Sebastian opened his eyes slowly and saw the barren ground beneath him. He lifted his gaze, but it felt heavy, as though something was pressing down on him. He was back in the Soldier Village. The sun shone brightly above and all of his friends were running around passing him with a joyful smile on their face. His head throbbed, dizziness washing over him like a crashing wave. When he was about to collapse, a hand reached out and helped him to his feet.

  “What’s wrong, Sebastian?” Edward asks, his face filled with concerned.

  Sebastian looked at his father with shock and confusion. His head throbbed once more, and a sharp pain pulsed through his temples. Sebastian wonders what he's doing here and why he can’t remember anything. It was as if a fog had settled over his memories, obscuring something important—something he should have remembered. The harder he tried to grasp it, the worse the pain became, like jagged shards of glass digging into his skull. His breath quickened, his heart drumming against his ribs.

  Sebastian looked in the distance and saw the familiar red hair swaying in the wind. The gentle face that tore a wound on his chest.

  His mother.

  A burning and painful sensation that swallows every breath on his lung. His mother was approaching with her basket filled with food. Apollonia rushes towards Sebastian with a grim look on her face, then she puts her warm hand on Sebastian temple. Sebastian's heart skips a beat, this warm sensation feels so relaxing and yet painful. He felt a prickle on his heart like fire just brushed into it.

  “Sebastian, what’s wrong?!”

  Apollonia picks up Sebastian and holds him in her embrace. Then she looked around before running towards something. Sebastian looked at her mother's face filled with fear. He just can’t understand what’s going on right now. His body feels weak and he could feel the world spinning around. He felt like he shouldn’t be here. He was supposed to be somewhere doing something. However he can’t remember it no matter how much he tries to peel the memory on his head. Something feels off and Sebastian just can't put his finger on it.

  Sebastian's eyes could see that they’re approaching the church right now. The sweet old rundown church he knew very well since he was a baby. He can’t count how many times he visited this place just to pray and offer his gratitude towards god. So many memories are planted inside each brick of that church. He felt like he could build that church up in the exact same template if he was given the chance. Now the thought of that church alone evokes a sense of nostalgia inside Sebastian's heart. Something really strange as if he was seeing this church again after a very long time.

  Apollonia burst down opening the church door and there, Sebastian could finally see Father Daniel smoking his pipe like the usual. A mixed feeling came into Sebastian's heart. There’s anger, sadness, happiness and this sense of… lost.. brewing inside Sebastian's heart. A word mentor immediately flashes through his mind. But why? Why does he call Father Daniel a mentor? He was just a normal priest in this village. Sure he sometimes teaches him about theology and other trivia, but calling him a mentor? That’s something that just feels alien to Sebastian. A weird feeling and word, but it seems to fit perfectly for Father Daniel.

  “Wh-What?! Is there something happening outside?!” Father Daniel asked as he was standing up.

  “Sebastian! He looked really pale and-and,” Apollonia said in a panic.

  Sebastian couldn’t see his face directly but judging from the reaction of everyone around him. He must be looking very bad for them to panic like this. Father Daniel walked towards Apollonia in a hurry and he immediately looked at Sebastian's condition. Sebastian could see a shocked look of concern on Father Daniel's face. Sebastian felt really weak and he felt like something was draining his strength. The longer he stayed in this place, the weaker he felt in each passing second. He needs to get out, he needs to leave, but where? Where is the place he needed to be?

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  Sebastian's eyes wander around the room in a daze. He could see Edward, Apollonia and Father Daniel looking at him in a panic. Times felt really slow for Sebastian as he felt his body swaying around. Everything feels weird and unreal, he felt like he didn't belong here. Sebastian glanced at the symbol of the church on the altar. The symbol was weird as if there’s a crack there. The more Sebastian mid focused on it the more that crack widened. Then Sebastian realized the crack was not on the church Symbol, but on reality itself.

  Sebastian hands reach towards that crack with all the strength he has left. Lifting his hand feels like he’s trying to lift the entire world. A sense of dread washes on Sebastian's heart. As if he knew if he touched that crack, he might not be able to go back to this place. But why would he want to leave this place? Is not like there is anything waiting for him out there. And where’s out there? Sebastian didn’t know the answer to all of those questions flying around inside his head. Sebastian slowly lowers his arm, giving in towards whatever force that tries to stop him leaving from this place.

  “OH NO YOU’RE NOT!”

  Suddenly a blue ring of fire manifests itself in front of Sebastian. A hand appeared from behind that fire, shocking Sebastian and grabbing him directly on his face.

  “WE! ARE NOT DONE. WE! MUST GO!”

  That hand dragged Sebastian inside the ring of fire, then he could feel the fire burn his entire body that made him wail in pain. The pain he felt on his entire body feels tormenting. He trash around trying to put out the fire that was raging, but no matter what he did, the fire just won't go, instead it’s getting bigger and bigger the more he tries to put it out. Sebastian screams on the top of his lungs looking for help. However, no one answered his cry and pleaded in this place. He was alone in this dark and unfamiliar place.

  Sebastian looked around looking for someone to help him. He could see thousands upon thousands of faces around, but not a single one of them offered their hands to help. They just stood there watching Sebastian crawl around, crying uncontrollably asking for help. In this cold and dark place Sebastian could see a statue of a church symbol in the distance. It was so big as if it was about to pierced the heaven itself. Sebastian dragged his flaming body towards those statues, hoping god would help him put this fire that was eating his body alive. Then he saw a single figure in front of the statue. The figure looks crooked and weird. As if the body and limb itself looked like two different bodies forced to merge together into this amalgamation of grotesque figures.

  The figure turns around and smiles towards Sebastian. There stood such a horrifying face that made Sebastian puke his guts out. His body was tormented by the fire and his eyes were assaulted by the thing he just saw. That was the most disgusting thing Sebastian has ever seen in his entire life. His brain knows what that is but refuses to acknowledge it fervently. Sebastian looks towards the ground. Not wanting to see the figure standing tall in front of him. He could feel the creature's eyes piercing his soul and tore his heart apart, but Sebastian just dragged his body forwards while writhing in pain.

  “You may deny us,” the figure rasped. “But we’re here. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”

  Sebastian ignored the rambling of that creature and just focused all of his sight towards the statue not far from him.

  "We’re not done here, Sebastian," the figure whispered. "Go. Fulfill our promise."

  Sebastian inches closer towards the statue he almost touched it. He could feel his finger grazed at the statue.

  “REMEMBER SEBASTIAN! REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE! REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER.”

  Sebastian finally managed to touch the church symbol and he could feel holy magic flowing towards his body. The church symbol shone brightly, lifting all the darkness around him. However no matter how much holy magic that rushes towards his body, he couldn’t heal the fire that was raging on his body. Sebastian screamed as the room lit up in a bright light, erasing every shadow that lingered around. Sebastian looked back at the creature behind him. Its face contorted into such an abominable expression that looked like a smile. It’s mangled hand stretched towards Sebastian. Then it laughed and laughed. Sebastian closed his eyes not wanting to see the creature anymore. He knew exactly what it was and what promise it talked about.

  Suddenly Sebastian could see the crack in reality like before. It appeared in front of him, waiting for Sebastian's hand to touch it. Without a single shred of hesitation, Sebastian touched that crack and he could feel his body being pulled by such an immense force away. His memories return and he could see in a brief second the face of his loved one smiling towards him. Waving their hands away towards him.