Chapter 7: Doubt
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Chapter 7: Doubt

A singular soul watched the world silently as it was devoured by darkness; no sign of life or hope prevailed. No sounds could be heard, no light could  be seen, and no emotions could be felt.

A realm that was once bountiful of nature and beauty had deteriorated, yet in this world of stillness, an existence emerged. The soul observed this being coming into existence inside this world that was devoid of anything and everything. From darkness to light, this single being brought with it the hope of life. Within the black canvas of the world, a single beam of light illuminated the universe. A single moment of hope relit the once distinguished flame of the universe.

The light consumed the world, melting away the darkness that once reigned supreme. At this very moment, the sky cracked! Pieces of the sky fell apart, revealing a brand-new view. The soul peered  into the broken sky and it saw… a ceiling. Suddenly, the planet fractured and the world shattered. The world ravaged by the darkness and salvaged by the light disappeared. All that was left was the ceiling.

A wave of exhaustion jolted the individual. Only then did their memory return, along with their emotions. They could feel their chapped, numb lips and their sore body as they tried to move. After a short struggle, they managed to get up and looked around. In their sight was a clean and neat room, but it was also empty. Besides the bed and a wooden chest, the room was barren. Its walls were made of Duskwood, giving it a brownish colour. The sole source of light inside the room was the window that allowed the sunlight to come in.

Suddenly, the room’s wooden door creaked open, revealing a figure behind it. A woman wearing a simple leather top and skirt walked into the room. She carried a wooden basin filled with water. Once she saw the person sitting up on the bed, her clear, pure, round eyes widened.

The woman that came in was Lydia. “Ah, Chief!” she exclaimed, dropping  the basin and spilling water all over the floor.

The individual on the bed was Polius. Everything he witnessed and experienced was a dream, a vision. He, himself, had no idea how long he had spent inside that dream. He had observed the world grow and prosper, then saw it faced absolute destruction, and finally, watched as it was saved by an unknown being.

Polius nodded at the woman. “Lydia,” he responded. However, his voice was coarse. He touched his lips and then he felt the cracked lines on it.

Lydia stared at Polius, “Ah!” She stared at the floor and looked at the now empty basin. “L-let me get you some water, Chief!” She left the room immediately, hiding her blushing face.

Polius stared at the open door absentmindedly. His mind was still in a haze as it tried to separate reality from the dream. Everything was still a blur as Polius attempted to leave the bed.

He put his feet upon the floor and tried to stand up from the bed, but his body was still numb. He fell as his knees gave in. He was on all four on the floor. A burst of heat flared out from within his chest.

He took a deep breath and exhaled it. Once again, he attempted to stand up. He pushed the floor with his palm to lift himself up.

It was at this moment that Lydia came in with a cup of water. Seeing Polius on the floor, she trembled. “Ah, Chief! L-let me help you.” She rushed to help him.

“Stop!” he commanded.

Lydia's body trembled once more, and she took a step backward.

“Aaargh!” Polius groaned as he pushed himself off the floor. He tried to keep his feet stable and he stood up albeit his body was still shaking. His body was weak, devoid of energy.

As Lydia witnessed this scene, she felt an indescribable sensation of hopelessness and pity, as if her heart was being stabbed by a knife. She wanted to help him, but he was her Chief and she was to obey his order. Her hands and feet were as if bound by shackles. She stood there waiting for his next words.

Polius was sweating profusely. His breathing became heavy as he tried to steady himself and not to fall over again. Out of nowhere, a gentle, refreshing breeze struck Polius and forced him back to his bed.

“What do you think you are doing, kiddo?” a raspy voice rang out from outside the room. Empedocles walked in through the door and stared at Polius with one brow up. He shook his head. “Kiddos these days, don’t know when they need their rest.” He waved his hand in one motion and another gust of wind blew. Suddenly, the water that was spilt on the floor disappeared without leaving a trace.

Polius sat on the bed as he blankly stared at his hands that were on his lap. Lydia stood on the side, unsure of what to say at that moment.

“Lydia, can you take care of this fool for a while longer?” Empedocles requested as he twisted his head and looked at her.

“A-ah, yes!” Lydia stuttered, slightly surprised by his words.

“I know. I originally had asked you and Medea to come here to take care of the child and not of this giant baby. However, as of right now, it seems like he needs your help.”

“Y-you don’t have to worry, it would be my honour to look after the Chief!” Lydia took a step forward.

Empedocles opened his mouth and was about to speak.

“Empo,” Polius interrupted him.

Empedocles turned his head and focussed on Polius who was sitting on the bed. “What is it, kiddo?”

“What…” Polius paused. “How many people have perished?”

Empedocles gazed at Polius without a change in his expression. He rubbed his beard. “Only thirteen have fully recovered thanks to Theo and the Acolytes.”

Polius’ face looked ashen as he fully comprehended what Empedocles had said. His hand gripped his white cotton pants. His teeth grinded against each other. “And the rest?” he asked.

Only then did Empedocles shut his eyes and sighed. “Nine didn’t last and eight were both fortunate and unfortunate.”

Polius raised his head and stared at Empedocles. “What do you mean?”

“It means, eight people survived but they were permanently paralyzed.”

After hearing what Empedocles said, Polius eyes were once again fixed at the floor. His once piercing green eyes had become murky and clouded.

“Theo tried his best and is still trying to find a cure, yet nothing has been successful.” Empedocles headed towards the door, deciding to leave. “Focus on getting better first before you do anything dumb.”

Polius weakly nodded.

“I heard from Kinon that you were worried about the food supply, you don’t have to worry now. We’ve gathered and stored the Zenon Bee corpses and they’ll last us for another month,” Empedocles added before he left.

Polius nodded again and maintained his silence. Lydia was standing near the door, still holding onto the cup of water she had brought for Polius. After a moment of hesitation, she walked towards him.

“Chief… please drink this,” she said. She held the cup of water towards him, wanting to hand it over.  

Polius remained unresponsive, his mind wandering somewhere else. Seeing his state, Lydia’s resolve strengthened.

She closed her eyes. “Chief!” she shouted.

Her words were effective. Polius finally looked up and gazed at her. It was a first for Lydia, to be so close to the Chief. Plus, he wasn’t his normal self. His prestige was absent, his spirit had dwindled, and his visage was pitiful. Lydia swallowed her saliva.

“Please drink this, Chief.” She handed the cup over to Polius.

Polius softly nodded, accepting the cup and stared at it in his hand. He sighed and then in one gulp,  drank the water, emptying the cup. Lydia smiled and breathed out in relief.

“Ah, Chief. Let me go to the storehouse and gather something to cook for you.” Lydia turned around and walked towards the door.

“Lydia…” Polius said.

Lydia halted and stood still at where she was. She didn’t turn around and waited for Polius’ words.

“Thank you…”

Lydia’s heart fluttered. “It’s my honour to serve you, Chief.” She left the room in a haste.

After Lydia left, Polius twisted his head and stared at the window. He heard the noise of children running around and  villagers chatting. They had a calming effect on him. They reminded him of his responsibility. His role was to preserve the peacefulness of the village so that the villagers could maintain their daily life.

The cloudiness in his eyes started to disperse as they regained their focus and clarity. Despite still being devoid of energy, it was as if his body had regained its vitality. However, rather than trying to stand up, he lay down on his bed and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, there were two mysterious figures observing Igysil and its villager from afar. They remained still and quiet as if they weren’t there in the first place. These two had been watching  Igysil for a few days now without anyone being aware.

Back at Polius’ house, a few hours had already passed and Polius woke up from his nap. Through his sleep, he regained some energy although it was meagre. He attempted to stand up again, his hands pushing against the bed to lift himself up. He then pressed against the wall to steady himself. He finally succeeded and walked towards the door slowly.

Once Polius left the room, an appetite-inducing aroma hit him. It was a sweet smell mixed with the scent of roasted meat. He followed the smell and walked towards the entrance of his house where the kitchen was placed. There he saw Lydia, placing clay plates onto the table. On the plates, there was a variety of food, ranging from a plate of lettuce to a clay pot of soup.

After spotting Lydia, Polius’ eyes fell on a single plate. It contained grilled minced meat. The meat exuded a honey-like scent which was sweet and enticing. Despite the meat being minced up, Polius was aware of the source of the meat. It was Zenon Bee’s meat.

Zenon Bees, in a whole, didn’t contain a lot of meat since their lower area weren’t edible due to the poison they carry. However, its middle section and head were completely edible and nutritious. Rune Beasts, in general, were nutritious due to their properties and powers. While it wouldn’t change a person’s physique, Zenon Bee’s meat could supply a villager one whole day worth of energy.

“Chief! You’ve woken up!” Lydia smiled as she gazed at Polius. “Please take a seat, Chief. I’m almost done laying the table.”

Polius didn’t say anything and walked toward the table full of food. He pulled out a chair and sat down. Immediately, he was assaulted by the aroma of food and his stomach growled. Lydia giggled, hearing the growling sound. After a moment, she finished plating up all the food. It was an amazing sight that would get anyone hungry. Lydia didn’t sit at the table, but rather she looked at Polius.

“Please enjoy your meal, Chief. I’ll take my leave now.” She walked towards the door. She felt satisfied with what she had done. She smiled and two dimples appeared on her cheeks.

However, Polius couldn’t see Lydia’s smile since her back was towards him. “Thank you, Lydia.”

Lydia giggled softly in response and went out, leaving Polius alone at the table. He had considered asking her to stay but, in the end, he let her leave.

Polius stared at the food on the table. He had set his first target, the minced charred meat made of Zenon Bees. Using his wooden fork, he picked up a piece of the meat and ate it. He felt the warmth of the meat spreading inside his mouth. As he chewed the meat, its flavour exploded, along with the meat’s juice. It was an indescribable taste. It was sweet like honey, yet there was a nutty flavour to it.

The warmth from the meat spread throughout his body. As he continued to eat the Zenon Bee’s meat, he felt his energy returning to him. He took a sip of the soup using his spoon and it calmed down the burst of warmth inside of him, relaxing his body as a result. He ate slowly in silence but his pacing quickened as the time passed. Soon, he had completely devoured every single piece  of food on the table.  

Polius’ hunger was finally quenched, not to mention that his fatigue had disappeared. He left the table and walked towards the entrance. A scene where villagers chattered  and gossiped, while carrying on with their daily task greeted him. As Polius came out of his house, the villagers in the vicinity spotted him and proceeded to walked toward him to enquire about his condition.

They weren’t surprised because news of his awakening had spread once Lydia went to the storehouse to gather ingredients for cooking. Polius nodded towards them and immediately went back inside his house. The villagers were surprised by their Chief’s action because normally he would be friendly and converse with them. However, there was nothing that they could do about it. Hence, they all dispersed back to where they came.

Despite Polius regaining his energy, his mind was still in a mess. He had only recovered physically, but his mind was still devastated. There were many questions that plagued him and those questions just led to more questions. For once in his life, he started to doubt whether he could lead his people, whether he was worthy of the title, Village Chief.

Thank you, TwilightForest for proofreading the story!


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