Chapter 58: Syran

Sarudei

I blushed and pulled my hand free as soon as we were out of the dungeon.

"Ahh, sorry," Vyran said, chuckling weakly.

The warmth of Vyran's hand lingered even after I had pulled away. His apology, accompanied by that weak chuckle, did little to calm the storm of emotions within me. It was too familiar, too reminiscent of Syran's own laughter. Having this guy around was like an emotional double-edged sword.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. The underground town, with its dimly lit tunnels and the soft hum of life beneath the surface, felt both comforting and claustrophobic.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay now?" Vyran's voice was tinged with concern, his blue eyes searching mine for an answer I wasn't sure I had.

I forced a smile, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a lot on my mind, you know?"

He didn't look convinced, but he let it go, giving me a small, understanding nod. "If you ever need to talk..."

"Thanks again."

He nodded.

We were both on the same boat. The two of us had lost people dear to us.

I departed from Vyran and the others and went home. 

"Did something happen, Day?" Night asked as he sat up from the sofa.

I could only muster a tired smile. "No, everything is fine."

He tilted his head. "I overheard people talking about three strangers with weird clothes. One of them even looked like a blue eyed Zane, at least that's what those who saw him claimed."

"Yeah, there is one who looks like him. His name is Deros."

Night raised an eyebrow, obviously intrigued. "Deros, huh? And the other two?"

"One looks like Lady Arisa" I responded, crossing my arms. "Her name is Varia. She's a captain from a universe called Retra."

"And the third?" Night asked, leaning forward.

I hesitated for a moment before answering, "He looks like Syran."

The room fell silent, the air suddenly heavy. Night's eyes widened, his gaze fixed on me. "Like Syran?" he echoed, his voice barely a whisper. The shock in his voice mirrored my own when I first saw Vyran.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "His name is Vyran. They're not the same person, but they look so much alike, it's... it's hard not to see Syran when I look at him."

Night was quiet for a moment, his gaze distant. "I can't imagine how hard that must be for you," he finally said, his voice soft.

I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "I'll manage. It's just... unexpected, you know?"

Night nodded, reaching across the space between us to squeeze my hand. "Just remember, you're not alone. We're all here for you."

I gave him a small smile, grateful for his support. "I know. Thanks, Night."

As I retired to my room that night, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Seeing Vyran, a mirror image of Syran, had stirred up a storm of emotions I thought I had buried deep within me. It was a painful reminder of what I had lost, but at the same time, it was also a strange form of comfort.

Despite the pain and the confusion, one thing was clear - I needed to stay strong. Not just for myself, but for everyone who was depending on me. We had a mission to complete, a war to win. And I was not about to let my personal feelings get in the way.

I closed my eyes and tossed and turned in bed. 

---

[Two years ago]

The rainforest was a sanctuary, a place where the vibrant tapestry of life was woven with the threads of tranquility and the hum of the earth. Syran, my mother, and I had ventured out, our spirits high as we gathered the forest's offerings.

"Look at this haul!" Syran exclaimed, his arms laden with fruits, his face smeared with the juice of a ripe mango. "We'll feast tonight," he declared, his eyes alight with the day's success.

My mother laughed, her voice mingling with the sounds of the forest. "Nature provides," she said, echoing the old wisdom of our people.

But as the day waned, a distant rumbling disturbed the peace. The sound grew louder, more insistent—a harbinger of doom.

"It's Titanos," my mother said, her voice suddenly tense. "They've sent their mechas."

The ground trembled beneath our feet as the mechanical giants, piloted by Titanos's warriors, tore through the forest with ruthless efficiency. We had to move quickly.

"Come on," Syran urged, grabbing our hands. "We need to get to the shelter."

We ran, the forest floor shaking as the mechas approached. The once peaceful sanctuary became a labyrinth of terror.

As we neared the shelter, a mecha burst through the foliage, its metal limbs crushing trees like twigs. My mother was lagging behind, her breaths coming in short gasps.

"Mom!" I cried out, but before I could reach her, the mecha's massive hand closed around her, lifting her into the air.

Syran didn't hesitate. "I'll save her," he shouted, running after the mecha.

"No, Syran!" I screamed, but he was already gone, darting through the trees with a speed that belied his fear. I followed, my heart pounding in my chest, as Syran confronted the mecha.

He fought bravely, his every move a dance of defiance, but he was no match for the mecha's strength. A sickening crunch echoed through the forest as the mecha threw my mom down.

"N-no!" I screamed. Flashes of my grandma and dad's demise flashed before my eyes. I-I failed again...

Syran gritted his teeth and jumped at the mecha. He jabbed his sword in the narrow space between door and the rest of the mecha.

Syran's sword wedged into the narrow gap of the mecha's door. The machine faltered, its movements momentarily hindered by the unexpected act of defiance.

"Day, take your mom and go!" Syran's voice was urgent, a command that brooked no argument.

But it was too late for my mother... The life had already left her eyes.

The pilot of the mecha laughed. "Allow me to send you to her!"

Chills ran down my spine. That voice... It was Commander Yusan... The same man who had killed my grandma and dad... And now he took my mom away.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my sword.

"Day! Run!" Syran yelled.

The laughter of Commander Yusan echoed through the rainforest, a cruel and mocking sound that filled me with a cold rage. Syran's voice, urging me to run, barely registered over the pounding of my heart.

I stood frozen, my sword in hand, as Syran continued to struggle against the mecha. He managed to pry the door open slightly, his body wedged between the relentless metal and the tree behind him. His face was a mask of pain and determination, but his eyes... his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

"Go, Day!" he shouted again, louder this time, his voice laced with desperation.

I couldn't leave him, not like this, not to face Yusan alone. But then I saw it—the mecha's arm raising, preparing to strike a final, deadly blow. In that moment, I knew. If I stayed, Syran's sacrifice would be in vain.

With tears blurring my vision, I turned and ran, my mother's lifeless body cradled in my arms. I ran with the fury of the storm, with the grief of a daughter who had lost too much.

Behind me, I heard the sound of metal tearing through flesh, a scream that was abruptly cut off, and then... silence. A silence that was louder than any cry, any plea for mercy.

I didn't stop running until I reached the shelter, where I collapsed, my mother's body beside me. The others came, their faces etched with sorrow and shock, but their words were a distant murmur to my ears.

Syran was gone, taken by the same cruel fate that had claimed my grandmother and father. And my mother... her gentle spirit had departed, leaving me in a world that suddenly seemed too vast, too empty.

In the days that followed, Night and I buried our mother. We stood by her grave, a pair of lonely figures against the backdrop of a world that had changed forever.

---

As I laid in my bed, the memories of that day haunted me. The laughter, the fruit, the roar of the mechas—it all played over in my mind like a nightmare from which I could not wake.

But with the dawn, I would rise. I would fight. For Syran, for my mother, for all those we had lost to Titanos's cruel ambition. I would fight until the rainforest was safe once more, until the symphony of life could play without the shadow of fear.

Yusan would perish! But not in the hands of Ret, but mine! That I swore in the blood of my departed family members and the boy I loved. I would end this nightmare, and not just for the departed, but for the living too.