Chapter 8 The Influence part 3

The Creation Stone, still in search for other lost souls, came across a young animator with big dreams, but the world view him as small.....

His passion for animation is sacred for him, and if the world won't accept that, then, he'll show them....

He would either, transform, or break..

---

Scene 1: Rejection and Frustration

Interior — Kennedy's animation room — night.

Kennedy sits hunched over his desk, the only light in the room coming from his computer monitor. He opens his inbox and clicks on a recent email from one of the big animation studios he idolized growing up.

Boss's Email:

> "Sorry, Kennedy. Your animation skills are promising, but we're looking for something more polished. Elegant, perhaps? We'll keep you in mind, but you need to refine your work and approach. Best of luck!"

Kennedy slouches in his chair. His eyes scan the words over and over again. "Elegant…" he mutters, his voice laced with disbelief and sarcasm. "They want elegant, not real."

With a frustrated grunt, he slams his fist onto the desk. The force causes a nearby cup of pens to tip over, rolling onto the floor. The room falls into a tense silence.

Suddenly, the computer flickers. The screen glitches slightly, and from the speakers, a smooth, disembodied voice slithers into the room.

Ghoul (softly):

"You know, Kennedy, elegance is overrated. The world doesn't appreciate raw, authentic work. But I can help you. You just need to stop holding back... you can animate reality itself."

Kennedy's eyes widen. He scans the room, heart thudding.

Kennedy:

"Who's there?!"

Ghoul (closer, persuasive):

"I can help you achieve everything you've ever dreamed of. No more rejection. No more doubt. Just say the word—and they'll all kneel before your creativity."

Kennedy rises, backing away from the screen.

Kennedy (firmly):

"No. I can't do that. That's not me. I'd rather be rejected than sell my soul."

The Ghoul's presence lingers like smoke in the air, whispering temptations as Kennedy closes the laptop, ending the conversation—for now.

---

Scene 2: The Betrayal

Interior — Fancy animation studio office — day.

Kennedy stands in front of a long conference table. Executives sit across from him, half-glancing at the screen displaying his polished animation.

Boss (blandly):

"This is… good. But it's too simple. Too raw. Not quite what we're looking for."

Kennedy (trying to keep his cool):

"I can refine it more, if you need—"

Boss (cutting in):

"We'll pass. Try again later."

Cut to Kennedy walking out of the building, the weight of defeat pressing into his shoulders. His phone buzzes with a notification. Another rejection.

The Ghoul's voice slides back into his ear, like oil over glass.

Ghoul (mocking):

"See? They'll never appreciate you. You're not what they want. You never were."

---

Scene 3: The Theft

Interior — Kennedy's apartment — late night.

Kennedy is on his bed, scrolling through his feed. A popular animation studio has just released a new short. As he watches, his face contorts in horror.

It's his animation. His concept. His characters. The style was unmistakable—but his name was nowhere.

Kennedy (whispers):

"That's... my work…"

His hands tremble. His phone slips from his grip and clatters to the floor.

Ghoul (hissing):

"They stole it because they can. Because you're powerless. But I can fix that. I can give you the power to take it all back. Say the word, Kennedy. Just say the word..."

Kennedy sinks into his chair, staring blankly at the screen.

---

Scene 4: The Intervention

The room dims. As Kennedy stares ahead, the laptop glows softly. A flicker. Then a familiar face appears—Gilo, his first animated character. The one no one took seriously. The one he made when he still believed.

Gilo (grinning):

"Heh. Staying true to yourself is more worth it, ain't that right?"

Kennedy gasps, reaching out instinctively.

Kennedy:

"You... I haven't drawn you in years."

Gilo (softly):

"Because you started listening to them. You forgot why you started in the first place. You forgot that your art matters—even if no one sees it. You create because it's who you are. That's always been enough."

Kennedy's eyes fill with tears.

Kennedy:

"I just wanted to be seen… to be enough."

Gilo:

"You always were. You just stopped seeing it yourself."

A warm glow envelops Kennedy. In his trembling hands, something begins to form—a radiant object, pulsing with power.

The Creation Stone.

As his fingers wrap around it, his body is engulfed in vibrant, shimmering light. Energy flows through his veins like never before.

Narration:

The framework around him—his doubts, the expectations, the standards—began to bend. And with it, so did reality. Because Kennedy had been given the gift of Framework Manipulation.

---

Scene 5: The Creator Reborn

Kennedy stands tall in his room, his eyes blazing with clarity. His laptop lights up as he begins to draw again—but this time, each stroke carries reality-bending weight. His animation reshapes the air itself.

He sketches a world—a fusion of elegance and raw, untamed authenticity. The characters breathe. The landscapes shimmer. His heart beats in sync with the glowing lines.

Kennedy (smiling):

"I will shape the frameworks of my world. Not theirs."

Somewhere, from the cracks between dimensions, the Ghoul watches in fury.

Ghoul (fading):

"You've chosen the light after all. But this isn't over, Kennedy. Not by a long shot..."

Kennedy (flicking his pen, confidently):

"Then keep watching. I'm just getting started."

Suddenly, a golden light envelops him. His room dissolves into sparkles, and he finds himself standing on a floating island among the stars—a place humming with Avian energy.

There—waiting—are Charles, Osei, Yvonne, and the others. All Earthling Airiens. Each one bearing their mark, their trial, their truth.

Kennedy breathes in deeply, the Creation Stone still in hand.

Charles (smiling):

"Welcome to the team, OG."

Kainen (approaching from behind, voice wise and steady):

"Your power reflects who you are. Because Avia… always gives based on essence. And your essence, Kennedy, is a creator of worlds."

The squad gathers around, their eyes meeting in understanding.

They've all battled shadows. They've all been tested.

And now, together, they rise.

---

[End Scene: Kennedy, the Framework Weaver, has joined the Earthling Airiens.]

Meanwhile

Back to Jack

The afternoon sky turned a strange hue, like a dream waking up from itself. Jack sat quietly on the steps behind the old library, knees up, chin down, lost in a chaos he didn't sign up for. Henry stood beside him, leaning against the rail, arms folded with the kind of calm you only earn through silent storms.

Jack finally spoke, voice low and uncertain.

Jack:

"I'm sorry, Henry. For snapping. For pushing you away. I just... I'm not ready to be some chosen one. I didn't ask for this. I'm still figuring out me."

Henry smiled—not the kind that says I told you so, but the kind that says I'm still here.

Henry:

"Jack... I never took it personal. You're carrying a lot. Anyone would snap. Heck, I would've too."

Jack looked at him, searching his friend's face for judgment but finding only understanding.

Henry:

"And funny thing... when I went home that night, the stone came to me too."

Jack sat up straighter.

Jack:

"Wait—what? You saw the Creation Stone?"

Henry nodded.

Henry:

"Yeah. And... my grandpa. He told me stories when I was a kid. Said he once touched the stone. Said it opened something in him. Back then, I thought he was just crazy, but now? It all lines up. The temple. The energy. The visions. The Ghouls... They're not just monsters. They're adversaries to something older. Something pure."

Jack:

"Then... you're part of this too?"

Henry:

"Yeah. But I told the Stone to wait. I've got some unfinished business here. Some things I need to settle first. Before I pick up something that heavy."

A quiet settled between them. The kind that says we're in this together, but also we might be in over our heads.

Jack smiled. A small, relieved thing.

Jack:

"Thanks, man. That means a lot."

But deep in his chest, the gnawing truth remained: every night, the dreams came. Nightmares of teeth and whispers. Of a thousand Ghouls clawing at the edges of his mind. Of voices calling him something he wasn't ready to be.

And then came Bhine.

A ripple passed through the air, like gravity had changed its mind. The shadows grew long, and from them stepped a figure. Not monstrous—no claws or snarls. Just wrong. Twisted elegance, like a smile that didn't quite reach the eyes.

Bhine:

"You two... are so perfect."

His voice was velvet over broken glass.

Bhine:

"I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to liberate you."

Henry stepped forward, instantly tense.

Henry:

"Liberate us from what, exactly?"

Bhine:

"From pretending. From the chains of light. Jack... you're drowning in restraint. You let yourself be a pushover. But we both know the truth: you're too smart, too powerful. You don't show it because you're afraid. You don't want to break the world."

Jack froze. His mouth went dry. Because every word Bhine said was true.

Bhine (whispering):

"You just want to be seen... but you know the world wouldn't survive it. So you hide. You shrink. You suffer. Why? Why not take control? Why not embrace what you are?"

Henry stepped in, shielding Jack instinctively.

Henry:

"Get out of his head."

Bhine didn't flinch. He just smiled wider.

Bhine:

"Oh, I'm not in his head. I'm just echoing what's already there."

But just as Bhine's words thickened the air like poison, a golden shockwave shattered the tension.

Kainen descended.

With him, the Earthling Airiens—warriors infused with light from the Creation Stone. Each radiating purpose, each standing tall against the shadows. Kainen's eyes flared, his voice thundering through the scene like divine thunder.

Kainen:

"Enough, Bhine."

Bhine hissed—not in fear, but in satisfaction.

Bhine:

"My work is done. The seeds have been planted."

And just like that, he vanished, laughing into the wind, leaving the sky a little darker than before.

Kainen turned to Jack and Henry. Behind him stood Osei, the ever-cocky knight with a smirk that could slice through tension like a blade.

Osei (grinning):

"So these are the special duo? Jack, son of Valitor… and Henry—what, his roommate who got dragged into this mess?"

Henry laughed, despite himself.

Henry:

"Close enough."

Jack looked down at his hands, still unsure. Still afraid. But no longer alone.

Kainen (gently):

"You both have choices to make. The light doesn't force. It invites. But you must walk the path yourselves."

Kennedy grinned..

Kennedy: You don't have to lag behind y'know, other scouts have been chosen, don't be too late...hehehehe..

Jack smiled awkwardly, he knows they're right, but he's still not ready

And deep inside, Jack knew...

The decision wasn't just about power.

It was about who he wanted to become.

Whether he'd keep running from the fire within... or become the light that dared to rise from it.