The Rise of the Enhancer

"What do you think this is?" Hayam carefully examined the wall with his eyes.

"I have no idea," Arakh shook his head, "I just think it looks cool and sophisticated."

"Maybe it's a seal?" Reikh pulled up his shoulder. "Beats me."

"How did you even find this?" asked Hayam.

"Hayam, he spent his daytime in the woods," Reikh rolled his eyes, "He probably knows the forest second only to Mother Nature."

"I won't say no to that," Arakh shrugged.

"But Arakh," Reikh put his hand around his shoulder this time, he lowered his head a little and asked, "How is it?"

"How is what?" asked Arakh.

"Oh, you know," Hayam said, wrapping his hand around the other shoulder. I'm talking about Lo...re... lai."

Arakh's face was riddled with burning cheeks. The flash of her ferocity and beauty combined, only to be reminded by her disgusted look against him, "She... well, she smells fine."

"What, is that it?" Reikh's brow flicked up. "You got to match the beauty of the class, she is from some distant cousin of a noble family or whatever, but c'mon, even the seniors are after her! Surely you must too, right?"

"Wouldn't you date her if you could?" asked Hayam.

Arakh laughed, "I would date a dragon if she accepted me for who I am." Then it faded. He looked at the ground and his pair of hands, "But really..."

"Goddamnit Arakh," Hayam said, slapping his back, "We are not here to see you sob! We are here because it's our day!"

"Yeah, what Hayam said." Reikh nodded and let go of his hand from his shoulder. He rolled his eyes before he looked at the wall. Reikh's finger brushed against the faint grooves, and a sudden spark of warmth ran up his arm. The intricate lines flared to life, their glow casting eerie shadows that danced across their stunned faces.

"What did you do?!" asked Hayam.

"What do you mean 'What I'd do?' I just touched the damn thing!" said Reikh whilst stepping back.

"Oh, I've heard women light up when touched in the right places. Maybe it's the same thing?" said Arakh.

"What?" Hayam and Reikh gazed in disbelief at their friend.

"What? I just try to lighten up the mood," said Arakh looking at Hayam and then at Reikh, back and forth trying to justify them. 

A faint rumble echoed from the depths of the wall, like a low growl of a sleeping beast. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and, to their astonishment, the wall began to split apart, sliding to the right and left, revealing a path unfamiliar.

"What is that...?" asked Arakh as he entered the path.

"Oi, I think that is a stupid idea," said Hayam.

"I think so too, but," Reikh followed Arakh, "This is fascinating, a dome with no light yet we could see the path."

"Damn it," Hayam entered as well, he looked to the right and left and there was nothing but abyss waiting down there if they ever fall.

The three of them walked the narrow road side by side, Arakh put his hands behind his head, "The others wouldn't believe this."

"I'm here and I can't believe it," said Reikh.

"I can't believe we entered without any weapon in hand," Hayam sighed. "Look if anything happen—"

A sharp whoosh sliced through the air, followed by a deafening thud. All three froze in their tracks. Arakh's eyes darted downward, widening as he saw the jagged tip of an icicle, as thick as his arm, embedded in the ground mere inches from his foot. The chill radiating from it made his breath visible in the air.

"That doesn't look nice," Arakh gulped as he drew a cold breath. His eyes shrunk, and the surrounding walls pulsed with energy. He opened his mouth—

"GET DOWN!" Reikh pushed Arakh's head down as crackles of fireballs just past their heads.

"Hot hot hot!" Arakh tapped his burning hair repeatedly until it smoked. "Phew, thought I would go bald."

"Oh we are more than to go bald, Arakh," said Hayam before gulping. His gaze on the surrounding walls only made his pupils shrink to a dot. "I think we are closer to going corpses."

The walls erupted in a cacophony of destruction—bolts of lightning cracked with blinding brilliance, slicing wind roared like unseen blades, and jagged spears of dirt shot upward as though the ground itself sought to impale them. Fireballs burst like miniature suns, their scorching heat licking at the trio's heels.

"Make a run for it!!!" said Reikh as he was the first one to go back.

"Fuck fuck fuck!!" Hayam followed suit.

Arakh's step was halted, and he turned around. His eyes squinted, there was a book in the center of the altar. His teeth gritted as the weight above his shoulders got heavier. 

Perhaps, I can change my destiny with that book! Memories of his father's disappointed glares and his mother's silent tears flooded his mind. No more dysfunctional families, no more lousy Arakh, no more peasant of a future! That book must have held the power to rewrite my story!

"C'mon Arakh!" shouted Reikh. "What are you doing standing there for!?"

"Damn it!" Arakh turned around and made a run for the entrance. "Wait for me!"

Jagged spikes protruded out hindering their paths but their agility made up for it. Their reflex was enough to dodge an incoming fireball and icicles, and they were lucky enough not to be zapped. 

"Just a little more!" Reikh pushed forward nonetheless.

"Never mind, keep running!" said Hayam before he noticed his legs getting heavier.

"What in the..." Arakh looked down and saw his feet slowly slide backward. He turned around and his eyes shrunk as cold spread from his spine. "A tornado!?"

Arakh acted in haste and jumped out to gain momentum. He was the last of the three, and he saw Reikh manage to exit. The latter turned around and shouted at him, but alas he could only make out the words forming from his mouth. The loud tornado was swallowing even the sound of the desperate. 

*Thud

Arakh's mind went absent as his knees hit the ground.

Hayam paused and turned around, "Arakh!"

Arakh crawled and jumped to catch Hayam's wrist, however, the tornado already approached. Arakh's body levitated but anchored by Hayam's strength, meanwhile, Reikh was holding Hayam's other hand.

"Just a bit more!!" said Hayam as he tried to pull Arakh but the contest of strength against such nature was ridiculously unfair. 

"Let me go, Hayam!" Arakh shouted, his voice cracking as tears streaked down his dirt-streaked face.

"No! I'm not losing you!" Hayam yelled back, his grip tightening despite the blood pouring from his pierced arm.

Arakh's lips quivered as he mouthed, "Please... let me go," his voice drowned out by the howling storm. A single tear rolled off his chin, lost to the chaos as he smiled faintly, resigning himself to his fate.

"Don't be stupid, asshole!" said Reikh before his eyes caught something. Time slowed down as he saw the sliver of hope for Arakh to get out was about to be smitten. His goosebumps rose, "Hayam look out!"

"Huh?" blood spurted out as an icicle penetrated his forearm. His hand loosened and so was Arakh.

The momentum pulled Hayam and Reikh out of the dome at the same time. The wall closed once more in an instant. 

"Arakh!" Reikh got up and slammed the wall but to no avail, "Open! Open you stupid wall!" no matter how many profanities he came up with, the wall wouldn't adhere to his command.

Reikh collapsed to his knees, fists pounding against the unyielding wall until blood stained the cold stone. Beside him, Hayam groaned, his pale face twisted in pain—not from the icicle in his arm, but from the unbearable weight of losing Arakh. 'We should have pulled harder,' Hayam whispered, his voice trembling.

Reikh turned around and saw Hayam getting paler each second, he gritted his teeth, "Damn it!" he carried him from the forest.

As the altar sealed itself with a deafening rumble, the eerie silence returned to the forest. Inside, Arakh lay sprawled on the cold stone floor, his vision dimming. Yet, through the suffocating darkness, the faint glow of the book pulsed steadily, as if waiting for him to reach it.