He ran towards the direction of the voice and there laid his sister on the floor. She looked terrible. Her face was bruised and her dirty clothes were drenched in blood. He almost didn't recognize his own sister and tried to control his tears as he fell to his knees and held her in his arms.
She smiled at him weakly with her bruised face and thanked him for always having her back because even though she was just his half sister, he cared greatly for her and always protected her as though she had always been a part of his life.
They only had the same mother, but different fathers. Noah's father had died years ago, so Noah's mother remarried. She had Lillian after her second marriage.
"P-Please, Noah. Promise me you're going to try your best to stay alive," she stuttered weakly.
"Come on, Li. We're both going to stay alive" he replied with a broken expression.
"No, brother. My time is up and..." She replied weakly.
"No! Lillian please, he cut in. You can't leave me" His voice broke as he begged her, but she only shook her head and asked him to leave before the monsters would come for him.
Noah refused and told her he wasn't going anywhere without saving her.
"No. Please go. I-I won't make it. I-I will only slow you down." She said as she choked on her words.
Noah refused and begged her not to leave him.
"Please, Noah. If you really love me, you'll do this for me. This is my last wish to you" she said to her brother with tears in her eyes and made him promise to leave her there.
Noah refused but she wouldn't give up and begged him again.
He finally agreed reluctantly and she smiled at him as her body slowly went limp in his arms. Noah felt heartbroken as he felt his sister's body slowly going cold in his arms and held her tight as he sobbed into her chest.
He couldn't believe his eyes. His dear sister was gone and he was all alone in this cruel world. His body shook violently from the force of his sob. His mind was so overwhelmed with his sorrow that he didn't even think of the possibility of getting attacked by the monsters that roamed outside the safety of the barrier.
He sat there and cried for hours until he finally stood up with a sigh, ignoring her promise and carried her blood stained body in his arms as her blood stained his clothes. He took her to a corner, dug a pit and buried her in it.
He stared at her grave with a mix of anger and sadness when he was done burying her.
Angry because he had failed to protect his dear sister and sad because he had just lost the only family member he had left.
Their parents had died years ago. That was before they went under the Bernard family's protection. Their father went to get them food and never came back because he got attacked by one of the monsters. Their mom died shortly after when their house was attacked by these monsters and he managed to get away with his sister.
Noah had no special ability and since his sister's ability wasn't exactly useful in a fight because there were hardly ever any animals around to even try talking to (the monsters had feasted on most of them) and even if there were, the monsters were way stronger than the animals, so they had to go and start working as servants in Master Bernard's mansion.
Noah was happy at first and thought it was a blessing at that time, but now he regretted it. If only he'd known, he would've come up with another way for him and his sister to survive.
"You wait and see, Li. I'm going to make them pay for what they did to you. That's my promise to you." He said still staring at her grave.
With a heavy heart, he continued with his journey after making his resolve. He had never been outside the barriers, so he had no idea where he was going but he kept walking anyway and as he walked, he noticed this place looked very different from where he was coming from.
Everywhere was quiet and foggy. The only sound he could hear was the sound of his footsteps as he walked. The soil here was black. He saw a few skulls here and there and shuddered, but he kept walking anyway.
Suddenly, he heard a shriek. He couldn't see clearly, but he could make out shapes from inside the fog. He stood still and looked closer as the fog finally became clearer and to his horror, he saw three of those monsters feasting on a lifeless body.
He was too shocked to move and felt sick to his stomach as soon as he saw that, but the monsters continued with what they were doing, not seeming to notice his presence. This was the first time he was seeing these creatures and he had no idea what they were.
They looked like ugly lean koalas. Only, these creatures were taller than koalas and their heads were bald. They were almost the same height as him or a little bit taller and had long fangs with teeth that looked sharp enough to tear through anything.
They were not too far from where he stood, so he could see their big, slitted eyes and their long claws which they used to claw at their victims.
He noticed the creatures had thick silvery scaly skin that looked like no weapons could penetrate through it and long tails that moved as they munched on the person they were feasting on.
Suddenly, one of the creatures—the one facing his direction raised its head to look at him and let out the loudest shriek Noah had ever heard. Noah's heart skipped many beats as a million thoughts ran through his head.
"Shit! This is definitely going to be my last day on earth" he muttered under his breath
Noah took to his heels as the monsters chased after him. He didn't want to end up like that person they were just feeding on. Besides, he still had to avenge his sister's death, so he kept running even though it felt as if the mobsters were already catching up with him. He couldn't see very clearly because of the fog and didn't notice the log on the floor and ended up tripping on it. He hit his head hard on a nearby stone as he landed on the floor.He lay on the floor as he felt dizzy and watched as the monsters caught up with himHe held his head as he groaned in pain. He was already feeling very dizzy by now and could not continue running again. He saw the monsters staring curiously at him as he felt his eyes close and finally gave in to the darkness.**********************Noah let out a groan as he sat up. He opened his eyes and saw a strange girl around his age sitting next to him. He had no idea who this person was and was startled, so he instinctively threw a punch immediately
Noah and Gemma continued their journey in silence. They'd been traveling for hours and were already getting tired. Gemma slowed down and relaxed."We're almost there." She said excitedly. "It's mostly safe here since it's so close to camp. It's been so long, I really miss my bed...a lot..and maybe a bath would be nice too. Speaking of which, you really need to take a bath. You stink really bad." She added. The closer they got, the more talkative Gemma became.They gradually moved further away from the city while avoiding the monsters. "We're here!" She finally said."Where's here?" Noah asked. He looked around but couldn't see anything special. They were in front of an old farm. The farm was protected by a tall brick fence. "This is the camp?" He asked again. Gemma glanced at him again. "Does your brain still hurt?" She asked sweetly. Come on in. The both of them went around the fence till they came across a thick iron gate that was covered in rust. Gemma paused in front of the
The sun woke Noah up the next morning. The others were nowhere to be seen but Gemma seemed to be packing up her stuff. "Rise and shine sleeping beauty" she said jokingly. The others will be back soon. "We'll soon set off but before that, how about I give you a tour." She said with a smile.The two left the camp and headed to the nearby woods. The woods seemed scary because it was too quiet. There were no singing birds or rustling leaves and there were no sounds from small animals either. It was dead silent. The both of them headed deeper before finally arriving at a river. The river was crystal clear and cool. Gemma pulled off her boots and socks and then put her feet in the water. Noah followed her lead and did the same."This is my favorite place in the world. It's so beautiful even though there isn't much beauty in what the world has become." Gemma said.Looking at the river brought back memories of his sister. They often played in the water together when they were younger. Lili
They resumed their journey the next day with Noah feeling happy that he wasn't limping anymore and that the pain in his leg was gone.Gemma was telling him about how she had learned how to fight when Nicholas came to join the conversation. He asked Noah how he was able to survive out there without any powers. Noah smiled"I'm a very lucky guy, i guess" and they all laughed."How do the monsters not attack you?" Crane suddenly asked"I'm also as surprised as you all are, Crane. I also want to know why they don't attack me" He answered"Hmm...Maybe they're allergic to your blood" Crane replied, trying to think of a good reason why the monsters don't attack him."Monsters don't get allergies, Crane" Gemma said, rolling her eyes.Mathew cleared his throat."Maybe he's a vampire and they know they can't mess with him" He said dramatically but they all laughed at him and asked him to keep quiet."Or maybe that's his superpower" Nicholas said, pushing Mathew out of the way."Not cool, Nick!
The man appeared in front of Noah as soon as he ran."Stay away from me!" He yelled and ran in another direction but the man appeared in front of him again. Noah was already getting annoyed by now and wished the man would stop appearing and disappearing in front of him."Can you stop doing that?" Noah said to the man in annoyance."Calm down" He said to Noah calmly but Noah wasn't ready to listen and ran in another direction again."I can help you, Noah. Just come with me and I'll teach you how to use your abilities." He said to Noah as he appeared in front of him again.Noah was shocked when he heard this because he didn't know he had an ability. All he knew was that he had this strange mark on his neck. He didn't know why or how he got the mark. All he knew was that he had a strange mark on his neck."What's my ability?" He asked the man as he suddenly calmed down to hear the man out.The man laughed as soon as the words left Noah's mouth. Noah just stared at him in confusion becaus
As soon as Noah turned away from Gemma, he regretted it. She was just trying to help and yet he was lashing out at her for no reason.The two suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes and they both turned towards the direction of the sound. They were both on guard. They were ready to either fight or flee if what was in the bushes turned out to be a monster."Why do the two of you insist on being total idiots?" It was Nicholas and he looked pissed. He turned to Noah and spoke in a very arrogant manner. "Ever since you came along, Gemma has been acting like her brain was eaten by a dog. You. are. weak." He said with an air of superiority. "You'll drag us down. The least you can do is to not cause any problems." Nicholas added."That's not fair Nicholas. I asked Noah to accompany me for a stroll. He said yes because he was being nice to me." Gemma immediately said to Nicholas. Upon hearing her words Nicholas finally seemed to calm down a bit. He then turned to Gemma and scolded her a b
Noah made his way over to the group in a daze. His hunger scared him and he was scared that one day he would be unable to control himself and he would do something unforgivable. He finally joined the group. Very soon, Crane started up a conversation with him and it was as if nothing had changed however, Noah knew that everything had changed. For one , he was now a monster. He sighed and decided not to dwell on the negatives. Noah soon noticed that Gemma was unusually quiet. This was very unlike her. she would normally be chatting and laughing with everyone. Crane explained to him that it was because they were getting close to where Gemma used to live. Villages and cities outside of the divine pockets were never safe. They could be celebrating today and be dead tomorrow. This was because they did not have a barrier to protect them from the monsters so they were always at risk of a monster attack. The group quieted down as they approached the ruins of a village. The village showed s
"That's right" he said. "I am your father" he added with a wide grin.Noah stumbled backwards, his eyes wide with disbelief, as soon as he heard those words. "No. I don't know anything," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "You're not my father. My father died years ago." He added, turning to walk away from the man in an attempt to distance himself from the unsettling revelation.But he heard the man let out a loud, menacing laugh behind him. He felt annoyed and turned to look at the man, wondering what was so funny that made him laugh like that."Oh, I forgot he's crazy," he said to himself silently, shaking his head before turning to walk away again. But the man's next words stopped him in his tracks."Let me tell you a story, Noah," the man said, his voice low and mysterious.Noah didn't stop, didn't look back, and just kept walking. But the man continued, undeterred. "The story is about a woman named Ulma and a man named Odin."Noah's heart skipped a beat as soon as he heard
Night soon fell, the forest was dark, the moon was nowhere to be seen. Noah, Crane and Nicholas went to make sure that the area was clear. They encountered two monsters together, Nicholas rushed towards the first monster and sliced through it with a wind blade while Crane played with the other one. She looked like she was just trying to keep it busy. When Nicholas had killed the second monster, Crane withdrew and pushed the spectating Noah towards the monster."Come on newbie, he's all yours"Crane and Nicholas watched as the the monster roared and charged at Noah who was suddenly on its radar. Noah dodged shakily and almost got scratched."You can do it! we believe in you." Crane shouted like a cheerleader. Noah tried to concentrate on his powers as he struggled to escape the monster that was charging at him. He tried to focus on the feeling that would overcome him just before he turned but it kept slipping. However, he did grow stronger and faster from his attempts. The monster was
Matthew nodded and stopped looking at him and Gemma put her arms around Nicholas's waist to stop him from launching any more attacks at Noah. Noah could actually remember that he used to think that this guy was cool, admirable. Now all the could see was an irritable man that was always looking for an opportunity to explode.Crane turned to Noah, " Why didn't you tell us about it?" there was doubt in her eyes and voice as she addressed him.Noah almost felt bad. "I also didn't know and when I found out..." He trailed off not knowing what to say. He sighed. It's just not the kind of thing that you want to share" he finished.The others looked understanding except Nicholas who just sneered at him. Nicholas was now standing further off to show that he wouldn't do anything but with Nicholas you still had to play safe so the others were still at alert.Gemma turned to Noah now. "Noah, you know...we aren't just your team mates, we're also your friends.""Yeah!" Crane chimed in."You hav
Noah sighed, closing his eyes as the warm sunlight danced across his face. "Here goes nothing," he muttered under his breath, the sound barely audible over the gentle lapping of the emerald river's waters against the shore.Just as he was about to jump, a familiar voice stopped him, echoing through the serene atmosphere."Don't listen to that voice, Noah."Noah turned to see Matthew standing behind him, his brow furrowed with concern. The scent of damp earth and leaves emitted from Matthew's clothes."Matthew, when did you...?" Noah started, but Matthew cut him off, his voice firm."Don't listen, Noah. Step away from the water's edge.""No, Matt, this voice can help us," Noah said, walking towards Matthew, the soft grass beneath his feet."Do you know what that entity is?" Matthew asked patiently, his eyes locked onto Noah's.Noah nodded, his heart racing. "It's the Spirit of the Emerald Depths. It wants to help us."Matthew shook his head, his expression grim. "That's not its true
"Noah..." He suddenly heard a feminine voice whisper. He glanced back at his friends to see if it was any of them calling him, but they were all engrossed in their activities. Crane was pestering Matthew about the river as he unpacked his bag, while Nicholas and Gemma set up tents, oblivious to the mysterious voice that had caught Noah's attention.Noah's gaze swept the area, but no one seemed to be paying attention to him. He turned back to face the river, a shiver running down his spine. He wondered if it was Odin playing mind tricks on him again."Noah.." he heard the voice whisper again. This time, a little louder."Who's there?" He called out, his voice barely above a whisper.Noah didn't get any response. He waited a few minutes, but there was still no answer, so he turned to walk away."Don't go, Noah" he heard the voice again."Who are you, and why won't you show yourself?" he asked, turning around."Because..." The voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.Noah's ey
Odin suddenly stopped speaking. The silence was rather unsettling and Noah who had been listening intently suddenly came back to his senses. Odin grinned showing sharp teeth, his features still warped. It was obvious that he didn't care enough to disguise himself as human anymore. "Of course, I found out about that much later through another spell but if I had known what was going on, then of course I wouldn't have allowed it to continue.Then they got married and had a child and lived almost happily ever after." Odin felt angry just thinking about it. His lovely wife getting married to someone else and starting a family with them. As his anger simmered, Odin's gaze turned to Noah, his eyes narrowing into sinister slits. "So my question to you is, will you come back with me and take your rightful place as crown prince, reunite our family?" Noah knew for certain from his story that Odin was crazy and delusional but at the same time, this person understood what he was going through
Odin had gone back the next night but Ulma was nowhere to be found. Did She not understand that he was just trying to protect her? Demons were Crazy, powerful creatures and even the lowly ones could rip her apart with their bare hands. The thought was upsetting but he was slowly becoming angry and impatient with Ulma too. He had tried again and again to bring her to safety but she was so unappreciative of his efforts and kept seeing him as some kind of monster. Only his love for her spared her from the full weight of his displeasure for the blatant disregard that she had shown him. Odinlet out a deep, gloomy sigh as he gazed out into the distance. His time here was running out - he had only about a week left before he had to return to his kingdom. The weight of his responsibilities was crushing him; someone had to manage the kingdom, and he couldn't delay his return any longer. The timing was critical, and their plan was at a delicate stage. If he didn't return soon, everything could
The next morning, Ulma didn't want to leave her house at all however, she had a few errands to run and she had promised the local fish vendor to help him man his store today in exchange for some extra cash and free fish. Her life since coming to this town had been more difficult than with Odin, She missed the luxurious life but absolutely didn't want the baggage that it came with. She'd rather live this simple life than stay with that monster.She got prepared and started to leave the house. She looked outside the house and saw that the weather was rather dark. The windowsill was dusty, the flaky rough feeling on her hands alerted her of that."I need to clean up this house and get an umbrella," she muttered to herself.She took her worn out umbrella and left the house. The outside of the house was very windy, she tightened her jacket around herself and shivered from the cold. She went off to the fish market shivering the whole way. Ulma hated the smell of the fish market. Raw fish s
In that moment, he felt a million emotions swirling inside him. He could bear the thought of her leaving him, but he would never let her take his child away from him. Never! He couldn't tolerate the idea of being separated from his own flesh and blood. With a surge of adrenaline, he immediately dragged her back, his anger boiling over. "I'm done being patient with you!" he growled, his eyes blazing with fury.Ulma was shocked at the sudden transformation. She had never seen Odin switch from calm to menacing so quickly, and it left her breathless. Just moments before, he had been speaking calmly, but now his voice was low and menacing. She felt a chill run down her spine as she saw the fierce look in his eyes. He looked like he was ready to tear her apart, his anger and possessiveness radiating from him like a palpable force. "Odin, please..." she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.But he just spat out his words in a venomous tone. "I'm not going to hurt you, Ulma...yet. But I'
Uma's eyes widened in horror as she watched from where she was. Odin's face descended, his presence drawing closer to the still form in his hands like a dark cloud enveloping the moon. The air grew thick with an unnatural silence. The moment seemed to suspend, time itself bending to accommodate the horror that was to come. And then, Ulma saw it - the unbearable truth: the man she loved was not who she thought he was. The sound of his contented sigh, the gleam in his eye, and the bloodstained smile that spread across his face all whispered a terrifying truth: she was bound to a monster.She felt a creeping sense of dread, and knew she had to escape, for in that moment, she feared for her very soul and that of her child's. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she watched in horror, her heart racing with a mix of fear and disbelief. She was terrified and couldn't believe her eyes - her own Odin, the man she loved and trusted, doing something this terrible like a monster. She wondered