It was an endless dark space. Leo didn't know how he ended up here. He felt strangely light, as if his body wasn't entirely there—yet, when he looked down, he could clearly see his hands. For some reason, he couldn't remember anything.
In front of him floated an orange magical circle. It seemed familiar, like he had seen it before, but he couldn't recall where or when. The emptiness around him was suffocating, and he wasn't sure if he felt anything at all.
The circle hovered in silence, pulsing faintly. Suddenly, the darkness shattered like broken glass, and the space around him shifted to a pure, endless white. The same magical circle remained in front of him.
Before he could make sense of it, the space shifted again. Now, it felt like he was opening his eyes. He found himself seated on a throne, but something was off. He wasn't in control. It was as if he was watching through someone else's eyes, experiencing someone else's life.
The person he was observing wore black royal clothing paired with dark armor. A woman knelt before them, her head bowed low. Something about her felt familiar to Leo, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember who she was.
"Rise, Abyzou," the man's voice rang out, calm and firm.
The woman lifted her head, her expression respectful.
"What happened with the humans? Have you found the cause of the sleeping plague? Is it natural?" the man asked.
"Lord Baldwin," Abyzou began, her voice steady. "We've discovered it's man-made—an experiment. As for the humans, I believe many are already lost to the disease."
"That's unfortunate," Baldwin replied, his tone heavy but composed. "Abyzou, here are your new orders."
"Your wish is our command, Lord Baldwin," Abyzou responded, bowing her head once more.
"I'll be leaving the Red Moon Kingdom and heading into the Ausha Kingdom's territory," Baldwin said decisively. "Send word to our allies at UPS. Tell them we'll be borrowing their border."
"Lord, it's dangerous," Abyzou protested, her head still bowed. "Why risk helping?"
"You think I'll have a problem with it?" Baldwin asked, his voice carrying quiet authority. "Yes, I'm not as strong as some of you. And I know many still don't fully accept me as king. But that doesn't change the fact—I am your king."
"My apologies, Lord," Abyzou said quickly, kneeling on one knee. "If it's allowed, I would like to accompany you."
"No, Abyzou," Baldwin replied firmly. "While I'm away, you'll serve as the governor of the Red Moon Kingdom. You know I can teleport back if needed."
"As you wish, Lord Baldwin," Abyzou said, standing and nodding before leaving the room.
The scene shifted again, dissolving into the white space. Leo found himself back where he started, with only silence surrounding him.
Red Moon Kingdom? UPS? Ausha Kingdom? The names lingered in Leo's mind, but no memories surfaced to explain them. He was left with a blank slate of confusion. Suddenly, the white space surrounding him shifted once more, transforming into a scene that unfolded like fragments of someone else's life.
The dark void turned into a stormy mountain region. Rain poured relentlessly, and the air was filled with the scent of wet earth and stone. The man Leo had been observing earlier was now a child, around 7 or 8 years old. Drenched from head to toe, the boy trudged along the muddy path.
In the distance, he noticed a group of children playing in the rain, splashing in the mud. A small smile crept onto his face as he approached, but as soon as the children spotted him, they scattered, vanishing into the mist.
"That's strange. Why are they running away from me?" the boy thought, puzzled.
He kept walking until he saw a girl sitting alone in the mud. Her head hung low, and she looked utterly dejected. Taking this as a chance to talk to someone, he walked over to her.
"Hi! Why are you sitting here all alone?" he asked, trying to sound cheerful.
The girl didn't lift her head. Her voice was low and filled with sadness. "You should go play with the others. Don't come near me."
"Come on, don't say that. The other kids ran away from me too. Why don't we talk instead?" he said, attempting to cheer her up.
Finally, the girl glanced at him before staring off into the distance again, silent.
"Hey! You're going to get sick sitting on the wet ground like that," the boy said, concerned.
"So what if I get sick?" she replied flatly.
"You could die!" he exclaimed.
"Who cares? It'd be better if I died. I don't like my life."
The boy was stunned but pressed on. "Why do you feel like that? What happened?"
The girl sighed, finally looking him in the eye. "You're not from here, are you? That's why the other kids ran away from you."
"Ah... yeah, I'm not. But that doesn't matter. Tell me what's wrong," he urged.
She hesitated before speaking. "My mom is really sick, and... I don't have a father. I was born an orphan, and everyone says I bring bad luck. That's why you should leave me alone. I'll bring you bad luck too!"
The boy frowned but remained resolute. "Nah, I don't believe in that nonsense. So, where's your mom? Maybe I can help."
The girl looked at him skeptically. "You're just a kid like me. What can you do? Don't lie—you're just here to bully me too."
"No, I mean it! Trust me. Wait—I've got a solution!" The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, holding it out to her.
The girl recoiled, startled, before taking the knife cautiously. But as soon as she realized what it was, she flung it away in disgust. "Eww! Why do you have a knife? Are you crazy? Kids our age shouldn't have knives! Did you steal it from the kitchen?"
The boy shook his head indignantly. "No! Why would I steal from the kitchen? Can't you see? I can use magic!"
"Magic? I didn't see any magic," she replied, unimpressed.
The boy muttered under his breath, "What? Are you just a dumb kid?"
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Fine. Follow me. If you can really help my mom, then I'll believe you. But if you can't, I'll kick you out myself!"
Without waiting for a reply, she stood up, mud dripping from her dress, and began walking. The boy followed her, determination gleaming in his eyes.
The girl led the boy higher into the mountainous terrain until they reached a small, weathered hut. The structure looked barely livable—its windows were broken, rainwater dripped through the cracks in the roof, and the air inside was damp and cold.
Inside, lying in the corner, was a woman. Even in her weakened state, her beauty was striking, though it was overshadowed by her pale skin and frail body. Her breathing was shallow, and she seemed lifeless.
"There, that's my mom. Now help her!" the girl demanded, her tone filled with both desperation and skepticism.
"Okay, okay, I'm here to help," the boy replied calmly, walking closer to the unconscious woman. He noticed the girl watching him with an annoyed expression, almost as if she had hoped to kick him out as soon as he admitted defeat. Ignoring her, the boy knelt beside the woman and gently placed his hand on her forehead.
Her skin was burning hot, and her face was flushed. She looked incredibly weak—so much so that, for a moment, the boy thought she might already be dead. But as he examined her further, he recognized the symptoms immediately.
"This is... sleeping plague," he muttered under his breath.
"What's that?" the girl asked, stepping closer.
"How long has she been like this?" the boy asked, ignoring her question for now.
"Sixteen days," the girl answered. "She's been unconscious for sixteen days."
"Did you call any healers?" he asked.
The girl's expression darkened. "I tried, but I didn't have enough coins. I saved up some and went to get a healer, but he kicked me out. Then some thieves stole what little money I had left."
The boy's eyes widened. "What? Someone kicked you? And thieves stole from you? Who would do that to a kid?"
The girl crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You're acting like you're an adult. Don't forget you're a kid too, so don't lecture me!" She paused, her voice softening. "Anyway... what's wrong with my mom?"
The boy sighed. "She has a disease called sleeping plague," he said, carefully choosing his words. He was worried about how she might react, but to his surprise, she didn't panic.
"What's that?" she asked, her voice steady but curious.
The boy hesitated but decided to explain. "Sleeping plague is a disease where the patient falls into a deep sleep for about a month. During that time, their body weakens to the point of death. But here's the worst part. Before they die, they wake up... different. Their personality changes entirely, and they become violent. They attack the people closest to them, even their own family. And after killing and drinking the blood of their loved ones, they disappear. No one knows where they go after that."
The girl's eyes widened in horror. She turned to look at her mother, trembling. "No... my mom wouldn't do something like that! It sounds like she's possessed or something!"
"It does seem like possession, but it's happened to many people," the boy said grimly.
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she stared at her mother. "If my mom dies like this... what am I supposed to do?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
The boy frowned, thinking to himself. "Abyzou was right. I should've brought someone along who could help..."
But he quickly pushed the thought aside and looked at the girl. "Don't worry. I'm here. This is my first time seeing someone with sleeping plague in person, but I've read about it and know its symptoms. I'll figure something out."
The girl wiped her tears, clinging to his words. "Really? You can save her?"
The boy nodded confidently. "I'll try my best."
He placed his right hand firmly on the woman's forehead and closed his eyes, focusing all his energy.
"Hey, I never asked your name," the girl said suddenly, breaking the silence.
The boy glanced at her briefly. "Neither did I ask yours," he replied with a faint smile.
Before they could continue, the woman on the floor shifted slightly, groaning faintly. The girl's eyes widened, and she leaned closer, curiosity and hope flickering in her expression.
The boy, however, removed his hand from the woman's forehead and let out a small sigh.
"So... how is she?" the girl asked, her voice trembling with both fear and anticipation.
"She was in pretty bad shape," the boy said, straightening his back. "But she's better now. Still weak, but out of immediate danger."
The girl's face lit up. "Wow! You're amazing! At your age, you can heal like a professional healer!"
The boy shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's nothing, really."
But then the girl's expression grew thoughtful. "How can I pay you, though? I don't have any money... Oh, I know! I can work for you! I'll do anything."
The boy chuckled softly. "No, that's not necessary. I don't need money, and I don't want you working either. Your cute little hands should stay away from hard labor."
He extended a hand toward her with a friendly grin. "By the way, I'm Baldwin Katz. You can call me Baldwin. And you?"
The girl hesitated, as if caught off guard. "I'm Olivia Nath—oops! No, wait!" she stammered, covering her mouth. "Forget what I just said!"
Baldwin raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why? Aren't we friends now?"
She nodded hesitantly. "I guess... But my mom always told me never to share my full name. She said to just tell people my name is Olivia."
"Ah, I see," Baldwin said, smirking playfully. "So, your name is Olivia Only, huh?"
The girl laughed nervously. "No, just Olivia!"
Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, cutting the conversation short. She turned red with embarrassment. "Sorry... I haven't eaten anything yet," Olivia admitted sheepishly.
"It's okay. Do you have food here at home?" Baldwin asked.
"Yes, we do! Do you want some too?" Olivia offered, her face brightening again.
Baldwin shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry."
She squinted at him skeptically. "I don't believe you! Don't worry—we've got enough food. You can have some too!" And before he could argue, she darted outside.
Left alone, Baldwin sighed and muttered to himself. "Who would've thought... The infamous royal Nath family, once the pride of Hero Kingdom, now living in a run-down hut. How ironic."
He looked at the woman lying unconscious on the floor. "Still, even in this state, she's hanging on. Impressive."
With that, he returned his focus to healing her, silently vowing to learn more about what had brought them to this point.