Chapter 1 : 8 years later
I still smell the roses yet I could never forget the rot. I was sitting on the magical train that was riding in the air, that's the only sufficient way to travel if you don't have a good dragon or are familiar at all. The sky was too bright yet, it had an unwelcoming feeling to me. I can't explain the feeling I just don't get. The train smelt like alcohol, cigarettes, old rotten food with propaganda posters about the Emperor. He was in front with his big red eyes with a viscous look like an apex predator in the middle while the dead bodies beneath him read "See the emperor Die with the emperor." That look on his face was something to swell inside of me, hatred or anger. I started to smell something, like a disinfecting spray. One of the high class nobles started to spray that in the air. I was startled and surprised, she was probably doing that because she didn't want any dirtiness to come in front of the train. In front of the train, where the high class people were sitting, were distraught and disgusted by the people in the back.
They started to wear their masks that were shaped with a smile and a crying expression, to hide the scent from the back of the bus. Some of them were wiping the floor where they were sitting. I was getting irritated but I didn't say anything. I didn't want to cause any trouble. While sitting, an old high class noble with the mask on, also he was wearing a gold and white coat, with a red tie. He was wearing the same mask as the other high class nobles, he walked towards the back of the bus and shouted "YOU SCUMBAGS, PEASANTS, HAVE NO RIGHT RIDING THIS GLORIOUS, TRAIN. And! You dare call yourselves human, you are not worth more than trash cans." He slobbered with anger and resentment.
One of the people that was riding in the back of the bus clearly mad, and also resented the noble
"Maybe if you guys actually use the money to help the people instead of hoarding it or using it like it's nothing, maybe we won't be in the place. You goldfish. "The commoner said with a disdainful look on his face. The high class noble retorted and almost made a fist, but he actually pulled something out of his pocket. He pulled out money with a sinister grin on his face, he threw the money in the air. Multiple people in the back of the train see this and their eyes are filled with greed and malice. Each one of them started to push each other trying to reach the money, some of them were punching and fighting. Some of them have happy expressions.
"I can finally buy some bread for my kids." The commoner mom said with a hopeful look.
"I can finally buy some more drugs." The homeless man said with a crazed look on his face.
"I can finally stop sleeping on the street for one day!" Another homeless commoner with a missing tooth, and has a dirty and ragged tooth.
"See this how you people truly are, just a bunch of monkeys fighting over something materialistic!" The high class noble smiled with cruelty and spoke with a malicious voice.
While hearing this in the corner I felt pale but it reinforced my hatred not to the people but to the emperor. He has all the power in this world but still lets these things happen to ordinary people. I looked outside of the train window, people were riding dragons in the air, people riding on their magical blankets, or familiars. I noticed them but I didn't care for it because only if you got connections, money or you were a part of one of the emperor's fingers the low class person could never ride one. I was heading into the lower districts of the holy land that the emperor oversees. While I was there multiple people were staring at me, looking at me weirdly. Like I'm something out of a zoo, or not even human. One of the older man whispering
"Why is a low born person riding this beautiful train that the humans made?"
I almost gagged, how can you call us lesser than humans! We are humans too, my face was in despair. I know this is how the outside of the border is, but seeing it in reality is making a difference.
"This dirty peasant on the train with my kids on here too!" A high class noble mom said this while putting her hands over her child's eyes so she doesn't see us.
"How can the train conductor let this happen!" More remarks about the low class people but I didn't care it was futile. If I say something back, they have the power to call one of the emperor's fingers and kill us all.
Chapter 2: Phoenix Resistance
The train was close to my destination, I hopped off the train, pondering about the situation at hand, then I made up my mind to talk to my resistance commander for more insights. Then I walked straight down into the slums. It was mostly night because the empire castle was so high into the air it was blocking off the sun. I could smell the air was diluted, the sky was barely visible compared to the train ride. It was cold, rough and disgusting. While I was walking, a homeless person came off the dirty street and tried to talk to me. But I kept walking, but he kept following me, in a begging voice "Please give me the drugs. Please! I want it please!" I scowled at him, this place is a shithole, abandoned houses, homeless rates are going higher and gangs are increasing.
"Leave me alone, I don't have any drugs on me. But here I'll give you half of my bread." I said in a sorrowful tone.
The homeless man smiled warmly with broken language "T–thank you, you're a good man sir." He happily grabs the bread and walks on the corner. I kept walking straight down, smelling the alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. The smell is so uninviting and disgusting, I looked to the left of the dark alley where a gang is robbing someone out of their food. I could hear guns shooting in different places, robbing people and killing each other senselessly. I kept walking to the underground part of the slums where the resistance is.
I walked outside of the resistance, it was noticeably small, to keep away the emperor's soldiers and emperor's fingers. The building was just a normal convenience store, on the inside it was a regular mart. I looked at the cashier, she had a sour attitude, she had elf-like ears, and noticeably pink hair she perked up towards me. "Hello, is there anything you want sir?" In a bored tone ready to leave at any moment. "No thank you, but excuse me, I got to use the restroom." I was trying to get away from this awkward situation. I headed down towards the bathroom hallway and there was a secret hidden floor that I had to remove. I removed it and I jumped down towards the basement and covered the back up the hole. Inside of the basement it has two snake statues on the corner, the floor was checkered, with black and white squares. The walls had the propaganda of the emperor but it had X's on it and graffiti over it saying "Die" all over it. I kept walking straight down, smelling the magical guns in the training room onto my left. Heavy breathing, and people sipping on their bottles of water in the sparing room. I kept waving to the people there. They waved back with a smile and the look on their faces was determined to get stronger, and better. I kept walking down the hall, the room of the commander. I smell coffee, cigarettes, and a little bit of wine. I pushed the door open, behind the door, it was a sculpture of a mamba snake. Paintings of medusa in a field of white flowers and red roses. I saw big piles of documents, ringing phone calls that the other members were trying to answer and food wrappers on the floor. File bins constantly used by the other members. It was a mess but I kept searching for the commander. I walked around the room, I couldn't find her until I tripped over something big. It was her, Jane. She was sleeping on the ground, so I smiled and picked her up and placed her on the couch. Her face looked like she was dreaming something good, so I didn't wake her up until an hour later.
Her deep purple slit eyes opened up from a long dream. It seems like she overworked herself again. She rubbed her eyes, to see who was beside her.
"Oh it's you." Jane said in a tired and sleepy tone.
"Obviously it's me. I lived here for eight years." I sighed but I pushed it to the side. Jane got up and instantly got up out of the couch and started to walk towards her chair. I followed her back towards her chair.
"So what do you want now? I'm busy, and I have to make food for the people on the street and other things." Jane said in a serious yet commanding voice.
"I want to know a lot more about the oppression outside of the borders? And why are there borders in the first place Jane?" I said in a question like tone, I know half of the reasons but I want to know about more. Just why people can't get along and why there is so much corruption in this country. Jane looked at me with a serious look, with her deep purple slit eyes that looked like a snake that was slithering around her.
"The emperor long ago conquered this country. That is obviously right, but the problem is he put those borders because he wanted to control the lower class people. He wanted to make them slaves and make them unhealthy and broke. It's much easier to do that, am I right?" She said in a critical voice. My eyes go big, my jaw clenched. I know it's true but there is something more to play. There are more drugs here than ever, homeless people are rising, food shortages are rising. There was something more, Jane saw my questioning look.
"Let me give you a mission. Take this paper and give this to the food distributor. It's easy enough and bring that cashier with you too." Jane said this with a sly smile and happy look. I nodded my hair but I realized and asked "why the cashier?". Jane looked at me with a dumb look, like I was stupid or something.
"You don't remember when my team saved you when you were a kid?"
I nodded my head and said "Yeah obviously."
"But you don't remember that pink haired elf girl that was your age?" Jane looked at me with a hysterical look, she was about to laugh at me. My face was red in embarrassment, I just remembered who she was but I forgot who she was because we barely talked after that. I nodded my head, and before I walked out Jane said something.
"Don't get yourself killed out there and always be prepared because the unknown will always happen." Jane said in an honest, and protective tone.
I nodded my head, and walked out of the building, then I went up and walked towards the cashier with the pink long hair that touched her back and elf-like ears.
"Hey. Jane got us a mission to do, let's head out." In a monotone voice, I was just giving her the mission at hand. She looked at me with a disdainful and troublesome look.
"Why does it have to be a man, Jane?" She mumbled. She got up and looked at me with her light green eyes.
"So what's the mission going to be maam." She said in a low hissy voice. I looked at her like it was my fault that I was chosen to be with her but I put that to the side.
"We have to go to the food distributor that is close to the border, and hand her this envelope for some reason. That's what Jane told me." I am just giving her a rundown of what Jane told me.
The elf girl shrugged her shoulders and looked like she came in terms of me working with her but there was still a slight coldness from her body for now.
"Let's go then, I don't want to be there at nighttime." She spoke in a hurried and worrisome tone.
"Right, let's go then."
As we walked outside, I noticed her outfit. She was wearing a black sweater, black long dress pants, and black rose as her pin. I liked the outfit, I was about to say something but she noticed that.
"Don't say a word about my outfit. You think my outfit is funny or something?" She said this in an angry and hurt voice.
"No, I was about to say I like this outfit you have, especially the rose pin." I reassured her about her outfit. I did think it was good. I looked at her, her face was surprising to say the least, she looked almost shocked and almost made a smile but she stopped.
Chapter 3 : Food Distributor
"T—thank you." She mumbled and she whispered it so I couldn't hear her. You said what? She turned her face to me and said "It's nothing, never mind let's hurry to the mission!." I nodded my head once more, with a serious expression. We continued forwards, the smell of the slums, it was so nauseating. I wondered how people can survive so long here. We were closing in towards the food distributor warehouse. It was an enormous warehouse, there were two big filters that were going into the sky, the big bread logo on top, and the red bricked walls with glass tinted windows around it. The smell was surprisingly normal for me, there was no stench of alcohol or drugs. I looked towards my partner. She was pale and sweating, she started to tremble like crazy. I thought something happened to her.
"Hey are you okay, you can talk to me if you can!" Reassuring her that I can be there for her at any time.
"I know it's not the right time but I don't know your name. So what is it? I don't want to keep calling you "hey and stuff." I said this in a light hearted and joking tone, to calm her down. She took note of that and calmed down for a bit. She breaths in and exhales gently to calm her down.
"My name is Rosa ." Cowering a little bit but she's still going through.
I smiled and with a smile "That's a nice name you know!" Rosa glanced at me, Rosa finally calmed down. I knocked on the door, hoping for someone to come to the door. After some minutes came by, a worker opened the door. He peaked and asked "Who is it?"
"We're from the Phoenix resistance group. We want to talk to your manager. Is that fine enough for you?" I said in a nice friendly tone, so we don't sound thieves at night or there to harm them any way possible. He fully opens the door towards us.
"Come this way sir."
I noticed his outfit, it looks overworn, broken and dirty. He also looks like he was exhausted, his purple eyebags were large, his face looked pale and dead. Sometimes his words were slurred and sometimes he would forget which way he was walking. Looking at the food, the bread was moldy a little bit, barely visible at hindsight. Looking at Rosa she didn't notice it nor the worker. Occasionally saying "Sorry, it's this way." from him. The workers also have the same look. They look like the people who came off the streets of the slums. But I never probe for information. He finally took upstairs where the manger is at.
"W-where h–here." The worker said in a barely comprehensible tone. We both nodded and we began to knock again at the manger door. We were knocking abruptly and harsher this time. We didn't want to wait at all. The distributor manager finally opens the door with a furious look on his face.
"I hear you damn. I was in the middle of something but you two were loud and clear!"
"If you heard us the first time, why didn't you open it right away!" Rosa asked, getting enraged by him yelling at us. I simply sighed because there was no reason for us to get mad at each other. And it's tiring to yell at us anyways. We will never go anywhere with this hostility.
"Ok, chill out both of you. Sorry for the loud knocking on the door. We just wanted to hand you this letter that our leader gave us." In a calm, disengaging tone, to calm the both of Rosa and the distributor down. He abruptly took the letter and opened it. From the look of it he looked shocked and angry and he went inside of his office. He signaled us in and we walked inside of it. Inside of his room there were a bunch of pictures of the food, and his employees. There were various employees too, ones we never saw, also a picture on his desk that looks like his wife and son. He sat down in a big chair that looked like a throne, he pushed back his glasses and looked at us with a stern attitude.
"Sure I can help you guys more with the food if you guys do this one thing for me."
"Okay, what do you want us to do sir."
"My name is Wyll for your information, you slums dwellers." He spoke radically and harsh
"Ok, I want you guys to get me information about this gang in the downtown part of the slums."
"If you're competent enough I will sign this letter and provide more food in your part of the slums. It's a win-win situation for you uneducated slum bearers." He snorted with disdain and animosity. Rosa almost exploded with anger, ready to snap back towards his remarks about us. I understand her position, talking so much but in the same part of the slums as us. But I digress, I don't let this get to my head if it is how else I can kill the emperor.
"So, what is the gang name, and who is the leader and what should we do?"
" The gang's name is Forsaken. The leader's name is Jon. He has a lot of mana and I heard he was strong. But you can either go on a spy mission or you can kill them, it's up to you. I just want them gone because they are the ones stealing my production!"
"Ok, I understand me and Rosa will handle this Wyll. We will be back tonight alright."
"Ok, I will be only open till 12 pm at night so you guys better hurry up and not make me wait for you rockery bums." Wyll, with slobbering on himself, he was quite big so it must be happening often. Me and Rosa nodded our heads and walked out through the double doors. Rosa was stomping on the ground. "How could he talk to us that way!" Rosa was furious about the conversation we had with wyll. Rightfully so, but we can't let his comments go to our head at all, if we want to make real change we have to prove it with our actions and not with arguments and fighting back at him.
Chapter 4 : Jon Hideout
"It's okay, people like him are going to die sooner or later because of his mouth." I smiled at her to relieve her angered mind. But she is still mad but calmed down a little bit.
"His words don't bother you at all? If I wasn't a part of the resistance I would've had a problem killing him on the spot!" Rosa was still tempted to go back and say something to him.
"But we are in resistance, that's the difference. What would happen if the resistance attacked the only food distributor here in the slums? That would mess things up, people would look at us differently." Rosa sighed and realized I'm right, but still pissed off. "Yeah, yeah, let's just go, I don't want to be here anymore." I smiled and said "Yeah of course we have a job to do after all."
We went downstairs and saw the workers still doing their task endlessly. Through the front doors we quickly head towards the location of the Forsaken gang hideout. The hideout was small, it was inside of an abandoned building. Broken glass windows, glass on the floor, reek of drugs. One of the members came up to us, body was twitching like crazy. One of his eyes was closed and the other was opened slightly. He spoke in such a brazen way "What are you guys doing here huh! Do you want a fight or some bugs?" His breath smelt like he was drinking, honestly it was disgusting I wanted to gag. Rosa's face was startled too. With no hesitation she used her rose magic to use her thrones to pierce his chest and he fell straight down to the floor. He was bleeding from the mouth and he was out cold. "Why did you do that? We could've asked for information then attacked him." I shake my head in disbelief.
"But I didn't like the way he smelled or looked at all. We can agree on that right!" Rosa's voice was unapologetic. Like she didn't do anything wrong. I just put my hand on my face and kept walking forward. We probably wouldn't get any information from him anyways. Maybe she was right to use her magic on him. We kept walking forward in this building, it was cold, dark. There were barely any lights, most of the gang members had passed out drugs, and could barely notice us at all. Until one of the members was following us the whole time and shouted "HEY, WHO DID THAT TO JOHNNY!" He rushed right in front of us.
"How could you do that to Johnny, he did nothing wrong to yall!" The gang member said this in a worried but serious tone.
"You guys will pay for it!!! JON THERE IS A RATS IN HERE FOR YOU TO TAKE OUT!" He shouted with grace and loudly for everyone to hear. Anyone who was sleeping or passed out immediately woke up. All of them came and surrounded us like we were in a dog fight. All of them were bald and had white tees and black pants. They had a bunch of tattoos of a famous white dragon all etched onto their arms. They started to make a rant "Kill them! Kill them!" My face was clenched with tension and worry. How could this happen? We just wanted to talk for a bit. Well it's hopeless now we have to fight. I looked towards Rosa, her face looking in disappointment like she knew this was her fault. I walked towards her and patted her on the back and smiled at her. To give her the hope she needs.
"I have a question for you guys?" I spoke with straightforwardness, and calmly.
"Like what bug! One of the gang members spoke with rudeness and harshness.
"If we defeated all of you, can we talk to Jon?"
They started to laugh with great joy. Like a jester made a joke to them.
"You two scrawny bugs are beating all of us. Don't make us laugh, you petrified bugs!" Their faces tensed up with anger.
"Sure if hell froze over and won you can go to talk to Jon. I even gave you this, he is all the way to the top of this building too." They had immense arrogance and pride in their abilities. I noticed they barely had any mana at all. If they did it would be plausible they can win against us but luck has run out for them. I walked up towards the biggest and tallest one there and looked straight dead into their eyes. My red ringed eyes poured into his body, like I was staring at his soul and he was staring back scared, and horrified. He started to scream and yell. He started to punch the air randomly as I dodged them easily. I dodged and punched his stomach then I backed up and put my hand out. A magical circle came behind me and sounded like large fireworks.
Black butterflies starts to hone onto him
"Aw did it hurt!" I was mocking him, I really want him to see the difference between us.
I kept walking towards him and kicked his face in.
He clutched his face, and a tear came out of him.
"S–stop, alright you win, alright man you WIN!" Tears were coming out, his voice was shaken in fear. All he can see is my red ringed eyes, that's it, he was afraid and shook towards the core and he passed out. I looked towards the rest of the members and they all backed away from me. Even Rosa has a little freight into her.
"I—s that you?" Rosa had nervousness in her voice. I looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. Obviously it was me but I just realized what I did to the gang member. I felt bad but I can't do anything about it. I just calmly said "I'm fine, lets just find Jon now." She agreed to this and we walked past the gang members and headed upstairs. While we were heading up the stairs, Rosa wanted to ask me something. Like she wanted to ask what happened downstairs.
"So, let's talk about what's going to happen when we face Jon." I try to dodge her stare at me.
Chapter 5 : Famine
"First let's try to talk it out. Ask him why he steals from the food distributor. And how could we move forward without killing him." With high importance of not killing him until there is no solution in talking and we have to resort into fighting. Rosa simply bobbed her head up and down and continued to follow me. It was silent and awkward but I didn't want to talk about what happened down there. I started to smell something. Something revolting and rotting. I looked at Rosa, her face tense up. It was coming from the floor before Jon. It was so disgusting, flies starting to fly by us. I looked at Rosa to see if she wanted to go. First she shook her head no, but the smell was predominantly so it was so hard not to miss. So we both head inside of floor number 42. We checked inside of the rooms and it was mostly abandoned. But Rosa noticed something off, the eerie vibe.
"Crunch, Crunch" noises from a certain room.
"Chomp chomp" again from the same room.
"Let's head down here into this room. Room 13 I believe Rosa."
"Alright, I'm scared but let's go anyway." We both headed towards the direction, the smell grew even worse, the bugs became even more noticeable. But something inside of me was familiar with this scent. Before I opened the door, I asked Rosa if she was okay, and she shook her head up and down. Then with a slight turn to the knob, Rosa almost threw up. I couldn't believe it either. A kid from this gang was eating the dead body of another gang member. The kid was small and so thin you can see the bones on him. The kid kept on eating, not noticing that we were here. Rosa ran out, I walked towards the kid.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing to that dead body?" In a calm and friendly tone, so the kids don't think I'm his enemy. I almost barfed up, I had food in my pockets if anything happened to me and gave it to the kid.
"Thank you, mister, you're so kind!" He begins to eat the rations I gave him. I grabbed his hand and rushed him outside of the room.
"I want you to leave, this isn't a safe place for you!" I crouched down and held his shoulders and I looked like I was about to cry.
"M-my dad said i-ff I die you can eat me because there is no food left for me to get!" He was stumbling on his words because he was eating on his dad's body.
"But there's no one left for me to go. And I don't want to leave papa here alone. He will get sad." The kid said this in a naive tone, too young for this cruel treatment.
"Do most of the gang members do this?" I asked in clarification. The kid nodded "It's a common recurrence here sir!"
"Recurrence?" I said with a shocked expression.
"When the boss gets done doing his job he always brings dead bodies here to feed us! I know it tastes nasty and sometimes I don't want to eat it, but I don't want to die, mister!" He was stumbling, his eyes looked dark even for a child. I hugged him with a sorrowful look.
"There's a resistance called the Phoenix resistance where I work under. It's the underground part of the slums. There will be a grocery mart there if you find it. . You can go there!" my throat was itchy, the scene of this kid was too heartbreaking for me, I was stumbling on my words.
"Ok, mister!" he came off from my hug and walked down the stairs and probably headed towards the resistance hoping for him to make it. I went towards the kid's dead dad's body and I used my black butterflies that flew everywhere like a cemetery, dancing in the break of death, and burning its body. Like it releasing his flesh from being eaten from his son's survival.
"You're a great dad now rest in peace for all eternity." The situation is different now. I walked outside where Rosa was frightened. She saw my determined look and almost had a hopeful expression. Her tears were coming off from her, her nose was running like crazy. I walked towards her and hugged her. It was a dark situation for the both of us. All we needed was some warmth of the situation right now. After a few minutes both of us stopped hugging each other. We looked at each other knowing what to do.
Chapter 6: Reaching Jon
We were reaching towards Jon one more floor, and we hit the floor where Jon is at. We didn't see him at all ,me and Rosa looked on the empty floor.
"Where is he?" Rosa said in a questioning voice determined to find him. Rosa looked at me with a worried look. Pushed me out of the way. I didn't notice but she did. Jon was using an invisible spell the whole time. He punched Rosa instead of me.
"ROSA!" I shouted with anger. I looked at him with a hateful expression. Something I didn't want to feel at all. But it continued to rise, as I rushed towards Rosa to check if she's okay.
"I'm okay, you don't need to check up on me, you know." Rosa smiled and got back up. I was worried about nothing then. A load came off my shoulders. We both looked at Jon.
"So talking is not an option then huh."
"I could talk but why should I? You guys came into my building and hurt my people for no reason. There's no reason for us to talk."
"Look we wanted to talk but your people started to fight with us alright!" Rosa sneered at Jon.
"Alright, you have a point. So let's do this. We can talk for 5 minutes and ask me any questions, then we will fight to the death."
"Sure, let's talk then. I want to ask you why you steal from the distributor, and force people of your gang to eat the dead people you kill?" Disgusted in voice, and slight anger.
"Why do you ask? Because there is not a lot of food here for us! The food shortage is getting out of hand. My people are dying left and right from no food. What else do you want me to do!" He said this with a desperate tone. Like what he can do to feed his people. I thought about it and I looked towards Rosa, she also contemplated the situation at hand.
"So who do you kill Jon, do you kill innocent people in the slums, the rich people across the border?" She wanted to make sure that he wasn't killing innocent people for his gang.
"How naive! Rich people don't care about us, they're the ones who put us in this place in the first place." His voice sounded with hatred and despair.
"How else can I feed my gang members without doing the dirty work? The people across the border don't even want to talk to us!" Jon said this like he didn't want to do this after all.
"I understand." I looked at him with my bright red ringed eyes with sincerity knowing how it is to survive even doing the worst things to survive. He wasn't at fault in this situation at all, that's what makes me even more angry.
Chapter 7 : Unknown Enemy
"Alright I wouldn't do anything to you at all. In fact my resistance could help you out if you want!" With a smile on my face, showing hope even in this dark sunken place in the slums.
"W-what!" Rosa was quite shocked.
"Why do you want to help our enemy so badly!"
Jon was shocked too. His face was in denial and didn't want to believe it at first.
Are you lying to me?" Confusion in his tone, like this is the first time someone actually wanted to help him.
"Yeah I'm sure, if I can't help the person in front of me, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." My face showed determination and seriousness, I'm not going to back away from him at all. I'm not letting other people in his gang suffer anymore with starving issues at all. I looked back at him, a tear came down his face.
" "Swoosh"
A big needle like sword pierce his skull, his lifeless body hits the floor loud. His eyes were dark like an abyss. The blood got on me and Rosa's clothes. The sword was too fast for us to realize what happened.
"JON!" I yelled, even though it was useless I still had hope but that hope was lost. An unknown person came crashing down. He was wearing a black top hat that has death on the stripe of it with the same mask the high class nobles has, the laughing and crying expression with a golden finger jewelry on his index finger. He walked closer towards his body and picked up his needle.
"This trash can't even do simple directions." He kicked Jon's head like he was nothing. In pure terror on my face, it reminded me of my mother, those dead eyes that peer into the abyss all I know too well. It swells something inside of me, was it fear, anguish, no it was something more horrifying and disgusting. That darkness, that hatred that brewed inside of me for so long. I tried to push away now it's returning without thinking logically. I rushed towards him like an animal Rosa looked at me differently, perhaps scared but I didn't care at that moment.
I landed a punch
He swiftly dodged like a butterfly
Rosa used her rose magic to create a barrier to block a punch from the unknown man
The unknown man simply looks at it with a bored expression
"A slum trying to hit one of the 5 Emperor's Fingers?" He started to laugh at me like I made a huge joke and hint of shockness that she protected me.
"Thank you , Rosa" I smiled and nodded towards her
"We're a team right. I'm going to protect you no matter what!" She said this cautiously and there was a hint of sacredness in her voice.
Chapter 8: Emperor's Fingers
"Who cares who you are. You killed someone for no reason. You're the true animal here you scum!" I looked at him with a defiant face. My bright red ringed eyes bared into his face knowing that I'm not backing down even though I'm out matched right now.
"Even if I lose today, one day I'm going to kill that so-called emperor!"
"You? The weakling who can't even hit me?" He laughed again
I put my hand out, black butterflies floats towards him
He dodged them but more black butterflies keeps on coming
The butterflies rested on his shoulder and started to bite on his shoulders
"How could this kid have so much power?" He used a little bit of mana to disperse the butterflies.
"Becuase you hit me five times I will tell you my name."
"My name is Eris, one of the emperor's appointed fingers and one of the five of them." He said this grace and honor but there's a slight hint of arrogance.
His mana is large and mass yet familiar to me
Eris was staring at me for a moment like he was thinking of something important.
"What are you looking at Eris?" with a slight hiss and passive aggressiveness towards it.
"Nothing you kid born from the slum." He with bunch of white butterflies hover over his body and disappear without a trace.
Chapter 9 : Unblooming Rose Part 1
Rosa was in a trance, looking at nothingness. Standing straight just looking at the wall.
Before Eris could leave he said one more thing.
"Oh yeah don't forget about that Rosa girl, I put her in my weakest illusionary spell." He laughed at me mockingly.
I walked towards her and she started to shiver, and whispered something out.
"Mom… DON'T LEAVE ME…" Hysterical in her voice, like reaching out for someone.
I put my hands on her shoulders, and I got caught up into the spell too. The space was distorted, like a black abyss washed over me.
"What, Where am I." I kept looking back and forth until I saw an elven kid. I walked close towards her, she was in a corner crying in her legs.
"Hey it's okay" I put my hand out, and the kid looked at me. She was wearing a white dress, with a flowerhead, with chains on her hands and legs. It was Rosa.
My expression changed, seeing her in chains, caught me off guard.
"How do you even get here, normally she doesn't allow anybody to come close especially for a man." The kid sobered, with intense confusion. Her voice muttered echo with grief and hint of despair.
"Where are we?"
"We are inside of my memories"
"But why is it so dark, like we are in a nightmare?"
Rosa, started to twitch and shiver. I looked at her with a confused look. The area started to change, it looks like a road from across the wall. The street is painted with gold, I looked to my left. Young or old elven girls have chains on them with revealing outfits while the nobles are dragging them like dogs. My mouth started crawling with nausea.
"What is happening, Rosa!" With a sense of urgency and I want to help them.
She wasn't even fazed by this at all. It looks like she has seen this before.
"This is the place where the fallen elves tribe lives." She said this in a monotone voice, depressing for a kid.
I just looked at her with a shocked and solemn expression.
"Hey slave, keep walking your dog." As the noble man with the crying and smiling expression kicked the elf.
"Waah wahh, where's mommy, where's daddy. I'm scared" An elven kid is crying with a chain around her neck.
Rosa kept walking and I followed behind her, shops with elves in the glass like a showcase.
"Hey, she looks like a good one right?" With two nobles rubbing their hands and with malicious intent. The elf looks scared and ready to cry. We kept walking, towards an alleyway she showed me a secret door, where her and her mom lives.
"Hey Rosa your back!" Her mom gently hugs her and smiles at her. The mom's clothes were tattered and ragged."
Rosa used her rose powers to create a flower for her.
"Thank you Rosa."
Rosa hugged her gently, embracing her mother, and relishing in this moment.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Ahhh" Rosa and her mother shaken with fear and anxiety.
"Open the d–ooor, you elven dogs burrrp" The man behind the door was drunk and barely comprehensible.
"Open the door Rosa." Her mom nodded her head up to make sure it was safe. Rosa and her mother knew who it was. It was her father. Rosa slowly walks up towards the door with fear.
She opens the door up.
"Finally you dogs, ha–ve ea–rrs" The father was stumbling over his words, and drooling with beer and fine noble beer.
I looked at her with a saddening expression, her memories that she didn't want to see nor want anyone to see.
Her father walked up towards the mother and hit her.
"Ouch what was the f–or"
"Are you talking back to me, dog?"
"Dogs are only supposed to do two things: bark and be obedient towards their master."
He kept viciously beating her while Rosa was in the corner sitting there crying. She couldn't do anything and this wasn't the first time the mother used to get beat. I walked up towards the father, with my fist clenched with anger and malice.
"Hey stop."
But nothing came towards the father. The father didn't even hear me nor the mother. It seems like I can't interact with a memory that makes sense.
Sounds of chains moving and roses fluttering showing an another memory
Her mother was putting the black rose flower on Rosa's shirt.
"This black rose is special to me and I wanted to pass it down to you, my daughter." With a sweet smile to embrace her daughter.
Another memory shift.
Her mother blocked the door while her father was trying to get in.
"Rosa I want you to leave this place and be free from this alright."
"No, Mom, I want to be with you forever!"
"Rosa, please for me and my dream you have to live."
"I don't even know what your dream is Mom. You always leave me alone while you do work. You always get beaten, and I don't know what else you do outside of here." Rosa sobbed.
"Rosa, you're like an unblooming flower. You have a talent and you're special. If you can find a place that you can bloom then I did everything right as a mother. That's my dream."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"You long ear dog, you better open the door before I call the Fingers soldiers."
Rosa's mother looked at her and smiled.
"Now, when I motion my hands I will open the door and you can escape, run fast, and never look back alright."
"Y–yes."
Rosa's mother opened the door and motioned Rosa to escape.
She ran out the door, to her surprise the emperor's fingers soldiers were outside waiting for her.
"Wait this can't be-?"
SWOOSH
A lance that was thrown by the soldiers came flying fast.
GASH
"MO—M!"
"Rosa!"
Rosa's mother grabbed and started to run out of the town. The soldiers and their father came with them.
"This is going to be entertainment for me. Chasing dogs is the funniest thing ever!" The father said hysterically.
"Mom, you're bleeding."
"I—I'm alright, we're leaving this place together!"
STOMP STOMP STOMP
"My ears!
"What is that noise"
"Wait."
GALLOP GALLOP
"Hey you piles of meat, stop running from us."
"You won't get anywhere!"
"We have 30 soldiers at standby"
"If you guys surrender you will kill both of you guys painlessly."
Rosa and her mother kept running until they hit the edge of the cliff.
"There is nowhere to run anymore."
"You dogs, if you weren't pregnant with that child I wouldn't be humiliated by the other nobles!"
The mother was enraged, her magic started to run rampant. The black roses vines started to sprout everywhere trying to target the soldiers.
"This petty magic won't do anything to fine soldiers like us!"
They clashed with magic bullets, and blocked them with ease and certainty. Rosa was in panic, she couldn't do anything while her mother was battling against the mighty soldiers. The soldiers started to go in formation. Rosa's mother looked at Rosa one last time.
"I love you my child, you are younger than me so explore more of the world!" The mom was in pain and in grief.
SWOOSH BAM BAM BAM
"MOM!"
"AAHHHHH"
Chapter 10: Smeared black rose
Rosa's mother pushed her off the cliff and with the last bit of magic that her mom created a flowerbed for Rosa to land safely. Black roses fall with Rosa, remembering all the times she spent with her mother. The black rose that she cherished is smeared with her mother's blood turning the black rose into a red rose.
Young Rosa looked at me, with a depressed look, not used to seeing her mother die again. I mean who wouldn't.
Her body was engulfed in darkness, not wanting anybody to let in emotionally.
"So Rosa, do you know how to get out of this illusion?"
"No, I do not."
"I don't want to leave anyways."
"I want to sit here and die. This is probably my punishment for not helping my mom out at all"
She went back to that corner of that room that she and her mother used to sit at. She put her hand into her legs not wanting to look at anything again. Like she wants to blind from this situation.
"This is my fault" She repeated that with pain and guilt.
Her guilt overshadows her, remembering this caused a traumatic response to her. Tears hit the floor like rain.
I looked at her with an empathetic look while I was walking up towards her to comfort her.
"This place is probably bounded by you."
"The only way to beat this illusion to accept yourself"
She still had her head in her lap, I came towards her and sat next to her.
"None of this is your fault."
"How would you know!"
"If I wasn't born this would never happen."
"My mom will probably still be alive." Her voice screamed with agony and hollowness.
"So what?"
"Let me tell you this. My mom had been killed right in front of me." Broken and low spirited, I spoke with grief and anguish.
She just looked at me with guilt on her face for saying that.
"It's fine" I put a fake smile on my face. Remembering my mothers death still takes a toll on me still.
"There have been days I want to revisit the past and redo things over."
"But, there's no magic and anything like that here. We have to keep moving forward, with our guilt, with our sadness and pain."
"For the ones we lost, we take their pain and give them meaning to them and our lives too."
"We can only confront the pain ahead or can run away from it. I'm not judging on both."
"Two pretty good options but I want to take the pain ahead of me!"
She finally looked up at me, I smiled at her. That overwhelming guilt felt a little bit less now. She began to stand up. Her rose vines began to sprout out. But this time it came with thorns.
She looked at her
"I can't change myself. I always feel guilty about my past. I need to move forward"
A shadowy figure of her mom standing right next to her. Putting on the black rose on her shirt again. With a smile that greets her gently and warmly.
She smiled back at her and put her hands on the rose
Chapter 12 : Blooming Rose
Rose vines that has newly thorns emerge around her and started to attack that wall that she used to live in
"You're right. I can't change myself if I keep looking at the past."
"I'm going to take this rose and go on the hard and thorny path so I can grow and learn about more people."
Multiple rose vines sprouted out behind her and break down the wall in front of her
Her mom was standing right beside her while this was happening. She disappeared along with the wall with a smile on her face.
Me and her looked around, we were back at the reality at hand. Jon's body was still in front of us, lifeless and blood spurting out of him. I looked at her with a smile but that slowly faded as I looked at the body once more. I looked at his eyes, it looked like a dark abyss that was slowly pulling me into death. I closed my eyes and put my hands into prayer hands. My black butterflies roamed around me and they slowly went towards him. She notices this too and does the same thing, with her power she makes a rose field with a bunch of roses around his body.
When the black butterflies touch him and slowly burn him for him to pass onto the next life.
"You did everything you could for your people to survive. Let my butterflies guide you to everlasting slumber in peace."