At that time, I didn't understand what or how the two men had seen when they looked at me.
It was common knowledge that an awakened could somehow see the strength of their fellow awakened, but I hadn't figured out how to do this yet.
I guessed it was due to my young age. Most people would awaken when they reached their teen years, but I was only twelve.
...
After speaking to the collectors, I returned home and gathered my things.
As I did, my father entered my room. From the look on his face, I knew that he could tell where I was going.
"The collectors have accepted you then?" He asked sadly.
I nodded my head.
"That's... That's good."
My father slowly made his way over to me and pulled me into a hug. It was a tight hug filled with lots of emotions.
I could tell that he felt sorry for the secrets he had hidden from. Truthfully, I didn't care.
My mind was so focused on the future that I didn't care about the lies told to me in the past.
We broke away from the hug, and my father ruffled my hair with his hand.
"Will you say goodbye to your mother?"
She wasn't my mother.
"No," I responded without hesitation.
"Heh. Thought so."
There was nothing for me to say to her. She hated me, and I had slowly started to hate her.
...
With that, I left my father. Afterwards, I paid one last visit to Ivy.
She was asleep, unfortunately, but I had already told her my intentions the night before. She knew where I was heading.
Still, I wrote her a note. It said that I would wait for her in the Undying City, when she reached the age of thirteen.
Finally, I returned to the chariot, where the knights and Collector Meruvio were waiting for me.
The man's wounded mouth twisted into a smile when he saw me. Then he looked me up and down.
"You're a mess. We'll have to clean you up when we reach the capital. We may have to change your surname too, but we can focus on that later. Hop inside."
Did I really look that unappealing?
Without saying a word, I entered the chariot. I had never been in one before. It smelled like flower fragrances and the cushioned seats were softer than my bed.
Eventually, Meruvio joined me, taking a seat opposite mine and folding one leg over the other in a distinguished manner.
When he clicked his fingers, the chariot began to travel down the cobblestone path.
I looked out of the windows and watched as Everhurst Village faded away in the distance.
For the time, I was leaving the home that I had known my entire life.
Yet for some reason, I didn't feel any sadness.
---
There wasn't much chatter as we travelled down the cobblestone pathway.
Collector Meruvio had eventually fallen asleep, so I used the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
Despite the threat of the end of the world, our country, Varadna, was beautiful. The towns were well developed the closer you got the the capital.
I could see the Undying City far in the distance. Its impossibly tall walls surrounded the city, blocking the view of whatever lay inside.
---
An hour passed before the chariot stopped.
I had fallen asleep at this point, but the sounds of shouting outside woke me up.
As I opened my eyes, Collector Meruvio was no longer in front of me.
I peered out of the window. I spotted the three knights standing with their swords drawn, as they circled themselves around Meruvio, defending him.
What's going on?
We were parked by a body of water. A large lake that seemed to be a few kilometres away from the capital city.
The knights had their eyes on the lake. A ripple was travelling from the water towards the shore.
It all felt familiar. I had been in this situation before.
I stepped out of the chariot. Collector Meruvio turned his head towards me. Despite the uneasiness in the air, he had a slight smile on his face.
"Leox, good timing. I want you to see this."
Meruvio nodded his head towards the lake. The ripple had finally reached the shore.
Then, a being emerged from the water. A being that could not be described as human.
Its shadowy body was covered in green plants that came from the lake. It was around the same height as me, but incredibly thin, like a stick.
Not its arm, though. Its singular arm was large and sharp like the fins of a shark. The beast dragged it across the floor like a sword, as its skinny limbs helped it make its way towards the three knights.
My heart started racing. Meruvio, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered.
He turned to face me again.
"Young Leox, do you know where the demons come from?"
At first, I couldn't answer. The beast was now close to the knights.
Meruvio leaned his back against the chariot and watched as though it were a theatre performance.
"The ground, the seas, and the sky. No matter where we go, the demons will always find us."
The Knights charged. The three men in black descended on the beast with their swords.
They moved at speeds I was unable to comprehend.
One of the knights used a gust of wind to dash forward, another used a burst of flames, and one seemed to be struck by some sort of lightning that hastened his movements.
Their swords descended on the demon before it could even attack.
Meruvio chuckled. I stood there and watched in awe.
"It is our job to make sure that they do not reach the civilians. The Awakened can protect themselves. The Unawakened cannot. We must protect."
The shadowy beast was no longer 'whole'. It was now diced into tens of pieces. Each limb had been dismembered, and sliced into smaller shapes.
The beast's remains fell to the ground.
I wondered if even I would be able to return from such a death.
"That demon was as weak as they get. With time, they will grow larger and stronger."
The knights sheathed their blades and returned to their horses without saying a word.
Collector Meruvio patted my shoulder and began to make his way back inside the chariot.
"The end of the world is coming, young Leox. It's our job to make sure it doesn't happen."