Meeting

Irnik stood still, dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe what he had seen.

‘We used our powerful Arts, and it regenerated. But now…only one shot!?!’ Irnik was confused, shaking. ‘How…How is this possible?’

The special guard leaned against a tree and kept staring at what he had seen.

“Only one shot…” He smiled, surprised.

‘But where did it come from? Who did it?’ He began to look here and there hastily.

As he turned, far away among the trees, he saw a man. The man stood for a few seconds, staring at the creature, and left.

Irnik narrowed his eyes, and as the man turned, he saw an emblem he knew well.

‘Solaris!? What’s he doing here?’ Irnik thought, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

Roosevelt left his hiding spot immediately. He was confused, and a bit…afraid.

Roosevelt, leaning on branches and tree trunks, walked towards his horse. Hiding behind a bush, he took deep breaths.

‘The captain, and the rest…They are all…gone…’ He gulped.

‘My body…It aches so much. I can’t even open my mouth.’ Roosevelt turned his head back. ‘The horses…Yes, the horses. I should retreat and report. They won’t punish me for running away. I have a genuine reason.’ He thought, panting and groaning.

Gathering all the strength he could, he walked towards the horses, groaning and shaking with each step. Walking with heavy steps, he reached the horses and fell.

‘I can’t move my body…I must not get captured…’ He extended his hand towards his horse.

The horse felt Roosevelt’s presence and walked towards him. It sniffed him all over and licked his face. Roosevelt dragged his body towards the nearby branch and untied his horse. Then his horse sat near him.

“C’mon, Roosevelt. You must get back…” He said with a groaning voice.

He grabbed the saddle and pulled himself up onto the horse. He clung to the horse’s neck and whispered something in its ear. The horse stood up and began to gallop southwest, softly.

Irnik stretched his body, heaved a sigh, and began walking towards a boulder at some distance. The special guard joined him, and they both arrived at the boulder.

Marnis was conscious and drinking water.

“How are you now?” Irnik asked, sitting near him.

“I am fine…I don’t understand what happened.”

“I am confused myself. I have never seen such a thing…It evolved and adapted so fast.” Irnik took out a timepiece from his inner pocket.

“It evolved!?” Marnis was dumbstruck. “What was it? Wasn’t it just a ball…I just had a glimpse of it before fainting.”

“True…It seemed to be a ball. But it converted into a creature. We attacked its legs, and it grew a tail; then it regenerated the legs. Then it grew gills when I tried to drown it.”

“Then how did you kill it?” Marnis asked, eager to know.

“A red flash came and pierced through its head. Its brain was totally melted. But I don’t know who did that…”

“Hmm…” Marnis fell into thought. “People of this calibre can only be from the Eclipse.”

“Correct…Well…” Irnik stood up. “We will find out over time. Midnight is arriving; we must reach Maska.”

“Yes, we must. It is unsafe in the open. The enemy is dead, but who knows what will come next…” The guard said, examining his sword and cleaning it with a cloth.

The two soldiers brought the horses, and the Cerfisians continued their journey to the snowy capital.

…

“How did you do that?” Melfer asked, amazed, as Irfika came down the hill. “You killed it in one shot!”

“Melfer, remember one thing…” Irfika stopped near him, clasping his hands. “All living creatures have a very important organ, the brain. If it is severely damaged, there’s a high chance that it will die straight away.”

“But that thing was adapting and regenerating…What if it regenerates its brain?” Melfer raised an eyebrow.

“If I had damaged a part of its brain, then it would have regenerated. But I…destroyed it completely. Actually…melted its whole brain. So, it won’t regenerate at all if its body is receiving no signals that are telling it to do so.”

“Oh! So that makes sense…I will remember that for sure…”

“Also, one more thing. I am telling you for the third time. Don’t make me talk too much. You know I am not fond of it.”

“Okay…But I feel bored when I don’t talk to you…” Melfer replied, smiling and scratching his cheek.

“Whatever…It’s getting cold. We must get to the city and rest…” Irfika said, walking towards his horse.

Melfer walked up to the horse, sat behind Irfika, and they journeyed to Maska.

…

In Maska, minutes before the explosion.

Felmer stood near the window and stared at the city and the mountains.

‘Hmm…Combat training. Haven’t done that for a long time…’ Felmer sighed.

‘What’s great is that now Efkil is with me, a total nuisance. Talks all the time and only talks trash…’ Felmer sulked.

Felmer closed his eyes, and as he did, a face began to form in his mind. As it took shape like ripples in water, he heard a familiar laugh.

Efkil looked at Felmer and laughed like a maniac.

“What the…” Felmer jerked his head.

‘Of all the things, his stupid face came into my mind…’ Felmer thought, irritated.

Suddenly, he noticed something.

‘Is it me, or does it feel so quiet?’ Felmer wondered.

As he stared outside, a soft, cold breeze blew and touched his face. It was relaxing.

‘Hmm…Well…’ Felmer yawned. ‘I think I should just sleep now.’ Felmer thought, closing the window.

As he turned and took a few steps towards the bed…boom!

The whole house shook with the explosion. Felmer nearly fell, but he balanced himself.

“What the hell was that?” Felmer rushed to the window, confused.

He looked here and there and saw nothing.

“It was an explosion. So there must be some smoke.” He narrowed his eyes and looked as far as he could. “Huh, I can’t see anything. How is this possible? Was this a magical explosion?”

As he looked, he spotted a pulsing light, high in the mountains.

“What’s that? I can’t see anything thanks to the fog.” He murmured.

Staring, he felt a purple line emerge.

‘Run…Hide…’ Felmer heard a voice inside him as his heartbeat quickened.

“Why…Am I…” He placed his hand on his chest above his heart. “…Panicking?” He felt restless.

‘RUN…HIDE…’ The voice echoed again, stronger, as the line grew larger.

But Felmer didn’t move. Was it fear or confusion? He didn’t know.

He felt more unease as the line grew bigger. Finally, he succumbed to his instincts and closed the windows.

As he turned, he heard a voice outside his room.

“Felmer!” Emilia called from downstairs.

“Yes, moth…” He was interrupted as a powerful shockwave hit him from behind.

The window shattered, and he was pushed forward with immense force. The shattered glass flew with him. Some pieces pierced his ears, and some grazed his cheeks.

Felmer fell onto his bed, bounced off like a ball, and went straight into the opposite wall.

“Ugh!” Groaning with pain, Felmer turned.

He grabbed his head and then looked at his hand. It was red.

“I am…bleeding?” He said softly.

He looked at the wall where the window was, his vision fading. But there was no window, not even a wall.

“Mother…” He mumbled.

He tried to reach out for something before he collapsed.

Felmer opened his eyes and looked around hurriedly. But he stopped immediately.

“Where…Am I?” He said, looking at the empty white void around him.

He looked as far as his eyes could reach. But he only saw two things.

Emptiness

Whiteness

“Wasn’t I…in Maska? Right! An explosion occurred then- that shockwave. But…this is not Maska.” Felmer said softly.

He began to walk forward, looking around. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his ears.

“Felmer…” Something whispered.

“What!?” Felmer was startled.

‘What…was that voice?’

He felt a presence behind him. He turned swiftly and saw a man standing.

“Who are you?” He asked calmly, his heart beating fast.

Staring at his face, he spotted something.

‘He has the same eye colour as me.’ Felmer thought, confused.

“I am a man of the past…” The man replied, smiling.

“Huh?” Felmer blurted out.

“Hahaha…I was aware that you won’t understand yet.” The man took a step towards Felmer. “To put it bluntly. I am the past, and you are the future.”

“Sorry, but I am not a fan of philosophy.” Felmer folded his arms.

“I can’t tell much…But I will say one thing.” The man looked down and took another step. “Time might differentiate us. But one thing makes us common.”

“And that is?” Felmer raised an eyebrow.

“Our past is life. Our future is death.”

“Hmm…” Felmer was about to say something when suddenly the ground vanished under him.

“AHHHHH!!!” Felmer screamed as he fell into the darkness.

“Hah!” His body jolted awake, heart racing.

He looked around and found the place familiar.

“Now I am in my house.” Felmer grabbed his head as he felt a throbbing pain. “What a strange dream…”

He tried to stand up, but his body gave out.

“My legs hurt…” He mumbled.

“I am in the living room, I see…And it’s still night…”

Then he heard a door open, and a familiar figure stepped into the room.

“Oh! You are awake!” Lelis exclaimed and rushed to his side. “How are you? Feeling good?”

“Yes, I am fine…” He looked around. “Where are the others?”

“Benny sprained his ankle. So your parents took him to the hospital.” Lelis replied, pulling up a chair. “Flexin is outside with the captain…”

“There was this explosion, then that shockwave. I was really scared, so I came to your house. And then I found you collapsed like a sloth.” Lelis chuckled.

“This is not the time to make jokes…” Felmer grimaced.

“But I am making one…”

“Whatever…” Felmer replied and looked down.

“Our past is life. Our future is death.” Felmer whispered. “What did he mean by that? And he never told me who he was.”

“Oh, yeah, I remembered. Your trainer and your father have arrived. He is a captain. Looks strong.” Lelis said, a finger on her chin. “I am pretty sure that trainer of yours knows something, but he is hiding it.” Lelis looked at Felmer, a bit frustrated.

‘Life…Death.’ Felmer made a melancholic face, looking at Lelis.

Lelis paused. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked, confused.

“Life…” Felmer said.

“What’s with life?”

“…Death,” He said, like a man possessed.

“Huh?” Lelis looked at Felmer, scared. “Are you daydreaming? Well, it’s not day. But still…”

“No…Nothing. Forget what I said.” Felmer snapped back to reality.

“Ugh…Well…Whatever…You should rest…” She said and stood up.

Felmer saw Lelis leave, and then stared at the door for a few seconds.

Sighing, he lay down and fell asleep.

…

The following day, at noon.

Irnik, wearing a light blue formal suit, entered a renowned hotel in the city and sat at a table in the far right corner.

The hotel was full of well-off and noble families, everyone dining to their hearts' content. People talked softly, with soft laughter and whispers filling the luxurious atmosphere.

Irnik picked up the menu card and began to go through its contents.

‘Hmm…A good dish for lunch. There are many choices…’ Irnik flipped to the other side. ‘I wonder what’s best…’

‘But…’ Irnik placed the menu card on the table. ‘I think I would wait for him. Wait…He might arrive fast. I should just order…’ He picked up the card again.

Irnik liked almost every dish. But his heart was stuck between three options.

Smokey Grilled Beef

Vegetable-filled Turkey

Eastern Cheese-filled Yak

‘Hmm…Judging from what I know about him. He will most likely go for something different and unique.’

Irnik called for a waiter, and a waiter wearing a black shirt and pants walked towards him. He stood near the table and looked at Irnik.

“Would you like to order something, sir?” He asked politely.

“Yes, I would like to order two plates of Eastern Cheese-filled Yak…”

“Sure, sir…” The waiter looked at the other chair. Seeing it empty, he asked, “Should I place it when the other gentleman arrives?”

“Ah…Yes…Thanks for reminding me…I nearly forgot…” Irnik smiled.

“No worries at all. Your order will be delivered when your guest arrives…” The waiter nodded, smiling, and left.

Irnik nodded and began waiting for his guest.

After some time…

Irnik’s gaze was stuck on the main door. He took out his timepiece and began a countdown.

“3…2…1…”

The door opened, and a familiar man in black formal attire entered.

“…And here he is…” Irnik chuckled and stood up.

The man walked calmly towards Irnik and stood near him. They embraced each other and shook hands.

“Welcome, Solaris. It’s been a long time…” Irnik said, shaking the man’s hand.

“Yes…It’s truly been a long time…” Irfika smiled. He took his seat and adjusted his coat. “Still using that title, I see. You have long left the organisation. So you use my name…”

“Well, using that title awoke many memories…” Irnik said, signalling the waiter.

“Ohh…The Wind Rider being sentimental…That’s new for me…” Irfika smirked.

Soon, the waiter arrived with the dish and placed it on the table.

“Hmm…A treat from you…” Irfika exclaimed and took a bite. “The taste’s great. You chose the right place and the right dish.” He winked at Irnik.

“Well, I know a lot about you after working with you for a long time.” Irnik took a bite and a sip of water. “Now, should we get on the topic?”

“What topic?” Irfika asked, busy cutting the meat.

“You know…” Irnik put down the knife and the fork.

“Ahh…About last night? I see…” Irfika did the same and stared at Irnik, his expression serious. “What do you want to know? We all saw the explosion and the shockwave. No one has found out what caused it, yet.”

“Skip the lies and tell me the truth. You killed that creature. I saw you with my own eyes.”

“Hmm…Creature? What creature. I only know of an explosion and the immense shockwave that followed. What creature did you see, Wind Rider? I would like to know…”

Irnik didn’t answer, but he kept staring into Irfika’s eyes. Irfika did the same, until realising that Irnik wouldn’t buy any of his lies.

A waiter came towards the curtains to their right. He placed a dish on a table behind the curtains. Irfika observed the waiter’s actions and watched him leave.

“I might have no connection with the Eclipse anymore, but I haven’t forgotten a single thing about it…” Irnik crossed his legs.

“Then why should I tell you? You are in no position to ask me what the Eclipse is doing.” Irfika stiffened.

“Correct. If it was kept between the Eclipse, then indeed I wouldn’t have cared at all. But that creature caused a potentially lethal situation for the party and me. So, I would like to know…”

“And you expect me, the second-in-command, to tell you?”

“You were investigating those records, correct? I can’t forget the purple colour they told off. ”

“Yes, I was…The event matches the records.” Irfika paused and looked at the curtains. “Why are you hiding, Marnis? Don’t be shy. Come join us; we wouldn’t mind.” He looked at Irnik. “Would you?”

“No…No…Of course not…” Irnik lifted his hands in the air.

Irfika signalled a nearby waiter to bring a chair. Shortly, the waiter arrived and set the chair down.

Marnis, after some hesitation, opened the curtains and joined the two. The waiter brought Marnis’s meal and arranged it in front of him.

Marnis stared Irfika, unhappy.

‘I told him that hiding won’t work…’ Irnik sighed.

“It’s been a long time. Hasn’t it been?” Irfika asked, blossoming a sinister smile on his face.

“Yes…It’s been.” Marnis answered, staring at a wall.

“Well, now, as we are all here. I will tell you what you need to know…” Irfik leaned back on the chair. “Since we found those records and scriptures, the Eclipse have been investigating them in detail. After years of research, we found a door, a rather mysterious one. Fearing that it might be dangerous, the Sun sent me to investigate it. Somehow, I was able to open it, and then…Well, you know what happened next…”

“That’s all?” Marnis asked.

“Yes, that’s what you need to know. The rest is confidential.”

“So what happened to the door?” Irnik asked, curious.

“Confronting me, the creature hit the wall and caused the door to collapse. I don’t know if it's functional.” Irfika took the last bite of his meal and stood up.

“What are the records?” Marnis looked at Irfika.

“Don’t ask me questions to which you won’t get any answer.” Irfika stared into Marnis’s eyes.

“What was the creature then?” Irnik asked now.

“I think I made myself clear…”

“We both know how much we hate incomplete information…”

Irfika heaved a sigh.

“Fine…I will only say one thing…” He said, adjusting his coat.

Both Irnik and Marnis leaned forward, eager to know.

“Otherworldly…”