but each time, Menma tanked it, grabbed Zayne's arm, and hurled him into the sky.

Zayne flipped mid-air, and landed with a heavy thud beside Annie.

While out in the gates of the castle..

 Where the undead Giant had wrecked terror, that the soldiers were trying hard to clean,in case anyone was trapped in the debris.

While Elias was still sitting near the Giant's remains, his body was still not clear due to the voices's talking earlier.

But he decided to snap out of it and listened very carefully,to see if the voices were there..

But he didn't hear anything.

He got up..

"Get these pieces of blob to the carriage!"

He ordered the men,who immediately ran and put the remains of the Giant's body on it.

"Should we throw them out the kingdom?"

Asked a soldier..

"No!I will take them to the place I hunted the Giant!The DARK FOREST..."

Replied Elias.

"What about the intruders?" Said the soldier..

Elias hoped on the horse's back and started riding it.

He turned his head around and said to the soldier..

"I have no worries,since,Zayne is with them."

(Not knowing that Zayne had betrayed them..)

Back to the fight..

Zayne started talking..

"He's not slowing down," he gritted out. Blood leaked from his mouth. "He's burning inside like a furnace. This isn't gonna work, if we hold back ."

Annie wiped blood from her chin and stood.

"I know."

She walked forward.

"Annie—"

Said Zayne with a tired voice.

"I have to try again."

Replied Annie..

Zayne didn't stop her.

She stepped toward Menma, her vision clear ,creating a huge light sword,in case he of need . He stood in the smoke, claws twitching, body heaving. His mouth opened as if to scream again.

But she spoke first.

"Do you remember Lilith?" she said softly. "Do you remember what she said? That she hated the ocean because it reminded her of silence?"

Menma flinched.

Annie's voice shook, but she kept going. "She's gone, Menma. You watched it happen. And you're still here. That means you have to keep going. For her."

He fell to one knee.

His hands grabbed his head. The crimson glow surged brighter. Unstable. Cracking.

"Menma… please come back."

He looked up at her—and for the briefest second, his eyes flickered back to brown.

"…A-Annie?"

Her breath caught.

Then the glow surged again—and he let out a blast of energy that flattened the trees around him.

Annie was thrown backwards.

Zayne sprinted past her and jumped,grabbing Menma with all his might,as Menma struggled to free himself..

"Now, Annie!"

He screamed with all his might..

And Annie started ran straight at Menma.

He roared, but breaking Zayne's spirit was gona be tough ,as he screamed through gritted teeth, "Hurry!"

Annie leapt into the air—twisted..

And touched Menma's forehead with her hands..

Come back to us,my boy.

She said softly and used her light creation to shine a bright light the size of a tear..

Witch Creation // Purification 

And the light entered Menma's forehead.

His body froze.

The creation rippled through his nervous system, cleansing everything that was in it.

Menma's eyes widened.

Then they closed.

And his body fell limp, crashing into the dirt.

Silence.

The forest where their fight had brought them to was ash. Broken. Burnt.

Annie sat down next to him and shed a tear of grief . Zayne grabbed the place where Menma cut him on , his breathing was a bit ragged.

They looked at Menma's unconscious form, the demonic features slowly fading, the rage retreating into whatever void it came from.

Zayne looked at Annie. "You okay?"

She didn't answer right away. Just stared at her boy.

"I got through," she whispered. "Just for a moment."

Zayne placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's enough."

She nodded once, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Together, while holding Menma they continued walking towards the castle.

However in one of the forest's branches,Garrick was hiding,as he grabbed his head saying:

"No,no,no they are monsters, not just the boy, them too, I never knew Zayne was so powerful,he could have probably killed the kid if he wanted, and she! She was even stronger"

"How do i do it?How will I make them pay?!"

And like always he used his creation to disappear.