…
.....
...….Hey!... HEYYY!! I KNOW you're AWAKE!.....
.....Carnelian!!......
......…..HAH!! You flinched!.....
...C'mon, Carnelian! Mom said breakfasts ready!!...
.............
My eyes open... Silence. A weary glance to my side where he spoke to me. I was met with agonizing silence…No one's there. I know I'm alone. I've been alone. It's expected. They're not there. Why aren't they there? Why….Aren't they with me?...I...
I relaxed the fingers that were digging into my leg, a bit of blood drawn by my unkempt nails. I raised my palm towards my face, fingers feebly quivering as the liquid dripped rhythmically onto the ragged cloth spread across the floor. My hand shook as it rose to my chest, searching.
My fingers curled around a soft, familiar feather. Cold sweat traced my skin before fading. It was a simple necklace, the pendant a soft obsidian-colored feather. The delicate vane felt nice whenever I ruffled it with my finger. It's a fragment of my heart, soaked with memories….I can't remember…
.....
The room was coated with grime and murky slime. A raw stench overwhelmed my sense of smell, and the taste of flesh entered my mouth. Clutter piled haphazardly; hooks loomed over my head. The cleanest thing in the room was the tattered makeshift blanket separating me from the bare ground.
I knelt close to the ground, trying to feel for my surroundings as I cringed with nausea each time my fingers brushed the rancid sludge of the floor. Where is it? It was hard to recall where I had left my satchel the night before.
Besides my necklace and the cozy, oversized coat jacket covering my body, I was searching for my treasures. A red stylized goggle gifted to me in the past, a damaged notebook, and sizable sewing needles delicately whittled out of bones. There was other trash mixed inside, though I could care less of them.
A sigh of relief left my breath when I managed to graze its velvety texture. After rummaging through to make sure my precious items were inside, I rose up and moved towards the door, leaving the brief respite of the room behind.
Immediately as I stepped out, a gale of sand blasted my face; It's abrasive attack clawed at my eyes and lungs. The wind tore at my coat, insistent and greedy as its sandy fingers creeped through every seam like some desperate beggar. It hissed in my ears with venomous persistence, a voice that couldn't be reasoned with or ignored.
I should've worn my goggles before stepping out. Wretched Feathers, I'm an idiot. My hand swiftly dug into my satchel, seizing my goggles. I hastily slipped it over my eyes before pulling my sleeve up to my nose and mouth as a makeshift mask. The gritty dust storm swallowed the sunlight, making it aggravatingly difficult to see even past a couple feet. It's so much worse today, Though before I forget, I should thank the owl that gave me a place to stay.
When the town wasn't engulfed within a hurricane of grit and sand, it was quite a pleasant place. I learned that the town was known as "Beacon," named after a dazzling flower that acted as solace for any and all. What was especially fascinating was how its amber glow sheltered the residents from the worst of the storm; its gleam seemingly veiled against most of the dust.
When I asked about it, someone shared the tale of this town, where someone had starved to death in this desolate desert; their dying wish birthing a luminous flower from where their corpse was buried.
It'd be nice to ask more about the story. It's very interesting.
After searching for long enough, the company of the sandstorm made me feel crowded. The oppressive gale of the storm was deafening in its cry. The wind was clamorous, like the thundering ebb of the ocean; wails of the damned, drowning in an ever rising tide. What was worse was that I could've sworn the shrill didn't come from the sandstorm itself.
I managed to spot the owl standing on watch along the town's boundaries. As I approached, his silhouette sharpened within the foggy dust, his figure holding a combative stance. He gripped a whittled spear of thick bone worn and sharpened from use. He was protected in a dense, bone-carved plating layered over a thick and dark sand-crusted coat. The crunch of my footsteps on gravel caught his attention causing him to turn swiftly; his goggles glinting in the dim light. When he recognized me, he gave a polite bow, his scarf shifting slightly with the motion; uniquely patterned and serving as his makeshift respirator. It was made from a white material I didn't recognize. I returned the gesture, feeling a pleasant sense of gratitude as I neared him.
"Vivid Skies." He greeted me, his voice rough like sandpaper scraped across stone. He was already scanning the storm again, his attention razor-sharp.
"Vivid Skies." I replied, though the irony wasn't lost on me. The gale above was a veil of dirt, choking out any hint of the bright-blue sky. I kept my sleeve raised, though sand still crept in with every breath. "I wanted to thank you for giving me a place to stay the night."
The owl responded without losing his focus. "You're welcome." There was a brief pause. "Rue."
"...I'm Carnelian."
"....Where are you heading to?" His coat fluttered softly in the wind.
I tensed up. "..I'm heading home." My words felt hollow and fragile. Not a lie, but neither the complete truth. My memory was sharp fragments of clarity surrounded by empty voids, yet a withering ache left me with the knowledge that I'd lost something vital. It felt like something was torn from my very soul and what remained was a revolting, decaying carcass slowly tainting the waste that remained.
I flinched as Rue studied me, his expression almost unreadable beneath the goggles. Still, his voice softened slightly. "I see.. Aerie?"
I blinked, startled. My hand instinctively found my necklace, fingers curling around the black feather dangling from it. The name was something I felt was important to me, but foreign at the same time. In all honesty, I didn't even know where I wished to return to.
"...Yeah." He nodded curtly. There was a short, uncomfortable silence. I tried my best to start a conversation, though I didn't exactly know what to say. "Why do you live here? Wouldn't you want to live somewhere else?"
Through his goggles, I caught the flicker of an agitated look before he turned away. I should've been more delicate with what I said. "Oh… Sorry." We stood side by side in an awkward stillness.
He clenched his spear tightly, his veins visible from the strain. "I'd.. rather not talk about it." He turned his back to me, silently driveling to himself.
I tugged my sleeve tighter around my mouth, though it did little good since the sand kept pestering me like a relentless memory I couldn't block out. Beside me, Rue barely seemed to notice the storm's fury, though every now and then his fingers twitched toward his scarf; tightening it just a fraction tighter, like even he couldn't pretend to be used to it.
I was about to leave until he sighed; his body half-turned towards me.
"Just call it my job. We work as an outpost for Oasis, giving travellers and suppliers a place to rest. His foot aggressively tapped the ground. "If only they treated us properly." I barely caught his quiet words from underneath his breath.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" He raised his hand abruptly. "Quiet." Rue wasn't paying attention to me now, his face was blanched white.
For the first time that morning, the wind went dead still. However, instead of relief, all I could feel was dread. The sudden absence of the sandstorm's howl was deafening in its own right, making me wish for the familiar, hateful rasp of wind. It was an omen. I almost didn't notice that I was trembling.
I tried to take a step back, but Rue's hand shot out, clutching my coat in a grip that made my breath catch. His stoic mask had shattered, replaced by raw fear. Something was approaching.
I could hear it now. Footsteps, if they could be called that. Each step pressed heavily into the earth, dragging unevenly, like something massive struggling to move. A raking noise like a blade upon a whetstone overtook my ears. Then I saw it.
A hunched shadow emerged from the storm, claws gouging deep furrows with each twisted tread. Its head grotesquely stretched like a broken marionette dragged through the dirt. Their lifeless, unblinking gaze was that of a predator, one that didn't think of me as human, only prey.
I was frozen, unsure if even a single breath would cause its attack. Though its gaze seared into me, it gave no indication that it knew I was there as it moved closer, unnervingly slow and deliberate; its scythes gouging deep trenches into the earth. Those claws could cut into my flesh like paper…I…..I thought we were the only creatures trapped in this wretched cage?!
Rue jabbed a finger into my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts. His eyes flicked toward my bag; his hand gesturing insistently. I fumbled it open, my hands trembling so violently it almost fell onto the floor. Rue pulled the scarf covering his mouth down for a moment. Give me something to throw. I nodded hesitantly. My hand pulled out a polished glass bottle I had scavenged days ago and handed it to him as it glistened from the sweat coming from my quivering palm.
He raised the bottle over his head.
The creature was unbearably close. I felt its breath brush my clothes.
He decisively steadied his shaking arm.
It planted its claws deep into the ground beside me. In another second, I would be gone.
Rue reeled back and hurled it deep into the storm. An uneasy moment passed. It shattered somewhere in the distance, the sound cutting through the tension like a knife through butter.
The creature froze. Its claws stopped right above me; the storm momentarily bending around the silence of its pause. Then its head snapped toward the noise, and a screech erupted, a shriek so primal it felt like the air itself might split apart. My knees buckled, my ears ringing as though they were bleeding.
And then, it moved. Not forward. Not toward us. It twisted violently, hurling itself into the dust like a puppet yanked by invisible strings, vanishing into the storm's veil.
I gasped for air, realizing only then that I hadn't been breathing. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the ground, the tremors in the earth finally still. Rue stood standing, heaving dryly as the gale took over the stage once again.
"...What in this WRETCHED CAGE was that THING!?" My voice trembled, the words clawing out of my throat before I could stop them. How far had this world devolved into madness?
Rue took a long deliberate breath, narrowing his gaze towards the direction where the monstrosity had disappeared. His stoic mask returned, though unease lingered in his stance. "Bury me alive if I know." he muttered, shaking his head. "We call it a Rake. You've heard the sound it makes." He paused. His grip upon his spear tightened. "It's blind, but it's hearing? Don't even breathe near it." His tone turned low, almost bitter.
"Took a lot of owls to figure out that blighting gimmick." His gaze dropped to the ground, until he caught himself, attention towards the sandstorm once again.
My adrenaline slowly began to ebb, leaving me trembling and lightheaded. My breaths steadied, though uneven. Rue held a hand up to help me. "I'd say avoid them at all costs, but ironically enough, they're both our prey and predator." His voice stayed soft and calm, as if easing us both. I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me up from the ground. His palm, warm and wet with sweat. "They're the closest thing we have for food around here." My stomach twisted at the thought. I couldn't imagine what it would taste like. For another tense moment, the sandy gale swept across us; our scarves flowing within the wind.
He sighed, satisfied that the Rake wouldn't be returning anytime soon. "My watch is almost over, and you look like you're going to pass out. Let's grab something to eat." I opened my mouth to accept his invitation, but quickly closed it since he was already walking away while gesturing for me to follow him. His pace was brisk and it took me a moment to catch up and match it.
"Sorry about the eventful morning. It usually goes by without an incident"
I kept my head down as I trailed after Rue, still rattled from the encounter. The wind clawed at my coat, sending tiny waves of sand to assault my body. My breath rasped through the sleeve pressed against my mouth, lungs raw from the storm's choking grit.
Prey and predator. His words sank their teeth into my thoughts, gnawing at the edges of reason. The only living things left in this cage were supposed to be humans and plants... right? Yet here I was. Hunted by monsters that should've only existed in nightmares. I now realized what survival really meant. Surviving meant killing. Surviving meant desperation. Life didn't care if you were brutal or kind. In a place like this, doubt was just another way to die. What's needed is conviction.
Rue walked a few paces ahead, his spear resting across his shoulders like it weighed nothing. His confident stride never faltered, even when the wind howled louder, pulling at his scarf like grasping fingers.
After a few minutes, the wind began to ease, its razor bite dulling as we approached the outskirts of the village. Faint shapes emerged from the swirling haze, weathered buildings stood crooked and stubborn against the storm's endless siege.
"Welcome to Beacon." Rue called back, his voice cutting cleanly through the diminishing wind. "For better or worse, home sweet home. Try not to judge it too harshly."
He didn't slow down, but I caught the faintest trace of something wistful in his tone. Not pride exactly, but better described as resignation. A place you belonged to because you had to.
The hum of chatter greeted us as we neared the marketplace, a sound I hadn't realized I missed. After wandering alone for so long, hearing human voices sounded like waking up from an empty, dismal dream.
The vendors stood behind eroded stalls selling goods I didn't recognize. Over each stall hung an orange petal, its shining light keeping the wares safe from the sand's creeping claws. At the heart of the market stood the desert lotus, and it was every bit as majestic as the stories claimed. Amber petals sparkled with a hypnotic glow like firelight in the swirling dust. It stood out like the sun piercing through concealed skies, a reminder of something pure in a world that had long since forgotten beauty.
At that moment, I understood. This was the heart of the town. It's hope. Its soul.
"It's just a flower." Rue's voice came low and distant, tugging me back to reality. There was something wrong with his tone. It was flat, hollow.. like he was forcing himself to believe his own words. "Just a flower." He muttered to himself, his voice dark with an emotion I couldn't quite understand. Then, as if distracting himself, he signaled to me. "Oh. Over here."
Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away from the lotus to see what he was motioning toward. A nearby stall sold ivory-colored meat, stacked in uneven slabs on a worn bone-plated rack. The sharp reek of salt and something far less familiar seeped its way into my nostrils.
"Vivid Skies. Two skewers, please." Rue called out as he approached the vendor. The man, wiry and weathered gave a polite nod before turning back to a large chunk of pale flesh splayed across his cutting board. The knife he used struggled to carve through its tough, sinewy surface as it scraped loudly with every drag.
He stabbed two uneven chunks with thin wooden skewers and handed them over cordially. "Return the sticks when you're done. Vivid Skies." He dipped his head in a curt bow before returning to his work.
I hesitated, the raw stench thick in my throat. The meat looked... wrong. It was too pale, too stringy, like something that refused to die cleanly.
"The smell isn't so bad once you get used to it." Rue said with a shrug, already sinking his teeth into the rubbery meat. He chewed with practiced ease, familiar with its stubborn texture. "Take a bite."
Swallowing my revulsion, I bit down. The meat was slimy and dense, fibers sticking to the roof of my mouth like something half-digested. But... the taste was surprisingly rich, almost sweet. The sharpness of charred seasoning masked its bizarre flavor..
I forced myself to swallow.
My gaze drifted back to the lotus, its amber petals glowing softly against the dust-choked sky. The storm couldn't reach it here. Nothing unpleasant could. I let its warmth anchor me as I took another reluctant bite, chewing slowly.
"You can take a petal if you want." Rue offered, still chewing. "Another grows back after a week or two."
I allowed my fingers to brush the edge of a nearby petal, its soft surface warm and silken, almost like the vane of my feathered pendant. It felt... comforting. Steady. I could pretend the world wasn't ruined, even if for only a moment.
It was then I noticed Rue, motionless for the first time since we'd entered the market. His eyes affixed onto the desert lotus's amber light. His expression was guarded, yet unshaken like he couldn't decide whether he wished to reach out or pull away. Even through his sand-crusted goggles, I could see how the flickering radiance seemed to anchor him… or perhaps unravel him.
Something flickered across his face. Longing, regret, or something deeper. It seemed he had finally decided; his hand reaching out, lingering in mid-air. His fingers an inch away from embracing its radiant light. And then…his hand fell, clenched into a tight fist.
He turned abruptly, adjusting the worn strap of his satchel like it suddenly needed fixing.
"...C'mon." he muttered, voice rougher than before. "We're wasting daylight."
Before I could react, he strode ahead, fingers tugging at his worn scarf like it was uncomfortably tight around his neck. I quickly returned my skewer, offering a rushed parting to the vendor before hurrying after him. Is he... alright?
By the time I caught up, Rue was already breathing deeply, his body relaxing as he visibly forced his mind elsewhere. The storm's gale clawed at our clothes, dragging sand through the streets.
"So Aerie." He said suddenly without turning around. "Mind telling me about what happened?" My legs froze for a second, thoughts splintering and shattering like broken glass. Though I was deeply confused, something within my head fought to surface. What revelation that tried to emerge was forcibly dragged back down into the recesses of my head.
Rue's brisk steps slowed. He cast a sharp glance over his shoulder, studying my puzzled silence. "The Lynching." He clarified carefully, his voice softer this time. "It's... taboo to talk about it in Oasis. Thought you might know more."
"I.. Haven't been to Aerie in a while." My chest tightened, and the dull throbbing behind my eyes pulsed harder, like something was pounding to escape. He blinked, clearly not expecting my response. He slowed his brisk pace to match mine, throwing me a sideways glance. His concern subtle, but genuine. "Oh. I see." His voice dimmed, weighted with heavy emotion. "A lot has happened, so it's probably for the best… All that we really know was that Oasis and its neighboring cities decided to cut off all trade and contact with Aerie."
He stared upwards towards the sandstorm obscuring the sky. "No warning, no message. The only way in or out is through Asylum, the town below it… and they also left them to rot. Stranding everyone still living above... No exit, no food…" He trailed off. "That's why we gave it that grim name. Aerie's been left in the sky to hang."
I know I should be shocked. I know I should feel something… but… I don't.
I can't.
Can't…?
It's my home.. Right? I've lived there my whole life?
I-i grew up in a house. It was modest. No, it was repulsive. There was a balcony where we watched the setting sun. No, we never had one.
No walls. No rooms. No roof. No door.
Nothing. I've never lived in a house.
My… family? I had a family. Had? There were three of us. Me, my mom, my dad, and.. And? Not three then, four. Me, my brother, my dad, and…
I… I can't picture their faces? N-no! My mom! I remember she always wore a black feather around her wrist! Right! It was an obsidian feather! With a silver string wrapped around her neck! Neck? Wasn't it around her wrist?
No, it was a necklace! A black feather necklace with silver string. My dad also had one. A black feather necklace with silver string. The three of us all wore black feather bracelets.
I can picture her now! Tanned skin, long black hair, a hat she always wore over her head, a necklace? No, it isn't a necklace, I'm wrong. It was rope. The noose around her neck helped contrast against her plain uniform coat. Black boots kept her standing tall. Wait, why aren't her feet touching the ground?
Why aren't her feet on the ground?
A ringing noise overtook my ears, muffling all other background noise. My vision turned blurry, my eyes only able to make out shapes and colors. My head throbbed with a pounding agony as a familiar, hollow ache returned. Why can't I remember?
I could see memories of my past barely out of reach. It was maddening; having my thoughts waver at the cusp of my head and mock me. Then the stench hit me. Sharp. Metallic. Rancid. Human. My fingers skimmed my face lightly. They were suddenly covered in a red liquid.
An infant wailed insistently somewhere distant before its wail was cut short. What happened to my home?!
A familiar face pleaded for their life, until their hands promptly held up their own severed head. Another figure tied to a house swayed side to side, hung up only by the rope around their neck; bloodied lips chiming a dreadful melody. They sang of despair, hopelessness… nihilism. What's wrong with Aerie!?
Ringing cries of anguish echoed. Crunching bones trampled like autumn leaves filled my ears, my heart, my skin, like a grotesque symphony of melodic torment. What's wrong with me?... Please… PLEASE!??
A child appeared in front of me. Tears cascaded down my face, though I didn't know why.
He had to be only about 10, with skin silky pale and eyeless sockets staring deep into me. What I thought were clothes at first were actually their exposed ribs and bone, jagged and contorted in varying directions. No blood spilled forth from their broken shell; their body hollow of all except their skeleton.
Bite marks?... It looks… human.. But they couldn't have been caused by another human… right? The trembling in my arms wouldn't subside. An emotion I couldn't burden washed through me.
Big Sis? Is that you? My heart stopped; my trembling body froze, though my tears never faltered.
It's dark and scary… when is the sun coming back? I tried to speak, but no voice left my throat. I tried to reach forward to embrace them, but my arms wouldn't move.
It'll be okay, right? The sun will come soon.Right? The clanging in my ears progressively grew louder once more. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I can't breathe.
The sun will come soon. So let's watch the sunrise together! A haunting, innocent grin spread across their face as they reached for my hand, waiting for me to embrace theirs. And this time, I was able to move mine to accept their invitation.
"Carnelian!" My lungs jump started and heaved as if I had been drowning. It was real. It wasn't real.. I didn't have even a moment until reality slammed into me. Rue's hands gripped my shoulders, his fingers digging in and almost drawing blood as he shook me sharply. His face was pale, panic washed over him. "RUN. GET SOMEWHERE QUIET."
I snapped my head around, and it was then I realized that the wails never stopped. Screams echoed through the town. Swirling sand in the wind, dyed red. Crackling bones like fading embers of a dying campfire. The cry of a predator that rejoiced in the moment of the hunt.
It was already too late to run. The world went still once more, hushed as if holding its breath.
It was watching, and it knew what was coming.