The Tale of Sora Katayama

I woke to find myself in my bed, it seemed all of it was truly just a dream, or maybe a warning of what to expect from here, seeing as I never dreamed of being tortured mentally in a horrendous way as I did. Nevertheless, that is what I hope happened, and it wasn't real at all. This is the moment that all of those people in their books and movies experienced when they discover the true purpose of their lives. It always seems too unreal and fantastical. Now the whole world is wide-open for me to explore, experience, love, hate, live and learn from every single aspect of life in my own time. Not because I'm forced, not because it's something that I need to do because there aren't many choices or chances at it.

My mother called me down for breakfast, so I put on my shoes, grabbed my things and headed downstairs, ready to embrace a bright new day together. As usual, Father and Mother were sitting together at our breakfast table. Father was reading the papers and eating his omelet, my mother was absentmindedly tapping on the table with a fork and glancing anxiously towards the living room. Every so often I would glance her way as she stared into nothingness, fiddling with the frills on the edge of her white dress and pulling her lip up whenever she caught sight of me watching.

"Mother, this special power of mine... how do I know when I'm on the path to goodness?" Ever since my encounter with Omnixis yesterday I've felt uneasy, this feeling of existential dread has overwhelmed my thoughts ever since this morning. In my past life, I was a prideful being who sought for nothing but greatness. I would manipulate others for my own benefit and now that I have been given this second chance, the only person I need to rely on to become great, is myself.

"Let me tell you a story Cyrus, around 60 years ago, there was this man named Sora Katayama who was a very powerful individual. He was considered to be a prodigy as he was able to use oblivion magic which is a very rare mutation of dark magic, however his ambition was limitless. One day he was attacked by a man named the Voidwalker, this man killed his best friend. In a fit of rage he sought for nothing but vengeance on this man and that's when he realized, the man who killed his best friend was the man he respected the most, his teacher and mentor." She spoke with sorrow in her eyes as she recounted this event. My mother was someone I cherished and loved dearly, though at the moment I just wish to hear how her story would continue, because everything was all connected to Omnixis and for now I was trying to understand if all of this was a mistake.

"So what happened to Sora after he found out about this?" I couldn't contain my curiosity, it seemed he became quite powerful with just an exponential amount of training, it would've been interesting to meet him during his time here.

"He was eventually able to kill the Voidwalker, but not at the cost of his own sanity. He pushed away all his friends and became a rogue mage of the Verdant Expanse. He eventually came back to the capital three years later and sought destruction on the entire Xuidian Kingdom. His sorrows led him to his own downfall, so what I am trying to say Cyrus... never lose sight of yourself, even in the most painful situations." Her eyes glowed brightly as her gaze turned distant and reminiscence, it seemed she really respected this man known as Sora Katayama. I felt the urge to help her in every possible way that I could.

A gentle breeze swept past us, bringing along the smells from the city outside; of the aroma from bakeries baking fresh breads, sweet pastries and sweets that were cooked inside them as well; of flowers that were blooming along the street's curbs. A hint of lavender wafting through the air as the scent mixed with that of cinnamon, both enticing me to have another bite of this delicious breakfast. And there, somewhere behind me, in my heart, was a great happiness in all of this and the world felt safe once again.

There was a knock on the front door and to my pleasant surprise, it was Ariel. "Hey Ariel!"

"Morning Cyrus! I saw you sitting alone, you looked bored, so I wanted to invite you out on my morning ride and walk with me!"

My mother giggled, shaking her head affectionately at me and went to answer the front door to let Ariel in while I sat dumbfounded at her. The thing is, a normal boy would be thrilled about this opportunity and would probably be begging their moms for permission, but I wasn't normal. As far as I could tell, my own parents would only ever go horseback riding and would not consider getting me a horse at the very least.

After finishing breakfast, Mother excused herself and left to take care of her errands while Father said he'd go out to the pub. This meant that I was now completely alone in the house, not exactly a thrilling thought especially after last night. It would be great if Ariel stuck around me till this situation is solved. At least for now I have to rely on my mom for this protection, considering I was the baby in this household.

I quickly followed her to the barn, she saddled one of her horses, a white and gold Arabian stallion, it was breathtaking to see the two of them move, her beauty as if from heaven itself, the horse's wildness and its untameable nature that it was so easy to relate to her. She made her way through the door to the field without a glance at me. Her back was straight, head held high. No sign of any uncertainty whatsoever, and not even the faintest trace of emotion crossed her face. "You already know how to ride a horse?" I was curious at how she was so proficient at riding a horse at such a young age.

"Of course, I've always been surrounded by horses and animals ever since I could remember. When my aunt decided to give up raising horses, she asked my father to take over as soon as we settled here." Ariel giggled softly to herself, apparently finding her response funny, yet it seemed I missed out on the joke entirely.

She continued her conversation, oblivious to the fact that I was thoroughly confused. "I thought my first few attempts were abysmal and that I would never get a grasp of riding, but once my Aunt Dina taught me the proper form, I instantly found comfort with the saddle and how it would move with every movement I'd make. At first it was awkward trying to control the horse but gradually I became accustomed and it seemed the horse understood what was going to happen too. That's when I realized, I should be using this skill to get around better! Besides, traveling by horse would be better than by carriage because it means less noise. Right now, I have to borrow my dad's horses whenever I ride, so I'd have to wait till I turn eighteen before I'm allowed to buy my own horse."

I hopped on the horse and we soon made our way to the main part of Willowmere. We rode through the city streets at a leisurely pace, weaving expertly through crowds of busy merchants carrying their goods and bustling shoppers trying to navigate their way through the throng of people. A sea of color greeted us as we passed by numerous stands filled with various items ranging from expensive jewelry to beautiful fabrics and finely carved wood. Several guards stood stoic at every corner of town, their spears and swords proudly gleaming in the sunlight, no doubt they would easily cut through anyone daring enough to try and steal their weapons. Right there I sensed his presence... Gaius was in the town and he was looking for me.