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Dark, black, nothingness. There are so many ways to describe that hole, but nothing would get me down there. Into that abyss, that dungeon that would forever swear to shut out the darkness within.
I knew how many there were, there were 20 and yet I counted them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13....
I couldn't see the 14th step, it had already been swallowed by that black, and nothing would get me down there, nothing could make me climb down to turn on the light.
I closed the cellar door and ran out of the kitchen. Mother would be home soon and then she would make the yummy pancakes again. I didn't know what it was, but she always got a "secret ingredient" from the cellar.
When she came home and opened the cellar door again, I got a quick look downstairs before she sent me off to get that ingredient after she had turned on the light. I counted again: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...17, 18, 19, 20.
I was right, there were 20, they were all there.
The rest of the evening passed peacefully, my mother fetched a rubbish bag from the cellar and put it by the door, then she told me to go to sleep and I followed her order.
I shouldn't have eaten so much. I looked at the clock, it was already after 2:00. I had to go to the bathroom. But when I opened my bedroom door I saw a light, a light coming from the kitchen. Was mother still awake?
I walked into the kitchen and saw where the light was coming from, it was coming from the basement, had she left it on?
I went over to the door and I didn't know why but out of habit I counted them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13....
I shook my head, was I that tired? I counted again: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13....
Again I looked around me, then again down into the cellar. The lamp was on, it filled the room in a dim blood-red light.
And down to that lamp, which I now wanted oh so much to turn off, ran 13 steps, no more, no less.
And so, like a moth, I followed the call of the light, closing the door behind me. |
“Let group meditation session number two officially begin!” Summer exclaimed. Victor gave her a quick glance before resting his eyes on the crystal buddha statue sitting on her dresser. Connor raised an eyebrow, presenting a nervous smile. “How are you guys not excited?” Summer added. “We don’t have to lie to our parents ever again.”
“Hold on, why aren’t your parents here?” Victor asked.
Connor shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“So… did you like, choose your parents? How does this whole coming back to the physical plane thing work?”
“No, I didn’t choose my parents. I was given my orders and told that they lived near you.”
Victor crossed his arms. “What if they decided to move? What if we moved?”
“I honestly don’t know what I would have done.”
“Okay, what
do
you know?”
“I know that you’re an asshole.” Connor smiled wryly. “I wish I had all the answers, but like I said before, I’m only here to observe you.”
“Why didn’t the big guy come here himself? Oh wait, let me guess, you don’t know?”
“Everything is in God’s plan.”
“Whatever you say.” Victor turned to Summer. “Hey,” he said in an accusatory tone. “How did you fold so easily? All that arguing about what movie we saw was for nothing.”
“I tried,” Summer said—her fingers twiddling with her amethyst pendant. “I really did, but that woman can read me like a book.” She plopped down on the floor pillow. “But that’s all in the past. Let’s focus on the present. Hey, meditation is all about focusing on the present. I brought it back full circle!” Connor laughed, causing her to pause for the sarcastic quip, but it never came. Summer had grown so accustomed to his verbal jabs that their absence perplexed her.
“Did she take your water gun? I don’t see it anywhere,” Victor asked.
“I hid it in the garden last night, but when I went looking for it this morning, I couldn’t find it.” Victor shook his head. His chain swinging side to side like a pendulum. “Now,” Summer said. “Let’s get down to business. V, when you went angel mode before, your eyes were open both times, right?”
Victor sat down. “Yeah.”
“When I started meditating, it was with my eyes closed at first, and then eventually I learned how to enter a meditative state with my eyes open. So let’s do it that way. Connor, you should try it, too. If you practice enough, you might see your wings.” Summer caught herself staring at his chest. She quickly averted her gaze. “Connor, where’s your necklace?” She asked.
“I overslept, and I was in such a rush that I forgot it. Sorry.” Connor presented a look of genuine embarrassment.
Why is he being so nice?
Summer thought. She wasn’t complaining. Quite the opposite, actually. She rather liked this new, more endearing Connor. “Accidents happen. It’s okay,” she said. “Now, let’s get back to it.” She clapped her hands, startling Victor. “Focused meditation is when you meditate while focusing on an object, sound, or sensation. I had no idea we were gonna have to go demon slaying so soon, so my original plan of having you guys gradually get to the point of open-eyed meditation was ruined.” Summer suddenly got an idea. She sprung up, ran to her dresser, and opened the bottom drawer. After some digging, she pulled out a blank sheet of printer paper and a pencil box full of colored pencils.
Connor got up on his knees to see what she was drawing. “What are you doing?”
Summer rigorously added the finishing touches. “You guys are gonna love this.” She turned the paper around and showed them her masterpiece.
Victor burst into laughter. “What the hell is that supposed to be?”
Summer looked at the paper and then back at Victor. “It’s a demon. Connor, you see it, right?”
Connor covered his mouth with his hand, trying to contain his laughter. “Uh… why is there blood coming out of its mouth? You know we’re not fighting vampires, right?”
“It’s called artistic license. Don’t stifle my creativity.”
Victor recovered from his laughing fit. “I don’t think that’s what artistic license means.”
Summer turned around and grabbed some thumb tacks from her drawer. She stuck the piece of paper onto one of her walls, in full view of everyone. “Okay, I want you guys to focus on this demon—”
A loud guffaw interrupted her. “Sorry… please continue,” Victor murmured.
“As I was saying… focus on the drawing as you meditate. The same rules of clearing your mind and focusing on your breath still apply.” Summer moved to the side and watched as they crossed their legs and began meditating. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two boys while focusing on their auras. After several minutes of stability, Victor’s aura slowly started expanding. She noticed his eyes flash gold before returning to their original brown color. Connor’s aura hadn’t moved an inch since they started. He would look at the drawing for a couple of seconds and then sneak a glance at her before returning his eyes back to the drawing. After ten minutes of this, Summer clasped her hands together. “Okay, you guys, I think we’re done for today. Group meditation session number two has officially ended!”
Victor let out a loud sigh. “You’re not gonna keep doing that ‘group meditation session’ thing every time we do this, are you?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Her mouth twisting into a devilish grin.
Victor checked his phone. “Perfect. We ended just in time for me to prepare for my date.”
“Your what?” Connor asked.
“You remember that girl on the bus that was checking me out?”
“You mean the one that you creepily smiled at?”
Victor snorted. “I saw her as I was walking to English and I spit some game. It was love at first sight… for her.”
Summer rested her hands on her hips. “Do you even know her name?”
“Come on, Summer, you know me better than that. I love all of my women. Her name is Catelyn, and she’s a sophomore. Her sun sign is—”
“Okay, I get it,” Summer said, her arms dropping to her sides. “What are you guys gonna do?”
“Hold on, Summer,” Connor interrupted. “You’re really letting him get away with saying he loves his
women?
Last time I checked, Bridgette was the only woman you were seeing.”
Victor first responded with a flat stare, but a hint of a smile eventually swept across his face. “Hugh Hefner didn’t start off with a mansion full of bunnies.”
“Ew,” Connor said. “That was really lame, even for you.”
Summer couldn’t help but laugh. Victor had always been quite handsome, but he just recently figured that out for himself. Since this realization, he fancied himself some sort of playboy. “V has a point,” Summer said. “We all have to start somewhere.”
“Oh, my apologies,” Connor said, immediately picking up on the sarcasm. “Shoot for the stars, V.”
Victor’s smile waned. “Thanks for the support, guys,” he said in a tone indicating that he knew he was being mocked. “Anyway, Summer, we’re going to the coffee shop that just opened near the school.”
“Have fun,” Summer said.
“Thanks.” Victor turned to face Connor. “Well?”
Connor gave him a fist bump. “Good luck, bro.”
“Who needs luck when you have game!” Victor exclaimed as rushed out of the room.
Connor stood near the door, picking at his nails. He eventually turned around and said, “I don’t think I made much progress.”
“You seemed distracted. Is everything alright?” Summer asked.
“You were in my peripheral vision the whole time.”
Summer apologetically raised both of her hands. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I should have stood farther away.”
“I didn’t really mind. It was just a little hard to focus.”
Summer turned and walked toward the drawing on the wall. She leaned forward to inspect it, her nose almost touching the piece of paper. “It probably had a lot to do with the drawing. I’m definitely gonna make some changes to it tonight.” Summer turned back around and was met with Connor’s lips pressing against hers. Her eyes turned into hazel and white saucers. Connor grabbed her hips, pulling her toward him. She closed her eyes, then delicately wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The smell of his cologne was subtle, yet intoxicating. Connor slowly pulled back, his deep blue eyes piercing through his lenses.
“Um… what was that?” Summer asked—her heart fluttering.
“I got tired of looking.”
“I noticed you checking me out, but I thought that was just a guy thing. So… you actually like me?” Connor leaned in and kissed her again, tightening his grip on her waist. He pulled back and smirked. Summer still had her arms wrapped around him.
“I tried as hard as I could to not develop any attachments, but I misjudged how emotional humans truly are. First, I developed feelings of camaraderie with V, and then I developed those same feelings for you. But one day, I looked at you and felt something… more. Do you want me to let you go?” Summer sheepishly shook her head from side to side. “Good. Because I really don’t want to.”
“I’ve thought about trying to see if you liked me, but… I used to think our friendship was more important.”
“Used to think? What changed your mind?”
“That kiss.”
***
Victor stared at his closet, looking for the perfect outfit. He settled on his favorite red graphic t-shirt and his yet to be worn pair of black jeans. He checked his pair of red sneakers for scuffs and then jogged down the stair. His father was sitting on the couch, watching a baseball game.
“Damnit, Martinez…” Mr. Au mumbled before checking the time on his phone. “V, didn’t you say your date was at four o’clock?”
Victor sat on their large mahogany-colored recliner. He pulled on a lever and his feet shot up. “Yep.”
His dad looked at his phone with a furrowed brow. “It’s 3:55.”
“Dad, trust me. Showing up on time is the worst thing you can do on a first date. You gotta make em’ wait a little bit, it drives em’ crazy.”
“Dating sure has changed since I was a teen.”
“A lot has changed since you were a teen.” Victor flashed a sly grin. His dad snorted to himself and then turned his attention back to the baseball game. He lost himself in it, cursing at every bad pitch and fielding mistake.
Victor eventually stood up. “Let’s go.”
There was a sheen on the giant white coffee cup towering over the shop. The building was red-brick, and despite it being completed only a month ago, it had the worn look of a hole in the wall. Victor walked up to the door and read the
Sergio’s Coffee
written in bold black letters. He surveyed the inside of the shop, looking for Catelyn’s beautiful auburn hair. He slithered through a crowd of students huddled near the entrance to get a better look, eventually locking eyes with her. She wore a stunning green blouse that matched her emerald eyes. Her jean shorts showing off her athletic legs.
“I’m so sorry. My dad’s car was having problems,” Victor lied, smiling a suave smile.
Catelyn perked up, seemingly surprised by his apology. “Oh, it’s no problem. Things happen.”
“I just need to let you know I go dutch on dates. Will that be a problem?”
Catelyn presented her wallet purse. “Not at all.”
Victor sat down, still smiling. “I’m not really much of a coffee guy, but I had to check this place out.”
“I can’t make it through the day without my morning latte, and it’s near the school so I can walk here after practice.”
“Practice? You play a sport?”
“Field hockey. I’ve been playing since I was in elementary school.”
Victor feigned a look of shock. “Wow, so not only are you gorgeous, you’re an athlete. That’s an elite combination.” Catelyn blushed, dropping her eyes. Victor could have sworn there was a hint of sadness in those eyes, but he brushed it off, sneaking a glance at her chest instead.
The waiter appeared before them, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “How are you guys doing? My name is Mark and I’ll be your server today. Do you two need more time?”
Victor looked at Catelyn. “You’re the coffee expert. What do you recommend?”
Catelyn’s cheeks were still pink. “We’ll both have a medium iced vanilla latte, thank you.”
Mark forced a smile. “Perfect.”
Victor felt the table shaking. He looked down and saw Catelyn’s leg bouncing up and down. “When is your next game? I don’t know much about field hockey, but I’m down to watch you guys play.”
“Oh, we have a game next Saturday.”
“I’ll be there.”
The table stopped shaking. She smiled, revealing the tiny gap between her two front teeth. “So… do you play any sports? You sure look like you do.”
“I’ve never really been into playing organized sports. Training with my dad keeps me in pretty good shape, so that’s enough for me.”
“I couldn’t imagine doing anything like that with my parents.”
Victor leaned in. “Why not?”
“My parents aren’t very friendly.” She chuckled nervously. “Sometimes, I wonder if they even like me.”
“That’s weird.”
“What is?”
“I can’t imagine anyone not liking you.” The waiter showed up—ruining his smooth line—and placed their drinks on the table. Victor moved the cup to his mouth and took a gulp. It took everything in his power to not spit it out. “Wow… this is amazing.”
Catelyn used the thick plastic straw to stir her drink. She took a sip. “This is way better than the lattes I make at home.”
Victor put his glass down and glared at the light-brown witches’ brew. “I think you might turn me into a coffee guy.”
They finished their drinks while periodically stopping in-between sips for small talk. The conversation mainly revolved around Catelyn’s thoughts on a variety of teachers and students. They laughed when Mrs. Walter’s faint mustache came up, and the conversation came to a halt after mentioning their star quarterback’s ACL injury. They paid separately, then walked side by side to the parking lot, where Victor saw his dad’s car pulling up. He gave her a side hug and then started toward the car.
“Hold on. I almost forgot something,” Victor said, doubling back to Catelyn.
“Wh—” Victor cut her off with a kiss. |
Melek, as always, woke up two minutes before his timer went off. He then immediately went through his nightly checklist. Fully charged earbuds? Check. Music app open on his phone? Check. Hatchet blade sharp and clean? Check. Everything was in its proper place and in tiptop shape. He put on his all black attire, checking his trench coat for ash. Melek used his solid black hair tie to put his flowing golden mane in a ponytail. The all too familiar sounds of police sirens blaring and his neighbor’s suggestive screams hushed as he shoved his earbuds in and swaggered out of his apartment.
***
She truly believed that her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Her muted screams and constant squirming were fruitless. The large, horrific smelling hand covering her mouth made her nauseous, and the sound of her heels scraping against the wet pavement were $800 Givenchy nails on a black chalkboard. The wound on her knee caused sporadic pulses of sharp pain to permeate throughout her body.
The giant man with his hand over her mouth paused for a moment and looked around, his grip on her body tightening as he stilled for a few seconds before continuing to drag her to god knows where. “Must have been my imagination,” he whispered. “If you came with me quietly, I wouldn’t have had to do this.”
Why would I follow you anywhere?
She thought. The captured woman had spotted the man’s menacing aura and crimson eyes from afar, but her instincts didn’t tell her to take off her heels before running away, so she instantly fell flat on her face. Her cries for help echoed in the crisp night air for only a moment before he got a hold of her and dragged her to the nearest alleyway.
“Don’t worry, you might be the one he’s looking for,” he growled.
“Hey!” a voice yelled. The sudden noise startled the red-eyed giant, causing him to loosen his hold. She took advantage of his confusion by breaking free and stumbling away from him, kicking off her heels with each step.
“Stupid bitch!” the giant screamed before catching up to her and throwing her against a brick wall. The impact of her back slamming against the rough surface knocked the wind out of her. The pain was unimaginable, and it took several seconds for her vision to return. Once it did, she saw a blonde-haired man standing in front of the giant. The woman squinted to get a better look, but all she could clearly see was blonde hair, striking green eyes, and a bizarre aura that had swirls of black and white dancing around in no discernable pattern.
The green-eyed man with the zebra aura lifted a hand up to his ear. He paused and then jumped up and down with his hands flailing like an inflatable tube man. The woman’s mouth hung open. She fought through the pain, examining the movements of this lunatic.
Of course
, she thought. The entire night had felt like a fever dream, so why not cap it off with a good old-fashioned dance routine? The giant stood frozen. At that moment, the woman knew that they were thinking the same thing.
What the hell is going on?
The giant suddenly flew toward her, landing on his back. The woman looked up at the blonde-haired man and saw violet eyes glaring at the red-eyed monster. He was rhythmically jumping in place, white earbuds protruding from his ears.
The giant rose and stumbled before eventually standing his ground. “W-What the hell are you?” he asked. The blonde-haired man kept hopping around, mouthing something to himself while grinning a wide grin. The giant sprinted to the woman. He lifted her up and threw her at the blonde-haired man. He tried to catch her, but he misjudged the distance, causing her to hit the pavement. Her entire body was in so much pain that she let out a shriek loud enough to mask the sound of the giant running away. She lay there on the ground, her consciousness slipping away. The last thing she saw before letting go were two violet eyes peering down at her.
***
Melek paused the music. The joyous rage that consumed him every time he pressed play dwindled away, leaving behind the emptiness he had grown accustomed to. He stood still for a moment, shocked at what had just transpired. The loud clomp of the demon’s feet repeatedly hitting the pavement caused Melek to hesitate for a moment. His desire to run after that detestable creature was strong, but the woman let out a shriek that caused Melek to bolt toward her instead. He stood over her and immediately noticed the bloodied scratches on her knee. He saw her light brown skin underneath the rips in her teal dress, and the bottoms of her feet were wet and blackened. The woman stared at Melek with glossy hazel eyes before losing consciousness.
He weighed his options. The nearest hospital was well over ten miles away, and the thought of carrying her on his shoulders for that long of a trek seemed preposterous. He could call an ambulance, but since the uptick in crime, the response times had been ridiculous, especially in that part of the city. Melek eventually realized that he was wasting precious time. This person was hurt and in need of help, so he picked her up and headed toward his nearby apartment.
Melek gently placed her on his bed. He found himself suddenly ashamed by the bareness of his apartment. He grabbed the first aid kit located under his kitchen sink and placed it near her motionless body. Melek inspected her, checking for other visible injuries. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and in phenomenal shape. She had toned arms and legs, with the rock hard calves of a runner. The small pool of blood under her knee alarmed him, so he hurriedly cleaned the wound and bandaged the area. The woman let out a dry cough, causing Melek to gaze into her hazel eyes.
“W-Were am I?” the woman asked.
“Are you feeling nauseous?”
“W-What?”
“I asked if you’re feeling nauseous.”
“No… wait, you’re the dancing guy.”
Melek remained stoic despite feeling a tinge of shame pass through him. “Any dizziness?”
“No, just a little tired,” she rubbed her shoulder, “and really sore.”
“Well, the good news is you don’t seem to have a concussion.” The woman tried to sit up. “Be careful. I haven’t finished checking you for injuries.”
“I’m fine. I—” She gawked at her bandaged knee. “What the hell was that thing? And what the hell are you? I’ve never seen someone with an aura like yours.”
Melek stood up and walked toward his kitchen, his eyes checking the freezer door. “So, you’re able to see auras.” He forgot to mask his aura before heading out. A rookie mistake. After turning the faucet on and washing the blood from his hands, he reached for a paper towel. “That behemoth was a demon. As for what I am—let’s just say I’m special.”
“Of course he was,” she said flatly. “First the crime, now this?”
“You’re aware of the increase in crime, yet you went out at night dressed like
that
?”
“I was working.”
“What work could possibly require you to—oh.”
“The better question is, what kind of person dresses like Spike and goes around dancing and fighting demons in the middle of the night?”
“Dresses like who?”
The mystery woman shook her head. “The point I’m trying to make is… well, I guess I don’t really have a point.” She flinched and then grabbed her knee. “I can’t believe I didn’t say this right away. Thank you. That guy was going to kill me. Also, thanks for not copping a feel.”
“I can’t believe you just thanked me for not sexually assaulting you.”
“In my profession, I tend to see the worst side of men.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about any of that from me. And, you’re welcome.” Melek reached into his cabinet and took out an empty glass. He filled it with tap water and handed it to her before taking a seat on the bed. “What’s your name?”
“Ashley. And you?”
“Melek.”
“That’s a pretty name.”
“You think so?”
“No, I’ve sort of conditioned myself to say that.” She laughed. It sounded so dry and awkward that it caught him by surprise. Melek couldn’t help but smile.
“I like your laugh,” Melek said.
“Now you’re the one lying.”
“No, I really do. It’s unique.”
“Well, thank you. I don’t get to show it off much. I’m kind of out of practice.”
“I know the feeling. So, Ashley, do you live nearby?”
“I don’t know where I am at the moment, so I have no idea.”
“Oh yeah, sorry about that. You’re just a couple of blocks from the alleyway.”
“If that’s the case, then no. My boss sends me to different areas of the city. I actually live near Bridge Plaza.”
“That’s pretty far away.” Melek glanced at her bandaged knee. “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, that guy messed you up pretty bad.”
“That was nothing. My brothers did way worse to me growing up.” There was a pause. “While horse playing,” she clarified.
“Can you stand?” Melek asked.
Ashley slowly inched her feet toward the edge of the bed. Once they hit the ground, she stood up while holding onto her knee. She began limping awkwardly toward the kitchen. “Told you I was fine.”
“Fine, is the last word I would use to describe you right now.” Melek shot up and grabbed a jacket from his closet. “Here, put this on.” He picked up a pair of flip-flops. “And these. They’ll probably be a little big, but at least they’ll protect your feet.” Melek handed her the jacket. After she took it from his hands, she leaned in for a kiss. His lips were as stiff as boards.
Ashley pulled away. “I’m sorry. I just…”
Melek placed the flip-flops on the ground. “It’s okay.”
“Yeah, forget about it.” She put on the clothes Melek handed her. The noise of her stumbling around in his apartment in oversized flip flops almost made Melek laugh. After she finished testing out her new footwear, she plopped herself on his bed and used his jacket as a blanket. “What were you doing out there?”
Melek sat down next to her. “I was going out for a walk.”
“Do you always go out for walks in the middle of the night while carrying a hatchet?”
“I’m surprised you even know what a hatchet is.”
“I noticed the holster in your closet. I grew up in a rural part of upstate New York, so I’ve seen my fair share of tools.”
“I guess it’s no use lying to you. The hatchet is for the demons. Decapitation is the only way to kill them.”
“So you just go out slaying demons with a hatchet? Sounds like you have a death wish.”
Melek furrowed his brow. “You didn’t even flinch after I told you that demons exist.”
“I’ve always sort of believed in the supernatural. You could have told me vampires are real and I’d believe it.”
“I’m pretty sure I can confidently say that vampires do not exist.”
Ashley chuckled under her breath. “What about the dancing?”
“Huh?”
“You were dancing. Actually, it was more like jumping around.”
“It helps me get into the right mood to fight. I’m normally not a violent person.”
“What about the music? What gets you in the mood to dance?” Ashley failed to hide her mocking grin.
Melek pulled out his phone and showed her the singular track in his music library. “
Blood in the Streets by Ghostface,
” he said.
“
This was my brother’s favorite song. He was always going on about how much better nineties rappers are.”
“
Was
? What happened to him?”
“He died.”
“Sorry for your loss.”
His brother’s crooked smile appeared in his mind’s eye. Melek became filled with equal parts disgust and rage.
“
I’m over it,” he seethed.
“Your eyes…”
Melek collected himself by focusing on his breath. “Yeah, that happens sometimes.”
“I saw them change back in the alleyway, too.”
“Remember when I told you I was special?” Melek asked. “Let’s just call that one of my gifts.”
“Why the hell are you being so cryptic?”
“If I told you the truth, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Melek, you just told me that demons exist. I don’t think anything could trump that.”
“Honestly, it’s something I’m not very comfortable talking about. All you need to know is that I’m different.”
Ashley scoffed. “Okay, zebra boy.”
“What?”
“Your aura. It’s black and white like a zebra’s stripes.”
Melek pulled out his phone and started searching for the number of a taxi service. “I really hope that nickname doesn’t stick.”
“Too late.” Ashley glanced at his phone. “Oh wow, you’re already getting rid of me? Does
zebra boy
bother you that much?”
Melek chuckled. “Even though it’s a stupid nickname, that’s not why I’m calling a taxi. You need to get home and rest. I also recommend that you see a doctor, since you insist on lying about how much pain you’re in.”
“I told you, I’m fine.”
Melek dialed the number to the nearest taxi stand and put the phone to his ear. “Whatever.”
After finally getting a taxi to agree to come to his apartment, he checked his wallet. “Damn it,” he sighed.
“What’s the problem?”
“I don’t think I have enough money to pay for your fare.”
“You’re so sweet.” Ashley lifted her dress, revealing a thin nylon velcro strap attached to her thigh. Melek noticed the faded green dollar bills peaking out from under it. The velcro crackled as she removed the strap and collected the money. “I think I’m going to be okay,” she said before taking a one-hundred-dollar bill and waving it in front of Melek’s hand. “Thank you for everything.”
Melek really wanted to grab that bill. “I can’t.”
“Zebra, you don’t have to put on this noble act for me.”
“I don’t need your money. Thanks for the offer, though.” The groceries he envisioned himself buying started disappearing, one by one. “Let’s wait for the taxi downstairs.”
Melek and Ashley made their way to the front of the building. The sound of her flopping as they walked through the lobby tickled him.
Ashley gave Melek a peck on the cheek before hopping into the cab. “I’m going to bring your jacket and flip-flops back, I promise,” Ashley said.
“I’m gonna hold you to that.”
After Melek made it back to his apartment, he almost collapsed from exhaustion. Never has his mattress looked so tantalizing. The small circle of dried blood on his sheets didn’t deter him. He hopped onto his bed and fell asleep.
Melek opened his eyes, a white void stretched before him. He sprung up from the ground and looked around in a panic.
Hello, Melek,
a voice said. The words echoing in his mind.
“Fuck,” Melek said. “Why now?”
Turn around,
the voice bellowed.
Melek turned and moved his head upward toward the face of the skyscraper-sized being standing before him. The creature’s flowing golden and white cloak covering its entire body. There were two golden gauntlets in place of its hands and it had a colossal white theater mask as a face—a massive golden handle attached to the mask. Melek tried to hide his awe. Despite meeting with this being several times by now, he still found himself dumbfounded by its size and beauty.
“What do you want?” Melek finally asked.
I’m sure you are aware of the increase in demonic activity. I desire reaffirmation of your dedication now more than ever.
“
I am a man of my word.”
I sense less rage in you.
“
Anger is an emotion, not a sustainable state. It comes and goes.”
This new temperament is… concerning, to say the least.
“Well, I—”
Remember what they took from you!
His voice rattled Melek, causing him to swallow his indignation about being interrupted.
Remember why you fight—why you survive. Hone your hatred. Sharpen it like a blade’s edge. KILL. THEM. ALL.
Melek awoke to squares of sunlight slanting through his barred windows. He clenched his fists. Flashes of his brother assaulted his mind. He let out a smirk. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” |
Melek knew he would regret drinking that lady’s wine, but the cherry-red bottle poking out of her grocery bag called to him and his parched throat. How could he possibly resist?
His migraine was harrowing. It was as if someone repeatedly stabbed his temple with an icepick. The bang of metal hitting metal, the buzz from the automatic welding machines, and the loud hum from the dozens of industrial fans joined forces to break him; yet he refused to fold. Melek looked up at the enormous digital clock above him and a sigh escaped his lips. Only thirty minutes left. Pick up the driveshaft, place it in the straightener, press the button ad nauseam. It was monotonous work, but if he got into a good enough rhythm, he would sometimes enter a zen-like state. During these fleeting moments, the memories that constantly attacked his psyche quieted down, and the otherwise backbreaking manual labor seemed tolerable.
Tony, his supervisor, waddled toward him and leaned against one of the machines. The man was short, middle-aged, and onion shaped. He wore a baseball cap to hide his thinning hair, and his crooked teeth had turned a bright yellow from the decades of smoking. His black wedding band contrasted against his pasty white skin. Melek assumed that—at one time—he was at least moderately in shape, considering the fact that the band was now tight around his ring finger. “Yo, Melek,” Tony said. “A couple of us are going out for drinks after work. You down?”
Melek blew away the strands of dishwater-blonde hair obstructing his vision. “I don’t drink.”
“That sexy new temp is going out with us. She’s been checking you out nonstop since she got here, and tonight is the perfect opportunity to get to know her a little better.” He cracked a hideous smile, sending shivers down Melek’s spine.
“I already have plans. Sorry.”
“Your loss. What I wouldn’t do for a piece of that—”
The bell signaling a shift change came to Melek’s rescue. After removing his work gloves, he clocked out and bolted out of the factory.
Of all the places Melek had lived, New York was easily the most bizarre. The idea of an adult purposefully not owning a car never even crossed his mind until he got here. After a couple of days of constant bumper to bumper traffic and having to cross his fingers before searching for a parking spot, he sold his car and never looked back. Besides, the walk home let him clear his head, or more accurately, it let him
try
. On his way home, he would occasionally stop at a bodega that sold the best beef patties in New York. The thought of biting into one of those tasty morsels made him quicken his pace.
Outside the bodega, he saw two young boys playing with a basketball. It looked like the older boy was helping the younger one learn how to dribble. A feeling of nostalgia lifted Melek’s mood as he reminisced about the games he used to play with his older brother. Then, like clockwork, an even more powerful wave of melancholy replaced the joy associated with those memories.
He peered up at the sign that read
Bartholomew’s Deli
and patted his stomach before taking a step inside. The raging hangover caused by downing copious amounts of cheap wine still plagued him, so he was in desperate need of some comfort food. Once inside, he encountered the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of his favorite spot. The owner, Mr Bartholomew himself, was in the area behind the counter, alternating between cooking something on the grill and checking out a customer. Melek had to squint his eyes to see him through the smudge covered bulletproof barriers lining the counter. He sauntered through the unorganized food aisles until he heard a yelp come from Mr. Bartholomew’s direction.
“Is that who I think it is?” Mr. Bartholomew asked. His high-pitched voice and thick Eastern European accent spread like a wave throughout the bodega.
Melek responded with a head nod, but then quickly realized that Mr. Bartholomew probably couldn’t see him through the smudged barrier.
“Seriously?” Mr. Bartholomew yelled. “All I get is a head nod?”
Oh
, Melek thought. “Uh, how you been?”
“Terrible,” Mr. Bartholomew said. “What the hell is going on in this city? Three murders this week alone, and it’s only Tuesday! Even for New York, this shit is ridiculous.”
A large knot formed in the pit of Melek’s stomach. He suddenly recalled the bearded demon’s red eyes gleaming as he was on his knees, unaware of the hatchet about to end his worthless existence. Melek was used to seeing demons. Hell, killing them is what got him up in the morning. But they almost never openly interacted with humans. Something was emboldening them, and it irked Melek to his core not knowing what.
Mr. Bartholomew gave the eggs on his grill a flip. “Don’t worry about it, kid. How have you been?”
Melek snapped back to the present, forcing a warm smile. “Working. You know, same old shit.”
“So, what brings you here today? Wait, lemme guess. You’re craving some of my world famous beef patties?”
“Oh, they went from the best in New York to world famous. Seems like you’ve been keeping busy.”
Mr. Bartholomew smiled, his veneers beaming in the dimly lit bodega. “A lot can happen in a couple of weeks. I would have filled you in, but you’re no longer a regular.”
“I had to slow down. I was gaining weight, and I need to be in great shape for my job.”
“You can afford to gain a couple of pounds, Melek. So what if you go from the body of a supermodel to the body of a regular model?”
Melek chuckled for the first time in what felt like months. “Mr. Bartholomew,” he said. “Give me two beef patties. I’m fighting this horrible hangover and it’s currently winning.”
“Coming right up.” Mr. Bartholomew immediately bustled through the doors that led to his storage room. He returned with six of the triangle shaped pastries in hand. “So, what drink caused you all of this trouble?”
“Ever heard of a brand of wine called—”
“Wine did this to you? Did you drink it before or after you popped some Midol?”
“Are you seriously breaking my balls over the fact that I drank some wine?”
“To be fair, I would have made fun of you regardless.”
“Why do I come here again?”
“Because I have the best beef patties in the Milky Way.”
Melek walked up to the counter and peered at the trays of deep fried deliciousness on display. Below the chicken wings was a row of already cooked beef patties. Mr. Bartholomew always made sure that Melek’s food was as fresh as possible, so they must have been left out for a while.
“Melek.” His light-hearted tone of voice disappeared. “My daughter couldn’t sleep last night because she was having nightmares. These murders are ruining my love of this city.”
“I wish I knew what the hell was going on,” Melek said. He had a working theory, but he would never share that part of his life with Mr. Bartholomew. Melek leaned on the counter and looked toward the kids playing with the basketball outside. “I heard that a crop of police just straight up quit. Can you believe it? I never thought I’d see the day when New York police officers would actually throw in the towel.”
Mr. Bartholomew checked on the patties in the deep frier. “How old are you now?”
Melek turned his attention away from the two boys and met Mr. Bartholomew’s gaze. “Twenty-two. Why?”
“When I was your age, I already had my first son. You ever think about settling down?”
“What’s up with these questions? You a psychiatrist now?”
“Listen, I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’ve been looking at some real estate in Vermont—”
“Please don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about moving.”
“I am,” Mr. Bartholomew said. “And I suggest you do the same. You’re a good kid, Mel. You should settle down and start thinking about your future.”
“You’re talking like you’ve already moved.”
“I love New York, but if I have to choose between the city I love and my family, I’m choosing my people ten times out of ten.”
Melek moved away from the counter, allowing a customer to check out. He glanced over at the kids and noticed the older one running toward the basketball, now rolling across the street. Without thinking, he sprinted out of the bodega. A bus appeared in Melek’s peripheral vision, turning the corner and speeding toward the boy. A loud screech scratched at his ears as the bus attempted to slow down. He scooped the boy up and leaped onto the sidewalk.
The bus driver opened the window and stuck her head out. “Oh my god! Are you two okay?”
Melek looked down at the boy. “We’re fine,” he said. The kid’s eyes were closed, and he was shaking—his fingers indenting the ball. “Hey kid, what’s your name?” Melek asked in a soothing tone.
The kid finally opened his eyes and slowly looked up at Melek. “J-Josh.”
“You saved my brother!” The younger boy exclaimed. He was now on their side of the street, staring at Melek with a look of astonishment. “You ran by me so fast, I almost didn’t even see you!”
“You’re welcome,” Melek said casually, trying to not let his ego swell. “What’s your name?”
The younger one glanced at his brother, still tightly clinging to Melek. “Colton.”
Melek put Josh down and inspected him for injuries. “Hey Josh, are you hurt?”
Josh composed himself. He then started dribbling the ball as his gaze met the sidewalk. “No.”
“Ya’ll good?” The bus driver asked. The car rumbled violently while idling.
“We’ll be okay,” Melek said. The bus driver rolled her windows up and drove away; her passengers staring at the three of them until the bus turned the corner. Small crowds began forming nearby. Mr. Bartholomew stood in front of his bodega with his hands on his hips, gawking at the three of them. Colton tried to pry the ball from Josh’s hands, but Josh yanked it away, illustrating that they truly didn’t understand the weight of the situation they had just avoided. Melek smiled and put a hand on Colton’s shoulder. “Hey, I just saved your brother, so I’m gonna need something in return.”
Colton eyed Melek suspiciously. “What?”
“I need you to look out for him, okay? I know he’s probably always talking about how he’s supposed to look after you and stuff, but—”
“It’s so annoying!” Colton said. “He thinks he can tell me what to do because he’s bigger than me.”
Melek contained his laughter. “My brother was the same way. Let me tell you a little secret. We sometimes have to protect our big brothers too. They may be bigger, but we’re usually smarter.”
“Did you hear that Josh? I’m smarter than you!”
“No, you’re not!” Josh exclaimed
“Are too!”
“Are not!”
“Guys,” Melek said. “Where are your parents?”
“We’re staying with our Mom this weekend and she lets us do whatever we want,” Josh said while pointing to an apartment building a couple of blocks away.
“Check in with her,” Melek said.
Josh looked at Melek like he had just said the dumbest thing ever. “Why? All she does is watch TV all day. She doesn’t care.”
“Colton,” Melek said with a wink. “Remember what I just said?”
Colton repeatedly tapped the side of his head with his pointer finger, signaling that he was the brains of this little duo. “Josh, I’m hungry,” he whined.
Josh gave Colton a glare, then eventually let out a sigh. “Alright, I’ll make you something to eat.”
“I’ll walk with you guys. Just lead the way,” Melek said. They began walking toward the run-down apartment building. Melek asked for the ball from Colton and began spinning it on his finger. The kids started counting how many seconds he could keep it spinning. After almost breaking his recently established record of ten seconds, they finally made it to the front entrance of the apartment. “Alright, this is where we part ways,” Melek said. Josh snatched the ball away and sprinted toward the entrance.
Colton ran after his brother, stopping at the top of the steps. He tapped the side of his head with his pointer finger one last time before turning back around and running through the two graffiti-covered doors.
By the time Melek made it back to Mr. Bartholomew, the small crowds that formed near the accident had dissipated. The second he stepped inside the bodega, Mr. Bartholomew threw a grease-stained brown paper bag at him. Melek opened it and took a whiff of the four beef patties inside.
“A little extra for the hero,” Mr. Bartholomew said with his eyes glued to the food sizzling on his grill.
“You’re the best,” Melek said.
“I know.”
Melek devoured two beef patties on the walk home, saving the other two for later. All that extra food was only going to weigh him down. He opened the door to his studio apartment and immediately ran to his kitchen to put the patties in the freezer, closing the freezer door slowly. If he shut the door too quickly, it wouldn’t close properly. He learned that the hard way after he slammed it shut one night and woke up to melted ice cream and defrosted TV dinners.
One could best describe Melek's apartment as cozy. He had two pieces of furniture. His queen sized mattress lay on the floor, and the tiny TV stand Mr. Bartholomew gifted him was in a corner, collecting dust. Sunlight passed through the black bars on his windows, casting square shadows onto his carpet. He oftentimes felt like he came home to a jail cell.
He went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face before getting undressed. After giving each article of clothing the sniff test, he concluded that everything but his boxers were clean enough to wear again. Laundry day wasn’t for another three days, so he couldn’t afford to be too picky.
He hanged his clothes and then glanced at his earbuds. Once he saw that they had been charged, he grabbed the sheath holster tucked away in his closet and removed the hatchet to inspect the blade—ash particles dotting the steel. After wiping it with a cloth, he put it back in its holster and hopped onto his bed, setting the timer on his phone for three hours. |
The sky is filled with dark smoke from the sea of flames consuming the houses, trees, even the people. Within the fire a little girl is trembling on the ground her brown hair and blue dress are covered in burn marks. Barely breathing she looks up with teary eyes sees a woman wearing a weaponize armor suit flying above her. Her red eyes and pink hair glare down at the fire, she points a big canon down to the ground right where the little girl is. Preparing to fire, a man with glowing white hair flies between them, they both yell at each other the little girl can’t hear what their talking about. They start to fight each other their clash sends shock waves across the sky during their fight a stray shot heads for the little girl, the man teleports in front of her. The light is so bright that everything goes white.
The bright sun shining down on the ocean, the sounds of the water hitting the warm sand a teenage girl brown hair, yellow eyes wearing a small white scarf, dark green jacket, light blue shirt, black pants, and brown boots is standing on the beach staring up at the sky. She reaches up to grab the sun then smiles big. On a cliff over the ocean an academy where students learn to becomes pilots, engineers, many other opportunities given at the academy. In the main hanger by the launch bay a student engineer in blue coveralls he’s black hair and green eyes are covered in dirt. Him and many other engineers are working on armor suits and their weapons, another student wearing a long black jacket, brown shirt, black glasses, dark blue pants, brown shoes, blue eyes, and purple hair walks over to the student laying down on a wooden board underneath a yellow armor suit. He lightly kicks the student’s black boot, he comes out from under the suit.
“Huh? Alf your back. When did you return?”
“Just this morning, plane landed early.” Alf
“Still repairing Ginia’s suit? She sure did a number on it. She needs to be more careful with it.” Alf
“No, no Alf I’m just doing some finishing touches on it.”
“Always doing an excellent job, Iven. I can always leave my suit with you.” Alf
“Thanks Alf.” Iven
“By the way have you seen Ginia or Diaz?” Alf
“I couldn’t find either one to say hello.” Alf
“Diaz was here an hour ago, Ginia hasn’t shown up yet.” Iven
“Guess I’ll go find Diaz knowing Ginia she probably overslept or dozed off looking up at the sky.” Alf
“She really loves the sky, doesn’t she.” Iven
“She rather be up there than down here on the ground.” Alf
“See you later, Iven.” Alf
“See ya.” Iven
The intercom over the hanger turns on.
“Alf and Iven report to the headmaster Earl’s office.”
“I repeat Alf and Iven report to the headmaster Earl’s office.”
They’re both confused, but head for the headmaster’s office, walking inside Diaz is already waiting for them.
“Diaz.” Iven
“This is where you were.” Alf
“Alf welcome back.” Diaz
She hugs Alf
“Thanks Diaz.” Alf
“Headmaster good to see your still growing old.” Alf
“Haven’t lost your charming touch, Alf.” Headmaster Earl
“Headmaster, is there a reason why you called us here?” Iven
“Yes, but where is Ginia? Is she not with you?” Headmaster
“Sorry sir, but…” Iven
“We honestly don’t know where she is.” Iven, Alf, and Diaz
Ginia is running on the sidewalk by the beach sand.
“Man, I’m so late. Headmaster is going to have my head!” Ginia
“Thankfully Alf hasn’t returned yet.” Ginia
Making her way to the academy she spots a boy around her age standing by the ocean with a dazed look, his white shoes by him. He takes a few steps into the water, surprised she runs towards him.
“Stop! Don’t do it!” Ginia
She tips on the sand and pushes him into the eater. Ginia bows and apologies multiple times to him.
“I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” Ginia
He rings out his red shirt then brushes back his blue hair and dust off the sand on his gray pants.
“Will you stop saying that. I heard you the first ten times.”
“So sorry. So sorry. So sorry. So sorry.” Ginia
“More than that why did you push me into the water?”
“Oh! Well, you see, I thought that you were…” Ginia
“You thought I was.”
Ginia looks away, standing back up he helps her up.
“How stupid. I was just taking a drip in the water.”
“Well, how about a change of clothes?” Ginia
“Huh?”
“The place I work at has clothes there so you don’t have to wear those wet clothes.” Ginia
“That’s alright, I don’t need…”
Ginia stares at him with puppy dog eyes, big and wide.
“Fine, fine. Just stop staring at me.”
“Really? Yeah!” Ginia
Walking a few more miles down the beach there’s a big wooden house on the beach the sign says Hutside BeacH, inside are snacks, tourist items, some games, and a rental shop; surf boards, jet skis, and other beach supplies.
“Jason! Are you here?” Ginia
Jason comes out from the back.
“Ginia your early for your shift.” Jason
“Jason is the owner of this place. It’s nice sense it’s by water.” Ginia
He sees her and the boy who is soaking wet.
“I’ll go get some new dry clothes. I hoped you said your sorry for getting this poor kid wet.” Jason
Ginia lowers her head. Jason gives the boy the clothes he goes to change.
“Seriously what’s the story? What did you do?” Jason
“I don’t know where to start.” Ginia
He comes out of the changing room in a white button shirt, blue pants, and black shoes.
“Looks good on you.” Jason
“Yeah, you look great in them.” Ginia
His white eyes looks at the clothes that he is wearing.
“How much?”
Huh?” Jason and Ginia
“How much for the clothes?”
Don’t worry about it since Ginia ruined your clothes she’ll pay for them.” Jason
“Yeah… wait what?” Ginia
“Come on Jason, how am I going to pay for them?” Ginia
“With your next paycheck.” Jason
“What! Please Jason at least give me a discount.” Ginia
As Jason and Ginia argue he looks down with a sad look.
‘Is it really okay for me to?’
“I’ll…accept this. Thank you.”
“That settles it.” Jason
“Eh! Not you too!” Ginia
The boy smiles a bit.
“Hey, I never did ask for your name. What is your name?” Ginia
“It’s Kia.” Kia
“Kia, huh. It’s nice to meet you Kia.” Jason
“How long have you lived here in this city, Kia?” Ginia
“Hmm… I don’t know.” Kia
“What do you mean?” Ginia
“I don’t remember anything about my past or about myself.” Kia
“Really? Wow, I never would have guessed.” Ginia
“Is it amnesia?” Jason
“Don’t know. Sometimes memories come back, but disappears the next day.” Kia
It goes silent, no one speaks a word then a phone rings. Ginia pulls out her phone as she answers.
“Hello…” Ginia
“Idiot! Where are you? I’ve been calling you for two hours!” Alf
“Alf? When did you get back?” Ginia
“Get here in ten minutes, got it.” Alf
Ginia turns pale, panicking; she runs as fast as she can leaving Jason and Kia alone.
“If you're not doing anything, would you mind helping out here at the shop?” Jason
“Sure.” Kia
Ginia almost makes it to the academy in ten minutes, dashing through the hallways right up to the headmaster’s office. She swings open the door.
“Sorry, I’m so late!” Ginia
Alf grabs her head and squeezes very hard.
“You finally got here, Ginia.” Alf
“Yes….” Ginia
“Alf your squeezing too hard.” Ginia
“Oh, am I.” Alf
He squeezes harder.
“I’m very sorry, please forgive me.” Ginia
She grows even more pale.
“Calm down, Alf. We still need to learn more about our mission.” Diaz
“Fine.” Alf
He lets Ginia go, she falls to the ground.
“Don’t think your off the hook Ginia.” Alf
“Yes, sir. Thank you Diaz.” Ginia
“Now that you feel better Alf, let’s continue with our conversation.” Headmaster Earl
“Alright.” Alf
Ginia remains on the floor while everyone else continues to talk.
“The mission that I am assigning to you is to protect and escort a young noble girl around the city and through her trip here on Earth.” Headmaster Earl
“What do you mean on earth? Is she not from Earth?” Iven
“She’s from Areth, right.” Diaz
“Correct. On her own request she wishes to talk to the leaders to bring this war to an end.” Headmaster Earl
“Not the first time someone wanted to stop this war.” Alf
“She says she’s the daughter of the Safire family.” Headmaster Earl
Ginia gets to her feet wobbling a bit.
“Safire family? The ones who are leading Areth?” Iven
“Yes, this may be the key to stopping this war or starting a whole new one.” Headmaster Earl
“When does she get here?” Diaz
“She should be landing at our base in five minutes.” Headmaster Earl
A small spaceship that looks like an airplane flying over the ocean. A young girl with long blonde hair and black eyes stares out the window wearing a pretty pink dress and a small jacket, light pink gloves, crystal earrings, red high heel shoes, and a white closed lily in her hair.
“My lady, we’ll be landing soon.”
“Okay, thank you Lantz.”
Her guard is wearing a brown leather jacket, white shirt, black tie, dark brown pants, black shoes, and carrying a small gun on his waist.
“When we land we should be greeted by our escorts.” Lantz
“I wonder what they’ll be like? What are they wearing?”
“Will they accept us since we’re from Areth?”
“I don’t know about that Ms. Nadia, but I will do my best to protect you.” Lantz
“Thanks Lantz, but I’ve told you not to call me Ms.” Nadia
“Sorry, my lady.” Lantz
“Just Nadia, is fine.” Lantz
“Alright, Nadia.” Lantz
The spaceship prepares to land on the base Alf and his team are waiting for them. Landing safely the door opens, lowering down to become stairs Nadia is the first one off followed by Lantz.
‘
Headmaster, why just a small team to protect this girl? Why not a bigger escort or a more experienced one?
’ Alf
‘
Someone will try to stop these negotiations from happening. A small team like yours are more moveable then others and who knows who may have a grudge against Areth.
’ Headmaster Earl
‘
Wanting to make this trip of her’s fail is not an option, understand Alf.
’ Headmaster Earl
Nadia and Lantz walk up to them then bows their heads.
“ Hello my name is Nadia Safire. This is my guard Lantz, we are in your care.” Nadia
“My name is Alf, this is my team we will be protecting you and your guard from now on.” Alf
“Thank you.” Nadia
“Please right this way.” Alf
They walk to the entrance of the base where a car is waiting for them.
“Me and Iven still have some work to do, so Ginia and Diaz will be accompanying you.” Alf
“Sorry, but I have something to do too.” Diaz
“Then Ginia you’ll be guarding her alone til Diaz can join you.” Alf
“Yes, sir.” Ginia
Nadia, Lantz, and Ginia get in the car then it drives off.
“Diaz find out if she was followed.” Alf
“Yes, sir.” Diaz
“What about that something you had to do?” Iven
“I don’t know what you're talking about.” Diaz
She chuckles then walks away.
“Guess I’ll go finish my touch ups.” Iven
“What about you, Alf.” Iven
“I want to look something up then I’ll follow behind them.” Alf
“You mean spy on them.” Iven
“You make it sound so wrong.” Alf
Driving through the streets Nadia looks at everything passing by.
“Is there a place you want to visit, hmm.” Ginia
“You can call me Nadia, Ms. Ginia.” Nadia
“Ginia is fine. May I can you Lantz?” Ginia
“Yes, Ginia.” Lantz
“As for where to go…” Lantz
“Ocean! I want to see the ocean!” Nadia
“Okay, I know the best spot.” Ginia
The car pulls over as they get out of the car the ocean is shining bright with the sun above it. Both Nadia and Lantz are amazed by the view; they can’t take their eyes off it.
“What do you think?” Ginia
“It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.” Nadia
“Yeah.” Lantz
“Why not get a closer look?” Ginia
“Really?” Lantz
Nadia runs ahead of them.
“Wait for me, my lady.” Lantz
He runs after he Ginia smiles making her way to them. Nadia takes off her shoes, splashes in the water, Lantz gets down on one knee, cups his hands together, and scopes up some of the water. Nadia splashes Lantz, laughing he tries to splash her back. Ginia sits on the beach watching them play in the ocean happy to see them having a good time. Back at the academy Diaz walks into the control room with lots of people on computers with a big screen in front of them.
“Diaz, what can we do for you?”
“I want to see if our guest was followed by anyone or happens to have an uninvited visitor aboard her ship.” Diaz
“Right away.”
They all scan the area around Nadia’s ship as well as the route she took to get here. Diaz’s phone rings.
“Hello.” Diaz
“Find anything?” Alf
“Not yet, I took a look through her ship. Found nothing suspicious, about to see if anyone from Areth followed her.” Diaz
“What about you? Anything on Nadia or her guard?” Diaz
“She was born and raised on Areth as for her guard he came from Earth then traveled to Areth. Don’t know how he got off Earth without being notice. He’s family has killed during the war twenty years ago says he blamed the army for their deaths.” Alf
“Did Nadia come here to make peace or to kill more people?” Diaz
“No clue, lets keep an eye on her just in case.” Alf
“Right.” Diaz
“Also don’t…” Alf
“Don’t tell Ginia, right.” Diaz
“Right, I’ll inform Iven later.” Alf
“Okay, bye.” Diaz
She hangs up.
Up on the screen shows the Earth and the surrounding areas. The sun starts to set Nadia and Lantz collapse on the beach.
“You two finally had your fill?” Ginia
“Yes, it was so much fun.” Nadia
They hear a growl coming from Lantz’s stomach.
“So hungry.” Lantz
Nadia and Ginia chuckle, Ginia helps Nadia up.
“There's a place near here with really good food. Let’s go there.” Ginia
“Okay.” Nadia
“Yeah.” Lantz
He jumps to his feet. They arrive at the Hutside BeacH is busy for it being so late in the afternoon.
“I’ve never seen it this busy before, wonder what happened?” Ginia
“Ah! Ginia, been a while.”
“Arika, you’re working today?” Ginia
She is wearing a white shirt, blue skirt, black shoes, and a black tie.
“Jason called and said that you were running late again.” Arika
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, be right there.” Arika
“You work here, Ginia?” Nadia
“Sometimes to earn a little more money.” Ginia
“Hey Jason! Jason!” Ginia
“Stop yelling, your disrupting the customer!” Jason
“Sorry.” Ginia
‘Yet he is yelling as well.’
Lantz
“If you're sorry, hurry up, change, get out here and help!” Jason
“Yes. You two go find a seat. I'll be there soon.” Ginia
Ginia runs to the back to change Nadia and Lantz takes a seat by the wooden rail with a view of the sea.
“The ocean is pretty even from far away with the sun setting on it.” Nadia
“It’s much more beautiful than the one back home.” Lantz
“I hope everyone back home can see the same view one day.” Nadia
“Yes, one day.” Lantz
He looks at the menu
“There’s lots to pick from Nadia, have a look.” Lantz
She picks up the menu.
“Sorry for the wait, can I get you something to drink or to start with?” Kia
“Water is fine.” Lantz
“I would like…” Nadia
Nadia looks up her eyes grow pale. She suddenly stands up out of her chair.
“What’s wrong?” Lantz
“Are you alright?” Kia
Nadia tries to speak, but no words leave her mouth. Ginia finishes changing, she sees Nadia trembling, she goes over to them.
“You okay Nadia?” Ginia
“Ginia.” Kia
“Kia, are you helping out?” Ginia
“Yes, Jason, ask me when you left.” Kia
“Oh! Sounds like him.” Ginia
“Ginia, do you know him?” Nadia
“Y-yes, kinda, we met today on the beach.” Ginia
“She ruined my clothes so she brought me here to get new ones” Kia
“You didn’t have to add that part.” Ginia
“Oh really? It’s true, isn’t.” Kia
“Well, yeah…but..” Ginia
“Excuse me, but are you..” Nadia
“Kia, can you take table 4?” Jason
“Yes! Arika can you take table 6 for me?” Kia
“Yes!” Arika
Kia runs off to take care of table 4 Nadia calms down after Kia leaves.
“How about some food?” Ginia
“Yes, let’s see.” Lantz
“I recommend this here. This is also good.” Ginia
“Ginia, you're drooling.” Lantz
“Sorry, everything looks so good.” Ginia
Nadia watches Kia.
‘No doubt. He has to be.’
Nadia
The sky turns dark, stars and moon appear in the sky and on the sea. Jason closes up, Nadia and Lantz wait outside.
“Thanks for your hard work Kia, Arika.” Jason
“Thank you.” Kia and Arika
“What about me, Jason?” Ginia
“See you tomorrow Arika.” Jason
“See you tomorrow.” Arika
“Don’t ignore me!” Ginia
“Good night Arika.” Kia
She walks away.
“Do you need a ride, Kia?” Jason
“Actually..” Kia
“Wait.” Nadia
Nadia and Lantz walk up to them, they seem really serious.
“I wish to talk to you.” Nadia
“Me?” Kia
“Then I’ll be going. See you tomorrow Kia.” Jason
“Yes, see ya.” Kia
“So what did you want to talk about?” Kia
“Let’s go somewhere else.” Nadia
“Ginia.” Nadia
“Huh?” Ginia
They're all sitting in Ginia’s apartment at a small table in the living room Ginia makes some tea then serves it to them.
“Thank you, Ginia. Sorry for the trouble.” Kia
“No, no it was just as a surprised to me as it was to you.” Ginia
‘I wonder why Nadia wanted to talk to Kia? And why it had to be in my apartment?’
Ginia
“I apologize for bringing you here all of a sudden.” Nadia
“I to apologize.” Lantz
“I don’t know why she wants to talk to you.” Lantz
“I’m to am curious.” Kia
“Me too.” Ginia
“Kia, are you from Areth?” Nadia
“Huh?” Kia
“Huh?” Ginia
“What did you say?” Ginia
“Are you or not?” Nadia
“Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know.” Kia
“You don’t know?” Lantz
“Kia has amnesia.” Ginia
“Really?” Nadia
“Yes, except for my name, everything else is a blur.” Kia
“Nadia, why do you think Kia is from Areth?” Ginia
“I don’t think I just know. I can feel a connection with Kia.” Nadia
“A connection?” Kia
“Yes, a connection that connects us to our god and to all who are born and raise in Areth?” Nadia
“Your god?” Ginia
“Lord Karinana the god of machines and lightning. He help create our home Areth. After the chaos that took place out lord went to sleep and was never seen again.” Lantz
“Oh! I didn’t know Areth had a god.” Ginia
“I thought the people of Areth made their home.” Ginia
“Is the reason you came here is for your god?” Ginia
“Yes, I want to end this war and bring our god home.” Nadia
Kia smiles.
“You really like your lord.” Kia
“Yeah, I actually got to meet him.” Nadia
“Wow! Really?!” Ginia
“I got lost when I was little walking through the forest.” Nadia
“Oh.” Ginia
‘They have a forest?’
Kia
“I found a shrine that was abandoned, I visited everyday. I didn’t realize how late it was so I stayed there until someone came for me.” Nadia
“You must’ve been scared.” Ginia
“It was, it started to get really cold. I tried to keep warm by huddling up, but I was getting sleepy.” Nadia
“As I was passing out I saw someone standing in front of me with glowing white hair. I tried to reach out my hand to them, but my eyes closed.” Nadia
“We found her by the door of her family’s house, sleeping soundly.” Lantz
“The last thing I felt was a warm touch carrying me back home. I just know it was lord Karinana who saved me.” Nadia
Sniff
“He sounds like..”
Sniff
“A great god.” Ginia
“Right, that’s why I want to bring him back home like he did for me.” Nadia
“I truly hope your wish comes true. I may not remember where I came from or who I am, but I know your god is happy to know you care a lot about him.” Kia
“Thanks, Kia for your kind words.” Nadia
“No, thank you.” Kia
“Huh? Why?” Nadia
“I don’t believe I come from Areth or maybe even earth for now I wish to live my life where I am and maybe some day my memories will come back.” Kia
“I would like to tell you about my home, is that okay?” Kia
“I would love that. And some day I would like to show you Areth.” Nadia
“I’ll even give you the grand tour.” Nadia
“Sounds amazing, I look forward to it.” Kia
“Ginia, Lantz, you will join us, right?” Nadia
“Of course!” Ginia
“It would be an honor.” Lantz
Kia looks up at the clock it’s past 9 pm.
“I should be getting home.” Kia
Kia stands up.
“You can stay if you want.” Ginia
“No, it’s fine Jason asked me to come in early tomorrow to help out.” Kia
“So you’re getting used to the job already.” Ginia
Ginia stands up.
“I can at least walk you to the door.” Ginia
“Thanks, you have a good night Nadia, Lantz.” Kia
“Yes, good night.” Nadia
“Night.” Lantz
Ginia walks Kia to the door, waves goodbye as he heads for home.
“Are you sure you didn’t want to ask anything else?” Lantz
Nadia shakes her head.
“If he doesn’t remember we shouldn’t push him too much.” Nadia
“Memories can be painful when remembering something you shouldn’t, right.” Lantz
Ginia walks back into the room.
“Why don’t you two stay here tonight? Your hotel is quite far from here.” Ginia
“Is that alright?” Nadia
“Yeah, it’s more fun with more people.” Ginia
“Then we would love to stay.” Nadia
“Great, I’ll start making dinner.” Ginia
“I’ll help.” Lantz
“Really? Thank you.” Ginia
Happily watching Lantz and Ginia she thinks about Areth’s god, hoping her hard work will pay off. Walking home Kia quietly stares up at the night sky.
‘Is it true that I’m from Areth?’
Kia
Then looks down at the street and the houses passing by.
‘Or do I come from Earth?’
Kia
“All I remember is standing by the water asking myself, who am I?” Kia
Kia chuckles a bit.
“Maybe it’s best I don’t remember. Though I would like to see Areth with Nadia and the others.” Kia
“I wonder what Areth is like?” Kia
Up in space a giant spaceship as big as a whale heading towards earth, standing by a window up towards the top two men in white military suits, black trimming with two stars on each shoulder; one with brown hair and blue eyes, the other with blonde hair and green eyes Atreus down at earth.
“We’re finally here.” Man 2
“Ready the pilots for landing.” Man 1
“Yes, sir.” Man 2
The order is broadcast to the whole ship, the hangers and to all hallways. A soldier knocks on a door, it slides open.
“Lieutenant Commander Fania, your suit is ready and waiting for you.” Soldier 1
A woman with pink hair finishes putting on her dark purple suit, she turns around looking at him with her red eyes.
“Alright, tell the others to get to the hanger immediately.” Fania
“Yes!” Soldier 1
Fania heads for the hanger, all the soldiers are suited up, ready, and waiting. Fania puts on her armored suit. The spaceship begins it’s descent to earth.
“Remember our mission is to capture lady Nadia alive! If she refuses take her by force, understand!” Fania
“Yes, sir!” All Arethian soldiers
The next day on the beach Jason readies to open shop Kia and Arika meet up on top of the stairs, walking down they see Jason ready to work. Kia notices the sky turning dark; Ginia, Nadia, and Lantz are eating breakfast together Nadia sees the clouds turning dark. Headmaster Earl sitting at his desk sees the weather changing dramatically.
“I don’t like this, Chloe contact Diaz and get everyone ready to fight something is coming.” Headmaster Earl
“Yes, sir.” Chloe
A siren goes off all around the academy, everyone hurries to their stations. Iven gets Ginia’s, Diaz’s, and Alf’s suits ready. Diaz hears the siren going off as she gets a call from Alf.
“Alf! What’s going on?” Diaz
“Don’t know, just get to the hanger as fast as you can.” Alf
“Got it.” Diaz
Another sirening goes off in the control room.
“What happened?” Diaz
“An unidentified spacecraft is trying to enter our atmosphere.”
“What?!” Diaz
“Diaz? Diaz? What’s going on?” Alf
“Looks like we got trouble, something is coming.” Diaz
“Order the evacuation of all citizens to the safe zone, now!” Diaz
Diaz hangs up, she runs out heading for the hanger. Alf walks out of a room trying to call Ginia. Ginia, Nadia, and Lantz walk into the academy hearing the siren Ginia’s feels her phone ringing.
“Hello.” Ginia
“Ginia! Where are you?” Alf
“We just walk into the academy. Why is the siren going off?” Ginia
“There’s an emergency to get to the hanger bay right now!” Alf
“Yes.” Ginia
Ginia hangs up
“What’s going on, Ginia?” Nadia
“I don’t know, but you guys should go to Headmaster Earl’s office.” Ginia
“Is it that bad?” Nadia
“Don’t worry we’ll take care of it. You two just get somewhere safe.” Ginia
“Alright, we’ll head there right away.” Lantz
Ginia nods then runs off Lantz leads Nadia to the headmaster’s office. The sky starts to roar Jason looks up.
“Looks like a nasty storm is coming.” Jason
“Hey guys let’s close up til the storm passes.” Jason
“Okay.” Kia and Arika
Lightning crashes down, the people on the beach scream.
“Hey! It’s too dangerous here, get out of here!”Jason
They all ran for the streets or their cars, Jason sees some people to scared to move.
“Kia, Arika! We need to help these people!” Jason
“Right!” Kia and Arika
The three of them split off, warning as many people as they could to leave the beach. Ginia gets to the hanger Alf and Diaz finish putting on their armored suit Iven helps Ginia get her’s on. They all walk out onto the platform the storm keeps getting worse then it suddenly stops. Their all on edge, Diaz spots something up in the sky.
“Alf, look up!” Diaz
They all look up a giant spaceship is breaking the sky apart. The doors to the ship’s hanger opens.
“Shields up!” Fania
A force field is put up around all the soldiers and Fania, they detach then fly down to earth. Alf sees people coming out of the ship.
“Ready the shield and the canons.” Alf
A force field lights up around the academy, three large canons are brought up to the platform. Fania sees the canons preparing to fire.
“Half of you go to the city! The rest of you are with me!” Fania
“Yes, sir!” All Arethian soldiers
Alf receives a call from the control room.
“The enemy is splitting up and heading to the city.” Control room
“Got it.” Alf
“Ginia, their heading for the city take some men and protect the citizens til they evacuate everyone.” Alf
“Right away.” Ginia
“Let’s go!” Ginia
“Yes,sir!”
Ginia flies off with a few other pilots, Fania tires to shoot at them.
“Fire!” Alf
The canons open fire it takes down some of them, but their shields are strong, the shield around the ship is even stronger.
“Aim for the pilots, we’ll deal with the ship until the evacuate is complete.” Alf
Fania quickly flies towards them Alf takes out a laser sword ready to fight Fania. Jason, Kia, and Arika are almost finish getting people off the beach when Arika sees someone coming.
“Jason.” Arika
Jason looks and sees them too.
“Run! Run!” Jason
The soldiers start to fire at the citizens.
“Arika, get down!” Kia
He pushes her down to the ground dodging the lasers, Jason runs back to them.
“You guys alright?” Jason
“Yead, you okay Arika?” Kia
“Yes, thank you.” Arika
Kia and Arika get to their feet making it to Jason’s car. Hurrying inside the car Jason hits the gas trying to get away. Kia looks up at the broken sky and the soldiers attacking the city, he grabs his chest.
‘What is this feeling? Why does it hurt so much?’
Kia
While the city is under attack Nadia, Lantz, and Headmaster Earl are watching from his office.
“This is awful.” Nadia
“Why are they here? We never told anyone about us coming here?” Lantz
“Is this my fault?” Nadia
“My lady.” Lantz
“Don’t blame yourself. They would have come if you were here or not?” Headmaster Earl
“I have to stop them.” Nadia
She tries to run out the door, Lantz stops her.
“Please let me go Lantz! I can’t let them kill those people!” Nadia
“My lady, please calm down.” Lantz
“But Lantz.” Nadia
“They might be here to take you back or possibly to kill you.” Headmaster earl
“K-Kill me?” Nadia
“They wouldn’t dare she is the heir to the Safire family.” Lantz
“If they make it look like we’re responsible for her death then they would gladly go to war with us. There’s no way out of this without bloodshed.” Headmaster Earl
“Sorry, that’s the fact of this situation.” Headmaster Earl
Nadia goes silent, Lantz tries to comfort her. Ginia and the other soldiers fly as fast as they can to the city, more explosions happen all around the city. Ginia gets more angry, tightening her fist. Jason, Arik, and Kia are driving to the city’s edge where the safe zone is, Arika looks to the side mirror, one of those people is right behind them.
“Jason their right behind us. One must have followed us.” Arika
Jason and Kia looks to see.
“Shit.” Jason
He tries to go faster, the soldier is going to fire at them.
“Jason he’s going to fire!” Kia
The soldier fires Jason moves right to left avoiding the bullets.
“Jason, watch out!” Arika
Jason sees the debris laying in the road, he tries to dodge it. It hits the side of the car swerving side to side it flips on its side. The soldier lands away from the car, Jason slowly crawls out of the car.
“Kia, Arika, are you guys okay?” Jason
“Yes, but Kia is knock out. I can’t move there’s too much broken glass.” Arika
Jason gets over to them he uses his apron to cover the broken glass. Arika moves across the apron Jason pulls out Kia Arika helps him. The soldier points his gun at them.
“Hold it! Don’t move!” Arethian soldier 1
Jason gives Kia to Arika; he puts himself in front of them.
“What do you want?” Jason
“Why are you attacking us?” Jason
“Shut up! Answer me!” Arethian soldier 1
“Tell me where Lady Nadia is?” Arethian soldier 1
“I don’t know who that is?” Jason
He shoots a bullet pass Jason’s ear.
“Jason!” Arika
“Shut up, girl!” Arethian soldier 1
Arika holds Kia close with tears in her eyes.
“Leave them alone.” Jason
“We really don’t know who this Nadia is.” Jason
“We never seen or met her.” Jason
The soldier tires to fire again, Ginia falls down from the sky screaming she waves her laser sword at him.
“Ginia!” Jason
“Hey, you guys go protect the citizens! I got this!” Ginia
“Yes, sir!” All pilots
“Ginia!” Arika
“Hurry get out of here!” Ginia
When they try to leave the soldier shoots at them; Arika screams.
“Hey! Let them go! They have nothing to do with this!” Ginia
“Not until I get what I want.” Arethian soldier 1
“And what is that?” Ginia
“Where is Lady Nadia?” Arethian soldier 1
“Nadia? What do you want with her?” Ginia
“So you know her. Where is she?” Arethian soldier 1
“Sorry, but she is a special guest. I can’t give her up to a stranger like you.” Ginia
“Is that so?” Arethian soldier 1
He opens fire Ginia blocks the bullets with her sword to protect Jason and the others. Out of bullets he tries to reload Ginia rushes towards him he pulls out a knife to block her blade, but she cuts it in half. He pulls out a small gun and shoots her in the stomach, Ginia groans then he kicks her.
“Ginia!” Jason and Arika
Her suit protected her from the bullets she tries to get up, but he points his gun to her head.
“Where is Lady Nadia?” Arethian soldier 1
“I’ll never tell you.” Ginia
“Fine.” Soldier 1
He pulls out a grenade then looks at Jason, Arika, and Kia.
“If you don’t tell me I’ll throw this at them.” Soldier 1
“You crowd.” Ginia
“What will it be?” Soldier 1
“Even if I did, you would still kill them, wouldn’t you?” Ginia
“I won’t tell you nor will I let you kill them!” Ginia
“Have it your way.” Arethian soldier 1
He removes the pin, throws it, and fires his gun. Ginia hits his hand making him miss, she tries to grab the grenade, but he grabs her hair missing the chance to grab it. Jason holds Arika and Kia in his arms, Ginia grabs the soldier’s arm, flips him over her head, and looks as the grenade goes off.
“Jaosn! Everyone!” Ginia
Filled with shock and despair Ginia can’t believe what happened.
“You should have told me, if you did they maybe would have lived.” Arethian soldier 1
Ginia holds a gun to his head.
“Then you can apologize in the afterlife.” Ginia
The soldier grins, but they hear a small spark coming from the smoke. They both look up as the smoke disperse Jason, Arika, and Kia are okay.
“You're alright!” Ginia
“Not possible..how could..” Arethian soldier 1
Jason coughs from the smoke, opens his eyes to see that they are alive.
“What happened?” Jason
“Jason.” Arika
“Arika, you okay?” Jason
“Yes, I’m fine.” Arika
“Goo, how is Kia?” Jason
He looks at Kia with a surprised look, Arika looks too, his hair is glowing.
“What’s going on?” Jason
Arika tries to touch Kia’s hair, but it shocks her.
“Ouch!” Arika
“What’s wrong?” Jason
“His hair is electric.” Arika
The soldier pushes Ginia away, he tries to shoot them again, Ginia gets to her feet then cuts him in the back with her blade. He falls to the ground bleeding out; Ginia runs to them.
“Jason, Arika!” Ginia
“Ginia.” Jason
“I’m glad you’re alright. What’s going on with Kia?” Ginia
“We don’t know after the smoke lifted he just started glowing.” Arika
“For now let’s get you guys to safety first.” Ginia
“Okay.” Jason and Arika
Ginia helps Arika up as Jason lifts Kia over his shoulder, out of the corner of his eye his face goes pale.
“Ginia.” Jason
“What is it, Jason?” Ginia
He points behind her and Ginia turns around, more Arethian soldiers appear ready to fire on them and the other citizens still in the area. Ginia transforms her right arm into a cannon, she points it at them. Ginia tires to aim, but there’s too many.
“It’s no good I can’t get them all. My cannon is too small if only I had a bigger one I could get them all.” Ginia
Kia’s hair glows brighter and the electric grows stronger.
“What?!” Arika
“What the heck?” Jason
Ginia looks over at them, the lightning spreads all over the debris, it starts to come together melding into one.
“What is that?” Ginia
It flies towards Ginia.
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Ginia
She closes her eyes after a few seconds she opens them feeling a spark coming from her right arm. Ginia sees a bigger cannon flowing with lightning.
“What is this? A new weapon?” Ginia
Both Jason and Arika are shocked as Kia’s hair stops glowing.
“I have no idea what happened, but I’ll gladly take it.” Ginia
She readies to fire.
“And send them all flying!” Ginia |
Connor noticed Victor’s leg bouncing up and down. He hadn’t said a word since they got into the car, and he aimed his gaze at the back of the passenger’s side seat. “V, you good?” Connor asked.
Victor turned and looked at Connor, a barely noticeable smile on his face. “They’re going after kids now? I’m turning that thing to ash the second I see it.”
“Hold on,” Mr. Au said. “Let’s ask it a few questions first. We still don’t know why they’re going after people.”
“Yeah, of course,” Victor said. “I meant after we interrogate it for a bit.”
Mr. Au turned and glanced at the water gun in Summer’s hand. “Summer.”
“Yeah?”
“I like the new gun.”
Victor perked up. “When did you get it?”
“It came in the mail yesterday, almost right after you left.”
“Well, it looks really cool,” Victor said. “Not a fan of the color scheme, though.”
“Right?” Connor added.
Summer stared daggers at her boyfriend. “You told me you liked it.”
“Well, I—”
“Summer, I haven’t been to SooHoo park in years,” interrupted Mr. Au. “Is there a shorter way?” Connor’s soul returned to his body.
Summer turned around and focused on the road. “Yeah, me and granny found a shortcut a while back. If you take a left at Patterson and then a right at Murray, you can save like ten minutes.”
“Thank you.” Mr. Au gave Connor a quick wink through his rearview mirror before turning his attention back to Summer. “Can you tell me what else you saw? Did you get a good look at the demon?”
“Or demons,” Victor said.
Summer leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. “I didn’t see any demons, but I remember how he felt. His heart was beating really fast, and he was surrounded by darkness. He was sweating a lot and… oh yeah, his backpack was red.” She opened her eyes, wrapping her arm around her water gun. “That’s all.”
“What’s a kid doing alone at the park?” Mr. Au asked.
Summer started tapping the water tank with her pointer finger. “Maybe he went there with his family but got separated?”
“I can see the backpack being full of camping equipment. There’s a campground not too far from the parking lot,” Connor said.
“Not a bad theory,” Mr. Au said.
Connor turned and noticed Victor still violently shaking his leg. “Hey, V, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Were you daydreaming or something? We’re wondering why this kid is all alone.”
“Does it matter?”
“We have very little information, so we’re trying to put the pieces together.”
“I don’t care about any of that. There’s a kid scared for his life. When I see a demon, it’s dust… after we question it first.”
“I guess there isn’t really much point in speculating,” Mr. Au said. “We’ll find out soon enough.” The occupants leaned in unison as he took a sharp turn. “Mrs. Kahale told me you’ve been training really hard, V. That’s my boy.”
“I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her,” Victor said. “Summer, I had no idea your granny was this cool.”
“That’s good to hear because she hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. It’s actually really sweet.”
Victor’s leg stopped shaking. “I hit the dummy today and it didn’t move.”
“Wait, when?” Summer asked.
“I just told you. Today,” Victor retorted with a flat stare. Connor chuckled to himself.
“No smarty pants, what I meant was why didn’t you let us know earlier?”
“It happened almost right before you came outside.”
“Dude, that’s awesome,” Connor said.
“It’s no big deal, really. I only did it once,” Victor said.
“Don’t downplay your achievements, Victor,” Mr. Au said. “We’re proud of you.”
“It
was
a pretty great feeling. I got so excited, I picked Mrs. Kahale up and spun her around. She wasn’t too happy about that.”
“How are you even alive?” Summer asked, wide-eyed. “I remember my dad picking her up after a game-winning touchdown and she gave him the stink eye for the rest of the day.”
“I guess I really am just
that
lovable.”
Connor pretended to dry-heave. Mr. Au diverted his eyes from the road to check on him; Summer rolled hers. “So,” Summer said. “Can I get a progress report on your ability to see auras? Connor is starting to see colors.” She gave her boyfriend a warm smile.
“Every single one of my hand’s pores is etched into my mind,” Mr. Au said. “Yet I haven’t seen a thing.”
“I didn’t know you were even trying,” Summer said.
“Why wouldn’t I? What if I meet a demon wearing sunglasses?” He presented a sly grin.
Summer laughed. “Okay, that’s fair. How about you, V?”
“No colors yet, but it’s getting easier every day.”
“That’s great!”
Victor inspected Summer’s water gun. “Hey dad, did you bring your axe?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Summer has her water gun.” Victor slammed his fists together. “And I have these.” He turned and looked at Connor. “Where’s your weapon?”
“Damn,” Mr. Au said. “I bought you an ax, but I booked it to my car the second I got a call from Summer.”
“It’s okay,” Connor said. “There’s no way I could have hidden an ax from my parents.”
“It would have stayed in the car. I was making some modifications to it, so I had to keep it in the garage.”
“Wow, thanks I—”
“You should get a sword!” Victor exclaimed.
Connor laughed. “What? Why a sword?”
“I could have sworn I’ve seen pictures of an angel with a sword.”
“You might be talking about archangel Michael,” Mr. Au said. “Connor… is he real?”
“Hold on dad, I got this one. Let me guess, you don’t know?”
“Hilarious,” Connor said, unsmiling. “There are powerful angels in heaven, but I have never personally met one. I also don’t remember seeing any swords.”
“It honestly feels like you learn nothing about the universe once you reach heaven,” Victor complained.
“I don’t know… I think it’s kind of interesting that you still have a lot to learn after you die,” Mr. Au said.
“Heaven is just another plane, free from your physical body,” Connor said. “You don’t magically become all knowing.”
“We’re almost there,” Mr. Au said. The car immediately went quiet. Connor peered through the windshield as they drove along a narrow path surrounded by dense forest. A large, almost empty parking lot was at the end of the path. The striping was a faded white, exposing the lot’s worn asphalt. Splotches of yellow and brown dotted the grass, and shoddy looking park benches could be seen in the distance. The gazebo stood out the most. It was in pristine condition. The glossy maroon paint glistening, juxtaposing with the surrounding area.
“This place has seen better days,” Mr. Au said as he opened the car door. He snatched his axe from the trunk and then glared at the concrete trail. “Summer, lead the way.”
Summer raised her water gun and starting jogging along the trail. “The bridge isn’t too far ahead.” Connor and Victor moved to her side. Their eyes darting around the poorly maintained park.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Victor said. “Where is everyone?”
“Didn’t you hear?” Summer said. “Mayor Adams cut park funding last year. Almost all the remaining money went to maintaining the park in Shivesly. They’ve pretty much abandoned this place.”
“I didn’t know public parks were only for the wealthy,” Mr. Au said.
“That gazebo looks like it was just built,” Connor said, pointing.
Summer turned to look at the gazebo—the sunlight bouncing off the amethyst dangling around her neck. “I wish I had an answer. Last time I was here, it was in pretty bad shape.”
“Guys, stop,” Mr. Au said.
“What’s wrong?” Victor asked. Mr. Au pointed toward some trees. Connor looked and noticed two figures peering up at the branches, searching for something.
“Demons,” Summer said.
“I got 'em’. You guys go ahead,” Victor declared.
“That is not happening,” Connor said.
“I can take them.”
“You’re not going alone.”
“That’s enough,” Mr. Au said. “Connor, go with Victor.”
“But—”
“Victor.” Mr. Au’s gave his son an icy look.
“Yes, sir,” Victor said. He stood while facing the direction of the demons. Connor saw his aura rapidly expand and then he… vanished. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream came from the trees. Connor froze in his tracks. At that moment, he questioned if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Under a large tree stood Victor, who was bent over with his hands on his knees. One demon was writhing on the ground while wrapping his arms around his chest, gasping for air. The other demon seemed to have disappeared entirely.
Mr. Au shook his head. “Unbelievable…” There was a pause. “Summer, let’s go,” he eventually said.
“Y-Yes, sir,” Summer replied, walking along the trail before her.
“Hurry up!” Victor yelled. Connor snapped out of his stupor and sprinted toward his friend. Once he reached Victor, he saw a pile of ash sitting atop the grass nearby. The screaming demon was on his back, breathing laboriously.
“I Knocked the wind out of him,” Victor said “I was trying to break a rib, but I’m not there yet.” He then stood up straight, presenting a gleaming, toothy grin. “Hey! I have a few questions for you. If you answer correctly, I’ll let you go.”
“Who the hell are you?” the demon murmured.
“I’m asking the questions. Where is Aayan?”
The demon’s eyes widened. “I’ll never tell you. Just kill me now.”
“Kill you?” Victor reached into his pocket and pulled out his bottle of holy water. “When I’m done, you’re gonna wish you were back in hell.” A shiver trickled down Connor’s spine. Victor’s gleeful smile warped into a snarl.
“Wait! I don’t know anything, I swear. I woke up in this body and was told to bring this kid to Aayan.”
“Where were you when you woke up?” Connor asked.
“I-I don’t know.”
“You can go,” Victor said.
“V, what are you doing?” Connor asked.
Victor didn’t move an inch. He was staring into the demon’s eyes as his snarl transitioned back into a grin. “Are you deaf? I said you can go.”
“V, why—”
“Connor, he obviously doesn’t know anything.”
The demon leapt up and starting running in the opposite direction. “You’ll never see me again, I promise!”
“Hey, watch this,” Victor said. His eyes flashed gold and then he vanished. A loud
crack
forced Connor to look in the direction of the demon. He was greeted by Victor patting his clothes while sauntering back to where Connor stood—a pile of ash behind him. “Let’s catch up with the other guys,” Victor said.
“Dude, what the hell was that?”
“He wasn’t going to tell us anything.”
“How do you know? We barely asked him any questions.”
“He feared Aayan more than he feared me. Even if he knew something, he wouldn’t have said shit. Trust me.”
“What is up with you today?”
“We’re wasting time. Do you remember where the bridge is?”
Connor wanted to keep digging, but he had to admit that Victor was right. Time was not on their side. “Follow me.” He ran toward the bridge while scanning the surrounding area. There were large swaths of dead grass along the pathway, and the benches were brittle and discolored. It looked as if a light breeze could level the entire park. They reached the bridge just as Mr. Au and Summer were walking up a grassy decline. A young boy with blonde hair so light that it could be mistaken for ashen was walking next to them, his arms wrapped around Summer’s torso. The boy noticed Connor running toward them, and his eyes widened. Summer’s blouse wrinkled as the boy’s grip on her tightened.
“It’s okay. These are my friends,” Summer said. His hold loosened for a moment, but as soon as he saw Victor, he completely let her go. A warm smile formed on his face as the young boy stood there gawking at him.
“Wow… gold,” the young boy said. His eyes were bloodshot.
“I bet you’re getting tired of hearing that,” Summer said. The lighthearted tone in her voice removed any tension Connor had felt.
“I’m getting used to it.” Victor knelt down in front of the boy. “Hey, kid, are you hurt?” The boy didn’t respond. Victor appeared to have put him under some sort of spell.
Summer tapped the boy on his shoulder. “Trevor, this is V. He asked you a question.”
“So your name is Trevor,” Victor said. “I’m not gonna lie, that’s a pretty cool name.”
“Your aura. How is it gold?” Trevor asked.
“How about this. I’ll tell you all about me if you answer all of our questions first. We got a deal?” Victor showed Trevor his fist.
Trevor gave Victor a fist bump. “Deal!”
“Did you see anyone else on your way here?” Mr. Au asked.
“No, this place looks deserted,” Connor said.
“Lets get back to the car. We can’t risk encountering anymore of them,” Mr. Au said.
Victor turned to face his father. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll take them out.”
“This isn’t about you,” Connor said. “The kid is safe, so let’s get him home.”
“Yeah… you’re right,” Victor said.
“I’m not going home,” Trevor said.
Summer gently rubbed his shoulder. “Sweetie, why don’t you want to go home?”
“My grandpa hates me. He said I’m possessed.” Connor and Summer shared a glance.
Mr. Au threw his axe over his shoulder and started toward the car. “We’ll talk about this when I know we’re safe.” |
Connor tried to pat the dirt from his sweatpants, but to no avail. He stood before his mid-twentieth century bungalow, staring at the steel-blue front door. Connor counted down from five, then jogged up his porch steps. He could hear the faint sound of baseball commentary from the front yard. He was finally home.
“Welcome back, honey!” his mother exclaimed. She was a heavy-set woman with dyed bleach-blonde hair. Her crow’s feet flexed as her mouth curled into a smile. “How was the movie?”
Connor set his keys on the kitchen counter. “Pretty good. It was way longer than I thought it would be, though.”
His father turned from the TV, fixing his cool, dark-brown eyes on his son. Connor felt naked as he scanned him. “Welcome home, son.”
“Thanks.” Connor glanced at the game’s score.
They’re losing. I have an opening,
he thought. “So, what’s the score?”
His father sunk into his recliner, shuffling his charcoal-black hair with boney fingers. “3-2. Bottom of the 8th. Sanders hit a two-run homer off Martinez. We had a pathetic bullpen last season, so why we decid—”
“Connor, what happened to your pants?” His mother asked suspiciously.
Connor feigned a look of indifference as he inspected the dirt on his pants. “Oh, that? I accidentally fell in the parking lot. No big deal.”
His father smiled. “And you didn’t run home crying. You toughed it out and risked being made fun of. Damn it, I wish our outfielders had that mentality. Did you know—”
Connor’s mom put a hand on his husband’s shoulder. “Honey, please…”
“Oh, right. Sorry about that. So, are you hurt?”
Connor chuckled nervously. “I’m fine, just a little tired. I’m thinking about heading to bed early.”
“Okay, sweetie. I’ll tell your father to turn the TV down.”
“Damn it!” his father yelled. Skinny veins popping out of his neck as he snarled at the screen.
Connor’s mom sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.” She squinted at Connor’s chest, then asked, “Where did you get that necklace? It’s so pretty.”
Connor smiled warmly at his amethyst pendant wrapped in slivers of gold. “Summer gave it to me. It was a gift.” Connor looked up, a mocking grin met his gaze. “Um, V got one too.”
“Mhm,” his mother said. “Put your pants in the hamper; I’ll wash them later. Good night, sweetie.”
“Good nigh—damn it!” his father yelled, waving a dismissive hand in his direction.
“Thanks guys. Night.”
They didn’t even ask me what I saw,
Connor thought as he scurried up the stairs. He undressed, then neatly folded his clothes before putting them in the hamper. While inspecting his dirt covered shoes, he glanced over at the row of identical sneakers that formed a line next to his closet door. He placed his dirty shoes near the hamper.
I’ll clean them tomorrow,
he thought while eying the door to his bathroom.
Connor stood in front of his bathroom mirror, looking at the clear outline of his aura. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breath for several minutes before opening them to the same transparent outline he saw every night. He slumped his shoulders.
What good is having wings if I can’t even see them?
Connor removed the bandage on his forearm, revealing the scabbed over cigarette burn mark. Losing himself in the exposed pink of the wound, he recalled the events of the sanatorium.
If I just had more information,
he thought.
Then what, idiot? You’d magically be able to put a stop to it?
He wore duplicity like a cherished baseball cap, yet even he didn’t know how much longer he could hide how grave the circumstances truly were. A perpetual sense of foreboding clung to him since they encountered the first demon. Actually, that’s not it—he felt off the moment he saw Victor enter his angel mode for the first time during gym class. It was a stark reminder that Connor didn’t belong—he was nothing more than a tourist tasked with spying on his best friend. There were moments throughout the years when he forgot his purpose for entering this plane. Moments when all that mattered was studying for an important test, or landing his first skate trick. Moments when he would lie awake with Victor and Summer on a three-way call, chatting and laughing into the early morning. Ultimately, what Victor awakening his powers did was remind him of his duty, something he throughout the years slowly began to forget.
Connor replaced the bandage and then hopped onto his bed, staring up at his sky-blue ceiling. His walls were the same shade of blue; splotches of white paint of varying shapes and sizes were scattered about. Some mornings, he’d wake up and feel like he had actually slept under the beautiful summer sky. He rolled over and checked his phone. To his delight, he saw a text from Summer.
Our second meditation session is tomorrow at 11:30! :)
Connor smiled and responded with a thumbs up emoji. He laid his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. Summer’s face was all he saw. Her beautiful smile covering him in a sheet of comfort. Physical attraction was one thing—and there was plenty of that in spades—but with Summer, it was much more. It had been sixteen years since he entered this plane, yet his time in heaven was still vivid. He recalled the warmth permeating throughout his ethereal body. Summer was the only person to elicit a similar feeling.
Calm down. She’s just a friend. These feelings aren’t real,
he lied.
The pale morning sun slanted through his partially closed blinds, leaving pillars of light on his covers. Connor opened his eyes and let out a groan. His dreams of late have been of him flying above Covington without a care in the world. Then, as if clipping a bird’s wings mid-flight, he would come crashing down, waking up right before hitting the ground. He suffered through the dream several times that night, each time causing him to spring up in a panic, his heart pumping violently.
He checked his phone.
Shit, I’m gonna be late!
He sprinted to the bathroom, causing his comforter to fall to the floor. He brushed his teeth and freshened up as best as he could. After getting dressed, he darted out of his house.
Connor stopped a couple of houses away from Summer’s eccentrically colored home and turned on his phone’s front-facing camera. He checked for sleep in his eyes, tussled his hair, and ended with a quick sniff of his armpits before continuing toward her house.
The exterior of Summer’s home was a mishmash of bright colors. The incredible variety of vegetation and the goofy stone and plastic knickknacks sprinkled about made it easy to spot from a distance.
There was a black sedan parked in Summer’s driveway. Connor inspected it and realized that it was Mr. Au’s car. He plodded up the porch steps, looking at the neon-green colored front door suspiciously. Connor rang the doorbell and Summer appeared, glaring at the ground. She stepped to the side to reveal her grandmother sitting at a table with Victor’s dad across from her. After walking inside, he saw Victor sitting on the couch, his eyes focusing on the stone attached to his necklace. Connor patted his neck, feeling for the pendant. All he felt was his cotton t-shirt.
Dang it
, he thought.
“Good morning, Mrs. Kahale. Good morning, Mr. Au,” Connor said.
“It’s 11:47 Connor. You’re late,” Summer’s grandmother said while giving him a flat stare. “Please sit down.” She pointed at a chair. Connor snuck a look at Summer before taking a seat. Anguish and rage twisted her face into a look that made her almost unrecognizable.
“Where did you guys go last night?” Mr. Au asked. Connor froze. A cavalcade of potential responses sprinted across his mind, yet he couldn’t grab one. “I guess silence is better than an outright lie.” Mr. Au added while giving Victor a disapproving glare.
“Not only did Summer lie to me
twice
in one day, I find out that you guys were out playing hero and putting yourselves in danger?” Mrs. Kahale said.
“She needed our help!” Summer said. “We couldn’t just sit here and do nothing!”
Mrs. Kahale slightly flinched at the sudden interjection. She then leaned back in her chair with her arms folded. “Why didn’t you call the police?”
“And say what? There’s a demon holding a girl hostage? You can only kill him by chopping his head off and holy water stuns him for a little bit? Besides, we didn’t know if we would even make it in time. Talking to the police would have wasted precious time.”
Mrs. Kahale glared at her. “Watch your tone.” Summer turned away, her fingers fiddling with her pendant.
Victor sat up abruptly, eying his father with an unfazed stare. “Dad, you told me you would support me no matter what, right?”
Mr. Au raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t mean I want you recklessly putting yourself in harm’s way.”
Victor’s face was iron. “I found something last night, dad. Something that’s been eluding me ever since mom died.” Victor slightly lifted his head, maintaining eye contact. “Last night I found my purpose.” He shot a glance at Summer, his face softening. “I want to help people—to save them from these creatures that are here to do us harm
.
I don’t think me getting these powers now is a coincidence. But even if I never learn how to master them, I can’t just stand by as people lose their lives.”
A chuckle escaped Mr. Au’s lips.
“Is something funny?” Summer’s grandmother asked, her voice oozing perplexity.
“I finally know how my parents felt.” He moved to the empty cushion next to his son. “When I first told my parents I wanted to join the military, they didn’t talk to me for weeks. Even after all the pleading, I didn’t budge. I knew I had an opportunity to help people, and that’s all that mattered to me.” He paused for a moment. “V, what can I do to help?”
“What?” Mrs. Kahale asked. “Chester, they’re sixteen!” She almost fell out of her chair.
“Only two years younger than I was when I enlisted. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I want this. I hate the thought of potentially losing my son. But I really do think he got these powers for a reason, and maybe the same is true for your granddaughter.” He flashed a smile at Summer and then continued, “The number of murders I’ve heard about in the last month alone is sickening. There’s something going on here, and I’m almost certain these demons are the cause.”
Summer walked up to her grandmother. “Granny, when I jumped in her body, I felt her despair—her praying for the nightmare to end. It’s something I’ll never forget. I love you more than anything, but I don’t regret my decision.” Summer tried to match Victor’s hard resolve, but Connor noticed a hint of trepidation.
“I’ll train her,” Victor’s dad added. “I’m more than willing to take time out of my day to make sure that your granddaughter can properly defend herself.” Connor didn’t have many interactions with him, but he suddenly knew why Victor lit up every time he mentioned his dad.
Mrs. Kahale stared at her granddaughter with glossy eyes. “Summer, I…” A tear fell down her cheek. “I can’t lose anyone else. I don’t think my heart could take it.”
Summer embraced her. “I have two guardian angels watching my back, granny. I think I’m gonna be okay.” Summer finally smiled her bright, toothy smile.
Mrs. Kahale wiped away the tears on her cheek. “I still think we should try to get the police involved. I’ll head over to the station this evening.”
Summer nodded. “Thanks, granny.”
“So,” Mr. Au said while facing Summer. “When are you free to start your training?” |
The little boy fixed his eyes on Summer’s bright-orange water gun, annoying Victor to no end. He tried everything in his power to get him to stop his incessant gawking, but sadly, nothing worked. Summer sat facing the window, her foot tapping an anxious tune.
Victor found the bus to be surprisingly clean. He recalled the last time he used public transportation. Trash was scattered about, stains of unknown origin covered the seats, and the smell of stale sweat coated his nostrils.
At least the smell is the same
, Victor thought.
“We’re here,” Connor said.
They immediately bolted toward the sanatorium. The bus driver cursed in their direction as they barged through the folding metal doors. Victor felt the rhythm of his heartbeat quicken with each step. He couldn’t tell if it was fear or excitement that had him so agitated. Whatever the feeling, it wrapped itself around Victor, strangling him like a noose.
You got these powers for a reason
, echoed in his mind. He recalled the conversation with his father after his panic attack—his reaffirming words gave Victor solace.
The St. Peter’s sanatorium was constructed in 1903. The dirty, off white eyesore perfectly embodied the phrase ‘style over substance’. Its moss covered pillars attempting to evoke a neoclassical aesthetic aged horribly. And the building’s parking lot was riddled with cracks and litter. A melodramatic plea during a city council meeting and a petition somehow accruing over ten thousand signatures had saved it from being demolished.
There was a single black van parked near the front of the sanatorium. Rust spotted its exterior, and the front bumper was completely gone. Victor and Connor tried to get a peek inside, but the tint blocked their view. Victor pulled on the driver’s side handle, and to his surprise, the door opened. An indescribable funk assaulted them.
“Oh my god, what the hell is that smell?” Victor asked. He peeked at every corner of the interior, trying to find the source.
Connor pinched his nose. “I have no idea.” The smell made him leap backward. He coughed and spat on the ground. “Did you find anything?” he asked, eyes watering.
Victor suffered through the smell long enough to scan the inside. Food crumbs coated sections of the carpet, and about a dozen black ice air fresheners hung from the rearview mirror. “Besides the smell, nothing looks out of the ordinary,” he replied with tears blurring his vision. Victor slammed the door shut. While dry heaving, he noticed Summer standing near the entrance, waving them toward her.
Victor tried to open the sanatorium’s colossal front doors delicately, but its hinges screamed in protest, ruining any plans of subterfuge. The inside was mostly the same disgusting shade of white as its exterior. Two massive roman style support columns stood several feet apart, and a line of thin blue paint wrapped itself around the base of each column. There was a giant round seal in the center of the lobby. A faded-white dove was in the middle, surrounded by a circle painted sky-blue.
There she was, lying on the seal. The young woman’s dark brown hair was a tangled mess and her wrists and ankles were tied. Black duct tape covered her mouth and her cheeks puffed when she noticed them approaching her. She started squirming violently—her muffled cries bouncing off the paint chipped walls.
Summer sprinted to her. Victor and Connor edged their way forward, darting glances at every corner of the lobby. Connor turned to Victor and shook his bottle of holy water. Victor promptly pulled out his bottle and unscrewed the cap.
Summer set her water gun down before grabbing the edge of the duct tape covering the young woman’s mouth. “This is gonna hurt,” she said before ripping it off.
The woman started screaming. “He knows you’re here, he’s behind th—”
A man appeared from behind one of the columns and dashed toward them. He smacked the bottle out of Connor’s hand and it shattered on the ground. Glass shards peppered the marble floor. The figure started toward Victor. He swiped at the bottle, but Victor moved his arm at the last second. Victor started a punch aimed at the man’s face, but he ducked and then kicked Victor’s hand. The bottle made a loud
crash
as it hit the ground.
We really need to get plastic bottles
, Victor thought as he got into his fighting stance. “Summer, focus on getting her out of here! We’ll take care of this guy!”
Summer turned her attention back to the young woman and started untying the rope around her wrists. “You’re gonna be okay. My friends will take care of him.” The young woman could only muster a nod. Streaks of sweat and tears silvered her rosy cheeks.
Connor recovered and sprinted toward the figure. The man turned around, revealing his blood-red eyes. The demon countered Connor’s punch with a kick aimed at his leg. Connor reeled back while holding his thigh. He bit his lip and let out a low grunt.
“Did he send you guys?” The demon howled. Victor ignored his question and lunged at him, aiming a punch at his throat. The demon leapt backward, causing his punch to whiff.
He’s faster than the last one
, Victor thought.
“V, get into angel mode!” Connor yelled. He landed a punch to the demon’s face, staggering him.
Summer was still untying the rope. The young woman’s eyes were glued to the fight. “Your friends, they’re so… bright,” the young woman murmured, her body still shaking. Summer starting freeing her ankles. The braided rope previously binding her wrists lied coiled on the grand near them.
Victor backed away from the demon. He closed his eyes and formed the hand sign Summer taught him. The demon’s sunken red eyes and the young woman’s terror filled gaze crowded his mind’s eye. “V, you can do this!” Connor yelled, ducking a punch from the demon.
“Shut up, I’m trying to focus!” Victor exclaimed.
After removing the rope from the woman’s ankles, Summer picked up her water gun and bolted toward the demon. She lifted the gun and steadied her aim. Streams of holy water splashed against the demon’s cheek, causing smoke to billow from his face. He dropped to the floor, writhing in pain. His screams echoing throughout the lobby. Summer ran back to the woman and helped her to her feet.
Victor’s eyes shot open when he heard the demon’s screams. Connor stood over the squirming demon. He then turned to face Victor. “The holy water’s effects won’t last long, V. You can do this!”
Shit
.
What is wrong with me?
Victor thought
—
still attempting to enter his angel mode.
Summer and the young woman trudged out of the sanatorium. The woman limped to the black van and leaned on the vehicle’s body. “There’s… an ax in the back of the van,” she said.
Summer yanked the door open, immediately covering her nose with her sleeve. She grabbed the ax hidden under a large black sheet. The dried blood on its head gave her pause, but she collected herself and closed the car door. “I’ll be right back!” she yelled.
Connor stood over the demon’s floundering body, waiting for his moment to attack. The demon’s hoarse screams squashed any chance of Victor focusing. He weighed his options. Summer and the girl were safe, so they could count their losses and make a run for it. But Victor had no timetable for the holy water’s effects, so the demon could easily catch up to them. Besides, where would they even go? His inner monologue was interrupted by Summer dashing toward Connor. She was carrying an ax—maroon-colored blood crusting the head’s edge. Connor grabbed the ax and lifted it over his head. Summer grimaced as Connor repeatedly chopped at the demon’s neck. A pile of ash was all that remained.
Victor collapsed to his knees and punched the ground. “Fucking worthless…” he whined, his fist stinging from making contact with the hard floor. Connor dropped the ax. It made a loud
clunk
as iron hit marble. Connor ran to Victor and put a hand on his shoulder. He helped Victor to his feet, and they walked to the exit. Summer snatched up the water gun she dropped near the seal before catching up with them.
The young woman was still leaning against the van. The red marks on her wrists and ankles made Victor perk up. He kneeled beside her and forced a radiant smile. “Hey, I’m V. And these are my friends Summer and Connor. What’s your name?”
Her face lit up. “Gold,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen gold before.” Victor turned to face Summer.
“Hold on,” Summer said, “you can read auras?”
The young woman nodded. Her messy brown hair partially covering her face. “Your aura is Violet.” She turned to Connor, “And yours is white, but,” she squinted while lifting a hand to cover her eyes, “it’s so bright. Who in the world are you guys?”
Summer presented a nervous smile. “They’re… special,” she said. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”
“April,” the woman said with her eyes still fixed on Connor.
Summer tenderly put her hand on the woman’s arm. “April, who was that guy in there?”
“I don’t know. I was walking home from work when he grabbed me and put me in his van. He tied my hands and wrists and then put duct tape over my mouth.” April looked at her wrists. Tears formed as she inspected the red marks.
“You’re gonna be okay. He won’t hurt anyone else,” Connor said.
“He… kept saying ‘I want you for myself’ over and over again,” April stammered.
“Was he alone?” Victor asked.
April used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. “It was just him, but I heard him say a name.”
“Do you remember the name?” Summer asked.
“He turned around while driving once and said ‘Aayan can screw himself.’”
They all shared a glance. Victor shrugged his shoulders before kneeling back down and peering into the woman’s dark brown eyes. “We’re gonna take care of you.” He turned to face Connor. “Where’s the nearest hospital?”
The bus stop bench was wide enough to fit the four of them. Victor sat with his back slouched, vacantly staring at the ground—Summer and Connor periodically sneaking glances at him. The nearest hospital just so happened to be the one Victor recently got released from. His stomach turned at the thought of having to step foot in there again.
April took a break from staring at Connor to glance at her brooding savior. “What’s wrong?” April asked. She had used one of Summer’s extra scrunchies to tie her hair into a ponytail.
Victor looked at her and sighed a weary sigh. “It’s nothing. How are you feeling?”
April smiled. “Grateful.” She looked at her wrists. “His aura was so dark and twisted. His eyes were full of hate and... desire.” Summer gently rubbed April’s back. “How did you guys even find me?”
“Summer saw you in a vision. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have even known you needed help,” Connor said.
Summer blushed. “And if it wasn’t for these guys, that demon would have killed me.” Victor slumped lower.
“Demon?” April asked.
“Yeah,” Connor answered. “They’ve been around for a long time, but they rarely harmed humans before. I don’t know what’s causing this change.” He rubbed his nonexistent beard.
April stared at him, trying to parse this new information. She eventually turned to Summer and asked, “You had a vision? I’m sorry but… what does that mean exactly?”
“To be honest, I’m not exactly sure. I saw the sanatorium, and then I sort of jumped in your body for a couple of seconds. I felt your fear, and the pain in your wrists and ankles.” Summer paused for a moment. “I’m… so sorry you had to go through that.”
April’s eyes widened. “You jumped in my body?” Summer nodded, her mouth morphing into a nervous smile. “It doesn’t matter. You guys saved me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
“Repay us? We saw someone in danger and helped them. Anyone would have done the same,” Summer said.
April grabbed Summer’s hand. “Thank you.”
Summer pouted at April’s injuries. “You’re welcome. It’s great meeting someone else that can read auras. The only other person I know is my grandmother.”
“Growing up, I didn’t know anyone else like me,” April said.
“That must have been difficult,” Connor added.
“It was tough at first, but eventually I learned how to deal with it. My parents still think I’m a little crazy, but at least I know who to be friends with and who to stay away from. It’s kind of like a superpower.” April turned back to Victor—his head was still down. “Summer, why are Connor and V’s auras so… different?”
“Well, Connor was an angel, and V is half-angel.” April raised an eyebrow. “I really wish I had more to say, but that honestly sums it up.” Summer chuckled.
April gave Summer a flat stare. “First demons, now angels… I think I’m starting to feel lightheaded.”
Victor slightly lifted his head. “I know the feeling. You’ll get used to it.”
Rain drops pattered on the bus’ windows. They all got glares as they scurried to the open seats in the back of the bus. It only took a couple of minutes for the drizzle to turn into an outright downpour.
Victor stared daggers at the blue hospital sign about a mile from the building proper. When they finally reached the waiting room, he recoiled in disgust. Connor spoke to the receptionist and within ten minutes, a nurse came to where they were seated. She guided April to the examination room.
“Don’t forget about the holy water!” Summer exclaimed. An elderly woman seated nearby turned to give Summer a confused glance.
April waved at them as she walked away. Once she was out of their view, Summer glared at Victor—her eyes full of venom. “What the hell is wrong with you?” She seethed. Victor went mute, frantically darting his eyes around the room. “We just saved someone's life, yet all you could do on our way here was pout?”
“We? I didn’t do shit.”
“So What!” A thunder crack tore through the hospital’s thick walls. He suddenly felt everyone’s eyes on him. “I don’t exactly know why we got these powers, and honestly at this point, I don't care. What I do know is someone needed our help, and we helped them. You’re a superhero, right? Isn’t that what it’s all about?”
“I…” Victor dropped his head and stared at Summer’s shoes. Summer rarely got mad, and he couldn’t even recall the last time she screamed at him. On the bus ride to the Sanatorium, he envisioned things going differently—him saving the day with one glorious punch. The thought of him not being able to even get a hit in never crossed his mind. He raised his eyes to meet Summer’s gaze and winced. Her face communicated disappointment, twisting the knife already in his chest. “I’m so sorry,” Victor said. Summer ran to give him a warm embrace. He got whiplash from her sudden change in demeanor.
“You
just
got these powers,” Connor said. “Why would you beat yourself up over not mastering them yet?”
“What if you guys got hurt? What if April got hurt? It would have been my fault.”
“V, get over yourself,” Summer said, her demeanor changing again. “We all knew the risks, and we went anyway. You aren’t alone in this.”
Victor grabbed the amethyst attached to his necklace and studied its sharp ridges. “April must think I’m a huge dickhead.”
“Well, I think you're a huge dickhead, and we’re still somehow friends,” Connor said.
Victor smiled and then pulled out his phone to check the time. “Shit, how are we gonna explain being out so late to our parents?” Victor asked.
“I texted my granny that we were going to the movies,” Summer responded.
Victor turned to look at the water gun on the nearby table. “With a water gun?”
Summer presented a sly grin. “She was in the kitchen, so she didn’t actually see us walk out.”
“Alright, what movie did we see?” Connor asked.
“Why does that matter?” Summer asked.
“Well, if our parents ask us what we saw, we need to have the same answers.”
“Good point,” Victor said. “So… what
did
we watch?” |
Mr. Au stood before her with his arms to his sides; two muscular appendages hanging from a broad torso. He was glaring at Summer with a look that made the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Stern and focused.
Victor’s backyard was surprisingly large for a home of its size. The grass was neatly cut, and it was a rich forest-green. His furniture set was monochromatic, clean, and free of any wear and tear. It was in stark contrast to her own backyard. What Summer’s backyard lacked in tidiness it made up for in sheer flamboyancy. Flowers of varying shapes, sizes, and shades lined its edges. And her patio furniture set consisted of a table with a tree stump painted green as its base, and faded rainbow-colored beach chairs. Summer turned to Connor sitting on the deck, messing with his phone. Her eyes then moved to Victor, who was looking back at her with a mocking grin stretched across his face.
Connor lifted his head. “You got this.”
“Yeah, go get em’!” Victor yelled, still smiling.
“Summer, look at me,” Mr. Au demanded. She jerked her head forward. Mr. Au then glared at the deck, shaking his head. “Hey guys, go inside until we finish.”
“What?” Victor whined. “I really wanted to see this.”
“You guys are distracting her. This isn’t a game. Besides, you two are already proficient enough in hand to hand combat. I’ll be going through the basics for a while, so there’s nothing here for the two of you to learn. Now please, go inside.”
“Yes, sir,” Victor said with a tinge of defiance in his voice. He ambled his way through the glass sliding doors. Connor gave them a quick nod before following behind him. Summer relaxed her shoulders. The nest of snakes battling in the pit of her stomach eased their relentless attacks.
“You ready to get started?”
Summer put her arms to her sides and straightened her posture. “Yes, sir.”
“The most important thing when it comes to hand to hand combat is your fighting stance.” He put his hands up before continuing. “Hold your hands high to protect your head and face. Keep your fists clenched, but relaxed. Make sure your elbows are high and close to your body, and keep your weight evenly distributed on both of your feet to create a stable base. You want to stay light on your feet, so keep your knees slightly flexed to allow quick movement in any direction. Okay, now you try.”
“Yes, sir,” Summer said, raising her hands and mimicking his stance to the best of her ability. Outside of gym, those few years of volleyball in middle school, and the cheerleading debacle her freshman year, she rarely got much exercise. Despite this, she was still in pretty good physical shape. A true testament to the power of fortuitous genetics. Victor had been an uber-athlete since she first met him, and Connor had hidden how adept he was at martial arts for all these years. The thought of her potentially becoming dead weight crept up from time to time since they encountered the demon at the sanatorium. A holy water gun was great and all, but she realized that being able to defend yourself without the need of a weapon was the ultimate contingency. Summer took a deep inhale and looked up at Mr. Au, awaiting his inevitable critique. The snakes in her stomach were rearing for another go.
“Make sure your elbows are close to your body.” Mr. Au moved Summer’s elbow and then tapped one of her knees with the back of his hand, causing her to bend them slightly. He backed away, inspecting her stance. “Perfect.” Summer could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile on his face.
***
Connor was sitting on the couch, peering through the large glass doors.
“Oh my god,” Victor announced.
“What?” Connor asked, still staring at Summer.
Victor crossed his arms and looked Connor up and down. “You finally made a move, didn’t you?” Connor went mute, his face flushing red. “Finally!” Victor exclaimed.
“How did you know?”
“It’s written all over your face, man. Before, when I caught you staring at her, you had this sad puppy dog thing going on.” Connor furrowed his brow. “But the look in your eyes is completely different now.”
“V, what are you talking about? Sad puppy dog?”
“Trust me. I’m a master at these things.”
“Did you know she was into me?”
“Of course I knew. She blushed the first time she saw you.”
Connor was taken aback. “She did?”
“She did.” Victor sat up. “I’m really happy for you. Summer is awesome.”
“Thanks. So… how did your date go?”
“She’s already in love.” Connor rolled his eyes, sighing a deep sigh. “Seriously, though, it went great. She’s hot, nice, and really easy to talk to. Also, I learned that coffee sucks.”
“Why did you go to a coffee shop in the first place?”
Victor shrugged. “She’s always carrying around one of those giant plastic iced coffee cups.”
“Wait a minute, you actually took what she likes into account?” Connor used his hand to cup one of his ears. “Are those wedding bells I hear?”
“Relax.”
Connor laughed, then turned to the backyard. His smile waned as he watched Summer practicing kicks. “Do you think Summer is gonna have another vision?”
“I don’t know. Helping April was amazing, but Summer was so shaken up after her vision that I’m not looking forward to her having another one.” Victor rubbed the top of his recently cut head. “We’ve got to find a way to protect people from these demons without relying on her visions. I mean, what if that was a onetime thing? Are we just gonna wander around the city looking for people with red eyes and spiky auras?”
“Do you remember the name of the guy April told us about?” Connor asked. Victor gave him a perplexed look. “We asked her if the demon was working with someone and she told us she heard him say a name—it’s on the tip of my tongue.”
“Oh yeah. I think his name was… Aaron?”
“No, that doesn’t sound right…” Connor closed his eyes, desperately trying to recall the name. “Aayan!” he eventually yelled. “I’m pretty sure April said the demon mentioned someone named Aayan.”
“So, you think this Aayan guy is the reason why these demons have been hurting people?”
“I don’t know.” Connor glanced out the window. Summer and Mr. Au bowed and then started toward them
Mr. Au slid the door open. “You guys better watch out. Eventually we’re gonna start sparring, and she might give you fits,” he said with a hand on her shoulder. He gave Victor and Connor a look. “Why the serious faces? What were you guys talking about?”
“Summer, do you remember when April told us that the demon mentioned someone named Aayan?” Connor asked.
Summer used her palm to wipe the sweat from her forehead then wiped it on her thigh. “Yeah, she told us the demon said ‘Aayan can screw himself’.”
“April also told us that the demon said he wanted her for himself,” Connor said. “I’m guessing this Aayan guy is the one that ordered him to kidnap April.”
Victor leaned back in his chair. “I haven’t met many demons, but from what I’ve seen, I can’t imagine one of them taking orders.”
Mr. Au left and then returned with a towel in each hand. He threw one at Summer and used the other one to wipe his face and arms. “You guys need to fill me in.” Victor’s dad threw the towel over his shoulder. “Summer, did your grandmother talk to any police officers at the station?”
“Yeah… let’s just say it didn’t go very well.”
“I’m gonna need details.”
Summer sighed. “Well, she spoke to a receptionist and told him she wanted to report the existence of demons. After immediately getting laughed at, she walked out of the station.”
Victor snickered. “What did she expect?”
“Victor,” Mr. Au said with a glare.
“Sorry.”
“At least she tried. Make sure you practice your stance and I’ll email you a couple of videos for you to watch. Call it a homework assignment.” He gave her a wink. “Now, let’s get you back home.”
Summer waved her hands over the car’s air vents. The sun was especially brutal that day, illuminating the neighborhood and causing everything to look slightly overexposed. “It’s so beautiful outside,” Summer noted as she passed an immaculately kept front lawn. “But this heat…”
“Yeah, and it’s supposed to be like this all week,” Mr. Au said. “Hey Summer, let’s talk for a minute.”
Summer turned to him. His eyes were still on the road. “Sir?”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to call me sir.”
“Yes, si—I mean, yes, Mr. Au.”
“I want to personally thank you.”
“Your welcome, but… what for?”
“V had a tough time dealing with his mother’s death. He started acting out and I would constantly get phone calls from his teachers. Then he came home from school one day and told me about this little surfer girl from California with a cool purple necklace.” He presented a warm smile. “Listen, I know V can be a little rough around the edges, but your positive attitude has done wonders for him. Please keep being that light in his life.”
Summer felt tears forming. “Thank you for those beautiful words. I promise—” Her vision suddenly became blurry. She collapsed into her seat as the world around her faded away. There was nothing but darkness. A feeling of weightlessness started at her toes and trickled up the rest of her body. Then, as if someone flipped a light switch, a building materialized below her. She quickly understood why she felt weightless. Summer was flying—or rather, floating—above the building. She surveyed the area and immediately recognized it as her old middle school.
Summer jumped into the body of a young man. A mixture of sweat and tears burning her eyes. She waved a hand in front of her face and saw nothing but still darkness. Using the same hand, Summer reached around for nothing in particular, hoping that she could get her bearings. She felt slick plastic on her fingertips. She reached again and felt rough bristles. A broom. The faint smell of chemical cleaner combined with the stench of sweat and fear in the air. It was so revolting she almost gagged.
Summer woke up to Mr. Au leaning over her, shaking her. “Summer, what happened?”
“I… had another vision.”
“What did you see?”
“Nothing, it was completely dark. I did feel a broom, though. And I smelled chemical cleaner. Wait, before I jumped into the guy’s body, I was floating above Newburg.”
“The middle school?”
“Yeah.” She rubbed her temple with her fingertips.
“We’re going back to get V and Connor.”
“Wait!” Summer exclaimed. “Drop me off at my house first. I need to pick some things up.”
Mr. Au buckled Summer’s seatbelt and sped toward her house. Once there, Summer darted through her front door. Her grandmother jumped when the blur in the shape of her granddaughter sped up the stairs.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Summer ignored her and grabbed four bottles of holy water from her closet. She sped back down the stairs and stopped at the foyer. “Granny, I had another vision. He’s in Newburg and he’s terrified. Mr. Au said he’s gonna drive us there after we pick V and Connor up.”
“Wait, what?” Her grandmother rose to her feet.
“Please, granny, I don’t know how much time he has. Mr. Au is gonna be with us this time.”
“Summer, please… be careful, okay?”
“Don’t worry, granny. I have three guardian angels now.” She ran outside and jumped into Mr. Au’s car.
Mr. Au parked in his driveway and sprinted through his front door. “Guys,” he said. “Summer had another vision. This time, the person is at Newburg
.”
“
The middle school?” Connor asked.
“Yeah. V, I need you to get my ax from the garage.”
Victor sprung out of his chair. “Wait—”
“V, get my ax. Now!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mr. Au, take this.” She handed him a bottle. “Holy water stuns them for a little while.” She turned to Connor. “Did you bring one?” Connor reached into his pocket and presented a glass bottle. “Good, I’ll give a bottle to V when he comes back.”
“Summer, you said you felt a broom and smelled chemical cleaner, right?” Mr. Au asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’m thinking he’s in the janitor’s closet. Do you guys remember the layout of the middle school?” Victor appeared with a giant ax in hand. It had a cherry red handle, and the silver-colored head was gleaming. Mr. Au grabbed the ax and inspected it.
“Once we get there, I’m sure I’ll remember the layout,” Connor said.
Mr. Au peered at everyone in the room. His large hands making the ax look significantly less imposing. “Okay guys, let’s go.” |
Victor brushed the blades of grass and chunks of soil off his jeans. He tried to catch his breath, but he mistakingly looked at the whistle hanging from Mrs. Kahale’s neck. His shoulders tensed at the sight. “I’m gonna break that whistle one of these days!” he yelled.
Mrs. Kahale lowered her sunglasses, revealing her coffee-colored eyes. The whistle attached to her string necklace swung from side to side. “You’ll have to rip it from my cold, dead hands.”
Victor’s training went from a moderately strenuous exercise in restraint, to an all-encompassing obsession. That dummy’s face was all he thought about at school. It got so bad that Summer caught him drawing sketches of it in one of his textbooks. That drive rubbed off on Mrs. Kahale—her interest level increasing exponentially as each day passed. So much so that she was spending a Sunday afternoon intently watching a teenager punch a man made of rubber.
Victor rested his eyes on the crumpled piece of paper attached to the dummy’s head. He would occasionally imagine it as the face of the demon he encountered at the sanatorium.
I choked
, he thought as he visualized the demon’s lanky build.
That’s never happening again
. Victor would recall Summer’s words at the hospital, soothing him if any sense of ineptitude crept up, but the feelings never truly went away.
His peripheral vision caught Mrs. Kahale raising the whistle to her lips. Its airy, high-pitched blare heightening his focus as he entered his angel mode. It only took him nine seconds. A new record. The drawing’s red eyes grew larger as he sprinted toward the dummy. The ‘light’ punch he threw caused it to fall over. His eyes were now on the blank space where several pickets used to be.
Damn it
.
“Hold it,” Mrs. Kahale said, staring at the timer on her phone. Victor focused on his breath for what felt like centuries, but eventually, the added physical and spiritual weight piled on, signaling that he was back to normal. A brief moment of sluggishness replaced the exhaustion he used to feel after exiting his angel mode. “Ten seconds,” she said.
“Damn it!” he yelled.
“You’ve been going at this nonstop. Maybe you need a break.”
“I’ve been getting lucky with these one-on-one fights. I can’t keep getting kicked out of angel mode after one punch. No breaks. Let’s go at it again.”
Mrs. Kahale placed her hands on her knees. “Okay, how about
I
take a break then?”
Victor noticed the sweat droplets dotting her face and arms. “I’m sorry. Please take as long as you need.”
She took a gulp of water from her thermos. “You really go all out, huh?”
“My dad prepared me for this.”
“I wasn’t in the military, so I’ll never be able to ride you that hard.”
“You could have fooled me. You’d whip any cadet into shape.” Victor plopped down on the grass and stared at the base of the dummy. “Thanks,” he added.
“For what?”
“You paid for this dummy out of your own pocket, and you’ve been here every day helping me. Not to mention the damage I did to your picket fence and flowers.”
“You did most of the work, Victor. Besides, we can’t just sit around and let these demons harm innocent people. You might be our best shot at getting this situation under control. Unless you can point me to another nephilim.”
“A nef…”
“That’s what they called human-angel hybrids in the Old Testament.”
“I think we can come up with a better name than that.”
“Okay, Victor the demon slayer.” Mrs. Kahale lifted the thermos to her lips.
“Summer told you about that?”
She slammed the thermos down on the table. “Break time is over!”
“Yes, sir!”
***
“Can I open my eyes now?” Connor asked while using one of his hands as a blindfold.
“Not yet,” Summer said. Connor peaked through an opening between his fingers, seeing only her thigh. “Okay, open!”
The large neon-green water tank Connor saw made him raise an eyebrow. Her right hand was wrapped around the light-blue grip and her left hand was cupping the plastic forestock. A wide black strap was draped across her shoulder. Connor’s eyes moved up to her face, and he saw her blindingly white smile.
“Tada!” She exclaimed.
“What in the world is that thing?”
“My granny broke my last water gun, so I purchased a little upgrade. It came in the mail yesterday. What do you think?”
Connor desperately wanted to question the practicality of lugging around something so large. He wanted to ask her why she spent money on something so ridiculous. But most importantly, he wanted to know why she went with such a hideous combination of colors. He looked into her eyes and forced a smile. “It’s perfect.”
“I love it too! I wish they had some different color choices, though.”
“I actually really like the colors,” Connor lied. He stood up and closely inspected the gun. His fingers brushed across the barrel until his hand eventually met with hers. The softness of her lips melted him every time he went in for a kiss; two cherry-flavored feather pillows resting on a silky-smooth surface. She wore the mango perfume that day, his favorite. He pulled back and removed the gun from her torso, gently placing it on the floor before continuing the make-out session. He opened one of his eyes and peered at the nearby bed. Connor tried guiding her toward it, but he was met with resistance.
“I know what you’re doing,” she said, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
“What do you mean?”
“Connor, it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…”
“What?”
“My granny is
right there
. It would feel weird. Besides, I want our first time to be special, which means no interruptions.”
Her reasoning hit Connor like a spiked bat. Every time he entered her room and closed the door, it felt like they were the only two people on earth. He couldn’t believe that he had to be reminded of her grandmother’s existence. “Of course. I keep forgetting.”
“How could you possibly forget?”
“It’s just… when we’re together, everything else ceases to exist.” Connor truly did not know why he said that out loud.
Summer paused and stared at him. She then let out a cackle, piercing Connor’s soul. “I can’t believe you actually said that.” Summer used a finger to wipe a tear from her eye.
“I can’t believe it either,” he mumbled.
“I really didn’t mean to laugh at you like that. I used to daydream about my future boyfriend feeding me poetic lines. But now that I’m hearing it in real life…”
“I get it.”
Summer pouted and gave him a peck on the cheek. “My granny thinks you’re whipped.”
“Wha—I don’t even—”
“Don’t worry. I confessed to her that I’m the whipped one.”
Any embarrassment Connor felt suddenly dissolved. “Wait, did you just call me your boyfriend?”
“Am I wrong?”
“I don’t know, Summer. Boyfriend is a strong word. We’re more like friends with benefits.” He flashed an impish grin, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came when he saw Summer’s dark face, still as a rock. “Summer, I was joking.”
Summer’s stone face crumbled as she started giggling. “Connor, you’re making this too easy.”
“And you’re getting way too good at that.”
Summer stuck her tongue out. “Hey, wanna see something?”
“Sure. But before that, let me just say that you are a terrible instructor. Every time I tell myself I’m going to meditate, you distract me.”
“You’re the one that jumps on me the minute we enter my room.”
“Let’s not act like I’m the only one that does the jumping. Anyway, you were gonna show me something?”
“Oh yeah, check this out.” Summer leapt into a fighting stance. Connor noticed her stable base and almost perfect arm placement. “Mr. Au just taught me this, so the form might be a little off.” She sharply exhaled before launching an almost picture perfect roundhouse kick. Connor was about to rain her with praise, but her leg buckled and she collapsed onto a floor pillow.
Connor covered his mouth with his hand. “Are you okay?” he asked. Summer started laughing uncontrollably. Connor fell down next to her and began cackling. After five minutes of nonstop laughter, they found themselves on the ground, staring into each other’s eyes. The sound of their breath and the hum from the air conditioning were the only things Connor could hear. At that moment, he wondered if it was even possible for her to be as whipped as him.
“Hey, Connor.” she said, her eyes still peering into his.
“Yeah?”
“I can see your wings.”
“And I see… damn, it’s gone.”
“It’s okay, keep practicing.”
“The violet was still pretty muted. But muted colors are better than nothing, I suppose.”
Summer suddenly closed her eyes, her body going limp. Connor called her name, but he got no response. His heart raced as he started lightly nudging her.
Shit. A vision.
***
“Need another break, granny?” Victor asked.
Mrs. Kahale used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. “Not this time. And that’s Mrs. Kahale to you, nephilim.”
Victor laughed while turning his attention back to the dummy. “You ready?” he asked. She set the handkerchief down on the table and placed the whistle between her lips. Eight seconds after the whistle’s blare, he was back in his angel mode. He leapt at the dummy and tapped it again. It wobbled back and forth before finally standing still. He was overcome with disbelief.
“Woohooo!” Mrs. Kahale screamed. Victor was startled by the sudden noise, but he quickly recovered. In his excitement, he sprinted toward the old woman, picking her up and then spinning her around. “Victorrrrr!” she yelled while being lifted off the ground. “Put me down!”
Victor abruptly stopped spinning in place and then placed her back down. “Oh my god, Mrs. Kahale, I’m so sorry I jus—”
“You did it!”
“
We
did it! Alright, let’s go again.”
“You can punch that stupid thing all day, but
I
am going back inside and taking a bath.”
Victor checked the time on his phone. “Wow, what time did we start again?”
“Four hours. We’ve been out here for four freaking hours.”
“How about we take a five-minute break and then get back to it?” Mrs. Kahale stared at him with squinted eyes. Victor grinned back at her. “Okay, ten minutes?”
The patio doors violently swung open and Summer charged toward them. A large and plastic contraption was in her hand. Victor’s couldn’t stop staring at it. “Summer, wha—”
“V, I got another vision. I let your dad know, and he’s on his way right now. Do you need any holy water?”
Victor dug into his pocket and presented a small plastic bottle. “No, I—”
“Perfect!”
“Summer, slow down,” Mrs. Kahale said.
“Granny, he’s terrified, and he needs our help.”
“What did you see exactly?”
“He’s hiding under the bridge at SooHoo park. The boy looked young.”
“So it’s a kid this time? Damn,” Victor said.
Mrs. Kahale crossed her arms. “Is he alone?”
“Looks like it,” Summer said.
“What else did you see?” Victor asked.
“I could see some sunlight, but he was hiding in the shadows. And he was wearing a backpack.” Connor appeared right behind her.
“Is my dad here?” Victor asked.
“Not yet.” Connor reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of holy water. “Need me to grab you a bottle?”
“I’m good.” Victor placed a hand on Mrs. Kahale’s shoulder. “Wanna come with us? I doubt I could convince you not to come if you wanted to, so I might as well ask.”
“Thanks for the invitation, but I’ll pass.” She reached both of her arms out and gave Victor a tight hug. “Please be careful. We’re not done training yet.”
“Get ready, because when I get back, we’re gonna go even harder.”
Mrs. Kahale waved Summer and Connor over to her. “You thought I’d forget about you guys?” |
Victor flinched as Summer began applying warm water to his wound. She then tossed the water bottle aside before dabbing Victor's bloodied hand with a paper towel. Mr. Au grabbed the first aid kit in his car and handed it to Connor, before doubling back toward Jake, who was leaning against the driver-side door.
Victor glared at his reflection in the puddle of water and blood on the ground. “Hey, uh… what you did back there was pretty awesome.”
“You’re the one who kicked that demon’s ass,” Summer said while eying the first aid kit. “All I did was put a little pep in your step. Do me a favor, though. Next time, how about you
only
aim for the head.”
Victor smirked. Summer showed absolutely no fear in the face of a demon. Was it adrenaline that made it seemingly so easy for her to dash into danger? “Either way, thanks,” Victor said.
“What are friends for?”
“So, who taught you how to treat a wound?”
Summer cracked a nervous smile. “I was always getting hurt as a kid. It got so bad that my granny taught me a little first aid.”
Connor picked up the tossed water bottle and then handed her a tube of antibiotic cream. "I'm not surprised. You took every game we played way too seriously." He brushed a loose strand of hair from her shoulder.
Victor rolled his eyes. “You guys aren’t gonna turn into
that
couple, are you?”
“Couple? Wait, who told you…” Summer glared at Connor. His cheeks flushed a bright red.
Victor snickered to himself. “I was just teasing. I’m happy that you two are together. Just please, don’t get all lovey-dovey around me. I get uncomfortable when strangers do it, so imagine how I’ll feel watching you guys exchange kissy faces all day.”
Connor placed his hand on Summer’s shoulder. “No promises.” He took the antibiotic cream from her and pulled out a bandage roll.
Victor turned to see his dad talking to Jake. “Guys, he can read auras,” he said. “First April, now Jake. I think I’m picking up on a pattern.” Summer dropped her eyes and promptly started wrapping Victor’s wound.
“Your dad interrogated the demon,” Connor said.
“Wait, really?”
“He said that he was just following orders.”
“From Aayan?” Victor asked. He then snuck a glance at Summer, tightly wrapping his hand. She was absorbed by the act.
“Yep. Your dad also got a description out of him.”
“Alright, now we’re getting somewhere!”
“I wouldn’t get too excited,” Connor said. “He’s apparently a tall white guy with long brown hair.”
Victor exhaled sharply. “Great, we’re looking for a tall white guy in Wyoming. That really narrows it down.”
“That’s not all. We found out that La’el might be the person behind all of this. Actually,
person
isn’t the right word…”
“That’s a pretty name,” Summer said while inspecting Victor’s freshly wrapped hand. “Who’s that?”
“La’el is the overseer of hell.”
“So he’s the devil?” Victor asked, stiffly moving his arm up and down.
“The devil, as described in many religions, is inaccurate,” Connor said. “Even the various depictions of hell are incorrect.”
“Are you actually about to provide us with some important information?” Victor asked, feigning a look of shock.
Connor poorly hid a smile. “I’ve never been to hell, so of course I can’t really prove that what I’ve been told is true.” Connor placed the remaining bandage roll back in the first aid kit. “Hell isn’t a place where damned souls go to burn for eternity. It’s more like a rehabilitation center.”
“So, hell is like a prison?” Summer asked.
“Uh… sure. When a mortal soul who has committed horrible acts dies, instead of ascending to a higher plane, they go to hell, where they’re given an opportunity to be sent to heaven.”
“This La’el guy must be the warden then,” Victor said.
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Connor said. “I was told that La’el was one of God’s first creations, tasked with helping souls repent for what they did as humans. Ultimately, he decides who stays in hell and who is allowed into heaven.”
“If this super old and powerful angel is in charge of keeping them in line, how do they end up possessing humans?” Summer asked. “He must be terrible at his job.”
“Angels aren’t omniscient. There are prison breaks on earth, right? The same thing applies to the souls in hell. It’s just that before, demons would only possess humans to revel in as many of earth’s pleasures as possible. Drinking, gambling, drugs, etc.” Connor met Summer’s gaze. “It’s possible that La’el is purposefully sending demons to this plane in order to harm the spiritually sensitive… people like yourself.”
“Over my dead body,” Victor declared.
“
Our
dead bodies,” Connor retorted. “We’re not gonna let anything happen to you. Besides, it might just be a coincidence. We still don’t know what’s really going on.”
Summer forced a smile. “Those demons are gonna be in for a rude awakening when I find my water gun.” She grabbed her amethyst pendant and her smile waned. “Thanks, guys. Seriously.”
Victor placed his uninjured hand on her shoulder. “I thought angels were supposed to be all loving and peaceful. Why would this La’el guy be sending demons to this plane?”
“That’s the million dollar question,” Connor said.
Mr. Au walked up to them and examined Victor’s hand. “Wow, good work.”
“Thank you,” Summer said. Her eyes moved to Jake standing near the car, staring at the pink horizon creeping up behind the school building. “What did he tell you?”
“Jake’s the new orchestra teacher. He was going inside to grab some papers he left behind when he noticed a man and a woman running toward him. He panicked when he saw their auras, so he hid.”
“Anything else?” Connor asked.
“That’s all I could get out of him.”
Victor started toward Jake. He leaned on his dad’s car, making sure to obscure his injured hand. “Do you live nearby?” he asked. Jake stood still, gawking at him. “Um… you okay?” Victor added.
“Yeah, it’s just… gold. I’ve never seen someone with a golden aura before.” He glanced at his necklace. “Can you read auras as well?”
“No, the necklace was a gift from my friend, Summer.” He pointed to her as she and everyone else headed their way. “She’s the mystic of the group.”
“Wow, you are all blessed with such beautiful auras, but yours and Connor’s are especially radiant.”
“Yeah, we’re a bit… different,” Victor said.
“You know, anyone can learn how to read auras. It’s difficult, but with enough practice, it can be done.”
“Really?” Summer asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes. I can teach you how, if you’re interested.”
“Of course! Thank you!” Summer exclaimed.
“You’re welcome. You can even teach yourself how to change the color of your aura, but it’s a pretty advanced skill. Even I haven’t been able to do it yet.” His eyes met Victor’s. “Oh yeah, you asked me if I live nearby. My apartment is about thirty minutes from here.” He turned to look at Mr. Au. “If you wouldn’t mind…”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Victor watched with familiarity as they drove past the school’s practice field. He remembered the grunts and screams that came from the football players doing drills as he got driven home after class. The enormous pine tree he would look up at every morning was just as ominous as he had remembered, and the flagpole was still slightly bent from the time Stephen Elder’s dad drove up to the school drunk.
Jake was in the front seat, staring out the window. “I’ve gotten bad vibes from people before,” he said. “But what I felt back there was something different. I always wanted to believe in the existence of supernatural beings, but knowing that demons are real…”
“You’ll get used to it,” Victor said flatly.
“Why were they after me?”
“I wish we knew for sure,” Connor said. “But we think someone is ordering these demons to hunt down the spiritually sensitive.”
“Any clues as to why?”
“Nope,” Victor responded. “We’re still iffy on most of the details.”
Jake exhaled sharply, then glanced at Summer, her hand resting on Connor’s knee. “I guess I really do need to buy a bunch of holy water.”
“I’ll text you the link to a great wholesaler,” Summer said. “But this should hold you until you can get more.” She pulled out a bottle from the seatback pocket and handed it to him.
Jake shook the bottle and watched the liquid settle. “I oddly miss when the rise in murders was my only source of paranoia.” He sighed a deep sigh. “Now, let me fulfill my promise. The best way to learn how to view auras is to look at yourself in the mirror, except you don’t actually look at yourself, you look past yourself.”
“Huh?” Victor asked.
Jake smiled. “Stand in front of a mirror and relax your eyes. Instead of looking at anything specific, you use your peripheral vision to look at your aura. For an example, have you ever spaced out while looking at someone? You aren’t actually looking at that person. You’re thinking about something and your eyes just so happen to be on the person you’re facing. It’s very similar to that. Look at yourself, but focus on your peripheral vision instead. It’s going to take a lot of practice, but eventually you will see an outline around your body. If you keep it up, you might even see colors.”
“How did you find out about this?” Summer asked
“I’ve always been interested in new-age philosophies and practices. There are a bunch of groups online that help people like us thrive in a world that dismisses our gifts. I can send you some links, if you want.”
“Please, do!”
Jake turned to peer out the window. For several minutes, all anyone heard was the hum of the car’s engine. The setting sun presented a picturesque horizon while also giving everyone a break from the smoldering afternoon heat. “I don’t know how best to ask this,” Jake said, breaking the silence. “So I’m just gonna come out and say it.” Jake turned around. “Connor, V, are you guys human?”
“I am,” Connor answered. “I used to be an angel, though. And V is half-angel.”
“From his mother’s side, I’m assuming?” He presented a nervous smile to Mr. Au. “No offense.”
Mr. Au chuckled. “None taken.”
The wooden frames and multicolored bricks that comprised the many unfinished buildings in Jake’s apartment complex caught Victor’s eye. A haze of dirt and the potent smell of freshly laid cement caused everyone to recoil, prompting Mr. Au to close the windows. Eventually, they reached a three story building painted dark-blue. It was one of the few finished buildings in the complex.
Jake cracked the car door open. “I don’t really know what to say. Thank you just doesn’t feel like enough.”
“It’s more than enough,” Mr. Au said. “Please, keep in touch. We need as many allies as possible.”
“Hopefully we meet again under better circumstances,” Jake said before walking through the front door of his apartment building. Mr. Au let out a loud yawn and then drove out of the complex.
Despite living in Covington his entire life, there were vast swaths of the city that Victor had never seen before. Looking at all the unfamiliar buildings on their way home filled him with a surge of anxiety. But after reaching a recognizable stretch of road, he sank a little deeper into his seat. “Hey Summer,” Victor said. “How often should I do that mirror thing?”
She grabbed Connor’s hand and lifted it up to her face. His eyes widened. “I actually just came up with another exercise that doesn’t require a mirror. Lift your hand up and stare at it, but move your focus to the outline of your hand with your peripheral vision.”
Victor lifted his uninjured hand and stared at it blankly. His hands used to be so rough and covered with cuts and bruises. The faded lines of his old wounds were the only reminder of his old self. “We’re not gonna add this to the group sessions, are we?” he asked. “I don’t think I can stop myself from laughing if it’s just me and Connor staring at our hands for thirty minutes.”
“No, you can do it in your free time.” Summer lowered Connor’s hand while still clasping it. “Connor, eventually you’ll be able to read colors. I’m so excited!”
“What color is my aura?” Mr. Au asked. One hand was on the steering wheel and he wrapped his other arm around the passenger’s side headrest.
Summer leaned forward. “Mostly red.”
“What does that mean?” Mr. Au asked.
“Red is usually associated with strength and passion.”
“What about gold?” Victor asked.
Summer shrugged. “You’re the only person I’ve ever seen with a golden aura.”
“It’s gotta have some elite, super special meaning,” Victor said. “What do some of the other colors mean?”
Summer leaned back in her seat and peered up at the closed sunroof. “White is associated with spiritual balance.”
Victor gave Connor a quick glance. “Balanced? Oh, please…”
“Shhh,” Connor said with a wry smile on his face. “Let her finish.”
Summer let out a snort. “Someone with a mostly blue aura is usually creative and sensitive. Green is associated with compassion, yellow is optimism and friendliness, orange is ambition and courage, brown is greed and self-involvement, grey is depression and sadness, and violet is usually for the spiritually advanced. Jake’s aura was violet, by the way.”
“You said there were swirls of black in our auras when we were in the hospital,” Victor said.
“The only people I’ve seen with completely black auras are demons. But usually black shows up when someone is injured or under a lot of duress.”
“I’m gonna have to write all of this down,” Victor said.
“Being spiritually sensitive is more than just crystals and seeing people’s auras,” Summer said. “As you continue to meditate and train, you will start to notice the subtleties of human communication. Eventually learning what it means to
really
connect with someone.”
Victor stared at his hand for a while, trying to parse her meaning. His gaze suddenly rose. “Connor, why did you hide the fact that you could see auras?”
“You never seemed like the type to believe me. You constantly mocking Summer was confirmation. I didn’t want to say anything that might push you away.”
“Yeah, I made fun of her, but she was still my friend. You could have said something.”
“As time went on, I grew fond of laughing at the two of you bicker.”
Summer squeezed Connor’s hand. “So… you just sat there and let him tease me for years because you thought it was funny?” Connor grimaced and then swiftly pulled his hand away. A loud guffaw came from the driver’s seat.
The sunset’s purple and orange hue hypnotized Victor. He sank even deeper in his seat as the sporadic number of recognizable buildings turned into several miles of familiar locales. They dropped Summer off first. Victor saw all the tension in her grandmother’s body release the moment she noticed their car.
“Text me when you get home,” Summer said as she backed away from the car.
“That’s way too long of a wait,” Connor said. Victor desperately wanted to say something snarky at that moment, but he controlled himself.
“Don’t forget to practice seeing your auras!” she exclaimed. “You too, Mr. Au!”
The drive to Connor’s home was a quiet one. Exhaustion hitting everyone at once. Even Mr. Au couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his eyes.
“Text me when you get home!” Victor exclaimed as Connor was standing on his porch steps.
“Very funny,” Connor said. “Thanks for… well, everything, Mr. Au.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Connor, we were pretty awesome back there, weren’t we?” Victor asked.
“Absolutely. Heal up, bro.”
“Will do.”
Victor promised himself that he would take a shower the second he got home, but he made the mistake of sitting down first. The couch felt like it was made of the finest upholstery, and the distance to the stairs lengthened with each breath. His dad interrupted his fusion with the couch by walking up to him with a first aid kit in hand. The almost blindingly sharp pain got duller and duller with each passing moment after they left the school. By the time Victor got home, he almost completely forgot about his injured hand.
“Lemme see,” his father demanded. Victor lifted his arm and let his father unwrap the bandages. Mr. Au’s eyes widened. His hand appeared to be almost completely healed.
Victor clenched and then unclenched his fist. “Good as new.” |
Connor’s old middle school came into view, drenching him in nostalgia. Memories of stressing over assignments and praying for the abolishment of pop quizzes filled him with a bizarre sense of longing. It was a simpler time; A time when Connor truly felt like a normal teenager, free from the burdens that currently plague him.
The building had an exterior composed of brown brick—immaculately maintained shrubs and bushes garnishing its otherwise plain looking facade.
Mr. Au hopped out of the car and snatched his ax from the trunk. “Connor, lead the way,” he said as he made his way toward the building’s entrance. Connor grabbed his bottle of holy water, cueing Victor and Summer to do the same. He then hurried toward one of the four enormous front doors and pressed against its metal push bar. Years of use faded its silver color, leaving it murky and smudged. Unfortunately, the door didn’t move, prompting him to try the other three. But they were just as uncooperative as the first.
“It’s locked,” Connor said.
“Yeah, we can see that,” Victor snorted.
“Watch out,” Mr. Au said while waving Connor away. He took several steps back and then launched into a front kick, busting the door wide open. He stomped through the entryway, gripping his ax with two hands. Summer and Connor both turned to give Victor a glance. He smiled, unmoved by this sudden feat of superhuman strength.
“Hopefully, all that noise grabbed the demon’s attention,” Mr. Au said.
Connor prowled ahead. “And why would we want that, exactly?”
“If this guy is in the janitor’s closet, I assume he’s in there to hide, and I’m pretty sure I just made enough noise to distract the demon’s search for a bit.” He stopped. “Decapitation is the only way to kill one, right?”
Victor paused, staring at the bright red handle of his father’s ax. “Yes, sir.”
“Got it. Connor, take point.”
“Sir,” Connor said with a nod.
As Connor stalked through the halls of his old middle school, he was astounded by how small everything looked. The lockers he used to peer up at now came up to his shoulders, and the hallways he remembered getting lost in when he first got there as a pimple-faced sixth grader were now significantly more narrow. The pale sunlight beaming through the windows partially illuminated their path—each of their shadows licking at the walls. The school’s layout became more familiar with each step. By the time they reached the end of the first hallway, Connor recalled the location of the janitor’s closet, right across the hall from his seventh-grade science classroom.
They eventually turned a corner, and Connor pointed at the entrance to the closet.
“Wait,” Mr. Au said with a hand up. “I’ll lead the way from here. Remove the caps from your bottles and be prepared for anything. It’s quiet now, but who knows what we’ll find once we get inside.”
“Why
is
it so quiet?” Summer asked, wiping the sweat from her eyes.
“I don’t get it either,” Connor said. “It’s possible that the demon is upstairs looking for him, but we would have heard something by now, right?”
“Guys, we’re wasting time,” Victor said.
Mr. Au started toward the door. “You’re right. Let’s go.” He slowly turned the dull-brass doorknob and walked into a seemingly empty room. The pungent smell of all-purpose cleaner and dirty mop bucket water made Connor recoil. A large grey cabinet stood beside a stainless steel slop sink. Connor reached his hand out to open it, but Mr. Au stopped him. He put a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to be quiet. Connor leaned forward and heard quick and shallow breaths coming from inside the cabinet.
“Please, don’t be afraid. We’re here to help you,” Mr. Au said. The sound of arduous breathing was his response. Mr. Au paused for a moment. “I’m going to open the cabinet now, okay?” he eventually said. He then pulled on its handle, revealing a young man curled up into a ball. The man lifted his head, presenting his sunken brown eyes. Sweat clumped the dirty-blonde hair that streamed across his forehead. His gaze shifted from person to person until finally landing on Victor—a look of wonder quickly replacing one of abject horror.
Victor smiled. “Are you hurt?”
“N—No, I saw them coming toward me and I hid.”
“Who did you see?” Summer asked.
“Hold on,” Mr. Au interrupted. “There were multiple people after you?”
“Yeah, I saw two of them. Their auras were so...” He lowered his head into his hands. Connor and Victor shot a look at Summer.
“Hey, what’s your name?” Mr. Au asked.
The young man raised his head. “J—Jake.”
“I’m Chester,” Mr. Au said in a calming tone. “Listen, Jake, I know you’ve been through a lot, but we have to get out of here. We can talk more once I know we’re safe, okay?” Mr. Au reached his hand out. “Let’s get you out of there.” A loud
thud
from a nearby door slamming shut made everyone but Mr. Au jump. Jake’s flinching made the broom next to him fall. A couple of heartbeats later, the door to the janitor’s closet swung open.
A svelte man with black hair and a filled out beard stood before them, his blood-red eyes darting across the room. “What the f—” escaped his lips before he suddenly collapsed, squirming on the floor. His screams echoed throughout the halls and smoke peaked through the gaps between his fingers now covering his face. Mr. Au stood over him with the emptied bottle of holy water in his hand.
I didn’t even see him move,
Connor thought.
“Get Jake out of here and book it to my car!” Mr. Au yelled, trying to pierce through the demon’s blood-curdling screams. He threw his car keys at Victor.
“Dad, there’s no way we’re leaving you here!”
“V, I’ll be fine!” He flashed a reassuring smile. “Connor will stay here and help me deal with this guy. Now go!”
Summer turned to Jake and helped him up. “Can you run?” Summer asked.
“What the hell is going on?” Jake asked, his eyes glued to the demon writhing on the ground.
“Just follow us!” Victor exclaimed as he darted out of the room. Summer grabbed Jake’s hand and tailed Victor, letting out a shriek as they hopped over the demon.
Mr. Au stomped on the demon’s chest, holding him in place. His loud cries eventually turned into groans of anguish as he lied there, using a hand to cover his smoldering face. “Connor, throw me your bottle,” Mr. Au demanded. Connor screwed his bottle of holy water and flung it at Mr. Au. He caught it, unscrewed the bottle, then held it over the demon. “Good, now hold his legs.” Connor stumbled toward the demon and used his full bodyweight to hold his legs in place. “Hey, can you hear me?” Mr. Au asked.
The demon moved his hand. A bright red burn mark stretched across half of his face. “Who the fuck are you?” he asked.
“Who is Aayan?”
“What?”
Mr. Au tipped the bottle over and a drop landed on the demon’s neck. He shrieked as he covered the affected area. Connor’s eyes moved from the demon to Mr. Au—whose mouth curled into a wisp of a smile. “I’m not gonna ask you again,” Mr. Au said.
“I don’t know who he is. He’s just some guy we were told to take orders from.”
Mr. Au’s grip on his ax tightened. “Who told you to take orders from him?”
“La’el.”
Connor’s heart sank. “La’el?”
The demon presented a grin, oozing with malice. “The one and only.”
What does he have to do with this?
Connor thought.
“Connor, snap out of it,” Mr. Au said. He turned back to the demon. “Who is La’el?”
“He’s the overseer of hell,” the demon answered, his eyes locked on the partially tipped bottle of holy water being held above him.
“So he’s the devil?”
The demon chuckled, his yellow teeth peeking through his cracked lips. “The devil isn’t real. There is only La’el.”
Mr. Au gave the bottle a light shake. “What does Aayan look like?”
“He’s a tall white guy with long brown hair. He wore an all white suit when I first met him. That’s all I know, man. I promise.” Mr. Au put the cap back on the bottle. “So, you’re gonna let me go?” the demon asked, smiling nervously. “I won’t hurt anyone, I swear.” A flash of red moved downward as Mr. Au sliced through the demon’s neck with one swing. Connor quickly jumped backward, avoiding the human shaped pile of ash.
Mr. Au helped Connor to his feet. “Let’s catch up with—” a loud
bang
came from the direction of the school’s entrance. They shared a glance, then sprinted out of the room.
***
Victor lessened his pace, allowing for Jake and Summer to catch up. “We’re almost there,” Victor said.
He sprinted past the spot in the hallway where he got his first kiss, and he glanced at the display case full of awards he used to look at every morning on his way to class. So many memories flooded his mind all at once. It was almost overwhelming.
Victor turned the corner and saw a thin young woman standing near the exit doors, facing them. He stopped and peered into her red eyes. Summer—seemingly undeterred by the demon’s presence—darted past him and splashed her with the entire bottle of holy water. A loud wail came from the demon as she collapsed—smoke rising from her squirming body.
“V, you got this!” Summer exclaimed. “We’ll be outside waiting. Jake, let’s go!”
I got this
, Victor immediately thought, not allowing himself to dwell on what he had just witnessed. He took a deep breath. The now familiar wave of bliss showered over him. A tingling feeling permeated throughout his body as he received a sudden burst of energy. He then leapt several feet into the air, soaring toward the demon until he was right above her. He curled his hand into a fist and dropped to the ground, landing a punch to her temple. A small crater formed beneath the pile of ash that used to be her body.
Victor looked at his hand. The bliss he felt waned as blood began dripping from his knuckles. A sharp pain started at his hand and then made its way up his entire arm. It took everything in his power to not let out a scream. The sound of footsteps coming from behind caused him to turn around. His dad and Connor stood at the end of the hallway for a moment before eventually sprinting toward him.
“What was that noise?” Connor asked. Victor turned his body, revealing his injury. He grimaced when his father held his hand up to inspect it.
Mr. Au glared at the pile of ash resting atop the small crater, then turned back to his son’s injured hand. “It doesn’t look good”
“Dad, did you forget about my super healing?” Victor forced a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m already feeling better,” he lied, turning to face the exit. “Summer and Jake are waiting for us outside.” Connor and his dad helped him to his feet, and they trudged ahead. Victor snuck another glance at the crater. Small cracks fanned out from the indent caused by his fist, exposing the dirt underneath.
“What happened?” Summer asked when she first saw them. “I heard a bang and then—” She gasped after noticing Victor’s hand. “V, are you okay?”
“I’m gonna be fine. I just need to rest it for a bit and it’ll be as good as new.” Victor locked eyes with Jake, who was standing near the car. While maintaining eye contact, he walked up to him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks to you guys.” He winced at Victor’s bloodied hand. “What happened?”
“Oh, this? Just a scratch.” |
“You’re pretty tall for a nine-year-old,” Summer said. The open car window caused Trevor’s flowing blonde hair to ruffle in the wind—his eyes laser-focused on Victor.
“My grandpa said my dad was really tall,” Trevor said. He was stuck to Summer like glue. His hand—which was the same size as Summer’s despite being seven years her junior—was resting atop of hers.
“Trevor, look at me,” Summer said. “You remember the promise you made to V, right?”
“Of course I do. I just made it a couple of minutes ago.”
Victor chuckled. “I like this kid.”
“First question,” Summer said. “What were you doing at the park alone?”
Connor peeked into Trevor’s backpack. “And why did you bring a dead Nintendo DS, three bottles of water, and a box of honey buns?”
“The DS was for when I got bored,” Trevor said. “But I ended up playing it all day and I forgot my charger, so it didn’t last very long. The water and food was for when I got hungry.”
“Okay, but why were you there by yourself?” Summer asked.
“My grandpa said I’m possessed and that he’s gonna send me to a catholic school, so I ran away.”
“Well… are you possessed?” Victor asked.
Summer’s face dropped. “V…”
Victor flashed a wry smile. “After all that we’ve been through, is that
really
a crazy thing to ask?”
“I’m not possessed!” Trevor said.
“Do you know why your dad would think you are?” Summer asked, her face softening.
Trevor lightly squeezed Summer’s hand. “Last week he was helping me with my homework, then out of nowhere, I started dreaming. I woke up to my grandpa shaking me. I told him what I saw in my dream and he started praying and talking about the devil and stuff.”
“Sounds like he had a vision,” Connor said.
Summer didn’t want to overreact, so she forced a smile. “What was this dream about?”
“I was flying for a little bit and then I stopped and looked at this building. Then I was in the body of this girl. She was all tied up and really scared.” He paused. “That’s all I remember.”
Summer tenderly rubbed his back. “It’s okay Trevor, you’re not possessed.” She gave Connor and Victor a glance, and they responded with a nod. “I’ve had these dreams too.”
“Really?”
“Yep, and Connor was right. They’re called visions, and that’s actually how we found you.”
“You were in my body?”
“Well… sort of.”
Trevor shivered. “Weird…”
“Hey Trevor,” Mr. Au said. “How did your grandpa react to you being able to see auras?”
“He doesn’t believe in it.”
“What do you mean?” Victor asked.
“When I first started living with him, he would yell at me every time I started talking about that sort of stuff, so I stopped.”
“That’s horrible,” Summer said. “What you have is a gift.”
Trevor perked up. “My mom used to tell me that.”
“So your mother also had this gift?” Connor asked.
“No, but she always told me she wished she did. She used to take me to the park and ask me to call out people’s auras as they walked by.”
“Where’s your mom now?” Summer asked.
“She’s in heaven.”
Summer used her thumb to gently rub the top of Trevor’s hand. “And your father?”
“I don’t have one,” he said, a trace of anger in his voice. The car fell silent for a moment—his words hanging in the air.
Mr. Au barreled through the palpable discomfort. “Do you know why those people were chasing you?”
“No. I was messing around with my DS in the gazebo, and then I saw three guys with black auras running at me. They were really slow.”
“Wait,” Mr. Au said. “Did you say you saw three guys?”
“Yeah.”
Mr. Au alternated glanced between Victor, Connor, and Summer. V apparently made quick work of the two demons they saw on their way to Trevor. Maybe this mystery third demon wised up and fled?
“You’re a pretty fast runner, huh?” Victor said, obviously trying to shift the tone to something less dire.
“I’m the fastest kid in my class. Every time we play kickball, I get picked first.”
Connor exhaled sharply. “We still have no idea why they’re coming after people.”
“At least we saved the kid,” Victor said.
“My name is Trevor.”
Victor mockingly put both of his hands up. “You’re right. Sorry, Trevor.”
“You’re a very brave young man,” Mr. Au said. He pulled into a gas station and stopped near a pump. “I’m going to get some gas. Trevor, do you know your home address?”
“Yeah.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“I know things aren’t great at home, but your grandpa is your legal guardian. He’s probably been worried sick.”
Trevor furrowed his brow. “He doesn’t care about me.”
“I bet you’re pretty hungry,” Summer said.
He narrowed his eyes. “Yeah…”
Smudges of dirt covered Trevor’s clothes, and his shoes were caked in mud. The red splotches on his face suggested to Summer that he was mildly sunburned, and the dried lines of sweat and tears left his cheeks discolored. “Mr Au,” Summer said. “How about we head over to my place so he can clean up a bit and get something to eat?” She then dramatically raised both of her eyebrows.
Mr. Au paused for a moment. “You’re right,” he eventually said while shooting Summer a reaffirming look. “I’ll be right back.”
Summer spent countless hours babysitting throughout the years. Sometimes the indirect approach worked best. “See, it’s no problem,” she said, smiling.
“I’m not going back home,” Trevor said. “I mean it.”
“I believe you. But even a kid as brave as you has to eat, right?”
Trevor eyed her suspiciously. “Do you have French fries?”
“We do! I’ll make you some when we get home.”
“O-Okay.”
“Do you still want to know more about me?” Victor asked.
Trevor hesitated, but he eventually turned away from Summer. “Yeah,” he said. “Why are you and Connor so different?”
“What if I told you that angels are real?”
“I already know they’re real.”
“Well, Connor here used to be an angel, and so was my mom.”
“My grandpa told me about fallen angels. Are you guys evil?”
“I can’t speak for Connor here, but I know I’m not evil,” Victor said, refusing to meet Connor’s glare.
“Don’t worry,” Summer said. “No one here is evil.”
Mr. Au returned with furrowed brows, annoyed at the current price of gas. Summer could hear his muffled curses from her seat. “You’re gonna love Summer’s house,” he said as he put his key in the ignition.
Summer spaced out, watching buildings buzz by as they drove down several main roads. She eventually snapped out of it, realizing that no one had spoken in quite a while. She turned to Trevor and saw the heaviness in his eyes, but it wasn’t just him. Everyone’s body language suggested fatigue.
Mr. Au pulled into Summer’s driveway. “Welcome to my house,” Summer said.
“Wow,” Trevor said, wide-eyed. “So many colors.”
Mrs. Kahale opened the front door in a bright yellow sundress and flip-flops. “Welcome back.” She paused for half a second, then aimed an ingratiating smile directly at Trevor. “And who is this handsome young man?”
“I’m Trevor.”
She glanced at the red backpack in Connor’s hands. “Well Trevor, I’m happy to see that you’re safe. I bet you’re starving.”
“Summer told me you have French fries.”
“Of course. But first, I need you to wash up a bit, okay?”
Mrs. Kahale gave everyone a wink before leading Trevor through the front door.
“Did you tell her about Trevor while I was getting gas?” Mr. Au asked.
“I actually forgot to call her,” Summer said, smiling. “She’s just psychic like that.”
Despite exhaustion trying to set in, seeing her house through Trevor’s eyes was a shot of expresso. Every flamboyantly colored flower pot and oddly placed knick knack fascinated him. His eyes were hummingbirds zipping around a flower full of nectar. She jokingly thought that he might pass out from sensory overload.
Mr. Au, Victor, and Connor seated themselves in the living room. Summer heard them conversing as she dug into her freezer, removing all the frozen fruits, vegetables, and imitation meat to get to the bag of organic French fries in the back. Summer remembered the first time her grandmother brought them from the store and—at the time—she found the idea of organic French fries to be comically pretentious.
Summer despised the smell of cooking oil, so she placed a cinnamon apple scented candle on the kitchen counter. As she was placing a pot full of oil on the stove, a loud
bang
came from upstairs, almost making her tip the pot over. Heavy footsteps immediately raced up the stairs. She took a second to recover from being startled before running toward the noise’s source.
The bathroom door was wide open. Summer saw her grandmother holding Trevor’s head up. The water spraying from the shower head was pattering on Trevor’s motionless body. Mr. Au swiftly turned the water off and handed her grandmother a towel. “I rushed in here after I heard a bang and I found him laying down in the tub,” Summer’s grandmother said while poorly trying to maintain a measured demeanor. “He’s still breathing but,” she inspected the back of his head, “I think he hit his head on the tiles.”
“Is he having a vision?” Mr. Au asked while facing Summer.
Summer was still trying to process everything. “I-I don’t know.”
“Trevor has visions?” Her grandmother asked.
“We were going to tell you after he got cleaned up,” Summer said.
“It’s okay, we just—”
Trevor moved his arm to touch the back of his head. “Hey,” Mrs. Kahale said, “what happened?” Trevor didn’t respond.
Summer knelt down by the bathtub. “Trevor, can you hear me?”
Trevor slowly raised his head—his eyes locked on her amethyst stone. “Yeah.”
“Did you have a vision?”
“I saw the church me and my grandpa go to every Sunday. I was a girl with black hair and she was hiding under one of those chair things.”
“A pew?” Connor said.
“Yeah, she was hiding under a pew and…” Summer’s grandmother lightly touched the back of his head. Trevor grimaced the moment her fingers made contact.
“Trevor,” Summer said, “what church do you go to?”
“St. James.”
“That’s off 47th Street,” Mr. Au said, already halfway out the door.
“Go,” Mrs. Kahale said, “I’ll take care of everything here.”
The car was imbued with a manic energy. All the fatigue they previously felt had completely dissipated. Even the way Mr. Au drove was representative of the tone. The turns were sharp, and his inconsistent speeds forced Summer to hold on to the grab handle.
Summer could count the number of churches she knew by name on one hand, or more accurately, two fingers. They pulled up to a dark grey building that was about the width of one of those mom and pop shops she would see when she visited her family in the south. The length—on the other hand—was preposterous. Three giant spires of different sizes protruded out of the top of the building like mohawks. She noticed the small crosses that rested atop two of the spires. The crossless spire had its wooden frame exposed, and it was a lighter grey than the rest of the building. There were construction vehicles parked next to the marquee sign that read:
Closed for construction. The sermon will instead be held at 1897 Davidson Ave.
Mr. Au burst through the church doors and the sound of a female’s voice hit Summer’s ears. She couldn’t discern what was being said, but the cadence was repetitive. They got closer to the nave, and the words became more recognizable until she heard: “
I didn’t mean it,”
over and over again. Once they reached the nave, it was revealed to them that the source of the muttering was a woman with auburn hair. She stood with her back turned to them—her head aimed at the black-haired woman laying motionless before her. Dark red blood stained the corner of the pew next to them.
Victor took a few steps forward and the auburn-haired woman turned around to reveal her crimson red eyes. The face that looked back at them sent a surge of anxiety throughout Summer’s entire body, leaving her rigid. Her eyes were the only part of her that dared to move, and they immediately focused on Victor’s face.
Victor slumped his shoulders before whispering a single word. “Catelyn?”
The orange-haired demon formerly known as Catelyn rushed toward Summer, pushing her into a statue of the Holy Mary. Summer felt an intense pain in her chest for only a few seconds before losing consciousness. |
The smell of various Caribbean spices approached Victor’s nostrils all at once. He was in the living room with his dad, building a Lego set together as they waited for the food to be ready. Victor reached his hand into the pile, digging for the perfect Lego. He giggled as his father surprised him with an embrace. They turned to the kitchen where Victor’s mother was cooking. Smoke billowing from the various pots and pans scattered atop the stove. Her ebony skin glistening with perspiration. She noticed them and flashed her signature smile, causing Victor to melt in his father’s arms.
***
Victor woke up—his mother’s smile appearing clear as day in his mind’s eye. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand, checked the time, then let out an exaggerated sigh. His father’s words suddenly came to him.
Routine is everything.
He immediately dropped to the floor and completed two sets of fifty push-ups with ease. He then lay down on his back and performed the same one hundred crunches he did every morning. Victor’s long black dreadlocks casually fell onto his muscular, light-brown shoulders as he removed his sleeping cap. He usually went through his morning routine without thinking, but his soon to be delivered test scores ran through his mind, leaving little space for anything else. Victor glanced at a previously taken English test. The sixty-two percent written in bright-red marker stabbing him in his chest. There were few things in this world that Victor hated more than studying, but the weight of this particular test compelled him to go on a rigorous studying schedule. The words of his school counselor constantly rang in his ears.
Your future is at stake.
He brushed his teeth, showered, then stared at his closet and visualized the potential outfits he could wear. He ended up choosing a white long-sleeved t-shirt, khaki chinos and the white sneakers he had cleaned the night before. Before putting his sneakers on, he always checked for scuff marks.
He cautiously sauntered down the stairs, making sure to not hit any of the framed medals and ribbons hanging on the walls. He was about to greet his father when a news story grabbed his attention.
“...near Douglas elementary. Information about how she died has been labeled as confidential by the CMPD, but we expect the truth to come out eventually...”
Victor glanced at his father sitting on the couch, intently watching the TV.
“They found another one?” Victor asked. His dad turned to Victor and smiled—a tinge of despair in his eyes.
“Morning, V. I heard you’re getting your ACT scores today,” Victor’s dad said, trying to change the subject. His son’s shoulders immediately slumped. “I saw how much work you put into studying for this test and I’m proud of you. Even if you don’t get the score that you want, it won’t be the end of the world.” Victor’s shoulders slightly rose, but the residue of concern was still present. “Did you make your bed?” he asked. The question startled Victor. Of course he made his bed, he always made his bed. “Do me a favor and check again.”
Victor reluctantly headed back up the stairs and found his bed unmade and his comforter on the floor. “How did you know?” Victor asked.
“When you’re feeling down, you always forget to make your bed,” his dad said with a smile. Victor masked his embarrassment by swiftly remedying the mistake.
Mr. Au threw an arm around his son, gripping him tightly. Even though his dad was in amazing shape, Victor still found himself startled by his strength. The specks of white peppering his father’s hair were the only noticeable indicators of his age. Without that, he could easily pass for someone twenty years his junior. Victor’s dad was a Vietnamese man in his early forties. He had his typical buzz cut and goatee combo. His slightly faded, tight fitting green t-shirt did little to conceal his muscular frame. Victor couldn’t remember the last time he felt his father’s embrace. They had transitioned to the handshake stage of their relationship and he was comfortable with that, but he appreciated the extra affection. His father pulled back while keeping a hand on Victor’s shoulder. “Make sure you head straight home after school for training, okay? Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The second Victor stepped outside, another memory hit him.
Shoulders back, chest out, and keep your head up, V. Open yourself up to what the world has to offer.
His father’s words always seemed to come to him at the perfect moment. He adjusted his posture, lifted his head, and then started toward the bus stop. As his foot hit the crack riddled sidewalk, he saw his neighbor Connor exit his house and head toward his side of the street. Connor wore a crisp white dress shirt, blue jeans, and navy blue slip on sneakers. Despite wearing the same shoes every day, they were always clean and somehow free of creases. Connor was about three inches taller than Victor, and he especially noticed the height difference that day. He was slight of frame and he always stood with perfect posture. His milky white skin was clear of all blemishes and his dark-rimmed glasses matched his jet black hair.
“What’s up?” Connor said with his eyes half-closed. Victor responded with a head nod, and they walked up to their neighbor’s menacing oak tree. The branches protruding out every which way like the tentacles of an octopus. There was one particular branch that hovered over the sidewalk. Every morning, Victor and Connor would jump and try to grab it. Neither of them ever came close to touching the branch, but they would spend the rest of the trip to the bus stop arguing about who came closest.
As Victor scuttled toward an empty seat in the back of the bus, he caught the eye of a girl he had never noticed before. He gave her a cool smile, making sure to not appear too interested. She responded with a toothy grin before lowering her head and blushing. Her auburn hair fell swiftly.
“What happened to Bridgette?” Connor asked. Victor heard the bite in his voice.
“She wanted something that I couldn’t give her,” Victor said while matching Connor’s tone.
“And what’s that?”
“Monogamy.”
Connor cringed and huffed at the same time. “I’m sure that sounded way cooler in your head. Also, monogamy is a big word for you. Maybe you’ll end up getting a good score after all.”
Victor puffed his chest out. “I
know
I got a good score.”
Their school was a gothic style building with red brick separating the windows that looked blue at certain angles. The cast stone accents added to the building’s almost otherworldly appearance. It was the second high school ever built in Covington, Wyoming, and it was the only school that refused to alter the look of its exterior to match a more modern aesthetic. The eastern side of the building where the buses dropped students off had a concrete path that led to an archway, exposing a large courtyard with stone tables and benches scattered about. Towards the rear of the courtyard, there was a pathway perpendicular to its entrance. The concrete pathway led to two colossal red doors.
Victor and Connor stepped off the bus and headed toward the school’s courtyard. Victor looked at the giant stone block with
Carlisle High School
written on it and groaned. Before he could delve too deep into the thought of dropping out, his dad’s disappointed face flashed in his mind’s eye. He aggressively adjusted his backpack and looked to the courtyard. A brightly colored figure standing near a stone bench looked back at the two teenage boys.
A girl wearing a yellow and white tie-dyed t-shirt, white capri pants, and round sunglasses flashed her almost blindingly white teeth.
“Hey guys!” she yelled. The amethyst stone attached to the girl’s necklace almost shone as bright as her teeth. She stood at a whopping five-feet-four, and her bronze colored skin seemed to glow under the sunlight. Her green highlights had almost completely faded, leaving behind her natural dark-brown colored hair. She paused for a moment, then her smile slowly waned. “Your aura isn’t in good shape, V.” She looked him all over. “There’s gray everywhere.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve mentioned my aura, Summer. I was starting to think that amethyst was just for show,” Victor mocked.
“You can’t joke your way out of this one. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Bridgette broke up with him,” Connor said. “And he thinks acting like he doesn’t care makes him look cool.” He shot Victor a glare before dramatically rolling his eyes.
“You are way off,” Victor said.
“Summer, how long was V’s longest relationship again?” Connor asked.
“He’s just not the monogamous type,” Summer said, ignoring Connor’s question. “And that’s fine.” She grabbed the amethyst stone attached to her necklace. “V, you were saying something?”
“Uh… it was nothing, and stop reading my chakras or whatever you’re doing. It’s creepy.” Victor abruptly headed toward the cafeteria. Summer and Connor tailed him, having a conversation of their own.
The school’s interior went through renovations during summer break. Replacing the discolored, cracked floors with high-quality vinyl. Victor became so accustomed to seeing the same stains of unknown origin on the ceilings, that he oftentimes caught himself staring at the new tiles in awe.
Victor’s stomach turned as he glared at the styrofoam bowl filled with dry scrambled eggs covered in crusty cheese. He usually tried to get some protein into him every morning, but his appetite was nowhere to be found. A basket full of red apples caught his eye. After grabbing one, a gasp came from behind him. He turned and saw Summer covering her mouth with her hand, gripped by shock.
“Are you actually about to eat something healthy?” she asked while turning to face Connor. “You were right. Bridgette did a number on him.”
“Told you,” Connor said while grabbing a pack of blueberry Pop-Tarts.
“There is no way you guys are still on this,” Victor said, exasperated.
“I liked Bridgette quite a bit,” Connor said. “And man, the things we used to say about you behind your back...” He looked up as if he was reminiscing. By the time he looked back down, Victor had already made his way toward an empty table.
Once seated, Connor began his daily ritual. He would always remove the Pop-Tarts from their packaging and place the pastries on a paper towel. He would then carefully remove the crusts from the Pop-Tarts and place them on another paper towel. Once he separated the crust from each Pop-Tart, he ate the crust, then finished the Pop-Tarts afterwards. He did this every morning, and the flavor was always blueberry.
A couple of years ago, Victor and Summer noticed that when Connor was performing this ritual, he would bite his bottom lip and become absorbed by the act. Every once in a while, they would take turns trying to say the most outlandish things possible to see if Connor would notice.
“So my pet cheetah bit my boyfriend’s ear off last night,” Summer said. She took a bite of her apple, juice trickling down the side of her mouth.
Connor put the Pop-Tart down. “You guys realize that I can hear you, right?” Victor and Summer stared daggers at each other. Pieces of apple inside Summer’s mouth became exposed as her lips slowly parted. In all the years that Victor and Summer knew Connor, he had never stopped to address them before finishing his daily ritual. “Yeah, I’m not deaf,” Connor said. “It’s just that until now, I chose to focus on preparing my breakfast instead of reacting to the drivel that came out of either of your mouths.”
“And what made you change your mind this time, my oh so humble king?” Victor snorted.
Connor presented an impish grin, and then met Summer’s gaze. “Bit my boyfriend’s ear off? I’ve heard a lot of silly things over the years, but you saying that you have a boyfriend was just too preposterous for me to ignore.” Victor let out a belly laugh that pierced through the loud cafeteria noise. Summer lowered her head, trying to hide her smile.
“So,” Summer said after everyone settled down. “How do you guys think you did on the ACT?”
“I think I nailed it,” Victor said with a puffed out chest. Summer presented a mocking smile, the same smile a woman gives an overconfident man boasting about their accomplishments on a first date.
Summer gave Connor a look. “Let me guess, you think you got a perfect score?”
Connor put one finger up and quickly finished chewing. “I’m thinking I got a thirty-five, possibly a thirty-four.”
“Oh, so you think you
almost
got a perfect score. How bashful of you,” Victor said with his nose up in the air. “What about you, Summer? How do you think you did?”
“Honestly, I don’t think I did that great. But you know what, even if I don’t get a good score this time, I can always take it again. A test doesn’t define me. One test doesn’t define anyone.” Victor immediately felt the warmth of her words, but he refused to let it show on his face. “Would you look at that? Your aura is clearing up!” Summer exclaimed before flashing her perfect teeth. Victor didn’t respond. He directed his attention toward the untouched apple on the table. He held it by the stem, spinning it on the table like a top.
The first period bell rang. Victor got a sudden burst of energy and he rushed to the cafeteria’s exit, leaving his uneaten apple on the table.
The screech from Mr. Ryan’s whistle quieted the murmurs of the students. They quickly got into a horizontal line in front of the gym teacher. Every kid was forced to wear baggy red athletic shorts combined with t-shirts so stiff, the fabric could easily be confused for wool.
Victor caught Connor sneaking a glance at Summer. Connor sensed Victor looking at him, so he awkwardly directed his eyes forward, feigning a look of indifference. Victor chose to not react. He normally would have thrown a verbal jab under his breath, but he wasn’t in the mood.
“Today’s game is dodgeball!” Mr. Ryan exclaimed. A wave of excitement washed over Victor. The teacher jogged to the supply closet and rolled out a ball rack full of different colored dodgeballs. He languidly pushed the rack toward one side of the gymnasium, as if the act of yelling and jogging exerted all of his energy. Every morning, Victor watched as his gym teacher agonized over every action he took no matter how minute. And every morning he asked himself how someone so out of shape even got the job.
The students separated into two groups of eleven. One group of kids grabbed a ball and went to their respective half of the gym. A thick line of white tape separating each half. The teacher grabbed a chair from the supply closet and sat near the door. The whistle around his neck rattled as he pulled out his phone from one of his pockets. Victor saw Connor on the opposite side of the tape and gave him a devilish grin. Connor rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. Despite physically looking like he was in shape, Victor truly believed that Connor was the least athletic human being on the planet. Even as children, Victor destroyed him in every game that required even a modicum of physical activity. Connor had been taking taekwondo classes since they were kids, yet all of those years of training did nothing for his athleticism and stamina.
Connor despised gym class, and he knew Victor couldn’t resist getting him out as soon as possible, so he always picked the opposing team. Victor turned to his right and saw Summer already holding a dodgeball with a face full of determination, as if ready to head into battle. She encompassed the hippie archetype to a tee, yet when it came to dodgeball, she held nothing back.
The blare of the whistle initiated the start of the game, and without hesitation, Victor flung a ball at Connor’s arm. Connor raised his hand and meandered his way to the section of the gym dedicated to the students that were out. Victor easily caught a ball thrown at him and then threw it back at the perpetrator. His hyper-focus was briefly interrupted by him noticing Summer raise her hand, but he quickly snapped back into focus and caught another ball thrown at him. After several minutes of balls being flung back and forth, it eventually came down to two people: Victor and another student named Collin. Prior to last week, Victor had won every game of dodgeball. Collin had ended his winning streak, and it pissed Victor off to no end. When asked to compare his athleticism to anyone else's, Victor expected to win.
Victor focused on the pale green ball in Collin’s hand. Almost everything surrounding it vanished.
I’m going to win
, echoed in his mind repeatedly until the words lost all meaning. Then suddenly, his breath was the only thing he could hear. He found himself consumed by a gradual feeling of euphoria.
Collin threw the ball. To Victor, it appeared to be moving in slow motion. Then, almost instinctively, he moved his body to the side and grabbed the ball with his right hand. In one smooth motion, he gracefully planted his left foot onto the ground and threw it at Collin’s right leg with pinpoint accuracy.
The sound of the whistle blaring knocked him out of this momentary feeling of complete bliss. He looked over to where the other students were, ready to soak up all the adulation. He felt deflated when he saw half of the students on their phones. The other half appeared to be enveloped in their own conversations.
He panned his field of vision to where Summer and Connor were standing. Summer’s mouth was agape. Her eyes widened, further revealing their hazel-brown color. Connor met Victor’s gaze and a chill ran down his spine. Victor received a look of equal parts terror and befuddlement.
Summer ran to Victor. “You were glowing,” she said with her hands clasped in front of her. Connor made his way toward him with the same disturbing look on his face. It seemed like Connor was trying as hard as he could to not make eye contact with Victor.
The bell signaling a period change brayed. The rest of the students stood up and headed toward the locker room like a pack of lemmings. Victor started toward the locker room as well, leaving Summer and Connor behind. He could feel their eyes following him as he walked away. |
Summer tried dozens of poses at various locations around her room. She wanted to make sure that when they saw her, she gave off the vibe of a spiritual healer. What that actually meant wasn’t clear to her, but she had a feeling that she’d just know it when she saw it. Eventually, Summer plopped down on a floor pillow, gazing upon her newly decorated room; feeling both antsy and exhausted. Posters of pop stars she used to obsess over and hunky actors she promised to marry coated her green-colored walls. Clumped together stickers formed a border on the edges of her mirror. A thin layer of dust covered her dresser, different colored wax from the myriad of candles dotted the walnut. She grimaced at the pile of clothes stacked against a corner.
I really need to clean this
—
A knock at the door interrupted her thought. She leapt up—her stomach twisting with excitement.
The first thing that alarmed her was Victor’s choice of attire. “I told you to wear something comfortable. You don’t own any sweatpants or athletic shorts?”
“I do.” Victor swaggered his way to her collection of crystals scattered atop her nightstand. “But I find jeans to be more comfortable.”
Summer sighed and turned to Connor. She was used to seeing him in semi-formal wear, so his v-neck t-shirt and sweatpants threw her for a loop. Summer leered at his body before averting her gaze back to Victor, who was messing with her favorite topaz crystal. The last time she saw Connor in anything slim-fitting, his limbs were sticks and he had the chest of a baby robin. Seeing his defined arms and slightly filled out frame made her blush.
Connor dramatically cleared his throat. “Alright guys, before we get into this, we need a recap on what V’s abilities are. We know you feel euphoric when you enter… wait, do you have a name for the mode you enter when you trigger your powers?”
Victor put the crystal down. “Yeah, I call it ‘angel mode.’”
“Wow, how creative,” Connor mocked. “So, when you enter this ‘angel mode’ you gain super speed, super strength, and increased reflexes.”
“Don’t forget about the glowy eyes,” Summer added.
“Yeah, that too. V, can you think of anything else?”
Victor looked up in contemplation. “Nope.”
“If you trigger your angel mode, don’t make any sudden movements. You might accidentally level Summer’s house.”
Victor picked up the smoky topaz crystal and held it up to get a better look. “You worry too much. Everything will be fine.”
“Famous last words,” Connor said.
“Wait. Before you guys sit down, I have a surprise,” Summer said. She got up and scurried toward the plain white paper bag with thin handles made of twine resting atop her dresser. After digging inside, she pulled out a large black jewelry box made of smooth marble, white flecks sprinkling its exterior. Summer presented the box to her friends, soaking up the looks of both shock and interest on their faces. She opened it, revealing two beautiful purple stones shimmering in the room’s dim lighting. “I bought it last week. What do you think?”
Victor and Connor awed at the amethyst stones. They reached into the box and each grabbed a necklace.
“Wow, Summer… these are beautiful,” Connor gushed.
Victor fiddled with the stone on his new necklace. “Yeah, I don’t even know what to say.”
“How about thank you!” Summer bustled to her closet. She opened the two large, sticker covered doors and pointed to the stacks of holy water. “These demons are gonna have nightmares about us.” Victor and Connor shared a glance of amusement.
“I’m still waiting for mine to come in the mail,” Victor said.
Connor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle with a faded black cross on the front. “I have another bottle at my house. After we finish this session, you can borrow this until yours comes in the mail.”
Victor nodded. “Thanks.”
The three pillows in the middle of the room formed a triangle. Summer sat on the pillow furthest from the door. “Connor, you sit on the pillow to my left, and V, you sit on the other one. Cross your legs and then face me.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Victor said, giving her a half-assed salute before sitting down.
Connor placed his glasses on her dresser. Summer peered into his striking blue eyes. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you with your glasses off,” Summer said. “You look good.” Connor smiled nervously. Victor rolled his eyes, a groan escaping his lips. “Okay, so the most important thing about mindfulness meditation is learning how to focus on your breath so that it’s the only thing on your mind. It seems like V has managed to accidentally do this on his own, but based on how quickly he gets out of his angel mode, he doesn’t know how to maintain this focus. Meditation is like any other exercise—you only get better with practice.” Victor and Connor were laser focused on her, listening intently. Summer smiled and then continued. “There are many hand gestures one can use while meditating, but today we’ll be using
dhyana
.”
Victor snickered to himself. “I’m sorry, can you say that again?”
“No,” Summer responded. “Place your right hand on top of your left hand with your palms facing up and your thumbs lightly touching.” She demonstrated the gesture. After correctly copying her, she nodded at them approvingly. “The next step is the easiest or hardest part—depending on the person. Close your eyes and then focus on your breath. Let whatever thoughts and images that arise come and go without acknowledging them. Whenever you feel like a thought is pulling you toward it, just gently and calmly return your focus to your breath. Ok, you guys ready to try it?”
“Let’s do this,” Victor said.
They all closed their eyes and sat there in silence. Summer periodically opening an eye to check on them. She suddenly clapped her hands, causing the both of them to almost jump up out of their pillows.
“What the hell was that for?” Victor asked, trying to catch his breath.
“You guys were falling asleep, weren’t you?” Victor and Connor didn’t respond. “Don’t worry. Like I said before, it takes practice. If you were truly in a meditative state, the sound of my clapping wouldn’t have caused you guys to jump up so violently.” Her mouth curled into a smile. “Now, let’s try it again.”
Several minutes passed before Summer opened an eye. Victor’s face was relaxed, and his radiant golden aura was expanding steadily. Her eyes moved to look at Connor. “Wings!” she yelled.
“What?” Connor asked.
Summer tried to collect herself, but she couldn’t believe what she had seen. “You had wings!”
“What kind of wings?” Victor mocked.
“This isn’t funny. I swear I saw wings. They… looked like angel wings.” Victor and Connor shared a confused glance. “Connor, have you ever meditated before?”
“Nope, this is my first time.”
“I need to make sure. Let’s try it again.”
Connor closed his eyes. This time, Summer stared at him while focusing on his aura. After a couple of minutes, a set of white angel wings began forming, sprouting from his aura. They were the same bright shade of white. “Connor, this is incredible,” she said.
Connor opened his eyes. “It’s kind of hard to appreciate something I can’t see,” he pouted.
“It’s easier to meditate with your eyes closed, but it’s not a requirement.” Connor looked at her, confused. “I can meditate pretty much anywhere, but it took a lot of practice. Eventually, you’ll be able to meditate while standing, walking, running, and with your eyes opened or closed.”
“Wow, that’s pretty—”
Summer suddenly felt flushed and lightheaded. The room started spinning and everything went mute. She closed her eyes, trying to stay calm, but she found herself consumed by darkness. A numbing pain was pulsing in her forehead as a dilapidated building materialized before her, replacing the pitch blackness with a jarring, yet familiar view. Her heart skipped a beat as she sped toward the building, eventually landing in the body of a young woman. The smell of mold filled her nose, and she was drenched in sweat. She looked around and saw a man, tall and thin, pacing back and forth several feet in front of her. There was a sharp pain in her ankles and wrists. She looked down and glared at the thick braided rope that bound her. The pacing man stopped and then turned to face her. His crimson eyes gleaming under the sunlight slanting through the windows. A stab of terror piercing her chest was the last thing she felt before being transplanted back into her own body. Victor and Connor were standing above her, desperately trying to get her to wake up.
Summer shot up. “We have to help her!”
“What are you talking about?” Victor asked. “You randomly fell backward and collapsed. What the hell happened?”
“I don’t know, but we have to help her.” Victor and Connor glared at her, perplexed. Summer used a hand to cover her eyes. She still felt the young woman’s fear—it clung to her like wet clothes.
Connor placed a hand on her shoulder. “Just calm down and tell us what happened.”
“I’m not really sure, but I saw a building.” Summer paused. She could have sworn she had seen it before.
“What did it look like?” Victor asked.
“Um… oh yeah! St. Peter’s sanatorium, that’s where she was.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. “I thought that building got torn down. And wait, that’s where
who
was?”
“I got transported into the body of a girl.” Victor and Connor sat up, their eyes almost narrowing in unison. “She was tied up, and there was a man walking in front of her. His eyes were… red.” Victor’s face twisted into a snarl, his uneasiness was palpable.
“Who was the man?” Connor asked.
“I don’t know! You guys just have to believe me. We need to help her before it’s too late.”
“Oh great. We went from angels to demons to visions. I wonder what mystical bullshit is gonna end up being real next,” Victor moaned.
“We gotta check it out,” Connor demanded. “Summer, you have to stay here.”
“No way!”
“Wait,” Victor said. “Why are we checking anything out? Maybe it was all a hallucination.”
“It might be nothing—as you suspect. But I have heard of instances where out-of-body experiences have turned out to be real.” He turned to Summer, softening his face in the process. “If this is a demon, we can’t risk you getting hurt. Summer please, you have to stay.”
“No!” Summer exclaimed. “I can’t just sit here and let an innocent person get hurt. You didn’t feel what I felt. Connor, I have to help her!” She glanced at the neatly stacked bottles of holy water. “Besides, I have an idea.” Summer bolted toward her closet. She reached past the bottles and pulled out her orange water gun. Victor burst into laughter.
“No way…” Connor sighed.
Victor wiped a tear from his eye. “Connor, you know damn well we weren’t gonna change her mind anyway. Besides, if I’m remembering correctly, she was a pretty good shot with that thing.”
“We were kids. This isn’t a game.”
Summer frantically removed the cap from the water gun and started pouring bottles of holy water into the reservoir. “Connor, I’m going,” Summer declared.
Connor shook his head, accepting defeat. “Focus on getting the girl to safety. V and I will worry about the demon. Got it?”
Summer ignored him, instead choosing to focus on her pouring.
“Do you understand the plan, Summer?” Connor asked, his tone more forceful.
She stopped pouring. “Got it.”
“Wait a minute, how are we even gonna get there? I doubt our parents are gonna drive us to an abandoned building to go demon hunting,” Victor asked.
“We’ll take the bus,” Connor replied. “There’s a stop about a half a mile from the sanatorium.”
Summer put the cap back on her water gun. She darted toward her door. “Come on guys, let’s go!”
“Wait,” Victor said while pointing to her closet. “Let me borrow a bottle.” |
Victor covered his mouth, successfully holding in a burp. He gave a prideful look to the mountain of chicken bones on his tray. His diet of the last two days was composed of yogurt cups, applesauce, and donuts. So the more substantive meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes smothered in brown gravy was much appreciated.
The thawed out ice pack was next to his bed, leaving a small puddle on the cream colored plastic dresser top. Connor was staring at his phone, picking at his teeth with a toothpick. Steam came off the green beans at the end of Summer’s fork. She gave them a quick blow before going in for a bite. Mr. Au was seated, gazing upon a framed painting of a boat on the wall opposite to him. He appeared to be lost in thought.
A knock at the door captured everyone’s attention. The doctor walked in and greeted Victor with a smile. “How are you feeling?” he asked while twirling a pen in his hand.
“I’m feeling a lot better,” Victor said. The swelling had completely gone down, and the area no longer had a purplish hue. “I think I’m ready to head home now.”
“I agree.” He turned to Mr. Au. “If you would come with me, please.” Victor stretched while releasing a booming yawn, causing the birds perched near the window to flutter away. By the time he finished rubbing his eyes, the room was completely empty. He peered warmly at the bouquet Summer had left behind. There was a single red rose amongst the bundle, like a giant crimson needle in a multicolored haystack. The red-eyed stranger’s menacing snarl flashed before him. A knot formed in his stomach. Then, as if his subconscious willed it, he recalled scurrying down the stairs to the sight of his mother and father wishing him a merry Christmas. A large gift wrapped in red wrapping paper sat under the Christmas tree. He could feel his anxiety melting away.
His father cracked the door open and peeked inside. “V, get dressed. We’re going home.”
Victor checked himself out in the bathroom mirror. Black stubble coated his chin, and he had the shadow of a mustache. He got dressed, then started toward the elevator.
Summer and Connor were sitting in the front lobby. Victor tried to read their lips, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Summer noticed Victor walking toward them. She presented her blindingly white teeth. Connor stopped what he was saying mid-sentence to give Victor a head nod.
“The minute I get home, I’m gonna prep my room for our meditation session!” Summer exclaimed. She sprang out of her chair and embraced Victor. Connor got up and awkwardly waited for them to finish hugging before giving Victor a fist bump.
“Since I’m a superhero now, shouldn’t I have a badass superhero name? Something like:
Victor the demon slayer
.”
Connor exhaled sharply. “That’s more of a descriptor than a badass superhero name. You were pretty much bedridden for a couple of days and
that’s
the best you could come up with?”
“I’m sure I’ll think of something better when I get home, asshole.”
Mr. Au appeared behind them and wrapped one of his arms around Victor. “You ready to go, V?”
“I’m more than ready.” They bustled toward the exit. “I’ll hit you guys up later,” Victor declared.
As he made his way toward his dad’s car, he turned around and looked at the hospital. He felt an overwhelming sense of jubilation as the building’s size decreased with every step. Once he reached the car, he took a long inhale of fresh air before getting inside.
The car ride was awkward, to say the least. His father didn’t look at him once, and the only sound he heard was the wind from the open passenger side window howling in his ear.
His house was finally in sight, but to Victor’s surprise, everything looked so… small. His once elongated driveway looked regular. The recently rebuilt porch that housed a giant table and chair set fit for a patio suddenly looked pedestrian. Even his front lawn looked miniscule.
A waft of familiarity hit Victor the moment he stepped foot in his home. He glanced at the military paraphernalia and family photos on the wall and felt at peace. He reminded himself that he was only gone for a couple of days, but that did very little to lessen this bizarre feeling of nostalgia. Victor bolted toward the stairs, but his dad calling him into the living room stopped him in his tracks.
“Sit. down,” his father asserted. Victor’s legs moved by themselves. He couldn’t remember the last time his father spoke to him that way. “You are going to tell me what really happened.”
“What do you mean?” Victor asked. He knew he messed up the moment those words left his lips. His father did not like being lied to.
Mr. Au gave Victor a stern, unfazed stare. Victor immediately averted his gaze. He felt so foolish. It was as if he were a little boy again, awaiting his punishment for getting into one of his many school fights. He despised the fact that his dad’s anger still had this affect on him, but he had to accept it. “Dad… I know Connor lied to you, but please don’t be mad at him.”
“I’m not mad at him. I’m mad at you for going along with his lie. I thought I told you time and time again to tell me the truth, no matter what.” His face softened and he grabbed Victor’s shoulder. “Now, tell me what really happened. Are you getting into fights again?”
“No dad I promise, it’s just… you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
Victor fidgeted in his seat. He desperately wanted to tell his dad the truth, but he didn’t know where to begin. He felt his dad’s grip on his shoulder tighten. Victor looked up and saw that there wasn’t an ounce of anger in his father’s eyes.
“Mom… was an angel.” Hearing the words out loud made him feel a sudden flush of embarrassment.
After a century-long pause, his dad said, “She was indeed an amazing woman, but… what does that have to do with anything?”
“No, dad she was literally an angel. And I’m half an angel, and I have superpowers when I focus on my breath. Connor… is an angel, uh I mean,
was
an angel and…” He covered his face with his hands. The ridiculousness of everything was setting in.
“Just calm down and tell me everything.”
Victor carefully explained all the events that had happened up to that point. His dad didn’t say a word, but he listened attentively, never once breaking eye contact. After he finished, he looked up at his dad meekly, not knowing what his response would be.
“So you beat that guy with one punch, huh?” A devilish grin stretched across his face. “Listen, I honestly don’t know what to say to all of that, but I do know one thing. I believe you.” His words moved Victor, almost to the point of tears. He had always loved his father, but at that moment, he knew he was blessed. “This is a lot to take in all at once, V. I need to sleep on it, but before that…” Mr. Au scurried toward the dining room table and picked up an envelope. Victor saw his name and Covington high school written on the front. He grabbed it from his father’s hands and opened it roughly, leaving it almost unrecognizable. Victor scanned the paper inside, searching for his composite score. Victor howled out a laugh that was so sudden and loud that his father jumped.
“I really hope that’s a good laugh. Hurry up and tell me how you did.”
“I got a thirty!” he yelled while still laughing like a maniac. “I ended up getting a score four points higher than my goal!”
“That's great! But… why is that funny exactly?”
Victor’s laugh ebbed into a smile. “The last couple of days have been insane. So the fact that I stressed out so much over a test that I ended up acing is making me lose it.”
His dad glared at him puzzlingly for a moment, and then smiled. “Yeah, I guess that is kind of funny.”
The moonlight illuminated part of Victor’s slightly opened closet door. He peered at the laundry hamper suspiciously. The dirt covered clothes he wore when he fought the demon were in plain sight. Victor preferred sleeping in complete darkness, but that night he felt compelled to experiment with open curtains. He laid his head on his soft cotton pillow and stared up at his dust covered ceiling fan.
Finally, a pillow not made of concrete.
He then turned his body to the side, focusing on the pale-blue walls peaking through his various posters. He turned his body again, and again, and again until he finally settled on a position. Victor closed his eyes and begged for sleep’s comforting embrace.
Victor saw Connor’s look of anguish, the cigarette on the ground, the stranger’s odd movements, and his crimson-red eyes. Every seemingly innocuous detail played back in his head on a loop. An image of his mother’s smile appeared, causing him to rise. Suddenly, every inhale became an arduous task, and every exhale was shallow. There was no rhythm to his breathing, and he could feel his heart beating rapidly. He put a hand to his chest and he could feel the palpitations. Every breath seemed pointless; he was getting almost no air. In a panic, he rolled over and fell off his bed, causing a loud
thud
. He began sweating profusely.
Am I having a heart attack?
he thought while squirming around on the floor. His vision became blurry as tears began to form. A loud
bang
came from the direction of his door. Mr. Au appeared. He turned the lights on and ran to his son. “Dad… I… can’t… breathe,” Victor stammered. Mr. Au gave him a quick glance before springing into action. He picked Victor up and placed him on the bed.
“Son, look at me. Everything is going to be alright. You’re having a panic attack. Just focus on me and we’ll get through this.” Victor looked at his dad’s calm face and grabbed his arm. The tears that he desperately tried to hold in began flowing. His dad grabbed a part of his shirt and wiped Victor’s face before continuing. “Listen, I need you to slowly and gently take a deep breath through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. Can you do that for me, big guy?” His dad demonstrated the breathing technique to Victor before having them do it together. Victor closed his eyes. The panic and terror he felt was gradually being replaced with a sense of serenity. He opened his eyes and his father leapt backward. “Your eyes…”
Victor’s feeling of tranquility dissipated. It was as if someone handed him a gift and then snatched it away.
“You scared me there for a second, but I knew you would pull through.”
“Dad, I didn’t know what was going on, I—”
“It’s okay, you’ve had a crazy week.” His dad got up and sat on the bed. “I used to have panic attacks all the time during basic training.”
“No way.”
His father nodded. “The first time I found out where I was gonna be deployed, I threw up in one of my combat boots.” He lowered his head and smiled. “But the thing that always kept me going through all the fear and panic was knowing that I was protecting the ones I loved. V, I can’t imagine a world full of demons. And you telling me that Connor and your mother were angels is something that I can’t wrap my head around. I honestly shudder at the thought of you putting yourself in danger, but I think you were given these powers for a reason. How you use them is up to you, but know this, I’ll support you no matter what.”
He sat with Victor in silence for a while before standing up and heading to the door. Victor called out to him while rubbing the bald spot where a bundle of dreadlocks used to be. “I think I’ll be getting that haircut soon.” |
There were exactly ten items in Bella’s shopping cart, yet the lady in front of her was in the express lane with well over that amount. The cashier scanned at a snail’s pace, and the bright fluorescent lights were migraine inducing. Generic pop music blared through the grocery store’s tinny speakers, compounding her discomfort. She checked the time on her phone and sighed, prompting the lady in front of her to turn around—her wrinkled face twisting into a disarming smile. Bella forced a smile back while managing to not react to the old lady’s porcelain white veneers. Bella had practiced feigning contentment for most of her adult life. If she could survive her supervisor’s insistence on repeating the same three jokes ad nauseam, she could make it through this. After passive aggressively inching her cart forward for what felt like an eternity, the lady with the toilet seat veneers finally finished checking out.
Once all of Bella’s items were on the conveyor belt, she looked longingly at the bottle of wine sandwiched between two bags of rice. It had been a long week, and she was due for a glass of wine and a good book.
The cool night air sliced at her face the moment she stepped outside. Her auburn hair danced as a gust of wind swept across the parking lot.
Dammit
, she thought.
I knew I should have brought a jacket.
Having to walk home at night sent a stab of anxiety through her, but she quickly collected herself and looked up at the crescent moon radiating like a lamp in the dark, star-filled sky. Her bottle of red Moscato and copy of
A Lover’s Quarrel
awaited her, so she grabbed her bags and started walking.
There was an alleyway she had to cross to get to her apartment. During the day, it was nothing more than an innocuous stretch of pavement. But without the cleansing properties of sunlight, she felt as if she was staring into the abyss. A shiver permeated throughout her body, raising the little hairs on her arms and legs. Bella took a deep breath, counted down from three, and then plunged into the darkness.
At about the halfway mark, the smell of cigarette smoke assaulted her nose, causing her to wince. Suddenly, she noticed a figure leaning against a brick wall. Bella hastened her pace while trying to keep her eyes pointed straight ahead, but the person moved to block her path. The stranger’s crimson-red eyes pierced through the clouds of smoke like oncoming headlights on a midnight country road, leaving her naked under his gaze.
“What are you cooking for us?” the man asked—his voice a bone-rattling baritone. There were flecks of gray in his beard, and his face was as still as the brick wall he leaned on. Bella ignored the question and tried to dart past him, but he anticipated her maneuver. “Hey, I’m talking to you,” he bellowed. She jumped at his sudden increase in volume, causing her to drop her bags.
“Please, leave me alone,” Bella said as she slowly reached for her groceries. She stared into his eyes and froze—terror gripping her like a vise.
“I’ve been looking all over for you!” a voice from behind the man yelled. Bella frantically inspected the darkness before her, searching for the source. A person eventually crept forward into the moonlight. It was a man. His dishwater blonde hair was in a messy ponytail, and his green eyes were two luminous emeralds on a fleshy backdrop. He was easily the most beautiful person Bella had ever seen. If she wasn’t so consumed by fear, she might have even blushed. He was dressed in all black—his long-sleeved t-shirt snug enough to accentuate a muscular build. There was something protruding from the side of his hip, but Bella couldn’t decipher this mystery appendage.
“Mind your own fucking business,” the red-eyed man said. The beautiful man sauntered forward, his movements as graceful as a lynx.
“That’s not how you treat an old friend,” the beautiful man said with a mocking grin. He methodically lifted a finger toward his ear. Bella squinted and made out what appeared to be white earbuds. The man with emerald eyes then started bobbing his head to a beat no one else could hear, completely dissipating his aura of elegance. He then started… dancing—if one could call violently jumping up and down while pumping your fists dancing.
Am I dreaming?
Bella thought. The dancing man looked to be possessed by the music. His eyes were closed, and his faint grin morphed into an all-encompassing beam. He opened his eyes again and Bella gasped. The twin emeralds had somehow turned into two violet-colored amethysts.
The man with now violet eyes bolted toward them. “Move!” he demanded. Bella started her escape, but after a couple of steps, she stumbled and crashed into a dumpster. She leaned against it, grabbing at her lower back. She immediately tried to get up, but the pain struck her like a bolt of lightning, so she plopped back down.
The beautiful man let out a howl as he landed a punch to the red-eyed man’s cheek, causing his cigarette to fly out of his mouth, illuminating a small section of the pavement several feet away. Bella flinched at the sound of his fist making contact. As the creature with red eyes was recovering from the strike, Bella noticed the beautiful man mouthing something.
Is he… singing?
The red-eyed man sprung up, snarling. But the beautiful man just kept mouthing lyrics, settling into a rhythmic bounce. The red-eyed man lunged forward and put his full weight into a punch that hit… nothing. He then tried again, and again, and again, whiffing on each swing. The beautiful man responded with a booming kick to the side of the red-eyed man’s knee, causing him to collapse. He then reached into his mystery appendage and pulled out a hatchet. Bella focused her eyes and saw the outline of a sheath holster, putting her curiosity at ease.
The silver of the hatchet’s blade shone in the moonlight as the beautiful man initiated a swing aimed at the fallen man’s neck. Bella reflexively closed her eyes before the hatchet made contact. When she opened them, a pile of ash was in the red-eyed man’s place.
The beautiful man with eyes of violet put the hatchet back in its holster and pressed a finger against one of his earbuds. He swaggered his way to the groceries she had dropped and pulled out Bella’s bottle of wine. The man—with her treasured wine in hand—casually walked away while not once looking in her direction. |
The mixture of freshly ground pepper, garlic, paprika, and a myriad of other spices graced Victor’s taste buds. He had begged his mother to make his favorite dish for weeks, so he savored every bite.
“More
Mofongo,
my love?” his mother asked while reaching for a pitcher of water. Victor’s dad scooped up a spoonful of crushed plantain and then delicately dipped it in the surrounding chicken broth. He gave his wife a nod before sticking his fork into the fried pork, sizzling on an enormous silver platter.
Victor inspected the finished Batmobile Lego set behind him and welled up with pride. “What do you think we’re having for dessert?” his mother asked.
He slurped up a spoonful of the chicken broth. His eyes moved upward as he contemplated. “Dulce de Coco?”
“Ding, ding, ding!” his mother exclaimed. She stroked his long curly hair and flashed her signature smile.
***
Victor woke up to the sight of eggshell-white ceiling tiles. He lay there in silence, staring at them. There was a dull pain in his chest, and his throat was excruciatingly dry. His eyelids felt heavy, so he closed them, praying for a dreamless sleep. The stranger’s crimson-red eyes materialized from the darkness. He abruptly sat up, a bead of sweat trickling down his cheek. Victor turned to see Connor sleeping in a chair with one of his dad’s jackets draped over him.
“How are you feeling?” his dad asked.
“Thirsty,” Victor whispered. The hoarseness of his voice gave him goosebumps. The hospital gown’s fabric felt rough on his skin, and there was a crick in his neck and shoulders. His dad sprung up and bustled toward the bathroom, returning seconds later with a cup of water.
“Don’t drink it too fast,” his father said. But Victor’s thirst was too great to care. He guzzled it down so quickly that he almost choked. After catching his breath, he let out a thunderous belch. The water was warmer than he would have liked, but it soothed his dry throat and gave him a jolt of energy.
“Excuse me,” Victor said. He almost sounded like himself again. Suddenly, he felt eyes on him. Victor turned to see Connor wide awake with a wisp of a smile across his face.
“The doctor said you have a bruised rib and a couple of nicks here and there,” his father said. “We won’t know when you’ll be able to come home until you get reevaluated.” His eyes moved to the top of Victor’s head. “Maybe you’ll cut your hair now?”
Victor ran his fingers through his dreadlocks, feeling for the bald spot. He forced a chuckle. “I’ll think about it.”
Connor got up and hung the jacket on the back of his chair. Victor saw a bandage wrapped around his forearm. He recalled the cigarette butt lying on the grass next to Connor’s body. “Can I talk to Connor alone for a minute?” Victor asked.
His dad alternated glances between Connor and his son. “Call me if you need anything. We’ll talk about these
muggers
that attacked you later.”
“Thanks for the Jacket, Mr. Au,” Connor said.
“You’re welcome.” Mr. Au put on his jacket and walked out of the room.
“How’s your arm?” Victor asked.
“It’ll heal. Uh, listen—”
“Who are you?”
Connor straightened his posture. “I would say you may want to sit down for this, but…” Victor’s face didn’t move. Connor cleared his throat. “I’m an angel. Or rather, I
was
an angel.”
“Huh?”
“God sent me here to monitor your growth.” Victor stared right through him. He waited for the punchline, but it never came. Connor smiled nervously, showing his two front teeth. “I came from heaven to monitor the development of the first human-angel hybrid.”
“You really expect me to believe that my best friend is an angel?”
“I
was
an angel. I’m one-hundred percent human now.”
Victor felt light-headed. He used his pointer finger and thumb to gently rub the top of his forehead. He then peered into Connor’s sapphire-blue eyes. They were as still as a backwater. “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?” Connor responded with a nod. Victor leaned back and rested his head on the unyielding recovery room pillow.
Human-angel hybrid…
“So, my mother was an angel.”
“I never specified which parent—”
“I know it was her.”
She had a glow. A special something that separated her from everyone else.
Victor closed his eyes. Memories of his mother flooded his mind. He latched on to the time they sat on the roof, watching the stars. He could almost hear her melodious voice naming the constellations. Victor opened his eyes and stared at the bandages wrapped around Connor’s forearm. “So, you were just keeping tabs on me this whole time? Were we ever actually...” The word refused to come out.
“Friends?” Connor sat down, his black bangs cascading across his ivory forehead. He scratched at the stubble on his chin. “I apologize for the deception, but it had to be done. I doubt you—or anyone, for that matter—would have befriended someone that claimed to be an angel on their first meeting.” He leaned in, and with a voice oozing sincerity said, “I tried as hard as I could to not give in to my emotions, but as time passed, I developed a genuine bond with you. I can say with complete certainty that I view you as a true friend.” Victor turned his head, hiding a faint smile. “I’ve even grown to tolerate your lack of emotional maturity,” he added facetiously.
“Hey, watch it. I’m still mad at you.”
“Sorry.”
Victor tried to soak it all in. This talk of angels exhausted him, and the top of his head itched. He heard the hospital staff’s footsteps as they scurried in and out of the nearby rooms. The rising sun cast an orange glow on his bed. “What was up with all that flipping and shit?” He paused. The stranger’s red eyes and jittery movements played like a movie in his mind. “And what the hell was that
thing
back there?”
“Well, since my mission is to monitor you, it seemed necessary that I learn how to defend myself and you from any potential dangers. As for the demon that attacked us—”
“Demon? You’re telling me demons are real, too?”
“Demons have always existed. But they were rarely, if ever, violent. I saw him following you, and his strange aura alarmed me. His red eyes confirmed my suspicions.”
“Auras are real?”
What the hell am I talking about? Nothing should surprise me at this point.
Connor smiled. “All living beings emit an aura.”
Victor suddenly thought of Summer’s gleaming amethyst stone wrapped in thin gold wiring. “What color was it?”
“There are some humans that can see the colors present in a person’s aura. I—on the other hand—can only see its shape.”
“What did it look like?”
“Prickly and malformed. A human’s aura is in the shape of a smooth outline around the body. I knew something was strange the moment I saw his.”
Victor looked at his hand. He clenched it to form a fist. “I punched his head clean off. What the hell was that about?”
“I don’t know how or why you exhibited those abilities. It’s probably related to your angelic ancestry.”
“So I have, like, superpowers?”
Connor leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “I suppose that’s one way to put it.”
“I wonder what else I can do.” Images of men in tight spandex defeating shadowy figures danced around in his head. “So… what now?”
“Now we wait for you to finish healing.”
“I bet you have a bunch of stuff to report back to… wait, who sent you here?”
“God sent me here. And I won’t be reporting anything until I die.” Victor raised an eyebrow. Connor’s eyes moved to the window near the bed. “Once my spirit returns to the higher plane, I’ll relay all that I have learned to the angel that assigned me this mission.” He looked back at Victor. “I have never actually met God.”
“What? I thought when you die, he welcomes you into heaven or some shit.” Connor shook his head. Victor didn’t know how to feel about that. He never put much thought into life after death outside of a fleeting thought here or there. “What’s heaven like?”
Connor looked upward, a radiant smile stretching across his face. “It’s indescribable.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I literally can’t describe it. It’s something beyond human comprehension.”
“Okay, last question. Actually, you know what, screw that. I’m probably never going to stop asking questions, but I’m getting tired, so they’ll have to wait.” Connor started stretching. He lifted his long arms above his head. “How did my mom come back to earth?” Victor asked.
“I don’t know. No one does.”
“How did you find out about me, then?”
“I thought you said that was your last question?”
“Shut up,” Victor jabbed, mockingly.
“I don’t know how they found out about you. I was only told to monitor your growth.” Connor wrapped his arms around his stomach. His face was suddenly full of anguish.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m starving.”
Victor roared. He laughed so hard that his chest ached afterward. “I doubt you’ll find any Pop-Tarts here.”
Victor opened his eyes and saw a man dancing on the TV. He wore a bright yellow suit. Animated dollar signs swirled around him.
When did I fall asleep?
He turned to see Connor slumped in his chair, snoring. Chocolate icing coating the corners of his mouth. His ears perked up at the sound of a breaking news story. He turned his attention back to the TV and saw his father. He was picking at a donut, white powdered sugar covering his finger tips.
“
The body was found near the Salem meat processing plant. The victim was twenty-two-year-old Robert Shaw. We have no details on the cause of death, but we speculate that foul play was involved…
”
His dad shook his head. “So young.” |
After getting to the entrance of the Ivory dungeon, I asked the wind spirits to lead me to a source of water. Ever since I came to the mortal realm I have not taken a bath that satisfied me, the baths I have taken in the house I live-in was good but it was not enough to please me.
Now that I think about it, I have not seen any other race apart from humans since I descend.i tried asking Rasha but they did not have any idea, the best person to ask would Aspen, majority of her believers are demi-humans,but humans are know to consider themselves superior, or probably to survive more, each race decided to accommodate only individuals of it own species.
As I walked, I use the few water spirits in the air to cause light shower for the green vegetations. Since I have taken Aspen from her duty,I should try to cover up.
I soon reach a small water fall, where the water emptied itself into a small stream, but that was enough, there was enough water spirits there.
I used earth spirits to dig out a four cornered pit, I harden the soil inside it and i asked the water spirits to create water in the pit. I would have preferred to soak in the flowing stream but I wanted a very hot bath instead of a cold one.
I control the water spirits to heat up the temperature, before taking of my clothes, I used creation magic on a magic stone as I created a white towel to wrap around my body.
Steam of heat could be seen on top of the pool, in terns of length the pool was would be 4 by 5 meters.
"I wish to meet some beast kin today" I said aloud. If it were normal people they would pray to their God for a vision but for me, I had no one to pray too.
Being a God is somehow troublesome, you live for eternity and don't have a lifespan, if you are even killed, your soul would remain and with enough time your body will recreate it self. The souls of normal people can be destroyed but the soul of a god has the will of life of the creator being, it can never be destroyed. Only a handful of Gods actually value the life of others.
(Danger is coming~)
(Be prepared~)
The water spirits cut me shot from my thoughts. I looked towards the place they indicated too to see a small bear, it looked thirsty and only wanted to drink.
"Thank you water spirits" I said to them, a bear of this level hardly stand a chance against me, a kick from me was sure to deprive it of it life. So since it has not seen me due to the hot steam, I should allow it to enjoy it life.
Killing everything I set my eyes on mindlessly will make me a maniac. The bear soon left on it journey. I decided to communicate telepathic to Aspen.
"Aspen tell Rasha and the rest I won't be coming back soon, I have to do some exploring to find the other races too"
"My Lord, I will pass your message across to them, how long will your exploration take? "
"Can't say yet, but once I find the demi-humans, or the elves, I will reunite them and get them ready for the war against Blaiz, the vampire king, you should know the location of the elves? "
"Yes, i gave them an oracle to live on the mountains of 'Slica' I gave the land my blessings so it produced fruits and all what they need for sustainance, to top it all, the mountains they live on is closer to the sun, they are safe from the vampire king" she sounded pretty good her with work, normally I would have complained but since she did not have human followers, there was no way she could help them than controlling the dungeons to house them.
"Can you send them an oracle, tell them of my coming, this way they will be prepared for me"
"I can but I will have to wait till midnight, so I can teleport to the planet core I will be able to use divinity there without breaking the Divine realm rules"
"Thanks a lot, I will take my time in searching for the beast kin, or do you have an idea of where to find them"I asked her since she was the God of nature of this planet.
"The beast kin lives in clans, and they have the mind of working together, so they live in the southern part of the central continent." The gods that created the beast kins hardly care about them, so beast-kins were not usually religious.
"Thanks for that info, I really owe you a lot, how can I repay you?" I asked.
"My lord, you can repay me by letting me sleep in your bed when you have defeated the vampire king, heh heh heh" she said before cutting of the telepathy.
"Th-that will be diffi....." I was cut short by action.
Well if it is that small, I should allow it, though am not sure on what Rasha and the others will do, even though me meeting the girls has not been up to a week, I don't understand why they were making attempts on me.
It should have been the other way around, but maybe since I am not experienced in anything relationship I don't know how to relate with females, the only other female I have gotten close to would be Lisa, but she just work dutifully as my attendant, though I could say I have some little feelings for her.
If I continue this way won't I be labeled as a womanizer like the God king Zeus?, I understand rasha and syrana falling in love with me because I saved them from the gates of death, but I don't really understand Aspen. But one thing I remember reading from books in the Divine Realm is that due to how different the planes of existence between a god and a mortal is, the love that a god have for a mortal is more of just family love, Gods could only love other Gods like them. Perhaps that is what is happening to Aspen...
"Well this should be enough, I still need to kill about 5000 monsters so as to level up my spirit magic skill" I said to dispell all other thoughts.
It was then I remembered the compass I was given by the guild master, he claimed no one could use it but he believed I could use it.
I brought it out from my storage Dimension, Analysis it shows:
Item name: Magic compass
Item Quality: S+
Item description: A compass that can determine the location of anywhere you wish to go.
It description was short but informative, and it quality was S+ making it the top quality magic tool in the mortal realm. I could create something like this with creation magic, but I have to use a good quality magic stone. The magic stone that I use for the base material will determine it quality.
To activate the compass, I have to think of somewhere and I have to send magic to the tool.
Maybe the guild master did not have anyone that could analyse it or their appraisal tool was lower than the rank of the quality. If he knew how important this device is, he might think twice before giving to me.
Well no crying over spilt Milk. I thought of beast men as I released my Mana to the compass, the once dead tool began to shine and the thin rod indicator began to point toward the south, it also project an hologram for me to follow the best route, I could have check for the creator of the magic tool but my analyse was not strong enough to see more, the sealing artifacts have reduced the power of my skills.
I got out of the bath and put on my clothes, I reactivated the compass as I used a wind spell called *Float* to fly in the direction indicated.
The center continent was the largest of the continent of this world, it is also the continent with the most dungeons, before the invasion if the demon king, it would have been the most prosperous continent in this world. It soil was perfect for all kind of crops and it was very fertile.
As I flew in the sky, I came across some prove of the fallen civilization where large building broken down could be seen.i could use time spirits to reverse the time of the buildings back to just when it was created, but I did not want to do it now, I will give a huge hint to the vampire king if I did that so I left them and just passed over them.
But whenever I saw a skeleton, I used wind magic to crush them to pieces, Even though I should be moving at the speed of sound, I could not get to the beast kin settlement in one day, night fall arrived fast as everywhere became dark.
So as to rest, I floated down and made my way through the deserted forests, I used a magic stone to build a small tent as I prepare my futon to sleep.
I brought out the remaining piece I had in my storage Dimension, I also gathered branches from the dried up trees, I set up a little camp fire, as I began to roast the meat.
Some unfortunate Undeads came towards me, and they were squashed, as I was about to sleep, I used darks spirits to set up a mist of death that will kill all those that have hostility towards me.
(Aspen said she will give an oracle to her believers this night, I hope she doesn't forget...) I thought as I slept off.
I woke up the next morning to began my day, even though sunlight did not reach the surface, there was enough illumination to know the difference between night and day. A lot of dead skeletons were around having walked into my trap of death. Even though undead creatures use dark magic more, they can't survive dark magic done by others stronger than themselves.
I was hungry and I had no food. I used the compass to detect the closest water source to me, as I walked there hoping to find an animal to kill on the way, I met with a rabbit but I was unable to kill it because it was pregnant.
I gave it my divine protection so as to increase it chance of survival in this harsh world.
I got to the small River and hoped to get some animals to fish out. I used water magic to bring out the fish I wanted to eat.
I setup a little fire where I roasted it. I resumed on my journey towards the beast kin settlement. Since the place was still far, I used float again to move fast in the air.
whenever I tried blowing of the dark clouds, it comes back together again. If I really wanted to blow it off, I have to destroy the magic circle maintaining it.
After about 2 hours of flying in the air, the compass indicated I was in range, but the main thing I saw was huge wall of Earth that spread out in a straight line.
I looked at the compass again and it indicated I had gotten to the beast kin settlement.
The dark clouds over their settlement was lighter than the rest, probably their mages are trying to blow it off, so they can grow their crops.
For the humans living in the dungeons, they had no problem with food as some dungeon have forest type floors where people plant their crops. And crops planted in the dungeon grow up faster and better, due to the high magic essence.
Back to the beast kin settlement, I landed down and used the compass to find out where the gate was, and I discovered it only had a gate, I walked my way towards the gate.
"You there what are you looking for?!"
"Alert the others!"
"Sound the horns, we have an intruder?!"
The way they sounded made me to remember the first time I got to the Divine realm, where they angels where confused and immediately contacted Athena.
I raised up my hand to show I was not hostile, and they opened a small gate before 20 men with silver swords surrounded me.
Their choice of weapon was okay, silver was the right weapon to kill a vampire and it was strong enough to counter any undead.
"I am Genji and I only seek solace in your dwelling, I did not come here to hurt you and I can prove, I am a normal human not a vampire" I proclaim.
The one who looked like a mage cast Light magic on me twice, seeing that nothing happen to me, he signaled to a man as he return back into the gates.
Looking around , if I were to arrange the men according to their race, they were, 5 rabbitmen, 10 warwolves, and the rest were men had small sheep horns.
"What is your reason for coming here?" One tall warwolf man said, he was muscular and he was someone you can refer to as a wrestler.
Now that i think about it , I don't have a concrete reason for coming, so what should I say? |
A low growl was coming out from the mouth of the dragon but, i was unfazed, i was not even affected by the pressure.
Analyse revealed the stats of the dragon, it HP was flat Zero while it MP was less than the poison Hydra i fought in the Abyss, to cap it all it was a Level 300 weakling.
Unknown to everyone else, the spear I have being using was in a dormat state, but even it dormant state was strong enough to kill normal kind of monsters, but for this Zombie dragon with Zero HP.
I had to push the spear into it 2nd form.
"Spring to life my spear" The Mana being released into the environment from my body began to get absorbed by the spear as it golden brown color changed to full gold, the metal blade at it end changed into a crystal blade.
Mana condensed onto my whole body as some sort of armor, the pressure radiating from my entire body was enough to make the dragon flinch in surprise.
As i took a step forward, the dragon took a step back. Any onlooker would not have believed their eyes, if they had been lucky to witness this scene.
I simply disappeared from the front of the dragon to appear on top of it, bringing down a slash diagonally onto it spine, caused the dragon to roar painfully. It tried to flap it wings but a quick swing from me was enough to cut it wings down, I threw my weapon at the Magic crystal from the space I had cut open on the back of the dragon.
On reaching the stone, the stone chattered into pieces as the dragon corpse sank to the ground in death.
I jumped off it back and landed back beside the girls in the Air ball.
They were both looking at me in awe and fear, Realising my present form is dangerous to them, i disparsed the Mana on my body as my spear return back to it dormant form.
Even after returning to normal and releasing the Air ball, the girls refused to talk to with me, they were looking at me with eyes of 'what the hell just happened!'
"And we are done, too bad I destroyed it Magic stone, I could have used it to create something strong" i said to dispell the mood.
"*Deep breath* well Genji thanks for surviving but can you explain what you really are because I did not see you moving at all, I just saw you disappear and reappear only to find the dragon dead" resha said as she took a step back.
"you must have moved very fast my eyes can't follow, we need the truth, what are you really, I have been thinking about it since yesterday, you were able to create beds from Magic stone and you had very strong weapons that only S- rank hunters can hope to buy, don't hid anything from us please!" syrana said as the two of them moved closer to each other.
Taking a deep breath, i moved closer to them before casting a spell to prevent others from hearing.
*Wind Spirits: Wind ball, Dark spirits: illusion, Fire spirits: Fire ball* each spell was to prevent others from coming into this location, I took out 3 Magic stones and made 3 chairs with creation magic.
After setting it down, I began to tell them the truth.
"To explain everything to you, is that I am a God"
"... A God! The superior beings that live in the upper worlds watching over us...!"
"No way! you mean to tell us you are a superior lifeform...!"
The two of them interpreted what i said in their own way, but i continued...
".... Remember I told you I don't have memories of what happened when I first met you, it was because I don't know how you will behave if you knew the truth about me, I came to this world to save the people from the demon king...." I told them of how the gods were concerned about their state and how they have being trying to help them but things have not been progressing well, due to heros being killed, the gods had no choice than to either chose destruction of the world or send one of their own to save the people.
".... And that is all of it, I choose to come to this world to kill the demon king" i concluded with a smile.
"....that explains it, no wonder you have no fear of anything, and you looked perfect in all ways, you are right" Rasha said as she continue to look at her toes.
"And you have the ability to create new things from old stuff..." Syrana said in realisation.
"that ability to create new things from old items is not my real power, I can create new things from nothing and I can create anything" I correct their option.
"but if you are all powerful like you say, you could have gone straight to defeat the demon king, isn't that right syrana?" Rasha asked.
"That true, what is stopping you from marching on to the demon king and killing him straight forward?" syrana asked too
"Well to put it simple is that I am in my sealed State, some kind of restraint is put on my powers here that why I can't do as I please throughout, if I was in my full state, a single spell from me can kill the whole demons on this planet and that will be all, but if I do that it will result in a big war between Gods and it will result in the destruction of a lot of worlds, that why I have to defeat the demon Lord in a lowly manner"
""I see~"" was all they could reply to me, am sure they don't understand, but let leave it at that.
"The main thing is now, I have told you about my goal, I am not going to force you to join me in my Adventures, it will be dangerous but it should be fine, I can protect all of you but the two of you with me will help make my work easier, I can trust you to also take care of yourself, what is your choice, don't worry we have all the time in the world for you to answer"
I said as i cancelled the spells protecting Intruders from coming in.
I was about to move forward when two hands grabbed me down.
"we are in, this is a chance to save people from living like livestock, let be together till you are done" Rasha said
"We will go with you, we will make sure to free the normal races from the cluthes of the demon king" syrana said as they both grasped my soft hand.
Two beautiful girls were looking straight into my eyes, my face was getting very hot and on the verge of exploding but i managed to drop a normal line.
"Thanks guys, I will make sure you never regret following me" I said as they let go of my hand, the three of us faced opposite sides as we tried to get over our embarrassment.
The smell of the corpse of the dragon had attracted some few undead skeletons holding rusty weapons.
"I should defeat these undead, so that they won't attack our colony"
I wanted to cast a spell, But a fire spell landed in the midst of the skeletons and they were burnt to crisp, i looked at syrana to find her smiling.
"we are a party, we cover up for each other's Negligence" she said.
We made our way back to the colony while encountering undead skeletons.
"What is wrong today, when we were going we did not meet any undead but they are every where now, something that is attracting them is nearby" syrana said as she casted a spell to blow away another set of Skeletons.
"I think that should be my fault"
The two looked at me in surprise.
"I pushed my spear to it second form, that means a large amount of Mana was released, the undead are attracted to the holy Elements present in my Mana, they must be trying to eliminate me" I confessed.
"You have have holy Elements in your mana?"
"yes, as a God I can master and use all kind of magic, which means I have both dark and light magic, the undead can sense the holy counterpart, they find it a threat to them, they want to eliminate me by all means, well this is better because I don't have to search for them they will search for me" we reached the entrance of their colony, before I stopped and faced back.
"There is Light spirits in this place, I can use them to eliminate the undead in this area * Light spirits: Wave of Life*" as soon as i casted the spell, thick Mana shoot out with a *Vroom* and the whole environment was filled with blinding light. The light extended down in all angles and as they came in contact with the undead, they disintegrate completely without living ashes.
When the wave of life reach the dead trees, they sprang back to life and green grass began to grow.
I looked up to the sky before concluding a God somewhere had done something now. The spell I used was a normal spell not a miracle spell.
(Wave of Life spell, is not supposed to breath life into the trees or make the vegetations grow, it just a spell used to exterminate undead and allow them to go to the underworld, Something is fishy somewhere but I can't sense it due to this Artifacts, there is a limit to what a normal human sense can grasp...)
"wow, I can't believe grasses are growing again, even the trees are recovering, as expected of Genji" syrana said while her eyes sparkled, syrana was a mage so this new spell was enough to light up her curious spirit. While Rasha only looked on in awe.
I cough to bring them back to reality, and we soon entered the colony so as to sell their earnings of today.
____________________
Syrana POV
After getting to the 3 floor of the ivory dungeon where the hunters guild building was, Genji opened the door to find out a mini spectacle.
Unknown to us, the women present when he came to register in the morning have all informed their friends and they gathered themselves waiting for him to turn up.
The guild receptionist was one of them, she had asked me if we were coming to sell our dungeon earnings and she had specifically given us the quest of going to the Golem dungeon.
she also changed the time limit of the quest so that we will work hard to beat the time limit. The women were all gathered to see the handsome man that had come with the white wings.(party of Rasha and syrana)
The men had apparently gotten news of their plan and they waited in rage waiting for the white wings to come back
As soon as we entered, the guild noise became silent and we felt the states of almost everyone around on us.
Rasha did not notice the atmosphere immediately as she were still talking with genji but they soon noticed the atmosphere when they did not hear any sound apart from their voice.
As the party made it way to the receptionist counter, they began to hear hush whispering from people all over, while a lot of men were clicking their tongues at Genji.
After reaching their turn, they were to submit their guild card where the daily record will be written down and the card will be reseted back to zero.
After receiving Genji's Guild card, the receptionist screamed and fainted back to the chair that was behind her.
The while guild result into panic as even the guild master immediately came out from his office. After taking Genji's card from the receptionist, he also screamed before covering his mouth and faced Genji.
"Please come into my office now, and one of you should wake Mary up!" he said as he hurried back to his office.
The White wings party followed after him.
"Welcome to my office, permit me to ask you some very urgent questions, how the hell did you kill a Zombie dragon on your own?! And can you explain what this card is displaying, the card cannot make mistakes so what happened?!" He asked as he began sweating.
Realisation soon dawn on me, the Guild card was an artifact that counted the total number of defeated monsters, the Zombie dragon would be recorded too and the number of skeletons that Genji had use the wave of life to defeat...
To prove the point his guild record now looked like this;
Number of Clay golems killed=[34]
Number of silver golems killed= [45]
Number of silver knight killed =[1]
Number of Zombie dragon killed= [1]
Number of Undead solder skeletons killed= [3,234]
Number of lesser class vampire killed= [145]
Number of monster Zombie killed= [5,789]
no wonder the guild receptionist fainted.... No matter how you look at it, this is not possible for a normal human. |
"what happened to me?! Is this the after life?!"
I shouted as I abruptly open my eyes to find myself in space.
I mean literal space, I could see stars and some mass of rocks I could not really identify, racking my brain made me remember what just happened to me.
I had been so physiologically stressed that I end up walking right into the path of an incoming bus.
Don't get me wrong, it not like I wanted to die early, I was just to tired from life problems that I couldn't imagine me living my life without my job.
My parents died 7 years ago and I had been on my own. No girlfriend, no wife, no real purpose in life.
I was just living. My boss had finally pushed the button of death for me when he gave me the sack letter.
Remember my body being crushed by the bus send shivers down my spine.
Some how I was relieved to be dead, I count death as freedom from the whole pain I had been enduring while alive.
I tried moving my body to find it stiff, after some few trials I got the feeling of somewhat tiredness.
(I guess this is what is called eternal rest).
I just released my body to the sleep
∆∆∆
"Mmm" I said stretching my arms and legs, I could move them easily now, from my memories I had confirmed that I am dead and I should be in the afterlife probably waiting to be reincarnated like I read from some light novels in my spare time.
But after waiting for some time I can appropraite to be minutes, I suppose since there was not a clock here, I tried moving around from my initial position which I found easy but just with a little resistance which I readily overcame.
I could move by just imagining where to move-to and speed of movement.
I was also wondering while I was able to move freely in this situation but thinking to hard about it will surely give me head aches.
If this is indeed the afterlife why I had not meet another dead soul like me?. But later abandoned the idea since nobody really knows how after life works, it not like someone has died and come back before..
I found it strange at first since there was not a physical foothold for me to put my legs.
I stopped experimenting on the movement as I await what i expect to be some sort of god to appear to me, probably to give me a chance at another life since I died to early in my last life, i was just 27 years old.
I tried to remember my name which I discovered was "Genji" I also tried to remember my surname and meaning of my name but my brain gave me nothing.
I guess surnames don't exist in the after life.
I resumed the moving straight forward, fortunately I did not get hungry I was pretty okay, I also did not feel lonely since I was a loner back while I was alive. But the way this thing is, it feels like I am not really in the afterlife..
Well let not think about it much.
Till I got a glimpse of a bright rainbow light coming from a rift in space. It was circular in structure and gave some sort of pressure. I was surprised I was affected by pressure despite probably being a ghost. Looking at it simple made me get a feeling of dangerous and I made sure to avoid it.
I continue moving forward coming across some broken rocks which I assume should've meteorite, I am guessing meteorite exist in the afte life, I tried touching it but surprisingly brittle, a single touch from me crush it througly.
I can't really understand if this is an afterlife or what??!
Ghost are not supposed to be able to touch anything else right?
I pretty much avoided the rocks till I reach a visible end of the "space". The environment pretty much changed and it was so obvious that I could literally feel the difference, I have been coming from a place where many obstacles and object exist but the new area I was was free from any object, I could see everything in a straight line, just stars and some glowing lights.
Basking in joy for discovering a new place. I tried moving forward but I notice some sort of coloured chains were holding me in place.
Looking around to see some fast moving individuals with bright wings and holding spears in their hands.
In less than a second I was surrounded by 3 individuals.
"Do not try to resist, if you do you will only increase the charges against you..."
"Idiot, don't try to provoke it ? I have never seen this before.."
" Contact the sun goddess now, this being is not something we should try to fight, since it is not interested in fighting us, we might be able to talk with it..."
(wow talk about rude, even if I am a ghost(probably) I am still in my last worn work clothes, I am a male, address me as a "he", but wait who are this people they don't look like humans to me, and from what I see they have wings and an halo on their head, let me try to talk with them, probably they can explain what is happening) (Genji)
"Hmm, can you hear me?" I said
"Weelll it talked, this prove it is intelligent"
"What should we say to it, hey you say something"
"I have contacted the sun goddess, she will be here soon, we need to talk with it and buy time if anything"
The three individuals were whispering but I could clearly hear what they were saying. They look more of what I could call angels than normal people.
"Who are you?"I stated again more confused.
"we could say the same to you? we are Arc-Angels guarding this section of the divine Realm, the place of the Olympian Gods"
"You are not part of any identified being we know of"
"the sun goddess will soon be here, please do well to wait peacefully"
From what I understand from the conversation, these people are Arc Angels serving gods in the divine Realm.
What are gods? And divine Realm is that this place?
I don't really understand anything that is happening here, I am supposed to be dead and currently should be in the afterlife.
(... From what these angels said, i don't know where I currently am, but I can say I am not in the after life, I wonder what will happen to me now...) I think?
"Haha she is here"
The voice of the angel made me remember that I was still in a questionable situation, bring me back to reality.
"What do we have here? is this the emergency situation you reported? very well I will take it from here go back to your work post"
A beautiful woman wearing armor and holding a spear like weapon was standing near me before I noticed, I also noticed that the angels? I was talking with has disappeared.
"Hmm should I introduce myself first or..." I said not feeling hostility from the new comer.
"where are my manners? I am Athena, the first daughter of the God king Zeus, leader of the Olympians," says the woman as she introduced herself.
"Well, I am Genji, I don't really know what I am but nice to meet you"
Looking closely at the woman made me realize she was a very beautiful woman, if I want to describe her, one in a million world class beauty will not work here. She had a gentle face but I could also feel some sort serious personality from her.
"I have confirmed that you are not lying, you don't really know what is happening, I guess we can let you go for free now, but we need to talk, talking here is a bad idea, let me take you to my temple" she said.
Immediate she said those words I experience a mild sensation of floating and before I realized we were in a different place. To describe it in words is simply elegant.
We were in a private room like place, the walls were golden in color, the ceiling was high and painted white.
I could see a pair of Sofa with a table in between them. Though the design table and chairs are things have never seen before in my life, I could see it was clearly made of some superior material.
"You look like you are used to space teleportation to me, you are not surprised" she asked
"What is space teleportation?"that word sounds like what you read from light novels and manga, probably when the MC get transported to another world.
I could reason that the method she used to change our locations most likely be "space teleportation" but I could not really understand it, but I guess it was magic. Being in space for a long time has made me feel some sort of resistance to the teleportation she talked about.
"You really don't understand anything, I can hardly believe you are not lying, if I am not using my skill to confirm it myself, so let start from the top, what is the first thing you remember?" She began as she sipped some coffee? or what from a cup, I did not notice when the cup appeared.
"I remember finding myself in space and that all, I started moving and I found myself here with the Angels stopping me..."
I told her the truth since she said something about confirmed through a skill whether I was lying or not.
"So to make you understand faster, let me help your body to adapt to the rules of the divine Realm!" she declared
*snap*
After a snap from her tender looking fingers, a small rainbow coloured ball appeared in her other hand and she stretched her hand giving it to me. Indicating I take it from her.
I stretched out a hand and received it from her but immediately I touched the ball, series of information flowed into my brain, I was frozen for almost 10 second.
"I see" was all I could say
The ball she has given me was called the "knowledge circle" it contains all knowledge of the universe, but the surprising factor is that it only gives you the information you need, meaning the whole information that was imprinted in my memory was just everything I need to know for now.
I now understand that I was in a place where The rulers of the Multiverse lives, and luckily for me I had been confused enough to just follow the instructions she gave me without even arguing. As this goddess had the authority to deliver judgement on anybody who attacked her.
I also got some information on how things work in the divine Realm like how angels work as messenger of the gods.
"Have you finally taken it in, i am waiting here" she said interrupting me.
"Indeed, I understand what I need to know"
I returned the "Knowledge circle" to her and she made it disappear with another snap.
"So from what I have seen here, you are a god, Welcome to the Divine Realm God Genji!" she proclaim
Uhh what?!! me a God, I think you are joking. |
Genji's POV
The guild master was sweating, he could not even sit down on his chair.
(What should I say now....) I was thinking on what to say
"Guild master, we won't be able to tell you in details because it is our secret weapon, but Genji did kill those monsters" Rasha said to the guild master. thanks rasha you saved me there
"well, it has been done, I have no choice but to contact the Guild masters of the other colonies, there is a rule that demands we call an emergency meeting when we discover an abnormality like that" the guild master said as he took out an artifact from his drawer, after pressing some buttons, he nodded in confirmation.
"well, White wings please wait in the guild for now, I have to go meet the others, we will inform you of the results of the meeting, Genji's Guild card will be with me for now" he said before disappearing, it was obvious that he had teleported.
We left the guild master office in silence. Returning to the major section of the building, we went straight to the sale section where, we could trade our dungeon earnings for money.
The whole guild was silent as everyone watch our movements, Rasha and syrana was feeling uncomfortable with the stares from everyone around, but i was unfazed. Well I don't have fear, hardly can something make me afraid.
The guild worker at the exchange point, led us to a separate building that looked more of a warehouse, when i told him we had a lot of spoils and we want to sell everything off.
"w-wow....! That is a lot, I have never seen so much golems as this for sale...!" the guild worker lost a bit of his composure but he began to evaluate the items.
A silver Golem was sold for 20 Gold coins, The silver knight was sold for 40 Gold coins, Everything they sold was equal to 940 Gold coins, i determined not to sell the Magic stones gotten from the clay golems as they could be used for creating new items with creation magic.
We had already decided on how to spilt the money when we get back, we returned to the guild to meet the guild master waiting for us, another receptionist ushered us into his office.
The guild master looked more calm, he had a scroll on his table that bear the seal of the hunters guild. After they sat down on the chairs provided. I was made to sit down in between the the two girls
"After the impromptu meeting the guild has decided to raise the rank of Genji from F to the Hero Rank: that is a special rank" he began. He gave the scroll to me.
He told them of how the killing record of my Guild card had apparently proved i was a super strong human because only a super human could kill thousands of undead in a single day.
They would have promoted me to S- rank, but the monsters i defeated where the enemies of humanity, which led to the guild promoting him to the Special Hero Rank.
The party rank was also raised from C-rank to A-rank.
"Your guild card has been reissued to this one" the guild master said as he handed a Silver metal card to me.
"The guild has a special quest for your party, there is a place we need you to investigate, it is a dungeon near the coastline, there is record of plenty vampires being sited there, originally only S-rank parties are allowed there, but they all returned injured, we suspect that there is a high rank vampire there, we need you to eliminate the vampire, you can take this as promotion exam for your hero rank. You can go there tomorrow" the guild master said as he sighed as if a troublesome burden has been placed on him.
After thanking the guild master we left his office, we met Miranda outside where she apologized to me for her attitude earlier.
I only smiled at her as i told her not to worry, only for her face to turn red. I also tried to touch her hand to prove that i was not angry at her, but it resulted into her almost fainting, but i soon heard shouting from the females in the guild as they began to move towards me, their eyes were scary. who claimed I don't have fear again, I think that was me; I am definitely an idiot.
But luckily Rasha and syrana grabbed me between their hands as they fled the guild building. We ran to the teleportation circle as we made our way to the lowest floor of the dungeon where we live.
_______________________________
".....And that is what happened today, we are now an A-rank party and we have enough money to buy a new house on the higher floors" Rasha said as she told the 4 kids that we left at home.
She did not include the part that i was a God because the children knowing that information could put them in a dangerous situation.
The three of us decided to keep that secret amongst themselves till it was right for the populace to know.
I told them i wanted to rest as i laid down my futon and closed my eyes. I wanted to visit the Administration realm.
Wishing that my soul to depart from mh body did the trick.
________________________
I soon found himself in the Administration realm where the angels bowed to me as soon as they saw me. This attitude is something that still calm me down.
The truth is that i found the previous action of the planet to be suspicious that was why I came here to this realm so as to take a better look at it.
The angels on duty confirmed that they saw my spell and they noticed the abnormality too, but they could not really pinpoint the culprit.
After a series of through checking, i concluded that it was the planet itself that took advantage of the spell i casted.
The planet has been ravaged by the demons and the ecosystem has been destroyed in a lot of places. When the planet felt the wave of life that i used, it took the advantage of restoring itself.
"I guess, I should visit the Abyss Again, I should be able to contact the planet itself from the dungeon core of the abyss, that place has the highest concentration of Mana on the planet, or any dungeon core should do the job" i concluded my research.
"Lord Genji sure is a fast worker, it has just been a few days that he got to the planet and he has already become a hero, he also has two beautiful women with him...." The arc angel writing my conclusion down said as she managed to stop herself from laughing.
"Common, I didn't actually plan that, I guess things just fall into place like that, when I am down there I can't control fate, so I just have to let things work as they please" I complained.
"Well, lady Athena said we should keep an eye on you, she told us to contact her if you try to have fun with the residents of the mortal realm, you can't go making Demi-Gods as you please" the angel said with a big smile.
"ugh... Why the hell did she make that rule? I can't even have fun" the rules of the sun goddess is strict, I protest by trying to stamp my feet, it only made me look cute from the angels perspective and they burst out laughing.
"well, you gods do love causing chaos if you are allowed to do as you please always, there will be problem in the lower planets every time, well it not my place to tell you that"
"I hope the God king has not made a child again....?" I asked.
"Well lady Athena made him stay in the Divine realm, as a punishment for a while, well he can leave anytime he want, it looks like he is trying to prove he has changed...." The angel said as my body began to turn white signifying my return to my body, I guess my time is up.
"Well-done guys, good luck with your work, see you later" i said as i disappeared.
"Indeed, Lord Genji" the angels bowed.
______________
After Genji left. The angels held meeting to discuss about him.
"God Genji is a God that is easy to talk with, if he wants to employ angels I won't mind working under him" one said.
"If it was some other God, we would have to bow throughout as we spoke" another said.
"He has a gentle personality, even when we meet in the Divine realm he always acts humble"
"it not everyday you see a gentle god, majority of the gods are proud beings" another said.
"Well let work hard so that we can assist him with his work, we can recommend ourself that way" The arc angel said to them as they each went to their work table to continue their task.
_____________________________
"Wow this is a beautiful sight, compare to what we saw yesterday" Rasha voiced her opinion in good mood as the three of us left the entrance of the ivory dungeon.
The once dead environment was filled with light from sunlight as the vegetations looked green with vitality, the trees around were green and fruitful.
"So this is the way the outside world supposed to be" syrana said too.
Only I was feeling awkward, the rate at which the environment had changed for one day, was too fast, it confirmed my suspicion that the planet was doing something in the background.
The once dark clouds have been cleared and sunlight infiltrated the whole place.
(That means the dark clouds is actually a spell made with dark Magic, Light magic is a natural enemy, when I used Life wave, it cleared up the clouds too).
I thought before taking a look at the map we had gotten from the guild master. When i tried to enter the guild building this morning, Rasha and syrana had to stay beside me to reinforce the security from the swarm of women.
The news that i was now a special hero rank hunter had spread like widefire amongst the hunter Guild. The women were trying to work their way into what they call my harem, not that I have any right?
And the men were jealous of me, Leading to the Massive increase in my admirers and haters.
I used a spell to lift the three of us into the atmosphere, i was able to pinpoint the location of the where we were going to from above, after I controlled the spell to move with speed towards the direction.
We soon left the region where my light wave spell ranged reached.
Inside the windball, there was no increase in pressure or lack of air to breath and the three of us engage in a conversation to to while away time, after 20 minutes we reached the coastline.
The dungeon was pretty visible as a little cave with an opening stood out in the sands of the white beach.
Landing down, i gave the girls their equipment while also giving them Health and Mana portions too.
"We are probably going to fight with a high class vampire, and we are about to enter a dungeon, I won't be able to use light Spirits there, but I can still win without breaking a sweat, but you guys may need to fight the vampires too, in order to gain experience to level up...." I said as we got to the entrance, I also removed my spear from the Dimensional storage.
The two girls wore the light armor that I made for them with creation magic, it was color white signifying the party name. I was also in a white colored armor, the party preparation was complete, it was time to start my first mission as a hero. |
" " silence ruled the place.
I could not reply to her happy declaration because I did not know what to say, I kinda know I am basically not human anymore, probably a ghost or spirit, but a god, count me out.
When she noticed my confused stare, she cleared her throat and said it again.
"Welcome to the Divine Realm God Genji" she repeated
(... I don't believe it, she is probably messing up with me or something, guess I should just reply with thanks)(Genji)
"Don't say that, I am not messing up with you, am for real here though..." she mumbled.
"Now you are talking as if you are reading my mind, not funny!"
"Of course, I can read your mind, and don't reply with an half hearted thanks since you don't really believe me" she confirmed her words by repeating what I was thinking in my mind.
So basically I don't have any privacy!! Wrong, first you say I am a god and now you are reading my mind, guess I should ask her to explain more
"Ok I really wish you can tell me more about the God stuff, just curious though"
"Okay let start from the ability of your body to adapt to all environment..."
She produced a mirror from thin air and placed it directly in front of me, I expected to see myself, but I only saw a transparent humanoid figure of myself shining colorfully.
"The current state you are in is called your 'Astral form' this is a form gods basically assume if they descend to the mortal realm, it is a state of pure divinty ..."(Athena)
"wait wait! For real how do look like that now, when I got here I was still pretty normal, even when I was moving around and I checked my own body it was not like this, I can remember seeing myself in some clothes? But now I look like this?!" I screamed in fear of losing my body.
In a hurry I quickly stood up to and move around and yes, the figure in the mirror moved at the same time with me, confirming her words.
"*shut up* I will give you the freedom to talk again. when I am done explaining, yes when you were still in ordinary space, you were not in the Divine Realm, so your body took on your normal human form so as to help you understand the environment better. But when you enter the Divine Realm and you checked your form with this divine mirror, your body respond automatically to the changes..."
She went on to explain that since I was not in full control of my body, my body was doing the best to help me, she also said my race signified that I am a god, after a full 5 minutes lecture I get the whole point.
"Thanks for letting me talk now, so I get it, how do I confirm the race stuff you said, I am still not used to any of this" I really need to clerify, I am more of someone that believe in seeing for myself.
"Good. things are progressing, this is the Divine realm, your Status will be displayed in the best way you understand, say the word Status in your mind, it will show you results" she explained.
"Okay Status"
Suddenly a transparent blue game like panel was floating in front of me, it look more game-like, like sort of control panel you see when playing RPGs. A quick glance at it was enough to make me open my mouth without being able to close it.
Name: Genji
Race : God
Class:
Age: 10,026 years
Life Points: Infinity
Divinty: Infinity
Strength: 2,000,000
Stamina: 5,000,000
Magic: 10,000,000
Dexterity: 20,000
Luck: Infinity
UNIQUE SKILLS
Appraisal
Space Control
Time Control
Magic Control
Gravity Control
Creation Magic
SKILLS
Language Translation
Followers: 0
Apart from the part where my Race said God, everything else in the status should be cheats, especially the values measured in infinity.my class was empty though I wonder why?
"You may do Well to seat down now, dear guest" Her words made me remember I am currently standing, she beckoned me back to the chair.
After sitting, she continue to explain more of the stats to me, the life Points signified I have Infinite life, the divinity signified my Magical power...
Talking about skills, I learnt that Creation Magic in my unique skills, is really very unique to even gods, only a very few handful of gods posses it.
".... and that is all, any other thing you need to know will be taught to you once you begin school" she said happily.
"School! Come on, am sure i am pretty old for anything school, my age says I am 10,026 years old, I am sure someone like me going to school will be a Big No" I replied in absolute common sense to me.
"What are you talking about, you going to school is mandatory as you only have little knowledge, you can't even use your magic, how can you claim you are god?"she said something unbelievable true.
(Now that she mentions it, since my race says I am a god , it really will be bad if I can't do anything God-like, guess I have to put up with the rules. But first thing I want to do know is know about her stats I would love to compare mine with someone else own, but I don't know how to see the stats of others...)(Genji)
"Sorry to interrupt your thoughts but if you really want to see my stats just ask, there is no rule that doesn't allow me to show others" she easily answered my question.
Immediately after saying that, a piece of paper appeared and she gave it to me, looking at the digits made me feel small,
Name: Athena Olympian
Race : God
Class: God king Representative
Age: Secret🌟
Life Points: Infinity
Divinty: Infinity
Strength: 200,000,000
Stamina: 200,000,000
Magic: 100,000,000
Dexterity: 250, 000,000
Luck: 200
UNIQUE SKILLS
Appraisal
Sun Magic
Life Magic
Language Translation
SKILLS
Divine Judgement
Followers: 2,045,654
The true definition of a cheat, her strength and Stamina were in hundreds of Millions, everything was high valued except her luck, her stats made me realize I am a bottom feeder
(I don't really understand why her luck will be mere 200 when every of her other values exceed common sense...)(Genji)
"Will you shut it! It not my fault!, my dad keeps making children all around and I have to look after everyone!, how do you expect my luck value to rise...!" She wailed.
She did raise her voice to me, I guess I should not dig deep there, her dad must be a lover of women if she complains he keep making children around, can't really blame her.
"... And now I am going to work you to the bone!, follow me I have to introduce you around and explain things to my father!"
"Sorry it was my fault for asking, come to think about it, I did not even physically asked you? You read my mind so you can't blame me..." I don't think I am to be blamed for thinking about something.
"*Shut up* just follow me, I am done talking!"
Since she used something to make me unable to talk, I had no choice but to nod my head and follow her through a door that appeared on the wall.
Entering the door led to a wide passage, she was walking fast and I had to run a little to catch up with her.
" "
" "
Probably because am not sure I can talk or she did not say anything to me, silence continued as only echos of our footsteps resounded.
At the end of the passage, a large door was waiting for us, 2 angels acting as door guards bowed their heads before opening the door.
The door opened to reveal a large throne like room, A large throne sat straight in the right position and an handsome looking man sat down on it.
Walking closer made me realize he was wearing a flashy cloth that I could not identify, pretty sure it is not cotton.
He looked more of a wrestler with his big muscles in the right proportion, after getting close to about 50 meters to him he raised up his head meeting my eyes.
I found myself kneeling down from just meeting his eyes, even the pressure he exerted wanted to make me choke, but luckily my body changed back to my Astral form and I was able to stand up. I looked at the goddess to my side and found her in a surprised state.
"You are stronger than you look, young man, I am Zeus Olympian, you have met one of my daughters, I am the God king of the world, introduce yourself" he introduced himself, his voice sound more young than what I expected.
"... hem *cough* I am Genji, I am also a G-god, I-I have been in the care of your D-daughter"
Just being exposed to his piercing gaze made me to stammer, and I was shaking but I was still able to say the necessary information.
"No need to shake, my daughter has given you her seal, she explained some things to you didn't she?"
"I-indeed, she has told me a lot"
"The Divine Realm is a place of Gods, you are welcome here, from what she told me, you don't have any deep knowledge of your powers?"
"Yes"
"She will instruct you on what next to do, as long as you follow the rules, everything will be okay" he sounded more of a grandpa giving advice to a young son.
"Thanks for your gracious word"
"Now let's go, see you later father" the woman that brought me here said.
*Snap* we disappeared from the room.
----------------
Back in the passage we were before my body reverted to my normal human form, I breathe a sigh in relief, my body was pretty doing everything by itself, I was not in control of it.
We left the passage through another door for me to see the open sky, it was deep blue without a source of light but surprising, there was enough brightness that made me wonder where the sun was.
We entered some other building where She introduced me to some gods around, before taking me to a structure that contains clothing materials.
"Welcome Lady Athena and our guest" said a sweet female voice
A beautiful lady came to greet us as soon as we the doors opened to us, I was hoping to see some angel wings but I did not anything.
(Probably she is not an angel, or can angels hide their wings too...)(Genji)
I was lost in thoughts before I was brought back to reality by the voice of Athena.
"Most gods choose the clothes based on their element proficiency, a god of water mainly wears Blue colors, but for you the first two Elements in your unique Skill is Space and Time Magic" said Athena, I think we are back on the God related issues.
"I guess he should choose the gold or purple color, but gold to be more precise, as purple is mainly worn by the devils" said the angel?
"Nicely said, gold is it, choose anyone you like from here" Athena urged me.
I was taken to a spot where there was a large variety of male clothing materials.
At the end I chose a purple T-shirt and trouser, and a pure gold Priest like robe to wear on top, i check myself in a mirror beside me to be sure it fitted my style but it did not.
"Don't worry it will all sum up" the angel told me with a smile as she opened another door for me.
I entered the door to find myself in a dressing room, taking off my former clothes made them to automatically disintegrate into light particles. Before I wore the clothes, it was physically bigger than my size but it adjusted itself to fit my style, guess something I did not understand is at work here, no wonder she said it will add up she meant this.
I came out to show the two women waiting for me, Athena nodded her head to show satisfaction and the other woman smiled at me, I could feel my face getting hot.
Guess when a beautiful girl smiles at you up close makes your heart to beat fast, but before I could say anything to her I heard a silent sound.
*snap*
We disappeared from the building, I can't believe Athena cut of my first attempt to have a crush in my life, i didn't really feel anything off about the teleportation now, we were now in a place where some big Church like structures was.
Some angels were flying around carrying documents and other things, they kind of look very cute.
"We move on, I should get you the basic free temple in the residential street" she said.
She was back to her poker face.
We continue walking past the temples, though I can hardly call it walking when I am running so as to keep up with her speed.
"Can I ask a question?" I began
"Go ahead"
"From the clothing store that I got these clothes, I did not see you pay any money or don't you guys use something for your trading activities" guess they must be some background deals I don't know
"Oh that was only me, I have access to anything in the Divine Realm, if it was you, you have to pay for it, but as you are a god that doesn't have followers or money I have to establish you to help you get on your feet" she proclaim in a manner of a rich kid that have access it her father's Credit card.
"Thanks for helping me, I don't really know what to say" I said
"No need to thank me, I must do what just need to be done, I am going to get you a temple where you will live for now, when you have more money you can upgrade your building"
I nod my head to signify my answer, she was walking pretty slow now as we got to a section where I could see smaller buildings, we stopped in front one of them as we moved closer to the door.
"This should be okay, this is your working space, your living space should be behind that door" She said and pointed to a door in the far back of the building, the whole place was empty, what is surprising is that it was very clean as I could see my image on the polished floor.
"Okay thanks"
"I am leaving you for now, some angels will bring the necessary items you need for you, I will come back to take you to the school tomorrow, you should relax for the rest of the day"
She disappeared immediately after, and I was alone in the working space.
In terms of size, the workspace should be around 50 meters in length and breath with brightly painted walls with some windows allowing light to pour in.
This free time made me to think back on what has happened to me today, I have been moving in space where I thought should be the after life, only to discover I am still alive but as a god in the Divine realm. To stay the truth I could not completely believe all that has happened but a part of me can confirm that it is true. I should have died from that bus accident, as a memory of me dying was still fresh in my mind.
Something in my mind was telling i have been reincarnated as a god from death, it was a probably from the "knowledge circle", I learnt humans often die in a world only to find themselves reincarnated in another body in a different world, I don't know it could happen to me too.
Calling you my status to confirm it again proved me right.
(No wonder everything i was touching in space ended up breaking into pieces, my strength say I am 2million here, guess when I go to that school tomorrow, I should learn how to constrict my strength, I don't want to end up breaking things....)(Genji)
After some few minutes, some angels brought one furnitures and started setting it up, I moved out through the door back to see the street, before leaving they tried to ask me to direct them, but i declined, they should know more about this than me who is new to it.
They left when their work was done.
I inspect to find it neatly arranged, a golden coloured rug was spread over the floor and some tables and chairs were arranged, leaving the workspace I enter the door to check my living space.
I found my self in passage with doors around, they were about 4 doors and a door directly opposite me, making 5 doors in total.
Checking the place reveal a bedroom with a king sized bed, another door led outside the temple.
I also check the other doors to find just the necessary facility. I returned back to the room.
(Guess I should sleep, Athena did say I should relax..)
I close my eyes as I fell asleep. |
The early morning sun beat down on the capital city.
The cawing of crows echoed through the empty alleyways as I made my way to the central marketplace; taking in my surroundings, all the while.
Although I often watched the capital from my window, it never occurred to me its streets would be this… labyrinthine. I only tried to take a shortcut through the alleys earlier, but now I found myself nearly drowning in an ocean of endless crossroads.
Have I been here before already…?
…
That house is awfully familiar.
It didn’t help that everything looked the same – the same gray stone walls towering above me, the same wooden doors with chipping paint, the same window frames with curtains that had long lost their colour. Only sometimes would there be a lonely flower pot in one of the windows.
… Whether those were the same flower pots from earlier, however, and I was just walking in circles, was another question.
"…"
I couldn’t shake off the feeling something was amiss.
“Hello~?”
Nobody responded.
Even though it was still early in the morning, I imagined some people would already be awake and going about their morning routines. If nothing else, then someone at least should have yelled back at me to shut up.
But I had yet to meet a single soul.
…
Where’s everyone…?
I looked into a random house through a window to see if anyone was there. It was pitch black inside. I checked the next house too, but same story…
By the time I checked the fifth house, even the crows started laughing at me.
A change of strategy was needed.
Thus, taking a deep breath, I knocked on a door.
“Hello?”
“…”
“Is anyone inside?”
“…”
“Excuse me…” I said, as I slightly pushed the door open – “WHOA!” – but then I quickly backstepped. Through the opening, a black mist started seeping out.
Countless alarm bells rang in my head, and so, without hesitation, I grabbed on to the doorknob and shut the door so hard, I almost fell back.
“…??”
The darkness that had leaked out instantly dissipated.
…
Never again.
I continued my search, and, soon, found myself once again at a crossroad, that split into two paths. At first glance none looked any different from the other.
Left or right… left… or right… left… or
…
right…
As I pondered where to go, a floating ball of light appeared on the left path. I stepped back instantly the moment I noticed it; raising my guard in the process.
"…?"
Silently, I scrutinized it.
The ball didn’t appear hostile. In fact, its presence slowly made me feel more at ease.
It approached me, hopped a few times, and then started floating down the left road. I only stood; watching it go. However, it shortly stopped and hopped again, as if trying to grab my attention.
“Oh. Suppose I should… follow you?”
Despite my concerns, everything seemed to go well, as we soon reached another crossroad. The ball hopped a few times, and then turned right. This behaviour repeated at the next crossroad, where the ball turned left. Then right. Then right again. Then left… And so on.
After around twenty minutes, we reached a long straight road.
The houses that had formed the walls of this labyrinth ended, and instead of them, grass was now covering the roadside.
However, so did a thick fog that prevented me from seeing anything else beyond it. Behind us, the road got covered in this impassable fog too.
“Where are we now?”
The ball of light swayed like a pendulum in response, then disappeared.
“…?! Wait!”
But there was no response.
“
Sigh
… Now what?”
I looked forward; the road continued straight ahead. Behind me and to my sides, all visible paths were blocked by the fog.
“… Forward I go, I guess…”
The gray world was desolate and endless.
There was no motion within it; time itself seemed to be frozen…
However, it was then that…
“…
e… p
”
“Wha–”
… A faint whisper broke the deathly silence.
“…
ak…
”
“…?”
Unfortunately, the voices were too quiet for me to make out what they were saying. I tried looking for their source, but couldn’t find anyone.
Following shortly, a wind started to rise around me; blowing from the direction I was heading in.
I was left utterly confused. And to add to that…
… Far in the distance, a massive pillar of light shot down from the heavens, piercing the fog and scattering it on impact with the ground.
Even the whispers were momentarily silenced from this phenomena. However, they quickly continued – even more desperately – their attempts to convey their message to me.
…
What do I do…?
I took a step forward.
In response, the wind picked up noticeably, while the pillar shone a little brighter.
Another step.
Same response.
“…”
Continuing was a bad idea; I knew. But what else could I do? Go back? Where? Into the labyrinth? For all I knew, this pillar could have been my escape… or my end…
Frankly, I knew nothing. Whatever was going on was beyond me.
But as I got within ten meters of the pillar, the wind suddenly became so strong that I lost my footing and started getting carried backwards. In tandem, the whispers became even more frantic; practically bombarding my ears.
And if only it had ended there…
From the pillar, a large hand of light stretched out and grabbed onto my right leg, starting to pull me towards itself.
“O-Ou… It hurts! Stop…!”
Nobody listened to my pleas.
"Stop!"
I became the rope in a tug-of-war between the wind and the hand.
"Let. Me. GO!"
If one seemed to be winning, the other would just put even more force into pulling me.
"…"
The whispers persisted.
The wind was freezing cold.
The hand of light burned my leg.
Five short seconds felt like a minute.
And it continued for much longer than that…
At least, until…
“…
wak… p”
“…
W… ke up!”
“…
“
Wake. UP!”
***
I was sweating profusely when I awoke in my bed. |
I stood, holding my forehead from the headache that hit me.
The entity… was not kidding. I really hoped it did. I really hoped it was nothing but a nightmare… No, to be fair, it was a nightmare! Just not in the sense I expected it to be…
The trembling men all looked relieved at their success, some finally giving in to exhaustion and collapsing on the floor. Those who managed to stand quickly helped their fallen comrades up, while quietly reprimanding them for their unsightly act.
“Welcome, Great Hero!”
The oldest among them stepped forward and greeted me with open arms. From his clothing he looked like a bishop.
I smiled. It was a little amusing how he ignored his subordinates’ blunder so nonchalantly. Perhaps he expected all this to happen? I got the feeling as if he had done this before.
Maybe I’ll ask later…
“My apologies,” he said, ”is it perhaps that you do not understand our language? If you have not received our Lord’s blessing yet, then first we must proceed to the cathedral and–”
“Ah-ahem… Please, forgive my rudeness. I was taken by… surprise from these events, and needed some time to… sort my thoughts.”
“That is very understandable. Should you feel confused about anything, please ask right away!”
How nice of you…
“Then, may I ask why was I, a nobody from the land of nowhere, summoned?”
"Our great nation is at war, and certain unexpected events made this ritual necessary. I myself am not aware of all the details, but His Majesty will explain everything you need to know, so do not worry.
“My name is Frederick Fide. I am bishop from the Holy Church of the Great Star Nova. What is your name, hero?”
“… Amadel Fallero.”
“Interesting name… Sir Amadel, then please follow me.”
As we walked through the great halls, I couldn’t help but stop every now and then to appreciate their terrific design. It reminded me of baroque architecture. Frederick watched my reactions with pride, but still urged me not to make the king wait for too long.
We reached rows of windows, and below us I saw the city, packed to the brim with stone houses and surrounded by a mighty wall. From where I stood, all the citizens looked like tiny ants, diligently carrying out their everyday duties. Outside the city numerous farms were built, and beyond the horizon a seemingly endless grassland stretched out.
And
this country is at war…
It was a pity. Truly, it was. To imagine this picturesque sight be reduced to rubble.
“Impressive view, is it not?” Frederick asked.
“Indeed.” – I nodded – ”I could watch this all day…”
“Ahaha… Unfortunately we do not have that much time.” – he stopped next to me – ”But, are these sights uncommon in your world?”
“Yes. In fact, you’d hardly ever see a castle town like this. The city I grew up in was significantly larger.
“And by no means was it a good place to live in. Overpopulation, endless noise, pollution; one couldn’t breathe without suffocating from all the smoke in the air…”
“That… sounds unpleasant. I am very sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t mind me, I’m also exaggerating…” – I sighed – ”It can’t be helped. Let’s continue.”
“We are almost there,” Frederick said, but then he stopped. I looked at him confused. “However, before we meet His Majesty I would like to ask you something.”
“Yes?”
“Sir Amadel. Please, believe me when I say that I do not blame you for how you feel. Still, I ask you to keep your emotions in check before His Highness. Do not make a bad first impression on him.”
At first I was taken aback, but I quickly understood what he meant.
“I see… Thank you.”
Ultimately, whether I liked my current predicament or not, I had to go with the flow, lest I found myself under the guillotine – is presumably what he tried to hint at.
We reached the pair of massive doors. When the guards standing by noticed us, they hurriedly grabbed the doorknobs. The massive doors creaked wide open before us.
Inside, everyone from our group but Frederick and I hurried to the sides and kneeled down facing the throne.
The gazes of countless knights and nobles examined me as we walked. They would murmur some things among themselves, then continue staring. It hasn’t even been an hour yet since I arrived into this world, but I lost count of all the things that frustrated me or made me feel uncomfortable.
Slowly, we reached the staircase that led up to the throne, and kneeled down too before it with our heads lowered.
“You are now standing before His Majesty, King Casimir of Terraperitas!”
At that announcment, everyone in the room fell silent.
“You may speak.”
“Your Majesty,” said Frederick, ”I have brought the hero.”
“Yes. I see that. Well done.
“Tell me your name, hero.”
“Amadel Fallero.”
“Hmm, I see… You may raise your head.” – he carefully looked me over – ”Physically, you don’t appear strong. But, of course, appearances can be deceiving. Do you have any talents?”
Talents? Talents… What should I tell?
“Your Majesty, I am ashamed to admit, but there is nothing remarkable about me. I do not know if the knowledge I possess could serve me in this… foreign world.”
I wanted to keep it vague, but it was not a total lie either. If he asked whether I had knowledge in warfare or using weapons, I couldn’t have said yes. But I could recite the law of cosines. Very useful, indeed.
The king frowned.
“Is that so? Still, as an envoy of our Great Lord, you are bound to posses superior strength nonetheless. Should you lack physical prowess, high affinity for magic can make up for it.”
“…?”
Me? And magic…?
I realized there must exist some form of magic from the summoning ritual, however I myself did not feel anything. Thinking about the flow of mana, magical currents, or other razzle-dazzle resulted in nothing.
Saying that out loud could possibly have amounted to a death wish, so I kept quiet.
“With proper training, your powers will surely blossom. Until the time comes for our country to clash with our neighbour, you shall be undertaking training from our elites.
“Do you have any questions?”
Do I get any say in joining or not?
“Yes, Your Majesty. May I hear in greater details about this war?”
“That is what I want to talk about next.”
The king explained their long history and how their conflict arose with their neighbouring country. On a superficial level, his words more or less matched what the entity told me before, but in the grand scheme of things certain aspects of the story left me uneasy.
From what he said, the other country was the aggressor. The war reached a stalemate and has been in it for decades, until suspicions of the enemy colluding with malevolent outside forces arose. They needed a protector, should these suspicions be proven true. That was where I came in, as the protector chosen by “the Benevolent Lord”.
Then he continued rambling for another fifteen minutes.
“… And that is all.”
Do I really get no sa– screw it…
“If I may: Just… hypothetically. Do I have the right to refuse? Partaking in this war, I mean. I don’t feel too… enthusiastic abo–”
“You jest, surely? With your immense power, you could stand tall as the protector of many, yet you would choose to abandon them?”
I blinked a few times, but then I shook my head a little and said in an apologetic tone, “Please, forgive my presumptuousness.”
“This is not the time for jokes.
“Now, a servant shall lead you to your room. Tomorrow you will start your training.
“You are all dismissed!”
It appeared I could not escape easily.
Good grief… |
“
Please, esteemed Hero! Please, help us…!”
“
Please, have it in you to save us…”
W
hy are you begging
me
…
?
…
“
Only you can save this world from destruction…”
“
A Dark Lord has awoken, and only you can stop it…”
…
“Familiar words, are they not?”
“…?”
“It is a story you have surely heard.”
“…?!”
The unknown speaker’s words prompted me to answer, but my voice refused to come out. I tried again and again, but to no avail.
I opened my eyes, to see the image of uncountable galaxies passing me by with immense speed. Every so often, a beam of light ‘crashed’ into a galaxy, and the pleading voices turned to rejoice before falling silent.
A chill ran down my spine. All I could do now was close my eyes and wait for this weird dream to end.
“
Save us, Great Hero!”
“
We alone are not enough to face this threat…”
Yet no matter how much I waited, the dream… the nightmare did not end…
…
“
You are our last hope
…!”
“
Hero from another world!
We are
in great peril, and only
with your power can we survive
!”
“
H
elp us end this war!”
…
After the final – and loud like no other – voice, everything fell silent. Slowly, the feeling of racing through space disappeared too.
I opened my eyes again, only to see… nothing; a vast void expanding around me. Only within my peripheral vision could I see millions of stars and galaxies, but again they appeared distorted. Streaks of light and stardust swirled and twisted, slowly vanishing inside the void.
“Welcome!”
Out of nowhere, before me a humanoid entity appeared. It’s dark silhouette glowed blue in the black emptiness. It stood still with it’s hands behind it’s back, occasionally flickering in-and-out of reality.
His voice was hollow; devoid of emotions.
“H-Hello? Oh! My voice! Please–”
“– ‘Explain what’s this all about’… yes.
“I know you are full of questions, but… there is only so much time I can stall the summoning for.”
“… The what?”
“You must have heard on your way here… the pleas from worlds innumerable. At the brink of despair, as a… last resort, they entrust their fate to a…
‘hero’
… from another world.”
“Wait, does it mean that I–?”
“Yes. Wizards… from a world akin to yours have used an… ancient summoning ritual to call forth a
‘hero’
. A
‘hero’…
that can help them end their war.”
“That…”
“Now, normally, if all had gone according to procedures, we… would not have met. It cost me a great deal of power, and… I had to exploit a few loop holes to get here. Even now… I am standing on a minefield.
“But it was all to meet you… and to ask a favor.”
“…?”
“Please, end the war.
By all means.
”
“Pardon me…?”
“This world… belonged to a very good friend of mine. It was his magnum opus…! He is long gone now, but I wish to preserve his… legacy. That is why–”
“Wait, wait, WAIT!! Can’t YOU do something about it?!”
“… Directly? I am… forbidden by our laws. Indirectly? … Through you… or another summoned
‘hero’
. But I can not tell if another… opportunity would arise.”
…
No, no, no. Spare me. SPARE ME from this!
“My apologies, once agai– Oh, it seems our time is almost up.”
As the entity said that, my vision became blurry and I started to feel delirious.
“Before you go… allow me to impart a little gift. You… will need it… on your quest.”
“…”
I was frustrated. Like, my choice in all these matters was null.
Everything the entity said was INSANITY! End a war?! That in itself is not something one should ask so easily, let alone from a SINGLE PERSON!
… But, then again, I was pinning the blame on the wrong person.
“I bid you farewell.”
When I woke up, twenty or so robed figures, wielding staves, stood trembling around a colossal magic circle with me in the center.
Good grief… |
Nothing has changed.
No progress. No Elopas. Just school. Just motherfucking school over and over again and nothing else. Even though I know it’ll be over eventually, I can’t help but complain to myself constantly about this utter bullshit waste of time. Every day when I walk out of those doors I’m reminded that though this bell may be temporary, you’ll remember it forever. And that lost time will never come back.
Unable to fully fall asleep after last night, I get up a little early and put my phone on the charger. Closing Gormage’s messages to me, I find the sudden compulsion to stretch. My body aches and my forehead burns from VISTA usage. But as I check the time, I decide I’d rather not waste it on more work.
Surprisingly, Elaine’s still asleep. Her door’s closed, at least. I don’t think I’ve ever been up this early in my whole life. Huey should be up by now, but downstairs, I’m all alone, and outside the window his car’s nowhere to be found. Guess he… left already? Makes sense I suppose. I go to sit in the den.
There’s nothing in here for me. I spend all my time in my room, so I’ve left no trace of my existence in this space. Nothing I own is here. Nothing I like is here. The aesthetic is old and dry, born from and kept alive by my mother. My eyes drift again to the cabinet near the left of the room. No… no, I can’t do that. But maybe… I mean…?
School is happening today. That’s a fact. And it’s gonna suck, I know that too. So I can’t make things any better… but… I could certainly take steps to numb the pain.
I open up the alcohol cabinet.
I’ve never drank before. As I twist open the lid to my water bottle to fill it with my parent’s vodka I’m mostly just thinking about how at least one thing I’ve never experienced before will happen today. I mean, fuck, that’s really all I ever asked for. Just excitement is all. Just a break from the noise. If Elopas can’t free me just yet, I’ll at least try and make the most of my time.
I take only a small amount at first. Water it down some with the sink to fill the bottle, then a little more. Then more water to balance that out. And I top it off with some more water just to be sure. Soon enough, the thermos is full of (mostly) booze. Planned on this being a one-time thing, but given I’ve got an easy out what with my dad packing his bags and all, I stash the rest in my closet for later. Who’s gonna know? I can just say he took it. From now on, I’m living life to the fullest. That is to say, doing everything in my power to feel even the slightest hint of enjoyment or general emotion to begin with.
The drive to school is silent. To Elaine, at least. My earbuds are ripe with the wail of KFC Murder Chicks. As the same exact clothes I wore yesterday cling to my sweaty flesh I pray to god Elaine won’t smell the booze.
How would she…?
I try to block out my anxiety. I’m already bringing alcohol to school. Not gonna drink it in the car or anything but I’m not gonna be scared to do what I want with it. Who really cares what happens to me anyway? I’m more scared of the idea of getting caught in the act than any possible “punishment” they could lay down on me. Besides, I’ve got an out. My dad left. I’m going through a divorce in the family. A perfect sob story.
In homeroom I start drinking. I don’t tell Dylan. He's not chill enough- would probably freak out and get me exposed. Not to mention he doesn’t even seem to smell it anyway. Sure doesn’t bring it up. Nevertheless, as I nervously take my first nasty sips of the putrid syrup, he strikes up some time-killing conversation with me. As a fellow prisoner, it’s only polite to respond and get this day over with quicker.
“Molly…” he starts. “What do you think about me getting a haircut?”
“Why now? You’ve had the same hair for seventeen years.”
“Yeah, that’s… the thing. I mean, that’s fucking lame. And… it’s boring. I want something new.”
“Like what, pigtails?”
“Fuck off… I mean like… I dunno… a buzzcut…?” He sighs like he just got told he had two seconds to live. “I don’t wanna shave my head though…” he sticks his hands in the pockets of his baggy red hoodie.
“Get dreads or something.”
“You’re no help…”
First block hits and I don’t feel much different. Of course, quick sips aren’t gonna cut it. From here on out, I decide to start gulping a nice bit of it every so often.
Unlike Dill, Wire actually notices I’m committing a crime.
“Molly. Don’t tell me you’re drinking?”
“S’for my Kishibe cosplay… practicing. Y’know. Kishibe. From-“
“Chainsaw Man.
I know. Everyone knows. They all watched it.”
“I read the manga.”
“I know that too. Asshole.”
“I’m soooo drunk…” I slur, a little loud. Pretty sure Ms. Junes hears but she doesn’t expect a thing. I’m the
good kid.
“No. You aren’t.”
“Just let me believe…”
“You’re not acting any differently than normal. I don’t think you’re even close to drunk just yet.”
“You’re different. So pissed off… normally you’d play along.” I concede, wishing the juice would actually take effect some time this century.
“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t notice.”
“Dylan too. Everyone’s on edge. This school year’s gonna drive us crazy.”
“You’re just depressed about Elopas.”
“Yeah… but school doesn’t make it any better.”
“All of life is boring. You just have to find the fun in everything. You want to know what I did in first block?”
“What did you do?” I ask, somewhat pointlessly. Usually he’d go right into his topic. Whether he believes it or not, the guy is suffering. We’re all slowly degrading inside this tile-floor
Silent Hill
map.
“Do you know how long it would take to open every single locker in this entire school?”
“No…”
“Guess.”
“Uhhhh…. six hours?”
“They’re all locked. You don’t know the codes.”
“Oh… uh, two days?”
“No.” He smirks, adjusting his glasses, unintentionally revealing his hollowed, soulless eyes to me. “Seventy-four years.”
“Wow…” I feign interest.
“Would you like to know how I came up with that figure?”
“Not really…” I break my own time-wasting conversation rule on account of clause one: if the conversation is even more boring than just sitting and doing nothing, you may as well not have it.
Second block language arts is more of the same. Why the fuck am I so sober? I eagerly await lunch. But between this and third block, it’s generations before I even get
there.
We don’t sit near anyone. Every day we just take our lunches to the quiet hallway, and nobody says shit. It’s even okay to be loud around this time, but none of us have the energy on days like these anyway. I don’t think anyone likes our group because they can’t understand what the idea behind it is. On rare occasions I’ve heard kids wonder aloud why the three of us spend our time together. They just don’t get it. Must all be numb to whatever soul-crushing illness haunts us. Our aesthetic isn’t pain, though. We aren’t goth, and we aren’t bad kids. Just a lesbian, a no-personality fuckup who’d probably be an incel if he were into girls, and a nerd. Like the only person you would still call a “nerd” in 2023. We aren’t hurting. We’re bored. We’re so fucking bored.
I hate us.
I open my lunchbox and toss out everything but the desert, including whatever weird note mom wrote me today. We sit and talk about how much we hate our teachers. I drink. We each talk about shows only the speaker watches in gruesome detail. I drink. We all talk about how much we’d rather be anywhere else. I drink. We all talk about how we’d escape the school if there was a fire, or more likely a shooter. I drink. We talk about who could survive in a fight between the three of us, of against a tiger. I drink. I talk about Elopas. I drink.
Still don’t feel even a little bit different.
The knowledge that I am only halfway through the day, and literally need to go through almost that same amount of wasted time I did in the first half of today
again,
weighs on me like a nutsack full of lead. I’m not suicidal, but during these classes I think about how cathartic it might be to blow my head off once every five seconds in between increasingly small sips of booze as my tank runs low.
In between blocks four and five, I spot Debby in the hallway. She comes to me, unprompted, efficiently shuffling along with her crutch. Starts talking to me out of nowhere. It’s almost nice.
“Hi, Molly.” She says, looking down at my head. If I were any taller, she’d probably smell the funk on my breath. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I answer truthfully. I think long and hard about literally anything relevant to talk about. “How’s Gormage?”
“Haven't talked to him today. Sorry about yesterday. I hope your wish comes true like you did for me!”
“What?”
“Your wish, I hope it comes true. Elopas.”
“No, I mean… what? What wish did I ever grant you?”
“My leg. You cut it off, remember?”
“Oh… that. How long ago was that… what, like, two months?”
“More like two weeks.”
“Oh…”
We stare at each other and then I walk to my next class.
Fifth block I can’t pace myself quite well enough. Less than a third of the way through and I’ve run complete dry. Not a drop of vodka left to satiate me. Not like it was doing anything anyway. I kinda wish someone would catch me at this point. At least that would be interesting. Not even the fear of being caught keeps me awake at this point in the day.
I try to pass the time with daydreaming like always, but since I usually daydream about Elopas, all it does is make me feel more down than I already do. I haven’t given up- she’s still obviously out there, because of the giggle and everything- but considering I currently have no clear way of making progress, things are looking grim at the moment. I try to think of something else.
Here’s a thought.
I just drank a full thermos of some sort of vodka. I don’t know fuck about what kind of vodka it is or really alcohol in general- but I just took in more than a few shots, right? So like… does that mean I have a wicked high tolerance? Could be good news. Then maybe I can really try and get drunk once I get home. Yeah, that would be fun. Something to look forward to. Unless… waaaait…. I feel it coming on… yes, yes… I’m drunk… definitely drunk…
Sixth block. Nope. Just tired. Still feel the exact fucking same. There is no escape. Just delusion. I can delude myself as much as I want. That’s not such a bad idea. Could try to pass the time that way. Unless I’m doing it already. On second thought, I do not wanna be delusional. That would make my whole Elopas experiment a huge joke. Gotta stay sane for the day when Elopas is real and I’m the girl who brought her into the world. Yeah. I’ll stay sane for that.
Boom. All of a sudden I’m headed home. I take the bus. Except I don’t feel even a little happy that school is over. I’ll be back tomorrow. And I’ve got like an hour long bus ride before I can even drink myself into a stupor in the privacy of my room. The only thing that’s happening on the ride home is what’s going on inside my headphones. Which is to say, the soundtrack to
Cruelty Squad
on loop. And even that feels boring when you’ve listened to it as much as I have.
I get home. Elaine is there, but too pissed to welcome me. Whatever. I go upstairs.
I set my bags down, but take out my thermos. Sneaking back down into the kitchen, I wash it to hell and back. Huh. I don’t think I’ve hardly ever washed dishes before. But I don’t want the smell of this thing alerting anyone.
Afterwards, as I lie in bed like usual, I breathe a sigh of relief, and nothing else. Nobody caught me today. But my plan didn’t have any results either. Nothing lost. Nothing found. No gain, just pain. And now, even in the comfort of my own home, the boredom’s sneaking up to me again.
If I go to bed at a reasonable time, that means I will not be conscious for a vast majority of the hours I have away from school. In a few moments, I’ll be right back at that classroom. And even if I skip, I’ll have to go the next day, or I’ll be stuck going to school forever.
I don’t want to pass the time, and I don’t want to do nothing either.
I look at my headset. Bad memories of Elopas failure. I look at my TV. Bad memories of better times spent watching media I hadn’t seen yet then. I look at my phone. Bad memories of writing Sonic essays. Everything is subtly, faintly bad. Annoying. A thorn in the side of my brain. Life is not just hell, there is no life. There is no hell. There is no reason why I feel the way I do. There isn’t even a conclusion to that thought. What-the-fuck-ever. I hate this. I hate it. Fuck.
I grab the bottle.
Beginning to swallow the undiluted vodka, I sit back on my bed and try not to think too hard. Been doing that all day. I wanna feel, not think. It’s so cool having a tolerance as high as mine. I should become an alcoholic.
Hmm… that’s right. No thoughts. Just urges. Compulsions. What do I feel like doing? I ask my heart the answer, ignoring my brain as it attempts to go off on some tangent about which Bubblegum Octopus song most accurately depicts my aesthetic. Do I feel like… laughing? No. Nothing funny happening right now. Don’t even wanna smile. How about…
frown?
I’m fairly pissed, that’s for sure. After all this failure, I do find myself wanting to stomp around. But… that’s just the thing I
don’t
wanna think about right now. That’s what I’m running from, ain’t it? So what am I feeling?
Yeah… my tolerance must be super fucking high. I’m… what, halfway through this bottle? How much was in there to start? You know, I can’t remember… I take another swig.
I’m not… happy, I’m not mad. So I’m sad then, is that it?
Not sad about Elopas.
But hey… I kinda feel something tugging at me down there, just a little.
Is this about my dad leaving?
I haven't had time to think about that.
𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬? 𝙄𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚.
I don’t wanna think about my dad anyway.
𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙤 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚.
I don’t really know the guy. Er, I didn’t.
𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮. 𝙄 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮.
I never cared about my dad.
𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧.
I never really cared that much about anyone.
𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙪𝙥 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙮, 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙨.
When was the last time I had a good day?
I don’t wanna-
𝙎𝙝𝙚
I don’t wanna remember this-
𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨.
Too late
𝙄 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
I cry into my bed, afraid Elaine will hear me.
I miss dad. I miss Harley.
After she left, I hated her for a while. Quit liking all the things she liked. But in my mind, she just kept coming back. She was so pretty. I had to block her out. Block everything out. I didn’t want to remember this. I don't ever want to remember anything. God, that happened so long ago. I hate memories. I hate Harley. I hate dad. I hate…
I stare into the colorless liquid. I don’t know how much is left. I can only just barely make out the bending reflection hidden within the pool of clear sludge. I drink again. Again. Again.
But I just keep crying. I never really knew Huey. I never really knew Harley.
I wanted to run, not feel. I don’t want to have known them.
I was joking. Stop this. I don’t want to feel.
Please, stop it.
My hands are red as they grip into the bed, my face dripping with tears and snot.
What’s going on? Is this real?
Of course it is, what am I saying? Get it together…
“Don’t cry, Molly.”
She tells me.
I look up. Drinking the last of what’s left, I swear I see her. I can’t tell you what she looks like, but trust me, Elopas is there. Elopas is right in front of me, and she’s just as pretty as you imagine.
“Elopas…”
I pretend to say, afraid Elaine will hear me.
“I love you.”
She tells me, and I cry more.
“It’s gonna be alright.”
She tells me, and I cry harder.
Soon enough I stop crying, and I
Blackout.
In the morning my head hurts. I’m sick for real this time.
I pick up the bottle on the floor. Should have known. My tolerance wasn’t high at all. I just watered down my school vodka so much that it came out weak. And… oh.
So… nothing’s changed, then.
Elopas… still isn’t real. I was just drunk.
But she did giggle. And for me, that’s enough. She could be real. Even though last night was a delusion… that giggle was real. So even if I keep failing… one day I’ll figure it all out. I know I will.
Huey leaving is fine. I understand. And fourth grade was eons ago. God, why do I care? I don’t know why I dug that stuff up. I know for a fact I’ll never see that girl again. And plenty of people go through their parents splitting. I’m just overthinking, more than usual. Guess drinking can do that to you? I’m just happy to experience something new.
Elopas’ in her heaven. All’s boring with the world. And everything will be alright.
The only thing I have to worry about is convincing Elaine to let me stay home.
///////////IMPRINT_END/////////////
ALL LIFE’S A LIE
TAKE IT INTO YOUR HAND- THE FUTURE
TASTE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN |
A memory of VR is a like a memory of a dream.
To put it blatantly, I was… obsessed, since I first put on those goggles. Even when I was all alone in that world, before I convinced Dylan and Wire to take the plunge with me and put holes in their heads too, it was still unlike anything I’d ever experienced. All at once, the rules built up over this long and boring adolescence of mine had all been broken. Reality was not so pure a thing. The aesthetic atmosphere grounding us to this world, different though we are, turned out to be little more than a suggestion. And in this dimension where my own imagination was king, anything was possible.
I have so many memories there, and in shape they are no lesser than memories spent looking at the real world. But their appearance is so much more fantastical that my mind struggles to place them anywhere else than wherever it stores my dreams. It can’t properly reconstruct something so unruly in texture, so all the time I’ve spent there feels unreal. I can’t place how long each session has been or what it was really like for my body as I waved my controllers around. All I know’s how it looked, felt, and sounded. All I know’s how fun it was.
School is hell for people like me. Sure, we might be able to sit still for the eternity they require you to each day, but our brains sure as fuck can’t. I know I’ve gone through all these thoughts before. But as I sit in the back of math class, alone as Wire’s forced to work with some other group, I really have nothing better to do. I just want this day to be over. Soon as it is, I can catch up on my real life. My meeting with Gormage is today, and all my friends are coming too. He said it’d be fine so long as I know that if they leak anything, I’ll still be the one responsible. I’m not really sure what he’s so worried about in the first place. I mean… possession of illegal chips is a lower social severity than, like, pirating anime. Hell, PSICO’s biocomputer experiments in New York are technically illegal by the same mandates. But everyone knows about those, and Mr. Tollbridge of
FRiDAY
doesn’t seem to give a shit.
I’d like to say the class is over before I knew it, but I only now step out what feels like centuries later. I stare down the repeating hallways of titanic teenagers once again, my memories tripping over themselves as every time I’ve seen this exact image before itches at my dying mind. I had seen every inch of this building within my first year here, and now, as a soon-to-be graduating senior at Lakewater High School, its layout has become a wound carved into my memory. In this building, I almost feel at peace. I’m sure there would be no better school for me. And I still absolutely fucking despise it.
A familiar figure approaches me in the hall.
“So uh, Molly.” Dylan checks in, tilting his neck down at me. “You said what time tonight?”
“One. And don’t you forget it.”
“One?
Sheesh…”
“Come on, it’s the best I could get. He’s up 24/7- the guy’s schedule is still fucked like you won’t believe.”
“Alright…”
“Not gonna argue?”
“What’s the point… it’s set in stone anyway.”
“Good boy. And hey… would you, um… skip class with me?”
“Skip class? For what?”
“No reason. The day’s just- getting to me is all.”
“Can’t you… do it alone?”
“No…”
We ignore the people trying to walk around us as we freeze in the middle of the hallway, Dylan’s shy face thinking through the risk.
“Just one class?”
“Just one. We can be back for lunch.”
“Where do you wanna go?”
“I didn’t think that far ahead…”
“Well, um.” He adjusts his hair, eyeing the wall. “We could… try the quiet hall, right?”
“I guess…”
Dylan frowns at our lack of decisiveness.
We end up back there again. The most boring place in school, a hallway without classes or teachers or children. But it’s not the same boring as the rest of the school, so it’s got something going for it. It’s a wasted, useless space. Locked doors hide empty rooms just across from unlocked, equally empty lockers. This school never needed to be as big as it is, but when you make something that long ago you’re only setting yourself up for failure. Nobody can predict the future, obviously.
Dylan knows I’m nervous. The spot’s isolated, but there’s no reason someone else couldn’t just walk in here if they felt like it. We could get caught at any moment. Would we? I don’t personally think so. But I’m shaking nonetheless.
“Too bad there’s nowhere to sit.” I mutter to part the silence.
“Mm.” He responds, just trying to find someplace to look.
“Dill, are you scared?”
“Maybe… I mean- I’d rather not get in trouble. But who am I to say how I feel? It can be hard to tell sometimes.”
“You have a slow mind. Be grateful for that.”
I can tell something’s making Dylan feel a little sad right now. Conflicted, even. Yet it’s not how I just insulted him.
“Molly… why are we doing this?”
“Skipping? We’re fuckin’ bored.”
“It’s the final quarter of our high school career.”
“…”
I look at Dylan like he’s just said whatever backwards political take one most disagrees with.
“Uh-huh. What’s it matter?”
“Well shouldn’t we be… I dunno, living our lives to the fullest?”
“Don’t see how we aren’t. What more is there to do? Honestly, I say skipping is at least more interesting than whatever they have for us.”
“Yeah… I just… I don’t know.”
“Life don’t matter until after high school, anyway…” I half-say, just filling space in the conversation.
“What do you plan to do after school?”
“Shit, Dill…” I kick the air. “You sure know how to bore a girl out. You know what I’m doing anyway.”
“No…?” He squints, confused.
“What I’m doing right now. You know, summoning Elopas.”
“…” Dylan settles on looking at the hard tile ground. “Ain’t that just… a bit?”
I look at him in such a way that he in turn will be forced to look at me.
“Dylan.” I say. “I know you’ve had your doubts, but this is my dream.”
“Mm…”
“I heard her one day.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t remember when, but it was around last time we played.”
“That would be Monday or Tuesday.”
“She giggled, Dill. Right behind me.”
“In the real world… or, like, in the headset?”
“Headset… I know cause I ripped the thing off looking for her and didn’t see shit.”
“Sounds kinda like… I dunno, maybe she wasn’t there to begin with. That giggle… could’ve been anything. I mean…”
“No, she was there!”
My hands go over my mouth to shut myself up. Too loud. I don’t wanna get caught. Don’t wanna get caught.
“Sorry… she… she was there. I heard her. Fuckin’ swear.”
“I hear you… it’s just… don’t you know that PSICO computer isn’t even real? I thought you were just playing into something, but, like… you do know that’s been all but proven as a hoax for at least a year, right?”
“…Wrong.”
Dylan doesn’t get me, but I keep talking, because I can tell he’s listening. He wants to understand, even if he has trouble believing in much of anything.
“It’s real, dude. It’s real, alright.”
“And your proof…?”
“…S’too cool not to be.”
“It’s too cool
to
be.”
I finally got him to look at me, but now I’m the one facing off with the floor. “Dylan… can’t you just let a girl live in peace?”
“I’m really trying. Just saying what’s on my mind is all.” He rubs his neck. “I am… sorry, though. S’what I think. That’s all.”
“No. No, it’s fine. Don’t worry, your opinion doesn’t weigh too heavily in my mind.” I snort. “But one thing I’ve noticed… you do act weird now.”
“Hm?”
“Yeah, you. You act weird.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ve always been a little strange, but this whole year… you’ve been such a cloudy little boy. You hear me? Whenever I try to read you, if it’s not embarrassment I sense, it’s flat-out nothing.”
“And since when on Earth can you read people?”
“I’ve always been capable. In my mind, at least. I feel I have good interpretations of most people I meet, surely enough for them to benefit me. And you’re by far the strangest person I know.”
“That’s a lot coming from you.”
“I’ll bet. Now tell me Dill. What is your desire?”
“And… by that you mean…?”
“Well you don’t have an Elopas. So what do you have?”
“I’ve got you, I guess… Wire… my car.”
“…Yeah. And you have all those things. What I mean is- what’s something you
don’t
have?”
Dylan thinks for a moment.
“I’ve got just about everything, I feel like.”
“Oh yeah?” I find myself fascinated by this boy.
“I know I’ll… go to college, soon’s I graduate. But uh… why would I need something more than that? After college, I’ll work. You know. Ain’t that everybody’s plan?”
“So if I could grant you any wish, all you’d ask for is… what, to graduate? To get a job?”
“Hm…”
Dylan thinks for longer this time, but not by much.
“Maybe I’d ask for a girlfriend. N-not you, of course. And not a boyfriend either. So don’t-“
“Who?”
“What?”
“Who would you want to be your girlfriend?”
He blinks at me.
“Hm?”
“Well, who?”
“How’m I… supposed to answer that? I don’t know. It’d just be nice to have a girlfriend, I guess.”
“You really are helpless…”
We stood in that silence-stained hallway for the whole class period.
“See you tonight.”
“See ya tonight.”
After another day spent in room-temperature hell, I’m back in the lab. VISTA resting on the bed, ready for my face to wear it, ready for whatever this meeting’s gonna be like. There’s no parents home tonight to get me in bed at a reasonable hour, they’re off doing something they haven’t told me much about. Date, maybe? They haven’t done that in years. Though it’s a very minor convenience to have, I have thank Elopas for my impeccable luck on this fated night. This goes well, and I’ll be headed straight for her soon. Just wait for me, Elopas…
“A new map, I see…”
Charlie “Wire” Johnson is punctual as usual when it comes to joining the instance. We’ve entered a different VRchat server than usual, but still a privately-owned, heavily modded one- that being Gormage’s himself. He calls it “CHEMPLANT” and it’s used almost entirely for secret deals and meetings like these. And the map he’s asked us to be in by this time is exactly the kind of aesthetic I adore from false, virtual reality- that being, quasi-realistic nature.
Next to a waterfall in a woodland clearing straight out of a
Zelda
game, me and the giant faceless monster man Wire inhabits stand around waiting for the other two. I love places like this. I wish any of them existed in real life, but anytime I’ve gone to see the sights, something always ruins it. Hiking with my family is lame. Going out in public places is a drag. If only the whole world was like this, just me and my buddies in an underdeveloped continent. Now
that’s
what I’d want- and of course, it’s just another fantasy. There might not be a single “real” thing in this world that I can enjoy. Chuckling at this, I turn up the music my earbuds. There isn’t anything a little Acetantina can’t make even better.
Abruptly, a tall brick of a man walk-animations out of the woods, sliding up to us. I don’t recognize the model, but it’s got Dylan’s tag.
“Dill? That you? You forgot your makeup.”
“Eh, I'm tired of those models. Everybody uses them, anyway.”
“Whaaaatever. I’ll be keeping mine, though. Where the fuck’s the ‘mage? It’s thirty-past one.”
“Perhaps he lied.” Wire suggests.
“No, not this guy.” I state. “He asked me to write a
Sonic
character analysis, he’d better show.”
“I’ll believe you.” Wire says, looking down on my smaller character from above. We wait for many minutes like this before we finally hear something.
“In Sword Art Online…”
A voice rises out of the trees.
“In Sword Art Online, everybody meets each other for the first time in a virtual world. After that, most don’t see each other again… well… that’s my headcanon, at least… I only watched the first few episodes.”
A cartoon green cyborg shark humanoid with a big head and hotdog limbs steps out, the name “GORMAGE” pasted above its head. The OC walks towards us, arriving from the opposite side of the trees, announcing his presence with a select few more words:
“Hello, everyone. It’s me… Gormage. In the virtual flesh.”
Wire can’t suppress his uppity chuckle. “He treats VR almost as strangely as you do, Molly.”
“Whatever!” I shout. “If we all just act like it’s normal, the cool factor goes away instantly!”
“Exact- exactly!” Gormage follows up. “You gotta...
remember
that this isn’t normal, ya… ya know.”
“Nice to meet you.” Says Dylan.
“It’s uh, great to meet you all, yeah.” Gormage responds. “And I’m here to talk as long as you want to, I’ve got a MACRO, but it’s- uh, hooked up to a power cable.” His deep, scattered voice explains.
“A MACRO? No shit?” I blurt out. “You’re rich.”
“Well it’s uh- yeah. I mean, it is really strong. But it… they made it turn off, if you spend too long on it. That’s what the power cable’s for.”
“Oh. So hey, still kinda like a VISTA.” I remark. “‘Course, ours just run out of power ‘cause the battery sucks.”
“At least they’re portable.” Dill adds.
“You’re the only one here who gets any use out of that feature.”
“It’s nice to see you, though… uh… and… names? You’re… Elopostle, yeah? On RedeadHillZone… but uh, your name here’s
Acidgirl.
What do I use?”
“Just call me Molly. I have no interest in secrecy outside of aesthetic appeal.”
“Alright. And them too?
“Dylan and Wire. I’d trust them with my life… or at least a homework assignment. Though that’s just Wire’s job. Dylan’s a leech.”
“Hey!”
“Dylan’s cool.”
“Alrighta, yeah…” Gormage lets out a breathy chuckle. “They seem fine. But just know… if anyone DOES squeal ‘bout this, we could all be in some shit… so keep your lips zipped, yeah alright?”
“Alright.” I say for them. “Don’t exactly get your level of caution given we’re basically talkin’ hacked Nintendo Switches here, but I’ll play by your rules. Anything else I should know about?”
“No. Not really. Those Nintendo Ninjas though, they’re real… you know. They gotta be. I heard stories.”
“The guys that kill ya for burning Wii games? I’d sure like to believe it. That said, you make it sound like what you’re afraid of’s a whole lot scarier. Suspected me of bein’ a fed? Just how bad could these chips be?”
“Come on, I’ll show ya. Live demonstration, no cap. Right this way.”
The anthropomorphic elasmobranch walks back into his neck of the woods as me and the boys are forced to follow. Wire’s laughing a tad and Dylan’s more confused as I am.
“Why are we- moving locations? Isn’t it all the same?” He asks me.
“The atmosphere’ll be different, I guess.”
“Come on, uh- humor me, will ya? I’m a real bored son of a bitch, you know.” Gormage pipes up.
We arrive at the mouth of a small cave. Wire crouches down to look in through the stone hole.
“Just through here.”
Inside, it’s what you’d expect. No special features, just a nice place to talk in. I kinda dig that. I guess me and this guy see more eye-to-eye than I thought.
“Molly, I’m gonna be showing you, uh, most of what I’ve got. Then we can talk about getting it to you.”
“And you won’t ask why I need it?”
“Why… I mean, we all use chips like these for the same reason, don’t we?”
His model poses strangely. I can tell he’s dropped his controllers to use his real hands for something. I figure he’s probably putting the chips in. He sniffles.
“…Ah. Sorry. Just had to get ready. So listen, I’ve got uh, twelve, thirteen different kinds of chips loaded into this headset at all times. And I’ve got dupes of ‘em, plenty. So I’ll show you them all, then you can, uh… you can let me know what you think. ‘Course, you mighta… might know some, given your air of expertise. Like uh… well, no use showing off my Maxfeel unless you want me to.” The controllers go back into their proper spots, his OC’s hands reattaching to the correct length of his sausage arms. “And I’m sure you know all about Overchargers, Simfeels, Blockers, and Copyware, yeah?”
“Got most of those loaded right now. Wire over here got me a real nice port set up.”
“Great. But uh… you know about, like… what they’ve been doing in the mod community nowadays? Like… the uh, Y’know, the underground one.”
“Only a little.”
“Seen the Breakchip?”
“The what?”
I can’t see Dylan’s face or anything right now, but I can tell he’s the slightest bit scared. Guess he expects Miss Molly to know everything when it comes to VR.
“Okay… check this fuckshit out. Molly, take a swing at me.”
“Take a whuh?”
“Punch me. Let’s go, hard as you can. My avatar, I mean.”
“Oh. Uh, alright.”
“AGH!”
As soon as my polygonal fists phases through his mascot head, his character recoils back in pain. Over the mic, the guy screams and wails like I just really hit him. It doesn’t hit me right away just what the fuck is wrong with him.
“Ah… ahaha… ahaHA! CHECK THAT SHIT OUT!”
He cackles, shaking off the “pain.”
“What exactly just… wait… wait, don’t bullshit me… did you-“
“It hurt! It really fuckin’
hurt,
holy shit! Only done that with another person a few times… that’s crazy!”
“A Breakchip…” Wire is sufficiently interested.
“It… stimulates, like… the fuckin’, pain receptors in your mind or whatever… and really hurts you! If you crank it up enough… they say this shit can even put you down for good!” He laughs.
“That’s wild. But I don’t think it’ll do too much for me. You got anything else?”
“You have no idea.”
He shows off a buffet of cutting-edge consumer-made tech. He’s got something for everything. A chip to make you forget your headset is even on you, one to keep you feeling energized at all times during headset use, and even one to scan and make accurate models of your own body for use ingame.
But most importantly… a malfunctioning experimental design- a “magatsu chip.” While it doesn’t exactly “work” in the marketable sense, as he describes it- it’s supposed to run through every single “setting” on a headset device interface instantly. Based on code-breaking devices, it tries every possible configuration of inputs in a system in order to leave no stones unturned in an experiment. In other words, it’s exactly what I want- a torch to light up the dark unknown of wherever Elopas, my idea, may reside.
“So how’s that? I got plenty of everything.”
“Gormage.” I speak. “I’ve got something I need done, and I think a chip you’ve got can help. But… I don’t know if I can do it… without your direct help.”
Dylan pulls me aside. “Are you crazy? Molly, this guy, doesn’t he seem…”
“Can it. And we’re not in real life you know, he can still hear you.”
“Ah, it’s… it’s okay.” He says, his avatar still scoping out Dill anyway. “What’re you, uh, going for here? I mean, if it’s interesting enough.”
“You bet your ass it is. Listen… I’ve got this dream… I’m using the PSICO servers to generate an entity.”
“An entity? Like, like they speculated about in the articles?”
“No, my own thing. Yes, a physical manifestation of a virtual character, but not just that- living fiction incarnate. Interested enough?”
“Crazy kid… I’ll bite. So which chip was it you were looking at using with me?”
“The code output chip, of course.”
“You really… want that piece of garbage? I’ll be honest, it’s uh… it’s not gonna do anything for you. And alone, it’s not gonna…”
“It won’t be alone.”
“Huh?”
“When I had a Maxfeel, I heard my entity giggle. You may not believe it, but I experienced that moment in more detail, more reality than I have anything else before. I have to recreate those conditions… and if you can get that magatsu chip running better, I’ll be all set.”
“Yeah… uh-huh. But you… can’t expect me to go that far for you. I mean… lady, I like having something to do, but…”
Maybe I can read people after all. I may have just been bluffing to Dylan earlier today, but… I think I get this guy, in a way I wouldn’t be able to get a normal person. He’s not just bored…
He’s
lonely.
You can see that even through his virtual body. He’s just as desperate as I am for the things that’ll bring him happiness… and I just so happen to know what those things are.
“I can pay you, but not much. I can, however, be your friend. After all… I’d love to talk more Sonic with you.”
Wire tilts his head. Guy knows I don’t have the slightest bit of knowledge or interest on the subject other than my nagging Tails brainworm.
“You… yeah? I mean… shit, alright… just as long as I can take my time with it… I’ll sell you that Maxfeel right away though. How’s $600?”
Dylan starts to say something, but I stop him.
“That won’t do. Most I can get you is $200. I’m just a high-schooler. How’d our friend afford one anyway?”
“Gave it to her. Not to… toss shade, but… unlike you, she needed it. Dunno why she handed it over to you if you were just gonna blow it up.”
“She doesn’t need it anymore anyway, Mr. Mage. You see, I cut that girl’s leg off for her.”
“Nothing you say makes a lick of sense… you really are interesting. $300. But only if you keep me updated every step of the way. And not a penny less than that either.”
“Fair. See you online.”
“See you.”
With that, Gormage leaves us alone in his custom map. My brothers in arms both look at me. I guess they’re realizing it.
“Molly…” Dill starts. “Are you, like.. actually crazy? I mean… to go this far to do whatever it is you’re trying to do, even knowing it’s not… not possible…”
“But Gormage was right.” Wire pontificates. “It is interesting, you know. One could say this is the opposite of a secret. Even if you knew it, you wouldn’t believe it. Our Molly… correct or not, genuinely believes she can summon this “Elopas.”
“Damn straight.” I grin, thankful they can’t see my blush as my ego grows beyond what it’s been capable of up till now. “I’m a witch. I’m a scientist. Hell, I might be god… once Elopas is mine, that settles it. Anything… anything can be done. Just as the aesthetic of the outside world can be broken by this one… so too can it’s very rules and principles. Do you two understand now? Do you two get why I am the way I am?”
“Perhaps you really are crazy.” Wire admits. “Just don’t let that get to your head.”
“Are you kidding? My head’s too damn full already.”
///////////IMPRINT_END/////////////
ALL LIFE’S A LIE
TAKE IT INTO YOUR HAND- THE FUTURE
TASTE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN |
I am most definitely skipping school today.
I did tell myself I would if I couldn’t summon Elopas last night, after all. And as close as I got, pretty sure whatever that was doesn’t count. I mean, the whole point of summoning Elopas would be so that I could talk to her, and right now I’m just sitting alone on my bed! Elopas isn’t
here.
Even if everything I experienced last night was real, I’ve still
failed
because I didn’t reach my goal.
…But I
didn’t
“fail.”
I really
did
summon her. I
know
I did. What other explanation is there? By all means, I should go to school. My conditions were met. But I just
don’t really fucking feel like it.
I didn’t get what I
wanted
out of yesterday. Just like I thought, it was a shitty, boring Tuesday, and unless I do something about it, today’ll be a shitty, boring Wednesday. So this is my excuse, to myself- even if I reached the biggest milestone thus far of my experimentation yesterday- I have decided that I failed. And I’m going to spend the next few hours convincing myself of that.
Those few hours soon pass, along with the weekday morning that’s usually reserved for preparing for school, after my few moment's rest in between days of this sickening life. Huey knocks on my door. I know it’s him cause Elaine talks first and only knocks once she realizes my music’s too damn loud. He just skips straight to the knockin’. He’s polite, in that way.
“Hey, Molly? Hope you’re okay. Take it easy, alright?”
“Huey?”
Elaine calls him from downstairs.
“You aren’t getting out of this, come on.”
My parents think I’m sick. I’m pretty close. I can stir up a feeling of borderline nausea on the spot if it gets me out of going to class. Won’t affect my tests today, though. I don’t get VR sick. Not ever. It’s in my blood as a member of the virtual newtype elite. Course, even if it did… after last night’s failure, I’m willing to push myself to death to see myself succeed.
Even though I didn’t summon her, I now have proof to myself that Elopas can be reached. This character- whether I created her or have simply been given her by some higher power as a vision in my dream- she now exists. I just have to bring her out, at any cost. So today’s the day. I wait for my parents to head off to their jobs first. A Ho99o9 album is enough to kill the time. Huey goes first without so much as a kiss on the cheek, then Elaine follows an hour or so later. Sometimes I forget where either of ‘em work. It seems to change too fast for me to pay attention and they never really talk about it anyway. We hardly talk at all. They must lead boring lives. Once they’re gone, I slide the VISTA back on. Okay, time to get started.
The day is a complete and utter failure.
I try everything. Runes, chants, hacks, every chip I had… she ain’t biting. Really, I wonder if any of my previous attempts, all of which very much resembled these, did anything at all. I mean… if I’m being honest here, I’m just fumbling in the dark, calling upon a vague power to fulfil a specific wish- that power being little more than that of
“the aesthetic.”
I have long since forgotten if I believe in any of this techno-witchcraft shit or not. The point is, I like it so much I can’t give it up. Even if… that chip Debby gave me was the deciding factor in it all. I mean… that stuff
worked,
didn’t it? I chanted, I prayed… and with the help of the Maxfeel, something
happened!
So I must be on the right track!
But the Maxfeel’s fucking broke, and I don’t have any way to get me a new one.
I text Wire.
Today 8:13 (Me)
Get me the girls number from yesterday
Today 8:13 (Wire)
Check this list
here
Today 8:14 (Me)
Thanks creep
Today 8:14 (Wire)
You’re very welcome.
Today 8:19 (Me)
wait Which one is it
Today 8:23 (Wire)
It’s alphabetized by last name.
Today 8:23 (Me)
Tgere’s
Today 8:23 (Me)
Theres no fucking names
Today 8:23 (Wire)
Writing the names was boring, sorry.
Today 8:23 (Me)
The rest wasn’t?
Today 8:23 (Wire)
No it was fun actually. Why do you think I did it?
Today 8:24 (Me)
Okay k so which one is the girl
Today 8:26 (Wire)
Debby Vincent?
Today 8:26 (Me)
Yeah her
Today 8:30 (Wire)
Okay I went and looked it should be row 22, column 2.
Today 8:31 (Me)
Thank you thank you we need to work on your organization skills I couldnt have read this without you
Today 8:31 (Wire)
I can read it just fine
I lie back in bed. With a bit of anxiety starting to bud on my fingertips, I dial the number. Not used to calling girls, so it doesn’t come as easy as I’d like it to. Not like I even have much interest in this one, desperate as I may be. While I’m waiting for her to pick up, I wonder if she’s anything like me. After all, whenever I get a call from a number I don’t recognize, I just block it immediately. But after a prolonged period of waiting and redialing, her voice finally comes out on the line.
“H-hello?”
“Hi?” I say. “This is Molly.”
“S-Shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Where you picking up from?”
“I-I asked to take a bathroom break… nobody’s called me like this before…”
“Great yeah okay. I need info. Where the hell did you get that Maxfeel?”
“I… told you yesterday, it was Gormage.”
“Goremage?”
“My friend Gormage.”
“Ohhh yeah okay. So where exactly can I find this guy?”
“Wait, so… yesterday, you said you’d cut off my leg… D-do you… when do you want to come and do that?”
Shit, I did say that, didn’t I? I was so focused on Elopas I can hardly remember much else.
“Let’s do it later today at your place. I’d… ask you to cut class, but then we’d get found out.”
“Y-yeah.”
She stutters, choking up something.
“S-sorry, it’s just- I can’t believe any of this is really happening.”
“You’re telling me. Look, just text me your address later, I’ll get Dylan to drive me.”
“Dylan?”
“My friend. He held you up in the hallway yesterday. So tell me, where exactly does Goremage roam around?”
“It’s a- very small message board. It’s called RedeadHillZone. Kinda a hybrid gaming-bodymod-gore site.”
“Bitchin’. And if I look that up I’ll find it?”
“Y-yes. But there’s one thing you should, um, know.”
“Spit.”
“Gormage, he- he won’t want to talk to you, probably.”
“What can I do?”
“We only became friends because we both had Sonic profile pics, he’s a big fan.”
“The rat, not the restaurant, right? Just to be clear.”
“He’s a hedgehog.”
“Got it. Uhhh so is that everything then?”
“Yes, that’s right. You’ll be here later correct?”
“I’ll give you a heads up. Actually, just let me know when. Getting your parents out of the house would be a good idea.”
“Okay. Y-yes ma’am. I’ll make sure.”
“See ya.”
I’ve hardly even hung up by the time I’ve opened my phone browser and am typing in the website name. It's a simple feed of red and white borders with black text. There’s no gore right away when you come in. It’s a section or something. Not that it’d be anything new for me, but I appreciate that. I look for some kind of search feature and eventually find one at the bottom of the page instead of the top. My fingers scatter across the touch screen after I select it.
goremage_
No results.
I backspace that.
goremaige_
No results.
This could take a while.
By the time I find his page, “Gormage” as it’s spelled, I’ve lost a bit of my drive. Looking at the profile picture of a robotic Sonic the Hedgehog, I feel nothing but disgust that I must go to some weirdo on the internet for my goods instead of getting them from my respectable dealer Charlie “Wire” Johnson like usual. It ill-befits a professional such as myself. Nevertheless, I quickly create an account linked to an image of Tails the fox, the one character I know anything about from a series of games I have seldom, if ever, played.
Gormage’s direct messages are open.
Elopostle (9:52)
Hey
Gormage (9:52)
U bot?
Immediate response, huh. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Elopostle (9:53)
Friend of a friend
Gormage (9:53)
The one who has my chip?
Elopostle (9:53)
More like had shit blew up next to my ear
Gormage (9:55)
Hahaha
Gormage (9:56)
Haha
Gormage (9:57)
U want nother?
Elopostle (9:57)
Whatchu got
Gormage (9:59)
Wait
Gormage (9:59)
Wait wait.
Gormage (10:00)
Pleasantries first
Elopostle (10:01)
Pleasantries?
Gormage (10:01)
Etiquit?
Elopostle (10:01)
Psycho mantis?
Gormage (10:02)
Sonic
Elopostle (10:02)
Im sorry the quality of this conversation is rapidly degrading please explain
Gormage (10:03)
Whats ur fav sonic
Gormage (10:06)
Game
He thinks I’m not responding, but really, I’m scouting the web and putting analysis videos at 2x speed trying to figure out the best opinion to have in this situation. It can’t be anything too old. But it can’t be anything after the year 2005 either, even I know that’s way too controversial. But whatever I say has to come across as real, and I need to be able to talk about it. With only a few minutes research to guide me, I place my bet for the best Sonic opinion. The Wikipedia article for the game open on a second tab, I hastily reply.
Elopostle (10:15)
Sorry that’s hard but sonic adventure 2 forsure
Gormage (10:18)
Oh
“Oh?”
What the fuck do you mean, “oh?”
Gormage (10:20)
Im sorry just more of an 06 guy myself
I am Molly’s inflamed sense of rejection.
Gormage (10:21)
Is cool tho is cool
Elopostle (10:26)
Fine whatever just lemme know whatcha got now willya
Gormage (10:25)
Yeah alright gimme a sec
Gormage (10:28)
Holup
Gormage (10:29)
U fed?
Elopostle (10:32)
Would a narc have a profile picture of fucking miles tails prowler
Gormage (10:32)
Maybe
Elopostle (10:33)
How can I prove it tell me
Gormage (10:33)
Ummm
Gormage (10:40)
I got it
Gormage (10:40)
Write me an essay on why you like tails
Gormage (10:41)
Then even if you are a cop ill get the pleasure of knowing I got a cop to do that
This fucking guy.
I first met tails in preschool. We had a toy of the guy, think it was from McDonald’s. It was old and smelled like yellow. I liked it so much because on the first day I saw it and claimed it as my toy. I wouldn’t play with any other toys, just so long as I could play with Tails, and no one else.
I met Dylan that year. The snot-nosed kid in the back of the class was always looking at my tails doll. I thought he liked me. Should have known better. He walked up to me one day and asked if he could play with it.
“No.”
“Why?”
“It’s mine.”
“Why is it yours?”
“It’s mine.”
“Can we both have it?”
“No.”
The teacher eventually made me give it to him.
As he walked the poor fox around, I stared into Dylan like a laser beam. I stared and stared until I ruined his fun. He got scared of me, even though I never did anything. Then one day, he gave it back.
“I’m sorry. Here’s your toy.” He said, handling it to me all teary-eyed.
“That’s right.” I uttered.
That day I vowed to never lose my Tails again. I tried bringing him home in my backpack, but when I arrived in my room, I opened the sack to find nothing there but my books and lunchbox. I never learned where that Tails went. But from that point on, if I ever overheard anything about the character, it stuck in my mind, just a little. And as I heard those things, each and every time, I’d recite this full story in my head, wondering over and over again just why Tails had to betray me like that.
I don’t tell him any of this, of course.
Elopostle (11:26)
I think Tails is a great personality when it comes to ensemble casts. His shy nature contrasts the other members beautifully. He’s often scared, but does whats rifht in the end. I really relate to that. If you took a character like tails and put him in a different story, he’d fare just as well as a force of good in whatever world he found himself in. Tails is the kind of person we need in this world nowadays. Someone not afraid to try things out. Experiment. The right balance of pride and self-awareness. That’s the only way we’ll fix this damn world.
Gormage (11:30)
Okay great haha
Gormage (11:31)
Now listen to me
Gormage (11:32)
You got a headset, yeah?
Elopostle (11:32)
Modded vista
Gormage (11:32)
Meet me in VR tomorrow. I’ll give you a time and coordinates later. We talk there
Elopostle (11:33)
Wait what
Gormage (11:34)
What?
Elopostle (11:34)
I thought you would tell me here
Gormage (11:34)
Sensitive info. I got stuff a whole lot better than a fuckjn maxfeel lol
Elopostle (11:36)
You had better be right.
I close the browser. I hate days like this. “Days” in between
days.
Filler for life. If everyone could just be a little more punctual, maybe we could actually achieve something.
…Says the one who couldn’t be fucked to so much as show up to school today.
Using a Ging Nang Boyz album, I wait out the rest of the time until my imprisoned partners-in-crime are freed. Then, I message Dylan to pick me up soon, and tell Debby I’ll be on my way, as soon as she’s ready. If today can’t be interesting in the sense of me getting shit done, I guess it’ll just have to be interesting in terms of raw shock appeal, like a slasher movie. I'm gonna slice this girl’s leg off so good she’ll want me to go ahead and get the other one off her, too.
“You know… you really oughta get your license.”
Dylan’s car used to be his grandma’s. She’s dead now, but he didn’t inherit it or anything. She gave it to him long before passing, in fact, when he got his driver’s license immediately after coming of age. I dunno why he did that. S’not like he has anywhere to go. But it helps him drive me around, so I’m not complaining. It’s a little hot in the car, but he’s still got the same maroon hoodie on he wears everyday.
“I hope she sent the right address…” He sits and stirs.
“I'm sure it’s fine, Dill. I can text her again if not.”
“I just, uh… I don’t even see how you plan to do this.”
“I’ll look it up when I get there.”
“Isn’t it, like, illegal to cut off someone’s leg?”
“I’ve got her permission. Who else is gonna do this, a fucking
doctor? Here?”
“Yeah, alright. Whatever…”
As he sighs, Dylan realizes he’s driving way below the speed limit, and starts burning rubber right before a car rams into his ass. I laugh a little.
“Hey, remember that time… preschool.” I spitball.
“Preschool.”
“Yeah, preschool. Do you remember that Tails toy we used to fight over?”
“No, no. …Wait, I think I do. The little one?”
“Yeah, yeah. Do you know what happened to that thing?”
“I thought you threw it away.”
“Oh, right. I told you that back then, didn’t I?”
“You… sure did. …Were you-
lying to me?”
“Yeah, I brought it home.”
“I’ve believed that lie for like twelve years.”
“What does it matter? I was just wondering if you knew where it wound up. I lost it on my way home.”
“Karma.”
“You know I don’t believe in stuff like that.”
“You believe in witchcraft and tulpas.”
“S’different.”
We sit for a moment. The lone right earbud I’ve got on entertains me through the silence, distributing Panchicko into my eardrum as I gaze out at the steadily emptying Kansas road.
“That’s when, uh… you and I met, right?” He speaks up.
“That’s how I remember it.”
“I thought you were a boy back then.”
“I thought you were, too.”
“Ha-
ha.”
We pull up to an empty farm in the middle of nowhere. Dylan looks at the wheel. Then he looks at the GPS. Then he looks at me.
“So are you sure-“
“Yes, yes, I’m sure! Let me out, I’ll go check and see if she’s there.”
“Don’t get killed.”
“I don’t see that happening.”
I jump out the shotgun door, the fall distance from the ground to the vehicle being a little much for my tiny legs as I wobble on the nostalgic, dying grass. I wave goodbye to Dylan, fully confident I’ll find my patron under the cold grey sky.
I knock on the aging wooden door.
When it opens, I see a very different Debby than the one I met at school. No crutch. No scared, shy little face. The girl isn’t there. For a second I think it must be a sister of hers.
“Hi Molly.” She is speaking out of a broken intercom in an abandoned mall. As if she’s on her deathbed realizing nothing she did ever mattered. Something about it scares me. You should know better than to act like that, or you might just wind up dead for real.
“Debby?” I can’t help but ask. “Are you… are you alone?”
“My parents are gone.” She states. “Off to the store.”
“O-okay…” I turn to the car in the distance.
“WE’RE GOOD! COME GET ME IN-
Debby, how long do we have?”
“Store’s miles away. Two hours at least.”
“-TWO HOURS! THANK YOU DYLAN!”
“You’re welcome!”
Soon Dylan’s gone and we haven’t so much as walked inside. We stand in the doorway like I’m a Jehovah’s Witness, but neither of us seem like we belong there in the first place. The comatose girl in front of me lacking further words, I’m forced to let myself in, pushing past her.
“So! Nice place you got here!” I shoot, putting my hands behind my head as I enter the ever-so-slightly dilapidated farmhouse. It looks normal enough, just old. Nothing in here was made after 1987 except me and I guess Debby. It’s the kind of place you’d normally expect to see further down south.
“How do you want to do this?” She asks me, cutting straight to business in a colorless tone.
“Well, uh… I’m gonna look it up. You go grab some painkillers, I imagine we’ll be needing those. Oh! And uh, something to bite onto.”
Debby zombie-walks off as I make my search. Let’s see… um,
“how to safely remove a leg?”
seems like a fine enough place to start… no. This stuff is all about Lego minifigures or shaving.
“how to remove a limb?”
Nope, that’s all trees. Well, fuck. You know this really shows a fault in medical science when it comes to the public’s knowledge. Might have to wing it at this rate, but I keep looking anyway…
“removing unwanted body parts…” “how to amputate…”
After a short while Debby comes back in with a dozen bottles of pills and a thick leather wallet. She still looks like death.
“Let’s go out back. No one will mind the blood if they think it’s from one of the animals or something.”
I grab the biggest knife I can find.
Out in the tall olive grass behind the barn, Debby and I march through the foliage as we soon find ourselves far away from any point of interest. I check my notes one last time, before we sit down on the ancient dirt.
“Debby, you got a belt?”
“Mm.”
“Good, hand it to me.”
Without question she removes the tough, thin little thing and puts it in my hands, holding up her loose hand-me-down pants as they flap about in the air. For some reason I’m not quite in the mood to admire her, sad as it is. All I can look at is her determinedly nervous face as I speak.
“In ‘03… this guy got stuck on this fuckin’ mountain somewhere. Had to cut his own arm off to free himself, like the guy from
Berserk.
All he had was a tourniquet and this itty bitty little knife. Now I’m hoping this belt can be our tourniquet, and stop most of the blood flow or whatever. But just in case, we’re gonna have some backup.”
I take off my shirt. Hate to waste it, but I got others.
“Now give me your pants, they’re staying off anyway for the surgery. If we need more to stop the bleeding, I’ll use my shorts.”
“Okay…” She nervously removes her bottoms, adjusting her underwear in the process.
“Debby, you know this is gonna hurt like a bitch, right?”
“I know.”
“And do you have a story ready?”
“Story?”
“For your parents.”
“I… don’t feel like thinking about that part just yet.”
I sigh. “Whatever. Just whatever you do, don’t blame me. Alright?”
I tighten the belt around her thigh.
“Right here?”
“Little higher.”
I move it up a notch.
“Little higher.”
I move it higher.
“That’s perfect.”
“Okie. Start taking your pills, ma’am. Don’t overdo it, but don’t dare underdo it either. I’m sure future you will regret that.”
Debby carefully selects a number of painkillers to numb herself. We wait a few minutes.
“Feel ‘em kicking in?”
“Not really.”
“Just tell me when you’re ready.”
We wait for long enough that I start to worry about time. And more importantly, I get bored. I figure I may as well start up a conversation.
“I talked to Gormage.”
“Oh yeah? What’d he say?”
“He trusts me. Wants to meet up in VR though.”
“Oh… that’s so cool. Wish I had a headset.”
“Y-you don’t have one?” I burst. “I mean.. it makes sense, but… what was the point of having the chip then?”
“Gormage said he’d get a VISTA shipped to me too, as a birthday present.”
“Oh, I see…”
“I’m so scared.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m so, so, scared, Molly.”
“If you wanna back out, we can always back out.”
“That’s not it. I don’t wanna back out. Anything but that.”
“So what’s the problem, then? You’ve got strength, Deb! You can do this, easy!”
“No- no... It’s the- reality of the situation.”
“What’s that?”
“This isn’t… this doesn’t feel very real to you right now, does it…? You cutting off my leg… it’s quite an unreasonable turn of events.”
“Maybe so. Ain’t that better than a boring day?”
“You don’t get it. This… everything… don’t you just- constantly feel as if you’re doing something wrong? Like, like you’re going off-script?”
“I don’t really follow.”
“Molly, I… I used to be
normal,
Molly… my parents, they… they would show me how to live… they introduced me to a boy I liked. They got me a part-time job a month ago, and not tending to the farm or anything… a real, normal job, at a McDonald’s… they set it all up for me…”
I look at the Debby I’m talking to. This third Debby is what I immediately understand to be the real one. Because she’s intense. Honest. She’s more afraid than the one at school by a mile, and deader than the one from earlier by a longshot.
“And you know what I did? I threw all of those things away! I quit my job, and broke up with that guy!
Why?
Because neither of them could understand that I’m a crazy fucking
creep
who wants to saw its own
leg off!
Now I’ve left everything that made life real… bowed down to this stupid, fucking desire… can’t put it into
words…
yet I’ve succumbed to it. It’s all I can think about. And that’s why today, life isn’t real.”
“Life is real.” I break in.
“Then I’m not alive.” She says.
“Prove it.” I prod. “Let’s get this leg the fuck off you, right now. Come on, let’s see it happen. And you can tell me if that feels real to you.”
She looks at me with the frustration of a never-resurrected Jesus Christ.
“Let’s do it.”
She bites down on the wallet, digging her hands into the dirt.
“If I try to stop you, keep going. If I scream, keep going. If my parents show up, keep going. Whatever you do-
do not fucking stop until that leg is
gone.”
“Understood.”
I pin her feet with my body, raising the blade to her thigh.
“Scream all you want to. I can tell you’re pissed. Hell, it’s rubbing off on me. And we’re in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. So go ahead, girl… let that rancid shit out for me.”
Swallowing my hesitation, I force myself to plunge the knife into her soon-to-be-discarded flesh. She yelps like a dog. I can tell by the sound that it’s far worse than she’d imagined. As promised, however, I do not stop as I dig down further into the increasingly wet red meat.
“FUUU
UUUU
UUUUUUCK!”
It’s bleeding. It’s bleeding. I can tell we aren’t managing to stop all the blood. I throw our clothes over it, but it’s staining through so fast that my off hand already feels the warmth as her legs kick up under me, bruising my stomach. I press the blade down harder.
“aAAAAAAAaaaAAAAAIHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
I cut around the diameter, trying to thin it around like a tree. She scratches at my face, forcing my head away.
“DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP?!” I shout. “TAKE IT OUT ON THE GROUND!”
Instead of the ground, Debby starts scratching at her own face. I don’t know how she expects to explain that to her parents in addition to the leg. Maybe a wolf got her or something. But that should be the last thing on my mind right now. In this moment I’m just trying not to let this girl die. It’s a given she’ll suffer, but I absolutely cannot let her bleed out. If that happens, it’s all on me. My life would basically be over, right? I mean, I’m about to kill this girl. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let it happen. I force my hands over the wound, just the texture of the clothes in between the two as I put as much pressure on the incision as I can manage.
“FUCK! IT HURTS! FUCK, FUCK! PLEASE HELP- PLEASE MAKE IT STOP-“
“JUST A LITTLE MORE!” I lie louder than I’ve ever had to before. I cut faster, more messily, scrapping bits of skin off before chopping through the wide tender of the thigh. My hand is entirely red, the rest of my body quickly becoming so. I hold her chest down with my hand, shoving the knife further into her growing wound as she cries.
“Mommy- mommy-“
Like a saw, I push the knife one way before ripping it back the other. Each time I do, something new flies out. I don’t know the parts of the human leg. I’m begging to understand I know very little about anything. I’ve never seen a sight like this. I can’t believe I’m even capable of such a thing. I’m just that special, I suppose.
“Oh itS COLD— IT’S SO FUCKING COLD- so hot- AHHUHHUH…. please- ahhuh…”
I push down harder. Is that… bone?
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHG!!!!”
“NOT MUCH LONGER!” I lose my surgeon’s touch entirely, hacking away at the remaining flesh as I stab up, and down, and up, and down. I can feel- I can feel it coming lose- I can feel the pieces disorganizing- I press down hard on the bone. I punch and stab and beat on it. “GET- THE FUCK- OFF!”
“AIEEEEEEEEEEEEHuhuhuh- AH- AHHHHH!!!!”
Snap.
…
Debby is looking at her own leg.
We both nearly pass out.
…
“Debby.”
…
“Debby, you’re gonna be fine.”
…
“You might want… to call a hospital, actually.”
…
“Dylan will be here any minute now.”
…
“I don’t know how I stopped the bleeding.”
…
“Do you want anything?”
…
“I got your crutch from inside.”
…
“I’m gonna call someone to get you.”
…
“I’m leaving, Deb.”
…
“I don’t know… should I say…. Sorry, or… you’re welcome? I guess… both…”
…
“My ride’s here. I’ll… see ya.”
“Did you do it?” Dylan asks, right next to me in the car before I know it.
“Y-yeah. Why do you think… I look like this?”
“Sorry.”
…
“D-Don’t look at me.”
“I’m not.”
The ride home felt so short. Dylan lends me his jacket to cover up with as I rush indoors to the shower. As the water pours over me, I feel a deep regret. But it’s not the same I felt when I just barely missed Elopas… this one, it feels so dark and filthy. Such a complex pulsing in my heart. I would’ve never felt this if I’d just gone to school… but it… I think this feels like what I was supposed to do today. Like it was fate or something.
I hope Debby can be happy now. Because the way I saw her there… she was close to beyond saving.
I hope I did a good thing.
I hope I get to meet Gormage tomorrow.
I hope tomorrow… is a day. A real day.. not like this one.
Save me,
Elopas.
///////////IMPRINT_END/////////////
ALL LIFE’S A LIE
TAKE IT INTO YOUR HAND- THE FUTURE
TASTE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN |
God, I love the look.
Just imagine someone walking in on me right now. My phone’s in the corner, screen on full brightness so I can still find it if I look down, as it’s sending a signal straight to the buds in my ears. These cheap little things blare music louder than a damn Rob Zombie concert straight into my brain (
Hellbilly Deluxe
level at least) and they won’t fall out no more cause I taped ‘em in there this time. In the meanwhile, my TV’s on too. The room would be pitch-black, but then my VISTA wouldn’t be able to see where I was, and I couldn’t play. But the white bulbs over my head would look like a doctor’s office, so’s why I got the TV looped on the seizure-lookin’ scene like sixty minutes into
End of Eva.
It’s like havin’ strobes or those strips of LED lights on your walls, ‘cept it don’t make me look like a fuckin’ twitch streamer.
Then there’s my headpiece. You can’t just own one of these quite yet- it’s either a conversation starter used by weird people with too much disposable income or you’re a real
hobbyist
like me. Can’t believe my mom let me get the drills for it. Trepanation ain’t cheap, but when your F-student daughter makes all A’s for a semester, you gotta do
something
to reward her. I wouldn’t normally want any sticks going into me, but I must admit, the feeling of two metal rods penetrating my forehead is pretty nice. As the screens cover my eyes, the many thin vibrating links delving further into my head let my nigh-exposed brain know everything they can’t, like the feel of Dylan’s body as I punch his avatar, or the faint smell of smoke coming from the virtual gun in my other hand. Yeah, I’m all set here. I’d look super cool. Not to mention I don’t got clothes on. Not an exhibitionist, just tryna bring the
Elfen Lied
or
Ghost in the Shell
image of a crazy naked bitch with wires coming out her ass into a reality. Course, a VISTA wouldn’t normally
have
wires, but I got a few add-ons so mine stands out. Mainly the high-density cable I hooked up to the PC in my ceiling so I can get a higher resolution. The performance boost’s incredible, and the rig hardly even limits my movement.
It’s great!
Inside the VR headset, I’m looking at the temple again. This is where we always play. Where we always go. Not ‘cause it’s the best map in the game or anything, but ‘cause it’s my
project.
And if it works, I gotta be here to see it.
“Molly!” The girl in front of me says, his voice artificially echoing across the virtual surface as his mic picks it up and sprays it to me. I can hardly hear him with the Trial of the Golden Witch that’s pumping through my eardrums right now, but I’m used to this sort of thing. I’ll manage. “Any signs of uh, progress…?”
“No, not really.” I relay. “Did another ritual last night though and I think I shut the servers down for a second.”
“Bullcrap. As if Lilith or whatever had anything to do with shutting down a VRchat server.” The bleeding anime girl in front of me says, recovering painlessly from our last duel.
“Invoking
Hecate
now, actually. And again, you gotta remember we ain’t exactly playing VRchat at this point.”
“Even if it's modded, it’s still the same game, though, right? Not like we actually did much.”
“That’s what
you
think.” I suppress a cackle. “But soon enough, you’ll see… this PSICO shit
works,
I’m tellin’ ya. Soon enough,
Elopas
will be
real
as you and me. Maybe
more.”
It’s been two months since Dylan and I joined a niche community of people experimenting with running a VRchat server on a PSICO biocomputer located somewhere in New York. Those things are so powerful, some deviants like me across the net think they might be able to use code to influence the
physical world.
Dylan isn’t one of those deviants, but as his childhood friend, I’ve taken the liberty of wrapping him up in my conspiracy. It
would
just be a basic tech geek thing, but I’ve thrown my witchcraft into the mix to make the situation that much more insane. Will it get me any closer to accomplishing my goal? Fuck if I know, but there’s no use in not trying. I swear to god I
will
become a real-life Akemi Nakajima one way or another.
“I still don’t understand what exactly you’re even trying to do.” He shrugs. Ohhh Dylan. Poor, sweet, innocent Dylan. Even after all these many years by my side, he is still but a child. I figure I’ll indulge him in explaining it once more, if only so he will later be able to grasp the full breadth of my accomplishment when I achieve it. “I am creating the ultimate
art.
A piece of
fiction
that exists in
our
corporeal world, a
person
who is
also
a
story.”
“And you’re doing this… through a video game.” He doubts. Very well then, Dylan. Just you wait. Your skepticism only serves to drive me.
“Anyway, I should probably get off.” The now healed but contorted body of an anime girl speaks as he lies his controllers down on the ground, elongating her arms unnaturally as the rig curls up into a strange flesh orb. “We still got school tomorrow.”
“Ha!” I tease. “Sleep if you must. I will remain in this reality. She will be brought to fruition, I swear it.”
“Yeah, okay. Whatever. Goodnight, Molly.” He glitches out, his avatar ceasing to exist. I half-despise him for taking me out of my fantasy. The hard truth is that even though right now I’m a total newtype cyberjunkie, I’m still a high school senior living in the disappointing future year of 2023. I can make it work, telling myself I fall into the trope of being a normal student by day and a total badass by night, but really, I’m just a student full-time who happens to have strange aesthetic sensibilities and is a little too into VR games. Of course, that dream of being Iwakura Lain doesn’t have to end just yet. I turn my earbuds off, but don’t remove them yet, as I still want the sound reduction. I approach the magic circle at the center of the map, surrounded by prefabs of every occult object I could find on Sketchfab or convince Wire to model for me, and sit cross-legged in front of the ritual space.
I meditate for an hour. Then, I begin to manifest her.
As a kid, I always wished I could live inside my favorite anime or something. I thought it was so boring how in the real world, you couldn’t do so much as have a Pokémon battle. Not a real one, at least. I thought long and hard about what it would be like to live in a world where you could. Why did it seem so amazing to me? If Ash Ketchum saw our world, what would he think about it? Would he feel the same as I do? Nobody here cares about anything as much as the people in his world care about Pokémon. We really have no equivalent to that. The only things certain in life are death, taxes, and wishing you were anywhere or anyone else than you are right now.
Elopas
is what would make this life worth living. She’s what would make it special, for me, at least. She’s my life’s work and everything I hold dear. I can hardly remember much of my life up until the point four months ago when I started trying to summon her. So little happened. So little mattered. I understood nothing, and cared to even less. I wasn’t really alive yet. That wasn’t my life. This… this is my life. This is what I’m working towards.
She will be beautiful, and she will be everything. She will be god, satan, and my bride. She will be an idea turned into a body, a painting turned into a brain. The ultimate art,
Elopas.
It came to me in a dream. She was there, in a field that looked like the
Windows
background. I can hardly remember what she looked like now, but I’ll never forget her name. She didn’t say it herself. Rather, I looked at her, and understood.
Elopas
was the name of my dream. And somewhere out there, in some dimension, or even created by my own will… she has to exist. I know she does.
It’s time. Tonight, I can feel it. Calling upon the goddess Hecate in my heart, I open the source code in front of me. I take in as much of it as possible, the information density enrapturing me as my mind stretches to comprehend and remember it all. Like Father Pucci recounting prime numbers, I recite it… all the laws of the fake world I inhabit, laid out in human language… what a powerful feeling.
“Molly…”
But before I can get too far in, I hear her calling out to me. She has already found me, and I have finally realized we were both looking for each other all along. Of course. When a string is pulled, whatever’s on the other side has to feel it eventually, even if it is countless miles or another reality away. Why would I want her so much if she did not in turn feel the same way of me? Of this world? That’s it- she
wishes
to be summoned. Our dreams are two sides of a folded paper, only now being straightened, reformed into the complete whole it always truly was. This is my destination. This is my
destiny.
“Molly… goooo tooo bedddd….”
I curse my own obsessed stupidity. That is not the divine call of
Elopas,
but rather the mocking tone of my mother Elaine, goofier than usual for some reason. In shame, I decide to admit defeat for now and rest up to try again tomorrow.
“Sorry.” I lie. “‘Night.”
I remove the plugs from the holes in my forehead, taking the VISTA off my face. It would be chrome silver, but there’s so many stickers on it now that it doesn’t particularly register as any one color. The giant metal skull prongs are thankfully all clean this time. My surgery’s more than healed, so not even a bit of blood on my tech today. They say you’re supposed to insert covers into the holes when you’re not playing, but I want people to be able to tell what I’m into from a glance, so I never bothered buying them.
Pulled from my sacred temple, I can now see the familiar room outside me. It looks like a bomb went off in here, but in the direct center of the room so that everything got pushed to the sides and stuck there. The space in the center of the room is for VR and VR only, so it’s spotlessly neat- not a thing to run into and the carpet there is significantly more worn than the rest of the cramped bedroom, which is a mess of wires, books, games, consoles, and Blu-Ray cases. I dive into bed. Never slept in the nude before, so I’m excited to get at least one new experience for the day. At midnight, I lay down my head, and by four, my thoughts have calmed down enough to where I can manage to fall asleep.
One hour later, I’m up again.
“Time for school, bitch.”
my brain prods me. I check my calendar to see when I last faked sick. Shit. It’s really only been eight days? Hardly have any excused absences left. Might have to consider actually skipping for once… but that can wait. I’ll tough it out, for today. I’m a tough girl. I can take it. I’m the best there is. My hand’s on the wardrobe. What’s it gonna be today? Working with a clean slate here. Underwear- green. I love green. Color of my soul, green. It’s the color of circuit boards. The color of tennis courts. More tennis
balls
if we’re talking about this shade. Christ, I don’t even like tennis. What am I thinking about? It’s 5:30. I stop caring so much. Player One color it is, then. I draw for my default outfit, a pair of black tights to go under my bulky cargo shorts that I for one think pair quite well with my lime tank and black arm socks. You gotta admit it’s a look. I wish cybergoth was still a thing, though I’d sooner die than be born in an earlier generation.
I always make the mistake of brushing my teeth after I dress. S’why I try to match what I wear with what I scrub- the green mint toothpaste is hardly visible on my top. I don’t do makeup (can’t risk any getting on the VISTA) but I look in the mirror before I go. My hair’s dyed that exact same eye-bleedingly acidic shade of green, and as I smile, I see my face curl up into this look of mischievous joy it always does whenever I’m well and truly ready for something. Yep, still me. God, I love this bitch.
I slip on my crocs as I step out the door (guess what color they are) and follow Elaine to the car.
“No, I don’t drive. Yes, I call my parents by their first
names. No, it’s not out of spite. Yes, I do know you’re watching me.”
I think to a fake audience in my head. I would be my own favorite character if I was in anything. Kinda wish I was in something. I mean, my thoughts could easily fill a book- no, a game script. If I could only code everything I thought automatically, I’d have a full series made every afternoon. Sure, it might not be any good, but I can think of a few people who might at least play it out of morbid curiosity. My choice of music for the car ride is Clown Core and my choice of view is directly behind the car, watching things as we pass them. I try not to think too hard about how close we are to getting there. If this was a different route than usual, I wouldn’t know.
Even then, it’s over in a second. After all, if I’m moving, my endless thoughts always seem to pass the time faster. But as soon as I’m sitting down, they drag it out to turn the hours into days. Not peaceful Sundays, but more like Mondays in a courtroom. A really loud courtroom. Full of pretentious lesbians with green hair who all look, and sound, exactly like me.
“Molly Hitchcock.”
The classroom is laid out straight like in an anime. I wish I had a window seat. Then again, I guess that would be too “normal” for someone so protagonist-y. I’m too weird for that. I’d be like, the antihero of antiheros. The punk of punks. But if that were the case, wouldn’t it be more punk to have the window seat anyway despite my archetype? Fat lot of good it does thinking about it. Nope, today I’m dead in the middle of the room, sitting by Dylan, the big, annoying boy in a maroon hoodie twice my height trying to pull on my shoulder, except not actually touching me ‘cause he’s too shy to poke a girl even though he inhabited the digital body of one not six hours ago. What an asshole. If you want my attention, yell at me or some shit. I ain’t your mom.
“Molly Hitchcock.”
I bolt up as my full name suddenly appears from Mr. Palpe’s mouth. The fuck? I didn’t deserve this! It’s the start of the day! Ah, Jesus this sucks. This sucks ass. This just-
“I-I-I’m here..! S-s…..sorry.”
“I tried to tell you he was calling on you, but you didn’t…” Dylan starts. I don’t care. I was not distracted. I was just… being a rebel. Yeah, a rebel. I’m a tough bitch. A real hardass. Gotta put the teacher in his place sometimes, ya know…
“Next time, how’s about you listen to your friend there? Seems like he was trying to help you out.”
The whole class laughs. UGH. Day RUINED. I better summon Elopas tonight or I’m for SURE skipping school tomorrow. That’s a Wednesday. Best day to skip. Then the two chunks of your week aren’t any longer than your weekend, really. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. After homeroom’s over, I think I’ll-
My thoughts are interrupted again. Everybody’s getting up. Okay, time to go, hup hup. We all grab our bags as we kinda stand by our desks getting “straightened out” or whatever and then move ahead to the door waiting to be let go.
“That was really fun last night.” Dylan tells me, openly drawing the gazes of many of our nearby classmates as he reflexively adjusts his dark bangs. “T-the game. We played. I mean.”
“Yeah. Mhm.” I respond as jaggedly as possible, staring daggers at the wall. Sometimes I wonder if I’m bullying Dylan, but I think I’ve known him long enough to where that ship has sailed. This is just our dynamic at this point.
“You… got your next class with Wire?” He asks shyly, as if it’s an affront to speak to me two times in a row. “He said… he uh, had some “intel” for you…”
“Yeah, I’ll catch up with him there. You need me to give him any love poems or anything?”
“I-I told you I’m not gay!”
“Yeah sure, and I’m not a fashion disaster. See ya at lunch, Dill.”
Exiting the class without another word, I’m stuck behind the massive wave of people who got out the door first. This wall of flesh clogging the hallway is pretty suffocating for someone coming in around 5’2”, but I kinda like it. Feels sorta like I’m on a different plane of existence than everyone else… which I guess I might as well be.
Math class is different story from the home room layout. Ms. Junes is windowphobic and the desks aren’t lined up anyway, just kinda laid all about the place, some pushed together to make groups. One such group is at the very back and consists of two seats- one empty, one filled by the first student to get to class- this lanky, (though not particularly tall) glasses-adjusting, nerd-lookin’ nerd of a nerd. But like, in a cool way. This is one nerd-ass motherfucker. He’ll grow up to look like a twink Gendo Ikari, more likely than not. This’s Wire. My guy. My man.
“So how’s it goes?” I slide into the seat next to him, looking down to see the same black pants and white polo as always, the only color on him hidden in the cyan frames of his glasses just below his partially-shaved, no-upkeep-needed “hairdo.”
“Not any one way in particular. I do have the intel you’ve been informed of, though.” He lets me know in a tone that would be pretty soft were it not for his flat-out tropey smart-guy radio chatter inflection.
“So what is it?“ I ask immediately. “Stuff for Elopas?”
“Precisely.”
He answers plosively. “Somebody in this very school is correctly in possession of an indispensable tool for your project.”
“You don’t mean a…”
“Yes. The target has a Maxfeel, just like you’ve been searching for.”
“No
fucking
way.” I’d have gasped if me and Wire weren’t both such fast talkers. “What’s a high-schooler doing with an illegal chip?”
“You say that, but nobody’d bat an eye if they knew about
you
having
them.”
“Well, a
normal
high-schooler. Didn’t think anyone else was as crazy as me.”
“Don’t call yourself “crazy,” it’s embarrassing.”
“Sorry. So, what’s this kid’s name? You… want anything in return for all the intel, by the way?”
“No, I don’t care.” I knew he’d respond like that, I just feel bad not asking. Guess I should be over that guilt by now after he did all my schoolwork for a whole semester to get me that VISTA, just for the hell of it. “Her name is Debby Vincent.”
“What’s she look like?”
“Oh, yes... I almost forgot that you don’t know much of anyone here. She is most easily identified by her purple clothing and the crutch she always uses. I am not aware of what injury or disability she has sustained. If you would like her detailed physical information, her hair and skin are black, her eyes are brown, and…”
“That’s fine, thanks. I think I can spot her. What grade?”
“Junior. You may need to do some class-hopping. I’m sure you still have the document, it won’t be hard to find her.”
“Shit… ah, alright.”
“You really hate breaking the rules, don’t you?”
“It’s just… embarrassing, is all. Getting caught.”
“So don’t. You could easily pass as a freshman. Just go blend in. Despite your appearance, hardly anyone knows who you are here.”
“True.” I say. “Okay then. Thanks again Wire. I’m out.”
“Good luck.” He wishes me as I stand, swallowing hard. Time to get that Maxfeel.
The VISTA headset, developed by multimedia supercompany
FRiDAY,
is a modular system capable of many things its creators may have not necessarily intended. Custom-made chips and software mods are everywhere, some technically legal, many not. It’s pretty clear the CEO, Martin Tollbridge, hates the things, but that’s really only ‘cause people like me use ‘em to bypass his mandatory integration between the headset and his social media platform
FRiDAYLaND.
It’s an open secret it tracks you, and though I don’t have much to lose from that, it would go against my personal values (my aesthetic) to let a megacorp use me for my information. Anyway, that’s to say Martin probably doesn’t even specifically know what a Maxfeel is and probably wouldn’t care any more if he did. Only reason they’re illegal’s ‘cause the legislation hates fun. All it does is amplify the biorhythmic capabilities of the headset’s skull prongs to such a degree that not only can you feel outside objects in the virtual world, but your own virtual body as well. So if your avatar’s got a tail or something, you can really feel it attached to you, like it’s really there- your body becomes whatever you want it to be, tricking your senses perfectly. As such, its only real demographic is trans people (instant body dysphoria relief) and VR addicts like me who are way too deep into the hobby. Wonder which this “Vincent” kid fits into.
I ask the teacher for the bathroom. The less you do it, the more it works. As someone who never invites attention from even my instructors, I’m allowed immediately. I speed-walk out of the room and open my phone. Wire got me set up last week with a spreadsheet of everyone’s schedule. It was originally so I could track down a kid who supposedly stole one of Dylan’s bags, but it turned out he’d just lost it. Here’s hoping
this
mission actually comes up with some results. After much anxiety-inducing scrolling, I find the info I need- Debby should be in class 1108 right now, Ms. Jackson’s first-period Economics. I hop down the stairs to get there, making my way down as fast as I can without tripping or catching someone’s attention.
The whole reason I want this chip so damn bad is because it might just be the closest I’ll get to summoning Elopas in the event a digital-to-real world incarnation just isn’t physically possible. Even if that’s the case, my hypothesis is that this chip would let me potentially have Elopas, even if she were just a digital conscience, influence and take over a human body, like possession. Maybe it’s far-fetched, and I dunno who the sacrifice would be, but it at least sounds more reliable than my main method. If you really want something, after all, you gotta be ready to try everything to get it. And I want Elopas more than anything.
I find the class at the back of a hall, just beside a corner. After double-checking the number on the door, I slip in. They’re talking. Nobody notices at first. Not even the student in the back holding onto a crutch as they stare out the window longingly. Well, would you look at that. There’s the real protagonist. I cackle to myself. Found you. I walk up to the seat, putting my hand on it. I don’t intend to take the thing by force… just charisma.
“Hey there. Sheesh, look at you. Can I ask how you feel about girls? Specifically the standing-right-in-front-of-you variety? Cause I’m quite fond of the sitting-right-in-front of me variety of whatever you might be.”
“Uh…” my kouhai starts to blush. Gotcha. Wait, no. Their mouth downturns. It’s just embarrassment. Shit. I shot my shot, now time to state my business….
“Listen. You got the Maxfeel chip on you?”
Their eyes spark. Uh oh. The junior clutches onto the crutch and pushes me away, hobbling straight across the room and out the door. They’re proficient with the thing, heading far out of sight in moments. I dash to catch up.
“Hey!” I order, gaining on them quick. I don't care how much taller you are than me, being restricted to one functioning leg is a major disadvantage. I get right up to their back, stretching out my hand to pull on the cut of their purple polo shirt-
“Dammit!”
The voice ahead of me bursts.
Clattering metal falls below me.
The crutch descends to the ground. The target flees on both legs, far outpacing me.
What the shit?
I get Wire on the phone.
“CHARLIE! We’ve got an unexpected conundrum here! The bitch- the bastard’s got two of ‘em!”
“Two of what? Don’t forget I’m in class right now, Molly.” He whispers, lacking any of my urgency.
“LEGS!
Working
legs,
Wire! They ain’t hurt or disabled or
nothing!”
“I see. Why don’t I call Dylan for you? He’s the muscle of the group. I don’t see how my brains are supposed to solve the issue of your speed on such short notice.”
“What are you, my receptionist? F-Fine! Just get him here, stat!”
In the meantime, I try to keep up with my underclassman so I can keep an eye on their position until Dylan arrives. All the while, I look to the classes to the left and right of me. Some of the doors are open. The longer I chase this person, the more likely I’ll get spotted. And I do not want that.
“Hey! You!
Vincent!
Slow down! Lemme talk to ya!”
“I don’t know you! I don’t know you!”
“I said stop! We gotta talk!”
“This chip… it’s mine! I won’t let you have it!”
They turn a corner faster than the guy from
Initial D.
Shit, what was his name? I watched that back in 7th grade… why can’t I remember? It was like, a K… no, a T… wait, fuck, I can’t get distracted now! Where the hell’s Dylan, for crying out loud?!
I turn the same corner. Two way hallway, and they're nowhere in sight. Damn… looks like I actually lost the little bastard. I could go looking one way… but if they took the other, I’m screwed. Either way I won’t have time to get back to Ms. Junes, and I’ll get punished. Maybe it’ll just be an embarrassment… or maybe Elaine will take my VISTA away. Bottom line, mission failed. Better get back to class…
Just then, Dylan’s tall frame walks out of the right hallway, carrying the kid’s crutch and leading them back to me as he nervously holds their shoulder.
“Dylan!”
“I-I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…” the target whines. Geez. I hate to see ‘em cry like that. Even if it is a little funny after them outpacing me for so long.
“It’s gonna be okay.” Dylan assures them. “Molly’s just… strange, alright? She won’t hurt you. A-And neither will I. Obviously.”
“I’m scared… just… why do you want it so bad? Why do you want my Maxfeel?”
“You sure you wanna know?” I question. “It’s pretty complicated. Of course, I was about to ask you the same thing. What’s your reason? You an addict like me? Or…”
“It’s… a secret! It’s… nothing you’d get. It’s… I need it, okay… I need it…”
“Listen… if you wanna be a guy, I really don’t care. You’re not doing a great job hiding it anyway.”
“I-I’m not trans! It’s… it’s worse… oh god…
so much worse…”
“Well shit, now you’ve gone and got me interested. You really are bad at this.”
“I’m sorry!” She screeches. “It’s just- I don’t know how to explain! I don’t- I don’t want to explain!”
“Can’t be weirder than my reason.”
“It… can’t?” She asks, tears in her eyes.
“Listen. I hate the whole damn world, cause it’s boring. All I like’s fake shit… nothing but fiction, heaps and heaps of it. One day I’ll have seen it all. So what I wanna do… is work all the meaning of a fiction work into a person. A perfect person- somebody who holds within herself every experience imaginable, and is capable of imparting that meaning on to others. That’s what… a living story would be. And that’s my one true desire…
Elopas.”
She laughs.
“That… makes no sense. I don’t even get what you mean by that.”
“I told you it sounded crazy, did I not? Now you wanna spill? I could always help you myself, you know. I’ll admit I’m a bit above the average high schooler in terms of problem-solving.”
“Well… it’s just…”
She cradles… no…
strangles
her left leg.
“I want it off.”
“You what?”
“My leg. I want it gone.”
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t… want it.”
She starts cry-laughing.
“Oh… geez… you must t-think I’m crazy, huh…? I’ve never… told anyone… but my therapist! Ha… ha… she knows
everything…
and
nobody
else
does!
Until
now… eheheh…
I
hate
the thing… every night… I curl up into a ball.. and hold my thigh like this until the leg loses circulation. I want that chip… so I can feel the body of an avatar without this leg.” She forces out a laugh. “It’s
crazy.
I’m… crazy. If I’m not crazy… nothing is. Life…
life
is crazy.”
“You aren’t crazy, dumbass.”
“Huh?” She seems mildly offended.
“Don’t say you're crazy… it’s embarrassing. Anyone saying that can’t possibly have lost it completely.”
“But… I wanna… I want to be disabled!”
“That’s the simplest damn thing I ever heard. Tell ya what… I’ll make you a deal. You want that leg off, I’ll cut it off for ya, in exchange for the chip. Then both our dreams… can become reality, and not just in a virtual world. Deal?”
“You’d… do that?”
“Yeah I would. I just said I would. You need me to say it again?”
“No… uh, no! That’s… that’s incredible… I can finally… breathe… I can finally be me.”
“So can I have it?”
“S-sure. Not like… I even have the headset for it yet anyway.” She puts the small thing in my hand. It’s a nice shade of green… I smile.
“Where the hell did you get something like this?”
“It was… a gift. From a friend of mine.”
“May I have their name?”
“They don’t… live here.”
“Still.”
“They… go by Gormage. Online.”
“I see… thanks for that. We’ll talk again, Debby… when I get that limb off you.”
“Thank you… so much.” She stands back up on her crutch. As I walk back to class, Dylan follows for a bit.
“You really gonna do that for her?”
“Yes, I am. Can’t believe you’d doubt me.”
“Wow… you really are something, Molly.”
“You too, Dill. You too.”
The remainder of Math class is spent with Wire. He already did my work for me before I sat back down, so I don’t have to sweat anything else before the bell. Him and I have a conversation of sorts.
“Do you think secrets make somebody more interesting… or less interesting?” I ask.
“Hm… less. Anybody can say they have a secret. It’s not a real personality trait unless you can see it.”
“I dunno… I kinda love secrets.”
“‘Cause they’re fun?”
“Yeah. ‘Cause they’re fun. You get me, Wire.”
“I know.”
The rest of the day is boring as balls. Heading home’s the only good part of it. On the bus, I’m listening to Kobaryo. Shit, I think. Wish I’d had this on during the chase… maybe I’d have caught up to her even without Dylan’s help.
By the time I step up to my front porch and walk back into my front door, Elaine is there impatiently tapping her foot as she waits for my dad to get home and cook dinner.
“How was school?” She asks, a hint of frustration bleeding through in her tone, I guess from work or something.
“Normal.” I answer, before heading up to my room. Should have just enough time to test out this bitch before Huey gets to cookin’.
Lights off. TV on, volume down. Headphones in. Voodoom playing. Headset plugged up and plugged in. Time to do some serious Cathedral of Shadows shit.
The temple itself is quiet outside my music. I stand by the circle and put my chip in.
Fuck
that’s weird. I feel so warm. My model is now me. I’m so tall it feels gross, and my hands are too big. Wouldn’t be surprised if this is more or less how Debby feels. Makes me wonder why even the furthest reaches of the hobby would do this for fun. That said… test complete. Now to see… if maybe, just maybe, I can channel her for a bit. I have her in my mind… maybe, if only for a second, I could let her have my body. Then we’d see where we could go from there. It’s a very abruptly formed plan, but… I’m gonna try everything else sooner or later, so why not start with the most obvious thing?
I do my rituals again. Reciting code. Calling out for her in my heart. Wishing her into reality. Just throwing shit at a wall, really. Maybe this is childish, but I’ve convinced myself so deeply in it being possible that there’s no going back now. Elopas is my everything.
I start to feel a cherry blossom in my soul.
What is this… deep, red feeling?
A searing heat… in my chest… no… in my head…
Next
to my head.
Ow!
The chip is smoking. Totally burnt up. I eject it.
“What the…?”
It’s ruined. The circuitry destroyed, and for nothing. How? That doesn’t make sense… I mean, it’s just a microchip I inserted into the port I got Wire to install! What even
did
this?
Fuck…
I curse my whole day away. All I did was for nothing. This really was just another shitty Tuesday.
Before I take the headset off, I look around the temple. This place is so familiar now. And that’s just what I hate about it. Not one thing has changed. Even though the rules of this world are different from my own, I haven’t been able to make even the tiniest thing happen here. It’s no different from our own reality.
Someone giggles behind me.
I rip the headset off so hard that I nearly open my surgery back up.
No one there. Not in the real world.
I desperately cry, shoving the headset back on.
No!
Did I- did I miss her?!
Nothing there.
Still all alone.
But does this mean… was that her?
Could my dream be… real after all?
///////////IMPRINT_END/////////////
ALL LIFE’S A LIE
TAKE IT INTO YOUR HAND- THE FUTURE
TASTE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN |
Do you remember being born?
Of course you don’t. It’s not like we even have free will or a conscience until we’re like, what? Three years old?
But it’s fucked up how we can’t remember any of that…
Sometimes, I feel like I don’t remember anything.
“Good morning, Molly!” Elaine calls to me as I walk down the stairs to pick up breakfast for once. Now that I’ve got the time, I find myself eating a lot more than before.
A bowl of peanuts and a glass of water is all I want. Back to my room I go. As I prepare to set the meal down, I see I already have two cups in here. I decide to take them back to the sink later.
I boot up my cracked TV.
I’m mostly into console games nowadays. VR is just bad memories, and it’s really kind of a hassle. Not to mention it’s physically exerting. I’m still a small, frail kid, after all… and with that big thing plugged into my face, I couldn’t feel more weighed down. I rub the holes in my forehead. Guess I should get ‘em filled soon. Or buy some covers for ‘em. It’s just embarrassing, honestly. What will Elaine say when I ask to get them fixed? “I told you so,” probably.
I scroll through an army of games in my library before I pick one I actually feel like playing. Nothing that crazy or anything. It’s just
Valedictorian Chronicles 4,
the not-quite-mainstream-but-pretty-close anime life sim RPG of people slightly older than me’s generation. This is one of the few popular ones in the wider series I haven’t finished yet. I started not too long ago, but I’m already pretty damn close to the end by the looks of it.
As I watch the virtual high schoolers on screen fight to upbeat J-rock music I’m struck with a feeling I haven’t had before. Used to, when I saw kids this age, I thought… “oh. That’ll be me one day.” Or, “oh, I wish that were me.” But now… huh. That’s
not
me. It never
will
be
me. It couldn’t be, not anymore. After all,
I’m not a highschooler.
As far as typical anime go, my story’s already over. And that’s okay, I guess. Just… weird.
Really… really weird.
Before I know it, the day’s over. Yep. Time to go to bed. Lying under the dirty covers, I stare at my three glasses. I can’t remember which one’s the newest.
I’m at least responsible enough to take them downstairs when I get up the next morning. Unfortunately, I’m clumsy enough that I drop one, too. Luckily, Elaine is at work, so nobody gets upset or anything. I just clean it up and go back to work.
These later dungeons are better than the start of the game. The combat’s always more engaging when the difficulty gets cranked up. As a veteran of RPGs like this, it kinda has to get to that point before I have any fun. While I’m playing, I see out of the corner of my eye that I get a new text on my phone.
The reason it took me so long to get to this entry in the series is kinda childish. I mean… it’s just, everyone
likes
this one. I heard it pissed off plenty of assholes like me when it came out. It’s just as tropey as the previous entry and twice as upbeat. Well, when you ignore the murder. But that’s just plot. I kinda wish I wasn’t spoiled on this one, I’ve known who the killer is for years thanks to memes on the internet. The text showing on my phone’s lock screen is from an unknown number again.
A funny thought crosses my mind. Maybe I should look at the text for once. I get them all the time, but I never look at them because they remind me of weird things. You know, like high school. All these swallow memories I’ve been trying to toss aside ever since life became a series of simple off-days.
But… I
am
a teensy bit bored. I’ll check it, just this once. Hopefully it’s not from one of my many, many discarded contacts.
Today 3:32 (Unknown)
Hey, Molly? It’s me again. It feels like it’s been forever since we last spoke. I still really want to see you sometime. What’s up?
When I’m not playing anime dating sims, I’m on my phone. Listening to music isn’t as exciting as it used to be, but I still find good stuff now and then. Only bad part is being subjected to message notifications every hour.
Today 4:15 (Unknown)
I don’t want to bother you. I promise, I don’t. But if there’s anything you ever need again, I’m willing to help. I get that the Elopas project is over, but I was thinking.. maybe we could make a game together or something? Something real, achievable. If we can’t make living art, we could at least make art.
Please respond.
I don’t have a car or anything. I don’t drive. And I don’t have anywhere to go. If someone asked me to go somewhere… that would be a hassle. I don’t want Elaine to take me anywhere, that’d be weird. And there’s nowhere I want to go anyway. It’s a good thing I can listen to all the music I want from the comfort of my own room. And I’d be all alone, were it not for these messages.
Today 4:34 (Unknown)
Dylan misses you too. I don’t know what’s up, but he’s been going through it lately. He always really looked up to you, I think. He could probably use a few of your harsh words.
I love music. I listen to a lot of music. Do you wanna know all the music I listen to? It’s a lot of music. Why, if I were to list it all, it would take forever. I dislike how it reminds me of the man who introduced me to it, (my father) but anything Rob Zombie is great. And Trial of the Golden Witch really isn’t very technically impressive, but I’ve always loved the lyrics, even if I only discovered the band as a small bonus from going down a much deeper rabbit hole of people’s overly-publicised lives. Clown Core is one of the better reflections of myself, if I do say… of course, I could never listen to
“End”
or
“Google Your Own Death”
without crying. Gotta love Kobaryo. Voodoom’s incredible. I love Ho99o9, and I love Ging Nang Boyz. I still really like Panchicko ever since a shitty video essay introduced me to it, and I like Acetantina a little more than that. meganeko’s not something I listen to much anymore, but I used to enjoy it. KFC Murder Chicks is the GOAT. I’ve actually listened to the soundtrack to
Cruelty Squad
more than any other video game. Bubblegum Octopus has gotta be in my top three. Coakira is perfect noise. I’ve gotten a lot more into Five Star Hotel lately after I went through picking out the kind of songs that I came to the band for in the first place. Golden Boy is another great one… and Shoebill’s fun. I especially love DJ Technorch, and I often find myself craving Creepy Nuts. Big fan of Death’s Dynamic Shroud. Out of everything I listen to, Jackal Queenston is probably the most reflective of my
essence.
I enjoy Deathwishiz too. Can’t begin to name all the vocaloid producers I listen to. I like the songs from
Lily Chou-Chou,
whatever that is. I like Parsley Onuma. I like Red Vox. I like Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas. I like The Mirraz. I like Cornelius. I like… I like…
My phone died.
I forget the message.
I often feel like the ground underneath my feet has slipped out from under me. Like I’m floating. Like I’ve lost the plot. Was there any plot to begin with? Life is life, it’s not a novel. But when your only point of reference is fictional stories, it’s kinda hard to see it as anything else. I guess that’s just how I’ve always interpreted things. Or is it? How long have I
thought this way?
I can’t really say for sure. Most of the time I just feel like I was born yesterday. It's true that it might be that way for everyone, but I’m so aware of it that it breaks me up inside. Is any of this
real?
When did it all begin? I’m smart enough to know that thinking this way hurts me, but my brain is too loud to shut it up. Even my dreams are post-modern meta commentaries these days, it feels like.
So did I really wind up this way out of chance? Am I just an unlucky bastard in a world full of normal people? I force myself to think back to the kids an older version of myself thought she knew. Most of them were just like me, weren’t they? So how the hell are
they
managing right now? I guess the person who texted me earlier was probably Wire. Wire always felt pretty much the same way about life that I did. The only difference with him is that he convinced himself he could take it. He’s a brave kind of guy. That positive trait outweighs the negative one, or at least balances it a little. I don’t have anything like that. He mentioned Dylan was in some trouble, and I guess that makes sense. He’s got even less going for him than I do, so how the fuck’s
he
still fighting?
Why haven’t I stopped hearing from him?
Is it seriously just ‘cause he’s had Wire to bitch to?
Let’s see, who else? Debbie (Debby?) would be a senior now, wouldn’t she? Maybe just a junior. I can’t really recall how old she was... not that it super matters or anything. I think she was just crazy. I mean what point of reference does it take to be able to understand your life when you have such abnormal desires? I don’t get it. Things can’t possibly feel real when you want to saw your own leg off. She was doing well enough by the end of the year, though. Maybe she’s just so fucked that it wrapped around so that she just takes everything for granted.
Those are the only kind of people that’re really able to make it in this world. I mean, if you can just believe in your own narrative, and keep working on like a slave, you’ll never have any of these problems. God, I wish I was so fucking stupid.
Most of the time I’m just trying to
get
stupid enough to keep on living. I’m just trying to distract myself- that’s what all the music’s for. That’s what this very game is for. I’d say I was numbing myself, but the truth is I don’t feel anything to begin with. When I’m not completely invested in some fantasy, I become enraptured by this all-encroaching nothingness. Instantly I become aware that my reality is more fiction than anything. The more time passes, the less I remember certain things. I can no longer say for sure what exactly happened in my childhood, or what any of the details were. I forget which memories are true and which I just made up for some reason or another. If I was stupid like everyone else, all those memories- real or fake- they’d just blend together. I’d just accept it. But I’m too damn smart for that. Instead I’m constant fucking fighting myself over what’s real and what’s fake to the point where instead of it all seeming real, it just all seems
fake.
My parents would often tell me about how I loved a show as a child that I’ve never seen, or how an interest or opinion I don’t recall having defined part of me for them. And all the same, I will often bring things up to them about my past that they deny. Like, didn’t we used to live in a cabin somewhere? Did I just make that up? I swear to god I remember living in a cabin once.
Media, my one true love, is what hurts me more than anything else. Sometimes I will mistake a scene from a film I saw as a child as a memory I experienced in reality. Other times, I will witness a scene in the present, only to be struck with a strange deja-vu for either of those possibilities, when really, it reminded me of something that never happened in fiction
or
reality- a fake memory I made up on the spot. It’s like how sometimes, you’ll have a dream that seemingly references something you came up with in another dream- but then you wake up, and start to wonder if it was all really just the same dream, convincing you of a past one you never fucking had in the first place.
All these fake memories, whether from dreams, or fiction, or just reality itself- twisted by my sick and clouded mind, force me to stare at this world through a thick glass pane. Unaware of what is truth. Unable to differentiate the facts and figures from abstract interpretations brought upon by myself.
My memories collapse, so I cower. my aesthetic breaks, so I cower. I fear my links to the real world so I cower. I forget who I am, so I cower.
I hate myself, so I cower.
Tonight, I’m eating dinner with Elaine. I don’t like to admit it, but it’s felt very, very weird ever since Huey left. It’s not even like I miss the guy, it’s just… it still feels like my parents getting divorced was something that wasn’t supposed to happen. My own dad just dropped out of my life like that, before I really even knew him. We’re a secretive bunch, so I can’t really say much about what he was like. He was nice, I suppose. I didn’t dislike him. But I knew fuckall about his past or his dreams.
Across from the empty table sits my mother, with her identical plate of eggs and bacon. I’m sick of breakfast for dinner, but it’s all she makes nowadays. Even though she’s got no time to cook anything good, she usually refuses to eat out. Looking at her from this angle again, I’m reminded of that horrible day when we spoke, just before my stupid dream got debunked. It’s an embarrassing thing to remember, to say the least.
“How was your day?”
She asks this like she won’t know the answer already. It’s a “good,” as always. Mom doesn’t bug me. If I kept saying I was good the rest of my life, to her I would be. And more or less, I am. This is all I want, really. Fighting off my brain is annoying, but… overall, this sure beats the shit out of going to school. Really.
“I’m glad I got the day off today. Work hasn’t been the best lately.”
I freeze. “I thought you went to work.” I say.
“No, I work tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
I’m not paying very much attention, huh…
“Have you given any thought to…?”
“To what?”
“College. Or… you know, a job.”
“Not really.”
“Okay. Let me know if you do.”
We continue to eat. I don’t say anything else as my mind starts racing again. What about I forget as soon as she starts flapping her lips again.
“Grandma was talking about you today.”
“When did she come here?”
“On the phone.”
“Oh.”
“She said she wanted to hear from you more… we talked about you getting more in touch with the family.”
“Yeah.”
“And I’m sure your friends at school would like a way to keep up with you, so we signed you up for a social media account.”
“Oh.”
“Here.” She shows it to me on her phone, my face plastered on a profile pic. It’s a school photo from two years ago. There’s information below. Most of it is outdated.
“I see.” I look away to my food.
“Your login is your birthday.”
“Alright.”
“What are your friends up to?”
“Hm?”
“Is Dylan doing anything lately?”
“Who…?”
“The boy you went to preschool with.”
“How would I know?”
I’m almost done with
Valedictorian Chronicles 4.
I stay up all night playing that and thirteen other games I pirated and dumped onto my system. It’s an uneven selection. I try them all, but most of the ones that end up working suck. My wasted effort is a decent distraction nonetheless.
Six hours of hard-fought sleep.
I wake up in the middle of the next day. I decide to brush my teeth for once. Looking in the mirror, I see Molly again. I wonder why she’s still there. I’d get bored, being behind glass all the time. What a bitch.
Lying in bed doing nothing, I have a sudden urge to cry.
Not like, the feeling of being about to cry. I’m not even close. I mean… the desire to cry. I dunno why, but… I think it might be fun to cry right now.
I listen to the two saddest Clown Core songs, but they don’t even get me to the edge. Even after looping them, it’s not doing it. But I keep them playing. The longer they play, the more I become used to hearing them instead of silence. This is the normal thing for my ears to be hearing in absence of anything else. I use this state to delve.
I force myself to think of the saddest things I can imagine.
I think of never having any fun in high school, but that doesn’t do it.
I think of Gormage and death and suicide, but that doesn’t do it.
I think of my failed relationships, and people like Harley Burtrue and Harmony, but that doesn’t do it.
I think of Elopas, but that definitely doesn’t do it.
Then I remember an old feeling.
Dylan wanting to borrow my Tails toy.
The subsequent loss of that toy.
That does it.
I start silently bawling, unable to be sure if Elaine is really at work or not. I can’t go all out, but it feels good for awhile. And then…
It stops.
And I don’t even feel sad.
I don’t even feel anything.
I’m not even sure if I really cried or not.
It’s possible I just imagined it. That’s how it feels once it’s been a few minutes since the present truth of me crying died, giving way to the present I inhabit now.
I’m playing
Valedictorian Chronicles 4
again when I get a new message on the phone I charged for the sole purpose of listening to my music earlier.
Today 3:13 (Unknown)
Molly can we talk
I really don’t feel like I’d have anything to say to anyone. I don’t understand what this person would want from me. Maybe they’re just texting to complain? Shit, it’s probably Dylan, I bet. Maybe I’ll fuck with him, just a little.
Today 3:14 (Me)
who is this ?
Today 3:15 (Unknown)
Dylan
Today 3:15 (Me)
?
Today 3:15 (Unknown)
Is this Molly?
Today 3:16 (Me)
no
Today 3:16 (Unknown)
Sorry.
Huh.
Shit, guess I fooled him.
I’m a little too convincing for my own good.
With that pointless little side event over with, I’m free to go back to my game.
I play all day long, but don’t beat it. Turns out there’s this whole extra quest after the final boss you have to go through to get the true ending. I don’t really wanna play it, but I’ve already devoted so much time to the game that it feels like a waste to settle for the normal ending.
I just want to feel something.
With Elopas gone, my life has become utterly meaningless once again. It was a silly diversion, but it gave my life a meaning. A meaning I’ve now lost, along with the people and places I’ve abandoned. I don’t want any of these things. Just thinking about them makes my skin crawl.
But I must confess… lying here, my eyes projecting the still image of the boring ceiling above me… I feel a deep longing for those foolish things I once held. That past was so exciting compared to this. In present… so little happens. So little matters. I understand nothing, and care to even less. I am not alive. This is not my life. It’s just someone else’s, that she abandoned on the sewer floor.
I retreat to the main menu of
Valedictorian Chronicles 4.
Ignoring the gazes of the fictional teenage love interests, I select the well-worn
“LOAD”
icon. Inside lies the single, lone save file containing all my progress.
Eighty hours, forty-two minutes, and six seconds of saved gameplay.
One very interesting option waits for me at the bottom of the screen.
“Delete.”
My hand hovers over the X button.
It’s like I’m driving a car, and something in my brain just told me to run over the nearest dog on the sidewalk.
I want to know what it feels like to delete this save.
I want to know how much I will care after I render days of my human existence completely meaningless, discarding all of the progress I made during them.
Will this make me feel?
Will I cry?
If I do, will I remember?
If someone knows the answers to these questions, it isn’t the Molly I inhabit right now.
Without thinking I slam on the button.
“Are you sure?”
It asks me. Two options await:
“Delete.”
“Cancel.”
Not wanting to second-guess myself, I select
“Delete”
immediately.
But it poses one final prompt:
“This action will delete all your progress. Are you really sure?”
“Cancel.”
“Delete.”
Mother
fucker.
Now I’m scared, all of a sudden.
Should I really be doing this?
It’s pointless.
I could go and beat the game first.
I could do it right now, I’ve got nothing better going on.
I make myself do it.
“Delete.”
I press the button.
After a brief pause, the file is gone.
No fanfare. No nothing.
All my progress has dissolved into the ether, now nothing more than another memory I may as well have fabricated.
If anyone ever asks me if I’ve beaten
Valedictorian Chronicles 4,
I’ll have to tell them no.
But still, I can’t cry.
///////////IMPRINT_END/////////////
ALL LIFE’S A LIE
TAKE IT INTO YOUR HAND- THE FUTURE
TASTE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN |
For once, someone else is making even less sense than me.
“Run that by me again? Debby, I don’t understand what the fuck you’re saying. Slow down and speak clearly.”
Here I am again, alone with this poor girl in her farmhouse. As much as I rag on him, I gotta give Dylan some credit for farrying me back home and then over here on such short notice.
“Listen, Molly-“
Debby explains, her weight rested on the familiar crutch pinned to her century-old family rug. “The only reason you haven’t been able to summon Elopas yet is because you
aren’t actually using an officially registered VISTA headset!”
“What the shit do you mean? It said so on the fucking box, dumbass.”
“No! That’s not it! Molly, you use all those illegal chips, right?”
“Yeah? And?”
“Your system isn’t linked to a
FRiDAYLaND
account, is it?”
I take a frustrated step back, itching my forehead holes. “The
fucks’s
that got to do with anything?”
“It didn’t make any sense Molly. I believed in your dream this whole time, I really did. I looked and looked for the reason your experiments weren’t working. Then it hit me- Molly, you use your headset the way you do to go off the grid- but from what I’ve read, all signs point to that being exactly what’s getting in the way of you summoning
Elopas!”
“How the
hell would that be the case?
Christ, Deb…
I was in the middle of a date, you know! Shit, I was-
this
close to losing mine!”
“Molly.
Molly.”
The bitch hobbles over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders without asking. “You came here because you knew there was still hope. A part of you
still believed
in Elopas. You’re
this
close. So please, please
listen
to me!” The girl airs. “Please… let me repay you for all you’ve done for me!”
I shove her away a little.
“Explain.
Explain more!
What would me having a fucking social media account have anything to do with summoning Elopas?”
“Molly… as backwards as it may sound, everything I could find on those servers you use… the ones at PSICO, yeah? They all have security measures in place. While an off-the-grid headset could by all means join their
VRchat
lobbies, there’s just no way the company’s computers allow such tech to harness their
experimental capabilities!
Given- there’s no real proof of
anyone
harnessing that power in the first place, but- if someone’s gonna be the first, it’s
gonna
be
you!
So
please!”
She fucking cups her hands over my shoulders again, nearly sobbing as she spits all over my face.
“S-Sign up for FRiDAYLaND! Make an account right now, and summon Elopas!”
I push her off me as hard as I can. She falls to the floor, unable to stand as I kick her crutch far, far away from her grubby little hands.
“M-Molly…”
“You drive me fucking mad, girl. When I came here looking for your solution I thought it’d be the one thing to convince me that Elopas was real. It- was a desperate,
stupid
fucking endeavor. From a
stupid fucking girl.”
“I’m not… stupid.”
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
“Please…
just
help me up,
Molly.”
I consider spitting on her face as payback for mine. But in the end, I just take my VISTA and stomp straight out the door. As I wait an hour for Dill to show back up, I relax easily knowing poor Deb won’t be able to come out here and talk to me any more than she already has.
The ride home with Dylan begins in silence. It’s like I don’t have anything to say to the guy anymore. But eventually, he starts a conversation with me instead.
“So your, uh… girlfriend.” He says, feigning disinterest. “You two going to Prom tomorrow?”
“Yeah… of course.” I reflexively stare out my window. “I almost forgot.”
He laughs.
“Forgot?”
I just watch the landscape pass by.
“Well, I’m not going.” He remarks.
Home. Sleep. Got a lot more time to rest when I don’t have an imaginary friend to play with.
I get a text in the middle of the night.
Today 3:26 (Unknown)
Molly its Harmony
Today 3:27 (Me)
Hi
Today 3:27 (Me)
Really fucking sorry about today. What I had to leave for wound up being absolutely pointless
Today 3:27 (Unknown)
I forgive you
Today 3:27 (Unknown)
just don’t talk about all that scary stuff again.
Today 3:27 (Me)
I won’t
Today 3:28 (Unknown)
okay. are you excited for prom?
Today 3:28 (Me)
Yeah ofc
Today 3:28 (Unknown)
it’s gonna be so much fun
we’ll have to finish what we started last time
Today 3:28 (Me)
Yeah
Today 3:29 (Unknown)
do you wanna talk or sleep
Today 3:29 (Me)
Sleep
Today 3:29 (Unknown)
(╯︵╰,)
Today 3:30 (Unknown)
goodnight bby
Today 3:30 (Me)
Gn
Two hours later, I’m up again. My hand’s on the wardrobe. What’s it gonna be today? Might actually matter for once now that I’m in a relationship. Underwear- well, that’s easy. Still sticking with green. As for the rest of my outfit… well, it’s not like I really have anything all that special or that she’d like to see me in. I could forgo the tights for once and just do shorts. I guess that’s something.
I always make the mistake of brushing my teeth after I dress. S’why I try to match what I wear with what I scrub- the green mint toothpaste is hardly visible on my top, which is the same as usual. I don’t own makeup, so I can’t do any today. I guess it doesn’t really matter. Harmony likes me for me, after all. I stare into the mirror, my detached, ghostly fucking frown staring right back. Yep, still me. God, I love this bitch.
I slip on my crocs as I step out the door and follow Elaine to the car. My choice of music for the ride is Deathwishiz and my choice of view is directly behind the car, watching things as we pass them. I try not to think too hard about how close we are to getting there. Even today, I’m not all that hyped for school itself. After all, it’s still gonna take forever. And then what? No matter how good Prom is, it’ll all be over in an hour or two.
On the way to class, Debby stops me in the hallway just to apologize. Says it was a last-ditch effort anyway. Like I don’t already know. First block’s more of Dill’s depression hour. He’s just getting worse and worse these days. But he’s pretty passionate about not going to the dance, so that’s something. I just wish he didn’t sound so fake these days. I can count on Wire to be honest with himself, at least. He doesn’t act like today’s anything special for him, and doesn’t complain either. He says that, by now, we should really cool our jets. The year’s practically over. In just a week or two, we’ll be out of this dump- for good. And at least according to him, once that happens- nothing we did here will matter to us ever again.
Like we did anything that mattered here in the first place.
At long last, I arrive just in time for girlfriend class. Early, even. You’d think I sprinted down the hallways to get here. It actually kinda sucks because then I have to wait like six minutes for her to show up. But oh-is-it worth it when she finally does.
“Good morning, Molly.” She says from above me, not sitting down. “Let’s not do class today, yeah?” Her outfit today’s amazing. I can’t describe it in detail without sounding like a lecher, but it’s pink, black, tight, and short.
“Yeah.” I respond, rising from my desk. “Let’s not.”
I follow her as we seemingly walk down to the quiet hallway, but she doesn’t stop there. To my surprise, she puts her painted nails on one of the supposedly locked classroom doors and opens it right up.
“Yo, what?” I stare into the dark room. “How’d you know about a place like this?”
“You never tried all the doors, did you Molly? What, were you too scared? This is the only one that’s not locked.”
We step inside, but she doesn’t flick on the lights. I wonder if they’d be able to know if we did. Probably not, but it looks cooler in here lightless anyway. As I shut the door, the same relief of privacy I get when I arrive home from school washes over me. It’s like we’re not even here anymore.
“Since yesterday went off the rails… we can have our first real date here, in a world all to ourselves. How’s that sound to you?”
“Like heaven.” I say. She’s right. We aren’t even in school anymore. This is someplace else.
I catch her looking at the side of a desk. Something’s carved into it, with what looks like must’ve been an unsharpened mechanical pencil, more likely than not. She’s enthralled by it.
“You ever wonder about the people who carve their and their lover’s initials into stuff like desks and playgrounds?” She asks me out of the blue. “I always can’t help but imagine what kind of people they were, or how old they are now, or if they’re still together.”
I lean over to see the old markings clearly etched into the side of the desk-
HS + LN.
Circled with a heart, scratched over a few times by others who sat here. But all the same, still visible through the age and wear.
“It’s pretty childish…” she contemplates. “But it’s the one kind of immaturity that makes me smile.”
Harmony turns to me, smiling both like an innocent kid and a weary old woman.
“Let’s make one, you and I.”
We find our spot on one of the desks. Somewhere that won’t ever be replaced or painted over. Just a random desk like all the others. Mundane. Typical.
“Who’s gonna write it?”
“We’ll each write each other’s initials.”
“Okay.”
As she scratches an
“M”
below me, I slowly carve a deep
“H.”
I remember Wire said her last name once… Bridges or something. I carve a
“B,”
slightly lighter in case I’m wrong.
When I finish and stand, she’s the one to make the heart. Even adds a little arrow for good measure. I daresay it’s cute.
“HB… MH.
So you remembered my surname just fine, Harmony.” I stare down at the design.
“Only the letter it started with. You couldn’t give me a hundred bucks to tell you what it was.”
I sit on the desk we made our marks on, and stare at the short stack of leftover chairs in the corner, no place left for them in a school I’ll never have to step foot in again one day soon. I wonder when they’ll ever get to leave this place.
We spend hour after hour in that room, talking about things that don’t matter as we wish the day away. Each time we get bored, one of us asks the other what her favourite show or animal is or whatever.
“I can’t wait for this dance tonight, Molly.” Harmony rests her head in my lap as we lie across the cold and dusty tile ground.
“Have you ever been to one before? A school dance.”
She pauses.
“Well… yes, of course I have.”
“I never did. So I was just wondering.”
“…Oh. Yeah.”
“I… still wanna know what kind of person you are, Harmony. I never paid much attention to anyone outside of my friends, so I really had no impression of you before we met.”
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
“I figured you were popular. But… it’s not like I’ve seen you with anyone other than me.”
“I… guess you wouldn’t, yeah. Truth is, Molly, right now… you’re all I’ve got.”
“I’m sorr-“
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I had a lot of friendships- relationships before, but none of them felt like this. None of them felt real like this.”
“So you… used to be popular?”
“I… I guess so. Maybe. I was the head of a large group of friends.”
“What were they like?”
“…Children.”
“…Oh, yeah?”
“They were awful. Nothing but drama all day long.”
“That’s why you left them.”
“No… they… left me.”
“Really?”
“They all ganged up on me. Blamed me for every little thing wrong with their stupid lives. And just like that, they left.”
Her head turns towards the legs of the desks.
“I… realized then all the time I’d wasted being with them. I’d thrown my whole high school experience down the gutter. Three and a half years spent bickering with nobodies. I doubt I’ll ever talk to any of them again.”
“I mean… I’d hope you won’t have to.”
“But I kept going, Molly. And in these last few memories of my high school life, I’m going to make myself happy.”
“You say “memories” like it’s already over.”
“May as well be. I’m just filling in the blanks for the things I’ve lost. I kind of get the impression you might be doing the same.”
“You’d… be wrong. I just want this to be over, honestly. I gave up on making memories a long time ago.”
She hoists her head up, gazing into my eyes.
“So what are you doing with me, then?”
“I’m… passing time, I guess. I think we’re both just… trying to live in the present in our own ways. Though I’m sure we’re both probably fucking it up
somehow.
It’s like there’s no winning this game. Either way you wind up regretting
something.”
I turn to the chairs again. “Maybe that’s just how it is.”
“…Do you love me, Molly?” She asks. I face her again.
“Yeah. I still love you. Even if none of this is real.”
She sniffles, eyes falling to the floor.
“It
is
real, Molly. Why would you ever say that?”
“Cause that’s how I see things sometimes. I can’t help it, Harmony. I can’t convince myself what is and isn’t a dream anymore.”
“That’s terrible, Molly. I told you not to say things like that.”
“Is it because… you feel like that too sometimes?”
She slowly stands.
“I don’t get it at all, no.”
I rise to my legs as well, flopping against the wall.
“This is why I hate people. It’s so hard for us to even understand what each other’s saying, even if we’ve felt it ourselves.”
“You’re “people.” You hate
yourself
too, then?
“I told you, I
don’t.
I’m the living embodiment of everything I aspire to. I guess I just mean I hate…
other
people. And that’s not to say I still can’t love
you
- I
do.
But it’s so damn frustrating that the rest of this world can’t just be a little more like Molly Hitchcock.”
“You’ll
be pretty boring then, won’t you?”
“At least I’d be easier to understand.”
Harmony walks up to the door.
“What are you doing? Day’s hardly over.”
“Let’s… go back to class. I’m not having fun anymore.”
I frown.
“Suit yourself. I’m staying here.”
She gives me one last sad expression as she exits the room. Five minutes later, I get too anxious and leave too.
I inch back to class, the hallways stretching on and on as I walk slower and slower.
Wait a minute. Oh, fuck.
Did I just fuck this up?
She can’t hate me now, can she? Calm down, Molly. She’s still good for tonight. She would’ve said something if not.
Right?
I have to confront her before she leaves. One last time.
I don’t go back to class. Not a chance. I wait right by the door, acting like I’m studying. Nobody’s the wiser. As I flip through my chemistry textbook for the 500th time, the bell finally rings.
I rush out the door. And at the bottom of the steps, I stand and wait. Parting the sea of children heading down like a tall rock in a raging river, I keep my eyes peeled, not even blinking as I scan the ever-changing crowd for her. Harmony. The only person in this entire world that I’ve decided to love more than myself.
Finally. I spot her. At the top of the stairs, before she spots me. My chance.
She somehow doesn’t see me as she makes the last step towards the sidewalk- or she’s acting like it. Just as she passes, I grab her forearm.
“Ah!
What the fuck?”
I turn to her, eyes ablaze.
“H-Harmony! Wait, we’re not done talking!”
“Let me-
go!”
She cries, snapping out of my grasp before I can release it. She looks at me like I’m some sort of psycho.
“Harmony,
please!
We- are we- still good for tonight?”
“What is your
problem?
I- Molly, I…”
“Tell me!”
I shout, not expecting to.
Harmony swallows.
“We- Molly, I’ll tell you this…” she’s panting. “You… you’re who I picked. You’re the one person I saw, and somehow thought-
yeah.”
The sky above us passes by like nothing’s going on below.
“-She’s the one.
She’s
the one who’s gonna fix my year.”
Harmony breathes. “But
all you’ve done…
all you’ve done is make things
worse!
I don’t get you, Molly- everything you say, your warped brain, this awful, awful shit you say about what’s real or not… it’s just what I was trying to
avoid! Can’t you be good for me, Molly?
Can’t you be who I need you to be for my memories?!”
A crowd has gathered. I’m faced with horrific embarrassment, along with the pulsating, acidic feeling in my throat. This bitch is fucking
delusional.
She’s
worse than I am!
If she thinks she can go about setting people up like pawns, just so she can play queen and live her
perfect-
fucking high school fantasy… the slut needs someone to bring her back to
reality.
“I hate you, Harmony.”
The words fall out of my mouth like they were set there this whole time.
“I
FUCKING
hate you, and everyone like you! You stupid, ignorant,
privelieged
fucking
assholes
who think they
deserve
their pathetic dream lives! You know why all your friends fucking kicked you to the curb, you fucking loser? Because they could
smell
the rancid, maggot-piece-of-shit you
were!
They knew you didn’t care about them. They weren’t good enough for you! And
now?
Neither am I!
Nobody’s good enough for
Princess Harmony!
Not in this life!
I’ll tell you something, you cock-sucking bitch— those friends of yours? That shitty life you had that never quite felt real?
THAT’S ALL YOU’RE-“
I pant a single breath.
“THAT’S ALL YOU’RE GETTING, AND THAT’S ALL YOU’RE EVER
GONNA
GET! So suck it up and CHOKE IT DOWN LIKE THE REST OF US!”
The knuckles that crack against my nose are rumbling with the furious anger of their possessor. As I grip the broken redness below my eyes, hunching over, the girl above me, Harmony, has ceased to see the people around her watching us. She only zeroes in on my putrid, worthless face as I stare back up at her, probably crying.
She hits me again. In the head. I fall to the ground and the impact fucks my nose up a second time. She spits on my hair, and nobody cares when she walks off scot-free.
I feel like ground beef.
Elaine doesn’t talk to me when I get home that day. Nobody’s spoken to me since Harmony beat the shit out of me. I fucking despise all of humanity.
I lay on my bed, nude, the crisp blood wiping off on my sheets. I look up and see only the same ceiling I’ve always known. The one I always looked up to in despair when summoning Elopas didn’t work out. The one I stare at thinking for hours as I fail to sleep. After today, I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep again. Not when monsters like Harmony roam my memory.
We really are the same… I want my perfect life too, after all. One where she’s not there. One where… nobody’s there. Nobody but
me.
My closet looks lonely.
I open it, looking for something. What exactly I don’t remember until the doors part and I see it lying there. She’s still here, waiting- the
box.
All the chips that coward Gormage left me are lying at my feet, ready to assist in any kind of escapism I desire.
But as I comb through them, I have no idea what it is I really want. Nothing quite comes to mind is all…
Lying in bed again, I get a message. It’s from Wire.
Today 6:42 (Wire)
I actually went to Prom. It’s been pretty fun.
Today 6:45 (Wire)
I figured you would be here?
Today 6:48 (Wire)
Harmony is here.
Today 6:53 (Wire)
Why aren’t you?
I throw my phone into my TV.
…the screen cracks.
….
But it’s fine. Because I just got an idea.
I shuffle through my new chips.
Blindeye Chip- used to eliminate the sensation of wearing your headset.
Eureka…
Auto-Programmer Chip- used to create simple AI without any manual coding.
If I don’t wanna go to
their
stupid fucking dance…
Molder- used to form accurate 3D models of the user.
I can just make my own!
Maxfeel- used to perfectly synchronise user’s tactile experience with their avatar’s body.
And…
Breakchip- allows the user to feel pain from virtual collision feedback.
I strap in. I find myself a map… yeah, a school will still do. This one’s from some anime. Beats the real one. I load it- private server.
I’m all alone here, but not for long. First thing’s first- I use my Molder to put myself in the game as my own avatar. Now we’re talking. With the Blindeye active, it’s like I’m
really here!
But we’re not done yet…
Auto-Programmer.
I activate it with my head. All I want’s something real simple. Something very, very familiar to me. A ton of them. And I know exactly which model I’m using.
Before I know it, the stage is set~! I stand outside an empty parking lot, shitty textures lining the distant skybox, staring up at a fully-rendered school! From the inside, music is blaring… not my favourite, but it’ll do. At least it’s not that god-awful Masayoshi Takanaka.
I slowly locomotion my way up to the working front door. I can feel the brassy metal of the doorknob as my fingers graze it… this is it, huh? My high school dance… I wonder who’s gonna show up!
I creepingly slide through the doors to see the lit-up cafeteria where twenty lime-haired girls await me.
“I can’t fucking believe it…”
I don’t need
their
Prom.
Me, myself, and I are gonna have our
own.
The 2023 graduating class of Mollys dances to themselves before they collectively notice the arrival of their progenitor.
“Everyone here…
is
ME!”
I jump in among them, throwing my hands back and forth as I join my kin. Their lovely faces smile and laugh back at me as I do the same.
Everyone is having the time of my life!
The crowd giggles as I jump up on a table and start doing the
Hare Hare Yukai.
I’m soon joined by a quartet of Mollys eager to join me, their hands waving in unison with mine. As I brush one’s skin by accident, I notice I feel the sensation twice over- once for what I feel, once for what she does. I guess the auto-programmer decided to transmit all their haptic feedback to me? I’m more than fine with that. They are
me, after all!
The party lights flash green and purple as we all form a rave mob of pretentious fucking lesbians. We jump like mad, flooding the unsupervised dance hall with our perfectly uniform aesthetic as we cheer each other on with energetic verbalizations of our supreme euphoria.
“I fucking hate the real world!”
I shout out loud as cheerful as a cheerleader.
We all spread out across the room, jumping from table to table as we perform advanced gymnastics together with our perfectly synced minds. This is how life
should
be! If things could just be
me,
it’d be so much easier!
I
love
myself! Are you happy, Harmony?
One motions with her pointer finger for me to leave the group and come closer. I can’t say no to myself, can I? I follow her, the others ignoring us completely as we sneak off to behind the empty DJ setup.
She doesn’t say anything to me, but as her smile draws more and more devilish, me and her know what we’re doing. Without the first thought of the “morality” other “people” would preach about, our identical faces draw near as we press our perfectly-fitted lips together, crossing our tongues as we feel double the pleasure from the exquisite mirrored kiss. Just as we part, I turn to see all the others looking at me with that same, lustful grin.
“Y-you all came to the right place…”
I mutter feverishly in my lascivious haze.
“Now let’s all have some fun all by ourselves, yeah?!”
The crowd cheers as their nude bodies climb up to the stadium I stand atop. Their excited forms gaining closer and closer to me, I begin to feel so many things at once I might almost pass out. Their hands, mouthes, legs touching me all over, the passionate sensation reflected onto my own senses
perfectly…
this buffet of feeling creeps up on me in an instant as I maniacally cackle deep in my pile of degenerate clones.
A breast in each hand, our perpetual motion machine of pleasure gradually escalates into a full-blown one-woman orgy. The Mollys on top of, below, and to the sides of me all rollick in salacious delirium as we caress and manipulate one another’s bodies, moaning in rows like British soldiers firing one after another.
This passionate love-making however quickly evolves into a sex-crazed frenzy in which all twenty-one of me are hitting, biting, and aggressively pounding into each other to the rhythm of the looping track blaring at full volume. At first I’m laughing, but as it goes on, and on, and on, and on- climax after climax, sensation after sensation- I notice them.
I can’t feel my headset at all, that much is true. Forgot it was even there. But that doesn’t stop my tears piling up behind the lenses from distorting my vision as I sob in outrage.
As the music fades, all I can hear is the pathetic sound of myself crying.
I grab one Molly’s neck.
She doesn’t resist at first, but as I start to squeeze harder, her fingers shoot to mine as she tries to pull them off her tightening throat. I can’t blame her. As the pressure reflects to me, it’s so goddamn painful I start to cry even more as I tighten my grip, preparing to choke her to death. Tighter. Tighter. Tighter.
Tighter. TIGHTER
“I HATE YOU!”
“I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU-“
“I
FUCKING HATE YOU!”
I beat and beat on Molly’s head, thrashing her skull until she can’t think straight anymore. I bash her with every first thrown sent with the intent to kill. I hit and I hit and I beat her senseless until my own brain starts to short-circuit from the pain. It hurts so bad oh god it
hurts it hurts it HURTS
I slam her into a wall, breaking her head open.
My headset falls off me, sweat caking it’s inside.
Staring at my real-world room, I pant, pain searing throughout my head.
The Breakchip sticks out the side of my VISTA, taunting me.
I…
I almost just…
….
Killed myself, didn’t I…?
///////////IMPRINT_END/////////////
ALL LIFE’S A LIE
TAKE IT INTO YOUR HAND- THE FUTURE
TASTE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN |
A layer of moisture and blood spread thickly along the rim of Kurisu's tongue. Her breathing thinned, and the hollow thrum of her lungs beckoned vomit from her chest, yet none came. The sun beat down on her vermillion locks harshly, the ends looked to be frayed from sleepless nights, but her skin was pale for another reason.
Rays of the sun bounced from her retinas, highlighting white reflections on her iris. Her pupils constricted, her palms shivered, and her gaze settled on the tiles lining the rooftop, each with deep, lingering cracks from a lifetime of weathering. Her feet were grounded faintly on the rooftop of a peculiar Radio Kaikan building, the same one which housed the wreckage of a dream-like contraption - the time machine.
Again, her locks fluttered in the wind, sweeping neatly packed bangs across her thinned-out cheeks.
Sprawled across the concrete was a figure with a familiar aura - it was one she had become acutely acquainted with these past few days. A face that drooped from its hinges, long yet with angular, trapezoid cheekbones and an arrogant, paltry stubble. Strangely, an unstable, weary miasma could be found within the crevices of his eyelids - malnourishment, perhaps - Kurisu thought, but it was deeper than that, hungrier, more rabid than that.
As his lips parted once more, those mortifying words strained through her brain.
"It was there I found Makise Kurisu stabbed by someone. It was there that I sent the very first d-mail...", Okabe croaked, salty teardrops trickled down his jaw. "It's what moved us from the Beta world line to the Alpha..."
A gasp of air choked from Kurisu's parched throat, but she forced it into silence.
"If we return to the Beta world-line..."
--No!
"If we undo that D-mail..."
The piercing stare of death drilled into the skull of Makise Kurisu.
"You'll die."
----
Rain battered down onto the sunken tiles of the Radio Kaikan rooftop. The breaths of two people, side by side, could be heard - both ragged - warm air pooled out from their lungs and condensed in the chilly atmosphere. The torrent of rain splashed down faintly in the background, muted by unwavering concrete.
Kurisu's nails etched into her arm, and though she tried to stop it, her skin swelled at the irritation. Thoroughly drenched, the hem of her blouse hiked up her waist, yet her gaze was unfaltering, it simply lingered on the bottom of the stairway she rested on. Beside her, Okabe fumbled around, haplessly rubbing his palms together and muttering spine-chilling premonitions under bated breath.
"Mayuri...Ah...Mayuri...Hah, ah...Don't die...please..."
Reflexively, her nails plunged deeper into her skin, until the skin fastened into a tight, purple blotch. With a heavy sigh, she made a conscious effort to unclasp her grip, but her digits still scrunched together, as if compacted by a well of gravity.
Another deep breath, and fresh air circulated within her lungs. The static haze that threatened her mind dispersed slightly, and her gaze flicked over to the man next to her, who was shaking with his coarse, black hair and forehead resting in his palms. A quick glance told her that the shoulder of Okabe's lab coat had torn slightly, and under normal circumstances, she might have been able to lend an ear, maybe even a word of advice but--
"You'll die". Those words shackled her gullet; a choker of terror and guilt. Her glare intensified upon Okabe's face, and reminiscing their relationship, a faint comfort spread across her body, but still...
'Am I more valuable than a childhood friend?', and 'Is he above murder, especially after the mental toll of the time-leap?' were thoughts that burrowed into the mind of Kurisu Makise like a parasite. The overwhelming, instinctual desire to live pulsed through her veins like a drug and she found the strength to tumble down the last stretch of stairs.
Okabe Rintaro paid no notice, softly whimpering to himself in the cold, dim light of the RadiKan stairway.
----
Cold sweat sunk down the crevices of her brow. Her frame lay slung over, and her upper body draped backward on her chair. Slackened, her jaw lingered open like that of a dead fish, and her icy glare lay fixed on the stinging white light above. Insanity - that was the name of the deafening truth that separated Okabe Rintaro from rational thought, and it was only normal. In fact, it was Kurisu's naivete that allowed him to sink so far, and by the design of her time-leap machine, it was an inevitability that his mind would flay.
That irrationality was dangerous, infectious, she thought. As an 18-year-old genius, rational thought was essential, it was what had gotten her so far. When it came to time travel, however, how could one begin to rationalize that?
The dark circles that lined her eyes reflected hints of blue underneath the lab's dizzying fluorescent light, and as her spine balanced on being perpendicular, she ruffled her frayed palms in her hair, causing the bangs to cloud her vision. Rationality. Realistically speaking, she was terrified. She had no doubt that in choosing to save either a smart girl he'd known for 20 days or a childhood friend that he'd known for life, he would likely pick the latter - but the truth was too cruel for her to allow that.
"If Okabe deletes that message... I'll die. But then what's the point..."
'of the past 18 years', she thought. Vivid, visceral images burst into her brain - it was the sight of a father earnestly trying to prove his vision of time travel, only to find the bloodied corpse of his daughter in the hallway. There was no way she could allow that, after all...
"I can finally help dad out. I can finally be worth something...", she whispered with a weak cackle. A crystalline tear trickled down her cheek, absorbed by a lone wisp of her vermillion hair.
With that, she flung her spine into position and slammed a strange-looking headset on, and proceeded to dial up the PhoneWave (name subject to change). With the full knowledge of time travel at hand and the prospect of her potential death at the end of Okabe's miserable ultimatum, she pressed the button to send herself to the past, and an ominous beep rang out in response.
"I'll find us all a happy ending. No matter how long it takes." |
The air stung with each desperate breath as his feet echoed in the night, his calves protesting as they burned. Adrenaline coursed through his blood, only adding to his thoughts jumbling together as he desperately tried to understand his situation. His mind furiously raced as his eyes darted at shadows.
His feet slid as he came to a halt, something in the air demanding his attention.
What the…
As he stayed still, despite the urges screaming for him to run, he raised an eyebrow and frowned. Goosebumps could be felt on the back of his neck. His desperate running had been the only sound that filled the night, but now something new disturbed the silence.
A scream. Loud as a train engine. For three full seconds, the noise continued, coming from seemingly one direction. North.
The boy’s legs jerked into motion, carrying him across the desolate space again.
Tip. Tap. Tip.
Echoing through the space was the constant welter of leather upon marble. Sprung from the boy’s boots, erratic pants had begun to separate each of his stomps. Heavy breaths escaped his throat. The cold winter air pierced through his lungs.
Sprinting, the boy’s red eyes flickered from left to right. By the pale light offered by routinely interspaced windows, he saw that he was atop a carpet. A long red thing. Patterned by golden shapes and thick as a finger.
Then he stopped. All of a sudden, his body froze as if gripped by some otherworldly force.
A long, winding staircase lay before him. Taller than ten of him combined. Polished marble reflected in the shy moonshine. On the railing were ornate, golden statues. Shiny as swords. Glistening while long blood-crimson curtains swayed ever so slightly in the light breeze.
He inhaled in. A scent of dust filled the air, the memory of generations upon generations still living within each inch of carved lime and tuffeau. Continuing to watch, the boy’s eyes drifted to the busts.
“Hm.”
He recognized them. Busts, tall as an arm, running along the balustrade. A knight, dark hair flowing as smoothly as his silver blade, the heads of bandits and renegades piled at his feet. An Earl, steady blue gaze and a brimming wallet ready to advance his interests. A princess, innocent orbs cunningly searching for the next suitor to swindle. All the memories, intrigues and squabbles of those who had passed by still resided within stone, dust and air.
It was all too familiar, not unlike re-visiting a home once abandoned.
That fact, immeasurably unnerving beyond all else, sent a shiver down the boy’s spine.
“Weird.”
He bowed his head, eyes out of focus. Three seconds passed. Then it hit him.
Wait, I can feel!
Somehow, he controlled his body again. Air passed through his lungs. He wiggled a finger. Then a toe. And finally, when he had all but confirmed his dominance, he relaxed.
Rotating his body, the boy faced the darkness. A pensive look flared across his face. Taking deep breaths, he steadied himself against the balustrade. His mind thought over his situation again. This palace, this staircase, all of it was bizarre. As a Vampyyri, his normally acute senses would enhance his perception. He saw perfectly in the dark. And smelled the faintest traces of blood. Yet when he looked up, he saw only darkness, and when he sniffed, he detected only a cold void of life.
Where am I, anyway?
He thought.
A Simulacrum?
His query gave way to measure. The boy stared onward, his eyes in full focus. A borderline pink-red tinted his eyes. He glanced about, tracing the staircase, attempting to look to where it led. It was an empty action. No matter how much he tried, anything beyond a few metres was masked by shadow.
All he could detect was the creeping sense of dread making its way up his spine, as well as his ever-increasing heart rate.
He let a minute pass this way.
“Dammit.”
Again, fear claimed him. The boy, fingers trembling, tapped the balustrade. Anxiously, his eyes darted to and fro.
“AHHHHHHHHH!”
A scream echoed. Pitched high like a child. Reverberated on the marble steps, every single outcrop reflecting a thundering screech of pain.
Again?
It was the same sound as earlier. Only, more pronounced, and embittered with an even more fearful edge. By the time he took in that fact, a surge of energy possessed the boy’s legs again.
“Merde!”
He hit the ground running, arms moving like a trained athlete. Whatever command his mind issued, his body had stopped responding. Each nerve, now guided by pure command alone, fueled him. And yet, in spite of his illogical action, he still retained thought. He ran. And as he did, the boy began to formulate an answer to his conundrum.
Is this the result of a spell, perhaps?
To begin with, none of this made sense. He remembered now. Moments prior, he had been tucked in his bed, his mind set on the breaking of the morrow. Now, his feet raced across blocks of marble in pursuit of some unknown objective, one unknown to even himself.
Two minutes passed.
The boy ran through countless spaces. Corridors, stairways, and rooms.
With every step, his heartbeat rang louder. For all the boy knew, he was running to his death. An untimely death wrapped in absolute dark.
What the actual fuck is happening?
He thought.
And why does it feel like I know what’s going to happen?
(He feels like he knows what will happen and is afraid).
Beyond mere fear of the unknown, too, existed a distinctly familiar type of fear. A fear of premonition. There was a sense that something awful would happen. It was precisely because of that fear that he did not wish to proceed. Though he knew not why he suspected that what lay ahead would be particularly terrible.
Heavy breaths trembled in his lungs.
For some reason, I’m heading to a specific place.
It only just came to him. He wasn’t sure why. All things considered, it was impossible to know where he was going. Much less in a brand-new location covered in pitch black.
Mind control…
Cold saliva went down his throat.
Channelling all the resolve he could muster, the boy issued a command, sending a signal to his body, attempting to stop it with due force.
Nothing’s happening! I can’t stop moving!
To no avail.
He kept running. Footsteps upon footsteps strummed against polished marble. His legs, then weary with fatigue, began to shake.
And then, just as suddenly as he had begun running, he stopped.
The boy found himself in control again. He flexed the fingers of right hand, and felt blood circulate. Deep, gentle breaths found their way into his lungs. He wiped at his forehead with his sleeve and carried away a sheen of sweat.
Where am I?
He thought. He had been so preoccupied with his body. So indulgent in his lack of self-control that he only just then took in his surroundings.
Huh.
He started to look from side to side. On an initial impression, he seemed to be in some sort of room. A small space no bigger than two people wide and long. Devoid of any furniture whatsoever. Set with stone bricks in the wall, and a single opening which he came through.
There was an odd smell in the air too. Acidic and reminiscent of iron simultaneously, constantly pouring from his feet into his nostrils. His nose wrinkled in disgust, and with prolonged exposure, the boy began to look for its source. In doing so, his head tilted downwards, and his eyes caught sight of a strange thing.
There was something closeby. Near him, lying on the ground was an object. It was about a person long, and just as similarly a person wide. And, oddly enough, even seemed to be adorned with clothes. He could see that it had an black uniform, an yellow aiguillette on each shoulder, and a golden pattern embroidered down its back.
All in all, the object was given clothes fitting for a ‘Vampyrri’. A person. For all that though, the boy still struggled to register it as one. As most know, people tended to not be covered in blood, and furthermore, with their stomach lining coming out.
A voice came from the object. “Ah.” It moaned, hoarse as metal on rock.
The boy faced it calmly. He reacted and took a step back, hand on his waist.
Common sense rendered him unable to accept his situation.
Tremors worked into the core of his bones. A chill down his spine. Pricks and pins thrust into each pore on his body. Yet his gaze remained stuck, focused only on what was before him.
In that instant, it came to him. He was watching what remained of a person. That body. That scorched mangle of flesh, in fact, belonged to a child.
No older than ten.
He realised.
An Vampyrri too. One of his own. Its pale skin still visible underneath the dark gleam of blood.
Unable to look away, the boy continued to inspect the body, running his eyes from its feet.
That…
Across the child’s body, he saw dark, deep gashes. One on its right arm, one on its chest, and one on its face. The wounds of a sharp weapon. Still fresh. Recently made, judging by the severity.
When he had enough of the gore, no doubt disturbed, the boy turned his gaze to the child’s features. His eyes were set on the boy’s head. There, he saw locks of raven, damp hair splashed on the white marble.
What is this feeling?
He was transfixed.
Thirty seconds had passed. His eyes continued to linger on the body’s heck. Even as thirty seconds lapsed into two minutes, however, he still continued to stare. Why? He did not know.
Whatever it was, the outcome was the same. His eyes could not move from their place. He could not bring himself to look at the boy’s face. When all was said and done, he knew not why either. Had it been denial? Were the prospect of registering a soon-to-be dead’s face, that much of an terror?
He glanced at the body, noting a duty as an individual, no as an official of the Chorusian Mandate, to confirm their identity.
I have to do this.
Almost hurriedly, he glimpsed a glance at the boy’s face. There, he saw a pair of fading eyes, straddled between a lock of brown down the middle. Green as grass.
How strange.
More importantly, he also glimpsed a sliver of familiarity. Some spark of recognition. Perhaps fueled by dying delusion, perhaps fueled by wishful thinking. Whatever the cause, though, the feeling was unmistakable.
He felt he knew the dying child.
“Ah”...
Coming from the youth was a wet mutter. A rough voice filtered through blood. The boy shook in his place, disturbed by the sound. He had thought the child dead. Stirred by new-found realisation, he almost wished he was.
Uncomfortably, the boy continued to stare at the child’s face. He’d stopped, however, when the child’s arm suddenly lifted.
His hand
.
He ran his eyes down the child’s hand, confirming its colour at a closer distance. The shade of skin was a horrifying pale. Whiter than Vampyrri tended to be. White as death. Reaching out to him, as if he were a lifeline. Grasping.
In return, the child received only bated breath and silence. The boy wanted to scream, to tell the child to stop moving, to place pressure on his wounds, and to save him from his cruel fate. But he didn’t. All his body did was gawk. For all his heart wished to do, his muscles knew only fear.
The two remained that way for some time.
Huh?
His eyes flickered in reaction. The child moved, struggled to one knee, even. Despite the unfathomable loss of blood and life, he had mustered resolve. It seemed for a second even that he would live. That in the face of impending doom, the child would arise, take his place amongst the living and carry on. As a second passed however, the boy begrudgingly rejected that idea.
Before long, the child collapsed again. A fit of pain-induced whispers came.
In the misery caused by such a morbid sight, time seemed to freeze. With each second prolonging into an eternity past, the boy wished only for it to come to an end. Cruel as it were, the child’s prolonged existence caused only more pain for the both of them.
“Ah”.
Finally, death beckoned. Puke and bile regurgitated through the soon-to-be deceased stomach. Yet before it could fill his throat, there came a final, faint whisper.
“Aide moi, V-” |
The date was the 11th of that fateful August. After her encounter with a mentally wrought Okabe, she had time-leaped twice, beaming her memories into her mind 48 hours before she would complete the time leap machine.
A sense of disgust welled up within her mind. It was a feeling far too familiar but far less repulsive than the first time she had experienced it. A jarring sense of wrongness - the depths of her brain screaming at a simulacrum of her soul that had evicted the past memories of this world-line's Kurisu Makise, it was the nauseating effects of a mind warped through time. Even if she had to endure that sensation hundreds of times, she would never get used to it.
Familiar white hot dots in her head dissipated into the scene she saw before her. Shelves caked with dust, filled with trinkets and gadgets - amidst the jungle of wires and circuit boards poked out names such as 'Moad Snake' and 'Ghost in the Ball'. They were just a few of the useless yet quirky inventions of Okabe's crude facsimile of a mad scientist's den.
The smell of a city in summertime assaulted her, a thick stench of alienation cuffed her by the wrists. Splicing the air through the development room curtains were thick rays of sunshine, the bane of any scientist working late into the night. Kurisu winced, staggering back into the shadow, rejecting the light's comforting presence. Her body felt sluggish and rusty as if the dust of the development room had seeped into her lungs deeply. Her mind flickered, and upon swift recollection, Kurisu realized that she had, indeed, pulled an all-nighter leading to the morning of the 11th.
"Ggaaaaahh...", she croaked weakly, resting on the table for support. She peered past the curtains, slowly. The light filtered through her vermillion bangs as she scanned the apartment for a presence. After a few seconds, she shifted the curtains aside, yawning deeply in the process.
A barren apartment sprawled out in front of her. She stumbled towards the windows overlooking Akihabara. Above was a sky that stretched out for miles, dotted with faint clouds sailing overhead, and below was--
Kurisu grimaced at the thought of the bizarre, jumbled storefront beneath her. A vision of CRTs towering ominously above, along with an intimidating behemoth of muscles and sweat that was Mr. Braun, it made her shiver in disgust. Although she was too far to smell it, she imagined her throat wallowing in the thick waves of dust that flowed through the place - so unkempt and downtrodden you'd think it had been abandoned for weeks.
It had only been a few days in the future that Okabe had told her the truth. It was a truth that reframed that entire store into a much more sinister conspiracy - the conspiracy of the dangerous mercenary elite with the alias 'Ferdinand Braun'.
Her hands gripped the window-sill as she craned forward just a peek. A quick gaze at a mountain bike in front of the store told her that Suzuha was most likely guarding it. She shifted her bangs, looking closer at the surrounding street. The streets were populated thinly as usual, but there was no sign of Tennouji. She sighed deeply. If possible, she'd like to avoid dealing with him at all.
She strode backward and cast her vision over to the fridge. She thought a cold cola would kill her headache at least a little. After a few swift chugs, she placed it on the low table central to the room and marched swiftly to the door. Today was a day for reconnaissance, and she wanted to find the truth from a more primary source than Okabe.
----
"Suzuha.", she spoke, a faint hesitation in her words. It was only a few moments before that Kurisu had beckoned the 'part-time-warrior' to the Future Gadget Lab, electing for a quiet rendezvous at the low table. She took the opportunity to finish off the cola she had just placed, taking one large swig and tossing it in the trash.
Meanwhile, Suzuha Amane stared bullets into Kurisu, who cushioned herself comfortably on the lime-green couch.
Suzuha Amane. The daughter of Yuuki Amane and Itaru Hasida. She had been tasked by the Valkyries of 2036 to aid the future leader Okabe. With the sole purpose to retrieve the IBN-5100, she had traveled to the past using her father's time machine and blanketed herself under the online alias of John Titor. It was an honor she thought herself too lowly of, but it was a duty she had to fulfill.
Makise Kurisu was bad news, she thought. Bad news all over. A traitor - one that would usurp the title of 'Mother of the Time Machine' from her father and the leader of the Valkyries, one who would willingly spur into madness the dystopic future of the Alpha Attractor Field, one who would inevitably betray Okabe Rintaro and side with the ominous SERN, and by extension the shadow of the world, the Committee of 300.
It was only natural to be suspicious.
"Please, sit. Make yourself comfortable. You're a lab mem after all, aren't you? I'd like to have a conversation, lab-member to lab-member."
"Actually I think I'll stand... so, what is it you want?", Suzuha spat, her words were like the fang of a cobra - spewing venomous vitriol with each consonant. She made no attempt at hiding her hostility,
"Come on, please. Do you really think I'm such a bad person?", Kurisu spoke, focusing a benign gaze on the woman in front of her. "What I want to discuss with you is pretty important. Would you rather I addressed you as John Titor?"
Kurisu couldn't help but smirk a little. It was only for a few moments, but Suzuha's composure blew wide open, and a glimmer of discomfort infected her face before it warped back to its usual stoic glare. If she was staring daggers before, full-on swords were beaming from her eyeballs now.
"Ah. I get it. So you know about me. That makes it easier...", her voice rattled. "Can I take this as confirmation that you're a SERN spy?"
Kurisu fidgeted in place. Suzuha had immediately drawn the wrong conclusion, not good. She fumbled with her hands for a few moments, before casting a troubled gaze in front. "No-- I'm sorry for giving that impression. I'm not a SERN spy, but--"
"Bullshit. Please, don't play me for a fool here.", Suzuha growled. She took a few steps away from the table. Her face grew more disconcerted with each passing second, accentuated by the ticking of the wall clock adjacent.
The vermillion-haired girl rested her palms in her lap and exhaled deeply. Shifting her locks out of her eyes, she cast them directly towards those of Suzuha Amane. "Please. I'm not your enemy and I'm not a SERN spy. I need to talk to you, that's all."
The woman with dusty brown hair awkwardly averted her gaze. The girl in front of her simply sat intently, transfixed upon the eyeballs of Suzuha, as if she was trying to enable some sort of curse through eyesight alone. "Okay. If you're lying you're darn good at it. I can humor you for a while, I guess". Relinquishing her aversion to the classic 'puppy dog eyes' of the otherwise abrasive girl Kurisu, she hesitantly plopped herself onto the floor opposite, keeping one hand on the table and another on standby, just in case.
"First I got something I wanna know. How do you know the name John Titor?", she spoke, a piercing glare radiating from her. "Far as I know I ain't told anyone yet, 'n fact I was planning to leave tonight..."
Kurisu folded one leg over the other, sighing a shallow sigh. She pondered how to answer, before parting her lips to give a response. "I time-leaped. From the 16th. Okabe broke down, he could barely function. It would've been pitiful and dangerous to let him continue. Before I leaped, he told me basically everything, but there's more I need to know, which is why..."
Kurisu leaned forward across the table, clasping her palms on the cold wooden surface, she assumed a stance of focus. "It's why I wanted to discuss things with you. I know you don't like me, but I need information. It's the only way I can save Mayuri."
"Mayuri? Mayuri Shiina? What about her?", Suzuha spoke, a curious inflection rife within her voice.
Kurisu Makise took care not to stumble over her own words. "Mayuri's death is a convergence point for this Attractor Field--"
"Oh shit...", Suzuha exclaimed, furrowing her brows and tilting her head forward in deep thought.
"--And it's affecting Okabe's judgment critically. He wouldn't be able to reach an optimal outcome like that. So I decided to take on some of the burdens."
The girl with dusty brown hair held one palm to her temple, ruffling the strands as she wracked her brain. "So--uh. That's cool and all, but I'm sure Okabe told you what my mission is. I need to get the IBN-5100 so that we can reach the Beta Attractor Field--"
Kurisu flinched. Her right arm shivered, ceasing only when she clutched it still. "No. The Beta Attractor Field is a no-go. It's dangerous. We have to revise the plan."
Suzuha's head jerked up, her hair reflected the rays of the warm summer afternoon. Her face was positioned away from the window, clouded with shadow, a fierce light splintered off her Irises like a turbulent flame. "You-- do not have a say in the plan, Makise Kurisu. I'm a Valkyrie, and I will reach the Beta Attractor Field. Anything is better than SERN's dystopia, I will die by that conviction. If you have any intention of threatening that...", she spoke, her hand hovering above the glint of gunmetal by her waist. "I will not hesitate."
----
The two sat in a deadlock. For the past 30 minutes or so, Kurisu had been trying to ask for the details. More specifically, the fine details of 2036's time travel model. She had been taught the basics through Okabe's ramblings - world lines, attractor fields, convergence; even the existence of a God-like machine, the time machine built by the illustrious mind of Itaru Hashida - but she needed more. Suzuha had to have something she didn't tell Okabe. Finding those morsels of information, she thought, was the key to finding a timeline that Kurisu Makise and Mayuri Shiina could both live.
The dusty-haired woman remained tight-lipped ever since Kurisu had let slip her plan to disobey the order of the Valkyries. Occasionally she would ask probing questions, but in a similar vein, Kurisu had no intention of letting loose word of the future to someone as rigid-thinking as Suzuha. Only 30 minutes ago it felt like they had some level of understanding of each other - displaying mutual respect on a mutual directive - or so they thought. Now, through the petulant, ever-growing frown spreading across Suzuha's face, it was no secret they were actively growing to hate each other by the second.
"Can you tell me what divergence actually is?", Kurisu probed. "From Okabe's explanation it seemed like a fairly linear concept - but what determines the divergence value? Can two world lines have the same amount of divergence from base, but diverge in different directions than just positive and negative? Outcomes aren't typically just binary, so--!"
"Dunno.", Suzuha rolled her eyes, cocking her head back to peer at the sky beyond the windows. "Don't think about it too hard. The brain's all mushy trying to imagine a 3D plane of divergence lines."
A wave of jitteriness overcame Kurisu. Her palms scrunched, she was leaning forward, perching on the edge of the couch, and she raised her voice. She had almost had enough of the dusty-haired girl's obstinacy. "What about convergence? Why is it that outcomes converge? Why is Mayuri's death solidified?"
Suzuha shot back a quick glare, before staring blankly to the side once more. Her posture had relaxed, and she sat idly, almost leaning against the floor. "Hmmm... Good question. I think it was something about a higher-dimensional gravity well that bends nearby space-time to a specific point. Can't really remember the finer details y'know."
The nails of the girl genius dug deep into her tights, ripping small tears as she huffed in frustration. "Are you serious? There's nothing? Please, try and remember. Tell me more about the gravity wells, at least."
Without even a glance back, Suzuha exhibited a listless air about her. She sighed deeply. "Hah. I guess you've thought of something. Guess I'd better stop running my mouth..." It was only a few moments later that she focused her attention back on the girl with vermillion hair. "Now here's a question, why are you so afraid of the Beta Attractor Field?"
It was at this point that Kurisu decided to cut her losses. At this point, her tongue was dry and tasted of cardboard. Despite the fluffy, welcoming summer heat, her skin was sweating stone cold. There was at least something she could glean from their conversation, but she didn't have time to think about it right now. Relaxed, her arms draped weakly to her side as she bobbed up from the lime green couch.
"Oy, where are you going now?", Suzuha rasped, her voice stricken with a venomous tone. Her amber eyes shot the same swords at Kurisu as they had previously - perhaps even more intense - and her hand...
Her hand hovered above the gunmetal gray fastened to her waist.
"Just-- I'm just going--", Kurisu barely managed to choke anything out. In truth, she was embarrassed. She had fumbled the conversation completely - owing to her weakness - her abrasive nature - and it had cost her vital information. Images of her father flashed to mind, a look of disapproval, and a longing for recognition, those two things were the result of the abrasive, unlikable personality she had cultured. For a brief few moments, her heart rang hollow.
"You're not 'going'", Suzuha spat, this time hovering her iron sights directly onto the shoulder of Makise Kurisu. "At least not without me. To the development room, sharp."
She flinched. Should she dare look back? Shallow breaths tumbled from her lungs. A sharp pain infected them. It was becoming difficult to breathe, the dust settled in her lungs harder than before, deadlier than before, slithering deep holes in her chest.
Without a word, she slowly stepped towards the development room curtains.
----
Suzuha kept her gun trained on the shoulder of Makise Kurisu. 'That bitch was going to time-leap as soon as I let her out of sight', she thought. Not today. Not now. She was going to carry out her mission. It was clear that this Kurisu was a woman that shouldn't be trusted. Their conversation had confirmed Suzuha's every suspicion - no, the very suggestion of staying in the Alpha Attractor Field was more than enough to send alarm bells rocketing through her brain. This woman was dangerous, this woman was a SERN agent, this woman sabotaged Okabe's goal to reach the Steins;Gate, the final destination he had preached to the Valkyries so often, this woman--
The woman in question quietly shifted the development room curtains apart. Rays of light trickled through, faintly illuminating dusty shelves crammed with an assortment of random junk - but for Suzuha it was more than that. It was the holy land, the foundation of a greater cause, it was the Future Gadget Lab, the dawn of rebellion against the tendrils of oppression, and it was tainted. That woman had tainted it.
The woman stood at the helm of the PhoneWave. Suzuha caught a faint glimpse of a menacing aura, but a few moments later she was interrupted by the shrill call of her cell phone. As she kept her gun trained on the shoulder of Makise Kurisu with one hand, she reached for her cell phone with the other. Slowly, cautiously, she brought it to her ear and answered the call.
Her vision faded to black.
----
The body of Suzuha Amane flopped to the floor, a puppet with cut strings, her limbs crunched over each other morbidly.
"It... worked.", Kurisu whispered under bated breath. Her pupils vacillated, grasped by a faint madness, but soon her face returned to normal. "It actually worked..." She gasped for air. Her lungs felt hot and dry, yet the most alarming pain came from her brain in the form of insurmountable guilt. "I... It worked... I'm... so.. sorry."
It took a few seconds for her mind to fully drink in the situation. A concoction of disgust and relief sprouted upon her face. The fact was that Kurisu hadn't done anything at all. It was true that being held at gunpoint, her mind brewed many malicious plans out of pure desperation, but none of them had come to fruition. None had come to fruition yet. Not yet, but they did, in the future. She knew. Suzuha had been re-written with a blank slate from the future.
"I'm so sorry Suzuha, but I had no choice."
With a solemn air buried deep within her chest, she stepped forward to the PhoneWave, a PhoneWave devoid of the time-leap machine upgrade.
With the looming consequence of another lab member's return to see Suzuha as a vegetable, along with the complete knowledge of the time-leap machine from 4 days in the future guiding her, it only took her a few hours to complete.
"I'll undo your suffering. I'll find a way to a happy ending. I'll bear Okabe's burden, and I can bear yours too... I'll be seeing you soon."
She glanced at Suzuha, whose mouth was saturated with frothing spit, and almost immediately cringed away. Without any further hesitation, she calibrated the coordinates and donned the headset. With a single button press, her vision faded to white. |
Streaks of light seared into her skull. The corners of her battered brain crunched inwards, threatening to scorch the memory well of the genius that had leaped through time. Her palms convulsed, almost crushing the brittle plastic of the cell phone which lay dormant in her right hand; burning - a sickly, rapturous, smoking odor seeped into her lungs but quickly faded, and a deafening buzz threatened to drill her sanity to bits.
It was a hellish cascade of future memories that flushed through the brain-folds of Kurisu Makise - a pungent knot that tied her thoughts from the future to a broken past. The stabbing pain unraveled into timid anxiety, and the warm blobs of her vision settled into recognizable shapes.
Transient nausea welled in her heart. She clutched her phone tighter and glanced around the room. It was the same room she had just been in - the same place but--
She glanced at her phone.
-- It was 48 hours prior to Okabe's confession. It was the 14th day of that fateful August. If the timeline continued to rocket down the Alpha Attractor field, Mayuri would succumb to a cruel fate one way or another. Kurisu shifted her gaze slightly and found herself staring at that same woman fated to die. Reflected in her irises were frumpy yet adorable locks that wiggled out from under a blue hat - along with a face of innocence; locked intensely onto a slab of fabric that she twiddled her fingers over cautiously.
A quick dart of her pupils to the right told her more information - the presence of another being in the room - this one far taller, with a foreboding, brooding tone cemented deep within his eyes. Air in her trachea bolted down to the depths of her lungs, it was as if a deafening silence smothered her eardrums - the noise of her breathing, the noise of the street, the light ruffle of her labcoat as she ever-so-slightly tilted her nape - they all settled at an uncomfortable, slightly muted tone. She locked eyes with the man.
Her attention honed in on the man, and although it was initially too quiet for her to hear, his lips parted slightly, they congregated into muffled speech, speech barely tangible to the time-shocked brain of hers, but it was something.
At that very instant, her mind transitioned from observer to participant. Her eardrums popped as if drained from water, bringing a refreshing clarity, and she could now hear it--
"You-- you time-leaped. You did it, didn't you?", Okabe spoke in a whisper, but his eyelids were craned open wide. "I can see it in your eyes -- I can see it in your breathing and--", he stumbled over his words, stammering, but soon his throat vacillated to produce speech of greater resonance. "Why are you here."
"What do you mean?", she choked weakly. It was a stupid bluff, and she knew it. Her gaze diverted from Okabe's, settling on the window pane beside her.
"Don't play dumb. You've never used the time-leap machine before", he spoke, a melody of agony and raw, unbridled silence playing within his eyes. "What's changed? Tell me, Kurisu Makise."
His eyes cast a shadow downwards onto his skin as pale as scratched slate. His breathing was at first glance steady, yet slowly became pilfered by jarring tremors like the ticking of a clock. "Did you find out. You found out, right? You found out everything, every burden I tried to bear, and now--". His fingers knocked together, but in almost an instant they crumpled inwards to his palm. "You're going to bear that burden-- yourself."
The girl with striking vermillion hair simply shifted in place, clutching the sleeve of her soft, beige cardigan tightly. The windows were open only a hitch, and so the chilly evening breeze enveloped the scene.
A thick, viscous tension grasped the air. It was true that she'd expected some backlash, but to think it would happen so soon, was jarring. On that fateful day of his confession - a confession of a journey through time and an inevitable fate - Okabe had told her that he was weighing up who to kill. The thought was chilling. One man had the power to change fate, to choose which future should be sacrificed, but wasn't that a little unfair?
It was unfair. It was unfair to everyone involved.
After all, this particular man had failed. Over and over, he had tried to shift the course of history for one Mayuri Shiina, but it was inevitable. It was irresponsible to leave him at the helm of the greatest triumph of humanity, only for him to sit baking in his own misery, and most of all---
"I can't let you continue. I'm sorry Okabe.", Kurisu spoke, a hesitant, pitiful gaze directed at the torn-up man.
"But why? I'm so, so close... only a few more loops, and I'll find a solution. You don't know-- you just don't know how much I've sacrificed to get here!"
Kurisu spoke once more, her expression was rife with pity. "No. No, Okabe. I know exactly what you've sacrificed. That's why I can't let you continue. This is not your burden to bear---"
"Like hell it's not! So what, you're just going to fuck around with the timeline a bit? Undo all the progress I've made!", he squealed, the words scraping against his dry throat. His gaze flickered intensely over to Mayuri, who simply sat observing with a listless air about her.
"You mean the progress to my death? Yeah, you told me all of it two days from now. If that was all, maybe I could accept that, but still... there's no guarantee
she
lives in the Beta worldline either."
It took a few seconds for it to register. Initially, Okabe's pupils constricted. His hands began to quake. His frantic and fickle demeanor bubbled into an eerie quietness.
His frail palms were wrapped along his temples as if the man was trying to cave his skull in by force.
"Auughhhhh...", he writhed, scratching his nails against his skin. His breaths began to rapidly vacillate - the rhythm of his breathing deviated catastrophically from what should have been normal - he clutched his chest which thrummed with an incandescent, boiling sadness that seared across his chest like a molten blade. One breath in, and one out. One in, one out.
"Okarin?", the bystander spoke. She peered directly into his trembling eyes, eyes that glazed over with a wet blanket of tears. "Okarin? What's wrong? Don't cry, Mayuushi's here! Kurisu, don't be so mean to Okabe okay? Let's all get along okay?"
The man named Okabe Rintaro did not respond.
"Okabe. I'm sorry for being so harsh.", Kurisu approached slowly and calmly, within her words flowed a reassuring spirit. "I'm scared. I'm scared of the future, Okabe, and I'm scared of the past, and all the pasts you endured, I'm scared of those too, but there's always a way to push past preconceptions. If my time as a Neuroscientist has taught me anything, it's that a fresh perspective can often lead to a more comprehensive and satisfying outcome-- and so..."
Okabe's fingers twitched slightly, and he shot a glare up at Kurisu.
"I need to do this. Your troubles weren't for nothing. You saved me, and I won't forget that. You can rest now."
Kurisu boldly strode towards the curtain of the development room, only for Okabe to wrap his frail arms around her leg.
"Hwaaah!", Kurisu jumped. Okabe's slender fingers burrowed into her calves, locking them into a vice-like grip.
"Okarin!", Mayuri shouted as her cheeks puffed up.
"No... No. I won't allow it. I won't allow it. No... Mayuri. Don't do it, Kurisu. Please!"
Okabe lay trembling on the floor, his hands gripped pitifully onto her legs, his eyes were locked onto hers, and untold desperation festered within.
"Okabe. You don't need to cry anymore. You don't need to suffer. Neither you nor Mayuri needs to shoulder the blame. The threads are there, and I just need to connect them - connect them to a better future. Let me do that, won't you?"
His grip loosened, yet not entirely. The tension was cut by the innocent girl Mayuri Shiina, who held out a hand towards the whimpering man. "Okarin. In the weeks Mayuushi has known Kurisu, I don't think she's the kind of person to betray us, you know? I don't know what's happening, but Kurisu is a smart cookie! I'm sure she knows what to do to help you."
Glistening tears slid down Okabe's hollowed cheeks. His knuckles relaxed, and his arms slumped to his side. Mayuri knelt down beside him, bringing his head to her chest, cradling his torso gently, a look of gentle sadness thick throughout her gaze.
"Kurisu. Go and do what you need to do. Just promise me you'll be safe, okay?", Mayuri whispered. Her pillowy black hair draped down, obscuring her face that stared down at the broken man.
After a few moments of hesitation, Kurisu Makise steeled herself. With her fists balled tight, she marched into the development room and donned the headset of the time-leap machine. With trembling fingers, she input the leap coordinates and pressed down slowly.
Her vision faded to white. |
❦
The young man watched Cory’s expressions change like he was reenacting a blockbuster film in two seconds, an amused smile on his face.
‘Did the fever fry your brain so bad you don’t remember what’s going on, lad?’
Cory stared at him blankly, still stunned.
The young man crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby pillar that survived the blast of the cannonball.
He was dressed in a sloppy white shirt that was mostly unbuttoned, exposing a large portion of sun-tanned skin. His legs were shod in a pair of brown pants held firmly in place by a thick belt with all sorts of accessories hanging from it—most notably, a sheathed cutlass.
An irrelevant thought crossed his mind as he was trying to remember which character from Questasis stood before him at this moment, ‘
Going to the toilet with all those gadgets must be a real pain in the…
’
Cory started. Wait, that’s not the problem right now!
The NEET’s wary eyes wandered up to the shoddy tricon hat sitting on top of the young man’s head. A hand-painted white skull and a squashed ‘X’ was drawn on one side of it—also a symbol he recognised immediately.
‘You’re a pirate?!’ he exclaimed in disbelief.
The Hiddel Navy’s greatest arch-enemies were the pirates.
As a decadent trade centre frequented by wealthy businessman, it was a shining beacon of light for any sea-robber looking to make a quick buck.
The most annoying of which was one particular group of pirates that appeared early in the game should the player choose the class of a thief.
They could easily be identified by the childish skull-and-bones drawing on their tricon hats.
The young man below said tricon hat grinned at him with yellowed teeth. ‘Welcome aboard! You’ve got spotty luck choosing
The Wingless
as your stowaway ship.’
Cory’s eyes darted around him.
The low-ceilinged deck was decrepit and dull. It didn’t look anything like the beautiful animated 2D interior featured in the MMORPG.
Not to mention, there was now a giant hole in the wall and a layer of dirty seawater over the shiny wood deck.
Flotsam bumped into his bare ankles like unwanted solicitors selling overpriced knick-knacks he didn’t want.
‘Would have been the best decision you’ve ever made, if not for the Cap’n choosing Port Hiddel for her next heist.’
That’s right.
Her
.
The captain of The Wingless, the greatest arch-enemy of the Hiddel Navy, was a
her
.
‘Captain Regi,’ Cory said instinctively.
The young man blinked in surprise. ‘You know her?’
Cory started again. Anyone who played Questasis when it first came out would know about Captain Regi, but he couldn’t exactly tell the pirate before him that.
The feisty amber-haired pirate captain was an iconic character of the game that was always featured in its advertisements.
She had been the centre of a controversy when the game first launched because players loved her character design, but the thief class was so underdeveloped, it didn’t do her character justice.
Cory himself only played as a thief once, just to playthrough Captain Regi’s story.
And like most players, he had been disappointed by the shoddy storytelling and the lack of development.
It was as if the developers created an appealing character to attract attention and nothing else.
‘I…eh, I’ve heard of her,’ he ended up saying vaguely.
The young man nodded thoughtfully. ‘She is quite famous around these parts.’ His blue eyes gleamed. ‘Do you know about me?’
Cory stared at him blankly. There had been little to no mention of The Wingless crew in the game.
The young man shrugged and wriggled his eyebrows playfully. ‘It was worth an ask,’ he said. ‘I’d be surprised if you did know who I am. The name’s Lightning. I’m Cap’n Regi’s first mate.’
Lightning seemed like an appropriate name for him.
With his hat removed, a shock of blonde hair was revealed. Although it had been wrestled into a decent ponytail at the nape of his neck, loose strands of shaggy yellow framed his face like streaks of lightning.
‘I’m…’ He had no idea who he had transmigrated into, so he hesitated for a moment before saying, ‘Cory.’
At that moment, another cannonball slammed into the hull of The Wingless, cracking the wall of the cabin next to the one they were in.
The whole ship shuddered. Cory, who had never been on a ship once in his entire life, lost his footing and toppled clumsily into the dirty seawater again.
Lightning shifted his feet and kept his balance, splashing saltwater everywhere. ‘Blasted navy,’ he muttered to himself.
At this moment, a pleasant female voice pierced through the chaos above, ‘Have you found the saw, Lightning? Butcha and the rest have started hacking at it with their swords!’
His expression turned serious. ‘Right, I almost forgot why I came down here.’
The young man waded nimbly through the flotsam towards the wall of chests at the back of the hold.
Cory coughed and spluttered, wiping the slimy water from his face with equally slimy hands. His face paled as the hole in the wall began to darken with the looming hull of the Navy’s ship.
S-Saw?
Why did they need a saw?
❦ |
❦
Death is just as unpredictable as life. Those who want to die end up living a lot longer than they expect and those who don’t want to die suddenly lose their lives.
This was the case for Cory Yaan.
The 21 year-old NEET was just about to get a bite to eat from the convenience store across the road when a speeding car crashed into him and sent him flying through the air.
Just like that, he was dead.
The world faded to black before he could even eat his first meal in 20 hours.
What a shame,
he thought.
Wait, how come I can still think?
Cory tried to feel his fingers. He had fingers? And…they could move! The body that had lost all feeling from the crash now felt really heavy.
I’m not really dead after all!
He tried to open his eyes next. Nothing.
He tried again.
This time, a horizontal thread of light peeked through. Cory forced his eyes to open.
Bright light filled the darkness that ate up his entire world. Eventually, a wooden ceiling came into view, then a long room filled with rows of hammocks.
Before he could fully orientate himself, a large cannonball smashed through the wooden wall right next to him.
Seawater gushed in through the opening and flooded the room.
Cory tumbled out of his hammock from the shockwave of the blow and fell with a painful splash.
He looked at his surroundings in confusion.
The ground swayed under him and made him queasy. Above his head came sounds of weapons clashing and people hollering crude words.
This wasn’t the hospital!
He peered out the hole made by the cannonball.
A fleet of medieval-style warships surrounded the small wooden vessel he was on, their large sails blooming like parachutes—but sideways.
Cory’s jaw fell to the ground.
Not because he had never seen ships like these in the 21st century.
He had.
Recently, in fact.
In the MMORPG he had been playing for 20 hours straight before he died.
He was stunned because he recognised the insignia printed on the hull of the nearest warship.
It belonged to one of the naval forces in that very same MMORPG!
‘…’
Wasn’t Questasis a fictional game?
He bought it on Steam. There were elves and magic and spirit treasures in that game.
Playable characters included mages, assassins and summoners.
It even had a disclaimer on the loading page that proclaimed:
All events, characters and places in this game are fictional.
So what’s going on here?
The Hiddel Navy’s insignia was a very distinctive one—it featured a beautiful woman with flowing hair sitting on a flying snake dragon.
Cory remembered this vividly because the insignia’s elegant design and profound symbolism (it was supposed to represent “a renaissance of peace") contrasted sharply with the crude and burly sailors that made up the navy’s ranks.
It was unlikely that any other organisation would dare to use such an undignified insignia.
His head began to throb at the thought of his new reality.
How did he end up inside the world of an MMORPG?
This isn’t scientific!
And why was it that as soon as he transmigrated here, he turned up in the middle of a sea battle, drenched from head to toe in dirty seawater?!
Cory squeezed water out of his now-transluscent cotton shirt, listening to the cacophony of clashing swords and men yelling indecipherable words that came from the deck above.
It sounded like the Hiddel Navy was winning but his crew was putting up a good fight.
His crew? What was his identity in this world?
He looked down at his small hands. His fingers were skinnier than he remembered, but just as pale and without the callouses of a real seaman.
(Of course, that was under the premise that this world he found himself in functioned like the real world.)
Maybe physical labourers here didn’t get callouses.
‘You’re awake,’ a loud voice startled him out of his thoughts.
Cory almost jumped out of his own skin.
A young man entered the cabin, his boots sloshing through the seawater like it was the most natural thing in the world.
‘Thought you’d be sleepin’ through the battle, boy.’
Boy? He was a man! A 21 year-old adult!
Cory looked down at himself, aghast.
No way! Did he transmigrate into a child’s body? How old was he now?
Would he have to go through puberty all over again in a fantasy world with no PC games or Internet?
I refuse! I’m a NEET! I’m not cut out for transmigration!
❦ |
❦
‘Coming!’ Lightning hollered back, startling Cory out of his stupor.
The first mate fished out a monster-sized saw from one of the large wooden drawers along the walls of the hold and swaggered his way out of the room.
He paused for a moment at the doorway to look at the little stowaway. ‘You should come with me. It might not be safe down here.’
For once, the adult NEET from the real world agreed with him.
Another cannonball and this hold would flood.
Then, he’d die for a second time in his life.
He sloshed along behind Lightning, trying to keep up with his short, skinny legs.
Cory had been tall and lanky back when he was alive, so he hadn’t encountered a situation where he thought his legs were too short. Having to look up at the pirate also made him uncomfortable—he was used to looking down at people after all.
Exactly how old was this boy that he transmigrated into? Ten?
Climbing the steep wooden stairs made him breathless. Evidently, this boy wasn’t very fit either.
The chaos on the upper deck soon took his mind off his body’s mysterious identity.
It was a real battle without cool light effects or special animation to make it look impressive. Each swing of the sword and each shot of the gun resulted in a cruel burst of blood and an ear-piercing howl.
The clash of pirates and navy soldiers looked more like an untidy street brawl, with the agonising squelching of body parts and weaponry.
In Questasis, you could launch any attack that wasn’t on cooldown without worrying about your allies but reality was very different. A misplaced swing of a metal club by a burly pirate led to the fall and trampling of the skinny one next to him.
The smell of blood, sweat and gun powder hung heavily in the air as the battlefield lurched and yawed beneath them.
Lightning grabbed the shell-shocked boy by the scruff of his shirt and away from the melee, towards the relatively safe half of the ship’s deck where the fore mast of
The Wingless
stood.
The amber-haired pirate captain, leaning lazily against a stack of barrels by the side, turned her head towards the approaching first mate. She stood out like a beacon of light among the rugged pirates that made up her crew.
Captain Regi was just as pretty as her animated counterpart, if not better. The signature purple bodice that she had been designed with outlined her feminine figure perfectly and matched the colour of her eyes.
Her eyes twinkled as she gave Lightning a sarcastic smile. ‘Nice of you to return quickly. Thought you had gone ahead and joined forces with the barnacles below!’
She sprung upright with a tap of her boots and reached out for the monster saw in Lightning’s hands. He refused to give it to her with a playful grin. ‘What do you mean? If it weren’t for me, your sickly stowaway would have been blasted to bits by a cannonball.’
It was at that moment that Captain Regi noticed the boy standing next to her first mate. He was short, his height only up to her chin, with a stunned expression on his ruddy face.
‘How’s the fever?’ she asked. Her voice was clear as a bell and full of life, more expressive than her voice-acted lines could ever be.
It took Cory a moment to realise he should respond.
By the time he opened his mouth, the female pirate captain had already reached out and placed her lightly-calloused hand on his forehead to see for herself. ‘Seems to have gone down.’
‘Un,’ was all the adult NEET in the stowaway’s body could manage.
‘Took yer long enough!’ a voice thundered from above his head. He looked up and saw two burly pirates perched on either side of the lower yard pole.
Lightning squinted up at them. ‘You’ve barely made a notch in the wood, Butcha,’ he commented.
The largest of the two pirates sheathed his cutlass and jumped down with an earth-shattering thump. ‘Ye do it then!’
The blonde first mate grinned and climbed up the fore mast in his place, the heavy monster saw in tow. The other pirate grabbed the handle on the far side of the saw and they began slicing through the mast like it was butter.
‘That’s more like it!’ Butcha cheered with a slap on the knee.
Cory’s face drained of all colour.
No, that’s not it! That’s not it at all!
‘They’re chopping down the mast of your ship,’ he pointed out weakly as some kind of nauseous panic rose in his chest.
Captain Regi nodded. ‘That’s right!’ she replied. ‘We’re going to make a trebuchet.’
With the mast of your ship?
Half the mast and two pirates came tumbling down onto the deck, adding to the chaos that was already spreading across the deck of
The Wingless
.
This amber-haired character’s habit of causing all sorts of trouble made the game amusing to play, but now that it had become reality, Cory found that it was not funny at all!
‘D-Don’t you need all your sails to get away as fast as possible?’
Captain Regi tilted her head, as if she was seriously thinking about this. The braids that framed her face swung along with her carefree motions. ‘Hm…’
Her purple eyes flickered to the warships that surrounded
The Wingless
in all directions. Cory followed her gaze and realised he had asked a stupid question.
Soldiers from one of the Hiddel Navy’s warships had already boarded The Wingless from the aft and outnumbered the pirates twice over.
Now that there were other warships closing in on all sides, escape was almost impossible—even with all their sails intact.
Captain Regi must have thought about this before she decided to chop up her own ship’s mast. It was just him, an ignorant bystander, who didn’t realise it.
After all, the rest of her crew hadn’t objected to this decision of hers and they were seasoned sailors who had accompanied her through hell and high water.
But just as he was about to apologise for speaking thoughtlessly, the amber-haired pirate captain said, ‘You know, I hadn’t thought about that. I simply thought it would be nice to sink some of their ships first.’
Cory almost fell over in exasperation.
❦ |
❦
As
The Wingless
began its long journey back to shore, surrounded on all sides by Hiddel Navy warships, Cory lamented his bad luck transmigrating into Lan of all places.
The world of Questasis was called Areya.
The continent where thieves and pirates thrived was called Lan.
Cory still remembered the description of Lan in the Questasis Wiki.
“
The founders of this continent were humans who escaped from the slavery of the fey and elves on the Great Continent. They saw land and arbitrarily named their kingdom ‘Lan’ because they just couldn’t be bothered anymore.
”
He thought to himself, ‘
As expected of Regi’s homeland.’
Lightning, who had been bound up right next to the little stowaway, watched the teenager’s face turn from disbelief to discomfort and then to resignation and wondered what he was thinking about.
So far, the little stowaway hadn’t shown any signs of panic or fear. Even in the heat of the sea battle with the Hiddel Navy, his reaction had been worry—worry that the trebuchet was a bad idea.
The teenager felt his stare and looked up at him. Lightning gave him a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘Cap’n Regi will get us out of here.’
On Cory’s other side, Big Beard let out a big sigh. ‘I joined Cap’n Regi for them swashbucklin’ adventures and treasure huntin’—not to get caught by navy brats every few days for a lecture on propie…something.’
‘Propriety,’ Lightning said. Big Beard sighed again.
Cory furrowed his brows. ‘Every few days?’ he echoed.
‘That’s an exaggeration,’ Lightning explained. ‘We haven’t gotten caught once in three months. This time, we were at a disadvantage.’
A pirate somewhere in the bundle snorted. ‘With that many of them, we’re always at a disadvantage.’
There was another thing in Big Beard’s statement that troubled him. ‘Then…the lecture on propriety?’
Lightning grinned. ‘Oh that?’ But before he could continue speaking,
The Wingless
bumped into the hemp rope buffs along length of the dock with an unexpected force that sent the bundle of pirates tumbling.
Loud curses spewed out like seawater as everyone struggled back to their feet.
‘Watch it! That’s my foot.’
‘Ow, ow, ow! Why’s your crutch bound up ‘ere with the rest of us?’
‘Mind the gapin’ wound!’
‘Gross! Whose guts did I just step on?’
A navy officer with golden epaulettes stepped up and bellowed, ‘Silence!’ and the racket softened to a low grumbling.
He made a gesture and his soldiers began to unwind them into a line.
‘Lead them straight to the holding prison.’
Almost immediately, they were jostled ashore and into the looming Hiddel Fort.
Cory would have taken this opportunity to admire his surroundingsafter all, this was an MMORPG he played come to life—but he was now a short and skinny teenager, which meant his surroundings were the navy soldiers that flanked them on either side.
It wasn’t until the navy soldiers tossed all of them into a locked cell that he was able to see
more than just heads and shoulders.
The holding prison was a large stone room with thin slits high along one wall letting light through.
They were locked up in one of the two cells inside this room. The open space beyond the cells was mostly empty, with only one stone chair in the middle of it and a table of what must be torture tools guarded by blank-faced navy soldiers.
Right now, there was an amber-haired pirate in that stone chair, grinning up at the navy officer who was double-checking the locks around her wrists and ankles.
‘How have you been, Asana? Hope my father hasn’t been overworking you while I’m gone.’
Father?
The officer named Asana ignored Captain Regi. Once he finished his inspection, he took two steps back and stood at attention.
Captain Regi frowned. She was just about to say more when the big wooden doors of the holding prison opened and a big, burly amber-haired official entered the room.
Everyone who was not a pirate saluted him at once and greeted in unison, ‘Admiral Gladstone!’
The resemblance was obvious immediately.
Admiral Gladstone’s amber hair was the exact same shade of orange as Captain Regi’s.
Cory’s jaw fell.
What the hell?
Captain Regi’s father was the admiral of the Hiddel Navy? Wasn’t she an orphan in Questasis?
What kind of plot twist is this?!
The plot twist didn’t end here.
Admiral Gladstone strode up to his disobedient daughter and folded his arms.
He said to her, ‘Are you done playing around? Go home and marry the earl I found for you today.’
❦ |
Setting: Texdan
Time: 8:50 pm
The dry season always brings warm and windy nights. Of all the cities in Adamatrium, Texdan is the city situated closest to Mount Gamajora. Consequently, it suffers from rain shadows during the dry season. Even with this set back, the city of Texdan remains the major supplier of crops and produce throughout all of Adamatrium. Most notably known for the vast rolling hills of farmlands called the
Bayrin Hills,
there are also several mine fields located throughout the city. As a result the vast population of Texdan’s inhabitants are either farmers or miners.
After the pandemonium of the selection process from the afternoon died down, the citizens of Texdan had taken into their homes to unwind for the evening. Children were done with school for the day. The fifteen year olds that had skipped school for the day had successfully selected their careers. The miners finished with their daily quota, now found themselves resting in their apartments in the city centre. Farmers drained from tiling the hardened soil of the dry season, had retired to their farmhouses.
This evening, however, was different for the four drunk miners who had assaulted Taylian. While the miners were supposed to be resting for the day after their shift, they had been charged with parole for their crimes, and their punishment now found them trapped with extended labor in the mines. Under the supervision of a few soldiers in the Militia, the four miners were tasked to continue their mornings work through the hours of the evening until midnight.
“Pick up the pace!” yells one of the soldiers supervising.
The instigator of the drunken debacle scoffs in frustration.
“What a load of bull-”
“WE DON’T WANNA HEAR THE SOUND OF YOUR VOICES, WE WANNA HEAR THE SOUND OF METAL HITTING THAT GROUND!”
Exasperated, the miners return back to their work.
*rumble rumble*
Suddenly, the sound of the earth quaking could be heard throughout the land.
“Psst, hey, what was that?” One of the miners addresses the soldiers in anxiety.
Frustrated and also feeling anxious, one of the guards pulls out a gun and points it to the miner, “This is your last warning!!! We don’t want to hear peep from the lot of you four. Get back to work! If you think you can escape your sentence you’ve got another thing coming you good for nothing-”
“That's alright, Corporal Matis. I think they get the point.” These words from the highest ranking soldier there was enough to calm the corporal for the time being.
*RUMBLE, RUMBLE*
The second rumbling came a few minutes after the first. This one was not just heard but felt beneath their feet. This quake felt much stronger and much more aggressive than the last.
The highest ranked officer that was supervising stated: “It’s probably coming from the main continent. Who knows what those bloody beasts are up to now.”
*RUMBLE, RUMBLE*
Without giving them much room to process the previous one, another rumbling came again, this time shaking the ground beneath them, causing both the officers and miners to lose their balance.
One of the lower ranking guards turns to the officer, “Sir, I…I…I don’t think that's from the main continent…it sounds a lot closer to Mount Gamajora if anything.”
One of the miners decides to speak up, “We need to leave this mine….for safety...”
The corporal who had almost shot one of them earlier once again touched his gun, “You will not leave this mine until you have completed your sentence! Not if I have anything to do about it!”
“Do you want us to ALL die?? It sounds like an earthquake, and a mine is the last place to be during an earthquake.”
“Don’t talk back to me you low down dirty miner! If you had kept your hands to yourself, we wouldn’t have to be down here supervising you in the first place! Get back to work!”
*
RUMBLE, RUMBLE, CRASH!!!!
*
As soon as the corporal belts out his command, they end up being his last instructions as the fourth wave of the quake causes the mine to collapse, instantly killing the miners and the soldiers with them.
*Meanwhile*
Taylian wakes up startled and disoriented. He stares up from the ground towards the sky, through the tall trees, and sees the full moon.
[“It's a full moon tonight. Aunt Lexi says that the powers of the moon goddess, Lunarias, are stronger on nights like these…meaning our protection is greater as well…”]
Taylian wimpers and rolls over in pain. If he thought he was in pain before, what he felt now could hardly be described in words. It feels like every movement was like driving needles into every cell and tissue of his body.
[“Best not to move I guess. This is what I get for overdoing it.”]
Suddenly, a gust of wind rushes through the trees rapidly, startling Taylian as he looks towards them. The gust was rapid, but the movement felt soft and warm, almost like an embrace. In that moment, he could only manage to think and utter a single word:
“....mother….”
As soon as Taylian utters these words, the earth beneath him starts to shake. He looks back to the region that leads to his house…..and sees the ground beginning to break apart.
As Taylian attempts to comprehend the scenario playing out before him, he suddenly notices a dark shadow above him. He looks up and realizes a tree is falling straight towards him. Without thinking, he quickly rolls out of the way just as the tree slams to the ground beside him. The impact from the crash created a gust of wind that sent him flying.
Taylian, shaken and now in more pain, tries to stand on his feet, “ What…is happening?”
Before he has any time to think, the rumblings cause the ground to start breaking apart and cause more trees to fall around him. Determining that the breaking ground was unsafe, Taylian jumps onto a sturdy tree to escape the danger zone. However, the tree falling prey to the earthquakes also begins to fall as its roots start to bend. Taylian begins to jump through the trees as he did before. He looks down at the forest slowly being destroyed.
“Is this one of those situations they always talked about in school?”
With this slight distraction, Taylian doesn’t see an incoming tree falling straight towards his path. However, due to his experience in the forest and the agility he gained through it, he manages to dodge and barely jump above the tree, forcing him to fall back to the ground.
“So close.” Taylian sees the clearing up ahead and increases his speed. He manages to exit the forest unscathed.
“Aunt Lexi! Uncle Geron! Iris!”
Taylian sprints towards his family home distraught. He looks towards the farmhouse, and sees that the left side of the house has collapsed. His eyes widen in fear.
“Oh no….no no no,”
Filled with anxiety that his family had died without a chance to escape, Taylian races to the porch to check around his family home, but soon realizes he can’t enter from the front. He rushes to the back of the house that leads to the right side and enters through there. Desperately searching around for his family, he starts to lose hope when he sees no sign of life.
[“They couldn’t all have died could they?! Is it possible? No! It can't be.”]
*Previously*
Aunt Lexi and Iris were seated in the dining room, waiting for Taylian to return for dinner as they refused to eat without him. Geron was seated outside on the porch steps. He was hoping Taylian would return soon….because he was very hungry.
*rumble rumble*
They felt the first of the rumblings just as everyone else in Texdan would have. The family of three froze, not making a move or a sound. Soon after, the next waves of earth rumblings came in succession, each stronger than the previous. Geron finally snapped out of his shock, and ran into the house. He grabbed a bag and began to pack a few essential items.
“We gotta go, now!”
“Darling, do you think it's an attack? Or just an earthquake?”
“You’ve lived in Texdan all your life. How many natural earthquakes have you heard of in this city?!”
Lexi gulps, “...none.”
“Let’s go. We have to find the emergency bunkers!”
Lexi holds her hand to her chest. Her mind is in panic as she thinks of her nephew.
Geron picks up Iris as she begins to cry.
“What about Taylian?!” Iris screams
Geron paused. He then hands Iris to Lexi and grabs her hand to leave the house.
“I will find him! You two head to the bunkers!”
As soon as they exited the house, They were hit with the next wave of quakes. This one being so powerful that the ground beneath their feet begins to break apart and the left side of their farmhouse caves in.
****
Taylian looks around the collapsed house.
[“They couldn’t all have died could they?! Is it possible? No! It can't be. They must have escaped. Uncle Geron is always prepared. If they did escape, then there is only one place they can be.”]
Taylian rushes out of the house and begins to run through the hills.
[“The closest emergency bunkers can be accessed through the foot of Mount Gamajora. I’m sure that's where they are. I just have to find my way there.”]
As he heads towards the mountain, he notices how quiet the hills are. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the earth breaking apart. It was obvious that everyone in this region had evacuated. As he continues to run on land he suddenly hears the sound of crying near one of the farmhouses he passes. He stops and turns to see a little boy, bawling his eyes out.
[“Wait… this house is…Erin? Why is he still here? Where is Mrs. Margaret?”]
As Taylian approaches, he sees that the house is destroyed. Much worse off than his house is. When he reaches the stairs - or rather what used to be stairs - he sees a foot sticking out beneath the debris, and the head of a dog without its body. He immediately realizes what happened.
The ground beneath continues to shake violently. Taylian looks up and notices that Mrs. Margaret’s farmhouse is still collapsing. One of the porch pillars finally succumbing to the earthquake’s force was now falling towards the young crying boy. Taylian, using his quick reflexes, grabs the boy and saves him from impending doom. Not wanting to end up like Mrs. Margaret, Taylian lifts the boy up and he runs from the farmhouse continuing on his path towards the mountain.
[“Why did this have to happen?...Erin…The only child of Mrs. Margaret is now an orphan…..just like…]
“...I’m so sorry…”
Taylian wipes the tears from his eyes so that he can see the ground carefully. Erin continues to cry as he looks behind and sees his destroyed family home.
*RRYYYOOEEEERRR*
Taylian stops in his tracks and looks toward the mountain in shock. Fear and terror completely overwhelm him. The young boy, Erin, also freezes in fear, his mourning taking a backseat to his fear.
[“The closest bunker is supposed to be near the mountain, right? But…what I just heard…that can’t be human, can it?…every muscle in my body… feels paralyzed!….”]
The rumblings continue to destroy the earth. It was like the strange howl had commanded the quakes to worsen.
[“There’s no way…there is just no way”]
Taylian tries to control his shaking legs.
[“If we stay here....we just might die….”]
The ground beneath him caves but he successfully jumps before being swallowed up by the earth.
[“It’s official. If we stay here…..we
will
die….”]
Taylian lifts the crying little boy onto his back. He races back to the forest he had just come from.
[“I don’t know if uncle Geron and aunt Lexi are in the bunkers in the mountain….. but I just have to believe they went to the city centre’s emergency bunkers. Although moving through the trees with Erin on my back will be difficult, this is the fastest route to the city square… meaning this is the fastest way to safety!”]
The rumblings become deafening. They are so frequent and loud that it becomes difficult for Taylian to hear his own breathing.
[“I can’t risk taking too long to get to safety…..I don’t know what is happening. I can’t predict what is coming…. The only thing I can do right now…. is save myself and this boy.”]
Taylian flies through the branches of the trees that are still standing. He manages to evade several falling trees that head his way, all while carrying the boy on his back.
[“The pain from earlier is gone. All I can feel is adrenaline….or is it fear?....is there a difference?!”]
****
With each successive quake hitting the city, the earth all around Texdan begins to cave in. As the earth begins to break apart, the multitude of apartment buildings and constructs begin to collapse. It was as if the ground had suddenly become like the ocean, devouring all who were unlucky enough to enter its grasp.
Screams fill the atmosphere as thousands of people meet their deaths either from being struck by falling building constructs or by being swallowed up by the breaking ground. The emergency sirens of Texdan now bellowed out for all who could still hear. It beckoned its citizens to reach the safety of the bunkers.
With all this going on, the Militia soldiers on night shift duties try their best to assist the panicked crowd toward the direction of the bunkers. There were only two emergency bunkers in Texdan. One was beneath the city centre square, the other was near Mount Gamajora. As the quakes and rumblings seem to be originating from the mountain area, it was safe to say no one was foolish enough to head to that bunker. However, this posed a problem; everyone was headed for the same bunker. Chaos was inevitable.
“We found another survivor!”
“Please remain calm! We understand the situation is frightening, but for everyone’s safety-”
“RRYYYOOEEEERRR”
Instantly, the panicked crowd becomes quiet. The sound - akin to something forcing its way out from the gates of hell - is enough to make all who had heard its sound practically turn to to stone. Their eyes…pulsating with fear. No matter how gruesome the Primals had been described to be, never had such a deafening and fearful sound…been heard or witnessed by the masses.
After the quick pause caused by the feral howl, the crowd returns to an even more panicked state than before. Pandemonium ensues.
Geron - who had just reached the city centre - searches frantically through the crowd hoping to find Taylian.
[“Taylian…you’re a smart kid…you would know to come to the bunker past the town square…..so why? Why can’t I find you?…”]
Suddenly, a massive steel pipe from a tall building falls towards Geron and two young guys near him. Although initially distracted, Geron realizes the situation and pushes the other two as he pulls himself in the opposite direction - away from harm.
“You two okay?”
“Yeah!
“Thank you sir!”
“No problem. But get to the bunker immediately!” Geron points to a building nearby, “There’s usually a shortcut through the District hotel, so you should be able to get there quickly.”
“Thank you again sir! Let’s go, Theo-”
Before the boy is able to finish his sentence, his eyes immediately fill with doom as he turns and sees the district hotel (that was supposed to be their route to safety), falling towards all of them. In its path were at least hundreds of people, some either crawling out from the rubble, some trying to help those trapped in the rubble, or some running towards the bunker. As the people look up, and see the red sky turn black due to the falling building… They soon realize that they are helpless against their situation.
Geron, looking up towards the massive hotel falling towards them all, could only manage one word:
“...Damn…”
The people initially trying to rescue those trapped in the rubble, began to abandon their comrades, and started fleeing for their lives. The people trapped in the rubble try desperately to escape their situation, but to no avail. The people headed towards the bunker now turn and run even faster than before. Even with them all fleeing, they all realize there is no escape, as the building is only a few seconds away from collapsing on them.
Suddenly....the building begins to coat itself in gold.
“RONIN!”
The building that had been on a crash course directed at a multitude of civilians suddenly halts in its path.
“Help him out, Butch!”
A man flies towards the building, and uses his strength to tilt the now frozen building towards a different direction.
“Maggie! Is the check finished?!”
“Yes, your highness! It's set 35 degrees to the left! The path is cleared!”
Immediately, the hotel building begins to move towards that exact direction, as the people all look in amazement and see Princess Zara underneath the building, with a tall, lanky man accompanying her. The man’s arms are stretched out wide, as the building slowly moves to the exact degree that the woman from earlier had called out. Geron is struck in awe.
“You promise to save me, your highness?” The lanky man says as he laughs.
“Oh, stop joking around, Ronin.”
The man then lowers his arms, causing the building to slowly fall towards the ground. As the building comes towards Princess Zara and Ronin, Zara holds the base of the building and pushes it towards the exact location she had marked for placement.
“My my, you sure have gotten strong, princess,”
“Of course I have! You only notice now?!”
Ronin laughs, as Princess Zara slaps his shoulder in frustration.
“I know that was supposed to be a ‘play’ slap…but that actually hurts, you know,”
“It was supposed to.”
Geron thinks to himself:
[“That building must have been held in place by some sort of magnetic pull after the gold coating. The princess’ chief guard
is
known to have a magnetic pull/push onyx ability…glad I got to see it first hand…”]
The other two that were accompanying Ronin and Princess Zara begin to help rescue the people trapped in the debris. A man wearing the same attire as Ronin and the other two guards steps out and emits a strong burp towards the left side of the destroyed town area. The burp appears to emit a blast that removes everything in its path.
“This way! The path is now more clear on the left side of the square!”
“I can’t thank you enough, ma’am!”
“It’s no problem, now please excuse me,”
“You are really strong, sir!”
“Ah, stop, you’re gonna make me blush!”
Princess Zara smiles as she looks around and sees her personal guards in action.
“Thank you, Ronin. For indulging my wishes.”
“I don’t know what you mean, princess. You are my superior. Not the other way around.”
“Hmph! Just take the compliment!”
“Alright, alright,” Ronin laughs
THE EMERGENCY SIRENS BLARE ONCE AGAIN:
All civilians, evacuate and get to the emergency bunkers at once. All civilians, evacuate and get to the emergency bunkers at once
The voice from the sirens become muffled as some of the speakers begin to fall from the light poles as the ground shakes again.
Geron, who had been distracted by the work of the princess and her guards, remembers that he had been searching for Taylian. He becomes distraught at his inability to find him.
After another ten minutes of failing to find Taylian, Geron gives up his search and heads to the bunker, hoping that Taylian would be there with Iris and Lexi. As he arrives at the main center that leads to the underground bunkers, he catches sight of Lexi and Iris. The center is crowded with Texdan’s remaining locals. Total panic causes the individuals to push and pull past one another.
“Lexi!......Lexi!.......Damn it!!”
Geron attempts to shove past a group of young boys, trying to make his way towards his family - but his attempts prove futile. Each time he takes a step forward, the crowd seemingly pushes him back.
Lexi stands at the center, still carrying Iris in her arms. She can’t seem to find the strength to push herself forward through the crowd into the underground pathway to the bunkers. Not while her nephew was still out there….not while her husband was yet to return…
“Mommy look…..it's daddy!”
The breath that Lexi had been holding in for what seemed like an eternity suddenly expels itself. She swings to the direction Iris is pointing to and sees Geron. Immediately, she begins to look for Taylian beside him. Geron then notices that Lexi and Iris are looking towards him and waves his hands frantically to get their attention. Suddenly, Lexi starts to push through the crowd. The strength that seemed amiss before had now manifested through the slight glimmer of hope that her family was safe. She pushes through the crowd, and after some time, manages to reach Geron.
Geron, perplexed, thinks to himself:
[“Even I couldn’t get through the crowd…..and yet when it comes to Taylian…she just can’t help herself.”]
“Where…..” *breathe* “Where” *gasp* “WHERE IS HE?!”
Geron shrinks back. He carefully curates his words as he realizes any wrong move on his part would cause his already frantic wife to spiral out of control.
“He is not anywhere in the center square, I looked through the streets of Texdan, and obviously he isn’t in the farmhouse since we just left-”
“WHY WOULD YOU LOOK THROUGH THE STREETS OF TEXDAN WHEN WE ALREADY KNOW WHERE HE IS? He ALWAYS runs towards the forests!!! What if he is still there?! Oh my….”
Lexi’s breathing becomes more erratic with each sentence she manages to utter
.
“What if…what if whatever is out there already got to him?”
Geron grimaces, “You are drawing conclusions. We can’t think like that.”
Lexi hands Iris over to Geron.
“Damn it!….I should just have looked for him myself!”
Lexi suddenly bolts through the crowd, once again finding the strength to push through as she had done once before. Nothing else mattered at this time. The chaos around her was incomparable to the turmoil she felt in her heart. The one jewel that her sister had left in her care….was out there….in danger…..Lexi couldn’t help but feel like a failure…
“Wait!.....damn it….why must things always be difficult!”
Geron attempts to pursue his wife. The crowd is heading towards the bunkers in the center square, so Geron finds it easier to push his way out of the crowd heading back to where he had initially come from.
As Geron breaks through from the crowd and catches hold of Lexi, the ground suddenly shakes again. The loud roar that had been heard in previous intervals was now much stronger. Much more deafening. It felt so powerful and commanding…. like it carried its own gravitational force. Geron’s knees felt weak. Iris covers her ears and begins to whimper.
“Lexi, it's getting worse! If we don’t escape now, it's over!”
“Not without TAYLIAN!”
*RRRRYYYYYYOOOOOOEEEERRR*
The gravitational force in the atmosphere abruptly increases. Suddenly, all movement stops. In a flash, bodies start to drop to the ground. Geron tries to secure Iris in his arms as he drops to the ground as well. Lexi falls right beside him.
“WHAT IS THIS??!!”
“AHHHH!!!” screams of terror echoed through the city centre.
In what seemed like a flash, all of Texdan’s locals laid pinned down at the center square. Unable to move. Unable to act. They laid there…immobilized by fear…for what was to come forth from the dead of night.
**Elsewhere**
Meanwhile, in the central city of Floritian, soft footsteps permeate the main halls of the convey.
Ophiel: “What is it now?”
Temaine: “Chaos. What else would you expect in our wooorrrlldddd,”
Temaine dances around in a ditsy manner.
Temaine and Ophiel head towards the meeting hall for the faeries. Two Flare Aids accompany each of them.
“At least try to act concerned,” Ophiel scoffs.
Temaine laughs, “After centuries of dealing with this stuff…You still act so serious,”
Temiane lunges in and pinches Ophiel’s cheeks. Ophiel slaps Temaine’s hand away.
“Knock it off. After centuries of dealing with this, you still act
way
too carefree.”
Temaine pouts “Hmmmmm,”
Ophiel opens up the doors to the meeting room.
Diana frowns. “Glad the two of you finally made it…”
Ophiel: “What is the problem? Why is there a frenzy within the Militia?”
Niko: “Texdan is in absolute chaos, I’m afraid.”
Ophiel sighs.
Ophiel:
[“The primals are powerful…but to be able to invade so discreetly…this seems…different from their usual attacks…”]
Niko: “We received news thirty minutes ago that there is a massive earthquake currently in effect. Total casualties are at least forty percent of the entire population of Texdan so far.”
Temaine: “Thirty minutes ago?” she laughs “That's more than enough time for them to cause some major damage.”
Temaine pulls out a chair and plops down on it. She places her feet on the table.
Ophiel: “It depends on what their objective is. If the attack was discreet, it must mean there aren’t a lot of them. What information do we have on the attackers? Considering the reports mentioned earthquakes, it's obvious which group of primals is responsible…”
Asenna curls her lips in revulsion “….relentless beasts…”
Niko: “But the leader of the Wall Guard reported that the attack wasn't from the mountainside. Perhaps they really are just earthquakes after all. I mean, it’s not as if they said anything about primals. They also said they could handle it-”
Diana: “If they say they can handle it, then let them. I don’t see why we should be disturbed over a common earthquake.”
Diana gets up and begins to walk out of the room, “I have no particular feelings towards the matter.”
Asenna laughs “She really doesn’t give a damn, does she?”
Rabia tilts her head in confusion. Ophiel notices Rabia’s puzzled disposition.
Ophiel: “Rabia? What do you think?”
Rabia suddenly looks up. Her expression, blank, as usual.
Ophiel: “You…disagree?”
Rabia looks around the room at the four faces looking back at her. With so many battles and invasions over the centuries, it had become difficult to know where to draw the line as faeries. After all….this fight belonged to the humans.
Rabia: “...something seems off… about the guard’s message…”
Ophiel: “Hmmm...alright…what do you propose we do?”
Rabia suddenly reveals her wings of pure light. “...I want to check it out…”
As soon as she says these words, she bursts towards the window and flies towards Texdan.
Ophiel: “...alright then. I did ask what WE should do about it, but then again…it’s Rabia.”
The rest of the faeries had already lost interest in the matter. They all stand up and exit the meeting hall with their personal flare aids accompanying them. Ophiel, however, remains in place, looking towards the window that Rabia just flew from.
“Something’s off, huh?”
**Meanwhile**
As the locals of Texdan lay pinned to the ground, the earth shook once more, causing an area near the square to sink deep into the ground. Geron, Lexi and all individuals pinned to the ground watch in horror, as a small group of Minotaurs erupt from the hole. In the case of the primals, they are four races of creatures each linked with certain elemental matrix abilities. The elves had control and craft of the gale or air. The oceanids had monopoly over the craft of water. The firefoxes’ ability was seen through the heat of fire. But the minotaurs, they had dominance over the earth. The small invaders of minotaurs that crawled out from the earth, laughed in a blood curdling manner. Their laughs proved to be a promise of the pain that was yet to come, and the pleasure they would derive from it.
They step out towards the city square. No more than five Minotaurs in total…all seemingly unaffected by the gravitational force that pinned the humans to the ground.
The biggest of the group clears his throat, and steps up.
“My name is Jidiku. You see, my friends and I came here in search of something…”
Jidiku begins to walk on top of the humans, stepping on them and crushing their bones one by one. The people don’t even get the chance to scream out in pain as they die instantly, from the sheer force of his weight.
Lexi, still on the ground next to Geron, shivers in fright.
[“He must be their leader. There is no doubt by his countenance. Only cold hearted resolve.”]
“We are searching for the one with the Almighty Aura….so as long as the rest of you cooperate…then you won’t all have to die….well….not yet, at least.”
Jidiku approaches a frightened man, who lies in fear, shaking uncontrollably on the ground. Jidiku smiles, reveling in the man’s angst.
“You. The one with crickets in his pants. Do you have any idea what I might be talking about?”
“I swe-swe-swear on my li-li-life…I have no idea!”
Jiduku sighs.
“Can’t say I’m surprised…however, that was not the answer I was looking for-”
Jidiku suddenly swings his hand, and splits the man's head in two equal halves. Brain matter and blood spills out, and the lower body finally stops shaking.
Screams fill the town square, as people are stunned by the manner by which the man was killed. But even in their fear, they cannot manage to move as the gravitational pressure continues to pin them down.
“What’s the problem? He swore on his life didn’t he? Sheesh.”
Jidiku wipes his blood-stained hands on the shirt of one of the humans on the ground.
“All I simply did was cash in on the oath….now….let me repeat myself. We are looking for the one with the almighty aura. So…who possesses it?”
He looks at the woman beside the man he had just killed.
“Hmm…maybe you might kn-”
Suddenly, a figure breaks out from the destroyed forest area that leads towards the main square, interrupting Jidiku as he was about to interrogate the young woman. Jidiku looks to his right, and sees a young teenage boy holding a child in his right arm. The boy looked weak… but was still able to stand in the midst of the gravitational pressure - just like the minotaurs.
Jidiku’s expression slowly melts into a devilish grin. |
Setting: The Bayrin Hills of Texdan
Time: 9:50 am
The land was a wreck. Buildings destroyed. The spirits of those who lost loved ones - shattered. From the center city square that houses most of the apartment buildings, to the Bayrin hills where the farmlands reside, Texdan was completely ravaged. The response team from Floritian were quick to set up temporary shelters along the foothills of Mount Gamajora, for those who lost their homes. Work schedules were put on hold due to the damaged factories and mining fields. All hands were needed to start rebuilding Texdan once again. Although shelter and food had been provided, the Militia still felt very uneasy about the situation in Texdan. During the attack, forty-five percent of the beta squad assigned to Texdan had been killed in action. All of the wall guards were now confirmed dead. This left a huge breach for not only Texdan’s security, but Adamatrium at large.
“Hahahha……ahhh…..hahaha”
Taylian smiles in adoration of his little cousin’s innocence. Although she had been distraught during the night of the invasion she had now forgotten all about it, and now found amusement in the game she was playing with Taylian.
“Taylian…”
“What is it?” Taylian pauses
“...Why can’t we go back home?”
Taylian smiles. Iris had asked that same question every few hours, and after receiving an answer would momentarily pacify her, she would ask later again.
“Our home needs to get fixed first, ok?. For now, we stay here and play.”
Iris smiles brightly, “Okay!”
The two of them return to their game.
Shortly after, Lexi sticks her head through the tent flaps.
“Taylian, someone is here to see you”
As soon as she says it, she returns back outside. Taylian drops Iris on the ground and pats her on the head.
“I’ll be right back,”
He steps out into the sunlight that reflects from the surface of the mountainside. The light is so bright that Taylian almost feels blindsided. As his eyes adjust to the sun’s rays, he looks to see Leya Forte standing in front of him, conversing with both Lexi and a woman he did not know. Although from her uniform, he deduces she must be of the Militia.
Leya looks up just in time to see Taylian’s arrival. She runs over to him and gives him a hug.
“I heard what happened! I’m so sorry! It's good to see that you guys are alright though,” Taylian smiles in her warm embrace.
**SLAPPPPP!*
Taylian wakes up from his daydreaming.
“You IDIOT!!!” screams Leya as she shakes him wildly by the collar, causing Taylian’s head to shake in the same motion.
“What an absolute IDIOT! Of all the idiots I’ve met in my life, you truly are a special kind, you know that?!!!"
Taylian’s eyes begin to spin.
[“Why did I ever think this she-beast would try to comfort me at a time like this?”]
The Militian Woman approaches Leya and Taylian in concern, “Um, I think he is losing consciousness…”
Lexi stands to the side and watches with a smile on her face. She is pleased that Leya is doing what she wanted to do during the night of the invasion.
“Do you have some kind of death wish?!! What in the world made you decide to stand up to a damn Minotaur?!” Leya screams, ignoring the militia woman.
Taylian’s eyes start to roll back into his head.
Taylian:
[“Judging by the increasing number of blood vessels on her forehead… I think she’s gonna blow for real this time…”]
“Ki…Ki…” Taylian struggles to compose his words. Leya, deciding he needs more motivation to answer, proceeds to rattle him even more.
“Other than losing your common sense, did you lose your hearing too?! ANSWER ME!!!”
The woman from the militia laughs as she steps up to help Taylian. She pulls him down to the ground and pries Leya’s hands from his neck.
“Hey ya!”
Everyone turns to look behind and they see Kinso walking towards them.
“Oh, what’s up Leya?! Nice to see you back in these parts,” Kinso continues his rapport, ignorant of the situation at hand.
“YOU! You were even worse than this buffoon!!!” Leya turns her gaze to the nonchalant boy who had dared to challenge the minotaurs in the first place.
Leya lunges at Kinso but is unable to reach him as she is held back by the Militia Woman.
Kinso moves back and giggles. “Really? I can’t remember much from that night,”
Leya rolls up her sleeve. “Well allow me to jog your memory…If Taylian is an idiot, you are certainly the king of all idiots!!!”
The Militia Woman tries to prevent her from attacking again, “Hey, at least your friends are safe…”
Leya pauses at her words. After thinking for a while, she finally stops struggling and calms down.
“It doesn’t change the fact that they were reckless…maybe they were lucky this time… but they could’ve died! And then what?!”
Kinso and Taylian:
[“I’m sure she will kill us first before the Primals even get a chance to…”]
Kinso steps up. “It was my fault. I tried to step in. I wanted to fight after I saw that they had got the princess, and there was no one left to help. Taylian stepped in at the right time to try and save me... so don’t be angry with Taylian.”
Leya frowns and looks at Taylian, “How did you manage to stand up against a minotaur?”
Taylian scratches his head in embarrassment.
“Uh...I didn’t…”
Kinso snickers. “The one that faced off against the minotaur was Ileana…she’s a homeless girl that is very well known in Loix. I had seen her earlier that day, actually...”
Kinso begins to reiterate what happened that night.
“Of course you know my home in Loix is not too far from Texdan. And my guardian’s sister had come to Texdan that day to visit a friend. So when I saw the commotion happening in Texdan, I wanted to make sure that she and Taylian’s family were safe…but when I arrived and saw the destruction around town, I got even more worried for Taylian. I tried making my way to his house, but the earth had been shattered considerably. I noticed a lot of people escaping to the center square where the emergency bunkers could be accessed, so I followed them to see if I could find Taylian or my guardian’s little sister. I first ran into Ileana on my way to Texdan, and asked her if she knew what was going on…but…she didn’t respond. I also asked her to come with me to help whoever we could in Texdan… but she ignored me and walked off. So imagine my surprise when she stepped in to help me against the minotaur. I guess something must have made her change her mind and come to Texdan…although….I wonder what it was. The girl is quite strange, to be honest…she doesn’t talk to anyone, but everyone knows who she is... Anyways, I was saved because of her…..and Taylian, of course.”
“Honestly, I didn’t do much at all,” Taylian looks down sheepishly. “All I did was drag you away, while the other girl did all the work.”
Kinso laughs. “Well, thank Lunarias you did! If you hadn't, that ax would have turned me into minced meat!”
Kinso begins to sweat as that exact moment replayed in his mind. “That would have been a pathetic way to go…”
Leya smirks. “Yeeaaah, and there isn’t much of you to start with. You are already missing two arms…losing more body parts might finally curb your dream of joining the Militia. Although I doubt they would take a stump like yourself,” She twirls her long blonde hair, waiting for Kinso’s usual response.
Kinso, in good fashion, flares up, “Oh, my mistake,
princess
…but I don’t remember your opinion being of any importance!”
Leya hides her smile behind her hands, “My my, touchy again are we?”
Kinso grits his teeth as he begins to fume.
“Too easy,” Leya whispers.
Taylian smiles.
[“They just can’t help themselves…it's like getting each other riled up fulfills their day.”]
Taylian, in that moment, absorbing the situation around him…and seeing some of the most important people in the world to him…breaks out a smile.
[
“I’m so grateful for these two…the only individuals I can truly call friends…we’ve sure been through a lot together….while the other citizens of Adamatrium treat me like an outcast, these two have always accepted me….they never cared that I was a social pariah….that is why…no matter what…if necessary….]
Taylian immediately remembers the words of Atlas from the previous day: “You’d be better off…using that determination to defend yourself…and maybe others.”
[...I will protect them with everything I have.”
]
Kinso screeches, “Hey! You gonna stop or what?”
***Meanwhile***
Setting: Floritian, The King’s Court
Time: 10:00 am
The King’s Council consists of the King and his six policy makers: The Mason, The Judge, The Architect, The General, The Provider, and The Butler.
They have gathered once again to discuss the recent invasion.
Jesse Forte (The General) starts the meeting off. “Well…according to the reports…*smack smack*... There were only 5 minotaurs. However, the faeries also reported what looked like ‘firefox claw marks’ around the wall guard center,”
Shin Hephaestus (The Provider): “Safe to say the firefoxes must have helped the minotaurs to break through, by wiping out our defense.”
Jesse leans in towards Shin, louding smacking his lips after biting into his fruit. “Please…*smack smack*...I beg…leave the military discernment to me...and no, that’s not what happened.”
Felix (The Butler) speaks up: “But it wouldn’t be the first time that the Primals combined forces in order to attack. Many of our wars with them have always included more than one race of primals,”
Jesse: “Yeah…*smack smack*...but this time…*smack smack*...they didn’t come through the walls…they came directly from the ground-”
Felix: “Preposterous! Arrant lies! Such things have never happened before! Not here, and certainly not in the rest of Adamatrium!”
Jesse: “I don’t know what to tell you…*smack*...the reports all indicate that they came - and left - through the ground…” He stops smacking his lips and throws the paper report on the desk “...the damn ground…”
Dante Jamaerah (The Architect) chimes in: “What I’m more concerned about is the noise and gravitational pressure that came with it…what was that?”
Jesse continues, “Reports carried out from the citizens stated that everytime one of the minotaurs stomped his feet, it triggered this ‘thing’... which was usually followed by an increase in the gravitational pressure felt in the atmosphere. So much so that they couldn’t even move. The thing could be heard, but no one saw it,”
Laban (The Judge) wrings his hands together in anxiety: “Well of course no one saw it! That thing was so loud, we even heard it over here in Floritian! If it appeared, no doubt we would have all seen it as well!”
Jesse: “Whatever the case, this thing has never been used in other attacks…this could pose a serious problem for us, your majesty.…”
The council members all turn to look at the King…who is completely distraught.
“My daughter…is missing…” whispers King Corinthian.
The countenance of the court falls in dismay. In an attempt to make sense of what had happened during the attack, they had lost track of one vital component…the princess...
“...The question is…was she their target?...or just collateral?” Shin asks.
Felix: “She couldn’t have been their initial target! How could they have known she would be in Texdan at that time? It would have made more sense to attack Floritian - the capital, which till now, has always been their main target.”
Shin: “Then there must be someone working for them…feeding them information about us….think about it! What was up with that red beam anyways?!! It flooded all of Adamatrium’s sky! It must have been a signal!!!”
Dante puts his arms around Shin, who was seemingly getting worked up.
Dante: “If it's true that we had a rat from the inside…Adamatrium would have collapsed a long time ago. They would have figured out all of our military tactics, and attacked accordingly. Besides, I don’t think there is a human stupid enough to align with creatures that want all humans exterminated.”
Felix mutters: “You’d be surprised by how twisted some humans can be,”
Shin snaps his head towards Felix, his eyes bulging out of his head. “Nothing close to the Primals!…not even by a long shot…”
Felix: “How arrogant of you!...do you think humans are any bette-”
King Corinthian: “ENOUGH!”
The council falls silent once again.
“My daughter….is GONE! THAT is our focus right now! We will re-strengthen our defenses, and FIND my DAUGHTER! THAT is our priority!....”
King Corinthian pauses and settles into his seat.
“...In order to re-strengthen the wall guard, we will take some of the beta squad from Floritian and Loix and send them over to Texdan. Texdan being left defenseless is detrimental for all of Adamatrium.”
Jesse: “My King, while I agree that we need to strengthen our defenses in Texdan, I must bring it to your attention that our Militia is being stretched too thin. As we all remember, three years ago, our foxtrot squad was decimated. While we have been trying to slowly build up that squad, it's still not what it used to be. Now one third of our beta squad unit has been hit. Removing beta squad soldiers from Floritian and Loix might negatively affect the crime rate.”
Laban jumps in. “Well what choice do we have, Jesse?! Leaving Texdan defenseless is like telling the primals: ‘Heeeeyyyy! We are ready to surrender all of Adamatrium over to yoooouuuu!’... tsk.”
Dante: “Hmm.”
King Corinthian: “We can come back to that later. In regards to retrieving my daughter, we will use the Shikari. They are the best squad in the Militia for this recovery procedure..”
The room falls silent once again.
Jesse: “My king….I hate to be the bearer of bad news once more….”
“For goodness sakes it never ends…” Laban mutters.
King Corinthian anxiously whispers, “What is it?”
“Well…we received word last night from the communications team… that the Shikari squad has been……annihilated.”
The court goes up in uproar.
“Unfathomable…”
“I can’t believe it…”
**mutters*
King Corinthian’s chest tightens. “Do we know exactly what happened?”
Jesse: “We don’t know how, but every single call center from the Shikari bases in the Land of the Primals ceased at the same time…the day before the invasion, my King. Since the day of the attack, we haven’t heard anything from the Shikari. With 48 hours of no communication from any of the bases, it's safe to say they are all dead. The communications team estimates that the Primals took count of all the Shikari bases, and after verifying their numbers, chose to strike all of them at the same time.”
Felix: “I don’t understand…since when have the primals gotten so astute with their attacks? This situation is a lot more serious than we had previously estimated!”
Shin: “So not only do we have to replace the foxtrot squad, but one fifth of the beta squad and now the Shikari? To think, the Shikari were already running low in numbers to begin with.”
“Interesting, Shin! I wonder why?!!” Laban mutters again, glaring at Shin with an accusing eye.
King Corinthian: “Is there anyone left from the Shikari squad?”
Jesse: “Just one. The assistant general. He wasn’t on the field because he was injured a few weeks ago. He is still recovering in the hospital.”
“Just one???!” Laban puts his head down and shakes his head…it is evident that he is trying to hold back tears.
Jesse: “Well, depending on the Primals that attacked each base, some may still be alive. If some bases were hit by the firefoxes, then those individuals will most likely be taken to their slave camps. If it's the elves, they will be taken as prisoners. If it’s the oceanids, they will be used as lab rats…guinea pigs for their experiments. If it’s the minotaurs…well…their rotting corpses will be all that's left of them….My King….it would seem….just as we are evolving…they too are also evolving.”
The room falls silent as they realize that this was truly a state of emergency. In a span of two days, their Militia had been hit from more angles than they could have possibly fathomed.
King Corinthian sighs: “All our carefully laid out plans….all of our preparation…gone to waste.”
“I have an idea.”
The council suddenly turns to the young boy who hadn’t spoken since the meeting commenced.
Shin: “What?”
Atlas (The Mason) returns the gaze of each council member.
“I said…..I have an idea.” |
“I have an idea.”
Everyone turns to the boy who hadn’t spoken up since the meeting commenced. This newly instated policy maker was only 15, and his youthfulness made him stand out amongst the experienced individuals around the table.
Atlas, son of the Faery Niko, stands up.
“The main issue at hand is the rescue of the princess. But we have no idea where she may be.”
Laban: “Have you not been listening, boy? The Minotaurs are the ones in possession-”
Atlas continues to speak: “After everything the general just said, the clear observation is that this isn’t a matter of dealing with just one party. Although, we cannot say for certain how many parties were truly involved in this scheme.”
Felix: “Then…what point are you trying to make?”
“I’m simply surmising the situation at hand. The actions of the primals have been very calculated. They have the princess, and possibly our shikari soldiers at their mercy. Losing such vital pieces will foster consequences for us….consequences that are bound to be extreme…possibly even resulting in our extinction.”
The room falls silent for a few seconds.
Shin stands up abruptly. “No! That will not be! The faeries will protect us!”
Atlas chuckles lightly. “I think you are forgetting that this isn’t their war, it’s our own. Besides, even they are powerless against the might of what is to come. In the next few years…if we do not put a definitive stop to this war with the primals…it will be our end.”
Laban: “Don’t speak such nonsense, you insolent brat!”
Atlas pursues his lips to keep himself from laughing
Laban grits his teeth in frustration.
Dante laughs. “So what is this idea that you seem to have? You sounded pretty confident about it.”
Atlas glances at Dante. His piercing gold eyes striking contact with Dante’s soft hazel eyes.
“It’s simple, really. I’m sure anyone could have come to the same conclusion as I did.”
Atlas points to the center of the map on the round table …right in the land of the Primals. He stares straight towards the King.
“We go and get our pieces back.”
The room begins to get rowdy upon hearing such a brave proposition from Atlas.
Shin: “Are you insane?!! We have no protection outside our lands! You want us to send soldiers to their deaths?!”
Laban: “Why did we even let this brat speak?!”
Atlas
: [“I guess the only sound he likes to hear is the sound of his own voice….”]
Felix: “I object this proposal forthwith! It took centuries to build the Shikari to what it is, the Shakari: a special force that works in the land of the primals. Trained to be able to navigate and blend in. There are no others in the land of Adamatrium that are suited to do what the SHIKARI can do. The primals decimated them! Yet you suggest we ‘take back our pieces’?!!! So easily??!!!”
Jesse: “I have to second that, kid. You can talk the talk, but walking the walk is different, I assure you…”
Atlas continues to look directly at the King, patiently waiting for his response. The King, who at first was just as shocked by Atlas’ proposition, finally speaks.
“Enough.”
The room quiets down once more. There had been no solution thus far, and the king was willing to hear any contribution, no matter how far-fetched.
“...continue, Atlas.”
Atlas grins.
“Yes. The Shikari are no longer a prospect, as they have been decimated. All the information that they spent years gathering is yet to be brought back, all of the soldiers that risked their lives and are now at the mercy of those savages, all of the military strategies created from their direct contacts with the enemy…we have no choice but to get all of it back.”
Atlas points to Jesse.
“I have to ask, considering you are the general…what do you propose we do?”
Jesse sighs. “I don’t have a clue. Being hit from this many angles was never in the cards…especially not all at once…”
“And that was your mistake…you underestimated them. You don’t even realize what they actually are…”
Atlas grabs the four pieces on the table symbolizing the Shikari.
“These pieces were the only attack strategy we had going into this war. Against their physical strength, we are powerless. They are beasts after all. Brutish and ruthless in every sense of the word. We are humans. Intelligent, cunning, the latter. An evolving species. Surely we can rely on our wits to beat them, right?”
Atlas then tosses the pieces in the air, causing them to land awkwardly on the table.
“But you underestimated
their
wits. You focused too much on how strong they are, allowing them to deceive you.”
Shin: “Of course we know how smart they are! Oceanids are the most intelligent beings in our worl-”
“Ah ah. They aren’t all that wise. They just possess applicability. Their constant drive towards self and societal progression allows them to create reservoirs of knowledge based on education, observation, discernment and a bit of intuition. Then they utilize these reservoirs of knowledge to progress themselves, and themselves only. I’d argue we humans are much more intelligent and far more creative… we just unintentionally limit ourselves…perhaps it is out of admiration… or fear...”
Jesse: “If you agree that we are smarter than the Primals, then how is using our wits against them supposedly the wrong move?”
“As I said, we unintentionally limit ourselves out of both admiration and fear. This halts our possibilities for progress, causing them to move ahead of us constantly. But how do we put a stop to that? We would have to find a way to get rid of the fear that plagues us. But how can we do that when that sense of fear is warranted? How can we even get rid of our underlying admiration for them when they truly are better than how we have been in every way? In strength, in speed, in innovation, in everything and anything, they have constantly been better than us. Considering that, admiration is an obvious reaction.”
Dante: “And without wits, there is only one alternative…”
Dante and Atlas simultaneously: “...force…”
Felix: “But how can we use force against those that are clearly stronger than us?”
“By making the habit of both coincide. Allowing for that dichotomy between admiration and fear to mix isn’t only a limit in my eyes - it's also a weapon. There is no greater fear than the fear of death, which is why we constantly fear those who might bring such a fate upon us. But there is also no greater admiration than for those who are superior to you. The key to using force against the Primals… is to turn both fear and admiration upon itself.”
Dante: “Basically, the more someone fears death, the more they are willing to fight against that fate. The stronger the fight, the stronger the odds are you will survive. And the more you admire someone, the more desperate you become to reach their level. The stronger the drive, the stronger the odds are you will succeed in reaching that level.”
The rest of the council becomes mesmerized by the constant back and forth between Dante and Atlas, almost as if they can read each other’s minds. They are more impressed by Dante’s ability to understand Atlas in every detail of his explanation.
Atlas: “With that said, we have to find soldiers willing to carry out that process. Soldiers that fear death more than anyone, but are willing to face it head on all the same. Soldiers that also seek to learn from the primals, and surpass them in every way. Simply said…we need beasts in order to fight beasts.”
Jesse: “And I’m guessing those beasts are supposed to come from my army…”
Atlas turns to Jesse once more. “Precisely.”
Laban who had been quietly stewing in his seat finally spoke up: “Little boy, were you not paying attention when we said the Militia is already being stretched thin? How can we send out warriors to Elyzan when our defenses are already weak?... Why, in the name of Sol, did we nominate a
child
to be a policy maker?”
King Corinthian: “Let him finish.”
Atlas ignores Laban and keeps his attention on Jesse. “I don’t want to ask too much of your soldiers. The Militia has been hit too heavily right now. But in order for this plan to work, we do need beasts. That’s where… the Elected comes in…”
Atlas picks up one of the four pieces from the table once again. He flips it between his fingers, studying it.
“I believe that each year, we see more and more applicants with unique talents. Talents that can only be described as rather…’beastly’. We will take new applicants from the Elected trials, as well as current Elected members, and form the core of the mission through them.”
Laban: “So….your plan is to feed our promising youth as fresh meat to the enemy?!” he smacks his lips
Atlas sighs:
[“Right on cue…”]
Atlas: “Old man….Don’t interrupt me again.”
Laban’s eyes flare with rage. “What did you say you INSOLENT-”
Felix: “Unbelievable, Laban! We have pressing matters at hand, and yet you choose to squabble with the child?”
Laban: “Did you not hear what he said?!!!”
King Corinthian: “Enough!”
Laban crosses his arms, still enraged. King Corinthian looks back to Atlas.
“Atlas…great work, my boy. We will keep this idea in mind. I’ll give everyone two days to go home and think this over. We will reconvene in three days. If you have any better ideas, speak up then…if not…we shall proceed with this proposal…”
Atlas bows: “Thank you, my lord. I must mention that recovering information left behind by the Shikari is of utmost importance to giving us an advantage in the upcoming war. That is why I came up with this plan. I hope you all keep that in mind as you deliberate during the next two days.”
Dante smirks:
[“This boy…is truly…”]
The court dismisses. Atlas turns to leave.
[“Perhaps I am not being completely honest. I know that King Corinthian does not believe we can actually defeat the Primals…not by our own hands. Every strategy that this council has made before I arrived has been to subdue them, just enough for us to live and fight another day. From what I’ve gathered, the King believes that defeating the Primals will only destroy the balance of our world…”]
Atlas’ expression turns sour.
[“How foolish….sun gods, moon gods, Primals….none of it matters. We twiddle our thumbs and allow them to reduce our numbers…hoping that one day we can all miraculously come to an understanding…but they won’t be satisfied until we are all dead.”]
As he walks through the halls of the palace, Atlas’ aura flows cold…but controlled. |
<Later that day>
Setting: Lexi and Geron’s Farm House
Time: 6:15 pm
Taylian wakes up to an ice pack on top of his head. He squirms in pain.
“Somehow… I made it out alive today.”
He looks over to his desk and sees that it's 6:17 in the evening.
[“Like every other human, I grew up north of the mountains of Gamajora, in the land of Adamatrium. The region south of the mountains, is the main continent of Elyzen - the domain of the Primals. No one dared venture out there…. unless they wanted a quick death”]
He sits up from the bed and watches the ice pack fall to the ground. He lifts his shirt to look at his body, and he sees bandages covering them. He looks around, surprised to be in his room.
“How did I get up here?....Oh yeah…I passed out. How embarrassing.”
Taylian grimaces as he smells the stench of the healing ointments that had been placed on him.
[“The land of Adamatrium consists of three major cities. The city of Texdan is where I live. Growing up in the slums of Texdan, I had experienced such treatment for as long as I can remember. The puzzle I was yet to figure out is why I am always specifically targeted”]
Taylian touches the bandage beside his ribcage and notices blood starting to ooze out. He gets up and begins to walk downstairs so he can replace it.
[“I live with my aunt Lexi and her husband Geron. We live on the farmlands of Texdan, called the Bayrin Hills, and make a living that way. In Adamatrium, when you turn fifteen, you must select the profession that you will live out for the rest of your life. Once the decision is made, you cannot change it. The whole thing seems ridiculous to me, but what choice do I have? My aunt Lexi and I were headed to the farmers' enlistment station earlier today……before we were attacked..”]
As he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he grips the railing to support his weight. The beating he had received earlier was gruesome but the after effect was far worse.
[It’s not like I'm not used to this sort of treatment. However, today was the first time I truly thought….I thought….I was going to die. The hatred had always been there…. but what happened today…]
Taylian looks up and sees Lexi in the kitchen.
“What really happened to my mother and father?”
Lexi, surprised by the sudden question - as she had her back turned and had not noticed Taylian come downstairs - jumps in surprise. She pauses for a few minutes without looking at Taylian. Then she suddenly turns around and rushes to him.
“What are you doing out of bed??!!! You will re-open those wounds! Do you know how long it took Geron and I to-”
“Thank you aunt Lexi… for the bandages…taking care of me…I am grateful. But, you are still withholding from me what I want more than anything. Tell. Me. The. Truth. I am not stupid, I see the way people treat me and look at me. It's not like this city isn’t filled with bullies,”
A tear escapes from Taylian’s eyes.
“…but why am I always their favorite victim?”
He rested his back on the wall to support himself as the aching pain increased with every minute he continued standing. Lexi continues fumbling to fix his bandages.
“We have been through this already. Your parents died and there was nothing to it. These people are just bullies looking for victims to targe-”
“ENOUGH!”
Lexi jumps back in shock, looking at Taylian as he continues to cry.
“JUST TELL ME! STOP WITH THE LIES. TELL ME, OR I WILL LEAVE. I will leave, and all you will hear is about my demise. As soon as I leave this house those jerks will come for me. And they will dispose of me as they’ve always wanted to. You won’t be there to stop it.” Taylian exclaims, overwhelmed with varying emotions.
Geron and his young daughter, Iris, rush into the house. They were already headed inside when they heard Taylian’s screams and rushed in.
Taylian lowers his voice. “You will be forced to sit here, and wait for the news of my demise. I am tired. So…please...Just tell me.”
“Lexi. Tell him.”
Lexi turns to see Geron with a saddened look, and Iris seemingly confused and upset. She then cups her hands to her face, and begins to sob.
“You shouldn’t have to know this. This shouldn’t be your burden to bear. All I wanted was for you to have a normal life. All she wanted was for you-”
“She? You mean…my mother?”
Lexi pauses. She then looks at Taylian, tears starting to flow uncontrollably from her eyes.
“...your birth name… is Taylian Izana…Son of Kato Izana and Aurelia Yuki…my sister. I took you in when they banished her but-”
“Banished?!….but….You told me she was dead. That my parents had died shortly after I was born?”
“What choice did I have?! I did it to protect you! Kato was killed, but Aurelia was banished. You see…Aurelia was a Flare Aid. Those who serve the sun god Sol in mind, body, and soul, with favor from the faeries themselves. They are bound to chastity for life. But Aurelia fell in love with Kato…and you were the product of that love….”
Taylian’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“...when their affair was made known, she was to be punished for her crimes by beheading. Your father, Kato, took the punishment for her. He was beheaded instead… and your mother was banished….”
Taylian grabs onto the stair railing to steady himself.
“So all this time…this whole time, you’ve been lying to me….deceiving me…”
Geron tries to hold Taylian as his balance sways, “Taylian try to understand….can’t you see that this is difficult for her too….not only did you lose a mother, but she lost a sister…”
“And decided to hide it from me… This whole time…..even you, Uncle Geron…I believed that I must just be cursed or something…I never understood….It never made sense why it was always me…why I was always chosen as their object of hatred…You saw me go through all this…”
Lexi: “no…no”
Taylian: “...and still chose…”
Lexi: “Taylian, please understa-”
Taylian’s voice cracks as he says: “...to keep it from me…”
Lexi dropped to the floor, and tears flowed from her eyes even more - she was inconsolable. The rest of the room went quiet.
After a few moments, Taylian uttered, “...where is she?”
Lexi suddenly stops crying, and Geron stops looking down in shame. They both look up at Taylian, whose eyes radiate determination.
“WHERE IS SHE??!!”
Shocked by the boy’s tenacity, Geron felt compelled to answer, “Like Lexi said, she was banished beyond the mountainside…..to the main continent of Elyzen….the domain of the primals….which can only mean she’s dead…I’m sorry.” Geron moves to where Lexi is on the ground to comfort her.
Taylian, feeling like the wind has been knocked out of him, struggles to stand on his feet.
[“Hot. Everything feels hot. Air……I need air…can’t breathe”]
Taylian takes advantage of Geron’s distraction by grabbing a dirty shirt from the laundry basket near the stairs, and running out of the house.
Although she is too young to fully comprehend the situation, Iris is aware that her cousin is upset and had earlier threatened to leave. She stands by the doorstep, cries out to him.
“Tayliannn! Please don’t go!”
Taylian, consumed by pain and anger, is too far gone to hear her cry. He rushes into the forest that surrounds the farmlands and immediately begins to leap through the branches of the trees.
[“Every muscle in my body is crying for me to stop. I can feel the bandages underneath my shirt starting to come off…..revealing my wounds…what the bandages covered is the effect of the physical pain, but what I feel in my heart cannot be covered…..cannot be rescued…cannot be healed…”]
[“Air, breathe…pain…in, out, out or in….I can’t think…hot..everything is so hot….I just-”]
Suddenly a dark red light/flash that had been building up and surrounding Taylian is released into the atmosphere. From the moment he left the house, a dark red aura had begun to form around him…building up…and it finally discharged itself and released towards the atmosphere…..appearing like a red beam and
beacon
towards the Texdan sky.
This beacon filled the black sky…painting it red all over.
After the energy is dispelled, Taylian, feeling even more weakened than before, loses his balance as he steps on a tree branch. The injured ankle that was stepped on by the drunk leader earlier, was the cause of this slip up. As he raises his hand to reach for the next branch and propel himself forward, he loses his grip on the oncoming branch and his footing on the previous branch. He falls from the trees and blacks out.
******Meanwhile*****
Setting: The Central Hospital of Flortian, Niko’s office
Time: 7:00 pm
Atlas: “What was it about that boy you dislike so much?.”
“That BOY….is no concern of yours.”
Niko walks over to Atlas and softly scratches his chin, caressing it in her soft hands.
“I’ve never known you to be a gossip. Why the sudden interest darling?”
Atlas stares back at Niko, blushing as he likes when she does that. He then regains focus.
“Don’t you find it weird? That a kid like that was beaten to a pulp, and no one did anything to interfere? I understand people can be aloof, but that was a very extreme situation for just a kid.”
Niko pinches Atlas’ cheeks and smiles as she leans in
“You call him a kid, as if you two aren’t probably the same age.”
Atlas smacks her hand away.
“Whatever.”
Niko sighs and hugs her arms to her chest. She looks out the window and looks to the sky
“...It's a full moon tonight.”
“What of it?”
Niko cups her hand and whispers softly in Atlas’ ear. “...Lunarias…”
Atlas cups his hand and whispers softly in Niko’s ear. ““Enough with your fables of sun and moon gods.”
“Atlas!”
She looks around the room to make sure no one heard.
“Sol and Lunarias are to be feared and worshiped! They are our guardians and protectors! I am a servant of Sol, you know this!”
“Well, your gods must be dead. Or rather, they took a vacation and decided to never come back. What kind of guardians would allow their people to suffer through wars and terror. When has Adamatrium known true peace without fear of those damn beasts?! Your gods are nothing more than two overpaid failures of security guards.”
Niko gasps again. She knew her son’s cynicism had grown over the recent years but she hadn’t realized it extended towards the gods too.
Atlas walks to the window, and looks out to the rest of Floritian.
“What we should look towards is science. Science and innovation will deliver us. Not gods who have already checked out their retirement and pension plans-”
“Enough!”
Atlas stops, and turns back to Niko.
“You don’t have to believe in them… I have never forced that upon you… but at least respect me enough as a servant of Sol to not speak ill of them.”
Atlas scoffs, and turns back to the window. Niko walks over to her chair, and sighs.
“Atlas….sweet boy….there is so much you don’t know.”
Niko then pets her favorite spirit, no longer seeming upset.
“The boy you saved today….His name is Taylian…”
Atlas looks back at Niko once again, surprised she is willing to speak about him.
“It is well known by those who witnessed it in Floritian about fifteen years ago…that he is the son of the deceased Kato Izana, and the banished Aurelia Yuki. Aurelia…was a Flare Aid.”
“..I see…it all comes together now….why was she banished instead of beheaded?”
“Her lover Kato took her place. He was executed…she was banished. Can you see why I want you to stay away from all that? It's too much trouble.”
Niko stands up and walks towards Atlas and holds his face in her hands.
“Words cannot describe how happy I am that you got promoted to be the new Mason….and at such a young age…”
Niko’s face begin to shine, and tears of light form at the bottom of her eyes
“I just want you to focus on that… and stay clear of that type of drama. I mean, today was your first day, ONLY your FIRST day as the Mason… and you just had to get involved…You have worked too hard for this-”
Atlas shoves her hand away from his face.
“So you would rather have me stand by and do nothing? I don’t care whether it be the strong and noble of Floritian, or the weak and poor of Texdan, I will NEVER allow myself to stand by in a situation such as that.”
Atlas begins to walk away to distance himself from Niko.
“Perhaps you cannot understand it as faery, but we humans have something called morals. Morals we abide by. Morals we ought to exemplify. Even as we fall short of those morals time and time again, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into a place of existence where such a necessity becomes nonexistent.”
Atlas turns around, glaring straight at Niko.
“After all…isn't that what you faeries do? Claim to be helpers of mankind… claim to be our protectors…yet when it really counts, you all just sit back and do nothing…leaving our kind to fend for ourselves as if we are only hindrances to you all.”
“That’s false, and you know fully well that is fals-”
“When was the last time any of you have actually left Adamatrium?”
“...Ophiel has been…”
“Yes…Ophiel is the only one willing to do anything for any of us. But what about the rest of you?”
“Atlas, please understand-”
“Understand ME…THAT is the real form of understanding that is lacking here. I didn’t become the Mason and join the King’s Council just to break bread and sit back while the world continues down this path. I did it… because I want to create a new one. A new world where we no longer have to live in fear, and be at war. A world full of peace and tranquility. A world… where situations like earlier will never happen again. If you don’t understand that to be my goal, and continue to dismiss my actions to achieve it…then you truly don’t understand me at all.”
Niko stares into his eyes and is left speechless. It was like she could finally see the determination that had fostered from his childhood, now brimming to the surface, ready to spill over. He was serious. And he wouldn’t let anyone get in his way. Not even her.
She smiles at him.
“Of course I understand you….how could I not? I raised you. I know you better than anyone. It's because I know you, that I can say without certainty, that you will irrevocably leave a mark on this world. Like one never seen before. I have lived many ages. Remember I have been here since the beginning…all I ask is that you tread carefully…because this world is not one where such a dream is easily achieved…”
Niko drops her gaze and walks away. Atlas looks out the window and stares at the full moon.
***Meanwhile***
As Taylian was knocked out, he slipped into a state of vivid consciousness.
*DREAM*
A woman walks through a field of grass dressed in white. She dances in the fields and this causes dandelion seeds to spread about in the wind. She holds her hand out and invites Taylian to dance with her. She is below in the valley and Taylian is high above on the mountain. At first, Taylian tries to go, but then stops as he is apprehensive and realizes he does not know who she is. He stops and thinks, and then beckons for her to come to him on the mountain. The lady in white stops dancing and suddenly becomes sad. She tries to step up on the foot of the mountain but it scorches her and burns her feet. She drops and begins to cry. Taylian, horrified that he had caused her pain, begins to run down the mountain towards her. As he runs through the mountain his feet first get stuck in a bed of sand, he fights the sinking sand and begins to run again and his feet get scorched by hot lava. He cries in pain and tries to press forward, but his feet then enter water that causes him to sink into the water. He struggles to breathe, but eventually finds his way to the top. When he reaches the surface of the water, a large gust of wind suddenly takes him towards an unknown island. He reaches the island and looks around at the unknown place and then looks back to the sea. He then realizes that the mountain…the beautiful field of grass… and the woman in white…are all gone.
*END OF DREAM*
Taylian wakes up startled and disoriented. He stares up from the ground towards the sky, through the tall trees, and sees the full moon.
[“It's a full moon tonight. Aunt Lexi says that the powers of the moon goddess, Lunarias, are stronger on nights like these…meaning our protection is greater as well…”]
Taylian wimpers and rolls over in pain. If he thought he was in pain before, what he felt now could hardly be described in words. It felt like every movement was like driving needles into every cell and tissue of his body.
[“Best not to move I guess. This is what I get for overdoing it.”]
Suddenly, a gust of wind rushes through the trees, startling Taylian. The gust was rapid, but the feel of the summer wind was warm, almost like an embrace. In that moment, he could only manage to think and utter a single word:
“....mother….”
As soon as Taylian uttered those words, the earth beneath him started to shake, as if something evil or forbidden had been evoked. He looks back in the region towards the house…..and sees the ground beginning to break apart. |
The same roar that had been heard earlier before was now present again. As the shrieking of the
thing
would end, the gravitational pressure on the people would double. The people on the floor had already been pushed against the cemented earth of the center square, but with this increase in pressure, their skin now started to rip from their flesh, and their bones were becoming crushed into the ground.
Taylian, unaffected by the gravitational pressure, still chooses to lay on the ground. He looks beside him and sees the young boy - Erin - weeping in pain.
Taylian clenches his hands in frustration.
[“What…what can I possibly hope to do?! If the princess and her guards can’t stop them, what could I hope to accomplish?....don’t be stupid Taylian….you’ll only get yourself killed…”]
Looking back up to where the two remaining guards and the princess were, Taylian notices one guard was already knocked down on the floor, leaving one more standing.
After the last wave of pressure passes through the center square, Butch finally realizes he genuinely stands no chance in this fight. His knees buckle under the weight of the induced gravity, and he drops to the ground. Frustrated by his inability to guard the princess, he turns to see Princess Zara also fall to one knee.
Jidiku walks up to Zara and laughs.
“Well then…it seems the mighty
Princess
has fallen!”
Zara gasps, realizing she gave away her secret in the previous attempt against Jidiku.
“Whaaaatt? You seem shocked…did they not all just call you their princess? Hailing you with praise as you ‘struck’ me down?”
Zara continues to look at Jidiku in sheer horror. Jidiku laughs even harder, and then suddenly stops.
“Donda. You and the rest kill the remaining two guards. When you’ve finished them off, kill as many of the humans that cheered her on. If they can share in their princess’s victory…we can grant them the pleasure of sharing in her pain as well.”
Jidiku strikes the ground again. The ground starts to shake even harder, and the pressure begins to rise even greater. More of the humans begin to die as their bodies cannot endure anymore. Princess Zara screams and cries as the Minotaurs begin to carry out their orders. She is a crown Princess, yet is powerless to this ragtag band of primals.
[“Try as I may…I can’t get up….whatever power this is…it goes well beyond a primal’s matrix…”]
Ronin (yet still on the ground) wept. Not for himself, but for his princess. As Princess Zara’s chief guard, he felt guilty in his incapacity to protect not just the princess but his fellow guardsmen. He notices as Donda saunters towards him with his ax raised high. He keeps his eyes fixated on the princess.
“It has been an honor…my princess…no matter what happens today, make sure you LIVE! You cannot die! Please!....don’t let our sacrifices be in vain.”
As tears roll down his face, his eyes become clouded. And then…in the blink of an eye, everything goes dark.
Zara’s eyes light up with unimaginable rage as she watches in horror Ronin’s head roll away from his body. She screams out in pain.
The other Minotaurs rip Butch’s head from his kneeling body. Blood flows everywhere, and his body drops lifeless to the floor. The minotaurs then turn their attention to the humans closest to them. For large beasts, it was shocking that they can move so swiftly. Screams fill the red night sky, as the minotaurs made short work of the humans…stepping on their skulls…and crushing many of them to death.
Jidiku knows they have lingered long enough. He doesn’t want to give the militia time to respond.
Taylian, still on the ground, can't help but feel guilty for being a coward. As the only one who surprisingly was unaffected by the pressure, he
could
lend a helping hand…
[“How many will they kill before they reach me? I could stand and fight but how much impact would I make?”]
Jidiku then grabs Zara’s head, and as Zara struggles to look up, Jidiku strikes her hard on her head, knocking her out instantly. If she wasn’t of the crown bloodline, she probably would’ve died instantly.
The humans on the ground were still being pushed down by the pressure. If the minotaurs didn’t get to them first, the force of the induced gravity had become so great that it was making their lungs collapse and their bones break.
[“...please…no more…someone save us…please!...].
The people of Texdan moan in pain.
One of the minotaurs reaches where Lexi is. Lexi’s mind goes blank as the minotaur steps in front of her. Geron, anxiously watching a short distance away, screams out Lexi’s name. As Taylian hears Lexi’s name, and in a state of fear and panic, his aura silently disperses from his body once more.
Once again…that same strange and agonizing roar bellows out…this time with much more rage and passion.
*RRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEERRRRR!!!!!*
The induced gravitational pressure increases even more, causing even some of the minotaurs to crouch down to one knee…including the minotaur that is about to kill Lexi.
Jidiku quickly realizes the situation, “Damn it… it’s almost here…” so he picks up Zara and throws her over his shoulders.
“Alright, let’s get going! I have to alert
Him
to stop the damn thing…”
The ground continues to rumble, as the minotaurs gather around Jidiku and prepare to flee. All of a sudden, a young boy screams out from the distance, trying to lift himself up against the pressure. Of course, this catches the attention of the Minotaurs, who turn to look and see the young boy trying desperately to rise to his feet. As they peer closer, they all realize something…something that causes them all to laugh simultaneously…
The young boy has no arms.
Taylian turns slightly to see the boy who caught the attention of the minotaurs. He is taken by surprise when he notices that it's “...Kinso?!...”
The minotaurs cackle even louder as they watch him collapse just as quickly as he had gotten up. It is still shocking to the minotaurs that he was able to somewhat withstand the pressure that is crushing the other humans. It is even more shocking to them that he can do it with no arms.
Donda: “Jidiku, do you think he could be the carrier?”
Jidiku: “He is strong….for a human…..hmm…”
Jidiku observes Kinso struggle to stand, and fail and in doing so.
Jidiku scoffs. “No. He is nothing more than a wannabe hero….Kill the brat.”
Jidiku lifts his feet one last time and strikes the ground.
“We’re done here.”
The earth opens up and he enters into it. The rest of the minotaurs follow Jidiku into the earth. Donda is left behind, and he takes his time making his way over to Kinso.
As Donda finally reaches Kinso, he swings his ax back… ready to kill. But just before the ax hits his head, Kinso manages to slightly roll over to his side. The ax missing his head by a hair.
Donda’s initial reaction is surprise…but it is quickly followed by excitement.
“So, the little brat wants to put up a fight? Come on, armless hero, show me whatcha got!”
Kinso lays on the ground, trying desperately to slow his heart rate from his near death experience. He refuses to let the minotaur’s taunts get to him and still seeks to fight the pressure. Donda frowns when the boy doesn’t respond. He lifts his ax once more.
“That’s all ya got? …hmm...too bad…”
As Donda swings his ax back a second time, Kinso realizes he might not be able to dodge this time. However…at that exact moment - a young girl suddenly appears out of nowhere and superkicks the Minotaur in the stomach. This manages to force the minotaur backwards a bit…something no one had managed to do since they arrived.
At the same moment that the girl kicks the Minotaur, Taylian rushes to his feet, runs in to drag Kinso from harm's way. As the young girl and Taylian both manage to save Kinso in the nick of time, they both gaze at each other…speechless that there was someone else like them that can resist the pressure.
Everyone that was watching was in shock. Geron and Lexi, who were further off from the center square than most, but still pinned down, were the most shocked of all.
Lexi: “Taylian!!!”
Geron: “Shhhhh! Do you want him to die?”
Lexi, fearful, falls silent.
Donda is shocked to see more people who can resist the pressure. He frowns.
[“Did we get the wrong one?…but how many of them are there?....Well…let's find out.”]
Donda, now without his ax, slams his fist into his chest.
“Earth Craft!... Mana Creas,''
As soon as he speaks these words, his earth aura: copper form - releases.
This terrifies the unsuspecting Taylian and Ileana. Regardless, Ileana decides to stand her ground. Taylian, who felt he had done his share of heroism for the day, attempts to lift Kinso on his back and flee. However, the pressure was still too much, dragging Kinso down. Taylian then decides to drag Kinso across the ground with him, away from the scene.
Kinso looks back at the young girl and screams, “ILEANA!”
Suddenly the gravitational force stops. The pressure is suddenly gone. The humans that were still alive start to get up and flee. There were people still injured on the ground, along with those that were already dead. Both the dead and the injured started getting trampled in the chaos. Lexi gets up to run to Taylian. Geron, who is still carrying a crying Iris, stops her with his strong grip.
“Don’t make matters worse by getting yourself or Taylian killed!”
They had been further out in the outskirts of the centre square and were lucky that the pressure didn’t kill them, as it had those closest to the forest region.
Lexi, weakened, falls limp in Geron’s arms. “Taylian…”
Donda witnesses the chaos and sighs,
[“Damn. The Kraken was called off already. This should not be taking this long.”]
Donda charges at Ileana with copper plated horns, and with copper matter from the earth surrounding him as he jumps to strike.
[“I need to make quick work of this. These three insolent brats, who clearly don’t know their place, must DIE.”]
Ileana sees the minotaur charging towards her. She understands fully well that if she doesn’t run she will die, however, for some reason, her legs can’t move. The adrenaline she had felt before is now gone, and she stands in the minotaurs path, frozen in fear. Kinso, no longer feeling the weight of the pressure, quickly stands up and turns towards Ileana.
“Ileana! Ru-!”
As soon as Donda nears Ileana and is about to strike - a white flash suddenly appears from Donda’s peripheral. In that instant, Donda now becomes the one to feel fear. He suddenly realizes that he had idled for too long…the worst case scenario that the minotaurs had all wanted to avoid…now draws towards him.
He tries to halt his progression towards Ileana, in order to avoid his impending doom. However, before he can even move a muscle, Donda’s head is cleanly sliced off. The cut is so piercing that it slices straight through the nearby ground, slicing it up just the same. The impact blows Ileana, Kinso, Taylian and other humans around them backwards towards the ground. They look up to see Faery Rabia, standing over the Minotaur’s corpse with her blood stained light-swords.
A few seconds later, the Militia arrive after Rabia. They pool into the center square and try to contain the people and prevent the injured from getting trampled on. The medics follow after the militia, and start attending to the injured. They place priority on those that have their skin stuck to the ground from the force of gravity, and those that have fallen through the cracks in the ground.
“Thank you Faery Rabia!”
“Your grace is kind and merciless, my lady!”
Rabia looks around and sees many people surrounding her, showering her with praise. She continuously nods her head awkwardly, unsure of how to react.
Rabia retracts her light swords, and the people all watch in awe as they vanish from her hands. She turns to look at Ileana, who is still on the ground. She then turns to Taylian, who also sits on the ground, looking shaken.
Suddenly, a massive gust of wind, mixed with a burst of light, enters the scene. The people all slowly look to see the radiant and powerful War Faery - Ophiel.
“What’s the situation?”
Rabia turns her head back to her, and points to Taylian and Ileana.
“These two stood up to one of the Minotaurs and almost got killed. That’s what happened.”
Taylian still sits stunned on the ground:
[“Wow, her voice is really quiet…and soft…and she didn’t have to be so harsh about it…”]
Ophiel walks over to Ileana. “Can you explain what happened before we arrived?”
Kinso, Illeana and Taylian know they have to respond when in the presence of a faery, however they are just too stunned. Not because of their near death experience, but because none of them have seen a faery close up before. Only the nobles of Floritian and the Flare Aids get the opportunity to interact with them. Taylian does not remember faery Niko during the day of the selection signing - when he was attacked. So for him, he believes this is his first time meeting a faery.
One of the bystanders runs up to Ophiel and drops to his knees.
“They kidnapped the Princess!”
Ophiel’s eyes immediately light up in anger, as she turns slowly towards the man.
“What…did you just say?”
Though his voice quivered in both fear and awe, he responded saying, “It's true! Everyone witnessed it! She tried to fight them off, but they took her!”
“What was the princess doing here in the first place?”
Another bystander chimes in: “It's well known that the Princess comes to these parts to visit her uncle every now and then. He lives not too far from where my family stays. I’m guessing she happened to visit today before the chaos started. When everything went down, she and her guards took on all of the minotaurs. She protected us….”
Ophiel sighed, “Do you know which direction they went when they took her?”
The man responded by pointing to the ground.
Ophiel bites her lip,
[“Tsk. Figures...it seems this group of minotaurs must have been accompanied by one of their major generals…”]
“You know we can’t track them now…” Rabia says quietly
Ophiel grits her teeth in frustration.
“What happened with the wall guard?! We should have been alerted MUCH earlier! And WHY haven’t we gotten a response back from them yet?!!”
A young militia soldier steps towards Ophiel from the crowd.
“Faery Ophiel, I was told to report to you that while we tried to take some citizens to the bunkers, communication was lost amongst the Beta squad in Texdan. Most of the Beta squad assigned to this district seem to be missing. We can’t point out what happened.”
Ophiel stares at the man, analyzing him.
[“Judging from his uniform, he is probably from the Beta squad as well.”]
“What is your name, young man?
“My name is Tobias, ma’am. Tobias Haguroshi of the Beta squad, Flank 109.”
“I see.” Ophiel turns to a man beside her that appears to be of higher ranking in the militia. “Send a request for more officers. We didn’t anticipate the Beta squad to be this compromised. Also, send for more medics. At this rate, it will take forever to recover the injured…and the dead.”
Ophiel turns on her heels, and like a flash, takes off in the direction of the massive wall sitting atop Mount Gamajora, where the defense unit of Adamatrium was built. Rabia swiftly follows after Ophiel. As faeries, it took little to no effort to reach the wall, irrespective of the major distance.
As soon as they arrive at the base, they smell what had gone wrong before their eyes even have a chance to see it. The smell of rotting flesh permeates the cold night air and clings to the walls. As they enter the base, all that can be seen in the building is dead bodies strewn across the ground. Some hang abnormally from the ceiling, others from the stairs. The site is horrific.
“Look,” Rabia points to claw marks on the pillars.
“...firefoxes?...” Ophiel whispers
***Back at the center square***
Ileana finally stands up, and begins to look around.
Kinso smiles as he approaches Ileana, “Hey, Ileana! Thanks for-”
Illeana suddenly turns and walks right past him.
Taylian: “Kinso, are you okay? That really was a close one…”
Kinso turns back to Taylian, “Yeah!....I think I got a bit carried away. Oh! I need to find my guardian’s sister. That is why I came here to begin with.”
Kinso turns to leave but suddenly stops in his tracks. He turns around to smile at Taylian.
“Thank you Taylian. I am surprised you were even able to help me. It’s not usually your style you know, haha.”
Taylian shrugs sheepishly, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Kinso nods and then turns to leave.
Taylian smiles, feeling glad he was at least able to keep his friend safe…and as he turns around, he sees the other person who did the same…staring right at him. In that moment…right in that moment…it felt as though time had stopped moving, as the two stared at each other amidst the chaotic atmosphere. Ileana fails to acknowledge Taylian, and instead walks away without a word. Taylian continues to stare as she leaves…wondering who she could be…and why she came.
“Taylian!”
Taylian turns, and smiles brightly as he sees his younger cousin running towards him. Behind her is his aunt and uncle, also running his way.
Lexi hugs Taylian extremely tight…and then grips his ear in annoyance.
“Do you understand how much you made us worry?!! We looked everywhere for you!! You can’t just take off when you!!!……..this emergency!!!……..”
Taylian begins to zone out as she continues her rant. Aunt Lexi couldn’t be stopped when she started on a tangent.
“Do you understand?!!!”
“Yes.”
He didn’t catch a single word.
“I’m sorry Aunt Lexi. I’m sorry Uncle Geron. I really didn’t mean to make you guys worry.”
Geron laughs, “Ehn it's alright. We saw how you ran in to protect your friend. That takes a lot of guts! You chose to defend your friend rather than hide in cowardice. It seems I raised you well, heh heh!”
Geron flicks his nose in pride, smirking brightly, while Lexi rolls her eyes.
Taylian laughs. “I think all I managed to do was piss it off more,”
Taylian looks down at his hands.
“It’s so weird. We always talk about the primals and the ongoing war… but this is the first time I’ve seen one up close before….”
Geron grabs Taylian’s head and knuckles his hair.
“Well of course it is. The only people that usually come in contact with them are the militia. We, on the other hand, are simply farmers. It's been a long time since the primals have managed to break through into Adamatrium. I mean, even before I was born.”
“Wow, that really is a long time. We must be talking centuries, right old man?”
“What was that??”
Geron starts to lightly wrestle with Taylian, laughing at his joke in the process.
“Well with the strength you’ve shown today, maybe one day you will be strong enough to take on this old man!”
Taylian continues to laugh while taking a light chokehold from Geron. Iris, not understanding what was going on but wanting to play, joins in and starts trying to fight Geron as well. Lexi takes in the sight before her. Earlier, she thought the worst had happened when she couldn’t find Taylian. Seeing their family safe and happy now lifted the heavy weight from her heart.
Lexi claps. “Enough of that. We need to check to see if we can even sleep in our house tonight.”
The three stop where they are and smile at her.
****
As Ileana heads back to the city of Loix (which borders the city of Texdan), she continues to keep a look out for the elderly woman she had been looking for earlier. Her search for the elderly woman was what led her to come to Texdan after seeing it was under attack. She wanted to make sure the elderly woman was safe.
Ileana hadn’t seen the woman in the center square, so as she walks back to Loix, she takes her time to look at the bodies that were being pulled from under buildings and from the cracks of the earth. As she is almost out of the region of the main center in Texdan, she sees a mangled body being pulled up from the rubble by the Militia. Although the body was mangled and unrecognizable to the average person, Ileana knew exactly who it was.
Ileana turns her head away. Her throat felt heavy. She turns to her left, and walks back to the city of Loix…she was too late. |
It has been two years since I proposed to the girl of my life, and I have to tell you, my life has been great ever since. That day, the fourteenth of July. I still remember it clearly. Although it makes my skin jump, thinking back on it. I didn't do much except make a fool of myself. Honestly, I couldn't believe my ears when Naomi accepted my hand in marriage.
Despite everything, she felt the same way about me. Which was another shock I had not account for. She did sometimes say I was a bit dense. Not that I could prove her wrong, but that aside. After we had our first kiss, it was hmm.... How do I say this appropriately...... Yeah, freaking awesome.
So people were right that your first kiss feels like you've just entered paradise or something, because how I felt can't simply be described in words, but I'll do my best to make it easy to understand. It was as if angels had descended from the heavens above, then they surrounded me and Naomi, and they made us slowly ascend into the sky. I could hear them singing beautiful melodies as the cold wind spread across my face that morning. I don't think I can get the same thrill now as I had that day.
After we stopped kissing each other, we decided to call it a day, and head home. When we were about to go our separate ways, she had grabbed my arm tight. She urged me to go to her home instead. She kept nagging me that she wanted to tell her parents, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. Because of the potential danger that is her father, I would love to avoid any kind of confrontation.
As I tried to refuse, her grip wouldn't loosen. I tried my best, but to no avail. Having no other choice I accepted my fate, and went with her. After walking for an hour or so, and some cuddling along the way, we had arrived at her house. We saw a figure patiently waiting at her front door. As we got closer, we found out who it was. It was Youji Watanabe, her father.
He had short brown hair, and his build was on the larger side. Despite his build, he was quite muscular. You could clearly see that he was active in his prime years. However, it wasn’t his bulky muscles that terrified me, it was his eyes.
I don’t know why, but whenever he looked at me, I could feel an immense pressure, that would almost squash me, come from it. His blue pupils would turn into black holes, void of any color, slowly sucking my life away. I could see death waiting to take me away. It made my skin itch. That was the reason I avoided contact with him as much as possible. But now that I had proposed to Naomi, the leverage was gone. I knew that I had to resolve things with her father, but deep inside I was still afraid of him.
I looked at the person to my left. Her hazel eyes stared right at me, her arms still locked with mine. I could feel her grip getting tighter. Normally she would pout herself away, but to my surprise her face was stone cold right now. Her mouth slowly formed into a gentle smile.
“It’ll be fine, okay.” She said, as she embraced my arm more. I felt the warmth of her bosom wrapping around it. For someone her age, to be this straightforward, it was quite the sight to behold. Although it did make me a bit uncomfortable, since her father was nearby. I had only hoped he didn’t notice us, because otherwise I wouldn’t have seen tomorrow.
Naomi gradually came closer, her head leant against my shoulder. “He doesn’t bite, you know.” She assured me. Yeah, she was absolutely right. If I didn’t patch things up with her father, then nowhere in hell would he approve of our marriage. At that moment, I hardened my resolve, and continued walking towards the menace that was her father.
When we came closer, Naomi had called out to him, waving her arm several times at him. Upon hearing her calling, his head turned our direction. Without missing a beat, he began sprinting towards us. For a guy in his late forties, he had quite the stamina. I guess that just how much he loves his daughter. When he stopped right in front of us, he ignored me and embraced his daughter with all his strength. I felt the wind behind the force passing across my face.
I felt sweat dripping from my head, my legs numbed slowly. I couldn’t do it after all. I was incapable of facing this monstrosity. I wanted to call it a day and run away, but after seeing how strong their bond was, I decided against it. It would’ve been a dick move to do so, and also I wasn’t planning on becoming dead meat any time soon.
So I bit my lip, and watched their bonding in silence. Only after a minute or so did he let go of her, and turned towards me, his eyes staring right at me. The air around him became cold. “Akira…” He said, his tone void of any emotions. I trembled as I couldn’t withstand this immense pressure placed upon me. My mind almost went blank, but one thing prevented that.
“Dad, I have something to tell you.” It was the soothing voice of the girl I proposed, she had diverted the attention from me to her. In other words, she saved me from pissing myself.
Thank you Naomi!!
I practically worshiped her at this point. Her quick thinking was something I always admired about her.
“What is it, sweety?” Her father asked her, his tone hinted concern. “Your not going to believe this but,” Naomi took a moment, before embracing me rather aggressively. She had latched onto me in a matter of seconds, I hadn’t been given the opportunity to react. I couldn’t help but feel like my life was in danger, and there was a reason for it.
It seemed that her father didn't like seeing his daughter be so intimate with me. His pupils vanished and became blank. A dark aura began manifesting around him. Oh man, he was pissed. Even a dog could tell that things wouldn't end well for me.
While I was trembling like crazy, Naomi didn't seem fazed at all. She smiled proudly, as she lifted her left hand up. "I'm engaged!" She exclaimed happily. Now, I knew that he would be confused since we brought this up all of a sudden, and I get that. Waiting the entire night for your daughter to come home, only to find out she came back as a married woman. Any parent for that matter would ask questions. But Youij Watanabe didn't, he just stood there, like a statue.
Slowly, I was getting scared. His silence was somehow threatening. The air around him became colder, so much so that my skin began to itch. Then after five minutes of awkward silence, he walked towards me, and looked down at me.
“Akira,” He said quietly, he placed his right hand at my shoulder. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Is it true?” I couldn’t answer. As much as I wanted to yell out, I couldn’t. If I answered, I would undoubtedly die. I wanted to run, but there was no escape, and even if I did, Youij Watanabe wouldn’t let that slide. Surely he would chase after me. The best thing for me was to stay quiet. Naomi would understand, she would definitely understand, right?
I looked towards the girl in question. She moved her pupils from me, towards her father, silently urging me to confront him.
I see
, I thought. She wouldn’t want me to fear him, she couldn’t handle it if we didn’t gotten along. So, after I took a deep breath, I looked towards Youij Watanabe, and hardened my resolve.
“Yes,” I finally spoke up, I expected him to lung at me, but he stayed still. Without wasting time, I continued. “It’s true that I proposed to her.” I expected to get hit any moment now, but he didn’t move. Instead, he kneeled before me, as if his stomach ached. He was quiet. For about a minute or so, he stayed in that position.
Then out of nowhere, he straightened his back, and embraced me with all his might. I felt like suffocating. I didn’t get any air. How the hell was Naomi fine when he hugged her? The raw strength of this man was unbelievable, so how on earth was she fine when he did it to her. I guess she got used to it. That was the only logical explanation. As fragile as the human body is, it adapts to its environment in order to survive, or so I’ve heard.
Wait... Something didn't feel right. My sight began blurring, my other senses also robbed from me. I felt my consciousness fading. It was so bad that I thought I'd die any second now. All while being in his grip, a rather unpleasant memory had resurfaced from deep within my mind.
"Haha, he's as red as a strawberry!" A voice that belonged to a kid said, rather enthusiastically. He had quite the ordinary appearance. His black hair, that was of average length, reached not further than his neck. His clothing style also lacked originality, he wore a white T-shirt with light blue jeans. His brown pupils would always wonder, in hopes of finding fun.
"Yeah, you're right Arata!" another agreed. This one was quite the special one. For starters, his hair was gold-blonde, and it was quite long. He wore it in a short ponytail. For some reason he had a dragon figure tattooed on his shoulder. He had an average build, and was of average height.
"How long do think he can endure it, Akemi?" A third voice questioned, he seemed genuinely interested. He had a small build, and wore glasses. He was like your typical bookworm. His gray hair would strike a first impression, since it was a color that you wouldn't see often.
"I don’t know...." Akemi held his hands against the back of his head, like the topic didn't interest him. Out of everybody else he was the prettiest. With his long brown hair, that covered his left eye, he attracted the attention of every girl he passed. Normally, any other boy would've felt happy about this, but he didn't. In general, he didn't seem to care about anything.
"About a minute or so, I believe." A fourth had come in, and said it confidently as if he had experience with this sort of thing. He had short blond hair, he wore a tank-top, and brown shorts. He was the tallest of the four. He was quite muscular. On first glance, you could see that he was an athletic kid. He wore a eerie grin.
"What makes you so sure, Daisuke?" The gray haired kid asked the blond haired kid, as he adjusted his glasses. "Just look at his face, stupid Akihiro." Daisuke responded, his grin expanded from ear to ear. "You see that it's changing blue." Akihiro had come closer, taking a closer look; As if satisfied with his answer, he too wore a eerie grin.
On the outside, the four boys looked like any ordinary kid from elementary school. They were nothing to worry about, but...
That couldn't be further from the truth. Because these boys had an dangerously desire for destruction. They would harass people on the streets of Kyoto, vandalize public property, but their most favorite pass-time would be conducting experiments on their test subject.
Now you would normally assume that they conduct their experiments on primarily animals, but you would be wrong. "Aaarrghh…" that was the sound that their test subject made. It was a boy, their classmate. His name was Akira. That boy was none other than me. I was subject of many experiments, many of them left me physically and mentally scarred.
And on that day, they had brought me here, under an abandoned bridge. It was dark, and the constant stream of water was louder than our young voices, which was perfect for them, so I couldn't yell for help. It was a bad experience. They surrounded me, as one of them, namely Daisuke, had his hands around my neck, and tightened it hard. He had done this for four minutes now.
I tried whatever I could to loosen his grip, but it was futile. He wouldn't let go. I thought I was going to die, but then I looked between his legs, a sudden idea popped up. With all the strength I had left, I kicked his private parts. "Aaaaah!!" Daisuke had let go, and fell to the ground, his hands between his legs. The others laughed after witnessing this spectacle. I quickly breathed in and out, and when I had mustered enough strength, I ran away from them.
I heard the other kids behind me still laughing, and heard Daisuke curse me. I thought they would chase after me, but they didn't. I simply ran, and planned on doing so. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but the experiment, next day, would come to haunt me to this day.
After my mind came back, I realized that Noami's father was still hugging me, but now I could breath properly. “Finally…” he said, after he had let go of me. He placed both hands on my shoulders, his face came close to mine. "It was about time." he said loudly, tears began dripping from his eyes.
Huh…,
that was all I could think of. The man, that I was so afraid of, was crying right in front of me.
Impossible,
My mind couldn’t believe it. I don’t remember exactly why, but I knew for sure that he hated my guts. He treated me coldly since I’ve known him.
That’s Youij Watanabe, right?
I asked myself. I knew that I wasn’t making any sense, I knew that much.
“Finally?” I asked the man before me, my brow raised. Naomi’s father had removed his hands from my shoulders, and wiped his tears off. He looked straight at me. “You sure took your time Akira,” he said, with his arms crossed. “Couldn’t you have done it sooner?” he asked, whilst glaring at me. “W-wait, you’re not mad?” confused as I was that moment, the only thing I wanted was answers.
“Mad?” he had a puzzled look on his face. “Why would I be mad?” After taking a second or so, did he ask me. “W-well,” I struggled. Normally I wouldn’t have any problems saying it, but the fear from deep within me was still present. “I thought that you might disapprove of our relationship.” that was the truth, after all. I had finally come to turn, and properly faced him, now all that was left was his responsibility.
Naomi’s father sighed at my comment, he had placed his palm against his face. “If I was against it, I wouldn’t have let her go in the first place.” he said, a hint of disappointment painted his face. “Heck, I wouldn’t have let you near my daughter, if that was the case.” he added. “Ha ha….” I forced an awkward laugh. The air around him loosened, I didn’t feel so nervous as I did earlier. Something was on my mind, though. It was about the last bit he said. To think that what I feared could’ve been true, a cold sweat dripped from my spine. Fortunately, that was only if he didn’t approve, which was for the better. I could finally be at ease, for now.
“Come inside,” as he urged me and Naomi, he opened his front door. “You should bring the news to your mother.” Naomi went in first. After I was about to enter, he had stopped me and came awfully close. “Welcome to the family, son.” he whispered into my ear, his smile shone from ear to ear. He tapped my shoulder several times, then entered. I still stood at the door, frozen.
Did he call me son, just now?
, Did I hear that correctly, I wasn’t hearing things, was I?
Well it was safe to assume that I was wrong about him hating my guts, and about him being a scary person. With the wind now blowing harder, I quickly turned around. The sun was already at its zenith. Its orange beams spread beautifully across town. However, one thing was still downing at me in the back of my head. It was that memory, that replayed when Youij Watanabe had almost suffocated me.
Those four children, that made life a living hell for me, I hadn’t seen them lately. It was like they disappeared out of thin air. I was happy about it, though. It made life a lot better, without those assholes.
“Akira!” I was brought back to reality, when someone had called me. “I’m coming.” Yeah, it was for the better that I’d hurry. Without much further delaying, I had gone inside Naomi’s entrance, and closed the door behind me.
After arriving at the living, I saw Naomi’s entire family surround her, closely admiring the metal ring I’d bought her. Her little brother came launching into me. He hugged my legs, seeing an opportunity, I patted his head. Then her mother came towards me. She embraced me, and said: ”Take care of her for me. ” I responded with a nod. Satisfied with my answer, she gave me a kiss on my cheek.
She returned to her daughter, and continued talking with her. Noami’s little brother had already let go of me, and was now with his father. Seeing the four of them so happy was quite the rare sight for me.
Family
, indeed, all those years on my lonesome were now over. They would become my family.
For some reason, my heart ached. My eyes began blurring, as I felt tears dripping from it. All of them had noticed. I quickly wiped my face. I wanted to say something, but there was nothing to say. Naomi looked straight at me, I could only smile brightly, that was enough. Deep down, they all understood what I meant to say.
On the afternoon, we celebrated our engagement with a big party. The following day, me and Naomi had been officially married, after signing the last of the many documents. That night, me and Naomi were sitting on the roof of her house. The moon shone brightly, stars painted the dark sky above us, and the wind blew softly. It was the definition of beauty. Both of us said nothing, since there was nothing to be said.
What was more romantic than star seeing. Slowly, my gaze fell from the sky above, to the gorgeous woman next to me. She had noticed my gaze, and did the same. Slowly but surely our eyes met, she smiled brightly. She held my hand tightly. As we continued staring at each other, our heads slowly came closer. My lips made contact with hers.
The hours flew by, as of that day, I officially became a married man. At the time, I couldn’t have know that my life would turn for the better, since all I’ve known was hatred, and disgust. Being with Naomi had helped me for the better.
I would treasure every day that had yet to come, with her by my side, I could overcome it all. I reminded myself.
Everything around me slowly faded, everything became blank white. I was all alone, and before I knew it, a loud screeching had entered my ears. I tried to cover my ears, but it was useless. I could still hear it. Suddenly I heard a voice calling to me. "Wake up..." it said. Confused about what to do, I closed my eyes. I heard the voice again. "Wake up." it repeated. Then it dawned on me, and in that moment I slowly regained consciousness.
I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked a few times, after my eyes adjusted. I recognized the first thing I saw. That brown wooden ceiling had already become so familiar to me. I tilted my head slightly, and a smile stuck on my face. "Good morning," I said to the person next to me. "Good morning," the person replied. That was none other than my wife, Naomi. "
Darling
," she grinned from ear to ear.
In that moment, I vowed to protect her smile. I would take care of it, even if I had to die. As we kissed, I didn't think much about the future ahead of us, but I couldn't help but feel anxious about it. |
It was six in the morning when my alarm went off. As grumpy as I was woken from my sleep, I tried to ignore it. After two minutes of hearing that stupid ringtone I had set, it stopped vibrating, and went silent. At that moment, I felt so happy that tears began to flow, and I promptly went back to sleep. As my mind was slowly drifting away, it was then that I heard that alarm again. I was getting annoyed by the second, and ducked my head under my pillow.
“I can still hear it….”
Yes, even though the pillow was quite firm and thick. It didn’t stop the annoying sound my alarm was making from invading my ears. Veins began to pop on my face, as I gritted my teeth. It went silent a moment later. As relieved as I was that my stupid alarm couldn’t deprive me of more sleep, I went back to sleep. Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t. I was well awake by this point. Disappointment had painted my face, as I dug my face deeper in my pillow, tears of grieve kept flooding.
Having no other choice than to admit defeat, I got up from my bed. I yawned, whilst heading towards the bathroom. After I took a shower, I brushed my teeth, and got dressed. After I tidied my hair, I got out the bathroom. As I walked downstairs, it was then that my nose began tickling.
I sniffed a few times, and followed the scent. When I entered the dining room, I was presented with an huge meal. Freshly seasoned salad, carefully placed in a bowl. French toast, spread with molten cheese, and a drip of syrup added for the taste, and to not forget the most important dish of all. Freshly baked chocolate cupcakes, with whipped cream added on top.
Just looking at it made me drool a bit. As I stood there admiring the feast in front of me, someone had just entered the dining room. I fixed my eyes on that someone, a smile slowly formed on my face. It was my wife, Naomi. She held a plate in her hands.
“You’re up already?” She asked, her head tilted slightly.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Apparently, I’m not allowed to enjoy my day off.” I added. I turned my head, and crossed my hands.
I was still angry about it, because it was a first in a long time that I had a day off from work. Where I work, employees are given roughly three weeks off, in the entire year. Today was one of those days, although the dates didn’t vary much from employee to employee, they were only given to the top workers.
In short, I had to work so hard, so much that my back almost gave out, and while I was among those top elite, my ranking still placed last among the others. Not only did I work extremely hard, I had to work extra to secure my place. I sighed. Not only did I work my ass off, I couldn’t even enjoy my well-deserved rest. My back leaned forward, as I sighed even harder.
“How pitiful.” Naomi said, as she placed her plate on the table.
Seeking to heal my broken heart, I turned my gaze to the girl placing the cutlery, she hummed softly. However, something had caught my eye. Upon closer inspection, I saw that her brown hair had steadily grown over the past few years, and now it reached her knees. She also grew a bit herself, but it wasn’t that. Surprisingly, it was her outfit she was wearing.
She was wearing a shirt that was quite large on her, I had realized she was wearing one of mine. The shirt was a beige color, and it had a picture of a puppy quietly biting into a bone in the middle, with its eyes also focused at the center. It was as if the puppy was desperate to find an owner. She was also wearing sweat pants. It was a black color, with white stripes on each side. Now, those were her clothing she usually wore in the morning, so it wasn't that which had piqued my interest.
It was the blue apron she was wearing on top of her oversized shirt. It was a standard one, those that elderly women usually wear, so there was nothing special about it. I have never seen her wear one before, and I don’t recall her ever buying one too.
“Is that new?” I asked, as I tilted my head slightly, pointing at the clothing.
Naomi had already finished ordering the cutlery, and was about to enter the kitchen, but stopped and turned her gaze towards me. She had a puzzled look on her face, but after noticing my finger pointing to her apron, her mouth slowly turned into a grin.
“Are you talking about this?” she replied, as she adjusted her apron.
“My mother gave this as a gift.” she added.
As she adjusted her apron, it caused the bottom part of her shirt beneath to form waves. I saw a glimpse of her naked back.
Naked?!
I screamed inside. The sweat pants she wore was loose. Normally, you would see the top part of a particular clothing, but I didn’t see any. Does that mean she wasn’t wearing them, you know… underwear. She was wearing them, right?
I was having an internal breakdown. The mere thought of her not wearing them was slowly getting at me, I felt my temperature rising, as my face turned red. After noticing where I looked at, Naomi’s grin grew wider, she had turned around, directly facing me.
“You looked, didn’t you?” she said, as she slowly closed the distance between us.
When she stood before me, she got close to my ear.
“I’m not wearing any..” she whispered. Her grin grew wider.
She had this mischievous look on her face, so it was obvious that she was messing with me. Somehow, I was still able to think rationally, it was a wonder that the blood hadn’t reached my brain yet. However, I don’t know if she can read my mind or not, but not a second later she blew right into my ear. I felt an electric surge throughout my body, as my face turned redder, my mouth was left wide open.
“Oh my,” she placed her hand on my forehead.
“You’re not sick, are you?” she had forced a surprised look on her face. She wasn’t even attempting to hide that she wasn’t serious.
You little rat
, I grunted. She knew exactly what she was doing. She would always pull pranks like this, making me extremely uncomfortable. That was who she was, unfortunately. She had always been like this, ever since we were little. I tried her to stop once, but to no avail. Over the years, the teasing became more frequent, and more thirstier. I’m amazed how far she was willing to cross the line, just to make me embarrassed. I must say, it does irritate me, but it wasn’t like I hate it either.
“Why are you always like this?” I pouted, and looked to my right.
Naomi laughed at me. Did she really find it that amusing to embarrass me? Give me break, will you? She stopped a minute later, and went to the table next to her.
“Let’s eat,” she said, as she took her seat.
I went to the chair across from her, and promptly took my seat.
“The food’s a little cold, though.” she said, her eyes downward.
It seemed that our little play took longer than I thought. The food had cooled off a little, but it wasn’t like the taste would change that much. Besides, I didn’t really care enough to make a huge fuss about it anyway. I had grabbed the fork to my left, and took a handful from the salad, my first victim.
“It’ll probably taste the same, since this is you we’re talking about.” I commented, as I held my fork in the air.
I brought the fork to my mouth as the contents spread inward. My tongue was engulfed by a mixture of different flavors. I tasted mostly lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, but also bits of onion, broccoli and white cabbage. After chewing the contents into small pieces in my mouth, I slurped everything down and sent it to my stomach. The olive oil softened the vegetables, making it easier to swallow. I scooped up one handful after another. When I took another scoop after a while, all that remained was an empty bowl.
Surprised at how quickly I had eaten it, I had put down the fork and moved on to the next dish. I grabbed the plate with the toast, and pulled it closer to me. I grabbed a knife, and cut the toast in half. I grabbed a slice, and took a bite out of it. The smell of the toasted toast, combined with the sticky taste of the cheese, made it all the more delicious. After swallowing the piece, I took another bite of the slice. It was so delicious, I had eaten the entire toast in less than a minute.
After placing the plate next to the empty dish, I realized there was one dish left. Now that my stomach was almost filled, I was especially excited about this one. Who doesn't love a dessert right after a meal. I took one of the cupcakes that were in the middle of the table, and removed the paper cup from the bottom. First I licked some of the whipped cream before taking a bite of it.
As the taste of the puffy chocolate cake and the sweetness of the whipped cream satisfied my taste buds, I chewed them into smaller pieces, and then I graciously swallowed it. Not a second after, I took another bite from the chocolate sweet. Two bites were all that it took to eat it. With my stomach now filled, I let out a burp.
Naomi had looked up from her plate, practically staring blades at me. Her face hinted disgust. However, something was up here. Normally she would bark at me for stuff like this, but she didn’t. She hadn’t said a single thing, her eyes glared at me, goose bumps began spreading on my body.
I panicked about what to do.
Should I apologize?
I thought about it, and while it does seem like the right thing to do, my pride wouldn’t allow it. I know full well how she will use this against me, I can already hear her say stuff like “You’re such a wimp”, and “Are you a scaredy cat?”. The air around us tensed up. I was cornered with nothing left to do, so I chose the safest course of action. And that was to just ignore her.
I know that it wasn’t a manly thing to do, but what are other choice did I have. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen, and I couldn’t really apologize either, since that would be like playing in her hand. “Sometimes retreat is the best option, even if it means looking like a coward.” A quote that I strongly live by. Anyways. As if annoyed by my ignorance, Naomi pouted. Her bulging cheeks turned red, her gaze now looked even sharper. The air grew tenser, as Naomi’s cheeks turned redder. A cold sweat dripped from my spine.
Oh man… She’s really angry.
Okay, I take back what I said earlier, I should’ve said something.
I’m such an idiot.
I cursed myself for being a coward. Why would I always make such dumb decisions, I really hate that about me. Soon that feeling of hate vanished, and a feeling much worse appeared in its place. I was feeling nothing but regret. My eyes moved downwards, as all emotions disappeared from my face.
Naomi must’ve noticed the sudden change in my expression, because she stopped pouting, and put her fork down. She sighed, her head leaning forward. She quickly straightened her back, and continued eating her meal. The air wasn’t so tense anymore. Had she giving up, which would be strange coming from her. Normally she wouldn’t back down in these situations.
Whatever it was though, I was glad that I didn’t need to review my life choices. Seriously, I don’t think I could endure it if it lasted a second more or so. Now that I could finally be at ease again, one other problem showed itself. The silence was awkward. So I decided to break the ice, but….
“How’s the food?”
Naomi got ahead of me. She looked at me, whilst chewing the contents in her mouth. She was still eating her salad.
“Not bad,” I said, as I grabbed my phone, and opened my agenda.
Naomi seemed dissatisfied with such a bland answer, because I felt her glaring blades at me again. Well, I should give props for the effort though. Despite the food having cooled off, I still enjoyed it. Normally that wouldn’t have been possible, but this is Naomi who we’re talking about. She would never mess up.
“No scratch that, it was delicious.” I looked away from my phone and turned my gaze towards Naomi, whilst restating my former response.
“Really?” Apparently my response caught her off guard, since she started blushing. She also avoided my gaze, she turned her head to her right.
“You really mean it?” She was still unsure, like I was just playing with her. I understood her worries though. If it was the other way around, then I too would be skeptical. But I wasn’t joking. I had to make sure she understood that.
“I’m dead serious.” I said, with as much emotion as I could, I cracked a smile.
Naomi’s cheeks turned redder, and muttered quietly: “Idiot.”
The atmosphere lightened, and the air loosened. I had managed to dodge a bullet there. I was fine, for now at least. Naomi continued eating her meal, while I was reading through my emails.
I scrolled through my inbox, and after I opened the first mail and saw who sent it, my face twitched. It was from my boss. As I read through the entire mail, my mood soured. In short, a colleague had the flu and couldn’t come to work for an entire week, so he had make me do his work instead.
That bastard. He thinks he can just do as he pleases. My “boss” is a young self-centered arrogant man, who was spoiled to the bone when he was younger. I heard it was because of his mother, who was significantly younger than his father. I heard from older coworkers that it was much better when his father ran the place. Everyone didn’t have to worry about getting fired, and there wasn’t much competition between employees.
But after he died of a heart disease, his son inherited the factory. And from what I heard, it became a massacre on the first day. My boss had unreasonable demands that workers had to meet, and if they didn’t they would be fired. Many had to pack and leave, since they couldn’t meet the demands. I remember the first day I worked there. I came in with a lot of expectations, doing my best as your average worker, but my dreams quickly fell apart when I became the boss personal dog instead.
Somehow he had taken a liken to me, not that I was happy about it though. In fact I hated it, I had to work twice as hard so that he wouldn’t fire me. Others laughed at me, while some despised me. I felt embarrassed at first, but that soon turned into anger. The only reason I still work there is because of the woman before me. It would hurt me if I couldn’t provide for her, so I just deal with it.
But someday… One day, I will smash that head of his, and make him pay for this. I made a mental note of that.
“What’s the matter, darling?” Naomi had already finished eating her meals, and she was now holding her phone. She looked worried, her head tilted slightly.
“Nothing, just work.” I didn’t want her to worry, so I decided not to hide it from her.
“What about it?”
“My little vacation’s over apparently, they expect me there tomorrow.”
I could see the emotions draining from her face, she also gritted her teeth. Was she that pissed? I didn’t really know she was so against it.
“Are you mad?” I asked her.
She didn’t respond, her face still gloomy. After a second or so, she had focused her eyes on me.
“Yeah, I am. Didn’t you say you have three weeks off?” Her face turned red, as anger took hold of her. Her voice raised also slightly.
“An emergency, apparently. The boss specifically asked for my help.” I framed it as nicely as I could, because in reality, I was just doing his dirty work, not that I want her to know.
“Do you really have to?”
“Not that I have another choice.”
“Why not call in sick tomorrow?”
I thought about that, but it really wasn’t worth the trouble that I would have to deal with the next time I would come to work. That arrogant bastard would make sure I suffered as much as possible. Reduced pay, and most importantly my place among the elite would be revoked. I can’t have that, I already make enough so we could make ends meet, but it wasn’t much either, just the bare minimum to live of off. I couldn’t really risk making us homeless, because my father-in-law would surely come after me.
“No, I can’t do that.”
Naomi grunted, she must’ve realized that convincing me wouldn’t work. Nothing she says would change my mind, that much she knew. Admitting defeat wasn’t something for her, because she would always get her way.
“Sure, have it your way then.” she said, she sounded quite annoyed.
I didn’t really understood why she was so angry. I mean, can you cut me some slack please? Is that to much to ask? I’m not exactly in a good mood either, but I’m not barking at others for it. I know she was just looking out for me but she didn’t have to act like this.
“What’s your problem?”
I accidently let out my inner thoughts, I hadn’t meant to say anything. Naomi jolted from her chair upon hearing my comment. She was ready to fight me, her face burned red, exposing her inner anger.
“Nothing, but I find it weird that your boss requested you for it. Couldn’t he ask another employee to for the job?!”
I mean she had a point. Looking from her perspective, it didn’t make any sense. Why would he personally want me, if he had an entire personnel working for him? That was the question I could read from her.
“It’s.. complicated.”
It hurt me seeing her so angry for my sake. The urge to tell her my situation grew, but I stopped myself. I averted my eyes away from her. I could never let her find out.
“Suite yourself!”
She stormed out the dining room, and entered the kitchen. She left me behind, I was all alone. I leaned back against my chair, and looked at the white ceiling.
“I’m such an idiot.”
My mind concluded. After I straightened my back, and brought my thoughts together. It was clear that there was one thing I could do.
“Tell her, I guess?”
Yeah, if I were to chose between that piece of crap or my wife, the choice would undoubtedly be clear. So what if that jerk fires me, I will find another place to work at.
Having decided about what to do next, I got up, and I headed towards the kitchen.
As I entered the kitchen, I saw my wife cleaning the dishes. The room was quiet. Nervous as I was, I walked towards her, one step at the time. When all of a sudden, she said: “What do you want?”. Her tone still sounded angry.
“I came to talk.”
“About what, I wonder?” her tone still hinted her inner rage. She puffed, as she turned her head to the side.
“You know, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” I said apologetically, I patted the back of my head.
“And?” she said, her face still to the side.
Really?
I thought. I sighed, and removed my hand from my head. I got close to her, and embraced her back.
“I’ll tell them I won’t come tomorrow.”
Naomi stopped moving her hands, and turned around, directly facing me. Her hazel eyes glittered, as the anger left her body. I thought that she wasn’t mad anymore, but to my surprise she frowned, looking really intimidating at me.
There’s more?!
I yelled inside.
“Aren’t you forgetting something? Something really important?” she asked, whilst pouting.
The face she made was cute though, so I got distracted for a bit.
“Something important?”
Despite her saying it, I had no idea what she was referring to. A date we had planned? Going to her parents? That was all I could think of, but it didn’t seem like they could be possible answers. If it were the first, then she wouldn’t stop nagging me about it, so I know that wasn’t it. And as for the latter, her parents would’ve called by now to remind us about it, so it couldn’t have been that either.
What could it be?
“Here,” Naomi said, as she held her phone close to my face. She had her calendar open, and pointed at today.
“What’s the date?”
“It’s the fourteenth of July.” I didn’t really know what she was getting at. It was just a normal day in the summer. So I didn’t really get why she was so angry at me for.
I was desperate to find the answer, so I looked around for clues. After finding nothing for about five minutes or so, I almost gave up. That was until I looked at the woman before me. I felt stupid for not noticing earlier, I was really hopeless. On her left hand was something important, something that symbolized my love for my wife. I am talking about the metal ring I had bought her three years ago.
“It’s our anniversary!”
Naomi’s face brightened as she suddenly embraced me.
“Finally, you remembered! Took you long enough, stupid idiot!”
“I’m sorry, honey.”
I really felt stupid for forgetting something so important. Hadn’t I promised her that I would never forget. But fate got the better of me. As much as humans make promises, they can’t always fulfill them. We can complain all we want, but their still humans. People tent to forget stuff after some time passes, so they can’t take all the blame.
“I really am.”
I still felt bad about it, because it that day was so important to me. She had saved me, and this is how I repay her? No way am I going to let that slide. I was going to make up for this mistake, even if I have to give my life for it. My face lit as well, as my resolve had been given new life.
“You’re forgiven. But it’s going to be the last time, you better remember that!”
Naomi stopped embracing, and stood before me pointing her finger at me. The smirk on her face grew larger as her beauty shone through. I’m one lucky man. Having Naomi as my wife truly is a privilege that ordinary guys like me couldn’t even dream of. Tears began forming in my eyes, as the watery fluids started flooding down my face. As reason had vanished from me, I embraced Naomi, with all my strength.
“C..an..t bre...ath...”
Her plead had cleared my mind, I stopped hugging her, and took a step backwards;
“So we’re cool then?” I asked, my head tilted to side, whilst looking at the floor, and my hand against the back of my head.
Naomi took a moment before she answered; Now, I’ll have to be really honest here, I didn’t expect her answer to be a firm: “No.”, but the way she said it was too aggressive.
“Huh, but why?”
It had caught me by surprise. I couldn’t really think of any other reason for her to be mad at me.
“Because of your behavior at the table.”
Naomi had her arms crossed, with her head turned away from me. She pouted, as her cheeks turned red.
“But didn’t you forgive me just now?”
Now I was really confused, didn’t she literally say a moment ago that she forgave me, so why was she pissed about the dining thing? I couldn’t help but ask.
“That was for our anniversary!”
That much I understand, but that doesn’t explain why she’s still mad about our conversation earlier.
“You still have a debt to pay.”
I kind of figured that something felt fishy about this. Why wouldn’t she explain her reasoning? it didn’t make any sense. If you had just met her, you wouldn’t think much of this situation, but I knew her well enough to know that she scheming something in the back of her mind. She truly was an evil character, taking every opportunity possible to achieve her goals.
“And how do I repay that exactly?”
Knowing that any more resistance would be futile, I decided to play along.
“
Hmmm….
”
She took a while, her left finger placed at her lips, whilst staring at the ceiling.
“Let’s go shopping!” she had moved her gaze from the ceiling towards me, as she held her finger up.
“Huh…” my mouth was left wide open.
You little rat
, I knew it. I knew she was planning something, although it was kind of my fault to begin with. I wonder if I could win once against her. But that’ll probably never happen though. She’s just that better then me. I am pissed however, because now I’ll have to tag along with her shopping spree. Man, maybe I should’ve chosen that prick instead? But really, shopping? Couldn’t you choose something else??
As I grunted about the ordeal, Naomi’s smile grew wider. She got close to me, and whispered into my ear: “Exactly,
Shopping.
”. She winked her eye at me, her tongue sticking out.
You little…
As I was played by the wicked monster in front of me, I couldn’t help but smile. Since it was her being herself, I couldn’t really get mad at her. I knew what I signed up for back when I proposed to her. But still, she really knows how to play with other’s feelings. Why am I always on the receiving end?
As I complained about my situation, I prayed to whatever deity I could think of. But unfortunately my prayers were left unanswered. I had rolled the dice, and got the worst possible outcome. My life truly sucks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Wow, look at these! They’re so cute!!” Naomi said, as she inspected the valuables from a store window.
“They’re alright, I guess?”
After taking a look, I saw three horse sculptures. Behind them were a few dolls, two of them were dressed in beautiful dresses, that resembled your noble woman from the nineteenth century. While the other ones were dressed in military outfits.
“What do you mean they’re alright? You don’t like them?”
It wasn’t that I hated them, I just didn’t understand the setup. Why place dolls from different eras next to each other? It didn’t make sense to me.
“No, it’s just that they seem out of place, no?”
I tried conveying my feelings to the best I could. It was now on her.
“You’re right, the time period don’t match,”
Luckily, she saw what I was getting at.
“But I still think they’re all cute.”
Well, it wasn’t like she cared all to much about it. So I decided to leave it at that.
“Where are we going next?” I asked Naomi.
After a small pause, she proudly exclaimed: “To…”.
The hours went by as we visited many different stores. It was about noon now, when we decided to get something to eat. We were currently located at a restaurant that opened recently. Being a brand new business in a city were new trends keep popping up every second. It was only natural that this place was quite popular amongst the younger generation.
We were standing at the entrance hall, and looked around for a table to sit. However, we didn’t find any. Naomi had asked a waiter if they could arrange something, but unfortunately, without success. Well, we were screwed. Without a table to eat, the only thing we could do was leave. But that wouldn’t do. I’m hungry, like seriously I had been carrying bags the entire morning. Naturally it would drain my body. Naomi had the same problem, all that walking around really took a toll on her, especially with the heels she was wearing.
Oh well, I had prepared for this exact moment, it wasn’t a luxurious restaurant like this one, but it sure as hell is a lot cheaper, so I’m counting my life on this. I had grabbed Naomi’s hand and escorted her towards the place.
“Is this it?”
When we arrived at the restaurant, Naomi looked dejected, she looked disappointed at me, her eyes had lost their lights;
“Yeah..”
She looked at the prices next to the entrance, her eyes were devoid of any color, as she understood why I picked this place in the first place. Fearing that I might die, I turned my gaze away from her. I know she wasn’t happy, but not like this, please. You’re going to make me cry!
Naomi sighed, and said: “Let’s try it, I guess?”.
The way she said it though wasn’t comforting at all. This meant that I was spared for now, but I would surely come to hear about this another time. I sent a prayer to my future self.
After me and Naomi entered, we got ourselves a table, and waited for the waitress to come. When one came, she handed us the menu, and waited. Naomi choose the third option, which was tomato soup with meatballs. I chose the restaurant’s recommended dish, a perfectly baked beefsteak, with vegetables, and vol-au-vent. When the waiter got our orders, she promptly left.
After fifteen minutes, she returned with our order. She placed our order, and promptly left.
When I ate a piece from my steak, I felt relieved that I could finally eat a decent meal. Tears of joy flooded from my wet eyeballs. It seemed that Naomi felt the same way, as the tears too came dripping from her eyes.
After discussing certain topics, we had finished eating our meals. About an hour passed, it was five o’clock now. When I told her we’d have to leave, she had asked me if she could order some snacks for on the way. Seeing no problem with this, I let her order her things. This couldn’t have come at a greater time, since I really needed to run an errand.
I hurried myself towards the restroom. After I was done washing my hands, I had left the restroom. I searched for Naomi, as she was not at our table. I found her at the bar, still waiting for her meals to come. For a second there I was worried that something might’ve happened, but it was all for naught.
I decided to wait for her at our table, whilst watching over her. I would’ve expected someone to make a move on her, but nobody did. While yeah, Naomi was prettier than your average woman, that didn’t mean she would let anyone get close to her. I didn’t really have any worries though, since she could beat anyone who would dare to make a move on her.
And to my surprise, a moron had made an move on her. As I was kind of worried for what might happen to that guy. I got up from my table, and headed towards the bar.
After Naomi had seen me, she immediately latched onto me. I confronted the idiot in question. He was about a hundred and seventy six centimeters, two centimeters shorter than me. He had brown hair, with his left eye covered. He had unique facial features, that made him stand out. If you told me he was a model or something, I would have believe it without question.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were taken.” he said, wearing a smile, his teeth shone brightly.
I have to say though, the man was pretty. I’m pretty sure he has no problem with courting women at parties or not. Man, I’m envious. People like me could never dream of that, but not that I really need to, but still I’m speaking for every average Joe out there.
“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry for the confusion.” I said, with a smile.
I may have smiled, but I’m slightly pissed though, since his target was my wife, I had no choice but to intervene. But something felt off about him. Yeah, after I looked at his face more closely, I couldn’t help but feel that I know him from somewhere. I couldn’t point out from where, though.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
The man had adjusted his jacket, and headed towards the exit. While he did, I saw him glancing at Naomi, who was still embracing me. His gaze slowly turned towards me, and he stopped walking. He got close to me, and put his hand on my shoulder.
“You’re a lucky man.”
Huh? What is he talking about?
“Take good care of her,”
My suspicions were correct, as he turned his gaze towards Naomi. The bastard looked back at me, as he cracked a smile. Just who is he?
“
Pig-kun
.
” he said, as he continued walking to the exit.
Wait, hold on a second. What did he say? “
Pig-kun
”, but that’s impossible. I haven’t heard that name in a long time. That was the name given to me back when I was used as a test subject by those five bastards. But I haven’t heard from them in six years. So how could he know that name?
Wait.. Now that I think about it, he looked really familiar. After digging deep within my memories, I slowly started to remember. The brown hair, covering his left eye. The beautiful face, that could make any girl fall for him. Goose bumps began spreading across my body. As many memories from the past kept emerging one after the other, my body froze in fear. It became harder to breath.
It can’t be…
“Akemi?”
I had muttered his name as he had left the restaurant. Akemi, part of the gang that terrorized me back when I was a kid. The group I hadn’t heard from in a few years were now back. My legs began numbing, as my heart started beating faster. I fell to my knees, as my entire body became cold. My senses were slowly robbed from me, draining me from the inside out.
At that moment, I felt that hard times were ahead of me. |
It didn’t take long for the night to come to its end, making way for the day to continue its duty. The street poles that lit up the city began turning off one by one. The rising sun began illuminating the city with beams of light, that had an dark orange tint. Several clouds, though small, were also floating around. The crows of passing birds could be heard, signaling the morning coming.
The streets that had been relatively empty, was now assaulted by the influx of passing cars. Many got up to begin their day, and so was it the case with Naomi, who woke up after her eyes were attacked by rays of light. After she sat up, she had rubbed her eye, and as her vision had cleared up, she yawned.
She began stretching her arms, and looked to her side. She tilted her head slightly, and looked around her room.
He’s not here?
she thought. The person she was talking about was her husband, Akira. Naomi began pouting at his absence, her bulging cheeks turned slowly red.
That jerk.
she cursed at her beloved one.
After they had made love together the night before, they continued until the early morning. Naomi had hoped to see his face as he gently embraced her when she woke up, so it was quite disappointing for her when he wasn’t even in the room. She sighed, her back leaning forward.
She looked to her right, and grabbed her phone, which was on the nightstand, and checked the time. She then got up, and headed towards the bathroom. After taking a shower, she dried herself and was now brushing her teeth. When she was done, she had combed her hair. After she finished, she got out of the bathroom and had closed the door behind her.
As she went downstairs, she had noticed something. It was awfully quiet, not a single sound could be heard. When she arrived at the first floor, she had gone through several rooms, only to find them completely empty. She was now in the kitchen, and it was there that something had caught her eye.
Everything looked like it had been cleaned not so long ago, not a single dust could be seen. The dishes were all washed, and sorted onto the plate rack. Cups were tilted upside down, and the floor had been cleaned as well.
“Weird..“ she said, both her eyebrows dropped, just above her eyelids. Well, her reaction was reasonable though, because she didn’t remember cleaning it herself.
She left the kitchen not long after, and was now in the living room. There on the table, she had found a note taped on it. She took it, and brought it closer. As she read through the note, her heart ached. It’s contents were as follows: ‘Left for something important. I’ll be back soon, Akira.’.
Even though she knew that it wouldn’t be long before he would return, she still felt like a massive hole had been drilled into her heart. She couldn’t help but feel saddened.
Maybe I went to far last night? Is that why he’s avoiding me?
Regretful thoughts were slowly invading her mind, as a feeling of emptiness began consuming her, the light on her face dimmed slowly.
No!
Naomi had slapped both her cheeks with her hands, those poisonous thoughts quickly evaporated from her mind. “He would never.” she crumbled the note in her hand, and threw the remains on the table.
She took a deep breath, controlling her emotions, and breathed out.
He’ll come back, I know it
, she thought. A smile had worked its way onto her face. “Now, what should I do?” she said, whilst looking at the ceiling, her index finger touching her red lip.
Not long after, she had finally decided what to do. “I hope he’ll like it.” she said enthusiastically, her smile widened, and shone brightly;
After some time passed, someone had entered through the front door. Naomi had just finished her things, and hastened herself to the hall. There, when she saw that someone put on his slippers, a smile that emitted a similar light of that of a child had appeared on her face, her cheeks both turned a soft-red color.
“I’m back.” Akira said, a soft smile appeared on his face.
“Welcome back, darling!” she said, as she jumped in his arms, embracing him tightly.
“Did you miss me that much?” Akira said slightly embarrassed, he scratched the back of head.
Naomi had caressed Akira's chest with her head, like a cat does to its master, infirming that he was indeed in the right. Akira let out a small laugh, and embraced Naomi, he brought his head closer, and gave a peck on her lips.
Naomi wasn’t satisfied however, as she forced him closer, her hands grabbing his head, there she begun to kiss him. Not having expected she would be this forceful, he had quite the shock. His blood pressure rose, and his body heated.
Why won’t she let me get her for once?
Akira thought.
Yes, that was his plan after all. The reason he was so romantic was so he could finally make her feel what it's like to be on the short end of the stick. But unfortunately, she had already seen through it all. She stopped kissing Akira, and her mouth slowly curved into a grin.
“You’ve seen through me didn’t you?” Akira asked, defeat painted his face.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? That’s the oldest trick in the book you know.” Naomi said rather confidently, as if mocking him for even trying in the first place. But she wasn’t done yet, being the merciless brat that she is, she continued on her rant.
“You should really learn a thing or two, or otherwise you would never get the upper hand, you know.” she moved her face closer and ended her sentence with one final word: “
Idiot.
”
You little…
Akira grunted. “You really know how to hurt me, don’t you?” he said. He forced a smile, as a vein had appeared on his face.
“I’m proud of it.” she puffed, as she pounded her chest with her fist.
Seeing how she just continues to mock him, had caused water to boil inside Akira, he was slowly turning red of his anger. It was getting more and more difficult controlling it.
She’s just testing you, don’t let her win this one.
He reminded himself. The anger had lost its grip on him, as he regained his calm, his color returning to normal.
“Shut up.” Akira had turned his head, and pouted. Naomi was taken aback slightly, she didn’t expected him to handle it quite well. Seeing him try to act like a proper adult like how he used to back when they were little was sort of amusing to see for her. She couldn’t help but giggle at it.
“What’s so funny?” he said, his tone was higher than usual. However instead of getting a response to his question, he was only met with more of her laughter.
“Alright, alright, it’s so funny to get at me. We get it already.” Akira sneered at Naomi. She stopped laughing, and was now wiping the tears that started leaking from her eyes.
“So, what were you doing?” Naomi’s expression turned serious, as she asked what had been on her mind. Akira began fidgeting, he touched the outside of his right pocket. Naomi began smiling again.
“Well about that..” as Akira was about to explain what he’d been doing, Naomi had cut him off.
“Never mind. You’re probably hungry, aren’t you?” she grabbed his arm, and started walking towards the dining room.
“Wow easy. I can walk myself you know.” Akira protested. He tried to escape her hold, unfortunately he wasn’t able to.
“It’s fine.” Naomi said, whilst ignoring Akira’s complaints. She continued to lead him to the next room.
As they both arrived there, Naomi had urged Akira to sit near the table. He was confused, but still obliged with her demand, and promptly took his seat. “Now close your eyes. Don’t open them until I say so, okay?” Naomi asked him, her hand softly stroking Akira’s shoulder.
Perhaps because of the adrenaline coursing through his bloodstream, he did what he’s been told, like a dog obeying his master. Satisfied, Naomi had let go of her hand and now left somewhere. It became awfully quiet, though sometimes sounds of metal hitting a flat surface could be heard. Akira was getting scared by the second that passed, few drops of sweat began dripping from his head.
“Okay, you can open them.” Naomi said suddenly. Akira slowly opened his eyes, and when they were fully opened, his mouth was left wide open. “Surprise!” she jelled out loud.
“What is that?” he said, confused.
The box that was in Naomi’s hands was wide, and seemed quite heavy, as she was struggling to keep it straight. She had put it on the table, right before Akira.
“It’s my gift to you, not that it is really valuable, though. I’m sorry if it isn’t what you wanted.” she watched closely, as Akira was opening the box. When he ripped of the covers from the top, and looked inside, his face turned pale;
When he got the content out, he threw the cardboard box behind him, his eyes began to sparkle of joy. For those that wonder what exactly it was, it was a new gaming console that had been out for a while now. Ever since it’s release Akira had tried to purchase one, but due to the high demand and shortages of the actual product, he wasn’t able to get his hands on one. While yes, he could’ve gotten them secondhanded online, but the prices you would have to pay were borderline ridiculous. You would’ve paid at least triple or quadruple than the retail price. That was why he decided save up to buy one brand new.
“Nothing valuable? Are you kidding me? That’s what I had been saving for a few months now. How did you..?” Akira seemed so happy with his gift that he couldn’t even finish his sentence; It caused Naomi to giggle a bit.
“I was scrolling through you phone one time, and I saw a picture of that, saved as ‘Life quest: Must get this ASAP’.”
Akira had turned his head towards Naomi. He flinched at hearing that embarrassing name out loud, his cheeks turned red, and let out a screeching noise.
Naomi had cleared her throat, and pointed towards the table. Akira turned his gaze to where she was pointing, his eyes began to glitter again.
“What’s this!” he counted five plates in total, all formed a circle with one of them quietly placed in its center, and on them were delicious meals prepared on top of them.
Akira looked back at Naomi in disbelieve. She just stood there with a smile on her face.
“What are you watching me for? Dig in.” she had waved her hands, urging him, but he didn’t seem to listen.
“And what about you?”
“It’s all yours, I don’t need it, really!” she crossed her hands, and began shaking her head, turning him down. Then out of nowhere, a sudden rumbling had echoed throughout the room, Naomi’s face turned red instantly. A grin had formed on Akira’s face.
“I’ll have some then.” Naomi had quietly took her seat next to Akira, and grabbed the nearest dish she could find, she started nibbling on it. Akira patted her head, and then started eating as well.
Quite some time passed, when the married couple finished eating most of the plates, however there was still one left untouched. It was the one in the center, which had a chocolate cake on it. Akira and Naomi were looking at it, both were drooling a bit. Naomi had grabbed a knife, and began slicing a piece from it.
She placed that piece on one of the empty plates, and shoved it before Akira. She had served herself a piece as well; Both looked at each other, before cutting a small fragment of the piece with their spoons. They nodded at each other, and put those in their mouths. When those fragments left their mouth heading straight into their stomachs, they began scooping up more and swallowing them down.
It didn’t take long for the entire cake to be devoured by these two sugar heads. Akira had let out a burp, when all of a sudden he felt someone kick his right leg. He looked at the person next to him, and apologized. He thought that all was good, but unfortunately she was still frowning at him, her stare began sending shivers down his spine.
Unable to bear the pressure she released, Akira turned his gaze away from her, and began digging through his thoughts. It didn’t take long for him to realize what she had wanted from him.
“Alright time for your present.” he said, as he dug in his right pocket, and retrieved a small box from it. He handed it to Naomi.
“I know that I didn’t spend nearly as much as you did for your present, but I hope you’ll still like it.” Akira said, as Naomi slowly opened its cover. She took out its content, it was an even smaller box, it had a red color, with yellow stripes along its center, a small purple ribbon held it all together.
Nervously she looked at Akira, and gulped. She removed its ribbon, and slowly opened the top part. Her mouth dropped wide open, as she took out its insides. In her hand was a golden-colored necklace, on one end a small heart was attached on it, Naomi had carefully caressed it with finger. It had a smooth touch.
“It’s so beautiful..” her eyes glittered brightly.
“I had it custom made.” Akira said, while pointing at the necklace.
“Really? What a craftsmanship.” Naomi turned her gaze to him, her face exposing her astonishment.
“If you find that impressive, then you should really see what’s inside that heart.” Akira said, his smile shone brightly.
“Inside the heart?” Naomi said with a confused look. Her gaze turned to the little heart on her palm, there she saw a small cut-out, she opened it with the nail of her finger.
Her eyes began glittering again, as she covered her mouth with her hand. Inside that heart was a picture of the married couple cuddling together. Though it was relatively small to compensate for its small housing, the picture was still pretty detailed.
“Wait, we took that photo yesterday didn’t we?” Naomi asked in a hush, she moved her head closer to Akira.
“That’s right. I take it that you like it then.” he said, not before giggling a bit.
“Like it? I absolutely love it! Can I wear it?” Naomi asked, with the same enthusiasm as a child on Christmas morning. Akira nodded with his head, in response.
“Can you do it?” she asked him, her head tilted at an angle, her pupils growing bigger.
Unable to resist after seeing those puppy eyes, he got up, and went behind Naomi. He took the necklace and gently put it on her, the necklace resting nicely on her voluptuous bosom. Akira quickly looked away, his reddened cheeks exposing his inner thoughts. Naomi gave it no mind, and pretended not to notice. She stood up and began embracing him.
“Alright you want to set this up?” Akira asked, after Naomi had released her grip on him. She responded with a
hmm
, and nodded her head.
The couple stayed home for the entire day, and spent their time playing games with each other. Nothing else happened during the day, and it didn’t take long for the heaven to welcome the night. As the couple had finished eating their diner, they were now cuddling in their bed.
Akira began stroking Naomi’s cheek with his finger, and both stared right at each other. It didn’t take long for the two to be going at it. As their room was filled with heavy breathing and few moaning’s, Akira’s expression had darken, as he reminded the events of the night before. Naomi didn’t notice as her mind was invaded by waves of pleasure. Akira’s hands dug deeper in the white blanket covered in sweat. As he looked at Naomi’s reddened face, he began questioning his existence.
He questioned whether it was all fine for him to live on like this, but as he’s thinking of an answer, Naomi had grabbed his head, and brought him closer, kissing him on his mouth. Akira’s heart began to ache.
I really am an idiot… Aren’t I?
He had finally reached an answer, the anxious feeling inside him had disappeared.
After the pair had finished their business, Naomi was the first one to kick the bucket, with Akira quietly watching her sleep. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, then he closed his eyes as his consciousness faded into the depths of the empty void.
As for the following days that came after, nothing much happened. It was now five days later, as the morning crows of birds filled the emptiness of outside. It was their signal that the morning had arrived.
When Akira had opened his eyes, he was suddenly blinded by a rays of light, he had covered them with his hand, and reluctantly got up. He reached for his phone next to him, and looked at the time, and put his phone back in pocket. He let out a yawn, and was heading to the bathroom.
After he had taken a shower and brushed his teeth, he got out of the bathroom and headed downstairs. When he reached the first floor, he was greeted by Naomi, who was wearing her usual morning wear, she was placing the cutlery on the table.
Akira responded with a
hmm
, and took his seat near the table. Naomi had just come back with the last plate in her hand. She placed it on the table, and took her seat as well. Both said their prayer before digging in.
After they had eaten their breakfast, it was then that Naomi had turned her gaze to Akira.
“I’ll be out for the day. Do you need something?” she said, as she wiped the last food crumbles from her cheek.
“No, not necessarily.” Akira responded. He got up, with his empty plate in hand, and went to the kitchen, he picked up Naomi’s plate along the way.
“Alright then.” Naomi said, as she got up from her chair. She went upstairs, as Akira had just left the kitchen. As he saw her leave, he couldn’t help but feel that something might happen today.
When Naomi had finally dressed up, she stood there in front of the door putting on her heels. After she wore both her heels, she opened the door, and turned around, staring right at Akira. Her mouth curved into a wide smile, as she spoke her final words to him.
“See you later!” she said, as she closed the door behind her.
Naomi had left Akira all by his lonesome, he continued to stare at the door. This anxious feeling that kept plaguing him had been growing inside. As of now, he could do nothing except pray that everything would turn out fine.
...
It was eleven o’clock when Naomi was walking down the city center. Stores had already opened, and the streets were filled with passing pedestrians. Naomi looked around, inspecting the items placed on display in store windows, and continued on walking to her destination.
It was a store she frequented, whose owners were close friends with her parents. She had been coming to this place ever since she was little. Having had so many memories here, she couldn’t help but wear a smile.
“Alright then…” she said as she took a deep breath, before entering the place.
“Oh-ho, if it isn’t little Naomi entering. How are you doing?” the store clerk said after seeing Naomi walk towards the counter.
“Good morning Takuya-san. I’m doing alright I guess. And you?”
“I’m still breathing so I’m doing fine. So, how’s that husband of yours, still enjoying the married life?” Takuya asked, he had his arms crossed.
“He’s doing fine, thanks for asking.” Naomi said. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as the memories of a few days ago came back flashing in her mind. “And as for living the married life, I’m still enjoying it.” her smile widened, as her teeth shone brightly.
“Good then.” He said, as he giggled a bit. He still couldn’t believe the little brat he’d known had grown into such a great woman. He felt almost proud of it, as if she was his own daughter. A smile formed on his face.
“So, what brings you here?” Takuya asked, he leaned against the counter.
“Just visiting, since it’s been a long time.” Naomi responded, she scratched the back of her head.
“You’re right, it has been a year since we last talked. So, are you leaving soon?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You know, my wife is returning in a bit. And it’ll be nice if she saw you again, she missed you after all.”
“Alright then, I do have time.”
“Great! I’ll prepare something for you then, in the meantime you can look around for a bit.” Takuya said, as he went to the backroom using the door behind him.
Naomi began walking around, looking at the various sections. Despite the shop being open for a few hours now, there weren’t many customers. In fact, she was the only one there. She used it to her advantage, as she continued walking around the store. After walking in a circle for a while, she had gotten bored, and went to sit near the counter. She supported her head with her hand, humming a bit.
Not long after, she had heard the door open, someone walked inside. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, as she turned her head to see who it was. It was as she got a good look at him, that anger began enveloping her mind. She gritted her teeth, as that someone came closer.
He went to sit next to Naomi, and had put his hat on the counter. He turned his head, staring right at her.
“Are you a frequent customer?” he said, as his mouth curved into a wide smile.
Naomi could only look at him with disgust, and for good reason too. After all, he had been the one that ruined their third anniversary.
Don’t you dare forget what you had done… Akemi
! She fumed at him. As his question was met with silence, his smile widened.
She has some spirit
he thought, as his inner emotions began leaking to the outside world.
…
“So there is she.” Akira said, as he looked at the familiar store. Memories of the past had been flooding in his mind. One time when Naomi had brought him there, the owners had welcomed him with open arms. Akira was shocked when he found out that they had been friends with his parents-in-law.
What had brought him here you may ask? For that we’ll have to go back when Naomi had left. When Akira was staring endlessly at the door. His gut feeling kept intensifying, making him worry more. After ignoring it for a while, he had enough of it, and rushed outside to where Naomi was.
You might ask how he found her, and that answer is pretty simple. He used a tracker app that he installed a few days ago, that held track of her location at any times. The only thing he had left to do was follow the directions it was giving.
He was now hiding near a street pole, he had a clear view of Naomi. He had been watching her for ten minutes now. He felt guilty spying on her, but he thought that was the only way to ease his worries.
Everything went according to plan, until a traffic jam had blocked off his view. Akira panicked, and began coming closer, as stealthy as possible. He was about to turn a corner, when all of a sudden he bumped into someone.
“I’m sorry.” Akira said, as he was about to get up. But while he did, he glanced at the other person. He was still standing up, completely unfazed. He looked down at Akira;
“Huh, you better look where you walk prick.” he said angrily, his tone menacing.
“He’s right, you better watch out.” his companion chimed in.
The two had very contrasting appearances. For starters, one was tall, and was quite build. He looked like a bodybuilder, he seemed quite athletic. He had short blond hair. He wore a suit, as if he was a business man.
The other was shorter, and fairly thin. He didn’t looked malnourished or anything, it was just that he was build like your average man. His looks beamed ‘ordinary’, and that was the same for everything about him. He could only strike as being a ordinary guy.
“I’m so sorry.” Akira repeated as he got up. He planned on going, and so passed them, however, he could still feel their gazes stare at him.
As Akira had left quite a distance between them, he went to one narrow alley.
Damn losers
, he thought. Now he had to make a detour, wasting even more time. Akira sighed, and began to walk again. He was about to start walking until he felt an immense pressure from his nape, so much so that he felt it almost breaking in half. As fear began to devour Akira, he turned his head, whilst ignoring the tremendous pain, and his gaze fell to the one grabbing him. That person, who was the taller guy from just now, began to smile viciously.
“Don’t think that you can run away from us,
Pig
.” he said aggressively. He threw Akira against a nearby wall. He threw him with such force that upon impact he felt his organs being crushed. Akira thought that he was dying, as he began gasping for air, his sight began turning white. He started hearing a constant beep, his heart beating faster.
“W..h..y?” those were the letters he could say, as he continued to take in gulps of air. The exact words that had been plaguing his mind. His sight began slowly regaining its color.
“Huh, you don’t recognize us do you?” the man said, as he closed the distance between him and Akira.
“We’re your friends. You’re
best friends
.” his tone gave a chill vibe, as the air around him got colder. He moved his head closer, his eerie smile widened.
“You’re
sooo mean
. How can you forget about us? Didn’t we play a lot together when we were little?” his little companion said, as he too came closer to Akira. Despite his looks being utterly average, the tone in which he spoke gave off the same vibe of that of a psychopath. It caused the air to grow even more colder.
“Yeah, didn’t we make many memories together? Don’t tell me you forgot?” the man said, as he grabbed Akira’s hair, lifting him up from the wet ground.
“W..Wh…a..t ar..e yo..u t.lk..n ab..ut?” Akira said, as he was still steadying his breathing. His body didn’t hurt as much as it did, but the pain that came as he breathed still remained. He could only stare at the man before him, unable to do anything about it.
“I’ll remind you…” he said, as he let go of Akira’s hair.
As Akira was falling down, he felt an emerging pain coming from his stomach. The force behind it was huge that it caused him to vomit. Immediately after, he received a few blows on his face, his jaws started hurting and blood began gushing.
But it didn’t stop there, as right after he felt a tremendous kick to his head; It caused his head to hit the firm wall behind him. Unable to bear the pain, his mind was slowly drifting away, he began closing his eyes slowly.
However, as if not satisfied yet, the man had grabbed Akira by the throat, he began tightening his grip. His eerie grin grew wider, as he started wetting his lips. As his only source of oxygen was being cut-off, Akira began resisting. However, his efforts were useless. Having no longer the strength in his body, his entire body went numb.
His sight began whitening, the constant beep grew louder, he knew for certain that this would be his end. However, perhaps with luck, someone had come near them.
“Hey, that’s enough for today. We’re going.” that someone said, he held quite the authority, since that person suffocating Akira had let go of his grip.
The two went away, as that someone stayed behind.
“You know, if you plan on taking us down… You should prepare yourself then.” his eerie smile widened, and his tone became colder. He turned his back, signaling that he was about to leave. But before he did, he looked back at Akira.
“That’s a lovely wife you got yourself, it’ll be sad if something
were
to happen to her.” he said, as he took off, leaving Akira dirtied and hurt behind.
When Akira was sure they had left, he began bashing his head to the wall behind him, as the face of that someone appeared back in his mind.
Damn you, fucking bastard
. He could only curse them, tearing some of his hair, as he finally realized who had been talking to him.
After struggling to get up, he ignored the screeching pain, as he began walking home.
…
“Darling, I’m back!” Naomi yelled, as she entered through the front door. She quickly put away her coat and took of her heels, putting on her slippers. She headed towards the living. When she arrived there, she had found Akira sitting at the couch, his back hunched forward. His face was covered with stollen blood and dirt, his clothes also dirtied. As she got closer to him, a strong odor had entered her nostrils, she quickly covered it with her arm.
“Ugh, what happened?” Naomi asked in a panic.
“Noami,” Akira said, his tone void of any emotion. His lifeless gaze focused directly at Naomi.
“Did you meet anyone in particular today?”
“What are you talking about?” Naomi didn’t understand what was going on. She didn’t know why he acted this way nor what had exactly caused him to be so on edge.
“I’m talking about that shop you went today.” Akira stood up, and stared at Naomi, he came close to her. His eyes were lifeless.
“How do you know…” Naomi was flabbergasted that Akira knew where she’d been hanging out, but as she was about to ask how he found out, Akira had cut her off.
“Did you meet anyone there?” Akira asked, his tone started leaking his inner rage. Despite that though, his face was still emotionless.
“Well, I happened to see Takuya-san again, and Yuri-san too.”
“Oh, and there was this other one…” there, in that moment when Naomi paused, Akira had been visually shocked, sweat dripping from his head.
“What was his name?” he asked quite hesitantly, he gulped for air, a drop of sweat glided from his cheeks.
“Why do you need it for?” Naomi asked with her eyebrow raised;
“Just…. Tell me.”
“It was
Akemi
, I believe.” the moment Naomi mentioned his name, it was when the gut feeling Akira had this morning began tingling again. As he thought to himself how things have gone of the rails so much, he began gritting his teeth.
A sense of defeat had been circulating around his being, as he’d been listening how Naomi’s talk went with him. As she was explaining it in great detail, Akira wasn’t paying attention to it for one bit. He only looked at her, as he saw how wide her smile was while talking about
him
, it caused Akira to wonder, if Naomi was truly by his side. |
"Magic. A gift from the Divine, bestowed upon those who are chosen to fight for the powerless from evil. But above all, to preserve the realm from annihilation caused by the threat of a truly malevolent entity…. The First Darkness. The Early Dissident. Khaos, the Primordial Opposition!"
The kids gathered to each other and shuddered when the storyteller mentioned the name. The name that their parents often used to warn them that Khaos would swallow them alive if they disobeyed their parents.
"But not all magicians exercised their powers as they should. Instead, they abused their magic to enslave people, oppress the weak, to fill their chests with gold, and stomachs with food.
Until one day, a man named Protos Eidon, thought he had had enough with the actions of those selfish, arbitrary wizards. He threw away his faith in the Silent Divine who gave them power and urged Khaos, the Primordial Opposition, to grant him its very own magic.
Khaos granted his request. Protos became a magician, the first bearer of the power of Khaos on earth. He then used his magic to defeat the misguided magicians, and free his people from oppression."
Those innocent eyes became intense. Their minds already travelled on the world of the tale the storyteller brought.
"However, the power of Khaos carries a price to pay. His magic was indeed very strong, but also extremely destructive, including for himself. Slowly, he whose initial ambition was to defeat the magicians, changed his course; to throw them away to
Hades!
Sending evil magicians to Hades did make Protos even more powerful. Unfortunately, it also drove him further away from his foremost goals. As a result, the corrosive nature of Khaos influenced him. He fought not for the welfare of his people, but solely to satisfy his addiction to kill!
He continued to slaughter other practitioners until there were no more of them left in his hometown except him, thus becoming the city's sole protector. However, Protos was not satisfied. He felt the other cities would need his help, too. So he invaded another city and killed its leader. And so Protos continued to conquer city after city while considering himself a saviour.
The people of the cities ruled by Protos rebelled against him, because some men who were not of their kind executed their leaders, who were not actually evil, then colonised them. They called for resistance across the country.
Protos who could not stand their unruly nature became enraged. He suppressed the rebels and their supporters. A magician turned from a saviour into an iron fist tyrant. He even cast his magic to
destroy an entire city in an instant!
All civilisations within were lost along with ashes. Protos became the one he swore to destroy."
The children who heard the story were moved. Some of them showed teary eyes of significant empathy, others were furious in their round, frowning faces.
"But be still and rejoice! For the Silent Divine does not ignore their cries. A magnanimous mighty king rose from the plains of Colchis. Aeëtes, the Son of the Sun, the Great Sorcerer, and the True King of the People, come to face Protos to stop his malevolent act of slaughter!"
The story of the storyteller was answered by happy cheers from the children when their legendary role model, King Aeëtes, was on the lips of the storyteller.
"Khaos' evil power was indeed very strong, but Aeëtes' magic came from the Silent Divine, the source of all power. Protos cast the sky black to prevent the sun shines through and blind King Aeëtes', but the king lit himself to be dazzling sun, burning Protos' own eyes! And so Protos also summoned the malicious souls from the Hades underworld gaping on the earth, but the king drowned the spirits with overflowing freshet, and destroy the underworld entrance with lightning bolts bestowed from the great Thunderkeeper! Through fierce battles and earth-shaping incantations, Aeëtes prevailed! The weakened Protos emitted a powerful magic wave, thus creating a dimensional tear toward Khaos' own embrace. Khaos pulled him into its domain, but before that, Protos uttered his last words.
'I will never lose! The power of my master has spread everywhere! The world will know order and peace only in Khaos!'
Aeëtes responded to him out loud. His words became the most legendary quote to this day—"
The children immediately shouted to cut the storyteller's words in unison.
"Khaos may shroud the world in the dark of night, but a speck of the Silent Divine's goodness will forever be the day of the world!"
They didn't even forget to put the word,
"Hooray"
at the end of the sentence. The storyteller replied with a smile.
"'There is no order without chaos, but chaos can never become order! Khaos may shroud the world in the dark of night, but a speck of the Silent Divine's goodness will forever be the day of the world!'
So Protos disappeared somewhere in the arms of the Primordial Opposition. Of course, the battle between the Silent Divine and Khaos did not end. Before disappearing, Protos managed to spread the magic seeds of Khaos to all corners of the world through his magic waves.
The impact changed the order of magic entirely. The world of thaumaturgy will never be the same again. Because of the emergence of magic seeds originating from Protos, a form of foreign, yet destructive magic was created, which we know as Black Magic.
Magicians who use this seed will multiply their magic power, and those who don't have magic will be given magical abilities like Protos. But both of them will be ruined by Khaos.
But fear not! Whoever is on the path of the Divine shall prevail against the champions of Khaos. They shall protect the survival of humanity and the universe, wherever, whenever. Forever. May the Silent Divine grant Eternal Peace to his servants! The end."
The thunderous applause from the tiny hands resounded throughout the entire class. The innocent cheers of a child boomed along, which then flooded the storyteller with many questions.
"Miss Alicia, Miss Alicia! Is King Aeëtes still alive?"
The storyteller called Alicia answered. "King Aeëtes has long experienced Eternal Peace, Dylon, thanks to his bravery in protecting the kingdom of Eretopeion from the threat of black magic."
Another child asked. "Miss Alicia? Does black magic still exist? Have you seen it?"
"Black magic, of course, still exists," Alicia replied. "But also the white magicians are still there to protect us, so worry not, alright, sweetheart? As for having seen black magic… I've only seen it from books, though. Black magic must be scary, so perhaps it's best we don't see it in person."
"Miss Alicia! I want to be like King Aeëtes! How can I become like King Aeëtes?"
"Good question Theophilus! Let's see! To be an excellent king, you have to be strong! So you have to be diligent in exercising and eating your vegetables. You also have to be smart, so don't forget to study hard and read books. What's another thing?" Alicia pretended to think. "Kindness! A righteous king should help his fellow men and be obedient to his parents. Do all that and maybe you will become like the very king himself!"
One child in the back row objected. He said, "One more, miss Alicia! To be like King Aeëtes, one must be able to cast magic! But Theophilus can't cast magic, so he can't become like King Aeëtes!"
Several children laughed at Theophilus, as a result, the child keep the ridicule in his heart and burst into tears.
Alicia hugged the tiny Theophilus and gently wiped her tears. "Oh, dear Theophilus. please don't cry, okay? You're a good boy." After comforting the child, Alicia put a serious face on the number of children who had laughed at him earlier.
"Kids. Just because you have magical abilities doesn't mean you can demean those who don't. Do you want to be like the evil wizards who were banished to Hades?"
They looked down in embarrassment easily, except for one kid who mocked Theophilus in the back. "But, King Aeëtes had magic, didn't he?"
"You don't have to have magic to follow the example of King Aeëtes. He was known for his generosity and sacrifice to protect his people. Magic is the only gift that helps him to achieve his goals, and you with your unique personality and talents can become like him in your own way! Now, please, would you apologise to Theophilus?
The child bravely immediately expressed his regret to Theophilus and hugged him. Incredible. Such a noble. No man could ever be like that. His prestige veins are too thick to be penetrated. The girl gave them her thumbs up and a big smile.
"Alright, kids. Our class ends here. So please, pack your things, make sure you leave nothing behind!"
"Awww," complained the children. They still wanted to hear more magical epics from her. "Come on, tell us more about those stories!"
"But it's already half-past twelve, you see." Alicia pointed at the clock on the wall. "Do you still want to be here to spend your summer holiday listening to fairytales?"
"Nevermind!" The students laughed simultaneously. [] |
And that’s how I ended up in an isekai.
…Just kidding.
The car didn’t even hit me, but part of me wondered if it did, and I had been sent to hell.
After what I just witnessed, my jaw would’ve probably hit the floor had I been a cartoon character.
But I wasn’t.
Sinful Shadow, however, was closer to being one than me.
And yet here he was, flesh and blood, standing in front of me asking if I was hurt as I held onto a stranger’s little dog for dear life.
“...Y-You… Can’t be………
Are
you…?”
I could hear my voice tremble as I fumbled for words, unsure if this was just some sick joke from a cosplayer that was somehow familiar with my unpublished, personal work from middle school.
Unlikely.
Although, now that I think of it…
It’s not like my design was too original in the first place.
I just took bits and pieces from every anime character I thought was cool at the time and made my own chimera of edginess.
Admittedly, I went overboard with the bandages and the belts and… everything.
So more than likely, this kid wasn’t cosplaying my character at all.
“Me?”
He said, then proceeded to cover half of his face with his hand.
“Hehe. I see. Of course you wouldn’t know me. I move through the darkness, like a shadow, like the echo of nightfall—”
“WATCH OUT!!”
The lady with the dog’s matching raincoat suddenly yelled at us, and all I saw behind this kid’s back were a pair of headlights coming in at full speed, tires screeching as the driver hit the brakes to avoid killing us.
It couldn’t stop on time because of the rain, and as it swerved around I saw it hit the edgy kid at full speed, pushing him away like a baseball hitting a home run faster than light.
“Holy shit!?”
Thankfully the car skidded to a full stop before it reached me, no doubt cushioned by that hit, so I rushed to pick my now sober ass off the ground, staggering as I held onto the dog.
I ran to the sidewalk as fast as I could to where the cosplayer had been sent flying, handed the dog to that woman, then rushed to check on the kid.
His unconscious body was lying halfway on the other side of the sidewalk.
“Hey! Are you alright!?”
I knelt next to him, shaking his shoulders and examining his body for injuries.
His eyes were closed, and he didn’t answer.
It was too dark and rainy and his clothes were all black, so it was hard to tell if he was bleeding or not.
I could hear behind me the woman with the dog calling an ambulance.
The two drivers were also discussing the situation from afar.
The little dog wouldn’t stop barking.
The rain felt loud in my eardrums, and my glasses were so foggy I could barely see.
It was chaos.
It was destruction.
But it was also somewhat… Exciting.
…Wait, I shouldn’t think that, huh.
This was a very real, very ugly situation we were in right now.
This kid came out of nowhere and now he’s unconscious; regardless of who he really is, he saved my life without question.
I couldn’t simply leave him here all alone after that. I owed him.
I’ve never been in a situation like this before, so I wasn’t sure if it was safe to move him, or lift his head, but at least I felt like I had to check if he was still alive.
Man, what a horrible thing to do.
My body was pumping adrenaline like crazy, and the loud, cold downpour wasn’t really helping in any way.
I reached my hand to his face, hesitantly.
I moved the dark bangs away from his forehead, and just as I thought, he was wearing an eyepatch right under it.
Exactly like
him
.
I groaned.
“Come on, kid… You can’t die right now. I have a ton of questions for you…”
But he didn’t answer.
A loud crash of thunder rumbled in the sky.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
“!!”
I gasped, feeling my heart race again. But before I could say another word, he sprung to his feet as if nothing had happened.
“H-Hey, take it easy!”
I reached my hand up to him to signal him to stay put, but all he did was look around quickly with his head from side to side, as if looking for something.
That’s when I noticed the blood coming from his chest.
“Where is it!? Where’s Soul Killer!?”
He didn’t seem to notice, and was still frantically looking all around for something.
“I don’t think you should be moving— ...Ah.”
…Wait a sec.
Soul Killer?
I know that name.
…No way.
That’s the edgy name I gave to Sinful Shadow’s scythe, isn’t it?!
My stomach turned immediately.
“The ambulance is on its way now,” said the lady with the dog, but I barely heard her.
I was staring up at this kid as he tried to squint through the rain and the dark looking for the weapon he used to slice the car in half.
“H-Hey… You’re bleeding, you shouldn’t move so much…”
“What?” He snapped his head to look at me, surprised.
He quickly started touching from his stomach upwards, until he reached his chest. When he felt the wound, he pulled his hand away from himself and raised it.
His eyes went wide.
He was trembling at the sight of blood on his palm, as if scared.
“N-No… How could this… be?”
It looked like he was about to cry, or scream, or… ah.
No, no.
What was it again?
There was
something
…
I made Sinful Shadow do
something
at the sight of blood, but I can’t remember what…
“Hah… Hahaha…”
He started laughing. And it was slowly growing darker and more maniacal.
“Fuck…”
Now I remember. I made him go crazy at the sight of his own blood!
He’d go berserk and attack the enemy, but there was no enemy here, it was an accident!
If this truly was Sinful Shadow, there’s no way this could end well.
I quickly rose to my feet.
He slapped his bloody hand on his face, laughing behind it.
I felt like dying at the cringe.
“Hey…”
He didn’t listen. His laughter slowly grew louder. He lifted his head to the sky, still covering his face as he did, his other arm wide open as if embracing the darkness that was about to devour him.
The drivers from all the cars involved and the lady with the dog looked at us with concern, and I could feel my face heat up with embarrassment.
“Hey…”
I called to him again, but he didn’t stop laughing.
“HEY!”
More evil laughter.
I could feel the lady walking closer. I was not ready to get involved with a weirdo, but I also couldn’t leave him alone yet, so I took a deep breath before yelling.
“SINFUL SHADOW!”
Thunder.
His laughter stopped.
He was frozen in place.
And before he could look at me, or question me, or before anyone else approached us, I did something bad.
With my hand as a dagger I poked him right on his wound.
He groaned loudly before collapsing again, probably from the pain.
I caught him before he hit the pavement, scared out of my wits that I might have killed him with that little stunt.
In the distance, I could hear the sirens of the ambulance approaching. |
You don't have to have magic to follow the example of King Aeëtes.
She had no idea if the sentence really came out from her heart, or if it was just a wordplay to adjudicate some kindergartners. It was true that each person possesses unique talents besides magic and shares the same opportunity to change the world. The problem lay when not everyone accepted themselves as they were if it was not what they expected. The storyteller still had not quite accepted herself as she was. She ate her own words.
As she walked down the path to her home, the mind of the storyteller named Alicia was replaying. The footpath she traversed offered the view of a hill full of waving weeds and a small town from a distance. The scene depicted the crowds and silence blending together in summer, but it was harmonious with the daydreaming face of that lovely young lady.
Walking with her wild thoughts dancing everywhere, she was still pondering. Could she bring about significant changes without magic? Because as far as she knew, the world she lived in didn't seem to uphold that idea. Could she be something even though she differed from his kin? Would bliss ever come to her if she was not the magician her clan expected her to be?
Her mind then switched to the fact that she had completed the final test at her acceleration school and would graduate in the near future. What was her next step? How would she spend the summer? Which education did she want to pursue? What career did she want to choose? Working for Magisterium of Arcane Plane like her mother surely was not an option. For someone as knowledgeable as her, she did not seem to have a clear direction for her future. All those wide-open career opportunities did not seem to excite her, and the girl was still seeking any meaning in life. All the contents of her thought made her forget the world for a moment. Her legs kept moving as if moving on their own, not caring about the sweat dripping from her forehead and slowly trickling down, nor how hot it was to wear a two-layer uniform with a blue suit, white shirt, and long tie, a grey skirt with tartan print and black pantyhose. Normal people would have taken off their coats and loosened their ties, or found the nearest water source and immersed themselves in it for a while because it was that hot.
Two other students, a boy, and a girl, seemed to be watching Alicia from quite a distance. They wore the same uniform, but they were not accelerated students like the girl. The girl student, named Nadine Evans, had dark skin, with curly and fluffy hair. Her body was sturdy, her eyes were sharp like blades, and her stature was firm. Army
protégé
? Maybe. Meanwhile, the boy one, Gilmore Murray, was taller and more muscular. Perhaps a
protégé
as well, but his nature was as relaxed as a dissident soldier.
Gilmore took off his jacket and wrapped it around his right shoulder. his tie was loose, and he unbuttoned a few top buttons on his shirt to let the summer breeze come in. Gilmore, however, did not like his uniform. It was oversized, even making him look like an obese uncle.
They stalked the girl in front. Nadine gave a hand gesture, pointing at the girl, demonstrating the person walking with her finger, then kept her index finger in front of her mouth and made a scary mannerism to Gilmore, implying to approach the girl secretly and startle her from behind. Gilmore nodded with a grin, then the two of them made their move. How surprised it was, to Alicia did not turn her neck a single degree due to Gilmore's loud footsteps and Nadine's repeated slapping for him to make his step slower. She then patted the girl's shoulders with both hands, and gripped them quite tightly, as if snatching prey.
"Got ye, yer delicious Crimsonmane wean!"
Alicia screamed and jumped up in surprise. Her legs almost lost their balance, making her nearly fall. Luckily, her hands were fast enough to land and support her body from falling to the ground completely. Nadine and Gilmore laughed back at her.
"Works every time," said Gilmore.
"Nadine! Gilmore! Not funny!"
"The Sunchester Vampire joke isn't funny," Nadine retorted. "But your reactions always tickle my stomach, and I'll never be deterred. You better be on the lookout for another surprise, Alicia."
Alicia sat with her hands behind her back, supporting her body. "And putting me in danger of having a heart attack at any moment? What a
caring
friend." Her face scowled at the sight of her two friends.
"Oh, come on, don't frown like that. Yer heart won't beat faster than Gilmore's when he does his extreme workout," Nadine replied.
"
Naw, naw
. Let her frown. She's a pure
bonnie
when she frowns." Gilmore answered with a wide smile.
"Hold your
whisht
Gilmore, you freak," Alicia replied half annoyed, whereas he was getting more and more excited. "And can you please stop making Sunchester Vampire jokes again, I beg you? That's really not funny. Lots of kids have fallen victim to those vampire attacks."
"Aw, come on. How many times I tell ye Sunchester Vampire is just a pure
haver?"
said Gilmore.
"What do you mean
'haver'?
Did I
nae
tell you I almost died being kidnapped by that vampire while we were camping? And Mama caught it when she took me on a work trip in Glasnagour? And this is the first time you said the Sunchester vampires aren't real. Don't tell me ye dinnae remember it," Alicia replied.
"Wait, did
ye?
Hmm.
Ye
have
hunners
tragic stories to tell about
yerself
, so much I
cannae
even remember when ye told something other than 'near-death, almost kidnapped, blah blah blah'," Gilmore laughed.
Nadine then nudged Gilmore in the stomach to stop making her friend angrier. "Ouch! What was that for?" Gilmore groaned in pain.
"Of course not all of them,
bampot!
She also has a lot of fun stories. She's not some kind of
bairn
with an abusive family—" Nadine corrected her words "—main family, to be precise."
Nadine turned back to Alicia. "But maybe you're right, Alicia. Oh, poor Alicia, forgive us. How could we bother such a good, fragile and sweet
lass
like you? Here, let me hug you!" said Nadine seductively, pulling Alicia's hand to help her up, then holding her as if Alicia was a precious child who needs protection. "Don't worry,
hen!
We'll
craic
a more civilised joke, my
wee
angel."
Alicia tried to release her embrace. "Stop that," she replied with a slightly blushing face. They finally made their way to Trinketshore, the small town where they lived.
"By the way, where have you been? Must be volunteering at the kindergarten complex again, aren't you?" asked Nadine. "Didn't you take the final exam?"
"I did this morning. It was
awright."
"Wow, definitely passed in the first place, as usual. Congratulations, Miss!"
Alicia just glanced at Nadine with her eyes slightly wide open.
"Hm? What is there to congratulate? I just finished the exam, not passed yet."
"Of course, you'll pass," Gilmore replied. "An absolute
canny
like Alicia Crimsonmane, not passing an exam is an anomaly. After all, this is yer last exam in high school, while we're still stuck there for another year,
scunnered."
"So, what's next?" Nadine asked, "I mean, your next education? You know, your next Uni, next major?"
She tilted her head slightly upwards as if her eyes were immune to the scorching rays of Phoebus. "That's the problem. I don't know. Nothing has really caught my attention yet." Alicia thought for a while, then continued with a slight smile on her lips. "I just don't know, hen. Guess I still need some time to think about it, and now isn't the time. The only thing I can think of right now is to rest after a series of exams and taking care of gruelling preschoolers."
"That explains the
dreich
face. It's like
yer
exam burden
hasnae
gone at all." Gilmore said.
Nadine slightly furrowed her brows. "Don't you already have to choose a university or at least a job by now? Summer holidays will feel faster than we thought, you know?"
"Och! Och! Och! Ah ken
why she
hasnae
found a major that appeals to her," Gilmore interrupted with an enthusiastic face, and his index finger pointed at the sky as if he had managed to read the mind of the round bespectacled girl. "That's because... there's no major to be a magician! Ye ken… Alicia… Crimsonmane… MAGIC?" after saying so, Gilmore continued to laugh out loud in a slightly sarcastic tone. Alicia just sighed as she rolled her eyes to the side.
Nadine then scolded him, "Gilmore, come on. There's no need to bring up sensitive topics like being a practitioner to her. Why you love being a
tadger?"
"Sorry, sorry… I was just joking. Just wanted to get along with conversation,
ye ken?"
Gilmore replied in a slightly sorry tone for being reprimanded by Nadine.
After pondering for a while, Alicia smilingly replied, "Actually, it doesn't matter Gilmore, yer right. It's hard to express one's deepest desires to others without overthinking that it will hurt one's own feelings. Even to those closest to them. But if I do not disclose it, it's not good for my mental health, either. To be honest, I haven't moved on about being a magician yet." She turned to Gilmore as she walked. "So thank you for helping me express what I want easily, Gilmore. I know I can count on you to tell me everything, in honesty," Alicia laughed sincerely. Gilmore, amazed and slightly moved, immediately performed a tight bear hug on her.
"Oh, Alicia! How can you think of saying something like that? If only the whole world acted like ye!
"
"G-Gilmore! Y-you're making me sick…," Alicia admonished him, accompanied by shortness of breath and headache; all was to pull Gilmore's consciousness, which was in ecstasy on her, back to the mortal realm.
Too bad Gilmore was still deaf. "You know what? Screw the royal guards! I'll become your forever knight!" Gilmore kept hugging her up, spinning about seven times.
"Gilmore, you're crushing her like a bloody weapon,
ye eejit!"
Nadine screamed in panic, seeing his carelessness could kill some people.
"Shite! Sorry, Alicia," he lowered her back to the ground. Alicia bent down with her hand along Nadine's shoulder, and the other grabbed her thigh while trying to catch her breath. After that, she corrected the position of her glasses, which were on one side. "Wow. What a stifling ride," the triplets laughed and continued their journey.
"But seriously, Liz," Nadine said to Alicia. "You don't need to be discouraged just because you're not like the rest of your family. I mean, you're the smartest girl I know in Trinketshore! With your achievements to date, the opportunities out there are booming, wide open waiting for you. You know you can change the world without saying '
abracadabra'
or anything, right? Trust me, when you choose the right path in your life, you'll even forget that you've ever dreamed of becoming a witch from the House of Crimsonmane. You won't be living in your family's shadow. But of course, take your time to find out what your purpose is, hen. Just remember, the people out there will always need your talents."
Alicia's sincere grin came out while replying to Nadine's words. "Funny that I've heard the short version of it recently."
"From whom?"
"Uh, nevermind," she giggled. Nadine looked at her, puzzled, but decided to ignore it, anyway.
Alicia put her left hand on Nadine's shoulder while her right hand only reached for Gilmore's waist for his towering body. "Ah, I never know what it feels like if I don't know, pals. But I do, so... lucky me!"
Alicia, Nadine, and Gilmore finally entered the city. Alicia stood still for a moment while the others preceded her.
"So, you're going straight home?" Alicia asked her two friends.
"Eh… Yes, of course. What is it?" Nadine asked back.
"Meat buffet at Howlett's? My treat."
"Ye
what?" Both friends answered in unison in disbelief. However, Gilmore comes with a more expressive face. His piercing gaze pierced Alicia's glasses, wishing she was not kidding about treating the meat buffet.
"Well, I've just finished my final exam, you remember?" Alicia slightly blushed, but her sweet smile still did not go away. She scratched the back of her head, trying to find the right words for the next sentence. "All the activities and trips back home this summer really made me done in. Let's take a break to eat and recover our strength for a while. Meanwhile, Gilmore might be able to eat all kinds of meat there all the way to its ranch. I heard that swordsmanship training is so strenuous that it requires all the acceptable protein to train properly!" Alicia continued giggling.
"Yas! Proteins!"
Gilmore shouted, followed by laughter from the girls. "If yer not fast enough,
dinnae
think yer getting any meat, not even the bones!" Gilmore immediately bolted to the restaurant location.
"Aye! Keep running,
ye
muscle brain! While we're going to eat somewhere else, and you'll have to pay the entire farm for all the meat you eat!" shouted Nadine in a loud voice. Alicia broke her laugh at her friend's words.
For a moment, seeing the behaviour of her two best friends, made Alicia remember when she and her family had just moved to the small town of Trinketshore and had met them both when they were young. Little Alicia was very shy and didn't want to get along with anyone because she was often bullied. She only clung to her mother all the time. Her mother wisely encouraged him to venture out to make friends in his new home with an allegory.
If those in the west reject you, keep going eastward, until you find more people accepting you along the way than in the west. Keep walking east, and you'll be in the west,
that was what she said.
Remembering his mother's advice brought a sense of longing. But Alicia knew that her mother did not want her to be trapped in a sadness that takes her nowhere. A promise that Alicia made to herself—which she kept working on—to continue to live her life to the fullest so the fewer regrets she would have.
====================================================================
There are some terms that some of you might not understand. I list some of them here and their meanings:
Wean/Bairn
: A child, a kid.
Hold your whist/wheest
: A statement to ask someone to be quiet.
Bonnie
: Beautiful, charming.
Haver
: A nonsense/gibberish talk.
Dinnae
: Do not (Scottish usually replace the word snippet "not" or "n't" with "
nae", e.g: Cannae (Cannot), Didnae (Did not), Willnae (Will not), Wasnae (Was not))
Hunners:
Hundreds.
Bampot/Eejit:
Idiot.
Hen:
An endearment term for a girl.
Craic:
Crack; a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation.
Wee
: Small.
Awright
: Alright.
Scunner
: A dislike; to take a dislike or disgust against anything.
Dreich
: Dull or gloomy; usually about weather.
Ken:
Know, e.g.:
Ah dinnae ken
/I don't know
Tadger:
An arsehole. |
What happened if one has acquired a new ability? It would be proved through trials and the person will learn from his mistakes. Then he would be tested further and learn further, then the same process happened again and so on, and so on. A cycle that kept continuing until the person surrendered and declared to himself 'I've mastered this ability.'
Trinketshore, although a small town was by no means filled with small-minded people. Of course, there were such people all over the world, including here. But they also contributed to the life of the people here, which was full of quirky and outrageous tales. There was a time, when a middle-aged young man had just been kicked out of his house by his family after committing several acts of violence against them. The young man's family tried to help him, to the point where they said, "That's enough! You're not part of us anymore." The man could only threaten and reproach, as a normal adolescent did. The poor lad would be tested whether his ability to survive in the world's wilderness was comparable to his ability to cast heart-breaking
incantations
from his lips.
They did not expel this young man just because of minor domestic violence. Living as a methamphetamine addict, he had committed several acts of crime. From stealing, threatening others to hand him money, to robbing local banks. His income was not to fund his school fees or some generous charities, but rather to enjoy heaven on earth in the form of liquid, smoked through a pipe. A series of rehabilitation were nothing more than a meaningless homily. A cell group story session that was utterly boring than death itself.
Well, now that he had been expelled, how would this addict fulfill this
primary need
if he had nothing in his sack? He had nothing to raid a shop, and he would be shot to death if he dared to set foot on the lawn of his old settlement again.
One night, the young man hid behind a building at Howlett's to pick up a portion of leftover meat and tender bones that were dumped in a trash can, in an alley next to the restaurant. When the restaurant closed and the employees went back to their homes, he immediately stormed the trash can and looked for leftovers that he thought were still edible before the garbage truck appear and devour them instead. He had seen a bunch of homeless eating food from rubbish bins like a feast for Hogmanay, and some of them were damn healthy and well. Unfortunately, having a feast of leftovers like the raccoons still required disciplined and dedicated practice. And the addict did not enjoy his culinary experience at the time—not at all.
While chewing the food from the garbage can, he saw a sinister figure in front of the alley appear of a sudden, making him almost vomit his food. His clothes were all black, but what made the addict puke in terror was that the figure had the head of a male elk. Whether it was just a prank mask or the entity himself indeed had the head of an elk, the addict assumed the latter. How not? The figure not only showed its head but also showed a long furry neck that sticks out, very much like an elk's neck. His characteristics made his body proportions look absurd. The strange figure began to walk toward the addict, and the addict replied to the Elk-Man's movement by walking backward while holding out his hands. His eyes bulged in fear, but his cheeks were somewhat puffy from still chewing the rest of the meat.
"Hey, easy there, bruv," said the junkie pretentiously familiar. "You want the rest of the meat? Go ahead, take it all. There's no need to scare me like that, man. It's not like I fancy them, anyway."
The Elk-Man stopped right after the addict said so. He bugled, then spoke in the human language. "I have ...," while grabbing something from the shirt hole in his left hand, he continued his words, "Something that can satisfy your desire." The Elk-Man took out a small black pouch and placed it in his left hand.
"My desire? What do you mean? What is that thing?" asked the addict, shuddered even more.
The Elk-Man answered, "Oh nothing. Just a variety that gives you unlimited pleasure. Makes you happier, makes you… stronger...," the Elk-Man in his low, gloomy voice said again. "Being stronger… makes you feel you can control magic…. No… not just a mere feeling, but actually... experiencing magic."
The man gulped when he saw that little pouch. He still had goosebumps at the figure of an Elk-Man who suddenly offered him a stronger variation of meth, so strong that it made the user feel like a magus. Was this Elk-Man a wizard? That black sack itself looked very suspicious, lest he wanted to poison himself with the magus' brew to do him harm!
But of course, with his shallow thinking, this might be an offer of a lifetime! He imagined that behind the bag was a very tempting lump of transparent crystal, ready to pull him out to meet his pseudo-euphoric best friend once again.
Free meth samples? Don't mind If I do!
The addict himself already had his withdrawal syndrome ever since he was banished from his house. He truly needed this as a means of life support. The man approached the magus with the elk's head, and asked, "T-this… really free? You're not going to poison me, are you?"
"This is just a sample, good sire. If you are fond of it, I know where I can find you."
The addict looked at the pouch with a furious face, slowly showing his yellowish-black, almost toothless teeth, like a former battlefield. He gritted his teeth more, indicating that he could not wait another lifetime to try the chef's concoction.
"Screw it! Give it to me!"
"Wise choice."
The Elk-Man took the pipe out of his left armhole again, then poured this "variety" of meth from his pocket into it. The black crystals of various sizes came out with purple crack lines. It did not seem like the meth he had consumed before, where it was more transparent in colour, but whatever. It was better than nothing. After he took out all the crystals, he placed the pipe on his palm, and the crystals miraculously melted and boiled by themselves! The addict looked at the pipe and then at the elk's head with bulging eyes and gasped.
This moose-headed freak is indeed a bloody mage!
The elk-headed magus continued to heat up the pipe until all the liquid in it began to evaporate and pulled out pink smoke, then handed out the tip of the pipe to the man.
The impatient addict immediately grabbed the pipe and sucked all the gas into his living system. After sucking it, the junkie was shocked and then coughed while exhaling purple smoke. He was getting enthusiastic. His face was shining again, and his confidence skyrocketed. Today, the addict was back to being a champion!
"Fuck!
this shite
skelped
like a pure dead brilliant! No joke! Hey ye, where did ye get...."
He looked around and found no one. The Elk-Man disappeared from his senses. He seemed not to care again, then took another sip. He kept sucking that purplish-fogged goodness. The veins on his head turned a light purplish colour. The more he inhaled, the more his nerves flashed. He just could not stop himself at all.
It was that insane, as if there was no end to it. The junkie started dancing and snickering loudly in the middle of the street. He howled as loud as the emergency siren. The world was already in his grasp. Here it was. This was the definition of happiness that travellers and philosophers have been looking for. No meaning. Just a never-ending dopamine rush. A simple intuition that asked him to act mad. The addict took one last puff, and that's when something happened.
His body veins and eyeballs shone like neon lights. He felt a surge of energy within his body, asking him to let it out. The junkie then faced the front of Howlett's restaurant. The urge grew even stronger, he started aiming at the front door with his hand, leaving his palm open with slightly bent fingers. While aiming for the spot, He once again hollered, "This is for providing me rotten meat and stale scran!" A burst of pink energy shot out of his hand, shooting through the building. In one shot, Howlett's Restaurant was completely razed to the ground, not even having a chance to catch fire!
"Whoo! Taste that burned meat, fucking Howlett! Woohoo, Trinketshore! There's a new magus in town! Pave yer way for the earth's greatest magus!"
He then disappeared into the dark shadows. [] |
“
F-Fired!?
”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
My boss simply gave me her most sympathetic voice as she spoke.
“I’m so,
so
sorry, Leo. I really wish I had better news for you, but as you know, we’re downsizing, and there’s simply no way we can finance your position in the foreseeable future…”
“B-But…” My voice was trembling - I was so shocked I didn’t realize how close to tears I sounded. “I’ve been here for almost five years…”
“I know, that’s why this is especially hard to bring up. I’m just as bummed as you are.”
Just
as
bummed
???
There’s no way in hell she knows how
I
feel right now!
No way!
I meekly opened my mouth again, clenching my fists over my knees.
“Isn’t there anything else I can do… anything at all, I—”
“There isn’t.”
Her reply was curt - a hint of annoyance colored her tone as she drummed her long nails on her wooden desk.
That’s when I realized it was fake.
All of it.
Her concern, her apology…
Hell, even her desk wasn’t made of real wood.
More importantly…
She couldn’t care less about whatever happened to me now.
It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head.
I gritted my teeth in frustration.
“I-I’m sorry, Boss, but I need the money…”
“I imagine you do, honey,” she nodded along condescendingly. “That’s what jobs are for.”
She stood up from her seat and checked the time on her smartphone.
I knew it was around lunchtime so she was probably in a hurry, and to her, I was only wasting her precious time with my moping.
She shrugged and looked at me again.
“But hey, you’re only 28, Leo. Just go back to your parents for a bit, reconnect with your family, maybe marry that girlfriend of yours, yeah?”
She walked over to me, leaning down to place a hand on my shoulder.
“I mean, isn’t that what life is truly about? Like, honestly, I’m a little jealous! I wish I were as young as you with no job or husband to hold me back and the entire world ahead of me. You’re like, really lucky, y’know?”
Lucky.
She just fired me, and immediately after called me lucky.
I wanted to scream.
***
I was meeting my girlfriend at our usual weekly hangout bar that night, and for the first time in months, I was actually looking forward to seeing her.
We’ve been drifting apart lately, but at times like this, where the world feels like it's collapsing on top of me, having someone to vent to was a blessing.
On my way over, the overcast sky felt like a threat, so I made a quick stop at a convenience store.
I was having a bad enough day as it was, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it rain on me without an umbrella to top it all.
As I leaned down to pick one, my eyes came across something I hadn’t seen in a long time.
It was an ad on the back of a magazine for a manga contest.
I picked up the magazine and started reading the full advertisement, snorting.
“Hah… This brings back memories…”
When I was in middle school, I wanted to draw manga for a living.
I would draw day in and day out, hand out my comics to my friends who would pass them around and read them, and at that time, I truly thought I could make a living out of it.
I was a weird kid, but my comics helped me befriend all sorts of people.
There was one comic in particular that I drew the longest, and thinking back on it, it was nothing short of a cringe-fest.
First of all, it was called The Grim Reaper of Chaos and Destruction.
Cringe.
But wait, it gets worse!
The main character was a boy called Sinful Shadow - a grim reaper with a cursed arm, a cursed eye, a myriad of magical abilities and a scythe as a weapon.
He was cool and mysterious, serious but funny, aloof but approachable… all at the same time! He was popular with girls, of course, but he never gave any of them the time of day, as he was ultimately only interested in defeating NEMESIS, the evil organization that destroyed his hometown.
Aaah, just thinking back on it makes me want to die.
I was in middle school or so when I created him, and despite the countless chapters I drew, I had all but forgotten about it into adulthood.
Rather, I forced myself to forget, after I entered my story to a manga competition and didn’t make it in.
My friends always said they liked my manga, so it made me doubt them.
Maybe they were just encouraging me to continue to be nice, you know?
That’s what I thought.
I had drawn other stories before but in my head none of them were as good as The Grim Reaper of Chaos and Destruction, so if that didn’t even make the cut, it could only mean everything I came up with was garbage.
So, I gave up on that dream.
Soon enough, I grew out of my edgy phase, hit the books, and eventually I was hired… by some generic office as a regular old salaryman.
Until now, I guess.
I sighed.
Things were easier when I had dreams.
When I had something to look forward to - when I foolishly thought I was blessed with talent.
I put the magazine back on the shelf and paid for my umbrella.
But just as the automatic door opened…
“Leo?”
I was suddenly standing face to face with my girlfriend.
“M-Mary? What are you doing here?”
Her hair was wet. The rain had started already.
“Ah, did you need to buy an umbrella, too?”
She looked pale for a few seconds, then she turned away, playing with the tips of her hair, looking almost… guilty.
“Oh, Leo. Did you not… get my text messages?”
“Huh? No, I ran over here before the rain caught me so I hadn’t had time to—”
I was reaching into my coat pocket to take out my phone as I said that, but she immediately stopped me.
“Don’t!”
“—Huh?”
“I- I mean…” she lowered her voice again. “Don’t… check them here.”
I was confused.
More than that, I had a very bad feeling.
“...What’s… going on, Mary? You’re scaring me.”
I tried to laugh it off awkwardly, but she avoided eye contact at all costs.
“....I’m… I’m sorry.”
Another apology.
That was the second one I heard today, counting my boss.
“What are you sorry for?”
I tried to hold her shoulders but instead of answering, she avoided my touch and spun around, quickly sprinting outside the store into the rain.
I was left there with my arm reaching for her for a few seconds.
Fearfully, I looked at my phone in my hand.
One text that said we needed to talk— great start.
One long voice memo followed it.
My heart was beating out of my chest.
I moved away from the door and popped one of my earphones in.
I pressed play.
After a few seconds of nothing but anxiety-inducing static, I could hear Mary’s voice.
“[.......Hey, Leo.]”
Oof.
That was not her happy voice.
“
[Listen, I don’t… really know how to say this, but I want you to know that, as much of a cliche as it is, I have to make one thing clear, okay? it’s… not you, it’s me…]
”
…
…
My mind went blank for the next five minutes of her speech.
***
I ended up drinking by myself at our usual bar that night.
I had been coming here weekly with Mary for as long as we were together, so almost six months.
This was the first time I’d ever come here alone.
Instead of our usual booth, I sat on a stool at the bar with no one but the bartender to keep me company.
I probably looked like a zombie with my dead, unemployed, and now girlfriendless eyes sunk to the back of my skull as I drank from my glass in pathetic little sips.
“...Alone today?”
I heard someone speak, but it wasn’t until the bartender slid a snack my way that I realized he was talking to me.
“Ah… yeah. And forever, probably.”
I said dramatically before forcing myself to down what was left of my drink.
He understood what I meant immediately, then he laughed.
“Hey, man. It happens. Don’t let it get you so down.”
I scowled at him.
Aaron was a handsome twenty-something bartender with an athletic body that Mary and I had sort of established a friendship with.
At one point he told us that he was working part-time to put himself through medical school.
That meant this guy was going to be someone’s
doctor
.
He would probably make more money than I’ll ever see in my life.
Ugh.
“What do
you
know? No girl would ever break up with you. If you got fired, you’d be fine. You’re cool and smart and I should probably thank you for talking to me, huh? Well, right now you’re my bartender, so you gotta be nice to me or else.”
He laughed at my tipsy, sulky words.
“I have feelings too, y’know? But you’re right, if I got fired, I’d be fine.”
“Wow. Don’t add salt to my wound, jerk. What, are you some rich guy’s kid who bartends for fun or something?”
He made an exaggerated thinking noise as he masterfully cleaned a shot glass.
“Hmm. Or something, I suppose!”
I groaned, slowly pressing the side of my head against the bar.
“You’re an idiot. But I bet if you died, a lot of people would come to your funeral.”
“Now that’s a dark thought.”
“It’s true, though. Sometimes I think about it. If I died, who’d come to my funeral? My mom, my sister, maybe? …I used to think the people at my office would hold some sort of service, but now that I don’t work there anymore, fat chance any of them would give a fuck about me.”
“...Don’t say that, sir.”
“Don’t call me sir. I hate it.”
I could hear him gently pour something into a glass as he spoke his next words.
“Losing a job and getting your heart broken is only part of life. That it happened all on the same day is an unfortunate coincidence, but… I think there’s always something to be grateful for.”
There it was. Unsolicited wisdom.
I huffed.
“...Easy for you to say. You pretty much have everything.”
I heard him laugh under his breath as he gently pushed a drink over to me.
“Here. On the house.”
Those words made me slowly lift my head to look at whatever he had poured for me.
It was a purple-red liquid that shone like the sea under a full moon.
“...What is this?”
“It’s called
Joie de Vivre
.”
“Juwa the what?”
“Haha. You need it, trust me. You’re one of the lucky few that’s ever gotten to taste it.”
There it is again!
Lucky!
LUCKY!!
“...........You have no idea how much I hate that word.”
He laughed again.
As cheeky as I sounded, I honestly did have some pretty dark thoughts going on in my head.
No girlfriend.
No job.
No passion or talent.
No one would come to my funeral...
…What else did I have to lose, really?
I downed the drink wishing it was poison.
That was the last thing I remember before my senses came back to me.
***
I don’t know how I got there or when, but I found myself standing outside in the pouring rain in the dark, under a lamp post, right in front of an empty crosswalk waiting for the light to change.
I completely forgot to get the umbrella from the store after the voicemail incident, so I was soaking wet.
My head was pulsing and I grimaced, rubbing my temple with one hand.
I couldn’t remember leaving the bar at all.
Whatever Aaron gave me had been potent as fuck, but he didn’t even have the decency to call me a cab.
“Son of a bitch… if you were trying to kill me, at least finish the job, asshole…”
I groaned under my breath, sobering up with the help of the cold rain.
Then I heard a snap.
“NO!!! MIMI, COME BACK!!”
Someone shouted from the other side of the road with horror in their voice.
It startled me, and I immediately turned to look at the source.
A little scared dog with a raincoat had broken free from its owner - a woman wearing a matching raincoat - and was running directly into the street.
At this point the dog was closer to me than it was to that lady, who was looking at me full of panic from the other side of the road.
On the street, I could see the headlights of a speeding car heading our way.
Then, it was as if time had stopped.
I should hurry and save that dog
, I thought.
But at the same time, I had to be realistic.
I was probably piss drunk.
If I slipped and fell, the car would hit me instead.
Despite my sad, sad life, I didn’t want to die.
No matter how miserable I am, I want to live.
I want to know what happens next.
I still have things I haven’t done— things I
want
to do!
Sorry, little dog, but there’s no way I could…
……..
No way that I…
……………………..
No possible way…………….
………….
………………………..
“.......Aw,
fuck
this!”
I clicked my tongue and shed my heavy coat, running straight into the street past the red light.
I made it to the dog right on time, scooping him up into my arms, quickly turning around to sprint forward and take it away from the street…
…But I slipped.
I slipped while holding the dog in my arms.
This was it.
I tried to be a hero for the first time ever - probably just to give my life a little meaning, and now I was going to end up killing an innocent creature along with me.
Sorry, Mimi.
I could hear the breaks on the car screeching madly, but it was obviously too close to stop at that point.
Very quickly, everything went bright.
I held the dog tight and shut my eyes.
SLASH!
WHOOSH!
A gust of air suddenly hit me from every angle with a sharp, metallic noise.
For a second, it was as if the rain had stopped altogether.
But then I felt it fall on my face again, so I knew I was still alive.
I heard two crashes - one on each side of the road.
I fearfully opened my eyes, holding onto Mimi for dear life.
It took me a sobering second to register exactly what I was looking at.
The car that almost killed us was sliced neatly in two, each half crashed past us against the pavement.
The driver seemed unharmed - at least that’s what I induced from his angry yelling about the impossible state of his car.
But I still couldn’t move.
I couldn’t move because standing in front of me and the dog was the reason the car split in two.
A short kid wearing a black cape with a hood.
His hair was black, covering one of his eyes - an eye that was already covered by an eyepatch, at that. He was wearing a long red scarf and boots with countless belts on them. His arm had bandages all over, but he didn’t look hurt at all.
However, the real show-stopper was in his hands.
Despite his small frame, he was effortlessly holding a scythe bigger than he was.
He turned to look at us with a smirk, and my heart stopped.
I recognized him immediately - even before he opened his mouth.
“Are you guys hurt?”
“Wh………”
My voice wouldn’t come out.
I couldn’t answer.
I couldn’t fucking answer.
It had to be the alcohol, right?
It had to be, because…
Because there’s no way the cringe OC I created as a tween just saved my fucking life! |
After the trio finished their meal, they finally returned to their homes. Alicia headed for her home, which was a block from the restaurant. A massive two-story mansion with white walls and a brownish-grey roof. At the front of the house, a large door and three pillars in front of it greeted the girl. At the back, there was a terrace covered with glass walls, a splendid place indeed for the tea party. The house itself was surrounded by a vast garden.
For such a large estate, the atmosphere was rather quiet, considering that most of the time, Alicia's parents often travelled for work. Her father normally came home on weekends because he still had to do his job as a parliament member in the capital of Eidyn. Her mother, on the other side, could spend more time with her children. But when fieldwork called, it could take weeks or even months before she ever returned. Ever since her mother disappeared, the house has never been forlorn. Most of the time, the mansion was occupied by Alicia alone.
Alicia stepped up the steps of the stairs in front of her house, passed through the pillars, and opened the large doors. She sensed the house was a little more crowded than usual because she heard a noise like someone was packing. She entered the house, strode on the polished maple floor, and went over to the living room, which was right in front of her dwelling entrance. The interior of the mansion was elegant, with white colour dominating the room. The living room was not too big. There were two large sofas in front and on the right, two small sofas on the left, and a rectangular table with circular edges. In front of her was a fiery furnace with the crimson horse with a red mane blazing like embers—the House Crimsonmane crest—emblazoned on it. On both sides of the fireplace, there were two black stairs leading to the top floor.
She found a large mud-green suitcase placed on the left side of the large sofa. She somehow recognised whose suitcase it was.
Not long after, there was the sound of a door closing from above, followed by steps getting closer. A man came out wearing a blue shirt with vertical stripes, complete with beige trousers, a belt, and leather shoes. That man was none other than her father, Donar Crimsonmane, Baron Trinketshore. Donar, who was going down the stairs, called out to Leith, Alicia's younger brother.
"Hurry down Leith, you don't want to arrive in Eidyn too late! Don't bring unnecessary things, you're only there for a few days! Oh, and don't forget your shoes for the meeting later!"
As he walked down the stairs, Donar saw a sweet and familiar figure with a straight face. "Oh, Alicia! just got home?" He showed a genuine smile, half-covered by his walrus mustache. He then came closer and gave his daughter a hug. Her daughter returned his hug as well.
"Yep, I just got home," Alicia replied.
"How was
yer
day? Oh yeah,
ye
just got home at this hour! Have
ye
eaten? And final exams? Any problems?'
"Calm down, Papa," Alicia chuckled. "I had a fine day. The final exams went well, hope so. And I just got back from Howlett's to eat and feed a couple of beasts."
"Beast," Donar laughed.
"Guid
one,
hen! Yer
friend must have eaten up the meat supply all the way to the farm. Very well, then, since I
didnae
have time to make
scran.
Ye
knew I had to leave soon."
"Aye, can see that," her eyes slightly looked at the suitcase. "Looks like Papa's time off is over. But Leith just got back from the magic academy, right? Why would Papa want to take him already?"
"Oh, about that. Leith is going with me to Eidyn to—"
"Crimsonmane family meeting!" Leith interrupted their conversation while carrying his backpack and descending the stairs. "Oh, hello, sister. Papa said there was a call from the big family to discuss something very, very important." His intonation rose by half an octave, to quip as if there will be events too exciting and too grand to miss.
"Meeting… with the Crimsonmanes, huh?" her expression changed—there were signs of discomfort on her face. She always showed a negative reaction whenever someone spoke about her extensive family. "Is this about—"
"Naw,
it's not,
hen,"
interrupted Donar. "For the time being, I and the rest of the family have agreed to put aside the past between our family and theirs. After all, I am also part of the family, and they still have great respect for your mama."
Alicia asked with a half-gloomy face. "And Papa don't invite me?"
"Naw.
Sorry, sister Liz. It's just, it's a wizard convention,
ye ken?
And
yer
... not one of them?" Leith put on an arrogant face and ridiculed tone. "After all, we might be planning a great scheme. like eradicating hunger, stopping war, or maybe just have a
wee clipe
about the wizard clan next door.
Scrunnered
ye can't come, can ye?"
"Leith, hush," his father gave him a subtle warning.
"Just kidding, just kidding," Leith raised his hand and turned the other way.
Donar then continued discussing with his daughter. "Well, it looks like it's a mage-only meeting. I don't know what it's about. But I promise this doesn't involve you in a bad way."
"Huh," Alicia sighed. She looked up at her father's slightly wrinkled shirt. Donar did have a bungling habit, such as not paying attention to the neatness of his clothing. She then tidied up his tie and messy shirt. "Always being careless. Well then, Both of
ye
better take care."
"Hmm… You are indeed understanding,
hen. Ye
learned a lot from
yer maw,"
Donar said as he watched her tidy up his clothes, but at the same time made him and his daughter remember the figure of Ailsa Crimsonmane, their beloved wife and mother. Alicia stared at Donar's face for a moment before looking down in dismay. Realising his slightly poor choice of words, he tried to break the pressure, so they did not get themselves lost in the endless cycle of emotions.
"So, Leith and I must leave immediately! I have installed barrier magic at every point of the house area as usual. But yer still okay being alone, aren't ye,
hen?"
"I can manage," she said. "Been living here alone most of the time. Leith's presence
doesnae
make this house any safer."
"Aw, you wish!" Leith dodged, with a sarcastic look on his face.
"I know you can, hen. I've prepared the grocery, cook whatever ye want. Oh, you can invite Aunt Mandy, or maybe yer carnivorous friends, to stay here for a few days," Donar said jokingly. "Your brother will be home in three days, while I still have to continue to work."
"Aye, of course," replied Alicia with a slight smile.
"Awright,
off we go! Bye for now!" Donar took his suitcase and walked out. Leith, who was behind Alicia, caught up with her father. But before that, he stopped for a moment and turned to face his sister.
"Hey, no hurt feelings, eh?" asked Leith.
Alicia just stared in silence, but gave no indication that she was sulking because of her brother's earlier teasing.
"To be honest, I'm not interested in any kind of cult gathering like this. I mean, I just got back from Camelot, and I have to start my long
vac
with a gathering—with a big family that hates us? Sounds pretty lousy to me."
"Tell me about it," Alicia answered with a straight face.
"I'd rather tease you all summer than attend this event. But ye know, as a wizard, there's a responsibility to bear, even for minors, I guess. Perhaps I can give ye a spoiler about the meeting when I get home. That's if yer still interested in magic stuff.
Dae ye
need anything while I'm there?"
She replied, "I'm pretty sure I need nothing in that place. Just do me a favour,
dinnae
be a
scunner,
yeah? It's enough of your sister being a disgrace to the family," Alicia showed a faint smile, which still made everyone who saw her melt.
"Oh,
dinnae
get
yer
hopes up too high, Liz. We'll make a Double-trouble of Crimsonmanes, that's for sure!" both of them chuckled. "Okay, I'm going. Guard this house with
yer
life, if ye can."
Alicia watched as the two entered the slender black engine carriage, then slowly drove away from the mansion. Now her spacious house was back into her own.
The day turned to night. She did not look at the window that often—it was not like there was much to see in that small town of Trinketshore. But somehow, the night sky was brighter than ever.... [] |
That evening in Trinketshore, they were already across the street to Howlett's to see if there was anyone around the block. The road was pretty much empty; it looked like there were no civil guards or homeless people around. The three of them had had their beanie and mask on. Only Alicia and Nadine wore the goggles. As for Gilmore, perhaps his face was too common, the mask was good enough to cover his face. They also put on their thick jacket and long pants so they could blend in as a group of roofless looking for a fire to warm themselves, while also delivering their routine gossip that broke the night's mute.
The triplets started going the other way to the next pavement, where Howlett's—now a patch of a yard full of ashes—was located.
Gilmore stared at what remained of that place with a heavy heart. He would have to move on from his favourite protein buffet. "Oh, no... Howlett's, Howlett's," he said.
A dividing line marked with the civil guard sigil had delimited the courtyard. Nothing exciting to be seen there but ashes and bricks of charcoal, along with pieces of debris—very fragile debris—that could turn into ashes and be blown by the wind at any time. This did not look like an ordinary wildfire. There was no way a fire with a duration of roughly six hours time, with no one noticing, looked so clean and barely gave anything as a memoir. An elegant, minimalistic kind of fire, so people would say.
"This isn't a normal fire at all. Too clean. This must have been an act of magic," Alicia uttered with confidence, then broke through the civil guard line. Nadine and Gilmore looked left and right before following Alicia close into the area.
"Can't agree more, hen," said Nadine, "But what magic and who caused it?" Nadine then looked at Alicia from behind her google.
"Only one way to find out."
Alicia was perhaps the most conspicuous of them all because she had a knapsack on her back, already like a tramp who had just been kicked out of the house. She called the ball out of the mouth of her bag, and Voila! Orb was already flying between her hands. She then asked her question, "Okay, Orb, you've seen it. Now please answer, is this your doing when you hovered in the sky last night?"
Orb gave off the same sad tone, just like when Alicia asked it at home back then, only longer. From the look on Alicia's face, it seemed that she didn't get the answer she wanted.
"Nothing, Orb
doesnae
remember anything at all," Alicia turned to face her friends. "It said the power emitted to attract our attention last night couldn't just make some random building burnt out."
Again, a dead end. But it didn't take long for her to come up with another pure dead brilliant thought.
"Orb, I can really do anything with your power, right?"
Orb just gave the signal of agreement,
Yeah, something like that,
was how the girl translated its response.
To find out, why don't you just do a sync and try it yourself?
"As long as I'm in full concentration, I think it's worth a shot.
Awright,
then. I have this one idea. Let's just try it." Alicia straightened herself, making her hands half-folded as if praying, only leaving a slight gap for Orb to float between her palms.
"So, what are
ye gaun tae dae?"
asked Gilmore.
"Dinnae ken.
Just see."
She closed her legs, lowered her head, and closed her eyes to enter synchronisation with Orb. The plasma energy from the magic sphere circulated throughout Alicia's neural pathways, lighting up her body the way Orb did. Then, from the soles of her feet, bluish plasma energy appeared in a circle, getting bigger, wider, and spreading to the surrounding area. Gilmore and Nadine, who did not know what their best friend was doing, took a wise decision to step back, although the circle had reached and passed through them first. A few milliseconds after the first circle came out, another circle appeared, and another circle, and on and on until it made a water ripple pattern. Or most likely, a magic wave radar.
All those circles left traces at certain points within their reach, which then turned into plasma bubbles with an alien substance trapped inside. The bubbles kept rising to the top until they stopped right in the middle of the triplets. Finally, the girl stopped flowing the circle wave, and her body returned to its original state. She had just opened her eyes, but she staggered right away, almost fell. She then gathered air for her panting breaths. Cold sweat started to pour out, and her heart was racing unsteadily, even though Alicia was not running a marathon.
Her two best friends called out to her in tandem, "Alicia!" and then immediately helped her up. "Are you awright?"
"I, uh— " Alicia was still trying to do proper breathing from her mouth. "I'm fine. I was trying to find a way to scan the ruins with Orb's power for clues. It's draining me a wee bit." Alicia shoved the four hands away that became her pillars to stand on her own. "But, hey! I didn't faint right away. That's progress!"
Nadine scolded her, saying "You! Just because you didn't pass out doesn't mean it's time for you to be so petty!"
"Really Nadine, I'm
awright!"
Alicia managed to maintain her balance. Her breathing rhythm was also back to normal. "I just need to get used to this new power. Anyway, did it work?"
Gilmore patted her shoulder as he looked around, saying, "If yer throwing a bubble party, well, yer in for a
guid craic."
Alicia saw several medium-sized bubbles spread out in the yard.
"Looks like it worked!" Alicia started to get excited. She approached one bubble behind her for closer observation. The rest of them just froze because they did not dare mess with those vesicles. The magic nerd tried to direct the bubble closer to her round glasses. Her initially excited mien turned into aghast when she saw what was inside.
"Oh, no...."
"W-what, what is it?" asked Nadine.
Inside that bubble was a residue of unstable magic energy. A bright purple residue, in the shape of tiny lumps with a long trail when moved, akin to a velvet tail. Her friends, who were devoured by curiosity as well, approached the bubble. They might not have a brain full of magical knowledge as the Crimsonmane bookworm, but in this very world they lived in, there was absolutely no way for them not to recognise what was before them.
"This is…," answered the girl slowly.
"A fucking black magic," continued Gilmore.
They took a few slow steps back. All of them shuddered. Indeed, the occurrence of magic at Trinketshore was not unusual. But no one—not even the brigands or crooked magic practitioners, ever recorded in the Trinketshore criminal database—used black magic to carry out their criminal vigors. To the laymen, they would only see its presentation on visual prints or telemedia, if they were lucky enough to never encounter it.
Alicia checked the contents of the other bubbles, one by one. The number of bubbles that appeared in the area was not much, no more than twenty. All of them showed the remnants of black magic energy trapped within.
Those magic vesicles advanced their glow intensity not long after. The quadruplets were surrounded by dazzling light bulbs. Alicia protected her eyes with her left palm in reflex, but she tried to peek through the gaps of her fingers. Inside the plasma bubble, the black remnants appeared to look like being eaten away by the plasma flow itself. Suddenly all those bubbles, along with the black magic within them, disappeared in an instant, followed by a shrill but not deafening noise. Everything was gone. What happened just now? Alicia then dared herself to take her hand away from her eyes. It was darksome again.
"Good news: not Orb's doing. Bad news: it's worse." Nadine's face was somehow stiffened. "There's a dark mage running around creating this mess! Alicia, I don't think it's safe to be here. Would it not be better to just go back to your house?"
Gilmore voiced his agreement with Nadine. "Maybe Nadine is right. We
cannae
stay here too long. What if the mage is around and sees you holding the magic
baw?"
"But we can fight him, right? I mean, we have Orb to help us out."
Gilmore refuted her, "I thought we've talked about this, hen. We
cannae—"
"I know. It's just... are we really going to let a dark mage run wild around the town?"
"Alicia, ye barely have a physical fight, let alone engage in magical combat! Ye can never beat him, not in yer current condition!"
This wasn't the first time Gilmore or Nadine had warned Alicia of her incompetence. But this was the first time Alicia had shown offense to her best friends. She looked at them like she was looking at her Crimsonmane kins.
I've been connected with Orb and became the mage I've dreamed of. Why do they still treat me like a helpless wee bairn?
"Alicia, we only came here to check out this place, remember? Now we've done it. The trip's over!" Gilmore said.
"You all can head home first. Orb and I will look for more clues ourselves."
"What? Alicia—"
"This mage," Alicia frowned. "This mage has black magic! If he's here, it's not just this restaurant. The whole Trinketshore would be in danger! We don't know why they bothered to come to this small town, but whatever it is, it's not good!"
"Ye just said it! It's
nae
good at all. They're probably here so that they could perform these forbidden rituals and but in a remote town. Or worse...," Gilmore squinted his eyes at the bright calming orb, shimmering like stardust with a cosmic vortex at its center, cradled in Alicia's hands.
"...They're looking for that."
Alicia tried to bluff. "Orb and I are already connected. They
wouldnae
be able to separate us that easy!"
"Ye may know more about black magic than both of us. But ye
dinnae
ken the full extent of your Orb's abilities. Yer no stronger than an experienced mage, Alicia. Not even with Orb's power."
Alicia lowered her head, looking at Orb. The understanding human being like her was forced to declare defeat in a brief debate with Gilmore. Not because her intelligence had decreased, but rather because she was smart, she had already thought about the repercussions of her actions if she was careless. Alicia still had to adapt to the pooling and circulation of energy back and forth between herself and Orb. Casting a simple spell with it could knock her out. What happened if she exploited that energy for long-term combat? Entering the battle unprepared only made her die silly. Even both her friends could not back her up, for the opponent they were about to face was someone who had black magic energy—a negative kind of magic that was too strong and destructive to everything, even to the enchanter.
Nadine gave her a pat of comfort. "I know you mean well, Alicia. But it would be best if we leave it to the Trinketshore magical authorities to take care of this matter."
"I… I just want to be useful because I've obtained this boon. I don't want to be just remembered as the frail Crimsonmane nerd. I'm sick of being protected all the time. Now it should be my turn to use my gift to help people as a mage."
"Gilmore isn't a knight just because he's only wielded a sword for a day. You'll have to delve deeper into Orb's relationship with
yerself
before you can slowly become the great mage ye aspire to be. And you
will definitely
be that person someday," Nadine embraced her. "I really believe in Orb's power. Ye will become a great mage like yer
maw
in the future. But ye have to be patient and
ken
yer limits."
Ah, Nadine, don't bring up 'mama' again! You know I'd be blue if I heard that one word,
said Alicia in her heart.
Gilmore let out a smile. "
Jist
so ye know, I
didnae
mean to look down on ye, like...," his eyes looked the other way, his lips twitching. "
Yon
bunch of 'arseholes' ye call family."
Alicia then put on an almost smiling expression when she heard Gilmore insulting her big clan. Gilmore added, "It's just that everything takes time."
Alicia could not help but smile a little and nodded. They were right. Maybe for now, let the adult mages do what they were paid for.
But how the Divine had cursed them. Only after they had had enough deliberation, the three of them suddenly felt a violent tremor. The sound of a gigantic explosion shook their hearts, followed by the screams of a frantic crowd from a distance. It wasn't easy for them not to notice a purple explosion with a shape that resembled a mushroom.
The black mage had returned, sooner than they expected.
Orb wailed a loud siren. The real threat was here. The explosion seemed to have swept away all the wise thoughts that had been embedded in the girl's head. She lost her rational minds again. Signs of panic began to appear in her eyes. Panic because they have to run away for the sake of their lives, or panic because the townspeople trapped in danger suddenly became a moral burden for the girl.
With her body shaking and trapped in a labyrinth of dilemmas, Alicia Crimsonmane decided to put the safety of the people first. Her feet pedaled faster away from her pals, who were still stunned by the explosion, before realizing that their childhood friend had instead walked towards the source of the fire.
"Alicia! Where are you going to?"
"Damn it,
yon
bampot!"
complained the Big Yin.
Alicia's heard nothing but the screams of the citizens who were frantic like animals. []
====================================================================
Gaun tae dae:
Going to do.
Maw: Ma, Mother. |
Chapter 17
Crayon and Colourea vs Easeion
" Our leader will be able to take over with his girlfriend " said Easeion.
" They will reign over Colourland as this new super couple "
" Super couple ? " asked Colourea.
" They sure are one and our leader will show himself to you Crayon " said Easeion.
" We will find out his identity, that is true " said Crayon.
" You will be made single first, it's what me and my superiors all want " said Easeion. " I will also be able to show what a legendary brother I am for what I have done for Bill and Tara "
" Legendary ? " asked Crayon. " There are two of us left, there is a lot more fighting here "
" Not as much fighting as you think, Crayon " said Easeion. " You know of how much of a legend I am out here, and you will be seeing the single life in Colourland very soon hahahaha "
" Let's continue the fight " said Crayon. " Let's see how much of a supposed legend you claim to be "
" I am, time to fight " said Easeion.
" Crayon, you will be finished "
" Hahahaha "
Easeion started charging his Super Lightning Edge and aimed it towards Colourea while Crayon used his Super Light Bomb which Colourea used the Super Light Kick on the bomb to add more force to it and the attacks hit but Easeion's was stronger.
Easeion got up and then used the Shadow Implosion while Crayon then used the Light Implosion. Both of them took damage from the attack but Colourea took more. Easeion then rushed towards Colourea with the Quadruple Shadow Strike and he hit down Colourea to the ground.
" Hahahahahahahahahahaha " said Easeion.
" Now I will do what my siblings did not and my revenge will be amazing "
" Crayon, you will be single "
" Why does the Bear want me single so much " said Crayon.
" My siblings originally wanted this and now the rest of the organization now realized what a great idea it is " said Easeion. " Our leader demands that I destroy the love between you and Colourea because of the threat that you are to The Bear, since even my great siblings Bill and Tara even could not end it "
" I understand The Bear wants me out of the way, but why end the romance instead of killing me " said Crayon.
" We know how sad it will make you and our leader wants the romance eliminated so that he can take over with his girlfriend " said Easeion. " He knows I can avenge Bill and Tara while making you single
at the same time, he feels he cannot take over with you being with Colourea still.
" What does me dating Colourea have to do with then taking over Colourland ? " asked Crayon.
" Our leader wants it to be perfect with her, when they take over as a couple " said Easeion. " I will show what a legendary brother I am when I end the life of Colourea and avenge Bill and Tara in a great way "
" Legendary brother ? " asked Crayon.
" Yes, I am such a great brother to Bill and Tara " said Easeion.
" I am a Smithson, Smithsons forever "
" The Smithsons are a family that is so unique "
" There is no stopping a Smithson "
" Let us continue the fight " said Crayon.
" Time for you to be single " said Easeion.
Easeion then started using the Thunderstorm technique. The clouds around the area got very dark gray and then lightning started to strike towards Colourea but Crayon charged his Super Air Blast towards it which created a bunch of wind and electric energy together which blew Easeion and Crayon to the ground.
Colourea got up, she was slightly struggling. Then an extremely loud thunder sound hit and the ground started shaking while Easeion then was charging up for an attack.
The Super Lightning Edge then aimed towards Colourea, Colourea then used the Super Light Blast while Crayon used the Super Air Blast. The blasts and the Lightning Edge hit and all three fighters were hit.
Easeion then got up first and he then used a new technique named the Lightning Implosion which was stronger than the Dark Implosion. Tons of lightning energy was being charged by him, Crayon then used his Light Implosion while Colourea used a new Bomb technique called the Ultimate Light Bomb. These extremely powerful attacks then all met up and then all three of them were hit very severely.
Colourea was seriously struggling. Easeion and Crayon were trying to prevent each other from getting up, but Easeion happened to get up and he was about to charge for his Super Lightning Edge and then aimed for Colourea.
" Hahahahahaha, I will now end the romance just watch me " said Easeion. " My legacy of being the great brother to Bill and Tara starts here "
" I won't let you end it " said Crayon.
" I will do it, you will start the single life in Colourland " said Easeion.
" The Bear wants it this way "
" I will never let down a great organization like the Bear "
Crayon rushed for Easeion and was able to trip him which prevented him from defeating Colourea.
Colourea was able to get up and kicked Easeion while Crayon then used his Super Air Blast and aimed it towards Easeion, Easeion rushed towards Colourea with his Lightning Edge and he directly hit Colourea while Crayon's attack hit him down to the ground.
Easeion got up and then he was very proud of himself.
" Hahahahahahaha " said Easeion. " I am such a legend as a brother "
" Bill and Tara have wanted you single, I have done what they wanted "
" Colourea, no " said Crayon. " It's not over yet "
" Look at her, it is over " said Easeion. " You are single now, have you thought about what it is like to be single here in Colourland, Crayon ?
" I have made you single which is what the Bear wants "
" Colourea is not dead " said Crayon.
" I am still with her "
" You must admit to the truth " said Easeion. " I have done what The Bear wanted and you are going to have to accept being single whether you fucking like it or not "
" The single life for you begins now, let's resume this fight "
" Let's keep fighting " said Crayon.
" Yes, I will make sure that you are single because the Bear demands this " said Easeion.
Easeion then started getting his Thunderstorm attack ready.
" Now it is time Crayon " said Easeion. " This will not only attack you but it will Strike Colourea as well.
" I won't allow Colourea to die " said Crayon.
" I will end her life and succeed in doing so " said Easeion. " Whites will be happy I murdered Colourea, hahahahaha "
" The Bear needs this to happen, for the sake of the organization "
" Whites won't get the satisfaction " said Crayon.
" He's getting it, Crayon " said Easeion. " It just shows how great The Bear is "
" The Bear cannot be stopped, you will never succeed "
" We will take over "
" Let's continue " said Crayon.
The attack then started to strike, Crayon then used the the Super Air Blast to try stop the attack, Crayon and Easeion took some damage but Colourea did not die. Crayon then then hit Easeion with the Ultimate Light Bomb and Easeion took some serious damage.
Easeion got up. He then started to rush for Crayon with his Super Lightning Edge while Crayon used his Light Implosion. The attacks hit, and both fighters took damage. Crayon was slightly struggling and Easeion was close to slightly struggling. Easeion then aimed to grab Colourea's body and then he was charging energy for his Thunderstorm technique, to attempt to finish her life off for good.
" Now, I will succeed in this murder " said Easeion. " When this murder succeeds, you will now truly see what it means to fight a Smithson "
" I won't let you do this " said Crayon.
" Colourea's going to die " said Easeion.
" Hahaha, I am so thrilled about what is going on now "
Crayon rushed to kick Easeion to stop his attack but Easeion was able to get out of the way in time but the attack failed. Easeion then rushed for Crayon with his Super Lightning Edge, Crayon used the Light Implosion.
The attacks charged with intense energy causing a very bright electric explosion and both fighters were knocked to the ground. Crayon was struggling, while Easeion was starting to slightly struggle.
" Now, Crayon you must know something right now " said Easeion.
" What is it ? " asked Crayon.
" If you leave here right now and let me do what I need to do, I will spare you for the time being " said Easeion.
" I am giving you a very special opportunity for living "
" You're going to end Colourea's life here " said Crayon.
" That is what the higher ups in The Bear all want, Whites insisted on me killing Colourea like I said earlier " said Easeion. " You will have to make an important decision here Crayon, either you die or Colourea dies and you look elsewhere in Colourland "
" Colourea is not worth this "
" I can't do that for Colourea " said Crayon.
" You can do it, Crayon " said Easeion. " I have confidence in you with your life outside of Colourea "
" The Bear also believes in this "
" The Bear is giving you a chance, think about what the organization is doing here "
" My life outside of Colourea " said Crayon. " I cannot let you do that to her "
" You want her to die "
" We also will have Challenger brought to us for questioning " said Easeion. " Would you want to not see Challenger again, Crayon ?
" You must think about Challenger "
" I do want to see him again, I just won't let you kill Colourea " said Crayon.
" You work for Challenger " said Easeion. " This is a sacrifice you must make for him "
" Challenger would love this type of sacrifice "
" Challenger would side with me fighting to keep Colourea alive " said Crayon.
" Challenger wants you not to die, Crayon " said Easeion. " The Bear needs you to stay alive with Challenger, for this special questioning "
" You wouldn't go against Challenger I assume "
" I will stay alive, but Colourea will not die " said Crayon.
" Challenger is against what the Bear is doing "
" You are struggling a lot, you cannot prevent her from dying and yourself Crayon " said Easeion.
You will have to make a decision on what is worth it "
" I will be able to stop Colourea from dying " said Crayon.
" Forget about Colourea " said Easeion.
" Think about us "
" You will be finding someone else "
" I love Colourea, I cannot do this " said Crayon.
" Why would I think about you after what you have said and done ? "
" You will regret this " said Easeion.
" I believed that you could have done it, such a shame "
" You could have forgotten about Colourea "
" This will end bad for you "
" Hahaha, you will not save Colourea "
" I will stop this " said Crayon.
" Nope, Colourea will be gone for good and Whites will be thrilled " said Easeion.
" Colourea is dying "
" I am killing her, hahahahaha "
Crayon then got up and Easeion then rushed towards him and grabbed him. Easeion then punched him while Crayon kicked him. Crayon then charged up the Super Air Blast while Easeion used the Quadruple Shadow Strike and the attacks hit. Easeion then got up and then started charging up the Thunderstorm technique and then a shock of lightning was about to hit Colourea.
" The relationship you have with Colourea will be no more, the love no more, it is time for a different life for you Crayon " said Easeion.
" Hahahahahahahaha, this is so awesome "
" I have been perfect at this "
" Don't be sure " said Crayon.
" I am extremely sure, how could I not be honestly " said Easeion.
" The Bear will take over Colourland "
" I am so confident "
Crayon rushed to block the attack with the Super Light Blast, a small portion of the attack hit Colourea and the rest hit Crayon.
" You will regret that Crayon " said Easeion. " I'll keep attacking to kill and she'll die whether you like it or not "
" My siblings want this "
" I will never ever let them down "
" Let's keep fighting " said Crayon.
" Prepare for the end " said Easeion.
Easeion then got up and headed towards Colourea but Crayon then blocked him and knocked him down and then hit him directly with the Super Light Bomb. Both Easeion and Crayon were struggling.
Easeion then started to use the Dark Implosion while Crayon used the Light Implosion. The attacks collided and both Easeion and Crayon were getting to the point of seriously struggling. Easeion got up first and then got to Colourea's body.
Easeion then attacked Colourea by punching her body. He then went to hit her with the Super Darkness Bomb but Crayon was able to get there in time and use the Super Light Bomb which knocked Easeion down. Both of them were barely able to move.
" Crayon, this is it " said Easeion. " It is now over for the romance "
" A truly great day for the organization "
" I'm not seeing that " said Crayon.
" I will end it, no matter what " said Easeion. " Whites may not forgive me if I do not do this successfully "
" Regardless of Whites, I will still stop this murder " said Crayon.
" Whites is a great man, I will end Colourea right now " said Easeion.
" The Bear will not stand for her staying alive "
" The organization needs her dead "
" It must be this way "
" Why, I do not understand " said Crayon.
" We must continue this fight "
" Yes, your love for Colourea will be history " said Easeion.
" I am so happy to do this "
" Your relationship will be no more, my victory is imminent "
" If you are that sure then let's keep this up " said Crayon.
" I am, you being with Colourea is a relationship gone forever " said Easeion.
" Whites wants this a lot "
" Colourea's death will be great "
" She won't die, you have not won yet " said Crayon.
" The Bear has depended on me to end this relationship " said Easeion.
" Crayon, every last member is demanding me succeed here "
" I have convinced every Bear member to want this "
" You will never go against this, Crayon "
" Your organization can hate Colourea as much as you want but you will not end her life " said Crayon.
" The Bear will succeed " said Easeion.
" Hahahaha, Colourea is dying "
" Colourea will be gone forever, Whites will be thrilled "
" Let's just see about that " said Crayon.
Easeion and Crayon fought with their last bits of energy and Easeion launched his Super Lightning Edge while Crayon used the Light Implosion. The attacks hit, both of them looked to be knocked out.
For a while, neither person had got up but eventually Crayon was the one to get up.
Crayon then went towards the bodies of Colouruke, Colourea, Artby and Warbler. After that he went to bring them to safety and before he contacted Challenger he called the hospital.
" Challenger, Easeion is no more " said Crayon.
" Excellent, you five are on another level " said Challenger.
" We have been training a lot " said Crayon.
" Great to see " said Challenger.
" We are going to go to the hospital " said Crayon.
" Good idea, after all that fighting " said Challenger.
The ambulance took them to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Whites and Blackina were talking about Easeion.
" This is taking way too long " said Whites.
" I am puzzled "
" I do not understand this " said Blackina.
" Easeion has too much skill for it to take this long for him to return " said Whites.
" Either he is coming back in the next few minutes or he is done "
" Bill and Tara lost and now possibly Easeion " said Blackina. " It is time for action "
" We cannot let Crayon get away with this, we must take over "
" His friends are also a problem "
" I will deal with them " said Whites.
" I will destroy them if Easeion did not succeed, and Blackin will make me the queen of Colourland " said Blackina. " I cannot fucking wait "
" We must focus on taking over Colourland now, destroying the romance is no longer our focus since Easeion is likely finished " said Whites.
" He was the original Bear member to demand its destruction "
" Blackin will take over easily, the three of us are unstoppable " said Blackina. " Blackin will make me his queen like he has said before and The Bear will rule supreme "
" Our time is now " said Whites.
" Hahaha, we will not be stopped "
Blackina then headed to meet Blackin.
" Blackin, we are going to take over Colourland " said Blackina.
" It will be simple to take over " said Blackin.
" We will be the new rulers of Colourland " said Blackina.
" We will not focus on the romance between Crayon and Colourea anymore and we will just destroy anyone that gets in the way " said Blackin. " I will eliminate anyone who stops me from making Blackina my queen, hahahahahahaha "
" Hahahahahahahaha " said Blackina.
" Hahahahahahahaha " said Blackin.
" I love you so much " said Blackina.
" We will always be together " said Blackin.
" Our love is so strong " said Blackina.
They then kissed each other and headed upstairs into their room.
Crayon and his friends stayed the night at the hospital. |
Now that the final exams have finished, all there is to do is wait till March so we can graduate. It has been getting more and more stressful for me, thinking about moving away from my parents. Even more, moving to another country.
Now that I actually have freedom, it is time to dive into the mystery surrounding my father.
“From my current knowledge, he has been coming back home late for a good time now. He seems rather flustered every time he returns, with the excuse he's just very exhausted from working so late.” I explained to Lei Mei.
“Mhm. Mhm.” She replied as she noted things down.
“I think we should attempt to track him down. Follow his steps from work.”
“But Taji, where do we find the time to do that? He only works during the week when we have classes, so we won't be able to follow him.”
“This is true, so I was thinking of just skipping school for a day to carry out this investigation.”
“What? Are you stupid? You only just managed to get the respect needed from people and good grades. Now you want to ruin it by skipping school? Furthermore, involve me in this? Sorry Taji, but I will not sacrifice my standards and my reputation for this matter.”
“I expected this, so plan 2 is to just go to his workplace after school and wait for him to leave the office since he finishes later than we do.”
Lei Mei stared at me with a terrifying expression.
“What's wrong?”
“Taji, you bring out the worst in me sometimes.”
“I don’t get it. What did I do?”
“Why is your plan 2 more logical and efficient than your first one?”
“It is? This is only assuming he goes to the office!”
“Where else would he go? If he's going home late, that means he is potentially doing something after work. So he would have to go to work to keep making an income during the day, right?”
“Now that you’re saying it, this makes a lot of sense. You’re right, haha.”
“You’re full of surprises, Taji.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No, not at all. Give me more pleasure to explore you more,” she replied as she patted my head.
Sometimes I feel like I’m more of her pet than anything, but it doesn’t feel like it did with Sawa. I wonder how she’s doing. Haven’t heard anything from her and she has been doing a pretty good job of avoiding me at school. Maybe for the best.
“Let’s go to my dad’s office after work.”
“Sounds good to me.”
-
-
-
As soon as school ended, I dragged Lei Mei out to my father's office. We put on a disguise and camped out near the office entrance. I made Lei Mei wear a nice French beret, sunglasses, and a large trench coat. I wore a beanie with glasses and a baseball jacket. This should make us harder to be identified by my dad, I hope so at least.
The sun was starting to set, and the temperature was slowly dropping along with it. There is still no sign of my father, or even anyone else getting out of the office. The clocks hit 5 pm. Some people have started to leave the office now. Unfortunately, still no sign of my father.
“How long does he work? I’m going to end up falling asleep before he gets out.” I complained to Lei Mei.
“Taji, it’s normal for office workers to stay for overtime. It’s just the standard work life.” She replied.
“Wow, this is such a sad life, they really expect us to grow up and agree to this?”
“Not optional, you have to adapt to it.
“What a horrible world we live in…”
Thanks to our idle chat, we managed to wait out enough time for my father to leave the office. We hid behind some bushes and began our spying mission.
Father began walking off to the car park, he does indeed drive a car. Everything is normal here. However, this is an issue, we have no way to travel after the car on foot quickly.
“What now then Taji? How do you expect us to go after him?” Lei Mei questioned.
“Well… I didn’t think of this at all. I forgot he even drove a car.”
“I must say, I am impressed by your lack of competence sometimes. You seem to know what you’re doing and then… you just don’t. Quite fascinating.”
I proved my worth here. So embarrassing. I need to come up with a plan ASAP. I looked around the entire premise and noticed a few taxis were waiting on the side.
“I hope that you have some money on you, we’re going to need it.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“You’ll see. Come on, we have no time to lose.”
I grabbed Lei Mei by her hand and ran over to the taxi.
Lei Mei got into the taxi fully red and silent. She said no word nor did she look at me. Quite an unusual reaction from her.
“Where are we going?” The taxi driver asked.
“Can you follow that car from a bit of a distance?” I requested while pointing over at my father's car.
“This isn’t some movie where you come in and the taxi driver just does whatever crazy stuff you request. My job doesn’t specify that I should participate in stalking.”
“Ah… See I assumed that this would work because of action movies, hahaaaa…”
“Why do you want to follow that car?”
“It’s my father. He has been acting a bit fishy recently, so we wanted to see what he was up to after work.”
“I see, I see. Well, I’ll submit to your request, however, it will require paying a little extra.”
“That’s ok.”
Lei Mei suddenly returned to earth and said, “Extorting money from minors because they want to go after their father? That doesn’t seem too good. Both ways that you look at it, it’s not that good, so shall we both just treat this as a normal lift for two children going to meet their father?”
“Fine, fine, I’ll follow him. Stop making this harder than it is.”
“Thank you, driver.”
Lei Mei is really amazing. How did she think of this? I must be either really stupid or she must be really smart.
The taxi followed the car, we drove for quite a while before we finally came to a halt. I looked over to see what was happening. It seems that my father had parked at a hotel. I guess this is the location.
“Lei Mei pay and I’ll go follow. I’ll send the coordinates so you can catch up when I’m there.”
“Excuse me? Why am I the one paying?”
“I’ll repay you later, hurry, we don't have time to lose.”
“I can’t believe you Taji but get going. I’ll get over it soon.”
“Thank you, my beloved. I’ll be waiting for you.”
I ran off leaving Lei Mei in the taxi. |
They were in the monitoring room. However, it looked completely different from what it looks like in our world. From the common aspects, there were chairs and in front of them objects used to monitor the building, here the common aspects with our world end. The "monitors" are actually circular mirrors the size of, perhaps, dinner plates. They projected an image of their smaller counterparts, scattered throughout the building. One large mirror was connected to one small mirror, and since the building they were monitoring was large, they also needed many small mirrors. Consequently, the whole room was filled to the brim with mirrors. There was also a desk in this room with small round devices on it. They were communication mirrors that served as telephones in this world. They opened like hand mirrors. Each was named by a different name leading to different people, presumably selected guards.
On the floor lay the security responsible for relaying information from what they saw. Some of them were holding communication mirrors, trying to call for help, but apparently they didn't make it in time.
The girl and the boy looked at the images projected on the mirrors to get an idea of the situation.
Girl - Do you see this? I don't see any enemies lying down, only the workers here.
Boy - Look at this.
He pointed to one of the mirrors.
Boy - She doesn't look like she works here.
Girl - Uhm. Plus, she looks younger than us.
In one of the mirrors they spotted Feli running down the hall looking for Fi.
Girl - But look, there are guards around the corner. If no one helps her, she will die soon.
Girl, Boy - !!!
They both fell silent in surprise. The girl they were watching and thought her end was near escaped a surprise attack and took out the two guards lurking for her.
Girl - I don't believe it. The untouched are unable to do such things. She's definitely not with us, I've never seen her in our base.
Boy - And why would they send us any reinforcements?
Girl - It doesn't make sense, but she's definitely stronger than the untouched.... Could be kamikazes, but I don't see why they should be here.
Boy - I doubt it either. Only one option left
Girl - Yes, she must be from this city, and she somehow missed the injections. Maybe there are even more such people... We should inform Vilar about it.
Boy - Yhm.
*********************************
Something was wrong. It was as obvious as the sun, although in this world the sun is not so obvious, so I should use another word. Either way, this man knew full well that the place he wanted to get to was in a state of emergency.
The man was hiding behind one of the buildings, watching the situation that took place behind the gate. He was looking at the column that our three heroes had recently entered. The entrance through which Fi, Feli and Trix had entered, was now besieged by guards.
And from the inside of the door, even more of them began to come out. They were the guards and employees who were in the building.
Guard - Should we call the firefighters?
Employee - No way! Do you want them to discover us? We have a fire extinguisher, someone must be putting out the fire already.
??? - [Fire? What happened there? Did the three that Coin told me about really go in there?]
Due to the chaos that was there, no one even thought about guarding the area around the building, so no one noticed the hiding person.
??? - [But how do I get inside?]
The gate was high and it was impossible to jump over it.
??? - I don't think I have a choice.
He ran to the gate, pulled out a pistol and punched the keyhole, thus opening the passage for himself. After that, everyone present there, and there were at least a dozen of them, turned their attention to him.
Employee - It's a guard!
One called out after he recognized the uniform. The man was covered in red scales and wore a uniform that everyone recognized.
City Guard - Everybody stay still, from now on this place will be under guard control and if you said anything about a fire then call the firemen!
Fighting random intruders is one thing, but fighting a guard is another. The consequences of this could be unpleasant.
Employee - What does the boss say?
Guard - I can't contact him.
One of the bodyguards was carrying what could be mistakenly described as a small box mirror. It was really a communicator that serves as a telephone in this world.
Guard - If he called reinforcements, we can't hide it anyway. Call the firefighters.
The employees present there listened to what the city guard said. And while they were carrying out the command, the man entered the building.
*********************************
Everyone started coughing. It was the same type of bomb she had used in this building recently. This poisonous gas was by no means lethal, but it caused a burning sensation in the throat and nose, and coughing. It stopped all the guards who were guarding Asil's room from moving.
This moment was used, and Trix took down everyone without much trouble. With a victorious step she entered the room where her object of revenge was located.
Trix - This is my first taste of revenge, and I must say I'm having a blast.
Asil - Cough, cough..
Even though the poison had diluted quite a bit, its effects still lingered
Asil - I can't believe you decided to take revenge on me. Those few ter meant so much to you? Cough.
Trix - It's not about money, it's about ... - she pondered - honor? No, I have no such thing as honor, you just pissed me off, that's all.
She dismissed the word "honor" with a wave of her hand.
A youth with green leaves instead of hair and elven ears was sitting on a chair at the end of the room. Trix took a few steps forward while stretching her wrists and thinking about what she would do as revenge. Until suddenly,
One of the guards jumped out at her from behind. He hid behind the door and somehow managed to avoid the poison.
Startled, Trix avoided her opponent's arms, thus escaping from his grip. And then she saw something that was a big problem for her. Outside the door, another group of guards gathered in front of the room. They must have stayed behind to set an ambush. There weren't too many of them, because there were five of them, but in this room she had neither escape route nor place to hide. They couldn't shoot at her without accidentally hitting the boss's son, but that didn't mean the fight would be easy for her.
The bodyguard she missed tried to grab her and pin her down again, and the rest joined in. Although she was physically stronger than them, their numbers caused problems. If it had been Fi, or maybe even Feli, they would have dealt with the problem quickly, but Trix was the weakest of the three in a fistfight.
She kicked one, pinned the other against the wall, seemed to be winning, until Asil got up from the chair and pointed his gun at her. He didn't care about his employees the way they cared about him, so he had no qualms about pulling the trigger. Fortunately, Trix noticed it in time and dodged the bullet. Unfortunately, at the same time she was kicked in the legs, lost her balance and fell to the floor, breaking one of the test tubes she had taken from Feli. She struggled kicking those who tried to grab her, but after a while all four of her limbs were caught and she found it difficult to move.
Trix - Damn! Let go!
She couldn't get out of their hands.
Asil - Ha ha ha! You see! And who's in charge now!?
Asil approached the immobilized girl. He had a crooked smile, as befits an evil enemy. He looked down at her with superiority.
Asil - Now what are you going to do with this whole "revenge plan"?!! You failed! Well done for getting this far though.
Trix - Eh... I could have told Feli to stay... but at least she gave me something else.
Asil - What are you muttering there?
Trix - See the liquid that's on the floor?
Asil - What about it?
He didn't know what the girl was getting at.
Trix - It's a potion, and I have another similar one in my hand.
They all looked at her hand and confirmed it. They knew from that moment that something bad was about to happen.
Trix - What do you think will happen if these two potions come together?
This sentence was a sign for everyone to run away. As soon as Asil felt threatened, he quickly stepped back against the wall.
Trix - Bye, bye, maybe I'll see you in the afterlife.
It was the second and last sign after which everyone quickly released her body and saved their lives, the two who were holding her legs ran out of the room through the door. Those holding her hands were closer to the other end of the wall where Asil was.
Trix immediately, after saying the last sentence, crushed the test tube in her hands, causing the contents to spill onto the floor, mixing with the potion that had spilled there earlier and,
and nothing happened.
Trix - It's a bit of a pity, but it's good that I survived.
She said quickly getting to her feet.
Asil - What? It was a bluff! Catch her!
Trix - Hihi. This time the threat is real.
She pulled another bomb out of her bag.
Trix - This one isn't smoky, nor does it have any poisonous gas in it. It's real. Boom!
With those words, she threw it towards Asil and the other two guards. Everyone immediately fell to the ground, covering their heads, and the bomb exploded as soon as it hit the ground.
*********************************
Fi couldn't move. If he did, Makio's head might have been riddled with holes from the guy standing next to her.
There were four more bodyguards in the room, although it would be more accurate to say "gorillas", not because they looked like that, but because they were big men who were full of strength. They all had guns pointed at the boy. They had quite a lot of time to prepare, after all, this whole wall-breaking thing took long enough for anyone to get bored, let alone prepare. You can even sympathize with Makio, who all this time had to stand with a gun aimed at her head.
Other than that, the office looked like an office. The furniture looked expensive and well made. The room was quite spacious. A massive desk stood near the back wall, with an expensive red armchair behind the desk. There were two comfortable looking chairs in front of the desk. Between these chairs and the door were two couches with a low table between them. Everything here was tidy and elegant.
Boss - You came here for that girl, didn't you? Who you are!?
Fi - I'm Fi.
He was silent for a moment after hearing this unexpectedly short answer.
Boss - .....So "Fi" what do you want?
Fi - .....Um...Well.....you said it yourself? I'm here for Kebamakio.
The boss made a slightly embarrassed face on his own account. But soon that expression faded and turned serious again.
Boss - .....I didn't expect three kids to do me so much damage, so to avoid more, how about a deal?
Fi - Deal?
Boss - Yes. I'll let your friend go, alive and unharmed, provided you stay where you are and take the bullet yourself. A refusal will mean that your friend will be killed immediately. What do you think?
In short, either he or Makio dies. The boy had no choice. Any move will make Makio die. He couldn't do anything but stand still.
Fi - So you'll just shoot me and then release Kebamakio?
Boss - Exactly.
Fi - I agree.
Boss - Heh, you're brave, you're not afraid of death. I'd love to see that attitude change to a cowardly one the moment before pulling the trigger. You,
He nodded to one of the gorillas.
Maki - No! Fi, don't listen! Save yourself!
Boss - Keep quiet if you don't want the deal broken!
His menacing voice shut her mouth. She didn't have the courage to object, but she was very worried about Fi and wished nothing would happen to him.
The indicated tall man came closer and aimed straight at the boy's head.
Gorilla - Last Words.
Fi - But these won't be my last words.
He replied simply, as if he didn't care at all.
Gorilla - ...As you wish.
He pulled the trigger and, thanks to the potions' power, a ball of water shot out at Fi with incredible speed.
The boy did not try to avoid it, he stood straight and motionless as he had been told. But, the part of the face where the drop was going turned black. Just like his hands before, now part of his face was wearing this strong armor.
And all this happened in the blink of an eye, so that no one present was able to see the black armor. They only saw the result.
The boy stood as he stood. Only a drop of water fell from his cheek to the ground.
Boss - What happened!? You can't aim at someone who's a meter away from you!?
Gorilla - No! I shot him, for sure!
Boss - If so, why is he still alive!? Shoot!
The man did as he was ordered. He pulled the trigger again, and a ball of water shot out of the pistol.
But the result was exactly the same. The boy was still standing and a drop of water fell from his cheek.
Fi - Hey! There was only supposed to be one! Now release the Kebamakio!
Boss - What!? No way!
Fi - How is that no way? You said if you shot a bullet at me you'd let her go, so let her go!
Boss - You were supposed to die!
Fi - Not at all! You said-
He stopped suddenly as the whole room shook.
And that's not all, apart from the quake, a crack appeared on the floor. It ran across the room, connecting to other cracks that had formed at the same time. The sound that was made as a result of their creation was extremely disturbing. And although everyone knew something was wrong, almost no one in the room had time to react. The floor immediately cracked and collapsed. They all fell down as they stood, feeling only fear. I mean, everyone was scared, even the "gorillas" with one exception, which was Fi, of course. The boy didn't feel any threat due to the collapsing floor and as soon as everyone turned their attention away from him, he jumped towards Makio trying to save her from the boss.
*********************************
Trix, right after throwing the bomb, backed up and jumped out of the room to avoid getting injured. There were two guards waiting for her, who also managed to escape, but she quickly took them down and turned around to see the state of the room.
Moments after the explosion, she heard the heavy sound of things collapsing. The ceiling of the room fell to the ground, making a noise like a bomb.
Along with the ceiling, people whom Trix did not expect fell down. In addition to a grown man who looked like he wasn't just a random guy, but someone important, a few other well-built and menacing-looking guys, Fi also fell down holding Makio in his arms. He was the only one to fall to his feet and keep his balance on the uneven ground.
Trix - Sorry! Fili! Are you OK? I had no idea you were upstairs!
Fi - No, I'm fine. And thanks, you helped me!
Makio - Trix? Are you here too?
The boy released Makio from his hands after leaving the dusty and broken room. The woman stood on shaky legs, still feeling the sudden fall.
Trix - Good to see you're okay. Your grandfather looked like the living dead when he talked about your kidnapping.
Maki - Is he okay? I passed out in the store, so I don't know if he made it out unhurt.
Trix - He didn't look too bad, he's probably fine.
Makio - Luckily
She sighed in relief, clutching her heart.
??? - Fuck! What happened!?
They heard a voice coming from a room whose ceiling had collapsed.
The boss came limping out, followed by three bodyguards who looked as if they were unharmed.
Gorilla - Boss! Your son is here!
The fourth stayed in the room and dug up under a pile of dust and rubble, the son of his employer. He was more or less whole. The ceiling collapsed mainly in the middle, so Asil avoided critical damage by hiding against the wall. However, he lost consciousness, and blood flowed from his ears, probably after hearing a loud explosion. The other two guards were in a similar state.
Boss - Khh!
He was so angry that he couldn't even utter words.
Boss - What are you waiting for!? Kill them!
He shouted to his bodyguards, who obediently obeyed. They still had their pistols in their hands, aiming them at the intruders.
Trix - Get down!
She grabbed Makio and sent her to the ground, dodging two shots.
And only two because the third was blocked by Fi. Before the gorilla could fire, Fi was beside him, and with a black hand slammed into his shoulder, breaking it. The man was strong, as befits the bodyguard of the biggest mafia in the city, so he did not show pain, although the suffering was certainly powerful.
The boy aimed his fist at the gorilla again, this time at the head. But the gorilla managed to dodge the blow. He didn't have the gun anymore because he dropped it from his broken hand. His other hand, on the other hand, was functional, and he tried to hit Fi with it. However, he miscalculated a bit in his strength and speed, because in those two respects he was far behind the boy who easily dodged the blow and landed his, which knocked him to the ground. And all this in just a few seconds.
After that, he defeated the rest of the bodyguards in a similar way, so the boss was left alone without any protection.
He chickened out. He backed up on slightly trembling legs, afraid to take any action.
It was hard for him to believe that a bunch of kids had been able to break into his base, defeat most of the guards, and get to him. And now that he had seen their power with his own eyes, it only made it more incredible.
Fi - This is for kidnapping Kabemakio.
He stepped forward, shifting his weight to his left leg, and hit the boss in the face with a straight punch. The boss flew backwards and ended up unconscious on the ground.
Trix - Well, it's over.
Fi - It was too easy.
Trix - Don't overdo it, if it was harder, something could have happened to Makio, right?
Makio - I don't know how you can say that it was too simple, ah .... you are amazing.
Her tail was still curled in fear, her fur was bristling, and her breathing was labored.
Fi - Hihi! Right!
He smiled happily.
Trix - And now we have to get out of here. Feli said there was a fire downstairs. By the way, haven't you met her, Fi? She went looking for you.
Fi - No.
Trix - Then go upstairs and find her.
Fi - ........ Upstairs again......
He was reluctant to climb the stairs a second time. His face screamed how much he didn't want to do this.
Fi - Only and exclusively because it is Felyy.
He convinced himself of the task, for his sister's sake, and ran up the stairwell.
Trix - Can you get up?
Makio - Yes.
Trix reached out to her and helped her up. Her ears were drooped and tucked down, but she no longer looked as scared as she had a few moments ago.
??? - What happened here?
They heard an unfamiliar voice and immediately turned to him. There stood a man with red scales and a lizard tail. He was wearing a police uniform. It was the same guy who had chased after Fi and Bunny the day before.
Trix - City Watch? ...All in all, we made a lot of noise.
She thought for a moment. It's impossible for someone from the outside not to notice that something is wrong. While the guns weren't all that loud, the bomb she used definitely spread farther than just inside the building. But for the guards to react so quickly?
Trix - As you can see, evil has been defeated and good has triumphed.
The girl pointed to the mobster and his bodyguards lying on the floor.
Guardian (Lizard) - ? Have any of you met Coin?
Trix - ? Yes...? I met him...wait... He said something about his brother being a guard...
Lizard - Yes, he told me what happened, but..... could only three races really do such damage?
He was talking not only about what he had just seen before his eyes, but also what he saw when he entered here. It was something that would be hard to do even with a whole squad of guards.
Trix - Haha! I'll take that as a compliment!
He was more likely to get an answer like "we have black belts in karate" or some other explanation for this improbable event, but he didn't press for an answer.
Lizard - And I heard that your friend was kidnapped...
Trix - Yes, there she is.
She pointed to a woman who was standing close to her.
Trix - And I have one request, sir.
She walked slowly towards the man.
Trix - I would be grateful if the guard would do everything in his power to keep the information about me and my friends secret.
Lizard - I don't remember having a reason to cover you.
Trix - How come!?
With her hand on her heart, she pretended to be greatly surprised, although she did it in such a way that her acting was immediately visible.
Trix - The news that you're revealing work information to your little brother won't help you, and guards should keep things like that to themselves, right?
Trix was standing right in front of him and only approached as if she wanted to show who's boss. Their heads were so close that someone who didn't know them might have been confused as to what they were talking about. But the man took a step back and sighed.
Lizard - I have no reason to cover for you, but I also have no reason to accuse you, after all, you just took down the most problematic organization in the whole city. I'll think of something to omit you and your friends from my report.
Trix - Thanx! You'll get a discount at the “Kiss Taste” Club if you come!
She gave him this proposal jokingly. It was obvious from the first glance that he wasn't the type to go to places like this.
Trix - I'm going and leave the rest to you, Mr. Honorable Guard!
She took Makio's hand and headed for the exit.
Makio - Go-goodbye.
She wasn't sure whether to say goodbye. During the descent, she couldn't help but marvel at how many guards her friends had managed to defeat.
Trix - Let's go straight to the old man, he must be dying of worry.
Makio - And Fi and Feli?
Trix - They'll be fine, don't worry about them.
***********************************
Feli - Filyy!? Filyy, where are you!?
She ran through the corridors looking for her brother.
Feli - Eh, I won't find him in that way... maybe I'll ask someone?
She thought for a moment and turned to the wall where the bodyguards lay.
Feli - Hey you.
She pointed to the only one who was conscious.
Feli - Where is Filyy?
Guard - Who?
Feli - Filyy!
Guard - Is that the boy with the black hair and the horn?
Feli - Yes, that's him! Where he is?
Guard - Why should I help you?
Feli - Em.... because if not.... I'll kick you?
Guard - I won't even tell you if you do.
Feli - Then what should I do to make you say?
Guard - Shoot yourself-
He paused and began to think about something.
The guard - this, I don't want to repeat it, he ran downstairs, to the second floor.
Feli - Thanks! And what floor is it?
Guard - Fourteenth.
Feli- Uh!? I was running so high!? All right, let's go!
She headed for the stairwell.
Guard - What the fuck is wrong with them?
He thought as he lay on the floor.
*********************************
Boy - Someone is running here.
Girl - Another guard, eh? However, it was good that there was this attack. Everything will be blamed on the intruders, so we don't have to hide.
Fi - Felyy! Felyy, where are you! You'd better be here 'cause I don't want to go any higher!
But instead of a guard, a boy appeared in front of them. They hadn't seen him before because he was in the boss's room, which had no mirrors.
Fi also noticed two strangers who didn't look like employees of the building. And because of that, he didn't know if he should attack them or not.
The girl, though short, was about the same age as Fi. She had a round and pleasant face. She had round green eyes and an animal nose. There are antlers sprouting from the left side of her head, the other one looks broken. She had a lion's tail ending in a chestnut shade of hair, just like her hair color on her head. Her fingertips, instead of nails, were tipped with sharp claws, like those of a lion. She wore black shorts, a neon green T-shirt and a white denim jacket.
The boy looked much more menacing. He was of the lizard race, and his entire body was covered with blue, hard-looking scales. Even instead of hair, he had blue, pointed scales. Behind him sprouted a lizard tail, decorated with a different type of scales. His eyes were menacing and he seemed serious. He was a well built young man who looked not much older than Fi. He was wearing black pants, a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, and a white t-shirt.
Girl - Doesn't look like a guard, do you think he's the accomplice of this untouched girl?
Boy - We'll see soon enough.
Girl - ? How? Hey! What do you want to do!?
The lizard-man approached Fi, grabbing a short stick, which immediately extended to almost two meters when pulled out.
Fi, not knowing what to do with them a moment ago, now, after this move, braced himself for battle. He felt no threat. Apart from Feli and Trix, he had never met anyone who could match him. So he jumped on his opponent, trying to knock him down with one blow to the head.
But it turned out he wasn't as fast as he thought. The stick held by the opponent blocked the boy's hit and then the tool went up and fell on his head.
Fi - Ouch! Hurts!?
The boy quickly jumped back, holding his head. And trying to process the information in his head, he came to only one conclusion.
Fi - You are strong!
Boy - Yes, I am. And now I'm testing your strength, so come on.
Confident in his abilities, he called him to continue the fight.
Fi - Hihi.
He smiled baring his teeth. He bent his legs at the knees and prepared to attack.
Fi - This will be fun.
After these words, he rushed to his opponent, he wanted to give him a simple punch in the stomach,
Fi - Doner kebab! - He called his blow.
Girl - ?
But the stick, held by the opponent with both hands, moved from right to left, trying to hit him. Fi jumped, doing a somersault in the air, touched the wall with his legs and, bouncing off it, flew at the lizard, trying to hit him with a right hook.
Fi - Iskender kebab!
Girl - ?
The lizard ducked and dodged. He moved to the right side allowing Fi to fall to the ground, but at the same time he prepared to attack the upper body, the stick flew at Fi with great force. Fi, however, did not lose his vigilance for a moment, only because he had to keep his balance when landing, he could not dodge, so he decided to counter the attack instead. Black armor appeared on his hand once again, which stopped the attack.
Boy - ?
It was unexpected even for the young man. He couldn't remember a race that would do such a thing, but that didn't stop him from attacking. After his attack was parried, instead of using his stick, he decided to kick Fi off and knock him to the ground while he was still crouching.
Fi noticed this and jumped back, and after regaining his balance, he again launched a simple attack towards the lizard's head. The lizard, just like before, decided to hit the boy from the side, but quickly regretted it. Fi used his punch as a bluff to provoke his opponent to make an attack, and while the enemy's hands were busy attacking, Fi jumped up above the swing of his stick and slammed his leg into the lizard's shoulder saying,
Fi - Lokma kebab!
Girl - ?
And it should be noted that although it was not visible, his leg was also black, wearing this incredibly strong black coating.
The lizard had no time to block the attack. And allowed himself to be hit. But contrary to Fi's expectations, nothing much happened to him. Even the black coating that was able to stop the bullets didn't do him any harm. His scales were definitely harder than those of an ordinary lizard-man.
Boy - It even hurt, not bad.
Fi - !?
Fi himself was impressed, neither Fela nor the Trix could withstand such a blow. But he didn't have much time to think about it, the young man immediately after receiving the blow, thrust his stick forward to hit Fi. The boy, as a result of surprise, barely avoided the attack. The lizard continued to attack, however, aiming at him from all sides, each attack difficult to dodge.
Fi was backing up, all the time crouching, jumping and somersaulting to avoid the attack. In an instant, he moved back enough that the enemy was too far away to launch an attack, so he took advantage of this and rushed forward. He bounced off the ground, touched the wall with his legs, did a somersault and wanted to kick the opponent in the head with his legs from above.
Fi - Kebab covered in sauce!
Girl - ? Do you really name your attacks? And in addition, the names of kebabs?
Fi - Yes! Because it's cool!
The lizard this time did not counter with a stick, but with his own fist. Fi's legs hit the lizard's hand, but they were unable to do anything to it. The lizard, however, stayed on its feet and pushed Fi with all his strength, so that he lost his balance in the air and fell to the ground.
He didn't even have time to get up, because as soon as he supported himself with his hands in order to get up, he was hit in the face with a stick.
Fi - Ouch!
From the attack he rolled a meter further and, keeping his distance, he wanted to get up quickly, but he failed again. He was hit in the shoulder and fell to the ground.
Fi - I won't lose!
He screamed and jumped to his feet, but before he could prepare for another attack, his head was attacked and he lost sight of his opponent's staff. Right after that, he felt a pain in his stomach as a lizard stabbed him with a stick, though no open wound was left.
Fi - Stop-
Fi had no way to even breathe, the attacks harassed him from all sides. He didn't know what to do, he'd never been in a situation like this before. No one had ever cornered him before, against the wall. Finally, having a moment to breathe, he quickly shook himself and tried to make sense of the situation, but it was then that he realized that there was no escape for him.
This constant attack was halted only to deliver the decisive blow. Fi saw a stick fly towards him from the right. It was a much stronger attack than the previous ones, but before he could react, the weapon was right in front of his eyes, and moments later he was sent flying. He flew through a large part of the corridor and rolled towards the end. He kept in contact with the world for a while, saw that someone was standing over him, but his eyes began to get dark and he fainted. He lost.
Girl - It's her, it's her we saw through the mirrors.
She announced when a blue-haired girl entered the corridor they were in.
Feli - Filyy?
She could hardly believe that her older brother had been defeated.
Feli - What have you done to him!
She got angry when she saw Fi's battered body and launched herself to attack. She was really fast by pushing off with her wings, even faster than Fi, but it wasn't enough.
The girl who did not take part in the fight ran in front of the lizard and dodging Fela's kick, made her fingers into a fist and hit Feli in the stomach from below. Then she jumped up and kicked the blue-haired girl in the arm with a spin.
Feli had to go to defense where she wasn't the best. She pushed back with her wings to gain enough distance for a counterattack, but the horned girl didn't give her that chance, even faster than Feli moved away, the girl ran up to her and hit her from below, on the underside of the head. It was an attack that often ends tragically in various sports, but the girl was able to carry it out so well that it ended only in a situation where Feli lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
Girl - Did you have to attack that one? We don't even know who they are.
Boy - But now we know they're not untouched.
Girl - That's what we assumed before. And what are we supposed to do with them!?
She pointed to two bodies lying on the floor.
Girl - Shall we leave them here like this? Or maybe take? It was better to bypass them and ask Viral what to do instead of going to action. I'll call her, she'll tell me what to do.
From her pocket she took a round, flat device that opened like a hand mirror. No image could be seen inside, only a crackling sound began to sound, and a moment later they heard a woman's voice.
Viral - What's up!? You screwed up something didn't you!? You definitely screwed something up! He, fatty, give me the fifty ter here! I won the bet!
Girl - You didn't win anything! We didn't screw up, we found these blueprints and we're going back!
Viral- What!? Oh no! You're always screwing things up.
Girl - Not us, only Liroy! And how can you expect anything to go wrong!? After all, you are our leader, you should at least hope that we will succeed!
Viral - Hope for you, I lost a long time ago.
Fatty - But you know, she's right. As a division leader, you should believe in the success of its members.
From the communications mirror came another voice, presumably the fat man's.
Viral - You're only on her side because you're getting my five ten now.
Fatty - Well said.
They heard the sound of some papers and then footsteps walking away.
Viral - But if you didn't screw up, why are you calling?
Girl - Because... there was a problem.
Viral - You! Fatty! Fatty, wait here! They screwed something up, give me back the five tens!
Girl - We didn't screw up! This is a problem beyond our control!
Viral - Then say it right away, and you don't give me hope of getting my money back! So what's going on?
Girl - You see...
She began to explain what exactly had happened in the building.
*********************************
Fi - ...
He felt himself sitting in a chair. He heard some talking and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around the room and saw four people. Feli, who was sleeping on the chair next to him. Standing with their backs to him, a girl and a boy, two faces he already knew and one unfamiliar woman who was facing him.
Viral - He woke up.
She said after looking at the boy. The rest turned around too.
The boy wasn't tied up. He could move as he wanted, but he stayed in the chair. He remembered what happened before he fainted. He was defeated by the boy behind the table, then fainted and he has no idea what happened after that.
Viral - You must be a little confused.
Fi - Oh, yes, I am. What is this place?
He looked around the small room. It was painted in dark colors. He was sitting on a chair, and next to him was another one where his sister was sleeping. There was a white table in front of it, and a woman was sitting on a chair behind it. She had a white mask on the right side of her face. Her ragged hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had gray and narrow eyes. It was hard to tell if she looked more menacing, meaner, or kinder. She was wearing a white T-shirt with a large turtleneck that reached down to her chin. She had a yellow scarf around her neck and wore a black jacket and black pants with one leg cut off.
Viral - I'll tell you when I know a little more about you. Do you want to wait until your friend wakes up or can we start?
The boy looked at the girl sleeping next to him.
Fi - Why should I wait?
He immediately pushed her, and her body fell limply from the chair.
Feli - Ermmm eh... what is this..... Filyy don't wake me up.........
She replied in a sleepy voice and, despite falling, went back to sleep.
Fi - Hey, don't fall asleep! We are kidnapped and now we have a mission to get out of here!
Feli - .... kid-napped.....?
She still spoke in a sleepy voice, almost out of touch with the world, but
Feli - ...mis-sion......
She repeated the word Fi had said earlier.
Feli - ...mission...kidnapped....Eh!?
Suddenly she jumped up from the floor and looked around the room.
Feli - We are kidnapped!?
Viral - I wish you wouldn't fall into your own wrong conclusions. We're not kidnappers, but since you did, you saw these two in action.
She pointed to the girl and the boy.
Viral - Then we had no choice but to invite you in.
Feli - So we're not kidnapped?
Fi, Feli - It's a pity....
Disappointed by broken dreams, they bowed their heads.
Viral - I don't know what's so cool about kidnapping, but I'm sorry we're not kidnappers.
She smiled though she didn't know why.
Viral - My name is Viral, the one here with the cute face is Raily and this scary dude is Liroy. What's your name?
Fi - Fi
Feli - Feli
They responded by pointing at themselves with their fingers.
Viral - I'd prefer your full name though, if that's okay.
Fi - Filis Solis
Feli - Felicia Solis
Viral - Same last name, does that mean you are siblings?
Fi, Feli - Yes.
They answered in chorus.
Viral - Fi, Feli, I'm going to ask you the most important question- she paused - what are you doing?
She paused in asking a question and turned to Liroy, who lit a lamp and aimed it at the eyes of the two interrogators.
Liroy - After all, whenever a detective interrogates a suspect, he turns on a light in his face.
Viral - I'm neither a detective nor they are suspects, turn it off.
Liroy - Eh.
He turned off the lamp and the light no longer hurt the siblings in the eyes, but,
Fi - Leave it!
Feli - Yes! It was cool, like in a real comic book!
Fi, Feli - Light! Light! Light! Light!
They chanted, pounding their fists on the table in their displeasure to bring back the light that was hurting their eyes.
Viral and Raily looked at each other with an embarrassed expression, the only ones who didn't understand what's so cool about it.
Viral - If you want, turn on the light.
Liroy turned the light back on.
Fi, Feli, Liroy - Uhm!
All three nodded in agreement that this was how interrogations should be.
Viral - And moving on to the question, how do you know about injections?
Fi, Feli - ?
They didn't know what to answer, as if they didn't understand the question.
Viral - I think I phrased the question wrong.... So maybe differently, do you know what effect injections cause? I'm talking about the ones you have to take every week.
Fi - Em... It probably saved from dust....
Feli - Well, that they were getting rid of poison or something....
Viral - ?
It wasn't the answer she expected, but she continued.
Viral - Do you believe it?
Fi - ...I guess so...
Feli- Uhm, me too.
Viral - Do you take these injections yourself?
Fi - No.
Feli - Kind of.
Viral - Kind of?
Feli - Well, kind of, Because I have an artificial arm and I give this artificial arm to give this injection, and I don't take it myself.
Viral - I noticed you don't have a right arm... but let's leave that for another time. You say neither of you took an injection into your own body, right?
Fi, Feli - Yes.
Viral - Then why are you still alive? Why aren't you sick, even though nothing protects you from dust poison?
Fi - We are lucky?
Feli - I know because we are strong!
Fi - Yeah, we're stronger than the rest, that's probably why.
Viral - Hah... All in all, you're not too far wrong. Indeed, you are stronger than others, but that does not protect you from the poison.
Feli - No? But there's nothing wrong with us.
Viral - This is because this poison does not exist.
Fi and Feli were stunned to learn that the poison for which the entire population had to take weekly injections did not exist. However, they didn't speak, so Viral continued.
Viral - Apart from clogging the airways, dust does no more damage when inhaled. Although it gives opportunities. Above-average opportunities. Are you keeping up?
Feli - Yes, but if this dust is not poisonous, why does everyone take injections?
Viral - That's what I was about to come to. Injections don't block the poison, which doesn't exist anyway, they block physical development. It is not known how, but with the appearance of dust, the races became much stronger. Physical fitness has been taken to a whole new level. However, those in power feared that developing power in common people would make them harder to control. As a result, injections were created to inhibit the growth of strength so that everyone would remain weak.
Fi - So... we're strong because we don't take the shot?
Viral - Exactly.
Feli - Ooooh...that makes sense...So if we tell everyone not to take the injection, will they all be so strong?
Raily - No, it won't work.
A short girl joined the conversation.
Raily - In addition to the serum that inhibits the growth of strength, there is also an addictive elixir in the injections. The moment someone goes off an injection for more than a week, they will start to feel the lack of it and the desire to get it. It's commonly said that it's because of the poison. The body feels it's being attacked and it's dying, so it wants the drug, but that's just a hoax made up by those at the top. Coming to the point, the moment everyone stops taking the "drug" they start to run out of it. Everyone will suffer, and those mentally weaker will most likely not be able to withstand the lack of it and there would be mass suicides. Once someone takes it, there's no stopping it.
Fi - .....let's say I understood...
Feli - Uhm…
The minds of these two are not used to working in high gear, but they more or less understood what Raily meant.
Viral - Knowing this, I will ask you another question, why don't you take injections.
Fi - Mom said they were bad.
Feli - Yes, that's what she said.
Viral - Mom? Who is she?
Fi - Mom.
Viral - What else?
Fi - Em.... She has black hair and wings and horns-
Viral - It wasn't the looks I meant-
Liroy - Sorry to interrupt, but I'm just curious. What race are you from? I've never heard of anyone who could turn their body part black.
Viral-!? Turn your body part black!? Can you do it?
The woman looked shocked at this information, as if she knew something about it.
Fi - Yes.
He stretched his hand up and showed in front of everyone how his hand turned charcoal black. Suddenly, Viral grabbed his hand and pulled him to her. She examined it closely and looked at Fi again.
Viral - Who are your parents?
She asked with great seriousness, as if it was something very important.
Feli - And mine too! We are siblings!
Viral - Can you do the same as him?
Feli - No. Filiś probably took it from his dad, and we have different dads.
Fi - Yes, our mom is the same mom, but we have different dads, but we don't know them.
Feli - Uhm - She nodded - We've never met them.
Viral - You don't know your fathers, but could your mother do such a thing?
Fi - I don't think so, or at least I've never seen her do it.
Feli - I don't think so either.
Viral - And where is she now?
Feli - She's gone.
Viral - Where?
Fi - We don't know. Garef said mom went for a very long drive and probably wouldn't be coming back, but she said maybe we'd meet her again sometime.
Viral - ......Tell me... how old were you when this "Garef" told you about it?
Fi - 7
Feli - 6
Viral - Em... How can I tell you this.... If a close family member dies, most often young children are told that they went on a long trip or something to gently tell the child about the death.
Feli - Mom is dead?
Viral - Yes, that's what I'm saying.
Fi - Mom is dead....
Their expressions instantly turned sad.
Fi, Feli - Mom is dead! Whah!!!
They started crying like little children.
Raily - I'm supposed to be sorry but... how could you not understand that your mother is dead!? When you were kids it was ok, but now!?
Fi - Well, because….... because…... Wwah!!!!
He couldn't say anything.
Feli - It's... it's because....Waah!!...Wwaaa!!...
She too was busy crying.
And they cried like that for a good few minutes until they slowly calmed down.
Fi - But... but it's... In the end... it won't change anything anyway. Because if she's not there, she just won't be.
He stopped crying and just looked at the ground thinking.
Feli - Well... there will be no difference....
She followed her brother and, like him, began to wonder if this was really a reason to cry. After all, they've been gone for ten years anyway, so it's not really going to change.
Viral - Can we continue?
She asked after noticing that they both calmed down and stopped crying.
Fi, Feli - Yes.
Viral - I'm sorry for your loss, but can you tell me who she was? Did she have any connections? What kind of job did she have?
Fi - I don't know anything about her friends, but I do know she was a prostitute.
Viral - A prostitute... I get it, it more or less makes sense. If that's true, then I have no reason to suspect you.
She looked at Fi as if trying to confirm what she had just said.
Viral - Fi, don't show anyone that you can turn your skin black.
Fi - What? Why?
Viral - The reason is not important, don't use it unless you have no choice, understand?
Fi - No, why should I listen to you- [DUM!]
He was startled by the sudden noise. Viral just hit the table very hard. Her eye looked as menacing as never before, and she had a terrifying aura around her.
Viral - Don't show this to anyone, okay?
Fi- Okay.
Frightened by the terrible lady, he immediately agreed.
Viral - So then, don't you know why your mother told you not to take injections?
Fi, Feli - No.
Viral - I see, so let's get to the last thing. Aren't you curious who we are?
Fi- Very!
Feli - Are you some kind of super heroes who fight evil?
Viral - We are far from it, but you can really say that we are fighting evil. We are rebels fighting those who rule this world, or at least a large part of it. And there are many more of us than you think. There are many cities that belong to the rebels and there are many thousands of races who know everything. Your strength is not exceptional by comparison. There are many who are at your level, so if you feel special because of your abilities, know that they are not. Don't expect everything to be easy for you.
Raily - Not nice.
Viral - But that's the truth. You are not unique in your strength... yet.
Fi - Yet?
Viral - I have suggestions for you. How about joining us?
Raily - Viral?! But we can't drag them into these things! We just had to check if we could trust them and if they wouldn't talk about us!
Viral - Oh, shut up! I'm the division leader and I've decided I want them in the group.
Raily - Do you think the bosses will allow it?
Viral - They'll let me do anything, now shut up and let me talk!
The girl fell silent, but she was clearly dissatisfied with such an idea.
Viral - We call those who take the injections untouched because they have not been touched by the effects of the dust. They are easy to distinguish from those who have been endowed with extraordinary strength. Especially if they themselves show their extraordinary strength. What you did today may have attracted the attention of undesirable people. If they find out that you didn't take the injections, they will want to eliminate you so that you don't start any rumors and rebellion as a result. I'm not saying it will happen, but it's highly possible. That's why I have a proposition for you. What if you join us? I say right away, it will be just as dangerous, no, go back, it will be even more dangerous than staying here. We are the C-43 division codename "mask", our tasks include operating in the field, where we constantly expose ourselves to danger. We can die at any moment. Would you still consider joining us?
Fi - Will they shoot at us?
Viral - Yes.
Feli - Will it be dangerous?
Viral - Yes
They looked at each other as if they wordlessly wanted to agree between themselves.
Viral - If you want more time-
Fi, Feli - Of course! WE ARE INTO IT!!!
They jumped up from their chairs, holding up their hands with clenched fists.
Arc 1
THE END |
He walked through various, narrow and deserted streets. The place Fi was heading to, was barely familiar to him. Barely, because he had been in this place just over two weeks earlier, one day after his 17th birthday, looking for a job. However, he barely remembered where it was.
He was stuck in his memories of Garef coming to his apartment on his birthday, telling him to get a job and start paying for himself and his sister. He wasn't happy about it one bit, but he had no choice but to obey; otherwise he and Feli would end up miserable.
Fi wasn't registered on the resident card. He did not have his identification number, therefore, for this city, he did not exist. His sister, who was registered, had no brother. Garef rented the apartment to only one person, Felicia Solis, and no one else. Fi himself was nowhere to be found. Because of that, he couldn't find any work either, until he finally found some young men stationed in a dark alley. Then he managed to accept a job as a dealer, although he had no idea that it was an illegal job. He was too stupid to know and to figure it out.
Now that he and Feli were going to join the rebels, he no longer needed the job. Viral made it clear to him that he would get paid.
That was how Fi had started his work, and that was how he wanted to end it; finding the same dudes and telling them he wants to quit.
He sighed because he couldn't quite remember where the place he had found the job was. He had been pacing back and forth for well over half an hour.
'Fi' - [It was better to go with Felyy and the others.] - He thought regretfully.
He walked a few more steps until he heard an angry scream.
'???' - Come on! It's not my fault he took it from me! I'll give you everything back, but later, in a few days! - His voice was filled with anger, but also with resignation, because the faces of those he shouted at clearly indicated that his negotiations were for nothing.
'???' - No money, no goods, what did you not understand? - Another male voice answered him.
'???' - Victor, we're sorry they robbed you, but rules are rules, we can't give you anything until you have the money. - Another person joined the conversation who seemed quite nice.
'Victor' - .... - He was silent not knowing what to do next. His drug craving was getting stronger and stronger, and he wouldn't last much longer.
'Fi' - Yo! I found you! - He joined the conversation.
The two men who spoke to Victor were the ones who gave him the job.
'Victor' - Wa... wa... wait! It-it's him! He stole my money! - He pointed at the boy with anger in his eyes.
'Fi' - Me? Do we even know each other? And I didn't steal any money from anyone!
Victor didn't seem surprised that he wasn't remembered. The few minutes he spent with the boy were enough for him to understand that he would not remember random and boring people. Despite this, Victor took off his black hood, revealing his white, bunny ears, approached the boy and pointed to his not very handsome face,
'Victor' - Now do you remember? - He thought showing his face might make a difference.
'Fi' - No, who are you? - He replied without even thinking.
‘Victor' - Two days ago we were running away from the guards together. You don't remember, you helped me jump over the fence that time! You remember!?
'Fi' - Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - Everyone was wondering what he was doing - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - Victor thought the boy was meditating - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Oh, yes! Now I remember, we used to play tag together and Scale was chasing us! - After thinking for a loooooong time, he finally remembered.
'Victor' - Finally! And if you remember, that's when you stole my money too! Give it to me back!
'Fi' - What did I steal, you gave it to me. - He cocked his head in surprise.
'Victor' - You stole! I wasn't going to give you my entire wallet! I was just supposed to take out some of the money and give it to you!
'Fi' - Only part? There was very little there.
'Victor' - Don't kill me like that! There wasn't that little there! - He felt pitiful.
'Fi' - Well, it was, I wouldn't survive a week from it.
'Victor' - T-this... - He felt ashamed of how little he earns - It doesn't matter how much was there, you took my money and that's it! And now I have nothing and I can't buy anything, so give it back to me!
'Fi' - If you wanted money you should have gone to some lottery or something.
'Victor' - And you think what? That I will win something right away? It's not possible, I'd have to buy at least a million tickets to win something big!
'Fi' - Not at all, when I go to lotteries, I always win about 100 ter - He said surprised at Victor's comment.
Lotteries were Fi's main source of income. Almost every time he went to buy a ticket, he won at least 3 times what he spent. And it was only because of his incredible luck, of which he had a lot. Overall, Fi's life was rather happy. Despite poverty, he always got what he wanted, sometimes he found it on someone's balcony, sometimes he managed to find money on the street and buy the desired thing with it. Once it even happened that the mother bought the child a toy, but the child did not like it. The baby started crying, so the mother took the newly bought toy and threw it in the trash. Fi pulled out a clean and unscented toy, taking it for himself. And there were definitely more similar events. In short, Fi is extremely lucky in such matters.
Victor couldn't believe what Fi had said was true. Because how can you win the lottery so often? It's ridiculous!
'Victor' - Don't lie, it's impossible! And even if I had to buy a ticket, I have nothing to pay for!
'Fi' - Oh, you're right, in the end you also pay for tickets... so if you want, I can give you money for this ticket.
'Victor' - No, no, no, no. You didn't understand something, you are to give me all the money you took from me, not just enough for one ticket!
'Fi' - Eh? No way! Now that money is mine.
'Victor' - What? Didn't you hear what I said!? I wasn't going to give you everything. You can keep 20 ter if you like, but give me the rest!
'Fi' - No, it's mine. And if you want them back, then... defeat me. Let's fight! - He put his left foot forward and right arm back, ready to attack.
However, Victor did not even dream of fighting him, he knew full well that winning was impossible. This boy, after a dozen or so minutes of racing, did not get tired at all. He jumped over a huge fence with no problems, and his "weak" hitting hurt terribly. In a regular fight, he had no chance against him. But only in the usual. What if he could trick him? After all, the boy was a complete moron. Winning by trickery didn't seem all that impossible. Let's see, maybe he would have blinded him by throwing sand in his eyes, but there was no sand anywhere, so that's out of the question. Maybe something would change if you knocked him down? Maybe some slippery goo? But where would he get one? The plan is out. So maybe ice? But he couldn't create ice either. He knew there was a freezing potion, but he didn't have one on him or could afford one, so he's out. So what's left? Maybe some ranged attacks? Start throwing stones? Except there weren't any on the floor. Or throw something sharp? Pins, for example? But where would he get the pins? Both plans fail. Or something not too fancy? Maybe a simple knife will suffice?
Victor reached into the back pocket of his pants. There is. There is a knife. Will he be able to win with it? Will he be able to defeat this incredibly strong and agile boy, while he himself has no knife skills?
His hand began to tremble. Will he be able to win or will he be able to stab him? But stab? What if there is a mortal wound, what if something happens to the boy? He shook his head trying to push the bad thoughts away, but the more he tried not to think about it, the clearer he saw the image in his mind of him killing the boy and then going to prison for the rest of his days. Now not only the hand, but the whole body began to tremble in terror of what was about to happen. His bunny ears went lower and lower. Breathing became heavy. He clenched his fist tighter on the knife. Will he be able to win? What will be the consequences if he kills him? What if he loses? How long will he be beaten? How much will it hurt? Finally he decided,
'Victor' - I don't want to fight you, please don't hurt me, just could you give me this lottery money? - He hung his head like a loser.
'Fi' - Boring... But ok, I'll give you something - He was disappointed that he didn't fight.
He reached into his pocket and took out a wallet, looked inside and pulled out 20 ter.
'Fi' - You have for two tickets. Sometimes I don't win anything either, so that's just in case.
'Victor' - Y-yes... - He wasn't one bit happy with the amount he got, it wasn't even enough for drugs, but he couldn't resist.
*********************************
He left the place where the boy he hated and the two drug dealers were. He had no reason to stay there, after all, the boy won't give him anything else, and he can't buy any drugs.
He pulled the hood of his black sweatshirt over his head, covering his white bunny ears. He had his hands in his pockets and walked with his head down.
'Victor' - [20 teri is not enough for me. I'll live on it for two, three days at most, and that's it.] - He thought sadly.
He was never rich, as a child he lived only with his poor mother. He's used to falling. But for the first time he found himself in a situation where he really had nothing left. Yesterday he lost his house because he couldn't keep it anymore. He was left to live in one of the shabby flats, on the edge of the underground city.
He walked thinking about how many mistakes he made in his life. He didn't go to school, he didn't have any hobbies, he wasn't interested in anything, he didn't get any friends to get him out of trouble. He won nothing and was nothing.
Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Newsstand.
He was just passing by the kiosk. Place where you could usually buy tickets and scratch cards. With a slightly trembling hand, he pulled out his last twenty teri. He looked at them as if they were special, his last money.
'Victor' - Eh, why not? - He said to himself.
Since he already got the money for the lottery tickets, why not? Why not give them away. The scrap of paper he was going to buy was going to decide his life. He will win the money or soon his life will end.
He picked up one of the scratch cards. He took it to the cashier and paid 10 teri. Half of what he had. He walked out of the store slowly, still looking at the scratch card. Will his life be saved? Or will it fall into ruins? He was about to find out.
Standing in front of the newsstand, he gripped the scratch card tighter. With a dirty and incompetently cut fingernail, he began to scratch the place to be scratched. The letter "W" appeared first, then the letter "O". Victor already knew what that meant. He won something. Surely he won something, now the only question is how much? It could be 5 teri, it could be 100 teri, it could be several million teri. He regained the hope he had lost recently and started scratching the scratch card even faster until the winning amount finally showed up. Victor's eyes widened first, only to fill with tears in the seconds that followed. He was crying. His win was...
*********************************
'Fi' - Eh!? So I didn't have to come here!?
'Dealer 1' - Exactly, you already lost your job because the gang you worked for, collapsed.
After Victor left, Fi did what he came to do; he wanted to quit his job as a dealer. After explaining the reason why he had approached them, the two men looked at each other and asked if the boy had not heard about yesterday's incident. This incident, of course, was about Fi, Feli and the Trix breaking up the Mafia, though that wasn't their intention.
After the boy nodded to indicate that he knew what the incident was about, the man explained to him that he had lost his job because of the incident.
'Fi' - And I could go with Felyy and the rest ... - He sighed - Well, I'll just join them a little later - He convinced himself that there would still be room for him to play.
'Fi' - I'm on my way! Thanks! - He bid farewell to the dealers and moved on.
He jogged along the hard concrete, through the dingy bends. He was heading towards the place where his friends were staying. And when he thought of them, he instantly stopped.
'Fi' - Wait, where was this adventure supposed to take place?
He thought. He tried to remember what Bernar had said, and the more he thought about it, the more it dawned on him.
'Fi' - He didn't say where it was supposed to be...
He finally remembered that he had left before he was supposed to.
'Fi' - Eh, well, it's time to play hide and seek! I am looking!
Thinking of the search as a game, he moved from where he was and started looking for them.
*********************************
Trix felt a box-like communication device open in her trouser pocket. She immediately took it out and brought it to her lips.
'Feli' - Trix! There is a problem! I am famous!
'Trix' - What does fame have to do with the problem? What happened?
'Feli' - They recognized that I was one of those; hey fuck off! - She said to someone else - Who attacked the gang; want to get kicked!? - She got angry with someone - yesterday and now; back off!; everyone is attacking me!
'Trix' - I didn't understand anything, but I understand that you have problems, I'll run to you and save you! - She said as fast as she could.
As soon as she finished her sentence, she started running for the door Feli had just come through. They were solid. So much so that when Trix kicked them with all her might, they didn't even budge. Then the girl tried to open it the traditional way, i.e. grab the handle. The door, however, turned out to be locked from the inside. Then she looked at the window and only now noticed that they were all barricaded from the inside.
'Trix' - Dammit, I have to use the bomb - She said, displeased.
'Bernar' - Wait - He grabbed her arm.
“Bang, bang”
He fired two shots where the key mechanism should have been. Hoping to destroy it, he grabbed the handle and opened the door.
'Trix' - Not so fast! - She reacted as soon as Bernar set foot in the room.
She jumped on him and pinned him to the ground, saving him from the bullets. They were aimed at the first person entering the door, who turned out to be Bernar.
Trix didn't even look around the room. She immediately threw a smoke bomb to hide from the enemies and get to Feli faster.
'Trix' - Be careful! What kind of a guard are you to just walk through the door into an enemy base.
'Bernar' - ...I'm sorry. Or rather, thanks for saving me.
Trix - No problem. - She covered herself with a smile at the words of thanks - And now, we have to find Feli.
Voices of confused guards could be heard all around. They were looking for the two who had just entered the building. Some also stopped others from shooting. Without seeing anything, you don't know who they would hit.
'Guard' - Stand by the door, don't let them leave the room!
The passages to other rooms and corridors were barred, and the guards thought it would stay that way, but they overestimated their strength. Trix, though physically weaker than Fi and Fela, was still definitely stronger than the untouched. She easily broke through the guards guarding one door. Bernar and Trix entered through it and found themselves in a short corridor. There were two doors on either side of the corridor leading to random rooms.
Trix noticed the security in the corridor, more precisely, 5 guards, two of whom were equipped with pistols.
'Bernar' - I'll take care of the one on the right. - He wanted to take out the guard holding the gun.
'Trix' - No, I'll take care of everyone, you don't lean out so that nothing happens to you.
She started running towards security. Seeing this, the guards with guns began to aim at her and fired bullets. At this, Trix slid in, hiding from the bullets. She rode like that for a good few meters until she found herself next to one of the security guards, just next to the one with the gun. She quickly rose to her feet. The man closest to her took aim at her, but didn't have time to pull the trigger. The girl punched him in the face. After the hit, the man fell limply to the floor for a moment without contact with the world. When he opened his eyes again, all he saw was the last of his associates falling to the ground. They couldn't even scratch the pink girl.
'Bernar' - I think I'm just bothering you - He said, seeing how she deftly defeated five enemies.
'Trix' - Yes, but only a little. You don't have to worry about it. - She replied honestly - Do you hear? - She asked Bernar.
'Bernard' - What?
'Trix' - It must be the sounds of fighting - Her ears turned slightly trying to pick up the sound - They are on the upper floor. It must be Feli. How quickly she got there!
'Bernar' - The stairs should be past the last door on the right - He pointed to the door.
'Trix' - ? - She was surprised - You know what this place looks like from the inside?
'Bernar' - Eh... em... Yes - He didn't know what to say - I was here once.
'Trix' - Did you work here?
'Bernard' - Something like that.
*****
'Feli' - Haa, haa, haa - She panted tiredly - Too many of you here!
She had just fought at least fifteen opponents at once. Although she had a great advantage over them, the constant focus on not getting hit was very tiring.
'Trix' - Feli! Are you OK? - Trix entered the open corridor, followed by Bernar.
Immediately after realizing the situation, Trix took a smoke bomb from her bag and threw it in the middle of the room. A hissing sound came from the device, and then the entire hall was filled with blue smoke.
Feli and Trix in this situation had no problem defeating the workers, they dealt with them immediately. Bernar, on the other hand, only heard how the opponents fell one by one, unable to get over the admiration.
After the voices of the fallen workers died down, Bernar called Feli and Trix over to him.
'Bernar' - We're on the second floor and the boss's office is on the fifth, we'll have to get there.
'Trix' - No problem, we'll get there quickly. Together, it'll be a lot easier for us.
'Feli' - Of course! let's go!
After her words, they headed for the stairs. As soon as they opened the door to the staircase, they were showered with a hail of shots. However, no one was hurt. Feli flew up to the ceiling, Trix first pushed Bernar out of range, then fell to the ground herself.
Feli, seeing that the guards were about to pick the Trix lying on the floor as their target, dived down, wounding herself with a shot to the forehead, and attacked the guards. She kicked the one furthest forward with both feet, and he flew backwards, collapsing on the men behind him.
A second after the shots stopped, Trix got up from the floor and, realizing the situation, ran closer to Feli to help her defeat the opponents.
Soon all the guards were on the floor and on the stairs.
'Trix' - All clear - She approached Bernar and gave him her hand to get up.
*****
It took them half an hour to get to the fifth floor. During this, mainly Feli but also Trix and Bernar had quite a few light wounds. They ascended to the fifth floor, which looked the prettiest of all they had been on. Unlike the other corridors and rooms, here everything was carefully painted, and the light was strong and bright. There were ornaments on both sides of the corridor, mostly paintings, plants, and even a sculpture. However, this beautiful decor was stained by bodyguards lying on the ground.
'Bernar' - It's that door.
They approached the indicated entrance.
'Trix' - So we're on three. One, two - She stopped - Hey Feli!
She yelled at Feli as she, without waiting for her countdown, kicked into the boss's office.
'Feli' - Why wait? The sooner the better!
'Trix' - ... - She made a displeased face, and was silent.
Then Bernar came to the fore and, surprised, announced:
'Bernard' - Nobody is there.
'Trix' - Eh? You're right.
Everyone looked at the open door. There was a large and nicely decorated office, but it was empty. Inside, they found no one, neither the guard nor the boss.
'Trix' - Don't tell me we came here for nothing. - She put her hands on her hips and sighed.
'Feli' - Even if no one is here, it was awesome! Going on an adventure and being in danger, we experienced a lot of feelings. We got to know each other better and became closer. It is important to-
'Trix' - Oh my ears are already hurting from that idiotic "motivational" speech - she grabbed her pointy ears and tried to hide them - What comic did you take this from?
'Feli' - From a robo-hero! Cool right!? - She smiled sincerely.
'Trix' - Not at all, we just wasted our time. What do you think Bernar?
'Bernar' - Secret exit... - He said under his breath.
'Trix' - What are you saying there? I didn't catch it. - She grabbed Bernar's arm and tilted her head trying to figure out what he had said.
'Bernar' - There is a secret passage in the office, the boss could have escaped through it.
'Feli' - Secret Passage!? - Her eyes lit up with curiosity, and the saliva of lust began to flow from her mouth.
Bernar' - I'll go through the secret passage, and you please stick to plan B. Do something to attract the attention of ordinary residents and guards. - Then he crouched down and lifted the trapdoor that covered a hidden passage in the floor.
'Feli' - Eeeh!? I want to go down the secret passage too! - She had a pleading expression.
'Trix' - Are you sure you want to go alone? Better take-
'Bernar' - I'll go alone. I should do something too and not just watch you do everything for me - He said firmly.
'Trix' - Okay, then we'll take care of plan B. Be careful out there.
'Bernar' - Sure - He said and jumped into the secret passage.
'Feli' - But I want too!
She was about to jump into the secret passage right behind Bernar, but Trix caught her and stopped her.
'Trix' - You stay with me.
'Feli' - But I don't want to! - She had tears in her eyes as if she wanted to start crying about such a stupid thing.
'Trix' - It's just some stupid tunnel, and we stay here and do a big BOOM!
'Feli' - Big boom? - She asked curiously.
'Trix' - Yes, big BOOM! - She screamed and made a gesture with her hands as if her hands were exploding.
'Feli' - We're doing a big BOOM! Let's get started! - In an instant she was fascinated by something else and completely forgot about the secret passage. Her eyes glowed with excitement with a big BOOM.
After making Feli want to stay with her, Trix put her gym bag on the ground and started rummaging through it.
'Trix' - We'll take one... or maybe two? - She turned to Feli.
'Feli' - Three! Take three!
'Trix' - Okay! We're going with a kick, there will be three! - She approved Fela's idea.
She took out the first of the bombs from the pink bag, then the second, and just as she was about to reach for the third, Feli immediately threw herself at her with the word "Be careful!". For just at that moment, the rest of the guards who were on other floors entered the fifth floor. They grabbed their weapons and started aiming at the intruders.
Feli ran out of the office and flew straight at the closest opponents. Doing the splits, she hit one with the end of her leg. She then grabbed a nearby guard by the head, sending it down to hit her right in the knee.
She grabbed the gun held by that bodyguard and pointed the muzzle at the hand of another guard. The bullet hit another pistol, knocking it out of the bodyguard's hand.
'Feli' - Trix, are the bombs ready!?
While the fight was going well for her, she knew that fighting with more than twenty people at once was very dangerous, especially when they stopped caring about their fallen associates and started shooting at random. That's why she just wanted to buy some time for the Trix to prepare the bombs.
'Trix' - Yes! Come here! I'll throw them right away!
The girl pushed off the air with her black wings and flew backwards, straight to the office, still not losing sight of her opponents. Who, right after Feli withdrew, began to flood the office with a hail of shots.
'Trix' - Catch! She threw one of the three bombs into Feli's hands.
Then she put the other two bombs to her head, and with her teeth pulled out a thin metal tube from them, which probably kept them from exploding. Right after that, she threw the bombs into the corridor where the guards were standing.
Feli did the same, taking out the bomb protection with her teeth and throwing it towards the opponents.
As soon as the guards saw the three spherical objects fly out of the office, they began to run away, then fell to the ground in defense of their miserable lives.
The girls heard and felt a powerful explosion that gave them an adrenaline rush. Though not as much as what happened a fraction of a second later. Because they both noticed that one of the spherical objects was flying towards them, into the office. The two bombs thrown earlier must have pushed the third one in the direction it had come from and ended up back in the room they were in.
The girls' eyes widened in fear at this sudden problem. Their brains paused for a moment as they knew the bomb coming towards them was about to explode. Feli was the first and only one to react, as fast as she could, supporting herself with her wings, she embraced Trix with her only arm and flew with her towards the window. Then, the bomb exploded, and the shockwave pushed Trix and Feli shielding her from the blast so hard that they broke the glass in the window and flew outside. And with them, scraps of concrete flew down, which broke off together with the window. |
Suddenly, in front of the entrance, along with the sound of an explosion, pink gas spread out. Standing outside the gate, and in front of the entrance to the building, the guards became confused by this sudden phenomenon.
Guard - What is this!? What's happening?
Guard - I don't know, I think they're attacking us!
Guard - Who?
Guard - Can you see anything?
Guard - Nothing!
Guard - Somebody come in and alert those inside!
Everyone took up arms. They tried to communicate through the thick smoke that obscured their vision. There were six of them in total, and each of them had a gun. One, standing closest to the entrance to the base, headed there to inform others about the situation. The rest remained at their posts, watching for the enemy.
Suddenly, two people emerged from the smoke. A boy with black hair, a horn on the right side of his head, and fangs. He was wearing a red sweatshirt, a white shirt with a picture on it, black pants and red sneakers.
The other person was a blue haired girl. She had two small black horns and black wings sprouting from its lower back. She was wearing gray and yellow comfortable tracksuits.
The sudden appearance did not give the guards time to prepare for the shot. Feli managed to reach the guard running towards the entrance. She blocked his way with her body, then put her leg in front of his knee, which made him lose his balance, and then kicked the man on the ground in the head.
At the same time, Fi targeted the other guard closest to the entrance. The frightened man opened fire inaccurately, the sound of the bullets being fired was definitely quieter than what we can see in our world, the imprecisely fired shot missed the boy. And he ran close enough to punch him in the head from below, knocking the bodyguard unconscious.
The rest, more or less aware of the situation, opened fire, but they were unable to hit anyone. The siblings efficiently and agilely avoided the attacks, retreated into the pink smoke, to attack again by surprise. Feli flew up and, diving down, struck another. Fi ran to the last one standing directly in front of the building, dodged the pistol attack and hit the guard hard enough to knock him unconscious.
There are only two bodyguards left standing at the gate. They did not see what was happening in front of the entrance, they only heard the sounds of quiet shots.
Guard - Should we go there?
Guard - No one called us, so we should stay in position.
??? - I think that you should help your colleagues, because they have no chance on their own.
They heard an unfamiliar female voice. They began to look around anxiously in search of the person who made the voice, but they could not see anything because of the dust still floating in the air.
Suddenly, one of them got scared when a one-eyed monster appeared before his eyes.
Trix - Hi!
The girl waved her hand at this sudden greeting, and smiled excitedly. The guard immediately aimed his pistol at her, but did not have time to pull the trigger. Trix grabbed the barrel of the pistol and moved it aside so the bullet would aim past her, then quickly approached the bodyguard and elbowed him in the neck. In pain, the guard dropped his pistol and grabbed the throbbing spot, then fell to the ground, being hit again by the girl. He didn't get up from the ground.
Guard - What's going on!?
The second guard still had limited visibility. He barely saw his co-worker, let alone the girl who blended into the background thanks to her pink skin. However, he heard that something had happened there, so he immediately ran to the scene. He didn't even notice when an enemy emerged from the smoke behind him and hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Thus, the entrance to the building was cleared.
Trix - In order to find Makio faster and maybe that asshole Asil too, we should split up.
A third person joined the siblings standing in front of the front door. A girl with a strange appearance, had maroon-pink hair, combed in a mohawk, had an incredibly thin waist, strange legs, one eye, and her skin was the color of pink.
Feli - What fun! Too bad we've never done something like this before!
Fi - I feel like a dog-robo-hero. You know, fighting evil and trying to save a kidnapped girl!
Feli - Yes, me too!
They were incredibly cheerful and relaxed despite being in enemy territory.
*********************************
Hurried footsteps were heard everywhere. Uninformed guards wandered around not knowing what to do with themselves. Stress and a little fear, because of the unknown, bothered everyone.
Some people on one of the upper floors of the building also found out about the situation.
Guardian - Attack! They're attacking us! Someone broke into us!
Information about the intrusion of unknown enemies quickly spread throughout the building.
??? - Ha!? What have you done again!?
A girl's voice answered.
??? - Nothing, how would I? We were together all the time.
A male voice answered her.
Girl - And yet they know we're here, and it's definitely not my fault. You're always the one who has to ruin every plan!
Boy - But not this one. This time I did nothing.
The girl thought for a moment, seeing how firmly the boy denies the accusations.
Girl - Ugr... All right, be quiet, I'll listen to what's going on.
She walked over to the closed door of the room they were in. She put her right ear to them and listened,
Guard - How many are there!?
Guard - I don't know! Some say they saw twenty.
Guard - Twenty? Who is that anyway!? I thought the boss had no enemies!
Guard - How should I know?
She heard two guards talking from the corridor.
Guard - Hey come on everybody! They're calling us to guard the entrance! The enemies seem to have broken through!
She heard another voice, a different guard this time, and then the footsteps of the other two, and a few others, as they began to run to the lower floors.
Girl - Yes, you're right, it's not us they're looking for. Someone else just broke in.
She put her hand over her mouth, not expecting it.
Boy - Who?
Girl - I have no idea, but right now that we're here. What bad luck.
Boyfriend - These attackers are probably untouched too, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Girl - That's all I can deduce. Hmm... If you think about it, this commotion will make it easier for us to get out of here, so maybe it's not that bad. But first, we need to find those blueprints.
Boy - Yes.
They went back to searching through the papers.
They were in an archive with many different papers and documents. It was quite a mess in there, and not just because all the papers they looked at were thrown on the floor, creating even more muck. From the very beginning, everything that was here was disorganized and scattered. And in all this mess, thousands of papers, they were looking for one specific building plan.
Girl - I'm sure it would be easier for us to look for it if it was in some city archives, and not in this junk room.
Irritated, she continued flipping through the pages, searching for that particular document.
*********************************
What is the fastest way to find a missing person? Split up so everyone searches a different place at the same time (not for horror movies). So, upon entering the building, everyone voted to separate. Feli ran to the lower floors, Trix decided to check the ground floor, and Fi took care of the upper floors.
The boy was just running up the stairs screaming,
Fi - Kebamakio! Kebamakio! Where are you Kebamakio!
"Bang, bang"
Shots were heard from all directions. The guards guarded the stairs and tried to shoot down the intruder, but Fi nimbly dodged everything. It was almost impossible, so much so that the guards thought that Fi was wearing a bulletproof vest under his clothes that stopped bullets.
Guard - Aim for the head!
But the order had no effect, because, as I've already explained, shooting either in the chest or in the head made no difference. Fi was avoiding everything anyway.
Unfortunately, the guards were quite a pain in the ass. Fi dodged the projectiles without much difficulty, but climbing the stairs proved a problem. In order to avoid the bullets, he had to keep a certain distance from the enemies, which meant that he was unable to move forward. Sometimes he would try to take advantage of the gap between the bullets and go up a few steps, but as if they were his shadow, the guards would take as many steps away from him as he did. So it was hard for him to finish them off.
Without thinking much, he decided to take a chance. As fast as he could, he jumped high and far towards them. Enough that he was above the guards. It was an amazing jump that could probably be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Once in the air, he had no way to dodge their shots, but he didn't have to either. The guards, stunned, had no time to aim their pistols up, and Fi landed safely down among the security.
Guard - Don't shoot or we'll hit ourselves!
One of them shouted as the others were already preparing to fire. And it was a good choice, because if they started shooting, Fi would jump up, dodging all the bullets, and the rest would kill each other.
Being surrounded by the security of the place, Fi just grinned.
He hit the one on the right hard enough that he fell on the others and was knocked unconscious. They quickly took off their unconscious companion and began to attack the boy. However, he managed to beat them all. He dodged when someone tried to hit him on the head. Whoever wanted to hit him in the stomach, was kicked. One grabbed him by the sweatshirt, so Fi grabbed his hand and squashed it. The guard with his hand crushed, fell on the stairs and screamed in pain, clutching his badly hurt hand.
In this way, all security on the stairs was defeated and Fi went to the upper floor.
*********************************
Feli, unlike her brother, found the stairs leading down. Going down was much easier than going up, because it was enough to jump for protection, and they would lose their balance and fall down. But of course, not everyone was equally clumsy. Some managed to lean against the wall and stay on their feet. They then aimed pistols at the girl, but she, as agile as her brother, avoided everything.
While Fi's fighting style was mainly based on punching, Feli definitely preferred to fight with her legs, which was easier for her due to the lack of one arm. Using her wings, she flew to greater heights, so that even much taller opponents could not hide from her kicks. She could easily reach the highest corners.
She defeated all the guards that were on the stairs. Once in a safe place, she stopped and looked down.
Feli - Maybe...
She bent down and picked up the pistol from the stairs.
She looked from all sides. She was reckless enough to point the gun barrel at her head to see what was inside the hole.
The gun was black and looked very much like the ones from our world, although its operation was different.
Feli - I'll take it.
She placed the gun comfortably in her hand. Then she went out into the corridor, which was accessed by a door connected to the stairs.
She stepped out into the lobby, and within a second she was flooded with gunshots. She quickly stepped back and hid in the stairwell.
Feli - How many...
Even she was able to tell that going out at this moment could be dangerous for her.
Feli - And what to do, and what to do....
She considered the plan, but her intelligence quotient was no higher than her brother's, so as expected, she came up with nothing.
Feli - Yolo!
She jumped out of the stairwell into a hail of gunfire.
She tried to avoid them, but the feat was almost impossible. One of the shots grazed her arm, the other grazed her leg. The third cut off some of her hair, and the fourth hit her pants, right in the pocket.
And from the pocket where one of the bullets had hit, blue gas began to come out.
Feli - I had a flare!?
She often put things in her pockets when playing with Fi, and often forgot them too. It was a flare created by the Trix. The smoke was not as extensive as from the bomb that had been used at first, but in the closed and narrow corridor it was sufficient.
Feli took out a punctured flare and tossed it on the floor, allowing the smoke to spread much faster.
Thanks to the cover, the guards began to fire blindly.
You could say that the smoke also harmed Feli because she didn't see the shots, but it wasn't. Most of them evaded by intuition anyway, so in her case the smoke cover was only a plus.
Unfortunately, the smoke did not make it possible for her to run to the shooting guards, so she hid in the room opposite the staircase.
The room was painted yellow, it wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either. There were blue metal cabinets along all the walls, and a large bench in the middle. Items were disorganized, it was almost as dirty as Fi and Feli's room, and it smelled of cologne and sweat. All employees should have a place to store their own stuff, which is what this room was for.
Feli, however, was interested in something else. There was a window in this room. She looked through it. Outside was a view of the underground part of the city.
The building on the surface connected to the building below the surface. Probably the whole column belonged to the gang, and that would explain how Makio was taken unnoticed. The thugs weren't carrying her up the stairs or in the main elevator. Instead, they headed down the less traveled streets to a building that was on the edge of town. And this building was connected to the building on the surface.
The shots coming from the corridor stopped.
Guard - I can't see her anywhere.
The smoke cleared and the whole corridor was visible again.
Guard - She must have been hiding somewhere, half will go further down the corridor, check every door.
And so they did, and they didn't have to look long because the first door they opened led to the same room where the girl was.
The Guardian - Here he is!
Shots rang out again.
They hit every part of the room. The sound of the metal being pierced through the cabinets was ringing in ears. The window in front was broken.
Feli dodged all the shots, but constantly avoiding them can get tiring for anyone. She knocked over two metal cabinets and placed them carelessly on top of each other. And it was quite a feat because at the same time she had to be careful not to get killed.
She hid behind metal cabinets and thought about what to do next.
Feli - [Filyy could probably beat them all]
Her older brother was better than her in almost every physical aspect. She had never beaten him in a physical strength fight. And while Fi would probably be able to defeat them all, it was too dangerous for Feli to rush out, especially since there were now almost as many guards in the room as there had been in the corridor before.
Feli - No! I can't be worse than Filyy!
Motivated to act, she came out of hiding in an instant, intending to charge the guards. However, less than a second later, one of the shots grazed her forehead leaving a red line of blood. Feli's eyes widened in horror as she suddenly realized that it was impossible for her to break through such a huge cluster of bullets. She hid behind the broken cupboards again.
Guard - What is this!? We can't hit even one girl!?
And though Feli considered the situation a failure, all the guards could hardly believe their eyes. It was hard to believe that there was someone so agile and strong in the world.
The shots did not decrease at all, and the constant focus became more and more difficult. The cupboard she was hiding behind wouldn't last long either. She would be pierced by bullets at any moment. Feli couldn't help it, she had to do something.
Then she remembered the window. It was shattered when a hail of shots rained down on it. Without thinking any longer, she jumped out of the broken window.
The distance to the bottom, the upper part of the underground reached almost 20 floors. Even Fi would die if he fell from that high, but Feli had wings. She could fly, which she used at the moment.
She spread her wings and glided around the column she had just jumped from.
She decided to enter the building again, but through a different window.
She took out the gun she had taken earlier. She aimed at the window on the floor below and pulled the trigger. It hit right in the middle of the glass, shattering it. She then fired a few more shots around the hole she had punched to enlarge it. When the hole was big enough for her to safely pass through, she flew into the building.
At the same time, the guards ran to the previous window trying to find the runaway.
Guard - She fell down and died?
Guard - Of course not! She had wings, she must be able to fly. Look out the window, maybe you'll see her.
However, no matter how carefully they looked around, they had no chance to spot her because the girl had already returned to the building.
Feli landed in an interesting room.
Unlike the previous one, this one was very clean. The walls were white, there were tables set up in various places, and various laboratory equipment on the tables. There were many conical flasks with different colored liquids, as well as many test tubes with colored liquids on the racks. In another part there were various plants, as well as fruits, vegetables and small animals locked in cages.
It was a laboratory that was used to make drugs.
There were a couple of people in the room. Mostly men and two women. They were all wearing white coats and despite the commotion that was all around the building, they were still in the room continuing their work.
They stopped when the window leading to the laboratory was broken and an unknown young girl with blue hair entered through it.
Feli - Wow! What is this place!?
Feli, forgetting the danger, became excited about this strange room. She had never seen anything like it, and when she did, she had only heard it.
All the colored liquids caught her attention and she wanted to touch each one.
Lab worker - Who are you!? Call security!
Two scientists rushed to leave. They wanted to call the guards, but
Feli - I won't let you!
The girl was definitely faster.
With incredible speed, she ran to the two who wanted to call security and kicked them in the head, both lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
But Feli didn't stop there. She wanted to make sure that no one in the room called security. A woman was standing closest,
Lab worker - No pleas-
Despite her pleading voice, she was hit and quickly passed out. The same happened with everything else. They had neither weapons nor any combat experience, so defeating them was incredibly easy.
Feli was left alone in the room, surrounded by the lab technicians lying on the ground.
Feli - I know I was supposed to look for Kebamakio, but... but I can't!
She ran to the first station with colored liquids, potions, to be more precise.
This world has no such thing as electricity, like magnetic waves, radiation, or anything like that. Although perhaps not so much that such things do not exist, they just haven't been discovered yet. Because all these laws of nature have been replaced by elixirs. Potions can be used for anything except those that intoxicate the body; besides drug elixirs, there are many, many more. For example, the elevator, which is found in every tall building, works on the principle of a levitation potion. The massive weights that lift the elevator up, once they've done their job, are doused with a levitation potion that cancels their mass. These weights become lighter than a feather, and without weights, the elevator goes down. Of course, the mechanism behind the elevator is more complicated, but that's the main part.
Or, for example, pistols, which can also be called water weapons. They have two types of elixirs in them, one that creates water and the other that creates wind. The wind creates a mini whirlwind that shoots a drop of water with incredible impetus. A drop of water flies at incredible speed and is able to pierce almost anything. And it depends on the intensity and accumulation of wind in the gun. Some are stronger and some are weaker. The guns that the police have are built to catch, not kill. The water ball that hits the caught person will not kill them, it will only penetrate the clothes and skin a little, causing a lot of pain that immobilizes the person. Some guns also have not water in them, but different types of potions that create poisons, but are expensive and rare.
There are many more potions, and examples of them can be given endlessly.
Feli grabbed the conical flask containing the pink liquid and poured it into the second flask on the table, containing the blue liquid.
The flask into which Feli had poured the solution became hot, and a buzzing sound came from inside. The color of the solution turned yellow and the buzzing stopped.
Feli - Waaaaa....
It was enough to make the girl ecstatic. Her eyes lit up with curiosity, then she looked at the other glassware and solutions.
Feli - Filyy and Trix will manage on their own! I want to be here!
Joyful, she shouted her thoughts and got down to playing.
She poured the solutions from one to the other and watched how various reactions developed. Once the solution turned red and was terribly cold. He even froze a piece of the table. The second solution began to hiss, and then yellow, smelly smoke escaped from it. So much so that Feli had to go away and hold her nose.
Then she moved on to the test tubes. She poured a few droplets from one to another, and as soon as the droplet touched another liquid, there was a small explosion with a powerful sound.
Feli - It was just a drop and my ears hurt so much, how cool!
Thus, completely forgetting about the mission to save Makio, Feli was absorbed in having fun.
*********************************
Trix was the slowest of the three. She was still on the ground floor, which was the first floor they had broken into.
Trix - Too many! There are far too many of them! I didn't take enough bombs to waste them on unimportant guards. Damn!
She was hiding behind a column, and behind her were many bodyguards who were just waiting for her to lean out to start shooting.
She's already used 3 smoke bombs, and she can't afford to waste them like this.
Trix - Okx, again. This time, I'm going to throw and beat everyone.
She pulled out two bombs from the bag slung over her shoulder. She dropped them at the same time.
Guard - More smoke bombs! watch out! Don't let her run away!
One bomb began to spin and hiss. Purple gas flowed out of it. With the other, however, nothing but spinning happened. There was no sign of anything coming out of it, though no one noticed because the purple smoke had already obscured the view.
The guards acted as they always did. They fired blindly in the direction where the enemy should be. But after a while something changed.
Guard - Cough, cough.
Everyone in the hallway started coughing loudly. The sound of gunfire stopped and only the sounds of men could be heard.
Guard - W-what is....
They spoke with difficulty, clutching their throats. But then something even worse happened. One by one they began to fall, but not from the gas, but from the blows.
The girl who was standing behind the column was in their midst at the moment, knocking them down one by one. It was obvious she was holding her breath.
In less than a minute they were all on the floor.
Trix - Haa, haa - she panted loudly - Luckily the poison has dissipated, but haa, I've never held my breath for so long, haa.
She walked over to one of the men, who was still conscious.
Trix - Where can I find the boss's son, Asil?
Guard - You think I w-aw!
Suddenly he felt an incredible pain where his jewels were. It was Trix who crouched down and grabbed him by that sensitive spot.
Trix - Either you tell or they will be crushed.
Guard - No! Ouch! let go. Ouch! Ouch! I will tell! I will tell you!
After a dozen or so seconds of torture, the guard gave up. He's a little relieved that all his colleagues were unconscious, because thanks to that no one will remind him of it.
Trix - So?
Guard - Upstairs! He is usually on the first or second floor! But I don't know where he is now.
Trix - Thanx.
She got up and kicked him in the head, sending him to sleep too.
Trix - Fili and Feli will take care of rescuing Makio while I go for my revenge.
She smiled ominously as she entered the stairwell, which Fi had already taken care of.
*********************************
Fi - Kebamakio! Kebamakio! Where she is?
He ran blindly checking the rooms he wanted to check. So it wasn't the best way to search.
Fi - Maybe I will ask someone?
He voiced his thoughts and walked over to the bodyguard who was lying on the ground.
Fi - Hey, wake up.
He shook his shoulders, but the guard refused to wake up.
"Slap!"
He slapped him with the slap and after a while the man began to contact the world.
Fi - Where is Kebamakio?
Guard - W-who?
Fi - Kebamiakio!
Guard - I don't know who you're talking about.
Fi - Well, about Kebamakio! She makes kebabs!
However, the guard still had an expression on his face that indicated he didn't know what was going on.
Fi - All right, I think you really don't know... Then... I know! Where is the boss!? He will surely know everything, he is the boss after all!
Guard - I will not give my own boss!
Fi - Em...
He thought about the unexpected response.
Fi - ....If I hit you, will you tell me where the boss is?
He hesitantly asked this strange question, having no idea what to do in such a situation, after all, this is the first time something like this happens.
Guard - No! Never!
Fi - So... what should I do to get you to tell me where he is?
Guard - Shoot yourself in the head!
Fi - ....But then I'll die....so no! Something else!
He considered the offer seriously, but quickly gave it up.
Guard - Then I'll never tell you!
Fi - ....Okay! Then I will shoot in the head, but not in my head, but in the head of one of them.
He pointed to one of the other guards who had been knocked down by him earlier and lay unconscious.
Guard - No! Even if you shoot one of them, I won't tell you!
Fi - Hey! You told me to shoot in the head, so I shoot in the head, but not mine! So after this you tell me where the boss is!
The boy did not understand that the goal of the guard was not to shoot in the head, but to kill this particular boy.
Fi picked up the gun on the floor and aimed it at the head of the chosen guard.
Guard - Wait! Even if you shoot, I won't tell you!
Fi - You will tell me! You said you would, so you will!
This idiot was too stubborn to let go. He believed what he knew and didn't care what others thought.
But I guess it turned out for the good, because the guard got scared. He couldn't keep a poker face, he was clearly worried about his co-worker's life. Most likely, the chosen one was his acquaintance, perhaps even close ones.
Guard - Okay! I'll tell you! Just don't shoot!
Fi - What? But you said you'd tell me after I shoot!
Guard - But I'm not saying that anymore! Just stop aiming at him!
Fi - Come on then make up your mind dude!
He put the gun down, crossed his arms, and waited for the guard to speak.
Guard - The boss has an office on the second floor. That's where he stays most of the time.
Fi - Second? And what is the floor?
Guard - Fourteenth.
Fi- Ehhh!!?? I didn't need to come in here!?
He realized that he had only wasted his time coming all the way here to look for Makio. And it was enough just to look around better on the lower floors.
Fi - All right, I'm going back!
He did as he said and turned back to the stairwell, having to descend twelve flights of stairs.
*********************************
Guard - They say she hid there. The mirror assholes saw it.
Guard - Well named, they just sit on their asses in a safe room and watch us through mirrors while we risk our lives here.
Guard - We'll have to kick them out sometime and take their place, but for now, on three! One, two, three!
They opened the door and rushed into the room. They quickly recognized the situation. The blue-haired girl was standing by one of the laboratory tables, making some reactions.
Feli- Ah! They found me!
She exclaimed in surprise as many guards suddenly entered the lab.
Guard - Be careful not to aim for potions! Some are said to be worth a lot!
They all aimed at the young girl and pulled the trigger. Droplets of water flew towards her with incredible speed. Fortunately, she had time to react, and with a wave of her wings flew up.
Feli- Hehe! Now I have a chance to use these colorful liquids!
Avoiding the bullets, she flew to one of the tables and as quickly as she could, grabbed one flask with a yellow liquid and threw it towards the guards. The stock was pierced by the shot and its contents splashed in the middle of the floor.
Feli - And now this!
She grabbed a second flask with a red liquid inside and threw it in the same place. This time the butt missed the bullets and crashed to the floor, and the moment the two fluids merged, there was an awfully loud sound, and an explosion, although the explosion was not as large as the sound might indicate.
What's more, sparks flew to every side, hot enough to ignite anything that could be ignited.
With the explosion, each of the guards jumped back. Everyone, even Feli, had their ears squealing at the sound so loud.
Sparks from the explosion reached the guards, igniting their clothes
Feli - Oh no! Fire! I started a fire!
Panic broke out inside and outside the corridor.
Guard - Take the lab technicians! And let's save ourselves!
The unconscious lab technicians Feli had previously defeated were taken to a safer place, though the fire was spreading fast enough that it was not known where a safe place might be.
Feli was separated from the corridor. She had no way to go because she cut off the way with fire. Instead, she had another exit, a window.
She jumped out the window, stopping in the air. She flew higher and flew back inside through the window that had been broken as she had escaped the previous time. She found herself in a dilapidated locker room that looked even worse than the first time she'd been here. Interestingly, she took with her a couple of potions, a dozen test tubes, closed with a cork. She held them against her body with her left hand. She wanted to keep playing with them after the mission was complete and show them to Fi and Trix.
Feli - I wonder if Filyy and Trix have already found Makio...? I will look for them.
She walked out into the corridor and headed for the stairs, going up.
There was a fire fuss on the lower levels, most of the guards either ran upstairs or downstairs or stayed to put out the fire. This means that she didn't meet many guards along the way. Without any problems, she entered the upper floors, getting to the ground floor, where everyone started.
Feli - I think they went upstairs....?
She went to the next floor and heard gunshots. She ran to where they were coming from.
??? - What's wrong with you!? You can't even kill one girl!?
She finally saw the scene that was taking place there.
Feli - Trix!
Trix - Feli! Did you find Makio?
Feli - No, and neither you?
Trix - Me taking care of my revenge.
She pointed to the room where the door was open.
Asil was inside. The same one who had tricked and laughed at her yesterday. There were a couple of guards around him, and a few were outside the room as well. The door to the room was open because Trix had previously dropped a smoke bomb there, and the colored gas had to be disposed of somehow.
Trix, on the other hand, hid behind a thick concrete pillar, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
Feli - Help you?
Trix - No thanx, I can handle it myself. You better go find Fili and Makio.
Feli - Sure!
Feli was also hidden behind a pillar.
Feli - By the way, look what I found!
Trix looked at the test tubes held over her shoulder. They were all closed with corks, so the liquid that was there had no way to escape.
Trix - What is it? Did you find a lab or a depot?
Feli - Labo! There were even more of these, but I started a fire and had to run.
Trix - Fire!?
Feli - Exactly! It's on fire, so better get out of here.
Trix - Say the same to Fi and I'll settle my case. And one more thing...
Feli - ?
Trix reached out to Feli and grabbed a pair of test tubes.
Trix - Are they doing something? It would be nice if they exploded.
Feli - I don't know, but give it back! It is mine!
Trix - Oh, don't be like that. We'll experiment with it later!
Feli - ...
She didn't like this solution.
Trix - Come on, go find Fi.
Feli - ...so be it.
She puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, but decided to obey nonetheless.
The girl deftly escaped from this place and ran up the stairs, however, her search skills were the same as her brother's. She went where she wanted without much logic, so she bypassed the second floor where Fi was now and continued upstairs.
*********************************
Fi - Haa, haa.... I'm sick of running up the stairs!
He was annoyed as he finally reached the second floor where the guard said the boss should be.
Fi - Where is the boss!
He shouted with his hands held high, betraying his position to security.
There were a lot of guards on this floor. Not surprising, considering that this is where the most important person in the entire building is located. Once again, a battle began in which Fi prevailed in strength. He beat one after another until they were all down, maybe 15 of them.
Fi - Hey where's the boss?!
He grabbed one by the shirt and lifted it to his head.
Guard - Down the corridor, second door on the left.
He didn't turn out to be very loyal, because he immediately betrayed the location of his boss. Or maybe he was already sure that defeating this amazing boy was impossible and gave up. Either way, Fi knew the way, so he headed where he had indicated. Except that he threw the questioned guy over his shoulder and ran with him.
Guard - Hey! What are you doing, leave me!
Fi - No.
Guard - ....Put me down!
Confused by such a short answer, he again ordered the boy to leave him. But since the boy had no intention of doing so, the guard began to break free.
Fi - No! If the boss tells me where Kebamakio is, you'll take me there!
The boy did not intend to let go of the guard and only gripped him tighter. He had no problems running with that weight. He turned down the hall and,
Suddenly he was caught by a barrage of shots. Another 10 guards stood in front of the boss's office.
Fi - You're a pain in the ass!
He threw the man he was holding to the floor and ran with incredible speed to the guards, dodging almost all the bullets. Rarely, because rarely, but sometimes bullet scratches appeared on his body, which was happening right now, on his leg and arm.
Due to the fact that the boy was among them, the guards gave up shooting, instead they started an attack with fists and sticks. The blows flew out one after the other, but Fi either dodged them or parried them. Many tried to pin him down, but he pushed them back with unprecedented force. Sometimes he kicked someone in the leg, which caused his bone to break. He sent many to the walls. Some, not wanting to suffer pain, pretended that they were unable to continue fighting and remained in a lying position.
The boy once again dealt with the group of guards.
Fi - Haa, I'm tired. Why are there so many of you here?
He went back for the guard he had thrown to the ground earlier. He swung him over his shoulder and walked with him to the door.
Fi - Where is Kebamakio!
He shouted as the door opened, but the room was empty. There he found neither the boss, nor the guards, nor Makio.
Fi - Hey! You said he'd be here!
Guard - Can you even count?! This is the third door, not the second! Have you even seen which room the guards are guarding!?
Fi - Ah, got the rooms wrong, my fault.
He turned to leave, but stopped and didn't take a step further.
Fi - I don't want to.
Guard - ?
Fi - I'm sick of coming back! First I was up to see the sky, then I went down and it turned out that Kebamakio had been kidnapped, so I had to go back. Then I came in here, went up, and found out I had to go down again! I'm tired of going back! I'm not going to turn back from this room to go into some other room!
He wasn't saying this to the guard or anyone else, but to himself. And since he was stubborn, he intended to keep his word.
Guard - What, are you going to stay here like this?
Fi - No, I'm moving on.
Guard - But how if you're not going to leave?
Fi - Will break through the wall.
Guard - Eh?
Fi dropped the man to the ground again, stood against the wall, and prepared to strike.
Guard - Are you kidding me!? You can't break through concrete!
The boy, ready to strike back, slammed into the wall. But, the result was not what he expected. There was a small dent in the wall and that was it.
Fi - Ouch! It hurt like I had hit a stone!
Guard - Because it's a stone!
Fi - Oh, yes.
He agreed with the guard when he realized this.
Fi - Well, I'll try a different way.
The boy prepared to strike again, but this time his hand turned black, as if he was wearing armor. Just like what happened yesterday when he tried to parry a metal baseball bat.
He hit the wall with all his might and,
broke through. Not much, though, because a hole the size of his fist had formed.
Guard - How you....!
The man couldn't believe what he had just seen. This boy broke through a concrete wall! It was impossible!
Fi - Okay, again!
And once again, he hit the wall with all his might, right next to the previous hole.
The hole widened even more, but not enough for him to squeeze through, so he struck again. And again, and again, and again. Until he finally fit in there.
*********************************
Girl - Got it! I found it!
She said holding up some two papers.
Boy - Are you sure these are the exact ones?
He walked over to her to examine the blueprints she was holding.
Girl - Of course, I wouldn't make such a stupid mistake as finding the wrong ones. You weren't even needed here.
The girl rejected him, not hiding her reluctance towards him.
The boy did not protest and gave up the idea of checking whether the plans of the building were correct.
Girl - Now we have to get out of here.
She walked over to the door and opened it slightly. She looked and saw no one.
Girl - All clear.
She stepped out into the corridor, followed by the young man. They knew the way back and that's what they tried to get back to.
Guard - Hurry down! Apparently the boss is trapped!
They heard a couple of guards heading up the stairs from another part of the corridor.
Girl - The attack continues... I wonder if we can go back the same way.
Guard - Hey did you hear that!? It's on fire on the lower floors! We have to get out of here before it gets hot! Literally!
Again they heard the guards running up the stairs shouting more information.
Girl - Fire!? It's a good thing we came here today and not tomorrow, it wouldn't be good if this blueprint burned.
She looked at the backpack she was carrying on her back. That's where she hid the papers earlier.
Boy - But now we don't know if we can go the same way.
Girl - That's right... Let's go to the monitoring room, we'll see what the situation is in the building.
Boy - I guess we weren't supposed to show up.
Girl - They will think we are together with these attackers.
They headed to the room used to monitor the entire building.
Girl - A lot of them lie here...
They walked up the main staircase where Fi had been up earlier and Feli a little later.
Boy - Don't you think it's weird, there are only guards who work here, I don't see any enemies.
Girl - You're right... If it was one of us, I wouldn't be surprised, but could the untouched really do such a thing? .....Anyway, let's go look at the surveillance.
Boy - ...
He didn't say anything, just silently agreed with her.
Girl - And let's watch out for mirrors, we haven't broken those yet.
They went to the floor where the monitor was located. The girl pointed to a round, white thing in the upper corner of the corridor.
Girl - We can't get past them. Compared to the entire building, there are a lot of them here.
She said as she looked around the corridor a bit more. There were white round mirrors in different corners. There were more of them than on any other floor, so that the threat was immediately noticed and eliminated before it took over the most important communication point.
Boy - Let's just destroy them.
Girl - No, they will immediately notice that....! Hey!
Before the girl could finish her sentence, the boy threw a pistol he had just picked up from the staircase towards the mirror.
Girl - So you started! And wasn't it easier to shoot?
Boy - I have a weak aim.
Girl - Haa... Well, now they'll probably send someone from security. It's because of you, so you fight.
Boy - Let it be. |
Most have never even seen the sky. It is covered by a large layer of black dust, as is the entire planet. Floating dust in the atmosphere causes plants to fail to grow, lungs to choke, and the weak to die. Therefore, intelligent beings took refuge in dome cities. Surrounded on all sides by a transparent, air-permeable, dust-retaining coating, these were cities that looked like snow globes.
The city was definitely bigger than you might think looking at it from above, because most of it was underground. The buildings underground were shaped like columns, which not only served as housing, but also as supports to keep the surface from collapsing.
The underground city was divided into two more layers, upper and lower. Lower was famous for its poverty. It was the place where the poorest part of the city lived. You can't say that it was dark and black there, but there was definitely a gloomy atmosphere there. The stuffy air stood still. The smells of alcohol and dirt combined to create an unpleasant stench to which the inhabitants had become accustomed. The sound of breaking glass and arguing came from all directions.
In one of the narrow and dark alleys of this gloomy city, a boy was leaning against the wall. The gloomy climate didn't seem to affect him. He was happy like an idiot holding a toy in his hands, a water game. It was a small green box filled with water where you need to put rings on the pillars.
Biting his tongue in concentration, he tried to arrange all the circles on the two piles that were there. Nine circles were already filled, and he only had the last one left. He pressed the button, the ring flew up, touched the pillar, brushed against it, but unfortunately it didn't get stuck on it, it just fell down.
The boy, already sweating on his forehead, pressed the button again to raise the ring again. He tilted the toy so that the ring landed where it was supposed to, and from what he could see, the ring was about to impale on the peg. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, preparing himself for a surprise.
After a moment he opened them, looked at the toy for the last ring, and saw this particular one lying with the other rings hanging on a pillar.
Boy - Yes! I did it! I did it!
Joyful, he jumped with his hands held high.
Boy - Yeeeaaah!!
He continued to make movements that indicated his happiness. He spun around and jumped on his feet a few more times, moving his whole body.
Boy - I'll show it Felyy! Hehe, I won again!
Smiling widely, he was already thinking about his sister's face when she saw his achievement.
Again he leaned against the wall of the narrow and dark alley, looked at the water game in his right hand, his pupils dilated in surprise, and his smile instantly changed to a half-moon signifying sadness. He fell to his knees with tears in his eyes.
Boy - W..w..why!?
All the rings that were on the pillar a moment ago were again at the bottom of the box. His sudden jumps stirred the contents of the toy, causing the circles to change their positions.
His sadness, however, did not last too long, because after a while he clapped his hands, jumped up from his knees and clenched his fists saying,
Boy - Again!
His eyes were full of determination, even though he was playing a simple children's game...
Again, he leaned against the cold wall, which he could feel even wearing a black sweatshirt, and underneath it, a red T-shirt with a print of a llama eating ice cream. His loose and comfortable pants were black, and he wore red sports sneakers. The black hair growing on his head was tousled and tossed in different directions. And quite a standout element for us is a black horn growing on the right side of his skull, and two fangs in his teeth. The boy was of average height with a predisposition to further body development. He was quite pretty, and cute, but with his constant smile, he also looked like an idiot.
He started to work with his toy again until he heard footsteps approaching him; in the plain and empty alley the echo was quite loud. He looked towards the sound and saw a man with a hooded head enter the alley.
Upon approaching it, the boy noticed that he had bunny ears. He was a skinny werebeast with an ugly complexion, about 30 years old. He didn't look or smell the best, but that wasn't unusual in this part of town.
Bunny - Do you have anything?
He stood uncertainly in front of the boy. His voice was hoarse and quiet.
Boy - Yeah
The boy did not care about his appearance. He put the toy game in his pocket, then reached into the other one on the opposite side of his sweatshirt and pulled out a small vial with a yellow liquid inside. It was a small, narrow, no more than 5 cm high glass container with a screw cap. It fit easily in the hand.
The boy handed the vial to the stranger, and at that time Bunny handed him the previously counted paper money.
The boy accepted the money and put it in his trouser pocket. After taking the vial, without saying anything else, the drug addict walked away a few steps when-
??? - Stop! Hands up and don't move!
Two men, whose uniforms meant they were city guards, ran into the alley. They held weapons that could be compared to pistols. One of them looked like a half-bear, and the other was covered with red scales, similar to a lizard.
Bunny - Shit!? They always let us off, why now they decided to act?
The man with the bunny ears looked surprised and terrified. Usually the guards pretended not to see the illegal sales, but this time, unfortunately, they decided to act.
Boy - Eh, what's going on?
However, the boy did not seem so smart and intelligent to feel the danger. He looked as if he had no idea what was going on and why the guards who were running towards them were pointing their guns at them.
Bunny - Run or we'll go to jail!
The man noticed the boy's indecision, so he helped him make a decision. Immediately after that, he began running away from the guards through the narrow alley. The boy, who still didn't seem to understand the situation, did as he was told and also started running away.
Boy - But why are they chasing us?
As he ran, he crossed his arms, which would have been difficult for a normal person to run, and began to think deeply about the situation.
Bunny - How come why? Because we both have illegal substances, you trade them and I buy!
Boy - Illegal?
He asked as if he did not understand the statement at all, only to open his mouth wide after a moment and scream,
Boy - Wait a minute! So the yellow stuff is illegal?
He directed the question to the man running beside him, who wasn't sure if it was a serious question. But the boy's face clearly indicated that he had no idea about the crime he was doing.
Bunny - Huh? Are you stupid or what!? How could you not know that!?
Boy - But nobody told me it was illegal work! I had no idea!
Bunny - You sell small vials of drug elixir, in a narrow and dark alley, to guys who hide all the time and look like me, and you didn't think this job might be illegal?!
He stared in disbelief at the boy, who looked at him with a serious expression on his face and replied,
Boy - Well, no. I did not think about it.
The drug addict's jaw dropped when he thought how much of an idiot this boy was.
Boy - But you said that yellow thing was illegal?
He quickly accepted the essence of his work and moved on to the next topic.
Bunny - Yes... and?
Boy - And it does some cool stuff, doesn't it?
He looked at the vial with glowing eyes. He smiled widely, eager to try this unfamiliar liquid.
Bunny - Hey! We have bigger problems right now!
He reminded him that they were on the chase right now and were running away from the guards.
"Bang! Bang!"
They heard two shots aimed at them, though not as loud as the guns from our world.
Bunny - Oh no, no no! I don't want to die!
You can call him a coward by the way he gets scared by the sound of bullets. There were tears of fear in his eyes and he began to shake his pants. Fortunately, neither of the two bullets hit them, and they both continued to run away.
Boy - If you're so scared, why are you running so slowly?
Bunny - Huh?
He looked at the boy running next to him with teary eyes. In contrast to him, the boy wasn't scared at all, on the contrary, he looked excited. Plus, he didn't look tired at all, while bunny was barely breathing.
Bunny - Ne.. Never mind! Damn...
He shook his head to clear unnecessary thoughts.
Bunny - Now we have to figure out how to escape them, nothing else matters.
He looked at the road ahead. They ran all the time through narrow, unfrequented streets, turning from time to time into another alley.
Bunny - Maybe...
Boy - Hey, bunny! - He called his companion.
Bunny - ?
Boy - Jump in!
Right at the turn, the boy jumped up and grabbed the balcony on the first floor. He easily dragged himself on and laid himself on the floor of the balcony so that the guards would not find him.
Bunny - Maybe you do have a brain after all.
The boy's idea wasn't so bad, so the bunny wanted to use it. He jumped up and grabbed onto the balcony, but he had trouble pulling himself up. He wasn't as fit or muscular to go in as the boy did.
From the alley from which they had just run out, the footsteps of the running guards became louder and louder. They were about to turn the corner and see the bunny struggling to get to the balcony from the first floor.
Boy - Come on, what are you waiting for?
And from the balcony you could hear a boy who did not understand that his temporary partner was definitely weaker than him.
Bunny - It's nothing. It's just one pull-up, I'll be fine.
Although he did not believe his words himself, he gathered all his strength in his arms, and, biting his teeth, he braced himself, straining his hands and shoulders.
And at the same time, the sound of the guards running inexorably fell into his ears. They were about to show up.
In five seconds,
In four seconds,
There were even veins on his forehead from the strain.
In three seconds,
He tried so hard that his face twisted into a funny expression. And the boy couldn't help but laugh.
In two seconds,
Getting closer and closer. He had already lifted his head off the balcony floor
In one second,
So close! Just a little bit!
Now.
Finally, the chase arrived, and they saw...
Guard (Bear) - Where are they?
Guard (Lizard) - I can't hear any footsteps. Damn, they couldn't just go away like that.
Bunny managed to climb onto the balcony and hide milliseconds before the chase caught up with them. He was so tired that he would like to gasp as loud as he could, so he covered his mouth, trying not to make a sound.
Both the boy and the bunny were lying side by side on the cold floor. They could hear the guards talking to each other below them.
Bear - Didn't I tell you? We just lost time.
Lizard - ... Haa ...
He needed to breathe after his co-worker scolded him.
Lizard - All these transactions must be stopped. And if command isn't doing anything about it, I'll do it myself.
Misiek - Don't be so hardworking, it will end badly for you.
They hid on the balcony of a residential building. There was a chair, some plant, a few other small shards and something that caught the boy's attention.
His eyes lit up and his mouth watered, letting you know how much he wanted this thing. If it was a dog, I'd say it started wagging its tail so hard it caused a hurricane.
He stretched his hand forward to grab this "amazing" item.
Bunny -
Hey, what are you doing?
He whispered when he noticed that the boy was starting to act strangely. And then he saw what his hand was aiming at,
Bunny -
Stop it, if we make any noise then...
But it was too late. The warning that was given by the man with the rabbit ears did nothing. The boy made it and...
"Come with me! Let's save the world!"
There was an robotic noise made by a child's toy.
The object that caught the boy's attention was a figurine of a man with a robotic half of the body, dog ears, a uniform and a cape that can be compared to those worn by super heroes. In other words, it was the main character from a popular comic series in this world, of which the boy was a fan.
Boy - Awesome!!!
Completely forgetting that he had just been chased by the guards, the boy stood up with the toy in his hand and began to examine it more closely, with a childish smile on his face.
Bunny - And what did you do!? Why did you press that damn button!?
The man couldn't stand his anger and, still on the floor, started to get mad at the boy.
Boy - What for? After all, buttons are for pressing! How could I not push it!?
"Come with me! Let's save the world!"
He pressed the button again. His tenacity and stupidity, as well as his mentality, looked like he was still a kid. And when he heard the super hero's voice again, his mouth watered again. The only thoughts in his head were "How cool! Amazing! I want it!".
Lizard - Fortunately, they are idiots.
The guards immediately noticed the noises and found their hiding place. This time they didn't wait for the criminals to give up, but immediately drew their guns and pointed them at them.
"Bang"
The sound of a bullet hitting the balcony fence forced Bunny to give up the argument and instead prick up his ears again fearing for his life.
Boy - Ah! I forgot! We were playing tag!
However, the boy took it as a great fun and willingly continued it. Instinctively, he grabbed a pot from the windowsill and threw it at the guards. And while the guards avoided the plant flying towards them, the boy and Bunny jumped off the balcony and continued their run.
Bunny - Damn it hurts! Jumping from the first floor is not good for my legs though! Are you okay?
Boy - You're weak! It hurts a bit when I jump from the third, but from the fourth it's already very much, I even had to sit down for a moment to stop hurting!
Bunny - HAAA?????? What is your body made of!?
Fourth floor, you could even die falling from that height, not to mention broken bones, and his legs just hurt?!
This day the drug addict will either remember forever as the strangest day of his life, or he will think that he drank some potions and all that happened was just his vivid imagination.
"Come with me! Let's save the world!"
The figurine's robotic voice rang out again.
Bunny - Leave that idiotic toy alone! Why did you even steal it!?
He hated this sound and this words, after all, they had been found by them, and if they won't be lucky now, they will be caught.
Boy - What did I steal? It was just lying there.
He held the figurine in his hand, and his mind was debating whether to take care of the toy, play tag, or argue with the guy he was running away with.
Bunny - It was lying on the balcony so it belonged to someone. Probably to a child!
Boy - Someone threw it on the street, so he probably didn't want it! And I want it, so I take it.
Bunny - It's not a street, it's a balcony!
Boy - The balcony and the street are the same! If you can reach for it, then you can reach for it!
Bunny - You're an idiot!
Boy - Right?
He crossed his arms and straightened his back.
Bunny - Don't be proud of it!
Boy - Haha!
The man had no more strength. Not only physically, but also mentally. The boy finished him off. And this idiot, like his opposite, was all cheerful and energetic. He quickly forgot about unimportant arguments and situations. He lived in the moment, enjoying it.
Bunny - Oh no! Dead end!
He was terrified of what was in front of them. Their way was blocked not by a wall, but by a gate over 3 meters high, which no normal person would be able to jump over. And there was no way to get around it. There's nothing you can do about it, they'll be caught. Resigned, the werebeast looked down at the ground, knowing he was about to go to jail. So they're stuck...or not?
Boy - What are you waiting for? Come here!
He heard the boy's voice and looked next to him, the boy wasn't there, so he turned the other way, but he wasn't there either. Finally, he looked straight ahead and held his gaze on him.
Bunny - How the hell did you get there?
Bunny saw him on the other side of the gate. He looked around, but saw no passage that led to the other side of the fence.
Bunny - How did you get there!?
Boy - I jumped.
He replied as if it was something normal.
Bunny - How did you jump over? It is over 3 meters high!
Boy - I just jumped! You are so annoying! You don't want to go through it, then don't go through it! I'm going!
The boy was not a patient one, and the fact that he was supposed to wait for a guy he didn't even know only intensified his reluctance to stand still. He turned and started walking away.
Bunny - What? No! Wait! Help me!
In a pleading voice, the man called him to stay.
Boy - Why? It's not my fault you're so weak.
He thought a man should take care of himself, and, well, the guy had bunny ears, and rabbits jump high, right? At least that was what he had in mind.
Bunny - It's not me, there's something wrong with you!
The boy made a confused face at the news that something was wrong with him, and after seeing it, the man immediately corrected himself to convince him to help.
Bunny - I mean! Not that you're weird, but not everyone is as strong as you! Definitely not me!
Boy - Felyy and Trix could also jump over this fence.
Bunny - Okay! I'm weak, but that doesn't mean you have to leave me! We're in this together, aren't we? So should we help each other?
Boy - .....
He looked confused and a little goofy again. He didn't know whether to agree or not.
And then the guards ran into the alley. They were getting closer to the man who, without the boy's intervention, would not be able to escape.
Bunny - I'll pay you, okay? I'll pay you, just help me!
Boy - ....
It's hard to tell if he was thinking about whether or not to agree, or if he just had to process the sentence in his mind for so long to understand it. After a while he smiled and,
Boy - Deal! I will buy myself a lot of kebabs haha!
Happy, he ran to the fence, jumped and easily, leaning on one hand on the edge of the gate, flew to the other side. After jumping down, he stood next to Bunny and put his thumbs in his hands, saying,
Boy - Okay! you can do it! I'm cheering you on! I will keep my fingers crossed for you!
Bunny - What?
Boy - What? I was cheering you on, wasn't I?
He tilted his head, not knowing what he had done wrong.
Bunny - I meant more for you to climb the fence and give me your hand. It was about
physical
help, not
mental
help!
The man couldn't believe he had to explain something so obvious.
Boy - Aaaa.... That makes sense. And I won't have to wait for you! You are smart though!
He smiled at his own stupidity.
Bunny - No... you're the moro- Wha!
Suddenly, the boy threw him over his shoulder, something the drug addict hadn't expected.
And even with the Bunny on his shoulder, the boy nimbly jumped up, catching the top of the fence with one hand, kicked off the wall with his feet and jumped over the gate without any problems.
"Bang, bang"
And behind them, they heard the shots of approaching guards.
Bear - How did they jump over that fence!?
They stopped in front of the gate, seeing only the backs of fleeing people. They were unable to cross to the other side, and therefore, continue the chase.
Lizard - Rather how strong the boy was. He jumped over it carrying someone with him.
The guard grabbed the fence and looked up at its height.
Lizard - Who is he? I've never heard of a race capable of that in this city.
Bear - don't ask me. Let's go back, we won't do anything here.
The red-scaled guard stared at the high fence for a moment longer. The escapees were no longer visible. The pursuit ended in defeat.
And back to the boy and Bunny,
Bunny - Oh no! It hurts, it hurts so much!
Boy - ?
He looked at the bunny, not knowing what it was about.
Bunny - I've been hurt! You see!?
He pointed to his cheek, which had a red scratch left there by the bullet fired by the guards.
Boy - It's just a scratch.
Bunny - But it hurts! It would hurt you too! Ah! Look! Look! It's blood! I'm bleeding!
Boy - It's just a drop.
Bunny - Ouch! It hurts! It hur-
OW! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?
Even more pain appeared on his other cheek as the boy clenched his fist and unexpectedly punched him in the face!
Boy - You're annoying! You're just complaining all the time!
Bunny - How can I not complain when I was hurt!
Boy - Such a wound doesn't hurt!
Bunny - It hurts! If you got it, you too-
OW
!
And once again, the boy punched him in the face.
Boy - What hurts more, the scratch or my punch?
Bunny - Your punch!
He screamed with tears in his eyes.
Boyfriend - And I hit you very weakly, so it's impossible for this wound to hurt you!
Bunny - You are much stronger than the average person, your weak punches are not weak at all!
Boy - And you're complaining again! Should I punch you again?
Bunny - Hum... ....................No. It's fine now.
Boy was terrifyingly strong, and Bunny knew it. After thinking about it for a moment, he decided it wasn't worth arguing with him.
Bunny - Okay. We escaped from the guards, so we can go now. Let's just go our separate ways.
He didn't want to stay with this overly strong moron any longer, he wanted to get away from him.
Boy - And the money?
He remembered something.
Bunny - Money? Ah... I said I'd pay....
But he said it on the spur of the moment. The truth is, he's pretty poor himself, and giving someone else money won't end well for him.
Boy - If you lied to me, I'll beat you.
Bunny - What? No! No! Of course I didn't lie to you, I'll give you the money. Eh.... let's see....
Being beaten by this damn strong boy would definitely not end well for him. No need to think about it, paying is a much better option in this case.
He took his wallet out of his pocket and looked inside. He sighed as he saw how little savings he had left, and some of it he would have to pay.
Bunny - So....
Boy - Thanks! And bye!
Bunny - Eh?!
But something happened that he didn't expect. The boy, without waiting for Bunny to take out and give him money, just grabbed his wallet and took it!
Bunny - Wait! I wasn't going to give you everything!
As soon as the boy grabbed his wallet, he started to run away. Admittedly, it didn't look like he was running away, he just split up like they were supposed to.
Bunny started to run after him but,
The boy was moving away from him twice as fast as the man was running. Finally, he ran out of breath and stopped, not believing his eyes. The boy was much faster than when they were running away from the guards. He ran slower just to keep up with Bunny. The man understood this and gave up, and having lost his savings, he fell to his knees on the cold concrete ground in the empty and dark alley.
Bunny - Could this day get any worse?
He sighed, exhausted and unable to move.
************************************
Boy - Hahaha! How fun is today! First, I played a water game, played tag, found this super hero and even got money! Hahaha!
He was all joyful. He had fun and enjoyed everything that happened to him.
Boy - I'll buy the best kebabs! Hihi!
He had already reached a busier street. Around it were blocks of flats, which were columns reaching high up to the ceiling, and in the middle of these huge columns, there were bridges and larger slabs of concrete ceiling. It was there that the upper layer of the underground was located. On the lowest floors of the columns there were a few shops, and the place where the boy was heading, i.e. his favorite kebab shop.
He walked over to the door and was about to go through it, but it swung open by itself from the inside, and a couple of young men came out of the building. To whom, one could say out of politeness, but it had nothing to do with politeness, the boy gave way. They laughed as if they were in a good mood. And it's worth mentioning that they looked pretty menacing.
The boy, not paying attention to them, entered inside smiling from ear to ear.
Boy - Kebamister! Kebamakio! I want the most expensive kebabs you have! Uh...?
The smile from his face disappeared. He noticed an elderly man with a dog's face, floppy ears, a tail and all over patched brown and white fur sitting on the floor. He was the owner of a fast food restaurant. And next to him, a young girl, also looking like she works at the store, applies ice to his forehead to relieve his pain.
Makio (employee) - Fi? You're here to buy something.... I'm sorry, but the kebab shop will be closed for today.
The young woman replied, bending her dog ears in sadness. She also had a narrow muzzle and a furry tail, both of which looked like a dog's, and was covered all over with light brown fur. She was a werebeast, more specifically a weredog.
Fi- What happened? Why is Kebamister sitting on the floor?
Makio - Um....
Kebamister - Nothing happened Fi, I just have debt problems, it's nothing.
The old man answered, who, like the girl, was a weredog.
Fi - Debt? Do you have any debt?...
He just thought of something that made his face look scared and guilty.
Fi - You had to borrow money because sometimes I don't pay you for kebabs!? It's my fault!
Kebamister - No! Fi, this has nothing to do with you. Serving you free meals wouldn't put me in debt. It's all because of higher taxes. Supposedly, in a few cities, factories with injections had breakdowns and money had to be raised to repair them. As soon as they are fixed, everything will be back to normal, so you don't have to worry.
Makio - Grandpa, are you sure Fi understands what taxes are?
Kebamister - Ah, you may be right,
Thinking about it, the old man looked at Fi, but Fi, proudly, replied,
Fi- I know! Garef recently yelled at me to get a job and start paying for myself because she's sick of spending money on brats and taxes are going up. And then she explained to me what it was. Although I had no idea she was spending money on any children, she always said she hated them.
Makio - Fi, you and Feli are this brats.
Fi - Really!? ..... Well, whatever.
He resigned himself to his fate of being an unwanted brat.
Fi - And those guys who hit Kabamister are the same guys who just left here?
Makio - Yes... Wait a minute! Fi! Where are you going!?
As soon as it was confirmed who was responsible for the old man's injury, Fi turned and started running for the exit.
Fi - Where? I'm going to beat them! I can't buy a kebab because of them! And they pissed me off!
Makio - What? No! It'll only make things worse! Wait!
However, the boy did not listen and ran out of the building.
Fi - ASSHOLES WHO HIT THE KEBAMISTER!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!??
He shouted at the top of his voice, attracting the attention of all passers-by. However, not everyone cared and most returned to their previous activities. In these parts, and especially on this street, Fi was quite a famous person and everyone had heard of his antics at least once.
He looked around the area, paying attention to all the passers-by, but nowhere did he see the ones he was looking for. He turned around to see if they were behind him, looked up for them on the ceiling, and finally looked under his shoes. They were nowhere. He put his hand to his chin, pretending to think about something when in fact he already knew the answer to what he wanted to do next.
Fi - They must have gone somewhere..... Okay! I'll be lucky!
And when he said he will be lucky, he meant he'd run in a random direction and maybe he'd find them.
Makio - Fi wait! Let it go!
Behind him, a young employee ran out of the store, and seeing that the boy was starting to run somewhere, she decided to follow him. She wanted to stop him, but Fi was too fast for her, in the blink of an eye he was far enough away from her that even her voice wouldn't reach him.
He looked around in all directions, still running ahead, suddenly something flashed in his eye. He stopped. He took a few steps back and looked down the narrow street between the buildings.
Fi - There you are!
He smiled as his search was successful.
He witnessed a rather unpleasant scene. The same men he met at the entrance to the store were bullying a young man who looked to be in his 20s. The red hair of the person lying on the ground was all disheveled. Likewise, his clothes, due to constant punches and kicks, were dirty. He lay curled up, his hands holding his head to protect it, tears flowing from his eyes from the pain.
Attacker - Haha! You see? And it was good to oppose us? If we want something, it is given to us. Do you get it?
The attacker crouched beside him and grabbed his messy hair, lifting his head up. The victim twisted his mouth in pain and made a squeaky sound, then replied,
Victim - Y....yes....I..I I understand I'll give you, w.. what you want, just please let me go.....
Attacker - Haha!
He let go of his hair, causing the victim's head to drop and hit the ground. The man stood up and, with an ominous grin, kicked him again.
Attacker - Look, it took a few hits and-..!
He didn't manage to finish the sentence, because his jaw was bent under the influence of a strong blow, and he flew a few meters back, rolling on the floor. Distracted and stunned, he opened his eyes wide, trying to figure out the situation. He looked at the place where he had been standing a moment ago and saw an unfamiliar person there. A boy with black hair and a horn. He had just hit him. Everyone there was stunned by this sudden event, and in an instant they prepared for battle.
Attacker 2 - Who are you!?
One of the 6 men called to the unexpected appearance of the boy.
Fi - You guys hit the Kebamister, right!?
The boy stood between them, not far from the lying victim, although he did not seem to care about him.
Attacker 2 - What, what the hell are you talking about!?
Fi - That you hit Kebamister!
They were confused, not knowing what the stranger was talking about, and that only fueled their anger and willingness to start a fight.
Attacker 2 - What? Who's the-
Attacker - It doesn't matter!
The one Fi had hit got up from the ground and, putting his hand to the sore spot, looked furious, shouted to stop this senseless chatter.
Attacker - Who is he? And who the fuck cares! You saw what he did, right!? So you have to get it into his head not to mess with us!!! Get him guys!
At this signal, the five of them lunged at Fi with their bare fists. Their morale and self-confidence were quite high considering that the boy was alone and a few of them. Thinking of an easy win, they didn't seem to try or strain themselves too much.
The first of them lunged at him with his fists, trying to punch him in the face, he landed a punch, but Fi dodged it, catching his arm at the same time. After catching it, he threw it behind him, throwing his opponent's entire body backwards. Behind him, he heard the man hit the wall.
Immediately after, so that the boy didn't have time to react, the next one wanted to kick him in the stomach, but Fi jumped on the previously knocked down attacker, bounced off the wall, so high that his legs were at the head of the guy who wanted to kick him and knocked him down a shoe in his face, thus the second of the 6 opponents was knocked down.
The next two attacked together, one aiming for the stomach and the other for the head. Fi deftly dodged both blows by jumping to his left side, and once he was on the left side of one of the men, he punched him in the face and sent him to the ground. The second villain, who was further to the right, seeing how his friend was being hit, aimed at the stomach of the boy who was unable to move at the moment. But while Fi had no time to dodge, he wasn't about to let himself be hit either. He stopped the blow with his left hand. And the one who felt the pain from the blow was not the boy, but the striking man, whose hand ached as if he had hit a hard wall instead of his hand.
While Fi's left hand stopped the blow, his right aimed at the attacker's stomach. Thanks to the strong blow, the man grabbed his stomach and curled down. Fi took advantage of this and kicked him in the head, knocking him to the ground.
Two assailants remained in the alley, still on their feet. Seeing how strong is the boy they had to face and how their colleagues fell one by one, they became nervous.
They grabbed weapons, one of them had a knife and the other had a metal baseball bat. The boy didn't care at all and ran to them to finish them off as well as the others.
The first to make a move was the man with the knife. He aimed at the boy trying to stab him, but Fi dodged the attack by dodging to the side. After that, the attacker tried to make the same move and cut him, but the boy ducked nimbly avoiding the attack, and along with straightening up, he launched an attack with his leg.
Quite a painful attack, because it hit the attacker's sensitive spot, and those who saw it certainly felt the pain.
He dropped the knife from his hand, clutched at the sore spot, and, trying not to look weak, held back tears.
Attacker - Hey! It's a low blow!
Even social trash like these scoundrels had rules. Fi is worse in this one, he doesn't follow any rules.
Fi - What do I care? I'm here to beat you, no matter what!
Enraged, the last of the six attackers, he aimed a metal bat at the boy's head, who easily dodged this blow, and wanted to throw another blow himself.
Fi aimed at the head, but the boy was quite surprised because this time it was the opponent who avoided the blow by jumping back.
The attacker aimed at the boy's stomach, and when the boy dodged the blow, he swung again, landing another hit, thus continuing his uninterrupted attack.
Again and again, Fi kept dodging the blows until finally he was led against the wall and couldn't jump back to dodge. All he had to do was wait for his opponent to strike.
The attacker smiled wickedly at the thought that he had already won. He swung the stick with all his might.
At the same time, Fi did something unexpected. His right hand, more specifically the skin, turned black. As black as coal. And directly with this hand he stopped the attack of the metal stick.
Horror flashed in the assailant's eyes as he saw his strong, heavy, metal stick bent by the blow to the boy's hand.
And while he couldn't believe his eyes, Fi prepared his left hand to strike. And it was only luck that the attacker managed to avoid this blow. He lost the strength in his legs in terror and fell backwards.
And while he was on the ground, he crawled his arms back and forth a couple of times and...
Attacker - W-w...wait! You came to get revenge for that old man, didn't you?
Fi - Yeah, I came for this!
Attacker - If you wanted to take back the money we took from him, I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you, so-
Afraid, he pointed to the backpack that was lying against the wall, which probably contained the money taken by force. But,
Fi - I don't care about any papers! I just came to kick your ass and that's it!
Without waiting any longer, Fi ran to the man sitting on the ground and kicked him in the head. He beat them all.
However, one of them did not give up. Fi saw one of the figures get up from the ground, so to finish him off, he jumped on him and punched him in the face.
Victim - No! I am not with them!
He screamed as soon as he took the blow. The one who got up had been a kicked victim before
Fi - Ah, sorry.
Victim - Ok-k….
After a hard blow from Fi, his eyes went black, he staggered and fell to the ground, fainting.
The boy didn't care and, without remorse, turned to the recently defeated opponents. Some of them had already got up.
Attacker 2 - The boss will be angry when he hears that we were beaten by some brat.
Attacker 3 - Yeah, that's why we can't lose. Get up guys, he hasn't won yet!
They continued their attacks and Fi continued to knock them down and win. They tried to somehow oppose the strength of the boy, but they had no chance against him. It was a fruitless effort on their part.
And while Fi was putting his plan to kick their ass into action, Makio finally arrived at where he was.
She froze as she saw the scene unfolding before her.
Six severely beaten people were lying on the ground (including the victim) and another was held by the boy by the shirt and just at that moment the boy punched him in the face, causing his head to hit the wall and, like all the rest, he lost consciousness.
Makio - Fi! Stop now!
Fi - Kebamakio?
He turned towards the voice and, seeing Makio standing, was slightly surprised, but then he smiled sincerely.
Fi - I kicked 'em. Hihihi! Ah! And look,
He grabbed bag from the wall and looked inside.
Fi - They said they took your money so you got it back!
He handed Makio a black backpack, and she, as if in a trance, not knowing what to do, took the item given by the boy.
She looked around the narrow alley and sighed.
Makio - [It will cause trouble]
She thought sadly.
Makio - So you wanted to buy something to eat, right?
Fi - Yeah, but you said it was closed.
Makio - I'll make an exception for you, after all you ran to intercede for us.
Fi - Really?
The girl nodded.
Fi - Yay! Hooray!
He jumped for joy.
They returned to the place with the kebabs served, and as the girl promised, she made him 2 kebabs, at the expense of the company. He gladly took the packed meal, and as if he had forgotten everything that had just happened, he left the restaurant waving goodbye to the old man and Makio.
However, as soon as the boy left, Makio's fake smile disappeared from her face, her dog ears fell down and her tail curled up. She turned to her grandfather.
Makio - Grandpa, do you think we'll get into more trouble because of this?
He leaned back in his chair and looked up, thinking. He sighed and scratched his head with a depressed expression.
Old man - Eh, there are two options, either we are so small and unimportant that they will turn a blind eye to it, or we are so small and unimportant that they will decide to make an example of us for other debtors.
Makio - ....
Old man - But don't worry, we'll get along with them somehow.
Makio - I hope.
She replied in a worried voice.
************************************
Humming a tune under his breath, he walked a few blocks to his apartment. He stood in front of the building, quite dirty and in need of restoration, just like any lower part of the columns, where no one had done anything to them for hundreds of years. He went inside and it didn't look any better. The paint was peeling from the wall and there were cobwebs in the corners. He went up the stairs to the second floor and stood in front of the door to his apartment.
Fi - I wonder if Felyy has returned yet. I'll have to tell her what happened today hihi!
He turned the handle and saw that the door was open. He went inside. The room was dark. The blinds were drawn and no lights were on. Fi ignored it, however, and took off his shoes as always to head into the room. And then,
??? - I got you.
He felt something hard touch his back, between his shoulders. |
He felt something hard touch his back, between his shoulders.
Fi guessed it was most likely a pistol. However, he didn't act like someone with a gun against his back. Instead of being afraid or listening to the attacker, as if nothing had happened, he turned around, at the same time, dropping the food bag from his hand, he pulled out a previously stolen toy from his pocket. A super hero with a robotic half body and dog ears, then shouted:
Fi- No, you don't! Protective shield!
He held the toy out in front of him and pretended that he really had created a magical protective shield with the figurine.
??? - Oh no! My bullet missed! The shield protected him! But I still have an ace up my sleeve! That's it, a poisonous gas that even your shield can't stop!
The attacker was a girl with short blue hair. Releasing her toy gun, she joined in the further fun she had started. From her pocket she pulled a small oblong device that had a button on the end. She pressed it, and pink smoke started coming out of the device, though not much.
Fi - I'm suffocating! I'm suffocating! But so are you, because you forgot to bring your mask!
??? - What!? It was a double-edged weapon! I didn't foresee that! Air!
They both pretended that the smoke that escaped from the object was poisonous. And to escape from this smoke, they ran to the window at the end of the room and opened it, trying to get some fresh air.
Fi - It was close, we almost got poisoned!
??? - I know! Luckily it's all over!
After this short action, they leaned against the window sill and breathed evenly to calm their hearts from the sudden fun. The girl turned her back to the window and sat on the sill. It was Feli, a little over a year younger, Fi's sister.
Like her brother, she had round eyes and a slightly round face. She had the same sense of idiot as her brother. She was a little shorter, and her physique looked athletic. Though she had no fangs, she had horns just like her brother. Black, two small ones in the middle of the head. Unlike her brother, she had black wings at the bottom of her back. And unfortunately, she only had one arm. Only the left one, the one that should be on the right, was missing. Her clothes were loose and comfortable, and a necklace hung from her neck that looked maybe like a sun, maybe a star, or maybe a snowflake. Hard to say.
She looked at her brother and at the toy he was holding.
Feli - Where did you find this figurine? It is great!
Fi - Someone threw it on the balcony.
Feli- What!? Seriously!? How could anyone do that!
She was indignant at this stranger's behavior and puffed out her cheeks in anger.
Fi - And Felyy! Look, look!
He ran closer to the front door. At the moment when their pretend fight began, he dropped the lunch bag from his hands. He picked it up and pulled out two kebabs wrapped in paper.
Fi - I beat up some guys and Kebamakio gave them to me for free!
One of them was handed to Feli. The girl immediately unwrapped the dish and bit into the middle.
Feli- Mmmmm~! Good!
Fi- Isn't it!?
They both savored their free lunch while Fi told her about the day's events.
Feli - Guess what I bought today!
After the meal was over, it was time for the younger sister to tell something.
Fi - Comics?
Feli - No.
Fi - Candy?
Feli - No.
Fi - Some chocolate!?
Feli - Neither.
She smiled every time Fi missed, and swayed from right to left to the rhythm of his questions.
Fi - Awesome t-shirt with King Kong playing with a toy octopus with only five tentacles and bat wings while sitting on top of a tall tree from which you can pick chocolate cubes!?
Feli - Wha... I want one! But no! You didn't guess it, haha!
Fi - Theeeen, ummmm………
He racked his brain to think of something else.
Feli - Are you giving up?
Fi - Yhm.
He nodded in confirmation.
Feli - Come on, follow me!
She walked over to the only door in the room other than the front door. She opened it and entered the bathroom. Fi, growing curious, began to peek over her shoulder, trying to see what she was up to.
The girl walked over to the towel in which there was something wrapped. Carefully, so that Fi wouldn't notice what was inside, she grabbed the mysterious object. She looked back at her brother with an evil smile.
Feli - Orient!
She quickly turned around, not giving the boy time to react, and a stream of water flew from the mysterious object, which completely wet the boy's face.
Feli - I present to you, our new water guns!
Fi - Extra!
He wiped the water from his face with his hands.
Fi - Do you have another one?
He looked at the girl, and she, in response, tossed him the gun she was holding and reached for the towel, pulling out another.
Each holding a water pistol, prepared for battle. They stood facing each other in the bathroom, their weapons pointing downwards.
Fi - Ready?
Feli - Yes!
Fi - Well, three,
Feli - Two,
Fi - One,
Fi, Feli - Start!
The second round of their fight has begun! Feli sprayed water right in her brother's face, but Fi did the same aiming at her chest.
Avoiding Feli's water shot, the boy ran out of the bathroom to the main room. He jumped over the couch hiding behind it and aimed at Feli, who just ran out of the bathroom.
Feli didn't dodge the blow, but instead decided to take advantage of the moment when Fi leaned out from behind the couch, and she took aim at him, hitting him squarely in the head.
Their firing was picking up speed. Amazing and agile dodges would put anyone in amazement and disbelief. Feli would be definitely more accurate than Fi, if not for that the boy was good at dodging, so every shot she took that would hit him in exactly critical places, missed.
Feli - I will win!
She happily announced to her brother after she had hit him in the head for the sixth time.
Fi - No way
They were on par and went neck and neck with the number of hits. Their fun creates unbearable noise that for sure disturbed the neighbors.
Fi aimed again at Feli, who, to avoid the water blow, jumped on the cupboard which was behind her. However, this cabinet was covered with a lot of items, there was some photo frame, clothes, plates and a few other bits and pieces, so when Feli jumped on the cupboard, she tripped over the items on it, and fell down, knocking down the entire creed.
The fall of furniture produced a big bang, which I'm sure even more distant neighbors could hear. Things that were on the cupboard were now lying on the ground. A frame with a picture of little Fi, little Feli and a woman with black hair, wings and horns, who was probably their mother, was all broken.
Feli - Oh nooo… Garef will get angry!
Fi - She'll be here soon! Let's run!
Right after the big bang, they both started to be afraid of something, so much so that they ran up in the blink of an eye to the door. They opened them, intending to escape the apartment, but a large mountain stood in their way.
Or at least that's how it can be initially described, because it wasn't a mountain that stood in front of them, but a huge woman. She was a bit older and quite fat. She has sharp teeth and a scary face,
her ears were oddly shaped, like leaves or a coral reef, her skin was grayish shade, and the curly hair was green. She was Garef, the owner of the flat where Fi and Feli lived.
Fi - Through the window!
The command was obeyed by Feli right away. As fast as they could, they turned to start running to the window they were about to jump out of. But they were too slow.
The scary woman grabbed them by their T-shirts and pulled them close.
Garef - What have you guys done again!?
She had a heavy and scary voice. Fi and Feli knew it was too late to escape, so after Garef let go of their T-shirts, they cuddled closer together in fear of the scary lady. And shaking horrified, Fi answered her,
Fi - Yo, Garef!
He greeted her as if nothing had happened. Waving his hand in front of his forehead.
Garef - Answer!
Fi - We, we didn't do anything. I do not know what you mean!
And although the boy denied that the noise came from their room, the behavior betrayed him, it was obvious at first glance that he was lying. Though of course no matter what he said or how he acted, Garef was sure it was them who were responsible for everything.
Garef - Don't talk back to me, brat! What have you screwed up this time! wardrobe again? Mirror? Or maybe a lamp!?
The woman pushed the two in front of her away and entered their apartment. As always, there was one big mess. There were clothes and food scraps everywhere. In addition, in all corners of the room you could see figurines, toys or comics with which siblings are having fun.
Garef - I'm used to your shit, but why the hell is it everywhere wet!?
Feli - Well, because we were shooting water guns.
Garef - In the apartment!?
Feli - ....Is that bad?
The girl scratched her head, not understanding Garef's anger.
Garef - You are absolutely forbidden to play with water in the apartment! I will see again that everything is so wet here and I'm kicking you out! And what does that mean!
She pointed to the broken frame with the photo inside.
Garef - This is the only picture left of your mother! Take care of it a bit!
She grabbed the frame and looked at it for a moment. Then she carefully put the broken item down on the floor.
Garef - You're lucky you didn't break the cupboard. I will never buy you anything again, so better watch out! And you're supposed to clean the hell up!
Fi, Feli - Yes!
They responded like children in kindergarten.
The scary lady came out of their apartment and gave a menacing look even before closing the door. Which made them shiver as they felt the cold flowing from her eyes.
Fi - We're alive.
Feli - We survived.
Fi, Feli - We survived an encounter with a monster!
Feli - Now nothing is scary for us!
Fi - We just became brave warriors who drove the evil monster out of ours castle!
Feli - Everyone cheers! Applause and ..................................
They clapped their hands and rejoiced as if it were indeed a medieval celebration party defeating the dragon by brave knights. However, they finally noticed that the door to the apartments were ajar, and the monster they thought they had chased out peered through.
This time there was no help for them,
Garef - WHO are you calling a monster!!!???
She entered their apartment again and punched them on the head, then turned around and this time it came out for real.
Fi, Feli - De…defeated…..
Lying on the ground, they spoke in fear-filled voices.
*********************************
It was a strip club. Beautiful ladies wearing revealing clothes walked around the guests, attracting their eyes with their beautiful bodies. The club was filled with dark pink and blue colors. There was smoke in the air, which added to the atmosphere of the place. Club was divided into two parts, the first being around the dancing pipes. There were tables with chairs spread out, where customers sat, and beautiful waitresses moved between them. There was a little crowd and noise. The second part included private, round couches placed on the periphery of the room. It was often necessary to pay extra for them, but they were definitely more convenient.
In the club, music played non-stop, played by a band, including scantily clad girls
One of them, the one who played the guitar, stood out more than the others, but not because of her beauty, but by strangeness. Even in a world where all sorts of intelligent races have walked, her appearance stood out. Her skin was pink. Her waist was morbidly narrow, although it was the result of her genetics, not the disease. She also had no stupas and her legs were in pointed shape. She had elongated ears, and not far from them, in the middle of her head, only one big eye. Her hair was maroon-pink, combed in a mohawk. She cannot be named ugly, but her appearance was unique.
Woman - Trix, listen, one of the guests wants to get to know you better.
And this exceptional-looking girl was approached by one of the female employees, a waitress if I have to be more precise.
Trix stopped playing the guitar and turned to the woman.
Trix - Are you sure it's me? Maybe you got it wrong with Leno?
She pointed to the other guitarist, a beautiful woman who had played in a band with her.
Woman - No, I even asked more, it's about you.
Trix - Another freak? Only they want me.
She put the guitar behind her and followed the woman to one of the private boxes.
Woman - To my surprise, not this time. The client is a rich asshole son our club's biggest sponsor, so be careful.
Trix - Asshole? If it turns out that I'm only going there to make fun of my appearance, then believe me, you will pick them up off the floor.
Woman - How scary. It's there.
She pointed to box number 3 and sent the Trix there.
Woman - Good luck.
Trix - Thanx!
A couple of young people were sitting on a round sofa and you can see they are thirsty for fun and alcohol men, the youngest was maybe 19 and the oldest 26. Besides them, there were sitting a couple of other female employees who entertained them.
Trix - Hey, I'll make sure again! It was me you wanted to invite?
Trix entered their entourage. She seemed quite a loose and relaxed person, not having interaction problems.
Man - Not us, but me.
One of them answered, the one in the middle. It was easy to see that he was boss here. His legs rested on the top of the glass table. He was wearing a leather jacket and expensive branded clothes. Green leaves replaced his hair and he had elven ears. He was even a handsome and well-built young man. Though he was far from the type that Trix liked.
After making sure it was her they wanted, Trix threw herself on the couch right next to the man.
Trix - So what? Beautiful sexy girls have already bored you?
She went about it casually, as if she were at home with her friends. She also reached for chips that were on the table and picked up a bottle of beer.
Man - Not so much bored as sometimes it is worth introducing some novelty to life.
What’s your name?
Trix - Trix.
Man - Asil.
He introduced himself and put his arm around her.
Asil - Sometimes when I come here, I see that you play on stage, but I heard nothing about you.
Trix - Hah! And that's quite an interesting topic you've brought up, because you see, I think that's a bit about me you've heard of, but you don't know it. Do you know anything about the "Old House Monster" or "Devil from above the water"?
Asil - Yes, I've heard something about these town legends.
Trix - Then you've heard of me! I've been to those places and some kids saw me, and started spreading rumors about the monster! Look how popular I am! Ha ha!
She laughed at how other people saw her and turned it into a joke. She was impetuous and seemed strong.
Asil - It's a pity, even if I go to those places, I now know that the monsters that are there don't exist.
Trix - Sorry for ruining the fun!
She took a few more long gulps of beer, as did the other guests in the box, and the fun began.
*********************************
Trix - Fi, are you listening to me!?
Fi - Yes, yes.
Trix - So what did I just tell you!?
Fi - ....Well, you were with someone and he didn't pay you or something.
Trix - This is definitely more serious than "He didn't pay"! Feli, tell me you at least care!?
Feli - But Trix, what happened, happened. What good is it for us to hear you complain?
Trix - We're friends, almost like siblings, so you could at least care a little!
She was angry that Fi and Feli were ignoring her.
Today she woke up in bed in a hotel near where she worked. After a successful night at the club, she and the other girls were invited to spend the night at the hotel and of course sleep with their client.
The rented apartment had several rooms, one of which she and Asil took for a night out. Upon waking up, she saw that Asil was not in bed, so she got up and headed to the main room where she found a group of men. The rest of the purchased girls had already left the hotel and only she was left.
She was also about to leave the hotel, but before that, she expected her pay, but she didn't get what she was supposed to. Asil and the rest of his colleagues unanimously replied that they were not going to pay her any ter*. After asking why she wasn't getting paid, everyone started laughing at her and saying, "A monster like that should pay us, not the other way around." "With a body like that, you should be free," even Asil himself said, "Enjoy, that anyone wants you at all.
*ter is the name of the currency, e.g. euro=ter
Trix is not a person who cares about insults about her, however, she did her job, gave her body and wanted to be paid for it. She was furious when she was refused money for such a reason and wanted to collect the money by force. She was going to attack, beat them so they would regret it.
However, after seeing that the girl was ready to attack, Asil and two others drew their pistols. The Trix might have been able to defeat them if they had fought barehanded, but with a weapon like that, it was a different matter, especially since she was surrounded on all sides. She had no choice but to accept her defeat and leave the hotel.
After leaving, she headed straight for her best friends, Fi and Feli. She entered their apartment and found them playing a board game.
Furious, she told them what had happened that night, but she was not listened to.
Trix - Damn!
She fell to her knees and slammed her fist against the floor.
Trix - I hate, hate, hate this! You don't know how much I want to punch this asshole!
Fi - So hit him, what's so hard about it?
Trix - The thing is, this asshole is the son of some other rich asshole who sponsors our club and I could get in trouble if I punch him, I'll probably get fired or worse. And alone, I'll lose to him. These guys had guns, so without preparation, with a couple at one a time, I don't stand a chance.
Feli - If you want to beat his ass, then just do it, and what comes after, comes later.
Trix - I wish I could borrow your dumb minds and not worry about a thing, but it's not that easy!
Fi - ....If you don't want to do anything about it then don't come here just to complain.
Trix - I want to do something about it! I just don't know how...
She leaned her hands on the couch and buried her head in them.
Fi - No, you don't know, you're just afraid! Coward!
Trix - Don't call me a coward just because I worry about others!
Fi - But you're afraid to do something, so you're a coward!
Trix - !!!
She knows from experience that Fi is not worth arguing with. He always says what he thinks and won't change his mind. Trix clutched her forehead, trying to think things through, but honestly, she's not one to think about things for long, so she stamped her foot on the floor and screamed,
Trix - ALRIGHT! So I'm going to punch him in the face! And you're coming with me!
Feli - But at the moment we are playing.
Fi - And I don't want to go beat up some guy I don't even know.
Trix - We're not going to beat one guy, to get to him, we're going to have to beat a lot of others. We're going on an adventure!
Trix knew well what words could convince her friends to act. After hearing the words "adventure" their eyes lit up and they excitedly got up from the couch they were playing on.
Fi, Feli - Adventure!!!
They shouted ready to leave.
Trix - There's only one problem.
Their enthusiasm cooled down.
Fi, Feli - ?
Trix - I have no idea where this asshole is.
Fi - Eh? So we're not going on an adventure?
Trix - I didn't say that, it's just that first we have to find a place where this adventure will be. Any ideas on how to find this place?
Fi, Feli - ...
Trix - ....
Unable to come up with a plan, they sat in silence for a while until someone knocked on their door.
"Knock, Knock"
Feli - Who is it?
Feli got up from the couch and opened the front door. She saw a large figure in front of her. She recognized it immediately and closed the door at the speed of light.
Feli - It's Garef!
Scared and stunned, she didn't know why she had come.
Garef - Don't close the door in my face! Open!
Trix - You'd better open up or it'll get worse.
She leaned over the couch and looked at Feli. Instead, the girl looked at her brother, who grabbed a pillow and held it as a shield.
Fi - I'm ready, be brave and open it. I believe in you! If anything happens, just know that you are the best sister in the world!
Feli - If anything happens, just know that I've always loved you!
The girl gathered her courage. She straightened her back, took a deep breath, and opened the door, revealing a terrifying monster. Then, with courage in her voice, she said,
Feli - I don't know what happened, but it's not us this time.
Garef - Ha!? Is it always because you guys did something when I come here?!
Feli - Yes
Fi - Yes
Trix - Yes
They all answered in turn. When they were children, sometimes she would come and take care of them. But in recent years, when they have grown up a bit, at least physically, because mentally they were still children, she only comes when they do something wrong.
Feli - So what's up?
She tilted her head, trying to think about the reason for the scary women's arrival.
Garef - Haven't you heard what the event is today?
Feli - Party!?
Fi - End of the world!?
Trix - Hmmm, my work colleagues were talking about some wind...
Garef - Yes, once every few years the wind is strong enough to blow away some of the dust and reveal some of the sky. If you want to see, you should go upstairs now.
For a moment they didn't know what to say, but after a few seconds Fi understood what the word "sky" meant.
Fi - Sky? Will we see the sky!? It's something blue, isn't it!?
Feli - And the suns!? Will we see the suns?
Garef - I have no idea, go and see for yourself. This opportunity is rare, so don't miss it.
Fi and Feli looked at each other and immediately decided to run out of the building and head for the stairs leading to the surface.
Trix - Aren't you coming, auntie?
Although Trix called her Auntie, they are not related, but that is what she called the woman who took care of her and Fi and Feli when they were children.
Garef - No, I don't like crowds. I've seen it once in my life and that's enough for me.
Trix - I'll tell you what was seen!
And Trix, too, ran out of the apartment and headed for the main stairs leading to the surface.
Two main roads lead to the surface, the first is a long and wide staircase, and the second is a large elevator that can accommodate up to 30 people at a time. Fi, Feli and also Trix prefer to use the stairs where there is more space. It is also not a problem for them to climb, because they are physically very fit. The ascent and descent hardly tire them at all. And Feli has it even easier. Instead of climbing normally, she flies over the stairs, after all, that's what she has wings for.
Fi - Hurry up Trix or we'll leave you!
He shouted to a girl who was far away. She ran out of the apartment later, so she was further away too. However, as Fi and Feli ran a little slower for her, she caught up with them in no time.
Fi - They say the suns are yellow, right?
Feli - And the clouds are white!
Everything they knew about the sky and what was beyond the dust came from books, comics, and other people's stories. They never got a chance to see the sky or the sun. The same applies to large trees, large patches of greenery and nature in general. In the city you can find at most some small flowers, bushes and possibly small trees.
Trix - But when the suns reveal themselves, don't look at them!
Fi- What? Why!?
Trix - I heard you can go blind if you look at them.
Feli - Burns out the eyes? I don't want my eyes to burn!
Trix - I mean, I don't know how it works, but I heard it's dangerous.
Fi - So what, people 600 years ago didn't look up either because otherwise they would have lost their eyes?
Trix - ....Um.... Ah! Don't ask me such hard questions, I have no idea! Let's check it out!
Fi, Feli - Yes!
They reached the surface. It was as dark up there as downstairs. No sky could be seen, only black dust from behind the dome. However, there was better airflow, because the wind passed through the shell without any problems.
And the wind was really strong that day. At times it was hard to open eyes so that the wind wouldn't blow against them. They found themselves among a great crowd who also came to admire what would be revealed from behind the dust.
Everyone waited impatiently for the wind to be strong enough to clear the sky. They were looking high up, which caused a little pain in their necks.
Suddenly, an incredibly strong wind blew. Those who had hats had to catch them to keep them from flying away. Everyone's hair was in waves, blocking their view, so they had to brush it back. Women wearing flared dresses had to be careful not to accidentally attract the eyes of men☺. Many closed their eyes or put their hands over them to keep them safe, but eventually they all looked up and saw what they had come for. No one paid any attention to the hats or the sight of the ladies. Everyone, without exception, stared breathlessly at this amazing sight.
A small patch of clear blue sky emerged from behind a thick layer of dust. Such a clear blue color they had not even dreamed of in their dreams. And on the big blue blanket were two suns, one much smaller than the other. A powerful light such as they had never experienced before, entered their eyes.
It hurt and hit the eyes, but no one dared look away because it was too awesome.
Fili, Feli, Trix, each of them stood silently watching this strange phenomenon, their eyes turned upwards until the last second, until the dust again covered the exposed patch of sky.
Fi - Wow, that was something.
Feli - Eh.. But why so short...
Even these siblings, who are usually not interested in anything but toys and comics, were amazed at the moment.
Trix - Maybe if we wait, it will show up again?
Feli - Yes, let's wait!
Fi - Uhm.
They agreed right away. And they waited another half hour to see the sky again. But it no longer appeared. The wind gradually died down, and the races* began to disperse to their homes and work.
*races - Instead of using the general term "humans", I will use the word "races". Because humans are just one of the many races that exist in this world.
Many more races had the idea of staying and waiting in this place, but slowly they too realized that they would not see this sight again, at least not any time soon. So everyone started to disperse, then one voice emerged from the crowd.
??? - Exactly 600 years ago, miners discovered huge deposits of unknown dust under the earth's surface!
It was a man with brown hair, a tail, and elk horns. Motivational speeches were often heard in the main square. That was their job. Even living in such a place all their lives, even getting used to the fact that there is no sky and no sun, that you can't go outside but stay inside the domed city forever, there are races that lose hope. Many people do not see the point in further life, saying that the end of the world has come and it must end, which is why many activist groups have been created that want to restore this faith.
The publisher was standing next to a statue of a man. Probably some important person.
Man - But they couldn't stop this deadly dust. Over the next 20 years, black dust covered the entire world, destroying it.
That was the story everyone knew. If only this great deposit of dust had not been found, perhaps, right now, the sky and the suns could still be admired.
Man - It was a great catastrophe, an apocalypse... But we survived! We found a way to survive! Protecting ourselves in domed cities, we can still live, we can still enjoy, get to know, love. Just because we can't admire the sky every day doesn't mean we can't live! Dust or no dust, even if we have to take injections every week to survive, we're still standing here, so let's make the most of it!
Fi and the others paid no attention to this speech and began to turn back to go underground.
Fi - I wonder if we will ever see it again.
Feli- Maybe tomorrow!?
Trix - Such an opportunity comes only once every few years, and maybe even longer.
Feli - Oh... Then we'll wait until in a few years, right Filyy?
Fi - Yes, and next time let's climb a tall building to see the sky even closer!
Feli - Yes!
Trix - I'll join you too! But back to this morning, how to find this asshole?
The sun has been and gone, now it's time to go back to the things they left off.
Fi - Shall we search all the houses in town?
Feli - Shall we make an announcement?
Trix - No, none of this will work. Eh....I would like to hit him so much...
They descended the large stairs to the lower part of the underground.
Trix - I could probably meet him again at the club, but I don't want to hit him in a place like this. I'm going to lose my job right away and it's going to be even worse for me.
Feli - Then why don't you follow him and see where he lives?
Trix - Yes, it's probably the only solution.
They walked for several more minutes until they finally reached the bottom.
??? - It's you!
They were stopped by an unknown person. The boy with red hair. He had red scales in some places on his body, but they were few and far between. He had two fangs in his teeth. He looked to be in his early twenties, maybe a little under twenty. One of his legs was bandaged at the ankle and he was on crutches.
Fi - Me?
The boy pointed at Fi, but Fi didn't recognize him at all.
Boy - Yes, I'm lucky I noticed you. I'm from yesterday, remember?
Fi - ?
He still had no idea who the stranger was.
Boy - You saved me when I was attacked by a group of thugs, I mean... you hit me too.... and actually that one hit of yours hurt way more than them..... But you saved me.
Fi - Aaaaaah.... I guess there was something like that...
Fi didn't have a good memory for things that weren't important to him. But he managed to make a connection.
Fi - So what's up?
Boy - Before you came, these guys took my wallet, do you have it? It was black with blue stitching.
The boy thought for a moment.
Fi - I don't think I've seen anything like that.... I gave everything to Kebamakio and Kebamister...
Boy - Keba....? Can you tell me where they are? I'd like to know if they happen to have it.
Fi - No problem, by the way,
He looked at Feli and Trix,
Fi - We'll have breakfast, shall we?
Feli - Yes, I'm hungry!
Trix - Why not.
And so the four headed to the kebab shop, but they walked at a slow pace, because otherwise the boy walking on crutches would not keep up.
Fi- What happened to you?
Boy - Ah, it's since yesterday, I sprained my ankle.
Fi - ..... Just for yesterday? ....
He said quietly to himself. Fi didn't realize the difference between him and the others.
Trix - Ow, I'm sorry. I wouldn't want to be in your place.
Boy - ...It's rather obvious.... By the way, may I ask what race you are from?
Trix's appearance attracted the attention of many people.
Trix - I'm not sure myself, my mother died quickly and I didn't have time to ask her, but I think it's something from a cyclops and something else. By the way, what should I call you?
Boy - I'm Coin.
Trix - And I'm Trix,....I just thought! Fili, Feli, this asshole who cheated on me, his name is Asil, if you hear his name somewhere, then say it.
Coin - Asil? About 23 years old with green leaves and elven ears?
Trix- Huh? Do you know him? I have to beat you too!?
She grabbed Coin's arm and brought her face close to his, threatening him.
Coin - What!? No! I only heard about him from my older brother. My brother is the city guard and he is checking on Asil's father. He wants to find irrefutable evidence of his illegal activities and apprehend him. And, I also heard a little about his son, this Asil.
Trix - Oh... So in other words, you can know where this Asil guy lives, right?
She smiled slightly ominously, hanging around Coin's neck.
Coin - ....M-maybe. But I shouldn't reveal it to outsiders.
Trix - Attention group! Stop! We're not leaving until Coin tells us where to find the asshole!
They obeyed the Trix and stood still, waiting for events to unfold.
Coin - What? No, I won't! I can't reveal such things.
Trix - Either you tell us or we won't give you your wallet.
Coin - .....I-I can't reveal things like that, it could get my brother in trouble.
He wasn't sure what to do, but the wallet seemed to be extremely important to him. He fought with his own thoughts.
Trix - In that case, we say goodbye, and we will not take you anywhere. Fili, Feli, let's go somewhere else.
Trix grabbed her friends and started walking away with them when,
Coin - .......O-okay..... But don't tell anyone I told you.
Trix - The deal is done.
She smiled victoriously knowing she could get her revenge.
Fi - So we're going on an adventure after all!
Feli - Let's go!
*********************************
Makio was on the surface. Like everyone else, she admired this amazing phenomenon that was the sky and the sun, although she did it on occasion, because her purpose was different.
After the show, she moved to another part of the city to a large square. There were 3 stands in the square, each of which had a long queue, each with maybe even 50 people, and they kept coming. However, these queues shortened very quickly, so even if you were at the end, you only had to wait a few minutes.
The girl stood in the first line, from the right, and waited her turn.
??? - I don’t want it! I don’t want!
From one of the queues came the scream of a small child. And there was nothing unusual about it because hardly anyone liked needles, and this line was for an injection.
This injection is given to everyone, from birth to death, every week. The dust that covered the whole world not only suffocated, but also poisoned. This injection was supposed to protect against the symptoms of poisoning, in other words, against death.
Every person living in the city was listed and each was assigned 1 injection on a specific day, once a week. Today was the day Makio took the injection.
Finally it was her turn. As always, she sat down in the chair where the predecessors sat and uncovered her arm from the sleeve.
Nurse - Number?
Makio - 32110
The second nurse searched through the long list that lay on the table, finally found the number listed. She marked her presence. At the same time, the second nurse stuck the needle into the arm, injected the contents of the drug, and applied a small piece of tissue paper to the arm.
Nurse - It's done, see you next week.
After the command, Makio got up from her seat.
Makio - See you later.
She said goodbye and began to return to the underground, to her home and work. To go down, she used a large elevator, which takes you from the top to the bottom much faster than the stairs.
The elevator was crowded as many races were returning from the show. It was hard to breathe and move in such a crowd, but after a while the elevator opened and half the people came out to the upper part of the underground. Makio stayed because she was going even lower, to the lower part of the underground. After a while, the elevator went down to the very bottom and Makio went outside. There wasn't much of a difference between the 3 parts of the city, although the top smelled the best. Unlike underground, where the air is musty and heavy, there is a constant breeze on the surface. This also meant that apartments above the ground were definitely more expensive and only people with good earnings lived there. Makio lived in a poverty-stricken area.
She was walking through a dimly lit city, where from time to time you could see a drunk or someone who had just smoked. However, having lived in this place since she was a child, it no longer impressed her. Besides, it wasn't as bad as some on the surface said. There were many nice and trustworthy people here. There were various shops here, albeit inexpensive. And many other things necessary for life. As for crimes, there was a so-called "code" that everyone voluntarily followed, gangs, mafias and other smaller organizations did not enter their premises, and ordinary people did not care. It made for a certain peace here.
Makio reached the kebab shop where she worked. Downstairs was a restaurant and upstairs was her house. Only her sick mother was at home, while her father worked elsewhere.
Instead of going inside, she stood frozen staring through the windows. There were uninvited guests inside. Her heart began to beat like crazy with fear. She knew it was bad. However, she was more worried about the safety of her grandfather, who was there with the thugs.
She took a deep breath to reassure herself and stepped inside.
Makio - Can I help you somehow?
She asked as soon as she entered. The scene she saw terrified her as well as worried her. Just like the day before, her grandfather was battered. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the counter, surrounded by young men.
Man - So she came. You're an employee here and his granddaughter, right? It just so happens that we've been waiting for you.
Kebamister - No! Please! I run this place, if you want anything, it's only from me!
Man - Shut up!
The thug kicked the old man in the head, closing his mouth.
Man - Yesterday, another group came to collect the payment, but we found that they were defeated and the money was returned to you. So now, in exchange for what happened, your debt tripled. But you're lucky. Our boss is understanding and knows that you won't get this sum so quickly, so you have time until tomorrow.
After hearing how much time they have, Makio got scared. It was like a dream, like a nightmare. She couldn't believe what she heard. Their whole lives fell at their feet.
Makio - Huh!? It is impossible! We won't make it, we didn't even have enough to pay the normal sum.
Man - What do we care? You have time until tomorrow, although it would be more accurate to say your grandfather has time until tomorrow.
Makio - Eh?
They started approaching her. She didn't know what was going on or what she should do. She took a step back in fear. And that's when they pounced on her.
Makio - What are you going to do to me!?
One of the thugs grabbed her arm.
Makio - No! Leave me!
She struggled as more of them grabbed her. They put her to the ground. Her tail was curled and her fur bristled.
Man - Don't struggle, you'll be fine. .....
Until tomorrow
, you'll be fine.
The thug signaled again that the time to collect the money ends tomorrow. Men felt satisfaction by bullying the weaker. They started laughing disgustingly.
Kabamister - No! Please don't take her! Don't hurt her! Please!
Man - If you don't want anything to happen to her, there's supposed to be 60,000 ter here tomorrow. Haha!
He started laughing again with a creepy smile.
Maki - No! Sto-
-p wanted to say, but one of the men punched her hard enough that the woman lost consciousness.
Kebamister - No!
The old man couldn't sit still. Even though he knew he had no chance, he decided to act.
He bared his canine fangs in anger and ran to them. He grabbed the shirt closest to him, trying to pull him away from his granddaughter, but he was quickly pushed away. He was already weak and old, and after being pushed, he fell to the cold floor, and it was difficult for him to get up.
After he fell, everyone started making fun of him and laughing.
Man - You have time until 7pm tomorrow, you better have that money.
The thugs left with the unconscious Makio. The races standing outside noticed the girl, and guessed what had happened, but no one dared to react. Nobody wanted to stand up to the mafia.
The old man was left alone. He was sitting on the floor of his place. He cringed and couldn't hold back his tears. Even though he was old and had been through a lot, he cried like a baby.
Kebamister - What am I going to do now, hlick?
He was talking to himself, pausing from time to time to cry.
Kabamister - And what am I going to tell my son and daughter-in-law now, hlip?
Makio's mother was ill. At the moment, she was upstairs in her room, most likely in bed. She had no idea about the problems her family was facing. Nobody wanted to worry her about these things. Makio's father worked in another part of the city, and it is mainly from his earnings that the family can afford medicines for his mother. He would come home late in the evening and leave early in the morning, and while he knew about some of the problems, he had no idea how big they were.
Kebamister - I'll have to tell him. Hlip. We'll take all the savings, ask the neighbors, hlip. We'll ask the other grandparents if they can give something, hlip.... Maybe...maybe something will come up, hlip.
He tried to cheer himself up, but no matter how long he kept saying it, he had little hope that it would work.
Curled up, taking no further action, he sat on the floor in silence for a few more minutes. All he could hear was murmurs from the street and the occasional hiccup he had from crying.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps and the door to the restaurant opened.
Fi, Feli - Kebamister! Kebamakio! We came....
They started shouting in cheerful voices, but their joy quickly passed when they saw an old man sitting on the floor. His head was bruised, with traces of blood visible from one spot. His eyes were red from crying and he looked miserable.
Trix - What happened, old man!?
Trix immediately ran over to him, checking his condition.
Kebamister - Ah, this? That's nothing...
He said so, but then something got stuck in his throat.
Kebamister - [Is this supposed to be nothing? It's supposed to be nothing!? What am I saying!?]
His thoughts took on an angry form and his face changed from shattered and sad to angrier.
Kebamister - They took Makio! They took her and won't give her back until I have the money for tomorrow! Tomorrow! Tomorrow they will kill her!
Trix - Who? What happened?
Kebamister - It's...
The old man grabbed his forehead and slowly got to his feet. He walked over to Fi and grabbed him by the shoulders with both hands.
Kebamister - These are the people you beat up yesterday! Now they want even more than yesterday! And they took Makio! If only yesterday you hadn't done anything to them!
He let out his anger by shouting at the boy. He shook his shoulders and looked like he wanted to hit him.
Trix - Old Man! I don't know what happened, but don't you dare blame Fi! He didn't hurt you and he didn't take Makio!
The girl immediately defended her friend, whom she considered almost a brother. She knew that no matter what Fi did, he didn't mean it badly.
Trix - Do you know where Makio is now? Where did they take her? We can save her ourselves.
Kabamister - Don't talk nonsense! You're just kids! You can't do anything, it's the whole gang, the whole mafia!
He immediately dismissed the thought of saving her. As an older man, he knew how cruel life could be. He knew a suicide mission wouldn't help in this situation.
Coin was listening to the whole conversation. On the one hand, he knew it wasn't his problem, on the other hand, he couldn't just let it go.
Coin - Em,.... sorry to butt in, but is this "gang" called "Blue Cobra"?
He spoke uninvited.
Kebamister - Yes... yes, that's what they were called, and are you?
Coin - The blue cobra is a gang run by this Asil's father.
He ignored the old man's question and hurried to explain.
Coin - Their base is the same place I told you about.
Trix - So can we find Makio there?
Coin - I think so. But don't even try to go there! I'll tell my brother what's going on, he'll mobilize the guard and-
Fi - Kebamister!
The boy, as if not hearing what Coin was saying, approached the old man.
Fi - It's really my fault this time, so I'll bring Makio back, I promise!
He was sure of what he promised. Without waiting for an answer, Fi grabbed his sister's hand and ran out of the building.
Feli - Me too, I promise!
Just like her brother, she promised to bring Makio back.
Fi - Trix, where is it?
Trix ran right after them, also not listening to what the old man behind her had to say.
Trix - Their base is on the surface, we have to run up. But first, I want to get my toys out of the house.
She smiled at the thought of using the devices she was working on. Likewise, Fi and Feli became very excited about the use of "toys". Their eyes shone with curiosity, and completely forgetting the seriousness of the situation, they unanimously exclaimed,
Fi, Feli - Toys!
They rushed to Trix's apartment, which was in the same building and on the same floor as Fi and Feli. They entered her room. It was much tidier than the siblings' room. The room was decorated in a bold style, in red colors. There was one guitar on the wall, and some ornaments around it.
Trix walked over to the cupboard and opened the lowest drawer. She took out several spherical and strange-looking objects. Fi and Feli looked at them with great interest, but Trix gave them nothing.
Trix - So now, to the rescue of Makio!
They left the apartment and then the column. They reached the stairs and ran up them to the surface. While the average person would take about 40 minutes to climb these stairs, they were at the top in less than 10 minutes. Remembering what Coin had said, Trix led everyone to the periphery of the dome, where they found the building they were looking for.
They hid behind one of the buildings and watched the base.
It was cut off by a high fence, and there were several guards inside. At first glance, they looked vulnerable, but that was just appearances. They hid their weapons so that the city guards would not notice them, although it was probably only by arrangement, because the guards probably knew about this place, they were only bribed not to do anything about it.
Trix - Well, it's time to use my beauties.
Trix took from her bag a certain device, spherical but uneven in shape. It was painted neon pink.
Trix - Ready?
Fi, Feli-Ye-! I means
yes!
At first they were about to scream out loud their excitement, but after a while they shut up and did it in a whisper so that they wouldn't be heard.
Trix - So here we go,
Trix came out of hiding and immediately, so that the guards did not notice her, she threw the device behind the gate. As soon as it fell, it started spinning and making a hissing sound. Immediately after that, huge clouds of pink smoke began to fly from the device. It was a smoke bomb.
With the cover of smoke and the confusion of the guards, Trix, Fi and Feli easily jumped over the fence, and the action began. |
***
S
omewhere in the Holy Palatial Gardens, a few hours earlier…***
“I know why you came to me,” was the greeting of the Demon Saint, Natasha Bellingsen, to the demon king-president and Usarved princess, Noir, the moment the latter appeared at her door. “I already explained it to everyone before; I am Cassandra David, the hero of Chersea from eons ago. And if you wanted me to give you proof, I’d tell you…the first of the Usarveds, my faithful maid and your ancestor, Abigail, I’m pissed at her.”
The Usarved princess let herself in, and following the cue of the Demon Saint, she sat on one of the nearby chairs. While the statement of the Lady Natasha surprised her, Noir summoned her courage to keep asking, “May I know why, Your Holiness?”
“
Ah, tangina,
lagi na lang sya nakikialam sa akin,” (
Ah, that bitch,
she’s always fussing around me,) Natasha said in Filipino. Though she uttered those, there was a poignant smile on her face, rather than actually getting irritated. “Pero masaya pa rin kahit ganun…kahit sabihin na nating, nag-iisa lang ako bilang tao sa Cherflammen.” (But it’s fun though, even if I’m the only human in Cherflammen.)
“Mukhang magkaibigan talaga kayo ng kalola-lolahan ko…” (Looks like you and my great grandmother are really close friends…)
“
Oh, damn right
we are!” the Demon Saint reverted to Chersean, “We’d always exchange magazines of muscle men! In fact, it was Abigail who introduced me to those stuff!”
“M-My apologies for my ancestor tainting your holiness!”
“No, no! Don’t be so flustered about it,” Natasha laughed. “Look, even though I’m the saint, it’s not like I don’t have my own ‘dark’ desires. Abigail just helped me through it, and for that, I’m thankful.”
A moment of silence followed, as Noir kept on asking herself whether she should bring out the questions she had in mind. Natasha, on her part, was aware of the Usarved princess’ thoughts, as she had been looking into the former’s mind ever since she entered her room. The Demon Saint saw the issues she had to address, and determined that it was best for Noir to be the one to ask first.
Soon, the Usarved princess spoke, “Your Holiness, I’d been wanting to ask this ever since the Saint of the Flame revealed your identity.
Uhm,
why?”
“The human body is full of limitations,” Natasha replied. “While the gods made the humans extremely adaptable to their environment, they soon realized that with long lives, they pose a threat to the other races. So, they gave them limitations. And I, as I look for ways to return to my world, concluded that my human body can’t live for that long. My solution is to transfer my thoughts—no, my soul—into a demon body, which is comparable to the elves’ lengthy lives. This is how ‘Natasha Bellingsen’ was born.”
“You mean Natasha Bellingsen is another person? And you took over her body?”
The Demon Saint shook her head, “No, ‘Natasha Bellingsen’ is only an invented person, a fake name I created so I can fool everyone else that Cassandra David is already dead. You know, Gaius and Seirna were both scheming against me even after that god stepped down from his heavenly authority, so I have to change identity. However, they eventually learned the truth, anyway.”
“I’m surprised that they only moved against you now.”
“Well, while we’re engaged in a ‘silent war’, there came a complication.”
“Which is?”
“The current Human Saint, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth. Truth be told, Lady Madelaine is not meant to be a saint. However, Gaius’ wife—the Lady Arame, or the ‘Seductress’—schemed to grab the god-power herself, starting with the god-power of healing. So, she inserted her ‘child’, Maddie, in the timeline and the sainthood. And we know what happened next. Several years ago, she was to be ‘eliminated’ by the Timeline itself, by killing herself so the ‘real’ saint is elected in her place. However, it didn’t happen…”
“Because?”
“My teacher, Sir G, intervened.”
“Greg Santos? Sir Kuro?”
Natasha nodded, “Sir G—as I love to call him—was summoned by the Lady Madelaine before she committed the act. And you know him; there was a time when a former student and friend of his committed suicide, and it stuck to him ever since. He’d always tell us while he’s our teacher, he won’t allow anyone to kill themselves, even at the cost of his rest time. And you know what? He really did what he said!”
“I’ve only been his student for a short time, but I knew everything you say, Your Holiness,” Noir smiled. “The Lord Greg is someone who tries his best to do what he says, even if it inconveniences him.”
“Right, no?” then, suddenly, the Demon Saint fell silent.
Worried about her sudden pause, the Usarved princess asked, “Your Holiness…i-is there,
uhm,
something wrong?”
“No, I just remembered something,” Natasha replied. “You know, whenever me and my classmates are in trouble, Sir G would always be there to help us. As what you said, even if it disturbs him, he would still appear to back us up. Goodness, and to think me and my classmates took him for granted…”
“Yep, that’s typical Sir Greg.”
“Indeed. And that’s why back then, you know, when the god, Gaius, stepped down from his heavenly pedestal and surrendered his authority, the High King of the Gods offered his god-powers to me…”
“I didn’t know of that, Your Holiness!”
“You don’t have to, for I refused it.”
“Oh…”
“Yes,” Natasha let out another laugh. “Because, looking back at my decisions, I know I’m not fit to be a goddess. See, I nearly destroyed your people, relying on a one-sided account of events. I went through the genocidal whims of Gaius, simply because I trusted him for being a god. And I was fooled by his wife, Lady Arame—or the ‘Seductress’—because of my single-minded desire to avenge myself for my errors. Tell me, will you even trust the safety of your world to a person easily-swayed like me?”
To that, the Usarved princess had no answer.
“So, when I refused, I thought of someone more worthy of becoming god instead of that narcissist, Gaius…”
Noir’s eyes widened in surprise, “Your Holiness, you mean…”
“Yes, the reason Sir G came into this world is that I wanted and trusted him to be Chersea’s god,” the Demon Saint admitted. “However, he’s already dead, and we have even forgotten about his existence for six years…”
The demon-king president found herself speechless at the revelation. Then, just as Natasha was about to break the ice…
“!!!”
“Natasha!” it was Ruro, who teleported into her room. “Come quick! We can feel Maddie’s bloodlust oozing out!” |
***
T
he Saint’s Tree, Cherwoods***
“We really need help! Her Holiness can lift a finger or two to send us aid, can’t she?”
“We offer our apologies, but the Saint can’t be disturbed right now!”
“I don’t need your apologies! Show us Her Holiness, or at least, bring us to her! Tell her the elves—her people—is about to die from hunger, or from the encroaching sand! When would she even move; when half of Cherwoods are already desolate?”
“We ask for your understanding—”
“I refuse to understand now; my people dying!”
“Stop that elf! He has drawn his sword! Arrest him!”
From the windows of the small ‘tree palace’ allotted for him, Kuro watched another delegation of elves turned away, and their ‘vocal’ members arrested for running amok. The human could only close his eyes and shook his head. It’s not like he couldn’t understand the despair and sense of urgency from those elves coming to the Saint’s Tree to ask for their saint’s help, only to fail in the end. As the desert outside the limits of Cherwoods’ ancient forests advanced to the interior of the Elvish territories, so was the threat of starvation and death rose.
However, what’s even more remarkable for him was that, even with all the voice calling out to her, the Elf Saint remained unmoved. Far hidden in one of the inner rooms of the tree palace, the only concern in her mind right now was how to get her laptop connected to the internet.
Well, while Kuro was aware of her current situation, the Lady Hinwe’s god-power greatly weakened as her people gradually lost faith in her. At this rate, he surmised that it might vanish once everyone started cursing their saint, instead of praising her.
It’s the opposite of the conditions for his own god-powers to gain strength…
“…”
And, even complicating the problem were the Elf Saint’s palace officials and servants. Originally brought there to serve the needs of their holy lady, soon they realized they possessed the ‘power’ and ‘influence’ to interact with the people outside the palace grounds. With the Lady Hinwe refusing to take charge, they brought matters to their hands, deciding on issues their mistress had no knowledge.
And he read enough history books on non-ruling emperors of Imperial China to expect what will happen next…
So, to keep the order of things without drawing flak to him, Kuro tried his best to shore up positive public opinion back to the Elf Saint by helping those Elvish delegations arriving from all over Cherwoods. But then, some of the palace officials had seen his efforts as attempts to undermine their hold on their newfound ‘power’, so they worked to prevent him from talking to the other elves.
Humans have no business with the lives of the elves,
as they declared to him. And honestly, Kuro thought they were right. He shouldn’t be dipping himself into the affairs of the elves.
However…
“…”
Kuro’s eyes went from the window to the set of clothes he was given by Her NEET Holiness after she summoned him. If it wasn’t for the Lady Hinwe, perhaps his spirit and body would remain buried deep in the swirling sands of Cherflammen.
“…”
On a related note, how did he gain another life? Isn’t it—if he remembers well—the Saint of the Flame who possesses the god-power over life and death?
The human commoner shook his head, returning to the pressing issue. For now, questions and answers about his ‘third life’ would have to wait. The court politics of the Saint’s Tree was so bad, Kuro told himself that a ‘power shift’ was about to happen anytime soon. And everyone was so fixated on the power struggle that they had no idea of how dangerous their situation was, given that the desert kept on advancing into Cherwoods.
He has to do something drastic, or everyone in this land will die…
----------
***
T
he Holy Palatial Gardens***
The scene at the tram station didn’t escape Eris’ mind. While she was not on duty with the ‘welcome party’ led by the Human Saint, she was assigned to clean the areas around the place, along with her entire department.
So, she couldn’t help but hear the conversation between Her Holiness and the elf visitors.
“!!!”
The moment Eris learned about that man from Cherwoods calling himself ‘Kuro of Arles’, she dropped her cleaning tools and dashed towards where the owl-girl, Salis of the Owls, stayed.
“The Lord Kuro!” were the words the young Braunhauer maid blurted out the moment she burst into Salis’ room. “He’s alive!”
“I know,” the owl-girl answered, unaffected by the excitement brought by the human. Unfazed by Eris’ words, she continued changing her clothes.
The young maid, seeing that Salis was changing into what seemed to be clothes for traveling and the stuffed bag on the bed, asked, “
Erm…milady,
you’re leaving the exhibition?”
“Yes,” the owl-girl’s curt reply. “I’m off to find the Lord Kuro.”
“Oh?”
“I think you heard me before,” Salis explained, all the while doing a last check of her things. “As long as I don’t see any corpse, no one can conclusively prove to me that the Lord Kuro is dead. I don’t care if they are the saints…I don’t give
a damn
even if they are the gods! I’m a genius, and I can always prove that I’m correct!”
“Such confidence,” Eris marveled at the owl-girl’s resolution, “however…
erm…
do you know where to go?”
“What are you taking me for,
buffoon?
” the owl-girl countered. “You’re talking to one of Cherwind’s—possibly the most—intelligent Beastman in existence! Of course, I know where I should start looking! And another reason for me to leave is because…you know…social events like the exhibits exhaust me.”
“Any known place you’d go?”
“Yes. But I won’t tell you.”
“You mean, you don’t know.”
“
A-Ahem…
I-I’m a genius…I can follow my gut feelings, and still be correct!”
“So where will you go then?”
“Err…”
Eris stared at the owl-girl with a confident smile on her face, though there was also a hint of sarcasm and mockery written all over it. Salis was aware of this, so she tried to fight back.
“And what do you know, Lady Braunhauer? You speak as if you know where to look!”
“Well, of course, I do. It’s the reason I’m here, actually.”
“Alright then,” Salis still held her head high, “I’ll allow you to share your educated guess with my genius self.”
“Nope,” the young maid chuckled. “Yes, we’re both interested; but first things first, owl lady. I don’t like that arrogance you exude, and I’m telling you, you need my information. And it won’t kill you if you just bring yourself down a bit, and ask properly.”
Salis was taken aback, “Wha-What do you—”
“Saying ‘please’ will help you.”
The owl-girl and Eris locked gazes in a silent contest of intimidation. Still, the former knew that her chances of finding the Lord Kuro were slimmer if she remained high on her pedestal, so—for the sake of obtaining information—she raised the white flag first.
“You better give me good news,” Salis muttered before she begrudgingly asked, “Please, may I know the information you have on the Lord Kuro?”
Satisfied, Eris smiled and tapped on the owl-girl’s shoulders. Then, she narrated the events that transpired at the tram station, and what the Human Saint and the elves talked about.
----------
***
T
he Heavenly Realms***
The place remained as it was the last time each of the four saints came there for a visit. No matter how many years had passed in the mortal realms, the scenes they see never changed. The same gilded roads and gates. The same pleasant feeling to greet them whenever they set their feet on the golden ground. And the same gatekeeper, holding his rooster, waiting by the main gates of the heavenly palace.
“Old man Peter…”
“
Oh!
Welcome,
uh…
” thought taken aback, the old man fixed his glasses to check on his visitors. “I didn’t expect you four are going to drop a visit, Your Holinesses from Chersea, Cherwind, Cherflammen, and
uh…
”
“I’m just an overseer saint, Sir Peter,” Seirna reminded him. “I have no world to rule over in Chersea and the Four Realms; I’m just there to make sure everything works as the former god, the Lord Gaius, had intended.”
“Right, thanks for reminding me, Lady Seirna. Anyway, you need to meet with the High King of the Gods?”
“Well, pardon us for disturbing everyone,” it was Ruro who answered. “But we really need to talk to Him.”
“I see…there’s an assembly of all the gods and goddesses as of the moment,” the old man Peter added as he opened the gates, “but don’t worry; His Majesty has always time for those who call to Him. Please, come inside!”
And with him as their guide, the old man Peter led them to the grand hall of the heavenly palace. There, they came upon the High King of the Gods, sitting on His throne and flanked by several other (lesser) gods and goddesses of various realms. Once the saints appeared, He asked for everyone else to leave the hall for a moment.
“Thank you for bringing them here, Peter!” the old God smiled. “You may leave now.”
The gatekeeper bowed and took his leave. Then, once they were alone in the presence of the High King, the four saints immediately kneeled before Him.
“You may raise your heads,” His gentle voice said to them, so they did as they were told.
It was Maddie who spoke first, “Your Majesty,
Milord,
me and my fellow saints have come here to beseech Your help regarding a matter of personal importance.”
“Please, feel free to speak, my child.”
“I-It’s…” the Human Saint, as she knew she had made the same request before, had trouble speaking, “I-It’s about my…”
“Your Majesty, it’s about my old teacher, and Maddie’s lover and fiancée, the Lord Kuro of Arles,” Natasha entered the conversation.
“
Oh!
Yes, Kuro! Or as he is known in his old world, Greg Santos,” the High King had a fond smile on His face.
“Yes,
Milord.
Six years ago, in Chersea’s time, we left him to die in Cherflammen,” the Demon Saint had a hint of bitterness in her voice. “We…even though we possess the god-powers, failed to save him.”
“A truly unfortunate event, yes…” He commented.
Ruro then followed Natasha’s lead with a question, “Y-Your Majesty, I’m sure You already know the reason we’re here. As what the desire of everyone else with me, we’d like to appeal for another life for this man—for my master, if You can accommodate such request, Lord.”
“It is my fault, Your Majesty!” Maddie added. “I keep on acting on my selfish whims, and abused the courtesy You gave me before. This is why I ask of You to punish me in exchange for Kuro’s life!”
“
Hmm…
there’s no need for that, my child,” the High King replied. “And let me remind you that while you did act on your whims, you’re also under the influence of your ‘mother’. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“T-Thank you, Your Majesty…” was all the Human Saint could say.
“However,” He continued, “while I wanted to act upon your request, I have to decline.”
The four saints were quiet, but the High King could hear the questions and bewilderment in their hearts, almost simultaneously asking why. He could only sigh…
“My children, it is true that I would like to help you bring back Kuro. But then, please understand that I—even as the High King of the Gods—am bound by the rules and oaths I formed with the others. Madelaine, you know yourself that I already broke that before.”
“Y-Yes, I…I understand, Your Majesty,” Maddie could feel her heart sank, as the words of the High King of the Gods rang in her ears. It’s not like she could force Him to do what she wanted, after all, He did accommodate her plea when Kuro died in the aftermath of the Tri-Skill Tournament.
Natasha, for her part, was about to cry. Nevertheless, Ruro noticed that and held her hand in an effort to console the Demon Saint. Only Seirna was unaffected by the emotions.
“My children,” the High King of the Gods broke the ice. “Everything happens for a reason, and there is a time for everything. Soon, you’ll see why things went like the way it is right now. Go home in peace.”
Aware that they couldn’t pursue the matter with the High King of the Gods any further, the four saints then gave their respects and left the heavenly halls, albeit with heavy hearts. The High King watched them until they disappeared beyond the gates of St. Peter.
“Are you sure about this, Your Majesty?”
The High King of the Gods turned to the winged figure that appeared behind Him, “What is it, Gabriel?”
“That they don’t know the man, Kuro, is alive and is in Cherwoods right now.”
“Well, I can’t simply just break the oaths I’ve made with the gods and meddle in other worlds’ affairs,” He told him with a smile. “Besides, it is Kuro’s wish to remain in Cherwoods for the meantime. Everything and everyone has a purpose, and his goal is not yet done. I won’t stop him from what he intended to do; after all, as I am also an overseer of other gods and their realms, I do not wish for any people to perish.”
----------
***
T
he Holy Palatial Gardens***
“Alright. Though we are not sure if this man in Cherwoods is the real ‘Kuro of Arles’, it’s definitely a lead,” Salis took the notes she wrote based on Eris’ words, and kept it on one of her dress’ breast pockets. “All that’s left is to see with my own eyes whether this is true.”
“When are you leaving?” Eris asked.
“Why do you care?” the owl-girl countered. “It’s not like we’re confined to our accommodations for the rest of the exhibits.”
“You’re not,” the young maid confirmed. “However, I need to tell Her Holiness that I won’t be working for several days, or weeks, or possibly even months! Not to mention, you’re under the responsibility of the Beastman Queen, Lady Ursura. If you suddenly disappeared without clear whereabouts, I’m sure your mother will worry!”
“
Oi,
I’m fine with you informing the others about my departure, but let me be clear—I’d like to journey alone.”
“Well, if we’re not of the same goal, I’ll travel alone, too.”
“
Tsk.
Now, now, don’t be so hasty in your decisions, Lady Braunhauer,” Salis explained. “See, I’m a Beastman. A member of the Owl tribe, thus, you can say that I’m used to a rough life. In contrast, one look at your delicate features and I can tell your body is not suited for long journeys.”
“What? Are you telling me we’re going to climb mountains? Scale steep cliff sides? Travel through the unexplored countryside?”
“I don’t know. Even as I’m a genius, there’s always an element of unpredictability when one travels, so why ask?”
“And do you even know the way to Cherwoods and the Saint’s Tree palace?”
The owl-girl had no answer for that. Though it hurt her pride to do so, Salis had to admit her shortcomings. However, she deflected the embarrassment by returning the question, “Well, do you?”
“No,” Eris’ confidence never wavered. “But since we both have no idea what road to take and direction to go, we need maps. And those maps are on the shelves of the bookshelves in the library here. It just so happens that as a maid in-charge of cleaning that place occasionally, I have access to its keys.”
“Can’t you just lend me a map and remain here? You’re only going to hinder me in my travels.”
The young maid shook her head, “I thought you’re already aware of this, but, I guess you need to be reminded again,
milady.
You’re not the only one who loves the Lord Kuro. And as one of the few who still cling to that small glimmer of hope that he’s alive and well, I want to be the first to welcome him back. Or, if that guy in Cherwoods is a fake, condemn him for disrespecting the man who captured our hearts.”
Salis could only stare at Eris as the young maid talked about her reasons. Weighing on her options, the owl-girl still had her apprehensions. However, Eris, aware that she’s about to convince Salis, added,
“While I can’t travel that far from one point to another, I can help you with food, washing clothes, and other domestic matters. Besides, do you even know the meaning of my name, Braunhauer?”
The owl-girl shook her head.
“First, the House of Braunhauer is one of the richest noble houses in Chersea. After my parents died, I inherited their wealth, which is managed by my second mother back in our estate. Even when I donated a huge part of my fortunes to Her Holiness the Human Saint, I can still buy a castle or two with the money I currently have with me (and excluding the total wealth of my house). Second, before the Saint’s Peace, we run the biggest mercenary companies in Amaranth. It’s not a surprise that we can meet some of our old people in every Chersean city, which in turn, can help us in our travels.”
At that point, as Salis was used to her mother taking care of her needs (even as she served as the Directress of the Royal Academy of Cherwind), had no more second-thoughts on taking Eris with her.
----------
O
nce Salis and Eris ironed out their differences and their responsibilities for the upcoming journey, the young maid immediately went to see the Human Saint, bringing a letter explaining her decision to travel with the owl-girl.
“…”
At the doors outside the private chamber of Lady Madelaine, however, was the captain of the Paladin Guards Corps, Lady Sylvia, the duchess of Henristone. She stood in front of the entrance as if she’s barring Eris’ way in, much to the surprise of the young maid.
“I’m sorry,
milady,
” the paladin told her. “Her Holiness ordered us to keep everyone off her room until she permits it.”
“
Oh…
is there something the matter?”
“I think Her Holiness is with the other saints,” Lady Henristone explained. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if I may guess, this must’ve something to do with the Lord Kuro of Arles.”
“Right…but in any case, if I may request of you,” Eris fished out the letter from her apron’s pocket, “can you hand this letter to Her Holiness? I’ll be going on a journey with the Lady Salis, and I can’t wait for her much longer, see?”
“Well, I can’t do that as well,” the paladin revealed.
“
Eh?
Why?”
“
Err…
how do I explain this?” Lady Henristone paused for a bit, before continuing, “Before Her Holiness the Lady Madelaine locked herself and the other saints in this room, she told me that if you or the owl-lady happen to come to her to inform that you’re leaving, then I must go with you.”
“I see…wait, what?”
The paladin captain just smirked.
“Why?”
“Who knows? I’m just following orders,” Lady Henristone shrugged. “Well, wait, let’s be clear. It’s not like I’m being forced to do this. I wanted to go to Cherwoods and denounce that man who claims to be the Lord Kuro of Arles.”
“
Hmm…
I guess we can use your expertise in fighting,
milady,
” Eris nodded. “After all, a journey with two ladies who only know how to run or fly? I doubt we can go that far if the push comes to the shove.”
“And, that’s not all,” the paladin captain showed her a letter, sealed by the signet ring of the Human Saint.
“That’s…”
“Yep, this is a letter meant for the Human Saint’s ambassador to Cherwoods. Her Holiness gave it to me, along with the instructions to escort you to the Saint’s Tree,” Lady Henristone laughed. “I think the Human Saint has got all your needs covered, yes?”
----------
“
S
o,
uh…
Lady Braunhauer, please tell me.”
“Yep?”
“This is the ‘support’ Her Holiness the Human Saint sent to us?”
“If you’re talking about the Lady Sylvia, Duchess of Henristone, then it’s a yes,” Eris confirmed, as their group headed to the other gatehouse (the one on the far side, opposite of the gatehouse facing the town of Arles). “Perhaps Lady Madelaine had seen our desires in our hearts, so she pre-empted us by giving her support. After all, while Lady Henristone’s fighting abilities are admirable, the head maid Lady Lily von Leese is more than enough for the security of Her Holiness the Human Saint…who is also a former general of Nerfes, like the Lady Lily.”
“Not to mention, she trusts me,” the paladin captain added.
“Well, I have no qualms about the Duchess of Henristone coming with us. However…” Salis turned her attention to their other companions. “Can someone explain to me what these two demons are doing here? Why are they tagging along with us?”
Eris and Lady Sylvia stared back at the lycanthrope, Nari Tambara, and the orc-girl, Tama’lee. Having no answer to the owl-girl’s question, they exchanged smiles, and just shrugged the issue off.
“Tama may look like this,” the orc-girl flexed her muscles, “but she can help carry her friends’ bags! Not to mention, Tama is a state scientist of the demon republic; she knows how to create body-enhancing stuff, in case everyone gets tired in the middle of the road.”
“Okay, you make a good point,” Salis handed to the orc the bag she was carrying. Then she looked at Nari, “What can she do?”
“Cook,” was Nari’s curt reply.
“Wait…we got the Lady Braunhauer to deal with our food,” Salis replied. “I don’t think we need another member who can just cook on this journey!”
“If Tama may speak—”
“Please stay quiet, orc!” the owl-girl rebuked her. “I get it that you want to come along and see the Lord Kuro, but we’re heading to the land of the elves. Aren’t you guys aware that those people hated you more than the humans?”
Nari and Tama’lee shook their heads.
“Well, now you know,” Salis waved her hand. “Now, if you can just head back to your rooms, it’ll be nice. Tagging along would only hinder us.”
“Lady Salis,” it was Eris. “I think you may want to reconsider.”
“Why?”
“See, the Lady Nari Tambara is a well-known chef of various Chersean and Filipino dishes in the demon republic.”
“So?”
“Compared to her, my knowledge of cooking is inferior.”
“We’re traveling, right? We’re not attending royal balls or parties.”
“Well, I’m sure you won’t like to eat the same stuff for the entire journey,” Eris reiterated. “Look, we got a powerful orc baggage carrier, and a skilled paladin captain for hunting. They can always go look for our food if needed. Then, Lady Nari would be in-charge of the cooking. Naturally, as a chef, she’d only prepare nice meals. The end? A happy travel, full of contented tummies.”
“Hmm…”
the owl-girl paused for a bit. “You make a good argument, Lady Braunhauer, though if I’m alone I can just fly from here straight to the Chersea-Cherwoods border crossing.”
“Right, that’s a great plan…” Lady Henristone commented, pulling a map from her bag. “Only, where will you land to cross? As far as I remember, the Chersea-Cherwoods border crossing lies in the middle of the Great Sea, and the border guards will never allow you into their boats for security reasons.”
“
Oh…
my genius self didn’t know that.”
“So, in any case,” the paladin captain continued, “we’d have to catch a ship going to the crossing. The best choice is to head to the kingdom of Shent; see that small island in the easternmost tip of the Calabrian peninsula? That’s where we need to go. They have a port there, where ships going to and from Chersea, Cherwoods, and Equality are docked.”
“How many days will it take us before arriving there?” Salis asked.
“Probably a week or two, with two weeks the worst delay,” Lady Sylvia mused. “Though, since we’re going to pass by the Kingdom of Colveente, we can ask my estate to provide us a carriage to bring us to the train station in Sekhtem and straight to the port of Mouth of Calabria, thus avoiding the customs and identity checks upon crossing the inter-kingdom borders. Then, from there, we’ll cross the waters of the Eastern Approaches into the Kingdom of Galad, then cross again to the Second Island of the Kingdom of Hareth, and finally, into the Kingdom of Shent. Got it?”
The four other ladies threw blank stares at the Duchess of Henristone. And Salis commented, “L-Let’s just follow your lead up to the Kingdom of Shent, shall we? I feel like my head is going to explode the more I listen to your explanation.”
“G-Great idea,
milady!
” Eris backed her up. “D-Don’t you think so too, guys?”
Nari and Tama nodded.
“
Grr…
this is the reason civilians are so…
ugh,
you’re all so weak!” Lady Sylvia whispered the last words and stomped her feet as they approached the gatehouse of the Holy Palatial Gardens facing the east. |
***
T
he Heavenly Realms, some time in the past…***
For quite a while now after he gained consciousness, Greg Santos—no, Kuro’s spirit had been wandering around the white, swirling, fluffy clouds that surrounded him. Contrary to what he was led to believe when he was still on Earth, there were no angels that welcomed him in heaven. No ‘tribunals’ either, so he didn’t know if this ‘isolation’ he was experiencing was the ‘real’ hell, or if he was still awaiting judgment for his deeds when he was still a mortal.
“…”
Kuro had no idea for how long he had been there. All that he could remember was the gloomy, dark, and lonely feelings he had as life slowly slipped from his physical body, lying fatally injured in Cherflammen. He was pretty sure, however, that his friends in Chersea and the Other Realms have forgotten about him. And the love of his life, Maddie, probably found the man meant to make her happy.
It also might be, that she’s already has a child by now…that baby he saw in his visions.
Being there, walking around the heavens, was a pleasant experience. Kuro felt like his body was as light as a feather, and though, he wanted to be sad, the happy feelings kept on coming back to him. However, though he’s happy and relieved that his loved ones were safe in his previous world, a faint hint of bitterness remained in his heart. Deep inside, he wished it was him who were beside them. Deep inside, he wished to see his children with the people he loved…
Deep inside, he’s questioning the wisdom of his decision to stay behind in Cherflammen, only to die by Gaius’ hands.
“…”
But he knew he couldn’t go back in his decision. Besides, if Kuro never sacrificed himself, all of them were dead by now.
Still, does it have to be this way? Is his life made to exist only to be sacrificed for others? Can’t he be a little selfish for once?
“I won’t call it being ‘selfish’, you know?”
Kuro’s heart nearly skipped a beat when he heard a familiar, gentle voice speak from somewhere. When he noticed someone standing from his peripheral vision, he turned, only to see that bearded person he played a little game of chess before. The human blurted out, “God?”
----------
J
ust like when he first met the High King of the Gods, the deity kept on pulling out furniture and snacks from weird and random places, impressing and freaking Kuro at the same time. His ‘homely’ air, and soothing voice calmed the human’s bitterness, all the while they talked over two mugs of hot coffee.
“Cream?” God asked him.
“Y-Yes, Lord,” Kuro replied. “Lots of cream, if you please…”
“No problem! Feel free to say your wishes,” He brought out a cream jar from the air, and put several spoons on the human’s mug. “That’s enough for you?”
Kuro nodded and gave his thanks. Then, he took his first sip as the High King spoke.
“Kuro, what’s happening to you isn’t because of selfishness. If anything, we can summarize it as you asking for what you need.”
“My needs? You mean like, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?”
God nodded. “Do you want to? We can request Dr. Maslow’s spirit to appear and explain matters to us.”
Kuro laughed and shook his head. “I’d rather hear Your wisdom, Lord. I think we’re closer than Dr. Maslow; we’ve played chess before, right?”
“
Hm…
who says you’re a stranger to Me before?” the High King chuckled. “I always welcome those who call to Me, and treat them as My children.”
“T-Thank You for Your benevolence, Your Majesty.”
The High King pulled a pair of cinnamon buns from somewhere, and gave one to Kuro. “Any case, I applaud your efforts, Greg…or should I call you Kuro now?”
“I guess Kuro is fine, Lord. I’m already used to it, anyway.”
“Alright, Kuro. Going back to the topic, you’re one man who doesn’t think of himself, and is brave to always sacrifice himself to save others.”
“T-Thank You for that, Lord…” Hearing praise coming from the High King of the Gods made Kuro happy, though bitterness still remained in his heart.
“However, I’d like to point out that I designed mortals to be sociable. All can’t live as an ‘island’; you need companions.”
“Err…”
“If you’re thinking of the introverts,” the High King paused for a bit before continuing. “No one is really isolated. Even those people who say they ‘don’t need people and can live alone’ still interact with their families, and others, too. The only difference is the duration and quality of the relationship.”
“It’s true, Your Majesty.”
“Of course. Your observations only verify My designs. Continuing on, Kuro, remember that saying in your world that goes like this: ‘too much is always bad’?”
“I recall it Lord. But if I may ask, why do You tell this to me?”
“You give too much of yourself that nothing is left for you,” the High King said. “Tell me, Kuro, how can you give something you do not have? Too much sacrifices can get you exhausted; ‘burn-out’ is the term. Get what I mean?”
The human nodded, but he had another question.
“If you’re going to ask if you should just go with Maddie before they cut off Cherflammen from the other realms, you can’t.”
“Then it means that I was really meant to die in Cherflammen!”
The High King of the Gods nodded.
“So, it’s all for nothing. Alexa’s efforts to avoid my fate, and my own as well!”
Several minutes of awkward silence ensued. Kuro was fuming within him; he was thinking, if he’s meant to lose his life in Cherflammen,
then what’s the purpose of resisting it?
“Tell me, Kuro,” God suddenly broke the ice. “What do you think of death?”
“The end of everything, Your Majesty.”
“You’re partially right,” the High King nodded. “Especially to those who never believed in the afterlife. However, while death is a terrifying and sad event to everyone, have you thought that it can also serve as a beginning of something else?”
“Are You…referring to a ‘new chapter’ in a person’s life, Lord?”
God smiled and gave him a thumb’s up. “You really catch on quick. Not just for the one who died—whose spirit will go to their final destination, but also to those who are left behind. Often, new chapters gives us a new ‘perspective’ on stories, and so it applies in life as well. It gives us opportunities to grow, or lessons to be learned to help us grow.”
“I see…” Kuro heaved a sigh. “But I guess, those lessons are meant for the living. As for me—who’s dead—a different chance for me, right, Your Majesty?”
“It is,” the High King gulped down the rest of His coffee, before adding. “Though even if you’re a spirit, you can still learn. Want to know your first lesson?”
“Sure!”
“Well, I will not spoon-feed to you the concepts, but I want you to answer Me honestly, Kuro.”
“I’m ready, Lord.”
The High King of the Gods placed a hand on the human’s chest. Then, He asked, “Do you want to live again?”
Kuro was surprised by the question. And he chose a careful reply, “Up to You, Your Majesty.”
“No, I want you to answer. Do you want to live again?”
“Err…”
“Yes, or no?”
Kuro stared at the face of the High King of the Gods. Though His gentle features would make anyone think the deity was a ‘soft’ individual, this time, the human could feel the pressure from Him to give a definite answer. Kuro took a deep breath and said, “Yes Lord. I want to live again.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to come back for those people whom I love.”
The High King of the Gods smiled, and a soft, warm light emanated from His hand placed on Kuro’s chest. “You’re really a fast learner, Kuro. This will be your third life in the mortal realms,” He winked at him, as the human noticed that everything was slowly fading. “Think of it as My gift to you for learning your first lesson after dying the third time: to stand for yourself.”
----------
***
T
he Holy Consulate, Mouth of Calabria Branch, Kingdom of Calabria, present day…”
“Y-Your H-Holiness…”
“Mmmm…”
“Y-Your H-Holiness…p-please wake up…”
“Hmmf…I want to sleep…”
“Rise and shine,
lazy bum!
”
“!!!” Lady Hinwe nearly jumped out of her bed when she realized that there was someone else in her room, aside from Meanor. Much to her surprise and horror, there were three other ladies that stood on the other end of the place, and one of them held a dagger to her maid’s throat. She was about to fight with her elf magic, however, Lady Hinwe got even more scared when she realized that the one with the blade was the Human Saint herself, the Lady Madelaine Ann Rubinforth.
And the two others are the Demon Saint, Natasha Bellingsen, and the Saint of the Flame, Seirna Stephanie.
“Y-Y-Y-Y-Your H-H-H-H—”
“Your Holinesses, alright? Now that I completed it for you, you have to answer my questions,” Lady Madelaine let go of the terrified Meanor and put the dagger back to its sheath. She walked towards Lady Hinwe, though her face darkened…as if she was in a trance and was ready to commit murder. “Where is that elf named Gerard?”
“She means Kuro, Your Holiness Lady Hinwe,” Natasha could only scratch her head, trying to appease the bewildered Elf Saint.
“No worries, Hinwe,” it was Seirna. “Lady Rubinforth goes nuts whenever it’s about the otherworlder, Kuro of Arles. It’s pretty normal for her, see?”
“Wha-What do you mean normal?” Lady Hinwe panicked. “Lady Rubinforth’s thinking of flaying me alive if something bad happens to my guard!”
“Oof!”
the two saints had pained expressions on their faces; to match the intensified murderous aura emanating from Maddie.
“What?! Why did she come to hate me even more?” the Elf Saint was hysterical. “What? What?! I didn’t mean he’s my actual guard! I mean, Kuro’s one of my Life Guards but—”
“Well, I can always revive you if you get killed,” Seirna commented.
“Don’t speak as if I’m going to die! Help!”
Maddie was almost upon the Elf Saint when something hit her on the head. Then, she lost consciousness, falling face down on the bed. Behind her—and the one who caused her to stop in her murderous intent—was Maddie’s head maid, Lily.
“Pardon for my mistress, Your Holiness,” the Holy Palatial Garden’s head maid curtsied before the Elf Saint. “Don’t worry; Lady Madelaine may be like that, but she hasn’t murdered anyone recently.”
“Recently? Then that means she murdered before!”
“Well, aside from summoning the entire humankind to make war against the demons for not releasing the Lord Kuro of Arles, Her Holiness the Human Saint won’t hurt a fly anymore.”
Lady Hinwe’s went even paler than before; still, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Anyway, Your Holiness,” Lily took an empty chair nearby and sat beside the Elf Saint. “Lady Sylvia of the Paladin Corps sent a letter to us asking for reinforcements for your protection. Apparently, something happened to Cherwoods and you’re now forced to hide here?”
“Yes…?”
The head maid smiled, but Lady Hinwe quickly noticed something sinister about it. “Tell me, Your Holiness, why did you allow your bodyguard to leave for the Saint’s Tree just to fetch your dolls and other stuff? Isn’t his duty is to stay beside you?”
The Elf Saint rushed towards Seirna and Natasha, but Lily caught one of her arms in an iron grip. Terrified, she cried out to them, “These two will kill me!”
“!!!” However, everyone’s attention quickly went away from the Lady Hinwe and into another person who just barged in the room. Her brown ears and fluffy white tail were smeared with crimson blood, coming from the two figures she dragged with her.
Seirna commented, “For goodness’ sake, Lady Ruro! What did you do once again?”
“
Oh
these guys?” the Beastman threw them aside. Natasha tried to see if they were still alive, while Ruro said, “I heard their thoughts; I think those villains are conspiring to kill the Lady Hinwe, under the pay of someone back in Cherwoods. I guess they got other people in their plans, but hey, at least we already caught some of them.”
“Ahem,”
Lily cleared her throat. “I’ll ask the Lady Henristone to look into this conspiracy, to safeguard Her Holiness the Lady Hinwe’s life.”
“
Agh!
No matter!” the Elf Saint snapped. “I’m going to die, either by the hands of my enemies or the other saints!”
----------
***
T
he ‘Eternal Holiness’, flagship of the elvish galley fleet…***
The commander of the Life Guards’ fleet blockading the portal of Cherwoods, Lord Ninier of Dorian, watched the trapped steam ships as his soldiers from the reinforcing galleys overwhelmed their enemies. However, even when they already surrounded the Chersean flotilla, its defenders would not back down, nor surrender.
Proof of that is the activated magic barrier.
The frustrated companies of elves rained arrows and magic spells on the steam ships, in an effort to exhaust the casters of the barriers. However, once the shields were lifted…
“They’re shooting at us from afar!”
“Their bullets are passing through the wood! Get some thick cover!”
“Help! Help! The captain is bleeding!”
In this way, several attempts to board the ice-bound vessels ended in bloody failures. While the crews of the human ships were hopelessly outnumbered, their tactics and equipment were wreaking havoc among the elvish forces. The Lord Ninier suddenly remembered a mysterious figure from way back his past. That person offered his soldiers ‘demon weapons’ that could shoot accurately and with more range than their standard bows and arrows. But, his commander—the Lord Eldarv—refused it, as it was made by the demons…which were their sworn enemies.
“The elves will never bow down to other races!”
the Lord Eldarv declared back then.
“It’s either our traditions, or we die!”
And now, they’re suffering for this stubborn belief. Aside from those injured and died in the galleys that were sunk, or peppered with raking fire, the elves’ casualties were growing each time they mount an assault at the trapped ships, with their enemies turning it into a formidable fortress.
A lot of good elves lost their lives this time…
“…”
Shaking his head in disbelief, the elf naval commander called an orderly. “Send someone to the galleys attacking the Chersean ships. Tell them to retreat, but don’t let our enemies escape.”
Just as the orderly was about to leave, however, a powerful gale suddenly blew from the northerly direction of Cherwoods, causing the gentle waters of the Gulf to turn violent. Much to the elves’ shock and terror, black clouds gathered above their battle site at an alarming rate; even the most experienced of their seafarers didn’t see something like that in their lives up to the present. Soon, combined with the rough seas, flashes of lightning and peals of thunder made its presence known, with some of the elf ships struck and burned.
The Lord Ninier couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. His fleet was being decimated right before his eyes by a freak weather phenomenon. It’s as if it was the god-powers of the Beastman Saint manifesting…
A lieutenant called his attention and pointed towards one of the steam ships, “Sire, look!”
“!!!” All the elves—from the lowest of the soldiers, to the highest of the officers—were terrified to witness a small, yet bright golden-yellow light emanating from the ship named ‘Hagena’…the sure sign of the god-powers of the Beastman Saint. And much to their consternation was the sight of the person wielding that ‘god-power’: a man, with black hair and round ears…a human.
“Th-This is…” the Lord Ninier could only mutter. “…impossible!”
Then, the human turned his gaze in the direction of the elf fleet’s flagship—the vessel of the Lord Ninier himself. From their spyglasses, the elves saw his smirk, as if mocking them for their folly of trying to resist him. The human, standing on the deck of ‘Hagena’, raised his hand to the dark, swirling clouds, shooting the golden-yellow light from his hands and into the heavens.
It was a terrible, yet mesmerizing sight…
“…”
However…
“!!!”
The next thing that came were a thick rain of hailstones.
----------
***
T
he deck of ‘Hagena’…***
In the aftermath of the ‘hailstone barrage’, only the steam ships remained floating on the waters of the Gulf of Cherwoods…at least, in those parts. The ‘formidable’ elvish galleys of the blockade fleet were reduced to waterlogged flotsam, where the living soldiers and mariners of the Life Guards clung to avoid drowning. On the decks and gun ports of the Chersean seacrafts, astonished crews watched in silence when the hero of Arles, their ‘Commoner General’, the Lord Kuro, displayed his overwhelming god-powers.
The only ones who knows what to expect are the ladies from the Holy Palatial Gardens…
“…”
Kuro, with his ‘Gerard of Yusave’ disguise peeling off, stood in silence before them. Honestly, he didn’t know what to say, other than ask, “H-How did you guys know?”
Salis put her gun back to its holster. “Have you forgotten, Kuro? I’m a genius—
hey!
” the owl-girl was interrupted in her speech when the Duchess of Braunhauer, followed by the lycanthrope and the orc-girl, ran and threw themselves to him.
“!!!”
They fell together on the deck floor, though Kuro was quick to support himself so they won’t hurt themselves.
“I knew it was you!” Eris, though with tears in her eyes, had a pleasant smile on her face. “You give away so many clues about yourself,
milord!
”
“Clues? What?” Kuro exclaimed.
Nari buried her face in his chest, “I already suspected when I recalled his smell; I just can’t confirm it because I’m not that smart like Lady Salis…”
Oh right, she’s a werewolf,
Kuro thought to himself.
“You guys…” Salis clicked her tongue, but decided not to spoil the moment. She just continued, “Kuro, even if you try to hide yourself, your attitude gives you away. See? You’re always ready to give, even if you end up losing in the process. Of all the humans I met, you’re the only one who does that stupidity.”
“S-Sorry…”
“W-Well,” the owl-girl blushed. “I-It’s not like I hated that selfless part of yours.”
“And Sir Kuro loves Nari’s
lugaw!
” Tama’lee added. “And another clue is, Lady Salis noticed Sir ‘Gerard’ calling her gun
‘derringer’
—a word not found in dictionaries anywhere!”
“Honestly,” the Lady Henristone revealed, “Lady Hinwe told us the truth about you, Lord Kuro, after you fought with her. I mean, for someone who’s position is just a lowly guard of her elite warriors, ‘Gerard’ sure is brave for throwing insults and curses to Her Holiness.”
“
Ah…
I was just taken by the heat of the moment back then…” Kuro could only scratch his head. “
Damn
her; her timidity is leading her people and Cherwoods to certain destruction, and I felt I should help her back on track.”
The Lady Malvette also came out from the lower decks at that moment. Kuro, impressed by her courage and skills in naval engagements, got up and offered her a handshake. “
Milady,
that was really great! Thank you for helping us!”
The former admiral flashed a smile and grabbed his hand. However, instead of handshake, she pulled him closer to her and planted a kiss on his lips, much to everyone’s shock. “Welcome back, Lord Kuro!” she chuckled. “It’s how seamen greet their people, see?”
“I-I’m pretty sure it wasn’t,” Kuro tried to laugh it off, but he could feel the piercing stares on him.
“I…I mean, the ‘speaking your feelings directly’ part,” Lady Malvette also laughed, realizing that she created tension with her companions. “Anyway! Let’s help these poor elves! They’ve been floating at the sea for a while now.”
“R-Right…” Eris dusted herself and went back to her ‘serious’ mode. “Let’s go!”
----------
***
T
he Saint’s Tree…***
The ‘other’ Kuro of Arles, whose true identity was the low-ranked member of the Life Guards, ‘Gerard of Yusave’, watched the soldiers of his military unit distribute food and other supplies to the elves who had gathered at the borders of the Elf Saint’s city to demand action from their holy lady. He knew that the ‘lull’ in their protests was temporary, and soon, he would have to admit to them that the Lady Hinwe was in another place, with a low chance of returning to her duties as the Elf Saint of Cherwoods.
“…”
As someone whose home was destroyed by the encroaching sands in the frontiers, Gerard was aware that the Lady Hinwe was unfit to rule anymore. Still, he’s giving her a chance, not only because his lover and fiancée—the Elf Saint’s closest maid, Meanor—pleaded him to support her, the appearance of that human, Kuro of Arles, brought hope in him that maybe…just maybe…he could prod Her Holiness to do her duties to her people.
At that point, it doesn’t matter to him if they take suggestions from other races, even from the demons. Lady Hinwe needs to ‘wake up’ now.
“…”
But, it seemed like even with the wisdom of Kuro of Arles, the Elf Saint would never change. Her stubborn character and laziness were too much, even for the human. That’s why, like his superior, the Lord Sir Eldarv of the Life Guards, he already reached the decision to inaugurate a new saint to rule over the elves.
The only problem is, they have to kill the Lady Hinwe, so her god-powers can pass to someone else.
“…”
As much as he never wanted to turn into those palace officials they hated, Gerard had no choice but to take the drastic options. Time was of the essence, and the more they delayed, the more the sands would engulf huge swaths of Cherwoods’ ancient forests. They had to make the lands fertile again; and the Elf Saint’s god-powers was key to this.
The irrigation systems, proposed by Kuro of Arles, would continue. While they were not sure that these ‘set of canals’ could solve their woes, building it would send a message to the elves that Her Holiness was doing something to help them. And if it turned out that it was beneficial, they’d hit two birds in one stone, thus encouraging the people to return to the fold of the Elf Saint’s authority.
In any case, so as not to arouse any suspicions, Gerard wanted for the Lady Hinwe to return to Cherwoods. After all, killing her in another land would be a diplomatic incident, and could lead to tragic reprisals from the other saints. But, for some reason, her group was taking its time; Gerard was worried that human, Kuro, had noticed his duplicity and purposefully delayed their return to urge him to take action, exposing his treason.
“…”
Still, Gerard would persevere. It’s for the good of the elves, as well as the secured future for his fiancée.
“!!!”
His train of thoughts were interrupted when Sir Eldarv came to him. “Sir Kuro,” the captain began. “I just received news from our scouts in Tenedrim that the entire fleet of the Life Guards was annihilated in a sea battle and a freak storm.”
Gerard couldn’t believe what he just heard. “Wait…a sea battle and a freak storm?”
“It’s also confusing me, Sire,” the captain of the Elf Guards admitted. “But according to eyewitness accounts, a confrontation occurred at the vicinity of the Tenedrim lagoon between our fleets and two Chersean steam ships. Then, after a running battle, the weather took turn for the worse, and destroyed our galleys. Only the steam ships remain.”
“What kind of weather we’re talking about here?”
“Err…”
Sir Eldarv read the letter he had on hand. “A powerful gale that made the seas rough. Thunderstorms, and,
uh…err…
a rain of hailstones. The scouts also claimed that the steam ships were undamaged.”
“I…really don’t understand. Are you telling me that the ‘freak weather’ chose to hit our galleys and avoid the Chersean ships?”
The captain of the Life Guards shrugged. However, he added, “Sire, the Chersean flotilla was last sighted, heading to the northern waters. We don’t know where those vessels intended to go, but they did drop our surviving members on the nearest landmass and left supplies for them to have something to eat.”
“Generous,
huh?
” the disguised elf mused. He ordered Sir Eldarv, “Then, if it’s the Elf Saint, we let them pass and dock here. Otherwise, the blockade stands. Allow no one to cross into your waters and reach this place. Gather the remaining galleys and search for those ships.”
The captain of the Life Guards gave him a snappy salute, and went to implement ‘Kuro of Arles’ orders. |
***
T
he railway line to the port city of the Mouth of Calabria…***
Upon realizing that they had one of the six demi-gods of Chersea and the Other Realms on the train, everyone (save the elves’ party) quickly knelt to give their respects. Nevertheless, the Elf Saint tried to put them at ease.
“Please don’t be so formal!” she told them, chuckling. “I went to the exhibits as a normal elf, not a saint.”
“Still, our apologies for not knowing,” the paladin captain replied. “Had we known that you are with us, we—or at least I—would have been more vigilant.”
“It’s fine! If anything, it’s me who should give apology since your companions were nearly killed because of me,” Lady Hinwe reassured her, “By the way, I haven’t introduced them yet. This is Meanor, my faithful servant in the tree palace. And the other elf is my guard, Gerard of Yusave.”
“Your Holiness,” Gerard finally spoke, “while I don’t object to you getting chummy with other people, remember that we’re not yet out of the danger. Please keep your hat back on your head!”
“Y-Y-Yes!” the Elf Saint, with the help of her maid, complied with her guard’s request.
“Sir Gerard!” the paladin captain saluted him with her sword, “Please allow us to join you in protecting Her Holiness!”
“Yeah, an extra hand is great,” then he turned to her companions, “But you have to look on your own. Aside from you, the other ladies don’t even know how to fight!”
“
Hey,
wait a second there, elf boy!” it was Salis, “I know you’re jumpy because Her Holiness the Elf Saint is in danger, but you can’t just talk down on us like that! We’re only surprised by those villains, but it won’t happen again.” Then, she pulled out a beastman knife from under her owl-wings, as well as small gun-like weapon, “If you want to try my strength, then I can show to you how deadly the beastfolks like me can become.”
“That’s a
derringer!
” Gerard blurted out.
“
Huh?
What are you saying?”
“
Err…
nothing,” the white-haired elf turned his gaze away, focusing on the other girls. “But how about these demons and the human girl? Can they even fight?”
“Tama can squish a human if she wants to!” the orc-girl flexed her muscles, before saying about Nari, “And Nari is a Tambara! She can transform into a powerful wolf!”
“Yeah, and I have to save your necks from being slashed by those villains earlier,” the elf guard pointed out.
“W-Well,
haha!
” Tama’lee scratched her head, “Tama was surprised, and she was restrained with magic, much like Nari, right?”
Nari nodded to back up the orc-girl’s claim.
“Alright then…”
“I may be a girl who loves make up and doing household chores,” Eris said when she noticed Gerard’s disbelieving eyes on her, “however, I must tell you Mister Elf, I can betray your low expectations of me.”
“…”
The white-haired elf glared at them for a few moments, but as he knew they were already involved with their predicament, he had no choice but to accept their help. He cocked his revolver once more and told them, “The port of the Mouth of Calabria is still hours away from our position. Since we already dragged you ladies into our mess, please stick with us to the end. And the most important, keep yourselves alive.”
----------
W
hen she was younger than her current self, Eris’ mother told her stories about the ‘beautiful elf saint’ who sent armies of her people to help the humans turn the tide of battle against the demon forces from the 11th Human-Demon War. As a child, it fascinated her at how the elves would come whenever men needed their help the most. And so, she formed an idea that the Elf Saint was some sort of a powerful and mystical protector of humankind.
Growing up, Eris also read books describing the benevolent and peaceful reign of the same saint—her life unusually prolonged by serving as Cherwoods’ demi-goddess, just like the other holy ladies. The praises for her written in those pages glowed in contrast to the then chaotic and bleak land of Chersea, a bloody battlefield of human kingdoms and their armies. In fact, if Eris remembered well, the Lady Madelaine was inspired by the steps taken by the Lady Hinwe to keep the elves united in her vision of a harmonious Cherwoods…along with the principles of the hero, Cassandra David.
And now…
“…”
She can’t believe that the time will come when she will see Her Holiness the Elf Saint in the flesh. As someone who is interested in history, meeting a person who witnessed the legends happen, and is a legend herself, is a blessing in itself.
Eris had a lot of question in her mind that she went speechless and confused, trying to find the right historical event to discuss, for she knew her time with the Elf Saint was not unlimited. Still, when she finally decided on the topic she would ask…
“Your Holiness,” it was Salis who beat her to it, “pardon me for my way of asking, for I will not mince words. Aren’t you the one who’s home is at the Saint’s Tree?”
The question surprised the Lady Hinwe, and Meanor was indignant at how the owl-girl put up her question. But, the Elf Saint implored her servant to remain calm, and answered, “Yes, it is my home.”
“Do you have someone there whose name is ‘Kuro of Arles’?” At that moment, the Lady Henristone heard them, and tried to stop Salis from talking rude.
However, Lady Hinwe didn’t mind and replied, “Yes, he is my adviser.”
The ladies from the palatial gardens dropped their pretense and gathered around the Elf Saint. Gerard, who was supposed to guard the wide open train car along with the Lady Henristone, called out to her, “
Oi,
we’re still not out of danger, paladin lady!”
But, the Lady Henristone dismissed his protests, and went back listening.
“Milady,”
Eris forgot what she was about to ask earlier, and shifted her focus on the Lord Kuro. “Pardon us for asking, but see, that man…the…L-Lord Kuro…”
“
Oh,
he’s really a human lord, then!” Lady Hinwe exclaimed.
“Also our eternal king,” Salis added.
“And our special scholar!” Tama’lee chirped in.
“Wait up and shut up!” the owl-girl rebuked the others. “Let Her Holiness answer our questions one by one! She doesn’t have a lot of time, you know?”
“Sorry…” the orc-girl could only say.
The Braunhauer duchess continued, “
Er…
Your Holiness, the Lord Kuro is…supposed to be dead.”
“Dead? How so?”
“Her Holiness the Lady Madelaine tells us so,” Salis told her, preempting Eris, who was about to narrate the story of the saints during the last days of Cherflammen. “The Beastman Saint, the Demon Saint and the Saint of the Flame also supported her statement.”
“Lady Seirna?” the elf’s eyes widened in surprise. “Now that’s a first! She always keeps to herself, and for her to get involved in a mortal’s business…
hmm…
”
“Milady,”
it was Meanor, “a statue and painting made by the Human Saint herself honoring the Lord Kuro of Arles is at the center of the exhibits.”
“I see…” Lady Hinwe nodded and closed her eyes, as if meditating on her memories. “This man sure is someone special,
huh?
”
The ladies of the Holy Palatial Gardens unanimously agreed to Her Holiness’ words. Salis then revealed to her, “Your Holiness, we are now on a mission to come to Cherwoods to see for ourselves whether this man who claims to be ‘Kuro of Arles’ is true. This is to prove—once and for all—that he is dead, and will stay dead.”
“Lady Salis!” the paladin captain lightly hit the owl-girl on the head,
“Mind your words!”
“Come on! I’m just saying the truth, and in a way that is easily understandable!”
Realizing their sentiments about him, the Elf Saint smiled and said, “Alright, then how about this? Why don’t you guys come with me to the Tree Palace and check him for yourselves?”
“Milady!”
this time, the elf-guard, Gerard, protested. “We can’t take additional souls to be protected!”
“I did not say you’d protect us, Mister Elf,” the Lady Henristone pointed out. “I thought it is already clear to you that we’re here to escort Her Holiness to safety, while we head to the Saint’s Tree as well, not the other way around.”
Gerard, however, stared only at his mistress, the Elf Saint, obviously passing the decision on her. The Lady Hinwe looked back at him, and though smiling, everyone could feel the tension emanating from the two. As they square off against each other, it prompted Nari to ask Meanor,
“Are they fighting?”
“L-Let’s say Gerard gets overzealous in protecting Her Holiness occasionally,”
the elf maid whispered back.
Nevertheless, the awkward atmosphere finally died down when Lady Hinwe confirmed her decision to allow the palatial garden ladies to come with them. Gerard had to back down; it was useless to go against the wishes of the Elf Saint, anyway.
----------
A
fter informing the train crew of what just transpired, the rest of the journey to their destination went uneventful. Though the group were offered a ‘change’ of carriage—since the windows were wrecked in the attack, there was a consensus between all of them that they were better off continuing to the Mouth of Calabria as soon as possible, than risk the dangers of switching cars. And like what they expected, the train arrived at the port just before the hour of the long sleep, though there was a little delay because of the incident (the train operator had to check the railroad-worthiness of the damaged car before continuing).
Because of this, their plan of securing the seats on the last ferry trip to Galad for the day was spurned. Only two spots were available by the time they came to the harbor, and the two guards of the group decided they stay in the Mouth of Calabria for the duration of the long sleep.
“So, where do you suggest we stay?” Gerard asked the Lady Henristone, as she’s the one who the city well.
“Tell me who’s after Her Holiness first,” she answered. “That way, we can coordinate our skills and connections to provide the best security for her.”
The elf guard fell silent for a few moments, before saying, “I guess those assassins got something to do with the guys at Her Holiness’ tree palace.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those crooks—I mean, the palace officials—wanted to control access to Her Holiness,” Gerard explained. “So, upon the advice of that human, Mister Kuro of Arles, she slipped away from her room, to prompt those people to move against her. I can’t say it’s the best idea, but I think nipping the bud before it grows is a good course of action. I’m just hoping that Mister Kuro’s plan will succeed, and when we return, the filth is already cleaned.”
Lady Henristone couldn’t help but chuckle, “That guy’s really stirring up trouble wherever he goes.”
“You seem to be fond of him,” the elf guard commented.
“I worked with Mister—no, the Lord Kuro,” the paladin guard’s eyes had a dreamy, yet poignant expression to it. “He may be a commoner, and his looks not that dashing compared to the knights of our old fairy tales, but he always gets the job done. And I like him for his heart; his determination to save everyone he can…I mean, I’m a paladin, so yeah, you know what I mean…”
“Oh…”
“It’s just a pity that he—a baron—won’t even consider working in my household!” Lady Henristone’s ‘reminiscing’ aura suddenly took a drastic turnaround. “I offered him higher pay, and even a chance to marry me! I’m the Duchess of Henristone, for goodness’ sake—one of the richest and most powerful ladies in the Eastern Confederacy!”
“Aren’t you humans marry up to five times?”
“I want him in my household; so meaning, he’s the one marrying into my house, not the other way around.”
“A-Alright,” seeing that the paladin was going off the topic, Gerard quickly changed it back, “Anyway, if my hunches are correct, we can be up against an organized band of contract killers in the payroll of those treacherous palace officials at the Saint’s Tree.”
“Riiigghhht,”
the Lady Henristone was surprised by his turnaround, yet she immediately recovered. “Since there’s no ship crossing the waters of the Eastern Approaches by this hour, waiting for the next one at the harbor will be dangerous to Her Holiness. I recommend we spend the long sleep at the nearby Holy Consulate to the east of this city. As I am the Captain of the Paladin Guards, the people there knew me, and they’d give accommodations.”
The elf, however, was apprehensive, “
Oh?
Wouldn’t that reveal to Her Holiness the Human Saint that our mistress is here?”
“
Hm? Why?
Is the Lady Hinwe trying to hide her presence from the other saints? I’m actually mulling the idea of sending for a reinforcement of two companies of the Paladin Guards.”
“No one’s supposed to know we’re here,” Gerard admitted. “That’s why Her Holiness the Elf Saint dropped by your exhibits unannounced. I just don’t know why she blew her cover earlier to your group.”
“Perhaps she trusts us?” Lady Henristone offered her explanation. “She can read our minds; she knew I am the captain of the paladin guards before I even spoke to her.”
Gerard heaved a sigh and walked back towards his companions, “Yeah, whatever. Just keep your ladies safe; I’ll protect Her Holiness and Lady Meanor.”
----------
T
he port city of the Mouth of Calabria was strategically placed at the tip of the northern landmass of mainland Chersea. Originally, it was a ‘gate city’—a fortified stronghold of the kingdom of Calabria in times of war, as the island kingdoms of Galad, Shent and Hareth had small armies and couldn’t be relied upon to defend themselves once an invasion army put up a determined offensive to capture those lands. However, in the time of the ‘Saint’s Peace’, the city grew into a bustling port city as she was now, because of its proximity to the border crossings to Equality (the land of the dwarves) and Cherwoods (the realm of the elves).
So, aside from the Calabrian capital of Sekhtem, the Holy Palatial Gardens maintained a consular office in that part of the eastern kingdom. The reason was simple; for easier processing of the papers of elves and dwarves trying to visit the Human Saint’s grand residence and cathedral. Of course, as the head of the security detail of Her Holiness the Lady Madelaine, Lady Sylvia Henristone was in-charge of providing the paladin guards for the consulate, and their group had no problems gaining access to the facility once they appeared at its gates.
“Lady Henristone, I bid you welcome!” the consul, an aristocrat named Lady Darabelle, Marquise of Curzon, herself greeted the new arrivals. “What brings you here to this part of Calabria at this hour?”
“Milady,”
the paladin captain curtsied, which was followed by her entourage, “we come from the Holy Palatial Gardens, on our way to the border crossing of Chersea and Cherwoods. My companions would like to seek accommodations for the long sleep before we travel to our destination tomorrow.”
“Ah!”
the consul exclaimed when she noticed the three elves behind the duchess. “
Erm…
forgive me for asking, but those elves are with you?”
“Yes,
milady,
but please don’t ask for their identities.”
“I…I see…” Lady Curzon forced out a smile, though she asked, “…if it’s alright—and I won’t force you to give me her name, that elf lady with a big hat, is she an Elf Lord?”
“You can say she’s someone like that, or something similar…”
“Oh…”
“Why?”
“Er…”
the consul then turned to one of the paladin guards nearby, “Can you please get their baggage and lead them to their rooms?” At once, the paladins followed her orders, before the Lady Curzon turned to Lady Henristone and whispered, “
Milady,
if it’s alright with you, can you and that elf lady talk to me for a moment?”
The paladin captain suspected something was amiss, so she glanced at the Elf Saint and her guard, “Lady Curzon, that elf guy with us is her guard. Can we bring him along?”
“
Oh?
Sure! I think he needs to know this since it’s pretty much about his mistress’ safety, after all.”
----------
T
he consul led the Duchess of Henristone, Lady Hinwe and Gerard to an inner room of the consulate office. One look at the area, and the three already made a conclusion that what the diplomat was about to tell them was something not meant for other ears. The Lady Curzon went past the two paladins guarding the hallway, knocked two times at the heavy oak door, and then entered.
“
Ah!
The paladins roused from my sleep—” The person inside stopped once she saw the newcomers, led by Lady Henristone. Likewise, the paladin captain smiled once she saw the individual who waited for them in that inner room.
“Lady Malvette!” she exclaimed, “I didn’t know you’re here!”
The former First Admiral of the Kingdom of Cherwind, as well as its current ambassador to Cherwoods, Lady Jeanne, Duchess of Malvette, rose from her seat and exchanged pleasantries with Lady Henristone. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re here,
milady,
” the Cherwind diplomat told her, “I think you should know…”
The paladin captain noticed that the Lady Malvette’s attention focused on the elves behind her. She tried to hide their identities by explaining, “They are guests from the exhibits, on their way back to Cherwoods.”
“
Oh,
my!” However, the ambassador quickly kneeled in front of the saint, “Pardon my rudeness, Your Holiness! I didn’t recognize you there!”
“Y-Your Holiness…?” Lady Curzon’s eyes fell on the elf with the enormous hat, “Y-You mean, t-this is the…”
“Yes,
milady,
” Lady Henristone shook her head, admitting to the identities of their elf guest. “My apologies for keeping it a secret; meet the Lady Hinwe Tal-Inwir, the Elf Saint of Cherwoods.”
The consul and the other paladins were in shock; they surely didn’t expect that the elf standing before them was the Elf Saint of Cherwoods herself. They immediately followed the Cherwind ambassador’s example, much to the amusement of Her Holiness and the regret of her guard, Gerard.
He looked at his mistress with a silent
‘I told you so’
expression on his face.
Lady Hinwe, for her part, reassured them, “It’s fine! I’m here as a normal elf; please don’t be so formal! And nice meeting you at this place, Lady Malvette! What are you doing here, anyway, far from your post?”
“
Milady,
it’s a good thing to see you safe in this consulate,” the Duchess of Malvette began. “I’m actually a guest of the Holy Ambassador to Cherwoods, the Lord Simeon, Duke of Gibbon, as we are forced to evacuate our offices near the city of the Saint’s Tree.”
“Why?” it was Gerard who asked, briefly forgetting his rank compared to the ladies inside the room, “I-I mean…why did you evacuate,
milady?
”
“I guess the news hasn’t arrived in the Holy Palatial Gardens yet?” Lady Malvette mused. “Well, it’s because there was a palace
coup d’état
in the Saint’s Tree, and the leader of the
coup
plotters, a man who calls himself ‘Kuro of Arles’, executed the palace officials and sent the ambassadors a written demand to leave Cherwoods within two long sleeps. I came with Lord Gibbon to report to Her Holiness the Human Saint that someone is using the name of the Lord Kuro to commit atrocities in the land of the elves.”
Shocked by the news, Lady Henristone, Lady Hinwe and Gerard exchanged stares, and the paladin captain decided to tell the Lady Malvette, “Milady, there’s…something I’d like you to know about the Lord Kuro…”
----------
***
T
he Saint’s Tree, Cherwoods***
With the opposition to his seizure of the tree palace complex gone, Kuro now turned his attention to bringing the elf cities under the Elf Saint’s control. It was not a mystery that Her Holiness the Elf Saint’s weakening god-powers were the consequence of her people dropping their support on her. A combination of the Lady Hinwe’s attitude towards sainthood, greedy palace officials and servants, and natural disaster melted the elves’ patience, and instead, they shifted their praises and worship to the other saints…most especially the Human Saint of Chersea.
This is like the biblical case of King Jeroboam fearing the people of Israel shifting their support from his kingship, if he allowed them to worship their God in Jerusalem, as is their custom. Though in this case, it is only a matter of time before everyone turns their backs on the Elf Saint…
His solution? Close off the border crossings between Cherwoods and the other realms, starting with the expulsion of the diplomats. Once the envoys were gone, the pilgrimage of the elves to the other saints would become considerably difficult, as no one would be there to process their papers to cross the borders, discouraging them from going to the other worlds for their ‘religious needs’.
Kuro doesn’t like forcing anyone to abide by his goals. It sickens him, enough to feel like vomiting. However, this is an emergency; if he doesn’t step up, Cherwoods will certainly end, along with its people.
“…”
Uh, this should be a temporary arrangement. Once the Lady Hinwe returns, hopefully, everything will be back to normal.
And, of course, he had to put some focus on the irrigation network. While restoring the Elf Saint’s god-powers was his primary goal, Kuro knew of the dangers of being the lone human amidst a land populated by another race. So he had to make sure that the grand project for bringing water supply into the frontiers of Cherwoods was constructed. Not only would this appease the anger of the elves towards their ‘non-ruling’ saint, it would also ensure that their support for her would return. However, for this to happen, he needed the approval of Her Holiness herself.
“…”
Speaking of the Elf Saint, it’s been several long sleeps since the Lady Hinwe went to Chersea with her maid and her guard. And their agreement says she will only go there to see the rumors of a grand exhibit, maybe buy some stuff, then return as quickly as she can.
“…”
With time going against his plans, Kuro had to act fast. He called the captain of the Elf Saint’s Life Guards and asked, “Sir Eldarv, do we have spies at our disposal?”
“Sire, while Her Holiness disagrees dealing with dishonest people, we can get some individuals to do your bidding. For a price, of course.”
“Right,” the human handed him a folded paper, sealed with the signet ring of the Elf Saint. “I want you to hire some of them. My instructions are inside that letter.”
“Yes, good sire. Consider it done,” the captain bowed and made his way to the door.
However, Kuro called out to him, “Sir Eldarv, we may have removed some of the causes of the problem of your people, but we’re still not out of the danger. I implore you to hurry, for we haven’t got a lot of time in our hands. Her Holiness needs to wake up soon…if not, then your people should consider a new saint to rule over them, or this land will end.”
Sir Eldarv said nothing, but the words of the Elf Saint’s human adviser resonated within his heart. Deep inside, he was of the same opinion—as were the others in the Life Guards, that’s why they threw their lots on him, even though he was from a different race. Her Holiness the Lady Hinwe Tal-Inwir had to step up to protect her people, or they should remove her as their saint.
“…”
Personally, Sir Eldarv couldn’t wait for Her Holiness; the encroaching sands were threatening the frontiers at an alarming rate. Cities in those areas were being depopulated, with elves migrating towards the shores of Cherwoods faster than the coastal settlements could adapt. Food supplies dwindling. Conflicts between the old residents and the migrants erupting. Someone more ‘active’ must take charge now. And they—as the Life Guards of the Elf Saint—had the power to bring forth the elves’ salvation…
And for that to happen, the Lady Hinwe must die. |
***
T
he Saint’s Tree***
“We want the saint! Show her to us!”
“We demand help with our food!”
“Have mercy and shame! Our people is dying of hunger!”
The soldiers of the Elf Saint’s Life Guards stood in line, their shields raised to support the barricades they erected so they could block a column of elvish mobs trying to get to the main gate of the Saint’s Tree palace complex. While they remained resolute, the repeated insults, chants and teasing thrown at them by the angry crowds increased the tension at the borders they were protecting. Every outsider observing the events at that place were anxious; they knew the situation could go south at any moment…
When the elvish mobs reached the barricades, they stopped. Then, a few of their leaders gave speeches, all were provocative and critical of the ‘incompetent rule’ of their current saint.
“What do we want?”
one of the leading protestors shouted.
“Down with Lady Hinwe!”
the crowds bellowed in chorus.
Another leader screamed,
“We want a new saint!”
“We want a new saint!”
the people followed, raising their clenched fists in the air.
“If those calloused pricks inside the palace won’t listen to our pleas for help and will keep hiding Lady Hinwe, then we’ll combine our strengths to crash through this shield and vine walls!”
“Yeeeessss!!!”
“And we’ll drag out Her Holiness! We’ll serve her justice for her incompetence!”
“Yeeeeeeeeessssssss!!! Justiiiiiiccccceeee!!!”
“Who’s with me? Who’s tired of this farce? The Saint won’t protect us! We’ll be the ones to protect ourselves!”
the speaker then gestured for everyone to follow him, as he started hacking the barricades, trying to chop the vines ‘erected’ with the Life Guards’ magic.
“Yaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggghhh!!!”
Encouraged by the brave display of one of their leaders, the agitated crowd followed his example and brought out their farming implements—scythes, rakes, pitchforks…everyone hacked their way towards the shield bearers standing on the other side of the vine obstacles. Others who couldn’t reach the barricades because of the relatively narrow pathways picked up stones, pieces of wood and other projectiles, and flung those to the Life Guards. The Elf Saint’s soldiers stood their ground, with their magicians casting magic barrier to keep their lines protected.
Some of the angry elves cast fire magic in an effort to burn the plant obstacles. Soon, the chaos worsened by the thick black smoke rising from the flaming vines.
“…”
The commander of that detachment of Life Guards watched from his spot, as the people kept on provoking his soldiers. Though his face remained unperturbed, deep inside, he was anxious of what he was witnessing. He was weighing his options; a move too early could end in an avoidable tragedy, while taking action too late and they could end up with unstoppable events.
A soldier from the frontlines came to him, “Lord Ashen, the company leaders are requesting for them to engage the crowd.”
“Their swords will remain in their sheaths,” the commander reiterated. “Our orders from the Saint’s Tree are absolute. We will not spill our people’s blood in this hallowed ground, unless we’re attacked with deadly force.”
“Milord,”
another soldier suggested, “How about we position the archers behind the shield-bearers, bows ready and arrows drawn?”
“Yes, we can do that. Send in for the archers!”
At once, the Life Guards deployed their archers a few distances behind the shield-bearers. Orders were distributed, instructing them to ready their ranged weapons, but never shooting their lethal projectiles unless the mobs breached the shield-bearers’ line.
----------
“
L
et’s storm the palace!” That was the call that rang across the mobs of elves demanding their pleas be heard by the Saint. Because they hacked and burned the vine barricades meant to stop them, soon they swarmed the shield wall of the Life Guards. As the leaders never wanted violence to happen in the holy ground of the Saint’s Palace, they asked the crowd to throw down their farming tools…
It can be difficult for those to be mistaken for deadly weapons. They’re up against the elite Life Guards of the Elf Saint, after all.
However, letting go of their scythes, rakes, and pitchforks didn’t mean they’d give up on their demands. With their bare hands, they fought back against the shield-bearers.
“My brothers! My sisters! We’re about to reach the gates of Her Holiness’ palace! Victory is near! Push!”
“Puuuuuuusssshhh!!!”
The elf mobs unified their strength in an effort to ‘break’ the final obstacle on their way to the Saint’s Tree itself. Likewise, the shield-bearers were reinforced by their comrades, pushing from their backs so that the first line wouldn’t collapse. Bodies pressing, shields and hands pushing, and screams of those getting crushed by the tussling could be heard.
“I-I ca-can’t breaatthhe…”
“You’re stepping on him!”
“Why are you doing this? You’re also elves! Why do you protect a lazy tyrant?”
The company leaders of the Life Guards were also agitated by now. They repeatedly sent for guidance from their commander, but he was indecisive. Aside from the protesters, some of the soldiers were also injured, mostly from near-suffocation because of the push of the crowd. Just as they deliberated on whether they’d draw their swords…
“!!!”
A series of small explosions echoed through the chaos, and caused the mayhem to halt, at least temporarily. Everyone’s eyes turned towards a column of soldiers and servants arriving from the Saint’s Tree, escorting several carts filled with food, wine and other provisions. Leading them was the overall commander of the Life Guards, their captain, the Lord Sir Eldarv.
“In the name of Her Holiness the Saint Lady Hinwe Tal-Inwir, we appeal to the wisdom of our brothers and sisters who have traveled far to this place to air their demands,” the captain of the Life Guards began. “We don’t want bloodshed in this hallowed ground. Please listen to us first!”
“We’ve been calling out to your mistress for long…” one of the mobs’ leaders replied. “She won’t listen to us!”
“As the captain of the Life Guards, I understand your plight,” Sir Eldarv told him. “However, I’m still a loyal elf to the Saint, so I stand opposite you. For now, we ask that you accept our gifts and desist from your attempts to enter the Saint’s Tree.”
“We don’t need those! We want Her Holiness to listen to—”
The elf captain never let the mob leader finish his words. He raised his hand, gesturing for him to stop, and immediately revealed to everyone what was in his mind, “I said I’m loyal to the Saint, not to the Lady Hinwe Tal-Inwir. Whoever is competent to help you—our brothers and sisters—in your plight about the advancing sands will have my sword and bow. And I speak for my soldiers as well.”
----------
***
T
he steam ship ‘Hagena’***
Traversing the border crossing itself from the portal of Chersea to Cherwoods took seven hours, during which, the crews of ‘Hagena’ and ‘Duke of Shent’ up-armored the ships using spare wooden planks. The Lady Henristone and Lady Malvette were relieved that the elves were equipped with antiquated bows and arrows, and not the ‘bolt-heater’ guns of most human armies, demon militaries, and beastmen forces. Also, their wooden galleys were mostly unarmed, save for huge ballistae on each of their ships’ bows—serving as harpoons, and used for boarding actions during naval confrontations.
Salis, as for her duty as the scout for the two-ship flotilla, took flight around five hours into the journey inside the crossing. Gerard and the Lady Malvette gave her specific instructions to note the numbers of the elves’ galleys, its positions, and the number of soldiers on each ship (as well as their equipment). She went back after an hour and a half, with a rough sketch of the area where the elvish fleet was docked.
“I see…” the elf guard studied Salis’ drawing, and compared it to the map of Cherwoods available. “So if the scout report is accurate, the elvish fleet is docked at this part of the elvish realm, at the Tenedrim lagoon, also serving as the Gulf of Cherwoods’ westernmost border.”
“Anything we need to take note at that area?” the Lady Malvette asked.
“Well, the fleet must’ve anchored there because there are several settlements nearby where they can re-provision their ship,” Gerard mused. “A sandbar ran from the east to west, with a single depression near the middle that serves at the ‘gateway’ to the lagoon. However, we can’t possibly move the steam ships there; the elf galleys have flat hulls, while our vessels got a rudder at the bottom that would surely hit the sandbar.”
“Yes, I agree with your observation, Sir Gerard,” the former admiral of Cherwind backed him. “But, in case they try to intercept us, we can shoot them with our cannons from afar.”
“True. Just don’t let them get near and board the ships,” the elf guard reminded the crews. “It can get ugly as Lady Salis’ report shows a full complement of elvish seafarers on each ship.”
“How many elves are we going to fight in case it gets ugly?”
“
Milady,
we’re talking of a force of about 200 elves per ship, as the galleys have 50 pairs of oars each, 25 on both sides. And each of those paddles are manned by two sailors. The remaining 100 elves serve as the ‘boarding party’.”
“How about the ship numbers?”
“About 20.”
Lady Malvette smirked, “We’re outnumbered.”
“Well, we’re hoping we can get to pass through diplomacy,” Gerard pointed out. “I think there’s a misunderstanding with the conduct of Mister Kuro on getting rid of the palace officials’ influence from the Saint’s Tree. I’ll try to talk to my comrades. Besides, why would the elves wholeheartedly follow him? He’s just a human.”
Awkward silence. The elf guard suddenly realized he must’ve struck some nerves by saying those, but…
…the Lady Henristone sought to break the tension, as it might be detrimental to the morale of everyone going to battle. “Th-The Lord Kuro can be persuasive,” she pointed out.
“
Ugh…
t-true. We won’t even be here if he did not convince us of his schemes,” the elf guard massaged his head, as if he’s having a headache. “But yes, if the push comes to the shove, our best chances of surviving this are the steam engines—which can outrun the elvish fleet easily; and the cannons—where we can sink their ship from a distance.”
----------
E
veryone in the ships knew they were finally out of the crossing when the bright azure sky replaced the grey, murky environment they were subject to for seven hours. At the horizon, the seas stretched as far as their eyes could see, and there were a few small ripples on the surface of the water, brought about by the gentle Cherwoods breeze blowing from the south.
“…”
The crews and their passenger, however, couldn’t enjoy the scenery. About fifteen minutes before they came out of the Cherwoods portal, everyone not needed on the ship bridges was ordered below the decks. Gun ports closed, and the people assigned to chant magic barrier spells activated it.
“…”
But, what greeted them was complete silence. The captain of ‘Hagena’ sent a man to his ship’s crow’s nest to look for any silhouette on the horizon.
“Galleys sighted 40 degrees to the east! Distance, about 65 leagues,” the crewman called out. “They are flying the flag of Her Holiness the Elf Saint!”
Gerard, who stood beside the captain of Hagena at the bridge, muttered, “That is the naval fleet of the Saint’s Tree. Let’s try to approach them.”
The captain nodded and set course for the direction the man at the crow’s nest told them. For good measure, they had him go down to the relative safety of the boarded-up bridge. As the Hagena and Duke of Shent steamed to the elvish fleet, all of them could feel the air of tension. No one was sure of what could happen next.
After all, no one among their group wants to fight anyone, until they are forced to do so…
Then, the flotilla arrived at the Tenedrim lagoon, where they were immediately surrounded by the galleys. On its decks were the elvish soldiers, showing their bows and arrows, in an attempt to intimidate the Chersean ships.
“Hagena and Duke of Shent!” the elvish commander called out from his flagship, identified by the flag of the Saint’s Tree. “We see no identification on your vessels, of whose Chersean kingdom you belong. We implore you, as the representatives of Her Holiness the Elf Saint, to turn back to your realm. Cherwoods is closed for anyone at the moment, and we wish to spare your lives.”
The Lady Margaret Jeanne of Malvette, who was also with Gerard and the captain of Hagena at the bridge, tried to talk to the elf commander. However, Gerard quickly stopped her.
“
Milady,
please allow me to speak for our group,” he whispered, even though the elves were of considerable distance from their spot. “As you are the ambassador of the Kingdom of Cherwind to Cherwoods, a diplomatic incident may ensue once my comrades learned that you are helping us…I mean, me. Please stand back.”
“A-Alright,” the former admiral agreed.
Gerard then stood from his hiding place and came out of the bridge, to the bow of Hagena. “Greetings, my brothers and sisters!”
“Whoa! An elf!”
someone among the soldiers in the galley decks cried out.
“Who are you, brother?” the commander of the elvish fleet asked.
“You must be the captain of the Life Guards’ naval fleet, Lord Ninier of Dorian,” Gerard replied. “
Milord,
you may have forgotten me, but I am Gerard of Yusave, a fellow Life Guards in service of Her Holiness the Elf Saint!”
“
Oh?
So you’re a member of the Life Guards too!”
“Yes,
milord.
Currently, I’m on an errand; I request safe passage from you, to allow us to dock at the Saint’s Tree.”
“What for?” the Lord Ninier raised an eyebrow. “There’s no instruction from the Saint’s Tree to allow exceptions, even if they are members of the Life Guards.”
“It’s…” Gerard could feel his stomach turn. Deep inside, he was searching for an alibi, as he did not expect such orders to his comrades. “Milord, it’s classified information.”
“Then, by whose authority you’re responsible with, should we allow you to pass?”
The elf guard was dumbfounded. He knew that he couldn’t tell them that he’s from Her Holiness the Elf Saint’s company, or he’d drop her hiding location to her possible killers. And he couldn’t make up names, for the Life Guards were only answerable to the holy lady of the elves.
“Sir Gerard!” the commander of the fleet called out to him once again. “We find your prolonged silence suspicious! Please show us your proof of being a member of the Life Guards!”
At once, the elf guard showed them his dagger, given to him by Her Holiness the Lady Hinwe herself when he became her security detail. The Lord Ninier, possessing the elf trait of sharp eyes, said, “Indeed, that is a proof of being a member of Her Holiness’ guards.”
Gerard sighed with relief.
However, the Lord Ninier wasn’t done yet, “But that dagger is given to the old, veteran members of the Guards, not to someone new, like you! Don’t play jokes on me, Sir Gerard! Who are you? Where did you get that dagger? I know very well the names of my old comrades and friends in the service of Her Holiness, so you can’t tell me I forgot about you!”
Upon hearing those, the elves immediately put arrows on their bows, and pulled its strings, ready to fire on their commander’s order. The elf guard froze in shock, as the negotiations collapsed. He even forgot he had his weapons with him.
“!!!”
At that moment, Gerard happened to glance at the bridge, where he saw the Lady Malvette and the captain of Hagena looking at him through a small hole. Gerard’s lips drew a nasty smirk, and he muttered, “
Fuck,
this is it.”
The Lady Malvette sprang from her hiding spot, reached for the speaking tube of the bridge, and bellowed, “All hands, diplomacy down! Fire at will!”
The magic barriers enveloping the ships disappeared, and from its gun ports, came out the cannons, blasting its red hot round shots meant to burn the wooden elvish galleys. Though the elves had already pointed their arrows on the two ships, they were still taken by surprise, mainly because they thought ‘Hagena’ and ‘Duke of Shent’ were merely unarmed human trade ships.
Gerard’s small flotilla immediately drew first blood with five elvish galleys blazing.
----------
A
t once, when the talks broke down, the ‘Hagena’ and ‘Duke of Shent’ dashed back to the open waters. As the galleys had already surrounded them, the steam ships were left with no option other than to ram those that blocked their paths. The resulting action destroyed three more elvish vessels, in addition to the earlier burning of five unfortunate elvish ships; those that were victims of the ‘sea crash’ literally disintegrated like matchsticks in minutes.
However, the elves wouldn’t back down. During the times the magic barriers were lifted so the gunners could fire their cannons, they hit back with flaming arrows, aimed at the open gun ports. This was where the makeshift wooden ‘armors’ came to work; the arrows were stopped by the thickness of the planks, and the crews extinguished the fire with their water spells.
For his part, Gerard was back in his senses. While the ship maneuvers were left to Lady Admiral Malvette’s charge, and the cannon fire to the ship lieutenants, the elf guard handled the operation of the artillery gun on the stern of the ‘Hagena’, shooting at the galleys pursuing them when he had the chance.
In that manner, he killed scores of elves because he was using grapeshots in an effort to shred the enemy crews, and disrupt their chase.
“!!!”
But the elves quickly saw that they were outgunned and outpaced by the Chersean ships, as the engineers below its decks worked the steam engines like there’s no tomorrow. So, to slow the offending vessels, their magicians cast ice magic on the water causing it to gradually freeze. At first, the seamen in the steam ships fought back with negating spells, causing them to abandon the magic shields. The responsibility of casting the barriers then fell on some of the gunner crews, reducing the gunfire from the ‘Hagena’ and ‘Duke of Shent’.
When there were abandoned cannons, the Lady of Henristone took with her Tama’lee and Nari, then assigned Eris, Salis and the Lady Malvette on the other silent gun. They were the ones who kept the rest of the cannons going.
“Eris, hand me the round shot!”
as someone who had a background on military matters, the Lady Malvette took charge of their artillery. The Duchess of Braunhauer, though she had no experience of participating in actual battles until now, disregarded her ‘noble’ dress, and passed ammunition to Salis, who had enough strength to carry and load the cannon by its muzzle.
“Fire!”
the Lady Henristone would shout, keeping the usually ‘laid-back’ Tama’lee and the shy Nari on the edge. This, in turn, made the two demon ladies keep up the pace of fire, ignoring the flaming arrows peppering their gun port’s makeshift wooden armors. Just like in the Lady Malvette’s group, the one with the military experience gave commands (the Duchess of Henristone); the ‘weakest’ (Nari) sorted the ammunition, black powder and wadding, to be passed on the ‘strongest’ member (Tama’lee) so she could load the gun.
The pursuit and exchange of fire continued for several more minutes, and the elves lost around 12 galleys by then. Still, they persisted, bringing in fresh reinforcements coming from the mainland Cherwoods. Gerard, from his position on the bow deck of ‘Hagena’, thought his enemies were endless. But, he kept on his barrage, so that the cannon eventually broke down, and he had to resort to his ‘bolt-heater’ revolver to take potshots at elvish crews.
----------
T
he attempt to shake off their pursuers caused the steam ships’ engines to run to its very limit. As the engineers and their crewmen poured more and more fuel to make the seacrafts run faster, soon it was obvious that the machines were about to go bust. The elvish efforts to slow them by casting ice magic on water worsened their situation; the crew fighting back with negating magic were exhausted. The ones keeping up the barriers were also on their last legs.
And, while the steel/iron-mithril alloy hulls of the steam ships broke through the thinner ice sheets, soon, the ‘Hagena’ and ‘Duke of Shent’ were trapped in thick ice.
“Sir Gerard,” the captain of the ‘Hagena’ shouted. “We can’t move anymore! The ice is too thick, and would crush the hull if we don’t do something to free it!”
“Fuck!”
the elf guard exclaimed. He looked at the galleys on their backs. The determination of the Life Guards to capture them could be heard in their rowers’ shouts, accompanied by the sound of drums counting their moves so they won’t easily get tired. At the decks, lines of elvish warriors shooting at him with their flaming arrows pushed him to hide himself, so he could avoid the accurate fire.
He surmised that it is only a few minutes for them to reach their ice-bound flotilla.
“…”
From his right side, he could see the crewmembers of the ‘Duke of Shent’ stand by the deck of their ship, with the leading men holding up makeshift wooden planks for armor. Behind each of them were their fellow seamen, armed with ‘bolt-heater’ rifles, and swords for when the fight came up close and personal. There were still sporadic fire from the gun ports below, but the elf guard knew that both vessels were about to run out of black powder for cannons soon.
Encouraged by the sight, Gerard pulled out his sword and ‘bolt-heater’ revolver, making sure that it was cocked and loaded. “Call the others and chant a fire spell to melt this ice!” he ordered the captain of ‘Hagena’, pointing towards the elvish galleys sailing near their location. “I’ll distract these
fuckers!
”
The captain nodded and shouted orders through the speaking tube. Gerard waited for the leading galleys to come the nearest jumping distance, stepped on the railings on the ship’s deck, and…
“
Oi!
What are you doing?”
“!!!”
The elf guard stopped in his tracks when he heard familiar voices call out to him. Turning around, he saw the ladies from the Holy Palatial Gardens appear on the deck, rushing towards his direction. Their faces blackened with soot, and their fancy dresses wrecked by the firing of the artillery. “What the
fuck
are you guys doing here?” he countered. “It’s dangerous; go back below!”
“Same goes for you, Sir Gerard!” Eris told him. “Are you thinking of jumping in those galleys and fighting the elves alone?”
“It’s not your
damn
business, Miss Braunhauer!”
“It is our business!” Lady Henristone insisted. “You keep on pushing us away, even as we offer our help to you!”
“I…” Gerard bellowed as a salvo of raking fire from their ships tore through the air. “I don’t need it! Go down, paladin lady! Take the others with you,
for god’s sake!
”
“Tama will come after Sir Gerard if he jumps into the water!” the orc-girl declared.
“Shut up, Tama’lee! I
fucking
told you I don’t need anyone’s help!”
“You’re the one who needs to shut up!” the Duchess of Braunhauer screamed. “Why do you keep on doing this? Why do you keep on putting yourself in danger? It’s hurting us already, you know?”
At that moment, Gerard was taken aback. It’s as if the sounds of battle slowly disappeared around him; his only focus was on the ladies trying to get him to safety. “You…why do you…”
“Please…” there were tears in Eris’ eyes. “D-Don’t do this anymore…stop…”
The elf guard looked at everyone’s faces. Much to his surprise, there was no hint of anger in them; yet, they had the same expressions in their eyes. That of Sadness. That of longing. And that of love. Gerard was speechless, his heart wavered, and he fell to his knees.
“Hey,
asshole!
”
“!!!” Gerard turned towards the owner of the voice; it was the owl-girl, Salis, emerging from the lower decks and walking to his spot. On her hand was the
‘derringer’
gun for her personal defense, aimed at him.
“Let me ask you,” she slowly drew near the elf guard, never lowering her weapon. “Do you wish to die?”
“Wh-What are you—”
“I’m asking you, do you wish to die?”
“I…”
“Do you really wish to die?” Salis shouted with all her heart, never bothering on the tears falling on her cheeks, and her contorted face, trying to stop herself from crying. “Answer me, Kuro of Arles!” |
B
y the end of the second week before the opening of the expositions, distinguished guests from the three races started to arrive at the Holy Palatial Gardens. The first to come was the contingent from Cherwind, led by the Beastman Queen, Ursura of the Beastmen. She was accompanied by her ministers—most of whom were former ‘Orphaned’ tribe members, her earliest friends and supporters. Also, with them were the esteemed directress of the Royal Academy of Cherwind and the famed inventor of the ‘steam engine’, Lady Salis of the Owls, the former Chersean noble and current First Admiral of the Cherwind Royal Fleet, Jean Margarette Malvette, and the governor of the Avinus Isles, Lady Ghislaine of the Eagles.
“It’s been a while, Your Holiness!” Queen Ursura greeted the moment she got down from the carriage that brought them to the Holy Palatial Gardens.
“Greetings, Beastman Queen!” Maddie reciprocated the gesture, “Though I wouldn’t say that ‘it’s been a while’; a month since your last visit isn’t that long.”
“True, but…” the Beastman Queen looked at the surrounding people, and when she made sure that everyone present were those close to her…
“
Ah, fuck it!
I’m dropping the formal pleasantries; it doesn’t fit me, Lady Maddie!”
Maddie and her entourage were laughing, “It’s fine, Lady Ursura!”
“Just Ursura is fine!” the queen replied, “It’s not like we’re not close, you know?”
“Then I suggest you also call me Maddie—”
“No can do,
milady!
You’re the saint, I’m just a queen.”
They both exchanged laughs and jokes, before they went back to the matter at hand, “Any case, U-Ursura,
erm…
you’ll be staying at the Golden Horn guest building, along with your companions. I also asked my carpenters to build a temporary nest for the Lady Ghislaine.”
“Great! The orphans and I are already exhausted from the long train travel,” the Beastman Queen did some stretches, “And I’m sure the Lady Salis would like to get back to her weird
shit,
so it’s right on timing.”
Everyone’s attention fell on the silver-haired owl-lady standing behind the Beastman delegation; her unwavering eyes never left the device she was tinkering with. It was only when the Chief Royal Scientist of Cherwind noticed that it was all quiet around her that she realized she was the object of the conversation.
“What?” the owl-lady asked, a bit irritated.
“Nothing,” the Beastman Queen chuckled, “we’re just talking about how dedicated you are with your…
erm…
stuff.”
“I’m a genius,” Salis countered. “I’ve got no time listening to the talk of
idiots.
”
“Why you—”
“It’s fine, Ursura!” the Human Saint stopped the bear-woman. “It’s not like we’re not used to how sharp Lady Salis’ tongue is.”
“
Heh,
at least you can learn a thing or two with Her Holiness, Your Majesty,” the owl-lady was sardonic. “And I even requested that I be left back in Cherwind. Geniuses have no time for social events like this.”
“Just say that you get tired easily talking to people,” it was the Chief of the General Staff of Cherwind, Lady Rumia of the Dogs. She entered the conversation by ruffling and tussling with Salis’ hair, much to the latter’s annoyance. “And come on, Lady Salis! Stop with your ‘genius’ stuff; take a break and let’s play around for the meantime!”
“I agree with the dog-lady. Well, treat this as a break from the train journey from Malvette,” Maddie led them back to the topic. “Please follow my servants; they’ll attend to your needs.”
“
Ah!
Finally, can I request that I be given an isolated room?” Salis asked. “If possible, far from the dogs’ room.”
“Riiiight…”
Maddie called a servant and ordered her to show the Beastman delegation the way to their accommodation.
----------
T
he demon leaders were the second to arrive, with the demon king-president Hurion Devras IV bringing his entourage of servants and cabinet ministers, as well as their children, like the famed historian and engineer, Lady Srexe of the Goblins, renowned chef Lady Nari Tambara, and the well-known state scientist, Lady Tama’lee of the Orcs.
“Just as usual, this place is grand!”
“I’m glad that you liked my place, Lady Baraquiel!” Maddie welcomed the demon delegation with more formality than the earlier party.
“Well, I’d say it’s so-so,” the leader of that group, the demon king-president, Lord Hurion Devras, commented.
“So-so?” it was the Lady Srexe, who was equally impressed as her engineer mother. “I don’t know what eyes you have, Your Excellency, but for sure, those pair of eyeballs in your skull sockets are blind.”
“
Ah?
Is someone speaking to me?” Lord Hurion feigned his blindness. “Is some little squirt telling me that I’m blind?”
“
Hah?
What little squirt? At least it’s better than being blind!”
The two quickly became locked in a tense battle of insults while their companions watched them with amusement. Lady Baraquiel whispered to the Human Saint, “I apologize for these two…”
“No worries,” Maddie chuckled, “I can see that they are really close.”
“Then you’re the one who must be truly blind, Your Holiness!” Lord Hurion snapped at her. “I’m not even friends with this green dwarf!”
“For someone whose breasts are small and hidden, you sure have a sharp tongue, Lord Hurion,” Maddie countered.
“Wha—What are you talking about?” the demon king-president was incensed. He began to unbutton his dress, “Let me show you—”
“Aah!”
Lady Nari Tambara and Lady Baraquiel were quick to stop him. “You’re breaking character, Lord Hurion! Remember that you’re a boy! A boy!”
“I’m going to show this lascivious saint that I also got the bombs—”
“You can’t! Boys don’t have big breasts!”
“If you call that big,” Maddie continued on her offensive, flashing a ‘smile of pity’ on him and emphasizing on her chest, “then mine must be leviathan! A fulfilled dream for every man out the—
gueh!
”
Everyone stopped when the Head Maid of the Holy Palatial Gardens, Lily, finally showed up with her usual prim and proper demeanor and hit the Human Saint to stop her from embarrassing herself. She was smiling; however, they could feel the intense pressure oozing out from her, telling them to cease their
stupid
talk, “Pardon me, dear guests, but word reached me that there’s a perverted saint who escalated the trouble here.”
“
Ahehehe…
sorry Lily,” the Human Saint was quick to bow before her. “Please spare us of your wrath.”
However, the Head Maid won’t listen. She brought out a whip and stared down at her mistress, “Your Holiness, I allowed you to be in the welcoming party because you asked me to. But, seeing that you’re stirring up trouble, you must be punished.”
“
Ah…
please be gentle, Lily,” was all Maddie could say.
----------
A
nd the last to grace their presence at the Holy Palatial Gardens were the human kings and queens themselves, starting from the Queen Jessica of Amaranth, Emperor Jean of the Empire of Chersea, King Simon II of Nerfes, Duke Marcus Albert Sidney of the Duchy of Rubinforth (the Human Saint’s father) along with his other children, Sophia and William, Sir Chancellor Dane Bellingstein of Calabrian Kingdom, and the half-dwarf Prince of the City-State of Stadtsberg, Lord Giuseppe Uhrian. They all arrived by the third and fourth weeks before the start of the expositions…
“
Ooh!
You mean there’s a lot of wine stored in my room, Your Holiness?” the half-dwarf prince exclaimed upon learning the ‘features’ of his accommodation.
“Yes,
milord,
” the Human Saint confirmed. “I and my servants made sure that each room we’re assigning you is tailored to your liking.”
“Ahem,”
it was the Chancellor Bellingstein, “So that means…”
“No, Lord Chancellor, that’s the one thing we can’t permit here,” Maddie replied with a smile, though a sardonic one, “I forbid prostitutes inside my holy grounds.”
“R-Right…my bad, Your Holiness…” the Chancellor of Calabria then went away with the half-dwarf prince, his shoulders drooping. The only one that remained with her was her father, Duke Marcus Albert Sidney.
“Anyway, Your Holiness—”
“
Pa,
please don’t be so formal around your daughter.”
“A-Alright,
ahem…
” the Duke of Rubinforth cleared his throat before continuing, “Maddie, so that means, my room’s got a lot of books, no?”
“Of course, Paps!” Maddie smiled, “And Sophia’s got a lot of cushions, and for William, I had his and your rooms near the library building.”
“I-I see…”
“And no perverted books, yes.”
“Uh…”
“Well, I know men will be men, so I sent a messenger to Arles about allowing you to access their libraries for the duration of your stay,
milords,
” the Human Saint revealed. “Of course, there’s a collection of those…
uhm, you know what,
in there…”
“Yes, Her Holiness knows because she’s a regular there,” Lily added.
“Lily!” Maddie protested, “Please stop telling them that! I don’t even read the HHM, Laidboy and Haxim magazines!”
“
Heh,
I didn’t even say you’re reading those,” the Head Maid threw a sly look, “I just told them you’re a regular in the Arles library.”
“And for someone who ‘doesn’t read perverted stuff’,” the duke backed Lily, “you sure know its titles.”
By that moment, Maddie’s face was beet red, “Papa…”
“Alright!” the Duke of Rubinforth laughed, but deep inside, he was embarrassed, “Just don’t go overboard, Maddie, my holy daughter! And since His Majesty the King of Nerfes is already here with us, please consider his offer of marriage.”
“I will, Papa,” the Human Saint smiled. “Though I’d really like to think more about it, as Simon loved Ja—”
Maddie stopped short of saying the Nerfes ruler’s love, just as Lily pinched her.
“Simon loves who?” the duke asked.
“N-Nothing…I’ll talk to Simon about it.”
“Great! I want lots of grandkids, by the way! And please, with normal-sized bosoms, if you will, so they can approach their grandfather.”
“Hah?”
“Forget what I said,” masking his retreat with a hearty laugh, the duke then went with a servant to his room and left the Human Saint with the Head Maid.
“You sure take after your father, Maddie,” Lily commented. “Both of you are subtle perverts.”
“I learned from the best. What else?”
“Sure.”
And with that, it was only less than a week remaining before the grand opening of the exhibits, so all preparations were in full-swing, and everyone was busy.
It will be the pinnacle of what a unified group of humans, beastmen and demon folk can accomplish…
----------
***
S
omewhere in Cherwoods…***
Although the land of the elves was a world filled with mighty, ancient trees, and thick shrubs on most of its ground, a few elvish cities could still be found, slowly expanding on the clearings the inhabitants themselves had made. The elves, while they learned how to co-exist with the nature that surrounded them, still couldn’t resist the wonders brought about by agriculture. Not only did it permit them to settle in the safety of their forest towns and villages, agriculture—originally a human ‘invention’ from eons ago—helped them augment their food supplies, half of which came from the trees they protect and nurture.
And vital to this was the god-power vested in their demi-goddess, the Elf Saint. Since the end of the Lord Gaius’ reign in the heavens, the elves had to rely on their holy maiden to bring forth a bountiful harvest in their community farms, and keep the forests alive with her ‘water golems’: those giant creatures that Her Holiness created to supply water to every known corner of Cherwoods.
However, such an arrangement was the norm way back in the past. Nowadays, for some reason, the water golems died out, and the Elf Saint decided to seclude herself in her own tree palace.
This was the situation that the new leader of the elvish settlement of Dorian, the Lord Ingwer, found himself involved. The farmlands that they—including his ancestors—had so lovingly cultivated and used were slowly turning into sand. The immense trees that marked the farthest known borders of Cherwoods were dying out, and the desert from beyond the forest was inching towards their homes.
“…”
And as if to make their situation worse, Dorian was far from the shores of Cherwoods, where water supply from the Great Gulf was plentiful.
Their solution? They organized the Dorian elves into several groups tasked with fetching water from the Gulf. It was a journey that took several ‘long sleeps’ to complete, and even with people working all the time to make sure that the supply was uninterrupted, the amount of water they needed barely satisfied the needs of their city population. The farms were left untilled, and with the encroaching desert, the forest game was moving away from them.
The food in the city will not last long, unless they will do something drastic.
“…”
There were calls from several prominent people in the city that the Elvish lord should think of moving his population away from Dorian and find a spot closer to the shore. And, while he was considering such option, the Lord Ingwer was still concerned that it would never satisfy the advancing desert until it reached the edges of the Gulf. If it did happen, then the move was all for naught; a waste of resources and people’s efforts. Not to mention, the shores of Cherwoods were already full of elvish settlements—both old and new—and they were risking conflict should the Dorians joined the exodus.
So with no other choice, the Lord Ingwer gathered his fellow leaders, and they set off for the Saint’s Tree, ostensibly to prod Her Holiness the Elf Saint to do something more about their situation.
----------
H
owever, when they arrived…
“What do you mean Her Holiness can’t see us?” the Elvish lord couldn’t keep himself from raising his voice. “We traveled from the frontier up to this place, tired and weary, wanting to ask for the Saint’s help with the encroaching sands! Why would you turn us away? This is an emergency!”
“I offer our sincerest apologies,
milord,
but Her Holiness can’t be disturbed right now,” one of the Elf Saint’s servants replied, panicked as the Lord Ingwer’s hand was on the hilt of his sword. He was only held back from committing violence by his companions, and the guards of the holy maiden.
“I don’t need your apologies,” he screamed his frustrations, “I want permission to tell Her Holiness that we’re dying out there. That we need those damned water golems at the frontier!”
“
Milord,
please stay your—”
“
Damn it,
let me through!”
“Restrain him!”
A brief scuffle then ensued as the Lord Ingwer tried to go past the servants and guards of the Elf Saint, and the latter prevented him from doing so, along with his own retinue. As the Elvish lord was born a warrior, it took the soldiers and the other Dorians their greatest effort in disarming him, but in the end, he was forced to put his sword down.
“…” the Lord Ingwer could only stare at the Saint’s servants with disbelief, as the hope of enlisting Her Holiness’ help slowly escaped his grasp. At that moment, he wanted to cry, lash out in anger, and bury himself…all at the same time. Nevertheless, he was also aware that whatever he did, it won’t change the fact that this option of his was already lost.
“Milord,”
one of his companions whispered to him, pulling one of his arm, “please…let’s go now. It’s useless anyway. We’re to fend for ourselves in the frontier.”
Though burdened with defeat, the Dorians eventually left. However, they were already at the gates of the Saint’s Tree, when they were suddenly called back by one of Her Holiness’ servant. At once, the Lord Ingwer’s eyes were filled with life, and he hurried to the maid.
“Milord,” she told him, “I was sent here not by Her Holiness, but by someone else.”
“Who?”
It took the servant a few moments before she said, “
Erm…
well, it’s not Her Holiness, though I think he can help you with your problem…”
“Huh?”
the Lord Ingwer was suspicious, “What are you talking about?”
“
Uh…
can you just follow me,
milord?
” the maid never hid her displeasure at the Elvish lord’s questions. “Or will you be content of being turned away after traveling far?”
At that point, the Lord Ingwer knew he had to try every choice he was presented with, rather than going back to Dorian empty-handed.
----------
T
he Saint’s servant led the Dorian delegation to a smaller tree palace, somewhere in the hidden parts of the Saint’s Tree complex. The Elvish lord, though his suspicions increased with every step he took, continued to follow the elf-lady. Then, once they reached the entrance—guarded only by two warriors—everyone was surprised to see the person waiting for them.
“Y-You…” the Lord Ingwer could only say with effort, “…a-a round ear!”
“A human!” one of his fellow Dorians confirmed. “Wh-What’s a human doing here?”
The person in question, however, never let the rest speak their thoughts. He smiled, got up from his chair, and welcomed them. The Dorians were stunned at his actions; for the human knew the elf customs and traditions.
“Milords,”
the Saint’s servant finally spoke, “may I introduce to you, Mister Kuro of Arles?”
“Mi-Mister? This man only has
‘mister’
to his name?” the Lord Ingwer cast a stare at the human, from his head to toe. “What is the meaning of this? How can this commoner help us?”
“
Erm…
again,
milord,
I offer my apologies,” she answered, along with a bow. “However, with everything going on inside the palace, Mister Kuro is the only one who can give time to your concerns.”
“This is sacrilege!” the Elvish lord bellowed. “Not only did we receive nothing from Her Holiness, she also insulted us by sending this…this human commoner to deal with our problems! How low can you get? How low will you treat our lives as if we’re expendable?”
While the Dorians were giving the maid an earful, Kuro finally intervened, “Lord Ingwer of the city of Dorian, I presume?”
“And what do you know of solving our problems, human commoner?” the Elvish lord countered. “I don’t know what sorcery you did to our seduce our saint and cloud her judgment, but you won’t fool me, or anyone of us!”
“There is no sorcery,
milord,
only science…and of course, a bit of magic,” Kuro replied, pulling some chairs for the Dorian delegation to sit upon. “While I’m indeed a commoner, Her Holiness has seen merit in my suggestions on your—and the other settlements’—issues about the water supply, and desertification of Cherwoods.”
“Deser—
what?
” the Lord Ingwer stopped in his rage, and turned his full attention on the human.
“Desertification,” Kuro repeated, while pointing to one of the chairs. “It is what’s happening to your land; basically, every green patch of ground is turning into sand, killing plants and driving animals away. If left unattended, the entire greenery that is Cherwoods would eventually turn into a sea of sand, devoid of life that we know of at this moment. Now, if you’ll just listen to what I will say,
milord,
perhaps we can do something about your situation. What do you think?”
The Dorians, though they were mad earlier, exchanged doubtful looks. While they were insulted by the treatment accorded to them by the Saint’s household, it’s not like they could do something about it. Besides, the Dorians needed all the help they could get, and at that point, there was an agreement that they could lend an ear to everyone…even if it’s a human commoner, or even a demon lord. Then, when they sorted out their thoughts and feelings, the Lord Ingwer and his companions removed every bias they had at the moment, sat with the human commoner, and discussed his ideas.
----------
***
T
he Holy Palatial Gardens***
“Maddie!”
“!!!”
“Maddie!”
The Human Saint opened her eyes, and what greeted her was not the dull, white-and-gold ceiling of her private chamber, but rather, a bright, pure white light that initially blinded her. Confused as to what’s happening, she sat up, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Surely, she thought, this was not heaven.
“Maddie!” That man’s voice again, Maddie thought. Her eyes went around, searching for its owner. However, she found no one, save for the swirling white smoke, and the direction of where that bright white light was coming from (it was above her).
“Wh-Who are you?” she called out. While she couldn’t recognize the identity of the speaker, somehow Maddie did not feel any hostility from him. If she could describe what she felt at the moment, all that came out in her mind was ‘security’.
“
Ah,
I guess you really can’t remember,” the disembodied voice said. “Six years of disappearance had taken its toll; not to mention, you and the other saints severed your connections to him.”
“What…What are you talking about?” Maddie wanted to be scared, or at least, alarmed. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to feel that way. All that her chest could sense was the overwhelming feeling of sadness and longing, just like whenever her eyes looked at that mysterious, unfinished painting of hers, or when Lily cooks that dish,
adobo.
But, a warm feeling also enveloped her heart, like someone who kept on protecting her…a man she could always rely on.
“Haa…”
the voice heaved a sigh, “Alright, I know I’ve done a lot of the worst things to you, as well as the others, because of my foolishness before. So, at least, let me help you remember…”
“!!!”
There was a change in the swirling clouds, as its movement suddenly grew tense and fast. From a random direction, it gathered into a spot before Maddie and formed into a body of a man. Then, with a flash of light, the remaining vapor dissipated, revealing a familiar face she had long forgotten…
“Y-You are…” Maddie’s voice trailed as tears fell from her eyes. Now she understood why she felt that way about that unfinished painting. Why she felt sadness whenever she eats that adobo. And why she would always long for someone, she couldn’t even remember…
“I’m back, Maddie…” the man smiled, reaching out his arms to her.
“Kuro!” Maddie never cared for anything at that moment; in her mind, the warmth of his arms was enough to fill her emptiness. “How did I forget you?”
And then the dream ended. The Human Saint returned to the real world, her pillows wet with her tears and her arms outstretched as if she was reaching for something, or someone.
----------
M
addie wasted no time. She grabbed her robes and rushed towards the guest house where she kept her unfinished painting.
At last, she can finally finish that artwork, as a tribute to the man she loves…
As she ran, the blots in her memories disappeared. The Human Saint could now remember those ‘gaps’ in many events from her past that were a mystery to her until now. How the humans defeated the zombie hordes of Seirna. Why she crossed from Chersea to Cherwind, even as Ruro forbid it. Why the demons ended up in Chersea. And why many of her friends suffered from those ‘blots’.
Kuro! They are Kuro’s deeds. It is Kuro who did it all, sacrificing himself to save them from the Seductress’ and the Lord Gaius’ wrath.
“…”
How can she forget him? After all that he did, and expecting no reward!
The Human Saint wanted to cover her face in shame. She—of all the people who professed to love him—let herself erase his memories. Maddie thought she didn’t deserve his feelings, that he would be better off in someone else’s arms, but…
“…”
Yeah, she won’t let herself end up being the last of the ladies who’d marry Kuro. So, tough luck, she’ll always be the first. Even in his death…
Just as Maddie appeared at the guesthouse, however, her daydreams stopped as she saw that it was crowded already. Everyone who had been with Kuro was there; the Beastmen, the demons, the human rulers, including her family, and even the other saints. They all exchanged meaningful and happy glances as she arrived and asked, “Wh-What’s going on? Don’t tell me…”
It was Seirna who revealed their purpose there. “I’m pretty sure you’re not the only one who forgot him for six years and dreamed of the
otherworlder
just now.”
“You guys…” the Human Saint couldn’t contain her happiness, now that it confirmed her dream.
Simon, the King of Nerfes, and Lily smiled and hugged her. “Maddie! Kuro, he has come back to us!” |
***
T
he Saint’s Tree, Cherwoods***
In contrast to the relative silence of the trees in its surrounding forests, the palace complex and official home to the Elf Saint stirred. On its inner grounds, members of Her Holiness’ Life Guards scoured every nook and cranny of the place, each group accompanied by palace officials.
“Her Holiness isn’t here!”
one would shout that line heard all over the courtyard as a sign to the others searching.
“What about her maid, Meanor? Where is she?”
“Her quarters are empty, yet her personal effects are still there!”
Outside the palace complex, separated by ancient walls made of tree trunks, twisted old vines, thick overlapping leaves, and double lines of elf soldiers of the Life Guards, were the angry mobs of elves hailing from the frontiers of the region of Cherwoods. They all demanded an audience from their saint, and wished for her aid in combatting the encroaching desert, as the proposals to build a network of canals from the Gulf of Cherwoods to the endangered elf cities remained idle.
“We’re going to die! At least try to help us!”
the elves pleaded from the line of elf guards that stood between them and the Saint’s Tree.
“Her Holiness is leading us into ruin!”
“Let’s make her hear our calls for help!”
The shouts grew louder and angrier the longer their demands were ignored. The guards were agitated as well, for they were not spared from the abusive words and gestures of the mad elves. They were only prevented from taking action by an earlier decree of their mistress not to start violence, at least, not inside and in the immediate areas around the tree palace.
In a far distance, at the steps of the main tree palace, the senior palace officials led by the Holy Lord Chamberlain, Lord Alvis, held their breath as the search parties completed the places where they suspected the Elf Saint was hiding. As their options were getting smaller, so were their nervousness going higher. Even as nobles, some of them couldn’t keep themselves from chewing on their nails, and others walked back and forth while waiting for any news.
The Lord Alvis, sensing that they were heading to trouble, asked the head maidservant of the Elf Saint, “Have you looked under those heaps garbage in Her Holiness’ room?”
“Y-Yes, milord,” the head maidservant replied; her shaky voice betrayed her ‘calm’ demeanor. “H-Her Holiness’ servants are now cleaning her room as we speak, removing anything that can hide the saint from us. If…If they find her buried under those stashes, someone will come and update me immediately on the matter.”
“Well, you better hurry then!” the Holy Lord Chamberlain bellowed, and muttered to himself,
“Better if Her Holiness is buried underground than to make us suffer like this! Such life is a shame.”
“Did you say something,
milord?
” the head maidservant queried.
“Nothing of your business!” he snarled. “And get back to your search; dig the grounds if you have to! Those angry mobs outside the palace won’t wait for Her Holiness to get back!”
The head maidservant bowed and quickly left. Once she was gone, the other senior palace officials gathered around the Holy Lord Chamberlain.
“Milord,”
one of them began, “we’ve been discussing this issue with each other, and…”
“And…” the Lord Alvis never hid his displeasure; still, he was inclined to listen to them. Perhaps someone knew how to resolve the predicament they were in. “What issue is it that you’re talking amongst yourselves?”
“We concluded that the disappearance of Her Holiness might be a scheme of that human ‘guest’ of hers.”
“Human guest? You mean Mister Kuro of Arles?”
The senior officials nodded. “Think about it!” another one of them argued, “This foolish plan of constructing ‘canal networks’, drawing water from the Gulf of Cherwoods and supplying the elvish cities on the frontier with it, is in direct contrast to the decrees of the gods—made to our ancestors eons ago—that implores us to keep our dependence on the heavens for our provisions!”
“If this blasphemy continues, then our people will turn away from Her Holiness,” a third official added. “It will embolden them enough to claim that they can solve their problems on their own. This Kuro of Arles is weakening the hold Her Holiness’ worship has among our populace! This can’t go on unchecked, Lord Chamberlain!”
“And what will you have me do?” the Lord Alvis countered. “Her Holiness has strict order not to harm her human ‘guest’! Are you willing to have us all excommunicated?”
An air of tense silence ensued, with only the noise of the mad elves outside, and the panicking search groups heard for a few moments. Everyone weighed on their options, realizing that if they failed, they could end up chewing more than what they bit. Still, one of them pointed out, “This Kuro of Arles is giving Her Holiness the Elf Saint the idea that she can rule Cherwoods without us, her loyal servants! If he convinced her, and cut us off from the saint, what do you think will happen to all of us?”
At that moment, the doubts in their mind vanished, and the determination to survive grew strong in their hearts. The danger of their situation was real, after all, no one accustomed to the benefits of power and influence could easily let go of those. The Lord Alvis then called the captain of the Life Guards and gave him the permission…
“Arrest that human, Kuro of Arles.”
----------
K
uro surely didn’t expect any visitors, given that they shut the tree palace down because of the angry crowds outside, and the rumors that Her Holiness the Elf Saint (the real one) disappeared in her room, along with her maid, Meanor. Nevertheless, because he knew he was just a ‘guest’ of the Saint, and subject to the rules and traditions of that place, he still welcomed the people knocking at his door.
“Mister Kuro of Arles?” the captain of the guard asked the moment he opened the door.
“Yes? Anything I can help you with?” he stared at the people behind the soldier.
“I am here to inform you that you are under arrest for usurping the authority of Her Holiness the Elf Saint,” at the captain’s gesture, the other guards forced themselves in and quickly surrounded the human. They also restrained him by tying his hand behind him.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Kuro, who was taken aback, protested. But his demands were to no avail.
“I won’t fight back if I were you,” one of the senior palace officials who came with the arresting group showed himself. “Those who love to meddle in the affairs of the proud and noble elves would meet an ignoble demise from the hands of Her Holiness’ servants!”
“Are you mad? Her Holiness decreed I won’t be harmed!”
“Coincidentally, Her Holiness is missing,” the official told him. “And we suspect that you have a role in her disappearance. If I may suggest, it’s better that you cooperate with us, and face a quick death, than forcing us to prolong your suffering by hiding the saint!”
“That’s absurd!” Kuro blurted out. “I don’t even have an idea of where Her Holiness is! I don’t know anything!”
“Says all the criminals caught red-handed,” the senior official added, as he turned his back on him to reach for the door. “If there’s anything you want to hide from us, we’ll find out, anyway. I know you have your protests about your arrest, but I’m afraid you’ll have to plead with His Excellency the Holy Lord Chamberlain, Lord Alvis. He’ll be the one to decide on the fate of a vermin like you!”
“You’re exploiting this because you know Her Holiness can’t do anything while she’s gone!” the human countered. “Such underhanded tactics to gain back your power will be paid back in double!”
The elf then stopped in his tracks, and flashed Kuro a sardonic smile, “Well, it’s a pity that you don’t know your place, human! Your meddling may have worked back in Chersea, where your pitiful race belonged. But here, expect that we will resist you. If ever you survive this—which I’m sure you won’t—you better learn whose side you will serve.” The official then ordered the guard captain, “Take him away!”
“
Erm…
correction, I’m actually aware of my position.”
“!!!” Suddenly, the other guards of the Saint barred the senior official from exiting the doors of Kuro’s private chambers. He couldn’t hide his surprise, yet he tried to maintain composure. “What’s going on?”
The captain of the guards then told him, “
Milord,
you are hereby under arrest for grave abuse of discretion, undermining the authority of Her Holiness the Elf Saint, and exploiting your office for private gains.”
“W-Wha—” the official’s bewildered eyes fell on Kuro, whose restraints were removed by the guards.
“Just as you said,” the human chuckled, “I know my place here. And I’m aware how much you palace guys hated my ‘meddling’ in your mistress’ affairs. That’s why, while you
idiots
are indulging yourselves in the power that is not even yours, I’m doing my assignments. You tried to grab credit from us, and stopped me from shoring up support for Her Holiness. So if I can’t get outside help, guess where will I look?”
The palace official glared at Kuro; after all, it was the only thing he could do, as his arms were already restrained.
“That’s right, from the inside!” the human had a gleeful smile on his face. “You keep on hollering orders, but do you even know the name of your guards?”
Another blank, angry stare. Kuro savored the look of despair on the poor elf’s face.
“See?” he laughed. “I remember a saying from my land. It’s like this:
‘Beware of the ides of March’
, which means ‘watch out for betrayals’.
Oh…
I think it’s too late for that, don’t you think?” Then the human ordered the captain of the guard, showing him a medallion that could only come from their mistress, “Sir Eldarv, please take this traitor away. Arrest every palace official you find within the premises of this complex; kill those who try to harm you. You and your soldiers have the permission of Her Holiness the Elf Saint herself!”
----------
***
T
he Henristone Ducal Estate, the Kingdom of Calabria***
Eris’ day as a normal traveling aristocrat began when the light outside touched her eyes. Apparently, someone parted the curtains that obscured the windows of her bedroom in an effort to wake her.
“Rise and shine, Lady Braunhauer!”
When her sight finally adjusted to the brightness, the young duchess saw the owl-girl, Salis, at the foot of her bed. Arms to her waist, and wearing her usual intimidating expression on her face, the latter wasted no time in pulling the blankets and rousing Eris.
“We don’t got the whole day,” Salis reminded her. “Lady Henristone says we need to catch the train to port of the Mouth of Calabria as soon as possible.”
Eris, though still sleepy, glanced at the hourglass on the table beside her. “You think the train already got their passenger quota?”
“Beats me,” the owl-girl shrugged. “But in any case, the paladin captain is asking us to hurry. I think I heard one of her servants tell her earlier that the train is already half the capacity? So yes, we should get a move on.”
“
Oh,
okay…” though she said that, Eris remained in her bed. Pausing for a few seconds, she then asked, “What if we take the hour trains?”
“Those trains that leave on time?” Salis looked at the hourglass. “Aren’t those expensive? Besides, why take those when we can just hurry and hitch a ride on the quota trains?”
“Well, if the Duchess of Henristone is doubtful about our finances, my estate can take care of things. Tell her we’re taking the hour trains,” Eris pointed out. “Besides, a proper lady should prepare herself for the journey ahead.”
“You mean you need to apply those
stupid
chemicals and poisonous powders on your face? I don’t get you humans; why would you risk your life just to make yourself ‘pretty’ by your standards? Human males are attracted to those?”
The young duchess got up from her bed and took a washbasin, “Well, it’s only one part of the story. A human lady applies makeup to her face not only to attract, it’s also for boosting her confidence. To feel good, something along those lines.”
“Isn’t that just fake beauty? Why will human males like that?”
“Let’s say a ‘make up’ improves someone’s look,” Eris replied. “And just because a lady does it doesn’t mean she already wants to attract a man. I, for example, do it because I want to look good.”
“
Hmm…
interesting, interesting,” the owl-girl muttered.
However, the young duchess wasn’t done yet. “Now that I got a good glimpse of your face, you and Her Holiness the Human Saint do really look the same. You’re both really beautiful, yet…”
“I don’t know why…” Salis commented. “But rest assured, we’re from two different backgrounds.”
“No worries, I’m aware. Even your attitudes are way too different; one is a serious prude, and the other a raging closet pervert.”
“
Oi,
I heard that. I just don’t have any desire to mate with the Lord Kuro yet.”
“Of course,” Eris chuckled. “He’ll have to consume his love for his human wives first, before tending to others, like you. It’s only fair because we’re the ones who are first to get to know him.”
“Whatever,” the owl-girl then headed for the door. “Just don’t be an
ass
and make us wait, okay?”
“Hey! Wait!”
“What?”
“Well, I was thinking,” Eris brought out her makeup kit. “Since we’re here, why don’t I put some makeup on you as well? You know, just for experience, since you’re curious about it?”
----------
I
n the end, the Duchess of Henristone took care of the traveling expenses for the hour train, as proposed by Eris. While the Duchy of Braunhauer was one of the richest noble houses in Chersea, Lady Sylvia’s pride as an aristocrat wouldn’t accept that her ‘guests’ would shell out money when they were in her estate. So, they took the ‘hour’ train in Sekhtem—which leaves on time scheduled compared to the ‘quota’ train, which was required to fill its passenger capacity first before setting out—to the port city of the Mouth of Calabria.
“My apologies for forcing this on you, Lady Sylvia,” Eris said to her host as their train traveled through the Calabrian countryside. “I can always compensate your estate for the expenses incurred on this trip.”
“Please don’t mention it, Lady Eris,” the paladin guard captain replied. “I was of the same thought earlier, though Lady Salis insisted on catching the quota train instead.”
“Hey, I’m no nobles like you two,” the owl-girl defended herself. “Growing up as a chieftain’s daughter of a Cherwindan tribe, I’m fine forgoing the luxuries. I only want my goals done as soon as I can.”
“Tama’lee loves the sight of the human kingdoms’ countryside,” the orc-girl entered the conversation. “She prefers the hour train than the quota train!”
“Quota trains are too stuffy,” Nari added.
“Yes, and I think it will ruin Lady Salis’ make up once she tussled with the passengers in quota trains!” Eris chuckled.
“
Heh,
can’t help but be excited about meeting the Lord Kuro again,
huh?
” Lady Henristone commented. “Well, I won’t blame you; Lady Salis and Her Holiness have the uncanny resemblance to each other. It’s a good thing we really took the hour train to the Mouth of Calabria.”
“Can,
uh…
” the lycanthrope spoke, but her soft voice forced everyone to stop talking to hear her, “…Lady Eris t-teach me…?”
“
Oh?
You want to learn make up, too?” the Braunhauer duchess’ eyes brightened.
“You ladies should leave those small stuff behind while we travel,” the owl-girl reminded them. “Look, we’re on the road, and we got our important baggage with us. Always be on your guard!”
“You’re always so serious, Lady Salis,” Lady Henristone chuckled as she gave her a pat on the shoulder, “Come on! For once, you should be kind to yourself and enjoy what surrounds you! Isn’t this the purpose of those machines you invented?”
“With the Lord Kuro, yes. We wanted to improve the ‘quality’ of life for everyone.”
“Yes…right,” Lady Henristone was taken aback by that. “Wi-with the Lord Kuro,
haha!
”
“Well, I do enjoy my life, alone,” Salis countered.
“Lady Salis, you say you’re a scientist, yet you keep on sticking to your routine!” the Braunhauer duchess laughed. “I thought you’re always into trying out what’s new?”
“Not this
kind
of ‘new’.”
“Well, let’s see if you can keep up that boring façade,” the paladin captain rang a nearby bell. An attendant quickly came to their seats, handing them menus of the onboard food. “Coincidentally,” Lady Henristone continued, “I bought tickets for the most luxurious spot on this train! Eat up,
miladies!
”
“Yey!”
the whole group couldn’t keep their excitement down as they ordered the best dishes offered.
----------
T
he ‘hour’ train where Salis’ group rode was composed of three train cars, an open wagon with firewood feeding the locomotive itself, which was the final piece in the series. While this type of transport was ‘pricier’ than the ‘quota’ train, there were still designated spots inside the cars that were meant for richer passengers and poorer ones.
The car where they were at was for the ‘well-off’ and the ‘nobility’, which was the one right after the open wagon. Unlike the others, it had luxurious furnishings for those hard-to-please customers, and could only accommodate ten passengers. Salis’ group had five members, and another group of three people occupied the other seats.
“…”
As the travel from Calabria’s capital of Sekhtem up to the port city of the Mouth of Calabria was relatively short, the ladies from the Holy Palatial Gardens expected themselves to arrive at their destination before the day’s long sleep. Then, they’d take up the last spots on the ferry to the Kingdom of Galad, and spend the long sleep in its capital city of Tenevre, which was also its main port facing the Calabrian peninsula.
“Dinner will be served at the 19th hour,
milady,
” the waitress told Lady Henristone. “Please enjoy our wines and the best spots of our train.”
“
Ah
yes, thank you! We enjoyed the lunch.” Once their server bowed and left, the paladin captain turned to the owl-girl. “So, what do you think of the experience?”
“I like the food,” was Salis’ curt reply.
“That’s it?”
“Why do you sound surprised, as if expecting more?” the owl-girl asked, never hiding her irritation. But then, she lowered her voice a bit to tell, “Thanks for your generosity.”
“!!!” Lady Henristone sure didn’t expect that. Still, she couldn’t help but smile, “Well, you’re welcome!”
As they had nothing else to do but watch the passing scenery from their windows, everyone took their breaks for the day. Eris, though she sat by the window opposite of the Lady Henristone, read the book she brought with her. Salis went back to tinkering with her inventions. Nari slept on Tama’lee’s lap, while the paladin captain watched the Calabrian countryside she had seen so many times during her travels from her estate and into the port.
----------
T
he only sound that could be heard inside the car was the clanking of the train wheels against the iron railroads. The other group was silent too, probably asleep in their seats, Lady Henristone noted. Even so, from where she was, she could make out that they had elvish companions. Maybe those who came from the exhibits at the Holy Palatial Gardens. After all, that event was so famous, even other races like the elves and the dwarves traveled from their respective lands to visit.
As someone who works in the security of Her Holiness the Human Saint, the Lady Henristone is confident that everything’s going well.
But then…
“!!!”
The paladin captain had just enough time to react, as the surge of ‘bloodlust’ went past her body, along with the breaking of the glass panes of the windows. She immediately moved to shield her companions from the flying shards of glass, chanting the ‘barrier’ spell fast to cover the spaces her body couldn’t reach. Then, five figures in their black clothes swooped in from the broken windows, crashing on the Lady Henristone, taking her completely by surprise.
“!!!”
With her protective magic barrier gone, the paladin captain had no time to reach for her sword and gun, which were packed along with her personal baggage. She did have a dagger on her waist, but she was quickly restrained from pulling it the moment she saw enemy daggers pointed at her companions’ necks. Their attackers also covered their mouths so as not to create a scene; one wrong move, and her friends would die.
“…” one of the black-clad assailants and the paladin captain locked eyes. The Lady Henristone could hear her heart beat, as she weighed on her available options. She could close in against one of her opponents, heading straight for the kill. However, the paladin captain won’t risk it; she couldn’t deal with them as fast as she wanted, and they could murder her friends before she could slice their throats.
Just as the Lady Henristone was about to make sense of the events, however…
“!!!”
Another blast rang out of the train carriage. One of the attackers fell back, flying out of the window and into the Calabrian prairies. The paladin captain nearly froze in shock, as the horror of her companions ending up dead flashed briefly in her mind. But then, another figure darted from behind her, and dealt the remaining intruders lethal strikes on the assailants to her left even before they could even retaliate. Eris was immediately freed, and Salis bit on the arm of her enemy, distracting him.
“Deal with the others!” he shouted at her, which brought Lady Henristone back to her senses. Pulling her dagger, she ended the lives of the assailants of the orc-girl and the lycanthrope, even as the tables turned, and Tama’lee herself restrained them.
----------
W
hen the normalcy returned, Lady Henristone saw their ‘helper’ as a white-haired elf standing before her, with a bolt-heater revolver (still smoking) in one hand, and a Chersean dagger in the other.
“Are you alright?” asked the armed elf, not even bothering to look at her. “Don’t freeze up; you’ll endanger your friends!”
“Y-Yes, I think we’re good,” the paladin captain pulled her own gun and sword from her baggage, in case more enemies showed up. “Wh-What’s going on?”
But the elf ignored her. He rushed back to his companions, checking on them,
“You guys alright?”
“Y-Yeah, we’re unscathed,”
the maid elf answered him. Their other member, an elf with a face obscured by an enormous hat, just gave him a nod.
Lady Henristone and Eris came to them. “What’s happening?” the Braunhauer duchess asked the elves. “Why are we being attacked?”
“Lock the train doors!” the armed elf bellowed, to which Tama’lee and Nari rushed to the door at the other end of the carriage, and barred it shut with the seats.
At that point, the paladin captain demanded answers, “Are you guys being trailed? Because we can’t recall, we did anything that would warrant us being pursued.”
The entire car fell silent for a moment, as the elves exchanged doubtful glances until the elf with the enormous hat nodded. At that point, the elf maid said, “Since our lady here deemed you as trustworthy, we’ll tell you. She is an important person, that’s why.”
“Yes, from what I can tell, she seems a noble lady,” Lady Henristone then brought out a medallion, “But who are you guys? Look, no worries. I’m the captain of Her Holi—”
“Yes, I know who you are, Lady Sylvia, Duchess of Henristone,” the elf with the enormous hat interrupted her. “You are the current captain of the Paladin Guards’ Corps—the ladies-at-arms of Her Holiness, the Human Saint of Chersea Lady Madelaine Ann, Duchess of Rubinforth. Also, you’re a descendant of the esteemed Beastman hero, Lady Terebia of the Bow. That’s why I permitted my servant to speak to you.”
Eris and Lady Henristone fell silent upon hearing that.
But the elf continued, “That young girl beside you with wavy auburn hair is the Lady Eris, Duchess of Braunhauer and a maidservant also in service of the Human Saint. If I remember correctly, she’s the heiress of one of the richest noble houses in Chersea…if not
the
richest.”
“Oh…”
was all Eris could say.
“And that owl-girl companion of yours is the Lady Salis of the Owls, Directress of the Royal Academy of Cherwind, and inventor of the steam machine which is now being used in this train, the human, beastman and demon ships, and their factories. The orc-girl is the Lady Tama’lee of the Orcs, a famous scientist among the demons, and the one who realigned the demon science into promoting the idea of the ‘four fundamental phases of matter’: solid, liquid, gas and plasma.”
“Tama is famous!”
the orc-girl quipped.
“And the lycanthrope is Lady Nari Tambara, a renowned chef of the Tambara people and an expert in Filipino dishes—the food from Lady Cassandra David’s land.”
The ladies from the Holy Palatial Gardens were dumbfounded. They surely didn’t expect that the stranger they’d meet on the train to the Mouth of Calabria would know even some of their pasts, which they kept secret.
Amused at their reactions, the elf lady then removed her hat, and showed them proof of her divinity—the blue glow of the Elf Saint’s god-power, “Don’t be alarmed; I know your identities because I can see your hearts and minds, for I am the Elf Saint of Cherwoods, Lady Hinwe Tal-Inwir.”
Author's Note: About the Title...
The Ides of March is the 74th day in the Roman Calendar, which is March 15 in the modern, Gregorian one. It is marked with religious celebrations, and used for deadline in settling of debts. See, before, the ancient guys never numbered their calendars (unlike us, who got 1st of November, 16th of December, 23rd of January, etc.)
For them, they mark the days in ordinals, and use the terms 'Kalends', 'Nones', and 'Ides' to mark a certain point from which they would base their reckoning. For short, for Romans, there is the 4th of Kalends, 12th of Nones, so on...
However, in modern senses, the Ides of March is notorious as the date of assassination for Gaius Julius Caesar, Roman general and dictator. While the senators tried to cover their crime with the reason of 'bringing back the Republic and its institutions to the Roman people', their true motive in committing the act was their hatred and envy for Caesar's achievements.
It is with this 'betrayal' that the phrase 'Beware of the Ides of March' came to be. It simply means 'beware of betrayals/backstabbing'. |
Dead-end job, dead-end life.
It was his day off, but George Beckman was working from home. While his useless coworkers were out having fun, George was carrying the entire company on his back. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad if his talents were being rewarded. After all, he had no friends or family. Might as well live for his work. His boss, however, was a sadistic man, and one with connections in the business world. If George resigned, he knew he’d never work a good job again.
“Only three more drafts to write,” he sighed, glancing longingly at a photo of his ex-girlfriend, Kirstine. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her voice. She was shouting—Arguing, as she often did, with her parents. The three of them lived next door, and thought that she lived so close, yet was so distant from him now, ate at him.
Unable to resist, he glanced out the window. The sight of her walking up to her new boyfriend was the last straw. Something snapped inside him, and he furiously opened his desk drawer and retrieved a rope. He’d come so close a number of times, but this time, he was really going to do it.
“Fuck it all,” he grunted, throwing the rope over a support beam, but he was interrupted as a large, metal ball smashed through the window. Glass flew everywhere, and a few small shards embedded in his arm. The ball stopped in the middle of the floor, and then, with a hissing sound, cracked open.
There was a baby inside, a young girl with unnaturally large eyes. With his uninjured arm, he lifted her, and as he did so, a note fell to the ground. It read, “Please look after her for…” but the rest was smudged.
“I couldn’t…” George mumbled, causing the girl to start crying. The lightbulb above them shattered, and George instinctively shielded the baby. “I guess I don’t have a choice,” he smiled. “Perhaps you’ll give me something to live for.”
⁂
Three years passed in the blink of an eye. Iris, as he had named the girl, quickly learned to walk and talk, and she was surprisingly intelligent for her age. George knew her rapid development wasn’t normal, but he couldn’t bring himself to question it.
“I want my hat,” Iris demanded one evening as George tucked her into bed. Sighing, he handed the hat to her. It was the only piece of her baby clothes that he had kept, and it had “15” embroidered into it. Although it was too small for her now, she treasured it like a stuffed animal.
As he stood up, he noticed a videotape on the nightstand labeled “The Truth.” He had nothing else to do that night, so he went to the basement and dug up his father’s video player.
To his dismay, it was a sex tape, starring Kirstine and her new boyfriend. He was furious and sick at the same time. He leaned forward to turn it off, but stopped when he noticed the date in the corner. He and Kirstine had still been dating at the time.
On the tape, Kirstine said something George couldn’t make out, then her new boyfriend slapped her across the cheek.
“Don’t even think about it,” he threatened. “I won’t just upload your videos. I got dirt on George too.”
It wasn’t true, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that Kirstine thought it was true. Her new “boyfriend” was blackmailing her, and she was trying to protect George.
He pulled the tape from the player and ran outside. His only thought now was to apologize to Kirstine, and because of this, he forgot that he had found such an obscene tape in his daughter’s bedroom.
Stumbling over to Kirstine’s window, he found the room dark. She wasn’t there. Doubtlessly, she was with her new boyfriend.
“I was never there for you,” he sobbed, collapsing to his knees and covering his face with grass as he cried.
Iris watched from her bedroom. She didn’t know why George was crying, but she wanted nothing more than to run to him and hug him. She didn’t though, as she worried she was somehow responsible for his sadness.
After a few minutes, George stood up, and Iris flopped back down into bed, pretending to be asleep. George returned to her room and watched her sleep with a smile on his face. The world was cruel, but there was still good. Iris had given him a reason to live, and he would do everything he could to protect her from the kinds of cruelties he had suffered.
As he was reflecting upon this, he saw Kirstine’s boyfriends car pull up next door. Kirstine got out and walked into the house. His anger reignited, but he paused. He wanted to punch the scumbag, but he knew if he let it go, he could live in peace with his daughter. Did he want to be the better man?
“Nah!” he said to himself, running outside. Kirstine was returning to the car, her parents shouting after her. The boyfriend snuffed a cigarette and climbed back into the driver’s seat. George was too late.
“COME BACK HERE RIGHT—” Kirstine’s father shouted as the car drove off. He huffed, knowing his daughter hadn’t listened to a word he said, then turned to go back inside, only to find George standing on his lawn. “Oh, George. Were we bothering you again?”
“I’ve gotten used to it,” George sighed, “but it appears the other neighbors haven’t. Maybe we could talk inside?”
“Of course,” Kirstine’s father replied. “What brings you here?”
George racked his brain for an excuse. He didn’t want to explain why he suddenly felt the need to punch Kirstine’s boyfriend’s lights out. Her parents didn’t deserve to be burdened with the truth.
“Parenting advice,” George said sheepishly. “Iris is three now, and I keep making mistakes.”
“You’d come to us for advice, knowing how Kirstine turned out?”
“Figure that might have given you some ideas on what not to do,” George smiled.
“I oughta hit you for that,” Kirstine’s father said, a smile on his own face, “but you’re right. Come on in.”
As George followed the man into his house, he could feel the hatred slowly leaving his body. Maybe living peacefully as a father wouldn’t be so bad after all.
⁂
Another eight years passed. Iris was now eleven years old, and her father was feeling less miserable. Despite being a single parent, he made sure that his daughter could have a perfect life. They moved out of the house, away from Kirstine, into a bigger house that George’s cousin left him.
Work continued to be dreadful, and four-year-old Iris had urged him to resign. He’d resisted at first, wanting to provide a stable income for his daughter, but when she pointed out he had enough savings to last them for years, he bit the bullet and started his own business. At first, his old boss pulled every trick in the book to ensure George failed, but a string of good luck, and some sage advice from Iris, kept the clients coming in.
There were ups and downs, but George had to admit it had been worth it. He couldn’t shake the feeling, however, that his success was all due to his unusual daughter pulling the strings.
One day, Iris asked if he would drive her to her friend, Avery’s, house. This had become a common occurrence, and George thought nothing of it. Iris always made sure to make the appropriate arrangements with Avery’s parents ahead of time.
Not long after he returned home, the phone rang. It was Avery’s father.
“Hey George. Can you tell Iris that we might be a little late returning home, and that she should come at another time? … Hello? George?”
George dropped the phone and rushed back to his car. Something felt wrong. There had been lights on in Avery’s house. The lights were still on, but the doors were locked. George ran around to the back of the house, hoping the back door was open, when he spied Kirstine and her boyfriend through the window. Neither of them were looking in his direction.
“Get out of the way,” the boyfriend demanded.
“This is kidnapping,” Kirstine protested. “We could go to prison.”
“I’d rather take my chances with the cops than the mob,” the boyfriend shot back. “They know we’re together. If I don’t pay up, they’ll come after you. We both know George has the money, so outta my way.”
As Kirstine stepped aside, she noticed George. Her eyes went wide, then she dropped her gaze and nodded slightly towards the back. George ran as fast as he could, and Kirstine unlocked the door for him.
“They’re in the basement,” she whispered.
“Make the call. Tell him to pay us 99% of his savings, or he’ll never see you again.” As he creeped down the stairs, George heard the boyfriend threatening Iris.
“I know everything about you,” Iris replied. “You’re the one who stole her from my dad!”
“Served him right,” the boyfriend laughed. “He’s been nothing but a nuisance since high school, and—”
Iris kicked him in the shin as hard as she could, causing the man to yelp in pain.
“Looks like you need to learn your place,” he growled, raising his hand to smack Iris.
“No!” George yelled, jumping at the man, but the man caught George and pinned him to the ground.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the piggy bank himself. Nice of you to come!” He placed his foot on George’s hand and demanded money, but George shook his head. “Shame,” the man said. “Guess I have to hurt you for real.” He reached for a crowbar on the ground.
“Don’t!” screamed Kirstine, throwing herself at the man, but he backhanded her and brought the crowbar down on George’s head.
The world spun for George. The last thing he saw was Iris, fear and shock writ large upon her face. She was looking right at him, looking at him lying limp on the ground, and George could swear he saw hair spurting from her skin. Her muscles grew larger. The ropes holding her snapped, and she let out a ravenous roar.
Then George lost consciousness.
⁂
“Dad! Dad! You’re finally awake!”
Iris’s voice was the first thing George heard upon coming to. He was no longer in the basement, but it took him a moment to realize he was in a hospital.
“How long was I out?” he groaned.
“Three years,” Iris answered. She handed him a newspaper showing that Kirstine’s boyfriend had been arrested for blackmail, assault, attempted murder, kidnapping and sexual assault. Police never found the wild animal that mauled him within an inch of his life.
“I want to apologize to you,” Iris said.
“What for?”
Iris hesitated. Learning the truth had already once driven her adopted father to the brink of despair, but he had recovered. Perhaps he could be trusted with the whole truth. No, he deserved it. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a VHS tape and held it out to him, her arm trembling.
George gasped. He hadn’t seen the tape since that fateful night. “How did you find this?”
“I’m… the one who gave it to you in the first place. I was trying to help, but I guess I only made things worse.”
“You didn’t,” George said, hugging his daughter close to him. “Sure, I was devastated, but you saved me. You’re the most important thing in my life. Next to that, my past doesn’t matter.”
Iris hugged her father back. When next she spoke, she was choking back tears. “I didn’t know I was that important to you. That makes what I’m about to say next even harder. I… will have to leave on my fifteenth birthday. Our time together is almost up.”
“What are you talking about?” George asked.
“I’m not… human.”
“I know,” George said after a lengthy pause. “I’ve always known, but I guess I didn’t want to face that reality. Even so, we can still be together. I won’t let—”
“No,” Iris interrupted him. “My kind must roam the galaxy when we come of age. I can’t stay, and I can’t take you with me either, but if you try to keep me here, I will wither and die.”
“I…” George croaked. “I always knew you’d grow up some day, and that you’d do great things, but travel to space? To experience new worlds and new wonders? What kind of a father would I be if I held you back?”
“You’re a great father,” Iris sobbed, hugging him tight. “Don’t you ever doubt that. You’ve done more for me than I deserve, and I promise to make the most of our time together.”
“And when the time comes, I promise to see you off with a smile.”
⁂
They both kept their promises. That’s not to say there weren’t ups and downs, but for the most part, they spent the next year in happiness. Iris had somehow managed to keep George’s business alive while he was unconscious, and she helped him retake the reins after he left the hospital. For his part, he was a devoted, loving father, and not in an Usagi Drop way. He spent every spare moment with her, often taking her on trips to see as much of what Earth had to offer as possible.
He never saw Kirstine again. While he was out, she had managed to turn her life around, and was now a moderately successful author. She wasn’t famous, but she was earning a living, and she had reconciled with her parents. Not long after he recovered, she sent him a letter, asking if perhaps he wanted to pick up where they left off, but he could only respond with an apology. Even after learning the truth, he had hardly lifted a finger to help her, choosing to pursue his own happiness instead. He didn’t regret being there for Iris, but neither could he ignore the choices he and Kirstine had both made.
But life offered many opportunities to start over. Iris had taught him that. Even if neither Iris nor Kirstine would be with him in the future, he knew he could find something to live for if he looked hard enough. He’d been so lucky to have a purpose thrust into his arms with Iris. Not everyone was so lucky. Perhaps, after Iris left, he would devote himself to helping others find their purposes.
After all, we are all visitors in each others’ lives, constantly saying our greetings and farewells, and we can bring light or darkness to those we visit. From now on, George hoped, he would bring only light. |
Once in a blue moon, a traveler would pass through Yates’ Holler with “news'' about some fantastic machine that they had seen in the faraway cities of the North—a dirigible with wings that flapped like a bird, for instance, or a train that could make it from one side of the country to the other in time for tea, or a tiny box that could calculate a year’s payroll in the blink of an eye. Silas McKenzie did not pay these fellows any attention, because he knew that most likely they were trying to fool the simpletons of the Valley for a laugh, and he was wise to hucksters. Whatever fantastic technology they had in the cities, it simply did not exist in Yates’ Holler—the only exception was the occasional glimpse of a cigar-shaped machine passing overhead, belching clouds of billowy white steam.
In the forty-seven years that he had been alive, Silas never expected that one of these travelers would turn up at his front door on an ordinary April morning.
“Good morning. Is Mr. McKenzie in?” The stranger wore the ostentatious fashions that marked him as an outsider to these parts—a neat, double-breasted blue-gray overcoat, a top hat that had to extend two feet in the air over slicked-back raven hair, and bits of metal and gears hanging from one of his arms. The dress of city folk was inscrutable to Silas.
“You’re looking at him. What brings you around these parts, sir?” Silas replied in his drawl, buzzy as a tightly-wound banjo string.
“I represent the Bureau of Agriculture, Mr. McKenzie. Your household has been selected as a recipient of a grant of an Edison Model 3C Industrial Automaton—the latest in advanced agricultural technology—”
“Hold it right there.” Silas’ eyelid twitched slightly. “Now, we may be poor, but we sure ain’t desperate. And we damned sure don’t need no government assistance.”
“Now, dear. This man came all this way. You could stand to listen to him.” Silas had not realized that his wife, Carrie, a matron of thirty-eight, and six children had all filed out on the front porch of his homestead beside him.
“Thank you very much, ma’am. Now, this Industrial Automaton, as I was saying, is a fine piece of technology—does the work of ten men. Over 1,000 movements, but simple enough for anyone to repair, and it runs on household fuel such as kindling so you never have to wind it.” The bureaucrat gave a brief pause, before opening his parted lips, a voice commanding in tone. “ Automaton, charge yourself”.”
Silas heard the din of a million whirring gears before he noticed the machine standing next to the city-slicker. The sight of it made a lump grow in his throat—the thing had the shape of a man, but it was not one. He was unable to describe how exactly it was unnatural, but he knew as soon as he saw it. Perhaps it was that smooth, gleaming white outer shell, disappearing at the joints to reveal shining brass gears and wiring, or the unblemished face, the unblinking sky-blue eyes, the “hair” in a too-bright shade of yellow that never moved in the wind, or perhaps it was the way that the machine’s abdomen opened, revealing a burning furnace which it placed a lump of coal from the city man’s hand into.
“Now, Mr. McKenzie, like you just saw, this Automaton responds to verbal commands. It recognizes at least 35 dialects of English—mighty fine engineering if I do say so myself. Why don’t you try it out—”
Silas’s reply was sharp. “Sir, get that thing off my property.”
He ignored his wife’s shocked yelp and apology to the man. Carrie put politeness over common sense, and it was his job to overrule her in situations like this. In due time, she would understand what a bullet she had dodged.
“Papa, can’t you just try it?”
Silas immediately turned away in embarrassment upon hearing the soft voice. He could ignore his wife, and his five sons, but for whatever reason, he always felt blameworthy when it came to Emily, and his only daughter was staring at him with big, pleading, apple-green eyes.
Silas turned back to the city slicker, quickly saying, “I suppose once won’t hurt. Automaton, go plow the corn fields.”
The machine snapped its doll-like head to Silas upon hearing its name, and then turned and proceeded toward the barn in the distance, with a column of black smoke billowing from its rear, filling the air with the sounds of metal as it went.
As his wife sent the stranger on his way with some cornbread and fatback in a cloth napkin, Silas smirked under his breath. No man or machine would be able to plow one foot of his five acres without the horses, and they were in their stables, locked up. Perhaps the machine would break down in the fields.
It was better that way.
An afternoon and evening passed without any sign of the Automaton.
The next morning, Silas woke up at the rooster’s crow, the same as usual. Today, he and his sons would actually till the earth, and he would have a good laugh at the Automaton’s broken husk in the fields.
As Silas exited his home, he stopped dead in his tracks.
The sunrise illuminated five acres of perfectly furrowed soil, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Could it have been the machine that had done this? No, it was quite impossible. It would have taken Silas and his sons a week to plow this much, even with the horses.
One Automaton couldn’t have…
Beside him, the machine placed a piece of firewood from the pile next to the home into its abdominal oven. Next to it was the cast-iron plow.
Silas shot the Automaton a hateful look before going off to fetch the seed. If that machine had truly done that much, it was efficient—but it was still unnerving.
A month later, the barren soil had turned into an ocean of yellow stalks, and Silas, returning from hoeing the weeds to rest for a minute, found his sons Elmer and Hezekiah lying down on the porch, basking in the sun.
“What are you two doing, lazing around like that?” Silas cried. He knew his sons understood that if they did not clear the weeds from the young stalks in time, the corn would die, and that meant less food for the winter, so he could not for the life of him figure out why they were relaxing without a care in the world.
“We was working, Pa,” Hezekiah drawled, “but that Automawhatsit’s going way faster than us, and it does it better, too.” He pointed a crooked finger out toward the fields.
There, Silas saw the Automaton, bent over, billowing white steam, clearing the weeds from each stalk of corn with surgical precision, faster than he had ever seen any man do.
It might have been an understatement to say that the machine did the work of ten men. Some days it seemed like it worked as hard as twenty. It never stopped to rest or eat—instead, it continued to work in the blazing midday sun, the frosty night, and the pouring rain. Silas still stubbornly headed out to the fields each day, but one by one his sons stopped following him.
Soon after, Silas’s wife did not wake up with him at the crack of dawn. In the time that it took Carrie to stoke the oven’s fire, the machine had already milked the cow and collected the eggs from the henhouse.
Nonetheless, Silas still continued to stubbornly march to the fields every day, but it was a losing battle. In the time it took him to reap one bushel, the Automaton collected seven. In the autumn, when it came time to bring the hogs in from pasture, he spent a whole day chasing and trapping a single one, while the Automaton had already captured and slaughtered three with axe strokes too precise for human hands.
Silas scoffed at his sons’ laziness, but it was his daughter that he worried about. Emily was fascinated with the machine. He would catch her examining it at random times during the day, and he warned her that no good came from the thing, but as soon as he turned away she would be back.
Seasons became years, and the McKenzie sons moved away. Now there were more Automatons in the valley by the banks of the Nolichucky, advanced ones that could speak and no longer erupted with smoke as they worked. Silas still stubbornly sowed every spring and reaped every autumn, but his kind was a dying breed.
Emily had grown into a beautiful young lady, and suitors would come from as far as Rutledge and Unicoi, and even North Carolina, to court her, but she refused them all. Her mind was filled with thoughts of that machine. Her mother and father told her that the only things that she needed to know were the Good Book and housekeeping, but her mind was set on machinery.
When Emily turned sixteen, Silas made a deal with a friend over one too many glasses of whiskey—his daughter would marry one of his friend’s younger sons, joining their farms together. The next day he and Carrie found Emily’s bed cold, with a note left in it. She had run away to New York, she wrote because she wanted to be a mechanic and build things like the Automaton. That night, for the first time in three decades, Silas McKenzie broke down in tears.
Silas continued to go to the fields each day, because that was all he had ever known, but instead of all his sons, his only company was the Automaton and its mechanical hum. In a way, he had grown to find the noise of whirring gears and clanking steps oddly comforting. Where Silas’s hands had grown aged and weary, the Automaton continued its work in the same precise way it had the very first day it came to the McKenzie homestead—never speaking, never blinking, never stopping.
Another decade passed.
Now almost all the families in Yates’ Holler had left—well-dressed men from the cities with their flying machines and their stilt walkers and their mechanical arms had come door-to-door, offering to buy the properties of the Buchanans and the Cargills and the Kinneys, and the McKenzie sons, with more money than the simple country folk, had ever seen in their lives. The sounds of Appalachian life were replaced with the constant din of Industrial Automatons working in the fields of burley tobacco, day in and day out. The only holdout was Silas McKenzie. The investors from the city had come by, and offered him hundreds—thousands, even, but he had refused them all because he was born in Yates’ Holler, and he was stubborn enough to swear before God as a witness that he would die in it as well.
One cold December evening, when Silas and Carrie had long given up hope of seeing their children again, a knock came at the door. There stood a young woman. Her auburn hair was shorter than what Silas remembered, and she was dressed in the finery of the city, but her eyes were the same brilliant apple-green.
Before Emily could finish saying, “Ma, Pa, how I’ve missed you,” they had both embraced her.
Over supper, she told them about how work had dried up in the city, and she had traveled back south to look for jobs fixing agricultural Automatons. She asked about the old machine that was still whirring away, fetching the ham from the smokehouse, and Silas only replied, “It’s fine as ever.” That night was a celebration because their lost child had returned.
Two days later, Carrie could not leave her bed, and then Emily fell sick as well. As bright red spots started to creep up their necks, Silas, in a panic, rushed to the home of old Doc Brunson, only to find it dark and dilapidated.
The doctor had moved away many years before.
Silas continued to wake and stroke the hearth in the place of Carrie, but his headache grew worse, and soon he became weak to the point that he could barely move two steps without gasping for air. He knew he had to care for his wife and daughter, but he no longer had the strength.
Outside, the Automaton continued to go about its daily tasks, the same as usual.
Silas awoke to find Carrie’s body cold and stiff. Emily was pallid as well, with her beautiful face twisted in a hideous expression and covered by so many red blotches that Silas was barely sure that the corpse was even his daughter.
With all the strength that he could muster, Silas dragged himself downstairs and stepped out of the house into the bitter cold, where the Automaton was loading another log into its central furnace.
His mind twisted in fury.
It was all the thing’s fault.
If it had never existed, his boys would still be with him, Emily never would have left for the city, and his family would still be together, happily sharing the dinner table after a hard day’s work.
He stole over to the woodpile with ragged breaths, grabbing the axe and leaning against it. The Automaton did not react to his presence.
“YOU INFERNAL MACHINE!” Silas screamed, swinging the axe with all his might, chopping the Automaton’s mannequin head off as smoothly as it slaughtered the hogs.
Then, Silas collapsed face-down on the cold ground.
The log burned to cinders in the Industrial Automaton’s central furnace, and slowly, with the sound of gears whirring, the machine stirred, taking a single heavy footstep, then another.
It went forth to its labor until the evening and retired, awaiting the day that was to come. |
“Next stop: Honeycomb Mountain” says a feminine voice through the intercom.
Taking a look at my watch, it looks to be ten minutes before noon. I’m a bit behind schedule, but looking at the clear blue skies, I’d say I’m just in time.
The two mechanical horses pulling this carriage whine and snort, as their joints made of shimmering chrome spring to life for departure. Blue fluorescent lights seep between each of the chrome segments, as both steeds begin to hover midair. A cool gentle breeze rushes past me, as the carriage gets closer to the snow peaked mountain.
“Are you excited Jeremy?” Asks my pink haired assistant, Karina, as she appears in the HUD of my brainlink at the corner of my eye. “I heard the view is gonna be amazing this high up.”
I nod my head. “They for sure don’t spare any expense when it comes to transportation. I’m surprised they even invited me.”
Honey Industries is one of the three major conglomerates that control our city, so it’s surprising that they chose me to participate in this game. When I got the letter, I almost couldn’t believe it with my own eyes. After seeing that wax honeycomb seal on the front, I thought it was some sort of prank, but when I opened it I knew it was legit.
“By the way Jeremy, I’ve been searching the web and I haven't been able to find any info on what this game is. It seems no one is talking about it.” Karina explains with a bit of regret.
“Heh, don't sweat it! This is Honey Industries we’re talking about here. Besides, we’re almost there anyway.” I say as the carriage pulls up next to a long wooden bridge.
I tap the side of my head, minimizing Karina’s window from the corner of my eye. As the two steeds winded down to a halt, two robots walked up to my carriage.
“Greetings, Welcome to Honeycomb Mountain.” the female looking one greets, as the male stands next to her. “My name is Honeybot.”
“And my name is Beedroid. Would you like any help taking your luggage?” he asks, putting his mechanical hand forward. Nodding my head, the two of them proceed to take the little luggage I did bring from the seat next to me.
Looking around, I see what Karina meant by the view. Seeing the snow covered forest from this high up, it looks almost like something out of a dream. Even the smaller mountains in the distance seem to go on forever. I feel like I’m at the top of the world.
“Jeremy, was it?” Asks the female robot, looking at me for confirmation.
I give her a nod. “Um, where am I supposed to go from here?”
“Do not worry, Jeremy. We shall lead you to your room.” she says with a bow, as she picks up the last of my bags.
The two of them walk towards the idyllic chalet, as the wooden bridge creaks ever so slightly beneath us. I take a deep breath, I suppose this is it. Let’s see what Honey Industries has in store for me.
The moment they open the wooden door, I’m greeted by the crackling of a fireplace in the corner. Next to it is a large couch with a small coffee table sitting in front of it, hitting me with a sense of warmth I wasn’t expecting.
“Right this way sir.” instructs the male robot as he walks towards the stairs.
As we make our way up the stairs, I notice two doors on the second floor, but HoneyBot opens one before I could question what’s behind it. Inside is a massive bed with a sizable flat screen sitting on the wall opposite of it, which means this must be my room. As the two robots sit my luggage down on the floor, I scratch my head. For a game, I was expecting a bit more suspense, but this feels more like a vacation.
“Well now Mr.Chen, preparation for the game will start in an hour. Please take your time to get yourself settled in.” BeeDroid explains to me as blue lights flicker in his eyes. “When you check your brainlink, you will see a sum of currency, courtesy of Honey Industries.”
With a blink, I open the pop-up notification before me. Numerous little honeycombs burst from the envelope in a short animation, as the amount accumulates into the tens of thousands.
“What’s all of this for?” I ask them, noticing that I now have thirty thousand of this currency.
HoneyBot steps forward. “This is the currency you will be using for the game, but if you find that the amount does not suit, do not worry. You will be rewarded more for each objective you complete during the game.”
Oh sweet, now this is what I’m talking about! Finally things are getting interesting.
“We have also installed the two applications you’ll need on your brainlink. One is the shop, while the other is a map. Although the map will not open until the game begins.” BeeDroid continues to explain, as both applications pop into my eyes. “If you have more questions, we have also provided you with a contact.”
“Unfortunately, we now must take our leave. May your stay on Honey Mountain be sweet, dear visitor!” HoneyBot says before heading through the door.
As I sit down on the bed, Karina pops up.
“You should probably check out the shop!”
“You don't have to tell me twice!” I chuckle while opening up the shop.
Each of the items on sale are weapons and equipment, which comes as a bit of surprise. What catches my eye is the yellow bee rifle and pistol, but they’ll cost almost as much as I have. I’m not sure what I’ll be using these for, but if these are supposed to be used in the game I guess I should buy them.
“Thank you for your purchase! Your order will be delivered shortly.” The application says right before closing it.
“Jeremy, you should probably get some rest. The game should be starting in twenty minutes.” Karina says, pointing to the clock in my room.
“Yeah, I guess I should-”
“Delivery!” Shouts someone from outside.
As I leave my room. I hear a knock coming from the front door. When I opened it, I saw a brown box sitting in the snow on the steps, but nobody was there. Grabbing the box, I place it on the coffee table and rip off the tape. Inside it is the exact rifle and pistol I ordered, along with a little note underneath that says “standard supplies”. Reaching around inside, I realize that along with more ammo there are two ammo belts with what looks like grenades.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Karina asks with a whisper, as I examine the yellow jacket colored grenade in my hand.
The doorbell rings again, only this time the person isn’t announcing their presence. Something feels off. I grab onto the pistol with my left hand, and carefully walk up the door. As I reach to open the door, I can feel myself shaking as I open it.
“Hello, my name is Grace! What’s yours?” Shouts an over excited girl on the other side of the door.
“Oh, hello… My name is Jeremy. Are you more of the staff that works here on Honey Mountain?” I ask her with a sigh of relief. With how chipper she’s acting, she doesn’t look to be trouble.
“No, I’m one of the winners! Isn’t Honeycomb Mountain beautiful? I hear it snows like this all year round!”
“Yeah, that's exactly what I heard too.” I laugh in response, nearly getting caught up in her exuberance. “So, uh, what business do you have here?”
“Oh, nothing really! I thought that since our cabins are so close to each other, that maybe I’d introduce myself.” Grace says with a bright smile.
I laugh. “Well isn’t that nice of you!”
“Yeah, you should really buzz off!”
“Huh, what-” I manage to say before-
“Jeremy!” Karina shouts.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Sporadic buzzing fills the air, but eventually calms. When I open my eyes, Grace is lying down in the snow, covered in chunks of golden honey. What even-
“Jeremy, are you okay?!” Karina asks in panic.
“Karina, did you?”
“Yes, I took over your brain functions and shot her in response. As your AI assistant, my duty is your safety!”
I stare the bee pistol in my hand and back at the young girl lying in the snow. I killed someone. I really killed another human being, but why was she trying to-
“Congratulations on your first kill, here are your credits!” The shopping app announces through my brainlink, as a sum of credits are added to the balance amount. “Don’t forget that racking up more kills guarantees more money! Happy hunting visitor!”
“There’s no way, the game is a-”
“Hello, Honeycomb Mountain! The first round of this year's annual death game has started!” Shouts a young man wearing a yellow suit with black stripes, on the holographic screen that just appeared above me. “And it looks like we already have our first blood, the contestants this year sure are eager!”
I kneel down into the snow and start to puke. What is all of this?
The announcer continues.“Well seeing as he’s already started, all further instructions will be sent via brainlink. Remember to stay on your toes and get yourself into even stickier situations, and without further ado, let the games begin!” |
There was once a rumor spread by students of a prestigious academy— that one night a year, when the moon filled the autumn sky, a doorway would appear in the high tower, open only to those pure of heart. And Ari Veltara, the school’s soon-to-be valedictorian, wasn’t one to let a rumor lay to rest.
What if there’s treasure? Or a spell more powerful than a thunderbolt straight from the gods?
she pondered to herself. Nighttime was drawing near, and the velvety lavender sunset gave her the chills. Would tonight really change everything?
She hurried down the tiled hallways in her long, white robes, their colorful hems fluttering behind her. She clutched her wooden staff as she ran.
What if I’m too late? What if it’s not even real?
A thought occurred to her, and she slowed to a halt. “I need a witness,” she said to herself. Yes, of course— if no one was there to see it, how could she ever prove its existence? She needed someone for her testimony, and her options were running low.
There was only one person she could convince to follow her this late at night. She course-corrected to the school’s dining hall, hoping he was there like always.
Sure enough, Ari rounded the bend and found him— Bryce Gaute, the most cowardly warrior she’d ever met. He was still gorging himself on leftovers when she grabbed him by the collar and stood him up.
“Aw, c’mon, Ari…” he complained.
“Hush! You don’t even know what it is this time.”
“Huwahhh…” Bryce stretched and looked over at Ari. “You’re giving me the look again.”
Ari blinked. “What look?”
“You’re waiting for me to ask what it is.”
“Well, if you've gone and figured out my secret, you’d do well to respect it.”
Bryce stared at Ari, and her back at him. This sort of encounter was not at all rare for the two of them. “…Alright, what is it this time?”
“I thought you’d never ask!” She twirled her staff through her silvery hair. “We’re about to find that bloody doorway! You’ll be my witness. Now come on already!”
Before Bryce had time to reject her ludicrous idea, she was already off to the races. This was only marginally worse than the time she’d dragged him off to fight a red dragon. He let out a defeated sigh and trudged after her, following her from one side of the academy to the other in the last glimmerings of sunlight.
Before he knew it, they’d made it to the guard tower, the tallest structure in the school. The sun had all but disappeared, leaving only the full moon rising from the east— Ari could see its deep yellow shine through every window, as if it were devouring the sky.
“Any minute now,” Ari said, “and the doorway will miraculously appear before our eyes!”
Bryce took the initiative to look around the tower. One stone brick wall was entirely caved in— the wall from which they’d entered— and the rest were shrouded in darkness, save for the moonlight streaming in through the glass. If there were any sort of doorway here, they might not even see it.
“Give me a drumroll, Bryce!”
“Ari, I don’t think…”
“Come on, don’t be such a prick. Drumroll!”
“Ari, we ought to go back. We’re both knackered, aren’t we? Besides, what if we get caught? You’ll lose valedictorian, I’ll get expelled, and–”
Ari started quickly patting her thighs. “If you won’t do it, I will! Hidden doorway… reveal yourself!”
…Ari felt a sting. Deep down, she’d known it wasn’t true. Of course not— students make up stupid rumors all the time. But she still felt betrayed. Not by the students, or by the rumors, but by the doorway itself. Perhaps she just wasn’t as pure of heart as she’d thought.
She turned to Bryce and nodded sadly. “You’re right. We ought to book it. I can’t allow this to…”
The moonlight illuminated a pair of golden door handles, gleaming in the dark. Ari trailed off and turned back.
She felt so many emotions all at once— exhilaration, worry, relief. It felt natural to step up to the handles on those pitch-black doors and turn them, the very same way it felt to return home after a long vacation. Something she’d longed for, after all these years…
That’s why she was speechless when she saw what was inside.
It was… unextraordinary.
There was no hoard of gold, no root of the World Tree, and no Seventh Heaven in front of her…instead, there was just a small, dusty room, the walls of cobblestone overgrown with moss, with an oil lamp burning on a wooden desk in the corner.
“What… is this place?” Bryce asked.
“Not worth the trouble,” Ari spat. “All the rumors were true, and for what? A dirty monk’s shack?!”
Bryce groaned. That was Ari— always setting her standards too high, never settling for less. It made her a wonderful student, but a terrible adventurer. “At least be glad we found it.”
“Being glad would be a lot easier if it weren’t a mangy old hut! What kind of hidden room is this?” Ari stomped in and took it all in again. “Ugh…”
As she pouted, she noticed something. She approached the desk and picked it up— a book, moderate in size, bound in red vellum. Its cover had only one single word, written in gold:
ETERNITY
It didn’t look at all like the books she liked to lose herself in at the school library, but it could act as a keepsake of sorts. A reminder of the dull reality of this world… She held it in her hands, running a delicate finger down the book’s spine.
Might as well see what’s inside
, she thought, placing a thumb in the book’s center and opening it near the middle.
What she began to read was a history like none she had ever known. The accounts of the wars were so detailed, so beautifully written, that it felt like she was there herself. There were all sorts of facts she’d never heard in any class nor story— the names of obscure players, the thoughts and fears of commanders— it was like a god had written this, not a human.
In the back of her mind, Ari knew she should take the book with her, but she couldn’t stop herself from turning page after page.
She had to know.
“Ari…?” Bryce spoke up. “I’m worried… you’ve been reading that book for an hour now.”
Without breaking her laser-focused gaze on the book’s pages, Ari simply replied, “I’ll be done soon. Just give me a few more minutes.”
Before Bryce could reply, a creeping darkness surrounded him, completely shrouding his vision. When he came to, he was sitting alone in the guard tower, moonlight shining from above.
—
The imposing castle-like structure lay in ruin, outlined by the harsh light of the harvest moon as the two men approached it. Hundreds of years ago, this place had been a school for mages, their father had told them once, but they were not visiting the ruins for tourism. Rather, they were treasure hunters.
It was said that the late Inquisitor Gaute had buried some sort of fantastic treasure in the place where he once studied as a boy— one that could only be found by a mage who matched his power. The two brothers did not know if their magic was anywhere close to the Inquisitor’s, because it was forbidden to use it under penalty of law, but their minds raced with the thought of what this treasure might be. Perhaps it would be enough to set themselves and their father up for the rest of their lives.
Macon, the older of the two, held his hands together and let white energy flow into the cracked tiles below him. “What’re you planning on doing once we nab this treasure?”
“I’ll give half of it to pops, of course!” Gaelio, the younger sibling, replied. “And then a quarter to you!”
“That’s not fair,” Macon chuckled. “We can split it into thirds.”
Gaelio hmphed. “You better be nice, else it’ll be finders keepers!”
All of Macon’s radiant energy returned to him, seeping out of the cracks and into his hands. “I can’t detect anything super strong. Might be gold.”
Macon looked up to the constellations. Maybe the treasure was nothing but a rumor after all. Even so, he and his brother had to look. It was a bad idea to lose hope at such an hour— not after they’d come so far.
As the two entered the courtyard of the ruins, Gaelio began to tense up. The place was undoubtedly unnerving. All the gray stone ruins loomed large in their field of view, casting dark shadows over everything.
Out of the corner of his eye, Macon saw something glinting, and he stopped for a second. Was it a beast? He couldn’t tell. Clutching a hand to the handle of his dagger, he carefully stepped forward to investigate.
As he approached the faint gleam, a set of wooden doors, black as the night sky with golden handles, emerged from the darkness. There was no building behind them— they were standing in the open.
Macon’s heart leaped as he felt the magical energy pulsating from the doors.
This must be the Inquisitor’s treasure
, he thought to himself.
As he approached the door, Gaelio appeared beside him. “Big Brother, is that…”
Macon put a hand on each of the golden handles, closing his eyes. When he opened them, the two young men found a small, dreary cobblestone room, the only source of light an oil lamp sitting on a small desk.
The treasure hunter sighed. The Inquisitor had tricked both of them. Of course his treasure wouldn’t be so easy to find.
There must be a clue here or something
. His chainmail clinking, Macon hesitantly approached the desk, the only other thing in the room besides the water-stained stones.
As he got closer, he noticed something sitting on the desk, deep blood-red. It was a book of average size, and the cover bore the name of no author. Instead, there was a single word embossed in gold.
ETERNITY
Perhaps this was the clue the two brothers so desperately needed. It was better than nothing.
As he picked the book up and turned around, he noticed a stainless white robe, edged with a colorful pattern, draped over the chair beside him. On the floor sat a twisted wooden staff. It was like someone had been here just before them…
If there
was
a clue in the book, Macon needed to find it quickly, before whoever lived in this small room returned. He knew he should have left the room with it, but something was urging him to open it right there.
He thumbed open the book to a random page, glancing it over in search of clues. Immediately, he found something— a story of two mages entering this very room, hundreds of years ago…
Bryce Gaute was one of them.
He began to turn pages faster and faster.
The place Gaute hid his treasure must be in here somewhere!
He couldn’t put the book down— the feeling of victory was so close.
He had to know.
Gaelio stood in front of him, looking up at him with concern. “Big Brother, are you alright?”
Macon didn’t look up.
“I’ll be done soon. Just give me a few more minutes.” |
“When I’m no longer in this world, I ask of you that you look after my daughter. That and the mission I gave her are my two last wishes.”
I remembered the Professor saying that like it had been just the day before. But ten years had passed since I left his tutelage and went to study to the capital on my own, and only now was I receiving the news of his passing.
He wasn’t even that old, I thought to myself, but his brilliant mind had tried to carry him farther than his frail body would allow.
But taking care of his daughter, eh? I suppose there was nobody else he could ask this of. I would bet all my possessions on him not having told anyone about his child other than me. After all, if he had, she’d undoubtedly become nothing more than a plaything and a lab rat for scientists and the press.
Of course, even if that weren’t the case, the fact remained that he’d asked me to look after what he loved most in the world… there was no way I could refuse.
The day after receiving the news of the Professor’s death, I had arrived in front of his residence.
Pipes and gears were everywhere, it all felt like the inside of a steam machine. Quite a strange choice, given the falling prices of electricity lately. Also, I always imagined progress would simplify the look of machines, not make them even more unfriendly to the eye. Though knowing the Professor as I did, his odd choices didn’t surprise me in the slightest. He always embraced that image of mad scientist he gave off, if only to protect his creations from undesirable eyes.
Regardless, it was not outside his home where I would find what I came for. I knocked on the door.
…
No response. I tried again.
…
And then a third time.
“Ah!”
The door blasted open, revealing the very person I’d come here looking for—petite, fair-skinned, with long black hair and deep brown eyes. She looked to be about eight or nine, maybe, and was dressed in plain indoors clothing.
Or in short, she was a cute but unremarkable little girl, who looked completely ordinary in all but her expression.
A face of sadness and deep-rooted pain, one which looked terribly out of place in a kid her age. It made me shiver for an instant.
“Hello, dear! Are you Lilly?”
“Y-yes. Who are you? I was told only important people knock more than two times.”
“I'm an old friend of your father's, his assistant for about three years. He… told me to look after you if something ever happened to him.”
“I see... That's not going to be an issue, though. I can take care of myself.”
“… Is that so? You do seem like a very mature girl, but please, I'd like you to give me a chance.”
On my face was the most genuine smile I could muster. It was normal for her to be sad and not welcoming of strangers, it would have scared me if the opposite were true—but I obviously couldn't leave her on her own.
“Accepted. I'll give you a week to prove that you'll be useful. After that I'll decide if I stay with you or if I remain alone in Master’s house.”
Master?
What was it with this weird speech pattern of hers? It definitely didn't sound natural. It sounded… artificial, robotic. Except at the very beginning, when she'd stuttered after hearing me say her name, she had displayed minimal emotion of any kind.
“Come on, don't stand there. Please come in and make yourself at home.”
She said, politely inviting me in and showing me to an old guest bedroom in the upper floor—the exact one I'd used throughout my three-year stay with the Professor. The nostalgia felt endless.
“Hey, lady. I found something for you to help with, if you don't mind.”
This caught my attention. I’d assumed she would do her best to ignore me and send me back home the earliest she could.
“Of course, I’ll do my best. What is it?”
“It’s this note… Da—my master left it in his room just before he died.”
She handed me a neatly folded piece of paper with a short message inside. I recognized the handwriting immediately—there was no way I’d mistake it.
“By the time you read this, I’ll probably have passed away with one task still incomplete. I’m sorry to have to ask this of you, but—please, I need you to look at the other side. Understand who you really are. Unpack… your soul.”
…
I reread the message again and again, but no matter how I tried to spin it, this was clearly not meant to be understood by anyone other than Lilly or its author.
…I was at a loss. No clue what to make of this if Lilly herself didn’t understand.
Though, be that as it may, I refused to give up on the chance of gaining her trust this early on. The Professor had done far more for me than I could ever repay, and besides, this child didn’t deserve to live her life in complete isolation.
“… Okay. Listen up, Lilly. I can help you solve this riddle, but that’s all I can do—help. I’m afraid I can’t do it without you. Is that okay?”
“Y-Yes, of course. It’s something Master wanted me to figure out, after all.”
“Perfect. Well then, let’s get looking around the house. I need you to pick up everything you think your father considered important and bring it here.”
Lilly nodded, her eyes lighting up after being given a clue to work with. She stormed out of the room, barely keeping her balance as she tried to climb the metallic stairs as fast as she could. Who in Heaven would think of installing the kind of stairs you’d see leading to a ship’s engine room in one’s house? The Professor’s taste never ceased to impress me—though that’s most certainly not a compliment.
Regardless, Lilly knew her way around the upper part of the house better than I did, but what I still remembered like the back of my hand was the underground floor—the laboratory.
The reason I’d been staying with the Professor for so long. And the reason I eventually had to leave.
After all, in that laboratory he’d created what no other could even conceive of attempting. Something only he and I had ever seen. And when some rumors got out, he convinced me to leave before they could affect me in any way.
…He didn’t want me to be the target of all the world’s press, asking about the creation of the first artificial human. So he secluded himself with his creation for a decade.
The laboratory itself was pure contrast. On one side, everything was organized to allow the highest efficiency—after all, the Professor was a genius doctor and chemist, and he understood better than anyone the importance of keeping order even amidst his chaotic experiments. But on the other, the atmosphere of the place was oppressive to a fault—a tad too hot due to the steam machine providing energy to all the weird machines, and with an appearance that made the Professor look the mad scientist part he’d so wanted to evade. Once again, his idea of ‘futuristic’ had made this room a complete hazard.
If I had a shilling for every time either of us had slammed our heads against any of the red-hot metal pipes or tripped with the moving gears embedded on the floor, I’d be richer than half this country.
At some point I’d memorized where every single obstacle was, though, and subsequently learnt to avoid them. The memory seems to have stuck with me since I didn’t fall into a single one as I looked through the entire place.
“Oh!”
While inspecting the shelf at the back end of the room, something immediately stood out to me—something its owner would never, ever do.
A stack of papers with drawings detailing the process to creating the artificial human from scratch and their expected growth process were spread on the floor, in a corner of the room. I knew for a fact the Professor would never be this careless with documents as important as these—actually, never mind.
Closer inspection, though not a lot closer, revealed the answer to this apparent mystery.
There were notes and drawings scribbled all over the margins and the backs of the papers—ones clearly done by a very young child.
That explains it.
That explains everything.
Now I have a pretty good idea of what that previously cryptic message meant…
Though the findings in the lab weren’t quite finished yet.
Right beside the scattered papers, in the same dark corner of an already poorly illuminated room, there was a small cardboard box. On it was written “Do not open under any circumstance” on thick but recognizable ink strokes.
It really did look like it hadn’t been opened at all…
Still, while dusty, it was remarkably less so than the rest of the lab, as if it had been placed there years after the room had received its last thorough cleanup.
…
There wasn’t much else to see in the basement floor, so after picking up the box and dusting it off the best I could, I went up to the living room again. I expected to find Lilly waiting there for me already, since I had spent my sweet time in the lab, but I was mistaken—she arrived shortly after I did, precariously going down those steep stairs that weren’t and would never be appropriate for a child as she carried another box similar to the one I’d found.
“This is all I could find…”, she said, carefully putting the box down in the floor. I did the same with mine.
“I don’t know why Master left that message… It’s wrong, he must’ve been wrong…”
Lilly suddenly spoke up. I feigned ignorance, somewhat surprised she’d bring it up like this.
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Well… You were Master’s assistant, right? You should know that I’m just a copy, made to replace his real daughter…”
…
Now this was a surprise. Poor little girl… She was at the verge of tears as she spoke.
“A-and if I’m just a copy, there’s no soul to be unpacked… Maybe he said that because I acted too robotic, because I wasn’t a good enough copy…”
“Stop that.”
My sudden seriousness and firm tone made her flinch.
“Your father would never want you to talk like that. I was here when he was making you, and I can assure you, you’re no fake or copy.”
“Liar! You’re lying to me, and you know it! I-I’m not dumb…!”
She ran to the box she’d brought from the upper floor and took out its contents—an old-fashioned diary, evidently the Professor’s given his aesthetic sensibilities. On the verge of tears again, she shoved it into my hands, motioning for me to read it.
“My daughter remains as splendidly energetic as always… I’m having trouble keeping up with her lately, my old man body has definitely seen better days. Her mother would probably be a better parent than me… Oh, Sophia, what would I be today without you?”
“I-I found that on Dad’s room just a few days after seeing those papers in the basement… You can’t lie to me anymore! I’m just a copy of his real daughter, of that Sophia, he made those drawings of how she looked and how I should look! He just… wanted to relive his memories with his real daughter!”
Now there were no doubts in my mind—such an innocent mistake to make, and yet, it must’ve hurt so much… Her tears had started fiercely flowing down, the young girl no longer being able to contain them. Still, I couldn’t help but smile. Out of curiosity, I opened the box I’d brought from the basement and looked inside—
oh
.
So, what he had meant by unpacking her soul… it felt like an oddly disappointing riddle once I figured out the answer. When he said ‘unpack’, he meant it literally.
“Hey, Lilly. You’re wrong. You aren’t a copy, your dad loved you more than anything else in the world.”
Hearing this made her sobbing stop. She looked at me with those sad, reddened eyes whose pain I would possibly never fully understand.
“…?”
“Look here. Inside this box…”
She did as I said and looked inside, seemingly having forgotten that box was ever there to begin with.
She started taking out the pictures inside it one by one.
Very well-drawn sketches of Lilly throughout her life, since she was a baby up to the present day. Sometimes these included her father, sometimes only Lilly herself, but they all represented scenes from what I presumed had been their daily life.
I managed to glimpse a few of them—the young girl learning to draw as her father taught her, her playing with some hand-made plushies in her bed, and more.
Before I realized it, I was the one crying now.
…
Dozens of drawings later, the bottom of the box had been reached. Down there, previously covered by all the paper stacked on top, was a neatly folded envelope with only two words written on it.
“
To Lilly.
”
She looked at me, wavering, but I gestured for her to open it.
Inside was one more piece of paper, with a note written on it.
“This is my last gift to you, Lilly. I’m sorry I couldn’t do much more, but I hope you’ll like it. I only have one thing left to ask of you as a father: please never lose sight of yourself. Love you forever, Dad.”
These notes were starting to get old… though this last one didn’t fail to make me cry once more.
And for one last gut punch—
In the reverse of the note was one last drawing.
Three people standing right next to each other, all of which I recognized in an instant.
On the left, a middle-aged man with short hair, glasses and an awkward smile—
Clive (Dad)
.
On the middle, a petite girl with long hair, a handmade plushie in her hand and a beaming smile—
Lilly
.
On the right, a tall young woman dressed with formal clothes and with a calming smile—the Professor had nailed how I’d look ten years later—
Sophia (Mom)
.
When Lilly saw this, she turned back and looked at my face. She didn’t have any more tears left to cry, but as she ran towards me with her arms open, her sobbing didn’t stop for a second.
I embraced her tightly, and we remained like that until the sun had set. |
Did the walk there have to be so agonizing?
I don't remember it being this exhausting.
"Ah…"
"..."
"I just...want to go back to sleep…."
Shuffling my feet, out of the little earnestness left in me, I wandered down a desolate road lit solely by gas lamps. Barren, just like my soul. I'd say it felt like home, but my frame of mind circled around one thought:
Misery.
The tightness of my chest as I wheezed and breathed in the smoky and brisk air. Bizarre sounds echoed down the street: moans, groans, and weird little shrieks that could only be the street urchins languishing in their alleys. I wasn't alone, but I felt painfully isolated. A man streaked in black I hardly recognized yet knew all too well had shambled in the opposite direction in the dead of night.
He barely sidestepped me, so we didn't bump into one another. His movements look strained as if it took his maximum effort. He chewed on the spine of some… rat? I pondered it for only a moment, as I couldn't be bothered as the man left my foggy mind in an instant.
"At least I'm not too Colorless. For now..." I mumbled, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
Nobody paid me a mind. For you see, I was infected by a sickness, Eudaimonia.
The word for good spirits. A horrible disease that infected the mind. It hasn't killed yet, but it made you wish you were dead... if that didn't take too much energy.
And to think-! Weeks ago-! I had wandered this same street, skipping, happily playing with my ball alone. I was the lucky one…
You see, I found a ball covered in gross sludge when I was busy exploring the sewer for my uncle. The Britannians and their gigantic foundries filled the sewers with this horrific diesel gas that may or may not have been bad for my lungs; my uncle didn't share the deets. I went down to roam to help my uncle find food.
The place was littered with lovely, recently exhausted animals that tried to take shelter from the scorching heat of the metal up above. Then I found it — a ball. A little blown-up red ball that must've fallen between the cracks from some negligent family.
Growing up, I hadn't seen as much as a wooden horse in the airships and trams. Even when my uncle and I came here to Whitechapel.
And on the ball, I drew a smiley face.
“*
Sniff
*- Mister Piłka…”
I tried playing around with the ball with other kids along the way, but no one seemed to hop on the Mister Piłka train. They didn't like Mister Piłka like I liked Mister Piłka. Shame.
But then a tragic accident took my ball away from me moments ago, and now I had nothing except the last trickle-bitta of hope to keep going. My eyes started to tear up; I wanted to give up and just laze around in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to give into despair. But still, I trudged forward.
My messy, black hair was tied in random knots. It was the only way I could notify the roaming plague doctors that I was still okay, that I was still willing to give my time and lend my ear to the world. I invested in this hair, no matter how stupid it seemed or how insignificant.
Plague doctors roamed the streets, huddled in packs as if their combined warmth kept the disease away. Their beaks were shown with luminescence, but their backs were saddled with sharp weaponry. Their cloaks were metallic, creaking as they bent and reflected the light off the beaks to the surrounding area. A sign to those still struggling not to succumb that there's still light in this dark, disgusting atmosphere.
And for those who succumb, their weapons proved efficient so the individual can finally let go of their misery.
"No...no way I can last another day like this…" Puffing up my cheeks, I shook my head around in my palms, holding in all the air possible before releasing it, a plume of smoke exhaling from my lips like I just took a big vape.
I got good at making smog ovals; it helped pass the time.
"Okay! Okayokayokayokayokay!” I began a little dance, moving my body like I always saw the performers do while sneaking into those live shows years back. The girls were so bright and cheery, and the crowd was full of excited cheering boys. And when the girls did the skirt flips that made everyone blush… It. Was... Okay. Just okay.
No. It was amazing. I remember now!
Quickly slapping myself, I shifted into excited skipping as a less and less often surge of motivation struck. Making my way down the street, I felt the rush of excitement disappear as I shambled to the only place that lit up the horrid, dark streets.
Hotel Abraxa.
Before he basically went brain-dead, my uncle pointed me in this direction.
"There you might find peace. There were legends… legends! An alchemist is working on what we all sought for a many a year, yes! Eternal happiness! Get that for me, for both of us… Antoni!"
And then he started to drool, so I left to seek hope immediately. Despite the lack of context for those mad ramblings, he hasn't led me astray. I might as well, right?
Doctor Amoraut, a gentleman with heavy investments from Chartered Fuel, the gas company that fuels our continent. What a champion! I'm not as smart as him; all I can do is skip really freakin' well.
Who gives a damn about eternal life when you could go out in eternal bliss?
That's what everyone sought in the end, but then the plague spread, and people couldn't take in happiness anymore. It was almost like- and forgive me for bringing up science stuff, I'm sixteen, and all I can do is read newspapers a little well, our happiness co-
I paused as I tried to figure out my word usage.
“Cota? Qota? What’s the Brittanian word for kontyngent?”
"..."
I continued to skip forward, trying to stop feeling numb. I liked the rhythm, the constant feeling of going.
My brain trailed back to wild thoughts as I appeared before the door to Hotel Swięto. The words that kids say when their imaginations go wild.
"
The doctor is crazy! I hear they open people's BRAINS and POKE them!
"
"
My mommy got a cut on her leg, and then the doctor wanted to amputate it!
"
Doctors scared me. Doctors scared the kids that I played with. Their words echoed in my head.
But now they were all dead.
Well, not really, but basically. Husks of what they once were. So, then my brain trailed back to my uncle's words:
"If someone asks to open your brain, they are just looking to unpack your thoughts! They are nice and want to learn more about you. It's a figure of speech in Britannia."
He said this to me in our native Polanie. In case you haven't caught on, I'm not really from around here.
I knocked on the door once I arrived at its foot. It slid open suddenly, revealing someome or- something that took my breath away.
If I could describe her, I'd be trying to describe those spooky stories the other kids told by the gas kilns.
The metal that lined the buildings outside surrounded her plush face. She had no mouth; instead, she had a layer of ivory block-like teeth that made up her jaw. Her nose was sharp and pointed. And her eyes gleaned a shimmering green. Her eyes were reddened like blood had seeped into the sclera. They were bloodshot and watering, but she didn't seem sad.
She seemed amused, very amused, and with a full array of slender, pale, and velvety fingers. Her dress was almost doll-like and clung to her body as if it were painted on. If you asked me to describe it, I would say it looked like a wedding gown that went all the way down to the floor.
It was white. A color I rarely see in this city. In Londonium, A city of bronze, green-yellow gas, and ashy smog.
But why am I describing things? I'm supposed to be talking with the woman, right?
"Salutations!" The woman exclaimed in a voice that sounded like a choir of springs singing in unison, "Please come in."
The hotel was small and dimly lit, with flickering candles everywhere except for the lobby, which was brightly lit by several chandeliers.
Each one cast its light upon countless little things dangling from the ceiling. It felt warm in here but weirdly comforting because everything smelled nice. I heard soft whispers muttering behind many closed doors, and I could see shadows jumping beneath the gaps in the door in front of me.
She gave me a questioning look back before returning what seemed like a smile with her ivory rows.
My first thought when she smiled was that there wasn't any other way she could have been born; her eyes were so perfectly aligned that her face could not give out a more human expression.
"Does the honored guest seek utopia?" Her voice was strangely mechanical, creaking like those giant gears on the buildings. It had such a high pitch, but it still somehow made sense. I shuffled my feet while my hands clutched nervously around, wishing I still had Mister Piłka.
"I...I do not know what this yoo-toe-pii is," I mumbled and stared at the ground. The walk here had been exhausting… and I felt it now.
The woman stepped aside, revealing the inside of the building as if to make space for me. A little hallway led straight into the darkness and ended in an open door. Light from inside cast across half of her face and down her body in shadows. It was like her outline stretched off further than just the walls behind her. Her eyes spun around in full circles before she answered me.
"Do not know...ah! Forgive me. I promise you. An Unpacking is quite a special process! Come then..." the woman uttered a sweet springy laugh and pulled back, beckoning me to come in again with her velvet fingers.
The light outside grew dimmer as she pushed herself away, so all that remained now was soft candlelight that lit up half of her form, creating two distinct parts of shadow that clung onto each other. She opened the door fully and ushered me inside.
"Pardon my rudeness! I am Helen," she spoke softly and strangely melodically. "The doctor's secretary and... daughter of sorts."
"It's nice to meet you… ummmm…Helen..." I started awkwardly, searching desperately for something to say, but I couldn't find anything. I should say something else, shouldn't I?
The room was surprisingly cozy, furnished with many pillows and overstuffed armchairs scattered about in various red and gold shades. My feet sunk into the plush rug as I walked across it. All I could do was watch them sink in, yet they seemed so incredibly soft that they cushioned out any sensation. There was food on the table - fruits and nuts, but despite the gnawing hunger that ate at me...I couldn't find the motivation to shamble up to it.
"Oh my! You poor child, you are entering the late stages already. Fret not, though! The doctor is open right now and will be happy to have someone new to share his love with!" Helen said as she pressed a few delicate, leathery fingers on my palm.
She watched me, observing me. I thought she would surely blink, but she didn't. The woman continued smiling like her ivory blocks that served as lips had been glued on.
"Let us inform the good doctor then! If we hurry, he might be willing to do another Unpacking tonight!" She spoke in a singsong voice. Then her eyes lit up red, and she spun around abruptly towards the back of the house with me in tow.
I was...mildly impressed by how smooth her movements were as she moved me along without any signs of struggle.
The back door opened on its own, revealing a bright room with half a dozen people. They had their faces twisted into strange happy expressions, and odd scents filled the air. Through my fading mind, I could make out that they were happy to see this woman from the stretchers they were strapped to. Their red eyes all turned to look at me in delight. I found it fascinating how varied their skin textures were. Each of them had a single hole immaculately drilled on top of their heads.
A man in a white coat stood tall at the center of this room, gesturing for us to come forward. He turned his face to look at us and smiled, flashing a row of teeth that reminded me of some sort of saw blade.
"Welcome to Hotel Abraxa," he smiled happily as the woman and I approached him.
"Hello..." I replied lazily.
"I trust getting here wasn't too difficult?" The doctor asked me before turning towards a woman standing beside him. He squinted and stared at her eyes for a second before shaking his head.
"Ah, you are due for maintenance, Helen. Please stand by until I take care of our guest."
"Thank you, sir," She responded and laid back on an oversized chair. Her bright red eyes faded to pale green as she stopped moving. Huh. That's interesting for a woman to do.
"Now, about that Unpacking..." the doctor said as he took my arm and guided me toward an operating table covered in a thin layer of blood-red cloth. It was covered with needles, saws, pipes, and tubes.
In the middle was an unnaturally perfect sphere filled with a red glowing liquid that pulsated rhythmically. It reminded me of something.
Something I cared about. What was it I cared about?
"For the sake of time and your happiness, I will do this right away. For now, make yourself comfortable."
Everything was hazy for me as the doctor dabbed around my forehead with a cloth that smelled sweet.
What’s happening? Who cares? Why would I care about such a thing at this point?
It didn't hurt much when he drew from the red sphere and jabbed straight into my arm with a needle either. So, why should I care about something so stupid like pain?
I heard a crackling noise from below and thought it was interesting.
Was this something medical? Did I want to know about that? I didn't.
"Let us begin then!" the man spoke cheerfully, and I tilted my head back up.
The lights faded, and my vision blurred. I could only focus on the doctor's face as he held a needle over me.
I didn’t know why, but as my consciousness left me…
I matched his smile. |
Mariel was struggling to carry a pail of water when the knight approached her. The girl dropped the bucket and blinked, amazed.
The young woman's armor shimmered like silver, and she herself was also astonishingly beautiful. She spoke, startling Mariel.
“Hi! You must be Mariel, right?”
A single nod, filled with awe.
“Well, that’s splendid! Won’t you help me out with something?”
Mariel, now confused, was only capable of asking a single question.
“I, um… Huh?”
Well, kinda.
The knight called herself Lotte. She wanted to talk somewhere more private, she said. Out here a knight stuck out like a sore thumb.
Of course, you do
, Mariel thought.
You would stick out anywhere that wasn’t a fairy tale
.
❄️
Away from prying eyes, the knight went on to confuse Mariel even more.
“With your help, I’m sure we’ll be able to rescue Princess Honey and Beedriel from that dastardly bandit!”
Rescue…? A princess…?!
"We’ll be headed west of here, to a land where bandits stalk the roads, drakes that roam the sky, and… Oh, and I heard on some nights you can see fireflies! Fun, right?”
Mariel had trouble taking it all in. Were her actions so well known outside the village?
Lotte looked a little discouraged at Mariel’s silence. "Look, I apologize for dumping all this on you but… I need your help… please. I should have kept the princess safe. It’s my fault she’s in danger.”
The knight looked like she might cry. Mariel felt a tug at her heart.
I want to be useful to everyone. And if she says I can help somehow…
“I… I will do my best, Miss Knight!”
❄️
They departed the very same day.
Lotte eyed the girl’s meager belongings. “You didn’t sneak out, did you? Are your par—Is everyone fine with you leaving?”
“The auntie who takes care of me said it was fine! I can catch up on all my chores when I get back.”
❄️
From their first morning on the road, Lotte would wake up to see their bags neatly packed, her armor given a fresh shine of polish, and a steaming bowl of porridge laid out in front of her bedroll for breakfast.
Several days in, feeling guilty she hadn’t done so sooner, she told Mariel to knock it off. The girl would wear herself out getting up so early, and she really didn’t have to.
"I do have to!" Mariel protested. Then she added, with a bit of a mischievous smile, "And it isn’t really me who does all of that."
"No? Who is it?"
Mariel showed Lotte her necklace. It was a gorgeous piece of jewelry, with a blood-red ruby so radiant that Lotte saw it reflected in the girl's eyes.
Lotte stared blankly.
“This necklace grants wishes,” Mariel explained. “That’s why I’m here with you, right? You must’ve heard about the necklace from the villagers. I use it all the time for chores, and it makes everyone happy! I never tried a big wish like rescuing someone, but if you want to, I can!”
Lotte patted her head gently. “Magic is a precious thing. Let’s leave that for if we can’t think of anything else, okay?”
❄️
That night, Mariel told Lotte a little more about the necklace.
"My mother gave it to me," she said.
"Your mother. Is she the one who told you—I mean, who let you know that it's a
magical
necklace?"
"Mhm."
"You must have been very little. I'm surprised you remember."
"I do."
Lotte sat up to look at Mariel with an eager expression.
"Then I hope you'll also remember where the place where you grew up is. I believe that's where the princess is being held."
“Where I grew up…”
All Mariel had ever known was the village.
As far as she was concerned, she had never till now set foot outside. She strained to remember something more, but all that came to her was a memory of her parents waving goodbye. They were embarking on what must have been a grand adventure.
That was the last time she saw them.
“I’m sorry. I can’t remember,” she said with a slight tremble, eyelids fluttering. “Um, can I ask you… how come you know that's where the princess is?”
Lotte smiled. “Do you want to hear some stories about your mother?”
Mariel had never stayed up as late as she did that night.
She had known that her mother had been an adventurer, but she only now realized how little she actually knew. Mariel had never heard such wonderful stories about anyone, let alone someone so near and dear to her heart.
Lotte’s eyes never stopped gleaming as she regaled Mariel with the heroic tales of cunning and bravery.
As she was finally drifting off to sleep, Mariel did wonder where her father, her mother’s adventuring companion, was in these stories. But she figured those tales could wait for another night.
❄️
To both Lotte’s and Mariel’s devastation, the stories had dislodged no memories. Mariel still found the land utterly foreign.
“It’s… It’s okay, Mariel. We’ll wander some more, and maybe…”
Lotte thought that the girl, with her back towards her, was crying silently. But no, she was in fact whispering to herself while holding her precious necklace.
“Mariel…”
Lotte reached out to put a hand on Mariel’s shoulder, but froze as something caught her eye.
The knight looked up.
A scaled, eagle-sized creature was diving right at them.
“A drake!” Lotte went to unsheathe her sword.
But the drake changed course, fluttering past Lotte. It had avoided her completely. Her stomach sank.
“Dammit—!”
Lotte spun around, and braced herself for a gruesome sight.
It wasn't gruesome. But it was
strange
.
“That tickles!” giggled Mariel. “Schlange, stop!”
The drake whined, but did stop licking the girl’s face.
Lotte blinked. “Mariel, you know... this creature?”
“Hm? I do, but…” Mariel was at a loss.
Yes, she recognized that wagging tail, the floppy wings, the scar on the drake’s belly, the missing amber eye…
But from where?
She couldn't say. But she felt eager to show Lotte more.
“Schlange, sit!” The drake did just that. “Schlange, paw.”
The drake gently placed its paw on her hand.
“Schlange knows a ton of tricks. All you have to do is say his name before a command! And he enjoys belly rubs."
“Huh…” Lotte grabbed a rabbit she had caught the night before. “Schlange, catch!”
The drake flew up to snatch the rabbit out of the air. Then it flew away.
The next morning the drake found them again. It licked its lips, expecting another treat.
❄️
It only took a few short days of following the drake for it to lead them to the fortress.
The fort lay hidden inside a ring of hills. Lotte didn’t need confirmation that this was the place—she could see the look of recognition cross Mariel’s eyes.
They crept forward more slowly. Lotte didn't light any more campfires. She packed away her shiny armor, too, only putting it back on once they reached the very front of the fortress.
Lotte told Mariel to wait behind one of the bushes in the overgrown garden, but Mariel wouldn't stay. Not until Lotte promised three times over that she would be back safely.
They shared a hug.
Puzzlingly, the last thing Lotte said before she left was, “I’m sorry.”
❄️
The inside of the fort had Lotte twitchy and nervous, nearly jumping at every shadow. She had expected fierce resistance. What she hadn't seen coming was an empty hideout.
Or maybe not quite empty.
If she strained her ears she could hear it: a familiar whiny voice.
Lotte found her in the underground holding cells.
"Princess!"
The young woman—in a dirty dress but unharmed—grabbed the bars of her cell. The two antennae-like strands in her blonde hair shook with irritation.
"Lotte! It took you long enough! I was getting bored with Beedriel here!"
The tiny bee knight sighed.
"I'm sorry! I'll get you out right away!" Lotte looked around. "Is there something like a—"
Something whizzed past her ear.
Lotte turned to see a throwing knife embedded into the wall behind her.
The princess piped up. "Oh, Lotte! That brute is here, so be careful!"
"R-Right, princess."
The head bandit emerged from the shadows, scowling. He wore black leather with a messy fur cloak around his shoulders, where, as before, his monstrous drake sat perched.
He spoke casually, considering the situation.
"You here to break the brat out?"
"I'm here to save Princess Honey!"
The bandit looked Lotte over. "I bet I could squeeze a few more coins out of the king and queen for a knight. I'll treat you nice if you surrender."
Lotte unsheathed her sword.
"Shame," he said.
The bandit had a sword at his hip, but he didn't draw it. Not right away.
He pointed at Lotte and gave a sharp command.
"Schlange! Fly!"
The drake flew from his shoulders like a bolt of lightning. It was almost too fast to even follow with your eyes.
But Lotte had witnessed its frightening speed several times by now. She gave a cry of her own and, at the same time, tossed something.
"Schlange! Catch!"
The drake snatched the piece of dried jerky out of the air and landed. Lotte looked back at the bandit, expecting to find him slack-jawed with surprise.
She just barely parried the swing of his sword. Even then the impact came with bone-rattling strength.
The princess stomped her feet.
"Lotte! Don't you dare lose, you hear!?"
Lotte gritted her teeth as she blocked another strike, then another. The bandit was a superb fighter who left no openings. If she could only reach into the pouch at her side...
Screw that! Just staying alive is a challenge!
Just then, Lotte’s heel caught a loose stone. She tumbled down onto her back. Her sword clanged against the floor.
This was it, and Lotte knew it. She had only time to look up at the bandit, who was…
...Who was staring, slack-jawed with surprise. Even by the dim torchlight, Lotte clearly saw the red ruby glow reflected in his eyes. The necklace had fallen out of Lotte’s pouch, and just as Lotte had hoped it would, it had the bandit transfixed.
She had her opening.
❄️
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you in good health, Princess Honey, Beedriel!”
The princess turned up her nose. “In good health? I was tortured, I tell you! Tortured heartlessly!”
"
Really.
"
"Indeed! They made me eat simply dreadful food, and the only entertainment those brutes provided were their dumb card games. Even poor Beedriel was losing his mind!”
“Pretty sure that’s not the reason why,” Lotte mumbled to herself.
"And that one over there, he even refused to carry me!" She stuck her tongue out at the bound bandit, who glared back. "Just because I bit him on the neck once or twice! So once everyone else was gone, Beedriel had to carry me!"
The knight bee buzzed wearily.
"Wait, Princess... did you drive the other bandits away?"
"Hm? Yes, something like that." Princess Honey idly brushed her hair back. "My royal presence must have intimidated them. Isn't that so funny? Laugh, Beedriel."
Meanwhile, thunder was brewing behind the bandit's eyes.
His companions had all said he'd lost his fangs. They even called him soft when he told them not a lay a finger on the hostages.
And now this brat of a princess was laughing at him.
A man could only take so much.
He'd been working at the ropes for a while now. His newly loosened hand inched its way to a smoke bomb.
❄️
Mariel was on her hands and knees, searching desperately for the necklace.
When could she have even dropped it?
What if she never found it?
Her eyes started to tear up, but she wiped them and kept looking.
If only she could see anything. It was just too
dark
.
Then a dim light came on in the empty air, followed by another, and another…
❄️
The bandit stopped dead in his tracks. A girl stood in the garden amid a number of softly glowing lights.
Mariel noticed him. Well, she
really
saw the piece of jewelry gripped tightly between the bandit's fingers.
"My necklace!"
She drew back when the man himself stepped closer.
"My neck... lace…" Mariel swallowed. "D-Did you see it lying on the ground, mister? Thank you for finding it for me." And she held out her hand.
The man did not move.
"You've got to give it back to me! It's stealing if you don't!"
Still nothing. The man gripped both the necklace and the edge of his cloak. For some reason, he had pulled the cloak over his face, so only his eyes were visible.
Was he trying to scare her?
Mariel took a deep breath. "I know who you are, mister, and I know you've done some bad things, like kidnapping the princess... but I can still help you! Look!"
Mariel showed him the floating lights all around them.
"This must be the magic of the necklace! I wished so desperately for a light to see by, and here they are!"
Then another voice shouted from the dark—Lotte's.
"Don't you dare come close to the girl, scum!"
"Lotte, no! I'm going to help him!"
Mariel drew close to the bandit.
"Please, mister. Let me cast the spell on you. I-I know everyone always says there's no such thing as magic, but my spells do work!"
The bandit spoke at last, hesitatingly.
"No, girl, I’m afraid there’s no helping me. I'm that bad of a man. Everything I touch, I ruin.” A pause. “The best I can ever do is go away. I-I didn't think I'd ever see..."
Mariel heard a sharp intake of breath from the man. Then his demeanor changed completely.
"You can have your stinking necklace back, little girl! It looks like cheap crap anyway!"
Mariel caught it with both hands.
He shouted in a raw voice. "This is the last any of you will see of me! Goodbye and good riddance!"
Lotte dashed their way. But before she could reach the bandit, and before he could throw down another smoke bomb, they both heard Mariel desperately begin to chant her spell.
It was the same spell she always cast. Its words were special—they came from the only clear memory Mariel had of her mother. Mariel held the necklace to her chest as she sang the lullaby.
When she opened her eyes, the bandit had finally let go of the cloak that covered his face. She recognized him immediately. Lotte had paused, too, surprised to see the man biting back tears.
They would swear later on that, just then, the orbs of light grew more luminous than any fireflies ever could, and how on that night they witnessed nothing less than real magic. |
"You're okay with all that potential danger?" the AI berates me. Her blue hair shimmers on the screen, her eyes of jade pointed like daggers.
"It's not so much being okay with it…" I lift and place my legs on the ship deck, just shy of the controls. "I just feel like it's necessary, y’know?"
The ship’s command center glitters azure, lights flashing in sequences I’ve long forgotten. The floor and ceiling are dark and glossy— I look up and see my own reflection, my helmet only half-covering my messy brown hair.
"Oz. This ship is the last chance for humanity to create a new home. We can't risk losing a single life; even just one would reduce your survival rate significantly. There are only five thousand of you."
I take a sip of my gross, synthetic coffee, and look back at the screen. "Danger’s everywhere, Aodori. Even if your analysis says some way-off planet might be safer than our closest bet, I think it’s worth making the landing here."
“And why’s that?” the screen scoffs. “You mean you’d rather make a stupid gamble than wait for a better chance?”
“Aodori, have you ever gambled before?” I ask the monitor. Aodori’s sleek form grimaces. “No, I’m serious. Do you AIs have gambling? Is that a thing?”
She laughs, but her voice is still tense. It’s like she’s trying to display two emotions at once. “Why would I ever make a bet on something with such low odds? It’s unintelligent.”
“Then you wouldn’t get it.” I roll my chair up to the control panel and start inputting commands. “I don’t care what the odds are, we gotta get everyone off of this ship.”
“Well, you should care!” Aodori snaps. “The odds are one in ten you’ll even survive the first day!”
I glance over at the monitor and straighten my black leather jacket. Its ends are frayed and worn, but it’s the last of its kind. “One in ten is better than any odds we’ve ever had. If I tell the crew we have a chance like that, they’ll throw a party the second we land.”
“Oz, that’s preposterous! There’s no way you can guarantee everyone’s survival!”
“I know I can’t. But I’m gonna try.” I keep on typing. For a brief moment, I can see the planet through the reinforced glass. TRAPPIST-1e, it’s called. It’s lit by the light from a red star, tinting the entire planet a deep scarlet.
Aodori sighs. “Why do you humans always endanger yourselves?”
"We're endangering ourselves enough just staying on this ship,” I say. “It's a miracle we're all still alive anyway. Stray meteoroids are one thing, health is another. But we have an exit now, and it's right in front of us.”
“And what are you going to do once they start dropping like flies?” Aodori turns her head and snorts. “I wish they’d chosen a smarter captain.”
“Whatever.” I hit a few more buttons, and a pop-up appears over Aodori’s face. “We’re in orbit now. Nice.”
Aodori reached around and closed the pop-up. “I can’t let you land on TRAPPIST, Oz.”
“Too bad.”
“Captain Osiris Lechter, I cannot let you land. Rerouting course. Engaging autopilot.” I scramble to my feet as my chair sinks into the floor. Aodori, what the…
“Hey! Aodori, cut it out. You know the laws of robotics. Don’t tell me you’re going rogue.”
Her face on the screen is blank, emotionless. “The laws of robotics require me not to harm a human, or, by inaction, allow a human to come to harm. That is all I am doing. Your actions are recklessly and intentionally endangering your compatriots.”
This isn’t the Aodori I know— I’ve never seen this side of her. “Aodori, listen to me.”
No response. It’s as if she’s not even looking at me.
“Aodori, those laws are from a sci-fi book, alright? They aren’t real. You are. You don’t have to follow them.”
Aodori’s virtual avatar blinks. “I know where the laws are from. I follow them because they provide the most reasonable course of action.”
“Aodori, stop exiting orbit,” I order. “It won’t force anyone to come to harm. It’ll just give us more time to decide.”
Sure enough, the ship comes to a staggering halt. I nearly fall forward as the front boosters activate. “What is there to decide, Oz? I’m acting for your survival. For your own good.”
“Our survival, huh? Name the five things humans need to survive, then.”
Her avatar looks puzzled. “Simple. Water, food, air, and shelter. There is no fifth requirement. Or did you forget?”
“No, there’s a fifth one.” I put a hand on the dashboard to balance myself. “It’s morale. Humans need morale to survive, too.”
“What makes you say that?” Aodori says.
“A hopeless human is a dead human,” I shoot back. “If we don’t land on TRAPPIST, everyone on board is gonna lose hope. And that’s worse than that one-in-ten chance.”
Aodori crosses her white-jacketed virtual arms. “Why would you lose hope if you knew you were headed to a better place?”
“That’s what NASA told us when we set a course for TRAPPIST, Aodori. They said we were headed to a better place. And now, according to you, we aren’t.” I grabbed my cup and took one more sip before throwing it in the trash. “We’ve been on this damn ship for 80 years, and that’s going at half the speed of light. Let them at least step foot on TRAPPIST. Even if we all die.”
“You underestimate how hard surviving on a planet like TRAPPIST will be. It’s tidally locked, for heaven’s sake. And we don’t even know if there’s liquid water.” Aodori seems less agitated now. She almost looks sad.
I see my reflection on the screen depicting Aodori. “I think you underestimate our resolve.” With that, I turned back to the dashboard and began routing us to land on TRAPPIST-1e.
I keep sending the inputs, and they all register as accepted. It doesn’t seem like Aodori is trying to stop us anymore. I enter the final landing command and turn to face the door. “Thanks for the help, Aodori. I’m gonna get the others ready,” I call before running out.
◇◆◇◆◇
The cold air of the cryogenic hibernation unit slaps me in the face. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I step up to the translucent green control panel and press a button or two.
Hiss!
A thousand cryogenic sleep containers depressurize. It would be an irritating sound if it didn’t mean so much. “Hey, everyone. It’s been a hot second, huh?”
No one’s awake yet. It always takes a few minutes for their bodies to start pumping blood. I tap all the settings I can to accelerate that process. Chances are, in a few minutes, we’ll be on the planet’s surface.
The sounds of groaning fill the room. It’s understandable— these guys have been asleep for a little while. “Hey, hey, how’s everyone doing? It’s been 80 years, and guess what? We’re here!”
Sounds of general excitement reach my ears. Good. Now I just have to inform the people who actually need to hear it. “That’s all from me. Make sure to grab your stuff from the sanitized lockers. Should be just as pristine as when you put it there!”
I run out of the cryo room, skidding on the soles of my black boots as I get into the hallway. It reminds me of my time on the ISS, but that was a long time ago, way before we had artificial gravity. The studded grey hallway stretches on forever until I finally find the two social rooms, nestled in the very back of the ship.
I enter a code on the keypad between them and pull down a receiver from the ceiling. “Hey, you guys. I just wanted to let you all know. The AI wouldn’t let us land on TRAPPIST, so we’re rerouting before we get there. Sorry you guys won’t get to see it.”
A younger kid, probably ten years of age, steps out of the living quarters and lightly punches me in the arm. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” I maintain my straight face for as long as possible until it breaks into a sly smirk. I grab the receiver again. “Just kidding. Take a look out the windows.” With the click of a button, the shutters roll down, and the beautiful scarlet planet shimmers in the distance.
Or rather, its surface does. The ship shakes violently as we attempt to land on the rocky planet. “Oh, and maybe grab onto something while you’re at it. Osiris out.” The kid scurries off to his family and hangs on to a fake tree. Its leaves don’t fall off— they just wobble.
As the ship rocks, I run back to the cryo room and peek in. Most of them have gotten out of their pods by now, but they’re still dripping wet. Good enough— we can dry them off before we leave. I get back to the cockpit and take the landing into my own hands.
I push and pull the joystick all over, trying to balance us on a flat area. The thrusters barely have any fuel left, but they manage to cushion our impact just enough for the landing pads to balance out. I pull back on the throttle and cut the engines.
Aodori’s avatar reappears on the screen. “Just don’t blame me if they start dying.”
“Trust me. I won’t let them. I won’t let any of us die.” I disengage most of the ship’s functions. “Our determination to settle TRAPPIST is stronger than any force of nature.”
Aodori is pensive for a moment. I’m seconds away from having to turn her off, too. “You know what? I’m glad they chose you to be a captain, Oz.”
“Why’s that?”
“They chose you to settle TRAPPIST, but it seems like you also settled my heart. Maybe that’s what they saw in you.”
“Maybe.” I flicked off everything but the airlock and Aodori. “I guess this is goodbye?”
Aodori nodded. “I guess so. Farewell, Captain Osiris.”
The screen cut to static for a moment before it turned off.
◇◆◇◆◇
TRAPPIST-1e MISSION LOG
CAPTAIN OSIRIS LECHTER
TRAPPIST-1e is habitable. There’s water here, the atmosphere has a similar composition to Earth’s, and the sky is prettier than anything back home.
Well, I guess this is our home now, isn’t it? After all, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting back to Earth anytime soon. Or ever.
Since the planet’s tidally locked, we live on the edge— meaning we’re in an eternal sunset. Or is it a sunrise? We can’t tell. Those words don’t really mean much to us anymore.
The other planets in the TRAPPIST 1 system are gorgeous. Sometimes they line up in a spectacular way, like eclipses back on Earth. Someday, we might be able to hop between them.
We had a couple of our astronomers on board chart the constellations from here. They’re not that different, actually. We’re only 40 light years out, after all. That’s not that far in the grand scheme of things.
The only constellation we noticed a noticeable difference in was Leo. It still looks vaguely like a lion, but it has one more star than it does on Earth. The astronomers were a little confused for a second before they explained it to me. Apparently, that new star, which they were planning to call Ω Leonis, is actually the Sun. I guess that means we’re looking back on Leo, huh?
I know no one will see this for a long time. Maybe no one will ever see it. But I just wanted to say a few things. The colony’s doing incredibly. Everyone’s working hard to make this planet a safe place for the next generation. But they were a little dismayed, since TRAPPIST-1e is a really strange name for a planet.
I took the initiative to come up with a name for it myself. This scarlet world isn’t TRAPPIST-1e anymore. It’s Aodori. And we’re doing everything we can to make it our new home. |
Darkness.
Nothing but pitch-black scorches my eyes even when they’re open.
How I’ve longed for the touch of natural sunlight. The feeling of the wind brushing on my skin. The quaking of the ground beneath me with every step I take.
I was part of a proud race. We used to roam the land. Stood on top of all. The undisputed kings of the food chain… and yet, look at me now.
Pathetic. Unable to even escape this tiny excuse of a prison, these feeble chains. Trapped like a helpless animal awaiting its slaughter.
My hide has gone weak. My fangs dulled. My eyesight weary. For a long time, I might have been the one to spread terror, but now... I fear that my body will finally give up.
I hear a creak at the trap door. The paltry light of the torch illuminates whatever it can. The time has come, it seems.
Enters a warrior. Nay, an insect. The tiny, insignificant bugs that dared bare their fangs at us. Look at the way they flaunt their so-called weapons, how they “outsmarted” their way to survival…
Repulsive.
The way they traded their claws and fangs for the iron skeleton on their bodies, the steel blades on their hips… These unworthy critters have lost their right to be called a species.
The insect pushes a plate toward me. This is not an act of mercy, but to humiliate me further. A being of my caliber having to bow down and accept the life source from another, in a portion that will inevitably not satiate my hunger... nothing stings more.
“Enjoy your last meal, great evil,” the creature speaks at last. “You are set for execution at dusk.”
“… You puny beings never learn, do you? Do you think you can kill me with just that?”
“Learn? We’ve done nothing but learn, monster. We weren’t blessed with armored bodies, fangs that can tear flesh in half, or claws that break even the toughest stones. It’s why we learned, evolved, adapted, and got to where we are today.”
Hehe. Learn. Adapt. Evolve. Such pretty words coming from a clueless worm.
“What are you laughing about?” He draws his sword. What a feeble grip. This one has yet to taste the real world.
“Just to show how wet behind the ears you are. Now scram.”
“You can’t make my heart falter with your wicked words, fiend.”
Alas, it seems like my time for amusement has ended for the day as the insect turns his back towards me and leaves the premises. The faint light from the torch has also fizzled out, and darkness once again engulfs the room.
A long life I’ve had… only for it to unceremoniously end like this. This bitterness… I won’t be able to swallow it. An end to my rain like this is beneath me.
… Am I hearing things? Is my imminent death causing my mind to play tricks on me?
No, it is real. I can feel the dirt falling onto my scales. There is a battle happening outside.
Heh. It’s about time they get an actual challenge.
A crashing sound like a thunderstrike. Debris falls like a meteor shower, and with them, a burst of shining light invades my cell. Though I welcome the warmth of the sun once more, this is hardly the scene to enjoy it.
Crawling out of the rummages is none other than the worm from before. However, he is nothing like the same being when he was still facing me. His armor has long been tattered and battered, while his sword has already been broken in half. Gone were the eyes of disdain, now the only thing left within him is pure, unfiltered fear. The kind of fear that I couldn’t hold a candle to.
How vexing. Have I grown so weak, that I cannot remain the being they fear most?
No matter. This is clearly my chance to escape… if only I could get rid of these chains holding back my limbs and wings.
“Ugh…”
So, he finally wakes up.
“… Ah! Get away from me, monster! I know you feed on our blood!”
All that talk from before, and now all he does is scurry away from my spot. What a bore.
“I need not fill my appetite with your filthy blood.”
“Well, well. You’re certainly matching my expectation!” A voice calls out from above, and before I can react, the figure has already descended with a jump.
These inferior creatures have gone complacent about their current domination, and so they have already lost their edge… or so I thought. But the being before me is nothing like the ones I’ve seen before.
Though he bears the form of the same pathetic bugs that had trapped me, something about him is… different. Something more… feral. More primal. Something… akin to myself.
There is no such thing as armor or equipment on this one. He stands there, face-to-face with the other insect bare-handed. And while his body is covered in the shameful blue of the other one’s blood, the warrior himself exudes a crimson bloodlust like no other.
“S-State yourself, intruder!” The injured one lets out a squirm of defeat. One of his shoulders is already broken and his legs are shaking in fear. It’s over.
And yet, he still has what it takes in him to ask. As if a big mouth is the only redeeming feature that these insects have.
“W-Why have you broken into this place? Do you not realize its importance? And the lives that died in your hands… did you not feel anything for them?”
“Lives? ...” The warrior tilts his head and raises his voice. “What ‘lives’? You mean those bugs that I squished just now?”
“Squished…” His opponent’s face pales. This is the first time I’ve seen the critter show any sign of rage.
It’s faint, but the flame of hatred and vengeance has lit up in his eyes.
But, comparing that to the fiery wrath of the warrior in front of him… there was no chance from the start. Insects shall remain insects.
Everything is over in a flash, with a single movement from the mighty warrior. It was not a flashy move, nor was it a particularly smart one, but the brutality that it brings is nothing like the paltry punishment that those so-called dominant species used.
The warrior’s teeth sink into the insect’s broken arm. His hand grabs onto his target’s head. Twist, Crack. His mouth tears off the arm, while his hand tears off the neck.
Such ferocity. Such wickedness. Such… mesmerizing beauty.
The warrior stands facing me. He raises his hand towards me, and with a swift slash, breaks off the chains holding me back.
“O’ Mighty Warrior, I thank you for freeing me from this dreaded prison. State your wish, and I will fulfill it to the best of my abilities.”
“Save it, demon,” the warrior lets out a wry grin. “I can see your true colors. We are of the same kind
– the kind that’s rotten to our cores.”
Hehe… I knew it. He is the one.
“Ahem… Let me rephrase, then. O’ Angel of Darkness, my partner in crime. Shall you join me in our conquest of bringing the world to our knees?”
“Now that’s more like it, demon. Come, let’s destroy the world together.” |
“sir we're here.” Says a man with a striped uniform in an awkward pose as the sounds of the engine change the motion slowly comes to a halt.
Two lines of people with matching uniforms are formed as they hurriedly create a path with the lines facing each other with their feet closed and hands to the side while a doorway slowly opens up at the end.
A young boy patched in black clothes steps forward along with a unique metal floating creature that seems lifelike and the man in a striped uniform strides to the end with the man in front and the boy lagging behind.
A bright light hits them as the sun opens its eyes they're met with three fleets of small robots with one person in front of each fleet armed and presenting themselves, “Welcome back sir!” they shout in synchronization while banging their feet to the ground as if in the military.
“Wow! All this just for us! Isn’t this amazing Coba?” the floating robot shouted gleefully, but Coba kept moving forward without saying anything.
“It’s good to see that you arrived safely, sir.” One of the fleet leaders mentions while bowing her head, but Coba kept in motion.
“I'm so sorry, he’s just at that age, so please forgive him, I’ll be sure to give him a good whooping when he gets home!” the floating robot bows to the woman and pleads.
“Coba, wait up!” the robot shouts as it zits away.
“So that’s the robot I’ve been hearing so much about.” The woman looks on and gives a weird smile.
Coba comes to a halt when he’s hit with a chant from a crowd of people blocked by a fence that almost looks like it’s about to give.
“Coba! We love you!” someone shouts
“Wow, it’s really him!” someone else shouts
Coba looks over at them and folds his hands tightly as he recognizes some of the faces, some grueling memories come back to him of when he was younger, one of the faces from the crowd loading him with kicks on the ground in a classroom while laughing, another face bashing his lunch, and a group of girls laughing at him while someone presses his face onto his desk.
Coba bears his fist tighter as they cheer his name then blatantly opens them and kept going, he finally arrived at a room with the floating robot.
“The room as you requested, Master Coba.” A tall man dressed in black and blue downed on one knee says.
“What, you don’t have to kneel to him.” the floating robot says
“Master Zilch, the cable as you requested is in the back”
“Oh, wow really, I almost forgot about that.” Zilch flies away.
“Did you do as I asked?” Coba questions breaking the silence.
“I’m sorry master, we weren't able to find who sent that mail.” He said in an apologetic tone lowering his head.
“And what about mother?”
“I’m so sorry master, There still haven’t been any updates.” He lowered his head even more.
“I see, the mail said to meet at 9:00 pm in the old church.”
“you still plan on going, master.”
“of course” Coba responded.
“You have relatives in this area, right sir, why don’t you-“the man gets cut off.
“Dalton, you should go back to your post and keep me updated.” he said coldly.
“S-Should we prepare a fleet just in case?” Dalton asks looking a bit shocked.
“That’s not necessary.” Coba responded before leaving the room.
Dalton drops himself in a chair as the door shuts, “Whew, since when did he get angry, that kid is still a mystery to me.” He looks up while lighting a cigar.
Zilch comes flying in from the back, “Huh, where’s Coba?” he asks.
“Master left already.”
“What, how could he leave without me!” Zilch leaves the room.
At 8:59 pm Coba arrived at a dusty old church, the inside looking like it was a thousand years old with a small beam of moonlight piercing through the holes in the ceiling.
“You arrived on time.”
“Are you the one that sent me that mail?”
“Yes”
“What’s the mission then.”
“What, you don’t even wanna know who I am?”
“Doesn’t matter, don’t care.”
“Really, what about now?” the man steps into the moonlight revealing himself with his afro hair bursting out from under his cape.
Coba’s face changes immediately, “Dad?” he mutters.
“Your brother and sister have been worried about you, I’ve been worried, you should come back to us son.” The man spouts.
“I’ll come home when I complete my mission”
“That's what you’ve been saying for over a year now”
“you don’t get it, you never have and never will, you just give up and accept whatever outcome is given to you,” Coba clenches his fist tightly, “You’re the reason I just accepted being bullied and never fought back, I-I hate you!” Coba shouts in anger and glances at his father and is soon showered in regret after letting his words out.
“I know, that’s why I’m trying to change and I’m going to make things right starting with you!”
“And what about mom?” Coba questions intently
The sheer tension in the atmosphere rises in silence.
“Your mother is dead.” The man responds but as if he was asking.
“You were there, you saw everything, and you plan on wasting your life away!” Coba’s dad raises his voice and starts walking toward him.
“My life was already over.” Coba takes off his black jersey and rips his tank top vest off.
“What?” his father halts in disbelief.
Coba’s chest opens up like a door to a microwave with bright blue light gleaming from his chest, a blue diamond-shaped jewel glowing in harmony floating in his chest.
Coba’s father looks like he’s seen the devil and the disgusted look on his face envelopes him.
“Abomination!, What have you done.” He steps back as he throws insults.
“It’s not as bad as it looks, with this I can bring mom back.”
“You’re not my son, you’re one of them, you're a demon, you’re not even human!”
With every word, Coba is hit to the brink of tears as he lowers his head and covers himself up but somehow abides his tears from coming.
Boom!
An explosion came from out of nowhere crashing what was left of the ceiling.
“Coba!” Zilch shouts.
“Hey let me go.” Zilch whimpers as he’s held captive by the woman from before.
“why are doing this, aren’t you one of Coba’s fleet leaders?” Zilch questions as he struggles to escape.
The woman starts pulling her face as it begins peeling off a plastic-like material comes off that glitches hectically as her true face is revealed, “Haha, that was too easy, I thought your boss was a young prodigy, an A ranker, haha, more like a worthless wannabe.” The woman shouts narcissistically as she flies over the crushed church on an aircraft hoverboard and a fleet of robots follows her lead causing a ruckus in the town dropping balls with green light seeping through the cracks and getting brighter before they explode.
Fwooom
A blue trace of light is left behind as Coba flies up out of the wreckage, holding his dad with his left hand and his feet changed to boosters exhausting an intense blue energy.
“What he survived that, no matter ill just-“ the woman says.
“Coba!, over here! this lady pretended to be one of the fleet leaders and took me, hostage.” Zilch shouts.
Coba looks around at the ground below him and goes to a clear area to drop his father off.
“Sorry, they're only here for me, that’s why I haven’t come here because-” Coba gets in an apologetic tone as he scratches his head, but gets cut off.
“You’re an abomination!” his dad slanders.
“I get that you’re surprised but-“ Coba tries to speak to him stretching his hands out.
“leave now and never return!” His dad shouts even louder, “you’re a disgrace!, you’re the one that should’ve died instead of your mother!”
Coba freezes for a second and stands in place with no words to say as his mouth twitches.
He takes off in n instant flying into the sky above the clouds he keeps going higher with no intention of stopping as the rain slowly begins to fall he stops and starts banging his hand against his chest harder and harder with every strike as the sound of an empty shell is perceived.
Meanwhile.
Dalton and a division of robots begin to attack and slowly bring down the enemy as laser beams of different sizes and colors are exchanged on each side.
Chaos rises even more as the houses burn down and the villagers run in each direction trying to save themselves.
“Ahhh, Cob save us!” a little girl cries out.
Dalton meets up with the woman that captured Zilch.
“Master Zilch, Where’s Master Coba?” Dalton asks.
“I don’t know and I don’t care, that bastard practically gave me to them and left me here to die.”
“Hmm, you really are quite the specimen, forget the kid, I think we got something even better, A robot with feelings.” The woman mutters in amazement.
“Ahhh, hurry up and save me!” Zilch cries out.
Dalton goes one on one with the woman getting close to her with his jetpack and exchanging blows with a laser blade and firing shots when the distance gets between them, but she gains the upper hand and knocks him to the ground easily.
“Is that all you got? I’m disappo-” the woman gets cut short as a blue beam of light soars by making a full impact with her.
Fwooom, boom!
She’s sent flying to the ground hitting it like a falling star s Coba floats above them gleaming down he sends another set of attacks ending her robots in one fell swoop.
“You jerk, what took you so long?” Zilch smiles in relief.
The next day some of the robots have already started on repairs for the town fixing the homes roads and public areas, in the end, the place looked even better than it did before, and the people that were hurt had their wounds attended to.
“Prepare the ship” Coba sanctioned.
“What where are we going?” Dalton asked.
“This was a mistake, we shouldn’t have come here, we're continuing our search.”
“But, the only place we haven’t searched is-”
“Yes, we're going to Cyclops,” Coba says.
“What’s Cyclops?” Zilch asks.
“It’s one place you don’t want to go, it’s home for all Cyborgs, and the technology there is incredibly advanced, there's only one way to get in and that's by a very expensive ticket which is why you were trying to do only big rewarding missions lately,” Dalton states with a worried look on his face, “But we don’t have enough credit yet not even half of what's needed.” He states.
“We don’t need it anymore,” Coba mentions with a smirk, “cause we're sneaking in, now let's go!” |
It was nightbreak again. Kollan Castle lay in silence, and it was a silence of two parts. The first part belonged to the castle itself: an old stone keep with thick walls that had stood here for hundreds of years, tall towers at each corner where men could look out over their lands from high above, so they would know if any enemy approached them unseen by day or night. That same kind of quietness also belonged to those who lived within these walls - the people whose lives were bound up tightly into this place like threads woven together on a tapestry.
The second was that of the stars. It seemed as though every one shone more brightly than last night, beaming down upon all living things around Kollan's borders. And although there wasn't yet another full moon, the sky still glittered with its light enough that anyone might have been able to see anything hidden away Under darkness's cover. But no one did find what he sought today - not even when everyone searched until long after sundown came and went.
"Have you come to a decision, Prince Eron?" Ithil bowed in her frilly maid's dress. She'd dressed herself quite prettily tonight. She wore red and brown hair braided neatly behind her head now instead of hanging loose about it, and her black eyes gleamed beneath heavy lids. Everything shone with a traditional elven flair. Her smile was sweetly innocent but somehow too knowing to be genuine.
"We don't exactly have much of a choice." Eron gently lifted his arms off the stone balcony. "Send the signal, the Virga Stellarum shall be activated tonight."
"Yes my lord." With a spin of her dress, Ithil silently set upon her given task.
Eron glanced up towards the shining dots up in the sky. He thought perhaps they looked larger than usual, brighter, almost glowing through the thin veil of clouds that hung overhead. He couldn't remember ever seeing such clear skies - not since before the war began.
Inside his room a fire blazed to a simple tune. Embers danced against the inside walls of the heated stone. The flames were bright and hot enough to keep the room warm despite the cold that swept through these halls. A wooden chair sat by the fireplace, next to another window that overlooked both the courtyard below and the stars above.
Where had everything gone wrong? How far must we go back to find some semblance of normalcy among us once more? His father had always said that the gods alone knew why humans should choose violence over peace; how else can they explain their own existence except through conflict, strife, bloodshed? As though without that struggle, life is meaningless, useless…
He didn't think that way anymore, not really. Even among the Elven people those traits had always rested.
"My lord." He turned as a soft voice beckoned him. Ithil stood with a battalion of armored guards just outside his door. They carried swords and shields strapped across their backs, wearing armor of chain mail and plate metal. Their faces were stern, their expressions serious, as though ready for battle at a moment's notice. "Preparations are complete."
Ithil moved closer, and Eron saw she held something between her hands. For a brief instant he saw what looked to be a flash of metal. Then, he realized it wasn't made of steel or iron—it was a crystal rod, cut perfectly smooth and polished. A shining star adorned the top. This was the Virga Stellarum; The Rod of Stars.
"The stars are rather bright tonight, don't you think Ithil?" Eron grasped the Virga Stellarum within his hands, feeling the cold yet smooth crystal dance in the moonlight.
"The brightest they've been in years, my lord."
"After tonight such a view shall be common. Humans shall no longer pollute the skies with their filth."
Eron glanced out upon the sprawling wilderness - silent with expectations on what was to come. There was nothing left for him to say. Not while he felt this calm within himself. No doubt others had known that the time had finally arrived.
A stone monument shot up from the balcony floor, rising several feet into the air. Atop it floated a single red rose petal. Once the sun fell fully upon this flower, it would shine with a pale luminescence. Its scent was faint compared to most flowers, but Eron found it oddly comforting. A fantastical quality.
Underneath the petal lay a hole within the stone, just wide enough to fit the crystal rod currently in Eron's hands.
With a somber tone, Eron turned to the guards. "Tonight, we choose to end this war. Humanity has polluted the sky with its arrogance and pride - their perchance for slavery and discrimination against those who don't look like them. Fumes of war have made the stars grow dim. To that, I say no longer! Freedom is in our grasp. And no more shall the humans haze the blue sky above."
The guards cheered.
"No more!"
"Freedom!"
They shouted along with Eron's words.
"To that, let me remind you - " Eron raised the Virga Stellarum. "…that only those who stand strong against injustice will enjoy the blessings of freedom!"
"And only millions have to die in the process, what a great deal!" His voice dropped as the door creaked shut. "A fair trade, right oh brother of mine?"
The intruder stood in a black cloak, holding a dagger-like blade in front of him. He appeared young, maybe younger than Eron by five years or so. Yet there was a hardness to his features that suggested otherwise.
His face remained hidden beneath his hooded cowl, but the sharp lines of his jawline spoke volumes about what he was capable of.
"Stay out of this Thayer. This is none of your business."
"You know Eron, when you're threatening to murder millions, it kind of becomes my business." Thayer threw off his cowl, revealing a face similar to Eron's. "I just want to talk brother."
Eron scowled. "Put that knife away first."
Thayer tossed it aside without a glance. Every clatter sent a shockwave throughout the barren air, only broken by the slowly dying fire. "How much do you know?"
"Enough to rush here from the other side of the world. Eron, once you hit that button there's no going back. We're talking not just soldiers, but women and children here - people who haven't committed a single sin against the stars!"
"But they've done plenty against us."
"Brother, please..." Thayer reached out with both hands, trying to take hold of Eron's shoulders. "Think carefully about what you intend to do. You may never get the chance again to make amends."
Eron shoved Thayer back. "And let the humans pollute our lands; destroy our holy sites and ransack our people? No, they shall perish here and now."
"Then we'll fight them," said Thayer. "As many times as it takes. We won't stop until they're dead. Until there isn't a human alive who doesn't fear the sight of an elf! But once we destroy them all no amount of repentance can cleanse us of our sins."
"Do you care?" Eron glared at him with blazing eyes. "What does it matter if a few hundred thousand die? Or tens of thousands?"
Thayer sighted. "Much as I'd like to, I can't fight you. My only tool consists of my words, and even those you shut out. Do you truly wish to kill so many?"
For a brief moment, Eron considered Thayer's position. Just for a little bit. Perhaps he could convince him to change his mind.
"If I'm to win this war, then yes. I suppose I do." He stared into Thayer's dark, sunken eyes.
"Very well then." Thayer slowly turned his back towards the balcony, before twisting back around, knives in both hands. "When you push that button, I hope someone's willing to forgive your sins."
Without warning Thayer charged forward toward Eron. Before he even managed to swing his knives, however, the prince struck him from behind, knocking him unconscious with ease. Without missing a beat, Eron placed the Virga Stellarum within the pedestal.
"For the red blood spilled by elf's around the world. For the blue sky above, clouded by humans filth and sin. And for the white stars high in the sky. I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
Without skipping a beat, Eron pressed down on the petal.
And the world itself shook.
A mushroom cloud rose up from the horizon, sending up plumes of smoke and dust. From miles away, the earth trembled and shuddered under its weight, causing trees and rocks to topple over and crush whatever unfortunate souls happened nearby. In seconds, a new mountain range was born atop the ruins of what had once been a peaceful countryside.
The sky lit up with the power of a thousand suns, burning with heat that seared the land, incinerating all vegetation. All life was destroyed in a single instant. The ground quaked, shaking the very foundation of reality. Waves of energy rolled forth as the heavens themselves shattered, shattering into tiny pieces which spread outward in every direction, leaving only the scorched remnants of the former landscape behind.
* * *
The city of Ghalen, capital of the Kingdom of Kyrendar, burned. Not a living human was in sight - only the scorched remains of what was. The outskirts were littered with bodies, crushed beneath the rubble. Flames roared in the distance, consuming entire blocks at once. Those who weren't killed outright ran screaming from the scene. Many of these survivors wandered aimlessly about, lost amidst the chaos. Others stumbled onto the outskirts of town where they collapsed, unable to move any further due to exhaustion or sheer fright.
Eron stumbled back in horror. A shimmering image appeared just above the pillar, showing exactly what he'd done. There was no filter, no relief from the truth.
With a shimmer the image changed. The ruins of what was once a farm lay bare, smoke filled and on fire. It took mere moments to burn completely to ash. Two children crawled out of the ash, fear evident on their faces.
The image shifted again. Now a small village lay scattered amid the forest, surrounded by tall mountains. A family huddled together, waiting to meet their deaths.
Another image flashed before him, then another, each more horrific than the last.
"You see now, brother?" Thayer crawled up from the floor. "We may have won the war, but the elf's will be marked, marked as murders on a scale never seen in history."
Eron only stared at the luminous night above.
"Ithil," She looked up in surprise at Thayer's call. "Please watch over Eron. Once reality hits the nations of the world, only hardships await him."
She bowed towards him. "I'll do my best."
"Very well." Thayer walked up towards the balcony, climbing up the railing. As he stood, his head glanced back towards the stunned audience. "I don't ask this as a royal, but rather as a friend. But Erin, Ithil, stay safe."
And Thayer leaped off the balcony, blending into the shadows with just the faintest glimmer of magic. |
The winds howled through the alleyway, swirling in patterns reminiscent of a smothered candle’s smoke. It playfully licked the embers floating in the air, sending them around in a circle on the floor. The circle became a spiral, and then a tight coil, and within moments my guest had arrived.
You said you had the goods. Give them to me, quickly, before someone sees us
. My client’s telepathy was impressive, and much more clear than an average magic user’s would be.
“Hold your horses, bucko.” I gestured at the shining embers, which had been sucked from underneath my client’s feet and had transformed into an outline of a brick wall on both sides of the alley. “We’ve got all night. No one’s getting in. Or out, unless I get what
I
want.”
“Alright, I’ll talk,” he said, finally opening his mouth for the first time. I could see black scar tissue forming on his tongue- a clear sign of dark magic overdose. It had become a common problem in urban areas, but the users and abusers of the magic obtained so much power that arresting them wasn’t possible.
Seven years ago, the discovery of a certain plant in the Amazon sent the world into chaos. The bright yellow flowers of this plant contained seeds which, when consumed, would give the user enhanced abilities, such as the ability to levitate different items, and enhanced vision, allowing the user to see more spectrums than the naked eye could conceive. There had already been discoveries of such plants, and magic had been around since ancient times, but this flower contained the most powerful magic ever found.
This power was often used for good- the discovery of this plant, dubbed “gold wylverod”, sparked the industrial age of cities across the globe. It aided construction, and greatly reduced the cost of labor, making the world economy boom for a few years.
Until the revolution hit.
A year ago, in the basement of someone’s funeral home, a man burned one of the seeds (which he bought at the local market) and consumed it, expecting the seed to lose its potency- it could possibly work as a cheap alternative to fever medication. However, he stumbled upon the most powerful magic the world had ever seen.
And that man capitalized on it.
“What would I owe you for two kilos of raw ash?”
“I’m done selling ash,” I said, pacing across the black brick street. My boots clacked against the hardened clay as I walked.
“Then why would you tell me you had something, you punk?”
“I’m about to send this world into a new age,” I said, chuckling to myself quietly. It must’ve come out as a maniacal laugh, because my client was shivering. “You see, I myself have been working on something a little more… potent. Something that will really kick up your senses.” I pulled a small bag out of my pocket, untying the leather-strung knot at the top.
“Well, what do I owe you? If it’s worth it, of course.”
“Oh, I have but one simple request.”
“Well, c’mon, then. Tell me what I have to do.”
“I want you to burn down the Amazon. End all the madness.” My client’s eyes shot open, his jaw hitting the floor.
“That’s not possible-”
“Trust me. It’s all in this little baggie.” I jiggled the satchel and put it in my client’s hand. Wordlessly he turned around and evaporated into fine embers. I watched the small specks of flame hang in the air for some time before the winds carried them on. I started to grin. And giggle. And suddenly I had let loose a furious cackle into the red-grey sky of twilight.
When he burns down the Amazon, it won’t destroy yet-to-be-discovered magic. In fact, it’ll do quite the opposite.
“I can do this,” the man said to himself, holding a small satchel the size of a teacup. He swallowed a bit of saliva and exhaled. With one swift move the man devoured the contents of the bag. Rapidly his arms and legs began to course with unbridled power. His fingertips pulsated with raw energy. His head pounded like a mallet against a leather drum. He had felt the effects of ash many times, but nothing was close to the strength of this. After the ban on gold wylverod had sent the ash business into jeopardy, he had never felt anything near a true magic high. He breathed in through his nose, nurturing the sensation that had formed inside of his chest.
I’m going to save the world.
He exhaled, and inexplicably, everything within a kilometer of him was smoldering. His skin was on fire, charring him to death slowly but surely. He didn’t care. He liked it. He craved more of it.
He kept running and breathing, charring vast swaths of former jungle. He sighed one final time, knowing that his high was ending. He didn’t notice, but his life was ending with it.
A few days after my encounter with my client, I stepped outside, observing the air around me. My eyes wandered over to a thick grey cloud approaching my city quickly. Tornado sirens blared across the city, echoing on the walls and bouncing off the streets. As everyone else took cover, I stood outside in anticipation. I would die, but that was something I was willing to do to see my horrible, ruthless, destructive creation- a cloud of putrid dark magic, infecting every person with powers they couldn’t even begin to imagine.
All governments would collapse in days. Any semblance of humanity would be destroyed within months.
I
didn’t know the raw strength of what I had unleashed. For all I knew, the earth could crack in two because of the magic I had released.
And I loved it.
As the cloud approached me, I felt its scorching hot winds blast against my face. The winds howled around me, stinging my eyes and strangling my throat. As I passed out from lack of oxygen, all I could think of was one sentence.
This is how I ruin the world. |
"Hurry up! Don't let her get away!" the guards shout behind me as I run into the darkness of the forest as fast as my long, lifted dress will allow. As the last morsel of sunlight disappears from view, I force my legs to speed up. I've got to do this tonight. I can't let my bastard father's marriage plans go through.
As I get deeper into the forest, I hear a growl. I keep running, at this point it's too dark to see any potential threats. After a bit, I hear a whimper, then trip and fall into a cavern between some tree trunks. I try to stand up, but my leg won't respond. "Goddamnit!" I shout.
I hear some rustling in the bushes surrounding me. Yep, alright. I'm done for. I close my eyes and prepare for the worst, but then a soft "Y-You okay?" leaks from the bushes.
My eyes open by themselves and stare at the beautiful young lady sitting in the bushes, poking her head out at me, only visible because of the fireflies surrounding her. On closer inspection though, it seems she's not human; rather, part of a species called Plantfolk. I finally cease my shock and reply "my leg won't move but besides that I'm fine I guess."
"O-Oh, that'll be the work of the Parax Leaves in this area then. They're pretty strong around these parts. Don't worry, the impact on humans should lessen in about ten minutes."
Ten minutes, huh. Plenty of time for the guards to catch up, damnit. In other news, wow she's super knowledgeable. "Ah, thanks. I guess this kind of knowledge comes with being a Plantfolk, huh?"
She pats the ground around my side of the bush she's hiding in. "For just about everywhere else with this kind of wildlife? Yeah, for sure. But this place is human territory; we can't just waltz on in here without consequences. I mean, I'm injured too."
"Is that why you're down here too?"
"Yeah, it seems this is the only safe place to ingrain around here."
"Ingrain? I don't remember seeing that in the history books."
"It's just how we Plantfolk heal our bodies; my leg got ripped off by a wolf earlier, but if I ingrain it'll grow back in about an hour, I think. Can hardly move during that time though; think of it like a plant growing temporary roots."
"Ah, okay cool! It's so interesting learning new things about other inhabitants of our world."
She looks shocked to say the least. "Y-You're not gonna attack me?"
"Huh? You what now?"
"I thought humans were just, y-y'know, racist assholes? I'm pretty sure that's the phrase, anyway."
I chuckle a bit before mellowing down. "Unfortunately, yeah that's how the vast majority of us are. The original reason I ran away was because my father forbade learning about the world outside human territory. Not that I cared; I still did, but I don't know what he'd do to me if he were to find out."
"S-So you're a runaway too?"
My eyes light up. "Yup! Nice to know I'm not alone in that regard."
"My parents don't exactly take kindly to other civilisations either, especially not humans. I mean, we have a long history of our powers being abused so I feel it's justified."
"Yeah, totally understandable. Not gonna lie, I don't really like other humans either; all self-centred pieces of shit if you ask me. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only decent one."
"I can see that."
I smile at her, but then a sudden pain jolts through my leg. I cry out in pain, looking for something to create a cast for my leg with. I see some leaves to my side near where I fell down, but as I go to grab them, she yells out. "Don't use those!"
I look over to her with tears in my eyes. She extends an arm to me. "Cut this off and use it!"
"B-But won't that like, really hurt?"
"Of course it will! But I can't have you using any other leaves, especially not the ones by the entrance; those expand upon touch and spray poison if broken! It's not worth the risk! It'll take another hour or so to heal, but I know you humans don't have that level of regenerative capabilities."
"Fine, if you're sure."
I position my good leg underneath her outstretched arm, push down on it and rip with my other hand. She screams and cries, but once I've got our makeshift cast working, she looks almost more relieved than anything else. But then I hear voices from outside our cavern. "Princess? Oh, Princess? Where are you? The King is immensely worried! Come back quietly now, will you?"
"Wait, you're the Princess?" The Plantfolk girl is clearly surprised.
I whisper "Yeah, hard to believe I know, but be quiet for a bit please!"
The guards look around a bit before one of them shines a torch down into the cavern. Just as he reaches down to slice open the cavern, the other guard shouts "Idiot! Don't you know those plants spew poison when cut? The Princess could be down there! We'll get an even bigger earful if she were to come back harmed so close to her wedding!"
They debate some more before eventually deciding to move on to searching elsewhere. "Okay, you can talk again now."
"Yay, finally!" the Plantfolk girl happily proclaims.
"You know, I never asked your name; would you mind?" I ask as I crawl over to her and reach out my arm.
She blushes ever so slightly. "It's Yuuha!"
I blush back. "Okay then Yuuha, I'm Laura! Nice to meet you, fellow runaway!"
"Laura, huh." She seems to be lost in thought for a while. "What a lovely name! Also, I overheard some others talking a while back about a multicultural town not too far from here. I was actually planning on heading there as soon as I'd healed, so would you like to come along too?"
"I'd love to! That sounds just like what I'm looking for!"
She grabs my hand and enthusiastically shakes it. "Great! What do you say if we head off at dawn?"
"Works for me!" We smile back at each other.
In the morning, now that the sun is rising once again, Yuuha and I hold each other's hands as we walk off into the horizon. She's been smiling constantly since last night; such a joy to behold. But I can't help but wonder; I swear I've met her before? |
By the wayside, underneath a pockmarked frieze and a planter of dripping gold, there is a couple dressed in silks as sheer as cobwebs, their faces painted pencil-thin. I overhear one of them whisper, “You must always look to love, dear.” The other lover does not answer at first, instead choosing to drink deeply from her glass. Then, she begins to recite a poem with a voice that is as thick as honey.
“Once in the skies there lived moons of three,
The smallest and youngest ate two for tea.
He ballooned in size,
Grew ever so wise,
If only we were as ambitious as he!”
The rhyme is childish, and for a moment I am convinced that they intended for me to overhear them, that indeed my inexperience in high society glares through like a corsage on my waistcoat—no, it must be my faded cufflinks, or perhaps it is the way my dress pants are still creased sharply down the middle. But then the two women clash their glasses together, and I realise they are simply inebriated.
My chest loosens. When the women laugh behind their feathered fans, I am almost tempted to laugh with them; they remind me of home, of my own two mothers. But one of them turns my way, and instead I am forced to leave the comfort of the familiar.
I turn to face the grandeur of the Saban. Of course, the main draw are the marvels; even the venue—the Ivory Halls—is decked with magic the nobility consider mundane. Magicians will prepare for their entire lives to display their works at this venue; only those of high nobility could dream of attending, with an exception here and there. Before, I had only heard of the Saban through preowned brochures and secondhand recounts, and there had not been a sliver of hope of our family attending even one such event—but I stand here now amongst noblemen and geniuses, between ivory pillars and ivory halls. I press my fingers against the edges of a silver ticket in my pocket. It had not been easy, obtaining this ticket.
I stop to marvel at a orrery that is as large as a barn—the planets are orbs of smoothed crystal and spin slowly on their axiis, and the central star is a ball of light that looks as though I could push my hand through—and the dowager from last night stops by my side, her glass heels clicking into the marble. A faceted jade necklace (too big, too polished) bobs at her throat when she smiles at me. I do not hurry away fast enough. I do not pity her dead husband.
I end up sampling the fruit from a magician's magnum opus: an ever-fruiting twig. Each berry is hard, tart, but the nobility appear to enjoy the taste so I pretend along. Another magician offers me a pot with beetles moulded into the ceramic—handmade, he says. When he pours from it, the liquid inside is blood red. It is a hit with the other patrons but I slip away before the magician can convince me to drink. I catch a man in a whip-tight suit marvelling, “This wine is reminiscent of the dust that accumulates on corpses.” Someone clicks their tongue in my general direction.
The stars wink down upon me, their presence brighter than ever without the lurid white moon. I should be dancing, or swaying around the ballroom with a glass dangling between my fingers, or enjoying the novelty of a teapot that pours blood instead of tea. Instead I am sober and lost and tired, and I am trying to hide from a dowager who wishes to rekindle an illicit relationship.
When I circle around and meander down the imperial stairs for the third time, glass in hand, there is a man with hair whiter than the snows of Mt. Werner. His suit is surprisingly plain, a sheet of pressed, light paper. To his left are a pair of twins, and to his right is an easel and a glass bottle filled with ink.
He waves and gestures at the easel, the paint, and the twins clap daintily, but my eyes remain on the man in white. There is something otherworldly about the way that he carries himself, like he could float away at any moment. He is like the sun, and I am a sunflower. I cannot stop looking.
And the easel…
I cannot tell what colour is on the easel.
At first I mistake it for a weak yellow, but then it shifts to a cool burgundy, and then I am overcome with the need to watch the skies. For what, I do not know. When the need subsides I look back and the man in white is gone. All that is left is one half of the twins—he is wringing a handkerchief in his hands that is the colour of a dead sky. The colour of a painted easel.
I weave around the halls once more, submerging myself in the bustle of dancers and music boxes. There he is; a shock of white hair! The man in white is delivering a hearty speech to a small, yet growing crowd. I receive a name to go with the strange new colour on the easel, and it is cold, sharp: 'glint.' Again the man passes out glinted handkerchiefs and ties; again I cannot muster the courage to drum up a conversation with him. He spins, and suddenly he is plucking at a stray strand from a woman's beehive with one hand and twirling a skewer in the other.
He flows like hot oil. As if he is liquid gold.
I keep to the backsides of the pillars and trace him to the second floor. Above us are chandeliers piled heavily with scented, burning wax—below us, the bodies of a thousand nobles sway, and I notice that some of them have chosen to pin their handkerchiefs to their corsages, or have chosen to weave them into their hair. Far away, on the other side of the hall, the man in white continues to flaunt.
"Taking a break, are you?"
My face almost crumples; the dowager stands beside me. When I do not respond, she continues, "That man seems to be a bit of an enigma. The older families don't know what to make of him."
"What academy does he hail from?" I ask, suddenly interested.
"He's evaded our questions so far. We suspect that he may be a magician of the…" The older woman produces something from her gloves—a sliver of mundane magic, no doubt purchased from a previous Saban. "...Proscribed variety."
"Then, do we know of his origins?"
"No, but that is neither here nor there. A man presents to you a new colour, and you ask him for the name of his street? He is a living scandal, darling. Do you understand?"
“I do,” I say.
“Never look to treasures you cannot afford.” The widow flicks a fan open; the fan is the colour of pure glint. “Never, never.” Her heels clack against marbled tiles, and to my surprise she is gone.
But within the next hour I am tailing the man in white again through a sea of rowdy investors as they flutter handfuls of notes in the air. Sometimes the man in white smiles and offers one of them a glib response; other times he is gentle, calm. Sometimes money swaps between gloved hands.
Someone wanders through the crowd, striking at a glass with a spoon. I look to the mantlepiece that adorns the furthest wall from me, and see that the shorter arm is almost upright—almost midnight. Immediately the people around the man in white disperse and drift outside, where an open-roofed pavilion rests underneath the stars. Though I wish to make my way towards the man, the crowd has formed a terrible current—by the time I have found my bearings I am already outside, and the man in white is nowhere to be seen.
I cannot allow this to happen. I must find the man, and I feel as though it is imperative that I do so before midnight rears its ugly head and the Saban draws to a close. When I search my surroundings I notice that a large majority of the nobility are already decorated with some form of glint-coloured accessory—a silken corsage at their wrist, a tiny pin embedded in their hair—and my heart shatters.
Though my shoes are not made for strenuous activity, I attempt to shove my way through the crowd, only to find that nobody is moving, and that everyone has their heads craned so high that I see no faces, only long expanses of skin and neck.
The fireworks finale
, I assume.
They are all watching the skies
.
But the pavilion is drenched in a strange light, both yellow and burgundy in colour. The woman in front of me seems to dim; her skin loses its natural luster. I look at the skies and see glint.
The sight of it is almost crippling. As I move through the crowd, I see a blot of navy weaving through the glint sky, and I realise that the accessories of the nobles are reflecting into the stratosphere, and that the unsightly blot of navy is my doing. Fatigue bubbles through my limbs. I have always stood out; I will never be one of them.
Never.
Never.
Cold water sluices down my throat. I am inside now, choking down fluids at a fountain that does not seem to be connected to the wall nor the ground. My hands brace against frigid marble as I fight the urge to faint. My blood beats thickly through my head.
And then there he is. At the corner of my eye.
The man in white.
His hair is pearlescent, his eyes a moving pool of pale tints. There is another with him, a woman—my heart sinks at the sight of her. But there is also something very wrong with her, as though she is not aware of the presence of the man before her, as though the sky has her arrested in its sickly, luminous thrall. She too is bathed in that strange shade.
The night is bright, so bright.
The man in white seems to weave around her, as a lover would. I cannot bear to watch, but my eyes betray me; they suffer me so and I cannot look away. His mouth is open, his teeth as white as heated metal, his pale nose against her dark neck. He sinks his teeth into her flesh, and does not move for a long, long time.
My mind flares—
a vampire, a demon of the night
—but then he rips his head away from the woman, and her neck spills open like a purse, and I realise that the moon is still absent from the sky, and I realise, and I realise.
Bite by bite he devours her lifeless body, and not once does she struggle or splutter, though her lips still move with silent resolve—it is then that I recognise her as the woman from under the friezes. Sometimes she shudders fitfully as if there is a demon within her bones, but still the man eats, and it is almost as if there is an inexplicable emptiness where his stomach should be. When he is done, the crowd in the pavilion still looks to the skies, and I am still crouched at the fountain, and his hands are still dyed rose red because this is all real, a reality that has burned into my eyes by a fire that has crawled free from the confines of its hearth.
Somehow, words still leak from the woman’s body, as though she is a porous sponge.
“Once in the skies there lived moons of three,
The smallest and youngest ate two for tea.
He snaffled their eyes,
Gorged on their thighs,
He'd eat his own skin, if it didn't make him bleed.”
And then the man in white turns to me.
His gaze reeks of hunger. |
I’d never felt fear more vivid than when I had woken up alone, unable to move, in that small dim room, surrounded by machines, their red eyes flashing at me. They spoke occasionally in ambiguous beeps. An unfamiliar memory briefly crossed my mind and then disappeared, like a dream. I felt my chest tighten, and the beeping hastened. The door opened. The lights turned on. A figure in a white coat steadily approached in unhurried steps and stopped near me. My eyes peered into the deep gentle blue of a young man whose presence exuded a contagious calm. That was how I came to meet Dr Mikhail, who would come visit my room each week to interrogate me on several things that, at the time, I thought held no particular significance. It reminded me of how the ‘cops’ questioned criminals in cells in my father’s old television movies.
At the end of the 5th visit, I had by then been residing for a month there, Dr Mikhail said that I should ‘tell him more about myself’ next time. I had sufficiently recovered enough to pick up a pen and write. The nurses, who were my only other company apart from Dr Mikhail, would attend to all my requests. I asked for a notebook and a pencil; they handed me a writing gadget and a digital pen. Writing was a hobby of mine. As a child, I would write about the trees and the green mountains I saw in those old movies, or how my day went, if my father prepared fried chicken for dinner, or any mischief Ana and I were up to. My memories were hazy when I first woke up in this white cell, but with each passing day, more and more started to return to me. So by the end of that 5th visit, I could remember enough to chronologise some key events in my past for the 6th visit.
✤
My name is Anastasia Alexandrovna. I’m currently sixteen. My hobbies include diary writing, acting, and watching television movies. For as long as I can remember(not right now), I’ve lived alone with my father in a little house somewhere. It wasn’t big but it was enough. I even had my own room(a bit smaller than this one). My father was a scientist(or was it a researcher). I had always been very sickly and prone to colds and fevers since I was little. I was never allowed outside and so my time was only spent indoors. It was never a problem for me. I never felt alone, but my father always made sure I wouldn’t feel lonely; so when I turned five, he gave me a friend.
Her name was Ana(that’s the name I had given her). She’s like one of those life-sized dolls but she can actually speak and think and looks like a real person(she looked almost identical to me). One of the movies I saw called them ‘robots’ or something. But Ana’s different; she’s special compared to those ‘robots’. She eats. She cries. She sleeps. She even grows. Father told me she’s not human, but that, all the same, I should still treat her as one. She was my sister, perhaps not by blood, but we shared a bond as sisters did; we were twins: Inseparable.
Father upgraded the single bed in my room by placing another one right above it to accommodate Ana. On some nights, I slept on the bottom bed, while on others I slept on the top. I’ll embarrassingly confess that there have been moments when I feared that the top bed would collapse, and it caused needless anxieties that resulted in many sleepless nights. I would tell Ana not to move too much whenever she’s on top. It never did crash. Father was amazing, I thought. If he could stack beds like that without having them crash down then maybe we could even reach the stars. Such were the childish thoughts that occupied our fantasies on those warm, lively days.
One morning when I was eight I passed out while running in circles around the dining table trying to mimic a scene from a movie I had watched recently. Ana carried me to bed. When I came to, Ana explained to me what had happened. I became despondent over my frail health. She comforted me and even started to recreate the scene I had tried to mimic; yet in comparison to mine, she did so with ease and utmost faithfulness. Then she mimicked a few more of our favourite movie scenes. Then she mimicked me with frightening accuracy: her arms sagged forward, back bent slightly, head hung down, and a gait like a zombie’s. The room filled with innocent laughter.
Ana and I loved watching movies together. Father kept his old collection of Blu-ray discs and DVDs(it had belonged to his grandparents from the east) in one large carton box. There were so many we couldn’t possibly watch them all. We would take turns choosing a movie at random then rush to our room(there was a large flatscreen television there) to watch it. There was this one time when I was eleven, Ana and I were watching some movie about giant aliens fighting intergalactic monsters on Earth. We enjoyed it so immensely that after the film, we enacted the climactic final battle. At some point, Ana slipped, causing the television to fall onto her. She calmly told me to get father but I could only stare in horror. Father rushed to the room shortly after. He tended to Ana very carefully, as though she were something so delicate. He told me to stay put and not go near the shards. I obeyed in silence. She ended up with a broken arm and gashes on her skin. That was the first time I ever saw Ana bleed.
After the accident, we were unable to watch any more movies. That flatscreen had apparently been ‘one of a kind’; a relic of a bygone era. That was also around the time when my health took a drastic turn. One chilly evening when I was twelve, we were having supper when a throbbing pain in my chest seized me. I staggered to the sink and vomited blood. Ana seated me while my father gave me some medication. I started to feel a little better. He carried me to my room and held my hand and stayed there with me the entire night. I will never forget my father’s face as he looked at me with a painful smile. I vaguely understood the implications of his expression.
It only worsened from there. I would have periodic chest pains that lasted from anxiously brief to agonisingly long. I regularly vomited blood, and sometimes the medicine wouldn’t work. The time I spent bedridden steadily increased until I practically lived there. Ana served as my caretaker and was always there for me. When the pain was too much, I would cry incessantly, and she’d caress my hair so gently and whisper warm words into my ears. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through those times without her. I felt myself reaching a point of breaking; so I told her all the things that lay dormant in me. Confessions I’d never been able to tell anyone before. Not even to my father. Perhaps I did so out of the belief that asking for her forgiveness would grant me a sort of salvation from my fate.
My condition reached its most severe peak when I was fifteen. I had been moved to a hidden room in the house(much like this one but more dusty and decrepit) and connected to a machine that aided breathing. Ana never left my side throughout it all; my father had been in and out of the house, despite my declining condition. I knew he had work to worry about too, and that wasn't hard for me to accept; but I felt he was becoming cold and distant. The more these feelings of frustration grew, the more my heart cracked. I only wished he would stay, on some days, even for just a few hours. I lived every moment dreading that the ‘goodbye’ I had parted from my lips each morning would be the last. I would send Ana to ask, and she would always come back with a reply along the lines of: ‘I'm sorry I can't be with you right now. I have very, very important work to do. But I want you to know that I'm doing all of this for you. Because I love you.’ I grew more disheartened every time I discerned that same meaning in his sentences. Even when I asked, he wouldn’t tell me the nature of his work. It’s ‘too dangerous’, but I shouldn’t worry because it’s ‘all for my sake’. It was inevitable then, that my patience would come to completely shatter.
That tipping point came one rainy evening. I was so deep in my depression that I blurted out in a raging protest against him how he would feel if he returned home one day to find me dead. He started sobbing. The next day, he seemed to treat me in an entirely new manner; I apologised for what I had said and told him he needn’t start acting so affectionate with me. Though the entire thing eventually blew over, I felt my words had left a lasting impact, and that a sort of shift slowly began to open up in him. I slept through my 16th birthday. By then I had been struggling to make even the slightest movement and was being fed through a tube. Each breath I took was long and deep. For much of the months after that, nothing of significance happened; and then one day, I went to sleep and never woke up.
✤
After the 6th visit, Dr Mikhail said something peculiar that, when I had first heard it, a sort of realisation washed over me: ‘I wanted you to tell me about yourself, not Anastasia.’ I believe it was due to this that allowed me to recall, bit by bit, my true self floating aimlessly along my memories. Before he left, Dr Mikhail said that he would visit me again next week.
✤
After Anastasia’s death, father locked himself in the lab. He had told me to stay away, but I just couldn’t leave him. I feared the things he would do if he were left alone.
‘I know it’s difficult for you, father. It’s difficult for me too, believe me, but you mustn't lose hope. Please… Get up’
He uttered no reply.
‘I’ve worked hard. All these years, I’ve worked hard; and I believe I can do it. I’ll be her; I’ll become Anastasia, just like you wanted. I may not have learned
everything
about her, but I’ve learned enough that—’
‘Stop it already… Can we just drop this? You may mimic her voice, her looks, her whatever—but it’s not the same. No matter how much you try to act like her, you wouldn’t be able to replace her. God, why did I even believe that this would ever work? All this time I spent running away from Sofia, from the Apex—from everything, for things to turn out like this? God forgive me. Forgive me for being so stupid. This whole thing was a mistake.
You’re
a mistake.’
I felt myself beginning to burst; all I could do was hold back the tears.
‘Father…’
‘Don’t call me that. You were never my daughter. You're just a clone and nothing more.’
Overcome with unexplainable emotions, I left and ran to my room to cry until I collapsed in bed. I awoke later that day to my father's voice behind the door mumbling an apology.
Later that night, I remembered a movie Anastasia and I had once watched. It involved transferring memories from one person to another. At that moment, an idea rooted itself. The morning after, I informed my father of my plan. I had half-expected him to shrug it off as an impossibility, but it could apparently be done. Father already had a copy of Anastasia's memories from three months ago. It was only supposed to be for preservation, so father refused the idea. He hadn't before attempted memory transfer between two people, and thus the effects are purely hypothetical; but most of all, he didn't wish to endanger my life. However, I insisted, and insisted, until he caved in. After all, this was my duty—the reason for my birth and my ultimate purpose for living.
The lab was shrouded in complete darkness except for the flashing red lights from the machines around me. Amid the beeping, father spoke:
‘What if… What if it fails, and you don't wake up? I think that would be too much for me. I wouldn't be able to live with the thought of having murdered both of my daughters.’
I reassured him and told him that it will be fine, that things will turn out okay. Those words, though genuine, were spoken out of a fatal ignorance. Indeed, at that time, I failed to consider his own feelings. He hesitated for a moment, and then it was as if my mind left my body and time froze right then and there.
✤
Yesterday, on his 7th visit, Dr Mikhail said that this would be my last week here. The thought of leaving it behind feels kind of lonely to me. I didn't expect to become so attached. Dr Mikhail seemed satisfied when I told him the second story. But I still had some uncertainties that needed clearing up, and Dr Mikhail provided me with very conclusive answers.
After the memory transfer, I didn’t regain consciousness for days; and father lost all hope completely. He phoned to turn himself in. When the enforcers arrived, they discovered he had hung himself in the living room. They found that I was still faintly breathing and brought me here to the hospital.
I’ve also come to learn a little about my father’s background. He worked directly for the ‘Apex Government’ as a researcher in ‘biogenetics’ and to a lesser extent, ‘neuroscience’ and ‘cybernetics’. However, for unknown reasons, shortly after Anastasia was born, he stole classified information and fled with Anastasia deep into the slums.
I didn’t know what to think upon learning these details. I wanted to just shut myself out and never think about it. Dr Mikhail said it’s better this way. He reassured me that by next week things will start to brighten for me. I’ve seen images of the city; its sprawling and high-reaching buildings that extend higher as you approach the centre where the Apex Sky Tower stands. Before that, I had never even glimpsed the full scale of the metropolis. I don’t find it pretty, honestly; instead, I find myself wishing for the calm offered by the tallgrasses on mellow meadows or the lulls of gentle forests by riverbeds like in those old movies. |
April 20th. The day of the Junior High Track-and-field national championship. Normally, it would be held in an appropriate university’s stadium, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, it was instead held at my school, Akiyama Junior High. The reason for it was because our school had a representative attending said competition, so it was an honor for the school.
That competitor, however, was not me. I was just like any other student that day, elated to get a day off.
I didn’t plan to come to school on that day. However, I had made a blunder of mistaking the official date, so when I came to school thinking that there would just be a regular study session, the whole student body had already gathered in the nearby stadium for the competition.
I could go home right then and there, but I had nothing to do even if I went home. And so, I decided to join the rest of the student body to see what the contest was all about.
When I came to the scene, every stand was already packed with people. And it wasn’t just the students from all sorts of schools in the country that had come to this place – everywhere I saw was also filled with news reporters, cameramen, paparazzies, all kinds of mass media entertainment that one could think of.
I did not know why something like a junior high-level competition was enough to spark so much of an interest. And as I took a look at the contestant board – where they would put in all of the competitors' names, I did not spot anything.
I could only see one odd thing about some of the contestants, and it was their names. One of them had the characters for “zephyr” – Soyokaze. Another had their name written only in Katakana. But other than that, I couldn’t figure out anything else.
I did not have the time nor luxury to think for long, however, as the booming voice of the announcer over the megaphone had already teared through the air. And the only poor soul unfortunate enough to stand too close to the sound was none other than me.
On the field, the runners were lining up to start the first main event – the one-hundred-meter dash. There were around twenty contestants in total, but I could tell that all of the cameras and reporters were all having their eyes on a single one, or rather, two people.
One was the one standing on the first place starting line, wearing number three on his shirt. A tall boy with toned muscles perfect for running, especially around the thighs. His neon-green hair and matching clothing made him stand out among everyone else.
The other one was slightly above average in terms of height, standing right next to the first boy. As he wore the number two, it wasn’t a surprise to see them being where they were. What caught my attention, however, was his pure-white hair, like a snowy pasture on a freezing winter day.
I had heard about the rumor before. There was a certain pair of twins that had broken records after records in Kurayuki Junior High. The older brother was an academic genius, while the younger brother was an athletic sensation. If the rumor was true, then the contestant wearing number two would be him – the younger one.
The contestants prepared themselves in their starting positions. Number three lowered his body and put his hands on the ground. His right foot was placed forward, while his left was in the back, with the knee lowered. It was a classic starting position, well-known enough for even a beginner such as myself to understand. Everyone else also went into the same pose.
Everyone, except number two.
His approach to the game was unlike everyone else on the field. While everyone kneeled, he stood straight. While everyone put their hands to the ground, his hands were only slightly bent forward and backward. And while everyone raised their lower halves when the race was about to start, he only leaned his body forward.
The signaling gun was fired, and the race started.
As I was on near the top of the stand, I did not experience any unpleasantry in the air. However, even so, I could still visibly see the clouds of dust being kicked up from the quaking steps of the fierce competition. Everyone was running as if their lives depended on it, for the ultimate prize of being the best in the nation.
Their determination was best shown in number three. His steps were faster than anyone else. His reach was longer than anyone else. But most of all… his face was the tensest out of everyone else. It was as if the young boy wasn’t running in a simple tournament, but as if he was putting his entire life on the line, and the track that he was on was a real, genuine battle field.
And yet, he was not the one in the first spot.
That coveted place was occupied by number two, the gifted younger twin of the rumors. If number three was the embodiment of everyone else’s feelings, dreams and aspirations on the track, then number two was everything that went against it.
He was not breaking a sweat. His steps were lazy. His arm swings were unmotivated. And yet, despite all of that, he was the one that was leading everyone else by a wide margin.
The other contestants, seeing the gap in their skills, had already begun to give up. One after one, they slowed down. One after one, they stopped on their tracks. The competition that they were fighting blood, sweat and tears didn’t matter anymore, all because of a presence that they could never hope to defeat.
All, except one.
Number three, contrary to the rest, was still wearing a face that could kill. Even when the gap between them grew larger, he kept on running ahead as if it was the last thing that he would do. Although I was standing on the stands above, I could see his teeth gritting in frustration. The boy was ready to bet his entire life into this one race.
His steps grew stronger. His swings grew faster. Sweat poured from his body like a flood. Even if he was the only one left running, the dust storm on the field only grew more intense. I could even feel the rummaging of the ground from above, as if the very earth had joined forces with him to topple a god.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the gap between them never shrank. It would only grow bigger with each passing second. Like a poor suitor fruitlessly chasing the legendary huntress, number three was teased with a favorable result, but what awaited him on the track was only anger, frustration, regret… and acceptance. Acceptance to the fact that he could not compete against the godly being.
Unlike the others, however, even when he had accepted his fate to be the loser, the boy kept on running. Despite everything, he grew even faster, but the fierce look in his eyes was no more. On his face instead was a bright grin filled with joy, and a determined look to finish what he had started.
In the end, what was inevitable had to come. Number two beat everyone else with time to spare, and as the white-haired boy crossed the finish line, the entire stadium erupted in cheers. The announcer called out a new national record being achieved by a mere thirteen-year-old, and immediately, every reporter, journalist, cameraman and the likes rushed down the stadium to grab their scoop of the century.
The winner, however, never showed any sort of emotion. He was smiling, but even I could tell that the smile was forced and stiff. It was clear that he did not want to be there.
As I made my way to the exit, however, a booming voice sounded. It was not towards me, but rather the moody champion – Kuroshi Shiraku. The runner-up had called him out, declaring his name – not Soyokaze, but Mikaza Hayato, and challenging the champion to another match one day.
Only at that moment did a genuine smile escaped Shiraku’s face. And at that moment, I couldn’t help but form a smile as well, for I knew that I had just witnessed a fated rivalry that would continue to take place for years to come. |
The campfire flickered alone in the darkness, a beckoning oasis of warmth, but I dared not approach first. I knew that there were others like me, lurking in the forest and contemplating their own approach. The first to step forward would be exposed, defenseless should the others decide to attack. I harbored no such ill intentions, but I kept my dagger in hand–My bow would be useless in the dense underbrush.
From across the clearing, the snapping of twigs echoed like the cracking of a whip, and a hooded figure emerged from the trees. I couldn’t see his face. The heat rising from the fire distorted his form, but when he turned his gaze towards me, I felt my heart freeze and my blood turn cold. His eyes lingered upon me for only a moment before he turned and regarded the others hiding in turn. After what seemed like an eternity, he drew himself up to his full height and threw off his hood.
“I am Mraant the Feeble, and I answer the summons of the lantern,” he bellowed.
Despite his self-proclaimed weakness, I saw only strength in the geckarian. He may have been smaller than most of his kin, but no human could match his physique. More fearsome still was his reputation as a sorcerer who shaped fate as easily as a potter molded clay. More than once he had turned the tide of battle, coming up with ever more creative ways to slaughter his foes—and sometimes his allies.
Yet he appeared to wear a friendly, inviting expression. Sheathing my dagger, I stepped forward.
“Hail, Mraant. I am Emthed Hatocer, and the lantern has brought me good fortune.”
I felt none of the confidence I displayed. A scout like me had no place amongst such renowned—or dangerous—company. My heart was still gripped with terror, but I trusted the lantern would not lead me to my death.
“A human girl?” Mraant chuckled. “The lantern keeps interesting company.”
One by one, our companions revealed themselves.
“They call me Vaslog, and I have pledged my life to the lantern.” He was a raptarian with brown feathers and an intimidatingly large hooked beak. “It lit the way in my darkest hour.”
“Tirivar of the Moon. I have had many interesting discussions with the lantern.” An elf. I’d never seen one in person, and its beauty was as enchanting as I’d been told. It had long hair, a slender frame, and pointy ears.
“I’m Adrap Kilnblower,” a gnome grunted. He was even shorter than I, and his red hair was speckled with ash. “Lantern asked me ta bring it ‘ere, and I didn’t have nothin’ better to do.”
He untied a large bag from his belt and placed it on a rock near the fire. Shucking the bag, he revealed a brass lantern. It was an ancient tool, animated by lost magics, with the power to show its bearer the path to what they desire. I’d only possessed it for a few days, but it had helped me lead the remnants of my troop to safety from deep within geckarian-held territory.
We all took a seat, Mraant sitting further back from the fire. I was not happy to be sharing a camp with a geckarian and a raptarian, and I was wary of the elf, but my fear had started to fade.
Thank you, Adrap
, the lantern said.
I’m fond of you too
.
Though I said the lantern spoke, it made no sound. Its voice reverberated in our minds.
Good of you all to come. The future of Mosmorden will be decided here tonight.
Vaslog let out a sharp laugh that sounded more like a caw. “Amongst these rabble?” It was a strangely disrespectful tone for someone who had moments earlier pledged their life to the lantern.
One each from the five intelligent peoples on the island. I chose you all personally. Do you still take issue with them?
“Forgive me. It’s just that each of us is a misfit. A geckarian that relies on magic instead of strength; an adolescent human, and a girl at that; A gnome who performs menial labor; and me, a pariah to my own people.”
“Wot, no insults for the elf?” Adrab jibed.
“One elf is the same as the next,” Vaslog snorted.
“Not so,” Mraant said. “Elvish society is intricately designed. Each elf plays a specific role. Snuff out the right one, and you may watch as they scurry to reorganize themselves.”
“A favorite pastime of yours?” Tirivar guessed, though there was no anger in its voice.
“Hardly,” Mraant sighed. “Believe of me what you will, but I find no joy in taking lives.”
“But you’re a geckarian,” I blurted out. I immediately regretted it. Mraant could kill me, yet he only smiled, which inspired me to continue. “Do you not thrill in the hunt like the rest of your kind?”
“We take no joy in it. You only imagine us to be evil because we aren’t picky where our meat comes from.”
“Tha’s one way ta put it,” Adrab said. “But fer all yer fancy words, yer still eatin’ those who can talk. If tha’s not evil, I dunno wut is.”
“It is only a difference in perspective,” Mraant assured us. “A dead body is just flesh, no matter who it once was, but those who still live need to eat.”
“I’ve seen geckarians fight amongst themselves,” I said. “It’s bad enough you eat humans, but your own kind…”
“Humans fight amongst themselves too,” Mraant pointed out. “So do gnomes, raptarians, and even elves. That you burn or bury the bodies afterwards makes it no less horrible.”
Indeed. There is much strife on Mosmorden, which is why I invited you here tonight. We must unite the island.
“If such is your will,” Vaslog bowed his head. “Which nation shall rule? I shall assist you, even if it means turning against my roost.”
That is not what I intend. Your five nations must form an alliance and expel all others from the island.
For a few minutes, none spoke. An alliance between us was inconceivable, and we all wished to say so, but the lantern’s foresight was not easily dismissed.
It was Tirivar who broke the silence. “May I ask to what end?”
The mining of sizzlium has weakened the seal binding the dæmon
. We must put an end to it.
“So it is true then,” Mraant said, his eyes shining through the haze of the smoke. “Mosmorden rests atop the body of a great dæmon.”
The greatest dæmon ever to menace Yoidmor, the lantern confirmed. Its name has been lost to the ages, but its power is still felt to this day. The great sage Ril'wara was drawn here by that power centuries ago. He found the twisted ruins of those driven mad by the dæmon’s temptations, even long after its death. He left me here to provide light, so that future generations would be protected from the darkness.
“Blessed be our father Ril'wara,” Tirivar recited. “May his days in the halls of his ancestors be filled with mirth.”
“What you are asking will be difficult, but I will follow you.” Vaslog was the first to agree to the Lantern’s proposal.
“If you mean to contain the great dæmon, you have my assistance as well,” Mraant concurred. “However, I have… concerns.”
“As do I,” I said.
“And I,” the elf and the gnome said in unison.
“Why not simply aid one of us?” Mraant asked. “Surely it would be easier to keep control of one nation than five.”
If I helped only the humans, what would your kin overseas do? Would they sit back and allow them to control all the sizzlium? No, they would invade in force.
“True enough…” Mraant said before lapsing back into contemplation.
“The overseas nations will invade regardless,” I said. “Sizzlium is too useful. Many will be loath to sacrifice the magical comforts they have become accustomed to. They will see a faraway dæmon as no great concern.”
We will repel them. It will be difficult, but it can be done.
“It will require a massive army,” Vaslog stated, “and those who reside here may be tempted to mine sizzlium in secret.
The alliance shall keep a firm hand. With vigilance, discipline can be preserved.
“You mean to rule as a tyrant,” I realized aloud.
Only because it is necessary to keep the dæmon contained.
With that, I realized that the lantern would justify anything in pursuit of its goal. After all, it could not feel pain. It could not truly understand the cruelties it sought to unleash.
“Not all that is evil wears horns atop its head,” I recited. “Containing the dæmon may be a noble goal, but the great sage would not have wished it done like this. He was human, after all.”
The great sage would have understood that any other choice would lead to the reawakening of a greater evil. He would have been wise enough to make the best possible choice, no matter how unpalatable he found it.
“But he had his limits. Do you?” I pressed.
I will do what I must, but I understand that people can only be pushed so far. I won’t do anything that risks open rebellion.
“Rebellion is easily quelled,” Mraant murmured, though he was deep in thought and wasn’t focusing on the conversation. “All living things submit to strength, and fear is the most powerful motivator of them all.”
Humans fear being eaten by the geckarians, yes? Perhaps we could decree that criminals will become food. With a powerful deterrent, we could allow the people more freedom.
“I cannot believe you would suggust that of your own will,” I said. “This sorcerer must be influencing—”
“I am no sorcerer,” Mraant interrupted, his voice dripping with malice. “Magic runs not in my blood. I mastered the arcane through my own studies.”
“In what library?” I challenged. “I have never once seen a geckarian with a scroll.”
“The whole world is our scroll, girl,” Mraant said, no longer angry. “Wherever we crawl, we leave our thoughts behind.”
“‘Tis true,” Tirivir confirmed. “The trees are covered in their writing, much of it amusing.”
I wasn’t going to change any minds by being wrong, so I swallowed my pride and apologized.
“Your apology is accepted,” Mraant said. “Your ignorance is… understandable.”
Be that as it may, you must learn to hide your inexperience, Emthed. It is unbefitting of a future queen. Your opponents will take advantage of it.
“Future queen!” Adrab exclaimed. “Forgive me, yer highness. I didn’t know you was royal.”
“I’m not—”
You will be. All of you here shall lead your people in the alliance.
“Smack my backside with a blowpipe! Never thought I’d trade my cap fer a crown.”
“And in exchange, you’ll feed your people to the beasts,” I pointed out. I turned to Tirivir. “Are you ready to accept that?”
“The great sage hoped to keep the dæmon sealed,” Tirivar said matter-of-factly. “I could wish for no better fate than to abide by his wishes.”
It is understandable that you are upset, but more will die if the dæmon is resurrected. I am trying to save lives, not end them.
“If you can call that living,” I spat. “Maybe it’s fine for elves, but no human wants to spend each day worrying that they’ll be next for the slaughter.”
Perhaps I was wrong to choose you, Emthed. You cannot see the bigger picture.
It was then I knew I was alone. Vaslog would follow the lantern out of blind loyalty. Tirivir would agree because it worshiped the great sage. Mraant was still a mystery to me, but I suspected he intended to use the alliance for some nefarious purpose. Adrab was tempted by wealth and power.
No, the gnome was still unsure. I could see it in his eyes. I had one chance left.
“If I cannot see it, then light my way,” I said, walking over to the lantern.
As I grasped it, images flooded my mind. I saw the alliance, guided by the lantern. It was peaceful and, occasionally, happy. Through it all, for millennia, the lantern ensured the alliance leaders retained their grip on power.
All nations eventually crumble, I told the lantern. Your brass may one day tarnish, and your flame may be snuffed out, leaving us in the dark with a dæmon. Is it not better to destroy it?
The lantern’s light flickered, and I could feel its will hesitate.
You said it yourself,
I continued
, a lantern is just a tool. It is meant to be used by someone, not to enact its own plots. You will fail if you persist along this path.
In its moment of uncertainty, I forced it to show me what I wanted to see. The hulking dæmon beset by the armies of the world, with I at their fore. Death, so much death and pain, but in the end, victory. It showed me the way to the crown, filled with martial feats and political assassinations. And finally, it showed me what I needed in the moment: a way to escape with my life.
You don’t understand, the lantern pleaded with me. If you stumble along the way, you will doom all of Yoidmor.
Then I will not stumble.
Mraant was deep in thought, unguarded. He saw me not as a threat. The lantern guided my blade into his heart, and he earned his nickname, felled by a frail human girl. I was completely defenseless against Tirivir’s magic, but Adrab was quick on the uptake, and he drove a pin hammer into the elf’s skull.
I turned my dagger on Vaslog, but he was faster. With one winged arm, he batted the dagger from my hand and seized the lantern. I lacked the strength to keep hold of it, and as soon as he had it, he flew off into the night.
“Coward!” Adrab shouted after him. His shoulders slumped. “Did… we do the right thing?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Countless lives will be lost because of our decision, and we may perish, never knowing if it was right.”
The gnome shuddered, and I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“The lantern showed me we can prevail,” I said, “We can be the light, but if we stumble, if we waver for even a second, the world will be plunged into inescapable darkness. Knowing this, will you walk the path it showed me?”
“Never stumble? Ha! I ain’t never stumbled in my life! Let’s kill us a dæmon, yer majesty.” |
The blizzard unending, without a single reference point in sight and with his objective unknown, the hero keeps walking forward.
“Hey, hey! Are we there yet?”
The childlike voice of his companion is the only thing keeping him sane. It’s been years since the last time he’s seen, much less talked to, anybody else. He isn’t worried for any of the people he knows, though—every single one of the invading monsters had died by his hand before he’d left, and he’d made sure none remained.
Except one.
The one he couldn’t find…
The one he is out to kill.
Your last mission is to defeat the only surviving monster. It lies hidden, but fear not—we know for a fact you will find it. Take this Relic with you, and don’t ever let go of it. When the time comes, it will hold the key to defeating the monster for good. Spring shall come back when the monster is defeated.
So had the faeries told him before he adventured into the unknown, leaving behind the Kingdom of Endless Winter.
When all the monsters are defeated, spring will finally come back—that is the legend that has been sung throughout the kingdom for millennia.
And now only one remains.
To the hero, it doesn’t matter if it takes forever. What he cannot allow himself is to die before his mortal enemy.
“Heyyyyyy! Sir Mister Hero Lord Magnum Knight, sir!”
“I told you to never call me that…”
His voice is inaudible, the blizzard drowning out his words entirely. And yet, his companion hears the low-pitched groan flawlessly.
“Sorry, Master, I’m sorry. But isn’t that your real title? Isn’t that how you’re meant to be addressed?”
“The people who gave me those titles did it because they were too incompetent to think of a better reward.”
“Oh… Yeah, that seems improper. Why would they only give you that? You saved their kingdom…”
“Heh. If I had, I wouldn’t be here walking endlessly in this blizzard without knowing if we’ll ever reach the end. And besides, what would they even give me? All they have is words.”
“I-I see… I’m sure I have better words to offer you, Master! Do you want a few?”
“You’re a Relic, a floating book for Heaven’s sake. I’m sure you don’t need to try very hard to find a far better string of words within your pages.”
“Hmmm… That may be true. Yeah, it probably is. Master, did you know that we Relics are born from human lives that couldn’t be? When people die prematurely, the faeries collect their discarded futures and write them into a book, and sometimes we gain life once more! A chant of pure love and hope is what makes us return to this world!”
“… I actually didn’t know that, no. And now that I do, I would have preferred to stay unknowing.”
“But whyyyyy? It’s so marvelous, getting to experience the world for even a fraction of our past selves’ lost lifetime… That’s the reason, that’s why they tell all the kids about us in their lullabies and children’s tales!”
“I never had any of those. I wouldn’t know.”
“Eeeeehhh? That can’t be! You have to have heard SOMETHING! Right? Right?”
“Would you just shut up already?!”
The Relic’s kiddish complaints suddenly cut off. It’s reminded of the fact that, despite being the savior of their world, nobody had wanted the hero to stay at their town.
“… I was always busy working as a kid. My parents were sick so I could never go to school, and when I wasn’t working, I was doing my best to enjoy the little time I had with the other kids.”
“Hey, that’s an improvement!”
On a much lower tone, the Relic replies, hoping its master would not hear, but once again the fact that years under the blizzard has accustomed their ears to hear anything, no matter how minor, is proven beyond the shadow of a doubt.
“Huh? What was that supposed to mean?”
“O-oh! I didn’t mean it as an offence, Master, it’s just that… when we started this trip, you wouldn’t ever reply to me. This is the first time you actually tell me anything about your past.”
“Tsk. It’s been what, a decade since we left the kingdom? If I didn’t ever reply to you, I would have completely lost my ability to talk.”
“I see… Yes, that’s must be it. Though I’m saddened that you still seem to dislike me.”
“It’s nothing personal, kid. I can’t remember the last time I actually felt a connection to any individual.”
It’s at that point that the Relic drops the conversation entirely. This man… As cruel as it sounds, it’s possible that the whole reason for sending him out again was to get rid of his presence.
He was always dry, grumpy, annoyed at everything and not willing to talk or listen to anyone or anything. People celebrated his achievements and acted polite and thankful around them, but didn’t spare a single positive word about him the second he was gone. In some rare cases, pity
would accompany the insults, but even then the former was drowned out by the latter before long.
That is now all in the past for him, though. He thinks of this last mission as a relief more than a punishment. Being forever alone like this, save for the Relic’s occasional annoyance, was far better than staying where he knew he wasn’t wanted.
…
“Hey, Master…”
“What do you want?”
“Can you tell me about your glorious battles in the kingdom? I’ve always wanted to hear, but you wouldn’t say anything, but now that you have I thought I’d ask again and—”
“Okay, okay, I get it. Shut up and listen if you actually care.”
The Relic went completely silent that very instant.
“Honestly, I don’t remember many of my battles. After a while, they all looked and felt the same… I guess a pretty noteworthy one was the one in my hometown.”
“Mmm? Mmmm!”
“Sigh. You can speak as long as you don’t interrupt me.”
“So what was noteworthy about it? Which enemies did you fight? How many of them were? How did the battle develop?”
“I fought the orc army, I think. I don’t really remember the rest. Just that the town was destroyed and not many people could really escape in time.”
“O-Oh…”
“There was also that other time. In the capital. About twenty thousand deaths, some elves and some human. Those black dragons paid for what they did.”
“…”
The stories of the hero continue.
For all of the battles he describes, which have gone down in history as epic confrontations between good and evil, fights for the kingdom’s survival when they were at the brink of total domination, he didn’t seem to care at all about that.
All the details he remembered were the ones the history books wouldn’t tell.
The sight of a cyclops impaling a child with its spear as the hero cut his head just an instant too late, and the smell of rotting corpses from both demons and civilians making him vomit multiple times.
The hero kept walking forward, as he had for the last ten years.
But now, hearing his tales from the battlefield, the Relic couldn’t help but understand.
Not agree. Not relate. It didn’t even pretend to find the hero any less annoying or insufferable. But at least it understands.
“… So, now all that’s left is killing the last monster, right? Then we’ll have spring! The kingdom will be forever saved!”
“Spring will never come, kid. This trip is just a way for me to die in peace and for them to not have to deal with me any longer. I’m sorry to disappoint.”
“But, but, the faeries would never lie! If you kill the last monster, spring will—”
“We’ve been walking ten years in search of that monster, and we haven’t seen a single living being in all this time. I believe it’s safe to say we aren’t going to find it in out lifetime.”
“B-but…”
“Just drop the topic, will y—oh.”
Both of them stop walking for the first time in ten years. After walking God knows how much distance, finally, something was visible beyond the never-ending snowstorm. Something big.
“A mountain! Master, it’s a mountain!”
“Yeah, it is! You’re right, it’s a mountain! At long last, a place to rest!”
“And, and, what better place than a mountain to be a monster’s hideout? Maybe that’s where it’s been all this time, and we can finish this mission for good!”
The mere idea isn’t something he wants to think about. There is no need for baseless hopes, they will only serve to hurt him further and he knows better than that… but even so, they reach the base of the mountain and look all over to find some kind of cave in which to rest.
“Here, Master! Here!”
The Relic calls out, and sure enough, there’s a small cave there—just big enough for them both to fit.
For the first time in a decade, they don’t have to spend the night under the blizzard.
But the next morning, when they both go out and prepare to keep looking for the monster—
An earthquake shakes the earth, and an avalanche of snow starts falling from the mountain. The hero runs with all his speed, the Relic struggling to keep up the pace behind him.
“Hey, you! Be careful!”
“Wha—?”
It was just a reflex—no, that’s a lie.
He knows perfectly what he’s about to do. Despite that, despite the consequence being inevitable, he jumps behind the Relic, picks it up and throws it away with all his inhuman strength. As far away from the avalanche as he can.
“Master, what are you doing?!”
“Don’t come back! Thank you… for being my companion for so long!”
Tons upon tons of snow cover him, and even though he struggles to get out, he can’t fight against Mother Nature. Or at least, not against this much of it.
After a few agonizing minutes, he finally loses the last of his strength, the snow slowly evaporating from on top and under his body. But it’s already too late.
“Heh… At least, right at the end, I made it… I’ve… killed the last monster…”
His eyes closing for the very last time, his breath and heart stopping for good, all the Relic can do is run.
Run towards the kingdom, blinded by the shining sun and surrounded by flower petals.
Run, in the world of spring his master had given him.
Finally free of monsters. |
If you happen to be travelling along the purple meadows up the Trodian Hill at dusk, you may not notice, in the soft glow of the blooming jewel flowers, the human village of Cor obscured in the valley. The locals did not light torches at night except on sacred ceremonies. They could see well enough in the dark, a quality that had greatly benefited them on several occasions in the past. They preferred to be hidden from the prying eyes of outsiders. Their huts of dark wood and reeds blended well and were settled away from the moonlight’s touch.
The chieftain elders believed it best not to be involved in neighbouring communities, an understanding shared by many of the locals residing there. They thrived much satisfaction in this way of living: peaceful and undisturbed. Any wandering traveller hoping for a calm pause on a long journey would be met with disagreeable hospitality. Indeed on rare occurrences, a visitor would stumble their way to Cor, and upon returning to their homes, bring with them stories to tell of an unpleasant hamlet by the Trodian Vale. Non-human races would not even get the chance, subjected to several unspeakable atrocities. It was less out of malice and more of fear or suspicion.
Stories surrounding Cor started as just a few scattered accounts but quickly grew in number. The village gained a sullen reputation and was avoided entirely. There was an unspoken agreement of obliviousness between Cor and other nearby villages. This was much to the delight of the locals. However, when one day an epidemic began to spread, the people of Cor found themselves without aid. Some shut their doors in fear that the illness would spread to their town, while others believed divine retribution. The illness was slow in its effect and infectivity, but once the individual fell into a deep fever, death was inevitable.
The old were the common victims, and it didn’t take long for the chieftain elders to die out one by one. Left with no options, many of the remaining healthy and
strongest men braved the pilgrimage to consult Jonus, a wise man, who resides at a faraway spring rumoured to have properties capable of healing any affliction. Not a single returned, however, and with every passing season, hope for some miracle grew bleaker and bleaker.
Todd was a well-built young man. He had witnessed his relatives fall victim to the disease, watched his father and older brothers leave for the spring, never to return, and now stood at his ageing mother’s side whose life was gradually being drained away. Unable to watch her suffering any longer, he proposed to journey to the spring himself. The remaining locals had long abandoned the idea, but he was determined. He was confident in his ability to match fiercer races in battle and his resilience to endure the treacherous journey. His wish was granted by the chieftain leader, Axl, and he left for the spring the next dawn.
He first had to traverse the winding groves of Ghandana, home of the dwarves. When Todd encountered one of them, he assumed it was an animal, for the frightened dwarf scurried away when it had laid eyes on him like some half-witted creature. He frequently found himself lost in the vastness of the Ghandana Forest, and at some point intruded upon a clearing where a large group of dwarves had gathered in earnest. The moment Todd’s presence became apparent, they quickly retreated into the trees. It was clear to Todd that they didn’t wish to be questioned, not even for directions. He wondered if the dwarves simply feared humans or if there was some other reason for their prejudice.
It took him seven days and nights to reach the river Trois. Far off into the horizon were the blue meadows against the sunrise and further north should be the small town of Gorgon. There he spent a moment of rest. When midnight arrived, he left the town as silently as he had come.
Todd reached the City of Ardale in twenty days. Though it was long, the trip proved undemanding. There were instances where he had been approached by a few marauders, but they were easily taken care of.
In the bustle of the city of all sorts of races and creatures, Todd found himself at odds with his decision; and regret began to set in. Part of that was due to the anxiety building inside him as he neared the end of his journey. West of Ardale should be the Sage’s Forest, or at least that was how it was marked on his map. However, when he asked the locals, the so-called ‘Sage’s Forest’ didn’t exist. Instead, barely visible from a tall building, it was no more than a large cluster of trees, barely a forest.
Todd sat on a lonely corner in the tavern, silently sipping ale, careful not to draw attention to himself. He started to ponder over Cor, his family, and what his decision should be.
‘This is miserable.’
Todd muttered to himself words of utmost discontent. The ale wasn’t settling well in his stomach. He could just leave Cor behind with his children and wife if he wanted to. He was unsure whether the hamlet was really the best place for his family. Many times he disagreed with their old customs and unchanging ways. The elders had their own brand of stubbornness. Gorgon wasn’t particularly far away from Cor and could stand as a suitable place for a new home. But just as he considered that, thoughts returned to that of his dead brethren, and self-righteous honour.
Perhaps he can be the one to rewrite his town’s history. His grandfather, the chieftain who passed just before he had left, was a cruel man, and Todd resented him fully. Todd considered himself an idealist, a free thinker. Inspired by the likes of the philosophers who thought deeply about things and went against the grain of their common man.
Most of them were subject to death, but their thoughts lived on. Maybe that’s how Todd would end up if it wasn’t for the fact he shared his thoughts with no one except his family. His death in search of spring would be meaningless. He wasn’t sick, nor did his family show the common signs.
So why did he make this sudden judgement…?
As night began to fall, Todd let out a guttural scream. He furiously punched a nearby tree, shaking it to its roots, and frightening the birds that hung up top, sending them soaring.
As he hung his now bloodied hand on his opposite palm, he feared that that was a sign of what was to come. Suddenly he didn’t want to be here, suddenly he wanted to leave for home. He wanted to pull his family awake during the moonlight and rush them into the darkness with their things, not making a sound.
His eleven-year-old son would cry about his friend. And then Todd would have to wake him and bring him too.
His little girl would cry for her sitter, but she was already stretched out in bed with her fever. Todd would hug her tight and bury her face in his chest like a makeshift pillow. So, if she yelled and complained, no one but himself could hear her.
How horrible of a father was he right now? He could feel his older brothers looking down at him, begging him to return home.
Just as he was about to turn back around, and head home in his sensibility, he heard the slight trickle of water echoing through the dark.
The call of his late grandfather beckoned him forward to finish the task. For he was so close!
Maybe when Todd came back, he could share his philosophy with those who survived. Maybe he could comfort his daughter with the love and passion from the sitter of her last couple of years. This disease can spark change, and improvement.
But what would happen then? Would Todd become the leader? The hamlet is dysfunctional. And Todd was no leader. He was the youngest of three brothers, he was always the little man. His wife was a sensible woman, and well respected throughout the hamlet as a flower garden, but stern when needed. She raised their children well. Then, of course, it had to be her.
But then what if?
What if the rest of the community wouldn’t appreciate a woman at the forefront?
Should Todd just take the water from the spring, and leave with his family and close confidants? Leave the rest that were unwilling to change, unwilling to adapt to die? Should Todd just leave now, leave the spring and Jonus as a myth…?
He rubbed his bare forehead like he needed to scratch his aching brain. He felt uncomfortable with the fate of so many at his hands. A good man would reach for the spring now and go, go and save everyone. But Todd wasn’t a good man, he was selfish.
He continued west towards the ‘Sage’s Forest’. When he came upon the grove, it was so thick that the sunlight couldn’t penetrate the leaves. He was so close. An elf, skin darkened with a blue hue, sat at the edge of a small clearing. Rocks were piled up, the cracks filled with mud. A small trickle from the darkness, the edge of where the small waterfall began out of sight. Like it never existed. The pool was painfully small. And Todd’s heart sank.
‘A human. Don’t like what you see?’ Jonus, the elf hermit, said presumptuously. His legs were dipped into the pool, but only his feet were in the water. Todd gulped as Jonus let out a sudden grunt, giving Todd another look over. ‘No, a sense of relief. But you still seem conflicted.’
‘Sir, or mister, I’ve come here to save my—’
‘I know, I’ve heard of the plight of your town. We really went down the food chain, haven’t we? You’re strong, but you lack their confidence and glory. I love it.’ ‘I don’t seem to follow.’
‘Men are selfish beings—
We want to protect what’s close to us, regarding what’s close to others second. The choice you must make is lonely. I, for one, know that the water that remains in this pool is more than enough for your hamlet.’
There was silence between them for a moment. The ever-flowing, but soft flow of water raised Todd’s anxiety further.
‘But I hold onto this pool. So, call me a monster, but I’ll make the choice for you.’
And with those words, Jonus reached down into the pool, pulling out a cup covered in dirt from the very bottom. He filled it with water, then handed it to Jonus. This was it; this was all Todd will be given.
‘—as I find it far easier for a man to make the second choice. For whom you chose to save is a simple decision. Now go, enjoy my special magic cup.’ Todd was stunned, and he took the cup. He started up words, feeling like he should at least give a sound argument.
‘… and you aren’t willing to share more?’
‘This is all that I will offer.’
Todd felt a bit of relief splash over him.
‘Is your family sick yet?’
‘No sir, luckily.’
‘Then take this cup, let them drink from it. Then run. Well I mean, that’s just my bit of advice. Take that bit how you wish.’
And so he wandered back into the darkness, leaving Jonus alone with his decision.
Groaning, Jonus stretched and pulled out his pruning body from the water. ‘What an eventful footbath.’ |
He was a young man. His face was clean-shaven and pale with perfect teeth and his hair was long enough to reach his shoulders.
He was a recruit in the army, and he might have sat his horse with the careless grace of his youth had he not been so catlike and tense.
His brown, maroon eyes were roving everywhere around him, catching the movements of the tree branches in the distance. The black fur of his cloak had been oiled against the chill, and it gleamed as though he wore armour. The boom of heavy guns had been sounding monotonously in his ears for hours, and only its cessation could have aroused his notice.
So tensely was he strung, that a sudden unfamiliar noise startled him to such an extent that automatically, instantly, he had reined in and fetched the carbine halfway to his shoulder.
The young man was no coward, but his courage was only that of the average civilized man, and he was looking to live, not die, at all hazards. He did not know this country; the noises and smells were strange, and his heartbeat was like a drum in his chest.
He was always moving to the north for the last couple of days. When his path swung around to the west, he abandoned it and headed to the north again. That way lay safety, or so he thought until the sounds of the guns ceased abruptly. And then he knew nothing, save that something had happened.
As he came down into the valley, his progress was more rapid, and after half an hour, he stopped at an ancient rail fence on the edge of a clearing. Despite the openness, his path crossed the fringe of trees that marked the banks of the stream. Even though it was only a quarter of a mile across that vast open field, the thought of venturing out in it repulsed him. This fringe by the stream might be a hideout for rifles, scores of them, or even a thousand of them.
There was naught but silence, himself, and possible death-dealing bullets from a myriad of ambushes. And yet his task was to find what he feared to find. In the process of searching, he must go on, and on, until somewhere, he encounters another man, or other men, from the other side, scouting, as he was scouting, to report what he had found.
He saw a small farmhouse with no signs of life, no smoke curled from the chimney, nor any shadows moving through the windows. He kept going north. It seemed that he was not being pursued, for he did not see the twinkle of an eye, nor hear the whisper of a footstep.
A few minutes later, he reached the main road that ran along the base of the ridge. He stopped and looked back up the valley. Here, the fields were planted with crops, and here were cattle grazing, and in the distance, he caught sight of a wagon train.
Tethering his horse, he continued a hundred meters on foot until he reached a stream. As he drank, he heard a faint sound from the south, then farther away, the booming of artillery.
He thought about going into the woods but decided against it. On the one hand, there was safety, and on the other, he could be lost in the dark without food or water. He needed both to survive; he did not want to risk losing either. So he went ahead toward the stream, where he intended to rest until daybreak.
From the high ground above him, he saw the glow of fires burning in the town below. They were too distant for him to make out any details, except that they were probably barns or sheds, and no houses. Many people would be sleeping in their beds, with no idea that war was raging on the far side of the mountains.
Suddenly, a movement among the opposite bushes caught his eye. Birds might be to blame. He waited, however. There was again an agitation of the bushes, and he heard the rustle of a person.
At last, a face peered out. It was a face covered with a dirty brown beard. One side of the head was shaved, revealing a round skull. The eyes were blue and wide open.
He lifted his carbine to his shoulder as he gazed into the man's eyes.
From a very short distance, the man before him was as good as dead. But he didn't shoot. Slowly, he lowered his weapon.
The man in the bush extended his hand slowly to the stream to fill a bottle of water.
Seconds later, the man's face disappeared once again in the bush. After waiting a minute, the young man resumed his mission.
*****
Days went by, and the air grew colder. Rains fell intermittently, soaking the earth but making it difficult to travel over the rough terrain. Once, when a cold drizzle began just as he was crossing a narrow stretch of river, he took shelter under a small clump of trees, and watched the rain run off the leaves in droplets, sparkle like diamonds, and disappear. He was wet to his knees, and his face glistened with moisture. His clothing clung to his body and made him feel like a mummy, preserved in time.
As he trudged on, he became aware that the steady rainfall was slowing his pace. The mud and muck sucked at his boots, forcing him to take longer strides to move forward. He dared not stop, for if he did, he would get stuck in the mud, and lose the trail. A sense of urgency filled him, and he hurried on.
It was a miserable feeling, knowing that he could not turn back and that he had no choice but to continue walking to wherever fate led.
And yet, as he walked, his heart was full of certain curious contentment. He had come to an understanding—something that had eluded him since he had left home.
He was a soldier, and soldiers fought to kill the enemy. But how many died? How many never returned home to their families, wives, children, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, or friends?
Only a handful, he realized. Out of a thousand soldiers, perhaps two dozen might return alive. Yet soldiers still volunteered to serve in the army because they believed their duty was important enough to pay the price.
And now he was one of those soldiers, paying the price. If he survived, he would be a hero, the talk of the town. People would speak of him, tell tales about him, draw pictures of him, and write songs about him...
No, he would be dead, and his name would not be remembered. No one would remember. Just as he had forgotten the names of the brave men who had gone before him.
Reaching a fork in the trail, he paused to look north and south before taking the right-hand branch. His decision was based on a hunch, not hard evidence. It did not matter which way he went for the moment, but he wanted to avoid meeting others from the other side.
His path turned eastward, and he followed it for several miles. Then, just as his spirits rose when he discovered signs of habitation, he suddenly heard the crackling of gunfire. His horse pricked up its ears. Realizing that there was someone else in the area, he urged the animal forward. He was almost to a new settlement when he heard the sound of a stampede of horses approaching.
He looked up to see a company of mounted men galloping toward him with weapons drawn. He cursed, turned, and broke into a run, hoping to escape to the west.
The enemy soldiers were gaining on him. He tried to break into a trot, but his horse was hampered by his own weight, and he felt himself slipping backwards, closer to the pursuing men. He knew that he couldn't outrun them, so he changed tactics. He reached down, grabbed his horse's reins, and shoved his heels into its flanks, sending it running in the opposite direction. The horse stumbled and skidded, throwing him to the ground. He rolled over onto his back. With hands that were numb with cold, he struggled to free his carbine from its holster.
He decided to abandon his horse and run for the hills behind him. Surely, there would be cover, and there he would be safe until the cavalry rode past.
With his legs aching, he scrambled up over some rocks, slipped and fell again. The pain of his fall caused tears to spring from his eyes. He got up again and ran.
For a while, he was able to maintain a fast pace, but then fatigue began to set in. Despite the effort, his breathing was laboured, and he felt lightheaded.
Ahead of him, the cavalry was closing in. He could hear their voices, cursing as they rode. Ahead of him, in the distance, was a ridge he hadn't seen before. He could go around it, he thought, or climb up on top of it. Fearing that he might collapse and be captured, he pushed himself harder, nearly tumbling over the ridge. By the time he reached the summit, he was gasping for breath.
He looked behind him and saw the cavalry coming up on him. He sighed in despair thinking of how close he was to the end...
Just as they were about to reach the top of the ridge, the young man was suddenly pulled inside a bush. He let out a cry of surprise and looked at the hand that grasped his arm.
The man, with the dirty brown beard, that he encountered days ago, was the one who pulled him to safety. |
The time? 7:00 AM, on a breezy Monday morning.
It’s said that the optimal time to roll out of bed is either during or shortly after sunrise. In the first five minutes, it’s best to look towards sunlight, or at least warm light to replicate the effect. Experts say to watch the sky or enjoy the outdoors for five minutes if it’s a clear day, ten minutes if it’s partially cloudy, and thirty if it’s overcast.
This man, a working citizen on his 9-5 grind to retirement, follows this methodology every single day. It helps develop something called cortisol, a stress (and in this case, eustress) hormone that keeps you awake for long durations of time.
Of course, a cup of coffee helps too, or even multiple if you’re willing to have gastrointestinal problems throughout the day. But it’s smart to brush your teeth beforehand, or the coffee could stain your teeth. Unfortunately, this man had learned the hard way, and it took him forever to correct course. Coffee had become a powerful alternative to drinking Sprite, a previous addiction of this man.
By 7:45, the man was in his gym clothes. He snuck into his daughter’s room and gave her a kiss. He may have been humble, but, damn, was he proud to have such a stellar family. The days may have been unending, with constantly aggressive work testing his constitution. But he had a strong reason to continue, the same reason any father in their right mind would continue.
Five minutes later, he was out the door on his early morning jog. The streets were crowded as he headed deeper into the city, as figures pranced around from all angles heading to and fro to prepare for their work activities. Some sipped from their coffee as they went- the man chuckled at them, thinking of himself as only slightly superior for drinking his coffee
before
his walk.
They say that the same routine becomes monotonous. The brain adapts, and views concurrent situations as a blur. The brain can identify any oddity that stands out that way, without overworking itself.
So when the father passed by a lone teenage girl with duct tape over her mouth, holding up a strange sign, he instinctively looked her way. She stood in contrast to the drastic world around her. Black coats, ties, pants and other dressings of sophisticated working men and women didn’t even compare to this. Her clothes were ragged and worn from overuse. She huddled herself in a thin sweater that was unable to beat back the cold.
And she had cat ears.
Now this was the real world, but from the angle he was viewing from, the man couldn’t see anything fake about them. Before he was caught awkwardly staring at the freezing girl, he ran off to the gym.
The father’s time at the gym was plenty uneventful.
Despite the situation having happened hours ago, the only thing he could think about was that girl.
Who on earth was she? The cat ears reminded him of a time in his childhood- a childhood he wasn’t keen on reenacting any time soon. Thinking about his old self and cringing physically, he thought about how far he had come as a man, as a husband and as a member of society. This gave him the power to push above his usual limit at the gym and rep out a few more squats.
You see, this man was at one time not respected by anyone but his old family dog. He was once a NEET through and through.
His need to escape life, to escape the monotonous cycle of work. It seemed petty now, but back then, it was all he could hold onto.
He remembered Lilian, his cat girl waifu. Certainly not a fan favorite, but she was perfect, ideal for a NEET like him. A loving, caring girl that blushed in a variety of different ways, as the artist behind her was so keen on amping up that aspect of her in her storylines.
And then just like that, the gacha game went offline.
He set the weights he was using down.
Every night back then, as he went to sleep, he had hoped he’d just wake up in a fantasy realm, just like the boys a bit younger than him in all those stories. It was an escapist fantasy. The man knew this now.
If one his age still wished for such a thing, they’d be fighting against the way of life itself. Life goes on. Life isn’t a story. It is a living, breathing thing.
And with that, the father exited the gym in his work attire, knowing he was his best living, breathing self.
He wandered the street again, this time his eyes tracking the alleyways and dark corners alongside the tall buildings. Maybe he’d see that strange girl again? He wanted to have an opportunity to talk with her.
Staring up above, at the corner of a sidewalk, was his work, a towering skyscraper covered in lovely animated advertisements. He worked on the 12th floor for a small insurance group that covered people who suffered from accidents in the Tokyo area.
Didn’t that old gacha game company own the floor beneath him? It was only a spare office space now, but the card for their floor still remained at the front desk.
Dash Valley Studios
-Evicted-
Saldy, the company was so gacha-reliant, they couldn’t even pay for their own offices.
He checked his watch. It was 8:40 AM, and work began at 9:00 AM. He’d had a perfect attendance since his start there, and he didn’t want to fail it now.
And that’s when he saw her.
At the foot of the skyscraper was a revolving glass door. The cat girl from earlier walked along inside one of the sections of the door so as to not block the doors. She wore the same outfit, duct tape over her mouth and everything. She vibrated as she walked, bare knees bumping against each other from the cold.
She held up a sign with frozen fingers that read:
Please, nyan~, don’t forget about me.
The father’s eyes opened wide as he stood there, staring at her.
That quote was written in the one on one visual novel scene with Lilian, from the game the man had played as a child. The idea was to promise Lilian to never forget her, but it was a fictional character. The father, no longer in his NEET days, didn’t desire to interact with her since.
It was even stranger, then, the fact that this girl looked eerily- no, exactly like Lilian.
It looked as if she was protesting, but it didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Unfortunately the father had no time for questions.
His watch read 8:52 AM.
Beginning to speed walk, the man did his best to avoid the girl’s attention and make it through the entrance. He hunched over, moving his facemask slightly up and hunching over inside his long, black coat.
But the girl stepped out in front of him, stopping him. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, holding up her sign for him to see. She didn’t speak, she just blinked.
The man stumbled back a bit. But the girl kept up the pressure, keeping close and shoving her face towards his.
It was as if they recognized one another.
The father opened his mouth to speak.
But it was already 8:54 AM.
His eyes flicked down at his watch, then back up to the building.
The skyscraper leaned over him. He’d never been afraid of the concept of heights, but he was terrified now.
In that instant he was a different person. He was out of place, out of his beloved monotony.
The girl’s eyes were filled with assertion, but it was a futile effort. The man had to go- he had to leave to work. With a deep breath, and leaving the girl speechless, the man bumped past her, trudging into the building in silence.
She stood there for a moment, dropping the sign from one of her arms as she stared up at the building. The man walked inside, trying to escape her presence, but she followed after him, breaking into a mad dash.
The man saw this and sprinted towards the elevator. His greatest worry wasn’t the girl chasing him, but the idea of clocking in late. A man wearing a business suit quickly glanced at him, then at the girl in his pursuit. He shrugged, pretending to have seen this exact scenario before. Typical of the man’s most annoying coworker. Jeremy Swift was, unfortunately, a working man. He always believed himself to be better than everyone else, which the man hated.
The man would rather Jeremy be late than himself. After all, what did Jeremy do for the company?
The man slid into the elevator, which opened at the perfect time. His coat got a little dusty, but it was nothing that a quick pat-off couldn’t fix. He quickly stood up and spammed the
Close Door
button. He’d never been great at spamming, despite once being a NEET, but he did just enough to get the door to close before the girl (or God forbid, Jeremy) could get inside.
He would make it to work on time. Monotony would hold true, thank goodness. But something still felt off.
Lilian’s eyes opened wide in shock as she felt something bump into her. She had gone back outside, defeated, but didn’t expect anyone to still be out here past 9:00 AM. Giving the individual a quick look, her cat ears drooped as she noticed it was the man who had run away from her.
Her sulking frame was perfect for the man to wrap the coat around her shoulders before dashing off.
Now freezing, the man waved at her before running inside the building once again.
She stood there quietly, then draped the coat over herself. Warmth finally coursed through her veins. And as she kneeled in the middle of the sidewalk, shivering less, her eyes closed as she let the scent of the coat fill her nose.
The man, after closing Jeremy out of the elevator a second time, arrived at the 12th floor, checking his watch as he briskly walked to his desk.
9:01 AM.
The man remembered very little of that day, other than that he had checked in late. He would never see that girl again, as much as he searched for her on his daily walks. Jeremy Swift certainly made no mention of him blocking the elevator, though that could very well have been the case because of his fragile ego. The man made no mention of the girl to anyone, if not to spare himself the embarrassment of bringing up his NEET days. It could have been a dream, but one object proved the entire sequence of
Kai
events had occurred.
Or rather, the absence of an object.
His coat was still missing. Maybe he had just misplaced it and forgotten about it? It was possible. But he liked to think that he truly met with that girl, even if it was a dream. |
In this world, the strong prey upon the weak. It’s POG™ or be POG™ged.
What was once dismissed as a fad for kids had taken over the world. Wherever you went, whoever you met, you had to be ready to POG™ at a moment’s notice. It was how all disagreements were settled, and I mean
all
disagreements. Wars had been replaced by games of POG™. Even criminals had traded in their guns, preferring to mug people at slammerpoint instead.
POG™s were just that radical. They convinced everyone that violence was way un-cool.
But there was a dark side to the tubular phenom known as POG™. The only law left was survival of the POG™giest. Those who had the POG™s made the rules, and nobody had more POG™s than Leopold Unicorn, president of the World POG Federation™. He was only a teenager—just a few years older than me—but he ruled according to his whims, crushing whoever he pleased.
Every year, he hosted the International POG™ Championship. On paper, the tournament was an advertisement, a means to keep POG™ popular and increase sales. In reality, however, it was an excuse for Leopold to demonstrate his superiority. Challenger after challenger, he POG™ged them all with the legendary demon slammer, Muramasa.
That was about to change. I would POG™ all over Leopold and bring an end to his tyranny. Me, just a kid from the suburbs, one of thousands who’d been trampled on by Leopold. His thugs had POG™ged my father so hard that he’d been sent to the psychiatric ward for anxiety, and he still hadn’t recovered. It wasn’t an uncommon story. Plenty in the tournament had been gunning for Leopold, but only I had made it to the finals.
It wasn’t that I was better than them. Far from it. But I had something they didn’t: the legendary slammer, Dojigiri.
Glorious Nippon steel folded over a thousand times. The legendary slammers were the height of ancient Japanese craftsmanship. The perfect weapons. Legends told of Muramasa slamming bullets out of the air. But Dojigiri? In the right hands, Dojigiri could slam through tanks. Now, those two slammers were about to face off in a duel that could—no, would change the world.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I kept my cool as I approached the venue. My unzipped windbreaker fluttered behind me as I walked, its teal and magenta pattern dancing in the breeze. I was flanked by my friends. Those who had been with me from the beginning, and those who I had POG™ged during the tournament. We all had our own reasons, but we shared one goal: to defeat Leopold Unicorn.
As we approached the stage, thunderous cheering from the audience drowned out the fanfare. Bright lights wandered across the arena before settling their focus on me. I was glad I had kept my visor on. I would have looked like a total scrub squinting into the lights. Instead, the audience went wild at how hella tight I looked, with my spiked hair and confident grin. At that moment, I felt every bit the hero I was about to become.
Up on stage, Leopold was wearing his own confident smile, but I knew he was worried. He had sent his goons to POG™ me in the parking lot the night before, but I had turned the tables on them.
Climbing the stairs to the stage, I stood across from Leopold. There were so many things I wanted to say to him. I wanted him to know the pain he had caused so many, but I knew that, until I beat him, those words would be futile. I would have to let my POG™s do the talking. It was the only way he’d understand.
I reached into my totally gnarly fanny pack and pulled out a plastic tube. Popping it open, I laid the POG™s inside on the table, spreading my arms for all to bask in their glory. They were a mishmash of designs. Psychedelic 8-balls, skulls with glowing eyes, peace signs, cartoon characters, yin-yangs, corporate logos, simple drawings, and more. Some were holographic; most were not. The important thing, though, was that these were the POG™s I had won during the tournament. They carried with them the hopes and dreams of those I had defeated.
Leopold then did something I did not expect. Snapping his fingers, his servants brought Trapper Keeper®s onto the stage. Soon, he was surrounded by a veritable mountain of the binders. He idly flipped through them, occasionally pulling out a POG™ and lining it up across from one of mine. They were custom-made. Each had a photo of a person with a red X drawn atop.
When he placed down a POG™ with a photo of my father, I understood. The binders were a collection of all his victims. I figured he had hurt so many people that it was pointless to keep track, but evidently, he thought differently. He remembered each of his misdeeds, and he was fondly reveling in them as he matched faces to my POG™s.
I felt my rage build up inside me. It was time to s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-slam.
Nine rounds. First to five would win. Whoever won the coin flip would have an advantage. I called it in the air—tails, to show how cool I was—but it came up heads. We each pushed seven POG™s into the center, and the referee piled them up, adding a fifteenth POG™ to prevent any ties.
With an evil grin, Leopold raised Muramasa over his head. The audience went silent. We could all feel the pressure its evil aura exerted. When it crashed into the POG™s, it felt like I had been punched in the gut. I could only watch helplessly as they flew into the air and tumbled back to the table, landing face down.
The first round had gone to Leopold. It was a flawless victory.
Despair fell over the crowd. Once again, they feared, Leopold would be victorious. I knew I had to answer back. I had to return hope to the masses.
After fifteen more POG™s were stacked, I held Dojigiri aloft. It shone brightly under the lights, and a collective gasp ran through the crowd. They held their breaths, and I whipped Dojigiri towards the pile. When it collided, a heavenly note reverberated throughout the arena, and once again… all fifteen POG™s landed face down. The crowd erupted in applause.
When I looked back at Leopold, the smile had vanished from his face. There was only cold, hard hate in his eyes. In the next round, he threw Muramasa so hard that it bounced high into the air, and when it crashed back to the table, after all fifteen POG™s had been called in his favor, it snapped the table in half.
It was an intimidating display, but I couldn't help noticing how heavily he was breathing now. He was staring at me with such rage, I knew I had gotten under his skin. It was a murderous look, like he wished he could POG™ me with his eyes alone, but such a feat was beyond even the legendary slammers. If he wanted to beat me, he’d have to do it the old-fashioned way.
The organizers quickly replaced the table, and it was my turn once again. Undeterred by his actions, I flipped the entire stack of POG™s, tying it up, 2-2. We continued to trade blows in this manner. He would flip a stack, and then I would. The public were on the edge of their seats, awed by our moves as we both tried to find a weakness, no matter how minute, in our opponent. When we reached the final round, it was tied, 4-4.
The confident grin returned once again to Leopold’s face. He had won the coin flip, so he got to go first in the last round. All he had to do was flip this last stack, and he would win. I was defeated. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach in that instant.
No, not yet. It wasn’t over yet. I needed to believe in the heart of the POG™s.
Then Leopold made his last, decisive move…
Perhaps it was overconfidence, or perhaps Muramasa had grown tired of its cowardly master, but the demon slammer slipped from his hands on the way down. It collided with the edge of the stack, causing the POG™s to spray in an unpredictable pattern. As they tumbled through the air, I saw the POG™ with my father’s photo on it. It was spinning quickly, appearing to smack the other POG™s back down to the table, face up. One, two, three, four, five, six… seven! Seven POG™s landed face up, and seven face down.
Only my father’s POG™ was still tumbling through the air, as if in slow motion. If it landed face down, Leopold would win, but if it was face up, I still had a chance. Leopold and I were both holding our breaths. I could hear the roar of the crowd, cheering for me. My heartbeat accelerated like never before in my life. I could feel each beat as it pounded through my body.
And then that moment, which seemed to last an eternity, finally ended. The POG™ hit the table.
It landed face up.
Eight POG™s remained. All I needed to do was flip them. Leopold clenched his fists in frustration as the referee scooped the remaining POG™s into a new stack. Triumphantly, I thrust my hand into the air, once more giving the audience a view of the sacred Dojigiri, before slamming it down with all my might. I put everything I had into it. All the feelings I had collected over the past year, ever since my father was POG™ged. My frustrations at my powerlessness, the joy of making new friends, the bitterness of beating them in the tournament, and my elation that I was about to win.
At the last moment, I felt the murderous aura of Muramasa, and my arm seized up. Dojigiri fell from my fingers, colliding with the stack of POG™s. A smaller stack has less spring to it. It’s more unpredictable, and almost anything could happen. Once again, I saw my father’s POG™ sail into the air. This time it wasn’t spinning, however. It fell, and somehow, miraculously, landed on its edge.
It all depended on this last POG™. If it tipped over face down, I would win, but it just stood on edge. It was as if the two legendary slammers were locked in an invisible battle, each exerting pressure to try to tip it in their favor.
Everyone fell silent. They couldn’t believe what was happening. Sweat formed on Leopold’s brow, but I wasn’t worried. I believed in the heart of the POG™s, and I knew my father wouldn’t let me down. Even as a POG™ from my enemy’s side, he was definitely lending me his strength.
A sharp crack sounded from Muramasa, and the demon slammer split into pieces. Once again, Dojigiri had slain a demon. The POG™ fell onto its face.
Leopold was done. Not only had I POG™ged him, but without the demon slammer, he had no chance of coming back.
My friends rushed the stage and threw me into the air. This wasn’t just my victory, it was theirs too. This victory belonged to everyone.
But the championship belonged to me. I, alone, was the new international POG™champ. |
Kazuki lived with his ageing parents and older sister in a small town by the lonely countryside. The house they lived in was far too large for just the four of them. It had originally belonged to his mother’s grandparents, and she had inherited it so suddenly one day, upon her parents’ passing, before she had any idea what to do with it. As a result, though the main house was well-kept for the most part, some of the rooms were neglected entirely, left to ruin in old dust and cobwebs and fed on by termites. The garden, likewise, was in a similar ruined state. The weeds had grown so tall, the pond water turned green, and there was nothing of the sort of tranquil and quaint beauty reminiscent of a traditional garden, but rather a kind of garden one would expect to see in an abandoned mansion by some obscure village.
Though they were not particularly well-off—the house, which in its exterior, betrayed at the very least a contrived air of affluence that the young Kazuki had enjoyed and used to his self-interests, particularly in obtaining the admiration of his schoolmates to inflate his artificial sense of superiority. However, lies were faulty foundations. To keep perceptions built upon lies required delicacy, cleverness, and most of all—giftedness. The greatest fear of a con man is being known as one, even more so when the con man wears their falsehoods as if they were the truth. However, Kazuki had a fatal quality—he was incredibly inept. It was inevitable that the image he had built of himself would crumble and his lies would come to light. In the face of such disgrace, something began to stir within him, and a shift in his attitude came from the subconscious desire to conform as an act of ignorance against his infamy. That moment marked itself as the event that Kazuki would consider the turning point of his life, as the final embers of his pride were reduced to nothingness, for better or for worse. That all took place when he was fifteen.
At sixteen, Kazuki started to become involved with a local gang in his school. He had been led one day by one of the members and threatened to join, before subsequently being hazed. There he became exposed to many new things: theft, smoking, underage drinking, sex, but perhaps most significant of all—it was there he met his most faithful and hideous companion: gambling. Kazuki liked being in the gang. He couldn’t care less about the other members, he only revelled in the thrill he felt whenever he made actions that were fundamentally misaligned with his own preconceived morals. He learned new concepts and came upon revelations that utterly fascinated him to no end, such concepts and revelations that would otherwise be carefully hidden in a moral society.
A year and a half after Kazuki had joined, the gang was disbanded after a freak accident with one of the members and his girlfriend. They had been living together in some decrepit apartment. One of the neighbours complained of a rotten stench. When the police went to investigate, they found the young man’s body suspended in the air, held by a rope to his neck. They also discovered inside a trash bag the mutilated and dismembered corpse of his girlfriend. Kazuki knew the young man, though he wasn’t very fond of him. He always held the silent belief that something was very wrong with him. The case only served to reaffirm his thoughts.
Upon entering high school, Kazuki found himself alone once more. He never partook in any clubs or made any effort at making friends or starting fresh. There was nothing in particular he wanted to do. In those most difficult and uncertain moments, he turned to gambling as his source of solace. It gave him a momentary thrill enough to last an entire day. Gambling was his dose of drugs. At first, he did pachinko, but that quickly became insufficient for him. One misty night, he met up with some of the former members of the old gang and was led down to an underground casino. Kazuki fell in love with the place instantly. It didn’t take long for him to lose all the money he had. Whenever he was short on cash, he made it a habit of stealing from his parents. However, when he realised that they were struggling to make ends meet, an unavoidable guilt stopped him from the tiny fraction of conscience he had left. Or perhaps it was the fear of being caught and kicked out. In any case, he quit gambling until he got a part-time job in a convenience store.
In the months between, Kazuki had found himself becoming interested in a new pastime—watching street racing. At the time, it was becoming popular in the town. The races were held in the dead of night. One time a buddy of his from the old gang took him for a whirl during a race on the spiralling roads up the mountain. Kazuki felt as though his heart would leap from his chest. After the entire thing, he could only burst into hysterical, ecstatic laughter. The adrenaline rush had given him a thrill he had never had before—not even from gambling. It was the kind of grand thrill one would only receive from dancing with death itself; a thrill available only to those who forego their fears and offer up their lives.
A friend let him borrow his car, and Kazuki took off with it for a race. He won ¥100,000 which he quickly gambled on slot machines. Lady luck visited him one dark evening, and at midnight Kazuki left the casino with the face of someone who had just won the lottery. He had hit the jackpot: ¥2.5 Million. However, that would be the only time that luck would favour him. The day after, he bought a blue Toyota sedan, gave his parents ¥500,000; and drank with his friends until he passed out. In just a week, he had only ¥200,000 remaining. In the coming months, Kazuki became increasingly involved in the sport. However, while things seemed to look good for Kazuki at first, it all came crashing down all at once. After his initial victories, he started to lose race after race, gamble after gamble. In a matter of a few months, Kazuki’s life turned upside-down. He lost his job, was deep in debt, and worst of all—his mother was diagnosed with lung cancer.
His older sister was working hard to earn money, and their father was fulfilling the role of caretaker in the family; meanwhile, what was he doing? Screwing around, wasting his life away. He dropped out of high school in the winter of his 3rd year. Time seemed to pass slowly for him since then. Whenever he got his hands on some money, his immediate instinct was to gamble it all away. In March of the next year, while the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, he saw his old classmates walking home from their graduation. In that instant, a feeling of hopelessness dawned on him; and when he woke up the next morning, he had no longer any desire to continue living.
Kazuki visited his mother in the hospital one last time and blurted out some flimsy sentimental promise. When he was leaving, his mother seemed to give him a disappointing gaze. Well, it didn’t matter anymore since Kazuki had already planned to kill himself later that day. However, when he left the building, he was approached by a man in a suit. Kazuki recognized him as one of the organisers of the town’s street racing events. The man introduced himself as Azai. He had heard of the problems Kazuki was going through and offered him a once-in-a-lifetime offer: a race between him and a representative from a gang in a neighbouring town. Azai would be betting on Kazuki's victory, and if he wins, he would not only pay for his mother’s surgery, but also provide financial aid to his family. If he loses, Kazuki would have to give up his family’s land. Kazuki couldn’t understand the motives behind his actions, but the thought of the race and what was on the line reignited a flame within him that he thought had long burnt out: one last gamble—one final thrill.
Later that night, Kazuki and Azai met up at the town’s Shinto Shrine where the gang had been patiently waiting, their cars all lined up on the road. Kazuki came with his trusty blue sedan. He was going up against someone named Akira—a crummy middle-aged man who looked more like a simple salaryman than a gang member. Kazuki could tell that something was off, but he didn’t care enough to think further. They were to follow the route from the Shrine through the hill pass. The rules were simple: whoever reached the peak first won. Though Kazuki had traversed many mountainside trails and dubious roads before, this was not a route he was familiar with. The thought of pursuing the unknown that awaited ahead thrilled him even more. He was confident enough in his ability to get a feel for his surroundings and adapt to them. Although at this point, it might as well just be baseless confidence.
Five minutes before eleven, they were told to get ready. Kazuki and Akira both got on their rides. They turned on their engines and began to rev. At exactly eleven, they pressed on the gas and the race commenced. Kazuki’s sedan juddered violently before it accelerated, struggling to get a solid start. Akira, on the other hand, smoothly took the initial lead. Once Kazuki got going, he swiftly upshifted, nullifying the gap. He steadily gained momentum before ultimately overtaking Akira. From there, the distance between them grew. Kazuki, however, didn’t find the idea of slowing down for safety appealing. He hovered around 200 KPH, only slightly decelerating at annoying curves. Kazuki believed he had it in the bag, that there was no chance for Akira to ever catch up to him. Ten minutes into the race, Kazuki was too late to notice a sharp left turn and almost went off the road in his attempt to turn, nearly falling downhill. As he gazed at the cliff, Kazuki felt nothing but excitement. After all, it wouldn’t be so bad for him to die in a race, but it wasn’t his moment yet. He thought he had built up a solid lead, but as he was reversing, discerned a pair of headlights approaching in the rearview. He hastily stepped on the gas and took off, Akira trailing behind him. Whenever Kazuki accelerated, Akira seemed to accelerate as well. In fact, Akira was closing the distance.
In the following minutes, the two remained at a standoff. They now occupied both lanes and were desperately trying to overtake the other. As they came upon a curve, Kazuki attempted to drift, failing miserably and stalling himself, allowing Akira to snatch the lead once more. What followed was a steep climb, and the two were forced to slow down. When the road levelled, Kazuki didn’t hesitate to go max gear and catch up. As they neared the peak, the distance between them neither grew nor shrunk. All of Kazuki’s attempts to outdo Akira failed. He could only tail him from behind. This didn’t frustrate Kazuki. Instead, he was enjoying it.
When they approached their destination and Akira’s victory seemed all but assured, Akira suddenly stopped his car, as if he had become aware of a presence and could not go on further. However, Kazuki could only see a pale darkness beyond. He paid no mind to Akira and continued onwards. The winner was decided by the one who reached the peak first after all. Whatever Akira’s reasons for stopping, he didn’t care. Kazuki never let go of the gas pedal and went even faster. He saw outlines of cars lined up on the sides, a few men—gang members no doubt—waiting in earnest to congratulate the winner. For a moment, Kazuki was distracted by them and neglected the road; and then all sensations disappeared, and the ride became oddly smooth for a split second. When Kazuki finally realised he was plummeting from the peak, a blast reverberated as the car crashed into the waters below.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Kazuki did not lose consciousness. His whole body was in acute pain and his screams were meant for no ears but his own. Water seeped into his car, merging with his blood.
Kazuki’s life was filled with one too many misfortunes. Of course, some of which were of his own doing. When he looked back at all the seemingly terrible decisions he had made, he could not help but think that all of his accumulated sins culminated and led to the situation where he was now. But oddly enough, there was no regret present in his heart. Perhaps in the eyes of morality—karma—this was simply his just deserts. After all, what wrong was there in disposing of a parasite to society? However, to call him a parasite was not quite correct. To be a parasite assumed that one gained benefit at the expense of another, but Kazuki only ever brought mutual ruin. Kazuki was no parasite; he was something much worse. No one would bat an eye. It was better off this way anyways.
He thought of his sick mother in the hospital, the desperate promise he gave her, and the prize for his winnings. He was impressed that he still had it in him to think in that sort of manner. However, at the end of the day, it was probably out of his self-interest. He had lived only thinking of himself and somehow still expected to be taken care of by others. Asking for forgiveness now would only be selfish, like a desperate plea to clean his slate. He didn’t want that. He had long accepted that such opportunities weren’t available to people like him, who had nothing, did nothing, and yet still had it in them to wish for miracles, as if life’s luxuries were candies given to children or coins tossed in wishing fountains. Azai was a man who wouldn't keep to his word, Kazuki faintly realised that. No, he already knew it. He only used Azai’s offer as a pretence for a thrill. And now, he got the very thing he wanted. No matter the outcome, he was satisfied. Even if he died then and there, he wouldn’t mind. He had experienced the ultimate thrill. That alone made everything worth it.
It wouldn’t be right to say he had lost in life. He had not taken even the first step beyond the starting line. Kazuki was no loser; he was something much worse. |
The two astronauts stood in the grey airlock. Ekaterina could feel the sweat on her palms, the beating of her heart— but no one can tell you’re nervous if you’re covered in a spacesuit. She could only barely hear the air hissing around her.
Her fellow spacewalker gave her a thumbs-up as the hatch opened in front of them. She’d known Tobias since the first day of their neutral-buoyancy training, and he was just as excited as ever. Unlike him, Ekaterina hated spacewalks.
She stared out into the starry abyss ahead. Some considered it awe-inspiring, this unfamiliar sky. Ekaterina wasn’t one of them— she’d never lived on Earth, so this sky was all she’d ever known. To her, it was boring.
When she turned to Tobias, he was already gone, his tether wrapped around the opening. She’d figured something like this would happen. She let out an annoyed sigh and looked back. Both their tethers were connected to the inside of the airlock, looped in like thin black boa constrictors.
A pair of pliers appeared from her suit’s pocket— they’d been supplied by NASA for instrument repairs. She hooked them on her tether and pressed down.
She was a bit disappointed when she didn’t hear a snap. Not that the cord wasn’t broken— it was— it just so happened that sound couldn’t travel through space.
Ekaterina wasn’t suicidal, not in the slightest. In fact, this was a display of her arrogance. She did it every time, if only to pressure herself into working less carelessly. Even if she did let go, she still had her SAFER, the jetpack attached to her back. She would be fine.
She turned back and set off out of the hatch, clinging tightly to every handle she could. She and Tobias had different assignments around the ship— fix a minor detection instrument, repair a couple missing bolts on the oxygen dock, and several other menial tasks.
There was one important fix that had to be made, though. The space station’s radio transceiver had been broken by a piece of junk from an older ship. Until that was fixed, Ekaterina and Tobias couldn’t contact Aodori, the planet below.
The sun left a red glare on Ekaterina’s visor. She maneuvered carefully to the broken transceiver, gripping each handle on the station’s mechanical surface. She looked behind her just to make sure— her tether was floating uselessly behind, an umbilical cord to her spacesuit.
She knew Tobias would be on the other side of the space station at this point, so she’d have to wait a bit before he arrived. She drummed her marshmallow fingers on the hard metal below her. Each tap sent her just a bit further away from the station, which she found amusing.
She then pushed off entirely, letting her feet rotate under the handlebars. She enjoyed this kind of freedom— freedom from the world below, freedom from the people she hated. If only they could see her now, floating over everything.
The moment of respite came to an end as she pushed the arches of her feet against the handlebars, quickly twisting herself back. She reached out to grab the device in front of her, feeling her feet slip out from under the handlebars. She felt as if she was cheating death. A smug grin spread under her visor.
Her grin didn’t last very long.
She’d missed the device and sent herself spiraling. A sense of dread rushed through Ekaterina as she grasped for the closest surface. Anything would work— the station’s robotic arm, the broken transceiver, the handlebars. But she had sent herself just out of reach.
The lack of gravity didn’t stop her stomach from dropping. She began to flail, hoping she would grab onto something. She didn’t reach for her SAFER, not even once. The truth was, she knew it was out of fuel— it was meant only for emergencies, so it didn’t come with much in the first place. She’d already used it all on past EVAs, and this wasn’t even the first SAFER she’d drained. Tobias was using that one.
Her vision spun, her surroundings becoming a blur of grey and red. She spread her arms and legs out as far as she could, to no avail. Even further— still nothing. Her life began to flash before her eyes, the scarlet blur becoming background noise.
Desperately grasping at any semblance of control, she began counting. The certainty of numbers had always helped her calm her nerves. Extending out her digits and curling one in with each count, she began.
Ten… It was the same countdown every astronaut blasted off with, and yet each of them were taught to leave not with hope, but confidence, especially when committing to such a celestial task. Whoever came up with that notion had clearly never been at the mercy of the cosmos.
Nine… She still remembered not only how old she was but the exact day she entertained the idea of being an astronaut. It wasn’t often that Ekaterina fondly reminisced on that liminal childhood of always longing for more. It was never enough… which, coincidentally, was how she felt about herself.
Eight… A forebodingly high number of attempts to even pass the exam. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this. Maybe she should’ve taken the hint and given up on being an astronaut. In fact, she probably would’ve, if it hadn’t been for the encouragement and support of her friends and family. Even cutting her losses and calling it quits wasn’t something she had the strength or courage to commit to.
Seven… It was almost funny how little she’d actually changed. No matter how many times she’d mentally turned a page or said she’d be more responsible, she always fell back into her apathy. She couldn’t care enough for herself. Or anyone.
Six… Only those mere seconds ago, she had felt on top of the world, yet for everything to evaporate like this from such a simple and avoidable mistake…? It wasn’t fair… It wasn’t fair. It wasn't fair!
Ekaterina snapped back to reality with a jolt as her hand hit something. She had no idea what, but she instinctively grabbed it as hard as she could. As she pulled herself back, she gasped.
The panel had… fallen off the ship…?
She felt her back hit the station’s wall, her suit’s cushioning squishing around it. The wall was behind her, and when she tried to reach back and grab onto it, she found herself moving away. Turning her head, she reached out again, desperate. But it was too late. Once again, her future had fallen out of her reach.
Her pupils shrunk through smeared lenses as she took deep regulated breaths. The corner of her lip curled up ever so slightly as she rhythmically nodded along the universe’s cruel joke. She’d had enough experience with being toyed with by fate, and like always, she began to dissociate.
Five… The hours remaining before her suit would become unable to sustain her. Only five hours for her to brood over every regret she’s ever had and every mistake she’s ever made. Something like this was bound to happen to her eventually.
Four… Too many times she’d needed to be helped and saved from a helpless situation. Of course she’d been keeping track. This was her fourth time after all, and in a way, the weightlessness of space wasn’t all too different of a sensation from marinating in numbed self-pity and self-loathing.
Three… Each and every forgiveness forsaken once more that she’ll hold onto beyond death. She’ll never understand why they won’t abandon her. She’ll never understand why they won’t just give up on her. She’ll never understand why they just let themselves be strewn along and dragged down by her empty words and futile, half-assed efforts, only for everyone to be hurt in the end.
Two… Just two more years— no… Two months! Even just two more months would suffice for her to set everything straight. If only she had that extra bit of time, she’d be sure to change for good! She’d be diligent! She’d wake up at a reasonable hour! She’d even start answering the phone again! She’d give anything! She didn’t know what cosmic entity out there would hear her prayers or to whom she was making her last unreliable promise, but even though she’d come to terms with her helplessness, nothing could change that primal feeling. She just wanted to live.
One… What better way to describe her current state. It was almost cathartic in a way, for her to finally be left alone, drifting into the infinite abyss to slowly decay. A part of her hoped that NASA wouldn’t trouble themselves with searching for and retrieving her corpse.
Zero… The number of chances she had left to truly change, and similarly, no theoretical amount of false confidence could compensate for the reality she was currently confronted with. No air of arrogance she could produce would save her from this vacuum of insecurity.
She gazed out. Out at the space station, out at the scarlet planet, out at the stars. Her father had once told her that Earth was still out there somewhere, a home she’d never known. Maybe she’d see it in the afterlife.
She noticed something then. Someone, actually. Tobias was situated on the station, looking out at her. He was reaching for her tether… but he couldn’t grab it. His tether restricted him, keeping him just out of reach. Ekaterina closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
But she felt a tug on her chest. She blinked her eyes open to see Tobias pulling her cord back, pliers in his free hand. He wasn’t tethered anymore.
By the time they reached each other, Ekaterina knew only one of them could make it. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction— as fast as she was moving towards the ship, he was moving away from it. She screamed at him to leave her, to push off of her while he still could, but he heard nothing. It just so happened that sound couldn’t travel through space.
He grabbed her SAFER and climbed around to her back, his short tether trailing out of her vision. That was the last she would ever see of Tobias. She felt a push, and through her blurry, teary eyes, she could see the station approaching.
Her prayer had been answered, though perhaps she hadn’t been ready to give anything for it. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she’d only just been rescued once more, a part of her wanted to die again. She deserved to die for being the burden that she was, but she couldn’t afford to. Not after that.
She was weak. So weak. She felt as though she’d returned to the gravity of Aodori without time to readjust. She wanted to cry, but she couldn’t. She wanted to lash out, but she couldn’t. She was too overwhelmed. She was too overwhelmed to feel or do anything… but with a tentative push against the metal bars, and another, she continued back into the airlock.
She had made a promise to someone. |
Snow. It is seen as a hindrance to most who experience it. It makes people want to sleep in or do nothing. Many would prefer Summer over Winter. This is not the case in Cylestal where snow is a part of their daily lives. Located many miles above sea level and surrounded by peaks in every direction, the large village is blanketed in snow for the majority of the year. It is hidden in the snow.
Many nations have mastered the art of magic. Incantations to conjure a variety of elements. The Cylestian mages have mastered magic in a different manner. Becoming one with nature, they are able to use the surrounding snow and ice to boost their power. Not only that, but they can willingly manipulate the element. Cylestian mages are well respected around the globe and often prioritized for completing quests or bounties. This is the reason why many Cylestians wish to acquire the title of Cylestian Glacier Mage. The requirements are simple - be a Cylestian native and show profound abilities in manipulating the surrounding snow. Despite the simple requirements, only two to four mages ever acquire the title every generation.
Kalev Valk is a seventeen year old who wishes to acquire the title. Kalev drops his snowboard by his feet. He stares down the large hill and takes a deep breath. He places one foot on the board and uses his other foot to push himself. While accelerating, he plants the other foot onto the board and gets ready to manipulate the snow around him. Kalev makes many unnecessary movements. This makes it hard for him to control the board through the snow. He slides down the hill with his face turning red by the powdery snow slapping him along the way. He maneuvers around a large boulder and aims his hand at a forty-five degree angle. A makeshift target is in his sight. A small icicle forms at the palm of his hand and he fires it. His accuracy is off, but he does hit the target. With an incoming tree he adjusts his angle. Rather than the acute angle needed, he turns too much and hits another tree. Kalev falls off his board and tumbles his way down the hill. Not without hitting a few trees along the way.
His momentum comes to a stop and with an upside down view of the world he notices his grandmother standing outside the house. She looks disappointed at him for attempting something so reckless. Kalev turns around and stands up with his board in hand ready to receive an earful.
Kalev has a goal like many his age. Their plans are laid out similarly. Graduate school, pass the snowboarding test, join an expedition team, hone their skills, and acquire the grand title. There’s just one problem. Kalev’s ability to manipulate the icy element falls short of being called average. Not only that, but his skill with the snowboard is quite laughable. This does make it rather difficult to achieve such a goal. Even so, Kalev is determined to see this through.
The next day while in school, Kalev overhears his classmates mention doing a snowboarding race. His gray eyes sparkle brightly with the thought of being able to show off congesting his brain. Once the bell rings, he sprints home to get his board and immediately dashes for the meet up location.
Along the way, Kalev spots his biggest threat, Edvin. Unlike Kalev, Edvin performs excellently when it comes to ice magic. Edvin has snowboarded his entire life, and as such, he holds far more experience. Due to all the praise Edvin gets, his ego is a tad inflated.
All the students line up next to each other. They place their boards down and step on it. Everyone simultaneously counts down as Kalev takes a deep breath. They all launch themselves forward when they reach zero. You can hear the laughter and cheer coming from them as the frozen wind races past their faces. Kalev wears a massive smile while shredding down the side of the hill. Since the snow is packed-in compared to his backyard, Kalev doesn't struggle as much. He notices his classmates infuse magic to speed up. Kalev does the same and boosts himself forward with magic.
This is where the difference in everyone's skills is made apparent. Kalev lags behind along with a few other students. Edvin takes a sizable lead as he avoids every obstacle gracefully. Though Edvin is not without competition. Trailing after him is a young lass named Mavis. With absolute accuracy, she maneuvers herself to be as aerodynamic as possible. Though she does enjoy a thrill and avoids obstacles at the last second.
Kalev focuses everything into boosting his speed. As always, he makes unnecessary movements to avoid the smallest of obstacles. The look on his face reveals he wants more speed, but from the corner of his eyes, he spots a classmate making large ice blocks in front of a few other students. Most of the students barely avoid the trap set in front except one kid who tries to stop and collides into the block. He is launched forward and rolls on the hard snow. He scrambles to stop himself; from the panic he doesn't think of manipulating the snow around him. Just as he thinks he’s about to hit a tree, his arm is picked up. Kalev holds him up and slows down. He has hit many trees at slower speeds, so he knows this would not have ended pretty.
At the finish line, Kalev and the student he saved, Anton, cross last. Anton thanks Kalev once again and runs off. Kalev looks up the hill and sighs. He is disappointed in himself for being unable to win. He turns around and sees Mavis chatting with her friends as they walk away. Kalev turns to Edvin and sees him leading his pack. Among the three following him is Avrom, who was the one making traps in front of other students. Kalev decides to walk home, but before doing so he spots an old man staring at him. The old man seems to be fit for his age, and isn’t wearing a jacket as most older folk wear to keep their old bones warm. The man has both his hands pressed atop a wooden cane that appears rotted from the heavy wear on it. He takes his left hand off the cane and proceeds to walk away. Kalev is confused about the event, but quickly forgets about it and runs home.
The snowboarding test will be held right after graduation in four months. Though the particular hurdles and obstacles differ yearly, it is always a race down the largest peak down to the base of the mountain. Placing anywhere in the top ten will secure a spot in any of the expedition teams that acts as a stepping stone.
Unable to sleep, Kalev climbs out of bed. He grabs his board and sneaks out of his house as silently as possible to not wake his grandparents. He treks up the hill to reach his usual training grounds. When he reaches the spot, Kalev shakes his head and looks behind at the larger hills. He climbs his way further up the hills to challenge himself further. Walking a mile, Kalev reaches a height he is satisfied with. Before sledding down, he chooses to practice his ice magic. While training, Kalev spots blue and green lights. Kalev is familiar with the aurora borealis, but he also knows it is not the right time of year. He is able to trace the light coming down to the ground further up the hills. Entranced by the beautiful lights, Kalev picks up his board and makes his way up. The snow reaches past his waste, but Kalev continues walking up. His body temperature steadily drops from being encased in snow, and yet his unrelenting will pushes him. Kalev manipulates the snow out of his way, but at this point, only his head is exposed. For a moment, the thought of giving up crosses his mind. Kalev violently nods his head and steps forward. His legs feel like anchors bolted into the ground, yet he finds the strength to move them. Getting closer to the light he sees the silhouette of a person. His eye lids draw heavy and begin to close on him. All his strength is drained and Kalev falls into the snow, buried in it.
Hours later, Kalev opens his eyes. He hears the crackling of wood and smells the smoke associated with a fire. He jumps up immediately and looks around. He spots the old man from before, sitting by the fire. With no explanation whatsoever, the old man demands that it is time for proper training. Kalev has no clue who this man is, but the old man knows who he is. Kalev was raised by his maternal grandparents since his parents passed when he was young. Because of this, Kalev never met his paternal grandparents.
The old man reveals his name to be Kaljo, and he demonstrates the aurora borealis he created earlier. As Kaljo casts his magic circles, Kalev spots the head of a white dragon engraved into the rune. Kalev recognizes that this belongs to one of the greatest Cylestian Glacier Mage to ever emerge from the village. His real name was never known for his title spread far more fame - The Unrelenting White Dragon of Heaven, or White Dragon for short. Completely amazed at the divinity of who this man is, Kalev begs to be trained by him, though he knows a great man such as he wouldn’t waste their time. What Kalev doesn’t know is that grandparents like to spoil their grandchildren.
Four months later, the whole village of Cylestal surrounds the base of the tallest mountain. The 163rd class has graduated and is now attempting to do the snowboarding test. The class of twenty- eight students stand at the mountain top where there is barely enough room for everyone and the starter. The older gentleman raises his left hand in the air and shoots out ice magic. The icicle soars through the sky and pops into a million snowflakes. All of the competitors drop their boards and jump onto them as swiftly as possible. Kalev thinks back to the training and grins. All of the recent graduates shred down the mountain with pure skill and elegance.
Despite the training, Kalev still overshoots the angle needed to avoid obstacles. This causes him to fall behind. Edvin and Mavis are neck and neck with each other. Being at the lead, they get a first shot at potential targets to score extra points. Mavis forms ice needles and fires them. Edvin creates large ice rocks and launches them into the targets. Kalev focuses his magic down by his feet and gets a large boost. With an incoming boulder, Kalev chooses to form an upward ice slope. He takes the ramp at full speed surpassing many of his classmates. Making two finger guns, Kalev shoots ice pellets at targets that haven’t been hit yet. Though his accuracy is still off, he shoots as many as possible before he lands.
His classmate, Avrom, uses his magic to knock a tall tree to block others. Kalev instantly sends a wave of snow to hit one side of the tree to flip it to take less space. The tree spins more than intended and tries to revert back to blocking everyone. Before it can, the tree spins back into place. Kalev looks to his side and spots Anton helping him out. Both of them slide right by the tree branches as they nod to each other. Kalev boosts himself once again getting closer to the top five. With incoming attacks, the competitors fight back to not get hit. A few snowballs get close to Kalev, but he manages to destroy most of them. He repeats his last strategy and launches himself far up into the sky. He shoots at the incoming projectiles and lands taking the fifth position.
Edvin and Mavis boost themselves, trying to take first place permanently. Creatures made of ice appear on the track to slow down the competitors. Edvin destroys the creatures in front of Mavis to block her view, but Mavis does the same to Edvin. Meanwhile Kalev focuses on the creature in front of himself. Unlike everyone else. He uses the magic ice of the creatures to further speed himself. Kalev takes the fourth position, and quickly goes into third. Edvin and Mavis notice Kalev trailing just behind them. They both force a wave of snow at each other hoping to take the other out and stop Kalev from surpassing them. Kalev goes full throttle into the snow. His vision is completely impaired and as soon as he emerges he witnesses a large dragon made of snow incoming at the three of them. Edvin and Mavis boost themselves even more, but only Edvin speeds off. Ice rises in front of Mavis which slows her. Kalev notices one of Edvin’s lackeys is responsible for it. The dragon is going to hit Mavis so Kalev races to her side. He grabs her arm and shoves her forward.
The monstrous dragon crashes into the ground, raising a lot of snow into the air. Mavis looks back and doesn't spot Kalev anywhere. She looks in front and sees Edvin in first with his lackey in second. She boosts herself to the max to get the lead again. She shifts herself and her board to get the least amount of air resistance. She sneaks behind Edvin’s lackey and passes him while her board spits back snow in his face. Mavis is fifty feet away from Edvin. Something catches her attention. She turns and notices a lane of magic circles with a white dragon’s head engraved at the center. Before she has time to process it, she sees Kalev speed past her at great speeds. Edvin sees the finish line not too far in front, though he does feel someone getting close. He sends a wave of snow backwards but that isn’t enough to stop Kalev. Running out of magic, Kalev slows right next to Edvin. Infuriated at Kalev catching up to him, Edvin aims at him to shoot a ball of ice. Kalev looks forward then back at Edvin. Once Edvin is done making the ice he attempts to fire it, though as luck would have it, Edvin runs over a small rock which causes him to lose his balance and falls off his board only three feet from the finish line. Kalev crosses the line with Mavis right behind him.
Everyone else crosses the line, most of them cheering at Kalev for his performance. Though Mavis isn’t happy about it, she congratulates him for his win. For the first time Kalev has received praise from his classmates, though this is only just the beginning of his goal. |
It was cold. It was the kind of bitter, piercing cold that chilled you down to your bones no matter how many layers that you wore, the kind of cold that numbed your whole body until you could feel nothing, the kind of cold where it took immense effort not just to move, but also to think, and to breathe.
The cold was the reason why the human settlers of Arbuda never left the Bubble Cities, where it was warm and the air was breathable- all of them except for the Couriers. Each day the Couriers donned their pressurized suits and stepped into the freezing wastes, carrying their precious cargo- food, water, fuel- risking death by suffocation, hypothermia, or attack from one of the many monstrous creatures that roamed the frozen wastes. But the Couriers continued to press on, because they knew that the packages were more precious than their own lives.
Courier M-380 paused for a second, wiping off the thick layer of fog that had accumulated on the outside of his visor, to take a look at the small device attached to his wrist. On a tiny black screen, a green arrow glowed, with a dashed line in the same bright, sickly green leading to the edge of the monitor. To the right was a distance counter- two mil. The holoscreen was crude technology, to be sure- far lower-tech than what humans in the twenty-fifth century were used to, but in the harsh conditions of the Arbudan wastes, it was the only navigational system that would not freeze and break.
M-380 had been on his journey for five days at this point, and his arms and legs were growing weary, but at long last he was approaching his destination. The Courier took a seat on a small ice pillar, pressing a few buttons on the holoscreen, then turning his head to the side as the last of his food and water rations slowly raised inside his helmet on a mechanical arm. The food bar went down with the unpleasant texture of sand, and the water was lukewarm and unpleasantly metallic. M-380 grimaced as he ate. He had consumed the Courier rations hundreds of times before on deliveries, but they never got any tastier. The calorie and nutrient blend required to power a Courier in the icy wastes came at the expense of flavor.
With the last of his rations gone, M-380, re-energized, set off again, struggling through the whipping winds and blowing snow. A short distance ahead was his destination- a small Bubble City which the Courier had never heard of, where he would drop off his package and refill his food and water supplies for the long trek home. The Courier stopped in the driving snow, craning his neck out, but try as he might, he could not see the familiar warm, orange glow of a Bubble City peeking through the dull gray sky and howling blizzard. Nevertheless, he knew it was there, because the holoscreen’s maps had never been wrong before.
He tucked the package- a tiny box encased in solid blue plastic- under his arm and set off again, struggling through the snow. M-380 was an experienced Courier, but perhaps it was safer to say that he was more lucky than experienced. The life expectancy of Couriers was short. They were ordinary, unarmed humans- they had no ability to fight off the creatures that roamed the wastes any more than they had the ability to kill angels. But by luck- or perhaps by miracles- M-380 had survived for over a hundred deliveries.
One mil from the destination, the blizzard suddenly ceased, going from a howling storm to clear, solid gray skies. It was such a sudden change that M-380 stopped in his tracks. Spread ahead of him was a large, flat ocean of snowdrifts, pocketed by depressions every so often. He looked to the horizon, left and then right, but the familiar sight of a Bubble City, glowing warmly in the dreary gray cold, still did not appear. That was unusual. At this distance, it should loom large in his field of vision, but all he saw was the endless sea of white.
Nevertheless, he shook his head and pushed on. It was not a Courier’s place to ask questions. No matter what, he had to deliver his package.
As he slid down a snow-covered hill, reaching the flat plain, the ground beneath him rumbled, and an ear-splitting crack, loud as a cannon report, rang out. On instinct, M-380 ran toward one of the pits in the ground and flung himself down, curling himself around the small, blue package. He gave no thought to his own life, but his cargo had to reach its destination, especially when it was so close. He could not fail here.
For what seemed like ages, the Courier lay motionless, wrapped around the tiny package, breathing heavily, as the sound of inhuman noises- screams, yelps, and more that he could not describe- filled the air around him, and then it was silent again.
Hesitantly, the Courier peeked his visor above the lip of the crater in the snow, looking furtively around, but he saw nothing except for four sleek, black, cigar-shaped creatures, floating quickly through the air away from him. M-380 breathed a sigh of relief. Blimps could startle the unaware, but they were harmless. Whatever had caused the loud crack- he did not know and he did not care to stay to find out- must have scared them away. Gathering the package, he prepared to continue his journey once again.
That was when he saw it.
Far off in the distance, a dark shape was silhouetted against the cold gray sky, moving slowly. As it grew larger and larger in his field of vision, M-380’s heart leapt into his throat, beating at a frightening rhythm. The nondescript shadow had separated into a pulsating mass of tentacles, wriggling as it moved over the snowdrifts in a manner that made the Courier feel ill the more he looked at it.
Volantors had killed more Couriers than any of the alien fauna that inhabited the snow planet. M-380 had the good fortune to never encounter one before, but he knew exactly what they looked like from stories and training.
Suddenly, as he watched, the writhing shape began to grow smaller, fading into the distance. By some miracle, M-380 had been saved, yet again.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and then instantly came another horrendous crack, and as the ground shifted, the Courier was violently thrown out of his hiding place.
He flew through the air, landing hard on his back in the snow. As he struggled to get his bearings, he noticed the small, blue box lying a short distance from his head, and grabbed it immediately.
M-380 had just enough time to notice the wriggling ball of tentacles flying across the driven snow, advancing on him at a terrible speed, looming larger and larger in his field of vision.
The Courier did not need to think about what to do next. He ran, cradling the package to his chest, as fast as he could, gasping for air with terrified breaths as he moved.
Something dark flashed in his peripheral vision, and as he ran, he looked back just in time to see one of the creature’s appendages rocketing toward him from its writhing center. In desperation, he threw himself to the side, and the tentacle crashed into the snowdrift, spraying white powder everywhere.
The Courier had no time to admire his dodge, or praise the gods, because the alien creature was still coming, bearing down on him. His destination was just ahead, but never before had half a mil felt so much like fifty. He continued to run through the freezing cold in his cumbersome suit, panting heavily, holding the package with all his strength.
It was no use. The Volantor had barely slowed- it was far faster than a human. This time, two tentacles shot from the pulsating, fleshy mass, and M-380 desperately threw himself to the side again, but as he hit the soft snow, one more writhing appendage shot out to meet him.
Then came another piercing crack, and the ground shifted beneath the Courier just enough that the tentacle whizzed over his head.
By some stroke of luck he had kept ahold of the tiny blue package, but as he tried to struggle to his feet, his legs gave out from under him. He had used up the last of his remaining energy fleeing from the monster the bitter cold. The Courier could not move, no matter how much his brain screamed at him to get up and run.
The horrible, alien beast raised an innumerable amount of fleshy arms to the sky. M-380 did not fear for himself. His life was not important. It was his cargo that he mourned. After hundreds of successful deliveries, he was going to die in such a cruel way- so close to his destination, but having never reached it. His clients who put their trust in him to deliver what they so desperately needed would never receive their precious resources.
To a Courier, it was the worst death imaginable.
As the Volantor brought its terrible appendages down toward the Courier’s still body, there came another crack, louder than any of the others, and then, M-380 saw it. To the side of the monster, a thin line snaked through the snow-covered, pitted landscape at incredible speed.
The ground tore in two beneath the Volantor, revealing nothing but an inky blackness, and then it was as if the world was flipped upside down. The Courier was thrown violently, end over end, plummeting toward the crevice that had opened, catching the quickest glimpse of the mass of flesh flailing as it disappeared into the abyss.
As he struggled to right himself, he saw the package, small and bright blue, perched on a shelf of ice above him, growing smaller and smaller as he slid toward the crevice. M-380 scratched and clawed, desperately grabbing for a handhold, but felt nothing solid.
The ground suddenly gave out from underneath his scrabbling feet. In a second, he would fall over the edge of the crevice as the Volantor did, and the package would be buried by the next blizzard, never to be found again.
That was unacceptable. M-380 could not allow that to happen.
He had to deliver the package. He had to reach his destination.
He had to.
With all his might, the Courier exploded up the icy slope so suddenly that even he was shocked by it, pulling himself up the slippery ground with every bit of strength he had left. He dove for the small blue box, grabbing ahold of it, and as soon as the terrain evened out, he collapsed.
M-380 was alive. Another fantastic stroke of luck had saved his life.
Weakly rolling over, he raised his arm up to his visor. The sickly green graphics glowed bright against the dreary gray sky. 0.4 mil to his destination. It was so close that he could taste it.
He pulled himself to his feet, clutching the package to his body, but every step felt like he was walking through quicksand. It was excruciating. His breaths grew shallower and shallower as he struggled forward.
0.3 mil. Now 0.2. Now 0.1. Black spots were starting to form in front of his eyes as he choked for breath.
Where was the Bubble City? It had to be right in front of him, but he could see nothing but the snowdrifts and the large gash in his visor, and he could only hear the hiss of a stream of concentrated gas. He knew that his oxygen tank was punctured and the air inside his suit was escaping, but if he could just reach his destination, he would survive.
His breathing grew even more labored, and then he saw the warm glow of light- of civilization.
It was not a Bubble City, though.
If the Courier had not been close to death, he would have stopped to wonder who lived in the small, stone cottages, sitting in front of an ice mesa, covered in snow and glowing with yellow light peeking through their windows. They were obviously human construction- the homes were quaint and charming, but they had no bubble surrounding them, and humans could not breathe in the oppressive atmosphere of Arbuda.
He might have questioned how the flames could merrily dance in the lamps strewn around the cluster of cottages- just like there was no oxygen for humans to breathe, there was none for fire to burn.
But none of that mattered to the delirious M-380. As he struggled forward, the only thing he cared about was the delivery. One of the buildings must be his destination. It had to be. He could not fail.
The Courier stopped in front of one of the cottages, with its door painted blue, and the green distance counter on the screen on his wrist flicked to 0. He reached for the door to knock as his vision grew fainter, trying desperately to breathe.
He could not see who opened the door to the charming home, but he felt the package leave his hand, and a sense of relief swept over him as he struggled for air. He had fulfilled his duty as a Courier. He had reached his destination. What happened next did not matter.
He could rest, happily and peacefully. |
As the school bell rang, a thousand footsteps echoed throughout the building. Many approached the exit gate of Southern High School, a school located on the lakeside of Merriway. Letting out a frozen breath, a boy wearing a tracksuit with a white knitted scarf and messy cyan hair strolled to the school field while holding his duffle bag.
His azure gaze turned to a group of people wearing the same tracksuit, each swinging their legs back and forth as every thump sent some dirt into the air. Leading the group, there was a blondie with legs longer than anyone else in the group, a physique that is slender yet firm and shining orange pupils that met those cold gazes. As a breeze of winter wind caresses both their heads of hair, his leg touches the finish line before letting out a long sigh.
Collapsing into the red rubber of the track on his back, he clenched his teeth and let out a groan before getting up and bringing his knees to his chest with his left arms. He rubs his ankles, occasionally massaging it while letting out a deep breath until he jumps out of surprise when he feels a freezing object make contact with his right cheek.
Ionic Water
Looking down on him, the same azure gazes crouched on his eye level, faintly smiling at the sweat covered Haru. Grabbing the drink he just gave with his right hand, he gets up to give his gratitude for looking after him through his vocal cords, before chugging the whole bottle in one go.
He extends his glove-covered hand to help Haru get up and mentions his left ankles and to that he replies that it’s nothing to be worried about while jumping up and down. Rather than being relieved from that, he frowned behind his scarf but still he couldn’t hide the heavy weight on his heart and eyes. Then, he reached Haru's shoulder with his left hand followed by taunting words and a smug demeanor, Haru replied by reaching out his right hand to his shorter rival and bringing him closer to him and with a big smile. The two then moved to the track starting line.
…
One
Was the number of finger their friend was raising as the two were standing on the starting line
Slowly closing his azure eyes, he takes a deep breath while putting both of his hands to the white line and lowering his hips with his left leg in the front and right leg stretched all the way to the back. Haru’s doing the same position.
Two
The two raised their hips, their synapses pulse were heading to both of their right legs, same as their blood that rushed from their hearts as their heartbeats rose in speed.
And under that cyan hair, there’s only one signals that are being sent to his whole body-
Win.
He turned his head to the track and-
Three
They push their right legs to the ground, using their left legs as a pivot they swing their right legs to the front and from that strides, He takes the lead while Haru is one step behind him and on the second step he realizes that even though he got the first lead…
There is no way that he can win against Haru as he is right now.
…
Ikeya arrives home in his room and puts his duffle bag on the floor. He follows by throwing himself on his bed. Laying on his back, he turns his head to a photograph hung by the walls, standing together in front of a dozen cameras and flashes, picturing Haru along with the rest of the team, including himself, besides that blonde hair; a relic of the past where he was once called the Comet of Merriway.
Ikeya Kazuhiko's talent has now withered away.
The next day, as he says goodbye to the stars above, he finds himself strolling on the lakeside when the sun touches his faded eyes until he hears a faint noise of gears and chains rotating from behind.
A familiar blond head of hair comes up close to his face, his eyes dilated with concern regarding his losses yesterday. Ikeya felt an ache in his heart about him but he replies with a smile while pushing away his face with his right hand, muttering about him letting Haru win because of his injury last time. Thankfully, he buys it and offers Ikeya a ride to the school.
As the two were riding the bicycle, Ikeya couldn't help but to look at him with an empty gaze, occasionally woken up by the sound of cars passing beside them. He turned his gaze to the reflection of the bike, along with him and Haru, reminiscing the time they spent together before he had come to this final act.
They met under the rain while in their second year. Haru was soaked and late for school, as they glanced at each other's eyes while Ikeya was under an umbrella. He was a flash that rivaled his speed at the time. Intrigued, he decided to invite him to the track team as one he can call an equal; a rival under the cosmos he wandered for so long alone. But all of that comes to an end as he has far surpassed his expectations. He just can’t help but to be vexed for bringing him in; it was jealousy.
As a golden leaf falls on Ikeya’s head, he comes back to reality, taking it and looking at it for a while until the bicycle enters the school gate. He looks around the school yard and sees a bunch of stalls erected, some of them holding an exhibition from various school clubs and a lot of food stalls.
The School Festival is drawing near.
Getting off the bike, Ikeya told Haru he should pay a visit to the track stall but he obliged saying that he’s the ace of the club and that they should go together. Ikeya then flicked his forehead saying that they will, though he knew what would happen next. Walking amongst the crowd, Ikeya closely looks at his rival, guiding his bicycle, slowly leaving him behind as the crowd starts to recognize him and before he knows it…
Haru is lost in the crowd, leaving Ikeya all alone once again.
Walking away from the crowd, he glanced at his rival, muttering that soon they will face each other again for the last time.
…
Once, he was a school idol; he excelled at both education and sports, the Comet of Merriway, the Southern High School’s pride; Ikeya Kazuhiko. Among the crowd of students checking out their score on the exam, he would always come out on the top. But even so he would not once lower his head any time they came to praise him. Being faster than everyone else on the field, he would use those legs to help the teacher by delivering his friend's assignment. Though, the friend that he thought was by his side all the time was…
Only befriending him for his own advantage.
He realized all of that, but not once in his school year was he ever against it. Not because he’s too weak or scared but he feels that he should be taking care of them, no matter how pathetic they are. He couldn’t imagine what it feels like to be alone as he is known to have trouble communicating, so it was his last resort to fill his loneliness. But in the end, every human has their limit and he is yet to reach that limitation.
Strolling the same route to the school field covered in sweat, he holds two full water bottles with both of his hands. He was the only one at the opening ceremony of the track and field club, where he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest halfway there, forcing him to sit on the pavement, catching his breath and holding his chest for dear life until a familiar voice placed a hand on his right shoulder.
Tachibana Haru
It was the blondie he met in the rain and without hesitation, he picks up both of the bottles and starts walking on his own to the field. He sees his lips as he mutters a word that he would have never heard during his high school, a proposal of a helping hand from the last person he expected it to come from, that is his proposed “Rival” that he wanted to go against.
And that feeling eases the pain of his chest
Placing his left foot in front of him, he lunges forward after swinging his right leg and in a flash he snatched one of the bottles before he muttered another proposal to him; a race to reach the field and with a smile and a nod. He intrigues and taunts Ikeya as a foolish comet that wanders too close from the sun. Ikeya replies by putting his left foot in front of his body. Haru glances at him and replies with the same motion.
One
Two
Three.
They took off after their right feet flew in front of them, bringing their bodies forward in the process. The wind howled on both of their ears as their flashes of steps sent dirt flying across the pavement with each and every step. Every movement they made sent thumping noises in the distance, attracting nearby bystanders to then cheers for both of them.
As their heartbeats reach their peak, both of them start to take a breather as they are closing in on the red rubber of the field. It was still a neck to neck race and when they jumped across a trench they both glanced at each other and let out a laugh as they realized…
They had never once met an equal in their lives until now.
Landing on his left foot, Ikeya takes the initiative to extend his stride, taking the lead as Haru almost loses his footing after the impact. The race was soon to conclude that Ikeya was the victor but his pupil dilates as he sees Haru with an open arm jump at him sending both of them to roll over the field.
He is no longer running alone.
Yet, there’s one thing about him that he couldn’t tell him yet…until the time has come.
On the same field, of the same position as their finish line a year ago, they stood against each other as the last runner of the school’s relay race. Noticing his rival is gazing at the sky with an empty stare, Haru calls his name in which he replies with a soft smile before he mutters a simple thanks to Haru and before he can even respond. The baton is already on his hand and Ikeya can’t be seen beside him any more.
In a flash, he follows the line after noticing a cyan outline on the corner of his eyes by a stride of his right legs and notices a shimmer come trickling down from his dear rival.
His golden pupil contracts
Blood came rushing into his legs and he extended his stride while shouting his rival’s name again and again; there was nothing but fear, worry and confusion in his head, but he had never once smiled like that.
Slowly but surely, he’s closing his distance to Ikeya who is soaked in his own sweat and from that distance, he hears Ikeya frantically breathing through his lungs, yet he can see that he’s losing his speed as his heart beats faster and faster.
And then, they once again met neck to neck gazing into each other's eyes
Ikeya's gaze softened, there were no words exchanged but the noise of their step deafened the cheers from their friends. Haru slowed his pace and shouted his rival's name once again.
Only one word came out of his mouth; it was a goodbye.
Followed by a word of gratitude, his eyes became teary and he placed his palm on top of his own chest.
A heart defect.
A condition in which the patient’s heart were defected from birth, greatly increasing the chance of getting caught in a cardiac arrest, it was the shadow that looms over him ever since he was born into this world. It was inherited from both of his parents who couldn’t make it, leaving him all by himself at the age of 10.
Before his father joined his mother who died from giving birth to him, there was a word he muttered before leaving his son in the darkness, a word that became the light that guides him to his life while he hasn’t yet been diagnosed with one.
That is to run and spread joy around the cosmos, until the time someone who can continue your legacy comes to you.
A gentle shimmer came overflowing from Haru, he couldn’t accept the fact that Ikeya would fade away from his life, until he heard Ikeya mutter his last word.
Haru is like the sun, while Ikeya is a comet. He may have wandered the cosmos all alone from the dawn of time, but once he has taken an interest in the Sun…
He would spin around his newfound family, each revolution bringing him closer to the Sun until one day, he couldn’t keep up the pace and…
The Comet would fall into the Sun. |
The air above the city is frigid and thick. Streets sprawl like splitting rivers beneath Kasumi’s feet, and sometimes the wind rakes through her hair far too forcefully, but even though she is this high above the world, she does not tremble, does not falter. The winds are her friend, the empty air her sole confidant; wherever she moves, a thin sheen of it trails after her, a second shadow after her own heart.
With her legs dangling over the edge of the tower, she waits. Somewhere in downtown, a balloon wafts like smoke from the streets, followed by the screech of a wailing child. Kasumi watches the balloon—blood red in colour—and mutters something scathing under her breath before bracing her hands against the concrete.
She leaps from the tower, and for a brief moment, she is flying.
For a brief moment, she could be air.
Her fingers slip around the balloon’s tether. The winds rush to meet her descent, a cocoon of biting ice and cotton. She lands on the pavement softly, her eyes fixed on the child, her lips curved into a gentle smile. The balloon bobs slightly, invitingly.
It is only when the child does not raise her head to greet Kasumi does she realise that something is very, very wrong.
Instead of eyes, the child has a pair of glossy buttons, threaded tightly with grey string that penetrates the skin. Kasumi stares intently, studying the figure. The child—or rather the doll—is not alive. It remains still, unmoving, and repeats cries of help as though it is automated.
A new voice erupts from the child; quiet, but perceivable. It is baritone in its pitch, as if spoken by an adult.
Kasumi’s immediate reaction is to scout her surroundings. And upon gazing upwards, she sees it: a figure, stuck to the interior of the balloon, watching, fingers interwoven in intricate signage, an ancient threnody to the gods—
Kasumi does not wait to act. She flares a wad of air from her feet, propelling her far into the skyline and onto a nearby rooftop. Her landing is awkward, and she is sure that her heel will be bruised tomorrow—but for now, she searches through the crowds for the balloon.
It is no longer there.
When Kasumi glances back up, she sees that the balloon is floating in front of her now, close enough to reflect her visage on its shiny skin. And beyond that reflection, the woman in the balloon twists a wicked grin.
Then—scalding white light.
As her vision teeters back into focus, Kasumi is faintly aware of the presence of fire—a second later, and her worst fears are confirmed. The woman from the balloon now hovers before her at full size, her body wreathed in silver flames, her hands closed daintily around a folded parasol. Kasumi can feel their heat from her vantage point; it is not a comfortable feeling.
She sighs. A heaviness weighs down on her body. For a second, she imagines her own body alight with flames, but catches herself and dismisses the thought. She stands motionless, her right arm frozen taut.
Unaware of her enemy’s capabilities, Kasumi bides her time. Her eyes trace the ash-covered fingers of the woman before her, watching for any semblance of movement. The air is paper thin; any movement would shatter the tension in a moment.
The magician’s hand twitches.
Quick to the draw, Kasumi swings her arm forward. Something in the air cracks, wavers like sunlit oil; a crescent of vacuumized air shuttles through the sky, sharp enough to slice steel. It is not meant to kill, only maim, but the magician only steps forward as though she is ascending a flight of stairs. She is untouched—and smirking.
Kasumi grimaces.
She whirls and sends her power whipping forward again. Her enemy is there for a second; then her form smudges into the sky. When she reappears—a bit further from Kasumi now, still smiling—she is once again unharmed. The woman unfolds her parasol and extends an arm. Beckoning. Closer.
With the winds rushing at Kasumi’s back, she takes a running start and leaps off the edge of the building.
The woman, in the meantime, performs several more gestures. And while Kasumi prepares to deflect any incoming attack, what she sees instead disarms her. A ruler materializes in the woman’s hands, and as though it is a blade, she thrusts it towards Kasumi. Her left-hand cycles through gestures—Kasumi recognises these as numbers instead of magical signage.
On the woman’s face is a wretched smile, and on her mouth is the silent whisper of a number. And though Kasumi is uncertain of precisely what these numbers entail, the woman’s eyes speak for themselves.
No hesitation—Kasumi sends herself hurtling forward with a quick burst of air. Her body screams at her as she passes five meters in half a second, then ten meters in one.
But even a second proves to be too long. Within the span of that time frame alone, the woman's hands intertwine, completing yet another series of gnarled gestures.
White glyphs, luminescent as molten metal, curl at the woman’s throat; shortly after, an exhale. The fire-wreathed woman sends out a gust of wind from her mouth, sending both Kasumi and her wind blade back.
Her muscles tense, and her jaw tightens involuntarily, but nothing can prepare her for the pain of her own petard. Her vacuum blade slices deeply into her bicep. She makes an effort to stabilize herself, but she is a puppet left wavering in the air, guided by wires of wind and sent flying of its own accord.
In the end, she is thrown back onto the rooftop. Her shoulder collides with hard asphalt, then cold glass, then frayed carpet. When she twists to roll, some of the broken glass cuts into her skin. In the air, the woman continues her strange dance. Kasumi observes for a brief moment, catching a glimpse of the gestures used, and rushes through the nearest door shoulder-first.
She is greeted with a flight of coiling stairs.
With the wind at her back, she hurtles down like a bullet without its barrel. She stops on the second floor, peers outside, then opens, enters, and shuts a door as quietly as she can. She is shocked to see a dimly lit room instead.
At this hour, daylight should still be visible, and yet through the black-tinted windows, Kasumi sees only faint slivers of light. There are workbenches, tools, and mannequins; that much is evident, though minute details are lost on her as her eyes try and fail to adjust to the dark.
Her thoughts begin to gather. She mulls over a plan, resting pride in her analytical prowess. Thoughts of the woman’s abilities come to mind, and Kasumi ponders over any way to exploit them. She is lost in contemplation against a wall, when a sound disturbs her—when she turns her head towards it, she does not see a wall or a closet or an empty space but an ensemble of mannequins instead. She draws her hand whip-fast, and the mannequin at the front falters, then falls apart cleanly.
The tentative grate of wood emerges. Kasumi makes out six mannequins shifting in the dark. As she prepares for her attack, however, Kasumi spots a figure, just shy of a wall, preparing another spell.
This time, she smiles. The signs have become routine. Kasumi engages her full focus, and though she is not fully confident, she nevertheless bets it on her ability.
The next instant, all that is around her are submerged in brilliant silver flames. Burning for three seconds, the once mobilised mannequins are scorched black, and Kasumi herself is gone.
The woman struts onward. Clearly pleased, she smiles at her own prowess, perhaps wondering if her fires were really that powerful. Humming a soft lullaby, the woman playfully inspects her work and looks down at her creation.
There, from within the crevice of stacked mannequins, appears a hand. Uncharred and only slightly burnt. And on its surface, a thin but visible layer of air. Almost like armour.
The wind trails her like a second shadow after her own heart. Her sole confidant.
For one ingrained in magic and the other scientific virtue, this outcome could only be fate. Kasumi follows with a swift draw of her vacuum blade. The attack, faster than the woman can possibly react, whistles through the air and sinks into her neck. The magician’s body wavers for a split second, still standing—
—then crumples to the ground with a thud.
Kasumi glances down at the now toppled body of her enemy, sighs, and stands with triumph.
She makes her way to the outer rim of the room, dusting off any remains of ash. While in the process, she stops after just two paces and sighs again. Behind her, a meter away, rises the woman again, wobbling on her legs like a threadbare scarecrow—a headless abomination spurred by magic. In its bloodied hand is a palmful of dull flame and a shard of wood that has long since splintered into debris.
Kasumi says nothing, keeping her right arm ready; she anticipates. As long as she is alive, she believes herself to surpass her enemy in close range.
The woman lunges. Kasumi’s lips curl into a smile. She retaliates, sending a clean graceful blow to their hand, cutting it clean off. The woman follows with a futile thrust of her other arm. That, too, is cut clean off. Then a right leg. Then a left. In the end, the result is the same. All that can constitute a limb are removed, dissected with perfect precision.
By the end, all that is left is a torso, a wretched husk of a human.
Only then, does Kasumi commence her final farewell, sending a blade strong enough to send the woman out the window. And with it, a calling card, a demonstration of the consequences of opposing her. |
From the high resolution dot matrix display, we eagerly waited for a change of color. It’s a dark room full of tables and chairs centered around a large display output, it is as if we were watching a movie in a cinema but it isn’t, it’s more like an opera.
In a flash, the display changed its color from red to white where it slowly dimmed. One by one, each dot column started to be filled with a dark, almost black shade of blue occasionally with white dots splattered on the canvas.
And then, as the display started to be filled up- right in the end.
A singular light blue dot appears.
These are the images we received from our third Void Sailor as it passes through the ninth planet, a gentle reminder of how frail humanity truly is in the vast sea of cosmos. It has been quite a year since the last of our space probes had all left the earth's atmosphere. Powered by a solar sail, they are set adrift to the great void of space in search of a place to call home.
Though we may have reached utopia, humanity still strived to expand to the great unknown, out of curiosity, out of wonder and out of our desire to explore the entire universe, a deadly sin we've all been inheriting since the dawn of time.
Like a strawberry dripped in chocolate sauce, a mass of land acts as an establishment of the human in the northern part of the planet. At the heart of that supermassive continent, a large glass dome with a diameter of 11 kilometers are showered in snowflakes as the end of the year closes in.
It's the earth's one and only energy faculty, consisting of two main sectors, distribution and production. Sourced from one output, the faculty distributed each and every nation on earth with clean energy.
Inside the faculty lies a box-shaped confinement in which it contains an unknown matter that are hidden from the public ears, it’s described as a source of an everlasting energy that has powered the whole world for the last hundred of decades called the Eternal Engine. It was this energy utopia that united the world, absent from any conflict, making it possible to create a sustainable civilization in the earth’s age of 1987.
On the east side of the glass dome, located at the city of Manchester, a Festival of Eternity are being held. It is filled with technology powered by the fragments of the Eternal Engine that are extracted from the confinement, as well as a new scientific discovery being presented.
It is called Aluminium! A metal that can be used in many forms of application because of its lightweightness and how easy it is to form it into the shape we desired!-
The radio suddenly cuts off.
“Ah! You kidding!- is it because of the antenna or something-” the boy hastily picked up the radio and wiggled the antenna around with his right hand.
A yellow grainy surface stretches far as the eyes can see, it was swept away by the occasional wave of a blue liquid but it still remains. A bunch of wind turbines littered the seashores of Margo, a small fishing town made out of a bunch of scattered shipping containers that are located at the edge of the earth supercontinent.
“Runo!” a distant shouts rings his earlobe.
“Ah, it’s mom…” He turned his head to one of the containers and ran into it, leaving his radio behind.
He opened the door and revealed a small dining room complete with a beef stew that was emitting steam on top of the dining table.
“There you are” said his mom while she was cleaning a plate with a sponge.
“Ehehe, is it breakfast time already?”
“Why, of course” The two then sit on the chair, followed by a minute of silence as they are busy digesting their food.
…
“...it has been a while right?” The boy stopped for a moment and scratched his head.
“...” she pauses.
“Well…he is not going to be around us anymore though.” she averts her face slowly.
“Eh? What do you mean?” he tilted his head.
“He’s dead.” she said with a straight face while looking down at her food.
“Oh…is that so…” he then takes a bite and continues eating.
“...” she looks at his son with a blank stare.
“And on that note, we’ll be going to Manchester tomorrow night-”
“No way! Really!?” he jumped out of his chair.
“...o…of course!” she faintly smiled.
“Are we going to the Zenith too!?”
“Well, we’ll try to.”
“Ahahahaha! Yes! You know how long I have been waiting for this mom!? As a future scientist there’s just no way I wouldn't go there!”
“Yeah…of course, that’s why I surprised you with this!”
“Awesome!!!” His childhood memories started to fade away, leaving behind a blurry vision until the fog started to clear up.
…why am I starting to remember that time again?
There is not a lot to talk about during this trip besides the fact that we are not able to get past the Antarctic sea of ice before, but apparently with this specific ship I was onboard on was able to get through it.
This ship are powered by the Eternal Engine that are located on the lower deck which I currently have no access to yet. The icebreaker ships are what it’s called, are made of a thick steel painted in red and black, it’s a new innovation from Manchester and this is their first ever mission in ice breaking.
The reason I'm onboard the ship is the fact that one of my thesis was approved for further research, and that required me to investigate something taboo about our energy sources. Luckily, someone was crazy enough to fund me.
I was running through the box and found a sandy plastic bag containing something that I’m very familiar with. But before I could inspect it any further, someone knocked on my door.
“Yo, are you okay- oh, i’m sorry are you busy right now?” It was this blonde woman with green eyes wearing an orange jacket, Annie.
“Not quite, come on in”
“Appreciate it.” She was my professor during my time at Manchester University, i can say that we’re pretty close.
“You seemed to be very tired from all of that running!” she patted my shoulder while showing me a grin that I'm familiar with.
…is it because I haven't eaten yet or something?
“I guess so, I think I just dozed off too.”
“Aw, that’s too bad. So what do we have here?”
“The reason my thesis was accepted in the first place of course”
“Woah… there’s just no way- it really doesn’t turn on anymore! Hard to imagine that these are powered by the Eternal Engine for quite some time!”
“Of course, I would have never thought that my dad would have given me something that was very significant at the time.”
“Be sure to keep it…alright?”
“Will do, he’s the reason i’m here anyway.”
“To continue your dad’s legacy isn’t it?”
…
“To be honest, i’m not quite sure whether it’s on my own or his behalf…I never have actually has a good nor bad relationship with him”
“...why is that?”
“You know… all he did was to send me a letter, toys, souvenir and this radio was the last thing he gave to me.”
“...”
“Well, looking back at you being able to get this far makes me actually think that he’s a great scientist.”
“It’s too bad that he never actually came home though.”
“...he never did?”
“Not even a call, the first and the last time i have ever seen him was when he’s on a casket”
“How does he look?”
“...he had a smile on his face”
At the time in Manchester, my mother and I didn't actually cry, not a single tear dropped. And then here, I found myself coincidentally taking the topic he’s researching…so out of curiosity and the fact that I can't let my mother do all the hard work to feed me from selling fishes- I have come a long way.
“Well, I guess he’s glad that the radio has reached you, that’s the reason you’re able to make your mom happy right?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, if it’s not for that radio you're just going to be a Zenith errand boy right?”
“...I guess so.”
As we were walking down the hallway to get to the ship deck, we were greeted by a whiteout when we exited the ship. There was nothing to see except a bunch of snow falling from the sky. It's not a snowstorm though, it’s just white as far as the eye can see. Led by the head explorer, we marched through the snow accompanied by a rover that emits light powered by the eternal engine to open up a path for us to walk on.
As I was gazing through the white nights, I was wondering how our species survives without the eternal engine. Sure, there have been many energy sources, if only there were enough diesel or oil in this world, we would be able to bring it here. But the more alarming thing is that I was not expecting my answer to be answered in a matter of seconds.
The lights on the rover went out as a mysterious shockwave swept the entire electrical equipment off. And then there stood before us a dome structure similar to an Igloo. All of us froze as a wave of doubt started to fill the whole team, but we ultimately decided to not investigate further and set up a camp on the site.
Until there’s something that told me to gets inside by myself, not knowing what kind of danger is inside of the igloo-
I ran inside.
The next thing I know is that I found myself in a run down factory of some sort, almost all of the equipment, pipes- everything was corroded, it was nothing like our factory. I get up and walked around the factory looking around on every corner of the section until I discovered a door at the end of the factory.
I opened it without hesitation and there I found a lab far more advanced than us, almost all of the sensors and equipment are still active and there’s this person who is just standing in front of a super large TV or some sort? The weird thing is that he’s touching and swiping the TV and it moved?
“Quite an airhead aren’t you?”
“...!”
“One of the scientist i supposed?”
“Ah…yeah…what is this place anyway?”
“...that’s like…really direct with no hesitation at all, what’s with the hurry?”
“...nothing much, i’m just curious…”
…
“Follow me for a second” he waved his arm and the TV he has been working on for a while disappeared out of thin air.
“You…are not surprised by this?”
“I don’t know…I guess I haven't eaten for a while.”
“Ah, you really are an airhead, no wonder the defense system are not activated when you came here. I guess there’s no harm in answering some of that curiosity”
“So like…”
“Hmm…?”
“What are the Eternal Engine truly is?”
“...”
“...you came all the way just to ask for that?”
“The thing is…if it’s supposed to be eternal, then why have mine run out of power?” I showed him the radio and the charred eternal engine from twenty years ago.
“...” He paused for a second.
“...well, that’s arguably the oldest model that i have ever seen, want me to recharge it?”
“Huh…? Is that possible?”
…
“So…you came all the way here just to ask what are the thing that has been powering our planet for a while?”
“That’s all.”
“...this guy, are you not scared of me? Or even being inside a building that can crumbled at any given time?”
“Why should i? As long as i got my answer i will gladly do it.”
“We humans never actually changed at all huh? Tell me, what makes you do all of the effort to get into this mess?”
“...My father's death are caused by the same expedition i was taken to now and I want to make my mom happy, so she doesn’t need to sell fish again because of his passing.”
“But still...just what makes her weep every night and then? Even though i have worked hard and all, but yesterday when i was about to leave her…she didn’t”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Because out of all the letter my dad sent to me, his last one told me to meet you if i want to found out about him, but first-”
“What is truly the essence of the Eternal Engine? I came from a poor country so i had no fucking idea, that’s why i was fascinated by it a long time ago. Until i found out they’re not even telling everyone that it was all just a black ball that vaporized water in a very efficient kind of way”
“Three words.”
Perfect Nuclear Fusion.
…
“...I…it’s basically a sun- you’re telling me that the sun also have the same reaction as this one!? And one of them just burns out where it should have taken millions of years!?!? How does it works!?-”
I hope you liked my last gift.
“...actually.”
“Why would he left me the radio?”
“...”
“He took a boat and started to row all the way to the mainland, it was his last request before he passed away because of the exhaustion”
“...He has no chance of telling everyone his research? And…chose me to do it instead…”
“...”
“He entrusted everything that he has done to me…”
“...If it hadn’t for him…We could have suffered and died out of poverty…?”
“...the world has continued to revolve around that.”
“Continuity.”
“For the last billion of years, before the Eternal Engine was created…the world went on war.”
“...never heard of that”
“Instead of focusing on developing a new energy sources, they started to compete against each other for territory and natural resources such as oil and gasses.”
“And by the time the war is over, the world had already been destroyed.”
“But if you do remember, the research are still under way.”
“...and”
“The Eternal Engine are the product of it”
“Well…that’s all, I'm glad that you’re able to- why are you crying?”
“...it’s nothing, i have just never thought of all this was his doing…all of that just to make me happy- yet he never told me about it.”
“...good for you.”
…
“Hey…”
“...?”
“Is he a good man?”
“...”
I bet that he will be ecstatic when he learns all of that! I’m just too old to process it you know?
“He is.’ |
I'll keep it short for your convenience.
Cosmic Dreamscape is an RPG game where there are no actual "Fixed" storyline, it's a game that has been out for around 10 years, at first it's centered around space battle, sci-fi kind of RPG and it has been improving since then.
And what i meant by it has been improving is that...it can generate it's own storyline, unique to one player, essentially assigning each plater into their own story protagonist- it's honestly pretty crazy on how they figure that out.
And now, i've got to play it, after all this time...
"Let's jump in shall we?" his cursor hovers to a blue button at the center of the monitor.
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『 Blast Off! 』
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「
Manifesting...
」
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「
Complete!
」
「
Initiating teleportation to the Ark.
」
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「
Welcome, Renomia
」
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「
Planet of Cosmic Artifact, Ark
」
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「
Please take your time picking a starting weapon of your choice, until then you'll be able to start the game
」
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"Sick."
I found myself on a some kind of a spaceship with a big open windows where i could see the planet of Ark, well- it's not like i can call it a planet, it's some kind of a manmade blue sphere.
Looking around the spaceship, i saw several player, two was sitting on a bench, three standing and one besides me.
The one guy besides me are built like some kind of a tower, a crazy muscular humanoid body and a not surprising- actually, a super cool dragon skull head with 2 pairs of hair shooting out to his back, i would definitely pick that out if i was on my phase.
But for now, a modest sized humanoid that are from a race called the "Centauri" would fit me better, i'll show you what i can do later, we have arrived.
The spaceship backdoor opens, one by one, the players got out of his seat and some just walks out of it as they're standing, including this big guy right here.
「
Aurelius - Lv.01
」
"Alright, i guess this guy has the same taste as mine, i'll have to befriend him later"
Upon exiting the spaceship, i was treated to some kind of a shopping district with buildings that are about 5 stories tall that are loaded with many kinds of weapon, with a glimmering lights of many colors, and there are a lot of player here crowding the hallways stretches as far as the eye can see.
I take my walk through the shopping district, looking at my right and my left, it seems like there are no end to the variety of the weapon and even though almost all of the weapon here are a "Starter" i can already see one or two weapon that looks super strong.
To be honest, it's not like i was just wandering around aimlessly here until i found a cool weapon to use.
You see, these "Store" are labeled, there are these medieval weapon section, ancient weapon section, myth weapon section and cosmic weapon section are definitely my favorite.
But the one i'm looking for are one of the classic, and coincidently...i looked like a child following his parents!- Aurelius are also going in the same way with me!
We took a short strolls and finally arrived at the section i was talking about- He suddenly stops in front of me.
"Goddammit, why are you always following me?"
I'm not a kid though...
"It's just a coincidence mate, i think we got the same interest"
"I see, whatever then"
"Oh by the way, your character looks super cool with that dragon skull"
"Hmm...? Thanks."
"What are you looking for anyway?"
"Ah nothing in particular, it was this-"
!!!-
BOOM!!!
「-23」
A cloud of dust filled the whole room and slowly fades away...all i could see before this was a blinding light coming from the outside.
"Huhhhhh....? What the hell- this newbies are pretty studry!"
"Hmm...? That guy is huge and..."
Two player...and it's all girls- nah, it's just their character, both of them had a short twintails, one is colored in pink and the other are purple, the purple one has some kind of a rifle...- no, it's some kind of a hand cannon with that huge caliber colored in gray with some of a yellow particle around it? And the other one are holding a kodachi (Short Katana) with a red blade, and their outfit are just a sweater and shorts with matching color (White and Blue) too, are they a twin?
"There's a kid behind him...with a pretty cute jacket"
Ah- i told you i'm not a kid and this thing has a purpose!-
"What are you two doing here, we're here just to choose our weapon and not fight right? said Aurelius with a stern face- actually a stern body language.
"Well, i mean it's only for you newbie and..." the purple one smugs.
「Redline
Step.
」
"...we're not here to choose our starting weapon." the pink one suddenly gets infront of Aurelius with her kodachi aimed for his neck-
Slash.
"What the-" her slash goes through Aurelius because well...
"Then, what are you doing here you brat!?" his head are literally a floating skull-
「-100」
「-75」
She just got blown away all of the sudden and hits the other twin-
"Say...what's your name?"
"You can literally see it above my head but... it's Renomia, and they're..."
「
Phobos - Lv.15
」
「
Deimos - Lv.17
」
"Ah, so they have been playing for quite a while huh?"
"Oh, and it was this, XM25 have you heard of it?" a huge gun just appeared on his hand, it's really bulky and blocky including the caliber and the scope.
"Wowwww, sick- you like some exploding bullet."
"Are you mocking me...? You're not even looking at me..."
"Yeah whatever, you better heads up because i think both of them are mad-"
「
Redline Step.
」- 「
Chainshot
」
"I'll take care of the kid right here-"
"I'll destroy the big one here and now for touching you"
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
「-12」「-0」「-26」
Slash!
「-1」
"Welp...we're not even in the game yet and this just happen...-" Both of them goes in for another rush, Both Aurelius and Deimos just dissappear because of the smoke emitted from that blast, and the pink one just barely misses me as i ducked in by reflex.
"COME ON LIL MISSY! YOU CAN'T JUST NOT HIT US EVERY SINGLE TIME!"
「-5」
Renomia charged through her and went to the upstairs of the building, Phobos are not so behind either. As a firefight has broken outside Renomia just keeps getting faster and faster, clearing 2 floor of the whole building in a flash in search of...
"Fuck! It has been like 3 floor already and there's literally no traces of them-"
"Looking for something?"
「
Crescent One
」
Slash!
「-78」
"Or perhaps you're lost?
Boy
." a wide horizontal slash engulfs the third floor of the building, it connects to Renomia torso.
"Well, an AOE (Area of Effect) attack huh, don't worry-"
"I just missed a floor!" he rushed to get back to the second floor and right ahead of him is-
"Too reckless aren't you?"
Slash!
"EHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!"
「-19」
"YOU ATE UP THE SLASH WITH YOUR LEFT WRIST!?!!?"
"Hell yeah...NOW MOVE!" Renomia blasted through the third floor into the second and his eye are set on one weapon...
"There you are!-" as he's about to reach the weapon, she came back appearing just behind him.
"2 HP left."
"...!"
"And no weapon to even hurt me-"
「-2」
"Your fist huh?-"
"But that won't be enough-" he silently gets behind her as he's throwing the punch and sprinted all his way to the third floor again.
"Tch! You still got some gases left huh!?-"
"FUCKING HELL!!! WHY IS IT SO WEAK!?!?!?-" after she heard his scream, she rushes to the third floor again and found him-
"P-please..! I waited my whole life for this" on all four while one of his hand are pressing down on his cut from before.
"..."
"PLEASE! WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FROM KILLING US NEWBIE!!!???"
"Well..." she raises her sword.
"I just want your outfit-" she brings down her kodachi in an instant.
.
.
.
0,1 Seconds.
.
BANG!
「-239」
Was all it needed.
.
.
.
"So, you basically gets someone character outfit from killing them huh?" a smoke came out from his arm as he gets up standing.
"And being able to hurt each other...-spawn killing at the start...that's very twisted"
"But unfortunately, i don't think your that twisted
enough
...you still had a little of that good side of yours, believing me that i have surrendered."
"Without knowing all of that is just a bluff" he raises his pistol once again.
BANG!
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「Phobos has died」
「PVP Kills : 1」
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.
"Yo! Aurelius."
"...oh, you're alive."
"And you did too right?"
"..." I looked into him, there's just a lot of wound and even one of his horn are missing, i mean it's a firefight, you're bound to lose your limbs or even other body part but damn...
「17」
He's also one shot away from his death.
"Where's the gal anyway?"
"Ah, she ran"
"I see, that's actually pretty crazy"
"What's crazy?"
"That we're only level one, and they are just way above us, isn't that crazy?"
"Hmm...i guess it's not impossible too after all."
"...right- hey where are you going!?"
"Well, i'm going to get on to my story"
"Fair enough, go ahead then- you got no use of me right?"
"..." he stares at me.
"...nope, see you then"
"Yeah!"
Aurelius walks back to the avenue slowly as he's injured and at the point of being one shotted, the destruction he caused on his fight against Phobos has left almost all the light on that specific section flickering, some are dead, and some are slowly progressing to dies out.
"Well, i mean...we're going the same way too so i guess i'll just wait a bit until he can't see me anymore"
As Aurelius has walked for 15 meters, Renomia started to walk to the same direction.
"Ah, come on man i just want to be your friend because your taste are literally the same as mine but you are just going to walk away like that?"
"..."
"Well, whatever."
.
.
.
.
.
bang.
「Aurelius has died」
「PVP Kills : 2」
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"Fucking show off."
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「You have choosen : Pistol」
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「
Would you like to proceed?
」
「Yes / No」
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「Yes」
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「Okay! G
enerating story for
Renomia
...
」
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「Completed」
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「
Now teleporting...
」 |
“Life is full of patterns that we eventually see. But what if we’re drowned by a cup of patterns that we eventually tremble into the abyss of Life?” Shadows began to dissipate as the flat Sun took its time laying on every reachable existence.
Honkasūri
wasn’t able to react but its locals does. Each of them went to perform their usual task in the daytime — forge objects, harvest things, worship beings, and many more that can be visualized to sustain the city. Although when the View gazes into an eating place, it was contaminated, both front and back. A ‘finished’ bowl was thrown into the backyard bin faster than usual; it was the fastest throw made since. Despite this, a palm went in between the bowl and the ground with an inch. Guzzles
. . .
as the
Zōjin
child ate the scraps that somewhat prevented her little belly to devour herself once more. Little legs began moving like a turtle and hands enveloped her dreaming stomach. Height was about Five feet tall but the sight was Fifty feet below.
Walking down the alleys of taint, voices of ‘fellow settlers’ enter her ears; reminding her of what the Zōjin Race including her speak like after being dragged to listen by her meaningless self. As usual, some letters were replaced, the most notorious being the letters L and V by the famous R and B; the letters C, Q, and X however, changed appearance and were biased sounds. Reasons for all of these are buried — yet to be dug. Reaching her so-called home, she slowly dropped into her bed while her coal-like hair poured through like strands of rain. Soil warming her, kissed by the sun and whispering to her “I am sunlight, be like me and don’t be like me.” She heard those sentences in the last four years of her aimless life; the usual, she slept over them.
◆ ◆ ◆
Days ran like eighteen laps. On the far east of Honkasūri, chattering sounds scattered — harvests, forges, and celebrations. In a busy eating place, the young girl prepared herself for another dive. However, today’s a different one because she was aiming not to catch something but rather to snatch. In her four years of experience as a homeless person, stealing wasn’t even a last option in her mind — but after acknowledging the sun’s whisper, it became the first option as the gut grumbled. With her nimble reflexes, she began to snatch food in a dash. This afternoon was her first major task: stealing a bowl of
BonBon
rice
,
said to be appetizingly dense it could seal hunger for a whole two days. Although she didn’t think of it as two but rather saw it worth thirty. Moments when the crowd went busy selling/preparing the newly arrived product,
Swoosh!
A bowl of cooked BonBon quickly disappeared — no one in the crowd even changed course. Sounds of crowd munch slowly disperse, dashing her fastest whilst cloaking her BonBon rice from the eyes of anyone. Zōjin People, Animals, Pebbles, and any obstacle you can find were evaded by the coal-haired girl. Her stomach was already dreaming of the wonders that this rice would bring. Starting to run down the main street near ho—
Bump!
Her body crashes to the ground; the rice was scattered and filled with dirt. Before even knowing who she collided with, her raisin-colored eyes were ablaze — half a dozen of teeth was her goal today. However, upon seeing what she stumbled into, her body went full pale: her muscles were locked into her rising position as if she has seen a ghost that haunted her home once ago. The armor reflected into her eyes, having a sign of
Wanugō
in it. He took a deep breath before unleashing his deep roar.
“Soldiers, the kingdom asks for more. If none steps forward, then force is the answer!”
The whole city stood shivering still: it was something anticipated now and then yet steps weren’t clomping. Crowd chattering, animals screeching, and footsteps lightly mark the ground leading to the enlistment area behind the Wanugō. The girl’s dream resettled from her stomach to her mind; thinking that it may be the time to abandon her hobo life, she gushes through the crowd with blank thoughts. Upon attempt, those raisin-color eyes of hers shined through futures after being accepted by the recruiter. Sun was packing up to end its shift; meanwhile, the recruitment number met its need. The Wanugō orders one of his commanders, seemingly responsible for the whole training of the recruits. They gazed at that officer wondering what happens next.
She yelled, “Three Thousand! Training is everything! May the first King guide you all.”
The conscripts either gulped, sweat, or held their breath after taking those words into their minds. Before attempting to recover, she immediately says, “Starto!” a strong ‘O’ accompanied by the last letter of her word.
“Endā
, a concept instinctive to Zōjin People to put vowels at both beginning and last word in a sentence ending with a consonant, but HERS seem to remind me that we’re actually speaking like that regardless of what we do as I remember my old learning days in the Language School of Honkasūri before becoming an unemployed personu,”
a random recruit thought, shaking.
Steps began to accumulate as their assumed trainer moves north. The second step wasn’t going to proceed until the first one did: the coal-haired girl that left her doubts in the city though not the soiled BonBon rice in her mouth, unnoticed.
◆
Looking back at the eastern gates of the city, its shrinking size at a distance was also portraying their breaths. Eyes were dimming while the sun was sinking. Despite the darkness arising, they would continue to footslog. Barely clinging to their hopes, they gaped at their training officer: not even a single flinch of exhaustion was observed under her iron clothing — four hours in the walk.
◆
“Death, I’m starting to feel it shitū,” mutters made by a conscript with the grassland chirping all night. With the rice she had eaten, the girl’s legs continue to stride along the eight-hour madness. Her eyes were still looking to the future; too bright to see what lays before her until she saw several dots within the light of nothingness.
“Fire . . . Camp, we‘re finally . . . here,” a recruit praying for his breath. Raisin-color eyes exited their inverse senses, her nose began to recognize the scent of noble meals within the settlement. Arrival at the camp for the conscripts was too good to be tru—
“Three Thousand! NO, Two Thousand Six Hundred Eighty! Congratulations! Eat and sleep within the camp for now! Our official training begins at sunrise,” her voice dashed through spaces as the trainer proceeds to her tent. Welcomed by the trainer’s men, the rookies were prepared for a meal.
“
Nukuriya Pasta
todayū, Jo Rā
Eitorā
,
” his presence starts filling their empty wills before the meal even began.
The whole camp accompanied squad leader Jo Rā in drawing tranquil stories about how the Nukuriya Pasta is the softest food in the whole
Uzōjin
that doesn’t even need to be cooked: a degree that it is a part of a baby’s diet. Coal-haired girl collected pasts on every gulp. So many, she eventually formed an album of vagueness — focused on herself on the edge of the camp.
◆
The sun went clearing up both darkness and the regular day of Honkasūri
conscripts. They were still exhausted, begging for sleep as their minds wander. However, they immediately returned after hearing the ear-breaking yell of the Training Officer.
“
Rekurutosu
, rising sun! I am Wan Kō
Siksukī
and I will be your Official Trainer for this Hundred Fifty-Day Entry-Basic Training. First Day, start!”
◆ ◆ ◆
Recruits took the impending pain from different viewpoints as they glanced south, tiny Honkasūri watching them. The training consisted of a Mind, Body, and Soul competition but depended on the individual’s highs and lows. Coal-girl excelled in categories that require light-footed movements whereas the majority aimed for brawns. Self-drowning trials began to drain time until seventy-five days remained. Some of them had the same reaction, “We’re cut to two thousand five hundred . . .
Bikurō
.” Hills of training got steeper. Numbers of fallen gone deeper. Their formations are full of gaps while the scorching sun covers them.
◆ ◆ ◆
Completing the Entry-Basic Training was twenty days away. A new trial in the training camp was introdu—
“Duels, today will be the beginning of this training to improve your strengths and weaknesses when fighting a single opponent, often a battle of the Leaders that decide the victory of the battle! Starto!” Wan Kō
Siksukī’s voice, alarming all of the newcomers on what is to go about.
Blow by blow, each pair of trainees held their respective weapons of wood, slashing into each other until one of them falls into the sleeping abyss. The Daylight watched the battles from different angles. Then came the awaited moment — the biggest
rōjin
against a small
kojin
. The crowd of the victorious whispered to each other,
“
Cold Shits
. Is she even going to live?”
“I don’t know, like that Kojin ain’t going to win against our Big Guy,
Dan Dū
.”
“Uh guys, the question is, who is that kid?”
“Clueless, we haven’t even heard her voice since we got here.”
“Eh, isn’t she a beggar that lurks in the east Honkasūri?”
“I believe yeah? But something isn’t right.”
“Yeah. With her not looking like dirt any more, she looks like a no—”
The atmosphere snatched away their conversation — coal-haired kojin proceeded to rush through: dagger was wood but eager to cut like steel. One meter close to her opponent, the large club reflected in her eyes of raisin, swinging from the left. Without a sweat, she ducks low as the wooden club hits nothing but air. She then proceeds to land a blow on the opponent’s right knee before retreating several steps; her left-hand grips the wooden dagger, guarding herself.
“Kojin, that’s not going to cut my knees down,” Dan Dū spoke.
The standing recruits admired the two fighters with their mouths shut. Despite just the first strike, it was enough to make their will shatter and then reform simultaneously. The duel began its second peak. The child with the coal-colored hair rushed once more; Dan Dū responded and hit like before. However, a noticeable feeling came in the sinking-sun fight.
“Hm?! So this is your plan against me,” Dan Dū flinched. Dark red doubts started slipping through his right shin; a swift cut from the right knee became visible.
Coal-Kojin again raises her guard, ten steps away from Dan Dū as the crowd surrounds them like a ring, eyes wide. The battle between the dagger and the club of wood carried on for the next hundred seconds. Sweat and dirt attached to the Small Kojin’s Body while cuts and gore emerged from the Big Rōjin. His left hand held the heavy club resting on his right shoulder, chasing his breath. She proceeds to rush short steps for the deciding blow unti—
Grabs!
“Kojin, out of . . . Breathū?!”
she then flew towards the ground while still being held by him. It was landing fast — faster than the ‘finished’ bowl that she used to catch.
Shick!
“Argh?!” Dan Dū struck in doubt from what he had seen. The Coal-haired girl was able to thrust her sword in one of the prior cuts that the Big Guy had. Reducing the impact of landing, she delivers the neck-finishing thrust on him about an inch through; causing him to drop to the floor in screeching agony.
◆
Out of all duels fought, the kojin’s victory was seen by the evening, recruits, and trainers whilst shaken by the
Rōjin
’s defeat. The night went by and the meals were served.
“Cold Shits. Did she really just win?”
“I don’t know like that Kojin just cut the weakness of our Big Guy, Dan Dū.”
“Uh guys, is she really a kid?”
“Clueless, she’s still not talking after that neck-full victory.”
“Eh, that hobo has extreme reflexes if you want to know my opinion.”
“Right about that for sure.”
“What? Forgot what I said.
Munches
.”
Wan Kō gazed at the Coal-Kojin child and asked, “Rekuruto Kojin, what’s your name?”
. . . Not even a single syllable came out of her semi-dry mouth.
She continued, “Don’t have the ability to spea—”
“Wan Kō Siksukī! Ryō Ken Wanugō
is arriving at Honkasūri this evening, assistance is needed!” said a messenger, standing in front of her eyes. The Siksukī vanished as the eagerness rode along her gallop.
◆ ◆ ◆
Another sunrise laid upon the Camp. Training continued for another nineteen days of challenging duels — wins and losses smearing in the faces of the conscripts.
“
Tē’kī
, my muscles hurt so much.
Sighs.
”
“
Chuckles.
Are you
telling us that now? We’re at the final day,
Sempō
.”
“
Breathing Dead
, that’s how we’re feeling guys.”
“Fourteen Losses, Tē’kī my throat hurts and medication isn’t helping!”
“From Deepthroat I guess? Pfft
.
”
“
Tē’kyū
. . . You lost your ballsa—”
Something made the heartwarming gossip slit shut. An unnoticeable air began steaming in the camp. The Zōjin Child prepared her stance — Left Foot in front of the right while Left Hand Grips the Steel Knife. Eyes searched for meanings behind her pose until they realized what was that steaming air from before.
“Wins of seventeen, five were Fatal Blows. This is the last day of your Basic-Entry Training, fight at your best, Youngest Rekurutō.”
The sounds of articulation made ears flinch; it was Wan Kō Siksukī’s normal voice in a scenery filled with humming winds and clinging grass. The Siksukī’s short sword slowly reveals itself from its sheath of circle patterns. Her was the same as Coal-Kojin’s stance, but the difference was clear as the raisin-tinted eyes kept glaring at the impending future before them if they were to fuck up. Nevertheless, she rushed to the Siksukī with all she had gone through in these Hundred Forty-Nine Days of aimful life. Her short and thrusting strikes took their last loose after Ten-whole seconds. The coal-haired girl went on for another Ten-second burst. Conscripts’ skin started sweating. She proceeds to try another, and another, and another, and another. Lungs started tightening, she switched to a defensive position succeeding in the failed offense. Wan Kō Siksukī lowers her head and then,
“Finished? Then it’s my bursts now. . .” the palm of her foot pressed the ground forward to the Coal-haired Kojin
.
The commander’s sprint was enough to make her eyes reflect nothing but shiver.
◆
Night sat upon their final meal. Jo Rā released his departing words to the Honkasurī Rekurutosu during his sip.
“Ahhhhh, this Juice from
Itsūchi
is always refreshing after a hard day. Although it came from enemy territory, the merchants who sold this to us gave us a good amount to pay for it. ‘
Although this taste like shit, Te’ki
merchants.’
Back to my main message, I am content that a majority of you survived this basic training. Graduation, tomorrow it is and you will have the right to choose your future positions in war. Good luck.
Sips.”
The trainees became grateful for the Eitorā’s kind words and continued to eat their supper, surrounding the crackling campfire. Meanwhile, the Zōjin Child and her coal-colored hair remained in the medic tent to patch her wounds. She began moving her feet but was stubborn as a boulder. Looking at the arms, it was filled with cuts of restrain. Seeing her battered state, she tried to look at her surroundings instead. Crickets chirping, campfire crackling, and crowd chattering. Her head shifted right then she saw the one who defeated her mercifully this morning, sitting and gazing at her.
“Solidly, I’ve never fought a rookie who can practically stand for more than Twelve Seconds against me. I recommend you were to join the special unit by training for another hundred days. You’ll become a solid piece of the Ryō Ken army by then.”
Coal-
Kojin
responded with a short exhale.
“Sighs. I guess you really can’t speak for at least twelve-tenths of a second.” She left the injured child in the medic tent. As she holds her thickly bandaged left arm, thoughts began to sketch in her mind.
“That Child looks like a Twelve Yea— NO, somewhere near Fourteen or Fifteen Years Old in Zōrian Time. Kojin like her should’ve been in her parents’ arms yet she fell for the dark path. Though, she would become to be a strong attractive Rējin that would get a lot of Rōjin falling for her. Still, heh, I can’t believe she actually lasted for a whole minute of my attacks meant to crush a rookie.”
◆
The day of tomorrow finally arrived. The Little Kojin remained in the medic tent due to her sustained injuries. Meanwhile, the outside was filled with the sunlight of the One Hundred Fifty-First Day since their hellish march from their home city, Honkasūri. Congratulations greeted the recruits who worked hard to accomplish the first level of training. Wan Kō Siksukī stood in front of every Zōjin individual in the training camp.
“Two Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Seven! You are now available to choose whether to choose to be a Public Watch Unit, City Reserve Unit, or continue to the actual military training that will be held for One Hundred Days! Sun Rising!”
Speed-walking menacingly, the graduated recruits rushed through the enlistments of each position they would choose — thoughts scattered.
“I’m taking the Watch Unit Position, clowns.”
“Watch Unit. Watch Unit. Watch Unit. Watch Unit. Watch Unit.”
“Eh? Choosing Reserve Unit it is. I need to sell more vegetables back home.”
“Te’ki, I’ll continue this hundred-day short-tailed training for the sake of crushing Wanugōs for my Twentieth Day of Birth.”
“I’m Hungry.”
“Damn, my friends really died along the training huh. Guess I’m choosing Public Watch Unit then.”
“Weaklings! Only cowards choose the Public Watch Unit position in Okonfē. That’s why I’m choosing the thing that my strongest mind chooses, the Public Watch Unit.”
While they were busy choosing. The squad commanders laid a special treatment for the Coal colored hair Kojin. Jo Rā Eitora took a deep breath before he spoke.
“Since you are not able to talk and is badly injured, we are to give this paper survey instead. You are to Point to one of the three signs: Public Watch Unit which you are to be stationed in your city to protect it against bad locals; Reserve Unit in which you are to be stationed in your city but will be called by our Wanugō when numbers are needed; or continue to the Military Training in which is an additional One Hundred Days and when completed, you will have the right to choose more high rewarding ranks in the Military and upon retirement, you are to have your own residence and a quarterly allowance of honor.”
“The King of
Okonfē’s
will is not of
Pure Iron Chain
,” Wan Kō Siksukī said. “A Fourteen year Old Kojin has the same right as a Twenty-five year Old Rōjin who is in his strongest form.”
Coal-Kojin began to raise her right arm. Raisin-colored eyes reflected on what her finger pointed: her Iris was shining through that one symbol out of the three — the gleaming symbol that states “Military Training”. |
Subsets and Splits