Monday - October 29th, 2121:

  Despite that behemoth nearing, I searched through the area, calling out Flora's name to no avail. Sweat drenched my back because of that hat thing. It neared the clouds with its monstrous size, and it was getting closer with every indecisive breath I took.

  "Skyfall, be at peace." That familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I turned to the approaching Caretaker. My heart dropped as I saw Flora in his arms, or in his hand, to be precise. She dangled limply with her mouth covered by bark that extended from the Caretaker's hand.

  "Flora!" I snapped. "What's the meaning of this Caretaker? What have you done to Flora?"

  "The child will remain unharmed. You're the one they want, Skyfall. The Colossi are too much for us to handle. We already lost Thorn because of you. I don't want to see more of my children fall, not because of something like you."

  "What do you mean, Caretaker? Are you betraying everything humanity worked towards? You're colluding with the monsters that corrupted the Earth?" I felt such unbearable grief and indignation seeing the Caretaker there. He was a part of humanity's hopes for the future, and now he was looking to sell me out to the Colossi for what?

  The giant Colossi approached, and I could see its terror on display. It walked and looked like neither a man nor a monster. Its size poked at the clouds, and its skin was an ashen grey that no man could have. No matter how I defied logic to explain the Caretaker and the children from the camp, I could not picture this titan as anything but inhuman.

  "You cannot run from the present, Skyfall. Submit, and we can all live in peace. The Colossi will permit us free reign over a part of the world, and everything will return to how it was." The Caretaker spoke out kindly, yet there was a cold determination that tinged his words. "You wouldn't want them to take their anger out on the girl. Would you?"

  "Bastard, you're the one that took care of her. How can you betray her trust like this?"

  I felt my head spinning as the rage coursed through me. I rushed at the Caretaker, slamming my fist toward his face, but the man sidestepped and tripped my leg, causing me to tumble onto the ground.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "It's futile to struggle, Skyfall. Your part is over now. Leave the rest to those that remain.

  The ground rumbled as the Colossi titan approached, and the Caretaker seemed like a fortress of a man. Suddenly, I heard a croak echo as the white raven flapped its wings above us. Its ruby-tipped wings glowed with a light that shone down onto the Caretaker, causing him to stumble and loosen his grip on Flora.

  Flora's eyes snapped open, and she struggled to free herself, thrashing out and grunting as her small body flopped around helplessly. Then, her eyes shone with a verdant light that seemed to resonate with the raven's crimson one. The Caretaker screamed as the bark-like plating that covered his body rippled back into his body with jagged edges raging at his betrayal.

  "What is the meaning of this, Flora!" The Caretaker grunted as he fell back, blood pouring out from his flesh as the bark retracted into his skin, leaving only a few speckles on display.

  Flora coughed, and blood dripped from her mouth, but she turned to me with a smile. "Run, I can't hold them back for long."

  "Flora!" Her actions surprised me, but it was an incredible reassurance. "Come with me, Flora. If you stay here, they'll hurt you!"

  The girl looked at me innocently and shook her head. She was just a child but had come to terms with her actions. "I'll be fine. You have to go."

  I didn't believe her. She was lying to me. I could see it in her eyes, but I was powerless to change anything, no matter how I resented it. Still, despite the logic of it, in my stubbornness, I walked toward Flora with the intention to pick her up and flee. But as if Flora knew my thoughts, she pushed me away with a series of plant-like growths that slid out from the ground. "Don't waste time, go!"

  I've lost count of how often I had to run in this cursed world since I awoke separated from the O.S.S. I turned and fled toward the ocean. If I wanted to help Flora and the rest, I had to rid the Earth of the monsters that plagued it.

  "No! Stay here, Skyfall. Don't run!"

  I ignored the Caretaker's words, the man's struggles, and the monstrous titan's appearance.

  As I fled, the raven flapped its wings behind me, hovering overhead and echoing my desire to go to the oceanic base. "What are you?" I muttered to the raven as I sprinted through the depths of the valley's narrow hills.

  The raven flew low, passing beside me as it croaked. We moved swiftly, and from behind, I could hear a roaring that thundered across the valley. It wasn't something I could afford to concern myself with, however, and I pretended that it didn't exist as I left the valley and raced onward to the ocean.