Ascending above the skies, Aletha watched in awe as the land and mountains below shrank. The engine's hum resonated through the train, blending with the gentle breeze that slipped through the nearly sealed windows. Aletha felt a sense of escape and freedom, as if she were leaving behind the burdens of the world below. Yet, fear gripped her heart, knowing that her journey was filled with uncertainties.
The train, a marvel of advanced technology with a touch of magic, soared effortlessly through the clouds, making the journey feel both real and fantastical. A beautiful mountainside dominated the glass, with clouds flowing beneath the wings, almost within reach. The faint scent of pine mixed with the crisp, high-altitude air invigorated her senses, deepening the surreal atmosphere. Would her journey bring her closer to fulfilling her destiny, or would it only lead to unforeseen perils?
Discussions flickered through the passenger car. Yet Phthonus remained silent. Silence stood between them, a brutal pause sparking tension and unease in Aletha.
Aletha glanced at Phthonus from the corner of her eye, wondering if he would decide to speak. He remained silent, and she waited, hoping that, with time, he might finally offer a response.
Seconds and minutes passed; still, Phthonus said nothing. Discussions moved through the carriage, from both familiar and unfamiliar faces.
And yet, not once had a discussion formed between Aletha and Phthonus.
. . .
Even above the skies, the sound of the train's wheels reached Aletha. Looking out the window, she searched for the tracks and saw them curving and dropping away from the sky below. She stood so high up she couldn't feel her feet move, as if suspended above the world.
Suddenly, a quick flash of the door stole her attention away.
(SLAM)
The passengers watched as a tall, masculine figure slipped in, wind rushing through the carriage.
"All who show resistance will be dematerialized by this weapon."
The ambusher held a double-edged pistol, purple lines strapped around it, and focused energy at the center. Its color scheme matched The Ending, but with a darker purple.
"Everyone, on your knees, now!" The man yelled with dominance. "Don't resist. Or else punishment will be made."
. . .
Aletha and other passengers ducked down, shivering at the sound of struggling whimpers and cries of the passengers.
"Please, don't kill me. My family is waiting for me." A woman pleaded as she dropped her purse.
"I just want to see my kids. I mean no harm." A man yelled with trembling eyes.
Standing with shoulders back, chest out, and chin high, the dark-haired man approached a blonde woman. He lowered his weapon, paused in front of her, and looked gently into her eyes. The room grew silent as everyone braced for his next move.
"Then please, follow me," he said to the woman, his tone gentle.
At first, the woman stood frozen and unsure whether to follow the man's orders.
After a moment's hesitation, the woman stood up and followed his instructions. She noticed the genuine look on his face and, trusting her instincts, thought, 'Okay. I trust you.'
As passengers saw the woman safely escorted outside, some stood and asked,
"Can you take us too?" a short man asked.
"Of course," he replied with a trustworthy grin. Nodding, he finished, "I mean no harm. That is... to all of you."
Aletha watched as all passengers stepped outside the door, boarding another carriage.
As Aletha and Phthonus listened to the passengers' footsteps grow distant, a loud door slam startled them.
Tension rose again as the lights flickered. The thuds of boots shook Aletha. Creaks, the jangle of weapons, and faint locomotive sounds emerged from the silence. Aletha felt rooted, elbows in, making herself small.
(Who... who is he?)
Though Aletha trembled in fear, Phthonus prepared to confront the intruder. He clenched his fists, ground his teeth, and rose from his seat, a low growl building as he readied himself to address Duron.
"Duron."
As Duron's piercing purple eyes settled on Phthonus, Aletha crawled toward a corner, trying to remain hidden. When her feet moved a fallen pencil, Duron made eye contact. Instead of rushing, he crossed his arms and spoke in a steady, low voice, both puzzled and determined.
"I know you are there," he called, his voice echoing in the nearly empty car. "Do not attempt to hide. I know exactly where you are. It would be foolish enough if you continued to hide from me."
Upon his voice, Aletha locked her knees and expelled her breath as if pained.
(Dang it.) Her chin lowered to her chest in defeat, and she stared down at her hands and feet.
With no options, she rose, arms up, and revealed herself to Duron with a sigh.
Duron slowly shook his head, released his arms from his posture, and smiled with relief. He stepped forward and spoke calmly.
"I know you are confused about what's happening, Aletha... but I need you to bear with me."
"Wait... how do you know my name?" Aletha mumbled, turning her head away.
"Everyone in the nation of Wraileza knows your name, especially The Queen," Duron replied, forming hands into a steeple. "I need you to come with me immediately."
Sweat dripping down her lip, Aletha stepped forward, gulping in uncertainty.
Phthonus's orange eyes flared. He lunged at Duron, roaring and breathing heavily as he attacked.
'Don't touch her! I won't let you slay Aletha like your daughter!'
Duron effortlessly kicked Phthonus away, chuckled, crossed his arms, and snapped his fingers as Aletha froze.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Duron asked, squinting his devilish purple eyes. "I am only here for the girl. I have no time to waste on random strangers."
Duron punched Phthonus, sending him into the wall and rocking the passenger car before it steadied.
Aletha's eyes shrank at the force of Duron's blow.
Aletha froze, mouth covered, trying to grasp Duron's strength as he approached formally, bowed, and spoke to her.
"Excuse me... Ms. Adtraic," Duron said as she trembled in fear. "Mind if..."
Without thought, Aletha threw her fist at the man with rage and panic. But just before her knuckles touched Duron's chin, he quickly clutched her fist, sighed, and threw her arm away.
"What a pity," he said, shaking his head slowly. "I guess I must inform you of what I'm doing."
After he took another honorable bow to Aletha, Duron inserted his introduction to her and Phthonus.
"My name... is Duron. I am one of the leading generals of The Promise." He paused, tilting his head to the window, watching the train soar in the sky at incredible speeds. "I was ordered to travel here all the way from the nation of Wraileza to find... and cap- I mean... escort you." He glanced at Aletha's tattoo, a mark of unknown origin but one that legends speak of as being tied to an ancient prophecy about reclaiming lost kingdoms. His tone shifted, as if wrestling with his own orders. "Your presence, Aletha, is of utmost importance. The Queen believes you hold the key to the future of Wraileza... and perhaps beyond."
After Duron's reveal, Aletha raised an eyebrow and brushed dust off her arm.
(Wraileza? I never realized she had never heard of Wraileza before. While her thoughts grew louder in her mind, she leaned forward in curiosity and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Duron caged his hands attentively and answered deeply, his intimidation gone.
"The Nation wants YOU." He stared directly at Aletha's tattoo. "The Queen of Wraileza ordered all people and followers of The Promise to search the world for you. The symbol on your face is more than just an unknown mark; it is a link to legends foretelling a power to reclaim lost kingdoms of The Second Incarnation. If you or anyone else shows resistance, harm may be involved. However, we don't want to cause harm to you directly. It isn't our method of doing such a task."
Suspicion filled Aletha. She never wanted to go to that nation—especially without her brother. Overwhelmed by disbelief that a distant queen would want her, Aletha felt her anxiety lift. She offered her hand to Duron, trusting him.
'Okay. As long as you harm no one....' Before she could finish, Aletha's pupils flashed white. She squinted at Duron, mumbling in her mind.
(Is he lying? She silently wondered whether Duron was lying or being genuine. Despite carefully observing and searching for any sign of a lie, nothing appeared, confirming her suspicion. This man's telling the truth.)
After her pupils slowly returned to normal, Aletha stepped near Duron and finished her sentence as she felt the air enter the passenger car.
"...Then I'll trust you."
Nevertheless, before Duron and Aletha reached the door, an amber luminance shot from the other side of the passenger car, zooming over to Duron.
A purple transparent barrier formed quickly, deflecting the laser and returning it to its sender. Phthonus rolled across the floor and shot five more lasers, grimacing in pain and hatred as he kept his unique book clutched in his hand.
"No! Don't take her!"
When the attack occurred, Duron, in return, deflected all of the lethal lasers and sent them all back to Phthonus. As the lasers came into contact with the wall, the passenger car toppled back and forth, tossing Aletha and Phthonus from the ceiling and the floor.
Duron expressed with a nearly unphased gasp and shook his head, mumbling as he kept his feet on the floor.
"What a pity." He said. "I suppose I must follow this demand the painful way."
"Phthonus?! What are you doing?!" Aletha screamed, her arms jolting wide in confusion. "Do you WANT to get hurt?!"
"There's something he's not telling you!" Phthonus hollered. As Duron quickly grabbed his strange weapon from his pocket, Phthonus sprinted to Aletha and screamed, "He killed DRIMI!"
A disturbing silence viciously entered after his scream.
Following that reveal, Aletha jerked her head back, flinching and clenching her fists to her chest in surprise. She shuffled back a step or two, showing an incredulous stare toward Duron.
"W…What?" Aletha said with a trembling, shaky, disbelieving voice. "He k-killed…"
A tear struck Phthonus' eye as he saw Duron's face veil in the shadow of guilt.
"Not only that," He pointed to the necklace draped on the dark-haired man's neck and cried. "Her soul is in that necklace! He tried to abandon us, but I stopped him. For a little bit. That ruthless scumbag had no hesitation in killing his own daughter! T-That's why…"
Quickly, after the information Aletha had just received, it broke a stupendous roar upon the shuddering air. Duron stepped forward and aimed his weapon at Phthonus, claiming that a magical orange luminance filled the room.
"I had no other alternative. I…" The stern and strong tone that resonated in his voice collapsed into one of guilt, doubt, and cold sorrow; distraught at the fact that he killed his own daughter. "I… had no choice. No choice at all."
A silence fell in the passenger car. A cold, brutal silence.
Then, as Duron stood there in front of the two, waiting for an attack, Aletha's eyes watered out of anger and fury, one so bright that not even the stars could comprehend it. She tightened her fist and gritted her teeth, recollecting all the memories of Drimi.
(No… t… that can't be possible. A father killing his own daughter? Why? Why… is he so humble about it? He killed the only one who welcomed me. The only one…)
Memories started flooding her mind.
She slid her knee on the ground and grasped Aletha's hand, impatiently waiting for her to get up.
"Come on, Aletha, we have to continue on! You're not just going to give up on your brother that easily, right?"
. . .
"Buttons."
Drimi squinted at Aletha and raised her eyebrow.
"Really? Do you want to be called that name? I mean, it's kind of cute… but, I don't know. Do you think it fits you?"
Aletha silently nodded with a determined smile. Her crystal dark gray eyes peer through Drimi.
"Yes."
Drimi replied with a skeptical tone.
"Well, okay... Buttons. Whatever works for you. Now, let's get moving. We need to find Asahi, pronto. Hell, I feel like I'm probably lost."
. . .
(She was so welcoming to me…. She was so caring… she was so…)
* * *
"How could you?!" Aletha screamed, tears welling in her eyes at the cold-hearted man, with all the frustration in her body. "How could you say that after you killed your own daughter?! D…Did you know how caring Drimi was?"
While a silence entered Duron, Aletha stomped her foot and clenched her fists, screaming at the man as she bared her teeth.
"D… Drimi was strong, courageous, and… e-even friendly. She acted tough, had a heart of steel… a-and even motivated me. I-Isn't that what you wanted your daughter to be in the first place? Why? Why did you kill her?!"
"..."
Exchanged by the silence, Aletha spat on the ground and shoved Duron to the wall, screaming as Phthonus tried to stop her from rushing up and down the walls with fury.
"ANSWER! I know Drimi was a strong fighter; she was loving, caring, and independent. I bet she formed the entire group and tried to follow your footsteps. She even had her own SHIP! I can't believe that all she got in return after seeing your face after how long was getting killed by the hands of the one she looked up to the most?! How could you?!"
Now that Aletha was informed, she understood the rage that burned in Phthonus. Although it had not even been a year since her encounter, Aletha felt like Drimi was a big sister to her.
The one who built up her bravery to lead an entire nation in fighting against their own leader and turn the tide, the woman who encouraged her to continue on and reclaim her world. It's these rapid emotions that erupted in a gruesome fight.
Little did she know that this battle would be long and brutal, the one that would spark a barbarous awakening in her, just as had happened to her brother.
* * *
Everything in the passenger carriage was scattered all over the place.
Tables, chairs, wardrobes, and cushions were all on the hardwood floor as Aletha, Phthonus, and Duron fought for what was right. Purple lasers flew out from the double-edged weapon, striking the area and bruising the two.
Orange laser beams from Phthonus' rapid launch attacks squirmed and struck Duron on his arm. Chaos reigned on every corner, yet despite that, it had not once disturbed the other passenger cars of the train.
Everyone in the passenger cars, except for the one Aletha was on, was safe, including her group, who were completely oblivious to the happenings.
"Answer us!" Aletha screamed ferociously as the purple lasers mangled her sanity.
Duron shook his head and bolted to the left, pulling the trigger and unleashing a storm of dark purple orbs at her. Phthonus clenched his fists, overtook Duron's direction, and bent the laser bullets, striking and ejecting the man.
Just because the fight was happening never meant that Phthonus' eyes were not on the necklace. If any, all the battle did was boost his vigor further, smattering his cowardice and using all his strength to avenge Drimi.
(PEW)
(FLUNG)
(BOOM)
"I know the rage stinging in your heart; I feel every smidge of it," Duron said as his breath grew shaky and uneasy. "If you would only give me a chance, I will inform--
Aletha interrupted despite his request.
"Why did you kill Drimi?!"
Duron hurriedly retreated over to the red-rimmed side of the carriage, dodged, and disintegrated the incoming projectiles from Phthonus' magic. His direction of action was only to focus on Phthonus, not Aletha.
And so, as Aletha tried to batter a hit at Duron, he swiftly leaped into the air and propelled the white-haired girl away from the battle, toward a safe area covered in toppled tables. He replied to Phthonus as a storm of guilt surged in his body.
I killed Drimi because of the corruption lingering inside her, a decision that haunts me every waking moment. She was once pure and full of light, and watching her transformation broke something within me. I struggled with this choice, as it went against everything I believed in and everything I hoped for my daughter." A heavy weight seemed to hang on his words, and he glanced away briefly, his eyes clouded with regret. Phthonus skidded over and attacked as he heard Duron's claims.
"No, I didn't kill her, but captured her soul in this necklace. The power that lurks inside her is so great that it has the power of a thousand suns."
"What does that mean?! Oh, so you killed your own daughter for the sake of power?! That gives me another reason to kill you, you ruthless bastard." Phthonus paused as he prepared to unleash a charge of dust at the dark-haired man. "Just reply to me before you get demolished by my power."
Duron released a sigh of dismay and snapped the necklace off, tossing it toward his open palms, where it formed a familiar, transparent purple barrier around his entire presence. He answered as his eyes caught Aletha desperately crawling and evading his purple lasers.
"Not even your power is enough to eclipse that of The Promises. Sigh, I will keep this brief." Phthonus slowly lowered his arms and grabbed Aletha's hand, dragging her away from Duron as calmness was restored after the fight.
"Aletha, stay out of this. He doesn't want you harmed, but me."
She bit her lip and tightened her fists, catching sight of the bruises lingering all over Phthonus' legs. Aletha simply refused to stay out of the fight. All her fury ever wanted was to have Duron dead.
Compelled by painful thoughts, the three noticed the train descending and continuing its journey through the route.
They entirely forgot that there were more passenger cars outside than this one.
But despite this thought, Duron continued, his eyes welling up with a nostalgic and guilty tear.
"My daughter… never wanted The Perfect Darkness…"
* * * * * * *
(31 years ago...)
"F... Father, don't get any closer... please. I... want you to live..."