A Story of Evil

Torches and pitchforks.

As if a scene from Frankenstein, angered and frightened men and women marched towards a small house. Every house passed by along the way opened up. With the grown-ups of this house coming out. Bringing their own set of the said items. Soon enough the mob grew so large that, they turned the night into a seeming sunrise. But their intentions weren't as bright nor life giving as the sun.

"There you are." A black haired woman with a worried expression on her face pulled Lumina out of the window. They hurried and, to a room where Lumina was kept.

The black haired woman then summoned something that made her cough out blood. A beast which Lumina was familiar with. Protecting her as it began filling the entirety of the room with runes.

"Dear you should stay here okay? Don't come out no matter what happens."

"B-But mom..."

"It's fine. Everything will be fine I promise. None of this is your fault okay?" The woman said, hugging Lumina one last time before she finally left the room.

The girl could hear everything from inside. She could hear the voices of the people, screaming the word "Devil!" Scarring her even more. But Lumina didn't follow what her parents told her. Unfortunately, there was a small hole in the room. One which allowed her to peek at what was happening. A decision she soon regretted as she saw her mother and father stabbed through their chest with pitchforks. Their bodies being burned just as quick which made Lumina shriek.

"That's the spawn! That's their child!" An elderly woman declared, pointing to the house where Lumina was. The angered mob quickly went for her. There was no hesitation in their movements and, what they wanted was clear.

They ran towards the house – their bodies being set ablaze. All turning into burnt corpses. Dead, yet still moving.

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Lumina screamed as the flames began covering everything in sight. Turning the whole field into a blazing inferno.

"GET AWAY!" She repeated as the corpse of her parents got up from where they were killed. Moving, just like the mob, towards Lumina.

"GET AWAY!" She repeated again, tears already rolling down her eyes. But it was no use. Even her parents were inviting her to burn to death. To join them in the inferno.

The fire only continued increasing from that point. And she could hear the maddening screams of the people that blended with the crackling of flames. It was hot and, the house began getting hotter along with these flames. Until it finally began burning.

"GET AWAY!" She pleaded one last time as the house was set ablaze and, in one last attempt of defiance, the girl screamed:

"STOP!"

...

Lumina opened her eyes to the sight of the Summoners' Archives. The place where she actually was. Not in the blazing inferno and, not in the hands of the angered citizens.

Her eyes were still teary and, she could feel her heart beating so strong as if it was going to burst from her chest. The flames on her nightmare felt so real that, she seemed momentarily feverish. Her mind was also in a haze, mixing nightmare and reality – that is, until Sol placed his cloak over her.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." The paladin began.

"W-Was I dreaming?" Lumina was forcing her voice not to shake. But this effort was in vain as, her body still remembered the nightmare all too well.

"That didn't sound like a dream to me." Sol said already returning to his table and opening another book.

"Sorry."

"We don't have to talk about it. You can just sit there and keep on observing me."

Normally, Lumina didn't talk casually to people. In fact, it was only the queen she could freely open herself up to. But, it was probably because of the nightmare she just got that this principle was taken away entirely. She felt vulnerable and weak, like she was returned five years in the past. To a time she would rather forget but, was something her own mind never allowed her to.

She felt like a little girl who needed protection from. A little girl who needed help. That's why she needed to talk to Sol. For the sake of her own body calming down from the nightmare.

"Can you pretend like you're just reading and that you can't hear me?"

"If that would help you get your peace of mind, I won't mind." Sol said, still immersed in his reading. Lumina observed this for a while. Thinking if what she was about to do was right or not. But then again, there wasn't much of her reasoning existing at that moment. That's why she decided to just go with it. Making a deep breath as, she began talking.

"There was one a family that everyone hated. They were normal citizens of this Domain of course. Just wanting to live their lives in peace and in solitude. In fact, they kept their distance from the people of the land just for this sake. Minimizing conversations and interactions as much as possible."

Sol was listening intently on all that Lumina was saying. He followed what she asked of course but, it wasn't his fault that his mind could process her words and the ones written on the books at the same time.

"For the two adults, this was normal. They've learned to live with it. But their daughter hasn't. Not with her whole life still ahead of her." Lumina continued, holding on to the cloak which Sol placed over her.

"One day, her curiosity got the better of her. She went out of the house and, got caught up in something she shouldn't have...She became friends with the only daughter of Queen Reoul."

Sol suddenly stopped from flipping the pages of the book. The words Lumina said made him think on who this girl really is. But just as Lumina asked, the boy proceeded to reading. Meanwhile Lumina continued with her story.

"Suddenly life was not as peaceful as the girl would constantly go out. Playing with the queen's daughter as much as she wanted. But that proved to be the beginning of a disaster." The voices in Lumina's head began increasing again as she made her explanations. Her hands were shaking but, she did her best to steady it gripping her right hand to her left wrist as she went on.

"The girl thought that people were actually nice. That they were actually normal. She tried befriending the close circle of the princess. Children the same age as them...one thing led to the next and, that little girl finally used one of her summon in front of these newfound friends. Not on any normal situation however...she used it to kill the people who tried kidnapping the princes."

Before Lumina could even continue, Sol suddenly stood up. The sound of his chair abruptly getting dragged forced the girl to stop in her storytelling. This was intended of course. Sol didn't want to hear any of the girl's secrets. Not with her being in the state she was in. With her defenses lowered.

"Oh sorry. I just need to grab a couple more books." Sol said, moving the chair beside his.

"You can sit beside me if you want. I won't mind." The paladin added as he went and did what he said. Getting more books while also returning some of those he took out.

Sol hasn't been with Lumina for long but, he knew that there was something different about the one he encountered at that time. He knew that she wasn't in her proper elements because of whatever nightmare she had. He also knew that the one he was facing was probably a Lumina close to the real one. Someone who didn't have her guard raised all of the time.

"I just wanted to read some books and do my mission. Is that too much to ask?" The boy thought to himself; getting the next set as he returned to the table where Lumina was already sitting.

"Good. Time to execute plan A." Sol thought as a smile formed of his lips, approaching the girl as he began:

"You know..." Lumina looked at him, thinking what it was that the girl needed.

"There's actually a lot about summoning that still has me weirded out. Care to answer my questions?"

"What?"

"Well you're my guide right? So I figured I should ask you the things I've collected while reading. I don't want you dozing off again after all."

"O-Okay." Lumina said in reply, unsure of what to make of the situation anymore.

With him keeping the girl preoccupied, Sol knew that she won't have time to think of whatever it is that has been occupying her head. He was lying about having questions of course. He just needed a good and reasonable front to use for that moment. And nothing could be more reasonable than asking about summons and summoners.

Hence the night continued to progress for the two. With Sol suddenly getting the duty of calming down Lumina as he asked one question after the other. Until their time was finally up and, the first day of the mission was finally over.