As Asahi, Kendra, and the followers continued walking along the corridor, the girl holding her brown shield continued her summary of what happened after Asahi had fallen into this underground world.
"When we witnessed the sky become covered in darkness for several years, we were all shocked to see such a bright light unveiled to us suddenly. So, I ordered my team, and even myself, to investigate that relatively strange occurrence." As her voice echoed softly through the cavernous corridor, an undercurrent of whispers ran through the group.
She paused, feeling the cool, slightly damp air brush against her skin, noting the earthy scent lingering all around. She noticed Asahi leaning forward toward her. Immediately, she felt the attire being picked up by her lord's hands.
All watched intently as he wrapped his garment around his body, skillfully tying laces and latching buttons with a dexterity that spoke of well-practiced rituals.
The quiet rustle of fabric and the subtle clinks of metal fastenings filled the air, blending seamlessly with the muffled dripping sounds from the unseen recesses of the underground world.
After he had put his clothes back on, Asahi apologized.
"Pardon me for the interruption, follower," he said, blinking. "But as you may know, I couldn't handle seeing the attire in your hands. I have a great attachment to it."
"Understandable." The followers replied as they bowed down to him respectively.
Kendra scratched the back of her head with a nervous sigh, slowly backing away from them and keeping close behind Asahi. Even she felt a sense of unease emanating from the followers, who were unusually respectful to their lord.
(The people here are so strange.) She thought.
Asahi felt Kendra's eyes anchoring on him with impatience. He allowed her to proceed with the explanation without interruptions.
"You may continue," he said.
The follower nodded slowly, sighing deeply as she kept her eyes on Asahi's gray eyes.
"Thank you, my lord." The girl replied, keeping her breath steady. "When we parted away from this city into the many hills and waterfalls of this world, we noticed a light shine down from the hole made in the sky. And then, when we had looked downward, we noticed that there were not just us here but several factions of this world gathering around. One including The Ancients."
After sighing deeply, she rubbed the glowing wound on her leg and then, lowering her voice, continued speaking.
"Not long after, most factions waged a battle in that area. Some were even trying to kill you, Lord Asahi. Monsters, Humans, and even strange essences had all tried to either capture or slay you. Along this battle, the Ancients stole the blue-haired girl next to you, while another nameless faction stole your attire and secured it somewhere else."
Asahi's eyes widened at the sudden reveal. The idea of several factions battling underground to capture or kill him sent a shiver down his spine. Yet, he felt relief knowing he had awakened in safety, a sharp contrast to the danger described by the girl. Lost in these thoughts, he absorbed the weight of her words.
(So, could it be… that out of the factions, Kirei's faction was the one that had successfully escorted me to that village I had awakened to?) Asahi thought with his eyes closed. (How… how long has it been since I had been asleep during that… descent?)
As if he had finished recollecting his memories of that time, Asahi opened his eyes and continued listening to the girl's recollection.
"That aside, our group had decided to help the blue-haired girl from The Ancients while also searching for the whereabouts of your attire. Although we may have failed to save you and the blue-haired girl due to precautions taken considering a familiar power, we were able to track down your clothing before retreating back to the base. "
Given this new information, everything about Asahi's awakening became clearer. It was Kirei who had taken him to that humble village—Kirei, who had ensured Asahi's safety while others vied to capture or kill him.
Without that boy, Asahi could have faced something even worse than the earlier encounter.
"If only I had time to thank him," Asahi whispered.
Throughout this moment of silence, another thought emerged. The people of The Second Incarnation had spent years trapped in this underground abode, unaware of the world above. They and their followers mistook the cavern's ceiling for the sky; in reality, it was only a nearly endless sea of stone. The origin of this subterranean confinement was a cataclysmic event that shifted the earth and sealed it away. Over time, the memory of the world above faded, and generations passed, accepting the stone sky as their own. This made the thought of living in such a place even more miserable.
Though his thoughts had entranced him, Asahi refocused on his goal: to find a way out, bringing everyone with him. Once he retrieved his attire, he glared at his followers and announced, his voice deliberate and prudent.
But just before he said something, the brown-shielded girl stepped forward and interrupted, bowing while keeping a warm, sweaty face.
"As your devoted followers, many of us will allow you to stay in our humble city for as long as you wish." She offered an honorable gesture. "I am Flavia. Follower of The Ruler of Hope. The people you see before us remain nameless, as it is unfortunate that most names were forgotten when the skies darkened."
"I see…" Asahi said, scratching his chin.
At the height of this extended exchange, Kendra could no longer tolerate the followers' cryptic ways. Restless, she cast her gaze out a window overlooking the vast underground expanse before Asahi could reply.
Though several glowing inscriptions adorned the walls of this place, one particular luminance caught her eye—a cyan radiance, so bright that it lured her attention completely. Encircled by long, thin strands of vapor and floating debris like trees and rocks, the distant glow demanded her gaze. As Kendra fixated on the mysterious light, curiosity and unease swirled within her. The vibrant glow seemed to call out to her, digging up memories she couldn't quite place. Despite an urge to look away, she felt rooted to the spot, a mix of dread and fascination overcoming her, whispering promises and perils that tugged at her core. The longer she stared, the more she lost herself, mindless, as if transformed into a zombie.
Unaware of Kendra's distraction, Asahi continued his exchange with Flavia and the other followers, focused on getting the answers he needed while time allowed.
"So… how long were you able to survive like this?" Asahi asked Flavia, thinking that Kendra was behind him. "How did you and the rest of the people residing here counter famine, or even… insanity?"
As he had discussed with them, the followers led him to the palace door and revealed an entire block. Among those buildings was a farm with several species of edible plants and watermills from The Second Incarnation. Although he stood only at the entrance, Asahi could see a multitude of plentiful and colorful flora displayed before him.
"We countered famine by using the nearest farms in the continent of… Callista," Flavia responded as she heard the loud pitter-patter of the people wandering the stone streets. "But that need not concern you. I'm sure you have faith in all of us. After all, that's how we got here."
After a brief silence, the man asked a question that Asahi would never have expected.
"Lord Asahi, do you perchance have the whereabouts of your sister?"
"By which one do you speak of?" He raised an eyebrow.
"The one, the one with silver hair and glorious magenta eyes." The very moment Flavia described her, Asahi's mind sparked. Blurry recollections of that particular girl flashed through his mind. Look at how pretty those flowers are.")
A beautiful, glowing lavender flower was pinned atop her head.
("Wooow. So all of this belongs to us, big brother?")
("Of course, little sis. Both horizons ahead of us belong to me, you, and the rest of our family. Beautiful, isn't it?")
("Yeah. Very beautiful! I can see so many birdies there!")
Suddenly, the memory of two glimmering, round magenta eyes flashed before Asahi. This color was unique in the family, standing apart from the seven gray pearls of siblings and parents. Few visions came in this sudden flash, yet the voices made the setting and atmosphere clear.
("I'm sorry for disturbing you, big brother.")
("It's okay, Aiyana. I am not really busy at the moment. Sometimes, my brain gets stuck in my thoughts, so… I find ways to help and remove that… like staring into space. Say, little sis, you look bored.)
("Yeah… VERY BORED.")
He could hear his past self chuckle at her enthusiastic and hyperbolic response. He always remembered Aiyana for her youthfulness. How excited, loving, and sweet she was.
("Ha ha, it's alright. I'm free to play a game with you if you would like. Hmm…. what game do you think we should play?")
("Umm… uhh…. I don't know. It's soooo hard to choose.")
("Ha, I knew you would say that. It's okay. You're young. You still have a lot to learn.")
Blurry memories. Images Asahi could barely recall now burst into his mind like an approaching storm. He saw a strange-looking bedroom with white window curtains, beautiful floor patterns, and lovely paintings. Asahi couldn't remember seeing the sun shine so vibrantly before. But he did remember the unique, thin black sleeve covered in white polka-dots that Aiyana always wore, no matter the conditions.
("Then… let's play an easy game. How about… hide and seek? It's a game most mortals play when they are young. I played a little round with my followers a week ago, and needless to say, I enjoyed it. So let's make a round of our own? How does that sound?")
Joyful and glowing memories.
One's that burn and shine bright among the maelstrom of dark traumas.
It is said that moments of happiness are remembered and cherished more than those of darkness.
And so, it was no surprise that this memory was the one that had cleared up the most for Asahi's brain. Now, instead of seeing total darkness, Asahi saw a clear picture of his little sister's face. She had a clear and youthful look, with big, round eyes of innocence and curiosity, followed by the sight of the silken texture of her long, flowing, luxuriant silver hair. In contrast to the darker colors the other four family members had worn, she was the only member of the group to dress in a lighter hue.
Much like her siblings and parents, Aiyana had also borne that accursed birthmark carved with the shape of an S deep at the top of her right hand, followed by the glorious black rings which had accompanied her fingers. Her appearance, along with her personality, stood out the most among the Adtraic.
Not long after, Aiyana nodded in response and heard her brother explain the game's rules.
("Okay, so the rules are simple. One is the hider, while the other is the seeker.")
Asahi couldn't help but feel his heart painfully ache to see the excitement flare up in young Aiyana's eyes.
("Uh huh…")
To grab Aiyana's attention, Asahi made cute, tiny hand gestures with both his fingers to represent the image of people, as he explained.
("The seeker will count up to whatever number they desire. And the hider must use that time to hide somewhere. Once the seeker is finished counting, they will…")
Suddenly, without warning, Asahi scared Aiyana by picking her up and lifting her up to the ceiling, making strange noises as one would do when teasing a child. Instead of crying and sobbing, Aiyana embraced the moment by giggling and laughing, swinging her arms in the air as she screamed.
("WEE! Look at me! I'm flying!")
Past Asahi couldn't help but chuckle. Slowly and safely, he placed her back down on the bed, continuing with his explanation.