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DREWVOYD NYXON, 15
MALE
CLUSTER PATRON: GEMINI
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THE ARENA
12,000 YEARS BEFORE PRESENT
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The crowd cheered with their voice box humming with immense amount of vibration, enough to shake the area and make the wind blow harder.
I never thought I could go in and watch a game like this in an actual arena, I was used to just hearing it through people who went and witnessed its wild spirit. I thought to myself that when I started developing my emblem to work the way I want it, making a portal would be the first thing I was going to create. As days went by, my emblem shone brighter than the first it appeared. It was blue five pointed star tainted in my upper arm, like everyone else had, but not a shining blue like it was when I was in training or how its silhouette seemed to radiate a golden aura.
Slowly, my emblem gave my hope as I, too, began making portals the size of a plate. It was not enough. Still, the dream that started when I was nine continued to drive me to reach it. At the age of 14, I finally made a portal the size of a door. Just enough for me to go. But that didn't stop me from being persistent, besides celestiques on the age of fourteen and above were only allowed to enter the arena. Gale, only thirteen couldn't. While I waited for her fourteenth birthday to come, I spent my days practicing, developing, enhancing my skills and involved myself to a tougher training.
When the time came, I made one and delivered us both to the arena of my dreams. Well, that didn't stop her from being angry with me. But she was my friend so I thought she could understand. With her mercurial nature, she did. Unexpectedly. What could she do? Enjoy it maybe? Or kill me otherwise.
She was eyeing the crowd looking for someone when I appeared in front of her. Fortunately, that someone was me.
"Where did you go? You expect me to have an adventure after leading me here then leaving me instantly?" Face turning crimson, lips curling upward. I knew that expression. This meant war.
"I am sorry, my lady. I just can't stop myself from freaking. You know this is my dream right?" I said with my best effort to provoke her other demon self from waking.
"It is your dream, why I am part of it?" She unknowingly asked, made my heart flutter like a peaceful land with a sudden disruption of an earthquake.
"I just want to have someone with me. Besides, it is more fun to share a dream with a friend." that made here calm a little bit. But that didn't erase the suspicious look on her face. Which, I strongly believed, was all about everything I said and not said.
"Fine. Just don't go away with strangers." She said while looking at the game.
"Did you mean that I shouldn't leave you?" was I supposed to say but decided to stitch my mouth with silence.
Honestly speaking, Gale may be a fourteen year old gal, she seemed she had worn out her age and started her maturity long before I realized she wasn't the crybaby I used to comfort before. Might as well the most bad-ass girl in our planet, I couldn't eradicate the impression she had given me the first day we met each other. With her light green eyes that shift color to dark gray when frustrated - same as she was wearing today - that could shoot laser beams anytime now and her perfectly curled lips that once parted unprecedentedly utter poison words that could easily penetrate the heart of a hapless victim. She could intimidate an entire army of absurd looking warriors and send them running to their foul-smelling camps. I knew the second our lives crossed that she'd play a huge part in everything that I considered significant.
Now every other dream that were sleeping in my mind all these years are finally waking up and meeting me in this crooked reality, I am fired up.
Crooked but still, coming true.
It was an experience not needing worldly cares. Unless, I could make a world from my emblem. But lucky me, I'd be dried up like a withered leaf before that would happen. Or would it even.
"you better contain yourself, mister. You are risking our lives here. I don't want the system playing these tricks on people. Sacrificing each energy particle they could harvest for what?"
Lividity had been living inside Gale the moment she opened her eyes. Yes her eyes. They speak of mystery. The thing behind the curtain which couldn't be unveiled by anyone. They speak of the secrets of the ocean. How deep and very enticing to dive in. sadly, I don't have the courage to do so. And if I could, would she allow me? I could orchestrate my own death by drowning without even trying.
So back on the original topic, she is like that. She is always what.
"well, let's just have fun!". I said.
Okay, fine. I half said. Since the arena pounded with these reeking people of i-don't-know what kind of smell, I half hoped she was distracted. my hopes are high, so high and so are the chances of me getting killed when we get home.
"I know these all oppose your beliefs about the system. But hey, look around you! We have a life to live. Enjoy while it still lasts."
"well, that is the point. The life you are referring to is the thing we just left back in the southern part of this dying planet. And might I as well remind you mister that the moment you portal-led me here without my consent, which I would never would have given even if you asked, our lives have already changed. Aren't you seeing the things that are happening? Look around you!"
So here we go again. I guess the crowd couldn't stop her. No one could actually. So she continued.
"This world is dying! Everyday of our lives is a promise that was meant to be left unfulfilled. Every day is a misery for those who continue to hope. Can't you see the irony here? That we were beguiled by the sugar-coated words of this system which we don't even know what, that we would live the other decade without the soot already buried us beneath the ground! I can't just believe how very irresponsible you are to lead me here and risk our lives just to witness how barbaric and cruel these people are!"
I looked at her. Dumb-founded. I tried telling her how I was happy she was here but I knew it would only cost me more damage than good.
Then without further notice, she walked away.
The bell rang. And the game just began. Well, the game began awhile back when Gale and i fought over those things. But the real game, the thing that I was so eager about, is finally happening.
Well I was astounded to learn that celestiques have this so high pitch voice box that could potentially ruin the tiny little precious bones that represent the fragility of our ears. But hey, they, I mean, we are awesome. Aside from the very disappointing but very genuine fact that we reek with undefined smell, it kindof relieves me from my self-doubt and the spontaneity of conscious reminders that happen to stir my thoughts about my hygiene.
Cheers flooded the arena and the weird soot that blossomed with darkness seemed to take interest. The ambience was quite cold, as it should be provided that we are in the very far corner of the planet where a literal hole-sucking demon tries to put everyone's lives in an eternal abyss of nothingness. So yeah you got my point.
Okay fine. You might be wondering about Gale being so very Gale but the real reason why she was so angry with me and everything is because I portal-led us to a place where celestiques best others in a duel.
"the game's finally starting huh."
A weird guy just talked to me. A weird guy. This is awesome. I am not dreaming that I am experiencing first hand the moments of arena-moments.
"yeah, sure. I wonder who would win."
"wanna bet?"
"name it."
Without hesitation, I made a bet.
Thinking about it, I just made a bet. And bets do not normally happen in southern part of this withering planet. What else could happen except that when the player that I put my bet on wins, I will likely have my prize. Same thing happens to the weird guy. But this will all unfold after the game and after negotiations.
I wonder what those negotiations could be. And that made me gamble without using my brain again. But that is the reason why we are here right? We gamble with life and the things we do are up to the decisions we make while we are still breathing and the results would shock us maybe. And that makes it more interesting to live.
Even if you are living in a planet when it tells you that it is dying too. Great.
The guys have started shifting to their seats and an unknown focus that greatly influenced everyone to sit in trance have taken effect. This is it.
The speaker had announced the competitors in this nights' duel. Except that this place is already shrouded in darkness. I wonder if there are still clouds in the areas affected. I wonder if hope still exists in these darkest hours.
The first man who came from the right tunnel was muscular. So built-up with his veins protruding everywhere. Those varicose ones slithering like snakes, telling how masculine and proud he is. The shiny bulk of meat that move with intricately formed energy reverberating the dauntless appearance of the host it chose to bestow potential. Wow. I wonder who makes clothes for those guys.
The crowd started shouting "crush.crush.crush". It was like they're trying to split the world open. The pounding of my heart agrees with the rhythm. I couldn't deny that it was really thrilling.
It became louder than the first second I stepped inside. Then finally the bulkman said his rituals.
"Bring me the guy and I'll strip his flesh while his lungs breathe in these deathly soot! Bring me the guy and I'd make him swear he would've chosen to jump and be swallowed by the gaping hole!"
Honestly, it was scary. And he shouted while uttering these words! It seems he is quite well verse with the body functions and all. But what is scarier, were his eyes. I failed to mention it but now, wow. Not wow. Awe. His eyes were the living representation of the hopeless dreams that once hover in the domains of celestiques' bubble spaces. It was like looking directly at those eyes and forgetting that there is still one remaining sun that radiates warmth.
And his teeth, he needs what he needs.
"Bring on the mockery old man!" said the guy on the other corner.
A petite looking guy with confidence. Wow. This is wow. What kind of potion did he blend to wear this aura? He is quite good at his words. But not scary.
In a duel like this one, we don't need words to flatter the offender or whatever side you are on. We need words entrenched in the center of our mind telling us how do we defeat the predicament in front of us.
But from what I can see, juries have already decided the winner. And I am finally betting on…
"I'm betting on the man with bulging eyes of darkness." Poetic. Except that, these words didn't come from me.
"oh come on!" I was left with the petite looking man with high confidence. At least points could be given to him.
That closed the bet. The weird guy was getting into my nerves by speaking first.
"you know, these kind of duels bore me. They are just losing energy and destroying the meat that hosts these energies. The system should make other games that are more interesting than this. I don't see the reason as to why this even exists." Weird that he is but he got point.
"well, it's what makes us pre-occupied. Many of us have already lost hope when the soot started taking lives, sipping into the energies stored in us like we are the barrel containing a very tasty wine."
"you know, what I am trying to say is that the system could've devised other plans to us rather than making us duel and then let us fight till the end. Exhausting our energies just to die in this lonely black world. We could have more reasons to live if we are being led to a brighter path. Not this."
Clearly he was a visionary. I guess Gale would love exchanging ideas with this weird guy.
"you probably should enter in politics. You will make a good leader!"
And the crowd cheered. I missed the first jab. But the remnants of bitter first defeat was visible on the bleeding brows of petite boy.
Well, we still have two rounds to go. You better win this one ma'boy.
As time slipped through my fingers, was also the memory of the blood dripping. Easy as putting a dead meat on a ground, the blood was no longer present and a scar had taken place.
Magnificent. I never thought of it.
He must have done something to his emblem that made him do that. But it takes more concentration and energy than anything. Not to mention that he needs all the energy he could muster on himself in this fight.
"so you see, you could do many things with emblems" the weird guy said. I didn't pay him attention. I don't want him to suspect that I have one.
Well having an emblem means that you are special. And that means many things. It could get you the riches or anything you want. Most of all, it can also get you killed. Just like these dudes inside the arena trying kill each other.
And I just made a bet.