Life. Spirit. Soul.

These three elements have been put to the test throughout History.

Lives were born. Spirits battled. Souls expired.

The cycle goes on until the next age... and for all eternity.

 

Illustration: Ana Peixoto

 

Within a wide and dark dimension, an eerie vibe could be felt, rattling the air with depression.

A 16-year-old boy with jet black hair and light green eyes came into view. As he walked the invisible sidewalk, he heard outer voices that stifled him...

“He’s arrogant with people, even rude to his own parents.”

“Did you know? That boy not only offended a classmate but also hurt him. The poor lad ended up in a hospital.”

“Eh…? That’s awful.”

“Shut up” Lied ordered.

“He even hit back his own teacher! It’s not just an undisciplined child, he’s a snake disguised as a person! Heck, to think my boy passes the day with such a freak!”

“I told you… to shut that mouth up.”

The space quaked in response to Lied’s trembling feelings.

After walking for a while, the lost youth finally saw something in the middle of nowhere. It’s exactly as they say, “a light at the end of the tunnel”. He approached the light in time – a red apple rested inside a basket. The moment he placed his hand, the apple glowed, as if trying to overcome the negativity with its white-hot glow. The fruit was golden…

 

…

 

“Again. That weird dream.”

Lied woke up sweating, awakening from a dream he previously experienced. Once, someone said that “dreaming about apples is quite unpleasant”…

He sat on the bed for a good while. He didn’t know what was better between reality and the dream.

Lied lived only for himself and no one else. That was his law.

Ignorant humans. Unaware of the truth and trapped in an illusion they call “life”. Naive humans. Thinking they could live in a vulnerable system forever. He knew that, one day, mankind shall meet a worthless fate.

Lied edged off the bed and stood up, walking towards the bathroom. He took a long bath, dressed up and picked up his school bag. He was already late for school.

He hurried down the stairs and met his parents. His father watched him as Lied prepared to leave.

“Not eating anything?”

Lied ignored him, turning his back. The father lifted his son by the collar of the school uniform.

“I demand that you respect me, after all, I give you a roof over your head!”

“I owe you nothing” Lied replied, spitting to the floor.

“Enough...!” the mother said to her husband.

The father dropped him heavily Lied rushed out of the house, naturally upset.

Ganeden, a Japanese and German speaking island in Asia.

Since he’s already late for class, Lied decided to pay a visit to the park. As he walked, Lied was surrounded by tiny blue dots filling the atmosphere. Curiously, all those dots seemed to follow a certain route. The boy could see them from a young age. Lied never found a single person with the same ability as him… or perhaps he didn’t bother to find anyone similar.

He went up the street and turned left, west of his house. His favorite spot consisted of grass, a couple of sconces and benches.

Lied laid down on an incline in a rather soft patch of grass and took his headphones out his pocket. The songs he usually listens to are from a musical form called Kunstlied. For some reason, that was a nostalgic genre. However, he wasn’t alone in the park. Lately, a girl with orange hair and light blue eyes wearing an uniform from his school has been in the area.

Even though they’re the only ones attending the place, the two students never talked to each other. Lied realized something was bothering her, though he wasn’t interested.

 

…

 

Ten minutes passed by, the leaves swirled in the silent wind. Chilled, Lied headed straight to school as the girl glanced at him.

He entered through the creaking metal gates. He climbed the stairs that led to a second floor, where his classroom is. Lied thought about leaving when his parents suddenly came to mind. He went inside without hesitation.

“You...! Late once again!” the teacher shouted.

 

...

 

School was over and Lied decided to go home.

The sunset was wonderful at this time. The cherry blossoms in front of the gate flew back and forth in a pink dance. Behind Lied walked a cheerful group of girls. The one from the park watched him closely.

 

...

 

Lied left his bag in the bedroom. When he opened the house’s door, his dad showed up followed by his mom.

“Son... I...!” the dad said.

“Lied... your father and I are very sorry. So, please, don’t forget to come back home, okay?” the mom asked, wearing a beautiful smile.

 

…

 

Lied arrived back at the park. She was there again.

He stared at the bluish dots and tried to touch them with his fingertips. He wondered if he should have said something to his mother… The lass looked at him every once in a while.

“Hum...”

“I’m listening” Lied, who used his head as a pillow, said.

“If you were listening, then why didn’t you answer right away...?”, she thought to herself.

“Today, yesterday, the day before yesterday... you’ve been following me for the past two weeks” Lied caught her off guard “So? What do you want?”

“He’s actually a great observer for someone who doesn’t care about others.”

The lass sighed and stood up. Near the lad, she crouched down and poked the same blue orb Lied was touching.

“I can... see it too.”

They watched the meeting of their fingers. That surprised Lied, who didn’t expect anyone else besides him to be able to see it. Both got up from the floor.

“That’s why you bothered me all day… I see, I’m not the only one…”

“…Sorry about that” the girl apologized hilariously.

“Since when?”

“Just before I started coming here.”

“Your name is Naomi.”

“Eh? How do you know?”

Lied showed in his left hand a school ID card.

“Ah! That’s mine!”

“You dropped it” Lied gave the card back.

“A-And your name is Lied, right?”

“Yeah. Good job stalking.”

“I-I don't want to hear that from someone who takes things without permission!”

“Hm...” Lied held his chin thoughtfully “The moment you began seeing or before, did you notice anything weird?”

“Dunno... nothing unusual comes to mind. Did something happen to you?”

“No... I can see them as long as I can remember” Lied put his hand on his forehead.

“Anyway, what are they really...?” Naomi asked.

“I don’t know exactly. They pile up and walk away, as if programmed to go to the same place. Yes, that’s the only thing I’m sure of. These blue balls… are alive” he dabbed the sphere.

“A-Alive...?” Naomi swallowed her saliva.

“It’s not just that... there’s one more thing.”

“One more thing...?”

“A glimpse, but I saw them… take human forms.”

That's when a thick smoke painted the sky gray. A fire coming precisely from Lied's house.

“...!” the teen dashed away.

“W-Wait!” Naomi hurried after him.

Meanwhile, a white hooded man peeked at them. A prelude of what was about to happen.

 

...

 

Lied shoved everyone that was in his way, his eyes focused on the smoke raging above his house. Sirens sounded all around him – the firefighters were on their way.

Naomi was left in the dust, the crowd increasingly bigger in front of the burning house.

Lied fled from the firemen’s arms, nobody could stop him. The lad slithered through the waves of fire and somehow managed to get inside. He encountered the remains of what was left of the entrance hall. A picture of 10-year-old Lied and his parents, which was taken during summer holidays, faded away in ashes.

Lied entered the living room, the doorway destroyed. And saw him…

Ahead, a gold-plated black cloaked figure in the middle of the dancing orange fire. It was a man in his early 30s, his face hidden by the thick smog.

Lied, panting, looked around the room, but he didn’t find his parents. Either they made it out alive... or were “completely wiped out”. He didn't want to think about that possibility. Lied shook his head and eyed him warily.

"Where? Where are they...? WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!"