In the middle of the night, Gavin slept on a bed in a room within a childcare orphanage, completely confident that Quimora and her group would soon save him and look for Mary. Even though stakes haunted every cell of his body, he had a belief that the strong people that he encountered would end this decade-long crisis soon… not until this night.
Since the door’s locked from the outside, his only way out is through the open window. However, the lack of cloth can’t craft a way down the highest floor of the four-storey house. He has already given up on escaping since his detention only lasts for a day.
“What did they plan to do?” Gavin uttered as his body faced down over the thinned cotton. “I hope it’s not too late for Mary yet. I can’t bear to lose her… I can’t bear to lose another family.”
Ten years ago, he was ill, sick, and paralyzed. All he knew was that he had someone he shared the same blood with, his sister. He doesn’t even remember her face, but the contours of her jaw and her jet-black hair made a mark on his memory. Their limbs only emphasized their bones, factual proof that they’ve suffered hunger for a long time.
Three days before a mysterious saint came to save him, his sister never appeared again. After all these years, he tried searching for her, but it ended up in a proclamation of death. What’s marked on his memory is his sister’s sacrifice to save his life, but he never wanted any of this.
He smashed the bed and gripped it while reminiscing what made him who he is now. He hissed, gritting his teeth, and silently growled, “Nothing is certain… Why worry about the future? In the end, we’ll all meet our ends. There’s no need for sacrifices… I never wanted to be born in this brutal world.”
Loud footsteps alarmed him, which caused his head to pivot towards the window. Three men in black and a notable helmet appeared before him. They came from the window solely intending to silence Gavin. They smacked him in all of his sensitive organs without holding back.
Gavin groaned, not being able to fight back due to weakness until his reaction fell flat. When he felt his blood drop, like a sudden flushing out of strength, his eyes forcibly closed, rendering him unconscious.
***
The same day at dinner, the clinking of silverware against plates reverberated through the high vaulted ceiling supported by thick carved beams. The scent of roasted meats, alongside the fragrance of fresh-baked bread and simmering stews, scented savory in the air, enticing one’s hunger into satisfaction. The long glossy table that stretched the length of the room, set with gleaming pewter or silver goblets, ornate dishes, and richly embroidered tablecloths, remained silent with only King Ar sitting at the center edge seat.
This table has never been filled in the past. However, King Ar never felt nervous talking to someone accompanying him through the meals. Usually, it’s his daughter that he’s talking to, and the topic never leaves his glorious triumphs and dreamed future for the kingdom. This was the only time Melani erased her presence on this everyday feast.
King Ar only left a long grunt while the food was being served, thinking if his beloved daughter might’ve no interest in eating dinner with him. His grimace at no time left his face of confusion, not until Melani’s designated servants barged inside, screaming.
“Your majesty! Princess Melani… She’s missing!”
The awkward silence filled the air, leaving the time to think while grasping the situation. As he accumulated his emotions after seconds of denial, he shouted in response.
“WHAT!?”
***
The Isle of Delusions was a library that was never clean… both literally and literary. In the dim light provided by the reserved energy from the spherical magic core attached to the ceiling, the towering shelves of books and the lying open ones on the floor invited us to a journey of vetoed wisdom. The cement ground lost its pattern from aging and thick layers of dust as it bore fruit to cracks.
The sinister silence was punctuated by the eerie rustling of pages that were being stirred by unseen forces, amplifying its sense of age and isolation. The scent of heady mixtures of aged and molded paper and leather, accompanied by the earthly scent of mildew, never left our lungs.
The shelves felt smooth but slightly tacky to the touch. With a nudge, our fingertips turned gray. The spines of the books remained brittle and rough, though its pages, when touched, felt fragile and delicate, nearly crumbling from the slightest pressure.
Each of these forbidden books contained taboo knowledge across the kingdom, including the movement to erase the existence of the belief in Entropy. Did the library’s name come from the rise of history’s brainwashing? Or was it because Roze was a delusional cracked jewel?
According to my sources from the underground, mostly the believers of the belief of Eternity knew. They’re probably those whose nerves were still concealed under their thousand-year youthful skin. Elves were given an honorable mention. Rumors told that some of these books got hit by the ban hammer from telling the truth.
“I’m curious why the belief of Entropy was bad. Its propagator was the kindest person the author of this book talked to. Was that because the fellow propagators were only jealous of her?” Melani asked while sitting on the ground, leaning her back on the nearby shelf, and holding one of the seemingly story-like books in existence within the forbidden library.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Eh? Really? That trait never once crossed my mind knowing her. May I know the title of that book?” I asked while skimming through a document on the top of an elephant ladder.
Melani partially closed the book to look into the cover text and uttered, “It says The Lost Truth about a Friend I Long Looked Upon To. Do you think it’s real?”
“That’s a detestable lie, and whoever blinded man wrote it was a paranoid simp. I vouch for it.”
We’ve been here until midnight now, and no one dared to look for her. I’ve already skimmed seven forbidden texts while she enjoyed one and a half of the storybooks. It’s been a plus that she doesn’t question me about the existence of the forbidden library. Children are really a piece of cake to manipulate.
In the middle of searching, I encountered a life-long research addressed to Gaul Ililadarne. The existence of the Resurgence Gems, the stones that Roze asked me to collect to answer all the questions of my missing past, can be a hundred-fold substitute for power cores that collected thousands of human souls. Every gem in existence grants various abilities to those who know how to use it.
We have not experimented with this yet, but I know that these gems hold the utmost importance for world balance, a weapon that shouldn’t be combined with human greed. Since I don’t know its complete history, I didn’t dare touch it for the same reasons due to the fear of breaking it.
However, the said experiment mentioned the general footprints of awakening the next generation’s dual abilities through intense life-threatening situations. For its claim, a person may have an inherited ability in possession. The document mentioned the existence of the ‘Arena,’ a labyrinthine dungeon-like battlefield tunneled with sac-like endings containing a prison, to filter children who’ll soon become weapons of the kingdom. The big red mark on the final page hinted that the idea was never approved.
Pedophilia in dire extreme… For once, I thought this Gaul would be the hint to locate the other remaining gems. It was such a downer. It’s still hinted that the Arena existed as per the kids, resulting in the king’s ignorance taking the full blame. Since Gaul’s resting in skeletons, the ones in charge will soon show their appearance to me.
The ground shook, hinting to us that someone other than us opened the door. Melani’s body experienced full tremors as her bulging eyes turned to me. After I landed down the ladder, I said while pointing to the dark area behind a faraway shelf, “Hide behind the shadows. I suppose I cannot afford you to be seen.”
I stood at the center while faking an act of reading, embracing the warm welcome from the upcoming enemies. As soon as the door fully opened, Undra Grivuke, together with an army of fifteen men in identical helmets, made his entrance. His darting gaze, accompanied by a threatening aura, pierced through me while clenching his fists. He might’ve seen the trails of blood in the entrance, hence calling additional backup.
“Children shouldn’t play with things that only adults should know. You need to learn your lesson.”
“Really? Should that be the words a scatterbrained pedophile would say?” I closed my book and grinned at him menacingly with widened eyes. I dropped the book and clapped my hands. “Undra mother-of-Christ Grivuke, an exceptional high-ranking ‘knight’ in quotes; the king’s right hand in the military. If the king knew your incongruous experimentation, he wouldn’t hesitate to cut his hand off.”
He pressed his lips and uttered, “You’re somewhat all-knowing of the matter, judging a book by its cover. You’re not a normal kid. Were you a spy sent by the other kingdoms to meddle in our business?”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t care about you opening a child’s body for your so-called enhancement. I can inform the King about your atrocious acts immediately like a stimulus. I suppose you’re open-minded for negotiations.”
“You don’t have a room for escape or negotiations. Even if you're a guest, you broke the kingdom’s sacred law through trespassing. I have no other reasons to hear your nonsensical arguments.”
“Really? Didn’t you care about what happened to Gaul Illiadarne? I suppose it may be your future soon,” I chuckled. Since there are no escape paths, I’m already dead set that I’ll get caught as soon as I step within the forbidden grounds. Escaping was never my intention.
“Tsk!” He clicked his tongue. I might’ve tickled his weak spot. “You know too much. What’s your real purpose?”
“I suppose I wouldn’t lie if I said I’m only here for Resurgence Gems. They’re stones you shouldn’t have a grasp of. It makes you high like hell. I know you have the information to satiate my wisdom hunger.”
“Then I have no choice,” Undra gestured his hand pointing at me. Soon, the army ran towards me in a stampede.
May I perhaps have a bounty that will grant them bonus allowances? With my current body, I’m only able to fight one of their men face-to-face. I have the option to use my ability, but this 20-meter diameter will harm the innocents, including Melani.
I didn’t fight back. Two of his men held both of my hands up high, leaving my body hanging off the ground. Another one elbowed my stomach at full speed, trying to render me unconscious. Since I never experienced pain in my clones, I faked my coughs and groans. Soon, I gradually closed my eyes while continuing to observe with my ears. I don’t know who’s specifically talking, but I can distinguish their intentions.
“Mayor, she seemed down.”
“Good. Carry her towards the sac of the arena. She deserves to be sent to the playground. She’s brave enough to play with adults.”
“I heard she mentioned the past Mayor’s name?”
“I never gave you the permission to mention that traitor’s name.”
“I’m sorry, Mayor.”
Uh-oh! They accidentally slipped the most important clue. The gems were connected with the experimentation. As they carry me and leave the place, I’m laughing behind my disguised unconscious face as I follow the right track to take. I suppose they discovered how to use the gems to empower a person’s ability artificially.
However, I can confirm that Undra was a clever person when my plan was routed to Plan B, where Melani would also be caught. I prefer a solo journey without my limitations. If Plan B is initiated, I’ll need to make a lot of detours before I can reroute the future to its designated destination.
***
An hour passed, and Melani left her temporary station and planned to exit the forbidden Isle by pulling the chain beside the doors. Unlike the front page worthy of lifetime security, escaping through the only exit was flooded with conveniences.
As soon as she opened the door, Undra, who was intentionally waiting for someone, turned towards her. Trembling, Melani’s face turned ashen white. With breaths bursting in and out, she stepped back and stuttered. Before Melani said a word, Undra drilled his fist into her stomach.
As Undra intended, Melani lost consciousness from his hit. Carrying her, he uttered, “I’m sorry, Princess. I can’t defy my purpose. This is the only way to save the others.”