III. The Early and the Late

At least Raeya’s attacks were cutting through.

She thought the fight was in her favor since the Shadows were attacking in clusters. Whenever she fights them in groups, it was easier for her because she could wipe them all at once. It was her own way of conserving energy since unlike the others, she had no limitless stamina.

Her own body was her weakness. Despite coming from a renowned warrior clan, Raeya was sickly from the day that she was born. She bled easily, got frequent allergies, couldn’t carry the normal weight of their clan’s sword until just recently, and was always at the last of the line during hiking or training. Still, all these didn’t stop her to become a full-fledged soldier of Aegis which she was proving to herself at the moment. After being hopeless in the last battle, she had this urge to redeem herself that she wasn’t wrong in choosing her path.

For five or more minutes, it was going great. She felt like a whirlwind, twirling her bike as she decimated the Shadows group by group. They dissolved screaming like the wailing of a thousand souls and that was what they were made out of. 

Raeya was confident. Yet she made the mistake of scanning the surroundings for Ryder.

A tiny Shadow erupted from the sand below and it bit her shoulder. Bright red blood streaked her arms and she made a curse and a grunt.

Raeya lost her focus as she used her free hand to swat it away but in vain. She successfully slashed at it, scattering it to the wind. She tried to regain her balance because her engine was out of control. The others took advantage of her situation and they overtook her bike. Just ahead of her, they formed what seemed to be a shield and she was too slow to process what they were doing.

With realization, she swerved her bike to the side but she was too late. She bumped into their 'rock' and the impact sent her flying and kissing the sand. When Raeya was able to open her eyes, she had lost her helmet. She flexed her hand. At the very least, she didn't lose her sword. The handle was now tainted with her red blood and their black liquid essence flowed through the metal.

Her ears were ringing. Her body screamed in pain. Raeya spewed sand from her mouth.

As Raeya struggled on her knees, she felt the bite throbbing on her shoulder. She was breathing too hard. She didn't realize it earlier but her hearing had deteriorated. She felt like blacking out but the thing was, her vision wasn't going yellowish. It was going white. In just how many blinks, the screams of the shadows were gone. Even the sand was gone. Everything was white.

"You still fight in a strange way."

The voice came from behind. Raeya didn't need to look back to see who it was.

"And you still say the same words, Jin."

Jin chuckled as he walked in front of her. Raeya stood. They hadn't seen each other ever since the last war about a year ago and Raeya could already see the changes in him. Jin was now towering over her and his hair had grown so long now. He had tied it and placed its tail in front of his left chest. But above all, his blue eyes were dazzling as ever. Nique’s eyes were a dark hue while Jin’s had the color of the bright blue sky that was so light it was almost grey. One look at his icey eyes would make you feel the vibe of winter.

"You need help? My group was just doing our usual rounds when I happened to check this place. I wanted to step in when I saw you fighting alone but I'm too far away. This was the least that I could do." Jin was a busy man. If Aegis was in-charge of Khenealm’s interior, Jin and the Rigiddin family, her own family, were guarding the boundary that separates them from the neighboring lands.

Raeya shook her head. She felt too guilty already to ask help from him when she in turn couldn't return the favor. It had always been that way, even before she and Ryder left Jin in the village to go to the city.

"I'm going to be okay. Ryder will come."

And she immediately shut her mouth, regretting she mentioned Ryder's name in front of Jin. Raeya knew it was just not fair. The three of them were inseparable when they were kids. Growing up made them part ways and up until now, she still couldn’t master the art of being sensitive. 

But to her surprise, Jin just sighed like he was expecting her answer.

"You know, you have to think more about yourself and not him." Jin paused before continuing. He was choosing his words. "I hear he's not paying attention to you anymore. Sorry, but seeing you like this, I think it's true."

Even if she knew it all along, it still stung to hear it directly. But she couldn't blame Jin if he was so bitter towards him. By custom and tradition of the Rigiddin, Jin was supposed to be her sigil partner but Raeya and Ryder were the first to break that rule. 

That was ten years ago. She was forgiven but somehow, the tie that bound their families together still fated them to meet from time to time. She was glad that after everything, they were still friends. 

Now that he was the right hand of her brother, he was definitely oozing with charisma and power. He was wearing nothing on his top which was not unusual for someone who is a descendant of the original warriors of the Shore. His chest and arms were filled with deep scars that were ugly to others but he was proudly wearing it as a decoration and a badge of honor that no company soldier would ever hope to dream of. And amidst his high position, Jin remained to be someone whom she could always count on no matter what and even when she was not asking for it, just like now.

Raeya breathed in and out.

She heard the faint roars of her enemy. Her battle wasn't going to be postponed forever.

"I know. But don't worry, I'm going to give him a good scolding when I see him. Looks like I've been lenient for too long," she confidently said.

At that, Jin smiled. His ears inclined to the sound of the screams.

"We don't have much time. I hope I gave you enough space to breathe. Focus on their leader. It's the one whom you'll be facing first when you wake up. They think your soul is ready to be eaten."

Raeya nodded. I must be really in a bad shape for them to assume that.

"Jin."

They locked eyes and Raeya was the first to smile.

"Thanks for everything, really."

Jin wasn't able to respond since the white surroundings abruptly shifted in color. One blink and she was back to reality. In Jin's place was a larger Shadow who seemed to be confused on why she was standing. Raeya wasted no time and brought down her sword, slicing it clean. The roar came late but it already dissipated in the sandy air. The others hissed loud enough to irritate her ears.

Raeya lifted her sword and let the light reflect on it. Some Shadows tried to communicate with the others through their growls but most of them were just roaring in anger. They weren't attacking. Yet. 

"If you’ve really evolved and you're waiting for the command to attack, then I'm sorry,” she whipped her weapon, the black essence of their leader spitting out from her sword. “I don't have the leisure to wait for you to choose another king.”

At that, Raeya snapped her fingers and the ground shook. She didn't know why she suddenly felt a burst of anger in her veins and the shaking intensified. The horde was already disorganized and in a frenzy. Most tried to run but they really couldn't because the quaking was already not a joke.

I hear he's not paying attention to you anymore.

She was surprised to realize it was Jin's words making her angry. But then, it's not really Jin who was to be blamed.

Things like this didn't usually anger her. But deep inside of her, there was something that she wanted to release but couldn't until now that she was fighting alone where her friends couldn't see her. It was an old pain---something that started when the war ended, something that she was afraid to show for fear that she might make it worse for both of them. 

Raeya found it hard to accept the truth–the truth that their relationship was going downhill, that she was losing Ryder.

They weren’t really in a romantic relationship which everyone was expecting and at some point, Raeya thought they were going in that direction because of his care for her. For ten years, he never failed to rescue her and show her that she was important.

Raeya missed the old times. He never let her go by herself even if her missions were so basic. When she did go alone, he secretly followed her like a stalker just to make sure that she was safe. He was not a man of many words but he always made sure that he had something to share with her to catch things up since their time together was always being eaten by their training.

An image of the old Ryder flashed in her mind. Ryder’s smiles were like half-smirks and it went well with his deep-set eyes, brown and piercing but full of emotions, unlike hers that were so empty. It was the first thing that she had fallen for ever since they were kids, not his height as Ryder often joked about. Their friends also joked to him often that he wasn't really tall and that he only is when he is with her.

How about now that we're not together?

She was hurt by Ryder's obliviousness but since everyone knew she was not the type to show such emotions, she remained quiet about her pain ever since. Now, all her bottled-up feelings were gushing out. Feelings are also powers, she could hear Fhae, their former leader, whispering like she was still alive to tutor her. Channeling her powers from the Shore triggered it.

"Dang it all..."

The horde was regaining their strength. They realized that they could still jump to reach her, and many attempted. But one look in Raeya's now piercing eyes sent them flying like she was creating an invisible wind wall.

"Really? That's it?!"

The desert was dotted with disintegrating bodies of the shadows. She wasn't even using her sword already, but she felt like she could take on all who dared to challenge her. The surge of her emotions was blurring her eyes. All she wanted to do at the moment was go wild. She saw that their numbers were already greatly reduced. Raeya only counted more than a dozen. A dozen more to play with.

One by one, she pulled them and banged them with each other like she had full control of the wind and gravity. Screams pierced the atmosphere. Huh, like they have feelings.

The sound of their cries was suddenly like hard music in her ears. More, she craved. She loved how they screamed and wailed in agony. She broke their body parts limb by limb but never touched their brain for them not to die and for them to keep on howling in pain. Raeya never realized how satisfying it was to see their enemies being tortured. She wasn't doing anything wrong. They were not humans. Just enemies.

Enough, Raeya. What makes you better than them, then?

Silly Jin. He must still be watching from somewhere. Raeya just laughed in reply. Who would not be happy to see their enemies being destroyed? The Shadows took so many lives every generation, including her, Ryder’s, and Jin’s parents. The Shadows were natural pests of the land.

That was what everyone believed, not until the secret was brought into the open one year that seven centuries in the past, the forefathers of Hearth actually created the Shadows. 

Seven hundred years ago, humans reached the peak of their intelligence to the point that they became creators, forgetting the Shore. They said that it was a laboratory accident. And the news was only revealed last year. 

That was the start of the bloodshed, it was the trigger that led to the series of unfortunate events between Hearth and the government. Although the original creators of the Shadows were long dead, the people revolted at the discovery and petitioned that Hearth, the city and its company, be under strict monitoring in case they create another disaster. Hearth didn’t want to surrender all their researchers, brainwashed a lot of people to fight for them, also used the Shadows for them to escape, and the rest was history. 

So why should she feel guilty tearing these guys up?

But when the corners of her mouth reached her eyes as she laughed, tears suddenly streamed down.

Raeya was puzzled. Why was she crying?

You see? That's not who you really are. Stop this nonsense and don't hurt yourself on all sides.

The forces abruptly died. The horde was totally wiped out, their black essence evaporating and filling the atmosphere. Raeya fell on her knees and let go of her sword as she felt the backfire of extracting too much power from the Shore. She clutched her chest. Raeya wailed silently, the storm of her feelings inside getting the better of her.

She felt dumb,taking out her anger in such a way. Her brother would be disappointed in her. Not just him, but everyone around her. Wasting her energy and resources would cost her her life if this was a full scale battle. If this was war, she would already be dead at the hands of the waiting enemy.

What am I turning into?

Out of the corner of her eye, there was movement.

Raeya immediately snatched her sword from the sand but when she turned to face the little one, its open mouth and jagged teeth was already an inch from her face. At that millisecond, she saw her death up close. All she could do was close her eyes. If she ever survived, she would wake up to see herself as incomplete and wasting. Ryder would leave her completely.

It would be better to die now.

The sound of a slash of a sword made her open her eyes. One second, the blade was still on the shadow's body and the next, it was flying backwards like a boomerang---back towards its owner.

The roar of an engine from her back made her hold her breath. When she turned around, she almost fainted in relief to see Ryder riding towards her. She tried to run but one step took all her strength and the world went black.