《Original Word》 Chapter One It was late afternoon by the time Ran made it to the isolated village of Matarn. The setting sun had slowly turned the sky into a deep scarlet as Ran lazily meandered down the winding road. It was a beautiful day, and he didn¡¯t want to spoil it by hurrying anywhere. Cresting the hill that overlooked the small village, Ran decided to stop for something to eat before entering the village. He had met a few fellow travelers along his journey and had managed to trade and barter for bit of jerky and other rations. Sitting down by an old oak tree, Ran dug through his pack and withdrew a sweetcake, something he had been saving for a special occasion. Just as he was about to lift it to his watering mouth, a small, indignant squeak echoed from within his hood, quickly followed by a completely grey ferret. Sighing, Ran broke off a small piece as the ferret settled onto his lap and looked up at him with two huge glass orbs. ¡°Y¡¯know, you really need to stop being so greedy. I already fed you earlier¡­¡± but he trailed off as he quickly realized it would was an exercise in futility. Pips was as incorrigible as ever. Breaking the sweet cake into smaller pieces, Ran began to feed the small mammal in bite size pieces. By the time the two were done, the sun had finally said it¡¯s goodbyes, and set. Looking up at the fading light, Ran decided it would be best to find somewhere to sleep down in the village, before darkness fully hit. Sighing again, he looked down at Pips, who was laying on his back, with his overstuffed stomach out for all to see. ¡°Really, Pips. Even I didn¡¯t think you were this shameless.¡± he said, hiding a smile. ¡°What if a lady ferret were to see you like this?¡± To his credit, Pips somehow managed to look slightly ashamed. Letting out a small laugh, Ran held his hand open for Pips to climb, and re-shouldered his pack. ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s time to go. Let¡¯s see what this world has to offer.¡± ______________________________________________________ Arriving at the entrance to the village, Ran was surprised to encounter guards outside the main gate. After all, Matarn was a small village on the outskirts of the Empire, and only had a relatively small population. As Ran plodded up to the gate, two guards wearing a simple leather breastplate and skirt came out to meet him. One was an older veteran, with a missing ear and a scar over his bottom lip spreading down to his chin. Whilst the other looked around thirty, and had a wiry frame and a nose that looked like it had been broken and hadn¡¯t healed properly.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Looking up at Ran with a disinterested expression the older one called out ¡°State your name and business in Matarn.¡± ¡°Julius, and I¡¯m just passing through, need to stock up on a few things. Got some money and a few things to trade¡±, Ran decided that although Matarn was far enough away that no one would be looking for him, there was no harm in playing it safe. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Didn¡¯t need ya whole life story, pal.¡± The younger one snidely commented. Pips stirred in the back of Ran¡¯s hood, sensing the tension suddenly spike. ¡°Wilmaer¡­¡± The older guard let out an exasperated warning before turning back to Ran and shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Sorry, they give us long shifts, and this whippersnapper hasn¡¯t eaten all day.¡±, he explained. ¡°He can get a fair bit grumpy towards the end of our watch.¡± Ran gave a small laugh at the older man¡¯s comment, before his expression turned dark. ¡°I believe you. Hunger is a terrible thing.¡± A shadow seemed to pass overhead, and as quick as anything, the temperature seemed to plummet. Suddenly,ravenous looks appearedon the two guards, and suddenly nothing seemed to matter but the urge to- But as fast as the shadow arrived... it vanished. Leaving the two guardsmenshaken. The veteran stood there, pale as a ghost, whilst the younger one seemed to be shocked into silence, gripping his spear with white knuckles. ¡°I-If y-you would l-like to use that g-gate right there..¡± The older guard managed to get out, still looking extremely unsteady. ¡°Thank you for your time, neighbours¡± Ran tipped an imaginary hat to them as he walked past. Criff, he thought. I need to be careful. Control. Always. From the inside, the village looked just as Ran had thought it would. Houses cobbled together at the sides of the road, trying to fit in as many as possible in the available space. They weren¡¯t anything special, most were made out of a mixture of brick and wood, of varying designs. Although not politically or militarily influential in the slightest, Matarn was a trade hub due to it¡¯s location so close to the Empire¡¯s borders, and because of this, many people have come and gone in Matarn over the years, leaving the architecture, like the people, a melting pot of different ages and cultures. As such, Matarn has some of the nicest food in this region of the Empire. It was the reason Ran picked the city. Making his way further into the city, Ran took note of all the vendors packing up at the side of the road, selling everything from swords and armour, for the wannabe adventurers, to chamberpots and other utilities. But no food. It was well and truly dark before Ran managed to find an Inn. The Whispering Duck was like a beacon of warmth and welcome to those out in the sea of the nighttime streets, at least until they got close enough to smell it. Opening the door, a billow of smoke and an odor of sweat assailed Ran. Coughing, he walked inside. Pips made a squeal of protest as the loud raucous woke him, and climbed onto Ran¡¯s shoulder, burying himself against Ran¡¯s skin, as if trying to hide. Ran let out a small smile at this and gave him a quick stroke before muttering reassurences. ¡°Shhhh, Pipsqueak, it¡¯s just a tavern, these people won¡¯t hurt you¡±. Pips slowly calmed at Ran¡¯s words, although he still wouldn¡¯t release his death grip on Ran¡¯s cloak. Chapter Two Claiming a seat at a lonely table in the corner, Ran put his pack on the chair next to him and waited for to be served. It wasn¡¯t long before a older, panting woman rushed over to him. ¡°Welcome to the Whisper-¡±, she paused, regaining her breath, ¡°Whispering Duck. The home of the finest stout north of Aarn!¡± red faced and puffy cheeked, she exclaimed with exuberance, ¡°What¡¯n can I get you, stranger?¡±. Smiling at her enthusiasm, ¡°I¡¯m actually looking for a room, along with a meal and hopefully a bath?¡± Ran wasn¡¯t holding out for that last one if the smell of the Inn was anything to go by¡­ ¡°And a mug of that stout, since it¡¯s so highly recommended¡± Ran added, as an afterthought. ¡°Hmm, honey, I¡¯m ¡®fraid we¡¯re all out o¡¯ rooms currently¡± She paused, thoughtfully, ¡°Though¡­ You be seeming like an honest sought, so, if¡¯n you were really stuck, you could use ma son¡¯s room ¡¯til he¡¯s back. It¡¯s only small, but a bed¡¯s a bed¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s any troub-¡° Ran was cut off. ¡°No, that¡¯d be the end of it, honey. I¡¯ve decided.¡± She affirmed. ¡°How many nights will you be stickin¡¯ around?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just staying the night, actually¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡±, and gave me a huge smile, ¡°Little Peter¡¯s room is upstairs, last one on the left.¡± She hesitated, a frown furrowing her face. ¡°That should be er- two silver and thirtee- er- fourteen copper. Sorry, my Da always said I shoulda worked on my numbers more¡±. Ran handed over the money and a shadow of sadness flitted across her face before her sunny mask was back up, ¡°Sorry, hun, I¡¯ll jus¡¯ bring ya some beef broth that¡¯d been slow cook¡¯d all day¡±, she turned away, shouting to the barkeep before stopping, then turning back and flashing Ran a sympathetic smile. ¡°But if¡¯n you be wanting to bathe, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be haf¡¯n to go to the public bathhouses.¡± It was a faint hope. ______________________________________________________ After dinner, Ran decided it would be best to turn in for the night, so he headed up to the innkeep¡¯s son¡¯s room, and took a look around. The woman wasn¡¯t lying. The room was indeed small, but that has never been a problem for Ran. Giving the room a quick once over; it seemed to be around six by five feet wide, with a small mirror and a water basin beside the bed. Sighing, Ran took off a necklace that was hidden under his shirt and placed it on the bedside table next to him. The necklace was an odd one, it appeared to be a single tooth on a black string, with a couple of feathers attached by the base. However, if you caught the tooth just out the corner of your eye, it almost seemed to waver, as though seen through a heat mirage. Splashing some water on his face, Ran examined himself in the mirror, smiling wryly. It had been a long time since vanity had concerned him. Maybe I could do with a bit of a clean up¡­ Ran thought, seeing his face caked in dust. I just wish they had a bath here instead. Sighing again, Ran really looked at himself. He looked like death warmed over. His flaming red hair had become a sooty brown. The dark bags weighed down his eyes, he had several small cuts across his face, and his pale face was either red or peeling from the strong sun on the way here. Almost there. Ran told himself, Just a little further to the border, then it¡¯s smooth sailing from there. After washing up as best he could, Ran sat crossed legged on the floor and started to breathe deeply. Centre. Calm. Control. It had become so easy since¡­ Well, Ran didn¡¯t really want to think about it too deeply. Focusing on his mantra, Ran felt down deep inside himself, looking for the power he had so easily gotten used to using lately.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. There you are. It still amazed Ran. The blazing well he saw inside himself. Mana¡­ Qi¡­ Whatever you wish to call it, it¡¯s all the same. Will. Satisfied, Ran concentrated on the spellform, imagining how his will will affect reality. This part had always come easiest to him. In fact, it used to be the only part of a spellform that Ran could actually do with any regularity. The Imagining. No matter what it was, a natural phenomenon, an idea, an emotion. Ran¡¯s brain could understand the very essence of the concept. Of course, in reality, what Ran thought he understood about, say, lightning, and what lightning actually is are very different. It didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered to Ran was that he understood the essence of lightning. Taking a deep breath, and holding it. Ran pictured silence and hiding in his mind. Next came the part Ran used to struggle with the most. The gathering of Will. In this step, one must use their Will. The Will has been called many things over many years in many cultures, but, inherently, they are all the same thing. A person¡¯s internal Will to change external things. Then releasing the breath, Ran muttered, ¡°Gone¡±. The final part. The Word. By themselves, words didn¡¯t actually hold any power, but when imbued with Imagining and Will, a word became the medium the the sorcerer affects the world. In this case, Ran cast a simple spellform to hide his whereabouts to anyone who might be looking via magical means. The necklace achieves basically the same effect without any energy expenditure, however, it requires an active and awake mind to use. Finished with the first, Ran quickly cast several more spellforms on the room and the door, ¡°Lock. Hold. Alarm.¡± Although, the words themselves alone do not hold any power, they have a sympathetic relationship with the intent of the Imagining and the Will. To put it simply, the more a single word aligns with the intent of the spellform, the stronger the result will be. Of course, this led to spellformers trying to learn as many words as they can, so they can always have the strongest sympathetic link possible. But for Ran¡­ Well, that wasn¡¯t necessary anymore. Done with all his precautions, Ran finally lay down on his bed and slept as Pips squeezed in beside him. ______________________________________________________ Ran woke with a start. Panting, and with sweat pouring off his body, Ran sat upright in bed. Beside him he heard an indignant squeak as Pips was flung from his comfortable resting place on Ran¡¯s arm. ¡°Criff. Sorry Pips.¡± Ran soothed, still getting his breath back. Pips just turned his face away, clearly unhappy with his rude awakening. Softly laughing at his antics, Ran stroked his back and reached into a pocket for a bit of dried jerky. ¡°Here, take this¡± Ran offered the meat, which Pips quickly gobbled up. ¡°Am I forgiven?¡± he asked. The grey ferret looked at Ran seriously before gravely nodding his head. A warning. ¡°Sheesh, I thought I was a bad morning person.¡± Ran said, getting out of bed. Ahh, still no bath. Guess a few more days won¡¯t hurt. Almost there. Calm. Control. Ran started the new morning by getting dressed and performing his daily routine of stretches. It had been a habit he picked up after a few days into his journey. Walking all day for months is painful enough without cramps. Finished, Ran decided to head downstairs, ¡°Unlock. Release. Remove.¡± Ran quickly disarmed his precautions, and was about to climb the stairs when he suddenly heard mens voices below, ¡°-oking for a young man matching this description who may have traveled through this way over the last couple of days. We we wondering if you had seen him?¡± Said the first voice. Ran froze where he stood. How have they found me so fast?! ¡°Oh my! Has he done something bad?¡± the voice of the older woman from last night rang out. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s confidential, madam.¡± Said yet another gruff voice. That was enough for Ran. Without making a sound he retreated back into his room and scooped Pips up into his hood. ¡°Time to go Pips.¡± He explained, ¡°Now I know you hate this, but it¡¯s the only way.¡± Pips is gonna be mad for ages. Ran thought. Well, better than dead I suppose Sitting down, Ran took another deep breath, trying to steady his heart rate. Centre. Calm. Control. Ran Imagined several things at once. Lock. Hold. Brace. ¡°Okay, the door is sorted.¡± Ran said to himself. Centre. Calm. Control. Ran could hear footsteps on the stairs. No time! ¡°We know you¡¯re up there kid!¡± A voice from below. ¡°Just come out! We will give you a fair trial!¡± Another voice coerced. Close this time. ¡°Criff this!¡± THUD ¡°Let¡¯s just break the door down!¡± A third, more agitated voice shouted. Right outside. Centre. Calm. Control. ¡°Stop, you idiot! This door and wall have been spelled.¡± Finally, a fourth, more authoritarian voice commanded, ¡°Listen, Ran. I know what¡¯s happened. You¡¯re a wanted criminal. The whole might of the Empire will follow you wherever you go. There¡¯s nowhere you can run that we won¡¯t find you. Just give up. We will be lenient.¡± Ran just ignored him and focused. This spellform wasn¡¯t easy, and if something went wrong, it could be disastrous. Not just for Ran and Pips, but the whole village of Matarn. ¡°Really sorry about this Pips.¡± Ran muttered, then spoke a sentence. Centre. Calm. Control. ¡°Jump¡±. The world disappeared. Chapter Three 15 years ago The boot made a deep thud as it slammed into Ran¡¯s curled stomach, causing him to cry out in pain. Ran had curled up in an attempted fetal position on the floor. Above him stood two other boys, both only slightly older, but much bigger. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for making us look stupid in front of Master Oliver!¡±, one of the boys spat out between grunts. Each word was accompanied with another swift kick to the stomach. By now, Ran¡¯s stomach had long since emptied it¡¯s contents, and at the moment, it was all he could do to stay conscious ¡°Listen here, Rat.¡± said the other boy, ¡°I don¡¯ care if yer new. There¡¯s a higher- a hier-¡±, he trailed off. ¡°A hierarchy, Sim!¡± the boy with his foot in Ran¡¯s stomach excitedly exclaimed. ¡°Don¡¯ int¡¯rupt, Bert! I knew that!¡±, the first boy, Sim, turned on his partner in crime with an angry look. Bert¡¯s eyes widened as he took a step back, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it boss!¡±, he quickly backtracked, ¡°I- I- I was jus¡¯ tryna help¡±, he managed to get out. Sim seemed to calm down at Bert¡¯s scared response. ¡°I don¡¯ need yer help, I¡¯m der boss here¡±, Sim smiled at Bert¡¯s appropriately cowed reaction, before turning his attention back to Ran, who had used this time to scramble away on the floor. ¡°Where do you think yer-¡± Sim was cut off as brisk, heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor. Before anyone could react, a man dressed in a brown robe strode through the open door. The man was around six foot even, with pale skin, judging from his hands, but his face couldn¡¯t be made out from underneath his hood. Taking in the scene played out before him, the Monk¡¯s shadowed face went straight to the older boys. With a voice like cold iron, he said, ¡°Explain.¡± The one word was enough to have the two brutes quaking in their boots, and Bert quickly took a step back and looked at Sim. Sim¡¯s eyes were saucers and his voice quivered and shook, ¡°We were- we were playing a game-¡± ¡°Stop. That¡¯s enough. You two will wait in the Sanctuary.¡± The Monk then turned to face Ran, and he felt a surge of hope rise inside him. Maybe not everyone here is out to get me? Looking up and down, the Monk seemed to size him up, as if choosing a piece of meat in a market. Satisfied, the Monk nodded. Then spat on him.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Weak blood. Wonderful.¡± As Monk seemed to turn to leave, the breeze changed direction and he suddenly stilled. A complete stillness, Ran noticed. The Monk didn¡¯t move at all. Then the Monk¡¯s head tilted and Ran could hear a sniff. Suddenly the cloaked figure turn back on Ran, moving his face so close that their noses almost touched. Ran felt terrified. Gazing into the Monk¡¯s eyes, Ran couldn¡¯t move his body. Not even an inch. He felt his soul being bared to the Monk, everything available to be examined at will. Whilst in return, Ran was gazing up into endless voids, reflecting nothing about their host. The Monk snorted. And just like that, the spell was broken. Ran could move again, think again, breathe again. ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day, 101.¡± A sinister, full toothed grin appeared in the shadow of the monk¡¯s hood. White contrasting sharply with the endless darkness. ¡°You get to participate.¡± ¡°Participate?¡± It was the first time Ran had spoken since he had arrived at the Abbey, and his voice broke halfway through. ¡°You¡¯ll see¡±, the grin still hadn¡¯t left the Monk¡¯s face, and Ran could feel a strange pressure gathering, before the strange man uttered a single word, ¡°Sleep¡±. Ran didn¡¯t even get to protest before his body slumped on the floor. Now terrified, the two bullies were literally quaking, they had never seen magic before, it was something forbidden and despised in regular society. The smaller of the two, Bert, let out a small noise as the Monk turned to them. ¡°As for you two¡­¡± The Monk paused, as if weighing his options. Then he shrugged and said, ¡°Forget¡±, then once again, ¡°Sleep¡±. The Monk had considered simply killing the two, but hiding the bodies and waiting out the investigation, however brief, would be annoying. Besides, he had orders to only kill when necessary. He simply hoped no one would probe the two children¡¯s minds, as his tampering would be clearly evident. He had never been the most subtle practitioner of the Art. His Imagining couldn¡¯t compare to his Will. Arranging the two bullies in a corner, as to appear they were trying to hide, and simply fell asleep, the Monk picked up the unconscious Ran and walked back through the door he entered by. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª As Ran slept, he dreamed. As far as he could tell it was a normal dream. It was a beautiful day, with only a few clouds in the sky. Looking around, Ran could tell he was in a wheat field, but for some reason, he could smell the sea. Ran didn¡¯t mind. He knew dreams were strange. Running his hands through with wheat stalks, Ran allowed himself to just enjoy this dream. He lay down and closed his eyes, just soaking up the sun. Just as Ran started to get comfortable, shade fell over his face, darkening the light under his eyelids. ¡°Did you really think I would let you sleep the whole day?¡± said a warm voice. Opening his eyes he saw a young woman, with brown hair and kind, green eyes. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, and was wearing a checkered apron over a billowy shirt and hardened leather trousers. Ran immediately recognised her as his Mother. But¡­ Wait..? Isn¡¯t she..- It¡¯s just a dream. Ran reminded himself. He looked up at his mother with sadness overflowing in his heart. She must have seen something though, because, before Ran could say anything she had wrapped her arms around him in a monstrous hug. ¡°Shhh. My poor baby, is everything okay?¡±, her heartfelt whispers did nothing to soothe Ran¡¯s sorrow. He could only nod in return, tears threatening to spill over. ¡°I just miss you, Ma.¡± Ran choked out. ¡°Miss me, hunny? I¡¯m right here.¡± she replied, a slightly confused tone in her voice. Ran just looked at her and nodded as the warm sea breeze turned cold. Icy cold. ¡°Now, Ranfield, it¡¯s polite to answer when asked a question.¡± She admonished, but her voice didn¡¯t hold the same warmth. Ran looked up at her in confusion, Have I done something wrong? He thought, disturbed. This was meant to be a nice dream. ¡°Answer me. Ranfield.¡± she said, more forcefully. ¡°Tell me why you miss me.¡± she smiled again. But it was not the warm, kindly smile that she wore before, this smile spoke of malice and hatred. Ran was scared now, she was still holding him close to her, but her body had turned cold, almost frosty. The sea breeze had been replaced too, now all Ran could smell was decay and rot. Gazing around, he saw that the wheat field had transformed into something much more sinister. Gone was the golden plant, but in it¡¯s place lay scores upon scores of bodies. Piled high in piles, dripping rivers of blood, each flowing towards Ran. Feeling sickened, Ran tried to escape his Mother¡¯s grasp, but she was monstrously strong. Without expending any visible effort, she tightened her hold on the boy. Ran couldn¡¯t move. Her face had changed completely. Gone was the loving woman he knew. Her lips had been cut off, jaggedly, as if with a rusty blade. There were still strips of flesh hanging loose above and below her mouth. Bits of her cheek seemed to die and fall right in front of Ran¡¯s eyes, leaving patches of tissue exposed to the air. Her eyelids were removed completely, and strange, glowing red symbols were carved into her forehead. Blood covered her entire face, dripping from every orifice. He felt his Mother¡¯s putrid breath on his neck as she leaned into his ear. ¡°Tell me why you killed me.¡± Chapter Four CLANG CLANG CLANG Blinking a couple of times to rid his eyes of the sleep dust that had accumulated overnight, Ran was awoken to the sound of metal on metal. Fully aware now, he sat up into a crossed legged position, trying to figure out where he was. Taking in his surroundings, Ran could see he was in a cell of some sort. It was a small room, at most five paces by five paces, and made of a dark, wet stone. There was no light source immediately visible, but Ran was still able to see, if not perfectly, similar to if the sun were just over the horizon. Ran also was unable to see any kind of shadow and so couldn¡¯t identify the source of the light. In the room, there was a stone bed, that seemed to have been carved out of stone, as it was seamlessly attached to the wall. Also in the room was a waste bucket, which unfortunately didn¡¯t appear to have been emptied since the previous occupant had vacated the cell. There was one metal door in the room, opposite the bed. The door itself seemed to be excellent craftmanship, as Ran couldn¡¯t locate any hinges or other possible structural faults. He was also wearing a sack. CLANG CLANG CLANG There it was again. This time Ran heard the sound much more clearly, and could identify that it was coming from outside the door. ¡°RISE AND SHINE!¡± a sickly-sweet, female voice sang. As she spoke, the door seemed to pop out from it¡¯s bracket, and move backwards from Ran, before sliding to the side to allow Ran to pass through. Still hesitant, Ran stood up and inched his way to the door, still cautious. Sidling up to the wall, he peeked his head out and round the corner. To Ran¡¯s surprise, the corridor was full of other children. His eyes widened in confusion at the sight of all these other people. There must have been at least thirty or more kids, dressed just like him in a sack. Each had their head down and walked in total silence. Unsure if he should join them, Ran hesitated in his room. ¡°Hey,¡± whispered a voice, so quiet that Ran could barely hear it. ¡°Follow the crowd. And be silent!¡± The last part was muttered with such emphasis that Ran was slightly taken aback. He turned his head to get a look at the person who helped him out, but they were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Hurry up children,¡± the sickly voice sang again, ¡°we wouldn¡¯t want to catch a cold now, would we?¡± Ran felt the effect immediately. The temperature in his room dropped immediately below zero. Ice started to form in the corners before heading towards ran in a perfect straight line. Wearing nothing but his woven sack, Ran¡¯s feet were uncovered against the quickly forming barrier of ice. Seeing he was being pushed out his room, Ran swiftly joined the procession of other kids. It felt like a funeral march. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Following the others had led Ran upstairs, to a large room with bowls on the floor at one end, and a huge tureen full of what smelt like food on the other. Copying the example of the others, Ran joined a line up on the side of the room with the tureen. Without any ceremony, a woman appeared out of thin air and faced the group. She was undeniably beautiful, with luscious golden locks, piercing blue eyes and an hour glass figure. She walked with a grace of a dancer, making almost no sound as she crossed the stone floor. Silently, she waited, looking each of the children in the eye. At least, until her gaze came to rest on Ran. She smiled. Ran shivered. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a nice surprise,¡± she exclaimed, ¡°We have new blood joining us.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Her eyes seemed to light up as she continued to gaze at Ran. ¡°Since you¡¯re new, boy,¡± she said, speaking directly to Ran this time. ¡°We will go over the rules quickly. Well, they¡¯re pretty simple, actually. You win, you eat. You lose, you don¡¯t.¡± Her smile seemed to grow wider at each word spoken. ¡°Over there, on that wall, are sixteen bowls. The exercise is easy, you retrieve a bowl, then help yourself to food from this big cauldron.¡± She patted the giant tureen that was next to her. ¡°Easy, right?¡±, she flashed a predatory glare and turned away as if that were everything before half turning back and saying, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s thirty tw- no, thirty three of you.¡± She winked, then turned and disappeared in front of Ran¡¯s eyes. As soon as she had left, everyone in the room left out a collective sigh of relief they didn¡¯t realise they had been holding. Then chaos erupted. Ran felt himself thrown back against the wall as everyone started shouting at once. ¡°PULL!¡± ¡°LIFT!¡± ¡°GRAB!¡± and even a ¡°BURN!¡±. The cacophony of noise was deafening, and the confusion was overwhelming. Panicking, Ran found himself squished up in a ball right in the corner of the room. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Ran looked up to see a young girl, maybe about three years above Ran¡¯s ten. ¡°Hey, Shorty.¡± She said, with a genuine smile. Blinking up at her, Ran stuttered out, ¡°H-Hi.¡± ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t have much time, and I¡¯m missing my chance for breakfast because of you!¡± She crouched down to Ran¡¯s level, making sure to keep space between them. ¡°First off, if you want to survive here, you have to listen to me.¡±. But Ran¡¯s wild eyes were unfocused, darting round the room. The girl sighed, and then said, ¡°Listen.¡± And suddenly, he could only hear her. His breathing steadied and his eyes found hers. Seeing he had calmed down a touch, she smiled and said ¡°First Rule. Stay calm. Control yourself, otherwise you won¡¯t last long here.¡± Ran nodded. Completely focused on her whilst all those around them were clawing tooth and nail at each other, trying to get a bowl by any means necessary. Several were on the floor, bleeding. A few had already gotten a bowl and had sat down to eat, ignoring the rest. ¡°Second Rule. Stay silent. The Masters don¡¯t permit talking except during practice or meals.¡± She paused. ¡°This is meals, by the way.¡±. By now, most kids that were going to get a bowl had gotten them. There were only three bowls left, and twenty kids. ¡°The Third Rule is- You know what? I do want breakfast.¡±. She suddenly disappeared, not unlike the beauty before. A loud groan could be heard from the remaining kids, before the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Suddenly, only a moment later, Ran felt a tap on his shoulder, turning, he could see the same girl who had just disappeared, but now, she was holding two bowls, each filled with what appeared to be a grey goo. She turned to Ran with a more serious expression before handing one of the bowls over to him, ¡°The Third Rule is simply the survival of the fittest. Power is everything here.¡± Her steady eyes held his and he reached for the bowl. She held back, ¡°Understand?¡± Ran thought he did. It was obvious life here was tough. He nodded, and she passed the bowl over, and Ran started to devour the flavourless gruel. It had been a long time since he''d eaten. There are people bleeding on the floor. From breakfast. Ran suddenly felt extremely unsure¡­ Where was he? Was this the orphanage? It didn¡¯t sound like one. But then again, Ran didn¡¯t really know what an orphanage was like. A sudden thought struck Ran, ¡°Wa-was it you who saved me before?¡± He asked ¡°Well¡­ I mean, I wouldn¡¯t say I saved you. Everyone needs a bit of help at the start. Besides, you¡¯re kinda cute.¡± She winked, before a serious look overtook her face, ¡°but don¡¯t count on this to be a regular thing. I won¡¯t protect you forever, if you want to survive here, you will need to train your spellform.¡± ¡°Spellform..?¡± Ran hesitated¡­ he¡¯d thought he had heard that word before. ¡°Magic, sorcery, sympathy, wizardry, necromancy¡­¡± She paused, ¡°these are all forms of spellform.¡± ¡°Wait.. wait.. I think there has been a mistake, I can¡¯t do any magic!¡± Ran¡¯s eyes had gotten wide, as a thought occurred to him, Is this even the orphanage?, he felt his heart beginning to race, Where am I? A bell rings out, interrupting any chance the girl had for a reply. It seemed breakfast was over. She shook her head, ¡°Calm down, we¡¯re out of time for now, just shadow me for today. It get¡¯s easier. Just know you must have talent, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have brought you here.¡± She flashed him a reassuring smile, ¡°My name is-¡° ¡°Silence, children.¡± The beautiful woman was back. ¡°It¡¯s time to start training.¡± She raised an eyebrow at those still on the floor, before saying, ¡°Anyone who falls behind will die.¡± Anyone still on the floor quickly got to their feet. Ran couldn¡¯t be sure, but it seemed like they were less injured than a couple minutes ago. The girl, looking slightly chagrinned, shrugged apologetically at Ran. She then turned and started to walk out the door. Hearing no footsteps behind her, she stopped, turned, rolled her eyes at Ran, and dramatically gestured to follow. So he did.