Lykos, Skylos, and Alepou trudged through the forest, their laughter echoing between the trees. Lykos, distracted by his own thoughts, suddenly stumbled forward, landing face-first into the dirt.
Alepou: You okay?
Skylos: You good, man?
Lykos groaned and pushed himself up, brushing off his clothes. He glanced down and noticed a strange green orb nestled among the roots. Adjusting his glasses, he bent down to pick it up.
Lykos: What the hell is this?
He lifted it up, letting the sunlight dance across its glossy surface.
Skylos: Yep.
Lykos: ...What?
Skylos: It's a fucking rock, my guy.
Lykos: Well, no shit.
Skylos: You asked.
Alepou: Let me see it.
Lykos tossed it to her, and she turned it over in her hands, inspecting it with a keen eye.
Alepou: Doesn't look valuable.
She casually tossed it back to Lykos.
Lykos: Think I can break it?
Alepou: Knock yourself out.
Lykos clenched the orb in his hands and tried to crush it. Suddenly, it vanished without a trace. He opened his hands, expecting shards, but found nothing.
Lykos: Where the hell did it go?
At that moment, Skylos and Alepou suddenly felt a rush of energy surge through their bodies.
Skylos: Whoa... what's this feeling?
Alepou: You felt it too?
Lykos looked down at his empty palms, confusion twisting his features. Before he could react, the world around him shifted. In the blink of an eye, he was somewhere else—floating in an endless expanse. He saw a boy with white hair leaping from one rift to another, traveling through space itself.
Then, just as suddenly, he was back in the forest. The air around him felt thick and unmoving. Everything was frozen. Skylos and Alepou stood still, locked in place like statues.
Lykos: Guys...?
He snapped his fingers experimentally, and the world snapped back to motion.
Lykos: Huh?
Skylos and Alepou looked at him, completely unaware of what had just transpired.
Alepou: Something wrong?
She reached out, but the moment her hand brushed against Lykos' shoulder, she recoiled in pain, shaking out her fingers.
Alepou: Ow, what the hell?!
Lykos exhaled sharply, his breath curling into a visible mist.
Lykos: What's happening to me...?
Panicking, he leaned back against a tree—but instead of stopping him, his arm phased through it. He yelped and stumbled, falling back onto the ground.
Skylos: Dude, what is going on with you today?
Lykos: I swear I touched the tree!
Alepou: No, you touched the ground, dumbass.
Skylos: Maybe we should head back. You're acting... off. Let's not make today any weirder than it already is.
Alepou and Skylos turned and started walking back toward town. Lykos was about to follow when his feet suddenly lifted off the ground.
Lykos: Oh, come on! Again?!
He flailed in midair for a moment before crashing unceremoniously back down.
Skylos glanced back, unimpressed.
Skylos: You and the ground are getting real intimate today.
Lykos: YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT?!
Alepou: See what?
Lykos hesitated. If they didn't see it... maybe he was just imagining things. Right?
Lykos: ...Never mind. Let's just go home.
As they walked, Lykos stretched his arms above his head—and nearly screamed when his hands extended unnaturally, reaching the tops of the trees. He yanked them back immediately, staring in disbelief.
Lykos: At this point, why am I even questioning this anymore...?
They continued toward the city, conversation shifting to lighter topics, but in the back of Lykos' mind, unease settled in like a storm cloud. Something was happening to him. And he had no idea what it meant.
—
That night, as the town lay in peaceful slumber, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence. Lykos bolted upright in bed, his pulse hammering in his ears. Rushing to the window, he saw chaos. People running. Shadows moving. A chill settled in the air.
He didn't hesitate. Throwing on a jacket, he dashed outside, making a beeline for Alepou's house. He found her already awake, her phone gripped tightly in her hands.
Lykos: What's going on?
Alepou: I don't know! The signal's out—I can't reach anyone!
A distant roar rumbled through the night, sending shivers down their spines.
Lykos: We need to find Skylos. Now.
The two sprinted toward Skylos' house, their breath coming in fast, panicked bursts. Midway, the streetlights flickered out, plunging the town into complete darkness.
Alepou instinctively grabbed Lykos' hand, squeezing tightly.
Lykos: It's okay. I can still see... just hold on.
They finally reached Skylos, who was already outside, staring at the sky in alarm.
Skylos: What the hell is happening?
Before anyone could answer, the air grew deathly cold. A deafening roar tore through the atmosphere. The temperature plummeted. Snowflakes drifted down.
Lykos: Snow? This early?
A voice echoed in his mind, deep and sinister: "Finally found you."
His blood ran cold.
Lightning crackled overhead, illuminating the swirling storm clouds. Spikes of ice erupted from the ground, impaling everything in their path. Above them, a woman's voice rang out.
???: Time to cleanse this place.
Then, another voice, laced with power.
???: La lyn rense dette landet.
Skylos: ...What did she just say?
Alepou: It means let lightning cleanse this land...
The clouds condensed, channeling raw energy to a single point. A blinding bolt of lightning slammed into the earth, followed by a shockwave that tore through the city. Ice spikes shot through the streets, striking anything that moved. One barreled toward Alepou—
Lykos lunged, throwing himself in the way. A shimmering barrier erupted around them just before impact, shielding them from destruction.
But as the storm raged on, two lights ignited in the sky—one a piercing yellow, the other a deep, blood-red.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them vanished.
And everything changed.
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