Chapter 1: Aiden Blake Carter
1451 Words
“Pills and Potions!!”
“How much?!”
"The Starlit Fellowship is now making an investigation into Earth."
“They’re as useless as always!”
“I know, right?”
"I mean, what's the point of investigating another world?!”
“There’s another newly crowned Queen in the Abyssia Kingdom.”
“That’s their fifth one this year, and the year’s not even over!”
As I walk, I hear every conversation of the people I pass. Laughter and giggles on the left, and debate and hearings on the right. I couldn't care less; as long as I'm minding my own business here, I think I'm fine on my own.
I’m Aiden Blake Carter, nineteen years old, born and raised here in Luminara City. Since I was old enough to understand the world, I’ve kept to myself, distancing from anyone close to me. It just feels right, like I’m meant to do so. Socializing is a privilege only people with someone looking out for them can afford. I can’t afford that.
Once I passed the crowd, I kept walking until I reached a narrow alley. I entered, weaving through the tight, dark space that barely had room for one person to pass.
I just keep walking until the darkness gradually consumes the surroundings.
"Letare Via." I whispered. The door gently creaks open into the utter darkness, allowing a dim, calming light to filter through the little opening. Gradually, the light increases, creating a beautiful glow that gently pushes back the darkness. The change is calm and gentle, as though the darkness is giving way to the peaceful light without resistance. I went inside immediately and threw myself to bed, because that's the first thing that I see whenever I come home.
"Home." I smirked. This small place is the only one I considered home. Thinking about the past and reminiscing about my childhood, I wondered, if I hadn't left that place, would I still be the same? Do I have to change? Will I have my freedom of choice? It's not like my childhood is worse than those who were abandoned since they were born, it's just that leaving that place is the only choice I have. “It’s been a month, and they haven’t sent a letter,” I murmured. I was puzzled, the people who know me usually write a letter, yet nothing has arrived in weeks.
After changing, I lay down on my bed, not even feeling hungry. I stared up at the ceiling, letting my thoughts wander, until, without realizing it, I drifted off to sleep.
----
"Thorne, Falknauer, Blair, Blackwell, Bayani, and Nightshade. Those families are keeping a secret from us!"
"I, Issabella Darkmore, Queen of ***** will use this treacherous claims of yours to declare a War!"
"It's not right for you to decide that!!"
"Protect it at all costs."
"Luminara City, I'm home."
"Nana Babaylan, have you looked into the future again?"
"The Worst Witch of History!"
-----
Another dream. I woke up, calm and unfazed, my eyes just staring at the ceiling. This happens to me often, but I don’t give it much thought. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m not about to use my powers to chase answers. Instead, I decided to head outside for some fresh air, only to realize it was already night. The streets were silent, everyone was already indoors.
I wandered aimlessly until I reached a place I hadn’t seen before. It was a vast garden with only plants and flowers. A tall, closed gate barred the path, with high walls surrounding the area. I peered through the iron bars, but couldn’t see much past them. I took a deep breath.
"I promised not to cause a scene." I whispered to myself. With meticulous slowness, I lifted my hand and pointed it precisely where I wanted it to go. A hidden energy was building up in solitude, and when it suddenly and powerfully released itself, it tore through the atmosphere like a quiet storm. "Holy fvck! I'm sorry" I said to myself. I scratched my head, noticing the now-broken gate in front of me.
I took a step inside, feeling the strange tension in the air, as though something unseen was watching me. I tried to walk forward when a faint voice echoed through the place.
A seemingly strange voice of someone that seeks help, neither strange nor familiar, yet undeniably peculiar. It carried an eerie, hypnotizing pull, but with an unsettling undertone that lingered in the air. I stopped and tried to look around but couldn't see a thing. This place is just a garden with flowers and vines everywhere.
I started to feel uneasy as I got closer to the exit, eager to get out of this odd location. I felt something wasn't quite right, so I slowed down. There was something heavier in the air. There was a peculiar silence in place of the lively excitement I had experienced upon first entering. The hues appeared more intense, and the shadows appeared to linger longer than they should have. I blinked, but it made no difference. I felt as though I had entered a different dimension where nothing felt quite right and reality was warped.
"Something's not right."
Another whisper reached me, this time from somewhere close, though the words were indecipherable. It slithered through the air, growing louder as I looked around, but no source revealed itself. The sound wasn't just in the distance anymore-it circled my ears, echoing inside my head, teasing the edge of my sanity. Despite straining to understand, the meaning slipped away, leaving only the unsettling feeling of being watched, of something drawing near.
“I mean no harm here! Reveal yourself!” I shouted. No one responded; it was as if I had returned to reality. I left quickly, heading back to my room. I had more important things to do than waste my time on strange places.
I skipped dinner and went straight to sleep.
------
The next day, back to my routine. I strolled through the city, overhearing more gossip as I passed by.
"Why are there no schools or institutions in Luminara?"
“I don’t know? For a city, it lacks any kind of formal structure. It’s not like Metropia.”
“Metropia? Isn’t that still part of the Abyssia Kingdom?”
“Yeah! But according to the Codex Journal, there's still tension between Blazoria and Abyssia.”
I'm still walking past people who like to gossip about the others. Whispers of gossip and the never-ending stream of unspoken opinions have always had a peculiar appeal for me. That being said, the incessant conversation now wears thin on me like an old enchantment, a tedious echo of unimportant thoughts.
Suddenly, a distant silhouette emerges from the mist, moving with a quiet purpose. It approaches, each step defining its shape, until finally it is in front of me, intimidating, lucid, and shrouded in gloom.
"Aiden Blake Carter?"The mysterious man spoke.
"Yes?"I answered.
"I need to deliver this message for you." He snaps his fingers in the air without saying anything, and we are instantly transported to a location that only he knows. A shadowy atmosphere full of secrets and unfathomable power envelops him, and his cloak billows as though it were alive."
"What do you want from me?” I asked, my guard up. He turned his back to me, staring into the distance. Only then did I realize we were high above Luminara City, overlooking its dark expanse.
"Louisito is dead. Nana Babaylan is missing."
Suddenly, he spoke, his voice cutting through the silence. I was stunned, my mind racing as I struggled to react. The real shock, however, was discovering that he knew the names of those I had grown up with, a revelation that left me both astonished and uneasy
"What?!" I was filled with questions, all of which were demanding answers that I could not even begin to fathom, leaving me confused as to why he had brought me here and what his actual intentions might be.
"This isn't the right time for answers, Aiden." The man dissolves into thin air, his form evaporating as if swallowed by the very fabric of the space around us. Moments later, I find myself abruptly returned to the spot where I had been standing, disoriented and grappling with the sudden shift in reality, alone once more in the dim silence.
Who is this mysterious person? How could he know me, and the people in my past? And was anything he stated possible to be true? I feel compelled to find the answers. I must delve into these mysteries and uncover the truth.
- Writer
