Journey into the Unknown

"I was lost in thought, staring at the stars, when I noticed her looking at me. Her expression was full of questioning wonder, and her smile, though bright, carried a powerful weight, as if she bore all the sorrows of life. 'I don't know your name, but why did you cut your hair?' she asked. 'It's supposed to be long, like all women's. Why is yours so short?'

Glancing around the stores, I wondered if it was just me or if it was something Faith-like. I took a sip of wine and chuckled as I felt myself sinking deeper into a heavy state. Drinking made my body feel heavier, but I didn't mind. I knew I didn't know her well, and I wasn't in the mood to make assumptions or judgments about people; I simply went with the flow.

'Well, Lily, I cut my hair not because I enjoy it, but because simple things can hold tragic memories. It's best to cut them off. Forget yourself; you exist in this state not because I want to run away but more because I want to forget and forgive.'

She seemed to understand, gazing at the castle in the hazel night sky—the castle of the Kingdom of the Shadow. It appeared normal, nothing too special, but the way she looked at it made me wonder why she saw her Kingdom as something precious. The Kingdom of Rose never garnered sympathy. I didn't know what to ask, but suddenly, she looked at me with a full smile.

'Do you know why they call it the Shadow Kingdom, not its real name? Because in reality, we don't have a king or queen. Shadow People protect it. I'm one of the Shadow People—every adventure, every person helped, every weapon forged, they're all for the protection from The Shadows. What special things do you have in your Kingdom?'

I was left speechless. I had never heard of people protecting each other like that. It felt like a lesson, revealing my ignorance. I hesitated to share about my kingdom's harsh ways. In my kingdom, if any person did something wrong, they went to jail or faced the cruelest punishments. I didn't want her to feel responsible for protecting others.

'In my kingdom, the Crown, the Prince, and the royals take cruel steps to protect the Kingdom—from jails to harsh ways—to make people understand their limits. But I never agreed with these ways. They were too cruel to witness,' I confessed, tapping my shoulder. I took another sip of my cup, gazing at the stars and admiring the kingdom's beauty.

Suddenly, she replied with a serious and concerned tone, 'Have you never wondered what they go through to be that cruel? The weight of the kingdom—if someone gains power, they often sacrifice so much of their humanity and precious people. If someone does something cruel, it's probably out of sheer difficulty.' Her words made me think deeply.

I slowly realized how limited my knowledge was and how naive I'd been. Taking another sip, I felt guilt coursing through my veins. Kyle and the royalty loved me, yet I was unaware of their ways in love, unknowingly pushing Kyle away. As a tear formed in my eye, she looked at me nervously and, without making things awkward, refilled my cup with wine, saying, 'Forget the past. You can't change it, but you can make things better. And by the way, you still haven't told me your name!'

We chuckled softly, finding the situation amusing. Resting my face on the table, I replied slowly as my mind began to drift away, 'My name is Mia. I love doing art, and I don't think I'll ever fall in love again; love is really hard.'

In a tipsy state, she looked at me and said, 'Girl, life is hard. I just eat sweets, sleep, and find a strong husband. All women love these types of men.' We continued talking about men and their beauty all night, getting drunk until we passed out. I woke up with a throbbing headache, and Sylvia looked at me, needing an explanation. I felt nervous; this girl gave me a lecture, not like my father, but more miserable.

'Mia, how many times have we told you that drinking too much is not good? We found you passed out on a table. What if you catch a cold? What if someone tried to do anything to you? We still don't know much about this Kingdom,' Sylvia scolded softly.

I chuckled softly, but then I remembered that I had to go on a quest to collect some money. 'Sorry, Sylvia, but I have to go now; I have to work.' I dressed hastily, put on my shoes and clothes quickly—it's easy for an adventurer—and rushed towards the quest board, ignoring Sylvia's plea for a talk later.

I found plenty of quests but struggled to find the wolves I needed to kill. Returning home, Sylvia lectured me again, but Kyle acted as if nothing had happened. The next day, I revisited the same place in the woods and stumbled upon something special. During my search, I found a pack of wolves leading to an abandoned monument. Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed the path.

Entering to slay those wolves, I sliced and dashed between them, killing seven out of fifteen. I took some wolf meat, excited to surprise Sylvia and my little girl with a special meal. Exploring further, I found old books and intriguing art within the monument. Then, I saw stairs leading down and decided to venture further.

Walking down the stairs in the darkness, I used the light stone Sylvia had given me—it gave only enough light to see. Initially, there were normal stairs filled with books, but after three steps, skulls were stacked up everywhere. Going deeper, I found a stand with two types of fruit and a message advising against listening to the written words, warning of deception regarding a 'Golden soul.'

Ignoring the warning, I proceeded towards the answers, thinking I could handle anything like Mia. However, things got weirder—a sudden boulder, magical arrows, and zombies appeared. It wasn't a place for a Golden soul; it was more for a powerful soul, and it wasn't me. Despite the disturbing sights, I found a skeleton with a blue book and a dagger in its hands. I took both—the blue book, like Sylvia's choice, would be good for Ethan and the little girl.

Suddenly, the ground gave way, and I found myself stuck. The writing indicated that I was the chosen Soul but questioned if I was ready to survive and fulfill my promises. I wondered what I had to do. Looking up, I saw several stages, equating each to a person—more than five stages deep. I had to return to the safe one, but the food was a concern. Luckily, I remembered the wolf meat in my bag, accidentally brought along.

Now, I felt sorry for Sylvia.