Wherei am? It's dark. ow! My body hurts everywhere and...wheres my legs?! I can't feel my legs.
what happened? Wait, I remember...i felt dizzy earlier, then i fell in the ground and..I hit my head? coz after I fell — I felt a skull splitting pain in my brain.
Suddenly a 'voice' interrupted Charlottes thoughts. Literally cutting off within her mind.
*Don't be afraid humans, You will be save from your sins*
Wha- what sins? is it the robbery? did God really punished me. But the voice said humans—it can't be my fault alone. And— what do you mean 'not be afraid?' you literally spoke in my mind!'
At the same time, Charlotte tried to move her legs. An excruciating pain jolted through her entire body. From her legs to her brain, from her brain to her eyes—
amidst this suffering, because of the tears that flowed down to her cheeks, Charlotte was able to determine the direction of up and down.
She tried to push upward, it's surprisingly light.
She was under a rubble of steel-sheet that used to be their roof.
Charlotte finally escape to the open. At least her eyes. But her body still laid back in the ground. Surprisingly the pain she felt is gradually subsiding. And for a second time she was looking at the darkness again.
"Hello? Where are you?"
....
Even the crickets did not bother to respond at Charlotte. But all of a sudden, a glowing presence appeared above.
Charlotte cast her gaze toward it. It was so far away that, from her perspective, it looked like nothing more than a floating ball of light. It's considerably bright. lighting the spaces around it.
So many questions came to her mind, it was answered by more questions.
First of all, is that a wall behind it?! From what I remember, there's supposed to be a sky up there right?
That wall extended around the edge of the slum town. The walls that encapsulated the town were rigid and uneven, but surprisingly looked stable and solid.
Later that day, she will learn the word 'cavern.'
Secondly, What's that pillar besides it came from? but 'woah' its massive.
The so called pillar extended from the ground through the ceiling.
Third, How can i see in that distance?! i mean i can even see the small detai- Oh wait... Ain't this place dark a while ago?
How can i see clearly? well, It wasn't as bright as day, but it was similar when the sun was about to rise. Just a bit of difference, everything are basking in soft green light instead of blue...
After Charlotte's eyes adjusted in the darkness, She did not have to rely on the ball of light. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes—and tried to process what's going on....
While in that state Charlotte realized, Every pain on her body disappeared like nothing ever happened.
At that point, she stopped thinking about the incomprehensible matters.
Instead focused on the current situation.
Charlotte felt something heavy pressing on her legs. It was an old rubber tire. That tire was originally been placed by Rico above their roof, to prevent it from flying off during storms.
She moved it and carefully crawled away from the rubble then removed the dust, soil, rust and everything nice—clinging at her shirt and skin.
She looked around as she stood upright. What Charlotte didn't yet realize—her newfound blessing was also a curse.
Through the lenses of her 'evolved' eyes, she saw a scene that would forever haunt her.
The poison of its horror was potent—it made her body slump instantly.
She wanted to say something...but no such word existed for this situation.
Not a single home was erected—none. Hundreds of houses were crushed by boulders.
She had a thought, 'That could've been me, and I wouldn't even know' as she was under the rubble—which happened to most of them.
A warm feeling brewed in her stomach, curling and slowly moving upward to her throat. It was bitter, then sour..
The images of headless slum people flashed in her mind.
She noticed that splashes of green stains around their bodies were similar to that of an explosion. She did not want to ask, "How?" But to ask "Why", 'Why did we have to go through this?'
More grotesque images snapped in her mind. It made the contents of her stomach flowed out—like a pressurize faucet.
Then she remembered...
Rico... She's back at her feet again, but her eyes is in far distance—beyond that wall.
She ran towards the wall, Her speed was not of a human speed—if not of her new pair of eyes, it would be impossible for her to see the soroundings. They would be streaks of colors and light.
Her reaction was heightened too, she can reactively jumped over cracks in the ground and debris blocking the road.
Where are you Rico? Rico?he is in the city during this time— I need to fi-
Without a warning, a nauseous feeling veiled Charlotte's vision.
Due to her speed, she fell in a dangerous fashion, her body was thrown like a doll—stumbling over debris and the jagged road. Her consciousness.. fading.. the last thing she remembered was the white light pulsating...
She went into deep slumber like the rest of humanity...
***
A 'voice.' This time it was a voice of a woman.
*Attention, Humanity of Gaia*
Each of the intact soul woke up—all at once, so was Charlotte.
As she opened her eyes, her vision stretched in every direction. She could see from every angle at once, yet there was nothing to be seen. The nothingness she floated on hovered between void and transparency.
For some reason, Charlotte felt a sudden ease. Her anxiety, her doubts, her despair. they all ceased.
Suddenly, a 'voice' resonated within her existence.
The 'voice' is like a rock thrown to a still pond called Charlotte.
She never felt this vulnerable, her spirit was naked, as every 'word' the 'voice' said—rippled at her soul body.
***
'Your old world has crumbled. Your old gods are dead.'
'You who made it'
'REJOICE!'
Rejoice?
Like a rock thrown too hard. The words of that 'voice' stirred the resting silts at the bottom of Charlotte's lake. Pain, Grief, Regrets, despair.
Charlotte wanted to shout, to swear, to fight—so are the rest of humanity. It was mocking the mankind like they were ants.
At that moment, humanity forgot the concept of fear, it was pure rage, raw and primal.
Then a greater ripple appeared within. before the silts could fully cloud their soul-body. It just dissipated in a snap.
*Fellow humans, hold your rage for our common enemy. You will learn about them as soon as you finished your awakening*
Those were soothing 'words' for some reason.
'By the will of the Great Beings, we are blessed.'
'As your old world was you, you shall be your old world.'
'Flourish blessed ones.'
'The mercy is up to the Great Beings; The glory is up to mankind.'
Just like that, the 'voice' disappeared not even an echo of it was heard.
Charlotte returned to the state of a 360 degree staring contest with nothingness that hovered between void and transparency.
Not even a fraction of a second, splashes of color appeared simultaneously in all directions. Then imploded in a single point. It was Charlottes core on her soul-body head.
Before she even noticed, her soul-body had already imploded aswell at the same point. In a snap her vision returned to the real world.
She blinked.
It wasn't her, but her vision. It blinked on its own.
"Meow"
***
"Speaking with mankind's consciousness is impossible now." She continued in exhausted voice; "It began. People of Eden! Find the remaining civilization"
She stood up and raised her hand— pointing forward. "As the will of great beings; you are their salvation. Move!"
At her command, hundreds of individuals were dispatched, then at the command of hundreds of individuals, thousands were dispatched. Each of them was vanishing into thin air. Leaving not a bit of their existence.
They aimed to find the survivors.
A woman clad in white . It was also her that 'talked' with the rest of humanity.
She was sitting in a wooden chair provided to her by the council. She wore a white veil covering half of her face. The other half was covered in silky white fabric—blindfolded.
Something perched on her lap.
"How did that thing enter here?!"
The people of the council panicked. The woman raised her hand again and halted everyone.
"Worry not."
She stroked the small creature on her lap. It purrrr and vibrated, she's slightly startled. But it was soft and smooth like. There is a great contrast between her pale hands and the bright orange creature.
She felt relaxed, it was the first time she could sigh in relief after 648 sunsets...
"meow"
***
Meow?! A cat?
Charlotte tried to look around, but she can't control her perspective, let alone move her body on her command.
The vision moved forward gently. Walking on a wooden platform, slowly approaching the edge—which was fenced by beams and rails of wood.
The gentle walker reached it, that moment, the scene on Charlotte changed instantly. No, it jumped at a great speed. Yet it landed on the platform gracefully.
"Meow"
The vision looked around. It gives Charlotte a chance to scan the soroundings.
What is that? water? that's the bluest water I've ever seen.
The water is vast then meets the horizon at its ends.
where am I?
Then Charlotte remembered; the story Rico told her about.
'The pirates of the blue sea waters.'
It's blue. It's water. It's sea! But where's the pirate?
The perspective of the vision shifted downward, staring at the calm waves.
The water is too far and too bright to let them see their reflection—Still Charlotte manage to reflected with herself, Thanks to the ripple earlier, her mind was in best condition to dove into her deep thoughts.
I need to leave this place.
No, i'm not here. This is only my consciousness, it was like earlier— I fell and transported in that space.
Then that woman voice, It must've done something to my mind. It wouldn't be impossible—it even cleared my emotions.
Clue... clue.. she mentioned awakening...
It could be—She transported me in a dream?
but what's the purpose? maybe if i remember that ritualistic line... Oh flourish! What does that means? grow? improved? how can i achieve that in a dream..
Ugh i'm not good at solving mysteries.
How can I even wake up from a dream?!
Fine I will observe first then..
Charlotte gained her focus in the real world, at least the world of the owner of this vision.
"meow"
What's up with the cheeky meow. Wait, I can understand the emotions of this cat. okay continue observing Charlotte. Tsk— this was not my style at all.
It was staring at the sea. No, it was staring at the fish swimming in the sea.
You're not thinking of jumping right?
"Nyaeow!" A sudden scream. It was caught by surprise.
Its vision slowly rised, It was being lifted, Then rotated in body facing whoever lift it.
"What do you think you're doing pesky cat."
It was a boy, lifting the cat with both of his hands. The boy was around 8 years old. He looked like—
RICO?!
It was indeed not Rico. Yet his face says otherwise. They look identical, at least the 8 year old Rico that Charlotte remembered. The sole difference was his eyes—full of energy. Totally opposite from Rico's dead eyes.
"You're planning to jump off again are you?"
Even his voice—she remembered it, 10 years ago is like yesterday. They sound the same, just higher pitched and more cheerful.
"meow?"
What do you mean 'meow?' You were planning to jump earlier!
"Meow!"
O really, you're good at lying are you?
Wait am i talking to a cat?
"Hey, Pesky what's wrong with you? why do you keep meowing."
The boy pulled the cat closer to him and bumped their foreheads. Then put him down on the wooden floor.
"We will have lunch in 10 minutes so be patient okay?"
"Meow"
The cat just stood there and observed the boy walk into a wooden door with a circular hole covered by glass in the middle.
So that's Frey huh?
"Meow!" It responded proudly for some reason.
Woah! He can really hear my thoughts and i can really understand him!
I should stop getting surprised with everything for real now. It's hell, everything is mocking my common sense. Not only that, I also inherited the memory of this cat.
Pesky Morrow, a 3 year old, male black cat, adopted by the Morrow family.
He spends his days chasing bugs and rats in the ships. I didn't want to remember that.
Charlotte recalled more memories from Pesky. This cat was everywhere, listening to people.
Frey, son of Julienne Morrow, the only female captain of the knights order. She married Raia Morrow, a blacksmith and a craftsman from the capital.
Julienne was supposed to marry royalty but her heart belonged to her childhood sweetheart. After the great war came to an end, they ran away from the capital.
9 years after, they were on this ship, on their way to Raia hometown.
Charlotte had a thought.
I have a home too
A loud siren interrupted her.
Oh come on, what is it this time?!
Pesky rushed to the rails again and looked beyond the horizon.
Oh you can see from afar—and detailed on top of that. Wait, that was similar to my vision..
Charlotte confirmed that it was really identical, but her thoughts came to a halt because of what they saw.
Pirates! Those are pirates for sure, they have skulls drawn on their ships.
Charlotte was greatly disappointed, the skull was not wearing a straw hat. Instead, it was a skull with protruding 3 horns. It was wearing a rose vine crown with a lot of spikes.
"Pesky enter here."
The cat jumped and quickly hopped inside the same door Frey entered. Inside was chaotic, surprisingly everyone was moving without bumping each other.
"Captain! They're coming fast!"
"Prepare the cannons"
"Aye captain."
"Go to your parents Frey"
"Aye Captain" Frey saluted then carried Pesky with him.
Then without a warning, A white flashed on charlotte her vision. In a snap, She was staring at the ceiling of a cave.
What? I'm back. But what happened to them?
Charlotte tried to processed everything but before she even started, a surge of pains shocked her. She felt them in this order. Left leg, left arm. right leg, neck, right arm... Then after the experienced the orchestrated pain.
It gradually subsided but it's nowhere comforting. It was like you removed a grain of rice from a whole sack.
Thud! Thud!
Charlotte heard footsteps it was getting closer towards her. They were loud and heavy. Her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness once again.
Charlotte was lying sideways, what she saw is a creature she had never seen before, She never been to zoo. It's a Gorilla, It walk like one, She knew because his brother imitated it to scared her
So gorillas have horns huh. three horns.
It was walking towards her, but it seemed like it could not see her.
Then all of a sudden the gorilla was on the ground as well. Lying sideways facing at Charlotte. Its eyes reverted back, between its horns—there was a hole you can see through.
What?
She heard another sets of footsteps. It works toward the Gorilla and picked a green luminescent object.
It's a human! there's a human!
The guy spoke in a commanding tone. He used an unfamiliar language, and inside Charlotte mind she 'heard.'
'This one survived. Take her.'
Someone grabbed Charlotte from the back. The moment it touched her side-body, she screamed in pain. It pressed on her broken ribs.
"Hey! D*psht! What are you doing?!"
The man ignored her and just picked her up like a sack of potatoes. Clearly Charlotte hates that.
"Let me down!" That was the last of her energy.
After a few steps she was put down on the ground. The pain was still there, She sweared to give them a piece after she recovered.
After a few minutes she really recovered, just slightly She's nowhere in top condition but at least she can move her neck now.
She looked to the right. She looked to the left. She saw people that she recognized. They are the slum people.
A decent number of them survived. But they look like they are in a deep sleep.
A man walked towards Charlotte and spoke;
'Rejoice! You just saved this people.' His face is covered in wooden mask.
"Saved? I didn't do anything."
'You woked up, That means your kind can flourish too.'
He was tilting his head while talking, like he was inspecting her.
"What kind? We are humans too." Charlotte is genuinely confused.
'Lies! We were told that people that live in this area are not humans.'
"by who?"
'Your leaders, so we are planning to wiped you out before you turn into unsync.'
"Leaders?"
'Yeah they-'
'Hey Riya, don't talk to her.'