The ground trembled as if the entire world were breathing in fury.
Rocks fused together, roots tore apart, and Garland roared amid the rising dust.
His body, now covered by armor of stone and magma, towered over the landscape like a living mountain.
—ROCK AWAKENING: FURY OF ATLAS! —his voice thundered.
Each word made the ground split further.
Michael stepped back instinctively. He could barely stay on his feet; the air grew heavy, the heat suffocating.
He looked at Jack, who still rested on his shoulder in his serpent-like shadow form.
—Hey, what the hell am I supposed to do against that? —he asked, voice trembling.
—Ah, well… you could try not dying, for starters —Jack replied calmly—.
Or, if you want something more technical, try focusing light in your hands… or your soul… or… well, something like that. I'm not a yoga instructor.
Michael swallowed hard.
He tried to focus, breathing deeply. But fear consumed him; he could barely feel the flow of energy within.
His body trembled as Garland's shadow loomed over him like a living wall.
—COME HERE, INSECT! —roared Garland, launching an avalanche of rocks from his colossal arm.
Michael screamed and rolled to the ground, barely dodging the blow. The impact sent him tumbling downhill, crashing through dirt and dust.
Stones battered his body until he slammed into an old cabin, which shattered instantly.
For a moment, the world stopped.
Pain flooded every part of him, his breath caught in his throat.
Among the wreckage, he looked around and recognized the broken structure.
His grandfather's old cabin.
The smell of burnt wood, the rusty tools, the cracked clock on the wall…
A rush of memories struck him:
The old man laughing while cooking, his rough voice saying, "Everything will be fine," his calloused hands tending his wounds.
And above all—the last moment: his grandfather giving him his energy, healing him at the cost of his own life.
Michael clenched his teeth. Tears streamed down his face.
—So that's why… those guys came… —he murmured between sobs—.
Because of me… they killed him because of me…
Jack watched silently, his expression more serious than usual, saying nothing.
Michael wiped his tears angrily.
The trembling of the ground intensified; Garland kept growing, merging further with the mountain.
—No… I'm not running this time —he whispered.
His hands began to glow faintly—a trembling white light, fragile as a candle flame.
He tried to focus his energy, imagining a sphere of light, but it wouldn't obey him.
The sphere was small, unstable… barely bright at all.
Jack sighed.
—That's… a decent attempt. Almost a ten for effort… zero for usefulness.
Michael ignored him.
He climbed the slope again, stumbling, gasping for breath. The wind struck his face, fear screamed inside his mind, but he kept going.
When he finally saw him, Garland stood like a colossus, fused with the mountain, his eyes glowing like embers.
—Hey, monster! —Michael shouted with all his strength.
His voice shook, but he didn't back down.
—This is for my grandfather!
The sphere of light grew slightly, and he hurled it with all his might.
The projectile whistled through the air and struck Garland's hand.
The explosion was blinding — a beam of white energy pierced the stone, leaving a glowing wound on his arm.
Garland looked at his hand, surprised… and then burst into deafening laughter.
—Was that it? Ridiculous!
His massive hand caught Michael before he could react. The rocks closed around him like a living prison, crushing his body.
He felt his ribs crack, the air forced from his lungs.
He tried to scream, but only a faint gasp escaped.
Jack shouted from within his mind:
—Don't you dare pass out, brat! Stay awake! Focus on surviving!
But the pain was too much. Everything blurred.
The glow of the light sphere faded.
Silence.
Darkness.
And then… a breath.
Michael's eyes opened — but they were no longer his.
Jack had taken control.
His hair darkened, his expression sharpened. A sardonic smirk crossed his face.
Garland's fingers began to tremble, and an invisible force sliced them from within.
Fragments of rock burst outward like shrapnel.
Garland roared, confused.
—W-what the hell…?
Jack, eyes cold and focused, murmured:
—That old man… he was your grandfather, wasn't he? He reminded me of someone. I wasn't going to interfere, but… I guess it's time to turn the tables.
You're dead.
Garland laughed.
—Dead? I am one with this mountain, you insignificant trash!
Jack smiled faintly, forming a shadow symbol with his hands.
—Kuro.
From the ground erupted a massive beast — a dragon of pure darkness with four arms, multiple glowing red eyes like beacons, and enormous rabbit-like ears flowing behind it. It stood at least forty meters tall.
With a single leap, the monster pounced on Garland.
The impact shook the entire valley.
Garland tried to defend himself, but Kuro bit down, tearing off his stone arms as if they were dry branches.
Jack emerged from the shadow on Garland's neck, floating above him, eyes gleaming like blades.
—Time to finish this.
—Shadow Awakening: Spatial Variant — Dark Matter Cut.
A single movement.
A black line split the sky, slicing through the clouds.
The giant's body froze for an instant… and then collapsed into fragments, an avalanche devouring the mountain.
Jack landed atop Kuro, watching the remains.
He sighed.
—Maybe I should've interrogated him first… —he muttered, a hint of melancholy in his tone—. But he pissed me off, thinking about that old man.
Who would've thought… the world really is small.
Well, kid, looks like I'll have to train you for real. Pretty stupid of me to throw you into danger like that.
Kuro, take me down.
—As you wish, my king —the beast growled, descending through the dust.
Michael regained control. Kuro vanished, and Jack materialized before him as a humanoid shadow.
—Rest. That small display of power was weak, but I don't blame you —Jack said, folding his arms—.
Just remember: I can only act when you're unconscious. So try not to die so often.
Michael lowered his head, sobbing.
—I'm too weak… I couldn't do anything… I couldn't even protect my grandfather. You had to save me… You should find someone stronger to give your powers to.
Jack stared at him silently for a few seconds. Then, without warning, he kicked him.
—First of all, don't interrupt me.
Second, to give up this power, you'd have to die, you stupid brat.
And third — wasn't that old man the one who gave his life to save you?
And you think you'll honor him by sitting there crying?
Michael looked up, wiping his tears.
—My grandfather used to say revenge was never good… but…
if you help me get stronger, I'll be able to protect others.
So… please, teach me. I promise I'll help you with your revenge if you help me with mine.
Jack smiled faintly.
—That's the spirit, kid. But for now… get some rest.
Michael glanced at the ruins of his home buried under stone.
—And where exactly am I supposed to sleep?
Jack paused for a second.
—Ah…