Destroyer of Time: Fulmination

Chapter One: Return to Light

The funny thing about the darkness is, the longer you stay there, the easier it is to breathe. At first, it threatens to choke you. It takes away everything you believe in. Destroys your mentality until you stop screaming. Then it envelops you into an embrace like it is a long time friend you just have seen again.

The breathing gets easier and at some point, you reach a point of serenity. A point of peace. Everything falls away until it is just you there, floating endlessly in the void. It was easy to get used to.

That's why when I woke up, screaming and clawing my hands around, blind and still in the darkness, it felt like a flash of lightning hit me. Not that I had ever gotten hit of a lightning. But it was easy to assume how you would end up and how it would feel like just seeing other people coming out of it. Mostly fried to the bone.

My waking moments then weren't really exactly the same though. When you get hit by a lightning, it wouldn't go at you three more times just to make sure you have nothing more to give. It was more of a flash. A sudden explosion.

My situation was worse. The first time I woke up, the pain was intense. It was a full body itch that teases me on ripping my skin off. Strongly, it crawled on my body with anger and hatred. I remember screaming my lungs out, tears streaming down my face like acid sliding down my skin. I don't know how long I was conscious. A minute, few minutes; I was not entirely sure. I just knew that the moment I was aware of myself was the most painful thing in the world.

Imagine sleeping the night before and feeling like you were dreaming in clouds, just to find yourself with your leg tied to the back of a car, getting drag as it speeds in 200 km/h as a person stand at the rear bumper, poking you with a sharp stick along the way. It was not a pretty picture. It was absolutely not a pretty experience as well. Especially when you were just coming out of the darkness. All you wanted to do was return to the safe sanctuary of the dark. I did. I lost count how many times. Five? Eight? They were moments so painful even breathing felt so difficult to do.

I don't know how long it took me to stop screaming every time I woke up since the first one, but slowly, that day came. Instead of a splitting headache and the sensation of my skin melting, I groggily came to the living world. I opened one eye first and then my second, finding my vision blurry. Then the world suddenly spun. I closed my eyes again. I had the sudden feeling in my gut that I wanted to puke but I felt too empty to throw up anything.

I kept my eyes close for a few minutes before I tried again. The world still spun but less this time. Next thing I felt was my head pounding, along the full body ache that traveled all over me. I gritted my teeth. The pain hurts like hell but bearable. So I stifled the pain and tried to sit up. I gasped at the first movement, my body rejecting the sudden activity after being bedridden for god-knows how long. I stared at the ceiling, finding myself breathing harshly, aching everywhere. I felt tired even though I just came to.

My mind was in turmoil. So many questions flying inside my head, adding to the headache that makes me feel like it was about to burst. Then a loud creak engulfed the room as the door opened slowly. I only followed with my eyes, partly because I didn't have any energy left to even move my head and partly due to the fact that if whoever was on the other side of door ended up being a stranger, I could quickly close my eyes and pretend to still be asleep, giving me a chance to gather more information about my situation. Carefully, I looked at the door as it slowly opened. Then a familiar face silently walked inside the room.

Faux hawk hair, strong jaw, awful sense of humor. Razor.

I wasn't aware that I said his name out loud but he turn his head sharply to my direction, his eyes almost bulging out of his head as he whispered, "Holy shit."

Then nothing. He continue standing there for an awfully long time, like he was a statue, staring at me. It gave me the chance to get a good look at him though. He looked the same as before but not exactly the same. He still had brown eyes but even with the gap between us and my blurry vision, I could still make out the darkness under his eyes from tiredness and stress. His skin seemed to be tanner now and his physique looks bulkier and muscular compared to when I last laid eyes on him. His usual smile wasn't on display but he was too busy hanging his mouth open to do that. On his hands were a couple of blankets and pillowcases.

I wanted to shout at him to move but my throat was dry as a desert so I opted to the next best thing. I tried to clear my throat but a sharp pain lances throughout my body that made me gasp again. This got his attention then.

First was a quick look of concern and then his signature smile. There it is.

He rushed towards me, throwing the things in his hands on a chair nearby. Through my half-opened eyes, I saw him look over me. "Holy s**t! You're awake, bro. Finally!"

He got closer, looking like he was gonna dive towards me for a hug so I shook my head vigorously even though I felt like my brain was bouncing inside my skull. He stopped in his track and the look of concern showed up once more. "What's wrong? Are you hurting anywhere?"

I nodded my head weakly, feeling my energy drain more. I tried to clear my throat again but I couldn't dislodge the blockage without a help.

                 "s**t. You need water, don't you?" He asked. I nodded quickly. "One sec."

He disappeared from my line of sight but I heard some shuffling on my left so I didn't bother turning my head. After a few seconds, he showed up again. He put his right hand on the back of my head, slightly lifted it up, and brought down the glass of water to my lips.

I took small sips, not wanting to overwhelm myself and Razor just kept guiding me, his brows furrowed in concentration. I nudged my head back a little on his hand once I had my fill.

                 "Are you good?" Razor asked when he pulled the glass away.

I took a deep breath. "I feel like s**t," I hoarsely said with a voice that sounded like a nail getting drag on a board.

Razor's expression lightened up as he gave me his full on smile. "You look like s**t too, dude."

I tried to smile but felt too tired that I ended up closing my eyes instead.

                 "Hunter, you okay? Is something wrong?" Razor's worried voice engulfed the room as it increased in volume.

I cracked open an eye. "Yeah. Just really tired. Needs... rest." I said the last two words slowly, almost gasping them out.

His eyes softens." Oh, okay. Get some more rest then."

I nodded.

Then he smiled again. "But man, it's f*****g nice to have you back. So feel better soon."

There's the Razor I know.

As I closed my eyes, I felt happy to hear him say that. This time, I managed to give him a smile back.

****

Next time I came to, there was someone yelling loudly. I tried to open my eyes but I just didn't have enough strength to function properly so through my hazy brain, I tried to listen into the debacle going on.

                 "I asked you one thing to do: to let me know the moment he wakes up. But what do you know? You screwed even that. When would you ever follow anything I asked you?" a manly voice raised with anger.

There's a momentary silence before Razor's voice entered the conversation. "But he was only awake for---"

                 "No buts," the loud voice cut off. "I don't care how long he was awake for. The fact is you disobeyed me yet again. How would I ever trust you with anything important when I can't even trust you to follow through simple orders?"

There was a deafening silence that followed the question.

                 "Answer me, Razor." The voice was so commanding I almost felt a chill generating from the foot of my bed where the voices were coming from.

                 "I don't know. I seriously don't know because I keep trying and that's never good enough for you. I don't know what else to say." Razor's voice sounded weak and defeated.

Loud footsteps crossed the room and the door creaked again. "When you have a better answer than that, come to me. Until then, keep trying harder. Also, when he wakes up, make sure you call me immediately this time."

Then the door slammed loudly.

There was no movement or noise at the first few moments after the door closed. Then a shaky breath came loudly. "f**k. Stupid, stupid, stupid," softly whispered curses follows.

Razor moved closer to the left side of my bed and I felt his weight dip on the mattress as he sat beside me. I tried to move but found myself paralyzed, unable to make him aware that I was awake.

                 "Well, there's that, man. Another s**t show with the king," Razor said gruffly, his voice thick with emotion. He tried to clear his throat up before speaking again. "Anyway, you gotta wake up soon. I got a lot of s**t to tell you."

At this point, my consciousness was starting to dim so his words started fading away. Before the darkness swallowed me again, I swear I heard him say, "Then there's fireboy."

****

When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see anything. There was absolute darkness engulfing my whole surrounding. I tried to blink it away but it changed nothing.

I was standing on grass, that much I could tell. The wind softly carried a little chill with it as it continuously blow passed me. The smell of meadows lingered in the air and I suddenly felt a worry rising within me.

My brain was trying to take in my surroundings and also trying to recollect any solid thoughts but my memory was hazy. They were all blurry and incomprehensible.

At this point, my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. I could make out my silhouette but the horizon was in complete darkness. I spun around, hoping I would be able to catch anything that could help me make sense of my situation.

I stopped moving. I thought I saw a light for a split second. I held my breath in anticipation, hoping it would happen again. A minute passed without a sign of any kind of light but then when I was about to turn around with a heavy heart, a blinding flash exploded from the ground. It flew above towards the sky but it wasn't the ascending light that captured my eyes, it was the lone figure, bent down to the ground.

My feet found it easier to move with the light as I carefully descended the small hill I was standing on. The grass was cold against my skin but I kept my eyes trained on the person, making sure whoever it was stayed there. The wind picked up its current, blowing hard enough to flatten the greenery of the meadow, trying to push me down. In between stifled breaths, I pushed on, unwilling to give in.

Another flash of light flew up. It burned brighter and brighter as it climbed to the sky. Slowly, I approached the figure. I was a few feet away from him when he stood up and faced me.

He flashed his usual cheeky grin. "Well, took you long enough, slowpoke." Then another flashed flew above from behind him.

I blinked twice. "Nick," I whispered, disbelief was in my voice.

The time stilled for a few moments as we looked at each other. Him with his casual smile and me with a stupid mouth hanging open. Then I was on him.

I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a tight hug, emotions suddenly rushing inside me. There was so much questions, so much things I wanted to say but I couldn't. All I could do was give the person I treated family the warmest embrace i could, afraid that he might disappear if I let him go.

Nick didn't make a joke like he usually would. Instead, I felt his arms tightened around me in return. "Damn. I missed your stupid face." I heard him say beside my head.

I loosened my arms and placed my hands on both his shoulders. "I missed you too, asshole." I responded with a smile.

He gripped both my arms as another light flashed behind him. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for you for like eternity. Which I consider by the way is a crime."

I opened my mouth to make a comeback, to explain to him what caused my delay, but as I tried to remember what happened, I came up blank. It was like staring into the darkness when I attempted to recollect my past. There was a gnawing feeling in my stomach as I searched for answers in the darkness.

Nick noticed my silence and read my disturb expression because the next thing he said was, "Hey, it was a joke. Don't worry about it. Come here. I wanna show you something." He gave me another grin and tapped my arm.

There was a frown in my face, still bothered by my lack of memories, but my eyes widened when Nick bent down for a second and turned holding something I had never seen in his life. At first glance, I thought they were small fireworks, dancing on his palms. Then I inched closer and discovered that they were not just fireworks. They seemed to be fireflies. But they were the kind of fireflies I had never seen before. I could see them flying around through the small opening on Nick's hands. Their wings bathed in glimmering light as they danced in unison, sparking brightly when they touched each other.

I looked up. "What are they?" I asked.

Instead of answering, Nick smirked and took a step back before he tossed whatever were in his hands up in the air. I watched as the beautiful spectacle unfolded before my eyes. The once small fireflies suddenly burst into flaming birds, soaring up in the sky, lighting up the darkness with their fiery glow. They circled above us, flying with freedom and burning brightly.

                 "Come with me, Hunter. Join me into the beginning of the adventures we've always been dreaming of since we were kids," Nick said to me. I could see the brightness in his eyes.

My heartbeat started racing. The idea of an adventure. Since we were little, Nick and I had dreamed of escapades into the night and journeys into places few have seen. It was something I wouldn't passed up. But something else rose inside me. There was hesitation in my voice when I answered. "How?"

Fear has blossomed in my heart as I said the word, afraid of what the answer might be. For such words of freedom couldn't just be obtained without giving something up.

Nick's gaze didn't waver. "Just take my hand." He said, putting his hand out. "Then we can go away from here. Away from everything."

I opened my mouth to say yes but I hesitated. There was something inside me that kept telling me not to go. The sky suddenly burned brighter and I looked up to witness a chaotic view. Above us, flames had engulfed the sky. The birds were gone, replaced by three gigantic creatures that had features of dragons. They circled each other, leaving flaming trails. The air had gotten hotter and every second felt like the world would burst into flames.

                 "Hunter! Come on! We don't have a lot of time," Nick yelled, impatience clouding his voice. His eyes had darkened with anger.

I glanced at his hand, and then back on his face. He looked the same as I last remembered him but something had changed. There was a new expression that came across his face. His usual grin traded for a fierce scowl and a glare that seemed to intimidate anyone to follow what he wanted.

                 "Hunter! Hurry up!"

A memory flashed inside my head. He was standing across from me, but his intentions were different. It wasn't for me to join him but to finished me off. I stepped back.

He stretched his hand even farther. "What are you doing?"

I looked directly in his eyes. The hesitation had become a definite answer. I held into what I believe, not to what was getting offered to me. Sweat trickled down my face and my breathing was heavy.

                 "Hunter, what the hell are you doing? Hurry up and come take my hand!" Nick moved closer.

I took another step back. Even if my memory wasn't fully restored, I trusted my instinct. No matter what, I couldn't fully believe in someone until my questions have been answered.

                 "No." My voice was clear and without a doubt.

Then the sky fell. But not before I saw the anger in his eyes and the twist of his mouth. The face I used to know was now worn by someone different. Someone that wasn't Nick. 

****

I woke up with a gasp, trying to find air, breathing strongly to catch my breath. My head was pounding and I felt the pain in my heavy joints as I struggled to get my thoughts together.

I felt two hands grasped my tender shoulders and I tried to make out who it was through my blurry vision.

                 "Hunter, it's okay. You're okay," Razor's clear voice cut through the confusion. I grabbed his arms back, feeling like there was a rock lodged in my throat, preventing me from speaking.

Slowly, I made out his features alongside his concerned expression. He helped me lay back down, fixing the pillow beneath my head.

He scratched his head. "You really gotta stop giving me a death scare, man. It's not good for my complexion, bro."

I chuckled but a hoarse grunt ended coming out instead. My limbs felt like rock when I tried to shift. It was worse than that time I broke my leg and had to be bedridden for a week. It was one leg that time, not my whole body like now.

                 "Give me a second, dude. I gotta make a call." Razor's expression shifted to seriousness as he stepped back and pulled out his phone. It was apparent that whoever he was about to call, it wasn't truly someone he liked.

I took this time to gather my mind together. I remembered waking up in the same room before. I remembered hearing someone's voice rising with wrath to Razor. I remembered seeing Nick with a fierce expression while the sky burn.

Nick.

Razor had his back on me back I could his hushed conversation. It was something to do about me being awake and responsive. Razor turned towards me for a moment, and then returned his attention to the other person in the line. He lowered his tone even more and with my head still ringing with pain, I couldn't properly make out his words. Whatever it was, it wasn't something he was opened to share to me.

I glanced around, relief flooding me when I spied a glass of water sitting on the table besides my bed. However, there was a problem. When I tried to reach out my arm, my body didn't follow. My body was heavy, unwilling to cooperate. I tried again and failed once more. I couldn't call out to Razor with my dry throat and he still had his back turned towards me, leaving me to care for myself.

I took a deep breath and tried again. I felt the cool glass when my fingertips barely grazed the glass as I stretched my left arm farther but it wasn't enough. I needed more to reach the water. I could feel my energy draining fast as I continue to strain my arm to get the water. I closed my eyes, in defeat and in anger, because I couldn't accomplish such a simple thing like getting the water. Then I felt it, the glass of water on my hand, cold and wet. I sighed in triumph and relief.

However, before I could even move again, the door burst open.

My body might be numbed and mostly unresponsive but I still felt worse than the time my dad caught me smuggling the power drill and a box of screws from our tool shed when I was eight. In my defense, we were gonna build a tree house on Nick's backyard that day.

But the moment my eyes collided with a pair I remember clearly, all excuses I could've come up with flew out of the window.

                 "Hey Hunter. I see you're still alive," Rizza said. The tone of her voice was still the same, with a hint of mystery and an underlying mocking, as if she was daring anyone to challenge her to a fight.

I immediately took a big gulp of water and sputtered some of it when a fit of coughs hits me. Before I knew it, she was besides me, patting my back. I could feel her hand on my bare back and every second her hand continued to be there made me stare harder. The golden eyes that seemed to see through the world, her strong cheekbones and the mouth that looked so soft, they were still the same. My memory of most things might've been hazy but the urge I have to remove the gap between us was something I could remember feeling before. Her hand stopped moving but was still touching my back. I watched as her breathing changed and slowly, I moved.

                 "Mr. Hunter Pendigram," said loudly by a voice I vaguely remember. Rizza and I sprang apart. Well, she did most of the moving away since I was pretty much disabled. She stepped back, giving me a view of the newcomer.

Hard blue eyes that were in the verge of being gray, straight nose, square jaw; I took his features in. I had the sudden feeling of my father standing in front of me. Not because of how he looked, although they stared at me the same way, with intensity that made me think they were angry at me. The man reminded me of my father more on the air around him. He stood with his back straight, chin raised higher than normal, and the stare. Like my father, he gave the feeling that he knew everything and he was better than everyone else. It was an intimidating aura and I was positive both men were aware of what they were doing.

                 "Y-y-yes?" my throat ground out. My voice sounded like a rusty old gate being force open.

The man then smiled and it felt like the atmosphere in the room shifted. I saw both Razor and Rizza stiffened. Seemingly oblivious, the man placed his right hand over his heart and smiled wider. "We have a lot to talk about."