Prologue;
The storm had not relented for days. Upon the ground of ashes and withered trees, stood was a man in a dark cloak with a weapon in hand. And across of him, was hordes of Corrupted beings, their size were nothing ordinary and they're not a so-called beast but rather a deities.
He approached them slowly before accelerating. The Corrupted deities were forced to prepare for the upcoming battle.
Against the threat with a potential to destroy them all.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The sun will set soon....
An aggravated teenager was walking across the muddy street, and was surrounded by hundreds of people, bumping into one another.
He's lost and looking for somewhere to stay before night fell. He also needed to take a bath because he's stained with dirt.
Not to mention, most of the crowds were soiled from work — types of people who spent their days in factories, fields, and forges. Plus, the air carried a dull, and dirty haze. Even the sky had no dawn color of orange, only overlayed by dark and greyish clouds, all came from pollution.
On top of that, sleeping on the outside was barely short of suicide in this current era. If they were to give it a reason, the curse of Luctus is the greatest answer. That's why people mourn for the past centuries, who knows what kind of monster will kill you... a random gigantic human-eating creature or a random drunkard.
Now after a while, he reached the least popular street for it had built a few inns somewhere around this area. But every corner he turns, the inns are full.
He still kept walking until he found a run-down inn that was only partially full, with a broken "Rooms for Rent" old sign hanging loosely. Looking at the walls, they're ready to fall at any time, but people still go in and out.
He walked inside, and expected it to be bad enough, but it's worse than worse. It's a little lively, or more lively in a negative way. Two idiots are already fighting, only because of food.
It was a tavern that doubles as an inn. Two section of tables and chairs occupied by battle-worn people or mercenaries. Served by three servants, one as a waitress, one as a cleaner, and one is a slave, a servant too but as a slave.
The place smells like smoke and old foot. Rooms were located upstairs, but someone's already arguing, or someone's baby is crying, and other inaudible loud noises.
'Good enough, at least whoever moron owns this place, provides shelter for literally anyone.'
Across, an old woman in her 40s, sits behind the counter and was counting coins.
When he approached her, she looks already annoyed at him. His clothes didn't help, wearing a ripped leather jerkin made him predictably poor.
"The hell do you want, brat?"
"Uhh... renting for a roo-"
"Room's eight silvers a month. No food, no service, no complaints."
She sounded cruel and irritated, but he only had four silver coins left, it wasn't earned but rather found on the dirt.
"…Can I pay half first?"
"Grrh, Fine. But you pay the rest tomorrow or sleep outside."
He feels relief that she accepted his little offer. With a nod, he then handed the coins.
Then a problem struck him, the stairs were located on the far end, and the hallway is crowded with large people who looked like they've tried to kill eachother constantly. Walking in-between these people didn't feel right to him.
He might as well be killed at any moment, so he hoped to see the sunshine next day.
Luckily he was ignored, they didn't have pay much attention on weaklings like him. As if he's going to be strong, he even used to say those things.
He head to the stairs, it was already loud enough downstairs but upstairs is chaotic — there's a woman treating her own husband like a dog, and someone's getting robbed, on top of that a very intimidating-looking dudes are beating someone.
'This place can't be hell.'
And finally, he spot an unoccupied room meant for him at the very end of the corresponding rooms.
He walked quickly over the particular room. And when he got there, piles of trash was the first thing he saw... so he kindly tossed it just outside his broken creaky window.
Fortunately, no one was hit because of his carelessness.
He looked around, and the room was disappointingly small and stinky. At least there's a bed, and an effortlessly made window.
'Still better than dying out there. Though honestly, sleeping here is just as risky as sleeping outside, what's the difference?'
He drops his bag, sits down, and sighed.
First thing he sees on his way here; was a kid who has a gold for his weekly allowance. A kid with loving parents and protected. A kid who plays with their siblings.
And now he sees himself on the broken mirror. Then asked the same question again...
'Why was I named, "Dusk"...?'
This teenager's name was Dusk.
Black and slightly grey-ish hair.
And held an obsidian eye color.
'I can finally rest after some damn time.'
There's no more sunray coming from his window, the sun had finally set and it was nighttime. Time to sleep.
= = = = = =
Next morning....
Just about 6 am, the sky is blue. A loud bang against the concrete wall below the tavern, had woke Dusk up.
'Ugh.. F-ck, is someone fighting?... Shit.'
He stepped outside and went downstairs, just to see two guys trading punches. It didn't take long until one of the two grabbed a dagger with murderous intent.
Fortunately the guards had been called and they handled everything physically well.
"...."
Ignoring the scene, he walked straight outside, only to be stopped by the old lady from yesterday.
"Hey brat. Time to pay half the fee."
"I know, I know. That's why I'm going to look for a job to pay up, jeez."
Then he continues to walk. The town became unfamiliar to him, since he travelled street to street inside this massive kingdom.
Somehow, walking around wasn't so bad, this place may be loud and dirty, but it's still full of life. A filthy one.
Dusk climbed on a withered tree, even though there's three kids already sitting there. But he could see most activities in this street.
It wasn't the same as before with a hundred people bumping into eachother. This time, the people on this street are overflowing, there's even a mechanical car trying to drive by, but the density of people easily slowed it down.
Dusk could also see a murdering scene, a burning house, an accident, and how people struggles to breath from the dark smoke released by the factories.
Even so, for people with years of experience in this place, it was only normal...
"Hey, remember when we used to work together as a guard?"
"Yeah.. when was that? I always forget thingsya'know."
Some are just a complete normal conversation...
"Mom, Mom! Toy, Toy!"
"Okay sweetheart, pick one."
...Some are sweet moments...
"Hey how much did you throw at him?"
"About seven to eight rocks I think."
"Are you sure Ren will die from just that? What if he report us to teacher?"
...And also some cruelty...
Dusk jumped down, and squeezed himself against the crowd until he reached the central town. There were lots of decorations and vendors decorating their stalls of flowers and roses, and more white color themed designs. But they were still stained with dirt.
Many people had prepared something like a flower crown, and small wooden toys of the royalties, or tried to invent food because a celebration will happen next day. It's actually a good omen.
Dusk continued walking until he found a little building, with a counter built outside, where most hardworking people do commissions, it was in short, a labor office. So he headed there to take a job.
He lined up with other people then waited for his turn, the other people in line were usually in their mid 30s.
And after some time, it was finally his turn. A middle-aged man sat behind the counter, obviously he was the commissioner.
"Hey old man. I need a job."
"I know that... let's see, errhh...
....Ceaning houses, you'd clean houses. Then you'll look after their pets once you're finished."
"What? Can't I do something else than that?"
Pets are mostly farm animals. Like horse for example, or pigs.
Cleaning houses would be a peace of cake for him, but after he saw a hopeless slave cleaning a horse's droppings once, taking care of animalsvare now a big no-no.
"As long as you do well on your job, you earn decent amount of money, you get that?."
"But-"
"Arta-ta-ta-ta.. no complaining, a commission is a commission. Now go!"
' "Take care of pets" my ass, don't blame me if I did it wrong....
...shit, this is why I hate working.'
First was his cleaning job. Simply clean the corner of the walls and mop the floor from people's houses. But how unlucky he was to clean a disgusting house that held a stinky smell inside. At least he's got a decent payment.
Next was taking care of animals. It was easy, but more often than not, Dusk will end up be covered in horse droppings every time he slipped on the wet clay and he had to use a nearby hose to clean himself.
"If I had the permission to chop you, I'd have done it already you damn animal-"
"What the hell are you doing?! The royalties are going to have to use him in two hours!...
...make sure to clean him too."
The horse will be used in the parade that would run down every street tomorrow, and afterwards if the horse were cleaned, it would be adorned with jewelry to celebrate an event occurring tomorrow.
"You're lucky to be even used by royalty."
As usual, peasants were not invited. And people who can afford the entry ticket, does. It's all about money when it comes to a big celebration.
When he get back to claim the money, the commissioner assigned him into another task, with an excuse that he forgot to tell Dusk about the third job. In reality, the commissioner was the one who should've deliver the items as it was necessary.
Later, he hadn't mean to enter inside the training area on an academy because he was going to deliver some weapons, used for fighting against the Corrupts, and he was supposed to only place it down right in front of their doorway.
But there was a lot of pathways and doors, they didn't even have a gate, so he thought he had to find the academy even though he's already inside.
Now that he's inside the training area, the trainers rudely snatched the wooden box he was holding. Their narrowing eyes could tell that they have no respect to the likes of him. Not even being thankful enough.
"Took you so long to deliver those, now get out of here kid.
...You're getting on my nerves for no reason."
"Whatever."
He only gets embarrassed by the rookies who watched him leave, he can already hear brief laughter, but wasn't sure whether it was him that they were laughing at or not.
'What a bunch of idiots... fighting the "corrupts" or something... they'll die anyway.'
Day after day his life went on like this. He was poor and invisible to everyone.
But there were still a lot of poor people that died without being remembered, or did anyone really cared.
'When will be the time I get to eat at least a meat or sleep in a luxurious bed..?'
Fortunately he encountered the commissioner while mumbling.
"Hey kid.. here. Work better, next time."
'Four silvers? ...'
He walks away then looked up at the darkening sky, disappointedly accepted the four silver coins. He could've have more than that so he can eat a decent food.
Just across of him, the inn is visible. It is a good thing, that there were few people so it wouldn't be pain in the ass when getting back to his room.
Preparing the silvers, he walked over the counter to pay his half.
"Uhh, here."
The old woman took the coins and then Dusk walked to the stairs.
The sun had already settled, and night had fallen over the sky. But just as he was going upstairs, Dusk bumped into a girl wearing a steel collar with chains hanging from it. She stumbled back and almost spilled the bucket of water she was carrying.
"...."
"...."
He had just encountered a slave on his way back to his room. In fact, he hadn't seen one up-closer before, he'd only saw them from afar, so he's astonished.
But the old woman sharply called out from the counter;
"What the hell are you doing!?"
"Ah- Sorry ma'am! Please forgive me!"
The girl bowed her head quickly, then brushed past him again as she rushed to wipe the tables and chairs. There was even a puddle of vomit she had to clean.
Dusk continued walking upstairs and minded his own business instead, though for some reason, he's concerned of something about her.
'Someone that looks younger than me, as a slave?'
He walled to the hallway ti'll he reached his room then entered inside, and quickly dropped himself on the bed. He fell asleep the second he laid down.
That was the end of his day, for now.
= = = = = =
Meanwhile....
The slave from before....
One of the old servant was holding a whip, obviously a common weapon against the slave so she can order her around.
"Work faster before the customers complain, you useless thing!"
The slave obeys at the command. Even though this old servant shouldn't really be the one in charge.
"Y-Yes... ma'am..!"
.
>> Proceed to the next Chapter <<