Chapter 59 – Speed of Light (2)

Joshua worked hard all day inside the workshop. He looked beside him and he could see Cyra resting her head on the table. He smiled at the sight of her. He then turned his attention back to the carving toy he was making. The toy’s image belongs to a rather niche hero that people admired. He was the symbol of hope and many knew of his feats.

Somehow Joshua wanted to bring this toy here. He wanted to bring the ‘All heroes wore red cape’ in this world. Not because he really likes them. But because of the hope, it gives to him at least. He could remember the days he would wear a red cape himself. He would play with his friends and then act out as hero and villains.

Joshua loved playing that game. And despite the oddity that he was now lost in some foreign world. He felt like that memory was precious. Usually, tales of being lost in another world that person would end up in many things. Joshua had a rough start in this other world. He broke three times at the hands of Dolce. He fought in the siege of Avilla and then piloted an air balloon to send three people to bring it down. Only to be sold back to the person who broke him.

Joshua could not stomach being a slave. So he took a leap of faith and ended up in this town. This town was peaceful. It was welcoming and it gave him a chance to do things normally. He could stay in this town and not worry about the things that might happen.

It was odd really. That despite being transported into a foreign world instead of saving the world or helping people from external threats, he found himself making use of the normal things he had learned from his life. He was crafting toys. He was making bread. He was making use of the basic things he learn from school to not become useless.

This was fine for him. He had some ability to protect himself but it was barely useful. He could still get knocked out. He could survive through that ability but what could it do him good when his limbs are gone? Joshua could imagine a scenario where his limbs were cut off. How could he survive that? It was hard to think. And Joshua knows that his ability was a double-edged sword. It can help and at the same time, it could make him suffer. He learned that when the ability kept him awake when he was going down that surging river.

So how could he ever think of being a hero? He had already gotten himself fucked over by the people he naively treated as family. He doesn’t blame them. Their choices carried the weight of an entire city. He was angry at them because of not standing up for him. He was disappointed by them. Heck even Archie, the guy he recently befriended was the only one that stood up for him. He even got beaten up by the Templar’s doing so.

Joshua thinks that there was no place for him in Avilla anymore. Joshua learned that being optimistic in this world won’t do him any good. He had to learn that things will not be great all the time. It’s sad but he had to be pessimistic about things here.

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Yet the little bit of peace that was he was experiencing made that thought dull.

“Wait...is it night already?” said Cyra, waking up. “Oh no I forgot to bring the bread to the guys in the logging camp!”

Joshua looked at her. “Want me to accompany you? I am already done here. And this is partly my fault.”

“Thank you! Let’s go!”

Cyra stood up and ran to the door. Joshua followed. The two went back to the bakery. They took the bread for the loggers and marched out of the town, down to this winding dirt path that leads to the forest. The forest was bare and gray, there were powdered leaves everywhere, making their steps louder than it should be. They passed through this forest and exited out only to see this steeped hill.

“The logging camp should be behind this hill!” said Cyra, tugging her coat as she walks to the hill. Joshua followed her and once they reached the hill. Joshua stopped his legs. He looked up at the sky as he gazes in wonder. The sky was so big, it seemed like it would swallow him. There two moons in the sky. There were stars and planets that could be seen. There were galaxies and nebulas, systems that seemed to dot the sky infinitely. The hill was being basked by the moonlight.

There was a comforting wind coming from the forest. Joshua could see the dotted lights in the logging camp.

Cyra had noticed that Joshua stopped moving. She was about to ask him why. But she saw his eyes shining brightly at the sight of the wonders of the sky. Joshua usually had this dull look in his eyes. So seeing his eyes having a shine on them genuinely surprised her. She took a look at the sky too. There he was able to see the gigantic sky. She has seen this view ever since escaping into this town. She remembers the time she had in the tower. IT was quite the big tower and the view just look like this.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Cyra said.

“It is,” Joshua nodded.

Then, suddenly three falling stars streak through the sky at the speed of light. Cyra felt her heart jump seeing that. Instinctively, she wished dearly for her old home and the parents she once loved.

“What did you wish?” asked Joshua.

“Home,” Cyra replied. “I wish that the home I knew would be safe. What about you Joshua?”

“Peace, I just want some peace and a place to call home.”

Cyra did not understand. “I see,” but she could feel that he had some heartaches. “I hope that you find that home you are looking for, Joshua.”

“Yeah...”

The two looked at the gigantic myriads of starts for a while. Before long, they continued their trail to the logging camp. Where they sat and ate with the loggers in peace.