The first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, casting a soft golden glow on the city of Knar. Residing between the mountains, the city stirred awake as the sun began its slow ascent.
Raven, a dark-haired boy in his mid-teens, stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind running through his hair as he stared out at the horizon. Beside him was his closest friend, Astra, a curly-haired boy in his late teens, slightly shorter than Raven.
The buildings stretched out before them, vast and unyielding, just like the dreams they had shared. It brought forth a surge of emotions—this was what they lived for: to conquer the vast.
But little did they know that the dream they had shared would not be easy to achieve. That fateful day would come when their brotherhood would be tested, and their journey together would come to an end—though not their dreams.
At 7:00 AM in the morning, Astra received a call…
"It's your girl," Raven said over the phone.
His eyes opened wide, and all his sleep vanished at the sound of his voice. 'What happened?' He got up and reached for his clothes
"I heard she's now with Sol!" said Raven, the boy's voice tinged with a melancholic tone.
"...Astra? You there?" asked Raven.
After a long pause, Astra said with a broken voice, “Yeah, I'm coming.” He walked out of his home.
They both had a spot where they would hang out when they were alone. Raven, knowing Astra must be devastated, bought a bottle of beer on his way there. When he reached the spot, he saw Astra staring at the clouds.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Raven asked, sitting beside Astra. He handed Astra the beer bottle.
Astra grabbed the beer and opened the cap with his teeth. Not replying to Raven’s remark, he chugged the beer. "I keep replaying every moment in my head, wishing I had done something differently—I should have proposed to her," Astra said, regret reflecting all over his face.Raven with a smile “Now get up it's time to get going otherwise we'll be late for school.”
Astra tightened the straps of his backpack, feeling not only its weight but also the heaviness in his heart. He was reluctant to go.
The path before him was one he did not want to take, each step a reminder of what he missed and what he could have done. But seeing Raven walk ahead gave him the courage to face it all. 'I still have him,' he whispered, his voice carried away by the cold air.
He took one last look over his shoulder. The city that once seemed so vast now looked a little less intimidating, and the air felt a little warmer. He began to follow Raven and set out for school.
The peace of the mountain faded behind them as Astra and Raven descended the mountain and entered the city. The sun had risen completely, lighting up the city. As they passed through the city on their way to school, the tranquility of the mountain was replaced by the crowd and noise of people.
It was the same old classroom, filled with the familiar smell of ink and chalk. In the distance, the sound of the bell rang—sharp and commanding—signaling the start of class.
As always, a teacher came, taught, and left. It was a never-ending cycle that Raven and Astra had endured together. They both referred to learning as a setback, believing there was more to life than studying.
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Raven stared, his eyes fixed on the sky above. The clouds drifted slowly, their soft edges blurring into one another like brushstrokes on a canvas. But it wasn’t just him appreciating their beauty—something unusual was happening with the clouds.
As he looked further, the sky lit up with a blinding golden light, and a tower descended from the clouds. Before Raven could speak, Astra said in disbelief, "Are you seeing what I’m seeing?"
"Yes!" Raven said in a serious tone, locking eyes with Astra.
It was as if they didn’t need to say a word. Both stood up, arms rapped across each other's shoulders, ready for the hell that was about to be unleashed.
A loud, piercing alarm echoed through the halls, and for a moment, no one moved. Students exchanged uncertain glances, confusion etched on their faces. Then, as the second alarm blared, a ripple of fear spread through the room.
"What’s happening?" someone whispered, but no one had an answer.
Panic set in like wildfire. Chairs screeched against the floor as students jumped to their feet. Some grabbed their bags, while others looked around wildly, unsure of what to do next. The rising murmur of panicked, anxious voices blurred into a single chaotic roar.
Everyone, stay calm and—" the teacher's voice wavered, but before she could finish, the door at the back of the room slammed open. The hallway beyond was filled with the chaotic sound of running feet and shouting voices.
As soon as the door opened, Raven and Astra dashed out. The students running in every direction made it impossible to tell which way to go. But this was a school they had known for years.
“Don’t hesitate to run over some corpses,” Raven said in a serious tone to Astra.
“And don’t even think about helping others.”
“Really?” Astra glanced at Raven, but his gaze quickly fixed on the path ahead. He chuckled, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his body. He was scared, but seeing Raven made Astra’s fear fuel his resolve. The first step toward their dream was within their grasp.
"Dang!" a sound came from ahead. Not knowing what it was, they kept running, but suddenly Astra slipped on something and nearly fell. In disbelief, Astra looked down questioning himself if he had slipped on concrete. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a girl's lifeless body being stepped over by thousands.
“I told you to be ready to run over some corpses!” Raven said in a shaky voice. “You could have died just now!”
Astra was shaken. His friend, who was always quiet and composed, was now erratic. Astra realized that he had to pull himself together—if he didn’t, it would be too late. He slapped his face and looked straight ahead, determination setting in as he steeled himself to survive.
“Now you look like the Astra I know,” Raven laughed, his gaze still fixed on the path.
After what felt like hours of running, stepping over the corpses of their schoolmates, Raven spotted the stairs. He knew what had to be done, but the thought of it made him lose his composure. He bit his lip until blood trickled out..
“Do you trust me?” Raven shouted.
"Astra, puzzled, asked, 'What?'"
"Raven repeated, 'I said, do you trust me?'"
“Yes bu—” but before he could complete, Raven interrupted.
“Jump in the count of 3!” Raven said with a worried look on his face. “1, 2, 3… Jump.”
They both jumped with all their might. They leaped so high that it felt as if they were flying. All the students looked up in awe. It was as if a massive boulder was descending from the sky. Raven stepped on the face of a student, and Astra followed him.
A moment of silence fell over the hall, but it didn’t last long. Soon, everyone realized what had happened. Panic spread like wildfire, and those behind them took notice. They, too, followed what they had just witnessed, and in doing so, the number of students who might have survived began to dwindle.
Astra tried to look back, but Raven stopped him. They exchanged a glance, both knowing that looking back would only weigh them down. With whatever energy they had left, they sprinted toward the light coming from the main entrance.
A sense of relief washed over them as they neared the entrance. But as they passed through, Raven couldn't shake the doubt that had crept into his heart, questioning his decisions. Still, he pushed forward, knowing he had someone by his side to share the burden of those doubts.
Astra, oblivious to Raven’s inner conflicts, felt nothing but relief at having made it out with his friend. He was more determined than ever to avoid making a mistake that would cost them their dream.
A sudden gust of wind swept through as the light began to fade. A massive shadow loomed over the city, casting an eerie darkness. Then, a chilling voice echoed across the city, as if it were being broadcast worldwide.
[The Tower of the Omni King has Descended...]