Enemies

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A flash of light over the horizon, blooming with grace...

A step forward, butterflies following in a warm embrace.

A sudden flash of color, similar to black and blue...

Another step to paradise, one filled with honey and dew.

-A poem written by ???

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...

Jonah frowned at the brown-haired boy in front of him. Said boy had an expression on his face that seemed to say what he just said was the most obvious thing in the world.

"...how did you know?"

"Your white hair, duh," Erebus said, waving his hand as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jonah once again felt a twinge of irritation, but he didn't let it show.

Still, he had to admit, he wasn't really trying to keep it a secret.

It was just strange.

Who would say they're the descendant of some great hero from some distant past? Even Jonah didn't believe it, and this status screen that appeared out of nowhere seemed to come out from a game.

When he first saw this title, Jonah didn't even tell Chaya, and now this guy just waltzed up to him and told him he knew his secret?

Even if he could accept it, did his dad know?

Just thinking about his dad made Jonah become slightly sad, but he quickly shook it off.

Now wasn't the time.

He mentally pulled himself together and looked at Erebus, who was still talking.

"Do you think anyone in this world is born with white hair like that? It's obviously unnatural."

"..."

"Just think. You're a thirteen year old kid-I think-who, by the way, isn't even a teenager, and yet..."

Erebus looked at Jonah with a look as he began walking in a straight line, from left to right. As he reached the end, he turned around, and walked to the other side.

He repeated this, making Jonah more bewildered.

"What are you-"

"You could do all these things easily. For example, growing stronger when being pressured-"He paused and chuckled.

"Heh, well in your case, its being 'absolutely destroyed.'"

Jonah's eyes twitched.

Erebus didn't seem to bother to notice as he continued moving, shrugging and waving one of his fingers in the air.

"A normal adult living in peaceful times wouldn't be able to withstand the trauma and torment that was inflicted on you, especially a kid. Look at you, do you really think you're a normal person?"

"..."

"It should be obvious that the title gives you perks that the normal man wouldn't have."

Jonah couldn't really say anything to that. Why would he?

He knew, deep in his heart, that all the things that happened to him were strange, The day when it all went to hell, his dad disappearing, the flash of blue light, him healing from an injury in mere seconds, a status screen...

Jonah knew something happened to him, but he didn't know what it really was.

'Wait, how did he know these things?'

'Does this guy have some kind of prophetic ability-?'

Thinking that, Jonah became apprehensive.

"There's something I want to know."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Why did you say I was a siscon?"

Before Jonah's imagination went out of hand, Erebus simply responded with a shrug once again.

"Oh, that? I just said it at the spur of the moment. I just didn't think you were an 'M.'"

"An...'M?'"

Although he didn't really know what that is, Jonah had a feeling it was a remark intended to make him already more irritated than he actually was.

But he still felt relieved.

"Nevermind that-hey what's that?"

"?!"

Jonah swiftly swerved his head around, gracefully changing into a simple stance.

"..."

Nothing.

"..."

"Hahahaha...!"

'I hope this guy stubs his toe against a wall,' Jonah thought as Erebus wheezed and heaved with laughter, putting his arms around his stomach as he trembled.

"Hahahaha-oops. It was just the-the wind...hahahaha..."

"Please, stub your toe against a wall," Jonah said as seriously as possible.

Erebus held his right hand against his right ear.

"Oh, what's that? You said you forgive me? Why, thank you..."

'Please, Chaya, give me strength so I don't murder this fool...'

Thinking that, Jonah sighed as he tried to think of a topic to distract himself.

Thankfully, it didn't take long.

Taking a deep breath and smelling the nostalgic smell of nature, he let out what was inside his mind.

"The Apostle I met didn't seem so bad. She didn't really attack us, but only made peace instead."

Erebus made a confused face.

"What? Didn't you say she absolutely destroyed you?

"Well, I think it was just a nightmare I had before I came to this forest, I don't really know. Isn't this place also a dream or something? I don't ever recall ever being here..."

"...seriously? Well, I guess I never really met one, so it's possible..." Erebus paused and turned around, muttering under his breath.

"Those old fogies really are paranoid..."

"Huh?"

Erebus shook his head as he turned back to Jonah.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Anyways, I thought Apostles were just inhuman monsters who like to attack indiscriminately..."

"Maybe."

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Erebus looked at Jonah, astonished as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean, think about it. Each person is different, and so going by this logic, it could be said that each Apostle is different, right?" Jonah simply said.

"...that does make sense-," Erebus agreed, slowly nodding, before abruptly turning his head towards a direction.

Although Jonah thought it was just a prank, his head still darted towards that direction.

"..."

The only thing that was uncanny was that it was silent without their footsteps.

Jonah knew it was silent since he got here, but this time, focusing on the fact that it was actually silent, there was something off about it.

Peering into the dark forest, between the trees, Jonah still didn't see anything. Before he could give Erebus a good reprimanding, he suddenly noticed something moving.

if it wasn't for the fact that he had stared at the spot for a long time, Jonah would've never perceived it, nor distinguish it from the almost dark forest.

As the two were looking in that direction, they then began hearing noises to their right.

'Footsteps?' Jonah immediately thought.

Without a chance to move, in mere seconds, heavy footsteps that were once faint were heard everywhere in the forest.

Each second, they grew louder, and Jonah began to feel vibrations from his feet.

His chest tightened as he grew more grim.

"...this is a problem," Erebus thoughtfully said, stating the obvious as he stared intently into the forest.

Jonah glanced at him from his peripheral view.

He could never really trust this guy after all.

As the heavy footsteps increasingly grew more and more louder around the two, they instinctively both put their backs to each other.

'Wait, why am I trusting this guy with my back?' Jonah realized, but he really had no other choice.

'I need to take risks to grow stronger in order to get back to Chaya. I can't die yet.'

Although he still didn't know if this was a dream or an illusion, Jonah can't take any chances. If he died, what would happen to Chaya?

Imagining his little sister looking sad, Jonah's eyes began blazing with determination, his adrenaline pumping, and his grip on his spear-thing tightened even more.

'Is this guy thinking of getting hit while fighting? Hmm, I think he might be a good meat shield...'

They both shifted into their stances as the bushes around them began rustling.

Erebus all of a sudden sniffed the air.

"Is something burning?"

...

'hmmm?'

A gray-haired woman looked up at the sky.

Well, it wasn't so much of a sky, as gray clouds covered the roof of the ginormous cavern.

The more she used her scanning spells, the more she was shocked.

It was akin to a whole new other world, where the mana in the air hasn't dropped in quality nor quantity.

Even the trees, grass, and flowers were different.

Anna could literally smell it, and it was delightful.

She almost never felt more free than she is in her whole life. Her regrets, her responsibilities, her old life-they seemed to fade away as she delved into this new world.

The only thing that was still on her mind was her mental problems.

This place was similar to the Realm of Dreams, untouched by the main world's fall of magic.

And just like the Realm of Dreams, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹 exists in another space.

The only thing she found was trees and this little girl.

Her eyes focused on the girl skipping in front of her.

An anomaly.

That was how Anna could describe her. Even her eyes were able to define what she was.

That and the quest is why Anna was following this girl.

Otherwise, she would leave immediately to focus on researching the smudge on her left hand. Even now, its foundation alludes her. It's mysteries…a mystery.

Just the thought about it couldn't help but make her giddy. How could she not be, for this is a never before seen brand new system, a brand new branch of power.

In the past, from 𝘩𝘦𝘳 memories, there was only one branch of power, and that is the status screen.

Even now, while walking, she was think of new theories, new paths to tread upon.

While sifting through the possibilities of new ideas, the wind blew through the dark dull forest. Somehow, it felt even warmer than usual, a nostalgic feeling...

'...wind?' Anna thought, almost perplexed.

How could there be wind here?

She then breathed in the air. Although barely noticeable, there was a smokey smell coming from...

Anna silently tapped her staff against the ground once more, and from it, an aura expulsed from the ground around her.

Enduring the minor headache that came with the spell, she then took a look around.

The forest, once dull and dark, became more windy.

Raising her hand, the light-gray haired woman felt the wind breezed by her hand.

What the wind brought wasn't a chill, but heat.

An uncomfortable amount of heat.

𝘍𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘚𝘏𝘏𝘏!

Within seconds, the wind raged more ferociously, accompanied by much more heat.

The once dark, dull forest lit up with a dull orange glow. The trees, flowers, bushes, and grass shook in its wake, hopelessly losing moisture while being at its mercy.

As the wind grew stronger, a burning smell came with it. It felt and smelled as if one was bathed in smoke inside a burning building.

"𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, ugh-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩!"

In front of Anna, Abilene began coughing and sweat appeared on her forehead.

Within just a few seconds later, more sweat formed, and it swiftly fell down from her face as the little girl futilely covered her nose and mouth.

After a few moments of struggling, she stumbled around and fell onto the floor, coughing and hanging.

As Abilene toppled onto the ground, a small, yet clear 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥 echoed from behind her.

Struggling to keep herself conscious, the little girl's eyes strained to open. Her eyes barely opened, she noticed something strange amidst the harsh winds.

As if a miracle had descended upon her, something unnatural began to wrap around her. Akin to a barrier, it seemed to protect them both from the heat and the smell.

As the little girl looked around in wonder, she suddenly realized she could breathe freely.

Also, Abilene didn't feel as if she was burning up anymore!

'Is...is this a miracle? Or...'

"Is this...magic?"

Abilene's pale white face paled even more as her eyes darted towards the gray-haired woman.

"Are-are you a...a witch?"

A...witch?

Like some kind of evil old grandma who uses scary magic?

In a way, she is, but modern humans' perception of witches had strayed away from the actual meaning of a witch.

Even if its partially true.

"Are you going to kill me? Sacrifice me? Experiment on me with strange magic? Do you have a cauldron where you cook children?!"

Abilene said, her eyes shining as she became more and more excited, unconsciously standing up.

"..."

Ignoring the little girl, Anna kept looking around, as the world around them changed once more.

𝘍𝘞𝘖𝘖𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘩...

"Huh?" Abilene said, looking around in confusion.

The trees returned to its natural serenity, the plants as tranquil as it once was, and the heat long gone.

Even the dull orange glow had disappeared.

It was as if the rampaging wind never came.

"..."

"Huh?"

Abilene looked around.

The wind just...died?

As she looked around in wonder, Abilene noticed the gray-haired woman suddenly tapped her staff against the ground.

The little girl was about to speak out until suddenly, a chilling cold froze her body.

"Ugh-!"

Abilene instinctively and tentatively backstepped a couple steps before she fell down on her butt again behind Anna, trembling.

Only Anna nonchalantly remained unmotivated as she looked at one of the bushes in front of her rustling.

From the bushes, a person emerged...

The man had a small green top hat, a shaggy maroon scarf that had seen better days, and a wrinkled large light brown coat.

Underneath his small green top hat was dark brown shaggy hair seemed to be unkempt, and his beard and mustache slightly shaved.

The only thing that stood out was the large book in his peach colored hand.

The man seemed to not notice the two in front of him as he seemed to be intently reading the book.

Slowly walking, flipping the page of the book in his left hand, he whispered in a light, yet suave voice-

"Who truly was the villain when it all began?

Perhaps it was some fair-haired stranger from a faraway land.

For the brutal betrayal of her own damned kin...

Has anything changed since the original sin?

Who was the villain, and who was the hero?

Who was truly evil, and who was truly good?

Just when, did it all...begin?"

The man sighed as he closed his book shut with a snap.

"I've read this from some book of some kind, and I have to say, humanity truly have come far in the past thousand years, with civilization developing without magic. Who could've guessed they had so much potential."

'Another stranger...and its scholar who knows poetry?' Abilene peeked out from behind Anna.

"Greetings, madam and...miss? I would say it's a pleasure meeting you here, but I'm not really sure. I have somehow appeared in these foreign lands, and I am lost..."

He then smiled at the two in a pleading sort of way.

"Perhaps...you could help me?"

"..."

The man seemed to notice their reluctance as he chuckled softly.

"Ah, my apologies. It's rude for a person to not introduce themselves first."

He bowed in a forty-five degree angle in a gentlemanly like manner, both his right and left hand extended outward to the left of his hip.

Afterwards,the stranger raised his head, and his right hand went up to hold his hat in place.

"My name...is Favian. It is indeed quite a pleasure to meet you both in this dreary place."

The man named Favian smirked. A truly charismatic gentlemanly-like friendliest smile the girl had ever seen.

"Now, would you kindly introduce yourself?"

"Oh, m-my name is Abilene, Mr. Favian!" the girl named Abilene responded, then she hid behind the gray-haired woman again.

Favian smiled kindly at the little girl peeking out from behind Anna.

"Hello, little miss Abilene. It's a pleasure to meet such a fine young girl. Now then, who is this-?"

Then, black mud with a few bits of blue rose up from the ground and devoured him.

...

In under one second, the person disappeared as if he had never been there. Abilene, dumbfounded, felt as if her whole world had changed.

After a few seconds, she came back to her senses and looked up in horror at the gray-haired woman in front of her.

Shadows seem to cover the witch, giving the impression that she was...scary.

What was once admiration turned to one of mixed emotions.

"Miss, wh-why-"

Then, they heard a long, exasperated sigh.

Abilene immediately felt something cold wash over her, and she trembled.

"As I thought, fairies are indeed troublesome to deal with. After all, it is said that they can be born with eyes that can see through lies. Bollocks. How inconvenient and vexing."

From the forest, another person emerged. It was the same exact figure that was devoured by the strange mud.

"Madam, could you please-"

Spears answered him, piercing through various parts of his body from several directions.