Volume 1: Chapter 2: Memories Engraved

Memories Engraved

Warmth enveloped her being, pitch black was all she could see. Eyes feeling heavy, she tried to lift them up slowly, only to close them back as the harsh light pierced her eyes.

The heat seemed to fade little by little while being replaced with a cold gust of wind. She felt no cloth draped over her figure, she quickly rubbed her eyes and sat up.

'What's with these toddler-sized hands?!' Her eyes widened in confusion, reminiscing about the past events that happened. The ancient old geezer sent here her.

'I'm a child again...' The sudden thought of her struggling to live again made her aware of how ragged and slightly disturbing this child's body was. Bruised knees and knuckles, chapped lips, hair unkept, former cuts at the back of her thighs, ligature marks on her ankles and a skeleton-like body.

Looking around, many people were walking fast in different directions. Noting the outdated clothes they wore, maybe she's sent to the past? That's plausible, there were many novels with that repetitive plot and she enjoyed it more than she thought.

Casting her thoughts aside, she also noticed no one seemed to pay mind to her. Although it is not like she was invisible, they simply didn't care for a poor naked child, would they? No, unless they're a pedo, but that didn't seem to be the case.

At her side, she noticed a medium-sized fabric, almost like a towel, only to have holes in it. This towel could almost cover her small figure, yet it's there on the ground instead of it being wrapped around her.

The owner of the body couldn't possibly have used this cloth as a pillow instead of covering her body, could she?

'So the original owner of the body died because of cold because she didn't have a single cloth covering her damn body because the single towel she had was used as a pillow?! Stupid! Plain stupid!'

Well, she couldn't entirely blame the owner, she was a toddler and toddlers are well...toddlers.

Now walking towards who knows where, but she was far from the busy street. This was more of a secluded area, more like a compound for an enormous family. Well, if it is, she's fucked. That was trespassing, and she didn't like the thought of that.

One thing she noticed around her was that the place was full of sand, houses and buildings were made of sand. Vendors were not present either. She woke up, presumably, at midday, so there was bound to be a vendor she could ask for help.

But none of the streets and buildings were heavily guarded either...

What could a civilian orphan do?

She promptly sat down with a huff, with her knees brought and hugged tightly to her chest, she hid her face in it. Honestly, not knowing where she was, and what era this is, is taking a toll on her. How she wished this was a nasty dream or a simulation she was in. Lost in her thoughts she was until a shadow loomed over her figure.

Never had there been anything in her life where she was so scared. She didn't dare to look up, she could see from the crack in her arms that a person was in front of her and it was not another child like her.

"Get up..." How rude...I'm a child, you shouldn't speak to me that way! And who just orders a child to 'get up'. What drugs are you on? She shut her eyes, pretending to sleep, hoping the rude man would walk away and leave her be.

"I know you're awake." No, you don't you weird man, unless you see me looking at you batting my eyes, that's screaming. Please adopt me, then no, I am not awake! A child's persistence is quite annoying when they start, so she kept 'sleeping' and the man there stood for a good 20 minutes.

She was getting impatient. As the man shifted to a more comfortable position, he sat down still staring at the sleeping girl in front of her, his cheek leaning on his hand. He waited for another 40 minutes until he heard soft snores from the persistent girl.

With a little smile, he carried the little girl all the way to the nearest hospital, only to realize he fucked up because the girl actually fell asleep because of her bleeding thigh and now had blood dripping badly.

(it was supposed to be a cute kidnapping, I ruined it bye-)

Eli's Pov.

I shifted and moved around this uncomfortable bed, birds kept chirping, and the sun rays kept seeping through the window and burning my eyes. Lifting the sheets to cover my face, I was back in dreamland.

Well, supposedly. Yet a vermin snatched the only comfortable thing in this makeshift bed. As any good toddler would do, I pretended to sleep again, this time with the full intention of actually ignoring the person and sleeping at the same time.

"I know you're awake kid, saw you move 5 seconds ago." He said with a sigh, and I knew the fucker had a big smirk plastered on his face while saying that. How do I know? His voice sounded egotistical.

"..." 'Pedo! staring at a child while it's sleeping!'

"Kid, if you wanna live, you'll abide by our deal." 'What deal?! I just woke up in this body yesterday!'

"..." Still not moving, I pondered on what he meant. Surely the owner of this body couldn't have made a deal with a grown man when she couldn't even protect herself from dying because of Hypothermia.

"Gah!!" My thoughts came to a halt, as a leather-like fabric hit my thigh. Now fully awake, I clutched my leg in pain, I abhorred the thought of child abuse and now looking at this man. He had a belt in his right and his other gripped a paper.

Observing my surroundings, behind me is a window, and behind him is an open door. Gently patting my thigh because it stings, still glaring at the culprit. He cackled maniacally, crumpling the paper and then throwing it at me.

I opened it, 'Jesus, I can't read this at all...' "I can't read, mister," I said, staring at him.

"Huh? Don't spout bullshit kid and just read the fucking contract you signed."

"I really can't read..." My voice trailed out more of a whisper when I felt another pain in my left leg. This time it bled, he stepped forward a bit, making me stumble back.

'Help, please I don't know what the previous owner got me into...someone...please help me.'

He was fine then; he was patient back then on the street. Heck, why now?

The moment he lifted the leather belt again, the terrified child screamed at the top of her lungs. He was now conscious...belt, blood, cries, child. It happened again; he lost control again. He inhaled and exhaled. Baffled, the child crawled up to the nearest opening she could see and dashed before the man could turn around.

Glancing back to the door, he took minimal breaths and went after the girl.

She ran and ran to where her feet would take her. Building after building and not a single living person. Where were the people? Stopping to take a few breaths, looking around for anything to drink.

None.

She's in the middle of nowhere.

Strange, dust floated up in the air, and wind currents grew strong, red blinking dots appeared above and hunched over her form, as she watched perplexed. Taken aback by the sudden switch in the environment, unmoving she stared while her eyes caught some dust she didn't bother all she cared about was the red blinking dots.

Which inched, closer.

Closer,

and closer.

Waking up from her mindless state with a curling scream, she only realized she had been the one screaming when her throat became hoarse and dying down. A claw-like metal had grabbed her by the abdomen and for a weak, civilian, non-mana user.

She had no way of defending herself because for normal warriors to defend themselves to coat the attacked area with mana, leaving themselves with armour to receive the impact. Upon being grabbed by the abdomen, the metal penetrated her skin, and blood seeped through the front and back, staining her shirt.

"Hey!" A man shouted. He sounded angry but the child couldn't care less, she screamed, waving her hands side-to-side with her remaining strength, not caring if the metal dug down deeper, all she wanted was to be saved.

The child did not know what creature had done that to her,

"Kid! Get out of there!"

Another angry scream,

although she did not hear it due to passing out from blood loss.