Tale of Chaos 3: For All Eternity

Chapter 4: Mistrust

Rocksworth's POV

A gasp racked my chest, my eyes fluttering open.

Instantly, searing pain spread through every cell of my body.

I trembled ferociously as waves of pain crashed over me.

Then, I heard a voice.

One from afar echoed as if everything were underwater, screaming, "Rocksworth...! She's awake...!"

I coughed, my ribs pounding with constant surges of throbbing. Everything was a smudge as figures rushed toward me, my brain processing it in slow motion.

I heard an unrecognizable voice. It sounded elderly and frail.

"She's hurt pretty bad... I do not know if she'll make it..."

I couldn't remember much after that, allowing unconsciousness to swallow me, and everything was silent once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up again, it was much more peaceful. There was less pain, but it simply became a dull ache.

I slowly pulled myself to a lazy sitting position, looking around. I saw nobody.

Reluctantly, I twisted around and looked behind me.

To my dismay, I found Blackout, Spotlight, Cyclone, Pyroclast, Riverflow, Arcmagos, and Forestra standing a few paces away, blocked a bit by the trees. Their eyes were set on something in the distance, their hands glowing their respective colors. A woman stood behind them, her hands behind her back. I fearfully watched as their power grew.

They drew in their eyebrows. They took a small step backward and bent both knees. I could feel a hum in the air. In my throat. In my head. In the ground. Everywhere.

A muffled voice commanded, "Now."

A loud blast and a bright burst of light interrupted my sight. I could also hear the splashing of fluid and the shattering of ice. A powerful force, as though I had been thrown back by a large hand, sent me flying a few feet into the air and several feet backward. I collapsed onto the ground.

I could still feel the humming, but its intensity had reduced, to the point that I no longer felt it in my temple.

What were they doing?

Were they trying to hurt something?

Who was the woman?

Was she controlling them to kill something?

What was happening?---

I felt a jolt of shock zip through me as a hand clasped my shoulder. I squealed and twisted around, stumbling back and seeing who it was.

Maia.

My heartbeat burned in my chest as I panted, staring into Maia's gray eyes.

"Didn't mean to scare you, Rocksworth," she said, putting her hands up, as if she were surrendering.

"I'm not some bird of prey, right?"

I smiled and looked at Maia. She might have aged two years or so, but she still looked more or less the same as when she was Grade 8.

I remembered seeing her dead in the chair, lifeless and cold.

Now, she was alive. She had come back to life.

I suddenly realized how blessed I was to have her alive.

I stood up straight and walked up to Maia, throwing my arms around her.