Chapter 3: Greatest Gift

Before the incident began near the busy street of Paradise Mainland

A young boy at around twelve years of age with black hair and green eyes as green as an emerald wearing a gray short sleeves and dark brown knickers along with a brown cover shoe on his feet and a dark brown cap on his head

Is found walking through various shops with a lady seemingly in her early thirties with blonde hair and green eyes similar to the little boys eyes, her face was slightly thin and feminine as she wore a red dress along with brown leather boots and a lady's hat

It was his mother and they were going shopping to surprise the boy's father as his dad birthday was drawing near

"I love birthdays".... The boy said cheerful as he walked sides with his mom who was searching through her black bag if she forgot the money to buy the presents and go shopping with her son,

hearing her son she glanced at him as she smiles and responded "me too"..... She said as both of her hands clasped together extending to the left side of her face as she rest her head on the clasped hand like a child awaiting an ice cream while walking with her son and she looked up as her eyes sparkled with a hint of anticipation, she continued

"I love birthdays, most especially one with lots of present and fun stuffs to do, celebrating with family and friends, playing games with them, cutting cakes, taking pictures and heh heh! So much more".... After saying this they both continued walking and the young boy couldn't help but ask his mom as they just walked passed a boutique

"mum, what do you think we should get for dad?"... He asked as his eyes shone happily

he always wanted to surprise his dad on his birthday and he is also secretly planning for his mother's birthday as his mom and dad birthday were just a month apart, he didn't want his mom to notice his plan so he just tagged along with his mother to know the place they will buy his father's present as he plans to buy for her also in secret

"your dad".....She said as a playful smile crawled slightly on her face as she continued....." Would you like to know?"

he nodded as he thought inwardly

this is my time to also know her's too....Having this thought he opened his mouth..... "yes I would love to know and also you can tell me what you also love for your birthday gift".... He said as he puffed his chest and tapped it with his right hand as if showing how manly and trustworthy he could be

Hearing the last words he said, she couldn't help but laugh as she spoke

"oh-ho you want to know mine too?".... She said as she looked at him nodding so she continued as if in thoughts

"hmmm, let's see"... She laughs as she said with a wink "I'll tell once it's time"... As if in reply that he should find out what she loves to get for her birthday by himself as she knows he is trying to indirectly ask for hers because he already knows what to get for his father,

so it's a checkmate

aww! my plan failed, I wanted to know what she liked,

well then, I'll find another chance... He consoled himself inwardly, not knowing that this might be the only chance he may ever get

and it was in that moment the shivers of silence began

Hell Let Loose!

•••A blinding flash, a tremor that shook the ground beneath , and then a sound like thunder as chaos erupted around and the mysteriously strange voice before the Invasion••

.....

-Presently,-

In the blooming darkness of the red moon light, in the misty red fog and echoing screams in an aftermath of a neverending night, in the once busy streets of paradise mainland which is now a desolate waste and a neverending sight, as the buildings crumbles and the ground rumbles, as the street lights flickers and figures loomed as they roamed like lingering beasts awaiting a prey to arise,

a figure in the shadows like that of a young boy inside a collapsed building, with black hair and green eyes as green as an emerald but has now lost it's lustre, wearing a gray short sleeves and dark brown knickers, along with a brown cover shoe and a dark brown cap on his head, is kneeling close to a figure shrouded in shadows but moving closer it was a figure like that of a lady seemingly in her early thirties with blonde hair and green eyes similar to the little boys eyes but has also lost it's lustre, as her eyes were bloodshot as it was filled with blood, her face which was slightly thin and feminine with a beauty of a lady of utmost respect but is now slowly losing it's lustre to an eternal slumber, wearing a red dress along with brown leather boots and a lady's hat which is nowhere to be seen

Its the young boy's mother who is laying on the floor almost lifeless as blood endlessly flows at the back of her head,

she protected him, risking her life as she covered him from the unexpected collapse of a building they were hiding in as massive stones came crashing down like a thundering storm as it mercilessly battered her head and shattered her bones making her unable to move or even twitch, leaving her completely wasted

and now here she is, laying on the floor unable to move and looking at her paled faced son who's face streams down tears like that of falling fountain endlessly flowing down from his eyes as he holds her lifeless battered hands

" mu..m...mum! ".... He called out as his voice resounded as if it carries the weight of a thousand unending burdens

" son "... She called out with a seemingly lifeless voice as she knows, as time continues to tick by, her life flows along, but nevertheless she continued not holding back as she looked straight to his eye.....

"do you know what I wanted for my birthday present?".... She said as the young boy sobs even harder, making her to continue as the world around them seems to be in a standstill as they wasn't a single noise heard around them

" am sure you don't know, hoho ".... She continued as a slight Cough! could be heard when she chuckled, making blood to spew out of her mouth from both sides, pale and unmoving, she forced a smile, a smile meant only for him, a calming lifeless smile that seemed to brighten her appearance as she said in a silent serene voice that carries the hint of longing as it echoed in the darkness of the forsaken night...

" Your Smile "

It was his smile that she wanted...

"your smile as you hold out any present you bring out, anything you buy for me as my birthday present"

" my greatest gift that no other gift can overthrow is.... ".... She continued as her serene voice becames lower and lower as it fades, chiming down as her life shortens to an everlasting deep slumber

and then she whispered, her voice barely above a breath

" Having You As My Son.... Tuddi "..... It was her last

her last voice before her ∆∆∆

....

"Noooo!"... He screams in agony unable to bear the pain of losing a loved one, unable to bear the days of not ever seeing his mother, not being able to feel her presence, he was like a broken vessel full of an unending despair

"It's all my fault"..... He concluded feeling the weight of sin and despair on his battered soul as an endless flow of tears drips down from his swollen eyes as he has been crying ever since

"I don't deserve to live"..... He shouted as a strong grip of pain and despair filled his heart as an intense rumble erupted as if the ground is about to open up, making the collapsed building to shake more almost completely losing it's hold

Let me die with her.... He screamed inwardly as his eyes could no longer decipher between real or fake

Let me be consumed... He muttered as he leaned close to the corpse of his beloved mother as he placed his right hand on her pale lifeless face, caressing it he said in a silent serene voice like it was his last as the building shooked ready to fully collapse at any moments from now as he was already seeing his beloved mother ready to embrace him again and this time for eternity

" I don't deserve to live, without you around, am just an empty vessel that will be consumed by loneliness"... And the building began collapsing

The building loses it's hold as it collapsed in the darkness of the night as it slowly falling straight to the lifeless figure who was his mother and Tuddi who was looking up as he slowly closes his swollen eyes ready to embrace the abyss that will be his resting place

when suddenly a figure emerged from the darkness as it instantly grabbed the unconscious young boy, escaping from the collapsing building as it destroyed, becoming an absolute desolation...