Stars of Freedom

Chapter 56: Reckless

As the last person had finally moved outside the area, Kenos gathered everyone up. Acheron walked over near Nahe who was behind Kenos.

Acheron: Did you two make a plan or something?

Nahe: Ehh, kinda.

Acheron: What's up?

Nahe: We gotta find the person responsible for the....dome? Whatever we're calling it. We gotta find them and stop them, they can't be far.

Acheron: Sounds good.

Kenos: Listen, I know some of you got caught up in this mess accidentally. Before we do anything, I'm giving you a chance to go back home.

Everyone looked over at each other, confused.

Tori: I'm guessing you're referring to the kids here.

Kenos: No, I mean all of you. You fought an unwanted fight, you all deserve to rest, and I am giving you that opportunity.

Volk: Where would we even go? We have nothing to return to.

Okami: ...no one to return to.

Silence filled the air for a second, Acheron had turned around to look into the forest.

Kenos: Listen, don't force yourselves to fight just because you feel like there's nothing ahead in life. Take your time and think about what you should do.

Volk: That's the problem. It could take a while, we have nowhere to really rest. I mean that literally, it's been 9 years, the world probably considers us dead.

Okami: They aren't wrong, we were dead till a few days ago.

Alepou had begun reassembling the gun which Yuzui had dismantled.

Tori: If we did have a place to go back to, me and Argos would have done that ages ago. Why do you think we stayed in that castle? We were content there, even if we had to fight things every once in a while...even if we had to kill people once in a while. Our homes were literally torn to shred dude.

Kenos: I mean, I can send you anywhere you want. You can quite literally start a new life.

Elias: Dude, that sounds hard. Especially for people who are officially dead in any government's eyes.

Nichi hit him with her elbow.

Elias: I'm right though!

Nahe: I mean, it's hard but not impossible.

Yuzui: It's better than nothing.

Okami: I think I'd prefer to stay in my grave.

Tori created her weapon once again.

Tori: I can help with that!

Okami: No, thanks. I'll take up the offer to go somewhere, I just wanna see home one last time before I do anything else.....Even if it's just rubble and smoke still.

Tori: I...Oka, our little town was re-made entirely into a big city. No trace of the town was left.

Okami: ...you didn't kill me, but you sure killed every ounce of motivation I had.

Tori: HEY! It's better if I disappoint you. Or did you wanna wait to disappoint yourself?

Okami sighed as he covered his face. Acheron had turned around to grab Nahe's shoulder.

Okami: Fair enough I guess.

Acheron: Well, your choice will have to wait. I have all I need, and I'm tired of playing this role.

Before Nahe could even react, Acheron gripped his shoulder tightly and kicked him forward. Everyone immediately got into a fighting stance as Nahe was on the ground, slowly making a puddle of blood around him. Acheron smiled maliciously as he dropped Nahe's entire arm on the ground. Kenos quickly kneeled next to Nahe and passed his hand on the wound, covering it to stop the bleeding.

Alepou quickly finished assembling the gun and created an entire magazine with her power. She began to shoot at Acheron, but the bullets were stopped by a pink translucent wall that covered him. As Alepou stopped shooting, Acheron began to change form entirely. Alepou recognized those pink eyes, that brown hair and that ominous smile immediately. She holstered the weapon as her breathing began to get quicker.

Alepou: Why? Lamia, why?!

Her eyes watered up as the girl in front of them, Lamia kept smiling. Alepou didn't feel sad whatsoever, it was pure anger that filled her heart.

Kenos: You know her?

Lamia: Of course she knows me. Who could forget their own sibling? Especially someone so talented as me!

Alepou grabbed her head. Tori went over to her and tried calming her down. Nahe, who was still in pain, gritted his teeth and sat up.

Nahe: Was...was there ever really an Acheron?

Lamia laughed.

Lamia: You all really lowered your guard as soon as you left the house. Little Acheron is still in there. After all, how can someone with broken arms and legs move at all.

She snapped her fingers and someone jumped down from a tree behind her. The person then proceeded to put his hand out towards the house. The area everyone had come out of disappeared entirely.

Lamia: I am curious to know how you noticed our invisible friend though, Mr. Zvezda.

Silence filled the air as all eyes were on Lamia.

Lamia: Really, nothing? Maybe you'll talk to someone familiar. Especially you sis, you'd love to talk to him again.

She grinned as her facial structure began changing entirely. Her hair began to get darker and shorter, her eye began to change, and her skin color transformed as well. Everyone immediately knew what she was going to do, rather, who she was changing into.