Once Upon a Story [ SLOW UPDATES ]

Faeted

We're back into my favourite mix: fantasy and romance.  Feel free to comment a genre you want to see me write next :)

The description of events at the beginning is dark (up until the first ***).

Dialogue prompt:
"I don't fear abandonment."
"Then what do you fear?"
"You."

Total word count: 3791
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The year is unknown, and only death and despair roam the earth, taking part in a war where magic fights the pride of man. Who counted the lives lost, the bodies fallen, decapitated, the destroyed homes and torn families...Who knew the number of children thrown in ditches or buried in mass graves?

No one. No human was conscious enough to look around and say: "What have we done?"

And today, another city falls, destroyed by a man's unquenchable thirst for blood. It was a horror the world had never seen. But to him, it was another day of his life.

From a cliff, young Nyr watched the city incinerate. He smelt burnt cedar and oak, charring fabric under piles of crumbling brick, and worst of all: flesh, cremated bodies whose lives had been stolen and violated by the flame, hopefully before immortality had taken over the souls of the attackers, feasting their eyes in the carnage.

The city has long gone quiet, not a soul left to scream the torment of the gods, but the boy stayed. His eyes reflected the smouldering red and flickering yellow of fire, surrounded by heavy ash clouds and toxic smog.

Engraving the gruesome scene in his mind, he turned on his feet and walked down the path. The air grew cold as he moved away from the sweltering heat.

"So many lives lost at the cost of mine."

Even a mile from the furnace, he still saw thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky. It was oddly beautiful from this distance.

Tired and covered in dirt and sweat, Nyr thought it was time to rest. But where would he go now? In his doubt, he held his necklace's charm in his hand.

Mother.

"I won't die."

***

"I think he's waking up. Hey! Hey, kid! You alive?"

Nyr opened his eyes, squinting under the blaring sun. He felt weak, barely able to sense what was around him. Someone pulled him up to sit and poured liquid on his lips. His thirst was high, but he could only drink in small sips.

Slowly, he regained his senses and was able to speak.

"Who are you?" he asked the girl sitting before him.

"I'm Kiki, and that's my mom, Laura. What's your name?"

"I'm Nyr–"

"Oh! So you are a fae."

Panic. He pushed himself to stand and stumbled, lightheaded.

I have to get away, he called. I have to get away!

But his head pounded, and he collapsed, out of breath, without stepping a foot away.

"What's gotten you so riled up, fairy cakes?" Kiki said, prodding his side with her foot. "You'd already be in a cell if we planned on reporting you."

"Be nice, Kiki," her mother scolded, helping Nyr sit. "Be at ease; we won't report you."

"How can I trust you?" he said, pushing her hands away.