Memories of Blood
After passing the city of Valemir, Roko and Seiji approached one of the most famous tourist landmarks of the Old Kingdom.
Roko walked amidst the tall green grass. Yellow withered leaves had fallen on the ground. Roko looked at this view carefully and said in a calm voice, "I hope this landmark doesn't disappear like what happened in the city of Valemir. I just hope this at least remains."
Amidst that, a loud whistling sound emerged. The winds were fierce, carrying with them the remnants of this destroyed kingdom.
With these strong winds, Roko's and Seiji's clothes moved along with the direction of the wind. After enduring numerous shocks, Roko smiled and raised his voice warmly, saying, "These winds show that what we will see will be more merciful than what we saw in the city of Valemir."
Seiji moved forward with difficulty, trying to surpass the strong gusts of wind. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and said with a sharp voice and a broken expression, "Don't be too optimistic, Roko. Who knows, these strong winds may be warning us of what's coming."
Roko looked at his friend with sadness and walked beside him, then overtook him and said, "I know you are affected by what happened, but don't forget that before we started this mission, we made a promise to ourselves that we wouldn't care about what happens. We will just continue."
After Roko's words, Seiji recalled what had happened. In the midst of their escape, the whispers that Seiji heard were not the same as those Roko had heard. He heard the voices of the corpses he had burned to enter the Clock Tower. When they exited, he saw the bodies of burned children approaching him, as well as women and elders blaming him for their disfigurement. Their terrifying laughs accompanied their words.
Since leaving the city of Valemir, Seiji had been thinking about what he saw. His mind was filled with many thoughts, including blaming himself for what he had done and realizing that they might have gone somewhere where they would die.
Now, Seiji realized something: how monsters are born. He said to Roko in a hoarse, firm voice, "I no longer care about what I will see from now on. My goal is to understand why this kingdom became like this. Let's continue our path to the capital."
After Seiji said this, the two continued their journey to Marsh Swamp, which was only a few meters away.
After fifteen minutes, Roko said in a sharp voice, "We have reached Marsh Swamp."
Roko looked carefully. The ground was covered with greenery and various types of flowers with strong scents. He walked to see the swamp and looked down, pushing aside some sharp, bothersome branches. When he reached it, he found the water of the swamp was red. Roko said in disappointment before raising his head and looking up, "I didn't know that the water of this swamp was red, and its smell is similar to blood."
Seiji came beside Roko, looking up, and said in a deep voice, "You truly deserve the title of the dumbest commander in the history of the empire. Look up, and you'll know why it's red."
"Alright." Roko looked up. Tall spears were embedded in the bellies of the knights of this kingdom, leaving holes in their stomachs. The swamp had drowned in their blood. Pieces of their armor fell into the swamp. After that, most of the bodies began to rot, and only a few remained intact. But that didn't mean they survived—just days later, they would become like the rest.
Unlike what happened in Valemir, Roko did not show any reaction. He just covered his nose and said in a weak voice, "Get ready, Seiji, to leave this swamp. That bastard didn't even leave us anything to rest on. Also, cover your nose—the smell is filthy."
Roko created a bridge of ice to cross the swamp. They walked, looking at the dead bodies. Roko said in a weak voice, "Throughout my life, I have never seen a ruler, only heard about them. Now I see the horror of their actions. Now I understand the effects of power. When we possess great powers, we are faced with two choices: either use them to save those weaker than us or use them to spread our terror in this world. Truly, these powers are a curse placed in our bodies."
Seiji and Roko crossed Marsh Swamp—the swamp that Roko had dreamed of visiting in his childhood. It had become a graveyard for knights who had tried to defend their homeland.
Roko looked at the place he had dreamed of going to with his family and recalled another part of his past:
A large-bodied man with short brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a simple white silk kimono, was sitting on a wooden chair, resting and contemplating the sunset as the sky turned orange and red. While contemplating, he looked to the right and saw a child running and screaming joyfully, "Father, Father, look what I found in this newspaper!"
The father looked at the newspaper and saw what was written. He smiled and said, "Marsh Swamp? Do you want to go there, Roko?"
Roko smiled and said, "Yes, Father. Even if it's in the Old Kingdom, we can go there, can't we?"
The man smiled warmly and said, "Yes."
The child laughed and said with beautiful laughter, "Just you and me, Father."
The father smiled, and along came a girl with soft white hair and a cheerful face. She grabbed Roko by the shoulder and shouted, "What about me, Father? Why only Roko?" She was Roko's sister, two years older than him.
The father laughed, "Haha, here comes the second troublemaker. Don't worry, we will all go—me, you, Roko, and your mother—but not now."
With these words, the memory vanished, and Roko returned to the present. He looked at the place sadly and said in a sorrowful voice, "This place is no longer as I remembered it, and my family is no longer here. It only brings back some nostalgia for the past."
Roko and Seiji left the swamp, carrying with them the last image Roko remembered:
A child fallen to the ground, shocked and unable to speak, with a body covered in blood and burns on the right side of his body and face.
A samurai shouted in a deep voice, "Have you found any survivors?"
"No, Commander. Everyone is dead. We found the body of a girl, an old man stabbed in the chest, and a woman whose head was cut off."
"I will go check."
This person was Commander Takero, six years ago. His beard had not yet grown. Takero decided to search one last time.
Before he went, the child stepped forward. One of the samurai shouted, "There is a survivor!"
Takero found the child, shocked and unable to express anything. He approached the child and hugged him, saying, "Don't worry, child. Everything will be fine."
From that moment, Roko's life changed forever.
Half an hour later, Seiji found a large hole and said in a loud voice, "I found a shelter."
Roko said with concern and astonishment, "Are you sure?"
Seiji smiled and said, "Yes. Take a look."
Roko approached and moved aside the fallen branches hiding the hole. He went down and found a strong steel sword, dirty with blood, and its sheath made of brown leather beside it. Along with it was the body of a knight, his left hand cut off, dead from multiple wounds to his abdomen and chest. Before continuing his investigation, Roko asked, looking at Seiji from above the hole, "What time is it now, Seiji?"
Seiji took out a small golden watch, known as a noble accessory, and said while looking at Roko, "It's six in the evening."
Roko thought, "We need to hurry with the investigation."
Then Roko began examining the place. He turned to the right and found a note with some blood stains. He picked it up and decided to open it. It was a notebook in which the knight had written what happened. "Good, this is better than using clairvoyance. I will read it."
Roko began reading:
Day One of the Search:
Everything was normal, but something strange happened while I was working as a knight in the capital. Albert, the scientist who discovered important things and helped develop this kingdom, disappeared. Along with him, many other scientists went missing. We sent search parties but found no trace of them. It was as if they never existed. The great knight Eldovar helped search with us. I feel reassured by his presence; it gives us strong motivation.
Day Two:
We continued searching but found nothing. The king ordered us to stop. After a few hours, I noticed faint movements and cracks in the ground, like a dormant earthquake awakening.
Day Three:
I woke up today feeling terrified. Was this a dream? I heard the roar of a mighty dragon. Then I thought it was a hallucination, but once I went out, I realized it was not a dream. Everyone spoke about it. Later, I went to the royal palace on an urgent matter and found knight Eldovar laughing. He had removed his helmet; he was an old man with a thick beard, yet still strong. After bowing, I saw that scientist Albert had returned. He told the king to evacuate the area, leaving some of the Seven Knights, including Eldovar, because what was coming would be terrifying. The king agreed, saying protecting people was a priority. I always thought the king was arrogant, but seeing him take the initiative to evacuate the citizens and reassure the fearful, alongside the crown prince, made me proud that this person is our king.
Day Four:
What scientist Albert said happened. He killed everyone, and I survived. I cannot remember his face, but I will never forget that all my friends were killed. And here I am, fleeing cowardly, affected by my injuries. I hope you, who read these notes, do not be as cowardly as I am. Farewell.
After reading the notes, Roko fell into a deep silence, then jumped up. Night had fallen. Seiji looked at him puzzled and asked, "What did you find in the notes?"
Roko said quietly, "I'll tell you later. Let's go; night has fallen, and we must hurry."
Seiji created fire from his hand, and they set off through the dark, silent forest. They moved in a cold, dark place, with only a small flame for warmth.
Ten o'clock:
Roko and Seiji found a wooden cabin with signs that someone lived there. Roko decided to go. Before knocking on the door, he said, "Get ready, Seiji. We don't know who's inside the cabin."
Roko approached and climbed the sturdy wooden stairs leading to the door. He knocked, and then a creaking sound followed. An elderly woman emerged, very old, moving with difficulty with a cane. She spoke in a weak voice, "Young man, why are you wandering this forest in the middle of the night? Don't you know this kingdom is destroyed?"
Roko was shocked that someone was still alive and asked worriedly, "Who are you, and how are you still alive?"
The old woman replied sadly, "I am just an old woman who lost her left leg. My son and grandchildren were killed. Can you come in? It's cold outside."
Roko felt sorrow for the old woman and decided to enter with Seiji. The woman closed the door, producing a loud sound from the friction of the wood. That wasn't the worst part. Wooden legs appeared in the small cabin, then vanished.
End of Chapter