Chapter 6

Tom shivered. The cool feeling ran down through his spine. He was still in front of this girl he never knew who was. She ended speaking right away.

"Stick to my rules and you can return safely." Psyche said. She waved her hands. "Enjoy the game, Little Giant."

The clouds around rose up above Tom and swallowed him. Not longer a moment, he never realized where he was.

"You with nowhere to go and nowhere to return...as the world you lived had passed…." a soft voice his ears caught out of nowhere. It was all nothing. He cannot feel himself again.

There are lights, blurring, fading beams of lights everywhere. He heard again, the soft voice speaking, "I grant you a place to belong..."

His sight starts to see. It was still blurring. The beams of light shines so bright, that he was blinded. Tom saw a silhouette. He gradually pictures the details of it. It was a person, a man perhaps. That was a man, he said to himself. It was where he hears the voice.

Its utterance becomes clear for him. His voice is deep, like of a young adult male. The man said, "My name is Crowfire, bearing a posthumous name, you shall remain here..."

The man was motioning his hand before his chest. The end of his fingertip was lighted with blue light. As the fingertip moves, a trace of blue line was left floating in the air. Tom cannot see the man clearly.

"You, o lone being from the river of the void, I offer my place, a place to continue your existence, as you transcend from another world. I welcome you to another life, as my precious regalia. You will protect me with the best of your gifts, and I will take care and love you as my own child. Come Tom." the voice become louder and clearer.

Tom felt a grip of air around his body. He saw the traces of lights from the fingertip of the man formed his name. The blinding light tightened him. He felt his insides where crumping, and a hallow pain runs through every nerve of his body. He was feeling himself again. He was beginning to become stiff.

For few seconds, the light disappeared and he felt himself floating in the air.

The silhouette becomes vivid. He saw a middle-aged man, about at his late 20's, wearing a black jersey jacket and jogging pants. His hair was white and one of his hands is on his pocket. He was walking towards Tom until he was an inch close to him.

Tom's height was as just as the man's torso. The man moved his hand and grabbed him.

"What a wonderful regalia, finally, a sword!" the man said, waving a sword in the air. He looked at the blade in between his eyes. He saw his reflection and smiled as the light run shining through it.

That is only when Tom realized he was a naked sword blade. He was a sword blade. The man was holding him very tight with his warm hands.

"Revert, Tom!" the man threw him in the air. He gushed out beams of light and eventually his form changed into his human shape. He became human again—his teenage human self.

"My, you are too young, Tom!" the man walked close to him. Tom looked at his hands, turned his head around and grabbed his hair. He was wearing a white shirt and pants. His feet were bare.

"WAHHHHHH..." he shrieked and kneeled on the ground.

"Tom, I am Crowfire, your new father. I have summoned you from the void to serve as my regalia." The man pulled his hand down on him. He smiled.

Tom looked at him for few seconds. He eyes started to brim tears. He's mouth was wide open. At this very moment, he couldn't grasp what is happening to him right now.

"Sir, please, help me..." the only words left his mouth.

"You will protect me with the best of your gifts, and I will take care and love you as my own child. You've nothing to fear anymore." The man grabbed his head and brushed his hair.

"Why am I here? All I remember is that I am speaking with Psyche and, and...and..." Tom spoke so fast he caught his breath.

The man stepped back and waved his hand away from him. His eyes startled while looking at him.

"You remember?" the man asked.

Tom darted his eyes on the man. The man trembled and keeps on stepping back little steps. He escaped his gaze and looked down below.

"Yeah. I was with Psyche talking about that deal of taking me back from the past to play volleyball again." Tom spoke out quietly.

Tom scratched his neck. He felt a different texture of his skin right on his collar bone. He gazed down and he saw his name, Tom written on it.

The man's jaw dropped suddenly. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Come, Thunder, Hammer!" The man stepped back.

Blue beams of light arched above him. It shone the place and flew. As it landed the ground, the light turned into a bow gun. The man grabbed and pointed the bow gun on Tom's head. At a short distance, he kept his eye on the gun towards him.

"Wha-what?" Tom jerked and slid himself on the ground.

Tom gulped. His throat was so dry he couldn't move his tongue. He held his jaw dropped while trembling. His teeth gnashing sounded over the man's.

"Oh. I think you're alright." the man slowly put the gun down. He sighed and walked. He shouted, "Revert, Thunder, Hammer!"

The bow gun shone and dissipated into light. It slid through his grip and darted itself back from nowhere.

"Now that my other regalias were gone, I could ask you this. Are you becoming a phantom?" the man bent his body to gaze down at Tom who lies on his back in the ground. He never smiled and looked at Tom sharply. He spoke out again,"Tell me, Tom, please. Tell me what you remember. Did you remember how you die?"

"I didn't die! I am just in a coma. I was just, just..." Tom yelled while he was standing. A sharp prickling pain struck his chest. He fell on his knees. He groaned, "Awww..."

"Awww... Ah!..." the man gripped his chest and fell on the ground. The man said, rasping with his words, "Don't feel so bad. I was so stupid to treat you earlier after I said you don't have to be afraid."

Not longer a moment, the pain on Tom's chest dissipated and the residual pain just left. He knew what he felt. It wasn't ordinary. It was what his heart felt. It was guilt. And worry.

"One more thing, do not act what you are now to that world. Don't act you already knew what will happen. Don't bring the elements of your present time to the past. I will immediately terminate our deal in case. I am looking at you, remember that."

It was what Psyche said. The exact same words struck his mind right before his chest ached. It is her warning, he thought. He hoped it was a warning, that there are warnings he could rely on.

Is this really happening? What should I do? He asked himself.

This is a game. And there is no turning back. There's only one way out, to win. And there were a thousand ways to be trapped, to mess up.

Crowfire grabbed his shoulders and embraced him. He said, "Come Tom. I will take you home."