《Hydra》 Prologue: Before the Aftermath "God. This is an awful place. Please let me outta here!" [It wasn¡¯t like this a while ago.] [I don¡¯t want to be in here] [I don¡¯t want to be alone] [I ¨C I wanna go home] This, is my current state. The current state of a 2nd year high school boy who was just merrily talking to his friends about his favourite ¡°topic¡± in class. Trapped in an abyss of void with nothing to stand, hold, nor grip on. Everything is black. Everything is dark. You¡¯ll even hear your heartbeat ringing through your ears accompanied by a high pitch noise which originates from god knows where. It truly is a wonderful example of torture. Sure, I may be curious on what¡¯s the end of this tunnel-like prison, maybe there will be light and I¡¯ll appear in front of my friends like some magician, but no. It isn¡¯t like that. This prison proved every expectation I have, a mere fantasy. And I have nothing left. [¡­.hah.] [Ha. Haha. Hahahah!] [So now I¡¯m doomed?] [Is that it? This. This is really a nice joke eh?] [Hehe. He.] *sniff I hugged my knees as water came flowing down my face. Rolling in air, like there¡¯s no gravity. Ache sprouted within my chest and I clutched it. [I want to go home] *sob [ I miss them] ____________________________________________________________ A few days ago¡­ *SLAP ¡°You thick headed brat! Do you think you get to eat here without a care? Does. Your. Head know that you don¡¯t get to eat for today?¡± *SLAP ¡°If I see you nibbling the food on the table again, I. Will. Cut. Your. Fucking tongue. Got that?¡± The boy trembled in his uniform as his father held his face. His face, flowing with salty liquid, snot and disheveled hair. With beaten hands, he tried to break free from his father¡¯s grasp. ¡°GOT THAT?¡± He let out a noise which probably meant as a yes and his father let go. He touched his face as pain lingered in it. Heavy footsteps going away can be heard and it was the sound of intense relief for the boy. [Ow. It hurts] Suddenly, pain erupted from his head as he caressed his face. ¡°Gah!¡± Excruciating pain was spreading in his head. It was like a wildfire that tortured him. And as he held his head to suppress the pain, something in him changed slowly. Rime formed at the edges of the table where the food was. The water in the glass started to cool. The temperature dropped. After a little while, the pain subsided and so was the ice starting to form. He then painfully treaded to the kitchen. There a red basin, as tall as a washing machine lay in the corner. Inside, it looked like nothing else was there except for the seemingly floating ice and cold water. As he dipped his head inside, cold water rushed to his face. It was so cold it measured about 10 degrees Celsius. Be it that way, it can hide his bruises and cuts made by his parents. [Everything will be fine.] [It will be fine] As he dried his face with a towel, he hurriedly went to the door and closed it. As fast as he could, he ran on the sidewalk with all his might as if something¡¯s going to get him. The neighborhood where he grew up was no better. Everyone was expecting something of him, something groundbreaking in which a rich child should do. But he didn''t want to be like that. No. He wasn''t like that. He looked back at his house. It wasn''t really a poor man''s house. In fact, it was 3 story high with a front lawn fashioned with gardening stuff and whatnot. A terrace which was quite large and also a garage. Surely, it isn''t just a poor nor average house. It was a little above that. [Someday.] [I¡¯ll escape from this hell] And with that, he walked the rest of the way to his school. ____________________________________________________________ ¡°Hahahahah! That was the best Ken! I didn¡¯t know you would do that!¡± Bryan punched my shoulder as he remembered our experience just a while ago. It wasn¡¯t something grand, but it was mischievous. With a bucket of water on top of a classroom door, a student will be a victim of the lowly prank. As one did open the door, water came tumbling down and the student got wet. Wait, scratch that. Drenched. ¡°That was really bad. We shouldn¡¯t do this anymore. Your dares are gonna hurt somebody.¡± ¡°But you still did it! Come on now, Mr. Oh hero-of-Justice-and-benevolence. Let this insolent fool play tricks with you¡± ¡°Stop that. I¡¯ll go talk to someone else¡± ¡°Wait no! Man! That was a joke!¡± ¡°Yeah I got that. I¡¯m just bored right no- The door opened rather loudly and all eyes was set on a boy. Everything was fine with him. His clothes were the same as his. He had his I.D hanging from his neck. His shoes were rather finer than what he has now. He was also the same old boy that he was but, ¡°What the?¡± His hair was white. ____________________________________________________________ As I entered the room, everybody was looking at me and gaping like they saw a ghost. ¡°What is it?¡± And when I asked them, they just stared at my face. Some wore an expression of concern and pity, while some was just, staring. No. Did they perhaps notice my bruises? Shit. Wait no this is bad I gotta- ¡°Did you dye your hairwhite?¡± ¡°I-uh. Wait what?¡± The one who asked me was a short guy with dirty blonde hair. He wore glasses and he had his uniform jacket unbuttoned, revealing the white polo we wear underneath the jacket. He also had his hair tied up with a man bun. I think he was the class president? Yes. I think I¡¯m right. He should be ¡°Ken¡± ¡°I said, did you dye your hair white? You do know the school doesn¡¯t allow dying the hair right?¡± I know that captain obvious! But my hair? Is white? So that''s why they pitied me, ''cause I''ll probably get scolded at the guidance. But, I don¡¯t remember dying my hair. Nor I even remember going outside the house, except when I go to school. ¡°You should go to the nurse''s office and have Miss Murie fix that hair of yours" ¡°But, I didn¡¯t dye it¡± Silence filled the classroom in the first few seconds, and hushed voices followed. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°I-uh okay I¡¯ll go now¡± I turned back and headed for the door. This must all be a ruse right? Why would I dye my hair white? Just when I was about to go outside the classroom, Ken called out to me and offered a company. ¡°Uhm. Why?¡± ¡°¡­Why not?¡± I can''t trust this guy. I''ve seen too many instances where I always get the short stick. One time in my 1st year days, I unknowingly violated a minor rule with a classmate. He only invited me to ¡®just watch¡¯ a simple yet indubitably illegal action inside the school premises. It was really a minor crime that can be overlooked, but a single bastard chose to push me in the pits of hell. It was the one who invited me. He framed me of what he did. After I got scolded for an action I didn''t even do, I went ahead ignoring him and shutting off everyone. I would never forget that memory. But I was glad he did that. Why? I learned a lesson from it. "Don''t trust anyone" Oh and also, "Everyone is a jerk" I''m sure he''ll just tell the nurse I violated the rules. I need to send him back there. ¡°I-I can handle myself just fine. I''m not like sick or anything.¡± He looked at me with a confused face. He''s probably faking it since I''ve figured him out. ¡°L-look, Mr. President you can go back to the room to handle some¡­ Presidential stuff. Right? So yeah I''m really just fine¡± ¡°Will, come on now, don''t be shy. I''m here as your friend!¡± Ugh. Just the mere word makes me shudder. People with the so-called ¡®friends¡¯ don''t really have these ¡®friends¡¯. If you look at it closely, friends are just there because they ¡®want¡¯ something. Something that can ''benefit'' them. Fun ,company, money, victory, people to hang out with. They''re merely ''illusions'' that tell you that you are not alone in this world. But out of your made-up fantasy, you can only rely on yourself to get you through the day. No one will help you. So please, just go now, I don''t want your ¡®f-i-e-n-dship¡¯ in here. As I was busy thinking that, we already arrived at the nurse¡¯s office. A door was just in front of us with a glass window. Ken offered the door like I was the lady and we got in. [This bastard! Going as far as insulting me before getting me in trouble!] In here, a table was just at our left side and it was facing the wall to the right. On it were stacks of paper that seem to be medical certificates and some other medical stuff. There was also a weighing scale at the corner of the room and a scale which measures height just beside it. Inside, there were another two rooms that led to the inner parts of the office where the nurse does her stuff. It was also really cool since there was an air-con installed. I wish my classroom had one. There was also a mirror inside so I took a look at myself. My hair wasn''t exactly all white. It was like a creeping vine that slowly invaded my hair with white dye. The upper part was pure white and it turns from silver to gray to black when it reaches the end of my hair. I was shocked to see for myself that I did violate a rule. I''m screwed. Ken walked and knocked at the door to the right when the nurse came out from the door from the left side just in time and offered us the seat. I didn''t know our president was an airhead. She instantly noticed my white hair and led me to the washing room just so she can wash it away. Albeit being one of the school staff, Miss Murie never tells the guidance counselor when a student violates a rule, no matter how major, if they''re injured. Besides, a patient needs to rest. But, it was that moment that an incident occurred. As we neared the tub with water, my head was shot with pain and I held my head. I kneeled down to steady myself and I heard concerned voices around me. Ringing through my ears was a high pitch noise that almost broke my head. My eyesight went from 20-20 to a ridiculously blurred vision and I can''t see anything normally. I can feel my body rising in temperature. I can''t handle the heat. I thought I was dying. ____________________________________________________________ Will insisted on sending me back to the room. He was restless with me being here. I''m certain he''s not ¡®that¡¯ uncomfortable with me, he just doesn''t like company. Maybe he thought I¡¯ll tell the teachers of him violating a minor rule? ¡°L-look, Mr. President you can go back to the room and handle some¡­ Presidential stuff. Right? So yeah I''m really just fine¡± ¡°Will, come on now, don''t be shy. I''m here as your friend!¡± I wonder if he really was my friend. I''m halfway there befriending almost everyone in the classroom and there were just the loners and some geeks left. I don''t hate them really. In fact I kinda admire them. They chose to walk on a different path that lead to their goal of satisfaction and I too was walking a different path. Everyone is. As I was thinking that, I offered him the door and he just went inside without batting me an eye. He''s really just nervous. I can tell. The first thing Will did was look at the mirror. Huh, so he really didn''t dye his hair? When the nurse came, Will was led to the washroom to wash his hair with a dye remover. It''ll be then 15 minutes of waiting before all of it will be washed away. Hopefully. But, Suddenly, Will collapsed. He was holding his head and taking shallow breaths. The nurse was quick to do her job but I stood there staring. It wasn''t his trembling, sweaty body that managed to freeze me on my place, it was his rapid whitening of hair. It was so bizarre I couldn''t help but stare. When the nurse shouted at me to help her, I scrambled to Will¡¯s side while the nurse left to get some first aid kit. I tried fanning him air, but it was no good. He was still sweating and his hair was continuously performing its sacred ceremony of whitening. I supported him and walked to the table when pain erupted from my head. It was like, his bad conditions were shared to me. My vision blurred. I sweated. I witnessed hell. I though I was going to die. ____________________________________________________________ The first aid kit fell from her hands as she went back to the room where the two boys were. ¡°They''re gone¡± Chapter 1: A meeting with the... gods? "God. This is an awful place. Please let me outta here!" [It wasn¡¯t like this a while ago.] [I don¡¯t want to be in here] [I don¡¯t want to be alone] [I ¨C I wanna go home] This, is my current state. The current state of a 2nd year high school boy who was just merrily talking to his ''friends'' about his favourite ¡°topic¡± in class. [Oh wait. I have no friends.] Anyways, I''m trapped in an abyss of void with nothing to stand, hold, nor grip on. Everything is black. Everything is dark. You¡¯ll even hear your heartbeat ringing through your ears accompanied by a high pitch noise which originates from god knows where. It truly is a wonderful example of torture. Sure, I may be curious on what¡¯s the end of this tunnel-like prison, maybe there will be light and I¡¯ll appear in front of the class like some sort of magician, but no. It isn¡¯t like that. This prison proved every expectation I have, a mere fantasy. And I have nothing left. [¡­.hah.] [Ha. Haha. Hahahah!] [So now I¡¯m doomed?] [Is that it? This. This is really a nice joke eh?] [Hehe. He.] *sniff I hugged my knees as water came flowing down my face. Rolling in air, like there¡¯s no gravity. Ache sprouted within my chest and I clutched it. [I want to go home] *sob [I miss them] ... Pfft. Ha-hahhahahaaaaaaa! Y0u''re s0 path3tic crying like a *bzzt* t0-t0-t0ddl3r th3r3! kikikiki Suddenly, I heard a voice looming overhead. It was nearly incomprehensible as it talked with noises like a glitchy computer. I looked up and the once dark void was now pure white. No stain of black was left, except for a humanoid silhouette that wore a jacket with a fluffy collar. All of him was black. He had no eyes nor nose, but he had bright white teeth. It was the only thing different from his body. Another thing that was crazy about this man was that, bits and parts of him was floating around him. Some of his body parts were blurred like a corrupted image and some were continuously lagging. [W-what? Who are you? Do you know where I am?] W0ah th3r3 y0u ''an0maly'', *bzzt* n0t s0 fast! Didn''t y0ur m-m-m0th3r t3ll y0u t0 always *bzzt* gr33t p0lit3ly? Anyways, *bzzt* I''ll first intr0duc3 mys3lf. As this mysterious man talked to me, he walked then stood a few feet away from my spot. He put his right hand on his chest and talked again. I am *bzzt* "Error". Th3 d3str0y3r 0f all things abn0rmal. Th3 0n3 wh0 wip3s 0ut th3 3xist3nc3 0f all glitch3s that c0rrupt th3 multiv3rs3! *bzzt* Hahahahahhaaaaaa Error took a stance like that of an evil villain when laughing. Truly and utterly ''comical''. N0w, y0u accid3nt *bzzt* sh0uld b3 w0nd3ring wh3r3 y0u ar3 n0w and- [That was what I was asking] Hush, d0n''t sp3ak whil3 I talk. *bzzt* S3tting that asid3, y0u atypical isn''t supp0s3d t0 b3- Have I been not attentive, I would have not heard his constant name calling of me with either ''anomaly'', ''accident'' or ''atypical''. It sounds rude to the ears so I tried asking him why he calls me that since I''ve been irritated ever since he started doing that. [Why do you keep calling me that? I''m no accident.] 0h? That? W3ll first 0f, *bzzt* Mr. D0n''t wanna b3 call3d abn0rmal, I hav3- [Will you stop that?] -a qu3stion f0r y0u. W3ll, *bzzt* a s3t of qu3stions. Hav3 you 3v3r wond3r3d why *bzzt* y0u w3r3 always abus3d by your par3nts? Did s0m3on3 both3r t3lling y0u? 0f c0urs3, th3y must *bzzt* hav3 a re3son! 3v3rything has, lik3 all glitch3s do. [N-no.] Hav3 you 3v3r ask3d yours3lf why 3v3ryon3 was ignoring you? *bzzt* 3v3n if you tri3d your b3st talking to th3m? W3ll, you might hav3 alr3ady forgott3n this but *bzzt* wh3n you w3r3 young3r than you ar3 now, no on3 tri3d to play with you, as if you''r3 air. *bzzt* [...] T-that was right. I have never thought of it that way. Why do my parents despise me as if I''m a problem child? I always had high grades. I joined every extra-curricular and activities that may please them, but well, nothing did. Do they just hit me because they like to? Or were they just depressed and angry that they vent it out on me? Emptiness sprouted within me. ¡°Well, prepar3 yours3lf of what I''m about to say but, you ar3 a glitch in that world.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. [W-what?] ¡°Listen her3 kid, *bzzt* I brought you here because you were causing some ''major'' effects that can chang3 that world. Well, mostly. Mostly? ¡°*bzzt* Just your mer3 existence is like a big bould3r in the path of that world''s future. I don''t *bzzt* know why that is but, by bringing you h3re, I managed *bzzt* to save that world as per request of some guy.¡± So that means, Error extracted me from that world to eliminate me? [So, now you get to... to... kill me?] ¡°What? *bzzt* Pfft! No! I''m hardly so barbaric! *bzzt* And I don''t place myself in the front lines kid, I pull the strings behind.¡± As he said that, his smiling teeth became sinister and was grinning already. He held up his hands and dark strings attached to his fingers. These strings extended for over hundreds of miles upwards as far as I can see. [I never thought God would be such a manipulative, glitchy computer.] ¡°Wha-? *bzzt* That is rude! I''m not your God but, I consider myself as one! *bzzt*¡± [So, what am I gonna do now?] ¡°Now now, don''t be in such a rush! *bzzt* Have you got an appointment? Of course not, Pfft. Your question *bzzt* , anomaly, will be answered here by ink!¡± [I-ink?] As I was confused, a silhouette of another man came into view. Instead of having pure black skin, he had white. But with him, follows a color of blackness to let anyone know he¡¯s there. HELLO THERE CHILD! [I-uh...] WHAT? CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? HEHE. WELL, ANYWAYS, AS ERROR LENT ME THE STAGE TO TELL YOU WHAT''S GONNA HAPPEN TO YOU NOW, I MIGHT AS WELL TAKE ALL OF MY TIME EXPLAINING IT. [...] This ¡®ink¡¯ was unexpectedly loud and energetic. WELL, MOVING ON, AS ERROR TOLD YOU, YOU ARE A GLITCH IN THAT WORLD. YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE THERE. I''M RATHER CONFUSED MYSELF WHY WOULD YOUR GOD SEND YOU TO EARTH WHEN HE KNEW YOU''LL CAUSE TROUBLE. HEHE SOOOOO, TO COMPENSATE YOUR 13 YEARS OF LIVING HARSHLY IN THAT WORLD, ERROR AND I TOOK YOU OUT OF THERE! [...] AND WE WILL SEND YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD WHERE YOU''LL HAVE A GREAT EFFECT ON IT BUT A CALAMITY WON''T OCCUR! [What? So you mean, I''ll be transported?] NO. REINCARNATED SHOULD BE THE RIGHT TERM. BUT, YOU''LL RETAIN THAT WHITE HAIR OF YOURS. WE CAN''T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HEHE Reincarnation. From what I have read, this genre is popular among web novels in the internet. A character will die because of a god¡¯s mistake and gets a cheat in the world where he¡¯ll live in. I think they¡¯ll give me some. Hopefully. [Reincarnated? Like, back to being a baby? I''m fine with that but, will I retain my memories? Will you give me cheats?] WOAH THERE YOU BRAT, YOU ALREADY HAD THE CHANCE TO LIVE AGAIN! WHY WOULD YOU REQUEST FOR A CHEAT? ISN''T LIFE MORE FUN WITH STRUGGLES? Yeah, sure it is. IN FACT, EVEN IF WE''RE WILLING TO GIVE YOU ONE, WE CAN''T. [Why?] ¡°Well, ''cause we won''t have our *bzzt* godly powers anymore. And also *bzzt* because we''re selfish.¡± With that, silence followed. These guys are rather eccentric and comical but they don¡¯t seem to be trustworthy. Like what my philosophy states, ¡°Everyone¡¯s a jerk¡±. I¡¯m sure these ¡®guardians¡¯ have a trick up on their sleeves. I need to give them a condition first. Although I¡¯m not in the position to even suggest one, I¡¯ll gladly risk it. THAT SORTS IT OUT. KID, YOU''LL NOW GO TO ''AOVIS''. THE NEW WORLD WHERE YOU''LL BE BORN. MAKE SURE TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE! ¡°Also don''t go *bzzt* playing all hero and the like. People who pull the strings *bzzt* always get what they desire.¡± [W-wait. How do I know you¡¯re not lying to me?] ??? ¡°Well kid, *bzzt* you¡¯ll know.¡± Error waved his hands and a rift opened up. On the other side of it was a blurred scenery of some sort. And when I tried to voice a complain, his strings caught me and tossed me inside the hole. _________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°So. *bzzt* How did it go for the other atypical? *bzzt*¡± IT WAS FUN. HE WAS A LOT LESS CALM THAN THIS ONE. ¡°Did he *bzzt* understand the point of this?¡± I SURE HOPE SO. ¡°¡­¡± WELL, WHEN THEY MEET, I¡¯M SURE THIS ONE WILL EXPLAIN IT TO THE OTHER BRAT. ¡°Heh. *bzzt* you¡¯re right.¡± He waved his hand and the existing portal vanished. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy. *bzzt*¡± Chapter 2: Thrown to Aovis WILL I am troubled. It¡¯s been five years since I was thrown in the land of Aovis by the self-acclaimed god named ¡®Error¡¯ and everything seems to be less than what you call fine. I was born from a family whose farming was the job and we live at the far end of the Unoua region where the fields are. Every day, my father- Hugh was his name- would awaken at the dawn of the day and prepare my breakfast. Not long after I wake, my mother- Anna - would then arise and wake me up to help with the house chores. I remember one time when I was three turns old I asked, ¡°Why do I need to wake up so early?¡± While yawning and stretching my very sore arm after sleeping on it. She wide-eyed gaped at me. It wasn¡¯t that much of an achievement. I mean, since I was at the age of one, I teased them with only bits and parts of a whole sentence to fulfill my role as a growing child trying to speak the language. They were shocked to learn of it. Apparently, the glitchy ¡®Error¡¯ god took pity of me (And I hate him for that. I need no sympathy Mr. Error) and granted me the gift of the tongues. Now, I won¡¯t grow up struggling in learning languages to communicate. Still, I wanted to learn the language myself. It would¡¯ve been nice to know of it little by little rather than just knowing it instantaneously¡­ Convenient though. ¡°It is, necessary young one.¡± And with that, I was sent off. I sat down on the sofa and stared at the tapestry hanging inside the house just in front of me. It was an image of absolute randomness. There were different shades clashing at each other, some drowning the faint colors, others standing out. A m¨¦lange of colors to be exact. In the middle of the chaotic color-war, there was a tiny sapling. I quite didn¡¯t get the meaning of it, but it reminded me of my birth. I didn¡¯t really know why, but for some bizarre reason, it did. I can still remember it as fresh as a newly plucked apple. _____________________________________________________________________________________ It was the third an of the second mon (an for the word ¡®day¡¯, mon for months and turn for ¡®year¡¯). The winds blew hard enough to make some trees around their humble home sway violently, and disturbing peaceful critters at their sleep. A woman, about the age of an adult, with long wavy hair like an ocean dyed black and eyes of shining green was resting on her bed with a woven blanket to shield herself from the elements. She was sweating bullets as she gripped the hand of the man beside her. This man, was no stranger. He was her spouse. He had a hair of black, spiky but only just a bit. Eyes of blue, with a wee bit of gray. He wore clothes of that of a farmer and he looked utterly concerned for his struggling wife. A hired woman was just at the rear of the bed encouraging the poor woman to exert more effort. She was between the age of post-adolescence and adulthood. She already has a faded hair of green but she still helped all those women who were in need of delivery for a newborn. ¡°Ma¡¯am you can do it!¡± sounding a bit drained. With more effort, the woman poured all her strength and was rewarded greatly. A child was born. A boy of white hair and black eyes. As the hired woman carried the child, she wore a difficult expression. She managed to smile for the betterment of the situation but she couldn¡¯t help but be concerned for the babe. ¡°Thy caretaker pronounces this day the birth of thine child. Shouldest thou giveth this boy a name, let it be given with a blessing from the gods.¡± The woman offered the boy to his father and the man took it. He eyed the baby with great concern and anxiously peeked at his wife. ¡°What is it?¡± asked the wife. ¡°He has white hair.¡± The air stilled in the room and an unseen tension rose. The woman stopped breathing for a moment and tried to calm herself. The words still ringing in her ears. He has white hair. ¡°Nobody in this room shall speak of this. Tell the people around these parts, his hair had been dyed.¡± ¡°But-¡°the man tried to reason only to get interrupted by the hired woman. ¡°Madam, it is not advisable to lie of your neighbors of this matter. Should they find about the truth that lies within, and your job will be taken from you. No man shall trust you again let alone buy from you.¡± She stated matter-of-factly. No one in the room knew what to do nor did they know about what the boy was thinking. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually got reincarnated.¡± He thought, sounding half fretful, half confused. Shortly after, he couldn¡¯t control his emotions anymore and started wailing from the top of his lungs. The tension began sinking again as the boy, in the arms of his loving father, cried out for food. The mother began to smile and ended the argument with a satisfied expression and a statement. ¡°Let him live his life. Just don¡¯t let him know about this.¡± He did. (I did) _____________________________________________________________________________________ I didn¡¯t understand what¡¯s with my hair back then but when I went outside one morning, I found out what was wrong with it. I was strolling around the neighborhood at the time of the day when everyone would be doing their chores. Some were outside their houses trimming bushes unknown to me and tendering their lovely gardens. I also saw a few of them washing the dishes, wiping the windows and basically cleaning their houses. I wasn¡¯t intentionally watching them-Oh no! I wouldn¡¯t do that! I do not care about them anyway.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. As I walked down the path, I spotted three boys approaching me. The one in the middle was waving his hand. My first thought seeing them was spelled T-r-o-u-b-l-e. ¡°Oi!¡± called the boy taller than me who walked with his buddies. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the cripple my mom talked about.¡± He said while stopping at his tracks and inspecting his newfound kid to ¡®play with¡¯. I did not appreciate his interest. ¡°Said you¡¯ve got no magics. Do you have some you cripple?¡± The boy pushed me lightly but l almost stumbled. With a grin and some encouragement from his buds, he went on again. ¡°Oi I¡¯m talkin¡¯ to you. Have you got no ears?¡± I obviously replied nothing. I stared at the boys who were considered ¡®bullies¡¯ by some kids talking to themselves. I managed to eavesdrop in their conversation just the other day. I was sure ¡®Error¡¯ said I¡¯ll now live a wonderful life but no, wonderful problems were still included. What the boys looked like was this: The one who shove me lightly was a tall boy with ginger hair and eyes painted with the color of the sea. A lean structure and tanned skin was what defined him a superior bully. The one next to him was shorter and chubbier. With his shaggy brown hair and sharp eyes, he looked like he was about to kill a pig or perhaps- pardon my cussing but- he was the pig. The last one at his right was more ¡®nerdy¡¯ in terms of appearance. He had a scrawny structure and freckles on his face and with an installment of some books and a glass, he¡¯ll be officially one. But appearances can be deceiving. ¡°I see.¡± I replied at last, nodding weakly and slowly. Emphasizing the way I did it. I suppose I should show some submissiveness to them for safety purposes. ¡°So you were the bullies they were talking about.¡± I sighed. ¡°I must say I have to go now as I still have some things to attend. But first, may I ask why am I called a cripple?¡± I tilted my head to act like an adorable kid hungry for information, but as I asked, laughter erupted from the three. ¡°W-what do you mean? You don¡¯t know of your white hair?¡± pointed out by the rotund kid while trying to suppress his annoying laugh. What a weirdo. ¡°What about it?¡± The three stopped from laughing and stared at me as if I should know the answer. One kid from the three explained it while grinning and planning to make fun of my ignorance. ¡°Oh you poor illiterate boy, this one shall enlighten you.¡± He said as he stood more dignified and dumber. Yes, dumber. He puffed his chest out and planted his knuckles on his hips. ¡°In our world we have magics.¡± He moved his fingers and hands like a stupid would do. ¡±These are measured by the color of the hair,¡± The kid stated while pointing at his faded blue hair. ¡°And I am with the affinity of the Hydro. I can control the waters.¡± Before he spoke again, the flabby butted in and pointed his hair with both of his hands. ¡°A child of the ¡®Eartheners¡¯! An ¡®Erda¡¯ affinity!¡± the nerdy got irritated but he kept on explaining. ¡°And our leader here,¡± He pointed then acted like a servant of the kid in the middle. ¡°Is of the affinity of the ¡®Pyro¡¯.¡± The kid nodded as if to state it was correct, in which it was. ¡°Then, I am certain that I, am with the affinity of the winds¡± I said. I used to read about books of fantasy and I picked up each of its pattern. There will always be the big four elements. The fire, which was Pyro, the water which was Hydro, the Earth, Erda, and the winds- ¡°You mean Anemos?¡± The kid asked, then he stifled a giggle. ¡°The affinity of the Anemos or Ventus is only possessed by green-haired ones. You have white, which is none of the elements. Maybe we should call him ¡®nil the cripple¡¯ now.¡± The nerdy offered to the other two while leaving Will to his business. ¡°Nope. I-¡°the leader started, only to be disrupted by the sudden parting words of myself. ¡°I am sorry but I have issues to take care of.¡± That was actually the truth. ¡°Thank you for the knowledge.¡± That was partly true. I curtsied and spoke once again. ¡°Goodbye ya¡¯ll.¡± Then, I ran at full speed and turned at the corner of the street far from their sight. _____________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°What does issues mean?¡± The plump boy asked. ¡°It means you need to read more stupid¡± The nerdy guy replied. The kid, which was eight turns old, who was also the leader, was contemplating. He never heard from his mom that the cripple was gifted of the tongue. ¡°What is he? Ten turns? He talked like one.¡± He remarked. He was sure he talked like a ten-turn kid but he looked like he was only five turns. He reconsidered his choices. Should he annoy him more? Or befriend him? He heaved a sigh. It was such a loss of a member if only he did not possessed such weak magic affinity or none at all. ¡°We better teach him a lesson next time.¡± Nerd guy said. The two nodded and went their way. _____________________________________________________________________________________ I shake my head as I tried to forget about that experience and I once again, stared at the tapestry. ¡°Must be nice to have someone you can trust.¡± I stood up and paced around the room. What to do? I already knew what my problem was all about, and I couldn¡¯t tell if it was really true. Sure, I¡¯m already living a wonderful life in this world but something was missing. Something I should have that others also have. While thinking about it, the door to the right swung open which revealed a man. He wore a shirt washed with sweat and a farmer¡¯s hat. The farmer who just came back from the field was also holding a sickle. He sauntered at the far end of the room and placed the tool in a chest. He turned around seeing his son (me) at the middle of the room. It was my dad. ¡°Hey kiddo.¡± He came up to me and bent down. Meeting his eyes was still the scariest experience ever. Ever since I was born, I tried to avoid those gray-blue eyes. It was like an abyss. It scared me if those eyes can penetrate my soul and unearth my big secrets. In which they can¡¯t. ¡°You seem troubled. What is it?¡± He messed with my hair and smiled. ¡°Why-¡°, I stopped himself. Was it safe if I tell them I knew? It¡¯s been five turns and neither of them ever mentioned about my hair, about my magics affinity. Thinking about it, I decided to tell him since their reason was fine. They tried to protect their son from a shocking revelation of not-having-magics which pretty much was the criteria that decided one¡¯s social standing. Well, they failed. But it¡¯d be better to hear it from them. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°What didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°My hair, Hugh. My hair.¡± My father, Hugh, was stunned. I think he never thought that his son would ever call him that. Well, they didn¡¯t particularly enforced me to call them father and mother. They just assumed I will call them those since others do. I was different. Even more, I knew about my affinity. Why was it a big deal anyway? I knew little about magics, because my father has one. Though, his was just miniscule but he can still summon a bucket of water which he used for watering the plants. But because of this, he only acquired the field job. In Aovis, magics is everything. No one had nil magics affinity. Everyone has. Except for their child. ¡°My son I-¡­ We thought it¡¯d be better if you didn¡¯t know.¡± He admitted. Kneeling down to get a comfortable position. He put his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Well, It wasn¡¯t. I grew up not knowing my problem. Was that your goal?¡± I asked, removing his hands from my shoulders and crossing my arms. I looked straight at him as if to challenge a duel and saw him wearing a grim expression. ¡°No! We would never Will. Your mom and I decided we won¡¯t tell so it won¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± ¡°No-¡°Hugh stopped. Silence filled the room as our voices halted. Our two bodies still, like statues of old. ¡°So I was right.¡± I concluded. I let out a sigh. It would¡¯ve been better for me if I just didn¡¯t ask. My father¡¯s response was the obvious answer to my doubting. It troubled me that of all people to have no magics affinity, I was the one to have none at all. Great. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Hugh broke my train of thought. ¡°Maybe I am.¡± Or maybe am not. I can¡¯t blame him for that anyway. It¡¯s not his fault his offspring turned out like me. I mean, who¡¯s to blame? And with that I left the room. _____________________________________________________________________________________ It was the thirty-fifth an of the sixth mon of the turn. And I gained a brother. Chapter 3: First Friend? WILL I wasn¡¯t sure if I heard it right. It was the thirty-fifth an of the sixth mon of the turn when I was called to the kitchen for some ¡®family business¡¯. ¡°Will. We have great news for you!¡± My mom clapped as she sat across the table where we held meetings like this. ¡°What great news?¡± I asked. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t care what happened inside the house. As long as I can do my business, which is pacing around the house thinking about what to do in my new life and my problem, I can tolerate it. The bad news about being in a conference with my family was their intrusive curiosity. A little while ago, I was lying on my bed reading an old book written in the language of the land. Unsurprisingly, I read every word and sentence with ease as if it was my mother tongue when suddenly, Hugh opened the door. Peering inside, he called out to me solemnly like he committed a sin. Our ¡®argument¡¯, if it really was one, was still tormenting my father making him evasive of that matter. If he couldn¡¯t attain once again his son¡¯s approval, he might fail being a father. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about something.¡± He told me. Yay. ¡°What is it?¡± I sat up closing the book and settled it on top of the bed table. ¡°It involves your mother.¡± I nodded and stood up. Hugh then tried to close the door but hesitated, thinking of something to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. I should¡¯ve kept it in.¡± I got ahead of him and apologized for the misunderstanding. I fetched the door and swung it open where he stood staring at me. Did he get weirded out? ¡°C¡¯mon. She¡¯s waiting.¡± Back at the family agenda meeting, Anna was beaming and was eager over something. She kept a smiling face, then she patted her tummy. ¡°You¡¯ll be having a baby brother!¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ The meeting went smoothly. Nothing surprising particularly happened. Except for the part that I didn¡¯t know how she knew it was a boy. The technology of this world was worse when Earth was still in the 18th century. Even simple mechanisms like a light bulb was non-existent. All were fueled by magic. If that was the case how did she know? ¡°Are there any Ultrasound machines in here?¡± When she heard me utter an unfamiliar word (Sorry Anna), she raised her eyebrows and asked me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing. But, how did you know it was a boy?¡± I questioned. ¡°Intuition.¡± ¡°Intuition?¡± I drilled further. ¡°Intuition.¡± And she left it at that. _____________________________________________________________________________________ A brother. I¡¯m having one. After the family agenda meeting, I came out of the house and ambled around it. Thinking of the recent news, I couldn¡¯t help getting restless. ¡°I¡¯ve never had one.¡± I whispered. Back at my old life, I was the only child of the Watson¡¯s. I grew up being the only child of theirs to abuse. It wasn¡¯t particularly a fun experience (How would it be fun?) and I had a rough life struggling to live day by day, but I still managed. That¡¯s why I still didn¡¯t trust my current parents wholly. You never know whenever people change. I looked at the house standing tall at the end of the fields. It wasn¡¯t like the huts of my old country on Earth, it was a mansion compared to those. Not exactly the kind of house a farmer should have, well at least in the Philippines (my old country), but I was thankful he had this house. It wasn¡¯t that big but it can compete to those of the nobles¡¯. It was colored tan with much darker brown outlining the edges of it. A couple of lamps stood wisely at the mansion¡¯s entrances which were bright by night and dim at day. Models of well-trimmed bushes shaped into different specimens were planted just beside the lamps. A smart-looking man with a top hat and a cane, a cupid close to releasing his arrow and- Wait, is that a crying cow? You would think that a farmer in these parts would be incredibly poor and only has a hut to live in but it appears in here that farming is a respected job and that agriculture is highly acknowledged. Anyways I need to teach him, that brother of mine, to be trustful and honest. I established that thought. If I have no one to trust, then might as well teach one to be trustworthy, which is in this case, would be my brother. A couple of experiences would do. Would he like some drills? As I wandered around the house, I heard a call of help just within the woods. The woods were just behind the house and stretched to his both sides. Trees of the same kind acted like a barrier to protect it from the outside world. At its dead center, a path of cobblestone lay. Sometimes curving to whatever direction then straightens again at the center. The sky above it was different. It was like, a whole another dimension.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I hurried inside of it. Oh boy, I sure am dead. _____________________________________________________________________________________ I arrived at the scene panting. My journey within the forest was unexpectedly a long one. My rescuing became a hike then it became a total disaster. Under one tree, a boy lay sprawled on the floor. Bleeding from his nose, and battle-dew trickling down his face. He covered his chest like his life depended on it, which in the current situation, it did. Not far from him were three boys stoning him. They threw him rocks and stones and sometimes, twigs that slept on the forest floor. It was a familiar setting of a usual scene called ¡®bullying¡¯. I was sure if I joined in, I would regret it. Nothing good happens when you butt in and interfere such activities. Like what ¡®Error¡¯ (the glitchy god) said, ¡°Don''t go *bzzt* playing all hero and the like.¡± I was about to walk away and consider this trip wasted when a little rock hit my back. It didn¡¯t hurt but it stung a little. I prayed to God (not Error) that I wasn¡¯t caught eavesdropping and possibly interfering and I continued to walk, hoping it was just a stray stone that, well, longed for my attention? Another stone hit my back. Now it did hurt and it was considerably bigger than the last one. These kids. I turned around and saw the three boys who were oddly familiar. Oh right, they were the bullies. The kid that was the tallest still stood in the middle. His ginger still planted on his head. I wish it¡¯d be burned. Next to him, at his right, was the smart (?), nerdy, faded blue-haired kid who always looked messy. He appeared like he had an all-nighter. And the last one to his left was the unchanging rotund, plump boy. He still looks like a pig. ¡°Hehe. Well, if it isn¡¯t the lil¡¯ cripple who came to the rescue.¡± The tall kid talked. ¡°Remember the time you rudely spoke to us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. And I wasn¡¯t the one who talked to you. I mean, have we met before?¡± I quickly replied. Please be dumb. Please be dumb. ¡°We¡¯re not dumb.¡± The nerd interfered. ¡°You¡¯re the only kid who has white hair.¡± Oh. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re daydreaming sir, what¡¯s your name?¡± The nerd was shocked. He clearly was stunned to hear someone wanting to have their name. What¡¯s more, his play toy was the one who asked. Their clique doesn¡¯t know each other¡¯s names? ¡°Don¡¯t mind that. I had a great time. See ya¡¯ll!¡± I tried to run like what I did last time we met but a twig struck my head. ¡°You won¡¯t be running today cripple. Let¡¯s see how long you last.¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°You saved me¡­¡± The bloody kid told me. It was after the ¡®event¡¯ that the kid thanked me. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but I sure did not became their punching bag to protect this boy. I sat up after lying on the forest floor for quite a while now. I looked around to check if the trio was still there. They weren¡¯t. I tried to get up but my legs failed me. As I inspected my body more closely, I saw my utterly sad condition. I had battle-dew running down my arms from the wounds. A bruise stayed on my leg even if I tried to rub it. (Pro tip! DO NOT). ¡°I didn¡¯t save you. I got beaten up.¡± I replied to the boy. ¡°No. You did save me. You came and rescued me.¡± He insisted ¡°I. did. Not.¡± I retorted ¡°Yes you did.¡± He replied back I got annoyed. I didn¡¯t like how the boy sounded. His words sounded a lot like a rescued damsel-in-distress. I wasn¡¯t a hero, I was nobody. I¡¯d prefer it if I can just live my life peacefully. According to my book of life, a person should do everything on his own. I won¡¯t get anywhere trying to find somebody to always help me. And there¡¯s the trust factor. As I remembered my ¡®experience¡¯, my mood started to dampen. I couldn¡¯t do anything. I was at a disadvantage considering it was three versus one, but even a little magics would¡¯ve helped. I could¡¯ve risked my chances and stun them for a bit then run for it. ¡°I noticed you have white hair. It¡¯s¡­ odd.¡± The boy who I was talking now sat up. Blood still flowed down his face but at least his wounds were closing. His olive green hair was all over the place but he still looked presentable nonetheless. He also had a tattered green scarf hanging on his neck. That looks cool. Not far from where we were sitting, an eyeglasses laid on the forest floor. Cracks and little fissures were present in its glass yet it still held. He reached for it and put it on. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± He said while arranging his glasses. ¡°¡­ Will¡± ¡°Will huh? I¡¯m Theo. 7 turns.¡± Theo offered his hand to Will. ¡°What would I do with that?¡± ¡°Shake hands?¡± His eyebrows arched up, confused. Look, this world is something completely foreign to me. Their culture differed with mine and that includes their way of greeting. Like spitting on each other¡¯s hands then dancing around like turkeys or something like that. I took it and we shook hands. I looked at the other boy¡¯s hand and it was bruised and painted with scrapes. I lifted my head and eyed Theo. This boy was peculiar. He didn¡¯t seem to be the least bothered or angered with the trio. He was just, calm and collected. ¡°How old are you?¡± He suddenly asked. ¡°5 turns¡± ¡°Holy molly.¡± Theo swiftly replied. Standing up, he winced but he endured the pain and offered - once again - a hand to me. ¡°You need to be at the infirmary! Your parents are gonna be worried sick for you.¡± He said sounding concerned and worried. I looked at the offered hand. Should I trust this guy? He seemed cool and kind but¡­ what if he wasn¡¯t? What if he wants to get his resentment out of me? What if¡­ ¡°No thanks. I can help myself.¡± I refused. ¡°No. You need to get healed. Come on¡± Theo helped me up. With that, the both of us went to the town and headed straight to the infirmary. _____________________________________________________________________________________ The infirmary was located at the middle of the town just past the ¡®bakery. The building was big compared to the other structures that stood in the town. Maybe because there were always injured townsmen caused by magics or the workers miscalculated its size, I didn¡¯t know. Theo was beside and he led me inside while holding my hand - afraid that I might run away. At the entrance, a counter and a lady wearing a blouse - with her hair tied up - welcomed whoever decided to get fixed up. When you go to the left, you¡¯ll meet a wall. When you go to the right, you¡¯ll be in the ¡®Healing Room.¡¯ This room was filled with nothing but beds, side tables, windows with curtains and paintings of relaxing pictures. One was a portrait of a woman picking berries while another smiled shyly at whoever smiled back at her. Wonderful..? Theo set me down in one of the beds at the far right of the room and went ahead to get a nurse. ¡°Stay here.¡± He said. He came back with flasks and bottles cradled in his arms. ¡°What will you do with that?¡± I asked ¨C suspicious of what he was holding. ¡°Potions to get you patched up! This¡¯ll heal your wounds quickly! Look at me, I¡¯m all healed.¡± Sure enough, before he got those potions, he looked heavily beaten up. However, those wounds he got from the three was now long gone. Not a single mark was left. But still, I refuted the thought of being mended by a stranger and retreated at the far end of the bed. ¡°I will NOT get fixed up by a stranger. Call the lady at the entrance, better, give those to me and I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± I noticed Theo watching me as I demanded something wild. I thought he was being friendly to me but it seemed like it came off more suspicious than friendly. ¡°You¡¯re being stupid. Also that lady was a golem.¡± He walked towards me without hesitating. ¡°W-what?¡± While Theo patched me up, I was thrashing around like a stupid kid. Fighting against the evil kid who wants to perform experiments to me. Nevertheless I still got mended. ¡°See? I was not gonna hurt you.¡± Theo said. ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ It was already dusk when we parted. The sky was a hue of orange mixed with yellow like the one I used to gaze on my window. I went to my house tired from my adventure. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5 turns after that incident and we didn¡¯t get to see each other again.