Rain fell from the sky.
Droplets in a torrent fell one after the other, in an endless cycle. A hidden sun, with only darkened gray clouds visible through the air.
Many footsteps and pitter-patters made a harmonious melody in the middle rustic town of Hyades. Puddles and ditches filled to the brim, streams of water on the sides of the streets.
On a loft, pressed against a window, laid the figure of someone young, looking over at the droplets as they left streaks of water on the glass. An usual sight to behold; in his eyes, another day like any other.
"Regn, dinner is ready!" said a womanly voice. "I made your favorite!"
Nivea heard footsteps running from above her, whilst she placed two neatly looking plates of orange tinged soup on a black oak table.
"Been a while since the last averse occurred, hasn't it?" said Regn as he sat on one of the stools.
Rain continued to fall, pelting drops against the curtain-covered window.
"I heard that today was going to be averse day, but I guess it's not it today again," she moaned as her figure slumped onto the table.
They began to eat; spoonfuls of the orange liquid raising to their mouths, a comforting warmth against this endless torrent of water, warming their cold and tired bodies.
"Delicious as always, thank you, sis," as a dribble of orange ran his lips with a warm smile.
She laughed as she pointed at him.
"Eat or talk, choose one, please," Nivea cackled at the sight.
Regn gazed to his side, the crackling fire slowly dying down, as the blaze began to flicker. He stood up and grabbed the last log that was on the storage, chucking it inside the flame.
As the black piece of log fell on the fire, the dainty fire once again went ablaze, raising the fire once more, bringing with it warmth and light to the two siblings enjoying their meal. Lest the flame die, cold frigid air would be their last thing to remember in this town.
"I should go out again, before our last piece of blackwood runs out tomorrow. It should be fine, I doubt the averse would happen today; probably tomorrow with how the weather is looking," said Regn as he grabbed a white coat.
A hand reached, grabbing him, stopping him in his tracks.
"Stop... we'll be fine, please don't leave right now\... What if it actually happens today!?"
"We will be fine, it should last long enough... please wait until the averse passes through; the sade should soon make the announcement."
With a movement from his head he gave his answers, one pull, and her grip was gone; letting him walk towards the door. A frigid draft wafted right through the main door, giving a cold and humid feel of the outside. As the rain started to seep in, Regn gazed back.
"I'll be back soon, before it actually starts. Don't worry," Regn smiled at his sister.
Reassuring her completely, he wore the coat and closed the door behind him, setting him outside on the eternal torrential rain. Droplets dribbled onto his coat, as streaks of water ran down onto his face.
Moving throughout the rain, the lightly drenched figure finally reached a small shack or cabin a couple of meters away from his house. Opening the door with a slight push, a wave of warmth and comfort hit his face as he removed his coat.
The inside was vastly illuminated by a bright flame burning in the center of the building, while the walls were decorated by different pieces of art, ranging from paintings to the taxidermy heads of multiple animals gazed down onto him with a certain gloom.
"Oh, I'd know that paleness anywhere I'd look. To what do I owe your visit today, Regn," a burly man spoke as he placed his hands on the counter.
"Mr. Holz, I'm in the need of some wood. Our last log is burning right now," Regn replied walking towards the counter. "How much for a stack of logs?"
The burly man then chuckled as he went to the back and grabbed a couple of logs from his storage and placed them orderly on the counter, pushing them towards Regn with a smile.
"You know you don't owe me anything, Regn. It'd be wrong of me to make the laddie and lassie from Ms. Beschlagen pay me, after how much the town owes her," said Holz, chuckling to himself.
Regn grabbed the logs and placed them in a bag he had grabbed along the coat before coming over.
"Thanks, Holz," he smiled as he began to walk towards the exit. "You're one of the few that actually treated our mother nicely."
"Now, now, you should hurry along. Your sister must be worried sick about you," the man said as he looked out the window. "Especially with the weather, the rain seems to be getting even worse… It seems that the aver—"
The boy opened the door, interrupting him mid speech, and once again was out in the elements with only a coat to protect him from the rain.
"I'll be fine Mr. Holz, don't worry about it! I'll be quick!" he said as he quickly closed the door and began to run towards his home.
He ran quickly through the streets, then became empty as the rain continued to fall even stronger now; droplets starting to feel like if they were hail. Picking up his speed, while also managing to maintain the logs in place, without falling from inside the bag, he ran through the endless downpour.
Midway through the streets, being just a couple of minutes away from his house, the deluge of water falling from the sky came to a sudden halt. The prickling pain from the droplets hitting him came to an abrupt stop; the usual noise filled town became quiet. Even the stream of water from the ditch next to the road came to stop; no noise being heard at all, a stillness now filling the entire.
"The averse...?" he told to himself as he came to an abrupt stop. "Now!? When I'm so close to the house!"
As soon as Regn noticed what was up, he jolted up and went in double speed, going now faster as he began to feel how the water that was resting atop his skin grew colder by the second. He knew perfectly well that if he wasn't in his house by then, that what was to come wouldn't be of his liking.
Cutting it by the thread of a hair, he yanked the handle of the door, while he threw himself inside the house, while pushing it close with his feet.
Exploding into coughs, Regn began to try and get some air running through his lungs, feeling the stress and fatigue from running that long. As he began to stand up, he saw as Nivea threw herself onto him, hugging him with a teary-eyed face.
"You dummy... you had me worried when you hadn't come back, even when the averse had started with its first few effects!" she said as she pulled the curtain off one of the windows.
Outside the comfort of their home was a spectacular sight, something that they had seen already multiple times. The rain, the stream, even the puddles; it was as if being suctioned back from the Earth, all moisture and liquid down in the ground was being pulled into the air. Droplets of water beginning to raise slowly in the air, making many bubbles of liquid floating on.
The town of Hyades—place of the eternal rain—was finally having a brief break from the downpour. As it ceased, the water that once fell, was raising back into the heavens for it to again fall once more; in an endless everlasting cycle.
— Back to the Great Valtameri in the sky it goes... —said Nivea glued to the window.
Outside, it was as if the air itself was unquenched, drying everything that the one could see. Nothing could escape from the inevitable process that went on at the moment, for it was a normal occurrence; that which made life possible, since without it, the whole town would be underwater.
— At least I made it in time —Regn said as he yawned, walking towards the dusty wooden couch — Almost ended as that fool, Punai, can't believe he got stuck outside during the averse!
— Regn! You can't speak yourself when you almost got sucked up along with the rain! —replied his sister instantly — You better never worry me like that again, or I'm so never making you meals like today's.
To the horror in his eyes, Regn quickly nodded multiple times in secession, looking almost as if it were a plead or a cry.
— Hey, at least Holz decided to give me some more wood! —Regn mentioned trying to get the conversation somewhere else — Should last us for a while.
With that the day (or night) was over, both of them huddled together while getting closer to the flame blazing in the fireplace. For the rain was back, torrents of raindrops crashing out on the roof of their home.
Time passed; a couple of hours went by. Night or day, nobody could longer tell, for what difference would there be in a place like this.
— Hey Regn... You ever wonder if someday we could get into the Upper District? —Nivea spoke as she was resting her head on the table.
The face her brother wore soured, then led by a deep sigh. It was clear that the question wasn't Regn's favorite to answer.
— Even if we manage to gather the funds, do you really think that THEY will allow us to climb up? It's clear that us commoners, lacking any nerocite, aren't going to be doing much.
It was clear that the mood had become tense, a silence filled in their space. Minutes had passed until Nivea had grown tired of it.
— I'm sorry, Regn... It's just that-
— Don't worry, Nivea... —he interrupted — I know\... life on the Lower District isn't as appealing; especially since mom... you know\...
— Yeah... at least we sti-
While Nivea was about to finish her sentence, a sudden knock came at the door. Hardly something normal, especially since the averse had only finished very recently.
— Who the hell is it at this time? —said Regn as he walked towards the constant, overbearing knocks at the door.