[Year 3016]
[On the planet Ionas.]
[In Solis’ country, in Xodias’ city.]
My name is Alex Barrier. I am now 10 years old. My hair is short and blond. My eyes are green and my skin is white. I had an older brother James, but he died not long ago, trying to protect me from a monster. Yes, I did say a monster. You see, our city is prey to "Rifts." From these strange cracks of light, monsters emerge. Only RB, for Rift Breakers, can see and fight them. My friends and I are Rift Breakers. We fight monsters and break Rifts as often as we can. But it's not easy. We also have our lives as students.
On my way to school, Xorie's school, early in the morning, I bump into Nana. She waves to me and we walk together. Nana, full name Nana Raimei, is now 8 years old. She has black hair tied in two pigtails, small black eyes and golden skin tone.
"So, did you see a Rift on the way here?" She asks me worriedly.
"No, you?"
She says no with her head. That's reassuring. As you may have guessed, she's also a Rift Breaker. We go to school and do our lessons. At lunchtime, in the cafeteria, Nana sits next to me, glowering at a group of girls.
"Why are you looking at them like that?" I asked.
"Because they're such pests! They always make fun of my name and my skin color."
"That's silly."
"I know but racist people are everywhere."
We then eat in silence and head off to our afternoon classes.
When the school's over, Nana asks me to walk her home. I can't refuse - I don't want to face her anger - so we go to her house. Before we can get inside, we hear voices calling our name. We turn and see Lily and Aimé running towards us. My two other friends and RB.
Lily, family name Adanyi, is now 10 years old. Her skin is black, her eyes the color of hazelnuts. She has long, dark-brown hair. Aimé, last name Damour, has also grown a year. He is now 11 years old. His skin is strangely pale. His dull red hair is tied back in a ponytail. His eyes are a mysterious, brilliant blue. This is because he is a Soul Carrier.
Unlike Lily, Nana and me, who have weapons to break the Rifts, Aimé has the power of the six souls he carries, the control of the elements. His souls are Rowan (fire), Nilam (water). Midori (wind), Dewitt (light), Flavien (earth), Iola (darkness). He can communicate with them, and sometimes they can control his body to increase the power of his attacks. As if they weren't strong enough already! Rowan, Nilam, Midori, Dewitt, Flavien and Iola are children, fallen RB.
"Lily!" Say Nana
"Aimé!" I say. "What's going on?"
"Zombies." Says Aimé.
"A horde has appeared downtown." Lily adds. "We defeated them and destroyed the Rift, but more have appeared. There are zombies everywhere! We need help."
"Damn!" Says Nana.
She doesn't often use swear words, but she doesn't shy away when the opportunity arises.
"Quick, downtown!" I say.
We run for downtown. As we arrive, our eyes darken at the sheer number of zombies. Ordinary people don't see them, so they get killed without knowing how. Panic has already set in. Men, women and children are running in all directions.
"We have to hurry before more people die!" Said Lily. "MATERIALIZE!"
In a flash of light, her magical silver bow appears.
"MATERIALIZE!" Nana screams, causing her spear with the power to electrify to appear.
"My turn," I said, "MATERIALIZE!"
My knife appears. Its blade seems to glow with the colors of the rainbow, as if it were a glass prism. We take up our weapons. Aimé, for his part, concentrates. His hands are surrounded by a green aura. Midori's power.
We're fighting the undead. While I fend off zombies with magic protections, Lily kills some with her arrows, Nana pierces some with her spear, Aimé cuts off heads with cutting wind. I destroy a Rift by attacking it with my knife. I see three more in the distance. As long as a Rift remains open, more zombies will come.
"We have to destroy them all!" Says Nana.
"I hope Charlie's not here." Says Aimé.
Charlie Always is a journalist and former Rift Breaker. He's a redheaded transgender man because he was born as Charlotte. He's always ready to help, even though he can't fight.
"I'm sure he's home, safe." Said Lily. "Let's focus."
We continue the fight. Zombies die, the three Rifts are destroyed, but there's a last one.
"Enough fooling around!" Aimé said. "ULTIMATE ELEMENTAL RELEASE!"
A great explosion of fire, wind, earth, water, light and darkness appears. It kills all the remaining zombies. Lily shoots an arrow at the last Rift, shattering it. We've done it. Again. But our RB’s battles are far from over.