After walking some distance, Lucy finally realized that everyone was heading toward the light.
With every step she took, the beauty of the surrounding nature left her in awe.
All of a sudden, her eyes fell upon Elrian, who was walking right beside her.
Around his neck, a marking was engraved the image of a falcon.
Startled, Lucy's gaze quickly shifted toward her mother's neck.
On her mother's neck, a marking of a fire dragon was engraved.
As she walked, Lucy couldn't help but wonder what these strange marks were meant to signify.
There were more than a hundred people walking together. Along the path they traveled, towering mountains that seemed to touch the sky loomed in the distance.
They continued their journey for quite some time. After that long walk, they finally arrived at their destination.
In front of Lucy stood a massive gate. Its uppermost point seemed to pierce the very sky, so high that she could not see its end.
Unlike the place where she had been living, this was entirely different. Instead of wood, the gate was crafted out of dazzling gemstones.
As she gazed at it in awe, a sudden change occurred
right in the center of the gate, an eye appeared.
It watched intently, observing every single person standing outside.
After some time, the eye vanished. Lucy stood there, staring in astonishment.
Meanwhile, the massive gate slowly began to open. It was only then that she noticed the words inscribed upon it. Lucy read them silently in her mind:
"LUMINA VEIL."
All of this was being carefully observed by her younger brother, Elrian. He was wondering what exactly was happening to his sister. From his expression, it was as if he were seeing all of this for the very first time.
Above them, the radiant light could now be clearly seen by Lucy.
They passed through the gate and continued walking a little further. They had arrived before a grand palace. There were no soldiers or servants standing guard at the palace gates.
The hundred or so people who had come along immediately began taking up different tasks.
Lucy was assigned the duty of cleaning the palace pillars.
It was then that she understood everyone had come here for the sake of working.
Yet, the questions weighed heavily on her mind: Who was the king of this palace. And what was that radiant light.
Lucy soon realized that every single person here possessed some sort of supernatural power.
Yet, what puzzled her was why none of them used those powers for the heavy labor they were doing.
She wanted to ask Elrian about it, but since he already seemed to carry doubts of his own, she decided not to sharpen his suspicions any further. She kept the question locked within her heart.
For hours, they continued working around the palace.
Meanwhile, the brilliant light in the sky slowly began to fade, and dusk crept in.
Then, a loud siren suddenly echoed across the air.
The moment they heard it, everyone instantly stopped their work. After that, all of them were gathered together.
From beyond the grand entrance, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard.
Lucy stood right at the front row.
The massive door slowly creaked open.
From within emerged a towering figure.
The man's attire was dazzling an ornate robe woven with gold and encrusted with precious gems.
His hair was long, flowing down like silver strands of moonlight, yet his eyes radiated a chilling aura of fear.
Unlike the hundred others around, his body was far more imposing, larger and broader.
The ends of his luxurious garment dragged across the floor as he walked forward.
The moment they saw him, everyone bowed their heads low.
Lucy instantly realized this was the King of the castle.
Yet, she noticed something strange. Despite being a king, he wore no crown upon his head.
At that moment, the King raised his hand and made a gesture.
As soon as the crowd saw it, they all lifted their heads again.
Suddenly, a vessel appeared in his hand its entire surface gleaming with the luster of gold.
The King slipped his hand inside the vessel and pulled out a scroll.
Unrolling it, he began to read.
"Daryon."
It was the name of someone among the gathered crowd.
At once, the man who bore that name began to sweat profusely. Lucy's mind was in turmoil, unable to comprehend what was unfolding before her eyes.
Suddenly, not far away, a massive circle materialized out of thin air.
The man whose name had been called Daryon began walking toward it. His legs wavered, unable to stay firm on the ground. His knees knocked against each other, trembling uncontrollably.
The King, in a single motion, stripped away his robe. In the blink of an eye, he teleported directly into the circle.
The rest of the crowd quickly gathered around the glowing boundary, forming a ring of spectators.
Another deafening siren blared across the space.
Lucy's gaze fell on the king's neck. She could see a chilling symbol on it. The image of a skull.
Daryon, shaking but resolute, suddenly summoned supernatural energy into his hands.
In an instant, the King vanished from where he stood and reappeared right beside him.
The King's lips curled into a sinister smile as he gazed at his trembling opponent.
He raised his hands high behind him, and a swirling black halo took shape between his palms.
Then, with overwhelming speed and force, the King struck Daryon's head.
The impact was so devastating that his neck snapped, bones bursting outward. Blood sprayed violently from the wound.
In both hands, the King once again conjured black halos and, moving faster than the eye could follow, landed another brutal blow directly to Daryon's face.
The instant he pulled his hand back, Daryon's head separated from his body, tumbling down to the ground.
With a casual motion, the King teleported backward, retreating from the circle.
Lucy's entire body trembled as she watched the gruesome scene unfold.
Yet to her shock, not a single trace of emotion could be seen on the faces of those around her.
Even her younger brother, Elryan, stood silently his expression utterly blank, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. A few people stepped forward and lifted the headless body. Then, without hesitation, they began to walk away.
The rest of the crowd followed behind them.
Lucy struggled to catch her breath, each inhale heavy and uneven.
Her eyes darted back toward the castle one more time. The grand structure stood empty, silent yet the radiant light still blazed above it, casting its glow across the skies.
Soon, they arrived at the front of the gate, dragging the body.
Out of the emptiness, small pouches suddenly materialized into each of their hands.
Curious, Lucy opened it and looked inside.
Coins.
She realized instantly it was payment, their wages for the work they had done.
A deafening rumble followed as the massive gate began to open once more.
Everyone began walking back the same way they had come.
The headless body was carried by five men from the group together.
Looking at it, Lucy felt nothing but fear.
By the time evening arrived, they had all returned to their own place.
Lucy, Elrian, and their mother reached the front of their own house.
.....
Without the slightest delay, they entered the house and closed the door.
There was not a single expression on their faces.
Without them noticing, Lucy slipped outside.
The light in the distance had now faded greatly.
At that moment, a voice was heard from the next house.
Lucy understood immediately that the call was meant for her.
She quickly turned her gaze in that direction.
It was an old woman.
Lucy went toward her.
In her house, there was only the old woman.
She was sitting on a rocking chair.
Lucy came closer to her.
"How was your day today, Lucy "
From those words, Lucy understood that the old woman already knew who she was. Yet, this was the very first time Lucy had ever seen her.
"Nothing new happened," Lucy replied, speaking as if she already knew.
But after a brief moment of hesitation, she decided to speak the truth.
"I don't remember who I am, where I came from, or what this place is. This morning, when I woke up, I somehow found myself here. Grandma, I need your help. Please explain to me what exactly is happening in this place."
"What are you saying. You mean you don't remember anything… Have you gone insane, Lucy " the old woman asked, utterly confused.
"I am not insane. What I said is the truth I really don't remember anything. I don't know who I am, or what is happening here. If you can, please explain everything to me. I'll give you anything in return."
The old woman fell into deep thought. After a short pause, she finally answered.
"Fine, I'll believe you. But I won't give you this information for free. You must hand over your entire day's wages to me."
Without a second thought, Lucy agreed.
"Ask me what you want to know. If it's within my knowledge, I'll tell you."
"What is that light,Where does it come from? Who exactly are we,What does the king inside that palace actually do,What kind of person is he,Today, I saw the king take a man's head with my own eyes why did he do that " Lucy poured out all her questions in a single breath.
Hearing this, the grandmother gave a faint smile.
"That light… that is our sun. It is what grants us daytime. Its name is "The Great Light". Its radiance comes from the palace. That light itself is the king's crown."
"We are his slaves. That light… he subdued it and took it into his possession. That is why, for us, the king himself is the light we live under. For his sake, we must work every single day.
And what you saw today… that sight is nothing unusual. It happens regularly. Once every week, the king engages in battle with one among us."
"Then what happens to the body". she interrupted, asking in between.
"Oh, that We cook the corpse and serve it to him. It is said this is done so that no curse will ever befall the king." The old woman spoke with chilling calmness, as though it was the most ordinary thing in the world.
Lucy's mind reeled. She could hardly believe what she had just heard.
"My real name is Angel, isn't it? Then why is everyone calling me Lucy".Lucy asked her next question.
"If I am to tell you about that, you must first know a few things. This is a small island, surrounded only by the vast sea. Long ago, some people tried to venture across the waters to see if there were any other islands beyond this ocean. But none of them ever returned. The people here believe that terrifying monsters and countless dangers lurk in the sea. So, no one has dared to leave this place since.
This island is known as The Luminous Isle. Everything here is bathed in light. And that great gate, people call it the Celestial Gate.
'I once saw a word written on that gate… Lumina Veil. At the time, I thought that was its name. What was it really."
'Didn't you notice the eye there?' the old woman replied softly. 'That is its name. It is the Gatekeeper. Now you understand.'
The girl nodded slowly.
The grandmother continued speaking.
'When a child is born here, a name descends upon them. And it is the child themselves who utters it first. So, the name you spoke at your birth was Angel. But there is a problem with that name… it carries a history of its own.'"
"When he defeated the Light and claimed it for himself, a prophecy was inscribed into history: A child would be born who would one day overthrow the King in battle. That child's name is Angel which means you.
Since then, the King has upheld a cruel custom. Each week, one person is chosen and killed. Once, this island had more than ten thousand people… but now, only a little more than a hundred remain. If this continues, everyone here will eventually perish."
Hearing this, she felt as though she were reading a novel come to life.
"To keep the King from discovering that you are the prophesied child, your name was changed to Lucy. One day, you will face him in battle. If you defeat him, peace will finally return to this land.
But that time has not yet come. You are only twelve years old. Until you reach eighteen, your supernatural powers will not fully awaken within your body."
"Does everyone here have a mark like this" Lucy asked, showing the strange symbol etched upon her neck to the old woman.
"That mark represents your supernatural power," the grandmother replied. "It is called The Anima Code. Each symbol signifies a living being. I, too, bear one."
She lowered her collar, revealing the mark upon her own neck shaped like a human-faced wolf. Then, just as quickly, she covered it again with her garments.
"There is only one person here who has lived past the trials and that person is me. I alone survived because the king has never once spoken my name. Until the age of fifty, every one of us must work for him. After that, we are forbidden to set foot inside the palace. That is how I escaped the ritual. Do you have any other questions, child?"
"Yes… Tell me, what language are we speaking? And what is the king's true name?"
"No one knows his real name," the old woman answered gravely. "We became his slaves the moment he defeated our god the Great Light. Legends whisper that he is not from this island at all. Where he came from, none can say. As for our language, it is called Velranthic. Long ago, it was the tongue spoken between the Great Light and the other gods who stood beside Him. Over centuries it has changed, and what we speak now is its remnant. I have told you all I know. I have nothing more to give."
Hearing this, Lucy quietly handed the satchel she carried to the old woman keeping her promise. She thanked her, then rose to leave.
"Lucy…" the old woman called softly. "The one you must defeat is not of this world. He came from the very pits of Hell. You hold nothing now but he wields both darkness and light, for he has conquered them both. Never forget this."
Lucy bowed her head in gratitude, then turned toward her home. Every word the grandmother had spoken echoed like thunder in her heart, filling her mind with awe and dread alike.
To be continued.....