Well this is…
Awkward.
Samson loomed over the edge of the dining table as the three of us sat as still as possible.
His presence alone made it hard to swallow, almost as if an invisible pressure pressed against my chest.
He rested his forearms on the table, hunching over with a long sigh—his dreads drooping over his face.
"Angela."
There was a pause between his words.
"Why don't you love your father anymore?"
Huh?
She flicked her hair over her shoulder, crossing her arms with a pout.
What is this?
Lawrence rested his head in his palm,
physically cringing as he attempted to cover his face.
Samson stretched his hands over the table, his cheek now resting on the cold wood.
"Please don't look at me like that Angela, tell me, what did I do!?"
I slowly glanced at Lawrence, my head not daring to move.
Is this… normal?
A moment of silence passed as Angela held her pout.
Standing straight Samson cleared his throat.
"Law."
Lawrence's body stiffened.
"Y-Yes father?"
Samson glanced down at me, his dark maroon eyes sending a shiver down my spine.
"You and the Outsider have a job to do."
Lawrence dropped his shoulders. "A job?"
Samson continued, pulling the chair beside me as he sat down and crossed his legs—the chair creaking beneath his weight.
"There was a Klyzar spotted fairly close to Empryeon grounds."
"I want you two to deal with it."
Lawrence shot from his seat. "A KLYZAR!? NO WAY!"
A single glare made him swallow his words as he slowly sat back down, biting at his lip in frustration.
"I apologize for my tone father, but we simply cannot defeat a Klyzar!"
Samson slammed his hands onto the old table, the crackling echo of wood screaming beneath his palms. "You will do what you are told!"
Lawrence lowered his gaze as silence enveloped the room.
I glanced at Samson as he sat beside me, our eyes meeting as his beady pupils stared into mine.
Without another word he stood straight, pushing back his chair as the wooden legs screeched against the floor.
He took a deep breath, his shoulders slightly rising, his chest poking with air.
A pause—then slow exhale.
"I trust it will be done."
I turned to Samson, my words lined with confidence. "We'll slaughter this Klyzar, and I'll present its head as a gift at our meeting."
Samson grinned as he left. "I'd expect nothing less, outsider."
The door slammed behind him.
Turning to Lawrence he stared at me, jaw on the table.
"Y-Y-You idiot… you're gonna get us killed!"
I leaned forward. "It can't be that bad, I easily killed the Queen Hydralox."
He placed a hand on his forehead. "Idiot, even the Queen Hydralox was only a C+ ranked monster."
"A Klyzar is A-."
They have ranks? There's still so much about Empryeon I don't know about.
Lawrence continued. "And unlike Hydralox, Klyzars can fly. They have beaks and long boney spines. The things look like they're torn right from hell."
"A-… it'll be difficult but it's not completely impossible." He looked into my eyes, "We have to be ready for anything."
Angela slammed her hands on the table as she stood up.
"Im coming too."
Lawrence's expression shifted. He slightly turned, elbow still on the table.
"No."
Angela opened her mouth, but no words came out. She punched the table once more before storming off.
I leaned back in my chair. "You really love her don't you?"
Lawrence stood, neatly pushing in his chair behind him.
"More than anything in the world."
His face grew dark, his lips tightening.
"I won't put her in danger again."
I see.
"Well then." I said, using the table to push myself up.
"Where do we begin?"
**
We've been circling Empryeon forever… no trace of the Klyzar anywhere.
I glanced at Lawrence. "See anything?"
He shook his head as we continued.
Something's off about this…
I stretched a thin line of my creativity into the forest when we left.
It's been working as a scanner for all beings with creativity.
I've only picked up on the occasional Hydrolax… there's nothing else out here.
Unless…
"Hey Lawrence." I said, the sudden noise breaking the cycle of crushed grass and rustling trees.
He turned. "Hm?"
"I've noticed people in Empryeon conceal their creativity, so much so that it's almost impossible to detect."
Lawrence scratched at his chin. "Yeah, we learn when we're young, if you went to school then you most likely can do it."
He looked at me with a grin. "Wanna learn?"
I crossed my arms. "Well, it definitely wouldn't hurt."
He leaped in front of me. "How about this, after we take out this Klyzar I'll teach you."
My eyes widened with what I could only imagine as pure excitement. "Really!?"
Lawrence triumphantly nodded.
I chuckled beneath my breath.
He really is like Sy huh.
My eyes quickly narrowed as my head jerked to the left.
"I'm picking up on something!"
W-What is this…
Is my creativity getting sucked in?
"Lawrence!"
Without a word he dashed into the forest.
He's fast!
I trailed behind as we cut through trees and bushes.
As we got closer a sickness welled in my gut.
I jumped backwards, holding my stomach.
"Something isn't right!"
Lawrence stopped in his tracks. "You feel that too?"
I nodded.
My creativity is being drained—and quickly.
I dropped to a knee as my stomach turned.
"Damn! This is bad!"
Looking forward Lawrence stared into the sky.
He mumbled something to himself before blitzing into the air.
Sy placed his hand on my back, stealing my attention.
"You should start feeling better soon. Most of our creativity is fading but I'm holding onto a small portion, call it reserves."
"It's just enough for you to fight, but don't even think about trying to use more creativity."
"Ggh, I got it!" I grunted, attempting to stand straight.
The trees began to rumble as the Klyzar erupted through the branches, Lawrence lodged in its mouth as he held its jaw open.
"SIMON NOW!"
Damnit!
I can't!
The Klyzar slammed into the ground beak first, blood spurting from Lawrence's mouth.
"Lawrence!"
I raised my paintbrush.
"Wait, you idiot!" Sy screeched from behind me.
A yellow ball formed at the tip of my brush.
My shoulders grew heavy, my knees almost buckling.
"DIE!"
The beam burst forward, tearing through the sky as it rumbled the ground it flew across.
Huh?
My… vision…
**
"I'm heading out now, Simon is in charge while I'm gone."
Luther scoffed, leaning back in the old wooden chair.
"What!? I'm the oldest so it should be me!"
Cleo frowned as he sat next to him. "Usually I'm in charge anyways, why the sudden change?"
Valeria grinned, her body halfway out the door.
"Because Simon is…"
**
"I must've… been wrong… about you…"
Huh?
I forced an eye open, digging my claws into the grass beneath me.
"J-Jackson?"
Lawrence's eye beamed a bright orange as he looked back at me, a mixture of red and yellow spread across his lower back.
"Maybe… you aren't… special after all."
The Klyzar launched Lawrence's body into the forest.
No…
Not again.
Am I gonna…
Die!?
Tears streamed down my face.
This feeling… I hate it!
What was all of it for if I'm still not strong enough!
**
"YOU… YOU TRIED TO BE JUST LIKE HER TOO."
**
Why… Why am I thinking back to that…
Why now!
Damnit… Marcel!
The ground began to rumble beneath me.
It's coming.
Is it… finally over?
Can I see you again, Ms. Valeria?
"God, you're really worthless aren't you?"
Sy?
"We're completely out of creativity thanks to you blasting a hole in Lawrence, it's honestly a miracle you haven't lost consciousness—even a bigger miracle that he's still alive."
"Damn you Simon, making me do this. It's risky as hell but I need to try!"
Sy placed his small hands on my back.
"Simon, If this works…"
"Kill this bastard for me, okay?"
Huh?
What does that…
A burst of energy shot through my back, seeping into my body before rushing through my veins.
What…
What are you doing?
"Shut up, idiot." Sy grunted.
A blue light flashed behind me.
**
Ugh… w-where am I?
My body feels light… too light.
Everything's dark… the Ballroom? No… this is something else.
Just what did you do, Sy!
A white light shot across the plane of darkness.
Followed by another, and another, until I closed my eyes to shield them from the barrage.
Upon opening my eyes again I stood in the middle of an old, run down park.
Three kids ran past me as they raced to the worn swing set.
"Hey! I got here first!"
"Nuh uh! It was me!"
"Not this again."
Who… are these people?
"How about we play rock paper scissors for it!"
"Okay, fine!"
"Rock!"
"Paper!"
"Scissors!"
"Shoot!"
"Heck yeah I win!"
"I let you win alright!"
The 2 boys looked to the girl that stood behind them.
"Now lets play to see who gets second!"
"You two are idiots."
She raised her hands, simultaneously chopping both of the boys on the head.
"Ow Shaki, what was that for!"
Did that kid just say… Shaki?
"Because you two are stupid, obviously I got here first, there's no doubt."
One of the boys grinned. "Hey Shaki, who's more stupid, me or Zef?"
Zef… these names are…
Familiar.
The other boy staggered. "What!? It's obviously you, Grayson!"
Grayson?
Grayson… who are these—
"Can I play?"
There's… another one?
My eyes widened.
Is that…
"No way Sy, you're still a little kid, go do your homework."
Grayson wrapped his arm around Zef. "Come on, thirty minutes wouldn't hurt now would it?"
Sy…
Is this, you? Us?
"Fine, come on Sy."
"I'll use the shitty swingset just to push my brother alright, but after this is over I want my spot back!"
"By then we'll be done already!"
My brother?
"Hahaha! Again!"
"Okay, but only one more time."
"Hahaha!"
"More! More!"
"Fine, but if father yells at us you gotta do your famous pout. Go on, give me your best one."
An earth shattering sound erupted in my right ear.
As I turned, the former building seemingly reaching the sky was in flames, breaking down as rubble crashed into the ground.
Grayson was crushed instantly.
Shaki stood in horror as his blood painted her body.
More explosions followed as the three stared into the sky.
Shaki turned as she bolted towards Zef and Sy.
"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"
She grabbed Zef's arm as Zef pulled Sy from the swingset.
The three of them ran as chunks of stone fell around them.
Zef paused as he stared at the remains of Grayson.
"ZEF WE NEED TO GO NOW!"
Zef didn't budge.
He froze.
The very top of the building toppled down as it crushed both Shaki and Zef's arm.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Not a single part of her remained.
Zef stood frozen, raising his wounded arm into the air.
He turned to Sy, still holding his hand as tears streamed down his face.
"Big brother?"
Another piece of wall fell, this time on Sy's legs.
It instantly flattened him as he went unconscious.
**
As I blinked I was back in the grass.
Tears ran down my face, trickling into my mouth as I spit my hair out the way.
I touched my cheek as a long, deep scar ran down the left side of my face, starting from my forehead and ending at my chin.
When did this?
I tried to stand before quickly noticing…
M-My legs… where are my legs!?
From the thigh down nubs replaced where my legs should have been.
I rolled onto my back pulling at my long, grey hair.
What the hell is going on!?
"Sy!"
H-He's gone…
I can't even feel his presence anymore.
"SY!"
"What did you do!?"
Damnit where are you!
No.
That's not important now.
The Klyzar stepped closer, its wings parting the sun's rays.
I have about half of my creativity, and although it's still being drained, it's drastically slower.
Why?
It doesn't matter, does it?
This Klyzar will die…
It will die!
IT WILL DIE THE BASTARD WILL DIE!