Chapter 2 - A Changed World

Is it… over? Seijin lowered his arm, slumping forward as he fell on his knees.

"URRGGH," he grunted as he looked down to see a dagger covered in shadows protruding from his stomach. "How…" He was sure that she was engulfed in the blast. There was no way someone her strength could have survived!

"You nearly killed me… darling," Raynare, covered with burns struggled to stand. Despite her teasing, it was easy to see that she was fatally injured from his spell; if she was hit directly by his beam, she would not have the chance to attack him.

Seijin could tell that Raynare had lost her reason, her eyes were nearly lifeless, the final bits of life corrupted with vengeance and loathing.

"Grrah!" He could only grunt in pain as he felt her knee the stump that was once his hand.

Gritting his teeth, Seijin did his best to turn, but to no avail. He could feel Raynare launch another attack at him, but the pain never came.

Silence met his ears as he felt his attacker slump towards his body. He could feel her sliding down his back, gently falling to the ground as the adrenaline that kept her standing dissipated.

Thump.

Soon, Seijin's pain began to numb; the sounds around him drowned out by a dull ringing, and the fatigue that has plagued his body replaced with an unfamiliar serenity. I lost? Despite his injury, he had a smile on his face. Through the odds, he was able to strike down his attackers, every single one. Today, was the day he fell. He watched the stars twinkle in the skies above. Is this what it's like… to be ignored? How arrogant was he to believe that he could truly be what the people needed him to be. To die alone, surrounded by enemies, with not a single soul to hear… how fitting.

"My son… I'm s-sorry," Seijin spoke one last time, his body slowly fell towards the wet ground.

Elsewhere...

"Dad…" A young boy that slept on the back of his mother murmured sleepily. His eyes opening for the briefest of moments to let a single tear fall towards the grass below.

Somewhere in Western Stella - Year X775

When can I just plop on a bed…

Benjin walked aimlessly on the dirt path with his mother - for a month maybe? - his gaze stuck to the ground as a forlorn expression was frozen upon his face. In recent days, it had been so difficult just to smile. How does mom do it? It seemed that whenever he went to her: a scraped knee, when he was hungry, she would always have the same smile. Even now, when dad le- *sniff*

Ever since his father left, it was as if everything lost its shine. What used to be colourful fruits and forests were more like a dull grey. Why did it have to turn out like this? Would he have to live like this now? Benjin felt tears forcing itself to the surface. Is nothing going to remain now? I wish… everything was still the way it was!

"Look Benjin *cough*, a village!" His thoughts were interrupted by the ever-strained voice of his mother. Is she going to be alright? Benjin's face scrunched up in concern. If anything, at least we can finally have a roof over our heads, hopefully.

As they neared the village, a middle-aged woman walked out to greet them. She wore a simple dress with many stitches around the bottoms and sleeves while medium-length grey hair draped over her back.

"Hello, what brings you two here?" the woman asked with a forced smile. She seems so… tense?

Rosalia calmed herself and steadied her breathing; sweat visibly dripping down her face. "My son and I have been travelling for a month now. We are simply looking for somewhere to stay," Benjin could see the amount of effort she was exerting just to speak, causing him to hold her hand. The woman seemed, how do I put this, off? It was like she was icky just with them being here. Benjin widened his eyes. What if we get killed in our sleep! Wait no, that's stupid! The eleven-year-old shook his head, snapping thoughts that would make his father give him the… oh right. The boy looked down, a crestfallen expression on his face. Dad wasn't here anymore.

The woman observed them for a few moments before sighing. "Follow me." The woman looked around the area, behind them, to the side, everywhere. She doesn't seem that happy that we're here... It wasn't like they were planning to steal their stuff or something. I mean, I'm pretty sure we can pay for it… still.

As they continued inside the rustic little settlement, Benjin noticed that the villagers were not liking them. They don't REALLY think we're going to steal stuff, do they? Benjin furrowed his brows in confusion. Where was all the other kids? Everyone he saw were either old men or women.

Maybe they're just playing somewhere else? He didn't want to think that something bad had happened to them; especially since something bad happened to him. A sinking feeling crawled up from his stomach. I'm just being weird; everything is probably fine.

"I apologize for the rather cold welcome," the woman that greeted them faced the two with slumped shoulders and drooping eyes. This place looks like a dump! "The past week has been painful for us; everyone is still trying to recover." The old woman gestured to a hut, one made of straw and the door looked like it wasn't even attached to the whole thing. "The house here hasn't been used for years… I suppose, it's all yours now." I guess, it could be worse. They could have been living in a cave or something where the only thing they could eat was thousands of scorpions and they would all be poisonous and-

"Benjin? Are you coming in sweetie?" The voice of his mother snapped him out of his… less than savoury thoughts.

Now that he looked at it, the shack wasn't in that bad of a condition. Other than the door, everything else looked like it wouldn't fall on them in the middle of night or mimic dominos that moment they walked it.

"Thanks lady!" Benjin chipped up, earning a soft smile from the woman.

The house had been simply furnished; there was a hay pile covered by rags in the corner, and an open topped fire pit to the side - for cooking maybe? No pots though. There were two wooden windows at the front and back of the house while two shelves were attached to the wall on the left, holding a row of horribly dusty items. Despite their magic to store objects in a separate space, they didn't have enough time to take everything they needed from their house when they left. We have pots though.

"So, what do you think?" his mother asked in a weak voice. I mean, it's better than a bush? Not sure what else he could say about this place.

Benjin looked towards his mom, who wobbled under her own weight. "It's livable?" Not much better than just sleeping outside really, but at least they have a roof. In his honest opinion, the shack was more like a big pile of garage stacked together. Hopefully rain doesn't come through, PLEASE don't let it come through. The only thing worse than really just about anything is having to sleep through a storm.

Rosalia stumbled towards the 'bed' and lied down. "Mommy's just going…" She took a slow breath, "to take a small break." Was his mom really going to be okay? In his memory, his mom was never the most outgoing, but she seemed so much worse than before… Maybe it's just the month of walking, yeah that must be it. But why does her aura seem so… black?

Benjin smiled. "Okay! I'm just going to go explore, okay?" The boy waited for his mom's permission but received only soft breaths as his reply. She's asleep already? Oh well, he'll come back later.

Now that he paid attention, most of the houses were the same design as the one they stayed in. Ah, so it's not that we got a bad house, the whole place is bad! Not that it's a good thing of course. As he walked through the village, he noticed some of the houses looked like they had seen better days; many had broken windows, some didn't even have doors, and some looked like it caught on fire! What happened here? For some reason, the state of the village made him think of his dad.

Now I'm sad…

Kicking the ground slightly in frustration, he walked towards the edge of the village, ignoring the questioning stares.

Really, he thought it would be more exciting. But Nooooo! Everything looked exactly the same; tree, trees, and more trees! Why couldn't there be a lake or something? That's cool. Suddenly, Benjin felt his stomach rumble.

Right… totally forgot lunch. In the past month, he and his mom basically lived off the berry bushes and maybe fish if he got lucky. They would have taken more, but they were so rushed when leaving. God, he wished he knew how to cook. Mom always did it for me.

Benjin lightened up, a slight smile on his face as he began skipping. Well, no time like the present to learn!

While in his absentminded search, Benjin realized that he skipped into the forest area with a large rock formation in the middle of the clearing. Hey! There's someone on the rock! As he got closer, he saw that the person on the rock was a blue-haired boy that looked to be his age. Hmm, how do I get up? The whole thing was rounded and vertical, and maybe some platforms. And the moss, can't forget the moss!

His dad would probably laugh if he couldn't climb a friggin' rock! Okay, he took a deep breath, I can do this! The boy sprinted towards the formation, using the lessons about magic in the past to enhance himself. Hey! This is pretty easy! Within seconds, he already made it halfway. Another jump here, another pull there. I'm up!

Did the boy not notice him? He was pretty loud while coming up with all his grunting. What if this guy's deaf? Okay I'm going to shout at him, that'll get his attention! Wait! Benjin widened his eyes in realization. This will be the first time he actually talked to anyone that's not his mom or dad! And the old woman maybe but she was boring anyway. Ok how would he do this? Say hi and hope for the best?

Hmm, yep that sounds good!

It was not like he would offend the boy just by talking to him. That would be pretty weird. Anyways, here goes.

"Hi!" No response.

Maybe he really is deaf… should I throw a rock at him? Wait no, his dad once told him throwing rocks at people is bad! Shouting it is!

"HELLO!" The startled boy snapped towards him, his entire body spazzing, nearly losing his balance and falling off the rock.

"What the Hell!" The blue-haired boy glared at Benjin, obviously not happy. Crap.

"So, uh… what you doing?" Okay so maybe he could have apologized first or something because he looks pissed. The boy clenched his fists while giving Benjin an icy stare, allowing him to see his face in detail. What's the weird red tattoo on his face?

"What am I doing?" He seethed, slowly walking towards Benjin, keeping his glare before jumping at the blonde. Um, what's he doing? "Getting ready to beat your face in that's what!"

Oh shit!

Quickly bringing his hands up, Benjin did his best to stand against the tackle of the rag-wearing aggressor before he was slammed at his midsection. What is this guy's friggin' problem? The two began to roll around the top of the rock, both being careful to not slip off while firing punch after punch at one another. The fight was getting rather heated up, hits became more and more savage as a dust cloud began building up around them.

Minutes after, the cloud dissipated to show the blue-haired boy slightly relaxing his features while looking back towards the forest in the South West. Is he done?

"Hi." He really just punched him in the face then just sat down? Benjin huffed, before shrugging his shoulders. Well okay then.

Taking a seat beside his previous aggressor, Benjin turned towards him. "Well that was something." The other's gaze bore into the blonde's very soul for minutes; Benjin, being the stubborn boy he was, refused to retreat his gaze. Why is he even like this? Finally, the blue-haired boy relaxed, a solemn expression on his face.

"Things weren't always like this you know," he turned backed towards the village, which was easily visible from this distance. "I was living with my family… and without warning, they came." They? Actual robbers?

Benjin raised his brown curiously, "They?"

The other boy remained in silence for another minute, the sounds of his teeth grinding more and more apparent as he began, "Dark Mages… they just came out of nowhere!" Anger etched into his voice. "Some of us fought back, but there were too many." Benjin looked down at the boy's fists, seeing his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip. My lord, what actually happened to this kid?

"They killed my family! ALL OF THEM!" Oh.

A raw white-yellow aura beginning to emit from his body. "They took all the kids they could find… including my friend." Traces of magic leaked out as small pebbles around him were pushed away.

Flashback Start

Two boys were running down a forest trail, a smile on their faces and their hearts filled with excitement.

"Hey, look!" A red-haired boy spoke, his finger pointing towards a rather peculiar tree. The other boy grabbed his friend's blue-sleeved shirt and hauled himself up to get a better look.

That tree has a face!

A wonderous smile crept up his tattooed face. "Wow! Where do you think it came from?"

Both boys were staring at the weirdly cute heart shaped face with excitement. "I don't know but it must be from someplace aweso-"

*Boom!*

"T-th-that… came from the village!"

The colour drained from their faces, replacing the joy once held by their youthful visage. Please gods, don't let anything be wrong!

…

Running as fast as their little legs could carry them, the two boys neared their village, only to be met by a horrific sight: houses were burnt down, and bodies littered the roads, unmoving.

"Wh-what is this…" The tattooed boy's eye widened, his body shook, and his breaths became rapid and uneven. Looking towards his friend slowly, he saw that he wasn't doing any better. There was no expression on his face; not a single hint of emotion, barely more than a statue.

Turning his head, he could only freeze with his mouth agape as he recognized a body, one surrounded by many others, all with identical masks and robes. But the one with middle - that's… - the one with a black trench coat and equally dark hair.

His friend's dad.

"HEY! Who's there!" Oh crap!

He was snapped out of his daze by the hostile voice. Immediately, his thoughts stopped and all he could think of was running.

"Shiron… we have to leave!" Seeing how his friend was unresponsive to his whispers, he took his hand and dragged him into his own home, only to be met with a far more horrific sight.

Blood. No.

Blood everywhere. No, no, NO!

His faces contorted and his eyes squeeze shut; there on the ground, lied the corpses that were once his family.

Why… WHY!

The rage that boiled within him was replaced by an unfamiliar dysphoria. An emptiness unlike any other. Seeing his entire world falling apart in front of him was too much. Tears began waterfalling from his face as he felt a hand on his arm.

"They heard us." He widened his eyes, his hands squeezing his head, despair filling his mind.

"Wh-what are you doing?" The blue-haired boy asked, seeing his friend open a cellar door in the middle of the room. "It's too obvious, they will find us there!"

With a small determined smile, his friend climbed up the ladder. "Only if we both hide."

What!?

"B-but what about you?! You don't know what they'll do to you!" I won't let you do this!

"L-listen-"

"No! You listen! Both of us are going to make it out of here alive!" The other boy gave a saddened stare, his eyes filled with determination and his jaws clenched in silence.

"I'm sorry."

Without warning, he felt a hand push him, causing him to lose his balance, falling into the cellar. Looking up to his friend with shock, he saw that Shiron had a wide grin on his face. The two shared a silent goodbye as the cellar door closed, leaving him in darkness. What?!

Not knowing what to make of what happened, the boy curled into a ball, not a single soul to hear his silent cries, oblivious to the sound of flames that surrounded him.

Damn it… DAMN IT ALL!

Flashback End

Benjin looked away with his eyes drooped, thinking of his own circumstance. Whoever attacked their home took away his father from him, and as much as he told himself they would be okay, deep down inside, he feared the worst. The blonde perked up, matching the direction in his gaze to the other boy.

"Your friend, what was he like?"

The blue-haired boy tensed, before relaxing. "We were like brothers; we went out to the forest every day, always finding new things and places to explore." Unwillingly, he stared towards a certain clearing to the side. "He was never really good at talking to anyone other than me, but he had his own way of showing his care."

After a brief moment of silence, Benjin looked up from the forest, his gaze travelling towards the skies.

"Do you know where he went?"

The boy held his silence for another minute, before finally continuing. "They called it the Tower of Heaven," He pointed to a distant village towards the North. "The Dark Mages have been in this area, kidnapping everyone as slaves, killing anyone who resists." Wow, just… wow.

First his home, and now this boy's. They had been travelling for a month now. And now, he's being told that there are bad people here kidnapping and killing people. What if they come again? What if they… take his mom. Benjin began trembling in fear, creasing his robe from the force of his grip.

If they come again… will I be useless, just like last time?

"No matter what, they will get what's coming for them!" Benjin snapped his head towards the other boy, surprised at his sudden outburst. "I have to do it… I have to save him!" Can he really do it? How? He was just one boy, against probably a whole bunch of bad guys. Then again, he did feel his aura earlier, from that strength, he would probably be able to learn magic. Like me.

Standing up slowly, one leg at a time, Benjin began, "I don't know how you're going to do that, but you know…" A slight smile stretched across his cheeks. "I believe in you."

The boy returned his own smile. "Hey… sorry for lashing at you earlier, I'm Jellal," He lifted his hand, gesturing for a hand-shake.

Benjin felt a breeze rustle his cloak, before returning the gesture. "Don't worry about it, I'm Benjin." As soon as he came into contact with the other, he was able to feel the aura far accurately than he was before.

"I have a feeling that we'll be great friends."

"Me too."

2 Weeks Later

Ever since their first meeting, Benjin would meet with Jellal at the rock every day at noon. They would often talk about their lives and just hang out with each other. Often times, he came here to keep his mind off his mother's sickness.

Despite resting basically the entire day, his mother still became sicker; she could barely walk even after constant breaks. Most of the time, she would be confined to the house, forcing him to quickly learn many skills such as cooking, cleaning, and basic maintenance to keep up their living conditions.

Currently, he was on his way to the forest to meet once again with his friend. As he neared the rock that they dubbed 'The Rock of Beginnings,' he noticed Jellal already on top. Benjin climbed up swiftly, greeting the other boy with a wave. Sitting down next to him, they once again looked towards the North.

"Today's the day," Jellal smiled broadly. The day? Benjin looked at him in confusion. "I'm going to find those dark mages, so they can take me to the Tower of Heaven." Benjin's eyes widened at his words.

What! Did I hear him right? He was going to get captured on purpose? Why?!

"Are you crazy?!" Never in his life would he ever think about something like that! That's basically suicide!

"I have to do it!" Benjin once again saw the fire he saw when they first met; the blue-haired boy's magic flared for the briefest of moments, an aura of determination radiating from his form. Should I go with him? Benjin looked down with a forlorn expression. He wanted to help his first and only friend, but could he really? No… mom needs me. "He would have done the same if he were in my place!"

Benjin slumped forward, his hands cradling his knees. "There's no convincing you, is there?" Deep down, he wanted to help even though they only met two weeks ago… I don't want him to leave too. Thinking of his father, his mom, and then himself, he realized just how little he was actually capable of doing. What CAN I even do? Smiling sadly, Benjin reached into his storage dimension and took out a small charm, handing it to his friend. "This is a good luck charm that I picked up somewhere along the way when I was younger." Jellal took the little round coin from him. "I'm not really sure if it works, but it certainly gives you a little something."

Jellal looked down at the coin before slipping it into his pocket. "Thanks," the blue-haired boy turned towards Benjin, lightly being the two's final hour together.

"Good Luck…" The tattooed boy extended his fist, causing the blonde to bump it in kind.

After the two parted ways, Benjin couldn't help but feel a familiar emptiness inside his gut. Then again, that could be the hunger and exhaustion… maybe.

Right now, he was currently boiling a rabbit he caught after his meeting with Jellal. He didn't like the idea of carrying a wriggling wild animal, so he just magic'd it then dumped it to his storage space. It was quite stupid really, he was nearly out-wrestled by a rabbit not a fifth of his size.

Anyhow, ignoring the battle of the demon hare, he began to sort through his stuff, trying to find the herbs he found around the village. A little bit more flavour on this bland thing would be nice. Although he certainly wasn't a master, he was quite confident in his ability to not poison himself or his mother. In the past two weeks, he had learned a lot about cooking from his mom; since she couldn't do it herself, being confined to the bed basically, she was still able to give him instructions from behind. The extra labour didn't really matter though, as he was glad to be able to take care of his mother while learning a very fun skill.

"How are you feeling mom?" Benjin looked at his sweating mom while stirring the contents inside the cast iron pot. A light cough could he heard as Rosalia attempted to speak.

She turned towards Benjin with a weak smile. "I-I-I have been… b-better." Her words were frail, forced, and void of life. What happened for things to go this way? Dad… what would you do if you were here?

He looked out the window to see the fading light of the sun caress his face as it gently descended towards the horizon. The light will always be on your side… Benjin remembered the words of his father as if it was yesterday, even if it felt like nothing was on his side.

Benjin gripped the bowl until his knuckles turned white. Why can I never do anything?! There was no doctor in the village, and those who get sick usually don't make it. Why can I do nothing to help… just like back then! He was snapped out of his thoughts as he realized the stew he was making began overflowing.

Shit! Quickly covering his hands with magic, he lifted the pot away from the fire and onto the ground while a weak giggle came from his mom's lips.

Smiling, Benjin grabbed a nearby stool to sit beside the bed. He ladled some of the stew he made into a bowl while grabbing a spoon with his other hand.

"Here mom, I made some stew," his hands shook slightly when he saw there was no immediate reaction from his mom. No…

"Thank you, Benjin," her eyes fluttered opens, to Benjin's relief. She was there for me… So why couldn't he help her? Absentmindedly, the son scooped a spoonful from the bowl to his mom's lips. She slowly swallowed while her eyes glistened, showing a weak smile.

"You're so caring… just like your father." Despite her words, Benjin could only feel the guilt rising from his stomach.

"Benjin, there is something… I've been meaning to give you." She pointed to a nearby smile, causing Benjin to Immediately turn towards it. This? The boy took a pile of cloth separated from everything else on the shelf, clasping it into his mom's hands. As she unwrapped the cloth, a golden pendant bearing a strange symbol - a circle with a cross contained within its edges. There was something coming from it. Like a call… "T-this was o-once… your father's," she coughed into the bed, causing Benjin to droop his eyes in remorse as he saw the blood-stained sheets.

"Don't mom, just rest," He grasped her hand that was holding the pendant. Please… don't leave me. Not again. First his father, then his friend, and then mom. His eyes began to burn, he could do nothing but bite into his lips as he felt her breathing slow. His palms lightly met her face as he forced his glistening eyes to close. No matter what, he had to remain strong; the last thing she'll see, will not be him breaking down. Mom… I'll hold on for as long as you need me to.

Benjin could tell that this was likely their last day together, and there was nothing he could do but to accept reality. Deep down, he wanted her to stay with him. If she was truly gone, he would be utterly lost. Yet, at the same time, he wished she would pass her away, so she would suffer no longer. Dad… he looked towards the still setting sun, once again remembering the words he once told him. Why didn't you come with us? Grasping his mother's hand in a firm grip, he held it in front of his face. What was once warm and loving, become cold and still.

If someone is out there… he stared at the ceiling, only to be met by a deafening silence. Anyone… PLEASE HELP ME! Slumping towards his mother, his tears broke through the weak barrier he erected. Maybe if he was stronger, he could have helped his dad. Maybe if he was braver, he could have helped his friend. Maybe if he was smarter, he could have… saved his mom. Why, am I so useless!

Soon, the boy felt the final bits of warmth leave the hand he held so fervently. Time seem to freeze for a moment; for he refused to believe what was happening even though deep inside he knew that this was not a dream. The final seconds of evening light disappeared as the sun fell below the horizon.

"No, no, no, NO! Please! You can't leave me… you can't" One last desperate prayer, one he knew would likely be ignored. An anguished scream, one not unlike a knife straight through his chest, echoed through the rundown shack. Benjin could no longer hang onto the world of the waking; the strength he tried to so hard to muster was completely spent.

Soon, all he knew, was darkness.

Mom, Dad… please.

Benjin woke up from his kneeling position beside his mother's prone form. The ever-still body of the woman that cared for him his entire life laid cold and void of life.

Allowing his hands to grip his mother's, he moved his other hand to feel the cross on his pendant. He tightened his grip on both, gritting his teeth and forcing his eyes lid closed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Perhaps he wished he would have woken up in his old house, still with his mom, still with his dad. But now he was sure. This was not a dream.

Another hour passed before he finally gained the resolve to leave his mother's side. Hesitantly, Benjin put a hand on her body and brought her into his storage space. If he wasn't able to save her, then he will find a place to rest. Anywhere but here.

He shifted his attention to his pendant, once again hearing the silent call emitting from its power within. The more he thought of it, the stronger it got. It was as if some unknown force lightly nudged him away from the rising sun. Giving one last glance to the bed, Benjin made his way towards the one place he might find a semblance of peace.

There it was, the rock where he met his first friend. Benjin looked upwards towards the sun to see it directly above him. Without thought, he began climbing, hoping to meet his blue-haired companion. The wind gently caressed his cheeks as he waited for him to arrive.

An hour, two hours, then three hours passed; it was already passed noon and still no sign of Jellal. Looking towards the ocean in the distance, Benjin closed his eyes, gradually realizing his current state. He really went and did it… that crazy bastard.

Truly, he wished he had that kind of strength. To go so far just to save his friend. But here he was, a weak boy who could only watch as everyone he knew left him. Benjin continued to stare into the distance, his hand feeling the small pendant hung around his neck. The grip on his shirt hardened, his fingers greatly creasing the robe he always wore.

Why? WHY?! WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?!

Safety and warmth were all he knew before his mother took him away from his home. But why? Why did they have to leave! Why couldn't have they stayed to help dad!

Weak…

Tears once again found their ways to his eyes, within seconds a cascading waterfall soon followed. Was there even a point to staying strong anymore? His previous life was filled with happiness, protected by his parents. Yet, he seemed to lose everything he loved in the blink of an eye.

WEAK.

The void that threatened to consume him suddenly filled with fury. In his newfound rage, he put all his power and pent up emotion into a single spell. A magic circle far greater than any that he cast before manifested in front of him. With an agonized shout, a great blast of translucent light erupted from his hands. It tore through the trees, and the landscape, creating a small scar on the land in front of him.

WHY IS HE SO WEAK?!

Panting heavily, his hands once again found its way to the pendant that hung around his neck. It had a slight presence that seemed to calm him, like someone, somewhere, told him that everything was going to be okay… even if he knew that it wasn't.

He looked up, wiping his tears with a sleeve; the sun shone bright above him without a cloud in sight. He allowed the rays of light to bathe his body, fueling the resolve that burned from within. A small smile broke through his saddened expression. Everything still looks the same… Benjin looked around the forests, then to the rocks below. So why does everything feel so different?

So, what was he to do now? Uncertainty filled his being, his eyes drooping to the grass below. A hand reached towards his pendant, allowing him to feel the soft aura imbued inside. It's been calling me for awhile now. Benjin looked towards the North West, towards the distant mountains barely hidden by the horizon.

Benjin bore his teeth at the sunrise, a feeling of rage and determination filling him.

I won't be helpless… ever again!

.

.

.

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Chapter 2 finished! Next Chapter - First encounter

Note: Benjin's pendant symbol is the sun circle symbol.

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