Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Once upon a dream

Unbidden, a scene came around, filling my mind with a peculiar, hazy vision.

“Where is my father?” I had asked a man from my kin. Though his face looked unclear, hard to decipher, and the surroundings looked a little better. It was like looking at shadows, everything made of blackened smoke.

He had pointed to a certain forest, and that’s where my legs took me. I went through the white plains and the naked trees. The survivors were retreating, but I had avoided them since their faces didn’t correspond to the one I sought.

I scanned every inch, looking for him, eventually finding his armor set, half buried. It was distinct compared to others. It held a red moon imprinted on the chest area, and now, it even had snow in the mixture. 

I saw my hand caressing and holding on to his skull after taking my time to dig him. First, I had hastened this process, but once I began finding bones instead of meat, I took my time, trembling. 

Whoever had killed him made sure that there was nothing left. The bones looked black, like someone had left them inside an oven for too long, burnt to a crisp. Touching it didn’t disintegrate, since the snow and the ice had sheltered it to some extent.

Similarly to him, the tears that escaped my eyes froze under my eyelid, burning me. It felt like I suffered a tiny portion of what my father did.

Sadly, since it had no face, it didn’t trigger any memories related to my fox kin family. 

What happened next was me walking with his skull on my arms as I looked for someone else. Filled with despair, I ended up tripping soon after, causing the skull to fly from my embrace, hitting a tree, and crumbling into a thousand pieces because of its tough bark.

It had been too much, all of it. With my foot now hurt, I turned around. My eyes couldn’t stand looking at the darkened snow. After two steps, the pain made me kneel on the snow, where I remained still for days to come, awaiting death to take me to him, forfeiting this life.

I woke up from my nap, passing my fingers under my eyelids, and finding hints of wetness.

“Poor girl,” I took a sitting position and then hugged myself tightly. I didn’t know if she was still around if she remained inside of me. But if she did, then I wanted her to know I cared for her. We were likely one by now, united by the will of god tree, the culprit of my transmigration.

I removed my legs from the water, letting them dry under the sun. They were frighteningly cold now. Dare to add that it may have been the reason for my strange dream.

“I should head back,” after reviving my numb self, I walked to the mansion alongside the walls in order to not get lost. Not that it was complicated. The path was rather straightforward, merely lengthy, and straining to this body that needed some shaping.

“Welcome back, young Yuki,” Afonso caught me sneaking away from the training ground. Not that I didn’t want to learn the art of fighting, but... I was exhausted.

“T-hank you,” I struggled, and my legs waved to the sides, almost like they were noodles.

He grinned at my poor state, “very good. It seems like you had a splendid exercise. Now, how about you do it all again?”

“Eh!?” I shouted loud enough to attract the attention of the surrounding students.

The old man laughed at my reaction. He was severe, rigorous, and meticulous with training. The only one who actually instructed the pure-blood children, other than the father.

“It was a joke.” 

The men around laughed at me, eavesdropping curiously on his prank.

I placed my hand on the top of my heart, exhaling deeply, relieved by his words.

“I’ve spoken with the dancer instructor. She was happy to have another student join her class. After lunch, she’ll meet you at the mansion entrance.”

“Thank you, Afonso.” 

“You may go now.” 

I quickly nodded at his words, waving goodbye before leaving, gently, as my legs hurt.

‘I really need a good rest,’ slowly I made my way to the back of the smaller building, the dojo, where I laid my back onto its wall. 

The sun came from the east, creating an enormous shadow my way thanks to the tall structure.

Despite the spaghetti legs, my mind wasn’t exhausted. I gazed upon the butlers lining up after Afonso whistled with two fingers.

This time around, my heightened senses allowed me to hear what he said. I was not too far, but distant enough for humans to fail if they were in my position.

“With the warm-up done,” he stretched both arms parallel to one another, “form two columns and spar with each other.”

They moved, making two vertical lines with the instructor as the base. They were about twelve, plus the instructor who remained there watching over them. Upon each having their own partner, they created space between each other. The duel began with them pointing the swords at each other, leaving one hand behind, resting on their backs.

‘It looks like the way Astal fought,’ I opened my mouth, surprised at the way they looked up to him, to the point of having this many people copying his way. All of them wore practically the same type of clothing: black and brown. 

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Fairly speaking, they looked nordic, with dark hair, a few gingers, and all of them tanned. If they spent their daily life training under the sun, it would likely cause it to darken even more in some years. 

This made me aware that the sisters didn’t indulge in this outside training. Their skins were far too milky and smooth. Perhaps their father taught them inside the smaller building. That way, they would keep the tone immaculate.

‘Guess I’m not too different from Sofia,’ I glanced downwards to my exposed arms and hands. They, too, lacked sunlight and signs of sunburn. My fingers lacked calluses, wounds, and scars. Whatever life I had before, it was likely not terrible.

Once I returned my gaze, I realized that one of them was the young lord. He was currently in one of the lines against an adult, far larger than him. 

Their duel began with the sword tips hitting each other, and my eyes noticed everyone following that approach. A gesture of courtesy between them. After all, in actual combat, I doubted they would do something unnecessary like that. 

The issue came afterward. Everyone took a step backward, except for the young lord, who leaped forward for a surprise strike to the opponent’s face.

It did not differ from seeing someone being slapped, except with greater intensity and having your head becoming some akin to a baseball ball that just got slammed by a wooden bat. 

I covered the shout of shock behind my hands. Everyone stared at what he had done, but my heart became even heavier when he just walked away without being reprimanded. I felt like hitting him myself. 

‘What an asshole,’ I cursed at him in my mind, not willing to start a fight I couldn’t possibly win.

‘Can’t lose Sofia to some bastard like that,’ I clenched my hands, turning them into small fists as my heart beat a little faster. 

It was not common for me to get upset, even less to do something about it. After all, my life had been mainly peaceful. I had been passive at it, living in my corner bothering no one, nor having others nag me. 

I got up and went to the opposite side, to the well, retrieving a bucket of water with much effort. My body was tired, and I wavered from the weight in my hands. But I persisted and approached the fellow that has his face red, with a bleeding nose. 

“Here, let me help you,” I passed the rag that was close to the bucket into the water, drenching it fully. Then, I bent it in half and twisted it a few times. Finally, I passed it through the man’s redness to ease him from some pain, pressing on it for a bit, almost as if my hands had a bag of ice.

“Thank you,” he smiled faintly underneath the shadow created by my hand.

“No need to thank me,” I added hastily, tilting his head backward to clean the area between his lips and his nose. Hopefully, being able to stop his bleeding altogether. 

It didn’t take long for it to be successful, halting the drip completely.

“Go rest under the shadow, or even inside.”

At my words, he raised one of his eyebrows confused, “how come?”

“Sunlight may cause the bleeding to start again.”

“Oh, is that so?” He exuded strength, leaving himself off the ground as I had requested him to take a seat. He was too tall for my reach. Most of the surrounding men were like that. One of the usual perks of being older.

At his question, I nodded a few times in agreement, unsure if he really wanted me to reaffirm myself.

“Must be tough having to cheat to look good.” 

Their expressions became surprised at my lack of filters. They hadn’t mentioned it because of the disparity of ranks. Yet, I couldn’t help myself but vent my anger.

“Now, now. Back to training, you lazy bunch!” Afonso clapped a few times, dispersing the crowd that had gathered around me.

And quietly, only for my ears to hear, he added softly in a kind murmur, “I’m sure Logan appreciates your words, but don’t forget your position, young Yuki.”

“Yes, sir!” I shouted, blowing the last piece of frustration within me through it.

I let my grasp on the rag go, allowing it to fall inside the bucket. The crimson blended in with the rest of the blue of the water. It became tainted, and such corruption grew stronger with each step I took, in order to retrieve it where I had found it. 

Once next to the well, I poured the water onto a few nearby flowers, leaving the rag to dry out in the sun above the well head that protected the water source.

‘Now to rest some more,’ I told myself that, only to notice a woman dressed in black from top to bottom at the entrance. 

She looked around as if looking for someone, and once I came into her sight, her hand waved at me.

I smiled in despair, gesturing in the same way back at her.

‘I doubt my legs will resist,’ I yielded at my thoughts and weak body, but I resisted at the powerful will to ditch her for some rest. Thus, I went into her encounter.

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