Ten years ago

Content Warning:

This chapter contains scenes of violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Ten years ago

Two police officers patrolled the streets of a city. The gray sky and the falling raindrops gave the impression that the rain would never end. The streets, in some areas, looked like mirrors due to the puddles that reflected the grayness of the sky.

"Did you see the latest reports?" one officer asked his colleague.

"Yeah, the number of disappearances and abductions keeps rising, especially among women." The officer sighed; he had never liked hearing such things.

"The worst part is that out of more than fifty victims this week across almost the whole country, not a single one has been found."

"This whole thing is driving me crazy. I should move to another country with my wife and daughter."

His colleague looked at him with a reassuring expression.

"Don't worry, the victims all live near the beach. As long as you stay away from there, you'll be fine."

The officer let out a relieved sigh at those words.

"Good. Moving would've been expensive anyway, with real estate prices going up."

As the two officers talked, they walked past a narrow alley and one of them spotted a little girl. She had brown hair, bright scarlet-blue eyes, and was dressed in an elegant dress. And yet there she was, sitting on the ground, her dress stained by rainwater as if she'd been abandoned.

"Hey, look," said his colleague, tapping the officer on the shoulder.

The officer turned toward the girl.

"She looks abandoned. Look at her clothes," the other officer said, walking toward her. He crouched down, his face softening to avoid scaring her.

"Hey, Sweetheart. Where are you from? Where are your parents?"

The little girl looked at the officer, her expression empty. Her cheeks were slightly sunken, clearly not having eaten in a while.

She hesitated before answering.

"I was with them... then they made me go into the big shiny thing, and I've been lost here..." Her voice was frail, speaking with difficulty. Her tone was wary. She was scared.

The officer extended his hand to her, his smile empathetic, showing he only wanted to help.

"Come on, let's get you something to eat."

The little girl, unable to refuse, nodded without hesitation, her eyes sparkling.

The officer turned to his colleague as they headed for their patrol car.

"Come on, my treat."

A smile appeared on his partner's face. He followed without hesitation.

"As long as I don't have to pay."

The three of them drove to a nearby café, got out, and went inside. They sat at a table together.

"So, what would you like to eat?"

The two officers waited for the girl to answer.

The little girl didn't know what to say. But after a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke.

"I... I don't know. What's good?"

The officer smiled warmly at her.

"I think you'll like pancakes."

His colleague chimed in, eager to eat.

"I'll have pancakes too."

The officer called over the waiter.

"Two adult portions of pancakes and one child's portion, please."

The waiter nodded and soon returned with their order.

The officer's colleague and the little girl dug in without hesitation, like two people who hadn't smelled food in days.

The officer turned to his partner, who was eating calmly.

"Why are you eating so fast? We just had donuts this morning."

His colleague answered with crumbs on his mouth.

"That wasn't enough and you know it."

The other officer sighed and facepalmed. He looked at the girl. Her face looked much happier now. She was eating and regaining some color. Seeing this, the officer smiled, his face soft with tenderness.

"Do you like it?"

The girl turned to the officer, her mouth full and her eyes shining with joy.

"Yesh! Ish very good! Thank you!"

She could barely articulate with her mouth full. The officer laughed, smiling warmly.

"You remind me of my daughter. What's your name?"

The girl swallowed her food, her voice now clearer.

"My name is Leah!"

The man smiled kindly at her.

"Nice to meet you, Leah. I'm Fred, and that hungry guy over there is Aron."

The girl smiled at both of them.

"Hello, Fred. Hello, Aron!"

They finished eating and stepped out of the café. The rain had stopped, and the sky had turned a stunning yellow. The rays of the setting sun bathed the city in a beautiful light. A rainbow could be seen in the distance.

Fred pointed toward it to draw Leah's attention.

"Hey, look, a rainbow."

Leah turned around, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Wow, it's so beautiful."

Fred smiled at seeing Leah's joy. But Aron interrupted them.

"A group of men were just caught kidnapping—knocking out a young boy and his mother. We have to go. This might be our only shot—it could be the source of the mass disappearances."

Fred nodded and turned to Leah.

"Come on, Leah. Let's go."

All three got into the car, Fred driving. He opened the glove box and pulled out a teddy bear, handing it to Leah in the back seat.

"Here, Leah. He'll keep you company. He's my daughter's, but I can get her a new one."

Leah's eyes lit up with joy when she saw the bear. She hugged it tightly.

"He's so pretty. Thank you!"

Leah played with the teddy bear. Fred turned to Aron.

"We need to drop her somewhere. But where?"

Aron lit a cigarette to calm his nerves.

"Didn't you have a friend who runs an orphanage?"

Fred, who had completely forgotten, thought about it.

"You're right. I'm sure Vanessa would love Leah."

The two officers laughed as they chatted. Leah played with the teddy bear. Suddenly, a loud screeching noise came toward them—a car flying through the air, about to crash into them. Fred noticed immediately.

"Down!" Fred shouted. All three ducked.

The car smashed into theirs.

Leah woke up. The car was overturned, hanging upside down, her seatbelt keeping her in place. Fred and Aron, knocked out were still up front. Leah looked around. The peaceful sunset atmosphere was now replaced by smoke and red flames from the other car, creeping closer to them.

Fred stirred from the smell of smoke.

"What the—" Fred was dazed, a small cut bleeding on his forehead. He looked around and saw Aron unconscious and Leah awake.

"Are you okay, Leah?"

Leah nodded, hugging her bear tightly.

Fred turned to Aron, shaking him to wake him up. Aron regained consciousness quickly.

"Damn... We've got to get out. You're bleeding."

Fred touched his forehead and saw the blood.

"You're right. I'll undo my seatbelt and Leah's. You try to open the door."

Fred undid his belt and dropped to the overturned roof. He quickly unfastened Leah's seatbelt and held her in his arms. Aron managed to open the door and crawled out. Fred handed Leah out next, and she crawled outside, then reached back to help Fred.

"Come on, Leah, just a little more. My head's already out."

Aron smiled, trying to reassure her.

Leah smiled back warmly and pulled harder. Fred smiled at her.

"Thanks Leah."

Leah still had a smile on her face.

"You have to get back to buy your daughter a new teddy bear."

Aron smiled, but suddenly a bright white arrow pierced his head and exploded.

Blood sprayed everywhere, coating Leah's face. Her smile instantly vanished into horror. The arrow had left a glowing trail pointing to its origin. Leah turned slowly toward the shooter, her head trembling, her eyes empty with despair and tears welling.

There stood two beings beyond human comprehension. A tall man with grayish skin, shimmering white hair, glowing eyes, elegantly dressed, radiating a brilliant aura. next to him stood a humanoid female figure with long black hair, pale skin, and light armor shaped to her body, adorned with human skulls like war trophies. Her aura was threatening, deathly, and bloodthirsty.

Aron was in shock, weapon aimed at them, but paralyzed.

The woman looked at Leah, her tone mocking.

"Look at that. Those idiot Artaselians really left the princess who is too the heir to the Life on Earth alone. It was so easy to reroute her portal."

The man responded with a calm, elegant tone.

"Apparently she's a hybrid, like us. That's why they sent her here."

"Oh, I've never seen a Human-Artaselian hybrid."

"We must bring her to Hyland," the man said calmly.

Leah didn't understand anything and was frozen in place.

Aron too, weapon still aimed, but motionless. When they stepped toward Leah, Aron fired without hesitation and shouted:

"Leah, run as far as you can!"

Leah ran without hesitation, as fast as she could, getting away.

The man and woman were unaffected by the bullets. They both stopped. The woman turned to Aron, her gaze piercing and murderous, her aura crushing him.

"Do you really think you stand a chance, inferior?"

Aron spotted the leaking gas tank and aimed at it, hands shaking. He fired.

The explosion bought enough time for Leah to escape the entities' reach. The flames and blast consumed everything in their path, including Aron. The two beings stood unharmed.

"We'll get her when she's older. Let's not attract the attention of the other Representatives," the man said.

"You're right."

Leah ran far away and encountered a woman. Her teddy bear was half-burnt from the flames.

"hey you, where did you come from?"

Leah said nothing, traumatized.

The woman saw the charred bear, snatched it from Leah's hands, and threw it away.

"What are you doing with that trash?"

Leah, too shaken, didn't react. Silent tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'm taking you to my orphanage before that pest Vanessa takes you to hers."

The woman took Leah to her orphanage.

Days passed.

Leah didn't fit in, didn't talk to anyone.

Months passed.

Leah went from one foster family to another. No one wanted her. She was too withdrawn, never spoke.

Years passed.

Leah was insulted, criticized, but never reacted. Her expression remained empty.

Ten years later.

Leah was in the office of the orphanage. The same woman who had coldly taken her in sat across from her.

"Listen, Leah. I'm sending you to the Glory Orphanage."

Leah didn't react.

"Go downstairs. She's waiting for you at the entrance."

Leah headed down to the ground floor. When she opened the front door, a woman stood there.

"Hello, Leah. I'm sorry I didn't arrive sooner."

Amos and Leah passed through the portal, and appeared in another world—a world vastly different from their own. It was more advanced, vast, yet less populated. The air was denser and purer. Most notably, each of the heirs—Anna, Yoan, Lucas, Amos, and Leah—felt a kind of energy fill their bodies.

Amos, still leaning on Leah's shoulder, turned to her.

"Do you feel that?"

Leah didn't notice Amos, lost in her thoughts. A tear rolled from her eye.

"Leah?" Amos waved a hand in front of her face. She snapped back to reality.

Amos, noticing the tear, gently wiped it away, his voice soft and concerned.

"What's wrong?"

Leah blushed at the touch.

"The portal just brought back some old memories."

Allay, who stood before them looking at the landscape, turned around.

"Vessels, welcome to Artasel."

Leah's eyes widened in surprise at the name.

"Artasel?"

End of Chapter 9