The Guardian: The Elementalist

Dark memories IV

Ray continued walking towards where the stick was. At the same time a rumbling sound began to appear.

Black holes are popping up in the red area. Their place of appearance looks very random.

Feeling very far from danger, Ray continued his steps until he managed to reach the heirloom.

"Ray! Come here!" shouts Ralph. "All right!" ray exclaimed, he looked very happy as if he had obtained victory. He tried to make sure that what he took was exactly the same as what was shown on the hologram.

It floated in the air in order to move faster into the green region. Unfortunately a black hole suddenly appeared before him, making him shocked and then dropping the stick.

The black hole was not silent, it also let out a wind slash like Zwan had told him.

Ray screamed in pain after trying to hold back the wind slash that was pointing at his chest.

His chest was injured, he was unable to regenerate so that blood still poured profusely on his body.

Worried, Ralph finally flew towards him. Unfortunately Ray was unable to maintain his position, he stopped floating and freefalling in the air while the black hole seemed to be waiting for him below.

Ralph immediately shot up quickly and banged himself on Ray's body, finally part of his body was wiped out by a black hole.

Ray realized, he continued to hold Ralph's arm so that some other body is not absorbed by the black hole.

"Let go of me, Ray! If you continue this way you will also be sucked!" Ralph. "Where could I do that! I'll protect you, Ralph! You're gonna be fine! So, don't say anything weird!" ray said, he tried to make himself heavier so that he could pull Ralph's body out of the black hole.

However, instead of going out, Ralph's body was getting immersed into the black hole. "Ray, please! Unhand me! I'm no longer helped! I can't even feel my legs" Ralph said.

"Don't say a no-no! I'll help you!" ray said, he began to cry because he could not pull Ralph out of the black hole.

"You've helped me too much, Ray! You as I help me. You always protected me. Just allow me this once to help you. So take my hand and use this opportunity to leave" Ralph said.

"Ti...no! Don't go Ralph! I'm not going anywhere until I get you out!" said Ray.

"Ray, thank you for the time. I'm really happy to be able to accompany you around the world. That's enough for me. Now, let me repay you all this kindness," Ralph said.

"Don't say anything weird! Don't say that, Ralph! Please!" ray said, he kept crying with regret.

"Ray, you don't need that heirloom. Trust me, you are the best! You're gonna be the strongest, Ray! You've been strong without the need to use the heirloom," Ralph said.

"Don't talk about it at a time like this! You need to get out first!" said Ray.

"Trust yourself, Ray! You don't need the power of a loan! You've been strong as you are" Ralph said.

Shortly after Ralph's body began to sink, even his face was dragged into the. He only left a smile while closing his eyes in front of Ray.

Ray continued to hold Ralph's hand with all his might until finally breaking up. "No! Ralph!"'s!" he shouted loudly. He fell down with his severed hand.

Not until he touched the ground, a bright glowing hole appeared and swallowed him inside. Ray could not see anything, his vision suddenly disappeared.

Soon he could open his eyes again. He could see the clear sky, it was not the earth of Pallas.

People came to him, they looked surprised because the wound on Ray's chest never healed as usual, finally people raised him to a house and took care of him.

"Yo, it looks like you're starting to wake up" said one of the children who looked the same age as him.

"Why am I here? What the hell's going on? Where is Ralph?" ask Ray. "You mean.. the owner of that hand?" kaa asked as she pointed at the rest of the pieces of hand she had placed on the ice.

Ray's face immediately turned pale, he shouted loudly to make people come to check on him.

"It's my fault! It's all because of me!" he gripped his own face. "There's no need to hurt yourself, nothing will change" Kaa said, removing Ray's claws from his face.

"I'm really stupid!" ray said, he still can't believe what really happened. "I don't know what's really going on, but thank God you're recovering well. I thought you were gonna die with that deep wound. Thank goodness your friend's sacrifice was not in vain" Kaa said

Ray stared in astonishment with the scar on his chest, should his regeneration ability be able to recover the wound without a scar.

"How can I be in this place?" ask Ray. "I brought you here" said Kaa. "You? How's it?" ask Ray.

"I am a Chron. My ability is to open the gates between worlds. It just so happened that I had taken you away before being swallowed by the black hole.

"Ke..... Why didn't you save Ralph?" ask Ray. "You think it's as easy as opening the gates between worlds? Fortunately your friend managed to buy time so you don't fall straight into the black hole! Otherwise, maybe you too will be swallowed by the black hole as well, making your friend's sacrifice the most stupid act" Kaa said. Ray was silent, he really did not want to believe this reality.

He tried to get to Ralph's hand piece and grabbed it. The hand looked so cold it fused with the ice.

He was surprised to see what the hand held. A lantern-shaped stone sculpture.

Ray rubbed his tears while watching the lantern. "Ralph's.... Ralph.... Ralph's alive!" exclaiming Ray.

"What makes you think that?" tanya Kaa was astonished. "Look at this lantern! It still gives off light! He's still alive! My friend is alive!" exclaiming Ray.

"Lantern?" Kaa tried to stare at the rock she was holding. "Hmm? Life lantern? Apparently the child is a descendant of Boerden," Kaa said as she observed the stone.

"You know about the Boerden clan?" ask Ray to be impressed. "Of course, the stone. How could I not know," said Kaa.

"No way! This stone was created by a Dwarf hundreds of years ago!" said Ray.

"Obviously almost two hundred years ago. I used it to find someone's location" Kaa said.

"Eh? Not to know if that person is dead or not?" ask Ray. "That's one of the uses, but the real use is to know the whereabouts of a person. Look at this dim light. It was a sign that he was very far from this place. The light will be brighter if it is close to its owner, " Kaa said.

"Look! It seemed like this light had become brighter, albeit a little! Then Ralph's still alive! I'm sure he'll be looking for me right now!" said Ray.

"Let me see for a moment, " said Kaa. Ray gave the stone to her. "It looks like the child is not moving at all" Kaa said.

"Whatchu mean? Look at this light! It's flashing, getting brighter!" said Ray.

"It was not because he was moving, but the earth on which he was moving. Just so you know, the earth goes around the sun, it also keeps spinning all the time, which is what makes this lantern light flicker. I'm impressed you can realize that. Most people would think this light nothing has changed at all" Kaa said.

"Of course I realized it! I'm the Dark Warden!" said Ray. "Hm! Is that so? You look so troublesome! I'd better get going, " Kaa said.

"Wait first! Where are you going?" ask Ray. "I've healed your wounds, there's nothing I need to do here anymore. I will travel again" said Kaa.

"There's nothing you can do anymore? Will you accompany me to go find Ralph? If you were the Chron who lived hundreds of years ago, you would know many other Earths" Ray said.

"I'm not on anyone's side, look for your own friend, make up for your own mistakes" Kaa said, leaving Ray.

Holding the lantern stone, Ray is determined to find Ralph