𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊
Where's everyone? The streets are eerily silent. Where Am I? I don't know what happened here. This wasn't the village before. This isn't our home! What happened—? No! This can't be it. I can't… let them disappear. I need to do something... I can feel my hands shivering with an immense amount of fear, my eyes reflecting the ashes before me.
"…anything!" My voice echoed, and a sudden sound of fire crackling came from behind. The smoke turned the sky into a mist. I turned around and witnessed a horrible scene unfolding before me… the people, our villagers… screaming, crying for help. I can't do anything, I cannot run, not like this, not when everyone's in—
"Ethan!" A familiar sound rang through my ears, calling my name like a symphony in this chaos. I looked around to find the source of that sound…
"Ethan! Wake up, boy!"
I opened my eyes wide and gasped, snapping back to reality, lifted my head straight, and spotted a face that made my heartbeat ease. I sighed and wiped the beads of sweat rolling down my forehead.
"Oh… it's you," I said, breathing heavily.
"Is it really necessary to eat those sour apples every night before bed?" she asked.
"Can't help… myself. Who needs beauty sleep when you can have nightmares… right?" I quipped and laid back, taking a deep breath.
"Who even told you this 'sour apples theory'?" she asked while sitting on the bedside table. "Why do you even write such… creepy poems that make you jump outta your sleep that way?" she added, her voice taunting but with a hint of care in it.
I didn't answer her question but smiled and sat up in bed. I lied when I told her the sour apple theory; rather, it just ruins my sleep every night.
"You need to prioritize your well-being more. You will drain yourself mentally like this. Please, for the sake of our trials—" she pleaded, but I broke in…
"Don't even start from there. The day has just started, and I don't wanna screw it up already," I stated, getting up, walking to my window, and opening the curtains, only to let the morning rays pry into my room, lighting up almost every corner. I squinted my slightly blinding eyes as I heard her insisting again…
"That's not good for you. You should really stop writing those haunted poems, nor I'll—"
"Nor what?" I cut in. "Tell the Royal Advisor to send me back to the dorms?" I said, looking over my shoulder at her, but I sighed and looked back at the window. "Refuse something and be haunted by it until it forces every inch of you to accept it."
"Those creepy goths? Oh, please. Say goodbye to your 'that' passion for gloom and doom," she taunted, gesturing towards my collection of raven feathers and dried flower crafts.
"Father loved it, my collection for ominous," I said, "makes me feel alive." I looked back outside the window. "So, no one can put a stop to this… not even you."
"Yeah, sure. If you end up mentally unraveling from those nightmares, that's on you."
She stood up beside the bed, finally giving up arguing. She started making her way out of my room. I could practically feel her sighing at my stubbornness. As she reached the doorknob, my voice crackled in the air, pausing her from leaving.
"My only hope is that my nightmares shouldn't become… reality."
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𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 1: "𝕷𝖊𝖊"
If I want someone's certainty, I must keep this blabbermouth of mine under the radar.
If I want to be someone's ally, I need to have sincerity in my words. I shouldn't just be uttering one or two words... how profound.
If I want to be someone's 'anchor in the storm,' I need to be confident about my doings because who doesn't love making promises they can't keep?
If I actually want a human in my life. Because making out with forest animals isn't the only thing left, I'm not a TARZAN!
Well, seems like I have been an actual coward since my birth… dammit.
It's almost sunrise, and I'm still boring my eyes on my skinny arms, lying on the cold sand. I love the view but not the wind that's teasing me for the whole night prior. I exhaled a deep, anguished sigh, looking up at the fading stars with the dawn. It's useless but kinda eerily alluring at the same time… the sunrise? Or my soon-to-come death because of starvation? I bitterly smirked to myself. Maybe both.
It's funny—No… No, it's terrible, I won't survive. The only hope left is that someone, maybe a prince, could come and save me from this nightmare… One moment I think I'm fine without anyone and the other I think; A ghost could work too ...ghost? I Hate Ghosts, or probably the fact that how those creatures frightened me even though I'm a grown-up…almost. Wait!Ghosts are creatures? No Lee! I shook my head to clear my mind, but it was futile. Spreading my arms across the cold floor of sand, I rolled onto my side. Should have focused on my studies. Well, ghosts are not animals either… I'M GOING CRAZY! The hell am I thinking? I gradually fell asleep, only to have cold water splashing on me in the morning.
I woke up gasping for breath; it was a wave of the sea near the edge… Great! I'm all soaked now… Plagues!
"…You're alive?!"
I startled away from the voice. It's a girl. I yelled at her, "The hell you are!?"
She blinked at me. "Sorry, I spilled water on ya. I thought you were dead."
My eye twitched as I glared at her. She thought what? How did I not notice this being roaming around here before? She feels like an alien. I sat up straight, crossed my legs. Not minding her prior actions because after a month, I hadn't seen an actual human.
"So, who are you, exactly?" I asked blankly.
"You first?" she also spat out blankly.
"I asked first," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"K, then. Where are my manners, eh? I'm Nikolaii, Nikolaii Kakolya."
I hummed at the name. "Nik—" I looked back at her face, gaping. "What's your gender?"
She blinked at me, no response as if she didn't know that either. "A boy?" I asked.
"Do I look like one?" she cut in.
"N-no," I said, confused.
She turned around for a moment, then fell to her knees, facing upwards. "God! I wanna thank you!"
My left eye twitched, dumbfounded, before bursting out in laughter. "But isn't Nikolaii a boy's name?"
She turned back, facing me. "Ask my parents! I don't know what they wanted me to be!"
I smirked in sympathy before my stomach made a loud gurgling noise.
"I suppose you're hungry?" she asked.
"Yes… I am," I mumbled.
"I can help you. I know a place; let's go there," she said with a slight hint of excitement.
"Where?" I asked, confused.
"Just follow me, don't be afraid," she reassured.
I stood up as if I were afraid, dusting off my clothes and picking up my backpack, not caring where she was leading me. Because even—let's say—how much worse could it get? No matter if she took me into slavery, made me her bodyguard, or made me a shoe cleaner, I'm up for it. At least I'd get food. Then, negative thoughts crept in. What if she actually kills me? What if she's from the cannibals? I shook my head, a futile attempt to clear my mind of such thoughts. C'mon, she's just a girl. What could she possibly do—
"You never told me your name."
I snapped out of my hypothetical thoughts as soon as I heard her asking me that. I mumbled in a low voice, "Lee."
"Pretty name, I guess," she said, smiling.
We walked past the seaside and into the forest. How could I have never been here before? I'm usually familiar with almost every place in Filthshore, but this... why does it feel so new? It feels like stepping into a new milestone of life. Upon crossing the trails of the forest, we reached the meadows. My eyes widened with wonder and awe. "My Lord—I didn't know Huangshan had so many lush expanses like this. I know this mountain is the realm of the Seven Kingdoms, but…"
"Hey, Nik… this is Orlendar," she finished.
I glanced back at the dominion before me. "Orlendar…" I repeated. It's the fourth one on the list on Mount Huangshan's map.
"I'm controlling the urges," she added after a moment, smiling toward the front as well.
"What urges?" I asked.
"To scream at that nickname," she said cheekily.
"I'll start calling you that from now on then," I said appreciatively. It just slipped out of my mouth, but anyway…
Without hesitation, I slid down behind her, following her through the entrance of the village. But as soon as we arrived, all the unknown gazes started to bore into us—no, me only. Even though I don't give a damn what they're thinking, they ought not to learn of my reputation.
Walking along with Nik, I swiftly swiped an apple off a vendor's stand and tossed a silver coin onto the wood. Not even the sound of clanking woke the dozen merchants nearby. There was a barn house set apart from the other houses, with farm animals kept in fences.
"You live there?" I asked. She nodded and led me over. Inside, there was a young man, probably my age, working at the milliner's table, making… hats?
"I'm back!" Nik waved at him.
"Took you long enough. Did you bring the feathers I asked for?" he asked her without even bothering to look in this direction.
Nik turned sheepish. "I…—Forgot as usual?" he cuts her off.
He cut her off. "Aye, I don't always forget stuff. Anyway, look who I brought with me instead!" she said, grinning with excitement.
He exhaled and hung his head in frustration. "Not a crab again—"
As soon as he looked at me with that blank expression, I clutched the strap of my bag, a little anxious about how he'd react.
"Hi," I muttered finally.
Nik whispered something to him that seemed quite skeptical, but he left the hat he was crafting on his table and turned around fully.
"How should I call you?" He greeted, politely, nodding slightly.
Bloody hell! I've never been great at interviews and that kind of thing. What on earth am I supposed to introduce myself with? Seriously?
"Name's Cameron Steyara. Nice to meet you."
"O... okay." Now for my name. "I'm Lee."
Cameron nodded in acknowledgment. "Your last name?"
I just shook my head with a freaked-out expression. I don't want to tell them. God help me.
He nodded, understanding the personal decision. He eyed me up and down for a moment, my ripped and dusty clothes not making much of an impression.
"Let's freshen you up," Nik said as she grabbed my hand, dragging me inside the barn house. Once we were inside, I looked around a little. Finally, a roof! My gaze fell on a portrait of a few people together. I smiled when I spotted Nik's face in it, too. It's probably her friends or something.
"Here you go, Lee," she said, turning to me from the trunk of fabrics and holding out warm pieces for me.
I smiled at her and said, "Thanks... a lot," as I took the clothes. She left, and I changed quickly. I opened my bag and rummaged through it until my hand fell on my dagger. I pulled it out and looked at it for a moment. 'No, I don't…' Those three words still haunt me like a daydream. I smirked bitterly at it and shoved the dagger into the sheath on my lap.
Throwing the ripped bag away, I moved out, my hand on the gate's handle. I noticed my fitting, though I'm not really a fan of tight clothes, but it's fine if they're comfy. I sighed and left, stepping outside. Rubbing my arms against the cold wind, I heard Nik call out, "Over here!" Turning, I walked toward her and settled onto a wooden log beside the crackling bonfire, where the cauldron hung low above the flames. The savory aroma of the cooking meal drifted through the air.
"Nikolaii, the order was up to date, and you still haven't brought the feather for the hat I was making! How am I supposed to complete it?" Cameron complained, sitting cross-legged on the grass and leaning his back against a nearby log.
"Feather, you say?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I reached into the chain hanging from my belt and plucked out a feather. "I do have one," I added, twirling it between my fingers. "Picked it up after a tussle with the sea eagles over dinner. A little trade-off, you know?" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Here…"
He exhaled. "You're a lifesaver. Thanks a lot! Unlike Nikolai." Both squinted their eyes, glaring at each other. He fixed the feather on his hat. "Haha! They'll love it."
"GUYS! GUYS!" a kid ran toward us, screaming.
"What's wrong?" Nik asked, a little alarmed.
"God's wrath! Everything... Trials—begun..." The kid spat, panting on his knees.
Nik's and Cameron's eyes widened. "Dead!" they both muttered and stood up.
"You guys going somewhere?" I asked curiously.
Nik stiffened before grabbing my wrist and dragging me with her... again. "Yeah, and you're coming along too."
All three of us ran to the other side of the village. We reached a pit where... people break one's bones, I guess. There was a horde of people shouting the one and only word:
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
We peeked through the crowd, stumbling into each other.
"Shit! What's gotten into his head today?" Nik cursed.
"Who?" I asked, completely out of the loop at the moment.
Cameron facepalmed at the person standing inside the arena, preparing to fight someone.
"Hey! There they are! The suckers!" A few people bullied us.
"Excuse me!" I retorted. How dare someone speak that way? I moved forward in anger until I stopped before a beast three times my size. My eyes widened as I looked at him with a blank expression.
"You with them?" the hulk of a man asked, his voice gruff.
"N— Yes," Nik answered, cutting Cameron off.
"Then you should pay your debt for the month," he spat out.
"No— wait!" I stuttered, but before I could finish, he grabbed all three of us by our back collars and tossed us into the pit onto the scruffy ground.
"Oww—!" we all groaned.
I stood up quickly, but the gate inside the pit opened, revealing the crowd sitting in the bowl.
"We're toasted!" I blurted out. Bewildered.
"Hey! Ma' pals here, Now we'll burn YOUR ass!"
"I swear to God! I'll sew YOUR ass once we get out of here, You Freak!" Nik cursed to that boy already standing in the arena before us. In anger.
"You better take your words back, Zawi! Or I'll—"
"What? You think you can fight me, Roaster?" Zawi mocked, addressing the ginger-headed opponent facing us four.
"I'll kill you!" The opponent said, gritting his teeth and using his ability. My eyes widened. Abilities? Here too? He threw an immense amount of fire blasts, but Zawi dodged all of them.
"Ooooh, impressive," I mumbled to myself. He must be a teleporter if the enemy is a fire blazer.
"At least he can handle that chibi," Nik mocked as Zawi stood up.
"No, he's good when it comes to fighting, it seems," I said, admiring his skills.
"Yeah, wait until he misses," she said, rolling her eyes.
"N—Owww!" Zawi spat out, slamming against the wall while we blankly stared at him.
"Told ya! Now, who's next?" the opponent shouted.
I looked at him. "Do we have to fight?"
"Not you. You're probably not prepared for this," Cameron said, his hand on my shoulder, gently holding me back.
"Awww, Suckers hiding their precious new daddy's little princess. Poor thing," he sneered.
Cameron gritted his teeth while I moved in front of him, walking towards him.
"How about a cruel start, gingerhead?" I challenged.
"I like the energy, but don't cry to Nik about your upcoming searing aches!" He threw a blast, but I swiftly struck it to ashes with my dagger.
We both sprinted toward each other and struck our blades against one another's. The agility was almost invisible. I need to make a sharp move quickly; I won't be able to endure him much longer as a weakling.
After a moment, I managed to land a kick to the back of his neck, but it wasn't hard enough. By the time we both struck our blades, locking them together, the grind of steel ignited sparks..."
"You wanted a cruel start, eh? Here, no one—no one—has ever escaped my inferno! I'm Kitt Chuukahara, the most feared fire blazer of this domain and I crush little pricks like you in seconds." He said, his voice low and gruff. Another strike of our blades followed until they clicked to our throats…
"That wasn't quite pleasant for a lady, you know?" I whispered, smirking as I tried to get a reaction from him.
His anger flared up, and he unleashed his final blast.
Stumbling back, I tried to block it, but it sent me flying all the way back, slamming against the wall. Coughs blood. "Dammit," I mumbled, wincing in pain as I lay against the cracked wall, panting.
The crowd grows deafening as they witness Kitt's imminent triumph. "KITT! KITT! KITT! KITT!" They chant his name like an anchor of light… pathetic.
"Is it… where are you guys? I mean…" I stumbled over my words, struggling to put my thoughts into coherent speech. My mind spun from the impact, a foggy dizziness clouding my thoughts. I prayed this confusion would linger until we could escape so we wouldn't have to fight. Because I don't think I can… anymore. I turned my head to glance at all three of them.
"Okay!" Nik exhaled sharply, her focus snapping back. "Zawi, Cameron, it's our turn, quick." She finally regained her composure after… Well, after letting me… I can't even think of any wit for it right now.
"Well, time for the real match, suckers!" Kitt declared with a grin.
I blinked at him from afar. "Eh?"
"Didn't Nikoniko tell you that you were brought here to fight?" Zawi asked, his tone indifferent.
"HUHHH?!" I blurted out, completely dumbfounded. Me?! Fight?!
She shot me a sheepish glance, flicking her eyes between me and Zawi back and forth like she couldn't decide which one of us was more confused. We were locked in a strange triangle of silent staring, and somehow, it all led back to me. I shrugged it off.
"Next round: Hathquill vs. the Ashens!" the official announced.
"It's time, let's goooooooo!" Zawi whooped. That freaky being can't stay still for even a second.
"Wait! What?! Lo—" Nik stuttered when the next round, announced. The dust engulfed us as we shielded our faces with our elbows, just as the front gate creaked open and the two other Reapers stepped into the pit.
"Seems like they're extra ready to beat the shit out of us today," Cam quipped, while Nik deadpanned him. But honestly, it really gets my blood boiling when people say stuff like that…
"Why didn't you guys tell me about this before?" I demanded, standing up, my body shaking.
"About what?" Zawi asked casually.
"The fight! You idiot!"
Nik took a deep breath, looking pained. "L…look, try to understand, please. It's… It's not the time for chit-chat. We need to focus, fight, and win. Just take the motivation, stay strong, and I'll explain everything after this," she pleaded.
"You—" She cut me off, her voice firm yet full of urgency. "I promise."
I exhaled sharply. "You better." I picked up my dagger, stepping forward, aligning with the others. Our movements synchronized, preparing for the upcoming blows. I was ready as I sprinted forward, the surge of adrenaline fueling me.
"Wait—! Did I tell her they're prodigies? No?! Lee, wait—!" Nik shouted from behind, but I was already flying backward, flipping mid-air before crashing face-first into the ground with a thud. My mind was a blur… again.
"Yeah, Great job done, you hindsight leader," I mocked with a bitter smirk, peeking up from the ground.
"Oops, sorry," she grinned. While I knocked her a deadpan.
I looked at the one who hit me. A writer? Is he carrying a spellbook or something? He's probably the leader of the Crimson Reapers…
At that moment, everyone leaped their attack. The collective howl erupted from our throats made the crowd roar with excitement. Blades clashed, blows evaded, sparks flew, blood stained the ground. I was just about to strike the leader when I noticed a scar running across his neck as he lay on the ground, stumbling.
"You okay?" I blurted out. I don't even know where this sympathy came from, He looked at me, taken aback by my question. Before I could react, he struck back, knocking me off balance, sending me stumbling.
I could hardly believe my eyes at first—we were winning. But just as quickly, the tide shifted. The last one stood up, dusting off her clothes with a cold, calculated look in her eyes.
"Lee, look out for her. She's called the 'Tainted Storm,' her ability—" Nik was halfway through, as always, when she already blew me sky-high. While Kitt threw Nik and Cameron back, crashing into Zawi.
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" and there I am, falling back, screaming.
"Gotcha!" Zawi hovered and seized my arms before hitting the ground with a soft thud; I was disheveled and had gone through multiple heart attacks. Well, soaring is definitely not for me…
Kitt held his sharp edge against my throat as if we lost, I glared up at him in disdain, he burnt my arm. Which hurts… a lot, so her. With our final strike, our blades clashed fiercely, splintering the metal in a violent burst under the force, leaving slashes on both of our necks, screeching, with a trickle of blood dripping down.
"AND IT'S A DRAW!!!" the official declared. The crowd's screams became deafening in bewilderment. "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE TRIALS, THE ASHENS HAVE REINFORCED!!!" the official added. I turned around, peeking over my shoulder at Nik with an amused smirk and a cocked eyebrow. First time? She shrugged her shoulders at me with a sheepish grin.
"Dammit!" Kitt cursed, wiping his now red-stained neck.
"So, looks like we suckers didn't lose this time..." I ribbed, getting along with the team. So, The Ashens, are we?... even though I was just dragged in.