Arc 1: The Tragic Hero

One would care to be lost in imagination trying to solve the mysteries that the world holds. Whether it be; how it started, how it ends, and even the meaning that the world held before its pending demise. The very meaning behind the world's existence can plague one's mind to insanity. But what is the world? Is it a place specially designed for humans to thrive? No, far from it! Yet humans foolishly believe this lie bestowed upon them by these lazy 'gods'. A world similar to that of the humans mirrors their own. A world that swims in chaos, confusion, and blood. This world is known as the Mind World.

"Nathan!!!"

Nathan was suddenly kidnapped from his sleep by a loud squeaky voice, which had scared him, resulting in him falling from his bed.

He looked up to see a 13-year-old girl dressed in pink pajamas who had mousy drab, mid-brown hair, and pale brown eyes.

"Ow... geez, Liz! Could you not wake me up so obnoxiously?!" Complained Nathan as he comforted his bruised forehead.

"But big brother, it's your special day today! Let me sing the birthday song! HAPPY BIRTHDAY-"

Nathan quickly covered Liz's mouth with his hand. He did not wish to hear that awful celebratory song.

"Liz, please no... No birthday songs. You know that stuff makes me feel awkward..."

"Hmph! Fine, you're such a killjoy. No wonder you don't have a girlfriend..."

"Hey now, that's uncalled for!"

"Yeah... Yeah, whatever. Mom's waiting for you downstairs with breakfast. Hurry and freshen up and get down with us."

"Fine, got it... And thanks by the way..."

Liz then gave Nathan one last annoyed look before walking out of his room.

Nathan then stretched his skinny arms and arose to his feet as he thought about the dream he was having earlier.

Nathan sighed, "The Mind World... huh? If only something like that was real..."

Nathan then proceeded towards the bathroom before cleaning himself. He then stopped and looked into the bathroom mirror allowing his sister's words to taunt him about not having a girlfriend. He washed the oil and sweat away from his face before taking a good look at himself.

His hair was a smooth-brown color, shaved in an undercut hairstyle, complementing his cool dark brown eyes and his perfectly refined face.

Nathan was in no way hideous or afraid of how he looked, but he was not very outgoing about it either. His only physical flaw was that he had a perfectly average body type which had refused to gain any muscle build-up whatsoever.

"No wonder you don't have a girlfriend," he mocked at his sister's words as he cleaned himself.

Nathan had many flaws apart from his skinny body type. At school, people treated him as an outcast because he acted differently from the rest. He didn't believe in how modern society worked and wished to see it change someday. This fueled him into wanting to become a sort of hero who could change the world— this and his nonexistent father, 'James'.

Fifteen minutes later, he appeared before his mother and little sister wearing a thick red and white jacket with black jeans and white sneakers.

"Happy birthday, honey!" Greeted Nathan's mother as she hugged him.

"Thanks, mom... I appreciate it..." Replied Nathan, obviously trying to hide his embarrassment.

The three then took a seat around a table filled with exquisite food. The delightful smell penetrated Nathan's nostrils like a knife to a cake. The table was filled with pancakes, eggs, sausages, macaroni, syrup, cheese, and fruit.

"Mom, this is a bit much, don't ya think?" Asked Nathan hesitantly as he picked at the food.

"Mom's just trying to fatten you up, big brother. We know you've been trying to gain weight to attract more girls!" Teased Liz.

"I'm not that skinny!"

"So honey, what do you plan to do today?" Asked Nathan's mother to save him from his embarrassment.

"Sindy and Andrew said they wanted to take me to see a movie with them, so I guess I'll be hanging with them today."

Nathan's mother smiled as she knew that Sindy and Andrew were just the types of friends Nathan needed. She could rely on them to be with Nathan even if things were to get rough.

After another fifteen minutes, Nathan had eaten his entire share of breakfast and was ready to head out.

"Mom, Liz, I'm leaving! The movie starts at noon so I better get going."

"Okay honey, please be careful and be back before five so we can celebrate with a party. All the neighbors and friends are coming, so don't be late!"

Nathan then gave one last wave to his siblings and left to meet up with his friends. Little did he know that this would be a longer goodbye than he could have ever expected.

"Do you think not having a father around affects him?" Queried Liz to her mother.

"I think it affects us all, sweety... But we're better off without that monster in our lives anyway! It's about time we got over him for good..."

*****

The sky was clear, the air was fresh and the atmosphere radiated peace. It was a perfect day and all Nathan could think about was how much better it would become as he enjoyed it with his best friends.

As Nathan walked to the bus stop where he was supposed to meet up with his friends, he noticed a dark cloud in the sky. The cloud emitted a strange aura that gave Nathan chills. It was smaller and lower than any cloud he had ever seen. Bits of lightning flashed inside the cloud but there was no sound of thunder.

Nathan shivered, "Geez that's creepy..."

Just then, Nathan saw a spark of electricity arcing upwards in front of an unknowing elderly woman looking to cross the street. Without even thinking, he dashed towards the lady pushing her out of the way just in the nick of time.

A powerful bolt of lightning had struck the spot where the lady had stood, barely missing them.

"Are you okay?!" Asked Nathan worriedly.

"Yes, thanks to you young man..! I'm not sure if my old body could handle any form of electricity as it is!" Replied the elderly lady.

It was almost out of nowhere when people began crowding to ask what had happened. Surprisingly, none of them had seen the bolt of lightning.

"A huge bolt of lightning almost hit this lady, so I did my best to get her out of the way!" Explained Nathan.

A look of confusion quickly came over the faces in the crowd. They had failed to see or even hear when the bolt of lightning had struck.

"A bolt of lightning with a completely clear sky?" Asked a bystander beginning to question Nathan's sanity.

"Yes! Look, there is a creepy dark cloud in the sky!"

Unfortunately, Nathan had to do a quick double-take. To his and the old lady's surprise, the cloud had vanished as if it was never there, to begin with.

"Come on kid, don't make stuff up just to play hero! You could have easily hurt this poor lady with your nonsense!" Lectured a man from within the crowd.

"It's true! He saved my life!!" Defended the old lady.

"Aww, shut it you old fart! You're just going senile! None of this makes any sense," argued another from the crowd.

Nathan was too lost in thought trying to figure out what had happened to pay attention to the quarreling taking place. He then picked himself up and brushed the dirt from his clothes before responding;

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Ten minutes later, Nathan arrived at the bus stop where he met both Sindy and Andrew.

"Hey, guys!" He greeted.

"You're late! What happened to you? You even have a little dirt on your jeans..." Complained Sindy as she cleaned Nathan's jeans with a handkerchief.

"Well..."

"Dude, we'll hear you out later. For now, we got thirty minutes to get to the movies or it's as good as missed!" Interrupted Andrew.

The three friends then quickly got onto a bus and headed for the theatre.

On the way, Sindy playfully elbowed Nathan and handed him a wrapped gift.

"Happy birthday, Nate!"

"Aw Sindy, I don't know what to say..."

"A simple thanks would suffice."

"Thanks, Sindy... I appreciate it."

Sindy smiled warmly at Nathan, making him a little flustered. He hadn't realized just how cute she was dressed up. She had light golden blonde hair, with added brown colorings at the ends. Her eyes were glossy blue with a medium-light skin tone. Her face was smooth with red-stained lips from her lipstick and small gold earrings in each ear. She wore a red blouse with white polka-dots, white jeans, and white open-toe slippers; designed with flowers showcasing her red painted nails. She had completely matched Nathan's colors and it made her radiate divinity like an angel.

"Sindy, you look stunning..!" Complimented Nathan.

"Thanks, I was hoping it wasn't too much..." Blushed Sindy.

"So Nate..." Started Andrew joining in on the conversation. "What about me? You only complimented Sindy, man. I'm hurt!"

Nathan then took a look at Andrew. He had bleached blonde hair— shaved in an undercut just like Nathan's, dark-brown eyes, and wore the smile of a trouble maker. He was slightly muscular and wore a plain-blue long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and blue sneakers.

"Yeah dude, you look pretty cool too," replied Nathan honestly.

"Am I better than princess over there?" Teased Andrew.

Sindy rolled her eyes, "Oh Andrew, shut up..! More importantly, Nathan open your gift!"

Nathan did not know what to expect, as Sindy could sometimes buy the weirdest gifts. He then gently unwrapped the box and slid it open. Inside it, Nathan found a silver half-hearted necklace embedded with the name ~Sindy.

"Wow Sindy, this is really neat!" Squealed Nathan.

"Oh? So who has the other half?" Cheekily asked, Andrew.

"It's right here," replied Sindy as she revealed the other half of the necklace which was neatly concealed within her blouse. The necklace was embedded with the name ~Nathan.

Andrew smirked, "That must have cost quite a bit princess. You really poured your heart into it, didn't ya?"

"Andrew, shut up! It's his birthday s,o of course, I would!"

Andrew then gave Nathan a quick wink. However, Nathan was much too dense when it came to females to realize what was going on.

"Sindy, I appreciate it, but I kinda feel bad since it's just me and you. The three of us are best friends, so I think we should get a piece for Andrew too."

A look of frustration then quickly washed the face of Sindy. She could hardly believe her ears.

"Geez, you're such an airhead sometimes..."

"Huh..? Did I say something wrong..?"

"Nah man, am good," Comforted Andrew, "...that's for you and Sindy. I already know that we're besties so I don't need a necklace to prove it... Besides, my gift is taking us all to the movies to catch that movie."

Nathan and Sindy had no idea what movie they would be seeing as Andrew wanted it to be a surprise. Suspense crept up on Nathan as he really wanted to know, but he kept himself disciplined and decided to go along with it.

"By the way guys, today the weirdest thing happened to me!" Began Nathan as he explained what had happened between him and the elderly woman earlier.

"Woah, you sure you didn't just halluciNATE?" Laughed, Andrew.

"Dude, I'm serious! I wouldn't make something as crazy as this up..."

"Well, whatever it was, no point in dwelling on it now..." Noted Sindy.

Sindy and Andrew both knew Nathan could be a bit superstitious at times. However, they knew that he would never blow it out of proportion to the point of drawing the attention of large crowds.

After a twenty-five-minute bus ride, they had finally arrived at the theatre. They then hurried over to give in their tickets when Nathan noticed something. The small dark cloud was back, but this time it seemed much more aggressive. Lightning danced inside the cloud and the atmosphere began to react to it. It was almost as if the sky was becoming darker with each passing second.

"Nathan! Come on, what are you loo-", Sindy briefly cut her statement, as she too could now see the cloud.

"Andrew, you're seeing it too, right?" Quickly asked Sindy.

"Yes, unfortunately, Nathan isn't crazy..!"

Nathan glanced at Andrew, "Unfortunately?"

"Umm, not the time for this... Let's get inside quickly, boys!"

The three then rushed inside the theatre, handed in their tickets, and took a seat, ready to see the movie, trying to ignore what they had just seen.

"So, the movie you wanted us to see was, 'The Tragic Hero..?'" Murmured Sindy.

"It's a good movie and besides, Nate has never seen it,"

"Shh- it's about to start guys!" Quieted Nathan.

[5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. MCs product- KABOOM!!]

Before the movie could start, a massive tremor suddenly shook the entire building, causing immense panic within the theatre. Screams of fear and the sirens of crying babies resonated through the air as if they were in the middle of an apocalyptic movie.

"Oh my goodness! What the hell was that!?" Panicked Sindy.

"Perfect timing to ruin the movie... I want a refund!" Complained Andrew bitterly.

"Nate, I'm sorry this is happening right now, but I'm sure everything-" Sindy stopped and took a good look at Nathan. He was drenched in sweat and seemed completely spaced out.

"Nate..? Nate? Nate?!"

"He's not responding... What in the world is going on, man..!?" Cried, Andrew.

Sindy then grabbed onto Nathan's face and looked him in the eyes. His eyes seemed dull and he was as pale as a ghost with a roasting fever.

"Oh no! He's burning up, Andrew!" Screamed Sindy.

Nathan then suddenly began to whimper, "Gu-Guys, I don't feel too good..."

"We need to get him out of here and to a doctor like right now!" Declared Andrew.

Just then, a voice began speaking over an intercom.

"Everyone, please evacuate immediately and find a sturdy shelter! A powerful storm surge has come over the vicinity and the country has declared this a state of emergency. Caution is advised!"

"Bro, wasn't it like totally clear five minutes ago?" Questioned Andrew a little worried.

"Let's just get out of here. There is a medical clinic a few blocks from here. We should be able to make it in about two minutes if we hurry..." Explained Sindy.

The two then helped Nathan up and moved to the exit of the building through the panicking crowd. However, what they saw upon reaching the exit had made them tremble in their garments.

The winds were so powerful that it was uprooting street signs and trees, sending them flying like a scene from a movie. Lightning arced through the sky forming many different patterns, that would dare challenge any artist, but the most frightening thing was the color of the sky. It was as black as night, that it had tempted Sindy and Andrew to check the time on their phones.

"What do we do now? There is absolutely no way we can make it through whatever that is alive!" Dreaded Andrew.

"I don't care! I'm getting Nate to a doctor, even if I have to do it by myself! I'm not leaving him like this!" Demanded Sindy.

"Don't be crazy, you'll kill him before the fever does, woman! I'm not letting you take Nate with you!"

Just then, the two friends noticed something which made Sindy's heart skip a beat. Nathan was nowhere to be found.

"No... no... no... no... no... no... no! Where did he go?!"

"Crap, are you freaking kidding me?! Nathan, where'd you go?!"

Sindy and Andrew began to panic as they searched for Nathan but were unable to find a clue to his whereabouts. This was until they heard people screaming at someone a few feet away from them.

When they got to where the commotion was coming from, Sindy was sure she would die from heart failure. Nathan was out in the open, walking aimlessly like a zombie. His hair and clothes fluttered wildly in the powerful wind as if he could be blown away at any moment.

Without a second thought, Sindy and Andrew dashed out into danger to retrieve their friend since no one else seemed willing to help.

They grabbed onto his arms and tried pulling him back, but he refused to move as if he was glued to the spot.

"Damn, what the hell are they feeding you?! You won't budge!" Grunted Andrew.

"Come back please, Nate! It's dangerous out here!" Cried Sindy desperately.

"I-I-I'm hearing this voice calling out to me to come..." Groaned Nathan.

Exhaustion had overcome the two friends and they were no longer able to pull Nathan. It was as if some supernatural force was gluing him to the spot.

"He's not making any sense, but I'm not letting him go, Andrew!"

"Neither am I!"

Determined and hopeful for help, the two friends tightened their grasp on Nathan's arms. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, the wind blew wildly, and the atmosphere began to fade. Sindy and Andrew looked up afraid and bedazzled, as an arc of lightning caught their eyes heading right at them with a huge flash.

[KABOOM!! BZZT!! BZZT!! BZZT!]

And just like that, they were out with a bang.