At the borders of the kingdom, a family treads on needles, attempting to cross to the neighbouring land with the help of several people serving the prince.
With tightening tension between Icaris and Darto, the flames of war spread across the hundreds of defensive lines on the land connecting each kingdom. Thus, they had to take an unorthodox and dangerous path, not known to many, through the trials of nature. Unfavourable conditions and rocky terrains are the tip of the iceberg. Thus, those travelling through here don't do so in large groups.
I meet up with my family on the treacherous route to Icaris due to the time-consuming manoeuvre.
Even then, the boy rarely speaks, gazing down with regret and emptiness in his eyes.
I leave him in the carriage with my mother and siblings and join my father at the front, guiding the horses.
The silent night marks the next chapter of our lives.
================
"The annoying fly died." A rough voice echoes in pure darkness.
"Which one," another voice, belonging to a woman, responds.
"The one at Darto."
"Ah. That's good. The plan was a success."
"No...he was killed by someone else."
A light pierces the void, pushing all attention to one wooden coffin. A man clad in a black coat and mask walks to the coffin. Shadows from beneath the coffin rise and open it to reveal Zepdas' preserved corpse.
"You, out of everyone, should know what I'm talking about, Morja."
...
"What are you implying?" One sentence from the man erupts shadows from his body, pulling hell from its roots as screams of pain and corpses float to the surface of his shadow sea. A Mirage of agony diverges from every inch of the man's demeanour.
"..."
"..."
Morja's intimidation silences both of the mysterious people hiding in the void. He turns his attention back to the corpse and touches the hole in its chest. He smiles and takes out a scroll from his coat pocket. It details a mission about infiltrating Darto.
"Perfect," says Morja.
================
One month later...
Icaris Kingdom, South of Sovlet Region
================
A man wearing a brown beret and long leather coat with an inner white shirt and black pants travels on a carriage amidst white vegetation. The ferocious snow has retrieved its fangs, allowing smooth and sailing movements.
He is heading to a town of nothing worth noting except its survival in a harsh habitat of monsters. The lord of this town was noted to be a descendant of a fallen noble from the fragmented era of Icaris. Situated far from the frontline and surrounded by monsters, it's one of the safest places in the current era, ironically.
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A chilling breeze flaps his coat, revealing bandages wrapped around a stump on his right shoulder. The man is missing an arm.
He flips through a small ragged notebook placed on his thigh to a new empty page and starts to write his day with his left hand. With the carriage shaking, he practises writing, each character unintelligible.
The constant war for the past month between Darto and Icaris died down, leaving a short moment of peace for the man to cross the borders.
The man stops when he notices his destination approaching.
He jumps down the carriage onto the snow. The roofs of each thatched cottage are heavily dusted with white, and thin strips of smoke escape from the chimneys, offering warmth and light within homes. The cobblestone paths, partially covered with snow, lie imprinted with haphazard footsteps of villagers going on their everyday lives, each carving their own story. The man sees children playing on the streets, chasing after one another as some clumsily fall onto the snow, and feels at ease. He prays for every villager here that the war will not reach them.
The man approaches a local and asks for information.
"Hello...I am a traveller." The man says.
"Oh? You sound young. Where do you come from?"
"I...cannot say. Sorry. Anyways, is there anyone who recently settled in? About a month ago."
The local looks at the man with suspicion, raising his brow. "...Yes. But what is your purpose?"
"Don't worry. I have no ill intent. Look, I'm unarmed!" He shows the local his missing arm, trying to amuse him with dark humour.
The local steps back, shocked in disbelief. "Ah...okay..."
"Haha...bad joke?" The man says.
"...I'm sorry."
The man follows the local's directions and sees a new wooden cottage, just recently built, on the outskirts of the town.
...
The man trembles to approach the cottage; the pain and fear from his missing come back to haunt him. But still, he knows he must overcome this for his liege.
"Who are you?" A young voice says behind.
!
The man jumps from the ambush to find a young kid with features befitting an apex noble. However, he questions the boy's true identity from the odd cross pupils in his eyes akin to a monster's.
"I-I'm delivering bread-"
"You are not a local," The boy's brows furrow from his lies.
"I'm...looking for Loi Krist. A swordsman with a brawny physique with roots of a commoner."
The boy looks away into the forest beside the cabin and points there. "Go there. Don't go near the cottage."
"Alright! I will." Fearful of the unexplained pressure emitting from the boy, the man reluctantly heads into the forest.
He drags his feet across the white landscape, doing his best to take his time. Slowly trudging to something he fears. "Hah...no no...I need to do this." He lightly slaps himself and takes a deep breath.
...But there is one problem. How the hell can the man find Loi in such a vast forest? It will take days!
"Fuck...should I just head back to that wooden cottage to find the cross pupils boy?" He mumbles.
"What do you mean?" A voice emerges from behind.
The man turns around to find his target leaning against a tree, staring at him.
"AEK!" The man jumps and falls back, gradually crawling away. Even when Loi's hair grows longer, the face and demeanour of Loi have haunted the man for the last month. It is the real Loi.
Loi stares at the man, tilting his head. "What?"
"Ah...I...uh..." The man tries to speak but his trembling body refuses. He grasps his chest and tries to mitigate the hyperventilation. "Huff huff hah huff huff...huff...huff...huff..."
He silently his body to stop. He must do this.
"L-Loi...I..." The beret on the man slips off and Loi widens his eyes. Loi notices the missing arm on the man and instantly recognises him. The man is the knight spared by Loi at the prison a month ago.
Loi lowers his gaze and clenches his fist. "What? Are you here for revenge?"
The man lets out a little laugh. "Haha...revenge?...huff...I can't even...ugh..."
The man grasps his chest harder and grits his teeth, resolving his might to stand back up.
"M-My name is Jay...I came...on behalf of... Prince Julius."
"Julius...Yes, I remember him saying he needed me. Is now the time?"
Jay nods.
"...Understood. Give me one night, I want to bid farewell to my family." Loi says.
While Jay decided to spend the night at the inn, Loi headed back home for his final night with his loved ones.
===================
I explain the situation to my family as everyone gathers at the table.
My father and mother look at me with worry but trust my ability to stay alive.
"Don't do anything stupid, please. Just head there and do what you must discreetly, you are a wanted man." My mother says.
My father takes a firm grip on my shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm not as strong as I thought but...I will always be here for you, alright?"
I nod with a smile. My siblings crowd around me, betraying their struggle to hold tears in their eyes.
"Are you going to leave again?" My sister asks me.
"When are you coming back?" Mane says.
"I...don't know. But I will come back as fast as I can."
Christina sulks. "P-Promise?"
I pat her head. "Yeah, promise."
The boy stares silently from afar. He approaches Christina and says "Don't worry, I will protect him if anything happens!"
Christina stares at the boy, confused.
According to my siblings, they have a secret name they use to communicate with the boy and it was created by my sister.
I leave the house with the boy the next day.
Jay waits patiently outside the inn, reading a book. Behind him wraps a huge cloth bag.
He stops when he notices me but scratches his head when his gaze lowers.
"Yeah. He is following us," I say.
The boy glares at Jay when he seems to object. His instinct tells him to shut up.
...
"You are responsible for the child."
"I know."
As I get on the carriage to leave, I feel an inexplicable desire in my heart. The sight of this village stretching and the vicious winter tear within.
I have no idea where this unknown future will take me, but my father is alive, and this is my desired path.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Tick tock tick tock...
The sound of a clock rumbles, moving towards the inevitable.
Tick tock tick...tock...tick...
The clock's hands stopped, twitching on the spot, and something jammed it, alerting the gods of a mysterious wildcard.
[End of Volume 1]