Chapter 7
The Spark
Oct. 31, 2054. Friday. 8:32 PM
Drueeemm. Dreeeum. Multiple fans whizzed continuously in circles. Kiyro was sitting in front of the fan, cooling himself down. Unfortunately, for a Halloween night, it was hot and sticky. He wished the Air conditioner was working right this minute, but the humid air stuck to his skin like glue.
The van clattered as it hit the uneven pavements; Kiyro's team was all sitting inside a van where no exterior light had entered. Instead, a single light bulb lit up the dark interior, but even still, it flickered on and off from every unexpected hit.
Every one of them was wearing urban camouflage clothes. They all had a small bag attached to their sides and even a couple of weapons hidden away in their pockets. The silver collar that donned their necks was gone; each wore a black bracelet on their right wrist that was almost invisible underneath their long sleeves. Not only that, but they also wore a type of Alive Gears that wore sunglasses that connected to the internet. His Avatar appeared right above his right eye, informing him that the radio transmission was active.
"Damn it." Cursed Alex, his face looked pale as he leaned his head against the wall.
"Are you alright?" Eve asked with worry. She looked over her shoulders, wondering if Alex would hurl any second. Her hands were fumbling over a brown paper bag, ready to hand it to him if he needed it.
Alex slowly raised his hands. "I'm okay. I don't do too well with getting into a new car. The last time I did, I almost hurled."
"Really? You seemed perfectly fine the last time I saw you."
"I was trying to save face."
"Ah, I see. So you were trying to show off to Anna, huh." Eve winked and lightly nudged him jokingly.
"It is considered ungentlemanlike if I hurled behind her seat. Ugh-" Alex covered his mouth and flopped over, defeated.
Kiyro felt a tug of worry when he heard Eve joking about Anna. He wondered if she was okay. But, instead, he quickly squashed it away; he knew Anna could care for herself.
He leaned back and closed his eyes. Today was a strange day. They went from the out-of-body experience in the strange room to finally be ferried away on a ship inside a truck. The truck reminded him of an ice cream truck, but larger that could fit a large number of people. He could remember everything that had played out in the past hour.
"Alex, Daulton, Tonia, Eve, Will, and Kiyro." Angel's voice sweetly called their names, but Zero could hear a hint of darkness underlying in his voice.
Kiyro felt the usual chill when Angel's gaze examined him. It felt like all of himself was exposed before Angel without even stating a single word.
"Yes?" Everyone called out and stepped forward.
"You will be group number 11. Please head toward Area 9. We will go on a small 'fun' and 'interesting' trip." Angel stated with a smile.
The way Angel used the word fun and interesting made Kiyro freeze up. He felt very uncomfortable when he stated it in such a way.
Everyone except Alex gulped. They wondered what unusual activity would happen, especially this man they felt threatened their life. They all nodded in silence and headed over toward whey they needed to go and made it over to their designated room. Laid out before them in the middle of the table were camouflage suits with oni masks on top of it. An Alive Gear was present for each person to wear right next to their clothes.
"Get changed. We'll all be going out and doing a field test." Alex stated as he went over to get changed.
"Field test?" Tonia asked, confused. "I do not completely understand what you mean by 'field test."
"He means for us to go outside and use our powers," Daulton stated bluntly. "I didn't expect it to be so soon."
"Wait, you knew this was going to happen?"
"A majority of the people expected something like this to happen. I mean, who wouldn't want to test their psychic power." He said it with a bit of enthusiasm, wondering how much stronger he had gotten and used it in a real-life situation.
"Please don't burn down a building." Tonia rolled her eyes. "You'll become a pyromaniac and an arsonist."
"Hey! I'm not that crazy. I have morals, you know."
"We'll see."
"Tch," Daulton clicked his tongue. He pulled off his old shirt and pulled on the camo t-shirt.
Kiyro, Will, and Alex were already stripping to their boxers, not even caring about being half-naked in front of two girls.
When he glanced up, he saw both Tonia and Eve silently staring with interest.
Alex noticed both their gazes as well with cheeky grins; he flexed his muscles in front of them. Then, finally, he wiggled his eyebrows and arrogantly puffed up his chest.
Tonia squealed in delight while Eve blushed completely red.
"What are you doing?" Will turned toward Alex and then looked over toward the girls. "Seriously?"
"Why not? It's called fan service to the girls." Alex laughed and went back to putting on his pants.
"It should be the other way around. I would rather see a smoking hot body with nice S-line curves instead of your body."
"You're just jealous, kid." Alex's mischievous grin. "If you want to get girls, you must get them to check out your body, especially to see your well-defined muscles. How do I know this? The answer is obvious; look at their reactions." Alex snorted into a chuckle.
"It's true!" Tonia exclaimed with a smile on her face. "I give a perfect godly ten on Alex's figure! His delicious pecs, amazing six packs, V shape lines that define near the hips that you can lick, lean but strong muscles on his biceps with even nice tortoise shell muscles on his neck with that stunning face. Sign me up!" She shamelessly started with a glint in her eyes.
"Please. We don't need such descriptive words." Daulton paled a little.
"You need more defined muscles." Tonia flat-out spoke toward Daulton, pointing out areas where he needed to work out. "I say a 7."
"I'm not sure if that's even considered good." Daulton scratched his chin, then slipped on the belt.
"Getting a ten is miraculous enough." Kiyro laughed.
"Will is 7, but his face makes up for it. Zero is 9!"
"How come he gets a nine and not me?"
"Because Kiyro has almost the same body type as Alex. He looks like he works out a lot but is a bit leaner for my taste."
"I feel my ego dropping." Daulton signed.
"It's okay. All you need to do is work out a bit." Kiyro was finishing changing; he grabbed the mask and patted Daulton on the shoulder. "It's not something difficult to do anyways."
"This is stupid." Will shook his head. He grabbed his mask on the table and started to head out the door.
He's a bit upset about his score too. Kiyro whispered over toward Daulton.
"I heard that," Will spoke, annoyed.
"See." Kiyro's lips curled up on his face. He was holding back a chuckle from bursting out.
"Well then, ladies, either you can start showing us your nice figures while you change, or we'll let ourselves out." Alex winked at Tonia. "I would like it if we got a glimpse or two."
"Shameless!" Tonia punched him in the chest, laughing.
"You wound me, dear lady." Alex clenched the area where he got punched and feigned defeat. "A free show doesn't hurt, you know."
Eve turned scarlet, ashamed that she had a feast watching the guys change. She started to push Alex out the door.
"Okay. Okay." Alex threw up his hands. "I was just teasing." He left, chuckling.
Eve then turned her attention toward Kiyro and Daulton. She motioned her head for them to leave.
"Our little beauty wants us to go." Daulton taps Kiyro on the stomach, catching his attention. Then, he walks out the door, leaving Kiryo behind.
Kiyro followed a few seconds later; he passed Eve, who was still blushing red like a ripe tomato. While he passed by her, he whispered, "So what's my score?"
Eve coughed and roughly pushed him out. The door closed behind him with a click.
Alex clicked his tongue when he heard the door lock, and his face returned to being serious. They waited, and five minutes later, the girls came out. Their clothes fit perfectly to their body, especially Eve. One could see her perfectly S-line body and beautiful face that matched well with the clothes. Even Tonia looks nice in the clothes that they are given.
Kiyro had to admit anything that Eve wore, she looked amazing in them. Though the clothes in the game were a whole other story, they made her look dazzling.
"You forgot this." Eve handed him an Alive gear. She was still slightly red as her gaze cast down onto the ground.
"Thanks." Kiyro picked it up from her hands.
"Well then, it seems everyone is ready. Let's go." Alex clapped his hands, catching everyone's attention. They made their way out to the door and toward a small van, where they were shuffled in.
They saw Angela, Angel, and five other students inside the van. Kiyro saw that one of them was Russ. His beady eyes, filled with arrogance, caught, Kiryo's temporarily, but he turned his gaze away and snorted in disdain.
"Well, it took you guys long enough." Angela was in her lab coat and gave them all a frown. "I need to administer your locks on your neck. Come on." She motioned them to come forward.
Kiyro pulled himself in and sat in front of Angela.
Angela pulled out a black bracelet and clasped it onto Kiryo's arm. She then reached up and unlocked the silver choker around his throat with the Alive gear she had on her eyes. With a click, the silver choker unlocked and clattered onto the ground.
Kiyro unconsciously rubbed his hands against his neck. He felt empty, having the weight taken off.
"Don't think about chopping off your hands. It has the same function as the choker, but its reaction time and poison are ten times more lethal if you even attempt to force it off. The chip in the back of your head will set it off."
"Wait, we've been chipped?" Kiyro felt angered that he was forced to participate in their crazy experimental antics.
"Of course. Did you think that the choker was all we put on you guys? We're not stupid in letting our test subjects go. So be a good boy and sit over there so the others can go through this process."
Kiyro balled up his fist. He wanted to punch this lady in the face for forcing him to become an experimental subject. Seconds later, he felt a warm hand touch his balled-up fist. Looking over his shoulder, Eve was grasping onto his hands and shaking her head for him to calm down.
With much difficulty, he unclenched his fist and walked toward the empty seat across from Russ. The others followed after, getting their chokers taken off and given a new ones. Then, finally, they all walked over and sat on the same side as Kiyro.
When everyone was finished, Angel cleared his throat. "Well, little kittens. We're going to have some fun. So rest up, and our little game will begin when we reach our destination." Angel clasped his hands in front of him.
"Where exactly are we going?" Russ spoke out.
"Don't worry. I'll explain everything when we get there. Put on your Alive Gear and connect with it." He got out of the van. Angela followed behind him. "Well, now, enjoy the ride." With a slam, the door closed.
"This is bullshit." Russ cursed. "I mean, what the hell does he take us for? Animal experimentation?"
Kiyro understood Russ' feelings exactly. Even if they were pitted against each other, they were all in the same boat.
"At least we're treated okay. I mean, we're not underfed." The teenager with a muscular figure and crew-cut hair spoke with his hands against his head. He was leaning back as comfortably as he could.
"I bet they're hiding something from us. After that stunt they pulled out with Room 13, I wouldn't be surprised what crazy experimentation will happen next."
"I'm looking toward it. If you know what I mean, this mundane life has become even more exciting."
"Sometimes having a mundane life is a good thing," Kiyro spoke.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The teen looked over toward Kiyro curiously. "You are?"
"My name is Kiryo. This is on my right side: Eve, Will, Alex, and Daulton." Going down the line.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Timothy." Timothy pulled out his hands to shake. Kiyro grabbed it with a smile and firmly shook it. "To my left are Russ, Karen, Stork, and Cain. My battle buddies are in the game. Why did you say that?"
"I'm just saying, sometimes having too much excitement can get one killed."
"True, but that's why we all dive into the game world. To have a different life and have fun."
Kiyro nodded in understanding. "Though, there is a difference between risking one's life in the game and real life."
"Still, it's a nice change." Timothy was thrilled to get out of the Academy finally.
Their conversation was short, but Kiyro did not say anything anymore. The others started to talk among themselves as he put on his Alive gear. The Alive gear hummed on and connected him directly online with the game of Growth. It scanned his retina and connected to his Avatar.
A couple of messages popped up in front of him.
Real Life Quest has been Updated.
Quest Completed: Tempest
Tempest has been taken back by its owner.
Quest Complete: Pave your path and become a businessman.
You have pulled out of your stocks early and earned over $12,909. Funds will be deposited into your account. Unfortunately, this quest will not proceed forward and has been forcefully blocked by an unknown source.
Kiryo was completely confused by the Quest that had been completed before him. He knew Tempest was still back at the apartment from his last memory and was worried that the little kitten might not be fed well. Not only that, the second quest had been interrupted by an unknown source, meaning he could not do the second half of the quest.
"Hey, Eve."
"Yea?"
"Um, did you take Tempest back with you?"
"Oh, I completely forgot. I'm so sorry. The school allowed me to bring Tempest with me."
Kiyro was amazed at what he had just heard.
"Isn't having animals here a very bad idea?"
"Actually, no." Alex cut in. "Bringing pets is allowed and pushed for. For some people in this Academy, it's familiar."
"I'm sorry. You completely lost me."
"Well, the Academy has genuine witches, shamans, and wizards. In addition, they have familiars that are brought with them to study magic."
"What kind of crap are you saying?" Russ cut-in in disbelief. "I mean magic, come on!" He threw up his hands.
"You'll be surprised what these people know. It's magic, but a lot of it is related to psychics. They have a stronger grasp on their powers and the working of the world. The eastern culture has a more in-depth understanding of what kind of magic a person could do."
Russ scoffed at the idea of witches, wizards, and shamans. "Complete bogusly."
"Why would you say that? After all that happened, you don't believe in anything like that?" Eve spoke out in disbelief. She was one of the unbelievers, and nothing seemed impossible with everything that had happened so far.
"I will believe it when I see it. This whole psychic business is on a whole different level than superstitions, people. I need facts and proof."
"Well, they do more of a ritual and casting, but they're not too far off on the norms around the world."
"I'm surprised that you know so much. I mean, I thought you weren't interested in this stuff." Kiyro was looking at Alex in a different light.
"I'm this school's doctor. I have talked with different cultures about their standpoint on magic and energy control. It's fascinating if you get the chance to talk with them."
"There is no point." Russ huffed and leaned over. Then, he completely ignored him and closed his eyes.
"What's his problem?" Tonia spoke with a frown on her face.
"Don't ask. He just got a stick up his ass." Daulton rolled his eyes.
Kiyro couldn't help but not like Russ's personality at all. He was still a rude bastard, even in the real world.
"Psst. Hey Kyro. Kyro!"
Kiyro opened his eyes and looked around for the source of the voice.
"Pssst. Kiyro. It's me. Sylph." A soft voice whispered next to his ears.
He saw a small figurine popping on the screen like a little chick. "I'm over here." He waved his cute wings in front of him.
"Sylph?"
"Shhh! I'm going to do the talking. I got some important information to tell you. It'll be quick. Just nod if you understand."
Kiyro glanced around and slowly nodded, trying not to get caught.
"Here's the deal. I just recently found your location. You're off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and getting closer to Tampa, Florida. I don't know why you are going there, but you should be careful. Just now, I got a ping for your location when you connected to the internet. It took quite some time to go through the firewall. Just so youMakeeep that Alive gear on with you when you get back. It'll help me get through their freaking insane firewall without much trouble."
He thought it over for a moment. What made him curious was that he was a state away from getting back home, but right now, what he wanted to know was why they were heading toward Tampa, Florida. An ominous feeling was setting in the back of his mind, making him anxious.
"I'll be keeping watch in the background." Sylph winked and sat down at the corner of his glasses. "I'll be back. I need to make a quick check on something." He closed his eyes and became silent.
Kiyro wondered what Sylph had under his sleeve, but now was not the best time to talk about it. He was sure some listening device might be implanted into this Alive gear. So, quietly, he waited throughout the whole ride.
Klank! Kaklank!
Strange metallic sounds could be heard outside, along with the loud voices of people.
Varoom! Vrooom!
Suddenly, the van they were in shook and began to move forward. They jostled and bolted up and down. Everyone was anxiously looking around, wondering what was going on from the movement outside. A loud honking sound was heard through a dense crowd of cars. Even the loud blast of voices of laughter and excitement whistled were louder than the sounds of moving cars.
Suddenly the van halted, and the door was roughly opened. A man wearing a pirate costume with half his face covered in a mask appeared. "Well, well. Looky here. We have new blood joining in the fun." The man cackle with laughter. "Come on, ladies! Get your ass in gear!"
Everyone was dazzled by the sudden bright light that entered the dark van, causing everyone to be temporarily blinded. Kiyro had to cover his eyes so he wouldn't be momentarily blinded.
"What's going on?" Karen asked. She was the first to step out.
"Come on! Get out!"
Everyone stumbled out of the van, completely dazed. Even Kiyro needed time to adjust to the bright light. Screams of people could be heard as voices of laughter rang all around them. Finally, Kyros vision cleared, and he noticed that he was backstage at a concert. He peeked to the side and noticed a large party encompassing the whole street. Everywhere he looked, there were people in Halloween costumes dancing away to the beat of the music.
Suddenly the van door was slammed closed, and it sped off into the crowd, leaving them all behind. Kiyro couldn't help but feel a bit out of place, but he was mostly confused. Why? Why were they in a large concert-like party in the middle of Tampa, Florida?
A message streamed up in front of all ten of their Alive Gear.
Unknown interference has occurred.
Please stand by while we fix the problem.
The message flickered on and off, giving Kiyro a creepy feeling. He suddenly felt an oppressive aura around the message that made his skin crawl.
Real World Quest has been activated.
An eerie beeping sound could be heard in his ears. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen of his Alive Gear but stared, wondering what would happen.
Real World Quest: Hello World~
The quest can not be refuted. Put on your mask. In five minutes, go up on stage and say Hello. World! Thank you for coming today. Tonight is finally Halloween!
Level: D
Rewards will automatically be dropped into your inbox upon completion.
Failure: Your life will be forfeited.
Kiyro's eyes twitched. He couldn't believe what he was reading. If he did not finish this quest, it meant that he would die. The strange interference from a second ago could only mean one thing, someone hacked the Alive gear and directly gave him quests. The only person he could think of was Angel.
Time Limit: 04:59
Right now, he had delayed time for him to stay alive. However, he knew that Angel was not the type to go back on his word. Glancing down at his wrist, the bracelet gleamed dangerously underneath the streetlight. He took off his Alive Gear and put on his mask. He then put on the Alive gear on top of the mask so he could see the countdown.
The Alive gear snugly fit on the mask as if it was meant to be there.
"Hey. Hey. Did you guys get a quest?" Eve was struck with confusion.
"Yea…" said Daulton. "I'm not sure about you, but did you get something like if you fail, your life is forfeited?"
Eve and Will slowly nodded, confirming his disbelief.
"Now. Now. Kids. Let's have some fun. Today is Halloween, the best day for magic." The man wearing a pirate suit cackle with laughter. "Now, with your quest in place. I shall be on my way~" With a graceful bow, he chuckled. He then bounded off without even allowing them to ask him questions.
Time Limit: 03:45
Kiyro cursed in his mind. He only had a little time to get to the stage before him. So, with quick steps, he quickly walked forward. The ten of them were the only ones left backstage. With every step, he could feel his heart pounding and the loud cheering-like sound from the front.
A guitarist screamed into his mike, followed by an epic electric guitar play. He swung around enthusiastically till the point where Kiyro thought the guitarist's head would fall off. The rough drum beats were pounding away loudly. Kiyro was not the type to go out in front of a very large group and entertain them. In all honesty, he wanted to hide. His stage fright was kicking in, but still, he steeled himself to move ahead.
Time Limit: 01:02
He climbed up the stairs with heavy feet, ignoring Eve's outburst. Instead, all he could hear was the throbbing beat of his heart, going out of control. He wondered where the staff was, but in a sense, he felt as if this was all preplanned and he was a puppet walking to the master's tune. The music finally died down and finally became silent. Then, as if it was on cue, Kiyro stepped out from the back and walked toward the front.
The band stared in confusion at the sudden appearance of Kiyro. They only saw a young man in urban camouflage clothes and a strange mask. Silence quickly followed; the crowd looked upon Kiyro with enthusiasm and curiosity.
Time Limit: 00:03
Time Limit: 00:02
Time Limit: 00:01
With a deep breath, he steadied his heart. An electric buzzing-like sound could be heard all around him. "Hello, World! Thank you for coming today. Tonight is finally Halloween!" The electrical amp's around the stadium rang out clearly for everyone to hear. He was momentarily shocked that his voice would sound throughout the whole area.
Real World Quest: Hello World~ has been completed. Your reward of $350 has been sent to your bank.
Real World Quest: Hello World (Part II) has been initiated.
Please say the message on your screen to the crowd.
Level: D
Rewards will be dropped into your inbox.
Failure will forfeit your life.
Kiyro bites his lower lips. He thought this whole quest would be over, but he should've thought otherwise. Such an easy quest was still ongoing. He felt disgusted that his life was being bought for these strange shenanigans. Messages flooded into his Alive gear.
"I hope that you all are having a blast tonight!"
Screams of joyful shouts replied back toward Kiyro.
Let me tell you an interesting history of Halloween. The origin of Halloween is believed to have originated in Ireland and is considered to be one of the world's oldest holidays. Other names for Halloween or Samhan Summer's End, All Hallow's Eve, Witches Night, Lambswool, and Snap-Apple. It's believed to come from the Celtic festival Samhan or, in other words, the End of Harvest in the Gaelic culture. During this festival, the pagans would stock their supplies and slaughter livestock for winter. The Celts believed that Saman, the Lord of the Dead, would call the souls of the people that passed away that year to take them to the afterlife."
Kiyro clenched his sweaty fist, but he did not stop talking. "They believed that dead people would rise on this specific day and bring troubles and sickness to the living, so during the Samahan, they would light bonfires."
A blast of the giant cackle of fire erupted in the middle of the crowd, causing everyone to step backward in fear. Kiyro saw two comrades in the middle of the large crowd, controlling the rampant fire. To the people who were watching them, they thought they were dancing around the fire, and they, too, got closer. He had a hunch that Daulton was one of the two that was giving the blazing inferno a boost to sway like a demon radically.
"It was during this time when they would throw in the bones of the slaughtered livestock and wear costumes and masks to appease them. To make the spirits believe that they were on their own, the living would wear costumes and masks; this way, the spirits would not bother them."
A sudden wind blow could be felt all around them, pushing the fire into a wild frenzy. Finally, they could no longer control the fire and backed away into the crowd.
"To appease Saman was to give him food, to persuade him to be more tolerant while judging their ancestors; this is believed to be one of the precursors of the "trick-or-treat" tradition."
Four of his group members came out from the back and brought a load of candies. They threw out the candies into the crowd, causing a hysteria of people grabbing the free candies in the air.
"My question to you is, do you believe in magic?!" He shouted, throwing up his hand in the air.
The crowd cheered and screamed yes.
"Then, it shall be on Hallow's night. Once again, true magic will be brought before you!"
Fireworks were set off from the back of the stage and into the air. Sparks of fireworks cackled in the air, catching everyone's attention. Kiyro felt weird being the mood maker of this party.
Kiyro felt a familiar figure coming up from behind him. He noticed at that moment that it was Eve hidden behind the mask.
Real World Quest: Hello World (part II)~ has been completed. Your reward of $350 has been sent to your bank.
Eve stood silent, even with the mask on, she exuded a mystical aura. People's gaze automatically went toward her with interest. Her voice cut clear into the people, causing everyone to be amazed by her beautiful voice. Even Kiyro was surprised that Eve had such an amazing singing voice.
"On the night of Hallow's eve.
The song of the deceased whispers in my ear of loss and sorrow.
My mind is quietly rolling with pictures of memories, words, and scents of the past.
Reminiscing about what I have done to come to this point."
The wind swirled around her, picking up her blue hair. The clear night sky shone its lustrous moonlight down upon Eve, kissing every part of her skin as if they were lovers. The band picks up from behind her, keeping up with her voice. Kiyro could feel a burst of soft energy coming out of her body that radiated outwards into a warm tingle. His Aura vision was in full effect, and he could see the light of the people in front of him were being attuned to her voice.
"Memories that flow like fluid water that fills my soul.
Joy and happiness paint the picture with brilliant colors.
Others are like thorns that pinch the heart like a sting from a bee,
Leaving behind a trace of venom that seeps into the skin contaminating me.
Then some cut deeply and leave behind a murder scene.
Black memories rip through the body,
Screaming and shouting about how much it has wrecked me.
All of them are like whispers in the dark.
Watching and waiting for the right moment to shake my soul."
The blast of fire flares, causing the people to reel back. Kiyro could not help but stare in disbelief. Amid the fire were figures of human shadows dancing in flames to Eve's tune.
"An eruption of emotions that becomes a torrent of a hurricane.
Blinded by the pure emotions of hate and anger.
Forgetting the people around me,
wanting to cause more harm than forgiveness.
Till finally when the wind finally calms,
The area around me is shredded and destroyed.
Too late to fix the shredded pieces except to slowly pick them up once again."
We forget who we once truly were,
A memory that seems to flutter like the distant past.
Laying down my head and hand on the cold table,
Where a jolt of cold shocks my senses,
My eyes slowly open up as my breath leaves behind a fog.
It is only at this moment where I take a moment and look inside.
I remember that I am here right now.
Telling me still that I am alive."
Was this magic or an illusion? Kiyro could not tell but be amazed at the special effects displayed all around them. Figures of people of different ages were dancing to the tune of her voice, and the people who were watching were mesmerized.
"I am still here," Eve whispered. The last line struck a chord with everyone before she, and silence followed. Seconds later, a burst of cheers erupted outwards in a frenzy.
Kiyro could tell that the way she sang and the band before she sang were utterly different. Without a better word, he could feel the passion and a mix of emotions that he did not expect to feel coming from Eve. What was more surprising was that a large volume of energy focused around Eve's throat, giving it a sweet and enchanting voice that he never noticed until she finished.
"Yes, I am still here." An eerie voice spoke out throughout the crowd. It echoed around them, giving a tingling feeling. People look around, confused, wondering where the voice is coming from.
"I am still here. I am still here. I am HERE!"
With a flash of green in the middle of the fire, a dragon-shaped creature burst forth from the flames shooting up into the sky.
People stared with awe at the magical spectacle that was happening before them. Never in their life had they had such an interactive fire show before them. To them, the fire looked like it was animated to life, while for Kyros group, it was completely different.
The green dragon flapped its wings and hovered. Green, abyss-like eyes stared down upon the people with an evil cackle on their lips.
"I am back~" The voice echoed with full pleasure. Then, a burst of the green torrent of flames shot downwards onto the ground, causing a group of people to catch fire.
It was then a horrifying shriek spilled out from the corners of a woman. Everyone stood frozen in a daze, not completely comprehending what was happening.
A static, flickering message appeared on Kyros group Alive Gear.
Devil's Quest has been initiated.