Chapter 6

A ship moved across the bouncing waves. It was big enough to fit fifty people, yet only two stood on its hull, both women. One had light brown skin and dark hair, while the other was a pale redhead.

"My queen, we are almost at our destination," the redhead said. The dark-haired women nodded. "Why are you helping me? Aren't you one of Kegelapan's vassals? The redhead nodded. "Yes, but I hate your father as much as you do. I wish to save Akuma from the darkness."

"I see. So you've seen it, too?" The redhead raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry? What exactly are you referring to?" The dark-haired woman shook her head. "Forget it, Lemrina. It's nothing particularly important."

Just then, the clouds covered the sky. Rain began pouring from above, and the wind roared. "My queen!" Lemrina jumped on top of the dark-haired woman. A whirlpool was slowly coming towards them. The dark-haired woman watched until it hit the ship, and then everything went black.

The dark-haired woman opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Lemrina towering over her with tears in her eyes. "My Queen! Thank Goodness, you're alright!" The dark-haired woman smiled. "You know, I've told you repeatedly to call me Halona. I don't like to be reminded that I'm a princess." Lemrina smiled. "As you wish, my Queen." Halona sighed. The sun was visible again, and their ship lay on the ground, beyond repair. The two were in what seemed to be a forest. Something caught Halona's eye. Their belongings! They were scattered, but most of what Halona packed in her bag still remained there: food, sleeping bags, water, and some first-aid.

The two trotted about the forest until they came to an old temple of some kind. Lemrina pointed to it. "Should we stay there for the night?" Halona nodded.

Leaves covered the floor of the temple. There was no light source except a single lamp on the wall, so Halona grabbed it. They walked until they realized they were lost. "My Queen, do you know the way back?" Halona turned around. "We walked in a straight line, so all we have to do is go backward." But they ended up in even more confusion. The entrance to the temple was now closed. They were sealed in. Halona decided to walk towards the left this time, with Lemrina scurrying behind her.

This time, they came across a large room. A massive chandelier gave most of the light, and there was a circular flight of stairs. Doors lined the walls, but Halona paid them no attention. She swiftly began up the stairs until Lemrina stopped her. "Wait! Are you sure we should go up there?" Halona shrugged. "I don't know any more about this place than you do. We need to get out of here, and I don't want to waste time checking all those doors."

At the top was a narrow corridor. Halona saw a door at the other end and walked up to it. Halona noticed the handmark on the door and pressed her palm on it. "Ow!" There was a nick on her pinky finger. The door opened, and Halona went inside.

The room inside had no windows. Only the lamp Halona had lit the room. As far as she could tell, there were no other doors in the room. Lemrina looked around anxiously. "My Queen, the door we came through now seems to have vanished. How are we going to get out?"

"There's probably a hidden switch or something. Help me look for it." Halona stepped on a pressure plate, and the floor beneath them began to collapse. "My Queen!" The two put their arms around each other as they fell down into the dark.

Halona opened her eyes. She had fainted again. She saw the lamp she had been carrying was splintered. Fortunately, the room they were in was lit up by torches. Halona grabbed one of them and searched for Lemrina. She found her unconscious, as well. "Lemrina, wake up!" Lemrina got up, disoriented. "My Queen? What happened?"

"We're still stuck here. But don't worry. I will find us a way out, I will." On the floor lay a single gauntlet. Halona walked over to pick it up. It was black and quite soft. There was an eye on it that Halona initially thought was just a painting until its eyeball moved. Halona shrieked, dropping the gauntlet. An image of a man formed. He had black hair and eyes, and a horrible scar ran down his right eye. "Who are you?" Halona asked. "I am what you demons call the Hakai."

"You mean you're the legendary gauntlet of the Penyelamat?" The man nodded. "Yes. For millennia, I have been revered as the savior of your kind. It seems you will be needing one very soon."

"Yes. Darkness has spread across Akuma, corrupting even the demon king himself. Our people are desperate for a savior." The man stretched out his hand to Halona. "Will you take on the role, then?" Halona shook her head. "There's no way I could become the savior. I'm not anyone special."

"It is the ordinary who usually become the heroes. However, you are the daughter of the current demon king, correct?" Halona's eyes widened. "How did you know?" The man smiled. "You're in an ancient temple built for me. The door that gave you a cut on your finger analyzed your blood. I can also read your mind, if only somewhat. You have many doubts about yourself, don't you?" Halona nodded. "I never thought I was a good princess. I failed my people when they needed me most."

"All the more reason to accept me, the Hakai. As the Penyelamat, you will be able to save your people from the crises they face." Halona took in all that he said. If she did accept him, she would finally be able to do something. She wouldn't be a bystander anymore. "Alright. I'll become the Penyelamat." The man smiled. "A noble choice." He disappeared, and the gauntlet flew to Halona's right hand, attaching itself to her. Halona tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't budge. "Hey! I didn't say you could latch on to me!" A voice spoke in her head. "Relax. The gauntlet is what gives you power. You will need it for what comes later." The voice faded away. Lemrina ran to Halona. "Are you alright? What was that?" Halona stared at the gauntlet that now covered her whole arm. "I think I just acquired something powerful, and it just told me the way out of here."

The two immediately became cheery when they saw the sunlight again. Halona smiled. "I thought we were going to die in there." Lemrina nodded. "It is incredible that you found the way out of that maze. But how were you able to do it?"

"Oh, someone helped me along the way. Anyhow, let's get going."

The cry of a bird was heard in the distance. Halona couldn't identify where the sound came from until its source covered the sun. The feathers on the bird's wings were the size of buildings. The bird itself was massive, so much so that Halona had difficulty seeing the horizon. "A Roc!"

The Hakai spoke in Halona's head. "If you wish to defeat that Kegare, call my name. My true name."

"I don't even know what that is!"

"You do know, Halona. You are just too distracted by what's around you. Concentrate, and forget about everything else." Halona sighed. She didn't have much choice. She closed her eyes, only thinking about the Hakai.

The Roc saw the gauntlet on her arm and immediately swooped down to her. "My Queen!" Just before the Roc got to her, Halona shouted out the Hakai's real name. "Penghancuran!"

A mass of black energy swirled around the gauntlet. Halona opened her hand, and a black hurricane spiraled out of it. It engulfed the Roc, which flailed its wings as it tried to escape, but it was sucked into the gauntlet. The mass of black energy surrounded Halona. She was shocked to see a smaller version of the bird's wings on her back. "Penhan-" She was cut off by the Hakai. "Names have power. You must refrain from calling me by my name unless you need me. Just call me Hakai." Halona nodded. "Hakai, thank you for saving us. What do we do from here?"

"You must find a way to enter into Sobloeze."

"That's in the human realm!"

"Yes. Do not fret, Halona. There still are portals in the city of Elysium that will take you there."

"But why do we have to go there? Humans and demons have not spoken to each other in centuries!"

"A new Cahaya has emerged. I can sense that he is already tackling the darkness as we speak."

"So what you're saying, Hakai, is that we need to ally ourselves with him?"

"Precisely. You will need the Cahaya's power if you wish to free your people from the clutches of the darkness. You must travel to Elysium at once. I will be your guide."

Halona nodded. "Lemrina, grab my arm." Lemrina obliged. "My queen, my do you have wings sprouting from your back?" Halona sighed. "It's a long story." She flapped her wings as she began to fly in the air. "We're going to Elysium. There's some important business we have to take care of." The two soared into the sky as their journey began.