Chapter 15: Nely

As Dune and Nely floated down the river in their makeshift boat, Dune lay exhausted, breathing heavily. His mind raced with questions.

What happened? How am I here? I don't even have Zeten... did they make a mistake? His thoughts drifted to the mysterious object Aurore had given him.

Was that the key to this place? Is that why Matiane killed me? He thought I was one of the Zeten.

A chuckle escaped Dune's lips, drawing Nely's attention.

"What are you laughing for shorty?" she asked, curious.

Dune, feeling a bit embarrassed, pulled down his shirt revealing small part of his chest

Nely's eyes widened in surprise. "You're not a Zeten? How is that possible? Is that why you were so awfully slow?" She laughed, the sound light and teasing.

"Hey, come on. I'm not that slow," Dune protested. "I'm faster than the average person."

"Sure sure" Nely chuckled

"By the way, that's a cool ability. How does it work?"

Nely looked at him. "Oh, the boat?... Well, you see, this is my own ability, but I sometimes use Zeten and my own Neba to enhance it.

I can create things from Neba. It's pretty useful. And no, I can't create food or water, so we need to get what we need in the forest."

Dune's curiosity was piqued. "So, you can just make anything from your Neba?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds," Nely explained. "The more complex the shape, the harder it gets.

So, I usually only shape things I'm familiar with. Also, it consumes Neba, so it's not easy to maintain complex shapes for long."

Dune nodded, understanding. Nely then looked at him with curiosity. "What about you, Shorty? Do you have any unique abilities?"

Dune looked at her and then said with a grin, "I'm smart."

Nely was disappointed. "How's that a unique ability? That's not even an ability. Everyone is smart."

Dune kept smiling. "Sure, sure," he replied.

Dune fell asleep from exhaustion. When he woke up, it was almost night; the sun was going down, casting the world in dark orange hues with dark blue water below them.

He was surprised to find a blanket with little cute bears drawn on it, probably made by Nely.

He looked ahead and saw Nely cooking fish. Next to her was a fishing pole, which she had likely crafted with her Neba. Dune's eyes widened.

"Hey, are you using your Neba to catch fish?" he exclaimed.

Nely was surprised. "Oh, you woke up... and yeah? What's wrong?"

Dune put a hand on his head. "I don't know, like, have you thought about the fact that this might attract some big and scary creature to our boat?"

Nely paused, considering his words. "I hadn't really thought about that. But what else are we supposed to do? We need to eat."

Dune sighed, he was hungry too..

Nely nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. Now, how about some dinner?"

She handed him a freshly cooked fish, and Dune's worries momentarily faded as he took a bite, savoring the warm meal.

As they ate, the sky continued to darken, stars beginning to twinkle overhead.

The peacefulness of the moment was a stark contrast to the chaos they'd left behind, and for a brief while, they could simply enjoy the calm of the river.

As they were eating, Dune asked, "What's with the cute blanket?"

Nely choked on her fish, looking away embarrassed. "It was mine... before I got here.

You see, I had a rich family who protected and raised me even though I was Zeten. Well, that was the case until...

this happened and I died." She smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Dune didn't know what to say; he was puzzled. "Sorry," he said softly.

Nely looked at him, confused. "Why are you apologizing?"

Dune didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked down.

"My brother also has the Zeten mark, and my mom did her best to defend him. Sadly, my father didn't have the same feelings towards Ned. He hated him.

So, when our city got attacked by creatures and a masked man in red clothes, he abandoned us.

But at least he took my mom and sisters. Luckily, I know a few Zetens here. I'm sure Ned and the others are here too. If we find them, surviving here will be much easier."

Nely listened intently, her expression softening. A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the sounds of the night.

Dune looked at Nely again, noticing the way her hair framed her face, the soft curve of her lips.

There was something about her presence that made him feel safe.

Dune broke silence, "How does it feel to have Zeten?"

Nely sighed, her expression growing more serious. "You hear voices and whispers almost every day, especially when you use your powers.

They tell you so many things, it's hard to make out what they're saying. Sometimes it's so bad... some just give up and go crazy, turning into really scary monsters."

Dune nodded, understanding the weight of her words. Of course, he knew this... his brother Ned is also going through the same pain every day.

they spent three more days on the river. They had no choice but to drink the water from thw river. For Nely, it was not that problematic; she could use her Neba or Zeten to heal herself quickly.

Dune, however, looked worse, tired and lifeless. On the fourth night, both of them were asleep in the boat, the fatigue of their journey finally overcoming them.

Nely drifted into dreams of her past. She saw her mother, father, and little sister, reliving every important memory.

She remembered starting at the academy and the loving way her parents treated her. But then the scene shifted abruptly to a nightmare: their house engulfed in red Neba fire.

Inside the burning house, Nely stood, crying and looking in every direction. In front of her, her father fought against a man named Matiane, who called himself the Apostle of the God of War. Her father shouted, "Go! Save Mom and your sister!"

Nely ran as fast as she could, her energy almost depleted from using both her Neba and Zeten.

She reached her sister's room, finding her sister standing in the middle of the room, scared.

Nely hugged her tightly, and they both ran downstairs, suffering small burns as they navigated through the flames.

They were nearly out of the house when another masked man appeared and stabbed her sister in the chest with a long sword.

Nely screamed and charged at the man, but he easily avoided her and sliced her chest and shoulders with his sword, giving her deep wounds.

She fell to the ground, crawling desperately toward her sister, who was slowly losing her life.

Through the doorway, she could see her mother being killed by another masked man outside the house. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged her already dead sister.

The fire consumed the house, and the masked men left, leaving Nely to be burned alive. The physical pain was immense, but it was nothing compared to the pain of losing the most precious things in her life.

She woke up with a start, her body drenched in sweat and her heart pounding. The memories felt so real, the loss so fresh.

Tears streamed down Nely's face as she cried, her voice choked with sorrow. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... it's my fault. If only I wasn't so weak. If I was not Zeten, if I wasn't born, maybe all this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault..."

Dune sighed deeply from under his blanket, feeling a profound sadness for the girl beside him.

Her pain echoed his own, intensifying his hatred towards those like Matiane. His desire for revenge burned hotter, not just for his friends and brother, but for his city and the place where he had once lived.

Hearing Nely's heartfelt apology and her self-blame, Dune felt a surge of determination. He wanted to help her seek revenge too.

He sat up and reached out to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Nely, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault. The blame lies with those who have caused us this pain.

We're in this together, and we'll find a way to make things right. We'll get our revenge."

Nely looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying…

Of course Dune understood Nely's pain He, too, grappled with feelings of powerlessness and self-blame. Dune's words weren't just for Nely's benefit, it was also for his own.

He yearned for strength, for survival, for the chance to protect his loved ones.

Laying back to sleep, Nely's soft voice broke the silence. "Im sorry, and… Thanks."

Dune didn't respond verbally. Instead, he closed his eyes, finding solace in the embrace of sleep.

Nely followed suit, and like that, on the fifth day of their journey, they reached the land, a symbol of their resilience and determination to endure, no matter the odds.