Destroyer of Time: Pyrokinesis

5 Years into the future      Boom!!! A massive explosion detonates in the wind, hitting all the particles concentrated at the circular garden where Hunter and the rest of his group are hiding. The wave of the aftereffect hits all of them. Hunter winces from the sudden pain, which he'd grown accustomed to after all the years of constant training and fighting. He's bruised all over his body, and there's no part of him left unscratched by the endless battle that they've been fighting for so long. Leaning back at the toppled stone bench, he lets out a deep breath, showing signs of fatigue and stress. They're hiding from Death's crew, whose mission is to take them all out, but they've been successful so far since no one is dead. Not yet, anyway. Most of the leaves from the trees surrounding them have fallen off the branches, and the remaining leaves shake when the explosion happens, threatening to join the rest on the ground. It seems that they are finally out of time. Hunter deployed that barrier not so long ago, so nothing got through, not even air, for protection. Since they are hiding inside a garden containing trees that give off oxygen, he thought it would be an excellent place to stay over to regroup. That explosion signals that their break is over.      "Guys! You know the meaning of that explosion," he mutters, leaning over and staring at seven pairs of eyes, each telling different stories. Just like him, all of their faces are full of cuts and covered with blood and dirt. "It's time we show them what we got and finally end this!" "That's the hundredth time you said that," mutters back by one of them. Hunter glares at him. He knows that he has said it many times already, but he knows that those words, even how little it is, give them hope and strength to get through this war. They need as much as they can have.       "Just shut your trap," Hunter answers back. "We need to win this war, so we gotta do what we gotta do," he let out seriously. By looking at their eyes, he can tell that they also know how much they need to win since it's not just their lives at stake. They're also fighting for the lives of all the people in the whole world. They're the last hope, the only salvation, The Eternal Mercenaries. Hunter feels the multiple explosions crashing at the barrier he created. He knows that it will give out in a few minutes, so he decided something on the spot. "The enemies are closing in, and I think we should split up if we don't want to get caught together. Because with that, even if we get caught, if somehow one of us survives then we will have the chance to save this world," he declares, everybody turns their downcast eyes to him while he continues. "Even if the rest of us die. If one of us somehow made it there," he points at the high tower that they can see from where they are. "Then, we may get the chance to win this battle and end this war that's been long overdue." Everybody nods, and with a sad smile at them, he says, "You guys are the best! So I know I will see you up there! If I don't, then expect me to come and drag you out from hell!"      "Don't say such cheesy stuff," one mumble.      "Whatever," he replies. "Now, put your hands here, and let's do this," he says, pushing his hand out, waiting for them to put it over his. They are hesitant at first, but after a few seconds, with small smiles of their own, the hand became two then three, until it finally became eight, completing the Perfect Octet.      "For freedom and humanity!" Hunter shouts.      "For us and the world!" Everyone shouts in unison after him. With a last look at each other, they all turn away and run into different directions. They don't even dare to look back because they might break down and return if they do. So they keep going and prepare to fight. Hunter, who is running straight to the tower's direction, stops and looks up.      "Are you ready?" a voice from inside his head mutters. He grabs his golden pocket watch, hanging from his neck, and holds it firmly. With determination blazing with green fire at his colored youthful eyes, he declares, "I was born ready. You should know that by now, Aeon!"     "Just checking if you've gone chicken," the voice answers back. Hunter scoffs and replies, "There's no way in hell I'm turning chicken now. Not after everything I went through." He's not even done with his words yet when a shadow appears and walks under the lamppost in front of him. Hunter's world turned upside down when he sees who it is, and the only thing he manages to say is, "You? What are you doing here?" The shadow stays quiet and throws an energy ball towards his direction. He's unprepared for the attack since he never thought that that person would try to hurt him, so he is thrown off backward and falls to the ground with his back making a strange noise when the ball connects to his chest.  He is losing consciousness, and it's happening so fast. Before he drifts off, his mind wonders not to the future, and not even to the betrayal of that person, or the possibility of his Death, but to the past instead. The past where everything seems right and okay. The past, where nothing like this has happened. The past from five years ago...