Chapter Text
Echoes of a hollow world
Prologue
Zee
Zee sat there, watching out the window with a sour expression. She didn’t understand this world. Not one bit. Below her from the window view was a big city. this time of the season Mapira flowers gathered on the front lawns of the castle, getting carefully trimmed by a gardener.
Zee observed the gardener, wondering if they were a mana user. A lot of the servants they had possessed Augury of some sorts. Most went to become a soldier though. She had a personal servant that used powers.. of course, in Cantern City mana could not be accessed. A barrier the royal priest creates every other week keeps from abilities being used in the first place.
The town did look extra lively today. The streets below filled with people and cars. Tonight was the Hollowfall celebration, an annual event that everyone celebrates. The hollowfall is the night where everyone gets together for feasts with family’s and conducts rituals to keep augury and creatures away. It's mostly to ward off wendigos though. Those awful creatures feed off of big towns like this, and no one knows how they keep getting in. The more casualties the more the wendigo numbers grow. It is as if they are just as big as a problem as mana users.
When zee was a kid, she remembered story’s her mother told her of how mana wielders used their curses to slaughter and eat humans. She felt pity for those users though. All the mana users she had met hadn’t ever had a taste for blood.. or maybe it was because they did not feed their servant's flesh. It was hard to tell whether or not those stories were just stories at this point. Everyone said the same things about the users. They’re dangerous and unpredictable. There was a reason in the city augury was completely vanished. In smaller towns they didn’t have a royal priest or shield, so the mana users could easily get in. Barely any attacks Happened around there though.
She kept reminiscing, her green eyes slightly glowing in the sun. The moon was starting to rise, and she knew it would almost be time for the royal celebrations. Oh, how Zee hated those celebrations. She wasn’t much of a fan of her family in the first place. Her mother was sweet hearted, but everyone else was.. interesting. Most of the family was old and boring. It felt they repeated the same stories over and over again, Zee could have sworn she’d had heard the story her great aunt told about the first ball she went to. Another thing Zee hated: balls. Maybe this time the gathering would be interesting though. Her cousin was there, and a Nobel family was joining them.
For once she wanted something different. Something that would not be the same. Even a new ritual would be great. But there really were not any more rituals to learn. The ancient totem didn’t speak of anything else. Being royal zee had to learn all about the totems and the chants matched with those rituals. She had to be the one to give the priests speeches and speak with block in her dreams. It was a weird concept. Once she pledged herself to block, she would have those dreams shared with the royal priest. To be honest, the dreams scared her. She used to wake up to her mother screaming all the time growing up during the great wendigo hunts. She’d have dreams of lost soldiers and battles no one could comprehend.. except for the soldiers that somehow survived. Those groups would come back with bodies and scars deeper then the pond of Fuko. Zee never got to see any of the wendigos work though. Her mother had shielded her from such horrific sights.
A light knock at the door interrupted zees thoughts. She could tell it was her servant from how gentle the knock was.
“Come in.” Zee turned to the door as the knob turned. As it opened a gentle looking female walked in. She had brown hair and blue eyes, and a power Zee was unsure of. She was happy with Eiji as a servant. The younger girl was adorn in a laced white shirt and a white skirt that reached down to her ankles. A small flower rested in her hair, probably from Akina.
Eijis face shifted a bit at the look of zee, whom was not at all ready for tonight’s rituals. “Well.. I came in here to tell you your mothers starting the rituals in 20, but it seems you aren’t ready yet.” She chuckled slightly. Eijis soft voice was nice to listen to. She was a very soft-spoken girl, barely raised her voice at all. Zee did remember a time when Eijis voice raised at the sight of a spider though. She was deathly afraid of the small creatures. It was adorable really.
“Oh! Already? I didn’t know it was 4:00 already.” Zee instantly turned her head to check the clock that lay on her vanity desk. It was almost 4:00. As she looked across her room she caught eyes with her own green gaze. Her shorter white hair was tangled, and her pajamas wrinkled. She did look like quite the mess. If she was being honest, she had spent the past few hours up binging social media. Zee ran a hand through her hair, trying to get some knots out of the back of her head.
Zee wasn’t as much a fan of her hair. She was born with albinism, and her mother was the same. The dreadful thing was having dyed hair was seen as a sin around here. Everyone was convinced that it was the sign of evil and future hints of going to Fuko. Zee's hair was natural though. Sure, her hair was a symbolism of her royal blood, but a lot of people thought there are possibilities of the royal family being mana users, or sinners.
“Yup, now get your butt up and get ready.” Eiji teased, walking into the room and closing the door gently behind her. She looked around for a hot second, probably looking for an outfit that Zee had not even gotten ready. “You don’t have anything ready, do you?” Eiji crossed her arms over her chest and looked right at the princess sitting clueless in front of her. Zee didn’t even have to say anything. The servant just smiled, walking over to zees vanity and tapping the chair in front of her.
She instantly hopped up from the window view nook she sat on to join Eiji. The brown-haired girl grabbed up the brush from the desk. It wouldn’t be that hard to brush Zee's hair, it wasn’t that thick, and it was short. She hated having long hair. When she grew up her father made her grow it out, claiming that would be the most lady like. He still doesn’t like the change in hairstyle. He lets out grunts every time someone compliments the new look.
“Excited to meet the Nobel family?” Eiji asked, still running the golden swirled brush through her hair. The princess let out a sigh, grabbing her phone. She scrolled through it a bit, the glow from the screen illuminating off of her face.
“Just adds some more old people to the equation.” She shrugged. The only difference was that there would be more stories to hear over the dinner. Sometimes it was interesting to hear about Mapira before the barriers and protection. “I heard they had a son.” The servant added.
Zee's nose wrinkled up slightly. She was almost 18 and she knew her father was trying to find a suitor. She hated it. Personally, she also was not much into men in general. They all creeped her out and never found herself pulled toward them. If only that was allowed. Anything like that was seen as a sin as much as anything. Zee wished she could break from All the rules that the gods above had sent towards them. They weren’t allowed to dye their hair, have even an ounce of homosexual thought, or have augury. Zee found all those interesting though. She wished for just one day to be able to live the life she wanted to. It felt impossible though. No one in the cities or towns seemed even a bit interested in changing the laws.
“Just another one of fathers attempts.” She waved her hand dismissively. Zee didn’t know any of Eijis stances of all her opinions though. She could imagine the servant wanted a more freeing life.. but compared to other jobs, Eiji had a cozy life. All she had to do was tend to zee, who was not very needy or meticulous on anything. The servants had their own dorm house beside the castle, and from what Zee had seen the place was well taken care of. It was better than how the soldiers' lives went. She had seen only few of the mana user soldiers, and honestly, they were scary.
“you’re going to have to agree to something, you know?” Eiji nudged her. She placed the brush back down on the desk, running some finger between Zee's hair and dividing some sections. She could hear a slight shift In Eijis tone, but couldn’t quite place anything behind it. It was crazy how zee could not read Eiji at all. It was as if she had a shield between the royal family and her emotions.
“None of those guys are interesting though.” Zee huffed, crossing her arms in a fit. She tried not to move her head, so Eiji didn’t have a problem making that small braid on the side of her head. “All of them are the same. Entitled and privileged.” She added. She said that as if she wasn’t the same. She was just as entitled or privileged as any other Nobel person. But she was not lying when talking about not being interested at all.
“well.. you’ll find someone.” The servants tone was as calm as ever. She let out a small hum as her smaller fingers waded through the white strands. She reached over zees shoulder, grabbing some gold hair clips. Zee decided to stay quiet, Eiji knew what she was doing. She always had.
The princess just leaned into her calming touch. The room was silent besides the small chirp of the birds outside and Eijis hum. Some of the bird's noises were distorted and weird. It all depended on the species of bird. Usually, animals here were mixed with something else. The most common type had to be the unicorn species. Unicorns were such rare creatures, but they are so commonly found mixed with other common animals.
Zee wanted to say something. She wanted to spark up another conversation, but the silence was just so comforting right now. She could speak of all the new things happening, but any words got stuck in her throat. The princess looked in the mirror's reflection, watching Eiji work peacefully. She caught herself averting her gaze as the servant looked up, as if to hide her obvious staring. The woman just chuckled, continuing to braid her hair and place jewels between each strand. Soon zee was met with herself in the golden mirror. The sides of her hair had small braids leading to the back of her head. Weaved into each strands of her braids were different jewels and golden charms. In the back holding it all together she had a golden butterfly hair clip, a clip Eiji knew zee quite enjoyed.
“Geez, what would I do without you.” Zee murmured, looking up at Eiji with a thoughtful look. She was lucky to have Eiji out of everyone picked for her. She was glad that the Lilith center had been so kind as to have chosen this for the girl.
“you’d be probably panicking by now.” Eiji mused, stepping back from zees chair. Eiji was correct, zee would be panicking. She always panicked but was not that bad at hiding it. She had to be able to lead people after all... panicking wasn’t a choice. “Not to mention an absolute mess.” The brunette added, wading across the princess’s room. Her room was pretty big, a huge bed in the middle and a big nook for all her books. Beside her bed was the vanity dresser where zee sat, and beside the window ledges rested her closet and dressers, not only that but on the other side of her windows was a white marble balcony, mostly decorated with bird feeders and plants.
“You know me so well.” Zee said almost sarcastically, looking over towards Eiji who opened her dressers a bit. Looking for an outfit most likely. Despite Eiji only getting to wear one outfit she had a great fashion sense. It was sad that all the servants only got one outfit to wear. Even out in the markets they wore the same assortments. The mana users weren’t exactly paid. Their payment was usually a comfortable and peaceful place to live. She had never actually heard a servant complain about it.. though they would be stupid to speak like that right in front of a royal.
The thought was almost gut wrenching that Eiji could possibly be talking horribly about her job. Right now, the woman looked so peaceful as she picked out a long-sleeved white shirt with golden accents across the sleeves. She didn’t want to be the reason for any of the servants to be unhappy or hate their job. Zee hoped inside that Eiji enjoyed her job, enjoyed being with the princess.
“How about this?” Eiji pulled laid out the chosen shirt and a pair of white shorts with fabric sewed to the edge, like a trail that led down to her ankles. She preferred not to wear white most of the times, you would never know what kind of stains would show up, but this was a special occasion. She knew her father would throw a hissy fit if she didn’t wear any proper attire, especially in front of company.
“Looks good, thank you Eiji!” The princess grinned softly. She got up from the chair, starting one more glance at Eiji. The servant placed her hands together in a clasp before bowing and exiting the room. Eiji was quiet leaving the room, the door clacking shut just as quietly as she had opened it. Finally, zee stepped up toward the bed and ran her fingers through the silk of the outfit. Most clothing in the castle was made of the same type of fabric; it was a rich material that commoner folk did not get to enjoy.
Zee picked up the pieces of clothing, wrapping them neatly to be swung around her arm. She turned quickly, gliding behind the changing curtains. She quickly changed, switching out her large T-shirt and shorts with the outfit Eiji had picked out. She turned once again, moving to face herself in the larger mirror by her bed. The clothing she wore hugged her body nicely, the fabric treating her in just the right way. The hair and outfit sure matched. Zee did quite enjoy the person that met her in the mirror. It only made her want to thank Eiji more than she already felt required to. Maybe she could gift her with a clip? Or a piece of jewelry. Something that would match that outfit that the servants never got to change. She could already envision some beautiful topaz embedded earrings matching well with her blue eyes.
She just noted herself, fixing some stray hairs or slight wrinkles in her clothes. There wasn’t much more else to do now. All she had to do from now was attend the rituals and survive the dinners. The boring dinners. Her only hope was that the Nobel family would make everything interesting.
Zee opened the door, stepping out of room to be left in the empty halls. There were not many servants at the moment as everyone was readying the dining hall and preparing food. This was a rare moment in the palace where mother bothered with the food delicacies. Usually, she skipped over the expensive food, not caring for them as much as the Nobel families did. They were already at the top, the queen felt it was ridiculous to spend their money on food, money that they could be using on defenses for their kingdom.
The princess turned a corner. The hall was closer to the main and dining halls. around the walls were banners on top of the windows, causing shadows to loom over zee. On the left wall there were portraits lining against the marble. It was cliché to see the painting of each family, the royal family before hers, and the ones before that. Each painting had the queen, the king, and their first born. The portraits went down the hall; many spots left at the end for the further generations. Zee's stomach churned at the reminder that she would be in one of those paintings. She knew her dad would succeed finding her a partner, but she still hoped somewhere that she wouldn’t have to be forced into that fate.
Part of her wondered if any of her other ancestors dealt with the same thing? The longing to be with someone else when they obviously couldn’t. Her own mother’s existence as the queen was slight hope that she’d be able to tumble past the law. Her mother was a commoner, and poor saleswoman selling wind chimes on the corner of a block. Somehow her father had surpassed the law, marrying her mother. That was the same man that was forcing zee into a position even he would hate.
Zee finally approached a mahogany door with a silver handle that laid on the left of her. It was a smaller door compared to the rest, a sweet and meaty smell coming from the bottom. She opened the door, instantly getting hit with the noises of a loud kitchen. Pots and pans clattered, the sizzling of oil rained on her, footsteps and shouting erupted from each corner of the room. The kitchen was quite large and organized despite all the noise and chaos. In the middle of all the scrambling a taller woman stood. She looked over a cook's shoulder, politely talking as the cook spread some kind of sauce over a chicken. Everyone in the room looked so relaxed, despite the woman hovering around. She had long, Snow White hair, that was strung into a braid up to her waist. Her light blue eyes were gentle and obviously caring for each thing that happened around her.
The woman turned her head, her smile widening at the sight of zee making her way over to the middle of the rush. “Hello, sunshine.” Her voice was like honey above everything else going on. The queen really was a soul that wouldn’t hurt a fly. Even throughout her entire life with the woman, zee had never seen her do a cruel or unnecessary thing to the servants. “Come to check on the preparations? We got one of your favorites.” Her mother mused, taking one of zees smaller hands in her own. Her hands were cold, compared to her warm nature.
Zee just chuckled, squeezing her mothers' hand. Everyone else in the palace loved the queen just as much as she did. Her mother was an innocent soul that no one wanted to harm. Like a flower just starting to bloom. “Nah.. just wanted to check out what you were doing. Eiji told me the rituals were starting soon.” The princess looked up at the queen.
The woman just nodded. Everyone in this room was lucky to have Mei as a queen. She was just a random commoner, but now she was one of the most beloved people in the kingdom. Even her own rough father treated the gentle queen like a precious stone. “Ah, yes! The Golwick family will be here in 5- “she started speaking, but before even finishing a random voice called from the other side of the kitchen. “Queen Mei, can you come over here?”
The queen just smiled, giving a slight chuckle. She turned her head, giving zee one last squeeze and a few more words before she had to go back to the food preparations. “They’ll be here in around five minutes.” She finished her sentence. “For now, go to your father to welcome them, he’s in the dining.” She finally let go of zees hand, going to whatever voice called for her. The servants sure were focused. A majority weren’t even mana users, for some reason her father hated having those servants in the kitchen. His anxiety was honestly endless.
Zee didn’t waste a second before exiting the kitchen. She was honestly relieved to get away from all the noise. She didn’t know how queen Mei dealt with it. Somehow the queen was calm all the time.. no matter the situation. It baffled anyone that came into her path. The princess roamed back into the big hall, her gaze instantly getting met with her own painting. In that portrait her hair was long, tied into a Braid much like mothers. She looked almost nothing like the king though. She was stuck with the albino genes from her mom, which honestly were not as bad as she complained it was. Sometimes she wished she could dye it though.. explore unusual colors. Maybe purple? That didn’t sound like a bad idea if it wasn’t demonic…
The princess instantly turned, not wanting to look at the ghost of her former self anymore. She was about twelve when that painting was created. She just remembered standing in the same position for hours. Her back about hurt by the end of it. On her head laid a delicate looking crown, flower agate rested in the grooves of the crest. She still had the crown. It rested on her dresser, but it was barely ever touched, she only ever wore it for public appearances and sort. If she had the choice, she wouldn’t wear it at all.
At the very end of the long hallway there was a marble and mahogany door. Zee pushed it open, letting out a grunt from how heavy the door actually was. Usually there was someone else to hold it open, but she didn’t mind the doorway being abandoned. The room has a large oak table going through the entire middle of the room. The ceiling was like a cone, built out of glass with a chandelier hanging from the top. There were many windows surrounding the whole room, the natural sunlight shining right through the stained-glass window. Art of a mapira flower. And lastly, at the very end there were a few thrones lined up in the center of it all. Each of the thrones had different symbols, zee having a few stars carved into the marble. They were all made of marble, red cushions keeping the chairs comfortable. Just like everywhere else, the red Mapira banners were hung from each wall. Across the room, her father stood. he was looking out the window where the palace entrance laid. The front of the castle was decorated with the usual mapira flowers that bloomed this season. This was the season no spore or ash storms came running through the kingdom. All the winds were directed toward the southwest side of the island.
“Dad?” Zee said in the direction the king stood. He was waiting for the Golwicks. He always made sure the guests were welcomed, especially when they were such a known Nobel family.
“Help me welcome the Golwicks.” He looked behind his squared shoulder, green eyes looking round the room. “Where is your mother?” He grumbled, sounding almost disappointed the queen was not in the room. Zee didn’t understand how such a gruff man looked so gentle when it came to someone else like he was. His longer hair looked coarse, hair in braids. His green eyes were a nice contrast to his darker bronze skin.
“She is still helping with the kitchen.” Zee said calmly, joining her father right in front of the window. He had a white attire on, a white blouse and a pair of light gray pants. He had golden jewels in his braided hair. Guess Eiji caught onto the theme of tonight, one that zee had no idea about. “I’m sure she’ll be out soon; everything looks almost done.” She murmured, looking up at the king who kept his green gaze locked on the outside.
Zee loved her father dearly. His ways were old, but she still appreciated his work. It was no one’s fault things were the way it was. The founders of Mapira were at fault more than anyone else, spreading the first ever word of Block. Everyone also chooses to believe, chooses to follow. It’s hard to be the one that strays away from the Norms and the rules… especially if those rules have been around for centuries upon centuries. The worst part was that those who chose not to believe, or those who defied the rules were usually burned. On rare cases they were considered a mana user, getting sent right to the Lilith center with all the others. In rare instances they actually make it out.
The silence was loud between them. Neither of them spoke a word, just letting the sound of the chandelier above them jingle its soft tune. Mother did like her chimes. It was obvious neither of them knew what to say. Both barely spoke to each other, and whenever they did it was awkward. She wished she could have a better relationship with the king, but it was difficult when half the time they didn’t see eye to eye… literally. His height is 6’5, while her mother was 5’9. Zee did not exactly get the tall genes.. she was around 5’2 more like.
Suddenly a small ringing started to sound through the dining hall. Clank clank. That was usually the bell for when the front gates open. The Nobel family had most likely arrived. Father tapped his finger nervously against his side. He was mostly nervous that the queen's presence still wasn’t at his side. Zee guessed it was because he was not exactly used to greeting guests without the ray of sunshine that was the queen.
Finally, he let out a breath, moving toward the door. More bells rang across the room. They were close. The king opened the doors, propping them open so the breeze could enter the hall. Just as soon as both of them stepped out they saw a white shiny car roll around the corner. Other workers started to enter the area, getting ready to serve the Nobel family. Its wheels crunched on the gravely pavement, taking another turn to roll in front of the entrance. Zee heard her fathers tongue click, as if he were noting all the things he wanted the servants to fix already. He was constantly trying to make the palace look more beautiful than it already was in this city.
The car finally let out a slight screech, stopping completely in its tracks. Zee just continued to stand politely, knowing she would not have to do much during this greeting. She was just supposed to observe in this moment. The Golwicks stepped out of the car, the driver staying in one place. She guessed that was their own personal driver, which Zees family did not do. They preferred to use their workers for something else.
The Nobel family was not what she expected them to be. Four stepped out of the back seats, two women and two men. The older ones looked similar, both dirty blond hair, one with brown eyes and another with dark blue. The boy beside his mother looked older than his obvious sister, matching the dirty blond hair and brown eyes. His sister had light brown hair and brown eyes. The family was also adorn with matching outfits, both males with black suits and the females with black laced dresses.
Zee met the younger boy's eyes with a bored expression. He looked quite uncomfortable.. she could not think of a reason though. Perhaps it was because he knew their parents would attempt to set the two up together. Zee knew she would already reject the request.. if she got a choice. She could tell her father was starting to get impatient with her choices.
The king stepped forward, placing both hands to his side as he dipped for a bow. “Welcome Mrs. And Mr. Golwick to the Cantern palace.” He stated, bringing himself back into an upward stance.
“The pleasure is ours king Etta.” The older Golwick took a bow himself. He turned his head, jabbing the younger boy in the ribs with his elbow. The blond just bowed as well next to his father, looking sick and tired of all that. “This is my son, Atlas.” The man grinned. His grin almost gave Zee a slight shiver. It was also the cold. His dark blue eyes seemed to hide slight annoyance behind them, a facade the princess could easily see through. No wonder the boy looked uncomfortable though. ”This is my wife, Valentine, and my daughter Lyra.” The man continued. His wife bowed politely, crossing her arms together, the younger girl seemed oblivious though. She just gave a slight nod, her eyes glued to a phone screen. Her parents didn’t seem to care much at all.
King Etta just nodded, his polite smile still on his face. The princess could tell he was only being as civil as he was for the obvious proposal of marriage. This family was a bigger family, nobles that ran a big company. Zee heard more of the bells ringing. Clank clank. They rang again. Her father gestured his arms on either side of her, prodding her further gently. He didn’t touch her at all as she was gestured towards the Golwicks. “This is my daughter, Zee.” He shared. Zee just bowed as politely as her father had before her. Guess this was going to be boring if Lyra was glued on her phone and Atlas a nervous wreck. “Pleasure to meet you.” She rung, getting up from the bow. She eyed the oldest Golwick eye her. It was as if he was observing a bird from his bedroom window. He watched her every move like a lion.
“So, this is the only heir to Mapira?” Alix, the oldest Golwick male, inquired. She was a single child indeed. Her parents were never able to produce another heir, but neither of them had figured out why. It was as if Block himself didn’t want another Augustine kid. “Where is Queen Mei?” Alix then continued to go on. Clank clank.
“She’s helping the servants in the kitchen.” The king said carefully. He said it as if he knew what the reactions would be. As if knew that that disgusted look would cross Mr. Golwicks face. He was correct in that assumption. His face twisted weird, while Mrs. Golwick looked more confused than impulsed. Of course, most were not used to the idea of higher ups helping workers. The whole reason we had the servants was to not do chores. Mei preferred to do the tasks though. She liked cleaning, liked cooking. She grew up in a setting where working was all she did.
“The queen? Helping the mana users?” The man looked almost choked up. Clank clank. Finally, another white car pulled up towards the front entrance. Zee recognized the car at once. She had seen it enough to know that exact license plate at the front. Before anyone else had the chance to make a comment the car door flung open, a taller dark-skinned girl flew Right into Zee. She had a slick backed hair style, her longer fluffy hair going everywhere as she shot forward. She has gray eyes that matched the marble that they all currently stood on. She also matched the white theme, wearing a white jumper and gold rounded bracelets that jingled with every jump.
“Ugh! I missed you!” She squealed. Vivian just hugged on tighter to Zee as the princess tried to pry away with a breathless sigh. She would have gotten away if she wasn’t used to constant attacks her cousin gave her when they met up during these gatherings. Nothing ever changed, even as both them got older.
“Missed.. you too...!” Zee gasped through Vivian’s tight latch. Finally, the grip loosened and Zee had the room to hug her cousin back loosely. More of the family piled out of the car. Vivian had 2 sisters and 4 brothers, their father died a few years ago though. Their family was large. The Golwicks car pulled away, driving into the actual parking place for the cars. What caught Zee's attention was the fifth man leaving the car, giving off a nervous smile. Zee gave him a look, unsure of who the man was that she had never seen. A tan guy with amber eyes. “Oh! This is my husband!”
Vivian let go of the hug, instantly going to the guy's side. He gave an awkward wave towards Zee. The girls jaw instantly dropped. She hadn’t been told about this!? She was more confused than angry though. Did Vivian just keep this a secret. Apparently, her cousin noticed her shock, instantly replying with a chuckle. “Oh, actually he is just my fiancé. This is Reza.” She piped up. This was not an arranged thing. It was lucky that her cousin's family didn’t have to get arranged. They had a choice, unlike Zee. She was stuck with the few options of the Nobels sons.
The Golwicks just stood on the side, still unsure how to intrude on their little reunion. Zee couldn’t help but to keep her eyes on Atlas. His father's hands were clenched together, looking down at the boy with a look filled with weird malice. Zee couldn’t find the man’s intentions at all. That look said “if you mess this up, I swear to block...” than anything. That family looked so determined to make a reunion work, just like everyone else had.
Her father turned around, seeing Queen Mei right behind them. She had just changed into a dress it seemed, one that wasn’t covered in flower and smelled of the kitchen's odor. She instantly caught onto the vibe the other family was giving. The other half of their family were currently getting escorted into the palace, many of them had already been in plenty of times. During family gatherings they either went to the vacation island or stayed in the palace. The priest could not make it up to their personal island due to not being able leave the town.
“You must be atlas.” The queen discarded the other three in the family, giving a polite smile over to the young man. He looked confused more than anything, as if not expecting to get addressed.
“Uh… yes ma’am!” He stammered, bowing awkwardly in front of Queen Mei. The rest of the golwicks gave off an embarrassed look. For some reason, this kid just seemed, well disliked by the rest of them. It was a sad sight seeing his sister roll her eyes and his mother avert her gaze. Zee got into often fights with her own father, it was hard having regular conversations with him in the first place, but she couldn’t imagine being in a household when your own family seemed to hate you. The sudden pity hit her like a truck.
Mei just chuckled, gesturing for Atlas to get out of the bow. “No need for that.” She waved her hand dismissively at him. “Now, shall we move into the dining room?” She asked, looking right at the other golwicks. It clearly took Mr. Golwick all his might not to let out a scoff. Zee had to make sure to keep her cool tonight…
“Of course, my Queen.” Mrs. Golwick declared, moving past the rest of the Augustine family. She seemed much more behaved than the the rest of the family. Still no sympathy for Atlas in her eyes, but better than whatever deal Mr. Golwick had. Not a snob like Lyra… or so she has seen so far.
It wasn’t long before the other two followed her lead into the room where the other half of their family had already seated themselves. Zees parents soon moved into the room after them. Zee herself went to move into the hall, but in the corner of her eye she saw Atlas hesitate. The guy seemed completely lost, as if he were genuinely unsure whether to go in or not. “You shouldn’t stay out. It’s getting cold and the ceremonies should start soon.” The princess finally spoke up, moving next to Atlas. The palace they were on stood on a hill, one that got to overlook the rest of the city. A beautiful and old looking city, cars and people moving around in storms below them. From up here they could see the outskirts of the whole thing where the big wall and essence of the augury blockade was. After all that was just farms and fields. If you looked hard enough you could see the dots that were floating islands above the many fields.
“I know…” he muttered. Suddenly in front of only Zee he looked much more than pathetic. He just looked angry. Atlas’s hands clenched by his side, just watching as the city below them moved. Whatever was happening down there seemed to go by much faster than it was up on the hill. “Sorry about my family. I could tell you could see through them. Anyone can.” He scoffed. The salty air from the nearby ocean hit both of them in that breeze. Guess he was already as sick of his family as Zee was. They were not pleasant to be around, and she had only been around them for a few minutes.
The cold was starting to set in from the wind. Suddenly this interaction turned… awkward. They both knew why they were here. “I can head in now.” He murmured, turning to face Zee. “Hey-“ Atlas started to speak, looking right into her own pale green eyes.
Suddenly something happened that she didn’t think would happen. A little flash of light swarmed up from the sky, a loud boom crashing like a bomb. That reaction came out of nowhere. Light just pooled out from one of the floating islands neither of them could barely see. A bubble of essence just appeared around the island, making a beautiful view from the city.
Zee's blood ran cold. She had heard of such things happening, but it was rare. She had been informed of the so called “Geto pool” opening. It only ever opened every few months, and in those few months a few minutes. Random creatures had scurried into their land from that pond, which is why it was heavily guarded. But not tonight. Everyone was busy with the ceremony’s and preparing, the one holiday where guards got to spend time away from their duties. The one day. And yet in that moment where everyone was far away from the pond the big reaction rang throughout the sky making beautiful threads along the sunset filled space.
This was not a normal reaction. Usually, normal creatures scurried through, a small little flash appeared but disappeared as fast as it showed up. This time it was big. Something bigger had come through the Geto pool. Something big indeed.