I guess we don't really have a choice if we want to live.
Kale thought for only a moment before locking eyes with Quill. They nodded to each other, and Kale broke into a run toward Nickel's alchemy store, Quill close behind. After a few minutes of sprinting, they reached the street.
Something felt off.
The rest of the town was drowning in noise, shouting, crashing, panic. This street was silent. Too silent.
"This feels weird," Quill whispered, his voice barely steady.
"Weird how?" Kale said. "Looks normal to me. Nickel should be right down he-"
Quill suddenly grabbed the back of Kale's shirt and yanked him backward.
A massive boulder burst from the alley ahead, slamming into a house and crushing it in on itself. Stone and dust exploded outward.
"Shit!" Kale shouted.
Another boulder flew. Kale dropped flat to the ground just in time as it sailed overhead. The impact shook the street.
Heavy footsteps followed. They were slow, yet deliberate.
From the darkness of the alley emerged a Dweller.
It towered over them, nearly five meters tall. Its body was formed from gleaming metals, shards of stone embedded throughout its frame. A wolf's head rested unnaturally on one shoulder, its empty eyes fixed forward. One leg dragged slightly as it stepped, but every movement still sent vibrations through the ground.
"W-what do we do?" Quill whimpered, his voice breaking as tears welled in his eyes.
Kale swallowed. "Stop panicking. We just need to destroy its body. If we do that, its soul will be released."
I have no clue what I'm saying, let's just hope that works
He clenched his fists anyway. Giving up wasn't an option; his resolve was solid even in the face of this adversity.
Elsewhere...
"My lord, if I may-"
"Silence!"
A giant of a man sat heavily in the oversized throne. He had a rough, almost unsettling look about him. He was shirtless, showing off a frame built of thick muscle and covered in a web of scars that ran from his scalp down to his feet.
Kneeling on the floor before him was a boy who looked barely fifteen. The boy was thin and scrawny, with a bright ginger hair and green eyes that seemed lifeless in the dim room. The walls were made of stone bricks that adorned large blue banners with white stars across it. It was dimly lit with candles underneath statues of powerful figures, previous leaders of this empire.
Nordaun, the Northern Continent.
"For the first time ever, our population is decreasing. Our military is weakened, and we're vulnerable. Our iron grip on the world is loosening. Now, an opportunity to annex Westeria has arisen and you expect me to sit idly by?"
"But think of the innocent lives at stake if we go into war!"
"Do not raise your voice to me. The life of scum does not concern me. The purpose of the worker is to server the owner, the purpose of the civilian is to serve the elite."
The young man grimaced, the words he wished to speak were caught in his throat. Nothing could be done in the face of overwhelming power.
"Alert my generals. This opportunity will not be wasted."
"As you wish, Apostle Cabbage"
Outside Nickel's Alchemy Store
Kale grasped a wooden beam from the rubble of the destroyed house. His posture was tall and strong, but he was miniscule in size compared to the Dweller. He held the wooden beam like a spear, ready to engage.
"A little help here, if you don't mind!"
Kale lunged forward, thrusting the beam into the Dweller.
"WRAHHHHH"
The Dweller screeched after the impact, shaking everything in the area. Even Kale and Quill.
So...tired...
Kale tried to step forward to strike again but his body gave out. He began to fall toward the floor but was suddenly caught.
"I'll take it from here"
Quill caught him, but it didn't feel like Quill. He looked more confident, stronger even.
10 Seconds Earlier
Quill stood in fear, he watched as Kale lunged at the Dweller with a wooden beam. Suddenly, his left eye glowed bright white, causing Quill to wince in pain.
Odin's Eye
"WRAHHHHH"
Kale tried to step forward to strike again but his body gave out.
Quill snapped back to reality, he knew what was going to happen. He covered his ears, but he too had grown tired.
Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump
Quill's heart was beating rapidly, it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. His surroundings became hazy, until they faded to black.
Oh goodness, where am I?
Where you belong.
Who is that? Who's there?
It's me, I'm the real Quill.
What? N-No I am!
Look at you, pathetic. Stammering like a little baby. You get cheated on, beg for her to give you another chance, lose your body to a demon and now you're about to die to another demon after being held captive.
I-It's not my fault, I'm the victim here
Is that so? Or are you just a weak nuisance who can't protect himself
I...I don't know
You know the truth deep down. Let me take over and everything will be better
Really?
Really.
Present Time
"I hate helping you," Quill muttered under his breath. "Both of you. But I don't really have a choice."
He dropped Kale to the ground and grabbed his wooden beam, tightening his grip.
"Let's just get this over with."
His left eye flickered white.
Quill launched forward, pushing off the ground and leaping into the air. The beam came down in a wide arc, slamming into the Dweller's metallic body with a heavy crack.
"WRAHHHHH"
The screech tore through the street, but this time it did nothing.
Quill didn't stop. He kept swinging, again and again, each strike landing with force but leaving barely a dent. The beam began to splinter, small pieces breaking off with every hit. The Dweller's body barely shifted, but its movements grew more erratic, more aggressive.
Shit
The Dweller's arm swung.
Quill saw it coming. His eye caught the motion, predicted the path, but his own body failed to follow through. His timing slipped for a split second.
The hit landed clean.
He was launched across the street and slammed into the side of a house. The wall cracked on impact, dust and debris falling around him.
Cough Cough
Quill pushed himself up slowly, using the broken beam to steady himself. His legs trembled under his weight. His shirt was torn open, a deep red mark spreading across his chest, blood running down in thin lines.
He steadied his breathing, eyes locked on the Dweller.
"You think that's enough?" he said, voice low and shaking. "You're not putting me down that easily."
He forced his body forward again.
Quill jumped, back arching as he raised the beam above his head. Everything in his vision narrowed to a single point. One strike. That was all he had left.
"Sever."
The beam came down.
The Dweller split clean in half.
For a second, Quill froze.
That wasn't me
His grip loosened as he dropped to the ground, rolling onto his side, pain shooting through his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing hard.
When he opened them again, someone was standing over him.
Nickel.
Quill let out a weak breath.
So that's what happened