《The Last Command》


 Prologue - A Dead Mans Wish

    "No-ple-please, don''t-don''t do this to me Suryu! Hey, Mien! St-stop him!!" The man pointed his sword to the one pleading''s throat. The three men were inside a massive castle, with the windows locked and blinded, albeit a sliver of sun slipping through, as to not let anyone see what was occurring. The floor was in ruin and cracked, remnants of the fierce battle seconds ago.


    Mien stood far from the two and kept his arms crossed with shadows over his eyes. "It''s for the greater good Kole." He expressed no emotion towards what was happening.


    "Greater good?! You evil bastards!" Kole let out a massive gust of air, blowing Suryu away and slightly blowing Mien''s hair.


    "This again?" Suryu coldly replied. Kole pointed his finger towards him.


    "Ack, *cough*" The air around Suryu had completely dissipated and he could no longer breathe.


    To combat this, he cut the space in front of him with the sword, no ordinary sword mind you, and restored the air before him.


    "Those cheap little tricks won''t work on me Kole. Why must you resist?" Suryu dashed towards Kole, his fast footsteps echoing in the castle.


    He attempted to slash him; however, as he was about to cut Kole, his sword was slowed down by an unseen force, and the trajectory of the sword went backwards, piercing his stomach.


    "You had more tricks up your sleeve?! Hahaha! Kole, you...fucking bitch!" Suryu pulled the sword out from his stomach and this time the sword glowed and cut Kole across the chest.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Kole dashed back with one click incredibly fast and said with sorrow, "I can''t believe I have to use this." He then whispered to himself, "*sigh*, Klaus, Reina, I''m sorry." Suryu waited in anticipation.


    "Death Cascade." Suddenly, air began to develop around Kole; his hair flew up, and the area around his pupils turned bloodshot. Nearly instantly, he was in front of Suryu, and using his fingers, let out a destructive air blast towards Suryu''s body, blowing open a gaping hole in his chest.


    Suryu''s eyes widened as he realized what has just happened. Kole wasn''t done. He let out a flurry of air blasts, utterly destroying the castle and forcing Mien to use his command. By the end of it, Suryu was nothing but a lifeless corpse, the only thing left of him was his left eye.


    Instantaneously, Kole fell to the ground, gripping his chest and coughing blood out everywhere. His eyes popped in and out of his face due to the imbalance of the air around him, and his body pulsated violently.


    "Hah, I always wondered where my command was. Don''t you think so too, Kole?" A red light appeared and Suryu''s body reattached itself together.


    Supreme Command 64: Absolute Dominion. Condition: Be killed by a significant opponent in combat. User must feel complete and utter defeat to this opponent, putting aside all ego. Condition to use---(blank)


    "No, no, no, no, no! That is too situational! Damn you God!" Kole shouted. Suryu twisted Kole''s head sideways and popped it right off. Blood spewed vigorously from the headless body.


    "Your death was not in vain Kole. I''ll make sure to put in a good word for you when I talk to Old Nick." Suryu said. Mien widened his eyes at the sight. The castle was no longer recognizable, and the only thing that stood in the sunlight was a bloodied man and a headless body.


    "Let''s go Mien." "Mm." Mien replied.


    *Click - blast of V.E.R.D.I.C.T


    End Prologue.


    Start Chapter 1.

 Chapter 1 - Boon

    "Hey! Wake up!" A girl, who seemed to be about 10, rattled a boy back and forth with her arms. "Wake up, wake up¡­ WAKE UP Klaus!" the girl shouted.


    "Dah! Fine, fine I give in." Klaus opened his eyes to see a girl hovering over him, her straight red hair and round blue eyes comforted him. "Alright, get off Emma." Klaus playfully pushed Emma off and sat up. He ruffled his black hair and looked up.


    "So, it''s been 10 years, huh Mom?" Klaus opened up a bag on his waist and drew out a note that read: "I''m sorry. I was supposed to tell you earlier but¡­ I''ll have to tell you now. Klaus, my dear, you are¡ª-..." The note was cut off and the rest was blank.


    "Hey, so can you tell me the story behind that already?" Emma asked. Klaus smiled and said, "Only if you tell me what New Nick told you last night!" He furiously tickled Emma. "Ahahaha! Stop! Please! Ahahaha!" Emma couldn''t contain her laughter as she rolled on the ground; her vintage clothes ruined.


    Emma pouted, "You know I''m scared of New Nick. Anyway, tell me!" "Ok, ok fine. Only cause'' I feel bad" Klaus replied. Emma leaned in to hear his story.


    "When my mother gave birth to me, she contracted a disease. This¡­ disease¡­ not even the doctors knew what it was. It eroded her mind; she was forced to think differently, she fought against it the best she could. The disease also caused black spots to sprout all over her body; sometimes, black liquid would seep from her eyes." Emma''s expression changed to disgust. Klaus nodded and continued.


    "When I was five, she died." Emma gasped. "She died peacefully though. Her final words to me were...Ow!" Klaus began to have a severe headache. He gripped his head, and he began hearing voices; one by one, overlapping each other. His head pulsated and the voices got louder, and louder.


    "K-Ko-Kl-a-a, HELP ME, *choking sound*, d-do¨Ct-dea-no-in-vain-ards!" "Ahh!" Klaus shouted as he heard the voices.


    "Klaus! Hey, are you ok?! Klaus?" Emma panicked and hugged him. Not due to the Emma''s hug, Klaus''s headache subsided. "What, *gulp*, ah, what was that," Klaus said. Still in shock, he shook his head violently, as if to shake off his thoughts, and motioned Emma to stop hugging him and sit back down.


    *gulp* "Anyways, after, ah, my mom died, she¡­ no¡­ a villager gave me a note that she had supposedly left for me. I don''t mean to sound cold but, when I read it, I was¡­ so disappointed. There was no explanation. What am I? There is just not enough informatio-"


    "What if you read between the lines?" Emma interrupted him. Klaus stared at Emma with sarcastic amusement. "Yeah, you''re right. Why don''t I read in between the lines of¡­let''s see¡­" Klaus brought the note out of the bag once again and stared at it. "Three lines?" "Ri-right." Emma hesitantly replied.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Anyway, that''s it for me." Klaus stood up and put the note back in his brown bag. He put his hand over his head to provide shade and looked at the bustling town ahead.


    This town was known as Boon. One of the very few towns free of the Royal Government''s eyes, or as the commoners call them, the Reapers.


    "Hey! What about the rest of the story?!" Emma shouted, despite being right next to Klaus.


    "Eh, I only told you on a whim. You can hear the rest of the story¡­ next time." Klaus nuzzled Emma on the head.


    "Well, let''s go say good morning to them Emma." Emma shrugged but ran up and walked beside Klaus, as they headed to Boon.


    A beautiful town was pictured ahead of Klaus. Red daisies surrounded the houses, and sunflowers surrounded the entrance, creating a contrast of sorts. The wind blew just right, not too strong, not too light. The people in the town wore quality clothing, showing off their different cultures. White thobes, moccasins, you name it, it was probably there.


    People could be seen exchanging potatoes or selling them through yellow, green stands. They were all grinning with glee. Chatter took over the town, as people could also be seen talking. Pretty boys attempting to pick up girls, partners conversing over a cup of tea, etc. The soil of the farms left of the town were rich, and rainfall was often. At least to Klaus.


    In reality, this town was an absolute wasteland, merely a remnant of greater battles that had taken place there. No plants fenced the houses; there was no entrance. The people in the town covered themselves up as much as they could using animal furs and other things from the environment. Some didn''t have any at all.


    Their bodies were as skinny as a skeleton, ribs showing on children. Mothers clung to their infants as if they were their final hope, while fathers gazed upon them with the grim desperation of a last, inevitable meal. Both sides were ruthless, and any encounter with them was bound to end in ruin.


    Almost no grins could be detected, and the town reeked of body odor. This was Boon. A town of tragedy, sorrow, and despair. A town once brimming with hope, now shrouded in the shadows of anguish. This is a town unwatched by the Reapers: this is Boon.


    *Sigh* Klaus sighed as he walked towards the town. "Why are these guys so dramatic?" he thought. Klaus often asks himself that question every time he comes to Boon. He simply doesn''t see the need to be depressed when the Reapers aren''t controlling you.


    "What''s kicking guys?!" Klaus let out a gleeful shout, kicking the solitary wooden sign that scarcely hinted at an entrance. "Ah," his gleeful expression dropped as he saw what happened.


    "Oh well, it''s just a wooden sign, right guys? I''ll make another one for you guys."


    "That wasn''t just a wooden sign; that was one the almighty Grandnew made!" an old man shouted at him and pointed his walking stick towards Klaus. "Grandnew? I''ve been hearing about her from Emma. Who is she again?" Klaus asked.


    "You don''t know about Grandnew?! She was the wife of Kole von Brown, and had a son called Joshua!" "A fraud huh?" Klaus thought. "Joshua? Never heard of him either."


    "Really now? Well, guess what?! He''s alive today, right in front of you, beside that house!" Klaus squinted his eyes to look at the house the old man pointed at and saw a shadow quickly duck.


    "Is this fellow genuinely concealing himself from me?" Klaus thinks of himself as intelligent, and occasionally speaks eloquently to impress people. The old man was moderately stunned.


    "Well, what does this, ''Joshua'' do for you folks?" Klaus had originally come just to see the sorry state of the town and build up some popularity (which always fails), but the old man had piqued his interest.


    *Reaper - Royal Government


    End Chapter 1


    Start Chapter 2.

 Chapter 2 - Boon (2)

    The old man shot Klaus with a guarded look, suspicion flickering in his gaze, before saying, "If you really are interested, young man, I suppose I should introduce myself. I''m Grandold." Grandold extended his hand to shake Klaus''s hand.


    However, Klaus remained still. "What is up with these weird ass names?" thought Klaus. He shook off his thoughts, though, and met Grandold''s hand.


    "So, Grandold. Judging by your name, shouldn''t you be relat-" "Nope, not at all." Grandold grinned at Klaus as Klaus looked at him in confusion. "I don''t deserve to be related to such a goddess." As he says that, a bright light shines over Grandold''s head, and no one around expresses shock at the sight. Klaus stared blankly at the old man and asked, "How old are you again?"


    Grandold was taken aback by such a question and feigned being hit and fell to the ground. "How dare you ask me such a question?!!" He then calmly said, standing back up, "For I am only 120 years old." The light appeared again. "120? Eh, I guess you''re right. My sincerest apologies, eldest one." Klaus said while bowing down. I


    t seemed neither Klaus nor Grandold was taking this conversation even remotely seriously and conversing more to see if either was a threat.


    Suddenly, Grandold''s expression darkened with a profound seriousness. Poised in a fighting stance, he rapidly drew a small dagger in his chest pocket and shot at Klaus'' head. Klaus barely avoided the attack by shooting his head to the side and dashing back.


    Nearly instantly, Grandold darted at Klaus and released another strike of his dagger. "Ack!" Klaus screamed in pain as Grandold stabbed him in the shoulder. Blood shot out from the sides of the dagger instantly, and Klaus stumbled.


    "Gotta be better than that boy." Grandold wasn''t finished, but Klaus was just getting started. Due to being staggered by Grandold''s assault, he moved rather slowly; however, Klaus was no stranger to combat. Forced to live off of wild animals and constantly moving places, Klaus had faced his fair share of bandits among other beasts.


    These experiences invited Klaus to focus on improving his combat prowess, and as a result, he was skilled and sure as hell would not let an old grandpa beat him one-on-one.


    After a few seconds, Grandold ripped the dagger out and struck again, but this time, Klaus parried the attack using his forearm and landed a solid punch on Grandold''s face. As soon as Klaus hit the punch, Grandold attempted to relocate the arm that held the dagger back into position, but Klaus negated this action by rotating his left arm. Klaus grabbed Grandold''s right arm with his and applied immense pressure to Grandold''s forearm.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Arghh!" Grandold wailed and stumbled in pain as Klaus''s grip hardened. Despite being a fast old man, Grandold was still an old man, and his bones were long out of shape and brittle.


    The dagger bounced on the ground after Grandold painfully released it from his grip. "Aghh! Stop, stop please! I''m sorry!" Grandold pleaded with Klaus to release him. Klaus coldly looked at Grandold. "What''s that mark on your neck?" "Huh? Does that matter right now?! Let me go!" Klaus''s grip hardened, on the brink of shattering Grandold''s bones. "Answer me, or I''ll kill you."


    "Ok, ok! Fine! This is my Binding Order!" Klaus released his grip. "Are you happy?! You demented piece of shit!" Grandold shouted. Villagers rushed to his side with medical care, consisting of mints and cloths. The villagers glared harshly at Klaus, but he remained emotionless and more interested in this "Binding Order" the old man mentioned.


    "Mmm, Binding Order you say, eh Grandold? How about you tell me more about this in your home? My treat of course." Klaus sneered and looked at Grandold with eyes that denied him any form of "no."


    "What makes you think you can demand him like that?!" "Hah?" Klaus looked around and didn''t see anyone. "Who said that?" he thought. "Hey, don''t ignore me!" This time, Klaus heard the high-pitched voice more clearly and looked down.


    "What, what¡­how..." Klaus said as he looked down and saw a talking squirrel. Klaus''s emotion at this moment could not be described in one word, but if it were, it would be despair.


    "Why the hell can a squirrel talk?!" Klaus''s shock finally kicked in, and he slipped backward and landed on his bottom. He desperately pointed his finger at the squirrel, his whole body shaking in fear. Klaus¡­ was deathly afraid of squirrels, and hearing one talk didn''t make it any better. For Klaus, it made it much, much worse. "Hmph! You hurt Grandold, and now you''re demanding that you talk to him about his most prized possession! You selfish bastard!" the squirrel exclaimed.


    "Where¡­ where ho-m- who taught a squirrel such vulgar words?" Klaus barely managed to speak a phrase before falling back into his fear.


    "Hey Annie! Don''t be so mean to Klaus!" A familiar face rushed to the crowd and waved her hand. It was Emma. "Klaus is so important to me, and you''re talking to him like this?" Emma''s energy instilled immense fear inside Annie. Unlike Klaus, Emma was more than willing to crush squirrels who crossed her.


    "Ah, but he¡­he hurt Grandold!" Annie exclaimed. Emma shrugged and said, "Eh, I imagine ''Grandold'' did something to deserve it. Klaus isn''t so mean to go around hurting old men!" Emma smacked the squirrel on the head and pulled Klaus up.


    "Anyway, let''s go inside now! Hm?" Emma noticed the mark on Grandold''s neck as the villagers pulled him up. "I can stand up myself," Grandold whispered while coughing. Say, ''Grandold, ''let''s talk about that mark inside." Emma gave Grandold a look similar to Klaus''s but with more sincerity and kindness. "Ack." Grandold groaned as he walked. Emma turned her head and grinned at him. Then, she kept on walking beside Klaus.


    "Emma, I''m so glad I found you." Klaus thought.

 Chapter 3 - Boon (3)

    "...two, three¡­" Klaus counted the houses in Boon with his fingers. "...nine? Only nine? Must be some huge houses," Klaus thought. He was currently walking through the town with blood dripping down his left arm from the stab minutes ago.


    To say the houses looked terrible would be a grotesque understatement. Moss imposed itself upon the houses, painting all of them dark green; perhaps that was a better color than the dirty brown underneath.


    Cracks infested the exterior of the houses; it seemed almost as if a simple touch would cause them to come crashing down. Clearly, though, that wasn''t the case, as people could be seen inside the houses living normally: kids flying with dirt-made planes, mothers and fathers crying, and teens staring at walls.


    "Using the loopholes, eh?" Klaus thought as he saw a young boy on the second floor of a house, carve a letter onto his arm. The boy gritted his teeth. "G-R-A-N-D?" Klaus thought as he turned his head to read the letters. "Huh...Grandnew??" Klaus was incredibly confused, but he continued to walk.


    "Heh, this town is always so interesting; never have I seen a place more declined," Klaus whispered to Emma. She knew precisely what Klaus meant and expressed no concern about replying to him. Whenever Klaus would refer to such things, she would ask herself, Aren''t I only 10?


    "Cover up your shoulder. It looks gross." Emma expressed her discomfort at Klaus''s wound.


    "With what?" he replied. "I don''t know, your hand or something. It makes me feel sad when I see bloo-"


    "Alright we''re here." Grandold groaned. "Ah! Finally! Now you can-" Emma got on her tippy toes and covered Klaus''s mouth. She muttered to him, "Come on."


    Klaus turned his eyes to her and silently nodded. "He is 120¡­" he thought as he walked taciturnly through the door.


    "Have a seat." Grandold invited the two to sit at a table in his kitchen. The kitchen was very ordinary, albeit everything looked decrepit. The sink also wasn''t connected to anything. Instead, there were large metal buckets of water stored on the counters. A small light dangled back and forth above the round wooden table, flickering as the group began to discuss.


    "First off, why''d we bring the jittery, flea-bitten rodent who thinks hoarding nuts is a grand achievement?" Klaus pouted and glared at Annie, who was crouched up across from him on the table. She didn''t require a chair.


    As Annie was going to dispute Klaus, Grandold raised his hand to silence her. Emma sat diagonally right to Klaus, and Grandold was to his left diagonal. Perhaps Grandold had placed Annie farthest from Klaus on purpose.


    Klaus realized this and thought, "This old man catches on quick."


    The group waited in the awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity before Grandold spoke, "You asked about the mark correct?" "Y-"


    "That''s right." Klaus interrupted Emma.


    He sensed that Emma was going to flatter Grandold, and submitting to others, much less someone he defeated, is one thing he wasn''t going to let happen.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Very well." Grandold turned his head to the side and pointed at his mark. "This is known as a Binding Order. The patterns of the marks vary widely, so do not assume that mine is universal."


    A complex assortment of thick red and blue lines covered a circular area on Grandold''s neck. The pattern, which seemed simple from afar, grew more intricate the closer one looked at it. Lines upon lines, upon lines, the pattern seemed infinite. Klaus gripped his head and looked down as a headache swarmed him. As it subsided, he looked up and noticed he was the last to look away.


    "You ok, boy? The deeper you look at it, the more the Reapers try to restrict you." Klaus nodded. "Merely focus on the simple pattern on the front, and you''ll be fine." The design on the front was indeed simple; an essential T was shown, albeit twisted.


    After another moment of silence, Grandold said, "I have the Binding Order of Truth. As it sounds, I am bound to only speak the truth, whether or not I genuinely know. A light shines above me whenever I say the truth. When I don''t, no light appears."


    "What if you don''t tell the truth?" asked Emma. "What happens then?"


    "If I do not speak the truth, I will be severely weakened for a short period of time. My body''s immune system will fail drastically, and all my strength leaves me. It is truly a curse."


    Grandold nostalgically looked at a photo positioned left of him on the kitchen counter.


    The group sat in reticence, waiting for him to show the photo.


    "This was my family." Grandold took the photo from a steel case and poised it up in the air with his pointer finger and thumb. "Before I came to Boon, I lived in Upoil. We lived in a secret society underneath the-"


    "How old were you then, old man?" Klaus rudely interjected. "30." Grandold quickly replied without looking at Klaus. Instead, he turned the photo back and, while observing it, continued.


    "Underneath Upoil, there was a secret society known as the Defiers. They defied the Royal Government''s wretched ways and intended to destroy them one day. Me on the other hand, I was simply looking for a place where we could be safe. Of course I disliked them, but did I despise them? No. To me, the Reapers were undeniably superior to us commoners, leaving us with no choice but to submit to their will."


    Grandold paused momentarily, seemingly to amplify the impact of his following line, "Until that day. The day the Defiers were discovered. Despite being found, the Defiers fought back the best they could; it was to a point where it seemed they had the edge."


    At this point, Klaus began lightly tapping the table with his nail, signifying his immense boredom. He held his head sideways and stared only at his moving finger. Emma and Annie, however, were engaged and hunched back.


    "It seemed like a miracle, until a man came."


    "A man?" Annie asked. What did he look like?"


    Grandold''s expression dimmed. "Yes, a man."


    "A man dressed with luxurious clothes, most notably a star pinned to his chest. His clothes radiated deep blue and gold, and his sleek black shoes made every footstep sound heavy. His curly hair, a golden bronze, and his eyes, crimson; no matter which way you looked, he appeared vile."


    Klaus''s hair perked up as he turned his eye towards Grandold. "Vile?" he thought. "This might be interesting..."


    The white hair on Grandold''s arms stood up.


    "Ah, when he raised his finger, all the soldiers floated in the air. He sneered and mocked the soldiers. He pulled his finger down and pulverized them."


    The group was taken aback as Grandold put his hands on his face.


    "All I saw was red. The man stood on the ground walking, using the same method on everyone he saw, soldier or not, grinning all the while. As we ran to escape, we got lifted up into the air."


    Please, please don''t kill them! Kill me!


    "I tried to plead with the man. He looked at me and had a great laugh before giving me an offer: if I could hold the two of them up, he would let us go. He pointed his finger down again, and I held them up, my face becoming redder every second. He asked me, Do you love your daughter? I immediately said yes. *sigh*, had it not been for my reaction speed, I would have died too. My wife and daughter died," Grandold began to crack up.


    A tear slipped down Grandold''s face, "I couldn''t help it!" he shouted as he banged the table with his fist, startling the group and shattering the light bulb. "She had an affair with another man!"


    Grandold sobbed, "I tried to love her. I truly did. I''m sorry."


    The crew went mute, halting all sounds as Grandold sobbed.

 Chapter 4 - Boon (4) - Joshua

    Slam! A door slamming could be heard as two figures could be seen walking out of a house. The shorter figure seemed sad, while the taller one strolled in thought.


    "So," Klaus broke the silence Grandold had imposed upon them earlier, "We learned that old men like to talk about irrelevant stuff huh?"


    "Don''t be so mean Klaus! His entire family died! How would you feel?!"


    "Well, that wasn''t what we went to discuss to begin with, so it''s fair."


    Emma agreed with Klaus and remained silent. "Let''s sit down here," Klaus said, sitting down on a bench on the brink of breaking. Emma''s face had severe doubt, but she decided to trust Klaus and sit down.


    "That mark he had¡­ a Binding Order, right? I always wondered why people just listened to them and weren''t bellicose." "It all makes sense now, right?" Emma replied with a hint of hopefulness.


    "Grandold''s mark was the T, maybe for truth." Emma theorized.


    "Well, we know that, but you mean the letter on the mark corresponds with the effect?"


    "Maybe, I mean¨C when we caught a glimpse of that one crowd of people that one time¡­"


    "Right, most had L''s extensively on their body¡­labor?" Klaus looked curiously at Emma.


    "I mean, that seems right, but we don''t know their conditions." Klaus mouthed ''oh'' and threw himself back as if he had just heard something revolutionary.


    "Besides, if there were conditions, they would have to be super specific¨Cyou know, forcing people to labor for you seems hard," Emma concluded her thoughts and looked to Klaus for more information.


    "Considering the Reapers'' powers though, can''t they just take over without them? Wait, but the marks make it so much easier¡­" Klaus''s voice lowered as he realized his stupidity. He was just questioning the existence of the Binding Orders to begin with; not that he was wrong to ask, but, put, neither of them knew enough concerning the mark.


    "What do you think about his family dying? Does that not strike a chord Klaus?" Emma''s sincerity cut through his banter.


    Klaus shrugged, attempting to mask his unease. "Mm, it''s sad, I guess. Seeing your whole family die like that...can''t imagine that. But people are complicated Emma. Grandold here probably had more on his mind than just his daughter."


    "Yeah, they only died because he didn''t love her..."


    "It wasn''t that." Klaus interjected. Emma looked in disbelief.


    "Listen, at that moment, even that old man must''ve known that he was going to kill them anyways. Besides, he never said he had the mark at that time, so who knows."


    Emma''s eyes widened, frustration bubbling over. "But he cried Klaus! He really cried!"


    "Yeah, but maybe for all the wrong reasons. Who knows? Just because his wife had an affair, doesn''t mean that he doesn''t love his daughter..." Klaus replied, sighing.


    "I guess what I''m trying to say is that I don''t think he had the mark at that time. What guilted him the most was that he knew himself that even if he did, the result would have been the same."


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Emma gasped and looked down solemnly. "His strength would have left...that''s...so sad... A sniffle escaped Emma''s nose.


    As Klaus laid back, he noticed the tension in the air.


    "Anywho, I''m still curious about this ''Joshua'' they have here. I think he''s the guy I saw carving a name in that house." Klaus pointed at a house in front of them. This house was decrepit like the others, except it had windows and a door. "Ah, why does that house have windows?" Emma asked.


    Klaus put his hands on his knees and stood up, "Well, that''s what we''re going to find out! Oh, jolly house, here I come!"


    "Are you sure you don''t want to get Annie? We left her there to comfort Grandold, but I think even a squirrel would get worn out from that weeping too. Also, we still haven''t taken care of that shoulder wound!" Emma said pleadingly.


    Klaus waved her off and said, "Don''t go around acting like I''m friends with that rat. You can go help her if you want. Don''t worry about me. If you get any more information out of Grandold, tell me!" Emma thanked Klaus and began to run back.


    "Wait!" Klaus shouted.


    Emma halted and looked back since it had only been a few seconds.


    "Ask him more about that ''man'' who killed his family. He seems powerful."


    Emma nodded and continued to run back.


    "Alright, let''s get to cracking, ''Joshua''," Klaus whispered as he slowly walked towards the house. As he walked, he flipped his eyes, seemingly aware of another nearby presence. He wasn''t sure, though, since all he saw were sad families stumbling each step.


    "Should I really be doing this? Eh, it''s Boon." Klaus thought as he approached the house.


    "Wahaha! Joshua!" Klaus kicked down the dirt door hinged by rope and then said in a dark, deep voice, "I''ve come for your soul." No response. Klaus stood awkwardly between the light of the sun and the darkness of the house. He felt as if he had actually broken into someone''s house, and guilt began to set in.


    "This was the only house with a door, and I kicked it down? That''s not nice¡­" Klaus thought as he stood there. However, before the guilt got to him, he heard a slight creak from upstairs. Klaus''s hair perked up, and he looked to the side, where he assumed the stairs were on.


    Creak¡­


    The house''s floorboards creaked as Klaus made his way to the stairs. Despite it being daytime, the interior was incredibly dark, and Klaus was not sure why. The creaking floorboards deepened; nearly breaking on some as Klaus walked over them. The smell of the house was one akin to straight booty (it was bad).


    He made out the shadows of a kitchen to the left of the stairs and a living room to the right, at least by his standards. In Boon''s standards, a living room was merely a couch and even their definition of a couch was absurd. A large container could count as a couch. In this case, inside the living room was an actual couch and some plants as decorations.


    Like Grandold, the kitchen had large steel buckets of water lined up on the counter. The only key difference here was the cabinets, which looked brand new; white porcelain lined with black. This fact surprised Klaus the most, and he widened his eyes at the sight.


    "They¡­they look so much better than Grandold''s¡­" Klaus thought as he rubbed the cover of the cabinet. He opened it to reveal nothing inside other than a scent of fresh wood. "Smells good¡­" Klaus thought as he leisurely closed the cabinet and turned his attention to the stairs.


    As Klaus stealthily walked up the stairs, the sound became louder (note, sound had been ongoing while Klaus was exploring). When he reached the top, he heard creaking noises from the bed. "No way, these guys have beds too?!" Klaus thought, astonished. The sound of creaking intensified as he approached the right room, and when he peeked inside, he saw the back of a man.


    "What''s he doing?" Klaus thought, however, as Klaus continued to observe, a suspicion grew. The bed was the only one making any noise.


    Klaus peeked a little longer. Then, Klaus''s suspicion, better said, curiosity, hit its peak, and he decided to sneak his way into the room. Klaus began to tread lightly and entered the room languidly. He managed to sneak his way behind the man.


    "Boo!"


    The man''s body jumped in shock, spinning around to meet Klaus.


    "Ah¨Cah¨Cah¨CAHHHHH!!!!"


    The ma before him was not a man, but a startled teenager, shaking as he hurriedly scurried into the right corner of the room, knocking down a wood desk.


    "Who-who are you?! And why are you here?!!"


    Klaus burst into laughter and said, "That''s one way to put the ''fun'' in dysfunctional! Turns out there is stuff you can do in this town! Nice doll."


    The boy''s eyes widened in disbelief etched across his face as he stammered for a response.


    "Uh, thanks?"

 Chapter 5 - Boon (5) {Puppet}

    Klatter! Shatter! Vases fell to the floor as the boy raised the desk up to sit. He stood shaking with his hands on the edge of the desk. He stared at Klaus, waiting for him to speak.


    "Ah, what am I doing here? Well, I found myself in a mild state of ennui."


    Klaus explained himself. A moment of silence ensued as they stared at each other.


    The room''s eerie vibe began to set in. The floor turned black from piles of dust, the sounds of scurrying insects on the dirty walls, and the bedframe covered in shackles. The whole room was very dark, the only light being a sliver of sun peeking through the right-side window. The musty-smelling floorboards moaned as the boy''s nervousness added to his weight. Klaus''s midnight eyes began to strike daggers into the boy.


    "U-um, sir? Wh-why''d you break into my house? Actually, n-no. Why''d you sneak behind me and scare me?" The boy gained more confidence with each line and had stopped shaking by the last. As soon as Klaus grinned, though, the shaking came back.


    "Well, wouldn''t it be boring if I just came inside to watch you?"


    "Is, is this guy insane?!" the boy thought.


    His confidence arose again. The boy furrowed his brow and side-eyed Klaus, remaining silent.


    "What?" Klaus looked blankly at the boy.


    "Are you asking me to kill you like any other robber would? You''d rather die than be surprised like this?"


    The boy nodded.


    "What¡­that¡­makes no sense. I even complimented his doll, yet this guy''s acting like I''m a total freak!" Klaus thought. He gazed up momentarily, thinking, "I just broke into his house. And I have this shoulder wound¡­" Klaus touched the dried blood on his shoulder.


    He looked around and contemplated, "But this doesn''t even seem like his¡­why would someone in Boon, especially his age, have such a house¡­for themselves¡­ and he''s making a doll. That''s rare..."


    Klaus looked back at the boy with wicked eyes; the boy had piqued Klaus''s interest, and there was no getting away. The boy gulped, gripped the doll, and shut his eyes before saying, "S-sir! Respectfully, pl-ple-please don''t hur..." The boy''s voice dropped as he noticed an unfamiliar smell getting closer. When he opened his eyes, he saw Klaus''s face right up at him.


    "Eeek!" The boy pushed Klaus away and had no choice but to jump on the bed; it collapsed as the boy placed his weight on it.


    "Wahaha! So that''s why you weren''t on the bed! Hahaha!" Klaus burst into laughter, covering his face.


    The boy pouted as he sat up on the collapsed bed, his butt hurting. He glared heavily at Klaus.


    "Haha¡­" Klaus began to quiet down as he saw the boy glare at him. Instantaneously, thin white threads started to appear, one by one, almost invisible against the dim light.


    "What."


    At first, Klaus thought nothing of them but soon realized they were tightening along his arms and legs, growing stronger each second.


    "Oh..." Klaus murmured, noticing the web of strings that constricted him. He tried to move, but the tension only made the strings tighter.


    His gaze followed the string to the floor, where he saw a red doll the size of a book spinning rapidly, precisely controlling the strings. Klaus stared at the doll, turning in the same direction as it. He stayed silent for ten seconds before snatching and inspecting the doll. Klaus felt the tension increase when he picked it up as well.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Klaus touched several white lines from the doll''s head, shoulders, hands, feet, and legs.


    "Puppet¡­doll¡­" Klaus murmured as he theorized.


    "Puppet master? Judging by the white threads and this doll...Is Joshua a puppet master? Very interesting inde-"


    Bonk¡­


    The puppet''s yellow hand had moved enough to create a sound on Klaus''s cheek, interrupting his thought. To him, it felt as if fur had touched his face and moved. Regardless, he stared in disbelief at the utter nerve of the doll.


    "Joshua¡­where''d you learn how to control dolls?" Klaus turned to the boy and freed himself of the string compressing him.


    The boy peered nervously at Klaus before admitting, "N-nobody did. I learned m-myself." Joshua began to twiddle with his fingers. He was extremely nervous.


    "Yourself? How do you gain such a skill by yourself¡­" Klaus thought, and then he decided to find the answer.


    "Yourself? How?"


    "I can''t tell you."


    "How come?"


    "I¡­just can''t tell you."


    "Why not?"


    "Because I can''t."


    "Why can''t you?" Klaus persisted. By this point, Joshua was visibly angrier than ever, but he contained his emotions more or less. He was fully ready to escape. On the contrary, at this point, Klaus had decided to gather more knowledge on Joshua and was dead set. He was fully prepared to persist.


    "It seems I might''ve struck a chord. I''m sorry, let''s start off on good terms, hm?" Klaus apologized and extended his hand while bowing.


    Klaus was willing to do anything (mostly) to gain someone''s trust, particularly someone from which he wanted information.


    Joshua was taken aback and hesitated, looking back at his bed. Eventually, he met Klaus''s hand back.


    When he did, Klaus began to speak again.


    "So¡­how old are you?"


    "11."


    "11 and you''re that short?!" Klaus''s eyes widened.


    Joshua glared at Klaus, shadows over his eyes. Klaus noticed his slip-up and quickly said, "Oh,


    sorry. I didn''t think¡­yeah."


    Joshua didn''t seem to accept his apology and turned his head.


    "Wait! I''m sorry Josh!"


    Joshua turned around again, glaring even harder.


    "You don''t like Josh?" Joshua turned back around as Klaus questioned him.


    "Wait, I''m trying to get to know this guy¡­" Klaus realized. "Ah, wait. I know," thought Klaus.


    Klaus snickered and ripped a piece of paper off his journal from his bag.


    "Emma¡­" Klaus thought as he wrote her name down and began executing the plan he had just concocted.


    "Say, Joshua¡­you into pretty girls?" Klaus said in an alluring tone. No response.


    "Ah, pretty girls with actual clothes, not just animal furs¡­you know, the good kind." Klaus emphasized the ''good kind'' expecting Joshua would finally turn around, but Joshua defied his expectations.


    "I''m not into girls."


    "You''re gay? It''s o-"


    "No!!" Joshua shouted, turning around, huffing and puffing. It seemed as if he was highly offended by such a claim.


    "I just have no interest in girls."


    "So, you''re interested in guys? Listen, it''s o-"


    "No!!!" Joshua stood up on the bed, fully revealing his body. The sun shone light on only the face of the bed, where Joshua was standing; Klaus got a good look at Joshua.


    Joshua wore high-quality animal furs from a species known as Trians (four-legged mammal). The fur was dark green and covered his upper body. The bottom half of his body was covered by dark blue furs, with bones resembling teeth sticking out the sides. His shoes were leather, with feathers sticking out of the back.


    His face was white, and his hair was almond. Although his eyes were the same color as his hair, they shone brightly off the sun, reminding Klaus of a certain rodent with a similar feature. His nose was medium-sized, and his lips were full. He was indeed cute.


    "Ah, reeks of royalty," Klaus thought as he assessed Joshua''s appearance. Klaus was now very determined to learn more of Joshua: one, because he could control dolls for some unspeakable reason, and two, he seemed of royalty. A question arose in Klaus''s mind.


    "Why would royalty be here? Wait, aren''t the royal ones the Reapers? Unless I''m mistaken¡­"


    Klaus thought.


    Joshua noticed Klaus staring and his sudden energy shift. He balanced himself on the bed and began to control dolls in case Klaus attacked.


    "I-I''m not part of-" Joshua attempted to speak but was interrupted by Klaus suddenly picking him up. Klaus held him over his shoulder, Joshua''s face at his back.


    "H-hey!! Let me down!!!" Joshua repeatedly kicked his legs and hit Klaus''s back with his fists. The attacks seemed to have no effect, though, as Klaus continued to walk down the stairs with no reaction, humming.


    "Hey!! Can you hear me!! Stop!!" Joshua continued his flurry of attacks, hoping to escape. He continued until he realized there was already no hope, though, and stopped right before Klaus left the house.


    "No more kicking or anything?" Klaus curiously asked, stopping right at the exit.


    "You won''t hurt me?"


    "Mm¡­can''t guarantee that," Klaus said as he walked out of the house.


    "Ah!!!! Stop!!! Help!! This man is not my father!! He''s gonna kill me!!! Help!!"


    Joshua began kicking and hitting faster than before.


    He desperately pleaded, looking at the families he saw walking. They paid no mind to him as, although shamed upon, crimes were a regular occurrence in Boon, and nobody was trying to get themselves into trouble.


    "Why would people think I''m your father? We''re only four years apart¡­" Klaus thought as Joshua urgently tried to wriggle out of his grip.


    "Oh, hi Emma!" Klaus waved to Emma, who was now walking towards Klaus with Grandold and Annie.

 Chapter 6 - Boon (6) {Conversation}

    Emma squinted as she looked at Klaus from afar and waved back.


    "Who is that? Is that the Joshua guy? Wait. He must want me to-- ugh," Emma thought.


    ¡°..h¡­e¡­l¡­p me!!!! Help!!! I don''t know him!!! Ahh!"


    Emma began to hear Joshua''s screams the closer Klaus got to them.


    "You dragged him out for fun, didn''t you Klaus?" Emma thought as she saw Klaus happily strolling and tugging on the boy''s shoes, repeating, "I''ll take them off! Or will I? I''ll take them off!"


    "Ah!! Stop!!" Joshua wiggled vigorously as Klaus teased him.


    "Ah, you brought Joshua with you?" Grandold asked Klaus.


    "Brought?! More like robbed?!!" Joshua yelled.


    "Robbed? How dare you accuse me of such a thing," Klaus immediately replied in a satirical tone.


    "That''s exactly what you did!! Now help me, you idiot!"


    Plop.


    "Huh?" Joshua muttered as Klaus softly dropped him.


    He crouched down to Joshua''s level and whispered, "See the girl with the note ''Emma'' on her head? She likes dolls too." Joshua searched for the note before finding it on a girl with red hair and blue eyes.


    "Woah¡­" the girl''s beauty shocked him. Her skin was smooth and precise, and she had short, straight hair. She wore a white shirt underneath a dirty yellow jacket and short red pants, which highlighted her shiny legs. The bracelets on her wrists only accentuated her beauty


    Joshua inhaled deeply, his heart skipping a beat. He couldn''t remember anyone ever smelling so lovely. As the girl moved toward him, his face flushed. He remained mesmerized by such beauty before the beauty began to move towards him.


    "Are you okay? Klaus can be a bit much."


    Joshua stared at Emma for a second before whispering, "Could she be younger than me?!"


    Joshua suddenly turned away. His internal conflict showed as he murmured, facing away from Emma, his back bent and fingers on his chin.


    Joshua turned around and looked at Emma once again.


    "Ah, it doesn''t matter." He thought as he realized that age, in the face of beauty, was but a mere number.


    "Hey, are you okay?" Emma asked, her voice soft and steady.


    ¡°Y-y-y-y-y-y-es.¡± Joshua managed, cheeks burning.


    "Hahahaha!! I knew you were nervous but that''s something!! Ahahahaha!!"


    Klaus said, cackling, holding his stomach, and pointing his finger at Joshua. Emma''s hand curled as she shot Klaus a quick glare.


    He cut his laugh short, lowered his gaze, and muttered, "Just kidding..."


    "Let''s go somewhere else," Emma suggested, uncurling her hand.


    "Klaus, you find something to do."


    "Aw! I wanted to see mo-"


    "Somewhere. Else." Emma had a firm tone, rising with each word.


    Klaus side-eyed Emma for a couple of seconds before saying, "Fine."


    Klaus pouted and looked around, searching for something entertaining. He then noticed Grandold with Annie on his shoulder, awkwardly standing before them. Although the thought of being near a fluffy-tailed rat repulsed Klaus, he had previously survived with the rodent at the table, so maybe this time, he could survive, too.


    "Say, old man, you never got my name, did you?" Klaus locked eyes with Grandold.


    "Say, I never did, eh? Let''s go talk elsewhere hm?"


    "Yes indeed!" Klaus replied.


    "Emma must''ve not been able to get anything out of him¡­or she just forgot. Eh, it''s one or the other. Eitherway I''ll see what I can do."


    Klaus thought as he walked off with Grandold and Annie, although there was an uncomfortable amount of distance between them.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Emma glared at Klaus as they walked away, not in malice or anger this time but more to ensure they had left. After a few seconds, she faced Joshua and began talking to him.


    "Klaus didn''t hurt you or anything did he?"


    "W-w¨Cw-w-well, he made me jump on my bed. It hurt my butt." Joshua rubbed his hand on his buttocks as a sniffle escaped his nose.


    "Why would Klaus make him jump on his bed?" Emma thought, gazing blankly at Joshua.


    "Did he scare you?"


    "Ah." A sound of surprise bypassed Joshua''s lips.


    "Y-y-yes, he scared me. He put his face right in front of me¡­" Joshua twiddled his fingers.


    "Mm, It''s ok." Emma paused momentarily, putting a finger on her lip before continuing.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Joshua. J-Josh is fine too. You''re Emma, right?"


    Emma looked at Joshua, confused, before saying, "How''d you know my name?"


    Joshua pointed at Emma''s forehead. "You-you''re forehead. The guy your friends with put it on you."


    Emma pulled the note off and looked at it in shock.


    "Wha-when?!!!" Emma frantically began to check her body.


    Emma''s sudden outburst took Joshua aback, and he gripped his doll (note - yes, he''s had it in his left hand this entire time).


    "I-I-I-i¡­actually don''t know." Joshua hesitantly said, looking down.


    "When he brought me here, he put me down and just said to look for the girl with the note that said ''Emma'' on her head. It led me to you¡­" Joshua slowly lightened his grip on his doll and pointed at Emma.


    ¡°H-how-wh-when...¡± Emma muttered as she held her head, swaying back and forth.


    Joshua stared at Emma. She continued muttering before finally noticing that Joshua wouldn''t speak unless she spoke to him.


    She looked at him and held her hand out. Joshua peered at Emma in awe for a few seconds before grabbing her hand, his face flushed with embarrassment. His eyes darted as she pulled him up.


    "Wow, you have nice clothes," Emma said as she checked Josh up and down. She held a slight smile.


    "Where''d you get them?"


    "F-from my hometown."


    "Where is that?"


    "U-um, I''m not sure." Joshua paused.


    "I-it''s really far from here."


    "Well, a lot is far from Boon." Emma then looked at Joshua caringly before saying,


    "That''s ok."


    "How old are you?!?!" Joshua blurted out, shocking Emma.


    "Um, 12. I''m 12." Emma said, twirling around.


    *Sigh* Joshua sighed, breaking eye contact.


    "Why is he so worried about age...??" Emma thought.


    "My hometown, or well, c-city is Ironvale. I-I grew up there." Joshua brightly smiled.


    "Ironvale?" Emma stopped twirling and then looked at Josh.


    "What''s that?"


    "I-I''m sorry, but I don''t really know much about it," Joshua said, his smile fading. He looked down and fidgeted with his fingers.


    "Ah, but I-I do know that it''s a lot better than here. No one there lives in these conditions."


    Joshua''s tone went monotone with that last line, which creeped out Emma. Her eyes widened slightly, and she stepped back a bit.


    "What''s so bad about Boon?" Emma asked, her voice faintly shaking.


    "Oh, w-well, it''s just that compared to Ironvale, Boon is¡­not good." Joshua''s stuttering and nervousness returned; it was hard to imagine that, just a second ago, he was serious.


    Emma''s unease slowly lightened.


    "It has a lot of nice houses! The people aren''t the nicest, though..." Joshua said, finally looking at Emma and smiling again.


    As Joshua talked about his hometown, Emma''s stomach twisted. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away, a habit she¡¯d developed whenever the topic arose. Memories of her home flooded her mind¡ªa town once bright, now a former shadow of what it used to be. The smell of asphalt and the sound of crying invaded her brain.


    "Boon isn''t that bad," she said, forcing a laugh that felt hollow.


    "I mean, it''s just¡­ different." Her gaze shifted to the ground, avoiding Joshua''s curious eyes, hoping he wouldn''t press further.


    "Oh," Joshua''s smile quickly faded as he noticed Emma''s discomfort.


    He felt embarrassed about his rambling, and his face turned red again.


    "Um, um, um..." She frantically thought about what to say, noticing the tension.


    "What about your doll?" Emma blurted out.


    "M-my doll? It''s actually a puppet. I''m good at controlling them." Joshua smiled slightly, held out his puppet, and waved its hand.


    "Wow!" Emma curiously looked at the puppet.


    "Can I hold it?"


    "Um, yeah." Joshua''s face began to get red, and his eyes began to dart.


    "Woah¡­" she thought as she inspected the puppet. The puppet once had light red hair, but it had frizzed into a darker shade with age. Dark white buttons sat where its eyes should be, and it wore only pants and a red shirt. Thin, nearly invisible white threads dangled from its head, arms, legs, and hands.


    "These are so cool," Emma thought as she pressed her finger against one of the threads. Instantly, she felt tension coming from behind the thread. It was clearly connected to something, and Emma was curious.


    She held up the other threads, pointing them to where the sun shone on them best to see where they would lead. She held them higher and noticed Joshua''s right hand raising in conjunction. Threads emerged from his fingertips. She awkwardly looked at Joshua.


    "Oh, sorry." Emma slowly put her hand down and handed the doll back to Joshua. Joshua couldn''t maintain eye contact for more than a second and fidgeted with his fingers.


    "Are you wearing a glove or anything, Josh? I don''t see..."


    "Oh yeah, I am. It''s an invisible glove my family made." Joshua took off his glove and held it up. The sun revealed the clear glove.


    "Woah¡­where-who is your family? They have to be amazing to make something like this!" Emma excitedly said.


    "I-I''m part of the Asyal family. J-Joshua Asyal." His ears began to turn red, and his face was becoming beet.


    Emma looked at Joshua with gleaming eyes. They sparkled heavily against the sun, appearing like stars. Joshua''s eyes remained locked as tears began to fall from his eyes.


    "Oh," Joshua said as he fell back, his hand over his forehand.


    *gurgle*


    "Josh! You ok?" Emma said while holding Joshua inches from the ground.


    "S-s-so pr-pret-ty..." Joshua barely managed as he gurgled. Joshua''s mouth bubbled on the floor as he passed out.


    "What? Wait, hey! Wait! Josh!" Emma frantically looked around, thinking about what to do.


    "How do I help him?" He''s gurgling, so push down on his chest? Emma thought.


    She laid Joshua down and began to push down on his chest.


    "Ack! Ugh! Oof!" Joshua''s natural reaction to the pressure only made Emma more nervous.


    "Argh!! This isn''t working!"


    *gurgle* *gurgle* Joshua continued to gurgle as Emma held her hands on his chest, looking around.


    "No choice..." Emma thought as she picked Joshua up.


    "Klaus!! Help!!" Emma ran in the direction Klaus had left in, holding Josh as he gurgled, his feet dragging on the floor.

 Chapter 7 - Boon (7) {Disarray}

    ¡°She¡¯s still looking at me¡­¡± Klaus thought as he walked off with Grandold and Annie.


    ¡°We can continue as we walk, boy.¡± Grandold glanced at Klaus.


    ¡°What is your name? I heard the girl refer to you as Klaus.¡±


    Klaus snapped out of thought and looked at Grandold.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m Klaus.¡± Klaus scratched the back of his hand and chuckled.


    ¡°The girl you¡¯re referring to is Emma. She¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°How come I¡¯ve never seen the two of you before?¡± Grandold held curious eyes.


    Klaus slowly looked at Grandold; his fingers coiled together.


    ¡°...what?¡±


    ¡°You two. Never seen you before.¡± Grandold pointed his finger square at Klaus¡¯s face.


    ¡°We¡­always visit Boon. This town¡¯s great!¡± Klaus relaxed and sighed.


    ¡°One of the few towns left alone. It¡¯s calming really.¡±


    ¡°...wrong.¡± Grandold muttered.


    ¡°...¡± Klaus stared silently for a few seconds before saying, ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡±


    ¡°The town. The one that goes untouched.¡± Grandold said in a monotone. His lips began to curl.


    Klaus remained silent, his hands tightly to his side.


    ¡°...untouched? You couldn¡¯t possibly-¡±


    Grandold stern stare interrupted Klaus.


    ¡°They know.¡± Grandold said.


    Klaus glanced at Grandold, forcing a chuckle. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the Reapers know about this town?¡± His voice wavered. ¡°That they just¡­ let it exist?¡±


    Grandold¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°You think a town like this slips by unnoticed?¡± His voice dropped, each word falling heavy. ¡°Don''t be a fool, Klaus.¡±


    Klaus¡¯s stomach twisted. He could feel something cold settle over him, chilling his skin.


    ¡°W-wouldn¡¯t they have¡­ destroyed us by now? What benefit do they gain by leaving this town alive?¡±


    ¡°Why else? For the same reason as you--amusement.¡±


    Klaus eerily looked at Grandold.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to make fun of your suffering,¡± Klaus said firmly. He was being serious.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Boy, I¡¯ve lived long enough to know, you¡¯re only here to-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lump me in with those bastards!¡± Klaus yelled, curling his fists and startling Annie.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mindlessly kill people! I don¡¯t destroy free will!! I don¡¯t torture children!!!¡± Klaus shouted, his face redder with each line and his voice solid.


    Grandold¡¯s tone remained stern as he said, ¡°Then why do you live and act so gleefully despite the horror? Clearly, there is something wro-¡±


    ¡°Something wrong with me being positive? Something wrong with me being energetic?!¡±


    Klaus looked at Grandold aggressively.


    ¡°Use your fucking brain, you bastard.¡±


    A sudden pressure formed in Klaus¡¯s head as he shifted his gaze to the floor, a distant memory. A memory he was not sure even occurred; it changed Klaus completely.


    Ahhh, huuu, ahhh, huu *gulp*


    Klaus heard someone panting. His mind was now elsewhere, somewhere far from the present moment. He saw a small figure, about the size of a toddler, running amidst a sizeable plain field of grass. The figure wore torn, aged white clothes, and its purple eyes remained steady and stern, looking only ahead. Klaus turned to observe what the figure saw.


    A man. A man dressed in pure white, seeming almost angelic. White (seemingly) liquid dripped from his perfect clothes as the wind blew. His long white lashes sparkled, and his golden eyes gleamed nearly to tears. He held his long arms wide open for the figure as red tears began to drip from his eyes. Oh, how I have awaited you, my child. Oh, how I¡¯ve waited.


    The man spoke with utter glee as the boy inched closer, the boy¡¯s hair tearing from the abhorrently strong wind. Blood spewed as the boy¡¯s hair was torn off, but he was almost there. Almost within the man¡¯s reach. Oh, yes. My dear boy!


    The man¡¯s tears began to flood his eyes and stain his clothes, but the boy paid no mind to this. He hugged as much as he could of the man¡¯s tall body and closed his eyes with glee.


    Oh, how I love you. The man¡¯s grip became tighter as he expressed his love for the boy, and tears now encircled the boy, too.


    Oh, yes-


    Crunch.


    ¡°AHHHHH!!!¡± Klaus held his head and moved his body violently. He fell to the floor.


    ¡°AHH!! AHH!!¡± His heart thundered, each beat relentless as sweat profusely dropped from his forehead.


    *Hahhh* *Hah* *gulp* *Hahh* Klaus began to take deep breaths to calm himself down from the horror he had just witnessed. His ears rang, his body swaying slightly.


    ¡°Ulp,¡± a sound slipped from Klaus¡¯s mouth as he tried not to vomit, recalling the scene.


    ¡°That¡­who was that?!!! Oh my-¡±  Klaus¡¯s thought was interrupted by another sudden urge to puke. He gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, it¡¯s not real, it¡¯s not real, it¡¯s not real¡­¡± Klaus kept on reminding himself. He felt as if his mind was slipping away. He held his chest tightly with one hand and covered his mouth with the other.


    ¡°Klaus!! Klaus!! Help!!¡± Emma''s shouts could be heard, getting louder as she approached the group. She ran towards them, her eyes watering.


    ¡°Klaus! Joshua¡­¡± Emma¡¯s voice dropped as she saw Klaus¡¯s condition.


    ¡°E-emma, j-ust give me a second¡­¡± Klaus barely managed as he ran his hands through his hair. His voice was raspy, and saliva dripped from his mouth when he spoke.


    Emma took a step back, trembling, and said, ¡°O-ok. I¡¯m sorry Klaus.¡±


    She quickly turned to Grandold and dropped Joshua down, biting her lip.


    ¡°He¡¯s gurgling. I-I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Emma pulled at her hair in desperation, her eyes wild and fingers slick with sweat.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, I¡¯ll deal with him.¡± Grandold murmured, his tone eerily calm.


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened at Grandold as she noticed his eerie vibe. She frantically looked around, thinking about what to do.


    ¡°Wh-what do I do?! Klaus is-he-is,¡±  Emma thought as she continued to pace around in a circle. She glanced back at Klaus, biting her lip, and considered whether or not to help him.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Emma then turned towards Annie and stared at her. Annie had no response. Only the wind whistling could be heard as Emma watched Grandold crouch and whisper to Joshua.


    Annie stumbled indifferently on Grandold¡¯s shoulder as he began to move violently.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Joshua¡¯s tiny body banged against the ground as Grandold aggressively pushed down on his chest; it was almost as if each push carried intentions different from helping him. Joshua¡¯s eyes were gray and facing completely different directions.


    ¡°H-hey! Isn¡¯t that too-¡±


    ¡°Quiet.¡± Grandold quickly silenced Emma¡¯s concerns and continued to push down hard on Joshua¡¯s chest, air blowing from each push.

 Chapter 8 - Boon (8) {Blight}

    ¡­¡­Bang! ¡­..Bang! ¡­Bang!


    The pounding of Joshua¡¯s chest echoed in the clearing, the sound amplifying as Klaus¡¯s mind cleared. The breathing technique he had performed worked. The ringing from his ears dissipated and sweat decreased. His shaking lessened, and his hands firmed. The chilling memory had escaped his mind once more; however, this time, Klaus stayed with more than last time. Before, he could only remember a feeling of dread, but now, he could recollect the man dressed in white. The scene he could not remember, nor the boy, but the man he could. And this chilled him to the bone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡ªwh-who was that?¡± Klaus thought as his eyes opened to the grass below, which swayed in the soft wind.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¡°He was white¨Cand his smile wa-was petrifying,¡± Klaus thought, slowly raising his body while still gazing at the ground.


    Bang! Bang¨Cugh!


    The sound was interrupted by another-- a seemingly natural one at that.


    ¡°E-Emma.¡± Klaus hurriedly glanced at Emma¡¯s direction. Emma was covering her mouth and nose, eyes stretched from the horror. Klaus felt a tingle run up his spine. His eyes slowly shifted to where Emma''s eyes lay, and he widened his eyes. Joshua bled from his mouth¨Cno¨Cblood from within escaped his mouth, pouring from the sides. His eyes were bloodshot, his body motionless.


    ¡°W-wha¨C¡± Klaus stopped thinking as he ran towards Joshua. His mind hadn¡¯t registered Grandold by his side, his arms lying dormant on Joshua¡¯s chest. Grandold''s body remained utterly still, his eyes darting side to side.


    ¡°How does this happen?¡± Klaus thought as he slowly crouched down to observe Joshua. He glided his hand over Joshua¡¯s chest and felt something cold, very cold.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Klaus thought as he peered up at Grandold, his presence now visible. Klaus quickly pulled his hand away and held it to warm it.


    ¡°ah¨Csie¨Cde¨Cgra¡ªne¡ª--I¡±


    Klaus heard Grandold whispering under his breath, each word indecipherable. His eyes slowly began to flare, however. Klaus stared at Grandold briefly before opening his mouth to speak, then retreating. The muttering became louder, Grandold¡¯s head slowly rising with the volume. Klaus gradually raised his arms in preparation to strike. At last.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°All hail to the honored one, Jack!!¡± Grandold screeched before thrusting his palms into Joshua¡¯s chest.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The banging was blaring, and Joshua vigorously spewed out vital fluid with each, now spreading on the grass under.


    Boom!


    An impact could be heard¨CKlaus had struck Grandold in the face. Grandold showed no reaction to this, however, and continued to pound Joshua¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you Jack!! I will se-¡±


    This time, Klaus stood up and went around Joshua before kneeling Grandold square on his head¨Che wasn¡¯t done. Klaus brought Grandold down to the ground and restricted Grandold¡¯s arms with his legs.


    Grandold kept forcibly shaking despite this, even continuing to mutter rapidly.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Klaus thought as he held his position on Grandold. He seemed nearly a zombie now. His eyes couldn¡¯t focus as they started to dry, tears hurriedly running to fix the problem. His head shook side to side, up and down violently, without regard for his neck.


    Klaus stayed silent, letting the chaotic old man attempt to wriggle out of his grip; he observed Grandold as he waited for a critical moment. In his state, Grandold''s eyes suddenly shifted to Klaus, and he began to move his head up and down fiercely, his mouth open and teeth clattering.


    ¡°Is it¡­ah, finally.¡± Klaus thought as his patience gave witness to black liquid seeping from Grandold¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ahhhhh. Ahhh!!¡±


    Grandold¡¯s moans became screams for help as black dots infested his body. The dots dried the skin within the area they held, causing blood to release slowly. They didn¡¯t affect Klaus; he remained calm, now contemplating what to do with Grandold.


    He shook his head, remembering the past, and gripped Grandold¡¯s throat. He shut his eyes as he obstructed the old man¡¯s airflow, gradually suffocating him. Soon, Grandold ceased to move. His muttering stopped, and his eyes shut.


    The creeping blight of darkness wasn¡¯t so forgiving, as it tore Grandold¡¯s body apart. His screams echoed across Boon as his skin and muscles rapidly evaporated into the sky above until only bones remained.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Klaus said as he slowly stood up, removing himself from next to Grandold. Klaus glanced at Joshua and saw Emma tending to him. She shook as she wiped the blood off of his mouth with one hand; the other was busy holding his head still.


    ¡°The rat-¡± Klaus thought as he quickly returned to Grandold and noticed another set of bones, much smaller than the one below it. They looked just as fresh.


    ¡°Sh-she was silent...¡± Klaus thought as he crouched to see the bones. The bones rattled as he gently touched them. The bones were dry, with no liquid anywhere near them; it was as if they had been there for several years already.


    ¡°D-does it infect people?¡± Klaus paused his thought, looking down at his body and raising his arms.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it affect me then?!!¡± Klaus hurriedly pulled his pants up to reveal his legs; his hands flew to his sleeves, rolling them up frantically, eyes scanning for any creeping blight. He touched his face: nothing. Klaus sighed as he stood up and walked towards Emma.


    Emma looked up at Klaus nervously, her fingers twiddling. Her eyes began watering as she saw Klaus.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Klaus. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. Joshua¡¯s strong, I know he is.¡± Klaus flexed his arm and forced a smile, attempting to reassure Emma.


    *sniffle* Emma sniffled as a tear dropped down her face. She ran and hugged Klaus tightly, crying all the while.


    Emma clung to him; her face buried in his chest.


    Klaus wrapped his arms around her, one hand smoothing her hair as he whispered, ¡®We¡¯ll be okay¡­ we have to be."


    His hair blew as he gazed down at Emma¡¯s head as she sobbed, his eyes flickering with sadness.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he thought.

 Chapter 9 - Boon (8.1) {Shadows Linger}

    A cool breeze blew as Klaus gazed into the night sky. The stars gleamed and bounced around in happiness. The gray moon in a half crescent directs the stars to joy.


    Klaus¡¯s hair perked up as he heard Emma snoring, comparable to a dragon''s.


    ¡°Why does she always snore so loudly?¡± he thought as he looked down at her, her head on his lap. Joshua was to the right of Klaus, snoring too, covered in leaves.


    After the incident with Grandold, Klaus decided to leave Boon and rest under a large tree. He carried Joshua all the while, glancing at him whenever he could as he consoled Emma. When they arrived, he laid Joshua down and thoroughly checked him. Joshua breathed unevenly; his ribs were cracked, and his throat was dry. Not to mention gray eyes that continued rolling.


    When Joshua finally closed his eyes and stopped shaking, Klaus breathed a massive sigh of relief. Emma sat cross-legged, silently watching the entire time. As the night drew, Emma fell asleep on Klaus¡¯s lap.


    Since then, he had been sitting upright, thinking about what to do.


    ¡°Grandold was the same¡­why?¡± Klaus pondered for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be a coincidence¨Che must¡¯ve done something. Or ate something¡­or worn something¨Cok where am I going with this.¡± He sighed and put his hands on his face.


    ¡°Could it have been the mark?!¡± Klaus¡¯s head flew back up, and his eyes locked forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s not common knowledge¡­but that raises the question¨C how did me and Emma not know about this? We¡¯ve wandered for so long yet we never heard about them; we only saw them. Of course, we could only assume their effects¡­¡± Klaus gazed at his hand and raised it high, blocking the moonlight. He spread his hand and spun back and forth.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Ah¨Cwait.¡± He pulled his hand down.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯ve been doing. Wandering. Why? Was it fear? Was it¨Cwhat a stupid question. It was fear. Why would we bother trying to find out what¡¯s really happening?¡± Klaus curled his fist.


    ¡°We¡¯re helpless. Powerless. There¡¯s no choice but to wander. Mm. Shouldn¡¯t I be grateful I get to wander? That¡¯s what mom said¡­¡± Klaus¡¯s mind went elsewhere as he reminisced about what his mom had told him on his 4th birthday.


    Wander around freely; just be careful. You never know what they¡¯ll do to you, ok honey? Aw, don¡¯t look at me with those eyes. You know you can¡¯t go outside. If they see you, they¡¯ll getcha! What? Why do I get to go outside? Well, I have to sweetie. But I¡¯m careful every time! I always watch to see if they¡¯re creeping around like rats! But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave you, my dear.


    ¡°You won¡¯t leave me, huh, Mom?¡± Klaus thought as his eyes began to close. A tiny tear ran down his face as his head dropped and his eyes shut.


    "It''s ok, endure."


    Chirp, chirp! Chirp!


    ¡°These damn birds!!¡± Klaus thought as he listened to the bird¡¯s chirps, his eyes still closed. The chirps were more like screeches: they were blaring.


    ¡°Sounds like they¡¯re about to die goddamn it.¡± Klaus¡¯s body twitched right before he erupted.


    ¡°I know it isn¡¯t that hard for you to get laid!!!!¡± Klaus suddenly shouted, opening his eyes and causing the birds to fly off in different directions.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Emma groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.


    Klaus looked at her. ¡°O-oh, sorry. You can go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s ok.¡± Emma rubbed her eyes and sat up. She stretched her arms and yawned.


    ¡°We need someone to see Josh right?¡±


    ¡°Mm. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood. I would give him mine, but I remember reading that there are different types of blood¡­¡±


    Emma''s head turned to the side as she said, "Does something happen when you mix them?"


    ¡°Well,¡± Klaus sighed and stretched his arms before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to find out.¡±


    Emma gazed down briefly before saying, ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t think we want him to get hurt any more than he has.

 Chapter 10 - Boon (9) {Wretched}

    The last line of the previous chapter - "Mm. I don''t think we want him to get hurt any more than he has."


    "Yeah." Klaus replied, staring forward.


    Emma looked to Joshua and said, "Where should we go Klaus? Nobody in Bo-"


    "I know." Klaus sighed and laid back.


    "But don''t worry, I have a plan."


    Emma looked at him curiously.


    "We''re getting out of here!" Klaus jumped up and put his hands to his side.


    "Since I called Joshua''s house ''jolly house'', this is going to be a ''jolly adventure''!!"


    Emma looked at Klaus in disbelief. "Get out of here?! Klaus!! We both know ho-"


    "Bah," Klaus waved her off, closing his eyes.


    "Bah?! Are you trying to get us killed?!" Emma roared.


    "You know we can''t afford to keep on roaming, right Emma?"


    Emma backed down and flinched.


    "You felt it back there too, right? That old man talking about these ''Binding Orders'' and then him suddenly dying¡­"


    Emma avoided his gaze as he talked.


    "And now we have Joshua to worry about. Who knows what''ll happen to him when he wakes up." Klaus pondered momentarily before saying, "My point is, if we continue to live like this, we''ll suffer more."


    "Bu-but can''t we just stay here? Outside is¡­"


    "Haven''t you seen the conditions? It''s constantly declining."


    Emma flinched again.


    "We''ve stayed here for 5 years already, sometimes going further out to get extra food."


    Klaus touched Emma''s back as he said, "Ever since we met, you''ve been scared. I''ve been too. I know how har-"


    "No, you don''t!!" Emma slapped his hand off her back and moved away.


    "You don''t know how hard it''s been for me!! I saw them all die. All of them!!"


    Emma glared at Klaus aggressively.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "And you want to tell me you know how hard it''s been?!"


    Klaus slightly widened his eyes and looked up.


    "I guess you''re right. I don''t know how hard it''s been for you."


    He looked at Joshua momentarily and turned back to Emma.


    "But what I do know is that if we stay here any longer, we''re gonna die."


    Emma''s voice wavered as she said, "How? They don''t know about thi-"


    "They do."


    She let out a small gasp.


    "W-what?" she thought.


    Klaus sighed, putting his hand on his forehead, and said, "I didn''t want to believe it either, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Don''t you remember when we first went into here, that man who was hiding behind a tree near the entrance?"


    Emma began to tremble and shook her head.


    Klaus hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mmm. That man had a mark too. Interestingly though, it wasn''t the same mark Grandold had. The mark was¡­orange and gold."


    Emma''s eyes frantically moved as she said, "A-a-are you saying th-that that man is one of the Reapers?"


    Klaus shrugged as he said, "Probably. I''m saying that there are definitely different marks that, instead of restricting a person, they enhance a person. Little Joshua here has one, on his chest. That''s probably why he''s so good with puppets."


    Emma immediately got up and pulled the animal fur on Joshua''s chest.


    "N-no way," she said as she observed the mark, her body failing her as she kneeled. "Wh-when¡­this makes him good with puppets?"


    "Probably. When I laid him down yesterday. You were facing my back but when I checked him, I saw it. When I did, I suddenly remembered the man." Klaus let out a chuckle and flinched.


    "Isn''t that interesting? Haven''t you seen it too? The people here¡­"


    Emma fidgeted as she said, "T-they don''t really talk or d-do anything."


    "They really don''t, right? Another thing: didn''t you feel like you knew what a Binding Order was when that grandpa talked about it?"


    Emma gazed down and slowly nodded her head.


    Klaus snickered as he said, "My theory is that people die when they speak about it¡­or maybe¡­remember it¡­" he looked up solemnly, recollecting the time when he and Emma were outside and saw people with Binding Orders, obeying mindlessly.


    "T-then shouldn''t we be dead too?!!!" Emma shouted, pulling her hair.


    Klaus scratched his head as he said, "Ah, right. That''s what''s worrying me¡­we could be at risk just discussing it."


    His voice slightly trembled as he said, "Grandold died an hour after he talked to us about it; however, it''s been more than ten hours, and we''re still kicking.


    Emma thought momentarily before hesitantly saying, "Do they only die if they have the mark?"


    Klaus squinted and looked at Joshua as he said, "Maybe. Joshua said that he couldn''t tell me why he was so good with puppets¡­that might have been why. Or he could have just been being childish."


    Klaus looked back at Emma and said, "Either way, Joshua seemed to be fully aware of his mark."


    Emma crossed her legs tightly as she said, "R-right¡­why would the Reapers want to ki-"


    Klaus leaned forward and said, "Exactly." He stood up and crouched beside Joshua before saying, "He''s the key to figuring this out."


    Emma stood up and slowly walked to Joshua. She stared at the mark briefly before saying, "I remember the man now, too. I¡­felt really scared when I saw him."


    Emma paused for a moment and muttered, "A-are you sure we shouldn''t stay¡­?"


    "Positive." Klaus looked at Emma with conviction. "We''re like sitting ducks. If we stay, we''re begging to be killed."


    "Is the outside really better?!!" Emma yelled, curling her fists.


    "We''ve seen what it''s like!! Those evi-"


    "It''s better than staying here and dying anyway," Klaus said monotone.


    *Sniffle*


    Emma''s eyes began to water as she said, "D-do we really have to leave?"


    Klaus took a deep breath, his gaze firm as he looked at the light blue sky. "There''s nothing left for us here, Emma. If we stay, we''re only postponing the inevitable."


    Emma''s face twisted with a mixture of fear and resignation. She opened her mouth, closed it, and looked away at the sky. Joshua lay between them, his mark hidden but heavy in their minds.

 Chapter 11 - Boon (10) {Flee}

    Hum¡­


    Klaus hummed as he walked back to Boon, Joshua flopping in his arms.


    "W-why are we going back," Emma said annoyingly.


    Klaus looked at her briefly and muttered, "Hm?" He then continued to hum as if nothing had happened.


    She stood still before shouting, "Hey! Klaus! Why ar-"


    "Cuz. This is where the exit is."


    Emma began to walk again slowly. "In Boon?"


    "Yeah," Klaus replied while admiring the sign he kicked down the day prior.


    Emma looked down at the sign. "This place we''re in¡­it''s weird."


    Klaus continued to walk and said, "Pff, tell me about it."


    Emma flapped her arms and said, "N-no, I mean that¡­it''s weird! I don''t know, it feels like when you showed me the mark it all¡­made sense."


    Klaus peered at her through the corner of his eye before saying, "Really does, doesn''t it?"


    Silence ensued as the two walked through Boon. The scent of body odor reminded them of where they were finally leaving, making even Klaus slightly sentimental. The moss waved them goodbye, extending down to the ground. Babies immediately cried when they saw the two, a reaction never seen before. Parents clutched them, glaring at the two. Whispers ran laps around the two, and the ground felt rubbery as if someone could quickly bounce on it.


    Regardless of the odd occurrences, the duo continued to walk side by side, not even batting an eye. They took in the air of Boon until they finally returned to a familiar sight.


    "Isn''t this¡­" Emma said, stopping and putting her finger on her lip.


    "Yeah, Josh''s," Klaus said as he headed into the house.


    "Ack! Wait!" She hurriedly ran into the house, following suit.


    Klatter!


    "Klaus!"


    Emma quietly shouted after seeing him knock over some vases.


    "Bah, no one''s here anyway," Klaus whispered, waving her off.


    "No one would dare enter Joshua''s almighty castl-"


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Klang!


    In disappointment, Klaus looked down at the bucket of water he had knocked over. He hesitantly looked at Emma, who stared at him with her fingers on the dorsum of her nose.


    "Sorry..."


    The two walked around the entire house, searching for the exit, until¡­


    "Hmm...well I didn''t want to have to do this but¡­"


    Klaus laid Joshua down on the kitchen counter. Emma watched silently with her hand on her face.


    "Oh, Joshua~~" Klaus gently caressed his chest, attempting to wake him up.


    He carried on with this action for a few seconds before saying, "If you don''t wake up~~you''re gay¡­"


    Joshua remained asleep on the counter, motionless. He seemed as if he were having a fantastic dream.


    Klaus shrugged and said, "Guess you''re gay the-"


    "NO!!" Joshua suddenly sat up, huffing and puffing. His eyes darted, alternating between the two standing before him. "Ack!" He suddenly groaned and grabbed his chest. His breath began to quicken.


    "Does it hurt?" Emma asked.


    Joshua quickly nodded, looking down, his lips losing composure.


    "Well, Joshua, we need your help," Klaus said, handing him a bottle of water he had just filled using one of the buckets.


    Gulp, gulp¡­


    Joshua rapidly drank the water and looked around. "What¡­what do you need help with?"


    "You know how to get out of here?"


    Emma immediately turned to Klaus and said, "You didn''t know where it was?!"


    Klaus flinched and said, "It had to be somewhere here¡­"


    Emma sighed, shaking her head. "Nevermind¡­"


    "Yeah, I do," Joshua raised his head. "I know where it is."


    Klaus patted him on the back as he said, "Hahaha! I knew you could do it, Joshua! I mean, you had to have gotten in here somehow."


    "Y-you knew?"


    "Knew what?"


    "Knew that I wasn''t here originally."


    "Pff, no. Lucky guess," Klaus said, waving his hand.


    Joshua stared at Klaus for a few seconds before sighing and then coughing immediately due to the pain.


    "So, how do we get out?" Emma asked, swaying back and forth.


    Joshua pointed at the floor. Klaus and Emma looked at each other in confusion.


    "Push down on it¡­it should be somewhere there." Joshua said, moving his hand up and down.


    Stomp, stomp!


    "Push down he said¡­" Klaus thought as he stomped on the floor, searching for the exit. He hit every inch before¨C


    Bang!


    "Eek!" Emma jumped back and grabbed her shoulders.


    "Huh¡­very interesting," Klaus said while rubbing his chin.


    A square shape on the floor had collapsed, revealing a dirt hole leading down. The wood from the floor was bent inward on the hole, barely holding on. The smell of earth leaked, creating an aura on its outer edge. It was pitch black, seemingly having no end.


    Klaus peered at Joshua and said, "How are we gonna put you-"


    "It''s big enough."


    Joshua turned and hung his legs off the counter briefly before jumping down.


    Klaus took a step back and squinted as Joshua walked past him.


    "O-oi, your wound."


    "Worry about yourself," Joshua said, pointing at Klaus''s shoulder wound.


    Klaus was utterly offended by such a bold claim and gasped.


    He stomped his foot down and said, "I will NOT tolerate such¨C WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!!?!"


    Joshua had jumped into the hole, waving his hand at them and smiling. Panic ensued as the two left ran over to the hole. The two gazed down but to no avail; he was gone as if he had never been here.


    "Just straight in, huh?" Klaus thought as he began to calm down.


    They debated with each other very briefly before silence took over. Nothing could be heard, only the soft sound of the wind, seemingly coming through the hole.


    The air began to flow more powerfully in the room. Cabinets began to clatter, the steel buckets of water fell over, and the floor rumbled louder.


    Klaus admired the chaotic air, finding a vein that flowed from the hole.


    "That''s..so¨CWHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!!" Klaus exclaimed as Emma jumped into the hole. "Is she sped?!" he thought as he put his hands on his head and paced around the room.


    "No choice¡­"


    The frenzied noise of the room faded as Klaus leaped into the hole.

 Chapter 12 - New Land

    Boom, boom, boom!


    ¡°O-ow!¡±


    A figure could be seen inside a hole, banging back and forth on the hole tight inside. The sound of the wind was overpowering. Dirt fell on the figure¡¯s hair and body as they collided with the walls. They seemed highly annoyed by the pain, and their faces got hotter.


    ¡°Arghh!¡± Klaus angrily curled his fist and began to hit the hole''s edges.


    ¡°This tight ass hole! Why didn¡¯t¨Cow!¡± His complaining was silenced by a blow to the head straight from the pit. He sniffled as he rubbed his head in sadness.


    ¡°Damn this hole¡­¡± Klaus thought, finally accepting the pain.


    ¡°Is that¡­wait.¡±


    A light appeared at the bottom of the hole. It covered a sliver of Klaus¡¯s face as it ran up the hole, eventually stopping when it reached the top. As it did, the wind began to blow fiercely, blowing Klaus¡¯s hair up and slowing him down. A fresh smell invaded as he widened his eyes.


    ¡°What the hell?! I-I¡¯m¨C¡± Klaus stopped his thought.


    Slip¡­pop!


    ¡°I¡¯m falling!!! AHHHH!!!¡± Klaus desperately flapped his arms, dirt from the hole following suit. Klaus looked up frantically, only to find the hole gone, replaced by a vast expanse of clouds¡ªthick and white, stretching endlessly above him. The sky unfolded in two contrasting scenes: one side cloaked in darkness, the other basking in a familiar light; perhaps it was just his eyes tricking him. They darted everywhere, searching for where he escaped; it wasn''t found.


    ¡°So weird!¡± Klaus thought, noticing the missing hole and the split sky. He looked around momentarily before going back to his thoughts.


    ¡°Ah, wait, I have bigger fish to fry.¡± Adrenaline started to kick in as he looked down at his desperate situation. His clothes flapped, vision blurring as his speed spiraled.


    ¡°I¡¯m toast.¡±


    Klaus nervously smiled; he had no time to spare. Whistling blew past his ears, rapidly increasing, reaffirming his situation. His lips began to spread from the ever-increasing wind. The ground became more apparent as he approached it, his eyes desperately looking for a solution.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Klaus thought as it became clear he was going to splatter against the grass like a pancake. He looked around, searching for perhaps what could be his final entertainment, but he was to no avail. He solemnly gazed at the ground, now noticing the bees and flowers that stood. He closed his eyes and then¨C


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Now!¡± A female voice shattered the whistling.


    Boing!


    Klaus slowly opened his eyes to see himself hanging mere inches from the ground. His eyes fluttered open and shut as he began understanding what had just happened. He remained motionless in shock briefly before a bee buzzed to his nose. It landed on its tip, leisurely walking in circles. Klaus focused on the bee before turning his gaze down to the ground.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± He thought as he peered through a square hole at the grass below. Sunflowers and red daisies swayed softly, bugs crawling beneath them. The bee buzzed away as he inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet aroma of the flowers around.


    Clomp, clomp¡­


    ¡°I save your life, and this is the first thing you think of?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Klaus looked up and saw a female with short black hair standing before him. She held her hands on her hips as if she was offended. She turned her head and said, ¡°Well?¡±


    Klaus gazed at her momentarily, his face squished against the net, before remembering his awkward position. He hurriedly attempted to sit up but fell backward due to the imbalance of the net. Accepting his embarrassment, he relaxed on his back and sighed.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± Klaus flinched as a face popped up right above him, its long golden hair touching the edge of his face.


    ¡°Why are you so dirty?¡± the face asked, turning their head back and forth with each word.


    Klaus squinted and said, ¡°Why is your voice so high-pitched?¡±


    The face flew closer to him and said, ¡°Well, maybe because I¡¯m a kid!¡±


    The face flew back, escaping Klaus¡¯s view, and stomped away.


    "Sheesh. Can¡¯t catch a break, can I?" Klaus muttered, sitting up and shaking his head to dislodge the dirt clinging to it.


    ¡°Relaxed aren¡¯t you?¡± The female with the short black hair from before leisurely walked to him.


    Klaus put his hand over his forehead and said, ¡°And who are you?¡±


    The female chuckled and looked him up and down before meeting his eyes.


    She slowly pinched her nose and yelled, ¡°What makes you think I would tell you?! You stink!¡±


    Klaus stared at her wide-eyed for a few seconds before sarcastically burying his hands in his face. He spread one finger to peer at her as he said, ¡°It¡¯s kinda hard to not stink when you can¡¯t really shower.¡± She gazed at him disgustingly.


    Klaus thought for a moment. ¡°Wait, then how does Emma do it?!¡± He smacked his palm against his forehead and fell back down.


    Cra-crack!


    "Oof!" Klaus groaned, scratching his head as he glanced up at the broken net dangling just inches above him. He sighed, standing up and looking at the female who had been talking to him. Her eyes widened with horror, and her mouth trembled.


    ¡°Y-you!! Broke the net¡­¡± Her voice dropped, seemingly accepting what had just happened instead of ridiculing Klaus for it.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Klaus apologized and walked towards her with his hand out.


    ¡°N-no, get away from me,¡± the female walked backward as he approached her.


    Klaus paused and glared at her before saying, ¡°Do I stink that bad?¡±


    Her eyes bolted around as she fidgeted with her fingers. After a moment, she finally said, ¡°T-take a shower, and then we can talk.¡±


    Klaus¡¯s face brightened with extreme excitement as he said, ¡°Really?!¡± His hair waggled back and forth.


    The female winced before muttering, ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Yay!!!¡± Klaus raised his arms and began to walk beside her.


    ¡°H-hey, that doesn¡¯t mean you get to walk near me!!¡± She jumped back and began to run but Klaus did too.


    ¡°N-no, stay away!! Eek!¡± She covered her face and sprinted away, screaming. Klaus followed suit, giggling with both excitement and amusement.

 Chapter 13 - Revelation

    Creak¡­


    A door opening could be heard as two figures stood before it.


    "Second door to the right¡­yuck."


    "Yes ma''am!"


    Klaus jogged towards the door and excitedly opened it. He widened his eyes and gasped at the spectacle. A shiny silver sink stood in front of him, and a white bathtub behind it; both seemed so expensive that Klaus couldn''t help but tear at the sight.


    He slowly walked into the bathroom, gently touching everything inside: the mirror, sink, toilet, and even the tiled floor. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, taking in the clean scent of the room.


    "Wow¡­I wouldn''t trade this for anything¡­" Klaus pondered as he took off his dirtied clothes and threw them to a corner of the room. He ruffled his hair and took a step into the bathtub.


    He turned the faucet and¨C"Aieee!!" He screeched and jumped as the cold water from the shower head drenched him.


    He desperately turned it off while panting. After a few seconds, he cautiously turned it back on and¨C" Aieeee!!!!"


    Pound! Pound, pound¡­!


    "Who is that idiot?" A short figure asked a taller figure as they heard Klaus jumping in the bathroom.


    The two were in what seemed to be the house''s living room, with a TV on the wall and large couches placed in optimal spots. The room felt cozy, bathed in warm yellow light that contrasted wonderfully with the rich, brown-lined walls.


    Pictures and paintings, each of a different color and topic, were stamped across the walls. Tiny details, such as a small figure of a bear holding a trophy, were visible on several counters in the room.


    A light brown carpet rested all over the floor, fuzz poking out as the two began to conversate.


    The taller figure quickly responded, "I don''t kn-"


    "Wait!! Why''d you even save him Luna?!!!" The person stomped their feet and glared at the taller figure.


    Luna shook her head and put her hand on the person''s shoulder. "Mae, every human life is worth a thousand. It doesn''t matter who it is, we alway-"


    "Is it really?!" Mae yelled. Noticing Luna''s glum stare, she looked down and muttered, "I just don''t get it¡­"


    Her voice slowly raised in conjunction with her head as she said, "He''s so dirty and smells bad...evil people don''t deserve our generosity."


    Mae''s arms flew up as she suddenly yelled, "And! he''s gonna be usele-"


    "Quiet!" A voice pierced their conversation.


    Mae and Luna''s attention turned to a woman strolling towards them, holding a tiny tube-shaped product between her pointer and middle right fingers. She came from her room, east of the living room.


    Phew¡­


    "Can''t you two stop arguing for once damnit?" The woman said as she exhaled, releasing visible smoke near their faces.


    Mae flinched and looked away while muttering, "Sorry Grandnew¡­"


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The woman squinted and snapped back, "It''s ma''am to you!" Her eyes then blitzed to Luna.


    "And you too!"


    "Y-"


    "Don''t you forget it!" The woman interrupted Luna and slammed her fist on a small counter to the woman''s right.


    The woman inhaled the tube-shaped object and exhaled as she said, "Who''d you two bring in this time?" She glared at the two, continuing, "Better not be another old man again."


    Luna raised her hand and said, "No, it''s a boy. I would estimate that he''s about my age."


    Phew¡­


    "Your age?" The woman said, releasing another puff of smoke into the air. "Interesting. What else?"


    "He stinks," Mae interjected, also raising her hand.


    The woman''s gaze turned towards the bathroom as she said, "Well, everyone who comes from that town stinks." She stayed silent and looked elsewhere as Luna and Mae stared at her.


    Plop, plop, plop¡­


    "Ah, is he done?" Luna said, hearing the last water droplets fall from the shower head. The three faintly heard footsteps rambling in the bathroom as if the person inside were searching for something.


    Slam!


    "Finally found it!" Klaus exclaimed, slamming the door open and wrapping a towel around his waist. He noticed the three staring at him and paused momentarily before walking towards them.


    As he approached them, Luna put her hand up and stopped Klaus. She wrinkled her nose as she said, "Why do you still stink?"


    Klaus widened his eyes as he touched his body, searching for the foul scent she was referring to. After several seconds of searching, he looked at her and shrugged.


    "I don''t smell anything."


    Luna slightly leaned towards him and sniffed¨Cthen she flew back in disgust.


    "D-did you even use soap?!"


    "Soap? Wazzat?" Klaus asked, tilting his head.


    Luna trembled as she kneeled to the ground. "A-are you telling me you''ve been showering without s-soap?"


    Klaus laughed at her reaction and said, "Yeah, just water." He squinted at his arm as he muttered, "I thought that was it¡­"


    "Ew!" Luna jumped back and hid behind Mae, covering her mouth and shaking.


    Mae furrowed her brow and nodded as she said, "That is pretty nasty."


    Drip¡­


    Water dripped from Klaus''s hair as he stood motionless, shocked that this ''soap'' existed. He wondered what it did. "Does that make you smell good?" He thought.


    "What other strange things do they ha-"


    "Why don''t you go show him how to use it, Luna?" The woman interrupted Klaus''s thought as she looked at Luna.


    "M-me?!" Luna screeched, still hiding behind Mae.


    "Correct. It''ll serve as a good experience," the woman said, exhaling more smoke.


    Luna trembled at the thought of showing Klaus how to use soap.


    "Show him how to use soap?! Soap?!!!" She thought as she pulled her hair, her eyes darting.


    Luna made eye contact with Klaus and flinched, his eyes filled with curiosity. Seeing this, she felt slightly more motivated to show him.


    To her, Klaus seemed to mean no harm and was open to learning, which made her feel faintly guilty about her comments.


    "He seems so excited¡­I don''t want to see him naked though. That''s too much¡­" Luna thought as she hesitantly walked towards Klaus, avoiding eye contact.


    "But¡­" She stopped and looked back at the woman; she shuddered at her glare. There was no escaping this.


    "Ugh...she thinks she demands just cause she''s old. ''Had it rough'' my ass..."


    She thought as she quickly turned back and walked with Klaus towards the bathroom. The two entered.


    "N-no! Keep your towel on." Luna said as she noticed Klaus about to drop his towel.


    Klaus''s face reddened as he realized what he was about to do.


    "Oh, right. Sorry."


    He looked down, nervously chuckling as he stepped into the bathtub.


    "So, he isn''t entirely stupid..." Luna thought, watching him.


    "Ok, so do you see the bar there?" Luna pointed at a bar of soap that rested below Klaus on the right corner of the bathtub.


    Klaus turned his gaze downwards and grabbed the soap, sniffing it; he furrowed his brow and sniffed it again. "Woah¡­" He thought, his eyes now gleaming with excitement.


    He excitedly turned back and looked at Luna, holding the soap bar up.


    "This actually smells good!"


    Luna smiled slightly and looked down. "I wonder how these people live without soap," she thought.


    Klaus then looked away and stared blankly at the wall, thinking about how to use it¡ªabout thirty seconds passed before Lunda snapped out of thought and began talking again.


    "U-um, I forgot I was going to show you. Here, give me it."


    Klaus turned to Luna and handed her the soap.


    "So you get some water," Luna said as she stood up and turned on the faucet for the sink.


    "Then, you rub it in." She lathered up the soap with water and then said, "See? It should look like this."


    Klaus minced Luna and gazed at her hand in amazement.


    "Then, you rub it on your body and wash it off," Luna said as she washed off the soap on her hands. She turned the faucet off and handed the soap to Klaus.


    "M-my turn?" Klaus stammered.


    "Why are you so surprised?" Luna thought as she nodded and waved goodbye to him. At her mid-point in closing the door, she slammed it shut.


    "Ahhh, how''d I do that? How''d I do that? How''d I do that?" Luna rapidly said, her back slowly falling to the ground and resting on the door. She sat with her head in her arms.


    "So many cavemen..." Luna thought as she heard the shower turn on; Klaus jumping again.


    She softly smiled as she muttered, "And to think he''ll need to learn about combs next..."

 Chapter 14 - Numb Eyes

    ¡°Heehee!¡± Mae snickered as she watched Luna slump at the bathroom door.


    A couple of minutes passed until the shower head turned off.


    ¡°He¡¯s done.¡± Luna¡¯s head flew up. She sprang to her feet and jogged over to Mae¡¯s side, anticipation lingering.


    Creak¡­


    This time, Klaus opened the door gently, shaking his head and tying the towel to his waist. He squeezed the strands of his hair, pulling out excess water and product left in.


    ¡°Hey, so what was that weird white stuff?¡± Klaus asked, continuing to squeeze his hair and peering at the three. Luna glanced at Mae and the woman, hoping they''d speak, but they remained silent, focused on Klaus. Although she didn¡¯t want to do it, she had to.


    ¡°W-weird white stuff?¡± Luna hesitantly replied. ¡°What do you mean ¡®weird white stuff¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Like, the stuff in those white bottles.¡±


    Luna raised her brow.


    ¡°Hmm. Near the soap or whatever you guys call it. Big white bottles.¡±


    ¡°The shampoo and conditioner?¡± Luna took a step forward.


    ¡°Shampoo¡­conditioner¡­?¡± Klaus muttered, gazing down and scratching his head.


    He turned his head back up and said, ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He then added, yawning:


    ¡°I just put in my hair. Was I supposed to?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. Good jo-¡±


    ¡°I need clothes.¡± Klaus blurted out.


    The woman quickly reached for a pile of clothes and tossed it to him.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Klaus caught the clothes and moved back to the bathroom, slowly closing the door to change.


    After a few seconds, he came out and looked at the woman.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He asked, pointing at the tube-shaped object.


    ¡°This? A cigarette.¡±


    ¡°Cigarette¡­wazzat?¡± Klaus said. He waited a few seconds before walking towards the three, passing beside them, and sitting on a couch.


    ¡°Ooh! This is good,¡± he said, seemingly disregarding his earlier inquiry. Klaus caressed the couch, admiring it. As he touched it, he noticed that the couch¡¯s fabric was a worn velvet, both soft and slightly rough. Its faded burgundy color soaked in the warm light, dotted with small indents from years of use. Wide and sturdy, it sat with a quiet confidence, cushions gently sunken.


    ¡°Like the couch boy?¡± The woman asked.


    Klaus laid horizontally, his feet on the other end of the couch, before saying, ¡°Ah, yeah. It¡¯s pretty good.¡± He then closed his eyes, putting his hands behind his head.


    ¡°For some reason, you seem familiar.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The woman pointed at her chest.


    Klaus peered at her and said, ¡°Yeah, you. You have the same eyes as this old man I met.¡±


    Flinch¡­


    The woman flinched, visibly startled. She took another drag of her cigarette before saying, ¡°Old man you say? Same crimson eyes as me?¡±


    She chuckled and added:


    ¡°That¡¯s rare.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about eye color.¡± Klaus playfully waved her off.


    ¡°Then what?¡± She inquired, raising the cigarette to her mouth.


    ¡°That deadness.¡±


    Klaus peered at the woman momentarily before closing his eyes.


    The woman tightened her lips and lowered her cigarette until it reached the counter, creating a light sound.


    Klaus softly snickered as he said, ¡°It¡¯s rather unsettling, don¡¯t you think? Feels like you¡¯re gonna die any minute.¡±


    The woman¡¯s body tensed as she raised her arm off the counter and threw her cigarette. The air screamed for help as the heavy energy around her suffocated it. The chandelier above shook rapidly back and forth, begging for her to stop. Her eyes remained locked onto Klaus, each footstep loud and forceful. Luna and Mae trembled, frozen, as the woman approached Klaus. She expelled the last smoke onto his face, raising her hand.

 Chapter 15 - White Light

    ¡°You talk too much, kid,¡± the woman said, lowering her hand. The room lost its tension, the chandelier ceasing to move. Luna sighed in relief while Mae cursed under her breath.


    Klaus opened his eyes.


    ¡°How¡¯d you make the room shake like that?¡±


    ¡°You talk too much¡­learn some manners, would you?¡± The woman said as she sat down on the couch northeast of Klaus. She relaxed and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, taking one out and lighting it.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Klaus nodded and sat up as he watched the woman take a drag of her cigarette.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± The woman asked, analyzing him.


    ¡°Klaus.¡±


    ¡°Klaus what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± Klaus scratched his head and looked to the side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna tell me huh? I won¡¯t pry then, Klaus.¡±


    Phew¡­


    ¡°Surprising¡­on top of her eyes looking like his, the wrinkles on her face look similar¡­¡± Klaus got lost in thought, not hearing her last line; instead, he analyzed her face and compared it to Grandold¡¯s.


    He believed they were related, and you wouldn¡¯t blame him if you were there.


    The woman¡¯s modestly sized nose wore twin freckles on the tip. Wrinkles crawled onto her cheeks, living in tandem with the rest of the scars. A permanent frown lay on her lips, her eyes deep, dim, and dead.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be a coincidence, or can it?¡± Klaus thought, closing his eyes and visualizing what Grandold had said about some ¡°almighty Grandnew.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t deserve to be related to such a goddess.¡¯


    ¡°Not very goddess-like if you ask me. The light did appear above him, meaning he was telling the truth.¡± Klaus leaned back, sighing.


    ¡°To which part though, ¡®deserve¡¯ or ¡®related¡¯? Only one way to find out¡­¡±


    A minute passed in silence as Klaus pondered. The woman remained smoking her cigarette, and the other two found a spot on the couch. Luna and Mae sat tight with each other.


    He slowly opened his eyes and said, ¡°Say, are you Grandnew?¡±


    ¡°Mmph!¡± Grandnew suddenly coughed, dropping her cigarette and puffing out smoke everywhere. Her eyes pierced Klaus with a nasty glare as she stooped for her cigarette.


    As she rose, her eyes suddenly brightened. ¡°Amazing," she said with a loud grin stretched across her face.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Grandnew quickly took a drag of her cigarette.


    Exhaling, she said, ¡°You think quick!¡±


    She continued to laugh, slapping her hand on her leg. Luna and Mae glanced at each other and began to laugh too subtly. They cautiously mimicked her body language, looking at Klaus as well.


    ¡°Hahaha! Haha!¡± The three howled, the floor beginning to rumble.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Klaus muttered, awkwardly looking at the three.


    Hearing Grandnew¡¯s laughter becoming louder and her movements becoming more pronounced, he stood up and slowly walked behind the couch.


    He watched the three, their laughs increasingly strained, the tension thickening with every passing moment.


    Suddenly, the laughter came to a halt as Grandnew began to choke. She fell to the floor, the fuzz on the carpet rebelling her presence. She rolled back and forth while gripping her throat. Black liquid started to ooze from her eyes.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Luna exclaimed and ran to Grandnew. Luna scrambled and locked Grandnew¡¯s arms with her legs, just as Klaus had with Grandold.


    A white light formed around her hands as she placed them on Grandnew¡¯s chest. The white light engulfed the two, dancing in a sphere and blocking anyone else from seeing within.


    The sphere wasn''t physical but was too blinding to approach. Luna was in the middle of it, seemingly controlling it. She gritted her teeth, focusing on Grandnew.


    Klaus flinched as he heard screams for help coming from the outer edges of the sphere. The screams for help became screeches as a louder noise silenced them¡ªa fire. He heard footsteps scurrying, which could be faintly heard in the back as the inferno roared and burned them. Suddenly, the fire went mute.


    Drop, drop, drop, drop¡­


    The sound of bodies dropping was the only noise from the sphere as it slowly dissipated.


    ¡°W-what the hell man?!¡± Klaus¡¯s body tightened in horror as he pictured the noises. He covered his ears, unwilling to listen to the blaring noises further.


    He cringed as he looked at Mae and saw her curled up into a ball, strongly sheltering her ears and shutting her eyes.


    Blow¡­!


    ¡°Ah.¡± Klaus turned his attention back to the sphere.


    The sphere¡¯s light giggled as it blew across the room, disappearing. Out of the sphere came Luna and Grandnew. Grandnew no longer showed any symptoms from before.


    She rested peacefully, sleeping.


    On the other hand, Luna was sweating buckets, panting as she stood up. She swiped her hand over her forehead and sighed.


    ¡°God,¡± Luna said, gazing up. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°H-how did you¡­¡± Klaus mumbled as he walked toward Grandnew. He crouched and admired her spotless clothes; it was as if nothing had ever happened to her.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Klaus asked Luna, who was still panting.


    ¡°Huh? How¡¯d I do that? Well, why would you like to know?¡± She replied sarcastically and quickly walked away.


    ¡°Talk about rude¡­I thought she was nice,¡± Klaus thought, watching her walk away.


    She ignored Mae as well, disappearing into the darkness of the stairs. Her footsteps echoed in the house, each with the intent of breaking the stairs.


    "What a dick," Klaus thought as he walked to Mae.


    "I''ll find out how she did that later...it''s not like I plan on leaving anytime soon."


    He lightly tapped her shoulder to get her attention. After a few seconds with no response, he tapped her again and--


    Smack!


    Mae slapped his finger away and continued to shudder in her ball.


    ¡°L-leave me alone.¡±


    Klaus watched her for a moment. He thought about what to say and then crouched.


    He quietly said, ¡°You remind me of my little sister, Emma.¡±


    Mae continued shuddering, ignoring Klaus.


    "Why is he trying to talk to me? So weird." She thought.


    "Well, maybe it might be worth...no, he''s evil." She shrugged and turned her head away from Klaus.


    "Wait. I have a great idea. I''ll show his evil side!"


    Mae stopped shuddering and, with a slight smirk on her face, raised her arm to look at Klaus.


    ¡°You have a sister?¡±


    Klaus nervously chuckled and replied, ¡°No, not¡­not really sister. We¡¯re not blood related or anything.¡±


    He looked down and continued, ¡°We¡¯re just¡­really close. I¡¯ve known her for about 6 years.¡±


    Mae peered at him suspiciously before saying, ¡°You like little girls or something? Why are you telling me this?¡±


    Klaus immediately looked at Mae and said, ¡°No. I¡¯m not into little girls; that¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°So, this isn¡¯t a confession?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It isn¡¯t.¡±


    Klaus turned his head down and sighed.


    "Man, this reminds me of the time I tried talking to a villager. All of them thought I was using Emma." Klaus''s mind went elsewhere, reflecting on an event two years ago when they tried legitimately interacting with the villagers.


    Hey, hey guys! What''s up? Hmm? Why''re you looking at her? Wait. Sir, put the shovel down. Sir!


    Bonk!


    Why are you all so surprised?! He tried hitting me first! What are you pointing--the girl? You want her? Hell no! Hmm? Ew! I''m not doing that to her! Emma let''s go! Buncha freaks over here. Eh? No need to look at me like that. Trust me, you don''t want to know what that symbol means. Bah, let''s just go back.


    Klaus shook his head, recollecting the symbol the villager had made to him. To this day, he is still disgusted by it. Remembering it, though, made him feel more inclined to talk to Mae, and he became curious as to why she would think that. Was he actually going to find out? No.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, you remind me of her when I first met her.¡±


    "Is this guy stupid?" Mae thought.


    ¡°What, curled up in a ball?¡± She questioned, raising her brow.


    ¡°Eh? Well, kinda.¡± Klaus replied as he looked to the side, seemingly thinking.


    ¡°Bah! Anyway, that¡¯s beside the point. I mean you. Like as a person, you.¡±


    "What does that even mean?" Mae thought. She started to giggle at Klaus''s inability to explain things.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty bad at explaining.¡± Mae exited her ball and sat up.


    Klaus sighed and considered a way to dispute her¨Che couldn¡¯t think of one.


    ¡°Bah! My point is,¡± he said, waving his hand. ¡°She was just like you, when we first met.¡±


    Mae smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s kind of weird.¡±


    ¡°W-weird? How?¡±


    Mae snickered and said, ¡°Weird to remember that. Weirdo.¡±


    Klaus gasped and looked around for witnesses¨Che wanted to take her to court. She had the same reaction as the villagers, which pissed him off, not that he was gonna fight a little girl.


    ¡°W-weirdo? How DARE you?!¡±


    Mae burst into laughter and pointed at Klaus.


    ¡°Weirdo, weirdo! Ahahaha! Weirdo! Hahaha!¡±


    Klaus stared at her in disbelief as she laughed, holding her stomach.


    Bonk!


    Klaus leaped back as Mae rolled over and smacked the ground. She stopped laughing and looked at Klaus.


    He pressed his hand to his mouth, but the laughter broke free, a wild, uncontrollable sound.


    ¡°Ahahaha! That¡¯s what you get!¡± His voice cracked with vicious amusement.


    Klaus and Mae tumbled to the ground, laughing at each other.

 Chapter 16 - Bleakmoon

    The scene opens up in a large, eerie, and dark castle. Situated in a place known as the Oth*******, Bleakmoon Castle stood valiantly amidst all the chaos around it. Bleakmoon¡¯s steel doors sparked against the ground, making a screeching noise, as a man opened them and ran. He held a stack of papers and hurriedly fixed his glasses to prevent them from falling constantly. Sweat ran down his face and infested his hair as he sprinted up a spiral of stairs. The stairs were stone and grainy, with small rocks jumping when he stepped.


    Pant! Pant!


    At the top of the stairs, the man stopped in front of a tall red door; cold air gathered in front of it like a bad omen. He let the papers slide from his hand, leaning against the door to catch his breath. With his other hand, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to steady himself after the climb. He readjusted his clothes and glasses and picked up the papers; his eyes filled with determination as he knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who art thou?¡±


    The man gulped and shivered as he heard the voice respond. He shook his head and cleared his throat.


    ¡°H-Hust sir.¡±


    ¡°Goddamnit!¡± The man muttered and smacked his head at his response.


    ¡°Peace, Hust, thou mayst enter."


    Screech!


    The tall red door slowly opened, greeting Hust with a loud scraping noise. Thousands of tiny bugs squirmed and escaped the room, Hust¡¯s eyes following them. He turned his gaze away and looked at a golden throne. Moonlight entered the room through three large windows behind the throne, shining parts of the room. He jogged toward the throne, his footsteps echoing in the seemingly empty room.


    ¡°L-Lord Alaric, the Juxtas are moving,¡± Hust said, handing the papers to Alaric.


    Alaric scanned the papers and flipped through them before peering at Hust.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Thy occupation is not just to handeth me these writings. Enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°A-ah, yes milord,¡± Hust stammered as he trembled. He looked down and continued:


    ¡°Um, w-with the Juxtas moving, the president of Polis is demanding we stop them. He¡¯s saying that if we don¡¯t, he¡¯ll send the Tri-¡±


    ¡°The president of Polis is saying yond? What a fool!¡± Alaric laughed profoundly, slapping his hand on the long desk before him. After a few seconds, he quieted down and flipped through the papers again.


    ¡°Enlighten me further.¡±


    ¡°O-of course, Lord Alaric. U-um, here''s some pressing news: The Red Deads caught the last dragon, and the turmoil in Derin ended at last due to Prince Iris¡­ah, I think you¡¯ll like this one, sire.¡±


    Alaric turned his eyes.


    Hust cleared his throat and said, ¡°Suryu stopped the war in Fubra.¡±


    Alaric chuckled and said, ¡°That gent killed those folk all. That gent didn''t cease nay conflict.¡±


    ¡°That is all he doth ever do.¡±


    Alaric turned his attention to the papers and motioned Hust to begin again.


    ¡°Um, a wildfire burned down half of the Kolpines¡­ah! Here''s something favorable! Water in the northern region of Munewale was restored by renowned priestess Zafra Coleen."


    Alaric paid no mind to Hust, instead continuing to scan the papers. Hust awkwardly looked around before continuing.


    "R-right, um. Bane the Jester was banned from performing¡­*gasp*, the ban on drinking did numbers to¡­¡±


    Hust¡¯s voice became distant as Alaric focused on reading. He flipped to the last page and glanced at the previous paragraph.


    ¡°Hust.¡±


    Hust immediately stopped talking and flinched.


    ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    ¡°It says h''re, one of the Gutters wast destroyed.¡± Alaric pointed at the paragraph.


    Hust straightened up and said, ¡°Oh, right. I did not think that was of importance to you milord. Do you want me to-¡±


    ¡°Yes. Which one?¡±


    ¡°Um, the one known as ¡®Boon,¡¯ milord. It is fairly unknown for its location, but it is pretty interesting. It¡¯s stunning up there, the landscape is I mea-¡±


    ¡°I doth not need to knoweth about the scenery!¡± Alaric slammed his fist on the desk, the impact spreading across the room.


    The walls began to tremble as bats pushed out from within and escaped into the room, responding to the impact. Hust kneeled and put his head down immediately.


    ¡°M-m-my apologi-¡±


    ¡°Peace, Hust. How didst this befall?¡±


    Hust¡¯s eyes desperately looked around as sweat fell down his nose. He gulped repeatedly before replying, ¡°O-o-one of the ordinary people fell down the exit. N-nobody knows how."


    Alaric''s stare drove daggers deep into Hust''s chest, nearly beginning to suffocate him. Alaric raised his head and said, "Very interesting."


    Hust began to choke and fell onto the floor. Alaric furrowed his brows before realizing what he was doing.


    "Apologies."


    Hust regained his ability to breathe, hastily inhaling and exhaling. He cautiously raised himself, fixing himself up as he did.


    "Hust. Investigateth this furth''r; this is important." Alaric paused and met his eyes.


    "You may go."


    "Y-yes Lord Alaric!"


    Hust consistently slipped on the carpet beneath him as he sprinted to the tall red door. It opened up once more, the bats escaping with Hust.


    Slam!


    "Boon, huh? That town is most memorable. I must needs to know how it did fall." Alaric thought as he gazed down at the papers. He put them down and walked behind his throne, looking at the moon.


    "I do wonder at their reaction to this."  Alaric thought as he snickered.

 Chapter 17 - Plain

    Woosh!


    "Ahh."


    Klaus groaned and rubbed his eyes, hearing a loud wind break through the window. He stared blankly at the ceiling, not wanting to wake up yet until¨C


    Vroom!!


    Widening his eyes, he thought, "What is that?!"


    Klaus slowly closed his eyes and sighed.


    V-V-Vrooooom!!!


    "Goddamnit!!"


    Klaus immediately sat up and found himself on a clean, soft bed. Confused, he threw the blanket off and looked around.


    A brown door in front of the bed closed, and a fan spun above him. As Klaus inspected the room, he noticed a glaring issue¨Cit was plain¡ªtoo plain.


    The room had nothing except a solitary file cabinet (next to the bed) on the aged white carpet. The walls had a unique pattern planted onto them, resembling tiny bats. The bed was pure white, including the pillows and blankets resting on it.


    "Such a boring room." Klaus thought as he jumped out of bed and walked to the open window. As he got closer, a peculiar aroma invaded his nose, causing him to furrow his brows.


    Klaus inhaled, trying to pinpoint the scent: grass. He stuck his head out the window and saw Luna mowing the lawn with a¡­lawnmower.


    "What is that? So loud."


    Klaus considered leaping out the window and greeting her, but he wasn''t sure because of her attitude yesterday. Were those her true colors? He didn''t know.


    "Only one way to find out¡­" Klaus thought as he crouched in the window, the wind blowing his hair.


    "Hup!" He jumped down and landed softly on the cement. He admired the cement momentarily before humming and slowly walking toward Luna.


    "Why won''t this stupid grass be cut?!" Luna thought as she pulled the lawnmower back and forth on a specific patch of grass.


    She pulled the lawnmower up and analyzed the patch, finding nothing glaringly wrong. Peering closer, though, she noticed some red spots.


    "Wait a minute, is that¡­no¡­" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Is that a rat?"


    "Eek!"


    Luna jumped back and nearly fell to the ground when she saw Klaus. He looked at her confusingly.


    "What''s up with you?"


    "What''s up with you?! Scaring someone at 7 in the morning!!" Luna put her hands on her hips and glared at him. She turned off the lawnmower as she looked at Klaus with hateful eyes.


    He rubbed his eyes and said, "Can''t blame me when you got that thing at max volume."


    "What even is that?"


    Luna widened her eyes and said, her tone rising with each word, "It''s a lawnmower!"


    "It cuts grass!"


    "Well, I can see that much."


    "Then why''d you ask me?!"


    "Well," Klaus scratched his head nervously. "I felt like it." He puffed out his chest and gazed off into the distance.


    Sigh¡­


    Luna sighed and shook her head. She turned the lawnmower back on, beginning to cut again until¨C


    "So was that a ra-"


    "Go look for yourself!" Luna screeched and pointed at the patch of grass with the red spots. She cursed under her breath as she walked off, mowing the grass.


    Klaus immediately went to the patch of grass and looked down. There, he saw a fresh rat body. He crouched down to get a closer look.


    Its guts were torn out and spread all over the grass, combined with the gray fur. Its bones occasionally appeared in fragments, hiding in small crevices. Its head was elsewhere, separate from the main body that lay here.


    Squirm¡­!


    Klaus grimaced as he saw insects coming to feast on the dead rat. They dug around in the guts, viciously tearing them even further apart.


    "Ew! Those bugs are so aggressive," Klaus thought, putting his finger on his chin.


    He oohed as ants took away small pieces of flesh into a burrow.


    "Nasty, but cool," he whispered.


    " I pray for your peace rat."  He thought as he kneeled and clasped his hands together--before you ask no, he is not religious. He doesn''t have enough time to think about that.


    Klaus stood up and noticed Luna was nearing the last long grass file. He decided to wait until she was finished to ask her to explain what happened the day prior with Grandnew¨Cwait, more importantly, how he ended up in the bed!


    Sputter¨Csputter!


    "Argh! No, please!" Luna pleaded with the lawnmower to turn it back on¨Cshe didn''t want to finish this later. "Please¡­" Her voice lowered as a tear trickled down her face.


    Sploot.


    Luna frowned and threw the lawnmower. She eyed the file of grass and curled her fist, cursing it.


    "So stupid¡­" A whisper escaped her mouth as she began to walk back to the door. She pulled a small white towel from her pocket and wiped the sweat off her face.


    She sighed as she noticed Klaus fully intending to talk to her.


    "My mind''s too full for this¡­" she thought.


    "Hey, so I wanted to ask¨C"


    "Not right now."


    Luna immediately shot down Klaus and walked past him. He stared at her back momentarily before walking beside her.


    "Oi, this is important."


    Luna glanced at Klaus and said, "Ok? So? I said not right now."


    "And I said, oi, this is important ya hear?"


    "You didn''t say that." Luna said, shaking her head. She quickly looked at her old-fashioned watch (on her wrist) before walking faster.


    Klaus mimicked her speed, his hands by his side, and continued to talk to her.


    "Ok, maybe I didn''t say exactly that but¨C"


    "What is so ''important'' that you keep on bugging me?"


    Klaus furrowed his brows and said, "Bugging is a strong word." He put his finger on his cheek and then added:


    "I would say¡­asking."


    Creak!


    Luna opened the door fast and walked to the kitchen. She paused at the counter, picking up a spoon. She turned back and looked at Klaus.


    "If I answer you, will you stop bugging me already?"


    Klaus nodded.


    He cleared his throat and said, "I got two things¨Cone more important than the other. How''d you heal Grandnew, and why was I in that bed?"


    "Grandnew didn''t even tell him her name, he deduced it¡­if I tell him about The Lattice, will he?" Luna thought as she filled up a glass of water.


    She put a tea bag in it and stirred it with her spoon. Putting down her spoon, she motioned Klaus to sit on one of the couches.


    Sipping some of her tea, she also settled down on a couch and began to speak.

 Chapter 18 - Distortion

    ¡°You¡¯ll stop bugging me if I answer right?¡±


    Klaus nodded hurriedly.


    ¡°Good.¡± With a hint of authority in her voice, Luna took another sip of tea and continued.


    ¡°Do you really not know how I healed Grandnew? Is it that much of a shock to you?¡±


    Klaus nodded violently.


    ¡°O-ok, ok. Let me see how I can say this simply¡­¡± Luna pondered for a few seconds.


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s called The Lattice. It¡¯s a giant network of ¡®energy¡¯ that connects everything. It flows everywhere in the world.¡±


    ¡°Everywhere?¡± Klaus asked, turning his head.


    ¡°Yes, everywhere. Think of it as something that makes us all alike.¡±


    Silence ensued as the two paused, Luna drinking more tea and Klaus understanding the information he had just been given.


    ¡°The lattice? A giant network? Alike? What''s this mean?¡± Klaus''s mind raced with questions.


    ¡°Does it give you power?¡± Klaus asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luna replied, pulling out the tea bag.


    ¡°Superhuman strength, healing, control over elements¡ªwater, fire, that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Like a tiny fire?¡± Klaus teased.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky.¡±


    Luna threw the tea bag into a trash can near her and took a sip of her tea before adding:


    ¡°People who can use it are called Resonants. Of course, there are rankings for Resonants too.¡±


    Klaus paused momentarily, remembering what she had done with Grandnew, and asked, ¡°What ranking would you be¡­um?¡±


    ¡°Luna. I¡¯m a Core Resonant, the 3rd rank.¡±


    Klaus muttered and furrowed his brows as if trying to reject his thoughts.


    ¡°Ok, so grants you power,¡± Klaus counted with his fingers and continued:


    ¡°Connects everything, is everywhere¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much into it,¡± Luna said, leaning down and placing her empty cup on the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a very complex syste-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about.¡± One of Klaus''s mutters rose above the rest, catching Luna''s attention. She quietly pulled a pillow onto her lap.


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t the ones with the marks using it? Couldn¡¯t they have escaped¡­?¡±


    ¡°Marks? Is he talking about¡­¡± Luna thought.


    ¡°Are you talking about Binding Orders?¡±


    Klaus stopped muttering and looked at Luna, surprised.


    ¡°Y-yeah. Can they not use it?¡±


    ¡°No, The Lattice condemns those with Binding Orders. Doesn¡¯t like them.¡±


    Klaus slightly flinched and looked to the side in thought.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Does it have a mind of its own?¡± Klaus said, looking back at her.


    Luna pondered momentarily and said, ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Technically, it does, but it was us who caused it.¡±


    Klaus¡¯s eyes brightened as he opened his mouth and¨C


    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a long story, and I¡¯m not here for a history lesson,¡± Luna said, abruptly cutting off Klaus''s hopes and leaving him glum.


    ¡°Mmm, you sur-¡±


    ¡°Positive.¡±


    Luna crossed her legs and then asked, ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°What! No, we aren¡¯t done talking about this ''Lettuce''!¡± Klaus exclaimed, throwing up his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lattice, not whatever nonsense you¡¯re thinking,¡± Luna said with a sigh.


    "Whatever, answer my question!"


    ¡°What question? Enlighten me.¡± Luna closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.


    ¡°...¡±


    Klaus sat in silence, thinking of what to reply: either prove her right and ask a question or move on like nothing happened. He chose the latter and slowly slipped onto the carpet like a worm.


    Plop¡­


    Klaus rested his head on the carpet and asked, ¡°Mm. How did I get in that room¡­?¡± His voice was quiet and somber, his gaze fixed on the carpet¡¯s fuzz.


    ¡°Oh that? Both you and Mae fell asleep on the carpet, so I brought you two up. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    ¡°How did I¡­how did I end up in that basic, plain ass room?¡± Klaus¡¯s head sunk deeper into the carpet as Luna answered him:


    ¡°That¡¯s the guest room. It¡¯s meant to be plain.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you take plain¡­a bit too seriously?¡±


    Luna shrugged and said, ¡°I mean, at least it has a cabinet. That¡¯s something right?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­but I don¡¯t even remember falling asleep.¡± Klaus¡¯s hair stood on end as he realized he had no recollection of how he fell asleep. He stood up and looked around rapidly, searching for Mae.


    ¡°Where is...?¡±


    ¡°Mae? I brought her upstairs too.¡±


    Klaus replied, looking at the ground, ¡°When did you come dow-¡±


    ¡°Do you have to know every little detail?!¡± Luna screeched and stood up.


    Klaus opened his mouth but was interrupted by her sharp glare.


    Her hair flapped wildly as she yelled, ¡°God! ¡®When this¡¯ ¡®when that¡¯!! When I came downstairs, both of you were fast asleep!! Got it?!"


    ¡°...got it.¡±


    Luna stomped away upstairs, cursing under her breath. She paused midway through the stairs, pulling a sharp object from her pocket. Klaus remained standing on the carpet, looking around and thinking.


    ¡°This is a nice room¨Cwait no! I need to think about ¡®the lattice''.¡±


    Klaus¡¯s gaze drifted to the TV, but the black screen only deepened his thoughts.


    "It was strong enough to heal Grandnew of that creeping darkness. The same disease Mom and Grandold had¡­"


    He groaned.


    "If I had known how to use it, could I have saved him? Prevented that black rot from taking him too? I need to know..."


    A smile crept up Klaus¡¯s face as he looked at the stairs, concocting a devious plan. He twiddled his fingers and laughed. He ran up the stairs, chuckling. When he reached the top, though, an ominous aura enveloped him. He furrowed his brows and sniffed; nothing. As he walked, the air became heavier, thrusting down on him.


    The air grew heavier as Klaus approached a slightly open door. Faint muttering drifted out, punctuated by sharp curses. A chill crept up his spine as he stepped closer. The wooden floor beneath him creaking, causing him to curse it under his breath.


    Shatter!


    "Ahhh! Dammnit!"


    Klaus approached the door and peered inside. When he did, a tall woman stared at him from the corner, leaving him frozen.


    She had long, dirty blonde hair and a long face, her forehead showing the most, with dull, almost fish-eye eyes that didn''t fit well with her tiny lips. Her clothes were torn and grey, and her skinny legs and arms only seemed to stretch. Her skin was cracked and thorny, rough to the touch.


    Crackle...


    Dead skin ran from her hand as her fingers crackled, curling back and forth in dreadful anticipation.


    "What are you looking at?" A female voice asked the tall woman.


    The tall woman pointed in Klaus''s direction.


    "Hmm? I don''t see anything there. Stop standing there and focus!"


    Crackle...


    Klaus''s heart thundered. He had barely managed to hide behind the door when the tall woman pointed at him. He gulped.


    "Hmm? Who''s there?!"


    Clomp, clomp, clomp!


    The female voice ran to the door and looked behind it.


    "Mm, here! Oh, nothing."


    She stared at the door in disappointment before looking around to see if anyone had stayed. She opened the window, the guest room, and Mae''s bedroom, but there was nothing.


    "There''s no one, Mae; I don''t get what you''re staring at."


    Slam!


    The female voice, now evidently Luna, shut the door. Klaus stood still in the living room, pretending to be lost in his thoughts; truthfully, he was.


    "That''s Mae?! Oh cr-"


    His stomach churned as he remembered Mae''s distorted form. He staggered back, hand covering his mouth, as vomit traveled up his throat.


    "Luna is taking care of that thing?!! Oh my-"


    Ulp!


    Klaus jerked forward as the vomit relentlessly slammed the back of his throat. He ran to the kitchen sink in preparation.


    "I''m just gonna learn how to use The Lattice from her and get out to find Emma and Joshua--yep, that''s it. All I gotta--"


    "Ack!"


    Klaus vomited into the sink, balancing himself by grabbing the counter. He wiped his mouth off with his hand and sighed.


    "Yep, all I gotta do."

 Chapter 19 - Crucible

    ¡°Hey! You ok over there?¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± Klaus turned his head and saw Mae beside Luna.


    This time, she wore effortless clothes: a black nightshirt and matching shorts. On the other hand, Luna seemed exasperated¡ªher face beet red and her hands giddy. She kept her gaze on the ground, dressed in a white T-shirt and black shorts.


    "Ah," Klaus thought, recognizing Mae instantly. Panic pulsed through him as he quickly turned back to stare at the puddle of vomit, his mind racing for a solution. Before he could decide what to do, a tap on his back dragged him to reality¡ªit was Mae.


    ¡°What are you doing?"


    Klaus glanced at her and realized he couldn¡¯t say anything; the truth would probably slip out if he did.


    ¡°Mm! I¡¯ll find out for myself¡­¡± Mae said as she pulled herself up the counter and looked into the sink.


    ¡°Ulp,¡± she groaned, seeing the twisted green mixture of liquid.


    ¡°S-s-sorry, how do I clean this up?¡± Klaus stammered, seeing Mae pull herself down from the counter and walk away with her eyes shut.


    ¡°Turn it on,¡± Luna said, walking to the counter across from Klaus. She put one arm on the counter and watched him look for the faucet clumsily.


    ¡°Ah, finally.¡±


    Phish¡­


    Klaus turned on the sink and, using his hand, directed the water and barf down the drain. The water banged on the sides of the pipes as it drained, the sound escaping.


    ¡°You look as if you saw a ghost.¡±


    Klaus turned off the sink and snapped to Luna, nervously chuckling.


    ¡°Are you ill?¡± she asked.


    Klaus scratched his head and replied, ¡°A little bit. The dizziness from my falling is still here¡­heh, heh.¡±


    Luna turned her head, her eyes narrowing, as she said, ¡°Ah, really? The fall from a day ago?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She snapped up and said, ¡°Yeah, right. You¡¯re a terrible liar, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Ack! What do I do..?¡± Klaus thought as his gaze drifted to the exterior door, whose window presented a pleasant solution¨Cget out. He debated for a few seconds before hearing Luna¡¯s voice shoot past his ear.


    ¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He flinched and looked at the counter, his heart snowballing. Luna¡¯s bloodlust leaked and gently brushed Klaus¨Ca warning.


    ¡°Bad, bad liar,¡± She whispered, walking behind Klaus and resting her hand on his shoulder.


    Her grip tightening, she said, ¡°Death is the only way to recover from this.¡±


    "This''ll be interesting to watch..." Mae muttered, kneeling on a couch, watching behind relative safety.


    The two waited in a brief moment of tension before¨C


    Boom!


    Klaus whipped his elbow into Luna¡¯s face with a brutal crack, sending her stumbling. Instantly, he dashed back, the blow from his movement rattling the hanging knives on the kitchen rack. Noticing the sound, he grabbed one of them and held it tight to his chest, prepared for further engagement.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not bad,¡± Luna said as her hand glowed. A bright light suddenly flickered out at the palm of her hand, slowly growing as Klaus watched in awe.


    Whoosh!


    The fire roared ferociously, its shadow cloaking the ground, stopping once it reached the ceiling.


    ¡°Y-you said if you''re lucky¡­¡± Klaus spluttered, subtly trembling.


    ¡°Yeah, lucky.¡±


    ¡°Ah, shi-¡±


    The fire shot toward Klaus, roaring as it raced at him. Its flames flashed brightly and blinded him.


    ¡°Bwah!¡± Klaus shouted as he shut his eyes and jumped onto the ground, grabbing Luna¡¯s heels.


    "What the hell?!" He thought as he saw the fire dissipate, leaving smoke and a sear all over the walls. He laid his chest down, staring at the aftermath.


    ¡°Eek!¡± Luna screeched, losing composure and desperately kicking Klaus off. His grip tightened as his arms wobbled up and down.


    Flicker!


    ¡°Get off!!¡± Luna shot a fireball at Klaus¡¯s back, burning through his shirt and causing him to yelp in pain.


    Instantly, he let go of her heel and leaped back, gently touching the burn.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually trying to kill me.¡±


    Luna remained silent as a red light enveloped her body. A slight giggle escaped her lips.


    "Is she toying with me or wha?!-"


    Klaus''s thoughts were interrupted as Luna lunged at him, slamming him into the sink counter. The entire house shook at the force, dust falling from the roof and the sink cracking.


    ¡°Rah!¡± Luna grasped Klaus and thrust him onto the floor, his eyes widening at the impact.


    "Cack!" He coughed as he thought of solutions.


    "Damnnit!"


    Klaus flew his arm up to stab Luna in a vital spot before she narrowly swerved it and smacked it out of his hand.


    With no hesitation, she locked Klaus''s arms with her legs and clenched his throat.


    "Is this all you got? Really? You said you wanted to learn it."


    "Cauk, ack!" Klaus choked, his arms flailing.


    Luna''s grip lightened as she said, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. This won''t do. Show me more." She stood before him, rocking her hand, which had a tiny fire back and forth.


    Cough, cough!


    Klaus grabbed his neck gently and rubbed it as he wobbled up, eventually grounding himself. Feeling lightheaded, he waited a moment, cautiously gulping, before looking at Luna. He cleared his throat, not before yelping in pain, as he said, "Y-you were trying to test me? I thought you were in it to kill me!"


    "Well, I needed a good idea of your reflexes. Now, show me your skills," Luna said, a slight smile creeping up her face. She waited in amusement.


    Klaus quivered as he saw the fire lying in her palm. His gaze alternated between it and the marks left by the former behind Luna.


    "She''ll teach me if I show her skill. Tsk. Maybe I won''t die." Klaus thought as he looked at his hand and then back at her.


    "I''ll show you skill, even in this tiny space," he said, posing in a fighting stance and taunting Luna.

 Chapter 20 - The Trial Begins

    Luna chuckled and mimicked Klaus¡¯s stance, the fire in her hand growing larger.


    ¡°Is that all you know how to do?¡± Klaus teased.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was about to show you.¡±


    A droplet of water formed in Luna''s other palm, quickly expanding until it was the size of the fire. She clapped her hands together instantly, generating a hot smokescreen that obscured Klaus''s vision.


    ¡°I can still see her.¡± He thought, noticing the red-light cloaking Luna in the smoke.


    Voosh!


    ¡°Where the-¡±


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    Luna punched Klaus¡¯s gut with a wicked force, giving him just a moment to recover before vanishing. She reappeared behind him, landing a harsh blow on his back. But Klaus, reacting quickly, snatched her wrist as she was pulling away and hurled her onto the ground with a thunderous crash.


    Boom!


    The red light flickered away as Luna lay on the floor, feeling her heartbeat and panting.


    ¡°You¡¯re ruthless, you know that?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Klaus turned to a voice behind him and saw Luna. He looked back at the ¡®Luna¡¯ he had hurled and noticed it disappearing into smoke, dissipating and blending in with the air as if it never existed.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    Luna giggled and grasped Klaus'' neck, saying, ¡°This is payback.¡±


    She pulled him up and catapulted him towards the ground, the floor cracking. The rattling of the cups gradually cleared as Klaus put his head back. The walls found their balance again, and the cracks settled in.


    ¡°I *cough* give in, I give in.¡±


    ¡°Already? We j-¡±


    ¡°Who *cough* said you could make *cough* a clone of yourself?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a clone; it was an illusion.¡±


    Klaus glanced at Luna and scoffed, ¡°An illusion with a physical presence? Yeah, right.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that was an illusion too,¡± Luna said, mixing the two elements to make a miniature smokescreen. She placed her finger through it and out came a noise¨Cthe same as when Klaus slammed her illusion into the ground.


    Boom!


    ¡°The Lattice remembers all,¡± she chuckled and crouched as a white light enveloped her.


    ¡°Gonna heal me?¡± Klaus asked, peering up at her.


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t have you weak for the next part.¡±


    Veer!


    The light made a sphere again, and the inside was completely white. Inside, Klaus peeked and glimpsed flashes of memories rolling like a film reel. Although they were in full color, their sheer velocity deformed them into grayscale. No sounds were heard this time.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The light quickly dispersed, giggling as it blew away. Klaus groaned as he stood up and stretched.


    ¡°Looks weird inside too...I feel great, though.¡± He thought as he swung his arms around. Turning towards Luna, he noticed Mae in the back snickering.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯re you laughing about?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. Come upstairs with me. Mae! Come! He¡¯s qualified.¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously?! I thought he lost, agh,¡± Mae groaned, walking like a zombie as she exited the couch.


    ¡°He did but he showed some skill. Besides, with him, we might be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said with the last guy, but he died right after the first stage of aligning! Better not happen with him, too."


    "Died?! How bad can this ''lattice'' be..." Klaus thought, sighing.


    The three made their way up the stairs and entered a room that reeked of tobacco. As Luna opened the door, a blast of hot air and the extra scent of expired milk rushed through her nose, causing her to jerk back and pinch her nose. The other two hurriedly pinched their noses, cautiously following Luna into the room.


    "Nasty...so many damn ''cigarettes'' or whatever she smokes..." Klaus looked around at the genuinely grotesque room.


    The room''s shade was throned by the sun peering through a solitary window on the right, the mounted fan below it desperately trying to regulate the dominant shade with its own: black dust.


    Empty cigarette packs rested on the grimy floor and dusty cabinets, some so old that their color had gone bronze. Decrepit, wilted flowers faced the ground, chastising it for its horrible life. A rocking chair swayed back and forth as a figure smoked it on it. The three approached it.


    "Ma''am, he can learn it. Could we-"


    Phew...


    "That cruel system and its ridiculous trials? You want to try this again?"


    Luna''s gaze shifted to the ground as she said, "I''m sure he won''t die; it''s not that hard."


    Her head flung up as she excitedly added:


    "He reacted to my Jux enhancement!"


    Grandnew sighed, standing up from the rocking chair and slumping towards the exit. She took another drag from her cigarette before saying, "Hah...don''t get conceited, Luna. Your Jux enhancement is below average, anyone could''ve reacted to that slow ass attack."


    Grandnew''s voice faded as she left the room and said, "Come."


    Klaus looked at Luna, her head held down. Mae, seemingly indifferent, left the room, hopping away and humming.


    "What an asshat...wait, that was below average?!" Klaus thought, imagining the further stages of this ''enhancement'' he had just heard. He pictured lightning-fast knights piercing their swords into their enemies or large-muscled, gruff men battling each other with their fists, each blow rapid and decisive.


    Slam!


    Klaus''s attention turned to the door slammed shut on him. He immediately ran to the door and chucked it open, furrowing his brows at Luna walking down the stairs, acting as if nothing had happened. Her energy seemed off, however; talking to her did not seem like a viable solution, so Klaus decided to leave her be.


    "Whatever. Personally, I don''t think her red ''Jux'' thing was that bad..."


    Upon reaching the living room, Klaus heard Mae:


    "Here!"


    Walking in her direction, he felt freezing air slip past his legs, curling up them, eventually reaching his chest. Shivering, he saw Grandnew waiting for him.


    "Took you long enough," Grandnew said as she opened the door for Klaus.


    Behind the door was an empty room with cement walls and a gray chair in the center, relaxing amidst blood stains on the floor. The blood stains were splattered and dried, some having deeper color than others.


    "Sit here," Grandnew motioned him to the chair. "This is how you''ll learn it but be warned: it is not for the faint of heart. What? Oh, the blood stains? Please, pay no mind to them; if anything, use them as motivation not to fail. Your success will be that much more delightful."


    Klaus gulped as he sat down on the chair, an ominous aura pulling him in. He grabbed his arms and crossed his legs, nervously waiting.


    "Ah, what am I getting into...?" He muttered, burying his face.


    "Raise your head."


    The door creaked shut as Grandnew crouched before him. She lifted her hand, a blue light appearing at its tip, and placed it on his forehead. Klaus closed his eyes.


    "Let''s see if you survive, boy."


    Blow...!


    Klaus opened his eyes, feeling a calm wind rub his arm.


    "Ack!"


    The sun dazzled him, its light reflecting beautifully off the vibrant flower fields around him. Klaus carefully stood up, noticing the chair now gone¡ªno, the whole room had disappeared; he was somewhere else entirely, somewhere where life flourished.


    "Where the hell...this is so weird!" Klaus thought as he looked around at the tall flower fields that reached up to his chest. He leaned over to touch one and ruffled its leaves; as he did, a squirrel below lunged at his face!


    "AHH! Eek! Help, help! Get off, you furry bastard!" Klaus screeched desperately clawing at the rodent latched onto his face.


    In his struggle, he stumbled and rolled across the ground, while the squirrel squeaked fiercely, scratching his skin and gnawing his ear whenever it had the chance, clinging to him like a wild shadow.


    "O-off, I said! Off! You stupid-" Klaus ripped the squirrel off his face and lifted it, wincing at its hideous appearance.


    "So ugly...I ought to--" He was interrupted by the rodent suddenly evaporating into light red dust. Klaus admired it as the wind carried it away.

 Chapter 21 - Trial (2)

    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Klaus thought as the dust settled on a bushy tree within a large forest.


    Suddenly, a swarm of winged creatures emerged, their flashing wings stirring the air as they devoured the dust. However, the tree shuddered violently, flinging them into the shadows before going still.


    Blow!


    A sudden gust of wind slapped Klaus across the face, bending the flowers and clearing a path to the forest.


    ¡°What the¡ªat least let me process!¡± he muttered, crossing his legs in mock meditation.


    ¡°Bloodstains, rats, vague instructions...is this supposed to be the first stage?¡± He glanced uneasily at the path ahead.


    "What am I supposed to do?"


    He looked back and sighed, realizing the forest was his only way forward.


    "Whatever," he thought.


    ¡°Weird¨Cno birds,¡± Klaus muttered as he approached the forest. He felt an unsettling presence, as though unseen eyes were fixed on him, their venomous gaze paralyzing him with unease and straining his nerves.


    Ruffle!


    His eyes darted to a bush, its leaves trembling violently. ¡°The hell?¡± he whispered, stepping closer.


    With a roar, a black squirrel lunged from the bush. Klaus yelped but caught it mid-air, his hand closing around its throat. It squealed and squirmed, but he didn''t let go.


    ¡°This one¡¯s not disappearing,¡± he muttered as the creature went limp, its mouth frozen in a final gasp.


    Klaus tossed the squirrel back into the bush with a grunt as he walked forward.


    Suddenly, he heard buzzing behind him and turned around¨Cmore dust had appeared, and the tiny, winged creatures had returned, guzzling it up.


    ¡°So quick¨Cand creepy looking¡­¡± Klaus whispered as the creatures finished the dust and flew away, leaving him wondering if he died, would that happen to him too?


    ¡°Let¡¯s not think about that,¡± he thought, shaking his head.


    As he walked, he noticed that the trees had an intense number of holes and let off a stench¨Cno scratch that, the whole forest reeked. It didn¡¯t help that wind constantly flowed within the forest, spreading the scent like a virus but also, at times, revealing a pleasant smell. Taking note of this, Klaus cautiously smelled a leaf from a tree and¨C


    ¡°Smells good. What is that nasty scent then?¡± He thought as he turned away from the leaf and smelled the air, jerking back in reaction.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Ew,¡± he muttered, continuing through the forest.


    "Something''s definitely watching me...better hurry up." Klaus thought as he warily walked.


    After a few minutes, he noticed a river with a stone bridge. The river¡¯s serene water slightly eased Klaus¡¯s nerves, but as he crouched down to get a drink, a fish with serrated teeth struck out and clutched his nose, violently shaking.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡± Klaus yelled as he ripped the fish off his nose and threw it behind him. Crouching down again to get a drink, he felt pain on his ass and on his cheek.


    ¡°Two of you damn bastards?! Goddamnit!!¡±


    He gripped the fish on his cheek, yanking it off, and slapped the one on his ass with it; then, he grabbed the fish on the floor and clenched the two until they burst into red dust. As he panted, he detected the foul scent coming from the dust.


    Buzz!


    ¡°Ah, shit.¡±


    Klaus sprinted back and bent down, watching the winged creatures.


    He touched his nose and winced in pain, thinking of what to do with it.


    ¡°Ow! Maybe a leaf to cover it¡­¡± He snatched a leaf from a nearby tree and, with a dab of tree wax, stuck it to his nose. As he did, the creatures flew away again, allowing Klaus to press forward.


    "The hell are those fishes doing here?!" Klaus thought, frowning.


    As he approached the river, he thought, "Nuh, uh. I''ll go to the bridge." He began to cross it.


    ¡°There-there''s no way¡­how?¡± Klaus murmured as he saw a familiar cabin with a sign reading, ¡®Come in! No harm, no foul¡¯ at the other end. Its windows were boarded shut.


    The bridge gave way with a crash just as he reached the other side, and he spotted a giant, brown beast looming where he had been moments before. It licked its lips, drool falling as it looked at him.


    Klaus measured the distance between himself and the beast, his stomach dropping as he realized it could easily make the jump.


    ¡°Nope. Hell no,¡± he said, turning on his heel and hurrying to the cabin. He felt the beasts'' gaze linger as he met the cabin and opened the door. Shutting it, he murmured:


    "Just how I remember it...what the hell is this?"


    Before Klaus, there was a tiny round table with a pair of chairs and two doors on opposite walls. On the table lay an open book with stained, patched pages. Klaus approached the table and, without picking it up, flipped through the book''s pages.


    "This...is Jile''s house." he thought.


    The book featured sloppy sketches of people and occasional text, giving it the feel of a personal journal. The dates, scribbled in red and placed randomly on the pages, made the book seem unpolished and hurried as if the person wrote them in a rush.


    Klaus stopped and flipped back to the first page. With a drawing of the cabin and the date, ''April 1, 1982'', it read:


    Me and my mom in house! Look at it! My mom says they won''t find us here. I''m so happy.


    Klaus turned the page: no text, just a drawing of the person and their mom holding hands. He turned it again: a drawing of a dog. Again, but this time, there was text accompanied by a sketch of a person wounded reading:


    My mom always comes back with so many booboos. It makes me sad.


    Klaus scanned the page for the date: ''April 22, 1982.'' He flipped through the pages and shrugged. He closed the book and put it down but remembered seeing a familiar black sketch. He rapidly picked it up and found the page: ''May 24, 1982.'' It read:


    My mom said that I could not look outside, but I really wanted to. So I did. I saw this.


    Above the text was a drawing of the winged creature Klaus had seen.


    Although it was haphazard, the picture gave a closer look: a hideous smile painted across the creature''s white face, and black hair dangled down to its knees. Its fingers were unusually short but had long, sharp nails fit for attack. Beside it was a black tube with an arrow above pointing at it and a question mark next to it.


    "I don''t know what that tube is either..." Klaus muttered.


    He touched the page gently and whispered, "Jile, what else happened to you?" He flipped to the last page and saw the date: ''December --, 1983''; the day was too scribbled to be understood. Below it was a drawing of a child in a fetal position with erratic, uneven lines. The text, erratic too, read:


    I hear so much buzzing. The fire is burning out, and Mom isn''t back yet. I''m so cold. So cold. I''m--


    The text was cut short with a curved line leading to the edge of the page.

 Chapter 22 - Trial (3)

    ¡°J-Jile. I-I¡­you said you were ok,¡± Klaus whispered, his voice trembling as he closed the book. This time, he placed the book down firmly and took a deep breath. He glanced at the fire crackling left of the table under the chimney.


    ¡°They always had this burning¡­¡± he thought as he stared at the fire. Shaking his head, Klaus forced his gaze away from the fire and turned toward the two doors.


    He pushed the left door open, and nostalgia struck him.


    The bedroom was just as he remembered: a dirty white bed with tiny bloodstains; a lonely lamp on the floor, its bulb flickering irregularly; and the muffled sound of wind gliding against the walls. The floor creaked beneath his steps, and his eyes caught the tiny holes scattered there¨Choles that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    A faint murmur broke the silence. It came from the bed. Inching closer, Klaus began to see a black orb hovering above the bed, its several cracks revealing hot red within.


    ¡°Th-this voice,¡± Klaus thought as he stared at the orb, its energy drawing him in. He couldn¡¯t look away. It felt like home.


    Every nerve in his body screamed, "Don¡¯t touch it," but the whisper lured him in like a predator to prey.


    The moment he touched the surface, a violent energy tore through his body. He collapsed and gripped his head as the whispers erupted into shouts, overrunning his mind. His body¡¯s late response proved detrimental, as his muscles tore apart, and his eyes bulged.


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop,¡± he stammered, his voice failing against the weight of the energy ripping him. He writhed on the floor, unable to think, unable to breathe, the orb searing its image deep within him.


    Then¨Clight.


    Not from the orb, but warm and sharp, it was piercing through the chaos. The whispers dissipated.


    Klaus gasped, his body limp and trembling. Warmth seeped into him as his eyes fluttered open. At first, he thought it was sunlight, but the light wasn''t quite right¡ªit was uneven. As his vision cleared, he realized it wasn''t the sun but a reflection of the bright wood above him.


    ¡°W-what the fuck¡­am I in the cabin?! Is this real or some trick?"


    Creak¡­


    Hearing this noise, Klaus sat up and saw a familiar figure carrying a food tray. Or at least what they could get.


    ¡°Honey? What''s wrong? You''re pale."


    Staying silent, Klaus touched the wet blanket covering him. Looking up, he saw merely the sun¡¯s reflection off the bright wood roof, not the sun itself.


    ¡°Feeling sick? I-¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­just need a second.¡±


    The figure turned its head before sighing.


    ¡°The tale stays true huh?¡±


    They laughed.


    ¡°Tale?¡± Klaus thought as he looked at the figure.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now¡­¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Noticing Klaus spaced out, the figure stepped closer and gently placed the tray on the bed. They sat down on the edge of the bed and patted Klaus¡¯s head.


    ¡°Jile.¡± they whispered. ¡°You know you can tell me, right? Whatever¡¯s bothering you. I¡¯m your mother.¡±


    Klaus¡¯s stomach dropped as he heard that last line. He was hoping he was wrong.


    ¡°What day is it?¡± He muttered, staring down at the tray of gray food.


    ¡°U-um let me see¡­¡± The mother hurriedly grabbed a notebook next to the lamp and opened it. She flipped through it and stopped on a page.


    ¡°May 1.¡±


    ¡°Year?¡±


    ¡°1982.¡±


    Klaus let out a deep sigh and looked at the mother in her eyes, bruises all over her body. Her striking yellow eyes were not to be mistaken with anyone else. She was Jile''s mother.


    Sharp thorns from plants poked out the sides of her rough, white pants and fresh cuts all over her arms. Her brown hair rested on her shoulders despite being disheveled with dirt and blood.


    ¡°Just how I remember her--what the hell is going on?!¡± Klaus thought as he analyzed the mother.


    ¡°Hey! What''s happening to you? So odd!¡± She teased.


    ¡°Such a strange question. You''ve been here for a while now.¡±


    Klaus remained mute, bearing no response to her. In response, the mother pursed her lips and gently rubbed his leg, waiting.


    Finally conceding, she stood up and said, ¡°Promise to tell me later, ok?¡±


    She waited at the door for a few seconds before biting her lip and saying:


    ¡°I love you Jile.¡±


    Shut!


    As soon as the door shut, everything in the room lost gravity. Out the window, the seasons passed like flashes, snowflakes and rain falling in reverse, the sun racing the moon, and the trees becoming prey. Were they ever bright to begin with?


    Suddenly, a light invaded his eyes and blinded him, causing him to cover his face.


    Ring¡­!


    A ringing sound dissipated as he opened his eyes and¨C


    Crash!


    The light slowly faded from his vision like it was pulling away from him, giving birth to the scene before him¨Ca fire. He was sitting on a chair and covering his head, but a fire wasn¡¯t in front of him; no, a table was.


    ¡°This...can''t be real. I have to be-¡±


    ¡°AHH!¡±


    A loud shout interrupted his thoughts. His heart pounded as he focused on listening to the sounds.


    ¡°If I go out, I¡¯m dying. If I go out, I¡¯m dead. If I go out¡­¡±


    The voice repeated the exact phrase, getting louder with each one.


    Klaus raised his arm and looked up at the window, seeing it pitch-black and moonless. He could only discern a faint tree swaying and the stars in the sky; wait, no. As he peered closer, there was something else. Far behind the tree, crouched behind a log, was a faint, red glow.


    "Firefly?"


    Klaus was proved correct as the bug flew away but revealed much worse. Behind the log was the outline of a figure, its red eyes, stari--


    ¡°AHHH!¡± the voice shouted again.


    Klaus jolted and lost balance, pelting onto the floor with the chair.


    Bang!


    "Huh?"


    Regardless of the door opening, Klaus''s head flew up and glanced at the window; it was there, watching. He immediately shot his head down.


    Step, step, step!


    "Jile...why are you shaking? Did you have a nightmare?"


    Klaus desperately tried to pretend he was asleep.


    "Why am I so afraid? I just have to go to sleep. Sleep. Slee-"


    "I know you''re awake," the voice said, closer now, almost in his ear.


    Klaus shuddered as he began to whimper. A tear trickled down his face as he instinctively clutched his head.


    "You know what happens when you stay up." A sharp, shing sound flew from the voice''s pocket.


    "This is your punishment, Jile."


    Klaus yelped as the voice pierced his leg with a knife, the pain almost convincing him this was real. They twisted the knife in his skin before ripping it out and aiming at his foot.


    He glanced at the mother and begged, "N-no-please-AH!"


    Gush! Gush! Gush!


    Klaus''s entire leg ached, blood pooling around his body. He blinked aggressively, hoping it was all a dream.


    "Hahaha! Haha...!" She laughed as she gave him a short moment of respite. She glanced up at the window before raising the knife. Klaus followed her gaze and saw the red eyes glued to the window, their breath fogging up it up.


    "That''s none of your business." The mother slapped Klaus''s face.


    "The other one now. Come on, move. Good boy."


    "N-no!!!"


    Suddenly, the light again invaded him and flushed out everything in the room. After a few moments, Klaus felt a chilling cold bite his skin.


    He opened his eyes and saw the fire. The light faded once again, and the sound of buzzing became apparent. Strong winds blew against the window, carrying heaps of snow.


    "Cold...buzzing...am I experiencing what Jile did? And the past experiences were in the cabin, too."


    Klaus''s hands went to the dwindling fire.


    "I feel so scared. Is this how you felt, Jile? This hopelessness. I can barely move. It''s too cold.


    He tried to move, but the cold restricted him; all he could do was use his fingers. He noticed an open journal on his lap with a pen between the final page, dated December 25, 1983.


    "Ah," Klaus groaned as the fire blew out. He fell over and closed his eyes.


    "It''s over, huh? Sorry, Jile. Well, that light or whatever should come save me, no? I wonder what it is..."


    Indeed. The light cleared the room, but this time, a loud giggle emanated from it. Klaus recognized it as the giggle from when Luna had healed Grandnew.


    "No way..." he muttered to himself.


    Suddenly, he found himself back in the room from the cabin, reaching for the orb that was no longer there.

 Chapter 23 - Trial (4)

    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Klaus quickly pulled his hand and gazed at it in amazement. His hands pulled up his pants to check his left leg; phew, no cuts. Even though he could not feel pain, he winced merely thinking about it. Suddenly, the thought of Jile''s experience crossed his mind.


    ¡°I always wondered why his leg was covered in bandages from time to time. Why didn¡¯t I say anything?¡±


    Klaus sighed and walked out of the room to the bathroom. The floorboards creaked in hushed whispers.


    Blow!


    The door¡¯s delicate body flew in response to Klaus¡¯s rough push. It lay on the floor, staring him down, but Klaus walked over it in thought.


    ¡°The time I visited him and he was in here, crying.¡±


    He stared at the bathtub.


    ¡°His mother walked out of the door to greet mine. What did I say to him?¡±


    Klaus paused a moment before shaking his head and leaving the room. As he walked towards the exit, his thoughts continued.


    ¡°To be fair, I was just starting to utter my first word. What could I do? Wait, then¨Cwhy do I remember it so vividly?¡±


    His thought was interrupted when the door stopped short, blocked by something in its way.


    ¡°Hm? What now," he sighed.


    Klaus tightly gripped the door handle and grimaced as he repeatedly slammed the door into the object, cursing it to leave.


    Slam!


    Slam..!


    On his seventh slam, the door swung open, and he fell forward. Looking down, he noticed a large shadow and spit all over the floor.


    Gulp.


    Slowly backing into the house, Klaus raised his head and froze. It was the beast from before. It stood before him, its unblinking yellow eyes boring into his soul. It stood firm, its sharp claws extending from massive paws.


    Dark brown fur streaked with black ran along its body, turning utterly black at its head. Its glistening nose sat unnervingly close to its yellow eyes, giving its stuffed-looking face an eerie, unnatural appearance.


    Its hot, moist breath smacked Klaus¡¯s face as it panted.


    ¡°H-h-hell no,¡± Klaus said, leaning forward and grabbing the door handle. He slowly closed the door.


    Chink!


    Klaus cautiously walked backward, keeping his eyes on the door.


    Then- silence. The beast''s muffled pants disappeared.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Wh-where''d it go?" He whispered.


    ¡°Bah, guess it was too scared of me. Hahaha...yeah, right." Klaus laughed, crossing the middle of the room and opening the window near the table.


    As he did, the panting returned, the tip of a claw visible to the right of the window.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± he thought. After a moment, an idea popped into his head.


    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll just go to the other side!¡±


    Klaus ran to the door and swung it open, just to see the beast waiting once again.


    ¡°How?!¡±


    Klaus slammed the door and backed away. When he reached the middle of the room, the panting disappeared. He furrowed his brows.


    He walked a step toward the door; the sound returned. He walked a step back; the sound disappeared. He walked up to the window; the sound was outside. Standing in the middle, Klaus rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Is it really that fast or are there multiple of them? Hm¡­¡±


    ¡°The hell am I gonna do?!"


    Klaus¡¯s mind raced for solutions, some of which included jumping out of the bedroom window, yelling curses at the beast through the other window, waiting for it to leave, or¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I''m damned."


    Klaus sat down in mock meditation once again and began to think. What could he realistically do against an animal thirty times his stature? Fight it? He chuckled.


    What about distracting it? ¡°Not with that stare.¡± What about boarding up the cabin using the floorboards?


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not how it works.¡± He looked at the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to find out what¡¯s down there either.¡±


    What about¨C


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this back and forth,¡± Klaus sighed.


    Suddenly, he raised his head. Emma and Joshua. What happened to them? He hadn¡¯t given it much thought since they initially became separated; he had other things to focus on. But what about the second day? He could¡¯ve left as soon as he woke up and gone looking for them. But no. He groaned and fell on his back, strands of his hair falling into the cracks of the floorboards.


    ¡°Curiosity took the better of me. What¡¯s happening to them? Is Emma ok? Are people doing bad things to her¨C¡±


    Klaus slapped his hand across his mouth as a wave of vomit suddenly rushed up his throat, slowly backing away when he started to calm down. Removing his hand, he realized that he had to be quick. This world was not for the frail, especially someone like Emma; she was only safe because she was with him, her guardian. Without him, what¡­would¡­happen¡­?


    ¡°Ah, shit.¡±


    Klaus shot up, adrenaline fully rushing through his body. Raising his fists in a fighting stance, he hopped side to side, unable to keep his body still. This beast was about to catch these hands.


    ¡°Your ugly ass got nothing on me!¡± He yelled as he ran at the door and rammed into it, blowing it open and revealing the beast. Its eyes followed his every movement.


    Klaus, huffing and puffing, struck the beast''s nose.


    Punch!


    It remained motionless, continuing to stare at Klaus. Klaus struck again.


    Punch!


    Nothing.


    Punch!


    This time, a droplet of blood escaped the beast¡¯s nose, and it blinked. Opening its eyes, it shook its fur and licked its lips. A moment of silence occurred before¨Cit roared. Its sticky mixed with spit blew away Klaus¡¯s hair and flapped his lips as it hollered. When it stopped, it slowly raised a claw before¨C


    Slash!


    ¡°AHH!¡±


    Klaus narrowly dodged the swipe and dashed back. The beast immediately sprinted with its other paw and slashed at him again.


    ¡°AHHH!¡±


    Klaus barely avoided this attack again and, noticing that the beast would repeat what it did, turned around and sprinted toward the open window.


    The beast¡¯s animalistic roars and grunts got closer to Klaus, its weight shaking the cabin as he reached the window. Leaping out, the beast let out another fierce screech and slashed at Klaus¨Conly to miss again.


    Panting and holding his chest, Klaus watched it put its large head through the window, sniffing in all directions.


    ¡°N-no way¡­is it blind?!¡± He thought.


    The beast locked eyes with him.


    ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    Klaus hurriedly stood up as the beast wriggled and slowly fractured the cabin walls.


    Parts of its neck began to fit through the small aperture, suddenly popping out. The walls could no longer support the beast, which crashed.


    Boom!


    Roar!


    ¡°What the hell am I doing standing here?!¡± Klaus thought and sprinted, the beast chasing him again.


    Instantly, he spotted the river that surrounded the cabin and shivered.


    ¡°I need to jump over that¡­what if they jump out of the water and bite me?!¡±


    Shaking off his thoughts, he accelerated as he approached the water. His feet left the air, and for a split second, all he felt was the beast''s roar vibrating through the wind--then, an icy slap of water engulfed his bottom.


    "Aieee!"

 Chapter 24 - Trial (5)

    ¡°Damn all of you!!¡±


    The same fish from before leaped out of the water and ferociously bit at Klaus¡¯s posterior. They wriggled relentlessly, trying to tear through the fabric of his long pants.


    Klaus barely rolled onto the other side when the beast¡¯s roar cut off, followed by a loud splash. He also looked behind and saw it jumping across the river, the fish showing no discrimination.


    ¡°Ah, shit, shit, shit,¡± Klaus realized and hurriedly scrambled, clawing his hands through the dirt to stand up and cursing the fish stuck to him.


    Boom!


    ¡°Eeek! Stop!¡±


    Klaus¡¯s ears rang as he dashed forward, his eyes racing in all directions to see where he could hide. His body trembled. Sweat began to pour down his nose as he realized that he could die. He had not taken this beast very seriously since he first saw him, but now that it was a contest in speed, he was sure he would lose. Sure, he would die. Be eaten. His guts sprawled across the dirt as the beast mercilessly tore into him. His body limped. His mind is empty. And his eyes backward.


    ¡°No, no, no, that won¡¯t happen,¡± he muttered, slapping his cheek. Suddenly, a loud whine entered his ears. He winced and covered his ears. After a moment, the sound disappeared, and he slowly uncovered his ears before¨C


    Whine..!


    Again. This time, he plummeted to the floor and smacked his ears. As the sound faded, he opened his eyes and saw that he hadn¡¯t moved. The beast struggled around him, clawing at the fish stuck to it.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Klaus¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t moved at all.¡±


    He cautiously stood up and noticed the fish still stuck to him. Were they...dead?


    ¡°They didn¡¯t turn into dust.¡± He thought, pulling the two fish off his posterior.


    Eyeing the beast, he aimed the two fish and launched them at it. Midair, the fish opened their mouths and clung to the beast¡¯s hide.


    Whine!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Ow, ow! That¡¯s loud. But it worked,¡± he thought as he watched the beast flail even harder, blood dripping from its wounds. Hope filled up in his chest.


    He kept an eye on the beast as he backed up from it. Suddenly, the beast¡¯s hide gleamed a light red as it uttered a brutal roar. The fish flung off, and its wounds were closed. Its eyes snapped to Klaus, and it gritted its teeth. Ah, shit.


    Dash!


    The beast sprinted faster than ever, its heavy paws leaving indents in the ground. It was furious.


    Noticing the speed, Klaus¡­gave up.


    ¡°No way I outrun that.¡±


    He sighed and closed his eyes, a tear escaping.


    Clomp, clomp, clomp!


    ¡°Emma, I¡¯m sorry. So sorry. I can¡¯t be there for you anymore. I¡­we are so sorry for youuuuuuuuuu.¡±


    A deep voice interrupted his thoughts. A hint of mockery seeped through it.


    ¡°Weak, weak, weakkkkkkkkkkk"


    It paused.


    "Too early to give up, upppppppppppppp¡±


    As the voice said that, the beast stopped moving, the wind stopped blowing, and the trees stopped shaking; everything ceased to move. Klaus was lifted by force, and he saw the forest shift to the side and become replaced with a replica in its wake.


    After a few seconds, he was thrown into the fields of flowers he had been before. He rolled and stumbled on the ground before eventually stopping.


    He panted. Rising, he found himself in the exact spot where he had spawned previously. Then, the flower fields cleared a path for him again.


    ¡°Huh? No, no, no, that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± His mind was filled with questions.


    Wasn¡¯t he about to die? Who was that? How did they do that? Stopping time? Switching forests? Why was their voice so creepy? How was he thrown so precisely? More importantly, why did they save him?


    ¡°Too early to give up? Bah! That was the perfect time to give up. What else am I gonna do?!¡±


    He clutched his head. ¡°Fight whatever the hell that was?! And get mauled?! Yeah, right.¡±


    He took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°Whatever. I have a second chance somehow. I just hope Emma gets one too. It still isn¡¯t over.¡±


    He stood up and wiped off his clothes.  Now determined, he ruffled his hair and began to walk into the forest. As he did, he heard a squeal.


    ¡°Not this time, idiot,¡± he said, blindly grabbing the squirrel from behind and launching it elsewhere into the fields rather than killing it.


    Continuing to walk, he brainstormed ideas on how to overcome the beast. Don¡¯t enter the cabin this time. Hide?


    He shook his head. ¡°Pretty sure it was watching me the whole time. But how can such a giant thing be so quiet? Surely, I would¡¯ve heard something¡­¡±


    Ruffle!


    The same squirrel from before roared and lunged at Klaus. He gripped it midair, thinking whether or not to kill it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do the same thing as last time.¡±


    The squirrel whined as he threw it back into its bush and continued in the forest. Suddenly, a question arose in his head: Why were there squirrels? It didn''t fit with the mood or practicality of the forest; hell, besides those two, he didn''t hear or see anymore. But if there were more, maybe they had gotten eaten earlier by the fish--


    "Hell no, who am I kidding? I just saw the forest get replaced. It must be targeting me, for whatever reason...and last time I checked, squirrels don''t roar."

 Chapter 25 - Trial (6)

    Klaus shivered as a loud wind blew his face and fluttered his clothes; he pinched his nose, the nasty scent enveloping him. He grunted and shook off the smell.


    ¡°Why¡¯d that happen this time? Ew.¡±


    He coughed and continued forward, waving his hands to remove the scent. Then, he saw the river again. He didn¡¯t remember it being this close, considering last time he had walked ten minutes to it, and this time, it felt like five. Was time even a factor here? Did it exist? Well, did it matter?


    Klaus figured otherwise as he approached a tree and ripped several leaves off it; he first wanted to see if the fish would go for anything. Reaching in a small shrub for a stick, he felt a sharp, stinging sensation in his left hand. The leaves in his other hand fell as he pulled it out and hissed.


    Looking at his hand, he muttered, ¡°What the he-¡±


    Zing!


    One of the tiny, winged creatures flew out of the shrub, followed by dozens of others. They glided up the tree near the shrub, dispersing into the leaves.


    Klaus watched them. They watched him, their wings glowing in unison. The wound stung again. He winced and peered at it. Near his knuckles was an outline of a small circle with thick blood oozing out the edges. He remembered the tube on the creature¨C


    ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s used for? So quick,¡± he thought as he licked his finger and wiped the blood off the wound¨Cbut it stung even worse. He furrowed his brows. His finger started to hurt now; it was like an infection.


    Turning his head to view the mark from several angles, he muttered, ¡°Best to not do anything I guess¡­¡±


    He picked up the leaves and tossed them in the river. Nothing. The leaves floated with the current, as it should be. Klaus wasn¡¯t done with experimenting; he searched around him and found a stick lying behind him.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t there. Eh, what works, works,¡± he thought, picking up the plain stick. He then threw it into the river. Nothing again. He crouched down; an idea popped into his head. He raised his hand over the water and squeezed the sides of it. Blood slowly rolled off his hand and into the river when¨C


    Splash! Splash!


    ¡°You like that, huh?¡±


    Klaus watched tons of fish swim rapidly across the surface, biting the blood. He used this moment of chaos to scoop water with his other hand. It worked. Pulling the bloodied hand away, he drank some of the water but immediately spit it out.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Cough, cough! Ack!¡±


    A fire burned in his throat, each breath feeling like a ragged scrape. He lurched forward, clawing at his neck, gasping for air. His limbs trembled, then fell limp. His head dropped, his legs buckled, and he crumpled towards the water.


    Splash!


    Before the fish reached him, an unseen force yanked him out of the water. The forest reshuffled, and Klaus got thrown back into the fields. As he rolled again, he took a desperate breath and started to pant. When he stopped, he repeatedly gulped to replenish his dry throat.


    ¡°What¡­this is so damn¨Cgoddamnit!¡±


    Klaus slammed his fist against the ground and sighed. Though he had died (again), he had a third chance. He stood up as he realized: Why would he have a third chance? Shouldn''t the last one have been it?


    "Another chance...how many more do I have?" he thought, gazing at the forest.


    Suddenly, a strong wind blew.


    ¡°Hurry up. Now, nowwwwwwwwwwwww."


    "Ah! Wait, wait, wait, no!!" Klaus yelled as he clawed at the ground to anchor himself, but to no avail; the wind carried him away and flung him to the cabin door.


    Bang!


    "Ow...ow..." he muttered, rubbing his head with one hand and holding his shoulder with the other. He took in a deep breath and blinked. He touched his nose--


    "Leaf on my nose, same as before...what does it want me to do?" He wondered, rising to his feet. His gaze shifted upward to the sign. He frowned. The words had changed.


    ''No running, no running! Go fight.''


    The message glared back at him; the bold letters painted a searing, messy yellow.


    "I seriously have to fight that thing?! Why would I ever-"


    His thought was interrupted by the door slamming open, nearly launching Klaus into the river. As he cursed and got up, he heard a low growl behind him. Panting. Peering to his side, he saw a large shadow.


    "Ahaha..." he murmured as sweat formed on his nose. His body began to tremble, but he breathed to calm down. He slowly walked to the open door and entered the house without looking behind, acting as if the beast weren''t there. He stopped in the middle of the room and began to shout.


    "Hey! Wow, Jile, you left all this junk here? Could''ve told me--AHHHH!!"


    The beast''s claw pierced Klaus''s neck from behind, blood pouring out, but before it could continue, everything froze. Klaus was lifted by a force, breaking through the wooden roof of the cabin. The forest shuffled once more, and before being thrown, he was moved above the forest''s entrance and forcefully shot down like a ragdoll, his left arm shattering upon impact. It lay at an odd angle with a part sticking out.


    "Ack! Oh-what the hell?! Oww!!"


    Klaus touched his arm only to feel the pieces of bone lingering in it. He tried to move it. Nothing. The arm lay still, lifeless. His waning determination gave way to frustration.


    "The hell do you want from me?!?!! Why are you doing this?!!!"


    There was no response, only the whistling of the wind.


    Klaus grimaced. "Answer me. You stupid, fu-"


    "Fight."  The whispering voice sounded young--too young-- but carried a hollow weight, as if a mask.


    "Fighttttttttttttttt" The sonorous voice echoed across the landscape, violently shaking it for a moment until it came to a halt. Klaus''s vision slowly unblurred as a leaf landed on his nose, wounds opening in his body.

 Chapter 26 - Trial (6.5)

    Drip, drip¡­.


    ¡°He¡¯s been in there for a while. Don¡¯t you think Luna?¡±


    Shrugging her shoulder, Luna groaned and looked at Klaus¡¯s limp, leaning body sitting on the chair. No matter how far he was leaning, it seemed he couldn¡¯t fall off.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been two hours. You¡¯d expect more.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Mae asked, blowing a bubble into her cheeks.


    Luna, dressed in a tank top over a white jacket with short pants, replied, ¡°Mhm.¡±


    The two had just gone to the room to check on him, as once one escaped the trial, they would be left in a zombie-like state unless treated. Mae, resting somewhat uneasy, knowing there could be a zombie with their soul running loose, had nagged Luna incessantly to check him. Growing tired of her unrelenting demands, Luna finally responded positively and headed down with her.


    ¡°The last one¡­he took a week.¡± She paused. ¡°...remember?¡±


    The little girl shuffled through her memories, humming as she did, until her face brightened.


    ¡°Yeah! I remember now. That would be, what, a month ago?¡±


    ¡°Your memory is seriously gone,¡± Luna scoffed, walking over to Klaus and crouching to see his face. Clearing his hair with her hand to see him, she saw his condition. His face, once smooth and clear, now bore deep wrinkles and an unkempt beard. Sweat coated his body, soaking his clothes and pooling on the chair beneath him. His arms and legs were slathered with wild hairs going in all directions, seemingly rough.


    Using the same hand, Luna pushed his forehead until he sat straight¨C--then she placed two fingers on the side of his wet neck and looked at Mae.


    ¡°It¡¯s slow.¡±


    Turning her head, Mae replied, ¡°Well, isn¡¯t he sleeping?¡±


    ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t told either of you two enough about this,¡± Luna said with a sigh. Standing up, she continued, ¡°The trial syncs with your emotions. His leaning tells me that he¡¯s thinking¨C-see? He¡¯s back in that position. Usually, though, his heartbeat should be fast. Really fast. Unless this is just how lax he takes everything, aaaaand now his hand''s twitching."


    Mae tilted her head. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    "He''s getting hurt there. Wherever he twitches, that''s pain inflicted on him."


    Mae made a look of disgust. "Yucky. But now that I think about it, I think Grandnew mentioned it to me once."


    Luna got up and stood beside Mae, both gazing at the limp body. Luna heard footsteps right outside the room as she was about to speak.


    Glancing at the door, she thought, "It''s like her name is her calling...ew."


    She closed her mouth and motioned Mae to be quiet by placing a finger over her lips. Mae nodded vigorously, agreeing with her. After hearing the footsteps leave the door and up the stairs, Luna carefully cleared her throat.


    ¡°That old ass?"


    She scoffed. "I''d be surprised if she ever told me anything usefu-"


    Step¡ªBlow!This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Suddenly, Luna¡¯s back was impacted by a strong force, denting her back and sending her flying right past Klaus. Her body slammed against the wall with a sickening thud. For a moment, she couldn''t breathe. Raising her bloodied head, she shouted.


    ¡°Wh-what the hell, you sloppy old bitch?! How''d you get here?!"


    Grandnew, having just slipped into the room after overhearing their conversation, said, ¡°Respect me. You¡¯re far too naive to call me that.¡±


    In response, Luna scowled, which earned her a glare that embedded deep fear into her. Turning away, she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.


    Seemingly satisfied, Grandnew looked around and shot Mae a nasty look.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°U-um¡­I was.. worried for him.¡±


    ¡°You? Worried? Don¡¯t lie to me girl.¡±


    The little girl carefully shrugged and minimized her body, trying to get the old woman¡¯s attention away from her. Grandnew held her gaze on her for a moment longer before turning away and scoffing.


    ¡°There is nothing to be even remotely concerned about. I made this room myself and as such, it won¡¯t break due to some mere failure of the Lattice¡ªdon¡¯t you trust me enough?¡±


    Mae gulped. ¡°O-of course I do. It¡¯s just¡­the thought scares me¨C¡±


    Grandnew abruptly gripped her collar and lifted her tiny body into the air.


    "Ridiculous," she spat, with a tone of disdain.


    ¡°I save you from this curse, and this is how you repay me? By whining like a child?"


    She tossed Mae to the side, her fragile build ricocheting against the wall with a moan escaping.


    ¡°Both of you are pathetic. Also, he¡¯d better survive this because if he doesn¡¯t..."


    Grandnew pointed at Mae.


    "It''s wraps for you."


    Before shutting the door, Grandnew gazed at Klaus. ¡°He¡¯s sweating far too much.¡±


    Shut!


    Quiet. The silence imbued the room with a somber mood. The only noises perceivable were the breathing of the two girls as they both sat hugging their knees. The occasional drip of Klaus''s sweat echoed in the space, providing an unusual comfort to the girls. After a few minutes of this, a small voice hesitantly spoke out.


    "H-hey, Luna?"


    "...what?"


    "I ha-" Mae paused, remembering what happened to Luna when she had insulted the old woman.


    Noticing the cut in her speech, Luna turned her head towards her and peered.


    "--remember what I said about him?"


    "...the guy sitting in the chair?"


    "Kla-yeah, sure, him."


    Mae buried her face in her knees. Her voice muffled, and she slowly said, "..so?"


    "I think he can..." Luna''s gaze shifted to the ground as she trailed off in thought. "Ah." Looking back at Mae, she softly smiled and continued, "help you."


    Mae quietly whispered, "Right..."


    "Wait, no, don''t be so skeptical. I felt it when I dueled him. He has something powerful. How quickly he adapted to my movements with Jux enhancement, you saw it too right?"


    Mae shifted her legs in Luna''s direction. "I mean, yeah. It was quick."


    "There''s been no one that reacts to them that quick. If he can learn how to use the Lattice efficiently, I think he could bring that adaptability and be super-"


    "You sure you don''t just like his face?" Mae teased, a sly grin forming despite the tension.


    "--What?! Yes, I''m sure! Why is that the first thing you think about?!"


    Mae raised an eyebrow and said, "Um, no reason." Her grin slowly dropped.


    "What you''re saying makes sense, but this is weird of you."


    "Weird? How-"


    "Because I''ve never seen you like this."


    Luna paused and squinted at Mae, seemingly doubting her words.


    "...seen me how?"


    "Genuinely hopeful that someone can help me? I mean, that''s what happened with...her," Mae remarked as she looked back at the door. She turned back and continued, "You see how that turned out, right?"


    "..."


    She waited for a response but continued when she saw none.


    "What is it about him?"


    Luna clenched her fist and raised her head as she replied, "His strength. I know it. There''s something ther-"


    "What about strength will help me?"


    "Um, well," "" with strength, we can go out and find people who have the cure.""


    Mae spoke in unison with Luna mockingly, expecting what she would say. In response, Luna sighed and shook her head.


    "--see Mae, we can''t think so negatively--"


    "What about strength will help me? What about it could help me?!" Mae''s hair flapped wildly as she yelled, her outburst of emotions leaving Luna with her eyes wide. This was completely unexpected.


    "Will strength get rid of this?!" she screamed, her voice cracking.


    "Will it stop me from feeling this pain?! No! It won''t! And you''re too stupid to realize that! How many times have you brought someone from a Gutter, saying ''This one will save you, I know it''?! Do you know how much they haven''t?! They''ve all been freaks and terrible people!! How much do I have to suffer because you can''t bring someone useful for once?! I hate it!"


    With that declaration, Mae dug her face into her knees and fell into a quiet sob. Luna, on the other side of the room, pressed her lips tightly and put her head down as well. Though she didn''t expect this strong of an outburst, Luna had known she was bottling up her emotions; it was only a matter of time. She grimaced. Morphosyndrome. A disease that had plagued Mae since birth. Shunned by her parents, Mae had suffered her whole life.


    "It attacks their hormones and makes them their own." Luna thought as she saw Mae, still sobbing, grab her hands tightly. Flakes of her skin began to drip from her hand as her hair grew longer and her legs shorter. Her sobbing only got louder.

 Chapter 27 - Trial (7)

    ¡°...¡±


    Klaus couldn¡¯t say a thing. His mouth felt sewn shut. His legs were stuck in place, seemingly glued to the rough dirt. His left hand was welded behind him, adhered in a position that looked painful. Red lines began to creep in his still eyes. No matter which way he tried, he couldn¡¯t move. He wouldn¡¯t budge. His body betrayed his every will to think, feel, and see; all of it was gone as if swallowed by a void. At last, a feeling pulled him back to reality¡ªpain. The sharp, stabbing sensation emerging from his arm slowly erupted as his consciousness returned.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Ow, ow, ow!¡±


    First, he looked at his arm; as he did, he realized his vision was blurred and his eyes burned. He instantly shut them and tried to cover his eyes, only screaming. Recoiling from the pain of trying to move his snapped arm, he yelped and extended his other hand to cover both pupils. His breathing was raspy, and he shuddered, confused by what had just happened. He had no time to think, however.


    Buzz!


    In an instant, a loud buzzing noise came closer. He hurriedly opened his eyes and saw a terrifying sight¡ª-fifteen. Fifteen of the tiny-winged creatures flying towards him.


    ¡°Wh-what the hell do they want now?! Don¡¯t disturb me!¡±


    The creatures swayed and flew cautiously as they approached Klaus.


    ¡°G-get away you¡­you bastards!¡± He yelled, his whole body shaking. Indeed, his earlier thought wouldn¡¯t come true. They wouldn¡¯t consume him, too.


    One of them slowly moved towards him, their wings flashing endlessly. Its still expression contorted into a sinister smile, its lack of teeth on display. As that happened, an eerie sludgy tube gradually poked from their mouth. Klaus¡¯s shaking intensified.


    ¡°H-hey,¡± he mumbled. ¡°S-stop, d-don¡¯t get any closer!!¡± His hand bolted across the air, aiming at the creature, but it swiftly avoided the attack and continued its trajectory.


    ¡°Stop-AH!!!¡±


    Klaus let out a blood-curdling scream as the creature¡¯s tube latched onto his arm, draining red liquid from his veins and dissolving his bone. In a panic, he grabbed it and crushed it in his hands. The creature squealed before bursting into a bright orange liquid, splattering his face and chest. Instantly, the other creatures emitted a collective, deep gasp. Panting with broken breaths, he looked at the other creatures and gulped. He glanced at his hand and then back at the crowd. He raised his hands in surrender and stuttered, ¡°H-hey man, he came to me first. If-if you don¡¯t want him to die, then¨C¡±


    Buzz!


    ¡°AHHH!!¡±


    "No mercy"


    ...was the phrase Klaus thought of at this moment. This moment was when all of the creatures hooked onto him all over his body, five at his limp arm, two on either side of his neck, and the rest scattered around. Needless to say, it was not pleasant. It felt like fire and ice colliding under his skin, a sharp tug pulling at his veins as if draining his strength along with his blood. He felt his skin tighten and loosen as the creatures took breaks, only for the pain to return tenfold. His screeches reverberated across the forest as his very essence was drained. Cold numbness spread through his body, leaving him weak and hollow, his head dizzy from the loss. Finally, the creatures pulled out and hovered above Klaus¡¯s now lying and dry body, his consciousness barely holding on.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t say ¡®fight¡¯ then do this¡­¡± was his final thought as he faded into darkness. Before his eyes fully shut, however, his body lifted into the air, high above the forest, and then after a large gust of wind hit him due to the scene reconstructing, he was lightly placed on the ground.


    ¡°B-bah!¡± He gasped as he sat up and put his hand to his chest. ¡°That was too much you bastard! The hell am I supposed to do against that?!¡±


    No response. After huffing and puffing for a few minutes, Klaus sighed and relaxed.


    ¡°That hurt so much¡­damn it all."


    The tingling sensation of being sucked from had stuck in his skin. Every movement felt like tearing through a web of needles, yet he pushed through and tried to ignore it as much as he could.


    His motivation was waning once more. How was he supposed to kill that beast? How was he supposed to ¡°fight¡±? Against that? And just now, he got sucked to death by those creepy flying things. What¡¯s next, dying to the fish? Dying to the squirrels?


    ¡°The squirrels?! That''s the last thing that''ll happen...ah, this is stupid. But Emma¡­¡±


    The thought of Emma arose in his head again. What was she up to? How was she doing? Was she okay? Was someone doing bad things to her?


    ¡°No, don¡¯t think about that¡­I have to do this then. I have to do this again¡ªfor her.¡±


    He took a deep breath and stood up. He ruffled his hair and shook his body, lightly hopping. He didn¡¯t know how to do this, but he had to. There was no choice. Go back? No. Wait? No. Die? Absolutely not. He wasn¡¯t repeating that.


    As Klaus punched the air in preparation, he finished his earlier thought:


    "And for me. I''m not staying here, pff."


    A slight grin crept on his face as he yelled, ¡°I¡¯m gonna hand your ass straight to you!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Blow¡­


    The trees eerily welcomed Klaus in, the wind releasing a disgusting fragrance. By now, however, he was indifferent to the scent and continued to walk while he thought of what to do. How was he going to realistically ¡°fight¡±? Was he supposed to kill that beast?!


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out¡­¡± he thought, slumping his shoulders.


    Squea¨Ccrush!


    ¡°Dumbass squirrel.¡±


    After crushing the rodent to a pulp and tossing it aside, he began to jog. He remembered how, on his first death, the beast had been watching him the entire time.


    ¡°Who¡¯s to say he¡¯ll spare me this time as well? Gotta make distance..¡±


    In no time, the bridge reappeared before Klaus, its appearance identical to what it had been. His pace quickened, and the structure buckled beneath him as he raced across, collapsing into the clear waters below. Standing at the cabin island''s edge, he saw the beast at the other edge, its drool creating a pool under it.


    Klaus scoffed.


    "Weirdo."


    As he said that, the beast''s eyes suddenly lit up, and its legs straightened.


    "I didn''t mean that!" He screeched as he ran off to the right corner of the island and jumped over it, not even considering the danger lurking below.


    Roar!


    "Eek!"


    Klaus landed upright and darted forward, not looking back. The ground rumbled loudly as the beast lowered its large build on it and bellowed.


    "Wait, aren''t I doing the same thing as before?!" Klaus vocalized his thoughts and grimaced. Consumed by fear, he couldn''t think to do anything else. All he could hear was his breathing and the beast behind him. The impact on the floor became stronger as the sound of the beast grew louder. It was closing in. Like a predator pursuing prey, it only had its eyes on Klaus.


    "Goddamnit!" Klaus shouted, suddenly stopping, and right as the beast opened its jaws, darted to the side. Taking advantage of its mass, he quickly sprinted back to the river again.


    "This only buys me a bit of time--I gotta do something."


    "Use me." A child-like whisper echoed through Klaus''s mind as he ran.


    "..."


    "The hell was that?"


    "Don''t ignore me."


    "m..g...bah! I don''t have time to...play around with whatever...this is!" Klaus spoke rapidly with pauses, occasionally checking to see if the beast was behind him, which it was. It had just regained its speed and glared at Klaus, angrier and eviler than ever.


    "Face it."


    "I-I can''t really do anything else," Klaus thought. Knowing that he was cornered, he rotated and looked at the beast. He cracked his knuckles and pulled his hands to the front of his face.


    "Do or die," he whispered.


    Roar!


    "Huzzah!"


    Squelch...


    "Huzzah...zzah...what?!?!?!"

 Chapter 28 - Trial (8)

    Amidst a massive puddle of blood stood a figure, seemingly surprised by what had happened. Their face was splattered with red liquid, and their mouth was agape. Just a moment before, they had shut their eyes in fear, extended their arms, and shouted. Out of their arms came crimson lines that formed a long sphere accompanied by subtle blood-curdling screams, which shot at the beast¡¯s stomach as it lunged at them. The beast¡¯s body recoiled as it hit, and its eyes immediately shifted to its now-gone lower half. It whined repeatedly when it landed on the ground, squirming in every direction before falling limp.


    ¡°It-it kinda looks like a rug¨Cwait! I can¡¯t think of this. How the hell¡­?¡±


    Klaus gulped and turned his head towards his shoulder as if to whisper.


    ¡°You. Voice. What was that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Only the sound of his breathing responded to him. Or maybe a shudder.


    ¡°Hey! Voice! Answer me¡­¡±


    His voice dropped as a piece of cloth fluttered towards him, seemingly emerging from the dissipation of the crimson lines far in the distance. It landed perfectly in his open hand, its bright white hues serving as a relief in contrast with the forest''s darkness. Klaus muttered in confusion. Why was it here? Why¨Cno, how did it come from those red lines¨Cno, what even were those red lines?


    As he sighed, he felt a massive pressure release from him. Was it the relief of killing the beast? No, he thought it was something else.


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been whatever those red lines were. Where did it start¡­¡±


    Before he had time to brainstorm, however, a ferocious wind began to blow all through the forest. Nearly falling, he gripped the beast¡¯s scraggy fur and gritted his teeth.


    ¡°AHHH!!¡± He yelled as the beast¡¯s body slapped his face and wrapped around his body. The air was the one in charge now. He couldn¡¯t even look back since the beast¡¯s fur seemed to stick, too.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    He shouted a muffled ¡°Goddammnit!¡± before feeling hardwood slam against his back. Spit shot out of his mouth, his body tightening as he slid off the tree straight onto another.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    This time, a searing pain entered the back of his head, and blood began to pour. The strong gust pinned his arms behind him.


    ¡°Wh-what the hell am I supposed to do?!¡±


    Using all his strength, Klaus yelled, drove his palms into the beast¡¯s hide, and took a big gasp when it left him. In an instant, the wind tore the hideaway, one of the claws leaving three deep wounds on both his palms. He screamed and looked at his hands while trembling. He didn¡¯t have time to process, though, since another gust attacked his left side, pushing him off the tree and into free fall.


    ¡°Damn!!!¡±


    Klaus rubbed his eyes and gasped at the massive tree before him. He was about to slam headfirst into it. Imagining what would happen caused him to gag.


    A cracked skull, his body being carried across the woods, leaving trails of blood as his head drained its final life. Maybe even his brain would eventually slip out and serve as food for those hungry below. He was petrified. Truly, this time. Since this time, he hasn''t been able to do anything. The airlocked him in place. All he could do was stare at his impending doom. As it inched closer, he closed his eyes and let out a shuddered breath. This was it, right?


    ¡°Wrong. So wrongggg¡ª¡±


    The voice cut off as Klaus¡¯s reality was flipped on its head. The voice cut off as Klaus¡¯s reality was flipped on its head. In an instant, the forest vanished from his vision, replaced by a cold, gray wall. The warm sensation of the wood''s breeze also disappeared, usurped by sweat and wetness on his skin. He panted, repeatedly gulping and staring at the floor. Was he really back? This wasn''t a dream, right?


    "Ho-how...this..."


    He scanned the room until he felt sweat leave his arm. Looking down, he saw a puddle of sweat. Then, furrowing his brows and licking his lips, he lifted his shirt to see his condition. His ribs were visible. It was clear he had sweat a lot. Too much, in fact. As he exhaled, he felt heat release from his body and a sharp chill enter.


    "It''s cold. Damn, so cold. I guess...I''ll get out for now, no? I''ve gotta find Emma. And Joshua, he''s key. But how am I gonna see either of them anyway? Too many questions..."


    Klaus concluded his thoughts and attempted to stand up from the chair, only to be stopped by a squelch.


    "Seriously?"


    He tried a few more times to no avail. He placed his hands on the edges of the chair and pushed himself off.


    RIP!


    "This can''t be real! What kind of sweat sticks onto you?!" he complained, staring at the fabric that used to once lay on his beautiful black pants. He bent his head back and touched his behind, feeling the equally soaked gray underwear. With a grumble and a curse, he punched the air and began to walk towards the door. As he reached for the doorknob, he realized something. There were three other people here: Grandnew, Luna, and Mae; Grandnew, the old woman; Luna, the girl similar to his age who had beaten his ass; and Mae, the young girl who had a demented form.


    Before he could think any further, he felt the door push open.