The fire flickered before his eyes as David stared into its depths while using his powers to crush the crimson blood vessels hugging his organs, ribs, and belly. That hateful being still lived and wanted to turn his flesh into itself but David was not willing to succumb to its influence.

Icarus.

Crimson plague, the ultimate, slayer of mortals, and many more the monster he met just once before when his friend Darius still sat on the desolate throne of sanctuary. At that time even while surrounded by all Walldrifter generals, truth seekers, blood demons, Lightbringers, and deviants he still didn’t show any fear.

Only contempt.

Closing his eyes he listened to the fire crumbling the wood and then to the sand shifting.

Sand shifting?

Opening his eyes he watched as the young boy entered the light from darkness, his body was in a mess, his hands broken, and his flesh burned and wounded in so many places he had no idea how he was alive.

The person looked like ghost a spectre from underworld.

Taking his weapons he, Lucia, and Osmain all jumped prepared to fight but the boy didn’t move just stared at him with a kind smile and vacant gaze that was deprived of any life.

It took time but after a while, David finally recognized the boy.

"Hill?"

He asked and without answer, Hill approached the bonfire his eye never leaving its bright light and then he sat down before it and stretched his hand to get some warm.

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"Hill is it you?"

David didn’t put his weapon down. The sanctuary and white shore were not safe places, they were filled with danger, bizarre creatures that adapted to the environment here, and even monsters that evolved their bodies so they could live with white sand as one.

That type was the most dangerous and most bizarre.

Observing Hill's smiling figure sent a shiver down his spine and when he wanted to jump and take him down Hildebrant finally opened his mouth and the voice that came out was filled with children's naivety and curiosity.

"Why is the world so cruel to me?"

He whispered eyes never leaving the flickering fire before him.

"Did I do something wrong?"

A huge lump was stuck in David's neck knowing well how the boy felt and how desperate he must be after losing his memory and finding himself in such a place where anything can kill you and where people are more dangerous than monsters.

What was worse however was that he didn’t have the answer.

Just by being ascenders, they were born wrong, different from normal humans.

Dangerous.

There was no other way to explain it.

Signaling with his eyes to others David put his weapon down and Osmian and Lucia followed. In the past, they fought together side by side as one of the numerous teams that Walldrifters have but after the fall of the mighty force and Darius' disappearance together with seven other generals, they wandered their own paths trying to not attract much attention.

"Are you thirsty?"

Not knowing how to talk to Hildebrant whose body was a total mess David handed him a bottle of water and Hildebrant with a smile shook his head.

"No, before I came here, I had my fill."

Looking at his lips that were cowered by dry blood David had many questions but didn’t ask. Everyone had their secrets, and no one liked it when they prayed into them, but he still gave a glance making sure Hill was a Hill and not the monster that took his skin.

"But I have one request."

His voice was ethereal and calm, extremely calm it was a type of voice that made him involuntary shift his gaze to a young boy who also shifted his vacant eyes to him, and for a second David thought he stared into an endless blue abyss.

"Would it be possible for me to tag along?"