Another wasted life.. you're weak, Zeth.
Upon hearing this strange voice, Zeth opened his eyes. It was as if someone had said something to him just before he woke up, but he couldn't remember.
Zeth lived in Nova-1. Thirteen years ago, the world had been invaded by demons due to an event that took place in Valor, and the world had changed completely. Zeth was born on the day of the catastrophe. There was no technology, no kingdoms, and a large majority of humanity had perished. The demonic clouds were so thick that the world received very little sunlight now. However, there were still communities in the world. These communities were trying to survive and help the remaining humans in their battle against the demonic beings.
One of these communities was N1. N1 was a slightly more advanced place compared to the others. It was a community of 52 people who grew their own food and built their own homes from stones. N1 had even taken in so many people within its walls that they had started building a new place called N2, 450 meters away, to be able to help even more people.
In N1, everyone had their own tasks. The spellcasters were responsible for protecting N1 from the demonic beings. Unfortunately, Zeth had no magical abilities. However, he was physically strong and excelled in tasks that required physical strength. Zeth wasn't very smart, but he was determined and hardworking. He was also a good person. Besides his little sister Sola, Zeth had no one else in his family. And then there was Zaun, his closest and only friend. In fact, besides these two, there were no other children in N1.
Zeth got up from his bed and looked at Sola. She was asleep. Zeth loved Sola very much. But sometimes Sola could be exhausting. Even though she was only 10 years old, she was a very calm girl. But she could be mischievous at times. "I guess it's normal. After all, she's still a child," thought Zeth, who was also still a child himself.
He opened the door of his stone house and decided to wander around until someone gave him a task. As he headed towards the Square, he saw Zaun. "Hey, Zaun!" shouted Zeth.
"Hey Zeth! I was just coming to find you!"
"Me? Why?"
"Shh, follow me," said Zaun. And Zeth started following him. Zaun was also a 14-year-old boy. They got along very well. As Zeth followed Zaun, he thought about N1. There were no people around. It was a strange situation, but he didn't dwell on it too much. He looked around and noticed how flat and made of stone everything was. Well, that was the only reality Zeth knew. He was born in N1. His mother had died after giving birth to his sister, and he didn't know if his father was alive.
After following Zaun for a while, they arrived at the Council Building. "What are we doing here?" asked Zeth.
"Don't worry and follow me."
"But it's forbidden for us to enter here, idiot!"
"Ah, trust me and keep quiet."
Zeth decided to follow Zaun. The Council Building was where the leaders and founders of N1 resided. It was also where meetings took place. Zaun led Zeth to the second floor of the three-story round stone building and stopped in front of a door, covering Zeth's eyes.
Zaun opened the door and led Zeth inside before uncovering his eyes.
"Happy birthday, Zeth!" the voice echoed from everyone. It was Zeth's 13th birthday. There were approximately 21 people in the room.
"Hahaha, how is it? Do you like it?" Zaun asked.
"I wasn't expecting this, damn!"
"Hey, watch your language, my boy, haha." Stepany interjected. Stepany had been taking care of Zeth for seven years after his mother passed away. She was also one of the leaders of N1.
"Steph!" Zeth exclaimed. "Happy birthday, my boy," said Stepany.
After a lovely birthday celebration, Zeth decided to be a little mischievous and went to the top floor of the Council Building, despite it being forbidden. From this open-air meeting place, he had a full view of N1. It was a beautiful sight for Zeth. "Hey Zeth!" he heard a voice from behind.
"Oh, Malerva!" said Zeth.
"What are you doing here, Zeth? You know you're not supposed to be here!"
"Yeah, I know, but..." Zeth tried to come up with an excuse. "But it's my birthday today! Come on, ignore it! The view from here is incredible!"
"Hahaha, alright, I'll turn a blind eye this time."
Malerva approached Zeth. Like Zeth, he leaned his arms against the stone and started watching N1.
"Yeah, what a view indeed. Gloomy sky, a plain Azari, and stone houses. Wonderful!" said Malerva. Zeth chuckled softly. "Even though it may be like that, I have never seen any other scenery. This view is ideal for me," said Zeth.
"You know, my mom used to say that the sky used to be blue! Before the catastrophe, I mean."
"I didn't know... I've never asked Steph about the world before the catastrophe."
"According to what my mom said, every color used to be more vibrant. The sky was blue, the sun was yellow, and the clouds were white. There were lots of insects hopping and making pleasant sounds in the grass! There were also a variety of animals, including tiny white rabbits that hopped around! Oh, I wish I could see it."
"Well... It sounds like a fantasy. Maybe your mom was making it up," Zeth said with a goofy smile on his face.
"Hey! She couldn't have made it up!"
"Hahaha, calm down, I was just kidding."
"Ah, I love this girl," thought Zeth.