Amidst a dense forest, a man wandered alone. Well... I wouldn't necessarily say alone, after all, this young man is somewhat peculiar. His name was Pedro, around twenty years old, dressed in casual clothes, with a short beard and thick but not long hair. He walked carefully, trying not to break any branches and make noise. It wasn't because of the animals, but the creatures. What creatures? There are so many that it's impossible to describe them all. Seven years ago, the world was destroyed by them; they appeared out of nowhere, spreading despair and chaos everywhere. Some flew, others were fast, some were strong, and some could even transform into humans, disguising themselves.

But that's not all. Something else peculiar began happening in the world. Some humans started awakening powers to protect themselves; they were rare, probably less than 1% of the world's population. Which had drastically decreased due to recent events.

But back to Pedro, remember how I said he wasn't alone even though he seemed to be? It turns out Pedro is one of the humans who awakened a power. The ability to understand and speak to any living being, whether animals or plants. 

Pedro walked, stressed because, once again, the animals were mocking him. The truth, which only he knew, was that most animals were conceited and arrogant, or at least, they were rude. Even the kindest of animals didn't hold their tongues, and if they did, it was out of fear, not pity or anything like that. And for someone as sensitive as Pedro, overly sincere words hurt a lot.

"You think so?" asked the man to a bird flying beside him.

"Definitely, Pedro!" the bird replied. "You're really stupid when coming to these parts. That's why you can't make friends with humans—you're so anxious it's ridiculous."

"But I think nobody likes people who talk too much or are too rude. I certainly don't."

"Do you live your life for yourself or for others?"

"What others? You know very well I can't stay near other people. It never ends well..." The bird rolled its eyes in disappointment, and meanwhile, a squirrel appeared among the branches of a tree, chiming in.

"Is the baby crying again? You never get tired, huh, Pedro?" The man remained silent, walking with his head down. It wasn't that the animals disliked him, but certainly, most of them constantly pressured him. Luckily for him, though, roots and tree branches moved and grew, creating a sort of barrier between him and the animals.

"Thanks, girls," the man said, and the plants swayed their leaves in response, telling him not to worry too much because the animals were too focused on their own perspectives. "I just hope I can finish this quickly. Anyway, are we too far from getting there?"

The trees responded that it wouldn't take long to reach the camp. Pedro had no idea what camp this was because he mostly just followed his plant friends' instructions. But he couldn't help but wonder about the kind of people and things that might be there. Just hoping he wouldn't bother anyone.

The Camp

Well, what to say about this place? It was what remained of what was once the United States, or rather, a small camp of fifty people that represented what was left of that country. It was actually quite common; there were a few other "countries" like this one still alive, communicating through carrier pigeons, ships, and cars. Which meant it usually took days, months, or even years to receive news.

There was a small group of children in this camp, no more than ten, and they were taught by a woman who used books she found on the streets to educate them, probably as a way to distract and occupy their minds. But if I were to focus on those who really matter to this story, I would highlight two twelve-year-old girls, Emily and Lysa, who had opposite personalities—one extroverted, the other quieter—but they shared a few things in common. Both were orphans, cared for by the camp, and both had a strong desire to help the elders, a wish to be useful.

"Lysa, Lysa, let's play!" Emily shouted, poking her friend. Emily had short brown hair and brown eyes, was very thin, and had freckles on her face. Lysa, with her long curly blonde hair, was of more average height and chubby. She was reading a book in silence.

"Can't you wait until later? I'm reading this book about natural facts. Hey, did you know it's possible to discover underwater caves by the environment? It's really interesting and..."

"What? You know I don't have the head for that stuff. Come on, I want to play a little. Please..." After much insistence from Emily, Lysa finally gave in. Their play was more serious—it was more like combat, escape, and agility training. All the children were taught to defend themselves or at least run away, but these two were exceptional. Both were very agile, though Emily was faster, while Lysa had better reflexes—almost as if her instincts were extraordinarily sharp. After playing for a while, the two girls sat down to chat.

"Did you hear?" Emily began. "They said they saw a creature as tough and big as a car. Imagine if one of those invades the camp? We wouldn't stand a chance."

"Well, I don't know about the distant future, but I don't think we'll have any problems here at the camp for a long time."

"Your instincts again?"

"Yeah..."

"They went hunting today. I really wanted to go, but Helena just wouldn't let me. She's so annoying."

"But Emily, she's right. We're just kids; we're not very useful. In fact, we're more of a hindrance than a help, unfortunately."

"Blah, nonsense. I could defeat any new monster that appeared, believe me." Lysa sighed. It was a bit humiliating to see someone as irresponsible as Emily, but she kind of liked it—Emily's attitude inspired her to find strength even though she believed she was just a burden. It was comforting to have a child who fought with confidence.

But now, how about we move on a little further through the camp? There are still more people I'd like you to meet and keep in mind, both their stories and their hearts. For example, the two guards who protect the camp against any possible evil. They were sitting, each in their corner. Both were around thirty years old. The first was named John, had a thick beard, and long hair, but was nicknamed Eagle-Eye because of his incredible vision, capable of seeing even in the dark. And no, this wasn't an awakened power—just an exceptionally sharp eyesight.

The second was named Stuart, a muscular man with hair so light brown it could easily be mistaken for blonde. But we have a problem with these two—they're not much for conversation. Eagle-Eye is more antisocial and quiet by nature, while Stuart is grieving—a grief he's carried for about a year.

......... 

....... 

.....

Well, if I leave it up to them, this story won't progress, so allow me to explain. Stuart was married to Lindsay—a courageous, positive, and kind woman, a phenomenal lancer who ended up dying in a fight. She was his everything, so when he lost her, a big part of him was lost too. Since then, Stuart has kept to himself.

"Hey, Stuart..."

Oops, finally, something was said. Come on, everyone, let's eavesdrop a little on the conversation.

"Yes, John?"

"....... nothing...."

Wow, that was quite an anticlimax. But okay, I feel I owe you an explanation. The truth is, John worries about Stuart—they're friends, but he also kind of wants to avoid any potential headaches. If he asks Stuart if he wants to talk, Stuart might end up isolating himself even more or start a fight. Logically speaking, it was better to just wait for his friend to open up and stay quiet, so he wouldn't have to worry about anything.

I didn't expect this group to be so boring, so let's move on to the next:

This time, we'll leave the middle of the camp and return to the woods. More specifically, to an area near the camp—remember the Helena that Emily and Lysa mentioned? Well, how about getting to know a little more about her?

A beautiful young woman, 18 years old, with long curly brown hair but with a red streak in her bangs, and green eyes. Along with her was Clark, another young man, 19 years old, a redhead with freckles and green eyes, so handsome that he could be a true soap opera heartthrob. And there was also James, Helena's uncle, in his 60s, with gray hair, a goatee, dark circles under his eyes, and a skinny build. It was another hunting trip, with James searching for food and Helena arguing with Clark.

"But you're such a player, man—you can't go two seconds without thinking about women?" The young woman confronted him. The reason for the fight this time was because she had caught him kissing another girl before they left. She claimed she was irritated by his immaturity, but Clark knew why she was really upset.

"Why does it bother you so much? Could it be jealousy?" His obviously sarcastic comment poked the bear, and Helena don't hold back. Once, she got so mad at someone that she smashed their head into a window during a fight.

"Jealous of you? Get real, boy, you're an annoying and miserable brat."

"HELENA!" James, not liking his niece's attitude at all, reprimanded her, but that didn't scare her at all. On the contrary, she was ready to argue with her uncle as well.

"What? Seriously, I can't stand this guy acting like he's the last cookie in the jar."

"It's okay, Uncle James. I'm used to her attitude by now. She's been having nightmares lately, which probably worsens her already lovely mood." He smiled, a smile that supernaturally captivated her, in a way that supernaturally hypnotized her. No matter how hard she tried, Helena simply couldn't ignore him. She fought against this feeling every day because she didn't want to love him, but one look from Clark and she melted.

"Shhh." James signaled as he heard the sound of something approaching. Helena was already unsheathing her sword while Clark readied his dagger. James? He didn't need any weapons; the man possessed an ability. Currently, he was the only one in the camp known to have it, but there used to be two others: Cynthia with her supreme invisibility and Carlos with his duplication. But both have died and aren't relevant to this story at the moment.

The trio was preparing for a surprise attack when a huge beast emerged, as large as a car. It resembled a humanoid beetle, with some kind of shell on its back. The trio had already read the reports about this creature lurking around the camp.

"it's much uglier than I imagined." Clark joked, making Helena unable to hold back a brief laugh. After James gave them a stern look, they decided to stay quiet.

The creature, upon spotting its enemies, decided to attack. It began to roll like an armadillo towards the three. James calmly observed the speed at which the monster was coming. The man then raised his left hand, and a kind of transparent green barrier appeared between them.

The monster crashed into the wall with full force. Its presumably hard shell had cracked from the impact, but only slightly. The beast came out of its "ball mode" into its more humanoid form. It tried to grab James's barrier as if it were a wall, but the man simply made the sides expand, making it too wide for the monster to grasp.

Helena and Clark took advantage of the monster's distraction to circle around the barrier and try to attack it

However, even with the shell cracked, it didn't seem weakened at all by their cuts and strikes.

The creature swung its arms, and both Clark and Helena dodged the attack, with a small difference: while Clark dodged and backed away, Helena dodged and kept advancing and attacking.

"DIEEEEEEE..." The woman screamed as she attacked fiercely. Even though her strikes weren't having any effect, she kept fighting. Again, the creature swung its arm, this time managing to hit her, sending her flying several meters back.

"HELENA!" her two companions shouted. The beast wasted no time and began rolling towards the young woman. Helena got to her feet and started running, the monster rolling after her, with James and Clark following closely behind.

Helena tried to confuse her pursuer by weaving through the trees, but everything in her path proved futile against the monster. In the midst of her escape, Helena encountered something that no fleeing victim ever wants to see—a kind of chasm, not too wide but not too narrow either. Something the young woman was certain hadn't been there before, or at least, if it had, she had never noticed it.

As the reality of the obstacle in front of her sunk in, there was no time to hesitate. If she slowed down, she'd be run over, and if she tried to change direction, she'd lose all the momentum and speed she'd built up during her run.

It was just a small jump, so why fear? Helena jumped, risking everything to reach the other side. The monster came after her, but James and Clark didn't take the risk. The swordswoman barely managed to reach the other side, clinging on with just one hand while the armadillo-like creature plummeted into the ravine.

With difficulty, Helena climbed up to solid ground. She could hear her name being called from the other side.

"HELENA! ARE YOU OKAY?" Her uncle shouted, and Clark echoed, repeating everything he said.

"YES!" She shouted in response. " I'LL CIRCLE AROUND HERE, MEET ME BACK AT CAMP! I'LL BE FINE!"

Even she didn't believe it, but she needed to calm the two down so they wouldn't put themselves in unnecessary danger.

After a few moments of hesitation, the duo gave in and decided to return to the camp while Helena began searching for a way to cross the chasm again.

Helena walked, and walked, and walked, but she never found the end. She began to realize that the chasm wasn't the only new thing; she didn't recognize any part of this forest, even though she'd explored it many times before. Confused and lost, the woman eventually came upon a cathedral in the middle of the woods.

It was too beautiful to ignore, and the door was open, as if inviting her in. Helena slowly walked inside, where she found an extremely white and bright room, with candles and a black book on a pedestal, surrounded by twenty-one pillars.

Enchanted by the hall she had found, the woman approached and touched the book out of curiosity. As soon as her fingers met the object, its cover transmuted from black to red, and the red streak in the young woman's hair began to glow as if reflecting the color of the object.

"You've arrived, warrior." The voice startled the woman, and she drew her sword, looking around for the source. On top of one of the pillars stood a man resembling a monk. He was pale and bald, with golden irises and clothes as white as snow, with golden accents.

"Who are you?"

"Do not fear, for it does not matter. Beware, warrior, for tragedy follows you, while the abomination haunts the world."

"My name is Helena."

"I know that, but it does not matter. You are the warrior, bearer of strength, valor, and courage. The twenty temples that uphold the world are about to crumble, for the deceived are coming. First, the abomination created monsters to torment the Earth; now it has deceived humans to destroy it."

"Abomination? Deceived? What are you talking about?"

"But do not fear; you possess the strength of a red warrior. You must find the other three saviors, and together, you must kill the abomination."

"Saviors? Why am I one of them?"

"Find someone as wise as a blue hermit. Someone as beautiful as a yellow angel. Someone as good as a green priest."

"But how will I know who they are?"

"The book will show you. It will take on the color that corresponds to the one who touched it. Now go, warrior. We still have work to do."

"WAIT! Where should I go?" And in the blink of an eye, there was no more cathedral, no more monk. The only thing left from that special moment was the red book that Helena held.