Chapter 92

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕾𝖆𝖞 𝕯𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝕲𝖔 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

It was serene, it was calm, and it felt like I was floating in the middle of a deep ocean, but I could feel the air, and yet, I could see a light, that was far above where I was. I tried to move my hands to reach it but no matter what I did, my hands couldn't grip on the light.

Every time that I tried, only warm liquid covered my whole body and yet they should feel to be cold.

I should feel as if I was in this lonely place, a place isolated from the rest of the world, and in every second that passed, I would slowly drown from my own doing but every time I think of the things that have happened, I felt like whenever I blink a piece of my heart would shatter and feel this undeniable pain.

As if the swords that I had earlier instead of piercing the enemies' hearts have pierced mine instead and the fact that I accepted no I was indeed trying to accept such fate was enough for me to reside in this deep place, within the depth of the ocean where I knew no one would miss me, no one would care for me, no one would love me and no one would make me chase what my heart wants...

"Vestia, why are you there? Come up!"

"Vestia, you know we have a lot to tell you"

"We just wanted you to wait for a bit"

"Besides, didn't we have our promises together?"

"You better not die before we get there"

"I'll wait for the time to let your heart heal and be mine again..."

The words that came rushing through my mind were enough to blind me with the light that seemed to be fading from the distance took over my whole being and before I knew it, I heard someone screaming as if that person came out of a very dangerous situation.

And when I looked around, there was no one, except one person that was sitting right beside me.

"W-What happened? W-Why am I here? Didn't I die...." Again?

The following words seemed to dry my throat and I wasn't able to speak properly until I felt two warm hands rubbing through my hands.

It was the first time I saw this person, he had this brown hair and eyes but he wasn't like any other, though his appearance kind of reminded me of Lexus he didn't even have the strange and yet frightful look from his eyes.

He had some freckles written all over his face, and the way his eyebrows knitted was enough to make me look at his brown eyes that kept on reflecting my vision, and he had lips that he had already taken a bite of his lower ones.

He had this pale skin like a woman but he seemed to be a man, while his two hands kept on rubbing my hands, when I managed to claim them, I saw how he moved aside. He bowed and ans stood while I remained to gaze at his back.

I nearly gasped and put both of my hands to my mouth to cover them from mouthing how the surroundings felt like they didn't have a life. The land was barely a place to walk, from my side two lines formed and created a huge crack but the more I looked beyond the more cracks that I could see.

It was brown in hue as if it were the same as the color of the sand but it was so barren that no plant could ever survive.

From beyond, I could see some ruined buildings, some tents that had been destroyed, and most of all some skeletons that were already embedded within the grounds.

"W-Who are you? W-Why am I here? Wait, don't leave, wait!!!" I tried to ask the young man but then when I felt like he was walking away from me, I tried to stand but it seemed that my legs were hurt and when I looked at my body, I still had the same clothes, but he had his coat covered mine. Probably when I was unconscious and yet, why am I even here?

The more I asked myself the more I got confused as to why I even survived that blast, no to how I even survived that scenario where everything felt as if I couldn't breathe, to where everything felt like I had given up.

No, I shouldn't have but then the moment that light touches my swords and disintegrates with it was the moment I decided that at least, Jer would stay alive and get someone to know what was happening in the Belfore East.

But right here, right now, I was fine, I was breathing and I can still feel pain and that means I'm indeed alive.

The back of the strange man that moved away from me seemed nowhere to be found but when I blinked my eyes, he was already walking with fruits on his hands covered in his long sleeves, and the nail of his hands had been mudded.

When I looked closer, he had a mature face, and he had rotten clothes, not like the ones I had worn from my previous life when I was imprisoned, but that one where there was dust that had accumulated.

He had worn-out pants that were like one of the refugees seeking shelter from something and torn-up shoes like the rest of his clothes.

I could even see how the sands that got swayed from the winds were caressing his hair but he wasn't even bothered.

"Are you all right?" he asked me as if he hadn't heard of the words that I shouted earlier, and placed the fruits on the land where I was sitting.

"It's not right to answer a question by another question young man," I heard him chuckle and sat beside the fruit where I was facing.

But he never got to look at my soul since I knew that I couldn't even see my reflection from his eyes the moment he descended both of his hands on the crest and looked right in front of him.

"I barely saw you from this land lying all alone while there was a tsunami in the middle that was about to approach you," he paused but he still wasn't able to look in my direction.

His vision stayed to where it was instilled.

But I felt as if a needle striking my heart got removed from the thousands of it that came crashing through it.

So that's why I was here, but then, how did that happen?

As soon as I faced him lifted my head and opened my mouth, I heard him continue his words.

"As a lone traveler where I get to meet new people and places that got ruined, I found a young lady lying in the middle of nowhere..." The moment he paused the second pause he had, he immediately looked at me with both corners of his lips raising.

It wasn't any devious ones where I would always see from the nobles I would meet, or from the masks of those enemies I just fought but it felt like I could see my friends' faces through him.

"How did I even come in here?"

"There would be two scenarios, either someone brought you here when you're unconscious or that you're one of the runaway slaves..."

What did he just say? Runaway slave?

"From the looks of your expression, it doesn't seem like you knew the word runaway slave from here"

"Just where are we exactly at and who are you to begin with young man? You should have introduced yourself first before coming up some earlier..." I said but when I looked into his eyes, I could see how my eyes widened the same length as how my mouth formed.

I saw him nod but close his eyes for a moment before putting his hands on his forehead and instead, looking into the fruits lying on the ground.

"I am Clifford and as I told you earlier, I am a lone traveler, and this place is where the boundary line between the Ilfan State and the Belfore East and to tell you honestly, this place was abandoned and you were lucky that the two watchers weren't present to this day..."

"Ilfan State? Boundary of the Belfore East? Two watchers?" I asked as I couldn't get those words straight into sentences but the moment that he heard them, he chuckled and nodded

"I guess you just confirmed my state of mind, you were known here, perhaps a runaway slave?" I narrowed my eyes when his tone became deep but there was a hint of doubt in there. I gulped and held the bag on my waist and felt as if Jer was still inside and now, I felt nothing.

I guess I have sent him to Oratio of within the Mezor empire already as long as I have had the bag it could never send me but it could send anyone I requested it to send to a place, just like what the seal earlier did.

Only that it got destroyed by those enemies.

"Yes, because right now, there were new laws in the Belfore East, and this boundary was meant to be watched by those two, Zercus and Serces and yet, they were nowhere to be found..."

Wait, if he's a lone traveler then why did he know the names of the watchers? Or was he lying to me from the start?

"You claimed to be Clifford but the name was too common, so tell me. Who are you exactly?"

"Before you know I guess I should ask you first," he leaned in closer and I prepared myself for an attack, a spell that was bound to seize a human for inspection, and yet, his next words widened my eyes.

"You're no ordinary person, and I guess someone from a powerful realm sends you here. To proceed, would you be willing to do me a favor?"