"The world had written him a tragedy,

one so cruel that people wonder

why he can even smile."

"Is that a new song you're preparing?"

The one-eyed bard laughed at the woman, "it isn't." He wiped the dirty eyepatch on his face. "It's an old song that's been sung by a few."

"An unpopular song then? Maybe because it speaks of tragedy."

"War's been going for too long we're sick of it!" A drunk man suddenly intruded in their conversation. The man grasped the lady's drink and chugged it down, some of it spilling down his clothes. "Tragedy's already a norm. Atleast in songs, let us hear something beautiful and peaceful!"

The drunk man clasped the bard's shoulders. "My good man... Or wait, you seem too young to be a man." He tsked and moved closer to the bard. "Kids shouldn't be drinking liquor at your age. Where're your parents?" The man pointed to the lady. "And you! How can you give him liquor? He's a kid."

The bard laughed. "Even as a drunk man, you still remember to be a good elder." The bard then took a glass from the table and chugged it down like the drunk did earlier. "But I assure you that I'm allowed to drink, given my age."

"That's good!" And the man passed out.

The people in the bar laughed at the scene and more drinks were served.

The Kingdom of Auros have experienced hell for a long time, courtesy of the demonic clans surrounding them. While the kingdom continuously work on removing the enemies, the demonic clans seem to have a way to immediately reorganize their numbers, even after immediate defeat.

Recently, the continuous efforts of the kingdom paid off and they finally knew the hidden weakness of the demons.

Small red crystals would sprout near the demons' nests. At first, the humans thought that these were just used as signs to say that there's a demon nest nearby. They easily crumble, with no magical energy whatsoever, and so they were regarded as something that was just there.

By fortunate luck of one mercenary, he witnessed a dying demon crawl near a red crystal and eating it. After swallowing the crystal, red markings appeared on the demon's hand for a very brief moment, almost like a blink of an eye, and then the demon fell lifeless. The mercenary couldn't move as his leg was injured at the time so he was waiting for rescuers to come. While waiting, he witnessed the demon stand up like the death scene never happened to begin with. The mercenary was too shocked that he didn't make any sounds at all until he assured that the demon was gone. When the rescuers found him, he kept on saying "we must destroy all the red crystals!"

The kingdom's knights, mages, and citizens banded up together to destroy the red crystals surrounding the kingdom and now, they celebrate as they have just eradicated the last red crystals within the vicinity of the kingdom.

It was now morning. The sun had long risen but the people were still asleep, too drunk and relieved at their situation.

The bard took his instruments, placed them in his bag, and left the bar. He needed to reach that place on time afterall.

As he was walking, he heard the sounds of horns and drums.

His eyes widened.

It's too early!

He quickened his pace and ran towards the nearest gate. He took out a rusted compass from his bag and went north.

"Please let me be on time!"

He was near the river when he saw a nearby demon - a red-skinned humanoid with goat-like horns.

A sub-commander of a demon clan.

He was holding a bundle of cloth and was placing it in a very small boat, just enough for the bundle to go in. The sub-commander seemed to utter some kind of spell that sealed the boat and let it drift down the river.

It had started.

The bard set his gaze on the small boat. He waited for the demon to leave before going after the boat.

He heard a big explosion happening inside the kingdom. He didn't turn his head, his gaze kept following the boat, never letting it leave out of sight.

When the river split into two, he waited to know where the boat will go.

It was this moment that will determine the fate of the Kingdom.

The few seconds felt like hours. Excitement ran through the bard's nerves as he waited for what route the story would go.

"Ah!"

The boat got stuck on a tree trunk and stayed there inbetween the junctions. The bard looked up, unamused.

"This isn't part of the written fate."

He looked around, looking for any signs as to why things didn't go as planned. 

The boat swayed, still stuck at the same place. Explosions still rang from afar.

The winds blew and a voice came with it.

"Choose."

The bard glared at the sky. "I am an uninvolved."

"Choose."

"Why do I have to?! I'm notー"

Another big explosion came from the kingdom. This time, the bard looked. He flew back due to the force of the blast and landed at the river. He flailed about, unsure which was up or down, until he felt an object near him.

He touched it and raised a hand, feeling the wind blow on it. He surfaced, only to witness the boat in front of him.

"I am an uninvolved..." He cried weakly.

He looked back on where the kingdom was, and saw it be engulfed in flames. He had lost his bag, along with his instruments and other things. They were probably washed up somewhere.

The kingdom was in flames. He had lost his instruments.

This wasn't part of the written fate. There shouldn't have been so many explosions.

There shouldn't have been an explosion that could reach to where he was.

"It's been rewritten..." His eyes widened at the realization. He immediately took the boat and swam to the nearest land, desperately fighting against the river current.

When he got there, he went to open the boat. He muttered a few words and the boat cracked open. He opened it and saw a baby dozing off while clasping the sheets around him.

The wind blew again, sending chills down his body for two reasons: the cold and what the voice that accompanied the wind said.

"Protect him."

"I... I am an uninvolved, you can't do this to me. I'm just a witness, not the actor..." His voice sounded weak as he said this.

"It changed."

The wind blew again, but this time, the birds were the ones responsible for the sounds. It wasn't any better.

The birds sang clearly, as if mocking him.

"No longer an angel, no longer a bard.

Choose to protect, don't you try to run.

An actor you are, you have to play your part.

This child is the key to making the mark."

The bard covered his ears. "Stop!"

The eyepatch fell and the eye that was covered by it glowed gold. A projection of gold hue appeared in front of him.

A woman with wide wings was looking at him with sad eyes. He dropped his hands that were covering his ears.

The woman came closer and said, "I'm sorry."

"What happened? Why... Why did it change? How can it change?"

"It didn't."

His eyes widened.

The woman continued, "you've always been part of the written fate." She placed a hand to his cheek. "Everything is as fate decreed."

He held her hand that was on his face. "Then what about the fate that you told me about this world? Was it all a lie?"

"No..."

He was confused.

"Fate told us that it was needed to be told to you. This is the start of the new fate, and it is you who must choose how you would go on in this world."

"I don't... I don't want to be a part of this world. I'm an outsider, I'm not an actor of this world!"

She took her hand back and smiled at him. "I'll be sealing your memories for 7 years in this world. Until then, you will never leave this child's side. Until then, you would have to choose."

A light came from her hand and he fell unconscious. His body started to shrink until he was the same size as the child in the bundle of sheets.

The woman took his shrinked body and placed him in the same bundle. She lifted the boat and placed it on the river, sealed it, and let it drift.

"And now, we shall wait."