The late hour settles over Luminara as the fading sun dips behind the town's walls, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of pink and purple. Shafts of light shimmer like ethereal beams, giving the evening a magical glow.
Lanterns hanging from the timber-frame houses flicker to life, their flames crackling softly in the quiet. The warm, golden light spills into the chilly evening air, making it feel almost inviting. Yumiko and I tread through a narrow alley, its cobblestone path flanked by tall, weathered houses. The alley feels both mysterious and tranquil, with the last slivers of sunlight slipping through the gaps between the buildings, casting long shadows around us.
A sudden unease prickles my skin—a shiver not from the cold but from something deeper, something unseen. The alley darkens as the sun's glow fades entirely, leaving only the dim, flickering lanterns to illuminate the walls in erratic shadows.
Yumiko walks ahead, her posture relaxed, seemingly unfazed by the growing gloom. She takes in the atmosphere, her gaze wandering with serene curiosity.
"Yu—" I call out, but her name dies in my throat, interrupted by a scream. Yumiko's scream.
In an instant, she's gone. Where she stood just moments before is now empty air. My heart stumbles. My eyes dart around. Did she run? Was she kidnapped? Is this some kind of cruel joke?
I rub my eyes, squeezing them shut before forcing them open again. Nothing. She's vanished, her scream still echoing faintly in my ears.
Frozen in place, the chill bites deeper into my skin, but something else grips me—a suffocating dread. Then, a warmth brushes against my face, foreign and unnatural in the freezing air. My legs falter, my vision blurs, and before I can grasp what's happening, I lose consciousness.
Part 2
A bang reverberates through the air, followed by the groan of a decayed doorframe on the verge of collapse. The sound, sharp and jarring, is accompanied by Yumiko's scream, echoing off the unseen stone walls. The sharp tang of dust fills my nostrils, scratching at my throat and clouding my already disoriented vision.
I cough, my chest tightening as I force my eyes open. My vision blurs, but shapes begin to form—walls of old, dirty cobblestone, almost torn down. The air is heavy, thick with decay, and the only light comes from a single sliver of moonlight streaming through a broken window high above.
The room is dark, its corners shrouded in shadows. Dust coats everything—forgotten shelves, tattered goods, and the cracked stone floor beneath me. Across the room, a door shudders under relentless pounding. Yumiko. Her desperate fists hammer the frail wooden surface, each impact shaking it closer to splintering apart.
"What? Where—am I?" My voice cracks, hoarse and barely audible. I try to call out to Yumiko, but my throat stings as if the words themselves are stuck. Is it shock? Fear? Or something deeper, something more primal clawing at my mind?
Where am I? What happened?
"Kaito?!" Yumiko's voice trembles as she pauses her frantic pounding on the rusty, half-rotted door. Her eyes lock onto mine, brimming with questions. "You finally woke up. Where are we?!"
"I—I don't know..." My thoughts wander elsewhere. Am I going to die? I've barely been here for a month. Why! Why did I get a second chance? If—if it were for nothing.
"Get me out of here!" Her sharp voice cuts through my despair like a knife. "I don't like this place!"
A sense of negative energy creeps closer across the cold floor. Without warning, a foot slams against my ribs with a power I've never felt before. I cough, saliva filling my mouth. The physical pain snaps me back to reality. I look up to see Yumiko, her figure transformed by a mixture of anger and barely contained fear.
She was the one who kicked me.
The pain hits, but it's nothing compared to my mental state. Physical pain I can endure—it's not the first time she's struck me. I'll find a way out.
We've been kidnapped. Where, I don't know. We could be anywhere—in Luminara or even outside the kingdom. If we're outside, I doubt anyone will come to save us. I wish Rian was here...
"Yumiko, we've been kidnapped," I say firmly. "Be quiet, and we'll find a way out."
"Or we just bash through that door?" She's already contemplating another assault on the wooden barrier.
"No," I caution. "The kidnappers could be on the other side."
"Yeah..." Her confidence wavers momentarily. "But I think we should break it down! Those thieves wouldn't dare lay a hand on me!"
With a sharp, balanced kick, she shatters the door frame. The wooden barrier crashes to the ground, raising clouds of dust.
"I really don't think that's a good—" My warning comes too late.
Before I can finish, Yumiko is flung across the floor. A large, middle-aged man strides through the splintered remains of the door. His dusty, tattered brown clothes hang loosely on his fat frame, and his worn-out boots scuff the floor with every step. Greasy, unkempt hair suggests he hasn't bathed in years, and his weary, bloodshot eyes speak of sleepless nights and endless toil.
"Shut up, you annoying brats!" His voice is dusty and harsh, old and disturbing—the tone of someone who doesn't care about anything except money.
Those kinds of people make me sick.
Yumiko lies on the cold stone floor, spitting blood. She rises, defiance burning in her eyes. "How dare you!" Her sharp voice echoes through the room as she stands and walks toward the old man.
"Yumiko, please, listen to him," I call out weakly from the corner, paralyzed with fear.
"Huh! You think I'd just let him kick me? I'll pay him back!" She responds, confidence radiating from every pore.
The man steps forward, towering over her, his size and presence overwhelming. With a swift, brutal motion, he slaps her across the chin, the sound cracking sharply through the air. Before she can recover, he grabs her by the hair, yanking her head back cruelly.
"Don't try anything, you little shit!" His voice drips with malice. "You're worth too much intact. The daughter of the Valmont family fetches a high price... and that body of yours will do just as well." He leans in closer, a repulsive leer churning my stomach as his calloused finger strokes across her lips.
But Yumiko doesn't freeze. She reacts. With a sharp snap of her jaw, she sinks her teeth into his finger. A snarl of pain and rage erupts from the man as he pushes back. His fury flares, and before she can act again, he retaliates—grabbing her by the arm and hurling her across the room. His boot connects with her stomach mid-air, sending her crashing into the dusty stone floor.
"You disgusting piece of shit!" Yumiko murmurs, blood dripping from her nose. Her eyes flash with anger as she aggressively rises again, her stubbornness knowing no bounds.
Wait! Can't she just stop?! Damn it!
A strange calmness washes over me—a warmth that feels out of place in this frozen moment. My heartbeat slows as focus overtakes panic. I raise my hand, my fingers steadying as I point toward the thief.
Taking a deep breath, I summon the words from within, each syllable resonating in my core:
"O spirits of water, heed my call— Flow and form, a sphere to enthrall!"
Before me, water condenses, swirling into a perfect sphere. It hovers, shimmering as it absorbs particles from the air, its surface rippling with raw energy. The atmosphere hums, the gathered force crackling as the sphere pulses, growing denser with restrained power.
"Waterball!"
The spell launches me backward, flinging me off my feet. The waterball hurtles through the air, striking the man with enough power to throw him off balance.
Seizing the moment, Yumiko charges forward, her determination unshaken. She strikes him with all her strength, but his towering size absorbs her attack. Barely fazed, he grips her hair once again, his grip firm and unrelenting.
"What would it take to silence you?!" his grating voice growls, laden with malice.
Before the large man can lay his hands on her, another voice cuts through the tension. "Hey! I don't care what you do with her, but don't damage her, got it? She's worth less if she's bruised—even if she's a noble."
A leaner man interrupts, roughly the same age as the first but with a sharper air of authority. He glances at me, his thin lips curling in disdain. "And why'd you bring this one? Is he worth anything?"
The large man scowls. "Didn't want him reporting back about the daughter of Valmont."
"I see." The lean man's eyes narrow as he pulls a knife from his left pocket, its blade glinting faintly in the sparse light. "Well then, let's kill him."
"Yeah, sure. Do whatever you want." The bigger man shrugs, stepping aside as though my fate is nothing more than an inconvenience.
"Creep! You disgusting piece of filth! Worthless scum!" Yumiko snarls, thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to break free.
The man pays no mind to her defiance. His hands roam over her, stroking her hair, his lecherous gaze devoid of shame or humanity. The smug grin on his face only deepens, reveling in her fury and helplessness.
"Hey! Sad way to die, huh? I somewhat pity you," the man with the knife taunts, rushing toward me with the blade gleaming.
Panic blurs my vision as fear courses through me. My mouth burns with each ragged breath, my skin feels like it's about to tear.
What can I do?!
Before my mind can catch up, blood bubbles in my throat. The metallic taste floods my mouth as I feel the cold iron of the knife sink into my stomach. Blood—is this my blood? Huh...
Did it stop? No...
The man pulls the knife out with a sickening motion. Suddenly, a violent force erupts from above. A swift motion, a crack through the ceiling, and Yumiko's scream rips through the air: "Rina!"
My heart pounds, slow but heavy, each beat a painful reminder. It's warm. It hurts!
Blood fills the air as someone gets cut in half. The stench of metal invades my senses. My legs refuse to move. My lungs tighten. What now?