1 Chapter 01: In the moonlight

Evelyn's POV:

"How are you two doing?" asked the vendor as I passed his fruit cart while roaming the bustling market with my brother Isis Evans. Well, we weren't roaming, to be exact, rather patrolling the assigned market area since it was our job as a knight of the Euphoria Empire. To be honest, it was all because of this honour and badge that everyone respected us and welcomed us wherever we go with open arms.

"We are all good. And what about you?" I turned around and replied.

"I'm also very well, all thanks to you," he said with a smile.

"But I have done nothing yet," I spoke while looking over the mouthwatering fruits.

"Just say if you want to eat some. I will buy it for you," my brother, Isis Evans, said with his hands crossed as if trying to show off.

"Ooh! Really?" my face turned bright. Well, I knew he was joking, but still, I tried my luck and took his offer to tease him later about his remark.

"Yeah! If you like..." he said and took a bag full of gold coins out of his pocket.

"Where did you get that much money?" I inquired with bulging eyes. God, I never expected this to happen. "Now this is what legend says that he who digs a pit for others falls in himself," I said under my breath, low enough to be heard by no one.

"Does it matter? Just pick the fruit you would like to eat...Or should I simply buy the whole carriage?" he said, casually showing his naïve side.

"My goodness! I never knew my brother was so rich."

"Are you going to pick it or else I take back my money?"

"No! No! No! I will buy... I will buy it right now," I frantically replied, as I wanted to quench my hunger.

Working all day had made my body tired and my stomach devoid of any content left to boost my energy. So, how could I reject such a tempting offer? I looked at him with puppy eyes, hoping for him to fall into my credulous innocence.

A burst of hysterical laughter broke out in the air. We looked at the nearby standing vendor, surprisingly.

"It's so good to see your bickering," he said with a laugh.

But in the next moment, a surge of intense energy ran throughout the entire area, leaving all of us stunned. The ground was shaking heavily. The people in the market started to get panic. We immediately tried to calm down the people. Soon after the earthquake, a flash of red light soared through the sky. It stole everyone's attention, which made it easy for us to handle the situation. I thanked God for saving everyone in such a critical situation. Then, everything went back to normal, and we went back to that vendor's shop.

"What's that?" the vendor asked, in a surprised tone.

"I don't know. I have never encountered this type of energy before. It's so powerful that it left my core in a quiver," Isis replied, clenching his chest.

"Yes, I can feel it too. Where did this energy come from? Who in the world is trying to bring another disaster to our empire?" the vendor inquired.

"No idea!" he replied and then let out a deep breath. "Taking into account the extent of this blast, it looks like its aftereffects are gonna be adverse. I have a very bad feeling about this. Still, it's just my assumptions. Nothing can be said for sure until investigations reveal the truth behind this incident."

"I don't care what happens. I just wish that it won't bring trouble for us people. We are already tired of bearing the threats and attacks of demons. We don't want anyone to escalate this situation anymore," the vendor voiced with a sigh.

"I hope your wish comes true," Isis said looking back at the fruits.

Then, the vendor packed the fruits in a bag and handed them over to me. "Take these with you. And stuff your bellies with them. Moreover, don't even think about the payment. Just consider it a reward for protecting us. It's all because of you, knights, that we folk can sleep at night peacefully," he said.

We couldn't help but accept the feelings behind that generous act. After that, we thanked the old man and moved on to the next area we were meant to patrol. We spent hours just strolling here and there until everyone packed their things and went back home. The lights of the market were gradually fading away, leaving behind the only moonlight to illuminate our path.

"My brother does love me to the point of offering all of his saved money just to buy me fruits," I said with a chuckle.

"You should not be concerned about these things. After all, you are a kid who doesn't even know how to tie her shoelaces," he said with a pat on my head.

"I am not a kid. You are just too old a man to say this to me," I said with a face flushed with light pink. As I turned my head up, my eyes suddenly caught sight of something unimaginable.

"Brother! Brother! Look over there!" I frantically said, while shaking him.

"W-What? W-Where?"

I pointed toward the seashore and exclaimed, "I guess someone is enjoying the sea breeze. Cool! Isn't it?"

He smacked my head and yelled, "Idiot! Who in their right mind would come here in the middle of the night just to enjoy the so-called cool breeze, on top of that, on the damp ground?"

Rubbing the sore head, I glared at him. "Why don't we check it out?" I said, refusing to give up.

"You truly are a troublemaker? Aren't you?"

"Hehehe...." I foolishly laughed and then we both walked towards the seashore.

As I reached there, the bag of fruits slipped through my grip. I couldn't believe what my eyes were showing me. A young boy, lying on the seaside, covered in terrible-looking gashes that blooded him everywhere, was fighting for breaths. The sound of sea waves, the blazing light of the moon glancing through the clouds and an injured body amidst it, made me tremble with fear.

"Buckle up! We're gonna save him. Just like we always do," said my brother while patting my back as if trying to lift my spirit.

"Yeah! We're gonna do this," I said, smaking my face.

Upon taking a closer look, I noticed many small tears on his body, along with a large gash that ran from the back of his hip to his mid-stomach. It was not deep, but indeed prone to infections. My brother tore his shirt into pieces and tried to wrap it around his wounds.

"We should immediately stop the bleeding, otherwise he might die from excessive blood loss," he yelled.

"Let me handle these wounds. You go and revive his breathing," I said while taking the shirt pieces from his hands.

As a knight, we were trained to do this. How to save the injured person by cardiopulmonary resuscitation was something that we practised again and again until our bodies gave out. As far as we protect people by slaying demons, we also save people by applying first aid. After all, it was the only thing we wished to do... I mean, protecting people by any means.

We tried our best to save the injured boy who, from the looks of his, was probably 14 or 15 years old.

"L-Let's... take him.... to Miss Ann. I guess..... she will be... available right now." said my brother, with his tired body and huffed breathing after he was done with CPR.

"Roger!" I replied.

Then we supported the injured boy on our shoulders and took him to Miss Ann's house.

"Hello! Miss Ann! I am Evelyn. We need your help urgently. Please! Open the door," I shouted my lungs out.

"Coming!" she said, and after a while, the door flew open.

Standing before us, was the well-known herbalist with her wavy light brown hair and emerald eyes, who up till now had saved countless lives with her skills and talent.

"Ooh! My goodness! Who is this boy? And How did he get this injured?" Miss Ann inquired.

"We don't know anything about this. We just found him wounded on the seashore and tried to give him first aid," Isis replied.

"Well done! You guys did a good job. Now, bring him inside and leave everything else to me. I assure you I will not let your efforts be in vain," Miss Ann spoke.

"That's why we came to you," my brother said.

Then we handed him over to Miss Ann and moved on to wash our blood-stained bodies.

"It sure was a hectic day," my brother said while drying his hair with a towel.

"Yeah!" I replied, flopping on the soft bed, in the room Miss Ann gave us.

"Who do you think that boy is?" I asked, curiously.

"Well, judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem like no more than an ordinary boy. Did you see his tattered, worn-out shirt? I don't think it belongs to a nobleman," he responded.

"Then, who would try to harm him to the point of death?" I raised another question.

"I don't know. It might be the case that he was a slave and got caught while escaping and when those people found him, they tried to shut him down by beating him to the point of death. I have seen cases like these," he replied.

"But his face doesn't look like a slave," I said.

"You don't know that beautiful people like him are often the prey of those slave traders," his eyes darkened as he let out those words.

"Then we should report this case to the headquarters since it involves such a hideous crime," I turned around, facing his back.

"I will, if my suspicion turns out to be true," I could barely hear his voice.

My eyes were giving up. My tired body forfeited. I could barely keep myself from falling asleep. Then, suddenly a warm, calloused hand patted my head.

"Sleep tight, my little sister! This brother of yours will keep all the nightmares away from you," a sweet, honey-like voice brushed my ears.

After that, I slept peacefully, not knowing that my life was going to change forever.