"-up!"
"-ke"
"Wake up!"
I woke up to a sharp slap across my face.
It was Aerin.
She was crying, her little fists trembling at her sides, tears streaming down her swollen, red cheeks.
I blinked, disoriented, and looked around. Everything seemed... fine. The walls were intact, the room still standing. It was as if what I had witnessed earlier had never happened.
Am I hallucinating again?
But no. The table was still there, the broken stick lying beside me as evidence. This wasn't just a dream. It couldn't be.
"Do not scare me like that!" Aerin cried, her voice cracking as she hit my chest with a small, shaky fist.
She hit my chest softly, bringing my attention back to her. Her eyes have gotten red and swollen because of all the crying she did.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I woke up only a while ago."
Light streamed through the curtains, casting warm beams across the room.
Wait... isn't it supposed to be total darkness?
I shook off the thought and headed back to my room, searching for the cloak Aion-nim had given me. As I slipped it on, my gaze fell on the small box sitting nearby.
I felt a strange urge to keep it with me, but after patting down my clothes, I realized there were no pockets.
Is this how women feel? I completely understand their anger now.
Leaving the box behind, I stepped out into the hallway, only to stop dead in front of Aion-nim's door.
Lyaeus's words hit me like a bolt.
The note.
Without hesitation, I walked into Aion-nim's room and headed straight for the bedside table. Pulling open the second drawer, I found it stuffed with books, an entire stack of them.
I started taking them out one by one, flipping through each, looking for any sign of a note. There were more than I expected, and I was quickly losing patience when I heard soft footsteps behind me.
Aerin had come up, her small hands reaching for a book as she quietly joined me in the search.
"Is this what you are looking for?"
She grabbed a torn looking paper and passed it to me.
[Look for The Prince of Deception or Weird Daughters of Destiny when it will be the right time.]
His beautiful handwriting only conveyed what he deemed important, typical him. Still, I got what he said.
In my second published book, the concept revolved around gods of various domains, each with their unique traits and motives. These gods had the ability to choose apostles from Earth, ordinary people they deemed worthy of serving as their champions.
In exchange, the gods granted their apostles extraordinary skills and powers, tailored to the god's domain. For example, a god of war might bestow combat mastery, while a god of knowledge could enhance intellect and strategic thinking.
The dynamic between gods and their apostles was a central theme, exploring the balance of power, loyalty, and the burden of wielding abilities not meant for mere mortals.
The Prince of Deception and Weird Daughters of Destiny are two of those gods.
The Prince of Deception is Loki, from the Aesir, an ancient Norse god of mischief, trickery, and deception.
The Weird Daughters of Destiny are also from Aesir. They are a group of three deities in Norse mythology responsible for shaping the course of human destinies, Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld.
Why would Aion-nim know about these things? Is he related to my novel? I don't remember even mentioning someone like him in any of the chapters.
First Ebonvale got destroyed when it was not supposed to, then someone whom I have never written has knowledge about the gods, from Earth no less.
"I also found this."
Aerin's voice brought me out of my inner panic. She handed me another paper, this time it was bigger.
[Dear Lou and Aerin,
Apologies for not being with you till the end, but please understand that this was not something that I was in control of. You two must be very confused regarding your situation and believe me when I say that I will come and find you. Although, not anytime soon, I am afraid, as I still have some loose ends that need to be cut off. Please take care of each other and eat properly. With the pantry fully stocked, you should have enough dried food for two weeks. Since I'm unsure of your whereabouts, I'll need some time to figure out how to reach you. I, Lyaeus and Ambrose are going to be alright, so do not worry yourselves to sickness regarding us. Just trust each other and take care. Hopefully, we'll meet again soon.
P.S. I am sure Lyaeus wouldn't have given you any explanation regarding this as I told him to, so please forgive him. And also if I find any of you to be hurt or sick once I locate you, you both are going to be in a very big trouble.
Please be safe, my kids.
Love,
Aion]
We both read the letter silently till Aerin's soft sobs filled the room.
"I miss him."
I quietly took her into my arms and stroked her back as she continued crying.
I don't have any words regarding this, so I better not say anything stupid and hurt her.
After she calmed down, we went down to open the door. Strangely, it was unlocked.
I opened the door, only to be temporarily blinded by an intense blast of sunlight. For a moment, I felt like I had ascended to some higher plane of existence. The light, the glory, the sheer overkill.
Thankfully, the contacts were still doing their job, shielding my sensitive eyes. Without them, I probably would've been blind by now.
I blinked rapidly, waiting for my vision to adjust to the overwhelming brightness.
When it finally did, the scene before me came into focus.
Trees.
Lots and lots of trees.
… Huh?
"Where are we?"
Aerin came out of the house and was as confused as I was.
The house stood alone in the middle of a vast clearing, its structure bathed in the golden glow of the sunlight.
Vivid green grass stretched out like a soft carpet, swaying gently in the breeze. Surrounding the clearing was a dense forest of tall, towering trees, their canopies forming a natural barrier that seemed to enclose us in this secluded haven.
"In all honesty, I have no idea. Wait a minute….. Does this mean we are still alive?"
She gave me a look that could only be described as the universal expression for "Are you serious?"
Honestly, I don't blame her. I wouldn't disagree with that assessment either.
Just to be sure, I pinched my arm.
It stung.
Yep, I'm not dreaming.
Somehow, we did manage to survive the explosion without getting hurt.
I clearly remembered the screams of the people. Since Aerin was behind me, she saw nothing, but I saw it all.
When the light filled the house, I could see people burning as they scrambled to save themselves. Kids, elders and even the people I used to greet in the winery.
The flames roared, and their screams pierced the air. Dark brown sections of their mottled skin bubbled and peeled away, exposing raw, burning flesh underneath.
The sight was too much. I crouched down, clutching my face in my hands, trying to block it all out.
They didn't make it. None of them.
The realization hit me like a blow to the chest, making my stomach churn violently.
These weren't strangers, they were the people I had gotten close to, people who had once filled my days with laughter, warmth, and connection. And now they were gone, reduced to nothing but charred remains.
The weight of it all settled over me, heavy and suffocating. I felt like throwing up.
Aerin's hand touched my shoulder, making me look at her.
"Are you okay?"
I'm not supposed to make her worry. I'm the grown-up here. So why is she the one checking up on me instead?
I nodded, forcing a small smile, and stood back up.
I need to pull myself together.
Lyaeus's words echoed in my mind. Forget what happened, he'd said. But it's easier said than done.
Still, he's right. I can't bring them back, no matter how much I grieve. Instead of drowning in guilt, I need to focus on what's ahead, on keeping us safe.
I clenched my fists.
I won't be careless anymore. Not again.
I'm going to put my belief in what that dumb grape and Aion-nim said, that they both will be alright. That's all I can do for now.
I looked at the trees.
Shall I go around and take a look, see where we are?
I started walking towards the dense woods. As soon as I stepped outside the clearing, I heard a ding and a blue box came up in front of me.
║Welcome to Planetary No. 56376. Confirming║
║identity...error. Getting rid of the error... ║
A sudden red light covered me from head to toe, and some error messages started showing up on the window screen floating in front of me.
A tug on my pants reminded me that I was not alone and will have to take care of a kid alone from now on.
But how am I supposed to do that when I don't even know what's going on?
Suddenly the red light faded from me and a purple message box came up, leaving behind the error messages.
[Main Mission
Content: As the author of three novels, you get the chance to meet all of your characters! ✧\(>o<)ﾉ✧
Goal: Get them to introduce themselves. ( ˘ ³˘)♥
??/??
Success: ???
Failure: Death (Soul Annihilation), World Destruction. (◐ω◑ )]
... What? And what's with those disgusting emoticons?
"Hey Aerin, can you see a purple box in front of your eyes?"
"Purple box? No, I don't see anything like that. What is happening, Lou? Something wrong?"
"No no, it's nothing kiddo. Let's go and look around, maybe we'll find something?"
She nodded her head and held my hand.
I'll ignore the message window and focus on finding where we are for now.
Thankfully, the forest trail was barely visible, its overgrown foliage weaving a natural camouflage. If something were to happen, we could easily hide here without getting caught. The sheer size of the forest alone was enough to discourage anyone from venturing too far in.
After some time, we emerged from the dense trees onto an unmade road, its uneven surface stretching in either direction. I hesitated, unsure of which way to go.
As I scanned the area, movement caught my eye.
Someone was coming our way.
The figure was still quite far, their features indistinguishable through the distance. We stayed hidden among the bushes, crouching low. From where they were, it would've been nearly impossible to spot us, but that didn't stop my heart from racing.
"Aerin, you go and hide behind the trees, okay? If something happens to me, run back to our store and stay there. I'll find a way to come back to you."
I could see the distrust lingering in her eyes, a silent reminder of how little faith she had in my judgment.
She still hasn't let go of the slum area incident, and she doesn't hesitate to scold me about it whenever she gets the chance.
If anything were to happen to me again, I know she'd never let me hear the end of it.
"I need you to trust me one more time, please?"
"...Fine. I'll wait for you."
She ran towards the deeper part of the forest and I made myself more visible by coming out and on the road.
There were two people coming my way and both of them looked like they could fold me in half without breaking any sweat.
Oh boy, this doesn't look good. I should just go.
But unfortunately, luck was not on my side, as always.
"You, the one in the cloak, wait for us!"
They ran up to me and I felt my chances of running away, slipping through my fingers.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
I put on my everyday office worker smile. After all, writing novels all day wouldn't have paid my bills.
"You don't seem to be from around here?"
"Oh yes, I'm a traveling merchant looking for business opportunities. I heard from my friends that this place would be nice to start from."
I pushed aside the nagging question of how I could even understand their language.
What truly caught my attention was the look they exchanged, a fleeting glance that immediately put me on edge.
Instinctively, I raised my guard, my senses sharpening as unease settled in the pit of my stomach.
I should've never left the clearing.
"If you're looking for business," one of them said, his tone smooth but laced with something I couldn't quite place, "then why don't you come with us? Our boss has been wanting to join hands with others for a long time."
Shit, shit, should not have opened up my mouth. But right now it's not like I have any choice. They don't look like they'll let me leave.
"That's wonderful! I'll be grateful to you if you could show me the way."
And that's how I found myself in an even more remote place, my hands bound tightly behind my back and my mouth gagged.
"He is quite pretty for a man."
Their boss grabbed my face, his rough hands gripping tightly as he tilted it from side to side, studying me like I was some sort of artifact.
I felt disgusting.
"He is supposed to be a merchant. Will it be alright to sell him?"
One of the two who had dragged me here finally spoke up, their voice hesitant as they glanced nervously in my direction.
"He's not a merchant. Look at his clothes, he looks like one of those outlanders. There's no way a merchant would travel alone, especially in a place like this."
Surprisingly, their words gave me something valuable to hold on to.
Outlanders.
If what they said is true, and considering the system window that opened earlier to welcome me, there's a high chance that others in a similar situation to mine are here too.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll find someone from Earth.
A sharp yank on my hair forced my head up, my neck straining as I met his cold, unfeeling eyes.
That bastard was smirking, his grip tightening as if to assert his control.
"You must be feeling real comfortable, huh? Thinking about something else right now?" he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Don't worry, you're going to feel even better real soon."
A voice from behind him spoke up, sharp and eager.
"There's a high demand for pale, fragile-looking boys. Be sure not to damage him, boss."
The smirk on the boss's face deepened before he finally let go of my hair, shoving my head back as if I were nothing more than an object.
I clenched my jaw, glaring daggers at him despite the ache in my scalp.
"Lock him up with the others and double check everything once again."
"Yes, boss."
One of the men yanked my arm, forcing me to stand as he dragged me toward a room hidden at the back of the building.
The door creaked open, revealing a sight that made my stomach drop. A row of cages, each filled with people.
Their faces were a mix of despair and exhaustion, their eyes dull, as though they'd already accepted their fate.
So, it's really happening... Like hell I'm letting them sell me off!
I clenched my fists, my mind racing.
I didn't read all those WikiHow articles and binge-watch survival YouTube videos for nothing.
I'll make sure I'll escape.
They dragged me to the last empty cage and threw me in it.
"Can you loosen the ropes around my wrists, please? They're really hurting me," I pleaded, my voice soft and trembling.
The taller one narrowed his eyes. "Do you think we're stupid?"
"No, really! They're tied way too tight. They're rubbing against my skin, and it's starting to hurt badly. If this goes on any longer, it might even start bleeding," I added, my voice breaking just enough to sound desperate.
I made sure my eyes glistened, looking up at them with a pitiful expression.
Pathetic? Maybe. But this was the best chance I had.
From the way they've been acting, they don't seem particularly sharp, and based on their earlier conversation, I can't be "damaged." If I play my cards right, they'll loosen the ropes just enough.
They exchanged glances, murmuring something I couldn't catch before one of them crouched down.
"Fine," he grumbled.
He untied the ropes, revealing the friction burns on my wrists. The reddish marks must have made my story believable enough, thanks to all the effort I'd put into rubbing the rope against my skin as we walked here.
I winced for effect, cradling my wrists as I looked up at them with a mixture of pain and gratitude.
"Thanks..." I muttered weakly.
"The boss will kill us if he sees this."
"Tie him up a little loose so that it doesn't hurt him, but make sure it's tight enough to not let him get loose."
He began tying me up again, but this time, I let out small, pitiful yelps whenever the rope started to feel even slightly snug.
"What kind of man are you?!" he snapped, glaring at me. "If you can't even handle this much pain, how are you supposed to survive in the real world?"
Oh, please.
I gave him my most pathetic look, my voice trembling as I replied, "I've never been in this kind of situation before, and the pain... it's making my head spin. Please, try to understand."
I contorted my face into an expression of misery and allowed a few tears to slip down my cheeks, letting them fall freely.
The guy visibly cringed, his face twisting in discomfort.
Believe me, I don't want to do this either, but he left me no choice. If my act could make him loosen up just a little more, it would be worth every ounce of humiliation.