This was reality. This was reality overflowing with ache. This was an ache coming from my first exposure to the fumes of loss. This was a loss coming from the death of someone dear to me. He was someone dear to me who did almost everything for my sake...

And this was a sacrifice in which I cannot accept.

"Gilmos...Gilmos!" I cried out. My body was tightly enveloped by the cold temperature from the horrifying image above me. It was an image that was shoved into my eyes which would forever be engraved into my memory.

I was...beyond terrified. Guilt and sorrow slowed down the time which was in contrast by my accelerating breaths. One of the first aecheans who showed such an admirable way of living had offered his head in exchange for mine when the tip of that sword should be buried in my head.

I should be the one who should possess those lifeless eyes.

I should be the one who should protect those around me because it was my responsibility.

But I continue to fail everyone.

I continue to show incompetence.

I continue to carry their burdens in a directionless path.

And it was making me restless. It was making me anxious. It was making me fear the future losses and the people who I'll potentially lose if I continue to be the way I was.

What was I doing wrong? I need someone to continue to guide me because I still have so many things to learn. I have just started to walk Gilmos-ssu. I still need to hold your hand in this unstable road. I still have no capabilities to be a savior in my own for you to abandon me like this. I still need you behind me in situations in which I need to look back at you if I was unsure of my actions. I still need you in front of me so that you may continue to show inspiration and light to my pathway.

Please do not leave me lost like this...

"Gilmos-ssu....Gilmos-ssu!" I screamed.

Seven yanked his sword from Gilmos' head and let his body fall on top of me. The weight that landed on my body was the weight of the sadness and grief pressing against me. I set aside the radiating pain in my abdomen and laid Gilmos beside me as I hyperventilate over his fresh corpse.

Why did you save me Gilmos?

Why did you give up your life for me?

The Paragons relied on you. The whole planet will be in chaos without you. They need you more than me yet you let me end up fighting against my tears. I want to cry for you just to show the whole world how we lost someone so valuable but then...you forbid me to do so.

"Starting from now on, I forbid you to cry. A Paragon should not compensate a brave sacrifice of a comrade with tears which won't even contribute to anything. Don't give him tears; offer him victory. Give tribute to him not with the sadness of loss but with the glory of taking back planet Aecha from its gruesome enemy."

"You're so cruel Gilmos-ssu...you're so cruel..." I shakily whispered.

You always demand the most impossible things yet I always end up obeying them because you know what was best for me.

I was still feeble. I can't fight on my own Gilmos-ssu but...

"I...will try."

I won't die without fighting. I won't die without dignifying his death.

I stumbled on my rise yet I forced myself to refrain from falling back. Despite my heavy breaths, despite the pain in my body, I clutched the blade which materialized in my hand and charged towards Seven who easily dodge my sloppy attack and then kneed me at the gut before kicking me forward causing me to fall with a pained grimace.

"Pitiful," Seven muttered. While still bearing Gilmos' form, Seven landed his foot on my head shoving my face on the sand. "This is your fault you know? If you just died during my previous attempts of murdering you, things could have been easier."

I could not bring myself to reply to his statement because I was too consumed by my grieving. My strangled whines were muffled by the sand as Seven pressed his foot harder on top of my head.

I will not cry. I will not die.

Even if my system was already at the weakest of its state that even my birth weapons cannot be accessible, I will not let go of my will.

"You have to be stronger than what you are right now. You have to be prepared to save people but at the same time, I want you to be stronger when it comes to losing someone. Trust me when I say that while you are breathing there will be people dying and as they fall, the bonds that connect you and him will drag you down with him."

I fought against the pressure that Seven had been pressing down against my head as my eyes burned with resolve. "I will not die...I will never die!" I panted out.

"Hm? What was that? Are you saying something laughable? Don't be delusional. Although I do applaud you for your inner toughness, you have to face the reality of things."

"I will...be stronger!" I growled and watched my hands curl the sands beneath them.

"Tsk, are you deaf?" he spat at me.

"I will not die...knowing that you are still alive!" I yelled at him.

"You should have died when I purposely dropped your body right in the serpentes' nest in the ocean. Those creatures would have thanked you for filling their bellies but then again... They wouldn't want you to transfer your idiocy to them. Everything is your fault. Everything that's happening in planet Aecha is because of your kind so it's only right for you to suffer like this!" Seven declared in an amused tone before kicking me to roll away from him.

I gazed up to his face bearing that wicked grin as I released shivering breaths. "Saek and the others aren't with you...Y-you m-must have done so-something to them..." I spoke. Some ascian fluids were already building up in my throat caused by the unhealed wound in my abdomen.

"You shouldn't bother yourself finding out more of what I've done. You're going to die any minute you know? Just think about your happiest memories and your unfulfilled dreams. Think as if you've saved the world and was now in the brink of death for achieving so...Though that's sad isn't it?" He laughed in the most obnoxious way which was giving Gilmos' appearance unmemorable.

He stretched up and cracked his neck to the side. "It's time for me to leave. I still have a meeting with the God of Decay. Don't worry; I'll finish you off quickly. You wouldn't feel any pain after this..." he murmured and raised his sword above my head. A voice which was very familiar to my system spoke a statement in which I remembered was from Eggtho.

Was I beginning to get insanely delusional as what Seven had claimed?

"Hey, dumbass, that's not how you do it! Idiot! Idiot! Ugh, Christ, I thought humans were stupid but someone is much worse now huh?"

I glared at the sword above me and suddenly felt this overwhelming feeling washing over my body. A strong pressure coming from the base of my stomach rose up forcing a loud, powerful, and angry animalistic growl to break out from my mouth that not only startled me but Seven as well.

I just realized that Eggtho made me hear Luscev's voice at that time. Did he predict that...I'll someday meet him?

If that was the case then...I cannot let that prediction fail.

I took the opportunity to roll away from the spot of sword reach and I could slowly feel my stomach heal and my strength began to come back to me.

"How come you still have energy to fight like that? If I were you kid, I'll just take the easy way. Just give up already," Seven advised me with extreme annoyance in his tone.

"That is our difference Seven-ssu," I spoke as I rose on my feet. "I am not you; I am stronger than you because I won't give up in these times in which you believe you've taken me down. You are weak Seven-ssu. You are pitiful," I retorted causing him to grin from my words.

My eyes spotted something flying above us which also caught the attention of Seven. As the creature flew closer I have noticed that it had fire in its paws. Its sharp teeth overlapped its lips and once it landed on the shore just between Seven and me, I fear for which side it will attack. It was my first time seeing this animalia. Its fur was slightly yellowish. It sniffed the air and a low growl was heard as it tensed towards Seven.

The animalia pounced at Seven and the man immediately used his sword to pierce through the feline creature which then released a whine before getting thrown to the ocean. More shadows were seen on the ground coming from above and I discovered that there was more of its kind hovering on top of us. All of them seemed to target Seven.

There must be something in Seven's scent that was making them agitated.

"How many of there were you?!" Seven yelled out.

More and more of these creatures came down until I couldn't see Seven's form anymore from the bodies of feline creatures crowding over him. He began to scream in pain followed by gurgling noises. My ticker sped up when I could hear unpleasant noises of flesh and the silence which brought a revelation of immediate death.

They were eating him!

"I need to get out of here..." I whispered in panic. What could have called their attention anyway? I did not think we made so many noises for them to all gather here...

Or was it the growl?

I honestly did not have any idea of how I even manage to emit such predatorily vicious growl. It must be the situation. I got in a moment of excitement perhaps.

As I gathered Gilmos' body, I caught the sight of a dark smoky figure via my peripheral vision coming from the unsightly scene that I refuse to look at. I refuse to find out the cause of it.

I placed Gilmos' on top of my shoulder and made a run for it. Hopefully I do not meet Trux, Typhi, Saek and Dryp on my way out.

If those animalias did not show up, things could have been more difficult for me knowing that I did not stand much of chance against Seven's strength. I thank Kaisen and the core for their aid and guidance.

Seven had ended up dying in the most undesirable way. These creatures must have really thought of him as appetizing for a reason that I cannot fathom.

The city of Zhekson was full of things which did not belong to our world. I tightened my hold on Gilmos' corpse making sure that not a single scratch will be added on his body. I was very much paranoid of the foreign things around me and I feel like I was being watched. It must be the cause of the unwanted events but it wouldn't hurt to become more cautious.

When I finally reached the entrance, I saw that the entire way was blocked by red gelatinous substances which were tall and wide and pretty much jiggly.

They did not have claws or anything lethal in their bodies but then...I shouldn't be sure. I bent down to grab a stick and poked one gelatin. The stick was instantly hauled inside of its transparent body which gave me the insight of my future if I were to run through them. They will suffocate me inside of them.

How do I get out?

"Aechaaa!" I heard Hyuk Min's voice resonate from the shop area.

A significant amount of hope filled my ticker and a smile broke my grief-struck face. I felt a gush of wind behind me which only placed me in a more anxious position but Hyuk Min's next shout lessened my fear.

"We're coming Aecha! We're coming!"

"I-I'm here! I'm here Hyuk Min!" I shouted back with a relieved voice.

My ticker sped up in both disappointment and in fright when an extremely fast rotating figure broke through the mass of gelatinous substances and headed straight for me.

Did they not hear me?

I shut my eyes in fear and waited for the hit only for me to feel a tight grip on my shoulder which then shoved me to the side. My eyes snapped open when I perceived that familiar dark armor. That grin of a cronie on his mask was a giveaway. It was assassin-ssu!

My eyes widened when I saw that he was not actually aiming for me but for someone who I recently thought was eaten alive. At this point in time, everything happening was very hard to believe. I saw how Seven was initially started to get eaten. How he managed to get complete limbs after that was questionable.

Assassin-ssu used the end of his sword and hit Seven's chin up before moving so nimbly above to strike him back down on the ground causing the ground to crumble and having Seven fall through. Assassin-ssu flipped to the more stable ground before peeking at the hole.

"Hey boss, I resign! But you've probably fired me from the moment I hit your face," he stated with much humor in his tone. He straightened his posture and then turned to me. "Sorry I'm late. I'm glad you're still in one piece."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, I managed to get out in one piece. I was hoping that you could be...a little earlier next time?" 

He started to approach me as he removed his mask. Once his mask was fully removed and I was finally able to see what his face looked like, he stopped in front of me and grinned.

"Sure, but let's just say I'm taking my revenge since your brother was always late during our meetings when we were still Paragons," he chuckled and extended his hand for a handshake. I gave him a confused look but took his hand anyway.

"You know my brother?" I questioned him and he lightly hit his head.

"I forgot to introduce myself!" he laughed. "Yeah, I know him. We were best friends. I'm Eleo by the way and your brother owes me big time."

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A/N: Sorry for the late update haha 

A little explanation of the story:

-The animalia that ate Seven was an Asperger. It was from Lucian's world which ate Catastrophes.

-The Gelatins if you guys remembered was the Gelatin which Lucian played with that almost suffocated him to death if Caleb and Sevor didn't pull him out.