Arik, Hika, & a Cloth?

A young boy named Hika walks happily in the middle of a scorching desert. Despite the heat, it doesn't seem to bother him. He has just returned from a trading market, where he exchanged goods with other survivors, and is now making his way back to his base. As he walks, he spots a plane wreck in the distance. He notices his best friend, who is tinkering with his laser gun, nearby.

"Arik! I'm back with more food and water!" He calls out to Arik with a bright tone.

Arik immediately stops his activity. He looks relieved after seeing Hika come back safely.

"Hey, Hika! Why do you go alone? You should always have my supervision when you travel!" Arik scolds him.

"But I'm okay, right? So what's the problem-" Suddenly, a giant snake erupts beneath Hika. Its giant mouth immediately swallows him.

"That's why..." Arik makes a big sigh. The giant snake right now is wiggling his body like a worm, still finishing to go out of the ground and shaking it intensely. Arik starts pulling out his laser gun. After a quick inhale and exhale, his eyes redden. Arik starts dashing at the purple monster. His goal is to blast the snake's yellow eyes. With movement as fast as lightning, he makes a red trail out of his glowing eye. The snake, not realizing Arik's presence, suddenly gets surprised to see him in front of its eyes. An explosion abrupt, its eyes got obliterated along with its brain. Arik quickly dashes down before his power starts to fade. The fully erect snake is now falling to the ground, shaking it immensely.

"I guess Hika teleported to the trade market again. I guess I should pick him up...," Arik sighs.

Hika and Arik are mutated humans in this post-apocalyptic world. Arik's power is to move with super speed, but only when he is alone with one living creature. His power rule is a bit strict, it even has a drawback, he will have an urge to kill when his power is activated, and his power is a passive type. So even if Arik didn't want to, his power would activate if he was alone with someone. Troubling him and endangering someone, especially Hika. After getting his dark yellow jacket and black backpack he starts his travel to the trade market.

...(Now from Hika's perspective)...

In a bustling trade market filled with unique stalls. Each one brimming with technologies and daily necessities. People are just milling out, trying to find the perfect stall for their trade. Some people with mutated features or even part cyborgs are strolling around in this resource haven. Particularly at one stall specializing in basic supplies, there is Hika.

"One pack of water bottles, please!" Hika is trading again, but somehow the item that he brought has disappeared, and he can't continue the trade.

"Hey! aren't you already traded with me half an hour ago?" The bald guy with an eye patch looks confused at Hika's behavior.

"Ahh..." Hika understands the situation now. He just got revived again.

"But how do I die and when?" Hika mutters to himself. Hika's mutated power is to rewind time 15 to 30 minutes to the past when he dies, but it only affects him and not the world. So in the eyes of others, if he dies, he just vanishes and is teleported somewhere. And the drawback is that every time he dies, his memories get erased bit by bit.

"Hey kid, if you're just gonna stand around and not trade, just go away from my stall!" The bald guy kicks him out.

Saddened and confused, Hika walked away from the stall. When he is near the trade market exit, many guys with colorful spiky mohawks start circling Hika.

"Hey, cutie! Wanna hang out with us?" The tallest one of them starts getting closer to Hika.

"Sorry, I'm busy right now," Hika gave them an innocent smile. Totally not aware of the dangers around him.

"Ohh~ don't be like that. come on let's go with us, it's gonna be fun, I promise!" The tallest guy starts grabbing his hand.

"Well, if it's just a short while, maybe Arik won't be mad..." Hika mutter.

"I'll be mad!" suddenly, a familiar voice surprised Hika.

"Arik?"

Arik quickly grabbed the mohawk guy's hand that was touching Hika. "Don't touch him!" His eyes glared sharply at the boss.

The leader of the group is taken aback by the sudden appearance of a stranger. And 'Him'? Isn't this kid a girl? The boss is quite confused. Before he starts retorting, his underling quickly stops him.

"Stop it, boss, he is the most skilled hunter in this territory!" His underlings start apologizing to Arik for him.

"Stop it, you idiot! Don't bow to this moron. With just some of my punch, I promise he will get knockout quick-, "A sudden jab from Arik stopped him before he could finish his word. Arik grabbed Hika's hand and swiftly exited the trading market, leaving the underling watching their boss sprawling on the ground.

"Hey, that was mean!" Hika is still getting dragged by Arik.

"You idiot, they were trying to hit on you!"

"But I'm a boy, though.... Why do they even want to hit on me?" Hika showing some dumb innocence, making Arik a bit annoyed. With his long silky black hair and his white smooth skin, he looks like a girl, and an adorable one at that. Even Arik treats him like a little sister rather than a brother.

"Well, whatever, at least you are safe." He can only give a big sigh. His friend here is a burden to him, but Hika is the only person he can call a family in this post-apocalyptic world.

In mid-way of traveling back home, Arik's urge to kill is getting stronger. His eyes start glowing bright red. Arik holds his head with one of his hands, resisting the pain.

"Arik!" Hika worries.

"It's okay, I can hold it...."

Hika knows Arik is holding it in because of him. He knows he is just a bother for him. He doesn't have any skills to help Arik. Sometimes Hika thinks to himself, Should I just leave him?

"Sorry... again..." Hika sobbed a bit.

Still holding his head, Arik responds, "It's okay...."

With a lot of pain and doubtful thoughts, they continue their walk. After a few minutes, they can now see their home. Weirdly, after getting closer to their base, Arik's eyes get dimmer and dimmer. His urge to kill is cooling down. Because of the trading market accident, Arik assumes it's the gang from before, but his alarm trap is still not activated and the light is still turned off. Something is not right, Arik thinks.

"Get behind me!" Arik instruct. Hika nods in response.

After grabbing his laser gun and night vision goggles from his backpack, Arik slowly opens the plane door, and Hika follows him from behind. The cabin is fully engulfed in darkness. Hika follows Arik while pinching his jacket because they only have one goggle. After observing the whole cabin, it seems there is no trace of intervention. After confirming the safety of their home, Arik turned on the generator.

"BOO!" a sudden ghost appears in their face when the light starts turning on. Hika and Arik jolted. This is the creature who cools down Arik's power?

"What are you?!" Arik shouted.

The flying white cloth started making a laughing expression with the three holes in his body, "Ohoho, so you want to know who I am? I'm the catalyst of your friend power!" after laughing again, he winked with one of his holes. The ghost's bold statement makes both of them extremely bewildered.

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