-Arata-
Finally, I can leave this place.
But.. Does it matter anyway? Days repeating themselves over and over again. I pick up the slack after others, do favors for them and the moment I'm not paying attention they stab me in the back. No matter if it's so called friends, colleagues or even family, humans never change.
The world would be better without them.
I packed my stuff and began to leave the building. There were no people left in the office, just my shallow footsteps could be heard. It was lonely and my pace slowed down while I thought about my future. The few minute route I usually take felt like hours of walking, and my mind was full of dark and depressing thoughts, too much for a single man to handle. When I reached the main door I saw it was already dark outside, and raining like I don't have enough problems already.
I'm going to get wet to the bone 'til I get to the bus.
After a few minutes of walking in the rain, the storm suddenly got quite serious.
Wonderful… I don't care anymore. I don't have any more energy to run and it would be pointless anyway. At least the cold rain clears my head, and refreshes me a little.
Soon enough the wind twisted my umbrella and I saw a tower of light strike the field in front of me. I got scared a little, but as they say, lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place, right? As I crossed halfway through the field, every part of my body became wet, and the temperature dropped a few degrees.
Great, I'm definitely gonna be sick by tomorrow.
I'm still lost in my thoughts, thinking about what I should do with my life, or the people who made it this way?
I'm kind of pathetic. Like I have any power or energy to change the world the way I want it to be.
As I was walking with my gaze wandering the ground, the calming pattern of the falling raindrops washed my mind clear and my consciousness sank to a state of emptiness.
It felt nice, but didn't last long. An ear blasting explosion woke me up from the little peace I had.
"What the..?" When I tried to search for the cause of it, I noticed the world was completely cleared out. There was nothing but a blank, white canvas around me where the world should have been. Blinding light filled every corner of the universe and all the noise faded away as well. I tried to move my limbs, rotate my head, speak, look for someone or something who could help me, but my body didn't respond. The endless white space swallowed everything and I'm only allowed to stare into the nothingness.
So this is the way it will be?
Alright, I'll take it.
Maybe it's better this way.
My life was full of sorrow anyway.
-Arys-
"We are getting closer to the exit. Run! Now!" A human boy said, whose name I didn't even know, but I still owe him my life.
I gave him a firm nod and began to run up the stairs as fast as my legs could move.
Not much time passed since we got out of the cells and I already heard the guards yelling that we escaped. I looked back after a few corners to see if he could keep up, but I couldn't see him anywhere.
"No! Where did he go?" I stopped for a second, turned around and hesitated about what I should do next.
I have to help him! But.. Could I? I'm aware of my own weakness and if he gets caught, I can't do anything about it. My magic is lacking and when it comes to it, my soul starts to tremble even if I show the opposite. I hate myself.
"No! Idiot!" He said he's got a plan, everything will be alright. I must run.
So I did. I ran with guilt, sorrow and hope.
Everything will be alright.. Everything will be alright..
It didn't take long to reach the corridor that leads to the main hall, but before I could get out, someone jumped at me and grabbed my arm.
"Gotcha!"
The event caught me off guard. I already cursed myself for not being able to help him, but now I let myself be captured? I couldn't let that happen.
I tried with every bit of strength I could gather to free myself, but it was hopeless. I wasn't able to do much with such a weak body.
Don't panic! With a little luck I could create an opening, and when he loosens his grip I can get away.
I channeled mana into my hands, but only to scare him. I knew I wouldn't be able to kill him.
"Let me go!" I shouted. Mana swirling around my hands, ready to conjure a spell but the man didn't care, I got hit on the face and fell to the ground. My head got a little fuzzy and my cheek aching.
It's alright, now I'm free.
"Don't do anything stupid little girl."
I had to create some distance so I tried to crawl further away, but he kicked me hard and air was forced out of my lungs. It took a couple of seconds to be able to breathe again, and when I tried to get up, I realized my movement was constrained.
He stepped on me, forcing me to the ground, and the more I struggled, the more pressure he put on me.
I have no chance to escape like this. I must fight him seriously or I'm going to die in this place. I told myself to gain some courage, and black flames started to appear around my hands.
Something felt off so I looked at them, and saw a couple miniature flames flickering, rising and dying off quickly. I concentrated more mana into them, successfully maintaining a stable form, but these were still weak compared to what I'm usually capable of.
I knew I should have taken off this crystal while I had time for it.
"Burn!" I yelled as I tried to grab his leg which wasn't occupied pushing me down.
I visualized his whole body being consumed by demonic flames that eat up everything it makes contact with, I could hear his screams dampen by the second the flames got inside his lungs, I could smell the burning skin and saw his body collapse on the spot, leaving behind nothing but a pile of smoking ash.
Come on Arys, you can't falter now!
But I couldn't do it.
It was only a second but he already covered his leg in a layer of protective rock and kicked me with enough force to send me flying a couple meters.
"You little shit! I said don't try anything stupid!" He said, while forming Earth lances in each hand.
"That's the problem with you majins. Pathetic monsters who are always trying to change their fate. It's time to realize where your place is in the food chain. Just obey and accept your future."
"We are not some experimental animals, nor your slaves!" The words came out hardly as I stood up.
"Just shut up and get back to your cell! Your only purpose here is to make use of your mana and nothing else, but if you want to play more I guess nobody would care if I cut off your hands. You don't need to make these flames anyway."
"Chh.."
"Also about playing.. Perhaps we should spend more time together, doing something fun after this." He grinned at me while his eyes measured my body.
I bit my lips to clear my head from the anger. I have to do everything to get away, I can't let this pervert do as he wants.
Maybe I can make use of this damned mana crystal. I told myself while taking a defensive stance, just like my father taught me.
I took off the crystal necklace and gripped strongly in my left hand while I made my right aflame.
He doesn't seem to really care, just walking closer confidently with a smirk on his face.
It will be a hard fight with this thing in my hand, and the difference between our level is probably massive. It's a miracle in itself that I can do magic with this mana absorption, but there's no other way. I have to push myself for at least one time in my life.
I concentrated mana into my hand and tried to shoot a Flame ball at him, but the spell disappeared right after it left my palm.
"Huhh?!" I have to try again!
He stepped up his pace, lifted one of his spears and jumped right at me. I was able to dodge it, but in the same momentum he swung the other one and struck my ribs.
I heard a crack.
The pain caused me to cancel my already unstable spell and breathing became difficult. I pushed mana throughout my body, augmenting my senses and physical traits, with a little hope to heal fast enough.
A second later I saw a blur, already a few centimeters away from my shoulder, ready to pierce it through.
Now or it's all lost. I ducked and closed the distance as fast as I could with my injured body.
"Eat it!" I launched my fist with the crystal sticking out of it, trying to stab it into his abdomen, but he already dropped his spears and caught my arm.
I was lifted from the ground, and the only chance was to let the lightless fire consume him, but he formed an earth glove around his left hand and caught this attack too. His spell started to expand and covered my fist, sealing it to prevent me from conjuring the black flames.
Is there any chance left?
His grip tightened and I dropped the crystal.
"You need to care about it more, you're going to need that in the future."
He threw me on the ground, but my control over my mana is finally back. Dark flames spilled through the seams of the earthen seal, and as I pushed more mana into it, the rock sphere cracked and exploded off of me.
"Aghhk!" He pushed his knee into my stomach and air left my lungs once again. I struggled with breathing and moving too, and I started to realize I have no more options.
Spikes emerged from the ground, completely binding me to the floor.
"Keep calm little girl. Soon you'll be nothing but a broken doll who craves death. We were nice to you until this point because you were an obedient little puppy, but it's over now."
He sat on me and stroked over my face and neck, his filthy hand's coldness and the disgust I felt made my body shiver.
"Stop! Get off me!" I screamed, and tears welled up in my eyes.
Despite the pain around my ribs I tried to use every muscle in my body to break free from my shackles, but they didn't let me go. Both his hands were groping my chest and I couldn't do anything about it. Although my clothes were somewhat thick, I could still feel every one of his fingers pacing on my body.
Don't..! Please don't..! Fear and despair took control over the pain. I'm close to being in a state of shock and losing control over my actions.
As a last resort I tried to put everything into one big spell I never tried to make to burn him to dust even if it's going to hurt me too, but it was too late. My control over magic is almost gone. Mana wildly swirling around us but no flames arose.
"Ohh, I almost forgot. Let me put this back on you." He lifted my head up by my hair, and the crystal necklace was on me again.
At this point there's nothing left. It's over.. Someone.. Please help me..
"Also.. He gave me this new toy for another time. It should've been a surprise for you, but who cares? Let's see how your body reacts to it now."
He reached into his pocket, and took out a small box which contained a blue crystal.
What is that?? I tried to ask but no sound left me.
My vision is obscured by the tears, but I can clearly see it's blue.
I've never seen anything like this. Mana crystals are yellow! Their size and clearness differ, but the color is always the same. I can't imagine where they got that, or what they want to do with it, but if it's in the hands of humans..
The grinning guard coated his hand with a layer of rock before lifting it out from the box, but the earth type magic instantly cracked as he touched it.
"No! No! No! Don't..!"
The blue crystal almost penetrated into my chest by the speed and force he pressed it into me, and then, it was over.
In a fraction of a second everything in my eyesight blurred out, my ears started to ring, I couldn't control my breathing, my body trembled, and I felt like the world around me was going to crack. I felt a sharp pain throughout my entire body, but it was quickly overshadowed by the rising pain around my mana core. Mana burst out of me into the atmosphere with incredible speed, ignoring any resistance I tried to make. By now, I couldn't decide if I was burning or freezing. I felt my only chance to survive was to try to stay conscious, and do everything to get the control back. Even if it seemed impossible. The raging mana flow quickly filled the corridor and probably the entire area, killing and destroying everything that contained mana. The last thing I saw before the world whitened out was that the Earth spikes that bound me obliterated, and the man who made them dropped dead.
-Arata-
A couple minutes passed, at least from my point of view, and the blinding white space started to darken around me until it was pitch black. My senses slowly returned, and I started to feel a sharp pain around my sternum. I wouldn't say the pain is unbearable, but it's really frustrating that I can't put pressure on it. Seconds later I realized that next to the aching spot, I can feel something warming up my cold body. I found it really interesting what you can describe without your eyesight, only by feeling and using your imagination. I could feel a soft orb, size of a centimeter, starting to grow its dimensions and warmth every passing second. Some kind of plasma-like material began pulsating in it, easing my pain and filling my body with life and energy. As more power passed through the orb, its outer layer hardened and slowly lost its transparency. After some time it looked like it had ended its evolution, and by now it's a perfectly shaped semi transparent sphere, glowing with blue tinted white light and full of power.
Still.. Something is wrong. Next to the orb, something still aching, like there is a crack inside me.
What is happening to me?
After a few seconds my mind woke up from its inner state and my motionless body started to twitch as I tried to move. Once I got the control fully back I opened my eyes, sat up and instantly began to look for the things I felt in the past couple minutes, but I couldn't find anything. There are no burn marks on me from the lightning strike, and there is nothing wrong with my chest.
It was probably a dream.
My vision is blurry and my head is fuzzy, but I could tell from the weather and the darkness that I haven't slept too much. The wind calmed down but it was still raining, and the sun had not risen yet.
"Shit, the bus!"
What the..?! I jumped up, and realized something wasn't right.
"My height! My clothes! Even my voice! What happened to me?!"
My height is smaller than it should be and the clothes I wear look like I live on the streets. My voice is different and the feeling of my body is strange. It feels much lighter and I have way more energy than before.
Did I get younger?
I blinked a few times, wiped out the blurriness from my eyes to check if I was hallucinating, but nothing changed.
I can't believe this.
For the first time, I turned my gaze to the surroundings, and reality hit me hard on the face.
"Is this another world?!"
Thank you for reading the first chapter of the series! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. Arata's journey will continue every Wednesday of the week. I'm doing my best to keep up the pace and make every part of this world interesting and exciting. Also, I wholeheartedly hope that most of you will enjoy every part of the series until the end.
I'll see you in the next one. :)