Tears of the Blind One
After having left the farm, it was logical to take one of the three horses present inside the barn; however, they were frozen to the point of death as well. The very few food supplies leftovers were covered in ice but still edible for my journey. For the sake of my survival, I should head to the nearest city from here; however, I also wished no...thought it would still bear the same state of civilization as that of a scene from hell.
The reverse of time really did a number on the lands. They were like nothing I have seen before barely any, man-made structures near the area, No people to speak of as of the moment...did that attack force not come here to steal the land? Why did they flee? It was an easy taking? Well, no point thinking about it now.
I bumped into something...
A child?
"Sorry, sorry, please forgive me", the child had spoken.
It was hard to tell as they were wearing long hooded clothing. It looked awfully unusual, but this is a new age, so no wonder.
"No, the fault is mine", I replied to the child while walking past.
I hear a stomach growl...
In this world, food is still a requirement, as you would guess. I was always reaching points of requiring to consume food to allow my body to regain the energy for labour and life. This world was no different, especially on the farm. However, one question was on my mind if I was asleep for a whole year, how did I manage?
This kid was hungry...
"Kid, why don't you join me for lunch?" I cannot be as cruel as to let a child starve when I clearly notice their hunger. After all, if I were rejected the same way, I would not be allowed to wander the world today.
"Can I really?" The kid...she looked back, she had a scar on her face, her eyelids closed, and she was similarly aged to Sumiko. Most of all, she had a smile on her face.
I set up camp and took out a few fresh fruits and vegetables with all the leftover bread we had left. This kid was a monster, I tell you, devoured the entire meal before my very eyes. It was a sight to see!
But to my surprise, she did not look at the food? I asked her about it...
"You know the food ain't that bad looking. You do not have to keep your eyes closed towards it." I did say during her great stuffing.
"No, no, no, this food is amazing, the best I have ever had, and I'm so grateful towards it." After what she said, she forced her eyes open to respect the very feast before her. To my surprise...
Her very eyes were empty...dark and lifeless; they did not follow along with her face. They were dead, and naturally, I knew what was the case here... she was blind.
"You can close your eyes, do not worry about it," I told her because, from her face, I could see great pain in trying to keep them open. She was suffering. I was angry that this young abandoned child did not even tell me that she was blind. Why, I wondered?
"Why have you not told me?" I ask once
"excuse me?" she replied in hesitation and guilt.
"Why have you not told me you could not see!" I was not angry. I had no reason to be angry, right? Then what was this of me to raise my voice? "I'm sorry, I should not have... my name is Satori. What is yours?" I change the mood by altering my question in a calm and perceived voice.
"It's Aina Aoki, and I'm sorry..." with no hesitation, she introduced me with her full name and apologized. As far as I could tell, she was different from my "sister" or Sumiko. She bared a different atmosphere to them.
"Aina, would you tell me...about where you were and what you were doing up until now?" I felt that I must have asked her such, as I was curious why she was so different. She was surprised by my asking but still continued to answer my question...
This world was ruthless...this explained it all...
Before the great white mist, Aina's parents were murdered before her eyes by her dad's brother. Whom was a mafia boss at the time, she was taken in by them through pity and countless times witnessed deaths after deaths after deaths...of her uncle's victims. Did she hate her Uncle? The answer was she did not know. However, the truly deranged part was yet to come after the great white mist...
Her power was granted as "blindness" I could not handle this confusion...but she had an answer. She said she did not mind after all she witnessed; she wanted to see the darkness and nothing but the darkness.
Being abandoned for this very reason in this new world, she was taken in by the "great slave company", which also abandoned her seeing her as only a hassle worthless trash which was not worth the time, even as a slave. She was happy she did not witness any of the people's foul faces, but she was sad she could still hear them...
Her knowledge of this world was much grander than my own as a child who has been wondering this world for a whole year in nothing but despair, to find nonexistent peace.
She reminded me of myself to a certain extent...
"why don't you come with me? I'm heading to the city of Rasu" I knew she would hold me back. I knew this was not logical, but maybe, just maybe, she can find peace or even a place to settle within this city.
"No way there's no way I can, I am nothing but a hassle, I will hold you back, and if I'm honest, someone who fed me such nice food and talked to me in the first time, I do not wish to hold back." Her words were answering my doubts exactly. However...
"Now that you ate my food, I will not let you go. I need a guide toward the city of Rasu, and that must be you!" A dirty trick, I know, but did I have a choice?
Tears were present in that moment streaming down, illuminated by the campfire. The blind girl had finally cried.
Did I mess up? Did I say it wrong?
"Even though you know I'm blind?" she laughed in great relief.
Damn, I truly messed it up.
She then said, "ok...ok...ok...I don't have a choice, do I?" while wiping the tears off and reverting to a smile.
"Despite my blindness, I'm quite capable through my hearing, you know, so don't worry about it."
We set out towards the city of Rasu!
This world was as peculiar as ever. How did it factor blindness as an advantage? But what if it did not work towards the most advantageous state but through another means?
The journey was mostly Forest and green. It was not far as what separated us was a giant forest terrain. If we had a means of transport such as a horse, we could have made it sooner.
The city of Rasu was not the city of "Rasu" It was completely covered... covered in snow! With gigantic crystal ice wall throughout its premises. It was huge!
"Satori, you told me of the city of "Rasu", but that is not existent no longer it is now, an Ice empire the name of it The great land of ... Aisurando, one of the first-ever civilizations created in this new world by the tribe of ice believers and by the lead of the great ice princess," Aina explained to my great surprise. It was outstanding. Truly!
"Wait, the ice princess? Where have I heard that before? Well, whatever..." I said in my time of awe.
"Is something the matter, Satori?" Aina wondered
"No, it's nothing." ...
"Let's go then, Aina..."
I thought being upon this cold land would remind me of the coldness from that very day, but no...it felt warm, unusually warm.
-do you believe?-
To be Continued in the Next Chapter...