《Cliché Fantasy I》


 Prologue

    My name is ***, ** years old. Married.


    Two kids, a wife, my own house and a high-paying job. I have it all. I was happy.


    But enough about the past. What¡¯s important is today, and the future, however bleak it may be.


    Let¡¯s talk about today. Worrying about what happens next isn¡¯t important.


    Alright, so let¡¯s begin.


    Today is the day I¡¯m filing my divorce.


    Coincidentally, today is the day I die.


    Abrupt, I know, but life is never fair, yes?


    (Notice : Transfer sequence initialized. Parsing host data.)


    Three bullet wounds in the abdominal region, I¡¯m certain that my stomach was shot through. The burning pain that comes from what I assume my gastric juices should be enough evidence for that. Even the pain from the three holes I had couldn¡¯t compare to the acidic burning I felt inside.


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Physical Attack Resistance - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Corrosion Resistance - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    Two bullet holes on my right shoulder rendered my right arm useless. I can¡¯t even move it even if I wanted to. It just hangs loose, like a kite that has lost its guidance and purpose. Not that moving it would amount to anything. I¡¯m just laying here prone and dying, after all. It¡¯s cold.


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Cold Resistance - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    I had ten fingers on both hands before, now, I only had eight. Two were cut off the moment my inspired genius struck. Who would have thought that an attempt in blocking the bullets from a semi-automatic pistol would shave off two of my little appendages, blood, flesh, bones and all that. It hurts just thinking that I won¡¯t have a complete set of fingers anymore.


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Regeneration - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    I just stared at wonder in the state my body was in. I felt pain, but every second that passed. The pain felt dimmer and dimmer. I realized it at this point, I was going into shock.


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Shock Resistance - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    I did not even have the composure to look at the people encircling me. The shouts of my murderers were thoroughly ignored. Even the singular wailing of the only woman in the background passed through my ears unnoticed.


    Two drops of tears fell, and with them, a question. Directed towards the one who threw my whole life, my everything, in disarray. The one who stole everything from me.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    I thought,


    ¡®You were always brilliant. A dazzling light. You gave me a warm home, two children to call my own, you gave me a reason. Your existence was a blessing I couldn¡¯t hope to repay. You were my family, my best friend, my partner in life. You were my sun, my stars, my everything. I loved you - ¡¯


    but no matter how I refuse to believe it, the facts that made themselves known could not be ignored.


    ¡®yet, you showed them to me. Those... things. The cruelty you orchestrated from the beginning. The truth of the lies that you shoved down my throat and up my ass with. I tried everything, you know. I asked you the reason, I asked what¡¯s wrong. Maybe I was lacking, I thought, but you never bothered to explain. I tried to communicate but you blocked me off. I endured, but even insanity has its limits. I¡¯ve had enough. And this is how I ended up.¡¯


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Pure Vision - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Inquisition - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Universal Tongue - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Persuasive Suggestions - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Mental Resistance - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Confirmed. - Skills : Pure Vision and Inquisition will be fused into Skill : Eyes of Truth once transfer is complete.)


    ¡®God damn you. I¡¯ll wait for you in hell you monster. I never believed in god but now, oh, do I believe. I¡¯ll pray that you end up with me on hell¡¯s deepest pits. I¡¯ll wait for you to come down with me in paradise. If there is no such thing as heaven or hell, then I¡¯ll make it. I¡¯ll make it for you. Then, I¡¯ll love you. I¡¯ll tear off your skin then burn your raw flesh. I¡¯ll rip your every joint. I¡¯ll cut you and slice you and maim you and gouge and pierce you and crush you like how I loved you back then. I¡¯ll revel in your screams like how I slept with your lullabies back then. I¡¯ll tear your limbs, I¡¯ll cut off your fingers, I¡¯ll rip your skin, I¡¯ll gouge your eyes, I¡¯ll maim your flesh, I¡¯ll lovingly break every single strand of your being like how I loved you back then.¡¯


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Spatial Creation - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Flame Mastery - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (Confirmed. - Skill : True Strike - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Notice : Skills : Cold Resistance and Flame Resistance derived from Flame Mastery will be fused into Skill : Thermal Resistance EX once transfer is complete.)


    ¡®You took everything away from me. Everything I¡¯ve built, everything I loved, everything I was. And in the end, I¡¯m lying here on the ground while you¡¯re still standing there, watching me from above with eyes full of conceit. I hate it. It¡¯s not fair. I¡¯ve toiled blood, sweat and tears just to build it all but in the end, it all amounts to this? This is the extent of my effort? I refuse to believe it. ¡¯


    (Confirmed. - Skill : Unbound Potential - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡®God, I don¡¯t believe you but if you¡¯re out there, listen.¡¯


    ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I lived as a person with morals. I was the perfect catch. Yet every single good I did was repaid with this bullshit. My existence, everything I¡¯ve made, everything! All of it thrown completely to waste.¡¯


    ¡®If you¡¯re alive.. if.. if you¡¯re real, shouldn¡¯t you prevent these kinds of things from happening? I tried to do good, didn¡¯t I? I even did charity. I lived as a nice person. I went to church! I was the good guy! And yet, and yet!¡¯


    (*Ding!*)


    (Error : System is unable to process the-)


    (Error!)


    (*Ding!*)


    (???? : Superbia - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Notice : Due to - ???? : Superbia - Skills obtained pre-transfer and skills obtained once transfer is complete will derive from the predetermined evolution path.)


    ¡®And yet this is how I was repaid!?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s because of you! Right!? It¡¯s because of you that I went through this hell! Right!?!¡¯


    ¡®You were irresponsible. I needed help. But you left me alone!¡¯


    I managed somehow, but it was hell, and in the end, the result was complete utter bullshit. I¡¯m even dying.


    Before my vision went completely blank, I wanted to let out at least a bit of it. Mustering the last bit of strength this dying body had, I spoke.


    Full of fury and indignation, a crisp voice resounded in the hallways.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡®You along with that bitch should all just go die and rot in hell.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll wait for you. Then I¡¯ll end you. Then I¡¯ll make you feel pain. Then I¡¯ll make you wish you never let me slip away from your grace. All my pain and all my suffering and all my regrets and all my disappointments and all my fury, I¡¯ll make you feel every crippling inch of them.¡¯


    ¡®I sincerely loathe you you fucking pieces of shit.¡¯


    (*Ding!*)


    (Error : System is unable to process the-)


    (Error!)


    (*Ding!*)


    (???? : Ira - will be obtained once transfer is complete.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Notice : Due to - ???? : Ira - Skills obtained pre-transfer and skills obtained once transfer is complete will derive from the predetermined evolution path.)


    After that, I felt as if the taut strings holding me aloft this muddy consciousness snapped.


    Then.


    Everything went blank.


    (*Ding!*)


    (Individual *** has ceased life functions.)


    (Beginning transfer.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Error : Incompatibility detected. Attempting recovery.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Notice : Transference underway. Recovery attempt failed. Searching data-matrix for resolution.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Solution : Forced coalescence of conflicting factors with host possible.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Solution chosen. Transference modified. Preparing restoration.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Error : Forced modifications resulted in irrecoverable lost.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Notice : Transference subject irreparably altered. Searching data-matrix for resolution.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Solution : Aspect relevant to subject will be used as compensation for lost.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Error : Relevant aspect could not be found.)


    (*Ding!*)


    (Resuming transference.)


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ?


    Sometime after a certain individual finally closed his eyes, the sole person that was inconsolably crying near him finally took the courage to walk towards him, albeit unsteadily.


    She was crying. Heartbroken.


    From another person¡¯s perspective, one wouldn¡¯t be able to determine what expression was lingering in her eyes. The expression on her lips could not be seen as well due to both of her hands covering the entirety of her lower face.


    She neared the bullet hole-ridden corpse of the man she used to call her husband.


    The shivering of her body that intensified after every step couldn¡¯t go unnoticed and when she finally arrived at his position, she fell down.


    She opened her mouth but her voice only came out stupidly,


    ¡°Ah--?¡±


    Moving one hand away from her face, she nudged the corpse of the young man.


    But there was no response.


    ¡±....?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe it. She thought that everything that happened to day was an illusion. Just a nightmare.


    She slumped there stupidly. Her eyes unfocused, her mouth left agape, her tears flowing endlessly. Endlessly cold.


    Endlessly regretful. Her refusal to acknowledge the current situation led her to recall how everything progressed to how it was now.


    Today, morning.


    She thought that this would go like any other. They¡¯d eat breakfast, she¡¯d carry the twins with her by the door before kissing him goodbye as he went for work. But unexpectedly, the look on his face this morning was far from the usual.


    Dead eyes with bags beneath. He even looked older than he actually was. Skin pale and cracked lips replaced the usual vibrant visage he had.


    She wanted to ask what was wrong as she took the spoon near her mouth but the words that left his mouth had her thoroughly shocked.


    ¡°Hey? I¡¯m filing divorce today. I¡¯ve had it with you. Bitch.¡±


    And with those hurtful words, the spoon fell, he left the table, dragged her outside, tossed her inside the car and drove away. The two children they were eating with was unceremoniously left on the baby chairs beside the table. The Asian maid living with them who couldn¡¯t understand the slightest bit of English was left dumbfounded.


    Silence permeated the vehicle. And as they drove on, she was slowly figuring out their destination.


    This road. It was the way to her father¡¯s company. But why, she thought.


    They had no issues until today. She loved him and he loved her. Her parents approved of him, especially her dad. They even had talks about the company¡¯s inheritance but it was kept from her husband, too early, her father told her. Asides from that, there were no problems. The twins were growing well. They lived in a house full of warmth and love. That¡¯s why..


    That¡¯s why she wondered what happened.


    The worry she felt in her chest grew bigger and bigger as minutes passed. The silence grew louder and louder until it felt maddening, then finally, she asked him.


    ¡°Honey? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    And instead of the usual warm, smiling face, what she saw was it¡¯s complete opposite.


    She wasn¡¯t given an explanation. A cold gaze lurked within those dead eyes. She stared back at him, shivering. She wanted to speak but the intense pressure that he gave off wouldn¡¯t let her utter even the slightest noise.


    Fast forward thirty minutes.


    Her father died, strangled by the man she loved. Then, they both ran out. He was shot and now, he lay there. Dead.


    Recalling everything, she realized.


    And with it, her vision swam towards one of the guards walking towards them.


    After approaching the unknowing person, she deftly moved her hands towards his waist. Took something from it, then afterwards, an ear-piercing noise.


    Then, silence.


    (*Ding!*)


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ?


    In a certain place during a certain time.


    A sad, resigned sigh echoed, followed by the faint sounds of falling drops.


    Silence came afterwards and with it, the entire world shook.


    Then everything went quiet.


    <hr>


    Author''s Note :


    Hi there, esteemed reader! Thank you for taking your time to read the prologue! I apologize if you found the chapter quite rushed or a bit lacking in some aspects. You see, this has been my first attempt at writing. Therefore, I''m certain I''ll have terrible sense in all aspects of it. But I do want to continue and improve! - especially considering that English isn''t my native tongue - so I sincerely hope I''ll receive your guidance! In fact, I''m looking forward to it, haha.


    But anyway, this has been blanc, and welcome to Clich¨¦ Fantasy I. Best regards!

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Part 1

    When I came to, I was surrounded by fire.


    The scorching heat kissed my sweat-glistened skin as I rose from whatever state I was in before.


    Both my arms felt numb. As for my legs, both felt like they were being pierced by millions of needles. My eyes were heavy, the feeling was very similar to that of just waking up. I wanted to go back to sleep but the roaring flames outside my shelter kept me from doing so.


    After giving myself half a minute¡¯s time to acclimate, I moved to one of the gaps in my shelter.


    Peeking out, I could see a stone paved street. It was wide. Big enough to fit three or four carriages in a single lane. Brick-laden buildings, wood-paneled buildings, or combinations of both lined up the massive street which was decorated by tall coniferous trees on both its sides.


    I imagine that it could be a beholding sight before. But now, everything that made up that former beauty was now burning down. The buildings, the light posts, the benches, even the tiniest leaf from the largest tree, all of them was burning up. Even the depressions at the edge of the road - which I assume to be canals - were filled with a dark liquid and was afire.


    Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t lying in the street, but near one of the buildings that were yet to be set ablaze. To be precise, I was by its right side. Surrounded by boxes and barrels made of wood. These wooden containers were piled up in an orderly manner and judging from this, I presume that the building I¡¯m staying near at could be a shop of some sorts. And these were the only things that kept me alive moments later.


    Peeking from the gaps in my fragile refuge, I could see people wearing steel armour.


    I don¡¯t know them, nor the reason they¡¯re doing this but one thing was certain. They looked menacing. The thickness of their armour, combined with the jagged edges and the occasional spikes that decorated it only added to their savage appearance.


    They were equipped with large swords, spiked shields, and an ungodly helm that beheld a terrifying visage. The eye sockets of their helmets were hollow and their nose stubbed but the most noticeable feature of it was the ghastly mouth, made to look like it was howling in pain.


    As I stared at them, I noticed that a few of them, instead of holding their terrifying weapons, were holding large torches instead. It would seem that they¡¯re the ones setting this once beautiful place afire.


    The assortment of their armours, helmets and weapons made for a diverse looking group but one thing each of them uniformly had - and consequently made my blood crawl - was the belt of heads that hung from their waist. It seems they were indiscriminately choosing their victims, judging from the various heads of children, teenagers, adults and old people, regardless of gender. However, the one thing that revolted me the most was the small head of a babe, with eyes wide open, tongue hanging loose and fresh crimson dripping from where it was severed.


    The moment I saw them and their decorations, I understood. If they found me, I¡¯m dead.


    I almost threw up.


    Suppressing the urge, I moved away from the gaps. Afraid they¡¯ll notice me andthen have my head included in their belt decorations.


    I rested my back on the building¡¯s walls, huddled my feet close to my chest, wrapped my arms around it then shut my mouth tight, attempting to be as small and as quiet as possible. The only thing that moved was my eyes, darting back and forth between the gaps of the wood that hid me from the monster¡¯s sights.


    I stayed in this position for a few minutes until I¡¯ve made sure that the soldier¡¯s footsteps were gone. Collecting my courage, I decided to peek back. Slowly. I wouldn¡¯t dare imagine what fate would befall me the instance I fall under their gazes. So I moved. Slowly.


    Seeing the empty streets before me, I heaved a sigh of relief then gazed upwards.


    It was night.


    I could only catch glimpses of the stars above due to the intense brightness that came from the hellish surroundings, nevertheless, in the gaps of the flames, I could still see heaven¡¯s sparkling gems high above the skies. There was also something that looked like an aurora hovering around the city. I was unsure of what it is exactly but it was beautiful.


    A stark contrast of beauty amidst the terror that lay under the evening skies.


    [Ugh. Oww.]


    The faint sleepiness I felt just moments ago suddenly vanished. Jolted awake by the voice that suddenly came from nowhere, I swear I could almost feel my heart leaping out of my chest. In cold fright, I moved my head near-instantly towards the direction the voice came from.


    I caught the owner of the voice in my vision and when I did, I saw the figure of a young girl, no, a young woman.


    She had long brown hair that swayed unsteadily as she rose from lying prone on the ground. Her slender hands rubbed her almond green eyes whose colour was reflected in the flames as she attempted to clear her vision. Her small pert nose struggled to collect the burning evening air as she hurriedly breathed deeply in, fully ignorant of the toxicity that lined each breath. Her small plump lips moved in preparation for the words she was going to speak,Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    [Where are we.. Oh.. right.]


    She fixed her posture while her head swam around as if looking for something. As soon as she saw me, her shoulders slumped in relaxation before asking in a weakened voice,


    [Hey? You okay?]


    Vigilant against the sudden appearance of an intruder that disrupted my peaceful hiding, I thought better and refrained from answering. I don¡¯t know if that was shown in the way of how I look at her but she seems to not notice it as she just kept on asking,


    [Hey Ysil. Are you hurt?]


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    While I was wondering who this girl was, she crouched up then moved slowly towards me,


    I told her in a small tone,


    ¡°Don¡¯t come near me.¡±


    Disregarding my words, she kept on shortening the distance between us while saying,


    [It¡¯s fine. Let me check on you.]


    Annoyed at her persistence, this time, I spoke in a voice with a stronger force,


    ¡°I said, don¡¯t come near me.¡±


    She appeared to be shocked as those words hit her ears as her next words were spoken in a shaking tone,


    [..why?]


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    Her eyes looked like it glistened with something but I guess it¡¯s only my imagination. She then slumped on the ground then proceeded to stare at me. I¡¯ll never know what was behind those eyes she stared at me with.


    This stalemate of some sorts continued for a few minutes.


    We just sat there staring at each other until she finally broke the peace with a murmur,


    [... memory loss?]


    I couldn¡¯t hear her previous words properly, but fortunately, this time she spoke up. Her hands gesturing in a pleading manner,


    [I¡¯m.. a friend. My name is Enli. You¡¯re Ysil. I won¡¯t hurt you. Trust me.]


    [If you noticed, right now, this city is burning down. Anywhere here isn¡¯t safe. The enemy may have already infiltrated, or worse, this city could already be lost. We need to escape.]


    ¡®How am supposed I to know you aren¡¯t an enemy?¡¯ Is the question that popped in my mind but I ignored it.The idea of asking an unknown person in front of you if they were the enemy sounded stupid. So I let her continue,


    [Although we fell from the third floor, I¡¯m glad that we¡¯re both unhurt. And it¡¯s lucky that we fell behind these when the ground trembled earlier. I think nobody noticed the two of us behind these crates and barrels during the siege.]


    [Hey.]


    [You woke up before me, right?]


    I nodded, she continued,


    [Did you see anyone? Are there still people around? Were you seen?]


    I kept silent. This woman, maybe she¡¯s asking if her friends are around,


    [Ysil this is important. Please, trust me.]


    I pondered for a bit before replying,


    ¡°Yeah. I saw a few people.¡±


    [What were they wearing?]


    ¡°Sharp-looking armours with sharp-looking swords. They had decorations on their belt, too.¡±


    [..we really need to run.]


    Were the words she said as she resumed crawling towards me,


    I on the other hand,


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I trust you.¡±


    With those words, her slow approach went to a halt. She looked indignant, and the following words left her mouth in a near screeching manner,


    [That doesn¡¯t matter! We need to run soon! We¡¯ll only get caught if we stayed here!]


    Dumbfounded at how my calm-and-collected image of her got shattered instantly, I reflexively cursed and responded, bearing in mind the appearance of the patrolling knights earlier,


    ¡°Keep your voice down, idiot. You¡¯ll kill us both.¡±


    She appeared to have calmed down after hearing those words, then,


    [I don¡¯t!- *sigh*, okay. I understand. I¡¯m sorry.]


    Giving me and her a couple of seconds to compose ourselves, I continued,


    ¡°Now. You said I¡¯m Ysil?¡±


    [Yes.]


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall any memory of me being Ysil.¡±


    [Thats... maybe it¡¯s because you fell..? Maybe you lost memories because of you hitting your head as you landed? I don¡¯t know. Trust me. We really need to go.]


    I pondered for a bit. She does look sincere, and her voice that was near hissing earlier suddenly turned mellow, but I can¡¯t be too sure. My life depends on this after all.


    Conveniently interpreting my silence as a sign of her words getting through, she continued,


    [Believe me. You¡¯re important to m-, to this country. I can¡¯t and I won¡¯t harm you even if I wanted to. ]


    [Besides, you were even with me the whole day! Before they attacked, we were inside this shop.]


    Seeing her monologue appear useless, her eyes looked desperate and her voice turned into a pleading tone,


    [Look. I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t trust me or if you can¡¯t remember. What¡¯s important right now is we get away from this city.]


    [It¡¯s only two hours before midnight.]


    She spoke before pointing towards the sky,


    [You see those unnatural lights hovering above the city?]


    I hesitated for a bit, before finally glancing towards the sky. It was then that I understood what those beautiful lights I saw earlier were.


    [That¡¯s a huge spell formation. The faint light emitting from it means that there¡¯s only at least two hours before the spell is complete. By then, this city would completely fall.]


    [No one will be left alive. Nor will there be any remains. Please, Ysil.]


    After hearing all this, and considering it¡¯s better to place my hopes on this delicate looking woman instead of taking my chances with those knights earlier, I decided I¡¯ll go with her, for now.


    ¡±..okay.¡±


    Hearing this, a smile blossomed on her face -


    ¡°But I still don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    - which was immediately lost afterwards.

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Part 2

    Trinsa.


    Apparently, it was the name of the city I was currently at.


    ¡ª ¡®Situated on the vast plains of the Central Uren continent was the jeweled city of Trinsa. Built along the banks of the largest river that crossed the continent, coupled with the luscious fields of green outside and matched by the endless troves of people swarming back and forth the city gates, its pride as one of the richest cities in the central continent is easily justified.


    Multitudes of spotless brick-laden structures lined the stone-paved streets, heavily congested by the massive influx of travelers, merchants, and common folk. Shops arrayed with a wide variety of goods guaranteed the city¡¯s smooth economic growth which was further complemented by the increasing demands of the people¡¯s daily struggles.


    The adventurers, wanderers, merchants and craftsmen served as the flowing lifeblood which helped advance the majority of the aspects that supported the city¡¯s growth. Loyal knights roamed the city streets ensuring public safety and furthering the trust of its denizens. ¡°


    The slightest hints of fear could not be seen on the residents¡¯ faces, not because of the soldiers that roamed within, but because of the hundred-meter-tall walls, laden with siege weapons and counter-spells, that fortified the city edges.


    A thriving jewel safely tucked away from threats of the vast plains and beyond, renowned throughout.¡¯


    ¡ª An excerpt from Ililnae¡¯s Guide to the Uren Continent.


    Save for now.


    The city¡¯s renowned prestige and grandeur, the majesty of its atmosphere and the dauntlessness of its walls, all lay burning as of this moment.


    The lives which nurtured and kept this grand city ahead of it were all but lost. Children, teenagers, adults, old people, regardless of gender and regardless of age, each of the city¡¯ citizens were all either dying or dead. Even their famed knights that were supposed to guarantee the city¡¯s safety were all displayed grandly along the roadside - their bodies mercilessly impaled by large poles with spikes jutting out from each side.


    And now, among the countless buildings and shops that were slowly being razed to the ground, was me. Hidden away between huge piles of wooden crates and barrels, I was safely tucked from the flames that were slowly swallowing the city whole. Despite this, the fetid haze of burning flesh and boiling blood still reached my nose.


    Simply put, every second spent staying in this city is agonizing. No one with a sane mind would want to stay here. And despite my lack of trust against this woman that was accompanying me, I had no other choice.


    Therefore,


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    With a tone that sounded more irritated than disappointed, she replied,


    [It¡¯s Enli. Did you forget my name, again?]


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. I don¡¯t even know mine.¡±


    Seeing my reply made her appearance turn by the second by the second, I followed up, not wanting to cause any unnecessary racket,This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Anyway, you mentioned escaping earlier. Do you have a plan? You¡¯re much more knowledgeable about this city than me, so I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±


    [I don¡¯t exactly have a plan, you know? But, if we¡¯re going by what you said earlier about seeing those knights recently passing by. I think running now would be our best choice.]


    ¡°Hmph. Are you sure about this?¡±


    [Not really. Besides, even if I¡¯m wrong, we have no choice. Judging from the time, we only have an hour and a half at most before the ritual of consuming is complete.]


    ¡°Ritual of consuming?¡±


    [Ahhh, you really forgot everything didn¡¯t you?]


    With a slight look of annoyance, she hesitated for a moment before heaving a sigh and continuing,


    [Ugh, this¡¯ll be a pain. *sigh*, okay, so the ritual of consuming is, like its name. A ritual that consumes.]


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re unexpectedly an idiot.¡±


    [I wasn¡¯t finished! The ritual of consuming is a spell. A big spell, really. It¡¯s a big spell that consumes-]


    ¡°Are you serio-?¡±


    [The spell not only consumes the flesh of every living being in the vicinity of its range, it also consumes the soul. Once the ritual completes, every single living thing will disappear, along with their souls. It will then convert everything that got destroyed into mana which in turn will further strengthen the spell, resulting in a larger radius of death. It was written down in history that the largest ritual of consuming done led to the desolation of the human capital three thousand years ago. The only difference this time is that the target is Trinsa, and not our home.]


    Understanding the severity of the situation and wanting to make sure of something, I asked,


    ¡°And that¡¯s the spell this city¡¯s currently under, correct?¡±


    [That¡¯s right.]


    ¡°So we need to move.¡±


    [That¡¯s right.]


    Realizing the terrifying scenario we¡¯re in, my mind went overdrive thinking for a solution, then it hit me,


    ¡®If invading knights are strolling the streets unopposed, that could mean that the gates have already fallen, right? There¡¯s no way an active defensive force would let invading troops move around unopposed. If the defenses are struck this low, that basically means the walls are now under enemy command.¡¯


    Which is bad, so I asked her,


    ¡°Do you know of a way outside the city except for the gates? I think it isn¡¯t safe to go through them at this point.¡±


    [I was actually thinking the same thing. Don¡¯t worry. I know one nearby. Just a few hundred meters ahead. It¡¯s one of the hidden passageways underground. But I just hope the castle isn¡¯t overrun yet.]


    Before I could ask what the castle has to do with the route she¡¯s talking about, she continued,


    [We¡¯ll head towards the northwest part of the wall first. There¡¯s a passage that leads outside there. After that, we¡¯ll head towards the river and from there, we¡¯ll go downstream. Trust me.]


    After stating the somewhat reckless escape plan, she stood up, grabbed my hands then ran outside the comforting shelter of wooden crates and barrels.


    It was then that I noticed she was at least a feet taller than me, which isn¡¯t supposed to happen. Considering the height I assumed she had before when she was just sitting on the ground. Unless I was wrong?


    ¡°Wait. How old are you again?¡±


    [Aren¡¯t I your fian-! ....right. Ugh. I¡¯m eighteen.]


    ¡°How come you''re taller than me? How old am I?¡±


    [Fifteen! Now let¡¯s go!]


    I was surprised. Not by the sudden way she pulled me close as she ran, but because of the unexpected answer that came. The reason is because I had memories of a place beyond this, a place where I¡¯m older,


    ¡®Fifteen? And I¡¯m smaller than an eighteen-year-old girl? But.. but I remember.. I even had two-¡®


    Suddenly, a piercing pain racked through my brain, my consciousness burned white and cold sweat poured from every inch of my skin,


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Feeling faint, I slumped down feeling half awake, half dead and in full agony.


    (*Ding!*)

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Part 3

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I your fian-! ....right. Ugh. I¡¯m eighteen.¡±


    I understand he somehow lost his memory due to the fall. But honestly, the way I felt after being treated like this? It¡¯s terrible


    Not that I¡¯ll tell him that.


    This insensitive prick.


    Really. I wonder where he went. That naive cute little boy that would go ¡°Big Sister Enli! Big Sister Enli! I love you! Hehe~¡± whenever he¡¯d see me.


    Just losing his memories turned him into this moody, sulking bastard that somehow manages to get on my nerves every time he speaks.


    Ahh! Annoying!


    [How come you¡¯re taller than me? How old am I?]


    ¡°Fifteen! Now let¡¯s go!¡±


    I praised myself as I somehow managed to patiently answer the tactless question he threw at me before continuing to pull him along the road.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the frustrations I felt earlier slowly turn into fear with every step that I made as I guided him.


    The reason is that every time my sandals touch the ground, my eyes were slowly opening in realization that sure enough, everything has gone to hell.


    Corpses were everywhere. The old lady that gave away apples during by the church, the roguish young man who sold skewers under the tree and even the little orphan girl who timidly sells fresh flowers by the road. All of them were dead. Their once happy smiles earlier this morning were all replaced by frozen masks of fear and helplessness.


    I averted my gaze from their corpses in a vain hope that my memory of them remains as how they were before; alive, and smiling.


    I tried to focus on running, but the overpowering stench of death and the occasional wafts of burning flesh and blood kept me from fully investing my attention to move forward. My difficulties only managed to increase as I saw the countless amount of corpses that were piled along the road.


    Some of them were missing limbs, hands, feet, fingers, even heads. Some had holes, both large and small, that pierced through their stomachs, chests, and limbs. Some were torn in half with their organs loosely scattered from the gaping wounds that divided their once whole body. Their desecrated remains, being feasted upon by an innumerable amount of rodents and pests.


    We would be in a state similar to these unfortunate ones, too, if it weren¡¯t for the selfless sacrifice of the old shopkeeper who attended us while we were browsing his store.I wonder what happened to him.


    Everything. All of these deaths, caused by the sudden appearance of those demons. I don¡¯t know what method they used to infiltrate the city¡¯s defenses or how they managed to get in, but when everything¡¯s said and done, in the end, there they were, and we weren¡¯t safe anymore.


    All I could remember was both of us being blasted away by the impact of some spell that shook the ground as we were leaning on the railings on the third floor. Due to the apocalyptic shakes of the ground, we inevitably fell. And coming from the third floor down, I fainted almost instantly, but only after I heard the simultaneous screams that resounded all throughout.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    A peaceful evening suddenly turned deadly.


    My reminiscence of the events earlier was abruptly stopped.We even haven¡¯t run far, but I suddenly felt his hands breaking away from mine, then a howl,


    [Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!¡±]


    ¡®What happened?!¡¯


    Looking back, I saw his frail looking body shivering as he slowly fell to the ground.


    ¡°Ysil!?¡±


    His shoulder length white hair quivers as he clutched them with his slender hands. His violet eyes fraught with pain and his supple lips bitten with his pearl white teeth in pain.


    ¡®Wait. Now¡¯s not the time to admire his looks!¡¯


    Correcting myself, I rushed to his side,


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    I clung to him in panic,


    [... don¡¯t shake me. My head hurts.]


    He groaned in reply so I removed arms from his shoulders then proceeded to rub his back to comfort and assure him.


    A minute or two passed uneventfully. But we really need to get out of here before he gets comfortable. I mean, we¡¯re in the middle of an alley and I¡¯m pretty sure his shout earlier managed to reach the demons patrolling the area.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you move? We¡¯re really in a dangerous place right now and we can¡¯t afford to wait any longer.¡±


    [.. I know that. It¡¯s just my head.. felt like it¡¯s being split.]


    He continued,


    [I think.. I remembered something earlier.. but I forgot.]


    ¡°We¡¯ll think about that later. For now, we run.¡±


    [Give.. me a second. You barbaric woman.]


    My eyebrows twitched in response, therefore, I naturally pinched his arm before pulling him away,


    [Ow! Oww! Hey!]


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®Hey¡¯. I have a name. It¡¯s Enli. And we need to go. Your screech earlier should¡¯ve reached those demons. ¡±


    [I don¡¯t care! Stop it. I can move on my own.]


    Hearing his energetic reply, I felt relieved, then I removed my hands from his arm. Then I stood up and bolted from my position.


    I was doubtful whether his body had the ability to catch up to me, but seeing him almost reaching my side, I ran faster,


    ¡°Are you okay now?¡±


    [Yeah.]


    Hearing this, we continued to run in silence.


    It wasn''t until we reached the north-western part of the city that I refrained from darting my eyes from corner-to-corner in vigilance. When I saw the large structures made of steel, stone, and wood, I felt relief.


    The area we arrived at wasn¡¯t like the wasn¡¯t like the western section of the city - where we were in earlier - that was largely occupied by commercial shops and stalls. This north-western section, on the other hand, was commonly used as the location for warehouses and storage buildings. In other words, although some parts of it were currently set ablaze, I think there¡¯d be nobody else here.


    It¡¯s only a few hundred meters until the wall passage and considering that we still have some time left, I told him we¡¯d better stop for a bit and reorganize the plan. Moving about haphazardly would only endanger us.


    He thought for a bit before agreeing, then we looked for a suitable place to hide for the meantime. Although the majority of the buildings here were locked tight, there''s always the occasional one that wasn''t locked or was forcibly opened. Perhaps it was due to the inevitable looting that happened earlier when the demons came.


    After surveying our surroundings, we immediately found a spot that seems like a good place to hide. The building we found seemed like the storage for horse and cattle feed - hay - in other words. Although it was itchy, this place would serve as decent cover for the meantime. We moved slowly and eventually arrived inside.


    After I had him close the large wooden doors, I heaved a sigh of relief before saying,


    ¡°Okay, so..¡±

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Part 4

    [Okay, so..]


    ¡°Shh. I think they¡¯ve caught up to us.¡±


    It¡¯s a good thing we were easily able to find a secluded spot in the area.


    Well, considering that the surrounding buildings appear to be just storage houses, finding one or two places to hide in shouldn¡¯t be that difficult.


    But I digress.


    I shushed her earlier because I heard footsteps. It was the crisp, heavy sound of steel boots clanking against the polished stone of the streets.


    They¡¯re here.


    As expected, I guess my sudden outburst earlier managed to notify them of our presence.


    Carefully, I peeked from one of the slits between the panels of the door, then I beckoned for her to come before whispering,


    ¡°Hey, look outside.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for her to get behind me as I continued watching the knights that were conducting a search,


    ¡®I wonder, how I got caught up in all this?¡¯


    All I remember was that it was dark. Everything. No light, no shadows, my memory was a complete blank. Not the simplest fragment. Then suddenly, I was among barrels and crates with little breathing room left. The city surrounding me was ablaze and the only thing I had with me was this unknown woman. And according to her, I lost my memory and that I was only fifteen. Then I almost remembered something but suddenly felt pain splitting my head apart. Then there was that sound.


    [Those monsters..]


    My recollection was interrupted by the low, trembling voice that the woman who came up next to me unnoticed let out. I felt her body shake for a bit before moving away from the door. I looked at her briefly and I saw that she was slightly trembling, and her fists were tightly clenched.


    ¡°Is there someone you know from their belt decorations?¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to reply, but I could see a faint glimmer in the corner of her eyes, reflecting the blazing inferno surrounding our refuge. The flames that burned reflected in both her eyes, exuding a gaze trembling with... something.


    I didn¡¯t want to keep my eyes off them for at least a second, so after confirming she won¡¯t do anything rash, I looked back outside,


    ¡°Four enemies, huh.¡±


    We¡¯re surely dead even if one manages to catch sight of us. I have no confidence in fighting against one of them, especially against four. Combat isn¡¯t an option and the only viable way to live until tomorrow is to escape from them unnoticed.


    So,


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    [I don¡¯t know.]


    Her voice was somewhat steady earlier, but now, it was shaking,


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Sure enough, her voice was trembling,


    [I don¡¯t know.]


    Feeling irritated, I turned around to look at her face,


    There were tears falling from her eyes and she looked listless as she slumped powerlessly on the ground.


    I wanted to look at her in disdain but managed to rein it in, thinking any unnecessary conflict would only make matters worse. Thinking like this, I thought for a bit before continuing,


    ¡°Hey, you. We¡¯re going to die if you keep acting like that.¡±


    I wanted to add some force in my voice for effect, but it unexpectedly sounded stern, even hateful,If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Get a grip.¡±


    She looked like she wanted to say something as she bit her lips white, fortunately, she only nodded half-heartedly before averting her gaze from mine,


    I kept watch for a few minutes. The knights outside were still checking the surrounding buildings. Time passed by silently until she composed herself and spoke,


    [Sorry. I lost myself for a bit. I¡¯m.. I''m okay now.]


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    [No. I¡¯ll ¡®get a grip¡¯ like you said.]


    Her voice was thick with contempt, but I swear there were hints of sadness and disappointment mixed in.


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    I bitterly replied, then I continued to survey the situation outside.


    The knights on the streets were searching through the warehouses. From the looks of it, they are four buildings away from where we were currently hiding. They were taking some time searching the first one, maybe that one was occupied.


    On the other hand, the warehouse we¡¯re in was completely empty, so I was able to easily see the end. The wood panels gave off a dancing silhouette against the conflagration beyond the walls and it was because of this that the insides of this warehouse was somehow illuminated. It¡¯s also because of this that I could see that there wasn¡¯t any sort of door or entryway at the back side.


    It appears that this warehouse only had one entrance.


    ¡°Three warehouses away. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±


    I racked my mind for ideas but each and every time I played a scenario in my head, it was helpless.


    I wanted to hide and pretend we weren¡¯t here but once I saw what they did after searching the farthest warehouse from us, that idea was immediately trashed. They burned the place inside out. Flames suddenly just exploded outwards the moment the last of the knights walked out. Even if we hid inside, we¡¯d end up burned to death.


    I thought about outrunning them for a second, but as I continued to observe their movements, I came to the conclusion that those thick pieces of armor weren¡¯t even hindering them in the slightest. Those knights looked nimble and at ease despite wearing all that metal.


    And all this time, this woman is just slumping behind me comfortably. Not a single word peeped from her mouth.


    ¡°Two buildings left.¡±


    She muttered something before clearly speaking up,


    [You don¡¯t understand.. but still..]


    [I¡¯m sorry.]


    I felt cornered. I felt trapped. Frustration was slowly building up inside me. I wanted opinions but the first thing that came out was a useless apology.


    Unknowingly, I lashed out at her,


    ¡°What¡¯s the use? Just shut up.¡±


    We¡¯re running out of time here and you have the time to spew useless things.


    [I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. If I didn¡¯t blank out earlier we could have made a plan. I¡¯m sorry Ysil. I dragged down you with me.]


    ¡°Can you just shut up? Your whining isn¡¯t helping.¡±


    I really want to slap your face right now but that won¡¯t help.


    What would help though is to probably use her as a distraction. Although from the looks of it, she just looked useless and pathetic. Where¡¯d that woman from earlier go? We ran through horrifying death and gore and she managed to keep up but now, she¡¯s like this.


    If all comes to worst, I think I¡¯ll throw this woman at them then run for my life.


    [I¡¯m sorry.]


    ¡®Fucking hell.¡¯


    ¡°*sigh*.¡±


    But, thinking back, I¡¯d like to avoid that if possible.


    I don¡¯t know anything about this place.


    Wandering around with no knowledge, with my state like that, one wrong move and I¡¯ll most likely end up dead. I need this woman until I¡¯m all set. She seems attached to me for some reason, so I¡¯ll use that. She seems to know my history, so until then, you¡¯re with me. You aren¡¯t going anywhere until you¡¯ve expended your worth.


    It was then that I saw the enemy knights enter the last warehouse before ours.


    ¡°One left, and that¡¯s the end.¡±


    I struggled to come up with a plan, then I remembered something from earlier - a sound. Adding that into the equation, I fixed up something that I hope would work.


    It¡¯s now or never so,


    ¡°How do I get to that passageway from here?¡±


    She looked shocked for a moment before replying in a feeble voice,


    [...I see.]


    [...that¡¯s fine, I guess.]


    I¡¯m thinking you¡¯re under a huge misunderstanding here miss, but that doesn¡¯t matter right now.


    [Just turn right from that street and enter the second alley from the left, go straight then you¡¯ll find a wooden shack. Enter that then go to the kitchen. On the floor, look for the broken tile with a tree in the center. Under that is the passageway leading outside.]


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    [I¡¯ll hold them off-]


    Not letting her finish her convenient interpretation, I spoke to her in a hush,


    ¡°I¡¯ll get their attention so hide. Once everything is clear, escape. I¡¯ll see you later outside. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    I guess she never saw the grin I had on my face before dashing out.


    ¡®I sure hope this works.¡¯

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Part 5

    ¡®I sure hope this works.¡¯


    Was the last thing in my mind before I ran out of the empty warehouse in full force. Then, the instant I left that building, I heard a shout coming from the direction of the knights.


    Followed by the reverberating sound of footsteps coming from their steel boots.


    Step, step, step!


    With each step I took, I noticed the change in my mood. Earlier, I felt apathetic towards anyone - even at that harmless girl. But now it¡¯s different. Although my heart was racing fast and felt like they would burst due to the sheer volume of the anxiety I¡¯m currently feeling, I¡¯m somehow feeling rushed. Anybody would be, I think, if that anybody was running away from four heavily-equipped knights with decapitated heads adorning their waists chasing you from behind.


    - or is it thrill?


    Either way, I couldn¡¯t even bother looking back.


    They say first impressions last. Apparently, it¡¯s true.


    The first time I saw them, I felt my skin crawl. It wasn¡¯t due to the heads, nor the weapons, nor their helmets and armor, it was due to the atmosphere around them - the suffocating bloodlust that filled the air around them with repulsive pressure.


    And now, given the situation that I¡¯ll most likely end up at the receiving end of their complete horror package, I¡¯m worried, and it¡¯s natural.


    But even that was overtaken by my desire for survival.


    So I urged myself, to run faster and faster. More! Hurry! I said to myself.


    Now. Looking back, this plan felt wrong from the beginning. In the first place, acting as a diversion is dangerous. Add to that, I have no memories of this place and could only run haphazardly into streets I have no idea if they¡¯ll be a dead end or no. Ultimately, not having that woman work together with me nor have her help formulate a plan was wrongest part of everything that¡¯s happened until now.


    Too late for regrets now. Sigh. I just hope I don¡¯t end up dead.


    Feeling refreshed with the motivation of the ¡®don¡¯t die, me!¡¯ idea, I ran.


    I ran past burning warehouses, warehouses yet to burn, half-burnt warehouses, the occasional corpse, benches, lightposts, it was the usual surrounding one would expect from a storage-centric area.


    It wasn¡¯t until I ran past the third street corner that I managed to catch a glimpse of my pursuers. I¡¯ve made significant distance from them so at that point, I decided to check out whatever or whoever was chasing me.


    ¡°Two, three, four knights. All there.¡±


    After confirming the same amount was chasing me, I ran again.


    They weren¡¯t fast like what I initially expected when I was hiding, but they¡¯re persistent. If I had to chase someone inside those armors in the fullest speed I could manage, in the midst of a burning city, at night, I¡¯d give up. But them? No, they kept on chasing.


    ¡®Fuckers.¡¯


    I initially thought I¡¯d be able to outrun them in the shadows between the warehouses, so I did some maneuvers in between. Unfortunately, the roaring flames that was burning the city to the ground didn¡¯t offer much darkness to move creep in.


    Still, given their lack of speed, I¡¯m somehow maintaining the status quo for now.


    But apparently, being overconfident has its flaws.


    *Fwoosh*


    ¡°..what?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    An object flew past my shoulders and almost hit my head.


    It was a thin, short, sharp pointed object that was shining brightly flew past me and made a *thunk* sound as it hit something.


    Surprised and shocked at the sudden inane development, I looked at where that thing hit.


    And as soon as the scene registered in my mind, I ran faster.


    The wooden wall of the warehouse that was hit got pierced all the way through. I could see the other side of the building, despite those walls being composed of thick wood. The hole it left was approximately the size of an adult¡¯s fist, was in cinders and is starting to blaze up.


    In other words, if I¡¯m hit I¡¯m probably dead. Or if I¡¯m not, I¡¯d be killed the moment those fuckers catch up to my while I was writhing in pain.


    *Fwoosh*


    Another one almost grazed my thigh.


    But this time I didn¡¯t bother checking how the place it landed ended up.


    I just ran.


    So I ran like there is no tomorrow, I couldn¡¯t even care less what I was stepping on.


    Whether it was huge blocks of stone, chunks of burning wood, flesh of something dead or whatever debris it was, I ignored whatever I managed to step on and just kept on running.


    I could feel my breath running short. My chest was tightening and the edges of my vision getting darker.


    To be completely honest, I have no idea if I could run faster than how I am running right now.


    My body was screaming for rest but I manage to ignore it and hurry. My legs felt like they were burning and my joints felt like they¡¯d break, but still I struggled forward.


    A couple of minutes after running through warehouses in irregular patterns, I think I managed to lose them. Which is good, considering the burning pain I was desperately enduring in my chest.


    Not thinking twice, I crouched behind the base of a broken lightpost to catch my breath, staying as low and as quiet as possible. I rested for a bit before finally recovering to a state where I could observe the darkness properly.


    Crouching low, I sneaked a peek to the dark alley that was faintly illuminated by the flames, struggling to see if the shadow that was moving was from the knights.


    Fortunately, it was just me overthinking things. I remember seeing the large, swaying flames from that direction as I passed through that place earlier. Or at least, that¡¯s what I hoped.


    Making sure that they weren¡¯t there, I sneaked towards one of the warehouses that isn¡¯t burning. I hesitated for a bit before entering.


    *creak*


    ¡®So dark.¡¯


    I walked forward for a few meters before bumping into a large crate. Or what I assumed to be a crate. I didn¡¯t really know what it is exactly, but it was covered in cloth and fastened by ropes. It was hard, and large, and is square. Probably a crate for some sort of merchandise.


    Anyway, after ascertaining that the boxes can be climbed over, I went towards one of the corners of the warehouse near the entrance.


    It¡¯s fortunate that the walls of the warehouse I¡¯m hiding in was apart from each plank in a perfect distance. Peeking could be perfectly done with ease. I tiptoed towards the dark corners as silent as I could manage.


    Surprisingly, corners in dark places can be awfully relaxing. I was able to sit comfortably in the dark corner of the building and for the first time, I felt tension leave me. My decision to position myself to be as comfortable as possible while still able to look outside between the gaps is effectively working.


    It took me a few minutes of surveillance before I felt relatively safe, relatively speaking. The four knights passed by my hideout but they never thought about entering the warehouse. I guess closing the door after I came in worked. I didn¡¯t let my guard down for a second, thinking that they¡¯re sure to make another round.


    And I was right.


    They passed by again but this time, I didn¡¯t hesitate to move. The moment I saw them enter another alley, I scurried towards the back of the building.


    The wooden crates that were piled up was sturdily knotted and didn¡¯t even creak when I climbed over. Naturally, I didn¡¯t rush. It would be too stupid to even think that I¡¯d come crashing down these boxes despite me being all careful and silent just minutes earlier. As I reached the halfway point of my climb, I wanted to see if my efforts wouldn¡¯t be wasted. Seeing an outline of a door faintly illuminated by the light outside, I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡®I hoped there would be an entrance at the back. Fortunately, there¡¯s one.¡¯ were the thoughts that ran across my mind as I carefully climbed down the stacks of wooden crates. At this point, every step I made was carefully done, bearing in mind to avoid any blunders that would reveal my position.


    Still, I did good to manage this far without attracting their attention. But then I stopped. What if they were there at the entrance? Straining my ears for a moment just to make sure that there weren¡¯t any sounds coming from the front, I halted my steps and stayed right where I stood.


    Then, complete silence.


    ¡®Good. Time to go outside then.¡¯

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Intermission - What Went Wrong

    [I¡¯ll get their attention so hide. Once everything is clear, escape. I¡¯ll see you later outside. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.]


    Saying so, he ran off without even hesitating and I could only stare stupidly at the doorway. I tried to reach out to him, but my right hand only caught air.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    The shock that rendered me inept earlier was temporarily subdued due to the shocking turn of events. And although they were gone, I managed to put it in the back of my mind for now.


    I did not expect it. I somewhat understood what happened just now but I still can¡¯t process it. He, who appears to have lost memories is now somehow acting as a diversion while I, who kept leading him on earlier was just slumping down with my mouth hanging agape.


    I tried to register these developments in my mind but was interrupted by his echoing footsteps across the burning streets. The distinct claps of his shoes striking across the stone-paved road were followed soon after by numerous clanking of metallic heels.


    He¡¯s in danger. I want to help him. I need to help him.


    I thought of getting their attention and distracting them for a while flitted in my mind, all with the purpose of just allowing him to escape. But the image of their heads hanging from those demons¡¯ waists held me in place with fear.


    Never again would I see their smiles nor hear their laughter. Those bulging eyes, those hanging tongues and the blood that dripped from their severed heads was all the proof I need to understand that detestable fact. I don¡¯t want to end up like that. Fear ruled over me.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The so called affection I held for him proved useless against the instinct to survive.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    Despite feeling lethargic, I managed to scramble my way towards one corner before the demons could get near this building. I imagined them closing in and the result was that I felt death fast approaching. Their haunting steps grew louder and louder faster than I could decide what to do. In the end, I stayed at that corner.


    With tears silently falling from my eyes, I hugged myself. Realizing that the feelings I held dear could only be so shallow.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡®I love you.¡¯


    ¡®And I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯


    I heard every footfall in a thundering crescendo, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. Paralyzed with fear, doubt and self-loathing, I just sat there. A selfish thought just wanting to end it all and just let things as it is popped up in my mind. I felt that I couldn¡¯t care less about what happens next.


    My thoughts were numb. I could see him slowly slipping away from me. I was slowly believing the illusion that he, just like them, will be gone. And that in the end, I¡¯ll be all that¡¯s left. The mere thought of it froze me in terror.


    I braced myself, clenched my teeth, shut my eyes tight, and closed myself off of everything that was happening. The roars of the flames, the booming strides of metal boots, my shallow breathing, I escaped it all. Selfishly hiding into my own world as I awaited that painful escape.


    Time moved forward...


    But nothing happened. The booming footsteps which I believed will be the reason of my death passed by uneventfully.


    Hearing them gone, I laughed. A decrepit laugh aimed towards the pretentious woman who selfishly thought of surviving while harboring these deluded thoughts of one sided affection.


    The tears that rolled down these shaking trembling cheeks left unnoticed.


    I sat there frozen in time before being swallowed by darkness.

 Chapter 1 - City in Flames, Part 6

    The stars shining above Trinsa¡¯s night sky were beautiful, or it should be. Now, it was eclipsed by the hazy orange that danced in the city and eerie green lights that dominated the sky. The view could be breathtaking, surreal, that is, if you had the acquired taste of loving the sight of burning cities to the ground, is masochistic to death, or, if you weren¡¯t one of the remaining surviving people in the capital and is watching perfectly from a safe distance. I, unfortunately, am not of anything mentioned prior.


    After hiding for a bit, I went outside and continued my search. The burning pains in my legs and my shallow breathing earlier were both alleviated during the short time I rested. If you were in my place, as someone who just seemed to pop right out of existence, the first thing you¡¯d want is to relax and take everything in stride, right? Sadly, I don¡¯t have the leisure nor the time for that. My meeting with the girl that has yet to prove her worth remains incomplete and so I move again.


    Or that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to do but,


    ¡®I think I¡¯m lost.¡¯


    I really should have thought of a better alternative than running out like that earlier. Or maybe, I could have plotted and remembered the way and the roads I passed by. But who am I kidding? Every single part of this district looks exactly the same. What¡¯s worse is that the blinding flames earlier appears to have dimmed down.


    Whatever small part I saw earlier that could¡¯ve been familiar would be harder to find now. Especially so, considering that the blaze around this area seemed to have burned a significant amount of the city¡¯s decoration to oblivion.


    The only thing I remember is that we were hiding in a place filled with warehouses that were yet to be lit.


    No time to waste. I need to get a move on.


    Staying low and crouching where light couldn¡¯t reach, I walked away from the building.


    For the first few minutes it was aimless, I had to prioritize moving away from the street the knights entered when I ran out. I went on like this until I felt comfortable enough that we won¡¯t cross paths anymore. Thinking so, I headed towards the direction I felt was the way I came from earlier. Naturally, I didn¡¯t let my guard down for a bit and kept my eyes and ears vigilant.


    I passed through narrow alleys, crawled under rubble, brushed against burning pieces of wood, and slipped through every traversable path - regardless of what would happen to me.


    The black vest that I was wearing were in tatters. The white shirt underneath now had a different color and had a moderate amount of holes. I had to tear off half of my silken pants to help ease movement. In other words, the me earlier, who I think looked decent enough, is now looking like a homeless pleb. The purple crested brooch that was on my chest stood out further due to the distinct contrast in my getup.


    My sneaking adventures through the burning destruction went on and on until I arrived at an alley that leads towards what I believe was a major avenue of this city. The passage was narrow and filled with all sorts of scraps and rubbish. It was between two stone walls - the buildings of which I wasn¡¯t sure if they were burning or not. The time when I reached the fringes of the alley and almost stepped into the avenue was the moment I noticed something across the road.


    There was movement on the alley directly opposite of mine across the road.


    A pair of people.


    From here, I could see their armored getups and the weapons they wielded. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to notice their presence due to the scattered tongues of fire that brightened the surroundings.


    I couldn¡¯t discern whether they belonged to the ones chasing me but I couldn¡¯t be careless.


    Despite their armors not having those spikes, I didn¡¯t think that getting their attention would be safe, considering that they both had their swords unsheathed. Thinking like this, I crouched behind one of the boxes, keeping my sights on the both of them, then stilled myself before peeking carefully at their direction.


    I thought myself safe. However, I may have been too optimistic regarding that point.


    When I could see them almost clearly even though they were across the street, the same should be same for them as well, apparently. I saw them face each other for a moment. From that distance, I naturally could not hear and therefore could not know what they were talking about, but at that point, I immediately raised my caution. My feeling was right.


    The moment they took their eyes off of each other and faced my direction, I saw lights coming off of the hands of one of them. It wasn¡¯t anything like the dark, ominous green lights glittering above the city and instead shone vibrantly like the sun¡¯s rays.


    The instant the lights from the person¡¯s hand disappeared, strands of silver encircled the both of them, spiraling from their feet then upwards to their upper bodies before ultimately scattering into the wind. The next instant, they ran straight - directly towards the alley where I was hiding.


    I became desperately worried the moment they displayed their speed. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Theirs wasn¡¯t like what the spiky four guys from before had. They were moving fast. Too fast for a human. It only took them a second before they were out of the alley.


    In a panic, I immediately scrambled away from them, trying to widen the distance between me and their blades, hurried to the point that I almost came stumbling downwards after the first few steps. I even had to use my hands to hit the ground to prevent myself from falling down, certain that I looked like a desperate animal wanting to live.


    The road was wide, so given its width, I assumed that I could at least exit the other end of the alley before they could get across. During that time, I could hide in... somewhere. Hide in whatever could be a convenient enough place. Just like what I did earlier.


    But naturally, things got worse.


    As I made the first step out of the alley, I heard the cold voice of a woman behind me.


    And as I did, I stiffened up.


    [Halt!]


    I tried to turn around but was immediately petrified the moment I once again heard her voice,


    [Move and you¡¯re dead.]


    The biting kiss of a cold blade grazed my neck. I was certain that some skin was cut due to the stinging sensation and the warm, wet feeling that slid downwards.


    ¡®Tch!¡¯


    ¡°Wh-¡±


    I tried to say something but was immediately sent crashing down. They kicked my knees from the back, sending me downwards to a kneeling position.


    But before the pain even registered, another blow landed. This time, it was on my stomach. I did not notice nor did I care how one of them suddenly appeared in front of me.


    ¡°Gah-!¡±


    I felt all the air rush out my body that even the resulting scream I did in reflex was cut short.


    I wanted to breathe but the pain kept me from doing so. The impact forced me to collapse on the ground. I almost landed, but not before being hit once again, this time, on the neck, throwing me completely into a nice, folded pattern. What followed after was both my arms forcibly dragged and pinned to my back.


    ¡®It fucking hurts!¡¯


    I wanted to scream and move away but the hands that held me locked destroyed any hopes of escape.


    [Who are you? Who did you take that from? Speak!]


    I once again heard the woman¡¯s cold voice.


    Feeling the force pinning me down slightly weaken, I did what I wanted to do. I struggled.


    I tried to wriggle away from their hold, but the futility of that move was answered by five resounding kicks on the side of my stomach.


    Every time those steel sabatons made their hit, I could feel my strength slowly being sapped away. The kicks weren¡¯t rushed either, like one would expect. They were slowly and carefully done, full of the intent of dealing as much pain as possible.


    When the third kick landed, the urge to vomit showed itself. But that last one broke every bit of resistance against the rising impulse of my stomach.


    I retched.


    What went out was a watery, bitter, yellow bile. Contrary to my expectations, I couldn¡¯t even taste what I ate earlier, just the acrid taste of stomach juices. I puked continuously until nothing would come out. My stomach contracted painfully but I only gagged on empty air.


    Before I could even curse this bitch in my mind and before I could even look at what came out of my stomach, I felt my face ramming down towards the freshly spewed puddle. Steel gauntlets gripped the back of my head, guiding it towards the warm soaked earth. And like last time, every blow that was done felt deliberate. The impacts were calculated and forcefully done in order to shake my brain to the fullest.


    The brief intervals of rest between my head rising up and smashing to the ground did not help ease the pain in the slightest.


    I couldn¡¯t even breathe.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Thrice.


    Four times.


    Five.


    It was only until the sixth that my vision crashed unto the ground.


    My face was drenched and both my eyes were washed with my own vomit. My body was numbed by the sudden outbursts of pain.


    [Who are you and why do you have that? Answer me, thief!]


    The woman¡¯s cold voice once again passed through my ears. It sounded to me like it was mocking, like it was proud of trampling down this fifteen year old body. I felt faint and too weak to continue. But that feeling dwarfed to the emotion slowly burning inside.


    But despite of all that, due to the fatigue, I absentmindedly answered. Uttering the name repeatedly mentioned to me by the girl that was with me an hour ago.


    ¡°Ys.. Ysil.¡±


    The silence that came after those words left my mouth only lasted for a heartbeat.


    The cold gauntlets gripping my hair intensely shook briefly before they were suddenly pulled back, dragging my body along with it. The force was so sudden and so extreme that my eyes swam around. My neck twisted in pain that I almost felt it snap. The sudden arching movement made my body feel like it would burst. I felt dizzy.


    When my body reached a posture where I was leaning and kneeling at the same time, I felt my eyes burn from the searing brightness that suddenly appeared before them. Two silhouettes of faces were eclipsed by the blinding light which appeared to be coming from a hand. We stayed in that position for while before the hands clutching my head loosened it¡¯s grip and consequently made me fall to the ground listlessly.


    All the storming emotions in my heart proved useless against the encroaching darkness, and then,


    an indiscernible murmur passed reached my ears before I blanked out.


    ???????


    ¡ª ¡®And it so shall be on the day when the cradle¡¯s will is defied, the frozen gears of herald shall once again turn. ¡¯


    ¡ª The First Inauguration of Truths, from the Divinations of the Saintess Ul. The First Saint of the Church of Xielia.

 Chapter 2 - Hileict, Part 1

    The light slowly entered my vision as I opened my eyes.


    Looking around, I understood that I was in a room and was lying down on a draped bed. The windows were shut tight so my surroundings were dim. The lamps on the walls were unlit, so the only light that came into the room was the rays that came from the gaps of the window curtains. Coincidentally, this was also the one that was shining down on my face.


    I propped myself up and reclined on the velvet-lined headboard, recalling the things that have happened before all of this. I stayed in that position with eyes closed as I tried to recollect. Slowly, one by one, the events that unfolded were remembered and with it, a question.


    The sleepiness that I felt just moments ago was replaced by curiosity. What am I doing here, I thought. I moved out of bed and walked slowly towards the closed windows, feeling the velvet touch of the carpet. I moved the divided curtains apart was greeted by the warm sunlight coming outside. My eyes twitched for a moment as they adjusted to the brightness. Then I blinked.


    After that, I saw it.


    Numerous buildings entered my sight as the windows unfolded. Countless roofs that were either made up of wood or stone ran along the horizon, with chimneys atop that occasionally spewed forth a thin line of smoke. Large, voluminous trees lay scattered across, interrupting the structures that lined with it. Birds flew off into the clear skies, using the still rising sun as the perfect backdrop. The small yellow flower that was planted on my windowsill, with dew still gleaming from it, only served to accentuate the peaceful feeling I got from the sight before me. It was beautiful, to put simply.


    I did not know how long I stood there in a daze, but I thought that things like these weren¡¯t so bad, so I wanted to continue. However, my stupor was suddenly interrupted by the door slowly opening behind me,


    *creeeak*


    I tensed up.


    I turned my vision towards the direction of the sound and then, I saw a young woman.


    She had violet eyes which gazed at me with emotion. Soft green hair flowed gracefully in curls up to her shoulders. On the middle of her face rested her small pert nose. A happy, genteel smile could be seen on her plump red lips. Her distinctive features, all fit perfectly on her small face.


    Her frilly white dress flowed from the top, accompanied by a frilly white skirt that reached up to her knees. A pair of polished sandals adorned her feet, complementing the pure, unblemished look she had.


    A soothing voice filled the room as her lips parted.


    [Good morning, master.]


    Seeing her, I felt vigilant. Ever since I came to, ever since I woke up in that burning city, all that¡¯s happened is that I¡¯ve been in contact with women which weren¡¯t normal. Thinking like this, I ignored and continued to stare at her in wariness. My eyes full of intent to capture and adapt against her every move. My silence doesn¡¯t seem to faze her as she continued,


    [I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re up, master. We were so worried when we saw in that awful state as you returned. I¡¯ll have to thank the Priestess of Zaaris later for your fast recovery.]


    I listened to her monologue as I walked a couple of steps away from the window. My feet slowly moved towards the direction of the luxurious dresser by my bed. I wanted to get the solid-looking vase that was propped on its surface as some sort of means for self-defense.


    I gave her half of my attention while the other half mulled over whatever she was talking about as I made my way across. However, in doing so, I did not notice that I have stepped directly onto where the sun¡¯s rays shone. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t affect me but this time was different.


    I haven¡¯t even gone halfway towards my intended destination when she exclaimed in a surprised voice,


    [Oh! Uhm. M-master! W-would you like me h-help dress you up!?]


    I wondered what she was getting on, but as soon as I looked down I understood.


    I was one with nature, in my purest, defenseless, raw form.


    I wanted to refrain from speaking with her earlier but now I didn¡¯t think twice.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    [C-certainly!]


    After that, she hurriedly closed the door. I moved towards the large wooden furniture which I thought was the dresser. After opening up, a wide array of uncomfortable looking clothes entered my vision. Vests, shirts, jackets, pants, shorts, belts, shoes and other articles of clothing and accessories were all placed neatly inside. I pondered for a bit before deciding what to do next.


    In the corner of my eyes, I saw a large mirror beside the dresser. Curious, I took my clothes off and decided to familiarize myself with my body.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    White wavy hair until the shoulders. Round violet eyes, pert nose. Pale skin. Plump red lips. I opened my mouth and saw a complete set of white teeth inside. I pinched parts of my body and was surprised by the lack of fat and the presence of slightly developed muscles. I felt somewhat proud of this lithe frame.


    ¡®I wonder if this could be considered attractive?¡¯


    I briefly entertained the question of me being attractive, laughed at my narcissism for a bit, and then moved on.


    I searched through the dresser and looked for something simple. A long-sleeved, white shirt with subtle, intricate designs caught my attention. After buttoning it up, I found a pair of black pants with simple designs that matched my shirt, then put it on. A striking crimson vest with graceful white highlights looked good with the shirt, so I took it and wore it on top. I put on a comfortable looking pair of socks then donned a nice pair of white leather shoes. I finished my ensemble with a classic looking belt. I initially thought that it would feel uncomfortable but surprisingly, everything was a perfect fit.


    After I finished dressing up, I asked her to come back inside while I looked for a place to sit down on.


    I found and table by the walls and was sitting on one of the chairs against it when I heard her come in.


    [Excuse me, master. I¡¯ll be entering.]


    She didn¡¯t have the flustered appearance she had before and was now acting composed. Looking at her eyes, I asked,


    ¡°Who are you? Why am I here?¡±


    She only answered after reaching my side. She stood there in a straight pose, eyes full of attention as she spoke,


    [I¡¯m Alette, master. A humble servant of your noble house Celebrye. You were brought here by Miss Lillian after she found you at Trinsa.]


    I ignored the somewhat exaggerated words that came out of her mouth.


    Things like the humble servant or noble house or her submissive tone or her repetitive addressing of me as master didn¡¯t matter for now. Instead, I focused on what was bothering me that moment.


    That is, the girl who was with me that night.


    ¡°Lillian? Is that Enli?¡±


    [Enli, master?]


    She looked confused for a moment and continued to gaze at me with curious eyes as if begging me for answers. Seeing her silent and confused like this, I decided to throw her a bone.


    ¡°Girl with long brown hair. Green eyes. Slightly taller than me. Lean build. Decent sized chest. Would you like me to go on?¡±


    Her eyes flashed with understanding as she heard my words. She appeared to be thinking for a moment before finally speaking again,


    [You must be referring to Miss Karaenli, master. I¡¯m afraid.. she was not with you when you returned with Miss Lillian.]


    I decided to brush off the worried and apprehensive tone she had in her voice while I processed her reply in silence.


    ¡®So she wasn¡¯t with us. Hrmm.¡¯


    ¡®I have no obligations towards her, but I did act on impulse so we could both survive that night.¡¯


    ¡®Tsk. Ridiculous.¡¯


    ¡®I just hope she wasn¡¯t stupid enough as she appeared and listened to what I said.¡¯


    She must be safe. She was the one who told me about that hidden passage after all. With that presumption in mind, I centered my thoughts on the name I wasn¡¯t familiar with, then I asked her,


    ¡°Then who is this Lillian you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    [She¡¯s the one who found and rescued you from Trinsa, master. Your loyal knight and humble servant.]


    I had a bad feeling when I heard the word knight.


    ¡®Could it be..?¡¯


    I¡¯m not entirely sure but given the situation and the lack of time back then, it¡¯s most probably that person. It¡¯d be better to be sure and ask her if that¡¯s really the case.


    ¡°Was thatperson the one who beat me up?¡±


    Her face cramped up slightly when she heard the blunt question. She fiddled for a moment, not suiting her appearance, before answering,


    [Y-yes, master. But she only did so because she thought you were a different person! She told me that she thought you were a thief who stole the House¡¯s heirloom! If she knew who you were, I¡¯m certain she would have wept tears of joy! In fact-...]


    Hearing the reason, I felt disgusted.


    Recalling her words, I almost scoffed at how this girl phrased it. ''Rescued'', huh? How quaint.


    I ignored whatever excuse which came from her mouth and just sat there, nurturing the thoughts swirling in my head.


    This so called loyal knight and humble servant couldn¡¯t even recognize me, her master. Even I was able to see them properly across that fucking avenue while she on the other-


    ''!!''


    wait..


    .


    .


    .


    ¡®..her master?¡¯


    I was caught up in all these nonsensical developments that I unconsciously disregarded the things currently around me. Noticing something, I took a deep breath before I organized my thoughts and analyzed the entirety of the situation around me.


    I woke up in a luxurious draped bed.


    Was still alive and hadn¡¯t the trace of being beaten up.


    Slept in a spacious room adorned by extravagant articles of furniture.


    Greeted by someone who looks like a maid.


    Said maid mentioned something about anoble house.


    Was even told that I had a loyal knight serving me.


    And then it clicked.


    I didn''t notice that she has stopped blabbing her mouth forsome time, and was now looking at me worriedly. My silence when I was contemplating things must have affected her, so I spoke,


    ¡°Alette, was it?¡±


    [Yes, master?]


    I asked her her as I stood from where I sat, my voice thick with desolation,


    ¡°Tell me. Who am I?¡±