I did not leave Aerwald, nor did I leave my mother.
I did not choose this destiny, but this destiny chose me.
My father chose it for me.

Ten Years Earlier - Part 3

The one minute that the Colonel threatened was still ticking, but no one stepped up to the stage. The Fear ruled the air as the danger alarms got more severliant.

Rio was still grasping Helgar close and wrapping his arms around him. He felt an unusual warmth emitted from Helgar's body.

"Helgar…Helgar, you are too warm, are you ok?" Rio shook Helgar, hoping to shake his body into strength. This was not so successful; Helgar leaned his forehead on Rio's shoulder, putting a great weight onto his body.

"No…" Helgar said, panting, "I am not ok; my heart is almost exploding." Helgar raised his face. His tears dried on the side of his face while a distinctive lustrous crimson color flared from his eyes.

"Your eyes…" Rio was stunned and unable to move from his place. Everything was happening so fast for a kid at his age to understand. First Nagi being the Father of Helgar and now this uncommon warmth and those flaring eyes.

"We need to run." He murmured to Helgar in a very faint voice as he pulled him one row back away from the soldiers. The sound of the peeping alarms gave more tension to the whole situation.

From the front line, a soldier set an eye on them. "Hey, you kids, do not move," He said in a loud voice, pointing his weapon at them.

Rio immediately hid Helgar behind his shoulder. "I am sorry, sir." Rio apologized, his feet unable to hold him standing. What if they notice Helgar.

"Rio, I cannot hold on anymore. I am sorry..." Helgar whispered into Rio's ear and fainted, falling to the ground.

A warrior from the high ranks at the stage seemed to be attentive to the scene; he looked at Colonel Ralf to get confirmation from him. Colonel Ralf gave him approved the request; he was too busy and disturbed to care about a small detail. The warrior jumped from the stage and went in the direction of Helgar and Rio.

"Leave them to me." He said, grabbing Helgar's small body with one arm and Rio with the other arm. Rio tried to resist him, but he failed as the warrior moved away from the crowd.

"One minute is over,"

Rio heard Colonel Ralf saying through the microphone as he was grabbed away from the scene, seeing the stage getting smaller and smaller.

A moment later, the high ranked warrior reached a border of soldiers, stopping to present himself "Colonel Adeno."

The soldiers immediately positioned themselves to salute him.

"Let me down," Rio growled at him, hitting the Colonel with both his hands right at his chest. Colonel Adeno kept calm and moving, not flinching for a moment.

The Colonel had silver hair that was medium in length and tied back behind him in a small ponytail. He had perfectly tanned skin on his neck. There was a black phoenix bird, one of the wings stretched to reach the corner of the Colonel's jaw, while the other reached behind his ear to blend perfectly within his hair.

Sounds of shooting rifles were heard from the now distant stage. causing him to stop for a moment and looked back.

"This will be a massacre." Colonel Adeno talked to himself and somewhat to Rio. He then gave his back to the stage and moved, walking away.

Finally, he reached one of the chunky corporate vehicles, with big wheels and increased clearance height. It was parked hundreds of meters away from the stage.

He stopped there; the weight of the two kids dragged him down. Leaning his back on the car, eventually releasing Rio on the ground to free one hand and hold the uncautious boy in both arms. Colonel Adeno stared at Helgars face admiring the aura sensation close to his body. He then slid his back down the car to sit on the ground and lay at one of the big wheels.

"Ozaki.'s son" He smiled, staring at Helgar's face, and kindly caressed his face raising Helgars fringes away from his forehead. He could immediately sense the heat coming from his small body.

Rio frowned at the Colonel, he wanted to run, but without Helgar, he would not move an inch.

"How do you know Helgar?" Rio questioned, feeling frustrated that the man put a hand on Helgar.

The Colonel gave a soft smile looking at Rio. "His name is Helgar? Don't worry kid. I will not harm you or your friend. I am here to help you." The Colonel replied his voice, reassuring and calm

"The Aura coming from your friend…Nagi gave it to him. fascinating indeed" The Colonel resumed, his arms wrapping him close to his body in a protective manner.

"Who are you? How do you know Helgar?" Rio repeated. He felt less endangered by the strange man.

Both suddenly got more attentive to the fire guns.

"It's too hard to explain, but you have to trust me…call me Adeno. We need to run away from here. If they know that your friend Helgar has the power and they will very soon, we will get this kid in trouble" Colonel Adeno stood up again, still holding Helgar with both arms.

"Helgar is ok… we need to get you both out of this town. It is not safe here," Colonel Adeno said as he opened the door of the vehicle, laying Helgar in the back seat and jumping in turn to the front seat.

"We are moving away. Come on, jump, kid."

"No!!!" Rio shouted, holding into his place.

Colonel Adeno stopped and looked back at him. "What now?"

"Helgar's mom, my nanny…we need to save them," Rios's eyes glowed, still holding not to cry, his body shaking as the adrenaline finally hit him paralyzing him at his place.

Colonel Adeno looked at him with sympathy; he would have loved to save everyone. Still, it was not possible.

"Listen, Kid, there is a real war happening here…and people are dying because of the greed for power…in no way, I want to make a mistake. Mistakes are fatal in the storm. Tens of people have died. Do you understand?" Colonel Adeno's was trying to balance between soft and assertive; he talked to a child he did not want to overwhelm him. However, it was taking too long, and the time was ticking.

"Do you understand that your friend is in danger?" The Colonel shook his shoulder firmly. Rio finally collapsed into tears, unable to hold to everything going on.

"I cannot leave everyone behind." Rio sobbed as the sounds of fires and screams were getting more aggressive, getting the Colonel more on his nerves when he saw the waves of smoke coming from the close stage.

"I have no time to deal with you kid, I am taking Helgar anyways…go to your nanny," Colonel Adeno said while triggering the car's engine.

Rio still standing, looking back, was a family; looking into the car was a chosen destiny, and Helgar was the destiny Rio decided for at that moment. Quickly Rio opened the backdoor seat and jumped next to Helgar, the one and only one he cared about. Colonel Adeno peeked a stare through the mirror and nodded slightly; he gave an assuring node without looking back.

"Stay with me, kid. You will be safe, I promise."