“Ends to ends” Caleb had mumbled to himself, a little inside joke he said to himself as he put the last of his Lego car’s pieces together once again.

He’d sat on the stairs, fiddling with his beaten Lego car, as he’d pretended not to watch his father through the banister. His dad had been sorting through papers, adult stuff that had usually bored Caleb.

But the collection of documents, passports, and the beaten book his father took with him everywhere told Caleb things were a little different than usual.

So, he’d watched intently as his father had parsed over the papers again, and again, uncertain.

Then his father had noticed him and smiled. That great big smile he always did, before shuffling the papers out of view.

“You alright kiddo?”

“Are we moving again?”

His dad’s smile had faded somewhat, before he’d sighed and glanced back to the papers.

“Sorry Caleb. I meant to tell you earlier”

They’d both remained silent for a second before his father had forced a laugh. “I guess we’ll be able to do another ice cream tour this year after all”

Caleb hadn’t said anything, only looked to his Lego car with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.

“What’s wrong?”

“Is… is it Casey?”

"Uh- yeah, actually"

The words had only reinforced his disappointment. Twisted the sadness in his gut like a blade.

He hadn't really wanted to say anything, but a part of him had known - even then - that somebody was supposed to say something. To stop this. And it'd only been him and his father.

So he'd spoken.

"Are we... are we leaving because you... y'know?"

“W-what?” his father had stuttered, before looking away. “I- no, no. She’s uh… she’s coming with us”

Caleb had frowned confused. The situation was new to him, foreign.

Ever since his mom had left, whenever they’d moved before it’d always been because of a woman.

The incidents between them and his father were few and far between, but whenever things had gotten as bad as before, they’d simply left.

Caleb couldn’t understand the difference now.

“Why?” he muttered.

“Oh, she’s… uh… she’s pregnant” his father had said. “Actually, crap, don’t tell her I told you that. She wants to tell you as a surprise”

“Oh… ok”

He’d sat on the stairs quiet for a moment, unsure how to respond. Casey was pregnant. That meant he’d be getting a little sibling. A little brother or sister.

Weird, he’d thought.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing” he'd mumbled.

“Oh, come on Caleb. It’ll be fun” his dad had said, making his way over to the stairs. “We’re gonna be living in LA. The city of stars. We’ll have a whole new place, you’ll have a little sibling, and there’ll be tonnes and tonnes of ice cream and other fun stuff. Hey, you might even end up at school with some actor’s kid”

“I guess it sounds fun”

“Think about it. A totally new beginning” his father had said, grinning again. “You’ll love it”

Caleb had only nodded silently.

Because even then, he hadn’t been so sure.

He woke to the soft sounds of the sea. A slow sweeping sound that rolled over him, like a soft, and gentle breeze. Like quiet waves. It soothed him, calmed him through memory, reminding him of far simpler times, a bliss he'd all but forgotten. He was at peace. For the first time in a while he was at peace.

"He moved!" a voice shouted, grating against his quiet. "Guys he moved!"

At the voice others started shouting too, calling out in the distance.

The sound of the sea intensified as he tried to focus on the voices. In his half-woken state he couldn’t tell whether they were panicked, or thankful, let alone recognise more than a few words. But he could feel it change him. Remind him.

He was supposed to tell someone out there something. He couldn’t remember what, but it was important.

So, he fought harder, struggling to listen. But his mind remained half asleep, his thoughts were held down – almost forcibly – by a slight pressure.

“Caleb?” a familiar voice said.

Sierra’s, he thought. Are Kana and Ryan there too?

He tried to listen closer, to find his friends in the mess of voices. But suddenly they receded, fading again. He struggled against the pressure, more desperate now, but it simply increased - muffling his surroundings as it drained his will to resist it.

Then came to pain. The sharp flaring pain in his left hand, and his feet. His nerves burning with the fire for a thousand suns, the heat writhing it’s way slowly to the rest of his body.

Then one voice came through loud and clear.

[Stop shouting, you’re causing him pain] the voice said. [He isn’t ready to wake up yet]

He felt the pressure intensify, carried forth by a gentle hand as it pushed his mind back into rest. The soft sound of the waves rolled over him again.

[Go to sleep child] the voice said. [You still need to rest]

The words were overpowering and yet comforting. As their echo rang out in his mind, he slowly drifted back to sleep, the slight pains throughout his body fading as the dreams took him once again.

-

The journey to LA had been fun. He'd known he'd been on a plane before, when they'd gone to Brazil, but he hadn’t remembered being on one. He'd just remembered the fear and having to cuddle up to someone.

Going on another had scared him at first, but now, looking down on the world from above was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

Flying was - without a doubt - the coolest thing he'd ever done.

So he’d just stared out the window, forgotten his worries and fears. He'd existed in a pure state of wonder and bliss. At least for as long as he could, until his new stepmom had tried another way to talk to him.

“Peanuts?” Casey had asked.

He’d shaken his head, and she’d offered him an awkward smile. Then he’d gone back to looking out the window.

His dad and chuckled then ruffled his hair before leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

“You know you can talk to her”

“I want to look out the window”

His dad had laughed again.

“You’re enjoying this more than I thought you would”

Caleb had only nodded, staring out at the fields below, at the world that stretched out around him seemingly endlessly.

In that moment, he hadn’t wanted to come down. He’d wanted to live in the clouds, and see the world from above forever.

He'd wished more than anything, that he'd been able to enjoy this when he'd gone the first time.

When it'd been just him, mom and dad.

The sound of the waves returned alongside Caleb’s thoughts. They remained still, silent. Then slowly they came alive, igniting each other in a chain reaction until his mind was a rush of thoughts.

But as he tried to press forward, pull himself up from the strange bed he lay in, he found his body still couldn’t move. The symphony of thoughts turned into a cacophony of desperate cries before the pressure of bliss suddenly returned.

He would’ve panicked, but the pressure kept him calm. Forced the calm onto him, limiting his expression of self.

He could sense it now, within the pressure. Someone’s magic. He could feel the intent behind it too. It didn’t feel harmful, rather quite gentle. Soothing almost, like the soft touch of Kana’s healing.

Kana, he thought suddenly. I’m supposed to tell her something. Where is she?

His questions weren’t met with answers, but beyond the sound of the waves Caleb could hear a voice.

Someone was talking to him.

It sounded strangely like a song, an angelic voice singing in an unfamiliar language and tune but pleasing, nevertheless. The voice was powerful, changing in tandem with the mana that pressed against his body, mind and soul - it’s pitch and tone varying as great resounding echoes flowed through the mana.

It was beautiful to feel.

He sensed the patterns carefully, entranced even as parts of his mind were pulled deeper into darkness by the song.

And slowly, it pulled all his thoughts back to sleep.

-

Caleb opened his eyes slowly, blinking back waking tears as he became aware of his own breaths. His eyes struggled to adjust to the light, his vision blurred, before gradually focusing. He found himself staring up at a stone ceiling, adorned with runic markings surrounding the image of two crossed swords behind a fist. He recognised them. The sword he'd gotten at Arrell and Swordy - Eriana’s broken one. He frowned in confusion, and then the messages flooded in.

[Emergency objective complete]

[First Phase of the trial complete]

[Congratulations]

[…]

[Please wait patiently for completion awards. Others from your trial are still yet to complete their first phase]

[You are free to journey on R67-C12-D until all participants of the trial have completed their first phase]

[Please do not interfere with other participants of the trial]

[…]

[You have received special permissions]

[Welcome to Alareon (B2-F14-D)]

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

He wiped the last of the tears out of his eyes completely, then struggled to sit up. His body felt stiff, his muscles weak and his side throbbed dully, still sapping at his strength. He managed to sit anyway, slightly out of breath as his hands trembled.

He took a moment, then glanced at the space surrounding him. As he looked around, his confusion grew.

He sat in the centre of a circular stone room, the walls - at least fifteen feet high - and floor with the texture of limestone brick used in medieval castles. But there were no bricks. The entire room was one rock, with no cuts or breaks in sight except for the two large floor to ceiling openings that served as windows.

Light streamed through them, revealing below, rolling hills of grass and meadows in each direction, all blanketed by the golden glow of sunlight.

Despite the size of the openings, no wind seeped through, the presence of magic surrounding the edge, and some kind of invisible magic barrier filling the space.

But what drew the majority of Caleb’s attention was between the windows, on the walls all around him. Runic markings were engraved into the stone, woven into a pattern between a mural of stars, mountains, and the monster he’d fought against, trembling at the sight of a figure with a glowing fist.

Him.

“What in the world?” he muttered, swinging his feet off the raised bed he lay on. He stood slowly, then made for the mural. His balance was poor and he stumbled but caught himself, before staring up at the figure in the mural. It really was him. With the same darker olive skin tone and curled black hair. The figure’s fist glowed brightly as it fell upon the great beast, it's face - no - his face, filled with fury.

Why is this even a thing? he thought. And is that really supposed to be me?

He stared a bit longer, before placing his hand on the mural, feeling at the drawing of this figure, of him.

His eyes were instantly drawn away from the mural to the scars on the back of his left hand. Like a jagged web they pulled outward from the centre, deep and red scar tissue, clear against his skin.

He stepped back from the wall and looked down at himself. He wore a strange outfit, some kind of half-rigid long-sleeve top made of a white cloth he wasn’t familiar with. His trousers were tight at the waist, but baggy at the ankles, and made of a different but no less white fabric. And his feet were bare, riddled with scars as well, though different to his hands.

The clothing reminded him somewhat of traditional Chinese clothing he’d seen from a film on TV once, though the comparison was somewhat tenuous and the decoration far different.

He frowned deeper. He could sense mana coming from it, woven into the very fibres of the cloth, denser even than the mana in the sword he’d had. He looked over the clothes, pulling at them to glance at the seamside of the fabric.

Huh, the runes are gone, he thought, glancing at his forearms and chest. He looked over himself again, this time magically, taking in the clothes and his own mana signature.

[Caleb?] a voice said sudden from behind him. He jumped in surprise then glanced back, to one of the openings, which had now shifted into a doorway. In it, dressed in similar, but slightly different was one of the chosen he’d only met during the big attack. She’d been the one helping the brigadier to heal Ryan and Kana.

“I- hi” he muttered.

[You’re awake] she said matter of factly.

“...yeah” he mumbled. An awkward silence stretched between the two before the girl spoke again.

[Sorry about the scars] she said. [I asked to heal them, but the Esaeni wouldn’t let me. Said you’d earned them.]

“Earned them?”

[Yes. She got offended that I even offered to heal them] she said with a frown. [I think it’s a culture thing]

He felt at his side where the throbbing continued, although less intense.

“And… my friends?” he said. She broke away from his gaze, eyes falling to the floor.

Oh.

[I’m sorry] she mumbled.

“It’s ok” he said quickly, surprised by how calm he still felt. “It’s not your fault, they were both hurt and-”

[Oh no, I… s-sorry, I should’ve been clearer.]

“They’re alive?” he said, a sudden burst of hope stirring his emotions.

“The girl, Kana, she’s still alive, but… she’s been asleep for a while. Her soul’s damaged. And since she caused it it’s harder than usual to fix. I don’t understand it completely but… it’s bad. The people here, they called in a favour, but the person they need is busy. Will be for a long time” she muttered, clearly flustered.

“Kana’s alive?” he said, relief swirling through his stomach. “But Ryan’s…”

She nodded, her face grim.

Ryan’s gone, he thought. He’s really gone.

He instantly felt sick at any hints of relief he’d felt.

“I… what’s your name?” he muttered, his voice suddenly weak.

[Aliyah] the girl said with a small nod.

“Caleb” he responded.

[I know] she said. [Everyone here does.]

Caleb froze, unsure what to make of Aliyah’s words. He looked away, suddenly nervous at the implication. A moment or two passe and his eyes remained fixed to his hands, watching as fingers played with fingers.

“Can I... see them?” he asked, surprising himself. He glanced up to Aliyah quickly, watched as she hesitated, but finally nodded.

[You can] she said. [But I don’t know if you’ll want to]

“I do”

[Then I’ll take you. They’re on the other side of the palace]

“Palace?”

[It’s what the people call this place. Daen’s Palace. It’s closer to a mansion. Well it… actually that doesn’t matter. For now, all you need to know is if people bow, it’s best to ignore them] she said. [You probably don’t want to get caught up in a long conversation right now]

“R-right” Caleb nodded.

[Are you okay to walk?]

“Yeah”

[Alright. But tell me if you feel off or anything] she said, stepping back towards the doorway. [You feel fine from here, but I'm not skilled enough to accurately measure internal damage for very long]

He nodded then followed her, feeling his sense of balance slowly return. But he paused at the door, looking down to Aliyah’s feet and then his own.

“Could I get some shoes?”

[Uh… I don’t think if you’re allowed to wear shoes]

“But you’re wearing them?”

[I’m not an esteemed guest, well- at least not as you. It's- you'd probably need a whole lesson to understand, I don't even completely. I think it’d be disrespectful if you wore them]

“A culture thing?”

She nodded.

[You’ll be fine though. The floors are kept clean by magic]

He nodded again, and then followed her out of the room. The corridor was most of the same, limestone walls and floors, with large floor to ceiling openings barriered by a strange and intricate magic.

“Are all these… window openings things fake?” he asked.

[The ones on the east facing wall are. I’m not sure about the other ones]

“And how do you know which doorway is which?” he asked.

[They have markings above them?] she said, as they turned the corner stepping through one of openings as the image of fields disappeared, revealing a short flat area that led to a set of steps.

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Caleb said as they started down the steps. “Not being able to see what’s on the other side?”

[I think the people who usually walk through here can. Plus, only healers and priests assigned to you are allowed in here. Us too, and Daen]

Caleb nodded looking out one of the empty wall faces at the endless greenery that surrounded them.

“You said this was Daen’s palace. Who's Daen?”

[That’s… he’s a famous fighter, I think. For the system guides]

“System guides?”

[It’s the thing or things that control the universe. I don’t really know. People are a bit cagey when it comes to explaining things. Not wanting to upset] akolan [or something]

He blinked in confusion.

“Akolan? Why wasn’t that word translated?”

[I don’t know. It means social order, or something like that. There are a few others, and some they'll explain, but most they won't. It's weird and complicated. I don’t think we’re even really supposed to be here. A few people have visited to complain about us but Daen just shows them you and they leave]

“Me?”

[Yeah. I think it’s cause you beat the monster. I don’t know]

“I- how many people have visited?” he asked.

[About fifteen or so. But they’re usually in pairs or groups]

“And how long we been here?” he asked.

[About six weeks] Aliyah replied. Caleb went silent.

Six weeks, he thought. I was asleep for six weeks.

That was longer than we were in the trial and tutorial for. Weird.

Ryan’s been dead for longer than I knew him.

The thought was like a knife to his side, sudden, sharp and painful. His steps slowed, and he caught himself against the wall of the staircase.

[Caleb?]

“I’m… fine” he muttered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

[Are you sure?]

“Yeah. Let’s go” he said. She frowned but nodded. They continued onwards, down the last of the steps before reaching a set of metal doors inscribed with runes and a language Caleb didn't know but somehow understood.

House of Souza

He decided to leave his thoughts on that for later.

Aliyah turned to him, stopping by the doors as she looked him over.

[It’s better if we’re quiet and walk fast here] she said. [People will think we’re going somewhere important]

“There’s people out there? How many?”

[Not that many. But they’ll all be interested in you] she said. He nodded and gulped slightly glancing down at himself, before nodding. Aliyah opened the doors and the sound of distant chatter blew inside, carried by a soft wind. She stepped out, into the daylight, and Caleb followed after her.

They found themselves in the corner of a strange courtyard, on a stone platform. To the left, right and in front of them walkways of wood, hovering over perfectly even and unmoving water that filled the courtyard.

People stood on the walkways, conversing by doorways that led into the buildings surrounding the courtyard. Among the people, there were two distinct types of outfits, one a red gown, and the other a black one paired with a strange hat, though he had no idea what kind of status they denoted.

"Are all the clothes like that?"

[Only the important ones]

"Oh. Makes sense why they're so overly fancy" he said, looking over himself again. Briefly, he glanced behind him, up at the two towers adjoining the one he’d just come from, before looking to read the words across the door.

House of En

He looked back to Aliyah, who had started down one of the sheltered walkways, and quickly, he followed after her, feeling the weight of everyone’s gazes as they made their way across the path.

The mutters of conversation stopped instantly, some even gasping as they saw him. He suddenly felt incredibly self-aware, his white garments in sharp contrast to everyone else’s browns and greys. People stepped forward, and bowed as he and Aliyah passed, but she didn’t acknowledge them so neither did he.

Finally, they reached the door at the end of the walkway and stepped inside closing it behind them. They were in a different style of corridor now, one made of marble with intricate patterning covering the floor and walls. On the other end he could hear the sounds of children singing a song.

“What’s over there?” he asked as Aliyah started for the stairs slightly further down the hall.

[The nursery]

He nodded then followed her up the steps, these much wider, more akin to what he’d expect from a great palace or modern mansion. They reached the top of the stairs quickly and made their way past a series of rooms before exiting into an outdoor walkway that bridged the palace and a separate, slightly smaller building together.

He glanced behind them as they walked across. From here, he could see the palace clearly, styled with a strange mix of familiar and foreign architecture. It looked closer to a government building with fancy castle like decorations than a palace. Off to their right and left more walkways connected the two buildings, both stretching on longer than he'd assumed given the size of the courtyard.

He looked beneath the walkway, to the green grass below where hundreds milled about in what looked to be a lively market next to a large solid metal gate guarded by men dressed in clothes similar to his but made of red cloth, and considerably more armoured. There were more gates under each of the walkways, and more markets. He could feel the magic permeating through all of it.

Some glanced of the people below glanced to him, pointing and he quickly pulled back, looking ahead. The building they were going to looked much the same as the one behind them, only smaller.

On the roof of the other building, only a few floors up, a few girls in clothing similar to Aliyah’s laughed amongst themselves.

Aliyah waved, and they waved back. Caleb waved too, and the girls simply bowed before disappearing out of view.

“You know them?” Caleb asked.

[I've met them. They’re training to become healers]

Caleb nodded, trying not to think too hard about everything he was seeing and continued behind Aliyah as they entered the building.

They found themselves in a somewhat empty foyer, a few teens in strange armour or in the healing gowns Aliyah wore, talking amongst themselves and laughing.

He and Aliyah walked through quickly, Caleb trying to ignore the cries of surprise as the teens spotted them. Then they came to two sets of stairs, one upward, and the other downward, and made their way up, passing a few students in the grey healing outfits. At the top they passed a door labelled in the strange language he could understand without understanding.

En School of Healing

There were fewer people in the corridors here, instead people in rooms reading over books or talking amongst friends.

Finally, they turned another corner and made their way up a set of stairs before reaching a set of large black metal doors on which read.

En House of Ends

I guess they’re here then.

Aliyah hesitated but opened the door, and they stepped inside. A teen in the grey healing robes stood ahead of them and instantly looked back. The girl’s eyes widened, and she froze in place before quickly bowing.

[S-sorry, sorry] she sputtered, clearly already on the verge of tears.

[It’s fine. P-please. We won’t tell] Aliyah said. [It’s ok. Go quickly]

The girl looked up at them - eyes wide - then nodded hard as she bowed, before rushing away. Caleb watched her go, the door closing softly behind her.

“Who was she?”

[One of the trainees]

“Why was she so scared?”

[She could get into serious trouble for being here]

Caleb nodded, and they continued onwards, passing a few solid black and grey doors before stopping at the end of the hall, in front of two large red metal doors.

[T-this is it] Aliyah said stopping by the door.

“They’re in there?” he asked. Aliyah nodded. He looked to the door again. It was simple. There were no markings, no great symbols or magic. It was nothing. Just a red metal door.

It seemed almost too plain compared to everything else he'd seen so far.

Caleb hesitated, unsure what he was feeling. So he steeled himself, quietly gulped, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room wasn’t that big, mostly empty too. The wall opposite him one of the standard openings that showed the great rolling hills surrounding the palace. To his left, in the corner of the room was a woven chair of strange silk, fibres and metal. A man in the healing robes and a red hat sat in it, the eyes closed as he whispered to himself burning incense in hand.

Caleb watched the man for a second, but he didn't move. He frowned then looked to his right.

In a row lay several matt black boxes of stone, resting atop lit coals. The runes that covered them glowed softly, each a hint of their own separate mana signatures within them.

He recognised most of them.

All the chosen who'd died at Arrell. The girl in armour who he'd carried down Arrell's main street. The teens they'd meet while they'd camped out in that town. And all the others. The ones whose names he knew.

Elena. Markus. Jakob. Michael. David. Mario. Angelina. James. Olivia. Eriana. Ryan.

They were all there. Dead.

He instantly pulled back, crashing into Aliyah as he forced his way out of the room. He stumbled and fell to the floor breathing heavily as sweat began to bead on his forehead, his breaths short and shallow.

[Caleb?!]

“Sorry. I- this was a mistake. I’m sorry” he mumbled.

[It’s ok. We can come back] she said, her concern palpable.

He nodded quickly and forced himself up, backing away from the door. He came to a stop still for a moment, before staring at the floor as memories of it all flashed through his mind. He could remember it all so clearly. Especially the slickness of blood staining his skin.

[You ok?]

Caleb didn’t say anything, only looking at the floor.

The last thing he said to me was that he felt cursed, Caleb thought. The last thing Ryan told me before he died was that he hated himself for killing people. Was that what killed him? Did he think of his hate for himself in the middle of the battle? Did he hesitate and die? Could I have said something to change that? Could he still be here? Could any of them still be here?

[Caleb?]

Why did this have to happen? he thought. We weren't hurting anybody. We’re just kids. Why this have to happen to us?

[Caleb?]

“S-sorry” he mumbled, sniffling as he wiped at his face.

[It's alright. Do you want to go back?]

"I... I should see Kana"

"You don’t have to see Kana now. We can always come back]

“It’s ok” he said, wiping his hands against his trousers. Aliyah nodded and then stepped past him, towards the door across the hall. Caleb hesitated, before taking a deep breath and followed after her, stepping inside.

This room was far smaller. And just like the other room, it was practically empty except for the bed in the corner.

In the bed, covered in runes and with a glowing orb of magic gently circling around her Kana lay still. She looked so peaceful sleeping, so still. But her skin was pale, and only a few strands of black remained in her now grey hair.

He made his way over to her, hands trembling as he came to a stop by her bedside. He reached for her hand, but it was still cold. Still just as cold as it had been after she’d healed him.

It was one of the worst feelings he'd ever experienced.

He wanted to move her from the room, to take her home, to her grandpa and her mom and her cats, to take her to a place that would fix everything and make her happy. But a place like that didn't exist. And even if it had, he couldn't take her there. He didn’t know where he was.

He clutched her hand tighter.

Seeing her like this, knowing Ryan’s corpse was in the other room, and that Kana was being kept here, in a place called the House of Ends... it was horrible. Everything about this was so so horrible.

Aliyah had been right. He should have waited. He wasn’t ready to see this.

He fell to his knees, gripping her hand tightly as he sobbed beside the bed.

[C-Caleb?!] Aliyah cried rushing to his side. But his sobs only continued, his cries reverberating through the room as he so desperately clutched Kana’s hand.

“Why did you heal me? I have cancer” he sobbed. “Dammit Kana, I have cancer”