【 CHAPTER 1: A YOUNG CHILD 】

{・SOMEWHERE・CURRENT YEAR・POV ???・}

They were precious to me. They were the only ones who I saw as family. The happiness I felt seeing everyone together again couldn’t be described with just words. I couldn’t even feel the pain of my wounds, I was that happy. Reunited, it felt like I could do anything. This meant every one had survived the last trials. Yes, this is it, we can do it! The time finally came for us to rule and change the world that hurt us, just a little bit more-

“HNG! AGHH!!”

We all looked at our friend who suddenly collapsed to the ground. It seemed like he was in excruciating pain.

“Alrighty buddy stop joking around, we finally got to where we are-”

“RUN! AGH-”

Our friend coughed up blood. It was not a joke. A few of us rapidly approached our friend to assist him, at least that was the idea. I’m exhausted so I just examined him from afar.

Where is it? Where was he injured?, I thought to myself.

“IT’S A TRAP! WE’RE TRAPPED! IT WAS ALL A TRICK!”

As our friend finished his sentence, he went silent, then it occurred. Berserking.

“NO, NO, NO!” Another of our friends fell to their knees next to me, panicking at the situation. I knew right away this whole scene was dangerous for us to see. Not because we don’t have enough manpower to stop our friend from going berserk, but because of our exhausted mental state of mind. What we need right now is each other. I hurriedly tried to comfort the friend near me who is panicking, but I paused as a shiver went through my whole body.

“Time is ticking.”

A deep and husky voice echoed inside my mind. I stopped and stood there in shock. More sweat ran down my neck.

TSK, I thought this voice had disappeared, but it was watching me all this time. No… not just me, IT is watching all of us… through me.. ?!

I stared blankly into space as I am, once again, being haunted by this voice. I silently panicked looking at the rest of my friends trying to stop our berserking friend. That’s when I realized we were lied to. THEY were lied to, and it was too late… but not for me…

Haha… I’M THE CHOSEN ONE! I’M THE CHOSEN ONE! I’M THE CHOSEN-

“It will be okay.” My best friend hugged me tightly. She seemed too calm. Did she even care? What’s going on? My mind… it’s collapsing, everything is collapsing.

I laughed hysterically and I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to, but I couldn't. Something is inside me, but there was nothing I could do. All I felt was the warmth of my best friend holding me down in a hug. She whispered words of comfort, but I couldn't hear them anymore. Everything was a blur.

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Then everything went pitch black.

I can’t see. I had thought I became blind from being mentally drained. I stood up, and took a step forward. It seemed like I was alone in this empty space, until my best friend showed up out of nowhere scaring the living soulcore out of me. “Heinzelle!” A sigh of relief came out of me after yelling her name. Although I was frightened, Zelle’s appearance made me relaxed.

Her facial expression made things clear right away, which made me realize that we are all still in danger. I wish I could stay in this dark place forever, even when everything is pitch black, it somehow feels calming to be here.

“We don’t have much time.” She rushed towards me and held my hands, “It will not hear us here, I promise you that, can you trust me?”

・∘ ◉ ∘・

“Trust me…?” Muttered the young child in her sleep. The sound of gravel echoed in through the girl’s beastly kitsune ears making it twitch. The struggling caravan jostled along the bumpy road, serving as an alarm that awoke everyone aboard.

The girl slowly woke up, slightly stretching as she welcomed patches of sunlight that came through the windows. She fixed herself and sat up straight to look presentable just like how she was taught, but her own actions made her question herself. She didn’t need to look presentable in a caravan. The young girl pondered about it while she looked around only to be distracted by her surroundings.

The caravan was full of different beings: Humans, Skyfolks, Fae and Demon Descendants. Eating, sleeping, chatting, the people in the caravan were busy in their own world. Traveling to who knows where, everyone in this ride has the same goal in mind, and that is to start a new life somewhere. Anywhere, as long as it was not the place they were initially in.

The young child was, of course, cautious, but also amazed by her surroundings. No one even questioned her, but herself. Am I… finally free?

The girl kept scanning inside the ride with eyes that wanted to know more. She then glanced at the window in front of her. Curious, the child turned around to face the window behind her, and peeked through, greeting a bright scenery. Squinting her eyes from the light of the Sun, she groaned with furrowed eyebrows, then closed the window. The child smiled yet it faded right away. She let out a sigh as she sat up properly facing forward.

How ironic for that deity to be defeated when chaos is a norm in this world, she thought, remembering a story she was told about. Suddenly the wooden vehicle made an abrupt stop making the passengers jerk in their seats. “Here we go again,” the young girl murmured as if she knew what was about to happen. Loud shrieks came from outside of the caravan along with weapons clashing. The vehicle shook and blood splattered through the window, yet no one was panicking. With an expression that seemed like she was about to get scolded, the child looked down at her feet where her shadow was wriggling about trying to get her attention. A rough voice whispered to her, “I told you we should have just gone through the forest.”

She glared at the shadow for a good minute, then sank into her seat trying to ignore the ruckus outside, waiting for it to pass.

“I just wanted to experience riding a caravan though,” the young child whined.

This world may be chaotic, but it’s home to everyone born in it, that’s including me…

After a while of waiting the sound of fighting stopped, and the driver spoke through the little window between the driver’s seat and the passengers. “Sorry for the delay everyone, we have some good news and bad news, which would you all like to hear?” Everyone glanced at each other and in unison some answered “good news” and “bad news”.

“Well good news, we can continue our journey to the capital,” the driver replied hesitantly. “Bad news… is that we have to make a stop at the nearest town to make repairs for the caravan.” Some passengers complained, and some stayed silent not caring.

The girl just sat there observing everyone and the scene inside the ride. Then she felt something at her feet again. The child looked down at her shadow and was met with a grin. The rough voice of the creature whispered, “We are definitely...getting off this vehicle when we reach that town.” After hearing this from her companion, she made a pouting expression that hinted at wanting to keep riding the caravan. “Can I be selfish during this time?” The girl asked. “No,” the creature said firmly. “Not about this, kiddo.”

The young child wanted to say more, but instead nodded and properly sat back into her seat. The shadow danced around her feet not knowing that the girl was cursing it with her own made up words.

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