Example II

[A certain commoner's viewpoint]

The name's Johannes, a 28 years old man. I work as a blacksmith that directly provide equipments for the Topper family's guard and soldier.

I was given this responsibility by my father before he perish due to the famine that spread across Topper two years back. I mourn, naturally, gave myself a break from the rest of the world, but later soon managed to take a step forward.

However, it may pains me to say this, but I really hate my job that he have given me.

To fulfill my duty, I have to earnestly work my ass for more than 12 hours a day just to produce 10 to 20 equipments. This equipments are, of course, of not high quality due to many reasons.

No... Actually, it can be considered as high quality by simply looking at it. Maybe I was just influenced by the perspective of the scumbag of a soldiers who came and steal the equipments whenever they got the chance.

It was made delicately by the sheer effort out of motivation I happen to possess. I give my best to produce it, even going as far as applying symmetrical alignment to these weapons.

I was even considered a genius by my own loving wife when I show it to her. Only to be mock by the soldiers who doesn't even try to appreciate my effort to help them.

Even if I do complain, I will simply receive backlash from my fellow commoner. Worst, I might experience something more painful that just dying.

I can see from those eyes of them that they couldn't careless about the people they swore to protect. And it scares me, for my family, to even give my trust to those kind of people.

So, here I am shackled by the same thing the previous generation did, perhaps, out of fear of being punished.

"It's beautiful."

But, it seem the god has given its judgement.

In the sky, just above the castle where the lord of our territory, a beautiful, phoenix like flames with a size of a mountain spread across the vast sea of clouds.

The flaming phoenix was so hot, that despite the long distance between our position, I can feel the heatwave touching my skin.

I don't know why, but I feel a sense of relief and happiness growing inside me. We will die for sure. By simply looking at it, there is a full intent of destruction radiated from the source of the power.

Am I sick?

I hold my loving wife to my arms as she cry and scream while trying to break free from me. I can also see that the people from my surrounding had already started to escape the fate that inevitable awaits them.

"It's okay, my dear... It's okay..."

I look at the eyes of my wife who seem too distress to even hear my comforting words.

"I am here with you, you having nothing to fear about."

I reach for the disorganized hair of my wife from her forehead and remove it to see the full face of her. Only to see her complexion turning for the worse with her eyes devoid of life.

"At least look at me before we die?"

I sulk, trying to get the attention of wife. But despite all of that, I can understand her feeling.

Ahh... But it seems I am really a fool to misunderstood my wife.

Slowly, my wife's devoid gaze soon started to fill its shine once more. And despite the worsening heatwave that starts to burn our skin, her complexion seem to have waver.

She looks at me while crying, trying to find the reason why did this happen to her.

When she reach for my face, I grab her weakened hands and entangled both of our fingers to each other. There, I gave my few remaining energy and tightens the embrace I am giving her.

"It's okay now... It's okay, I'm here with you."

I can feel the trembling, chill body of my dying wife who seem to have accepted her fate.

"I love you."

The world that will soon shatter soon came to a halt. My heart that has started to gave up and stop starts to beat once more.

"What did you say?"

My wife is shy, she tends to hide her feelings even when we started to live in one roof. Mostly, she just helps and support me in my work to prove her unwavering love is still there.

Of course, I am not someone as dense as a hero of the books can be, so I always notice her cute actions that betray her shyness.

But now, I was able to clearly hear the words that I longed for.

"I... Love you..."

My vision starts to get blurry, my cheeks are also beginning to burn. I thought at first that I was finally dying, but it was merely because of my racing heart that caused it.

Soon, tears starts to flow through my cheek.

It's the first time I heard her say it.

But sadly...

"You fool, it's already too late."

A wave, exceeding the human body's ability to resist soon spread across the town... Or perhaps, the entire territory.

The first to fall victim in this destruction is the castle which I get a glimpse of it falling apart.

Then, my life turn to a darkness. Thankfully, I was embracing my wife tightly. In this case, it would be impossible for us to part even in death.

Even without a children of our own, for the past 10 years since we met, I have lived a fulfilled life.