'Dark… Cold… Quiet… Wet.'
Fallen on the ground, a strangely pleasant smell hung in the air, my clothes completely soaked. I looked back. In the distance, the sacred door was closed. Far away, a blue beacon caught my attention. Countless eyes were watching it from that side—black shadows with lifeless white eyes.
'Does she want to find me again?' he pondered as he tried to decipher why he had come here. His memories of what had preceded his arrival were somewhat confused, and as he tried to remember what had happened, he realized he was becoming more and more lost. Even his name and identity began to blur as he moved toward the darkness.
A loud bang was heard in the once-silent place. When he tried to trace the source of the sound, he noticed that the sacred door, which had always remained closed for eternity, was now open, its glow inviting anyone who wanted to uncover its mysteries to venture in.
A part of him instinctively rejected that door; the false hope it had given him before had bred great insecurity. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, pretending not to see it, heading instead toward the familiar darkness.
'I will never again fall for the lies of this place and these people!'
He was startled when he noticed golden threads wrapping around his arms and legs, trying to drag him toward the sacred door. With no choice, he tried to resist as much as he could. He knew what was on the other side; he had crossed it once or twice before and never liked what he saw—many screams coming from there.
He tried to resist as much as he could, but with no chance of success, he ended up being dragged through it. On the other side, a hot sun awaited him, the screams growing louder. He put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes as tightly as he could, refusing to see or hear it again.
However… something was different this time. The heat was not unbearable, and the screams did not seem so cruel. Slowly opening his eyes, still afraid and trembling at what he might see there, he saw a tree above him, its leaves gently swaying in the sparse wind; the weather was dry. He briefly stood up and continued to observe the smallest details of the place.
'A park? That wasn't what was behind the door…'
He tried to find the source of the screams he had long heard, and his sight was surprised.
'Children???'
Light had long been surprised when he saw any trace of another human, but right here were children running, jumping, and screaming. This scene was mystical to him; most would never understand the beauty of it.
'I never imagined there would be so many of them gathered in one place! It might take some time, but this could be enough to save our species!'
He kept watching as he formulated plans to get them out of there as quickly as possible to a safe place, worried that some threat might soon descend upon everyone there. He shook his head and looked for adults. Children never survived on their own; they were too weak and dependent, especially in a world where even an ant could kill them in terrible ways.
A woman was nearby, dressed like a nun, a cross hanging from her neck as she watched the children running back and forth. He quickly approached her, ready to try and understand how this was even possible. Light, more than anyone, understood the limitations of humans—they had absolutely no power.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The sister soon saw him approaching and happily tried to strike up a conversation. Light looked at the children like a rare animal trafficker, while the lady saw them as shining jewels with great future potential.
She wanted to keep them safe, protect them from the wind and rain, and, over time, refine and polish these young talents. However, he wanted to get them out of there as quickly as possible, put them in a cage, and shield them from any interaction with the outside world.
"It is certainly one of the most beautiful scenes of my life." The lady laughed, seeing Light's admiration for the scene.
"What brings you here?"
"I accidentally stumbled here and ended up making a great discovery. I didn't think we could still see scenes like these" he referred to the fact that there were no more humans around.
"Certainly, with the advent of technology, these scenes have become increasingly rare. But although I like and appreciate it, I certainly understand the problem here." Light frowned, trying to understand what kind of problem a scene like this could bring.
While looking around, he noticed some specific children. There was a girl gathering children for a game; she seemed to lead everyone wherever she went. Even if she had never killed anyone, she certainly carried a certain aura. She was blonde, her eyes a deep blue, and she wore twin tails in her hair.
Far from that scene, leaning against a tree, another similar child rested while reading a book. Light could see the title and found it somewhat amusing; the boy was reading a book on contemporary magic, the kind that never served any purpose. These books didn't teach about mana or any real mystical content; they were made of ancient knowledge and mainly relied on the power of belief.
He occasionally took his eyes off the book and glanced at the girl and the other children, but he would get nervous and prefer to return to reading.
"The twins seem to have caught your attention" the nun remarked with her refreshing voice.
"They look like you, though their hair and eyes are of a different color. Are you related to them?"
"No, I don't think so. This scene brings me some nostalgia; I remember my childhood—well, I think everyone does at times like this." Finally, trying to get to the main topic, he questioned.
"Sister, it's been a while since I've seen other people, let alone children. Could you tell me where they come from?" The nun was watching from afar as a child had just fallen, his knee scraped, and he was crying. The blonde girl who was leading them immediately stopped the game to tend to him. Although she was worried, she was calm about the situation.
The nun calmly went to the spot, her steps calm and serene, almost like a flower.
"These children come from many different places; some are orphans while others were sent by their parents to participate…" As she applied a bandage to him, she continued:
"Have you, by any chance, heard of the White Tower?"