Pawn Of The Forgotten Fate

This morning, when I woke up, I wasn't surprised to see neither the sun nor the moon in the sky.

The thirteenth month had begun.

Everything outside was cloaked in darkness, the world lit only by the faint glow of streetlamps. It was as though someone had dropped a heavy black blanket over us, snuffing out the light entirely.

The stillness of it all felt unsettling.

Deciding to shake off the unease, I headed downstairs to prepare breakfast. That's when I noticed a note left on the kitchen table:

[I will return soon.]

Aion-nim's handwriting was unmistakable.

Where did he go so early in the morning?

Today marked the start of the thirteenth month, a time when most people chose to stay indoors, shutting themselves away from whatever superstitions or truths kept them wary. Yet, Aion-nim was out and about, as if this day held no significance to him.

I wasn't exactly worried about him, Aion-nim seemed more than capable of handling himself, but an unfamiliar sense of anxiety gnawed at the edges of my mind.

After finishing the breakfast preparations, I wandered into the shop and picked up one of the books left on the front desk.

The language of this world was vastly different from anything I knew back on Earth. Its intricate script and unfamiliar symbols should have left me baffled, yet somehow, I could understand every word as though it had always been second nature.

It was as if a translator lived in both my brain and throat, seamlessly converting the foreign language into something familiar.

The oddness of it struck me again, but like so many things in this world, I had learned to simply accept it.

"Good morning."

Aerin's sleepy voice greeted me from the stairs.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded and sat down beside me, her gaze falling on the book in my hands.

"Are you interested in this?" I asked, holding it out for her to see.

She tilted her head and studied the cover. "No. I'm reading something else at the moment."

I nodded, setting the book aside.

"Go and freshen up," I said gently. "You can have breakfast after that."

As she shuffled off to do as I asked, I stood and made my way out of the store. The chilly breeze hit me immediately, wrapping around me like an unwelcome reminder of the thirteenth month's peculiarities.

Tonight, the weeklong festival was supposed to begin, the biggest celebration of the year. People from all over were expected to flood into the town just for it.

I should take Aerin with me.

The thought of seeing her face light up at the festivities brought a faint smile to my lips.

I turned back toward the shop, ready to head inside, when a strange feeling stopped me in my tracks.

Something felt... off.

I scanned the empty street, my eyes darting from shadow to shadow, but nothing seemed out of place. Yet, the unease wouldn't leave me.

My gaze drifted upward.

That's when I saw it.

In the pitch-black sky, something was moving violently, erratic, almost imperceptible. It was faint, a disturbance barely noticeable against the backdrop of darkness.

I squinted, focusing harder.

If I hadn't been paying attention, I might've missed it entirely.

Suddenly, a loud, thunderous boom erupted from above, reverberating through the air like the roar of an angry sky.

The ground beneath my feet trembled violently, the vibration spreading like ripples through the earth, shaking the buildings around me.

Windows rattled, and faint cracks appeared in the walls of older structures.

The eerie quiet of the darkened streets shattered as doors creaked open and fearful faces began peeking out.

Fear spread like wildfire.

Doors creaked open, and one by one, people began stepping out of their homes, their faces pale and eyes wide with confusion and dread.

An old lady whom I remember seeing around the square a couple of times fell on the ground crying.

"They are here. I told you all, but you never believed me. The end is here."

She started laughing, a wild, maniacal sound that sent chills down my spine. Tears streamed down her face, glistening under the dim light as her wide, unblinking eyes remained fixed on the sky.

Her hands were clasped tightly together, trembling with an intensity that made me uneasy.

People around her began to back away, murmuring in hushed tones.

"Crazy," someone muttered.

"Don't get too close," warned another.

Despite their words, I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. Her laughter echoed in my ears, and I couldn't stop replaying the words she had just said.

Don't these crazy people always tell the truth in movies and all?

"Excuse m-"

Before I could ask her to elaborate, another loud boom followed by the vibrations made me stop.

A small crack appeared in the sky, faint at first, but impossible to miss once it began to spread.

Golden and purple lights seeped through the fissures, their hues casting an ethereal glow across the darkened town. It was almost beautiful almost.

The crack widened, splintering like fractured glass, and something began to push through.

At first, it looked like an enormous egg on the verge of hatching, its smooth, curved surface breaking free from the void beyond. But instead of the soft down of a chick, something far more unsettling emerged.

... It looks ugly.

I don't normally call anything ugly because, well, I'm not amazing to look at either, but this thing is seriously nasty.

Chaos erupted around me.

People screamed, their panicked cries blending into a deafening cacophony as they scrambled in every direction. Some tripped over one another in their desperation to flee, while others simply froze, their faces pale with terror.

Amid the chaos, the old lady remained rooted in place.

Unlike the others, she wasn't running or shouting. She had dropped to her knees, her hands clasped tightly together in fervent prayer. Her gaze was fixed on the grotesque thing in the sky, her lips moving rapidly, as if offering her devotion to it.

The way she bowed her head and muttered beneath her breath made my stomach churn. It was as if she saw the thing not as a threat, but as something divine.

Something to be worshipped.

"W-what is that?"

"An eye sweetie."

At some point during the commotion, Aerin had come out of the house searching for me. This is the first sentence she has said this entire time.

Something like this was not supposed to happen in the novel. I never remember writing anything like this.

So, a surprise event?

The eyeball started moving around, causing the people to panic even more.

"Let's go inside."

Because the thing is so damn ugly, no child should witness that. It's nightmare inducing.

I grabbed Aerin's hand and quickly pulled her into the store, shutting the doors firmly behind us. The muffled chaos from outside still seeped through, but at least we were away from the immediate danger.

Dropping to her level, I gently cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to meet my gaze.

Her eyes were wide, filled with sheer horror, her small body trembling as if the fear had seeped into her very bones.

"I need you to take some deep breaths, okay?."

The chaos outside hadn't settled. People were still panicking, their screams and frantic movements drowning out everything else.

That's probably why no one noticed the faint, rhythmic sound of explosions in the distance.

But I did.

Without hesitation, I grabbed Aerin and pulled her down with me, ducking under the table. My heart raced as I held her close, my mind working overtime to process what was happening.

The eye in the sky was terrifying enough, but now there were literal boom booms echoing through the air.

This just got a hundred times worse. No more messing around. Time to get serious..

The explosions went off a few more times before everything went silent.

Good thing it didn't get close to us, but it still left my ears buzzing.

I slowly emerged from beneath the table.

Creeping towards the front door, I looked through the glass panel for any kind of danger. The eyeball is still in the sky, but it is fixated in the opposite direction from where we are.

The people have all run back inside and I could see them hiding and watching through their windows.

Explosions don't start for no reason.

"We need to hide somewhere until everything settles down."

We don't know why all this is happening, but whatever reason it is, we need to be careful.

There are not many hiding places here, so I couldn't think of anything except for the storage room.

I made her sit inside one of the many boxes and chose to stand by the door with a thick stick in my hand.

If anyone tries to come through here, I can knock them out. Surely my non-existent muscles won't betray me.

Aerin slowly peeked out from under the table, her small voice trembling as she spoke.

"Sir Aion is not here."

"I know," I replied, keeping my tone steady despite the storm brewing in my chest.

She hesitated, her eyes wide with worry. "We have to go find him. He might be seriously injured."

Her words struck a nerve. She wasn't wrong.

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling up inside me. The thought of Aion-nim out there, possibly hurt or worse sent a chill down my spine.

But stepping outside meant putting Aerin and myself at risk.

I gritted my teeth, torn between my fear and my resolve.

I know that he can be injured, but I can't put Aerin in danger by taking her with me, and neither can I leave her on her own in case something goes wrong.

As I was struggling to come up with something, I heard the front door opening with a loud bang.

I made a quick shushing motion toward Aerin, pressing a finger to my lips to quiet her.

Tilting my head slightly, I strained to catch any sound from downstairs, my heart pounding louder than I would've liked.

"AERIN! LOUIE!"

It was Lyaeus.

Thank goodness.

We bolted downstairs, our footsteps echoing loudly against the wooden floor.

The moment we reached the bottom, we saw Lyaeus pacing restlessly, his expression tight with worry.

As soon as he spotted us, a wave of relief washed over his face. Without hesitation, he rushed toward us and pulled us into a big hug, his strong arms wrapping around us tightly.

"Thank the stars you two are okay. I was so worried that I ran all the way here."

I awkwardly patted his back.

Man, this is quite the predicament…

He finally let us go, his arms dropping reluctantly to his sides, but his worry was far from gone.

Lyaeus's sharp eyes scanned us quickly, his hands lightly brushing over our shoulders and arms as if checking for hidden injuries.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, his voice softer now, tinged with genuine concern.

When we shook our heads, his tense expression eased slightly, though the worry didn't entirely fade from his eyes.

"What is going on? And do you know where Aion-nim is?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

Lyaeus hesitated for a fraction of a second, his troubled expression slipping through before he quickly masked it.

"I have an idea of what's going on, but I can't say for sure," he replied smoothly. "As for Aion, he's out of harm's way. I was with him when everything started."

Liar.

A heavy sigh escaped me, and I flopped down onto the chair, my body weighed down by frustration and exhaustion.

"Can you tell me more about this?"

"No," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I left it at that.

Lyaeus has never lied or said no to me before. There must be an important reason why he can't share the information with me.

He went upstairs, which left us sitting together rigidly in absolute silence.

I got up and peeked through the white curtains covering the windows.

The eyeball was looking straight at me.

A sudden chill shot down my spine, freezing me in place before I instinctively stumbled back, horrified. My eyes remained glued to the spot, unable to look away.

I could feel it, something sinister crawling at the edges of my mind, a presence that was both invasive and suffocating.

The way it stared was unbearable, a gaze so unnatural and wrong that it made my skin crawl. It wasn't just unnerving, it was physically revolting, as if its very existence was a violation of reality.

My hands were trembling as I forced myself to avert my gaze away from the window.

I can't believe I got scared of a giant eye in the sky.

But there is no way that thing could be looking at me? It must be looking at something else.

Right? Haha .....

The mere thought of it staring straight at me was deeply unsettling, its gaze lingering like a cold, unwanted touch.

I desperately wanted to believe that it wasn't the case, but deep down, I know that it's a lie. A sudden, firm shaking of my shoulder jolted me back to reality, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts.

"I have been calling for you! What did you see that frightened you so much?" he asked, tinged with genuine concern.

"The eye... it was looking at me."

He released my shoulder without a word and moved toward the window. His posture was tense, his gaze fixed on something outside.

Meanwhile, Aerin quietly brought me a glass of water, her small hands steady despite the worry etched on her face.

"Thank you," I said softly, taking the glass and sipping slowly, hoping it would help settle my frayed nerves.

I glanced back at him. He hadn't moved an inch from the window, his focus unwavering. Whatever he was looking at, it had him completely absorbed and that only made my unease grow stronger.

"The eye is gone."

"What?"

I hesitantly peeked through the curtains again, and just as he said, the eye was gone.

For a fleeting moment, relief washed over me.

Does that mean everything is alright now?

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The thought barely had time to settle before the explosions began again, closer this time. The ground shook violently, rattling the furniture and sending a fresh wave of fear through me.

Before I could react, Lyaeus grabbed my shoulders, his grip firm but not painful, and forced me to look directly into his eyes.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice sharp with urgency. "Search the right drawer next to Aion's bed. There's a note hidden beneath one of the books. Read it."

I nodded my head.

His grip on my shoulders was weakening, his hands trembling ever so slightly. Despite that, he managed a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.

Then he gestured for Aerin to come closer.

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.

Oh no.

"What I'm going to say now," he began, his voice steady despite the chaos around us, "you cannot forget it, no matter what. Do you understand?"

We nodded, the weight of his words pressing down on us.

"You must not worry about me or Aion, all right? Even if you can't find us, I can promise you that we are going to be okay."

Did he lose his last remaining brain cell?

"You both are strong, remember that. Look out for each other and try to forget what you might see next. No matter what you see, you can't forget what I told you. I apologize for doing this to you both, but please survive."

"What are you-"

Before I could even finish my sentence, he bolted for the door, slipping through and slamming it shut behind him.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

Did he really just do that?! Has he gone completely mad?

Panic surged through me as I rushed to the door, my hands fumbling for the handle. I yanked at it desperately, but it didn't budge, not even an inch.

"Lou, I am scared."

I pulled Aerin close to my side, my arm instinctively wrapping around her trembling form. Together, we stared through the glass panel at Lyaeus.

His expression softened when he saw my glare, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. He smiled that only deepened my unease.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, my voice sharp and filled with frustration.

He shook his head, his silence speaking louder than any words could. Then, without a word, he took a few steps back, the distance between us growing heavier with each step.

Lyaeus raised a hand in a final wave.

And then he turned, running toward the direction of his winery, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

This drunk bastard!

I began searching for something hard.

The windows are made of glass, therefore it should be easy to break them, right?

I found the stick which I had thrown aside earlier. It is quite thick, so it should be able to break the window. I held it firmly in my hand and put all my strength into the blow.

... I couldn't even put a small scratch on it.

Am I just that week or is the glass just that strong?

I looked at the broken stick in my hand. It has broken into two pieces, but the window was still standing strong.

My gaze drifted to the horizon, where red and orange clouds swirled ominously in the distance.

They were moving closer.

The fiery hues twisted and churned like a living thing, painting the sky in shades of chaos and destruction.

A bitter laugh escaped me, a sharp scoff at the absurdity of it all.

Lyaeus told us to survive, but he himself locked the front door, cutting off any hopes of our survival.

I watched as people poured out of their homes in a frenzied rush, their faces etched with panic and desperation.

Screams filled the air, a chaotic symphony of fear and urgency, as they shoved and stumbled over one another in their haste to escape.

Their only goal was to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the looming catastrophe, no matter the cost.

I turned away from the door and looked at Aerin.

"Aerin I-"

"It's okay."

She pulled my arm and grabbed my hand with a bright smile, which didn't quite match her eye.

Why...?

He could've at least taken this kid with him, if not me.

I knelt down, placing both hands gently on her small shoulders, steadying her trembling form.

"Cover your ears," I said softly, my voice calm despite the storm raging inside me.

I grabbed a table and positioned it to shield us, tucking Aerin safely behind me.

These past few months, I've come to know her so well. Despite the abuse she's endured, her heart remains untainted, pure, and kind in a way that almost feels unreal. She's never once complained, not even in the worst moments, always trying her best to make us smile, to bring some light into our lives.

Her smile… it's the kind that brightens my entire day. It reminds me of my brother's.

And that's why I can't let anything happen to her.

I don't care what becomes of me, but she has to survive. If there's even the smallest chance I can ensure her safety, I'll take it. I'll give everything I have.

I placed a hand gently on her head, offering silent reassurance, and shifted my gaze to the window.

The muffled cries outside grew louder, a cacophony of fear and despair. The panic was spreading like wildfire, feeding on itself and threatening to spiral out of control.

It's a good thing she's covering her ears. No child should have to hear what's happening out there.

At this moment, I seriously wanted to laugh at the situation.

I just wanted to live in peace with the people I like and die in the least painful way possible.

Why can't things work out the way I want them to?

The explosions reached us, the deafening roar shaking the very ground beneath me.

This is it.

Believing it to be the end, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable.

But instead of pain, a sudden burst of bright blue light forced my eyes open.

The entire house was bathed in a surreal, shimmering blue hue, the glow pulsating like a living entity. Everything around me, walls, furniture, even the table shielding Aerin began to turn translucent, as though reality itself was unraveling.

Through the dissolving walls, I could see the chaos outside: flames, debris, people running in all directions.

The explosion should've killed me. Why am I still alive?

My heart raced, my breath caught in my chest.

What the hell is going on?!

Before I could make sense of anything, the blue glow intensified, swallowing everything around me.

In an instant, it all turned blindingly white. My thoughts blurred, and the world disappeared.

I lost consciousness.

I'm getting used to this by now.