After we learned about the arrival of another Sakka, I looked at Pauli in disbelief, and Pauli mirrored my expression of shock and confusion. It was obvious between me and Pauli. I was the 17th person. If another one just arrived, it meant she was the 18th person. But before we could say anything, I collapsed. I should have anticipated it. My body now was too weak, and all the craziness today drained my energy dry. Not a single move of muscles was spared. Pauli said it may be due to my body reacting to the natural mana. For me, the pressure I felt from the very moment I met ‘nobody’ until now was the ultimate reason why I collapsed.
Seeing how worn out I was, Pauli called it a day and left me alone in Aria’s room while Aria herself slept in Pauli’s. ‘Why?’ You asked. Despite being a woman, I felt illegal to share a bed with a girl, especially the minor-looking one.
I tossed and turned in the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. But no matter how I adjusted the pillow or the blanket, I couldn’t seem to fall asleep. My mind was racing with thoughts that wouldn’t let me rest. I thought about literally everything, tracking what had occurred, and imagining what would happen. Especially, the matter with the ‘17th Sakka’. If they did get married, and the curse didn’t break, the royals might go searching for the original. I might have to flee this country. Those thoughts kept on playing in my head. I wished I could just turn off my brain and drifted into a peaceful slumber. But instead, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
“Sheena.” Just when I started counting sheep, Pauli knocked on the door.
“Yes?” I got up, and the bed frame squeaked.
“No need to get up. I just want to say something.” His voice was far but I heard him fine.
“Whatever it is, please keep your background away from Aria. In case we’re caught, I don’t want her to get dragged. You hear me?”
Hearing the word ‘caught’, I chuckled bitterly.
“Don’t worry. I don’t plan to educate people on that topic.”
“Good. I trust you for now. So then, get some sleep.”
How come you not? There is a spear in my heart now thanks to you.
“Oh. I just remembered. Be careful when you meet a priest. Every Sakka has a similar invisible mark on their body. It won’t be visible with naked eyes. But some priests have a particular skill to reveal the mark. So don’t catch their attention. Good night.”
WHAT? I screamed internally, stoned in my bed. That was major. I didn't even know what a priest was. That geezer should have told me that before anything. Now, another paranoia generated itself inside me.
***
In a distance place, somewhere in space, a massive mass of freezing land floated. Everything was white. If it was not snow, then it was ice and vice versa. Whoever laid their eyes on it would agree that the place must be freezing cold to the point of deadly to any biotic. Yet, for some reasons, it was warm, warm enough for a naked baby to sleep soundly. No scientific cognitive processing could pinpoint why such a phenomenon existed. But it was foolish to even trying to comprehend it in the first place.
In the middle of the land, there was a humongous palace of ice, standing proudly. It was the house of entities too difficult to understand by beings in normal worlds. There, the lord of the palace resided, a silvery long-haired monarch.
On a throne beautiful enough to make any artist like Michael Angelo cried, the heavenly monarch sat with both his eyes closed, surrounded by what looked like servants. His face was rather amused.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Then, a gust of winds passed by. He opened his eyes. Two pitch black cristal-like eyes never failed to tremble the servants tending to him.
A young-looking gentleman with an athletic build appeared. There was a pair of black feathery wings on his back. Apparently, the gust of winds before was the aftermath of him flying down.
The man kneeled down. The monarch waved his hand, giving signals to his servants. Those servants then disappeared one after another, leaving only the monarch and the man alone.
The man stood up and looked at the monarch. His eyes were steady despite the monarch's foul dominating aura.
"Protector, what have you done?" He asked.
The question was a mere play of words. Both of them were aware of that. The winged man knew what had actually happened. He didn't ask for explanation but confirmation. His face screamed 'You know what you did, right?' And the monarch wasn't stupid. He perceived the message just perfect.
"If you're referring to the time when I visited Earth, I was just strolling around." His answer was rather sluggish. There was no trace of the said amusement from before.
"My lord, Earth is another protector's territory. You know what place it is. Why do you pick a fight with him? If there is anyone we should be wary of, it's him." The look on the man's face when he said that was sad and worried. But the monarch put a 'whatever' face and rolled his eyes.
"It's fine. I'll talk to him if he asked. Like I said, I was just strolling around."
"Siethe, don't go near anything related to Heaven's favorite child." It was the man's genuine feelings of fear for the monarch or Siethe's safety. Alas, Siethe didn't want to have any of it. Hearing his name being spoken, he perceived the man was being rude to him.
"Quiet you!" He gently waved his hand in the air, creating a force that knocked the man down to the ground. To normal human eyes, it was a simple slap to the cheek. It may look like a personal action not a deadly attack. Sadly, Siethe's hands were tools to shape the terrain of planets. A flick of his fingers could move mountains. That slap was actually lethal. If it was to be hit to a mere human, the human will definitely be erased from existence even before it hit. But the winged-man was something else. It was only because it was him that Siethe didn't care about erasing him.
"You cross your line this time, Round. You should behave yourself better."
The man got up to his original position, and stood up again with perfect posture as if he never kissed the floor seconds ago.
"Forgive my rudeness, Protector. I am but a confidant of you. It's just that I worry sick." The tone of his voice had changed. Probably, the smacked had woke him up to reality. He just lost his composure when he found out what Siethe did while he was away. Thus, he run to Siethe like madness.
Siethe and Round had known each other for a really long time. Round just simply couldn't forget the time when Siethe was only a humble being working to meet his boss's wishes. These days, he was an anarchist, a troublemaker, a bad omen for people around him.
"Who are you to worry for me?" While saying those words, Siethe turned his face away, grimming with mix emotions and a lot of annoyance.
In his mind, Round worried because he didn't see him as a proper protector. His weak self in the past and his servant image still lingered on Round's mind, and he hated him for that.
"Protector-"
"You ruined my mood. Get lost." He cut Round before he could finish his sentence. Seithe's mood really was ruined. He was happy for his encounter with the dead Haiga on Earth. How could He not? He had been waiting for that moment for 3000 years. Round really needed to come and slammed him with the topic of 'that' protector.
Round then bowed hesitantly before leaving Siethe who still wouldn't face him.
Round was suspicious of Siethe's intention like he always did. He thought his action this time was only another entitled behavior of his. Unfortunately, everytime Siethe did something, troubles would follow. It would always be him who worked overtime, doing whatever it took to fix the troubles. Yet, for Round, overtime was better. He was always on edge because of Siethe. Everytime, he would brace his soul for Siethe's so called madness. He thought something really ugly may be taken place any moment.
Unfortunately, this time, Siethe's action would be the beginning of a butterfly effect, resulting in all madness and hell to be set loose. Even the mighty Round wouldn't have any power to fix it.
Heaven's favorite child, they say. Sadness enveloped Siethe. A certain silhouette of a person appeared in his mind. Siethe was unemphatic, never loved anything, had zero respect towards others, and the biggest fan of violence. Yet, to that certain person, his heart ached. Only to that person, he showed weakness.
Wait for a little bit. It won't be long. He muttered to thin air. Hoping, it was heard.
...