Searching For Andromeda 87 Prove Your Worth!

Ephraim, all in his life, did not attach himself to many people. He liked to keep the numbers low. It eliminated the uncertainty of who was real and who wasn't. It's not like he's got trust issues. Ephraim didn't want to interact with too many people despite him being easy to get along with. Besides, Lucian is already considered to be worth 5 people due to his garish mouth.

He only had few people in his life aside from his family. His Archaeology cla.s.smates, his best friend Luce, and now, his task force. When Ephraim was a boy living colorful dreams—back in middle school—he had many 'friends'. He was the student council president; he interacted with multiple organizations, factions, and inst.i.tutions. Ephraim preferred he expand his intermediaries because he thought it was better to have many people knowing you and you, knowing them to have them aid for future transactions.

But it turns out, Ephraim wasn't able to do anything much with those 'friends' he acquired. In the end, they all never talked, nor did they establish anything at all. Ephraim asked himself that time—where did he go wrong? 

And then it came to him. 

He had this in mind. He aspired to have 'future connections' not friends. He wanted to expand who he knew, not to be genuinely engaged to somebody else. That is when Ephraim realized he ought to be sincere to other people. To have them last, to have them stay—because after all, the future is something that is indefinite. You never know what was coming until it hits you like a ton of brick falling spontaneously from above.

That was what happened to Ephraim. He got shoved with a task force and then a.s.signed a job he was almost reluctant to do, AND suddenly an earthquake resurfaced, leading them to a lab that was supposed to give them answers—until they fell to another world. Forthwith he got three missing members. 

AND now, he was fighting for his life.

Ephraim watched how the necromorph devour Yael. He saw the lump on its neck while swallowing the man's body. Ephraim's jaw gaped as he watched the gore—how blood dripped to the ground from the necromoprh's throat. The monster got more substantial in size and began to invade and ruin everything in its path. Ephraim gritted his teeth as he went inside the light. 

**

The future is unforeseeable. But fate defied that saying. Fate meant to have everything predestined. Life, death, and a person's very own choices.

Ephraim plunged into that blinding light emanated by the opened doors. His gla.s.ses gleamed until it came to him—the same scenery from before. 

"Human."

The dragon wasn't merged by the door anymore. He was standing before Ephraim, all in its full grandeur. Its golden scales were l.u.s.trous; gleaming, even. Ephraim remained vigilant as he held the sword by his side. The light slowly cleared until the archaeologist was able to fully grasp where he was. 

He had seen these in various animes many times, but beholding them in real life made him feel like what he had seen were utter replicas of the real thing. 

Standing in the midst of a battleground—a fighting arena—was Ephraim. The dragon slithered towards the quartz, size towering over Ephraim with its red eyes giving an intimidating aura. The dragon narrowed its eye into a slit, "so you've succeeded and found your purpose, human. I told you—everything has been according to fate."

Ephraim panted as he congealed his grasp to his sword. 

'Everything was according to fate'? Even their deaths? Ephraim's and everyone's actions? EVERYTHING?

"Where is Samuel?" Ephraim asked, ignoring the voice in his mind. 

"Samuel? The youngling who arrived in Nar's chambers?" The dragon glowered. 

"Yes. The one you've teleported me to. The one I helped." Ephraim exclaimed. "Is he . . . safe?"

The dragon paused for a second, glowering at Ephraim with its glistening, red eyes. The dragon peered below, like that of a higher being looking at someone inferior. His gaze was measured, as if he was scrutinizing Ephraim's worth. 

"I, the Guardian of Nar, cannot answer that question."

"What?"

Ephraim felt as if his heart stopped. He sent Samuel here first to be safe. But then, looking back at all the games he played with Lucian, Ephraim realized that every last dungeon level had a final boss. Ephraim dropped his sword into the ground; its clang reverberated into Ephraim's ears.

His fingers trembled, faltering to the floor as he fell to his knees, head and shoulders slumped down. Of course . . . why did Ephraim think that it would be 'safe' for anyone? Just because there's a light being emitted from the door doesn't mean it's nirvana waiting ahead. Why did he think that it would be a refuge? How can he be so carefree?

NO. He shouldn't think like this!

Ephraim gritted his teeth, facing the dragon abruptly as he stood up. 

"He's alive," Ephraim said. "I'm sure he's still alive. Tell me where Samuel is!"

The dragon let out a grumble. "Who are you, Human, to order me around?"

With both fist clenched, and blue eyes mirroring a fiery determination, Ephraim faced the dragon head-on as he stood firm to his ground. He can't just dwindle around. Yael's last words shouldn't be for naught. He will get out of this dungeon with Samuel once and for all. He won't be weak for himself, for Sam, and for everyone that died just to protect them!

"I am Ephraim Ignacio Hughes, the one to conquer this dungeon!"

"Welcome, Human." Said the Guardian, who was standing before Ephraim with an intimidating aura; its eye contracting a gleaming red. "I know you had found your resolve."

Ephraim thinned his lips.

"I have." 

The guardian slithered its way towards Ephraim. Everything was permeated with light, but it wasn't blinding Ephraim anymore. The arena was looking more like it wasn't an enclosed s.p.a.ce longer. The whole enchilada began to be apparent in his eyes, compared to earlier when he was overcome with sheer confusion.

"Your heart had now flared with fire," the dragon exclaimed, its gaze constricting. "You are ready for the Vessel of Nar,"

Appearing before Ephraim was a fire wisp which grew larger and larger until it was almost his size. Through his spectacles, the fire slowly dispersed—and then emerging before Ephraim was the body of a boy—no—it was him! Standing before Ephraim was the rigorous duplicate of himself, except this one had fire enveloping and enclosing his entire body. He wore no gla.s.ses and no clothes, just fire to traverse almost the ensemble of his skin. He did not look like he had any physical body, considering that Ephraim could still see the l.u.s.trous scales of the dragon from his replica's flaming, almost - transparent form.

"Now you must prove your worth, Human, to be able to acquire the Fire Vessel!" The dragon said with a thundering voice. "And to prove your worth, you must wholly defeat Nar, the embodiment of the fire that I—the Guardian—have seen in your heart!"