A world of pain.

Eldon awoke to a world of pain. He grabbed his chest, squeezing his skin. A whimper escaped his mouth. His chest was burning. A scorching fire inside threatened to wear away his mind even before his body turned to ash.

A part of him realized that the overloading was causing the pain. This is what you get for seeking power beyond your ability, he thought. This is the result when you try to be what you're not.

He had known he was damaging himself, but it was his only choice at that moment. He groaned, rolling in great pain. He had no idea where he was. All he could hope for was the pain to subside.

It didn't.

It rose until Eldon could no longer bear it. He passed out.

He awoke, felt the pain, and passed out.

When Eldon awoke the third time, the pain was gone. This time, he fainted not from the pain but from the release.

A cool breeze.

An earthy scent.

Murmuring. Whispers. The rustling of leaves and the resounding crack of wood against rock.

As Eldon opened his eyes, he was greeted by the breathtaking sight of a flawless night sky. At that moment, he couldn't shake the feeling of a deep, empty void within him. It felt like something inside him was cracked and shattered. Lightheadedly, he watched the stars lighting up the sky. A falling star streaked across.

His hands, lying by his side, clenched around moist, fresh soil. At the edges of his vision, he could see the gently waving branches of tall trees. He was in a clearing in the woods.

He inhaled a mouthful of the earthy scent, and the tension in his nerves disappeared. He shivered. He closed his eyes.

When he opened it, he struggled to sit up. He was weak. His arms could not support his weight. He leaned against a nearby rock, forcing himself up.

Someone grabbed his arm helpfully, helping him rest his back on the rock. Eldon turned his head to see Zachary's concerned expression.

"Are you okay?" Zachary said in a low voice. "You were hurt pretty bad. There was blood everywhere."

Eldon wanted to speak, but he found he had no strength to.

"Don't talk," Zachary cautioned. "Senior Abyss Eye saved you, but your health hasn't yet returned to what it was. You should rest."

There was shuffling of feet as someone else entered Eldon's line of sight. It was Aiken. Eldon thought Aiken would throw a taunt at him, but the chubby lad barely spared him a glance. He gazed at Zachary, his expression more serious than Eldon had ever seen before.

"What are we going to do?" He said seriously, his voice barely a whisper. "He brought us here, but he's ignored us for hours now. Is he going to kill us?"

"I don't think he'll kill us." Zachary shook his head. "He wouldn't have saved Eldon otherwise."

"He hasn't said a single word!" Aiken was hysterical.

Eldon forced his mouth open. It was difficult but a bit easier to speak once he opened it. His voice was strained, but his words were clear. "What is going on?"

"Senior Abyss Eye brought us here," Zachary answered. "I don't even know what happened. I remember running as fast as I could, and then nothing. I woke up over there, just as confused as you are."

Two sets of footsteps approached while Zachary spoke, and two people crouched beside them. One of them was a girl with short auburn hair whose Bone-embroidered robes had been cut short so they barely reached her knees. The other was a boy who looked like he was even younger than Eldon but had black hair and a cold expression.

Zachary gestured to them. "This is Hollie, and this is Ray. They're friends of mine from Camp. Turns out they were also trying to catch up to Senior Abyss Eye"

Eldon observed them. The girl was average in figure and looks, her face dotted with speckles and spots. There was a sharpness in her eyes, and with the way she kept one hand on the boy's shoulder at all times, Eldon suspected they were siblings. On the other hand, the boy looked uncomfortable with his sister's hand, constantly shifting from her hand's weight on his shoulder.

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"There's no doubt about it," the girl said, Hollie, said. "He's not going to kill us if we don't give him a reason to."

"Do you have any idea what he considers enough reason?" Aiken turned on her. "Huh? Then shut the fuck up."

Ray's eyes narrowed. He made to move, but his sister held him back.

"Watch yourself, Aiken," Zachary said.

"I don't care about any of that, Zach," Aiken retorted, spitting in Zachary's face. "I just want to know what we can do right now.. Do we just wait? If he's gonna kill us, I'm telling you, I'm definitely not going down without a fight!"

"What will you do if he wants to kill you?" Ray said. His expression didn't change much, but his words overflowed with mockery. "Nothing. You can't do anything."

Aiken started to talk again, the ground around him reacting to his anger, bubbling like it was boiling. Eldon felt a pang of lightheadedness and zoned out. When he came to, he was lying back against the rock, and Zachary was in his face, saying something he couldn't hear.

His last memories came back to him. In one, he fainted in a pool of his blood, and in another, an incomprehensible bout of hazy suffering. He stared at his palm, dazed. It was covered with dried blood, skinny as ever.

He looked back up at the quarreling kids. A haunting realization descended on him.

He could not see the glow.

The perpetual glow that surrounded every abnormal in his vision was gone.

Frantic, he checked his heart. There was no response.

No.

He tried again. Nothing.

No. NO!

His abnormality didn't respond, no matter how much he tried to summon it.

His heart sank. He closed his eyes in pain.

I... never thought I could fall any lower.

A war was on the horizon, and he had lost his power. At D-rank, he felt insecure. He constantly felt threatened and worried about every unideal situation. He had gone to such lengths to increase his chances of survival, but nothing had come of it. Instead, he had fallen even lower, losing his abnormality.

As a normal person, he was at the mercy of everything on this island.

He wasn't a civilian who could be protected by the New World Government and hide safely behind walls. He was a Camper whose life was steeped in blood. Without strength, he was simply waiting to die.

Eldon drew his knees close to his chest, shutting out the world. He drew in shaky breaths, fingers trembling as they tightened around his knees. The weight was heavy, and because no one was to blame other than himself, he could only bear it.

At this moment, when he was deep in the throes of despair, a sound entered his ears. It was the crack of wood against the wind. Drawn to the sound, he looked up.

The moonlight shone down brightly on the clearing. A hooded figure swung a makeshift staff made from a tree branch, methodically moving from one stance to another. The staff spun, whirled, snapped, and struck, and in Eldon's eyes, they seemed to trace a mesmerizing constellation. He watched, spellbound, as the figure moved slowly one moment and faster the next.

He had thought there was no more hope to be had, so how could he explain this yearning that was arising in him?

I started down this path. A bold thought took root in him. I have come this far. If I gave up now, I would be the loser. It would all have been for nothing.

I won't give up.

Nothing will stop me from finishing this path!

Zachary, Aiken, and the others turned to him as he struggled to his feet. Zachary hurriedly got up, laying a hand on his shoulder as he murmured something about resting, but Eldon shrugged it off. His gaze remained on the figure in the distance practicing his staff arts.

Abyss Eye was one of the strongest abnormals. At the young age of five, he massacred his town, killing everyone in it, including his family. When he was taken into custody, he devastated the security center, murdering the martial leader of the faculty. Every one of his deeds marked him as a demon with no remorse.

But he saved me. Would a demon have saved me?

If Debra Skinner, Jerrod Tickle, or any other S-rank caught them tailing them, they would be lucky if they lived to tell the tale.

And yet, this so-called demon had saved him when he had no reason to.

Eldon took a step forward and almost fell, but he caught himself. He took another step, his footing firmer. Step by step, he approached Abyss Eye.

He stopped at a respectful distance, picked up a staff from a pile by the side, and began imitating Abyss Eye's motions. It was like a dance, rhythmic then sporadic, but the stances were strenuous to execute. They continuously exerted every muscle in his body, straining them until they almost snapped like strings. Eldon could only copy them for a few minutes before he collapsed to the ground, convulsing with pain.

His muscles screamed, protesting against the torture, but after resting for some time, he resumed the dance. He was soon drained again but always got up after a few minutes. He didn't know how often he completed the cycle of starting, falling, and restarting before Zachary appeared near him with his own staff. Soon, the others joined the practice, giving each other a respectable distance.

Eldon was absorbed in the gruesome cycle. He had no space for anything else in his mind. He paid no attention to the other's training or anything else around him. The only thing on his mind was Abyss Eye's movements and his efforts to replicate them perfectly.

Again. He struck the ground with his staff.

Again. He spun it around him, sending leaves flying from the wind.

Again! He thrust forward, then leaped backward, his staff striking outwards with vicious momentum.

Again!

The branches rustled, making drumming sounds when they hit one another. The cacophony of yells, grunts, and strikes had disappeared, leaving only the cool quiet of night.

Allan Wilder retracted his staff and relaxed his stance, letting out a soft breath. He glanced backward at the bodies littering the ground. Every one of them had passed out from the exertion.

Turning away from them, he returned to his perch atop a large rock, settling into a meditative pose. A deep breath later, he became still. As still as the rock upon which he sat.

Minutes passed, then hours. Soon, the first strains of sunlight peaked over the horizon. Now, he opened his eyes.

Again, he watched the sleeping bodies. His eyes flickered from one of them to the other before settling on the golden-haired one. The one whose ability had left him.

A cackling voice echoed in his ears. An ancient voice seemed to have crossed timelines and universes to reach his ears. However, the sleeping children did not stir. The voice came from within him.

Did it leave him, Wilder? Hm? Did his abnormality leave him?

Or did you take it?