Act I: Kingdom of Nobodies
Chapter I: Is It Ordinary To Be Reborn?
Sarah Taylor had always been an ordinary girl. She lived in a tragically pitiful way – quiet and consistently unremarkable. There was nothing special about her, nothing that mattered. She hadn't wanted to be this way, not at all. But she had grown to expect it long ago. She lived an ordinary life in an ordinary town and an ordinary family. Sarah Taylor was truly ordinary. She was nothing more, nothing less.
Sarah was born as the second oldest of four children, held between her older sister Jane and her twin younger brothers, David and Jack. She hadn't been an exceptional older sister, nor a bad one. She was simply average.
Jane, on the other hand, was everything that Sarah had ever aspired to be: kind, beautiful, intelligent, and effortlessly charismatic... She was amazing. Sarah idolized Jane, placing her upon a pedestal one could only ever dream of reaching. Whenever Sarah's self confidence fractured, Jane had been there to piece her back together... Even after all that had happened, she continued to feel that way.
Her parents were also amazing, caring without asking anything in return. Her mother and father never fought and held together a beautiful marriage. They had supported their family through trying times, even when a favorable outcome seemed like the least possible future. And for that, she could never be grateful enough.
Sarah's family was all that she could ever ask for. They were the world to her. And she would have done anything, anything, to protect them.
In school, Sarah had never been the top of her class, but she wasn't at the bottom. She simply, averagely got by. And that was okay for her. She didn't strive for brilliance, and even if she had, it would never have been within her reach.
Sarah's occasional moments of spotlight meant everything to her. Whether it was something of matter like winning MVP in her high school varsity volleyball final or something insignificant such as being the fastest typer in her family, it mattered not to her. The only thing Sarah truly cared for was attention, nothing more and nothing less.
And then there was Jacob Delap.
Handsome. Kind. Popular. Everything she wasn't – just like her sister. And yet, he had still chosen her. Loved her. At least, for a time. He was her anchor in the hell that had become her crumbling world.
The end of her life had been nothing but suffering. Teachers became cold. Friends distanced themselves. Everything she had in life was stolen from her. It wasn't as though she didn't deserve it, her greed and selfishness the cause of her misery. But the worst part was dragging her loved ones into her punishment. That was her greatest regret, the one thing she could never forgive.
And so, after twenty years of life, the end of Sarah Taylor had finally arrived.
It was a conclusion that truly fit her, a death that completely matched her character. If nothing else, she could rest easily knowing that she had given it her all.
But death wasn't the end.
***
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
Over and over, the words echoed in my head. A cry to the heavens that received nothing of answer.
The pain was beyond description – stuffy, searing, suffocating. A pain someone who had not experienced would have no means of understanding. It didn't simply hurt me physically, it engraved itself into my soul.
"Why does it have to be me who suffers?! Why does it have to be me who sacrifices their life for another's?! If I had known it would kill me, would I still have done it?! There was no way I would have! There was no way I would hold another person's life over my own!"
The pain didn't fade. It simply vanished as I fell into complete darkness. I had long since closed my eyes so as to not have to bear witness the state of my failing body, yet this held a different sense of isolation.
No light. No sound. No air. No feeling.
No Sarah Taylor.
I drifted in an immeasurable void without time, without thought, without form. My body was gone. My memories were slipping. I fought to hold onto something, anything, but even the image of my family was beginning to blur.
Nothing could compare to this pain. I could see yet there was nothing to look upon. I could hear yet there was nothing to listen to. I could smell yet there was nothing to breathe. I could taste yet there was nothing to eat. I could touch yet there was nothing, nothing at all.
"I'll remember," I whispered in my mind. "If I remember, I'll remain sane."
So I began to count upon the past.
One memory. Two memories. Three…
Thousands of memories. Millions more.
Yet no time had passed at all – nothing had changed. Everything was as it was.
Until-
There was light.
Blinding and brilliant. Warm, but not burning
It called to me. It called upon my name.
I attempted to reach out. I had no hands.
Then came a voice. Not that of a man. Not that of a woman. Not that of a human. It simply was.
"Do you understand your place, girl?"
The voice echoed through me, violating its way inside.
"Do you like it here, girl? Would you like to continue on in this plane of nothingness?"
The voice questioned me. It pried for an answer I couldn't give. I screamed my response into the void. Yet no voice came. Only desperation for I was no longer an existence, only left as a memory of what used to be.
"I hear your thoughts, your wishes. If you must walk, then I shall grant you legs. If you must breathe, then I shall grant you a throat. If you must think, then I shall grant you a mind. If you must live, then I shall grant you a heart. If you must be, then I shall grant you that."
Time after time, the voice answered my unspoken hope, granting me everything I desired. I felt what could only be a body form around my soul. The light reflected someone, someone that could only be me.
This was that of my new body. It wasn't that of the original. It was not Sarah Taylor. It was not me.
In place of once short, messy brown hair was long, beautiful golden blonde locks. It flowed from my head to the length of my lower back. Previously round brown eyes were replaced with that of piercing blue crystals, sharp cheekbones to match. Slender and graceful was the body, far more beautiful than that I had ever known. But it was not mine.
Suddenly, it began to shrink. Not only in size, but age as well. It went from that of around twenty-five until nothing more than a newborn. Slowly, this body was reduced to near nothing.
"Why give me a new body only to take it away?"
"Prepare, girl, for this is your reality. However, in return-"
"In return what?!" My thoughts cried, begging for an answer. "What do you want from me?!"
The light began to dissipate, along with the voice. This body began to slowly disintegrate… No, it was beginning to truly take form.
It would soon begin.
My new life.
"You will restore the sun."
"Restore the sun?! What the hell does that mean?! How the hell am I supposed to do that if you don't tell me what needs to be done?!" I waited, prayed for one final answer – granted none. In replacement for the words I begged to hear, utter darkness was all that followed the vanishing of the light.
I waited moments in silence, waiting alone in this senseless reality. Boredom wouldn't fight me as no thoughts crossed my mind. The instructions I needed didn't exist, and so I was hopeless. The ember ignited in my soul was slowly beginning to diminish. But-
Darkness. Then crying.
My cries.
My tiny, helpless body wailed, unfamiliar and uncontrollable.
"Am I crying…?"
I was.
I attempted to open my eyes yet met no avail. I tried once more. Again, I was greeted with shameful defeat.
Surrounding me, the sound of doctors moving equipment flooded my ears. However, louder than that of footsteps and transportation was a gentle yet powerful laughter. The masculine laugh bore the richness of someone who didn't hold care for a single thing in the world.
I've always hated people such as that, those who act in a way that screams to say the world is perfect along with themselves. It had been because of my own actions once that I began to feel such anger towards the like. Someone who bears no worries or responsibilities is someone who doesn't deserve happiness or prosperity. Just the thought of who I was sickens me to my very core.
Multiple minutes passed prior to the sound of a large door shut and silence to follow. At the very least, near silence. The sweet sound of a woman's whispers flowed gently through my ears, reminiscent to that of a melody. The whispers continued yet they left me with a sense of confusion. I couldn't understand the meaning of the words.
"I can't understand them!" Panic gripped at me as I thrashed about, fighting the helplessness of the situation. "I don't understand!' My tiny body shook in the arms of that who held me. A new wave of tears began to stream from my eyes as I came to the realization that I was alone, venting my sorrow and frustrations into violence.
Of course, no child has the ability to speak from birth. Yet, for whatever reason, I had believed that I would be special, granted superior abilities to all. It was a selfish ideology that made this discovery all the more heartbreaking. I would have to start from zero, be the same as others and learn the world once more.
The gentle hands that were caressing me began a tender attempt at calming me down. Whether it was rubbing my small back or the undecipherable promises forced upon me, it slowly worked to put me at rest. There was an air of familiarity and nostalgia that came with the touch, one that reminded me of childhood – of my mother.
Somehow, my new mother had already managed to calm me down. It was truly magic. I felt like that of my original mother. "I want to see her… I want to see who my new mother is." I attempted to open my eyes once again, yet met nothing but failure. I tried again. And again. And again. I dreamed of seeing my mother, wanting to know how she looked, who she was. After who knows how many attempts, my tiny eyes began to open slowly, beginning to take in the world around me.
The room glowed a shining stream of prosperity. Whether it was the dome built of glistering stained glass or the golden light from the radiating candles, the room was the definition of privileged. Reminiscent memories of museumized castle grounds flooded my thoughts – attractions that would bring tourists streaming through its luxurious halls.
Each wall was painted a deep royal blue, complimenting the light of gold majestically. Although the tones of the chamber were that of royalty – a far throw from my familiarity of edgy and dark. Gothic stood alone as the one word to describe the chamber. Between the pointed arch doors or patterned stained glass, it was truly the definition of the word.
However, eye catching was not respectful enough to describe what drew my attention – that which had been the origin of my efforts. For it was that of the face belonging to a beautiful young blonde woman that held me, her hair flowing as though it were that of silk. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. If I was asked to infer her age, my answer would reach no higher than twenty.
Upon noticing the sight of me peeking, my mother began to giddily smile, stroking my soft cheeks with her gentle thumbs. Priceless giggles spilled from her lips as she drew someone towards us. Strong footsteps echoed through the stone floor, approaching in steady strides. My mother nuzzled her cheek against mine, clearly attempting to keep my attention on her. The cuteness of the scene stood only to make my grin brighter
The face of a powerful looking man appeared near that of my mothers, causing her to tense slightly. He boasted short, spiky brown hair leading into a sharp beard that topped off his muscular, masculine appearance well. King was the only word that could accurately depict him – sapphire and gold robes swaying beneath him as he crouched down to be on my level.
Shallow words were traded between them both before the man, my father, lowered himself so as to carry me. His hands were large and thick, aligning with the rest of his appearance and attitude. As he brought me to his face, his gaze against mine was so harsh that it made me shiver. My mother giggled once more, making a comment to which my father merely scoffed at, yet he could not help but hold a smirk as he returned his attention to me.
Minutes of idle chatter and passing me between them went by, but I still hadn't managed to understand but a single word that left their mouths. That was the truth until my mother started to point and name things around.
Her teaching journey began by pointing selfward, telling me "mama", fortunately the same as I knew it to be. She continued on in the same manner, flinging her finger around playfully. It landed upon my father as well as many parts of the room. Comprehension of this new language already felt impossible as I rarely understood a word uttered from her peachy lips.
Following her little adventure, a fingertip tenderly met my tiny chest, a cooing smile peering at me. My mothers expression momentarily lagged, becoming somber as she whispered a gentle promise in my ear. The grin returned after that momentary disturbance, yet not holding the same sincerity as before. She lifted her finger once more, hovering it before my face.
A single word, a single name escaped her.
"Amarinda"
Although I should have felt joy at discovering my new name, something akin to goosebumps crawled down the length of my miniature body – leaving me both on edge and slightly disoriented.
My vision blurred, the world becoming darker than before. As I attempted to restore my vision, something obscure flowed into view. Parallel from the bed we were perched atop, a man in a black priest outfit stood watching. His face was covered by a thick, dark veil woven with bright words from an unfamiliar alphabet.
I shook in a panic, attempting to alert my parents of the threat, to which they either couldn't see or did not care about. I wasn't sure which situation scared me more as the man began to reveal a dark staff bearing a large ring at its tip, carrying several smaller circlets hanging within. The staff slammed into the tiled floor – glistening metallic liquid beginning to pour from the rod.
Blood. The liquid was blood.
His body crumbled beneath him, the same gold blood leaking from each of his facial features. Had I been in better control of my body, I doubt I'd have the ability to prevent myself from vomiting. Choked breaths spilled from his shattered throat, words to soon come after them. I needed to look away, to watch anything other than this, yet I couldn't. It was drawing me in. Once more, the pain of the guttural sound violated my ears..
"Amarinda Anderfell. Do not forget your purpose in this world. The sun has brought you for a reason, a goal you must accomplish. Do well not to forget your place."
Upon leaving his final words, the man clad in black evaporated into gold blood, exiting this new world.