Saved

"I'm gonna die I'm gonna die I'm gonna die… "

In the shadowy hallway, those three words were all Kevin could think about. He was slumped against the wall, his bloodied left hand was gripping his neck tightly as he gasped for breath.

His severed right hand was lying in a pool of blood on the ground near Atlas. The man was walking towards him, a bloody katana in hand.

The boy replayed what had just happened in his head: Atlas had cut through his Darkwheel and his right hand with one slash of his blade. The slash also left a gaping cut in Kevin's neck, had he been a few inches closer he would have been beheaded. He had then been sent flying down the hall with a kick.

"Shit, he's getting closer… This can't be how it ends." More than anything, Kevin was frustrated. "Why am I so useless? I can't beat anyone by myself, and now I'm gonna die. Focus! Focus on your wounds! If I could regenerate my heart there's no way I can't heal my hand and my neck!" Kevin felt a newfound tingling sensation around his wounds. In the distance, his severed hand began to melt away into the shadows.

"It's working! My wounds, they're healing! But Atlas is getting closer and closer, I won't be able to heal in time…"

With every step, Kevin prayed that his wounds would regenerate faster. His legs were usable, but he was still paralyzed from shock. Not to mention he had also just been kicked in the stomach full-force.

<Get up.>

Kevin heard a familiar voice in his head, one that he had been waiting for. The voice didn't usually disappear for so long.

<Get up and fight.>

"Get up and fight… That's right, I can't give up now, but I can't move either. I'm gonna have to go for a ranged attack when he gets closer, I still can't move my body…"

"Just a few more steps…" He thought

The man's steps echoed in the hallway as he slowly approached the boy. It seemed like he was taking his time with every step, his katana was silent yet menacing.

"…NOW!"

Dozens of icicle-like spiked projectiles appeared behind Kevin, lined up in rows like missiles and poised to strike.

"Looks like you've still got some fight left in you, huh?" Atlas said, brandishing his katana.

His surroundings suddenly changed. Like a ripple created by a drop of water, the floor and walls around him were gradually covered in a deep purple, with splashes and clouds of pink and blue. Twinkling dots of light were specked over the walls that had become a beautiful canvas.

As the effect of the twinkling night sky moved down the hallway, Kevin heard footsteps from beside him. He had been so entranced that he completely forgot about his attack. However, Atlas had been covered by the same galaxy as the walls and floor around him, and he was currently frozen in place.

Kevin didn't dare take his eyes off the man, but he sneaked a quick look to his left. There he saw the same blond boy who had invaded his Battlefield during his fight with Mei. The person who had just saved him was Renault. On his waist was a scabbard, and sheathed inside was a katana. With every step, ripples formed from underneath his feet, spreading through the galaxy-painted corridor. He was heading towards Atlas, and didn't even spare a moment to look at Kevin.

With one fluid movement, he unsheathed his katana and sliced through Atlas's chest before walking through him as if he was a ghost.

In that split second Kevin could see the blade of the sword also resembled the galaxy, with a beautiful design and elegant hilt.

Renault sheathed his sword, and the galaxy around him was sucked back into his body. The upper half of Atlas's torso slid off and hit the floor with a thump in a brilliant display of blood and guts. The lower half of his body fell onto his knees.

"Incredible, Renault ended the fight within seconds…" Kevin couldn't help but marvel at the strength of his school's number one fighter.

Turning around, Renault quickly sprinted towards Kevin, lending him a hand and helping him up. By then, his wounds had already fully been healed, and his hand was regrown.

"Are you alright?" Renault asked. "You look terrible."

Kevin looked down at his bloodstained clothes and hands while replying. "

Yeah, thankfully I was able to heal my wounds. Thanks for the save back there, I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up."

"I thought you were taking too long and I was worried something happened to you. It's strange though, how he got past security in the school. Usually they don't let outsiders in unless they have a reason."

Renault was puzzled over the situation. "And why did they target you?"

"This might be related to what happened last night…" Kevin said to himself.

"What happened last night?"

"You've heard about the fire last night, and the mysterious dome that appeared, right? It was all over the news this morning." Kevin replied.

"I have."

"Well we were caught up in it. And by we, I mean Liam, Sarah, Mei, Rubi and I. A man named Saturn and his goons tried to kidnap Sarah, and we stepped in."

Renault's face widened in disbelief.

"Is there something wrong?" Kevin asked, seeing the face Renault made.

"I need you to listen closely. Your parents might be in danger." Renault's expression shifted to a much more serious one.

"My parents?!"

It all started to make sense to Kevin.

"Yesterday night I witnessed Saturn trying to kidnap Sarah, and he has to be related to the recent string of kidnappings. So now he's trying to get rid of me and he sent an assassin to kill me. Now that he's failed he's coming for my parents as leverage, my friends might be in danger too." Kevin quickly came to a conclusion.

"Let me warn you, you've been involved in something much deeper than you think."

"That doesn't matter now, if there's even a chance my parents are in danger I have to go save them. I owe them everything."

"What are you-"

Without wasting any time, Kevin turned around and leaped into the window, sending shattered glass flying. As the boy flew out the window, he extended his arm and a rope of darkness formed, latching onto a nearby lamppost. Using the momentum of his fall, he swung forward before releasing the rope, sending him barrelling into the ground. Even though the skin was scraped off his hands, he gritted his teeth and ignored the pain. Kevin turned to face the front gates of the school. Running with all the energy he had left, he rushed out the school campus towards the direction of his house.

"I've got to hurry! I don't have a moment to waste!"