It was a cloudy morning with the sun shining amidst the clouds.The winds were cold, not to chill the bones but enough to relax the moods of anyone.
Harry was gone for his job, while Daniel went somewhere without telling anyone. As it was
vacation for Ender and his friends with only few months left, they were preparing their briefcases to go camping.
"Don't forget the lighter, Zack."
Misha said to Zack while giving him a lighter.
"You look disturbed these days."
Ruis said to Ender, not looking at him but instead keeping his things in his briefcase.
"It's not that I'm disturbed. It's just I can't sleep these days." Ender mumbled.
"Get drunk then."
Ruis said to him with a smirk, while Ender looked at him with an expressionless face.
Some time later, they were in a car travelling, close to reaching their destination.
"The first thing we're gonna do is to go to the waterfall."
Sara said with an excited expression.
"We have to place the campfire first, dumbass."
Ruis said with a smirk, sitting in front with Ender who was driving. Sara choked his neck with her arms crossed between his neck.
"Hey!. Stop it, Cough!. C– Can't take a joke. What did I say wrong?"
"We have arrived."
Ender said with a little serious tone. As Sara left Ruis, still coughing, his neck was now red. They started taking out their briefcases and went to the jungle while Ender was locking the car.
As he lifted his face upwards subconsciously. He saw a man wearing a hat with an old traditional suit, glaring at him.
~ Huh, who is this guy?. I have never seen him before.
"Hey!."
As he spoke, the guy there disappeared into the thin air as a truck passed through the road. Nowhere to be seen now.
~ Well. I couldn't do anything about this. So just forget it.
He thought so and went to his friends.
Meanwhile Ruis and Zack had made a tent just now and they heard footsteps coming from behind.
"Hey!. Have you guys done everything?."
Ender said with a faint smile.
"Almost done. Just a few things left, but we'll see that later."
Zack said while collecting woods.
"Where are the other two?."
Ender said, looking at his surroundings.
"They went to take pictures near the waterfall. You know, girls' things."
Ruis said, adjusting the tent with a small smirk.
"What girls' things!? Huh!"
Sara said while coming from the behind of Ender, while Misha covered the rear.
~ Oh damn, how can she just spawn anywhere?
Ruis thought with a slight amount of nervousness on his face.
She started roasting him with her words and the tension was so much that Zack had to take her away from him while she was still speaking to Ruis. He was then covering his forehead with his palm. The time passed by, they set up the tent and settled everything they'd need there.
Later that night, they were sitting around the campfire. Cooking and eating the meat they have brought with them with chopsticks, while chatting with others.
"The moon looks beautiful, doesn't it?."
Misha said to Ender while they were eating.
"Yeah, it does."
"What's that? A bear?."
Sara asked Zack while pointing at the forest.
"Where!?."
Zack stood up, frightened and nervous.
"Hahaha! Got'cha."
"Hey, Ender. Wanna drink?."
Ruis asked while handing a drink to him.
"Nah, sorry. Not today, but you guys can enjoy it."
Ender replied.
"Well, it's good, at least some one can guard us while we sleep like mummies."
Zack said while taking a drink from Ruis.
Later that night, everyone was in deep sleep while Ender was still awake. Walking around thecamp with a stick for any wild animals or intruders. Suddenly, he felt as if someone was watching him. He turned around and saw a shadow in the dark.
~ Should I stay here or go there?. Is this that person that was staring at me hours ago?.
I should probably just check it and then return here, cause all of them have no guard beside me.
As he started walking towards the waterfall where he saw the figure.
"Hey!. You."
As he stopped the figure who was walking beside the waterfall shore. The figure turned around and it's the same man whom Ender had encountered the same day. The man with a hat with an old traditional suit.
"Why are you following me!?."
Ender spoke to him, looking at his brown eyes which were shining by the moon's light. The man's eyes turned ice crystal blue as he blinked and the place started shifting. Within an instant.
The ground had water enough for shoes to be covered in it. The trees, waterfall disappeared and there was nothing but light-white fog and it was everywhere throughout the region.
Ender tried to attack him with the stick in his hand, but it disappeared too as the moment he tried to hit him, he tried to punch him but no matter how he punched him, his attacks could never reach him.
Suddenly he felt his legs stuck in the water and no matter now he tries he can't move his legs.
"What!?. Hey stop it!."
But the man who was glaring at him, started reciting a weird chant.
"Sins and revolt, curse and wisdom, ten years sin. Hundred years repent."
Ender's body starts flowing in the air, he had a headache as if someone had struck a rod in his head. He tried to speak but he can't because of the intense pain.
"Behold the lady, the one who takes sins. May the light be bestowed upon him."
Ender's body was emitting a red aura as his eyes became black. As he vomited a red-black glowing energy and fell down.
The energy tried to escape but the man took out a white bottle from his pocket.
"In the name of the one who likes equality and is almighty. Come here."
As the energy went in the bottle and the man close it. Putting it in his pocket. The foggy place now shifted back to normal as the man's eyes turned brown.
"Work done."
The man whispered to himself. As he started leaving.
"Wait!."
Ender said who was still on the ground.
"Why did you help me?."
"It's my job. To make things equal and balanced. Why does it matter to you?."
" I – I want to know more about you, about these things. What is this? What is happening?."
"Well, but for that, you need to join our cult."
"What do you mean?."
"Drink this."
As he handled him a potion.
"How do I know if it is safe?."
"It is, indeed."
As he drank the potion without wasting the single drop. With it, that man snapped his fingers. In an instant, they were in space, with the man saying.
"Let's begin."