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A Prelude To Destruction - Chapter 1Chapter 1: Lost in the woods It was a cursed forest where very few dared to enter, but nonetheless, a winged woman was walking in between the great tall trees that thrived, and these kings of the plant world didn't care at all about the place's haunted reputation. But then again, they had grown there long before the forest became blighted. All sorts of creatures avoided these woods, but the winged woman wasn't one of them. She defied the hidden darkness that resided in here just with her presence; this wasn't her first time wandering together with the shades which the thick branches and their foliage casted. However, her defiance came with a price, for her once pure white wings had taken the color of dark blue instead, though there was still some light blue in the tips. Who knew when they would turn dark too, if she continued to visit the forest. The decision wasn't hers to make. Though light wings or dark wings, she still retained an angelic look, for she had a slender body and long white hair with a little bit silver in them. She had golden eyes with a strong look in them. A powerful aura surrounded her and undoubtedly there was a sense of authority in her appearance, especially her beautiful blue clothes that were a telltale sign of someone who wasn't an ordinary person. It wasn't hard to believe for an individual like her to risk their life in a place like this. As she calmly walked further into the woods, a horrifying sound reached the woman's ears. It wasn't anything strange to her, but no matter how many times she would hear it, it never became easier to bear. It was the disturbing and heartbreaking cry of a ghost child, left abandoned in the forest right after their birth. They never had a chance in life, they never grew up or learned about the countless things this world had to offer. All they could do was cry and yearn for a proper burial – which would never come. The woman felt sorry for all the little ones that had been abandoned in the forest, but there was nothing she could do for them. The woman was approaching a part of the woods where the vegetation was more dense. The sunlight was barely able to touch the forest floor, but a few sneaky beams of light managed to slip through the branches and leaves. Carefully she kept her eyes on the undergrowth, for what she was seeking could be found around these parts, based on her experience. Keeping a keen eye on the plants, she eventually spotted some she was looking for: a blue herb with white berries that resembled cloudberry. She picked all of them from the spot, gently putting them inside the bag she was carrying. Once she had harvested them, she continued her travel even deeper into the woods, hoping to find even more of them. The need for these precious herbs was getting increasingly dire. She was familiar with the woods and with its few critters and sensations; she was probably the most knowledgeable person in the world when it came to this forest. And yet, as she proceeded to even deeper parts of the woods, a weird sensation was pestering her mind like an annoying insect. There was a presence somewhere nearby, something she wasn't familiar with. She had to check it out, it was her duty. Guided by this sensation, she ventured towards the part of the woods that was probably the darkest and most dangerous one. For this reason, she had to hurry, because if there somehow was someone who needed aid, the likelihood for them getting devoured by the forest was growing minute by minute. Something was rippling in the air, a powerful impression that felt almost electrifying. The woman was able to recognize it as a form of magic. It was a rather strong one, too. Whoever had ended up in this part of the woods wasn't an ordinary person. While there was a chance that they were capable of doing alright on their own, the woman wanted to check their condition. She had to help them if needed. Thanks to the mysterious ripples that traveled through the air, the woman could easily pinpoint the location of the foreign presence she had been sensing. She came to a small clearing where all these sensations were mixed in together, swirling around like a whirlpool of energy. A shred of a sky could be seen above, something that wasn't possible in most parts of the woods. It was clear to the woman that something had fallen from heaven, crashing into the trees of the forest and hitting the forest floor. On some of the branches and on bushes and other plants were having light purple wisps of magic dancing around, as a remnant that something magical had happened here as the power still lingered. All that now remained were three unconscious creatures whose kind the woman hadn't seen ever before. A white raven, a black cat and a mostly green deer-like creature. The woman could see that they were bipedal since they all possessed fingers. All of them were about the size of a human child, making the raven and the cat larger than the animals they represented, while the third one was smaller than a deer. The cat and the raven had strange markings decorating their bodies, the cat having white marks while the raven had purple ones. The third creature diverged in this trait as well, as their body was partly covered in green scales while the front had a pale color. But all three of them shared one feature: they all had horns. There were two purple horns on the head of the raven, two blue horns on the head of the cat and one horn on the head of the deer-like creature, gradually turning from a shade of green to darker green. The woman had no idea where these beings had come from; she had never heard of such creatures as these three. But she knew she couldn't just leave them here, she could learn their story later. She walked to them, crouched a little bit and placed her hand lightly on the side of the closest critter, the cat. They were breathing normally and the heart was beating. The woman did this brief inspection on all of them, coming to the conclusion that they all were doing alright, they just had been knocked unconscious by something. It was desired that they would stay in a good state, so the woman began to wake them up. Blue little swirls were circling around her hand as she moved it slowly near the heads of each creature. These twirls would gently touch them, beckoning them to awaken. The woman's magic worked and one by one the three creatures opened their eyes and sluggishly raised their bodies from the moss bed to a sitting position. They looked very much confused, clearly not recognizing their surroundings at all. But the woman noticed that there was also something else: they didn't identify who they were. However, this wasn't the right place to resolve these things. “Can you all stand?” the woman asked from the trio as she got on her feet again. The creatures still were puzzled; it was as if they had slumbered for centuries and had no knowledge of the world around them. They glanced around, then looked at each other with great perplexity; it seemed like that they didn't know each other, but at the same time, they did. For a little while they tried to understand what kind of bond they had between each other, but failed. This also confused the winged woman, because it only deepened the mystery how these three had ended up here. But again, this wasn't the right time and space for figuring these things out. “Are you able to stand?” the winged woman asked again. The trio shifted their gaze at her, trying to identify her. But just like with everything else so far, they had no idea who she was. Time for proper introductions would come later, even these three seemed to understand this, and they started to get on their feet. Their movements were wobbly, like with baby animals, and it gave an impression that they hadn't stood for a long time – if ever before. Eventually, however, they managed to find some sort of balance and not for a moment too soon. A terrible howl echoed through the forest; it was hollow, hungry and suffering. It was the most dreaded creature in the whole place, the reason why most people would stay away. While the winged woman was well aware that such abominations were on the prowl continuously in the forest, she really had hoped that they wouldn't encounter one. “Dammit”, she muttered to herself. “We have to go. Follow me.” The three creatures just nodded to her and hurried after her as she began to show the way and guide them out of the forest. Even more of those eerie howls joined in with the first one; whatever being it was, it hunted as a pack. Usually they were after the many souls of children that still lingered in these woods, but whenever possible, they preferred fresh souls. The winged woman was afraid that they had already got the scent of her and her little surprise companions. She wasn't too worried, however, she had dealt with such beasts before; she was a much more powerful entity than them. But never before had she had little beings with her that needed her protection. The woman tried to be as swift as possible while passing through the forest. Unfortunately, she was unlucky today and even though they had managed to move quite a distance without any conflict, suddenly a dark critter appeared from the shadows right in front of them. It resembled a huge and hideous wolf, its fur had a dark purple color. Its tail was thin and had some lavender feathers at the tip. These same feathers were also poking out from various other parts of its body, such as in the neck, elbows and lower thighs. Its bright red eyes were fixed at the small group and a deep growl was coming from its insides; it saw the winged woman and the three creatures as prey. Fearlessly the winged woman stepped forth while the trio remained in the background, not really fazed by the danger in front of them. A magical energy started to surge around the woman's right arm, engulfing it in a white glow. The dark wolf-like being got closer to her, measuring her with its red eyes. Then the woman raised her hand towards the beast and a white blast got shot from her hand, a holy light, hitting the monster in the head. It fell to the ground, but was it dead or just unconscious, it was hard to tell. Nonetheless, there was no need to kill it right now, the winged woman just wanted to get past it. “Come, quickly”, she said to the three creatures and pressed onwards, the trio continuing to follow her. The eerie howls sounded more and more distant; perhaps they had decided to go after the poor souls of the children trapped in the forest. This was a good sign, the winged woman thought, and while they still were in a danger zone, they weren't in immediate peril anymore. Confidently she dared to slow down her pace now and so did the three creatures she had found. The trees around them started to gradually thin out and more daylight managed to get through the branches, blessing the plants on the forest floor. The winged woman was feeling relief, for they would soon get out of the cursed woods. The whole world seemed brighter when the small group reached the tree line. The sunlight was absolutely radiant, something the three pairs of eyes weren't used to and they shielded their eyes with their hands. The beautiful songs of birds could be heard, an indication that things were well. A slight breeze was gently stroking the leaves of the trees, sounding a bit like humming. It was strange how different the world was outside the cursed forest. As the three creatures followed the winged woman out of the shadows of the trees, they couldn't help but notice that there were statues made from pale stone standing by the edge of the forest, having quite a bit of distance between each other. They were rather tall, almost as tall as the trees, and they depicted a feminine humanoid figure with four arms and strange antennas on her head. There was something holy in her appearance. All three of them stopped to stare at the closest one and it invoked strange familiarity within them. It was almost like they knew who this woman was, but had no memory of her. The winged woman noticed that the trio wasn't following her anymore and that their gazes were fixated on the statue. “Who… is she?” the black cat asked, much to the surprise of the winged woman. So, these little creatures could talk. The cat had just spoken with a female voice, but it also sounded like she wasn't used to talking, like she hadn't used her voice ever before. “This is the Mother Goddess”, the winged woman answered as she took a step closer to the trio. “These are the holy statues of her that guard the forest, preventing any evil escaping as long as they are standing here. Haven't you heard of her before?” The trio gave quick glances at each other as if trying to find out who had the answer. But then they just shook their heads. “We don't know…” said the raven and although the voice sounded a bit raspy, perhaps having the same case as the cat, it clearly was a female voice as well. “We don't know anything. Not even who we are… We seem to have a connection with each other, but that's all.” “That's… interesting”, the winged woman muttered thoughtfully. “Well, I'll guide you to the nearest village. We can talk about your situation more there.” She turned around and headed towards a small path that was going through another set of trees. It clearly wasn't used much, but it wasn't overgrown either. Oddly, it seemed like the trees around it were bent a little bit, guarding this little path. The three creatures were all glancing around with a child-like wonder while following the winged woman. The sensation of these woods was so much different than in the cursed forest where they had woken up, of course they would find it fascinating. The winged woman got the feeling that they were like children, not being familiar with the world around them at all. It was strange. And now that they had left the cursed forest, she noticed something else about the three creatures. Now that the tainted energy wasn't suppressing them anymore, they were emitting power that reeked of divinity. But what did that mean, the winged woman wasn't sure and she was lost deep in thought while walking forward, barely paying any attention to the trio. Usually the winged woman would just fly this part when making her trips to the cursed forest, it was much faster. But now, as she had a small group of odd beings following her, she had to walk, since probably only one of them had the ability to fly. But the journey to the nearest village wasn't a long one and soon enough the path guarded by trees started to brighten up and the trees were moving out of the way. Only a little bit away the group could see the village, a tiny settlement in the middle of woodlands. The buildings were cozy ones, although a little bit old, white with dark wood decorating their frames. The folks were walking around and doing their chores, and the three creatures noted that most of them looked like the winged woman, except they didn't have wings. There was a lot of curiosity in their little eyes as they got closer, having lots of questions popping in their minds, but the winged woman wasn't the one who would provide answers. Even now, she had closed herself inside her head and didn't seem responsive to the outside world. When they reached the first buildings, a little strident female voice then made its way to the little group's ears: “Lady Ihtiriekko! Lady Ihtiriekko!” A small creature hurried towards them and she looked much different than the few individuals the trio had seen so far. She resembled a mole, had dark grey skin, pale blond long hair tied to a bun, huge green eyes, a little strange snout with whiskers on it and her hands were broad, possessing big claws. She was wearing a pink dress with a headpiece. She huffed a little after her sprint and bent over a bit. “Lady Ihtiriekko, you're back! Oh, I didn't know you would return so soon, I'm not quite finished with the task and – “ The winged woman pushed her aside coldly and continued moving forward. “No matter. Take care of our guests.” Then she just walked away, leaving a group of confused creatures behind. “Our guests?” the being with the whiskers said quietly and looked at the trio and it seemed that only at that moment she registered their presence. “Oh… Oh! Hello there, haven't seen you before! Who might you be?” The three creatures shared glances with each other once more, as if one of them had somehow acquired the knowledge about their identity during their travel from the woods. But of course, all three of them were just as clueless as before. “We don't know who we are or anything, really…” said the deer-like creature, speaking with a male voice, and he too sounded like he wasn't used to talking. “That winged woman… She found us and brought us here.” “I see, I see…” The trio's new acquaintance appeared consumed by thoughts for a minute and she observed the group with her green eyes. Then she spoke again: “Well, you better follow me, then. You obviously are a little confused so let's shed light on some things, shall we?”My Guardian BeastDreams of his homeland had guided Akruul back to the north. Longing had found its way into his heart, which eventually led to him making the decision to visit his hometown. Years had passed when he walked out of the little settlement, turning his back to the place that held his roots. How long had it been, maybe even ten years? It was about time for Akruul to return and see how the town was doing nowadays. He had left it in hopes of adventure and becoming a heroic warrior. Now he had seen many corners of the world and had grown quite a swordsman, slaying monsters. He had achieved all he had dreamed of, and maybe that was one more reason for him to return to his hometown, just so he could share his success and stories with the people that had belonged to his childhood. Winter had come early in the north, Akruul noticed as he slowly moved through the lands. It almost felt like in one moment there was a green and lush world around him, but suddenly everything got covered in pure white snow. But growing up in these parts, Akruul knew it was nothing unusual for the winter to sneakily arrive ahead of time. As he wandered through the snowy landscape, he felt a strange warmth in his heart. Perhaps it was because he was getting close to his old home and was feeling sentimental already. It was alright, however, and even though he was an experienced warrior honed by many battles, he allowed himself to feel soft emotions. And so Akruul smiled slightly as he walked on the path that had recently formed into the snow; now, there had never been too many foreigners visiting this northern land, but sometimes merchant caravans remembered the existence of the settlement and would come to pay a visit there. It seemed like this was the case right now as there were multiple tracks in snow. Well, at least it would make Akruul's travel a little easier, although the heaviest snow blanket was still yet to come. It took Akruul a couple of days traversing in the snow before he reached his destination. Surrounded by a silent white forest, Akruul climbed on the hill and from there, he could see the little town. He stopped for a moment and observed the settlement that had formed downhill, right by a black tall rock. It was like nothing had changed during these years he had been away; everything looked exactly the same when he had last seen the town. Smoke was coming out from most of the chimneys, rising higher into the air, giving a sign that there was still life bustling under the snow-covered roofs. The exterior of the town seemed the same, but how were the people? To get an answer for this question, Akruul began to walk down the hill, and there wasn't much distance left between him and his old hometown. As Akruul stepped on the grounds of the town, he almost felt like he had walked back to his childhood. His sentimental feelings were growing stronger now as he strolled among the little buildings, the cozy homes of the townsfolk. He hadn't encountered anyone yet, but he wasn't worried; anyone would rather be sheltered in the warmth of their homes rather than being out in the cold. Though he remembered the people being resilient, it was needed in these rather harsh conditions. Snow, ice and cold were something that didn't discourage the townsfolk, they still were able to thrive. So, as Akruul made his way further into the town, he started to get an odd feeling when there was no one around. Until he finally spotted someone. In the fading daylight a hunched figure came to his view, a thick coat covering their body, like one would expect. It was an old woman and Akruul actually recognized her; she was the lady Imasan, one of the village elders and a known storyteller, Akruul and other children had enjoyed her stories back in the day. “Imasan!” Akruul said loudly to get the old woman's attention, rushing towards her. She turned to face him after hearing her name and for a brief moment she was squinting her eyes as she tried to figure out who was talking to her. Eventually she did recognize the man and a joyful expression spread on her old wrinkled face. “Akruul! My goodness, you have grown into such a handsome young man! It's been so long since the last time I saw you, how are you doing?” “I've been doing good, thank you”, Akruul replied as he stepped closer to the old woman. “Where is everyone? It's not that much of a cold day.” A shade appeared on old Imasan's face and she shook her head. “Well, things have changed a little after you left… You see, a beast has been plaguing our lives for about ten years. It's time for our annual winter celebration, but ever since the beast appeared, we haven't really been able to celebrate… It's almost like it loathes the festivities, attacking our village in frenzy if we gather around and rejoice together. So now the folks celebrate indoors and only with their families. It's a sad thing, really… It does come to the village other times too, but especially when we join together to have a good time.” “Oh, I almost forgot the winter celebration”, Akruul said and glimpses of childhood memories quickly flashed in his mind. “Do you know where the beast makes its lair? I can try to slay it.” “Well, you certainly look strong”, Imasan responded and there was a little trace of a smile visiting her otherwise worried face. “We don't know exactly where its nest is, but it always comes from the north. I'm sorry, but that's all I know.” “It's alright, Imasan”, Akruul replied and tried to assure her with a smile. “I can track it down. I'll come back soon.” “Good luck, my dear boy”, the old woman said and for a second she grasped Akruul's hand firmly. The man nodded and he squeezed her hand. They both let go and Akruul walked past her, heading to the north. The old woman watched him go, keeping her eyes on him for as long as she could. At that moment, snow began to gently and softly fall and it didn't take long before Akruul had disappeared behind this white curtain. Imasan tried to send good luck to Akruul through her heart and then she waddled away, heading home, her hope on the young man. Akruul walked across the snowy lands like a lone spirit. The world around him was completely silent and there was nothing but pure whiteness all around him. It was almost like he was wandering through a dream world, completely detached from reality. The snowfall was hindering his movements a little bit and if it was going to last for long, then it would make it really hard to push through all that freshly fallen snow. It would also hide all the possible trails made by the beast. However, there were many other ways to track a monster or an animal, you just had to keep your eyes and ears open on your surroundings. Akruul had learned a few things during his travels and developed keen senses. He let his gaze wander in the surrounding trees, monsters often left claw marks on them or if they had the ability to fly, there would be lots of broken branches on top of the trees. So far he hadn't noticed anything, though. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him, observing his every move through the snowy woodlands. Perhaps it was the beast he was hunting. The problem was, he didn't see anything abnormal around him, just complete whiteness. He tried to focus on hearing, but there was nothing but silence. The feeling was almost haunting, like he got trapped in a dimension where there were only him and the beast, hunting each other. Akruul didn't like it at all. But he could only move forward. A sudden roar tore apart the silence of the white world, resonating in the winter air. It was a fierce and powerful roar, Akruul hadn't heard anything like it before. He felt a strange familiarity with it, which confused him. He pushed this bewilderment aside, however, and focused on locating the beast. It didn't seem like the roar had come from far away. Before Akruul was even able to begin this part of the hunt, he saw something in the distance, a creature of some kind that was looking at him among the trees. It was weird. This thing wanted to be found. But it didn't appear hostile, not yet at least. Akruul stopped for a moment to stare at the beast. It was quadruped and mostly white, so no wonder it could blend in with the snow. It had cerulean stripes decorating its body, like the ones of a tiger. The strangest part was that it appeared to have three heads: one of a tiger, one of a horse and one of a dragon. The being was a weird mix match of various creatures. But to Akruul, a beast is a beast, no matter what it looks like. The man was ready to draw his sword while still maintaining eye contact with the monster. He slowly got his trusty weapon out, but the beast wasn't really reacting at all. It continued to watch him for a moment, but then it leisurely turned around and started to walk away, but its horse head made a movement that signaled him to follow. Akruul was greatly baffled by this, but also extremely curious. He lowered his weapon, but didn't put it back to sheath, just in case he would need it. He decided to do what the beast wanted and started to follow it. Maybe this was a trap. Maybe he should just turn around. But he wanted to figure out what was going on with this creature. Perhaps he could find out why it has been attacking the village. Akruul maintained a safe distance while tailing the beast, just in case, although it still hadn't shown signs of aggression towards him. It kept going straight forward for a good while before it decided to take a turn to the left, starting to climb uphill. Akruul was sort of grateful for the beast to show him the way, because the trail it left on the snow made it easier for him to move. Occasionally he was left behind a little bit, but he noted that the beast would keep an eye on him and it would stop just so he could catch up. Where was it leading him? Akruul had no idea. It was such a tiring task to walk uphill that Akruul was grateful when they were traveling on an even surface again. They pushed through the snowy woodlands for a while before a tall black rock suddenly came into view; it was almost like it had just emerged from the ground, thrusting towards the sky. The beast started to circle around it, like it was looking for something. Then Akruul noticed a mouth of a cavern in the rock, which was probably what the beast was searching for. His hunch turned out to be right as the monster disappeared inside it. Akruul stopped at the entrance and hesitated. Why had the beast led him here? What could possibly lurk in this cave? He still had the chance to turn around. But he would never get answers to his questions if he didn't enter. His grasp on the hilt of his weapon tightened and he stepped inside the cold and dark cave. He walked through a tunnel for a while, almost in total darkness, but then a blue light appeared in the distance. It was an eerie light, but it also became his guide. He could see the figure of the beast standing in the far end of the tunnel, right by the chamber where the light was coming from. It followed the man with its gaze, all three heads staring at him. It was rather unsettling, but Akruul walked closer until he finally reached the chamber. Akruul wasn't sure what he had expected to find from there. Maybe a treasure of some kind. Maybe a litter of similar beasts or some kind of other creature this monster was taking care of. Maybe even a human. The last part turned out to be right, but in a way that confused Akruul the most. He was staring at himself. Not exactly who he was now, but a child version of him. Akruul didn't know how to respond to this and just stared at the little boy whom he had once been. The same black hair, the same blue eyes. Akruul was so baffled by this that he almost lost the grip of his sword. “What the hell is this…?” Akruul muttered. His younger self didn't say anything. The beast, on the other hand, stepped closer to the man and gently pushed him in the back with its dragon head, guiding him towards the little boy. All of this was so strange and Akruul glanced at the beast that just nodded to him. It wanted him to get closer to the little boy for some reason. He shifted his gaze back at his younger self. How was this possible? Was this some magic trick? The boy didn't move or show any emotion, which made Akruul a little terrified. But he wanted to know whether the boy was a real living thing or just a mirage, so he reached for the child, touching him to the shoulder. A flood of memories and sensations filled Akruul's head, it was like they had been locked away – or maybe even erased – from his mind. But now, he was reliving the most horrible years of his life. How his parents had fallen into ice, swallowed by the dark freezing waters, just because Akruul had forgotten his favorite fishing rod on the ice. How his big brother became resentful toward him because of this, blaming him for the demise of their parents, and hated that he had to take care of him now. How the brother started to spread venomous lies about him so all the other children would exclude him from everything and remind him that it was his fault that his parents had died. How the winter celebration he had loved to spend with his family became just utterly miserable to him, because his brother neglected him. All the hatred and grudge were coming back to him, something that had been sealed away for ten years, because he had split himself into two entities; one was the child filled by hate and the other one was the heroic warrior he had dreamed of becoming. All the horrible memories were carried by the child, while the adult Akruul remained completely oblivious to what he had experienced in his younger years. But now, it was time for them to merge, to become one. Akruul opened up his heart and took in all the horrendous memories, all the hatred and grudge. The child version of him turned into an entity of white blinding light and this light sunk into Akruul's chest, disappearing inside him. He understood it all now. Why the beast was attacking the village, what its role was. It had simply taken care of the part of him no one else wanted. Akruul turned to face the beast. With his hand, he reached for the dragon head and petted it tenderly. “Thank you for showing me the truth”, Akruul said. It was time to raid the village one last time. Akruul hoped that his brother was still alive.Father Of Hundred WretchesAnd all of them had gathered around, all the immature and ugly, all the wicked without identity. They were a sad lot but persistent and they had remained in this polluted land waiting for this day to come. Decades ago they lost their purpose, roaming these forlorn streets like dead spirits that didn't know how to move on. This was their empire, built by their father from steel and cogs and springs. The sky above them had lost its brightness permanently, stained black by coal. The sun and moon and stars had stopped visiting the town a long time ago, repelled by the pollution of the different machines and factories that operated on a daily basis. This was the home of these poor wretches and there was absolutely no one who loved them. “Daddy! Daddy!” Their moans filled the air of the town of misery, sounding so extremely haunting that it would disturb even the bravest. They marched through the streets like veins of filth upon the paved ground. One could easily find their appearances pitiful, for they had been mutilated and molded into something unnatural. But these were the unholy children of the father, such a bond would never break. Some of the wretches had mutated into beings that barely resembled a human anymore, having either too few or too many limbs. Some had even grown spikes on their bodies. But mostly they had crudely become half man, half machine. A black metal now tarnished their grotesque bodies, replacing parts of them with varied severity. Limbs, organs, patches of skin… Some had a clockwork running their rotten brains. They were absolutely hideous, an insult to mother nature. And yet, they existed and had become part of this world. The little wretches had all got drawn to a mansion at the edge of town, summoned by a mysterious force, almost like telepathy that connected their fragmented minds. There hadn't been much going on inside their skulls during their miserable pointless lives, but this was something that had ignited some sort of thoughts and even longing. They were all part of something bigger; they knew this deep down in their rotten souls, but since their creation, since their rebirth, they hadn't been quite complete yet to be useful in the grand scheme of things. They knew nothing but loneliness and violence, but now, they could sense that things were about to change, that they would learn something else – but what, they didn't know yet. It was almost impossible to tell, but as the wretches were joining together, it had become nighttime. The sky was even more black than usual and made it look like their little polluted town was floating in the middle of a void where there was no escape from. The darkness was somewhat cast away by the lamps powered by electricity, but even in their illumination the town was dim. On the courtyard where the wretches were gathering, a cluster of lamp posts that had been carefully crafted into black pieces of art were surrounding the area, offering light for the grandest celebration the most miserable dwellers of the town had ever participated in. While the whole town was vastly in a state of decay and disrepair, the mansion appeared surprisingly well kept. The pavement in front of the building was still in good condition and the flower beds had actually been taken care of. They were blooming, thriving, unlike anything else in the town. But how could they possibly flourish in a place that hadn't been graced by sun in a lifetime? And yet, they did, blossoming in black and purple and white, as if mocking the rest of the plant world for being able to do this while everything else was withering. Perhaps it was one of the father's achievements as well. “Daddy! Daddy!” The creatures of filth and sin were crying out in front of the great building that had once been the home of their father. Still it appeared as a place suitable enough for the country's elite to wine and dine in. The mansion was black, like drenched in ink. But it had a grand design, all the windowsills and the one magnificent balcony on the front were beautifully shaped. Even after the passing of father, it still retained the look of belonging to a wealthy and successful man. It wasn't abandoned at all, no, somebody else had taken it as their home. The door on the balcony slowly opened and forth came a figure. Somebody who appeared as a young man even though they had already lived decades, just another testimony of the father's brilliance. His right eye, part of skull, the whole contents of his chest and right arm and hand had been replaced by the black metal. This was the first son of the father and the only one who was his own flesh and blood. And still he had made him part machine, perhaps to prolong his life, loving him too much to let go. But alas, it was the father himself who had lost his life. All that was left behind was his heart. Right at that moment, the first son was holding this heart in his hands. He stepped forward on the balcony, to be closer to the crowd that had gathered on the courtyard. He raised the heart above his head with both hands, holding it up for all the wretches to see. They cheered loudly after catching a glimpse of this one and only piece that was left of their father. The heart was still beating, although slowly. It almost looked like a normal human heart, but it had turned black. Perhaps by coal, perhaps by his own design. But to the wretches this was the most precious relic, it was the one thing that connected them. They would even be prepared to die for it if they had to. “Brothers!” the first son shouted loudly, his voice carrying into the ears of the wretches, and they suddenly went silent. “We were left with the ultimate sorrow when those beasts that called themselves righteous slayed our dear father. In the end, after all these decades, nothing was left of him except his heart – and his greatest work yet.” The first son paused his speech for a moment and lowered the heart to look at it fondly. He had taken care of it all these years, so this day would finally come. Then he returned his attention to the crowd and they were hungry to hear more, he and the heart were their full focus. It was almost like their brains were working as one, like cogs in a machine. And the first son started to speak again: “I took it as my responsibility to care for our father's heart, to ensure his legacy was safe. Most of you don't know this, but our father was working on something grandeur that was then left unfinished when he passed away. I believed it was my sacred duty to continue our father's work and I studied his notes with utmost care. And I understood them, our father's ingenuity, I could claim his visions as mine. I continued his work where he left it, but it truly was a tough one. It took me decades to finish what he had started, but I did it! And because of this, my dear brothers, we have gathered here tonight. Our father shall live once more!” The group of wretches cheered again, this time even louder, and their bellow was heard by the whole town. The first son disappeared back into the mansion with the heart while the crowd of the mutilated ones were left to wait. Their excitement was immeasurable, but they were patient. After all, they had already waited for years. And then, finally, their wait was over. The wretches were practically screeching from joy, their voices distorted when they saw the main entrance of the mansion creaking open. From the dark bowels of the grand building came forth a figure, one completely made of black metal. The wretches hadn't seen this form before, but they knew who it was. This person marched out of the mansion with heavy steps and walked closer to the crowd, the light of the lamps shining on his black metal body. He was twice as tall as a regular man and all his plates of metal had been carefully crafted to perfection. He had the head of a hawk with shiny blue eyes and there were other bird-like details in his body, such as talons on his feet and hands and wings on his back. And in the exposed metal ribcage, a black heart was beating; the heart of the father. After all these years, they had got their father back, in the form of a metal deity. He had seen the awfulness of the mankind who had forgotten their god. Disgusted, the father had then begun to build a new god for people, something real they could pray to. A machine was perfect for this, for it was something that would not get bewildered by human emotions. And its body would last the tides of time, the fangs that would normally gnaw at the bodies of mortals would be deflected by the perfect metal shell. These were the visions the father had been guided by when he started to work on creating a new deity for this broken world, but he had never thought that he would be the one to give his machinery the consciousness. But so it happened after the first son had inserted his heart into the machine. There was no more flesh on his body, no more blood running through his veins. Physical human weaknesses didn't apply to him anymore, except maybe the heart, the only organ he still had, his very core. He was a perfect organism, god of metal and steam. But a machine can't show fondness, can't bring warmth through a mere touch. As the father stood there by the entrance of his mansion, in this moment of reincarnation, he felt proud for his children, especially for the first son. But alas, he couldn't show this for all these miserable little beings he had disfigured, he couldn't show any emotion at all. He could just look at them all and feel the pride in his core. The first son had appeared by his side, a loving expression on his face as he looked directly at the metal structure that was now hosted by the father's consciousness. “Welcome back, father. We missed you.” Shifting his gaze from the crowd of wretches to the first son, the father replied with a metallic sound: “I didn't expect to become a living being anymore. But your love has brought me back from the dead, in a greater form than when I was killed. My son, I am proud of you; you did a magnificent job at completing my last project.” The first son gave him a respectful bow and said: “I appreciate your words, father, with all my heart. I simply couldn't stand your unjust death. I did what I had to.” “You have my gratitude.” The father then looked at the wretches again. If he could smile, he would be doing it right now while observing the beings he had personally turned into these hideous abominations that were against human nature. So royally he had wrecked their brains that they thought of him as a holy figure, feeling affection rather than resentment. It was just one more thing he had succeeded at. And now, his brilliant mind had returned into this world. Tonight, a new era shall begin, and he, as the deity of the machine, would bring forth a better future and make people believe again.trophyJust A Needle To Your HeadThere was this sickness in Rowan's brain. And it was getting worse. An invisible disease, but far worse than some physical ailments. It made him question the reality itself and turned him weak and was barely even a person anymore. There was suffering Rowan couldn't describe. When walking outside on the streets of this wretched town, he was envious of other people. They knew nothing of the mental anguish. Or maybe some did, but had learned how to live with it, thus making Rowan jealous. To him, even the sun didn't bring warmth and brightness anymore to his miserable soul. But the question was, should he seek help? Could someone like him even be helped? He pondered this many days and nights, but eventually he came to the conclusion that he would at least try. You don't have that option anymore after you die. He visited a doctor, a person who had clearly seen many sad and broken people in his life. What would lead an individual to seek such a profession? Is it merely the noble idea of wanting to help people? Or is there something else? Rowan didn't know and it didn't really even matter. It was hard to be vulnerable in front of a complete stranger. The doctor probably wouldn't call him crazy – or maybe he would – since that would be quite unprofessional. He was a quiet and calm man, asking questions from Rowan, but mostly let Rowan tell his story and listened. Somehow this felt wrong for Rowan. He was a grown independent man, he should be able to handle life better than this, now he was way too fragile. And when life gets too hard, you turn to the bottle. Maybe Rowan should have tried that instead of sitting in the office of a stranger, complaining about his disease-ridden brain. Such a stupid brain he got. And the strange thing was, that's where Rowan's memory blacks out. For a moment he was in the doctor's office talking to him, but then something occurred that just simply erased all his memories after that. Did he ever finish the session with the doctor? Has he ever made it home? Maybe he got into a severe accident while walking back to the place he called home; his safe space, though it was infested with the darkness of his mind and felt like anything else but a sanctuary. And Rowan tried and tried, so hard to grasp the strings of his memories to recall what the hell had happened to him. It seemed they were there barely out of his reach, but anytime he managed to get close to them, they would drift away from him, taunting him in an infuriating way. Perhaps he should just give up on this task and focus on the present. Rowan couldn't help the feeling that he had ended up in a scenario straight from a horror movie. He was a prisoner, lying on a table with numerous straps wrapped around various parts of his body, preventing him from moving. Even his head was confined, so he couldn't really look around. Anxiety was no stranger to him, but the fear that now tiptoed into his heart was on a completely different level. He wiggled like a lowly worm, struggling against his bindings. It was no use. He could only stare at the ceiling and let the terror grow inside. He looked at the tiles above him. They had probably been white at some point in time, but now they were filthy and some even cracked. There was a dome-like lamp on the ceiling, but it wasn't currently lit. Some source of light was clearly giving him illumination, but being tied up like this, he couldn't tell exactly where the glow was coming from. A few times the light flickered ominously. For a moment Rowan was pondering whether the unreliable radiance was a friend to him or an enemy. It didn't take him long to come to the conclusion that it indeed was an ally, because in total absence of light he would be devoured by utter darkness. That didn't sound pleasant at all. He would probably even go insane much faster if there wasn't light; the inner demons love darkness. All Rowan could do was stare at the ceiling and think. He wondered where he was, but maybe he was in a basement of some sort; the air felt a little cold and damp. But where exactly this room was, that was the question. His memory gap didn't really help him at all, it just made it more difficult to figure out what the hell had happened and what kind of situation he was in now. Obviously this wasn't anything good, but he was afraid to let his mind wander together with his inner demons to delve into the worst-case scenarios. It was hard to not do that and Rowan tried his best to think something else, something nicer. Though that was also hard for him since his brain was rotten with disease and thinking about good things wasn't easy. But maybe it was essential now, so the fear wouldn't completely take over his mind. Though, the dread multiplied instantly as he suddenly heard something. So far he had been enclosed in silence, which Rowan had found a little comforting in a strange way, but now his ears were pierced by a sound of a metal door screeching horribly as it was forced to move and grant access to somebody. Then it was closed again. Rowan listened as someone was walking down the stairs and his heart was beating in terror in the rhythm of the descending person's steps. Whoever was coming down didn't sound like a large person, but that was rather meager solace; Rowan was still tied up and utterly vulnerable. He had never been more afraid in his entire life and he dreaded the second when the one descending would come to him – he had a hunch that they would bring nothing but unspeakable nightmares. The steps were getting closer until finally, Rowan could sense that the person had come rather close to the table where he was lying. How such light steps were able to deliver so much fright, Rowan couldn't understand. And then, suddenly a person popped into his limited view. It was a woman; that explained how light her steps had seemed. She had a very young face; in Rowan's eyes she probably wasn't even thirty years old. He noted that she was also very beautiful, but that beauty was ruined by the wickedness that stained her face. It could be seen especially in her eyes; they were abnormally light blue and gleamed with madness. Her long hair, tied to a ponytail, had such a pale hue of blonde that it looked almost white. She was wearing a doctor's white coat and this detail just made her much more terrifying; Rowan's mind was getting flooded with the horrific scenarios that he was being used in some cruel experiments. “Oh, good, you're awake”, the woman said and there was a terrifyingly deranged expression on her face. “Or maybe, not so good for you. We'll see.” Then she moved away from the table, Rowan couldn't see where she had gone or what she was doing. Of course he had to vocalize the mandatory questions one would utter in this kind of situation: “Who are you? And where am I?” “Ah, obviously you're confused by all this, that's normal”, the woman replied and she came back to the table and to Rowan's view. She had an unnerving smile on her face. “You can call me Amelia. And right now you are in my own little clinic of sorts. How did you end up here, hmm? I bet that was the next question in your head. You're not my first patient. Let's just say, there are so many broken people that other doctors can't deal with them all. We live in a defective world. That's where I come into picture; I snatch patients from others, taking a little bit of their burden away.” Rowan wasn't sure what Amelia meant by her last bit of information, but it gave him horrific visuals of corrupted doctors that would just pass their patients to lunatics like Amelia. And who knows what she was planning to do since Rowan's situation definitely didn't look good. Once more he opened his mouth: “What's going to happen to me?” “Oh, don't you worry”, Amelia responded, her smile growing even wider and she tenderly caressed Rowan's cheek, obviously in a mocking way. “I'm not going to torture you. I'm just doing a little operation. It's a swift one, I promise.” Rowan didn't like the sound of this and he started to feel even more terrified, if that was even possible. “But I don't need any operations! I'm okay!” “We both know that's not true”, Amelia almost whispered and she grinned in a way that expressed she knew more than seemed. “Your brain is a nest of disease. But I'll be honest: I haven't performed this procedure to anyone before. You're my first one. Be proud of that little fact.” Then she walked away again and Rowan had this horrifying awareness that second by second he was getting closer to something horrible. “What are you doing to me?” Rowan asked, his voice almost trembling from fear. “Ever heard of lobotomy?” Amelia turned the question. Rowan's blood ran cold and it almost felt like his spirit had just left his body. He knew nothing but horrible stories revolving around this surgery. “No, no, no, no, you can't!” “Of course I can. I've been curious about it for some time, but like I said, I haven't done this before. I'm doing this for science”, Amelia explained. “I need to see the effect myself.” Out of utter desperation, Rowan began to struggle against his bindings again. Panic had taken over his mind, demanding him to fight against the forthcoming horror. He squirmed, trying to bring forth strength fueled by terror. But no matter how much he writhed, the straps kept him in his place. All his attempts to get free were futile. “Have a little patience, please”, Amelia said. “You will get out of here. Eventually.” The doctor appeared on Rowan's view once again, and she was ready for surgery. She had put disposable gloves on her hands and she had a surgical mask covering part of her face; at least Rowan wouldn't see her horrifying smile. In one of her hands she was holding a single tool that resembled an ice pick; it was an orbitoclast. The worst part was that she probably wasn't going to use anesthesia of any kind. “Please don't do this”, Rowan whimpered pathetically, still kept his useless fight going against the straps. But Amelia didn't care about his pleas. All this was because of her morbid curiosity, Rowan was just a subject. “Now, hold still so this will be easier for both of us.” Rowan didn't follow her dark advice. He was in a state of utter panic and fear, primordial instincts had kicked in demanding him to fight and escape. He didn't stop struggling, not even when the doctor's sharp tool infiltrated the insides of his head through his eye socket. The orbitoclast went deeper and deeper and into Rowan's frontal lobe. As Amelia surmised that her tool had gone far enough, she started to wiggle it around Rowan's brain. She was humming to herself while performing the illegal surgery, clearly getting some twisted and sick satisfaction with what she was doing. And just like that, she was done. She pulled the orbitoclast out of Rowan's head and left him on the table. He wasn't moving anymore. Amelia decided to give him a couple of hours before studying the effects of the surgery. Still humming, she left the room and Rowan was all alone again. Rowan simply wasn't the same after this cruel experience. He was an empty shell of a person he used to be, almost seeming like nobody was home. When Amelia returned to him a while later, he didn't really react when the woman had freed him from the straps. The man didn't acknowledge her presence, like he was somewhere else entirely. But Amelia examined him with great curiosity, fascinated by the change. She helped Rowan to shift into a sitting position, but from there, he had no desire to move. This was a man who had desperately tried to fight for their freedom just a while ago, but now, he was quiet and didn't mind being in the room. He wasn't Rowan anymore. But now the delusions and anxieties are gone. Or at least, they didn't bother him anymore. In a sense, Amelia had just cured him. She gently stroked Rowan's cheek. “Can you feel it? The mental anguish?” “No.” His voice was monotonous; there was no will behind the single word he had just uttered. “Interesting.” This gave Amelia the crave to learn more. Human brain, what a mysterious thing it was, it would never stop being fascinating to her. And now, after she had done the little experiment with Rowan using the method of the past, she wanted to do it again, to study and observe how different people would respond to it. Rowan was merely the first subject. There were many things Amelia was interested in doing to people – and had actually done already – in the name of science, but she had just got a new fixation. And out there, the world was filled with wretches no one cared about.Sushi Pack Reimagine Chapter 2 Chapter 2High Tide, Low Tide Ben's alarm clock began its obnoxious honking as it was time for him to wake up. He grumbled while slamming his hand on the nightstand to press the "snooze" button.He then dragged himself out of bed and to the kitchen for breakfast.Quietly eating his omelette, Ben couldn't stop thinking about the bizarre stuff he saw yesterday. It all felt so much like a weird dream he couldn't believe it."Is something bothering you?" His mother asks, showing concern for her son."Mom, everything's cool," Ben replied, "there's just something to do at work later." A couple of minutes passed, Ben was dressed, teeth brushed, and lunch packed up ready for work. He followed his dad and all it took was ten minute walk to the Green Donut to get started with work. As they entered, they saw Francis and Heidi with shocked looks on their faces."Oh, hello sir! How uh... Have you been?" Francis asks, trying to compose himself."I've been well Mr. Huffman," Mr. Mizuyama answered in his usually blunt way. "Thank you."Then, business resumed like usual as Mr. Mizuyama went inside his office to do paperwork and check on the security camera footage.Meanwhile with Ben, he was standing by the counter and staring at the ceiling as today's shift is certainly not as busy as yesterday. Then, he saw someone so strange and yet so familiar, it was that fish woman and she brought company with her."Oh, it's you!" Ben exclaims, surprised to see her."We meet again I see," the fish woman remarked, smiling at Ben as she sits down with two of her companions, a blue octopus person and another fish person in an orange suit sitting with her while another companion, a pink crab was stuck at the door."Come on, stupid door!" The pink crab barked "lemme in!"The fish woman sighed. "Kani, you can walk sideways."Kani realized her mistake and moved sideways, going inside with ease.Heidi was genuinely surprised to see them in person. She too, was convinced they weren't real but today seemed to have changed her mind.The fish in orange then explained that they came to Wharf City out of fear that a (apparently) notorious crime group would cause further harm to the people of Wharf City and maybe even Cascadia as a whole.It was a lot to take in more or less. Then, Mr. Mizuyama came out of his office to go do something but the fish people have caught his attention. His eyes widened and he let out a confused "Oh" before walking into the kitchen. "Benjamin, I would like to have you come to my office," he said to Ben. "You're not in any trouble, I just need you to take a look at something."Ben gulped as he went inside his father's office, worried and unsure of what he's exactly talking about.He sat down as he watched his dad look through the security footage from yesterday and stopped at a clip from 2:30 PM, and Ben recognized what happened; it was that rabbit who stole a donut!"What is that...?" Mr. Mizuyama commented under his breath, trying to figure on Earth he's looking at. "Ben, can you ask one of those weird people to come and take a look at this?"Ben then got up and asked the fish woman, Maguro to look at something. She shrugged and followed him to his father's office where she was asked about the rabbit on the computer monitor. Maguro tensed up, like she also knew who that bunny burglar is."That's Mochi Mocchiato," she explained, "she's a part of the Legion of Low Tide, a crime group infamous for their kidnappings, scams, and petty thefts all across the galaxy. Once you face their wrath, abandon all hope."Neither Ben nor Mr. Mizuyama knew what to do with this information but their thoughts were immediately interrupted by a loud bang from outside. Maguro quickly ran out of the room, possibly to investigate the noise.Mr. Mizuyama gave his son a look, the type of that meant, "Do you seriously want to take this risk?" However, Ben decided to run after her, and what he saw sent him chills down his spine, there was this large creature standing at the entryway. Like Maguro, it resembled a tuna but its teeth were sharper, was much more muscular, and wore armor of some kind.The creature smashed its fist through the glass and then ripped the door off its hinges, making the pieces fall down onto the floor and sidewalk.Then, the large creature moved out of the way, allowing their own group of companions to go inside, with yesterday's guest Mochi being one of them!"Looks like those detective brats can't get enough of us!" A yellow eel cackles, "Still following us on our trail, huh?"The rest of the group cackled, amused by the eel's remarks.Maguro shook her head. "Just leave," Kani groaned as she didn't want to deal with them.The blue octopus vanished in thin air and climbed up to the ceiling judging by the sounds that were made.While the fish people traded their insults, Ben snuck into the closet near the restrooms and grabbed out a crowbar in a case where he would need to defend himself and/or the people dear to him. As he walked back to the main area with the crowbar in hand, Mochi managed to spot him."There he is!" she squeaked, "the man who ruined our plan!"Ben tried to run away but the large fish man managed to shove him to the ground, holding his captive down. Ben couldn't move and he never felt so scared in his entire life as he looked at that huge beast's angry eyes and drooling mouth."Get away from him, Toro!" A voice yelled out. It was that blue octopus man dangling from the ceiling! Toro was in shock, allowing Ben to give him a crowbar to the knee.The blue octopus continued to stare down at Toro, and eventually dropped a smoke bomb and fell back down to the floor.Ben navigated around the ink-like smoke, hoping to find anyone. "Ben! Ben, where are you dude?!" Heidi started yelling from the distance, hoping she could get him to follow her voice.Ben continued to explore and then heard Francis's voice, "Ben, are you still there? Lemme get my arm out and you can grab on it!"Then, Ben accidentally bumped into the counter but luckily, he reunited with his coworkers, who were happy that he was unharmed. For nearly an hour, they hid in the under the prep table in total silence.Time has passed, the smoke had faded away, though no one is sure if it's safe to leave.Maguro floated into the kitchen and was looking at them. "You're all mostly safe now," she told them. "However, the Legion of Low Tide are still an active threat but we, the M.A.K.I Group will protect you no matter what."She then gave Ben, Francis, and Heidi each a pager-like gadget in case of emergencies.Mr. Mizuyama came in to check on his son and employees. He saw Maguro too."Hello everyone, are you well?""We're alright sir," Heidi responded, still unsure of what is going on. "The Sushi Pack have definitely saved our tails back there."Although Maguro was confused about the "Sushi Pack" comment, she more or less tried to ignore it.The Green Donut ended up closing early due to everything that happened. On the walk back home, Mr. Mizuyama would occasionally freeze in his tracks every couple of steps with his face all scrunched up, trying to hold back tears.Ben would ask him if he was okay but alas, his dad refused to answer the question even after being asked about it thrice.Though, it didn't take long for Mr. Mizuyama to break down crying."I thought... I thought," Mr. Mizuyama could muster out of the blabbering, "I thought I was gonna lose you today!"He still continued to cry while Ben hugged him."Dad, I know," Ben replied, empathizing with his dad. "I really thought I was a goner too. It was so scary.""Ben.""Yes, Dad?""You know your best friend, Samir? Please, go to the al-Khalidis if this Low Tide Legion ever tries to hurt you again."Ben nodded, accepting his Dad's request. Back home, Mr. Mizuyama went straight to bed while Ben sat down to watch some TV. He would sometimes switch to the news to see if Channel 5 covered anything about the Legion of Low Tide. They did but no one talked about the Green Donut. He sighed, turned off the TV, and went into his room. He grabbed his phone, texting Heidi to see if she's okay and gave Francis a voicemail for the same reason.Although they were mostly fine, the event made Heidi think about quitting her job.Ben didn't blame her one bit, those two days of their life were some of the most eventful and terrifying they ever experienced.Now, all Ben can do is lay down on his bed and think.Where's the Magic?"How come you don't use magic anymore?" That question cut through the intense focus Richard had, his fingers slowed to a halt at last. His silver eyes peered to the side onto Jac, yet his face remained glued towards the screen. "Hmm... Does it look like I have any use for it right now?" Was his answer. Jac kicked her feet slightly as her thumbs moodily twitched in her pockets. "After work.. or on days off... You don't suppose you could..?" She trailed off before stopping then and there. Richard continued to tap away, expertly filling out a paragraph in mere seconds.. before he paused for a second time. He swiveled around to meet her eye to eye, his face nearly brushing against the miniature form situated on his bookshelf. "Was there... any particular reason why you're so interested all of a sudden?" Jac glanced at her feet and puckered her face. Her smile grew brighter the more she mused, as her excitement bloomed out in the open with a giddy skip. "I miss the wind puffs you used to make!" "Wind... puffs?" Richard's voice remained flat in turn. "You know!" Jac rested her arms atop his nose. "Back when we were in high school, you used to show me all the neat little tricks you could pull off using wind magic." "Oh, yeah." "We used to gather these little weed flowers, and then you twittled your fingers around and then they sprung up in the air, almost like they're dancing with a woooooop! And then they come down with a whooosh!! Puffs everywhere!" "Mmmm-hm." Jac sighed, enthralled by such an enchanting memory. "Oh what I would give to see that again! It was.. well, magical!" "Uh huh." "You don't sound very enthusiastic right now." "I got files piling up, Jac." The Wile spoke with a huff. "This is nice and all but, I really do need to get back to work." Richard pulled back to a more comfortable position on his desk, as he glanced at the high stacks of paper on the side with a slight grimace. "Unless it could get any of my workload done, there's no real reason to do that stuff anymore. I have little energy as is and.. it's hard to expend more than I need to for that sort of thing." Jac sighed through her nose. She leaned back against the much-too-tall books, as she watched her friend steadily wind up like the cogs in a machine. The mere sight of this seemed pitiful to the woman. "Where's your sense of whimsy? C'mon! Don't you want to do it for just a few seconds? You know, for old times sake?" "Jac.." Richard was locked into his files at this point, typing a storm while he spoke. "I guess to you it seems like a big deal, but to us Wiles, what I did there was the wind equivalent of blowing bubbles. We're not kids anymore.." "You can clap your hands to make a gust of wind! That's a bit more prevalent!" Richard groaned. "I don't even see you do basic Wile giant stuff either. It seems... unnatural." Jac looked down again, the concern in her eyes were subtle, but spoke for themselves. Nothing was said between them for a few moments, as the human began to brood over thoughts that ultimately was not what she needed to linger on. 'The modern zeitgeist of the Beanstalk Society runs deep..' Eventually, Jac climbed down the built-in steps to reach the second story shelf. She rummaged through a sprout-sized dresser until she found what she was looking for: a clothed knapsack filled with "pixie" dust. She was running a bit low on it, crud sakes, so she had nothing to show for her efforts. "What are you doing?" Richard finally said. "Going through my things.." Jac replied in a sing song way. "Jac, you're not setting off any sparks in the house. That stuff is highly flammab--" "I know, I know! Yeesh. I ain't gonna say nothin' to set it off!" "Just checking!" Jac gave out a nonverbal hiss before returning to her usual self, her curiosity perked more than ever. "You were the one who taught me how to use this... with the magic energy you gave me through the Link. Does that mean.. you can do spark type powers too? I always thought you were an air elemental.." Richard then hunched closer to the screen, as if to say now was not the time to hear this. Jac placed the bag away before she began to gaze upon the dresser, and soon beyond, for a moment or two. "Why did you give me this to me? What was the purpose again?" Richard took a breath, yet her words were loud and clear despite it's soft utterance. "I thought maybe you could put it to good use. In case a hostile giant tried to attack you or something, then that would usually be enough to make them back off." "Well, if it's ok for me, to borrow your magic, then why should it be an issue when you use it?" "I hate to be cynical... but our size is a contributing factor." Richard steadily slowed his pacing, his fingers barely getting a word in, along with his mouth soon enough. "Just because I'm small it's deemed okay in society's eyes?" Jac exclaimed. "That doesn't make it right!" Richard remained silent. "And here we are just showcasing the double standards this place runs on! Nobody bats an eye when I use magic! Heck, when we first Linked, you gave me my silver eyes through magic!" "I, still feel bad about that.." "Nono, it's fine! I know it wasn't intentional, but, I like it! It's pretty!" Jac put on a wide grin that hopefully got the message across. The giant's eyes remained somber however, but at least he was looking directly at her direction again. Seeing his expression only fueled her frustrations. "It's just... for some reason nobody paid attention to it! Or, at least folks never directly acknowledged it to me. You guys get a lot of flack for something as trivial as having metallic colored eyes." "Or for even breathing sometimes.." Richard began to slump a tad. Upon the human's realization that the mood had soured, she quickly ducked her head in a nonverbal apology. "It's fine.. We needed to vent at some point." "I didn't mean to... I just, don't enjoy seeing you so restricted all the time. It's doing a number to your health." "I know..." Richard squeezed the bridge of his nose before he leaned back on his recliner. "I know what you want me to do. Embrace the moments where I can." "Yeah! And fight the good fight!" "Where applicable." Richard then growled slightly before continuing. "It's never that simple Jac... but..." "But?" "I'll admit, wind magic isn't really something that I take that great of interest in to begin with. Beanstalk Society aside, I find it hard to have any practical use for it outside of the occasional self-defense. And you know how much I value getting some use out of things." "Yeahhh, I know.." "And yet..." "Hm?" "I... wasn't even aware that you liked it so much." "I don't just like it Rich, I loved seeing your magic make petals dance all around me. And to make the sparkly dew float gracefully towards the sky... It's, little moments like these that make life special to me. And.." Jac drew closer to that large face she was so accustomed to, resting a hand against a cheek before the rest of her followed suit. "I know it sounds like I'm only interested in the magic aspect of it, but truth is... I care because you are the one performing it. It's beautiful.. art that you've crafted with your own power. A part of you that should be treasured, and... not locked away entirely." Jac continued. "You care a lot about expending energy and all that, but I think it's good for a person who has magic in their blood to let it out every once in a while. Even if it's just for fun." Richard was careful with his breath, as he leaned in slightly to the tiny woman who nestled against him. His eyes rolled to the side as the bridge of his mouth perked up. Leading to a purr that was barely audible, yet was clear as the dawn for Jac. "Well..." The Wile whispered. "I guess I can't say no to that. Those words you spoke worked wonders." "Does that mean..?" "Yeah. Sorry I was a bit nippy earlier." "That's ok. I know where it's coming from." Jac then side-glanced to the paper tower. "Are you sure you don't want to wait? You said magic can wear you out." "Mmm-hm. Like you said, just a few seconds should be fine. Truth is... the fact that you genuinely cared about it beyond it being just a novelty.. moved me. A little." "Oh?" "If it was just me, for my sake I wouldn't bother. But... it goes beyond that now." Richard perked up as he finally looked directly at Jac's increasing smile. "If it really makes you that happy... then, well. What am I to deny you that right to see it? Cause to see you happy.. that's what I want most of all." "That's what I've been saying all along!" Jac folded her arms in an obviously fake pout. "Sorry, I was thinking about myself at the moment again." "You're fiiine. But, I'm just glad you came around. Because you certainly need to not bottle up so much!" "Y..Yeah.." "Well? What are we waiting for?" The gibbous moon glowed bright across the bed of stars- a perfect backdrop for the queerplatonic couple as they made their way towards the balcony. Jac jumped off of the giant's open palm before the latter began to clutch his fingers together. He uttered a soft incantation, short, brief and to the point. He then flipped his hand around and presented a finger tip to his friend. "Here." Jac felt it, a small yet very present force. She scooped up the invisible spell from Richard, and it was there where she could feel the telltale sign of the wind between her fingers, all bundled up in a compact form. "A wind puff..." Jac gasped in delight. "Richard... thank you so much." "No problem." The side of the Wile's face bore sweat, even such a minor spell did that much. "You were right, I am a bit out of shape." "I'll treasure it as long as I can.. to make up for it." "It won't be long before it wears out, but you can do whatever you want with it until then. Have fun!" As Richard returned to his quarters, no doubt to his remaining papers, Jac began to move the wind ball across her arms. She pulled it along, unwinding the wind like string to pick up every dandelion nearby before setting them up high to greet with the awaiting stars. Jac continued to dance like a ballerina on the porch, nothing else mattered in the entire world at this time. The perfect gift, one of enchantment, fueling her child-like wonder. Grateful to still have it after all these years, even for this brief, yet wondrous moment.the dying crowi was vanished to hell as punishment for not feeding the snake that consumes and releases as the vines pierce my veins and soul and my skin cracks and leaks blood i pass out on the floor my mouth bleeds out and when i wake i hear the cry of a bird that sounds like my screams i find him under a rock it's alive but doesn't look like it it seems to be in the same condition i'm in it's wings bleed and it's bones stick out some of it's feathers were plucked out i poured a river of tears and he stared at me the crow responded by scratching my face and arms despite the anger i felt towards it i refused to attack it back i knew it's suffering, it's cries for help never answered, and it's want for revenge i feel it's despair and will to die i don't have much but i try to heal it and keep it alive it still screeches at me sometimes it still attacks me when his trauma attacks his brain like a hawk grabs a snake it refuses to look at those not in this hell but for some reason it got attached to me and refuses to leave me side now it has fully healed physically though the mental damage has yet to fully heal now it can fly and it's wings work again, albeit weak and frail it wants to fly but it doesn't want to leave me then my back started to ache feathers and bones sticking out blood leaking out of my scars new and old seems to be from the crow's love for me seems to be a gift for the fact i brought it's flight back as the bones and feathers increase they start forming wings like the crow, but way bigger we are learning how to fly we still can't escape the hole forced on us but one day we will fly together back home under the moonlightHeart of the Storm - Chapter 5 - Ninjago Fanfic“LLOYD HAS A DATE!” Jay yelled, running into the living room, where Kai and Nya were watching TV. Neither of them paid him any attention, instead craning their necks so they could look around him. “WHY AREN’T YOU GUYS HYPED ABOUT THIS?” Nya shrugged. “Because he just turned nineteen and it’s not a big deal?” ‘It is a big deal!” Jay bent down and grabbed Nya’s shoulders. “IT MEANS HE IS IN LOOOOOOOVE!” “JAY! KNOCK IT OFF!” Lloyd yelled from down the hall. When he walked into the room, he held his arms out to show off his button up shirt and nice jeans. “How do I look?” Kai stood up and circled him with a proud look on his face. “You clean up nicely! I taught you so well.” “Um, hellOOOOooooo?” Jay said, pushing in between Lloyd and Kai. “He obviously got his style from me.” Lloyd laughed. “Okay that’s enough from you guys.” “So, where are you going on your date?” Jay asked. Lloyd slid his arms into his brown jacket. “It’s not a date! We are meeting up at an arcade to exchange our books and then maybe grab dinner or something.” “Huh uh, yeah because everyone wears nice button ups to hang out at an arcade,” Kai teased, rubbing his hand into Lloyd’s hair. “DUDE, STOP!” Lloyd yelled irritated, yet amused. “It may not be a date, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to look good! I’ll see you guys later tonight, okay?” “Come on, I’ll walk you out,” Kai said, leading him towards the outer deck. “I don’t need an escort, dad,” Lloyd joked. Outside, Cole was quietly training, throwing punches at a training dummy. His fists glowed every time he swung, but the light would vanish before his punch landed. He took a few steps back and reached for his water bottle while wiping sweat from his forehead, finally noticing the two others approaching. “You look fancy!” he said, gesturing to Lloyd. “You guys are acting like I’m wearing a suit!” Lloyd laughed. “When all you wear are ripped jeans and oversized hoodies, you may as well be wearing a tux!” Cole clapped Lloyd’s shoulder. “Have a good time tonight, alright? And don’t forget to use protection.” “Oh my GOD I’m leaving now.” And without another word, Lloyd repelled down from the ship. “You getting some training in?” Kai asked Cole, the two of them now alone. “Yep. I need to stay sharp.” “Why were you pulling your punches?” Kai asked. “What are you talking about?” “When you were punching the dummy, you were using your super strength, but you’d stop using it right when you landed the punch.” “Oh, that!” Cole took a sip from his water bottle, then put it down, taking his fight stance again. “Two reasons. One, I don’t wanna break our dummy again. And two, it’s important that I always have control over when and where I use my strength. I never want to actually hurt anyone.” “But if you never use your strength, how will you know what you can do?” “I’ve got a pretty good idea of what my powers do.” Cole threw a punch, but Kai caught his fist before it landed. “Cole, I want you to hit me.” Cole took a step back, confused. “I’m assuming you mean with my full strength?” Kai nodded. “You have the potential to hit harder than the rest of us combined, but you always take a more defensive position. If you can learn to play more offensive, you’d be a force to be reckoned with.” Kai put his hands up. “Okay, punch me.” “Kai, I really don’t think-” “DO IT!” Cole wound up for a punch, but as he threw it, Kai perfectly dodged and retaliated with his own hit, landing against Cole’s chest. The heat from his knuckles felt like he was going to burn a hole right to Cole’s heart. Kai shook his head. “You are too predictable and too heavy with your stance. You gotta loosen up and be more bouncy on your feet.” “I’m not as quick as you, twinkle toes.” Kai motioned for Cole to try again. “Come on, you got this.” Cole threw another punch, but Kai easily batted his arm away. Kai groaned and stepped behind Cole, grabbing his waist, his warm, calloused hands gently pressed against Cole’s skin. “Relax your hips,” Kai said calmly, “and let yourself feel all that energy flow through you.” His hot breath against the back of Cole’s neck sent tingles down his spine. Cole tightened his jaw, doing his best to focus. “Feel the wind on your skin.” Kai’s voice was soft and light. “Flow with it.” Cole closed his eyes and felt the wind, letting his body move with it. Whenever he went too far in one direction, Kai would tighten his grip and guide Cole back the other direction. Cole was melting into putty under his touch. “Yeah, you got it!” Kai said excitedly. “This is where you want your balance to be when you’re on offense. You want to stay loose and relaxed and ready to move without moving too far in any direction. Hold that position, I’m going to do something.” Cole suddenly felt Kai run his hands down his arms, grabbing Cole’s hands. Cole’s skin burned under his touch, making Cole shudder. Kai moved his hands, one held out in front of him and one held closer to his body. You want to be ready for anything. You can’t afford to tank hits like you normally do, you have to be ready to feel the natural push and pull in a fight.” Kai finally let go of Cole and circled him. “Now, I want you to throw a hit at me at full strength this time, but make sure you stay light on your feet.” Cole nodded. He bounced from foot to foot and rolled his shoulders back. He then took up the stance Kai had taught him, earning an encouraging nod from Kai. Cole felt the wind pick up as he raised his fist to punch. To his surprise, Kai didn’t dodge. Kai grabbed Cole’s wrist and pulled him forward, making him stumble out of his stance. Kai jumped and wrapped his legs around Cole’s torso, his momentum knocking the two down. Cole landed against the deck, Kai still on his torso. Kai put his hands down on either side of Cole’s head, beads of sweat dropping off of his face as he breathed heavily. He gave Cole a cocky smile, but Cole couldn’t smile back. His chest was tight with anxiety at having Kai so close to him like this. “I gotta work on my form, I guess,” Cole mumbled. “No, no, your form was good. You just trusted me to play fair, and I didn’t. That’ll be the next lesson I teach you.” Cole looked up at Kai, wide-eyed, his heart beating out of his chest. Kai sat up slightly, cocking his head at Cole. “You good?” “Am…. I interrupting something?” Jay asked, appearing just off to the side. Kai quickly jumped up as if he didn’t just take down another man who towered over him. “DUDE! YOU MISSED IT! IT WAS EPIC!” Kai grabbed Jay by the gi. “I was teaching Cole some pointers and he left himself open for a takedown! It was so AWESOME!” Jay looked over at Cole, who was still laying on the deck, trying to catch his breath. He narrowed his eyes. “Uh huh. I see.” “Did you need something?” Kai asked. “Zane wanted me to tell you guys that he has dinner ready.” “Sweet! I can’t wait to tell everyone else about this!” Kai ran into their living quarters, the biggest smile on his face. Jay lingered for a moment, but followed Kai inside. Cole couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All he could do was lay there for a few more minutes, missing the feeling of Kai’s touch. Cole closed his eyes to take a deep breath, his lungs filling with the scent of a campfire in the middle of a cold Summer’s night. — Lloyd nervously waited outside the arcade, fidgeting with Akita’s comic book. When he and Akita agreed to meet, Lloyd had no expectations whatsoever. But since the other ninja kept calling it a date, Lloyd became stressed. Was this a date? Am I dressed up enough? Am I too dressed up? Should I have brought a gift? What if it’s not even a date anyway? What if…it is? Do I want this to be a date? I’m not sure I’m ready to- “Lloyd, right?” A sweet voice asked behind him. Lloyd turned around to find Akita wearing a cute green dress, making her brown eyes pop and perfectly pairing with her olive skin. She held up his comic book. “I believe this is yours, kind sir.” Lloyd smiled and offered her comic book in return. “And for you, m’lady.” Akita playfully cringed. “Eww no, don’t ever say that again.” Lloyd laughed. “I won’t! I regretted it as soon as it came out of my mouth.” The two exchanged books and Lloyd lit up, seeing the autograph he was given. “Thank you so much for this Akita!” “Of course! And to say thank you, you can take me to dinner!” “But I also brought your comic. Aren’t we even?” Akita’s smile faltered. She waited for a laugh or a punchline, but was surprised to see Lloyd was dead serious. “Lloyd, This is me asking you to take me on a date.” Lloyd went pale. “I am so sorry. I sometimes struggle in social situations. I had an unconventional upbringing, so I’m sorry if I ever misunderstand things.” “What? Were you raised by wolves?” Akita joked. “Honestly? I sometimes think I would’ve been better off if I was.” Lloyd pulled out his phone. “So, uh, where do you want to go for dinner?” “I’m new to the area, so I was hoping you’d maybe have a place in mind that you’d like to share with me?” Lloyd thought for a moment, then smiled. “I know a place.” — “Chen’s Noodle Shop?” Akita asked as the two walked into the restaurant together. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it!” “It’s a pretty nice place. The owner is actually a friend of mine,” Lloyd explained. And as if right on cue, a friendly face walked up and pulled Lloyd into a hug. “Lloyd! Hey! How are you doing?” “Skylor! Hey! I’ve been pretty good. How are things here?” Skylor looked around her restaurant, busy as ever. “Well, I’d say things have been pretty amazing!” She then looked at Akita and offered out a hand. “And you are?” Akita smiled and shook her hand. “Akita!” “I can’t say I’ve seen you before, Akita.” “I’m new in town.” Skylor raised her eyebrows and looked at Lloyd. “Well, you’ve got a pretty solid tour guide.” “I’m going to freshen up in the restroom,” Akita said, handing Lloyd her comic book. “Hold this for me?” Lloyd carefully took the book and watched her leave, waiting till Akita was out of earshot. “She doesn’t know,” Lloyd whispered. “Know…what?” Skylor asked. “That I’m the Green Ninja.” Skylor stared at him. “Wait, really?” Lloyd nodded. “She didn’t recognize me and I haven’t told her yet. Just please try to keep ninja stuff to a minimum tonight, okay?” “Just be careful there, Lloyd. You’re playing a dangerous game,” Skylor warned. “Don’t let this come back to haunt you, okay? I’m honestly shocked you were ready to be dating right now.” “It’s complicated, I’m not sure I’m ready either.” Skylor blinked slowly. “So you’re hiding your identity from a girl you don’t even know if you want to be on a date with right now?” “Yep.” Skylor’s demeanor changed as Akita approached. “Table for two, right this way,” she said with a smile. As they two followed her, Akita saw the conveyor belt and excitedly asked, “Is this one of those revolving sushi type places?” “Yeah, but they have so many more dishes than just sushi! You’ll love it!” Lloyd responded. Skylor sat them down at their table and left to grab them their drink order, leaving the two alone for a moment. “This place is so nice! Thank you for taking me here!” Akita said. She tapped her nails on the table as she watched a few of the dishes go by. “What do you recommend here?” Lloyd shrugged. “That’s a tough one. I’ve never had a meal here I didn’t love. Noodles of any kind are a staple of this place, but I also love their fried rice. It’s simple but still a classic.” “These choices are going to kill me!” Akita playfully complained. Lloyd smiled at her, but from where he was sitting, he could see the restaurant’s entrance. These two rougher looking guys walked in and seemed to be having some sort of argument with Skylor, but the noise from the other restaurant goers drowned them out. Lloyd couldn’t help but watch them. Akita noticed Lloyd was no longer looking at her, so Akita turned around and saw the men too. “They seem angry.” “Akita. Something’s wrong.I need you to trust me.” “Lloyd, you’re scaring me now.” “Akita, get down.” “Do you know those guys?” “Listen to me and get down.” “Lloyd, what’s going on-” A gunshot rang out. “GET DOWN, AKITA!” Lloyd screamed as he dove across the table. He didn’t know what he was doing, all he knew was he had to protect her without being the Green Ninja.Heart of the Storm - Chapter 4 - Ninjago Fanfic“FAMILY MEETING!” Following the day’s events, everyone needed to take a moment to settle down and process it. But Jay’s idea of “processing it” was forcing everyone to stay put in the living room so they could watch him pace around and complain. Cole and Lloyd sat by each other on the couch, faces still covered with their face masks. Kai sat on the other side of Lloyd, basically attached to him at the hip. Zane sat on the ground in front of them, his eyes following Jay as he paced. And Nya was on her feet, following behind Jay, trying to get him to calm down. “Calm down? Calm down?” Jay asked her. “Calm? Down? That THING made it onto the BOUNTY and ATTACKED!” “But it didn’t attack, it just kinda took up space,” Nya pointed out. “It didn’t cause harm.” Kai scoffed and mumbled, “Physical harm.” “It also left as soon as I hit it with water!” Nya grabbed Jay’s shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. She tilted his head upwards slightly so that she could meet his eyes. “We are all still okay. We’ve dealt with worse.” Jay leaned into her touch, melting in her hands. “I’m scared, Nya. What do we do if it comes back?” “I hear pans work great!” Cole teased. Nya shot him a dirty look, then turned back to her lover. “Then we will cross that bridge when we get there.” She pulled him into a hug. “We will be okay, I promise.” Cole raised his hand. “Can Lloyd and I be excused? This face mask is starting to burn a little.” Lloyd nodded in agreement. Finally noticing, Jay stopped and looked between Lloyd and Cole. “Why are you guys wearing face stuff?” Nya turned his head to face her again. “How about you come stay in my room so that you aren’t alone? Would that help put you at ease?” He sadly nodded, then laid his head on her shoulder. “I just want everyone to be okay.” “And we will be. I promise.” Nya wrapped an arm around him to guide him down the hall, offering a friendly smile to the boys as she left. “This is a truly confusing….thing we have on our hands,” Zane said quietly as he stood up. “I’m going to spend some time tonight studying the information we have and hopefully by morning I can have some sort of answer.” Lloyd stood up behind him and grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t overwork yourself, okay? We’re in this together and we can figure this out together too.” Instead of any sort of comforting words, Zane responded, “You should go wash your face before your skin burns.” He then left quietly, his mind obviously already distracted. Lloyd and Cole silently separated, headed towards their own respective rooms. Lloyd opened his door and stepped into his small bathroom to wash his face. He bent down and cupped his hands to fill them with water, then dipped his face in. When he stood back up to look in the mirror, Kai was leaning against the bathroom door, his arms crossed tightly and his head hanging low. “I’m okay, Kai,” Lloyd reassured, “really. I promise.” Kai didn’t respond, he just continued looking at the floor. Lloyd continued washing his face, the two standing in silence. He finished and dried his face off, then looked back at Kai. “Dude, I promise. You should go get some rest.” “I saw things when the mist touched me,” Kai whispered. “It wasn’t like you and how you were just blinded. I saw you as a child. I saw how scared you were. I was reliving that moment at the volcano before I found my true potential.” His sniffling started again as he tried to hold back tears. “I tried to save you, but I dropped you on my way out. I begged for you to come back to me, but you were just…gone. It all felt so real.” “I get it, mine felt real too. I can’t even imagine having to see visuals of all that.” Lloyd guided Kai towards his bed and the two sat down together. “We could hear you mumbling while you were in the mist. We heard everything you said. I figured out that you were seeing a memory quite fast, but my experience didn’t include a memory at all.” “It’s good to know that we’d be able to hear each other if this were to ever happen again,” Kai responded. “Having one-way communication is better than none at all.” Lloyd looked at Kai, grabbing his hands. “These were a problem, though. When you used your fire in the mist, you used it in real life too.” “I figured when I saw the rug was charred.” “We’ve got to come up with a way to get through the mist without using our powers. Or at least, lethal powers, like fire.” Kai started counting on his fingers as he made his list. “So Cole can use his strength, Nya can create puddles, Zane is still incredibly intelligent, and you can use your shield and levitation.” His face fell. “Jay and I are screwed. Offense is kind of our whole thing.” “We’ll figure it out, okay? We don’t need all of the answers. Zane is spending some time looking into all of this and I’m sure he’ll come at us with some wisdom tomorrow.” Lloyd squeezed Kai’s shoulder. “Until then, get some sleep. And remember, we are both safe and okay.” Kai nodded, giving a forced half smile. “See you tomorrow, kid. Sleep well.” Kai left the room stoically, but Lloyd heard him begin to cry again as soon as he left the room. Lloyd didn’t go after him. Kai was always trying to be tough and unshaken, but he was hurting. And he needed space to feel that hurt without feeling the need to protect everyone else. —- “Hey I’m off to the coffee shop!” Lloyd called out, stepping out of his bedroom with his boots in hand. After last night, he just needed an excuse to get some fresh air and go on a walk. As he sat down on the couch, he caught a glimpse of Kai eating cereal straight from the box. When Kai saw him, he tossed the box onto the counter and reached for the cabinet to get a bowl. Lloyd smiled to himself and rolled his eyes. “Can I get an iced mocha with an extra shot of espresso?” Kai asked, his mouth still full of cereal. “Oh, I was going to take a quick walk-“ “You’ll be back quick? Awesome!” Kai poured his cereal into a bowl and Jay walked in, stretching and yawning. “Thanks for getting me coffee!” “Lloyd’s grabbing coffee?!” Jay asked, suddenly wide awake. “Caramel latte. Whipped cream. Sprinkles!” “Guys I’m just-“ “NYA!” Jay yelled down the hall. “LLOYD’S GETTING COFFEE! WHAT DO YOU WANT?” “ICED AMERICANO WITH VANILLA!” She yelled back. Jay turned to Lloyd. “She’ll have an iced ameri-“ “I HEARD!” Lloyd shouted. He finished lacing his boots, irritated at everyone, but not enough to correct them. He walked out onto the deck shielding his eyes from the sun, running into Cole in the process. “Oh hey, I was just looking for you!” Cole said happily. “Kai texted me saying that I needed to give you my coffee order. I’ll make it easy for you and just ask for a black coffee. No sugar. No nonsense. Just a coffee.” Lloyd glared. “How kind of you.” Cole gave him a friendly smile in response as he wandered back towards their living quarters. Behind Lloyd, Zane was writing in a notebook, leaning against the ropes they all used to repel down the ship. As Lloyd approached, Zane’s eyes darted up for a moment, then back down at his notebook. “Going somewhere?” he asked. “I just wanted to go for a walk and somehow got suckered into buying everyone coffee.” “How unfortunate it is to be misunderstood,” Zane giggled slightly. “I’m sorry your morning has been thrown off.” Lloyd shrugged. “With this group? It happens. It is what it is. I don’t remember their orders, though, so they probably won’t be too happy.” Zane ripped the paper he was writing on out of the notebook, folded it up, and handed it to Lloyd. “It’d be a shame if the orders were wrong.” Zane then marched off in the same direction as Cole. Lloyd unfolded the piece of paper and found it contained everyone’s order, finished with a “Flat White :D” at the end of the list. He couldn’t help but smile at the note before grabbing the ship’s repel gear and jumping off. Lloyd landed gracefully on a rooftop and peeked over the edge to see if he was spotted. The Destiny’s Bounty is kind of hard to miss if you’re in Ninjago, but Lloyd always tried to make sure he could make a quiet exit to avoid crowds of people swarming him. And thankfully, there was a nearby alleyway empty, allowing him to jump down and silently sneak out. Lloyd took a deep breath and put his hands in his hoodie pockets, enjoying the bustling ambiance around him, as he walked towards the nearest coffee shop. He loved the little moments like this where he could just be a normal person and not have to worry about saving the world again. And with this new mist shit, his much needed break was still way out of reach. Lloyd pushed the coffee shop door open and got in line, fiddling with the note Zane had given him. He tried to memorize the note, but he was so scatter-brained in that moment that it just wasn’t working. By the time it was his turn, he had given up. The barista offered him a smile. “Hi, there! What can I get started for you today?” Her short brown hair framed her face and her smile had a warmth Lloyd hadn’t been expecting. “Can I get a-” “WAIT!” The barista yelled. Lloyd braced himself, ready for her to publicly out him as the Green Ninja, but she instead said something he wasn’t expecting. “I HAVE YOUR COMIC BOOK!” “You what?!” Lloyd squinted his eyes at her. “You were the fox?” “A wolf, but yeah!” She became extremely giddy. “I’ve been asking around to try to find someone who got their autograph swapped by accident, but I couldn’t find you.” “Okay! Wow, I honestly have been so busy that I haven’t had the time to even try to find you.” “Oh I was so broken up about it! I wasn’t even upset that I didn’t have my own, I was just sad that I was keeping someone else from having something so special.” She tucked a tuft of hair behind her ear. “God I was just having a bad day yesterday. First you, then my brother, then the Green Ninja-” Lloyd hesitated for a moment. “What happened with the Green Ninja?” “I got him caught in that smokey stuff!” Her face grew bright red. “After you ran into me, my brother and I went to see a panel, but suddenly everyone started running and screaming. My brother and I got separated in the lobby area. I turned around and he had vanished in the cloud stuff. I tried to run to him, but the Green Ninja had his shield stuff up. I begged for him to go help my brother, but I think I threw off his focus or something because his shield fell and the smoke got him. I got away before it got me, though.” “Did he get out okay?” Lloyd asked, playing dumb. “Yeah!” The woman smiled. “His friends saved him. And my brother got out okay too, he was just confused why everyone seemed so scared. He said he was scared, but people around him were utterly terrified.” She stopped speaking and grabbed a cup. “I am so sorry! What would you like?” “Can I get a medium matcha latte, please?” The woman wrote it down. “Okay! Anything else?” Lloyd looked down at his note. “Can I just hand this to you and you tell me what I owe?” The woman laughed at the list. “You grabbing coffee for your coworkers?” Lloyd nodded. “Yeah, something like that.” The woman wrote down all of the drink orders, then slid the note back to Lloyd. “That’ll be $44.50.” Lloyd cringed and dug his wallet out of his pocket. “Damn, okay, they owe me.” The woman giggled as she ran his card. “Want a receipt?” “Please! I need to make sure they pay me back.” The woman laughed, printed his receipt, then walked away to make the drinks. As he walked away, Lloyd took one last look at Zane’s note, but felt his face getting hot when he saw what was written on the note- Call me for comic book swap! 555-6324 <3 AkitaHeart of the Storm - Chapter 3 - Ninjago Fanfic“So…” Lloyd started, “I can’t say I was expecting that.” Nya, still applying Cole’s facemask, mumbled, “Lloyd, come up with a better response.” “Sorry! I don’t have a problem with it at all. You being gay, I mean.” Lloyd hoped the correction was to Nya’s liking, and going off her silence, he figured it was good enough. “So, who is the lucky guy then?” Cole tightened his jaw. “That’s where things get tricky.” “It can’t be that bad!” “It’s Kai,” Cole whispered. Despite his face being covered in his face mask, Lloyd could still tell he was feeling bashful based on his voice. “Ew.” “Lloyd,” Nya warned. “Better response, please.” “Nono I don’t mean it in a ‘ew gay’ way, more of a ‘ew Kai’ way.” Cole laughed. “What’s wrong with Kai?” Lloyd gave him a “seriously” look. “Have you met the guy? He uses way too much hair gel, winks at himself in mirrors, and thinks ‘NOT SO FAST’ is a valid, serious catchphrase to use in battle.” Cole smiled quietly to himself. “I know.” Nya nudged her cosmetic box over towards Lloyd with her elbow, her hands covered in face mask goop. “Pick a headband. I’m doing your face next.” Lloyd reached for the box and found it filled with various cosmetics, none of which Nya used as far as Lloyd could tell. He reached in a grabbed a white headband with fluffy cat ears, putting it on without protest. “Why do you have all this stuff?” Nya stifled a laugh, positioning herself in front of Lloyd to do his mask next. “It’s all from Jay. He likes to get me gifts.” “But this doesn’t seem like the kind of gift you’d enjoy.” Nya looked over her shoulder at Cole, who was sitting contently, his confidence having returned to his body. “Well, it started with one headband and a few face products. They sat in my closet forever. When Cole first came to me about his sexuality, he seemed stressed, so I told him he was welcome to try out my stuff. Turns out, he loved it.” Nya broke out into little giggles, shaking her head playfully. “Jay noticed that the items he bought were being used, so he kept buying more because he thought I’d like it.” Nya’s voice lowered to a whisper as she said, “Don’t tell him he’s funding our self-care spa nights.” “I would never!” Lloyd jumped as Nya pressed the face mask against his face, not expecting it to be so cold. “I want to hear more about Kai, Cole.” Cole’s grip around his pillow tightened. “I don’t really know what to say! I mean, he’s cute.” “That’s it? You just like him because he’s cute?” Lloyd asked. “He’s incredibly protective and passionate about the things he loves,” Cole started, closing his eyes as he got lost in thought. “Like, when he talks to you two, his voice gets all soft and sweet because he cares so much. He’d give anything to protect you two, and I’d give anything to hear him talk to me like that.” His eyes opened with excitement as he continued. “And have you ever noticed he’s the literal embodiment of fire? When the light hits him just right, it looks like he’s a glowing ember. He gives off this constant heat that just makes you feel so comfortable in his presence. AND! He smells amazing when he doesn’t douse himself in cologne like a damn middle schooler. It’s like-” Cole took a deep breath, “-a campfire in the middle of a cold Summer night.” Nya smiled, still facing Lloyd. “He’s smitten.” Cole threw his pillow at Nya. “Oh, shut up. I don’t give you shit when you gush about Jay!” “Yes you do!” Nya laughed. Cole smirked. “Okay, yeah, I do.” Nya scooted back from Lloyd, finished with his face mask. “Alright, boys, leave them on for a bit and then I’ll have you both rinse your faces.” “You aren’t doing your face?” Lloyd asked. Nya shook her head. “Like you said, not my thing.” Lloyd looked back to Cole, warmly. “I appreciate you feeling safe enough to share this with me.” Cole smiled back. “Thanks for giving me the room to figure myself out.” He grabbed his pillow and pulled it back up against his chest. “So, you wanted to talk about the Rumi stuff?” Lloyd’s smile faltered. “I feel bad, though. I don’t want to take over boy talk.” “Oh, dude, don’t worry,” Cole assured him. “I promise it’s okay. Nya?” Nya nodded in agreement. “Go ahead, we’re listening.” Lloyd took a deep breath. “Okay, so, Rumi-” “BOO HISS!” Cole yelled. Lloyd shot him a look, making Cole laugh. “Okay, okay, sorry, go ahead.” “When I touched the fog, I heard her yelling for me. I followed her voice and then I started suffocating.” Nya nodded. “And I’m assuming you thought it was her?” Lloyd hesitated. “I don’t know.” “Do you want it to be her?” “I…don’t know.” Lloyd felt a pit begin to form in his stomach. “That’s why I wanted to talk about it. I know I don’t exactly do ‘feelings’ or anything, but this was something different. I mean, I was being choked by nothing. That’s not normal.” “Was it maybe a hallucination?” Nya asked. “It’d have to be,” Cole figured. “Maybe we can talk to some of the other people who were caught in it tomorrow?” “Zane already spoke to a few people today, though,” Nya pointed out. “Everyone saw or felt something different. One lady said she felt bugs crawling all over her, but a man he spoke to said he heard the screams of his wife in pain.” “What do those things have in common?” Cole asked. Before anyone could answer, a scream echoed down the hallway, followed by Jay pleading for anyone to come to his aid. Cole jumped to his feet, dragging Lloyd and Nya up behind him. The three followed the yelling into the living space where Kai and Jay were playing video games to find a puff of black mist swirling at Kai’s feet. Jay was a few feet away from Kai, outside of the mist, attempting to swat him with a pillow. “KAI! WAKE UP! GET OUT OF THE SCARY FOG!” Jay yelled, chucking the pillow at him. The pillow bounced off of Kai and landed in the mist, the attack doing nothing to make Kai budge. Jay threw his hands up in the air. “That’s just GREAT! I don't know WHAT TO DO HERE!” He seemed to be put at ease slightly when his eyes fell on Nya, who grabbed his hand to pull him away from the mist. “What happened?” Nya asked, pointing at her brother. Kai was standing, slightly slouched, and was mumbling to himself as his fingers twitched with little embers. “Come…on……why won’t….my….power unlock?” Zane busted into the room, panting, with an ice attack ready, but when he saw the cause of the commotion, he stopped in his tracks. “This is exactly how we found Lloyd.” Cole shook his head. “Not exactly, he seems more talkative.” “LET’S GET HIM OUT OF THERE!” Jay screamed, reaching for another pillow to throw. He threw it directly at Kai’s face, but Kai didn’t react to the hit at all. It was as if everyone was looking at something that didn't exist in the same realm of existence as themselves. “The pillows are too soft. I’ll be right back.” Jay shook off Nya's grip and walked out of the room. “What do we do?” Lloyd asked. “How did you guys help me earlier?” “Cole used his element of Earth to remove everyone from the mist while Nya and I contained it,” Zane responded. “Okay, then let's do that! COLE, GO!” Cole tilted his head. “And how do you expect me to do that on a flying ship?” “Well, we can still do the containing thing, right?” Lloyd asked. “And freeze my brother with it?” Nya shook her head. “No way.” “Come on…..let’s….get….out of….here.” Kai mumbled, small flames now circling his fingertips. Lloyd held up his hand, silently signaling everyone to stop talking. They watched as Lloyd took a step closer to the mist. His eyes narrowed as he quietly said, “But, the fangblade-” “Forget it…..this place…..is coming… apart.” Kai’s breathing staggered and stuttered as if he was doing something physically taxing. “It’s a memory,” Lloyd realized. “The day he saved me. The day I became one of you guys.” “You didn’t see a memory, though,” Nya pointed out. “Why is he?” “You think I know? I’m in the dark just as much as you guys.” “We gotta pull him out of there before something dangerous happens,” Cole said, starting to head back to his room. “I may be able to move him with my scythe. Hang on.” Zane watched Kai closely. “This is truly extraordinary.” He took a knee to watch Kai’s hands. “Is it possible that whatever this is, it’s trying to make us use our powers?” “I don’t think so,” Lloyd responded. “I didn’t use my powers to claw at my neck.” “I’M COMING KAI!” Jay screamed, running into the room, wildly swinging an iron skillet. Nya caught Jay’s arm before he could throw it at her brother. “DROP IT!” “I’M HELPING!” “You are NOT!” Nya looked over her shoulder to yell down the hall. “COLE HURRY!” Cole came running into the room, his weapon in hand. Jay broke free from Nya and threw the pan. Lloyd dove for it to try to keep it from hitting Kai, Cole diving after him to make sure Lloyd didn’t dive headfirst into the coffee table. Not watching out for his own weapon, Cole accidentally swung his scythe, hitting Zane behind his knees and taking him down. And to make matters even worse, Kai’s hands fully ignited in flames that overtook the entirety of his arms. Still entranced, he started screaming, begging for an invisible force to “Come back” to him. He fell to his knees, setting the rug in the middle of the room on fire, choking out violent sobs that were nearly incoherent. “Watch out, guys!” Nya yelled as she sprayed water across the room. She had expected the mist to spread across the room, but it instead floated out the window and dissipated into the night air. “That was….weirdly easy.” The water had put out Kai’s fire, leaving him on all fours in a puddle. He breathed heavily, sniffling while he tried to regain his composure. Lloyd pushed Cole off of himself and crawled over to Kai. “H-hey, man. You okay?” Lloyd’s heart shattered when he saw the look on Kai’s face. He was broken, his lower lip quivering as he tried to regain his composure. Kai had lost every ounce of color from his face, leaving him as pale as a corpse. His hands trembled as he wiped his face of tears and Nya’s water. Kai opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t form anything. All he could do was tightly wrap his arms around Lloyd, his nails digging into Lloyd’s tee shirt. Lloyd reached his arms up to hug him back and, as his fingertips brushed his shirt, Kai broke out into sobs. He buried his face into Lloyd’s shoulder, not to try to hide his emotions, but to feel closer to him in any way he could. Lloyd didn’t fight him. Kai needed this. Nya caught Lloyd’s eye, looking just as concerned as Lloyd felt inside. It wasn’t every day you watch someone like Kai fully breakdown. Lloyd started to move his hands back down, but Kai whispered, “Please don’t let me go. I need to know this is real.” “It’s real, Kai,” Lloyd assured. “I am real.” “I saw you die.” The air in the room felt heavy as everyone processed what Kai had just said. “We were at the volcano and I lost my grip and you-” “I’m right here, Kai.” Lloyd tightened his hug. “I’m okay.”Heart of the Storm - Chapter 2 - Ninjago Fanfic“This would go by quicker if you held still,” Zane said simply, holding a clean rag and a bottle of antiseptic. Lloyd was laid on his bed, his head positioned in a way to give Zane easy access to his neck. The bleeding had stopped, but cleaning it burned more than Kai’s own fire. “I’d stop moving if you stopped hurting me.” Zane poured some of the antiseptic onto the rag. “I’ll stop hurting you if you stop moving. Hold still.” Zane gently pressed the rag to Lloyd’s neck, causing him to yelp and instinctively move away from Zane. “Lloyd, this is basic procedure. Please hold still.” “C-can I help at all?” Kai rambled, looking over Zane’s shoulder. “I can get you more rags or I can hold a flashlight so that you can see better or I can-” Zane lets out a breath. “Kai, you’re pacing again.” Kai stopped moving, realizing he had been in motion for a few minutes. “You couldn’t even see me.” Zane looked over his shoulder. “Your pacing makes Lloyd anxious, which causes his heartrate to elevate. His heart rate was elevating, therefore you were pacing.” Kai rolled his eyes and pouted. “I don’t cause anxiety.” Zane smirked slightly. “It also sounded like a hippo was stampeding through the room. You’re heavy footed.” “AM NOT!” Jay walked into the room holding a blanket, Nya following close behind him. “Hey, I grabbed you a blanket because I-” Jay stopped talking when he spotted a bloodied rag on the ground beside Zane. “Yep. That’s blood. Neck blood. Wow. I don’t like that.” He placed the blanket at the foot of the bed and quickly rushed out, shouting, “Good luck with the neck blood!” as he left. Nya shrugged. “He’s had a weird thing about blood lately. Don’t mind him.” “Can I please have quiet?” Zane asked, patiently. “Lloyd needs to be cleaned and the distractions aren’t helping.” “A distraction is exactly what he needs,” Cole responded, walking into the room with a warm teapot and a teacup. He placed them on Lloyd’s bedside table and took a knee, getting on his level. “You know we’re supposed to fight the bad guys, not ourselves, right Greenie?” “It’s a long story. I didn’t do it on purpose.” Seeing his opportunity, Zane pressed the antiseptic against his neck again, but Cole grabbed his head before he could move away. “Hey, just look at me, tough guy. Don’t be a baby.” Lloyd closed his eyes to try to keep tears from falling down his face. “Easy for you to say,” he whined. “You can’t feel it.” “If these scar over, what story are you gonna tell people?” Lloyd opened his eyes, confused. “Story?” “Well, you can’t just tell people you lost a fight with the air,” Cole joked. “You gotta give them something like, ‘Oh these scars? It was a big ass cat. If you think this looks bad, you should see the cat!’ I like that idea.” “I’m not going to tell people a cat attacked me.” Cole nodded. “Fair…we’ll say it was an armadillo.” Lloyd choked out a pained laugh, wincing as Zane touched his neck with the rag again. “What the hell are you talking about?” “Um, I very clearly said armadillo, did I not?” “He did!” Kai chimed in. Cole smiled at him. “Thank you, Kai. Lloyd, giant armadillos have shockingly sharp claws.” Lloyd rolled his eyes. “You’re not helping.” “All cleaned,” Zane said. “The worst is over.” Cole winked at Lloyd. “I kept you still, didn’t I? Sounds like I helped plenty.” “You better be nice Lloyd,” Kai laughed, “Or else Cole will have to use his big muscles to hold you down next time.” Cole took a step back, his confident shoulders sinking slightly. He looked away from the group as he said, “Oh, yeah. I’ll uh…do that…next time.” He took a breath before turning to leave. “Just holler if you need me.” Nya’s eyes followed Cole as he left the room. “I’m going to head out too. I gotta make sure Jay didn’t faint in the hallway or anything.” Zane offered a hand to Lloyd to help him sit up. He reached into a first aid kit he had with him and pulled out a tube of ointment. “Keep the area clean and uncovered and apply this twice a day - once in the morning and once at night.” “Thank you Zane.” Zane smiled warmly. “Don’t move next time and I will be done sooner.” Lloyd laughed. “Yes, doc, I’ll do better next time.” Zane patted Lloyd’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He then stood up, grabbed his medical supplies, and left the room. Lloyd grabbed the blanket and wrapped himself up, doing his best to get comfortable. Kai sat down silently next to him. The two existed in each other’s peaceful quiet, until Kai got up and poured the tea into the teacup and handed it to Lloyd. “So, are we going to talk about it?” Lloyd took a sip from his tea. “Talk about what?” Kai gave him a doubtful look. “Lloyd. You call us for backup and we arrive to you attacking yourself.” He took a deep breath. “I was scared, Lloyd. I’ve been fighting by your side for years, but I’ve never seen you like that before.” Lloyd shifted uncomfortably. “There was something wrong with the black fog.” Kai nodded. “Yeah, that mist looked nasty. I would’ve gotten stuck in it too if Nya hadn’t stopped me.” “Why’s that?” “I saw you in trouble,” Kai admitted. “Nothing else mattered. Nothing was going to keep me from saving you. Nothing.” Lloyd laughed. “Nothing, except Nya.” Kai playfully punched Lloyd’s arm. “You get what I mean.” The two sat for a few more moments in silence, before Kai started speaking again. “Can we talk about what happened to you in there?” Lloyd nodded, placing his teacup down. “Well, I was entirely blind. The second it touched me, it was like it swallowed me in darkness. I then heard a voice, calling out for me, so I tried following it. Right when I thought I found it, it felt like something wrapped around my neck. I felt like I was suffocating-” “Which is why you clawed at your neck,” Kai finished. “That makes sense.” “The weirdest part about the whole thing was the voice,” Lloyd admitted. “Why’s that?" Lloyd hesitated for a second. “I could’ve sworn it was Rumi calling out for me.” Kai’s expression soured. “Of fucking course.” “I’m serious, Kai!” “I know, and I’m not doubting you, but god this chick just doesn’t know when to quit it.” “Do you really think she’s behind the attack?” Kai shrugged. “I can’t say for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she survived that building collapse.” As his anger built, Lloyd could feel Kai’s natural heat he gave off burn hotter. Lloyd pulled his legs up to his chest. “Can we not talk about this?” Kai snapped out of his anger, his temperature returning to normal. “Oh, yeah, of course. So besides the attack, how was the con?” Lloyd groaned. “It was great until my autographed comic got swapped with someone else’s.” Kai’s expression dropped. “NUH UH!” Lloyd nodded, pointing to his backpack. “I got stuck with someone else’s damn comic book.” “That sucks!” Kai thought for a moment. “Any chance we could find this person and get the book swapped?” Lloyd shrugged. “She was in full cosplay. I have no clue what she actually looks like.” “I wish you the best, brother,” Kai said, standing up. “Jay and I have our gaming marathon tonight, so I should get going so I can beat his ass. But you come get me if you need anything, okay?” Lloyd nodded. “Thank you.” As Kai stepped out of the room, he yelled over his shoulder, “AND MAKE SURE YOUR DISHES MAKE IT TO THE SINK!” “WHATEVER, MOM!” “WhAtEvEr, MoM!” Kai mocked, his giggling vanishing as he made his way down the hall. Lloyd finished the rest of his tea, breathing slowly in the silence as the Bounty swayed beneath him, her floorboards creaking ever so slightly. He tried to let his mind rest, but he couldn’t shake everything going through his head. Lloyd drifted between sadness, guilt, and fear, while reliving today’s events. He wasn’t sure if he believed it was Rumi. Part of him wanted it to be, but he didn’t know why. Everything felt like it was weighing him down, making his head feel heavy. Not knowing what else to do or where else to go, Lloyd slid out of bed and wandered out of his room, his blanket still wrapped around him. Lloyd went down the hall a few doors, stopping at the room at the end of the hall. He knocked on the door and crossed his fingers, smiling when Nya opened the door. “Oh! Uh, hey, Lloyd.” Nya seemed nervous to have him at her door, but Lloyd didn’t notice. “Hi! I’m glad Jay is busy tonight. May I come in?” Before Nya could respond, Lloyd walked into her room. “You said previously that if I needed girl help that I could come to you.” Nya smiled awkwardly. “I did.” “And tonight, Jay and Kai are pulling their video game all nighter.” “They are.” “So that means you’re available to chat for a bit!” Nya shook her head. “Sorry Lloyd, but I have plans.” Lloyd gave her a confused look. “This late at night? And in your pajamas?” “Oh, am I interrupting?” Cole asked behind Lloyd. Lloyd turned around to find Cole shirtless in his pj pants, holding a pillow tightly against his chest. “I can come back later.” “No!” Nya shouted. “Lloyd was just leaving.” “I was?” Lloyd asked. Nya grabbed Lloyd’s arm, dragging him towards the door. “Yes. I’m doing-” Lloyd grabbed the door frame, stopping Nya dead in her tracks. “Cole? You’re doing Cole?” “NO!” Nya yelled, trying to hold back laughter. Cole giggled, still standing in the hallway. “Kai and Jay have their thing, so Nya and I have ours.” “Oh! Perfect! The more the merrier!” Lloyd turned and walked back into the room, pulling Nya along with him. Nya released his arm. “Lloyd, really, can we please do this another night?” Cole shook his head. “Nya, it’s okay.” Nya gave him a worried look. “Are you sure?” Cole hesitated, studying Lloyd’s face, then nodded slowly. “I think I’m okay with this.” He then took a seat in the middle of the room while Nya pulled out a box from her closet filled with various skincare products. “Awesome, thank you!” Lloyd said, taking a seat on the ground beside him. “It’s about Rumi.” Both Cole and Nya froze. “Wait, seriously?” Nya asked. Lloyd nodded. “Yeah. That fog stuff earlier made me think I heard her.. “Do you think she did this?” Nya questioned, rummaging through her box. “I’m not sure. I was telling Kai about it and I don’t think he quite knew how to take it.” Nya tossed a spa headband with brown bear ears to Cole, who slid it onto his head. He then used a hair tie he had around his wrist to pull his remaining hair into a bun. Lloyd stared at him for a moment, giving him a weird look, before continuing. “I could’ve sworn I heard her yelling for me, but when I tried to follow her voice, an invisible force started choking me. It’s why I scratched up my neck - I was trying to breathe and remove whatever was choking me.” Nya grabbed a small pink container and sat in front of Cole. She popped it open, dipped her fingers in, then started coating Cole’s face with it. “I’m not normally one to judge, but what is this?” Nya looked over her shoulder. “Cole’s needed some destressing time, so this is our routine. We have a spa night where we pamper ourselves and talk.” “Talk about what?” Lloyd asked. Nya looked at Cole, silently letting him guide the conversation. “Well,” Cole started, “I’ve got a lot of personal feelings I’ve been working through, too. Feelings that I’m not comfortable sharing with any of the guys.” “Dude, you know we’re all always here for you, right?” Lloyd reminded him. “Oh, of course! I’ve just got some more personal things going on.” Lloyd watched as Cole, a tall muscular man, sunk into himself, looking small and unconfident. “Nya’s been helping me work through my feelings.” “What kind of feelings?” Lloyd asked. “Like, relationship feelings?” “You…could say that, I guess.” “OOOOooooOOOO,” Lloyd teased. “Who is the lucky girl, huh?” Cole tensed up, almost like he was preparing himself to be punched. He swallowed hard, gathering every ounce of courage he could find, before saying three words Lloyd would’ve never expected. “Lloyd….I’m gay.”Heart of the Storm - Chapter 1 - Ninjago Fanfic“NINJAAAAAGOOOOO!” A little kid dressed as Lloyd went running down the Ninjago Convention Center hallway, swinging his plastic sword over his head. “Watch this, mom!” The kid threw down his sword and attempted to do a flip, but tumbled into the oncoming traffic of people walking around him. Before he could be trampled, a hand grabbed him off of the carpet. The kid got into a fighting stance, preparing to take on the stranger that grabbed him, but stopped when he met the eyes of his savior. Standing before him was the real Lloyd, dressed in casual clothing with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Lloyd offered the kid a friendly smile, then turned and continued down the convention hall, hoping he didn’t call too much attention to himself just then. The ninja had promised Lloyd he could have the day off, with it being his birthday and all, and he decided to spend it at the Ninjago Comic Con. He’d purchased some art pieces inspired by some games he played and ate a little too much junk food, but he didn’t care. To him, this was the life. And now here he was, on his way to meet his favorite actor, Cliff Gordon, star of the Starfarer series. He happened to be signing autographs and Lloyd just got the latest issue of the Starfarer comic, so it couldn’t have been more perfect. Navigating the convention center was a bit harder than Lloyd had anticipated. If it hadn’t been for the “Ninja Cosplay Contest”, there wouldn’t have been an issue. But he was utterly surrounded by people dressed up as himself and his teammates. If even one person recognized him, he’d be swarmed immediately. Any other day, he wouldn’t have minded, but not today. So Lloyd wore a basic hoodie, sweatpants, and a hat to try to blend in as much as possible. Shockingly, he’d be blended in just as much if he truly showed up in his armor. Somehow, he was able to make it all the way to Cliff Gordon’s line without being recognized or stopped. He excitedly took his backpack off his shoulder to retrieve his comic book. Once the zipper was opened, he cringed seeing his suit in the bag as well. Kai insisted Lloyd take it “just in case”, but it annoyed him to no end. Just give me one damn day. He rolled his eyes and slid his comic book out, zipping his bag up before anyone saw his gi. He slid the comic out of its plastic sleeve and excitedly shifted, unable to hold still. As Lloyd got closer and closer to the front of the line, he could hear Cliff’s laugh as he interacted with everyone. Lloyd had no idea how he so effortlessly spoke with his fans. Whenever Lloyd got recognized in public, it’d be followed by an awkward exchange or pure panic. But Cliff seemed so genuinely happy to interact with those around him. Once it was Lloyd’s turn, he stepped forward, comic book in hand and smile on his face. He gentle placed it on the table as Cliff greeted him. “Hey there, son! Having a good con day?” Despite hearing him interact with every single person in front of him, Lloyd was still caught off guard by Cliff speaking to him. “O-oh! Uh, yeah I guess so.” “Are you here for the Ninja cosplay contest? That seems to be a highlight for a bunch of people I’ve met so far.” “No. Uh, no sir.” Cliff looked up at Lloyd. “Are you okay?” Lloyd nodded. “Yeah, just not mentally prepared for the chat, I guess. Sorry.” Cliff gave a knowing look. “Don’t worry, I understand. So just an autograph today?” Lloyd nodded. “Okay! Who am I making this out to?” Lloyd thought for a second. “Just a fan.” Cliff gave a weird look. “Just a fan?” “Yeah. You’re my hero, but I don’t feel comfortable having my name on it.” Cliff looked at Lloyd then, as if noticing him for the first time, slowly nodded. “I see. Okay! But no peeking!” He slid Lloyd’s comic book closer to him and covered it with his hand as he wrote. When he finished, he handed it back to Lloyd with a smile. “You have no idea what an honor this is.” Lloyd gave him a puzzled look, then looked at what Cliff wrote: You’re my hero! Keep fighting and remember that fear isn’t a word where we come from! ~Cliff Gordon Lloyd marveled at the comic. “Wow, thank you Mr. Gordon!” Cliff shook his head. “Please, just Gordon is fine.” “Well, thank you, Gordon.” “This world needs more heroes like you.” And with a wink, he welcomed the next person in line up to his table. Lloyd held it close to his chest and smiled. This was one of the few times he didn’t mind being recognized. But before he could fully process the autograph, he ran straight into someone and tripped. He tried to stabilize himself as he went down, but it ended with him pulling the person he tripped over down with him. He spun them to make sure he fell first and that they landed on him, knocking the wind right out of him. Lloyd groaned as the person he tripped over yelled. “Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?!” He looked at the person on top of him and found it was a young woman in full cosplay. She looked like some kind of fox with a bunch of tails and red accents. She panicked for a second. “Where’s my comic?!” In the ruckus, Lloyd hadn’t even noticed he’d dropped his comic. Just to his left were two identical comics. The woman followed his eyes and scoffed, grabbing one of the comics. “Watch where you’re going next time,” she complained. “I’m truly sorry. I just got an autograph and-” “So did I, but you don't see me bumping into people.” She stood up and brushed off her outfit. “Just…watch where you’re going next time.” And with that, she stormed off. Lloyd grabbed the other comic and scrambled back to his feet. He looked at it and smiled, wanting to read it one last time before putting it away, but his heart sank and he read the autograph: For justice! For freedom! FOR THE STARS! ~Cliff Gordon The girl had grabbed the wrong comic book and wandered off into the sea of people in the convention hall. Lloyd began weaving in and out of the crowd to try to find the girl, but was having no luck at all. If only he had Zane here to help him scan the crowd for her. As Lloyd continued his search, he stepped into one of the exhibit halls to scan the crowd sitting at a panel that just started. Lloyd almost kept walking, but stopped when he noticed the odd amount of discolored fog floating around the stage. Lloyd's initial thought was that it was smoke from a fire, but this was different. It was almost purely black and almost looked…wet? And then, the screaming started. Lloyd flinched when the first blood-curdling scream happened, but as the fog cloud began to touch more people, more began to scream. It wasn’t your usual screams, though. These were screams of pure terror - the kind of screams that haunt your nightmares after you hear them. The screams rippled through the crowd, affecting everyone the cloud touched. Lloyd groaned and ran out of the hall and towards the nearest bathroom. Lloyd pushed past the line that had formed and stopped a man from going into the only available stall. He grabbed the man by his shirt collar and yanked him back. “Sorry, official ninja business!” Lloyd yelled as he locked the stall behind him. The man began hollering obscenities, but Lloyd paid him no attention, his mind focused on changing his clothes faster than he ever had before. Lloyd ripped his armored gi out of his backpack, the metal clinking against the ground and stall walls, making a sharp, piercing, metallic sound. He cringed at the noise, but continued on, sliding his arms into the robe and adjusting his shoulder armor to sit perfectly in its place. He tightened his belt and shoved his pant legs into his boots before lacing them up. Lloyd felt that though he was ready in record time, it wasn’t fast enough. He stuffed his street clothes into his bag, slung it back over his shoulder, then kicked the stall door open, nailing the still yelling man in the face. The man opened his mouth to continue yelling, but stopped and stared in awe when he saw the Green Ninja standing before him. In fact, everyone in the bathroom froze and parted themselves, giving Lloyd a clear path out. With a thankful nod, Lloyd made his way out of the bathroom, green specs of energy flickering around his fingertips. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed that the fog was now spilling into the main hall. Most people were running from it, but the few that were touching the fog were frozen in place with blank expressions. Whenever the fog touched a new person, they’d scream, then freeze. Lloyd pressed his fingers to his ear, activating the earpiece Zane made all the ninja wear 24/7. For the first time in a while, he was thankful to have a direct communication line to his team. “Hey, anyone listening?” Lloyd asked, raising his voice to make sure he was heard over the chaos. “Hey, Greenie!” Kai’s voice boomed. “Enjoying the con?” Cole asked. Lloyd took a few steps back, the fog starting to get too close for comfort. “We’ve got a situation here-” “Too many people line up for your autograph?” Jay teased. “YOU’RE GIVING AUTOGRAPHS?!” Kai shouted. “I KNEW I should’ve come too!” “I don’t see how your assistance would modify anything,” Zane chimed in. “Um, people LOVE ME? If I was there, everyone would be lined up!” Kai argued. “GUYS!” Lloyd shouted. “How fast can you guys get here? I need your assistance. There’s a weird fog thing that’s making people scream and then freeze in place.” Kai groaned. “Dude, if you just wanted a ride, you could’ve asked.” “Kai! I’m being serious!” Lloyd groaned. “So am I!” Kai responded. “You don’t need to-” Kai was cut off, followed by a pained yelp. "Why'd you punch me?" “Ignore him, Lloyd,” Nya assured. “We will get there ASAP! Just hang tight!” Lloyd looked around and tried to identify where he could help. He had no clue how to stop the fog, but he knew he could help save anyone who hadn't been inflicted with fear yet. The first thing he noticed was that people were struggling to funnel out of the few exit doors there were. If Lloyd didn’t act fast, it was only a matter of time that someone would get crushed to death against the lock glass doors. Lloyd took a deep breath, surrounding himself in a green aura, lifting him up into the air. He glided towards the exit and yelled for everyone to stand back and brace themselves. He pointed his hands towards the row of closed glass doors and focused his energy, firing off a blast that shattered the glass, giving more people a way out. Everyone in the main hall began flooding out even quicker than before. Lloyd then changed his focus towards the black fog. He landed behind the crowd of people exiting and held his arms up, forming a thin shield, blocking the fog from spreading. Looking at the fog against his shield, Lloyd noticed it was leaving little black streaks as it moved. And could he hear … a heartbeat … coming from it? “BROTHER!” A woman yelled from behind Lloyd. He turned around and found it was the fox woman from earlier, violently crying, pointing beyond Lloyd’s shield. “MY BROTHER IS OUT THERE! PLEASE SAVE HIM!” “I promise you, I will do my best, but I need to make sure everyone else makes it out first!” The woman shook her head. “HE’S STUCK OUT THERE!” “I know, ma’am, but I need to help the others first!” The woman pulled at Lloyd’s right arm. “PLEASE HELP HIM!” “STOP! I need you to-” “DO SOMETHING!” Lloyd could feel his focus begin to wane, his shield flickering, as the woman continued pulling at him. “MA’AM I NEED YOU TO STOP!” And with one final tug, Lloyd was completely thrown off, knocking his shield down. The fog swarmed around his feet. He tried to run away, but it swarmed up his body, blocking him from being able to see. He tried blinking quickly, but there was nothing but darkness. “Lloyd?” A voice whispered in his ear. Lloyd turned his head to the voice, but still, saw nothing. “HELLO?” he yelled out. “ANYONE THERE?!” “You know you can’t save them,” the voice whispered. “Just like you couldn’t save me.” “What? I- Who are you?” He felt a chill run down his spine. “It’s me Lloyd.” “I-I can’t see you! Where are you?” “I’m right here!” The voice called back, full of desperation. Lloyd turned around, walking in the direction the voice was leading him. “I can’t see anything!” Lloyd yelled out, holding his arms out in front of him so he wouldn’t run into anything or anyone. “Just tell me where you are and I can help you!” “I’m right here, Lloyd!” Lloyd felt something tight wrap around his throat as the voice hissed, “RIGHT. HERE.” The sudden pressure sent him into a panic. Lloyd fell to his knees and clawed at his neck, trying to get whatever was around him off, but there was nothing there. Instead, his nails dug into his own neck. Lloyd tried to breathe, but couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. He fell to the floor, growing weaker and weaker as seconds passed. Lloyd wanted to scream out for help, but only strained, quiet cries came from his mouth. Then, the ground beneath Lloyd began to shake, filling him with a sense of peace. A large pillar of stone grew from under him, raising Lloyd above the fog. Once he was out, he could see the world around him. More importantly, he could finally breathe. He pushed himself up as he coughed hard, trying to refill his lungs with air. Without even having to look up, Lloyd shouted, “Thanks, Cole!” He looked around and saw that every single person who had been caught in the fog had been lifted to safety by their own pillar. And, in the middle of them was the Master of Earth, standing on the tallest pillar of all. Upon healing his name, Cole turned around, spotting Lloyd. He waved and pointed to the end of the expo hall where Nya was using water to flood the hall, Zane following close behind her, freezing it as she went. The water mixed with the fog and the ice held it all in place, stopping the spread. And in the areas where the fog hadn’t been contained yet, Kai and Jay were holding the line, using their respective powers to keep the fog back. By the time Lloyd caught his breath, the team had finished the job, leaving the hall covered in a thick sheet of ice. Cole jumped from pillar to pillar until he made it to Lloyd, offering out a hand to help his friend up. “Hey! Are you okay? Sorry we didn’t get here sooner.” Lloyd offered a friendly smile. “You got here just in time. Thanks for saving me back there.” “Don’t mention it, Short Stack!” Cole started to leave, but he stopped when he noticed Lloyd’s clawed neck. He craned his head down to take a better look. “Shit, the fog do this to you?” “I’m not quite sure what happened, actually,” Lloyd admitted. He reached up and held his neck, feeling small trickles of blood falling from his self-inflicted wounds. Cole wrapped an arm around him as he terraformed the side of Lloyd’s pillar into a staircase. “Don’t worry, we can talk about it more on the Bounty, okay?” Lloyd nodded as he allowed Cole to safely guide him down to the ground.Woe To The Golden Calf (Vent Poetry)I pushed her away, or so I tried.Blocked out, pushed far, where she should hide.Yet everywhere I turn, she lies,Like an ever-present parasite, unconfined. This Golden Calf, they kowtow and pray,Her artwork and words are the truth, they blindly say.They lift her high, like a shining lie,And turn to me, with expectant eye. "Join us," their sheep gazes plead,"Worship our prophet, help sow her seed.""Bow down to our queen," they say, as I cringe,They're just her little puppets in her venomous fringe. What holy grace does she possess?Just a showoff artist, a high and mighty mess,Her art and words, apparently something grand,But I see the flaws, and no one understands. They rave about her hypocritical painted lines,Her "lovely" drawings, her "grand" designs.But I just see an insignificant hand,Deceitful paints and pencils from where I stand. She's not special, not even a bit good,Her annoying pictures just fill me with a bad mood.Just lines and colors, flaccid and thin,Baseless sculptures, a boring spin. I'm tired of her, in every way.I just wish that she would go away.Fall from prominence, like a wave's crash,Reduced to dust, like crumbled ash. Oh, what a joy that would impart!A freedom for this spiteful heart.I'd buy cake and ice cream, colors so bright,To celebrate her downfall through the night. A sweet feast, a joyous release,That thought alone will be my endless peace,A cruel thought, yes, I know it's true,But, everything about her, I am through.Little Silver MenNighttime had arrived and with it came the darkness. On the porch of her house, Allison was sitting on a rocking chair smoking a cigarette, the smoke swirling in the air making complicated shapes before they would disappear into the dimness of the night. A simple light was hanging from the ceiling of the porch, its light attracting different insects such as flies and moths. Somewhere around her property Allison could hear the sound of crickets. Further in the distance came sounds from traffic, although there wasn't much of it happening right now because of the time of day. There was some distance between her property and the closest settlement and she preferred it this way. She liked her privacy. The serenity of Allison's night was disturbed by the barking of a dog. Allison could distinguish that it was her own dog, Scott. She got on her feet and extinguished the rest of her cigarette on the ashtray that was placed on the rail of the porch, the tray containing too many cigarette butts already. She whistled into the night as she left the lit porch and waited for her dog to appear. Scott was nowhere to be seen, but he kept barking at something. Allison strayed from the light even more as she followed the loud sounds the dog was making. “Come here, boy!” she yelled into the darkness. And still, Scott continued to bark. It wasn't until Allison was getting close to where Scott was barking when he finally stopped and came to her, tail wagging. The dog was a mongrel about the size of a German Shepherd and to Allison, he was a perfect watchdog. “What did you find, boy?” Allison asked from the dog and ventured further in darkness. She heard movement nearby, a twig had just snapped. Didn't sound anything big, though. She should have got her flashlight with her, she cursed in her mind. Suddenly Scott dashed into the blackness, but stopped not far away and was wagging his tail. Allison could recognize a small figure, even in darkness. “Goddammit, Devon, what are you doing out here this late?” Allison lectured the little boy, feeling a little relieved that it was just her son and not something threatening. “Nothing”, the boy said sheepishly and looked at his feet. “Go to your bed and don't even think you have the right to complain that you're tired in the morning”, Allison said and started to slightly push Devon towards their house. They reached the lit area in no time and Allison urged her son to go inside while she remained on the porch. Annoyed by her little boy's nightly adventures, she decided to smoke another cigarette. Scott settled down on her feet after she had sat down on the rocking chair again, blowing abstract shapes into the air. “Damn that brat”, she mumbled to herself. A sharp and high-pitched noise suddenly pierced her ears, so sharp she felt it in her head. Allison had never in her life heard anything like this and got a little startled by it. Her heart trembling, she remained stationary as she focused on her hearing. Seconds passed but the sound didn't repeat itself. It had been just this single one, like a blow of a whistle. Allison let herself relax after some while, pondering about possible causes for the sound she had just heard. Maybe it was just a group of teenagers clowning around near her property – it wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe it was a really strange noise made by a bird. She didn't think much of it, though, and once she had finished smoking, she prepared to go to bed as well. She wasn't thrilled when the annoying ringing of the alarm clock woke her up in the morning. Early rays of the sun were attempting to infiltrate Allison's bedroom through the small gaps in the curtains. She rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling, her hand on her forehead. “Fuck this”, Allison muttered to herself and managed to lift her body from her bed. She opened the curtains and headed downstairs, starting her day. Her first task was going outside and opening the hatch of the chicken coop, letting out her precious birds. She had a fenced area for them to roam freely during daytime, so she could confidently leave them to do their thing while she was away from home. Allison gave the chickens food before she headed back to the house. She quickly smoked one morning cigarette and went back inside. It was time to prepare breakfast. Once she found her way to the kitchen, she immediately got the coffee maker going. It was bubbling in the background while she made toast for both her and Devon, putting the pieces of bread in the toaster. She also poured a glass of orange juice for the boy. Soon the slices of bread jumped from the toaster and Allison snatched them, putting just butter on her toasts while she spread raspberry marmalade on the ones that were meant for Devon. After this, Allison left the kitchen to wake up her son. The boy was still asleep when Allison entered Devon's room. She stepped towards the curtains and opened them and said: “It's time to wake up.” Devon let out a whining noise and protected his eyes from the flow of sunlight that was now flooding his room. But Allison was having none of it. “I told you don't have the right to complain”, she said as she walked towards the boy's bed. She tapped Devon's body a few times before she left the room, saying: “Get up and get dressed. And don't forget your backpack.” Allison then headed downstairs again to enjoy her breakfast. Her coffee was now ready so she filled her cup with that dark hot liquid and sat down on one of the chairs that surrounded a round table in the middle of the kitchen. She was scrolling news through her phone while eating and drinking and after a couple of minutes, Devon silently joined her. He didn't utter a single word as he took his place around the table and started to munch on the toast his mother had prepared for him. None of them spoke to each other during the breakfast; these quiet meal times were normal to them. Once Allison was done with her breakfast, she finally broke the silence by saying: “Now, get ready to leave while I change clothes.” “Okay”, Devon responded quietly. Allison stood up and placed her coffee cup in the sink, then headed upstairs yet again. She swapped her pajamas to something more decent; she worked as a cleaner so it didn't really matter that much how she looked. She was quickly finished with this task and descended the stairs one more time. Devon was already waiting by the door with his backpack and Allison just grabbed her keys and both stepped out of the house. Scott was left inside. Allison locked the door before heading to the car with her son. Devon hopped on the back seat while she sat down on the driver's seat. The engine roared a little as Allison turned the car on and soon she steered the vehicle on the only road that led out of her property and began their short and quiet drive. The vibrant rural area soon turned into a suburb. Less vegetation and more land shaped by human hand. More and more buildings appeared into the scenery, their familiar forms passing by as Allison drove through the same route as she did every day. Some time later she steered her car at the parking lot of the local elementary school and did a little turn in there. She stopped her vehicle for a brief moment so Devon could hop out. No words were exchanged as the boy stepped out of the car and headed towards the school building. Allison drove away, her current workplace as her destination. This is the pattern where Allison was stuck at. These mundane days, she felt like living in a loop. She would wake up and get ready for work while also preparing Devon for school. She would drop him off and head to work. Excruciatingly slow hours she would have to endure in her workplace that kept changing. Then she would pick up her son and on some days, go to the grocery store. Allison would head home and spend the evening just watching television and smoking cigarettes, having no strength or desire to do anything. Her life kept repeating itself over and over again and while she was very much dissatisfied with it, she didn't really know how to break out of the infinite cycle. The next evening Allison was again sitting on her rocking chair on the porch, blowing strangely dancing shapes of smoke into the chilly air. Scott was laying on her feet, keeping her company. Allison enjoyed the quiet dark evenings, having nothing around but nature. She heard giggling from somewhere nearby. This broke her peaceful moment and she knew immediately who the culprit was. Very much annoyed, she quickly fetched her flashlight from the lobby of her house and walked into the darkness, the bright beam of light cutting through the dimness. But as she was getting closer to the source of the noise, it then stopped completely. Still, she pressed onwards and soon enough, the light beam revealed the small figure of Devon. “What are you doing here again?” Allison asked with a very angry tone. “Nothing.” The boy gave the exact same answer as before, but this time, he said it more confidently. Allison thought nothing of it and grabbed her son by the arm and started to forcefully drag him back to the house. “Go to bed and stay there.” Devon didn't struggle against her. He behaved like a good kid and went inside, heading upstairs. Allison was about to turn off her flashlight when its beam suddenly touched something in the darkness, appearing as a silvery glimmer. She pointed her light at her surroundings, confused about what she had just seen. For a while she tried to find the source of the shimmer, but had no luck. She shrugged and clicked the light off, retreating on her chair again. Her ears were pierced by sharp high-pitched sound. The same sound she had heard yesterday. It hurt her head during the couple of seconds she heard it and then it just vanished. Yet again she was left to ponder what it was, but just like before, she had no answers. She decided to check around her property by morning when there was some daylight. Allison went to rest for the night, still bewildered by the sound that was haunting her. It was odd for the first time alone, but the fact she had heard it twice? It was strange. As the morning came around and she went to open the chicken coop, Allison also made a brief investigation around her property. She decided to check the area where she had found her son sneaking around in the evening, but she found nothing. No source of weird sounds or evidence of what Devon had been doing. Allison strolled around a little bit more, but still, she didn't notice anything strange. Everything appeared normal to her, but for some reason, that was exactly what she was worried about. She figured she could do nothing about it at the moment and just resumed her day as usual. The next evening Allison was prepared for any oddities to occur. She was sitting on her chair, her flashlight on her lap so she could immediately investigate if she heard anything weird. But the night remained silent and still, she could only hear the familiar melody by the crickets resonating in the chilly night air. There was just peace and blackness surrounding her. Allison pondered whether the unexplainable sounds she had heard were just random mysterious occurrences that she wouldn't experience anymore. Odd things tend to happen in life. She returned inside her house and went to bed. In the morning Allison woke up with a headache. It wasn't unbearable, but pretty painful nonetheless. Before eating breakfast, she consumed a couple of painkillers in hopes that it would put an end to her pain or at least make it tolerable. The headache made her very irritated and she found even the sound of Devon eating his breakfast annoying. But Allison simply exploded when the boy accidentally knocked down his glass of juice, spilling the liquid all over the kitchen table. “You fucking brat!” Allison roared as she suddenly stood up and hit Devon in the face. “That's it! No more breakfast for you, go wait in the car!” The boy was quiet and exited the kitchen as unnoticed as a shadow. He had learned that it was best to say nothing to his mother; she would always win. Allison's start for the day wasn't great and much to her dismay, she found out that her headache hadn't been going anywhere, making her work more unpleasant than it already was. Strangely the time tends to move forward as slowly as possible when you're waiting for it to pass, and so Allison's work day was just painful all around. Great was her relief when after a long and exhausting day she could finally go home. Taking more painkillers didn't do anything for her headache. Maybe it just was one of those strange ones that will linger no matter what you do. She simply tried to relax during the evening at home and mostly she was doing fine. As usual, Allison was smoking her last cigarette of the day on the porch when she was startled by the odd high-pitched sound again. It greatly grated her head, it almost felt like somebody was trying to drill onto her skull and she groaned from pain. However, the ache went away as soon as the sound faded and everything was completely silent again. Allison could think about the cause of that infernal noise only for a couple of seconds when something else got her full attention. For a very brief moment she could see something rushing through the darkness, at the edge of the lit area. It had a silvery shimmer in it and without it, Allison would have been pretty sure that it was some sort of animal. As far as she knew, no animal glowed in silver. This was the second time she had witnessed this phenomenon, but she could only guess what it actually was. She fetched her flashlight again and decided to look around a bit. Her guess was that it was just some teens messing around. She wandered around her property investigating, but her light didn't reveal anything abnormal to her. She paused for a moment, just listening to the sounds of the night. Seconds passed, but she didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. This outcome was frustrating to her, because the sounds and silvery shimmer she had witnessed were reoccurring things, not isolated cases. Something definitely was going on, but she wasn't able to find concrete evidence of it. Maybe she was finally going crazy. Maybe she was finally succumbing to her role as the "Cranky Ally", the boogeyman teenagers joked about. With a bitter heart, Allison returned to the house and was heading to bed. She had just brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas and was about to close the curtains for the night, but as soon as she reached the window, she let out a surprised yelp. There was someone behind the window, watching her. Or more like, something. A weird creature that had silvery skin, huge bat-like ears and ridiculously huge yellow eyes and a wide mouth with rows of sharp teeth. It appeared to be about the size of a ten-year-old child. Allison didn't have much time to inspect this critter when it had already vanished. Allison remained on her spot for a good while, heart trembling and shocked. She had no explanation for what she had just seen. And the fact that it had been just outside of her room's window… Her room was on the second floor. That thing had climbed to spy on her. It took Allison a moment to gather enough courage to step towards the window and take a look outside. She saw nothing in the darkness. But she knew, oh she knew, that the strange being was out there. She closed the curtains and dragged herself to bed, still shaken. She didn't rest well that night, she was so paranoid about the entity that it was like glued to her head, unable to think anything else than this terrifying encounter. Allison wasn't sure if the next morning was welcome or not. Maybe the daylight would keep the critter away, but she was so very tired because of last night. But work day is a work day, so she got out of the bed and started to prepare for the day. As she was drinking her morning coffee, Allison noticed that Devon was in an unusually joyful mood. He was smiling and his little legs were swinging back and forth; he even let out a quiet humming noise. It was irritating to Allison. “What are you so happy about?” Allison asked angrily, her voice sounding almost like a growl. “I'm going to meet friends today”, Devon replied. Yeah, some brats from school. Allison thought nothing of it and the rest of the breakfast went in silence. While at work, Allison developed another headache. It started as something rather mild, but it just kept growing worse throughout the day. And strangely, as it got worse, it also made Allison hear things. That weird high-pitched sound she had heard these past few evenings was tormenting her again, although not as strongly. Still, it was making her insane; it almost felt like a horrible hangover. It really was messing with her head and in the end she was feeling so nauseous that she had to leave work a bit earlier. She really hoped that taking a few painkillers and staying in the quiet comfort of her home would make her feel better. But she was wrong. She was in pain throughout the day. But the worst part was the infernal sound she was hearing; it did occasionally go away and Allison was grateful whenever that happened, but the noise would always come back and pierce her head like a drill. She was feeling awful and she started to think about whether she should seek medical help. This wasn't normal. Allison decided that if her condition wouldn't get better by tomorrow, she would visit a doctor. When the evening came around, Allison felt really drained for some reason. She didn't have strength to do anything and was barely able to stand. She followed her night routines and was sitting on her rocking chair again, smoking her last cigarette. While she was trying to relax, suddenly Devon ran past her, heading to the darkness. “Where are you going?” Allison yelled after him. “To play with friends!” Devon answered and soon his small figure got devoured by the surrounding darkness. Allison didn't have the strength to argue with the boy so she just let him do whatever he wanted. She could hear him giggling and whispering something, but other than that, she didn't really pay attention to what the boy was doing there. He would turn into a complete nutcase when growing up, Allison thought to herself in a bitter way. She finished smoking, inhaling the toxins into her lungs one more time, and extinguished the cigarette on the ashtray. She peered into the darkness, trying to spot her son. But she just heard him, although very faintly. Allison retrieved her flashlight and cursed in her head, she started to look for Devon. “Come here, Devon, the playtime is over”, she grumpily shouted into the darkness, moving her flashlight's beams all around to catch a glimpse of the boy. Everything was oddly silent, Allison noted. The owl, the crickets… She heard nothing but her own rustling steps invading the vegetation. Even Devon had gone quiet. But there had been so many weird things happening lately that she didn't really feel surprised anymore. Right now she just wanted to drag her son back to the house and go to sleep. Eventually Allison's light hit Devon; he had been crouching near a gooseberry bush. As soon as the light had revealed his hiding place, the boy stood up and turned to face his mother. “There you are”, Allison said. “Now, get back inside, it's your bedtime.” But to her disbelief, the boy shook his head. “No.” After getting over her astonishment, Allison then turned angry. “This is not a debate, Devon. Go to your room and stay there.” The boy shook his head again, this time even more vigorously. “I want to be with my friends. You go.” “What the hell are you –“ Allison's sentence was cut short when she suddenly heard noises behind her. Something was rustling among the plants – and it sounded like there were multiple of them. She turned around and gasped from shock so hard that she almost dropped her flashlight. There were about six little silver creatures. Exactly like the one she had seen peeking from her room's window. Their huge yellow eyes stared at her in a very unsettling way and they were slowly approaching her, like a pack of predators that worked together to catch their prey. They were making strange clicking sounds and they tilted their heads over and over again, moving in an unnerving way. “What the fuck?!” Allison was instinctively walking backwards and she frantically pointed her light around, maybe even hoping that the beam would blind the creatures. But it had no effect. “Scott! Scott!” Allison had hoped that her dog would come and defend her from the creatures. She heard how something was moving fast toward her location and she was sure it was Scott. And she was right. The dog appeared from the darkness, but he didn't even acknowledge the presence of the critters apart from glancing at them briefly. Scott bypassed Allison and went to Devon, sitting down next to the boy. This shocked Allison; she felt like everyone was against her. “They're here to take you”, Devon said. “Take me? What do you mean?” Allison inquired, her gaze shifting from the creatures to her son. She felt a horrible pain in her head as the high-pitched sound impaled it once more, this time it was the worst one yet. Allison dropped her flashlight and she tried to shield her ears from the horrendous noise. It was like somebody was hitting nails on her skull and into the brain. She had never felt this kind of agony. The pack of weird creatures approached her and they struck their claws on her, grasping Allison by her clothes or skin. She screamed and tried to struggle against her captors, but they were surprisingly strong and flailing her limbs didn't stagger them at all. They began to drag her away, into the darkness of the night. Suddenly a blinding white light appeared and the beings were taking her towards it. Allison looked at her son and her dog that just remained on their spots and watched. She could see that Devon had a wide smile on his face. It was the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness.trophySongs Into Stories: MastermindA black midnight strikes and with it comes the winds of malevolence. They howl dreadfully like a pack of hounds from hell, desiring to bite any poor creature that would dare to wander outside at their mercy. In fact, there was a lone figure defining the harrowing breezes, veiled in a dark cloak. Carrying a bucket filled with ice, he hurried among the corpses of abandoned buildings to find the one he had taken as his lair. A cold rain started to pour from the black sky while the man was on the move, causing him to move faster. The shrieks of the wind sounded outright eerie and sinister as they blew throughout the area of forsaken buildings that were left to rot, sounding like cries of spirits. The man had seen apparitions during these many years, so it wasn't farfetched to think that these grounds were haunted. Such a reputation was totally fine with him; it would keep most curious eyes away and not meddle with his work. Through the labyrinth of rust and debris, he eventually managed to reach the building that was in decent shape, at least when compared to its decayed brethren. A weak light above the entrance was trying its best to cast away the surrounding darkness, but was barely able to do so. It kept flickering in an unnerving way, sometimes going out for several seconds. Still it managed to guide the man to this huge warehouse. He opened the rusty metal door that let out a horrible creak as he forced it to move; it almost sounded like somebody had screamed. Once the man had passed through its frame, the metal door became a guardian once more, closing behind the man with a loud thud. The warehouse concealed a terrible secret. A huge part of the building was occupied by a noisy machine, the finest work of the man, although it wasn't perfect. Most of the metal pieces were covered in rust and there were many spots that were either sparking or smoking. The whole contraption looked like it could fall into pieces at any moment. But against all odds, it still stood there firmly, waiting for the moment when it would be able to unleash its powers and fulfill its purpose. It was a doomsday device. The man had been working on it for years, in the solitude of his warehouse. He was a genius, though not one of a sane kind. With this machine, he would make the whole world kneel before him and he would rule as the supreme lord. He could see this grand vision in his mind, and had been seeing it for years now. He wasn't like the other miserable dwellers of the world, he was different. Once the machine would be completed, he would claim the world as his own. And he had tried, tried so hard to be one with the masses, but hadn't felt comfortable in his skin of false fellowship, especially after the tragedy took his dearest away from him. Now bitter and hateful, he shed this skin like a snake and strived to become the one who would mold this world anew. One strike of the heaven's fire was the last thing he needed for his machine to come alive. For this purpose, he had installed a long and crude antenna on the roof. It was reaching for the heaven like a hideous mechanical hand, desperate for power. The genius was looking upwards, gazing at the black heaven through the couple of windows there were in the ceiling. The rain was starting to pound harder on the glass and he pondered if a storm was approaching. The water from the sky was relentlessly tormenting the warehouse and the gusts of wind were growing stronger, violently toying with the antenna. Still, it was able to remain there even at the mercy of the black heaven. The genius held high hopes that night for it really seemed like he would get the final powerful touch that would make his visions of greatness real. He opened a hatch in the machine and emptied the bucket of ice in there, then he observed the weather, staring at the windows above him. He waited and waited, but he wasn't exactly the most patient man in the world. The harsh wind and rain were there, causing some sort of storm, but there was no lightning, the one thing he required. He was pacing around the warehouse for a while, but he needed something to do. He noticed that a part of his machine was barely functioning, the cogs were loose, and so the genius grabbed his tools and started to work on the doomsday device. However, one thing led to another and soon it occurred that he was dismantling the grand machine, bit by bit. It wasn't as perfect as he wanted. The warehouse was getting more and more quiet as he tore the device into pieces, only the clanking of metal echoed within the confinements of the building. The truth was that this machine wasn't the first one he had created and it wouldn't be the last. During his years in solitude, the genius had built many different versions of the doomsday device, mostly following the same pattern but some of them being slightly different. Perhaps this was because of perfectionism. Or maybe just a result of his mind's obsession with being occupied. He was stuck in a cycle, building a device he could use to conquer the world, just needing to capture a single strike of lightning in order to unleash the machine's potential, but he would never be able to wait long enough for that to happen. He had a brilliant mind for sure, but it was also his biggest downfall. Constantly getting distracted and bored, he would repeat building the machine, only to break it down a while afterwards. For years the genius had been doing the same thing over and over again. So many years later he managed to finally realize this. The warehouse was eerily silent since all the sounds of the machine were gone. Shadows were lurking in every corner, kept in their spots by the flickering of lights. The outside world was engulfed by darkness, and so was the mind of the genius. He was on his knees on the cold floor, holding his head and crying, while the broken metal was scattered all around him, their stillness telling the tale of his ultimate failure. All his tools and the pieces of machine, they were all the same, just useless debris with no function in their shattered form. Years of work. He had sacrificed so many years of his life into making the machine, but for what? He didn't even want to rule anymore. A portion of his life, wasted just like that, having all these visions of grandeur, but losing his desire to make them reality. Bitter tears in his eyes, he just wished he could go back in time and prevent himself from wasting all these years. An idea sparked in his mind. While the last of his tears were rolling down his face, he stood up from the floor. He could do that, go back in time. He was a genius after all. He would make the impossible possible. The genius rushed to his worktable to scribble down blueprints. A little bit of designing, a little bit of time and he would be able to travel back to the days when he hadn't yet wasted his potential. He committed to this project completely, nothing else mattered. Once he was fully focusing on something, he couldn't think of anything else. Eating or sleeping, he barely allowed himself to enjoy these necessities. Day and night he worked on his newest device and if it worked, it wouldn't be his last one. He scavenged new tools from the neighboring buildings, finding just enough and in decent condition for him to wield. But it's not like anyone would miss them anyway; they were left to decay. Now they would aid the genius in his finest work yet. And one evening, it was done. The genius looked at the object that now lay on the worktable, on top of the blueprints that had given the start for its existence. He felt rather surreal as he stared at his new device, but he was also proud of himself, even though he wasn't sure if it was going to work or not. But he was quite confident that it would function as it should. The object didn't really look like much; it was a rusty cube with wires and screws sticking out of it and was the size of about an alarm clock. Inside its core, it let out a blue shimmer. The genius was admiring his own work and he carefully picked it up from the table to give some late inspections on it. He eyed the cube thoroughly, but didn't find anything that should be fixed. It was ready to be used. He stood up from his seat and held the cube with both hands delicately as if it was the most fragile thing – though it would be a major setback if it happened to break. The genius let his gaze wander around the warehouse, feeling oddly sentimental about all this, like he was leaving and never coming back. But maybe that was partly true. He wouldn't see this exact state anymore. The genius activated his gadget by pressing a button on one of its sides and the device started to whirr. The blue shimmer spread from its core to all its external parts and from there, it kept devouring everything in its way, engulfing the genius inside its glow. A vortex of blue light dominated the warehouse for a short moment until it suddenly disappeared with a loud boom like if something had exploded. The genius was gone and so was his device. All that was left behind were the broken metal clutter and the curious little shadows that had followed his work for so long. A black midnight strikes and with it comes the winds of malevolence. They howl dreadfully like a pack of hounds from hell, desiring to bite any poor creature that would dare to wander outside at their mercy. In fact, there was a lone figure defining the harrowing breezes, veiled in a dark cloak. Carrying a bucket filled with ice, he hurried among the corpses of abandoned buildings to find the one he had taken as his lair. There was a scent of storm in the air and he wanted to get indoors before it would unleash its full might. A little bit of drizzle started to soak him already as he moved like a shadow around the cemetery of deserted buildings. It wasn't hard for him to find the warehouse he was residing in. The only light in this accursed darkness was hanging above the entrance of the man's lair, acting like a beacon that would guide him home. This light remained strong even before the might of the incoming storm and smothering night. The vile winds on his trail, the man opened the door to the warehouse and slipped inside, safe from their cold and ruthless fangs. The grand contraption that used to claim most of the space in the warehouse was no more. Or more like, it hadn't been built yet. The genius had successfully traveled backwards in time, years before he had started to work on his doomsday device. Sadly, his little time machine gadget had broken in the process; he would have liked to go even farther back. However, this was enough for him and he felt content, being years younger now. The genius walked towards a new kind of machine he had recently created. It was a rather crude mass of metal and wires, though the most notable part of it was a mechanical hand it was able to move. The device was placed next to a table and on the table, there was a chess board. The genius pressed a button to turn on the machine and it rumbled a little as it came to life. His opponent was ready. The genius sat down on a chair and contemplated his first move. He grabbed a bottle of beer from the bucket of ice and got immersed in the board game. It was one of those things he had always wanted to learn. And now, as he was years younger, he thought it would be a perfect opportunity to study chess. His little robot here would aid him with this. He had his whole life ahead of him, and if he wanted to pursue world domination again, there was time for that. But for now, he would keep playing, and the world could sigh in relief as the one madman had something else to do with his time. But the world was inside his head, his sense of reality fabricated. His spirit is bound to his own personal hell, unable to perceive life beyond his little plane of existence. Though you can't long for something you don't know anything about. Trapped inside his dark bubble, he would keep building his machines and living his life drenched in madness. He was all alone and being held in a cage.Suffering In SilenceA thick fog had shrouded the town in its cold and dreary embrace. It felt unnatural, giving to the townsfolk the sensation that nothing could thrive inside its miserable guts. The radiant sun that had blessed the town just a while ago couldn't penetrate through the mist with its holy and life-giving rays, and so the town was trapped in dimness, for not even their artificial lights managed to bring illumination to their dwelling. The fog was like a dormant grand beast, sitting on the town's chest and smothered it, because the air seemed to stay completely still, there wasn't even a single gust of wind to be felt. The haze also silenced all the noises and within the weak-minded, it felt like they had entered a spirit realm as a punishment for something they didn't even remember doing. Not many people believed in spirits or any other supernatural things whatsoever anymore, but sometimes even these nonbelievers were left to ponder whether there was something behind the strange happenings that couldn't be explained by logic. No matter what their stance was regarding the existence of spirits, the eerie gloom the fog had brought over their town made everyone wandering outside look like lost souls, condemned to seek something they would never find. The mist had transformed everyone into dark figures that were unable to recognize each other and would just drift through the haze like nothing mattered to them. However, there was one individual who was constantly like this, not just on this particular foggy day. Milanvi had lived in this town for years, but still, nobody could recognize him. He was like a ghost, sometimes wandering outside, but not interacting with anybody. He was so dull that nobody ever paid any attention to him. And that day was no different, not to him. But that day, he was one of the many, he was part of the town in a strange way, since everybody was like ghosts to each other. But every day Milanvi blended in perfectly and no one could tell that he was there, had been all along. Milanvi was a very quiet young man. He seldomly started conversations with anyone and even when he did, he tried his best to get out of the situation as fast as he could. He just didn't want to waste anyone's time; he wasn't worth it. He was a stranger to everyone and thus, no one would miss him, no one would wonder how he was doing. He was an unseen background character, not someone people could remember or care about. Just a bland man you would forget within the same day. And since there was no one who could be considered as part of his pathetic lonely life, there was no one who could help him. Maybe it was his own fault, being so wretched that nobody wanted to be around him. Milanvi was carrying a lot of anguish inside, sometimes it felt crushing. But being the oddly silent man that he was, screaming his pain was something he was unable to do, it was like a curse and his lips were sealed. Sometimes he wanted to call for help, reach his hand from the pit of misery where he was dwelling, but there was no one out there who was willing to listen or grasp his hand. In the end, Milanvi had accepted his role as a living ghost. He remained in his pit that was getting deeper and filled with black water so he could drown. From the outside, he was a regular young man you would expect to bypass in the streets. Maybe you would occasionally see him inside the apartment building where you lived, maybe pondering who he was. But since he was so plain, you wouldn't waste any more time thinking about him. He just kept to himself, not wanting to bother anyone. From the surface he looked calm, like the water of a pond. But from the inside, there was a relentless chaos, deep under that still and calm water. It was killing him from within, and yet, he couldn't ask for help. He had understood that he had failed every aspect of his life and there were no brighter days ahead. He had suffered all his life and that would never change. He was tired of it all, so very tired. People tend to go for walks when they want to calm down and clear their head, but in Milanvi, it had the opposite effect. His mind was a busy one, and if there was nothing for him to focus on, darkness would easily veil it. But even with this risk, he still possessed a particle of the will to just go outside instead of counting the shadows on his walls or being mesmerized by the television. On some days, he was glad of the sight of fellow people. But sometimes, he was afraid of them all, unable to stay out for long as he was filled with the desire to get back home, to safety. He would just sit there while his soul would rot, suffering in silence. This foggy day, it was strangely ordinary for Milanvi. He breathed in the still but fresh air, enjoying how it filled his lungs, even if the air would poison him. Under the cover of thick mist, he would dare to glance around more as he didn't have to worry about accidentally making eye contact with people. They were just dark figures, ghosts just like him, wandering around immersed in their own little world. The air was cold, but somehow Milanvi found it comfortable, giving him sensations of serenity and being strangely connected to the outside world. He had no particular destination set in mind as he strolled around the town of fog, he would just aimlessly go wherever his feet would take him. He didn't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen during his visit to the guts of the haze, he assumed this being just another mundane day in his life, but strange things tend to happen when you least expect it. Every form Milanvi saw in the fog appeared blurred and every sound was muffled, so he didn't think much of it when he saw a shadowy figure pass by near him. He assumed this was just one of the townsfolk. But then they bypassed him again, moving back and forth. This person's erratic behavior did catch his interest, even though he usually didn't want to pay too much attention to other people, not wanting them to feel uncomfortable because of him. But this entity here, they didn't seem… real. They didn't seem to be a human being. At first Milanvi tried to glance at them sneakily from the corner of his eye, not daring to look directly at them. But little by little he became more interested in this mysterious being and got courage to take a better look at them. By the first glance, the entity appeared as a human since it had the height of a tall person and because they were veiled in black, they didn't seem to differ much from the dark forms of the townsfolk that were walking around. But how this thing moved… There was something unnatural about it. They moved swiftly around despite not running and their limbs were twitching in a horrifying way. In Milanvi's opinion, it was like a glitch in a video game. The being was wrapped in black rags that concealed their whole body. This of course only highlighted the most notable feature they possessed; they were wearing a pure white mask, the only facial features it held were the eyes. Pitch-black, empty eyes that were crying blood. Milanvi wasn't sure how to feel about the strange entity that clearly wasn't human. Should he be terrified? Curious? Ignore them completely? Were they real or had he lost the last remains of his sanity? Did they happen to be a specter that had appeared only to him? No one else paid any attention to them. But was it because of the fog or because the entity refused to be seen by others, Milanvi wasn't sure. The entity moved around Milanvi, clearly having some sort of interest in him. But they made no sounds, so Milanvi couldn't tell what they wanted from him. At first, he had found their presence quite distressing, but as he continued to stroll in the mist, the creature started to seem more and more harmless. What a strange thing it is, the human brain. Milanvi was more afraid of fellow people than an unnatural entity. Even in Milanvi's mind this was pretty absurd. But despite the being's scary looks, they hadn't shown any signs of hostility. They just were there, fascinated by Milanvi, joining in his wandering around the town. They were a companion Milanvi hadn't expected to get, but surprisingly, he didn't really mind this even though he probably should have. But of course, the question was burning in his mind: what was this creature? What was their purpose, why did they appear to him today? He was afraid to open his mouth and ask these questions from the entity, because if only he could see them, he would seem pretty crazy in the eyes of the townsfolk. Milanvi remained quiet, walking forward with the strange being circling around him, acting normal just like he did every day. Perhaps it was his subconsciousness that had made the decision. Milanvi had somehow managed to walk to the small port the town had. He had this strange feeling inside, like he needed to be here. But why? The silence was hanging over the port just like it had done around the rest of the town, but in here, Milanvi could hear some noises that proved there was life inside the guts of the fog. He could hear the seagull's sad caw a few times, maybe it was trying to find somebody because it couldn't stand the loneliness anymore inside the mist. Then the bird's sounds faded away like an old man's memory. The only sound left behind was the waters that weakly crashed against the pier and the bottom of the boats that remained stationary, slumbering and waiting for the moment when they could fulfill their purpose once more. The port felt serene. Milanvi couldn't see anything except some of the dark forms of the sleeping vessels. The fog was leading into the nothingness. It gave him the impression that there was absolutely nothing beyond the curtain of mist. This town was trapped in the fog, cut from the rest of the world. Or maybe, if you took the risk and would get lost in the haze willingly, it would lead you to a new place. A better place, perhaps. Milanvi stared into the grey emptiness and wondered what could possibly lie beyond it. At this moment he also noticed that the entity had ceased their erratic movements. Milanvi glanced at the being, it was just standing there by his side, staring into the mist and its nothingness. It was a little strange to see them this calm. Did they feel the pull to this port as well? Slowly the entity shifted the gaze of its empty eyes at Milanvi. Because of the lack of facial features and being incapable of making sounds, Milanvi wasn't sure what they wanted from him. Then the creature raised their hand and held it in the air; a manner that suggested the creature wanted Milanvi to grasp their hand. For a short moment he pondered this, even though his response didn't linger in his mind for long. Was there anything left for him here? The answer was obvious. Wherever the creature was inviting him to come, it would be better than this. Milanvi grasped the entity's hand; it felt cold but the grip was strong. The creature's long thin fingers that had claws in them closed Milanvi's hand in their clutch, surprisingly tenderly considering their terrifying look. The being started to guide Milanvi towards the fog, walking along the pier. Only the sound of Milanvi's quiet steps could be heard. Once the man and the monster had come to the far end of the pier and there was nothing but water and mist ahead, the entity still encouraged Milanvi to step forward. The man had his doubts and fears, because what would happen once he would take the decisive step? But like a guardian angel, the entity urged him to let go and walk. Milanvi took a deep breath, his last one in the town of mist, and grasping tightly the creature's hand, he stepped over the last board of the pier and began to walk on the fog together with the entity. The sound of Milanvi's steps faded away. There was only silence. Hand in hand the man and the monster disappeared to the mist. Milanvi had been the silent unseen man all this time, so nobody would notice that he wasn't there in the background anymore. Eventually the thick fog that had veiled the town would fade away, and with that, so would the memories of Milanvi even existing. Behind him, he had left nothing but silence.Songs Into Stories: Church AsylumEvery individual carries sins with them and Milrath was no exception. But his sins were so heavy, his crimes so severe that he could feel their weight on his back constantly, no matter where he went, no matter if he tried to find some hidden purity from his stained and twisted soul. His sins were like a corpse that was riding on his back, reminding him of his bad deeds and laughing while the weight would crush him. And some of his sins followed him from the shadows, sneaking around him, watching, judging, sometimes they were pulling the shadow his own body casts. There was evil inside him, Milrath was aware that he was a bad man, but that was a twist in his life; unlike most people like him who have done wicked, terrible things, he felt guilt and wished for forgiveness. He wanted to get rid of the darkness that had a hold of his soul. For a long while already, Milrath had been running away from himself, but so far it had been futile. And yet, still he was trying. The snowstorm was awful that day. The visibility was very poor and the huge snowflakes were getting into Milrath's eyes while the freezing wind was cutting him with its cold viciousness and he had to protect his face with his arm. Traversing the mountain road was hard in such weather, it took a lot of effort to be able to proceed when there was a thick snow blanket covering the ground. Still Milrath found strength to keep going, refusing to let the storm overpower him. His sanity was being tested with the unnatural sounds he could hear from the depths of the mountain and occasionally he could see figures dancing behind the veil of snow, appearing and disappearing, and there was no way to tell what he saw and heard was real and what wasn't. But even though the mountain was playing these tricks, Milrath remained adamant and he continued his lonely journey. After some time, however, the mountain decided to show mercy on Milrath. As he was getting closer to the top, the snowstorm which had been tormenting him this whole time started to subside gradually and the wind lost its harshness, and Milrath didn't have to shield his eyes anymore. The blizzard had calmed down into a mild snowfall and as Milrath progressed, it then ceased completely, and suddenly the skies were clear and the great radiant sun was blessing the mountain with its light. Such an odd travel this had been, Milrath surmised in his head when he was unexpectedly basking in the golden rays of the sun. He wondered if the mountain had been testing him, to see if he was worthy of what he was seeking. It was the only reason he could think of to explain the strange weather anomaly. But now, as he was completely free from the snowstorm and could see around, he now had his destination in sight. A great building stood tall in the cold embrace of the mountain, surrounded by pillars of ice that never melted; it looked like the ice and the black stone had fused together. The building was a church and everything in its exterior looked sharp, like every nook of it was meant to pierce evil. A couple of towers were puncturing the sky and here and there Milrath could see gargoyles guarding the holy structure. He could feel their stony gazes at him as they silently observed and judged him; they could see all the sins he had brought with him. Milrath felt like they could get on their wings and attack him at any second. Under their harsh stares, Milrath cautiously walked towards the church, every now and then glancing at the stone monsters because he was afraid that they would come to life. But they remained stationary even when Milrath had managed to reach the grand double doors that granted entrance to the building. He raised his shaky hand and knocked on the dark wood. There was no response for a while. Milrath pondered if anyone had even heard his knocking. But just when he was about to knock again, one of the doors slowly creaked open and somebody peaked their head outside; a young man who was wearing priest's black robes. “How can I help you?” the young man asked humbly as he pushed the door more open. “I'd like to have a word with the high priest”, Milrath responded quietly. “Of course. Come inside”, the young priest invited him and stepped aside so Milrath could make his way in. Soon the door was closed again, leaving the coldness to the outside world. Milrath learned as soon as he had stepped in that the building was just as magnificent from the inside as it was on the outside. Beautiful pieces of artwork, whether it was paintings or sculptures, decorated the place moderately, portraying saints of the past. Gorgeous candelabras brought a little bit of light inside, together with the sunshine that flowed from the windows. The church was silent, but Milrath could feel some strange vibration in the air; maybe it was some sort of holy energy? “Follow me”, the young man said as he passed Milrath and kept walking forward. “The high priest is in the prayer room.” Without saying a word, Milrath started to follow the priest. The sound of their steps was muffled by the blue long carpet that stretched somewhere into the heart of the building. Milrath could distinguish a pair of doors in the distance and assumed that it was where they were heading. The journey wasn't long, but it felt uncomfortable to Milrath since just like the gargoyles outside, he could feel all the people in the paintings and sculptures judging him. Maybe he just had to get used to it. Once he and the priest had reached the doors, the young man pushed them open and they were allowed to enter the prayer room. It was the most magnificent place Milrath had ever seen in his life and he got filled with the radiating holy powers that dwelled in this room. It made him feel humble. The place was spacious; two rows of church pews took their places on the left and right side of the room. The most well-crafted candelabras were standing here and there and currently they were holding candles that brought a scent of honey into the air. At the far end of the room there was the altar, the heart of the church. Three tall stained-glass windows depicting holy figures were the ones that captured Milrath's gaze for the longest time. The altar consisted of a white pedestal where various objects were waiting for their use, though Milrath couldn't tell what they were used for. Then there were two other pedestals at the left and right side of the altar, filled with vivid flowers. Milrath was a little surprised as he saw the plants; they were blooming beautifully, even though they were inside a building located in the mountain where snow and ice never melted. Maybe it was just one of the holy miracles this place held. It really left Milrath with a sense of awe. There were a few people, all of them priests, on the altar, mumbling something Milrath couldn't hear. Soon they noticed him and the young priest walking closer and the whole group turned to look at them. Once they had reached the altar, the young priest made a slight bow and said: “A guest has asked to speak with you, your honor.” Milrath wasn't exactly sure who was the high priest as all of them wore the same black robes. However, there was undeniable authority radiating from one of the priests. A middle-aged man with long blond hair with certain dignity carved onto his face. And his eyes, Milrath had never seen such bright blue eyes. All the priests were observing him, but the one with those stunning eyes seemed to be able to look deeper, right into the very soul. Milrath felt so small, so insignificant in front of him. It was like the priest knew every bad deed he had done just by looking at him. Milrath's hunch about who was the high priest turned out to be correct. He opened his mouth and said: “Welcome, guest. Will you tell us your name?” Milrath fell on one knee in order to show respect and lowered his head. “My name is Milrath.” “Such a strong name”, the high priest said. “You may call me Casmia. What is it you seek from the house of Melresh?” Milrath barely knew what Melresh was; he was the great lord of the sun and this church had been built to worship him. But Milrath was pretty sure he would get more acquainted with this sun lord if he was allowed to stay and he said: “I'm humbly asking for your guidance and an asylum. Please, give me a place to stay and purify my wretched soul and I will pray to lord Melresh's name.” He lifted his head again and met once more the blue eyes of Casmia. For one short moment the high priest was piercing his soul and Milrath felt like he couldn't hide a single thing about himself. It worried him, for would Casmia let him stay once he knew the truth about him? “Very well.” Milrath almost couldn't believe his ears. The high priest had given him his permission. It was probably the greatest thing that had happened to him in years. “Oh, thank you, your honor!” Milrath exclaimed and stood up. “I will show my devotion to Melresh with all my heart.” “I do not doubt that”, Casmia said calmly. “Now, I will give you a little tour. Please, follow me.” It was that moment when Milrath thought his soul could be purified and he could gain a new start for himself, free from the sins of the past. Seeking guidance from faith was the last thing he could think of that could help him to redeem himself. He hated and feared the man he had become, but when you're born wicked, it's hard to not be like that, it's hard to strive to become something else, something better. Not all were able to resist their nature. But Milrath had this small strand of thought slithering inside his head, like a snake, that he could turn his life around. He allowed that snake to grow, absorbing its essence. Milrath himself felt like a snake as he gave up his clothes he had worn for a long time, thus shedding his skin. From that point on, he was wearing the black robes of a priest. These robes were his new scales and through them he could soak up the golden light of lord Melresh. Milrath adapted to his new life quickly. Living in the church was rather simple; pray and help those who occasionally would come to seek aid from the church. The high priest Casmia also demanded silence whenever they weren't praying, but that wasn't hard to achieve, although Milrath found this to be a little strange since Casmia was so adamant about it. But maybe it had something to do with this being a sacred place of worship and it was necessary to keep it devoutly silent. Just like the life of priests, their diet was simple as well, consisting of bread and water. That was probably the thing Milrath had most trouble getting used to, somewhere in the back of his mind was a voice that craved the meat of other living beings. But he wouldn't let himself consume flesh any more, his body had to turn into a holy instrument and shouldn't be tainted with anything, like with eating substances of other creatures; you'll never know if they've been even grazed by something evil. Bread and water should suffice as he would be vitalized by the holy light of Melresh. He thought that he had been able to run from himself and hide in the mountain of light. But radiant light also casts a dark shadow. These hands that now would be gently pressed against each other to pray had raised a blade to spill blood and end a life, more than once. These eyes that were allowed to witness the holy power of Melresh in the altar where the most vibrant flowers bloomed, they had been filled with hatred and watched how the light of a human life was extinguished. This black heart that was now letting in the golden sunshine had never learned how to love, only hate. Milrath had opened up his heart to seek guidance from the light, but it was hard to shed every bad deed he had done. He was able to feel guilt, perhaps that was a good sign. So many of his own crimes were haunting him in his sleep, the faces and the screams and the begging of all of his victims just repeated themselves in his nightmares. He wanted to forget them, perhaps even yearning for their forgiveness although he was sure he would never deserve that, so he continued to pray. Such a tormented soul. And every day he could feel the gaze of judgement by Casmia's piercing blue eyes. The high priest seldomly spoke with him, but Milrath couldn't help but notice that he was often staring at him. Casmia always remained expressionless so Milrath had no way of knowing what he was thinking or what he was searching for with his invading gaze. But it was uncomfortable, like he was keeping track of the beast Milrath had tried so hard to conceal from everybody. However, Casmia still let him stay in the church, so Milrath felt also a spark of hope whenever he was looking at him with those eyes that seemed to see everything. Milrath tried so hard to become a better man through faith, there was no doubt about that. However, no matter how much he prayed, no matter how devoted he strived to be, a monster still lived inside him. It never went away, it was merely slumbering, waiting for the day when it could raise its ugly head again. It had been there since the very beginning of his life; there was no way it could be separated from him. It didn't take long before Milrath would kill again. The monster was whispering to him, making him crawl back to his old tendencies. All it took was a quarrel with another priest and in a fit of rage Milrath had ruthlessly taken his life by stabbing. He just left the corpse to rot for other priests to find. They were merely the first drops of blood that would be spilled in the church. The beast was now loose and it would attack anyone. The faith, the radiance of sun and holy powers of Melresh, none of them were able to chasten the monster, and Milrath's attempts at striving to become a better person had ultimately failed. He would sin again, killing people who had shared their lives, food and prayers with him. He would take lives as if he had the authority to decide when someone's life should end. Why was he doing this? Even Milrath himself wasn't sure. He had been born wicked and as wicked he would stay. His desire to kill was unnatural, but so tainted and twisted his soul was that he didn't even care anymore. He had tried to run away from his true self, but it had caught him and stuck with him until the day he would die. The mountain church soon transformed from a holy place to a house of horror. Murders would happen frequently; the blood of the priests were staining the holy ground. Anxiety blossomed among the priests as they didn't know who or what was carrying out these murders and of course, Milrath's lips were sealed. In fear for their lives, some of the priests even decided to flee, abandoning the church that had been their home for decades. Some adamantly stayed, like high priest Casmia. Milrath had avoided him as well as he could, for he was sure the high priest was able to just take a quick glance at his soul and find out the truth behind the murders. However, he wouldn't get away with these slaughters forever. In the end, the culprit would always get exposed. One morning, the atmosphere inside the church felt heavy somehow. Milrath could tell something was different the moment he left his quarter. The church was always silent, but that morning, it was even more quiet, like in a grave that had been sealed for centuries. Milrath saw no one as he slowly walked towards the prayer room where all the priests gathered first thing in the morning to make their first prayers of the day. The great double doors were open and Milrath noted that everyone else was in the prayer room already. They had been muttering something between each other with low voices, but as soon as they noticed Milrath coming, they went silent. It was suspicious. Very suspicious. There was tension in the air, but nonetheless, they held the morning sermon just like any other day. Once this was done, however, Casmia then spoke to Milrath: “Brother Milrath, could you please kneel down?” Milrath instantly felt a sting in his black heart. Casmia was staring at him with that familiar piercing gaze, but somehow, it felt even more intense than ever before. He knew. He definitely knew. Nonetheless, Milrath did as the high priest had told and fell on one knee, just like he had done the day they first met. There had been many eyes judging him during all these years, but Casmia's gaze was without a doubt the sharpest one, giving Milrath even physical pain. For a moment Casmia just watched him and let the tension in the air drill into his skull. His back felt heavy as if all the sins he had carried throughout the years were gathering into a single mass, wanting to crush him. “Brother Milrath.” Casmia's voice resonated powerfully within the prayer room. “You came here asking for guidance and an asylum. I accepted your presence and granted them to you and you took lord Melresh into your heart. Or so I thought.” The sunlight behind the stained-glass windows suddenly became brighter and Milrath found it blinding. He had proudly stared at Casmia's face, but the light forced him to look down, making him look more humble than he wanted. “When I first saw you, I knew you were a sinner. That is the reason you came here in the first place, am I correct?” A moment of silence followed these words. However, Casmia soon continued. “You wanted to wash away your sins. That is a noble idea. You hoped that from faith you could find a blade of light that could slay your inner demons. But devoting your life to lord Melresh was not enough to kill them.” Milrath felt like there was a clawed hand inside him, crushing his heart more and more firmly with each word that came out of Casmia's mouth. His heart was a black one, but still a heart nonetheless. From the start Milrath had felt like Casmia could read his soul, but just how accurately he was able to do it was frightening. “I pity you, harbinger of darkness. You gave in to your inner evil and disturbed the house of Melresh. You wanted to feed your demons and so you fed them with the blood and flesh of your brothers. That can never be forgiven.” Milrath heard how multiple steps came closer to him. He could practically feel the eyes of priests on him, judging and despising him. He remained stationary like a statue, his head still low because of the brightness of the sunlight. He knew that this was the day of ultimate judgment, but would he accept it? “Brothers!” Casmia's voice echoed strongly in the room, so strongly that it almost felt like the building was shaking. “What is the fate of Milrath? Is it absolution and exile? Or is it execution?” There was only a short moment of whispering among the priests, they all came to the same conclusion very quickly. Milrath's black heart was trembling. “We have decided that Milrath's fate is…”Sushi Pack Reimagine Chapter 1 Chapter 1A Strange Customer Today, The Green Donut was unusually busy for a Saturday, many customers (primarily tourists) were visiting in droves.Although this is certainly great for business, the number of customers became quite overwhelming, especially when there were only three employees: Ben, the Green Donut's owner's son, Francis Huffman, and Heidi Yip. While Francis took over as the cashier for noon, Heidi and Ben were juggling trays full of donuts just to keep up with the sudden increase in demand. "Ugh, I'm so tired!" Heidi moaned, and her arms ached from carrying so much in a short period of time. "I agree, dude," Ben replied "let's just hope we can close the place for lunch."A simple hour flew by and then, the Green Donut now only had two customers much to the trio's surprise, relief, and delight. Finally! They can take that needed breather!A couple of minutes later, the customers have since left happy with their donuts."That was the best matcha donut I've ever ate!" One of the customers yells out, "thank you all so much, I'm coming back here for sure!"Francis gave them a thumbs up whilst quietly mopping the floor and Ben grabbed the keys to close up shop for now.In the break room, the three enjoyed their lunches with the TV turned on as entertainment/background noise.As a joke, Heidi picked up the remote and switched to Channel 5 to see what news stories to laugh at this time. Then, the most absurd one they've ever heard was beginning."This just in," Sophia Tucker announces "we got reports of two fish people gangs attacking each other in Downtown Wharf City!"The employees were intrigued but skeptical. A video clip was shown of those fish people knocking one another into buildings and cars with some of them having superpowers to boot."This just has to be a real good marketing scheme," Francis commented "I mean, this looks like people with amazing costumes with special effects mixed in."Heidi agreed with him. "Yeah, this is so ridiculous." Ben shook his head with amusement, joining in with the comedy.They began to laugh about the whole fish people story, from the nonsense premise to how Sophia took the whole thing seriously and with a straight face no less. Unfortunately by 1:30, it was time to open back up for the afternoon and not as many customers were coming in. On one hand, it was back to the store's normal, slow pace but on the other, it got super boring. Heidi was cleaning the floor this time but would often stop and check her phone every ten minutes.Whilst texting a friend of hers, she heard the bell ring but then saw something peculiar; a light green rabbit wearing a blue tracksuit."Hi, welcome to the Green Donut! What would you like?" Ben said, greeting this rather odd customer. The rabbit gave Ben this sweet, innocent look, eyes twinkling pure cuteness with their arms reaching out to him."Aw, you're so adorable!" He cooed, "Do you want a donut?" The rabbit nodded cutely and pointed to a jam-filled donut."Fantastic choice, that'll be $4.75 please."The rabbit stopped and stared at Ben, no longer doing the puppy dog eyes. He flinched a little but clarified that they still needed to pay for the donut. However, it seems this rabbit did not take no for an answer as it immediately climbed on the counter and crawled into the display case, shoving some of those trays down to the floor. "Hey, you can't do that!" Ben yells but to no avail. No amount of "get downs" or "stops" well, stopped the rabbit from grabbing the donut and running out of the Green Donut."Catch that thief!" Heidi shouted, and Ben began chasing after the thieving bunny. Running from one street to the next, he tried to keep up but the thief was much faster and had a heading start.Then, Ben saw something both amazing and strange at the same time; it was those same "fish people" he saw on the news earlier today, and he could not believe it."I guess these fish dudes are real after all," Ben thought to himself, "or possibly what Francis said, a really good live performance and I'm seeing it all in person!"As he approached the scene to find that scoundrel thief, he was halted by an invisible force and was now a few feet off the ground.Then, he saw this fish woman wearing purple and pink clothing walk closer to him with one of her arms being lifted up in place."What is someone like you doing here?" The woman asks Ben, "this is far too dangerous for a civilian to get tangled up in. Please just get back to a safe place."She gently placed him back down, which still surprised Ben greatly. "Thank you miss, I'll go now," he said to the woman as he ran back to the Green Donut.As Ben returned, Francis greeted him. "Yo man, what happened to our donut thief?"Ben explained everything to him, or at the very least tried to. He was impressed to know that the news story had some truth but wasn't fully convinced just yet. Though for the rest of the afternoon shift, everything went back to normal like nothing ever happened.When he came back home, his mom greeted him and asked how work went. He explained to her about the waves of tourists visiting the shop and how many customers in general arrived that day, intentionally not bringing up some of the weirder stuff that went down today.His dad also greeted him and was quite proud of his son for the amount of work he did."Not too shabby for dealing with visitors coming for Sakura Season," his dad remarked, "you have promise with running the Green Donut when you become an adult."Ben felt this was a compliment but had his worries regarding that future.The Mizuyama family ate their dinner for the night and Ben went to his room preparing to go to bed.Unfortunately, he couldn't sleep at all with all that he saw today but after a few glasses of water and a good book, he finally fell asleep.A Breath of AutumnAn inhale of cool air,A feeling I'd forgotten,Passing through then gone again,Take in a breath of autumn It's creeping in,Sneaking past,Poking through the summerA fleeting glimpse,It doesn't last,This heat is such a bummer.

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