Summoning Japan: The Leiforian Front

Chapter 1 - Towards the Front

Cold.

It crept beneath her tattered cloak and weaved through the thin fabrics of her shabby blouse, its chilling touch glazed her delicate skin within. The warming glimmers of sunshine were long gone, replaced by the faint glow of the moon and the cold winds of the night. Her shaky hand grasped tightly onto the cold trembling fingers of her little sister, who was draped in the same tattered cloak and disheveled clothes. Confused and scared, her little sister timidly followed behind, her lithe hands clinging onto her own. The two girls sneaked under the shadows of the alleyways, trying to conceal their presence as they cautiously treaded the streets of Alue. Their faces were hidden under the shadows of their hoods. Only their quivering lips could be seen.

They shivered under the chilling night, the cold grappling their hearts too. The warmth of hope within them had long faded, replaced by anxiety and desperation for help. Her little sister was always frightened by the mere sight of any of those foreign occupiers, thinking that they would inflict pain on her body. Soraya was more worried that they might do something worse. She heard screams and cries around Alue too many times, heard too many rumours and stories of the tragedy that befell those who were captured or taken away by them.

Soraya shook her head, subconsciously gripping hard on her little sister's hand. She did not want to dwell on the imagery of those gruesome prospects, but the fear of the foreign occupiers only continued to linger. She promptly glanced beneath her cloak, her iridescent eyes staring at her soiled hand holding onto a small woven basket of sweet potatoes. These were dug out from a school's backyard just a few streets away. Guilt lingered around her mind, but she didn't have a choice. She just hoped they weren't followed or noticed by anyone.

Their lithe feet slowly shuffled along the uneven gravel as they stuck close to the dilapidated stone walls. Wooden crates and boxes messily cluttered the alleys with nothing left inside of them. Soraya eyed at the crates, careful not to trip over any planks or wood as she pulled her little sister along. Then, she heard some sporadic explosions from the distance, and her face turned somber. She felt a forceful tug, a worried plea from her little sister.

"Don't worry..." she turned around to look at her trembling sibling, reassuring the girl and herself, "...they are far away."

Even though it has become a daily routine, Soraya and her sister were still frightened by the familiar sounds of explosions. When it first came, the blast destroyed their house, the fires burned their father, and the aftermath withered their lives away. The foreign occupiers took delight in that, and day after day they would do the same to anywhere outside of Alue. She wondered if the Murian army could endure such hell every day.

As they carefully approached the exit, Soraya spotted the familiar eatery from across the desolate street. A somewhat well-known restaurant famed for its chicken, the place was once bustling with people. Now, its windows were shuttered with planks, the rows of tables and chairs abandoned outside the eatery collecting dust, and a huge cross sign was displayed on its door.

And just like the restaurant, everywhere in Alue looked the same. A town once vibrant with life, mixed with the carefree denizens and curious travellers from other parts of the world, was now but an empty shell.

"Sister..." her little sibling murmured, her voice shaking from the cold and fear. "...are we home yet?"

Soraya turned around to soothe her little sister, her hand gently caressing her sister's head as she tried to force a smile.

"We're almost there, Lily," her quivering voice answered, "just across this street, down that corridor, and we will reach where Mama is."

Despite her reassurance, fear continued to grip her heart. The closer they got to their new home, the more anxious she became. She silently prayed to the godly entities above that no soldiers would catch them today, again. Putting her little sister behind the crates, Soraya peeked out of the corner of the walls to spot for foreign troops. Then, frightened screams and fierce hollers suddenly echoed from across the streets, and like an anxious prey-in-hiding, Soraya immediately hid behind the crates, cuddling with her trembling sister. Her hands pressed against her sister's lips before she could let out a shriek.