As they walked to the location of the next faction, Arien's gaze was fixed on the ground, his boots scraping against the rocky surface. Tilly put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, boss. You're going to stumble sometimes. The important thing is to pick yourself up and keep moving forward," she consoled him.

Arien didn't respond to her words of encouragement. Instead, he asked, "Do you think she was right? That some people will try to hurt us? Destroy us from the inside?" He looked up at Tilly, his eyes brimming with tears.

Tilly let out a sigh before answering, "Honestly, boss, she's probably right. But we can't let that fear control us. We just need to be vigilant and try to prevent it from happening." She gave Arien's head a gentle pat. "And who knows, maybe this Jared guy won't be as bad as she thinks he is."

As they approached the faction's base, they were met by two guards stationed at the entrance. The guards adamantly refused to allow Arien and Tilly inside, citing orders to kill anyone associated with another faction on sight. Arien attempted to convince them that he was the leader of the New World Order and was there to discuss an alliance, but this only seemed to anger the guards even further.

"Oh no," one guard groaned. "The boss told us to kill anyone from another faction. This is just awful."

"I know," the other guard agreed. "I don't want to fight a kid. I just ate lunch."

The two guards then hesitated, their fear of their boss's wrath palpable.

"What's worse?" the first guard wondered aloud. "Fighting a kid or facing the boss's punishment?"

Finally, they drew their swords, resigned to the fact that this would be a brief battle. However, Arien's eyes began to glow a bright yellow, and his voice boomed like thunder, "Cara was right! You're nothing but monsters!" Lightning crackled down from the sky, striking the two men down.

Tilly looked at Arien in shock, not sure what to say. She had never seen him use his powers like that before. He looked just as surprised as she did, staring at his hands in disbelief.

After a moment, Tilly regained her composure and put a hand on Arien's shoulder. "Come on, let's go before anyone else shows up," she urged him, leading him into the faction's base.

The base exuded an eerie sense of order, with guards perpetually patrolling the area. But beneath the façade of the organization, a dangerous secret lurked, revealed by the red stains dotting the ground. The guards steered clear of Arien and Tilly, the fear of meeting a similar fate to their fallen comrades palpable. As they drew closer to the room where Jared was located, Tilly turned to Arien, her tone serious.

"Are you ready for this, boss?" Tilly asked, her voice laced with concern.

Arien took a deep breath, attempting to steady his nerves. "I have to be," he replied, his voice laced with determination.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

As they entered the room, Jared stood there with a smug expression on his face, almost as if he had been expecting them. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the little king of the New World Order," he said, smirking. "I thought I told my guards to kill you on sight."

Arien took a step forward, his face contorted with anger. "We're here to form an alliance, Jared. Join us or suffer the consequences."

Jared chuckled. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. You think you're some sort of big shot because you have Zeus as your sponsor? I hate to break it to you, but that won't save you here. Our skills are lightyears ahead of yours."

Arien looked to Tilly for support, but he was met with a horrific sight. One of Jared's soldiers had attacked her from behind, impaling her with a sword. Arien stumbled backward in shock as the sword was pulled out of Tilly's body.

As he fell to the ground, Arien's system beeped with a notification, but he couldn't bring himself to read it. Tears streamed down his face as a bright yellow light poured out of his eyes, illuminating the room. His voice boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the base. "No! No! No! This can't be happening!" he screamed. The sky outside darkened, lightning striking the ground all around them.

The remaining soldiers trembled as they witnessed Arien's power unleashed. He felt the electricity surge through his veins, fueled by his grief and anger. But then, a calming voice interrupted his thoughts. It was Zeus, his sponsor, speaking to him telepathically. "Arien, do not let your emotions control you. Remember who you are and what you stand for."

Arien took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes and visualized Tilly's smiling face in his mind. Slowly, he felt the storm outside start to dissipate, and he opened his eyes to see a new sense of purpose within him.

"Jared," Arien said, his voice now calm and steady. "You have made a grave mistake by attacking us. And for that, you will face the consequences."

Jared laughed. "What can a child like you do to me? I am the leader of this faction, and you are nothing but a powerless puppet."

Arien replied with a sigh, "You're right, I cannot stop you yet." But then he smiled with determination, "But that doesn't mean you can stop me either. This may be a standstill for now, but it won't last forever. I guarantee that one day, I will make you pay for what you did."

Jared laughed maniacally, "I look forward to it, Little King! Maybe I'll even taste your blood!"

As Arien walked towards Cara's base, he struggled to keep himself composed. Each step felt heavier than the last, and his grief threatened to consume him. He was barely holding on, but he knew he had to stay strong until he reached his destination.

Finally, he arrived at the entrance of the base, and he let out a sigh of relief. But as he tried to take a step forward, his legs gave out from under him, and he collapsed onto the ground. Tears streamed down his face as he lay there, unable to hold back his emotions any longer. His body shook with sobs as he mourned the loss of Tilly, and for a moment, he felt completely alone and helpless.

Cara arrived back from training to find Arien collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Without hesitation, she sat down beside him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to let him know he was not alone. Arien turned to her and embraced her, seeking comfort in her embrace. To everyone’s surprise, Cara did not push him away but instead returned the hug.

"It hurts so much," he whispered through his tears.

"I know," Cara replied, her voice soothing. "Death is never easy, and it's okay to feel like this."

Arien held onto her tighter, drawing strength from her presence. "I just don't know what to do without her," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Cara hugged him tighter, "It's okay not to have all the answers right now. Just take it one step at a time."

Arien pulled away from the hug, and Cara cupped his face in her hands, looking into his eyes. "I'm here for you," she said. "Whatever you need, I'm here to support you. If you need to talk, cry, or scream, I'm here to listen. You don't have to go through this alone."