Argia Empire : Small unknown village outside the Capital.
"Run!" A high pitched voice utter with a hint of laughter as she ran towards a young boy who was picking herbs. Rulia, who heard Nalien's voice , immediately stood up and looked behind the running girl. It was a horde of black rabbits with red eyes. Rulia's eyes widen as the herbs he picks all drop on the ground. He felt his heart beating like a drum as the urge to run intensified but he couldn't move his feet.
"Ruru!" Nalien shouts as she drags the stupefied Rulia in running. Rulia didn't know when they arrived in front of the village intact, all he felt was tiredness as his feet gave up. He clutched his chest as he gasped for breath.
"You're too weak!" Nalien utters in annoyance before leaving, not minding the pale stricken Rulia. Rulia just raises his head and looks at the diminishing figure of Nalien. He couldn't help but to sigh, the herbs he got for his father, it's all left behind.
He stood up weakly as he went to the most corner part of the village, as Rulia walked towards his home, his feet speed became slower and slower until he stopped. His milky brown eyes became redden but no tears escaped from it. He grasps tightly the side of his thin shirt as he stops himself from breaking down.
Father needs me, I need to be strong
After a while, Rulia with a heavy heart walks inside the wooden house.
"Father" He greeted with a hint of tremble as he felt a numbing pain in his forehead.
"You bastard! Where did you go?! Do you also think I'm useless?! Are you planning to run away too?!" He asked with a hysterical voice. Rulia didn't answer and looked at his father. His once majestic stature became thin, his eyes full of hysterical anxiety, anger, and hatred. While his two feet were amputated.
"I collected herbs." Rulia answer with a trembling voice
"Liar! Where are the herbs?! You stupid little bitch! I just know that you are selling your body to random bastards like your bitch mother!" He shouted as he threw the glass beside him towards Rulia. Rulia didn't dodge as he felt his eyes become blurry with blood because of wounded forehead. Rulia just stood stupid, waited until his father stopped talking and slept because of tiredness.
Rulia bowed down and collected the shattered glass and threw it in the trash can. He left the house and went to a nearby well to rinse his face.
"Why don't you fight?" A male voice asked seriously, Rulia was about to wipe his face using his dirty shirt when he felt a soft fabric.
"Stupid, your shirt is dirty, you still wanted to use it to wipe your face? Aren't you scared to get an infection?" He added as he softly wiped Rulia's face.
"I-i" Rulia couldnt utter a word.
"Stupid, cowardly and weak. Rulia, how can you live?"
Rulia didn't answer as he opened his eyes the moment the fabric left his face. His beautiful face was pale as a soft sad smile was painted with it. Rulia stared at Xinyi, he had a large built and strong body even when he was only 15 years old. Since young, Rulia loved to follow Xinyi around until he was wounded by a monster while saving Rulia. Rulia, after that, couldn't have the courage to follow him.
"Thank you Brother Xinyi" He answered, he was about to leave when Xinyi held his thin arms.
"I'm asking you! Don't you want to leave this place? The Argia Academy will accept new students next month, I'm going to the Capital." He stated the last word softly with a hint of guilt. Rulia saw his red eyes flicker with anxiety and guilt.
Your name is Rulia? I can accept you as a friend if you want.
Ruru, why are you following me?
Ruru, are you alright?
Ruru, did your father hit you again?
Ruru, just say a word, I'll help you.
Ruru, as long as I'm here no one can harm you.
"That's good," Rulia said with a cracked voice. "That's really good" He further uttered as tears escaped from his eyes. He raises his hand to wipe his tears as Xinyi watches him with a pained face.
"I'm sorry" Xinyi said softly, raising his hand wanting to hold him, but stopped midway. Rulia, take a deep breath and smile widely while looking at him.
"Good luck Brother Xinyi, I know you can enter the Academy." He said with a wide smile and left the well. Rulia felt like puking, his stomach was churning as his heart felt heavy, he breathed deeply as he walked weakly. Until he reached the house, the headaches and pain did not leave his body, his forehead also felt numb. He weakly walked towards the small room and lay weakly to the overused thin futon. Rulia's tears streamed down once again. Xinyi was leaving. The only friend he has for 5 years is leaving, how he could not feel anything. The more he remembered their memories the more he felt like crying.
Why does everyone I love leave me?
The only question in Rulia's that was running around. When he was young, he had a happy complete family, his mother was a Green Bearer, who controlled the plant growth around the village. While his father was a Silver Bearer, he practiced swords. That was until his father took on a task fighting a Winged Monster graded D. His feet got eaten, luckily he survived but his father was an arrogant man to the outside, he has a beautiful wife, obedient son and he has an ability. So, the moment he became disabled, he couldn't take the mockery as his heart was filled with insecurity. The first time his father hit his mother was when he was 5 years old. As time passed by, Rulia saw his mother's light dimmed and snapped. She killed herself. His father erased that memory in his head, until now believing that his mother left with a man. His father for 4 years, became crazier and crazier, as his family became an outcast, even being an outcast the other villagers don't usually bully Rulia, because of Xinyi. The son of the village chief, a red bearer with 60% affinity to fire. Which was above average, the average affinity to practice is 20%, having a 20% affinity means you can change your life. If your affinity is lower than that, you'll have a hard time advancing and need an affinity stone. For the Majica with 60-80% they are highly gifted. As for the higher than that? They are geniuses.
Xinyi leaving in a month also raises an alarm for himself. Rulia can already imagine non-stop bullying from the other kids around. His train of thoughts stops when he heard his stomach grumble, he rubbed his thin stomach and looked at the deplated room, he'll sleep again with an empty stomach, he thought.
•
"Take care Xinyi"
"Do well, son!"
Behind the tree Rulia looked at Xinyi who was about to leave. He didn't have the courage to bid goodbye and cry, he didn't want the others to see him cry. Being weak at this time might be his death. Rulia gasped when his eyes met Xinyi's red eyes, then he saw Xinyi look away. Rulia stares at his feet feeling suffocated, a sad smile with a hint of self mockery displayed in his face. He ran away from that place and went towards the house just to escape the suffocating feelings, but what greeted him was greater hell in the following days.
As Rulia expected, the degree of bullying escalated too much. There was not a single day where he dont have have any bruises, outside the house, he received a countless mockery, disgusted eyes, and physical abuse, he even felt some sickening glances from the old males. He felt sick in his stomach, he already received countless of those looks way before but now, it was more apparent and bare. Inside the house, his father always throws things. Rulia felt tired, he didn't know how he survived for a month.
Rulia sat at the edge of the cliff, he felt tired and numb at the same time. He couldn't even cry. He sometimes wishes he had the courage to jump, but as they say, he was a coward. How can a coward like him jump? Just imagining it makes him tremble in fear. He forces himself to smile as he motivates himself that those people will grow tired of bullying him.
Just hang on!
He stood up with trembling feet wondering how he could sit there earlier. He sadly smiled and left the forest, along the way he felt someone was looking at him. His heartbeat became faster as he ran towards the forest exit, he then heard several footsteps. He didn't look back and just ran quickly. As if his life depended on it. He felt happy when he could see the exit when suddenly his arms were dragged, his body was thrown in the muddy land as he saw those people. They are not human, Rulia feels they are monsters. Their eyes were filled with mockery and interest, it was the eyes of predators. He regrets not killing himself. He wonders if he just jumped that time he would never experience this horrifying event. If he can turn back time, he would jump, this is the first time Rulia realized how cruel the world he lives in.