I woke up
Everything looked dark
I slightly move my hand.
I hear chains rustling that.
I start to notice the ground is metallic, and I'm leaning against a metal rod.
Everything is screaming out, I'm in a cage.
I was freaking out, then I realized
Gradually, the sequence of recent events began to return to my memory.
The time I just received my power, everyone labeled me a monster.
While the guard was taking me away, I looked at my mom, begging her to help me.
But what does she do
Anger surged within me.
She looked away from me.
And, to top it off, I received a sentence without a fair trial.
You know what? Screw that
If the kingdom is going to give an unfair judgment
Then I resolved to pass my own judgment on the kingdom, believing that if they could so easily condemn me, I would, in turn, decide their fate with equal severity.
And their executioner will be me.
And the citizen who labels me a monster
I'll show them who's a monster.
And that damn nun who says I shouldn't exist
I'll erase the kingdom.
My face gave a menacing smile.
"Yesss…"
Out of nowhere, I heard a voice; I looked around.
I think it was the guard talking.
Then everything stops moving.
I was curious about what's going on.
In the background, I heard a guard say
"Ah man, let's camp here since it's already dark, and not only that, it's still a long way to go till we reach the borderline to the forest of no return."
The other replied,
"Yeah, you're right. Who knew they would assign us to deliver this brat to that place?"
And I hear a third guard saying.
"Hey, less talking, more unpacking. Let's set up so we can eat and sleep."
Two guards say
"Yes, sir."
As the guard set up their tent and stuff
I remain confined within the cage, its cold metal bars obscured by a heavy blanket draped over the structure.
The limited space, combined with the oppressive darkness and the faint scent of rusted iron, heightens my sense of isolation and vulnerability.
No food, no water, and no light
"What are you going to do?"
I shot up at the sound of that voice again.
I looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from
"You won't find me, idiot, so stop looking."
The voice came back
I replied in a low tone.
"Who are you?"
The voice didn't come back after I said that.
I guess I'm back to being alone again.
I start to doze off due to hunger.
In my dream
I saw that I was in the kingdom.
I was in class learning about magic.
Everything felt so nice and peaceful.
"How long are you going to be stuck in this cage, you damn imbecile?"
I shot out of my seat, recognizing that voice, looking at the teacher.
"It's you, but how are you in my dream?"
The teacher gave a smug smile, replying,
You'd better wake the hell up right now. But before you do, I want to make a deal with you.
I repeated his word
"A deal?"
The teacher answered
"Yes, a deal, but it's a one-use deal."
I gave a stern reply.
"What's the deal?"
The teacher replied
"The deal is: when you find yourself in a bad situation, you have to say 'yin' or 'Zedros,' and I will take over your body using the power within you for a few seconds to get you out of your situation. Once it's over, you won't remember what happened or the deal."
My stomach tightened with worry.
Taking over my body
But
The deal feels like a double-edged sword, but what can I do in my situation? And not only that,
If something happens, I can't do anything since I don't know how to use mana.
Alright, I made up my mind.
"Okay, I'll agree to your deal."
The teacher starts giggling, replying,
"Alright now, wake up."
Everything went black
I slowly open my eye and sense that we're moving.
"Man, that was a weird dream," I said quietly.
I wonder whether the deal I made with someone is legitimate.
But a better question is, how far is the forest of no return?
Because every step we take, getting there is a step closer
And that freaks me out.
Then suddenly everything stops moving.
I hear one of the guards got off his horse.
"This is as far as we can go. From here, we must continue on foot. We have to make sure we see him walk into the forest of no return," the guard said.
You've got to be kidding me.
We are already at a distance.
My heart started beating fast and loud.
My breathing became heavier.
I started to sweat uncontrollably.
My sight was becoming blurry.
The guard step was getting closer and louder.
Fsshh
The guard uncovered the blanket from the cage.
And started to open it.
I lift my head up slowly while trembling.
All I saw were trees all around.
I spoke with a trembling voice.
"Where…are…we"
Tck
The guard ticked his teeth at me, already fed up with my voice.
Then he replied
"Hurry up and get out of this cage."
The guard reached his hand towards me.
And grabbing my arm, then yanking me out of the cage.
BAM
I fell to the ground.
I put my hand on my head because the impact hurt my head.
The guards started to get seriously frustrated.
Stomping towards me, angrily saying
"You damn brat, hurry up. I don't have all day."
As his hand reaches out
I silently say
"Please just go away; I don't want to die. Please, someone, help me. Yin…"
Before I realized it, my conscience went blank.
I remained motionless on the ground, my body unresponsive as tension mounted in the air.
The guard's face went from angry to confused.
"Did he die from fear??"
Then
BA-THOOM! BA-THOOM!
A shock wave of energy starts to come out from my body all of a sudden.
The guard who was near me fell backward in fear.
"What the hell is going on with these brats?"
The two guards near the horse muttered.
"What's happening?"
My body slowly started moving.
"HAHAHA!! HAHAHA!!"
Somehow, my body started laughing, but with a familiar voice.
My head looked up, and I opened my eyes.
My eyes were all black.
It was Yin
He took over my body because of the deal we promised.
The guard who was near me pulled out his sword, demanding.
"What the hell are you?"
Yin gave a smirk
"Who am I? Who I am shouldn't be your concern."
All three guards aren't moving.
The guard on the ground says
"Why can't I move? Are my legs numb from my fear? Hey! Guy, come help me."
The other guards were paralyzed with fear as well.
Yin continues saying
"Welp, I only have a few seconds left to be in control."
Yin looked at the guards and aimed his hand towards them.
The guards begin to tremble with fear.
"Hey brat, whatever you're doing, cut it out and just do as you're told."
Yin says something in a whisper tune.
"Hey kid, you don't have to worry about them anymore, but right now I have to use the majority of your mana to take them out, but you'll have enough to wake up."
"HMMMMMMMM"
Yin starts to gather mana from my body to create a dark energy ball.
One of the guards slowly moved and knelt.
"Please don't kill us… We were just following orders."
Yin closes his eyes.
"Now die…"
"TSSSHHHH!"
"ARRHHHH"
Yin shoots a dark beam at the guards.
Killing them from where they stand
Yin looks at the damage he made to the area.
"Welp, that takes care of them. But now it's time to deal with one last thing."
Yin turned around and took a seat on the ground.
"Can you come out now? I know you're here watching."
A mysterious hooded figure emerged from the tree.
Yin says with a weak voice.
"Look, I don't have enough time, so I'm going to make these brief. I can tell you have no hostile feelings towards this body, and I'm going to pass out very soon, so when I do, the body I'm taking over will go back to normal."
The hooded person replied
"Who are you giving orders to?"
The voice sounds like a man.
Yin replied
"I'm one of the entities of this body power, and the body was sentenced to the forest of no return with no trail. So please help him."
The hooded guy replied
"If I take him under my wings. Do you believe he'll entertain me with his potential?"
Yin grinned
"Without a doubt."
Yin lent to the ground as the deal was fulfilled.
The hooded guy walked towards my body and picked me up, then put me on his shoulder.
"These will be interesting, and I hope he doesn't disappoint."
At the hideout
I slowly started to wake you.
"What…going…on?" I mumbled
I shot up, realizing what was going to happen to me.
I quickly look around.
"It looks like I'm in a room."
I noticed that I'm on something soft.
"A bedroom perhaps."
I got off the bed
Seeing I'm wearing new clothes and not those criminal clothes
Then I smell something yummy.
"GRUULL!!!"
My stomach started growling.
I followed the scent and saw a table with food and water, with a piece of paper on the side.
The food was cream meat stew, bread, and tea.
Before I eat
I was curious about the note.
I grabbed the note, and the note said
"I know your curiosity about what is going on, and I don't blame you, but I'll be waiting to see you in the basement. The location of the basement will be mapped out on the back of the paper."
I flip the paper to see if there is really a map behind it.
I continued reading the note.
"I made a small promise about taking care of you. If you want to understand everything that's going on, come find me after you eat."
Okay, I guess I understand what the note says, so I'm going to eat and then head to the basement.
After eating, I begin heading to the basement.
Eating that cream meat stew was so good.
I wonder who made it.
Also, this building is really spacious. I'm guessing this is their hideout.
"Ooh…"
I reach the door that goes to the basement according to the map.
I open the door to the basement.
The light turned on
In front of me there was a stair.
I went down the stairs; all I saw was a giant train, almost 1500 square feet.
I walk toward the middle of the training ground.
"Hey, you're finally here. I hope you enjoy the food."
A random voice echoed through the training room.
I gave a curious look as I replied.
"Who are you… And where am I?"
The mysterious voice spoke.
"Well, as you're aware, you're in a hideout, and the guys that took control of your body requested me to take you under my wings."
I got confused, someone took over my body, so I asked.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, a sharp edge of confusion and unease in my voice. "I honestly don't remember anyone—or anything—taking control of my body."
In an uncertain voice, the mysterious guy replied
"What… you don't remember making a deal or requesting someone to take over your body?"
I was about to lose my mind.
"The hell… no, I don't know what you're talking about."
The mysterious voice went back to normal.
"Okay. I guess I understand what is going on here. Also, you don't have to be so suspicious about me."
His saying that. Started making me suspicious about him
But something felt strange.
Like I'm being stared at with daggers with bloodlust.
I start to shift my body, trying to get ready to escape.
The mysterious voice sounded a bit excited.
"Ooh… I can see that you noticed them."
I shouted
"TELL ME!! WHO ARE YOU, AND WHO ELSE IS HERE?!"
The mysterious voice replied calmly.
"I guess I can't hide them. Ladies attack."
TZTZTZTZ—
I started to hear a sparky sound.
HSSSS—
Then I start to smell something burning.
WHRRRRR—
The air feels like it started to shift.
My whole body is screaming.
Telling me to move
But I don't know where it's coming from
KZZZRAAAAK—
PHWOOOM—
WHOOOSH—
The sound was above me.
I looked up
There was an electric ball, a fireball, and a wind slash coming straight at me.
"OH, MY GOD!!" I shout in panic
But
By the look of it
It seems like they are going to collide with each other and only aim straight where I'm standing.
I jump backward, scared out of my mind, dodging the blasted.
The mysterious voice spoke.
"You actually dodge their attack. That tells me you show promise."
I covered my mouth because of the smoke.
And replied with a muffled voice.
"What was that for?"
The mysterious voice replied
"What? I can't hear you. But if you want to know who they are, you can. Ladies, introduce yourselves."
Tap… tap… tap…
I started to walk among multiple people.
The smoke started to clear up.
I look in front of me.
I saw three women standing in front of me.
The one on my left was a woman wearing a black cover-up, baggy, torn black pants, and fighter gloves, who looked muscular and had red and yellow hair.
She spoke
"My name is Erma Cres."
Then I look at the lady in the middle.
The woman in the middle was the shortest one. Who has two different colored eyes, wears a GI outfit, and has short green hair? And who has an energetic face?
She spoke
"My name is Crystal Leman."
Then lastly, I look at the woman on the right.
And the woman on my right had a calm, gentle face, yellow eyes, and long black hair with yellow highlights.
She also wears a black-and-yellow coat with black pants and shoes.
She say
"I'm Lele Risen; nice to meet you."
I replied to all of them.
"Nice to meet you all."
I look up, asking,
"What about you now?"
Erma added her comment on what was said.
"Yeah, you need to explain what's up with this brat."
The mysterious voice replied
"No need to stress the small stuff. I can hear you perfectly fine since I'm standing behind you."
I quickly turned around.
I saw a hooded person standing behind me.
Then the hooded guys grab his cloak and pull it off.
It was a guy with a cocky smirk, white hair, and golden eyes. He wears a purple hoodie and baggy pants with armored gloves and boots.
He spoke
"My name is Eren Ross, and I'm the sexiest guy here."
I gave him a little disgusted look while repeating.
"Sexiest?"
Eren smoothed his face, asking,
"So are you going to tell us who you are?"
He was right, but I still find it hard to trust them.
Should I give them my real name or a fake one?
But the more I think about it,
Telling them my fake name is pointless.
But if I mention my last name,
How will they react
Ugh, it doesn't matter, right? I am already a dead man walking to the kingdom.
"My name is Maikeru Kuro."
Everyone's eyes are open.
Erma replied
"Kuro?"
Crystal say
"You have to be serious. You don't really mean you're related to that Kuro!"
Lele added
"Well, that's going to be a problem."
Eren looked at me seriously.
"Maikeru, what is your father's first name?"
I started to get anxious.
"???"
Eren replied
"So you're really that guy, son, huh… do you know where your father is?"
Does he know my father?
Well, he got to know him, my mother told me.
He made the whole kingdom fear him.
I look at Eren's eyes, still anxious.
"No, I don't, but do you have a history with my father? Because all I know is he made the whole kingdom of Zommand fear him."
Eren replied
"A whole kingdom" was an understatement. Try making the whole human race fear him."
I was shocked.
The whole human race fears him.
"What did he do?"
Eren closed his eyes.
"I'd rather not talk about it. You ladies calm down with your bloodlust; I can feel it, and even though he's the son of that man, it doesn't mean he carries that…"
Lele notices his cut-off lecture.
"Why did you cut off?"
Eren asked me
"Maikeru, tell them your story of what happened in the kingdom."
I looked at the ladies.
Erma and Crystal were staring daggers at me.
The same feeling as before
So I told them the story of how my mother told me a little bit of my father and, using her last name, how I received my power and the kingdom guards took me away, then sentenced me to the forest of no return with no fair judgment.
Erma gave a disbelief look.
Crystal started to tear up.
Lele had her eyes closed while covering her mouth.
Eren looked at them
"Listen, ladies. I may not be the paragon of virtue when it comes to dealings with the kingdom, but you should realize he is nothing like his father. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt for once."
Erma snaps at Eren
"What do you mean, give him some slack? That guy shouldn't continue the bloodline."
Lele looked at Erma with sadness in her eyes.
"Hey Maikeru, what is your mother's name?"
I cleared my throat
Trying to make my breathing steady
But I still feel unsteady.
"My mother's name is Loba Zeniki."
Lele's face calmed down a little
"So you're part of the Zeniki family?"
I replied back
"Yes."
Lele continued looking at Erma.
Eren steps in
"Everyone listen, this boy is only 14 years old, and look what he has been through. It basically forces him to mature beyond his age. And we're the only adults to set him on the right track. So to keep my promise, please help me."
Erma sighed with understanding.
Crystal replied
"Yeah, understood."
Lele replied
"Yup"
Eren clapped his hands.
All eyes on him
"Okay, now that we've got all this situated. Maikeru, now that I have taken you under my wings, it is time for you to create your training, starting with a full-body buildup, then martial arts, and soon understanding your power."
A profound sense of warmth and reassurance settled over me, as I gradually realized that, for the first time, I might finally have people willing to support and guide me.
My face started to tear up with happiness.
Everyone looks at me with warmth.
Eren jokingly says
"Hehe… are you really crying?"
I replied
"Shut up… hehe… I'm just happy, okay?"
From that day on, I started to enjoy my life.
There are other people, so I'll meet them soon in the future.
It's going to be my biggest struggle.