Emilio's POV
A month had passed since the brutal assault on the village of Saalnia.
A young boy of 15 years of age walked alone, the two suns above shining on his blond hair and green eyes. He trudged on, growing weary with each step. Sweat coated his body, his legs ached, and the pangs of hunger and thirst gnawed at him, yet he persisted without stopping.
Where was he going? Nowhere. He has no home anymore, nor anywhere to go, and yet he kept going with no destination in mind.
Whenever he paused to rest, the haunting images of the dark day he returned to his home, his village, after running a simple errand, come to mind. His village was mostly destroyed. Most people he knew and loved, including his parents, died. They were killed by a group of bandits.
And if that wasn't horrible enough, he learned his younger sister is a witch, and that she was taken to the capital, Arixalum, to be executed. He still remember how the villagers looked at him, as if he was a witch as well. He felt hurt, but he did share blood with his sister, so he couldn't blame them for being disgusted by him. He supposed there was a chance he could be a witch himself.
Emilio couldn't fathom why he hadn't embraced the release of death. Perhaps a masochistic desire to endure the pain his parents suffered before their demise or an innate fear of the unknown kept him going. He couldn't pinpoint the reason.
It would be so much easier to just die and join Dad, Mom, and Emily on the other side...
And yet he kept going as he took another set of steps on grass.
Emilio was certain his sister, Emily, had met her end.
His parents were no more.
And he could tell the villagers wanted nothing with him, as after all, he may or may not be a witch himself.
Though the worst part of it all is that he couldn't say goodbye to any of his loved ones. They were just taken from him suddenly and without warning.
Why am I even still trying to keep going? What for? For who? For who am I still alive?
Abruptly, Emilio collapsed onto the grass, his stomach against the ground. Exhaustion claimed him, rendering him unable to rise. He lay there, resigned to his fate.
I'm going to die here, aren't I?
Emilio once had hopes and dreams, he really wanted to become a knight, travel around the world, and experience all kind of things not found in his small village, but now? He was ready to let all of that go die there, alone, with no one to find his body.
He closed his eyes, shortly after he was out of it.
"Hey! Young man! Can you hear me?!" A commanding voice cut through the haze surrounding Emilio. It belonged to a man, and Emilio could sense the urgency in his tone. The next thing he felt was being turned onto his back and shaken.
A sudden splash of water hit Emilio's face, jolting him into a stark awareness.
Who...? Wait, I'm still alive?
Slowly, he pried his eyes open, greeted by the sight of two individuals. An elderly man with distinguished gray hair stood before him, the one responsible for shaking him awake. Slightly behind him, there was a woman in her mid 20s, her presence exuding an air Emilio has never felt before.
"He opened his eyes, Harold." the woman informed in a calm voice, pointing towards Emilio.
"That he did, milady!" Harold, the elderly man, responded with evident relief. "Hey, are you okay?" he inquired, genuine concern etched on his face.
"....N-No, no I'm not. Let me go.." Emilio uttered in a low voice, attempting to push Harold away, though his strength waned.
Who are these two? How did they find me?
It was then Emilio noticed the elegant carriage nearby. It must belong to these two, he surmised.
"Let you go? I'm afraid I can't do that, not in your state," Harold spoke with kindness, dismissing Emilio's plea.
"Ju-just let me die here....." Emilio spoke somehow, sounding as exhausted as he looked.
Harold exchanged a concerned glance with the lady behind him.
"Lady Celestia, what should we do?" He sought guidance.
Celestia took few steps closer to Harold and Emilio. He now could see her better, and he found her beautiful.
Lady Celestia stood with an air of refined grace. Her attire spoke of noble lineage, adorned with tasteful embellishments that accentuated her elegance. The fabric of her gown, a rich sapphire blue, cascaded in gentle folds that added to the sense of royalty she exuded. A delicate silver necklace adorned her neck.
Her hair, a lustrous cascade, fell in gentle waves around her shoulders. A shade of chestnut brown, it complemented her fair complexion, while eyes were a captivating hue of hazel.
If Emilio had the strength, a sardonic laugh might have escaped his lips. In the throes of impending death, his mind seemed to find the capacity to appreciate the beauty of the woman before him.
"You want to die? Why? You're too young to be throwing away your life like this." she spoke, her tone carrying a weight of seriousness that demanded attention.
"I...My parents and village were....attacked, and..." Emilio tried to explain, he wasn't sure why he was trying to explain to this woman his reasons, he just felt like he needed too.
"Here, drink this. Drink some water." Harold intervened, offering a leather flask filled with water. Initially resistant, Emilio eventually yielded and took a sip while Celestia observed him intently, her thoughts concealed behind an enigmatic gaze.
"Your loved ones died? Is that why you want to die now as well?" Celestia inquired, her question more rhetorical than seeking a genuine response. "Think of your parents. Do you think they want their son to die here? Like this? I'm sure they didn't raise you to be this type of man. No parents in the Kingdom of Arixad would raise their son to be a coward like this." Though her words bore a harsh edge, Emilio sensed a touch of compassion in her eyes.
Emilio stayed silent, he wasn't sure what to say. She was right, he was sure both his parents and Emily would want him to live, if not for him, then for them, and yet knowing this did not make it easier.
"I... I don't have anything anymore. No one to be with, and nowhere to go." Emilio confessed, his voice quivering as he stared at the grass, avoiding direct eye contact.
"So you simply give up if you have nothing anymore? Are you that type of person?" Celestia's words sliced through the air, her tone unyielding.
"M-Milady, please go easy on the boy." Harold implored, sensing Emilio's fragile state.
"Oh, but I am going easy on him. Hey, boy, what's your name?" Celestia asked.
"My name is...Emilio." He introduced himself, for some reason feeling hesitant to tell her his name.
"Celestia Sterling. And this here is Harold, he served me and my family for as long as I remember." She replied
"We sure weren't expecting to run into a boy lying in the middle of the road on our way back from the capital! It sure gave this old man a shock!" Harold added with concern, eyeing Emilio.
The capital, huh? So they were in the capital, that's where Emily....
Emilio's thoughts were getting clouded in dark thoughts again, but Celestia's voice snapped him out of it.
"Emilio, if you have nothing more, as you say, if you need a purpose to keep going, then I'll give you one. Come with me to Farnworth to the south, where my home is, and work for me as a servant." she said, her tone serious, shocking both Emilio and Harold.
"M-Milady, what are you saying?! We can't just do that!" Harold protested, taken aback.
"Why not? It's much better than him throwing away his life. I'm doing his parents a favor. And if he ever decides he wants to do something else and stop working for me, he can. I won't force him to stay. So, what do you say, Emilio?" Celestia's gaze rested on him, and he felt a mixture of shock and uncertainty.
Go work for her? As her servant? In Farnworth?
"What do you say? Or do you have another path in life you'd rather take that doesn't end up with you throwing away your life? I'll pay you and give you a place to stay. Frankly, I doubt you have a better option than this, Emilio." Celestia continued, sounding convincing.
"W-Why? You don't even know me, and yet you are inviting me to your home?" Emilio asked, baffled by her actions.
"No, no I don't. I doubt you are dangerous though, and even if you were by some chance, you don't scare me. What kind of woman would I be if I let a little boy like you scare me?" Celestia declared.
What should I do? Should I go with her? I don't really have a reason too, but I also don't have a reason not too. Not like I have anything left to lose anymore.
After a minute of silence, Emilio finally spoke.
"A-Alright, I'll go with you. I'll go with you to Farnworth"
And that was the day Emilio entered Celestia's world. Was she a savior who entered his life, or a nightmare he would regret? He didn't know, but he was certain of one thing: She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
