As Lyra and Kael opened the door, they found a man with a golden aura farming.

  "Who are you?" Lyra asked coldly to the man.

  "I can ask you the same, eh? But for you two, you can call me Hope if you want," Hope said with a smirk.

  "What do you want?" Kael asked.

  "Oh, the thing (necklace) you just took from that weakling," Hope said casually.

  "What if we don't give it to you?" Lyra challenged.

  "Then prepare to die," Hope said as he summoned his axe. He attacked quickly.

  Kael and Lyra dodged.

  "Sister, be careful. I guess we underestimated humans a bit," Kael said to Lyra.

  "Oh, don't worry, brother. He is still a human," Lyra replied as she quickly rushed to punch him, but Hope blocked it. He held Lyra's hand tightly, nearly breaking it, but Kael interrupted and kicked his hand.

  "You brats are somewhat impressive, eh?" Hope said with a smirk.

  Kael ignored the comment and used his sword. He swung his sword, but Hope blocked it.

  Their weapons collided, creating sparks of fire.

  Lyra seized the chance while Hope was distracted. She used the same technique she had on Professor Morris. Hope found himself in a dimension (read Chapter 7 for the description).

  "This should do, brother. I have to say, he was stronger, but I am the strongest here," Lyra said confidently. But three seconds later, to both their surprise, Hope stood up. He was still in his senses somehow, unlike Professor Morris.

  "Y-you thought you could defeat me this easily, brats?" he said, panting. Despite standing, the technique had done some damage to him.

  "Looks like your will is strong, eh? But anyways, I like hard things to break," Lyra smirked as she rushed forward. Hope was about to swing his axe, but Kael blocked it with his sword, creating an opening for Lyra. Her punch landed hard on Hope's face.

  For a few moments, Hope seemed to be dead.

  ---

  Hope's Monologue

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Huh... Am I dying? Like this? I have a mission to complete... Is this how it ends?

  Suddenly, Hope felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw...

  "Dad... Dad... You can't give up, Dad..." A little boy said, holding his hand. (They were wearing old clothes, as described in the previous chapter. Hope, being around 8 ft tall, was from the distant past.)

  "Darling... You can't give up now... You have come so far... We love you," his wife said softly.

  Hope felt tears streaming down his cheeks.

  ---

  Back to Reality

  With a roar, Hope stood up again.

  Both Lyra and Kael were shocked once more.

  Hope, now with much more power, swung his axe. Lyra and Kael both blocked it somehow but were pushed back.

  "W-what just happened, sister?" Kael asked as they both tried to process what was going on.

  "I... I don't know, brother, but it seems like something has changed," Lyra said as they both stood up, putting all their efforts into the fight.

  ---

  Hope's Monologue

  My wife and my only child were killed by my enemies. From that day, I swore to God that by the end of my life, I wouldn't have a single enemy left. I became a monster... a lost soul. But one day, that man came... He gave me hope—a light in the darkness of my sorrowful life...

  The man (who was wearing king's clothes) approached him.

  "You are defeated, aren't you? You may have taken your revenge, but now look at you... But it's not too late. I can give you purpose. You can use your skills to save lives, not take them," the man said, extending his hand. A divine glow surrounded him.

  ---

  Back to the Present

  Hope was now outmatching Lyra and Kael.

  Kael and Lyra both stepped back.

  "Sister... What should we do?" Kael asked, panting.

  "We have to keep fighting, brother... We can't give him the necklace. It's a key to the seven stones we need. Our species... our civilization's future depends on us... We can't fail, no matter whom we face," Lyra said, taking her stance again.

  "But sister, how are we going to defeat him? He somehow became stronger within seconds. He should have died by now from our attacks," Kael said, struggling to understand.

  "Brother... Do you remember when our father used to train us? Remember what he said?" Lyra asked. They both remembered.

  ---

  Flashback

  A few years ago, when their planet was perfect, just like Earth. Lyra and Kael were training with their father.

  "Remember, children, you both are strong. You can probably embarrass even my most powerful soldiers. But this universe is vast, so learn to use your brain and heart as one because, who knows, you might face stronger opponents someday," Lord Zeiran said.

  "But Dad, our civilization is the most advanced. We can manipulate frequencies, powers, and molecules (electrons, protons, neutrons, etc.) on a whole different level that other species think we are using magic," Lyra (as a child) said proudly.

  "Yes, Dad! Sister is right. Besides, we have won many wars. What does 'use your brain and heart as one' even mean? Huh? Those are two different organs," Kael pouted a bit.

  "You both are too young to understand, but one day, you will—when the time comes," Lord Zeiran said.

  ---

  Back to the Present

  Hope was outmatching them, and both Lyra and Kael were covered in blood. But now, they were calm.

  "I... I can't give up..." Kael said, getting up again.

  "I have no doubt you are my brother," Lyra said, standing up beside him.

  "You brats put up a good fight, but now it's time to die," Hope roared, launching another attack.

  Kael and Lyra rushed forward as well, but this time with calm and clear minds, putting both their hearts and minds into the battle.

  Their auras clashed—golden for Hope, purple for Lyra, and blue for Kael.

  Now, Lyra and Kael matched Hope's speed. Their strikes were accurate and precise.

  "I can't give up... for my family," Hope said loudly.

  "For my planet," Kael whispered calmly.

  "For my people," Lyra whispered in the same calm voice.

  They clashed again.

  A loud explosion followed—louder than Hope's battle against the Enforcer.

  From above, black smoke surrounded where Hope was standing, and white smoke surrounded where Kael and Lyra stood.

  As the smoke cleared... Hope was lying on the ground, while Kael and Lyra stood with the support of each other. They had won.

  They looked around—their apartment was completely destroyed. Perhaps some people had died. The nearby houses had shattered windows.

  Suddenly, a figure appeared and quickly grabbed Hope, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

  "H-huh? What was that?" Kael asked Lyra.

  "No idea, but it's not our concern for now," Lyra said. They both turned around and saw that Professor Morris had disappeared as well. But they no longer needed him—they had the necklace.

  Kael looked around at the destroyed houses. He felt guilty, thinking innocent people might have died.

  Lyra noticed Kael's expression.

  "Listen, brother. Sacrifices are necessary for a greater good. Now, let's go... We have the necklace. The seven stones will be ours," Lyra said, taking Kael's hand.

  They both walked away from the wreckage. The morning sun shone brightly above them.

  ---