If there is one thing I learned in my life, that is the fact that indulging in panic and fear never does you any good.
"Everyone come downstairs. I need help!"
I wasn't even shouting, but all the children came one after one like a train. Then by the stairs they stood awkwardly, looking worried yet trying not to show it. The always anxious Emerald looked strangely relaxed. She was trying too hard not to show her fear.
The one who cautiousness seemed to be part of their facial structure, Cinnamon, is now staring around like he's lost. The mature Lucas acted even more mature and quiet. Then there was Silver's graceful appearance, now looking like that of a ready to bite idiot bandit as he was holding a guitar over his shoulder like a bat.
All the while, we haven't even seen a monster. With narrowed eyes, I stared at them for a second. Their eyes had this glance in them. Like the ones at the family meetings at my grandparents' house whenever there was a meeting, they had knowing eyes.
Last one to arrive was the huffing Turquoise. The only one with a truly clear eyes. The innocent glance of not having a clue about what's going on. At last, a normal person.
"Why did you call us down? What is happening out there? Is everyone okay? They seem worried! Why was Gold's guard dog worried? What is this blue iPad in the air?"
His words made me frown and chew on my inner cheeks.
'So it is a bit late to save them... Seems like Angel has shown his dog side to them, too.' I thought as I looked at the children.
All the eyes were now on me. His questions seemed to have partly been everyone else's, too. I wanted to answer them and I kind of knew the answers.
However, as soon as I opened my mouth, it felt like I neither knew the answers nor could convert them into words. I stared at their expectant eyes; they were waiting for a reassurance but nothing I knew was anything close to assuring.
"I want you to help me empty the trailer and wash the curtains!"
It is an awkward situation and I am a cursed creature who doesn't want to answer a curious little kiddos questions because they are hard to answer. I'm someone who doesn't even want to try explaining since there won't be coming anything out of my mouth other than unexplanatory explanations.
Realities, I tried to deny until this morning, unfinished pieces of information of the system window, the bad news it brings, the cursed stuff from the cursed visions. The stupid coward I am.
For it is difficult to talk about and it is not a simple situation and I feel guilty. How hard would it have been to act like a crazy prophet and relay the visions of the world's damnation?
'Was the grads worth it?' I thought as I rocked my head. Stupid, empty regrets and a bit of a satisfactory feeling of it having had been a little worthwhile. I mean, I had fun smirking at the interns and my fellow students who failed.
'Great, not only am I a selfish trash that didn't warn people about horrible nightmares coming to life like in a horror movie, but I also am a twisted person with a twisted personality!!'
I huffed my breath out. Maybe hand-washing the curtains helps me become tired enough not to think. To become numb, to not care, and to just accept the reality of those visions. The horror has come to life and I am not ready. Nobody is because no one knew.
No one but the damned unlucky cursed me...
Hugging the pile of curtains from the corner of the salon, I kicked the half-open door open.
"Have you gone crazy? The old man said, we can't leave the house!"
I looked up in confusion.
'Ah, she means Angel?'
I nodded in realization. He was over a hundred, so for sure old. dragging the corners of my mouth upward, I ignored her remarks and stepped outside. This land is safe. If the visions are true, that is.
The curtains used to be so heavy but now they seemed as light as feather to me. Kicking the useless door of the glasshouse, I took steady steps towards the large hot spring, ignoring the startled intruders.
Dumping them inside, I went back and brought another batch. After the third time, I looked at the ridiculing and laughing intruders. There were empty glasses, and still going fires with chicken on them around them. I took my eyes off of them with disdain.
'Stupid green horns running away from punishment while not knowing the world's plans for them!' I thought as I poured the liquid detergent. Based on the amount of bottles lying around, they don't even seem to know what's going on in the world.
For example, these stupid young adults seeming just above eighteen don't even seem to know about the huge ice wall right behind the greenhouse emerged out of nowhere just this morning.
Let alone knowing that it is tall and powerful enough not to let anyone to the other side, a long wall dividing the earth into two half. Splitting families.
Sounds of the young leopards' whimper from fear and a smell of damp soil came at the same time.
A smirk formed on my lips before they parted as I tried to clean an old black stain looking to be from when I had smeared the red curtain with chocolate. An old trace of me on this enormous castle.
"Back so soon, aren't we?"
"..."
"..."
"Have you seen the ice wall? I can't pass through it... Gold is on the other side!" He groaned in a voice stained with horror and anger.
I looked up. Why is he here complaining to me? Are we that close? We are just old acquaintances who also are distant blood relatives.
"I know..."
"Why didn't you do what I asked you to do?"
He growled angrily, as if wanting to vent his frustration and anxiousness at someone. A very familiar situation for me. Ignoring his tone, I shrugged.
"Since I know you were coming back?"
As if he just grasped my words, he fumed forward with daggers in his eyes.
"How?" He said from between his clenching teeth. The ground shook. Is it too late to stop being sarcastic?
"Hmm? Why don't I answer that after hearing your explanation about why you vanished?"
I didn't even want to know that, but before I could prevent myself from being sarcastic, I had spilled the water...
"..."
"Not that I am curious. It just feels too generous of me to give you free information, if you understand what I mean."
Angel looked grave. I got horrified, so I had trailed words with a straight face. What am I even spitting? He didn't have any responsibility against his grand grandchild. Therefore, he rarely owed me an explanation. However, life is a deal is indeed what he had said.
Making me someone who can't accept anything free. His words had. Then he had left without teaching me how to handle being such a person!
A hysterical laugh was all he gave as an answer. It was too late to back away. So I went back to doing my laundry, pretending to be calm.
Suddenly, I felt suffocated, as if a powerful hand was choking me. The invisible hand raised me to the air.
" I don't make jokes when it come's to Gold's life! You spit out everything you know or I will make you wish you were dead! Don't even think I won't since you are the child I found adorable because I will!"
"..."
He raised the pressure, and it cruelly reminded me of the realness of this situation by the familiar out of breathiness. My full eyes freed the prisoners inside and my vision cleared. The red window appeared again.
DING! DING! DING!
[ Welcome to the system of survival "INTROVERTS LIFE GUIDE"!]
[Too many newly earned titles and achievements! Click here for the status window!]
My brows got closer. There was no such a thing as a status window in my visions. Wasn't the system supposed to be a simple warning notification for arrival of the doom?
'Status window?'
[Status Window:
Name(s): INTROVERTS LIFE GUIDE,The priest of doom, Extrovert Introvert, Dawn Miracle Bright
TITLES: INTROVERTS LIFE GUIDE, *THE PRIEST OF DOOM, EXTROVERT INTROVERT (EI), INTROVERTS LIFE GUIDE, LIFE GUIDE, SAVIOR, GUARDIAN ANGEL,+100
* Click on the title to see title's effect and more details
Affinities: fire, water, wind, earth, darkness, light
* Click on the affinities for compatibility percentage and more details.
Attributes: age, agility, intellect, agility, speed, luck, personality, nature, mentality, mana level, +4
Skills: Mental(trash) barrier, ????%%???, $$$???????? ????, great lier, Owner of the castle of remembrance, +6
Belssings: ???????, ??????, ??????, ?????? ?????, +3
Curses: ?????, ???????????????????, ??????, +17
Achievements: ???????? ?????, Youngest to make a skill by themselves, The one who made the worst trash skill!, Cult master!, The one with the second most curses on earth, +5
* Click on the achievements to see title's effect and more details
Achieved system points: Counting...
Power ranking: Counting...
]
"Let her go!!"
'Jeez. I wanted to look at my attributes. Just when I was getting to the good part of THIS HALLUSIONATION, someone had to butt in!' I thought, frustrated as I looked down through the transparent window. Of course, still choking.