The Realm

Chapter 1. Weclome To The Realm

    Welcome to the world, User One. Space is currently unavailable, would you like me to find Time?

“No. Log me in.” A disembodied voice speaks.

As you wish, User One. 

… Data retrieved successfully. 

“Load my first save point.”

. . . . . . First save successfully loaded. 

                    ~

    The castle was abuzz with chaos. The Phoenix kingdom was attacking, no one knew why, much less how. The spirits were supposed to protect them, why didn’t they? All the guards were called to defend the kingdom. 

    “Please, don’t go! We can run! We can escape. Please, Felix.” A woman’s voice rings after her husband, he looks back solemnly. “I’m sorry, Mera, I must fight.”    

       His fate had already been decided. She holds their two-year-old son tight, watching as her husband runs out into the battle on the streets. Pregnant or not, she would to protect her children no matter the cost. She turned and ran.

        Blood stains the streets as screams echo on the wind. Cries for help, screams of terrors, all of them in vain. Mera struggles toward the forest. The few that had survived had fled to the forest, they could help her. 

BOOM

         Her ears ring, her vision blurry. She’s on the ground, just at the outskirts of a wooded haven. She shakily holds out her child as one of the braver souls grab the boy quickly, then runs back to the others in the deeper parts of the woods.

           A young boy approaches, an older man with him.

            “Good work, Ivan, didn’t expect you to have such an aim.” The older man pats Ivan’s back, “ I’ll go hunt for that man who ran off, you stay here.”

    The boy nods and sits in the grass by Mera. The man runs off and Ivan crawls over to her, weakly crying. 

    “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t m-mean to hurt you, I-I thought you would have-” He sniffles and sobs, “been able to get away-” 

    Mera lies there, wondering if her eyes are fooling her, the boy looks about eight. He trembles and hugs her.

    “I’m so so so-” Yet another sniffle, ”so sorry.”

     Mera feels something, a movement in her stomach, the child is kicking. Ivan gasps and pulls back in terror of what he had done. “W-hat, oh no…” He begins to tremble. He hugs her once more, not sure what to do, or how to react.

     Mera puts a soft hand on his back. “Please-” Her voice is hoarse and defeated, “Promise…. me you-” She gasps for air desperately,  “won’t-”

    The world pauses, the silence screaming loudly to the cloaked creature. It approaches the bloodied scene. Mera looks at it. It offers its hand out to her and she takes it. The creature leads her away from the scene. She is just barely gone when an infant's cry pierces through the silence. The creature looks back, but does not go back.

“My child, I have to go back for them!” Mera looks at the creature but it gently grabs her and pushes forward.

“The boy will be fine.” The creature speaks, its voice is rasp and soft. 

“Please, let me at least say goodbye!” Mera struggles against it.

The creature pauses. It makes no move as Mera runs back to her child. It just watches solemnly. She hugs the infant, holding it close. The creature moves towards her, sitting by the scene. 

“My little one…. I’m sorry. I tried, I swear I did.” Tears swell in her eyes, “ Your father would have loved to meet you, we look forward to seeing what you grow to be.”

“You must go now, my power cannot keep you here much longer. If you resist, you will be stranded and slowly ripped apart.”

“My child is clearly dead! Why may I not take them with me?” Tears stream down her cheeks. The creature lifts her back to her feet and guides her away.   

“His purpose has not been fulfilled. He will not pass on until it has.” Mera quietly weeps, yet finds herself being taken away.

Time resumes, Ivan is left sitting there, holding the corpse of the stranger. Guilt wracks its way through him. The older man returns, furious. 

“Damn it. They got away-” He looks at Ivan and approaches. Ivan looks up, still sobbing, “How pathetic. Boy, get to your feet.” The man demands and grabs Ivan’s wrist.

“N-no, please stop! I’m sorry! I-” He cries out. A slap spears through the boy’s cries and silences him.

“You are truly worthless, Ivan.” The man growls.

“Dad, please, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again!” Ivan tries to defend himself, but is only met with another slap. Ivan stops trying, just looks back at the woman’s corpse. The man throws Ivan to the ground. 

“Cut off her head. Or don’t come home.” The man storms off. 

Ivan curls up into a ball and sobs, alone once more.   

“Why do you cry, my child? Is not the ground soft enough?” A flower appears in front of him, it blooms and a small humanoid creature steps out of it. 

“H-huh? O-oh uhm, no. It’s my father…” The creature hands him a tissue and sits on his shoulder, “I disappointed my father and now he hates me and he wants me to cut off that woman’s head…”

“Oh my, that must be quite troubling, however, I can help you, my child.”

“Y-you can? Really? What do I have to do?” Ivan sniffles and watches her as she moves.

”That woman carries an unborn child, that child needs your help. It must grow, but it needs help.”

“I-I can’t carry a kid, I’m a kid! And I'm too small and I-” Ivan’s tears are starting to dry, but his voice still quivers.

“Your mother can. In fact, isn’t she already carrying one?”

Ivan nods, the creature wipes any remaining tears and pats his head.

“Then she will carry two! A boy and a girl, the girl will be your sister, the boy will be this child. He will be raised as your brother.” The creature smiles, “Is that alright with you?”

“Will mommy be okay?” Ivan asks softly, the creature nods in response, “Then, yes, please, I want them to have a chance.”

“Close your eyes my child, I will complete your task for you, all you must do is hug your mother when you return home. Alright?” Its smile grows as Ivan nods.

Ivan closes his eyes as the small creature does something, the world seems less lonely, he can feel the grass under him, it is soft. He remembers when he was first brought here, everyone was so cheerful, he got to meet new people everyday. He played on the playgrounds with the other children. His father seemed happy. Until the royal family said they couldn’t have this weird decorated box. He never understood what was so special about that one, since every family had one for their kids. The voice of the creature snaps him away from his thoughts.

“You may open your eyes, my child.” The creature sets a bag down in front of him, “Now, you must remember your word. I’m trusting you.”

Ivan opens his eyes and the creature is gone. His attention is drawn to the bag, it is a potato sack covered in blood. He looks over to find the corpse, but it looks as if it was buried.