A World Divided

The Real Beginning

Liam heard the screams first followed by sizzling and crackling. People were fighting and it wasn't just a small fight, it was an all out war going on in the streets. There was a loud, scrape on the other side of his wall and he tensed up. Where were the guards? Liam didn't wait to find out. His door was almost wrenched from its sockets as two lone guards trudged inside. 

"You must come with us, hurry." They didn't let him answer and shoved him away from his sanction. The guards peered around corners, bracing themselves for anything and shifted their eyes hesitantly. What in the world was going on?

"Where's my mother?" His voice croaked and the guards only spared him a passing glance. They shook their heads and continued to pull him away. Liam shook his head and tugged on his arm, finding a loose grip easily broken. He sprinted away towards his mother's chambers. It just couldn't be true. 

The castle was ablaze with shouts and screams lining every wall. Every so often, Liam was forced to dodge hordes of people trying to escape the castle. He wouldn't be able to do much but he could at least try. He kept running until he reached the giant doors separating him and his mother. He jarred his shoulder into the side and collapsed to the ground as the door gave way. Inside was his mother, standing slightly off center.

"Mother...?" He called out with hesitancy. She turned her head and looked at him with such pity in her eyes. Her body moved at once and Liam noticed the hand wrapped around her neck. Liam could only shake his head in fear.

"No...no...no!" He screamed at the figure who kept his wild look on him. Blood was smeared across the person's face and felt goosebumps tickle his spine. He was scared. Scared of what this person was going to do. The figure dropped his mother and trudged towards him, eyes wide with fright.

"Get away!" He screamed at the person. "Chris just get away!" He shrieked at the boy who only blinked at him. A moment later, tears fell down the boy's face.

"Help...me..." He reached out towards Liam. Anger filled Liam's body and he took a step forward, ready to attack the one who hurt his mother.

"...Run..." His mother's weak voice reached him and his attention immediately shifted. "Go!" She gasped and coughed heavily. Liam did what he knew best, listen to his mother and ran as fast as he could.

"Is that it?" Puera interjected after a moment of silence earning him a hardened glare from Red. He chuckled nervously and tried to escape her gaze. Vaene sighed momentarily and pulled a smile onto her face.

"Yes. That is the story of the Unknown, passed down many years. It governs the way of lift so it never happens again. The Unknown were never meant to leave Aetas." Vaene tapped her chin and motioned towards Red to get moving.

"Wait..why do you know so much? Are you an Unknown?" Alcohol drew out his words carefully as his gaze never left the three mystery figures. One laughed, he didn't know which. Red was the first to get to her feet, she stomped over to Alcohol and stared down at him. 

"Looks like the lunk head was listening after all." She smiled but Alcohol could see it was fake. "Listen here. We have discoved that the "Unknown" cannot thrive out here without minor protection. Living in Aetas, you slowly gain an immunity to the taint in your world. However, those born outside of Aetas have no chance." She smiled again. "You're thinking we are Unknown, maybe we are, maybe we aren't. No matter what I am though, I could still kill you before you lift up your rapier or before your precious friends could even get to you."

"Tis sad though. Poor Chris, born outside of Aetas, that's why he was banished you know. That's why all children outside are banished. But me? I was banished for a completely different reason, the first actually. Vaene and Ellex here are to make sure I don't repeat the same mistake." She pulled her body away. 

"Now let me ask you again, does it matter if we are Unknown?" Red stormed off, leaving Alcohol in shock with the bottle in his hand still completely full. Vaene nodded and followed after her, tugging Ellex along with her.

"Wow." Puera gulped and shared a glance with Alcohol. 

"You can say that again." He chuckled and took a swig.

"Red wait." Vaene set a hand down on Red's shoulder, stopping her abruptly. Red smacked her hand away, shaking her head in disdain towards Vaene.

"Why did you tell him? He had no reason to know and he-" She froze as her gaze rested on something different. Her mouth moved and her eyebrows flew together. Vaene quickly noticed the shift and shoved Ellex behind Red before turning around.

"Yatagarasu..." Vaene's eyes widened as the three took a step back. The boy didn't show any recognition and the wind at his feet shifted as a blue tint overcame his body. Moments later, the three were thrown against a wall and held there. Yatagarasu hadn't moved. 

"You're not in your demon form, how?!" Vaene screamed as the invisible thing holding her tightened against her body and began tightening its grip against her throat, cutting off all noise and leaving a warble. The air caught in her throat as darkness soon engulfed her.