1: Rush of Confusion

"Grandpa?"

The fresh night, permeated by malevolence.

The grassy terrain filled with the ruins of a house, with red mist polluting the from of it. Hidden within four individuals with unknown intentions.

An old man stood in front of their path, hurt and exhausted. With his granddaughter being present behind him, holding onto his shirt with fear and confusion as to what is occurring.

"Oooooowe! Free at last! Free at last!" A feminine voice came from the red mist as one of the smaller silhouettes was jumping.

The old man tensed up, as if he knew who said so. Prompting him to clench his fist.

"What took yah so long Mazay! I've been waitin so loooong" The feminine voice said with the manner of an infant.

"Maybe if everything went according to plan, you would've been here sooner." The voice of an malvolent being replied within the mist.

"Guess yah right about that one, this body feel so flexible though. Just kinda short." The female voice claimed.

The old man had enough of their conversation, as he leaned forwards and swung his arm to the right, which followed with large roots to extend from the ground and towards the 4 entities within the red mist.

This only ended with the roots being sliced clean into pieces by an unknown power, that flew through the area between the 2 opposing groups. Air.

This shocked the old man as he leaned back. Assuming someone within the mist was doing it.

"The hell." The old man spoke, in a perplexed tone.

"You never learn Solomon." Another figured said, confirming the old man's name.

"Persistent in giving up." Another male voice came from the mist, different from the other.

Soon the mist dissipated, revealing four people. Standing with fractured masks on their faces.

These masks sunk into their faces like fluids in mud, as if it connected to them and didn't the same time.

The group of masked individuals: one with red spiky hair and bluish sharp teeth, another with a jester appearance adorned with blush tentacles, a third with a winged visage in white and gold, and the fourth resembling a knight in armor.

Yet the red head figure was the prominent one, with a crimson cloak that wrapped around his greyish body.

The fourth one held a sword.

"Who's this guy." Solomon asked to himself.

"These are the bad guys? They look like those others that were on the ground-" The little girl behind Solomon asked, only for her message to be cut off. By the fourth to leap towards them like elegant wind, swinging his weapon's handle directly into Solomon's shoulder.

Which was followed with a knee strike to the chin, sending Solomon plummeting to the ground. Leaving the little girl next to his side.

"Hey leave him alone!" The little girl shouted at the man.

The fourth individual landed onto the ground next to the three masked figures. With a fractured mask on his face.

"Wowie she's feisty. Who's the kiddo" The woman with a jester looking mask stated.

"Feisty." The red hair figure replied with an ambiguous tone.

"Solomon's granddaughter." Another male voice made its present known.

The voice revealed to the second individual, a dark skin male floating. Covered by two wing like cap, with them having black and white stripes. His jaw was covered by a fractured mask, black coloured with a skeletal teeth moving whenever he spoke.

"Ravanti! You were apart of Mazy plan too?" The woman with jester mask expressed, confirming the second individual's name.

"For my own reasons." The male spoke, confirming his name.

"Whatever it is, y'all got what y'all wanted. Now then in favour help me take that kid." The red head figure interrupted.

Solomon opened his eyes at this command, gritting his teeth. All the while Oenhi attempted to lift his heavy body up.

The knight leaned forwards as if they listened to red headed figure's request.

"Why aren't you running? They'll take you away from me Oenhi." Solomon questioned the little girl, revealing her name.

"I am not leaving you." Oenhi replied

The swordsman dashed forwards like a soaring bird and made their way around the old man and little girl.

Followed by Solomon reacting as he caught a swing of the sheathed weapon thrown towards him, and then tossed his fist forwards getting a clean hit onto the masked face man.

Then a thud came as Oenhi, out of nowhere kicked the masked man which sending him back. But, he collected himself off the ground.

"She fights?" Ravanti questioned with interest.

"Eh I wouldn't say that she merely kicked em." The masked woman commented.

"Regardless, she's perfect." The red head figure stated.

Solomon heard this and thought to himself, he isn't strong enough to take all four of them. But, a flicker of hope lingered in his heart. A hope that's hurtful. But it gave him determination as he stood up in fixation.

"Oenhi remember the promise we made?" Solomon requested.

Oenhi looked up at him in confusion, what does this promise have to do with the current situation.

"To always smile, no matter what?" Oenhi answered reluctantly.

Solomon shook his head at her and turned towards the group.

"You're not getting my granddaughter, Mazaeta and I have solution to her safety." Solomon stated, announcing the name of the red headed figure.

"And what would that be?" Mazaeta responded with a snicker.

Unexpectedly Solomon leapt forwards like a bird taking their first flight.

The knight retaliated against this and dashed to the side of Solomon, who swung his arm towards the knight's abdomen. Unleashing a numerous of large spikes forged out of roots in their way, allowing Solomon to get pass them and run towards the remaining four standing masked figures.

Once Solomon was a few meters away near them he swung his left arm, as large roots emerged from him and slammed into the masked woman. With Ravanti levitating further into the air to escape that paranormal attack.

Mazaeta on the other hand was surprised by this, smirking to think a broken old man would attack when the odds are against him.

Only for Solomon's right hand to grip onto the mask of Mazaeta, then the man leapt over Mazaeta as if to rip the mask off him. Resulting in the mask to slowly tear off the face as if it was attached to it.

But Mazaeta responded, via his red cloak morphing into arms that snatched the right arm of Solomon.

Solomon wasn't displeased with this, as he widen his legs and gripped onto one of the red hands that held his. Then spoke.

"Configuration." Solomon declared as the brown mystical circle phased onto his hand.

"What just what the hell you think you're doing?" Mazaeta freaked out at this unknown act. Then he became wrapped by roots that erupts from the ground.

The knight saw this first and rushed in the defend Mazaeta, but he was repelled by roots latching onto his legs. Thickening in the process.

The circle on Solomon appeared onto the ground, as the roots attached to Mazaeta became translucent and mint green in colour. Then Solomon pulled at the mask once again.

Mazaeta attempted to summon crimson like tentacles from its cloak to attack, only to find out he cannot move.

"My....my spirit is being affected, I cannot move!" Solomon heard this, being pleased with what he's hearing, but sadness lingered on his face. Which made him look over to Oenhi, which followed with her doing the same.

He could see the innocence being exposed to malevolence for the first time, and rose his hand out to her as a last glimmer of hope.

"Please, continue smiling Oenhi...." Solomon mustered

""Grandpa?" Oenhi spoke.

Roots emerged from the ground and latched onto Oenhi, lifting her up into the air and launched her into the distance. To the clutches of trees in the distance.

"Grandpa! What is this?!" Oenhi yelp in fear, confusion and anxiety as she was consumed by the roots commanded by Solomon.

Solomon felt relieved for what he had done, but this didn't last long as Mazaeta begun to laugh.

"I see what you're gonna do, sure this was the only thing you could've done old friend?" Mazaeta questioned with a snicker.

"I'm sure of it!" Solomon declared.

The circle beneath both men created a warping energy that consumed them, resulting in the roots that carried Oenhi away to shatter.

Oenhi fell from them, hitting her head on a tree that would caused crawling unconsciousness.

A thud made present below the clouds of trees as Oenhi fell into the bushes.

She managed to muster out her last effort to take a view of the glowing light from where the people stood.

"....grandpa?" The little girl said in pain.

But this pain was replaced by the drowning sensation of sleep and soon she lost consciousness, being plunged into the hands of darkness.