Chapter 1 COST

  The pebbles strike the surface of the lake's water, each one birthing ripples that shimmer like silk in twilight. I watch, spellbound, as serenity coils outward in delicate circles — quiet, yet commanding. The cold water hums with hush. My thoughts, usually calm, playful, now drift — soft, aimless, like feathers on glass. A sigh escapes my lips as my mind drifts back to Unicus.

  “The quiet and lonely boy, now weak as a sick person.”

  A silent breeze blows, as it gazes all that's planted root over the land. Flowers waiting to bloom, weave around in the gentle breeze like a fairy dance.

  “It's my fault, isn't it? …”

  Blood trickles down as I bite my lower lip, my expression twists into one of anguish as the memories of that day resurface that which haunts me everyday, as I go to sleep. I bob my head left and right in hopes of finding solace from the guilt. But it doesn't fade away… it lingers like a beast locked onto its prey.

  “If only I was stronger…” My eyes snap shut as my cheeks tighten, jaws clenching tight, teeth clattering, palms curling in on itself, fingers grabbing onto the hem of my skirt. As I gaze upon the me that's reflected on the surface of water. Then suddenly a thought becomes clear, I snicker to myself.

  “I can't believe it. You relied on a child to save your ass, a kid who is no less than barely 4 years old.” My lips curl mockingly, “You must have realised it, didn't you? You feel the urge …”

  The words are abruptly cut off as a pebble disrupts the surface of the water, creating ripples distorting the face reflected over it. As the water ripples, the concentric circles twists as the memory replays itself on her mind…

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  My back strikes the floor loudly, as I writhed in pain. My spine screams aloud like someone broke a few ribs in the process, my heart screams like it just received a mug of steaming hot water poured over it, burning sensation as the heat washes me, immediately stunning me to silence.

  As the pain digges deeper, my confidence, my consciousness fails me as my eyes crawl into slumber, I resist with sheer will as I push myself harder and harder to keep my tired self to be awake. Around me the thick scent of blood drains many of the will to fight, yet they keep pushing on, forward towards their protection.

  My gaze falls towards the back as I see the timid little Unicus rushing towards me, his shirt drenched in sweat, his hands clenched tight as he runs towards me at breakneck speed.

  My eyelids flutter as the speed of my thoughts begins to crawl like a newborn, as the situation sinks deeper and deeper, as it leaves me to ponder a question.

  Am I facing death right now?

  As the thought lingers, a sudden realisation strikes me hard.

  Will I die today?

  Stolen novel; please report.

  As my mind races like a man in a marathon, my ears wiggle straining to capture the words spoken by the aggressor.

  “You've entertained Airy so far. But now it's time for your death ?.”

  The words of the person, the one who calls herself — Airy. The meaning of said words sends a chill down my spine, as a cold sweat runs down my spine which still screams in pain.

  As the time of my internal clock ticks slower and slower, suddenly a chilling sensation around my neck catches me off guard, the object … I believe it's Airy's sword pressing on my neck, inching slowly to rip my neck open for all to see.

  As I was waiting for the world, my world to end in a couple of seconds, the death I was expecting never arrived. As the adrenaline of the battle leaves me, my mind races to comprehend what's happening, I hear the voice of Airy, panic written over it for all to see.

  “Who is it? Who is ruining Airy's finishing move ?.”

  My eyelids, which now feel like lifting heavy lead, refusing to open, I once again strain my ears to catch what's happening around me and make sense of everything going on. A voice which is both familiar, but equally foreign reaches my ears.

  “That would be me.”

  The confidence of the voice, the self assured tone, the way it even makes Airy wait and think for a second, makes me feel relieved as somehow I can fall asleep rest assured that I'm in safe hands.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Sleep clung to me like syrup, thick and numbing—until that slap. Sharp, vicious, echoing through the air like a crack of lightning. My eyes snapped open, heart jolting like someone had hurled a full bucket of ice water at my face. Adrenaline surged. The room, once a haze, now burned into focus. A scream reached my ears, as Airy's disbelief struck me to wakefulness.

  “Did you just slap Airy?…”

  Her voice stutters, the disbelief evident in her tone. My eyes open as the blurriness and gaze of sleep clears. My gaze lands on a man wearing unknown clothes, he is standing a few feets away from Airy, who has her palm on her swollen cheek.

  “You… How could you! Airy doesn't even let her boyfriend raise his hand against her. Yet … how dare you! Bastard!!”

  Airy cursing the man in front of her, it somehow sings like music to me. Unknowingly a smile creeps on my face as my face melts in joy of watching my enemy struggle with a slap.

  On a closer look, I could see several places in her body, which contains the aftermath of receiving strikes, punches, kicks and so on.

  I could only imagine how skilled the man in front of her was to inflict such wounds on a predator like her, I wonder if he is a predator himself? My thoughts were interrupted by the man's voice.

  “Are you done? I thought we were fighting.” Then he sighs, “If you want to talk about this over tea, shall we move to a suitable location?”

  His words only make Airy's eyes wide with shame, her face lit bright as a tomato as she scrambles to hide her embarrassment, her grip on the sword tightening, she shouts with intensity to hide her embarrassment.

  “How dare you? I'm a trained swordswoman from Agir Swordsmanship Academy”

  Oooo. It seems like he struck a nerve, I can't help but giggle as I watch her. Each moment only makes her look younger and younger like a child playing as an adult.

  Airy's sword gleams reflecting the setting sun's light, the ray falls on the man's eyes as he brings his hands upwards, that's when Airy runs towards him. Her speed is impressive, for someone who's not using magic, her speed is comparable or even faster than me.

  Her sword is aimed for his eyes, she tries to strike him with deadly precision, he falls to the floor, his hands on the floor as he swirls around tripping Airy's foot, she plummets to the floor, but still rolls away from him. As she rolls away from us, the man's gaze turns to me. His gaze checks me, I assume for injuries?

  “Mellona. Nice timing.” Then he asks something, “Are you listening?” He asks again, “I said, bring me a weapon, sleepyhead.”

  I blink a few times as his triskelion eyes bore down on me. Something strikes me as odd as I just noticed that he doesn't carry any weapon. Looking at him, a question threatens to come out of my throat.

  “Were you fighting her without a weapon all this time!!!”

  I press my palm over my mouth. But still, I can't believe it, it's Airy we are talking about. Am I weak for getting defeated by her, even though I had a freaking sword in my hands? Let's not forget my magic as well.

  Feeling a bit light headed I nodded to him, as I tried to pull myself together, I ran around the room, grabbed the first thing my eyes landed on which was nearby and threw it to him. He catches it and shouts in protest.

  “Mellona. I asked for a weapon, not a garden fork!!”

  Oops I screwed up, didn't I? I smile self-deprecatingly. But the moment doesn't linger for too long as Airy comes back with vengeance, shouting ‘Damn you!’

  In a moment of desperation, he uses the garden fork to fight against her. My lips tremble, unable to suppress my amusement at the humorous scene unfolding in front of me. Then I remembered that the battle is still yet to end, still giggling to myself, I go looking for my sword.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  As the fragment of memory comes to an end, Mellona is left to wonder. A thought crosses her mind again and again.

  “Considering Airy's partner in crime came to her rescue before we could end things once and for all. Was it worthwhile? Considering what Unicus did and how he is still yet to wake up from all that … i doubt it”

  Another gentle breeze blows over the land, a tear trickles down her cheeks silently. She imagines Unicus still sleeping in his bed after that day.

  “If only I … I had the power to protect myself. This wouldn't have…”

  She tries to grab something, her palms stretched out, clenching her fist. She didn't finish the rest as she turned back and started walking home.