...
Elyon, a world of diverse culture and wonders, had thrived for hundreds of years blissfully. A world at the peak of civilisation after withstanding countless disasters.
Everything changed though, when a rift tore open in the sky, and from it came strange terrifying beings.
The world was plunged into chaos when they descended. Their goal was clearly announced to all: cleanse Elyon of humans and become the sole beings inhabiting it.
This led to Elyon first Inter-dimensional war.
The war started with a massive slaughter. Humans were no match against the Walkers, nor were their supposed advanced weapons.
Not only were the Walkers naturally stronger than humans with their unique physique and trait–able to shape-shift their bodies into deadly weapons and shapes. They also had access to Aether, a foreign energy humanity couldn't withstand.
When humanity was facing defeat and about getting wiped out, help arrived from above. The gods decided to lend them a fraction of their powers in the form of towers. Seven brilliant towers descended into the last remaining continent of humanity.
These towers became the pillars of humanity. Towers with the power of granting humanity special powers.
Within these towers, the first heroes of humanity were formed. They were the first conquerors of the tower's deadly trials, each awakening terrifying innate traits and the pillars that helped greatly in the war.
...
A figure slowly stirred from his deep slumber with a groan.
He felt his eyelids heavy, still struggling to adjust to the startling brightness.
"Ughhh... what's this place? What happened?"
He muttered staring at the white walls with strange devices at the far end of the room.
"Did he get badly wounded in his last match?"
The last thing he remembered was the arena getting invaded by some strange beings. "Hold on! I made it out alive!"
"No! What was he saying?" Gripping his head for a second, he took a deep breath before stepping down from the bed.
"How could he forget?"
He had died during the invasion in his previous life. That place didn't exist again. He'd been granted a second chance by a goddess.
He was in Elyon.
Just then the door was pushed open with a figure walking in.
Her platinum blonde hair was neatly tied in a ponytail. Her white-toned skin shone with radiance, further illuminating the room. She was around the age of sixteen or seventeen, judging from her appearance.
Her obsidian eyes landed on the red-haired boy.
"Good to see you're finally awake, Len." She said with a warm smile.
"Yeah." Red mumbled, memories of his rampage slowly resurfacing.
They stood in silence, lost in their thoughts for a moment.
During the brief silence, Red was able to assemble his distorted memories. And from there, he got a name.
Maya... Everhart.
"Do you wanna get out of here?" Maya suddenly asked, staring at Red. "I mean, I've been here for a long time, just like you and don't really like the ambience of the hospital."
Right. He was in a hospital just as he thought. He stared at the room and then back at Maya before answering. "Fine. Where do you wanna go?"
"You'll see."
With a soft sigh, Red finally followed behind her, leaving the confines of his room.
The hospital was quite a large one filled with a good number of staff. The building was quite opulent, filled with out of the world equipments, strange performances of staff healing the wounded with... magic?
It truly was a strange place.
His mind drifted to the little space barely able to contain tens of individuals in his previous life for treatment.
The hell does she mean she didn't like the ambience? This place was literally amazing.
But he was careful to keep his emotions intact beneath his pale face.
They finally arrived outside the hospital. There, an exquisite-looking car was waiting for them.
He didn't know what to call it, though. It was similar to cars from his world but at the same time a bit different. The car was made from strange, thick, dark-plated alloy with obsidian-tinted armoured glasses. Its size was moderate, though, with a spacious opening inside.
Without a word, Maya stepped in, beckoning for him to enter.
"Uhhh... where are we actually going? Aren't we supposed to like get a permit from the doctor or whoever is in charge before leaving?"
"Oh. From your look, you're as fit as a fiddle." Maya answered with a small grin.
"The pagoda," she said to the driver as the car slowly roared to life. With a shrug, Red finally entered the car, settling beside Maya.
The car drove in silence for some seconds with no one speaking.
"Y'know... when I was in that place, I thought... I thought that was the end." Maya muttered all of a sudden, gaze fixed on the window.
"To be used as a lab rat and discarded just like the ones before me." She then stared at the quiet Red.
"Of all the people, I wasn't expecting to see you." She said with a pause.
"But... you came and broke me free."
"I don't know how to thank you, but... You saved my life. You had every chance to leave me behind... given... our strained relationship, yet you decided to take me along."
Red leaned toward the window, staring at the tall buildings and bustling district. This world never ceased to amaze him.
The tall towering structures built with strange white marble along with the people going along with their daily activities, some even openly using their powers in the public.
With a sigh, he finally stared at Maya with his stormy grey eyes hiding his expression.
"I did what I had to do back then." He muttered with a shrug.
Just then, the car finally came to a stop before a massive three floored white pagoda.
They had arrived at their destination.
A garden thrived quietly at one side with the sound of rushing water, assuring a stream was nearby.
Len took in his environment with a soft breath. Then his gaze fell on Maya, who stood before him.
"Thank you for saving my life." She said, bowing deeply. "I don't know how... but I'll repay you someday."
A frown slowly formed across Red's face.
'What was she saying? He didn't save her?' At that time, he was acting purely on his body instincts and adrenaline.
Hell! He remembered vividly how he had failed escaping that place and almost close to death until he passed out. Them being alive was quite a mystery.
Also, why the hell was she acting so nice to him all of a sudden?
Although his memories were a jumbled mess. He was able to glimpse through a few.
She was never this nice to him... not after the announcement of their engagement by their families.
Sigh.
"Over with that. It's best I head on to the point of we being here."
"It's about your father, Len."