It's cold and calm.
Smooth and satisfying.
What a delicious sundae.
Once the vanilla flavor mixes in with the oozing hot fudge on your tongue, there comes a resonance of taste and harmony that rushes in...
I want to eat more—yes, more!
Each bite is more addicting than the last—it's perfect. Not to mention the servings they have here—also perfect!
"Alright, man, I get it," said the complacent Bino.
As if he wouldn't agree with me if he'd just take more than one bite.
We found a place to hang while waiting for the girls' classes to end... after quite a bit of debate.
It was either Rita's Desserts café—or the shady stall in the shady alley that wasn't even in the Noon Plaza.
The café was conspicuous enough to have caught our eye before we went for the latter—Rita's Desserts was located in front of a crowded street in the Noon Plaza, shining a bright sign that would immediately hook one's attention to it. They say it was a new café—a hotshot for the young Capital.
It was obvious enough, for there was already quite a line of people waiting for entry when we came.
Sadly for them, Bino is rich—rich.
He bought us our way in, and it was his treat as always.
He ordered way too much, as always.
I was already almost done with my sundae when the other orders were still coming in one after the other. Though Bino was a little—no—very wild, some sides, more tame and composed, would sometimes slip through—for him it was when he focused on carefully studying and auditing all sorts of food.
It was the best time to talk to him about anything.
I took the opportunity to tell him about Kou.
"Say what, now?"
"A tall, luxurious man from the Capital. He was waiting in front of my lecture room. But what bugged me the most was that he didn't make any sense!"
"Uh huh..." he squinted his eyes, focusing on a pink cupcake with a slightly curved smiley face.
"Imagine this: he stopped me for, like, five minutes, took some sort of leaf off of my shoulders, and when I asked him his name, he just said Kou—nothing else—and left."
"A man named Kou, from the Capital, with a mask?" He looked at me straight in the eyes for once.
"So you do know him—yeah, he had a mask."
"Say, Gaten, did he ever tell you his last name?"
"Well... he didn't... really say..."
Bino smirked, a half-chuckle let out.
"HAH! It's a FAKE. What—did he ask you for your last name too?" Then he focused back on another plate of dessert—a velvet cake.
"I'm confused."
"There was absolutely no way," he giggled. "No way you'd meet the Kou, at least before I do."
"Who even is he?"
"No..." Bino uttered in disbelief, and looked at me again, this time with a nerve on the side of his head. "You don't know 'em? Everybody knows 'em. Do you even know about the Griffith family and all that stuff?!"
"Griffith what?"
Bino's soul seemed to have left his body.
"How do I know someone as nescient and oblivious as you?"
Second time I've been called those today, two times I've been called those ever—and I already hate it.
"Aren't you top FOUR or FIVE in the academy?!"
Top Six.
"Well I'm NOT telling you, figure that out yourself." Bino picked a napoleon this time, inspected it with a magnifying glass close to his face, and took a small bite off the side. "Your dad's staying in Asofus now, right? Why don't you ask 'em? Mmm..."
I nodded.
My sundae was almost finished when the final set of desserts arrived on our table.
Waitresses lined up across our table with wide smiles on their faces. They had even extended our table's width by merging it with a part of that poor dude's table next to ours—the very same guy Bino snarked at earlier.
He glared at us with reasonable anger.
Gulp.
"Considering the price," Bino's tone had reached its calmest state, "it just doesn't seem worth it," he said about the macaron.
"Did I just hear that come from you?"
Rita's Desserts... might be my new favorite dessert café.
"Hey now, even I need to cut costs sometimes," he said with a straight face, like he didn't just order the entire freakishly long menu.
I sighed, completely dominated by the sundae's sweet, intricate flavors. If this taste were a voice, I would be listening to it all day and night.
I took my last bite.
It was blissful—just enough hot fudge to last me all the way to the very bottom of the glass.
Though I had already finished, my tongue was already asking for more.
But I wouldn't dare to deal with the other desserts—I'd die of a heart attack.
Bino wasn't yet close to finishing his entire course... he only took, at max, a full spoonful of each. I watched him with amusement.
"Lacks a bit of sweetness..."
"Missing more apple flavor..."
"Needs to change the nuts..."
"The heeeeck—there's cheese in this?"
"Mediocre at best, it seems..." he commented after finally taking a bite of the last dessert—a chocolate cake—of twenty-six others on the table. "But I did like the custard pudding. It's refreshing and the creaminess was on point. Chaotic and Peaceful flavors coexisting at the same time."
"Glad you liked something."
"Yeah... I'll order four of those for take-out!"
'Cutting costs', he says.
"You didn't like the others?" I said sarcastically. "The desserts here are probably the best around town, I can tell from this sundae alone."
"Meh, I prefer perfect taste—it's simple dessert, how does one mess that up?"
"Don't be picky, they're all good."
"Oh really???"
He slowly turned his head toward me, with half a smile.
"W—what?"
His tone suddenly shifted to sarcasm.
That's a bad sign.
"Hey, Gatey-boy, heh—Eheh."
Oh no.
"Like—Ah—it's hard to believe that coming from your mouth cuz like—" he pointed at me.
His face started to look red, and his voice seemingly about to burst, "Y—you..."
Here it comes.
"You can't even taste anything—AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
He exploded, guffawed like a squeaking raccoon out of air.
A very—Very—loud raccoon.
Of course, people turned their heads to our table—even the dude beside us, who again clicked his tongue.
|| Tsk—!
One could barely even hear it, but still—
Big mistake.
Bino immediately stopped laughing and regained his breath, then locked eyes with him.
"What's the matter, dweeb—want me to pull your tongue?!"
"Eek—!"
"BINO...!"
"Ah..." he looked at me with a reassuring gesture. "Ok, ok, calm down. Sorry!"
"It was just a joke, man." He turned back around to the guy and whispered calmly, "Just a joke, boy—just a joke~"
He didn't move a muscle after that. I don't know if it was in the way Bino said it or what...
Poor guy got called dweeb twice today just as I was nescient—you and me, whoever you are.
"Anyway, as I was saying—you think everything tastes good EVEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT! It's like—like you don't know what good tastes like."
"Whatever do you mean by that."
"Look—" He coughed, and gestured some waitresses to pack the desserts on the table. "Back when we were younger, we had that science herb experiment—remember that?"
"Of course."
"Yeah??"
"Not."
"No way you don't remember, you were the subject."
"Ah."
"Fine, I'll recall—back then, we amalgamated something by mashing together the most random things we could find. Think about fermented herbs, crushed up jellies, saltwater—I remember one of the boys from another class even mixed in a piece of liquid CRACK O'S! Marco was brave enough to taste it for us first, and what do you think happened to 'em?"
"Got diarrhea? What?"
"He FAINTED!"
"Contradictory, Marco wouldn't have agreed to that."
"Duh~ I gave him gold."
Stop looking at me like giving gold is a normal thing.
"But THEN," he continued, "lo and behold, we handed the elixir of doom to you... and can you tell me what you did?"
"I don't remember drinking such a thing—"
"YOU DRANK THE WHOLE THING!!!" he yelled out. "Gulped the whole liter down in one go, gave us a thumbs up, and said to us: 'It's good.'"
I... think I remember now...
"I get it, don't be so loud!" I can already feel the other people judging us, even those at the long line outside. Even so, the group of waitresses were just smiling and laughing along with Bino—for his money, clearly.
"Exactly~" Bino turned to the bill that was handed, as all the desserts had been packaged into neat little bunny boxes of a variety of colors. When the waitresses stacked all the boxes into a plastic bag, it was as tall as to my hip from the floor.
Bino then turned to me with a big grin.
"Gatey-boy, watch this!"
He stood up, hands in his pocket, as if about to bring something out—and he said with full confidence—
Lodiac Technique, Out. "GOLD SHOWERRRR!!!"
Bino threw a hefty amount of gold coins up into the air, as the employees of the café started to clap for him.
Stop clapping please, this is embarrassing.
I'm afraid I won't show my face here anymore...
"Heh—!" He turned to his silver watch. "Oh... time moves so fast, eh?"
"Gaten, you can have these," he said, handing me a large plastic bag filled with all the sweets left over. "If there's too much, put some of 'em in your bag. I'll get going, dude!"
He struck a thumbs up along with a smile as big as it could be. Even when smiling, he looked like a bully staring me down—or a man with heinous intent.
"Yeah, I got you. Thanks for the treat, as always."
He initiated a hug without squeezing me this time, then left the café—dark chocolate somehow stuck to his cheeks.
I would tell him, but I'll let him be.
…At least that poor dude is at ease now. Forgive my friend, he's trying his best.
Welp—I'm satisfied with today. It was fun and completely normal...
Completely normal.
I turned to my bag; this eerie feeling never left my shoulders.
I feel as if I'm forgetting, but at the same time completely reassured—is it possible for one to be feeling two opposite things at one time?
I may be overthinking it.
I headed straight back to the base of CEA, and was greeted with that selfish old bench.
…I'll sit on you now, help me clear my head.
The dessert bag wasn't as heavy as I thought, thankfully...
Thirty minutes before the town's bells would ring. I would wait that time in this peaceful road, resting and alone with my thoughts. I stared into the tranquil orange sky and sun.
And then I closed my eyes.
I felt unusually more tired today.
________________________________
The bells rang from the Center Plaza as my wits got pulled back in with a punch to the soul.
It marked the two hours past my dismissal, and the time to pick up Nas and Kana.
I stretched my arms.
Stretched them real good.
Patted the bench like a good old friend.
I stood up, and walked down the hill toward the CEA's sister school. Just two minutes away, near the Noon Plaza—stood the Capital Rudimentary, CSR.
One would think the two schools would be similar—atmosphere and such…
But this place didn't have any sort of peace at all.
Where are the manners?
Short little children were bustling with energy—kicking, pushing, and shouting at one another with scarily unpredictable intent...
…They're so cute.
I set the dessert bag aside, and with my squinting eyes, tried to spot my two little sisters from a crowd of colorful, hyperactive objects of destruction.
No, not that.
Where's the ponytail?
A yellow bucket hat... bucket hat... bucket hat... there!
"Kana!" I raised my hand high and waved.
I noticed their faces immediately start to blush and their eyes glow. They hastened their movements, slipping through their bulldozing friends.
I was the only student waiting there, in the same line as the parents and guardians—some butlers or maids, too. Gold-clad carriages began coming into the once-empty road as well, and others were even the newest Lodiac vehicles.
Impressive, sure—but I prefer the... traditional way to go home.
Imagine this:
Walking side by side—through a long and tranquil path—racing against either the dusking or dawning sun and bonding over every little step—a mini-adventure home every time.
I treasure this gift...
…Though, for most of the children here to have no one pick them up, walking by themselves...
If my sisters didn't have an older brother—I don't want to imagine it.
"Ahah, EHeHeHE~" I could hear the tiny gremlin.
Their faces were already glued in place by contagious smiles.
As they finally got out of the building's gate, they dashed toward me.
Nastashia immediately clung onto my pants, giggling, whilst Kana brought her cheek closer for a kiss.
I showered them both with kisses.
Kana looked eager to tell me something—she's getting more excited the closer the days were to her birthday.
In just four days, she'd be ten years old. Tomorrow, I'll be sixteen. Little Nastashia meanwhile, she'll stay six for a whole 'nother year. Though—Baby, Teen, or Adult—I'd continue to spoil them until the day I die.
Before Kana could speak, she took notice of the bright and colorful package beside me, and it was like she already forgot what she was about to say.
"Woah~ what're those?!" she asked enthusiastically, sniffing it.
The delightful sugar aroma had even captured Nas's interest.
"Hehe," I patted Kana on the head, an uncontrollable grin slowly forming on my face, "I'll let you eat a few—LATER! So we better rush back home, don't you think??"
"YAH YAH YAH!!!!" Little Nas screeched—so, so loudly.
Each volume a louder record than the last.
She stopped latching onto me and randomly began dancing, then suddenly handed her bag to me when she noticed she couldn't move like a drunk little bird with it.
"Nas! Carry the bag yourself!" Kana said in a demanding, sassy tone.
"WHY." Baby Nas replied nonchalantly.
"Monsiouleur Gat-tenn is carrying a lot already!" Kana put her hand on her waist and raised her authority over the tinier gremlin. "Take it back now!"
"BUT—"
"It's alright, Minelette Kana," I strapped Nas's bag tight around my left shoulder, "Yours too, Kana, give me it."
"No, I wanna carryyy." Kana smiled.
I was taken aback, as my heart filled with incredible pride.
I took a deep breath, then stretched my legs apart. "Are you both ready?"
The two girls realized—then nodded, as Kana tightened her grip on her bag. Nas seemed to replicate the pose of a racing athlete—kneeling on the floor—waiting for the signal...
I grabbed the packaged dessert's handle,
tightened the strap on my handbag,
and clenched onto Nas's.
And then... I sprinted—
"GO, GO, GO!!" I shouted. The girls dashed ahead.
We ran up the hill, slid down its other side, giggling and racing, it seemed. We slithered through the crowds, locked our hands together, and we successfully escaped the town of Zhaya.
We started walking calmly, for the two girls were 'slightly' exhausted.
My heart, meanwhile, was about to pop.
Before we could exit through the gate, a familiar voice called to us—three womanly voices.
"Oh—good afternoon, Mademoiselles." I bowed.
"Good afternoon." Kana bowed.
"HI." Nas yelled out.
One of the women grabbed Nas by both cheeks. "Oh, so cute, you three~! You're heading home?"
I nodded with a smile.
They were Mom's friends, but compared to her, they looked pretty old—never mind, that was rude of me… Mom was unlike any other of her age, anyway. The women took turns barraging us with a variety of compliments and gestures of affection, even asking questions about Mom or Dad—the usual things they'd do when we encountered them.
But as they noticed the two girls were getting impatient, they knew to leave us with our precious time, thankfully. Not before proceeding to completely fill the other bags with products and gifts from their hometown. We were overloaded and encumbered, with some things even spilling out and being left on the town's floors for the rats and birds.
But at least it made the two happier.
We left the town, into the tranquil road home.
Kana, as usual, walked ahead, as Nas grabbed firmly onto my hand. When they shared their stories, I couldn't help but be reminded of my strange morning.
In the midst of our walk, Kana gave up and handed me her bag—I became a walking coat rack. She had replaced it with a stray frog that jumped down from the trees above us.
The Zhayan Groves had my nerves as calm as a still pond, though it was quickly turning dark here.
I told my sisters to rush; everyone picked up the pace.
I couldn't keep up with their banter—just alone with me and my thoughts.
In about ten minutes, the two ran out of things to talk about. The sounds became just our footsteps on the moist cobble path and the gathering winds. In the distance, I noticed a line of people dressed as hunters carrying bows, walking through the trees and bushes—I couldn't make out their faces.
Strange, but I didn't mind. Their mana bore no hostility.
Kana didn't even bat an eye toward them.
Just then, the Glimmering Statue was finally in sight. Seeing it gave me a reminder to snap back—we're almost home. Time passed so fast, I wasn't even able to fully reenact that scene with Kou in my mind.
Was he even the real one?
Although...
I felt uncomfortable—for the first time the quiet made me feel so.
This wind and ambience that usually calmed me... became unnerving.
Actually, why were those people here? It's turning night.
Kana was hopping and humming with joy, the frog wobbling around while stuck to her shoulder.
She hasn't talked in a while, I wonder what she's—
"WOOHOOO!" she shouted, getting ready to run the remaining ten meters to home. "Monsiouleur, I'll go ahead, see ya!"
Never mind, she's probably tired from school.
I feel tired.
"Kana, careful—" My knees dropped down. Like the ground had sucked all the energy off of my feet, I felt weak.
What's happening?
Why do I feel this way?
It's like I'm just now remembering—
It's something I forgot...
________________________________
I turned my head in every direction.
Kana ran to our house gates, her footprints imprinted on the soil earth, her frog jumping off of her shoulders in an escape.
She was optimistic.
Why, Kana?
So... excited—as nescient and oblivious as I was.
I turned behind.
To the right.
To the left.
My hands gave up, spilling the dessert bags onto the moldy ground.
Eyes became sensitive to every minor detail.
Hairs on my skin stood from the reverberations of my heartbeat.
"Monsiouleur...?" I could hear Kana's voice from afar.
It was slightly mumbled.
"Brother—what's the matter?!"
But I never turned back to look at her.
I sprinted—away from the comforting lights of my home and deeper into the sinking cobble path. Fear set in, for the crickets were already starting to chirp.
If I were to waste any action for time, I'd be searching in complete darkness.
I just had to search for a sign—any sign.
Is there any sign at all?!
How could this happen—
Nastashia was nowhere in sight...!
In just a few seconds, my neck began to pierce me on every turn. My breath grew weary, as my body screamed for me to just head back home to call for help.
But I couldn't allow the sun to leave us be.
Until—for just a split second—a flicker of light at the side of my eye.
I stared in its direction...
Never blinking once...
…
It flickered again.
Immediately, I chased after it.
Where I went I didn't care for; I only kept seeing it in short glimpses. Eventually, the sun fell into complete rest and buried the forest into pitch black in a matter of minutes.
But with the night—came something else.
The sky began to pour into a forest that hadn't been moist in over two years. As if the trees hadn't felt the cold water in a long time, they screamed upon every heavy hit of rain.
I stumbled.
Rolled down a deep slope.
Wet with rain and mud, possibly even blood, I pushed my body up—and I felt heavy.
In that moment, my ears gave in to the roaring of the storm. Time felt as if it began to move slowly, as my eyes couldn't see anything or even pick up the slightest trace of mana.
I felt useless.
And then I cried.
I lay on the floor, back exposed to the rain. Surface runoff seeped through the grass straight into my mouth, as if I weren't suffering enough. In a pitch black, what hope was there anyway...?
Help me this one time...
You damned Eyes...
…It was bright.
An ethereal thread that floated through in a swerving motion—like a snake.
I saw the light fully for the first time.
But it started running away again—fast...!
"WAIT—!"
I stood with adrenaline rushing in, stripping this heavy feeling in my heart and throwing it away into the darkness. This time, I had my eyes locked onto it.
As it swerved through the trees like needlework, I chased with whatever strength I had left. With every step, every fiber of my being felt resonant with the crashing of my feet and the earth.
It weaved right,
then left,
until it abruptly dived down as if it were absorbed into the soil.
I couldn't stop in time.
My feet hit a heavy rock on the floor and my whole body went forward, plunging myself into a deeper cliff.
But as I fell, the complete darkness slowly transitioned into pale dark gray—I tumbled out of the dark covers of the forest.
When I opened my eyes, I panicked.
I was about to fall off the edge toward the raging ocean.
"no. No. NO—"
I got hold of a low branch, which quickly snapped—but it lessened my momentum enough to push my feet against the floor and move me closer to a nearby tree. In the last second, I noticed a shrapnel rock directly in the path of my head, but I raised my shoulder enough for my arm to get hit instead.
"AHHH—" I shouted in pain. "NASTASHIA—WHERE ARE YOU?!"
No answer.
But thankfully, I managed to stay alive—just barely at the edge, hanging onto the wet rocks on the floor with my one bloody hand.
I rested for a few minutes, claiming my breath and wits back into my system.
Until I recovered just enough energy in my upper body, I sat up and looked around.
An endless sea below a growling pale sky—with neither sun or moon in sight.
Beside me, however, hidden under a purple foliage...
Was a person in Academy uniform.
I jumped back, fingers twitching as my heart began to beat much more rapidly. His skin was pale, as the back of his head was covered in brown blood and growing moss. The stench left my nose to bleed, as my body began shaking.
I turned to the shrapnel rock I was almost hit by, and I noticed... it was tainted dark red.
"What are you?" a faint voice asked.
My head instinctively followed the sound.
It came from the other side of this cliff.
"Hehehe, you're funny—"
I clearly heard it this time—it was Nastashia's!
I limped past the bushes to my left to follow her voice, my fingers almost constantly encompassed by wet grass.
I took a final look at the boy's body...
I'm sorry, whoever you are...
But right now, Nastashia's my priority.
________________________________
I brushed past the sunken grass, through the bushes on the cliff.
It revealed the sight of Nastashia at the tallest precipice. She was holding onto that... thread of light. The light surrounded her like a coil, and it was the only thing that kept her balance.
If she were to drop—it'd be easily two hundred meters of free fall unto a sea with pointed fangs waiting at the bottom.
I can't let that happen...!
It didn't help that the torrents of wind were turbulent from the brewing storm—it could push her at any moment.
"Nastashia—" Cough. I coughed out blood.
Nastashia noticed me.
She conjured a big smile, like a child that wished to show off to Mom and Dad. Her face, at the very least, calmed my heart significantly.
The thread, meanwhile, seemed to react to her emotions, as it swiftly extended itself toward me.
It brushed past me—warm and fuzzy.
Could this be her—no...
At her age—really?
I grabbed the thread by its rear, and it immediately supported me up.
I wanted to say thank you, but I was way too exhausted to speak.
Nevertheless, my heart was determined to fix my mistake.
I will get us home.
Against the storm that seemingly fought against my approach, I slowly came closer to her with the help of her thread.
We were just a few steps apart.
A step closer, she was gesturing for a hug.
I smiled, I really wanted to.
She started approaching me carelessly; I was forced to rush my steps.
One more step, we were just a few arm's lengths apart. I covered my eyes with my arm, in the presence of the torrent and the setting sun that had just been uncovered by the clouds half over the horizon.
Just as my heart filled with relief, the skies welcomed back the vibrant orange.
Each raindrop reflected the sun's light, like tears of hope—all in the midst of a brewing storm.
Just one more step, our hands almost connected.
I forced my eyes open and raised my face to look at her. Even with all the pain I felt in every muscle, I tried to form the biggest smile I could ever make in that moment.
Then I finally grabbed her hand...
…But—for some reason—she screeched unnaturally.
"Nas—what's—"
Her expression screamed that of pure terror and fear. Her body became electrified from head to toe, as she tried to remove her hand from my grasp.
I tightened my grip, trying not to let her go.
But I was already barely conscious—
and she was actively trying to remove my hand.
If not for the rain, she wouldn't have been slippery.
If not for the rain, I could've held her tightly.
With both Nastashia's hands up in the air, and her footing—loose—she stumbled back.
My sense of self shattered—
and my blood began to boil.
I lunged forward without hesitation.
I grabbed her hand, and threw her away far from the edge.
I didn't know where she'd land...
For I was already left with the pull of gravity—free falling toward the raging ocean below... unconscious, paralyzed...
…and fated to death...
I closed my eyes...
To let the howling storm take me...
…
…
Hopefully.
Just hopefully.
I managed to save her.
|| SPLASH!
I can't feel anything anymore...
I can't breathe anymore...
But I can see clearly from here... Just that blurry cliff and the orange sky... It might actually be slightly red, I don't know... Oh look—it's back to grey, haha.
Can I still swim...?
Oh... my legs are broken.
My arms are broken.
My eyes are broken.
Heh, I'm so dead.
I wonder when the memories will flash before my eyes.
Hopefully, there's not much Bino in there and more of my actual family, heh...
But Bino is family, isn't he?
We've basically been brothers since we were children—but there was another, wasn't there? I forgot her name... Why do I keep forgetting their names?
I wonder...
Why did I live my days as if it were all nothing?
I haven't even... adventured yet.
I feel something...
What the heck—I feel something.
What is this?
Something's happening…
Should I feel scared?
............................................................
.............................................
..............................
.....................
The sea has caught its prey.
I felt translucent.
I looked everywhere...
I was quite surprised.
What was expected to be a sea of darkness and chaos was not at all what I observed:
The corals on the seafloor were glimmering, glowing in a variety of colors.
A variety of ocean life swam in schools and groups about—the dark blue hues of the ocean were complemented by a festival of magical lighting, like an underwater city.
A city that thrived underneath the brutal waves of the ocean.
It was a stunning view, there was mana everywhere, too.
How come I've never tried scuba diving?
Oh, that's right, I hated the ocean...
Geez, when will I die? I'm literally drowning.
"You called?"
Suddenly, the ocean, too, became pitch black the moment I heard that faint whisper. Everywhere I looked was just the void; I didn't even know if I was breathing anymore—nor if I still had a body.
"Now, I hold you in me, poor boy."
I could only hear the voice this time—a young lady's voice—so soothing and gentle... so beautiful.
"But for this to happen is—new, what did you do?"
I couldn't speak even if I tried. I couldn't see her even as I faced her voice.
"What did you do—child? Why are we both here...?"
You tell me, pretty voice.
"...We'll find our answers, Gachizen."
Wait—don't leave. Take me with you—
"..."
"Vylvezinne Deth Addiluree van, Olerei-plano Stfane si zendrah thee."
Y-you don't mean...
Bino...?
The voice faded.
Shouts of the enraged ocean gradually ripped through my ears… I felt as if I had control of my body again.
Then a school of blue fish brushed past me, then white piranhas. My view was obstructed.
When I opened my eyes—
a fish a thousand times its normal size ripped through the tides and swallowed me whole.
________________________________
|| Drip—Drop—
Droplets of water, dripping down on a small pond...
|| Drip—Drop—
My ears were tingling... and my consciousness slowly flooded back in.
|| Drip—Drop—
…How annoying.
I gradually opened my eyes, and to my surprise I could actually make out something—a dark rock roof and some hanging vines dripping water...
Huh?
|| Drip—Drop—
I sat up, uncomfortably wet and warm—my uniform all torn up. My legs were bruised, but working.
I was in some spacious cave—with puddles of water scattered on the pure stone floor. The walls seemed to have been made out of marbles and rock salt.
A calm breeze set in from an entrance nearby.
I stood weakly and walked to it. My steps echoed all throughout, as the water on my body began to evaporate into hot steam. I breathed out loud, heart slowly beating faster.
The closer I got, the louder and harsher the winds were—until I reached the opening...
My mouth was agape.
Speechless and confused.
I stared at the town of Zhaya from high up above—
I stood at the edge of the dungeon, Asofus Atopuscele.