Warning sirens wailed throughout the city, their mechanical shrieks echoing off crumbling walls. High above, the aurora stretching across the amber sky only continued to expand, bleeding outward like an open wound. Drawn outside by the sudden tremor, the citizens of Zigh's hometown were transfixed, lifting their devices to capture the rare, haunting phenomenon.
"Zigh, has anything like this ever happened before?" Ron asked.
Zigh shook his head, his gaze locked on the horizon. "Never."
Peering past the garden fence of Zigh's house, Nox noted, "Colonel, looks like pretty much everyone out there is filming this."
"I don't care," Zigh replied, his attention entirely anchored on monitoring Lian's condition.
"Zigh, it might be better to rest Lian on the garden bench," Ron suggested, gesturing to the side.
Exhaling a soft sigh, Zigh countered, "It's fine. He weighs next to nothing."
"They're surprisingly nonchalant for people who just survived an earthquake," Nox muttered, watching the crowds outside.
"True. Perhaps the magnitude we felt wasn't that severe," Zigh observed.
Then, the earth beneath them shuddered once more. This time, the violent tremor stripped the massive trees of their leaves in an instant, raining debris down upon the courtyard.
"Get down, now!" Zigh barked.
"Zigh, what about Lian?!"
"Stay calm. I've got him."
The fierce shaking rocked the surrounding houses, sending deep fractures spiderwebbing across the concrete walls. In an instant, the loose smiles vanished from the citizens' faces.
Nox clutched his temples, groaning, "My head..."
"Nox..." Ron murmured.
Sweat beaded on Zigh's forehead as he stared down at the young man in his arms. What on earth is happening?
The aurora expanded further, the relentless quakes tearing fissures into the soil. Power lines snapped like twigs, and ancient roots tore free from the earth, joining the chorus of the unending sirens.
Outer looked up at the shimmering sky. "He is here."
"Here? Who's coming, Outer?!"
"Nox! What does Outer mean?!"
"I don't know, Ron!"
"Champ, where is Outer right now?!"
"Right in front of you, Colonel!"
Crouching before Zigh, Outer offered a chilling, sharp smile. "Lian, we are going home."
"Huh?! Home?!" Nox snapped, his eyes widening.
"Champ, who is it?"
"Lian!"
Ron glanced toward Lian. "Is this... the power of the Ipsix?" he whispered.
Ipsix... echoed in Zigh's mind.
The skyward aurora slowly coalesced into a swirling vortex. The ground buckled, and surrounding houses began to collapse into piles of rubble. Prismatic, rainbow-colored particles of light flooded Zigh's courtyard, blinding in their intensity.
"Zigh! Right in front of us!" Nox yelled, shielding his eyes.
Zigh tightened his grip on Lian. "I see it!"
A man stepped out from the swirling spheres of kaleidoscopic light. His hair, a platinum blonde so pale it bordered on white, contrasted with his striking aquamarine eyes.
"Who is that?" Nox breathed.
The stranger walked effortlessly across the tremendous shaking earth, his gaze sweeping over the three men crouching on the ground.
"Leu..." the man murmured.
Outer stood and turned around with a chuckle.
The man smiled, and in a flash, Outer materialized before Zigh and Ron.
How is this possible? Lian isn't even touching Outer... Zigh thought, a cold dread pooling in his chest.
With deliberate, unhurried steps, the stranger approached Outer and Lian. Zigh's hands trembled, a primal chill running down his spine.
"W-why are my hands shaking? Who... who are you?" Zigh rasped.
Stooping down, the man lifted Lian from Zigh's embrace—as easily as taking candy from a child.
He gently brushed Lian's forehead, inspecting the wound near his upper temple. The stranger's eyes glowed, his smile radiant. Suddenly, the tremors ceased entirely, but the world of Echo was plunged into a pitch-black darkness.
"Help!"
"Someone save my child!"
"Darling, where are you?"
The frantic, desperate cries of the citizens punctured the dark, lightless void.
"How... how is this happening?" Ron stammered.
The three men trembled before the figure whose glowing aquamarine eyes served as the sole beacon of light in the ruined, darkened city.
"W-who are you?" Nox stammered.
Tracking Nox with his gaze, the man walked over, still cradling Lian in his arms.
Whoosh!
The man's boot struck Nox in the temple, leaving a stark crimson smear against his own ivory-white cloak.
"Argh!"
"Nox..."
"Champ... are you alright?"
"Urgh... Ah... ha..." Nox groaned, slumping over.
The ivory-cloaked figure turned his attention to Ron.
Crack!
"Arrrgh!"
"R—Ron..."
Nox choked out through his pain.
"Urgh... argh..." Ron whimpered, curling into a ball as he clutched his broken right wrist.
The stranger glanced at Zigh, dismissing him. "Leu, we're leaving."
Outer nodded, baring a wide grin. His sharp, white teeth caught the faint, eerie glow reflecting from the stranger's eyes.
"Wait... Lian..." Zigh choked out, reaching forward.
Outer and the stranger ignored him. The prismatic particles flared once more, and in a flash of rainbow light, they vanished.
The sky above Echo gradually bled back into a mix of amber and purple. Through the ruins of the shattered city, the moon and stars finally peeked through the smoke.
Zigh stared at his home, now reduced to nothing but its stone foundation. Forcing his breathing into a steady rhythm, he looked to his left. Nox's face was slick with thick crimson, while Ron lay nearby, cradling a wrist that bent unnaturally upward.
Sirens continued to wail, underscored by frantic weeping and desperate shouts from the streets.
"Help! Someone help my child!"
"Hic... Mommy... Hic... Daddy..."
Zigh clenched his fists.
"Zigh... pant... please... help Nox..."
"Ron... hang on..."
Ron's vision blurred, and his eyes fluttered shut.
Zigh forced his trembling legs to move, dragging his weight forward. Come on, he told himself. I have to save them.
Inhaling deeply, he exhaled a slow, controlled breath, grounding his senses until the tremors in his legs finally subsided.
"Ha... pant..."
He stumbled to his feet, swaying. "My head..."
As far as the eye could see, houses had been leveled to the ground. "This is an absolute catastrophe..."
Stepping carefully toward Ron, he inspected the golden-haired man's shattered wrist. "Utterly ruthless..."
He pulled out his phone, only to find the screen showing zero signal. "Damn it..."
Wiping the sweat from his face, Zigh ran a hand through his hair. Calm down. Everything will be fine if I stay focused.
He placed two fingers under Nox's nose. "Champ..."
Checking the gash on Nox's temple, he muttered, "I need to stop this bleeding."
Stripping off his military jacket, Zigh tore a long strip from his white undershirt. Carefully lifting Nox's head, he bound the makeshift bandage tightly around the wound, though crimson quickly began to seep through the fabric.
"Nox... I've got you," he pleaded, ripping off his other sleeve to layer the bandage. "Please, just stop bleeding..."
Once secured, he watched until satisfied that the red stain had stopped breaking through.
Sighing, Zigh turned to Ron. He gently lifted the wrist of the young man, whose hair resembled the deep auburn of autumn maple. "Ron... this is going to hurt."
Taking one more stabilizing breath, he whispered, "This is all I can do right now."
Snap!
"Please let that be right."
He laid Ron's straightened right arm carefully against the earth.
Walking over to the driveway, Zigh found his sports car completely crushed under a mountain of concrete debris. He balled his hands into tight fists. As he turned around, he caught sight of a little girl shuffling toward him through the dust.
"Hic... Please... Daddy is still trapped inside the house... Hic..."
Zigh patted her head, softening his demeanor. "Just your father?"
"Hic... Mommy is already gone... Hic..."
Zigh pulled the trembling girl into an embrace. "Where is your home?"
"I-it's not far from here... Hic..."
"Don't worry. I'll take you there and help him." Zigh scooped the little girl into his arms.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Ah!"
"I'm sorry, do you not want me to carry you?"
She shook her head. "I'm heavy... Hic..."
Zigh offered a warm, reassuring smile. "You're light as a feather."
Sniffling and wiping her nose, a faint smile crossed her lips. "Thank you."
Zigh's smile widened. "Which way?"
"To the right."
"Understood." Zigh glanced back toward where Ron and Nox lay unconscious. I'll be back soon.
With the girl cradled against him, he marched forward through the debris.
"Mister... will my daddy be..."
Zigh wiped away her tears. "We must keep praying for his safety…"
"But... what if Daddy... Hic..."
Stroking her hair, Zigh comforted her. "Do not lose hope. Do not grieve just yet..."
"Hana! Hana!" a voice cried out from the wreckage ahead.
"Mister! That's my aunt's voice!"
Zigh smiled. "Let's go find her."
He quickened his pace, navigating the shattered pavement.
"Auntie! Auntie! Mister, please put me down."
Zigh nodded, lowering her feet to the ground as a middle-aged woman rushed toward the sound of her voice. Hana sprinted straight into her aunt's open arms.
Her aunt squeezed her, tears streaming down her face. "Thank goodness, you're safe."
"Auntie! Where is Daddy?"
"Your father..." The woman choked up, unable to finish the sentence. Spotting Zigh standing a short distance away, she asked, "Hana, who is that young man?"
"That mister brought me all the way here."
"Wait here for a moment."
Hana nodded with a small smile.
The aunt stepped closer to Zigh. "Thank you so much, Mr. Zigh."
"You know who I am?"
"Of course."
Zigh offered a small wave to Hana before lowering his voice out of her earshot. "Hana's father..."
The aunt fell silent, bowing her head.
Zigh let out a heavy. "I see..."
"Thank you for bringing my niece back to safety," the woman whispered.
"I must take my leave. There are others I have to care for," Zigh replied.
The aunt nodded.
Leaving the little girl with her guardian, Zigh turned back toward his ruined estate. His steps were heavy, his gaze vacant as he stared at the devastation stretching across Echo.
Lian... if only you hadn't come to Echo, this catastrophe would have never befallen us...
To be continued...