Was that all another excuse? A further choice to disregard the problem and live in ignorance?
“Everyone standing in this audience, every man, woman, and or child can change the world.” At his proclamation the uproar silenced to a whisper, not daring to contend with his message.
Speeches go through tens of different versions, but this opener never changed.
“You don’t have to be a mage to be a sage! You don’t have to be a soldier to be a knight! You don’t have to be royalty to be a monarch! You don’t have to be special to make the future!” His voice was powerful echoing off the empty air, embedding itself in the minds of listeners.
Maybe somewhere drowned under the sea of excess trash plot points, this is where Anax started.
‘So what if you are God? You still bleed.’ I heard my younger self, the man before the deadlines. He was smiling then. Around me are the people I conceived this story with, the first drunken night we laughed over the speeches.
“I was an orphan. I lived in the slums my entire life cherishing pennies discarded by others. I feel my fingers are permanently browned from the years of digging in the dirt for the ten thousand pennies for me to get my birth right.” Anax began talking about himself, where he started in this world. I don’t envy it; I was a sheltered child - coddled by the niceties in life.
“It was there I was given the chance of a better life, the life that stands speaking out to you all. Never give up. If life gave you hurls that means you will be stronger during the next battle with those with flat tracks.”
‘You going to give up now? It is that there that stops you from being king.’ The ginger guy my age, Blake, stated with a laugh.
“Let’s write our names in the sky. The tower piercing the sky will be our pen to tell the gods mortals stand on equal ground!” An impassionate Anax spoke with his zealous hand exclamations.
‘Reach higher, if you can write in the sky, destroy the heavens.’ There her enticing voice entered the memory, and I flinched at the recollection. Her high pitch voice, that pierced through any defense I set up to forget it. Of the green dress that hugged her silhouette, long ombre hair shifted from intoxicating wine red hair to beautiful crocus purple. I can’t be thinking about her now, I’ll just be furious again.
“Don’t fear action, you will only regret not taking the chance.” The four of us sat around the dorm room, laughing about the speech’s conception. We threw out lines and blurted out snarky remarks until the sun went down. I regret what followed, of when silence weighed heavily on us all, or well three of us.
‘Aster, let’s write the story together.’ I can’t let myself linger with these thoughts. If I let them fester nothing good will come of it.
“It is only when you shatter the chains of obedience that you perceive the concept of freedom.” A speech is not remembered for the answers it give, but the questions it forces you to ask.
‘So what if it started as a lie let’s just-
Slammed from behind I planted into the dirt; broken away from deeper memories.
“Ouch,” I pushed myself up and rubbed stinging palms together that instinctually slowed my fall.
“I’m so sorry about that!” Her voice was young, vibrant, veiled in heavy concern.
I turned to look up at her, but she already leaned down to my level. The first thing I noticed was her mesmerizing eyes shifting from lush greens to flashes of yellow gold that I couldn’t look away from. I didn’t need her introduction to know who it was. I wanted to break down then, to pull her into my embrace and not let go. Instead I hid my trembling hand in tense fists.
“Name is Serena! Serena Smith!” She was bubbly, unbothered by our faces being inches apart. It was a nostalgic feeling, of her cherry scent that lingers on your clothes for hours after she leaves. Of her habit to read the last page of any book and spoil it for me, but never read a word I ever wrote. Always the happiest person in the room, with a permanent smile etched into her face. I didn’t want to cry. I swallowed down the lump in my throat that blocked my words
‘My name is Serena, and by the time I walk away you won’t stop thinking about me.’
‘How you going to make that happen?’ I questioned the beautiful lady who passed me a shot glass filled with a translucent liquid.
“My name is Aster, and by the time I walk away you won’t stop thinking about me.” I couldn’t contain myself. Quickly I stood up from the ground with a snicker. I wanted to relive that moment, if only for a second. If it is elongated I might not be able to hold back the tears. I wouldn’t be able to ignore the growing pit in my stomach any longer.
“How you going to make that happen?” She was a head shorter than me, and looked up to my eyes with furrowed brows.
“By walking away,” I stated with a pained laugh. I turned on my heels and didn’t look back at her. She was right that night, I never did stop thinking of her. Which is why seeing her again is so painful. Those flash of yellow in her eyes is a sickness unique to her and it will kill her. At that admission the tears that I forced back behind closed eyelids leaked out.
+++
After opening speeches, select student left towards their dorms, while others lingered for chats with neighbors. Most shuffled out on their own endeavors, or sought out and or invite people to freshman parties. The best analogy would be the first day of university.
Overwhelmed with memories I locked deep in my mind I laid silently in bed, not wanting to interact with anyone. She was the exact same as her, ever little detail.
I eventually took notice of a small notification in the corner of my vision.
[Author has declined the opinion of fixing the main character, Anax Freelan. Author will not have another chance to do so later.]
“Let’s focus on this. What could be going on here? Fixing the story, is the simple answer right now. I’m going to stick with that explanation as little else makes sense right now. For what purpose however? Whom is watching this? What if I do fix the flaw? A gift? Slow, down, let’s test a few things. Firstly, let’s address who I’m in the story.
Identification tags were based off baseball cards with one side being a photo of the owner and the back being basic information.
{Name: Ziph Rose
Height: 272pb (70in, 178cm)
Weight: 114bl (80kg, 176lb)
Age: 23
Eye color: Orange
Hair color: White
Race: Human
Rank: 675
Birth Right: Magic Burst}
“Ziph Rose first mentioned during the final arc but never had a cameo. He was an incomplete character who never got his powers or backstory completed. He was supposed to play an important role but was instead put aside for a character who paid roles progressively throughout the story.” I monologue into empty space expecting the message from earlier to return.
[Author has realized the flaw in his character ‘Ziph Rose’. Would Author like to bring forth changes?]
