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Fiction
Darkness In Bloom
Fantasy/Romance/Action
Meeting Requiem
The day I was brought to the Eastern Empire’s castle was still fresh in my mind even eight years later. I was just ten years old back then, yet seeing the decimation of one empire and the darkness seeping its way into my daily life made me determined to gain a position within the royal family.
Since I’ve been at the castle, I’d been told there was a sorcerer who has served under the empire for a long time. Among the other sorcerers, he seemed to be the odd one out, living outside of the main castle.
The rulers before as well as the staff had told me that I had no reason to meet him, being that he was in charge of fulfilling duties outside of the duties I had now. Even though that was the case for as long as I could remember, I was always curious as to who he could be.
There was a moment where I snuck out into the garden to search for him, gaining a hunch that he was on castle grounds, but after being caught in my tracks, I decided that it was better not to push my luck and jeopardize my position. The seasons changed and time moved as normal yet there was never any sign of him as far as I knew.
On this particular evening after I had finished my duties, I had overheard some of the maids talking about the blooming of a daisy flower. Daisies were very rare in this country, but once every spring, there would be a single one within the castle’s garden.
Being fully aware that having my usual knights escort me would’ve caused more trouble for me than not, I took it upon myself to go out on my own to try and find it for myself before the sun was about to fully set.
The golden light of the dusk dyed the scenery in a warm hue. After a long day of work, I was glad to get some fresh air and take in the sights of the flowers blooming about. As supper was coming up, all of the other royals were back in their chambers taking their personal time before they had to head down to the dining hall. I could only hear the sound conversations fading as I ventured further out into the garden in search that daisy flower.
Because most of the flowers grown here were colors other than white, it was easy to weed out which areas I wouldn’t need to carefully search in, and I gradually moved further and further away from the castle.
I ended up coming face to face with a creek settled a bit into a forest moments after. I had never travelled this far from the castle before so I had no clue what I was walking into. I briefly thought about turning around and returning to where I came from, but looking forward, I noticed a wide array of flowers.
Without another moment of hesitation, I hopped over the creek. I kept my head pointed down as my eyes scanned every flower and I ventured further and further down the path.
I noticed that there was more of specific flower than the others: snapdragon. If my knowledge was correct, I was technically still on castle grounds yet the variety of flowers continued to diminish.
After a few minutes of seeing only snapdragons, I eventually reached a stone paved pathway. And up ahead was a stone tower.
“What the?” I thought, glancing up at the tall fortitude in front of me.
The stones that made up this building were all grayish tones and strings of vines formed sporadically. It certainly did not appear abandoned as I noticed a washboard and bucket with soapy water as if someone had just gotten done with washing their laundry. Peering around, I further noticed that there was a garden with various fruits and vegetables growing as well as a clothesline with clean clothes hanging on the wire. Whoever was staying here had enough to survive.
Remembering where I was, I noticed that the sun was growing closer towards the horizon. With no flower in sight, I decided to give up for the day and head back. As I turned around, I bumped into something, almost tumbling backwards before I felt a set of strong hands holding me.
“I’m sorry, I-” I began, before looking up at an unfamiliar face.
There stood a tall man with wavy silver hair that framed his face. On his left ear was an ear cuff, and on his left eye was a monocle. He appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s.
“An angel?” He uttered, almost soft enough that I could barely hear.
His teal-colored eyes glistened at me with surprise before I instantly broke out of his hold and created some distance between us.
The look on the man’s face appeared apologetic. He didn’t overstep the boundary that I had set and stood where he was.
“Princess Amaris,” he started. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I responded briefly, using my hands to iron down the back of my skirt. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to walk into your home like this. If you’ll excuse me.”
I bowed swiftly and prepared to leave before he called out to me once more.
“Is there something you needed this far out from the castle?” The man voiced, stopping me in my tracks.
If I revealed that I came out here in search of a flower, I was positive that he would laugh in my face. He knew who I was since he stated both my name and title. The future empress of the Eastern empire leaving the safety of the palace’s walls to look for a flower. Anyone would discredit me on the spot if I out rightly admitted it.
“I seem to have lost track of my surroundings looking for something, but it’s completely fine. There’s no need for concern.”
I focused on his face and gauged the gentle aura he exuded. Something about him was strange, but not in a frightening way. I was curious about everything here: who this man was, why there was a single tower out here, and why anyone would want to live secluded from others.
“Say,” I began, stepping a bit closer to him to diminish the space between us. “Have we met somewhere before?”
“Not that I know of, but you may have heard of me.”
“Oh?”
“I’m sure the castle wouldn’t want this, but if you wish to know, I will grant you an introduction. How does that sound?”
“Although you know already my name, I can start off. Besides, I rarely get a chance to introduce myself like this.”
At that, I readjusted myself and gave him a proper bow. “My name is Amaris. I’m next in line for the Eastern Empire’s throne as the Rose Jewel.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Amaris,” he responded, stepping closer to me after he noticed I wasn’t moving away. “I am Requiem, the Onyx Enchanter of the Eastern Empire.”
Requiem then gave me a deep bow, and I watched him closely.
“Onyx Enchanter… Wait, is that the sorcerer who lives far from the castle?” I thought to myself.
Upon further inspection of his attire, I noticed the red band tied to his left upper arm which belonged to the magic division of the castle. He definitely wasn’t lying about his position.
“I am the sorcerer who dwells in this tower here,” he continued, standing upright then turning to his abode. “I’m able to carry out my duties just fine and I have everything I need to live, so I can’t complain much.”
“Is there a reason why you live out here and not in the castle with the other sorcerers?”
“Let’s just say it seems to be better this way. At least for them.”
“And why is that?”
Before I could get an answer, the supper bell from the castle could be heard in the distance as I rotated in its direction. I had completely lost track of time, and now the sun was nowhere to be found.
“Ah,” I cursed, knowing that there was a possibility I’d be getting a lecture once I returned. “I should be heading back. It was very nice to meet you, Requiem.”
“Before you go,” he called out once more.
As I turned around, I felt his hand reach behind my right ear and now there was a flower in place.
“A daisy for you,” he said, keeping his hand in place for a brief moment before backing up.
My eyes widened at the gesture, not because it was forward but because the daisy was actually found. Now I was feeling a bit embarrassed.
“T-thank you very much,” I managed to express.
“I’ve laid enchanted stones on the other path there,” he informed. “If you follow them back that way, you’ll reach the castle safely.”
“Is there a way for you to join us for dinner? At least just once? It doesn’t have to be today.”
“Then maybe someday I’ll be able to take you up on your invitation,” he replied.
He gave me another gentle smile and kept his eyes on me intently. Something about them seemed as though he didn’t want me to go and that maybe this was the first time in awhile he had had a genuine human interaction. The least I could do was offer him some company.
“I’ll come visit you again soon if that’s okay?” I suggested, hoping that he would agree.
“You are welcomed here anytime.”
With that, I gave him a last wave and continued down the path he had shown me. The enchanted stones really did keep the walkway lit, and it also seemed to act like a shield to keep dirt and bugs from flying in. I never knew something like this existed, but once I reached the end, it did seem out of view from the castle’s main doors.
As I tried my best to quietly step onto the first stair step towards the palace, a voice could be heard from my left.
“Where have you been?”
Turning my head, I noticed that it was Ozais, and I sighed a breath of relief.
“Ozais, sorry, I got caught up in some things.”
“Amaris, you know not to go out on your own during hours like these where it’s more dangerous than ever.”
“I was still on castle grounds, so it’s fine, right?”
Ozais’ eyes trailed over to my right ear.
“You found that daisy?”
“Oh, yeah! It took me longer than expected, but I’m glad I got it. I probably should’ve informed you or Azriel first.”
I had completely forgotten that the weight behind my ear wasn’t normal, but I couldn’t just reveal that a sorcerer gave it to me. From Requiem’s words, it seemed as though the other sorcerers here avoided him in some way. I doubt Ozais would act the same as a castle personnel, but I couldn’t be too careful.
“Supper will be starting in a bit, so please return to your room and get changed,” he suggested, moving out of the way to allow me to pass.
“Yes, see you at dinner.”
Making my way back to my room, my thoughts lingered on the enchanter. That was the man everyone told me I wasn’t required to meet all of my life, but why? And why was he all alone out in that tower?
Sure, he seemed well taken care of with all the food he was growing and his living space appeared spacious enough from the outside. But nevertheless, it was peculiar that I saw the other sorcerers almost everyday, yet this was my first encounter with Requiem.
I’ll have to pay him another visit in the future to thank him for this daisy, but for now, my stomach was growling from all that adventuring.
Since I’ve been at the castle, I’d been told there was a sorcerer who has served under the empire for a long time. Among the other sorcerers, he seemed to be the odd one out, living outside of the main castle.
The rulers before as well as the staff had told me that I had no reason to meet him, being that he was in charge of fulfilling duties outside of the duties I had now. Even though that was the case for as long as I could remember, I was always curious as to who he could be.
There was a moment where I snuck out into the garden to search for him, gaining a hunch that he was on castle grounds, but after being caught in my tracks, I decided that it was better not to push my luck and jeopardize my position. The seasons changed and time moved as normal yet there was never any sign of him as far as I knew.
On this particular evening after I had finished my duties, I had overheard some of the maids talking about the blooming of a daisy flower. Daisies were very rare in this country, but once every spring, there would be a single one within the castle’s garden.
Being fully aware that having my usual knights escort me would’ve caused more trouble for me than not, I took it upon myself to go out on my own to try and find it for myself before the sun was about to fully set.
The golden light of the dusk dyed the scenery in a warm hue. After a long day of work, I was glad to get some fresh air and take in the sights of the flowers blooming about. As supper was coming up, all of the other royals were back in their chambers taking their personal time before they had to head down to the dining hall. I could only hear the sound conversations fading as I ventured further out into the garden in search that daisy flower.
Because most of the flowers grown here were colors other than white, it was easy to weed out which areas I wouldn’t need to carefully search in, and I gradually moved further and further away from the castle.
I ended up coming face to face with a creek settled a bit into a forest moments after. I had never travelled this far from the castle before so I had no clue what I was walking into. I briefly thought about turning around and returning to where I came from, but looking forward, I noticed a wide array of flowers.
Without another moment of hesitation, I hopped over the creek. I kept my head pointed down as my eyes scanned every flower and I ventured further and further down the path.
I noticed that there was more of specific flower than the others: snapdragon. If my knowledge was correct, I was technically still on castle grounds yet the variety of flowers continued to diminish.
After a few minutes of seeing only snapdragons, I eventually reached a stone paved pathway. And up ahead was a stone tower.
“What the?” I thought, glancing up at the tall fortitude in front of me.
The stones that made up this building were all grayish tones and strings of vines formed sporadically. It certainly did not appear abandoned as I noticed a washboard and bucket with soapy water as if someone had just gotten done with washing their laundry. Peering around, I further noticed that there was a garden with various fruits and vegetables growing as well as a clothesline with clean clothes hanging on the wire. Whoever was staying here had enough to survive.
Remembering where I was, I noticed that the sun was growing closer towards the horizon. With no flower in sight, I decided to give up for the day and head back. As I turned around, I bumped into something, almost tumbling backwards before I felt a set of strong hands holding me.
“I’m sorry, I-” I began, before looking up at an unfamiliar face.
There stood a tall man with wavy silver hair that framed his face. On his left ear was an ear cuff, and on his left eye was a monocle. He appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s.
“An angel?” He uttered, almost soft enough that I could barely hear.
His teal-colored eyes glistened at me with surprise before I instantly broke out of his hold and created some distance between us.
The look on the man’s face appeared apologetic. He didn’t overstep the boundary that I had set and stood where he was.
“Princess Amaris,” he started. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I responded briefly, using my hands to iron down the back of my skirt. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to walk into your home like this. If you’ll excuse me.”
I bowed swiftly and prepared to leave before he called out to me once more.
“Is there something you needed this far out from the castle?” The man voiced, stopping me in my tracks.
If I revealed that I came out here in search of a flower, I was positive that he would laugh in my face. He knew who I was since he stated both my name and title. The future empress of the Eastern empire leaving the safety of the palace’s walls to look for a flower. Anyone would discredit me on the spot if I out rightly admitted it.
“I seem to have lost track of my surroundings looking for something, but it’s completely fine. There’s no need for concern.”
I focused on his face and gauged the gentle aura he exuded. Something about him was strange, but not in a frightening way. I was curious about everything here: who this man was, why there was a single tower out here, and why anyone would want to live secluded from others.
“Say,” I began, stepping a bit closer to him to diminish the space between us. “Have we met somewhere before?”
“Not that I know of, but you may have heard of me.”
“Oh?”
“I’m sure the castle wouldn’t want this, but if you wish to know, I will grant you an introduction. How does that sound?”
“Although you know already my name, I can start off. Besides, I rarely get a chance to introduce myself like this.”
At that, I readjusted myself and gave him a proper bow. “My name is Amaris. I’m next in line for the Eastern Empire’s throne as the Rose Jewel.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Amaris,” he responded, stepping closer to me after he noticed I wasn’t moving away. “I am Requiem, the Onyx Enchanter of the Eastern Empire.”
Requiem then gave me a deep bow, and I watched him closely.
“Onyx Enchanter… Wait, is that the sorcerer who lives far from the castle?” I thought to myself.
Upon further inspection of his attire, I noticed the red band tied to his left upper arm which belonged to the magic division of the castle. He definitely wasn’t lying about his position.
“I am the sorcerer who dwells in this tower here,” he continued, standing upright then turning to his abode. “I’m able to carry out my duties just fine and I have everything I need to live, so I can’t complain much.”
“Is there a reason why you live out here and not in the castle with the other sorcerers?”
“Let’s just say it seems to be better this way. At least for them.”
“And why is that?”
Before I could get an answer, the supper bell from the castle could be heard in the distance as I rotated in its direction. I had completely lost track of time, and now the sun was nowhere to be found.
“Ah,” I cursed, knowing that there was a possibility I’d be getting a lecture once I returned. “I should be heading back. It was very nice to meet you, Requiem.”
“Before you go,” he called out once more.
As I turned around, I felt his hand reach behind my right ear and now there was a flower in place.
“A daisy for you,” he said, keeping his hand in place for a brief moment before backing up.
My eyes widened at the gesture, not because it was forward but because the daisy was actually found. Now I was feeling a bit embarrassed.
“T-thank you very much,” I managed to express.
“I’ve laid enchanted stones on the other path there,” he informed. “If you follow them back that way, you’ll reach the castle safely.”
“Is there a way for you to join us for dinner? At least just once? It doesn’t have to be today.”
“Then maybe someday I’ll be able to take you up on your invitation,” he replied.
He gave me another gentle smile and kept his eyes on me intently. Something about them seemed as though he didn’t want me to go and that maybe this was the first time in awhile he had had a genuine human interaction. The least I could do was offer him some company.
“I’ll come visit you again soon if that’s okay?” I suggested, hoping that he would agree.
“You are welcomed here anytime.”
With that, I gave him a last wave and continued down the path he had shown me. The enchanted stones really did keep the walkway lit, and it also seemed to act like a shield to keep dirt and bugs from flying in. I never knew something like this existed, but once I reached the end, it did seem out of view from the castle’s main doors.
As I tried my best to quietly step onto the first stair step towards the palace, a voice could be heard from my left.
“Where have you been?”
Turning my head, I noticed that it was Ozais, and I sighed a breath of relief.
“Ozais, sorry, I got caught up in some things.”
“Amaris, you know not to go out on your own during hours like these where it’s more dangerous than ever.”
“I was still on castle grounds, so it’s fine, right?”
Ozais’ eyes trailed over to my right ear.
“You found that daisy?”
“Oh, yeah! It took me longer than expected, but I’m glad I got it. I probably should’ve informed you or Azriel first.”
I had completely forgotten that the weight behind my ear wasn’t normal, but I couldn’t just reveal that a sorcerer gave it to me. From Requiem’s words, it seemed as though the other sorcerers here avoided him in some way. I doubt Ozais would act the same as a castle personnel, but I couldn’t be too careful.
“Supper will be starting in a bit, so please return to your room and get changed,” he suggested, moving out of the way to allow me to pass.
“Yes, see you at dinner.”
Making my way back to my room, my thoughts lingered on the enchanter. That was the man everyone told me I wasn’t required to meet all of my life, but why? And why was he all alone out in that tower?
Sure, he seemed well taken care of with all the food he was growing and his living space appeared spacious enough from the outside. But nevertheless, it was peculiar that I saw the other sorcerers almost everyday, yet this was my first encounter with Requiem.
I’ll have to pay him another visit in the future to thank him for this daisy, but for now, my stomach was growling from all that adventuring.
Origin: Ozais
When you compare my story to others who went on to ascend the Eastern Empire’s throne, there were more than a handful of similar ones. I grew up in Wysteria, a small yet humble town located outside of the capital Ylanta. I never knew my parents, so I along with a couple of other orphans were raised in a local orphanage.
Among all of our origin stories, we had relatable moments of warmth, laughter, and fond memories we shared with our loved ones. One person in particular that I had known since before I came to the palace was Ozais.
Ozais was a boy about two years older than me, and unlike myself, he mostly kept to himself and was very untalkative compared to others our age. He always had a serious look on his face, but getting to know him, he was the most loyal person I had ever come across even if he didn’t outwardly appear so.
As I got to know him, we grew closer and closer to the point where I considered him the closest person to me.
When I was eight years old, he and I went to town to grab some groceries for our house. Our caretaker, Ms. Aurelia, told us not to go by ourselves, but seeing how we didn’t have enough food for the evening and the state that our guardian was in, Ozais and I both knew that we had to do something.
“Three loaves of bread, two sticks of butter, seven cans of beans, a flower...” I counted aloud as I peered down at the paper bag in my arms and the ones in Ozais’. “That should be everything.”
“Did we really need that flower?” He doubted, pulling his coat collar over his mouth to shield from the wind.
“No, but I want to give it to Ms. Aurelia.”
“We should hurry back before it gets darker. Are you cold?”
I breathed outwards, leaving a trail of fog. “No, I’m okay!”
My body betrayed me in that moment and I sneezed. Seeing that reaction, Ozais immediately rolled his eyes, pulled me aside the city walkway, and set his bags down.
“I told you it was going to be cold, and what did you say?” He reprimanded, eyeing me as I held my arms together to try and warm my body up.
“I didn’t know shopping would take this long. No wonder, Ms. Aurelia always leaves early.”
Without saying anything further, Ozais took his coat off of his back and draped it over my shoulders.
“Huh?” I expressed in surprised.
“It wouldn’t do you any good if you got sick, so wear it.”
“But-“
“I’ll be fine. Let’s get going.”
I followed closely behind him. It was curious to see how much had changed between us. The boy who never let anyone get to know him was now willingly handing me his coat. To that thought, I couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle.
“What?” He turned as he heard me laugh.
“You’re so nice now.”
Ozais’ eyes narrowed as if he felt insulted by my statement, but then his expression turned into confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re nice. What else is there to say?”
I sauntered past him with more energy in my step which forced him to let go of the subject as he followed me.
The lights within the city were now dimming, and some shops were even flipping the signs on their front doors to “Closed”. There was chatter in the distance as locals went about their night.
“Wow, there’s so much here,” I observed as we continued down the road. “We would never be bored if we lived here.”
“You like this kind of place?” Ozais pondered and I felt as though his eyes were on me.
“Of course! There’s shops, food, and people I’ve never seen before. What else could we ask for?”
“When we grow up, why don’t we stay here?”
I turned my head to answer, but before I could say anything, I walked right into something and fell backwards. The bag I was holding tilted in front of me, and groceries scattered onto the pavement.
“Hey!” Ozais’ voice rang out as I felt him run towards me to help me up.
“Ow,” I cried as I opened my eyes and looked up to see a man standing in front of me. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
As Ozais helped me up, the man’s gaze remained on mine while he knelt down to pick up the ingredients I had dropped. In a split second, fear struck my heart.
“Don’t worry about it, little girl,” the man said, his face showing delight instead of the disgust just a second ago. “Say, where are you headed?”
I knew better than to give him an answer. There was no regard for Ozais at all even though he was right beside me. I felt Ozais’ hand on my arm as he gently pulled me back to create some distance between us and the strange man.
“We’re going the opposite direction,” Ozais finally answered as he stepped him front of me. “Please excuse us.”
There was a brief silence as the man stood in place, eyeing us with a slight sense of contempt while he still held the grocery bag.
At this point, we had walked to the edge of the city so the streets were clear of other people. Thankfully, the direction we were heading in had many towns so there was no way someone would figure out our exact home unless they followed us, but the problem in front of us needed to be conquered first.
“I’m not talking to you, kid,” the man spat as he closed the gap we had created. “Let the girl answer for herself.”
Ozais grunted in anger as he refused to budge. I ran many ideas in my head of how to get this man to leave us alone, but the nerves got the best of me seeing his tall stature and menacing face.
“We have to go, sir,” I finally said which caused him to halt. “Excuse us.”
I figured if I made the move, we would be safe. I didn’t care about the groceries that the man held anymore. I didn’t care that I had used my allowance to get some of the items. All I wanted was to keep Ozais safe.
I grabbed Ozais’ arm and attempted to pull him with me past the man, but as we made our way, the man swiftly forced me beside him with a harsh tug and pushed Ozais onto the ground.
“What do you think you’re doing?” My friend immediately pushed himself off of the ground and stood in a defensive position.
I felt the frightening man’s hand tightly holding my wrist, not allowing me to remove myself from where we stood. Now that Ozais and I stood on opposite sides, things were going to get a lot more complicated.
“Leave us be, boy,” the man began, sneering at Ozais. “This girl can make me the richest man in the city. You best be on your way before I make an example of you.”
I can make him what? Was this man planning to sell me off somewhere? How does something like that even work?
Even with the threat lingering in the air, Ozais didn’t break his concentration. It was best for him to run to safety and leave me, but I knew that he was never going to make that decision.
“Do I need to say it again? Get the hell out of here.” The man gave what seemed like his final warning, and I could feel the tension in the air rise even higher than what I thought was possible. “You have no business being here. She belongs to me now.”
Without another words being said, something flew right past my peripheral vision and landed in the man’s chest as a grunt escaped his lips. His grip loosened on my arm, and I took the chance to break free.
“Catch!” I heard Ozais exclaim as he threw a weapon into my hand.
With a single motion of my arm, I swiped the blade across the man’s wrist, forcing his hold on me to release. The distance between me and my captor increased, and before long, blood began dripping out of both his chest wound and his arm wound.
“You little fuckers,” he coughed as he extended his arm trying to grab us with whatever strength he had left.
Ozais moved in front of me yet again, and before I could predict his next move, he moved one of his legs off of the ground and swung it at our enemy. One kick came after the other, and a gruesome sound filled the quiet streets.
“Oof, aah!” The painful cries of the man rang out louder and louder with each painful blow that he took, and soon enough, he fell to the ground with a thud.
“Stop!” I interjected, wrapping my arms around Ozais and pulling him back.
Ozais relented as he felt my embrace, and I witnessed the color coming back into his face. As I focused on his eyes, I noticed that he was coming back to himself. But what would we do now? Do we just leave and pretend we had no part in this?
My question was answered as I heard a collection of footsteps approaching where we were. “Stay where you are!”
Ozais’ eyes darted to where the sound came from before returning to me. “The knights. We have to go.”
My friend’s hand was in mine as he pulled me in the direction we were originally heading in. Before I could process all of the events that just happened, we were moving further and further away from the scene.
I don’t know how long we had been running but not once did we stop to look back. The groceries we had in the first place were nowhere to be found, but neither of us were even cared about that anymore. Ozais kept pulling me onwards, and I tried my best to keep up.
Among all of our origin stories, we had relatable moments of warmth, laughter, and fond memories we shared with our loved ones. One person in particular that I had known since before I came to the palace was Ozais.
Ozais was a boy about two years older than me, and unlike myself, he mostly kept to himself and was very untalkative compared to others our age. He always had a serious look on his face, but getting to know him, he was the most loyal person I had ever come across even if he didn’t outwardly appear so.
As I got to know him, we grew closer and closer to the point where I considered him the closest person to me.
When I was eight years old, he and I went to town to grab some groceries for our house. Our caretaker, Ms. Aurelia, told us not to go by ourselves, but seeing how we didn’t have enough food for the evening and the state that our guardian was in, Ozais and I both knew that we had to do something.
“Three loaves of bread, two sticks of butter, seven cans of beans, a flower...” I counted aloud as I peered down at the paper bag in my arms and the ones in Ozais’. “That should be everything.”
“Did we really need that flower?” He doubted, pulling his coat collar over his mouth to shield from the wind.
“No, but I want to give it to Ms. Aurelia.”
“We should hurry back before it gets darker. Are you cold?”
I breathed outwards, leaving a trail of fog. “No, I’m okay!”
My body betrayed me in that moment and I sneezed. Seeing that reaction, Ozais immediately rolled his eyes, pulled me aside the city walkway, and set his bags down.
“I told you it was going to be cold, and what did you say?” He reprimanded, eyeing me as I held my arms together to try and warm my body up.
“I didn’t know shopping would take this long. No wonder, Ms. Aurelia always leaves early.”
Without saying anything further, Ozais took his coat off of his back and draped it over my shoulders.
“Huh?” I expressed in surprised.
“It wouldn’t do you any good if you got sick, so wear it.”
“But-“
“I’ll be fine. Let’s get going.”
I followed closely behind him. It was curious to see how much had changed between us. The boy who never let anyone get to know him was now willingly handing me his coat. To that thought, I couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle.
“What?” He turned as he heard me laugh.
“You’re so nice now.”
Ozais’ eyes narrowed as if he felt insulted by my statement, but then his expression turned into confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re nice. What else is there to say?”
I sauntered past him with more energy in my step which forced him to let go of the subject as he followed me.
The lights within the city were now dimming, and some shops were even flipping the signs on their front doors to “Closed”. There was chatter in the distance as locals went about their night.
“Wow, there’s so much here,” I observed as we continued down the road. “We would never be bored if we lived here.”
“You like this kind of place?” Ozais pondered and I felt as though his eyes were on me.
“Of course! There’s shops, food, and people I’ve never seen before. What else could we ask for?”
“When we grow up, why don’t we stay here?”
I turned my head to answer, but before I could say anything, I walked right into something and fell backwards. The bag I was holding tilted in front of me, and groceries scattered onto the pavement.
“Hey!” Ozais’ voice rang out as I felt him run towards me to help me up.
“Ow,” I cried as I opened my eyes and looked up to see a man standing in front of me. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
As Ozais helped me up, the man’s gaze remained on mine while he knelt down to pick up the ingredients I had dropped. In a split second, fear struck my heart.
“Don’t worry about it, little girl,” the man said, his face showing delight instead of the disgust just a second ago. “Say, where are you headed?”
I knew better than to give him an answer. There was no regard for Ozais at all even though he was right beside me. I felt Ozais’ hand on my arm as he gently pulled me back to create some distance between us and the strange man.
“We’re going the opposite direction,” Ozais finally answered as he stepped him front of me. “Please excuse us.”
There was a brief silence as the man stood in place, eyeing us with a slight sense of contempt while he still held the grocery bag.
At this point, we had walked to the edge of the city so the streets were clear of other people. Thankfully, the direction we were heading in had many towns so there was no way someone would figure out our exact home unless they followed us, but the problem in front of us needed to be conquered first.
“I’m not talking to you, kid,” the man spat as he closed the gap we had created. “Let the girl answer for herself.”
Ozais grunted in anger as he refused to budge. I ran many ideas in my head of how to get this man to leave us alone, but the nerves got the best of me seeing his tall stature and menacing face.
“We have to go, sir,” I finally said which caused him to halt. “Excuse us.”
I figured if I made the move, we would be safe. I didn’t care about the groceries that the man held anymore. I didn’t care that I had used my allowance to get some of the items. All I wanted was to keep Ozais safe.
I grabbed Ozais’ arm and attempted to pull him with me past the man, but as we made our way, the man swiftly forced me beside him with a harsh tug and pushed Ozais onto the ground.
“What do you think you’re doing?” My friend immediately pushed himself off of the ground and stood in a defensive position.
I felt the frightening man’s hand tightly holding my wrist, not allowing me to remove myself from where we stood. Now that Ozais and I stood on opposite sides, things were going to get a lot more complicated.
“Leave us be, boy,” the man began, sneering at Ozais. “This girl can make me the richest man in the city. You best be on your way before I make an example of you.”
I can make him what? Was this man planning to sell me off somewhere? How does something like that even work?
Even with the threat lingering in the air, Ozais didn’t break his concentration. It was best for him to run to safety and leave me, but I knew that he was never going to make that decision.
“Do I need to say it again? Get the hell out of here.” The man gave what seemed like his final warning, and I could feel the tension in the air rise even higher than what I thought was possible. “You have no business being here. She belongs to me now.”
Without another words being said, something flew right past my peripheral vision and landed in the man’s chest as a grunt escaped his lips. His grip loosened on my arm, and I took the chance to break free.
“Catch!” I heard Ozais exclaim as he threw a weapon into my hand.
With a single motion of my arm, I swiped the blade across the man’s wrist, forcing his hold on me to release. The distance between me and my captor increased, and before long, blood began dripping out of both his chest wound and his arm wound.
“You little fuckers,” he coughed as he extended his arm trying to grab us with whatever strength he had left.
Ozais moved in front of me yet again, and before I could predict his next move, he moved one of his legs off of the ground and swung it at our enemy. One kick came after the other, and a gruesome sound filled the quiet streets.
“Oof, aah!” The painful cries of the man rang out louder and louder with each painful blow that he took, and soon enough, he fell to the ground with a thud.
“Stop!” I interjected, wrapping my arms around Ozais and pulling him back.
Ozais relented as he felt my embrace, and I witnessed the color coming back into his face. As I focused on his eyes, I noticed that he was coming back to himself. But what would we do now? Do we just leave and pretend we had no part in this?
My question was answered as I heard a collection of footsteps approaching where we were. “Stay where you are!”
Ozais’ eyes darted to where the sound came from before returning to me. “The knights. We have to go.”
My friend’s hand was in mine as he pulled me in the direction we were originally heading in. Before I could process all of the events that just happened, we were moving further and further away from the scene.
I don’t know how long we had been running but not once did we stop to look back. The groceries we had in the first place were nowhere to be found, but neither of us were even cared about that anymore. Ozais kept pulling me onwards, and I tried my best to keep up.
After a while, we reached the entrance to our village where we finally stopped to catch our breath. Ozais immediately seated himself on the dirt road with a thud while I remained on my feet, fighting the burning sensation in my chest and legs.
“Shoot,” Ozais, staring down at his left boot which was covered on blood. “Are you okay, Amaris?”
“Ozais, what was that?” I questioned, but I answered it as I recalled everything. “We didn’t kill that man, did we?”
“No, you didn’t do anything. It was all me.”
“But-“
He got onto his feet again and put his hands on my shoulders, an unwavering gaze in his eyes. “Amaris, you did nothing. I threw that weapon, I sliced his wrist, and I kicked him.”
Surely, he did two out of those three things, and I knew he was telling me this to take all the blame, yet a part of me just couldn’t accept that. It only got to that point because I was in danger.
“Amaris? Ozais?” A familiar voice echoed as it approached us.
As we turned to look, we saw Ms. Aurelia approaching us. A heavy breath escaped our lips, and Ozais tightened my coat before we moved further into the village.
“Oh my god, everyone was getting so worried about you two,” our caretaker expressed as she pulled us both into a hug. “I told you not to go off on your own!”
“We’re okay, Ms. Aurelia,” Ozais assured, forcing a smile upon his face as he purposely put the foot of his bloody boot further behind him. “I’m sorry, we didn’t make it in time to get the stuff we needed.”
“That’s no problem at all. Come on, let’s head back and you can both get cleaned up to eat supper.”
Ms. Aurelia had us on each of her side as she took our hands to guide us back. For someone at her age, she most likely couldn’t see Ozais’ boot in this darkness. How much longer would this stay a secret?
If the guy we hurt remembered or if any witnesses happened to see us, we would undoubtedly be tracked down. What would I do then? I could not let Ozais take all of the blame. Maybe if I was stronger, we wouldn’t have gotten in this position in the first place.
“Shoot,” Ozais, staring down at his left boot which was covered on blood. “Are you okay, Amaris?”
“Ozais, what was that?” I questioned, but I answered it as I recalled everything. “We didn’t kill that man, did we?”
“No, you didn’t do anything. It was all me.”
“But-“
He got onto his feet again and put his hands on my shoulders, an unwavering gaze in his eyes. “Amaris, you did nothing. I threw that weapon, I sliced his wrist, and I kicked him.”
Surely, he did two out of those three things, and I knew he was telling me this to take all the blame, yet a part of me just couldn’t accept that. It only got to that point because I was in danger.
“Amaris? Ozais?” A familiar voice echoed as it approached us.
As we turned to look, we saw Ms. Aurelia approaching us. A heavy breath escaped our lips, and Ozais tightened my coat before we moved further into the village.
“Oh my god, everyone was getting so worried about you two,” our caretaker expressed as she pulled us both into a hug. “I told you not to go off on your own!”
“We’re okay, Ms. Aurelia,” Ozais assured, forcing a smile upon his face as he purposely put the foot of his bloody boot further behind him. “I’m sorry, we didn’t make it in time to get the stuff we needed.”
“That’s no problem at all. Come on, let’s head back and you can both get cleaned up to eat supper.”
Ms. Aurelia had us on each of her side as she took our hands to guide us back. For someone at her age, she most likely couldn’t see Ozais’ boot in this darkness. How much longer would this stay a secret?
If the guy we hurt remembered or if any witnesses happened to see us, we would undoubtedly be tracked down. What would I do then? I could not let Ozais take all of the blame. Maybe if I was stronger, we wouldn’t have gotten in this position in the first place.
Days had passed as news of the knights investigating this issue circulated every single town. From what we heard, the man did survive, but his memory was so fuzzy due to the level of alcohol he had prior to our encounter.
Some of the witness account we heard mention two other individuals, and judging by the reputation of the Emperor’s knights, they had a high chance of finding us.
As I was helping Ms. Aurelia with the dishes in our orphanage’s kitchen, I heard a voice from one of the townspeople from outside.
“Emperor Emrys has entered Wysteria! Repeat, Emperor Emrys has entered Wysteria!” The voice exclaimed, echoing through the town.
“The emperor is here?” Ms. Aurelia questioned as she dried her hands with the towel at her hip before peering out the front door. “Amaris, I’ll gather the other children. Get Ozais from the shed after you finish that last plate.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After she left, I was met with the silence of the house. We all knew the knights were going town to town to look into the incident, but the emperor being here was the surprising part. There was no time to waste. I knew I had to see Ozais before then, so I dried off my hands and left the abode.
“Ozais!” I shouted as I entered the shed where he was.
I noticed that he was polishing his boots from the other day, yet the stain on it still remained to some degree.
“We have to go greet the emperor, don’t we?” He nonchalantly said as he stood up from his stool and set down the items in his hands.
“I won’t let you take the blame even if it comes down to it.”
“This again, Amaris?”
“We have to tell the truth! I was a part of that whole thing.”
“Do you know how much trouble you would put yourself in? It would ruin everything for you.”
Two sets of footsteps resounded outside of the door, and it increased in volume by the second.
“Lady Aurelia, you keep such a nice place for the kids,” an unfamiliar male voice complimented.
“Thank you, your majesty,” Ms. Aurelia’s voice responded. “Those two should be in that shed up there.”
Those two meaning Ozais and myself? Did the emperor ask to see us specifically? Time was ticking down.
“Amaris, don’t ruin your life over this,” Ozais said as turned away from the door towards me.
“What about your life?”
He plainly stared at me. The expression on his face was unwavering, as if he didn’t care about the consequences he would have to face.
“Here they are,” Ms. Aurelia’s voice said as the door to the shed swung open.
The sunlight entered the shady shed and acted as a backlight to the radiant man that stood beside our caretaker.
His light blue hair swayed in the slight breeze and the light illuminated the gold in his eyes. The attire he wore was unmistakably for a noble, and the air around him made me feel as though he was from some distant world beyond ours.
“Amaris, Ozais, this is Emperor Emrys of Caligo,” Ms. Aurelia introduced as she stood a bit to the side to make way for the main man. “He wished to see you both, so please greet him properly.”
Even before she finished her sentence, Ozais and I were already bowing in front of the emperor. The energy he exuded was unlike anything I had ever felt before, and it lingered on the edge of being intimidating.
“It’s okay, my lady,” the man expressed, waving his hand. “The kids don’t have to go that far.”
Stunned by his words, I immediately looked up at him. From the way he spoke, it didn’t feel as though he was capable of doing anything harsh, but an emperor’s duties were nothing to relax over.
He kneeled down to meet our eye level and held a gentle smile on his face. I wholeheartedly expected to see a fuming old man coming in to take us for punishment, but I now had a sliver of hope that this whole thing could head in another direction.
“Amaris and Ozais, huh?” He voiced, holding his hands out towards the both of us. “My name is Emrys. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
A pleasure? The details of that night still lingered in my mind yet here he was, treating us gently. Since he asked to see the both of us specifically, he had to have some sort of deeper motive than simply investigating.
I took his hand and shook it, and Ozais followed suit a moment after, albeit hesitantly. The emperor turned towards Ms. Aurelia and sent her off as he mentioned that he wanted to say something to us privately.
“Don’t worry, you both aren’t in great trouble or anything like that,” he began, holding a soft look on his face as he faced us both. “There are just some details I wanted to clear regarding the incident.”
“It was me,” Ozais blurted. “Everything was because of me, so please don’t punish my friend for anything.”
“Ozais!” I exclaimed, ready to explain everything before a chuckle erupted.
“Relax,” the emperor assured as he tried to calm us down. “With the witness accounts and the knights’ investigation, it would seem that you two have already figured out that we traced it back here. It’s true that we can’t overlook crimes like that, but based on what I saw, you both tried to protect each other, correct?”
“What do you mean by what you saw?” Ozais disputed. “Do you mean you were nearby?”
“Ah, forgive me,” the emperor chuckled once more. “Perhaps it would be best for me to explain myself before I get too far into the details.”
As if on cue, his eyes shut momentarily. When he opened them, the hue of his irises shone even more radiantly than before.
“Your eyes-”
“Golden eyes,” I revelated, finally remembering the information I had heard about Emperor Emrys prior to this moment. “That why they call you the Halcyon Eyes of the Eastern Empire.”
“Correct. With these eyes, I’m able to trace back to recent events that are anchored to almost all living things in our world excluding humans. In this case, I was able to read the events through a bouquet of Fionova and some white heathers.”
Fionova... The flowers I bought for Ms. Aurelia! He can read the ‘memories’ of things like that? What a convenient ability.
“It was self defense as far as I’m concerned,” the emperor stated, shocking both Ozais and I. “Detaining you two won’t be necessary, and I’m simply here to ease your minds. This must’ve been weighing on you both.”
“So what will you have us do?” Ozais pondered, not believing that the conversation was going to be left at that.
“You won’t have to do anything. That’s really all I have to say. I’ll take care of everything, so rest assured that you did what you had to in that moment.”
“Won’t this look bad to everyone else?”
That was my biggest question. Covering this up would set a poor example for the Eastern Empire. What kind of emperor would allow this?
“Do you both see it differently than I do? It was undeniably self-defense, was it not?”
“Yes, but-”
“That’s all that needs to be said. Don’t believe that I always let matters like this go, but there was nothing else you both could’ve done then to make it out unharmed. The man lived, and if anything, he and the knights are at fault.”
“The knights...”
“I should’ve arranged for more knights to be stationed around that hour. You both should’ve never had that encounter. I’m sorry you had to go through that. With this war, we can’t afford anything within our country to shake us.”
Was this man serious? Sure, we did do everything to defend ourselves, but could lethal force be ignored like this? Was he mentioning the war to say that this matter was nothing in comparison?
Now that I thought about it, he did appear much younger than most of the previous rulers of the country. Was his decision formed from some point of view dissimilar from theirs?
“That’s really all there is,” the emperor concluded as he got to his feet. “I’ll satisfy the newspapers and give that man what he needs to recover. Live happily and peacefully, you two.”
He turned to leave, but I couldn’t let him go before asking one last thing. There was no telling when or if I would ever face him again.
“Emperor Emrys,” I began. “Can I ask how old you are?”
“Of course, I’m twenty-eight now. I ascended the throne two years ago if that’s where you’re getting at.”
The ruler before Emrys was a woman in her thirties or forties I think, and many have said she was much more strict and someone who would’ve taken us to the palace for questioning before assigning our penalty. From what I was taught, most emperors and empresses didn’t ascend the throne until they were a bit older.
Additionally, nothing about the previous empress made it seem like she was about to retire, but it’s not like regular people like us received every single piece of imperial news.
“Am I allowed to ask what happened to Empress Charlotte?” I finally asked.
The man rotated back to face me with a smile on face. That expression alone revealed a sense of suffering that was on the brink of erupting, like a tall glass of water threatening to overflow. I mildly regretted asking after seeing so.
“Amaris, if the world wills it, we will meet once more, and I will tell you everything you wish to know,” Emperor Emrys uttered. “You and Ozais take care of yourselves and stay out of trouble, okay?”
His parting words left me frozen. I heard Ozais sigh heavily behind me out of relief, but something in my heart still felt confused.
There was no telling what might happen from this day on, but if the emperor of our country told us so, we could afford to relax for a little, right? I had no idea that just two years later, I would come face to face with him again.
Some of the witness account we heard mention two other individuals, and judging by the reputation of the Emperor’s knights, they had a high chance of finding us.
As I was helping Ms. Aurelia with the dishes in our orphanage’s kitchen, I heard a voice from one of the townspeople from outside.
“Emperor Emrys has entered Wysteria! Repeat, Emperor Emrys has entered Wysteria!” The voice exclaimed, echoing through the town.
“The emperor is here?” Ms. Aurelia questioned as she dried her hands with the towel at her hip before peering out the front door. “Amaris, I’ll gather the other children. Get Ozais from the shed after you finish that last plate.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After she left, I was met with the silence of the house. We all knew the knights were going town to town to look into the incident, but the emperor being here was the surprising part. There was no time to waste. I knew I had to see Ozais before then, so I dried off my hands and left the abode.
“Ozais!” I shouted as I entered the shed where he was.
I noticed that he was polishing his boots from the other day, yet the stain on it still remained to some degree.
“We have to go greet the emperor, don’t we?” He nonchalantly said as he stood up from his stool and set down the items in his hands.
“I won’t let you take the blame even if it comes down to it.”
“This again, Amaris?”
“We have to tell the truth! I was a part of that whole thing.”
“Do you know how much trouble you would put yourself in? It would ruin everything for you.”
Two sets of footsteps resounded outside of the door, and it increased in volume by the second.
“Lady Aurelia, you keep such a nice place for the kids,” an unfamiliar male voice complimented.
“Thank you, your majesty,” Ms. Aurelia’s voice responded. “Those two should be in that shed up there.”
Those two meaning Ozais and myself? Did the emperor ask to see us specifically? Time was ticking down.
“Amaris, don’t ruin your life over this,” Ozais said as turned away from the door towards me.
“What about your life?”
He plainly stared at me. The expression on his face was unwavering, as if he didn’t care about the consequences he would have to face.
“Here they are,” Ms. Aurelia’s voice said as the door to the shed swung open.
The sunlight entered the shady shed and acted as a backlight to the radiant man that stood beside our caretaker.
His light blue hair swayed in the slight breeze and the light illuminated the gold in his eyes. The attire he wore was unmistakably for a noble, and the air around him made me feel as though he was from some distant world beyond ours.
“Amaris, Ozais, this is Emperor Emrys of Caligo,” Ms. Aurelia introduced as she stood a bit to the side to make way for the main man. “He wished to see you both, so please greet him properly.”
Even before she finished her sentence, Ozais and I were already bowing in front of the emperor. The energy he exuded was unlike anything I had ever felt before, and it lingered on the edge of being intimidating.
“It’s okay, my lady,” the man expressed, waving his hand. “The kids don’t have to go that far.”
Stunned by his words, I immediately looked up at him. From the way he spoke, it didn’t feel as though he was capable of doing anything harsh, but an emperor’s duties were nothing to relax over.
He kneeled down to meet our eye level and held a gentle smile on his face. I wholeheartedly expected to see a fuming old man coming in to take us for punishment, but I now had a sliver of hope that this whole thing could head in another direction.
“Amaris and Ozais, huh?” He voiced, holding his hands out towards the both of us. “My name is Emrys. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
A pleasure? The details of that night still lingered in my mind yet here he was, treating us gently. Since he asked to see the both of us specifically, he had to have some sort of deeper motive than simply investigating.
I took his hand and shook it, and Ozais followed suit a moment after, albeit hesitantly. The emperor turned towards Ms. Aurelia and sent her off as he mentioned that he wanted to say something to us privately.
“Don’t worry, you both aren’t in great trouble or anything like that,” he began, holding a soft look on his face as he faced us both. “There are just some details I wanted to clear regarding the incident.”
“It was me,” Ozais blurted. “Everything was because of me, so please don’t punish my friend for anything.”
“Ozais!” I exclaimed, ready to explain everything before a chuckle erupted.
“Relax,” the emperor assured as he tried to calm us down. “With the witness accounts and the knights’ investigation, it would seem that you two have already figured out that we traced it back here. It’s true that we can’t overlook crimes like that, but based on what I saw, you both tried to protect each other, correct?”
“What do you mean by what you saw?” Ozais disputed. “Do you mean you were nearby?”
“Ah, forgive me,” the emperor chuckled once more. “Perhaps it would be best for me to explain myself before I get too far into the details.”
As if on cue, his eyes shut momentarily. When he opened them, the hue of his irises shone even more radiantly than before.
“Your eyes-”
“Golden eyes,” I revelated, finally remembering the information I had heard about Emperor Emrys prior to this moment. “That why they call you the Halcyon Eyes of the Eastern Empire.”
“Correct. With these eyes, I’m able to trace back to recent events that are anchored to almost all living things in our world excluding humans. In this case, I was able to read the events through a bouquet of Fionova and some white heathers.”
Fionova... The flowers I bought for Ms. Aurelia! He can read the ‘memories’ of things like that? What a convenient ability.
“It was self defense as far as I’m concerned,” the emperor stated, shocking both Ozais and I. “Detaining you two won’t be necessary, and I’m simply here to ease your minds. This must’ve been weighing on you both.”
“So what will you have us do?” Ozais pondered, not believing that the conversation was going to be left at that.
“You won’t have to do anything. That’s really all I have to say. I’ll take care of everything, so rest assured that you did what you had to in that moment.”
“Won’t this look bad to everyone else?”
That was my biggest question. Covering this up would set a poor example for the Eastern Empire. What kind of emperor would allow this?
“Do you both see it differently than I do? It was undeniably self-defense, was it not?”
“Yes, but-”
“That’s all that needs to be said. Don’t believe that I always let matters like this go, but there was nothing else you both could’ve done then to make it out unharmed. The man lived, and if anything, he and the knights are at fault.”
“The knights...”
“I should’ve arranged for more knights to be stationed around that hour. You both should’ve never had that encounter. I’m sorry you had to go through that. With this war, we can’t afford anything within our country to shake us.”
Was this man serious? Sure, we did do everything to defend ourselves, but could lethal force be ignored like this? Was he mentioning the war to say that this matter was nothing in comparison?
Now that I thought about it, he did appear much younger than most of the previous rulers of the country. Was his decision formed from some point of view dissimilar from theirs?
“That’s really all there is,” the emperor concluded as he got to his feet. “I’ll satisfy the newspapers and give that man what he needs to recover. Live happily and peacefully, you two.”
He turned to leave, but I couldn’t let him go before asking one last thing. There was no telling when or if I would ever face him again.
“Emperor Emrys,” I began. “Can I ask how old you are?”
“Of course, I’m twenty-eight now. I ascended the throne two years ago if that’s where you’re getting at.”
The ruler before Emrys was a woman in her thirties or forties I think, and many have said she was much more strict and someone who would’ve taken us to the palace for questioning before assigning our penalty. From what I was taught, most emperors and empresses didn’t ascend the throne until they were a bit older.
Additionally, nothing about the previous empress made it seem like she was about to retire, but it’s not like regular people like us received every single piece of imperial news.
“Am I allowed to ask what happened to Empress Charlotte?” I finally asked.
The man rotated back to face me with a smile on face. That expression alone revealed a sense of suffering that was on the brink of erupting, like a tall glass of water threatening to overflow. I mildly regretted asking after seeing so.
“Amaris, if the world wills it, we will meet once more, and I will tell you everything you wish to know,” Emperor Emrys uttered. “You and Ozais take care of yourselves and stay out of trouble, okay?”
His parting words left me frozen. I heard Ozais sigh heavily behind me out of relief, but something in my heart still felt confused.
There was no telling what might happen from this day on, but if the emperor of our country told us so, we could afford to relax for a little, right? I had no idea that just two years later, I would come face to face with him again.
Death of the 78th empress
The efforts of my beloved paid off in the end. After years spent fighting for the rights of all sorcerers in the country, today was the day the law had passed that no being would be permitted to take any form of prejudice action against magic users. As a sorcerer working under the Eastern Empire, this was news that would change the country as we knew it.
On the night of celebration ball, I along with the rest of staff were greeting guests as they entered for a night of relaxation and entertainment. The orchestra’s grand performances filled the vast room that was decorated with marble pillars, gold trims, and a vast selection of flower wreaths and banners. Towards the back of the room were two sets of stairs that led up to a decorated platform. The attendees, both nobles and commoners, were dressed in their most exuberant gowns and suits which made this night feel even more monumental.
My nerves lingered even now. I had grown accustomed to receiving condescending stares and even insults thrown at me no matter where I went simply for being a sorcerer. Magic had been scorned since it was discovered a few centuries ago. The majority of emperors and empresses did not entangle themselves in the affairs of people like me, but the current one was different.
“Ladies and gentleman,” An attendant by the stairs began with a voice that echoed within the space. “Please welcome in, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Marina of the Eastern Empire!”
The doors on top of the platform swung open with a pull from the knights, and there she was: the woman of the hour and the love of my life. Her blonde hair was done in curls, flowing downwards with pearls decorated in them, and her dress was a pale blue color as she always liked it. Cheers from the crowd erupted as she stepped through, and with her hands on the railing, she sent out graceful waves with her hand in every direction.
Marina and I first met when we were teenagers: She was next in line for the throne, and I was the upcoming sorcerer in my family. Being two people weighed down by expectations in the palace, we naturally became friends, and as time went on, we became lovers. Even with my magic abilities, she never viewed me as someone to be feared and even went as far as to stand up for me at times when I couldn’t stand up for myself.
She was the strongest and most honorable person I had ever known, and now she had made history. I was confident that those who came before her with the same intentions would be proud of her; and it was definitely the case that sorcerers from all over the empire would be eternally grateful for her hard work.
I made my way to the end of the stairs and held out my arm as she descended.
“Gorgeous as always, my love,” I greeted her as she took hold of my arm.
“As are you,” she responded with a smirk. “I usually don’t mind going as grand as possible for events like these, but this is a whole new territory thanks to my sister.”
“For what you’ve done, I’d argue that Lady Cordelia did what was needed.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Arm in arm, we made our way further away from the stairs and towards where most of the guests were. Many of them, of course, greeted her politely and congratulated her on her success. The only difference now was that most people acknowledged that I was beside her.
“Another wonderful work from the Opulent Pearl herself!” One of the nobles exclaimed as he saw Marina.
“You are too kind, Duke Leopold,” Marina graciously smiled at the man.
“And you look lavish today as well, Onyx Enchanter.”
I needed to familiarize myself with all this attention I was able to receive from the nobles. Looking at the man in the eyes, I greeted him kindly before he engaged in conversation with the empress. I eventually separated from Marina to explore the other attractions within the ball.
The tables along the walls had a generous assortment of food and beverages, all set up to match the theme of the rest of the event. Desserts from macarons and a chocolate fountain coupled with fruits as well as more savory plates like cracker and cheese spreads were available for anyone to grab if they needed a snack, and I was on my way to grab one myself before my hand collided with something.
“Pardon you,” a nobleman jeered as he stood between myself and the table.
His expression was sour enough to scare away any regular person, but because I wasn’t looking to cause a commotion at my love’s special event, I didn’t attempt to arise anything out of him. Not that there was anything new with the way he treated me as sorcerers were always met with contempt.
“Excuse me, Marquis Archibald,” a familiar voice chimed into the exchange as she bumped almost too roughly into the man.
“Princess Cordelia,” the man expressed as he stepped back. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, please accept my apologies. I must’ve lost my footing there.”
“It’s no issue at all. As long as you aren’t hurt.”
“Are you finished here? It seems that the line is getting awfully long.”
The marquis didn’t take a second to peer behind him and took the lady’s words as truth. He frantically apologized to her as if he was the one who collided with her before leaving the scene in a hurry with a red flush over his face.
“Thank you, Lady Cordelia,” I conveyed, looking at her with surprise.
Cordelia was Marina’s older sister and the one who was meant to ascend the throne as the 78th Empress before she abdicated to work in internal affairs. Marina and myself knew that that was only part of the reason, and her main motivation was that she would be able to start a family, but legally, we didn’t speak on that.
“Requiem, you’re more than welcomed to speak up now that the law has passed ,” She imparted with a confused look on her face. “Anyone who hurts you or any sorcerer can and will be penalized .”
“Of course, but to ruin Marina’s day like that is something I wouldn’t dream of doing.”
Cordelia chuckled at my words, grabbing a single macaron off of the tiered display stand. “Of course.”
It was clear that she took my words as me overthinking the situation, but I didn’t bother to diminish the way my sentence came out. Cordelia and Marina were unique in some ways, but similar in others even with their three-year age difference. While both were relatively laidback, Marina was carefree to a point where anyone who didn’t know her would believe that she was taking life too nonchalantly.
Because of Cordelia’s relinquishment of the throne and that she had a child without ever marrying, some noble folks acted discourteous to her even if it was nonchalantly, but she never minded. I suppose that was the main difference between the two: Marina knew her duties and was chained to them while Cordelia freely chose her path no matter what. Some could say that the older sister dumped all of her responsibilities onto the younger, but both of them had always had a harmonious relationship from what I knew.
“And to where did Mari run off to this time?” The princess questioned, taking a bite of her macaron.
I grabbed myself a small snack before we made our way to an area away from the snacks and horde of people.
“A few of the noblemen have decided she grant them an audience,” I responded as I leaned onto the wall behind me.
“Those presumptuous men are always parading around her and demanding her attention. And now that she’s made history, it’s only going to increase. Keep an eye on her, will you?”
“I would protect her with everything I have, so don’t worry.”
A waltz resounded within the ballroom at the orchestra moved onto the next song. Couples all entered the center floor arm-in-arm and began their dance. Seeing noble and commoner pairs alike enjoying themselves as if there was no divide between them was a wonderful sight to behold and a true signal in my eyes that the times were changing.
“Requiem!” Marina’s voice echoed as she appeared out of nowhere and approached me. “Did anyone give you any trouble?”
“No, I’m fine,” I comforted, giving her a gentle smile.
She glimpsed over to my left and saw her sister standing there chewing on a macaron.
“I was simply informing this man that he can stand up for himself much more now,” Cordelia responded with an expression that would’ve been complimented greatly with her hands up in surrender.
Marina gave me a pensive look like she was worried about me. She, of course, had seen firsthand the mistreatment that sorcerers received on a daily basis, and it wasn’t likely that that would change overnight. Nevertheless, I needed to reassure that nothing serious had happened while we were separated.
“Marina, may I have this dance?” I asked, holding my hand out towards her.
She seemed slightly embarrassed since her sister was still standing there, but Cordelia made the next move as she started to leave. “Have fun out there, kids. I have take my leave soon to prepare for the council meeting anyway.”
We watched her leave to chat with the guests before Marina turned back to take my hand. Leading her into the dance floor, I spun around so that her other hand clasped my own.
“Duke Leopold didn’t talk your ear off too much, did he?” I asked, peeking down at her as we swayed to the song.
“It’s always ‘you look lovely’ then ‘my son would be a good husband for you’,” she chuckled as she retold the conversation. “Even though they tolerate sorcerers, they still don’t see the both of us as anything more, do they?”
“I’d say an engagement is a big deal.”
Marina and I had been engaged for the past few months, but word had only gone out to the press after the law for sorcerer rights was about to be passed. I’m sure since it was a topic among the public, the nobles definitely held strong opinions about it even if they didn’t outrightly reveal so. Nonetheless, I never looked back on that decision since I loved her more than anything.
“Cordelia didn’t anger another noble this time, did she?” My love questioned as she looked up at me
“Not at all, she happened to step in when someone was getting a bit too physical with me. That’s completely on me.”
“It was Archibald, wasn’t it? I swear I’ll have to take more drastic measures with that bastard one of these days.”
“Hey,” I uttered, tightening my hold around her waist slightly. “I’m fine. It’s only a matter of him getting used to how things are going to be now.”
“Still, it wouldn’t hurt if my sister did something as a warning,” Marina smirked as she brought up that possibility. “You know, given that she can.”
I could only laugh at that statement, knowing these two sisters would actually be able to frighten him enough to get him to back off.
“I meant it when I said you looked gorgeous as ever earlier,” I recalled, making sure she knew.
“And I meant it when I said you also looking as dazzling as ever,” she mirrored back my compliment. “Who knew two people front and center of this entire sorcery ordeal can clean up so nicely.”
“So I’m getting married to a goddess essentially.”
The night continued on as the guests got drunker and the orchestra continued on. Marina and I basked in the laughter we shared through our conversations. It had been quite a long time since we were able to relax like this, so I wished that it could last forever.
On the night of celebration ball, I along with the rest of staff were greeting guests as they entered for a night of relaxation and entertainment. The orchestra’s grand performances filled the vast room that was decorated with marble pillars, gold trims, and a vast selection of flower wreaths and banners. Towards the back of the room were two sets of stairs that led up to a decorated platform. The attendees, both nobles and commoners, were dressed in their most exuberant gowns and suits which made this night feel even more monumental.
My nerves lingered even now. I had grown accustomed to receiving condescending stares and even insults thrown at me no matter where I went simply for being a sorcerer. Magic had been scorned since it was discovered a few centuries ago. The majority of emperors and empresses did not entangle themselves in the affairs of people like me, but the current one was different.
“Ladies and gentleman,” An attendant by the stairs began with a voice that echoed within the space. “Please welcome in, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Marina of the Eastern Empire!”
The doors on top of the platform swung open with a pull from the knights, and there she was: the woman of the hour and the love of my life. Her blonde hair was done in curls, flowing downwards with pearls decorated in them, and her dress was a pale blue color as she always liked it. Cheers from the crowd erupted as she stepped through, and with her hands on the railing, she sent out graceful waves with her hand in every direction.
Marina and I first met when we were teenagers: She was next in line for the throne, and I was the upcoming sorcerer in my family. Being two people weighed down by expectations in the palace, we naturally became friends, and as time went on, we became lovers. Even with my magic abilities, she never viewed me as someone to be feared and even went as far as to stand up for me at times when I couldn’t stand up for myself.
She was the strongest and most honorable person I had ever known, and now she had made history. I was confident that those who came before her with the same intentions would be proud of her; and it was definitely the case that sorcerers from all over the empire would be eternally grateful for her hard work.
I made my way to the end of the stairs and held out my arm as she descended.
“Gorgeous as always, my love,” I greeted her as she took hold of my arm.
“As are you,” she responded with a smirk. “I usually don’t mind going as grand as possible for events like these, but this is a whole new territory thanks to my sister.”
“For what you’ve done, I’d argue that Lady Cordelia did what was needed.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Arm in arm, we made our way further away from the stairs and towards where most of the guests were. Many of them, of course, greeted her politely and congratulated her on her success. The only difference now was that most people acknowledged that I was beside her.
“Another wonderful work from the Opulent Pearl herself!” One of the nobles exclaimed as he saw Marina.
“You are too kind, Duke Leopold,” Marina graciously smiled at the man.
“And you look lavish today as well, Onyx Enchanter.”
I needed to familiarize myself with all this attention I was able to receive from the nobles. Looking at the man in the eyes, I greeted him kindly before he engaged in conversation with the empress. I eventually separated from Marina to explore the other attractions within the ball.
The tables along the walls had a generous assortment of food and beverages, all set up to match the theme of the rest of the event. Desserts from macarons and a chocolate fountain coupled with fruits as well as more savory plates like cracker and cheese spreads were available for anyone to grab if they needed a snack, and I was on my way to grab one myself before my hand collided with something.
“Pardon you,” a nobleman jeered as he stood between myself and the table.
His expression was sour enough to scare away any regular person, but because I wasn’t looking to cause a commotion at my love’s special event, I didn’t attempt to arise anything out of him. Not that there was anything new with the way he treated me as sorcerers were always met with contempt.
“Excuse me, Marquis Archibald,” a familiar voice chimed into the exchange as she bumped almost too roughly into the man.
“Princess Cordelia,” the man expressed as he stepped back. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, please accept my apologies. I must’ve lost my footing there.”
“It’s no issue at all. As long as you aren’t hurt.”
“Are you finished here? It seems that the line is getting awfully long.”
The marquis didn’t take a second to peer behind him and took the lady’s words as truth. He frantically apologized to her as if he was the one who collided with her before leaving the scene in a hurry with a red flush over his face.
“Thank you, Lady Cordelia,” I conveyed, looking at her with surprise.
Cordelia was Marina’s older sister and the one who was meant to ascend the throne as the 78th Empress before she abdicated to work in internal affairs. Marina and myself knew that that was only part of the reason, and her main motivation was that she would be able to start a family, but legally, we didn’t speak on that.
“Requiem, you’re more than welcomed to speak up now that the law has passed ,” She imparted with a confused look on her face. “Anyone who hurts you or any sorcerer can and will be penalized .”
“Of course, but to ruin Marina’s day like that is something I wouldn’t dream of doing.”
Cordelia chuckled at my words, grabbing a single macaron off of the tiered display stand. “Of course.”
It was clear that she took my words as me overthinking the situation, but I didn’t bother to diminish the way my sentence came out. Cordelia and Marina were unique in some ways, but similar in others even with their three-year age difference. While both were relatively laidback, Marina was carefree to a point where anyone who didn’t know her would believe that she was taking life too nonchalantly.
Because of Cordelia’s relinquishment of the throne and that she had a child without ever marrying, some noble folks acted discourteous to her even if it was nonchalantly, but she never minded. I suppose that was the main difference between the two: Marina knew her duties and was chained to them while Cordelia freely chose her path no matter what. Some could say that the older sister dumped all of her responsibilities onto the younger, but both of them had always had a harmonious relationship from what I knew.
“And to where did Mari run off to this time?” The princess questioned, taking a bite of her macaron.
I grabbed myself a small snack before we made our way to an area away from the snacks and horde of people.
“A few of the noblemen have decided she grant them an audience,” I responded as I leaned onto the wall behind me.
“Those presumptuous men are always parading around her and demanding her attention. And now that she’s made history, it’s only going to increase. Keep an eye on her, will you?”
“I would protect her with everything I have, so don’t worry.”
A waltz resounded within the ballroom at the orchestra moved onto the next song. Couples all entered the center floor arm-in-arm and began their dance. Seeing noble and commoner pairs alike enjoying themselves as if there was no divide between them was a wonderful sight to behold and a true signal in my eyes that the times were changing.
“Requiem!” Marina’s voice echoed as she appeared out of nowhere and approached me. “Did anyone give you any trouble?”
“No, I’m fine,” I comforted, giving her a gentle smile.
She glimpsed over to my left and saw her sister standing there chewing on a macaron.
“I was simply informing this man that he can stand up for himself much more now,” Cordelia responded with an expression that would’ve been complimented greatly with her hands up in surrender.
Marina gave me a pensive look like she was worried about me. She, of course, had seen firsthand the mistreatment that sorcerers received on a daily basis, and it wasn’t likely that that would change overnight. Nevertheless, I needed to reassure that nothing serious had happened while we were separated.
“Marina, may I have this dance?” I asked, holding my hand out towards her.
She seemed slightly embarrassed since her sister was still standing there, but Cordelia made the next move as she started to leave. “Have fun out there, kids. I have take my leave soon to prepare for the council meeting anyway.”
We watched her leave to chat with the guests before Marina turned back to take my hand. Leading her into the dance floor, I spun around so that her other hand clasped my own.
“Duke Leopold didn’t talk your ear off too much, did he?” I asked, peeking down at her as we swayed to the song.
“It’s always ‘you look lovely’ then ‘my son would be a good husband for you’,” she chuckled as she retold the conversation. “Even though they tolerate sorcerers, they still don’t see the both of us as anything more, do they?”
“I’d say an engagement is a big deal.”
Marina and I had been engaged for the past few months, but word had only gone out to the press after the law for sorcerer rights was about to be passed. I’m sure since it was a topic among the public, the nobles definitely held strong opinions about it even if they didn’t outrightly reveal so. Nonetheless, I never looked back on that decision since I loved her more than anything.
“Cordelia didn’t anger another noble this time, did she?” My love questioned as she looked up at me
“Not at all, she happened to step in when someone was getting a bit too physical with me. That’s completely on me.”
“It was Archibald, wasn’t it? I swear I’ll have to take more drastic measures with that bastard one of these days.”
“Hey,” I uttered, tightening my hold around her waist slightly. “I’m fine. It’s only a matter of him getting used to how things are going to be now.”
“Still, it wouldn’t hurt if my sister did something as a warning,” Marina smirked as she brought up that possibility. “You know, given that she can.”
I could only laugh at that statement, knowing these two sisters would actually be able to frighten him enough to get him to back off.
“I meant it when I said you looked gorgeous as ever earlier,” I recalled, making sure she knew.
“And I meant it when I said you also looking as dazzling as ever,” she mirrored back my compliment. “Who knew two people front and center of this entire sorcery ordeal can clean up so nicely.”
“So I’m getting married to a goddess essentially.”
The night continued on as the guests got drunker and the orchestra continued on. Marina and I basked in the laughter we shared through our conversations. It had been quite a long time since we were able to relax like this, so I wished that it could last forever.
After the closing statements, everyone filed out of the venue’s ballroom to make their way back home whether it was on foot or by carriage. The event location was far away from the main estate, so we had a carriage arranged to pick us up as well.
The chill of the night rustled the withered branches of the trees outdoors, signaling that autumn was near. A slight drizzle of rain soon grew heavier as clouds gathered in the sky. Marina and I took seats opposite of each other inside the carriage, and we were on our way.
Our small conversations carried us most of the journey there, and about twenty minutes has passed until now.
“We ought to get this path lit up a little more, don’t we?” Marina commented as she removed her eyes from the window and shut the blinds. “These woods are far too dark for my liking.”
“It’s the fastest way back, so I see why the coachmen prefer it,” I replied, reclining back into my seat.
“Listen,” my love began, as she suddenly leaned forward towards me. “I know we had discussions about potential vacation spots, and I learned that Esterham is gorgeous during this time.”
“Ah, I heard it snows there a bit even during this time.”
“Yes, and the auroras in the sky are said to be a sight everyone has to see for themselves at least once in their lives. How about I book the resort there for us for the next couple of days?”
“I would love that,” I smiled, reaching forward to take hold of her hand and squeezing it. “I’m sure you would stunning under those auroras.”
She scoffed at my words before squeezing my hand in return. “I love you, Requiem.”
“I love you, Marina. I can’t wait to marry you.”
I leaned forward to meet her, and our lips drew together. This was the woman I would be spending the rest of my life with. Throughout our youth, the hardships of the political state of the world, and the difficulties of being an Empress, we persevered through until this moment. This vacation was going to mark the beginning of our new life together now that our main goal was completed.
As our lips parted, the carriage slowed to a stop. The coachmen normally would’ve alerted us if there was a change on the way back to the castle, so this was unusual. Marina and I kept as silent as we could in case there was something going on outside that we couldn’t make out with the blinds shut. There were muffled voices that we didn’t recognize, so it was best to hang back for now.
“Just heading into the city, sir,” the coachmen replied to an inaudible question.
“And the knights?” An unfamiliar voice questioned.
“They’re with me, of course.”
Being stopped midway was never an occurrence whenever we took the forest pathway to the castle, so there was definitely something peculiar.
“We’re required to check the cargo before you’re permitted to travel any further,” the voice continued, “An official order from the palace to do so was given to us.”
My heart dropped at those words. No one at the palace would be authorized to give an order like that other than Marina, and even if it was given by another royal family member, they would’ve recognized the family seal on the carriage. I edged a little closer to Marina, preparing to use my magic to protect her.
“We’re under strict orders to not allow search of any kind,” one of the knights informed with a firm tone. “Please state who the order came from, and we will report directly to them.”
“We don’t want this situation to grow out of hand, so it would be appreciated if you would be so kind.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not happening.”
A deafening silence followed which only irritated my nerves, but I kept them under control. Peering over at Marina, I noticed that she had her knife out at the ready. She appeared calm and collected as she always did, but the sense of urgency from the way she stiffened the hold on her weapon revealed her true apprehension.
Piercing through the stillness that was present only a moment before, we heard a grunt and a sound of something jabbing in what sounded like flesh.
“What do you think you’re do-” the other knight tried to verbalize before the same sounds followed from his lips.
“Stop, what do you think you’re doing?!” The coachmen quavered. “Aaahh!!!”
Stabbing sounds surrounded the carriage, and without a second thought, I activated my powers to form a barrier and shield us from the happenings outside. The usage of my magic would reveal so much and put us even more in danger, but I couldn’t conjure up anything better.
“Bingo,” one of the voices beyond the carriage stated.
There was banging on the barrier, but I drew all of my energy into ensuring that they would not be able to even dent it. More than being worried for my own wellbeing, I had to protect the empress and the love of my life.
“Requiem, are you okay?” Marina inquired, eyeing me with a worried look on her face.
“Yes, don’t stand too close to the doors, love,” I assured her as I tried my best to present a smile. “Everything will be okay.”
Her expression only grew dimmer as the clamor grew louder. I couldn’t afford to get distracted, so I continued focusing my power on reinforcing the barrier as best as I could. There was no discernable sound from the knights we knew nor the coachman, so it was best to assume that it was only us.
My mana was depleting little by little as time went on. But how? No normal weapon would’ve been able to do have such an effect on a normal sorcerer’s power much less someone with years of experience like myself. What was this all about?
The worst came to worst in that moment as a roaring slam was heard. The sound of glass shattering broke me out of my deep concentration because that meant they had pierced through my barrier; the one that had been impenetrable for years.
I threw my arms out ready to grab hold of Marina, but the doors to the carriage were torn open on both sides, and we were pulled out and dragged.
“Marina!” I shouted as I watched a masked figure pull her out from the opposite side.
“Requiem!” She cried out towards me.
We were thrown to the damp ground: me being on my stomach facing towards the wheels of the carriage, and Marina on her back with the adversary on top of her. She frantically freed her hands from the individual and swung her knife at them, scraping them in every strike she could manage.
I shot out my hand to aid her with magic, but a masked individual on top of my back drilled my palm into the soil.
“Aaah,” I groaned, trying to free myself.
Peering down at my hand, there was a green mist flowing out from the weapon, weakening me with every passing moment. Poison? No, this would’ve affected the attacker also if it was. It was a blade enchanted with nullifying properties.
“Fuck,” I cursed, drawing my other hand out in an attempt to try again, but it was to no avail.
Marina continued thrusting her weapon at the masked individual, but she was constantly met with a block. If I didn’t do something fast, this was about to turn into something even more unimaginable.
A weight landed on top of my back as my mobility was restricted even further.
“Onyx Enchanter of the Eastern Empire,” the voice started as its owner pressured his body weight on top of me. “Is this truly the future you dreamed of?”
“What are you talking about? Cease this at once!”
“Tainting a daughter of the empire with those filthy hands of yours. Have you no shame?”
“Whatever you want, just take me. I’ll do anything you want, so let her go.”
“It’s much too late for forgiveness. The tainted cannot live in this world with the rest of us, so for that, perish.”
The man flipped me over jammed a sharp object deep into my chest. My mind was going blank with the blood at gushed out of the wound and the rain droplets that fell on my face, but I turned my head to look at Marina. How was I going to get her out of this? Is there anything else I could do to ensure her survival? I had no care whether I would live to see another day; I only wanted her to be safe.
With my head positioned in the direction my love was at, the man pinned my head down so that I could not look elsewhere.
“You will learn not to tamper with our pure and holy empress ever again,” the individual spewed more nonsense. “We will save her from this fate.”
As my focus was purely on Marina, the attacker on her side had grown weary of her efforts and dislodged the knife from her grasp. Pinning her hands down with one of theirs, they reached behind them and removed an even more terrifying weapon.
“Wait, stop! What are you doing?!” I yelled in a horrifying tone unlike any I had ever used.
The weapon was positioned a few inches above Marina’s chest, its blade glistening in the moonlight as the rain continued to pour. Before I could even utter another word, the sound of something piercing flesh resounded. Above the pouring droplets, that sound silenced everything else around me.
“Marina?! Marina!” I screamed even louder than I imagined was possible. “Marina, say something!”
I squirmed with the remaining ounce of strength I had remaining, attempting to break free, but then the weapon in my chest was removed then repeatedly lodged in again and again. My consciousness was foggy. This was the end for me. How could I let this happen?
All concept of time became blurry to me. Maybe 30 seconds had passed, maybe 10 minutes. I had no clue, but the knife was continually piercing me.
“How is he still conscious? We’ve been doing this for too long!” One of the voices questioned.
“Maybe it’s true that sorcerers can’t be killed?” Another joined the conversation.
“No, no. I’ve killed one before. He’s just a monster,” came even another voice.
How many of them were here and how was I not aware?
“Move,” a distinct voice grew in volume as the footsteps edged towards me.
This person had shoved the others out of the way and stood right above my head, glaring down at me. If my vision wasn’t obscured, I might’ve been able to tell who it was.
“Onyx Enchanter,” the individual began as they held their hand out towards me. “As you refuse to die, I will impart you with this. Linger in the guilt of everything you’ve sowed.”
A white orb came from their palm and entered my body. Now I was done for. My perception faded and soon, the voices came to a halt. I’ll see you soon, my love. Please wait for me.
The chill of the night rustled the withered branches of the trees outdoors, signaling that autumn was near. A slight drizzle of rain soon grew heavier as clouds gathered in the sky. Marina and I took seats opposite of each other inside the carriage, and we were on our way.
Our small conversations carried us most of the journey there, and about twenty minutes has passed until now.
“We ought to get this path lit up a little more, don’t we?” Marina commented as she removed her eyes from the window and shut the blinds. “These woods are far too dark for my liking.”
“It’s the fastest way back, so I see why the coachmen prefer it,” I replied, reclining back into my seat.
“Listen,” my love began, as she suddenly leaned forward towards me. “I know we had discussions about potential vacation spots, and I learned that Esterham is gorgeous during this time.”
“Ah, I heard it snows there a bit even during this time.”
“Yes, and the auroras in the sky are said to be a sight everyone has to see for themselves at least once in their lives. How about I book the resort there for us for the next couple of days?”
“I would love that,” I smiled, reaching forward to take hold of her hand and squeezing it. “I’m sure you would stunning under those auroras.”
She scoffed at my words before squeezing my hand in return. “I love you, Requiem.”
“I love you, Marina. I can’t wait to marry you.”
I leaned forward to meet her, and our lips drew together. This was the woman I would be spending the rest of my life with. Throughout our youth, the hardships of the political state of the world, and the difficulties of being an Empress, we persevered through until this moment. This vacation was going to mark the beginning of our new life together now that our main goal was completed.
As our lips parted, the carriage slowed to a stop. The coachmen normally would’ve alerted us if there was a change on the way back to the castle, so this was unusual. Marina and I kept as silent as we could in case there was something going on outside that we couldn’t make out with the blinds shut. There were muffled voices that we didn’t recognize, so it was best to hang back for now.
“Just heading into the city, sir,” the coachmen replied to an inaudible question.
“And the knights?” An unfamiliar voice questioned.
“They’re with me, of course.”
Being stopped midway was never an occurrence whenever we took the forest pathway to the castle, so there was definitely something peculiar.
“We’re required to check the cargo before you’re permitted to travel any further,” the voice continued, “An official order from the palace to do so was given to us.”
My heart dropped at those words. No one at the palace would be authorized to give an order like that other than Marina, and even if it was given by another royal family member, they would’ve recognized the family seal on the carriage. I edged a little closer to Marina, preparing to use my magic to protect her.
“We’re under strict orders to not allow search of any kind,” one of the knights informed with a firm tone. “Please state who the order came from, and we will report directly to them.”
“We don’t want this situation to grow out of hand, so it would be appreciated if you would be so kind.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not happening.”
A deafening silence followed which only irritated my nerves, but I kept them under control. Peering over at Marina, I noticed that she had her knife out at the ready. She appeared calm and collected as she always did, but the sense of urgency from the way she stiffened the hold on her weapon revealed her true apprehension.
Piercing through the stillness that was present only a moment before, we heard a grunt and a sound of something jabbing in what sounded like flesh.
“What do you think you’re do-” the other knight tried to verbalize before the same sounds followed from his lips.
“Stop, what do you think you’re doing?!” The coachmen quavered. “Aaahh!!!”
Stabbing sounds surrounded the carriage, and without a second thought, I activated my powers to form a barrier and shield us from the happenings outside. The usage of my magic would reveal so much and put us even more in danger, but I couldn’t conjure up anything better.
“Bingo,” one of the voices beyond the carriage stated.
There was banging on the barrier, but I drew all of my energy into ensuring that they would not be able to even dent it. More than being worried for my own wellbeing, I had to protect the empress and the love of my life.
“Requiem, are you okay?” Marina inquired, eyeing me with a worried look on her face.
“Yes, don’t stand too close to the doors, love,” I assured her as I tried my best to present a smile. “Everything will be okay.”
Her expression only grew dimmer as the clamor grew louder. I couldn’t afford to get distracted, so I continued focusing my power on reinforcing the barrier as best as I could. There was no discernable sound from the knights we knew nor the coachman, so it was best to assume that it was only us.
My mana was depleting little by little as time went on. But how? No normal weapon would’ve been able to do have such an effect on a normal sorcerer’s power much less someone with years of experience like myself. What was this all about?
The worst came to worst in that moment as a roaring slam was heard. The sound of glass shattering broke me out of my deep concentration because that meant they had pierced through my barrier; the one that had been impenetrable for years.
I threw my arms out ready to grab hold of Marina, but the doors to the carriage were torn open on both sides, and we were pulled out and dragged.
“Marina!” I shouted as I watched a masked figure pull her out from the opposite side.
“Requiem!” She cried out towards me.
We were thrown to the damp ground: me being on my stomach facing towards the wheels of the carriage, and Marina on her back with the adversary on top of her. She frantically freed her hands from the individual and swung her knife at them, scraping them in every strike she could manage.
I shot out my hand to aid her with magic, but a masked individual on top of my back drilled my palm into the soil.
“Aaah,” I groaned, trying to free myself.
Peering down at my hand, there was a green mist flowing out from the weapon, weakening me with every passing moment. Poison? No, this would’ve affected the attacker also if it was. It was a blade enchanted with nullifying properties.
“Fuck,” I cursed, drawing my other hand out in an attempt to try again, but it was to no avail.
Marina continued thrusting her weapon at the masked individual, but she was constantly met with a block. If I didn’t do something fast, this was about to turn into something even more unimaginable.
A weight landed on top of my back as my mobility was restricted even further.
“Onyx Enchanter of the Eastern Empire,” the voice started as its owner pressured his body weight on top of me. “Is this truly the future you dreamed of?”
“What are you talking about? Cease this at once!”
“Tainting a daughter of the empire with those filthy hands of yours. Have you no shame?”
“Whatever you want, just take me. I’ll do anything you want, so let her go.”
“It’s much too late for forgiveness. The tainted cannot live in this world with the rest of us, so for that, perish.”
The man flipped me over jammed a sharp object deep into my chest. My mind was going blank with the blood at gushed out of the wound and the rain droplets that fell on my face, but I turned my head to look at Marina. How was I going to get her out of this? Is there anything else I could do to ensure her survival? I had no care whether I would live to see another day; I only wanted her to be safe.
With my head positioned in the direction my love was at, the man pinned my head down so that I could not look elsewhere.
“You will learn not to tamper with our pure and holy empress ever again,” the individual spewed more nonsense. “We will save her from this fate.”
As my focus was purely on Marina, the attacker on her side had grown weary of her efforts and dislodged the knife from her grasp. Pinning her hands down with one of theirs, they reached behind them and removed an even more terrifying weapon.
“Wait, stop! What are you doing?!” I yelled in a horrifying tone unlike any I had ever used.
The weapon was positioned a few inches above Marina’s chest, its blade glistening in the moonlight as the rain continued to pour. Before I could even utter another word, the sound of something piercing flesh resounded. Above the pouring droplets, that sound silenced everything else around me.
“Marina?! Marina!” I screamed even louder than I imagined was possible. “Marina, say something!”
I squirmed with the remaining ounce of strength I had remaining, attempting to break free, but then the weapon in my chest was removed then repeatedly lodged in again and again. My consciousness was foggy. This was the end for me. How could I let this happen?
All concept of time became blurry to me. Maybe 30 seconds had passed, maybe 10 minutes. I had no clue, but the knife was continually piercing me.
“How is he still conscious? We’ve been doing this for too long!” One of the voices questioned.
“Maybe it’s true that sorcerers can’t be killed?” Another joined the conversation.
“No, no. I’ve killed one before. He’s just a monster,” came even another voice.
How many of them were here and how was I not aware?
“Move,” a distinct voice grew in volume as the footsteps edged towards me.
This person had shoved the others out of the way and stood right above my head, glaring down at me. If my vision wasn’t obscured, I might’ve been able to tell who it was.
“Onyx Enchanter,” the individual began as they held their hand out towards me. “As you refuse to die, I will impart you with this. Linger in the guilt of everything you’ve sowed.”
A white orb came from their palm and entered my body. Now I was done for. My perception faded and soon, the voices came to a halt. I’ll see you soon, my love. Please wait for me.
“His condition is stable, so it’s only a matter of time.”
“Is the crown princess back yet?”
“She should be soon. Coming back from the West took longer than expected.”
Is this heaven or hell? The voices felt too familiar to me, and as I came to, my eyes shot open to meet the medical staff at the castle.
“Sir Requiem,” the nurse uttered as she rushed to my side. “How are you feeling?”
I eyed around the room and noticed that I was on a bed in the palace’s infirmary. An ache in my chest was the most prominent thing I could feel, and bringing my hands up to it, I noticed that I was heavily bandaged. As I came to my senses, I suddenly remembered what happened occurred.
“Marina. Is she okay?” I pleaded, staring directly into the nurse’s eyes as I leaned forward.
“Sir, please lay back down,” the nurse advised as she attempted to guide me back towards a lying down position.
“Please tell me, it’s more important than anything else.”
Silence met me no matter how many questions I asked. Gauging the expressions of the medical staff in the room, it was clear that something was lingering in the air that I was not aware of.
Before I could say anything more, the sound of footsteps from the hallway grew in volume as it approached.
“My lady, please calm down for a moment.”
“He’s in there, isn’t he?”
As the doors slammed open, a recognizable face could be seen. I got to my feet immediately even with the staff’s urging to not to. I simply couldn’t.
“Princess Cordelia,” the nurse acknowledged as all eyes were in her directly.
Cordelia pursed her lips and glanced at the medical personnel then at me. Her expression was unreadable, but bordered somewhere in between disbelief and melancholy.
“Everyone, out,” she ordered, softening her throne slightly as to not irritate the staff.
“But my lady-”
“I said leave.”
A moment of hesitation followed, but everyone obeyed. Cordelia’s eyes bore straight towards me, so I didn’t dare to move an inch from my position. It was clear that she wanted me to remain. The doors to the room shut, and now it was only the two of us.
“Cordelia, I-”
“You did what you could, didn’t you?” She questioned, moving closer to where I was. “Please tell me that you did.”
“Of course I did. But is Marina…”
I couldn’t continue that thought. It was too painful to utter those words because I knew I would open the door to a truth I couldn’t accept.
“She’s gone,” Cordelia revealed as her lip quivered. “Those bastards spread her across the woods like damn savages.”
“What?”
Spread her across the woods? She doesn’t mean they dismembered her? No, she was the last person who deserved something as heinous as that.
The crown princess made an effort to keep her composure in front of me, but a few tears escaped her eyes.
“Punish me, Cordelia,” I offered, bowing my head down. “I should’ve done more. This is all my fault.”
“Stop, Requiem,” she choked, falling to her knees and crying with a shudder that moved through her entire body. “Just stop.”
Nothing more was said, and the only sound that echoed throughout the room were the princess’ sobs. My legs grew weaker, and I dropped to the ground as well. My tears didn’t flow out as violently as hers, but the pain within me intensified with every passing moment.
My love had departed from this world. What use was there remaining in a place without her smile and her love? How could I ever recover from an agony this soul-crushing? What did the future of this country look like without a glorious light like her?
The throbbing in my brain took over, and I couldn’t afford to think for the time being. I simply sat there, rethinking the incident, drowning in the sorrows I had experienced.
“Is the crown princess back yet?”
“She should be soon. Coming back from the West took longer than expected.”
Is this heaven or hell? The voices felt too familiar to me, and as I came to, my eyes shot open to meet the medical staff at the castle.
“Sir Requiem,” the nurse uttered as she rushed to my side. “How are you feeling?”
I eyed around the room and noticed that I was on a bed in the palace’s infirmary. An ache in my chest was the most prominent thing I could feel, and bringing my hands up to it, I noticed that I was heavily bandaged. As I came to my senses, I suddenly remembered what happened occurred.
“Marina. Is she okay?” I pleaded, staring directly into the nurse’s eyes as I leaned forward.
“Sir, please lay back down,” the nurse advised as she attempted to guide me back towards a lying down position.
“Please tell me, it’s more important than anything else.”
Silence met me no matter how many questions I asked. Gauging the expressions of the medical staff in the room, it was clear that something was lingering in the air that I was not aware of.
Before I could say anything more, the sound of footsteps from the hallway grew in volume as it approached.
“My lady, please calm down for a moment.”
“He’s in there, isn’t he?”
As the doors slammed open, a recognizable face could be seen. I got to my feet immediately even with the staff’s urging to not to. I simply couldn’t.
“Princess Cordelia,” the nurse acknowledged as all eyes were in her directly.
Cordelia pursed her lips and glanced at the medical personnel then at me. Her expression was unreadable, but bordered somewhere in between disbelief and melancholy.
“Everyone, out,” she ordered, softening her throne slightly as to not irritate the staff.
“But my lady-”
“I said leave.”
A moment of hesitation followed, but everyone obeyed. Cordelia’s eyes bore straight towards me, so I didn’t dare to move an inch from my position. It was clear that she wanted me to remain. The doors to the room shut, and now it was only the two of us.
“Cordelia, I-”
“You did what you could, didn’t you?” She questioned, moving closer to where I was. “Please tell me that you did.”
“Of course I did. But is Marina…”
I couldn’t continue that thought. It was too painful to utter those words because I knew I would open the door to a truth I couldn’t accept.
“She’s gone,” Cordelia revealed as her lip quivered. “Those bastards spread her across the woods like damn savages.”
“What?”
Spread her across the woods? She doesn’t mean they dismembered her? No, she was the last person who deserved something as heinous as that.
The crown princess made an effort to keep her composure in front of me, but a few tears escaped her eyes.
“Punish me, Cordelia,” I offered, bowing my head down. “I should’ve done more. This is all my fault.”
“Stop, Requiem,” she choked, falling to her knees and crying with a shudder that moved through her entire body. “Just stop.”
Nothing more was said, and the only sound that echoed throughout the room were the princess’ sobs. My legs grew weaker, and I dropped to the ground as well. My tears didn’t flow out as violently as hers, but the pain within me intensified with every passing moment.
My love had departed from this world. What use was there remaining in a place without her smile and her love? How could I ever recover from an agony this soul-crushing? What did the future of this country look like without a glorious light like her?
The throbbing in my brain took over, and I couldn’t afford to think for the time being. I simply sat there, rethinking the incident, drowning in the sorrows I had experienced.
Vtuber Lore
Fantasy/Action/Mystery
memoire 1 (vtuber lore)
When I was a kid, my parents took me out with them to explore the city. The scents of newly bloomed flowers and freshly baked pastries filled the air, marking the beginning of spring. The season was a specialty in Blanc, and many travelers would come just to experience the annual Goldfire Festival.
During the event that spanned an entire week, people from different locations and backgrounds would share a part of their culture as well as freely give flowers to anyone they wanted. It truly was an exquisite sight to behold as gold would fill the skies and smiles would occupy the city.
As my parents were busy catching up with a family friend at the local bakery, I heard a collection of voices not too far from where we were. As my curiosity rose, I hurriedly sneaked away from the busy streets and wandered into a field of white hydrangeas where I saw the backs of three boys huddling around something.
"How did you manage to do that?"
"Yeah, it's not easy for rocks to hit something that's moving!"
I noticed the earth moving around where the boys were standing which made it clear that at least one of them had some kind of ground altering ability. What was the point of using their powers at an event such as the festival? As I got closer, I heard a chirp. It startled me and at first I assumed that it had come from a tree or the fields, but looking more carefully, I noticed a baby raven on the ground crying.
One of its wings looked slightly injured as it tried to move away from the boys, but the earth surrounding continued trapping it no matter what. I then noticed the intense mana coming from the group, but I couldn't pinpoint who it originated from. Mana like that only came from nobles or people with intense training, and these boys looked too young to have that sort of experience.
"You guys feel that intense mana too, right?"
"It's definitely not from you guys."
"No way, can it be from the bird?"
Intense mana from the bird? That can't be. No animals carried intense traces of mana as far as I knew. If they did, they'd be familiars. A baby raven couldn't possibly be a familiar, and even if it was, how did it stray from its owner?
"Let's see where the mana lies in this raven."
"We can't possibly do that!"
"What, are you scared? Maybe we can split the mana amongst us. It feels like a lot to go around."
As soon as I heard that, I knew I had to step in before it was too late. I immediately yelled out a "Stop it!". The boys turned around instantly, setting their sights on me. I could tell by the look in their eyes and the redirection of a portion of the mana's influence that I was their new target.
I backed up slowly as the boys edged closer to me, readying their magic either to threaten me or to actually harm me. I didn't want to waste any precious time, so I steadied my resolve and prepared myself to strike as well if needed. Whether my powers wanted to work with me now was the real concern.
I knew I had to stop time in order to prevent myself from getting hurt by any sudden moves, but before I could, a strong gust of wind occurred, somehow avoiding me but sweeping the boys further and further away until I could no longer see them. I heard their yells as they were blown away, but I figured they'd be okay with just a few minor bruises.
I stood there for a brief second eyeing the direction they flew towards and questioning the sudden change in weather. The area filled with hydrangea petals and the gold dust in the sky floated behind where the gust of wind had gone, almost like a scene from a film.
As soon as I remembered the injured bird, I hurried over to it, cupping it within my hands and checking it for any major injuries. He seemed to be fine enough that he’d survive, so I let out a sigh of relief.
Having him in my palms, I could feel the strange onset of mana that confirmed that the massive influence must've been coming from him. Such mana felt somewhat comfortable, but I wasn't sure what basis I had to make that conclusion. I didn’t question it at that point. I was simply relieved that he was okay, and he leaned onto one of my thumbs as if to show his gratitude.
“It’s going to be okay. I got you now,” I assured him, stroking the top of his head with my thumb.
Soon enough, I heard my mother calling for me, so I decided to head back to my parents with the baby bird. If he had an owner, we had to find them and return him, but first I wanted to get these his injuries looked at. I didn't know it then, but my life would change drastically from that point on.
During the event that spanned an entire week, people from different locations and backgrounds would share a part of their culture as well as freely give flowers to anyone they wanted. It truly was an exquisite sight to behold as gold would fill the skies and smiles would occupy the city.
As my parents were busy catching up with a family friend at the local bakery, I heard a collection of voices not too far from where we were. As my curiosity rose, I hurriedly sneaked away from the busy streets and wandered into a field of white hydrangeas where I saw the backs of three boys huddling around something.
"How did you manage to do that?"
"Yeah, it's not easy for rocks to hit something that's moving!"
I noticed the earth moving around where the boys were standing which made it clear that at least one of them had some kind of ground altering ability. What was the point of using their powers at an event such as the festival? As I got closer, I heard a chirp. It startled me and at first I assumed that it had come from a tree or the fields, but looking more carefully, I noticed a baby raven on the ground crying.
One of its wings looked slightly injured as it tried to move away from the boys, but the earth surrounding continued trapping it no matter what. I then noticed the intense mana coming from the group, but I couldn't pinpoint who it originated from. Mana like that only came from nobles or people with intense training, and these boys looked too young to have that sort of experience.
"You guys feel that intense mana too, right?"
"It's definitely not from you guys."
"No way, can it be from the bird?"
Intense mana from the bird? That can't be. No animals carried intense traces of mana as far as I knew. If they did, they'd be familiars. A baby raven couldn't possibly be a familiar, and even if it was, how did it stray from its owner?
"Let's see where the mana lies in this raven."
"We can't possibly do that!"
"What, are you scared? Maybe we can split the mana amongst us. It feels like a lot to go around."
As soon as I heard that, I knew I had to step in before it was too late. I immediately yelled out a "Stop it!". The boys turned around instantly, setting their sights on me. I could tell by the look in their eyes and the redirection of a portion of the mana's influence that I was their new target.
I backed up slowly as the boys edged closer to me, readying their magic either to threaten me or to actually harm me. I didn't want to waste any precious time, so I steadied my resolve and prepared myself to strike as well if needed. Whether my powers wanted to work with me now was the real concern.
I knew I had to stop time in order to prevent myself from getting hurt by any sudden moves, but before I could, a strong gust of wind occurred, somehow avoiding me but sweeping the boys further and further away until I could no longer see them. I heard their yells as they were blown away, but I figured they'd be okay with just a few minor bruises.
I stood there for a brief second eyeing the direction they flew towards and questioning the sudden change in weather. The area filled with hydrangea petals and the gold dust in the sky floated behind where the gust of wind had gone, almost like a scene from a film.
As soon as I remembered the injured bird, I hurried over to it, cupping it within my hands and checking it for any major injuries. He seemed to be fine enough that he’d survive, so I let out a sigh of relief.
Having him in my palms, I could feel the strange onset of mana that confirmed that the massive influence must've been coming from him. Such mana felt somewhat comfortable, but I wasn't sure what basis I had to make that conclusion. I didn’t question it at that point. I was simply relieved that he was okay, and he leaned onto one of my thumbs as if to show his gratitude.
“It’s going to be okay. I got you now,” I assured him, stroking the top of his head with my thumb.
Soon enough, I heard my mother calling for me, so I decided to head back to my parents with the baby bird. If he had an owner, we had to find them and return him, but first I wanted to get these his injuries looked at. I didn't know it then, but my life would change drastically from that point on.
memoire 2 (Vtuber Lore)
Before I met Aquilo, I clung to my parents a lot. I don't remember anything from before I was seven years old, and the day they found me was still clear as day in my mind.
That day, I opened my eyes and felt weak as I laid on the ground, dirt coating my body and wounds stinging my arms and legs. It felt as though I had slept for a long time, but exhaustion was taking over me, causing my head to pound so loud I could hear it.
When I opened my eyes, the sunlight blinded me. I heard the wind rustling the tree branches above me and birds chirping in the distance. Inhaling the air around me, I could smell the fresh scent of nature. Something about it felt refreshing as if I hadn't been in an environment like it in a long time.
Before long, I caught the voices of a man and a woman as I sensed their presences in front of me. Scared for my life, I tried to use anything I had within me to stop them in their tracks, but I was unable to draw out anything with enough impact.
"It's okay, don't be afraid," the woman's voice uttered as she edged closer to me.
"Don't approach too quickly, Thea," the man's voice advised.
As soon as my eyes adjusted enough to the light, I opened them and swung an arm at the woman as a last ditch effort, but she stopped my motion instantly by blocking my attack. From the way she let go, it didn't seem as though I was in any immediate danger.
My focus was then on her and the man. The expressions on their faces looked more concerned than anything, and that somehow slightly eased my apprehensions . The woman had long dark red hair in a half up, half down style. Her eyes were a metallic gray color, and she wore golden earrings representing stars. She eyed me with a wave of unease on her face as she continued to move closer and crouch down to my eye level.
"Hi, baby," she said to me in a gentle and soft voice. "Are you okay?"
I hesitated a bit, but I pushed whatever strength I had left to nod my head. My throat felt dry and scratchy, and it even hurt me to swallow my own saliva. The man standing right behind the woman must've noticed this as he promptly took a thermos out from his bag and poured me a cup of water.
"Drink this and gather your strength back," he urged as he held out the cup towards me. He was now crouching beside the woman, so I could see both of them clearly.
The man had dark brown hair, red eyes, and wore a pair of glasses. The look in his eyes was similar to the woman: worried. Looking closely, I noticed that they were wearing some kind of uniform: Their tops were white collared shirts while their jackets were black, and they wore similar matching pants. Buttons and chains were prominent in their attire, and a pair of almost knee-high boots covered their feet.
They also had moon pins with a chain that connected to what I assumed was a pocket watch which caught my eye. I concluded that they must be a part of some organization to be wearing something that looked so official. Although both of them were evidently adults, they still appeared on the younger side to me.
I accepted the cup from the man and took a sip, practically gulping down the water once the first droplet had reached my throat. I was parched beyond imagination. Once I downed it all, I had to catch my breath.
"Her wounds look pretty bad, Victor," the woman, whose name I recalled to be Thea, pointed out. "Should we take her back to HQ?"
"She came out of an Abyss portal, so there's no guarantee they'd keep her safe," Victor replied, looking like he was deep in thought thinking about what to do next.
"She's just a kid. We can't leave her here."
"Don't worry, I agree with you."
My eyes moved back and forth between the two of them as they discussed their next move regarding me. From the way they spoke, it sounded like they were carefully going through every single available option. The HQ they mentioned intrigued me. Why wouldn't that organization keep me safe and did they belong to it also?
"Are you feeling better?" The woman questioned as she took the cup in my hand and handed it back to the man. She had a gentle aura to her which made me feel as though I could trust her. "Can you tell us your name?"
My name. What was my name and how could I not remember? Who was I? I looked down at myself confused and noticed that my hair was red, and I was wearing a torn up white dress. I somehow had no prior knowledge about who I was or what I looked like, but I had a strong feeling that I existed before this moment.
I looked Thea directly in her eyes and frowned as I could not give her a true answer. Her expression turned even more troubled as she looked back at Victor.
Victor was still lost in thought, but soon enough, he took a deep breath and stood up to remove his jacket. That's when I felt the weight of something warm envelope around me. It wasn't cold out, but I felt a little too exposed, so I appreciated the gesture as he draped his coat over my shoulders.
"We'll take her to the infirmary and think about what to do on the way there," Victor finally uttered, adjusting the jacket on me so it wouldn't slip. "I'll call into HQ and let them know we're taking a little detour to investigate something related."
Thea nodded then turned to me once again. She held out her hands for me to take, and I placed my bruised palms into hers. From there, she helped me get onto my feet before informing me of their plans.
"Okay, sweetheart," she began, watching me closely to make sure I was regaining my balance. "My name is Thea and this is my husband, Victor. We're both out on a mission right now, but we'll make sure you're safe. Would you mind coming with us?"
From the moment she took my hands, I was already set on going with them. If I stayed here, I would be alone with nothing to eat and no shelter to rest in. With no previous memories, I figured it would be best to trust them since they appeared kind enough to even gently approach me, offer me water, and give me a sense of security even if it could be short-lived.
I let out a hum to let her know that I would go along with them. As we began walking, my legs felt weak, and I almost tumbled over before Thea caught me. Before I could plant my two feet back onto the ground, Victor picked me up to carry me.
"I know you just met us, but we don't want you to struggle. Will you allow me to carry you?" He asked me sincerely.
I knew from that first step that there was no way I'd be able to walk for an extended period of time without losing my footing, so I gave in. I then heard Thea make a sound as if she had discovered something, and I felt a slight tug behind my dress collar.
"Hey honey, look at this," she stated, bringing her husband's attention to whatever was behind me. "L, C, E."
Victor then took a peek over my shoulder to look at what I assumed was the tag on my clothing. "Could that be her name?"
"Most likely, but some letters are missing."
They began moving forward as I felt exhaustion gradually setting over me. My eyelids were slowly shutting themselves even as I tried to stay awake. Victor softly pushed my head down onto his shoulder and continued conversing with Thea.
"L, C, E. Lacie?" He suggested, hoping to get a response from me if that were to be my actual name. I simply had no recollection of anything and rested my head as I grew more and more tired.
"Lacie," Thea repeated in a tone as if she was smiling. "I like that name."
I started to lose track of their conversation as I drifted off. These two people were kind to me, so I simply had to trust them. Wherever they were taking me to would be much better than staying alone in this forest. Lacie. That name doesn't sound too bad.
That day, I opened my eyes and felt weak as I laid on the ground, dirt coating my body and wounds stinging my arms and legs. It felt as though I had slept for a long time, but exhaustion was taking over me, causing my head to pound so loud I could hear it.
When I opened my eyes, the sunlight blinded me. I heard the wind rustling the tree branches above me and birds chirping in the distance. Inhaling the air around me, I could smell the fresh scent of nature. Something about it felt refreshing as if I hadn't been in an environment like it in a long time.
Before long, I caught the voices of a man and a woman as I sensed their presences in front of me. Scared for my life, I tried to use anything I had within me to stop them in their tracks, but I was unable to draw out anything with enough impact.
"It's okay, don't be afraid," the woman's voice uttered as she edged closer to me.
"Don't approach too quickly, Thea," the man's voice advised.
As soon as my eyes adjusted enough to the light, I opened them and swung an arm at the woman as a last ditch effort, but she stopped my motion instantly by blocking my attack. From the way she let go, it didn't seem as though I was in any immediate danger.
My focus was then on her and the man. The expressions on their faces looked more concerned than anything, and that somehow slightly eased my apprehensions . The woman had long dark red hair in a half up, half down style. Her eyes were a metallic gray color, and she wore golden earrings representing stars. She eyed me with a wave of unease on her face as she continued to move closer and crouch down to my eye level.
"Hi, baby," she said to me in a gentle and soft voice. "Are you okay?"
I hesitated a bit, but I pushed whatever strength I had left to nod my head. My throat felt dry and scratchy, and it even hurt me to swallow my own saliva. The man standing right behind the woman must've noticed this as he promptly took a thermos out from his bag and poured me a cup of water.
"Drink this and gather your strength back," he urged as he held out the cup towards me. He was now crouching beside the woman, so I could see both of them clearly.
The man had dark brown hair, red eyes, and wore a pair of glasses. The look in his eyes was similar to the woman: worried. Looking closely, I noticed that they were wearing some kind of uniform: Their tops were white collared shirts while their jackets were black, and they wore similar matching pants. Buttons and chains were prominent in their attire, and a pair of almost knee-high boots covered their feet.
They also had moon pins with a chain that connected to what I assumed was a pocket watch which caught my eye. I concluded that they must be a part of some organization to be wearing something that looked so official. Although both of them were evidently adults, they still appeared on the younger side to me.
I accepted the cup from the man and took a sip, practically gulping down the water once the first droplet had reached my throat. I was parched beyond imagination. Once I downed it all, I had to catch my breath.
"Her wounds look pretty bad, Victor," the woman, whose name I recalled to be Thea, pointed out. "Should we take her back to HQ?"
"She came out of an Abyss portal, so there's no guarantee they'd keep her safe," Victor replied, looking like he was deep in thought thinking about what to do next.
"She's just a kid. We can't leave her here."
"Don't worry, I agree with you."
My eyes moved back and forth between the two of them as they discussed their next move regarding me. From the way they spoke, it sounded like they were carefully going through every single available option. The HQ they mentioned intrigued me. Why wouldn't that organization keep me safe and did they belong to it also?
"Are you feeling better?" The woman questioned as she took the cup in my hand and handed it back to the man. She had a gentle aura to her which made me feel as though I could trust her. "Can you tell us your name?"
My name. What was my name and how could I not remember? Who was I? I looked down at myself confused and noticed that my hair was red, and I was wearing a torn up white dress. I somehow had no prior knowledge about who I was or what I looked like, but I had a strong feeling that I existed before this moment.
I looked Thea directly in her eyes and frowned as I could not give her a true answer. Her expression turned even more troubled as she looked back at Victor.
Victor was still lost in thought, but soon enough, he took a deep breath and stood up to remove his jacket. That's when I felt the weight of something warm envelope around me. It wasn't cold out, but I felt a little too exposed, so I appreciated the gesture as he draped his coat over my shoulders.
"We'll take her to the infirmary and think about what to do on the way there," Victor finally uttered, adjusting the jacket on me so it wouldn't slip. "I'll call into HQ and let them know we're taking a little detour to investigate something related."
Thea nodded then turned to me once again. She held out her hands for me to take, and I placed my bruised palms into hers. From there, she helped me get onto my feet before informing me of their plans.
"Okay, sweetheart," she began, watching me closely to make sure I was regaining my balance. "My name is Thea and this is my husband, Victor. We're both out on a mission right now, but we'll make sure you're safe. Would you mind coming with us?"
From the moment she took my hands, I was already set on going with them. If I stayed here, I would be alone with nothing to eat and no shelter to rest in. With no previous memories, I figured it would be best to trust them since they appeared kind enough to even gently approach me, offer me water, and give me a sense of security even if it could be short-lived.
I let out a hum to let her know that I would go along with them. As we began walking, my legs felt weak, and I almost tumbled over before Thea caught me. Before I could plant my two feet back onto the ground, Victor picked me up to carry me.
"I know you just met us, but we don't want you to struggle. Will you allow me to carry you?" He asked me sincerely.
I knew from that first step that there was no way I'd be able to walk for an extended period of time without losing my footing, so I gave in. I then heard Thea make a sound as if she had discovered something, and I felt a slight tug behind my dress collar.
"Hey honey, look at this," she stated, bringing her husband's attention to whatever was behind me. "L, C, E."
Victor then took a peek over my shoulder to look at what I assumed was the tag on my clothing. "Could that be her name?"
"Most likely, but some letters are missing."
They began moving forward as I felt exhaustion gradually setting over me. My eyelids were slowly shutting themselves even as I tried to stay awake. Victor softly pushed my head down onto his shoulder and continued conversing with Thea.
"L, C, E. Lacie?" He suggested, hoping to get a response from me if that were to be my actual name. I simply had no recollection of anything and rested my head as I grew more and more tired.
"Lacie," Thea repeated in a tone as if she was smiling. "I like that name."
I started to lose track of their conversation as I drifted off. These two people were kind to me, so I simply had to trust them. Wherever they were taking me to would be much better than staying alone in this forest. Lacie. That name doesn't sound too bad.
Memoire 3 (Vtuber Lore)
After that incident, I gradually began living a calm and peaceful life. Victor and Thea had taken me to the infirmary as they said where I got my injuries looked at and was given the necessary treatments in order to recover. I couldn't remember a single thing about my past even at that point and even now. I decided to go by the name Lacie and after awhile, the two of them adopted me officially. They had to go through so much trouble to make sure they weren't making any suspicious moves, and I could tell that they wanted to do everything in my best interest. They were now mom and dad to me, and I accepted them as they had walked into so many hardships just for my sake.
My new life in the city of Blanc began then, and I was given the best education and magic training as my parents were able to give. The tiredness I felt when I was discovered in the forest one year ago was due mostly to the onset of mana that I was unaccustomed to. Other than the occasional nightmares, life got better than I imagined.
My powers had developed into time manipulation, and at first, I could only freeze the motions of inanimate objects like stopping a vase from falling or a water drop from dripping. But now, I could freeze a section of a moment in time. It was still unstable, but I was excited every time my father would take me out to train.
The three of us were visiting the castle to pay our respects to the royal family. My mom and the queen of Blanc had been best friends since childhood, and the palace had always welcomed us with open arms. The young master was about two years older than me, and I met him after I got adopted. His name is Dante, and his platinum blonde hair and green eyes were an even blend of both of his parents. I was wary of him back then, but after awhile, I noticed the kindness he was showing me so we became fast friends.
On this particular day, the adults were having a tea party near the carnation field, so Dante and I decided to roam around the area a bit. Carnations were a household flower here at the castle, so as long as magic could keep them alive, they bloomed through all seasons. I focused on a few flowers in particular before I saw a butterfly and felt the need to catch it. I alerted Dante to help me, and while I could tell that he wasn't interested, he still indulged me as I chased it.
Cupping my hands together, covering flat surfaces, and using all of my might, I attempted multiple times at retrieving that butterfly. Its iridescent purple glow intrigued me, and I at least wanted to hold it for a brief moment if possible. I was now in the area near where the tea party was taking place and ended up at one of the nearby tables where everyone's belongings were set. Again, cupping my hands and setting them down, I pursued the butterfly. Once. Twice. Three times. My luck was running out as it was about to fly out of an area with landing spots, and Dante was right behind telling me to be careful. I had one more shot, and when I saw the time was right as it landed on top of one of the pocket watches, I swiftly put my hand down.
Before I could register what had happened, the scenery around me changed. I was suddenly surrounded by endless white, and everything was quiet. I turned my head in every single direction I could, but I no longer saw my parents or the carnation field. I suddenly heard light droplets of water and the stillness of everything somehow calmed me. Everything then altered into a whole different scene. I was now in a hyacinth field, and from about fifteen feet in front of me, I heard a meeting taking place inside of a lavish building.
The architecture was almost opposite of Blanc's as the walls were a light gray rather than a cream color. I noticed a few people from where I was standing, and their attire was much darker and heavier than what I was used to. I hid myself behind the wall of flowers as I took a moment to gather my surroundings. This area was mysterious to me, and I didn't want to get myself into any trouble. I couldn't pinpoint which direction would lead me back to the carnation field, so I had to at least make sense of the current circumstances.
"Are preparations for the ball going well?" I heard a lady wearing a uniform asking.
"Of course," a man standing a few feet in front of her replied. He had on the same uniform as the woman, but his had a tint of violet and gold accents. It appeared to me that he must've been some sort of knight, and upon looking closer, I noticed that there was a group of such knights gathered and engaged in discussion.
"Who knew being a vassal would be like this, right?" Another man jested, elbowing a comrade beside him. "I'm beat even tending to my master's early morning routine."
"You can't help whose soul chooses you," the woman stated as she stretched her arms above her head. "At least you're not this guy who's split amongst all of the royals."
All eyes then shifted to the man wearing the violet attire. He had black hair and a sense of sadness in his amethyst eyes. Just looking at him ached my soul, and I could somehow feel a physical pain in my heart. Their conversation continued on with a few laughs thrown in here and there.
I was lost in the moment before I felt something on my shoulder. Gradually turning my head, I noticed that it was the butterfly from earlier! I got a little too excited and ended up leaning against the hyacinth wall, rustling the leaves and petals together and making a sound.
My eyes shot up ahead of me, and I caught eyes with the violet-eyed man. Although I was a bit far from where he was, the lilac hue in his eyes glistened, and I sensed that melancholy in them even more. An ache in my chest began to throb as I brought my hands up to suppress the pain. The man didn't call any attention to me by alerting his comrades. He simply stood there with a fixed gaze as if he was frozen in time.
Before I knew it, the butterfly on my shoulder flew behind me, causing a portal to open. The sound coming from the hole was loud enough to cause the knights in the building to stir as they turned their heads. I was sucked in immediately, and I surrendered to the pull as all of my efforts would've been in vain.
In the blink of an eye, I was falling forward and the butterfly followed closely behind me. I was curious why it clung to me, but now wasn't the time. Was this going to be my end? Did I mess up that badly? Mom and dad must be so worried.
I took deep a breath to calm myself down. The thought of leaving everything behind after just one year of irreplaceable memories. I should just be happy that I even got the chance to live with such loving people who took me in and cared for me without hesitations.
My inner monologue continued on and on before I saw another portal open in front of me. I couldn't believe it, but I didn't have time to think as I fell through it. I shut my eyes and crossed my arms to brace for impact only to feel myself land into someone's soft embrace.
"Lacie, oh my god," I heard my mother's voice and footsteps running towards where I was.
I then opened my eyes and noticed I was in the arms of someone wearing royal attire. It instantly registered that Dante had caught me as I freefalled. My tears instantly rushed out, but it wasn't because I was scared. It felt as though some sort of desolation was washing over me, and Dante didn't let me go until my parents got to our side.
Mother and father were more relieved than angry at me, and I was ashamed to have caused so much trouble for not only them, but also the royal family. After everything calmed down, I learned that Dante had used his copy ability to replicate a staff member’s power and charm the butterfly to anchor it back to the castle. His quick thinking most definitely saved my life, and I was eternally grateful.
My new life in the city of Blanc began then, and I was given the best education and magic training as my parents were able to give. The tiredness I felt when I was discovered in the forest one year ago was due mostly to the onset of mana that I was unaccustomed to. Other than the occasional nightmares, life got better than I imagined.
My powers had developed into time manipulation, and at first, I could only freeze the motions of inanimate objects like stopping a vase from falling or a water drop from dripping. But now, I could freeze a section of a moment in time. It was still unstable, but I was excited every time my father would take me out to train.
The three of us were visiting the castle to pay our respects to the royal family. My mom and the queen of Blanc had been best friends since childhood, and the palace had always welcomed us with open arms. The young master was about two years older than me, and I met him after I got adopted. His name is Dante, and his platinum blonde hair and green eyes were an even blend of both of his parents. I was wary of him back then, but after awhile, I noticed the kindness he was showing me so we became fast friends.
On this particular day, the adults were having a tea party near the carnation field, so Dante and I decided to roam around the area a bit. Carnations were a household flower here at the castle, so as long as magic could keep them alive, they bloomed through all seasons. I focused on a few flowers in particular before I saw a butterfly and felt the need to catch it. I alerted Dante to help me, and while I could tell that he wasn't interested, he still indulged me as I chased it.
Cupping my hands together, covering flat surfaces, and using all of my might, I attempted multiple times at retrieving that butterfly. Its iridescent purple glow intrigued me, and I at least wanted to hold it for a brief moment if possible. I was now in the area near where the tea party was taking place and ended up at one of the nearby tables where everyone's belongings were set. Again, cupping my hands and setting them down, I pursued the butterfly. Once. Twice. Three times. My luck was running out as it was about to fly out of an area with landing spots, and Dante was right behind telling me to be careful. I had one more shot, and when I saw the time was right as it landed on top of one of the pocket watches, I swiftly put my hand down.
Before I could register what had happened, the scenery around me changed. I was suddenly surrounded by endless white, and everything was quiet. I turned my head in every single direction I could, but I no longer saw my parents or the carnation field. I suddenly heard light droplets of water and the stillness of everything somehow calmed me. Everything then altered into a whole different scene. I was now in a hyacinth field, and from about fifteen feet in front of me, I heard a meeting taking place inside of a lavish building.
The architecture was almost opposite of Blanc's as the walls were a light gray rather than a cream color. I noticed a few people from where I was standing, and their attire was much darker and heavier than what I was used to. I hid myself behind the wall of flowers as I took a moment to gather my surroundings. This area was mysterious to me, and I didn't want to get myself into any trouble. I couldn't pinpoint which direction would lead me back to the carnation field, so I had to at least make sense of the current circumstances.
"Are preparations for the ball going well?" I heard a lady wearing a uniform asking.
"Of course," a man standing a few feet in front of her replied. He had on the same uniform as the woman, but his had a tint of violet and gold accents. It appeared to me that he must've been some sort of knight, and upon looking closer, I noticed that there was a group of such knights gathered and engaged in discussion.
"Who knew being a vassal would be like this, right?" Another man jested, elbowing a comrade beside him. "I'm beat even tending to my master's early morning routine."
"You can't help whose soul chooses you," the woman stated as she stretched her arms above her head. "At least you're not this guy who's split amongst all of the royals."
All eyes then shifted to the man wearing the violet attire. He had black hair and a sense of sadness in his amethyst eyes. Just looking at him ached my soul, and I could somehow feel a physical pain in my heart. Their conversation continued on with a few laughs thrown in here and there.
I was lost in the moment before I felt something on my shoulder. Gradually turning my head, I noticed that it was the butterfly from earlier! I got a little too excited and ended up leaning against the hyacinth wall, rustling the leaves and petals together and making a sound.
My eyes shot up ahead of me, and I caught eyes with the violet-eyed man. Although I was a bit far from where he was, the lilac hue in his eyes glistened, and I sensed that melancholy in them even more. An ache in my chest began to throb as I brought my hands up to suppress the pain. The man didn't call any attention to me by alerting his comrades. He simply stood there with a fixed gaze as if he was frozen in time.
Before I knew it, the butterfly on my shoulder flew behind me, causing a portal to open. The sound coming from the hole was loud enough to cause the knights in the building to stir as they turned their heads. I was sucked in immediately, and I surrendered to the pull as all of my efforts would've been in vain.
In the blink of an eye, I was falling forward and the butterfly followed closely behind me. I was curious why it clung to me, but now wasn't the time. Was this going to be my end? Did I mess up that badly? Mom and dad must be so worried.
I took deep a breath to calm myself down. The thought of leaving everything behind after just one year of irreplaceable memories. I should just be happy that I even got the chance to live with such loving people who took me in and cared for me without hesitations.
My inner monologue continued on and on before I saw another portal open in front of me. I couldn't believe it, but I didn't have time to think as I fell through it. I shut my eyes and crossed my arms to brace for impact only to feel myself land into someone's soft embrace.
"Lacie, oh my god," I heard my mother's voice and footsteps running towards where I was.
I then opened my eyes and noticed I was in the arms of someone wearing royal attire. It instantly registered that Dante had caught me as I freefalled. My tears instantly rushed out, but it wasn't because I was scared. It felt as though some sort of desolation was washing over me, and Dante didn't let me go until my parents got to our side.
Mother and father were more relieved than angry at me, and I was ashamed to have caused so much trouble for not only them, but also the royal family. After everything calmed down, I learned that Dante had used his copy ability to replicate a staff member’s power and charm the butterfly to anchor it back to the castle. His quick thinking most definitely saved my life, and I was eternally grateful.
Poetry
|
1:06 AM
my love, your strength is blinding, your courage, shining how did you survive all the fighting and all the crying? you did stop and think “it’s wrong”, yet you carried on? knew you had to be strong and be there for mom because she was always alone here you are today, going your own way and seizing the day. waiting for someone to say, “now i’m here to stay because you’re worth it, babe” bLISS
i find myself drowning in the softness of your deep brown eyes falling further and further down, as your gaze holds mine when you touch my skin briefly, making me aware of your presence the warmth of your intent, that's the purest of your essence how can a single person offer that? so much comfort and serenity simply by just existing as you are, i feel as if you were meant for me perhaps this is fate as they call it, or chance as the realists say but there's peace when i'm with you, as you are the brightest part of my day FEATHERS AND WAX
some days he is the sun, at times he is the darkness as much as i tried to love him, his entire being was tarnished i have so much love for him, but i didn’t know whether to believe that it was him who captured my heart, or the versions of him i conceived i offered him the world, he gifted me the wheel of fortune said that fate was the ultimate test but i had already driven myself to exhaustion my love, i flew too close to the sun and then the darkness encapsulated me maybe deep down, you loved me too but i deserve to be free synchronization
under the golden light, he was dressed in a red sweater the luminance bounced off of his cheeks, and his outlook played along with the scenery he laid surrounded by flower petals and carefully ran each fragment between his fingers, feeling the softness as if it were a safe haven; an escape from his constant bustle he remembered back to the days when freedom and liveliness were necessities, but in that moment in time, he felt calmer than ever before as time continued on, he picked up the book and mouthed the words something about a dream, he said maybe this was always our reality FRUITION
the chance to see you smile again and again, i’ve travelled through world lines though it feels like it never ends tragic, they may call it as i realized i failed to save you at first but it was unlike me to give in, as i’ve already gone through the worst you said i suffered so much for you though i never found it to be tedious was it me you were always looking to? in this timeline, and the previous? now i have finally found you once more, i have protected you from what would be inevitable what i wouldn’t give to always be yours it was always you, didn’t you know? purgatory
it’s hell in itself to know that i cannot learn to breathe through the flames with you with everything i am
as if the moon could bring me to you, shining its radiant, iridescent glow and lighting up the night our distance could be cut in two, the moon as our messenger, as though it powers us through the fight i had you for the moment, but before long, you took your leave, promising a new world for us but don't worry about it, because it was always you who i'd believe, and it was right of me to trust we had our own goals to achieve, through the galaxy, we'd traverse doing all that we can you always returned to me my only, my beloved, my universe and i love you with everything i am unbeknownst
every beautiful thing that engulfed my mind always lead back to him but he had yet to know that this love went both ways yuánfèn
someday, sooner than later we will come together as one when the Divine sees fit, a new cycle will have begun the moon always brings me back to you, one thousand nights entwined it has forever been you, and ours will be the love of a lifetime |
FIRST LOVE
she’s everything i am, and everything i could be she gets tired and lonesome, and she’s suffered for me she’s strong and capable, and someone i look up to her unconditional love is powerful, and she’s lessened every pain i’ve gone through time after time again, she’s forgiven my selfish ways because she has always been a part of me, and she’s always here to stay twenty-four
pieces starting to fall into place, i no longer worry about saving face i thought i had escaped loneliness back then, but now i realized that it was nowhere near the end a blank canvas enters the scene, a slate furthermore wiped clean i cannot say i’m moving forward with no trepidation, but i’m positive that i no longer hold any reservations HALF OF YOU
you’re a golden boy with sunshine in your heart and stardust in your palms you light up the world simply by sharing your wonder and spreading the light you possess like a flower on a spring day you blossom bolder than before revealing your beauty and strength all of me could never equate because half of you is more than enough to fill the spaces that this universe gathers you are the missing piece in everything the love songs, the bitter coffee, and so on and you hold the power to complete them so spread that magic throughout and show them what you can do because all of me is less than half of you ukiyo
the look in his eyes was calming and it felt as if time had stopped, just the two of us conscious of the situation his soft touch felt like rose petals, brushing against my bare skin and leaving me breathless and wanting more he read words off of the page and chills ran down my spine, thinking about if those sentiments were meant for me his soothing voice resonated deeply, emphasizing each of his sentiments and it felt like listening to my favorite song at dawn i imagined having all of him to myself; that seemed like it would fill me up and mend all the gaps in my heart but what if i got just a piece of him? would that be enough for me? perhaps i never want to wake up from this dream vice
a short phase of my life, that happened to be you the morning light and you were here, the setting sun, your presence was mere i absorbed the lessons you had to give, and realized the growth, i needed to live the love you showed me was more than enough, the highest of highs, you took me above like a haiku, pleasing and concise i could never forget you, my lovely vice waves
love comes to me in waves, but will i ever have the ocean? would i be the one you'd save? or would you leave me, frozen? on the shore, the water delivers gifts such as words from faraway lovers the further away i drift, the more i begin to suffer he kisses me repeatedly, never missing a single beat i ponder, if only there was a chance we could ever meet someplace in the middle, where stillness would allow us even something just a little, in that, i would trust divine
repeated numerals, always the usual, name in the crowd, songs chiming loud, signs from above, breathtaking as doves, guided intuition, true to our vision love on my mind, one of kind, you in my heart, a true work of art burdens
i’ve allowed the halfheartedness of past lovers to swallow me whole, to flood my mind with worrying thoughts and melancholic sentiments, to dictate my natural being and my sacred core, and to make me believe that they were the ones to save me my love cannot flow to those whose hearts are guarded i cannot force the purity of my intentions on those who abuse it but now i constantly wonder, if it is you who will actually choose it lionhearted prince
child, don't be afraid does the weight of the world feel heavy on your shoulders? does your love mirror the affection that you're given? do you feel alone when the lights go out? there's a glimmer of hope shining through the pavement can you see a new beginning, like the one you've been craving? is it enough to make you get through the day? or are your demons chasing you, throwing you back into the fray? child, don't be afraid are you aware that you are the only one in the world? can you see how lovely you have the potential to be? do you have the courage to wholeheartedly be yourself? please, don't feel alone when it all comes crashing down. |
