A black fog obscured vision, the drizzle of rain making everything even more ominous... What was happening?
The sound of footsteps from several people, the sound of quick footsteps... Or were they running?
Huh... Huh...
The sound of panting in the midst of the fog, why?
The man leaned his body against the wall of a house. Exhausted. Utterly spent.
Tap tap tap
The footsteps drew closer, like the sound of a tiger hunting its prey.
The man pushed himself up and continued his escape.
"Stop!"
One of the pursuers yelled in his direction.
But the man paid no heed.
His steps were slowing, he no longer had the strength... to run.
While the footsteps chasing him grew ever nearer.
His survival instinct screamed at him to run again. He forced himself to keep fleeing, even though he was completely drained.
But...
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Hot lead was fired, striking straight through his heart.
His eyes widened, as if the angel of death stood before him. His blood spilled onto the ground.
He stared ahead, as if seeing the future. A piercing gaze.
Then he lay fallen.
...
A bed shook.
Someone woke up.
Huh... Huh...
His breathing was heavy.
What happened?
He held his face, which was covered in sweat. Cold.
His heart was pounding wildly.
He stared at the mirror beside him.
His bright blue eyes were shedding tears, his handsome face glistened with sweat, his hair a mess.
His ears were ringing, intensely loud. He covered them with his hands.
Ouch!
It hurt!
So much pain!
Why!
Whispers echoed in his ears... one after another... The whispers felt like a curse. Meant for him.
He got up from his bed and ran to the bathroom... to wash his face.
His gaze was fixed on the water, until he realized there was something behind him.
His hands trembled, his mouth wouldn't stay still... As he turned around... There was no one there.
Silence.
"Seek the truth of the world... Until you know who the deceiver is."
Those words echoed in the young man's head. He tried to calm himself... took a deep breath, and tried to decipher their meaning.
Once calmer... he stepped out of his bathroom.
Books were scattered around his room. A bookworm, perhaps?
He walked over to his desk. On it... lay an open book... its contents:
——
Name:Ratio Akhivile
Observation of human behavior towards their environment, and the fundamental nature of humanity.
Humans behave...
The fundamental nature of humanity is related to occurring resonance... such as emotional traits...
——
Hm...
Should I continue reading from where I left off yesterday?
Ratio picked up a book that felt somewhat peculiar to him.
——
Government Successfully Kills One of the Demons.
Publication Year: 1674
Thesis was a demon who opposed religion.
——
Hm...
Why was he considered a demon?
Is it true?
The explanation is just this brief?
And who is Thesis?
——
Ratio tried to decipher the words in that book.
He stretched back in his chair, holding his head.
Who?
Why was he hunted?
What did he do?
Ratio stared sharply at the mirror while holding his face.
Why does he appear in my dreams?
And what causes me to dream of that?
Was it a dream... or a glimpse of the past?
——
Ratio grew increasingly dizzy thinking about it... Questions flooded his mind.
As his eyes remained fixed on the mirror, he remembered something... the whisper.
Seek the truth of the world? What's wrong with this world anyway?
Deceiver? Who? And why?
Ratio stood up from his seated position and walked towards the small library in the corner of his room.
He looked for a book that seemed interesting.
Until...
Family lineage?
...
Silence.
He took the book and began reading its contents, which turned out to be the names of family members from the first generation to the present.
But...
One name caught his attention.
Thesis Akhivile.
Wait... Thesis? Isn't this the name from the book earlier?
Ratio walked back to his desk and opened that book again... Sure enough, the name matched the one in the book.
His feelings were in turmoil; he questioned this truth... Real or not.
His gaze went blank.
Ratio calmed himself, ignoring all the questions swirling in his mind.
And he searched for another book to read.
After searching for a long time, he finally found a book titled 'The Harmonic of Truth'.
Ratio opened the first page of the book, which contained a drawn map.
And... the map strongly resembled the geographical layout of the country of Leodos.
Ratio turned to the second page; it was just a preface. But a few things caught his eye... some bolded words:
"Power turns like a wheel, yet it always crushes the same earth."
Ratio tried to decipher these words.
What did it mean, power that turns? A change of leadership?
And crushing the same earth? Perhaps... still oppressing the people?
Ratio didn't ponder it further... He opened the next page, which contained the table of contents. But... the writing was very strange... with subheadings that were too frontal.
Chapter 1: The Fear of Truth
The world's governmant fears the truth; they fear their sores will be seen by the public.
That was what Ratio gathered from Chapter 1's description.
What was truly being hidden? And why?
Just as he was about to open Chapter 2... His door was knocked by someone.
"Brother," called a woman's voice, soft.