text: FEEDBACK WELCOME There was a flash, and only for a brief moment, the sky was engulfed by a white light. The light collapsed into the middle of the sky until there was nothing left of it. The sky became devoid of colour, apart from a few drifting clouds which surfaced the sky’s canvas. The sound of thunder rolled its way through the ground and Escanor’s eyelids opened slowly. He was wearing blackened armour; however, his helmet had been separated from him, revealing his face. As his vision slowly focused, he felt something lightly tap his nose. Escanor began to notice the sensation of his hair becoming damp as the rain quickened in pace. He had burnt-orange hair and a moustache that reached the corners of either side of his lip. The right side of his head ached in pain, it felt like a stone was lodged deep within his head and something sharp was growing erratically towards his right ear. Stuck in a state of confusion, he tried to remember what he had been doing before he woke up. He recalled that he was a knight serving under King Arthur’s rule and was a part of the 9th Legion. They had been ordered by King Arthur to go to Sussex where rumours had been circulating about the spotting of giants. But, what had happened to everyone? He attempted to sit up, but the burning in his muscles caused him to struggle. He was built a lot stronger than the other knights, some liked to call him ‘The Lion’, but now it felt like his body was a magnet pulling him towards the ground. He reached out to the side of him for support and his hand became submerged in the wetness of the mud. Using all his effort, he pushed himself off the ground and onto his feet. The sound of the stiff pieces of his armour clanking against one another came to an abrupt stop as he found his balance. Escanor lifted his head and his heart nearly forgot how to beat. Soldiers lay scattered around some of them had been impaled by clubs that were three meters long, others had their heads and limbs completely torn off. Streaks of crimson red brushed the tips of the grass and mixed with the wetness of the dirt to form translucent puddles of blood. Off in the near distance, he spotted a fallen castle made of stone. A feeling of eeriness washed over him and his gaze quickly left the castle. He scanned the battlefield once more to see if perhaps one of his comrades, at the very least, had survived. “Anyone alive?” He yelled but as soon as he spoke his lungs failed him and he fell short of breath. The feeling that he felt then was one he was too familiar with. All of the world’s weight came crashing down on his heart and his lips began to tremble out of control. Of all of his comrades and friends in the 9th Legion, why did he deserve to stay alive? Did he even deserve to live, or was it pure chance? He wanted to escape this hell he wanted to be free alongside his comrades. He felt like his perception of reality was slipping, almost as if his consciousness was being separated from his body. He wished that his heart would crush under the pressure, but no such luck came; instead, the feeling continued torturing him. A laugh, so loud that it shook the trees in the distance and vibrated the ground, snapped him back into reality. His knees buckled. He was sure the laugh came from the castle. Reluctantly, he tilted his head and scanned the demolished castle. This time, however, he spotted a group of large figures. The entrance, which had completely collapsed, revealed the group sitting in the inner ward. Eight of them were gathered in a circle around a small fire. They all wore stained loincloths and some of them had wooden clubs resting on their wide shoulders. There was no doubt that they were the giants that had been rumoured about. Escanor unsheathed his sword. He let the sword fall by his side and the tip of the sword just scratched the mud. He began walking towards the castle. As he dragged his sword through the mud, he saw so many familiar faces; each one spawned memories of their previous battles, their training days and the laughs they shared when they were children. He felt something crawl down his cheek and at first, he thought it was the rain. He rubbed his eyes with his hand and felt a tear. As the following tear escaped, the rest of the tears began flowing out at an unexpected rate. He lifted his head back and looked at the sky where the same feeling of emptiness lingered. He tightened the grip of his sword and wiped the tears of his eyes. The sorrow that had pervaded his soul was being drained and rage was starting to fill in. He wasn’t going to let any of those memories die in vain, he was going to redeem his comrades. He stood on the rubble which was once the entrance of the castle and stared at the giants. The laughter continued, only now he could feel the walls and ground trembling. One of the giants turned its head and Escanor almost His face was puffy and large. He showed emotions of both confusion and joy, like he wasn’t sure what to think about his new meal that just showed up out of nowhere. “Ah, one of you survived I see.” The giant mocked, “Come to die have you?” Escanor said nothing and continued to glare at the giant. The other giants turned around, all curious. Their eyes drew towards Escanor’s sword and soon, all of them burst into laughter. “You’ve come to kill us?” One of the other giants sneered, “Good luck tryi-”. Escanor leapt forward with all his strength and with one clean swing of his sword, the giant’s upper body slid off. The other giants stood in awe and for a few seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the rain hitting the pale stone. Behind him, one of the giants swung their clubs at him while yelling frantically. Escanor ducked and rolled to the side. He swept his sword toward the giant’s feet and the giant toppled over. He bent his legs, launched and slashed the giant’s neck. The giants were in shock, but they attacked reluctantly regardless. Escanor turned towards the six remaining giants charging his way. His sword and armour were stained with blood, but he hadn’t avenged his comrades yet. Thinking about his friends he had lost filled him up with a new energy, one he had never experienced before. Using that energy as a harness, Escanor fought like a demon. Swinging left, dodging to the right, rolling, thrusting upwards, jumping he felt invincible. He continued fighting until only one of the giants remained. “You’re - you’re a monster!” The giant squealed, attempting to run away. He threw his sword like a spear at the giant’s back and the giant tumbled over on a pile of fallen stones. Escanor grinned, and then that grin turned into uncontrolled, insane laughter. That’s when he knew he had been reborn into a cruel world, into a living hell.