He sat under a tree, an individual with pale skin, signs of putrefaction, and black veins running all over his body, listening intently to a girl who was five meters away from him.
The girl, holding the book firmly in her hands, spoke in a soft tone. "Thousands of years ago, the world was ruled by two gods. These gods were brothers, and although they were brothers, their thoughts and philosophies were different, which led to the creation of two factions in the divine world and the world of mortals: 'The Divine Path' and 'The Dark Path'." She paused for a moment, looking at me shyly. "Are you still there, Egil?" I nodded with the little bell.I knew he was listening, though part of me still doubted how much I could trust this account. Ring.Egil shook the bell, indicating the answer was 'yes'. For Egil, it was interesting to him that she began by introducing this world's context with history and religion, suggesting that in this world, they had a strong connection to belief in deities. Could it be that in this world, gods exist as they are and not just as a belief? In his previous life, there had been all kinds of beliefs and religions, but almost no one paid tribute to them anymore, as when the apocalypse broke out, they took it as a sign that their gods had abandoned them.
"Oh, I see. I'm glad you're listening," a relieved smile spread across the young girl's face. "Then I suppose I'll continue..." She turned a page of the book carefully, conscious that she was handling a very worn and old book. "...The Divine Path, created by 'Aelthar, The Great Lord of Illumination,' and on the other side was The Dark Path, created by 'Veythos, The Great Lord of Darkness.' For hundreds of years, the two factions were in conflict, wars and deaths between them. It seemed the fight between these two gods was destined to be eternal."
"Until a third goddess emerged, 'Nyssara, The Mother of Blood.' Born from the so much blood spilled by the conflict of the two factions. She did not agree with the war between these two gods because, having emerged from the blood of the people sacrificed for hundreds of years in the conflict, she could feel the fear, despair, and pain of the dead and living people during the war. So she chose to end the war herself by sending an 'Avatar' who would stop the eternal conflict between these gods. He wasn't a hero; he was a mortal, a faithful believer of The Mother of Blood who had become the goddess Nyssara's only companion and friend. That's why he was chosen by the goddess to stop the conflict between the factions. That Avatar had no name, but the gods recognized him as 'The Absolute Sanguine'..."
The young girl paused momentarily upon mentioning the title of the 'Avatar,' licking her dry lips before continuing.
"...He had overwhelming power. They didn't recognize him as The Absolute Sanguine because he was ruthless or cruel, but because he wiped out everything in his path, even high-ranking Titans, always stained with the blood of his victims. The Sanguine Chosen desired the end of the war as much as his companion, the goddess Mother of Blood, and his solution was to eradicate the conflict from the root. His objective... was the main gods themselves..."
"...The main gods, feared by the overwhelming power of The Absolute Sanguine, created their own chosen ones and avatars to destroy said Sanguine. From this arose'Dion, The Sword of Light' and 'Assier, The Wizard of Calamity.' For the first time in hundreds of years, the two factions agreed on something. They formed a temporary truce pact to destroy the chosen one of The Mother of Blood before he destroyed them. In the end, they managed to defeat The Absolute Sanguine and banished him to the depths of an unknown space created by Aelthar and Veythos especially to seal the avatar of the goddess Nyssara. After defeating The Absolute Sanguine, the main gods ordered their respective avatars to assassinate the goddess Mother of Blood, thus achieving the goal of the two gods. After the goddess Nyssara had died, the two gods had mysteriously disappeared, leaving their avatars alone in the mortal world..."
"...The avatars continued the legacy of their respective gods and lived in peace for thousands of years until now..." The young girl raised her head slightly, a clear melancholy on her face. "...Currently, their descendants would become Nobles and Members of the Royalty for the direct descendants." She stopped after finishing reading the history. "You know? I like this version of history much more, as it shows the goddess Mother of Blood as an empathetic goddess who only wanted to end the war." The girl opined with slight tears in the corners of her eyes. "It's so unfair that the world doesn't see this perspective of history. Everyone sees her as the villain of the story because of the versions written by the avatars of the main gods."
Egil frowned. 'There were other versions of the story?' That meant the version everyone knew was the one written by the avatars. So... 'Where did this girl get this version of the history she just told?' Egil questioned in his head. Perhaps this book contained more than just the history of the world. Egil, looking at it more closely now, saw the book didn't seem common. It was medium-sized and very thick, no larger than a forearm. It had a cover made of hard, dark brown leather, with a somewhat unusual pattern on its cover that looked like scales or feathers, and it had runes written on it that were unintelligible to him. Although, the story she had just told wasn't bad; it had entertained him. It was more like an epic myth than events that happened in real life.
However, something left him doubtful. He wondered if The Mother of Blood had something to do with the Blooders of his world and his reincarnation in this one. It wasn't such a far-fetched hypothesis; the suspicion hung in the air. He still couldn't draw conclusions with little information.
"Did you like the story?" asked the young girl with a smile, looking at the book since she didn't know where around her Egil was, so she just looked at the book as if it were him.
Ring...
"Hehe, I see you liked this version of the story too. It shows you're my little brother," she laughed under her breath. The girl looked very happy. It seemed she had found something she had always wanted, and that something was perhaps to create a bond with her younger brother, but she couldn't. "Shall I tell you about places?"
Egil thought maybe she meant the geography of the place, which would be very useful to him.
Ring...
"Well, Egil... Our world looks like this..." She closes the book and stands up to pick up a random branch from the ground and starts drawing on the somewhat damp earth—not muddy, perfect for drawing on it. The girl draws a poorly made circle and traces a diagonal line across the diameter of the circle. "Here we are," she says, encircling the diagonal line and pointing to the lower left part of the enclosed line. "We are currently in the 'Whispering Forest,' and it's near 'The Crack of Pain.' It's... a sad place, but quiet. There's a village nearby where I'm living for now."
Egil stands up, moving a little closer to see what the girl was drawing. Although it was poorly depicted, the general concept was understandable. From what he understood, the entire diagonal line was a colossal fissure that split the continent in two.
"To the west is the territory of the members of The Divine Path, 'Luminz.' They say their capital shines so brightly it hurts to look at it." She laughed softly before continuing. "It's just a rumor I heard; I don't think such a bright place exists." She opened the book again, carefully turning the pages. "To the east, everything becomes more... interesting. Sharp mountains, deep mines, and beautiful cities. It is the land of the followers of The Dark Path, 'Gothrym'." The young woman closed the worn book with a sigh. "It's... a lot of information, right? Sometimes I can't believe these same gods also walked these places." She fell silent for a moment, looking at the horizon through the trees.
It was a simple but not complete explanation about this world's geography. Not bad. Egil was left wanting to learn more about this world. Although sometimes he seemed to get lost hearing so many mostly exotic names.
"I... I always lived locked away. My parents... They forced me to follow many rules. I didn't feel good with that boring life. Until I found the book." She lifted the book, holding it with both hands. "I realized that outside there is so much more than just... my house," the young girl articulated in whispers. "I want to travel, I want to adventure all over the world alone, and also... find the avatar of the goddess Nyssara!" exclaimed the girl, raising the book in her hands as high as she could.
'What things?!' Egil's face expressed a mix of confusion and surprise. First, because his suspicions were confirmed that they had grown up in different environments and were strangers to each other. This led Egil to wonder if he was truly the lost brother she had just discovered or just some random boy she had taken in as her younger brother. And secondly, because of how absurd her desire sounded: to go on adventures and travel the whole world alone to meet a mythical, fantastical legend that most likely wasn't real.
The boy crossed his arms and sat down again on the grass. 'Maybe this girl has a screw loose in her head from reading that book,' Egil criticized in his mind. It's not bad to dream, but doing it alone and being so young is another level of madness. Then, as if the young girl could read his mind.
"Of course, I'll be with you too. I won't leave you alone again; this time I'll take good care of you. Imagine, two siblings, the brave Aelis and the incredible Egil, going from place to place all over the world together," replied the girl with a wide smile, taking small steps in a circle like a little dance.
'Aelis...' Egil repeated the name in his head, realizing that was the girl's name.
"What do you say? Don't you think it sounds like a great idea?" suggested Aelis, still excited, with a smile on her face as she hugged the book to her chest.
Egil paused before responding with the bell to think about it for a second longer.
Ring Ring... He denied, the clear, vibrant metallic sound of the bell resonating. He didn't like the idea of accompanying her on a journey because he was a Blooder, and it would mean being in constant danger of attacking her. And if that weren't enough, the world itself could also be a danger. 'Take care of me? More like, you'd have a better chance of surviving if I were the one taking care of you!' He quickly dismissed what she said, remembering he was a Blooder. If he had to accompany her, Aelis's chances of survival would be less than those of a newborn in a desert.
Aelis was taken aback, a very noticeable surprise on her face at Egil's denial in response to her suggestion.
Aelis's wide smile froze on her face. The resonant sound of the bell cut her little dance like a knife. Her steps stopped, and her arms, which were hugging the book against her chest, tightened a little more, as if protecting herself from an unexpected blow.
The emotion in her turquoise eyes faded, replaced by a shadow of confusion.
"No...?" she murmured, her voice losing all its previous energy. It was almost a whisper that the forest wind nearly carried away. "You don't... want to go with me?"
Egil looked down at the bell he held on the ground, not knowing how to explain beyond just yes and no. An uncomfortable silence fell, seeming to last an eternity.
But then, her expression changed. She looked up again, directly towards the bushes where she sensed Egil was hiding. Her chin rose with a hint of stubbornness.
"I understand now," she said, her voice firmer. "You're afraid. After... after what happened to you, I get it. That you don't trust the outside world. But I am not that world, Egil. I am your sister. I won't leave you. Not again. And I won't force you... but I'm not going to give up either."
Her eyes seemed to shine for a moment. A fainter, but equally stubborn, smile returned to her lips.
"If you don't want to go to the world... then I'll keep telling you more about it from the book. We can explore everything from here, together! Until you're no longer afraid. And you'll see, you'll catch the same desire I had when I saw how big the world is."
"And when that happens," she added with a conviction that sounded like a promise, "Then... we'll start our adventure for real. Okay?"
The astonishing stubbornness and perseverance of that girl surprised Egil. He thought she would give up with just a 'no' from his bell. He realized he wasn't dealing with a simple girl. But even so, he wasn't entirely convinced. Even if he needed more information about this world, just being near her was already a danger.
"I'll come back tomorrow. I guess you have a lot to think about," Aelis commented calmly.
After a while, she prepared to leave the place. "Ah!" she suddenly squealed, looking down at the leather bag hanging from her shoulder and searching for something in it. "I had forgotten. I'm sorry, you must have been very cold yesterday, right? I brought you something to cover up with." She commented as she pulled a set of clothes, gloves, and boots from her bag. She placed them carefully on the ground. "I'll be waiting for your answer. Until tomorrow!" she exclaimed excitedly as a farewell before heading into the bushes.
However, Egil was only paying attention to the clothes Aelis had left him. He couldn't stand the feeling of being naked for one second longer.