Felling a lot dizzy and with his body hurting in many places, Erdan felt someone shaking him. In his mind, his aunt was calling him to go to school.

“Aunt, please, don’t shake me, I’m gonna wake up.” Erdan said rolling on the bed.

“Erdan, it’s me, Samuel.”

Opening his eyes, Erdan saw his master face. Then, it all came back to him. That hell has truly arrived.

His eyes began to waver, and his heart began to clench in his chest, feeling panicked, Erdan began to struggle on the bed while crying and shaking “NOO, NOOOO, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING??!!”

Grabbing his shoulders firmly and looking directly into his eyes, Samuel said, “Hey boy, calm down, you’re safe now. Moreover, if you want to help with what is to come, you have to be strong. I now it is asking too much of you right now, but think about your aunt that is out there, about your dad, I bet that he want to see you again, and well. Therefore, if you want to see both of them, you have to be strong. Go take a shower. Jinn and I will be waiting for you in the living room.”

After waking up and taking a shower and calming his mind, Erdan noticed that it was already nighttime. Today the stars were shining brightly, they were like an eternal sea that would never be affected by human hands. The moon was hanging up there in it’s full splendor, almost reflecting a red light, as if trying to symbolize all the blood that was shed today, making him almost remember what truly was happening in this world right now.

Erdan was in his master dojo second floor, it is a great place that had three rooms, two bathrooms, one kitchen and a huge living room full of mattress.

Walking into the living room, He saw his master and Jinn, sitting on the mattress, while eating a soup that which smelled heavenly.

“glubglubglub” Erdan’s belly made the sound.

Both Samuel and Jinn looked at him, “grab a bowl of soup and sit here with us” Said Samuel while giving a warm smile.

“Ok” Erdan said briefly.

While taking quick steps, Erdan filled a bowl and sit in front of them.

He began to eat silently, and both the other people complied with that. After a scary and quiet dinnertime. They finished their bowls and put them on the side.

Looking around, Erdan saw that his master and Jinn were both waiting for him to finish his soup before begin to talk.

After taking a deep breath and releasing it, Samuel looked at both Erdan and Jinn eyes and said. “Erdan, Jinn told me what happened with both of you. I‘m truly sorry with what you had to go through. However, this is not the time to let our minds fall apart. I trained you for almost seven years now, and I know you as the palm of my hand. You could have collapsed in the beginning of all this, But instead, you went after your friend and came to me seeking protection. I praise you for your courage, however, I ask of you, be strong.” Finished Samuel putting his hands on Erdan shoulders and looking deeply into his eyes.

After being quiet for some time, the hollow and sad look in Erdan’s eyes vanished, and instead, a bright light appeared in then, as if a flame ignited deep inside of it. Erdan knew that something broke in him, and that he would never be the same again. However, there was a determination so strong to live and to find his loved ones, that this sentiment was buried for now.

Looking into his master eyes with renewed hope, Erdan said, “I’ll do my best to become stronger and to find I way to survive with the ones I love!”

“GOOD kid! Now let’s begin to talk, Let’s first go to the hospital to find your aunt and Jinn’s mother.” Said Samuel nodding.

After discussing a plan of action, They began to collect some food and first aid kit’s, that they presumed would be necessary.

“Erdan, come here, I’ll show you the present that I prepared to give you” Said Samuel showing a small smile.

They walked out of the building and fortunately, the bodies were already out of there, and the blood was washed, but there were some blood stains that could be seen occasionally on the ground, and seeing those, Erdan stop and prayed silently for his juniors souls, while taking a deep breath and continuing to follow his master.

After strolling to a wooden Cabin behind the building, were the weapons were stored. Samuel opened the locks and said, “wait here”.

After waiting about 1 minute, Erdan began to panic. The wind were blowing making the flowers and the leaves on the trees sway, making a macabre atmosphere. Just when Erdan would go inside to look for his master, Samuel came out with a wooden case of about 180 cm on his left hand, and his own spear on the right.

“Let’s go back to the training hall” Said Samuel after closing the cabin.

After going back to the training hall, Samuel called for Jinn that was upstairs and waited while sitted.

After Jinn arrived in a gray training suit, Samuel opened the large case and showed the boys what was inside.

Looking at the content of the case, both Erdan and Samuel showed a huge smile, while looking at the weapons inside.

The blazing heart style preached that one should use a weapon that best suited him, not only in combat, but in his preferences as well. And because of this, Samuel was a master of almost all known weapons, as a necessity to teach, but his preferred one was the spear.

Inside the case, there was a broad sword, with red hilt, black hand-guard and a silver blade of about 120 cm of length.

And beside it, was a black wooden pole of 160 cm of length with a silver sickle blade of 70 cm beside it.

“They are for you boys.” Samuel said while grinning seeing the boy’s reactions.

Erdan and Jinn were flabbergasted by it, jaws dropping, it was the weapons they had chosen to practice with since child’s.

Jinn used the broad sword while Erdan the sickle. Until today, they have only used and trained with wooden weapons, but now they could finally use real weapons.

“So Boys, I was not planning to have you using them so soon… But unfortunately, the circumstances require it.” Said Samuel with a heavy look.

“Tonight both of you will practice a little bit with them, and tomorrow morning were going to depart to find your aunt and your mother. But before that, I’ll have to teach something to you Erdan, I’ve already talked about this with Jinn while you were sleeping.” Jinn, come here and swing the sword.

Erdan looked at his friend thinking how funny it would be to see him swinging that, with a red face and dripping sweat like a wet cow.

Jinn went beside the case, grabbed the hilt of the broad sword, lifted it with ease, and swung it as if it was made of thin air.

Erdan dropped his jaw open seeing that scene, as if he was having a dream. He had been training with his friend since they were kids, he knew his limitations pretty well, and knew that his body was not that strong.

“What is happening?” Said Erdan with shocked eyes.

“Well, that is the thing that I was gonna talk with you about. When the rupture in the sky appeared, some type of energy invaded our bodies and changed them. Each person has a different affinity with a natural element or power naturally, and what the energy did was ‘wake-up’ that power inside of us, changing our bodies so that they could harvest the energy naturally from our surrounds, activating these ‘abilities’. And you obviously know what happened with the people whose body and minds couldn’t resist the energy.” Samuel explained.

“How do you know all of this?” Asked Erdan with a shocked.

“Well, I know a lot of things, I am a martial art master after all, and you have already heard about the fabled magic from the legends right? I think Its pretty close to it.” Answered Samuel “Earlier, I helped Jinn understand what his power was and what his limitations was. Now before you began to wield your sickle, I’ll teach you how to use it as well.”

“And what’s his power? And what about you teacher, you have some power as well?” asked Erdan with a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

“Jinn’s power is a kind of telekinesis, he can control the mater in his surrounds with his mind. As of now, if an object is about 3 meters away from him, he cannot control it, if it is inside his domain, he con control it, albeit with some difficult. And if is touching his body, he can control it easily, and during a much longer time. And me, it’s something involving regeneration, nothing to strong I think… and while I’m telling you about our powers, it’s so that we can fight with more synergy, you cannot tell anyone about them.” Said Samuel with a serious look in his eyes.

“Okay master, I got it, so, can you pleeeeeease tell me how to control mine?” Said Erdan with puppy eyes.

“Ok boy, follow my instructions. Close your eyes, and spread your awareness. Fell inside your body, breath deep just lie you were trying to activate the blazing heart state. But instead of reaching to the hotness in your heart, fell your body completely. Fell the energy pulsating within you, it’s already inside there, your body already knows it, just let it follow your instincts.”

Following his mater instruction, Erdan felt the energy inside of him. It was revitalizing, almost like a river of power was flowing inside him, telling him how it worked naturally, trying to describe, it was almost like an infinity forest existed inside of him, feeding Erdan it’s powers.

Opening his eyes Erdan looked at his hands and saw a subtle green flow inside them.

“So, what do you fell, your power is telling you how to control it. It’s an naturally awakened power, so you should be able to yield it easily.” Said Samuel waiting.

“I can control the power of plants. That’s all I know for now.” Answered Erdan.

Assembling the sickle, and shoving it at Erdan’s hand, Samuel said “try to feel the wod of this sickle’s pole as well”

Extending his senses to the sickle and touching it, Erdan felt the faint wood energy inside of it, still existing even after it was supposedly ‘dead’. Releasing the sickle in the air, it began to float, Erdan knew that it was because of his power to control wood.

“GREAT! Just as I thought. Now go to the trees and try it as well, control as much as far as you can.” (Samuel)

Grabbing the sickle and walking toward the trees, Erdan felt the flowing energy between them, and pulling them with his mind, he affected them.

Erdan felt that he could control them in a range of 7 meters for now, and that they were limited in the amount, an example was that he still could no bend a tree completely yet, just it’s branches and roots.

With a smile in his face, Erdan told his master his limitations and the information how the energy strengthened his body a little and healed him earlier that day, albeit slowly.

“Good, good” Said Samuel mumbling. “For now let’s train a bit with the new weapons and with the powers. But not too much so that tomorrow we can be prepared for what’s to come.”