Reaper: The Archon of Death

Chapter 9: Outside the Village Part 1

[ONE WEEK LATER]

As I gazed into the rising sun and the golden horizon, I heard the oddly familiar and enthusiastic footsteps of Arisu. The warm hues of dawn played across her features, and her eyes flashed with anticipation.

"Lyssa!" She called out, "Follow me; I want to talk about something!"

I turned around to see her sprinting at me at high speeds. Her hand was high in the air while a bright, radiant orb hovered on her palm.

She really wanted my attention.

"Why, may I ask?"

I narrowed my eyes in apprehension, all while attempting to sound ordinary.

"Come on, it's something new! And fun!"

Her hair waved as she eventually arrived beside me. She put on an optimistic smile as she pulled on my arm while walking back.

After a while of pulling, we arrived at her home, where Kei was sitting on a rigid chair and drinking some foreign beverage.

"So you brought her too?"

He sounded a bit pleased about that but also irritated, presumably at Arisu, though.

Arisu grinned, her energy unfazed by Kei's subtle irritation. "Of course I did! Lyssa, you'll love it, I promise!"

"Arisu," I began, "what's this 'new' and 'fun' thing you're so eager about? It better not be flying blades this time."

"Oh, it isn't flying knives this time."

Arisu's grin turned into a normal smile. Something rare, which usually meant something normal, was truly going to happen.

Arisu took a seat on one of the wooden chairs opposite Kei and motioned for me to sit down on the third between the two.

"We're going to go on an adventure!"

Arisu exclaimed enthusiastically as she leapt up from the chair she sat in just moments ago.

The room silenced itself for a few seconds not long afterwards; Kei glimpsed at her as if she were jesting—which she wasn't, by the way—and narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

Arisu's eyes sparkled with even more excitement. "Lyssa's been stuck in her own bubble for too long. And I thought we should go on an adventure together to show her what the outside world's like."

Kei's eyes widened; it was clear he wasn't anticipating that response from someone like her.

"An adventure, you say?"

"Exactly! We're going to venture into the unknown, discover hidden treasures, and make memories that'll last a lifetime."

I could see Kei's curiosity piqued despite his initial reluctance, his stoic facade cracking just a bit.

The corners of his lips tugged upward ever so subtly, a glimmer of intrigue in his eyes. It was a rare sight, for Kei rarely showed any emotion beyond indifference, but Arisu's proposal had managed to elicit a spark of interest and a hint of excitement.

"Where do you have in mind?"

"It's... a secret!"

A mischievous glint danced in Arisu's eyes as she playfully winked, a subtle yet vibrant gesture that added a touch of whimsy to the atmosphere.

Kei and I exchanged glances; a brief, shared exchange transpired, an unspoken dialogue that needed no words.

"How dangerous is this? Is there any information or guidance we should be aware of? Is there

a plan, or are we just venturing into the unknown without a clear path? What could we encounter out there?"

His questions mirrored the very thoughts that had been swirling in my mind, almost as if he had a direct line to my thoughts.

"It's perfectly safe! I've been there before, and the people there are really fun and nice."

It felt like she wasn't telling us everything. Arisu's words held a hint of mystery, a hidden layer beneath her apparent excitement.

She was always one to go to extremes, though, so it would make sense if she was hiding any potential dangers.

"Arisu, you mentioned that you've been there before. What kind of place is it, exactly?"

I decided to dig a little deeper to get her to describe the place, hoping she would reveal more about the upcoming adventure.

Arisu leaned in closer, as if she were about to share an incredible secret.

"Its... a... secret~"

I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Arisu's mischievous smile was enough to know that her intentions weren't to divulge too much information about this mysterious place.

However, I didn't ponder the possibility of the mysterious place having clues about D.K. and that man I saw.

"When does this 'adventure' start?"

Kei's steely gaze bore into Arisu; his eyes fixed on her with relentless vehemence, clearly expecting an answer that left no room for vagueness.

"It starts tomorrow, so be prepared!"

"And what if I don't want to—"

"If you don't go, I'll make sure your eyes burn. I'll make sure your eyes burn with the relentless brilliance of a thousand suns, an eternal blaze that scorches not just your vision but etches searing light into the very depths of your soul."

Kei looked taken aback by that immediate response and pondered her words.

He probably knew she couldn't make him suffer a fate like that.

He wasn't one to be easily coerced into anything.

His indifference returned, but it was evident that he might consider this unusual proposal, if only for a moment.

"Arisu, we'll go, but we need more information. We can't embark on an adventure blindly."

I leaned forward, adding my voice to the mix.

"Oh, don't worry! I'll fill you in on the details, but it's more fun when you discover some things along the way. Trust me, it'll be an unforgettable experience!"

Arisu's face lit up with a brilliant smile.

Kei's expression remained composed, though the spark of curiosity in his eyes still smouldered beneath the surface. It was a curious sight to see him even remotely interested in an adventure.

"Fine, we'll go."

He finally conceded, though his voice still held a hint of reluctance.

Arisu clapped her hands with excitement, her energetic aura filling the room.

"Perfect! You won't regret it."

Arisu beamed, her enthusiasm radiating from every pore.

"Lyssa, meet me and Kei at the village centre tomorrow morning. I'll give you some supplies and stuff."

"Sure, I'll come later."

I replied with subtle scepticism, and with that, Arisu stood up and skipped out the door, leaving Kei and me alone in her house.

Kei's stoic gaze followed Arisu as she exited, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he were trying to decipher her true intentions.

"Lyssa, are you sure about this adventure thing? It sounds suspicious. Not to mention Arisu has strange ways of getting lost."

"I'm not entirely sure, but it's not like we have a choice. Arisu can be quite persistent."

"Right."

Kei nodded in agreement, his stoic facade cracking once again.

We both knew Arisu's unpredictability was a double-edged sword, a mixture of chaos and adventure.

[THE NEXT DAY]

As promised, I met Arisu and Kei at the village centre, and her energy levels were off the charts.

She handed us each a backpack filled with essentials, including food, water, and a few other items.

"Lyssa, put this on."

Arisu pulled out a peculiar amulet from her pocket and placed it around my neck.

"What's this for?"

I asked while eyeing the peculiar amulet Arisu had pulled from her pocket and was placed around my neck.

"It's for protection. Just in case."

Arisu replied with a very wry smile. It felt like she did it on purpose to make me feel sceptical.

"It's not going to make me glow, is it?"

"No, no glowing involved! Like I said, it's just for protection."

Her wry smile remained, leaving me with an inkling that there might be more to this amulet than meets the eye.

Arisu's mischievous smile returned—a subtle gesture that hinted at something more.

Kei was sceptical, but he didn't protest.

"Arisu, where are we going, exactly? You haven't told us anything."

"There's no point asking."

I answered for Arisu. She never revealed all our destination points during these conversations anyway.

We set off, following Arisu's lead.

We walked for about two hours, the sun beating down on us as we trekked through the wilderness.

Kei and I exchanged glances, a silent conversation transpiring between us.

All I saw were trees, grass, and flowers. And animals too.

We continued walking for another hour, Arisu humming a cheerful tune as she led the way.

"Arisu has strange ways of getting lost."

The words echoed in my mind. How was there a 'strange way' to get lost?

A gasp from Arisu caught my attention. I instantly turned around; Arisu was pointing at human-like creatures.

Some had horns, claws, tails or ears, and some looked intimidating or friendly.

"Look! Hybrids!"

Arisu squealed like a child, discovering a hidden treasure trove of wonder in unnecessary excitement as she gazed upon these... hybrids on the mountainy land.

I was starting to think I was in a different world, a place I had always believed was impossible to exist within the confines of our understanding.

Such creatures were unheard of back in the world I knew, and even beyond it.

"Arisu... If there are hybrids here, that means we're past The Outskirts, where we shouldn't be."

Kei's voice held a hint of concern as he raised a point I had only just heard about.

"What are 'The Outskirts'?"

I let my mind muse for a bit before Kei noticed and somehow instantly knew what I was thinking about.

"Lyssa, The Outskirts are what separates our village from the outside world."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we're protected from the outside. The village has maintained a fragile balance with the surrounding wilderness, and The Outskirts act as a barrier to keep us safe from what lies beyond."

The realisation hit me like a splash of cold water. We were stepping into a place where the village's protective shield wouldn't extend.

Although I couldn't help but quip.

"Should've told that to the orcs."

The three of us exchanged a glance, while Kei and I were silently contemplating the implications of venturing beyond The Outskirts.

"And that's where the amulet comes in!"

Arisu's flaunted the amulet, a shimmering trinket, with an air of mischievous charm.

As her fingers brushed against the pendant, her hand lingered slightly longer on her chest.

"Say, how did you two discover the existence of this 'protective barrier'?"

"According to school, it manifested organically a few years ago—its occurrence caught us completely by surprise."

Kei's eyes shifted to the horizon.

"The school never explained its origin or purpose. It was just there one day."

Kei continued, a hint of uncertainty in his words.

Arisu, shortly after, took the lead again—her energy was too much for a normal human to bear—and we followed her into the heart of the wilderness, leaving the safety of the village far behind.

"Arisu, can you at least tell us more about the place we're headed to?"

I prodded, hoping to gain some clarity.

Arisu, ever the enigmatic guide, unprecedentedly sighed furiously.

"Ugh, fine! It's a town that appeared once upon a time, and I visited it secretly to find out what it was about. I brought you guys along to explore. Happy?"

"Arisu, why are you keeping this town so secret from us? What are we really getting ourselves into?"

Arisu turned to me with a gaze so intense that it could feel like an icy wind cutting through the warmest of hearts.

It was a stare that bore into the very depths of one's soul, an unrelenting force that stripped away all pretences and exposed the vulnerability within.

For those who could feel fear, it was a gaze that made their blood run cold, their hearts race, and their breath catch in their throats.

It was a look that held the power to shatter the strongest resolve, leaving only a hollow shell of terror in its wake.

"You ask too many questions, Lyssa."

Arisu turned back around before skipping as if nothing had happened.

"We don't have that much more walking to do."

She continued taking the lead while I stared back at Kei, who seemed calm despite the situation.

It was as if he knew about this.

"It's rare, but... Arisu can get a tad bit aggressive sometimes."

Kei remarked, his voice maintaining its usual calm, yet a trace of concern lingered beneath the surface. Perhaps he was worried.

"Aggressive? In what way?"

I cast a sidelong glance at him as I probed further. Probing was something I was good at.

Kei's gaze remained fixed ahead of his measured response.

"She's impulsive, and when things don't go as planned, her impatience tends to surface. It's not a frequent occurrence, but it's something to be wary of."

As Kei's words settled in, my mind contemplated the layers hidden beneath Arisu's energetic exterior.

"That's interesting..."

"Kei, do you sense anything unusual?"

I queried in a hushed tone, aware of the need for discretion in unfamiliar surroundings.

I begin whispering a mere whisper in the untouched wilderness while inquiring to Kei.

He paused, his heightened senses attuned to the environment.

"Nothing alarming."

Kei's response was curt; his focus was on the path ahead.

I quickly realised Arisu's unpredictable nature was a double-edged sword, a mixture of chaos and tranquillity.