The cities were bustling with life in the Coral Kingdom, a rare sight. The Coral Kingdom was a country where people were famished and worked to death, there wasn’t even an educational system established for commoners, unless you were a noble or related to one your fate was already decided.
But today there was a bit of light in the eyes of the citizens living in the Coral Kingdom, this was because there was a period of two months every three year when a selection for the Imperial Academy took place in every capital of the kingdoms in the Star Continent. This was an opportunity to leave their miserable life in the kingdom and have a chance at changing their fate.
Even the King could do nothing about this as the powerhouse behind this selection was a superpower that could not be opposed by this small kingdom, so even if unwilling he could not oppose it, some would ask why a king would stop his subjects from gaining power, after ignorance and arrogance are the only traits left in someone, insanity take over.
The selection was for children with an age of 15 years and under, its scope was to find talented and gifted children for the academy. As for why only children under 15 years of age, that was because the spots available were limited, they could only select the best and youngest children that had still not drained their potential.
The world itself is not fair nor was it cruel, everything depended on yourself, the cruelest fate or the most beautiful one is within reach. Now there were thousands of children that were undertaking the tests of the Imperial Academy, but the numbers of those that couldn’t grasp this opportunity was not small either.
It was a common sign to see skinny and dirty children begging for small change, they refused to eat their fill or to spend even a bit of money on clothes, everything was for them to have a chance of entering the capital and living there for the entire duration of the evaluation. If someone wanted to enter, one needed to be a noble or related to one or they had to pay a huge entrance fee to be able to stay there for a limited amount of time.
This hurdle could be considered as the first step towards their future. But soon they would have to face another trial, the one that will forever decide where they will stand in life, the evaluation itself.
A long queue formed at the gates of Sea Star city, a long line of children accompanied by a parent and children that were alone skinny and dirty.
In this queue were a pair of brother and sister of only 11 years of age, at their side was a middle-aged man that looked like their father. They too were here for the evaluation of the Imperial Academy, their parents have spent their whole fortune that they gathered while working the fields and raising cattle, all for this day. Today they will be separated, and it will be hard for them to reunite again with their parents, the money was enough only for the pair of brother and sister to enter the city, their father could only go back to their village.
They were only a dozen of meters away from the main gate when they heard a commotion coming from the front.
“Please, let him in!” An old man was kneeling to one of the guards at the main gate.
“I’m only short a gold coin, can’t you let him in?” The old man griped the selves of the guard in front of him, begging for his grandson’s sake. The guard was visibly shaken as a difficult expression appeared on his face.
But he knew that if he let this man enter he will have to pay with his own money, or else he will be severely punished if even a coin was missing at the end of the day. He could not do it as he too had a family to care for, he couldn’t afford to help others, no one could.
In the end he could only deny access to his grandson.
This scene was common every time the selection took place, but everything was fated to change today...
Suddenly a white bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by an earth shattering thunder.
At that moment every living being feel a suppressing power surging from their souls, feeling as if they were ants looking at a huge dragon before it stepped on them without it even knowing of their insignificant existence.
The strangest thing was that unlike normal lightning it formed strange shapes in the sky as it was passing.
Every person who did see this terrifying spectacle could not forget it.
Every powerful living being that was able to see this strange event hurried in the direction the lightning was heading in hope of finding a great fortune.
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In an old forest with trees so big that one may think they are reaching the sky.
White lightning struck from the heaven towards the earth, with such power and might capable of flipping the sea and destroying the earth, yet when it struck the ground there was no explosion that one may expect, there wasn’t even a sound. The white light stopped only a few centimeters above the ground, then disappeared. In its place were two young girls sleeping in the other’s embrace.
They did not seem older than 13, clothed in silver long robes with a cut along the right leg, the symbol of a crescent moon above their left tight, their silver hair covering their back and white and clean skin.
_____________(Author note: This story will be from the point of view of Luce and sometimes Mare’s, I will try to write points of view from other characters as well.)
Cold wind brushed against my face, waking me up from the darkness. As I regained my consciousness I started to feel a strong fear crushing my heart, something very important was missing. I desperately started to move my head and hands searching for ‘her’ but my eyes were not accustomed to the light, so I couldn’t see ‘her’ but I could feel her in my embrace calming my heart, after a bit my eyes started to accustom to the weak light of the moon, letting me clearly see the face of the most beautiful and important ‘everything’ to me, in front of me was ‘her’. With beautiful long silver hair, white skin and delicate face, the sight of her was warming and calming. I could feel ‘her’ presence.
At this moment her eyes moved a bit and started to slowly open, two beautiful silver eyes stared right in mine’s. I drew her in my arms and embraced her strongly.
She embraced me even stronger than I did.
I was feeling relief feeling her warmth.
Knowing that we couldn’t stand here all day I reluctantly got up slowly, my body was all sore, so it was a bit hard to move, I only moved my upper body without standing on my legs.
Still holding my hand, she too got in the same position as me. We looked in each other eyes.
Then I remembered.
"Mare"
That is her name, a name that brought happiness to me.
"Luce"
Mare said. I remember now, that is my name.
I'm Luce and she is Mare.
I moved my hand and caressed her left cheek.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
That was the first thing I wanted to know.
I don’t remember anything, not why we are here, not where we come from, but that doesn’t matter in the least. The only thing that matters is us.
She moved her left hand and put it on my right hand that was caressing her left cheek then moved my hands to her chest, firmly holding my hand with both her hands.
I could feel her warmth and heartbeats through my hand pressed against her chest. Not only that I could feel her feeling and thoughts and she could feel mine.
"I'm not hurt, are you? Luce." Her voice was filled with worry, I could feel how much she cared for me.
"No, I'm fine. Where is this place?" We are surrounded by a forest, with trees that reach the clouds. I know that she doesn’t know anything, like me.
"I don't know Luce, I don't remember anything." Mare said
"But it doesn’t matter. After all, we are together. " She said with a charming smile, I understand her because even in this strange situation, without remembering anything besides our names, in an unknown place, all we could feel was the happiness of being together.
"Yes Mare!" I replied.
Mare's face is getting closer, or maybe is mine that is getting closer to her face, it does not matter. Our lips connected like the most natural thing, I could feel our love for each other. A love one has for the person you want to spend all eternity with and share everything with. Our hearts warmed, and our bodies healed, my body is not sore anymore.
Our lips parted after some time, her face is healthier than before. I could feel that our bodies healed rapidly when we were kissing, but I don't know why.
"I love you, Luce." While I was thinking, Mare spoke to me.
"I love you too, Mare." Our feeling connected, and we could feel each other’s thoughts, a strange thing, but in no way something I didn't like. I want to share everything with her and I know she wanted it too.
I slowly got up on my feet and I extended my arm to Mare.
“Here.” Is said to Mare.
She took my hand and got up too. Looking around us all we can see are trees and grass, flowers and rocks. An unfamiliar place, but then there was no place that was familiar for us.
The trees around us are imposing with an aura of oppression, two normal girls of their age and in their situation would be scared senseless but the two girls were not affected in the least.
I get up slowly, my body was all stiff, so it was a bit hard to move so I only moved my upper body without standing on my legs.
Still holding my hand, she too got in the same position as me. We looked in each other eyes.
Strange forest, although I don’t know from where the meaning of forest comes from, I don’t remember anything apart from Mare’s name.
We are in an unknown place and we don’t know anything else apart from our names and general information like grass, trees and rivers. We need to be cautious from unknown dangers after all danger is omnipresent.
“Mare, can you walk?” I asked worried that she may not be in a condition fit for moving. “Yes, Luce.” Mare took my hand and we started walking in the direction of the moons, we didn’t know where we were or where to go, but even so, to get to a destination we had to make the first step, the direction is not important as long as we move, I’m sure that we will get somewhere sooner or later, although this time it may be later than sooner.
An hour has passed, the forest became darker and darker as the trees became taller and taller, even the light from the moons and starts could hardly reach them through the tall trees, we were probably heading deeper into the forest, the only concern I had was for unfriendly beasts that may live in this forest and more so in the deepest parts, but after an hour I had yet to see anything bigger than a Grey Fox, and again I wondered how I knew its name. The interesting thing was that Mare and me both share the same knowledge, if I see a mountain on our left while she sees a river on the right we become aware of the things the other sees or knows, a thing that made both of us happy.
The sun is setting, I think is better to find some place to rest for the night as is inconvenient to move at night.
“Let’s rest a bit Mare.” I said to Mare and as we both were still holding hands I guided her to a tall tree a short distance away. I sat together with Mare at the base of the tree leaning on its trunk, gazing at the darkening sky. Two moons were already raising in the sky and the first stars started to become visible.
Holding my beloved’s hand, I suddenly knew something new, I now know I can sense our surroundings, I slowly extended our perception, firstly in a small area no more than ten feet around us then slowly increasing this area. It was as natural as breathing, it was a result of our combined power. Dark tendrils as thick as our arms extended from us fast, in but seconds they were already hundreds of meters away. We can touch, see, smell with them as with our bodies.
Reaching further and further in search for anything of use in this situation. We don’t know anything about our situation but in these circumstances, we can’t be careless, more than anything I will not put Mare in danger.
I can sense something far in the direction we were heading, a calm and quiet aura coming from a tall tree, easily the biggest tree in this forest.
“There?” I ask Mare, I don’t need to tell her anything, we share our senses as well as our feelings, I know she has seen the same place as me.
“Yes” Mare replayed, we can sense that the area’s environment is favorable for us.