Chapter 55 - My Morning Sun

Seeing Strigifavorus rise once more, restored and even more formidable than before, my body faltered in exhaustion. I would have surely fallen to the ground had not Prince Keylan gripped my shoulders with his steady hands. Through our skin that touched, I too felt a slight tremor from the Elvian, as his eyes never left the monstrous creature soaring above us.

"Can it... can it not die?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper, still gazing at the heavens. Then, he turned his gaze toward me with sudden urgency. "Anggi, I must return to my group."

Before I could respond, the man swiftly mounted his warhorse and hastened back to his troops. The sound of hooves striking the earth, and the roots of Hanarusa trees, gradually faded from my hearing.

My head remained tilted upwards, watching as Strigifavorus spiraled high in the sky, only to dive, unleashing a fiery breath upon the Elvian soldiers. The flames devoured the Hanarusa trees around us, as if they were mere provisions laid upon a banquet table, consuming all in its path, leaping from one tree to the next until I felt the very air around me was aflame.

The Elvian archers fired arrows at Strigifavorus, but each shaft was consumed by fire the moment the creature unleashed its scorching breath over the forest. The Elvian formation was now in disarray. Although Prince Keylan had returned to his forces, panic and fear spread through them like wildfire. Many of them acted on their own, ignoring Keylan's orders or fleeing in terror. Yet, Prince Keylan held his ground, leading with courage, for a leader must appear strong, lest the morale of his men falter.

How different I felt, overwhelmed by despair at the second rise of Strigifavorus.

I was weary.

Exhausted.

It seemed there would be no end to my battle with this monster. Was he some kind of god in this world? Could he not die? Would I be the one to perish here?

The sight of more and more charred bodies filled me with a chill that crept over my skin. My hands trembled, my legs paralyzed, as though pinned by some great stake into the earth. Fear wrapped around me like a cloak, and I shuddered violently. I lowered my head, closing my eyes, praying that it would all end on its own.

For a moment, I questioned whether embarking on this quest to gather the Spirit Crystals had been a grave mistake. Perhaps it would have been better to remain in Glafelden, to let the Lurivia Knights capture me. Perhaps they would not treat me harshly. Perhaps they needed me. If that were true, they would surely treat me kindly, wouldn't they? Perhaps I would be better off in the capital of Lurivia than in this hell.

Why was I here?

What was my sin?

As I began to lose hope, suddenly something strange appeared before me. The moment I opened my eyelids, I saw a small water orb hopping upon the back of my hand. The water orb... no, it was not an orb of water. For it had no physical form, and I could not touch it directly, yet I felt its touch on my skin. It bounced upon my hand as if playing upon a trampoline. From its face, which resembled a child playing in the rain, it showed no fear of being near me.

In that instant, realization struck me. "Could this be... an elemental spirit of water?"

I tried to touch it with my fingertips, but its surface remained untouchable. Yet when I pressed harder, a transparent membrane seemed to block my finger. When I pressed too hard, the water spirit appeared to notice. Instead of fleeing, it smiled mischievously and laughed uproariously, though no sound came forth.

For a moment, it felt as if I were gazing at an adorable kitten. The playful antics of this spirit made me forget the terror that plagued the forest.

"Anggi!"

A cry—one I could not place—reached my ears. I turned my head in every direction, searching for the source amidst the chaos and the shouts of the Elvian soldiers.

My eyes fixed upon one direction. The voice that called me came from behind the roots of a Hanarusa tree not far off. It was Dimas. He waved his hands, signaling to me where he was. He descended from the roots of the tree and moved toward me. Gathering what strength I could, I pushed myself up from my knees. I held the water spirit in one hand, dragging my legs with great effort, pulling myself away from the dreadful scene.

Just as I took a few steps, a sudden chill ran down my spine. The light of Rubiel, bright and golden, bathed the great trees in a brilliant glow, but within moments, it darkened. No need to guess the source of this terror—I knew it well. Yet before I could lift my gaze, I was startled by a loud thud beside me.

Indeed, a monster stood beside me, towering over fifty meters high, greater than any Hanarusa tree in the forest. When we fought it in the underground catacombs, I remembered it as much smaller. The second awakening had made it larger than before.

My body froze, paralyzed with dread, trying not to move to avoid drawing its attention. Sweat dripped from my brow. My heart pounded. A single second stretched into an eternity. I held my breath, praying it would remain unnoticed. But then the nightmare began. Strigifavorus turned its head to the left, its gaze falling upon me.

I froze, words escaping me. Fear crawled up my spine, leaving my body limp. Instead of fleeing, I collapsed to the earth as though resigned to whatever fate awaited me.

In the final moments, I saw Strigifavorus's mouth open wide, revealing a brilliant fire within its throat. My body was paralyzed, unable to move an inch. Was this the end of my journey, barely begun?

Haaaaah... I certainly die this time.

As the blast of fire neared, I felt the intense heat sear my flesh. In the next instant, I fell into a void of nothingness.

=============

"Hey, can I borrow your crayon?"

Those were the words I would never forget in my life. It was the first time I met that child. For some reason, she borrowed my crayon, even though she had his own, which looked brand new. When I asked why, she only replied, "I feel pity for my crayon. If I use it, it'll run out, and then it'll disappear."

Isn't a crayon meant to be used?

Strange.

That was my first impression of her. I didn't understand her reasoning then. But it was because of that moment that we became friends, and to this day, we remain so.

From that day on, we grew up together. Our homes were close, and that proximity fostered our friendship. We often spent time together—whether it was playing, doing homework, going to school, or camping with our families. We always shared our thoughts and dreams with one another. Perhaps that was why we always attended the same school.

"Dimas, I heard you're going to Karya Birama Junior High? If so, I'll go there too."

The smile of that girl felt warm, like the morning sun. After years of growing up together, I realized she was quite charming. Certainly, there were other girls who were more beautiful than her. But what drew me to her was her personality. Her heart was as soft as silk, and her bashful nature would often make my heart race. But what I loved most was her cheerfulness—like the rising sun, her joy seemed contagious, spreading to everyone around her.

But her cheerfulness gradually faded, like clouds obscuring the sky. The cause? It was me.

Typically, I would walk home with her after school, but that day, she was nowhere to be seen at the school gates. I decided to go to her classroom since we were in different ones. As I neared the end of the hallway, my ears caught the sound of splashing water, accompanied by laughter. My eyes widened as I saw my friend, Anggi, sitting in the middle of the class, drenched to the bone. Her white and blue uniform was stained black—not by clean water, but by the dirty water from the mop. The girls surrounding her did nothing to help; instead, they laughed at my friend, whose eyes were on the verge of tears. If I remembered correctly, those girls had been the ones recently coming closer to me.

"That's what you get for trying to look pretty!"

"Just because you're friends with Dimas since childhood, doesn't mean you can stick to him all the time!"

"You're ugly, get a clue!" one girl shouted right next to Anggi's ear.

"Watch out, if we see you near Dimas again, we'll strip you naked and spread your photos everywhere."

Seeing my friend treated this way, rage overcame me. I clenched my fists and, with all my might, slammed the door made of thick wood, sending it flying off its hinges. The girls jumped in surprise and looked at me.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

The girls trembled and stepped back as I approached. Their hands shook as though they were staring into the very gates of hell. Their eyes were lowered, not daring to meet mine, and they exchanged furtive glances.

One girl mustered the courage to approach me, adjusting her bangs. "Dimas, it's not what you think. We were on duty, but Anggi fell and spilled the mop water. That's why we laughed, but we were going to help her," she said, trying desperately to convince me, her tone feigning sweetness that made me want to gag.

"Do you think I'm blind and deaf!?" I shouted, my voice rising. "Do you think I didn't see what happened?"

"Eh, well, it's actually..."

"GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I REPORT YOU TO THE TEACHER!!" I bellowed, my fury building as I kicked the desk so hard it flipped over.

The frightened girls quickly left the classroom without saying a word. I rushed to Anggi, who was now sobbing in the middle of the room. I knelt beside her and gently lifted her face with my hand. Her eyes were red. The water poured over her had concealed the tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I was late, Anggi."

"...."

She didn't respond. A deep sadness clouded her face, masking the cheerfulness she always wore. I smiled at her, though it was not as warm as the sunlight she always gave. I took her hand to lead her home, but she stayed still. It was as though something still troubled her.

Realizing her concern, I grabbed the bucket nearby, still filled with dirty mop water. I poured it over my head, staining my uniform black.

"Now we're the same. We can say we slipped while cleaning when we explain to our parents later," I said, offering a warm smile as I extended my hand to her. "Now, let's go home."