Dream: Never fear, anonymous reviewer Random Person! There will be a bonus chapter!
Lync: *with equal verve* The instant this story reaches its thrilling conclusion!
Mylene: What's wrong with them?
Yumeí: Dream went and watched Gundalian Invaders, episode 18. Now she can't stop.
Shadow:*from downstairs*What the heck?!
It was one of those days when it was so humid, you couldn't even sweat. Volt mentally cursed his uncle.
He just had to go on a training application trip during the hottest time of the year. And in the middle of the nature preserve. Volt's job: live in the forest for three days, then hike up the mountain-without proper climbing equipment-to the rendezvous. Easy. If you didn't get attacked by a wild animal. And if you couldn't find food or water, or got lost, or a dozen other things.
He was currently using his backpack as a sunshade while trying to find a shelter. There was no help from the forest: thorns materialized just to stab him, fallen branches and tree roots reached up to trip him, and the ground collapsed into ankle-twisting potholes more than once.
It took all afternoon to find a proper shelter, and even then, it was less than desireable: a fallen tree Volt was not looking forward to sleeping in a hollow tree. But that was his requirement. Stupid, but even so...
*.*
It was night when a sudden sound awoke him. Volt sat up so fast, his head collided with the top of his shelter. Clutching his pounding head, he inched his way out of the tight space. Then he heard it again. His name.
"Volt Luster! Are you here? If you can hear this message, please acknowledge us!"
Volt grabbed his backpack and strapped it on. Standing uncertainly, he glanced around. There was light coming from a cluster of trees to his-he had to think about it briefly-left. Cautiously, he left the dark and was instantly blinded.
The flood of voices and noise and lights left him utterly bewildered as to what was happening. Before he had time to process anything, he was being driven away. He sat completely still, blinking as he tried to make sense of this recent turn of events. An adult was sitting across from him, watching him like he should collapse from shock any moment now.
"What is this all about?" Volt asked finally, irritation overpowering his confusion. The adult narrowed her eyes, seeing if he was joking.
When she found that he wasn't, she looked almost...ashamed?
"No one told you?" Volt shook his head. The adult looked away, like she was mentally preparing herself to admit something.
"I don't know how else to tell you this, but...your family estate caught fire today. All but one of those living there perished in the blaze. Your cousin is in critical condition at the Hospital. We're going there now.
There were no words to describe the next long hours. Volt slipped into a daze, unable to do anything but stare at his hands in shock. There was no escaping the inexplicable feeling of loneliness. He barely remembered seeing his last remaining cousin, her face marred by burns, her breathing shallow. The news that his cousin hadn't survive came an eternity later, yet had no effect because there was no way to increase the searing empty feeling. It weighed Volt down so much he wondered why he didn't just die.
He heard them talking. Everyone around him talked about what to do with him, the orphaned twelve year old boy. Why? Volt didn't care about what happened anymore. His whole way of life was dead. All that was left was a husk. A body without a soul.
It was all gone.
Mylene: How long is Shadow going to stay down there?
Dream: *leaving room* He better not eat all the pizza by himself.
Lync: That'd be terrible!
Dream: *from downstairs* Huh?!