Reincarnation Across the Ages

Chapter 4

The Age of Sculptors, Part 1

With a mix of exotic colors, a neon light show becomes an irresistible invitation for the sleepy eyes of a boy constantly tempted to open his eyelids.

The city's night sky calls out to the boy with the clarity of dawn. Roccan wakes up in a familiar place, but considerably different from the one in his memories.

"Hey, droid girl..."

The young man searches for his companion but finds much more metal than just a prosthesis. Small spaceships occupy the air transport corridors, generating intense traffic over human heads.

"I've gone back to the future!"

Curious, he walks through streets where there doesn't seem to be a single empty space. Hundreds of humans frequent the same avenue, attracted by countless digital advertisements, ranging from electronic billboards to interactive holograms.

In a place that never seems to disappoint its inhabitants, not even land vehicles touch the ground, wheels have become a hindrance.

"It's all as exaggerated as last time. No doubt I've been here before. But that..."

The similarities with a familiar location come to an end, along with the end of the busy street. Roccan comes across a long alleyway, which acts as a mediator between the familiar and the unknown. The crossing leads him to a vision capable of broadening preconceived ideas.

On the other side of the road, a clear view gave him an idea of the space before him. The buildings could no longer get in the way of contemplating the horizon since society seemed to have dropped a level. 

The metropolis, which had always seemed to stretch towards the stars, was moving into the depths this time. At the edge of the upper city, the boy was surprised to find an underground district.

"Wow. It's like the world has been split in half."

Shots are fired carelessly.

The sound of the shots echoes throughout the underground, reaching the ears of those in the upper part of the metropolis. Such a conflict could easily be mistaken as the outbreak of war, prompting an agitated reaction from Roccan, who tries to warn everyone around him.

"A firefight! There could be people in danger; someone should—"

No interest.

The people on the surface chat normally, going about their daily lives as if the armed confrontation was merely a background to a quiet day. 

Adults made work calls, children ran around in endless play, while couples had a romantic rendezvous over the broad view of the edge. It was just another typical day in the upper city.

Is this something familiar? I don't know this place... but it doesn't matter! I can't leave it like this! The boy thinks.

A bolt of lightning obscures any artificial light. 

The phenomenon hits the underground district directly, even though it didn't originate from a heavy cloud. The sound of a thunderstorm briefly frightens some unwary citizens, but they soon return to their daily activities. Amid so many indifferent reactions to what they thought was just a natural disaster, the young man had one certainty.

This time, Roccan knew precisely what was happening.

A relic! Without a doubt, this power comes from a relic! He concludes.

In the lower city, the shooting intensifies. A squad of men and women gathers to take out a single target.

Hiding under buildings to ensure good cover, the team avoids the strike of dozens of subsequent lightning bolts while trying to hit the source of all this chaos.

White hair is highlighted by the electrical discharges, emphasizing a strong personality from the thickness of its strands, whose spiky ends exude enormous offensive power. Sparklez uses an action relic to keep his opponents constantly under pressure.

"It's impossible to get close to this guy! He's avoiding covered areas!"

"If we go out in the open, we'll get chopped up!"

"Aim for the legs! We've got to take him down, fast!"

The enemy's electrical powers don't give the armed group any chance, and they are forced to stay inside vehicles or under insulating materials.

The victims' eyes dodge the countless flashes, capable of blinding those caught unaware. The squad couldn't even face who confronted them.

"If we stand still, it will be the end of us! We'll lose our sight!"

"The Electricity Relic; what a frightening ability."

"The resistance needs that power! We can't leave here without it!"

At the height of their determination, ten snipers advanced against Sparklez, concentrating all their efforts simultaneously. With no other option for a practical approach, the team abandons the cover where they were hiding, pinning all their hopes on a single strike.

"Now! Everyone, attack the target!"

The white-haired man is surrounded and forced to change his stance. His lightning bolts — previously used to pressure his opponents — can finally fall directly on the heads of those protecting themselves. The confrontation is heading for a conclusion.

"You resistance fighters don't know when to give up. STONE was created to overcome any limit. Stop clinging to the past and succumb once and for all!"

Pink particles interrupt the climax of the battle. 

Emerging through a portal, a hand reaches into the enemy's pockets. The mysterious figure's fingers come across a relic hidden among the searched garments.

Sparklez feels something moving in his clothes. "Huh? What the hell is that?"

Curious, he searches for the important artifact in the place where he left it. No results. The object had just been stolen from his possession.

"Impossible! Give me back my relic!"

The victim of the attack reacts quickly, turning towards the hand responsible for the theft. Grabbing it before it could return to the portal, he pulls the thief's limb with all his might.

The rest of Roccan's body is brought out of the portal. After completing the crossing, the boy fully takes part in an unwanted confrontation. Sparklez takes back the Electricity Relic using his brute strength.

The young man is disappointed that his plans have been ruined, "Oh, I was about to run off with it."

"Were you trying to steal it from me?"

"Not trying; I stole it from you!"

"Who the hell are you, brat?"

"Me? I'm Roc, the relic thief!"

"I've never heard of that name, not even considering the whole universe."

"I'm a newbie."

Despite not knowing what's happening, the armed team looks away from the awkward dialogue. Those engaged in mortal combat now cover their faces with their hands, filled with shame.

The group members look at each other as if wondering who the meddling figure is.

"Is that idiot one of us?"

"I hope not. The resistance doesn't need children."

"God, it's hard to face."

A flash once again dominates the skies, scaring away the darkness and frightening all those who oppose the white-haired man. Electrical discharges search for unprotected targets.

Sparklez loses patience, "No more wasting time. I have to put an end to this group of rebels. If you want to stay alive, just run away, kid."

"Run away? But I want the relic."

The enemy's feet are enveloped in a cloud of pink dust. A portal appears just below his body, taking him inside a building. The teleportation victim looks around his new location without understanding what happened. 

It's a small, empty establishment with no other people inside. Sparklez can see his old position through a glass door, with the entire squad waiting outside.

"I was in that square a few seconds ago. Have I been transported?"

The man feels a hand in his pocket. 

"I did it!" A voice celebrates.

Quickly turning around after having his privacy invaded, the owner of the Electricity Relic is faced with yet another frustrating event. His precious artifact has just been stolen again. 

Roccan carries the object with all his excitement, gazing at its lightning symbol.

"That's the most stylish relic I've ever seen!"

"You again? Just stop trying to steal from me!"

"Sorry, I really like these things."

"This is STONES property."

"That stupid company? In that case, it's good that it's in my hands now."

"That's enough! Give the relic back if you don't want to die!"

Roccan punches one of his portals while the other takes the blow directly to his opponent's face. Sparklez is hit hard.

"Even a small store like this has a lightning rod. Your shock attacks won't work in here."

"Wow, you've thought of everything."

"Hehehe. I did well, didn't I?"

Another portal is created behind the white-haired man. This time, the boy uses his powers to perform a surprise kick, teleporting his blow in an unexpected direction.

Surprisingly, the enemy reacts immediately, grabbing the attacking boy's leg.

"How?"

"You don't know how to fight, do you? You're so predictable it makes me feel sorry for you."

Sparklez pulls his leg through the portal, making the rest of Roccan's body go through it as well. Unable to defend himself, the young man steps into the range of enraged fists.

As if he were being hit by a sequence of lethal shots, the power of each punch propels the target backward, sending him crashing into a metal shelf.

"Argh!"

"That's enough, give me back the relic."

"My specialty is stealing, not fighting. You only beat me at my weak point."

"It doesn't matter, you've been defeated."

"Look, I've lost to much better people than you."

"Was that... a swear word?"

Pink particles again appear under the enemy's feet, transporting him through a passage to the establishment's ceiling. As the teleport ends, he falls face-first to the ground, taking unexpected damage.

"Urgh! Are you kidding? What a stupid attack!"

"There's plenty more where that came from!"

The process is repeated multiple times. With one portal on the floor and another under the ceiling, Sparklez is thrown against the ground in the same sequence of events. 

During the numerous falls, the victim regains focus, staring coldly at his opponent. His attention could not be diverted even by the most potent punch to the face, ignoring any other being or object that might get in his way.

Analyzing every gesture of the person facing him, the severe man's priorities change in the blink of an eye. The course of the confrontation had already been decided.

"You know... you don't look like you're from the resistance," Sparklez comments.

"Does that make a difference?"

"That means you're not of interest to me."

Although he keeps falling repeatedly, the white-haired man leans towards the establishment's entrance. The glass door allows him to observe his real interest: the squad is waiting outside the building.

"You don't even know what you're fighting," the enemy teases Roccan.

"What are you talking about?"

"My relic is not the Lightning Relic. My enchantment was made with the Electricity Relic."

Clasping both palms together, Sparklez gestures at one of the inattentive team members. Accompanying his movement, the light in the establishment fades, along with the operation of all the appliances.

The young man realizes something decisive, "So the roof never made any difference... the lightning rod..."

"You don't know anything about me, kid. You don't know anything about my power."

"Wait!"

"You're just another ignorant fool."

All the electricity in the room is condensed into a single projectile, fired by the electrified subject's fingers. The attack hits one of the shooters, who just takes the unexpected offense.

Without even knowing what hit her, she falls to the ground, motionless. 

"Y-you..."

"My duty is to eliminate the resistance. That much I know."

The group tries to rescue the fallen woman, but no vital signs can be detected. 

The victim is dead.