Testament - Vol 1. RE:BiRTH

Reminiscence

Harsh winds and burning pressure, like a speck of life, plunged into the deep ocean. Guisei lingered in the dark. A sharp pain slithered through his system. His eyes opened wide at the darkness before him as the venom flowed through him. Despite all that developed around him, it seemed familiar.

With the snap of a finger, Guisei felt his mind exit his soul. The same phenomenon, that intimate feeling, only to have himself plunge forward as if led by strings. Light burst through the black, flooding his golden eyes, only for it all to end at once.

A carriage.

Guisei sat on the wooden seats, gaining awareness of his surroundings. His gaze moved like beams analyzing the brown that surrounded him and the dull grey outside of the window he was provided. The sound of hooves meeting the road filled his ears, accompanied by the metallic rhythm of soldiers in armor marching. He looked down, feeling enveloped by a warm and nostalgic sensation; golden robes. Like built tension finally released, Guisei allowed a sigh to escape him.

The golden light of his eyes focused on the grey sky. Guisei could not help but remember a similar sight in his mind, left in a room filled with books and his mind longing for the outside even if shrouded in darkness. Despite his thoughts being in disarray, his gaze grew heavy, bored almost with the world around him. A single voice rang through the monotony, sweet like honeycombs.

"My Lord."

The young man shifted his sights to her, feeling an odd weight at the top of his head as he was met with the sight of a servant, or rather a girl appearing only a few years younger than himself. A calming wind blew through the carriage, pushing her crimson hair from out of her vision as she gave him a stern gaze.

It was all so familiar. Guisei sat up, almost compelled to do so from her demeanor despite his aversion to such things. He moved a hand from propping himself up as he focused on the hazel of her eyes carefully. He spoke naturally, yet the sound of his voice was nothing like his own; carefree, but also lower, older.

"What is it, Alina?" Guisei asked. His eyes flashed away from her to the guards outside. Black armor with gold engraved within it. He recognized them well, shifting his gaze to the girl whose name he had not known until it left his lips instinctively.

Alina gave a respectful nod, her gaze soft and kind as she allowed her words to flow forth. "Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but I would like to request that you stay with the caravan while we venture through the 3rd District to avoid any skirmishes between you and the commoners," she nodded once more, dipping her head lower.

"That's a bit boring, don't you think, plus what kind of ruler would I be if I didn't walk among my people?" Guisei said despite not fully understanding how he said what he did, questions shot through his mind, yet the pieces did not fit entirely. He still could not shake that familiar feeling, yet he opened his lips, only to be interrupted by Alina.

"One that could listen to his superiors just like how I have to," Alina said with a giggle, "There is also the fact that you have yet to secure an heir of your own, let alone find a candidate if it isn't someone from your bloodline."

"You would have had me if you didn't bring up that because this is the opportune time to go look for one, per your suggestion. It's better than sitting in a carriage for another boring meeting with the nobility about maintaining their provinces and milking cultural and working assets to death."

Guisei found himself at the whims of his instinct, replying moments before he could formulate a thought, like a viewer in the perspective of a character. It felt overdone to experience things in such a manner. He looked towards Alina, watching as her expression shifted from soft severity to disappointment.