*~attack~*

Over time, the town seemed to get darker and gloomier. The people walking around looked dead, possibly because of the many deaths occurring here and there. It was as if the town was cursed; some would drown, others die in fires as their houses were suddenly lit aflame, or be hit by an out of control something-or-other. No one left, though, because they had no where else to go.

And through this despair, Lenamar had managed to find a little happiness. He never told anyone what he saw in the church that day. It was his and his 'mother's' little secret and every time they would visit his father's grave, Lenamar would whisper, "you're actually still here with me, right father?" and 'Marie' patted his head. With his real father gone, food and money was harder to come by. Their last resort was walking to the nearby woods and setting traps or hunting, something Lenamar turned out to be good at. His weapon of choice was the bow and arrow, which would glide silently through the air before the kill. Unlike guns, a soft whistle of it cutting through air didn't scare the game away, giving him the chance to kill more than one animal at a time.

There were times when Lenamar would feel sharp pains in his back. They usually occurred when he was with his 'mother'. Other times it was while out in the streets or talking to a neighbor. They weren't serious, so Lenamar ignored them after a while.

All of the misfortune was able to bring out one good thing in 14-year-old Lenamar's life; the strong bond between him and a young girl named Nalia. Her mother was also a victim of the accidents and was left to live alone with her drunk and abusive father. She took comfort from Lenamar and the talks they had together. It didn't take long for them to become inseparable.

Lenamar did his best to care for her and tend to her wound when her father came home too drunk and in anger. He wanted so much to get her out of that house, but couldn't afford to bring her into his own house nor could he run away with her and leave his 'mother' behind.

Eventually, Lenamar came to know not who his 'mother' was, but who 'she' wasn't. 'Marie' smiled, acted kindly, but her actions seemed numb. And 'she' had picked up habits his father used to have, such as getting up at the crack of dawn, drum his fingernails when he waited, and sneaking a little extra meat onto Lenamar's plate. He knew his mom was gone and it was his father. But he kept quiet to continue living his wish of being with his whole family.

He didn't want anyone figuring out and rarely had anyone over to his house. So Lenamar could only let Nalia cry on his shoulder while he silently cursed her father.

"Thank you, Mar. For loving me so much."

Lenamar ran his fingers through her long, soft hair. "I will always love you, Nalia. And when I'm old enough, I'll get us our own house."

They talked in whispers out in the nearby woods. Nalia had decided to join him while he hunted and they now sat behind a large rock to keep a watch on the bait. They were waiting, specifically, for a deer.

"But my father..."

"Forget that man." His voice turned dark. "He hardly provides you with anything. But I will. I can continue with my father's shop and hunt too, for money. You'll see; I'll buy you everything you'll ever need."

Nalia smiled and was about to say more but was stopped short by what sounded like gunshots followed by a scream. Lenamar instantly pushed them both down deeper into the bushes. "What was that?" She whispered.

"I don't know, but stay down." He peered over and seeing the coast clear, waved at her. "Follow me. We're going back to the town." Both of them crawled, Nalia scraping her bare knees on sharp rocks and dirt. Lenamar noticed and decided to continue by foot. They didn't get far, though, until they came across the strange monster who spotted them as well. It was large, a giantic gray ball punctured by cannons all over its body. The was a face on it, a horrible and saddened one. It rushed at them with great speed, and aiming its multiple cannons at them. Lenamar threw himself in front of Nalia in an instant, shielding her with his own body.

Suddenly, Lenamar felt the cold. It started at the base of his back, spreading up to his shoulders then down his right arm. His brain only had one thought, raise up your bow. His left arm holding the strung bow obeyed while the other moved on its own. Lenamar sucked in air, shocked at seeing his hand covered in metallic liquid. At the tip of his middle finger, a silver arrow sprouted out which he held lightly and pulled the end back against his bow string. His brain was now sending a different message, aim.

All of this happened in a second as the arrow was pointed at the thing's forehead and released. It landed directly in the center of the black star. The monster stopped abruptly, cried out on last time, before it blew up into smoke.

Both teens were breathing hard and completely speechless at what had just occurred. Lenamar stared back at his hand as the silver coating began to reside, taking the cold feeling with it. Quickly, he turned his back to Nalia. "Lift up my shirt." When she hesitated, he added "hurry!" She did so and gasped. "What is it?"

"T-the crystal in your back, it's glowing. And absorbing the silver." A pause. "Does it hurt?"

"It feels weird, but it doesn't hurt." He shivered slightly as he felt Nalia's prodding fingers ran across his back.

She noticed it and pulled the shirt back down. "Sorry."

Lenamar shook his head dismissively and stood along with her. "We should leave. There might be more of those things here. He was silent for a while before asking, "can you keep Light a secret?"

Knowing who he was referring to, she agreed. They already had enough problems, they didn't need any more.