Chapter 6: Sword of Starlight

'Can you hear me, o brave soul?'

In the void, a voice resonated. Lars could never remember how this event fully transpired and what was it that said to him. All he knew was that a voice called out to him. The voice was calm, with certain warmth of welcoming yet also with a melancholy of bitter parting.

Lars opened his eyes and found himself in an empty white chamber. The room was brightly lit, like the pristine white walls were made of light itself. There were runic writings on the wall and some were on the floor, circling the entire room.

The runes were alien writings for Lars and yet despite he couldn't understand any of it, he was captivated. The soft golden glow emanated from the runes felt so soothing it was almost hypnotizing him. The runes glowed in unison, in a manner that resembled a heartbeat resonance.

"Where... am... I?"

Lars' voice echoed across the room, yet it traveled ever so slowly to his own ears. He was completely delirious, mind hazy and body felt like hot rubber stuck by melting point. His movement was restricted by unknown force and not a single muscle he had could even budge to contract. However, the truth is Lars didn't even force anything. He was thinking of trying to move but in reality, he did nothing. All he could do was just staring at the runic wall.

What happened next was something that human mind couldn't fully comprehend no matter what. Lars could only remember of it as hearing voices that weren't his own before a bright light washed upon the room, filling it with warmth and calming lull.

The next thing Lars could feel next was his own heartbeat, in sync with the breath of light that embraced me with gentle warmth. There were no thoughts lingered by his mind right then. He was at complete peace.

'Arise...'

With that single word resonating in Lars' head, his eyes snapped open. When he came to, he saw the dark room was bathed in golden light. Lars rapidly blinked, trying to reassess what he just saw and what was going on. He supported himself with an elbow and faced the dirty floor, trying to recollect his consciousness.

For a second, Lars completely forgot what happened to him and just moved sluggishly. It was only when he remembered the life threatening situation he was in that his brain became fully functioned. Lars turned around in a jerk and expecting the mad beast was there with its claw raised.

The monster was there, and the mysterious white mist that shrouded the room had disappeared. The monster was injured from the side with several deep piercing wounds, but there was no blood to spill from them, but instead a few tiny glowing silver particles that slowly danced in the air before fully dissipating.

Standing on the side was the spear wielding warrior Lars saw from the shadow on the wall. It was Tirana, dressed in white hooded clothing and black wide - brimmed pants that are adorned with few protective paddings. Her spear reflected the golden light beautifully with its cerulean crystal blade and the leather sling bag she carried was half opened, in which a mix of glowing colors from red to green flowed out.

The monster and the spear wielding belle just stood there, flabbergasted. Lars, who was just as confused, stood up and found his clothes crumbled into shreds. He remembered he was clawed to pieces, but his body was strangely intact. The fringe that hung over his face was no longer brown either, back to his original blond color. In the midst of his confusion, Lars felt calming warmth in his chest and surrounding his neck.

A sparkling gold light gathered around Lars' chest, gaining a small weight, solidified and strung together by an unseen force. It was materializing what appeared to be a chain necklace, pure white in color, but with something contained inside that swirled and danced like a fish in spiral pipes, a faint glow of gold particles.

The necklace's head took shape of a seven pointed star gemstone, bright white with surging gold light encased on it. Despite not knowing what happened, Lars instinctively reached for the star, feeling its warmth in his hand. Suddenly, an image of a sword flashed through his mind like a snap of distant memory and it made him flinch.

The monster roared, sending Lars back into the unreal reality and it began to shake its head violently, crashing itself to the wall and sending splinters and dust flying around. It looked visibly agitated by the light, so much that Lars could actually tell that it was mad to him specifically.

"Look out!"

The monster lunged at Lars, only to be met with a precise piercing attack of the Tirana's spear. Her spear lodged in one of its slit eye socket, damaging the monster badly enough that many light particles dissipated from it. Such action came with a great cost, however, as the beast roared and thrashed around. It knocked Tirana to the side and the clanking sound of her spear falling to the floor echoed across the room.

Lars knew the monster would go after him next. But he was no longer afraid. Deep inside, he knew that something had happened to him, and that something was at the precipice of unleashing. The monster roared again, but Lars heard nothing. It was calm, and the world seemed like stopped revolving for him.

Lars held the necklace again and felt the energy surging stronger and more intense. The whole sensation felt like he was being pulled from his own body. He could feel every flow of the light within him, converging to the star necklace he held. With a vigorous yank, I shattered the chains.

Powerful, shining golden light burst out from Lars' hand and a long ornate sword materialized from it. The blade was pure white like a billion stars were trapped within it, each twinkling with gold sparks. Its golden hilt was simple, yet decorative with wings cross - guard and the same seven pointed star at the center.

Lars was entranced by the mysterious, grand sword that he almost forgot to defend myself. The monster reminded him by charging through without a warning. Out of strange newfound battle instinct, Lars leapt away from every claw sweeps. He even found it surprising that he could dodge so skillfully and his leaps were inhumanly farther.

Despite it was his first time wielding a sword, it felt natural for Lars already. The sword felt almost weightless for Lars, like it really was forged to fit his hands.

"Don't just avoid it! Kill it!" Tirana yelled.

Tirana reached for her bag and pulled out a wand - like object with yellow crystal orb. She aimed it at the beast and lightning bolt shot out of it. The lightning was cracking and lashing the air as it burned through the monster's scales.

After the lightning assault stopped, the monster roared in rage once again. It tried to move but the lightning attack had severely contracted its muscles, rendering the beast immobilized, perfect for a strike.

Lars raised the sword and took the chance. He let out a battle cry, this time with no fear, and charged into the beast with his sword forward, aiming for its head. With a wide spread cleave swing, Lars cut the top half of its head off like a knife passed through butter. Light particles burst out from the monster's head and it let out a rumbling roar.

Despite the injuries, the monster could still move and in desperate attempt, clawed around aimlessly in berserk. Tirana ran towards the monster at full speed and she slid herself under the monster, piercing it right in the belly in one swift move of her spear.

"Finish it!"

Lars nodded and charged at the monster with the sword over his head. The monster was still clawing in an effort to shake Tirana off but she persevered, spreading one leg back and pushed her spear deeper with all of her might, breaking the wound into pieces of light.

The monster's growl was gargled, and just before its claw could descent on the brave warrior girl, Lars leaped. He was higher than he would imagine, and he sensed something building inside him as he swung his sword down. In one blinding flash of light, the beast's head was cut in half from Lars' attack.

The monster went limp almost immediately with its head split open and bursting into light particles. Lars' smile of victory and relief was brief as he heard a high pitched yelp from the girl who was pinned under the monster's falling body. Before Lars could reach her to help, he was stopped from the sight of the monster's body dissipating in larger amount of silver light particles.

Lars found the lights oddly mesmerizing, despite all the horror he went through. It was like watching a thousand fireflies take flight in summer night.

"Are you guys alright?"

A familiar voice brought Lars back to reality and it was turned out to be Len's. He stood across the hallway, looking at the scene before him in confused, fearful stare. He had watched the whole thing from there. Tentatively, he approached Lars and his eyes gone back and forth between his shirtless brother, the sword in his hand, the monster that ever so slowly disappearing and Tirana who got trapped underneath it.

"A little help, please? This thing is heavy!"