Chapter Text
The landscape before me consists of vast green fields, rolling hills, towering cliffs, and scattered trees like splashes of paint on a canvas. In reality, this is a perfect comparison for this extraordinary and impeccably painted scenery.
I noticed that some of the leaves on the trees and bushes were green, while others were yellow or tinged with orange. The whole place seemed alive with the rustling and movement caused by the gentle, refreshing breeze as it passed through every little corner it encountered.
Indeed, it is a beautiful landscape that effortlessly conveys tranquility and peace to those who observe it.
However, peace and tranquility were far from the feelings coursing through my body. Those feelings and emotions were taken from me, no, they were stolen from me long ago, and the remnants that remained have also faded away.
Now, all I feel is a mixture of pain and sadness.
The pain emanated from two cuts—one on my forehead, causing warm blood to trickle into my left eye, and the other, deeper cut slowly draining my strength, located in my abdomen. No, it wasn't just a cut.
Even with my vision blurred and a persistent dizziness, I could discern that a branch had actually pierced through part of my abdomen, resembling the lance of a seasoned spear master capable of delivering a fatal blow with a single strike, even in their old age and far from their prime.
Yet, none of this surpasses the sadness I felt.
I lost everything. Mother. Father. Sister. Friends. Alone. That was the word that now defined me entirely. I was once defined as a traveler, just like Lumine, and before that, I was defined as a diligent and special soldier. But now, when I can choose how to define myself, I can't choose anything noble or different from my current situation.
Tears streamed down my face, falling towards the ground, so distant from me. I used to be able to effortlessly spread my wings and descend from this accursed tree. However, from the moment I opened my eyes to this world, I realized that I had also lost a significant part of who I was, including my wings.
I longed to go back to sleep, to return to the dreams I was having before waking up. In those dreams, I was still at home, or at least traveling with Lumine. I was happy and at peace in them, even if only slightly.
But I can't. Dreams are just dreams, and even in them, I dreamt of finding my parents, just as I dreamt of finding Lumine.
Sister, I miss you.
With the strength I still had, I broke off a part of the branch that pierced my abdomen and began mentally preparing myself for the impact. I couldn't remove the branch; if I did, I would bleed to death. It was the only thing stopping the bleeding and preserving my life.
I managed to stand on the branches of the tree and looked down at the ground. It was a considerable height, but it wouldn't surely kill me. My legs were trembling, and my strength was abandoning me, along with my consciousness. Damn it, this is so foolish. I let out a long sigh and let gravity take me to the ground.
The impact against the soil was terrible. I thought I would land on my feet, but in the midst of the fall, my consciousness abandoned me. What brought me back was the abrupt impact against the ground and the excruciating pain it caused. Fortunately, very fortunately, the branch was still lodged in my abdomen, and it hadn't shifted to hit any internal organs.
It took me a while to attempt to get up. Exhaustion and pain wanted to fold me in half, overpower my senses, and drown my consciousness in the darkest and deepest ocean imaginable. However, I can't give in to any of that. I need to keep going, not for myself, but for my sister.
I plunged my hands into the grass and forced my body to rise, even though it resisted. Willpower and obligation were the necessary forces to make it function. I scraped my knees against the ground, using them as support. Finally, I stood up and began walking, aimlessly, of course.
I had no idea where I was or which path to follow, but that had never been a problem, as my life had often been like this. All I needed was to find people or something to stem and treat this damn bleeding.
Slowly, the sky above me darkened, and the shadows of the trees grew more intense. The sounds of animals also increased, especially the howling. Damn it, if I come across a pack or even a single wolf, my chances of survival are close to zero.
I've been walking for hours without encountering any signs of civilization or people. Has this world not evolved enough to have inhabited areas?
No, there are people here. What was it that woman said?
"The people here are peaceful."
Where is that humanity? Where are the buildings? Or even the roads?
I looked around and noticed that darkness had consumed everything. I couldn't see my hands or even my feet anymore. However, when I lifted my head and peered through the cracks between branches and leaves, I saw a glimpse of a beautiful starry sky.
A smile spread across my face. It's been so long since I've seen a true sky.
However, my joy was short-lived as a sharp pang of pain emanated from my abdomen. No distractions, I need to keep going. I have no idea when I might collapse on the ground again, and if that happens, I won't have a chance to rise once more.
I finally emerged from the forest, but the landscape remained unchanged. More green fields and endless rolling hills. At least the stars were illuminating the path ahead and the surroundings.
Suddenly, atop a hill with a few trees, a red and orange light illuminated abruptly. Fire. A feeling of hope ignited in my heart, just like the flames of that fire. Without wasting time, I walked towards the light.
It took me a few minutes to approach, and when I got closer, I noticed it was a bonfire with at least a group of people gathered around it. There were also several carts or similar transports, as I could hear a different sound mixed with the forest's animal noises, but one that still belonged to some creature.
I didn't consider whether these people were travelers, hunters, or even a group of bandits. If it's the latter, there's no way they would be friendly, and if they wanted to, they could easily do anything to me. At least it's me here and not Lumine, I thought as I continued to approach, knowing I had no other options.
Depending on how things unfold, I hope that in the worst-case scenario, I can take one or two down with me. It would make my end a bit more honorable.
As I approached close enough to be heard, the sound of conversations dwindled, now reduced to mere whispers. The only sounds I could hear were their breathing and the crackling of the flames.
Well, they didn't start attacking or walking towards me to confront me. Could they be setting a trap? Or perhaps they're afraid? That would be great if I weren't bleeding to death.
Finally, I stood in front of the bonfire. The warmth of the flames was a pleasure that I only now realized I needed. After all, it brought some comfort to the pain I was feeling, but it also revealed to me an intense coldness that I hadn't sensed before.
I abruptly sat down and pulled my knees as close to my body as possible, even though the pain in my abdomen was truly killing me as I did so. However, I wanted to appear harmless to the people in front of me.
They were human, at least. However, their clothing didn't seem natural or normal for the surrounding landscape. They wore long overcoats that covered their entire bodies, and on the shoulder area, there was a large, furry, black collar. None of them had their faces uncovered. They all wore masks, which had a light gray color, and the area around the eyes was entirely black, with a thin horizontal red line passing across the eye area.
As I observed them and their details, I noticed that those with the red line passing through their right eye were women, while those with the line passing through their left eye were men. Additionally, I noted that their clothing was standardized, with a symbol sewn onto it. But that was the most I could distinguish; the bonfire's light was weak, and the darkness concealed them quite well.
They seem to be part of an army, considering the uniform pattern, but I don't rule out the possibility of them belonging to some cult, as the masks seemed ritualistic to me.
Even though I couldn't see their faces completely, I noticed that they were unsure of what to do. That's a good thing, as none of them have approached me to attack so far. I tried to focus on their movements and possible actions, but when my eyes briefly wandered to the flames, I saw a juicy piece of meat skewered on an iron spit.
One of the masked individuals on my right, a massive man, noticed my gaze fixed on the meat and swiftly tore off a generous piece. He wrapped the meat in some kind of white cloth, and for the first time, someone broke the silence as he extended the piece of meat towards me and uttered an unintelligible word to me.
Damn, I forgot that I have no idea how the language of this world sounds like. Lumine was always the one who took care of learning and understanding the languages of the places we visited, and she also taught me how to speak them. Without her, I have no clue how to communicate or learn the language of these people.
The man was still waiting, his large hands making the piece of meat appear smaller than it actually was. So, to dispel any doubts about his intentions, I pointed my finger towards the meat and then at myself, as if to inquire if it was indeed meant for me.
The man simply nodded in agreement. I finally released my knees and as I reached for the meat, I noticed the man's eyes widen as he saw the wound on my belly. I also heard what seemed like a murmur from the other masked individuals.
But I didn't concern myself with that. All my attention was on the meat in front of me. I devoured it so quickly that I couldn't fully taste it, but I could tell it was delicious. It felt like I hadn't eaten in ages.
Lost in the meat, I didn't realize that a woman had approached from my left side. So, I was taken by surprise when she suddenly yanked the branch out of me. The pain was overwhelming and made me spit out part of the meat I was finishing, with a bit of blood accompanying it.
Out of fear and reflex, I almost landed a punch on the woman's face, but the man who gave me the meat grabbed my fist and then held onto both my arms. At the same time, the woman seized my legs.
Of course, it was a trap. Damn, I'm such an idiot. At least now I know who I'm taking down with me in death, these two.
Using the strength I had left, I managed to free one arm and one leg, and the first thing I did when I was free was deliver an elbow strike to the man. The blow was enough to make him release my arms. However, just as I was about to strike the woman again, this time with a kick, another man joined the fray and he managed to grab my foot just inches away from connecting with the woman's face.
I cast my most piercing gaze at him, noticing that he was shaken but still held onto me. If I were in good condition, a fight could have ensued, but I was at my limit, and the blood accumulating in my mouth was suffocating me.
As I was restrained once again by the man I had knocked out a few seconds ago, my vision was already blurred, and all I could see were a bunch of masked figures gathering around me.
I couldn't discern their expressions due to the masks, but at least they didn't seem pleased to see me die. That brought some relief. It was better to be surrounded by strangers who weren't happy about my demise than those who would be. The only downside is that I won't have a honorable death.
My eyelids felt heavy, begging to be closed, but the various images of my life in my mind were trying to keep me alive, I suppose it's my determination or something like that. Or maybe I'm just witnessing my life flash before my eyes? It has happened so many times before, I remember, it was a long time ago.
A deep, warm darkness suddenly engulfed my mind, and it did the same with my vision.
