Kalus plummeted through the void, his screams swallowed by the endless expanse of shifting, prismatic light. The world above spiralled away, shrinking into a distant pinprick of sunlight until it vanished altogether. Darkness enveloped him, and his consciousness dissolved into nothingness.
He jolted.
He gasped, coughing as he regained his senses. Cool, damp soil pressed against his cheek, gritty and damp.
The distant roar of waves filled his ears, their rhythm steady and hypnotic. And slowly, he pushed himself up on trembling arms, blinking against the brightness of the sun now hanging low in the sky.
Before him stretched an endless ocean, its waters shimmering with hues of gold and silver under the fading light. The salty breeze stung his face as he took in the vast, alien expanse.
He touched his chest, confirming he was alive. But where was he?
And more importantly, how had he survived?
He groaned, crawling to the ocean, drinking greedily from its waves till he quenched his thirst and washed his face.
His ear begins to twitch, picking at the distance echoes of horses neighing.
He got up sluggishly and searched his surroundings, excitement surging within him.
Humans are residing somewhere here, I am not alone.
He thought.
However, he felt something throbbing on his wrist so he glanced down to look at it.
It is the mark on his wrist, It is gleaming again.
What could be the problem?
The last time the mark ever throbbed was when it first manifested on his wrists by the Eye of Samsara. After that, nothing happened out of the ordinary.
So, why is it throbbing erratically now?
Wait !!
The Eye of Samsara!
She couldn't possibly be somewhere around here! Could she?
Distant, noises of horses neighing alongside the barbaric, guttural mockery of men caught his attention again. Which piqued his interest to see what they were doing.
With that, he took a few steps away from the beach, narrowing his gaze at the forest hoping to see something.
And just when he was beginning to lose interest, he caught a glimpse of a woman.
Her glowing white robes billowed behind her as she sprinted past the gnarled trunk of an ancient tree. Her bare feet barely touched the ground, her movements fluid yet frantic.
The soft radiance of her attire illuminated the darkened grove, making her an easy target for those who pursued her.
Behind her came the thunder of hooves, a relentless cadence that shook the earth.
A dozen warriors clad in gleaming crimson armour surged through the undergrowth, their warhorses snorting and rearing as they pressed on. Their red banners snapped in the wind, matching the bloodlust gleaming in their eyes.
A sharp, shimmering pulse coursed through his head, flooding his senses with unbearable intensity. His vision wavered, dissolving into a haze before darkness claimed him in a sudden blackout.
He groaned, wincing as he staggered forward, his legs unsteady beneath him. Shaking his head to clear the haze, he lifted his gaze and fixed his eyes on the forest once more.
His vision sharpened unnaturally, as if guided by a mysterious energy, zooming in on its own accord. The world around him seemed to blur, focusing entirely on the figure ahead. For the first time, he could see who was running.
And then it dawned on him.
Eye of Samsara!
Without a second thought, he swung into action. Sprinting away from the beach charging straight into the heart of the forest.
It suddenly just began to make sense to him now, it feels like he's been here before.
But when was that?
Oh! He could remember now.
It was in his dream and that was how it unfolded.
"Damn it Kalus! You gotta be faster than this. Come on!"
He cursed and gritted to himself in desperation.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Cathiana gasped for breath, her chest heaving as she stumbled forward. She brushed a trembling hand across her slick auburn hair, pushing the damp strands from her face.
With a sharp glance over her shoulder, her wide, terrified eyes scanned the shadows, searching for any sign of pursuit.
Where did Austrus and Elena go?
Could they have possibly abandoned her?
What if she uses telepathy on the horses to slow their saddlers down?
It should work, right?
She thought but quickly discarded it.
No!
Aside from the fact it will require much energy from her to compel them, she's just too tired now.
"Don't let her get away"
General Hough barked, commanding his warriors.
"Yes sire "
They all chorused in unison, urging their horses as they saddle faster leaving dust behind their wake.
Helplessly, Kalus watched, knowing that the way things were folding, she would stumble and fall, which would allow her enemies to catch her.
Time slowed against his wish, making him too slow to intervene.
Cathiana's breath came in ragged gasps as she ran, her eyes flicking constantly over her shoulder to check if they were still chasing her.
In her frantic haste, she failed to notice the thick, thorny root stretching out from the forest floor.
Her foot struck it with a sickening crack, and before she could react, she was sent tumbling forward. The ground rushed up to meet her, and her face slammed into the dirt, the rough earth scraping her skin.
Dazed, she tried to roll to her side, but by then, it was already too late.
General Hough's men had encircled her with their horses, buying time till his arrival.
And when he came, they created a small pathway for him to pass through.
General Hough climbed down from his horse immediately, walking up to her frowning.
He knelt beside her, grabbed a handful of her hair, rain punches on her with his fist until she wrought in blood.
He smiled wickedly, standing up and towering over as he ran his fingers into the length of his hair.
"It is written Samsara, that you shall die by the hands of the Trinitrians without your Protector. And it has come to pass before your very eyes. The difference in the prophecy is that you won't be dying in the hands of the Trinitarians, but by my hands today without your Protector ."
Another maniac laughing escapes his lip as he unsheathes a short blue sword from a worn scabbard strapped around his waist, he raises it to the surface of the sky, murmuring in the language of the Akiz.
The accent of the dead.
Kalus on the other hand, watched, screaming inaudibly as he unsheathed his sword, raising it above his head.
His eyes reflected the thunder rolls and green-blacked lightning as it flickered down from the sky to touch the tip of the strange knife hoist to the sky. And the scene of General Hough plunging it straight into her chest.
"Argh "
Kalus roared, veins bulging on his forehead.
After that, the sky bellowed again in rumbles, flickering viciously, and time returned to normal.
It was then General Hough noticed Kalus charging at him, he gazes past him to find his men lying dead amidst the grass.
He stood up in shock, the fiendish smile on his lips fading away.
His hands fasten on his sword in haste to unsheathe it.
But It's too late.
Kalus's body tensed with fury, his emotions seething as he channelled every drop of his rage and despair into the technique. With a deep, guttural breath, he focused all his energy on his sword, feeling its weight shift as it became an extension of his will.
In an instant, he launched himself into the air, his muscles straining with the force of the leap.
The blade sliced through the air in a graceful yet brutal arc, tracing the shape of the Arabic number "4" with deadly precision.
The motion was fluid, a whirlwind of steel that shimmered in the light as if time itself bent to his will.
As he passed over General Hough, the blade's energy surged, a powerful blast of force trailing just behind him.
The strike seemed to miss its mark, but the air seemed to crackle with the raw intensity of the attack, leaving the general momentarily stunned in its wake.
Moments later, red geyser blood splinters out of his body, and he splits apart as.
Kalus landed softly on the ground, heart racing, the remnants of his emotions still simmering within him.
"Shhhhhhh, hey.... hey... it's okay .... it's okay...I'm here.."
His voice quivered and trailed off as he scampered to her side, throwing his sword away and gathering her into his arms.
Her eyes, which were once as beautiful as the moon, are now reduced to a puddle of blood.
He could have prevented all this if he had taken decisive action earlier on.
Whoever that bastard was, he regretted giving him an instant death.
Cathiana's swollen lashes slid open sluggishly, coughing violently, and blood began to trail down from the corners of her lips. She grimaces in pain as she looks at Kalus. Lost in his teary eyes for a minute, her lips curled into a bitter smile.
"What took you so long protector....."
She winced, bright white tears escaping her eyes, disappearing into the dust, and her voice trailing off.
Kalus sobbed silently, shoulders trembling while she hugged her.
"Noooooooooooooooo !!!"