"Hey! Wake up!" A girl, who seemed to be about 10, rattled a boy back and forth with her arms. The two were in a large plain of grass, with the nearest trees still being rather far. It had just hit morning, and the sun was shining bright. The girl had woken up several minutes before, deciding how to wake the boy up. This was what she settled on.

"Wake up, wake up… WAKE UP Klaus!" the girl shouted.

"Dah! Fine, fine I give in." Klaus opened his eyes to see a girl hovering over him, her straight red hair and round blue eyes comforted him.

"Alright, get off Emma." Klaus playfully pushed her off and sat up. He ruffled his black hair and looked up.

"So, it's been 10 years, huh Mom?" Klaus opened up a bag on his waist and drew out a note that read: "I'm sorry. I was supposed to tell you earlier but… I'll have to tell you now. Klaus, my dear, you are—-..." The note was cut off and the rest was blank.

"Hey, so can you tell me the story behind that already? You always tell me no what I ask you." Emma asked. Klaus smiled and said, "Only if you tell me what New Nick told you last night!" He furiously tickled her.

"Ahahaha! Stop! Please! Ahahaha!" Emma couldn't contain her laughter as she rolled on the ground; her vintage clothes ruined.

She pouted, "You know I'm scared of New Nick. Anyway, tell me!"

"Ok, ok fine. Only cause' I feel bad" Klaus replied. Emma leaned in to hear his story.

"When my mother gave birth to me, she contracted a disease. This… disease… not even the doctors knew what it was. It eroded her mind; she was forced to think differently, she fought against it the best she could. The disease also caused black spots to sprout all over her body; sometimes, black liquid would seep from her eyes." Emma's expression changed to disgust. Klaus nodded and continued.

"When I was five, she died." Emma gasped. "She died peacefully though. Her final words to me were...Ow!" Klaus began to have a severe headache. He gripped his head, and he began hearing voices; one by one, overlapping each other. His head pulsated and the voices got louder, and louder.

"K-Ko-Kl-a-a, HELP ME, *choking sound*, d-do–t-dea-no-in-vain-ards!"

"AHH!!"

"Klaus! Hey, are you ok?! Klaus?" Emma panicked and hugged him. Not due to her hug, his headache slowly subsided.

"What, *gulp*, ah, what was that," Klaus said. Still in shock, he shook his head violently, as if to ward off his thoughts, and motioned Emma to stop hugging him and sit back down.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, putting her hand on his back.

Klaus breathed rapidly, holding his chest. He then replied, "Mmm. Ah, I'm fine."

Emma blew out her cheeks and glared at him for a few seconds. Klaus alternated between looking at her and at the sky. She finally stopped pouting and sighed; Klaus continued.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"Anyways, after, ah, my mom died, she… no… a villager gave me a note that she had supposedly left for me. I don't mean to sound cold but, when I read it, I was… so disappointed. There was no explanation. What am I? There is just not enough informatio-"

"What if you read between the lines?" Emma interrupted him. Klaus stared at her with sarcastic amusement.

"Yeah, you're right. Why don't I read in between the lines of…let's see…" Klaus brought the note out of the bag once again and stared at it. "Three lines?"

"Ri-right."

"Anyway, that's it for me." Klaus stood up and put the note back in his brown bag. He put his hand over his head to provide shade and looked at the bustling town ahead.

This town was known as Boon. One of the very few towns free of the Royal Government's eyes, or as the commoners call them, the Reapers.

"Hey! What about the rest of the story?!" Emma shouted, despite being right next to Klaus.

"Eh, I only told you on a whim. You can hear the rest of the story… next time." Klaus nuzzled her on the head.

"Well, let's go say good morning to them Emma." She shrugged but ran up and walked beside Klaus, as they headed to Boon.

After a few minutes of walking, there it was.

A beautiful town was pictured ahead of Klaus. Red daisies surrounded the houses, and sunflowers surrounded the entrance, creating a contrast of sorts. The wind blew just right, not too strong, not too light. The people in the town wore quality clothing, showing off their different cultures. White thobes, moccasins, you name it, it was probably there.

People could be seen exchanging potatoes or selling them through yellow, green stands. They were all grinning with glee. Chatter took over the town, as people could also be seen talking. Pretty boys attempting to pick up girls, partners conversing over a cup of tea, etc. The soil of the farms left of the town were rich, and rainfall was often. At least to Klaus.

In reality, this town was an absolute wasteland, merely a remnant of greater battles that had taken place there. No plants fenced the houses; there was no entrance. The people in the town covered themselves up using animal furs and other things from the environment.

Their bodies were as skinny as a skeleton. Mothers clung to their infants as if they were their final hope, while fathers gazed upon them with the grim desperation of a last, inevitable meal. Both sides were ruthless, and any encounter with them was bound to end in ruin.

Almost no grins could be detected, and the town reeked of body odor. This was Boon. A town of tragedy, sorrow, and despair. A town once brimming with hope, now shrouded in the shadows of anguish. This is a town unwatched by the Reapers: this is Boon.

*Sigh* Klaus sighed as he walked towards the town. "Why are these guys so dramatic?" he thought. Klaus often asks himself that question every time he comes to Boon. He simply doesn't see the need to be depressed when the Reapers aren't controlling you.

"What's kicking guys?!" Klaus let out a gleeful shout, kicking the solitary wooden sign that scarcely hinted at an entrance. "Ah," his gleeful expression dropped as he saw what happened.

"Oh well, it's just a wooden sign, right guys? I'll make another one for you guys."

"That wasn't just a wooden sign; that was one the almighty Grandnew made!" an old man shouted at him and pointed his walking stick towards Klaus. "Grandnew? I've been hearing about her from Emma. Who is she again?" Klaus asked.

"You don't know about Grandnew?! She was the wife of Kole von Brown, and had a son called Joshua!" "A fraud huh?" Klaus thought. "Joshua? Never heard of him either."

"Really now? Well, guess what?! He's alive today, right in front of you, beside that house!" Klaus squinted his eyes to look at the house the old man pointed at and saw a shadow quickly duck.

"Is this fellow genuinely concealing himself from me?" Klaus thinks of himself as intelligent, and occasionally speaks eloquently to impress people. The old man was moderately stunned.

"Well, what does this, 'Joshua' do for you folks?" Klaus had originally come just to see the sorry state of the town and build up some popularity (which always fails), but the old man had piqued his interest.

*Reaper - Royal Government

End Chapter 1

Start Chapter 2.