The strong wind so characteristic of Vickmolt blew through the empty alley, gently stirring the elegant, blond hair of the man standing before Nero. As the man's deep blue eyes met Nero's, he extended his hand.
The elegant appearance made Nero shrink back against the gray wall. The truth was, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen someone so well-dressed...
For a moment, the two remained silent, almost eternally.
"Come on, get up... calm down, I don't bite, I just bark."
Nero looked up, his mind processing the man's words. He reached behind his back, gripping the butt of his revolver, but something strange made his distrust of that man lessen. Then, without further ado, he took the man's hand and stood up.
"How should I address you, Lord?" Nero asked, wiping his back with one hand.
"Praise be Zephyr!" The man laughed heartily, clearly delighted. "Did I look that old? I'm only 28!... You can call me Axel, and you don't have to be so formal, Young Sir."
Nero looked him in the eyes and said in an almost hurried tone: "You can address me as Nero... what do you want?... I need money, I don't care how illegal, I just need that money... My sister is waiting for me at home, I want to give her a good life... I-I don't mind getting my hands dirty in the process."
Axel's expression shifted strangely.
"Would you steal...?" he asked with a small, crooked smile.
Nero nodded quickly.
"Ha ha ha... that's nothing... would you torture...?"
Nero hesitated for a moment, but nodded slowly.
Axel raised an eyebrow, and, after clicking his tongue, asked in an indecipherable tone:
"So... you'd be willing to kill someone...?"
Nero's body froze, his mind unsure of how to answer, unsure whether to say yes or no, a question that weighed heavily on his bones.
Stealing is simple... torturing is horrible, but it's just causing pain. The other person will still live!... but... killing is...
The seconds ticked by like minutes, each one weighing heavier than the last. The mere thought of killing someone so deeply made Nero want to vomit. After much reflection, he nodded, his fists clenched.
Axel placed a hand on Nero's shoulder.
"To make you feel better... I'll pay you a lot, about... 30 Lokgs a week."
What? Impossible!
Nero smiled; his mind couldn't believe a single word Axel said.
30 Lokgs are what a teacher, doctor, or architect earns a month... impossible... where the hell would that money come from?
Nero shook his head, looking Axel in the eye, and then said, "I know you're lying to me... if it were a real criminal gang, you wouldn't give more than 20 Lokg..."
Axel froze, his smile vanishing, his blue eyes taking in Nero as if for the first time. Then, his smile returned, even more exuberant than before.
"Whoa... you're incredible... I honestly didn't expect to find someone so perceptive in some forgotten alley by Zephyr. The fact that you uncovered my lie is great... no, it's astounding!"
Nero's red eyes widened, stunned by the eccentric personality of the blond-haired man.
"You're exactly the type I'm looking for... so young, capable, and intelligent..." Then, Axel murmured in a tone Nero couldn't quite hear, "so... pure..."
Nero snorted, somewhat amused.
"Stop with your nonsense. What's the actual pay?"
Axel nodded and replied in a polite but odd tone, "It would be about 7 Lokgs a week, paid every Monday. Adding bonuses for 'special' jobs would bring it to over 30 Lokgs a month, but remember... you can still refuse this, Nero, later it'll be too late..."
Nero lowered his gaze for a long moment. Then he shook his head.
"I won't back down... and besides, how can I be sure you'll give me the money?"
The blond-haired man interlaced his fingers and then snapped them.
"Everyone says that, but after the first bullet they disappear into the fog... oh, if you want, I can show you a little 'incentive'."
He reached behind his back with an almost agonizing slowness and ease. From there he pulled out one of the rarest things in Vickmolt's Zone East: a ten-lokg coin and a five-lokg coin.
Seeing the ten-lokg coin, Nero quickly drew his SA revolver.
"Give me everything you have, Axel. Or I'll be forced to kill you."
Axel laughed so loudly it chilled the heat in Nero's body. The blond man's body doubled over in an almost sinister way. Then, with absurd speed, he grabbed the barrel of the SA revolver and pointed it at his head.
"Come on, Nero!" Axel placed a hand on his shoulder, while the other continued to grip the gun barrel. "Kill me..."
Nero kept his finger on the revolver's trigger.
"How many bullets does it have?"
"I don't know... but what I do know is that there's more than one bullet!"
Nero almost backed away, but Axel's strong grip paralyzed him completely. Nero's hands trembled uncontrollably as his eyes dropped to Axel's hand on his shoulder.
"Nero... C'mon, kill me..."
A pressure almost as heavy as an anvil fell upon Nero's body as a presence seeped into his bones.
Slowly, he raised his gaze, and when he saw them... he felt his soul leave his body.
They were Axel's eyes, but his sclera was black, black as an abyss, black as darkness. Combined with those blue irises, they gave Axel a devilish air.
"Are you crazy?" Nero broke free from Axel's grip, nearly falling to the cold ground.
"Why are you asking?"
Nero felt something metallic in his right hand. When he checked, it was the same Lokgs Axel had shown him earlier. Axel snapped his fingers, his eyes returning to normal.
"Take it as a gift... tomorrow, here, 10 p.m. Be prepared... you might die, so you can say goodbye to your sister... oh, and..."
He stepped closer, placing a hand on Nero's shoulder.
"Don't disappoint me... or your little sister will pay dearly."
Nero looked Axel straight in the eyes, his gaze dangerous. After a quick breath, he said in an almost hoarse voice:
"Don't you dare touch my little lady, or... don't complain about the consequences."
Axel nodded, staring at him intently. Then, he headed toward the alley exit and, before leaving, said, "I like your personality... I have high hopes for you. Don't die."
Nero blinked once, and when he opened his eyes again, Axel was gone... a chill ran down his spine.
What a... strange man... he thought, stuffing the fifteen Lokgs into his left pocket as he re-hid his revolver behind his back.
Nero emerged from the alley with a strange smile. Conflicting emotions gnawed at his soul; on one hand, there was the ecstasy and excitement of finally getting a job, even if it wasn't exactly legal... and on the other, the disappointment in himself for agreeing to take someone's life.
Nero shook his head as he walked through the cold, desolate streets of Vickmolt.
I can't let my feelings get the better of me. I have to concentrate... what time is it? It's so quiet.
That guy, Axel... he did something strange to my body, or soul. When I looked into his black and blue eyes... it was as if thousands upon thousands of threads pierced my soul, a paralyzing horror... that was magic! I know that some kind of mystical and strange power must exist in this world.
First, I saw that strange Magician. Then, I fell asleep on a bench for no reason... and then, a strange and elegant guy appears, offering me a job... that doesn't seem like something natural.
Nero clicked his tongue, his throat tingling with bitterness.
"Now how do I tell Rose I'm going to be a criminal?... I just hope she did her homework. That school is really expensive, but it's the best in the East Side."
Nero started running, knowing that walking could take up to two hours.
I guess I should tell her tomorrow... if I tell her today it'll upset her too much, and she won't be able to sleep... wait, what day is it?
Nero ran through the streets of Vickmolt with a feeling of freedom coursing through his body. During his run, he threw away the cardboard box, but not before eating what was inside. After a while, he arrived home and opened the door.
"Rose? Are you there?"
Receiving no answer, Nero locked the door and went to Rose's room.
Upon arriving, he opened the door and glanced around the room, which was very simple: a bed, a dresser, a closet, and a table covered with cookbooks and general education books.
Nero approached the bed where Rose was sleeping peacefully. He watched her for a short moment and then kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well..."
Afterward, he went to the kitchen where a plate was covered with another plate.
The corners of Nero's mouth curled upward. Then, he sat down and brought the plate toward him with one hand, opening it with the other.
Inside was a small metal spoon, atop one of Vickmolt's most famous dishes, the "ZL·LQG," a recipe that legend says he created himself.
Nero took the spoon and examined the dish. It was shaped like a tornado, but with rice instead of wind and destruction. The rice had a strange sauce, a mixture of fat and tomato, and right in the center of the tornado was the meat.
Wow, Rose's a good cook... she really wants to be a professional chef...
He ate a bite of the slightly cold ZL·LQG, chewed it, and swallowed, then made a face of delight.
Excellent...
Nero continued eating, somewhat content, but then he realized something: if Rose had cooked this, it meant she must have used a lot of rice and meat, which neither of them had much to spare.
Tsk... she used it all... well, I'll give her a good scolding for this, and besides, we'll go shopping for food... right! There's a discount at the whole market tomorrow!... if I remember correctly, it's because winter is almost here.
the red-eyed boy finished eating, washed his dirty dishes, and went to his room. He closed his dresser door and threw himself onto the bed.
What an exhausting day... what's that?
On a wall, hanging and ticking softly, was a clock, which showed the time and day. That day was October 12th, 1427, at exactly 4:00 AM.
Sunday, October 12, 1427, the day I transmigrated... although I think it was the 11th because a day has already passed... more importantly... where did that Clock come from?
Nero thought for a moment, but ended up assuming he hadn't seen it when he woke up.
He closed his eyes, letting sleep and exhaustion consume him...
...
At an unfathomable hour, two red eyes opened in the darkness, calmly observing Nero. This entity was hidden in darkness, but not in physical darkness; it was in a darkness so real, strange, and powerful that not even the sun could illuminate it.
A severed, black hand with sharp nails crawled across the floor of the room, emerging from the "darkness." The hand rose toward the bed and then transformed into a knife, a knife that plunged into Nero's heart.
"Wake up..."
Nero woke up with his heart racing. A strange, powerful pressure nearly crushed his shoulders. The sun's rays burned his eyes, but a feeling of relief settled in his heart.
Ugh... what a damned bad omen... was that entity in the darkness a nightmare?... Of course it was, how could something so powerful exist?! Unless it was a god.
Nero got out of bed and went to the window next to it.
What nonsense am I thinking? Why would a god appear in view of a mere mortal?... I know I'm a transmigrated person, but that doesn't make me any stronger.
Nero looked at the house's yard with a frown. The yard had a single tree and a huge patch of grass where Rose loved to grow vegetables.
He put his left hand behind his back and his right hand in his pockets.
Tsk... I'm an idiot. How could I sleep with my money and a revolver next to me? What if I'd shot myself? I mean... I'm not a sleepwalker!... I think.
Nero clicked his tongue mockingly at himself. Then, he rummaged through his desk drawers for a towel and some smart clothes. Finding the towel, he draped it over his shoulder, and a few seconds later, he found a very handsome black tuxedo.
The red-eyed boy stared at the tuxedo for a moment that seemed far too long...
After a sigh, he went to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, showered, and got dressed. He then checked the time in his room; it was 2 p.m.
"I slept a lot..." he murmured, as he headed to little Rose's room. "The market must be almost full by now, considering rush hour is 4 p.m."
Nero calmly opened Rose's bedroom door. His eyes watched Rose sleeping peacefully, wrapped in blankets.
"Lazybones," he said as he sat on the bed. "Wake up, we have to go."
Rose opened her eyes, stretching.
"Br-brother...?"
Nero chuckled, gently stroking her head. "Miss? No, you look like you're dead... Did you stay up reading your little books?"
Rose looked away.
"D-don't treat me like a child, I'm 16! I'm a young lady now... and... yes, I stayed up when you weren't here... and speaking of which," her red eyes met Nero's, "who gave you permission to take so long? Didn't I tell you, you wouldn't be long?!"
Nero sighed, looking at Rose affectionately, the way a father looks at a crying child.
"Get up, we have to go to the market. Since you're the chef of the house, you tell me what to buy, and I have bad news for you..."
Rose looked at him, puzzled and clearly frightened. She pressed her lips together and then said, "What's wrong?"
"I was robbed..."
Rose put her hands to her face, her eyes welling up with tears, and she began to stammer.
"A-are you okay?"
Nero nodded.
"It's okay... I'm fine. Besides, I managed to get 15 Lokgs."
"Really? How?"
Nero thought for a long moment, swallowed, and finally said:
"Rose, listen carefully... I joined a criminal gang..."
Rose froze, as if the wires in her brain had been severed. After about ten seconds of silence, a slap cut through the air.
"How dare you...?" Rose gritted her teeth. "Don't you realize that if you die, I'm screwed? I depend on you... not just financially, emotionally... without you, I'm nothing."
Nero touched his cheek, which, instead of its natural paleness, was red as raw meat.
"Rose, I promise you, I'm not going to die... I'm not stupid enough to die and leave you alone."
Silence settled in the room as Rose stared at her older brother, her face etched with doubt. Then she stammered, "Okay... but please, don't die... I don't know what I'd do without you."
Nero hugged her gently, placing a hand on her head.
"It's okay... come on, get up, I'll take you to the market."
Rose smiled broadly, then stood up.
"Take a bath and get dressed. We'll eat out, so hurry," Nero said as he left the room and went to the kitchen.
He sat on the sofa and began to think:
Hmm... this Axel guy... he's a very powerful and impressive man, and he's also my future benefactor... maybe if I manage to befriend him, he might give me a way to get powers.
The red-eyed boy settled back on the sofa.
Having "magic," or whatever it is, could be useful for my defense and Rose's... I have to earn that strange man's trust!
Nero sat on the sofa for about 20 minutes, lost in thought. After that time, Rose confronted him in the living room, wearing a black dress and red floral decorations.
"How do I look?"
"Beautiful..." He got up from the sofa and searched his pockets for his house key. When he found it, he asked, "Did you do your homework?"
Rose nodded with a sigh.
"It was torture."
Without another word, Nero opened the door and helped Rose out. After taking in the view for a bit, the two started walking toward the commercial district.
Hmm... Nero murmured to himself. Apparently, there are four main districts scattered throughout East Zone. The commercial district, where various goods and food are bought and sold. The urban district, where people live. The "Choim" district, where prostitutes work... and a place Rose will never go. And the science district, where the wealthiest among the poor reside. If I remember correctly, that's where the biggest experiments in Vickmolt are conducted.
Nero continued walking with Rose holding his hand.
The Monarchs take the most intelligent people of Vickmolt to the science district, but they can return to their original Zone whenever they want. But this leaves me with two questions: how do they get transferred without people noticing? And why here, in the East Zone?
Rose tugged on her brother's arm, looked him in the eye, and asked, "Did you like the Wind?"
Nero realized she was talking about the ZL·LQG. After a few seconds of thought, he replied, "I liked it a lot. Although, because of the time, I ate it cold... but it was good, you're a good cook."
Rose smiled like the sun itself and pointed ahead.
"Look, the market is beautiful."
There were several—no, thousands—of stalls selling food, clothes, accessories, and weapons. It was an incredible place, full of color and life. People moved about naturally, buying, selling, talking—natural things that brought a smile to Nero's face.
"I hope winter comes soon... what will you get me, brother?"
The two moved cautiously through the bustling market. Nero kept a watchful eye on his pocket, guarding his money. He thought for a moment, then replied:
"Hmm... I could buy you that new fantasy book that just came out."
Rose was suddenly thrilled. One hand went to her chest, while the other remained on her brother's arm. She smiled and replied:
"The Emehly Grinsh one? Tenacity of the Dead Sun is my favorite series of books!... You're the best!"
They strolled through the market at a leisurely pace. They bought two kilos of meat for 4 Lokgs, ten pounds of rice for 5 Lokgs, and some spices and sauces that totaled about 3 Lokgd.
You can see the price reduction for the coming winter!
Nero surveyed his haul with a smile.
If this had been at a normal time of year, this would have cost more than 16 Lokgs!... right, Rose's school fee is 10 Lokgs and is collected at the end of the month...
Rose stopped at a bakery.
"How much is left?"
Nero checked his pockets and realized he only had three Lokgs. Then, he smiled and gave all his money to Rose. She went into the bakery, leaving her brother alone.
Nero had to lean against one of the bakery walls. His pallor deepened as the dust seemed to slap him lightly.
Oh, by the Holy Church of Breath... I don't have any money for Rose's school... wait, Rose's school is paid at the end of the month, and Axel said he'd pay me 7 Lokgs a week. Since there are 10 Lokgs for school, I only have to wait two weeks.
Nero sighed in relief.
I believe I transmigrated on October 11th, today is October 12th, Axel is going to recruit me, tomorrow is Monday, October 13th, if we add 6 days it would be October 19th, plus another week it's October 26th... the good thing is that this month has 31 days... apparently in this world there is no "Halloween", only Christmas and the other holidays... although I shouldn't generalize, I only know Vickmolt.
Suddenly, Nero felt something hard hit his head. Turning around, he saw a purple book with an aura of mystery surrounding it. The book had a hand on the cover, and just above it was the title: "The Manuscript of Secrets."
Nero bent down and carefully picked up the book. His fingers caressed the rough, scaly texture of the manuscript, while his eyes darted upwards.
Those sons of bitches! They threw a book at my head... oh well, I'll keep it. My curiosity won't let me abandon something so mysterious.
He grabbed the book with one hand and carried everything else they'd bought with the other, his mind already concocting an excuse for Rose, but he realized that making up a lie wasn't worth it in this situation; it was better to tell the truth.
After a few more minutes, Rose came out of the bakery. She had a bag of bread and a small pastry in her other hand.
"There's nothing left," she said, looking down at the book in her older brother's hand. "Where did you get that? Did you steal it?"
"Nah, someone threw it at me and... well, I'm not giving it back."
Rose chuckled.
"Are you going to sell it?"
"It looks expensive... after reading it, I'm going to sell it."
Rose nodded, and the two started walking toward one of the exits of the shopping district, until Rose stopped at a weapons stall. She pointed to a sword and, looking at Nero, said,
"If I were in one of those fantasy books, I'd be a swordswoman."
"That's not very ladylike... why not be an archer or a healer?"
Rose shrugged as the two left the market.
"I know it's not very ladylike... but I think a sword suits my fiery personality."
At least she knows her weaknesses... and isn't a swordswoman the product of discipline, effort, and technique?
Without another word, the two walked through cheerful Vickmolt. After almost an hour, they both went inside their house. Rose locked herself in her room, probably reading a book or finishing some homework, while Nero left the purchased food in the pantry and refrigerator, a machine that surprised him to see again. Afterwards, he went to his room, closed his door, threw himself onto his bed, and placed the purple manuscript on it.
Driven by sheer curiosity, he decided to open the purple-hued manuscript.
The first thing he found wasn't a prologue, a greeting, or even an introduction; he only saw a completely blank page.
He checked the second page, which was the same as the first, then the third, the fourth, and the fifth.
At least I have something to kill time with...
Nero continued reading with excitement; seconds passed and turned into minutes, until he finally found something interesting.
"Page 134, Contact Ritual, The Black Tide." Nero read in a small voice.
"It must be emphasized that this ritual is dangerous..."
"For this noble and pristine ritual, only three very important things are needed: a circle of blood, to fill that blood with Aura, and to recite the following praise..."
"Praise be to Error... please be humble with this mortal..."
"Praise be to Error... my supplications are directed for a conversation..."
"Praise be to Error... may this contact be useful to your divinity..."
"Praise be to Error... may your divinity be my downfall and blessing..."
Nero's eyes lost all light for a moment. A strange feeling settled throughout his body; it was as if his body, soul, and mind were threads, sewn to something larger.
After a moment, Nero slammed The Manuscript of Secrets shut.
A cold sweat trickled down his back as he stood up and put the book under his bed.
Who was this "Error"?... Error... that word makes me feel things I don't yet understand.
And what is it that the manuscript called "Aura"?... Is it some kind of natural resource? Perhaps a kind of protection?... or perhaps it's where that strange magic I so desire comes from.
This is strange... very strange... This ritual describes an almost divine entity!... Why am I feeling so excited?
Nero continued making useless conjectures until 9 p.m.
Knowing the walk to the alley was long, he decided to leave at that time. He said goodbye to Rose, left the house, and headed to the alley where he found Axel.
His mind prepared itself for anything...