Chapter 1

The Dark Lands was a desolate place; however, it remained anything but barren. Blessed with generous resources, it would not be incorrect to call the Dark Lands a bastion of civilization, for they needed these resources to satisfy the machines’ ever-present hunger. It was common knowledge that the crystal lights will not work without the power of the ancient machines. These ‘gifts from the ancients’ were often greedy, demanding massive feasts for their meager contributions. Loud and foul-scented, if not for their necessity, they would be cast out or even demolished by their communities. There are, however, a few that seemingly bless humanity with endless power, asking for nothing in return. They were seen as angels sent by the Ancients to ensure the salvation of man. Three of which reside within the Dark Lands: Aqua of Ta’Mir, Ventus of Septer, and Aestus of Luminus.

***

Anya was always a curious child. When she reached the age of eight, she had forgone play invitations from the other children in order to observe the ancient machine. Every day, the machine would gulp down shovels full of coal and many gallons of water. Anya thought, if not for the river nearby, it would have surely been thirsty. In exchange for feeding it, the machine lit up the crystal balls, allowing everyone to see. Anya didn’t understand why the machine chose coal, for she had tried some herself and found it to be severely unpleasant. The cogs in her head began to spin, “maybe that’s why it eats so much. Maybe if I give it something tasty the machine would eat less.” In her mind, this reasoning was flawless. Anya saved the candy she received annually and when no one was watching, she fed it to the machine. It accepted her offering but still consumed the same amount as before. Feeling cheated, Anya wanted her candy returned, but she couldn’t stick her hands close enough without getting burned. Thus, she tried to cool the mouth of the machine by pouring water where coal was usually fed. As soon as she did, the lights dimmed and the machine ran quieter. The whole town went into a panic, believing the machine was dying. Eventually, everything returned to normal, but Anya still received a beating from her father. Anya hated the machine ever since that day.

Five years have passed since then. Today Anya felt ecstatic, even more so than usual. Despite the typical gloomy mood of those around her, she had a positive outlook on life. Life itself brought her happiness. Without it, she could not experience the sweet sensation of candy melting in her mouth or read about the adventures described in her late mother’s journal. There was no hint of sadness whenever she immersed herself in Anna’s words, Anya only felt excitement for what her mother would be experiencing in the next page. This feeling persisted even after reading the journal multiple times as she felt that there was always something new to be discovered.

Anya approached her father’s office with the journal in hand. Like everything else in this town, the furniture in her house was rugged, but she did not care. What mattered most to Anya was that this was home because, to her, home was where her father is. However, she still wanted to see the world, thus she insisted on accompanying him to Luminus for the upcoming trade negations. Right before entering his office, Anya heard the heated argument raging from within. She knew her uncle, Stephan, and her father often clashed. Nevertheless, Stephan still treated her kindly, so she couldn’t bring herself to dislike him. Arguments between the two occurred more often than Anya would’ve preferred, but that was not something she had control over. Curious about the subject this time, Anya pressed her ear against the door to listen in on their conversation.

“Why are we still exporting to Luminus?!” Stephan spoke in pure rage. Every year Black-Rock would transport the same amount of coal to the merchants of Luminus yet their returns consistently decreased. He knew if this continued, their town would inevitably starve.

“Luminus does not have a demand for coal, we should be trading with other outlying towns!”

“Is this about your plans of a coalition between the outskirt towns again? You know we can’t do that.”

This was not the first time they had had this conversation. Stephan wanted the small towns that sprouted around the large cities to form a pact, which was supposed to ensure that they provided each other with the necessary resources to survive. It also created a viable way of defending themselves against powerful adversaries. Though it was excellent in theory, Ethan still felt that, in their present condition, this could not be done.

“This is about survival! The people are struggling, Ethan. Every year, the living conditions become worse and worse. We can’t even obtain medicine anymore. What will happen if someone becomes sick?! What would happen if Anya becomes sick?!”

Ethan held a bitter expression. Recognizing this, Stephan attempted to compromise.

“Ethan, if you are still adamant about trading with Luminus, then at least let me negotiate the terms. I’m sure I-”

“NO! I need someone to administrate the town while I’m away. And besides, you’ve never been to Luminus.”

Stephan’s frustration surfaced and his patience was now running thin. While holding on to the doorknob, he turned towards Ethan once more and asked:

“Is there no chance of conciliation?”

“No, my decisions are final.”

Stephan faced the door.

“I’m giving you one last chance, Ethan.”

Not understanding Stephan’s intentions, Ethan gave a firm response.

“I appreciate it, but the answer is still no.”

Anya heard the doorknob turn, so she quickly moved a few steps back and sat on the ground. To add to her façade, Anya opened her mother’s journal and pretended to busy herself. This was among the reasons why she had always kept it on her body.

The door opened and upon seeing Anya on the floor Stephan became a little startled.

“Uncle Steph!” Anya greeted her uncle with her trademarked innocent smile. Stephan did not particularly enjoy his nickname, but for Anya he tolerated it.

Stephan returned her greeting with a smile as well.

“Hello, Anya. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to Daddy about the trip to Luminus.”

Stephan’s smile twisted into shock as he shot a look at Ethan.

“You’re taking her with you?”

Unable to look Stephan in the eyes, Ethan gazed downwards onto his desk.

“She’s just going to be waiting in the carriage as I finish negotiations.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT.” The rage that had subsided returned in full force.

“THIS IS THE ONE THING I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT ALLOW FOR. YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THE ROUTE IS.”

“Stephan, calm down.”

Not wanting to further unveil this side of him in front of Anya, Stephan lowered his voice.

“You know my stance on the matter, Ethan. I will not allow you to put Anya’s life at risk as well.”

Silence filled the room after Stephan left.

“Does that mean I can’t go, Daddy?” Anya felt disappointed, but she knew her uncle was just concerned for her safety. At the same time, she wanted to go out and adventure. Anya constantly fascinated about the ancient wonders described in her mother’s journal. Her imagination could no longer satisfy her, for she wanted to see them herself. Traveling to Luminus with her father was the first step towards demonstrating that she was capable of handling herself outside of the town.

“Anya… Maybe next time…” Anya was not blind to her father’s emotions. She knew that her father worked tirelessly to fulfill his role as a leader and a good father. Not wanting to further burden him, Anya expressed her compliance.

“I understand, Daddy... I’ll wait.” Seeing how mature his daughter had become, Ethan let out a smile.

“I’ll be leaving then!” Anya turned around and headed towards the exit.

“Anya, wait!”

Anya halted.

After a brief moment of silence, Ethan spoke.

“What do you think of this town?”

“I like it! Even though it’s a bit dirty and the air smells bad, I still like it here because Father and Uncle are here with me.”

Anya’s heartwarming words forced a bitter smile on Ethan’s face.

“Is there anything else?”

“No, Anya.”

Anya headed for the door. From behind her, her father spoke.

“I love you, Anya.”

A little flustered by her father’s sudden proclamation, Anya shyly responded in almost a whisper.

“Love you too, Daddy.”

***

Anya hadn’t given up just yet. She knew if she could just convince her uncle, then her father wouldn’t have a reason to deny her. On the way to her uncle’s residence, Anya rehearsed her strategy. Her mother’s journal had mentioned that Stephan could be easily influenced if she could slowly lead him into what she wanted. Anya figured the more unrelated the subject matter was, the better.

Knock-Knock-Knock

After a brief moment of waiting, her uncle came to the door.

“Anya? Come in.”

Anya smiled virtuously just like she rehearsed. With a steady pace, she seated herself in the living room, patiently waiting for her uncle to sit down as well. Stephan’s home was a tiny bit more worn down than hers, but the tidiness gave the illusion of being much better.

“So what brought you here today?” Her uncle questioned.

“Just wanted to talk about the ancient machine,” Anya unleashed her ‘innocent’ smile at full force.

“So you want to convince me to let you go, correct?” Stephan hit the bullseye.

Instantly, Anya’s charade was over.

“How did you –”

“Know? Anna did the exact same thing, I just went along with her whims given that they’re usually fairly trivial. Either that or you poured water into the machine again. Since the lights haven’t been flickering, I’m guessing the prior.”

Anya was shocked, everything worked out so perfectly in her mind. Now she is forced to admit that she had underestimated her opponent.

“I’m thirteen, I can take care of myself.”

“Anya… I’m sure you can, but there are …” Stephan hesitated, “bad people out there who would want to hurt you.”

“I can defend myself! I’ll bring mom’s gun with me.” Anya inaccurately motioned aiming and firing a rifle.

Stephan couldn’t help but chuckle. The smile soon disappeared into a sulky expression. The child before him reminded him too much of Anna, from the way she tried to get what she wanted to how she acted. Unwanted feelings gripped his heart.

“Anya, I know you feel caged up here in this town, but it’s safe here.”

“Ehhh, but I wanna see all the wonderful things Mom wrote in her journal.” Anya puffed her cheeks, “once I find that ‘Tree’, I’ll marry it and care for it every day so I can get candy every day.”

“Wouldn’t your friends miss you if you were gone?”

Anya became silent as she lowered her head. He had hit a landmine, now Stephan understood why Anya always came to him whenever her father was busy. Anya was usually not interested in the games the other kids played and the other kids didn’t share her curiosity either. After the incident five years ago, the other children wouldn’t even speak to her.

Stephan quickly attempted to change the subject.

“Anya… once the routes are safer, I’ll take you on as many trips as you want.”

“And when will that be?” Not fully recovered, Anya still had her head down.

Stephan wasn’t sure whether he wanted to answer that question.

Knock-Knock-Knock

“You in there, Stephan?” It was Hailey’s voice.

“Yeah, I’m talking to Anya right now. Wait just a minute,” Stephan replied. He then turned to Anya with a stern expression.

“Promise me you won’t leave town until it becomes safe to do so.”

“I promise.”

“Thank you, Anya.” Stephan let out a sigh of relief and relaxed the muscles in his face. For all the years he has known her, Anya never even once broken her promises.

Stephan got up to open the door with Anya following right behind him.

“Oh, hiya, Anya!” Hailey went in for a hug. Anya wasn’t in the mood but had no reason to deny her.

“I’ll see you later then,” Anya muttered.

“I’m sorry you had to see our argument earlier.” Stephan wanted to make sure everything was cleared up before Anya left.

“No worries.”

“Cya later Anya!”

Anya quickly ran home. Guilt began creeping onto her as she knew that she had made a promise she wouldn’t be able to keep.