Chapter 6 – Awakening in Crimson
BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed across the black chamber as the old man in robes stepped inside. The room hummed with faint energy, its radar screens flickering.
He narrowed his eyes at the glowing red dot pulsating violently on the display.
"His heart is pure…" he whispered to himself, watching the screen. "Maybe that's why he was chosen."
BEEP… BEEP… BEEP–BEEPBEEPBEEP!
Suddenly, the radar blared.
His eyes widened.
"What the hell?! That's—his college!"
He slammed his fist against the console. "Why didn't the system inform me earlier?!"
His cloak flared as he vanished from the chamber in a flash of white particles.
Meanwhile, in the college.
Lioran dangled helplessly in the grip of the green monstrosity, its claws coiled tight around his head. The creature's smile widened—slow, malicious—as it began squeezing.
CRRK…!
Lioran screamed, the pressure building behind his eyes, his skull cracking under the weight of monstrous strength.
"AAARGHHH!!!"
Then—
SMASH!!!
His head was slammed into the concrete. The floor exploded into fragments.
THUD! CRACK!
Blood spattered across the ground. His vision blurred. His mind fogged. Pain spiraled through his body like fire.
The creature didn't stop.
It grabbed Lioran by the leg—SWOOSH!—and hurled him like a ragdoll.
BANG! into a rock.
CRACK! into a wall.
SMASH! across the ground.
Again.
And again.
And again.
"Stop…" Lioran gasped—but no sound escaped his broken lips.
He was a limp, bleeding puppet in the monster's grip. Bones shattered. Skin torn. His body dangled like a lifeless doll.
The creature twisted Lioran upside down and held him in the air.
Drip… drip… drip…
Blood poured in streams onto the floor. Lioran's head lolled. His eyes rolled back.
He had lost consciousness.
HSSSSHHH…
The creature leaned in close, lips curling back into a grin of gleeful sadism.
"It's your fault," it whispered, voice like cracking glass. "You should have known your place."
It opened its monstrous maw.
"Now… you'll become my food."
WHOOSH!
A burning splash struck the creature's face. SSSSSSSS!!!
"AAARGHH!!" it screeched in pain.
Sharin stood behind it, holding an empty vial of concentrated sulfuric acid. His chest heaved with fear—but also fury.
"I got you…" he muttered.
For a moment, it worked. The monster's face smoked and sizzled. Its skin bubbled.
But then—
The scream stopped. Slowly, it turned its head toward Sharin.
The acid burns were fading. Healing.
Its eyes—now glowing—locked onto him with a death glare.
"You insects never learn," it growled. "Why do you want to die so badly?"
Sharin trembled, his fists clenched. He took a shaky breath.
"If you want to fight… fight me! Let him go!"
The monster tilted its head, then—
FWUMP!
It vanished.
Sharin blinked. "Wh–?"
BAM!!!
A blur. A punch.
His arm twisted backward unnaturally. CRUNCH!
Ribs shattered. Blood spurted from his mouth.
He flew across the ground and crashed into a wall, coughing, gasping, barely clinging to consciousness.
Lioran stirred—eyes fluttering open.
Through his blurred vision, he saw Sharin crumpled, barely breathing.
The creature approached him again—slow, deliberate.
"No…" Lioran whispered. "Sharin… RUN!!"
But Sharin couldn't move. He looked at Lioran weakly, smiled faintly—and collapsed.
"No… no… NO!!" Lioran screamed.
The monster lifted Sharin by the neck—dangling him like prey.
Lioran's tears streamed freely, mixing with blood.
"WAIT!!" he screamed. "Take me instead! Please! Kill me—but let him go!!"
The creature turned. That smile again—wide. Twisted.
Suddenly, visions flooded Lioran's mind—
Flashes.
Creatures like this one… smiling. Killing.
Corpses.
And then—Sharin's lifeless body.
"NOOO!!!"
Lioran convulsed. His body trembled in fear. He was scared. And then—
He blacked out.
On the rooftop, the old man finally arrived—his eyes widening at the scene below.
Lioran was barely alive. Sharin… seconds from death.
"I'm too late…" he whispered. "I have to save them."
But then—he froze.
An energy.
It didn't come from the creature.
It came from Lioran.
Inside the void of unconsciousness—
Darkness surrounded him.
Lioran stood still, watching memories play like shadows.
A seven-year-old boy stumbled home—bleeding, bruised, dust-covered, and sobbing.
"What happened?!" his mother said, rushing to him.
"I… I…" He started crying again.
She tended his wounds, her hands soft.
"Now tell me, what happened?" She said.
"I tried to save a puppy from older kids… but they beat me up," he whimpered.
"I'm proud of you." She proudly said.
He blinked. "Why…?"
"Because you protected someone weaker than yourself." She paused, then hugged him tightly. "That's why I'm so proud of you."
He got happy.
"But I am angry on you" She said.
"Why?"
"Because you cried."
Her voice grew firm. "If you protect the weak, don't fear. Don't cry. Fight. Because that's your duty."
"…My duty?" he repeated.
"Yes," she whispered. " So promise me… Promise you'll help others. It is your duty."
"I… I promise."
Lioran's lips moved—outside, in the real world.
"I promise her…"
The old man heard it. The creature heard it.
FWOOM!
A golden flame again ignited inside Lioran's chest.
"I promise her… I'll never cry again!" He said loudly.
The flames surged around him—his body lifted from the ground, floating mid-air, engulfed in blinding golden aura.
WHOOOOOOOSH!!!
"I promise her… I'll never be afraid!" He said more loudly.
His arms spread wide—his body straightened.
The clouds parted. The wind roared.
The golden aura cracked the ground below and lit up the sky above.
And then—
"I promise… I'll protect everyone." He whispered.
KA-BOOOOOOM!!!
The energy exploded.
Golden lightning tore through the sky. The earth shook.
The aura collapsed—tightening around him.
His body changed—more muscular. Fierce. Glowing eyes opened like twin suns.
The creature recoiled.
"What the hell is this?!"
FWIP!
Lioran vanished.
THUD!
Behind the monster—holding Sharin gently.
The old man watched with tears. "Yes… his core was already fully awakened. This is… true evolution."
Lioran laid Sharin down.
He turned slowly to the creature.
"You…"
The monster snarled. "So you're Vaelion. No matter—I'll kill you like the rest!"
Before it could finish—
CRACK!!!
Lioran grabbed its face and slammed it into the wall.
"STOP BARKING!!"
BOOM!
The monster hit claw on him.
BAM!
He stopped the claw with one hand.
"You touched my friend."
WHOOSH!
He punched on its stomach.
Purple stuff come from its mouth like blood.
He held its face.
SMASH!
He hit a knee into its face.
BAM!
BANG!
SMASH!
He was continuously punching and beating it like a pulp.
BANG!
He dragged its head across the ground—SCREEEEEE!—then launched into the air, dragging it across a wall and a rooftop.
He dropped it.
CRASH!!!
He landed on it. Ground Cracked. The monster barely moved.
Then he threw it away.
That creature barely stood. It tempered in anger.
It fired a green orb of energy—
ZMMM!
Lioran stopped it with one hand. HISSSSSS…
He deflected it. It exploded behind him.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The monster froze. Terrified.
Golden sparks danced in Lioran's palm. He pointed it at the beast.
A golden ball swelled.
"Try surviving this…"
He shot it.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The blast occurred.
Half its body vaporized in golden fire.
"I won't miss this time," Lioran said.
He raised his hand again—but suddenly—
GASP!
Blood shot from his mouth.
His heart pounded. Chest throbbed.
He collapsed to his knees.
The old man's eyes widened. "No… something's restraining his Core!"
The creature saw its chance.
FWUMP!
It disappeared.
Lioran collapsed—unconscious.
Silence fell.
The teachers and students stared, frozen. Confused. Terrified.
The old man appeared near him, descended calmly and kneeling beside Lioran.
"You did well," he whispered. "This proves it. You are the Chosen."
He moved his hand in air—silver particles shimmered.
WHOOSH…
A gentle wave washed over the area. All witnesses fell asleep instantly.
The old man looked at Lioran… then at Sharin.
He lifted both in his arms.
"Let's go."