Tri stands in the depths of a wide white void, nothingness around him and no visible thing in sight. He sighs loudly and sits down on the ground staring ahead into the nothingness as he simply stares ahead.

“Great, here again.” He says to himself as he stares ahead. “Edmond, are you in here!?”

His voice echoes through the void. “So, now what? Do I just sit here and wait? Do I do nothing?”

He waits for some form of response only for nothing.

“Listen here. Saffy is in danger, and I need your power to save her.” Still nothing. “I put her in danger using your power so it’s partially your fault, you owe her if not me. You have to save her!”

He stares into the nothingness only for nothing to happen.

Is this what you think? A voice suddenly rings across the nothingness. Is this what you truly believe?

Tri stands in nothingness. “No. It’s my fault. I put her in danger, didn’t I?”

Have you made your choice?

“I’m no hero. Heroes cause the people that are close to them to get hurt, look at this Saffy’s in danger because I tried to play hero.”

Do you want to stop?

Tri stands stepping forward. “I can’t stop! I need this power to protect her!”

Why? Why is it your duty? If you are not a hero then why defend the defenseless?

“Because it’s not only heroes that can help people!” Tri yells out. “Everyone’s waiting on some hero to come forward and save them! But they can save their goddamn selves, they just refuse to do so!”

He rushes ahead through the void looking around for something. “It’s not a hero’s job to protect everyone! It’s the duty of a decent human being to help people in trouble!”

Is that what you are?

He notices something in the distance. “Yes. I’m someone who’ll protect the people important to him, out of my own simple selfishness!”

“If no one gets hurt and the ends are justified who cares if the reasoning is selfish or selfless. I’m no hero, I’m not someone who can sacrifice myself for everyone else because then I put everyone I love in danger! And I won’t do that! But if I can help them, even if I hurt myself I will!”

Edmond’s figure appears in the distance as he stands unmoving and unresponsive. Tri rushes ahead through the void reaching out to grab Edmond.

“You better wake your ass up because we both selfishly need each other! I need to protect the ones important to me and you need to be the big hero!” He comes close to Edmond as an unseen force pulls him away. “So, get up because like it or not we’re stuck together! So we need to work together to protect who we will and defend who we will! Fate of the world or not! Do you hear me, Edmond!?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

He comes close as an invisible force pulls him away dragging him through the void of nothingness as everything is enveloped in white.

“EDMOND!”

Tri awakens in the middle of a bed covered in a cold sweat as he wheezes. He wipes his brow and moves to the edge of the bed carefully standing as he tries to balance himself. He nearly falls and grabs the edge of a counter and pulls himself up.

“What, what happened? Where am I?” He looks around. “This is the infirmary. Someone took me here?”

He stands and looks around. “I’m been sleeping? For how long?”

“Okay, enough questions for now. I need to figure out where Saffy is and how to save her if Edmond isn’t coming back.”

He looks around and notices his phone on the table as he picks it up. “A message?”

“Hello there Mr. Tri.” A video says over the phone. “If your wondering where I’ve run off with Ms. Saffron, we’re in the skate park. I figured it would be the most convenient location considering the bus stop is so close by and it’s pretty empty at night.”

The video ends and Tri stands gripping his side as he walks towards the door. “Considerate for a crazy guy. I’ve gotta thank him after this.”

Meanwhile, in the middle of the skate park, Jago and Saffy stand in the middle of a large bowl as Saffy stares at her phone. Jago glances at her occasionally as he pulls out a box of candy and hands it towards her.

“Thank you,” Saffy says grabbing the box. “Your nice for someone who’s kidnapped me.”

“Well, I may be a kidnapper, but that doesn’t mean I have to be inhospitable,” Jago says happily. “Either way are you sure your friend will come?”

“He will.”

“Well he better, you worked so hard to make me chose this location,” Jago says jokingly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well we’re away from the water so it’ll take me a while to call forth any water arrows, and that weakens the effectiveness of my water Element,” Jago says.

Saffy opens the package and pulls out a piece of candy eating it. “That wasn’t on my mind at all.”

Jago smirks. “Oh sure, I’ll just keep my opinions of you for now.” Jago scratches his face. “Um so, do you skate?”

“Are you trying to make small talk?”

“Kind of…”

Saffy sighs. “Not really, but I have a friend that taken up the hobby.”

“Oh, is this place any good? I don’t skate myself, but some of my subordinates occasionally ask me about locations to hang out.” Jago says nervously.

“Calm down.”

“Huh?”

“Your acting all nervous for some reason.”

“Well, this whole situation is kind of awkward. I mean I’m thinking that maybe your friend wasn’t the one who killed Frank, but he’s my only lead so far.” Jago says seriously.

“Is that why you’re going to fight?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t it just because you’re curious?”

“Well, that too. We’re tasked with researching this stuff for the Professor, so any data we can pull in is great.” Jago says explaining himself.

Saffy turns towards him. “So, what happens when you get all of this data and he finishes his research?”

“Then he helps us clear the injustice of this world and bring a revolution.”

“Revolution?”

Jago covers his mouth. “Oh crap, I’m not supposed to talk about that with outsiders!”

“Alright, I’ll stop asking.”

“Really?”

Saffy smiles. “Because when Tri wins, and the battle is over you’ll be telling us everything you know!”

Jago smiles. “Oh really. I hope he shows up, I’m getting excited thinking about the true power of this Tri.”

Saffy smiles forcing some form of confidence as she stares back at her phone. Tri, Edmond, please. She thinks to herself. I hope both of you come and then I know that together the two of you can beat anyone.