Prologue
“The power of the Phoenix is too powerful, my brother” commented IV.
“I agree, brother” said the well known and respected III. “How do we defeat it, my lord?”
“Am I right in believing that our sister VI has recently had an offspring?” inquired II, the current leader.
“Yes, brother,” said III with a nod.
“Then we must perform it,” said II, in a serious tone.
“You mean…?” began IV.
“Yes,” confirmed II, “We must perform the spell of Patricia.”
“But,” said another person, V, “that would mean giving our own life to save the planet. And even with that, the Phoenix shall be released in fifteen years from today.”
“That is what it means to be one of the six Chosen Ones,” said II. “Our organization has existed for hundreds of years, with new members chosen when the others die. The prophecy stated that the 200th VI member, which happens to be the number that our current VI is, shall bear a son who shall be the True Number – The number of I who shall finally bring peace to Earth.”
“So,” summarized III, “You are saying that we should perform the spell of Patricia, which will take our lives, to seal the Phoenix, which has been destroying mankind for generations, and when the seal is inevitably broken in fifteen years… well then what?”
“Then we hope that the True Number of I shall defeat the Phoenix and bring peace to the world,” finished II.
“Hope?” said V with a hint of sarcasm.
“Do you have a better plan?” said III. “I for one agree with II. It’s a gamble I’m willing to take, because let’s face it – none of us can beat the Phoenix. But the offspring of VI might be capable of doing what we cannot. All those against this.” Nobody said anything. “Very well then.”
“V,” said II, “Please inform VI of her child’s fate and our decision. And also, please perform the spell of Memory on the boy. Make it so that his normal inherited nature of the Chosen Ones is erased. Leave him on the doorstep of any kind but poor man. I wish the man to be poor so that the boy doesn’t get too spoilt and he has to do hard work which will, of course, build his body up and that shall help in his later life, especially since both his mother and late father are very powerful. It’s only right that the boy is just like his parents. Write a note on him which labels his name – give him the name that his mother desires and do not, under any circumstances, reveal yourself to the parents but keep an eye on the boy to make sure that he is adopted and you are sure that the man shall take care of him. Once you are done, please return here and then we shall perform the Spell of Patricia.”
V intently listened to his superior’s explanation and nodded his head vigorously when asked if he understood. He would do just as II commanded and went to VI to inform her of her child’s future and the fact that they were about to perform the spell of Patricia.
“Do you honestly think that this plan shall work?” said III. “And do you really think that the boy shall destroy the Phoenix?”
“I don’t know,” II unknowingly whispered, “I only pray, for if the prophesy is incorrect, then all of our efforts shall be for nothing and the world will be annihilated when the Phoenix breaks the seal. Our hopes rest upon the boy.”

Fourteen Years later

“Cendre, have you chopped the wood? You know we must have it chopped so we can sell it tomorrow morning,” called Mr. Colin.
“Yeah, dad, I have. Geez, can’t you ever leave me alone,” said Cendre. Mr. Colin sadly gazed at the fourteen year old. Fourteen years had passed since he had found the boy on his doorstep, and while he could not afford to feed him, he just couldn’t bear to leave him Cendre to die. Thus, he had adopted him and raised him as his own child. Cendre was not yet aware of the fact that he wasn’t the son Mr. Colin and while the latter wished to tell him, he wasn’t sure if it was time.
To Mr. Colin’s dismay, Cendre had grown up to become an arrogant, selfish and downright egocentric teenager, instead of the pure and innocent boy that Mr. Colin had imagined and wished. But while Cendre had such negative traits, he had something more – deep inside, he was a kind and caring boy. That was the reason he had stayed at his house even though he could always leave, and abandon Mr. Colin. He probably knew that Mr. Colin could not manage by himself, as he was slowly, but surely, growing older, and older.
“Listen, dad,” said Cendre, in a serious tone, very unlike his usual arrogant and conceited one, “I’ve been having these strange dreams. And I thought that you would be willing to help me.”
“Of course,” replied Mr. Colin. “I don’t mean to pry, but what do you see in them?”
“I-I see… death,” answered Cendre, mournfully.
“To yourself? Or to someone you know?” said Mr. Colin, hiding his astonishment. A boy of fourteen shouldn’t be dreaming of death – especially one who hadn’t seen much of the real world, seeing as they lived in a relatively tranquil and rural area.
“Neither,” said Cendre, “ I see random people being killed by a bird with literally burning wings and a beak which looked sharper than the sharpest knife. It had fiery red eyes and it seemed to enjoy killing everybody. It’s call was the most hideous and disgusting I’ve ever heard – while it itself was melodious, the sadistic cackle that seemed to go with it, made it most horrendous. The bird wasn’t like anything I’ve ever seen. It was enormous and could somehow breath out fire just by opening its mouth.”
Mr. Colin was bewildered. The bird that Cendre had just described was the hated Phoenix – the bird that had conquered and held the world under bondage for decades until fourteen years ago – on a day which coincidentally was the time when he received Cendre on a basket. Now he wasn’t sure if it were a coincidence. The boy had enormous, supernatural strength and by the age of five, he could do what men ten times his age couldn’t. But aside from even that, he seemed special – as if life had a bigger task for him in his later life.
“Do you see anything after that?” asked Mr. Colin, curiously.
“Yes,” answered Cendre, “I see six people – five men and one woman – surround the confident bird who just brushed them off as insects. They seem to chant a weird saying in a language I’ve never heard – to be honest, it felt odd. Even though if I’ve never really heard it, it felt as if I had – as if my body was trying to react to it.”
Mr. Colin was mystified and shocked, but the story had piqued his interest. He adored tales. But as much as he wanted to ask some questions, he allowed Cendre to finish the dream.
“Once they say whatever it was they said, the bird screamed with pain, even though I had no idea what was causing it, and also collapsed onto the ground, where it seemed to fade into the very soil itself as it disappeared into nothingness. Then I heard a voice.”
“A voice?” said Mr. Colin, not mentioning the fact that Cendre had just narrated the incident with the Phoenix that had actually happened fourteen years ago. Every detail – except of this ‘voice’ – was correct and accurate. But how did Cendre even know the story? He certainly hadn’t told him and not many people lived nearby. And he doubted that Cendre would make such a farfetched story, although it was true.
“It said something I don’t understand. It was very cryptic, and odd. It said,
The man who shalt destroy the Bird,
Destroy the Bird which was innocent,
Art thou the man?
Thou has been mislead,
And misinformed,
Accidentally mistaken,
Is what thou are,
The Bird,
That killed with reason,
Shalt it survive?
Nai,
The man shalt succeed,
Thus the Bird shalt turn to ash.”
Mr. Colin was once again mystified as he scratched his chin, in a thoughtful manner. The message Cendre had just told him about was indeed very enigmatic and obscure. The bird mentioned was obviously the Phoenix. And he had an inkling that the man who was talked about was actually Cendre.
“The dream seems to be a sign of things to come. However for now, let’s pretend that they never happened,” advised Mr. Colin. Then he hesitatingly but bluntly said, “And, uh, one more thing. Cendre, I’m not your real father.”
A shock – that was the only way to describe it – a surge of electricity went through Cendre as he took in this ingenuous statement. In all his life he had never been as astounded. If Mr. Colin wasn’t his father – then who was? Before he could look too shocked, however, Cendre gave his trademark smug and arrogant smirk. He put his chin up in a proud manner.
“I always knew that I was deserving of better things. You have done nothing but slow me down. I deserve better things – things that you can’t provide me with. Thus…” Cendre would have continued if Mr. Colin hadn’t guffawed.
“Ha, I love you too, son,” he chuckled.
Cendre continued to smirk, “… Thus I have chosen to leave home on a journey.”

"Eh? You want to leave home?" said Mr. Colin, concealing his surprise, "Whatever for?"
"Because I feel that I'm deserving of better things," answered Cendre. "And because I've just realized that I'm not
who I appear to be. ”I shall travel the Earth and I shall find out my purpose of living and my true heritage."

"I will not allow it," said Mr. Colin, in an unexpectedly hard voice. "I don't need a child your age to be taking on such a difficult task. And don't even think about escaping during the night while I sleep. Ayub will be returning from his journey by dusk and I've no doubt he'll keep an eye on you."

Cendre was shocked. His adoptive father hadn't used such a hard voice since the time Cendre brought a dangerous wolf home for dinner. The boy had shown such fighting skill since a young age that he could kill a wolf without much effort. But Mr. Colin loved life and didn't like killing animals that weren't meant to be eaten such as lions. But he had no qualms about eating chicken.

Cendre shook his head in an effort to return to his original thoughts. Why? Why would Mr. Colin tell Cendre who had a natural passion for adventure, that he couldn't go on an adventure to find out his true purpose.

"And just not why not?" demanded the teenager, with an air of disrespect.

"Because I said so." With that, Mr. Colin walked off to make sure that Cendre had chopped the wood.

"Is that so?" murmured Cendre to himself, before smirking, "Very well, father. I guess I can humor you."

Ten minutes later

"I'm sorry, Cendre," said Mr. Colin to himself as he gazed out at the beautiful landscape. "But I can't bear to lose you."

Many planets away

"The phoenix shall be freed as soon as the Chosen ones' spell shall wear off, master Jade," said a man. He wore a navy blue cloak which covered his face, with a hood in addition to his entire body. A black velvet cape was drawn from his collar which reached down almost till his ebony shoes. Upon the slightest of movement from him provoked the soft rattle of a hidden necklace which had a beautiful crimson ruby embedded on it, around his invisible neck. Yet despite of all of his dark clothing, a serene and pure smile graced the little of his face which was visible.

"Interesting," commented another figure, Jade. His clothing was identical to the other person's. The only difference was that while he too wore a concealed necklace, the stone which decorated his was a bright and beautiful emerald. He too had a tranquil smile etched across his face. "What is the latest update on the Mavericks, my dear Magma?"

"They've been lying low for some time," said the man who was apparently called Magma. He turned to a third figure who had a pure and deep cobalt sapphire. "You've been silent, today, Cyan. Anything special?"

"Shut up!" growled the third man, Cyan "you know as well as I do that fourteen years ago the Six chosen ones gave their lives to seal the Phoenix. Why did they do that?"

"Forget the accursed Chosen ones," said another man, coming into view. He too had a ruby. "They would've died either way."

"Mind your words, Vermillion," said Jade, his face momentarily turning stern. "This is why Magma is a rank above you."

"Forgive me, master Jade," apologized Vermillion, half-heartedly.

"I always did dislike the whole 'master' thing," mumbled Jade, his face becoming warm again. Anyway, my dear friends, I would like to tell you that once the Phoenix reawakens, it shall be at full power and shall destroy the planet within days, as long as the Mavericks do not interfere. And when that happens, we will finally have our wish fulfilled."

"What of the human Cendre, master Jade? questioned Magma.

"His part in this is unknown. He may, or may not join our noble cause," answered Jade, "And if he chooses not to, then we shall take care of him. Dismissed."

The others humbly nodded, before leaving Jade alone to his thoughts.

"What part does Cendre play in all this? Is he destined to destroy the Phoenix and be a royal pain, or will he help us destroy planet Earth? For his sake, I hope that he chooses to be with us." Jade's smile left his face and was replaced by a grim look. "He shall be our ultimate asset, or he shall simply perish!" His peaceful smile seeped back onto his face, "what will he choose?"

On Earth

Ayub was a young man with wisdom beyond his years. He wore a ragged shirt, the color of snow and a matching scarf which had lost its pure color with years of mud. Apparently Ayub never washed his scarf. His black, gravity-defying hair stubbornly stood up, except for one lone bang which hung down to his matured forehead.
He was the son of Mr. Colin’s late best friend who had died by the ruthless Phoenix’s attacks fourteen years ago.
After that fateful day, he was raised by his godparents until he was of the legal age of fourteen. Since then, he had traveled across the world, searching for clues about what the Phoenix really was, why it terrorized mankind, and who were the strange people who made it disappear into the Earth. So far he had no luck, but instead of growing discouraged, he was all the more determined to find out the truth.

However he still occasionally visited his godparents and Mr. Colin. When Ayub was old enough, he found out the truth about Cendre who he thought of as the brother he never had. Upon coming to visit Mr. Colin this time, he was told by the aging man about Cendre’s dream. Naturally Ayub was very interested and felt that Cendre had something to do with the Phoenix. However, what it was, he could not tell.

Mr. Colin had asked him to keep an eye on the arrogant boy, and while Ayub wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, he solemnly accepted – he did, after all, care for the boy.

“Hey there, big bro,” called Cendre, coming into view, waving his hand about, wildly. Ayub didn’t fail to notice the smirk – the same smirk that always meant trouble – etched upon the boy’s face. “I suppose my father told you about my dream and my intent. He did, right?”

Ayub slowly nodded, looking at Cendre’s face closely, searching for a single sign of mischief, but apart from the somewhat sinister grin, he saw nothing.

“Well,” continued the boy, “I guess he also told you to keep an eye on me, didn’t he? Now, while you may think that I’m planning some kind of escapade, I swear that I’m not. I have no deception in mind, except for maybe bribing you to let me go.” Ayub would have smiled if his jaw hadn’t dropped down in a comical manner, which caused Cendre to chuckle.

The young man knew that Cendre was an honest fellow, even if his ego was out of control. He surely wouldn’t lie to the face, would he? No, he would most certainly not! Not a trace of a fib could be seen in the boy’s gray eyes. The boy definitely wasn’t lying – Ayub had a knack for telling when somebody was lying, and he was sure Cendre wasn’t. Then, was he not planning mischief? It sure seemed that way.

“Whether I trust you or not, it is not for you to know,” he said finally.

“I thought as much,” said Cendre with a chortle. “Very well, here’s the deal – I wish to find out my destiny and I cannot do that if I’m confined into this small area of land. I need to explore, it’s in my very nature.” Cendre grew stern, “I order you to allow me to go!”

“Order me? C’mon Cendre, stop it,” began Ayub, as Cendre braced himself for an inevitable lecture, which came, “I know that you think that you’re very strong and smart, which I have no doubt that you are—”

“Oh god, shut up, Ayub!” shouted Cendre, not in the mood for being lectured, “What do you think I am?! Six years old?! I don’t need you sugar coating things! I know that you think that I’m too weak to travel, so just say it already, and stop beating around the bush!” Cendre began to calm down, “Look me in the eye, and tell me truthfully – do you think I shouldn’t travel? – that I shouldn’t find out my destiny? You’re pretty wise, tell me!” Ayub’s hazel orbs locked with Cendre’s gray ones.

“I think,” said Ayub, slowly, “that you have the capabilities to travel, but—”

“But I shouldn’t, right?” interrupted Cendre.

“First off, stop interrupting me. Secondly, you hit the nail. A boy of fourteen shouldn’t be traveling around the world.”

“Do you have any idea on how hypocritical you sound?!” said Cendre, with an air of disrespect. Upon receiving Ayub’s mystified look, he continued, “Yeah, I heard all about your little escapades when you were twelve. Twelve!” The angered boy raised his hands in emphasis. “That infuriates me to an unimaginable level. You had a wish to explore from a young age, an so you often travelled your city, simply for the sake of travelling it.” He lowered his tone, “I know that you know about my dream. And I also know that both you and my adoptive father, are hiding it from me. I can see it in your eyes.” Ayub swore. “So, tell me, son of Boris. What exactly happened to your father and what does my dream have to do with it.” Ayub swore again. Cendre always was one for his deducing skills. Besides the excuse they had concocted was really ludicrous. They had told Cendre that Ayub’s father, Boris died by going out at night where he was killed by a monster. Cendre had hardly believed it, even when he was five.

“Very well, adoptive son of Colin. I shall tell you the truth about my father’s death and your dream,” Ayub then went on to explain everything – everything¬ – about the Phoenix. He told him how the Phoenix had suddenly appeared hundreds of years ago. He told him how the Phoenix had terrorized the Earth for one year, wiping out almost all of its population. He told him how after that year, the enduring humans attacked the Phoenix and how the Phoenix collapsed, after being shot multiple times, before disappearing into thin air. He told him how the few remaining humans had rebuilt as much of the world they could, but five years later, the Phoenix reappeared with far more strength and defense. He told him how the Phoenix continued to terrorize the Earth, although the stubborn humans luckily managed to survived many more hundreds of years. He told him how it was the Phoenix that murdered his father. He told him how the Phoenix seemed to disappear into the Earth fourteen years ago, when six mysterious people chose to seemingly sacrifice themselves as their own bodies disappeared along with the ruthless bird.

Then Ayub told Cendre something that nobody except for himself had ever heard or known of.

“Upon travelling through the Bermuda Triangle in my desire for adventure, I found a lone island. The island frightened me – I had, after all, heard the stories of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle, but I manned up and went to the island. There, I found an old castle, with its residents being the many jackdaws that nested there. However I didn’t find many artifacts – only a few statues and some other interesting things. Each statue was different from the rest, and my oh my, they were so beautifully carved – close to perfection I’d say – made of solid gold! I’ve never seen statues of pure gold before. I reckon they cost a fortune. Anyway, there were half a dozen of them at one place and another half dozen at another spot.” Ayub stopped his speech for a second to catch his breath.

“Hmm, interesting indeed,” Cendre rubbed his chin, like a wise old man, “But wait a minute, Ayub. What were the other interesting artifacts that you’re talking about?”

“I was coming to that,” continued Ayub, slightly peeved. Mr. Colin would kill him if he heard of what he was about to tell Cendre. “And this is the most exciting bit! The other things I saw were a few wooden tables and chairs and, most important of all, a book.”

“A book?” asked Cendre, curiously.

“Yes, a book!” said Ayub, “It was a journal belonging to someone. I have it on me. Here, I’ll bring it out.” After a bit of searching in his rucksack, Ayub brought out an old, charcoal colored ragged book, which seemed to have decayed after years of sitting still. Ayub then gave Cendre a magnifying glass. “The words are deformed, so this’ll help in reading the text.”

Cendre silently nodded and gazed at the journal. It had no label, nor any way of identifying whose book it was – at least, nobody could from the outside. Perhaps there was a name inside the journal. The book seemed pretty ordinary – with a normal, blank cover and lots of pages inside it, some of which had been taped inside by Ayub.

But yet! It seemed as if the book belonged to him. His mind and body were screaming at him to keep it and not let go of it – not give it to Ayub. So many questions flooded his mind. Whose book was it? Was the user the one who caused the disappearances of Bermuda Triangle? If so, Why?

“You going to read that?” said Ayub, snapping Cendre out of his daydream.

“Shut up! I will!” barked Cendre. He opened the book. “Now then, entry number one.”

June 28th 2000
This is my new journal it seems. If anybody is reading this, then you ought to know, I… am II. Also if you are reading this, it means that I am no more. But other than that, I am the current leader of the Six Chosen ones. The six Chosen Ones are a group of chosen people who are selected by fate to be the guardians of Earth and the leader of them is usually the II. Generations have passed and we’ve existed, protecting the Earth from menaces such as, dinosaurs and other malevolent creatures that threatened the existence of man. While we are not related by blood, we all consider each other to be brothers and sisters.
Yet another plane came to our home yesterday, and we had to take care of the crew. To our utmost shame, we erased the memories of the crew and sent them to the country. They believe themselves to be ordinary farmers now. As for their vehicle – we allowed the tide to take it away for the normal humans to discover. I hate planes. They remind me of a certain thing.
The Phoenix – the hated bird that has been haunting man for so long. Oh, I detest that bird with all my heart and soul. If only I could kill it. However the Six Chosen Ones do not have the required strength to destroy this evil bird. All of us hate it – except for one. The Unique Number, X does not like our hard hearts. He should be proud that we allowed him to join us, but instead he doesn’t hate the Phoenix. But then again, X is a very merciful person. He is basically the essence of good. Sometimes I wish I were like him but usually I don’t. Being merciful can have its drawbacks, after all. Anyway, I think I’ve written enough, so I’ll stop now.
II

Cendre gazed at the journal in shock. He had only read one entry and he suddenly knew the reason for the dinosaurs’ extinctions and knew of a weird ancient organization that fought evil.

“Flip the page,” said Ayub, gazing at Cendre’s shocked expression. It would’ve been humorous if the situation wasn’t as such.

Cendre wordlessly nodded and flipped the page onto the next entry. His eyes scanned the beautiful, handwritten words, thoughtfully. He looked at the date – according to Ayub it was the same day in which the Phoenix disappeared.

January 1st 2001
It’s been some time since I updated. I guess I forgot all about this since I’ve hadn’t had much time. And the irony is very immense, considering that while this is only my second entry, it is also my last. Indeed, after today I will be no more.
Many important events which will affect the entire world have been set in motion. Today is a momentous day. My sister VI has had a child who has the grayest of eyes, and according to the prophesy, a child would be born to the 200th VI, who is coincidentally our VI, who shall destroy the Phoenix. That child shall be called I. With that said, the child must survive and the human race must also survive. After all, we do need a race to save, and the humans are almost completely wiped out. Only a few hundred live. Thus we have chosen to give the child away to a human and perform the spell of Patricia.

“Spell of Patricia?” questioned Cendre, halting his reading for a second. “What’s that?”

“Read!” ordered Ayub, earnestly. Cendre huffed but continued to read.

The spell is a sacred spell that we are using to seal the Phoenix into the Earth. But his spell has two very grave drawbacks to it. First off, we have to sacrifice are own lives to do it. Secondly, the Phoenix shall be sealed but only for fifteen years. Once fifteen years have passed, it shall be released. Hopefully the humans will have rebuilt civilization by then and hopefully the child of VI shall survive. Once the Phoenix is released, the child must destroy it. Whoever is reading this, do not be frightened by the prospect of the Phoenix returning, for there is hope. And hope is the most important aspect. You, the reader may choose to find the boy so you may know that I speak the truth. You will recognize the boy as he will seem important. He had the grayest of beautiful eyes.
His name is… Cendre.

Aforementioned child gasped.

Who was he really? That was the question that lingered at both Ayub’s and Cendre’s minds.

“I-I’m supposed to seal the Phoenix when it returns?” he stammered, all the while mumbling incoherently. Was this, a prank by Ayub? No, Ayub’s honest, hazel eyes surely couldn’t be lying. They seemed stoic and truthful, with a mix of wisdom. But, could he, a normal child, be the one destined to destroy a bird which terrorized so many? A bird which destroyed the military without any problem? A bird that he was told breathed fire? A bird which could easily kill the strongest of humans by merely swiping its claw against him. He was indubitably not the one who was mentioned, was he? No! It had to be another Cendre. Yeah, another Cendre who also had gray eyes.

Cendre mentally slapped himself – of course there was no other Cendre. There were barely any people with gray eyes, much less anybody else named Cendre.

Suddenly, he seemed to come to terms with the newest development, and looked at Ayub sharply.

“You aren’t pranking me, are you?” he asked, huskily.

“I’m pretty sure that isn’t a word,” began Ayub, but he stopped upon the look of unadulterated fury on the boy’s gray orbs. “No, I am not joking around with you. This journal is legitimate and I have not messed with any part of it.”

“I see,” said Cendre, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Does my adoptive father know of this?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“He shan’t hear of it,” said Cendre, in a tone that commanded supreme authority.

“Why!?” demanded Ayub.

Cendre was now furious. It didn’t help that he already disliked anybody questioning him, and he was already in a sour mood. Thus, he did a move of great disrespect – a move which he often used.

“Shut up!” he shouted, clenching his jaw and fists. “I am the only hope of the world, now.” Ayub suddenly grew afraid. Surely, Cendre wouldn’t threaten him with that, would he? “And I wish to receive some respect, considering that I’ll be fighting the thing that killed my mother. I am not the son of Colin. I am not Cendre. I shall now be known as I.”

“That would be the ultimate honor for your real ancestors,” said Ayub, “but the greatest act of disrespect that Colin can ever receive. I advise you not to use that name.”

“It is my decision,” said the newly born I. “I am now I. And I shall leave home on a journey.”

“What on Earth will that accomplish?!” bellowed Ayub. He’d had enough. “Tell me! The Phoenix shall arrive in slightly less than a year. That is very little time, and you must spent the time with your family!”

“Fool!” barked I. “Do you honestly think that my birthright alone shall help me beat the Phoenix?! This bird is cold and callous and shall not hesitate to make mince meat out of me! I need to train.” His voice now lowered.

“But I’m sure Mr. Colin can teach you how to fight,” said Ayub in a softer tone.

“Two things – My adoptive father can never train me. To learn I need to learn how to recover. And to recover I need to be beaten up. And my adoptive father doesn’t have it in him to beat me. He shall be too lenient,” argued I. “The second thing is that, I need to travel. The only way to become strong is to know the world. That is the rule that I follow.”

I gazed at the sky, noticing the beautiful sphere of light that enclosed the Earth in an exquisite radiant luminosity. He noticed the soft, pillow-like, fluffy clouds of water, that floated high above. He noticed the amazing creatures known as birds as they flew, unaware that they were being watched. He noticed the gigantic masses of land – the mountains, which rose high above sea level. And last, but certainly not the least, he noticed the sheer blue sheet of bubblegum which covered the Earth as it’s sky.

If he didn’t train then all of that shall be destroyed when Armageddon arrived, in the form of the Phoenix. He had to train. There were no ‘ifs’ and ‘why’s’ about it.

Ayub too followed I’s eyes and managed to understand what he was talking about. The world was nearing its end, and Cendre was its last hope.

“I understand. Mr. Colin shan’t be informed of this piece of information and your plans to leave,” resigned Ayub, “when do you plan on leaving?”

“Tonight!” was the blunt answer.

“Tonight?!” repeated Ayub, incredulously. “But the year is young.”

“Your point?” said I, bleakly. Ayub gazed at I wordlessly. The boy had become a man too soon. He should be having parties with his friends, but instead, he was forced to be given the grave responsibility of saving the planet itself. Not only that, but he was wild and disorderly, giving him low chance of gaining shelter for a night or two. He may not survive a month in the cruel world, let alone a year.

“Never mind,” said Ayub, beginning to submit to I’s every command.

“Now then,” said I, “I desire your advice, big brother.”

Ayub was shocked once again. However this time he was wise enough to conceal it, knowing that feeding I’s ego would be a big mistake.

“And why might that be?” inquired Ayub, calmly.

“I-I’m scared,” confessed I. Ayub’s jaw would have dropped all the way to the ground if it could’ve. I was certainly having mood swings. He was setting his pride aside once more. That seemed to be happening very often recently. What happened to the I who was acting wiser than himself, and talking like an adult. He supposed that since I realized of his new responsibilities, he would have to be a far better person.

“My advice to you is that you go and rest. You need to relax a bit before you go and begin this… errand of yours,” said Ayub, not mentioning that it was also so that I could enjoy being a child, before beginning his quest.

“I understand,” was all Cendre said, before leaving for his room.

Many planets away

“We are widely known as the Mavericks. But we are not Mavericks! It is our former allies who are the Mavericks. We are the saviors of the universe. The Phoenix shall soon be released by the dogs whom we once referred to as comrades. When that wretched bird is released, the human race shall perish… Unless we can do something about it. We must save the Earth from the ruthless Phoenix. The humans are a weak race. Only a select few know magic and almost all of them believe that they are the only creatures alive in the universe. Oh, the arrogance. They believe that they are all-powerful. But they are not! Yet, we shall save them for we are the saviors of this universe. We are the Alliance to Restore the Balance of the Universe, which was spoiled by our former allies! We must save Earth! And then, we must save the Universe itself!”

“But sire, what of the human Cendre. Is he on our side, or is he not?”

“He may prove to be our most valuable asset, or our most insistent drawback. Which one he is, remains to be seen. I think that I should pay him a visit to convince him of our goodwill. After all, we don’t need him to betray us to the dogs.”

Back on Earth

I continued to lie down, reflecting on the past few days, and the incredible revelations that came with them. He was not the son of Colin. His name was not Cendre. He was not an ordinary child. He had the fate of an entire planet resting on his shoulder. The world was about to be threatened. There was once a bird which terrorized the Earth. Aforementioned bird could breathe fire. It was about to return and possibly destroy the entire planet.

Yeah, everything was fine.

“It’s hard, isn’t it?” said a voice, startling I to the point that he fell off the bed.

“Who the heck are you?” demanded I, expertly concealing his shock.

“My name won’t mean anything to you. I am usually called Lepizo vi Jwask bin Lendo vi Xiq bin Swad vi Xiz, the savior of the universe. But you may call me Lepizo,” introduced the man. I carefully observed the man. He wore odd clothes. A black spandex jumpsuit covered his main body, although most of it was overlapped by some armor which made you wonder if war was in the near future. A navy blue chest plate of a material which I had never heard of or seen was attached to the majority of his main body. A belt of the same color and material went around his waist. In addition, he had jet black wristbands, cut-gloves of the same shade and chocolate colored boots.

His head was covered by a helmet which let only his face be visible, although a few traces of ebony hair could be seen since his locks managed to somehow reach the upper-tip of his spine. His eyebrows were thick and curved which gave him the image of a good-tempered person. Altogether, he seemed like a fairly good person, if you didn’t count how dangerous the sword at his back seemed. But I knew better than to trust a person with his looks alone.

“And you are Cendre, son of Colin,” went on Lepizo, “Or, do you prefer to be known as I, son of VI and X.” Lepizo easily noticed the slight shiver that went up I’s spine and how he seemed to tense. “Relax, I’m not your enemy here.”

“Is that so? Then who is?” inquired I.

“That’s an easy one,” chuckled Lepizo, good naturedly. “The Phoenix!”

“How do you know about my heritage? And how do you know about the Phoenix?!” said I, raising his voice.

“All in good time, all in good time,” said Lepizo, choosing not to answer I. “I shall explain to you everything. But allow me to tell you this much.” Lepizo’s face grew hard. “I shall be the one who shall take care of the Phoenix. It shall be killed by my hand. With my Golden Sword.”
I smirked to that. “Let us make it a contest then. Whoever kills the Phoenix first wins. The loser has to be the winner’s servant for the rest of his life, never ever wear clothes again and address the winner as sir.”

“Ha, you’re so on,” said Lepizo, showing his competitive side with a matching smirk. “But anyway, I’m here to warn you.”

“Warn me?”

“Yes, warn you! I must tell you, we are on your side. We are your comrades, understand. We wish to slay the Phoenix just as you do, and save the universe. But be warned, there are those who support the Phoenix. They are an organization with extremely powerful members, each of who could wipe out this planet with a flick of their fingers. Most of them are nothing to me, but they’ll be a good match for my army. They created the ruthless bird and are going to every planet, purging them of all life with the help of the Phoenix. The human race is a weak species, but one of the most resilient. They have survived all these years. They are the only race to have survived more than fifty years. But be warned, once the Phoenix is released, the clock shall tick twelve and the human race shall be purged once and for all. They may try to seduce you to their side. Be wary of these people – Cyan, Magma, Vermillion and their despicable leader, Jade. Do not trust them at any cost. And one more thing – if I fail in destroying the Phoenix, then it is you who must. Make sure that the Phoenix is slain, no matter what the cost. That is all for now. Perhaps I shall visit you again, and explain more. By the way, this is not very important or anything, but I think that you should change your name to Cendre. After all, I is your title. But Cendre is your name. Well then have a nice day.”

Before I could comment on anything, or stop Lepizo, he was gone – disappeared into thin air. As I gazed at the spot where Lepizo had stood, a smirk curled up on his face.

“Cendre, huh? Perhaps that is meant to be my name.”

And then I woke up.

“A dream?” he asked himself, finding himself immediately wide awake. “No, no, it can’t be. It was too vivid to be a dream. Perhaps it was telepathy or something. Perhaps Lepizo actually visited me through dreams. Why not? After all I live in a world with magic birds!”

“You know they say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity,” came a voice – Mr. Colin who stood near the door with a vicious smirk curled up on his face. “Well then, Cendre, or should I say, I, I thought I already told you not to escape. Ayub is a wise man. He chose to be honest with me.”

“What?!” demanded I with unadulterated fury. “He lied to me! He told you of my plans! Curse him! Curse him to hell!”

“Humph, you’re a smart guy. That is precisely what he did,” said Mr. Colin. “But be happy! I’ve changed my mind. You may leave this home and travel around the world. I can tell how much you’re beginning to hate myself and Ayub. Foster that hatred. Embrace it! Otherwise, all you love and care shall be burnt. Oh, forgive me, it already has.” Mr. Colin pointed at the nearby scenery, and to Cendre’s shock, he found it to be burning with dancing flames. Mr. Colin’s smirk faded, and was replaced with the kind smile that I was so familiar with.

“Forgive me,” he said. The fire was doused with water and cooled down, with an eerie blue smoke rising up from where the fire used to be. And then, Mr. Colin’s figure began to disintegrate, before being replaced with a different person – Lepizo. “Surprised?!”

“Lepizo! What is the meaning of this?” screamed I, frightened and furious. “Do you mean to tell me that what I just saw was a mere illusion?!”

“You hit the nail. I needed to motivate you, after all. But I regret it now. Maybe I should’ve done it in a different manner. Whoa, don’t give me that look! You know what they say, don’t cry over spilled rice.” If anything, I’s anger multiplied.

“Please,” came a sarcastic voice. “You go beyond crying Lepizo. I seem to remember you trying to pick up each and every grain.” Another person came in view, wearing a calm smile. He looked at I. “And you must be Cendre, the chosen I. I’ve been wanting to meet you for some time.”

“Jade!” exclaimed Lepizo, in a serious voice.

I gazed at the man who just appeared out of thin air. So far he managed to understand what was happening. The first talk he had with Lepizo wasn’t a dream and neither was the fire scene with Mr. Colin. The talk with Lepizo was real , and the man had probably used an illusion spell to show him what may happen in the future, if the Phoenix succeeded. Ayub hadn’t lied at all. It was all an illusion. And what was happening right now was real. The only thing that wasn’t real was the fire incident.

I was angry. He understood Lepizo’s intentions, but he was furious at how he had conducted them. How dare he show him what might happen in the future. How dare he show him Mr. Colin in an evil fashion and how dare he show Ayub as a liar. Mr. Colin would never go evil. Ayub would never lie. And the world would never die. Not as long as he were alive. He would protect the world. And the first thing he would do would be to eradicate scum like Lepizo from the Earth. The anger manifested into raw power erupting from his body.

With an earth-shattering scream of power and pain mixed together, I began to gather up all his energy from his heart. He felt a gate deep inside of his body, and he felt the incredible energy emitting from it. If only he could open the gate – if only he could tap into that power.

Inside I’s Sub-consciousness

“You desire power from this gate?” asked the Wolf. A talking wolf.

“Yes I do!” answered I.

“The power inside is enormous and enough to destroy ten Phoenixes at the same time. Why do you desire it?” said the Wolf with a bark.

“So I can eradicate Lepizo!” said I.

Silence reigned supreme over noise for a few minutes.

“You have been denied passage through the gate,” said the Wolf finally.

“What?!” demanded I, incredulous at the thought. “My intentions are pure. Get out of my way, you mutt.” I made to shove the Wolf, but before he could even realize what was happening, he was on his back with the blood over him.

“Silence!” he snarled, his saliva dripping from his mouth onto I. “You dare try to get pass the gate without my permission?!” The wolf growled dangerously. “Be careful mortal, do not mess with those who are far stronger than you. Never come near me again, otherwise I shall kill you!”

Outside I’s Sub-consciousness.

All the power escaped!

He was there. He was so close to attaining the ultimate power. But he failed.

“Curse you, Lepizo!” panted I through heavy breathing.

“Hmm?” said Lepizo. “You are directing all this anger towards me? But I already apologized.”

“No you didn’t,” sighed Jade, who had been fairly silent.

“Didn’t I?” said Lepizo, unsure. “Well, I’m saying sorry now. I understand that it was wrong of me to do wrong, and I hereby apologize.”

“If I were you, Cendre, I’d accept the apology,” said Jade, forgetting to call him I. “He meant no harm.”

“I thought you both were enemies,” said I, ignoring the request.

“Yeah, but I ain’t evil. Although Lepizo thinks me to be. At the same time, I believe Lepizo to be the one doing wrong,” explained Jade.

“Well then,” said Lepizo, with a smirk, “Why don’t we have a brawl to settle things. If I win you surrender and the Phoenix shan’t return. But if I lose, then I shall surrender, and I shall do nothing to stop the fight.”

“That seems fair,” replied Jade, returning Lepizo’s snicker. “Except that we both know that I’ve always been the stronger one. Perhaps we should decide this competition with something we both are equal at. Something in which the score between us is precisely 99999 to 99999.”

“You mean…” began Lepizo.

“Yes,” Jade cut off Lepizo, “a good old game of Chess.”

“As you wish,” agreed Lepizo, “What is the wager?”

“If I win,” said Jade, “you shall help me in destroying planet Earth, and if I lose, then I shall help you in saving planet Earth.”

I grew angry. So it was Jade who was evil. It was he who wanted to destroy the Earth, while Lepizo wanted to save it.

“But before that,” continued Jade, “allow me to ask our dear I a little question.”

“Very well,” said Lepizo. “Go on.”

“My dear I,” said Jade, “First off, I’d seriously like it if you don’t mind me calling you Cendre. I find it to be a better name. I believe that it means ash in French. But you don’t pronounce it the French way, do you? You pronounce it with a C instead of an S. I find that rather odd. ”

“Yes it does,” affirmed I. “And I agree with both of you. Perhaps I should call myself Cendre. After all, I is a title. And Cendre a name. Very well, from now on I desire to be known as Cendre.”

“That’s a good thing, Well, to be frank, I’d like to ask you whose side are you on? Mine or Lepizo’s?” inquired Jade.

“Definitely Lepizo’s!” roared Cendre. “You are plotting to destroy my planet and killing innocent people is plain wrong.”

“Silence child!” roared back Jade in an equally loud voice. This was one of the few times when Jade had actually yelled, “Do not speak of things that you don’t understand!”

For once, Cendre actually felt slightly guilty. Slightly. Perhaps he shouldn’t say anything. Especially since, he wasn’t aware of why Jade planned to purge Planet Earth.

Cendre mentally slapped himself. What was he thinking?! Killing innocent people was plain wrong. Whether you had good intentions or not was irrelevant.

“I’m saddened to learn that you’re against us,” said Jade, lowering his tone, “but if that is how it must be, then it is too bad. You have hereby joined the Mavericks. Shame on you! But you are but a child. What can I possibly do to change your mind? Bribe you with candy? Anyways, let’s forget that, and go on with our game of Chess, Lepizo.”

“Agreed,” said Lepizo, rubbing his hands in glee. Cendre had done the right thing. He had joined the Alliance to Restore the Balance of the Universe, instead of joining the Jade and company. “Let us begin.”

The game of Chess began. Lepizo was white. Jade was black.

Lepizo began with moving one of his Pawns.

Jade began with moving one of his Knights.

Lepizo moved another Pawn.

Jade moved the other Knight.

Lepizo brought forward his Queen.

Jade threatened it with his Pawn.

And the game went on, until only a few pieces were remaining. For Jade, only a Knight, a Rook, a Pawn and a King remained.

For Lepizo, only a Pawn, and his Queen and King remained. The game had gone fair and square so far, and currently Lepizo’s position was slightly superior to Jade’s. His Pawn was nearing promotion and it was guarded by his Queen. Jade’s Pawn was also at the spot right before promotion, but if he were to move it, it would be taken by Lepizo’s King. His other pieces were scattered around the board.

“Well then, my dear Jade, with my next move I shall promote my Pawn to a Queen and shall secure my victory,” sneered Lepizo, his fingertips about to touch his Pawn.

“You forget, it is my turn,” said Jade, emotionlessly staring at his pieces, trying to think of a way to gain an advantage. Slowly, a smile curled up on his previously blank face. “The match isn’t over until it is Checkmate. And with this I call checkmate!” With that, Jade moved his King right next to his opponent’s!

“You do realize that that is an illegal move, right!?” said Lepizo, incredulously.

“It’s an illegal move!?” said Jade, feigning surprise. “Not at all. That is indeed a move. My great-granddaddy himself told me about it with his dying breath.”

“It is an illegal move!” insisted Lepizo.

“Even if it is, what have you to lose. Just kill the piece,” challenged Jade, with a grin.

“Good point,” said Lepizo, returning the grin.

“So, do you accept the move?”

“Yes, I do.” Upon uttering these words, Lepizo touched his King with the tip of his finger and with a snicker, took out his opponent’s King. “And thus, I call Checkmate.”

“Indeed!” agreed Jade, sitting up from his chair. “And I offer you my heartiest congratulations. What should I do to aid you in saving Planet Earth?”

Lepizo was stunned. He was sure that Jade would’ve come up with an excuse to continue the game. But instead, Jade lost on purpose. He was positive that his former comrade had lost on purpose. Especially considering that important moment.

Twenty Minutes Earlier

“Check,” stated Lepizo with a smile. He had done a fork with his Queen. As it was a Check, Jade had to move his King, and when he did, he would take out his Rook, gaining five points.

Instead of being upset as Lepizo predicted, Jade instead chose to smile, before saying, “Notice where your Queen is and where my Bishop is.” Lepizo’s smirk was wiped straight off his face, as he realized that his opponent’s Bishop had a clean path to where his own Queen resided. Jade’s fingers floated just above his Bishop, as if teasing Lepizo.

But then, in a sudden move of stupidity, Jade instead chose to move his King, and allowed Lepizo to take his Rook.

Current Time

Lepizo was sure that Jade hadn’t been stupid. Lepizo frowned with anger as the truth came crashing down upon him.

Jade had let him win!

Curse him! He was always one step ahead of him. Even in the match that had just taken place, Jade had merely been toying with him.

“On second thought,” said Lepizo through gritted teeth, “I’m interested in making a draw between us.”

Jade simply smiled before nodding. “I agree. Well then, excuse me, I must take my leave.” He got up from his chair with a beam. He looked at Cendre for a second. “I wish you luck, young one. I’m truly saddened at how you’ve chosen to side with the Mavericks, and choosing to become a rebel yourself, but it is indeed up to only you. Now goodbye.” He put his fingers in a two-finger salute. But before he chanted the spell, he said, “Your sense of honor hasn’t changed. That is good to hear.” Then he murmured, “Spell of Teleportation!” He disappeared into thin air.

“Why’d you do that, you imbecile?!” shouted Cendre. “You could’ve stopped the war, but instead you chose to continue.”

Lepizo chose to ignore Cendre and simply punched a nearby tree, causing it to collapse in front of an awed Cendre. “Darn you, Jade! Darn you! Always one step ahead of me.” He began to take deep breaths and slowly calmed down. “Cendre, listen to me. Jade is far more powerful than I am right now. Thus for six months I shall train in solitariness. You must train on your own on this planet. By the end of my training, I reckon I’ll be as strong as Jade, if not stronger. But I’ll be far too distracted with fighting Jade and my army shall be busy fighting Jade’s. My army is far weaker and less in numbers, so we’ll have to decide on a plan. So unless you’re as strong as Jade in a few months, it shall be you who will have to take care of the Phoenix. Either you or I will fight the Phoenix. Hopefully it’ll be myself, but we can’t say for sure. The bottom-line is that you have to get stronger. Return to this spot one day before the next year and I shall see if you have the ability to fight, or not. I wish you luck.”

Just like Jade before him, Lepizo put his hands in a two-finger salute and held it up to his forehead before murmuring, “Spell of Teleportation!” The wind around him grew swift and swirly like a tornado and Lepizo vanished.

“I wish you luck too,” mumbled Cendre.

That Night
“Well, looks like the time has arrived,” said Ayub.
“Indeed,” said Cendre, gazing at the pitch black night. “Today I shall escape from my home and probably never return.”
Ayub spared his little brother a glance laced with a frown and a depressing smile, before saying, “It truly is sad.” Upon getting a curious look in return, Ayub continued, “A boy of fourteen about to travel the world on his own. No family – no friends – nobody with him. All alone, with the responsibility of saving an entire planet.”
The man raised his hand up to his face and brushed away the tears threatening to pour down. God forbid, he be caught crying in front of Cendre. It truly was wretched. The ironic thing was that he was the only one who was actually upset about the predicament. Cendre was rather calm, cool and collected. How shameful! An adult crying in front of a serene child.
Cendre chuckled – actually chuckled at the pickle Ayub was trapped in. A few soft giggles soon evolved into a plethora of guffaws. In fact, Cendre was near hysterics, as he doubled up, hooting with laughter. He clutched his stomach and tried to calm himself, but it simply didn’t succeed. After a few whiles, his eyes were streaming with tears of laughter.
“Ayub,” he managed to say through the overabundance laughter, “Really? Your situation makes me want to jump in a random river. I’ll live, don’t worry. I’m pretty sure I can survive a few months in the wild.”
“But it’s a whole six months,” protested Ayub, cross at how Cendre had laughed at his emotions. “Way to ruin the moment, Cendre. And Jade might be plotting to get you!” At that, all laughter ceased. Cendre had told him about his encounter with Lepizo and Jade earlier, and Ayub wasn’t feeling very secure, knowing that somebody was out to get his little brother.
“No, Jade won’t plot against me,” contradicted Cendre, with a serious look. “Jade may be trying to destroy the Earth, but I don’t think he’s a bad man. I think that he’s just mislead.” Cendre seemed to plan on speaking more as his mouth opened, but no sound came out as the boy changed his mind by becoming silent. After a few minutes, he spoke again, wishing to change the topic. “By the way, Ayub, I need your advice one last time.”
“By all means, go ahead,” said Ayub.
“The dream I had of the Phoenix and the prophesy,” began Cendre.
“What about it?” said Ayub.
“Shut up, and listen,” said Cendre rudely, before he continued his previous statement, “It stated that the Phoenix was good. And it said that I had been mislead and misinformed. Shouldn’t that, you know, show that the Phoenix and Jade are good?”
“Well,” answered Ayub, slowly, “I think that the dream was cast by Jade to make you believe that he was good.”
“Of course!” Cendre snapped his fingers, “that makes total sense. Oh, the nerve of that man! Tricking me and to make me believe that the bird that has terrorized the Earth is good and that Lepizo is evil. Curse him!”
“Easy there, hot head” said Ayub, attempting to calm Cendre down but failing.
Cendre looked at Ayub as if he had just grown an extra limb. He then asked in a deathly calm voice which barely concealed the thunder beneath it, “Easy there?! Easy there?! The only reason I’m not getting physical with you because of the comment, is because I’m about to leave my home.” His voice lost its edge and became soft, something very unusual. “The moon is beautiful.”
Ayub’s eyes seemed to pop out. “The moon is beautiful!? Great snakes! You talking about nature is about as rare as you brushing your teeth!”
“Hey,” called out Cendre, playfully, before his voice was laced with wisdom, “The moon is the reason I must save the planet. So that other people can appreciate its beauty. So that other people from different planets come and marvel at its sheer beauty. And so that, I make sure that other people do not have to live the life that I am destined to.”
He turned to look at Ayub, “Well Ayub, I’ll miss you. And I expect you to train during the months that we have left. I’ll need backup during the fight against the Phoenix, after all.” Cendre was about to add more words of wisdom, when he suddenly scowled. “Oh, geez, I stink at goodbyes! Let’s get it over and done with. Goodbye.”
With a final wave, Cendre was off, in blissful ignorance of what the future really holds – Ignorant of the pain that he would receive in his life. But all was well, because now, the only thing that was wounded was his pride as he realized that tears were dripping from his eyes.

5 months later
A boy of sixteen gazed at the lake. A few fishing boats were floating further up but other than that, there was nobody nearby except for the boy’s companions – the birds. Indeed, an African Crowned Eagle – one of the most dangerous birds in existence – perched on his shoulder, it’s spotted undersides shining. A comical looking Hoopoe was at his side, as the boy laid on the bank of the lake, with a smile, reaching out to stroke his eagle’s feathery head. A flock of Falcons flew high above the tips of the boy’s cranium, flying in a circular motion around the teenager. They eagerly waited for anybody who dared to attack their master, in hopes that they might get a chance to tear into the flesh of some humans.
The lad stared at the lake, and in essence – his reflection. He had grey eyes and a matured forehead – in fact, all of his features were fairly matured. A sable spandex suit covered his body and he had a similarly colored wristband on each of his arms. He had on a pair of black boots which reached almost up to his ankle and an ebony headband slapped across his forehead.
“It has been a long time,” came a voice, Lepizo’s.
“Indeed, my dear Lepizo,” said the lad, without turning around. He knew who it was.
“Tell me, Cendre, how did you grow so much in five months? You should be fourteen – almost fifteen, but instead you are sixteen. How?” inquired Lepizo curiously.
The boy, now identified as Cendre, smirked, “That’s my secret.”
Lepizo’s face furrowed into a frown and his expression turned stern, “Tell me! It might prove to play a key factor in Jade’s defeat.” His voice was grim, but incredibly confident. Lepizo was sure that he would defeat Jade – almost to the point of cockiness.
“Jade’s defeat?” Cendre asked, with a laugh, before sarcastically saying, “Please, I have no interest in even fighting that man.”
Cendre grinned at Lepizo’s flabbergasted look. It was utterly hilarious. His jaw had dropped and his eyes had widened like tomatoes. His face matched the color of aforementioned fruit – and it wasn’t from anger. It was from sheer lunacy of Cendre’s statement.
“What… are you even saying?!” roared Lepizo. “If Jade wins the war, the world shall end as we know it! Everybody you care for shall die!”
“Everybody I care for?” said Cendre, just as sarcastic as a few moments ago, “I have no bonds or ties to this planet. I couldn’t care less about what happens to them.”
What had happened to Cendre?

He had changed so much. He was so hard, cold and cool. Sure, in the past he was prideful and arrogant, but he was never cold and uncaring as to not have no love for his planet.
“What about Ayub?! What about Mr. Colin?!” demanded Lepizo. In a flash, the Falcons flying overhead had swooped down and attacked Lepizo mercilessly.
“Never mention those traitors to me again!” said Cendre in a deathly calm tone, which sent shivers down even Lepizo’s spine, sadistically watching the birds tear the man’s flesh.
“What’s the matter with you?!” shouted Lepizo, carefully concealing his sorrow. He struggled to move his fingers to a two finger salute so he could perform a spell, but the Falcons didn’t allow him, as they pecked at his body, causing irreparable bruises and scars to form on his skin. Everywhere – down his feet, up his arms, right of his chest, at the centre of his stomach and every other noticeable place. In fact – the only non-scarred or bruised places were his eyebrows.
“My eyes have been opened. That’s what happened,” answered Cendre, with a twisted smirk, watching Lepizo writing in agony.
Eventually, the pain was too much for Lepizo to handle – a lone Falcon pierced through his heart, and the rebel froze.
“What… has… happened… to… you?” groaned Lepizo, before he collapsed, his face red with wounds and pain. His eyes were widened, showing his shock and his expression was tense. His heartbeat was slow, and barely heard – it was only a matter of time before the man passed away.
Cendre slowly stalked Lepizo, walking at a leisurely pace towards Lepizo’s body, whistling casually. He sniggered before saying, “How’s the weather, Lepizo?” Upon receiving no reply, Cendre took out a sword from its scabbard. It was a beautifully carved sword with the silver hilt having an Eagle embedded on it. It was made of an unknown strong material and its creator has yet to be revealed. It was straight like a Claymore and best used for duels.
Cendre confidently held out the tip of the blade mere centimeters away from the unconscious Lepizo’s chest
“Any last words?” asked Cendre, before bursting into laughter, “Of course you don’t! You’re unconscious and at my mercy. I could kill you, skin you, rob you, kill everybody you care about! Anything, I wish. And I shall do at least one of them. And my choice is – to simply kill you!”
With that, Cendre drove the blade through Lepizo’s chest, remorselessly.
What had happened to the hero known as Cendre?

A few days earlier
We all live in an Earth full of many atrocities. Racism, poverty, murder, robbing, slavery, discrimination, crises – these are but a fraction of the vast amount of hateful acts which have brought the once proud Earth to shambles.
After years of attacks by the Phoenix, the humans rejoiced upon the defeat of the loathed bird, and all of the terrorists attacks which took place during the attacks ceased to happen. During the Phoenix’s reign over the world, terrorism rose to an incredulous amount. Raids had begun against the underground movement against the Phoenix. They were done mainly because the poor lacked supplies. So, it was a mere matter of perspective – the movement refused to give supplies to the poor, and thus the poor rebelled, although their methods were less than pure. They had no qualms of killing even the women and children.
But when the Phoenix was sealed, the movement and the rebels united. The fighting stopped and everything seemed as peaceful as it was hundreds of years ago, back when the Phoenix didn’t exist and for once, the world seemed to be back on its track to its former glory. The world had changed for the better as the hatred of the world was focused on the Phoenix. With it gone, all the hatred had disappeared.
Until the cycle was disrupted.
A cult of people claiming to be worshippers of the evil Phoenix appeared – and with them, they brought a plethora of chaos. But these people weren’t ordinary. They had supernatural powers – reflexes and power once thought impossible. People accused them of being witches and wizards for one sole reason.
For the reason that they knew how to use magic.
Spells of healing, speed, defense, fire, water, ice, thunder, air and other enchantments that many thought impractical. And they took the world hostage. Their leader, a man called Iblis had ruthlessly murdered the King of the World, Charles, on live television, before he revealed to the world that he had planted bombs strong enough to destroy a million square miles, in every major city. And they all would be activated simultaneously if any one city rebelled. Fortunately, this menace didn’t threaten the countryside. Hence, the country folk didn’t make much noise in fear of Iblis.
And it was in the main hideout of Iblis, the palace of the late Charles, Cendre had calmly strolled in casually, as if it was his own home.
This was before Cendre mysteriously turned evil.