(September 14th, 2017)

Zack

I woke up feeling very relaxed and calm. I was not even sure that I would find some sleep as the guilt burrowed itself deep into my heart, but I found myself tired and sleepy after all the fighting that I did. Alex gave me an empty room that wasn't used but was still furnished and ready, where I slept shirtless. After waking up, I placed my t-shirt back on and made my way to the kitchen area, where I saw Mia awake and preparing breakfast. It was hard for me not to feel amazed by how stunning this demon is. Her beauty alone is astounding. Not to mention the fact that she's a professional chef, she can fight like a warrior, and she can soar to the sky. And above all that, she can shapeshift into anything she desires. Just like Justin told me yesterday before going to bed: "She can be whatever you want her to be." I would have been cautious around her, but because of the fact that she worships the ground that Justin walks on, she is not a threat.

"Oh, hey, Zack!" She said. "You're up and early! Good morning!"

"Good morning. Where are the others?" I asked.

"They're still asleep. The boys usually wake up 40 minutes to one hour from now," She explained.

"And you usually wake up this early?"

She nodded my head. "Yes. I prepare breakfast and stay with the boys before heading to work. I wake up this early, even before starting my job at the restaurant."

"So, you're making bacon and eggs?" I asked as I took a seat.

"Indeed."

"I like eggs and bacon," I stated.

The girl got excited when I mentioned that. "Well, you'll never like anyone else's after you try mine!" She stated.

"So, what are you guys up to today?" I asked.

"Well, I was supposed to go to work today, but after what happened yesterday, we're closed for a while," She stated. I frowned and looked away from her, feeling guilty that I robbed her of her source of income. "I was surprised the pier was still open, but I guess they're thirsty for money."

"Sorry about that."

"Oh, no worries. I needed a break after all the work I did." She smiled at me reassuringly. "And I want to spend time with Justin and you, so that's a win."

I nodded slowly and watched her as she prepared breakfast. "Alright, then. With that said, I think it's time I explain what we're gonna do," I said. "I've talked to that Ethan guy. I take it he's a friend of yours?"

"More like a brother and mentor, but yes."

"When we're ready to embark on the journey, we need to be covert and trek anonymously. For that reason, we will need to be able to make money locally and not withdraw from bank accounts. Plus, we might encounter many monsters with bounties on them, so we might as well earn our money, right?" I explained, my words piqued the girl's interest. She paused preparing breakfast and looked at me with intrigue.

"Right."

"I'm going to sign you, Justin, and myself to the hunter's guild. It will be much easier for us to navigate without drawing too much attention," I stated. "After all, we need to travel inconspicuously. Plus, drawing money from royal accounts or otherwise can be traced by anyone with access to the bank's transactions, that includes many demonic worshippers and imperial adversaries."

"How can any of the groups you mentioned have access to bank transactions?" She asked.

"I've known a demonic worshipper once. He was a classmate of mine and was a pretty good hacker. I don't know what drew him to whatever cult he joined, but I wouldn't take his hacking skills lightly," I explained.

It seems that hearing the words 'demonic worshipper' made Mia's mood shift slightly negatively, much to my surprise. "And how can the guild protect us from these people?" She asked.

"Since you need actual kills to claim any bounty, along with your guild ID to withdraw or deposit money, it's much safer. We will also need to physically be present at any branch to claim rewards or put in deposits. It's even harder for anyone to steal from our earnings that way. Plus, it's easier for us to make money. We're pretty skilled, after all. And it's mostly cash when it comes to our bounty hunting, so it's pretty fair."

"Good morning, everyone..." Justin spoke as he entered the kitchen with Alex, nearly one hour later. Both of them yawning with their eyes half-open.

"Yeah... What he said..." said Alex, traipsing behind his friend.

Mia placed the food in front of the two. When they smelled the delicious breakfast, they started munching on it like famished beasts. They were comparable to hungry wolves who were released from their chains and unleashed themselves on unsuspecting prey. Mia was unfazed by the two men, however, pouring herself and me more eggs and bacon.

"Hey, Justin! Zack's got some interesting news he wants to share," Mia stated, prompting me to speak.

"Us three, we're joining the hunter's guild."

Justin instantly stopped eating and looked at me with a look of surprise. Alex, on the other hand, kept his head down but gazed at me without stopping his consumption.

"Why?" Justin asked with a mouth filled with food.

"It's much more covert, and we can earn our own cash while we're at it."

"Well, I don't mind if you don't," He stated. "But when are you signing us up?"

"Once your friend Ethan comes with the registration papers."

"But aren't we too young to be hunting bounties?" Mia asked.

"Nope. The legal age is 16 for some odd reason. Probably because back in the day, there were so many monsters that the adults alone couldn't keep up. Both women and men," I stated. "Mia's still days away from being legally allowed to register, but that's not an issue to one of his majesty's children."

"And there still are so many monsters today." Alex finally spoke, getting his head off the table and joining the conversation.

"That's correct."

"So we will be hunting beasts while journeying? This is awesome! Can we also get some camping gears while we're at it?" Justin asked.

"Hmm... While we'd probably spend most of the nights in motels, we will most likely find ourselves in isolated areas. Camping gear is a great call," I stated. "I'm also an avid camper."

"Poor choice of words for a gamer," Alex sighed.

"Then, I'll do that while you sign us up!" Justin said. "Alex will be coming with me."

"Hold your horses, champ. We're waiting on Ethan to bring the papers first, remember?" I replied. "Also, I assume you don't know what to purchase, so I'll write you a list."

Two hours later, Ethan arrived with the registration papers in hand. He had one for the three of us. I noticed that Alex was not very thrilled about it for some reason. If I could guess, it's probably because we're the ones that are signing up for it while he's not. However, he's not complaining about it. He sat quietly at the kitchen table and poured himself some cereal. He did not even try to pay attention to the conversation, much less give his two cents.

"All you have to do is write your names, dates of birth, places of birth, current residence, and sign! Then, Zack and I will take the papers and register at the guild headquarters. Easy enough, right?" Ethan explained.

"Is that it? No need for our IDs or anything else?" Justin asked.

"We will handle all the legal documents, so don't worry about a thing," Ethan stated.

"Let's get going." After signing, Ethan and I got out of the building and entered his black European two doors sports vehicle. While we drove to the hunter's guild headquarters, we started to engage in conversation to pass the time and get to know each other.

"Is this your idea, your majesty?" Ethan asked. While I am not used to people addressing me with those two words, I did not question it. I groaned at the word 'majesty,' however.

"Yes, it was. I don't want us to be withdrawing money from the kingdom and have it traced to our location."

"Brilliant idea. Though, is this really the only reason why you did this?" He asked, shooting me a look and a cheeky smirk.

I looked at him with a stare of confusion while crossing my arms. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Excuse me for assuming, but do you really intend on signing the three of you for hunter IDs just to stay covert, or do you have ulterior motives?"

'He's clever. I'll give him that.' I thought to myself as I sighed and looked at him after staring through the window for the entire drive.

"I have a reason to believe that you do not want to use your father's money. Is that correct?" He asked.

"Alright, alright. You got me there. I don't want to use your king's money! But even if I did want to, I'd risk our cover getting blown! Besides, I've always dreamed of becoming a bounty hunter, or adventurer, or anything similar. Maybe even sign to become a licensed hero. This is the golden opportunity presenting itself to me! Wouldn't you agree?"

"I agree. I have no problem with you not using his majesty's funds. But if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you sign up before?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"You've had more than enough time to register yourself, right? Why is now the golden opportunity?"

"My caretaker did not want me signing up. He wanted me to grow up and just become a prince."

"And you didn't want to become the prince."

The more the word 'prince' got thrown around, the angrier I got. "I don't want to!" I exclaimed. "I still do not want to become a prince! But if I want to protect my people and do what's best for them, I don't have any other choice."

"I see."

"You see? Elaborate, please."

"You don't want this position because it's being forced upon you by a father you barely know, a kingdom that thinks you're dead, and the imminent doom that's approaching. I understand your frustration. You have all the right to be frustrated. But believe me when I tell you that once you take on the responsibility and complete your tasks, you will start to feel good about yourself."

"I take it you know from experience?" I asked.

"I am Justin's caretaker, you know," He stated. "When I found him and took on the responsibility myself, I felt a heavy burden get placed on my shoulders. But at the same time, I knew that if I let any harm befall that child, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

I could hear the sincerity in his voice. The subject is very important to him, and he takes pride in his duty as Justin's caretaker. I couldn't help but feel touched by his words and his story. I felt happy knowing that there are people that are willing to care for complete strangers, no matter who they are or how unfair life treats them. But calculating the age of Ethan when he must have become Justin's caretaker, he would have been a teenager. Meaning that he took care of Justin from a young age. I immediately felt fascinated by how people got drawn to Justin and his charming personality.

"Even with his acquired godly powers, I'm still terrified to send him on this quest. I don't know how much training I could still teach him or how long his journey will take. I can't help but feel nervous for him."

"It's his destiny, Ethan. He is chosen for this. He will ascend and watch over everyone. You should feel proud of him, my friend," I reassured him.

"I am proud of Justin. And you should also try to see the world in a better light. Give it some time, and you'll get used to everything. Also, try to sympathize with your father and start over. You two need to re-establish the bond between father and son. I'm sure you'll understand why he did everything he did," Ethan said, "I'm sure you two will get along. Your father will bestow all his kingly wisdom upon you."

"Let's hope so." I rolled my eyes and stared back out of the window, seeing the people slowly return to roaming the streets after yesterday's events.

"One day, the burden of this kingdom will be placed on your shoulders. I'm certain you'd do great things, and I'll be honored to call you my king."

We arrived at the headquarters and entered the building. Inside, it looked like a mix between a large bank and a museum. There were so many rare monster mementos neatly placed under the protective casing and displayed to everyone — everything from fur to taxidermy animals and weapons used to kill them. There were also posted requests for bounties on many walls. The guild placed some of them, and others were requests from individuals. Some hunters were already there and reading through the posts and checking for jobs.

According to research that I did, an individual can deposit money in their local guild branch or pay the hunters personally. The guild takes a cut from the bounty sponsor to spread the word of the bounty if the sponsor chooses to pay the hunters themselves but does not have the means to advertise. If the sponsor has enough money to pay the hunters but not advertise, they may pay the guild directly and have it do the leg work while the hunters collect their rewards from the nearest branch. One would have many reasons to not pay the guild directly for the bounty. Maybe a sponsor might want to negotiate prices with the hunters since the guild does not negotiate. If a sponsor pays an amount, they can no longer negotiate. The guild takes a cut from the bounty, so sponsors cannot arrange to lower prices. Nevertheless, sponsors are encouraged to increase their rewards to get more willing hunters.

Requests do not have to be monster-related, however. A sponsor can ask for anything and have their request posted. I could, for example, make a request for someone to help me with my crops, or teach me how to fight, or find a missing person, or so on. However, there are limitations to the jobs one can have posted. Any job that breaks the law is strictly prohibited. Anything that has to do with pleasure favors, and anything similar is also prohibited. Some jobs are usually ignored if the reward is too low and insufficient for anyone's time. For example, I can't ask someone to slay a giant beast for a hundred bucks. There are jobs with low rewards, but no one takes them on, since they aren't worth anyone's time, despite being within the required amount of compensation. I took a gander at all the hunters that are walking around the area. Some were taking on jobs, others were getting paid, and some were entering and exiting the lodge area, which is present in every branch of the guild — required by law for hunters to relax after or prepare for hunts. In there, they can socialize and make quest parties where hunters can participate and get a cut from the reward.

"You're the expert about the guild, your majesty. What's behind that door?" Ethan asked about the lodge door. "Is it... a bar?"

"It's a lodge, Ethan. Hunters and adventurers gather there to relax after a hunt or prepare their bodies and stomachs for one."

"Oh... Nice."

"As expected from people like this, they are known to be loud and obnoxious. You can't stay a minute without hearing someone bragging about their latest or greatest hunt. They also like to challenge each other by arm wrestling, sparring, drinking, or eating. But the place is big enough not to be too crowded, despite how it may make you think," I explained.

"Signing up early, are we?" A Caucasian man asked as he approached us. He was slightly taller than Ethan, who was standing proudly at six feet tall. The man had brown hair and looked relatively young. He barely looked a day above twenty. His eyes were turquoise and very striking. He wore a purple t-shirt with long sleeves and jeans that were worn under tactical knee pads and boots. He also sported a tactical military belt that had a holstered gun and a survival knife sheathed in alongside tactical pouches. It was a dead giveaway that he was a hunter or an adventurer, not that he was hiding it.

"I'm signing in. My friend here is not," I stated.

"It's great to see the young participating in the jobs of the adult. Even though it's too young to have young teenagers like you hunting monsters, but it's up to you when to start hunting, so it's okay in my books! But a piece of good advice from me would be to train as hard as you can. No one can tell what you would face on your journeys, after all!" The man spoke.

"Who are you?" I asked, getting suspicious of this man's sudden interest in us. I am seventeen, but I did not look like the only seventeen-year-old in the building.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Deckard Kennedy. Master hunter and professional hero, and with the bounties to prove it!" He stated cheerfully, expressing his pride in his line of work without sounding too obnoxious about it. His friendliness felt natural and not a red flag.

"Zack Ryder," I replied.

"Ethan Silver."

"Nice to meet you two! Why don't I help you sign in?" He asked.

"We got it, thanks," Ethan replied.

"No worries! And welcome to the hunter world! I'm sure we'll meet again someday!" He said before leaving.

Ethan and I made it to the nearby booth and waited in line for a few minutes until it was our turn. As we waited, I took the time to look around, watching people walk in and out of the building while others looked at the items on display.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The employee at the end of the booth asked. When I looked at her, I was shocked to realize to find out that I know the girl from way back.

"Emma? Is that you?" Once she realized who I was, she gasped and cupped her face with her hands.

"Zack?! Oh my god! I can't believe it!"

"It's been a year, hasn't it?" I asked.

"Y-Yes! It's been a very long time!"

"So, this is where you went after you graduated."

"Yes. I got a job here, and I get good pay. But even though I work behind a booth, I'm also a hunter!" She stated.

"Nice to know that. Anyways, my friends and I want to become hunters ourselves. Here's everything you need," I said, presenting her the registration papers.

"One second. Oh, do you also have the-" Ethan cut her off by giving her the legal papers that I did not bother to look over. I cut her off by placing the registration fees in front of her as well, with a smirk. As a knight, Ethan can sign endorsement papers to prove that we are qualified for the job and make the registration easier.

"Okay, then. One sec."

She left her desk with the paperwork to get us registered, leaving the two of us alone for a few minutes. I turned to Ethan to see him crossing his arms and chuckling to himself at the surprised expression on Emma's face.

"That was a nice move, your majesty," Ethan whispered.

"It worked perfectly when we placed them at the same time."

I gave Ethan a high-five and then continued waiting for Emma to return. As we waited, I started looking around and watching the hunters going about their day once more, and I could not believe that it's finally time for me to become one of them. I could not contain the excitement as I started shaking and smiling creepily.

"Everything okay?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, yes. I'm just very excited!"

"Perhaps too excited."

"Yes, that too."

Finally, Emma returned with our ID badges. She looked at me with a smile and said: "Congratulations, hunter! The guild welcomes you!"

"YES!" I shouted and jumped, unable to contain my excitement. A small group of people started to stare at me. "Sorry!"

Emma then tapped on my shoulder, pulled me closer to her ear, and said: "Meet me in the lodge."

Ethan and I walked inside the lodge. Usually, people who are not hunters are not allowed inside the lodge. They're only permitted if they're accompanying a member. Ethan, however, is a special case. He has a badge that allows him entry to any unauthorized area in the country, whether it's public or private. He is a member of the royal secret service, a knight, and a glaive simultaneously. And since both of these things allow him access, there was no problem for him. We took a seat at a table, and I ordered some soda for Ethan and myself. Not ten seconds later, the same guy who talked to us before, Deckard, arrived to greet us at the lodge.

"Nice to see you two here!" He said. "Welcome, welcome! I hope that the other hunters don't bother you. They can be pretty loud and obnoxious."

"We're aware of that."

"Say, how skilled are you at hunting? I-If you don't mind me asking, that is! Haha!"

"We don't have to worry about monsters, Deckard," I replied with a sigh.

"Oh, I sure hope so! Monsters aren't something to take lightly! I advise you to take caution. And if the bounties aren't a pain themselves, the people who are taking them can be! It's bad enough that you have a monster to hunt, let alone a bunch of competitors all vying for the same bounty!"

"And how does one claim their kill as their own?" Ethan inquired, further annoying me.

"All you have to do is make it to the monster first, kill it, go on the app or website, and post proof of your kill. Then, the bounty is yours! Nice, huh? Just take a picture and post it on the app."

I opened my phone and signed in with the details I have and started looking through all the available jobs. There was everything from simple jobs to high-paying hunts. Everything on it was very exciting, making it harder for me to contain my excitement.

"So you press on a bounty and look at the details provided. Then you tap the 'Accept' button to let the guild know you took on that job. Once you kill the monster, take a picture of your kill and post it to complete the hunt. The guild will be notified that you completed your job, and then, all you have to do is claim your reward!" Deckard explained.

"You can also nab a body part off your kill and take it to the guild branch near you if you feel old-fashioned. But it's less convenient and is a hassle. I also don't recommend you do that if there are other hunters on the job. They can take a pic and post it before you get to the branch and make your kill seem illegitimate."

"But if there's all of these stuff in place to prevent fake bounty claims, how can someone be prevented from sitting aside and watching another hunter, then claiming the bounty via pictures?" Ethan asked. "What if Zack here killed a beast, but some other hunter swooped in and took a picture before Zack and sent it to the guild?"

"You can always file a complaint against certain hunters. You will need to prove it, though. I suggest you record your progress with a camera and mark your kill with a signature or something. You can also record your competition slacking and waiting for you to kill the beast. The guild will penalize them and force them to pay their earnings, along with an extra fee to the other hunter. If too many misdemeanors occur, the hunter will be forfeited their ID and banned from the guild."

"So I signed my friends as well. All of us are planning on hunting together simultaneously. How can we all claim a bounty and split it evenly?" I asked.

"Simple. All you have to do is accept a hunt. Once you do, there is an option for other people to join you and make a party. All they have to do is press on your name and press 'Request to join.' All you have to do is press 'Accept request,' and then, you're together! Your name will appear under the 'Participants' tab, and anyone can request. There's no limitation on the party size, so you can virtually send an army to join you and claim the bounty!" Deckart explained. "Also, you can form a party after the hunt and stay in it as long as you like. That way, you can go hunting at the same time without having to request every single time."

"Hey, guys!" Emma said as she approached our table. "I see you've met Deckart!"

"Oh, hello, Emma. Are you on break?" He asked. Emma blushed slightly when he talked to her.

"Yeah. I've come to meet the new hunter! He's an old friend of mine, and we haven't met in quite a while!"

"Oh! That's nice!" He said before his phone beeped. He unlocked his phone to see that he has gotten a notification about a rare job. "I better get going. Nice to meet you all!"

"Deckart's a nice guy. He's respected throughout the lodge for his hunting prowess and his kindness," She stated. "He's also a professional hero, meaning he can also assist in taking down baddies and arrest criminals. He was alongside other heroes evacuating civilians yesterday."

"I can see that," I replied, feeling bitter about her having mentioned yesterday.

"So, how've you been?" She asked. Ethan got off the table and went to the bar to grab a drink. When he was behind her, he winked at me with a smile.

"I've been getting by. I came here for the festival and stayed with some friends."

She looked adorable. Her formal outfit only complimented her beauty. She graduated not too long ago, and I have never talked to her since. She always had her eyes set on me, even now, as she literally looks at me with a stare that says: 'Take me to bed.'

I didn't feel the same, however. Even though her beauty entices me a little bit, and I may have taken her to bed once, I have my eyes set on another girl. And that girl is as pure as they come. I have not seen her since the last time my father took me to meet her — a blonde stunner.

Emma and I were never officially a thing, but we did have some chemistry between us. I can see that her feelings towards me are still just as strong as before. Mine have lessened, but I would not turn down a chance to go out with her if the time is convenient.

"That's nice to hear," she said. "And did anything happen to you in the attack?" Her expression showed genuine concern, making me feel even more like a degenerate.

"Not really. I hid in a garbage bin for some of it. But after it died down, I got out and left."

She chuckled at my fake story. I could tell that she couldn't see through the lies, making me feel relieved. Not that anyone would have noticed. All the photos of me were blurry and rare. My attire and appearance are indiscernible, making me able to walk around the city in my full attire without being recognized.

"It must've been pretty disgusting in there, huh?"

"No, actually, it was pretty nice. Despite the smell and the garbage."

"So, what are you planning to do now?" She asked.

"Y'know, hunt some monsters, earn some cash, the usual gig of any adventurer."

"You know, I can always go with you. We can hunt together and spend some quality time! Maybe you can teach me a few more tricks with that 'sword' of yours."

"That would be fun, but I'm going with my friends. You registered them as well, remember?" I stated.

The smile on her face faded, and she looked away."Oh... Okay."

The sadness in her voice crushed me on the inside. I did not like seeing her sad, and so I decided to cheer her up. "Well, maybe one day when I come back on my own. I'll call you, and we could hunt together. Do you still have the same number?"

"Of course! And I take it you still have yours?"

"I do."

"So, let's stay in touch!"

"We will," I said before getting off my seat and saying my goodbyes.

I walked to the knight, who was enjoying more soda. "Ethan! We're going!" I said before heading to the door with him.

After we got outside the lodge and walked around the headquarters, a particular statue grabbed my attention. It was of a warrior with medieval armor holding his sword and posing in front of a lion. The weird thing about it was that his pose was off. He looked quite silly as if it was a jester making a mockery of a knight. I could not tell if it was intentional to portray a scared knight, or if someone does not like their job. For some odd reason, I also felt his eyes looking at me. I decided to shrug it off as me feeling a little paranoid from attacking the city.

Ethan saw how interested I was with the weird statue and approached me, saying: "Something wrong?"

"This statue, man. It feels off for some reason."

"It has a pretty weird pose," Ethan stated. "I think someone was tampering with a piece of hunting history."

"Yeah, why would someone do that?"

"I think only Alex would ever pose like that!" He said, making us both chuckle.

"Yeah, Alex does look like the kind of guy to pose like that."

"It also looks like they did not have a mannequin the size of this armor, so they just went along with it!" He added.

"You're right! His leggings look like they're about to drop at any second!" We both started laughing at the ridiculous knight.

"Imagine one second he's fending off the lion, and then, whoop! 'My pants are gone!' Hahahaha!" I added, laughing uncontrollably. I also took out my phone and took a picture of the ridiculous knight before leaving with Ethan and heading somewhere else.

Ethan then drove us to the pier, where we leaned on the metal bars and stared at the ocean while drinking sodas and watching the ocean. I looked back at the city and stopped to enjoy its beauty despite the hatred for the types of people who live in it. I cannot deny, however, that I have met some great people in a single day. Welcoming people that made me feel at home whether or not I wanted to feel that.

"So now that you've become hunters officially, what's your next step?" Ethan asked.

"I'm not sure. I might leave it up to Justin this time."

"I can't believe that it's nearly time..." Ethan leaned against the beam and drank his soda.

"I can't believe that I'm part of all this!" I replied, getting him to chuckle.

"Fear not, young prince. For the path ahead of you paves the way for the future." A strange guy said as he walked towards us. "The world needs to be protected, and that task lies on your shoulders now more than ever."

"You!" Ethan exclaimed. "You're the one who was talking to the king the last time I saw you! Eight years have gone by, and you look exactly the same!"

"I was even wearing the same clothes as well." The peculiar man stated with a smile, much to Ethan's shock. He spoke as if it was not something paranormal.

This weird person was as tall as Ethan, wearing a white t-shirt with red and blue lines forming on it in a cool design. He looked excited and untypical. He has heterochromia with his right eye being blue while his left is red. The belt that was holding his jeans had a platinum dragon head as a buckle. It seemed costly and neat. Not something found in any regular or high-end store. His black hair was cut neatly and nicely, and his face was cleanly shaven. He looked like he's in his early twenties. The weirdest thing about him was not his looks or demeanor, but the strange feeling that I know this person before, despite clearly knowing that I've never seen this person once. He looked eerily familiar but distinct enough that I could not tell.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm someone who has been watching the new god for a long time. Unfortunately, my identity remains a secret. But that is not the issue."

"Okay, then. Are you a threat or not?" I asked, readying myself to conjure any of my weapons.

"Of course not. I'm here to encourage you and warn you, as the time for the great adventure is nigh."

"As if I need a stranger's pep talk," I replied.

"The fourth hero is soon to rise and join your ranks. You do not have to look, only wait," He stated, much to my surprise.

"Who is he?" Ethan asked.

"Time will tell," The aberrant man replied. "But, I must tell you that it's your job to see that he receives the blessing of Orunos."

"The blessing of Orunos? The God of Valor and Victory?" I asked.

"The very same. The same blessing was bestowed upon many before him, and now is the time for a new hero to carry the might of Orunos into battle."

"My guess is that you're a messenger of the gods, yes?" I asked.

"Hmm... You could say that. But it's not me who has the fate of the world on his shoulders. It's up to you four now."

"Yeah, I've heard the same thing over and over again since yesterday," I replied.

"There is a more pressing issue right now," He said. "I was tasked with paving the road for the new god and hold back the darkness until his ascension. All I know is that you have to find as many dragons as you can and accumulate their powers. With enough power, everything will be clear for you."

"With no clue where to start, we know nothing," Ethan stated.

"I believe that it doesn't matter, as long as you start somewhere. But you should put everything on hold for now. The enemy is encroaching quickly, and there is little time to waste."

"Is that supposed to be a tip or something?" I asked.

"Zachary, Ethan. Great evil will befall this kingdom very soon, and the lives of millions are at stake. The sun empire will launch its greatest attack yet on the capital in the hopes of eliminating the king and the new god."

"What did you say?!" I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat, and my spine freeze in horror. There was also a sense of satisfaction knowing that I was correct, but it was overshadowed by the fear and apprehension.

"You will have to step up and rise to the occasion. You all have to prepare and be ready for anything and everything. The battle will be hard, lives will be lost, and everything will plunge into chaos. But you have to stand by one another and march forward, fighting against everything that will push you back. You must have to push through the sorrow and melancholy for the sake of this world, its people, and its future."

The man walked towards me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"It's all in your hands now. May the light guide your way."

After that, the man walked away, leaving the two of us to stare at him as he went. "Be there for Justin's sake, Zack. Because he will be there for you, too."