A Different Story

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There was once a village, where a boy had a dream. A dream for his little sister and himself to live a simple life.

And they did.

They lived an incredibly simple life, yes, and although there were hardships that occurred to all those who wanted to live, the two overcame them, living as happily and peacefully as possible in a world of magic.

The boy was incredibly selfish, and he was notorious in the small village for being silent. He never once wanted to play with the other kids his age. He quietly disliked others. He disliked helping others. He disliked talking to others.

Consequently, however, the boy knew that if he showed it to others, their anger would be shared between him and his little sister. So, the boy stayed away from the others, keeping to himself.

Whatever the boy did, it was all for his little sister.

His love, his happiness, his life-everything. Nothing else mattered, and all he wanted was for his smaller sibling to be happy.

However, the boy knew he wasn't a good person, and thoughtless pampering can achieve nothing good. Therefore he strived to teach his little sibling. He imparted whatever he can to her, trying to make her a better person than he is.

The little sister, mature for her age, understood him. She loved him for who he is, and the boy loved her for who she is.

A relationship that many would be envious and jealous over.

One day, a girl his age happened upon The notorious boy, a person who was always silent, was smiling.

Smiling!

Smiling only for his little sister.

The girl was curious. Incredibly curious. How could a selfish boy, notorious for being silent and ignored, be so selfless towards his little sister? She wanted to know.

She 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 to know.

So the girl tried to make friends with him, to understand him. Regardless of how, no matter what, the boy's heart remains closed. It can only open to his little sister.

There was no chance.

The reason why they can talk to each other at all is because they lived in such a small village. In such a village, everyone knew each other like family.

One day, the girl left, and the boy remained behind.

The girl had a higher purpose. A purpose to save lives with her power.

Meanwhile, the boy did not care. What higher purpose? Why else does he need to go, when his whole life, his whole purpose, was being there for and with his little sister?

Nothing else mattered.

If this continues, the boy and his little sister will live happily together, without a care in the world.

Fate had other plans.

Happy, peaceful times never last, especially in that time. It was a time of war, where calamities can happen in all directions.

It had chosen him for a specific purpose. To serve a greater calling.

One day, the village suffered a terrible catastrophe.

Screams of anguish and pain echoed everywhere. Children crying, men and women screaming, elders...dead.

Only a grim hymn bore witness to such a tragedy, giving way to sadness. Anger. Hatred. Despair.

Fires raged across the village, burning houses down, food and belongings burned to ashes.

The boy tried to escape with his little sister...but it was never meant to be. He watched, as she died right in front of him, and he was powerless to stop it from happening.

His heart, only for his little sister, was gone.

The boy saw his little sister die tragically with his own eyes, and something began brewing from a hole in his heart. Where will the boy aim his selfishness now? Where can he selflessly give up his heart for?

As a hole opened, vengeance filled it.

After that day, the boy was no longer a boy. Only an empty shell remained.

Then, the world was flooded in blooded and turmoil, as he and the other six others brought despair never before seen. Scholars and researchers had given a name to this age, an age where catastrophes occur everyday during that time.

The Age of Calamities.

Together while being apart, the seven walked on their own separate paths. They became one of the most feared. They became the manifestation of fear. They became 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.

Together, under the orders of the Lord Almighty, the seven brought the world to its knees.

However, for life to continue and evolve, there must be a force the same as the other side. There must always be an opposite, or else one side of the scales will drop, going out of balance. Two sides of the same coin, as light and darkness coexist, and so there must be a counterbalance.

Mere mortals do not dare to stand up against them. Only those chosen and gifted have a chance.

During the dark age, heroes rise up. Seven heroes, with seven virtues. The heroes faced the Calamities one at a time, for the Calamities are a force to be reckoned with.

One by one, each one of the seven fell, until he remained.

Unlike the other six, he was the closest to completing his dream.

His promise.

Later, he arrived at the gateway to his goal. All of a sudden, someone appeared in front of him. It was the hero who left the village long ago.

The girl was now the hero. She's been one for a long, long time. With one of the seven virtues in hand, she, the hero, sought to protect the world from the boy. She tried to convince him, but the boy felt nothing. He can't possibly feel anything, as all the hatred and rage he had died long ago.

So, as heroes and monsters do, the two fought.

The ground shook, the skies trembled.

Days passed by, and the battle grew more and more destructive. Rain fell heavily, the winds roared ferociously, and the world around the two darken as they clashed.

At the end, one fell.

There is one undeniable truth; that all things must come to an end, and so does the Calamity's dream.

Alas, the Calamity could not fulfill his promise, and he died, passing away in the rain.

The Age of Calamities finally came to an end, and the dark, gray clouds parted ways for the light to shine down on the world. Even though the people rejoiced, and sang tales and songs all over the world, it was already in shambles.

The hero stood over the cold corpse as the sun shone warmly down onto her back.

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...

Finishing the story, the girl leaned back with her arms holding her up. She looked upwards with a sigh. Although there was a roof, the girl seemed to be looking past it, at the dark, gray sky.

"When I first found this book...I felt as if I unlocked the secret of the world. Only I know, and now you-I mean, 'Your Highness' or 'Majesty' knows as well."

The woman only looked at her silently as the Abilene continued expounding upon her enlightened discovery.

"I realized that the book could be the true story, and that the one spread around is just the more childish version. The more...accepted story."

Saying that, the girl pursed her lips.

"This book shows how there are two sides to the same story, and that the monster we feared could be just like us, only tormented by its own unfortunate circumstances. Circumstances that can't just be merely described in a sentence or two."

So I thought, maybe the boy, this 'Calamity,' just wanted to be happy, but fate had to intervene," the girl said empathetically, closing her eyes.

"After I read this book...for the first time, I looked at a world with new eyes, and I saw things which I've never seen before. Things I've never thought about before."

Abilene slowly inhaled and exhaled.

"Once, I saw a crying child complaining to their parents. Another child had hurt him, and so the parents of the crying child punished the unwilling child. However, the other child only hit the crying child because the crying child had hurt him first. So perhaps if both sides had reached an understanding with each other, seeing both sides of the story...perhaps the end of such a story will be a happy ending, and not a bitter one."

The girl looked back at the book in her hands, slowly rubbing the cover.

"...why?" a voice said, as blank as a white canvas.

"Your Majesty?" Abilene looked up, blinking.

"No one here has not called you by your real name," the woman said.

"I know this. They treat you like dirt from the day you were born. They hate you, from the bottom of their hearts."

The woman then slowly shook her head, her ponytail swaying back and forth.

"You...are a perplexing child. Why do you still show them such kindness? Such understanding? It is undeserving for the likes of those...'people.'"

For a peculiar reason, the way the veiled woman said 'people' made Abilene feel abnormally cold, and a chill ran down her spine. Still, the girl shook it off and went on speaking.

"Well...I don't really mind if they don't call me by my name, or show their dislike.. Also, you're wrong."

If it was even possible, the woman stared deeper into the girl, and a menacing aura suddenly erupted from her.

"Although I have kept you company, know that there is a line that cannot be-"

"After all, you call me by my name, and that makes me happy!" Abilene suddenly shouted, bowing her head. The woman was stunned from the outburst.

"...what?"

The girl smiled happily, and the woman, for the first time, couldn't understand. This girl was happy because...she called her by her name?

Abilene smiled, and it was so pure and hopeful, it reminded the woman of-

"To be honest, I understand them."

The memory faded away, like a long forgotten dream as the woman looked back at the girl. Abilene had placed a hand over her heart, and her smile slowly faded away, a mere memory.

The goodwill and pureness faded away, and something dark fell over the girl, surrounding her in a cold embrace,

"When I was born, they say that bad things started to happen around the village. So, it leads people to believe that this all happened because I was simply born. They thought I was a curse. The devil is possessing a child."

The girl, saying that, helplessly shakes her head.

"Of course some people knew better, but as time passed, things got worse and worse. The crops began dying, the animals and cows began dying, the water becoming more poisonous each day-it only got worse."

"They needed something to direct their anger towards."

Abilene suddenly got up, and to the veiled woman's surprise, was handed the book.

"This...it's one of my most precious treasures...but I found a much more precious treasure than I could ever imagine."

The gray haired woman only stared at the book for a long time before slowly accepting the book. Reaching her two hands outwards, she softly grasped the book into her hands.

"Do you not ever get lonely?" the gray-haired woman said monotonously. Although it was said in a curious question, it sounded like a statement.

The girl didn't seem to notice how robotic it was as she responded.

"There's no need to make a difference between a devil and a human, because essentially...they're the same. We are all creatures who seek happiness, no matter who we are. Even if we don't know what we really want. Also...yes, I do get lonely sometimes. No, not sometimes. All the time."

Saying that Abilene trailed off, rubbing her arm while slightly looking away. A few moments passed, and the woman finally consolidated her thoughts.

"...you're a strange one."

Abilene perked back up slightly, her eyes shining, albeit a small glow.

"Hehehe. Throughout my short life, I learned a lot. People often speak or act the opposite of the feelings inside their heart...because they're scared."

"..."

"Still, the human heart yearns to connect with each other...to accept each other. It is a reflection upon which all living things truly wish wholeheartedly. Even the devil or demon are no exceptions either."

The girl put her hands together, as if in a prayer. She looked up at the roof, looking past it out into the sky once more.

"When we're at our lowest, we are open to the greatest of changes. I found out later on that being kind to others was something that I should do, not would do. Perhaps, if I share my kindness to those who are at their lowest, maybe they can share their kindness to others? So, even if it is painful," Abilene looked at the veiled woman directly in the eye, and determination flooded into her body.

"...as long as someone understands me, and is kind to me, then I think I could still be happy."

The woman stared at the girl, and saw that the pure-hearted aspiration and yearning had appeared in the girl's eyes once more. Abilene, while staring at her, seemed to finally realize she was freely talking to a woman who can kill her. The girl then began rubbing her hand, swaying like a tiny leaf amongst the freezing, cold midnight wind.

"Are you really a twelve year old girl?" the woman finally asked.

Abilene blinked, and pointed at herself.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Your understanding of the world is even better than most people older than you. Those fools are so wrapped up in their echo chambers, they won't listen to anything that goes against their ideals. Those people could learn many things from you."

And that was a fact.

Abilene blushed, looking down and putting her arms behind her, swaying left and right.

"Really? I'm, I'm humbled-"

"... you are truly wise beyond your years, Abilene," the woman abruptly interrupted her. "You truly are a good person. I...thank you for telling me this. Even I have...learned...much from this conversation."

"..."

As the woman shook her head once more, she noticed at a side glance the little girl was shaking.

Before the women could figure out what was wrong, a soft, sobbing voice came from the shaking girl as Abilene fell onto her knees.

"...thank you...thank you. No one ever thanked me, and fo-for a long time, I thought I...I thought I really was a bad person. For you to-to tell that I'm a good...a good person...its...!"

Abilene started sniffing, wiping her eyes.

"It's...the best thing I've ever heard. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you...

The woman remained quiet, unmoving as the little girl sobbed freely.

No one but herself knew what she was thinking.

...

After a while, Abilene wiped her tears.

"Thank you...thank you so much Your Majesty. But I'm still a twelve year old girl. There's so much for me to learn still. I do have a long life ahead of me…"

Abilene then deeply bowed at the veiled woman. Following that, she turned around and began putting the stuff back into the bag.

The woman looked at the girl, trying to stuff the bag into the small hole. For the first time in what seems to be a while, she couldn't help but think back to her past.

Her parents, her promises...those traitors...those cockroaches...

'Cockroaches? What? No...my grandfather. My beloved grandfather.'

'My 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.'

"...never again," the woman whispered.

While Abilene was walking away, the veiled woman slowly began reaching out for her.

"Yes...you are a very good child..." she whispered.

'And good children should not be in a world like this, but be kept safely from it.'

'Yes, that's right. With this, she'll never know pain.'

Never again.

The woman's hand emitted a blue hue, and a faint chill exuded from it. A strange pressure suddenly fell onto Abilene, and a chill ran up her spine. She stood still, holding her breath as something cold slowly crawled towards her, whispering to.

Just like when she was in the dream, under the pale moon and dim sky.

The hand eerily drew ever closer and closer and Abilene felt the most terrifying fear in her life. Not when she was alone in the darkness-no, alone with something else. The crows. The looks of hatred on their faces.

'I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥. I'm-!

The slowly hand reached out to the girl's shoulder, and just as it was about to touch her, she-

"..."

The woman's hand came to a stop. Slowly, she brought her arm back to her side.

As if nothing ever happened.

Abilene blinked. It all happened in the span of a second, and the cold suddenly disappeared. The girl didn't know if it was really just a dream or not.

Slowly, the girl turned around, but she saw no one was sitting on the hay. No one was behind her.

As if it was just a dream.