Narrow Escape From Death

"I imprinted a saber art in your mind. But without foundation, you can't learn it yet. Improve your stamina, flexibility, endurance, speed, agility, reaction speed, and focus. Once you are able to master the breathing technique, you can learn the basics of saberfighting. It's gonna be intense, rough, and painstaking. But the most important thing to keep you driving is a strong spirit and willpower. I will give you a month to complete the task. I won't be able to guide you because I have to continue my beauty sleep. Now goodbye."

Gasp!

Levi first sees the bloody red skies. At the horizon is the sun, preparing its descent. She woke up now feeling much better. The heat subsided but not the fever. "I need to find water first." She scrambled up to her feet and walks quickly. The weight of the saber is not bothering her.

She arrived on a pond hidden between the mountains foot. It was the size of a big swimming pool. It stretched wide to a another pool nearby where waters are flowing into. It was a big catchbasin. The water is mossy, color green and muddy. Several footprints of three-footed reptile has obviously sunken the ground for atleast two inches. Which means something large and heavy must be living by the pool. Water on the surface makes it impossible to see what may be inside. She neared it anyway, uncaring for a doom. Right now, water is what she is gonna need, and is willing to take a risk so she could suck even just a bit of liquid. She fell on her knees and scooped a handful of water to her mouth. Unbeknowst to her is a water lily slowly decreasing distance.

The wind was calm. And there was no current besides the ripples she created with her movement. But the water lily is moving on its own towards her in a steady pace. Sitting on top of the lily pad is a bright pink flower almost in a full bloom. The flower of lotus was the most beautiful she'd ever seen. It's smell hypnotized her that she dumbly reached her hand.

"Kiddo, get out of there now!"

A sudden voice boomed in her head, she jerked backward. But it was too late.

GRAAAAHHH!!!

A huge head sprang up from under the lily. A mouth opened very wide, Levi saw its white sharp teeth aiming for her. The crocodile bites her shoulder when she tried to turn away. It's massive force pulled her directly into the water.

In and into the depths, Levi watched as she got farther and farther from the surface. Beneath the cold waters of the pond, the only source of light would have been a pair of glowing marbles -the eyes of the crocodile shone green.

Levi felt her bones breaking. It generated the worst pain she'd ever experienced. She cried out loud and the air escaped of her lips. Dizzines quickly overcomes her as light was fading from her eyes.

Eusochian crocodilians are as huge as ordinary crocodiles but have smaller skull. Most of its teeth are designed for tearing flesh however hard it may be. Their long arms enable them to hug their preys so as they can't escape. Right now, the poor prey is in a dire situation. Her blood is already dying the entire waters and it won't be long before she disappears into the belly of the beast. Levi felt humongous dread, making her heartbeat pause.

Then she heard the same voice guiding her through the darkness.

"Fight for your life! Don't let anything overcome your spirit."

Her eyes widened once more. In the waters, where everything goes slow and silent, a hand stretched towards her. A silhouette of a woman is drifting overhead and Levi can't see her face. But cracks on her skin glows red. Levi raised her hand and touched her fingers.

Then suddenly, her fingers burst into flame. This sudden surge of heat made her retract her arm. But the flames wildly spread into her body and burned all the way down to her feet in a single second. The pain was replaced by stinging hot sensation and she screamed in panic, watching the flame devour her. Unbeknowst to her, the eusochian was in a much worse state. As soon as the fire touched its body, it melted its snout. It roared and struggled. However, the mysterious flame was not affected by the water. In fact, it is devouring the water itself! The crocodilian forced to let go but it was still combusted into nothing but a pile of ash.

Levi has already fainted in shock. She might have survived the jaws of the beast, but she won't survive in an airless environment called water.

Like a cold bucket of water splashed to her face, she woke up in surprise.

"Wake up and fight for your life!"

Those words drove her hard into an abyss of determination. She followed the voice, seemingly guiding her to survival once more. Out of the pond, she emerged with a deep breath.

Gasp!

Exhale...

Lub-dub!.. Lub-dub!.. Lub-dub!..

For the first time, she felt immense happiness when she found out she can breathe. Without figuring it out, breathing is the best thing to do in a world.

She pushed herself once more and swam to the land. She rests her exhausted body on the muddy ground. Every limb is strained and aching. Every cell is numbed. Her mentality is clearly affected. The trauma of that kind of torture brought nothing but dread. It was extremely fearful. It was the kind of experience that questions what you know about determination. The willpower needed was meant to be a gripping solution to the tired soul of a human. And pain... that's all she needs to know she is alive.

"Kiddo, you better get out of there now."

She woke up from her senses. Levi very much wants to start running from the pond as far as possible. Yet her body won't respond. She was frozen on the ground. Afraid of the mysterious voice talking to her, and more afraid for her life, she gathered every ounce of strength left, and crawled.

She looked at her left arm. No. Her left shoulder. Bare and broken. The joints connecting her shoulder and hand are exposed. Blood was dripping from where the hand should be. She smiled wryly. A tear escaped her eyes. For the price of her life, is the cost of an arm. Truly depressing. But when all was done, nothing can be changed. She would blame herself later. Right now, she needs someplace to lie down and rest. Somewhere far from here.

Levi looked up in the skies. After countless centuries and millenia, the sky is still red everyday. Someone must have cursed it to bleed forever. However, no matter how pitiful the sky seems to be, or how dark the clouds came to be, they were still shining. Glowing brightly until the night falls and darkness envelopes them. But as there is the sun. Even if only a ray is left, they will still shine. Levi was amazed. She realized she is still living. And she must live until the very second she dies. She can't just give up.

The heavens are testing her. Fate of hers is twisted in a very complex loop that she won't be able to understand. However, she knew, that the string of her fate is most longest. That she could only cut it if she wanted to. And no one, even the heavens can topple her down to the graves.

As she was sure enough far from the site. She dropped down on the ground, clutching her left shoulder. Just touching it a bit multiplied the pain she can't endure. Her teeth are grinding each other, preventing herself from uttering a scream that might invoke more trouble. Tears came rolling nonstop.

"Why? Why do this have to happen?"

Her cries were only answered by a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder. Dark clouds loomed over the horizon, and exactly when the sun set, they released their tears simultaneously.

Levi just passed out of exhaustion. She was just staring at the skies and let the rain bathe her muddy body. The cool sensation helped ease a bit of the pain. She can't help but wonder if the heavens is really kind.

Her vision dimmed and darkness once again overwhelmed her. Levi, the lady in a pretty dress, is having a nightmare. And it was terrible.

Since the day that Levi have been reborn, he was not able to remember anything of his past life. He only knew he was once a boy who died of a tribulation. But now that she is a female, her memories are of Fate's, the original owner. She remembered when she was seven years old, when her father first took her to the fields, she slipped and fell on a cliff. Her father screamed out in fear as he saw her falling down in a deep abyss. However, as a miracle, she has somehow survived the fall and on the next day, she was in her home. Nobody knows how or who saved her. But it was an untold agreement that angels are guarding on her.

"I... wonder... if... my.. angels... will save me... once again..."

Instead of an angel, a shadow loomed over her. It was a silhouette of a woman who helped her escape death. Cracks were all over her face and they glows unholy red. It'd be no surprise if her face is hideous or demonic. However, that woman has a cold soothing voice, so mellow yet serious. She spoke in a tongue that might not have been known by humans. Translation of the words might seem to be possible if only she saw her smirking face. She vanished in a cloud of black smoke and entered Levi through her nose.