A Flashback - Ten Years Old
A thunderous roar echoed from the heart of River Bend in the late afternoon. People on the streets scattered in panic, terror etched across their faces.
"Shit! A Vine-born's broken into the city! Everyone run!" Screams pierced the air, spreading chaos throughout the settlement.
"Silvia! We've got a problem!" One of the patrol unit members sprinted toward a silver-haired woman standing watch near the city walls, his face twisted with alarm. "Reports of a Vine-born in the town square!"
Silvia's clear blue eyes widened with shock, then hardened with resolve. "All units! Follow me to the incident site—now!" Her voice cut through the air like a blade as she grabbed her twin longswords and launched herself forward.
The River Bend patrol unit rushed toward the town square. When they arrived, they found the towering form of a Vine-born standing amid the chaos, people fleeing in absolute terror.
"That's... that's Tyze!" one patrol member gasped in disbelief. "Tyze? But he was always so hardworking and decent. How the hell did he become a Vine-born?"
"I don't know either. He just... transformed out of nowhere. Maybe he came into contact with Life's Fresh without realizing it?" another speculated, voice trembling.
"Everyone back!" Silvia shouted to her team, her eyes locked on the Vine-born before them. "Let me handle this! You damned Vine-born... die!"
Silvia raised both hands, crossing them in front of her chest. Pale blue energy began forming around her body. But before she could unleash her attack, the Vine-born that had once been Tyze spoke in a raspy but still distinctly human voice.
"Wait, Silvia! Wait, everyone! I... I'm still sane!"
Everyone in the area froze in shock. A Vine-born that could speak? That still had consciousness? Still retained memories?
But Silvia didn't hesitate long. "A Vine-born is a Vine-born, no matter what!" she snarled. The blue energy burst forth, becoming chains of power that shot up from the ground beneath Tyze's feet, binding his arms, legs, and torso with lightning speed.
"Hold on, Silvia! I... I'm still conscious! Please, don't kill me!" Tyze pleaded desperately, struggling against his bonds.
Silvia fought down the pity rising in her chest. She looked at the twisted form of the man who had once been a colleague, then began channeling more power. Larger energy chains formed, their tips sharp as spearheads, looking like deadly weapons ready to end her former comrade's life at any moment.
"Listen to me first, Silvia! I can still be useful to this city! Even in this form! Please... don't kill me!" Tyze continued to beg.
"No!" Silvia's voice was harsh. "I can't trust a Vine-born! Whether you're sane now or not, eventually you'll turn on us! Go be reborn in a better world, Tyze... I really don't want to do this."
Without delay, Silvia commanded the deadly chains to plunge toward Tyze's heart!
But the Vine-born that had been Tyze struggled with everything he had! He roared, and tremendous power he'd never possessed before exploded from his body. The energy chains binding him began to crack and tear apart before he used his twisted but incredibly strong hands to catch the deadly spear-chains hurtling toward him!
"Silvia... trust me! I don't want to fight you!" Tyze said, pain heavy in his voice, before flinging the spear-chains aside and leaping back several steps. "If you can't trust me... I'll leave this place myself! I won't hurt any of you!"
"Even if you don't hurt us now, you'll just go hurt others somewhere else!" Silvia refused to let him escape easily. This time she unleashed three energy chains, each with razor-sharp points, attacking Tyze from three directions!
The Vine-born's incredible defensive power became clear again. He used both arms to deflect the chains, and though some spear-tips managed to pierce through the flesh of his arms, creating gruesome wounds, he could still move with fluid grace!
Silvia was shocked by his defensive capabilities. Tyze seized the moment, grabbing all three chains and yanking Silvia toward him before delivering a powerful punch to her stomach!
Urgh!
Silvia's body flew back, slamming into a building wall. Brick fragments and dust scattered everywhere as she coughed up blood.
Even my binding chains couldn't hold him... my attacks barely had any effect... and those wounded arms already look like they're starting to heal... this is bad... Silvia thought desperately.
The Vine-born that had been Tyze, after sending Silvia flying, turned to flee again. But the other patrol unit members, seeing their leader injured, refused to let the creature escape easily. They rushed to block its path.
"You... I told you I don't want to hurt you! Please, just let me go!" Tyze said, his voice beginning to show irritation.
Soon enough, one patrol member decided to fire his special weapon at the creature!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bullets struck Tyze's body—special ammunition coated with deadly poison, manufactured in limited quantities specifically for fighting Vine-born. But it had minimal effect on this particular creature. Instead of gradually weakening as it should have, Tyze only felt slightly dizzy!
Before turning to look at the shooter with increasingly fierce eyes. "That fucking hurt!" he roared, then charged at the patrol member with frightening speed. Even without using his full strength, the impact sent the man flying.
Silvia, struggling to stand, saw the situation spiraling out of control. She gritted her teeth, preparing to unleash every bit of power she had. His weak point... it has to be the heart, same as always... if I release everything at once, I should be able to break through his defenses and reach his heart!
Suddenly, dozens of energy chains, their tips sharp as spears, burst from the smoke and debris where Silvia had been standing, shooting toward Tyze at high speed!
But the Vine-born reacted in time! He quickly raised both arms, pressing them together in front of him to create a defensive barrier!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Several chains pierced through both his arms deep into the flesh, and some shot through to his chest area, coming dangerously close to his heart! But incredibly... the chains stopped there! Just one centimeter from his heart! With the tremendous physical strength he summoned to protect his life, he managed to halt Silvia's final attack by the narrowest margin!
When the smoke cleared, Silvia was stunned by what she saw. Even her most devastating finishing move couldn't kill this thing!
Tyze wasted no time. He grabbed the energy chains embedded in his arms and chest, then yanked them out violently, pulling Silvia—who was connected to the other end—toward him.
"Silvia... I told you I don't want to kill you..." His voice softened slightly, though it still carried pain and bitterness. "Just let me leave, that's all..." before hurling Silvia's body away once more.
But the remaining patrol members refused to give up. They continued trying to stop him with everything they had. But with Tyze growing desperate to escape and his power far superior, he was forced to kill two or three more patrol members to clear his path.
"Sorry... it was necessary..." he whispered to himself quietly.
Silvia, lying injured on the ground, tried to gather the last of her strength. She slowly raised her trembling hand, her clear blue eyes fixed on Tyze's form as he was about to successfully escape.
"Stop... Tyze..." Her voice was faint but filled with determination. A thin energy chain, glowing brighter than any before, shot from her fingertip, wrapping around Tyze's ankle once more!
"Silvia... you..." Tyze looked back with surprise and growing irritation. He hadn't expected her to have any strength left.
"I... I won't let you go hurt anyone else..." Silvia said while coughing up blood, but her eyes remained fixed on her former comrade. Her body began to emit a faint golden light.
Tyze began to sense something terrifyingly powerful building up. He tried to break the chain around his ankle, but this time it was tougher and stronger than ever before.
"What... what the hell are you doing, Silvia!?" Tyze shouted, beginning to sense real danger.
Silvia didn't answer. She smiled faintly—a smile both sorrowful and filled with determination. The golden light around her grew brighter and brighter, even overpowering the red mist that had begun creeping into the area.
"Chains of binding... with my blood and soul..." Her voice began to echo and resonate, changing beyond recognition, as if it no longer belonged to a human.
"Seal away your vengeance and madness in this place..."
The ground beneath Tyze's feet began to tremble. Countless energy chains shot up from the earth around him, binding his arms, legs, and torso so tightly he couldn't move.
"No! Stop this now, Silvia! What are you doing!?" Tyze roared, struggling with all his might, but the chains only tightened further.
"Take my life... to anchor this curse in his heart!"
The golden light blazed so bright it was blinding. Silvia's body floated slightly off the ground as tremendous energy was rapidly drawn from her.
"And as long as this bond exists... as long as my name is remembered... you will never again set foot in this city!"
The largest and brightest energy chain shot straight into Tyze's chest with devastating force!
"AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Tyze screamed in unimaginable agony. The chain didn't pierce through his body like the others—instead, it fused with his "heart," merging with the very core of his Vine-born essence, creating pain beyond any death.
"You... you are no longer one of this city's people! Remember this! This is your fate!"
*"No longer one of this city's people..."*
With that final proclamation, the golden light around Silvia suddenly died. Her body fell limply to the ground, her clear blue eyes slowly closing. A faint smile still graced her face... the smile of one who had sacrificed everything...
Tyze was blasted away from the city, clutching his chest as it pounded with pain and confusion. The binding energy spread throughout his body, creating a sense of constriction and limitation he'd never felt before. He could feel "something" controlling and restraining his power... something that bound him to this place through Silvia's death...
The red mist that had been creeping in began to retreat rapidly, as if terrified of the sacred power that had just been unleashed, leaving only silence and Tyze's form, now drowning in despair and hatred deeper than ever before...