Darkness invaded Kieran's soul, slowly extinguishing the glimmer of hope that once shone in his eyes. His emotions were in disarray, a chaotic whirlwind of sadness, anger, and despair.

His troubled thoughts spawned mirages swirling around him, revealing memories of a distant past, moments of happiness and carelessness now lost forever.

"Kie..."

A faint, barely audible sound drew his attention inside this abyss.

"Kieran, Ryan."

A soft voice was heard. It was a voice he had heard many times since he was born, the same voice that had comforted him throughout his life.

"Mom?"

Two childish voices answered at the same time. Kieran and Ryan, who looked like five years old children, were busy in the corner of the living room playing with miniature spaceships toys in their hands while making laser noises with their mouths.

"Come here. The ceremony will begin soon," said their mother in a soft voice.

"Okay!"

The two ran to the sofa in the living room. Kieran passed his brother and jumped into his mother's lap, who hugged him from behind, stroking his hair. Ryan just sat on his father's lap, grimacing at Kieran.

Kieran's family sat comfortably in the living room, their eyes glued to the hologram projected before them. The holographic TV broadcast live the inauguration of the new president of the Aegis Alliance, Gerhardt Rhohral, on the planet Diestea.

"That's it, we're going to see the celestial lake!" their mother said with a look of wonder on her face and her eyes shining with a glint of excitement.

An aura of solemnity enveloped the ceremony as guests gathered in front of the majestic Celestial Lake. The sun's rays shone through the clouds, creating an ethereal play of light that danced across the surface of the water.

The lake itself was enchantingly beautiful, its crystal blue waters seeming to reflect the secrets of the heavens. Lotuses with delicate petals floated gracefully on the surface, bringing a touch of purity to the scene.

A lavishly decorated platform had been set up in front of the lake, where the president-elect would stand to take the oath and accept the responsibilities entrusted to him.

"Ahh, I would like to see it in person one day," their mother whispered, her eyes shining with admiration.

Kieran wasn't paying attention to the ceremony, his eyes fixed on his mother, marveling at the expression of happiness on her face.

"I'm sorry honey, with what I earn crossing the rifts, I could never buy us a ticket to go to Diestea."

A dark shadow stretched across their father's face, betraying his deep sorrow at not being able to fulfill his wife's dream.

"It's okay, honey. I don't need to see the Celestial Lake as long as I have those two!" replied their mother, wrapping her arms around them both, hugging them tenderly. She gently pressed her cheeks against theirs, their skin caressing in a gesture of affection and comfort.

A smile crept across Kieran's face as he looked at his mother. A determination burned in his childish heart, a will to do anything to fulfill his mother's dreams, even the wildest ones.

"Mom, I'll take you there one day to the Celestial Lake! I'll be a powerful cultivator who can wander freely in the universe, and I'll take you wherever you want!" he said with assurance in his voice.

His mother's eyes shone with pride and love, tenderly caressing his cheek, "You promise me?"

Kieran nodded several times, "Yes, I promise!"

*cough*

*cough*

That precious memory slowly dissipated as the sound of someone coughing brought him back to the brutal reality.

His eyes, once lifeless, suddenly lit up as he looked up at the noise. Lying beneath his mother's inert body, Ryan, in a semi-conscious state, coughed up gulps of blood, his breath panting and his features marked with pain.

"Ry... Ryan..."

Kieran stumbled to his feet, rushing towards his brother. An urge to vomit invaded him when he saw his mother's body so close, but he forced his mind to calm down. He looked at the branches spear that had pierced his mother's body and Ryan's.

The spear seemed to deflect to the side on contact with his mother's body, piercing only Ryan's side.

Kieran's shaking hands clung to the spear before he pulled it out. Ryan cried out in pain, losing what little consciousness he had left.

Gritting his teeth, Kieran created a flame above his right hand. Carefully, he let it descend on Ryan's wound, gently igniting it in hopes of cauterizing the wound. Trying to close the wound as best he could without any potions or medkits at his disposal.

Once he was sure that the wound was no longer bleeding, he returned to the bodies of his parents. The urge to vomit came back as he approached the bodies to stock them in his spatial gem. The thought of his parents' bodies as well as Luna's in the spatial gem, made his face contort in pain and despair.

'Luna!'

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind when he thought of Luna's body. The image of the little whale in his spiritual world appeared in his mind.

"Master!"

Runihoril appeared in front of him with a dark face. He had watched the whole situation for several hours, feeling helpless. He had long accepted Kieran as his disciple in his heart. However, when his disciple suffered again and again, he found no words to say that could help him. He knew why Kieran was calling him, but he didn't have the heart to refuse his call.

"Master! Is it possible to save their souls like Luna's?" Kieran's voice was trembling, but his eyes had a gleam of hope in them.

Runihoril stared at him in silence for several seconds, his heart writhing in pain as he saw his bright eyes staring at him hopefully.

"I am sorry, Kieran. Their souls have disappeared from this world."

The world seemed to crumble around Kieran again as he heard his master's words. A mixture of pain, anger, and sadness surged through his being, threatening to engulf him entirely.

"Calm down. I know it's not the best time to hear this, but your brother needs you. It's essential that you leave this area without delay and reach the landing site of the spaceship that has been flying over the city. If it's reinforcements, there's a good chance they'll evacuate the civilians."

Runihoril's voice echoed in Kieran's mind. He choked back his tears, bottled up his pain and anger to focus on the urgency of the situation.

"Yes..."

Without wasting another moment, Kieran took his lycan form before kneeling beside his injured brother, gently lifting him up onto his back. Accessing his spatial gem, he pulled out a rope that he wrapped around his body and that of his brother to hold it in place.

Taking one last look at what used to be his home before turning around and heading for the orbital shuttle landing zone.

Sleds

As we get close to the story's second volume, I'm starting to think of commissioning a new cover. My first idea is to stay with the current theme but with a different character and a different color pattern for it. What do you think about it? Should I stay with the same or change it entirely?