I awaken to the sound of fluttering papers. I immediately jolt up and frantically scan my surroundings, my body tense with fear. It’s coming from outside. I rush to my closet and push my clothes aside, revealing a secret compartment inside. I hurriedly pull out the hidden drawer and grab the item in it, an orb slightly larger than my palm. A black mass calmly swirls around in it, moving towards my hand like a magnet as I grip onto the orb. I waste no time and rush out of my bedroom, thrusting the orb forwards blindly in a telekinetic fashion, expecting an intruder.

When my brain registers the vicinity, I heave a sigh of relief. No assassins today. Just a simple gust of wind through an open window. Right, forgot about that window. I clench a fist and pull it towards myself. The orb responds and quickly flies back towards me before slowing down and hovering beside me at shoulder height.

Living in a mansion has its perks; it’s a spacious home with a nice, cozy interior, boasting over three floors excluding the attic and the basement and filled to the brim with old, dusty junk people claim to be ‘relics of the past’. As if. How is a journal called ‘The journey of a cow’ a historical artifact? My late father sure had an interesting collection.

Thus, it sure isn’t surprising that I get unwanted guests rather often, here to steal this ‘sacred’ knowledge and ‘precious’ artifacts that is useful to them. Little did they know how useless everything here was. My father already hid every important drop of knowledge, locking any door to immense power and strength. Mostly to keep it from me, but looks like now, it’s proving to be rather beneficial to me. Everything’s already hidden. No extra effort to hide or protect any of it, not like I have the ability to do either. Ironically, I can simply live at peace with these intruders. They take out the trash and I get more space.

That is, until they started looking at me for value.

I eye my orb as fatigue starts to settle in from being jolted awake in the middle of the night. I shake off as much of it as possible before gathering the stray pages that flew on the ground and stuffing it into a random book. I let out a small yawn before I retreat back into the comfort of my bed. I clutch the orb for a moment, stroking the surface, the mass trailing along as it follows my touch. I silently wonder what could truly be trapped inside. This substance. This… entity. Trapped!

With the orb in my hand, vivid memories return to me. The memories as clear as day, but as dark as night. I can almost feel the blade pressed into my chest as if it was really there. The suffocation I endured, before a surge of energy overwhelmed me. Everything else that followed was nothing but death. Many lives were lost or traded whereas some were lucky enough to make it out alive.

Luck wasn’t on my family’s side.

A shudder trickles down my spine, a stray tear escaping my eyes. The death of my parents still haunts me till today. Their eyes shone with fear as their chests were being impaled. All I could do was watch helplessly as the life drained from their souls. The fear of history being repeated consumes me, like a blanket of misery to keep my fire burning and protect it against the elements. At least I’m still safe and alive.

A blaring noise reverberates around the room. Panic seizes me as I jump up with a scream, my brain more vigilant than ever. My eyes dart to every corner in search of a murderer, only to find my innocent alarm clock doing its everyday job. Frustrated, I launch my orb at it to silence it, though adrenaline got the better of me and I accidentally silenced it permanently. I let out a tired sigh before proceeding to clean up the mess of broken plastic and glass. That’s the fifth time this month…

~ ~ ~

Walking to the cafeteria, I pull down my hood and quickly grab my lunch, avidly avoiding any mirrors and reflective surfaces. I take a seat in the furthest table, where almost no one sits. Although lonely, it’s the best choice for me. I have no idea how far I have been affected and how deep I am into the current phase. Best to avoid any eye contact for the time being. I would agree that a quick check through the mirror would be optimal, but it’s too risky. Fear is already churning within me from the sheer thought of it. What more when I actually look into my eyes in the reflection.

I make my approach to the table before being wholly disappointed. Seated promptly there is none other than Coralia, taking a wholesome nap, drool threatening to leak out her lips. I silently take a seat and start shoving the food as quickly as I can into my mouth. Best be done with it as quick as possible.

Almost unnoticed, I manage to realise a distinct lack of a specific emotion. Confused and curious at the condition I’m currently in, I take some time to look at Coralia, trying my best to coerce that emotion, which, after some studying, I think is safe to assume to be something called ‘lust’. From my research, it seems to be a strong desire to attain someone, in the similar vein of an animal pursuing its mate.

With this knowledge, I study her every feature, stoic compliments being repeated over and over, hoping for ‘physical attraction’ to surface. Despite my hatred to this unknown feeling I experience around her, I still need it to linger in me, just long enough to figure out why. I need to figure out why my life is how it is today, or more of how can I fix myself and live a normal life again.

Unfortunately, my thoughts caused me to be less vigilant. Despite my best efforts to stay silent, I knock my knee into the leg of the table, inevitably waking her up and cutting my study short, failing to even come close to bringing the emotion to life. Coralia, groans groggily before sitting up, a thin trail of drool along her right cheek and her hair messed up. She rubs her eyes before yawning and stretching her arms. It took her a moment to register my presence, but when she does, she yelps in surprise as she looks away and tidies herself hurriedly, a hint of red burning into her cheeks.

Not long after, the ‘lust’ returns, putting me in a slightly lighter mood, something that I have actually experienced previously and can recognize. In this entranced state, Coralia looks ever more beautiful and adorable in her disorderly and frantic state, possibly due to the genuineness of her current look. No false fronts, no masks to conceal, no secrets. Or so most people would think.

Clearly, this thought doesn’t cross everyone’s minds as all the guys in her close proximity once again turn to her, previously disinterested and paying no attention. I can almost see them drooling their hearts out over this senior. This ‘lust’ capable of such control. Just imagine if the king had such power back then. Maybe I could be living a normal life.

“Do you not have classes?” I blurted out, the urge to speak surfacing from nowhere. The question itself is mine and completely genuine, but the action of asking… it has to be the ‘lust’ injected into me. Despite all that, my tone sounds more joyful than I would have expected, surprising myself with an ability that I thought I have previously lost.

“Nope, none at all.” Answering while still looking away and adjusting herself, her tone much too joyful considering the current embarrassing situation she got herself in. After a short moment, she got her curly hair tamed into a playfully messy ponytail. She looks better, though not an opinion made from my own feelings but from the additional stares she has garnered from displaying herself for everyone to see. I can’t help but feel as though she’s an exhibit, just waiting to be gawked and grovelled upon by unassuming passersby.

“…So? Why are you here?” Now, fear starts settling once again, like a virus spreading through the thick layers of ‘lust’. The amount of attention pointed in my direction is overwhelming, amplified by annoyed mumbles of Coralia having picked me over them. I can’t risk anymore bullies. Too much provocation may expose my secret: the person I truly am.

“Oh, I was waiting for you. There’s somewhere I want to bring you to. I feel it’s gonna be a whole lot of fun.” She lets out a quick laugh, enough to explode some hearts, I’m sure, by the sounds of a few thuds around me, some guys literally fainting from just looking at her beauty and her quirks, which I infer to be an attractive trait. Though, everyone else who’s standing up now gets more riled up at this invitation. A ‘date’ is what people try to achieve to get to know each other better, simultaneously attempting to win the other’s favor.

“Where- “

“After school, I’ll be waiting outside. Okay?” I barely get the chance to say anything else before she quickly stands up and makes her way out. Along the way, she surveys the horde of men just admiring her, too afraid to do anything. However, a student nearer to her, someone you would typically deem as a nerd with clear lack of social exposure, carefully makes his way and offers her a box of chocolates. Brave of him to do so with so much attention on her.

Playfulness written all over her, Coralia accepts the gift and repays with a quick kiss on his cheek before exiting the school. Unfazed by this, no jealousy of the slightest arising in me, I get the opportunity to watch the scene unfold before me. The more arrogant and ‘good-looking’ students quickly make their way to the poor kid, frustration and jealousy seething through their skin. Fear immediately spikes into my heart. I see the kid get dragged away helplessly by the collar, a high possibility of getting beat up by the bullies.

All he got was a peck on the cheek. What’s going to happen to me, the person who not only is closer to Coralia, but was asked out on a date?! Before I can find out, I dart out the lunchroom, neglecting my unfinished lunch. She’s caused so much trouble for me in both inside and outside of school. Sometimes I wonder what’d I do to be free of such trouble. Kill!

~ ~ ~

Coralia was outside, just as she promised. She’s carrying a small pack, claiming to only be bringing a few essential items with her. She advised me to do the same when I came to her after school. When I say advised, it was more of incessant pleas and empty threats for me to keep my school bags and grab some essential items of my own. She sounds awfully desperate to go near my house.

I make a quick stop and rush in, hurriedly going up to my room and grabbing my orb, fearful of what might happen if I leave her alone for too long. She might be a distracted for a moment, before going towards the door. But I stopped the moment I heard a creak. Fear rushes into me as I think of all the possible suspects who’s raided my home. Could it be the bearded guy that I’m sure I killed three times, or maybe it’s the shapeshifting female who very nearly killed me if not for a stray cat distracting her long enough for me to escape?

Whoever it is, I pray it’s just a raid and not an assassination attempt. There’s no reason to retaliate if they aren’t gunning for me. The resources here are plenty enough to be shared. In fact, the junk in here can be shared with the entire world and still have some leftovers, although the whole world to my knowledge is all under the same, small, suffocating dome of imprisonment.

I muster the little courage that I can drag out of the pit of fear in me and ready myself to jump out and attack before I hear a grunt, the voice suspiciously similar. It doesn’t take long for me to realise who it is.

“What the heck are you doin-“ I don’t get a chance to finish my sentence before Coralia squeals and slaps me across the face, with me barely making it out the door. The slap was strong enough to send me back into my room. I stumble backwards before tripping on my own leg and falling down, landing hard on my back. Dang it. How pathetic…

“Oh. I’m so sorry, I thought you were an intruder” Why am I suspected to be an intruder when you’re intruding?! Coralia rubs her hand, slightly sore from the slap she gave me. I quickly pull my orb back and shove it into my hoodie pocket, giving her no chance to be aware of the true treasure just under her nose. Luckily, she seems to be too distracted by her hand to notice anything. I push myself up and look at her, attempting to put on a stern front, but in reality, my body feels like jelly from fear.

If she really was sent to kill me, how could I stand a chance when her slap itself is enough to knock me down. Not only that, she seems to be exuding an aura of ‘lust’ around her, something I have never seen or experienced before. Despite her humble and innocent appearance, I must constantly remind myself that hidden under the façade is a feisty and powerful fighter.

“Can you explain why you’re in my house?” Her cheeks start to flush red as she rubs her neck sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed by her wrongdoings. Guilty!

“I was…curious…you have a house with a lot of history, and I thought we were close enough to…” She looks away, a sense of guilt palpable in the air. It sounds so awfully genuine; it could fool anyone. However, for someone like me, whose every emotion, except fear, have been stripped out of me, I could tell that something feels off about her tone. Despite that, her embarrassed state seems to send a rush of ‘lust’ up my brain, severely disrupting my flow of thought. Aware that any further attempt to push away this feeling is fruitless from previous experiences, I just let out a sigh and drag her out the house before letting her lead me to the destination.

~ ~ ~

The destination was nothing to write home about. A simple crack in the forcefield, large enough to be visible, but small enough to go unnoticed by the forcefield’s automated reparation system. A rare sight yes, but gives no practical benefits to those who visit. I watch from a distance as Coralia avidly takes pictures of the crack and rambles on about the crack, spewing information that I already know.

The forcefield is an interesting topic to research on. Able to redirect energy from the city’s energy core and into whatever, or whoever, is unfortunate enough to end up contacting the protective walls of the city. Nothing can go in or go out, but I know better. Kill.

I feel the orb get restless, the mass in it trying to push itself out the orb. I grip the orb to try and conceal any possible activity in the pocket. I feel my arm go stiff, before I pull out my orb. My brain goes blank as I reel my arm back and launch my orb straight at Coralia, which is lined up with the crack. The orb pushes her back into the crack, but instead of electrifying her, she gets pushed through, as though there is a field around the orb that can rip the border open. Kill.

“Reynold! What the heck were you thinking?!” screams Coralia before turning around and seeing a lack of the usual blue glow of the border behind her, replaced by a thicket of vegetation that stretches endlessly into the darkness ahead. Awestruck, Coralia seems to forget the danger of the Forest as she wanders deeper. I notice the large hole in the forcefield start shrinking, the system kicking into gear as it starts patching up the damage. I open my mouth to warn her, but no words come out. Kill.

Fortunately, life warns Coralia for me as a muffled and distorted roar echoes towards her. Coralia snaps out of her trance and realizes the situation she’s in. She quickly turns around and darts back towards the city, the hole already too small for her to fit through. Kill.

“Reynold! Help me!” Coralia helplessly looks at the forcefield slowly closing upon her, before redirecting her attention to me, a soft gasp releasing from her lips as she looks at me. A strong wind picks up in the Forest and starts rustling the leaves heavily, a reminder of the extreme elements outside the city walls. She tries to stay rooted to the ground but loses her footing and gets thrusted into the forcefield. The sight of her body being electrocuted on the forcefield was gruesome to say the least. She immediately starts bleeding from every corner, her face contorted into one of immense pain as arcs of electricity encircle her. Her body starts convulsing uncontrollably, her eyes going blank. Kill!

My body finally responds to my constant demands and rushes towards Coralia. I pull my orb back through the hole and drag the orb through the forcefield, tearing it slowly while disrupting the system, stopping the defense mechanism and halting the reparation system. Coralia falls limp on the ground, released from the arcs of energy gripping onto her. I squeeze through the narrow gap I created in the border, thanking the stars for my small physique. I rush over to Coralia and check for a pulse, relieved to find her still alive, albeit on the brink of death. No!

I look over to the forcefield, hoping there’s enough time to escape through the gap I made, only to be horrified at the sight of the perfectly fixed border. I’m trapped. Outside. In the Forest.

My body freezes, the slender fingers of fear wrapping around my neck, overwhelming me to the point where I feel like I’m choking on my thoughts. My breathing gets heavy as the world starts spinning, the horrors from the stories of the Forest laying waste to those exiled to death. The only thing I have with me is the innocent girl I almost murdered. The thought clears my mind momentarily, comforted by the fact that I’m not adding another innocent’s life to my current record.

Emphasis on ‘momentarily’. Fear quickly crashes into the relief as a distant screech pierces my ears. I desperately shake Coralia, trying to bring her back to consciousness. The Forest, where everything is made to kill is the last place I want to be. Every tree laced with poisonous roots and flowers, paired with sharp, impaling branches. Also, the demented creatures that lumber around and take this horrifying place as shelter are well-equipped to deal with any dangers, like heavy armor or ferocious teeth, all in the name of survival. Coralia and I are good news to them; easy pickings off the ground.

Through my state of panic, I catch a glimpse of Coralia’s backpack. Remembering that she brought essential items, whatever that may be, I decide to scour through the bag and salvage whatever I can. Possibly a flashlight to see, maybe a flint and steel, or even a proper weapon. I try to think logically amongst the chaos of terror in my brain. Though, the deeper I ransack, the more ill-prepared I realise I am.

I flip the bag over and pour out its contents, various tools and equipment plated in gold emerging from it. But there is a silver lining, where she left a few items in her bag that was probably not intended to be brought. Sorting through the mess on the floor, I pick out what I think would be the most useful and stuff them into the now empty pack: Her leftover lunch, a crumpled plastic bottle, her camera which is unfortunately heavily damaged from the electrified border, and a random notebook which I saw her scribbling in as she was investigating the crack.

As for everything else, I decide to leave them there. The equipment is completely alien to me, such tech has neither been sold publicly or been used in the past. Bringing along unnecessary weight will only slow me down It’s created in secret, but for what reason? Kill!

From the distance, I hear a twig snap behind me. My body tenses up as I frantically look left and right, afraid of any monsters that might jump out at me. I hear a low grumble a distance away. I have no other choice. There’s clearly something out there, and it has sensed us. I look at Coralia for a moment, wondering if I could even carry her. Though never really bothered to look at her, I reckon she would be taller and, thus, heavier. Carrying her could backfire and she could be a liability. The creature grumbles again, this time much closer. I have no time to decide. I sling Coralia’s arm around my neck before carrying the backpack and dragging her along as I make my escape, ensuring to stay close to the city.

The creature lunges forwards into the forcefield, revealing itself. I glance behind just to steal a quick look. The creature is a large, bright yellow lizard, bearing green spots throughout its body. It has a large snout with few fang-like teeth piercing through its own mouth. On its four legs boasts long and needle-like claws, longer than my height. Its tail is horrendously contorted, barely moving at all. I was hoping the forcefield would kill it, but it has near to no effect. The lizard is propping itself on its claws, the skin of the creature a good distance from the city barrier. I need to go faster! I pray and take the risk of carrying Coralia, princess style. I grab her legs from below and lift her up, allowing myself to cover much more distance. Wow, …she’s surprisingly light. I look behind to see the creature looking around for a moment before sniffing the air. Its pupils dilate before staring straight at me. Crap.