Chapter 1:
Cherry: A Blossom Anew
Cruel, rotten voices ripped through me, shattering every fragile cell. This wasn't the life I had signed up for, but with nothing better to do, I embraced the chaos. "Come on! Come and get me!" I taunted, facing demons, androids, and gods, all hungry for the power I possessed.
It could have been a mere myth, but the mere possibility sent shockwaves across every star system and realm, plunging them into disarray. Amidst the chaos, two boys raced away from hordes of invaders, lasers grazing dangerously close to their heads.
Taking refuge inside a crashed airplane, the boys gasped for breath while invaders closed in, threatening their every move
"There's an exit out back, go for it," the young boy tells him, but the older boy disagrees with the plan suggesting that he stay behind.
Before they could act, an arm tore through the airplane's steel, snatching one boy and yanking him away. In horror, he rushed out to find his sibling lying dead, a fiery, smoking hole through his chest.
Rain fell relentlessly, but the boy remained unfazed, his teary eyes reflecting his own image in the pool of blood seeping from his brother. Rage filled his vision, and he screamed, "BURN, BURN YOU DIRTY BASTARDS!"
Terrified, he ran in the opposite direction, his muscles gripped by fear. His wounded legs struggled to keep him moving, but he was dragged back to witness his brother's tragic demise.
“Die! You dirty fucks! I’ll kill you all. How could you? What did we do? Answer me!” Burning flesh smokes out his wound into the bleeding moonlight. The rotten smell doesn’t bother these monsters; they bathe in this chaos.
He’s dropped on his bleak stale brother's body, peeking up to dark skies to find a full moon upon him. Shadows swarm the boy; invaders rule his city. “Murderers!!” The child spits among the multiple times afterward with a gun, forced into the mouth. BANG!!!
In this world, there was no good or bad, only an insatiable greed for true power. Would this power fill the endless, empty void within us all? Would one forsake everything and everyone to escape discomfort, or would they choose the path with allies and mourn together?
Essence is the lifeblood of ninety percent of all beings in the seven-star system. It embodies natural elements and strength, as remarkable clans shared the essence chain. Was this Nova's doing? A chance to bring about change?
A heavy newspaper roll smacks off pink and hazel hair. "Ouch, what the hell, Taro? Why are you hitting me with damn newspapers?" Pai complained, as Taro playfully swung a newspaper at him.
Taro Zullivan, the elder brother, was sixteen with black hair and a smug smile. Pai Zullivan, the younger brother, sported pink rose hair and had a habit of picking under his warm beige nose.
Taro scolded Pai, "Well, because I'm older than you! And you're an idiot. How many times am I going to be late because of you? Hurry up, before dad notices we’re still here.”
"We're born on the same day; you only got a couple of seconds on me. I was enjoying my sleep, asshole.”
"If we’re gonna be late for our first day, Dad will be mad as hell, Pai, so get the hell up!” Pai launched into the bathroom. Locking the front door, they're off to school. “School is such a drag. Hey Taro, do you think any girls got hotter over summer break?”
"I don’t care. I have a girlfriend. Today's our first year together.”
"Ugh, you don’t even see Ashley a lot. What the hell? "Why can't I get a girlfriend?" He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.
"Well, because you're weird and stupid. Also, I'm better than you,” his brother stuck his tongue out, slapping his back.
"Screw you! I’ll have somebody one day.”
CHERRY VOL.1
The brothers attend Blossom High Located in Cherry City, a modern advanced society, highly known for its beautiful cherry blossom trees, yet one cherry tree stays up through all seasons, never losing its strength. Brick and metal railing secure the front entrance of Cherry High. Autumn leaves and cherry blossoms shatter around the building. The sports complex behind the school holds a giant soccer field, Mix martial arts gym and a gigantic courtyard to refuel the students between classes.
"Wow! Hot, Hot, Hot...Girls! This school year, I'm gonna get a girlfriend," rambled Pai, looking at the female students. Taro smacked down his pink haired, as he walked ahead. A cleaning bot rolls over Pai’s foot, bumping into his brother. “Damn, robot watch where you’re cleaning!”
“You watch where you’re walking, dumbass.”
“Who the hell programmed you,” Pai screams.
"You did this last year, just give up," Taro replied.
"You,” someone screams. A heavy kick knocked the pink haired student down. Pai rubbed his bruised butt, but at that moment a girl walked up to him and before he knew it, she had asked him, "What’s your homeroom?"
"Um, it's room one sixteen, god damn, my back." answers Pai.
"Great, I'm stuck with you again," sighed the girl.
“It’s not like, I have control over this bullshit,” uttered the boy
Pai gazed up, relieved to find out it's his good friend, Kel Glendale, smiling. Kel’s red-blazed short hair rested comfortably on her pale white ears.
The salty ocean spins in her eyes. She had a crush on Pai, probably the only girl in this predicament. Before he could reply, the bell rang, and all the students headed to their seats. "Hey, look, even Taro is in the class," Pai yelled.
“I don’t know you.” Taro covered his head. The students heard a loud voice storm outside the classroom. “I’ll make sure you know me, once I get called out myself,” prosimed Pai.
Their hearts pounded in unison as they looked at each other. Together, their ears straining to decipher the source of the ominous voice that stormed through the school corridors. The air grew tense, and a hushed silence enveloped the classroom as the voice drew closer and closer.
Footsteps echoed, heavy and purposeful, causing the floorboards to creak under the weight of an unknown presence. The murmurs of uncertainty spread like wildfire among the students, each eye darting to their classmates, seeking solace and reassurance in this moment of impending danger.
Then, with a loud creak, the classroom door slowly swung open. The figure standing in the doorway sent a chill down the brothers' spines. It was a tall, imposing man, his features obscured by the shadows that danced across his face. Pai and Taro remained silent, their hearts filling with fear.
A tall man walked to the teacher’s desk, both eyes already viewed towards the window. Mr. Z, the ex-Marine and father of Pai and Taro, stood at the threshold, his eyes a piercing black-blue, betraying a fierce resolve.
His presence filled the room with a mixture of relief and trepidation. He was a man of strength, but even he seemed apprehensive in the face of the unknown threat that loomed outside.
"Good morning, Dad," Pai and Taro stammered, trying to maintain composure despite the fear gnawing at his insides.
Mr. Z's stern expression softened ever so slightly at the sight of his sons, but the weight of his responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders. "Alright, let’s begin today’s lesson," he announced, attempting to maintain some semblance of normalcy even as chaos erupted beyond their sanctuary.
"Why does this happen to us every year, Taro?”
“Is that really a hard answer to think of,” mocked Kel.
"Well, maybe he has to watch you. Why am I getting hit with collateral damage?" Taro sighed and turned to the board where Mr Z had already reached out for a marker.
CHERRY VOL.1
During the school's lunch break, the boys and Pai decided to hold a friendly soccer match. Energy powered rails block off everyone from stepping on the pitch. It was a tradition for them, and Pai was always eager to participate as the captain of one of the teams. However, that day, they faced an issue—the teams were uneven.
“Come on guys, one more person is needed on the other side!” a student called out, trying to balance the teams. Pai noticed a girl sitting alone, and an idea struck him.
"Taro! Let's play!" Pai suggested, hoping to entice his older brother into joining the match.
Taro smirked playfully. "No."
"Oh, come on! Don't be such a party pooper," Pai teased, giving his best puppy-dog eyes.
Taro, pretending to be indifferent, he jumps over the pulsing energy onto the field. "Fine, I'm on the opposite team from that idiot."
Taro's team held the ball first, and he wasted no time in making a mad dash towards the goal. With quick speed, he maneuvered past all the players on the opposing team, leaving them stunned in his blitz. It seemed like he was about to secure the first goal of the match effortlessly.
But just as Taro was about to take the final shot, Pai, displaying an unexpected burst of agility, cut off Taro's path and managed to intercept the ball. With a swift and skillful move, Pai snatched the ball away from his older brother, surprising everyone, including Taro himself.
Pai quickly took control of the situation, darting towards the goal with determination shining in his hazel eyes. His teammates cheered him on, realizing that he had a chance to turn the tables and secure the first point for their team.
"Good job, Taro," laughs Pai. Taro brings his team together, planning a counterattack. "Let’s do it again,” he giggles. Taro brought his team together, planning a counterattack. Kicking the opposite way, the ball almost rolled in their goal. "Taro, wrong way, you damn fool," screamed Pai.
Taro's whole team spirited down the field forward. "Try to defend this!" Spitting grass down the field, denting the goal post, Pai went to receive it yet Taro's presence loomed over him. Almost catching the ball, Taro smashed it into the goal. That wasn’t the plan, he told us? thought his teammates.
Match point, next goal would win it all. "I never thought Taro would get this worked up about a football game.” Pai scratched his pink hair. Taro, points at Pai across the field. You're going to use the same strategy again; I'll be damned if you do that again, he thought to himself smirking,
Firing like a cannon, the ball zoomed towards the top left corner of the goal. Pai's heart pounded as he jumped, using every muscle fiber to reach it. But just as he thought he had a chance, the ball curved right into his face, and both he and the ball rolled inside the goal. Taro's team emerged victorious.
As Blossom High students headed to class, Pai felt a faint energy pass over him. He looked up, only to find himself standing alone on the field. "Taro really has one hell of a kick. I must be seeing things," Pai uttered, rubbing his sore face.
"Damn, we didn't even get to play in the game. I swear Taro and Pai end up like this every time," complained their classmates
"Those brothers are crazy. No wonder no other high school wants any trouble," one of the students remarked, laughing.
"Yeah, no kidding," another added with a chuckle.
CHERRY VOL 1
After school, Pai found himself alone at home, doing some cleaning. "Where are those damn yellow cleaning gloves?" he grumbled, searching through the cluttered cabinet. "Ouch! Damn, the water's too hot."
Leaves flow down the street in dirty milky water, as Pai continued his cleaning spree. Suddenly, gunshots rang out, startling him. He quickly ducked under the cabinets, his heart racing.
Squinting inside the kitchen, he tried to find the source of the commotion, only to come across a pair of yellow cleaning gloves. Confused and on edge, he cautiously put them on.
But everything went eerily quiet, and Pai could only hear the echo of his own breath. He peered out the kitchen window, trying to make sense of the strange events. Still, there was nothing to be seen except the fading daylight.
"I must be imagining things again," Pai whispered to himself, trying to calm his nerves. But the uneasy feeling lingered, and he couldn't shake the sense that something was amiss.
Two shadowy figures tore the wall and side door to a massive hole. "You chose the wrong house to screw around in. I'm the only one who's gonna clean this shit up...Me…You bastards!"
Energy effortlessly slashed over Pai. Blood splattered across the wooden floor, and cloth and fluid swarmed into dusty creaks. Pai stumbled and fell, losing consciousness, yet in those final moments, he caught a quick glare of bright golden eyes. Eyes he had never seen before. Eyes that promised his end.
He woke up on fresh, comforting bed sheets. "Thank God, it was just a dream after all." Pai walked inside the kitchen to find Taro and Mr. Z already there, devouring twenty pancakes each.
"About time you woke up, Pai," Taro greeted him.
"Well, I'm up now. I don't wanna hear your mouth," Pai retorted, trying to shake off the eerie remnants of his dream.
"Why are you wearing cleaning gloves?" Mr. Z asked, noticing Pai's strange choice of attire.
"Huh?" Pai looked down, realizing the yellow gloves were dripping with sweat down both wrists. His hands shook, and so did his lips as he tried to make sense of the unsettling dream.
"What's wrong, son?" Mr. Z inquired, concerned.
"Nothing, Dad, just hungry," Pai replied absent-mindedly, not wanting to burden his father with the details of his disturbing dream.
CHERRY VOL.1
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