Prologue (Part - 2)

Ava subconsciously pulled him close and held him tightly. Her trembling hand sent waves of terror into his heart.

"S-Sis?" he repeated, but she didn't seem to hear him.

"What about you? How—"

"They're here! There's no time! JUST GO!" the stranger shouted.

Noah heard a thump from a hallway as if something heavy landed on the floor. Shrinking into Ava, he stared at the closed door and waited for the event to unfold. An ear-splitting roar erupted from the hallway. It was so loud, he felt like waves of noise were hammering his body. With a desperate cry, he covered his ears to protect himself. If it weren't for his sister's grip, he would've fallen to the ground.

By the time it ended, Noah felt disoriented and dizzy. In a stupor, he saw the room's wall explode, showering him with wood, and glimpsed an enormous scaly arm. Before he could get a better look, he was in the air and flying into the night, straight through the window. The wings that had unfurled behind Ava shielded him from the glass.

As soon as they got out, a dome of darkness enveloped it.

"Wh-What's going on?" Noah quavered. "Did the Zon attack us? Who's —"

"Not now, Noah," she said, her voice tight. "Wait till we're safe."

"But—"

"Not now!" she shouted. It clamped his mouth, but not his fear.

They rapidly moved away from the house, and it grew ever so distant, but Noah kept his eyes trained on it the entire time. The dome's marble-like appearance made the white dot spreading over its surface glaringly obvious. The darkness erased the smudge in less than two seconds, but it was a tad too late. A small object escaped through the opening and hurtled towards them. Noah's eyes widened, and he shouted, "AVA DODGE!"

His warning didn't matter. The attack came too fast and ripped through the wings.

"Damn!" Ava tried to stabilize them midair. The energy channels on the wings glowed bright blue as she pumped massive amounts of energy to repair them, but it was futile. Momentum carried them forwards before they turned into a projectile, free-falling towards a stranger's house. "Hold on!"

"Ava, we're gonna crash!" Noah wildly swung his arms in the air. "WE'RE CRASHING!"

With a deafening sound, they smashed into the house. The next few moments were a jumble of thoughts and senses. Groggy and disoriented, he struggled to get out of the wood covering him.

"Who're you, and what're you doing in my house? I'm warning you, I'm armed, and I will retaliate!"

Noah didn't recognize the man's voice. A lady's voice followed, "Trevor! They're hurt! They look like the Ashfords!"

"Ava," he called, unable to think clearly. He didn't know how the crash didn't kill him and didn't care. Ava was his only concern. When he tried to move, every inch of his body hurt. A piece of wood was sticking out of his left arm and the gash it created bled profusely. A jolt ran across his body when he touched the wood. Gasping hard and fighting back tears, he decided to leave it in. His gaze passed over the shocked faces of the young couple and searched the mounds of rubble all around. One of them shifted and he dashed in the direction.

"Wait! You're going to hurt yourself," the woman's voice said. Unheeding the words, he rushed towards the moving pile and helped Ava pick herself up. She was a mess. There was a long cut on her scalp and her arm seemed to be dislocated. Before he could check her for other injuries, she grasped his right arm and stared straight into his eyes.

"Wha—"

"Listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you." The seriousness in her voice cut off his protests. She removed the black crystal necklace she always wore and put it around his neck. "This'll inform your identity to the necessary people. Don't lose it. And unless it's absolutely necessary, don't mention our parents anywhere. It'll only put you in danger. Understand? Never ever mention them."

Unable to speak, he nodded. Her words stroked his fear and his heart pounded like a drum. It felt like she was saying goodbye.

"Sorry for interrupting, but can you tell me what's going on?" Trevor said. Both he and the woman stood frozen in their positions.

Ava ignored them. "Good. Now, I want you to run towards the association—No listen to me!" Her grip on his arm tightened and he winced. "If you stay here, you'll be my distraction and weakness. Fighting the enemy and protecting you at the same time just isn't possible. When you're safe, I can focus on my opponent. So, I want you to run towards the association and wait for me there. No matter what happens, don't stop before reaching it. Am I clear?"

"I won't leave you! Let's—"

"Am I clear?!"

"But—"

"AM I CLEAR?!" She kept their eyes locked and didn't allow him to look away. Despite the blood dripping down her brow, she never blinked. The intense look in her eyes told him only one answer was acceptable and he wilted under the pressure. "Yes."

A relieved expression crossed her face. She stared at his bleeding arm and opened her mouth to say something. The words went unsaid as she frowned and faced the direction of their house. "Go!"

When he didn't move, she pulled him close and hugged him. "I know you're worried, but your sister is strong. I will come back. Trust me. Now go!"

"Promise?" he asked in a barely audible voice.

She glanced between his upturned palm and face then placed her palm over his. "Promise."

"You can't break it now. You're the one who taught me that. So, you should come back!"

"I will. Now, please go."

Without a word, he turned and stumbled out of the house. Past the broken furniture, through the wrecked wall, and out into fresh air. The crash had been loud and people were gathering around. Some of the braver ones inched closer and tried to peer inside. He hadn't even registered the commotion while he had been inside.

One of them shone a light on his face. "You're Noah, right? What're you— Are you bleeding? What going on? Where's Ava?"

He ignored the questions and dragged himself towards the association. While he felt tempted to explain everything and request their help, he knew it was useless. They weren't ECHO's. Anyone stupid enough to intervene in the fight would end up on the casualty list.

"Wait!" The same voice said. "You need the hospital! At this rate, you'll bleed out!"

Noah huffed in annoyance as people moved towards him. One of them even had a first-aid kit in his hand. The adults probably thought they were helping him, but their actions were a hindrance. Glancing at the crumbling house, he imagined Ava prepping her CAPE for battle and pinched his lips together in frustration. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he couldn't help her. The best way to assist her was to get out of her hair which meant getting out of the place as soon as possible. He had to convince the adults to make way or force his way through. Either way, he couldn't waste a lot of time.

Before he could come to a decision, a lady's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, is that a fire?"

Noah followed her gaze and froze, feeling rooted to the spot.

"Isn't that … the association?" someone whispered. The answer was a resounding silence. No one would ever mistake the double-helical building —the iconic landmark of every city— as anything other than the association's regional headquarters. The structure represented the pinnacle of humanity's might. And even as he watched, it was crumbling. Colorful explosions brightened the sky around it as if someone had set off fireworks, but he knew it was the result of the battle between the ECHO's and the Zon.

The collapsing tower took down with it the pillar of hope in his heart. Tremors raked his body as he understood the implications of what he was seeing. If the ECHO's fell, there would be nothing stopping the Zon from turning the city into a ghost town.

Noah pushed through the stunned crowd and made his way back to the house. He had to get Ava and leave the city. The brazen attack meant the enemies were more than prepared for a battle. At that point, counting on other people's help was be a fool's endeavor.

Before he could step inside, the whistling sound of something flying through the air distracted him. He turned to catch a glimpse of whatever it was and saw a blur pass through his vision. A moment later, the house exploded. The force threw his body along the length of the road and he crashed on the other side.

The collision with the ground emptied his lungs and black spots danced in front of his eyes. About a dozen new wounds flared in pain and his arm felt like it was on fire. Through the haze and pain, one thought dominated his mind. AVA!

He tried moving, but neither his body nor his mind responded. Clouds of lethargy settled in his mind, lulling him to sleep. In a futile effort, he fought to stay awake, but the encroaching darkness would not be denied. His thoughts blurred, and darkness settled in.