CHAAYA Village, where the Kardama Tribe lives, is an islet separated from the Horalian Kingdom. It is the only island that accepts those who are exiled by their tribes because of being an ungifted person; a person who does not have any abilities or powers that normal Horalians must possess.
But, despite it being a small island, the First Generation of the Kardamas made it a place where everyone is accepted and loved. They were a tribe that turned into a big family that welcomes every exiled people as their own.
And Saiya is not an exemption.
Despite the rumors that surrounds her, she did not feel any remorse or hate from the tribe from the day she woke up five years ago until today. Each of them treated her like a family, loved her as their own, and protected her.
Yes, she can summon a shadow but she cannot bring back a dead person. Thus, her being a necromancer is not possible and everyone in the village accepted that argument when the Chieftain explained Saiya's power to them.
Because of that, Saiya lived a peaceful life in that village for five years. And she can give that up just to make sure that she can protect her village by doing her plans that she decided just a week ago; to go on a journey to find the necromancer who was the reason why Cicila's family died when the Light Oracles attacked the Akashia Village.
Sitting on a branch of the largest tree on the islet wherein she can see the whole village that surrounds it, Saiya cannot help but smile sadly. She may have been through a lot especially when she could not remember her past; the village and the people made it easy for her to accept herself and that is the reason why she is determined to do what she thinks is right.
Leaning on the trunk of the tree, Greyn appeared in front of her, from the shadows of the leaves.
"My lady, I have threaded the path that we will be taking to silently leave the village," he reported.
"Thank you, Greyn," She whispered.
Greyn's blue and white eyes looked at her before he bowed again, "When should we leave, my lady?"
"Maybe on the 31st night? Would that be possible?"
Greyn became silent in a while before he answered, "Yes, my lady."
"Then it's settled."
"I will excuse myself, then, my lady. I will prepare the things we would be needing in our journey," Greyn bowed. He was about to leave but Saiya stopped him.
"You don't have to prepare anything. I will leave just by bringing what I have and what I will be wearing that day, Greyn," She instructed making the shadow looked at her as if confused. She looked at the village below once again before she added, "We came here with just ourselves. We will leave with just ourselves."
Silence suddenly engulfed them. Saiya thought that Greyn will disagree but he just stood and bowed a little, "As you wish, my lady. I will just wait for your signal to leave."
"Thank you, Greyn."
Greyn disappeared as fast as how he appeared earlier. Saiya leaned back on the trunk once again and looked at the village.
At Chaaya Village, the houses are only built with the available resources they have. It may just be Nipa Huts but the warmth of the people living in their are so precious to her. It makes her want to stay but she knows that she cannot. Aside from finding the rumored necromancer, she also have to leave because Azul's power is starting to kick in her system.
According to Azul, he already transferred 60% of his power to her. It will affect her in the most dangerous way. She will feel like being engulfed with a darkness without end and it will suffocate her at unexpected times. She has to be away from people or else, she will wake up with someone's blood on her.
The urges will only be extinguished with someone's death. But if not, it will be extinguished by eating her own life force for a moment. That is one of the disadvantages of being the Lord of Shadows during the transferring of the former lord's power to his successor as payment for her unlimited power once Azul's full power is transferred to her.
"There's nothing to gain without giving anything. Everything has its own equivalent. It's a mantra that everyone must follow," Azul explained when he told her about the amount of power he already transferred to her.
Saiya just sighed after remembering his words from a few days ago when she told her about her plan to leave the village. It is painful for her to leave the place that loved her unconditionally but she needs to set her feelings aside. With her troubled mind, she closed her eyes.
Soon after, Saiya heard someone calling her from below. When she looked down, she saw Cicila, again with arms on her waist.
"There you are!" She exclaimed.
Saiya just grinned before she climbed down, "Busted," she even whispered but Cicilla heard it.
"You are really busted. The chieftain is looking for you since early this morning."
Saiya finally reached the ground then took her basket where she put all of the chestnuts she gathered at the forest earlier before turning back to Cicila.
"I was with Griffin. We were gathering some chestnuts and he gave me some to bring home."
"Did you tell the Chieftain before you leave?"
Saiya looked away guiltily, "No."
"Well then, prepare yourself for a punishment," Cicila teases. Saiya's face turned sour.
"No more buckets of water!" She cried out remembering all her punishments in the past wherein she carried a bucket of water on each hand as she stood for an hour outside their house.
"I don't know about that," Cicilla grinned as she walks back to the chieftain's house. Saiya followed complaining.
"By the way, Saiya," she said as she stops on her track and looks back at her.
"Hm?"
"Sorry for the other day. I should have not said those words," her friend said in a low voice.
Saiya smiled and held both her hands, "It's okay. I know you are just worried and it's my fault for not listening. I tried thinking about what you said and you have a point. Compared to me, this village is more important. I was too selfish thinking just about myself and I was insensitive. Thank you for reminding me and for scolding me."
Finally, Saiya saw a geniune smile from Cicila before she bowed a little to hide her reddish cheeks, "So, are we friends again?" She asked.
Saiya giggled, "What are you talking about? Did we stop being friends?"
Cicila shook her head then right after, they giggled at each other. After a while, both of them continued their way to the Chieftain's house with arms intertwined with each other.
But they stopped walking when they saw the Chieftain, Variche, standing in front of her house with her arms on her waist. Saiya immediately broke on cold sweats. Cicila just tapped her shoulders before she left her in front of the Chieftain.
"I'm sorry, Chief. I just helped Griffin gather some chestnuts in the forest. I actually forgot to tell you."
"That's okay, Saiya," she smiled before she took two buckets of water from behind and gave it to her, "You just have to carry this for two hours."
"Two hours?"
"Yes. Because you sneak out again the other day. I can tell it just by looking at your bed when you left a stuffed toy to pretend that it was you," Variche grinned.
Saiya could not refute. All she could do is sigh before she took the buckets from the Chieftain.
"I know you are with Greyn but you got me worried. I wasn't able to sleep when I saw two Light Oracles flying just a few kilometers away from the village."
"I'm sorry, Chief. I promise not to do it again," Saiya said with a bit of a lie. Variche just patted her head before she turned around and entered the house.
Carrying the buckets, Saiya stood just under the oak tree that covers the roof of the Chieftain's two-floor house made of bricks. Even though she was punished, she can't help smiling because she knows that she will remember this moment when she leaves the village. She will certainly miss the Chieftain and everyone. There and then, she decided to spend more time with them.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. She stayed like that for a couple of seconds while remembering her memories of every person she encountered during her stay in the village.
One person suddenly appeared on her mind that made her heart feel warm; the person who helped her by offering his back to her after she once failed to land properly when she jumped off from the tree she had been climbing to go out from the village at night.
Yes. Aside from Cicilla and the Chieftain, he is the only person who knew her powers and her escape every night.
When she opened her eyes again, she was greeted by the smile of that person. Erie, the only son of the Chieftain and the person who makes the butterflies in her stomach run wild.
With a heart-shaped face, a little broad brows, midnight black eyes that perfectly fit with his wavy ponytailed hair, and thin reddish lips, he had a lot of admirers in the village. But what caught her attention is his broad shoulders. Even if he is just a sixteen-year-old boy, he looks like a very reliable person.
Erie is two-inch taller than her so she needed to look up a little bit. As usual, he is grinning at her again. She could not help biting her lower lips a bit to control her beating heart.
Saiya raised her right eyebrow at him, "You really enjoy watching me suffer, huh?"
"Not really. Though I want to take that away from you, we both know that I can't. Or else, we will be sleeping outside tonight."
Saiya laughed, "Well, I can clearly see us sleeping here if you do that. So, what brings you here?"
"I just want to stay here with you so you don't get bored carrying those buckets."
"Silly. If the chieftain heard you, he will add stones in this."
"Then, let's talk about something else," He whispered before he sat down on the grass just beside her.
Well, she won't stop him. After all, she enjoys being with Erie all the time, and the way he treats her feels like she is a lady and not a curse.
As they were talking, Saiya didn't notice the heaviness of the bucket she was holding. They didn't even notice how fast the time went. They just found out that she was holding the bucket for three hours already when Cicila called them for dinner.
"So? The punishment just went by. How's your hands?"
Saiya was stunned when Erie reached out for her hand after she puts down the buckets in the corner. Her face flushed when he rubbed her palm with his thumb. Slowly and embarrased, she pulled it away and hid it behind her.
"It's okay, I think."
"Then that's good," Erie smiled.
Saiya shyly turned around to hide her reddish cheeks, "Let's go."
"Saiya."
Before she could walk away, Erie already held her hand again to stop her. She immediately turned around to look at him.
"Yes?"
Erie reached for his nape and looked away from her like he is undecided to say something. Saiya cocked her head in confusion. When he looked at her again, his eyes are full of emotions. There was something in the way he looks at her that makes her heart beat faster.
The moment he moved closer, she felt her breath taken away. Her face immediately blushed especially when he held her palm firmly.
"E-Erie."
"You know, this past days, I feel like your just going to fade away. Like your going to leave us without saying anything."
Saiya was stunned. How could he feel that? She made sure that only Greyn knows about her plan. She also made sure no one would have a guess that she was leaving.
Feeling anxious and afraid that she might have given a hint unconsciously, Saiya stepped back.
"W-Why would you think like that?"
"I don't know. I just feel like I will lose you."
"Lose me?"
STRUGGLING to find her lost resolve, Saiya stared blankly at the darkness of the sky where only the stars shines. It had been almost a few hours already but what Erie told her a while ago keeps bothering her mind. What's surprising is, with just his statement, her decision to leave the village changed.
"Is this what they call puberty?" She asked herself but shocked when a voice inside her laughed out loud.
"Puberty? You think it's puberty?"
Saiya snorted and pouted, "That's what I heard from the older people here, Azul. That's why it's the first thing I remembered."
"You are already seventeen, are you not?"
"Yes."
"Here's what I think, Saiya. The thing that made you change your mind is because of your feelings with this Erie boy. Are you perhaps in love with him?"
As if everything connected just by Azul's question, Saiya was stunned. She felt her cheeks turning hot, "W-What are you saying?"
"I am just guessing, Saiya," he answered before his voice turned serious, "But your feelings for him should not stop you from leaving. Because you are doing this for the people in that village, as well as for him."
Saiya sat up after Azul reminded her about the very reason why she needs to leave the village. No matter what, she must stay away to not cause them harm or any sort. Her chest tightened once again.
"You're right, Azul. Thank you."
"Just be careful on your decisions next time. The 31st will be the day after tomorrow, right?"
"Yes."
"By that day, I will be able to transfer 95% of my powers to you. Before three in the morning, make sure you are far away from the village already."
LIKE Saiya promised to herself, she did everything she must do and spent her remaining hours with everyone she holds dear in the most normal way she can do. The only unusual thing she did is when she took the dinner duty from Cicila that night making them think that she might have done something that needs covering up but she just laughed it out.
A few hours before she leaves the village, Erie visited her room.
"Erie? What are you doing here?"
Instead of answering, Erie held her hand and pulled her into a hug. To her surprise, he even put his hands around her waist and rested his forehead onto her right shoulder.
"Erie?"
"I don't know what you're thinking right now but I want you to know that you are a very special person to me. I just feel like I have to tell this to you now or I might not have any chance anymore.
No matter what your decisions are or if you decide to leave us, always keep in mind that our village are always open to welcome you back.
Especially me, Saiya. Because I love you."
Before she could answer, Erie claimed her lips in the most passionate way she could have imagined. She felt her knees become weak and all she could do is hang on Erie's shoulders. Tears started falling from her eyes because she knew that it will be their first and last.
For the first time since she woke up from coma five years ago, she let her emotion go over her rationality. Saiya accepted Erie and his feelings that he wanted to get through to her; by body and mind.
TO BE CONTINUED.