Onwards

The sun poured in through the window as I opened my eyes. I woke up thinking everything was going to be the same, but reality always finds a way to break delusions.

It was only yesterday that I went fishing with my sister. Only yesterday, when I told her to wait for me while I brought baskets. Only yesterday… I found her note.

“Dear Amano, by the time you are reading this, I will have departed Maris. You will have many questions as to why I did this, but I had no other alternative. The arrival of the sage revealed to me secrets that I had never known to exist. Secrets that belonged to my father. Secrets I wish I had never learned about.

I won’t reveal more than what I need you to know. Just know that… your family is the reason for why I have lived this life the way I did so far. I wholeheartedly hope to never see or hear from you ever again.”

Perplexed, confused, anxious, heartbroken are just some ways I could describe myself right now. What was it that she learned from the sage? Did she hate me? Love me? Pity me? What caused her to abandon me? I wanted to know. More than anything, I wanted to see her and ask her myself. Why did you do it? What is it that you are hiding from me?

Most of all, who are my family and where are they?

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I began packing my bags and the supplies I would need for the journey. I said my farewells and left the village.

Maris. The village where I grew up. Never once did I step foot outside the village. Now, there was a whole new journey out there for me.

A journey of truth.

One... that could change everything for me forever.

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“MOVE!!!”

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Drenched in sweat, I awoke from my nightmare. The nightmare that has plagued me for as long as I can remember. A woman’s scream. A shrilling scream. Nothing more. If there is something more there, I do not remember. I never understood why I had the same nightmare every time I sleep. Nightmares tend to be different for everyone. They may have a deeper meaning behind them or they may just be a product of one’s reality. My reality has never been so bad that I would be subjected to a nightmare such as this, every time. What if there is a deeper meaning to this nightmare? What if-

Knock knock.

“Sir, your time is almost up. It will be 5 bronze for another 6 hours.”

“Almost done”

Leaping out of the bed, I quickly began packing my belongings. I happened to take a look at the window and it was already morning. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell the time in this room since it lacked a clock.

Once I was done with my packing, I left the room and began making my way to the reception desk.

“Psst! You there.”

I turned around to see a man peeking his head out from the room opposite to mine.

“Me?” I pointed at myself.

“Yeah you. Listen, this is going to sound very strange, but there is a box under the reception desk. Discreetly, open it and take its contents.”

Blank. What?

“I knew this would be strange! Listen, what is in that box is of the utmost importance to you. I am not allowed to divulge more than that. Now go!”

He goes back in his room and slams the door shut.

Discreet yet he slams the door…

I felt like he was jesting with me. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t hurt to at least look under the reception desk.

Making my way to the reception desk, I find the spot to be empty. Just to confirm, I took a look at the clock and it was 7:00 am. This doesn’t make sense. How is no one at the reception desk at this time? Still, it was beneficial for me.

“Well, here goes nothing.”

I looked under the desk and sure enough, a box wrapped in red and black paper was there. As I went to open the box, I stopped to think what could be so important that it required absolute discretion?

Shrugging away my thoughts, I opened the box. It housed a chain. The kind that is used to fasten a prison cart to a minotaur.

“Why would I need this?”

Out of nowhere, the chain jumped at my right hand and coiled itself as tightly as it could. I pulled on it hard while I began to panic. Suddenly, the chain had spikes emerging from within it. The spikes tore through my skin and cut at my flesh.

“AHHHHHH!!! GET IT OFF!!! GET IT OFF!!!” Immense pain would be an understatement to describe the level of pain I was suffering.

I was screaming to get this wretched thing off my hand.

Smack!

I feel a brute force hit the back of my head. Thoughts began to run through my head as I hit the ground with a searing pain.

Would I live? Would I die? I couldn’t tell. 

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I slowly opened my eyes. A wooden ceiling above me. I sat up and found myself on a bed. Neatly made. A red blanket adorned the white sheets. One pillow which nestled my head just a few seconds ago. I looked around and saw that I was in a room. The walls were white and looked majestic. A red carpet covered the entirety of the floor. A dresser opposite to the bed. A cupboard next to the dresser. Two bedside drawers with the one to my right consisting of a lamp. The lamp looked antique. Two doors to the room. No idea where they led. I tried to recollect how I got here. I remembered the searing pain of the spiked chain and reflexively checked my hand. The marks were there, but there was no pain. How long was I out for? The big question was where I had found myself. From the reception of the inn to this fancy room. What had transpired in the time I was out?

Suddenly, one of the doors to the room opened. A woman emerged. If I could describe her, it would be that she looked like royalty. Dressed in red with a black fur collar. A necklace made of pyro crystals. I could tell since the crystals had streaks of red that were in motion. Her hair was the same color as mine, red. Her face looked as if it was sculpted to perfection. Her eyes resembling the gaze of a vixen. Her pupils were red as well. She walked up to me and said something that I had no expectations of hearing from her.

“Welcome home, son.”

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