Shades of Winter

4

Hero's eyes widen in horror as he watches Vies be pulled into the void, his voice echoing through the air as he screams Vies' name. The crack in the sky seems to grow larger, pulsating with an otherworldly energy as the void's power surges in the air, trying to take Vies out of there. Hero's movements are instinctive; he reaches out, trying to grab Vies, but it's too late. Vies' body is already being drawn into the void, his eyes locked onto Hero's as he disappears into the darkness. The last thing Hero sees is Vies' face, his eyes clear, but his expression is twisted in a mixture of pain and despair. Then, he's gone. The void closes behind him, the crack in the sky sealing itself, leaving Hero standing alone, his voice hoarse from screaming Vies' name. The city around him is quiet, the only sound the echoes of the ice melting and cracking in the distance. Hero looks around frantically, calling Vies' name. He stops and collapses to his knees, panting.

The city is silent as his echoes ring out into space. A scream rings out as Hero let's out all his pain and anguish, all his frustration and confusion, everything. Tears stream down his face at the sheer force of all of his emotions. His power surges with his emotions, flames rage across the building. He's still shaking with adrenaline with everything that just happened. He reigns in his fire. He keeps his power contained. He stops screaming, then he notices the ice melting rapidly. Hero watches as the last traces of Vies melt away. The people come out of the buildings, cheering. He defeated the villain! Hero feels empty inside. How could Vies just disappear like that? He can't just be...gone, can he? He can't! Hero is standing on the rooftop, staring into space, his head full of thoughts about Vies. In the void, Vies is peaceful, he feels nothing. He doesn't remember anything, but something in the back of his mind is niggling at him. Why does he feel like he's lost something? He keeps drifting aimlessly, the shadows keeping him floating. HIs mind is a complete blank. He doesn't remember his past, his powers, or even his own name. He's just...there. As he drifts, he starts to feel a sense of...something. It's not quite a memory, but a whisper of a feeling. A pang of loss, a sense of longing. Vies' mind stirs, trying to grasp onto the feeling, to recognize it. But it slips free from his mental grasp, leaving him empty. And yet, he can't shake the feeling that there's something out there, something that he's forgotten. Something important. A feeling that he'd lost something.

In the city, Hero stands up, his eyes empty. The cheers and applause fall on deaf ears as he stares into the distance. His eyes scan the crowd, he doesn't see anything, or anyone. He's lost in his own thoughts, his own pain. He can't shake the feeling that he's lost something precious, something that he can never get back. Vies. He says the name over and over again, as if it'll bring him back. It doesn't. He's gone. Hero feels hollow, like a part of him has been ripped out. He looks around again, hoping that somehow, someway, that Vies will reappear. That he'll see him in the crowd, his white hair like a beacon, beckoning him to follow on a wild chase through the city. Maybe he'd throw some snowballs at him, and then he'd hear Vies' laughter as he teleports away, just out of Hero's reach. But he doesn't. Vies isn't here, or over there, or anywhere. The crowd begins to disperse, the cheering dying down as they realise Hero isn't responding. Some look at him with concern, others just go about cleaning up their shops, or start heading home. Hero doesn't notice, he's too lost in his head, in his grief. One person approaches him, a woman.

How could he just disappear? Hero's mind is racing, trying to make sense of what happened. One moment Vies was there, then the next he was being pulled into the void. It didn't make any sense. Hero feels a surge of anger, frustration, and grief all mixed together. He wants to know what happened to Vies, why he was taken away. He wants to know if he's ok. But most of all, he just wants him back. Hero's thoughts are full of memories of Vies, of their battles, of the way he always seemed to be one step ahead. He thought about moments where Vies had seemed...human, like he cared about what happened to Hero. How Vies had never badly hurt him, and when he did, he'd immediately back off. How it all just seemed like a game to him, like he was playing with a friend. Hero's eyes fall to the ground, his vision blurring as tears begin to form. No, calm down. Already let my emotions out earlier, not going to break down again. I just...He can't believe that Vies is just gone. A small voice in the back of his mind whispers "what if", but he doesn't want to think about it. The woman comes closer to Hero, her expression questioning. "Do you know what happened to him?" Hero asks her. The woman hesitates, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "I...I don't know," she says finally. "I was watching from a window. I saw you two....fighting?" What, no. No we weren't fighting. That's not what happened at all! The woman keeps speaking. "And then...and then he just disappeared into thin air. It was like he was pulled into nothingness." She shakes her head, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and awe. "I've never seen anything like it before." She looks at Hero with a concerned expression, noticing the tears welling up in his eyes. "Are you okay? Do you know what just happened?" Hero blinks hard and looks away from her. "I need to go," he says to her. "Ok", she says. She still looks concerned but doesn't push it.