Destiny

I was once an orphan.

"Come on! Let's play this game!"

"No! We played with this game last time as well... shouldn't we try something new?"

"Hmm hmm... but what?"

"How about the board game which the lady from yesterday gave us?"

"Oh!! Nice idea!!"

"Come on, let's go and play that!"

"Wait!!... Shouldn't we invite him?"

"Who?... Oh him? Forget it. You shouldn't talk to him."

"Why?"

"They say he is a Halfing!"

"Really?... But what does that even mean?"

"I don't know... but must be something bad since all the adults don't like him either!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, let's just forget him and go!"

"Okay!"

And was also an outcast.

Despite being in a small yet well-maintained orphanage, the other children happily played with toys they received from people and enjoyed their small life of what they knew.

All were happy, except me.

Because I had no one to talk with.

At the age of five, I didn't understand that I faced racial discrimination because of my black hair, a common feature of people from the Eastern Continent, whom these Western folks disliked because of the past horrible wars that left millions dead. But because of this hair color, people in the orphanage never talked to me, leaving me all alone in one corner.

But I still held hope that one day that someone will play with me, someone, whom I would call a friend.

Days passed, weeks passed and months passed away.

Yet, not a single person came to me.

I became a lonely fellow, left in the dark corner.

As the months passed, I even forgot how to speak properly because I never got a chance to practice.

After enduring this treatment and being ignored by others for so long, the world around me started to feel grey, much like the shade of my eyes.

Was I supposed to be angry at the children that they never played with me?

Or, was I supposed to hate the adult who create an image of me that made others distance themselves with me?

Or, was I supposed to despise my mother who left me here?

I did not know.

But after being ignored and treated like a nonexistent person, all that was left within me were just empty feelings, a shell of gloominess around me and nothing more.

However, as they say, life and fate are unpredictable, and one day, something truly unexpected happened.

A light, which I was so eager yet forgotten about, came in my life, casting the dull and grey life away.

His name was Destiny.

He was my first friend in the dull and hollow world. 

***

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Urgh..." With a low grunt, Kalsie's eyelids twitched.

"Hmm?" Sensing something dripped on his face, Kalsie reached up and wiped it away before slowly opening his eyes.

His vision was initially blurred, but as it cleared, he realized he was inside a makeshift shelter crafted from large leaves. 

"Are you awake?"

"Nicole?" Hearing the voice, Kalsie turned his head to find her sitting beside him within the leafy shelter.

She wore an expression of both concern and relief.

"Argh…" Suddenly, as Kalsie was about to ask something, he felt pain surging through his body, a burning sensation that seemed to tear his limbs, particularly his legs, which ached the most.

"P-Please, lie down! You're in no condition to move!" Nicole was startled by his abrupt attempt to rise, but she quickly understood the situation and gently pushed him back onto the leafy bed.

'Why does my body hurt like this... and why am I lying here?' Despite the intense discomfort, Kalsie suppressed his urge to move, instead focusing on recalling how he had lost consciousness while swimming toward the island.

'Ah... I suppose my body finally gave in to the toll of exhaustion...' Kalsie reflected as he experienced the weakness coursing through his limbs.

"Growl..." Suddenly, a dull noise reached their ears, causing them both to fall silent.

It wasn't the sound of a monster, but rather the rumbling of Kalsie's stomach, protesting its emptiness.

"I'm sorry... It's just that my stomach is empty," Kalsie said, feeling somewhat embarrassed for not being able to control it.

"N-No need to apologize!" Nicole responded quickly but she found Kalsie's embarrassment amusing.

However, she recognized what Kalsie needed and acted quickly. She reached into her pocket and retrieved two small fruits resembling red cherries, which she brought to Kalsie's mouth, offering to feed him.

"These are for me?"

"Yes, please eat them. It was only because of these fruits which have given us so much energy that we made it here. If we had realized sooner that you hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, we would have given them to you earlier."

"Thanks..." Grateful for her gesture, Kalsie accepted the fruits and devoured them in a single bite.

However, as he chewed and swallowed the sweet cherries, he immediately noticed a change within himself.

"What's this?" Kalsie asked as he was shocked and puzzled.

"Did you feel a surge of energy?" Nicole inquired as a mysterious smile came over her face.

"Not just energy... My hunger has disappeared!" Kalsie exclaimed in amazement.

The hunger and weakness that had been troubling him suddenly dissipated after consuming the two fruits.

"What were those fruits? I've never seen or heard of anything like them before."

"I don't know much about them either. We came across upon these fruits while wandering in the forest. Unfortunately, there were only a limited number of them, or else we wouldn't have to worry about going hungry," Nicole explained regretfully.

"That's truly unfortunate. But don't fret about it. If you all found them once, there could be more out there, right?" Kalsie reassured her as he started to sit up.

"Yes, you're right," Nicole replied, her expression brightening. 

"Anyways, where--"

Tip. Tip. Tip.

Just as Kalsie was about to ask about what was happening, a few drops of water fell from above, grabbing his attention.

"Wait! Is it raining?" Kalsie asked, noticing the droplets of water falling from above.

"No, it was raining earlier... About an hour after you lost consciousness. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread as wildly as we feared since rain suddenly fell from the sky," Nicole explained.

"Then... what about the monsters?" Kalsie pressed for more information.

"It alright," Nicole replied with a relieved smile. "Even though the fire has diminished to a smaller scale, it's still burning without spreading, and we haven't heard their growls in a while. So, we're safe."

Kalsie let out a sigh of relief. He then inquired, "How long was I unconscious?"

"I can't say exactly, but it's should have been few hours," Nicole replied after careful consideration.

Kalsie was taken aback by the length of his slumber. Worriedly, he asked, "What happened after I lost consciousness? Is everyone... alright?"

"Don't worry, everyone is safe, thanks to you," Nicole assured him with a slight smile. She went on to recount everything that transpired after Kalsie had passed out.

"I should express my thanks to Jack and Wendy later. If not for them, I might have drowned," he expressed his appreciation.

Nicole's face turned even redder, and she stammered, "Y-Y-Y-Yea."

Kalsie noticed her blush and questioned, "Is something wrong? Your face is turning red."

"N-No!! I'm fine..." Nicole stammered, unwilling to disclose the entirety of what she had done to save him.

Her face flushed with embarrassment at the thought.

"Oh, is that so?" Kalsie didn't press further, sensing her not wanting to share.

Instead, he changed the subject, asking, "What happened next? Did you all make this?"

Nicole didn't know if she should have felt relieved or sad that Kalsie didn't ask more.

But she quickly composed herself and replied, "Yes! Since there was nowhere to rest, we hastily constructed some shelters. We placed you in this one because you were unconscious. Everyone else is resting outside, while I stayed here, waiting for you to wake up."

"I must have been a burden to you... Thank you for taking care of me," Kalsie expressed his gratitude, looking at her appreciatively.

"N-No, it's the exact opposite! I mean... you rescued us twice, and this is the least I could do as a member of this group," Nicole bashfully replied.

"No, Nicole... you've done more than just this. You even gave me those fruits," Kalsie remarked, his voice softening as he realized how grateful he was towards her and the others.

"Don't say things like that. We aren't just teammates, and after all, this happened... aren't we already... friends now?" Nicole's face turned even redder, and her voice barely reached his ears as she uttered her last sentence.

Kalsie was taken aback by her words.

He hadn't expected her to express such sentiment, but a pleasant smile spread across his face as he responded, "Yeah, you're right."

Nicole, flustered by the pleasant smile on his face and those soul-capturing grey eyes, attempted to change the subject.

"A-A-Anyways! Jack and the others are resting outside; I'll inform them that you've woken up now," she hastily said, and without waiting for Kalsie's reply, she stood up and quickly exited the shed.

'Friends... huh?'