ODYSSEY

The sky was a brilliant blue, the cool touch of the sun keeping the area a perfect temperature. Many felt it to be a promising and relaxing day.

Smiles abounded, kids ran and played, whole families walked their dogs, and friends gathered in parks engaging in lively conversations. So many people were present in the Centre. The park was filled not just with humans, but with animals and insects as well.

The Centre had a giant tree that sparkled year-round. Winters, summers, fall, spring, it breathed a life of impossibility.

"Maybe this day feels so good; because it's the trees one-millionth birthday."

Hours passed, you never would've spotted a single electronic device. The sun began sinking beyond the horizon, earlier than listed in the forecast. Clouds began closing in. Many wondered if it might rain, or even thunder.

Having not prepared they sprinted in their homes, coming out holding umbrellas.

"We won't let this day go to waste."

It rained—light, then heavy—thunder followed. The weather was acting completely unusual. After an hour, it stopped.

A rainbow appeared arched over the tree. It amazed everyone.

"It truly is your day."

Whilst everyone was distracted: clouds closed in darker than before, the sun disappeared no longer shining its light and casting an ominous shade of deep red. Before slipping further into the darkness.

This change was not bound to a single location. Globally, it left feelings of concern and confusion.

Then—an explosive flash of chaotic light rained down on the blue marble, laying waste to any and everything present.

Bodies flung, erupted, decayed in seconds. The people of the park were obliterated. Across other cities, states, countries, and continents, it all happened simultaneously.

Every way to die was exploited: decapitations, internal and external bleeding, natural disasters, falling from great heights.

"I CALLED IT! THE GOVERNMENTS BEHIND ALL OF THIS! I WARNED YOU ALL!!" A conspiracy theorist shouted. "I WAS RIGHT! YOU NEVER BELIEVE—"

But then, in a second flash of light a giant chaotic, cataclysmic ball of pure godly energy appeared. Larger than the curvature of the entire planet!

His face of joy, of happiness of finally being proven right dissipated.

"N-no-NO. This-is-isn't them...they couldn't be able to do this. This is—oh man, what have we done."

All those who weren't immediately killed stared in fright of its power helplessly cowering. It sucked in everything like a black hole and bombarded the world. Huge gusts of wind toppled everything.

The earth—split open. Turned like it was Rubik's Cube. Destabilizing and revealing its core.

Animals and insects weren't left untouched; they suffered the same fate as every living thing. Forests burned, earthquakes rumbled, tornados of only hypothetical fictional sizes and powers swept across! Tsunamis drowned continents.

None of it made sense!

Cosmic forces surged widely, defying ALL physics.

"EARTH— had become a living, Hell."

"Darkness."

Unknown amount of time passed...

"Three—two—One! GO!" A shot, from a cannon!

Something shot into the picturesque blue sky, blowing through a few wispy clouds.

"Uhh! Oh! Come on! Come on!"

Someone had shot themselves from the cannon and was now spinning uncontrollably.

"Fucking move body!" Powerful explosion seen by the citizens below.

"Is that? Gotta be, who else talked about it. Shooting himself into the sky. Only one person who would willingly do that."

"A second, a third!" He spun into a lazy arch. "And a fourth!"

He soared at high speeds, the wind outlining his shape.

"Five! Six! Seven-Eight! Nine! And—"

Warm-toned skin and golden-brown lively eyes. His hair was made of bright thick individual strands of blazing fire, coiled together to appear as a living flame, rising upward. He wore an orange jacket over a dark shirt, golden bracelets on the forearms, with cargo pants, sturdy boots, and golden straps. He had a headband (forehead protector) marked with the letter "F."

His hands spun slightly in perfect unison, fingers curved like crescent moons, palms tilted toward each other. His wrists rolled smoothly, leaving a narrow gap. His wide pose and the slight bend of his knees coiled tension of his body. He flashed a powerful smile!

" —Ten!"

Rising skyward hitting his peak height, he turned, viewing the spectacle below: the people, the trees, animals, homes.

"A world of love stuck in the pain of others." He spoke. "Dawg, I sound just like pawpaw." He laughed.

The wind surged all around him. He breathed in the wonderful air.

"Alright! This... is the beginning—" He smiled triumphantly. "—to my ODYSSEY."

As he glided through the sky, suddenly—he started to fall fast. Way too fast. He screamed and flailed around like he was in water.

AHHH!

KRRRKKMMM!

He crash-landed into a random fruit shop.

"Vibrant fruits." He snickered, reading the sign.

The shopkeeper, an irate figure armed with a rolling pin, shrieked in disbelief.

"You destroyed my food! My product!"

Flaminto jolted up, sprinting away. Ahead was an extremely steep cobblestone hill. He jumped and began gliding down, shouting at the Shopkeeper. "Sorry! Sorry!"

He noticed people alongside the sidewalks and street walking up and down the hill, leashes in hand, even a few riding bikes. But the giant forest off in the distance, with trees reaching the clouds. Now that's...

"—Cool." He spoke.

Amid his dive, he spotted three men lanky and tall cornering a woman dressed: in a white flower dress, sandals, and a sunhat.

Swiftly acting; he changed from a forward dive to a feet first landing.

"Hey sweetie." One of the men said.

Suddenly—he went flying, sliding across the cobblestone ground stopping at a wall.

"What the hell was that?!" One of the men said.

He stood atop the man, his hair dazzling in the slight wind. "Me!" Pointing to himself. "Flaminto!"

He ran over to the woman, blocking them from getting closer. The two broke into laughter.

"He's like a giant candle!"

"More like a lighter, see his jacket!"

AhhHHH!

"Is this even real?" One of the men reached for his hair. Pulling back, his hand burned.

"OWWWW. Hot!"

The man who slid across the ground got up, turning with fury in his eyes. His face an exaggeration of his frustration and anger. Also, a large bump slowly began forming on his forehead.

"Guys'. Look, it's not even my birthday, yet I get to blow out a candle." He spoke, in his nasty sounding voice. Cracking his knuckles.

Flaminto calmly pointed at his physique.

"Dude, are you built like that? For real? Ay, did you fail to capture a potato or radish." He erupted in laughter.

The two men behind him snickered; the flower dress lady giggled.

He gritted his teeth in anger, his fist shook. He launched in for the strike; Flaminto was still laughing.

"YOU SON OF A BITC—" Flaminto's face shifted to seriousness.

Unexpectedly, someone swept his legs, followed up by a roundhouse axe kick. Sending him pummeled to the ground with a head injury. Someone planted their foot atop the men's head.

"Well, looks like I found a unicorn."

The two men froze in fear, shaking.

"By the way, did you three lanky bozos pass grade school?" He chuckled. "Who am I kidding? Just by looking at you bunch—"

A structured face and brown skin, mixed with sharp green eyes, bright with confidence. His hair is dark, blue highlights, spiky, and unkempt. Straps run over his shoulders, securing a Bō Staff on his back.

"—I got my answer." He smirked. He powerfully shone in the sunlight.