A golden spotlight shone on the podium.
"Ugh. So much chatter," the Queen of Linuxinia whined, rolling her eyes.
A huge audience surrounded her. Aletha got lost—a sea of robes, chatter, and compliments immersed her.
"Hey, you look stunning!" A blonde-haired girl said, her cyan eyes sparkling.
As Aletha walked through the archway of people, a man who looked fairly old, apparently just another spectator in the crowd, approached and complimented her. Although he seemed unimportant, his gaze lingered on Aletha longer than anyone else's, bringing an air of curiosity into the bustling environment.
"Look at you having such revealing attire. How about you say…"
Aletha immediately refused.
"No thanks."
At the center, Isa, a woman with shamrock-green hair, sat beneath the golden spotlight on the podium, surrounded by people.
But despite this anxious scenario, Isa showed not a twinge of excitement.
Even Kali, the Queen's trusted advisor and right hand, known for his stoic calm, acted strangely, adding to the unusual atmosphere.
But even so, that wasn't of Aletha's concern.
No corner of the place remained uncleaned from people. Not a single spot.
Even the porches atop the underground houses brimmed with people.
Pushed, shoved, complimented, and harassed—everything happened to Aletha in the "mosh pit." She wondered:
Aletha never wanted to be here. She only wanted the necklace and possibly Rinnea, no one else.
Caught in the storm of people, Aletha couldn't find an escape route. Surrounded on all sides, she darted toward the alleyways, hoping to slip away unnoticed.
* * *
Dark, dreary, cold.
Light glinted on broken glass in the empty, junk-filled alley. Aletha made her way through, eyes scanning the chalked brick walls.
The further Aletha went, the colder and tighter her heart grew. Her hands trembled. Panic threatened to overwhelm her.
She looked back and saw darkness thick behind her.
Aletha dashed away, skidding on concrete, then found a wall of barrels blocking the west side. She scratched her head, squinted, and rubbed her fingers over the surface, mumbling,
"What is… this?"
As she touched each edge, the ominous aura around her gradually expanded. Lights flickered on and off; the cheers of the crowd were so distant that it sounded almost like an ant for Aletha, and the darkness quickly expanded.
Dizzy, Aletha lost balance and slammed into the barrels.
Instantaneously, the sturdy wall of barrels collapsed like a stack of bricks, toppling over and trapping Aletha beneath their weight as they rolled atop her. Her heart raced so fast she felt it trembling beneath her chest. Aletha struggled and squirmed out from under the barrels, huffing and puffing as she spoke.
"Help… me… anyone…"
Her tangled hair strained Aletha as she coughed and screamed in fear.
"Help… please… It was an accident."
Only silence responded.
Aletha turned pale and cold. She tried to reach through the darkness and barrels. Yellow beams pierced the gaps, casting a shimmer of hope. But then…
(CRUSH)
The barrels' weight suddenly grew heavier on her.
"N…No…" Aletha whimpered as the hopeful glow vanished behind the barrels.
Desperate, Aletha forced her fingers through the remaining gaps between the barrels, wiggling them around and squinting, fighting back tears as she searched for any way to escape.
"Just…"
Sweat beaded on her brow. Her heart raced. The weight grew like a boulder.
"GASP!"
Suddenly, all the air in Aletha's body left her. She huffed and wheezed, her face turned red, and with one cold voice, she ushered.
"LET…ME GO!"
But nobody answered.
Her face turned purple as pressure crushed her limbs. Squeezing her eyes shut, Aletha cried in pain.
She couldn't take it anymore.
If any more pressure had been applied, she would have fainted.
. . .
"Alright, take those barrels off that whiny, foul, and greedy shrew. Let's not kill her before we get our payback."
After a sharp command, streetlights flared on Aletha's face. Color returned to her skin. She blinked rapidly, exhaling shakily, and flinched as the barrels were tossed aside, releasing her from pain. But just as relief came, a grating voice stopped her.
"Drag that defenseless young woman into the dark corner, now! Let no one see her. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am!" replied several voices, both masculine and feminine. Aletha could only wonder who had crushed her, her body weak and miserable, frozen in place by the shock of the incident.
A stranger clutched Aletha's ankles and dragged her deeper into the alley, scraping her on the hard ground. Before she could see the smugglers, Aletha lost consciousness.
* * *
"Wake up!"
A steel-hard fist slammed into Aletha with a room-shaking crash, sending her skidding and bouncing across the resilient stone floor. The blow's force propelled her into the wall with a loud clang.
Aletha gasped suddenly as her mind snapped back to consciousness, the pain from her raw, burning skin making her whimper and cry out.
"STOP IT! W-What did I do?! Who… a-are you?"
The attacker was an emaciated, broad-shouldered woman with narrow lips, hollow cheeks, and thick blonde hair. She glared, making Aletha's skin crawl, and without pause, hit her again—bruising her face and growling.
"You know exactly what you did, repugnant twat! Stop lying with your doll-like face and pay up!"
Aletha's eyes shook and trembled with genuine fear.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. P-Please, don't hurt me…--
The woman punched Aletha's stomach, sending tears burning into her eyes, then kicked and tossed her against the walls, bruises accumulating fast.
Aletha's elbow, knees, face, stomach, and back were kicked and battered.
They laughed, exchanging blows while Aletha, defenseless, couldn't fight back.
Along with the woman, a barrel-chested brute and a petite twit also beat Aletha.
"You get what you deserve, greedy shrew."
Clenching his fist, he shoved Aletha against the wall and punched her hard in the stomach, making her vomit dust onto the floor. Her throat tightened, tears welled in her eyes, and her arms hung limp in hopelessness as he kicked her repeatedly on the shins, sides, and legs. While Aletha cried out and begged, the strangers stood over her, their threats growing louder.
"You like that? That's what bloody peasants like you deserve when you decide to destroy a two-million-Gincoin train!"
Aletha's body trembled with agony. Blood streaked her battered face, pain radiating from every wound. Nothing eased her torment. No one had helped her. Without her brother, Aletha felt exposed, utterly defenseless.
She curled into a ball, groaning, crying, and whimpering. Her thoughts were eclipsed by pain as she cried out.
"Asahi… A… Asahi… I… don't want to die…" (I don't… know…)
Unable to move easily, Aletha's whole body was battered and bruised. The smugglers, noticing how broken and barely conscious she was, looked down on her. The blonde-haired woman approached, spat on Aletha's face, and planted her foot firmly on the girl's body before saying:
"People like you make me sick. Wasting several million gincoins just for a passenger to ruin it all? Who do you think you are?"
As the barrel-chested man glanced through Aletha's wounds, he tilted back to the blonde-haired woman and questioned.
"Don't you think we went a little too rough on her, Peruda? Come on, she's just a defenseless young girl."
She curled her lips in disgust.
"Ugh, that young 'girl' doesn't deserve anything. She doesn't even know how to run or defend herself. All this young woman is… just a weak, measly, and wicked fool."
As Peruda pressed her foot harder against Aletha's face, tears spilled down Aletha's cheeks.
"And besides, this shrew doesn't deserve a single ounce of her beauty. She should live with the peasants, at most."
Aletha, cowering and trembling, sobbed and shrieked as pain seared through her nerves.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please don't kill me. I don't want to die. I'm sorry… I'm sorry."
Peruda knelt beside Aletha, clamped a hand around her neck, and squeezed, choking her while sneering. Aletha, flinching at the pain and terror, sobbed and pleaded as more tears ran down her pale cheeks.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry."
Breathing heavily, she threw Aletha to the wall and chuckled, making a cheeky and sinister smile.
"Stop saying sorry. You're a grown adolescent, not an ignorant child. Pay up! You know what? Maybe I should--
"Don't you DARE touch her anymore!" Rage burned in her crimson eyes, and her long ruby hair flared in exaggeration. This young, ruby-haired woman was seen charging down, holding a red luminance in between her hands.
Quickly, Peruda and the other smugglers bounced up and pulled out their daggers, ready to engage the stranger in combat. Around them, the alleyway pulsed, the crimson illumination flickered, and the smugglers started charging at her. Peruda called her off.
"Slay that fool! I want my money now!"
With a snarl, the ruby-haired girl aimed a red beam at Peruda. Then, she sneered at her and screamed with rage filling her veins.
"You made a big mistake hurting one of my friends like that!"
"F… Friends?" Aletha quivered meagerly. Not knowing who it was that was beyond, a smile beamed on her face. "Friends."
"Oh, you two are friends?" Peruda scoffed. "Then how about I teach you both a lesson!"
Suddenly, as the ruby-haired girl charged, a crimson blade formed in her hands, and she quickly approached the group in hurricane wind speeds. Of course, the blonde lady fought back, punches and kicks, landing with enough force to crush boulders. But little did she know, she was hurting herself.
A magic roared with the crimson blade as the stranger carefully made daring moves like cartwheels, jump-front-kicking, and dodging. Just by seeing her actions, Aletha could recognize who it was.
"Alai…"
A beaming and bright smile shone on Aletha's face. Kicking the brute and pummeling him to the ground, Alai snapped her fingers and exclaimed with a giggle.
"Ha! I KNEW you would remember my name!"
Given hope, Aletha tried to push herself up. Her arms were so brittle, torn, and injured that the only thing she could move was her head. With this in mind, Alai propelled the smugglers into the wall and fleet-footed her way to Aletha, wiping her tears off her face and whispering.
"Aletha, just stay put, okay? I don't want you to hurt yourself more than you have to. These fiends are lying to your face!" While the scarlet luminance encircled her body and the blade, Alai shook her doubts aside and carried Aletha on her back, all the while she was fighting. She whispered as she battered and sliced the smugglers one by one.
"I can see that you are weak, Aletha. It's okay. Everybody has to start somewhere."
Suddenly, using her last utility, Peruda swung and threw her arm at Alai one more time. Her face burned with fury and hopelessness as her messy blonde hair flew backward with crimson. Unfortunately for her, though,
"Ha, nice try." Alai blocked and grabbed Peruda's fist, mid-punch. Trembling in shock, Peruda stammered with fear, tears welling up in desperation.
"Y… You blocked my punch? No one I met had blocked my punch. Not even the strongest could even grab my fist." She scoffed and coughed out of fear. "What tactics and special powers do you have? W-What kind of being are you?"
With one wide, prideful grin, Alai clutched her blade and answered.
"I'm just Alai!"
And then, with all her might, Alai ballasted and impaled Peruda's body with her crimson blade, forcing her body to limp on the floor, and her eyes to immediately flash in black. Aletha's eyes widened in shock as she saw and witnessed Alai's power knock the woman out. She never would have believed a girl like her had such power. Nonetheless, she was grateful enough not to care.
Afterward, a dark-skinned man with mint-green eyes dashed through the alleyway to Aletha, asking.
"What in the blazes happened to her?"
Alai crossed her arms and sighed deeply.
As she carried Aletha's bruised and injured body across the streets, toward the exit of the town, Alai turned to Zeru and asked.
"You have healing powers, right, Zeru? Could you please heal that woman I impaled?"
Zeru raised an eyebrow in confusion. He hadn't understood why Alai wanted that wretched girl to be healed. But to not stir any conflict with the crowds they passed by, Zeru nodded his consent and replied.
"Absolutely." He shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his gaze to the beaten-up girl. "And where are you going with her?" As Zeru said that, the look on his face expressed what she meant.
"Wait. You need not explain to me. You're gonna try and make her go through that training to make her stronger, aren't you?"
Alai stuck her tongue out and made a charming, silly expression, answering.
"Aww, how thoughtful of you to remember. Yes! That's exactly what I'm gonna do!"
As Zeru and Alai stood near the spa buildings, watching as rays of sunlight touched the underground city, they bid each other a kind farewell.
"Okay, Zeru. Good luck at the ceremony. I'm gonna bring Aletha to my house in Alpine Glitterfly Range, and get my friends to start the training."
Zeru put his head to his side and glanced off.
"Oh goodness. She is not gonna have a great time if you're thinking what I'm thinking."
Approaching the tunnel, leaving outside of the cavern, Alai clapped her hands behind her body and walked briskly with Aletha on her shoulders, exclaiming.
"Oh, shucks. Aletha's going to be fine, trust me! If she can still move after all she has endured, then I know for a fact she can become strong. It just takes practice." She stepped forward and arched her back, jumping up and exclaiming. "NOW, Zeru, go and heal that woman and her servants." She wagged her finger. "Make sure you don't forget to report them to the patrol, okay? Although they are forgiven, they will NOT proceed without a punishment."
Zeru nodded his head, understandably.
"Understood." And yet, he couldn't hesitate to ask her. "When will you two be back?"
Alai crossed her legs and placed her arms forward, holding onto Aletha's legs and arms with all her strength. Aletha's chest pressed and squished against Alai's neck, making the young woman's face warm up from the body heat. Despite that, Alai refused to surrender, and so… without more time to waste, she informed with an unsure tone.
"Not more than a week. Sooner or later, you'll know it, the girl you see now will transform into an independent and strong young woman, like me! We might even become best friends too!"
Zeru smugged.
"Sure… good luck with that. I'll see you two later!"
Just as Alai was seen walking out of Clearstar, suddenly Zeru caught sight of a pink-haired vampire girl lumbering toward them. He only assumed it was an illusion, and so, with a prideful smile, Zeru raced back to the dark alleyway to resurrect the woman and her "allies."
Aletha could only hope that she was safe. With the announcement looming, who knows what will happen next?
The only vision she couldn't let go of was that ancient device she found back in that decrepit and hidden place. There was something unsettling about its intricate design and the way it seemed to hum with a faint, almost rhythmic pulse. It was as if it held secrets of the past yet hinted at a power that could transport anyone to a specific place.
This mystery lingered in her mind, its significance taunting her with its potential implications. No matter, knowing that a stranger like Alai, calling Aletha a friend despite just meeting, balanced out everything about the encounter.
Aletha thought as she felt the warm rays of sunlight heal her.
(If only… I could rely on myself rather than my brother. I wish… I wish…)
Pushing the thought of the necklace aside, Aletha thought as she started to lose her consciousness.
( I can be more independent.)
Shortly after, her vision was swept into darkness.