The moon was slowly dropping. It lingered like it had to stay for the battle about to take place at all costs — the battle against what was no longer a creature, but a demon.
― Five Minutes Earlier ―
Malrik groaned before opening his eyes. He suddenly froze as he heard a growl behind him. He turned around, fear adorning his face. The image of the headless boy burning away flashed through his mind before he laid eyes on the creature before him.
The creature's red, glowing eyes were massive, taking up half its face. Its wide, drooling mouth opened up, ready to swallow the boy whole.
Malrik clenched his eyes shut and covered his face, just as the sound of something piercing flesh was heard.
Expecting pain, he was thoroughly surprised when none came. Gradually opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of the monster leaning forward to devour him. However, the creature was frozen. He turned to the side to see a mysterious white-haired girl with her hand impaled in the creature's torso.
The girl pulled her hand out as the creature fell to Malrik's side, dead. Malrik, whose breathing was still moving at ungodly speeds, turned slowly from the monster to the scary girl in front of him. She looked about his age. She wore a backless, blue dress with matching ballerina shoes.
Malrik froze, breath caught in his throat. It was as if the world itself had slowed, the air thick with something unexplainable. The girl stood before him like a vision—radiant, untouchable, as though he were gazing upon an angel made flesh.
His voice trembled when he finally found it. "Wh… who are you?"
She turned to him, and in that instant their eyes met. Time fractured—minutes felt like hours, and in the silence, everything around them suddenly seemed meaningless.
Suddenly, the girl pointed at herself.
"Are you talking to me?"
Malrik could barely speak. The adrenaline from the shock of his near-death experience still surged through his veins like electricity — so he just nodded.
"You can see me?" she asked again, not believing the words coming out of the boy's mouth. Malrik nodded again.
The girl suddenly moved towards him. Malrik tried backing away, fearing she was going to do the same thing she'd done to the monster — to him — but the girl merely grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer.
"I can touch you…"
'This girl is weird…'
"Can you feel my breath? Can you see my face? What colour are my eyes?"
Malrik's head felt heavy as she continued with the barrage of questions. He was about to intervene when a scream did it for him.
"Lira!!"
The two children quickly turned in the direction of the voice. Malrik saw his sister being carried away by their dad, her hand stretched out towards something, while the girl witnessed something else.
"That's Sarah — and Dad? What is he doing here, and why is Sarah shouting?" she pointed.
"That's why."
Malrik shifted to where she was pointing and widened his eyes in fear. Witnessing Nova Lira being eaten alive, he quickly pushed the girl off, turned around, and vomited.
"Wha—what the hell is that?" Malrik slowly moved backwards, fear written all over his face.
The girl's face turned serious, staring at the creature like her eyes could kill it.
"The creature is transforming into a Demon."
"A demon!?" asked Malrik in disbelief. "What is a Demon?"
"A Demon is a magical creature who has devoured a human to gain their Title," responded the girl, her eyes never leaving the monster enjoying its meal.
"What? I don't understand — how can a demon gain a Title?!"
"I don't have time to explain, but in short — when a creature devours a human, they drink their blood, which gives them the human's magic, thus granting them their Title. When they gain that Title, it transforms into what is called a Cursed Title, and their magical colour turns from red to purple."
Malrik looked more confused than before.
The girl turned to watch Elara land next to Dain. "We should get to your parents. Right now, they're the only ones who can defeat that thing."
― The Present ―
Dain and Elara stared vigilantly at the monster in front of them. The whole arena surrounding them was in shambles. The building was falling apart; the benches were snapped and scattered. The stage in the middle had deep cracks, and monsters and humans lay strewn across it.
The demon on the other side stared with its glowing purple eyes, saliva dripping from its long, sharp teeth. It released a menacing and thick purple magical aura, making it hard for the kids at the back to breathe.
Behind Dain and Elara lay Sarah, with Malrik by her side. The mysterious white-haired girl stood protectively over them.
The tension was as thick as the magic in the air. The mix of golden, purple and brown hues could be seen through Malrik's blue-shining eyes.
Malrik suddenly looked down, realising something. His eyes widened.
"She isn't breathing," he whispered. "She isn't breathing!"
Upon hearing the boy's shout, everyone turned back in shock. They saw Malrik desperately pumping Sarah's chest, tears already falling.
Elara instantly forgot everything else. She dropped to Sarah's side in an instant. Dain clenched his fists, keeping his eyes on the Demon that was just waiting to pounce.
Elara quickly began CPR. Putting her mouth to her daughter's, she breathed into it, after instructing Malrik to keep pumping her chest.
The white-haired girl looked away as the family kept trying, futilely.
Tears welled in Elara's eyes as she grew impatient. "I'll do it!" she told Malrik, swatting his hands away and taking over.
"Elara," Dain called out.
"I don't care about the stupid demon!" she exclaimed, her breaking, pained voice making everyone wince. "Our daughter is dying."
"She is dead."
"No, she is not!" she screamed, continuing the CPR.
Malrik looked at the corpse in front of him, shaking his head in disbelief.
"She is not dead. She can't be," he whispered.
Suddenly, the white-haired girl noticed something. A cloak of green magic surrounded Sarah's feet, slowly spreading upward. She breathed out in relief, almost falling to the ground.
"She isn't dead," she called out, and everyone turned towards her. Elara looked at her like she was seeing her for the first time.
The girl pointed to the green magical substance, which had now spread to Sarah's knees.
"Look! She isn't dying — she's being reborn!"
Elara let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She leaned toward her daughter's covered legs like a starving man seeing food for the first time. Dain unclenched his fists, smirking at the sight, while Malrik looked on in confusion.
"What are you talking about? She isn't breathing." He looked at everyone's relieved faces, puzzled.
Elara, now composed, placed a hand on Malrik's.
"But she isn't dead."
"…"
Malrik looked at his mother like she'd grown a second head. "I'm pretty sure that's what it means."
The girl shook her head. She walked over to Sarah's side and knelt.
"You're right. She is dead — but she will also soon wake up again."
Now Malrik was frustrated. He slapped his mother's hand away and grabbed the girl.
"Will you stop talking nonsense and tell me what is going on! Sarah is dead! And now all of a sudden, you're all acting like she's fine. Sh-she isn't breathing. She's gone!"
The demon on the other side had had enough of their family squabble. It lifted itself from the floor, stretching and flexing its newfound power.
"Elara," called out Dain.
"Right," she responded, standing and walking to his side.
Drips of Sarah's blood soaked her stained dress. A large shield appeared in her left hand, and a long spear in her right.
"Let's kill this son of a devil."
Looking at his parents, full of hope, Malrik couldn't help but feel the same.
"Your sister will be fine," said the white-haired girl, looking down at the half-covered corpse. "Your parents trust that her rebirth will go smoothly."
As Malrik frowned at the girl, the monster made its move. Its smile widened darkly, and the saliva dripping from its teeth charred the ground.
The Hollow Echo was attacking.
The monster planted its feet and opened its mouth wide. A large screech echoed out, and a spiralling shockwave tore towards the family, ripping the ground apart.
Dain vanished in a blink. Elara quickly planted her spear into the ground, channelled magic to her feet, and ordered everyone to grab on.
The white-haired girl grabbed Malrik and lunged towards Elara, clinging tight. The shockwave hit like a train, smashing into Elara's shield.
Elara gritted her teeth, sliding back inch by inch. The monster's screech deafened them. The shockwave threatened to crush their bodies.
Malrik's head ached. His ribs throbbed. He couldn't take it — and neither could the others.
"Dain!" Elara called desperately.
The man appeared beside the Demon. Its eyes snapped to him — but too late.
He channelled magic to his feet and launched a vicious kick at its face. One of the Demon's arms blocked it — but not well enough. The Demon was sent crashing into the wall, disrupting the shockwave.
Elara sighed in relief and looked back at the children.
"Protect your sister. Whatever you do, do not move her."
She pulled out her spear and disappeared.
The Demon pulled itself from the wall. Elara appeared in the air, cocked her spear back and threw it.
The Demon swerved. The spear struck the wall behind.
Smoke rose.
Elara raised her shield just in time. A ferocious punch burst from the smoke, slamming her across the stadium.
Dain was about to move — but the Demon screeched again.
Distorted sound waves vibrated across the stadium, forming cracks in the walls.
Malrik shielded Sarah. The girl formed a white barrier.
She struggled.
"I don't think I can hold it for long," she choked out.
"Don't worry. My parents will get us out of this."
"What?"
"I said—"
BOOM!
An explosion. The sound waves stopped.
The children looked up — the Demon lay face-first on the ground.
"What happened?" asked Malrik.
Elara walked towards them, her shield still attached to her arm.
"Earlier, when I threw my spear, I tagged a bomb to it. The Demon must have been close enough for the explosion to hit it and disrupt the sound waves."
She was dazed, barely able to stand.
"This isn't over."
Dain appeared beside her. His eyes were cold.
"It certainly lives up to its name — The Hollow Echo. Its Cursed Title allows it to produce both shockwaves and soundwaves through its screams. Makes me wonder what kind of Title the singer had."
Elara looked back. "How is Sarah?"
Malrik and the girl turned. The green substance had nearly covered her entire body. A yellow-coloured aura began forming over the green.
"What's going on now?" asked Malrik. "And don't say she's being 'reborn'. That doesn't make sense."
The girl sighed.
"Alright — I'll put it in simpler terms. Your sister is going through a Title Evolution."
"A what!?"
"A Title Evolution. Her Title is being reborn into an Awakened Title. In other words…"
She smiled.
"She is being born again."