Eidolon Earth: Candidate Author

Nazarana was a vast kingdom of trade and commerce. Its capital, Darjan, where the crown resided, was established in the middle of four great commerce hubs:

‘Tilmis’ of the North,

‘Ganj’ of the East,

‘Somalis’ of the South, and

‘Baazar’ of the West.

All others were but minor urban settlements or Noble Houses managing their respective lands.

(I left this prologue in past tense, since it describes the kingdom’s established background rather than the unfolding scene. If you want it in present tense too, say so and I’ll change it.)

***

[Arin’s POV]

Cold liquid makes its way down my throat, easing my throbbing head a bit.

“Huff... ha... more... ha,” I demand, moving the now-empty chalice towards Hayato-san. He turns around, refills the cup, and gives it to me again.

After an hour of travel, we spot a secluded barn near a farm and decide to rest for a little while.

My head feels as if someone is pumping air into an already full balloon. My vision blurs, and sleep threatens to take over.

I bite my lips hard to push through the terrible vertigo. I spent too much energy on Null craft. Then, stretching my limbs, I lean onto a pile of soft hay behind me, and for the first time in a while, I am allowed to think. Not as Daniel, but as Arin.

I let my eyelashes meet and my thoughts drift freely.

Where did it all go wrong?... Why is this happening?... I am unable to think. Questions come crashing down, many at a time, leaving me confused.

Then I remember the screen at the start of the fog event.

[Re-Enacting: The Romance of the Four Kingdoms]

OBJECTIVE: Two lovers who come from different and unresolvable backgrounds couldn’t unify in the past. Unify them.

EXTRA OBJECTIVE: ????

REWARD: ?????

PENALTY: Erasure.

Wasn’t this supposed to be about reuniting two lovers?... Forget the lovers. Hell, I’ll be happy even if I manage to stay alive.

I take a deep breath to clear my mind. Focus. No need to worry about completing the objective. First, we need to get out of the border; only then can we think about anything else.

But then again, if I die here, does it mean that I die in real life? Does erasure as a penalty mean death?

I feel a lump in my throat, making it hard to swallow.

No. No. No. Arin, focus. There must be some way. Mother Nature always leaves a path open. I try to divert my remaining energy to devise a plan for Hayato-san and me to escape, yet I can only see myself drowning in the unyielding flow of thoughts.

What would Arun and Robert be doing right now? Is it night already there? Unnecessary thoughts begin to claw at my mind, so much so that I don’t even see the message in front of me.

[Curse of Despair is in effect: Host will continue to lose his sanity bit by bit while the curse is in effect.]

I really want to see Professor Serin’s reaction. If I die here, would she be sad? Guilty? Heh, well, serves her right. I know that harboring such thoughts is wrong.

[Sanity: -1%]

How much time has passed there? Did Ma receive the stipend I sent her? Would I be awarded a posthumous degree if I die? No, snap out of it!

[Sanity: -1%]

I bet Rao still roams the reading hall under the guise of “inspection.” That old man seemed to have gotten his youth back when the guard handed him my admission letter.

[Sanity: -1.5%]

Would Ma be alright without me? I am drowning.

[Sanity: -2%]

No, would it even be right to call her Ma? Someone, help me.

[Sanity: -3%]

I don’t know. I may not even be her real son. Anyone... please.

[Sanity: -5%]

What if—?

“Arin!” a muffled voice shatters my trance.

For some reason, I am covered in my own sweat.

“Wh-wha?” I panic.

Hayato-san puts a hand on my mouth, cutting me off. Then he motions for me to keep quiet.

“Are you feeling okay? You’ve been sleeping for almost an hour now.”

I nod, my eyes bloodshot and my head dizzy, but the throbbing has almost stopped. We can move.

My hands creak like stubborn metal hinges. I stand up, dusting off my back. Meanwhile, Hayato-san unties the horses. We mount our respective horses, and with a loud neigh, they move towards our next destination.

***

[Vazir’s POV]

“W-we d-don’t... know” is all the man in front of me can say before he becomes unconscious again.

His gray hair, tied in a ponytail, is a mess now. Eight others stand trembling, their bodies covered in various wounds.

“We tried every method, sir, but they won’t budge,” says the prison guard beside me, his head down.

I don’t reply. Too many problems have come at the same time. The whole nation is in a state of emergency. Messengers and aerial patrols have been dispatched to notify the governors of Ganj, Baazar, Tilmis, and Somalis, and soldiers have been instructed to make announcements wherever they reach. The pale man has also vanished somewhere.

The aerial unit will take a couple of hours to reach the border and notify the guards to close all the entrances and exits.

“Should I draft an execution notice, sire?” the prison guard asks me.

I shake my head after a moment of thought.

The guard frowns but doesn’t push me to answer. I look at the far end of the cell. There lies a kid, bruised, his body trembling in the cold of the underground prison.

“Keep the guards. Take out the kid,” I say, opening the gate of the cell and preparing to leave. The guard seems surprised but immediately complies.

As much as I would love to tear down the Parshara kingdom, I cannot overlook my own deductions.

The work was too clean, devoid of any mistakes, I ponder. Even if we assume Parshara did it, why would they do it in such a manner? It is the same as coming out in front and announcing it to the whole world. It doesn’t benefit Parshara in the least. But then again, why would they run?

I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I don’t even notice when I reach my sister’s office.

I open the door and see a man with sunken cheeks and a rather lean physique sorting documents.

“Chancellor Wallabh? What are you doing so late in the queen’s study?”

The moment I call out his name, he shudders and tilts his head in a lightning-fast manner.

His face is covered in sweat, and he freezes when he sees me enter.

I start walking towards him after closing the door. He turns around bit by bit, his hands behind his waist.

“Your Highness... I-I...” He is about to say something when, just then...

Click.

The door opens behind me. “Chancellor Wallabh, you are under arrest on charges of conspiring against the nation,” an indifferent voice declares.