Argh. *Cough*... What is this pain inside my chest? It felt as if I was hit by a speeding truck and dragged for a few meters before falling to the ground. My body was under stasis, preventing me from moving except my head.
The weather is ridiculously cold here but on second thought, I noticed I'm on top of a mountain in the border of Elmore. I turned, scanning the area. What flashed before my eyes was horrifying; flames trailed across Elmore streets as weird creatures covered the sky. Briefly, my body returned to its original state, urging to move and investigate the area.
I moved silently but my legs are aching. The first place I think about is Elmore Senior High. I raced across from buildings to buildings while avoiding myself from been noticed by those creatures above the sky. It didn't take long until I reach the school, shocked, the building is totally ruined with blood coating the place.
"Wake up!" I immediately bounced out of bed, seeing Darwin holding a bucket full of water ready to splash at me.
"Are you trying to splash me with cold water?"
"We're going to be late if you keep lying on the bed!"
"What time is it?"
"8 o'clock! If you don't wake up now, I'll go there without you," Darwin scowled. I hate to wake up seriously...not under this cozy weather. Leaving the bed is like throwing away your most precious thing, but still, I can't miss school and Penny might be worrying if I do.
Darwin stormed out of the room only then I finally decided to wake up. Thinking about the nightmare I had last night, it's better to forget about it. I changed into my normal clothes slowly and making my way to the bathroom. When I was about to brush my teeth, my vision became blurred followed by an intense amount of dizziness.
I feel like vomiting. As I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, I saw blood dripping down my nose. When I tried to touch the blood, my fingers weren't stained. Am I hallucinating? I wondered.
I burst out of the room and the effect just somehow faded away. "ARE YOU COMING!" The shout came from outside followed by the honk of the school bus.
"COMING!" shouted back as I leap down from the second floor and straight out of the house door.
Darwin had already boarded the bus and sat in our usual seat not long before I joined him sitting near the window. He was glowering. "Sorry…"
"Apology accepted."
"Wait…. Are you just going to accept that? I mean, there must something in you," I feel uncomfortable, though, he's usually like this. Probably he's trying to plan something and have me do it or maybe just nothing, I'm doubted.
"Fortunately, yes; I wouldn't want to carry some indirect anger to school and worsen my day," Darwin sighed. So, it's just me thinking too much—
"Hey, Gumball!" I could see Darwin shouting at me, but I couldn't hear anything.
He looked worried. But I can't tell while my eyesight is getting blurry. Then everything fades to black. I felt my skin retracting, the temperature dropped rapidly taking my senses away. Is this what death feels like? Being endeavored by the darkness around you, alone scattered into dust and be forgotten by the universe—
"No, I still have unsettled business with you," the voice gave me goosebumps. It sounded dreadful and sinister yet familiar. A bright light flashed through and my hearing slowly restoring. "Nurse, is he going to be all right?" The voice was faint but I could guess whose it was from. Darwin. Though I am expecting Penny instead but never mind.
"Where am I...?"
"Gumball, you're awake! Do you know how worry I am after you suddenly fall unconscious?" I could tell by his tone of voice that he is worrying.
I tried to lift myself up from the bed but the nurse pushed me back. "You need some rest to relief your stress," said the nurse. I sighed, thinking back that I'd hallucinated weird things. But I couldn't bring myself to rest due to my energetic nature.
"But, I'm totally fine!" I tried to reason with the nurse.
"No." A simple yet powerful tone struck me down.
"If you don't have enough rest, you gonna have a mental breakdown. And trust me, you wouldn't like it when it happens. Consider this as a fair warning, but if you still insisted on waking up then I'm not the one to concern about your health," she warned.
"Sure..." She sounded threatening but yet it's for my good. For a second, I hesitated to wake up from the bed. Darwin looked worried as he watched me getting to my feet.
"How many periods have I missed out?" I asked.
"Half. I came to visit you when recess," he replied.
"What!? I missed out half a day at school?" I couldn't believe I passed out for so long.
"Yup. Right after you passed out on the bus, I took you to the infirmary knowing that you wouldn't want to miss a day at school."
"I think I had overdone myself yesterday..." I recalled running for several miles non-stop and climbed a mountain thrice because I wanted to become a man who I could be proud of by doing extreme exercise even though it could cost my life, but I don't believe that I will die so easily.
"I think you should rest..."
"Nah, I'm fine now. Speaking of which, I'm hungry. Wanna get something to eat?"
"Sure..." Darwin can't stop worrying after what had happened. That must have turned him on and I felt bad for putting him under unnecessary pressure.
When I turned the knob, Carrie was just about to phase through the door. "Hey," she greeted.
"Sup."
"I saw Darwin carried you to the infirmary this early morning... What happened?" She wondered.
"He kind of overdid himself yesterday," Darwin replied before I could spit out.
"Oh... You must have done those extreme exercises from the commercial on the TV." Wow, I'm impressed that someone actually spend time watching commercial "unlike" me. "Didn't you know that at the end of the commercial, there is a warning written there 'Do not try to attempt any of these exercises showed in this commercial as it might cause fatal injuries as well killing you in the process'?"
"Oh yeah, I probably got caught up by the extreme and skipped that warning," I tried to think back the commercial and only see red blurred words.
"As they said, curiosity killed the cat. Fortunately, you're still alive."
"Barely alive," Darwin added. I gazed at him and he looked away.
Carrie giggled. "You guys continue, I have places to go. See ya!" She warped out as usual which makes me think that having the ability to teleport wouldn't be bad if properly trained but it can end you up at places that you have least expected.
We arrived at the canteen only to know that it had just at the right timing the bell rang. I sighed. "So... whatcha' gonna do?" Darwin asked.
I can stand a day of not eating but missing class is something I could not accept. But the feeling of an empty stomach grumbling makes me want to eat… still, it's inevitable. "Never mind, let's just head back."
After School
"Dad, I'm back!" Weird...the house is eerily quiet. Dad wasn't in his usual couch. Anais is still not home yet due to her school projects. Darwin was hanging out with Carrie which I told him to so that they understand each other even more. I never thought to left myself home alone then I heard the sound of the engine. Must be Dad. Lying on the couch I stared at the ceiling wondering. Briefly later, Dad came in by the door. "Oh, Gumball. You're back."
"Where did you go?"
"Nicole told me to get some groceries at the grocery store but I kinda forget where I put the list before I go."
"Dad, it's in the back pocket," I told him, noticing the paper was sticking out obviously.
He reached it and pulled out, "Oh, silly me. Anyway, wanna come?"
"Nah, I'm just going to chill at home." Today is being a rough day, my body still feeling weak after yesterday "exercise".
"I'll be home soon, see you later." Dad left again. Silent kicked in which gave me an eerie feeling but it managed to calm my thoughts. It wasn't long until I fall asleep on the couch.
"Elios, have you not thought about this?" the voice echoed across the hall, strong and noble tone. There's a pair of wings with metal plates mounted on it poking out the person's back wearing a white robe.
"I've thought about this since the child was born, every life deserves to live to their finest before they part way with the world, Trion." said a tall mighty person, his words fill with wisdom as he spoke.
"You know his capabilities. You know how much potential destruction that he could cause. YOU know what he might become if he gets influenced!" the winged person shouted in anger.
"I'm aware of his potential but I'd sworn to never interrupt anything. I know you had experienced something bad in the past. Your determination is what led you to become an Archangel to cleanse the demons."
Trion hesitated and tried to reason back but instead, kept himself silent as he left the place. The Mighty person, Elios, sighed as he watched Trion flew out by the gap of the arch walls of the hall.
"If only my sister was still living and managing the Underworld, everything could be avoided because of one certain entity..." He entered a room filled with white floating squares, Memory Vault. One of the squares is visualizing images and the bottom left of it written, Trion.
Buildings collapsed and the sky painted red. Black smokes had engulfed the village and people were running away from a winged demonic-looking creature with three eyes and sharp teeth. Its height is humongous and multiple limbs attaching out of its body. Sweeping its arms back and forth on the ground as people caught by it squashed, smudged by the force leaving the ground with remnants of disorientated organs and blood.
Trion, a person with a crew cut and an average body figure holding a knife as he tries to fight the creature only to realize that he is easily overwhelmed. His stomach was pierced by the sharp edge of the creature's tail, leaving him lying on the ground hopeless before he could respond. The creature continues to wreck his village.
Tears were running down his face as he heard the screaming of his people, one by one fading away until nothing except the creature's screech. Slowly, his vision dimmed out when he took his last breath
"Have faith..." Elios muttered. The image slowly faded to blank.
"Siah!" An angel charged into the room. "The Vortex, it's spreading!"
The Vortex, a portal that links Earth and Underworld, but it was always sealed to prevent anything from coming out. Time after time, the seal will begin to weaken and spread its size until certain degree that it can no longer prevent the "things" from coming out. The Vortex was settled under the Hall visualized in a transparent sphere. Any form of magic used on the sphere will be directed at the Vortex.
"I'm aware of it," Elios turned, concealing all the memory box. "Is Enntus still strengthening the Vortex?"
"Yes. Lord Enntus is keeping the Vortex in place but his spirit is slowly exhausting even with the help of many angels."
"I see. Inform him that I'll take his place."
"But..."
"We cannot afford to lose another God or Goddess for sealing the Vortex."
"Understood..." The angel left and went to the Vortex.
"Uldene...I will meet you soon," Elios muttered to his sister, leaving the Memory Vault and proceeded to the Vortex.
Upon Elios arrived, Enntus was chanting on a rune circle linked to the sphere. It wasn't long until Enntus suddenly fall to the ground and broke the link. Elios rushed to him while picking him up supporting him around his shoulder. "Something...is...wrong," Enntus noted before passing out.
Without any second thought, Elios set Enntus against the wall beside him as he took his place on the rune circle. Unlike Enntus when Elios used his magic, the room immediately filled with runes glowing in amber color. The angel who was told to inform Enntus, carried him to the Healing Shrine beside the Hall.
Trion, receiving no permission, had accessed the Underworld by himself to stroll around. He's still angry. Out of accident, he saw someone at the center of the eight Vortex's runestone. Hiding from being seen, he observed the person from afar.
"Such stupidity...using their power to prevent the gateway from expanding. Little do they know that I am stealing their magic bit by bit," said the person.
Trion overheard the person. On the middle of his way back to the sacred ground , he was pressed to the ground by an invisible force, immobilizing him from moving. "Where do you think you're going?" An evil grin appeared before him.