Nely opened her eyes slowly, her senses gradually returning to her. Pain radiated from her shoulders, sharp and insistent. She found herself buried under a pile of fallen wood and rocks. As she shifted, trying to free herself, she realized the house around her was still in fire, the flas licking hungrily at the remnants of her ho.
With a surge of adrenaline, Nely pushed the debris off her and scrambled to her feet, the heat of the fire pressing against her back as she fled the collapsing structure.
The cool night air hit her like a wave, and she paused, catching her breath and taking in the scene of devastation. Her ho was almost entirely consud by the inferno.
As she left house she saw it, her mother's lifeless body lying a short distance away, her throat cruelly slashed. The sight of crows pecking at the remains made Nely's stomach churn, and she stumbled forward, a cry of anguish escaping her lips.
Hours passed, the fire eventually dying down, leaving behind only smoldering ruins and a haunting silence. With a heavy heart and trembling hands, Nely made a shovel.
She worked tirelessly, digging a grave for her family in the soft earth. Tears stread down her face, mixing with the soot and ash that clung to her skin.
"I will get my revenge mom..." she whispered, her voice thick with grief and rage. "I'll find them... the gods and their apostles... I'll kill them all..."
The vow was as much a promise to herself as it was to her mother. Determination flared in her heart, fierce and unyielding. She gritted her teeth, standing tall despite the pain and sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her.
With a swift motion, green Neba started to burn Nely, new clothes materialized around her, black and red attire sa as one from the trials, with a cape and a hood that obscured her face. Her beautiful black hair caught in the wind, flowing behind her.
As Nely walked away from her mother's grave, her thoughts drifted to Dune. mories of battle rushed back like a tidal wave.
She was, reathing, alive. And it was because of Dune. Because he had thrown everything away to save her, almost disregarding his own life in the process. Her heart pounded against her chest, a rhythm she couldn't control.
She clenched her fists, her teeth grinding together as frustration welled up inside her. "That idiot," she muttered under her breath. "That absolute... reckless... stupid idiot."...
"You were the last person i expected to do sothing so reckless... no way you really did that..."
Her fingers curled tighter, but no matter how hard she tried to hold on to the anger, it slipped through her grasp like sand. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have risked himself for her.
Her breathing grew unsteady as she buried her face in her hands, as if hiding from the truth unraveling inside her. "Why would you do that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, almost afraid of the answer. But no answer ca. Just the steady beating of her own heart, faster than before, betraying her.
Seconds passed before she sighed, turning her head to stare at the sky. And then... before she could stop herself, the corners of her lips curled up. A small, barely-there smile, soft, warm, unguarded.
She was happy.
Even if she wanted to call him every na in existence, even if she wanted to hit him the mont she saw him again, she was happy. Because now, she knew, that she was wrong about Dune. Dune did care.
"Why did I say that? Why did I let my frustration control ?" She muttered to herself, "Ahgghh... you stupid girl!"
She had never ant to hurt him, but the words had slipped out, cutting deeper than she could have ever imagined. "I didn't think before I spoke. I was too caught up in my own anger, in my own pain... I didn't stop to think about how it might affect him,"
Dune, like her, was a survivor of the blessings ceremony. They had both endured unimaginable horrors. The thought of Dune gave her a strange comfort. She wasn't entirely alone in this world. There was soone who understood her pain, soone who had faced the sa trials.
Each step she took away from the burnt remains of her past brought her closer to her future, a future she would carve out with her own hands. Nely knew that the path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty, but she also knew that she had no choice but to walk it. For her parents, sister and for herself.
Elijah woke up sprawled on the ground of his lavish ho, the aftermath of a wild night evident in the broken furniture and bloodstains around him. With a grin, he laughed heartily.
"Well, well... that was interesting. I had so much fun. I can't believe that guy Dune really jumped into the water and managed to save her, hes crazy crazy. I'm honestly impressed."
He grabbed an apple from the floor, took a bite, and headed upstairs. Reaching his bedroom, he kicked off his shoes and flopped onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep. Hours later, he woke up, Showered, changed to new clothes, packed a few bags, and left his house.
Walking through the bustling streets, Elijah turned heads, especially those of young won. His tall fra, bluish-black hair, and striking blue eyes made him a favorite among the girls of Seraphein. He enjoyed the attention, often flirting with those who caught his eye.
As he strolled, he noticed posters plastered on shops and houses throughout the city.
They depicted various heroes of Seraphein, but the ones that annoyed him the most were of a man nad Cel. Cel had black hair, blue eyes, and a reputation that surpassed even Elijah's. Strong, handso, and imnsely popular, he was everything Elijah was...but better.
He overheard girls talking about how much they missed Cel, but he brushed it off. Elijah had bigger plans in mind.
Approaching a giant shop, he pushed open the door and saw an old lady sitting behind the counter.
"Hey, Rachel, it's , Elijah," he greeted, flashing a charming smile.
Rachel gave him an annoyed look. "What do you want parasite?" she asked bluntly.
Parasite? ...
I want a storage artifact," Elijah replied.
Rachel sighed, reaching under the counter to pull out a tiny white rabbit, no bigger than the palm of her hand. Its blue eyes sparkled as it hopped onto Elijah's shoulder.
"Oh, I wanted a bag, not an animal.. i know you're old and have hearing problems, let repeat..S T O R A G E—"
"Shut up!" Rachel interrupted, "That thing can store items in its belly. Just feed it whatever you want to store and tell it to give them back to you later, but rember it must be rhy."
Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Rhy? Seriously?
...
"Ohh and what's its na?"
"Puka," Rachel answered.
"Puka?... where's the creativity granny?"
Elijah sighed, pointing at the rabbit. "Go, Puka, eat this bag." Rabbit didn't even look at him.
"Oh right, i gotta make a whole poem... Rabbit Rabbit you ugly rat, go and eat this huge bag!?"
The rabbit's mouth grew impossibly wide, swallowing the whole bag without changing size. Elijah was impressed. "Ow. Thanks, Rachel. How much is it?"
Rachel smirked. "Ten Blue Zet."
"Blue?? Ten?? Granny, are you serious? That's too much. I could buy this in any other shop for a few yellow Zet crystals," Elijah protested.
"Then go," Rachel said dismissively.
"What about five blue Rachel"
"Ten"
"What about seven"
"Ten"
"Nine and that's it "
"Eleven"
"Deal" Elijah pulled out eleven Blue Zet crystals from his pocket, coins similar to those on Earth."Here, take it. And rember, don't you dare say anything about my Zeten."
Rachel covered her mouth, signaling her promise of silence.
"Good. Goodbye,"
Elijah left the shop, Puka perched on his shoulder.
"Why do i have a feeling that soone tricked , granny did sothing again didn't she?"
"Whatever, We're going to Sanatria, Puka be ready. And Dune... you just wait for ."
He chuckled, eager for the adventures.
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