Chapter 15: Memory 3 / 8
[ Memory ]
Dune and Ned raced through the crowded streets of Fein City, their eyes darting in every direction. They were looking for Atlas, but he was nowhere to be found.
Atlas was always alone, it was how they had met him in the first place. Years ago, Dune and Ned had stumbled upon him as he fled from the city guards. Like Ned, Atlas was a Zeten, marked by the forbidden power coursing through his blood.
But Dune and Ned didn't care about that. To them, Atlas was a friend, one who had been welcomed into their lives despite the odds.
He was an orphan with no home to call his own, but Dune's family had helped him find a place to stay. Daniel, their big brother, often arranged temporary housing for Atlas and kept the authorities off his trail. Dune's mother, Sally, had even used her yellow Neba to conceal the glowing Zeten mark on Atlas's chest. Over the years, they had become inseparable.
Atlas might have been an outcast, but to Dune, he was one of the strongest people he had ever known, and the one he trusted most.
"Dune, what do we do?" Ned asked, his voice tense. "At this point, we've searched everywhere he could be and still nothing..."
Dune didn't answer. He was lost in thought when a wave of shouts broke through the air, pulling him back. People were running, screaming, as chaos erupted around them.
"What's going on?" Ned muttered, alarmed.
Dune's heart sank as he turned toward the source of the commotion. The city wall in front of them exploded, sending stone and debris flying in every direction. From the dust, a colossal head emerged, its monstrous form breaking through the remains of the hundred-meter barrier like paper.
The creature was enormous, its pitch-black body towering over the skyline. It had thick black skin with veins all over it. Countless glowing red eyes flickered across its face, and flames of orange Neba danced around its form.