Obai had just turned eleven, finding himself separated from Nova for the time being. They'd celebrated his birthday by having a little less training and a little more building sandcastles on the beach.
Those castles were used for training the next day...
The two families made their way towards Le'Lau, the capital, preparing to celebrate the young man, sell their supply of fruits, and attend the special Kokoro announcement in the evening.
The morning air was fresh and sunny as their wagon pulled into the outskirts of the western reaches of the city.
The cobbled streets were much livelier than the previous year, filled with new residents and those excited for the national announcement. There had been many immigrants who came from the mainland recently. Most of whom were originally from the southern reaches of Vweiya, who had joined the empire just over twenty years ago.
Obai overheard the conversations that passed them by as their wagon bumped along to a new and grander market located closer to the walls of the inner city, some of which insinuated unsatisfactory opinions of the growing expansion of Vweiya.
"I'm glad we could still move! The soldiers left our village after having taken most of the crop. Kokoro fruit trees, I heard, were in higher demand, luckily got a ship for the family."
"The empire was always high and mighty, but the new emperor's been making bold moves to increase his power. Don't get me wrong, the capital's a nice place, but we decided to join the exodus thanks to some friend's new business ideas."
"Those bastards are insane! The death toll within the army skyrocketed ever since the new campaign on the Arm! I know the news carriers try to hide it, but it's so obvious! Fey Draven is a much better leader than those Lievares!"
Obai didn't care much. He continued practicing his energy perception.
Riruka mirrored him, taking a glance at his closed eyes every minute. The past six months she'd been allowed to watch as Obai trained, and she attempted to mirror him. Nova thankfully didn't stop her from her "self-training," but Riruka was still having trouble reaching Obai's level. Without Nova's instruction, it was difficult to sense what was missing.
The day passed slowly for the children. They sat around and explored the market where their parents were now selling at. Small tents were littered about the square that surrounded the west entrance of the city wall.
The capital city of Le'Lau sat atop a tall hill, a rare landmark on the flat island of Kokoronashi, and the walls were built many years ago by the founder of the Draven family after they fought back, Dryv, the devil of emotion, from destroying the old town.
The battle destroyed many of the ancient buildings that resided along the coast of the eastern parts of the city, with many significant changes to the landscape still able to be seen today.
Draven immediately stole the hearts of the people they saved, becoming the ruling family of the Kokoro Isles. Years after the construction of the wall, the bright palace at the peak of the hill where the family resided bloomed, turning Le'Lau into a beautiful capital that was known worldwide.
The special announcement would take place just outside that castle once the sun set. Its effect already overcrowded the inner city.
"Obi! Don't you wanna go through the gate?"
Riruka had wandered off to sight-see the other shops, eventually ending up near the west gate of the inner city. Obai dragged behind, ignoring the excited girl, wanting the day to be over.
'Couldn't we have stayed home?'
Obai stuck his hands into the pockets of his dark, simple trousers.
"We'll be entering later. Why are you so impatient?"
Riruka smiled brightly. "Because we can! Look, we can just get a preview and head right back!"
She rushed over and pulled on his wrist, forcing him onward. Riruka had been acting more lively recently. It'd annoyed Obai at first, but now he grew used to it.
The two children rushed through the giant gate, finding themselves on a large, sloped road, curving towards the peak of the city.
People passed by in both directions as their tall frames obscured the farther locations to the children. Everyone was dressed in nice clothing, walking the streets of the city—at least, nicer than the casual clothes of the western sector.
Many wore coats to protect themselves from potential rain and wind. Some of the men walked by adorning colorful hats with white trims. There was a small group in dark, sleeveless uniforms, and a young woman rushing off the street towards a nearby park.
Colors sprang to life, bouncing off the lightly hued buildings, which housed all sorts of people and businesses. There was a tall building bordering the wall that provided news on the outer bulletin. There were many that provided the arts, and a church rested further up the road.
A bright and fresh sight to the curious children, especially Riruka, who'd never seen such a busy city, only used to the towns near their farm and the western sector of Le'Lau, which was only slightly nicer than the rest of the island.
Even Obai, who'd been ignoring the world until now, felt a little fascinated. He could feel life and happiness swirl through the air, unlike outside the wall where the world was much more...
'Normal. This isn't normal.'
But he'd only experienced life like Riruka had. The world was a much grander place, and he could only imagine the strange lands beyond Kokoronashi through Nova's tales.
Obai explored the pretty buildings with Riruka, slowly making their way up the street. He continuously made an effort to perceive the world's energy, just as Nova had taught him, noticing bright changes whenever he approached someone.
The two continued to explore, losing track of time. The vast cobbled streets, varied with wild colors and stretched across the hill like an enormous spiderweb, entangled the children with its beauty.
Riruka laughed as she snatched a stick of sweet snacks off the side of a popular vendor. Obai quickened his pace as they lost themselves by a small creek. The sky dimmed and the energy darkened, guiding the kids back to the market.
They returned to their two families, who'd started to grow worried of the disappearance of their children. They each scolded them as the group prepared to make their way towards the bright palace.
Obai and Riruka ignored their punishing words, having lost themselves in the joys of the world.
- - -
A young woman with white hair, cloaked in dark rags, quickly flashed across the rooftops. Her light shoes brushed the wooden frames, barely producing a sound, as she danced across the quieting evening.
The moon shined above and a crowd gathered below, surrounding a circular marble stage that held a small group of people.
She ignored it, pushing past and following the unusual trail of energy. It felt strong, too strong, unlike the people of Le'Lau.
She continued away from the crowd, circling around to the grand apartments north of the bright palace that housed the most important people of the country. Some were once warriors, or still are. Some held darker secrets. But they all protected the statue in the center of the small district.
The statue was of Dryv, showing the harrowing and contorted image of a wild aquatic beast with a thorny flower as its head. In myth, the creature was dark, large, and corrupted; as a statue, it was white, pristine, and silent.
Down below, in front of the small steps that circled the statue, which were enclosed by beautifully green brush, a tall figure knelt and placed their hand at the base of the statue.
It was a man in a dark uniform, with eyes that glowed like the moon.
Energy swirled around him as the flower statue began to shift, yet it paused just before the manipulation was complete.
The air whistled sharply and the man's eyes dimmed. He brought his hand back, lifting it to his neck. Slowly, more light left his eyes. His energy absorbed, his body revealed a hidden devil tattoo on his arm, and blood seeped through the slice in his neck.
The next second his muscles collapsed and he crashed into the statue's marble base. A cleanly beheaded face rolled down the steps, revealing no emotion and no bewilderment to his untimely death.
The world silenced as a ghost leapt off the nearby rooftops.