Chapter 14: [13 – fable; the angel’s lost eye]

All participants would get a room in a local inn for the duration of the competition. This was the minimum that the people behind it gave as a mercy, but any injuries that occurred on the field were overlooked.

Honestly, Soren wasn't aware of many of the details. 

Raphael had gone and explored as he pleased, which was very useless for Soren, who relied partially on the book's information. Well, he'd figure it out on his own, one way or the other. It was just a little more troublesome for the person who preferred to do as little as necessary. 

Frankly, the appearance of Brioc Laurier was already a sign of misfortune. 

Soren considered leaving at that moment, but there were more important matters on hand. He sighed, thinking over it. Not only had he attracted the attention of the irritating protagonist, he had been forced to interact with the crazy Death Saint, Celine, was constantly followed around by the heartless fox, Damien and now possibly drew the interest of the even crazier magician, Brioc.

Why was it that the author made all the characters of the novel so crazy?

He really wanted to ask them, whoever it was. 

To begin with, why did they have to create such a messed up ending? If only Atlas were to survive, and there wasn't so many unknown factors, would Soren then have little to do. 

No, shouldn’t he instead blame the strange God of Death who seemed to be the culprit for sending here to begin with? Soren sighed. 

"I've gathered the information, master." said Damien from beside where Soren was leaning against the wall.

Being lazy, Soren asked Damien to ask around and explore in his steed, and look for the location of their room. Although most likely, Damien would've explored anyway, considering this was an underground city that opened only several times a year. 

In addition, it would only open to those who signed up for the fighting ring, and a maximum of five people who attended with those participating. Some also were able to enter after paying an enormous fortune, but by the end of the competition, without a doubt, everybody would be forced to leave.

There was no exception to that rule.

Soren glanced at the teenager lazily through his mask. "Lead the way."

"Yes." 

Damien, being the excellent walking GPS that he was, easily weaved through the crowd and found the least busy paths as he wandered. For the first time, Soren thought, 'Oh, useful.'

It was almost a pity that they'd have to separate.

Almost.

The underground city was very similar to the one above, except the buildings were a bit older and more rustic, lacking the brightness and charm of the cities on the land. However, it was a sight to behold with the hanging lights up high, making fake rays of brightness that lit up the darkness. It heavily relied on technology to keep it look alive, and by nighttime, the lights would dim and create a more ethereal glow to the land.

It didn't extend very far either, bordering along rough walls of hard dirt, only large enough to accommodate five hundred people.

To go out of the way to create such a place, it was really curious. Although the fact that the creator had the ability to make their own underground world was an incredible feat on its own. 

Whoever it was, Soren certainly didn't wish to meet them. 

His instinct told him that the matters behind the underground city would only lead to trouble. 

As he was thinking, a cry rang through the noisy air. "S-stop!"

Soren paused and shifted from under his hood, turning his head toward the direction of the sound. 

Nobody bothered to spare a glance as they walked past the scene — it was an illegal city, what did one expect? A woman was sprawled out on the pavement, chestnut hair in a disarray as she clutched a torn bag of various items as she glared up angrily at the man who stood before her. 

However, the reason Soren stared for so long was not out of pity for the woman.

"Quick, leave." said Soren as he turned back around, a second too late.

The woman's eyes curved as she called out in a helpless tone, "Oh brilliant sir, won't you help me, please? I'm sure a person as wise as you won't overlook this injustice!"

Soren said coldly, "I'm not wise."

"But a noble such as yourself will certainly not let such unspeakable evil occur before their eyes."

"Wrong."

However, a crowd was staring to surround, lured from her sickeningly flattering tone and her beautiful appearance. Soren, for one, did not like the attention. 

He turned to leave, but the bothersome woman had already jumped up to run beside him, leaving the other man in the dust. The man scowled and shouted, "Ha, a weakling like yourself dares to interrupt me?"

"No." replied Soren curtly, glancing down at the woman's smile. 

Really, the book only had crazy characters, and no sane ones.

“Move, Lydia.”

Lydia straightened her posture and smiled with her deep red lips. "I'm on a request, your highness."

"Then continue, I'm leaving."

"Well, I'm already done with it. Unfortunately, this fellow there doesn't seem to be done, so I requested for your help, Prince Soren. My apologies for offending you so, when I'm sure you were busy with other matters. But since it's come to this, won't you help me out?"

Soren sighed. If he said no, she would likely cause another scene, even louder than before. If he said yes, he was inviting trouble to his own door. What a hassle. 

"Damien."

"Yes, master."

Damien walked up to the man who was about to rush at Soren, swiftly flipping the larger man over and pinning him to the ground with unmistakable ease. He blinked and said in a low voice, "Sir, if you dare bother my master for any longer, would you like to see the consequences?"

His knee dug a little deeper without a change in his expression and the man trembled.

This teenager was trouble, that much, anybody could see.

"N-no, it's fine!"

"Are you certain?"

"Yes!"

Damien released him, patted off his clothing and walked back in front of Soren, waiting to lead the way. 

"Your butler is impressive, as expected of one who serves you, your highness." remarked Lydia as she watched the scene unravel with great interest.

Soren ignored the flattery. Instead, Damien looked back and asked, "What is your task, Miss Jones?"

She smiled. "Well, that lovely gentleman over there is in a relationship with my client, you see. I offer all sorts of businesses, and she was an important client of mine, so when she asked me to find proof of her fiancé's infidelity, how would I dare deny her?"

“Is she happy that she escaped in advance?” Damien's curiosity was sparked, but his words were cold. The fox wasn't very interested or optimistic about relationships from what he had seen, though he enjoyed the psychology behind them. 

"Well, my dear, they're not all so bad." Then she seemed to think about something before she said, "How about I tell you a story that I know?"

"A legend?"

"Something like that. It's a story I've heard during my travels, a rather interesting one of love. Whether it’s true or not, it’s up to you to believe."

“I’m listening." replied Damien as they walked.

Lydia smiled and turned to Soren. "How about you, Prince Soren? I'd hate to disturb your walk with a story you have little interest in, after all."

Soren glanced at her and yawned. "Don't care. Do as you please."

"Lovely. Now, I'll admit, I'm not the best at telling stories, but do bear with me." She cleared her throat and begun, "There exists angels and demons in every world, a good and evil, two opposing sides. Regardless of the reality they exist in, they are fated to be apart. But one should wonder, aren't there always those who defy fate against all odds?"

"Those who seek to change the destined ending, to break the laws of the world? And those who do those things, solely for the sake of love?" Lydia paused, then looked at Soren. "What do you think, your highness?"

"Don't know."

He really didn't, not when he could hardly understand the minimum of emotions.

Instead, Damien spoke up. "The living are creatures of foolish choices, so it's very possible. However, if that's the path they set upon, then it isn't foolish, is it?"

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Lydia nodded in acknowledgement. "There's a choice to be made, regardless of what, or who you are. You're correct, my dear. This story is of star-crossed lovers living in heaven and hell, as far apart as two beings could be."

"The beautiful angel had an encounter with an insidious demon, and while their first meeting was by chance, their second was by choice. After a strange connection, the two continued to meet up in secret, hidden away from the watchful eyes of their lords. The angel had a sister who loved her dearly, and the girl warned the beautiful angel: if you get caught, there is no turning back, so it's best to end it now."

"But the angel had already fallen in love. And the demon, too, had fallen. However, as their positions in their own hierarchy rose, so did their distance. One day, when they could no longer meet, the angel told the demon: ‘I'll give you my eye, and through it, we'll see each other every day.’"

"The demon had refused, but before their eyes, their beloved ripped out their eye and placed it in the demon's hands. And thus, a connection was made. It was too late to turn back. The younger sister found out and was horrified, begging her sister to steal the eye back, lest it be cursed with demonic energy."

"Of course, the angel refused."

"For a while, it had been peaceful. Through the eye, the demon could see her, the person they loved the most. But all good things must eventually end, and the gap in the angel's face was discovered, as well as the creature that saw through it."

"The angel was marked as a traitor and cast upon the mortal world, locked up in an everlasting slumber. The demon protested and charged at the heaven's, only to have their wing torn as they tumbled into oblivion. And finally, the sweet, dear sister, fell into despair as she rebelled, only to have her immortality stripped as punishment."

"Though the story doesn't end there, as the sister promised to seek revenge for her sister, the one person who she couldn't let go."

Lydia spread out her arms, soft eyes curved. "The end. So? How was that?"

"Pointless." said Soren.

“Was this story about the love between the angel and demon, or the two sisters?” asked Damien.

"Both." replied Lydia. "But isn't it as I told you? A story of a love that never ended, of an eternal love that went against all odds."

"Then, do you think that genuine love will end in tragedy?" inquired Damien.

"Was it a tragedy?" asked Lydia in reply. "Or was it only setting the stage for a new story to begin?"

The sister's revenge had only begun, and the angel was in an eternal slumber. The demon tumbled into oblivion, but he was never to be seen again. If a catalyst changed everything, would they reawaken once again, and would this tragedy have a happy ending?

Damien looked at Lydia quietly, deep in thought. 

The stranger thing was, Lydia had said she heard of this story during her travels, but was there any story that Damien didn't know? In this world, he had read every single one. 

"Where did you hear the story, Miss Jones?"

Lydia glanced at him knowingly. "Only a few months ago, while I was travelling at the borders. Did you find it fascinating, my dear?"

"What do you think?"

"I'd say it was a lovely story, leaves much room for thought. A story is only bad if the reader chooses not read it. Do you think ending something in a tragedy is bad?"

The fox lowered his eyes as he answered, "If the ending is a tragedy, then it can be rewritten. If it ends with no ending, then one can only wait out the future."

"How curious. Then if you found an unfinished book, would you write out a tragedy?" Lydia turned to Soren with a smile. "What would you do, your highness?"

Soren frowned. “I don't like to write."

"Ah." Even a woman like Lydia Jones could say little in response. "Well, writing is a hobby not everybody prefers after all."

“And you, my dear?” She turned to Damien instead.

“It would have to depend if it’s a story worth seeing, don’t you think, Miss Jones?” replied Damien politely, emerald eyes not betraying a hint of thoughts.

She smiled and said nothing. After a few minutes, she stopped walking. “Well, thank you for all your help today, I can’t imagine what I would’ve done without you.”

“How did you enter, Lydia?” asked Soren before she could move.

Lydia was neither a participant nor following another person. That was what Soren believed, and most likely, he was correct. 

Not to mention, didn’t Lydia have the ability to use magic?

The woman blinked and smiled with her bright red lips. “Remember? I can not reveal my sources, your highness. However, I hope you are enjoying my services, see you in the future!”

She bowed, lifting her chocolate eyes with a flattering smile.

With that, she turned and left; her cropped chestnut hair swaying gently as she walked. It seemed this underground land was crawling with people Soren knew, but nobody he wanted to see.

Not that there was anybody he wanted to see.

Soren turned and entered the old, wooden building, checking in with the front desk before heading to his room. It was an adequate size, too common for a noble but too grand for a commoner. 

A separate room for guests was arranged, and Damien received a room next door.

“The broadcast will be announced in a few hours, and the first rounds will begin shortly after.” explained Damien. “The competition can last up to a week, depending.”

"I see."

Damien stood politely on the side, his posture as straight as always as he asked, "What did you think of Miss Jones' story, master?"

Soren glanced at him from the hard bed. "Nothing."

"Did you not enjoy it?"

"It was fine." 

Soren enjoyed stories, or he wouldn't have read [The Transmigrator's Final World], but honestly, he read more non-fiction than fiction. A range of books from 'The Endangered Species of the World!' to '100 ways to Cook an Egg'. 

The story told by Lydia hadn't been a horrible one, but it wasn't one he could understand. Wasn't giving up your eye for a beloved too ridiculous? And if the sister had truly loved her sister, wouldn't she have done anything to stop the relationship? Plus, what was the point of rebelling? It only made it harder for the demon and the sister to avenge the sleeping angel in the end, if they ever managed to at all.

And, could one fall in love with somebody they disliked? What was the point of going against their own laws to have a relationship with the enemy?

Not that Soren wasn't open-minded — he was the sort to do as he pleased most of the time — but he didn't understand the emotions that would lead to somebody risking everything for the sake of another. 

Was it not easier to follow the rules?

How was it, to love somebody so much that they'd go so far?

Damien watched the slightest shifts in Soren's expressions and asked, "Do you not understand their love?"

Soren glanced at him and said, "No."

"Why not?"

"They were obsessed with each other."

"There's a fine line between obsession and love." said Damien quietly, sharp eyes watching every reaction. “If you reach a point where you’d hurt them for the sake of your selfishness, it isn’t love. But there’s the sort of deep emotions where you’d do anything for their happiness, that is a sort of love.” 

There were many kinds of love, and the selfless kind was one of them.

But an obsessive love which sacrificed the target of your affection, that wasn't love at all. 

"But in reality, it's much more romantic to live for another person than to die for them, do you not agree?" continued Damien, as Soren took in his words in silence.

The fox said interesting things for his age, knowledge he learned over his years of observing quietly in the shadows.

Most things in life were both simple, and complex. All things in life were contradictory, including feelings and actions.

"Maybe."

It had been an interesting day, all in all. Soren figured, he'd lie about in this uncomfortable bed for the first day, and take a look at the competition later to have an idea of the skill level. Damien himself would likely want to explore again later on, and Soren didn't mind letting him do so. 

Well, that was until his plans for the following days were shattered, and Soren once again blamed the world for his misfortune.

The announcement seemed to echo more loudly under the shelter of the rocky dirt walls. "Introducing the first of the twelve starting fighters..."

"Count Raphael!"