I watch the blurred images of trees rushing past the window. Closing my eyes, I try to stave off the headache that's starting to creep in. The rhythmic sound of the car is useless—just background noise, keeping me distant from fragments of memories that seem to appear and vanish before I can grab hold of them.
The road was empty. It looked like no one used it much, huh? Soon enough, all of this would turn into a sea of ashes. With the global collapse of magic, nature was one of the most affected things.
Trees, like water and sunlight, also need magic. It's their essence, their shield, their weapon born from the soul. Cut it off, and it's instant death—someone once said. A calm and familiar voice, distant but occasionally echoing in my mind.
That voice seemed important.
I can't remember much. Most of the time, it's just voices dancing on pages flying in the wind while I try to catch them.
Honestly, I wouldn't even be here if I had a choice. But those memories—or flashbacks, as people call them—flooded my mind until I decided to do something about it.
I had visions of the war to come. They rarely made sense, and… I'd rather not think about it now. It's too complicated.
Anyway, I remembered someone—a red-haired rat, idolized by the rich for being the wealthiest rat. Ironically, the same city where I found that little green cake is the city where he lived the longest. Probably still does.
If I can tame that greedy rat, I'll get to sleep while he handles the dirty work for me. Perfect.
"How much longer?" I ask the driver. Huh, my voice is hoarse. Annoying.
"P-pardon?" the driver stammers, startled. I guess I must look scarier than usual, like I might rip him apart at any moment.
"The city," I snap. Almost tacking on "idiot," but something stops me—an inaudible voice from my memories, stirring a strange feeling inside me.
"... In 30 minutes, Mrs. Mahal," he replies quickly.
I don't bother responding. It would be unnecessary. Though, for some reason, I feel like someone would scold me for that.
Oh, I catch my reflection in the car window. How long has it been since I've looked in a mirror? Not that I usually care. I don't look any different—same long white hair, same silver eyes. Same nightgown. Nothing's changed.
Yet I feel exhausted. There's this inexplicable weakness, and I don't know where it's coming from. I'm supposed to be one of the strongest of my kind, but I don't even know what kind I am. Annoyingly, I feel like a glass about to shatter at any moment. It's frustrating. Every muscle in my body protests at even the slightest movement, though now I'm just leaning against the car door. My hands are so cold it's obvious something's wrong.
Why does no one notice?
The air was cold today. It'll rain soon. Being in the northern region of the empire, it's always more humid, closer to the polar zone. But, surprisingly, the rats living here used their heads, mixing technology and magic to adjust the temperature.
Cold is better than heat. Heat makes it hard to sleep, and right now, the cold numbs the pain in my body.
That stupid mansion was warm. When I felt that heat, only one person came to mind—the wretched Mr. Mahal.
I let out a low laugh. That man always makes me inexplicably angry whenever I think about him. But then, there's this echo of an unnamed feeling, and the hatred hesitates to form.
Logically, it doesn't make sense to blame or hate him. But logic has no place in my anger. For some reason, my mind pins everything on him. It's weird.
I chuckle again, teeth clenched.
The driver grips the steering wheel tightly. He's clearly unsettled, mistaking my laughter for a growl. He's starting to sweat. Silently, he speeds up, probably praying to reach the city as quickly as possible, hoping today isn't the day he dies.
…
The scenery began to change as we neared the city. Strange-shaped towers gleamed in the distance, reflecting the silvery light of the three suns. I could see a large lake partially surrounding it.
The road we were on framed this view between the trees, giving me a déjà vu of someone.
But who?
Doesn't matter. No point in straining for something I won't remember.
My heart screamed urgency, as if it were important. Maybe whoever I saw wasn't someone I knew, but still, they mattered.
Calm down. Nothing we can do. And no, sleep isn't an option, I tell it.
Not long after, we reached one of the city gates. It connected the city to the road we'd been on. I couldn't help but notice how… sacred it felt. Some of the rats scurrying about paused to stare at the car as it approached.
The car slowed gently, and when we finally stopped inside the city, I almost kicked the door open—until I remembered my body's ridiculous frailty.
The rat behind the wheel got out and opened the door for me. At least he did that right.
I need to hurry and find that red-haired rat. The less time I waste here, the more time I can sleep.
I quickly step out before the driver can say anything. But after just a few steps, something happens.
I trip.
My feet falter, and before I can regain my balance, my body meets the ground in a humiliating crash.
Maybe it was an uneven patch of pavement. Or maybe something in the air. Whatever it was, my foot got caught, and the world spun violently. The impact was immediate, harsh.
I feel the pain on my face and hands. The air is knocked out of my lungs.
Then, silence. Embarrassing silence. I lie there, stunned by what just happened. I'm Akane Mahal—I shouldn't be humiliated like this.
I rise with as much grace as my pride can muster and storm off quickly, seething.
I'm Akane Mahal, and I refuse to let this humiliation be in vain.