An Ancient Fort – Chasing Phantoms in One's Dreams...

In the middle of an enormous mountain range lies a huge fortress made of stone, almost taller than the mountains. The rectangular shaped fortress is built in a huge hole, and due to this, it gives an impression that it's floating. Furthermore, there are six dragon statues surrounding it, all of them is directing their gazes to the imposing fortress. Inside of it, three people were exploring the place. Without any fear, they ran like the wind, while dealing with any enemies in their way.

After running for a long time, they've finally found a kind of elevator. The boy with a red bandana has put his hand on the switch, with that little action, a loud noise could be heard on the distance – it was the elevator coming down. While waiting for the elevator, the boy turned his attention to the blond girl next to him, who was looking anxious for the arrival of the elevator. As he saw she was nervous, he tried to soften the tension.

"Hey Kid, you need to calm down, alright? You know that Linx will certainly use your short temper as an advantage. So you'll need to cool off, and concentrate."

The blonde girl in red clothes glared at him and said.

"Are you sayin' that I can't kick Lynx's ass?! Just you wait! I'll show ya how it's done!"

Putting his hand on his forehead, the boy of the red bandana looked disappointed, as he knew that he has failed to calm down the girl. Next to the blond girl named Kid, was a mermaid with blue hair, who quickly said some words to the boy.

"Don't wörry, Herr Serge, everything ist going tö be fine."

Giving a faint smile, the boy replied.

"I guess you're right."

Soon after the reply, a huge platform came down from the upper levels of the fortress. The group stepped on the platform, and when the details on the platform started to glow, the elevator started to go up. All of them were anxious for the almost certain battle that was coming, but despite that, they knew that this would happen sooner or later, and unfortunately, it's going to happen very soon.

After some time riding the elevator, eventually they've reached the top floor of the fortress. Coming out of the elevator - full of energy - the blonde girl rushed the other two.

"Oi! C'mon Serge, Irenes!"

"Okay! Sheesh! You don't need to go running like that! I already told you to calm down, remember?"

Pretending to not listen, Kid clenched her fist and said while smirking.

"Just you wait, Lynx! Today's gonna be the day of reckonin'! Say yer prayers… Not that it'll do ya any good!

The girl's sinister laughter echoed throughout the hallway.

Seeing the scene, Serge thought as he left the elevator.

What the hell am I seeing? I know that you don't like Lynx, but this declaration turned out to be very weird, you know?

"Okay Kid, let's go."

The area where the group was, were a two-path hallway. As they didn't have an idea to where they were going, they simply took the left path, and for their surprise – or not – another grand hall was before them.

The enormous hall was a lair for bats, as they flew off as soon as the group appeared. Besides of bats, large and metallic humanoid robots, known as Cybots, were patrolling the floor with full attention, making sure that not even a fly pass by them after all, they were programmed to do this. Seeing the Cybots marching like trained soldiers, Kid mumbled.

"Bugger! More of these scrapheads!" – Said Kid while scratching her head. – "So, what're we gonna do?"

"We need tö get past them, and I only see one way tö dö it. But first, we need tö find where is the exit." – Said Irenes.

"Hey, you two. Are you seeing the exit over there? It's where the last beam is I guess. Once we deactivate it, the middle platform over there will work. At least was like that in the inferior floor…"

Kid looked to where Serge pointed, and then started running again. Serge and Irenes started to follow her once they realized that she was already running again. During their "tour" in the enormous hall, they've encountered one Cybot who was guarding the local. Its arms were bigger than normal, and its body was totally made of resistant metal. As soon as the robot saw the intruders, it rapidly started to run in their direction. With an amazingly slow speed, the robot tried to reach Kid. When she saw the Cybot coming, Kid drew out her knife and started to swing it in the air, while saying.

"C'mon scraphead, show me what do ya got!"

As if it knew what she said, the Cybot prepared to attack. As soon as it reached Kid, the Cybot removes its arm and swung it in Kid's direction. Surprised by the sudden move, Kid barely managed to dodge the robot's arm. After the dodge, Kid strikes the Cybot with her knife, only to see that this had no effect on it. Seeing no other solution, Kid jumps back to get some separation until Serge and Irenes comes to help. But Cybot doesn't like to wait, so it started to attack again like an unstoppable intruders-killing machine. Kid continued to dodge like there was no tomorrow, but she tripped and fell. In this moment, the Cybot was ready to deliver the fatal blow on Kid; however, the boy with the red bandana, Serge, appears in front of her and makes a defensive position. Putting all his strength on his swallow, he pushes back the Cybot, making it flinch for a moment. At this time, something behind Kid started to delivers a green glow – it was Irenes who was readying an element cast. The Cybot tried to move back, so it could stay out of the element range, but it was too late. Suddenly, a huge green light appeared below the Cybot, and after two seconds, the green light turned into an enormous carnivorous plant that swallowed the metallic humanoid robot.

Taking a deep breath, Kid looks at Serge with a relieved expression. Serge then bends down and puts one hand on the head of Kid, rubbing her hair while smiling. Becoming embarrassed, Kid, who was looking at Serge, turns her head away while taking off Serge's hand of her head. Irenes then offers her hand to help Kid get back to her feet. When Kid finally stood up, the group continued to walk directly to the entrance of the last beam's room. After walking a bit, they've reached the last beam's room. Serge went to where the beam was and deactivated it by pressing the little button placed on the stone's scripture. Kid then said.

"That's it? So, what're we goin' to do now? I thought that after doin' this, we would hear a loud noise or a thing like that…"

Serge then suggests their next step.

"Like I said before, we should return to the main hall and go to the platform that was in the middle of it, remember?"

Making a confused face, Kid asks.

"Heh… well… I guess I don't remember, sorry mate."

"Whatever just follows me, alright?"

After deactivating the last beam, the group returned to the main hall. Serge led the group to a black circular platform that was in the middle of the hall. Painted on the platform, there were six circles which were connected to another one on the center. When the group got up into the platform, it started to give a faint glow. For some reason, Serge and company began to feel lighter, so lighter that if they could move, they surely would fly. In a blink of an eye, the whole group was teleported to another area. A strong wind blew in their faces as they were still trying to understand what happened. Surprised by the sudden teleportation, Kid exclaimed.

"Oi! What the bloody hell just happened? What are we doin' out here?"

She then looks over the edge of the platform which they're standing on. Kid makes an incredible surprised expression, and again, exclaim.

"Wooow! Bugger…! We're so high up! Is this thing floatin'!?"

Irenes, who is surprised too, asks a question to her friends while looking around.

"I guess we are aböve the fort, probably in the floating sphere dat we saw before entering. By the way, did it feel like your body passed t'rough the floor just now? "

"This sure is some fort… Eh, Serge?"

Serge nodded to Irenes, and then looked to the huge door in front of him. Kid, after observing the landscape, looks at Serge who was staring at the door for some time. Seeing him in that state, she jumps in front of him and says while waving her hand in front of his face.

"You alright, mate? You've been actin' all weird. Who knows what's up ahead, so just stay on yer toes, eh!?"

Serge nods, but didn't answer. It was like he was hypnotized since their arrival. Taking a few steps, Serge reaches the door. His heart starts to beat faster and faster. The sound of the wind, blowing on his face, was almost louder than the sound of his beating heart. After taking a deep breath, he builds some courage and opens the door. Suddenly, he starts to see a vision.

Blood.

Kid.

And him.

With these three things, one can describe this horrible scene, where apparently, Serge stabs Kid's belly with her own knife.

But the most disturbing thing is the fact that Serge is…

… Smiling.

When the scene has come to an end, Serge turned back to normal. Worried, he looked at Kid, who was next to him. Realizing that Serge was looking at her, she said while smiling.

"Don't worry, mate. Everything will be alright!"

He gives a faint smile to Kid, and then begun to walk into the darkness.

Suddenly, he can't hear anymore, neither can see anymore. He doesn't feel anything, and the only thing he can do now is close his eyes. Serge then, starts to hear a voice calling him; a warm and comforting voice is calling his name.

"Serge…"

Hypnotized by the voice, he starts to follow it, and then…

He opens his eyes. A wooden ceiling is what he's seeing right now. Next to him, was a woman wearing a purple dress who says.

"Good morning, Serge! C'mon sleepy head, get up!"

When Serge heard the voice of the woman, he realized that everything he saw was a dream. Relieved, Serge thinks to himself.

Thank God! This dream was very weird, yet disturbing. But I wonder… how that dream could be so real?

He then, stays in silence, hearing the comforting sound of the waves…