The clock read 8:30 A.M. Sunlight poured into the room, and I woke feeling the heavy residue of yesterday's exhaustion. Beside me, Cherry was still deep in sleep, her breathing slow and even, her face peaceful.
Sigh, what am I going to do with her? But I already had a plan. Today, we were going to see Mrs. Samuel. I needed answers about the Void and the strange power awakening inside me.
I slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to disturb Cherry. After brushing my teeth and taking a quick shower, I headed to the kitchen. With the extra ingredients I'd bought, I prepared a simple breakfast for two: crunchy toast, a fresh salad, baked beans, a few samosas, and some pasta. It was a random assortment, but after the day we'd had, anything hearty would do.
The bedroom door creaked open. Cherry emerged, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Oh, hi. Good morning," she mumbled, her voice thick.
"Good morning," I replied.
She disappeared into the bathroom and reemerged a short while later, taking a seat at the table. She clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and offered a silent prayer. I wondered which god she believed in, but quickly dismissed the thought. Knowing won't change anything. I joined her, and we ate in a comfortable silence punctuated only by the clink of cutlery and the crunch of toast.
---
After breakfast, we got ready and headed for the bus stop. We boarded the bus to the next city where Mrs. Samuel lived. Cherry sat beside me, opening a bag of chips she'd bought and munching on them contentedly.
Seriously, how much is she going to eat? Then I remembered. Oh, right. She does most of the fighting. She needs the energy.
The bus ride was quiet. When we reached our stop, we disembarked and began the walk to Mrs. Samuel's house. As usual, I scanned the alleyways we passed. Not a single homeless person was in sight. I'm glad this area has been spared so far.
Soon, we arrived. The house was as I remembered—quiet and beautiful, nestled within a sprawling, manicured garden. Now, I could appreciate its lavishness without the anxiety of being late for a job. Fruit trees heavy with different varieties grew in the garden, their bounty so tempting I felt an urge to pluck one of each.
I rang the doorbell. Cherry stood steadfast beside me. The door opened after a few minutes to reveal the uniquely muscular woman, Atlanta, her large bow strapped to her back. She stepped aside wordlessly to let us enter. She was incredibly tall. My eyes were instinctively drawn to her defined abs and the powerful curve of her chest.
"Ouch!" I yelped, glancing behind me. Cherry had pinched my side. That hurt! Why? She gave me a slight push forward as Atlanta closed the door.
"Welcome, guys!" Mrs. Samuel's familiar voice called out. She was lounging on her sofa, laptop in hand. Her attire was as casual as ever, her loose top revealing a hint of cleavage.
"Ouch!" Cherry pinched me again! Why me? I rubbed the sore spot. I had to remember she was a Magus; even a playful pinch from her carried significant force.
Then I remembered our purpose. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Mrs. Samuel beat me to it.
"So, how was the incident yesterday? Hehe," she asked, a light smile on her face.
I was taken aback. She was asking about one of the most traumatic experiences of my life as if it were a minor anecdote. Is she even human?
"Why are you asking like it was some kind of game for you?" Cherry snapped, her voice tight with emotion. I understood her completely.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," Mrs. Samuel clarified, her expression softening. "I just wanted to know if you suffered any major injuries. I do know some healing magic, after all."
Oh, wow. So she was a Magus. It was a surprise, yet it made perfect sense given the books she owned.
"We didn't suffer much, thanks to the other heroes who saved us," I said, speaking up since Cherry might not have known the full story. "One was a sniper, and I suspect the other was Atlanta. Am I right?" I'd only ever seen Atlanta with a bow. There could be other archers, but she was the most likely candidate.
"Oh, that's good to hear," Mrs. Samuel said. "I assume you've come to thank Atlanta, but you're here for far more than that, right?" She stood up from the sofa, her movement causing her body to sway.
"How much do you know about this? And who is this Atlanta person?" Cherry demanded, her eyes fixed on the muscular woman. "I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure I've read that name in a history book."
A person from the past!? I was stunned. How was that possible? It was as strange as the power I had just discovered.
Mrs. Samuel put a finger to her lips. "Shh, I'll tell you soon. Come." She flicked her fingers.
Suddenly, a wave of immense pressure washed over us. Kinetic power!? Before we could process it, our surroundings dissolved. We were no longer in the house. We stood in an endless, colorless white space. All around us were scattered statues, potteries, architectures, and ancient scriptures.
Mrs. Samuel didn't stop us from looking, so we began to explore. The artifacts were overwhelmingly ancient. We walked through the void until we found a giant, reassembled scripture at the far end.
---
[The broken Scripture]
Once upon a time,
If he had chosen another way, perhaps exploring the void in exchange? He went to the place where Abyss was the most ruthless.
The king decided to attack the void army with all his might. After all he was not a coward to run away.
The king attacked the void with all his might. Burning through his life force, he was able to make a crack in the void.
The king was wise as he sent partial troops there and put the rest at defense. All the army died and his kingdom was ravaged and he was killed.
The king enters the crack which lead to unknown. To find a completely new world which even he had not known, did he travel between world? If so, did he abandon his world?
The king sends all his force in hope of defeating the void. He only learnt the truth that they were too weak for the all devouring void.
---.
I finished deciphering the scripture and looked at Cherry, who had done the same. Her face mirrored my own amazement.
We both turned to look at Atlanta, who stood stoically beside Mrs. Samuel. Was she like this king? A figure who had traveled from the past to our present?
The thought was both a boon and a horror. Powerful allies were welcome, but the idea of what else could crawl out of the Void was terrifying.
"Hehe, now that you know more about the Void, let's become allies!" Mrs. Samuel said with a grin. She flicked her fingers again, and instantly, we were back in her living room. Sniff. I took a deep breath of the familiar air, letting out a sigh of relief.
It seemed we were now allies.
"So why is she still with you?" Cherry asked bluntly, her gaze still on Atlanta.
"Oh, come on," Mrs. Samuel replied. "She lost everyone and everything in her timeline. Give her a break, will you? She stays here because there's nowhere for her to return to. She's also helping us stop the Void from corrupting this world."
I see, I thought. After losing her world, she must be clinging to her sanity by protecting this one. It was a kind, yet profoundly sad, existence.
"Is that the only way to bring 'past heroes' here?" I asked. I didn't know how strong they were, but more support couldn't hurt.
"No, no. This is the fun part," Mrs. Samuel said, her eyes sparkling. "There are two ways for an ancient hero to enter this world. One is by forcing themselves through, like the king in the story. The other is by summoning them with an ancient chant from their own world."
Wait, really? Was it really that simple to summon such powerful beings?
"Though," she continued, "it depends on the hero whether they want to come or not. We have to convince them. I've tried several chants, but none have responded."
My hope deflated. Of course it's not easy. What was I thinking?
"Don't worry, though," Mrs. Samuel said cheerfully. "Since I haven't succeeded, I'll teach you both how to summon an ancient hero of your own! Though, your success will depend entirely on your own skill."
R-really? We could summon our own heroes? The possibility was electrifying.
"It is 4:56 P.M. now, though," Mrs. Samuel said, glancing at a clock. "You should come back tomorrow; it will be night soon!"
We had been in that white space for that long? It had felt like only minutes. Her magic was truly incredible.
We nodded in agreement, said our goodbyes, and left. As we walked, Cherry wore a bright smile, holding my hand the entire way. A new, palpable sense of hope and purpose filled the air around us.