----------------------------------------
Condemned To Death
----------------------------------------
14th September, 1507
A sense of desperation hung in the air amidst the chaos of students jostling for position and vying for the favor of Susie. Some resorted to pushing and shoving, while others resorted to mocking their peers in hopes of gaining an advantage. Some students even resorted to desperate measures to curry favor with Seren by trying to bribe him.
"Hey, move out of the way!" a boy exclaimed, attempting to push past the crowd in his eagerness to get ahead.
"Look who's talking, your pathetic ignis grade isn't cut out to be with Susie," a girl mocked from the side, also trying to make her way forward.
Meanwhile, the situation mirrored in Ethan and Noah's group, with their classmates employing similar tactics to secure a spot on their team. The atmosphere surrounding the two brothers was no less frenzied, as students clamoured for the chance to align themselves with their formidable prowess.
Elise watched the scene in bewilderment, her thoughts swirling with incredulity at the scene unfolding before her. Despite her own capabilities, no one dared to approach her, preferring instead to risk facing off against Kai and his formidable teammates.
‘Hellooo?! Susie isn’t the only ethereal grade here. I won't mind joining you if you just ask nicely’. Elise thought with a sense of frustration tinged with disbelief coloring her inner dialogue as she observed the chaos around her.
“What do we do?" Susie asked with an anxious voice.
Seren remained silent with a steady gaze as he watched the crowd of students clamor for his attention. Then with a deliberate step, he moved forward, the crowd clamoring before him becoming silent.
As Seren made his way through the crowd, a path seemed to form before him, the students instinctively making way for him as he scanned the throng of eager faces. The students watched in anticipation, their hopes pinned on his decision, knowing that Susie's high regard for Seren meant that his opinion would carry significant weight.
'Is not each person a piece of gold, formed in the crucible of life's sufferings?' Seren thought as he walked forward. 'Yet society, in its blind judgment, sees only the surface stains, the marks of hardship and misfortune. They cry 'Disease! Adversity!" and cast aside what they do not understand'.
Seren left the periphery of the crowd, and it was then that his path led him to Elise, standing solitary amidst the crowd.
'But I say, I will pick you up, pick up this discarded treasure. How brave, how foolish perhaps of me...'
Without hesitation, Seren walked up to Elise, his voice carrying a confident undertone as he extended an invitation.
"How about it, want to join us?" Seren's words rang out, breaking the silence that enveloped them.
Elise remained silent, her expression unreadable as she met Seren's gaze with an unwavering stare. For a moment, the air hung heavy with tension, each passing second amplifying the intensity of the moment.
Then after 10 seconds of silence, Elise nodded her head gently, accepting Seren's offer. Seren smiled at this as he extended his hand in a gesture of camaraderie, inviting Elise to seal their newfound alliance with a handshake.
"Pleasure working with you," Seren remarked, his smile warm and genuine.
"The pleasure's mine," Elise replied expressionlessly, her tone measured yet earnest as she reciprocated the sentiment.
Meanwhile, In Elise's mind ‘YES! YES! I won't have to be in the awkward situation of being without a group. I knew my cute face in this life was going to come in handy!’ she thought with a sense of triumph, her thoughts brimming with excitement and anticipation. A surge of relief washed over her, grateful to have found a place within Seren’s group.
But amidst her elation, doubts lingered in the recesses of her mind. ‘I wonder if he likes me or is he just fearless and does not care about potentially getting caught up with the Frostshade family’
While outwardly calm, inwardly Seren pondered the significance of his choice.
'Do I not fear the judgment of others? Am I not scared of the troubles that follow? No, I see value where others see only decay, I recognize the inherent worth of a soul - this is not my compassion for you, this is not my love for you... This is the start of my leash upon you, Elise Frostshade'
Elise is an ethereal grade just like Susie, she is also an outcast in the class which created a gap of loneliness in her heart. To Seren, she is the perfect candidate for the Fallens who will accompany him for the rest of his life in this world. Right now Susie and Elise both have problems in their lives, and he will be the one to solve. Even if there are no difficulties, he will personally create them.
Seren smiled coldly in his heart, 'In the future, I will be your unwavering pillar of support, act as the beacon of light in darkness, and in return, you will offer me your absolute loyalty'
The students who witnessed Seren's and Ethan's group selections were initially shocked, their hopes of being chosen dashed, leaving them disappointed. However, after a moment of reflection, they swiftly rallied up and started forming teams with whoever they could find amidst the remaining candidates.
Despite the initial setbacks, each student eventually found their place, and now there were seven groups in total: Lorien's group, Seren's group, Ethan and Noah's group, and four others. Seren glanced over at Ethan's group, observing the teammate they had chosen. The student was of medium size, with brown hair and a nervous demeanor. His eyes darted around anxiously, a palpable sense of concern etched into his expression. The student appeared lacking in confidence and strength, despite Noah's attempts to reassure him.
As the groups deliberated over their opponents, a veil of tension hung in the air, particularly surrounding Lorien's group. Most other teams avoided any eye contact that might hint at a potential confrontation. Even Ethan and Noah, known for their confidence, appeared reluctant to take on Lorien's formidable trio.
Meanwhile, Lorien's intense gaze bore into Seren, who feigned disinterest as he went about his own business. It was a struggle for Seren to maintain his facade of indifference in the face of Lorien's glaring scrutiny.
Seeing that he had no way of getting out of this situation, Seren signed before he started walking towards Lorien to which Lorien responded the same, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Each step brought them closer, the tension thickening with every passing moment.
Without a word spoken between them, they met in the middle, their silence speaking volumes as they regarded each other with a mix of contempt and determination. Lorien's eyes burned with a desire for payback, fueled by memories of past humiliations.
After a prolonged moment of silence, Lorien extended his hand, a silent gesture of acknowledgment and acceptance of the impending challenge. Without hesitation, Seren accepted the handshake, sealing their upcoming battle.
...
As Elise observed the unfolding dynamics between Seren and Lorien, her mind still wandered to the question of why Seren had chosen her as the final teammate. Lost in her thoughts, she noticed Susie nearby, casting a concerned glance toward Seren. She then saw the stitch marks on her arm and was able to confirm that surgery was indeed the likely reason for it.
‘Should I ask her about it?’ Elise pondered silently. But considering their lack of closeness and the sensitive nature of the topic, she decided against it. Instead, she opted for a different approach, diverting the conversation towards lighter topics.
"He's quite charming, don't you think so as well?" Elise remarked, casually directing Susie's attention towards Seren. Susie, caught off guard by the sudden question, initially reacted with wide eyes before composing herself to not let her true intentions be read by Elise.
"Do you like him?" Elise asked bluntly, cutting through the awkward tension. Susie hesitated, her uncertainty evident in her response. "I guess so. He's... nice," she replied, her words tinged with hesitation.
Sensing Susie's discomfort, Elise pressed on, determined to break through her shell. She tried to inquire in a playful tone to coax Susie to open up, "You seem a bit unsure. Is there something you don't feel like telling me?".
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"No, it's nothing. Just... I don't know him that well yet,” Susie replied tentatively. But Elise wasn't ready to let the conversation end there.
"Oh, come on, don't be shy! We're teammates now, we should get to know each other better. And... maybe even help each other out with... other things," Elise teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Susie blushed at the suggestive remark, her embarrassment evident as she attempted to deflect the conversation. "Other things?" she said sheepishly, her discomfort growing but also her interest with each passing moment.
With a playful grin, Elise leaned in closer, her warm breath tickling Susie's ear as she whispered, "Oh, don't play innocent with me. I've seen the way you look at him. You're totally crushing on him, aren't you?"
Unable to hide her embarrassment any longer, Susie fell silent, her cheeks flushed beet red as she avoided Elise's gaze, fidgeting nervously with her fingers.
As Seren concluded his business and began to make his way back, Elise sensed the need to bring their conversation to a close. With a reassuring tone, she whispered to Susie, "Don't worry, I won't take him away from you."
Susie's expression remained embarrassed, but inwardly, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. The assurance from Elise alleviated any lingering worries about potential romantic competition.
However, deep inside Susie felt insecure about herself. She couldn't help but compare herself to Elise, who had both physical beauty and the weight of her prestigious lineage as the daughter of the Frostshade family. In contrast, Susie saw herself as merely an average girl who had stumbled upon her ethereal grade through luck rather than merit.
The realization of her perceived inferiority lingered in Susie's thoughts, casting a shadow over her self-confidence as she silently grappled with her insecurities.
After Seren's return, he delivered the directive to Susie and Elise in a monotone voice: "Start preparing, we're going to fight them."
Elise wasted no time in seeking clarification, asking, "Who is going first for the single battle?"
Seren's gaze shifted to Susie, who comprehended his meaning and nodded in solemn agreement.
Aldric, standing quietly on the stone platform, observed the readiness of the teams and proceeded to announce, "We will begin the practice shortly. All of you choose 1 person from your team to go up on the stage."
Following brief deliberations, six individuals from each team stepped forward in response to Aldric's directive.
From Seren's group, Susie emerged looking a bit under-confident, while Lorien sent out Finn, who grumbled incessantly about why he had to be the first one always. From Ethan's group, their new teammate, Jake, was selected.
Noah, standing on the sidelines, shouted words of encouragement, "Give 'em hell, Jake!" Despite Noah's words, Jake appeared visibly anxious about being the first to compete.
As the six participants stood before the stone platform, Aldric prepared to start the practice session. With a swift motion, he summoned a wooden staff using his relic, gripping it tightly in his hand. He then brought the staff down with force as he struck the stone platform which set off a chain reaction.
The entire platform began to shake violently, sending tremors rippling through the air. One by one, the tiles comprising the platform lifted into the air, floating in a surreal display of magic. In mere moments, the entire platform was disassembled, its pieces hovering in mid-air under Aldric's command.
Without hesitation, Aldric swung the wooden staff downward once more. In response, the tiles launched into action, hurtling through the air at astonishing speeds in all directions. The students watched in awe as the projectiles whizzed past them, a realization dawning on them that if these tiles were directed at them, they wouldn’t last a second under the onslaught.
After 30 seconds, the transformation was complete. The once-giant stone platform had now been divided into three separate mini-platforms, each suspended in the air, distinct from the others.
Before instructing the students to ascend to their respective mini-platforms, Aldric summoned a tile in front of each participant, gesturing for them to step onto it. With all the students complying, Aldric then used the motion of his staff to elevate the tiles to the same height as the mini-platforms.
With the participants positioned on their respective mini-platforms, Aldric proceeded to outline the rules of the practice session. Each match would last for 10 minutes, during which the combatants are permitted to use their relics or weapons to their fullest extent, with the intent to incapacitate or kill the other person.
Aldric clarified that he would intervene if the situation escalated to the point of serious harm to any of the students. Additionally, he emphasized that fights must remain within the borders of the platform, with any attempts to go beyond resulting in immediate disqualification.
Moreover, victory in each match would be rewarded with a single point, while a draw at the end of the allotted time would grant each person remaining on the platform a single point. The match will end if a student surrenders, loses consciousness, or if Aldric deems it necessary to intervene due to the severity of the situation.
With the rules established, tension hung in the air as the participants prepared themselves for the impending clashes, each one determined to prove their mettle on the battlefield.
Elise observed Susie on the platform as she faced off against Finn, who appeared to be sulking but showed no signs of worry or anxiety. Susie, on the other hand, seemed a bit uncomfortable in the situation. Meanwhile, Jake appeared equally uneasy on the second platform, lacking the confidence one might expect from a participant in such a challenging scenario.
Elise glanced at Seren, hoping to see any reaction, but found him to be unflinchingly apathetic.
‘Is this kid just pretending to be emotionless or what?’ Elise wondered in confusion. In her previous life, she had been twenty years old at the time of her death, making all the students in her current classroom seem like children in her eyes.
...
‘I will definitely beat his ass someday for always making me do the hard things’, Finn thought begrudgingly.
Putting his thoughts aside, Finn looked forward and saw the nervous Susie standing in front of him. Finn sighed, feeling a bit bad about having to face her, but he still wasn't going to hold anything back.
With the stage set, only silence hung in the air as the students anxiously waited for Aldric who stood silently on a floating tile above the 3 platforms overwatching the students.
"START!" Aldric's shout broke the silence, signaling the beginning of the match.
Finn got into a ready position to use his Resonstaff relic and then cautiously observed what Susie would do. Susie took a deep breath and then stuck out her hand in front of her. Then suddenly something started materializing in her hand.
Finn observed and recognized the object as Susie's scythe, a formidable weapon bestowed upon her by the luminar tree.
Susie had just taken out her scythe, a weapon capable of being stored in her Mind Core, sparing her the burden of carrying a giant weapon on her back all the time.
Susie tightened her grip on the scythe, recalling her previous tests of its abilities. She knew it could enhance her speed and strength significantly, and its sharpness was unmatched. However, she had never tested it against a person, and the thought of any potential adverse side effects weighed on her mind.
Determined, Susie took a step forward, ready to charge at Finn. But just as she moved, suddenly her perception of the world began to warp.
‘Huh?’ Susie thought in confusion before a splitting headache struck her that made her grab her head in agony. The surroundings spun, her steps faltered, and confusion clouded her thoughts.
After a few moments, the pain quickly calmed down as her vision cleared. Susie opened her eyes slowly but was shocked to find herself facing a strange and eerie creature in place of Finn in front of her.
The creature stood before her, its form looking like a grotesque mockery of humanity. Its sickly pale skin stretched tight over its unnaturally angular bones, giving it a skeletal appearance. Yet, despite its emaciated frame, there was a disturbing sense of familiarity about its features. It had the shape of a human, but something was profoundly wrong, it wasn’t human.
Its eyes resembled two dark voids, devoid of all life and emotion as they seemed to pierce through the soul of anyone who dared meet its gaze. Its mouth opened slowly into a gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, stretching impossibly wide in a hideous parody of a smile. Its movements were jerky and unnatural as if it were struggling to mimic the fluidity of human motion as it slowly moved towards Susie. As it drew closer, its skin seemed to ripple and shift, as if it were trying to peel itself away from its own body.
Every instinct screamed at Susie to run, to flee from this abomination before her, but something held her rooted to the spot, unable to tear her eyes away from the horror unfolding before her.
This creature, this twisted reflection of humanity, filled her with a profound sense of revulsion and dread.
Tap
Tap
Tap
As the creature advanced with deliberate slowness and robotic movements, each step seeming more unsettling than the last, Susie felt a wave of panic grip her. Her breathing grew labored, her pupils dilating with fear as darkness encroached upon her senses.
A feverish heat consumed her body with sweat building on her skin as if her very essence were aflame. With each agonizing moment, the creature drew closer, its unsightly form filling Susie's vision.
With a sense of impending doom, Susie felt her surroundings blur, her consciousness fading away as darkness slowly enveloped her.
...
From Finn's perspective, the unfolding events presented in a different manner. When Susie materialized her scythe and took that initial step forward, her stride faltered and her movements became unsteady before she came to an abrupt halt, fixating her gaze on the ground.
Initially perplexed by Susie's sudden change in demeanor, Finn refrained from taking any impulsive actions, opting instead to observe the scene with cautious curiosity.
Meanwhile, Aldric too, observed Susie's peculiar actions with keen interest, but his investigative relics yielded no indication of any imminent danger so he was content with observing for the time being.
In the coming moments, Susie's demeanor underwent a remarkable transformation. With a calmness that belied the strangeness of her situation, she lifted her head, her eyes regaining their usual composure as she surveyed her surroundings with a newfound clarity.
Susie's focus shifted momentarily to Aldric, who stood poised on a floating stone tile observing her with piercing eyes, before she redirected her attention to Finn. She moved her body with an eerie jerkiness as she manipulated her limbs in ways that defied conventional anatomy.
Finn couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine as he witnessed Susie's unsettling contortions, each motion seemingly defying the limits of human flexibility.
She then looked at the scythe she was holding and then after glancing at it for a while, she did a single vertical swing of it with just one arm.
Swoosh!
The swing unleashed a powerful gust of wind, showcasing immense strength and control at Susie’s disposal. Undeterred by the strangeness of her actions, Susie maintained her poise, holding the scythe aloft as she slowly began to advance towards Finn with an air of confidence but a blank look in her eyes.
----------------------------------------
Condemned To Death
----------------------------------------