One year ago, Latina went to the capital. Walking through the slum, searching something that can she hold onto to become her hope, her aspiration, her reason to live inside this world of madness.
The sky was dark, and drizzling. Clinging to hope, she's walking, witnessing a dozen of corpse on the side of the road. A common sight to behold at the darkest part of glorious city. A corpse of kids, adult, even a mother that hugging her child. It's stink, a cold and unmoved body that can't hold a conversation.
'....Its stink,'
The truth that she sees, taught her that there were people who once lived in this world. Helped her to keep her loneliness at bay.
The deeper she went, the deeper she realized that her wish were just a mere wish. But, by the time Latina began to lock her hope inside her heart again. She found a boy, lying down, looking at the sky with empty eyes. A boy that seems fragile, like he was ready to disappear at any moment.
Latina approaching, reaching out to the boy's face.
"Hey,"
"Are you alive...?"
'Warm,'
Warm, a feeling of life force radiating from the boy. A feeling that hundred of years she's longing for, a feeling of hope. Slowly, tears began to build up on her eyes. At that moment, she knows, that she's saved from hundred of years long suffering.
The boy was Orion, he slept for half a year without a sign to wake up. With her magic, she nurse him, and then the moment of happiness came. Orion woke up, and then the day continue as it. Her longing dream began, the day she spent together with him become her treasure. She won't let him go, even in her sleep. She cherished him, her reason to live. Until that happen.
At the hill near the village, a girl stood, eyeing a village in front. Her eyes already lost its light, as if she's already lost her reason.
'I should've gotten rid of everything that could've made me lost him,'
'Tied him up, or destroying all obstacle-'
"AH!"
She gasp, realizing the thing that she's thinking. She hold her face with both of her hand, and shouted.
"NO!"
"NOO!!"
Inside her head was in mess, for a moment, she lost her sanity.
'No, I should still holding onto my sanity,'
'For him, and myself,'
After a while, she began walking. She hold onto little sanity that she has, encouraging her to went to the village. Took a step at the entrance, going to the village with her timid step. Looking around, as if searching someone that can help her.
But the truth, what she see was different. A normal village that the other days she went with Orion, the image of bustling village was torn apart. A bird that flying, turn into an unknow creature, its cry slowly make Latina crumble. Lucky for her that the way that she took was empty. But, one of the villager that passed notice her and began approaching. Asking her if she's okay, but what Latina gave her was a look of wary.
'Stop, don't come any closer,....'
Fear, can be seen inside her eyes. Her neck became wet, she's sweating. In her eyes, the person in front of her looked like a monster. Nothing like a human anymore, holding a basket.
"Haha,..."
Her voices shiver, she's chuckled.
'Or rather,....'
'I should killed it,....'
Her thought become wild, again, for a moment she's lost. But her thought crumbled by the time the monster in front of her saying.
"A#K%#S#%MU##?"
Unrecognized, that's the only thing that she understand.
'What,...did I-'
Realizing that she can't handle it anymore, she started to run. She keep running, until she reach inside the forest. With teary eyes, she's running deep into the woods.
'I will not,...'
'Turn to madness,....'
Without a single clue, she's walking. After a while, she began to lost her footing.
"!!"
Tripped upon a root. She's stumbled, and grazed her knees. Again, her eyes began tearing up. A droplets poured, wetting the ground before it. In her cry, she's mumbled.
"...Orion,..."
"Where are you,....."
On the other side, Orion sitting on a giant bed with the girl. She hold Orion's hand with both of her hand, sound asleep facing Orion.
'Come to think of it, I still didn't know her name yet,' thought Orion.
All this time, the two of them had been playing. Orion, who woke up inside this castle, accompanying her playing to her heart content until she asked him to accompany her to sleep.
'Please! I beg you, accompany me to sleep!'
With innocent eyes, she asked Orion, a man that just met not long ago with her to accompany her to sleep.
Remembering that, Orion can't help to be worried.
Her breathing can be heard clearly. A steady breath, with smile on her face. Looking at that, smile carved on Orion's face.
'What a happy face,'
Gradually, the smile disappear. Tears began showing, wetting her closed eyes, and slowly poured to the sheet.
'It seems she's also has a lot of problem,....'
He closed his eyes, rubbing his hand as if to calm her down and then let it go. Slowly, he stand up, turning his body toward the door and get out the room.
He walked, going through corridor, exploring the big castle. In the middle of that, he found a human sized doll, standing still in front of certain room. There's no eyes and hair, with a tuxedo on its body.
He tried to get close to it, when Orion inspecting it, its head moved. Staring into Orion's eyes with its nonexistent eyes. As if asking what he can help to Orion.
"Ex-Excuse me,...."
"C-can you tell me where's the kitchen?"
With fluent movement, the doll turn around. Without further ado, Orion followed it. Along the way, a silent corridor that Orion know full off crackling noise.
'This castle is really big,'
With how big the castle, Orion wonder how much worker at this place. But, his question didn't get the answer. The doll that leading him can't talk, and along the way, Orion only found more doll with variety size. He began to think that there's none beside that girl that can be called a living being in this castle.
'Ah, that's impossible,...'
He tried to think that it's impossible but, he know a certain girl that lived alone for hundred years. When he pondering about it, the doll in front of him halted. Noticing that, Orion also stopped, he staring the back of the doll and waiting.
Slowly, the body of the doll turned around, and then bend down with its hand pointing toward a room beside it.
'Is it pointing the kitchen, I wonder,'
Orion opened the door, and sees a big kitchen inside of it. A soft smile carved on his face, after a while, he turn around. Saying thank you to the doll, as if the doll was a person.
"Well, lets start then,"
He walked in, and started to do his business there.