Dark By Default 32 The Magistrates' Messenger 1

-Caligula

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Such has been the turn of events. From expecting a high school life of nothing new to now being welcomed by some weird deity in a surreal world, currently partic.i.p.ating in a gamble where my life is laid as major collateral. Surely, it does not sound quintessential from this point of view, yet moral facts state that I surely can't blame this on someone else. It was my rashness that led me to this sphere of the mystics. More likely, this thick mud of predicaments is an aftermath of my strong aspiration to go against cliches. Now, because of that, I'm confronted with everything that is a subject for common sense.

If only, I read that contract from the start, there should have been no need for me to struggle in getting answers for the most "should-have-been-obvious-queries". Unfortunately, that statement is nothing but tagged under the section of "If only's", prior proven to be devoid of action and authentic reasoning.

For now though, to collect the most basic Intel should be of utmost priority and listening to this peculiar announcement should give me some integral info and whatnot.

I was at the top of the school building that time together with Shiro when the welcoming voice suddenly echoed through the whole city that has been just transported to a new realm. Lacrimosa told us to wait here as this Hermes will soon present himself together with the rules of the game. Yet, after that large "Welcome to Naethetvale" p.r.o.nouncement was made, silence engulfed the whole island, leaving everyone curious and somehow baffled of the quota.

"Most of the herrschers are here on this island," said Lacrimosa a while back. Yet, for sure, from the looks of the populace alone as seen from higher grounds, the visage spell that not everyone here knows of the situation, and that, not everyone is a delegate of that game. Presumably, they just got mixed up with us in the plan of that End guy to transport the whole island out of the world we knew. Imagine, the fear they are feeling as they are now in a world we know nothing about. Imagine the sadness as they got separated from their loved ones back there. Imagine, the despair, they should be feeling as they lost several special someones in the transmigration process alone. Well, I could only do so much as to imagine as there is certainly no way for me to feel those rundowns now.

Shiro, being tired of our sight-seeing, has gone back to sleep again, but in my arms this time. Seeing her a.s.sured face while reminiscing the expressions she gave me that same night where she witnessed the death of her parents, gave me an impression that I should not underestimate the naivete yet the courageous capability of men to move on no matter how opaque a future may seem. Men, the only known existence that is advantageously juvenile, if they find themselves in a predicament where hope is no subst.i.tuent, they will make themselves as the hope, no matter how fragile that little light may be. At any rate, I'm sure that they'll be able to recover by any means soon. At least, that is what I think.

Moreover, thinking about them now would only prove unfruitful at the end. It's out of anyone's control anyway. It's also quite unlikely if someone here would possess the power to teleport someone back home. If that was the case, all of that horrendous display of that viscount figure would have been all for naught. I know and it's a hundred percent plausible that those with a cameo of transporting us here had already planned ahead to never give s.p.a.ce for implications that would ruin their efforts mid-way.

Yet, what are they planning to do with these humans? Maybe they'll be sent back with no recollection? It's wildly possible. In my current data, it would be impossible to derive the most viable conclusion. The furthest I can do in this situation is hypothesizing hunches. First, I need inferential. What happened with that unseen announcer anyway? Technical problems?

The whole city was silent. You could only hear the gracious sways of the wind as we antic.i.p.ate the next scene. And then not yonder, at the highest building of the island situated at its epicenter, at the peak of the known City Hall. Someone with charisma, the same as that of a deity appeared. I believe that this could be the one Lacrimosa talked about. The persona tasked to explain everything from the get-go.

"Any idea who that is? " A familiar voice sounded at my side. It was Celes.

"Who knows. I have no idea" I replied, which was kind of a lie.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. By the way, where is Deus?"

"Same as what your G.o.ddess is doing. Resting in his realm."

"Hmm. How predictable"

There were several minutes of silence between us and in that time frame, I tried to distract myself from her, shifting my attention to the little girl sleeping soundly in my arms with her head in my shoulder. "Why are we always confronted by awkward meet-ups anyway?", was my main thought at that situation. But it was to be expected though, given that we bought lived most of our lives in the depravity of socialization.

"Hey, Jaiden."

"Yes?"

"What do you think will happen to those that were just unfortunately dragged alongside us?" I then looked at her and it was apparent in her face that she is concerned for their sake.

"Honestly, I don't know myself. I tried to think of it earlier, but I came up with nothing but irrational maybes. For now, it's best for us to listen to that announcer."

"Yeah. You're right. It would be without merit to worry about them now. " Celes replied, which was an interesting point of view. Merit eh?

Well, setting that aside, the announcer is really taking his time preparing. It's hard to wait in this kind of situation, especially for them. While each of us bares different motives to listen to this announcement, may it be to know the rules that govern, to know what will happen to these bunch who got dragged here, or to know what and where we were transported into, I can highly relate to them. To have answers for the questions that boggles us to no end is the very highest fulfillment as of now, and while the truth is a little delayed, there is very limited choice, and to wait is probably the best.