C̴a̷l̷i̸g̸i̵n̶o̵u̸s̵ ̴S̷k̸y̴

Content Warning:

The following chapter contains material that may be controversial, disturbing, or traumatizing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

I just want to warn you guys that this chapter might be a little different from the previous ones as it will contain some mild depictions of... Well, you're going to find out anyway so please keep reading until the end.

If you don't mind that kind of content, feel free to disregard this warning and just keep on reading. I might break some of the rules since I'm writing this novel for a contest.

- CyrisIsUplifted

* * *

"̷Y̸o̷u̵ ̷s̶e̷e̷m̴ ̴t̴o̷ ̶b̵e̵ ̵i̸n̴ ̷d̵i̷s̶t̸r̶e̵s̴s̴.̷.̶.̵ ̴A̶r̴e̷ ̴y̷o̶u̴ ̵s̵u̵r̶e̸ ̶y̴o̴u̴'̶r̷e̵ ̶g̴o̴i̵n̷g̴ ̷t̸o̶ ̶l̷e̵t̷ ̵i̴t̷ ̴e̴n̴d̷ ̴l̷i̵k̴e̸ ̸t̸h̸a̵t̸?̸"̶

"Huh? Who's there?"

The whole space was bleak. Neverending darkness awaited him. What was once a beautiful painting turned into a desolate ruin consumed by the abyss. There was no light. It was empty. Just like his whole life.

"̵D̸o̵n̸'̷t̵ ̶y̷o̵u̴ ̶w̸a̴n̴t̷ ̸t̸o̶ ̴k̴i̸l̸l̸ ̶t̵h̷a̵t̶ ̸p̸e̷r̴s̶o̵n̸?̶"̸

"Kill? What are you talking about? Who are you?!" Rin shouted, his voice echoing in layers as if he was inside a record that repeats his sound.

"̵D̸o̶n̷'̶t̶ ̵y̴o̵u̷ ̷w̵a̸n̷t̸ ̴t̵h̸e̵ ̵s̵t̵r̴e̴n̶g̴t̵h̸ ̵t̴o̸ ̵p̸r̵o̸t̴e̴c̸t̵ ̴t̵h̷o̸s̸e̴ ̸y̵o̸u̶ ̴l̶o̷v̷e̵d̴?̸"̵

"Protect who I love..."

"̷Y̴e̸s̴,̸ ̷w̸o̷u̷l̴d̸n̴'̴t̵ ̷y̸o̵u̵ ̷l̶i̴k̷e̵ ̷t̷h̶a̸t̵?̷ ̸W̸i̵t̴h̴ ̴a̴ ̷t̶r̵e̴m̵e̷n̸d̶o̷u̶s̸ ̷s̴t̷r̷e̸n̶g̴t̸h̸,̸ ̸y̶o̴u̴ ̷c̶a̴n̵ ̴k̵i̸l̸l̶ ̵t̸h̵o̷s̵e̵ ̴n̷o̸b̸l̴e̵s̴ ̴h̴o̷w̸e̶v̷e̶r̶ ̴y̷o̶u̷ ̴w̶a̷n̷t̷ ̵a̵n̷d̷ ̴y̷o̵u̵ ̶c̵a̷n̵ ̷p̷r̷o̴t̵e̷c̴t̴ ̶t̶h̶i̸s̷ ̸l̷a̶n̸d̴.̷.̶.̴"̷

Naturally, if Rin does have the strength to kill the Eliads, there would be a major change in plans and an uprising might start. But if he had to list down the possibilities and the pros and cons of such a diabolical plan, he'd assumed that the merit wouldn't have that much difference. Why? Because the more he plans to resist, the more obstacles he will have to face.

It is going to be a consistent stalemate between the two sides. That unless he...

"̷D̴o̴n̴'̶t̸ ̴y̶o̶u̸ ̴w̸a̶n̴t̶ ̶t̶o̵ ̸c̸o̷n̶q̶u̴e̸r̷ ̵t̶h̷e̸ ̸w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶?̷"̸

"Conquer the world..."

"̶Y̴e̵s̴.̵ ̷I̸f̶ ̵y̵o̸u̶ ̸d̷o̶ ̵t̶h̷a̶t̸,̵ ̴y̵o̷u̷r̵ ̴w̷h̶o̴l̴e̴ ̸r̴a̷c̶e̵ ̶w̷i̶l̶l̶ ̸b̶e̸ ̵f̶r̵e̶e̸,̸ ̵r̵i̴g̴h̵t̷?̸"̸

Freedom. It is something that Rin wished for from the bottom of his heart. Stop the oppression, free the Damniants, give them rights, and make them feel like they're part of humanity. Make them feel that they're not some kind of cursed and detestable subjects that the Eliads use for their pleasure. They're not toys, they're not tools. They're just... like what everyone is. A human.

Every time an infant is born into this malicious and hellish world, they are already subjected to slavery—or a hard life that is full of despicable acts.

So, isn't freedom a really good thing? If he did conquer the world, there would be no one to stop him.

"̶̨̱̾̚I̷͚̓̂t̴̪̫̂'̵̦͝s̶̙͐̓ ̸̨̺̊͂t̴̪̦͆h̶͓́e̵͎͖͝ ̴̦̎f̷͉͕͑̎i̵̪͑̅x̸̞̲̊̄e̷̱͠ď̶̚͜ ̵̡̓f̵͈͆a̵͍͔̿͘t̸̯͎̀̊e̵̠̍ ̸̦̞͌̋o̵̼͌f̶̟̑̚ ̷̣̅̎ẗ̵͍̻́h̴̼͝ḯ̷̖̬̔s̵̭͠ ̸̣̠̎ẁ̴̲̕o̵͉̜̍r̶̻̣̈l̴̻̔̊d̶̺̂.̷̣̺͆̚.̸̪̀́.̴̥̀̕ͅ"̷̞̩̀̄

A massive hand warped in pure eerieness extended from the shadows—an empty piece of darkness, glitching from the dismal space.

Rin stared in a daze. What is happening in this imaginary world? And where is he anyway?

As the hand grew larger, a blinding light suddenly erupted causing him to cover his eyes.

The world is now a sea full of roots that are intertwined with each other. Countless hubs of infernal links bond, each having its specific origin but it couldn't be discerned. Rin thought that this imaginary space is just a by-product of his imagination and emotions. It was different from the dream that he always has and yet the voice that was talking to him sounded familiar.

A cosmic world, it felt so surreal that his eyes were darting around. There were a lot of symbols etched on the grassy field. It is like a domain bombarded with roots with so many layers that you could get lost the moment you step in.

"Rin..."

"—!" He stopped. A faint voice can be heard in the distance.

"Rin..."

"Eina...?"

"Rin..."

"Eina, where are you?!" Rin looked around, searching for where the voice came from.

"Rin..." He followed the direction on the opposite side of where he was facing. But then...

"̷A̸r̷e̵ ̷y̴o̸u̸ ̷s̷u̶r̴e̶ ̸y̷o̵u̵ ̸w̷a̴n̵t̴ ̸t̵o̴ ̷t̵u̵r̸n̴ ̸b̴a̴c̴k̶?̵"̷ The creepy voice asked.

"I don't know who you are but I'm out of this scary place... Don't bother me anymore." With his willpower, Rin broke through the dark barrier and shattered the imaginary space with brute force. He followed where Eina's voice was coming from and before he knew it, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

He swam quickly, not even turning once. And upon reaching the end, his figure instantly vanished—

"̴Y̵o̶u̵r̶ ̷A̶w̵a̷k̷e̶n̶i̷n̸g̷ ̴i̷s̵ ̷n̸e̵a̶r̵.̷.̶.̷"̷

* * *

"—!"

"Rin! Rin!"

Rin opened his eyes. What greeted him wasn't the familiar ceiling from his home but an upgrade of it. Several chandeliers were hanging on it. But the most noticeable object among the grand luxuries was Eina's beautiful appearance in front of him.

"Eina—"

"Rin!" Eina leaped into him, giving him a sudden embrace. He didn't even have any second to breathe.

"E-Eh?"

"I'm so glad you're okay... I've been casting regeneration magic for a long time now. You look like you're about to die..." Tears were coming down from her eyes as she explained the situation. Rin could see Bella nodding behind her.

"Me? I'm dying...?" He asked.

"Yes. When you were brought here, black smoke suddenly appeared on your body and you were in pain for a very long time. We thought it might be something to do with your Mana capacity but it seems like it was something else..." Bella answered as she gave him some water. "Milady has been trying to regenerate you with her magic."

Rin frowned for a moment. Risking so much Mana just to heal a broken boy like him, it's just too much.

"Miss Eina..." Rin stroked her head as she dug it into his chest.

"Rin, please don't over-exhaust yourself anymore, got it?" Eina gave him a sharp look as though she was angry... in a cute way.

"Yes... I'm sorry." He nodded but then— "Oh, that's right! Where's my mother?!"

His sudden question startled both Eina and Bella and they turned to each other. How are they going to answer Rin's question in a good way that wouldn't hurt his feeling? She realized that she would have to face this as soon as he is conscious again but she wasn't ready at all.

"My Mother is safe, right? That idiotic noble didn't take her... right?" Rin was hoping, from the bottom of his heart, that she would be fine. He saved her—no, it's more like he prevented something bad from happening because of his sudden spike in power. And it's reassuring that Eina is here as well because she will be able to help them with her authority. However...

"Rin, I want you to listen to me carefully..." Eina gripped his hand tightly.

"Huh?"

Your Mother... After you lost consciousness, she begged the Marquis not to kill you and went on to accompany him." Eina chose her words carefully. She was afraid of saying it all but a straightforward and honest answer would be far greater than luring Rin with fake details. She was concerned about his feelings but right now, she understands that Rin doesn't care about himself. He would show more concern for his Mother rather than his safety.

"She... She went with that bad Eliad...?" He couldn't believe it. Why? Why would she choose to go on with a man like that? "It's not real, right? She didn't get arrested..."

"The Marquis revoked her arrest and your execution because she made a declaration that she would go with him... I, I think it is the only way to save you..." Eina felt like her heart was about to burst as she struggled to say the words.

"..."

"It's been a day... I don't know what kind of punishment she received but it's all over now. You can find her at the entrance. Do you want us to take you there..?" Bella asked.

"Yes... Please do." Rin nodded.

Rin doesn't know what lies ahead of this track. But he knew that he won't be able to take it. The Eliads wouldn't be that kind like Eina after all. He figured that her mother is currently suffering right now and that he can't do anything about it.

"Bella, please tell them to prepare our carriage..." Eina ordered.

"You're going too, Milady?"

"Of course, I can't just leave the two of them alone. Bring some of our guards as well in case that man confronts us."

"Understood..."

* * *

The sky was, yet again, bleak. Neverending gloominess awaited him. What was once a solemn haven turned into a desolate ruin consumed by the caliginous shadow. There was no light. It was empty. Just like his whole life.

No, that wouldn't be right. His life wasn't empty. He had them. His Mother, Eina, Bell, the other children, and Mr. Zubayr took care and gave him a job. These are the light of his life. It was never empty from the start. He was clinging to these people as they are the pillars of light that guided him to survive.

Although he realized this, he couldn't tell what was eating him from inside. Is it because of his dark expectations? Does it hurt to expect that there will be nothing wrong when he meets her again? Such thoughts crossed his mind and now he's fixated on it.

"Are you okay...?" Eina grabbed his hand. The Rin that she was seeing right now was very different from the Rin that accompanied her for the past month. Isn't it interesting how people change quickly just because of a major development?

Eina was already aware from the start that Rin wasn't generally happy with his life. She already assumed that his mother was the only happiness that was keeping him alive. And for someone to take that happiness away from him... is just like taking his will to live. She knew that and yet she let her go...

Upon arriving at the entrance of Fier, all of them went out of the carriage with Rin in the front.

"Tsk! Hey, they're here. Throw that scum out..." One of the guards included in Briants' security ordered the two to bring Auelina out.

"Mother!" Rin wasted no time and rushed in. Eina and Bella also followed him to the gate accompanied by their guards.

"Here you go!" The guard tossed her out like trash. Rin managed to catch her before hitting the ground but he could feel her weight shifting on him drastically. It was like she couldn't move her body. She felt lifeless and dreary.

"Heh! She was a great toy. All of us had a good time..." The guard sneered.

What does he mean by that?

"Also, Lord Briant said that he doesn't need the gem anymore because it's fake so you can keep this crap..." After that, he threw the pendant that both he and Auelina tried to protect. It slid into the cement and Rin grabbed it.

It didn't seem to be broken but he could see a little bit of crack from the side near the foundation and the chains were rusty.

"Your insolence knows no bounds. Is that how you treat a person?" Eina's sharp voice pierced through them.

"Hmph! What's so bad about treating Damniants like that?" He asked. "They don't deserve respect."

"Mind your tone you little bastard, you're speaking with the eldest daughter of the Bluesy House..." Bella asserted her dominance. This kind of interaction wasn't that uncommon but they mostly forget that Eina is noble.

"Hey, let's get out of here..." As though they realized what they have just done, the guards left the entrance in a rush and immediately closed the gate.

Eina and Bella turned to help Rin and his mother. They expected that this kind of reunion would soothe Rin's worries since she's still alive, however...

"Mother..." Auelina faced Rin, her eyes were wretched and there was no light left in them. Dry tears were evident, she must have been crying for so long. Even now, she couldn't help but weep in front of him.

"I... I'm sorry... Rin... I'm sorry..." She fumbled to keep herself up as she snuggled into him. Rin could feel the intense pressure of his Mother's grip on his arms and chest.

It wasn't that hard to notice it. The wickedness, the most devilish action a person can do to another person...

"Milady, this is...!" Bella could only gasp in distress as she covered her mouth.

"Two instances of rape... No, they've done more than that... How despicable..." As Eina revealed the disgusting work based on her observation, her Mana instantly popped out. An invisible pressure pulsated around the field. There's no need to sugarcoat it, what they've done is beyond punishable.

Wounds and strange marks can be found on Auelina's wrists, shoulders, legs, and in her neck. Her upper dress was shredded apart and there was a large rip on her long skirt.

Bruises were also apparent on some of her body parts, especially near her lips. Her hair was disheveled and it looked like it has been pulled painfully.

"..." Auelina continued to cry but Rin was not responding. He wanted to embrace her but he couldn't move his body for some reason. It's like his world became... even more, emptier...

"The Marquis must've committed it first, then got tired and threw her outside with those guards—"

"That's enough, Bella..."

"... I apologize."

This is how low humans can be when they are showered by power. When they feel like they could do anything whatever they want, the actions that they will employ are often associated with the seven deadly sins or also known as the cardinal sins. Lust is part of it.

When people crave venereal acts, their mind is often closed off to the point that it mostly leads to offensive attempts just to appease them. Naturally, it does not mean that sexual desires are generally bad. There is only a limit to it. Any more than that will fall under serious crimes.

For example, when you're in a relationship with someone, you'll gradually get that desire to procreate (only activates when you want to become a parent or when you're married). Or just relieve some of your stress (Just want to chill, snuggle, relax, and have a healthy sexual life). And as lovers, it's normal. If the other gave you consent then it's fine as long as you know how to limit yourself and vice versa.

Some even use their body for work. There are lots of that kinds of places even in the real world.

But what if the said partner does not want to and yet you're forcing them? What if they don't know you?

Now that's a different story...

"Rin, we should probably head back... I feel like it's going to rain..." Eina touched Rin's shoulder which woke him up.

The sky was becoming darker than usual and the temperature was decreasing. They could hear a subtle rumbling—lightning was visible across the layer of clouds.

"Mhmm..." He nodded silently. No words were coming out of his mouth. And although he wanted to get out of this place, he can't move.

He kept his grip on his Mother. Just like hers, the light in his eyes was nowhere to be found.

"Bella..."

"Understood." Sensing the mood, Eina signaled her maid to help Auelina stand.

Rin kept his gaze on the ground as he got separated from her. Bella could feel the darkness welling up inside him. She remembered what Eina's father told her when they first met:

"The Damniants didn't do anything to you... Why do you loathe them?"

Does she hate them because the world told her to hate them? Or is it because they've done something wrong to her?

Bella clung to the former, which is the most impractical.

But now that she experienced the Damniant's suffering in front of her own eyes, she could no longer dare to hate them.

This sight of Rin, comprehending what happened in the pure void is nothing compared to the bad experience she had growing up, it's not even close to it.

Realizing that made her grit her teeth.

"Rin..." Eina knelt, it didn't matter whether her dress is stained or not. She wanted to bring Rin back to normal.

After a couple of minutes, Rin and Auelina were finally brought back to the mansion that House Bluesy owned.

* * *

"Cardinal!" Inside the church of Yddra, the followers were getting ready for what was coming.

"What is it?"

"This is bad! There's a sighting of monsters hoarding near the town of Fier!" Everyone dropped their jaw when they heard his report.

"What?! That's not the location that we predicted! Your Holiness this is..." The Cardinal turned to the highest-ranking priest.

"There's no doubt about it. We must ascertain that the Calamity Invoker won't enter our lines... Call everyone including the guild's offensive department. Have them prepare for extermination..."

"Right away!"

"Who would have thought that the calamity would start right from its origins..."

"Does that mean that there's someone out there calling it...?" Cardinal Rawkin asked.

"I wouldn't say calling it... but I guess it would make sense since that place is full of atrocities. If the scriptures are accurate, we will be able to see the birth of that Devil of the Abyss."

* * *

Meanwhile, Rin left the mansion to go for a walk. It's not like the weather was good for refreshment, he just wanted to be alone for a moment.

He noticed the caliginous sky covering the whole town. Birds were flying away from something and a looming sound that seems to plant an eerie composition was resonating in the area.

"Is there a storm coming by?" He asked.

The Town of Fier is located in the southernmost region of the Kingdom where the sun is always rising so storms are pretty uncommon. But this storm is different from the usual that they had experienced.

Rin tried to look around but there was no sign of people coming by. There was no one around. Not even the vendors who are usually hanging in the district despite the weather. This unnerving phenomenon inflicted goosebumps.

What is happening? Where is everybody?

When he arrived at the center of the shop district, Rin felt an immense emotion of dread.

His body locked, and dread washed over him.

—!

There was a loud crackling sound, and when he turned around...

"MROOOOOOOOOOO...!!!!!"