November 8
I slowly made my way around the spacious living quarters for any type
of rod or steel pipe to shove into the door handle for some sense of security.
The most that I found was a hammer and a crowbar. The crowbar may hold but the
hammer won’t if it gets too wild for it may look quite strong but it is not the
most durable.
I lodged the crowbar into the front door handle and the hammer into
the back. The best that I possibly can do is hope that it can hold out for the
time being and that they mainly attack the front of the shop.
I grabbed the book case from the other side of the room and pushed it
to block the front door.
I gave out one last puff of breath as I attempted one last push to
make sure it was firmly against the door.
“And… we should be okay as long as they don’t hear us, so no loud
noises from either of us, okay?”
The look on Shia’s face was one of a strong smile but her eyes showed
a different story.
Puzzled? Confused? Worried? I couldn’t tell. The only thing that I
could take away from it is that it made me concerned and I didn’t like that.
“Is something wrong, Shia? Are you hungry? I can make you something
if you are.”
The room feels tense and I have no clue why. Why is it starting to
feel hot in here now?
I felt the sweat start to slowly run down my forehead. It was cold
and made my body almost shiver.
She shook her head and slowly lifted herself onto the side of her
bed. She started to squint as she looked me, focusing on my every feature.
Reading me.
Understanding me.
She then proceeded to stand up and motion me to lie back down on my
bed. She walked over and pushed my head down to the pillow slowly and gently,
almost motherly.
She didn’t say a word, just sat next to the side of the bed, closed
her eyes, and started humming.
The air above me started to heat up but only slightly. Her palms
started to glow a bright green, letting out a small whine that corresponded
with her humming. It started to give off a melodic orchestra that echoed inside
my head.
What the heck is going on?
Wait… Wait… My wounds… They’re… They’re healing?
“What do you think of this world, Mr. Denny?” She asks me in a calm
manner.
“Um… isn’t that kind of out of left field? Well… I don’t hate it.
Besides what’s happening right now, it is close in consistency to a fantasy
novel that I have read. I got to meet you and Aster. I also had the chance to
fall for the all beautiful, rough-and-tough Kyoko. And…” I said it in a more
joking matter to cut the silence but it seems she did not like that as much as
she cut me off.
Her eyes opened up and looked directly into mine. The humming and
light stopped and the atmosphere became even more tense than previous. Almost
thought breaking, or at least thought racing.
Should I have not said that?
“What are your true feelings towards Kyoko?” Her voice turned to
stone. Her usual kind, loving face showed only cold, darkened eyes and a flat
line where her smile used to be. It made my hurried thoughts drop to dead
silence.
“Should we… really be…” I saw the determination burrow farther in her
eyes.
“Well, ever since the second I had been brought to this world, it was
fear of the unknown and the look of murder that was my initial thought of her.
Almost as if I knew that I was going to die. And well, sure enough I wasn''t
wrong. Even though she was injured and surprised, she still beat me easily. It
was terrifying. Waking up in a strange place that smelled of death and aged
iron, even worse. Clicking of boots across that floor while being blind folded,
I ran. Her tone when trying to get me to sit still stopped my heart cold. ''If
you move again, you’ll get stabbed again,'' romantic, right?” My expression must
flow well with the story because Shia was hanging on every word I said, heavily
invested.
“Then, we were attacked by a Mercentry. I was the distraction in the
fight because of my speed and she was trying to gain the upper hand in any way
possible. I just saw her. The way she moved, her power, her strength, they were
and are captivating. She may have been under the effect of After Bringer but
even then… she was shining. It did not end well though. After I awoke from her
attack on me, she greeted me with a smile. Her shining mixed hair hovering over
her right shoulder as she looked down at me, almost landing on my pale face.”
“She was smiling at me. Smiling. Something that I had never seen
before and it was for me. Her smile is beautiful, mixed with her soft voice, I
almost feel like I am being gifted. Her toughness is a great feature as well;
she is not as fragile as you would think just looking at her.” The memory of
that moment played over and over in my memory. A deep smile was implanted on my
face.
“Oh… Are you completely sure that your curse may have effected your
feelings at all?” Her expression kept its consistency quite well.
“How do you know about that? Oh yeah, the time spent with Kyo when
Aster and I were training. Of course it has affected some aspects of my
feelings. But only a tiny bit, I would believe so. She was the first face that
I have ever seen, not even my parent’s faces were visible to me. I would go
home after school every day and say hello to the strangers that also lived
there then go to my room. In my room, I would try my best to tell certain parts
of a face apart from others, from what I could actually see. Seeing a real face
for the first time was a new experience to me and it just happened to be a
beautiful girl like Kyoko. Everything beyond that point made me realize that
going from someone who has never actually seen care or love can still
understand what it feels like even if they haven''t experienced it. The battles,
the conversations, the way she shows her feelings. The way she blushes and
smiles, the way she frowns, the way she walks and talks. All of it. I would
give my life for her, not because she gave me a new life but because I want her
to live longer than me. As best I can, I want to see her live on and share her
smile with more people. I really truly like her. If not more than that. I don’t
know if my confession was too soon but she accepted it anyway and that made me
very happy.” I started to blush but kept a brave front on.
Her face changed back to her usual brightening smile and her eyes
close back with the green light shining once more.
“Good. I accept your responses, Denny. You better stick to your word
with protecting her with your life but don’t push yourself too hard, okay? She
wouldn’t want to see you die before her either, we both know that.”
“Yeah, I know. So, now that you asked a question. I want to ask one.
I am always puzzled by this. What made Kyoko the way she is?” She was taken
aback by this but didn’t take it as something that should be stepped around. I
was expecting that she would have.
“Kyoko was a very
normal girl growing up. Wore dresses, played with dolls, played with stuffed
toys. But the main difference between her and other girls is that she never
smiled. She actually broke all of her dolls in secret so her parents wouldn''t
find out. I was there to watch and protect her, so I gave her toys that she did
like to play with. You know, trucks and the like. It was rather adorable to see
her try and show her toughness by attempting to break them.”
Her face grew grim.
“Until King Jol found
out and promised to punish her by locking her in a dark cell for one day. I
took the blame, the least that I could do. Buying toys for her was all that I
could do at the time. She deserved something that she could actually enjoy, not
dolls and those frilly dresses that made her miserable. The lessons to make her
“Lady-Like,” Ha... what a joke. She’s a strong girl but every time I saw the
door open with her standing in that doorway saddened, almost broke my heart.
She would throw herself on the bed, her face mixed with anger and pure sadness.
I sat on the side of her bed and held her close. Even if she hit me, I would
let her. I wasn''t the most adept at showing emotion or even understanding
others at the time. For her sake, I was willing to learn.
So every other day, I
would go without food and train to give myself some idea of pain. Even on the
days that I ate, I would eat light. Yes, it may sound stupid to starve myself
but that''s the only idea I had. After about a year, I begged King Jol to allow
Kyoko to hang out with some other girls around her age. For some release from
this constant training. He allowed it.”
“My younger brother,
Junlos, attempted to play with her but pretty much clung to me the whole time.
So that plan didn''t work out as well. That was when the Vice Duke''s son,
Alfonse, was invited to play with her. I have never seen Kyoko so happy and in
turn, I started to feel joyed by this. But sadly, nothing lasts forever.”
“What happened?” I
sat up quite a bit in suspense. I saw that remembering this was hard for her,
even if I could tell that it couldn''t be dreadful but more heart wrenching.
“The boy''s father was
put under scrutiny for cheating on his wife and raping four other women. Just
like everyone else on that fucking Efferets Council. Pardon my language.
Everyone on that ungodly Council are bound to do the same but they are adept at
covering it up. He didn''t even attempt to. The only “pure,” to put it lightly,
individual is King Jol. He hasn''t cheated and shows high respect for his wife.
The major draw is that he is the most violent of the council. Anyways, the Vice
Duke had to leave the country to Andervell or face the slaughter of his entire
family. His son was a sweet, innocent child and sadly had to be brought into
that. Kyoko didn''t understand then and still doesn''t know today. Not that she
shouldn''t know but it might be for the best. She really liked that boy. Oh...
Sorry.” She just realized that she mentioned it to me.
“It''s no problem, I
can''t say that I understand the feeling but I understand the situation.” If I
said that it didn''t make me a little jealous, I would be lying.
“Well... anyway, this
brought on a string of “friends” that the King had gathered for Kyoko. Every
one ended badly and every doll she received was ordered by her to be burned by
the butler. After the fifth friend left, she gave up trying to make friends.
She kept to the Princess Training that they put her through and she was turning
out to seem like true royalty. For close to four years, she did this.
I was put on a
special mission at the time and events that I will mention at another time led
to how I got to Astern. Junlos sent me letters on occasion to fill me in on the
rest of the details.
After a while, Kyoko
begged her parents to become a Royal Guardian and every time the answer was no.
She then begged Junlos to train her and he quickly agreed. He always respected
Kyoko, not because she is the princess but because of her determination. It
shocked me but I was proud that she finally took that step. Whenever Kyoko had
the free time, she sparred with Junlos.
She trained for six
more years until she turned twenty. She told her parents that she was going to
do her best to be a Royal Guardian. She wanted to prove her worthiness of the
title, so she left the castle with nothing on her but a few pairs of clothes,
money, and a knife. I didn''t hear about her from Junlos for about six months
and I was worried the whole time.
Junlos mentioned that
she was almost unrecognizable. Besides her hair and eye colors, you wouldn''t
have known it was her.
She marched into the
main chamber with a full suit of armor on and a gas mask in her hand. She
showed her father what she was capable of, a speech from Junlos definitely
helped, and he reluctantly put her on the Royal Guard.
You already know who
her first target was.
Junlos decided to
enter her room that night and found her sitting on the side of her bed with her
head in her hands, shaking.
''First mission
jitters?''
''No. No... No. I...
why him? He seems so innocent. What has he done to make father so determined?''
''I have had harder
people to deal with. Children, old men, women. It''s always hard. No matter if you
think you are used to it or not.''
''But... he...''
''Don''t tell me...
that he''s got you in a bind because you think he''s handsome.''
''Wha... what are you
saying? Of course not.''
He joked with her but
he stopped.
''Listen, I get that
you are at a sensitive age but you have to understand that a target is a
target. He is a human. He will die eventually. They are not immortal. Why make
it more painful that it has to be? You can capture him if you like but
understand the repercussions, especially for the princess. But hey... no
pressure, okay.”
“At the end of that
note, he mentioned that he was going on a special mission.” She looked like she
was about the cry. “He still... hasn''t sent another letter.”
I was in too much
shock to respond but I didn''t have to.
“You were her first
mission. Do you believe she was successful?”
She wanted to
continue the conversation but was now too sad to do so. She started to cry in
the thought of Junlos and I decided to be her shoulder to cry on.
“He''s probably still
fighting the best he can. To see one day, how lovely his sister has become.”
I felt the burden
come out from her tears but I knew she was strong enough to calm herself down.
She let go and went
back to her bed without saying a word to get some amount of rest in.
I sat up on my bed
and thought about the next plan of action as calming yet worrying noises filled
and surrounded this small building.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 9
My head ached, my
body ached, it seems like everything ached. Should I be worried? Or is this
natural for a person in my situation? Winning a big fight, becoming something
that isn''t human, being killed almost twice. Maybe it is catching up to me.
I stuttered to stand
up as the pain of my ribs still lingered and the many aches made my legs creak
at the same tone as the aged wooden floor boards beneath me.
I staggered over to
check on the weapons that were left behind by Aster and the group.
I checked the cabinet
in the back of the main bedroom that was situated on the right side of the
store. The room gave off a pleasant aroma despite the outside world that should
have poisoned that smell a while ago.
The room was well
organized, which is to be expected due to Aster''s condition.
I finally reached the
lopsided steel cabinet on the back corner of the room. It seems to have been
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scratched and bumps in the aged metal, it seemed almost brand new.
I opened the left
cabinet door to find only a few matches and a few stuffed dolls that Shia may
be collecting. I didn''t know that they had such pleasantries here, I wasn''t
shocked though. It''s almost like the living world just with more truths that I
used to believe were myths. So, most things from home might be somewhere in
this world.
I took the matches
and one of the dolls that seemed to be kept in the highest regard amongst the
rest.
I put the doll into
my right pocket gently as to not rip the delicate cloth and designs. I then put
the matches into my left back pocket for easy accessibility.
I attempted to open
the right cabinet door but to be expected, it was locked tight.
Hmm... maybe Shia
would know... No, I can’t bother her right now.
Umm.... Come on
Denny, you''re better than this.
Like in some of the
mystery books that I have read, a good portion of them revealed that when in a
bind, the answer can be simple if looked at from a different perspective. The
store has only one floor and Aster most likely has the key when he left. He may
have taken the key ring with it on. So, unlocking it in a traditional sense is
out of the question.
Umm.... hmm...
Wait... Manifestation. I can just make a new key. Right... Okay... This could
work.
I walked over to the
lock and rested my thumb over the key lock and placed all concentration on my
thoughts. The white light that I seem almost too used to started to shine
brightly again and patterns of the tumblers started to map out inside my head.
It took almost two full minutes and a lot of strain on my mind before the
object was finished and took a lot more out of me after the fact rather than
during.
The design became
more clear the more that I focused on it. It doesn''t resemble any key that I
have ever seen before. It had an almost trapezoidal base, which rounded further
down the shaft into an almost oval like pattern, the stems consisted of indents
and centimeter thick hooks not jumps or hills like a key would normally
exhibit.
This gave concern on
my part but not enough warrant for me to investigate it. Its only just a key,
not a mysterious artifact.
The key was
mystifying to look at none-the-less. It has a silver-like finish with a rather
peculiar stemmed, rugged feel and.... Denny, less staring at it and more
attempting to use it.
Okay Brain, okay.
I put the key into
the lock without a hassle and a neat click came from inside the mechanism. The
key turned with no problem at all.
To my disappointment,
there were only papers and various journals that have the words, “My Previous
Life,” written in bold tipped marker along the cover page.
It could mean either
of them to be honest. Aster''s life as a human and Shia''s old life as a Royal
Guard. I will not push my luck and look further into it.
Oh... It''s so tempting
though....
No Denny, you were
raised better.
But… Maybe just a
peek.
I grabbed the nearest
journal and opened the first page as I made my way over to the nearby chair
while making sure I stayed as quiet as possible.
“July 14<sup>th</sup>It has been so long
since I have seen the lush greenery of my garden back home. I may say that I
don''t miss it but that is a blatant lie that I tell to myself and Shia.”
So it is Aster''s. Hmm...
“This world has given
me a second chance though and for that, I am surely grateful. Back in the real
world, fresh out of high school, I was a Janitor. Or a Custodial Staff Member,
as they called it.
I didn''t have plans
for the future. Just me, my job, and my girlfriend at the time, Lucy. She was a
short, blonde haired woman, with thick glasses and a mind for adventure. I
liked that about her. She had dreams that I couldn''t have at my station.
Lucy was a smart
cookie, she was. She was a Science major going into the branch of Physics and
Aerodynamic Study. A calm person with an insight for everything around her and
a positive attitude for every wrong that could have been done to her. She never
gave up on the world or me and that seemed like the only reason that kept me
going.”
I
didn''t know he had such a dark side. Poor Aster. I probably should check one
more page, just to understand.
“July
15<sup>th</sup>As
one would guess, I woke up every day except for Sundays and worked. From eight
in the morning to eight at night, I worked. It was a routine that I was not
pleased with in any shape or form. I woke up, brushed my teeth, made some
breakfast for me and Lucy, who was still up after spending all night studying.
I would sometimes help her on the little things that I remembered from Ms.
Burke''s twelfth grade Physics lectures.
Gosh,
did I hated her. Well, hate is a strong word. Disliked greatly.
Anyway,
my schedule. I would eat breakfast with Lucy, go to work, finish all the daily
tasks that they had given me, and come home. I would find her passed out most
of the time on her desk, her snoring was pretty adorable. She wasn''t the
strongest person but she would keep herself up for hours on end even when she
knew that her brain was yelling for her to stop. No matter how crazy life got,
she wouldn''t give up. That made me believe it too.
She
taught me a lot. It was one of the things that I loved about her... loved...
yeah, I do. I haven''t really realized it. Hmm... interesting.”
I
should probably skip a bit to find out what made him go to the roof on that
day.
“August
16th
This was almost too hard to
remember but I know that Shia loves to read and knowing her reading speed. She
could read through all my previous memoirs like it was nothing. It’s almost
terrifying, heh heh.
Anyway, I loved my work-a-day,
drum-a-day lifestyle up to a point. That point was the day Lucy was taken from
me. Yes, it sounds like every other sad story but it was almost too sudden for
any romance novel.
This was a while back now, almost
ten years. I had lived with Lucy for about three years and knew almost
everything about her. Her favorite drink, her favorite food, her favorite
hangout, her damn favorite equation in Dynamics. She was dorky like that and I
couldn''t blame her. It was interesting material. But... I didn''t know what she
wanted to do after she completed the four-year school that she was in then.
It''s not that I never asked or listened but she just didn''t want to tell me...
like she was ashamed to tell me. Or afraid to.
So, in a normal dinner
conversation, I asked her.
''What do you want to do after Crill-Tech?
Classes end soon, right?'' I asked casually.
She didn''t answer.
“Lucy... are you okay?”
“Yes, why do you ask?” She asked
as if my last question was non-existent. But I could see something hiding in
her eyes.
“Whenever I ask any other
question, you respond with a calm smile on your face. Full of joy. But when I
ask you that question, you go wide eyed and lock up. What’s wrong?''
''It''s nothing... important.'' Her
face went red, she excused herself, and power walked to the bedroom holding her
face in her hands. I would chase after her but the last time I did that, she
started to cry harder the more that I would try to comfort her.
I stood up, staring in her direction, and a faint buzzing
became more clear and present behind me. I turned around to see that Lucy had
left her phone behind while marching off.
The brightly lit screen shows the name, ''mom'', in white
letters. I don''t know why I did but I answered.
''Hello.'' I said anticipating.
''Aster, is that you? Where is Lucy?''
''She isn''t in the mood to talk right now or even willing to
try. She has been up and down for the past week or so, something is seriously
bothering her. Do you know what it is?'' I said in a flat, non-optimistic voice.
“Umm... well... It could be anything. She seems to always be
bothered by something nowadays. Well I have to go. You have a good day, Aster.''
She didn''t let me say my goodbye as the tone rang in my ears.
My suspicions have been right and it was the worse version
that I had predicted.
I came home from work the next day to find that the house was
empty, not just of Lucy but of her clothes and belongings as well.
I tried calling her many times but each time was the same
exact words. “The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected.”
It shot a bullet straight through my heart but I didn''t want
to give up. She wouldn''t want me to.
I drove to her house many times attempting to get a chance to
speak to her and every time, I was restrained by her well off parent’s staff,
A.K.A Goons. Many times have I tried and every time was the same result. They
never had the decency to give me a reason, and the worse part was that I would
see Lucy''s mom lifting the curtains and staring back at me.
I only got one letter from her and it looked rushed. In
short, the letter read that her family didn''t approve of my low status and that
they will find someone more suitable. She also mentioned about how much she
tried to go against them but failed each time. But the one thing that rang in
my mind was ''why didn''t you ask for my help before?''”
I flipped to a month later.
“September 18<sup>th</sup>I have never felt so hopeless that past month. Any person
that looked anything like her... just... painful memories returned. I could
have sworn that I saw her that day. Or at least... I thought it was her.
It was almost too clear, too real, I wanted to believe that
it was her. She was too far away though. Happy or at least she showed her
gleaming shine to the world. Thinking back on it, she always smiled even under
heavy load. From the nights she spent stress crying, she would lie next to me
and smile while tears fell down her face.
Oh, even thinking about it, writing this is making me
remember the good and the bad times. Heh, it’s funny that when things turn bad,
you look back at times that were also bad and hope for them.
That day, I went into work like normal. Took shit from the
students, as usual. Finished up and went home.
The one thing that hit me the most was coming home to the
same empty house, disgraced by abuse over the time that she had been gone. I
didn''t want to live like this. I couldn''t.
I never received another letter. Everyday started to get
harder and harder. I did seek help from family but they weren''t ever helpful in
meaningful situations. More friends than family, it seemed.
I didn''t want to feel anything, to be honest. I may sound
pathetic to some but I never was a strong human being. I gave up on a lot of
things, I cried about a lot of things, I was the laughingstock of my family.
But I was never without people to stand by me. I always had someone with me at
almost all times. I am not meant to deal with problems alone and even benefited
from that.
I went to the school building to see my place of work and get
a good laugh. That laugh of dislike and mockery. Like a light cackling, stupid
but effective.
I walked past the corridor that lead from Building A to
Building B. A light was shining brightly from the top of the stairs that lead
to the rooftop.
There are three floors to go up. How is it visible all the
way down here?
The closer that I had gotten to the top, the brightness
started to fade little by little.
I pushed open the rusty paneled door to see nothing but the
night sky above me.
I gently rubbed my eyes as to get a better grasp on the
situation in front of me but nothing changed.
Heh. Heh. I finally am losing it... I knew it.
I walked over to the edge of the rooftop to admire the
outside world the best I could. I peered over the edge to see nothing but
darkness below.
The thought crossed my mind. What if I... slipped? No... I
can’t, there must be something to look forward to. Hmm...
I leaned against the railing that was almost too old for its
merit. Rusted, bruised. Sad, yet not.
I looked back into the night sky and started to hum to
myself. I was very pleased by the sound that came out. It had a very smooth yet
rustic tone to it, almost akin to Victorian piano music.
I leaned my back against the railing. It was relaxing,
peaceful almost. Indeed, it was.
That peace made me feel too much at peace. I heard a snap and
in a brief second, my question from before was answered.
My body was frozen in place. My back went first and the rest
of me chased after. I attempted to grasp the rest of the railing to gain some
balance but nothing placed itself in my grasp.
The only thing that I could do is close my eyes and accept
it. My life slowly started to flash in my mind. I believe that I have lived
well up to this point.
As my foot fully left the buildings side, I felt a forceful
tug on my leg and my body jerked back towards the cobbled walls of the school.
A force struck the back of my head and the darkness from my
eyelids turns into a new kind, unconsciousness.
I was awoken by a soft voice and a light brush across my
medium length hair. I saw someone whose features reminded me very much of Lucy
staring back at me with an identical smile. The only words I heard are, ''it''s
all right, you are mine now. So... please rest.''
A sharp pain shook my stomach as the world slowly faded past
my vision.
Would I have known that I would have met Shia on that day, I
probably would have lived happier to show her the best side of me first.”
I decided that delving anymore then that wouldn''t be wise.
Maybe Aster and I were even more alike than I had previously thought.
I put the journal back into its rightful place, locked it
tight, tucked the key into the pocket in my tattered shorts, and walked over to
Shia''s bed, where I left the doll I had taken from the cabinet on the nearby
night stand. This might calm her down when she wakes up.
A smile went across my face as I slowly walked back to my
bed. Many thoughts were racing in my head but only one was relevant for now.
I guess sadness is the main link for being turned into a
servant in this world, also being able to show an upside. Mine being my Dark
Veil and Aster has his quick learning and being able to rely on others. Maybe
something else but that is for another time.
I need to heal up a little bit more before I can have an even
chance for whatever may happen.