Rain pours over the city, hastened by the shock wave’s blast. The dawn sun is now obscured by black clouds as the day starts to unfold.

Going Back In Time..

Fia stands, watching Rhys, Luke, and the Seeker depart. She is ready. The hordes of the Anathema are drawing closer, their hunger for destruction threatening to consume everything she holds dear.

Fia walks behind the hospital, where a man has plunged his sword into the ground, muttering as if in prayer.

“Beyond, are you ready?” Fia asks. The man, with long golden hair, clad in white armor and a cape, his sword shining with a golden light, stops praying and answers, “Never will I be.”

Fia, with a determined look, replies, “I know, but you must.”

Beyond nods, “I know.” Retrieving his sword, he secures it across his back. The light dims.

Together, they take cover in the forest, waiting to ambush the hordes coming from the north.

Beyond plants the sword firmly in the ground, both hands resting on its hilt. The sword shines brightly.

This place is about to become a battleground.

Two hours pass.

Beyond remains completely still, his eyes wide open and glowing with the same light as the sword. He is prepared.

Fia’s voice quivers as she says, “Something is wrong.” She moves ahead of him, gazing north where the hordes are expected, with the forest stretching eastward beside them. The silence is unsettling. “They’re not coming. Something must have happened,” she murmurs. After a brief pause, she continues, “Beyond, I’ll trace their path back to the city. You head north. If either of us discovers anything, we’ll signal each other.”

Beyond nods, eyes closing briefly. Retrieving his sword, he secures it across his back. The light from the blade dims as he adjusts the strap, readying himself. Before they part ways, he speaks her name. “Fia.” She turns, heartache and determination mingling. “Keep thine eyes wide open and guard thyself.”

Her smile holds warmth. “You too.”

With that, they both set off in opposite directions.

Fia’s eyes begin to shine with her powers, allowing her to see clearly in the dark night. The road ahead is clear, with nothing unusual in sight. She moves swiftly, her senses heightened.

As Fia ventures, she notices a sudden and unexpected change in the atmosphere. The once chilly night air begins to warm, wrapping around her like a comforting blanket. Confused, she pauses and looks around, her breath visible in the cold just moments before. “H-huh… this is strange,” she murmurs to herself, her brow furrowing in concern. “Just a minute ago, it was freezing, and now it feels almost… warm?” The shift is unsettling, and Fia can’t shake the feeling that something unusual is happening.

She gazes around while running, scanning her surroundings. Nothing seems out of place, but the sudden change in temperature unsettles her. Despite this, she remains focused on her mission to trail her friends.

With a surge of energy, shockwaves emanate from Fia’s hands, propelling her swiftly across the long distance. In no time, she arrives at the hill overlooking the city. She pauses, taking in the view, and her eyes widen in shock. The entire city is being overrun by a thick, creeping fog that seems to swallow everything. “Huh… this fog…” she mutters, her voice barely a whisper.

Her thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a piercing scream. Instinctively, she scans the area, pinpointing the source near the train yard close to the city. Without a second thought, she descends the hill in a hurry, her heart pounding with urgency.

Fia arrives at the training ground, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.

Before her stands Cyrus, punching the ground like a crazed fiend, each punch sending shockwaves rippling through the earth in front of him.

The sight of him in such a state shocks her. She glances at him, noticing the eerie red glow in his eyes. This is no longer the boy she once knew.

Clenching her fist, Fia feels the raw energy surge through her veins, ready to unleash a devastating shock blast. Just as she is about to strike, Cyrus suddenly halts and turns towards her, his eyes filled with a strange, pleading intensity. His lips move, whispering words only he can hear, “Fia… help me…” The faint plea barely reaches her ears before her shockwave hits him, shattering both his hands and sending him hurtling through the air.

Fia’s heart wrenches with sorrow as she watches Cyrus being flung into the distance. “I’m sorry…” she whispers, her voice trembling with regret. She lifts her gaze to the sky, channeling another blast upwards, a desperate signal to Beyond.

With a determined sprint, Fia races towards the city gate, plunging into the dense, suffocating fog. Her eyes, trained to pierce through the mist, reveal the grotesque horrors hidden within. The city is a macabre tableau of flesh and blood, each step uncovering increasingly disturbing scenes. Despair washes over her as she realizes that all their efforts have been in vain.

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Suddenly, she hears a voice nearby, one she recognizes instantly. “Seeker…?” she mutters, moving towards the sound. There he stands, four blades piercing his abdomen. The atmosphere around them grows warm, then hot, causing the fog to dissipate and rain to pour down simultaneously.

She stares at him, watching blood sputter from his lips. As the fog clears completely, The Seeker stands motionless, his hand drenched in blood, eyes vacant. Before collapsing to the ground, he looks at Fia and manages a faint, heartbreaking smile.

In that moment, as Fia gazes at The Seeker, his smile seems to halt time itself, the raindrops freezing in mid-air beside his mouth.

I T W A S S U P P O S E D T O B E Y O U

In a heartbeat, Fia reaches The Seeker as he collapses, grabbing him under the knees and back to lift him. She moves him towards the sanctuary, her heart pounding with urgency. Along the way, The Seeker’s hand reverts to its normal form, causing the blood to flow freely. She runs as fast as she can, holding him tightly.

A piercing thought strikes her mind, "Seeker… why did you do this to yourself?" As she looks around, the realization dawns on her. "This is the fog's doing!… Seeker… were you aware?... Is that why you... You are truly…"

As Fia arrives at the sanctuary, her mind races with questions.

The scene shifts to Amana’s Gate

After the fight with Luke, The Unknowing Man hums as he walks outside the gate.

The heat is unbearable, and he fans himself, moving his hand up and down in a rhythmic motion. “Oh boy, what a day. Even the rain is warm,” he mutters.

Right then, he sees a man bathed in an eerie red glow, with crimson veins and molten lava dripping from him. Despite his fearsome appearance, the man seems desperate. He is holding a girl who appears lifeless, though there is no visible injury. In a desperate voice, the man pleads, “Help her… please.”

The Unknowing Man sighs, “Oh dear, oh dear… so it was you, playing with the weather. But don’t worry, I understand what you’re going through. Here.” He extends his hand, and from it, a glowing shard emerges. “Follow this shard; it will lead you to what you want.”

The shard flies through the gate into the city, and the man in red follows it.

The Unknowing Man smiles, resumes his humming, and walks towards the training ground.

The scene shifts to Light

Light, now crawling due to Cyrus’s devastating punch, feels the sting of blood dripping from his nose, mingling with the scratches that mar his body and face. Each movement is agony, but he forces himself forward, driven by a single, desperate thought: “Samantha please be safe…” As he inches closer to where they are, his heart pounds in his chest. He spots a body lying on the ground and his voice, barely more than a whisper, trembles with fear and hope, “Samantha, is that you?” He keeps crawling, his breath ragged, coughing up blood with every painful inch.

He continues until she is right in front of him. Samantha’s body lies on the ground, a horrific testament to the relentless meteor punches. One leg is missing, the other twisted grotesquely. Both her arms are shattered, her fingers blown apart. Her skull is barely holding together, her face a ruin of torn flesh, her eyes gone, her nose and ears clogged with blood, and her mouth a mess of broken teeth and blood—all from the brutal pressure waves of Cyrus’s punches.

Seeing this, Light’s eyes fill with tears, his heart shattering into a million pieces. His face contorts with sorrow as he whispers, “No… no, no, no, no…Samantha…please… NO!.. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you…” At that moment, a faint, labored breath escapes Samantha’s mouth. She is alive! Barely. Light hears it, and a glimmer of hope flickers in his eyes. He reaches out to touch her, but in that instant, a foot stomps down on Samantha’s fragile head, crushing it with a sickening crunch.

Light’s face is a mask of shock and horror. The Unknowing Man, who has been humming a tune—the same man who fought Luke—steps on Samantha’s face and says with cruel indifference, “Oh boy, oh dear… I didn’t see you there. Huh… oh girl, oh dear from before. Well, it is what it is…” He then breaks into a chilling laugh.

Light’s face twists into a mask of rage, his teeth clenching so hard they might shatter. His power surges, making the atmosphere around them crackle with electricity. The air grows thick with tension, and sparks dance around his body. He is about to unleash his fury and destroy this man.

Seeing this, the Unknowing Man smiles, a sinister grin that shows he is unfazed by Light’s rage. “Now’s not the time for anger, little boy. Hmmm… Maybe in a week or two,” he says nonchalantly. At that moment, he waves his hand, and a portal opens up under Light. Before Light can even react, the portal swallows him.

The Scene Shifts To Fia

Fia is now on the fifth floor of the Sanctuary. Her heart pounds as she carries the Seeker, his blood soaking through her clothes. The four gaping wounds in his stomach bleed profusely.

This floor, unlike the others, is a fully equipped hospital designed to treat the injured and the weary. The walls are lined with pristine white tiles, and the air is filled with the faint scent of antiseptic. Rows of beds with crisp, white sheets are neatly arranged, each accompanied by advanced medical equipment that hums softly.

Fia carefully sets the Seeker on one of the beds, her movements gentle yet urgent. The Seeker’s breathing is shallow, and his face is pale.

She takes a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The fifth floor is a place of healing, a sanctuary within the Sanctuary, and she needs to believe that. As she works, her mind races with thoughts of Beyond and the others, hoping they are safe.

“Hang in there,” she whispers, her voice filled with determination. “I’m going to get you through this.”

Fia quickly assesses the Seeker’s injuries. The claw-like blades have left four deep punctures, dangerously close to vital organs. She needs to act fast. Grabbing a bundle of sterile cloths, she presses them firmly against the wounds. “Hold on,” she murmurs, applying pressure to stem the bleeding. The Seeker groans, his eyes fluttering open for a moment.

With the bleeding somewhat controlled, Fia reaches for a bottle of antiseptic. She pours the liquid over the wounds, the Seeker’s body tensing as the antiseptic stings. “I know…” she says, her voice soothing.

Her hands move with practiced precision as she threads a needle with surgical thread. One by one, she stitches the punctures, her mind focused solely on saving the Seeker. Each stitch is a promise, a vow to keep him alive.

Once the wounds are closed, Fia wraps the Seeker’s abdomen with clean bandages, securing them tightly but gently. Tears well up in her eyes as she whispers, “I’m sorry… I put you through this…”

Fia stays by the Seeker’s side, monitoring his breathing and pulse. She whispers words of comfort, “You’re going to be okay,” she assures him, her voice filled with determination and hope.

Suddenly, a shining shard flies through the door, followed by the sound of footsteps. Fia’s heart pounds as the footsteps grow closer. The entire floor changes color from white to red as the source of the disturbance comes into view.

A man in red, holding a woman, steps through the door. The room’s temperature soars as the man emits waves of heat from his glowing red veins.

Fia is shocked, staring at the man. She readies her fist, channeling a shockwave. The man speaks, his voice desperate, “Please… save her…”

Fia holds back her attack and looks at the woman. Her eyes widen as she assesses the situation. She then looks back at the man and says, “She is already…”

At that moment, Fia’s face turns pale as if she has seen death itself. Without a second thought, she grabs the Seeker from the bed and jumps through the window, shattering the glass. Using her power, she creates a backward shockwave to slow their descent, landing safely on the ground.

Fia backs away from the Sanctuary while holding the Seeker, but right at that moment, an explosion erupts from behind her, sending both her and the Seeker flying. The Sanctuary explodes from top to bottom, scattering debris across the city. Rain still falls, waking Fia from the wreckage. The city remains shrouded in darkness, the clouds blocking out the sun. Her face is scratched, drops of blood mingling with the rain.

She looks left, seeing the devastation. Many buildings are destroyed, rubble and debris littering the streets.

She looks right, even more destruction. The Seeker is nowhere to be found. Her heart starts to pound, echoing the chaos around her.

From the direction of the explosion, a figure emerges—a titan as tall as the Sanctuary, glowing red and dripping lava from every vein.

There he stands, towering over Fia. Fear grips her heart as she clenches her fist, her eyes wide with worry. She channels her power and throws a shockwave at the titan. The shockwave hits, clearing the dust, but the titan remains unmoved. After the hit, the giant opens his eyes, which shine a menacing red. An anathema occurs, and the giant roars, causing the atmosphere to heat up.

Fia’s legs grow weak as she kneels on the ground, her face a mask of shock, fear, and despair.