13 Gleaming thing

Lightless day +16

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How could I say I'd had enough of all these threats?

Go there... Come here... Pass-by our realm as well!

I was fed up, and no one seemed to understand me.

But what am I doing here?

"This is insane!" I grumbled and tried to stand up when I noticed an index finger above me signaling that I couldn't move.

"Kronprinz. No. You won't be able to do what you desire."

"Do you think you can do it? How? And who are you, exactly?"

Above my front was a shimmering object.

It was surrounded by a light, milky turquoise glow, and the mesmerizing, cyclical rotation reminded me of a pendulum.

I swept my attention over the area, not to enjoy or explore, but to spot any potential threats.

The voice said, "You have been punished by the gods. Condemned to the most incredibly fortunate existence imaginable for a human being. With the added disadvantage of being unable to realize how enjoyable it is. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

I say, "I want my former life. I'd like to return to an activity that I used to like. Driving about, going to school, winning basketball titles, conversing with shadows..."

"While we're on the subject! You are here as a result of your self-centered deeds. Your only option is to win back our trust and have us evaluate your case."

That's something I do from time to time as well. Being self-centered. I was indoctrinated from a young age to crave rather than be content with what I have. That's what drove me to behave in such a selfish manner toward others. Nonetheless, I had begun to change for a while.

Despite the mist surrounding me, the feeling that I wasn't here for the first time resurfaced. My senses went into overdrive. I could see where the threat was coming from as I scanned the mist. However, the unexplainable tension persisted.

The winged monsters had assaulted me here in this swampy location. My attention was drawn to shapes moving in groups in the distance. One of them, the tallest, shivered me as it stood high above the fog. Another fight would have meant certain death in such a muddy environment.

A safe haven light glowed in the distance. I felt drawn to it and understand more about it straight away for some reason I couldn't explain to myself. A rash decision. When it wasn't necessary, no rational individual would desire to expose themselves.

"If you want to locate your shadow, focus on your duty," the voice stated once more. "It will determine your future and the future of the Duchy of Emerveille. Do you want to throw away your mother's legacy? Do you want to let her down?"

A target. I was a target who got away and was in danger until I regained my shadow and, with it, my abilities.

"Will I be able to reclaim my shadow if I finish this dreadful mission?" As I studied the skyline and the group nearing my spot, I wondered aloud.

The horde of threatening figures knew every trick in the book.

"Although certain protections left by the powers of your ancestors keep you hidden, Kronprinz, no protection is foolproof. You must act accordingly as the person in charge of the defense of your Duchy and the well-being of your subjects. Kronpriz, this is your solemn responsibility. Do you want to make your mother angry?"

I shook my head deliberately, attempting to divert my attention away from the light thrown by the object above me.

But my eyes quickly betrayed me, and I returned my attention to the thing. What's the point of keeping that thing above me? What story was this so-called hypnotist trying to persuade me to believe?

Was my life in the mortal world truly so dull that I ruined it?

My sight wandered from the light signal of the object... to the hand that held it... to the light signal of the object.

Damn it, I'm not that weak... to risk losing my mother's trust... at the same time, she never told me anything about the Duchy of Emerveille, much less her heritage; no one, undoubtedly, loved this land more than she did.

I swore when the light flickered and a stray beam entered the iris of my right eye.

What if, in the end, I was able to satiate my curiosity?

"I'm not sure how many individuals have wrapped themselves in spells over the years in the hopes of warding off the threat posed by the Duchy of Ombreville. But you, Kronprinz, have a special capacity to defeat their spells."

"Do I? Now I'm a wizard. I had no idea that I had developed this skill throughout my long nights of agony..."

"But you have such a nasty temper! I'll have to punish you if you keep doing this!"

"What? What additional punishment do you have planned for me? By putting my body in a coma and transmitting my awareness to this realm and my shadow to.... What happened to my shadow?"

"You are solely responsible for your current predicament! It has nothing to do with me at all. But I swear, if you keep doing this, I will punish you! I still grant you the ability to employ the powers you got from your mother in my magnanimous science. But only if you use them wisely in the future! You'll have to find your shadow, and in order to do so, you'll have to pass various exams. As a result, your trials will begin right now."

"Am I really anyone's plaything... what god?" I screamed and abruptly stood up.

I was alone in the midst of a swarm of winged monsters that had gone dangerously near to rolling over me. I stared up into the dark sky, unsure of which way to walk or where to hide.

In the purple sky, there were two moons. One pink is ascending, while the other is dropping in a milky turquoise. They appeared to be looking in a large mirror at each other.

The illuminated dwellings dotted the fields that extended to the horizon like golden nuggets.

Who was I, exactly? Is it true that I am the heir? Was my mother a native of this land?