Devlin screamed from across the room, dropping his shovel.
He rushed over and grabbed Asahi, pulling him away from the bars.
"Asahi, you can't just rush in! Wait before you go there."
Asahi turned toward Devlin, called out his name, and forcefully shoved Devlin away, breaking Devlin's grasp.
"Hey, get your hands off of me! I want to do this on my own!"
Devlin shook his head with urgency, a heavy sigh escaping his chest. He grabbed Asahi's collar, yanking him back from the bars, his grip almost desperate.
Asahi crashed to the ground, landing in a cold puddle that soaked through his clothes.
Devlin stepped forward, his eyes burning with a storm of frustration and deep concern. Despite his anger, a fierce protectiveness overtook him—their history was a bond he couldn't suppress.
"You haven't changed. For a world-traveler, you're being stupid," Devlin said, his words edged with care.
Asahi, furious, scrambled out of Devlin's grip. He coughed up water, then rushed back to the bars, gripping the sleek metal and straining against them, but couldn't move them. The bars showed no sign of budging.
Asahi slumped over to the ground and sighed, knowing that there was no way to make a dent in the bars.
"I guess there really is no way out."
Devlin's face softened as he crawled over to Asahi, sympathy flickering in his eyes.
Though he had spent more time in the cell, Devlin felt the ache of Asahi's crushed hope as if it were his own.
As he comforted Asahi, Devlin's thoughts churned, replaying Asahi's admission about his troubled past.
"He's a world traveler. He shouldn't be locked in the cell."
Devlin spread his arms wide to Asahi and patted his back.
"If you want to hear my story, I can tell you while we wait."
Wiping tears over his eyes, Asahi inclined his head and mumbled.
"R-Really?"
Devlin's moon-shaped eyes twinkled in recollection.
"Of course. Just make sure you stop yanking those bars."
"Okay…" Asahi said, lying against the wall.
. . .
Both began to relax. Devlin settled in, focusing on calming Asahi as he set aside his shovel and purposefully ignored the mysterious box.
Though hesitant, Devlin began to speak; Asahi, attentive now, watched with narrowed eyes.
"So… how did you get those water powers?"
"This?" Devlin held out his hands.
Asahi silently nodded his head.
"Yeah…"
"It's a long… story…."
He leaned back and stretched his legs, his breathing shallow and rapid. He wet his lips, cracked his knuckles; his hands shook. Unblinking, he fought tears as a memory, sharp and painful, swallowed his thoughts.
"Destia isn't what you think it is…."
. . .
Destia was a place filled with sorrow, mischief, and shock. I was born inside a small cabin, far from the wealthiest parts of the nation.
As I grew older, I started getting sick because of the chemicals in the nation's soil.
It was soon clear that I was the only one affected, making me feel marked as an outsider in my own homeland.
"Haha! Look at this boy! He's coughing because he can't inhale the nation's toxins!"
The people mocked my cough, even creating a song about me and tossing me into the dirt. I was left out of activities like roller coasters and amusement parks. My body felt weaker as I watched crowds gather the purple grass from my yard.
"Cough cough. Yeah, that's me… the boy who coughs because he can't smell the soil..."
Of course, my parents isolated me from the people. But even then, that wouldn't stop me from getting harassed.
"Loser! Get that icky stuff away from me!"
I balled out in the basement for years, eating unhealthy amounts of rations. I didn't grow, nor did I grow out of my phase.
The only thing I could do was embrace my harassment.
One day, I asked my mother to create an outfit for me. Though she was terrible at sewing and designing clothing, this outfit was perfect for me.
"Thanks, mother! This looks perfect!"
"Oh, you're welcome, sweetie. Make sure to take care of it… and wear that mask!"
"Okay, I will!" I lied. I always hated that mask.
Later… that year, I decided to wear the outfit and go outside. Though people stared at me, at least they were not laughing, let alone making jokes. This was just a deceptive trick to get me to go farther into the city.
As I stared at the tall tower, I was eventually kicked out toward the alleyways and almost beaten to death by a couple of no-good thieves.
They left me with only a small yellow pendant. I admired its patterns and put it in my pocket, not knowing what it was.
Another year went by, and every time I went to the city, I was attacked and harassed by crowds.
Even the Queen of Destia ignored it and praised my mistreatment as entertainment.
"Get lost, cough!"
B-But… that wasn't the worst of it a-all…
. . .
Devlin's shoulders shook as tears welled in his eyes, hands clenched in his lap. Asahi, alarmed, knelt beside him and gently asked what was wrong, his own expression clouded with worry.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Devlin tremblingly nodded his head and wiped a tear from his face. Though he wasn't okay, he answered.
"Yeah... I'll keep going. It's just hard to say without tearing up."
Asahi rubbed Devlin's back and whispered.
"It's fine… I won't make fun of you."
Even after Devlin's jokes at Asahi, he couldn't believe that the white-haired boy would still support him. He slowly gave a slight, shaky grin and continued.
"T-Thank you. N-Now… nearly five years later…."
. . .
On a fateful day during a warm summer in Destia, the pollen thrived, followed by the chemical to which I was allergic.
I was forced to travel to the city to get some errands, and I made some friends.
For those five years, they have helped me overcome my problems and allowed me to pass through crowds without being ridiculed.
As I traveled through the ricocheting streets, I saw my mother and father screaming at the guards to stop stealing their stuff.
"Please, just let our poor son into the academy! He needs it!"
"I'm not letting that allergic cough boy anywhere near that place! Get lost!"
I followed the parents without getting too attentive, basically stalking them. But then, as I was about to talk to them, I saw a massive group of strangers harass them and beat them up.
Their faces, arms, and legs were all quenched in crimson. I couldn't do anything but watch as I saw my parents cry desperately from the bruises.
"MOM! DAD!"
And then, as I saw my parents trembling in pain and puddles of crimson, I saw the group sprint to me.
I tried to fight back, but was immediately swung into a brick wall. I was then thrown, tossed, and beaten up to the point where my mental state changed.
"STOP!"
"Quiet, cough-boy, stay down!"
However, a miracle happened. The yellow pendant, which I picked up when I was first beaten up, glowed a bright, blinding white, like a shimmering star.
I felt an angelic aura surround me, as if all the pain had been expelled from me. My eyes gouged out from the light, replacing my eyes with moon-shaped pupils.
I felt my normality dissipate. My parents drew their last breath, watching their son transform into something they had never believed possible.
My hands were connected to the flow of water; my little self summoned gushes of it, drowning part of the group.
"What the?! Where did he get water powers from?"
As soon as people saw their friends coughing up water, the rest fled, and for the first time in my life, everyone looked at me in awe instead of laughter.
That yellow pendant contained one of the Forty-Six Forbidden Angel Factors: Comedicana. Absorbing it changed everything. People no longer laughed at me, but with me. My life as a Jokester began.
. . .
Devlin's voice broke. Tears spilled freely down his cheeks, each drop shining in the dim cellar. Asahi stared, stunned by Devlin's vulnerability—his chest tightening in awe as he tried to grasp the full weight of the story just told.
"So… you absorbed an Angel Factor?"
Devlin slowly bobbed his head and replied.
"Y-Yeah… I wish I had hidden this from you, but I got… too carried away."
"Oh…"
(I guess whatever those angel factors are… they are pretty different from what I thought…) Asahi thought.
Silence emerged from the cellar. Devlin took a deep sigh, stood up, and checked if night had arrived. Asahi joined in, both standing against the wall, peering their eyes through the bars.
Beyond the window were the last rays of the sunset. A pale orange hue shone over the vast glittering sea. Waves crashed softly against the tame shores. The stars arose from the fading blue, with a circular moon gradually rising from the flat horizon.
Though Asahi couldn't see much but the ocean, he felt a strong sense of relief coursing through his body.
As Devlin sighed in relief, relaxing his body and staring at the ceiling, Asahi took a deep breath, stretched his fingers over the window ledge, and commented, his eyes sparkling with awe.
"The beauty of the sun descending is almost better than the sun rising. As the warmth of the day fades away, the welcoming gentleness of the night emerges. I love sunrises and sunsets… they only happen at a certain time… and if you catch your eye at the perfect moment, you would be greeted by nature's beauty."
Devlin stood back up and peered through the window.
"A stunning sight… indeed. Asahi, you are really good at monologuing. Say, maybe…"
Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from behind bars.
Asahi and Devlin grew alert and raced to the bars to investigate the noise.
A warm yellow luminance emerged from the door, revealing a tall, bulky figure stepping forward carrying a staff. Asahi gulped in fear, hoping that it wasn't a bad sign.
(Please don't be an execution…)
And so it was for Devlin.
(Please let this be a meal…)
Then, as the sounds of metal crashing into each other echoed over the dungeon's hollow walls, the tall man shoved his key through the lock and pulled the cellar door open. That man was revealed to be a guard.
He demanded while stomping his feet against the floor.
"Visitor Asahi, please step out of the cell!"
Without resistance, Asahi stepped forward, leaving Devlin staring at the window. Asahi examined the guard.
He wore solid metal armor, with a few brown streaks emblazoned on his chest plate.
A brown ribbon dangled over the peak of his helmet while an iron visor covered his eyes. An intimidating figure, to say the least.
They stood there silently and waited for an answer; the guard bent down to Asahi and revealed.
"You are free to wander the palace for this night. Please explore here at your own leisure and refrain from touching anything. The Queen will be with you for an hour, so be prepared. Our butlers and maids will ensure that you will be ready for the conversation."
A relieved grin beamed from Asahi. The guard continued.
"If you choose to fondle with stuff, you will be forced back into the cellar and be scheduled for execution."
Asahi's smile froze.
"R-Really?"
"Indeed…" The guard answered as he slowly closed the cellar door, forcefully locking it with one of his keys.
"And who ordered you to do this?" Devlin asked as he raced to the door.
The guard pulled his staff away, walked toward the door, and replied.
"The Queen herself…
He slammed the cellar door shut and raised his voice.
"Silence, criminal! Or else your execution date will be moved earlier than what was expected."
Asahi's eyes shrank.
"Huh? What did he do?!"
The guard hurriedly shoved Asahi away from the cell, forced his staff through the cellar bars, and raised her voice in a gruff tone.
"Visitor Asahi, don't question that criminal. Focus only on what's outside the dungeon, and go upstairs… now!"
"But… Devlin--"
"SILENCE!"
As Asahi slowly stepped away from the dungeon, he stared at Devlin's trembling eyes and sighed.
He clutched his pity, glared at Devlin, and whispered as the guard forced him out the dungeon's door.
"Don't worry, Devlin. I'll find a way to get you out of there. Though you have messed around, I'm sure you would change…"
Despite the distance, Devlin clearly heard Asahi's promise. And so, he gave a thumbs up, made a slight wink, and replied in a quiet voice.
"Thank you…"
. . .
Asahi's eyes sparkled in the light.
He approached a tall, moderately brown hallway with a long red carpet stretching from his toes to a canvas of arch-shaped windows, a line of closed, polished brown doors on his left, and dangling warm, humming ceiling flights.
The place was silent, devoid of sound, with only Asahi's quiet footsteps echoing along the walls.