《Emyridia - The Great World》 Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter Chapter 1 A Chance Encounter Grey ash. As far as the eye could see. A girl walked, alone. When she inhaled, small cuts lined her throat. When she exhaled, she¡¯d stop and keel over to cough, pale red saliva leaving her mouth, a mix of blood and of the suffocating grey ash the filled the world before her. Her tears had long caked. Her knees had given out their last cries. Her clothing, ragged, cracked, and crusted such that the word ¡°destitute¡± would be a compliment. Yet it was this girl, that continued to walk. Step by step, her mind grew foggy. Her limbs would lose feeling, and she¡¯d stumble, but before she fell face-forward, her legs would catch her. ¡°What has this world come to¡­?¡± If there ever was a path, it was long smothered by the torrent of pale flakes that never seemed to end. She cursed in her mind before resuming her footsteps. Step. Step. As the steps began to meld into one another, something caught her eye, in the distance. ¡°A building? A town!?¡± Her insides grew warmer. Hope. A hope faint, yet blinding. Steps quickening, her breathing rushed and ragged, she hobbled forward toward the distant shapes that popped in and out of her view, teasing her from behind the thick veil of ash. Quickly, quickly¡­! She ignored the pain as she hastened her hobbling to an improvised stumbling ¨C clearly unbalanced, yet the ground was unable to reach past her feet. Her heartbeat quickened, her steps quickened, Please! Water! Water! Before she knew it, she was at the closest building, or to be more accurate, the closest rundown, decrepit shack, but the details went unnoticed to the now frantic, half-crawling creature that practically dove into what likely was once a door frame. No! Not here! The girl quickly exited the building and went straight for the nearest structure. Not here! Her mind accelerated, envisioning on its own the promise of sustenance, the possibility of it, what it would be like to cleanse her throat of the ash that caked her throat and threatened to suffocate her, to ease the pain that came and lingered with each breath, to reenergize herself, to be free from all of this! Not¡­ here either. Not here. No. No. Nothing. But just as she was preparing her heart for its seemingly inevitable letdown, as her eyes began to moisten¡­ her heart stopped. She let out a gasp. ¡­! Her eyes locked onto a building, one with a familiar structure faintly visible inside it. She ran, with vigor she didn¡¯t know she had left in her. Her foot got caught on a rock, hiding beneath the ash of the ground. She went flying, her speed causing her to do a forward dive. Yet she kept moving. Her arms picked up the slack, stopping her from colliding with the ground, and she clawed forward, preserving her momentum and recovering from the near fall with her feet. To not waste even a fraction of a second in reaching her destination. She couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Bursting through the remnant of a door that stood in her way, she couldn¡¯t even register the pain in her shoulder as she quickly leaped to the center of the room, her arms outstretched toward the device in the middle. Her fingers found their way to a large lever stretching out, and clasping around it, with as much dexterity as a newborn, she brought her chest closer to the lever, and lifted her feet off the ground. She heard the sound of creaking, and felt through her hands and the lever inner components that seemed as if they were about to move. When the lever refused to give, though, she lifted her leg to the box in the middle of the room and began to push off it. She moved her hands closer to the edge of the lever, anything that could generate more force, anything to budge the stubborn lever. But when the creaking noise grew to its loudest, when she felt as if it was about to give¡­ Crack! She hit the ground hard with a dull slam. Her shoulder, having taken the brunt of the fall, was red and ached. Her head wasn¡¯t spared from the fall, and she struggled just to piece together what had occurred. After a few seconds, her vision focused and felt and saw the lever, now broken off, in her hands. Stunned, she lay there, processing the situation. She rose from the ground, noting the bit of blood that oozed from her shoulder, the pain from the side of her head. Anger. Rage. She felt the strong desire to erupt into a tantrum, to shout a thousand curses, to just cry. But perhaps because of her lack of energy, she just didn¡¯t. She stood there. She looked at the device, one that used to dispense water in her village, albeit in small amounts. She remembered her mother, who didn¡¯t hesitate to share her portion with her as water grew scarcer and scarcer. Who, at some point, gave all of her portion to her. Who at some point, stopped moving. Who died for her. She remembered the stealing, the chaos, as more and more people couldn¡¯t be provided for. How she was cast out, along with so many others. But she also remembered what she did after that, the lengths she went to to survive. Her grip on the lever in her hand strengthened. She kept looking at the device in the center of the room, not in defeat, but analytically. She never took a good look at it, but doing so now, she noted its metal shell, which had long lost its familiar luster. Clearly, others had attempted to break this device, but it had held up. Actually, taking a step back and regaining her clarity, suspicions about the village she was in started to sprout in her mind. She hadn¡¯t had the wherewithal until now to consider the lack of bodies in all of these buildings, corpses she had long grown used to. She now considered the possibility that the water from this place was already long withdrawn entirely. That shouldn¡¯t be the case, as the devices are connected to water lines deep underground¡­ The fact this lever broke off¡­ This place was abandoned! It had to be the case. For some reason, the people must have left this place. And for a long time, too. There¡¯s no other reason for this device to be so untouched, decrepit to the point of breaking. If it hadn¡¯t seen any repair or upkeep for so long, then¡­ I can break it! She felt the lever in her hands, and gripped it with renewed confidence. She raised it up, and Bam! She swung it down with all of the force she had. Satisfied with the small dent she left, she repeated the action. Again, and again, deliberately aiming at a certain part. After a length of time, she thrust the lever into the hole she had created, the intersection between two particularly weak-looking plates. And she pushed, with what strength she somehow had remaining. Creak, creak¡­ The metal plates tried to endure, but shortly, they couldn¡¯t anymore. Pop! A rusted fastener dropped to the ground with a plink, and the gap between the plates widened. Carefully, so as not to hurt herself, the girl placed her hands in the newly created gap and pulled. With each pull, she exerted herself more and more. ¡°Urrrrrghhhhhh¡­ Come¡­ onnNN!!¡± It wasn¡¯t quick, but the weak metal gave way, and with one last squeak it bent, roughly 30 degrees. After catching her breath, she looked inside the device. It wasn¡¯t especially complicated. But it was difficult to see. In essence, it was a pulley system, where a pull of the lever would release a small bucket of water into an area to be dispensed, and pushing it back would likely cycle the buckets, replacing the next one to be emptied. The mechanism for one lever to be able to move such a large amount of buckets was likely far too complicated for her to understand, but it didn¡¯t matter. She just needed to get down this tunnel. Utilizing her smaller size, she squeezed through the opening in the metal, and carefully placed her feet on the contraption. She avoided what seemed to be small groups of gears and tried to only touch the areas of flat metal. Ah! She clenched her teeth, bearing the sting of the cut, and she kept moving. Every once in awhile, a part would dislodge itself, clinking with the metal sides of the tube she was descending. Clink, clink¡­ She couldn¡¯t hear the sound of it colliding with the bottom. She tried to suppress her hopes, but she was unsuccessful. There¡¯s something¡­ something at the bottom of this pipe! Vigilant and cautious, in the near pitch-black tube, she descended. She lowered her limbs, one by one, doing her best to gauge if the surface she was touching was safe to place her weight on. Like this, she descended. Like this¡­ until when she lowered her foot¡­ it was greeted by a cold sensation. Water!!! She resisted the urge to plunge, lowering herself a couple more times until her knees were submerged. She nearly lost her grip doing so just from the relief that coursed through her. After so long! And without another moment of hesitation, she dipped her cupped hand into the water, and brought it to her lips, and drank. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She froze. ¡°H-...Huh?¡± She couldn¡¯t form a thought. Her heart threatened to burst through her chest as its already quick beating intensified. She started to shiver. Not from the cold. ¡°W-... Why?¡± Ash. Its taste she knew all too well by now. ¡°Why?¡± This wasn¡¯t ash. After all, it was, without doubt, a liquid that she was touching. It felt just like water. ¡°Why?¡± Why wasn¡¯t it water? Why? The girl could not piece together her thoughts, just one question on her mind. ¡°Why? Why? Why! Why! Why!! WhyyyyY!¡± She would have banged her hands on the wall if she wasn¡¯t still clinging onto the metal structure. ¡°Whyy! Why! Why!! Why¡­ Why¡­¡± Just as she was about to vomit, as she felt as if her body was going to self-destruct, her heartbeat slowed. The rage inside of her was changing, transforming into something else. A cold, emptiness started to grow inside of her. ¡°Ha¡­ Hahah¡­ Hahahahaah!!¡± She was laughing. She was smiling. She didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Haahaahahaha, Hahahahahhaha!!¡± Did she give up? She didn¡¯t feel like it. She just¡­ had enough. Or at least was close to it. What¡¯s the point? What¡¯s the point of all of this? Why, why am I even down here? Why did I even try so hard to live until now? Hahahaha, somebody explain it to me, I don¡¯t get it, why??? Hahahahah¡­¡± Cold laughter echoed around her, all throughout the long, long tube¡­ At first, a hand. Then, the rest. The girl found herself back outside of the device. She didn¡¯t know how long she spent in the tube, she could barely recall any part her ascent out of it. Thoughts of what she would do next, though, roused her from her half-conscious state. But the bitterness, a strong bitter feeling found itself in her chest now. Half-stumbling, she slowly found her way outside the building, stepping over the door she had crashed into and broke on her way in. Why¡­? Before she knew it, her hand was over her knife. A person? She lowered her stance, ready to flee at any moment. Ready to fight, to the death, at any moment. It was an adult male. He didn¡¯t seem to have the grey hair she associated with older men¡­ Wait, the ash! For some reason, the man¡¯s hair was black. Dark black. The ash¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not falling on him¡­ She couldn¡¯t see a speck of ash on the man. In a landscape nearly entirely engulfed in it, the man just didn¡¯t belong. As if he was an image added after the fact. Am I seeing things? She allowed herself to think this one thought, but immediately continued putting up her guard. Because of how abnormal his presence was, she couldn¡¯t relax even a moment. Her eyes moved to the opponent¡¯s hands, her first instinct when gauging a threat. ¡°You climbed back up.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°I said you climbed back up.¡± She was caught off guard. When was the last time she had had a normal conversation? Should she respond? What if he¡¯s trying to get her to lower her guard? ¡°Why did you climb back up?¡± ¡°Why? What do you mean, why?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡­ What are you getting at?¡± The man continued to stand there. Still. Still as a painting. ¡°Why do you continue to walk? When you know what¡¯s underneath?¡± ¡°...I-... I don¡¯t know.¡± The man grimaced. As if hurt by her words. It was subtle, though. But he wasn¡¯t particularly trying to hide it. ¡°You deserve better than this.¡± For some reason, when the man said that, something clicked in her. She didn¡¯t cry, but she kind of wanted to. She remembered when she used to cry, and when her mother would comfort her. Oh. Oh, I remember, that¡¯s how it feels. When someone cares about you. She knew this was just a stranger, and she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to let her guard down, but a part of her¡­ Some part of her longed for how things used to be. ¡°...What¡¯s your point? What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You know¡­ you¡¯re the last person alive.¡± ¡­! Was that true? ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Inner turmoil. She couldn¡¯t process that fact. But what about the person before her? But what if it¡¯s true? It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. But if it was true, then, then¡­ Then why should she continue to live? In a world where there was no one left, what was the point? The girl lowered her hand from the knife at her waist. ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Haha, does it really matter?¡± The girl¡¯s expression, caked with ash, grew solemn. The man could see it. And so, the two stood there. An indeterminable amount of time passed. The silence was broken by a sigh. The man from which it came, shrugged. ¡°So. Are you going to stop now?¡± ¡°What¡­ What kind of question is that?¡± Heat rose from within the girl¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re giving up now.¡± ¡°What? I-I¡¯m- I just-¡± With a look of dead seriousness, ¡°Are you giving up now?¡± The girl, stammering, stopped moving. She drew in the brevity of the question, and its depth. She considered how she felt. The world. How small they were compared to the world. The ash. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± The man stared back, unresponsive. ¡°There might be water somewhere¡­ There might be people somewhere¡­ I don¡¯t know. I honestly don¡¯t.¡± The man, taking in the segmented response¡­ smiled. ¡°Even in a dead world like this¡­ You¡¯d still keep walking?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know, I guess I¡¯d just do whatever I¡¯d do¡­ I never really thought about it that much¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you know, that they don¡¯t think about it that much¡­ You know that¡¯s what the strong say, right?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Being the last one¡­ it means you¡¯re strong.¡± Still smiling, the man started walking towards the girl. The girl¡¯s legs tensed, and she briefly considered running away¡­ but she didn¡¯t. When the man drew a couple paces away, he outstretched his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Ei.¡± The girl was a little confused, but she didn¡¯t feel any danger. For a brief period, she had to recall her own name. ¡°Suna.¡± Puzzled, Suna, unsure of how to react, just stood there. The man¡¯s, Ei¡¯s, smile widened, letting out a laugh. ¡°Hah, I guess you don¡¯t have handshakes here. I¡¯ll stop being cryptic, I don¡¯t really like wasting people¡¯s time. Come, follow me. Oh, and here.¡± The man outstretched his hand, holding an unfamiliar cylinder. ¡°Drink.¡± The girl, hesitant, slowly inched her hand closer to the bottle, wary of any sudden movements. And then, in an flash, she snatched the bottle. Sure that no follow up attack was coming, she directed her attention to the strange object in her hand. ¡°Just, yeah, just move that part sticking out down. Yeah, there you go.¡± She didn¡¯t want to believe it. But, in her hand. Given to her by this reality-defying strange man¡­ was it. Water!! Now faced with that which she has sought for so long, not even in such a situation could she keep up any pretense. Her brain, no, her body didn¡¯t let her. She lost all control, tilting the now open container to the sky and letting it flow down her throat. Cough, cough cough¡­! It hurt a bit, and she couldn¡¯t help but cough out long lasting bits of ash that had gotten stuck in her throat, some lodged there so long she thought she would never be rid of them. But even the most stubborn bits and pieces gave way under the rejuvenating stream. This sensation of drinking mouthfuls of water at a time, she could barely even recall the last time she got to experience it. And now, after so long, she could cry. Sniffle. She was helpless against the tears. The man held the back of his head and looked away. With a smile and a laugh he couldn¡¯t help but let out. After several divine minutes, and a couple more ¡°bottles¡± that the man seemed to pull from nowhere, the girl¡¯s thirst was, at last, quenched. Sitting up from a rock he had found, the man stretched. ¡°Come on. We have a bit of a walk. You can chew on this in the meantime.¡± The girl, overcoming her lingering suspicions about the man, decided to take what was offered to her, and she followed the man as he walked away. Chapter 2: A New World Chapter 2 A New World The two walked amid the never ending, shifting winds of ash. But strangely, near this strange man, Ei, ash seemed to divert in its path. Suna didn¡¯t like being close to someone who was practically a stranger, but she didn¡¯t like the idea of breathing in ash even more. Now, breathing in what seemed to be fresh air, she realized just how thick the ash had become, and wondered just how she was able to get used to it. Having walked with Ei for a little bit now, she also noticed her aches and pains were lessening. She had grown so used to them, being without them made her feel different, as if she was now in a new body. She couldn¡¯t help but double check that she wasn¡¯t imagining things, testing her different joints. The man turned briefly, then back, simply smiling. ¡°Suna.¡± Suna stopped her motions, shifting her gaze to the man. ¡°...Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll speak bluntly. I travel worlds.¡± A look of confusion creeped onto Suna¡¯s face. She wrestled with the sentence, but couldn¡¯t come to accept it. ¡°This is one of many worlds, Suna. All part of a greater world. Connected by a barrier, which we¡¯re heading towards now. Moving things between worlds costs a great deal, but¡­¡± The girl stopped walking. And so too, did the man, who turned around to face her. ¡°I refuse to live in your debt.¡± She placed her hand on her knife. ¡°I can¡¯t pay off this kind of debt.¡± She knew it was too good to be true. This was a crazy man. ¡°No, no,¡± The man waved his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that, that¡¯s not- that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. Just, look.¡± Then, something inexplicable occurred. She saw¡­ the World. Not with her eyes, but with something within her. Something deeper, something she didn¡¯t know existed. ¡°You can see it, right? Look here.¡± The image the girl was sensing seemed to zoom in. She saw a world, beset by a blanket of ash. It was her world. She never saw her world from such a ridiculous angle, but she didn¡¯t need to be told that this was where she was from. ¡°We¡¯re here, right now. Yrma, they call it. We¡¯re going to go to Nadeer, which is connected at these points. Forget what I said earlier. I just wanted to let you know what was happening. Once we get to Nadeer, you can go and live out your life there. It¡¯s not perfect¡­ but then again, nowhere really is. Understand?¡± The girl digested the knowledge. She didn¡¯t know how, but as soon as she saw the world, she knew. That the world she was in was dying, and that she really truly was the last person alive on it. And that Nadeer really did exist. That this person wasn¡¯t making this all up. So she nodded. And the two continued once again, setting off into the storm of ash. ¡°...¡± ¡°... What is it?¡± ¡°?¡± Out of nowhere, unprompted, Ei put forth the question. A bit startled, Suna didn¡¯t know how to react. They had been walking for a rather long time, and that whole time they didn¡¯t share a word. ¡°I can sense roughly what you¡¯re feeling. Do you not want to go? Do you really want to stay here?¡± This only startled Suna further. She struggled to find the right words to say, she felt like a bug under a rock, comfortable, only to have her safe place lifted. Her own mind, her own emotions. This person can even sense those? ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. It¡¯s just, you know, there¡¯s not much point in walking this whole way if you don¡¯t even want to leave.¡± ¡°No, n-no, of course I want to leave this shitty place¡­¡± ¡°...Then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ what you said earlier. About it costing you. What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± ¡°I mean, if it really costs you so greatly, I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re letting me go, free of charge. Why help me?¡± She didn¡¯t say it outright, but doubt was written on her face. ¡°... Haha. It¡¯s as you said before. I don¡¯t know. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Suna¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m helping you because I feel like it, okay? Yeah, it¡¯ll cost me a bit. It costs energy to traverse the world boundaries, and taking someone with me will cost even more, that¡¯s just how it works. But my energy will eventually come back with some time, it¡¯s not permanent or anything. That satisfy you?¡± Suna remained cautious, but decided, for now, to trust the mysterious figure. It¡¯s not as if she would know more about weird powers than this person anyways. And, well, she resigned herself to the thought that maybe even a life of servitude would be better than dying in this ash. For a long while, the two walked in silence between them, with the drone of the ash surrounding them. They slept at various caves that scattered the wastelands. At first she constantly kept her guard up, discreetly monitoring every movement the man made. She also got a closer look at him, which was much easier out of the fierce winds of ash. He seemed to be young, in his 20¡¯s. But given his abnormality, she figured it was useless trying to judge him by her conventions. He had dark, straight, pitch black hair that tapered to his neck, covering his head. Looking at it was odd, as if it reflected no light whatsoever. As if black ink was splotched onto her view. She felt as if his face was a bit uncanny. Somehow slightly off from what she was used to seeing. She couldn¡¯t really put a word to this feeling of hers, though. He was rather thin, but not frail. He just had a thin frame. He wasn¡¯t extremely tall, but definitely not short. On closer inspection, his legs seemed somewhat long. And occasionally, he would glance at her and smile. Normally, thinking about it now, she felt that such an action would be extremely creepy, like a predator smiling at its prey in anticipation. But, she didn¡¯t feel this was the case. Her gut feeling was just that the man was genuinely happy to help her. But this behavior went against absolutely everything she had come to know about people, and a large part of her brain warned her to remain vigilant, that this person definitely had bad intentions, but at a certain point, even she had to acknowledge the large possibility that this was simply a good, albeit abnormal man. Contemplating such things, the two eventually encountered a mountain. The terrain, which had been relatively flat, grew more rough, requiring the two to scale boulders and hills blanketed with ash, so much so that a lot of time and energy was spent solely on wiping off the accumulated ash off a surface to climb it. ¡°Yeah, this is getting a bit rough and slow. Suna, if we don¡¯t move quickly, this world will collapse before we reach the boundary. I didn¡¯t want to do this, but¡­¡± Suna, who was currently scaling a small vertical rock wall, was too focused on climbing to notice Ei who appeared right beside her. With strangely little time to react, Ei¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist, and the two ascended. She was beyond startled, but she couldn¡¯t move, simply due to the sheer speed the two were traveling at. Ei was practically jumping up the stone steps, cliffs, and hills of the mountain, using his feet and hands to propel himself when his jumps came short. It was strange. It wasn¡¯t just jumping. There was some sort of trick to it. He wasn¡¯t literally generating tremendous force with his legs and pushing off the ground to jump such massive heights. It seemed to easy. No, it was too easy, as if a light step was all he was doing to achieve such physical feats. And, given that she was being held by him, she could feel how little effort he was using to traverse the mountain. It was extremely odd, she didn¡¯t even feel the wind you¡¯d expect from such propulsion, as if she was just seeing things. She remembered how the ash seemed to avoid this man, it seemed a similar phenomenon was at play here too. Not sure how to feel about being literally carried up the mountain, Suna just kept silent throughout the journey, which was oddly comfortable. With her focus freed up, she observed the world around her. She had the feeling before, but she was certain now. The world was ending. The ash seemed even more thick, and the winds more fierce, but this feeling wasn¡¯t really related to those observations. She could just feel it. The world itself, screaming. Emitting its last death throes, a magnificent elegy that seemed deafening yet so quiet. She could hardly describe the sensation. As if a choir was assembled, of every living being on the planet, sentient and non-sentient, all belting out miserable death screams, but which amount to mere whispers. This aroused¡­ certain feelings within her. Feelings she never felt before. She hated the world, she felt like she deserved better than this life of suffering, of ash, of constant betrayal and survival. And now, she realized. The world felt the same way. The world also hated this slow, agonizing, painful death. It longed for water, just like she did. It longed for life to grace its lands, for the sun and the moon and the stars to shine down upon it, it longed for happiness. But it knew. It both knew yet rejected the idea that it would no longer be able to have these things. ¡°This world¡­ This world also deserves better.¡± Suna¡¯s head jerked towards Ei. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was put off by Ei¡¯s uncanny ability to sense her feelings before, but here, at this moment, where she was feeling more emotion than she has ever felt in her entire life, she was glad. Glad to share it with someone, that this heavy elegy wasn¡¯t one that she had to bear by herself. Even just the knowledge that someone else was witness to this event was enough to comfort her. She started to regain her senses. Soon, the two arrived at the peak. Ei set her down, and began wiping away the ash from certain protrusions that came from the ground. She also helped. ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s not delay at all.¡± Ei beckoned for Suna to join him, at the center of the strange protrusions. Oddly, a bright, blue light emanated from the protrusions. It wasn¡¯t bright, yet she couldn¡¯t stare directly at it, as if it were the sun. She hesitated to close her eyes, but had no choice when the lights grew in intensity. ¡°Noric Ashiv Desir Aarm Medi Castra Namph Meyr Syndra¡­¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. She heard strange chanting from Ei beside her, who gripped her shoulder. The energy in the air began to rise, yet another strange sensation she had never been exposed to before. She could feel vibrations through Ei¡¯s hand, she was unsure if they were due to Ei shivering from exertion or rather due to some external force. With a strange nervousness welling up in her, she tried to calm herself, but to no avail. This situation was just too strange, too weird. Every doubt she had before about the validity of this man and what she was experiencing, that he was a vision or that this was a dream, that he was a delusional survivor, that she was already dead, they were all dissolving under the face of the real thing. She couldn¡¯t describe anything of what she was experiencing, even as it twisted, changed, grew intense, weakened, laughed at her, scorned her, filled her, became her, knew her, was her, remembered her¡­ ¡°Hey. Hey, wake up. Hey.¡± She was dizzy. No, far more than dizzy. Discombobulated, she couldn¡¯t even tell up from down, she didn¡¯t know what thoughts were hers and which weren¡¯t, what was real or what wasn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Heeeey. Come on, wake up.¡± Birds¡­ Birds? The chirping of birds filtered through her ears. Yes. These are real. She could just tell. So using those as an anchor, she started paying attention to the things like the bird chirping. Such as the soft, dull patting on her cheek. Or the weight of her clothes. Or her hair, draped on her face and neck. Like the air, clean, fresh air, entering and exiting through her nose¡­ ¡°-Ah!¡± With a jump, Suna awoke. Her body¡¯s instinct was to propel itself from the unknown situation, but she was kept from doing so by the arms around her. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re gonna hurt yourself.¡± Startled, nearly hyperventilating, Suna wrestled with her body¡¯s instincts and forced herself to start to calm down. Her chest rose up and down more slowly as she started to control her breathing. Her eyes, had been frantically searching for some kind of escape every which way, began to rest, slowly taking in their surroundings. A forest? ¡°Welcome to Nadeer. Glad to see you¡¯re not hurt. Do you remember where we were before this?¡± Suna¡¯s mind began to remember things. But a lot of what it remembered were indescribable, inexplicable sights and sensations. Calling them those words didn¡¯t do it justice. She was befuddled. ¡°It¡¯s normal to experience that kind of thing when you¡¯re exposed to Magic for the first time. Especially such strong Magic. But, listen to me, just like a dream, it¡¯s not real. It¡¯s your soul struggling to interpret that which it is presented with, so it meshes together various bits and pieces of your imagination and things you¡¯ve seen before, and it tries to interpret it, in a futile manner. Think before those things. Can you tell me your name?¡± Name¡­ name¡­ Suna. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Suna.¡± ¡°Yes, good. Can you tell me what my name is?¡± The man¡­ He was weird¡­ His name was¡­ ¡°E-... Ei¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, good, seems your mind has gone through safely too. Sigh, thank goodness, I was worried¡­¡± The man let Suna down. It was soft, her hands clenched in and out, grappling with the new sensation she had never felt before. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, as if waking from sleep. ¡°Grass?¡± ¡°Yes, Nadeer has many forests like this, with personally what I find to be some of the most lush greenery in the whole Greater World.¡± ¡°...I, I was¡­!?¡± All of a sudden, her memories came back to her. Or, rather, she remembered what her memories meant. Of her journey with Ei. The pale ash of the dying world, of her struggles. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s gone now, isn¡¯t it? Yrma¡­¡± ¡°Yes, well, it will be shortly, relatively. It can take awhile before a world well and truly dies. They are rather resilient, after all. Anyway, if all is well with you, then let¡¯s get going. I¡¯m going to drop you off at the nearest city. You¡¯re survival skills should be more than enough to get by in a rather peaceful world such as this one.¡± Suna looked at Ei. She felt a bit¡­ she felt a lot of things. Anxiety over the future, a whole new world. Sad that she¡¯d depart from the first kind person she had met for years. She remembered the elegy, she wondered just what other kinds of wonders there were out there, just out sight. She came to be a bit enamored with the strange sensations of Magic, but she knew she had no right to request to accompany or learn from Ei, whom she had already costed who knows how much. To just be a burden to someone who saved her from certain death, it just went completely against who she was as a person, so she shut such indulgent thoughts from her head, and instead focused on what she would do on her own in this new world. She would no doubt need to thoroughly prepare for all kinds of danger. So the two walked, once again. Her mind was filled with unsettling anxiety, at the thought of a world that could house any sort of dangerous inhabitant or harmful phenomena, like the ash, or dangerous creatures. But, gradually, she was smitten. The way the sunlight filtered through the leaves, the way the moss grew over the stone, she had no words for such things but she nonetheless was captivated by their beauty, a beauty she was completely new to. A bird flew through the leaves, and she dropped to the ground, hand on her knife, shaking with worry, rebuking herself for allowing this beautiful world to drop her guard, and preparing herself for any incoming danger, but there was none. The bird came and went, a flit in her peripheral, all too fast. Its speed scared her, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any danger. She exhaled a sigh in relief, resuming her normal posture, until all too quickly, Ei stepped in front of her. She didn¡¯t have time to react. All she could see was Ei¡¯s back, his arm stretched before him as he struggled to fend off some sort of attack. The glow of Magic appeared again. But there was no luxury to simply close her eyes this time. She drew her knife, and jumped away from Ei, sliding along the dirt ground. ¡°S-Suna, No!¡± ¡°Hello there, darling~¡± She simply couldn¡¯t react. An arm picked her up by shirt, raising her. Whatever it was that picked her up, it was rather tall, many times her size. The ground seemed so far away. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you keep pets now, Eidra, that¡¯s rather uncouth, you know?¡± Suna did not hesitate. She plunged her knife, with all of her force, into the arm of her captor. But, as if hitting an invisible metal wall, it clanked, the force so unexpected that the knife flew out of her hands, onto the ground. ¡°Hey, you should really train them better, like this¡­!¡± Pain. Pain was all she could feel. Somehow, far more pain than she had ever known. ¡°AaaAaaagGGhhhHhH!!!¡± A scream the likes she had never heard before entered her ears. ¡°STOP IT!!¡± The sound of fighting entered her ears as well. But none of it registered. Too great was the pain, as if her entire body, her entire being had split into many pieces. She couldn¡¯t even think. The ground. The cold dirt. It was pressed against her, no, something was pressing her into it. A large surface, like she was squeezed between two walls. The pain grew even greater, the shock, however, now subsiding. ¡°Rrrrckkkk¡­¡± She tried to break free. She tried to move what she thought was her arm. ¡°How unsightly¡­¡± And then, she lost connection. With her arm. Yet another scream. She didn¡¯t know the human voice could make such a noise. She could still hear the sound battle, but it started to grow faint. Fainter, fainter¡­ No. Not like this. Not yet. Not after¡­ Not after everything I¡¯ve been through. She remembered the elegy. She sang it, in her head. A desperate cry against the pitiful fate it was succumbing to. Miserable, pitiful, pathetic¡­ Yet still, so strong. With the strength of every living being, all desperately crying at once, a collective rebellion against the immutable, the unchangeable. Amidst pain she never knew, amidst the destruction of everything, this was what she clung to. Desperately. Until the bitter end. ¡°Hoh, so you¡¯ve found yourself quite the jewel, huh, were you thinking that a piece of criminal traitor scum like you could fashion yourself a weapon? How pitiful. But maybe I¡¯ll take her off your hands, turn her into something actually useful, unlike you, hehe~¡± The pain, the pain seemed to recede. Her consciousness was returning, her vision, her senses. I¡¯m still in danger! She immediately got up and readied herself for a fight to the death. But what awaited her¡­ Blood. It blanketed the ground. A bleeding man was held up by a tall, armored figure. It was Ei. Strange abrasions ran down his arms. They looked like burns, but were more likely related to Magic in some way. A weapon of some sort lay on the ground, its lustre fading. Suna¡¯s attention quickly scanned and noticed the other figure present. A tall lady, with thin, thin limbs¡­ like needles. Actually, her entire body was rather disproportionate. She didn¡¯t have normal arms, rather, her arms seemed to reflect light like metal. Her long hair glittered like a diamond, her chest was deep like a ruby, her waist was shaped like a man-made metal contraption, but with elegance. Her entire appearance was elegant, curved to appeal to a base aesthetic sense. Whatever she was looking at clearly wasn¡¯t human, so why did she think she was looking at a lady? There was something more to it, as if what she was seeing wasn¡¯t the entire picture¡­ Her arm. She remembered her arm. She expected to not see it there¡­ but it was there. In its entirety. Well, except for the sleeve that once covered it. What¡¯s going on? This confrontation was obviously completely out of her league. Was there any way she could boost her rate of survival? It didn¡¯t seem likely¡­ Either way, she only had one option: observe, and wait for an opportunity, if it would ever come. ¡°Wh-¡± Before Ei could speak a single word, blood poured out of his mouth. The armored figure behind him tightened their grip, causing an expression of pain and grimace to come onto his face. ¡°Hah, hah¡­ Why¡­ Why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that obvious? Because we own this place now, duhh~!¡± Despite her face remaining still as the gem it seemed to be carved out of, Suna could still see the wide, patronizing grin that extended across the whole width of this lady¡¯s face. Ei made no attempt to hide his utter befuddlement. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? We took Nadeer! Haaahahaha! It was only a matter of time, of course.¡± She seemed to linger on her every word, as if to prolong her gloating and drive ever deeper the stake of reality into Ei¡¯s shaken being. ¡°But, of course, someone disgusting and incompetent like you, wouldn¡¯t even know it if the Sun disappeared, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hah¡­ What, don¡¯t tell me, after all this time¡­ the stupid Radiens are still playing their stupid games, hahah¡­¡± The female figure shook, leaking a dark, oppressive air that made Suna shudder, as if seeing death, face to face. ¡°Games¡­? Games? Haha, you REALLY don¡¯t get it, do you? You, you scum that forsook your God, hah, I guess that¡¯s all it really was to you, just a game, huh? I bet when they DIED, you thought it was funny, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re pathetic. You disgust me. I thought the feared Eidra Flynt, the one whose pathetic scummy villainy is known all throughout the Greater World, I figured they would at least put up a fucking fight, but look at you. About to die a death more pitiful than a fucking dog¡¯s. Die already.¡± The lady merely glanced at the armored knight to convey her meaning, and a mere instant later, a head rolled. Suna had seen many deaths. But this, what was practically an execution¡­ she hadn¡¯t seen any of those. Her mind raced to determine her next course of action, but she couldn¡¯t suppress her sorrow. A loud, exaggerated sigh rang out. ¡°How pitiful. Well, at the very least, this head should raise our standing quite a bit. Aymry, help me with this, we need a fanciful yet realistic tale of our deadly battle with the infamous Eidra, we should probably even inflict some injuries onto ourselves, after all, who would believe we came out unscathed, right¡± The knight made no noise as it moved its long arm to pick up the head of the now deceased Ei. The lady began to strut over to Suna, whose nerves began to tense, who deemed the situation extremely hopeless. Guilt. ¡°And look, we were even lucky enough to pick up a gem for all our hard work. Do you think we should sell her? Or should we keep her?¡± There was no audible response. Guilt. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know~, why would we do that?¡± Guilt. Ei¡­ This didn¡¯t need to happen to them. I¡¯ve inflicted death upon others in the past, but I had no real choice, they all were people who tried to kill me¡­ But Ei¡­ The death of my savior, on my hands¡­ This feeling, is sickening¡­ But Suna¡¯s body knew better than to contest with the nauseating urge to vomit. It focused on survival, continuing to search for any hope of escape until the bitter end. ¡°Oh well. We¡¯ll do as you say, you often know better than me, anyway.¡± Suna could do nothing, as the arm of the tall, metallic limbs moved closer. Seeing them closer, they moved, unlike metal. As if it was flexible, parts of the thin, needle-like limb extended out into prongs towards Suna. She knew better than to try and fight this strange being. Closer. And closer. Unnaturally, they extended. They wrapped around her, like tentacles. Their surface was not metal-like. It was rough, like sharkskin, yet fluid-like. Suna grimaced, putting up with the weird sensation, until a weird urge came over her. Before she knew it, she had given into the urge. The urge to kill. She had no weapon. But with a swipe of her hands, the weird, metallic head of the lady fell. Thud. Immediately, she sensed the approach of the armored knight. They were many times taller than her, many times more deadly¡­ But she wasn¡¯t afraid. She knew where to strike, as if she had studied the knight for a long time. She knew their weak point. The heart. In the deepest center of their armor. Strike in the gap between their back and their shoulder. She didn¡¯t even know how she would achieve such a thing. But, without hesitation, she followed through. Cut. And like a puppet with its string cut, the armored figure, Aymry, collapsed into the grass. Chapter 3: Death Chapter 3 Death She was stunned. The feeling of a motion so swift and so deadly, a mere swipe of her hands, yet with the intent, no, the capability, the inevitability to pierce pure metal. This sensation was all she could think about, her mind couldn¡¯t help but replay over and over again the short series of actions that just took place. She was captivated. But that feeling. That feeling seemed to move further from her. As if departing, cruelly. Wait, stop! Don¡¯t go! ¡°Let it go.¡± Suna, so enraptured by the allure of the forbidden insight, failed to fully register the voice she had just heard. ¡°Wha-, Huh!? Who¡¯s there!¡± ¡°Let it go, Suna. Things beyond your knowledge only hurt you, you aren¡¯t ready for it.¡± ¡°Who-, Who are you! Show yourself!¡± The voice let out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m Ei. Hopefully you do remember me?¡± Ei? Suna unconsciously glanced over to the decapitated corpse, its head having rolled not far from its home. It was a gruesome sight. No matter how many times she saw corpses, they¡¯d still raise within her deep unsettled feelings, feelings that made her want to throw up. ¡°Do-Don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, Suna.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound sound anything like him!¡± ¡°Haha, well, when you think to yourself, the voice in your head doesn¡¯t sound like the one that comes out, does it?¡± That patience. Suna started to calm down a bit. ¡°This, this is just so crazy. Are you really, still alive?¡± ¡°Hahaha, well, no. At least, my body is dead. However, the body plays a critical role along with the soul, so my energy regeneration¡­ it¡¯s not looking too good. I¡¯m sorry, Ei. My ignorance put you in danger, and I was forced to resort to some drastic measures to deal with our foes. I¡¯ll be quick, because the more I speak, the more my energy dwindles. This place is no longer safe, they know that these two Servants are dead. Luckily, no one should suspect a weak-looking girl like you to be responsible for the deaths of those people, but¡­ should you come under their query, remember. Even your thoughts aren¡¯t safe from the prying eyes of the truly strong. Even directing your thoughts at them from another World could bring you danger. So listen to me carefully.¡± Suna gulped. She could not see him, or even hear him, but she sensed the gravity of his words. ¡°This event. The two figures from before. Thinking about them will kill you.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. She understood, her very soul understood, not to even faintly approach those thoughts. After a second of digesting Ei¡¯s words, she soon found she couldn¡¯t remember the people she had just saw, or what had happened to them. And strangely, she couldn¡¯t look behind her. It was a strange feeling, as if she knew vaguely, deep down, what had just transpired, but her very being wouldn¡¯t let her broach the topic. And when she tried to muster the will to pry into it, to turn her head, a sense of danger overcame her. She broke out into a cold sweat, all over her body, chills running down her spine. ¡°Good. Your survival instinct serves you well. I¡¯m certain you have many questions, but I can¡¯t answer most of them. My time speaking to you like this is limited. Listen closely. This world, Nadeer, is not suitable for my recovery. I¡¯ll hitch a ride on you for now, but it will take most of my energy to simply not deteriorate. Just know that you aren¡¯t yet ready to traverse a world boundary on your own. I can feel it, Suna. You¡¯re deep urge to overcome these fatal, laughable odds of yours, to overcome your helplessness, when the World seem to conspire against you. So I¡¯m betting on you, Suna. That you¡¯ll find a way to do that. Follow your heart¡­¡± Suna struggled to keep her emotions in check as Ei¡¯s voice grew fainter and fainter in her mind. Guilt. Guilt. She hated owing anything to anyone. But much more than that, she hated the idea of being responsible for her benefactor¡¯s downfall. Despite the strong feelings within her, Suna did not remain actionless forever. She broke out into a run, without looking back. Information. I need information. And I need to get stronger. Suna¡¯s mind was very clear on what she needed to do. She would not just let Ei die. If there was a way to help him, anything, she was going to find it. But she knew, all too well, just how powerless she was to do that at the current moment. I can¡¯t dwindle. I don¡¯t know how long Ei has. I must hurry! ¡°You have such a noble heart, don¡¯t you?¡± Once again, the quaint feeling of hearing a voice, yet at the same time hearing nothing. She was startled, but recognized its owner. ¡°Ei! You¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°Not out loud, Suna. Yes, I¡¯m not in any immediate danger.¡± Suna felt relief. Thrust into a completely foreign land, with an insurmountable task before her, she really doubted whether she could manage on her own. ¡°Sorry, I just wanted to clarify a couple things. As I said, I¡¯m not going to die soon, so long as I focus 0n maintaining my energy level. So don¡¯t rush. Actually, rushing would likely just get you killed. You need to take your time. Just to give you some perspective, even if I sat dormant for ten of your lifetimes, I¡¯d still be just as fine. So what you need to do now is focus on just living, alright? The largest growth always comes naturally. Trying to forcibly change or accelerate that part of you will just burn you out. So just take things one step at a time. Understand?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Suna nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be sleeping now, but I¡¯ll still feel what you¡¯re going through. I won¡¯t stick around to guide you every step, but listen to me. You don¡¯t need that. Just follow where your footsteps take you. Goodbye, Suna. I¡¯ll check on you when I rouse from slumber.¡± Suna stood in place, amongst the trees, unsure of what to do. Just a couple minutes ago, she was psyching herself up, ready to throw herself at the fiercest beast, or steal from the tallest towers. But Ei woke up, specifically to tell her not to do that. So, what should she do? She pondered, but now, without the feeling of the world crashing down on her. She stepped forward, one step, at a time. She broke out into a jog, one step at a time. And she let her feet lead her. Suna found surviving in the lush forest to be laughably easy. The animals showed little fear as she stalked and hunted them. Most often, a simple throw of her knife was enough to put to rest any creature that came upon her path. A couple times, she encountered large beasts, with thick fur or hide, slumbering in a cave, or stumbling through bushes. But they didn¡¯t attempt to hide their presence, as if they hadn¡¯t a care for their own self preservation. As if they were the apex predators of the land. Even Yrma had much more dangerous animals when they were still around¡­ Maybe it¡¯s just this forest that¡¯s so peaceful. I shouldn¡¯t come to expect this low level of danger everywhere¡­ Cooking, sleeping, traversing, these things were all second nature to her. It felt, quite literally, like a walk in the park, a very stark contrast to the world she had suffered in not long ago. So, like this, she kept moving, for days¡­ until she heard unusual sounds. Talking? Someone¡¯s here¡­ At least two. Suna immediately hid herself, her small figure easily obscured by a small bush. They¡¯re still quite far away, I can¡¯t make out what they¡¯re saying¡­ Suna crawled, carefully and adeptly, on all fours, making her way through the shrubbery. ¡°...its just th-... ¡­Not here¡­ ¡­Ugh, this is so annoying! Why are th-...¡± Suna could make out a voice, but she didn¡¯t know if it was male or female, or if there was more than two speakers. There was a deeper voice she swore she faintly heard earlier, but she hadn¡¯t heard it again. The voices she was hearing weren¡¯t hushed, as if they didn¡¯t mind if anyone overhead them. The disdain and annoyance in their voice was also apparent. ¡°... -ou feel that? ¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, so she tried to focus more intently on the voices, to not miss a single sound that escaped them. ¡°...eah-, over there¡­ ¡­-eel it too, ri-...?¡± The voices were getting closer. Then, as if realizing something all of a sudden, her body broke out into a cold sweat, a feeling of danger no less severe than when she was unable to turn her head. ¡°Somewhere over here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was¡­ Unless I¡¯m going crazy.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you were imagining it.¡± Two figures approached, small signs of their movement flashing between the dense tree lines. They pushed smaller branches and plants to the side, and cut the thicker ones in their way. They were making a beeline, for her. Not good! ¡°Somewhere around here, right?¡± One of the figures, dressed in a light blue shining armor that seemed vaguely familiar, yet she couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on it, cut down all that was in their path with a long, curved, sharp looking sword that seemed to gleam despite the small amount of light filtering through the leaves. It sharpness was made very apparent by the way it seemed to cut through thick branches as if they were somehow made of butter this whole time. A whole litany of emotions were coursing through Suna. Mainly fear, and anxiety. But they didn¡¯t stop her from maintaining her calm, deep breath, or from closely monitoring the situation. ¡°I think we¡¯re getting closer. It¡¯s subtle, but it¡¯s definitely around here.¡± The armored figure looked all around, as if trying to peer through the densely packed leaves of the scattered about bushes, or trying to look past the tall overgrown roots that rose from the trees before they plunged into the ground. On more than one occasion, Suna felt it. That their gaze met hers. It was just a coincidence, right? Her heart started to beat faster. Soon, she realized just how drenched in sweat her clothes were. Her breathing accelerated, as the armored figure soon started to slowly approach closer to her rough location. Closer. And closer. Somehow, Suna¡¯s sense of danger, which was already heightened, spiked. ¡°Aha! Here!¡± In a flash, all too quick, the knight leapt forward and thrust their hand out towards the bush Suna was in. ¡°H-Huh? Huh. How strange. I could¡¯ve sworn it was coming from here. Wherever you are, can you just come out already, mystery person?¡± ¡°Ugh, this is so annoying, why do we have to get stuck with such a boring task? I mean, it¡¯s such a big forest, and they really expect us to search for someone through the whole thing? Give me a break.¡± Close. Too close. The armored hand had just barely missed her. Had she not moved right before the last second, she would have been caught. She did not want to find out what would happen if they caught her. Suna listened to her heartbeat. It was loud. It was fast. But it wasn¡¯t overwhelming. She had just been subject to a mountain of nerves, but right now, she was in a state of calm. She had never felt more serene before. She had stopped shaking. She just listened, calmly, to the conversation of the two armored figures. She didn¡¯t risk looking at them, she didn¡¯t even risk paying too much attention to them. So that was it. That¡¯s how they caught onto my location¡­ Suna remembered, far too late, how Ei had sensed her feelings in the past. Perhaps they share some of the same ability? So Suna just emptied her mind of her thoughts. She saw how turbulent her emotions had become, yet how they still ebbed and flowed. And she sat there, deathly still, just taking it all in. As the voices of the knights, who didn¡¯t refrain from expressing their impatience and annoyance at their task, began to drift, further and further away, Suna lay still, in the bush. Even as she could barely even make them out anymore, as all she could hear were the rustling of leaves, brushing each other in the wind, she continued to lay still. One hour. Two hours. At some point, Suna herself was beginning to wonder why she continued to lay there, motionless, in hiding. Her mind reasoned that the danger was long gone, that she should begin moving again, to get as far away from the two as possible. But when she began to muster the will to move, she just didn¡¯t. She continued, laying there, still. 6 hours. 12 hours. She was losing track of time. The sun, which was on its way down when she encountered the knights, was now coming up again. How much longer was she going to stay here? Her body ached, and she struggled not to move. Each minute felt longer and longer, and the pain she felt grew. She desperately wanted to move, to stretch her limbs, just to regain feeling in them. But she didn¡¯t. Part of her began to panic, but another part of her just calmly endured. 24 hours. 36¡­ 48¡­ The sun made two whole cycles, and just as she was reaching her limit, she felt something. As if the air itself was starting to turn against her. It grew heavy, hostile even. She struggled to combat the sheer feeling of despair she was encountering. She could have sworn that even the steadfast trees surrounding her were moaning, groaning in pain, trembling, shaking in fear. She was terrified. And she had no idea why. And then it appeared. But she knew better than to look at it. Just like she had been doing, she remained completely motionless. All the accumulated pain felt like nothing in the face of this danger. She was glad to endure all of it, every last drop of it. It didn¡¯t seem to move around much. She struggled to even theorize what it could be doing. It just seemed to exist there. Then, she yelped. Agh! A pain struck her, but not just her. All the trees and plants around her, they seemed to also share in her pain, as if all were struck by some invisible force. This pain, it wasn¡¯t physical, it was as if it targeted her very being¡­ I¡¯ve felt this kind of pain before! It wasn¡¯t to this extent, however, and she struggled just to gasp for air. No, she wasn¡¯t gasping. She wasn¡¯t groaning in pain, nor struggling to breathe. She was doing all those things in her mind. Her actual body lay completely still. Having realized this, she all of a sudden felt so disconnected from her physical self, from the whole world around her. What is this feeling? Agh, this pain¡­ It continued, unrelentingly. It was trying to drown her, to smother her, suffocate her, and it was succeeding. She didn¡¯t know how much more she could take, she was going mad with pain, pain that she had never felt before. It hurts! It hurts! Stop! Stop! But no matter how she pleaded, it kept coming, getting stronger with every second. No¡­ more¡­ Suna was blacking out, her consciousness was experiencing gaps. She struggled to piece together what was happening, and how she had got there. But despite the turmoil within her, her body lay perfectly still. After she had stopped trying to assess how much time was passing, at last, the pain subsided. The shrieks of the trees around her had all stopped, long ago. They were all dead. They didn¡¯t seem like it visually, but she could feel it. Unlike them, she was still alive. She lay there, breathing, in and out. The overwhelming presence she felt earlier was gone now. And at long last, after who knows how long, she was able to move her finger. A feeling of joy, of something lost but being returned at long last, filled her. She felt like she could jump and yell in pure happiness, but her body struggled to just move its fingertips. She realized just how hungry she was, how dry her throat was, how miserable she seemed now. But she kept trying. A twitch here, a twitch there. Her fingertips, her foot, her wrist, bit by bit, she fought to regain control of her body, which was beset with painful aching. But soon, she moved her arm. She applied some force, and then all at once, as if freed from the paralysis of sleep, she moved, all at once. She shot up, and looked around. The forest¡­ it was dead. The chorus of the leaves, it was all gone. Pure, dead, silence. Chapter 4: Happiness Chapter 4 Happiness She had never heard a silence so quiet. The sound of her footfalls seemed deafeningly loud. She could hear with clarity her faint heartbeat, and a ringing of the ears. Her own thoughts seemed to boom within her head; they were erratic and uncontrollable, expressing themselves with different levels of clarity and tone. Was she hearing voices? No, these were just her own thoughts. She had never heard them like this before. Slowly, quietly, she made her way through the forest once more. After some time and consuming some food and water she had prepared in a small pack she carried with her, she started to regain her energy. She moved, quickly, to not stay in such an unsettling forest for a second longer. Sleeping was difficult. Her thoughts seemed to grow louder and more intense the closer she came to slumber. So, she only slept when she couldn¡¯t stay awake any longer, sometimes sleeping when the sun was unabashedly present in the middle of the sky. Corpses. Dead animals. She encountered them as she traversed the large forest. But they didn¡¯t rot. So she ate them when she was hungry. At some point, the trees started to change. She found a few that were on the brink of death, their life a much needed refreshment from all the death she had passed through. She felt pity and sorrow for the trees, which she had never known she shared so much in common with. Then, the ground changed. It grew smoother. The trees grew sparser. The dense shrubbery and plantlife seemed to grow further apart as she advanced. Her speed increased as less obscured roots and shrubs blocked her path. The air changed from an empty and dead void to one that brought life, one that brought the stories of those that breathed it. She had never felt this sensation before. And soon, she came to a clearing. Stepping through the treeline, she saw the land. She was up on a hill, and she could see far out into the distance. Other mountains, other forests, large and towering rocks, and splotches of clouds. An entire lake, filled to the brim with water, and a roaring river that pierced it. She couldn¡¯t see all of it clearly, and the ground rose up in places, obscuring her view, but¡­ She knelt on the ground. This. This is what Yrma wanted, what they longed for¡­ At some point, they must have had it. They must have felt this overwhelming sense of life, once upon a time¡­ The world she knew never looked anything like this one, but she knew how easy it was for even a view so beautiful and grand to be taken for granted. She could feel something, deep within her, resonate with more than what her eyes took in, and she felt certain emotions she had no name for. So she sat, by the shade of the tree, just taking it all in. After getting her fill of the view, she resolved herself, and set off. She was unable to make out any signs of civilization or of any humans like herself, but she saw a rough, wide, dirt road. She knew that if she traveled long enough down it, it would be a matter of time. However, she did not think it was wise to simply stroll down it, in plain sight. Without any information, and without knowing why she was pursued, hastily seeking interaction with potential enemies seemed like a dumb way to die. She surveyed the land. The land alongside the road, from what she could make out, shifted and changed, but it wasn¡¯t completely bare and flat. And if she encountered that, she could deviate further from the road. It also wasn¡¯t a bad idea to wait for a time and observe any travellers going down it. With a plan in mind, she descended down the mountain. With varying amounts of cover, she didn¡¯t dare risk staying in the open for long, her short legs flying back and forth as she ran downhill. Her feet knew where to land for her to avoid falling, her light weight aiding her agility and speed. To and fro, following the ground¡¯s least steep regions, she flitted back and forth, a flash. With the sun descending, she felt comfortable with her level of exposure. She was confident in her dark grey clothing¡¯s ability to blend in with the land from afar. Having reached a certain proximity of the road she was satisfied with, she traversed the land adjacent, moving parallel to the road. It was at times windy, and at times it went through small forests and groves, smatterings of trees. But more often than not, the road found the easiest way through the hills, so Suna was able to relax as she comfortably traversed the land. It was much more forgiving and flat than the rough forest, where she had to pay close attention to each step. Sound. Wheels. People. It didn¡¯t take long. She hid, listening to the rolling sound get closer from afar. She couldn¡¯t see it coming as it was obscured by a hillside, but she was confident in her ability to hide. Having learned her lesson, she didn¡¯t try and intently focus on the sound of the wheels or on what could be voices. She just let the sound hit or ears, and she took what came to her. Close. The wheels rolled by. She remained out of sight. She didn¡¯t hear any voices. She didn¡¯t feel a sense of danger, so she poked her head ever so slightly past the tree she was hiding behind. A carriage¡­ Pulled by some sort of animal. It doesn¡¯t look very advanced¡­ Suna was used to seeing metal compose most of the devices she grew up around, it was her first time seeing a wooden carriage. She thought. If she should emerge from the treeline, and try and communicate with the figure at its front. She didn¡¯t sense any danger from them¡­ Better not to risk it. There should be other carriages and groups of people as well. Given how quickly I came across someone on this path, and how lightly armed they seem to be, it¡¯s likely this path isn¡¯t extremely dangerous¡­ I¡¯ll wait for a few more groups to pass by before I consider interacting with them. So Suna continued, leaving as the sound of the rolling wooden wheels faded behind her. Before long, another sound entered her ears. Voices. A group of people, rowdy. Laughs? She almost failed to recognize the sound of hearty laughter, her mind instead recognizing it first as some sort of cry of pain, or choking. Laughter¡­ I, I used to laugh, didn¡¯t I? My mom did¡­ Suna pushed aside her sentimental thoughts and continued focusing on the group. ¡°How long until the next carriage comes along, you think? Of course it¡¯s just our luck for ours to break down like that.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°It¡¯s the fault of that decrepit old hack, selling us trash like that.¡± ¡°Come on, did you seriously think you could get something good with the amount you offered? I told you we should¡¯ve put down more money.¡± ¡°Oh, and with what money?¡± ¡°Well, I dunno, maybe you don¡¯t absolutely need a new sword so bad?¡± ¡°Hey, are you kidding me? Look at this thing! It¡¯s basically falling apart? Look here!¡± ¡°James, stop being silly, it¡¯s totally fine.¡± ¡°Wha-! Hey, you¡­!¡± ¡°Come on, you two, stop fighting, we¡¯re not getting home any time soon so please don¡¯t make life miserable, alright?¡± ¡°Oh, you think you have it rough Krax, don¡¯t you? Tell me, are you the one with a broken sword? It could cost me my life!¡± ¡°Yeah, dying to some slime, sounds like how you¡¯d go, to be honest.¡± ¡°Urrrrggh! Cyra! I am NOT talking about some stupid slime!¡± ¡°Pffft.¡± ¡°Oh? And what do you have to say about all this?¡± ¡°...Pft. Pfffthahahah! You guys are so silly!¡± More laughter. Suna didn¡¯t know how to react. She considered just letting the voices pass by her. But, she just couldn¡¯t. Before she knew it, she was following them, listening intently to them. Like a moth to a flame, drawn in by their light. She wrestled with herself, telling herself she shouldn¡¯t put herself closer to potential enemies. That she couldn¡¯t trust their banter, that they could be enemies just as dangerous as the ones she encountered before. But she couldn¡¯t stop her feet, they moved on their own. Still adept, following the shadows, without a noise. But involuntarily, they moved. She continued following them. When they laughed, a smile came to her face. She almost imagined herself, one of them, laughing along with them. Friends¡­ They were blindingly bright to her. She considered Ei to be a benefactor, a strong entity that took pity on her. She was obviously nowhere near his equal. But these people, the way they talked to each other, harassed each other, joked with each other, they were equals. They didn¡¯t seek recompense from each other, they simply were in each other¡¯s company. The way their words oozed from them, meshed with each other, the way they didn¡¯t force anything, sometimes letting silence take over, she was enraptured. As the sun dipped down, further behind the mountains, as sky enacted its twice daily, colorful transformation, the group departed from the main road. She followed. She could hear their pace slow, coming to a halt, along with the dull thud of heavy belongings hitting the dirt ground. ¡°This place should do.¡± Suna listened as the four went to work, setting up camp. She heard sounds of cutting, as if a thick piece of meat was being carved and prepared. The rustle of leaves and branches, the crisp sound of wood breaking echoing through the air. The striking of flint, repeatedly, rhythmically, until the crackle of caught flame came into being. Exhausted sighs, the occasional remark, none of it escaped Suna¡¯s ears. She listened intently, to every sound, almost in an effort to imagine what the scene looked like. The way they worked together on separate tasks, or occupied themselves during their downtime. She wanted to know what it looked like. But she was afraid, very afraid, of looking. It¡¯s too dangerous. I can¡¯t look. She could not risk it. She didn¡¯t know if looking at them would alert them, if they would come and end her small life before she she even knew it. It¡¯s a trick. They¡¯re getting me to let my guard down. I can¡¯t give in to this! But Suna¡¯s legs wouldn¡¯t budge. She was drawn in by them. By every aspect. By a life that she once knew. Happiness. She cried. How couldn¡¯t she? That sweet, divine nectar, just like water, when it¡¯s gone, you know just how much it¡¯s worth. What if I could have it? Why can¡¯t I be happy? Why can¡¯t I have friends, and just get along with them? Why? Why me? Suna longed, desperately, deeply, for the life that this group shared with one another. As the darkness deepened, and the group, content with their meal, retreated to their tents, the whole time, Suna couldn¡¯t help but imagine herself. One of them. Eating with them, and retiring for the night in comfort, peaceful. Suna sat, in still silence, for what seemed to be an eternity. Her heart hurt. She hurt. She stopped crying, but she couldn¡¯t rid her eyes of the blurry glaze, that heat of sorrow. Her heart twisted, it hurt her, but she made no effort to stop it. Her throat constricted, to the point it was interfering with her breathing, but she made no effort to clear it. She indulged in these feelings, for they brought her closer to them, in some twisted way. She may not get to experience this happiness, perhaps not ever in her entire life. Maybe, in her suffering, there was something. Something human, something she could grab onto. So she didn¡¯t stop her emotions, nor her tears. I have to go. Suna resolved herself to leave the camp. But¡­ but once¡­ She longed to just see it. To have a memory, so she wouldn¡¯t forget the warmth of the voices she had once heard. Her legs, stiff from immobility, creaked, as they remembered how to move. Her feet dragged along the ground, mired in doubt and fear, yet finding their way through their marsh-like emotional obstructions. Slowly, she inched closer. Slowly, with a heavy, heavy heart. ¡°Intruder!¡± Hu- What¡­! Before even a few seconds could pass, all four of the members emerged from their tents, weapon in hand, ready for combat. Suna was slow to react, having been hastily awakened from her emotional stupor, but her body did not delay long. Her feet carried her as fast as they could, her small figure darting between shadows. ¡°Erykh Avant!¡± ¡°Flicht einer Auren, Floren!¡± She heard hasty, yet collected chanting behind her, fading as she gained more distance. A faint rumbling, she felt it in her feet, through the ground, something was approaching. Jump! Her instincts commanded her, and she followed through. Just where she was, a startlingly quick, root-like growth had pierced the ground, seemingly in an attempt to engulf her legs. Cold sweat ran down her forehead, and she quickened her pace. ¡°Not so fast!¡± Behind her, the clattering noise of a metal approached. One of the group members emerged, bearing a light armor composing of metal and what seemed to be leather. A grown man, sword in hand. All that armor, and a sword, how are they so fast! It was a familiar sensation, as if the man was moving faster than her logic dictated he should. A slight gliding over the ground, with each step. It was nothing compared to Ei¡¯s, but it was definitely connected. Magic! Curses rang out in her head. If only I just left! Why did I do something so stupid! I¡¯m an idiot! But none of them helped her evade the man, or the rumbling roots she felt were on their way. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re fast, but¡­ Avarem!¡± It was too fast, in but an instant, the man appeared before her, blocking her way. She struggled, pushing her thin legs to the limit, but somehow, somehow she managed to stop herself before colliding into the man, whose arms were outstretched, clearly intent on capturing the girl. She skidded along the dirt, her right arm dragging, clawing along the ground as she attempted to steer herself away from the man. But just as she had managed to make a full 90 degree turn, her hand did not leave the ground. It was stuck. The roots! The man approached, she heard the sounds of the others running toward her, she was stuck. It, It¡­ It¡¯s just a few fingers! Suna unsheathed her knife with her free hand, and resolutely slashed at her other hand. I can¡¯t get caught! Her blood was racing, preparing for the ensuing pain, which soon came. That wasn¡¯t so bad¡­ She opened her eyes to look at her caught hand, but realized. It was too late. The man had grasped her hand, stopping her from successfully slashing through her caught fingers. He quickly twisted her hand with the knife, hard, and she couldn¡¯t hold onto her knife. Then, in a smooth motion, he brought the left arm of the girl behind her back, and pinned her to the ground with his knee, her right hand still caught in the thick roots, which had continued expanding to cover her wrist and even parts of her forearm. She had lost.