I get it, everyone wants to live in their own little fantasy worlds, but things like that just did not happen. At least, not for me, and it really didn’t bother me that much. It just felt like I didn’t belong in this world, like I just woke up one day and faced the reality in front of my face.
That didn’t mean I didn’t remember my childhood. In fact, I could recall every single day, every minute, and every second of what happened, but those days felt like a blur of emotions, understandable. But, it was like I was a spectator, watching a caring older man, who took care of me on a rather scenic shack in an undescribable world, only a warm sensation and the smell of incense would come to mind.
It reminded me of some sort of healing practice. Regardless, none of that mattered as five ugly mugs cowered below my feet, and the stench of a rundown alleyway and reality replaced my brief moment of bliss memories.
“Damn you! The boss is going to have your head. Trash like you is better off following orders… no trash like you is better off dead,” A large and ugly man snarled. His face looked about as worse for wear as the rest of them.
The four others looked the same with their beaten faces, but unfortunately for them, they were barely conscious.
“Hmm? It’s better if your boss and his gang of imbeciles left me alone after our business is through. There's no way any of you could lay a finger on me anyway…” I remarked with utter disinterest and didn't even look at the gang members on the ground as I spoke.
They were just pathetic pieces of garbage that served one purpose to me, and that was coin.
There was no reason to bother wasting my time dealing with these people. The orders from their boss probably had something to do with taking my share of the most recent job with interest, but they did have every reason to despise my existence, and so did many other people in this world. I was bottom-barrel trash that no one wanted around, and I was treated as such. However, I didn’t just take their hatred lying down, I treated everyone with the same demeanour I always had, and I only took their jobs because I didn't have any other options.
It wasn't like I had anything against them, but I didn't care for their opinions.
Once I grew tired of their nonsense, I headed into the streets of glowing lampposts toward the place I called Home, in this Capital known as Carith, the jeweled city, but in truth, this city was no jewel. Regardless, my steps continued through the typical midnight crowd of Carith, with me being just another nameless face in the sea of people, a ghost amongst the living.
After a while, the lamp posts that lit the streets eventually diminished as I began to enter a less populated area. There were no shops or bars in this part of town, just rows of crumbling stone buildings with the occasional vagrant huddling in some corner for warmth. The outskirts of the Capital, or rather slums, were mainly isolated and forgotten, a place fitting for a person like me. Settling here was ideal.
“… finally…” I groaned with some annoyance as the end of my long walk approached at the sight of my place. Like many of the other buildings, mine was practically destroyed. The ground level was just a half door, no walls, just ruins. I walked a few more steps before coming up to the basement of whatever this place used to be. The makeshift door opened with a rusty scrape across the stone floor, and then I closed it behind me. After a few steps, I was greeted with the usual sights of my Home.
“… Yo, I’m home…”
My hollow words echoed off the stone walls, filling the empty room. No one responded to me, but I never really expected anyone to. It was more of a habit I did than anything, like the stale emotions I had once felt some meaning by saying them. After a few steps further into the building, my rather pitiful sofa was right in front of me. With a sigh, I sunk into relaxation after tonight's eventful shakedown, if I could even call it that.
After a day like this, I would wash up and maybe even eat something. But tonight, that was an afterthought as my eyes slowly began to shut from the day's fatigue.
It wasn't long before the dark embrace of my sleep greeted me.
***
The sunlight streamed in from the lower floor’s window, causing my eyes to flutter open. My body seemed to heal any aches and pains. It’s always been that way for me. It didn't matter how insignificant wounds or serious injuries were. They tended to heal quickly, which was unexplainable, but I was used to it. I pulled myself out of my comfy sofa and rose to my feet with a stretch. Without much thought, I moseyed over to the bathroom to clean myself up, and it wasn’t like I could call it a bathroom either. It didn't have the necessary hygiene amenities, but it was better than nothing.
Most of the time, I kept water buckets on hand, and then I would clean off with some wet rags to make myself feel less disgusting. The sun that streamed in through the broken window would keep the water warm, for the most part.
By now, it was probably around Noon due to my job that caused me to work at any hour of the day or night, so my schedule was all over the place. I mused to myself as I wiped my body clean with one of the wet rags while the midsized mirror reflected my average-sized body. Of course, some muscle was there, but nothing impressive.
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My face adjusted a bit closer to the mirror without any thought.
But the gaze I saw lacked any real emotion, just an unfeeling expression as unkempt raven-black hair hung to the left side of my face. My unmoving expression was simply unsettling to some, but the most prominent feature that most noticed instantly was my left eye, a sclera of darkness that consumed my Amber glare. Of course, that was just my left eye. My right eye was quite normal.
A scoff of humor left my throat. I honestly didn’t know why I had an eye that looked like that. All I knew was that most tended to avoid me entirely and avoid my gaze. Many of the rumors had to do with some great war or other nonsense, but at this point, I didn't even care because this eye felt close to me. The incomprehensible eye of darkness was like a part of my being that I couldn't lose. In the same way, I could never lose this feeling that something was missing.
Before I grew tired of wondering, I stepped back from the mirror after wiping myself down and tossed the rag aside. With another stretch, I headed for a drawer where I could throw on cleaner clothes, which consisted of a loose white cotton shirt and black pants.
After I dealt with the basic necessities, I reached into the back of a drawer, where I stored clothes and some other items, but more importantly, it hid a small leather pouch. It wasn’t full, but it held enough money for my needs.
Currency consisted of coins ranging from copper to gold.
100 copper = 1 silver
100 silver = 1 gold
It was a rather simplistic system, but my pouch mainly consisted of copper and silver coins. After some consideration, I pulled out about twenty copper coins and placed the pouch back in my drawer before tossing the few coins in my pocket for my walk into the marketplace of this cesspool city.
My steps continued after placing my door back in place and stepping out into the lower district streets. My rather hollow footsteps echoed off the cracked pavement as I walked toward the upper district.
The upper district was where most people lived, notable Clans and those with enough money to live comfortably, the elite and the high class. While the lower district was the opposite, where most Clanless or people who could barely afford to survive lived, it also had a population of criminals, gang bosses, and underground work. All kinds of disreputable things were done in the lower district.
My steps carried me through the lower district while my presence was already registering among the crowds as they went about their lives. Regardless, I walked through the area with the same demeanor I always had.
It wasn’t long till I stepped foot into the upper district. A contrast of greenery with white stone buildings trimmed with gold and silver caused me to roll my eyes. It was easy to tell why Carith was called the jeweled city, but it was an ugly jewel.
One that glittered while it rotted from the inside out.
It didn't take long till I was in the marketplace of the upper district, as the sea of people cluttered around merchants selling their wares and other vendors of various goods.
I was not interested in any stalls or shops selling weapons or armor. Instead, I headed for a merchant selling precooked meals that tasted bland, but I never had much taste for food in general. It was simply there to fill a stomach. If anything, it tasted better than nothing.
I eventually reached the front of the stall, where a line of people stood. However, I didn’t wait and simply stepped to the front of the line. The few behind me started to complain, but I still placed several copper coins on the merchant's desk, “... Three Skeewers,” I remarked while staring at the man behind the stall, who took my coin without the pleasant smile he would give others, only grimace.
But Coin was Coin, and most wouldn’t want me standing next to them in line. That was just the way things were. After a moment, the merchant shoved my food wrapped in brown paper to me as those who complained behind still insisted that I step back in line, but as my gaze turned to them, I felt their bodies shudder. The disgust and fear were clear as day on their faces.
I simply scoffed in their direction as I walked away to a more secluded bench that sat in some shade. I plopped myself down, taking up as much space as needed before settling back and ripping into the skewers of grilled meat and vegetables.
Aterius… A world where strength and power ruled supreme. Even if you had power, you were still a pawn for the clans that ruled the seven Domains of the continent. Their authority was absolute.
In this world, Ranking systems were everything, and the status of Clans was no different. This Ranking system consisted of E to SS, E being the weakest and SS being the strongest. Any Clan or Individual under B rank wasn’t well known and often had no real influence on anything. The clans that ruled over domains have ruled for centuries, unopposed, and are known as Graced Clans with SS-ranked status. Of course, there were patron Clans that served them within the domain of their rule. The Seven Graced Clans themselves answered to An Apostle who was a direct link to The Monarch said Graced Clan served.
Regardless of all of this, I had no desire to join any of this. Well, in truth, I couldn’t. Cursed clans had a reputation for being monsters of the past, and like my left eye, it’s said Cursed clans had features such as that, making them easy to spot. It was hard to miss the pointless subject from the everyday murmurs I would hear, such as, 'Those who once dared to anger the Monarchs were sent back to the depths of the underworld, never to be allowed to experience the Monarch's Grace.' Cursed clans were considered a curse, despised everywhere, symbolizing evil and death.
I could only shrug off those claims. It meant nothing to me. It didn't make me angry, and I didn’t even question it. There was nothing at all.
The only thing that mattered to me was getting my share of money to live on, even if that was by following the orders of disreputable employers. A scoff of humor left my throat at my thoughts, “Keh… Who cares,” I remarked as I took the last bite of my meal, then tossed the garbage to the ground.
My thoughts were soon interrupted as my sharp instincts felt someone walking up from behind, but there was no reason for me to even bother looking.
“The boss wants to see you. we have another job for you, and he wants to talk about the incident that happened last night…” A gruff voice growled behind me.
I rolled my eyes at the interruption and continued looking forward without so much as a glance behind me. “My boss? That’s pretty funny. I work for whoever pays the most, not the street rat you call a boss,” I said with boredom as I pushed myself up from my seat and turned around, taking my time as I did so.
My gaze fell onto the greasy thug in front of me. He stared back with a scowl, but it never reached my face. “… and next time, leave it at. We have a job for you,” I bluntly remarked before following this imbecile without another word.
My steps were unhurried as I trailed behind the thug. At the same time, I idly glanced at window displays that sold various goods and weapons, not caring about the world around me until my steps eventually led me to an alleyway leading to the gang's hideout.
We approached the shady-looking building at the end of the alley.
I sighed with annoyance before following this thug into the hideout, that immediately made me cringe at the sight of this dump. “…Good Grief, this is going to be a headache,”