Stars shimmered in the sky and the distant moon smiled at Hildebrant's burned body.
Everything that happened looked like a dream.
Bad and horrifying dream he wanted to wake up as soon as possible but as he held the pale girl in his embrace and stared at the sky, he found no sign of him waking up.
It took an entire minute for him to finally gather his mind and look at the place where crimson hand touched him, and when his gaze shifted to his shoulder everything he found, was his flesh.
Mangled and burned beyond recognition.
Half of his bone was missing, cut away with perfect efficiency.
Anything that transported him did not wish for the monster to come with him and how could it, when the only person he met who opposed it died not even a minute after.
But who saved him?
Looking around he found no one who could be responsible, all he saw were wooden houses made from old and wet agate wood and stars.
Many, many stars.
Truth be told he did not even believe someone could have such power.
If they did have it, why did they not help Hermi?
Slowly memories he had forgotten and were suppressed began to come back.
But not all of them did.
There were missing pieces, parts, and gaps that desired to be filled.
Looking at himself he felt like a broken canvas that was torn apart and now he as its creator wanted to pierce it back.
It was beautifully chaotic and mysterious at the same time.
When his mind finally calmed down and the pain, he felt made him feel numb he found out the sky he looked at was hidden behind the thick glass supported by numerous steel tubes that stretched like spiderwebs from soul-shaking bloody light in its center to all sides.
It was a grand sight but even grander were buildings surrounding him.
They all looked old and unsophisticated but each of them was built in way they formed intricate patent of alleys and paths.
Hildebrant and girl sat in one of these alleys and the only difference from others he could find was while others were illuminated with fiery ghostly lamps this one was submerged into pure darkness and shadow.
All paths were empty, and no leg touched the marble floor that was cut in a weird way to look similar to concede streets.
Giving another stare at the lamp that was not far away and finding no one and not hearing any sound he tried to stand up but quickly lost all his strength and fell to his knees.
The girl tried to support him but even she had no strength left in her small body and after a while of trying she slowly kneeled on the ground while slowly putting him down.
Weakness overcame both of their bodies, but Hildebrant did not dare to close his eyes.
What if after waking up found himself in a crimson room with Icarus's face observing him from above?
Leaning on the wooden house of an unknown person Hildebrant pondered while staring into space.
When did the illusion begin and when it ended?
Was Icarus truly his friend?
A pale girl leaned on him and her head fell on his chest.
As pale as she looked, her body was warm, which made him forget about blood vessels and the sanctuary for a while.
"What's your name anyway?"
It was a rude question for someone who almost died because of him but he still wanted to know.
The girl did not even open her eyes as she snuggled closer to him and his flames, which kept both warm from the cold wind slowly retracted back into the fiery sun in his chest.
"Arrianete."
The voice was almost intangible, but Hildebrant heard it and smiled.
"What grand name, you must be royal. Should I bow to your majesty?"
He chuckled and then couched out black dust that came out of his lugs.
Right as it fell on his hand it seeped through and what did not, stayed on his skin.
Looking down at the ash in his hand his mind finally regained its sense, and a great deal of pain hammered his head making him crash into the wall and almost roll his eyes on the other side of his brain, but he endured and continued to stare into space without any emotions.
Hildebrant was prepared to sleep when he heard the doors of the house opening.
But it was not just only one house.
Multiple of them opened and people rushed out to the alleys in death of night, opening their mouths and letting out various sounds with dialect and vocabulary he never heard.
Turning his gaze to the side with pain crushing his entire body he observed a crowd of children dressed in various clothes and having many different types of weapons pinned to their bodies walking out to the streets with sober faces and empty gazes. big smiles on their faces.
Their eyes shined with reverence and hope but Hildebrant had no energy to be happy or afraid and just observed.
His and the girl figure hidden in darkness was almost invisible and many people passed by them without noticing their presence until one boy finally opened his mouth wide as he noticed them and dashed to his battered figure with worry.
After kneeling boy grasped his burned hand slightly and caressed it.
"What happened?! Who attacked you?"
Boy asked and noticing their interaction people's gaze began to shift to them and one of the burly kids his age even ran to the alley with a torch with a fearful expression.
"What are you doing David? Don't you know the rules? We need to hurry!"
Throwing him a hateful gaze, the burly man took a step back from David.
"I know the rules very well Osmian. Don't forget I was there when they were drafted. And if you forgot one of the rules of the past was to help people in need. Look at them, both are wounded and tired. I have no idea what they went through, but it was a rule to help others in need wasn't it? So come and help me to pick them up for the ceremony."
Without waiting for his answer David grasped Hildebrant softly and took him into his arms to carry him like a princess.
The girl was still in his embrace but weirdly David did not look to have a problem holding them both, in some sense, he looked even as if he was enjoying it as a smile spread through his lips when he again opened his mouth.
"What are you doing aren't you going to help?"
Osmian trembled and flames forming his torch shook with him.
"Stop trembling and help me take the girl to the foundation pillar."
"You bully."
He cursed and carefully scooped the girl into his embrace.
After that, he froze and gazed at her figure, soft lips and slowly lifting chest and completely red he then turned around and entered the crowd while cursing under his breath.
Sighing David followed and when people noticed them, all they did was give them an empty glance before continuing in their way.
Each of them kept their distance but when they made eye contact with him after grazing him little, he found something familiar in their irises.
An emotion Hemri emitted in waves.
Hope and despair.
The longer they walked stronger these emotions became but even with them, people still entered the crown making it almost look endless.
They all created a river of humans as they walked in unison, each step sending tremors down the ground and shudder of excitement down the spine. Walking was part of their being and the place they walked was clearly seen from a distance.
It was a pillar.
A giant bloody pillar that stretched into the sky and illuminated the night with its presence alone.