Navida

Explosion

It had been an ordinary day in Crookfort, the sun shining brightly over the small village nestled in the valley. But everything changed when the Navidan soldiers arrived.

They came in the afternoon, their armor glinting in the sunlight, banners of Navida fluttering in the breeze. The village had always been peaceful, untouched by the conflict that raged beyond its borders. But that day, war found them.

Noah and Jacques had been outside, playing near the edge of the village, when they saw the soldiers march in. Noah remembered the fear in his parents' eyes as they hurried over to them, grabbing their hands and pulling them inside. His mother's voice trembled as she spoke, telling them to hide, to stay out of sight no matter what happened.

"You need to stay quiet, understand?" she had whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "Don't come out, no matter what you hear. Promise me."

Noah had nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't understand why his mother was so scared, but he knew it had to be serious. She kissed his forehead, tears in her eyes, before pushing him and Jacques into the small storage room at the back of their house.

They waited there in silence, the air thick with tension. Noah could hear the muffled voices of the soldiers outside, demanding something from the villagers. His father's voice rose in protest, followed by a harsh laugh from one of the soldiers. The sound sent a chill down Noah's spine.

He couldn't take it anymore. Ignoring his mother's warning, he inched toward the small crack in the door, peering out. Jacques followed him, just as curious and scared. What they saw made Noah's blood run cold.

The soldiers had gathered the villagers in the center of the square. Noah's parents stood at the front, facing the Navidan commander-a tall, imposing man with a cruel smile on his face. He was demanding submission to Navida, demanding that the village pledge its loyalty or face the consequences.

Noah's father refused, his voice strong and defiant. But the commander's smile only widened. He raised his hand, and without a word, one of the soldiers stepped forward, drawing his sword. Before Noah could even register what was happening, the soldier struck.

His father fell to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. Noah's mother screamed, rushing to his side, but the soldier showed no mercy. He raised his sword again, and in an instant, she was gone too.

Noah's world shattered in that moment. All he could see was red-red from the blood, red from the rage that consumed him. Without thinking, he burst out of the hiding spot, charging at the soldier who had so easily tore their world apart.

"Noah, wait!" Jacques had shouted, but it was too late. Noah ran at the soldier, his small fists raised in anger. But the soldier barely glanced at him before shoving him aside, sending him crashing to the ground.

Dazed and winded, Noah struggled to get up, his vision blurry. He saw Jacques step forward, his face pale with shock and fury. Something changed in that moment-something Noah couldn't quite understand. Jacques moved like he was in a trance, his eyes locked on the soldier who had killed their parents.

With a roar of anger, Jacques lunged at the soldier, his fist connecting with the man's chest. But as soon as Jacques' fist made contact, something strange happened. The air around them seemed to pulse, a strange energy crackling in the space between them. The soldier's eyes widened in terror as his aura-normally invisible-began to surge and flicker, drawn toward Jacques like a moth to a flame.

The soldier screamed, a sound that Noah would never forget. It was a scream of pure agony, as if his very soul was being ripped from him. His aura, the energy that had made him so powerful, was being drained away, absorbed by Jacques without him even realizing it.