Chapter 7: Mist Lotus

After being screamed at, Lars immediately went to lift the monster's body for Tirana to wiggle herself out of there. He found the body surprisingly light despite he was moving roughly an adult bear sized creature with ease and no assistance at all. Len's jaw was dropped due to either too shocked or too confused watching Lars' incredible display of strength.

"Thank you," Tirana said after she could finally stand up. "And thank you for the earlier, as well."

Tirana looked at Lars for a while before she smiled, showcasing her pretty dimples. Her prominent cheekbones were rosy and sweaty from the earlier battle. While Tirana dusted off dirt from her white clothes, Lars picked up her spear and handed it to her. She clicked a switch on the spear's socket and the handle was significantly retracted, turning it into a rod more than a spear. She put it on her bag and fished out a fancy bottle containing turquoise tinted water.

"Are you hurt anywhere? You should drink this if you do."

Lars didn't answer straight, because he actually didn't feel anything. He was not as tired as he expected to be after such grueling battle, and he was baffled with the mysteriously disappeared pain that previously wrecked him. Without Lars realizing, he was no longer holding a sword and the magical necklace had returned to his neck.

"Look at the size of that thing, what in God's name is that abomination?" Len said.

"Exactly what it is that you just said, an abomination," Tirana said.

She pulled out another object from her bag, this time an orb shaped lantern - like mechanism. She clicked something in it and held it in front her, and with a light whirr, all the floating light particles from the deceased beast was sucked in to the object. A river of tiny stars passed through Lars and directly entered the orb obediently.

Just like that, nothing but the destruction and claw marks on the walls were left. Lars and Len just exchanged looks, as if confirming to each other that they were not imagining things.

Tirana chugged the candy colored liquid in one gulp and took a deep breath right after. "I'll explain everything later, but first, we must get out of here before they'll find us."

"What do you mean by 'they'? There are more of these things coming?" Lars said.

"Guess we'll see," Tirana said with a fleeting smile. She pulled out yet another object from her bag, this time a little vial containing black liquid that she dropped on the head of her crystal rod. The drop absorbed by the rod, turning the crystal into shimmering jet black color.

Len sniffed the air and said, "Is that oil?"

"Yeah, I'm burning this whole place to the ground," Tirana said rather casually.

She provided no further information on how and why she would do that afterwards. Lars and Len just went straight for the exit, leaving Tirana who was far more composed behind. The black crystal on Tirana's rod cracked, blooming beautifully into a lotus shape. The crystal glowed wicked purple and with a light twirl, the crystal rod emitted a black mist that crept through the walls and ceilings, crawling and hissing its way along.

Lars and Len were waiting outside when Tirana finally done, coming out of the building with a black full - face mask on. Despite the darkness of nightfall, Lars could see from the outline that the whole building has been engulfed by the black mist. It was then when it dawned on him about the prior events involving the white mist. He realized that Tirana was the one behind the sudden appearance of the mist, not the monster.

Len suddenly yelled. "Are you serious about this? Our friend might still be alive! He was with us when - "

"I wouldn't do this if I know there's any survivor left."

Len was silenced and Lars tapped on his back. Their time with Seth might be short, but they still felt bad having no choice but to left his body in there without proper burial. They couldn't argue with Tirana because they were still basked in a pulp of unprocessed emotions.

Tirana pulled out a spherical bottle from her bag, full of bright red liquid that somehow seemed to contained blazing fire inside. She made a solid throw of the sphere and once it disappeared into the thick, viscous blackness, the building exploded.

The explosion ripped through the wind and Lars could feel the spreading heat from it, which made him shield his eyes from the sheer brightness of the blast. The whole building combusted into flames, alighting the night with chaotic flare and high puffs of black smoke that ascended merrily to the skies.

Lars was speechless the whole time and didn't even realize Len's trembling fingers were latched on his shoulders. He studied Tirana's expression after she took off the mask but found nothing there. She was completely detached.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Of course, easy clean up. All in day's work."

Lars didn't immediately get what Tirana meant but then a roar tore through the night. It was followed by several more monstrous growls or screeches. Lars realized such chaotic blend of noises must be from the monsters inside the building, burned horribly to death.

"I've trapped a few others in the building before I get to you guys earlier," Tirana said. "Remember, they rarely hunt alone."

Lars was about to ask numerous piling questions to her but Len's grip on his shoulders stopped him. Len was visibly trembling.

"Let's just get out of here guys, please," Len said with voice cracked.

"You guys go ahead," Tirana said. "I'll meet you back home. I have to sweep the area first and clean up these guys. I will explain everything later."

The look of determination on Tirana's eyes was enough for Lars to not question her anymore. He took Len's hand and went back through the way they came from. They sluggishly ran on the dark beach, looking around for more potential threats looming in.

By the time Lars and Len reached the facilitated area of the beach, people have begun to make their way to the fire. Some of them were screaming and alerting people of the forest fire. Before any of them could reach it, however, the black smoke was suddenly engulfed by a big white one that shrouded a large area surrounding the fire location.

The smoke vanished as soon as it appeared and the fire seemingly had gone completely. Lars and Len didn't stay any longer to hear the people's confusion over it. They already knew it was definitely Tirana's doing.

It was only when Lars and Len reached the main street when they feel they could breathe easier. Lars was shirtless and yet strangely wasn't troubled by the chilly night wind. He and Len just kept on walking, replaying the incident over and over in their heads to confirm it was real.

"What are we gonna do if people ask about Seth? We're the ones last seen with him," Len asked as he nervously fiddled with his fingers.

"After Tirana explained everything, we leave tomorrow."

Len quietly nodded and heaved a sigh. "Why the hell these things happened to us?"

Silence returned. Lars held the star center of his new, mysterious chain necklace and absentmindedly fiddled with it. He remembered the blackness that sucked his consciousness when the monster attacked him. He remembered the voices in the light afterwards. He knew that at some point, he was dead.

"How am I still alive?" Lars darkly whispered.

Len heard what Lars said, but stayed silent. They kept walking and the weight of that question hung unresolved. It was too much and too little to process at the same time.

"I don't know what the hell is going on," Len said. He suddenly held Lars' arm and they stopped. "But I do know one thing. You saved my life back there. Thank you."

Lars smiled and nodded, uncertain of what to reply. "I'm... just glad you're alright."

"Just so you know, I knew what were you trying to do to save me. And I hated it."

"H - Huh?"

Len took off his hand and looked down. "I made you took that decision. You've been protecting me so much that your first instinct is to sacrifice yourself for me. That's so damn stupid, Lars! Don't ever pull that shit to me again!"

"W - Wh... is it so wrong of me to do that? Len, I'm your brother! All I wanted was for you was - "

"What good would it be if I live because you died for me? Why would you even do that?" Len screamed, going red in the face of holding in rage and tears.

Lars was unfazed, but his expression soon mellowed. "Why? You're an idiot if you still ask why."

Len was silenced as he held back his tears that already welling up. Lars reached over and they embraced under the crescent moon. The sound of Len's cries and sniffles were muffled by Lars' chest. Lars thought Len must had been holding saying this since the incident, but eventually, it got all too overwhelming for him.

After they broke away, Lars ruffled Len's hair to a mess and smiled. It was a smile so sweet and soothingly sincere that Len couldn't help but smile as well. For many days to come this is the memory that strongly cherished by these twins. The memory of each other's smile they vowed to protect.