Plan
How does she know my name?
Chung's gaze darkened further, his grip on the Silver Shooter tightening as his wariness soared. Eve immediately bit her lip for being so careless as to show any weakness. She began charging her electron ball again, and the blue glow in her hand illuminated the garden. The flowers surrounding them stopped dancing to watch them, but the wind refused to calm.
Knowing that she cannot undue what she had said, Eve prepared to battle the intruder.
"Chung... Chung! Isn't there anything we can do?! Please... answer me..." The girl managed to speak after a while of sobbing into the chest of the red-head.
Chung...? I know that name... Golden eyes glanced up as they saw the said person who she hadn't noticed standing amidst the whole scene.
That's right... I... I was...
The boy carried eyes as vast as the ocean, but the sadness and almost a sense of solitude which glowed from them could not be missed. Partially hiding his expression was his soft locks of cream coloured hair, spiking upwards as it reached the back. There were two sections of hair that were tainted a dark brown at the tip, and it appeared as though they were animal ears.
...Are they... really dead?
It framed his face slightly. Suddenly, he turned away, the two azure scarfs fluttering around behind his back. A low ponytail hung on his back, tied back with a blue band. Although his expression could not be read, he was biting his lip gently.
...What should I do?
It was Eve's first time seeing a person from the outside world with her own two eyes, but it was not her first time seeing this person. She bit her lip again, softly this time. The boy didn't seem to react in any way, but she was sure that he was confused, just as much as she was.
She had so many questions in her mind, but she no longer knows what they are. This person is someone she thought only existed in her dreams, but now her doubts are cleared; this boy definitely exists.
She almost felt like she betrayed herself.
Eve mentally shook herself, and plastered on her face was a poker face.
Who was this boy? What does he want? Why did he appear in her dreams? But most importantly, what is he to her?
She lowered her arm ever so slightly. Eve could almost feel herself laughing humourlessly at these questions. Such cliché questions that most likely won't be answered.
Without warning, Chung ran up to Eve, and raised an arm to her shoulder, pushing her to the ground and pinned her down, holding a Silver Shooter to her forehead.
"Move and I'll shoot." He whispered, his dark drawl causing Eve to narrow her eyes at him. The energy in the silver-haired girl's hand vanished as she stared blankly at the blonde haired boy who threatened to pull the trigger.
Eve remained silent, her arms stiff at her sides. Her long trails of silver hair curled under her, a few strands resting itself on her pale cheeks and hid the azure markings underneath her eyes.
She raised an arm to his wrist, gripping it tightly and twisting it. He lost his grip on her shoulder as a result, and within a few seconds, she had pinned the arm behind his back again and flipped their positions, her knee digging itself into his other arm and her other hand reaching for Oberon's knife.
The Silver Shooter lay out of reach, and Chung scowled to himself. He turned his head, cerulean eyes meeting lifeless golden ones. Something was different about this girl that probably Rena couldn't match up to, and he could see what it was: mercilessness. One wrong move and he would lose his life.
"Please..." She began. "Tell me who you are." Chung stared up in surprise. What is wrong with this girl?
"..." He stared at her. "You already know my name. How much more do you need to know?" She stared back at him.
Suddenly, the silver haired girl's eyes became fogged with a sense of solitude, but disappeared as quickly as it appeared. She remained quiet, the stare of emptiness maintaining on her face.
The dress she wore bore the signature of Altera, and the blue gem on her forehead glimmered brightly.
"...Should you not introduce yourself, seeing as you already know my name?" Eve blinked a few times as Chung spoke and his body relaxed underneath her.
"I do not see the point in me having to tell you my name." She said defensively.
"If you release me I can give you a reason to my rude intrusion." Eve considered Chung's deal, and pocketed Oberon's knife which was held to Chung's throat. She snapped her fingers and Moby and Remy swiftly flew towards her, holding a rope between them, and tied Chung's arms together.
Oberon snapped his head away from the demon he fought, and Ophelia slapped him across the helmet, a habit picked up from a certain someone.
"The Princess is in trouble!" Oberon shouted.
"Now is not the time. We have to deal with this first." Ophelia said calmly, and shot to her left as a demon ran up to her with a spear.
"B-but..." Oberon crossed his arms and blasted a shockwave to his right and he watched as demons was caught in the attack.
"No buts. We are in a battlefield, and our duty right now is to fight off this stream of demons." Although she was calm, Ophelia was, in reality, scared for the Princess' safety.
Eve listened intently to the blonde, her cheek rested against her palm and her elbow on her thigh as she sat on the hard concrete of the fountain. Chung sat on the patch of grass before her, and told her of Adel's suspicions while being careful not to reveal too much.
"...And that's just about it."Chung finished with a nod, sitting cross-legged and watching Eve stare at his Destroyer.
"I see. I cannot comment much on this matter, but rest assured there is no need to..." Eve stopped mid-sentence. What if they really were working with the demons?
Chung looked up as she fell silent. Although well hidden, her doubt was obvious to him.
"Up until now, they are suspicions. We won't know if the King and Queen truly are working with the demons." He watched as the moonlight brightened the girl's face, her pale skin shining slightly and her cherry lips with streaks of light coming from it. Indeed she was bewitching.
"Uhm..." Eve was also watching him, and he quickly snapped his head away from her gaze.
"My apologies." He spoke quietly, and they both looked at anything except each other with blank expressions.
Twirling her silver locks of hair slightly, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. This boy from her dreams, with his blonde hair and brown patches on a layer of hair and eyes that reflected the sky itself. She immediately remembered something, and fished her fingers through her pockets.
"It's gone." She whispered, more to herself than anyone, but the boy heard her.
"You must be talking about that Guardian Stone you had found. It was mine in reality, and I had dropped it some time ago." Chung said vacantly.
"That possession of yours gave me... odd dreams." Eve said hesitantly. "Dreams of you."
Chung raised an eyebrow, never recalling his Guardian Stone ever doing such a thing. But she knew his name, and he had never even encountered this girl in his life, so in all likeliness she is speaking the truth.
"Is that so..." He spoke thoughtfully.
"You had adventures with a group of friends, and I saw the outside world for the first time thanks to these dreams." A smile slipped on her lips, and the atmosphere around her warmed up. "There were beautiful dreams, but also sad ones, all of which I'm not sure are true or not. But I do know that you are indeed real, rather than just a fabrication of those dreams."
Laughter filled the air as five people sat down under the cold night. They surrounded a small fire, each cuddling themselves in a blanket as they drank from small cups.
Happy times.
An ebony haired swordsman chuckling at the stories being told, a Wind Sneaker smiling brightly alongside him. A short magician had fallen asleep while listening to the crackles of the fire, and leaned against a boy who had crimson hair matched his eyes. He blushed faintly as he attempted to ignore the purplenette sleeping against him, but his efforts were futile.
Cerulean eyes blinked slowly as he watched his friend in amusement. It's been a while since he had seen the redhead blush like that.
"S-stop staring! Help me a little at least!" The boy whispered sharply as he blushed a deeper red when the purplenette fell on his lap and spoke softly in her sleep.
Eve's smile turned sad as a certain dream flashed through her mind. Perhaps it was envy lingering in her heart.
"For the first time, huh." Chung muttered. "I'll take you to the outside world."
"P-pardon?" Eve stuttered, failing to grasp the whole concept.
"I am willing to take you beyond the walls that imprison you."
"I-I think you are mistaken..." She suddenly became flooded with a question that never crossed her mind. Was she truly imprisoned? Chung waited patiently, obviously unwilling to take no for an answer. "Of course, I wish to see what it is like outside of this palace, but my father has ordered me to stay within the castle walls, and I am not about to disobey him."
"Abiding by the rules... life is too short for that." Chung said, looking down at the ground as his hair shaded his eyes from sight. "What makes life more than a word is the experiences you gain from it."
Eve contemplated his words. They were so short, but so meaningful. Was his father's orders truly that important? The logic behind keeping her confined is puzzling. And perhaps she can find a reason for her life if she went beyond those walls.
"Please take me with you." The boy looked up upon hearing her answer, his eyes gleaming with a smile but his lips stayed remote. "But for tonight we'll pretend we never saw one another. Only tomorrow night will we set off."
"But what are you going to do with me now?"
"You would not have been able to sneak in any further than this garden, whether I was here or not, so I will allow you to leave this castle in one piece. You are lucky I am the one you ran into tonight."
Eve plopped herself on her bed. The boy had left shortly after their conversation. His way with that immense cannon amazed her; it probably weighed more than a grown man, and he had carried it as though it were nothing but a pen. Or perhaps that was exaggerating it.
She suddenly noticed how her heart throbbed at an abnormal rate, and she felt as though a weight from her chest had been removed. Why hadn't she noticed before? What is this feeling flowing from within her? Did she make the right decision to go with the boy?
His appearance, much clearer than her foggy dreams. His voice, a soft drawl of mysteriousness. Humming subconsciously to herself, she stared at Remy and Moby, who had entered dormant mode the moment Chung left.
She realised just how much he flooded her mind, and placed a hand on her chest as she felt the pulsating beats of her heart. Eve had finally made a friend.
"Ah, I see you have returned pong." Adel said, smiling his relief.
"Yes, however I return with no news." Chung said flatly.
"I see. Well, we shouldn't expect too much as nasods with enhanced mechanisms guard the castle pong."
"..." Chung remained quiet, and decided to tell Adel the whole story when the time is right. He bid Adel a good night, and turned to exit.
'You are lucky I am the one you ran into tonight', I suppose that is true. He thought to himself as he relaxed on his bed once out of his Freiturnier.
Tomorrow night, huh? I haven't even had the chance to ask her for her name again. Unknowingly, he looked forward to what the future had in store for him.
Aisha was grabbed hold of by two men, and the other orphans ignored her loud protests to be let go.
It was finally her turn.
Thrown into the room where her innocence would be stolen, men pinned her bony arms to the cobbled ground.
No...
A man with eyes that longed to touch the silken skin of children no more than twelve years of age reached forward with strong fingers, his wide smirk mimicking that of a tyrant. With no hesitation and patience, he effortlessly tore away Aisha's jacket to reveal a white tank top that ran down in a smooth sheet.
He scowled in disappointment at her, but continued.
Stop...
This disgusting, vile man who feeds his eternal hunger for sexual contact. This sinful and sickening man who will persist in his acts of shamelessness.
Aisha fought hard to hide her weakness.
He ignored her torso and began on the belt that was too big for her tiny waist. Throwing it away, he tore at the fraying skirt, lifting his leg and trapping her short ones.
Please, stop...
His hand crawled up onto her soft thighs, lingering there as he stroked the velvety layer of skin.
Aisha couldn't hold it in any longer. Escaping from her lips were soft whimpers, and her assaulter began to chuckle madly as his fingers began to tug on her undergarments.
The place where he would leave deep scars, in body and soul.
Stop!
Her whimpers echoed away as her body began to glow a faint tomato. The treacherous man ceased his tugging and pulled away.
Those who pinned her down began to back away, and Aisha's hand pulsated a deep shade of salmon, almost the colour of blood.
What replaced the fear in her heart, was now rage. Rage that has built up throughout the days where she watched each girl be dragged away and violated, as though they hadn't suffered enough.
The colours of the sun began to swirl in a circle around Aisha whose clothes were almost shredded to pieces.
Orange and yellow began to accompany the bloody red light, and flames as fervent as Aisha's feelings flickered in circles as screams of being burnt alive livened the quiet orphanage. All was peaceful for Aisha, however. She lay there, cold despite the passionate, burning flames surrounding her. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched to her chest a small moonstone.
Aisha flew her head up from her pillow, eyes wide open as she gasped for breath. The dream left her in cold sweat.
That was no dream. That was... my past...
When her breath returned to normal, she pulled her duvet to hide her face and began to sob quietly into it.
Why must I be shown these again...?
As salty tears ran down her cheeks, a knock came from her door. Too lost in thought, Aisha didn't realise somebody had entered her room.
Elsword stood in the doorway and watched as the magician sat crying alone. Her small shoulders maneuvered up and down as muffled sniffles came from her lips. Unsure of what to do, he stood there and watched, before setting a foot in the room and stretched his arm out towards Aisha. However, he stopped himself. How can he comfort her when he doesn't know her that well?
Taking steps back, he slowly closed the door shut.
"Good morning!" Aisha called cheerily as she entered the living room. Adel, Rena, Elsword and Raven looked up and returned Aisha's greeting.
"Now that everyone has gathered, I would like to let you into a little surprise pong." Adel grinned happily at each of them. Elsword ignored it as he peered up at Aisha's face. Serious but slightly friendly.
Nothing like the girl who was crying half an hour ago.
Rena smiled curiously as she awaited the surprise along with Raven. Suddenly a lazy, familiar voice came from behind the door.
"Adel? Are you there?" It said.
"C-could it be...?" Rena sat on the edge of the sofa, ready to jump on her feet. The door cracked open and blonde hair with two chocolate patches peeked through.
"Chung!" Elsword dragged his eyes away from Aisha to Chung as he practically ran up and wrestled him to the floor. "Where have you been?!"
"Woah! Hey you guys."
"Ehehe, Chung, we missed you!" Rena said, jumping happily from her seat on the sofa. Raven closed his eyes patiently, but it was clear he was relieved. Aisha smiled at the two childhood friends on the floor, and prepared to sit down.
Peeling Elsword off of himself, Chung ruffled his hair and sat down with the group, happy to be reunited.
"Thanks to Aisha's mana shield, it saved my life. But I was knocked out for three weeks and I found myself here, with Adel here to inform me about everything." Chung explained, and they all nodded.
"I understand that you are all excited to be reunited, but now is not the greatest time to celebrate. The demon invasion is close at hand, but we are not the only ones about to be invaded. Hamel has suffered a demon attack just yesterday." Adel said, and Elsword's head turned worriedly towards Chung, but he remained calm, even at the mention of Hamel.
Hamel had almost collapsed thirteen years ago when the previous King of Altera erupted a war with Hamel. Chung had been staying in Velder with Elsword at the time, who trained with the Red Knights, but when he had returned, his own country had been partially destroyed.
"We will set off to war in five days. Please be ready before then."
Author's Note:
I've been so busy with school and Elsword (I finally got CBS! It took quite a while.), I didn't have time to write up a chapter in one day... Also, I was busy planning some stuff and all. Yeah, that's my excuse. Short note today, but I'm glad that people actually read this story despite it not being very good.
Anyways, the next chapter would probably have romance in it. Ah mah gawd, I'm so excited for that!
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, apart from the story.