The Princess And The Lord

As soon as they entered the cafeteria, people cheered and sang with joy, the women served lots of meat on plates and they danced and laughed celebrating their bounty. As soon as they saw Cavio and Arthea enter the room, one of them shouted, "Everyone, let's welcome our Master and Lady Lucient!" They clapped their hands and cheered with joy.

"Hear-hear!" they cheer simultaneously.

They lead Cavio and Arthea to the main table with the best food and drink, Cavio and Arthea can only accept their sincerity though they never expect this much appreciation when the first time they help them. Soon after they take a sit then another man raised his mug to the air then speaks with a solemn voice

"Everyone raised your mug for the Lucient, because of them we can have a full belly, a safe place, and a warm bed, because of them we don't have to live in fear anymore, we don't have to run or hide anymore finally we could stand under the sun, strong and proud, this could never happen with our master and Lady guidance, therefore…for the Lucient!"

Everyone raised their mug and shout in tune "FOR THE LUCIENT!"

"To our Leader!"

"To our protector!"

Cavio is still not used to his newly founded position the truth is he feels undeserved cause he thought he was too young and inexperienced to be anyone's leader but he can refute everyone's expectation, what else he could do, other than humbly accept his position.

Cavio rose from his seat as everyone stared at him enthusiastically. Cavio's face turned red from their admiring glances then awkwardly cleared his throat, Arthea suppressed a smile at her brother's flustered expression, Cavio lifted his wooden cup then begin his speech: "This...was only possible because we worked together, it was only because of all your support that we were able to come this far, therefore, for all that you have done for our community, I sincerely thank you and Uhm... let's eat!!" the weird cut of his speech made Arthea chuckle.

"Pffft" Arthea can't hold her laughter any longer.

Soon the laughter burst, their leader is so kind and humble how could they not feel rejoice, in this cruel time where people could sacrifice their own families for survival, Cavio and arthea kindness felt like warm sunlight in the harsh winter, it was the Lucient sibling that teaches them how to live as human and for that they'll be forever grateful.

And that's how they life in the village with no name carries on, the village had no name because no one thinks about it besides the idea of more than dozens of unrelated people  living together outside their extended family in one place is a new idea most of them only live with their family or extended family as nomadic tribes to hides from the monsters, therefore, no one care to name their village.

Late at night after putting the sleeping baby Demian in his crib Arthea take a seat on the porch of her wooden house, the light is deliberately put off so it will not attract a beast cause most beast hunt at night, the guard on the watchtower some of them have a night vision so they the one who appointed in nightshift sometime Cavio join the watch but today he took a day off when he arrived in front of his home he found his sister on rocking chair waving toward him.

"Why don't you sleep yet?" Cavio reprimands her.

"Fufufu..I decided to come late to work today," he smirked, it wasn't really a joke because when Arthea slept was when she had prophetic dreams when her soul would wander in the darkness, and from there she would lead to a certain scene in the future and if she wanted to see further she would go further following a path like a

tree branch that show many possibility in the future and from there she decided what future she wanted to see.

But sometimes the prophecy hits her like a bolt of lightning sending her warning of imminent danger like when they were attacked a few months ago by a horde of beasts that led to the death of cavio's wife.

The dozens of Blade tigers somehow found their village location and at that time most men went hunting outside the village including Cavio only a few men were left to guard the village.

Suddenly Arthea had a vision of a horde of beasts heading towards their village immediately Arthea ordered everyone to gather all the weapons and strengthen the fence in hope to hold on until Cavio and the other return, at that that time, selena, Cavio's wife had just given birth so she was stuck in her house with the newborn baby, Arthea thought she would be save in her house.

With the ability to foresee the future, Arthea could predict when and where the animals would attack and Arthea managed to fend off the beast attack, but unexpectedly, a monkey-like Beast called Gyorka was attracted by the blood and clamored from their village.

Somehow the Beast found a gap in their fence and managed to sneak into their village and by chance the beast heard the sound of a baby crying from the direction of Cavio's house.

Arthea suddenly struck by a bad feeling she immediately run home to check on her sister-in-law and her nephew condition but what greeted her was a total tragedy, it is then that her offensive power awakened, she who is a soul can traverse time and space can also make an illusion become real for a minutes.

Using her newfound ability, she creates thousands of sharp metal thrusts into the creature making it look like a porcupine soon the Beast dies instantly alas she was too late to save Selena life, her sister in-law died from protecting her baby with her own body.

Arthea was devastated, she couldn't stop blaming herself she was so confident in her abilities that she forgot the law of cause and effect whenever she change one event another one created just like a tree branch.

It was because she stopped a beast attack where someone destined to die she accidentally created another future that another person had to die and that person turn out to be her sister in-law, and that's how Arthea learn the hard way 'That where there is death there will always be death.'

Actually Cavio never blamed Arthea knowing there was something that couldn't be changed and it was called 'fate' instead he felt grateful because Arthea managed to save his son, but still that cannot released her from her guilt, Cavio also knew this, but there was nothing he could do to comfort his sister because in the end she is the only one who can forgive herself.

"Do you see anything in the future, sister?" Cavio takes a seat next to her.

Arthea shakes her head with a sweet smile "Nothing major, only a few things need to avoid like you must avoid the lake and river for the next three days"

"Oh?...okay" Cavio didn't ask further knowing the more he know the more deviant the course of the future would be and it only brings more harm than good.

"Oh, and more people will come tomorrow, not many, just seven of them and three toddlers….the toddler look cute though, by the way I saw them playing together with Demy when they grew up and they seem really close." Arthea's mood immediately improved significantly after see the future where Demian would grow up healthy and happy.

Cavio was also delighted to hear the news "Is that so, then we must give them a big welcome!" he laughs heartily.

Arthea put her finger in front of her lips "Sssh, Demian is sleep now!" she shushed her loud brother.

Cavio quickly clamps his mouth "Oh, sorry…" he lowered his voice.

They look at each other and the corner of their lips trembles they cannot they hold their laughter and chuckle lightly and so the peaceful night goes by.

They looked at each other and the corners of their lips twitched they couldn't hold back their giggles and laughter so the peaceful night passed.

Naively they thought they had been through the worst, they never knew it was only the beginning of an unimaginable tragedy.

One ordinary night, Arthea as usual had a prophetic dream, but unbeknownst to her, this dream would eventually change her destiny forever.

In the dream she was walking in complete darkness which is normal but then a dark crimson liquid approach her, Arthea was startled she took a step back but the liquid was flown towards her, Arthea feel uneasy she then took another step back but then she realized she was surrounded by the crimson liquid then a smelled of rust permeated to the air.

The sweet metallic scent reminded her of the smell of blood she realized the liquid that surrounded her was blood, slowly the blood touched the tips of her toes then gradualy covered her feet then the blood continued to rise until it reached her waist and continued to rise.

Arthea panicked she tried to run from the pool of blood around her but to no avail because the pool of blood had reached her neck a second later she was drowned completely in a pool of blood.

Arthea waved her hands frantically as she was trying to swim to the surface but something sucked her to the bottom, Arthea begin to lose her breath and could only surrender letting her body be pulled by an invisible force when she started to pass out of lack of air suddenly she fell with her head down in solid ground.

Arthea coughed loudly while sucking in as much air as she could before long she realized she returned to a dark place again still she could feel the ground beneath her was wet and oddly warm just like...blood immediately the hair on her neck rise, the thought of what would happen next made her shudder in fear.

Arthea tried to calm herself down while constantly reminding her that this wasn't real but her heart couldn't stop beating so fast as if she has run for days without stopping.

Arthea took a deep breath and then forced herself to stand up suddenly a firefly flew in a circular motion right in front of her gracing her a bit of light, Arthea stretched her hand to touch the firefly but the little firefly flew away, afraid of losing its light Arthea chased the fireflies desperately then suddenly thousands of fireflies appeared out of nowhere and flew toward the same direction and suddenly the fireflies hover over a lifeless body lay on the ground.

Even from far away, Arthea could recognize whose body it was, other than her only one man with the same hair color.

She doesn't want to go near but her feet seem to have their own minds with heavy steps, Arthea slowly walked towards the lifeless body on the ground, blood was pouring from the man's body at the same time her heart sunk into her stomach Arthea covered her mouth with both her hands while tears streamed down her face like a broken dam.

"No...oh God no..." she staggered towards the man on the ground, the closer she got the worse she felt as if the whole world around her crumbled down.

Arthea fell to her knees beside the man, her shaking hands brushing through the man's messy hair.

"Why? Why...? not Cavi...not him, please..." she pulled the man into her arms she started to wail.

<strong>"NOO!"</strong> she scream at the top of her lungs.