[43]

Her figure abruptly sprung up as the dull green blanket of her bed swayed. Her hands clutched the rings and she couldn't help but feel the intense beating within her heart.

Her breathing rushed, sweat riddling her body as her cascading shoulder length golden hair stuck to her skin. Her golden irises narrowed, creating a certain rift with her young face of pureness, a person unexperienced towards much.

"What's wrong?" A deep voice called out to her.

"Huh?" She turned her head to the right, and couldn't help but meet the gaze of the man.

He sat there, upon the single wooden chair, watching over her. His hair of brunette visible with the low mana stone emitting light that stood upon the still before him, his figure dressed in his normal white shirt and black pants, while his deep gaze of hazel stared puzzling at her.

She tilted her head. Why was he sitting on a chair in the middle of the night?

He looked a bit tired, and that chair he sat upon an uncomfortable mess as he lightly shifted himself ever so often. He seemed to have been sleeping while sitting.

Ah, right, she remembered, she had been allowed to stay with him until she could figure out a better living condition. After all, she had only just acquired her right to be an adventurer.

Was he always watching over her like that? Every single day? She hadn't realized...he was always the first one up in the morning and the last one to sleep.

'To think I hadn't noticed...'

There was only one room in this small shaft of a home. If she held the bed, where else would he sleep but the chair?

"Sorry, father...I think I had a nightmare?" She smiled.

"A Nightmare?" His brows creased.

"Mhmm, but I'm not too sure...the dream was pleasant and enjoyable, I got to travel and protect a little sister! However...there always seemed to be something holding me back I think? I felt weak and trapped in a way? And worst of all, you weren't there..." She pondered, her head buried in thinking.

She looked up, turned to face the man with a gleaming smile, brightening her features, "Say, father, you won't leave me right?"

Darkness fell, her world dyed in black. Nothingness' eroding her vision as everything seemed to disappear.

Before she knew it, she was already standing within a black abyss.

"Huh? Father?" She looked around, nothing.

"Father!?!" Her voice called out in apprehension.

Suddenly...

"What are you 'fathering' for? Do you really want to leave me that badly already?" A petite voice raised a complaint.

Light.

For a moment, she was taken aback.

"Alice?" She raised her voice in uncertainty, resounding w low chipper of a child's voice.

"Yes?" The azure-haired girl, no older than five and dressed in a single dress of dirtied white, tilted her small head as her jaded crimson eyes looked over.

"Oh...nothing..." She replied...although feeling oddly nerving.

"Odd..anyway, catch." Alice Albridge tossed the ball.

Her hands quickly raised to catch the item, taking a moment to glean just how small and childish they were.

"Children, it's time for prayer!!" A voice suddenly rang into the vicinity, pulling with it an authority.

Alice Albridge stamped her feet in displeasure, a snide look upon her face, "Ugh, I wish these Nuns would just give us a bit more time...who even wants to pray to some god I don't know...?...ugh, let's just go before they make us do that thing again."

She looked at the ball she had caught, strangely. It seemed rather familiar, especially so with the red letters written upon its frame. Then looked back up.

"Huh? Father!?!" She called out in alarm.

"What is it? Do you not like it...if you don't we could always get you another one..." Geared in leather armor with a single chest plate of iron, John Locke asked.

The girl looked back at her hands.

Blue hilt and a seamless silver blade with not a scratch to it.

For some reason, she felt, even this also was familiar. As if a lost friend, the weapon rested in her hands comfortably.

"No," She smiled, looking back up.

"I love it!"

Another blackness greeted her.

"What's going on..." She was puzzled.

A blinding silver light appeared within her mind.

Clank

She was in time to turn her figure, her hand lashing out and her sword ringing in defense of a dagger.

A spark resounded as she watched a figure leap away from her.

His feet skidded against the dirt ground as a low cloud arose before finally coming to a stop.

Young, black-haired, abyssal eyes, and blood dripping from his lips. The boy looked up, dagger in grasp, his full body ready for a fight.

"Ugh," She released a heavy breath, instantly feeling the weight upon her body.

Her hands shook as she grasped the blue hilt of her weapon.

"What's going on...?" She questioned herself.

The area was a boxed room, nothing more than dirt and two souls within. Walls of iron encompassing its outstretch of twenty meters...it was quite tight for a battle.

"Now now, you two don't just glare at each other, only one of you may leave alive after all. Have a fun battle to your heart's content~soak your blades in blood~This is Crow's Nest and we don't shy from such things." A chuckle filled the room, sounding the voice of a teenage girl.

"A minute remaining, if you three are still alive, I'll personally kill you all~"

She glanced around shakenly, her hand heavy, grasping the blade.

'Huh? What's going on? Three?' The girl raised a brow.

At that moment.

Two daggers, within her mind, fell down with chains.

She jumped back in hurriedness, her shower golden hair blowing as her sword flickered.

At that moment, a figure thundered down with the chains. Taking a moment to glance around, before launching towards her like a shadow.

In instinct.

She stopped, her feet skidding against the dirt.

Left leg forward, right leg backward.

Weapon aback.

A low cower.

And slashed upwards...

The world seemed to momentarily hinder.

She was focused as she stared into the hazel eyes of her opponent...such fearful amber eyes...a young girl...such heavy breaths...such fear upon her face...hidden loosely by that brunette hair...

Such a beautiful smile, satisfaction.

Crimson blood rolled as her blade dug through the chest of her opponent.

...and slashed downwards.

A head fell, such a beautiful smile.

Still held in stance, blood fell upon her enchanting young face, her golden hair dyed.

Momentarily, nothing else existed within the world.

A breath of air seeped into her lungs with her heavy breaths.

Finally realizing just how weak she was,

She collapsed onto her knees.

Her blade dropping before the corpse of the girl as tears rushed from her eyes.

The world a blur; color, sounds, everything a hazy spinning mess.

It didn't take long for her to shudder as spillage emptied from her stomach and onto the dirt crimson floor.

Yellow, green, brown, and red.

Not a trace of chunks of food.

She was empty, her stomach rumbling, she tasted the starch ness of her lips and tongue. As if sandpaper.

How long had it been since she had eaten...?

Why could she feel such tears upon her skin..?

Scars...?

Her eyes hazy as blackened boots met her vision.

She couldn't help but glance upwards.

"Stand up." He stared down onto her, not a trace of emotion upon his face.

"I've been through the same test as you. Environment, starvation, unquenchable thirst, beasts, and humanity."

His eyes, hallow, stared into her golden irises that still lingered a trace of warmth.

"If you're here, you must have a reason." His voice, monotone.

"I came here to receive enough strength to avenge my sister's torture and death. What I hate the most is preying upon the weak, so stand up." He narrowed his eyes.

Her eyes shook.

Why was she here again...?

Why were her memories such a hazy mess...?

"Fine," He sighed, picking up her weapon.

Her figure moved, automatically, managing to grasp its hilt.

"Humph, so you still do have some strength..." He chuckled, though his voice lacked the emotion to back it up.

"Let go." She narrowed her eyes, her eyes shaking as his hand bled, holding the blade of her weapon.

And he ignored that command.

"I actually can't bring myself to kill another girl...unless I will become just like them..." He shivered.

She widened her eyes.

A single trail of a tear dropped from his eyes, "Just promise me you will kill and destroy the Royal Family of Norse for me...all she ever wished for was to support me...becoming a maid to them was her doom."

The whole area seemed to silence itself as he pushed himself onto the seamless blade, passing through his own heart.

Crimson blood trailed from his lips.

Her hand, grasping such a hilt, quivered.

"My name is Raisin Wood...my sister's was Jasmine...remember that well..." He smiled.

One last spurt of crimson came through his lips.

"Let this be our oath."

Once more, the world blackened before her.

Visage.

Feelings.

Thoughts.

Everything disappeared.

.

.

.

.

Her face was deeply imprinted into the hard ground, she could taste the staleness and thickness of the crimson liquid that seemed etched within. Her breath was a rushed mess, she could feel her body wrinkle with pain and shudder in tempid haste.

"Father..." Her voice shook.

"Tell me...why did you raise me like a daughter...?"

It was momentarily silent.

"Oh? You don't know?" Then the chuckles began.

"Know what?" She gritted her teeth, tasting dirt.

"This man is a part of Crow's Nest as well." She could feel it, the snide grin.

"Huh..." Her head blanked momentarily.

"Hahaha, do you still not get it???" His laugh resounded cynically, taking pity upon her.

"This man had passed the last stage of the test! Successfully removing anything deemed an emotional binding! He killed his own wife without any hesitation! The only reason he 'adopted' you was to 'redeem' himself!" He laughed.

She widened her eyes.

"Liars!"

Her teeth gritted, she managed to lift her head from the boot upon it.

Her eyes pierced forwards in rage.

Yet, she was forced back onto the ground.

Tasting nothing but dirt.

"Calm down little girly~" A low chuckle.

"Why don't you let him answer~?"

She struggled.

She didn't want to hear those words.

"There was no other choice...it was either I kill her or they kill me...I didn't know...I didn't know..." A quivering voice.

The clanking of chains.

"I fear death Ais...I fear it."

A low growl.

Her heart shook.

Convulsing, she felt the world on her figure.

Slowly, she managed to raise her head slightly, her world blurred beyond belief. Crimson blood traced against her young features before settling upon those pale golden irises of her's.

It took moments...

She could hear it...

The screaming engulfing her entire world, she could feel his pain as his howl overshadowed the midday.

Her eyes regained focus as the horridness of the world came to full view.

His leftward body within the jaws of the emerald beast, completely binding between the two sets of teeth that wished to crunch it to smithereens.

Yet.

"A...I...I...S..S..."

Blood fell from his lips as if a waterfall.

No!

"...st...ay...bac...k.."

His expression twisted in the anguish of pain.

No!

He smiled his usual gentle smile, the way he always looked at her as if she was his own daughter.

His pale amber eyes stared at her warmly.

"...r...uu...n..."

The world stilled for a single moment.

.

.

What she feared most occurred before her eyes.

.

.

As she heard the ripping of his body, as she saw the spilling of his insides, as she perceived his mortal howl of sacrifice.

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I Broke.

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.

Her golden hair began to burn...increasing in intensity.

She screamed into the world.

Her right hand forcefully grasped the hilt of the blood covered blade before her.

Her body forced itself up through will, crawling up through the muddied ground.

I could taste it.

Her hair burned a golden radiance of flames as she charged forth.

As she took her firsts step, her eyes only focused on the enemy ahead

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Rage.

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"I think..."

"I think I will go with the name Alice Albridge!!" The girl smiled cheerfully, her voice befitting that of someone fit for her age, four years.

Dipping her finger into a small can of red paint before smearing it onto the brown ball, woven from leather and stuffed with paper, placing the word 'Alice' upon it.

"What about you, Number 1?" She turned to look behind her, her crimson eyes full of hope as her index finger dripped of red.

For a moment, the girl was shocked.

What happened? Where was the blood?

Why was she back at the orphanage?

Rage still engulfed her.

Where was the beast!?!

However,

Her body failed to follow her wish.

"Ais...my name is Ais William." She spoke, smiling.

WHERE WAS THE DEMONIC BEAST!?!

Alice Albridge held the ball out before her, a beaming smile upon her face, "Merry Christmas Ais!"

Behind her, the nuns stood, smiling, all nine of them.

"Merry Christmas, Number 1, Number 2." They spoke in Unison.

"Deft Nightangle's grace shines upon you both." And prayed.

It was endless...an eternal dream.