ETERNALLY

Chapter 1

Thunder rumbled across the forbidding sky. Lightning crackled, clouds shifted. A lone winged figure drifted across the darkness. Like and unlike a bird all at once, it flapped its majestic wings. To a lesser mortal, it would have been described as a dragon. But it wasn't. It was too grand to be classified as a mere winged lizard. It was much, much more.

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Five boys stood on the wreckage, once a mark of a mighty civilisation, now a pile of rubble. Dead leaves flew around the air, as if unsettled by an unusual aura. The five boys stood, scared yet still. Thunder boomed again.

This time, the oldest child changed. He had horns, not unlike a demon. His eyes, previously narrowed in determination, were brighter, in contrast to to shadows cast by his new horns and fluffy blond hair, slightly longer than before. His suit also glowed at the seams from the lightning, seeming to be sewn out of light.

Thunder sounded again, and he was back to normal.

The youngest stood with one leg propped upon a broken brick. His dark hair was ruffled by the wind, but the rest of him was neater then the oldest. With only one deficiency, his tie. Ripped in half, it looked like it had been torn by some creature.

Thunder again.

He, too, had changed. From his back grew large wings, similar to those of the creature mentioned. His eyes had also become brighter, like the first boy. The shadow across his face was almost the same as the eldest child. His clothes too glowed.

Once another thunderclap sounded, he changed back.

The second-youngest one stood straighter than the rest, bolder and more confident. His red hair stood out amongst his gloomy surroundings. His large eyes stared off into the distance, as if trying to see into the future, trying to make sure that they would all make it to the end, trying to know if they kept their promise to be together forever.

And once again the sound of distant drums rang out throughout the landscape.

His transformation was different. Instead of the whites of his eyes burning with light, they turned to a bright, deep red, the colour of blood and roses. His irises glowed white, with his pupils an accentuated black island in the blinding sea of emptiness. The shadow over his eyes was the same as the previous boys, but his high cheekbones, nose and chin were lit up by the lightning. A deep gash appeared on his neck, just above his collar, barely noticeable, but still there.

He, too, changed back at the next sound of thunder.

The shortest boy stood with his right cheek facing the dismal sky, mouth half-open in shock. His dark, ragged fringe hung loosely across his forehead, almost covering his eyes. His pale, bloodless face stood in stark contrast between his jet-black vest.

Thunder.

This transformation was much more obvious than the previous one. Large, crooked, black spikes grew out of his back, almost impaling some of the broken concrete behind him. His cheek, collar and shoulder were lit up dramatically, while his eyes, like the others, glowed in shadow. But there was one difference. His right eye had a faint blue tint, which had never been there before.

Back to normal at the next ringing of sky drums.

The last boy stood facing the same direction as his friends. He was much taller than the rest of them. His bunny lips were parted in confusion. What happened? Why were they here? Could they really stay together for all eternity?

The sky beat its drums once more, and he changed.

His ears had grown much larger than what it previously was. It became pointy, like an elf's, extending farther than the top of his head. His squishy, dimpled cheeks and the rim of his ears lit up, whilst his eyes were the same as the rest, glowing amidst the shadow of his hair.

Like the rest of them, he changed back to his normal state at the sound of thunder.

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The boys stood, all alone in a world of destruction and fire. Railings, buildings, cars, you name it. All of those and more surrounded them, in large piles of rubble, some burning, some not. Soon, ash from the structures joined the leaves in their journey to who knows where.

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Choi Soobin, the tallest boy, stood in a broken stairwell. In his hand was an old, tattered book. Flaking at the edges, it was indeed mysterious. He walked up to tap the blond, Choi Yeonjun, on the shoulder.

But he found something else, something that wasn't the Yeonjun he knew.

This Yeonjun had blood trickling down the side of his face. Bright red, staining his light hair. From his forehead and behind his ear, to under his chin and into his collar. Not to mention a large scratch wound on his cheek, which the previous Yeonjun didn't have.

And it was not the moment for dramatic effects, but Nature decided otherwise and sent a bolt of lightning to illuminate the dark sky behind him.

Who could blame Soobin for taking a step back from his friend?

He stumbled backwards, nearly losing his footing on the broken stairs.

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