Kingdoms (kaimaki fantasy AU)

Chapter 1: Star Maps

Here you are everyone. I got this out sooner than I thought I would. I'm happy with this chapter and I hope that you all enjoy the story.

If there was a time to watch the stars, it would be now.

Kaito enjoyed nights like this. Just him on the hill, his gear and the stars. He couldn't keep his smile off of his face as he peered through his telescope. The stars always seemed so much closer as he peered at them. He just wanted to get much closer, it was always his dream. That's why he always came out on clear nights. After looking at the stars for a minute, he looked down at the large parchment paper. Using a pencil and a long, thin piece of wood, he charted out the stars that he was looking at. He was making a star map, making sure that it was perfect. He wanted nothing more than to see the stars up close and travel among them. He knows that it's impossible, but if there was one thing that he told himself was that "the impossible is possible, all you gotta do is make it so". Even if he never gets to the stars in this lifetime, maybe someone can accomplish his legacy for him. He always spoke about it to his grandparents ever since he was a child, and they never doubted him. They saved up all they had to get Kaito his telescope and his star gazing gear. He would forever be grateful to them for that. He only wished that they were still around so they could see how much work he had done.

Kaito stopped working for a minute thinking about them. He never got to meet his parents, he was told that they had died of a plague when he was an infant. His grandparents were his only blood relatives that he knew about. They did all they could and more to give him a good life. They taught him about responsibilities and what he could do to help on the small farm that he was raised on. They loved him as he was their second son, not just a grandson. Which made their deaths all the more painful to him. His grandfather passed away when he was sixteen from an illness. And while he tried to take care of her and keep her strong, his grandmother died of a broken heart a year later. Kaito was now eighteen. While their deaths hit him hard, he kept going forward for them. He kept the crops growing and selling them at the village to get a good income. It wasn't enough to pay people to help him, but just enough for him to get by. He was used to working on his own without help anyway at this point. He kept everything in check as best he could. It was hard, but he wasn't giving up. His grandparents might become poltergeists and come back to haunt him if he gave up. Now that would be his worst nightmare!

Kaito shook his head as his eyes started to sting. A man shouldn't cry after all. He happened to glance at a castle in the distance. The capital of the kingdom. Kaito had no plans to go there anytime soon. He never met her, but he had heard some bad things about the Queen, Junko Enoshima. He heard that she was a ruthless tyrant that relishes in everyone's despair. She even called the kingdom "Despair". Kaito thinks that it's overkill, but what can he do about it? Everyone is too scared to go against her. She's got her royal guards and creepy little bear things that she calls "Monokumas". They're almost as ruthless as she is. She would do anything to keep everyone in line when she had the chance. What's worse is that he heard about the executions that she arranges to criminals. From what he's heard, it's only murderers that receive them, but that doesn't make it all the more brutal, and in some cases, have people feel sorry for those punished. He's never seen one, and he's sure that he never wants to. In conclusion, Junko was a psychopath, and there was nothing that people can do to go against her.

Feeling like he had gotten too distracted, Kaito quickly checked the small pocket watch that his grandfather left for him. It was starting to get late. Kaito hated to leave the stars behind, but he had work to do in the morning. Begrudgingly, Kaito packed up all he had, easily carrying his telescope (which is now in its case) and satchel that held all his notes and star maps. He made sure that his purple jacket was still hanging on his left shoulder, and clutching his lantern in one hand, he started making his way to the woods. Just a 10 minute walk on the road there and he'll be back at home. Back in that lonely house. His friends Shuichi and Kaede offered to let him move in for company, but he polity declined. After all, he had grown up there, and in a way, it felt wrong for him to just leave it for no real reason.

Kaito kept on trudging down the road. He has done this many times, so he had no worries about it. If he was really that reckless, he would've walked this road without his lantern. But he can't do that. After all, some carriages come charging down the road, giving no mind to whoever was ahead of them. He had to dive out of the way more than once when that happened. It was dangerous to say the least. He can't dodge them forever after all.

SNAP!

Kaito stops short. He stayed still, holding his breath. Did something move just now? He listened carefully, wondering if he'll hear it again.

SNAP!

There it was again, the sound of movement. Kaito did briefly wonder if it was an animal, but it sounded larger than an animal. Was that a person?

"Who's there?" Kaito called out, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Kaito peered as best as his lantern would allow. However, he couldn't hear anything else, making it hard for him to find out what it was. Maybe it was just a nighttime animal like a fox or something after all. Kaito gave up, shrugging off the noise. It was probably nothing anyway and he was overthinking everything because he was getting tired.

However, something happened all too fast that made him freeze. Someone as fast as lightning dashed up behind him. Kaito didn't hear them. He didn't even sense their presence. That is, until the cold, sharp, cruel blade of a knife was pressed against his throat. Out of panic, Kaito raised his hands to try to pull it away from him. However, he stopped when he heard the voice of his assailant.

"Don't move!"

Was that...a girl's voice?