Inside the Kingdom of Oppression…
His foot crossed the boundary, and the gate slammed shut behind him with a heavy thud.
The sound echoed in his mind, steady and undeniable:
"Four years ago… there was no wall."
Chains dragged across the ground. Whips tore into flesh. Eyes sunken in ash lifted for a moment, only to return and die into the dirt.
The crowd was suffocating—thin bodies in tattered clothes, hollow eyes as if they'd forgotten how to dream. A trembling child reached for a moldy scrap of bread, only to be yanked back quickly by his mother.
"There used to be no separation between classes. Everyone ate from the same land, drank from the same river. But then the curse came… and the earth dried up."
The high walls stretched endlessly like a monstrous beast. An old man dragged a box heavier than his years, his steps unsteady. A whip lashed across his back—but he didn't complain… he didn't stop.
"When food disappeared, the nobles panicked. When the water dried up, they built the walls and hoarded the resources. There was no room for everyone—if you weren't wealthy… you were cast out."
A loud thud. A young man crashed to the ground after a brutal blow. He tried to stand, but another hit knocked him back down. Blood mixed with the dirt. No one moved. No one objected.
"Outside the wall, hunger was kinder than slow death. Brothers killed brothers for a sip of water. Sons stole from mothers to survive. And everyone clung to life—even if it meant stepping over corpses."
A clenched fist. Heavy breaths. But the voice continued, cold and detached:
"The only way to survive… was slavery. Work until you break, until you bleed, until you die. At least then, you won't die hungry."
A sharp bark. The sound of fast-approaching steps. Suddenly, a skinny dog leaped toward him, licking his hand frantically, like it had waited for him for ages.
A frozen gaze met the dog's eyes… even in all this ruin, something still pulsed with life.
He ran a hand over the dog's head and gave a faint smile:
"I brought you something you'll like, Ryo."
The dog stepped back slightly, tail wagging with excitement, barking loudly.
Akaino opened the basket slung over his shoulder. He reached between the wood pieces, searching… but his fingers found nothing. He froze for a moment, then muttered with frustration:
"I'm sure I brought it…"
He searched again—nothing. Exhaling in annoyance, he looked at the dog:
"Ah, sorry, Ryo. Looks like I left it in the forest."
The dog lowered his head slightly, his eyes full of disappointment.
Akaino patted his head gently and said warmly:
"Don't be upset, little one. I'll bring it to you in the morning."
He stood, hoisting the wood basket back onto his shoulder, waving:
"See you later. Got a lot to do. The old man's waiting."
A short bark. The dog turned and trotted away, while Akaino turned in the opposite direction to continue his path.
But suddenly—
He bumped into something solid.
He looked up to find a masked figure. Silent. Motionless.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" Akaino began.
Then stopped.
For a split second, beneath the edge of the black cloth, something inhuman peeked through—dark skin, like shifting shadow… and eyes glowing red. Just for a moment… then gone.
A chill ran through his skin.
The figure didn't respond. Didn't move. Simply walked past, silent—as if nothing had happened.
Akaino watched him disappear, his heart pounding, thoughts spiraling.
"Who… was that? Something's off…"
He gripped the basket tightly and kept walking, steps cautious. In a kingdom like this, curiosity is a sin… and sins don't get forgiven.
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Akaino continued down the crowded alleys, ignoring the noise of the marketplace and the rhythmic pounding of metal and carving of wood. In the distance, the outline of a woodworking shop appeared between buildings. The scent of carved wood blended with the slow burn of a cigarette.
Inside the workshop, a strong hand shattered a wooden board, then lifted a tool and began carving again—eyes fixed on the open door.
"That boy's late… not like him."
His words nearly vanished into the workshop's din—until steady footsteps cut through it.
"I'm here."
Akaino appeared at the entrance, gently set down the basket on the floor. The man, named Brezelius, gave a faint smile.
"You're late, Akaino. That's not like you."
Akaino scratched the back of his head with a wry tone:
"You know how annoying the guards can be."
"They gave you trouble again?"
"Yeah… same as always."
Brezelius set down the tool, exhaled a puff of smoke, then turned toward him.
"Did you bring anything new?"
Akaino reached into the basket, pulled out a wooden piece, turned it between his fingers, and tossed it over.
"Found something you've been looking for."
He caught it effortlessly, turning it over in his hands, eyes scanning the details. Removing the cigarette from his lips, he smiled with satisfaction:
"Well done, Akaino… you never disappoint."
A cheerful, confident female voice chimed in from behind him:
"Didn't I tell you he'd come, Dad?"
Akaino turned to see a girl carrying a load of heavy wood, her hair swaying at her shoulders. She stepped toward him with a playful look and a soft smile.
"Hi, Akaino."
He returned her gaze and replied:
"Busy as always, huh, Mora?"
Mora laughed, set the wood down, and wiped her dusty hands on her clothes.
"Dad works me to the bone, but you know how stubborn he is."
Brezelius smiled as he returned the cigarette to his mouth, looking at her:
"Work teaches patience, Mora… and life doesn't spare the lazy."
She sighed but didn't argue. She turned to Akaino and said with a lighter tone:
"And you? Gonna lecture me on life too, or help me carry this wood?"
Akaino raised a brow, glanced at Brezelius—who was now absorbed in inspecting the wooden piece again—and exhaled.
"I didn't come here to work, but… fine."
He reached for some wood, but Mora interrupted, pointing to a bigger pile:
"Not that one. That one over there."
He lifted the heavy stack, breathing carefully to stay balanced. As he walked, Mora stepped closer, whispering softly:
"Anything new… from him?"
He stopped for a moment, his eyes drifting into space like searching for something lost. His face darkened with despair before he answered in a low, barely audible voice:
"No."
Mora didn't respond immediately. She just watched him place the wood in its place. Then, with sincere tone, she said:
"I'm sorry to hear that, Akaino."
Suddenly—
A sound.
Or rather… thousands of them.
Screams tore through his skull, echoing inside as if a thousand people were dying all at once. Pain seared through his head like knives driving into his brain. His body froze—then dropped to his knees, breaths ragged, eyes wide in terror.
There was blood.
Not just blood… a sea of it. Spreading before him, staining his hands, surrounding him—as if he had caused all this destruction.
"Akaino!"
Mora's voice pierced the fog around him. She rushed to his side, worry in her eyes.
"What's wrong?!"
He blinked hard. The image vanished. Everything returned to normal… but the pain remained.
He exhaled deeply, tried to stand despite his trembling body, wiped sweat from his brow, and whispered hoarsely:
"It's nothing."
Mora didn't believe him, but before she could speak, another voice called from behind.
"Akaino, you alright?"
It was Brezelius, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he examined Akaino's pale face.
Akaino forced himself to stand, took a slow breath, and said as steadily as he could:
"I'm fine… just didn't sleep well."
Brezelius stared for a few seconds but didn't press further.
But inside…
Nothing was fine.
Why?
Why do I keep hearing those screams…?
There was no answer.
Only silence.
After a moment, Brezelius stepped forward and pulled out a small pouch of coins, tossing it to Akaino, who caught it with ease.
"Three hundred coins. Half payment, since you brought only one type."
Akaino raised a brow and protested:
"Three hundred? We agreed on four!"
Brezelius, still inspecting the wood, replied without looking up:
"Don't be greedy. The deal was clear."
"The deal was to bring wood, and I did! I never said I was a magician who can find everything in this damn kingdom!"
In the middle of the argument, Mora suddenly seemed to remember something. She left without a word, heading inside.
Akaino kept protesting, but paused when he noticed Brezelius's expression shift. The man stood still, eyes wide like he'd seen a ghost.
"Why'd you go quiet? What's wrong?"
Brezelius didn't answer, just stared forward. Akaino turned to see for himself… nothing. People walking, life going on. Nothing strange.
He looked back at the man and asked sharply:
"Brezelius, what is it?"
The man blinked as if waking from a trance, forcing a calm tone:
"It's nothing… nothing. So, will you take the deal?"
Before Akaino could reply, the kingdom's bell rang out across the streets. He sighed, slipping the coin pouch into his pocket:
"No other choice. I'll take it."
He turned, ready to leave, and waved dismissively:
"I'm off. Need to make it to work before I'm late."
Brezelius called after him:
"Don't be late next week."
Akaino didn't look back—just ran off, vanishing into the crowd.
Moments later, Mora emerged holding something in her hands. She looked up, searching, then called out:
"Akaino!"
But he didn't hear. Her breath caught as she watched him disappear into the kingdom's chaos. She bit her lip in frustration and whispered to herself:
"You idiot… I had something for you."
To be continued…
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