Lucian's POV
It's suck!
Why the fuck is this happening? We can't be busted like this.
We need to find the stones as soon as possible, but we don't know where to start.
Heck, we don't know how to escape in this mouse hole.
The other side of the pipes are swarming with Aetheral knights and I can't risk the others to be killed in other way.
Fuck that talisman that his grandmother put.
I remember the time that I almost go through that way but my grandmother immediately stop me and scold me.
Both of the way is not a safe options.
We either get killed by the knights or get killed by the talisman.
"I can go first and distract the knights..." Yuu whispers to me while hiding behind my back.
"You can't..." I softly told her, trying to be silent as possible while the two siblings are fighting.
"But's it's the only way..." She whispered back.
"Please, Yuu...stop" I plead her with a slightly annoyed tone.
"But...I ca—" she continue to nag me and I snapped.
"YUU!" I accidentally screamed at her. To
I'm a monster, just like them.
She stares at me like I killed someone.
Levi and Sarah looked at me like I said something wrong, which I did.
"I-I...I...Yuu, I didn't mean to..." I tried to apologize to her but my voice stops to come out when her tears starts falling down her cheeks.
Her gaze darkens, she slowly turn her back and sit on the corner, like she always do when she's down.
I shouldn't scream at her like that, I just don't like her sacrificing herself for us to escape.
...
"Lucian, can you take me to the capitol next time?" She asked me while I'm packing my things. I have another mission given by Levi, it might take a while and besides, her paints are running out, I might get her something better.
"I...I..." I hesitated to answer her question. If I really can take her, I could just take her right now. But I can't, not yet. The Capitol is not like the rumors saying that all your dreams will come true if you manage to go there.
"It's fine...if you can't..." Yuu said sadly. As if she knew what's going on in my mind.
"Next time, I will really take you there!" I promised again and I know that I'll never fulfill it.
Sometimes, every time I'm in the capitol, I always envy the kids that playing on the safe streets. Or the family of nobles enjoying their picnic on the Capitol's park. If I were born as a noble, I can finally take her in the place where your dreams will come true.
Days have passed, and I successfully accomplished my mission, sabotaging the port, stopping some nobles from exchanging illegal exports. I know it's not our job, but if truth to be told, Aetheral knights is not fair in deploying justice.
One of the things I learned while staying at the Capitol that money is everything. It can buy you some sort of things that you want even lives of the people. The bad side of this shitty city is that here, slavery were legal. So the only way for a lower like us to get to the Capitol legally is being sold like a slave in auctions.
I don't understand the Warden sometimes, nor the people in the Barrel Zone why they adore him so much. What they don't know that some 'missing' people were being sold to the nobles by the Warden, their hero.
"You're finally back!" I was never surprised that I always see her here in the tree house, after all I cast a talisman upon her eyes to make her easier to find her way among the pipes without me. She happily run towards me, as always I open my arms to hug her.
I did my best to learn everything I learn about these techniques from my grandmother, with the help of the guy in the Casino, Zen, I was thankful to him. Due to it, I increase the power of the already planted talisman in the pipes so no one intruder can come here, it's just me and her, plus the bandits since sometimes they crash at my place.
...
"Lucian! Some Aetheral knights are inside the pipes!" one of the bandits shout from below. Just the moment the smoke were gone, I immediately left my place where I was standing and chase her, I can't lose her yet! I haven't take her to the capital yet!
"Lucian, wait!" I heard Sarah calling out to me but I decided to ignore it, chasing after her is my priority. My eye's widen to see the talismans in the wall of the pipes were ripped off.
I suddenly heard Yuu's scream echoed through the pipes. I immediately push myself and run towards the exit. My head were full of rage and confusion, as if the world slows down the moment I saw Yuu getting captured by the Aetheral knights.
"Yuu!" I don't know what gotten into me as I tried to reach for her even though I was blocks away from her. Levi immediately caught me and stopping me from reaching for her.
"Calm down, Lucian! We can't afford to be caught right now!" he angrily whispered to me. But I didn't care, none of it matter, my priority right now is to get Yuu. I forced my way out of his grasps by stabbing his hand with the dagger I reached in my pocket. He immediately groan in pain and pull away from me making me escape from his grasp.
"Yuu!" I called out again, the moment I step out of the pipes, another smoke invade my vision. "Run now!" she screamed as I felt a strong arm taking me away from the scene.
That was the last moment I saw her, through the clouds of smoke. There she was struggling from the Aetheral's grasps, fighting them off just for us, the bandits to be able to escape.
After moments of running, I was zoned out. I was there, a second away from her yet I didn't grab her, to save her. I was there, when she was struggling to fight off the knights. I was there and yet I didn't move an inch to help her. What should I do now?
"Lucian! Snapped out of it! We need to ditch this place!" Sarah scolded at me as she slap my face to take me back to reality. Before I can react, I was once again swept away by one of our members.
"Yuu!" I screamed as I still trying to get to her. She was now struggling to take off the chains that getting tossed to her body. "Stay still!" the one holding me suddenly hit me at the back of my neck, making me lose consciousness.
...
"The lights is beautiful isn't?" I asked her as I can only take her to the surface of the Barrel Zone.
We were now sitting in the top of the tallest building in the Barrel Zone. It's dark and cold, the only light we have is came from the Capitol. Looking at the horizon, we can see how the nobles light their fireworks. It must be festival there, unlike here in the Barrel Zone, only some places were have a bask of light.
"Why? Can't we go there?" she asked me coldly, I don't know either. I am repeatedly asking myself the same question over and over again. Why do us people, kids like us suffer in what adults did back then?
I used to wonder what it feel like for Yuu. I never got to understand her, I tried to but even I cannot understand myself. What is my purpose in life anyway? What should I protect? Why should I have to survive?
The more I drown in these questions in my mind, the more I lost my grasps in reality. Suddenly I felt a warm hold in my hand, she was holding it. I hold her back, feeling a rough texture, wondering why she have such a hand. She didn't deserve to be here, down here.
I watch her as she lean closer to see the more celebrations of the nobles. Their songs, the laughing and cheering were heard but I was busy watching her. Her emerald eyes shine as the lights from the fireworks reflect on it. The most beautiful view I ever seen. I felt a warm building in my chest, it was full of emotion at the moment.
Oh, dear fourth god, if you really exist, let me hold this girl in my hands for as long as it takes until she can finally walk on her own towards the light.
------------------------End of Volume 1----------------------------
Kac1e March 2025