*San's POV
Layla said that Solaris was the place with all the answers I needed. Layla never mentioned war, political conspiracies, or the terrifying figure standing ahead of me now.
After waving his hand, Layla was flung far behind me. Then, from beneath the man's feet, his shadow grew larger, rising until it created a sheath that covered us. My legs felt heavy. My breath felt tight. I kept thinking of many places, focusing on teleporting as far away as possible. But nothing happened. I remained standing here. Frozen like a statue with a terrified face.
The man stared at me coldly. The collar of his robe was high enough to cover his mouth, but I could see the pleasure in his eyes.
Is this how every predator looks at its prey? When there is no way out but death.
He stepped slowly, stopping right in front of me. He observed me briefly before pulling his left hand from under his cloak and touching my face. His hand felt cold, moving slowly up to my right eye.
"Strange... you are pure," he muttered, "you don't have the fragment."
The man's eyes locked. After he was satisfied searching for something he couldn't find in me, he withdrew his hand. Slowly walked around me. "Tell me, what do you know about this power?"
What do I know about this power? The power that allows me to go anywhere I want. The power that took everything from me. The curse that keeps me alive to this day.
"Why don't you confirm it yourself?" I answered defiantly. I had no other choice. If this is the end, then please let it end.
The man stopped in front of me. His face was smiling now. "You're right." He raised his right hand. Slowly, his hand dissolved into black smoke. He moved his hand, touching my chest very gently. Slowly, it passed through my skin and penetrated my chest. All the air was instantly taken away. A searing heat spread throughout my body. I should screamed, but all the actions I imagined never came real. My body only convulsed with shallow breaths I struggled to obtain.
"Maybe that witch girl knows more, right?" The man said, bringing his face closer to mine. "Don't trust the light, kid. It guides you, but it also blinds you."
Then the man pulled his hand out hard. Everything blurred. My strength, my consciousness, all that pain.
Am I going back there?
***
A strange white ceiling. I smelled the scent of medicines. My body lay on something soft. A bed with a gray sheet. Also, a blanket of the same color covering my body.
Beside me, two other beds were lined up with a meter gap between each. Someone filled the bed beside me. Lying with her back facing me. I could immediately recognize that person by her white hair. Slowly, I tried to rise, stand, and walk closer to Layla. Layla's eyes were closed. Her body was covered by a similar-colored blanket.
This is strange. The last thing I remember is that we were both going to die. It's hard to imagine what would happen if we slept like babies afterward.
"There's drinking water near the door," said Layla without opening her eyes. After a moment, she turned on her back and opened her eyes. Looking at me with sleepy eyes.
"Actually, I'm also thirsty."
I walk towards the door. This room wasn't too spacious. The walls were a thick white cloth. The door was merely another piece of cloth tied and pegged to the ground. The entire floor of this room was black cloth with a rough texture. Next to the door, there was a small drawer with a wooden jug and several glasses on it. Beside it, a wooden shelf filled with medicines stood quite tall, though not touching the ceiling.
I walked towards the drawer. Poured water from the jug into two glasses for Layla and me. My thoughts were still the same: what had happened?
On her bed, Layla was already sitting up waiting for the water. Her white hair draped to her shoulders. She wore a dark green T-shirt with brown accents on the collar and black shorts pants. A bandages were wrapped on parts of her body, including her both palms.
We then sat on the edge of the same bed, drinking with some unanswered questions. Beside me, aside from the bandages on her body, Layla's face looked as usual.
I swallowed the last gulp. "Are you okay?"
Layla smiled without looking at me. "I knew that would be the first thing you'd ask. Have you looked at your chest?"
I frowned and immediately lowered my head. We were also wearing the same clothes. I pulled the collar of the t-shirt, peeking inside. On my chest, right at the point touched by the man who attacked us last night, a black mark was stamped. Its shape was like a ball with a circle connected by many roots.
Layla also lifted her shirt, showing her stomach. A black mark was stamped there too, though its shape was not as similar and quite abstract. "My stomach should have been holey last night."
Layla was right; the man did something last night. Something I didn't understand.
"We call it the Night Curse," Layla said, pulling her shirt back down, "it's said to be a mark from the Enigma. You should feel it too. The man who attacked us last night, Orion, also has the power of Enigma."
Orion, so that's his name. "You said only one person in each generation has this power."
"Yes, it should be like that. But didn't I also say that this power is the power to change fate?"
"Does that mean I can give this power to someone else?"
"Maybe... Are you stupid?" Layla sighed heavily. She lifted her legs onto the bed and sat cross-legged facing me. "Listen, I haven't explained this part because our time was limited at the facility. In short, the last known Enigma bearer was Altair. He died a hundred years ago. Normally, a new bearer would appear right after, but of course, you only appeared now. As I said, Enigma bearers always follow a mysterious cycle, and a hundred years ago, Altair broke the cycle. He was supposed to rebuild Solaris, which was previously damaged, but, instead, he started a war and terror that lasted a hundred years."
"You haven't mentioned the war either."
"Orion is one of Altair's disciples." Layla continued, ignoring my comment, "After Altair was killed, Orion continued the terror in Solaris. He could control the Nien, or shadow monsters created by Altair, attacking every region in Solaris."
Layla paused for a while. Frowning as if recalling something. "No one knows what Altair did at that time. What is clear is that he left the worst situation for us now."
The only thing that bothered me now was Orion and the strange marks he left on our bodies. But I guess Layla didn't understand either. "So what happened last night?"
"A portal fully opened after Orion released the shroud. He left right after that. I think his goal was achieved. That worries me."
"That means..."
"You're right, we are now in Calmora," Layla said excitedly. She immediately got off the bed. "Come on, there are many things you need to see."
***
The first thing I imagined when Layla talked about Calmora was an old building with faded pale paint. Its yard might be quite lush with scattered dry leaves. But that image immediately vanished when Layla led me out of the white room, which evidently is a tent.
I saw a wide expanse of grass with shady trees at every farthest corner, surrounding a grassy area large enough to house hundreds of white tents, a field with two stone pillars, a wheat field, and several small houses made of bricks and wood.
The weather was cloudy, making the air feel very cool. As Layla said, this place was full of kids our age. They gathered on the field, playing, practicing elemental powers, or just sitting and gazing at the sky.
On the roof, Layla was always excited when explaining about this place. She told me how she got here six years ago, right after parting from me. Here she learned many things. About the history of Solaris, how to use magic and combat techniques. For Layla, Calmora was precious gold. She said she never felt worried when she was here. A place that made her feel warm.
While walking, Layla continued her explanation. She said that after the war a hundred years ago, many areas outside the kingdom were destroyed. All the Weavers in Calmora were those who lost their homes. With strong protective magic, Niens couldn't attack at night.
Layla led me to a wooden house at the edge of the wheat field. A creaking sound was heard as Layla opened the door. Inside, there were several wooden racks lined up and filled with various weapons. Rows of bows hung on the wall, and wooden boxes contained bags of different sizes. A man stood between two weapon racks. His body was quite tall and sturdy. He wore a white shirt with black trousers and matching shoes. His short black hair was neat. He turned towards us. Staring at me with his dark green eyes that look sleepy.
His face seemed familiar. Where had I met this man before?
"San, he is the founder of Calmora," said Layla, "he also opened the portal for us last night."
My memory felt hazy. Especially after Layla appeared and explained our relationship from six years ago. I felt there were many things I had unconsciously missed. But... It seems that I should know this man.
"Seon..."
I muttered unconsciously. That name suddenly came to my mind.
The ambiance turned silent. The man's eyes now looked surprised. After a moment, he looked at Layla. "I see you've explained many things, huh."
Layla shook her head, her face looking incredulous. "I haven't explained anything."
The man frowned. He looked back at me suspiciously. "In that case, it seems we have a lot to talk about."[]