November 8

I slowly made my way around the spacious living quarters for any type

of rod or steel pipe to shove into the door handle for some sense of security.

The most that I found was a hammer and a crowbar. The crowbar may hold but the

hammer won’t if it gets too wild for it may look quite strong but it is not the

most durable.

I lodged the crowbar into the front door handle and the hammer into

the back. The best that I possibly can do is hope that it can hold out for the

time being and that they mainly attack the front of the shop.

I grabbed the book case from the other side of the room and pushed it

to block the front door.

I gave out one last puff of breath as I attempted one last push to

make sure it was firmly against the door.

“And… we should be okay as long as they don’t hear us, so no loud

noises from either of us, okay?”

The look on Shia’s face was one of a strong smile but her eyes showed

a different story.

Puzzled? Confused? Worried? I couldn’t tell. The only thing that I

could take away from it is that it made me concerned and I didn’t like that.

“Is something wrong, Shia? Are you hungry? I can make you something

if you are.”

The room feels tense and I have no clue why. Why is it starting to

feel hot in here now?

I felt the sweat start to slowly run down my forehead. It was cold

and made my body almost shiver.

She shook her head and slowly lifted herself onto the side of her

bed. She started to squint as she looked me, focusing on my every feature.

Reading me.

Understanding me.

She then proceeded to stand up and motion me to lie back down on my

bed. She walked over and pushed my head down to the pillow slowly and gently,

almost motherly.

She didn’t say a word, just sat next to the side of the bed, closed

her eyes, and started humming.

The air above me started to heat up but only slightly. Her palms

started to glow a bright green, letting out a small whine that corresponded

with her humming. It started to give off a melodic orchestra that echoed inside

my head.

What the heck is going on?

Wait… Wait… My wounds… They’re… They’re healing?

“What do you think of this world, Mr. Denny?” She asks me in a calm

manner.

“Um… isn’t that kind of out of left field? Well… I don’t hate it.

Besides what’s happening right now, it is close in consistency to a fantasy

novel that I have read. I got to meet you and Aster. I also had the chance to

fall for the all beautiful, rough-and-tough Kyoko. And…” I said it in a more

joking matter to cut the silence but it seems she did not like that as much as

she cut me off.

Her eyes opened up and looked directly into mine. The humming and

light stopped and the atmosphere became even more tense than previous. Almost

thought breaking, or at least thought racing.

Should I have not said that?

“What are your true feelings towards Kyoko?” Her voice turned to

stone. Her usual kind, loving face showed only cold, darkened eyes and a flat

line where her smile used to be. It made my hurried thoughts drop to dead

silence.

“Should we… really be…” I saw the determination burrow farther in her

eyes.

“Well, ever since the second I had been brought to this world, it was

fear of the unknown and the look of murder that was my initial thought of her.

Almost as if I knew that I was going to die. And well, sure enough I wasn't

wrong. Even though she was injured and surprised, she still beat me easily. It

was terrifying. Waking up in a strange place that smelled of death and aged

iron, even worse. Clicking of boots across that floor while being blind folded,

I ran. Her tone when trying to get me to sit still stopped my heart cold. 'If

you move again, you’ll get stabbed again,' romantic, right?” My expression must

flow well with the story because Shia was hanging on every word I said, heavily

invested.

“Then, we were attacked by a Mercentry. I was the distraction in the

fight because of my speed and she was trying to gain the upper hand in any way

possible. I just saw her. The way she moved, her power, her strength, they were

and are captivating. She may have been under the effect of After Bringer but

even then… she was shining. It did not end well though. After I awoke from her

attack on me, she greeted me with a smile. Her shining mixed hair hovering over

her right shoulder as she looked down at me, almost landing on my pale face.”

“She was smiling at me. Smiling. Something that I had never seen

before and it was for me. Her smile is beautiful, mixed with her soft voice, I

almost feel like I am being gifted. Her toughness is a great feature as well;

she is not as fragile as you would think just looking at her.” The memory of

that moment played over and over in my memory. A deep smile was implanted on my

face.

“Oh… Are you completely sure that your curse may have effected your

feelings at all?” Her expression kept its consistency quite well.

“How do you know about that? Oh yeah, the time spent with Kyo when

Aster and I were training. Of course it has affected some aspects of my

feelings. But only a tiny bit, I would believe so. She was the first face that

I have ever seen, not even my parent’s faces were visible to me. I would go

home after school every day and say hello to the strangers that also lived

there then go to my room. In my room, I would try my best to tell certain parts

of a face apart from others, from what I could actually see. Seeing a real face

for the first time was a new experience to me and it just happened to be a

beautiful girl like Kyoko. Everything beyond that point made me realize that

going from someone who has never actually seen care or love can still

understand what it feels like even if they haven't experienced it. The battles,

the conversations, the way she shows her feelings. The way she blushes and

smiles, the way she frowns, the way she walks and talks. All of it. I would

give my life for her, not because she gave me a new life but because I want her

to live longer than me. As best I can, I want to see her live on and share her

smile with more people. I really truly like her. If not more than that. I don’t

know if my confession was too soon but she accepted it anyway and that made me

very happy.” I started to blush but kept a brave front on.

Her face changed back to her usual brightening smile and her eyes

close back with the green light shining once more.

“Good. I accept your responses, Denny. You better stick to your word

with protecting her with your life but don’t push yourself too hard, okay? She

wouldn’t want to see you die before her either, we both know that.”

“Yeah, I know. So, now that you asked a question. I want to ask one.

I am always puzzled by this. What made Kyoko the way she is?” She was taken

aback by this but didn’t take it as something that should be stepped around. I

was expecting that she would have.

“Kyoko was a very

normal girl growing up. Wore dresses, played with dolls, played with stuffed

toys. But the main difference between her and other girls is that she never

smiled. She actually broke all of her dolls in secret so her parents wouldn't

find out. I was there to watch and protect her, so I gave her toys that she did

like to play with. You know, trucks and the like. It was rather adorable to see

her try and show her toughness by attempting to break them.”

Her face grew grim.

“Until King Jol found

out and promised to punish her by locking her in a dark cell for one day. I

took the blame, the least that I could do. Buying toys for her was all that I

could do at the time. She deserved something that she could actually enjoy, not

dolls and those frilly dresses that made her miserable. The lessons to make her

“Lady-Like,” Ha... what a joke. She’s a strong girl but every time I saw the

door open with her standing in that doorway saddened, almost broke my heart.

She would throw herself on the bed, her face mixed with anger and pure sadness.

I sat on the side of her bed and held her close. Even if she hit me, I would

let her. I wasn't the most adept at showing emotion or even understanding

others at the time. For her sake, I was willing to learn.

So every other day, I

would go without food and train to give myself some idea of pain. Even on the

days that I ate, I would eat light. Yes, it may sound stupid to starve myself

but that's the only idea I had. After about a year, I begged King Jol to allow

Kyoko to hang out with some other girls around her age. For some release from

this constant training. He allowed it.”

“My younger brother,

Junlos, attempted to play with her but pretty much clung to me the whole time.

So that plan didn't work out as well. That was when the Vice Duke's son,

Alfonse, was invited to play with her. I have never seen Kyoko so happy and in

turn, I started to feel joyed by this. But sadly, nothing lasts forever.”

“What happened?” I

sat up quite a bit in suspense. I saw that remembering this was hard for her,

even if I could tell that it couldn't be dreadful but more heart wrenching.

“The boy's father was

put under scrutiny for cheating on his wife and raping four other women. Just

like everyone else on that fucking Efferets Council. Pardon my language.

Everyone on that ungodly Council are bound to do the same but they are adept at

covering it up. He didn't even attempt to. The only “pure,” to put it lightly,

individual is King Jol. He hasn't cheated and shows high respect for his wife.

The major draw is that he is the most violent of the council. Anyways, the Vice

Duke had to leave the country to Andervell or face the slaughter of his entire

family. His son was a sweet, innocent child and sadly had to be brought into

that. Kyoko didn't understand then and still doesn't know today. Not that she

shouldn't know but it might be for the best. She really liked that boy. Oh...

Sorry.” She just realized that she mentioned it to me.

“It's no problem, I

can't say that I understand the feeling but I understand the situation.” If I

said that it didn't make me a little jealous, I would be lying.

“Well... anyway, this

brought on a string of “friends” that the King had gathered for Kyoko. Every

one ended badly and every doll she received was ordered by her to be burned by

the butler. After the fifth friend left, she gave up trying to make friends.

She kept to the Princess Training that they put her through and she was turning

out to seem like true royalty. For close to four years, she did this.

I was put on a

special mission at the time and events that I will mention at another time led

to how I got to Astern. Junlos sent me letters on occasion to fill me in on the

rest of the details.

After a while, Kyoko

begged her parents to become a Royal Guardian and every time the answer was no.

She then begged Junlos to train her and he quickly agreed. He always respected

Kyoko, not because she is the princess but because of her determination. It

shocked me but I was proud that she finally took that step. Whenever Kyoko had

the free time, she sparred with Junlos.

She trained for six

more years until she turned twenty. She told her parents that she was going to

do her best to be a Royal Guardian. She wanted to prove her worthiness of the

title, so she left the castle with nothing on her but a few pairs of clothes,

money, and a knife. I didn't hear about her from Junlos for about six months

and I was worried the whole time.

Junlos mentioned that

she was almost unrecognizable. Besides her hair and eye colors, you wouldn't

have known it was her.

She marched into the

main chamber with a full suit of armor on and a gas mask in her hand. She

showed her father what she was capable of, a speech from Junlos definitely

helped, and he reluctantly put her on the Royal Guard.

You already know who

her first target was.

Junlos decided to

enter her room that night and found her sitting on the side of her bed with her

head in her hands, shaking.

'First mission

jitters?'

'No. No... No. I...

why him? He seems so innocent. What has he done to make father so determined?'

'I have had harder

people to deal with. Children, old men, women. It's always hard. No matter if you

think you are used to it or not.'

'But... he...'

'Don't tell me...

that he's got you in a bind because you think he's handsome.'

'Wha... what are you

saying? Of course not.'

He joked with her but

he stopped.

'Listen, I get that

you are at a sensitive age but you have to understand that a target is a

target. He is a human. He will die eventually. They are not immortal. Why make

it more painful that it has to be? You can capture him if you like but

understand the repercussions, especially for the princess. But hey... no

pressure, okay.”

“At the end of that

note, he mentioned that he was going on a special mission.” She looked like she

was about the cry. “He still... hasn't sent another letter.”

I was in too much

shock to respond but I didn't have to.

“You were her first

mission. Do you believe she was successful?”

She wanted to

continue the conversation but was now too sad to do so. She started to cry in

the thought of Junlos and I decided to be her shoulder to cry on.

“He's probably still

fighting the best he can. To see one day, how lovely his sister has become.”

I felt the burden

come out from her tears but I knew she was strong enough to calm herself down.

She let go and went

back to her bed without saying a word to get some amount of rest in.

I sat up on my bed

and thought about the next plan of action as calming yet worrying noises filled

and surrounded this small building.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

November 9

My head ached, my

body ached, it seems like everything ached. Should I be worried? Or is this

natural for a person in my situation? Winning a big fight, becoming something

that isn't human, being killed almost twice. Maybe it is catching up to me.

I stuttered to stand

up as the pain of my ribs still lingered and the many aches made my legs creak

at the same tone as the aged wooden floor boards beneath me.

I staggered over to

check on the weapons that were left behind by Aster and the group.

I checked the cabinet

in the back of the main bedroom that was situated on the right side of the

store. The room gave off a pleasant aroma despite the outside world that should

have poisoned that smell a while ago.

The room was well

organized, which is to be expected due to Aster's condition.

I finally reached the

lopsided steel cabinet on the back corner of the room. It seems to have been

recently polished. It reflected almost everything perfectly. Except for the few

scratched and bumps in the aged metal, it seemed almost brand new.

I opened the left

cabinet door to find only a few matches and a few stuffed dolls that Shia may

be collecting. I didn't know that they had such pleasantries here, I wasn't

shocked though. It's almost like the living world just with more truths that I

used to believe were myths. So, most things from home might be somewhere in

this world.

I took the matches

and one of the dolls that seemed to be kept in the highest regard amongst the

rest.

I put the doll into

my right pocket gently as to not rip the delicate cloth and designs. I then put

the matches into my left back pocket for easy accessibility.

I attempted to open

the right cabinet door but to be expected, it was locked tight.

Hmm... maybe Shia

would know... No, I can’t bother her right now.

Umm.... Come on

Denny, you're better than this.

Like in some of the

mystery books that I have read, a good portion of them revealed that when in a

bind, the answer can be simple if looked at from a different perspective. The

store has only one floor and Aster most likely has the key when he left. He may

have taken the key ring with it on. So, unlocking it in a traditional sense is

out of the question.

Umm.... hmm...

Wait... Manifestation. I can just make a new key. Right... Okay... This could

work.

I walked over to the

lock and rested my thumb over the key lock and placed all concentration on my

thoughts. The white light that I seem almost too used to started to shine

brightly again and patterns of the tumblers started to map out inside my head.

It took almost two full minutes and a lot of strain on my mind before the

object was finished and took a lot more out of me after the fact rather than

during.

The design became

more clear the more that I focused on it. It doesn't resemble any key that I

have ever seen before. It had an almost trapezoidal base, which rounded further

down the shaft into an almost oval like pattern, the stems consisted of indents

and centimeter thick hooks not jumps or hills like a key would normally

exhibit.

This gave concern on

my part but not enough warrant for me to investigate it. Its only just a key,

not a mysterious artifact.

The key was

mystifying to look at none-the-less. It has a silver-like finish with a rather

peculiar stemmed, rugged feel and.... Denny, less staring at it and more

attempting to use it.

Okay Brain, okay.

I put the key into

the lock without a hassle and a neat click came from inside the mechanism. The

key turned with no problem at all.

To my disappointment,

there were only papers and various journals that have the words, “My Previous

Life,” written in bold tipped marker along the cover page.

It could mean either

of them to be honest. Aster's life as a human and Shia's old life as a Royal

Guard. I will not push my luck and look further into it.

Oh... It's so tempting

though....

No Denny, you were

raised better.

But… Maybe just a

peek.

I grabbed the nearest

journal and opened the first page as I made my way over to the nearby chair

while making sure I stayed as quiet as possible.

“July 14thIt has been so long

since I have seen the lush greenery of my garden back home. I may say that I

don't miss it but that is a blatant lie that I tell to myself and Shia.”

So it is Aster's. Hmm...

“This world has given

me a second chance though and for that, I am surely grateful. Back in the real

world, fresh out of high school, I was a Janitor. Or a Custodial Staff Member,

as they called it.

I didn't have plans

for the future. Just me, my job, and my girlfriend at the time, Lucy. She was a

short, blonde haired woman, with thick glasses and a mind for adventure. I

liked that about her. She had dreams that I couldn't have at my station.

Lucy was a smart

cookie, she was. She was a Science major going into the branch of Physics and

Aerodynamic Study. A calm person with an insight for everything around her and

a positive attitude for every wrong that could have been done to her. She never

gave up on the world or me and that seemed like the only reason that kept me

going.”

I

didn't know he had such a dark side. Poor Aster. I probably should check one

more page, just to understand.

“July

15thAs

one would guess, I woke up every day except for Sundays and worked. From eight

in the morning to eight at night, I worked. It was a routine that I was not

pleased with in any shape or form. I woke up, brushed my teeth, made some

breakfast for me and Lucy, who was still up after spending all night studying.

I would sometimes help her on the little things that I remembered from Ms.

Burke's twelfth grade Physics lectures.

Gosh,

did I hated her. Well, hate is a strong word. Disliked greatly.

Anyway,

my schedule. I would eat breakfast with Lucy, go to work, finish all the daily

tasks that they had given me, and come home. I would find her passed out most

of the time on her desk, her snoring was pretty adorable. She wasn't the

strongest person but she would keep herself up for hours on end even when she

knew that her brain was yelling for her to stop. No matter how crazy life got,

she wouldn't give up. That made me believe it too.

She

taught me a lot. It was one of the things that I loved about her... loved...

yeah, I do. I haven't really realized it. Hmm... interesting.”

I

should probably skip a bit to find out what made him go to the roof on that

day.

“August

16th

This was almost too hard to

remember but I know that Shia loves to read and knowing her reading speed. She

could read through all my previous memoirs like it was nothing. It’s almost

terrifying, heh heh.

Anyway, I loved my work-a-day,

drum-a-day lifestyle up to a point. That point was the day Lucy was taken from

me. Yes, it sounds like every other sad story but it was almost too sudden for

any romance novel.

This was a while back now, almost

ten years. I had lived with Lucy for about three years and knew almost

everything about her. Her favorite drink, her favorite food, her favorite

hangout, her damn favorite equation in Dynamics. She was dorky like that and I

couldn't blame her. It was interesting material. But... I didn't know what she

wanted to do after she completed the four-year school that she was in then.

It's not that I never asked or listened but she just didn't want to tell me...

like she was ashamed to tell me. Or afraid to.

So, in a normal dinner

conversation, I asked her.

'What do you want to do after Crill-Tech?

Classes end soon, right?' I asked casually.

She didn't answer.

“Lucy... are you okay?”

“Yes, why do you ask?” She asked

as if my last question was non-existent. But I could see something hiding in

her eyes.

“Whenever I ask any other

question, you respond with a calm smile on your face. Full of joy. But when I

ask you that question, you go wide eyed and lock up. What’s wrong?'

'It's nothing... important.' Her

face went red, she excused herself, and power walked to the bedroom holding her

face in her hands. I would chase after her but the last time I did that, she

started to cry harder the more that I would try to comfort her.

I stood up, staring in her direction, and a faint buzzing

became more clear and present behind me. I turned around to see that Lucy had

left her phone behind while marching off.

The brightly lit screen shows the name, 'mom', in white

letters. I don't know why I did but I answered.

'Hello.' I said anticipating.

'Aster, is that you? Where is Lucy?'

'She isn't in the mood to talk right now or even willing to

try. She has been up and down for the past week or so, something is seriously

bothering her. Do you know what it is?' I said in a flat, non-optimistic voice.

“Umm... well... It could be anything. She seems to always be

bothered by something nowadays. Well I have to go. You have a good day, Aster.'

She didn't let me say my goodbye as the tone rang in my ears.

My suspicions have been right and it was the worse version

that I had predicted.

I came home from work the next day to find that the house was

empty, not just of Lucy but of her clothes and belongings as well.

I tried calling her many times but each time was the same

exact words. “The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected.”

It shot a bullet straight through my heart but I didn't want

to give up. She wouldn't want me to.

I drove to her house many times attempting to get a chance to

speak to her and every time, I was restrained by her well off parent’s staff,

A.K.A Goons. Many times have I tried and every time was the same result. They

never had the decency to give me a reason, and the worse part was that I would

see Lucy's mom lifting the curtains and staring back at me.

I only got one letter from her and it looked rushed. In

short, the letter read that her family didn't approve of my low status and that

they will find someone more suitable. She also mentioned about how much she

tried to go against them but failed each time. But the one thing that rang in

my mind was 'why didn't you ask for my help before?'”

I flipped to a month later.

“September 18thI have never felt so hopeless that past month. Any person

that looked anything like her... just... painful memories returned. I could

have sworn that I saw her that day. Or at least... I thought it was her.

It was almost too clear, too real, I wanted to believe that

it was her. She was too far away though. Happy or at least she showed her

gleaming shine to the world. Thinking back on it, she always smiled even under

heavy load. From the nights she spent stress crying, she would lie next to me

and smile while tears fell down her face.

Oh, even thinking about it, writing this is making me

remember the good and the bad times. Heh, it’s funny that when things turn bad,

you look back at times that were also bad and hope for them.

That day, I went into work like normal. Took shit from the

students, as usual. Finished up and went home.

The one thing that hit me the most was coming home to the

same empty house, disgraced by abuse over the time that she had been gone. I

didn't want to live like this. I couldn't.

I never received another letter. Everyday started to get

harder and harder. I did seek help from family but they weren't ever helpful in

meaningful situations. More friends than family, it seemed.

I didn't want to feel anything, to be honest. I may sound

pathetic to some but I never was a strong human being. I gave up on a lot of

things, I cried about a lot of things, I was the laughingstock of my family.

But I was never without people to stand by me. I always had someone with me at

almost all times. I am not meant to deal with problems alone and even benefited

from that.

I went to the school building to see my place of work and get

a good laugh. That laugh of dislike and mockery. Like a light cackling, stupid

but effective.

I walked past the corridor that lead from Building A to

Building B. A light was shining brightly from the top of the stairs that lead

to the rooftop.

There are three floors to go up. How is it visible all the

way down here?

The closer that I had gotten to the top, the brightness

started to fade little by little.

I pushed open the rusty paneled door to see nothing but the

night sky above me.

I gently rubbed my eyes as to get a better grasp on the

situation in front of me but nothing changed.

Heh. Heh. I finally am losing it... I knew it.

I walked over to the edge of the rooftop to admire the

outside world the best I could. I peered over the edge to see nothing but

darkness below.

The thought crossed my mind. What if I... slipped? No... I

can’t, there must be something to look forward to. Hmm...

I leaned against the railing that was almost too old for its

merit. Rusted, bruised. Sad, yet not.

I looked back into the night sky and started to hum to

myself. I was very pleased by the sound that came out. It had a very smooth yet

rustic tone to it, almost akin to Victorian piano music.

I leaned my back against the railing. It was relaxing,

peaceful almost. Indeed, it was.

That peace made me feel too much at peace. I heard a snap and

in a brief second, my question from before was answered.

My body was frozen in place. My back went first and the rest

of me chased after. I attempted to grasp the rest of the railing to gain some

balance but nothing placed itself in my grasp.

The only thing that I could do is close my eyes and accept

it. My life slowly started to flash in my mind. I believe that I have lived

well up to this point.

As my foot fully left the buildings side, I felt a forceful

tug on my leg and my body jerked back towards the cobbled walls of the school.

A force struck the back of my head and the darkness from my

eyelids turns into a new kind, unconsciousness.

I was awoken by a soft voice and a light brush across my

medium length hair. I saw someone whose features reminded me very much of Lucy

staring back at me with an identical smile. The only words I heard are, 'it's

all right, you are mine now. So... please rest.'

A sharp pain shook my stomach as the world slowly faded past

my vision.

Would I have known that I would have met Shia on that day, I

probably would have lived happier to show her the best side of me first.”

I decided that delving anymore then that wouldn't be wise.

Maybe Aster and I were even more alike than I had previously thought.

I put the journal back into its rightful place, locked it

tight, tucked the key into the pocket in my tattered shorts, and walked over to

Shia's bed, where I left the doll I had taken from the cabinet on the nearby

night stand. This might calm her down when she wakes up.

A smile went across my face as I slowly walked back to my

bed. Many thoughts were racing in my head but only one was relevant for now.

I guess sadness is the main link for being turned into a

servant in this world, also being able to show an upside. Mine being my Dark

Veil and Aster has his quick learning and being able to rely on others. Maybe

something else but that is for another time.

I need to heal up a little bit more before I can have an even

chance for whatever may happen.