Passing through the streets that are filled to the brim with Hunters wearing their standardize armours, merchants with their wealthy shining clothes, nobles who wear their signature red, and normal citizens who mostly wear the distributed clothes like me and May.

As the people avoid us as we walk, Sis Rubeca begins to explain, "All right you two now listen up. As the two of you may know this city is a maze as it is built in the first place. So some people may actually be born here and die without really leaving the city, even if they want to. This became quite the problem, so much so that the guild actually hires kids for the sake of being a guide to help people out, to guide them and make signs to indicate where they are right now."

"Sis we already know about this stuff, tell us about something else," says May sounding disappointed.

"Oh really now? Sova, mind telling us about the structure of this city now?" reply Rubeca.

As I try to remember I unconsciously say, "Um, uh well..." as to answer something.

May suddenly interject to say, "Sis let me explain instead of him," in quick response,

Sis then immediately replies, "No, Sova... I want you to listen closely so walk by my side, May you too. What I'm about to tell you is something not written in the books you read in the public archives," explains Rubeca.

As we continue walking a great shadow start to loom over us. In front of us, is a great wall so big that it stretches above as far as the eye can see blocking out the sunlight. With a giant gate in front of us guarded by two gate guards In full plate armor.

Sis Rubeca then begins to say, "Perfect timing, we arrive at the Bridge Gates."

When a voice suddenly reaches out to say, "You there, halt! This area is restricted to authorized personnel only."

As sis takes a red card with black lines on the sides out of her waist guard and hands it to the guard. The guard took it as he was staring at it, he begins to shake, taking out a heart-shaped emerald crystal divided by an arrow and brings it closer to the card. As the crystal shines he begins to shake harder till the clamor of his armor is heard and the other guard went beside him to say, "Keep it together."

The guard that is holding the card, tried his best to stay still and hands over the card back and says, "Thank you for your cooperation, please wait as we get the gate open."

It makes me wonder how much influence does sis have, to make those guards tremble in fear? I mean those Gate Guards were Special Ranking Hunters promoted from High Ranking Hunters. As the gates opens, an empty room comes to view with a cage-like door in the end. Sis steps inside the room and we followed suit.

Getting near the cage-like door sis then says, "I will explain it to you two inside this room," while saying that, she then places her card to a wall with a black square on it. When suddenly the gate slides open to a room that can fit around 10 people. The first thing that went through my head was, this room is probably related to ancient magic. Then sis starts to walk inside, we continue to follow her.

Sis standing at the edge of the room then begins to press a small bulge in the wall when we were all inside. When the door then suddenly begins to close and the room starts to shake. The walls begin to slide down replace by panels of glass, beyond that is the view of the magnificent city from above as we go higher... No not this ... As we reach greater heights, my view begins to flicker and darkens. When I avert my sight to May Her face was filled with shock and surprise. While sis that is next to her remains as calm as ever.

All of a sudden May grabs hold of Rubecas hands, shaking her while screaming, "Sis what is this?! Where are we going? We're still heading to the Guild, right? or are saying that Central will be filled with this kinda room. Explain this to me sis?!" shriek May still holding sis Rubecas hand.

While she replies, "But aren't I suppose to explain the structure of this city first?" explains Rubeca gently. And continue to say, "Besides why are you two so surprised? I mean, you two already saw that the bridge transport people through the small boxes a few years ago right? Well, this contraption is similar to that."

May quickly reply saying, "No, no, no, Explain to us how everything works! I mean when you take me and Sova to see that contraption from afar, I thought that was magic from the Emperor's time. But if you say this contraption is similar, I can't sense anything magic on the room. Yet it's still moving! So you're saying the box on the bridge doesn't move with magic too?" says May sounding Panicked.

"I could but it will take a lot while, but can't you calm down first? Look how Sova is still so calm, besides look at the view it's great this is not something normal citizen of this Confederation normally see you know... Can you please stop shaking me May it's annoying," Rubeca mutters.

As the view of the city I see gets higher, accompanied by hearing the sound of May panicking. My vision suddenly goes blurry. This reminded me of something I don't want to remember, Mom... Dad...

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Sis, He's fainting!" screams May followed by a reply of:

"OH!"

*************************************************************************

In this endless darkness, I could hear the sound of joy, and laughter accompanied by a small blonde haired kid with brown eyes. His around the age of 5-6 running around playing in a garden with a man around 20-23 years old with Blonde hair that shines gold and a sharp jawline wearing a weird looking uniform, Beside him a women around the same age as the man, with long Brown hair that glow under the sun, wearing a thin one-piece dress, problem is that both of their faces are blurred out.

They are probably his parents. The kids laugh happily and then says, "Ha ha, yay. Mommy Daddy Look at the sky, I want to go to the sky."

Being replied with, "Sure sweetie. We promise you that next year, during your birthday Mommy and Daddy will take you to the sky all right."

The kid smiled happily, saying, "Really? Horray!"

When the man, presumably the Dad replies with, "Wait, Honey how are we gonna do that?" the Dad get elbowed in the stomach immediately.

The women responded with, "Are you saying you that you want to crush this sweet little angel's dreams, Darling?"

The Dad immediately replied with, "No, what would I ever do that Honey. What I'm trying to say is don't just make promises like that out of whim, don't you think it will be worse if we can't fulfill it by then?"

The son hugging the parents saying, "Mommy Daddy, please don't fight."

The Mom smiles saying, "All right my sweet angel, besides if it's Mommy and Daddy together we can do it no?" smiling confidently as she says so.

As this calming scene began to burn and engulfed in flames, showing a different Scene of horror and endless screams of panic and despair, the opposite of what I just saw.

There the boy was sitting on one of the rows of chairs with his Mom hugging him tightly before screaming, up"Darling what's going on!?"

Being replied with, "I do not know honey, were probably being attack fr-" interrupted with the sound of an explosion nearby.

"Dammit, everyone brace your selves!" screams the Dad holding on to me and Mom. Before everything went black. I realize who that boy is now...

As the scene changes to see a barren land with hunks of metal and flames, sprayed everywhere. heavy rain pouring down on the body of my Mom and Dad, hugging me tightly by my side.

Mom was smiling to me saying, "Sorry Sova, everything is gonna be okay now so don't you worry," before she closes her eyes one last time. Never to open it again.

A shadow looms over me, towering me to reveal a giant leg. Looking up, the huge person was wearing a weird full plate armor that looks like it wrapped around the giant, with a weird symbol in its chest. As the giant started to lift something on top of my parents and throwing it away.

The giant then starts to take me away on its arms carrying me like a sack of potatoes. Before screaming to reveal a familiar female voice, "Get a stretcher, there's a survivor here."

Looking at the body of my parents she then mutters, "Looks like I never get to repay anything to you, but don't worry I'll take care of him. He will be safe now, I can promise you that. This is at least what I can do to repay you," as the scene grows ever darker I close my eyes.

****************************************************************************************************

I suddenly wake up, hazy and full of sweat, deciding to at least get off the bed. Before an unfamiliar voice disturbs me saying, "So you're awake. You look sick, whatever happens to you?"

Turning my head to the side where the voice is coming from, "What, huh?! Who are you?" I ask confusedly.

Being replied with, "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first before asking?"

As I look at the figure from where the voice was coming from, she is a woman in her twenties, with a short brown hair, her bangs comb to the side almost covering her eyes, with sharp green emerald eyes, wearing some kind of brown long coated uniform with a golden chain on her right shoulder, a shoulder pad with with patterns on the right, a cross like pin on the coats collar, and medals decorating her long brown coat. she looks like a military officer describes in the books, that said it can only be found from the Empire with no exception.

I then reply to her saying, "Sorry, my name is Sova Anmao, I'm just someone who wants to be a Hunter."

Looking at me with her cold and emotionless emerald green eyes, she then replies with, "Oh, a hunter huh-"

The women stand, clicking her shoes as she salutes me by bringing her hand above her eyes saying:

"I am Coraline Coryn, Lieutenant General of the Eastern Aologi Empire," said in a strict and disciplined manner, befitting of a true soldier.

So I ask her what's in my mind:

"So why are you here, if I may ask? I mean the way you introduce yourself, seems like you are a very important person from the Empire?"

Only to return with:

"Let's just say that, I am on a mission here as I was returning, I met with an old friend name Rubeca."

"Sis? So where is Sis Rubeca?" I ask her once more, looking at me closely.

With her sharp emerald eyes she then began to answer, "She said that she will prepare the exams for you and that girl who is taking care of you with me. So she asked me to look after you until you wake up since I owe her, I accepted it. And since you're awake, I will take my leave now, please excuse me."

As she stood up and walk out of the room. As soon as she opens the door she turns her head and says, "Sova I already said this to your friend but... Be careful."

The door closes a large sound of bang in the door can be heard as if someone hits the door. Then it hit me where am I, where is the girl that she told me about? And where is my equipment, taking a breath and calming my self down. I Begin to look around the room, the room is big enough to fit more than 40 people.

Yet in these wide space, there are only 4 single beds which are pretty simple in design and not too hard nor too soft, the perfect fit to know that the bed I am now sleeping with is very expensive. And a chair beside the bed I'm laying at, presumably where Coryn is sitting. The door is on the left, while the window close by the curtains is on the right, while on the roof are some glowing sticks, which I don't even want know how it lights this room. In the middle of the roof hangs a cube with a circle in the middle, showing numbers that are ever changing making a ticking sound. This peace and quiet are like a totally different world from where I was just now, no smites no voices, just the peace, and tranquility of the ticking sound from the box on the roof of the room.

As I lay down once more, every time I tried to close my eyes, only to be reminded by the horrors of my nightmare. How can I enjoy this rare chance of silence?