Truth and Family: A God's Journey

"Have you created the soil canisters yet?" a man said. His deep voice was steady as he clutched the bottle tightly in both hands. He pushed long, dark hair away from his face. His purple eyes were focused beneath the jewel-trimmed fur coat draped around his shoulders. Standing atop a snow-covered hill, he surveyed the icy factories below, which were divided into barren sectors. Gears clicked and whirred as machinery operated nearby.

The man tilted his head, examining the segmented earth below. As the brown-haired soldier approached, he snapped to attention, saluted sharply, then stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed forward, awaiting further instruction from the man.

"Of course, sir. Anything for the nation of Wraileza's attention." The soldier's voice carried a hint of reverence, a mixture of duty and ambition that drove him to serve with unwavering loyalty. Wraileza's legacy demanded such dedication, and he was eager to prove his worth in the eyes of the nation he held in high regard.

Echoes of machinery filled the air, bouncing off the hills and swirling into the cold, open sky. The noise was relentless and omnipresent.

"If it is this product of our creation that you want, My Queen, then allow me to handle the rest."

...

The snow-covered hills faded into the distance as attention shifted elsewhere.

(Meanwhile, on the other side...)

"And it looks like there are gatherings over there."

Asahi focused intently on the factories atop the slope. His followers and allies, recognizing his leadership, clustered behind him, waiting for his next move.

One of them, struggling to stay upright amid swirling snow, asked, "So, what do we do now?" gripping another's arm for support.

Curiosity swept through the group as they watched the clicking gears below, confusion evident in their expressions as they tried to understand the machinery's purpose. Suddenly, Trid stepped forward, closed his eyes in concentration, and slammed his hand onto one of the moving gears, deliberately attempting to stop its motion.

"That should settle them. You four, go to the closest..."

The sound of people scrambling up the snowy hills reached their ears. The group spun toward the disturbance, snow thickening around them. Forced to crouch low and proceed cautiously, one follower, anxiety clear, glanced at Trid and called out urgently to him.

"Then what will happen to you?!"

Trid was tased five times by attackers hidden in the chaos, forcing him to collapse into the snow, paralyzed but managing a weak smile and thumbs up to reassure his friends. Asahi, shocked by Trid's fall, rushed over and, determined not to abandon him, gripped both of Trid's arms to drag him toward the facility, his mind racing with fear and anger at the unseen assailants.

...

The machinery's clicking grew louder every second. Canisters moved along mechanical belts, dropping into massive buckets. Asahi and his followers dodged gears and rushed through the back passage, sparks flying from the machinery and drawing Asahi's attention as they zoomed by.

"It appears we have arrived too late. Resurrection canister productions are moving at a rapid pace as we speak." Someone said as they stood behind, gazing at the churning factories. The man approaching them had bright turquoise hair and vivid green eyes, standing out as a newcomer among the group. Asahi caught a glance at the man standing near him.

"I suppose we share the same goals." He gave Asahi a half-smile. "I, too, am investigating this... process of transforming canisters into resurrection. I believe it is the highest form of disrespect to my ancestors."

Time was short for Asahi. The acrid smell of smog hung in the air as he analyzed the swift movements across the industrial zone. All around, gears and clockwork clicked in relentless, rapid motion.

(So if I can't go here...)

He thought that building a factory at such a high rate must be magic—there was no other feat to compare it to.

After inspecting the devices, Asahi saw clear evidence—the factory was not just busy; it was working tirelessly, full steam ahead.

As they dashed through the steel hallways, dodging lasers and scattered debris, the group finally reached the facility's center. They quickly hid behind a wall, peering through a tiny hole that revealed two powerful figures—a dark-haired man with purple eyes and a blonde woman with sharp gray eyes—standing at the command center, clearly awaiting orders.

[Enhance] the machine said as the two gathered behind the peephole on the steel door. If they were ever to make just the slightest of movements, they would have been done for. Luckily enough, they bounced back, saluting as the sound of steam pressed against the room.

[Accessing file 172]

[Execute?]

After taking a deep breath, the followers, Asahi, and the turquoise-haired man gazed at the hologram floating at the center of the steel room, and the dark-haired man spoke.

"Proceed."

[Understood. Mr. (redacted)]

Then, after the command, a giant hologram of what was supposed to be Gincad appeared before them. Surrounding it were two dark vortexes, seeming to dance around the world as if it were their plaything. All watched as the dark-haired man scrolled through the flashing images, passing through names like "Evercross Plains" and "Erkunshinkdle City" appearing on the hologram. Then, after scrolling and using hand signals, most watched as a giant purple light engulfed the heart-shaped continent, atop the tallest mountain in all of The World of Gincad,

"The Super Weapons development process is a success."

"Super weapon?" The blonde-haired woman scanned the baffling visuals as well. "Whatever do you mean? The Attacker?"

That name, although familiar to Aletha, wasn't the same for Asahi. Aletha had revealed to Asahi that she was watching the whole time. But after being selfish, all she could do was watch and do nothing else.

The super weapon they were hinting about wasn't just about this giant intergalactic cannon capable of destroying a world, but someone else, too.

"The Attacker."

After listening to and eavesdropping on the conversation, the two powerful figures hinted to Asahi that the Super Weapon of Wraileza wasn't just a device but...

The blonde-haired woman objected...

"Whispers circled about a mysterious figure classified as 'The Attacker,' said to possess abilities that went beyond the imaginable." She glanced at her clipboard. "Are you talking about her? The sore loser that gave all of her will to the Queen's wishes?"

"The Attacker had unleashed its full assault in Linuxinia, and I, for one, have to say that it was a waste deploying that powerful a troop somewhere in that joke of a nation." The dark-haired man said. "If it is the supposed urge and will of The Queen of Wraileza, simply capturing the two white-haired heroes and The Attacker won't be enough."

As more revelations flowed about the plan, Asahi and the turquoise-haired man leaned closer onto the metal door.

"So... about the second Super Weapon, Sectorfobian #8, what is our progress?"

[55% completion.]

"So, just halfway complete." The dark-haired man said as he scoffed into the air. "This world shall know ALL of the worlds they have destroyed. Each and every one of them."

"Do you know the motives of The Queen and why she plans to destroy the world?" The blonde-haired woman said as she peered over to the door, checking if they were being watched.

"I believe it is the wishes of The Outside that motivated and urged her absolute goal."

Suddenly, after leaning on the door, without warning, a loud slam echoed across the room. Quickly, the powerful beings turned over to the steel entry. Now, knowing they have been spotted,

"Someone is eavesdropping on us." The man stomped and commanded, "Show yourself, fiend."

After hearing the alarm blare, Asahi, the turquoise-haired man, and his followers sprinted from the left hallway toward the entrance. The alarm sound grew tiring, singing its wretched lullaby across the steel corridors.

"We have no time to lose." The turquoise-haired man slammed the door open, allowing the cool air to flow into the warm expanse. To reciprocate, the warmth faded as a snowstorm swept by, cutting through the coldness of this arctic wasteland. Suddenly, soldiers arrived carrying strange-shaped weapons. Hurriedly, they threw lasers out to the group.

"Run! And leave!" The turquoise-haired man shouted with urgency. "It's not me they are after, it's you! Go and hurry!"

Strapped up in the tendrils of urgency, Asahi briskly sprinted up the snowy cliff, seeing the sky cloud up in dark gray. The superweapon, the attacker, everything felt alien to him. He couldn't bear to understand the Queen's motives, but then he remembered.

"She's part of The Promise."

Yes, the faction that has been sabotaging everything from the very beginning. From the forests of Pladtioa to the tall mountains, when they were fighting the dragon, all of it came flooding back in a gentle roar of rage. The Promise WANTED to steal the world's fate and drink it up. They wanted the world to end. And that drove Asahi to pursue something.

"I must find out why they and Aiyana want the world to be destroyed."

Struck with unanswered questions, leaving Trid and that turquoise-haired man behind, he hurriedly dashed to an empty catacomb of ice, racing to the hallway of glaciers.

"Lord Asahi, where are you taking us?"

"Far from Astait. Far from any factory." Clutched in his hands was a brilliant blue canister of enchanted soil, straight from the bucket of the canister factory. The followers went wide-eyed with shock, watching as he carried one with absolute dominance. Though his intentions were clear, it still didn't make sense why their Lord would lead them to a place like this.

"Lord Asahi, you look upset."

In truth, he had always been upset. The whole ordeal of his own sibling being the cause of their old world's destruction bit him like a snake. Not just that, but his friends were gone too, unable to see the struggle he had faced. Asahi felt a mixture of pitiful emotions. One with sorrow and loss at the world he once knew, gone and brushed away from the podium of familiarity, and then there were the people. Although nurturing, it could not eclipse the ever-increasing cold of Astait. It would have to take more than warmth to settle him down.

These people, these places, these circumstances, and more all drove his misadventure in Astait to a burning halt brimming with procrastination and high commands. He had wondered what happened to Primrose, Trid, and most importantly, Grandpa. Trying to imagine what had gone through their heads, Asahi closed his eyes and thought.

. . .

(Meanwhile, under...)

Her pink hair shimmered underneath the cool ceiling of ice. She couldn't breathe. Her mouth felt funny. And her eyes were stained with chilling salt water. Around her, floating fishes swam, and a scintillating cyan light bathed the sea floor. Frostbite bit her. However, she was far too deep, deeper than...

Just where am I? She thought.

Like Asahi and Aletha, Primrose had found herself awakened several thousand meters underwater.

The reflecting surface was too bright; it had almost stung her eyes. But that wasn't what mattered most.

What truly mattered was that she... was able to breathe underwater.

(Where is Asahi? Dad, where are you?)

Only silence and the occasional amount of bubbles had responded to her pleas. The first thought that came to her mind was the giant castle submerged underwater. She had never seen anything like it. An enormous castle— a city even- had been plunged deep into the darkest depths of the ocean? It hadn't added up.

The second thing was that there were minimal to no people around. Just her and her alone, or so it seemed. That and the creatures lurking over in the deepest shadows.

The last thing she noticed was that a shard of the shattered Orb of Immortality was splintered into her skin, most likely the cause of how she could breathe underwater in the first place. That's when she recalled the foolish act of Asahi, how he shattered the Orb of Immortality on the stone floor, its shards hitting the three.

With no one but her wits alone, she had decided to find Asahi and her father, Trid, in this abandoned spectacle of an entire kingdom beneath the waves.