Where Winter Meets Summer (Rusame Countryhumans)

Zero Hour

There were no stars that night. There was only a canopy of pitch-blackness and the whistling wind that dragged stray feathers off Branchmaster ASEAN's unfurled wings. Three deadbeat countries huddled together, clutching onto his talons with every ounce of their remaining strength as they felt themselves rise above the ruined treetops. The misty breeze from the harbor grew stronger as they soared toward the edge of the floating island.

They had left China behind.

"I'm sorry. But we can't stay here to search," ASEAN's cacophony of voices whispered. "A strange, unorderly power is interfering with this place. A truly terrifying Awakener is here."

The trio glanced at each other, understanding what he meant. They had watched the Power trample and decimate the same metallic giant, repeatedly pounding it into dust. Each time, its remains would reassemble until it was as good as new.

It wasn't just the giant, however. Trees that were snapped in half would stand tall again. Boulders that were split down the middle would mend themselves. Clouds in the night sky would distort and suddenly reappear in their previous position. In no time, the terrain would return to what it once was. Rinse and repeat.

It was as if the entire area was rewinding, but that couldn't have been the answer. Was there an Awakening that could turn back time? Could someone that powerful possibly exist, without the Powers knowing?

"No, it's impossible," ASEAN replied as if he had read their minds. "That sort of thing would break laws that were established since the dawn of the clockwork universe. I don't believe a mere Awakener would be able to do that."

Though that was slightly reassuring, many 'impossible' things had happened that night. The trio could only cross their fingers and hope it was true.

The forest ebbed and flowed beneath them, sprouting out of the ground in increasingly thinner patches as they neared the desolate borders. The night was quiet– too quiet.

The Filipino raised an eyebrow as their gaze fell on their brooding warrior friend, who had been uncharacteristically silent.

"Indo, are you alright?" Phil whispered as they placed a hand on their friend's broad shoulders. They were startled by how tense his muscles were, a sign that he was still agitated. "You haven't spoken in such a long time. I'm starting to worry you've gone mute."

Indo shrugged it off and said, "I'm fine," but his voice was flat and grave. He wasn't facing the others. If he were, Phil would have seen the turmoil churning beneath his dusted-green eyes. The enemy's words had successfully planted seeds of doubt in his mind and were now running rampant.

His troubled gaze moved to the other side of the suffocating space, where ASEAN's other claw was clamped around SEATO's prison. Only a wall of feathers separated him from her.