♤SPRING SHIELD (MxM) ~fantasy~♤

The king of spring

I wanna preface this entire chapter by saying that there's six stages of power usage for an avatar. Known as the six stages of demolition,because it's slowly destroying their life source and energy the higher they go.
So,four is supposed to be the safe limit. Any higher and they're practically digging a grave.

Kristian

As he stands above me,getting ready to strike me again. For the final time. His arms lifted up in the air,
So I stop looking at him. I stare foward,at the darkness of the ruble and the distant sounds of life outside. I don't want to have an ending like this.
I don't want to have my lifeless,battered body dragged from this building once I start to rot and people think to investigate. I don't want people to look on in pity as my cold flesh is on a stretcher,covered by a thin white sheet to hide me.
For people to wonder what I could've been.
As I loosen my grip around my neck,more blood seeps from it,blood that I'm now laying in. My vision goes blurry again.
White almost. Makes me wonder if I'm already there. Already dead.
It feels strangely peaceful as scared as I am. The white that keeps getting whiter. Until I'm in this space of pure white.
"Kristian!"I hear my name being called in distress. Maybe it's this man using his strange ability to taunt me,with a voice of someone I know. "Kristian?! Where are you?"I hear again,but this time I sounds like it's growing close.
It sounds familiar.
"I know you're here. Maybe you don't want to come to me because of when we last talked- but I'm just here to take you out. I know I hurt you. I said things I shouldn't have. Done things I shouldn't have."the monologue continues,it feels like they're words are... waking me up from this dream like state,
"But you can't be here! It's not safe here. Just like you said that time,I put saving this city over anything else. And you're a part of it,I want to save you. I admit it,alright? I have that hero complex or whatever you accused me of having."They stammer,growing louder. My senses being jolted back to me,
Elijah.
This has to be a dream. It can't be-
"Kristian. It's all my fault,okay? I'm a terrible person. It's all my fault!"that voice sounds tortured. Strained probably from all the shouting. "I made a terrible mistake. And I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry,so please come with me. Just come out wherever you are and just- let me take you away from here."
That's him.
"I promised you I loved you,but I lied. I lied and you have every right to hate me. I did this,and I'm sorry but you can't stay here. You just can't. It's all I'm asking,Red. It's all I'm asking of you."I pull myself up slowly,one hand at my neck,and the other on the ground. Battling the gravity that forced me here. It wins yet again.
But I manage to turn my head straight where the voice is coming from. And I hope and pray and beg that the voice isn't a dream. That the blurry man standing a few meters away is real.

THREE HOURS PRIOR,

Elijah

Tapping my pen against my desk like the ticking of a clock,I think.
I can't bet my everything on Kris. We only knew each other for five months and it doesn't mean that my life is over if we separate.
But my mother was right. I normally don't try again if one thing doesn't work out and for whatever reason,I spend rotting in my seat each day waiting to see if he'll come back is another day I stray further from ever changing it.
Changing how it ended.
I know where he is. Or at least I'm eighty five percent sure of where he is. His home town miles away. A place I've never been,a place I've only ever seen through his stories. Nine thousand inhabitants.
I look at the clock where it's already half passed three. I keep tapping my pen. If my mother sticks to her words and brings the boys back the time we agreed that will be eighteen hours from now. No plane makes direct flights to Tiliger and no flight has a reason to stop at such a desolate place.
The only fasted way to get there is by train,which will take a staggering twelve hours. Leaving me with only six hours until they land in the states. And I haven't found him yet so that will take another-
'You're not trying hard enough then' the conversation from before pops into my mind,
'Elijah,you don't have to go looking for him if it's this complicated,it's like digging a grave' Kane cautioned,holding my other hand,
'No,actually. Love is full of risks and I don't agree with leaving it alone. I think that the higher the probability of it failing,the happier you'll be when it doesn't' Rowin argued,his eyes lit up with determination,
'Actually,I think Frost is right. I think you should go for it. Nothing hurts more than a life long regret' Azaar finished.
Maybe they were right. I've done a lot of things in my life the safe way,and a lot of the time I ended up in a position of self loathing and regret.
Not this time. This time I'm going to do what I feel like doing. No matter how close I'll have to cut it,
If the train takes twelve of my hours and I'm left with six it can't be that hard to find a man in a city of twelve thousand people. Then I'll get my answers. Then I'll come back as quickly as I can.
Devastated or happily satisfied. Either way,at least I won't regret it.
Pushing to my feet I race out of my office. Practically running,"Mr Lewis? Where are you going you have that meeting coming soon-"
"Cancel it."
"But-"I don't wait for my secretary's answer as I run faster. All the way down my office and into the street where I open my phone and start figuring out how to buy a ticket. Through each and every turn and corner. Until it's not fast enough,so I start to run.
Sprinting through the city faster than I ever have. I bump into someone who holds me back from going into the subway that leads to the train station,"It's closed right now."he says.
"Bradley,Relish what are you two doing here?"I ask,confused. Maybe I'm dreaming. Why would a banker be with a business manager?
"Well we were just leaving until well-"
"Kristian ran into that building over there and it's been ages and he still hasn't come out yet."Kristian. My heart drops at that name.
"Where?"I ask,urgency lacing my voice as I turn my head to the building Relish is pointing at. A collapse.
"The parking lot of that building right there. He ran in before they taped it up."Bradley explains,"he said he'd be back."
Why in the world would be run head first into danger like that? Nodding I cross the street and duck under the caution tape,"Sir you can't be in here-"I show them my badge and they all shut up,
I don't care if that can counts as abuse of power.
I stop at one of the special operation officers who is right before where Bradley claims Kristian went,"Have you seen an adult man,red hair about this tall around here?"I ask,demonstrating his height,the man thinks for a short moment before shaking his head,
"I'm afraid I haven't,sir."
"... I have-"I hear someone in one of emergency camps say,lifting their hand above they're head. A severely injured woman but she's getting the help she needs,"I saw a red head dash through here before they put the caution tape down,"She points down the exact point of weakness. The room below it is the worst place to be.
"Thank you."I breath,racing down into it,
"At least be careful!"she warns after me.

________________

Many a times in my life I had to call after my children. In parks or stores,even malls. If ever they got lost,I'd calmly walk around and call after them until I found them. I never got stressed or scared.
But right now,it's been so long. And I can't hear a single sound coming from anywhere. I've been calling this name over and over,nothing. No answer. No shuffle.
My voice gets strained,as I feel tears prick in my eyes. What if I'm too late? What if something already happened?
Then I hear something... laughter?
"An avatar brought down to such an extent."then I see him,a hooded figure. A cloak that stretches to the ground,old and torn. Mechanically laughter.
Noid,the sixth ranked leader of Dark Night. The man who traded a part of his soul and body,to be able to change his voice at will.
He can impersonate anyone. So long as they can't see him. Maybe that's what Bradley and Relish heard. An impersonation of Kristian's voice.
Forming aether as my fists,I realise that that isn't a shadow at his feet. It's a human being. Laying in a pool of blood but the top of their head is... Red.
No... no,no,no.
It can't be him. It can't be.
I take a step foward wanting to confirm if my eyes are playing tricks on me. But I'm pushed back by a strong force of black aether,"If you know what's good for you stay there. He's already as good as dead right now,"
"You- you did this."I say in a low voice,"If you wanted me you should've just come to me! Why did you have to hurt him?"it can't be.
It can't be that he's gone.
I won't believe it until I touch him and make sure for myself that's there's no coming back. And I swear that I'm not sparing him.
And even if he is fine. I'll make him suffer for every single drop of blood he made him lose. Every single spark of pain he made him feel,I'll make him feel it ten fold
"Either way,there's no getting him back. Although I heard that you can heal someone whose on the verge of death? Maybe if you defeat me fast enough..."I don't wait for him to finish as I summon my bow and arrow,
"Ah,yes. The iconic bow and arrow of spring. The ability to shoot through metal and the accuracy of-"I take a shot while he's distracted,he moves just slightly. So my arrow only grazes his arm instead of going straight through it. Plants sprout from his wound making him hiss in pain,
I don't waist my breath on words as I pull my second arrow. I don't have time for chatting. I need to end him fast enough so I can save Kristian.
Fast enough. I repeat to myself,pushing my body through the stages of using my powers. Letting it corse through my veins as dangerous as it is to force myself to adapt to conditions this fast.
"If you try to kill me- you'll end up bringing this entire building down on us-"
"Not if I can help it."I say,forcing my foot into the ground and letting a stream of power run through me. Roots cracking through the ruble as they make their way through the ground,like a flood.
Catapulting my energy source to stage four of the six levels of demolition.
Something that thick will be able to hold this place together for about an hour or two.
"So that's how you want to go then? Hard way it is."he says,summoning his own powers to aid him.