1 New year, New life: The start of a new beginning

At the end of a cold and listless New Year's Eve, midnight fast approached the City of Tyche in a blanket of velvet black and countless smattered stars.

Tap Tap . . . Click . . .

That night, there was the constant, subtle tapping sound that bounced off the white-painted walls of a small restricted room. Inside, the office was bleak and minuscule. Four cubicles shared an empty common area, and there was one enormous window, vertical and extensive. If you leaned your way back in the chair and cranked your neck hard over, a picturesque glimpse of the clear, midnight sky from outside the glass pane could be viewed, sparkling with little specks of starlight.

"I'm sick of it all," a faint feminine voice mumbled. It was a beautiful young woman, her face as pale as paper and skin as smooth as porcelain. On top of a worn-out black keyboard, her fingers shuffled in an unhurried manner.

"So... Sleepy..." The young woman muttered. After seating at that same padded chair for the past 10 hours now, she could no longer feel her buttocks, and her neck was feeling stiff as well as her eyes were also burning due to the bright computer screen infront of her. Yes, she was obviously drained but still, the young woman remained to have a youthful glow despite of her somber appearance. Presumably, based on her current physique, her age was that of in her early 20's, the golden age for all women. However, due to the accumulated stress and tremendous pressure that has been pushed upon her for the past few weeks, the young woman displayed a tired but peaceful countenance.

"Every joint in his body twisted as he screamed an extremely devastating one. He could no longer express the hatred he felt for them. All he could feel were the overwhelming pain, and warm tears which fell from both his bruised cheeks…" Mumbling, words flowed out of the young woman's fingertips. Her body movements were subtle but her hands were as swift as a wind as if she was one with the keyboard. What she was writing was a prequel for a certain book. In fact, she was the hired ghostwriter for a famous light novel, [Him against the world]

[Him against the world] was a historical/mystery light novel about a plot which circulates around the redemption of a man's former glory as an illustrious deity that's been banished out from heaven. It was the biggest hit amongst the Ezvarthian people, garnering over 20,000,000 pieces of sigil from just the first 3 days of its debut. However, that does not mean that she's now a big shot in the writing industry. Instead, she was left behind. Yes, she may be the one behind the creation of the said famous novel however, she does not have the rights over her own work as the book was named under "Carlos Trench", a newly hired lead writer and secret envoy of the Latchna Lovick Family in the City of Tyche.

This was the very first time an envoy from Drossel was sent by the Latchna Lovick family… and a secret one at that…

Something must have happened inside the capital.

"Hmph" letting out a slight snort, the young woman sighed inside her heart. Not like she cared that much in their affairs. If not, she's just a bit anxious of having her plans exposed due to the arrival of said envoy. But since she was just a mere ghostwriter, chances are, she will just be disregarded as an average person, simply present to have their job done. In their world, those people who have the same work as her are people who are left in the darkness. If the lead writer is the light, then the ghostwriter is its shadow. Naturally, even without the shadow, the light can still sustain its own. Just like what happened with [Him against the world], the lead writer is what claimed the fruit of the ghostwriter's hard work. Obviously, she had no rights over the book, thus in return, she got none of the collected income nor any sort of recognition for her work except for the fixed 10,000 sigil specified wirhin the contract she received prior to the debut of the said book. After that, she received no more of the accumulated revenue.

For a moment, the young woman let out an exhausted yawn. Then, she blinked very slowly, her eyes, which was deep, and dark as an endless abyss, remained fixated on the brightly-lit computer screen. Despite not feeling well, she tries to finish her work as fast she could. But since she was feeling incredibly sleepy, her long, angel wing-like lashes slightly shuddered, trembling at every blink she took. Once she finished writing one more chapter, her work would be finally finished, meaning she would be able to take a nap after that. The chance of having a good migdnight nap excites her more than ever. However, the mere thought of an 8 hour sleep... Oh how she yearns to have such a time to rest.

"Hmm..." As she was thinking of what to write next, for a brief moment, since she was idling for a bit, it was then that she was suddenly distracted by the silhouette of a young woman's reflection on her computer screen. She stares at it for a short while until she broke contact with the reflection and instead let out a soft sigh. Now that she had a good look at her reflection, if not for the distinct cinnabar mark around her right eye, she would make a fine beauty. But since that wasn't the case for her, she was mostly picked on by her peers and was often bullied when she was little.

Another yawn escapes her lips. Extending her pale, slender fingers, she briskly tapped across the keyboard as from behind her slim form, her petite silhouette was made visible.

Tap Tap . . . Thump!

"Happy new year!"

Followed by a loud bang, a trail of bright light brazenly cut through the black canvas before the fireworks then exploded into different colors, molding itself to be unique and breathtaking at every explosion. Just like a candle burning, its light was smoldering so vivaciously up the clear midnight sky. It almost felt akin to that of a flower blooming, only that it never repeated the same pattern it painted the dark night no matter how many are ignited and sent to their sky-bound destiny.

"Child, remember not to slip on ice" a woman's voice said through the sounds of clamoring drums and melodious singing.

"Yes, mother!" Skipping in mirth, a chime of bell could be heard while a sweet, and playful young child dressed in a crimson plain blouse and fluffy-white skirt, cheerfully ran down the street, her brick brown boots producing soft thumping sounds against the cold pavement.

"Mother! Father!" The young child suddenly exclaimed as she turned her heels around and showed a toothy smile. She then pointed her small index finger at a particular stall that sells various kinds of lanterns. As she moved, the tiny, golden bell that hung on her right earring made a chiming sound. Shaking their heads in defeat, the man and woman that accompanied the young child smiled at what she was pointing at. That night, the Griego River is where most of the people are. In customary belief, people from different cities are said to visit the Griego River once every end of the year to pay their respect to the "God's" above and fly a paper lantern that has their wishes written inside to commemorate the start of the blossoming New Year.

Swish . . . Boom!

"Quick! Quick! Take a picture!" the townspeople cheered all in while a garden of white frost covered most of the damp concrete road, as above a crowded zebra crossing, the bustling city laid still under the bright yellow moon's guidance.

Swish. . .

"Paper lantern! Paper lantern!" the young child gleefully chanted, again and again, her round, rosy, plump face plastered with a big grin.

Tap Tap . . . Tap Tap . . . Boom!

Startled by the sudden pulsation outside, after voicing out a short "Ah" sound, the young woman inside a dim office room momentarily shifted her gaze away from the computer screen she was previously fixated on.

"3 years..." She mumbled, her dark orbs reflecting the magnificent scene outside as she looked past the glass panel, her pale face emanating with a tint of wistful thinking and longing.

Even though it was already past midnight, many people were still awake, and since that day, they celebrated the success of the previous year and the start of the new year of the Black Tortoise. Lanterns of different colors were lit and set into the air, illuminating the sparkling, night sky in a hundred specks of bright orange lights, filling the very wind with all the ideals and dreams of a thousand wishful people, whether they be a child, an elderly, a woman, or a man; still, both would wish for the same thing —

"May the Gods from above hear my plea, and my desires be fulfilled by thee."

At such a blissful moment, everyone must have been celebrating with their loved ones, having a bountiful feast, or just sincerely hoping for the brand new year to be more beneficial than the previous...

Right?

Wrong.

That's not how the world truly works. Some people are simply wicked. They do not fear "God's" retaliation.

"AHHHH!!!!!"

Money and Power. Beauty and Honor.

These are only four simple words, yet it contains the entire universe within its palm, seeming as if the world right now has long been blinded by greed, pride, wealth, and the power to rule over the weak and the ignorant.

"NO!!! MOTHER!! FATHER!!" the young child's aggrieved screams turned into tiny muffles, her small mouth gagged with a white cloth, and her face filled with extreme grief and betrayal.

Ring…

"STOP!! NO! COME BACK!!" the young child cried and hauntingly bellowed within the gag. She violently shook her head in disbelief as she screamed in extreme fright. Her mind was a mess. Up until that moment, she still couldn't comprehend what have just occurred. All she wanted was to hear her mother sing to her and have her father once again protect her within his safe refuge. All she wanted... was to have her family back together. So, with all her might and hope in one place, she thrashed and struggled against the vice grip of two middle-aged men, restricting her from reaching her dear mother and father.

Tap Tap . . . Tap Tap . . .

"Hunger, fatigue, sleep deprivation, and stress," the young woman mumbled, her head turned away from the glass panel, and fingers once again waltzing across the keyboard.

These are the exact four words she endured for the past three years.

And she's done with it all.

Clang!

"Hah … hah … hah," the young child could hardly keep her swollen eyes open. She limply remained standing, her legs and arms were chained to the cold ground. Her crimson blouse tattered, and her white skirt soaked in fresh blood. Beneath her small feet, a single bell lay in place, the golden coat replaced with a rusty red color.

"Urgh" She grumbled as tears ran down her cheeks. Her right earlobe was bleeding. Something must have been yanked away from the soft skin, enough for it to cause a bloody tear. For a moment, her face wrinkled as she winced in pain. Before she was bound by the heavy steel cuffs, an unfamiliar man dressed in raffish clothing and a striking pink colored hair had brutally beaten her with a rigid metal pipe, causing large bruises around her meager body and ripping most of the supple skin off as after the crude beating, a thin tube was injected into her veins, directly on her right arm, injecting a sickly green liquid into her system.

Tap Tap . . . Tap Tap . . .

As the young woman was thinking of what to write next, a thought formed inside her head which made her heart boil in anger, 'I can no longer fathom how they've stripped us of our rights, profited off of our hard-earned money, and treated us as their slaves!'

My father… Did he also went through these hardships when he was first 'scouted' by the 'management'?

I do not know, but I do know well enough that my father worked his hardest under 'them' for 8 whole years, and we, along with mother, knew of it for a fact that there must have been something going on behind the scenes⎯ something more sinister that may have caused his sudden death.

Ssk . . . Ssk . . .

"AH!" Yelping at the sudden force, a brawny, rough hand forcibly seized a handful of the young child's hair and forced her head up.

"P-Please… stop…" the young child looked at the sadistic man, her eyes tearful and voice trembling as she spoke.

Tap Tap . . . Tap Tap . . .

Thinking back, the young lady thought twice against her judgment, 'But what if it was the opposite...?'

What if it was not because 'they' tried to hide the 'truth' but instead because my father purposely hid 'it' from us?

The more the young lady scratched the surface, the more confusing the situation became.

Ssk . . . Ssk . . .

"Don't be so bitter, little rabbit. No one would buy you if you kept on acting so sad and all depressed," the man teased, poking the young child's open wound before he disappointingly pulled away and shook his head.

Tap . . . Tap . . .

'Despite how complicated it gets, I must find out the truth no matter what…' the young woman thought, frustration overwhelming her as she hardly bit down on her lower lip, even drawing blood due to the force she used to bit down on her bottom lips.

Tap . . . Tap . . .

"A human loses their sense of reality when faced with their desires."

For our entire lives, we have been oblivious, naïve, and ignorant. We were all made to believe that once we were 'scouted', we would have the chance to have our desires quenched in this hellhole of a working place, not even knowing the tragic secrets and vile ambitions that crept beneath 'their' trustworthy façade.

Well… I guess that's just because 'they' were more conniving and even further shrewder than us.

Come to think of it, isn't it odd? It was as if they already knew how the world truly works by the back of their hands. We never even got the chance to realize how they have twisted their words and made it more so it would only transmit to us a feeling of victory and success.

Ssk. . . Ssk. . .

KRRR!

"Heh," the sadistic man held up his metal pipe as he spoke, "Your 'parents' sold you off for quite a high price, so you better do good at the auction, little rabbit~" Then the pipe slashed against the young child's face, finally knocking her out cold due to the tremendous head trauma.

Whack!

Thump!

"Hollow promises, Lies, and Manipulation."

These are the precise three words that they've used to lure and bait us in, inside of this never-ending cycle of deception of theirs.

And I, Stradivari Yuri Del Gesù will be the one to put an end to this cycle. I will find out the truth as to why my father took his own life and all of the hidden secrets of this cruel world of ours.

So just wait and see for yourself,

How the birth of a new beginning starts today.