Sanctuary

How far can a young hero go if his best friend is his worst enemy?

 

Wandering the darkness

On the trail of a dream

Sanctuary, sanctuary, give us our sanctuary

 

 

 

A nighttime show of falling stars mark the beginning of the end, at least for the shady plans of the Obelisk Tower organization. A boy uses the orb of power inside him to save the lands of a broken world, and his best friend watches over him as a spy for the enemy.

 

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Obelisk Tower Organization- A mysterious, sinister group of fighters (Outtakers), mages (Intakers), and masterminds (Superiors). At first they appear to kidnap the children of Compass Town who are scattered through Time. They claim it is to harness the newly born power inside of the children to open a strong enough door to the Flow of Time.

 

 

 

In reality the Obelisk Tower already has a method to open a way to the Flow of Time. Their true purpose is to grow and harvest three orbs of power--Time, Dream, and Truth--through various trials. Doing so will allow them power over reality itself.

 

 

 

 

Memories- Creatures born of memories that were forgotten or hidden away in the hearts of people. They mindlessly attack living, conscious people in hopes of becoming 'remembered'.

 

Zayne- 14. "Every dream is fleeting."

 

A blind neighbor boy who is secretly an Outtaker for Obelisk Tower. His mission is to watch over the Time orb, which lies inside a boy named Kai, to develop its power and later extract it. Until then he is Kai's secret bodyguard and supposed best friend.

 

Zayne's true self is a manipulative sadist; he enjoys mocking and tormenting others by provoking their fears, doubts, and causing hearts to waver, ignoring the things that bore him. As Kai's best friend Zayne is somewhat shy and helpless, an illusion he creates off his blindness. Overall, in either personality, Zayne is calm and collected with a easygoing sense of humor.

 

Zayne's unseeing eyes are covered by a blindfold when he's in his role as an Outtaker. For battle he uses a long chain blade that he uses partly to fight and partly to study his surroundings. An agile fighter under the command of the Superior Kaite, partnered with the Intaker Lexus.

 

Eventually Zayne's true identity is revealed by Trent, wielder of the Truth orb. He then lures and taunts the heroes into Obelisk Tower, the place where all the damage to the Flow of Time goes. At the rooftop he faces them in battle and is narrowly defeated, but Kai and Trent's attempts to repair the Flow of Time is hampered by the fact that Zayne is the wielder of the Dream orb. He is not at all willing to help save the world.

 

However Zayne shoves everyone from the top of Obelisk Tower before the Flow of Time begins to destroy it in the throes of self-repair. His motivation for this act, as well as how the Flow of Time began its self-repair, is unknown.

 

 

Kai- 14. "Don't forget."

 

A boy whose life changes with an event that breaks up his hometown and turns it into a isolated world disconnected from the others. At Radiant Castle he discovers himself to be a Knight of Time, and immediately decides to use his powers to save the people of his hometown. Later he adds the goal of 'reconnecting' the broken lands throughout the time period as well.

 

Kind and optimistic, Kai loves making friends and going on adventures, but he can be just as content to stay where he is. He is adamant in believing that thinking things out only diminishes how honest people can be about their feelings. Kai is protective of his friends, particularly Zayne, though he has no idea that his best friend is actually a spy and his keeper.

 

As a Knight of Time Zayne holds the sword called the Infinite Key, or the Time orb, which Zayne implanted inside him on Obelisk Tower's orders. The orb gives him the power to freeze Time, but only for a short moment.

 

Kai is shaken when Zayne's betrayal comes to light, especially when the latter tries to forcibly extract the Time orb from Kai's body. Thanks to Trent's interference Zayne is unable to succeed and later battles them at Obelisk Tower. Again, when Kai fails to find the will to deliver the final blow, Trent does so for him.

 

After the Flow of Time repairs itself, he's returned to Compass Town with Trent.

 

 

Miras- Security Operator at Radiant Castle. A fatherly researcher that does all he can to help the children of Compass Town, having a soft spot for young people. While he begins acting as their teacher and caretaker, his actual job is to guard the Throne of Light, awaiting its guardian and its king.

 

Lea- "Hope can come you at any time; the difficulty is in keeping it."

 

Radiant Knight, keeper of the blue Gate of the Calm Sea. A kind, sisterly figure who is the first to allow Kai to use her gate to travel worlds, spending her time taking care of the children he brings back to Radiant Castle. She tries to be close with her fellow Knights but to no effect. Her specialty is magic.

 

Soraki- "There's always something above us all."

 

Radiant Knight, keeper of the golden Gate of Light and Sky. An easygoing person who takes most things in stride. Though kind and cheerful with others, he has little interaction with anyone but Rio and Miras. He bears a strange resemblance to Kai.

 

At first Soraki seems too easygoing, often seen wandering aimlessly about Radiant Castle and rarely seen at his respective gate. However he's most active in guarding the castle itself, using hand-to-hand combat instead of the sword he never draws. Soraki is capable of holding back an entire armada of Memories alone.

 

After the final battle Soraki approaches Zayne as the latter remains trapped within Obelisk Tower. He kneels down in front of the exhausted, wounded boy who continues to regret nothing and assert his sadistic self. Soraki smiles and says that he doesn't want a future where his best friend disappears. Zayne warns Soraki that he himself (Soraki) will disappear if he uses the Time orb to that extent, but the Knight replies that he will always exist in another timeline.

 

The both of them disappears along with Obelisk Tower.

 

Shai Lore- Radiant Knight, keeper of the silver Gate of Forgotten Mist. Very quiet compared to his companions, Shai tends to stay in the background. He seems cautious and doesn't allow Kai to use his gate, saying its 'forbidden'. Shai is occasionally visited by a female innkeeper named Sashe.

 

Of the three Knights Shai seems to be the one that does nothing at all, though he is the most vigilant in protecting his gate. Shai is never seen away from it.

 

Shai is eventually revealed as the true leader of the Obelisk Tower Organization. He led a difficult life from Day One, when his parents virtually forgot about him in favor of his older brother. The innkeeper Sashe is actually the former Queen of Radiant Castle; she used her power to protect others, but people became possessive of that power. They forgot about Sashe except as the vessel for the power and trapped her in a tower that they built. Shai, Miras, and Lea arrived too late to rescue her in time.

 

Shai believes that hope and happiness simply does not exist for some people, therefore he does not try to cultivate relationships that can supposedly change fate; putting this together with the events of Sashe's end, he eventually creates Obelisk Tower to manipulate Time for a happy ending. His knowledge of the three orbs are based on knowledge received upon becoming a Radiant Knight.

 

Rio- Castle Guard. His job is to take over the guardianship of Radiant Castle when Miras one day retires. Rio is never clearly seen, and talks most often with Miras and Soraki. He seems to be a quiet and serious person, but a cocky side comes out when dealing with people who worry or antagonize him.

 

Wheeler- 19. Miras' assistant, an ambitious boy who believes that the end justifies the means. Wheeler is jealous of the attention and hope Miras pays to Rio, who is apparently a newcomer and a very talented one at that. He throws himself into research on the Memories.

 

After the fall of Obelisk Tower, Wheeler secretly begins an extension of their research on the Sanctuary within the Flow of Time. His work causes Memories to mutate and go berserk, invading the city around Radiant Castle. Kai, Trent, and Zayne help the Radiant Knights clean up the place, and Wheeler is cornered in a empty alley by Zayne. He cries about his need to have attention because he believes attention is proof that someone cares. If no one pays attention to him, that means no one cares for Wheeler one way or another.

 

Zayne merely smiles and delivers a blow. Wheeler is not seen again, and is presumed to have run away by Miras and the others.

 

Witch- 13. A quiet girl who's kept locked up in Obelisk Tower and is called the Witch. She can open tunnels through the Flow of Time, but at a cost: Unable to close up the tunnels afterwards, the Witch is forced to watch worlds crumble as a result. At times Zayne calls her Airene because he's bored with calling her the Witch.

 

Airene's ability is due to the fact that she is the younger sister to the former Queen of Radiant Castle, Sashe. Shai imprisoned her within Obelisk Tower partly out of protection, though for the rest of the organization it is simply to monopolize Airene's power.

 

Senna- 14. Outtaker of Obelisk Tower. Perpetually in a frown, Senna seems to dislike the Witch yet is protective of her at times. Senna is charged with guarding the door to the Witch's tower.

 

Shown to have grown up alongside Airene as a servant girl, Senna has always been jealous of the girl's light and happiness. She has enough awareness to realize her faults and despises herself for it. This self-loathing prevented Senna from being friends with Airene, though she does truly care for her. Kai senses the truth when he feels that Senna didn't give her all in fighting him and the others, deliberately losing and allowing them to take Airene.

 

Lexus- 11. An Intaker, or sorcerer, for Obelisk Tower, Lexus is powerful and displays zero emotion. This expressionless child is partnered with Zayne, pretending to be an orphan taken in by Miras. Since he primarily wields wind and space magic, he is most compatible with Zayne.

 

During his time with Miras Lexus becomes slightly affected by the older man's fatherly attention. He shows this in subtle, child-like actions directed towards Zayne, who wonders if Lexus is like a little brother to him. When Obelisk Tower is destroyed in the Flow of Time, Lexus becomes the sole survivor and Miras's adopted son. He quietly expresses sadness when sensing Zayne's end.

 

Xora- A tough, apathetic young Outtaker who had a similar role towards another Knight of Time, Trent. His undercover mission as Trent's friend was rather short-lived, as the Truth orb allowed Trent to see through his lies.

 

Xora is a unwavering pessimist when it comes to people. He wields dual swords in battle.

 

 

Terran/Vance- 17. Intaker. Silent but deadly, Terran thinks of nothing else but the tasks he is given/A mischievous Outtaker.

 

Kaite- 25. A Superior of Obelisk Tower, Kaite makes plans and issues orders to his underlings, Zayne and Lexus. A cheery, laidback man who likes to observe. It can be said that his personality traits were transferred to his first underling, Zayne.

 

Kaite is shown to be an alternate version of Kai, embodying a darker future. He does not say precisely what events or future those are, but Kaite shows he has a greater capacity for time magic than the current Kai. Upon his defeat he only smiles in silence before fading away, and Trent glimpses the Superior without an eyepatch, revealing that Kaite's right eye is pale green like Zayne's.

 

Nympha- 24. An impulsive Superior who is verbally abusive. She favors Senna over the Witch, who are supposed to be her underlings, and takes offense that Senna has the job of a 'mere doorman'. In her uncontrollable temper tantrum she destroys Senna for failing to keep the Witch in Obelisk Tower's hold.

 

Harvest- The old man that claims to be the Head Superior of Obelisk Tower. He prowls everywhere. Zayne correctly suspects that Harvest is not the true leader of Obelisk Tower, but merely a 'wanna-be' who displays a deep, obsessive curiosity about the Sanctuary in the Flow of Time, yet also fears the effects of Time on his own self, fearing old age.

 

Yukimaru- "It's because I want to. That's all I want."

 

A friendly young man who wanders the Provincial Palace with a case of amnesia and a great deal of practical knowledge. His only clue to his past is 'moonlight hair', but for some reason he has zero desire to gain more. Kai encourages Yukimaru to feel differently on the basis that whoever has this 'moonlight hair' might be someone important to him.

 

In gratitude Yukimaru gives his snow and ice magic to Zayne, and teaches Kai a thing or two about using a sword. Afterwards he leaves the Provincial Palace to travel the world.

 

Hidemoto- Lord of Provincial Palace. He is a pompous young man with a hidden jealousy of Yukimaru's unshakable sent of content. For this reason Hidemoto encourages everyone to treat Yukimaru rather passively, acknowledging his presence but never showing that they care. He views Kai and Zayne's arrival as a threat to this life, and allows a Memory to take over his body to defeat them. Yukimaru plays a key role in defeating Hidemoto but spares the lord who claims to know him.

 

Jay- "I will never be like him!"

 

A scared and angry boy who woke up in a body made of magic rock inside Sky Castle. He is 'cared for' by an infamous mage, Alden, whose arrogant nature is a bad match for Jay's current hyper-sensitivity.

 

Jay is tremendously strong, both physically and with his magic. While this makes it impossible for Obelisk Tower to capture him, it also threatens the very existence of the Sky Castle. He rejects everyone and everything until calmed down by Kai and his reluctant bond with Trent. They find out that, like Yukimaru, Jay is targeted because he will greatly change the future of his time.

 

Jay gives Kai his fire magic. He reappears much later to save Kai and the others from the Flow of Time, having more or less mastered the use of his magic circle, accepting a role as Alden's student.

 

Alden- "Thinking that the world is pretty is just arrogance."

 

An arrogant and powerful mage who cares only for his research on magic rocks called Keystones, which is why he's interested in taking Jay as an apprentice. Unfortunately for Jay, the bulk of his 'training' means being relentlessly attacked to force the boy into swiftly developing combat abilities.

 

Alden has a pessimistic view of the world, seeing it as a dry, bleak place where narrow-minded hatred only makes it bleaker and drier yet. Like Zayne he is self-centered and refuses to waste his time thinking about other people's feelings, and like Shai he has had a hard life without any relief.

 

Secretly he fears for Jay, who he sees as a newborn when it comes to knowing about the world. As a result Alden submits him to the fiercest of training, which he claims is nothing compared to what people alone will subject him to. Confronted about his true reasons about the way he teaches Jay, Alden simply denies it.

 

Trent- 15. "I want to know what the real world."

 

The somber and quick-tempered youth that sees Kai wield the Infinite Sword and attacks him for the Time orb. However he forgets to say that he did so in hopes of protecting it from Obelisk Tower, who has appeared in the past to target Jay.

 

Trent is rather shy and distrusting of people, yet willing to do whatever it takes to help them. As a fighter he is fast, focused, and seems to have adsorbed Alden's relentless method of attack. Zayne acknowledges him as one of the few people he wouldn't try to provoke.

 

Trent goes to Compass Town with Kai after Obelisk Tower is defeated, but his discomfort around people and doubt on someone's fate pushes Trent to leave his hometown. He begins a goal to find the broken pieces of 'his' heart at Radiant Castle, where he is greeted by Miras's successor Rio, who remains unseen.

 

 

 

Faye- The woman being chased through the Sun Palace by Obelisk Tower and the Memories. Though she is aided by three gods, they are limited in how far they can act among mortals. A strong and intelligent woman who can withstand anything to protect her newborn child, Jased.

 

 

 

Tabir- Goddess of the Waters, who helps out Faye more than the other gods. After Kai and the others help Faye and her baby to another world, Tabir grants Trent some water magic. She also gives Kai advice on understanding people's hearts as a subtle warning about Zayne.

 

 

 

Zephyr- 'Expecting gratitude is just selfishness.'

 

A young nobleman who comes to the Knight Palace to find his sister. He's rather quiet and passive due to the fact that the rest of his family is loud and cheerful, and he tends to be sarcastic, awkward, and stubborn when he speaks. He dislikes social situations since they tend to backfire on him.

 

Much like Yukimaru in the Provincial Palace, Zephyr's life has left him believing that his words and feelings are of little importance compared to the greater good. He gives in to others for that reason until Kai loses his temper and Zayne has difficulty suppressing his sadism. Zephyr is startled when Kai points out that his passiveness is proof that Zephyr has given up on himself, so why should anyone take up the burden of believing in him? Since that's the case Kai and Zayne goes on to save Lynette for him, but Zephyr catches up to them with a new will to strengthen himself, then see where the world takes him.

 

 

 

Lynette- Zephyr's little sister who has super-strength just as he does, and a stubborn, spoiled nature to make things worse. She actually adores her big brother.

 

 

Luca- "Being superior doesn't stop you from being lonely."

 

The boy genius residing in Terra's Castle. Rather pragmatic on the surface, he's using the castle as a laboratory to bring his dead best friend back to life. Obelisk Tower is giving him aid since Luca's best friend is the one that will change the future.

 

Through effort Luca is made to realize that the boundaries of life and death shouldn't be crossed, but he refuses to live without the only friend he's ever had. Driving Kai and the others out of his world, Luca attempts to kill himself but is stopped at the last second by a familiar hand.

 

 

Shad- A young boy/girl who is actually a robot Luca created, and is in the process of development. He is the test subject for Luca's plan to resurrect his dead friend. Shad acts polite and mature, but he reveals his short time of life by innocently causing explosive accidents.

 

Shad is called a 'he' for the sake of convenience. His true gender has yet to be decided.

 

Paige- A little girl who wants to get inside the locked House of Genesis, yet seems to be deathly afraid of it at the same time. Paige refuses to say why she's trying to get inside until Kai and the others show their ability to fight off the Memories. Then she claims that her best friend is trapped inside the House of Genesis and asks for their help.

 

Together they find out that Paige's friend locked himself inside in order to change the world and save it from its current dying state. Unable to free her friend, Paige decides to stand by him as she should have before different reasons drove him inside. She gives Trent her barrier magic before they leave.

 

 

Matt- A young boy with dual green eyes. Quiet and serious, he refuses to talk with Kai and the others, but continually runs off every time someone tries to talk to him. He seems focused instead on finding his own lost friend.

 

 

 

Yuuki Kanade- 'Do you think that'll stop me from trying to protect you!'

 

 

A stubborn young fighter from an organization that protects the world from lost souls. He sees through Zayne's act but in consideration of Kai tries to take the former out in private. Zayne saves himself by exploiting Yuuki's weakness, his complicated and one-sided relationship with his half brother, the people of the organization, and those he should be calling his friends, who reject his help and his heart at every turn. Yuuki attacks Zayne in a berserker state of mind, overwhelming him and nearly killing him before Kai and the others intervene. Afterwards Yuuki has flashes of memory that he knows aren't part of his life.

 

???- "Don't worry. The real world's almost done."

 

The dark-haired, enigmatic young man who watches over Matt and Paige without their knowing, using his ability to render anything to ashes with a touch. He has a uncertain smile and keeps his distance from everyone. Only Yuuki appears to be able to sense his presence.

 

 

Cele- The young and talented member of an alien military force, Cele  runs into Kai and the others at the Ivory Palace. He displays a child-like curiosity in Kai's group and magic.

 

 

Luiza- Cele's former trainer. Beneath her sweet nature is a woman who really knows how to handle laser cannons. At random times her drill sergeant side comes out.

 

 

Youran- "If the gods want fate to change, then why won't they do it themselves! They created fate in the first place!"

 

The youth found wandering the Palace of Saints. Eldest of five children, son to loving parents, Youran nevertheless experienced hardship due to his white hair. He dislikes preordained fate, as he himself is destined to travel his country as a Guardian, defending the innocent and fighting evil with a partner.

 

At first annoyed by Kai's talk on friendship, Youran decides to know what fate is like before deciding whether or not to fight it. He gives Kai some light magic before going on a journey to find his partner and begin his fate.

 

 

Baekho- A talking white tiger that occasionally appears around Youran, trying to convince him to embrace his fate as a Guardian. He has a calm, almost emotionless manner, but he easily gets into childish fights with Youran.

 

 

Lisette- A fiery girl who is being chased by Memories because Obelisk Tower can't find their true target, her brother Nicolas. Lisette claims that they can't find him because he 'works death'. Lisette is separated from her brother for her own safety, which she resents because she prefers to be at his side.

 

 

Dion- The Doll that protects Lisette inside the After Palace, a defensive structure erected by her brother, under orders of the same man. Kai is notably freaked when Lisette bluntly tells everyone that Dion and the palace itself is made of 'dead people'. 

 

Though Zayne describes Dion as a happy human puppy, Dion has monstrous strength that he is experienced in using.

 

 

Regan- In the Dream Castle Kai and the others are surprised to find a little boy playing there alone. The only thing more surprising is that Regan maintains his cheerful, happy nature despite being repeatedly attacked by Memories. Of course, it may be due to his young and innocent age.

 

Regan speaks mysteriously of 'ending his story' so the world can finally be at peace. In his presence all types of magic are unusable.

 

Author's Note

Sanctuary Sample: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/haeshin/537020/

Mock Trailer: https://www.facebook.com/pages/HaeshinWorld/165343306874689?ref=aymt_homepage_panel#!/video.php?v=1472833558178&set=vb.165343306874689&type=3&theater