A sickening silence filled the air, as colors swirled around the area. The dark caverns around the two unconscious men were filled with strange energy. This energy was potent, and more powerful than anything either of them had experienced before.
Theo laid there unconscious, his body battered and bruised. He had fallen several hundred feet into the depths of the earth, yet somehow he was only minorly injured.
Stretching down from his shoulder, to his middle finger, was a large gash, one that went very deep, like a canal being carved into his skin.
His ribs were splintered inside his chest, barely avoiding his lungs, but making breathing insanely painful.
His left ankle was twisted, and had swollen up to be much larger than his right, pushing against the edges of the high topped boots he wore.
His forehead was bleeding, and covering his face in thick red blood that clouded his eyes, and made him look dead.
Beside him was Daniel, who was in even worse shape.
Daniel's left arm was completely bent in the wrong direction, his entire body was covered in bruises and small cuts, making him look as though he was bleeding out, and he had a large gash across the right side of his face, one that exposed his teeth beneath his cheek.
Around the two unconscious men, the strange energy, recognized as natural energy, began to violently swirl.
It first targeted Theo, wrapping around him like a cocoon.
It weaved its way into the wound that was spanning his entire arm, threading back and forth across each side of it, and beginning to stitch it together.
It then moved its way upwards through his hair, gently passing by the wound, and stopping the bleeding with just a graze.
As it made its way past him, it rendered him operational once again, stopping any bleeding, fixing his ribs, and halting the swelling of his leg. The only remaining signs were the large scar on his arm, and the blood staining his face.
The energy gave Daniel the same treatment, though it did not seem to fix all his wounds.
His cheek had been stitched back together by the invisible threads, letting the skin bind back together and leave a scar.
His arm had been straightened, but the bone was not fully repaired.
His bleeding was stopped but scabs remained, as if it put less effort into healing him than it did Theo.
Around 10 minutes or so passed since the two were healed, and suddenly Theo shot upwards from his position.
His eyes widened and he gasped for air, looking around at the cave, feeling the energy in the air.
He saw both his and Daniel's supply packs scattered on the ground, most of the supplies buried under rubble.
His short sword had been split into two by a rock that landed on it, and he had holes in his clothing and scrapes on the leather armor.
He felt sudden surges of pain in his body, particularly in his right arm, causing him to grip it at, where he felt a large bump.
He quickly moved his arm into his view, and he saw the sleeve of his clothing missing, leaving a large gash on his arm.
It was as if this gash had been fully healed though, just becoming a missing chunk of skin that had healed, but been permanently damaged by a scar.
He didn't understand what was going on, and wanted to scream for help, but he saw Daniel lying there, in way worse condition, so he felt it was best to try and help him first.
He stood up, debris falling off his clothing, and a large dust storm kicking up that caused him to cough a few times.
Included in the debris was a deformed copper pocket watch with shattered glass, twisted hands, and a broken chain. The first thing Theo did was grab this pocket watch and stick it into his pocket.
He then stepped towards Daniel and crouched down, beginning to look him over, and then shake him gently.
Not even two seconds later, Daniel opened his eyes, causing Theo to move back a little, then sat up.
He made eye contact with Theo, then began to feel a surging pain in his arm, causing him to grab at it and begin screaming.
"Titan's Crown! My arm! My arm is broken! Dear Lord Titan- Agh!"
He gripped at his arm in severe pain, taking a few seconds to calm down, as Theo stared at him in confusion, wondering how he was so much more injured.
After catching his breath, he and Theo shared a moment to try and figure out what happened.
"Theodore, what has happened to us? Where are we?"
"It's just Theo… And we are beneath the temple we discovered. The floor collapsed."
Daniel gazed his head upwards in shock, his eyes widening as he looked at Theo again. "That's not possible! A fall that far would kill anyone who's not a powerful warrior. Are you-"
"No." Theo cut him off. "I am not, and I don't know what has happened… I have a large scar on my arm, and I'm covered in fresh blood. If it wasn't for the fresh blood, you could convince me I've had weeks to heal down here."
Theo continued without pause "Our supplies are mostly destroyed, even my weapon is destroyed. I'm… I'm not sure what to do…"
Daniel rose to his feet, raising his right hand into the air.
Theo felt as energy her could perceive as "red" swirled around Daniel's hand, igniting his hand into a brilliant blaze that was even brighter than a torch. It revealed much more of the cavern they were in.
"Woah- I didn't know you were that strong!"
"I'm not, the energy here is so dense, I could probably teach you how to do this… though that's not safe since I don't know anything about what sort of abilities such an environment would create for a beginner."
What Daniel was referring to is what happens when someone learns to manipulate natural energy.
The effects of a person who manipulates natural energy can be customized, but the environment must have the corresponding energy. A beginner lacks the ability to pull out specific energies, so trying to control such a dense and mixed energy would be the equivalent of lighting a stick of dynamite and holding it above your head.
Theo knew this very well, so he didn't wish to try and learn here, where it was unsafe.
"I see… Let's focus on escaping before anything else."
Daniel nodded his head as if to agree, and began to walk forwards with a partial limp.
Theo followed by his side, ready to support him if he stumbled, and together they discovered a long corridor like winding in the cave.
It stretched deep into the darkness, and had no signs of life inside it.
The two shared a look, and Daniel stepped in front of Theo the block the way.
He then reeled his hand back, like he was throwing a ball, and tossed the fire out into the cave.
It traveled with a screeching sound similar to a firework, and then landed on the ground, revealing that it was safe to walk about 10 or so yards.
The two continued this process, with Daniel able to draw upon the natural energy constantly, somehow not poisoned by it like before, but this thought never crossed the two novices' minds.
After walking for a few minutes, they began to notice the cave becoming less and less natural looking.
The mineral walls began to look carved and shaped, and slowly began to resemble bricks.
The color changed from shades of brown and grey, to a deep shade of blue with a strange luster.
They began to slow down significantly, as the walls seemed to get more bright, and the energy became heavier.
Eventually the walls were white, not resembling brick anymore, but solid color with no shadow.
The dense natural energy seemed to be traveling into the end of the long hall, no longer flowing, but instead becoming "solid" in the form of a string.
Daniel no longer needed fire, for all it did was make this place even more radiant.
Out of curiosity, Daniel, who is experienced with manipulating natural energy, reached out and connected to the string, trying to gather it in his hand.
The string gently bounced, and a strum filled the air, as if a bard had just played their instrument.
Daniel and Theo looked around, and Theo asked:
"What was that?"
"Even I, a magician, have never seen such an abnormality."
As the two spoke, they looked around for any changes, turning around to realize they could no longer see the area behind them. They could only tell which way was forwards and which was back due to this strange, illustrious string.
They continued forward hesitantly, feeling as if there wasn't much choice, a strange silence burdening them.
As they stepped on the stone below, they slowly began to witness the appearance of more and more strings.
There was no longer energy moving in the air like a stream, but instead solid strings of energy extending from all sides of the blindingly white walls, making it impossible to tell how far away their origin was.
They all converged into the middle, where they seemed to just hover in the air.
Theo began to look around at the strings, about to question Daniel about turning back, but then he realized Daniel was missing.
"Daniel?! Daniel!" Theo began to call out, cupping his hands to his mouth, and pacing around urgently.
As he did, he noticed no matter where he turned, the strings seemed to lead to.
He suddenly was filled with a sense of Deja Vu, as all the thoughts began to accumulate.
First, the well, then, having to save Daniel and Dahlia, followed by the streams of energy, and the threads.
He began to fully remember his dream, and piece things together.
Everything that was said by that voice has come true, who, or what was that!
Theo thought to himself in severe distress, the image of the woman becoming more and more clear in his mind.
Her rainbow, spiraling irises, and prismatic hair. A body engulfed in a blinding white color, with pastel colors surrounding her. She had a hole in her chest, with a red beating heart that was being tied up by threads penetrating her body. She was strung up like an animal pelt on a tanning rack.
As Theo was reminded of the woman, he thought of one thing; The abnormality!
"Beware of the abnormality- Did I forget?!"
Theo began to panic, turning around to run, but finding himself getting closer to the strings.
He kept trying, but every step he took led him closer somehow, until eventually he began to see a figure.
Stretched out, with arms facing upwards as if to praise the heavens above, and hair flowing with them as if in an endless updraft, was a woman so tall it required him to look up.
It's the woman from his dream.
Immediately he could tell differences from his dream: Her eyes are not open, her body seems thinner, the heart is beating much slower, and he is either much closer, or she is much taller.
He felt his heart sink, as he felt like it was too late.
His knees buckled below him, and he slowly sank to the ground where he touched the oddly warm stone floor with his hand.
He opened his mouth, and began to stutter, no words or coherent letters exiting, as he found himself scared. He felt like this was a dangerous situation he was supposed to avoid.
As he sank further into despair he felt a hopelessness he had never felt before as he ridiculed himself inside his head for not following the warnings.
"How could I not see it?"
"The moment I saw the stone walls I should've turned back- that's an abnormality by definition!"
"Was all my studying for nothing?"
"Have I failed at a rudimentary level?"
"Dad would be so disappointed…"
Just then, a second voice rang out, not inside his head, but inside his ears
"You have not failed. You succeeded."
The voice was raspy and dry, like someone who hasn't had any food or water for a while. It had a sincere, motherly tone to it.
He regained focus in his vision, and saw the large woman with her rainbow spiraling eyes open.
Her lips parted, and she began to speak again.
"Theodore Reinis. Did you know Reinis is derived from the name Aireinis, of lunar forces? Of course you did. It is your surname after all."
"I-I- Y-Yes I did!" Theo responded with a hasty response, scared of angering the figure.
"No need to be so tense, I wish you no harm. That's why I saved you…"
"S-Saved me?"
"Yes. What do you think those warnings were, Child?"
"I thought they were to avoid you…"
"No. They were to bring you to me."
"W-Why-"
"Because, no one else was in a position to reach me in time."
"I… don't understand… I'm sorry."
"Do not apologize, for I have an explanation."
"My life is soon to come to an end. If you had abandoned Dahlia Freisco and Daniel Brein, they both would've died when the temple collapsed."
"Since you saved them both, you were able to fall down here, where my influence could reach, and heal you and Daniel."
"If you had not done so, nobody else would've been able to reach me, before I ran out of time. Even when you came back with the rescue forces, you would've never reached this place, for it is a space made solely to contain me."
Theo found his eyes shaking in his head, as he felt severe stress.
He couldn't help but worry despite what she said, because he's never heard of, or seen something like this in his life. Why would she tell him to beware of an abnormality when she is an abnormality!
"How- how do you know all that…"
"I have been trapped here for a long time, Theo. So long that it doesn't even have a calendar date, due to your society's inability to find exact measurements of time."
"When something enters my sphere of influence, the village and the temple, I can connect to them."
"I… I don't understand. I just entered today, but I saw you days ago, in my dreams!"
"Yes, yes you did. Once they discovered the old war fort, I was able to infer that soon people will come to explore, and discover the temple."
"Once, many many years ago, connecting to you days before I knew you existed would've been impossible, but now, there only exists two domains; The Titan, and Nature's."
Theo took in this information, feeling like he was being crushed by a landslide. He was able to determine that she was from the war era, and that her control of natural energy had enough power to somehow find his existence, and warn him of things that had yet to happen!
"S-So you were able to see the future?!"
"Yes, though I can only see it within my area. The only reason you guys found that temple is because I expended most of my energy to undo its preservative state."
"I still don't understand!"
"You don't need to. I don't have time to make you understand. I will now explain some key things to you, I need you to listen closely."
"How am I supposed to-" Theo felt a severe pressure, causing him to begin coughing, unable to speak.
"I said listen."
"Many years ago, the Giant Uelaylee gave up her life, and her domain for the sake of her child. You all know this child as the large tree resting within the Forest of Harmony. It is the single most powerful living thing outside of the Titan, all because it possesses a domain, or rather part of one."
"Everyone thinks that this is a single instance of Giants creating kin that possess their blood, but they are wrong."
"Does that mean-?" Theo thought to himself
"You are probably thinking correctly; I am the daughter of a giant."
Theo's eyes widened as he tried to speak, but began to cough again, being forced to listen instead of comment.
"My mother is Eireenis, of Solar Forces. My father is a dragon known as Di'Ignumius."
"The statue! It was her mother and father?!"
"Many years ago, I was born, but I don't have time to go over my history."
"Just know, my father entrusted me to a human kingdom, where I was worshipped like all dragons, though as a result they also worshipped giants, which was unusual at the time."
"When the world began to split and shatter due to the fighting, my mother and father were worried about me, and hid me underground."
"To protect me from being spotted by dragons, my internal energy was sealed, which is why you sense these strings around my heart. This also limited my influence over external energy, since I am cut off from most of it."
Theo found himself unable to express his feelings properly. He was in a proper state of being baffled, as this is history he has never heard of. It hasn't even been theorized by anyone before, for it didn't make sense to their knowledge of the world!
"When the war happened, my mother was defeated, and her domain was claimed. Unlike the World Tree, I was not given part of the domain, or any influence over my mother's powers over the solar forces of the world. This made me stranded under here, and I became almost entirely a dragon, one who had their energy sealed off. This weakened me significantly."
"When the Titan ascended, my ability to control natural energy was restored, but I could control much more than before. The issue was I was so weak, I could not break free from my seal due to my weakened state, and I've been forced to lay dormant, and pray my father comes for me."
"You can infer that he did not, which means he's either abandoned me, or he is dead. Meanwhile I am at my last limb, as due to my seal I have drained all my internal energy, which means very soon I will no longer exist."
Theo suddenly found his ability to speak restored, causing a blob of gibberish to come out of his mouth, as if he vomited everything he wanted to say all at once.
He then promptly asked a proper question, feeling like he understood where this was going.
"So you need me to break your seal?"
The Half Giant, Half Dragon, smiled at him, her rainbow spiraling eyes curving into upwards pointing arches due to her raised cheeks.
"No, I need you to kill me."
Theo's eyes widened, as he was told he had to kill her. He didn't understand- why did he have to kill her when he could free her!
"What- no!"
"You must, Child. Why do you think you are here instead of Daniel, who is much stronger than you?"
"Because if it wasn't for me Daniel would be dead!"
"That is partially correct, but it's also because you possess dragon blood. You can channel internal energy, if you're given a proper ignition. Consuming dragon's blood will do that for you. This is how human-dragon kin got their power in the past, and ruled over kingdoms. Did you believe dragons could reproduce with humans?"
Theo couldn't help but be utterly confused. To his knowledge both his parents were human. He has even met his grandparents, and they're also human.
"Why can't I just like- bite your leg or something. Why do I need to kill you instead of just drinking your blood?!"
"Because Theodore, I am more than just internal energy. I am part Giant. When I die, I will be absorbed by the Titan. I do not want that! This is what I've chosen. I will give my essence to you. I will give you everything I have left. You can handle it, you have the potential to use it."
"I don't understand… Why me still! Why not Whitney, she's related to dragons!" Theo began to get genuinely frustrated due to his confusion, and the sudden intense burden put on him.
"Because, she couldn't have reached me. Only you could reach me, only you could handle it. Theo, there is no place atop the crown for us. When we die, we are turned to nothing but more power for something that already exists as the strongest. I do not want that."
"What I want is to live a life that was taken from me due to my parents' fear. What I want is to experience joy, and adventure, but a Giant-Kin could never, and a dragon must adopt false personas."
"I can do that through you, Theo."
Theo couldn't help but question her motives, especially if he was going to kill her. How would she live on?
"How though… you'll be dead…"
"It's very simple, Dear Child. Once you absorb what little remains of me, I will see your past, your future, your present, your entire life, and existence. Those will be my dying thoughts, rather than sorrow."
Theo thought about what she said, and how she was able to see the future due to someone entering her area of influence, and her restored powers granting her more than just the influence over solar forces.
It made sense to him that if he were to absorb her power, she could likely see everything involving him, just as she could see everything involving this temple.
Though, Theodore still felt hesitant.
"I… I don't think I can do it… I'm not a killer."
The large lady smiled at him once again, closing her eyes and nodding her head slightly.
"I understand, let me show you what awaits you after this choice."
Suddenly, Theo's head filled with a vision. He saw himself exiting a strange tunnel, into sunlight.
He was with Daniel, and they began walking through forestry, where they came upon a very out of place clearing.
Inside the clearing, they took a respite from exhaustion, and discussed things Theo couldn't make out.
Suddenly, a large bear came out of the forest. It was red in color, and had a jaw so big that it formed an overbite revealing unnaturally sharp teeth.
The two quickly rose alert, but the bear was already charging them, and within seconds they were cleaved to pieces, unable to fight back properly due to Daniel's broken arm.
Theo's vision returned, not even 5 seconds having passed, as he looked at the Giant-Kin.
"That'll happen if I don't kill you? What's stopping me from avoiding that bear…"
"Theo… do you wish to sit here and go through every circumstance where you die? That'll use up all my power. I've prepared 3 more, and from my prediction, any route home leads through that forest."
She looked at him, her rainbow eyes showing pity, as if she was judging him for being weak, or was sad that she saw him die so many times.
Theo suddenly felt immensely pressured, finally rising up off the ground he collapsed onto long ago.
With a firm look of confidence, he spoke out to her, saying: "Fine, I'll do it."
"Good decision. Walk as close as you can, I will raise you up."
Theo began to walk forwards towards the Giant-Dragon hybrid, and as he did he found the ground elevating upwards, until eventually he was standing right in front of the massive, beating heart.
It was so large, he could easily carve a home through it with the proper tools, and still have space to live comfortably.
Its loud thumping rang out, shaking Theo partially, but the strings suppressed it and prevented it from harming him seemingly.
"Theo, you must act sooner than later… you have less time than you realize."
Just then, Theo realized how much slower the heart was beating compared to before. He wasn't focused on it before, because he could only see it beating, not hear it. Now it was obvious though.
"I… I'm not sure how to do this…"
As he spoke, he felt a cold feeling in his hands. His short sword was in his hands, now restored back to normal.
He didn't feel the need to question it, and instead chose to act, forcing himself past the hesitation and feelings.
If not for the endlessly replaying scene of himself dying, he wouldn't be able to do something so bold, but the fear of death tends to transcend all else in his mind.
He thrust the blade forward into the massive red pulsating matter.
It seemed to harmlessly pierce through like a needle into someone's skin, making him wonder if he did something wrong.
He tried to move the sword, but the organic matter seemed to be too strong, causing the blade to get stuck.
He went to open his mouth to speak, but suddenly the blade slid out of the heart with extreme force, and blood came gushing straight out.
It was like an overflowing dam had suddenly erupted in front of him, causing blood to spew all over him and instantly dye him red.
His mouth filled with it, and his nose too. His vision became blurred due to the burning sensation, as all he could smell was iron.
He kept getting sprayed, being knocked back and sliding across the elevated surface, as he found it hard to breathe like he was drowning.
He repeatedly began to gasp, swallowing more and more blood, as his body began to feel like it was on fire.
He had the extreme urge to vomit, but couldn't, and instead found himself unable to move completely, like he was losing control of his body.
An extreme feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, as he darted his red stained vision around only to see all the threads from before now wrapping around and restraining him.
He was the woman slowly fading away, turning into pastel and prismatic energies that were dispersing in the air.
Right as her head began to turn to energy, her lips parted, and a raspy voice rang out.
"Thank you, Theodore Reinis."