Dying Light
3:02pm ? Monday ? Three Days Remain Before The Destruction Of The Sun
It was almost like any other day.
The sweet smell of pine trees filled my lungs as I walked across the lush, green grass. A warm breeze blew through my straight blond hair. The sound of chirping echoed throughout the trees. There were plenty of dark green pine trees near the hardened dirt of the walkway to the city, along with squirrels running up and down.
I left for the forest where I attended my training class for swordsmen weekly, and began the six-mile walk to my little house in the city. I lived with my old, yet skilled Grandpa. He gave me a teaching or two about sword fighting. We would duel when he was not working.
Being fifteen years old, I am quite thin, with nothing but bulging muscle clinging to my body. My name is Rion, and my brilliant silver eyes seem to gleam in the light. I also have a strong face structure.
I am quite generous and friendly, and in times of crisis, I never break down. Yet the one thing that has always tugged at my feelings was my past; it was completely unknown to me, as well as my parents. I did not know my past, my parents or where I came from.
I had just started to walk when I smelled the smoke. Ignoring the smell, I continued to tread down the thin path. The smell of smoke grew even more powerful, so I wanted to investigate now. I followed the smell, which seemed to be just ahead of me. I began to walk with a quicker pace.
Though the smell became stronger, the sight of it did not. So I started to jog, getting closer and closer, yet still sensing it to be far away.
The smell became so strong, I actually coughed once or twice. I cursed, and said to myself, ?here in the world is that smell coming from??
Then it hit me! The intense heat emanating from something in the sky shocked me enough to make me fall.
I fell back on my rear and slammed my palms on the ground behind me right before I fell, stopping momentum, all by instinct. With my senses coming back to me, I looked behind me, and saw the source of the smoke. An enormous ball of energy and electricity was hurtling through the sky. It appeared to have a target: the sun.
The huge ball contained sparks of electrifying light and a glowing center within its transparent form. Slightly purple, its glow almost blinded my eyes as I gazed straight at it.
This energy ball was clearly as big as a planet. And if it hit the sun, surely the sun would explode into pieces. Even the strong heat of the sun could not prevent the ball of energy from destroying it.
4:012pm ? Monday ? Three Days Remain Before The Destruction Of The Sun
Surprised and scared, I raced at full speed down the path toward home. Once I arrived in the city, I brushed through thick crowds of people and rushed to the door of my house. I swung it open, jumped inside, and yelled,
?id you see?
?es,? interrupted my Grandpa from the living room, who sat dressed as usual in his gray robe. He tugged at his long white beard as he spoke. ? saw it. Just like everyone else in this blasted city. And now the whole area is crawling with cowards and cautious freaks.?
He carried his plain wooden staff, as he did everyday? had always wondered why he did. To most people he would seem like an old man, but he was actually quite fit, a great warrior in his day.
I had not noticed fear in the crowds, for I had been too anxious to reach my house.
?hat shall we do?? I asked. Grandpa did not answer. I frowned. ?he world will end if the sun gets blown to pieces. There will be no light, no energy for plants to grow, no heat?he whole planet will freeze up! Plus, who knows what kind of atomic boom the sun could create if its core were torn up. Judging how far the ball of energy has left to travel, I would say we have about three days to enjoy our last moments with the sun!?
?ush, boy!? Grandpa yelled, standing to his feet. ?e certainly have no time to whine about it and ponder our thoughts about how we will suffer once the sun is gone. However, I did see where the powered shot came from,? Grandpa said.
?oes that mean we?e going there?? I asked, eagerly.
?ye, my boy, it does,? he said as he began to walk around the house. I followed closely behind. ?rab our most needed things: weapons, food, old replenishing potions, and extra clothes. This will be a hazardous trip.?
I understood what he meant by hazardous. With almost everyone knowing the world would end soon, people would start acting crazy and become out of control. They would be unstoppable, and unafraid to die, knowing they are already going to.
Grandpa and I had a hard time squeezing through the shifting crowds. Many people were yelling things such as random threats and warnings, such as, ?he sun is going to get blown up!? People were sobbing, holding loved ones close, and packing up their goods. They should have known that no matter where they go, the sun would still be destroyed.
We walked to the northern end of the city. The roaring sound of the massive crows flooding the city was too much to bear. Grandpa and I began run, wanting to exit the city as soon as possible.
As we reached the northern gate, we found it closed. There were two strong looking guards at each end of the door. As we walked up to one, Grandpa asked, ?xcuse me, but may we leave the city??
The guard glared at Grandpa. ?o one is permitted to leave the city without permission. Some creatures were harmed as the huge planet-thing flew by, and it caused some of the animals to mutate.?
?ow could this happen?? I asked.
?ould have been from energy waves radiating from the flying object,? the guard replied.
?herefore,? the other guard said, ?o one is allowed outside these gates?he risk is too dangerous.?
?nderstood,? Grandpa said. We walked back, away from the guards.
?nderstood?? I questioned, mockingly. ?? getting through that gate!?
?e both are, Rion,? said Grandpa, grinning.
Since we could not get past the large city gates, we decided to travel through the sewers until we made it to a grating on the outside of the city. We walked to the nearest sewage grating, and without being too noticeable, pulled it out so we could crawl down. We climbed a ten-foot long ladder down and landed with a splash that echoed throughout the dark sewage cave.
It was damp, with numerous heaps of moss and other fungi clinging to the walls. Several insects skittered to and from crevices in the walls. The air tasted bitter, and had a stench of rotting plants. There were shallow puddles of water wherever we stepped. Wishing for another way, we had no other choice but to trudge through the dark sewers, with no light source to guide our way.
Luckily, my Grandpa? sense of direction was shockingly incredible. By instinct, he almost always knows which direction is north. He found the right path to take in this maze-like chamber. We traveled through the sewers for several hours. It was a long trip, but we managed and later found the exit.
8:24pm ? Monday ? Three Days Remain Before The Destruction Of The Sun
?ight!? Grandpa exclaimed.
I looked up, and saw silver moonlight creeping in through a grate ten feet above us. We climbed the ladder, pushed through the grating, and stepped onto the surface of soft, green grass. Sweet, fresh air filled our lungs. We gazed up at the sky in search for the stars, but the ball? electricity lit up the sky, and dimmed the light of the stars. After walking in the cold forest, we set up camp and fell asleep.
6:36am ? Tuesday ? One Day Remains
I woke with a jolt as my Grandpa lifted me up by the hand. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and groaned.
?ome,? my Grandpa beckoned. ?e?e closer than I had assumed.?
He led me through trees and bushes, until we reached what seemed to be a large laboratory. It was large, and had a powerful feel of energy emanating from it. We approached it with caution and broke in through an opened glass window. Once in, we found no one inside and no activity taking place. But we did find technology and machines I have never seen. Just as we went to study a machine with flashing lights, we heard a voice behind us.
?hat are you doing here?? it asked harshly.
We spun around to find a scar faced man wearing an interestingly detailed black robe, and silver hair. He looked no older than twenty. ?e could ask you the same thing,? I spat.
The man chuckled. ?ou?e Rion, I presume,? said the silver-haired man. Son of K?ron, and Enlightenment of the World, said to help when the world needs it.?
?-what are you talking about?? I demanded. ?isten, I don? know what you?e talking about, but I? here to stop you from destroying the sun!?
?h, so you assume I? the one that has created that weapon in the sky?? the man said, somewhat amused. ?ery well then. I?l give you the answers nonetheless. It? unstoppable?ell, mostly, anyways. You won? be able to stop it.?
?iar!? I yelled. ?here? always some way to stop anything.?
The man crossed his arms. ?umph. Fine, I enjoy your enthusiasm. The one way to stop it is to use the power within you. The power from your parents: your father, K?ron, and your mother, Shentel. They were the legendary heroes that once saved the world, together.?
My heart nearly stopped. ?hat means . . . I have their power??
?ot necessarily all of it, but most. They couldn? keep you with all the enemies they had, so they left you with their friend. And he,? the man pointed at my Grandpa, ?sn? your real Grandpa.?
I looked back at the man I used to call Grandpa. My thoughts were racing through my head. Were the ancient heroes really my parents? ?ight now, that? okay. He? still my family whether he? my blood or not, and I still love him. And I? going to continue to call him Grandpa.? Grandpa grinned. ?ut that? not the problem right now,? I said, looking back at the man. ? need to use my power to stop it. How do I use my power??
?ook into your heart,? said the man. ?eel your strength and harness it. Then unleash it. All this time, you didn? need me to tell you that. Your depression from not knowing your past that held back your knowledge of power.?
I did as he said. Soon I felt power surge through my body. My skin become hot. Then my flesh began to glow like gold, and my eyes filled with blinding light. Crystalline wings grew out of my back.
I had no time to express my amazement and wonder. And when I looked at my Grandpa, I saw no sign of surprise in his face. Perhaps he knew this would happen someday. Was this why Grandpa wanted to take me here, all in secrecy?
Knowing there was no time, I shot through the roof at an amazing speed, traveling through space toward the ball of electricity. I had no doubt I could not stop this. I stretched my hands in front of me as I flew through space, going ten times the speed of the ball. My body, like an arrow being shot through paper, destroyed the core. I had flown straight through the core. The ball of energy seemed to stop its motion, and then slowly fade away. It didn? burst open; it simply dissolved into nothingness. I saved the world! I had never thought that much joy could fill me.
After I had flown back to earth, I had never told anyone what I had done, other than Grandpa. Everyone was grateful the sun was saved. I had changed from wanting to get all the information of my past, to knowing that it doesn? matter as much about what has happened, but more on what is happening. Though I had not learned all I wanted to know about my past, my depression had ceased. And so I spent the rest of my life searching for more information.
