ONCE UPON A TIME, a STORY occurred and came to a close.
...What? ELABORATE? Well, the DETAILS don't matter now, do they? All TALES serve the same purpose; to PRESERVE and PROTECT. Nothing else matters.
After a conclusion, HAPPINESS is not guaranteed. KINGDOMS may fall, RICHES may disintegrate, and CHARACTERS may perish, but HEROISM survives all HARDSHIPS...even should golden DREAMS and IDEALS fade away.
"WHAT BE THIS MADNESS?!"
The roar of the false chimera pales in comparison to that of Zachariah's. No one else-not even the supposedly all-knowing Fukushi-reacts quicker to Monoryuu's outrageous new rules than the Elite Knight. He immediately plows his way through a crowd of students (despite an owl's sputtering protests), eyes searing a hole in the Great Witch's familiar. To call the Courageous student a pot boiling over and steaming would be a huge understatement. Every inch of his being radiates outrage and the need to enact justice.
The first thought that comes to mind is, he has a death wish. I don't know whether the knight is brave or simply moronic. If I were him, I wouldn't underestimate my opponents-especially not after witnessing a Manifestation, only a mere fraction of the familiar's power.
"YOU! You...you vile harbinger of evil!" Zachariah bellows, nostrils flaring as he addresses Monoryuu, "How DARE you even SUGGEST such a horrid thing! Spilling the blood of the innocent is high treason, a crime, a sin-and even more so if the murdered were thy ally! 'Tis morally wrong on every possible level! No one would ever need to think TWICE before denying compliance with thy sick game!"
"Well wowee, gosh darn, and golly gee! You sure use a lotta big words!" Monoryuu giggles, displaying his milder light half. With a spin mid-air, he flips to his hostile dark side and spits out a taunt. "How fuckin' precious; a guard dog that's all bark 'n no bite!"
Zachariah reddens with rage when the jab at his pride meets his usually thick skull. "I will show thee 'no bite' if thou dost utter another insult...!" He instinctively reaches for a non-existent sword at his hip, but upon realizing that he is weaponless, clenches his fists and takes on a threatening stance instead.
"H-Hey!" Fukushi sputters nervously, glancing back and forth between the knight and the dragon, "N-Now is not the time to be giving sass, young man!" Zachariah, of course, snubs him, instead focusing all of his attention on a certain monochrome reptile. The disagreement is quickly escalating-and the audience of Elites stares on, bewildered.
"Me? Insult you...? There's no way...not when you're already pathetic enough as you are now; even more pathetic than I am." Monoryuu sighs, reverting back to his grey, melancholy self. He continues nonchalantly egging on the knight. "Slaying something as small and cute as I am...that's far too difficult for a greenhorn Hero."
"G-GREENHORN?!" Zachariah exclaims, recoiling in horror. He is apparently appalled by the phrase, for when he recovers from the initial shock, he looks even more livid than before. I must, however, commend him for refraining from immediately launching himself at Monoryuu. "Retract your previous statement at once, foul cur!"
"Well, it's the truth, ain't it?" The familiar sneers, waving his chubby claws at Zachariah. "What a poor little knight in shining armor, just a worthless, shitty Level 1! And such blind faith, such loving devotion to strangers! Cowardly, cruel, stupid, traitorous asshole strangers, the whole lot of ya!"
At Monoryuu's remarks, the Elites show various degrees of reaction. Among the more proud students are displeased expressions, but they don't dare make a move. Mana, Michael, and Johanna look particularly pissed, but a few others-namely Thomas and Nissa, manage to keep them at bay with vague comfort. ("C-Come on, guys! Fighting won't solve anything", "Let Zach handle it", and "Let's not be too hasty here.") Lance lets out an irritated huff, but makes no move to do anything spontaneously.
The more timid students unconsciously huddle together, quaking in their boots. I catch Endi and Maria duck behind Cado for protection; the blacksmith stares off into the distance, trying to distract himself from the events playing out before him. Jaxon's mouth flies open for a second, as though to crack a bad joke, but he thinks better if it halfway and snaps his trap shut.
No one is as dumb as Zachariah to actively challenge a dragon-a dragon with the influence to change the Story's rules on a whim. It seems that not even Fukushi, our Narrator, can oppose the familiar.
"...Hold it." Zachariah mutters, his boisterous voice suddenly dropped to a harsh whisper. He sounds as though he as been punched in the gut and is struggling for air. Gone is his obvious anger, replaced instead with a quietly stewing rage.
The dragon blatantly ignores him and continues.
"I mean, look at all of ya! You're so weak and defenseless lookin'!" Light Monoryuu notes, not taking his own innocent appearance into account. "What good are your so-called talents against one of my neat Manifestations?" Spinning around, a gloomy Monoryuu mumbles, "Heroic scum like you guys...should disappear from the face of the Earth."
"Hold it...!" Zachariah demands, raising his voice to the bipolar reptilian. A few of the Elites around him back up a little. Smart move on their part-I certainly wouldn't want to be caught up in the brawl; I'd rather keep watching the antics unfold from a safe distance.
"Everyone here just needs to...dRoP dEaD. Poisoned, choked, stabbed, bludgeoned, electrocuted, stoned, suffocated, drowned, blown up, shot, burned in hell!" Monoryuu declares, his laughter slowly descending into giddy insanity. It occurs to me that this dragon truly has a hate agenda. "The filth that walks about the land like they own it all...what better way to dispose of it then to have the trash take itself out?! Ahahahah...AHAHAHAHAH!"
"You're crazy...y-you're super, super, SUPER crazy!" Fukushi shouts accusingly, to which Monoryuu only responds to with more sporadic laughter.
"Indeed, the dragon seems...not completely sane." Frieda comments off-handedly, a hand covering her mouth. Monoryuu is too caught up in his demented glee that he doesn't catch her quietly barbed words.
Beside the composer, Carina narrows her eyes suspiciously at the dragon. Icarus tenses up, keeping in synch with his master.
"The poor dear," Priscilla sighs, not the least bit disturbed by the turn of events. Sometimes I have to wonder what goes on in her head.
Monoryuu's deranged laughter carries on, a haunting drone ringing in my ears. I swallow the dry lump that has accumulated in my throat. And I thought Zachariah was mentally unstable...but speaking of Zachariah-
"I said...HOLD IT!" He commands, his vocal volume at a new all-time high. The entire forest seems to reverberate, drinking in the gravity of our situation. At once, the woods go still and silent. Everyone stares; Zachariah definitely has our undivided attention now.
"Say whatever you wish about me...say what you will about my status, my abilities, my everything and anything," the knight says slowly, enunciating every syllable as though speaking to a child, "but do not ever question the integrity of my allies, my comrades-in-arms, my precious friends!" A short pause before total rage flashes across his usually friendly features. "DO YOU HEAR ME?!"
Monoryuu doesn't miss a single beat. The dragon casually glances over at Zachariah, semi-smiling and semi-smirking, "Oh, oh, oh? Guess I struck a chord with you! Whoops! My bad! Silly ol' Monoryuu should be more careful about what he says. I kinda forgot that Zachie-poo's sensitive 'bout this sort of stuff!"
In spite of myself, my ears perk up. Zachariah, of all people, sensitive?
"Not another word from you, hellspawn!" The knight orders sternly, his gaze sharp as a blade. His stance has visibly stiffened, his limbs tensed up and muscles locked in place.
"I mean, I don't blame ya!" Monoryuu, the hellspawn, chuckles to himself, relishing in Zachariah's despair. The dragon cares not for the consequences of his own actions. "I'd be super salty too if I had gone through what you had! Might as well protect what little you have now to make up for everythin' you lost back then, am I right?"
Zachariah snaps.
"THAT'S IT!" He snarls, relinquishing what little control he had over his emotions in the first place. Seizing the metal gauntlet on his left arm, he swiftly chucks it at the ground beneath Monoryuu. I immediately recognize the gesture; Zachariah legitimately wants to brawl with the dragon.
"Fight me, hellspawn!" The courageous student barks, voice clear and unwavering. His eyes blaze with an insurmountable passion. Off to the side, Carina face palms, and Frieda gives her a half-hearted pat on the back. "As captain of the Grohlian Royal Guard, I challenge thee to a duel-a duel to the death!"
"You wanna go, brah?! Cuz I'll make an example out of you by tearin' ya to shreds! I eat chumps like you for BREAKFAST!" Dark Monoryuu hisses, eager for combat. His eyes glint with a sense of sadistic bloodlust. "BRING IT ON!
"I shall gladly do so!" Zachariah insists, taking a bold step toward his foe. "On my honor as a knight, I swear that I will defeat yo-"
"Out of the question! Cease this reckless behavior at once!" Fukushi screeches, smashing his entire plump, feathered body into the knight's head from behind. Zachariah stumbles forward and face plants into the ground. For some reason, I can't muster up a laugh.
"S-Small feathered one!" The knight protests, scrambling into his feet, "Remove thyself from the battlefield! Allow me smite this monstrosity!"
The smudges of dirt on his face and his one missing gauntlet detract from how grim his request is. Look at him, I note sarcastically to myself, all noble and brave. What a joke.
"Stand down, Mister Garmont! As your dutiful Narrator, it is my job to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Characters-and that includes you!" Fukushi counters promptly, shutting Zachariah up. The owl then glares at Monoryuu, who pouts (clearly disappointed with the disruption). "Accursed familiar! I don't know what sort of witchcraft you pulled for it to end up like this...but I will find a way to restore the rules of the Story!"
"Impossible...it has been permanently rewritten by a higher being." Monoryuu sighs like it is the most obvious thing in the entire world. "You cannot escape from the Great Witch's Curse...all shall succumb to it eventually. It is only a matter of how and when now..."
"These children are future Heroes!" Fukushi growls through his clenched beak, "They will not readily cave in to your savage rules!"
"Oh? Really?" Light Monoryuu inquires, a comedically large grin spreading across his entire face, "You know, just cuz you guys have fancy names and titles doesn't mean diddly SQUAT in the Story! Everyone has the opportunity to kill or be killed; everyone wants out of the forest and everyone has incentive to leave."
Twirling to display his straight face, the dragon grumbles, "Why not just stop denying the darkness inside...? It exists in everyone...so don't be afraid of it. Embrace your inner evil...act on it...get to a-murderin'..."
"Lies, lies, LIES!" Zachariah cries, asserting his opinion (as per usual). "The fine lords and ladies of Camelot boast hearts of pure gold!" (I hold back from snickering at the knight's blind faith.) Zachariah takes a deep breath before continuing his ardent rant. "To taint thy hands with blood is to discard thy humanity and shame!"
"Eh? Is that sooooo?" Monoryuu inquires in a bland singsong, teasing the question. Flipping to his dark half, the monochrome beast sneers, "I guess you must've lost yours a long, long time ago, huh?"
Everything skids to a screeching halt.
It doesn't take long for the meaning of the dragon's words to sink into my mind-or the minds of the other Elites. One by one, we slowly crane our heads toward Zachariah. I think some of us are hoping for Fukushi to cut in and deny the accusations, but even the owl has gone solemn. For a few moments, nothing seems to move; everything is encapsulated in a single bubble of time.
To my surprise, Ricard bursts said bubble.
"Er...Zach?" The Kind hunter stutters, his eyes anxiously darting from his friend to Monoryuu and back, "W-What's the dragon talking about?"
"I-It can't be what I think it is...right? R-Right?" Maria inquires, avoiding eye contact with the knight. The Wise student, who normally rattles off various facts and figures in addition to her usual chatter, leaves out digits from her question. A mathematician without her numbers? True madness.
"Of course it's what you think it is," Dark Monoryuu snaps, his voice laced with venom, "Don't they properly teach you fucks world history anymore?! Remember the lesson on feudal Europe, dumbasses?"
I know; I know all too well, and I suspect that the other Elites do as well. A gallant figure in a silver suit and cloak upon a noble white steed, fresh off the pages of a storybook. Riding into an adventure, kissing a princess awake, slaying monsters...well, at least in literature. In real life, though...
My mouth begins to move on its own, words spilling forth."A knight," I begin, "is a mounted soldier in armor, bound by a code of chivalrous conduct and associated with a military rank. He serves his sovereign or feudal superior by means of merit and service...or cutting down their masters' enemies. So long as the lord commands it, a knight carries out the order."
The order to kill...
And that, in the end, makes the title of knight just a synonym for less savory phrases-choice word pairings like mass murderer and serial killer.
I tentatively raise my eyes to meet Zachariah's. Instead of their usual cheer and peppiness, they have gone dead and almost glazed over with an unknown emotion. Sorrow is the first feeling that comes to mind; that's all I need to see to know that I am correct.
"Well, lookee here," Monoryuu purrs softly, his gaze locking on to me, "looks like we've got ourselves a bright little girl~ Gold star for you!" The dragon then abruptly shrivels, turning a depressing grey hue again. "Do you guys get it now...? He's the Elite Knight, a masterful murderer...and probably your biggest threat."
Fukushi pales, any words or semblance of a counter argument lodged in his throat. A wave of silence passes through the Elites as we try to process the information presented to us. It doesn't take very long before someone gives their two cents on the matter.
"You can't be serious!" Lance pipes up, jabbing an accusatory finger at Zachariah. "Are you telling me that this stupid meat shield was invited to Camelot for being an efficient slaughterer?! Gimme a break!"
"He can't even go five seconds without making a complete fool of himself!" Mustachio Pete cackles loudly, emphasizing his owner's objection.
"Hey..." Cado interjects quietly, "Zach might not be the sharpest sword in the armory, but...but he has other strengths."
"Yeah, that's right!" Ricard chimes in, leaping to the knight's defense. "Zach is my friend-our friend. He'd never intentionally hurt anyone!"
"Yo, Hippie Boy's got a point there." Mana sighs, folding her arms across her chest. "Charming's just one big teddy bear. The guy's annoying sometimes, but he can't harm a fly."
"I-I don't think Mister Garmont is capable of killing, either..." Maria squeaks, staring at her feet. "He has always been p-patient and kind to me."
I arch my eyebrows questioningly. Zachariah's idiocy must have started to effect the rationale of the other Elites. Yes, he certainly acts innocent enough, but there is no denying the sinister implications of his occupation. Anyone can still smile while covered in the blood of their enemies, after all.
"Th-That's right, children! Don't fall for the familiar's lies!" Fukushi declares, beaming proudly at Zachariah's supporters. The knight himself has not said anything for a while now, and it worries me (especially considering how much he runs his mouth on a regular basis).
"What? Don't tell me you ALL agree with the lame owl!" Light Monoryuu complains, frowning down on us. "You know what the knight does for a living! He murders! This is so NOT the type of reaction you should be having right now!"
"What sort of reaction were you expecting?" Jaxon inquires lazily, throwing his hands behind his back.
"MURDER!" Monoryuu spits, fuming mad. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MURDER ONE ANOTHER!"
"Like Ricard said, Zach's our friend." Endi points out politely. "Are you saying that we shouldn't have faith in each other?"
"Nissa always believes in everyone!" The illusionist exclaims, posing with a flourish. She winks dramatically, flashing peace signs sideways near her eyes.
"Me, too!" Thomas pitches in, followed by a nod from Priscilla, the motherly figure of the group. "Who else is with us?" The courier glances expectedly at the remainder of the Elites, who have yet to give their opinion.
"I dunno about this," Michael shrugs, casting a suspicious look at the Courageous knight. "Zach there did give me a hard time when I took something of his. Suddenly got really wild..."
"Yes, indeed. I wouldn't want to be caught in the middle of the fray when Zach is involved." Frieda adds, shaking her head in disapproval.
"Crazy bastard almost dislocated my shoulder..." Johanna mumbles rather grudgingly. The boxer gnashes her teeth together, trying to keep calm-and surprisingly doing a relatively good job.
At the mention of his event, many of the Elites cringe in unison. I, not having been directly involved, vaguely recall being told of this occurrence from Nissa. Apparently, it had taken multiple students-about twelve of them-to keep Zachariah from attacking Michael in retaliation. Could the truth of the matter be that he's even scarier than Priscilla when he loses his temper?
"Yeah, see?!" Monoryuu cries, latching on to the bandit's terse comments. "Your guard dog has proven in the past to be violent! One little thing could make him snap!"
"Mister Garmont has indeed demonstrated physical prowess to us," Carina notes pointedly. "That was precisely why he was chosen to help us scout the forest...but I cannot deny that he may have a darker side to him. All humans do."
"Wh-What?!" Fukushi shrieks, totally appalled by the slightly negativity of a handful of students. "D-Don't be ridiculous! You children are all paragons of hope! Please d-don't point the finger at your fellow Characters! That's exactly what Monoryuu wants!"
"Aw, too bad, so sad, Foofy!" the monochrome dragon sneers, shoving Fukushi aside to push his own ideas. "You see? If the guard dog is capable of hurting you, he's capable of killing you!"
A murmur of doubt ripples through the Elites. Students exchanged worried looks and harsh whispers, eyeing Zachariah as they do so. The knight wears an unreadable facial expression-odd, for someone who is usually an open book.
"N-NO!" Fukushi squeals unhappily, insistent on his point, "Monoryuu's tricking you! M-Mister Garmont really is a good boy! Everyone, don't listen to the familiar's horrid li-"
"'Tis no lie."
At once, all heads turn to face the speaker. Even I'm caught off guard.
"I am well aware of what I have become," Zachariah announces, his voice shockingly cold and devoid of any emotion. The moonlight at his back casts eerie shadows on his face. "A knight must never question the integrity or intentions of his master. If he wills it, I will happily comply and carry out the order-no matter how mundane or gruesome.
The atmosphere sours, the temperature hitting a chilling low. Somewhere in the distance, the wind howls through the trees of the forest. He admitted it so bluntly.
"W-Who the hell did you serve, a madman?!" Lance demands, jaw gaping at the knight's confession. "You have no right to be preaching to us about what's wrong and what's right if you have a background like that!" Various other Elites chip in, voicing fright and concern, but Zachariah cuts them off with a single wave of his hand.
"It is already far too late for me to reconsider my path," he says slowly, "but I won't stand to have any of my allies sink to my level. Whether you now see me as friend or foe, I shall oppose this fairy tale of mutual killing up until my last breath! If I should become a pawn or sacrifice in the process of obtaining escape, then so be it-so long as my classmates are able to exit the forest unscathed, I will be satisfied."
There is vague self loathing peppered within his selflessness, I realize. His grand displays of power and over-embellished way of speaking; they do an excellent job at concealing something deeper than all of that. I just can't quite put my finger on what it is.
My train of through is disrupted by Fukushi's loud, sudden weeping. "M-Mister Garmont...Oh, Mister Garmooooont! That was beautiful, just beautiful! Your hopeful words have moved me!"
The owl is truly touched with Zachariah's impromptu speech-but Monoryuu is certainly not.
"Geez, come ON! You've gotta be SHITTING me!" The dark dragon growls, rolling his eyes at Zachariah. "Listen to yourself! You sound like a corny actor from one of them low rated freelancing films!
"Oh, whatever! Say what you want..." Monoryuu mumbles absentmindedly, "Sob stories won't win you any points with me...and whether or not it will with your fellow Characters is completely up to them. Just keep in mind that you only have one way out from this point on...
One twirl mid-air later, Light Monoryuu chirps, "Anyways~ I've spent waaaaay too much time chit-chattin' with you guys! I'm headin' off! Everyone can have the rest of the night to plot murder in the privacy of their guild room! Mweeheeheehee! Tah-tah for now!"
BOOSH!
In a blink of light, the familiar, curled up in a ball of black and white, vanishes. Left behind in the forest is a crying owl, sixteen Elites, and heavy hearts. We came out here seeking a Manifestation and adventure. Instead, we came up with disturbing rules and revelations.
The Story cares not for our distress.
It must be nearly 10:00 pm when we make it back to the village guild; we may have returned even later had we been without Fukushi's guidance. The trudge back to the village had been a solemn one; there wasn't much to comment on. Rather than group together to make small talk, each Elite had kept to himself and marched on. Quietly sizing each other up. Labeling them.
Of course, the owl had done his best to reassure us that he would deal with the problem personally, but it hasn't done anything to relieve us. As soon as Fukushi takes off into the night sky, wishing us sweet dreams, we feel more vulnerable than ever. I am surrounded by characters from a circus, each one motivated to leave the prison called the Story.
Am I the odd one out? The only person who wants to stay behind, blissfully unaware? Why me? Why, why, why?
"Alright, everyone," Carina huffs, reassuming the role of group leader and addressing us with a pointed flourish, "from now on, when we turn in for the day, I would recommend not leaving your bedrooms until morning."
"Oh yeah?" Johanna snaps, immediately challenging the Loyal student. "Gimme one good reason why I should listen to you a second time! Cuz that first time worked out so goddamn well, didn't it?"
"Yup, perfectly. Just like peanut butter and cyanide jam." Michael adds sarcastically, sniggering to himself.
"To minimize our casualties, of course!" Carina replies matter-of-factly. Her gaze hardens, becoming sharp and falcon-like in nature. "Who knows what can happen under the cover of darkness? We are well aware that danger lurks around every corner in this forsaken place. At this point, I would rather be safe than sorry-or I our case, I'd rather be doubtful than dead."
"What if I need to use the toilet?" Jaxon calls out, only to get a repulsed stare from Carina. "What? I'm bein' really serious here. There are no other bathrooms or places to take a dum-"
"Simply wait until morning to carry out your hygienic activities," the falconer insists stubbornly. Jaxon frowns, clearly not satisfied with her response, but someone else interrupts.
"Well, I guess that does make sense." Ricard says, affirming Carina's practical measures. "Not that I would ever doubt you guys, but we would be safer from the familiar and its magic, at the very least. The least we can do is...er...control our bladders."
"E-Eep! Th-The dragon scares me..." Maria squeaks, ducking behind a few taller Elites, Thomas and Cado. (Endi smothly attempts to comfort the statistician by patting her on the back and muttering, "There, there.")
"Man, I still can't believe this is happening to us..." Jaxon grumbles, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It's like one big dream or somethin'."
"Dream?" Mana snorts, raising an eyebrow at the red head. "More like nightmare, Space Case. Some of ya'd better brush up on your self defense skills if you wanna last past the first few days of this killing game."
"Hmph! Some of us don't need to brush up on anything! Not when they've spent their whole life doing someone else's dirty work and getting blood on their hands." Lance points out cruelly. Mustachio Pete's blank stare seems even more dead and lifeless than ever before.
Instinctively, all eyes drift to Zachariah.
"I completely understand thy sentiments." He sighs, turning away from the Elites. The knight rests a hand over his heart, mumbling something under his breath; something along the lines of a prayer.
"Hm...Perhaps in the morning, we can try to formulate an alternative escape route." Frieda suggests softly. "You know, before someone betrays us and we have a corpse on our hands." She earns a glare from me. I'm getting fed up with all this cryptic talk of magic and curses, of heroes and witches, of traitors and murderers.
"The dragon said the only way out is to kill each other and get away with it; the owl said the only way out is to befriend one another and complete Quests, then slay the familiar," I recite, "but the rules of this Story are far too convoluted and contrived for anyone to comprehend. It would just be easier if we just decided to stay here!"
A whole lot of good banding together for a common cause did us. Again, we have returned to suspiciously watching one another and adding tags. Friend, foe, fool.
"Don't be ridiculous, sugar!" Priscilla cries, slapping me hard on the back. All the wind in the lungs goes rushing out, and I gasp to regain it. "We can do it if we try!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Nissa agrees, flashing a huge grin and another wink. "I can cast another good luck charm to help us if we need it!" She insists, waving her star-studded baton in the air.
I shoot the Priscilla and Nissa an incredulous look. It's not an issue of whether it is possible or not, I want to tell them, I just don't want to go back. But I don't want to risk upsetting the baker-or riling up the other Elites, so I quickly change the subject. My patience is at its limit.
"Whatever. This isn't worth my time to deal with," I declare with a huff, tossing my head. "I'm going to sleep!" Without giving anyone the chance to argue the point, I spin around and begin to hastily make my way to my chambers.
I hear hesitant steps trailing behind me, followed by Carina's wary call of, "Leave her be." There is no need for me to turn around to see who my pursuer is; I already know from my prior experience, tromping about in the woods in hopes of escape. Ironically enough, now Zachariah and I-and everyone else for that matter-are trapped here together.
I don't catch any more of the strained conversation-the bedroom door is already slammed shut and locked. I'm safe within my new confines. All alone.
I let out a deep sigh and collapse into my makeshift straw mattress. The bedding material pricks at my skin, but it's far better than sleeping on the cold floor. Bringing my pallid legs to my chest in an awkward hug, I rest my chin on my knees, staring at my closed bedroom door-not that there's much else to look at.
The walls muffle the voices of the Elites, who squabble amongst themselves for a few moments longer before dispersing. There comes the scuffling of shoes against the floor as the other students file away into their private abodes. Outside, the moon and stars glisten with a melancholy hue.
Far away from home, isolated, and alone...
In a village within a mysterious forest...
Full of strange people...
I expel a huge breath, flopping over onto my stomach. There's no point in staying up any longer and worrying-and certainly not over the lives of near complete strangers. I cannot trust them, and that is final.
"Good night..." I groan to no one in particular, burying my face in straw. Breathing in the scent of the earth at twilight, I drift off into dreamland.
I stand before a fork in the road with two identical-looking paths. Because of the thick, chilling fog that is present, I cannot see past a few feet of either path. It hurts to gulp in air; it feels as though ice crystals are clogging my windpipe with every breath that I take.
What is this place, limbo? The space between heaven and hell? Where lost souls go for judgement?
"...What is it that you seek?"
I jump, startled by the unfamiliar voice that speaks to me. Whipping around, I find myself facing thin air. It takes me but a few moments to realize that, like before, it is only the whisper of the wind.
"What is it that you seek?" The question is repeated, as though the world thought it imperative that a response be given. "The warm touch of light? Or the sweet embrace of darkness? With whom you choose to side with; with the others, or with yourself?" The wind continues, pressuring me for a response. "Once you take a path, you cannot go back on your word; and you must choose-but deciding not to decide is also a decision."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I respond cautiously, feeling odd about addressing only the air.
"Choose," the wind howls at my back, pushing me closer and closer to the fork in the road. "Choose, Hero. The Story won't progress if the central figures-the Characters-don't."
"But what if I don't want to?" I challenge, "what if I want to stay as I am, forever and ever?"
"You mustn't. Man naturally changes with time; it is inevitable, no matter how much one struggles."
"Struggle? You must be joking!" I scoff, folding my arms across my chest. "It's because of change that problems happen. If everything stayed the same, then conflict wouldn't exist!"
"And if conflict did not exist, mankind would never evolve as a species," the wind counters calmly.
"But then mankind would never have faults!" I declare rashly, holding my ground against the voice.
"Choose," the wind insists firmly, refusing to argue with me any further.
"I choose to not choose," I retort stubbornly. "If light and darkness coexist, then walking on the edge of the two is also an option for me."
"...So be it. If that is your answer..."
The wind dies down into silence, leaving me in shock. Before I can ask if anyone is still there, the ground beneath me gives way at an odd angle, thrusting one leg up into the air and making me slip down onto my other leg. The two paths before me begin to crumble away into particles of dust, and the road behind me shatters like brittle glass. Above me, the sky becomes a bright magenta, orange, and red, the colors of the sunset.
Ghoulish shrieks erupt forth from the disheveled ground, throwing rocks and sand into the air. I stumble back in fright and land on my bum. Scrambling away on my hands and feet, I find myself on a single floating island of land.
"SaVE hIm! sAvEEE tHeMMMMMMMM! SAve YouRseLFFFF!" A chorus of disembodied voices chant, cultish and haunting.
"E-EEEEEK!" I sputter, bottling onto my feet. Everything has plummeted into a surreal, hellish state. The ground at my feet begins to shrivel away the moment I'm up. I pale, expecting the worst.
Despite the world disintegrating around me, I suddenly detect a fleshy, physical presence at my side. Afraid that turning would shift my weight and cause me to fall to my doom sooner than usual, I stay perfectly still, muscles locking up, and try to maintain balance. The unknown presence places its chin on my head and says-above the shrieks and cries of terror-a single phrase.
"Farewell."
In one swift, elegant movement, the figure puts its hands on my back and pushes me. Hard. I lunge forward, plunging down. The wind whistles in my ears, shrill and violent. Then the figure throws itself into the abyss below to join me. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out.
We hurtle together to our demise.
I close my eyes and accept my fate.
This is how it ends.
A flame extinguished as peacefully as possible.
"G-Gah!" I snap wide awake, limbs flailing wildly, in my straw bedding. Every inch of my body is drenched in sweat-either I was tossing and turning a lot in my sleep, or I was having nightmares. I don't quite recall what I was dreaming about, though. I do, however, seem to remember the sensation of...falling.
It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of my guild room; it must be the middle of the night. The pounding of rain and clapping of thunder outside my window informs me of a passing freak storm. I can hardly see anything beyond a few feet from my windowsill-it is as if a dark veil has been thrown over all once-familiar shapes.
I'm not sure what sort of impetus has caused me to awaken in the dead of night. I would like to blame the loud crackling thunder, but I get the sense that it is something more than that; more like a horrible sense of dread. An uncomfortable sinking feeling, present in the darkest recesses of my body, claws away at my sanity.
What's wrong with me? I wonder, staring down in the darkness at my clammy, shaking hands. C-Calm down...everything is fine, I reassure myself, but to no avail. No one's going to hurt you, no one's going to kill you. Stay as you are now; you're safe, you're safe, you're safe...
"E-Eep!" I cry, leaping up at another crack from outside, temporarily lighting up the entire village. "Y-Yeesh, it's really stormy out there..." I mumble to myself, staring out a rain splattered pane of glass.
My reflection glances back at me, sleepy and solemn. I look absolutely miserable, even though I should be the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. The stress of being outside my house is starting to get at me, and with the introduction of this killing game, I'm more paranoid than ever.
I can't go back to sleep no matter how hard I try, so I try to spend the rest of the night staring at the ceiling and counting sheep. If I dwell on the day's events or the mysteries of Halkyonia, then I will surely go mad. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep.
I quickly tire of it and try to focus on other things. Sadly, only one subject comes to my mind; a subject that I had previously shown no interest in. No-rather, a person I had previously shown no interest in keeps popping up, despite all my efforts to repress him. Some sick, primordial part of me is curious about him and his guilt.
...Although it irks me to admit it, I wonder if Zachariah is faring any better than I am.
And with that thought, I resume to counting sheep. Fleece the color of snow and the texture of soft cotton dance in my head, prancing over imaginary fences. Baaing casually in lush, green meadows.
I still can't sleep.
The dream is over, I realize, and the true nightmare is just beginning.
"What a pity. That person was not eliminated, despite all of your efforts. Must be quite frustrating, yes?"
"Indeed."
"Hm. What do you propose to do at this point? I suppose our only option is directly interfering with the Story itself, but...it would be very risky."
"I'll do it."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll take care of it."
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Don't worry about it-all you need to know is that it shall be done."
"So long as you don't step outside your bounds as a Reader..."
"No."
"What was that?"
"I will do whatever it takes to be rid of the menace; not just the Characters, but the hope of the entire world rides on it."
"Oh? How dedicated of you. Well, whatever. Do what you want; I'm not here to judge anything but the Story."
"Don't you care about the outcome at all?"
"Listen here, toots. If it's not a direct order from the Author, I'm not interested. We're just last resorts, remember?"
"I know-and that is precisely why I must do this with my own two hands."
"I see. Well, it's none of my business what you decide to do. I'll start your funeral preparations while you're gone on your suicide mission."
"Shut up."
"If you say so..."
Hello, Danganronpa fans! =7= Er...to make a long story short, college was hectic and got in the way of writing. Now that I'm on summer break, I will write a whole lot more! Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual; I'm still getting back into the swing of things.
I really feel like this chapter will cement readers' feelings on Estelle and Zachariah. You get a good sense of their personalities and what they stand for, as well as some personal dilemmas from their pasts that they may be struggling to overcome. The inner conflict is more apparent with Estelle, our narrator. If anyone is interested in a chapter or two from Zach's point of view, please let me know. All will be revealed in due time...
The results from the previous poll were quite surprising-Fukushi was easily the most popular character! Wow, I guess chapter 7 really did wonders for our little owl mascot, huh? There is now a new poll up. I have several ideas for the serial killer to be mentioned in the second trial, and would like the readers' input on which one sounds the coolest.
As an apology for updating so late, I'm going to respond to every review in the ending sections of each chapter from now on. Here we go!
ApexUtopia: I'm happy that the mascot characters were so well received. It's hard to make them stand out when the official ones are already larger than life! Hopefully I can also write some good cases too! The fairy tale life of mutual killing starts now.
PoisonBanana: Yay, students murdering each other...just another normal day at Camelot Academy, nothing to worry about.
Spontaneous Extempist: A dragon does fit the mystical setting of this killing game, doesn't it? Frieda certainly can be over-analytical, and she's great at pushing people's buttons. That might annoy others, and it might encourage them to keep going, just to prove her wrong or to spite her. It's a double edged sword, that personality of hers. Thanks; I'm super excited to write more!
misthallery: Wow, thanks for your detailed review! I'm glad Fukushi's Quest interruption and Monoryuu's introduction came off as natural. I wanted to do a different take on the protagonist; one that's more reluctant and suspicious of others rather than overly friendly and going with the flow. Estelle does pretty well with her own weird brand of cynicism and sarcastic humor. Hehe, you'll see who the main trio is pretty soon. The first investigation will be right around the corner.
Looking back on it, I had a lot of intentional (and unintentional) references in OMMM...FNAF, Legend of Zelda, Mario, Undertale, and various fairy tales (of course). If you're bored and waiting for the next update, see if you can find them all!
As always, thanks to everyone for your continued support! See you (hopefully!) next chapter!