Smoldering Flames

Shocked by the farmer's message, Zack had an plan that may put himself to risk.

"Jimin, stay here with him. I'm gonna find Mina," Zack dashes off.

"Hey! don't be reckless," Jimin warned him, but felt worried when Zack run to far.

"Don't worry," Jimin patted on the farmer's shoulder, calming him down,"He will save your family,"

Zack finally reach the entrance only to witness a dreadful sceneof his village, being engulfed by flames and he can hear the screams of agony as if they can't escape from it.

"Zack!" Zack snap out of his senses as Ignis called him,"You're just in time, we need to find and rescue Mina,"

"You rescue her, I'll save the others," Zack instructed him, despite feeling traumatized.

Zack and Ignis split ways to find the trapped surviving villagers and get out from here.

"What kind of sick monster would plan this?" Zack thought.

Thanks to his Soulweaving skills, he was able to save as many as he could and bring them to the entrance where Jimin gathered the remaining villagers, including the farmer's family."Daddy!" his children run and hug him, including his wife for safety.

"I guess that's all," Jimin counted them,"Now where's----"

Ignis came out from behind, making Jimin jumped out.

"What the heck man, you scared me," Jimin said with annoyance.

"Sorry about that," Ignis rubbed his back neck in embrassment,"But good news is, I rescued Mina," Ignis carried Mina on his arms.

Hearing her name, Zack approached her quickly to took a look at her,still feeling sick.

"Thank goodness you found her," Zack felt relieved.

"Oh Zack, I also rescue some of your equipments," Ignis gives Zack his personal belongings, including his crafted Gun.

"Wait, where's the village chief?" Jimin suddenly asked.

"What? I was busy rescuing others, I didn't even know that the chief was still there." Zack said.

"I couldn't even detect his presence as well," Ignis said.

Now that everyone is settled here, Zack gave them instructions to them," You guys head to Falconreach and head to the Inn," While they start heading there, Zack had made up his desicion to enter again to find the village chief.

"Zack, where are you going?" Ignis asked while following him.

"Rescuing him," Zack's right arm was gripped bu Ignis, prevent him to enter.

"Are you crazy" there's no one there, we rescue all the remaining ones. Why are you going back there? all the houses were burned down," Ignis warned him.

"His house wasn't," Zack gave him a short answer and look at Ignis eye to eye,"I can tell that something is not right,"

Ignis hesitated for few seconds and let go of Zack's arm,"I'll go with them to Falconreach and you, please don't die." And Ignis left. Zack sprints into the flames of the burning village in hopes to rescue the village chief.

After few miles of sprinting through the blazing heat, Zack was finaly able to reach the chief's house in just few minutes."Whew, just in time," Once he catches his breath, Zack enters his house to find him. What he didn't notice is that as soonn as he went in, the house was suddenly exploded, causing Zack to bounce off and landed to the ground, unconscious. The house's explosion was so big and loud that the remaining villagers, including Jimin and Ignis, whose carrying Mina, can hear the loud roar of the explosion.

"ZACK!!!!!!" Ignis shouted as he's friend met his demise.

Before Zack began to pass away, he saw a tall dar