Chapter 1
Journal entry 1#: "When I look into the mirror, I see the me that everyone else sees. I see a hollow shell that's filled with nothing but anger and regret. Everyone else views the world in color while I only see black and white. What will it take for my suffering to end, to free myself from the chains of destiny?"
Awakening from a pile of ash, I was surrounded by a mountain of bodies. The bloodshot moon illuminated my surroundings. I noticed the lower half of my body buried in soil and blood. My muscles were sore, as if they’d gone through hell. I felt heavy and sick to my stomach. The autumn breeze whistled in the air; death was singing its dreary song. The trees were dancing in the wind.
Looking around, I didn’t recognize where I was. I saw many destroyed buildings and the bodies of poorly-dressed people. The air was filled with the unbearable odor of blood and smoke from the burning buildings. In the distance, I heard sounds of crackling. My vision started to fade as I watched armed soldiers walk toward me. As they were chaining me up, I felt a sense of familiarity as my vision faded to darkness.
***
I woke up as if the heaviness that was bestowed upon me had vanished. I noticed the walls were pure white with a golden framed painting of a woman next to a vase full of flowers. Beside me, a vase full of flowers that resembled the ones in the painting. I could feel the blood flowing through my body as I could finally start to make sense of where I was.
I heard footsteps approaching my room, and fast. The door swung wide open. A little girl and a young woman who was dressed in a maid uniform walked in.
"You're finally awake!" said the little girl as she approached me with excitement.
"Yeah, I guess I am."
"I thought you'd never come back to me," cried the girl.
"I was…supposed to come back?"
"Yes, you reckless idiot. Don't you remember what you promised?"
I uttered a hesitant "No… "
The girl started to cry.
"No, this can't be real!" cried the girl. "This all has to be a dream."
"Now Elise, this isn't how you want your brother to see you after he comes back after all these years, now would you?" asked the maid.
I assessed the situation. The name Elise sounded familiar. My head started to hurt as my vision turned blurry. I felt my body burning like the blazing sun and my breath getting heavier.
"Are you okay?" Elise said, worried.
I glanced over to her, and visions started appearing out of nowhere. People dying, neverending amount of bloodshed, and her standing above it all. She could feel the heaviness within every breath. My face was pale as sweat started to drip from my forehead.
"What is this?!" I trembled. "What does this all mean?"
"What are you talking about?" replied Elise.
She tried to hold my hand, but my hand pulled away as if it had a mind of its own.
"I’d best be on my way," I said as I tried to move from the bed. My body still felt the fatigue from whatever happened to me.
"Sir, I insist you stay right where you are," commanded the maid.
"Yes I agree with her, please stay and rest," Elise added.
"I feel fine…I don't think I should be here," I said.
Getting up from the bed, I started to feel dizzy; however, I had gotten a hold of my footing. Elise ran over to my side to aid me in walking. I hunched over as I found myself dependent on her for any stable movement. We walked down the hall where a bright light could be seen from the other room. Approaching the room, I noticed paintings that seemed familiar. Drawn were pictures of people who seemed important. The periods of time in which they've been made seem to vary, however. One of the paintings was a drawing of a pale old man whose beard was white as snow. His eyes were green and he had an eye-catching sword next to him.
***
Appearing in front of a dining table, I was seated by Elise, and she sat down adjacent to me. I was met with the staring eyes of many, as if they've seen a murder.
"Are you hungry?" Elise smiled and offered me food to eat. A bowl of veggie soup and a slice of bread were bestowed before me. They looked freshly made. I hadn’t eaten for God knows how long, so I dug in. I heard footsteps approaching me, and I saw a shadow coming from behind the pillar.
"It seems as though you are awake," said the mysterious figure.
"Claudio, you're here!" said Elise excitedly as she jumped from her chair and walked towards him.
Claudio…that name sounded familiar, I thought as these visions started happening again. Why do these visions keep happening? I saw a group of people who were standing in front of me, as if they were protecting me. Blood was on the face of a woman as things started to fade back into reality.
"You seem to still be feeling out of it," Claudio remarked as he eyed me from across the room. He stood firm and with authority. His white and blue trench coat complemented the golden-colored pillars and the white walls. He shifted his brown hair to the side as he ordered everyone to leave besides Elise and me. The commanding look in his blue eyes emulated his status within this place. Once I looked into his eyes, I knew that he led this place with an iron fist.
He sat down across from me and started to examine his food. He seemed to be the type of person who's picky with their food, and that assumption seemed to be correct. He was examining his steak as if someone poisoned it. He must've come to the conclusion that his steak was but a normal steak and decided to dig in.
"How do you feel right now?" Claudio asked.
"I don't really know," I said. "I feel heavy. I'm confused…wait where am I?"
"You are in the Ark Palace. I know you’re confused as to how you got here. I’d be happy to answer that as well as any other questions you have,” Claudio replied. His glare pierced my eyes as he was sipping out of his teacup. Claudio stood from his chair and walked slowly to my side of the table.
“You were found in the middle of Vaganok Village, northeast from here, after our forces were cleaning up the place, after our victory against the Moxians," said Claudio. "You were the only remaining survivor there. I almost forgot to ask for your name.”
“M-my name…I don’t remember having one,” I quickly said.
“Well then, how about Zion? I think it’d fit you perfectly,” Claudio said as he glared at me.
Zion sounded familiar. It felt at home with me and I don’t know why. I was taking in my name as I started to have a migraine again. The pain struck my nervous systems like crashing waves during a thunderstorm. It was an intense, raging river. I started seeing things again. People around me were fighting one another. Faces appeared beside me as if they were calling out to me. Horse hooves crackling like firecrackers and sounds of clashing iron. I heard a voice scream out to me, calling my name.
I woke up inside the room I was previously residing in. It felt like I was recovering from a hangover, but nothing serious.
Claudio and Elise were sitting next to me waiting for me to awaken.
"You have quite the record for passing out," Claudio said jokingly.
"That seems to be the case. Maybe it was just the fatigue?"
"That could be the case but on a serious note, what are you going to do now? To me, it seems to me that you have amnesia. What do you remember so far?"
"I'm not sure," I said. "To be honest, I don't even know where to start."
Claudio gave me a more serious look as he commented, "You should look for the Seer. He lies within the DrakeWood Forest, east from us. He should have the answers you're looking for."
I gratefully looked at him.
"I appreciate the suggestion, but why do all of this for me?"
Claudio smirked at me as he replied, "Don't worry, we'll see each other again very soon. Until then, get stronger and regain your memories. You can repay us once you do. I had left some gear for you on the table so you don't forget to pick it when you leave."
Claudio readjusted his glasses as he left the room. Next to me was more appropriate attire for adventuring. I went to the bathroom to try it on; however, this was the first time I'd ever seen myself.
My eyes were amber, seemingly more suited for the night. My dark, purplish hair seemed to blend in with my black and ash colored hair as well. I never noticed how muscular my body was. While examining myself, I noticed a scar that was on my chest. It stretched from my left shoulder diagonal to the right of my rib cage. I don't remember how I obtained this scar, but it was there. My amber-like skin glistened within the light as I realized that I needed to shave.
With a clean shave, I put on a gray shirt with a brown leather vest. I had dark gray pants that fit me surprisingly well. I had fitted my brown boots exceptionally, and I was ready to go. I grabbed my bag full of necessities, my shortsword, and my pistol, and left the palace heading for the Seer's tower.
Awakening from a pile of ash, I was surrounded by a mountain of bodies. The bloodshot moon illuminated my surroundings. I noticed the lower half of my body buried in soil and blood. My muscles were sore, as if they’d gone through hell. I felt heavy and sick to my stomach. The autumn breeze whistled in the air; death was singing its dreary song. The trees were dancing in the wind.
Looking around, I didn’t recognize where I was. I saw many destroyed buildings and the bodies of poorly-dressed people. The air was filled with the unbearable odor of blood and smoke from the burning buildings. In the distance, I heard sounds of crackling. My vision started to fade as I watched armed soldiers walk toward me. As they were chaining me up, I felt a sense of familiarity as my vision faded to darkness.
***
I woke up as if the heaviness that was bestowed upon me had vanished. I noticed the walls were pure white with a golden framed painting of a woman next to a vase full of flowers. Beside me, a vase full of flowers that resembled the ones in the painting. I could feel the blood flowing through my body as I could finally start to make sense of where I was.
I heard footsteps approaching my room, and fast. The door swung wide open. A little girl and a young woman who was dressed in a maid uniform walked in.
"You're finally awake!" said the little girl as she approached me with excitement.
"Yeah, I guess I am."
"I thought you'd never come back to me," cried the girl.
"I was…supposed to come back?"
"Yes, you reckless idiot. Don't you remember what you promised?"
I uttered a hesitant "No… "
The girl started to cry.
"No, this can't be real!" cried the girl. "This all has to be a dream."
"Now Elise, this isn't how you want your brother to see you after he comes back after all these years, now would you?" asked the maid.
I assessed the situation. The name Elise sounded familiar. My head started to hurt as my vision turned blurry. I felt my body burning like the blazing sun and my breath getting heavier.
"Are you okay?" Elise said, worried.
I glanced over to her, and visions started appearing out of nowhere. People dying, neverending amount of bloodshed, and her standing above it all. She could feel the heaviness within every breath. My face was pale as sweat started to drip from my forehead.
"What is this?!" I trembled. "What does this all mean?"
"What are you talking about?" replied Elise.
She tried to hold my hand, but my hand pulled away as if it had a mind of its own.
"I’d best be on my way," I said as I tried to move from the bed. My body still felt the fatigue from whatever happened to me.
"Sir, I insist you stay right where you are," commanded the maid.
"Yes I agree with her, please stay and rest," Elise added.
"I feel fine…I don't think I should be here," I said.
Getting up from the bed, I started to feel dizzy; however, I had gotten a hold of my footing. Elise ran over to my side to aid me in walking. I hunched over as I found myself dependent on her for any stable movement. We walked down the hall where a bright light could be seen from the other room. Approaching the room, I noticed paintings that seemed familiar. Drawn were pictures of people who seemed important. The periods of time in which they've been made seem to vary, however. One of the paintings was a drawing of a pale old man whose beard was white as snow. His eyes were green and he had an eye-catching sword next to him.
***
Appearing in front of a dining table, I was seated by Elise, and she sat down adjacent to me. I was met with the staring eyes of many, as if they've seen a murder.
"Are you hungry?" Elise smiled and offered me food to eat. A bowl of veggie soup and a slice of bread were bestowed before me. They looked freshly made. I hadn’t eaten for God knows how long, so I dug in. I heard footsteps approaching me, and I saw a shadow coming from behind the pillar.
"It seems as though you are awake," said the mysterious figure.
"Claudio, you're here!" said Elise excitedly as she jumped from her chair and walked towards him.
Claudio…that name sounded familiar, I thought as these visions started happening again. Why do these visions keep happening? I saw a group of people who were standing in front of me, as if they were protecting me. Blood was on the face of a woman as things started to fade back into reality.
"You seem to still be feeling out of it," Claudio remarked as he eyed me from across the room. He stood firm and with authority. His white and blue trench coat complemented the golden-colored pillars and the white walls. He shifted his brown hair to the side as he ordered everyone to leave besides Elise and me. The commanding look in his blue eyes emulated his status within this place. Once I looked into his eyes, I knew that he led this place with an iron fist.
He sat down across from me and started to examine his food. He seemed to be the type of person who's picky with their food, and that assumption seemed to be correct. He was examining his steak as if someone poisoned it. He must've come to the conclusion that his steak was but a normal steak and decided to dig in.
"How do you feel right now?" Claudio asked.
"I don't really know," I said. "I feel heavy. I'm confused…wait where am I?"
"You are in the Ark Palace. I know you’re confused as to how you got here. I’d be happy to answer that as well as any other questions you have,” Claudio replied. His glare pierced my eyes as he was sipping out of his teacup. Claudio stood from his chair and walked slowly to my side of the table.
“You were found in the middle of Vaganok Village, northeast from here, after our forces were cleaning up the place, after our victory against the Moxians," said Claudio. "You were the only remaining survivor there. I almost forgot to ask for your name.”
“M-my name…I don’t remember having one,” I quickly said.
“Well then, how about Zion? I think it’d fit you perfectly,” Claudio said as he glared at me.
Zion sounded familiar. It felt at home with me and I don’t know why. I was taking in my name as I started to have a migraine again. The pain struck my nervous systems like crashing waves during a thunderstorm. It was an intense, raging river. I started seeing things again. People around me were fighting one another. Faces appeared beside me as if they were calling out to me. Horse hooves crackling like firecrackers and sounds of clashing iron. I heard a voice scream out to me, calling my name.
I woke up inside the room I was previously residing in. It felt like I was recovering from a hangover, but nothing serious.
Claudio and Elise were sitting next to me waiting for me to awaken.
"You have quite the record for passing out," Claudio said jokingly.
"That seems to be the case. Maybe it was just the fatigue?"
"That could be the case but on a serious note, what are you going to do now? To me, it seems to me that you have amnesia. What do you remember so far?"
"I'm not sure," I said. "To be honest, I don't even know where to start."
Claudio gave me a more serious look as he commented, "You should look for the Seer. He lies within the DrakeWood Forest, east from us. He should have the answers you're looking for."
I gratefully looked at him.
"I appreciate the suggestion, but why do all of this for me?"
Claudio smirked at me as he replied, "Don't worry, we'll see each other again very soon. Until then, get stronger and regain your memories. You can repay us once you do. I had left some gear for you on the table so you don't forget to pick it when you leave."
Claudio readjusted his glasses as he left the room. Next to me was more appropriate attire for adventuring. I went to the bathroom to try it on; however, this was the first time I'd ever seen myself.
My eyes were amber, seemingly more suited for the night. My dark, purplish hair seemed to blend in with my black and ash colored hair as well. I never noticed how muscular my body was. While examining myself, I noticed a scar that was on my chest. It stretched from my left shoulder diagonal to the right of my rib cage. I don't remember how I obtained this scar, but it was there. My amber-like skin glistened within the light as I realized that I needed to shave.
With a clean shave, I put on a gray shirt with a brown leather vest. I had dark gray pants that fit me surprisingly well. I had fitted my brown boots exceptionally, and I was ready to go. I grabbed my bag full of necessities, my shortsword, and my pistol, and left the palace heading for the Seer's tower.
To Be Continued...
Earnest Thomas
