-"Good riddance, stupid desert!"- Ivee celebrated as they finally set their sights on greenery.
The forests around them were lush and deep fresh green. A cooler breeze finally made its way to them. The drastic change from hot and dry to cold and wet had their bodies struggling to adjust.
Kate began to sneeze. Feeling a slight tickle in the back of her nose and a stinging in the back of her throat.
-"Oh no..."- Kate whined.
-"Are you feeling sick?"- Naoko asked as Ivee changed her bands, noticing how scarred her back was. The wound has healed but a strong stinging sensation haunted Naoko's skin.
-"I'm okay, I'll be okay."- Kate said as her nose began to redden.
Rai drove up the paved road, everything around them was still and quiet as fog began to roll in.
-"It's been so long since I've felt this weather...I missed it."- Logan said to himself.
-"Oh? You are more of a cold lover? Even though your main power is fire?"- Ivee asked curiously.
-"I prefer the cold, yes."- Logan confirmed. Kate scooted closer to him for warmth. He looked at her. -"You aren't used to the cold, aren't you?"- He pecked a kiss on her head.
-"Is it that obvious?"- Kate covered herself with a fleece and gazed out the window. The tree line was lush and tall. She has never seen such evergreens like these. The clouds were gray and dark and there was a gentle breeze. Beyond the tree line, she could see peaks of black and white. Tall and sharp snowy mountains stood eerily overlooking the valleys and forests. They felt sort of an ominous energy coming from those mountains, almost as if they're guardians of something hidden within.
-"The next town is Silvios, we can get food and gas there."- Naoko jumped to the passenger seat next to Rai after Ivee was done with the bandages.
-"Do we have any warm clothes?"- Kate asked in almost a whisper.
-"We have a few items, jackets and such."- Ivee dug through the suitcase.
Logan looked up at the mountains, reminding him that Bassilisk was up there, scheming and plotting their downfall at the moment.
_______________________________________~_______________________________________
-"If it wasn't for you, we would have been dead long ago."- Viola said as she fed Erianna a bottle, rocking back and forth on her favorite recliner.
Ariel paced back and forth on the now-destroyed porch. She was on the verge of a panic attack, she truly thought God was coming for her when the Great Shift happened.
-"Ariel...darling, please sit. You're okay."- Viola invited her to sit next to her as she gently patted Erianna's back, burping her.
-"God wants me dead, he knows that I failed, he knows that I didn't want to do as he commanded."- Ariel whispered to herself.
-"How old are you?"- Viola suddenly asked. Ariel turned to her, confused at the random question.
-"W-What?"-
-"How old are you?"- Viola repeated.
-"Viola I have no time to answer—"-
-"How old are you, damn it!?"- Viola carefully shouted through her teeth, not to startle Erianna.
Ariel sighed and thought to herself. She went back thousands of years, as far as her memory took her, but then, she hit a wall. For some unknown reason, she couldn't remember before the time she joined the Celestian Military.
Viola noticed when Ariel hit the wall, how her facial expressions began to shift between panic and confusion.
-"You don't know your own age!?"- Viola said, surprised.
-"I don't remember!!"- Ariel joined in the shouting and Erianna began to cry.
Ariel's tall body came closer to the rocking chair Viola sat in.
-"I'm sorry..."- Ariel said, her eyes lowered and sad.
Viola looked up at her and smiled. -"Something told me that you were missing a piece of yourself. All you kept talking about was God this and God that, what about you? What about your life, your dreams and desires? Who is Ariel and what does she want?"-
Ariel remained silent, still hitting that mental wall over and over. All she knew was to obey, to fight, and follow orders. She felt like a robot made specifically to kill in the name of God.
-"Who...am I?"- Ariel fell to her knees in front of Viola and laid her head on her lap, next to Erianna.
The baby began playing with her blond hair, pulling and tugging playfully.
-"Ariel...you have a lot to unpack, a lot to work on, but just know, you are not alone, you have us to help you along the way."- Viola caressed Ariel's hair. -"You are already doing so good...I am proud."-
Ariel wept into Viola's lap, thankful for her support.
_______________________________________~________________________________________
Yenziel jolted awake. Confused as to what might have he dreamt about that caused him to wake up so abruptly.
-"What the..."- He ran his fingers through his long blonde hair.
The cushiony bed squeaked and creaked as he slowly turned his body to get up. Leaving a sleeping man behind.
He slowly made his way toward the restroom, where he closed the door softly and turned on the light. The faucet turned on and he splashed water on his face. He looked up at his reflection, studying his facial features. He didn't look any different, but somehow he felt different. Perhaps it was the side effects of being exiled a month ago. The Great Shift didn't affect him as much as other parts of the world. Where he was staying was Taena, the capital city of Kasai. For what it looked like, Taena was built to sustain any cataclysmic event. Just a few cracks here and there which were fixed in no time. What was rampant, however, was the panic and anxiety of the population after said event.
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The Seed of Hope
الخيال (فانتازيا)After leading a relatively normal life, Katerina finds out that she is a seed descendant of a powerful warrior named Hope and has to carry on her duty to protect the world against the evil Bassilisk and his Fallen Army in the name of the God Elohim...
