Edoran's gaze swept across the battlefield, the sight of the burning city leaving a cold knot in his stomach. Soldiers clad in heavy armor fought fiercely, and Reverberators—those who had gained power through slaying savages—were everywhere, the last line of defense against the massive beast above them.
The Blazing Whale, a terror from the skies, hovered over the ruins. Its pale skin was charred in several places, a sign that it was injured. Yet it still emanated an aura of unimaginable power, its fiery breath scorching everything in its path.
A massive chunk of debris fell from the whale's battle, hurtling toward Edoran. He screamed, scrambling to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly shower. His heart hammered in his chest as he regained his footing. There was a chance—just a slim chance—the whale could be defeated.
But as he looked around, something strange caught his eye. A few people in the vicinity weren't afraid. Instead, they were smiling up at the whale. Even though the battle raged on, their faces held an eerie calm, as though they were enjoying the spectacle of destruction.
Edoran's stomach turned.
'Why were they so calm?'
Before he could dwell on it further, a tall man in gray armor appeared beside him. He was throwing chunks of broken debris at the whale, but the fiery creature simply burned them before they even reached it.
"You!" the man barked, pushing Edoran away. "Get out of here, kid. The monster will be stopped soon. Lady Zora of Destiny Haven is already engaging it."
Edoran looked up, eyes filled with determination. "No! My friend is hurt. I have to save him."
The man sighed in frustration. "I understand your situation, but if you stay, you'll be dead too. This is no place for a child."
Edoran gritted his teeth, knowing the man was right. He glanced at the medical center in the distance and made a snap decision. Ducking under the man's arm, he sprinted ahead.
'I have to save Jake. I can't let him die after everything he did for me.'
When he reached the medical center, Edoran's heart sank. It was empty. No doctors, no nurses, just an abandoned building. His mind raced—of course, everyone was busy tending to the wounded from the battle.
Edoran broke into the center, desperately searching for supplies. His fingers brushed over various healing materials until they landed on a stash of bandages and salves. Just as he turned to leave, a deafening crash echoed from above. The ceiling was collapsing.
Edoran instinctively used his core, punching the falling debris with all his might. The rocks didn't shatter entirely, but enough room opened up for him to escape. He crawled out, panting, and looked up—only to find a yellow eye with a deep reddish-white pupil staring down at him from the shadows above.
Everything went black.
When Edoran regained his senses, he found himself in a dark, cold room, the familiar sterile scent of chemicals and metal thick in the air. The lab. He recognized it instantly.
His body tensed. He was back in the lab—the very place where he was created.
He turned, his eyes falling on several cylindrical tanks. Inside, people floated in fetal positions. They were homunculi—failed experiments, discarded lives. Edoran's fists clenched as anger surged within him.
A voice from behind broke his thoughts. "This one's a failure. Core output's not even 70%."
Another voice, deeper and more authoritative, responded, "We need another like the Warmonger—one with 100% core output."
One of the scientists, a young man named Bill, stood apart, his face filled with sadness. "But these are people too. How many lives have we wasted here? Over a million homunculi, discarded because they didn't meet expectations."
The senior scientist turned on him, his voice harsh. "Bill, how many times must I tell you? These are just puppets. If you ever mention this again, I'll fire you on the spot."
Bill flinched, his gaze flickering to the tanks, but he didn't say another word. He walked away, defeated.
Edoran's heart sank. He couldn't stand the sight of these discarded bodies. They were all just tools—discarded when they no longer served their purpose.
His eyes locked onto a small homunculus, no older than five or six, struggling beneath a pile of other dead homunculi. The child's body was half crushed.
Edoran rushed toward it. "I'm here! Don't worry," he called out.
The child didn't respond, its body too weak to react. Edoran tried to grab hold of the small homunculus, but his hands passed right through it. He scrambled, desperate to help, but nothing he did could save the child.
Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he watched the homunculus, knowing there was nothing he could do.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. Edoran found himself back inside one of the glass tanks, staring at Harold and Jake, who grinned outside.
"Master Harold, he's a wonderful specimen," Jake said, a grin on his face. "You should make him your personal fighting dog."
Harold laughed. "Yes, Jake. He'll be a good weapon against the savages."
The scene warped again. Edoran was no longer in the tank but standing in a metal cage. The crowd outside jeered, shouting their bets on how long he would survive in a fight against a savage. The savage, a tiger-like beast, pounced at him.
Edoran's body was smaller now, his limbs fragile, and he wore nothing but rags. The baton he held felt like nothing more than a toy in his hands. The savage swiped at him, knocking him across the cage. Edoran hit the bars, his ribs cracking under the force. Blood spilled from his mouth as the tiger-like savage continued its assault.
"THIS IS THE DEFENSE CORPS! YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST!" a voice shouted. Armed soldiers stormed the cage, arresting the spectators. One of them carried Edoran to safety, but everything after that went black.
Edoran blinked, finally back in the real world. His breath was shaky, his hands trembling. The whale was on the ground now, surrounded by armored vehicles. NOVA Star had arrived and monopolized the corpse.
Edoran's mind snapped back to Jake. He needed to get to Star Wraith Industries. His heart pounded as he rushed toward the building. The city around him was in ruins, but Star Wraith seemed mostly intact.
He rushed through the door, only to freeze in place when he saw Harold. The man was kneeling on the floor, his face pale. Jake's lifeless body lay in his lap, a deep gash on his neck. The boy's eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
"No..." Edoran's voice was barely a whisper as he rushed to Harold's side.
"W-What happened?" Edoran asked, his voice cracking. His hands shook as he reached out, touching Jake's cold skin.
Harold didn't look up. His eyes were distant, glazed over with grief.
"Savage..." Harold said in a hollow voice, barely audible.
Edoran felt his heart plummet. A savage had attacked them. Jake, the one person who had saved him, was gone.
A wave of guilt washed over Edoran.
'I should have stayed. I should have been there.'
Tears blurred his vision as his anger and regret boiled inside. He remembered the boy in the lab, the one who had died without even being given a chance.
"It's not your fault," Harold said softly, looking up at Edoran. "I should have been more careful. I should have protected him while you were gone."
Edoran didn't respond. His thoughts were a storm of sorrow and frustration. Nothing mattered anymore. Jake was gone.
A group of soldiers in armor rushed into the room. The leader, seeing Harold, sighed in relief. "Young master Harold, thank God you're safe. Only a homunculus was lost."
Edoran snapped. His fist collided with the soldier's face, sending him sprawling to the ground. "Just a homunculus?!" Edoran screamed. "Jake was a person! He was a living being!"
The soldiers stared at him, shocked and unsure of how to respond. Harold, still holding Jake's body, didn't speak. He simply stood, his face a mask of anguish.
"Edoran," Harold said quietly. "Come with me. We're leaving."
They placed Jake's body in the back of an armored vehicle, and the drive to their destination was silent, neither of them speaking.
They eventually arrived at a quiet garden. Harold led Edoran to a large tree in the center, his face a portrait of sadness.
"This was Jake's place," Harold said softly. "He used to come here often."
Harold began to dig, slowly and carefully, creating a grave for Jake. His hands shook with emotion, but he worked in silence, focused entirely on giving Jake the peace he deserved.
Edoran stood motionless, his heart heavy.
'If this is a dream, I wish it would end. I wish I could undo everything.'
After the grave was finished, Harold stood up, his face pale and full of sorrow. He said nothing for a long while.
Finally, Harold's grandfather, William, arrived. Seeing his grandson's tear-streaked face, he placed a hand on Harold's shoulder. No words were needed—Harold broke down, his sobs echoing in the quiet garden