Both men turned, their eyes on his back until he wasn’t in their view any longer, just then, they left the building while grandmother was there to lock it.
After noticing that the men had left completely, Derek turned around and quickly went to meet grandmother.
Without waiting for her to come inside the living room he asked, "Grandmother, who were those men, and who were they looking for?"
Grandmother’s eyes brightened for a moment, before going back to normal. Her expression already turned pale with a hint of concern. "So you heard them, I take it?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, but I didn’t get the description of who they were talking about."
Grandmother didn’t waste any time as he moved to the window of the living room. Here, she checked outside and didn’t see anyone. Then she went back to the door, and through the peephole she looked out.
"They’re still around?" Grandmother mumbled.
Curious, Derek walked back to the door, forgetting that he was holding a bag of tomatoes. "Is something the matter, grandmother?"
Grandmother, seeing Derek, rushed to him quickly and held him on his shoulders, saying with a tone of urgency. "You need to hide. Go into your room and don’t come out until I call for you!"
"W-What do you mean grandmother? What is going on?" Derek, of course, didn’t understand the situation and tried asking for clarity. But none was given.
Grandmother turned her neck and looked at the door leading outside, then turned back to Derek and exclaimed, "Go!"
Grandmother looks tense, it’s like she’s anxious. I’ve never seen her anxious before. Is it because of those men?... Derek raised his eyes to the door as he thought of these, then back at his grandmother.
Her eyes were filled with worry and fear, but at the same time a strong determination to protect him. Seeing this, and not asking anymore questions, Derek turned to make his way to his room, although before he left grandmother collected the bag of tomatoes in his hand.
Before Derek could take a single step, the outer door burst open and flew into the living room, straight toward him and his grandmother.
Unable to dodge in time, both were struck by the door and thrown to the ground. The force of the impact sent a cloud of dust swirling through the air.
..
"Derek! Derek! Derek!"
A distant voice could be heard within Derek’s head, calling his name. At first, he couldn’t make out who it was as a sharp pain throbbing in his head.
"Wakp up, you have to go!" The voice spoke again but this time felt less distant.
Derek opened his eyes slowly and saw his grandmother’s face close to his. She had a single tear down her check as if she had been crying.
"G-Grandmother?" Derek called, but his voice was inaudible.
"Get up now, you have to leave!" Grandmother hurriedly helped Derek upright.
He looked confused at the current situation, and the pain in his head made it more so. However, his eyes were able to make out his surroundings.
Around him, there were clouds of dust setting, and the view that came was a living room half destroyed.
"What is this?
Upon seeing this, his head turned to the door on the ground beside him and then he remembered what had happened a moment ago.
That’s right the door, it flew towards us... Realizing this, Derek shifted his gaze towards the entrance and saw the men in black standing at the entryway way.
Were they the ones who did this?... Derek wondered within.
As if they were listening to his thoughts, the man who had the thick masculine voice of one who seemed to have gone through a lot in life spoke out.
"I thought you said you lived alone, old lady?" He had a sharp gaze, his expression stern and intimidating.
Grandmother, hearing the question, turned around, now facing them and replied. "I never said I live alone."
The man who asked the question turned to his colleague at his left and asked. "Oh? Is that true?" His colleague gave a weird smile and replied. "Old ladies. She probably forgot!"
The man who had asked the question turned back to grandmother, "So if that’s not what you said, who is this?"
Grandmother released her hands from Derek and stood to her feet. Her legs staggered a little but she was able to keep firm. "This is my grandson and as I said earlier there was no one here who fit your description."
Derek, who was still on the ground, had his eyes on his grandmother as she rose.
From what they are saying, then they were the ones who broke the door? But, how can they break? The door was made firm to survive an explosion. Who are these people?... At this moment, his eyes moved towards the man who had all along been speaking.
At the time when he was hiding in the corridor he was unable to see their faces because they were backing him, but now they were facing him and he could see their faces.
This people, just what are they? Ugh?... Derek’s eyes widened in shock as his gaze fell on the man standing to the left.
"No way. There’s no way." Derek mumbled the words in fear and rage as he was certain he recognized the man.
He is the one alright. He was among the people that took Mom and Dad... At this moment, Derek felt his blood boiling while feeling instant hatred for the man who he has recognized.
A scar marked the left side of his face. Three straight lines carved from forehead to cheek. It was a mark so distinctive that once seen, it could never be forgotten, and that was how Derek recognized him
At this moment, the man who was speaking to grandmother proclaimed, "He’s your grandson? Never heard that before. But, he definitely fits who we are looking for. He should be around sixteen to seventeen years of age, isn’t that right?"
Grandmother turned her head towards Derek as if checking if he was indeed of that age. Then she turned back to the men in black.
Sixteen to seventeen. I turned seventeen two weeks ago, so they’re not far off. But why does my age matter? Am I really the one they are after?... He had thought it strange but didn’t dwell on the matter for long.
"Well... it doesn’t matter he’s coming with us!" The man proclaimed as though his words were absolute. After saying this, he began to approach
Seeing both men approach, grandmother turned back to Derek. She knelt down, placed her hands over head and removed an amulet which she had been wearing.
"Here, take this with you. It will guide you through the right path."
The amulet’s pendant bore an intricate design of a phoenix’s head, finely rendered in silver.
Derek was confused by the words his grandmother spoke while she placed the amulet in his hand. To him, it sounded as if he was to go somewhere and she wasn’t going to go with him, making him very puzzled.
"W-Where am I going? You should come too." Derek obviously didn’t understand what she meant but had to clarify.
Hearing this, a smile placed on grandmother’s face as she held his hands tightly saying. "It is okay, everything is going to be alright. When you are there, look for a building with the design of a bird with four wings."
"W-What are you saying?" Derek became even more confused.
Grandmother turned her head a little and saw both men closing in, then she turned back to Derek and removed his hand from his.
At that moment, she raised both thumbs to her mouth and bit down hard until they bled. She then learned slowly toward Derek and wrapped her arms around him.
Derek was puzzled, thinking she meant to embrace him in a hug, but that was not the case. Instead, Grandmother pressed her bleeding thumbs to the ground and, moving from behind him to the front, drew a circle of blood around him.
After the circle was done, she smacked both hands together, closed her eyes, and began mumbling words that were not the language they spoke.
"I will not let you!" Both men seeing this act shouted and stretched their hands in haste.
In that second, they both said in sync. "Fire Magic: Ignite of Ifrit!"
Suddenly, long streams of flame burst from their hands and raced toward Grandmother. Derek watched in shock, fear gripping him for her life. Yet the moment the flames reached her, they were extinguished.
"What?! Impossible!"
"She placed a barrier?" One of the men shouted.
Just then grandmother’s eyes opened slowly and within them was a spark of gold.
Derek was about to speak, his eyes wide in wonder, yet she spoke first, her voice heavy with sadness. "I am sorry that this is the best I could do for you. This is goodbye now. I am happy to have lived with you all these years."
After she had spoken, grandmother lifted her hands and slammed them against the ground. Instantly, the circle around Derek flared to life and began to glow, the light rising high above him. Derek tried to reach for her but his hand could not pass through.
At that moment, he saw a single tear slip down her check and he knew this would be the last time he ever saw her.
In that moment, the image of his grandmother before him began to fade into the distance as the light grew stronger and stronger.
At the same moment, both men were straining with all their might to break the barrier surrounding Derek and his grandmother.
Yet, they could only watch as the light around Derek blazed brighter and brighter until it finally vanished, leaving only grandmother before them.