Grave Danger

The night was ruled by the blowing wind and the rustling of leaves. With the sun no longer in sight, darkness enveloped everything. I stole a glance at Ludwig as he silently gazed at the sky and the stars. Despite wearing a simple white button-down shirt and black slacks, he was remarkably handsome.

"How old are you, actually?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"Twenty-eight," he replied directly, causing my eyes to widen. He was eight years older than me, yet he seemed to be in the prime of his youth, almost appearing younger than me in physique. Despite the scars he bore, he still looked youthful, fresh, and attractive.

"What's your favorite color?" I blushed, feeling a bit silly for asking such a trivial question.

Ludwig looked at me strangely, as if I had posed the most absurd question ever.

"Why?" I asked, slightly taken aback. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Is that a common thing in your world?" He inquired curiously. "Here in Quailsham, we value all colors equally. They are all different yet hold the same value because they contribute to making this world colorful. We don't practice favoritism when it comes to colors. It's not common. Differences are fundamental to chaos, don't you think?"

"Okay," I replied, unsure of what else to say. His perspective made sense, but it was just a color after all. There were differences much more significant and impactful, such as beliefs, physical traits, and so on.

"You," Ludwig asked, turning the question back to me. "What's your favorite color in your world?"

Caught off guard by the reversal of the question I had asked, I hesitated before answering. "R-red," I replied meekly.

Ludwig stared at me for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Why red, of all colors?"

I chuckled nervously. "That was the color of the dress my mom was wearing when I last saw her."

I tried to smile, hoping to conceal the lingering sadness I felt about my parents' fate, even though years had passed. The memory was still vivid in my mind, and my heart held onto it dearly.

"Last time you saw her?" Ludwig asked quietly, his gaze distant. It seemed like the question was directed more to himself than to me, as his voice was so low, almost as if it came from the depths of his mind.

I sensed that Ludwig wanted to ask something about my parents, but he seemed to stop himself, biting his lip and falling into silence, his breathing the only sound breaking the quiet. Because of that, we lapsed into silence again. Neither of us dared to speak, just staring at the vast dark sky, trying to understand each other's thoughts. No one moved. We simply breathed.

"Ludwig," I called out softly, as if I were reaching out to him in the depths of the sea. "Do you want to ask me something? Anything…"

It seemed acceptable to share details about our world since Ludwig had been open about Quailsham. Perhaps there was something he wanted to understand about being human.

As the night embraced us with its calmness, Ludwig's voice broke the silence, his tone cautious yet curious. "Is it okay if," he paused, choosing his words carefully. "You tell me something about your parents?" His gaze shifted away momentarily, and I could sense a hint of vulnerability in his demeanor.

His question caught me off guard. I had assumed he would be interested in broader topics related to humans or our world, not delving into my personal history. Ludwig's tone conveyed uncertainty, indicating he had considered the question deeply before asking.

Despite the unexpected nature of his inquiry, I appreciated his respectful approach, asking for permission rather than simply demanding information.

"It's fine if you're not comfortable with it," Ludwig clarified, ensuring I didn't feel pressured. "I'm not forcing you to share."

It took me quite a while to gather my thoughts and find the right words because, in truth, I didn't know where or how to begin. I felt uncertain about what to share with Ludwig about my family. However, Ludwig remained patient, silently waiting for me to speak.

As the night enveloped us in its serene ambiance, the soft rustling of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl provided a gentle backdrop to my contemplation. Finally, I spoke, albeit softly, "There's not much to tell, honestly. I don't remember much about them."

I lowered my gaze to the ground, a tinge of shame creeping in as I felt unable to satisfy Ludwig's curiosity about my family.

"I don't have any memories about my father. My mother, she died when I was just about five years old. I also couldn't remember much about her. What she looked like was very vague. What she liked. Her family. But I was still deeply saddened by her absence."

Warm tears welled up in my eyes as I delved into the past. "For two years, I wandered the streets, lost and alone, until my uncle—though he wasn't technically my uncle—found me and took me in as an orphan. I'm incredibly grateful to them because they provided me with a roof over my head, meals, and the basic education they could afford. Despite our financial struggles, they made sure that Elizabeth and I had a comfortable life."

Emotion choked my voice as memories of our time together flooded back. "Although our days were challenging, we found happiness in being together. We were a close-knit family, content with what we had, even though we weren't wealthy."

I quickly wiped away my tears before Ludwig had a chance to react. "How about you?" I asked, trying to shift the focus away from my emotions and create a connection between us.

Ludwig sighed heavily, his gaze lingering on my still-streaming eyes. "My mother also passed away early," he began, his voice tinged with sorrow. "I was just ten years old when it happened. She wasn't the Fate of my father, the King, and the Ones consumed her essence until she collapsed and never woke again." Ludwig's hands clenched into fists, his anger palpable.

"Everyone knows that only those of Royal Blood or the Fate of the King or Queen can withstand the Ones without harm, yet they still married my mother to the King," Ludwig continued, his tone filled with bitterness. "She loved my father so deeply, despite knowing her fate in the end. She did it out of love for us, no matter the cost, even if it meant sacrificing her own life."

The powerful wind blew fiercely, carrying with it the oppressive heat of our surroundings.

"Five years have passed since the King's death," Ludwig spoke, his voice gentle yet tinged with underlying anger and bitterness. "But despite his longer life compared to my mother's, I can't recall anything about him except for his title as the King. He was never a father to me. He was nowhere to be found when my mother passed away. Absent when I was revealed to be an Ascendant. He was also missing when I was exiled from the kingdom. He was never there when I needed a father."

The wind continued to howl around us, mirroring the storm of emotions brewing within Ludwig.

I asked cautiously, "If only those with Royal Blood or the Fate of the King or Queen can wield the Ones without dying, why does the kingdom allow them to be passed to those who cannot wield them in the first place? I don't understand."

Ludwig responded patiently, "The Ones provide additional power to whoever possesses them. However, because they are incredibly potent, they consume the lives of those who use them unless they are of Royal Blood or a Fate to the King or Queen. The Ones are not just weapons. They also sustain the life of our kingdoms. Without the Ones, the entire continent would collapse, along with the Four Kingdoms of Faes."

"Because Amelia holds the Ones of the Fire Faes, The Aureate Flame, she has become incredibly powerful. However, due to the Dark Magic she wields, the Ones within her are being damaged. This poses a severe threat to Fortunalia as well. The trees are dying, the fish are poisoned, and our harvests are failing to flourish. If we don't retrieve the Ones from Amelia in a few months, we are all in grave danger," Ludwig explained with a solemn tone.