Loud, it was so very loud. Screaming, people were screaming. But why were they screaming? Clayton opened his eyes, his chest and head stung with pain. He got up off the pavement and took in his surroundings.

People were being eaten by these large grotesque creatures. Some people were turning into giant creatures. His head rang again and the description came to him. Some were turning into dragons. The dragons took to the sky and his gaze followed. 

He couldn’t remember before this but he was pretty sure the ground isn’t supposed to twist up into the sky. He also felt like the sky had bird people descending. What were they, he knew they looked pretty with their white pristine wings. Their perfect-looking clothes and armor.

He then looked back to his closer surroundings and saw heading toward him was one of the grotesque creatures. A cold feeling ran down his spine and a part of him knew he should be running like the other people were. But yet he couldn’t part his gaze from it. With its acne-covered raw skin and forward-rolling shoulders all while its muscles twitched with each movement.

Until a little boy came blazing in with a slingshot and fired something into the mouth of the monster. The monster screeched and it gave out a choking noise before falling to the ground dead. The little boy rushed up to Calyton and grabbed his hand, “I don't have time to explain but if you wanna live come with me!”

Clayton couldn’t really reply his throat now that he focused on it felt really rough. But as they ran he looked back to the ground he woke up from to see it was cracked and broken. The little body lead him past houses and walls till eventually, they reached a house. Once inside the little boy shut and locked the door and sighed.

He looked at Clayton and Clayton could finally take in what this little boy looked like. He had a t-shirt with a dragon on it, baggy genes with a worn-out black cloak and to top it off he was wearing a patched-up wizard hat.

The little boy tilted his head, “So mister angel are you here to save us all? Did you get injured fighting the monsters?”

Clayton tilted his head and slowly copied the word, “a n g e l?”

The boy nodded vigorously, “Cuz you know you fell from the sky!”

A black dog appeared from behind the boy, “I doubt he’s an angel Noah, I don't sense the same kind of aura. But I do sense something astral.”

Noah waved his hand to the talking black dog, “Oh then let me astral you a question?’

The dog huffed and rolled their eyes, “What?”

Noah giggled, “What's the difference between Astral and an angel Ink?”

Ink hummed, “Astral beings pull their power from stars and constellations. While angels pull their power from belief and loyalty to their heavenly father.”

Noah nodded, “Oh, ok.” Noah looked back to Clayton and raised a brow, “So what’s your name, mine is Noah. oh so great astral being”

Clayton tilted his head, his name, his head stung but one word stuck with him, “Clayton.”

Noah smiled, “Nice to meet you, welcome to the apocalypse fellow survivor! So why did you fall from the sky? Where did you come from? What kind of powers do you have?”

Clayton’s head stung more and he shook his head, “Uh, I-i Don’t know?”

Noah’s bright smile faded, “Aw come to think of it you fell pretty fast. How about this I teach you how to survive around here and you become my survival friend. I even know someone who can help you with your memories.”

Clayton found himself giving a soft smile, “That would be nice. How do we get to them?”

Noah shrugged, “It's about a day’s trip from here. But uh before we head there first you need to learn a couple of things. One you need to learn how to kill monsters! Two you need to learn how to escape when you encounter a big monster. Three and this is the utmost important, is master baking of sweets.”

Clayton tilted his head, “What’s a sweet?”

Noah gasped in horror, “Sweets are the best! Tasty yummy make you feel happy and they kill the monsters!”

Clayton raised a brow, “I still don’t follow?”

Noah shrugged and walked over to the kitchen in the house, “It's ok ill show you!”

Noah then proceeds to pull out a cookie from one of the drawers and offer it to Clayton. Clayton gently took the cookie, “Ok, so what do I do with it now?”

Smiling Noah took another cookie out, “you eat it silly. Do you really not remember much?”

Clayton’s brows furrowed together, “What do I remember? I” His head stung and he frowned, “I know my name, I think. I think I'm missing something.”

He gently brought the cookie up to his mouth. The second he tasted it the most pleasant sensation spread over his tongue and he shoved the cookie into his mouth. 

Noah giggled, “Whow I guess you've never had a sweet before. Also thank you for passing my test!”

Clayton tilted his head, “test?”

Noah nodded, “yeah to see if you're evil or not if you were evil you wouldn’t like sugar and couldn’t eat cookies.”

Clayton hummed and thought back to the monsters, “So What's with those monsters, you called them, uh and all?”

Ink looked over from where he was laying down, “Those are monsters spawned from Satin’s blood. That is to serve him and those he gives authority to control them.”

Clayton frowned, “So why does Satin want all those people dead?”

Ink sighed, “Ehh that is a question I can't really answer. I could speculate but that's a waste of time.”

Noah began filling a satchel with more cookies before he looked to Clayton, “Alright so we're going to head on a supply run. So we can get you some armor, better clothes, and more ingredients for cookies.

As for weapons, uhh we'll have to wait on that cuz. Even I, the great and powerful Noah, do not know how to teach.”

Clayton raised a brow, “So then should we leave now or..”

Noah shook his head, and gave a nervous chuckle, “Uh right now no, first I have to make enough cookies and things just to reach all the stores we need to go to.”

Clayton blinked, “Oh ok.”

******* 

A figure lands in the barren and cracked concrete crater. They glare at its empty state while their dark midnight wings twitch from a hot breeze. At the peaks of their wings are half of a star symbol. 

The figure clenched their teeth and let out a frustrated sigh, while they ran a hand through their snow-white hair, “Dam it, that fall didn’t kill it.” 

He looked to the footprints leading out of the creator and smirked, “Baboosh!”

Within a moment a huge black dog with three heads appeared by the figure’s side, “Hunt it down but don’t kill it. I want to watch the life leave its eyes when I kill it with my blade.”

The dog sniffed and one of the heads cackled, “Fool if we wait long enough it will be its own end!” 

One of the other heads bit at the one that just spoke with bared teeth, “Shut it Whip, we must hunt!”