Rose moved slightly away from Nero, her hands still trembling, and then something dangerous came to mind.
"Brother..." she began, sitting delicately on the bed, like a proper young lady, crossing her legs and looking into his eyes.
It seemed the old Nero had raised her well... obviously, if I disregard the clear emotional dependency and zero anger control... why am I thinking like a psychologist? Maybe I was a psychologist... Right... psychology. I never finish it... no... I will never finish it.
"Are you going to look for work today?"
Nero remembered their poverty and sighed, saying,
"Yes, why?"
Rose suddenly became angry, crossed her arms, and glared at her brother reproachfully.
"Idiot... ugh, it seems you forgot you promised to take me to buy some food... with the little money we have left, and then we'd go for a walk."
Nero nodded slowly.
"Um... how much money do we have left?"
Rose lay down on the bed and sighed heavily.
"Just 25 lokgs, but it's enough to pay my tuition and survive another month... if you don't find a job... don't let the fog take you away, we still have time."
Suddenly, Nero fell to his knees, a tsunami of information crashing into his mind. Rose jumped out of bed, her eyes wide, and knelt beside Nero, placing a hand on his back.
A sharp pain shot through Nero's body, hitting him like his chest had been pierced from the inside. His vision blurred, and his eyes filled with tears, giving those pale red eyes a pinkish hue.
He tried to hold it back, but the nausea became unbearable.
Nero vomited what little he had in his stomach.
Lokg... that's Vickmolt's coin...
"Brother!" Rose looked at Nero with shining eyes, her hands moving toward the bedclothes, and without realizing it, she took a piece of the fabric.
Nero brought a hand to his head, the visceral, intense pain slowly fading.
Holy Church of Breath? Zephyr? Monarchs?... Nero's mind was assailed by multiple names and memories, which he did not quite understand.
Rose began cleaning up the vomit with the bedclothes. A small grimace of disgust and revulsion appeared on her beautiful face.
Shit... I made a mess... sorry little Rose.
Nero suddenly stood up and pointed toward the door.
"I-I'm going to look for a job," he said, his eyes still like water-stained glass.
Rose grabbed Nero's arm, her nails leaving small marks on the boy's pale skin.
"Where do you think you're going? You just threw up and you already want to look for a job, you're the best..."
Nero turned to face her, thinking for a moment that it was a compliment. But Rose's grip tightened.
"The best at being an idiot! How the hell do you think you can go out like this?!"
Nero sighed, as he gently pushed Rose's hand away.
"Rose, I'm fine... I just felt unwell because I haven't eaten today."
Rose let go of the dark-haired boy, although her eyes remained fixed on Nero's. Then, she bit her lip and began to nod slowly.
"Idiot, I'm not letting you go... le-let's go see Richard, he can examine you."
Nero remembered that name.
Richard... the doctor from "Salvo". Expensive... annoyingly expensive. Salvo... right. That's where I live now.
"No, Rose, that's too expensive. I'm just feeling a little under the Wind, let's not make a fuss about it. Let me go look for a job."
Why did I say "Under the Wind" instead of "Under the weather"?... Of course, my body isn't mine and it reacts in ways I don't yet understand...
After a few seconds of silence, Rose murmured, "I believe you... but if you're going out, you have to run some errands for me. Also, you should buy something to eat."
Rose sighed and shook her head. Then she stood up and shoved her legs up to the table.
It took her a few minutes, but she managed to find the key hidden in one of the drawers. She then approached the chest and carefully opened it.
Inside was a pistol similar to an SA revolver, the last gift her parents had given them.
Besides the revolver, there were several round, bright gold coins, each bearing a symbol in the center: four swords forming a square, each with a different number inside.
Three had a one in the center, one had a two, and four had a five.
Without hesitation, Rose approached Nero, toying with the SA Revolver as if it were a doll.
"Here," she murmured, offering the revolver and all the Lokgs they had left to the red-eyed boy.
Nero nodded and took the revolver.
At least now I know what was in there... although I can't help feeling that this object doesn't belong to me, and that makes me nauseous.
Rose hugged her brother for a long time, squeezing him tightly, not wanting him to leave the safety of their home. Then, she swallowed and murmured,
"There's a note in the kitchen with what you need to buy... take care, please. An-anything that happens to you, prioritize your safety above all else... and praise be to the holy wind that will guide you."
Nero nodded, slipping the Lokgs into his pocket. He then started to open the door, but stopped abruptly.
He turned to Rose and demanded,
"When I get back, I want to see your homework done. I know you have a really difficult calculation..."
Rose swallowed hard, remembering those dreaded math equations.
"Listen carefully, Rose Alexue. If I find out your homework isn't done when I get back..." Nero thought for a moment, "I'll take your favorite dress."
Rose bit her lip and nodded, frowning at Nero.
Nero left the room and surveyed the hallways with their splintered wooden floors and seemingly invincible stone walls.
He forced his legs to walk with a delicate gait, as he had no shoes.
He searched the hallway for a moment until he found the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth and tidied his hair. After doing all that, he went to the living room, which was furnished with old but beautiful pieces.
If Nero's memories served him right, his shoes should be somewhere around here... he thought, as he bent down to search under the leather sofa.
When he found the shoes, he sat down on the sofa, and with a heavy sigh, carefully began to put them on; after all, they were the last usable pair he had left.
Then, he stood up, concealed the revolver in his pocket, and took the key to the door, which was hanging beside the door, held by a kind of bent metal rod embedded in the stone wall.
Nero sighed one last time and opened the door.
A light pierced Nero's eyes, causing him to cover his face with his hands, while he felt a vile dust settle on his nose.
Shit... that really hurt... Nero slowly lowered his hands from his face, finding himself in a rustic yet elegant place.
The streets were paved with stones driven into the ground. The houses were made of dark wood and gray or white stone, but the structure and architecture were impeccable.
Nero watched people walking along the streets, some talking, others buying things from street vendors.
What are they selling? he wondered, starting to walk toward the busiest area. Wait... sell? Buy?... buy what?... the fucking list!
With absurd speed, Nero returned to the house and searched for Rose's list with something akin to desperation in his eyes.
It didn't take him more than a minute to find it.
He went back outside, locking the door.
"Phew... that was close... now... where the hell am I supposed to go?"
Nero leaned back against the door, searching his memory for some kind of "map" of Vickmolt.
Uhm... the café "Le Azul" always needs waiters... it's a decent pay and I could work in the mornings, have a second job in the afternoons and live my life at night... that sounds good, I'll do it.
He started walking down the street, one hand in his pocket where he kept the Lokgs and the other behind his back, caressing the metallic shape of his revolver.
The dust swirled freely, carried by the strong wind.
Nero coughed slightly as he glanced at a street food stall. His stomach growled with almost animalistic fury, and his body began to plead for a bite to eat.
No more than 3 Lokgs...
Nero made his way to the food stall, nimbly dodging the people. Upon arriving, he sat on one of the three wooden stools and carefully observed the cook.
He was a tall, muscular man who, in a deep voice, said:
"Praise be to Zephyr and the winds. Sir, what can I get you?"
Nero looked down and surveyed the various snacks.
There was something called "Balul," which were meat-filled buns that looked appetizing to Nero.
There was also "Palul," some meat skewers, which Nero also liked.
Finally, there was "Fralul," some chocolate candies... Nero's favorite treat.
Nero wanted everything, but she didn't want to spend too much, so...
"Sir..." Nero said, looking down.
The man looked at her with a frown, but his face changed to one of surprise and alarm when he saw Nero crying.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that..." Nero wiped her face, "I have five little brothers and sisters... I don't have a job, and I haven't eaten in days..."
The man was touched by Nero's plight and, without saying a word, grabbed a small cardboard box he used for snacks, placing two Balul, two Palul, and two Fralul inside.
"Calm down, young man," the man said, placing the box in Nero's hands. "Go and feed your brothers."
Nero smiled brightly and stood up from the wooden bench, bowing to the muscular man.
"May the winds bless you!"
Without another word, Nero ran off.
So fucking idiot!... he chuckled to himself.
Nero reached into the cardboard box, grabbed a Balul, and quickly devoured it.
"Yummy!"
Nero looked up and saw something peculiar: a stage.
"Welcome our favorite Magician!... Merlin!!!" shouted a man from who-knows-where.
A young man—about Nero's age, with black eyes and hair, and dressed in a tight tuxedo—appeared on the stage suddenly, as if by magic.
Without a word, he removed his magician's hat and put his hand inside.
Then, he put his shoulder in...
After his head and torso...
And finally, his legs...
Suddenly, the young man fell from the sky and, bowing, finished his first act, earning applause from the crowd.
Nero shook his head as he walked away from the audience.
I don't have time... but... that really did seem like magic. If magic exists in this world... then I definitely need fire magic.
I'm close to the café "Le Azul", just one kilometer away... hmm... I hope I get that job.
For a moment Nero felt a gaze fixed on his back, but when he realized it he turned around and seeing that nothing was happening, he didn't pay any attention to it.
Nero walked through the streets of Vickmolt, observing the architecture, the people, and their strange way of speaking. An hour had passed since he left home, and he was still alert and active.
He felt a pang in his heart, which made him look up...
Walls. High, some 20 kilometers into the sky, and so rough and thick that it hurt to look at them. They were a deep black color, and just seeing them gave off a feeling of danger.
A crucial piece of information flashed through Nero's mind.
Those walls are... the ones that divide the four zones of Vickmolt... South Zone, the poorest... hmm... East Zone, where i live, with the lower middle class. West Zone, upper middle class. North Zone, rich and powerful.
Nero put a hand to his face.
Rigth... each Zone is ruled by one of the Monarchs of Vickmolt... South, Monarch of Economics. East, Monarch of Science. West, Monarch of War... North, Monarch of Religion.
Now I remember... Vickmolt was created in an age lost to history, created by Zephyr, the God of Wind and Breath... well, that's what the books say.
Wow... so many memories... I also remember that the old Nero did go to school, but he only made it to the fourth year of high school...
Nero sighed inwardly and kept walking.
Lower middle class... great. Out of every place in existence, I had to transmigrate into poverty.
Nero continued walking somewhat hurriedly, his eyes taking in every detail of Vickmolt's Zone East. After a few minutes of walking, he finally arrived at the café "Le Azul."
Nero approached the door, but immediately noticed a sign that read: "fọřvhg." Not understanding it, he searched his memory.
Apparently, that was Unma, a language spoken like English but written differently, and "fọřvhg" meant "Closed."
Realizing that it was closed, Nero sighed and turned away.
Unma... is a strange name... is it the only language of Vickmolt, or is it the language of the entire great Castevlad Empire?... well, that doesn't matter... I must find a job!
And so began Nero's journey. First, he searched his memories until he found a place to work. Then, he walked, at least an hour, to reach it.
A place that was always closed...
This cycle repeated itself two more times: at a bar and at a restaurant. Until Nero stopped in a kind of park full of plants and trees, reached into the cardboard box, and ate the first thing he found.
He stretched, sitting down on a park bench.
I'm thirsty... there's bound to be a shop around here. Besides, you could buy Rose some sweets, since the Fralul are mine... hmm... I don't think I should pull the same trick as before; apparently, that brought me bad luck.
Nero started to get up, but he noticed something almost terrifying: a man was sitting next to him, a man with black hair and red eyes. He was wearing a beautiful black tuxedo, with a black flower pinned to the tuxedo's chest and his body and face were similar to Nero's, but this man had a presence that screamed fear.
What? Since when has that guy been there? How?... Nero swayed back.
The man looked up.
"Hello, Sir..." he whispered, a smile forming on his face as his right hand went behind his back.
Nero almost drew his revolver, but the red-eyed man interrupted him, saying mockingly,
"Did I scare you?... I'm very sorry, Sir, I'm just a vendor offering you..." The man pulled out a bottle of water. "Water... you look thirsty."
Nero sighed with relief, one hand went to his chest, and he sat back down on the bench.
"Praise be Zephyr, that was a great fright you gave me, Sir."
Nero stared at him for a long time.
"You look like me, so you're beautiful... could you tell me the time?"
The man nodded.
"Thanks Sir, It's 4 p.m. O' clock, Saturday, September 12th..."
And how does this man know the exact time? I don't see a watch, and he doesn't have one either.
"It'll be 2 lokgs for three bottles of water."
Nero stared at him.
"How much?"
"It'll be 2 lokgs for three bottles of water."
Nero stood up quickly.
"Sir!" Wait, please... ugh... since you're not going to buy my water, I'll do a magic trick for you."
Nero raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him.
"Surprise me... but don't even think I'll give you anything for this!"
"No payment? ¡That hurts my feelings!... but, I'll do that".
The man sat there, looking Nero up and down. Then he chuckled a little, his gaze still fixed on Nero. He stood up, snapping his fingers, bowed to Nero, and snapped his fingers again.
That small sound echoed in Nero's ears, making him fall to his knees. Nero's gaze twisted, while a strange feeling danced through his mind, almost driving him mad.
Nero looked up, his eyes meeting the man's.
The man smiled and laughed as Nero's eyes cracked like dead black roses.
"So... you've awakened... I wish you good and bad luck... my Nero."
...
Nero opened his eyes, greeted by the beautiful moon.
What?... Shit, I fell asleep...
Nero stood up from the bench, and as he wiped his back, he thought to himself:
What the hell happened?... Ugh! How could I be so stupid as to fall asleep outdoors? Like I was some kind of wanderer!... Wait... my money!
Nero searched both his pockets, but his 25 Locks weren't in either. Then he reached behind his back where his revolver was.
Fortunately, his revolver was there...
"No... What am I going to do now?... Shit, Rose's going to kill me... I have no job, no money, not even groceries!"
Nero started walking toward an alley, where, upon arriving, he sat down on the ground, not caring about his clothes.
Shit... I'm such an idiot! I had a job, just one, and I still screwed it up...
"Are you okay?"
A young man's voice echoed in the alley.
"No... I couldn't find a job, I got robbed, and I'm screwed..." Nero looked up at the starry sky.
The young man had neatly styled blond hair and deep, clear blue eyes. His black clothes were rather elegant, and his face seemed arrogant.
"Life's tough, isn't it?"
Nero turned to look at him.
"Sometimes."
The young man stood up, looked at Nero, and suggested in an almost honeyed voice:
"Guy... do you want to make some money?"