I still remember that day, as if it was happening yesterday. That fateful day, that fateful moment that would change my life.
It was a normal day in my life, where I was attending the school as usual, while the sun slowly emerges, painting the east sky with orange hue.
However, the classroom that I attended was anything but usual. It was the classroom for those talented in sports, academic, art and many more, yet I had no idea why would I be enrolled in this class. Unlike anyone, I had no talent that I can boast to anyone, except for street fighting, for I was constantly bullied in the past.
The moment I entered the classroom, it was already filled with my classmates. I immediately retreated to my seat and pulled out a bag of bread from my bag, as it was my habit to have a breakfast in the morning, and also had my thought wandered somewhere else.
As I was enjoying my bread, I heard someone's footsteps were getting closer to my table. The moment I turned to my back, it turned out to be Kemal, one of my classmates.
As we meet each other's eyes, I saw that anxious was carved on his face. Thus, I was made riddled by his reaction.
"Iru, the world is about to face a great peril this time." he says. His eyes were not blinking.
"What? What are you saying right now?" I asked, genuinely puzzled by his words.
"The darkness is hiding among the men." Kemal muttered, but all of a sudden his voice went deep.
I was stunned at that moment. "Huh? Darkness, you say?" I asked again.
But before I could hear an answer, the lights in the classroom went off, the sky became dark and Kemal seemingly disappeared into thin air.
"Kemal? Where are you?" I said.
But no answer.
At that moment, unease crept inside me, and something I barely comprehended happened.
Somehow, I could feel something so dark was close to me inside the classroom, giving me goosebumps. Every seconds passing, the darkness became closer.
As if I lost control of my body, I turned back and stared at the eyes of a giant bulking figure gazing at me menacingly.
Much to my surprise, I screamed so hard, overwhelmed by my own fear.
Then,...
*Gasp
I startled upon waking up from slumber. Without me every realising, I was falling asleep after finishing my breakfast. "It was a dream, huh?" I said.
Right after that, I stared at my surrounding and looked at the sky. Everything seemed normal.
As I tried to return to my sense, Ash, another one of my classmates came to me and said "Come on, Iru. How long are you going to sleep? Don't forget about our football match this evening." and he left after that.
"Right, right." I said while having my sense returned.
***
It was in the middle of the football match. My team was against the fourth class of our batch. Minutes had passed, and we were on the verge of losing.
I was acting as the defender, trying my best to make sure the opponents didn't penetrate our defense.
And, something happened. Just as I was about to protect the ball from the opponent's striker, my shin was kicked by the striker at the moment to the point that I fell to the ground. I could feel my right knee was injured during the ordeal.
Nevertheless, I tried to continue playing despite the injury, yet I knew I could not perform any better than before. Every strike they delivered, I could not prevent it in time. At the moment, I knew my injury was taking its toll on my knee.
Eventually, we lost the match, and the opponent was humiliating us. Right after we retreated to the sideline. Just as I thought the humiliation was over, I was caught off guard by my teammates.
"You know, you should have work harder to defend our goalpost. It was already an easy win for us, yet you messed that up." one of my teammates named Kemal said.
"I was trying my best, but my injury got the best of me." I said, defending myself.
"That is not a valid reason. Everyone was tackled during the match, but none of them were badly injured, yet you, somehow being tackled and your body could not keep up anymore." another one of them called Zani stepped up, mocking me due to being frustated.
"But..." I said before being interrupted by our captain, Sham.
"Never mind. All I know is that we won't be joining the school team this year. Alright everyone, dismiss!" Sham said with a calm tone, yet frustation was carved on his face.
As I was about to make my way out, Kemal mocked me from behind. "You see, everyone lose their chance to shine because of you. Don't be someone who is good for nothing, Iru! You make everyone's talent died together with your incompetence. You should be ashamed with yourself." Kemal said, throwing all the humiliation towards me.
At that time, humiliation struck me so hard. I was helpless at the moment, when no one understood my pain. Despite all the injury, it was the humiliation that hurted the most.
Once I walked away from them, I decided to retreat on an abandoned staircase. The moment I leaned on the wall, all those moment replayed on my mind. The noise of humiliation, the blame my peers thrown at me and the frustation, all those things were like a storm in my mind.
"Am I really good for nothing?" I muttered to myself. Was Kemal's words true? I knew that I had no talent compared to them, or worse, I was a failure while they were high achievers.
Then, all of a sudden, a faint sound was caught in my ears. That sound, was more like a whisper barely above the wind.
"They are right, you are worse than them. You should be ashamed of yourself. Someone who is good for nothing like you should just stay silent for the rest of your life. What a weak person you are, Iru." the voice uttered, seemingly provoking me.
And so, I muttered to myself "Should I stay weak? Am I going to be humiliated for the rest of my life?". Did I want to be like this forever?
No, I did not.
There was no way I will be humiliated anymore. There was no way I will stay weak for the rest of my life. There was no way I will become good for nothing.
So I came up with a new resolve. From that day, I swore to myself that I will prove to everyone that I am somebody. However, little did I know that was the moment that would change my life forever.
***
Then came another day.
It was all normal, just like everyday, I attended the class as usual. Even the lesson proceeded as usual.
Until it wasn't.
By the time the bell rang, everyone made their way to the cafeteria. After a long hours of lesson, everyone surely needed to fill their empty stomach.
Without any warning,...
*AAAAARGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
As I walked my way alone to the cafeteria, a loud scream was heard from there. Right before my eyes, students and teachers alike were scattered, seemingly running away from something.
Then,...
*ROARRRRRR!!!!!!
"What is happening right now?" I muttered to myself.
And eventually, the answer appeared by itself.
Before my eyes stood a large humanoid creature who appeared like a stag beetle. Its muscular presence was enough to instill fear towards oneself. Upon I gazed at its presence, it was licking its fingers with its tongue.
In an instant, the sky turned dark and everything appeared just like in the horrible vision of my dream.
At that time, I was stunned. My brain went blank.
Meanwhile, the creature was on a rampaging spree, destroying everything in its path.
When the security guards came by, they tried to combat the creature with everything they had, but it was all in vain.
Seeing a feast before its eyes, the creature leaped towards the guards and caught one of them in its grasp.
"Help me!" the guard yelled, yet the others were not brave enough to face the night of the creature.
During that moment, I was helpless upon gazing at the might of the creature, and I wondered to myself,
"Is there anything that I can do to stop this?".
Out of nowhere, another voice spoke to me.
"You can do something, Iru." the voice said.
I was startled. "Am I mishearding something?" I muttered.
Then the voice spoke again "No you don't."
"Who are you?" I asked
In an instant, my surroundings shifted into an ethereal realm, where light spiraled forming walls.
As I found myself standing inside the realm, a figure wearing a dark hood emerged before me. There was a mask he worn under his hood.
"Welcome, young man. We finally meet." the figure said. His voice was quite deep.
"Wait, are you expecting me for a long time?" I asked, genuinely puzzled by his words.
"Yes, and it is time for the warrior of this Earth to emerge, fighting against all chaos." the figure said.
"Are you saying that was me? No, no, no. You have picked the wrong person." I said to him.
"No, you are that person. You are the only one who could resist the temptation of darkness. Therefore, you are worthy of this power." the figure spoke before handing me a sword.
"Resisting the temptation of darkness, you say?" I asked before looking at the sword. At first, I could barely understand what did he mean by that, until I remember that moment at the staircase. "Ohhh, you mean that?"
"Yes, Iru. You have not let the darkness influence you, and that is why you shall prevail in your fight. Now, take this sword and become an Armorer." the figure urged me to accept the sword.
"Wait, how can I fight the creature using only this sword?" I uttered. "There is no way I could win!".
"Just grab the hilt." the figure spoke with a firm and commanding voice.
Thus, I followed his order and all of a sudden, I could feel a surge of energy running inside me. In a blink of an eye, my body and face morphed, into a metallic armor and mask. I was left speechless at the moment.
"Now, you have evolved, and you shall be called Armorer." the figure said.
I genuinely didn't understand what was happening, yet I knew I had to stop the creature from wreaking havoc, and yet another question had left me riddled, "Who are you, by the way, Mr hooded guy?" I asked the figure.
"My name is Beyond, a warrior from the stars. Right now, go forth, Armorer!" he said.
Therefore, a portal was opened before me and Beyond, and without second thought, I jumped inside it, leaping towards the real world.
Thus, the battle had just begun.
***
Falling from above the sky, I delivered a powerful punch right on the creature's head, and...
*KNACKKKK!!!
The creature was smashed to the ground, releasing the guard from its grasp.
Once I landed on the ground, I immediately charged again towards the creature before it could stand its ground, striking it in the process, causing the creature to be pushed to the back.
At that moment, my body felt so light that I could leap with not so much effort. Well, I guessed that was the feeling when I first harnessed the power.
But the creature rose back, and overwhelmed by its anger, rushed towards me, intending to smash me to pieces. "RRRRRRAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!" the creature growled.
Yet, right before it could smash me by its fists, I slided below and emerged behind it.
Then, the voice of Beyond appeared on my hearing. "Armorer, it is time for you to finish this off. Use the sword and strike it down!" Beyond commanded before the sword emerged on my grasp in an instant.
Thus, the moment the creature left an opening, I struck it down with a swift slash on its back.
And "ARGGHHHHHHH!!!!!", the creature groaned in pain.
It only took seconds before the creature succumbed to the strike and vaporised.
As I turned my sight to my surroundings, all the students and teachers gazed in awe towards me, and that was the time Beyond summoned me back.
"Return, Armorer!" he said and my body immediately teleported back to the realm.
***
And that was the first time I became the one who will be known as Armorer Typhoon, the warrior from unknown.
However, it was merely a beginning, that will kickstart my journey.