The two boys stood on the porch as the door closed behind them. The familiar scintilla of salt on the air tickled Kai’s nose as it did every night. But he couldn’t deny that there was a heaviness to it. A pressure in the draft that felt cold and ominous. A momentary silence lingered between the two. 

Kai leaned against one of the wooden posts of the railings.

“So, are we going to talk about it?”

The boy remained silent.

Kai stared at him for a bit before folding his arms.

“That night…It was you who saved me from the fire,” he tilted his head slightly, “but then you left…disappeared without a trace.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“You knew from back then who I was.”

“I know where you’re going with this. I couldn't tell you back then, Kai. Our lives…our worlds are so much more dangerous and complex than you know.”

“So why now, huh?! Ten years later out of blue…you just storm into my life and tell me that my rightful place is in Haven?”

He continued as his rage returned slowly.

“My father abandoned me. My mother died right in front of my eyes. You abandoned me. Sacclin lied to me…and now the only friend I ever had is dead.”

The water slowly accumulated in the corners of his eyes, but he fought them back. He couldn’t show weakness. Not right now.

The dark-skinned boy walked over to the railing on the opposite side and leaned on it with his forearms. 

He was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke.

“My name is Archamed Ocarin. It’s not my original name, but a name I choose to use to suit the task given to me. Unlike my predecessors, I do not relish the title of Saint, nor did I eagerly become the leader of the team you see inside.”

He turned slightly and stared back at the naive teen.

“I say this because…through my numerous years of defending the people of Haven, I have learned that responsibility is not something you fight or wrestle and it definitely isn’t something you’re allowed to ignore. Well rather, it’s impossible to.”

He pointed to him.

“My current responsibility is the retrieval of Kai Smith by the will of my master. You are coming with us. This isn’t a question, nor is it a demand, for it is also your responsibility.”

Kai was unsure whether he was impressed by his boldness or offended by his assertion.

“Your master has no right to interfere with my life. It is my responsibility to go wherever in the Astia I so well please.”

The boy sighed. His eyes narrowed and Kai sensed a peculiar pressure emanating from him.

“Your persistent babbling is just showing me how childish the ITCU has kept you. Do you think we would reveal ourselves if it were not absolutely necessary?”

He walked up to him with annoyance plastered across his face.

“If you truly wish to see what awaits you here, I won’t leave you in the dark.”

Without warning, the boy stretched out his hand and lightly pressed his finger against Kai’s head.

Immediately, the world around Kai began to fade. He looked out to the yard beyond the step and watched as the night blackened further.

“But remember… you asked for this.”

The place was not becoming darker in the way he was used to. It was more as if the light was being stripped away from the street, the houses, and the air itself. The black film spread further and further yet, until the entirety of his vision was obscured. There was no sound. Not the crashing of waves nor the buzzing of cicadas. There was no ambient noise to speak of. The silence gnawed at his ears till they felt like they burned.

“W-What’s happening?” He asked the boy. He heard his own voice travel, but there was no reply. He felt his mind begin to fracture. His thoughts broke from one cohesive weave to separate strings. Threads even. Like paragraphs ripped into broken sentences.

Then he heard it.

The shrieking sound.

That terrible wretched sound.

The sound of thousands of hateful voices.

They were whispering?

Whispering over each other.

Again 

And again 

And again 

into infinitum. 

He held his ears and wobbled from the overwhelming number of sounds. As his head filled with the noises from wretched, scraping throats…he wondered how voices could be so silent yet so slicing.

Then he saw them.

In the distance. 

They were far. 

But he could tell not for long.

They were blobs. 

Purple blobs.

There were too many. 

They wrestled passed each other, like wolves racing towards a fresh kill.

They were getting closer.

Too close.

They were different now.

Teeth.

Gnashing teeth. 

They scraped against each other in their disgusting mouths. 

Their mouths.

Each hole was an abyss.

No.

It was The abyss.

The abyss.

It was coming his way.

They wanted him.

They wanted him gone.

He forced his thoughts together with all the willpower he had. He couldn’t feel any of the flesh on his bones. He even questioned if he existed. He wanted to look away but couldn’t. The more he tried, the more his neck tensed. He was stuck, frozen, paralyzed. The perfect prey. The blobs grew more ghastly and their teeth longer. Their fangs stretched as they reached the base of the porch stairs. It wouldn’t be long now. With the last of his strength he managed to force his jaw open and shouted a shrilling yell of despair. He closed his eyes and awaited the clutch of the abyss.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes passed.

He shook in terror but the abyss never came.

He slowly opened his eyes to see the creatures hovering where the stairs should be, gnashing at him violently. But, they weren’t coming any closer, as if they were prohibited to. He tried to slow his breathing, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know how long he would be safe for.

Suddenly, for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. He felt something. A firm grasp took hold of his wrist. He felt a large portion of the pressure lifted from him and his body could move ever so slightly. He turned to look at the dark-skinned boy who he assumed was the one who took hold of him. But instead, he saw something incredible. A radiant light, like golden flames erupted from the ground in the shape of a man. Its arm was outstretched and held on to him, but the flames did not burn. Then he heard a voice. Calmly and pleasantly.

“Emunah Art, Respledence.”

The flames suddenly bursted out and emitted a blinding light into the surrounding area. Kai heard the shrieking of the dark creatures writhing forth until all the sounds faded into nothing. The entire area was lit with radiant light that obscured everything around him. 

Then he blinked, and he was back.

He stood on the porch once more, drenched in sweat and shivering slightly. He looked to his side to see the dark-skinned boy gripping his arm and also looking out to the yard before them. The boy released him and Kai plopped back onto the porch, sitting and breathing heavily.

“Who…What, were those?”

Archamed glanced down at him.

“They are what will be the death of you, if we don’t leave.”

Several minutes passed as Kai reoriented himself to his surroundings and the boy sat at the edge of the railing near him.

“Okay. I get it.” Kai finally spoke.

“This whole thing is still crazy!” He raised his voice.

“But I get it.” He lowered his tone.

Archamed nodded.

“When do we leave?” He asked as he struggled to his feet.

“First thing tomorrow. You’ve been through enough for one day. And I’m sure the enemy won’t make a full assault until they know who they’re dealing with.”

Kai nodded his head. Trying his best to keep up but still shaken from earlier. Archamed hopped off the rail and gently tapped him with his fist.

“I’m sorry I left you that day. I know what it’s like…losing someone unexpectedly. But I’m here now, and I won’t let them harm you. The Most High is with us.”

Kai stared at him as he walked back into the house. Archamed was clearly terrible at consoling people and he was very blunt…but he didn’t seem like a bad person.

“The Most High huh,” Kai mumbled to himself as he followed him inside.