Chapter 9: Lumia: The town with the facade of beauty

Lumia, an intermediate-ranked town, was under the rule of another elite-ranked awakener. Rumors whispered that the lord of that town was even stronger than our own lord, with a specialization in defense that made him a formidable force to reckon with.

The town's very architecture reflected the strength and prowess of its lord, with towering walls made of enchanted stone that shimmered in the sunlight, and gates adorned with defensive spells that glowed with an otherworldly radiance.

Despite the town's imposing defenses, Lumia exuded a serene and enchanting atmosphere. Lush gardens bloomed with vibrant flora, their colors a stark contrast against the sturdy stone structures. Cobblestone pathways wound through the town, lined with quaint shops and taverns where laughter and music mingled harmoniously.

The town square served as a focal point of Lumia's charm, adorned with fountains that danced with crystal-clear water and statues depicting heroes of old, their faces etched with tales of valor and resilience.

A sense of tranquility pervaded the air, inviting travelers and townsfolk alike to pause and appreciate the beauty that surrounded them.

But....

Beneath the picturesque facade of Lumia's beauty and serenity lay a darker underbelly, hidden from casual observers and visitors. 

The shadows suppressed by the facade of beauty spoke of debauchery, corruption, and desolation that lurked beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic town.

The enchanting gardens that bloomed with vibrant flora during the day transformed into clandestine meeting spots for illicit activities under the cover of night.

The cobblestone pathways, once filled with the laughter of townsfolk, now echoed with whispered deals and shady transactions. Behind the charming facades of quaint shops and taverns, darker dealings took place, fueled by greed and ambition.

The town square, adorned with fountains and statues of heroes, held secrets of its own. The crystal-clear water that danced in the sunlight during the day turned murky with hidden agendas and conspiracies that were hidden from normal citizens after dusk.

The statues of previous lords, symbols of valor and resilience, seemed to mock the reality of deceit and betrayal that plagued Lumia's underbelly.

 Travelers and townsfolk who lived normal lives were unaware of the sinister forces at play, the darkness that consumed the town within the facade of serenity and beauty.

The lord, the strongest warrior in the town, its ruler, was the one leading these forces that would commit heinous crimes without getting caught or punished. His motive for controlling such forces was a mere amusement for him who could destroy the whole town if he wanted to.

______________________________________

"How did I know about the hidden underbelly of this town?"

I lived my childhood in the streets of this town, mingling with the people who were forced into the darker side, hidden by external beauty for almost ten years.

It was the place where the Orphanage I was adopted to was situated, the place under the grip of darkness and depravity.

I only knew about the purpose of our orphanage after running away from there, the day I was deemed a worthless piece of crap to be mocked and shunned by the world.

I was lucky, if I have to say, in that case, because other awakeners who weren't powerful enough or didn't have good attributes were taken by the people from the underworld, their lives filled with misery.

Even awakeners were not safe there.

"What about me? Someone deemed as a worthless piece, hated even by the world?"

I was hunted by the whole town, and posters related to me were plastered everywhere with rewards for those who informed the authorities, both seen in the light or hidden in the darkness, about me.

Killing me was even more rewarding as the commoners were granted the chance to awaken themselves through the ceremony. It was an enticing offer for those desperate commoners, especially from the underbelly of the town, as it would help them uplift their lives filled with misery and pain.

The thought of becoming a member of the town's patrol team, guarding the town, and living a life with status, was an enticing offer, even more enticing than getting the chance to awaken. This dream could be achieved if anyone were able to torture me, record that process, and hand it to the authorities while keeping me alive.

I was forced to fend for myself at a time when other children my age would play and live without any care about the world or the happenings around them. The pain and torture I had been inflicted with by the people from the town still haunt me at night whenever I remember those days.

I learned to judge the people around me with the experiences I've gained while being haunted. The run for survival, fights I was forced into just to secure a piece of bread from others.

Those were the days, the experiences I had earned while living in the town of "Lumia; The town with the facade of beauty."

_____________________________________

One particular couple still comes to my mind whenever the nightmare from my past haunts me at night; they were the only ones who helped me during those tumultuous times while I was hunted by almost everyone in the town.

They were a pair of old couple, with no one remaining in their family, killed by the very authority that swore to protect them. They were the ones who taught me to have a positive outlook on life.

They believed in the revolving nature of life.

"The pain you were inflicted today will bring you the greatest joy in the future."

This was the sentence they frequently told me. They wanted me to have hope, a hope for a beautiful future I would have after enduring the pain inflicted on me by the world today. According to them, I was the joy they were granted after living their whole life in pain, having their family of five destroyed, leaving them to rot in this world.

But their joy was short-lived as somebody had informed the authorities about them sheltering me, the most wanted criminal in the whole town, haunted by everyone.

Driven by greed for the rewards offered by the authorities, the citizens of the town brutally massacred them. It was a cruel end to the kindness they had shown me during my darkest times.

I cried till my eyes went dry, looking at the brutally mangled bodies of the pair, remembering the cheerful smiles always etched on their faces whenever they saw me. 

The love they provided to me in a short time, was something I would never forget.

No..... I couldn't forget even if I wanted to.

That was the day I promised myself to never give up on my life, to hold onto the hope they had given me during those darkest nights.

I also vowed to hunt down the ones responsible for brutally massacring them, just because they sheltered and loved me. Their deaths would not be in vain, and I would make sure justice was served.

The same day, I had my hands dyed crimson red with the blood of one of the culprits who had participated in the murder.

"Yes, I have killed other people." 

"I'm not some saint who would let others take advantage of me just because I am weak."

The act of revenge on the couple wasn't something I did on the spur of the moment. I meticulously hunted down every single person who had participated in their murder, one by one, until the entire town knew about my bloodthirsty nature.

It was a relentless pursuit, fueled by the pain of loss and the desire for justice. The town would remember the price of crossing me, of harming those who showed me kindness.

It was my way of telling them that I wouldn't let them have their way with me just because I was a child who couldn't awaken myself. As my notoriety spread throughout the town, the authorities hunting me increased the reward they offered, even going so far as to promise a title of nobility to anyone who could kill me.

The pursuit intensified, but the brutal ways in which I killed my pursuers horrified anyone who saw the bodies of those killed by me. I didn't grant them swift and easy deaths; instead, I tortured them until they begged for their lives to end.

After some time, only awakeners with confidence in their abilities dared to come after me. I was afraid of those awakeners, but I didn't stop; I relentlessly hunted down the culprits, sparing none, not even those from the authorities. It took me almost nine years to eliminate everyone and bring justice to the pair that gave me hope.

By the time I had completely eradicated the culprits behind the deaths of the couple, I had become a hero for those suppressed and tortured by the authorities.

The reason I was able to survive and leave the town after the killing spree was due to the overconfidence of my pursuers and the authorities, who were trying to kill me just because I couldn't awaken during the ceremony that day.

" Also having such experience in a seemingly tranquil and peaceful place to live just because I couldn't awaken." It was chilling to even think about it, much less surviving the town for more than a decade while hunting the people with power.

"I'm speechless now I think about it myself."