Lola Asina—Year 2018 AS
The rain seemingly looked like it would not stop. Rain is common in Storm City. We see more drops of water than we see the Purple Sun. The dance of the stars may never end, and the drops of rain may never stop. Rise of the Crimson Moon, descent of the Purple Sun.
My steps were as quiet as I was. The raindrops pouring down on my hair were relaxing to some extent and irritating to the other. Someday, I want to muster enough money to travel the world. Yes. Seeing the vast and various regions of the Dream Realm has always been my tiny dream. The fool would always like to dream of a new beginning. I am a fool.
"Oi, girl!" Lord Oscytel yelled, gripping my arm so he wouldn't stumble and fall flat.
"S-Sir! How much did you drink?!"
War-Eye shrugged my question, sneering at me instead.
"Stop whining like a bolem whelp. I drink as long as I don't vomit."
I was puzzled, believing all my life that every member of the Sacred Great Houses was great and noble. But now, before me stood a drunken war veteran.
"W-Will this not result in death? I don't think drinking this much wine is any good for your health, m'lord."
Sir Oscytel rolled his eyes. We stepped near a park with the giant gray trees of the Forest of Spirits, the graylord trees as they are known. Lord Oscytel pulled his head back, looking at the sky as the rain continued to fall like the dream it was.
"Why should I fear Death? If I am, then Death is not. If Death is, then I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?"
I was not sure how to answer that; I may have. But my heart wasn't in it. To Death, we laugh in its face. I fear a man who can excuse it with his laughter.
"If there is our Mighty Tarn, then there is always a time for Death to have rest. If there is us, then why bother to guide the world?"
He glanced at me, clearly surprised by my words.
"What stage are you, girl? Did aether curse you enough?"
I tilted my head,
"H-How did you know I was an Awakened?"
He chuckled.
"You don't know how to hide your aetheric signature. I could give you a few tips on that."
I flushed with embarrassment, feeling like a fool.
"I-Iam not very good at using my aether, o-only the basics."
"What are you then? A Secundus? Tertius, perhaps?"
"I-I am an Ascender."
Lord Oscytel jolted his head back, surprised and impressed. Then he smiled softly, giving me a sense of elation.
"Hmm, good, very good, girl. I am impressed by your progression more than anything. If I were to have a daughter, I would have gladly chosen you.
My heart almost skipped a beat. I looked down at my hands, feeling truly and utterly happy at his words and admiration.
"What? I said it only metaphorically, don't take me seriously. I don't even know what I am saying to you right now."
Shaking my head to get a grip on myself, I held the urge to hiccup.
"I-I am really thankful to you, m'lord."
Sir Oscytel hovered his hand near my hair, then he looked around wearily and patted my head. His odd action made my face go red immediately, my ears, hands, and cheeks all flushing.
"You remind me of Hâkon," he said, voice barely above a whisper.
Sir pulled away his hand and lay back, inhaling the fresh air. I looked down, my eyes searching.
"B-By 'Hâkon', do you mean Hâkon Aleric Sangius? Your son?"
His face fell, eyes mirroring the pain that stings his soul.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. There is no point in talking about dead people."
I almost slapped myself for asking a stupid question like that.
"I-I am sorry, m'lord, I shouldn't have asked."
"There is nothing to be sorry about, girl. Don't be sorry for stories you did not write."
The bitter anger I had for myself vanished, replaced by a ponderous emotion.
"S-Sir?"
"Yeah?"
I looked up at him.
"D-Do you believe there is an afterlife? A heaven which the Pillars carved for us?"
His eyes looked up, facing the cloudy sky.
"I don't know, that damn Pillars never guided us to that. But if there is actually one, I'd rather burn in hell than serve in heaven."
All I managed to do was nod. I really am a fool.
"What about you, little bird? Do you believe there is a paradise waiting for you after the bitter end bites you?"
Nibbling my lips, they tried to find a satisfying answer to give him. When there was none, my mouth only spoke the truth:
"I only believe there is a brand new day after Lord Tarn takes us and we become one with aether."
He grinned darkly,
"An answer only a fool would give." He stood up suddenly, giving me a wink. "Nevertheless, I believe it is time to separate our ways. Go home, girl. And shall I go to mine."
My eyes followed him, witnessing his hidden dread and lament.
"W-W-Will you ever forgive the world for wronging you, m'lord?"
Lord Oscytel raised his brow, clearly taken aback.
"The world does not wrong you, little bird. It is the people who do. And if you ever choose to forgive them, then you have moved forward. And if not, then worry not. Choices are never only yes or no."
"B-But did you?"
He turned around, only looking at me over his shoulder.
"If I did, then I would not be here, would I? We are merely on a sinking ship, waiting for Death to embrace us."
I smiled at him shallowly, lowering my head, I gave the Converter a final goodbye:
"Thank you, m'lord."
Sir Oscytel returned the smile, then vanished into thin air, leaving only aetheric motes behind. He probably used Zero to be quick. A technique I never had the chance to learn.
I arrived at a nearby inn to spend the night; "Fire&Storm" was the name. Stepping inside the building, I instantly felt warmer. The stove at the end of the floor radiated heat throughout the place, serving only to warm its guests. The inn had gray wooden walls with brick accents along the sides for texture. Across from me was a counter where a bored young woman sat, playing with her nails. Four barrels were next to her, stacked on top of each other. I walked over to the woman, feeling anxious. She was beautiful, her eyes a pretty shade of lavender, her hair silk-like, long, and pitch-black. She was tall and lean, proud of her body, yet her eyes were still cold.
"Do you need something, girl?" Her voice was unsurprisingly bitter.
I nodded, ignoring her attitude.
"Yes, please. I am Lola Asina. I would like to have a three-night-long room, please."
She exhaled and shifted into a more formal posture. Her hands went down the counter and grabbed a key, pen, and paper.
"'Lola Asina', 'room 0', '3 nights'. Here you go. That would be six quietus."
I raised my brows as my ears repeated the price she just said.
"S-Six?! Isn't that a bit much?"
The woman simply folded her arms.
"Look, if you don't have the money, then slag off. You are a human, not a bolem."
Frowning, I tucked my hand into the one lone pocket I had and took out the cash of gold. I opened it, looked inside, and then picked up exactly six gold coins from the purse.
"Here," I said with a slight edge to my voice.
The receptionist gladly took my money and put it inside a hidden drawer. And I took my room key and took the stairs next to the stove. The stairs creaked as I climbed them, which was a bit tedious. Climbing to the second floor, I looked around to find where my room was. The entire floor was lit only by small lightbulbs of purple aether. Room 0 was right at the start of the hall, its door wooden and worn. Eerie and enigmatic. Without thinking much, I inserted my key into the keyhole and turned it, opening the door with a squeak. Stepping inside my sad room, I felt the false feeling of being watched. Perhaps it was because of the giant window near the end of the room that showed me the city's empty roads. Or maybe I was just being paranoid. The room was small—not too small, but small—with a very tiny bathroom to the left and an even tinier table to the right. I gently placed my purse on the wooden table next to the bed, closed the door behind me, and threw myself onto the not-so-comfortable bed.
"Deathdamn, this bed is so rough." My voice came out muffled because of my face being covered by the only pillow this bed had.
I turned around, lying on my bed, staring out the big window, watching the rain fall as the Crimson Moon cast its glow over the Dream Realm. Looking at the dark and cloudy sky, I couldn't help but remember my Third Awakening trial. It took place in the Ruinbattle Island, though—there wasn't a single People of Destruction there—only People of Death, Time, and Life. Interacting with people from other realms will always fascinate me. Worlds on the other side of the universe. Lord Oscytel's thoughts of the other realms lingered in my mind. He clearly was in grief over Hâkon. But putting him aside, I ponder what the Dream King will do with Fate's Masterpiece, who, as of now, resides in Magna Tempestas. He proved that life still dwells in the Green Realm and that the People of Destruction still exist. It is really odd to have someone from an entirely different planet, a realm, sleep, and eat, and drink in your homerealm. But who am I to talk? I am no different than Fate's Masterpiece. No better than a mere outsider.
My eyes felt heavier as they closed involuntarily, succumbing to the cold whispers of the red night.
The denial of fire burning deep inside me. I watched as the entire house burned down, people running away, some trying to use their limited power of aether to take out the fire and continuing their glints of desperation. Watching someone you love destroyed before your very eyes. The murmurs of the people around me as they scream in fear, their voices undercut by the fire, my own cries coming distorted because of the fire vibrating within me. I ran to the house, trying to grab the fire and douse it. My mouth opening to scream as fire covered my hands, refusing to let go. Tears rolled down my eyes, pain cutting deep into my heart and nestling itself in there before or after, the girl is the only variable that must change as she shifts locations. There, in that moment, I felt sucked in by a power I could not grasp. Drawing me into itself as purple particles danced in the fire, around my wet eyes. Welcoming me to their throne of tears. There is nothing truer than the judgment of aether.
The sound of music, mixed with the rain, could barely scatter me. Clutching the bed sheets tightly, I hid my head under the pillow, trying to ignore the beautiful music. I scoffed, refusing to acknowledge it. But the instrument's sound was elegant, filling the ears of the fool with its graceful music. Notes of music dancing in the air as they travel across walls to meet my ears.
I clenched my teeth and, in a jolt of frustration, jumped off the bed, my eyes taking in the dark room. The cold night resumes its reign; rain rules over the night sky. I left my room; my brows crossed. However, the girl would be a fool, as always. "What am I even doing?" I thought, the dread in me rising as I passed the dark corridor room by one. Snapping my fingers, a small white flame erupt from the tip of my index finger, lighting my vision. Each step I took made a creaking sound, and the wind moved between me. The sound of the music rose as I got closer to the end of the hall. Anon, I stood before the slightly open door, the room "15". Taking in a deep, fearful breath, I ignited a little larger fire on my finger. There was only a very small gap, only allowing me to see that there is only darkness inside. But the music was full of care and wonder. My foot pushed the ajar door open; the fool is not happy. Sitting inside the dark room was a single silhouette of a man, his fingers dancing through the piano, pressing each key gently. Half of my thoughts wanted to walk inside to see what was really going on, and the other half wanted to run away to escape this place. Aether flowed into the room, the white particles dancing with the music. The figure stopped only when a single wisp of aether touched it. Its fingers suddenly stopped in midair. The figure's head turned unnaturally slow, revealing me to its violent twilight eyes.
"Ah, the Fool of Aurum Dominus, isn't it beautiful, like walking on a dream?"
Its voice was man-like, deep yet gentle. A shiver ran down my spine, fear quickly taking hold, the fire in my finger flickering.
"W-Who are you? H-How do you know my name?"
The figure moved his head only once, and the sole lightbulb on the ceiling reacted to him, giving its purple light to us. As the light shone, revealing the figure's appearance, my eyes widened. He was taller than a man, his ears longer, his hair lengthy and pitch-black. Face pale as white. Teeth keen and dangerous, and his violent gloam eyes fierce and hungry.
"What? Don't you know what I am? Did the eyes not give it away to you?"
I shook my head, the aether inside me traveling to my hands as I prepared myself. The beast narrowed his gaze, frowning.
"Lola Asina, the Fool, may your mind work for a much greater purpose." The mockery in his voice was clear as day.
He moved a single step forward, but I wasn't simply going to let it. A small ball of orange fire burned in my hands as I lunged it at him. He stepped sideways, avoiding my blast.
"Oh, you have the fire affinity? That is new."
"W-Who are you?" I asked again, my voice coming out much more pathetic.
He simply nodded his head, offering no courtesy in return.
"We live in a world filled with Awakened Beasts, and I am what you are afraid of? Well, I am an Awakened Beast but… whatever."
I believe my question was obvious.
"W-Why then? W-What are you?"
His long arms hovered in the air, and a single, rejoicing smile spread his lips.
"I am a Gloam, of course. The one race that ruled the Dream Realm for an era."
I backed away, feeling like a Slumberer in his wake.
"B-B-But Emperor Nicephorus the First killed all the Gloam with the end of the Age of Night. That is what I was told."
He laughed wretchedly.
"Who can truly exterminate a race completely? I am merely two hundred years old. Young for my kind. But there is no meaning left to measure, as the last of the Gloams."
I nearly swallowed my tongue; he was coming from the most advanced branch of Awakened Beasts. The one race that ruled the world for two centuries after the fall of the First Empire, with the end of the Age of Primae. Well, that's what I know at least.
"I-If you are here you yap about your history, then why am I here? Why reveal yourself to me?"
"Careful, I still am stronger than a single Awakened like you."
The Gloam took in the aether around us, his smile softening.
"Who do you think was the single, utter creature that taught the Boy of Miracles the divinity spell?"
"Boy of Miracles? I… Why are you telling me this?"
"Dance with me. Circle the world and let aether flow through. Be one with your soul, control your body, and accept your mind. Walk, child of dust and defiance. The road was written before your first breath, but how you bleed upon it remains yours."
He moved in the air, and then in the blink of an eye, he appeared right before my face. I wanted to pull away, run away. Oh, I wish he had left.
His sharp fingers creased my left cheek, causing it to bleed slightly. My red blood smeared on his fingers.
"Thou'lt be the way of the Masterpiece. As every king needs a fool."
I wanted to move away from his hand, to scream and cry. Fear of the monsters that lie under the beds of those who shall close their eyes. The Gloam of this world, he was a beast.
"A-And me? N-Not even a fool would be this foolish."
He closed his gloam eyes, his breath tickling my forehead.
"Bold thou art. I am merely accomplishing what my race was made for. To be a harbinger of Fate."
The Gloam leaned in, softly kissing my hair as the fire in my finger died out and darkness overcame me.
"Until we meet again, Fool."