BLOOD PAWN

"Anyone home?" Anara called, gently knocking on the door. Her voice echoed slightly, but it was quickly mimicked by a smaller, excited voice.

"Anyone home?" Elara repeated, imitating Anara with a grin, her tiny hands patting the air as if she was knocking too.

A moment later, the door swung open to reveal Morgana Add, my uncle's wife. She stood there, her dark auburn hair neatly tied back, strands framing her gentle, yet strong features. There was something refined yet simple about her—she wore a long, modest dress, but there was always an elegance to the way she carried herself, like someone who had seen the world but chose to live simply.

"You guys are late," Morgana said with a teasing smirk, opening the door wider to let us in. Her voice was smooth and kind, but there was a subtle firmness to it, like someone used to managing a bustling household.

"Sorry, Morgana. Orion was trying to wiggle out of this visit," Anara chuckled, patting my back where I clung to her.

"Really?" Morgana looked at me with a knowing smile. "What's wrong, Orion? You didn't want to see your favorite aunt?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

I pretended to be shy, burying my face into Anara's back, which made them both laugh. It wasn't that I disliked Morgana, but sometimes all the energy of these visits felt like a bit much. Especially when I knew Aria would try to boss me around again.

Anara stepped inside, and we were immediately greeted by the cozy, familiar scent of Morgana's home—freshly baked bread, the faint hint of herbs hanging in the air, and the warmth of a place that always seemed alive. Though Uncle Darius was a lower-class noble, his home had that charm of a village chief's house, bustling yet homely.

Morgana was a mystery in many ways. I never knew much about her past, and the adults hardly ever spoke of it. What I did know was that she, Anara, and Uncle Darius all grew up together in the same orphanage, which is why they all shared the surname Add. It was kind of nice, really. A small family who made their own name, quite literally. I found myself thinking about that sometimes—how my uncle got to marry his childhood crush. A life plucked straight out of a fairy tale. If only mine had been that straightforward...

"You're in luck. Aria's been asking all morning when you were going to get here," Morgana said, glancing down at Elara, who had already squirmed out of Anara's grip and was trying to peer into the house, searching for her friend.

"Aria! We're here!" Elara shouted, her voice echoing through the halls. She didn't need to be told twice.

It wasn't long before a small, quick-footed figure came bounding down the hallway. Aria, Uncle Darius's daughter, and around our age. She had her father's dark, tousled hair and Morgana's keen, sharp eyes, which always seemed a little too knowing for someone her age. As soon as she saw us, she grinned, a grin that was a little mischievous, like she had already planned a dozen games she was going to make us play.

"There you are! Took you long enough," Aria said, crossing her arms with a playful huff. "Elara, come on! I found something cool in the backyard!"

She grabbed Elara's hand and, without so much as a pause, started leading her away.

Morgana and Anara exchanged a knowing look, one that seemed to say, There they go again.

"Orion, you can join them, you know," Morgana said, nudging me gently. "I'm sure Aria would love to boss someone else around besides just Elara."

"Bossy as ever, that one," Anara muttered with a chuckle, adjusting the scarf around her neck. "I wonder where she gets it from…"

Morgana just smiled, the kind of smile that was both proud and exasperated. "Oh, she's got a mind of her own, that's for sure."

I sighed, knowing there was no getting out of it now. I might not be the most energetic of the bunch, but at least there was never a dull moment when Elara and Aria were around. And with Morgana and Anara laughing behind us, it felt like, maybe just for a little while, things were peaceful.

I quietly slipped out of the bustling room, my footsteps barely making a sound on the creaking wooden floors. The laughter and chatter from downstairs faded as I climbed the narrow staircase to the top floor of Uncle Darius's house, my sanctuary, whenever I needed to think. It was a small, quiet room, tucked away from the rest of the house, where the family stored old books, maps, and a few dusty relics. This was where I could escape the noise, where I could find answers—or at least, try to.

The room had a faint, musty smell of aged paper, and light filtered in through a small window, casting a warm, golden hue on the piles of books scattered across the floor. I had set up a makeshift reading spot near the window—a small cushion and a stack of books within reach. One book, in particular, was open in front of me: Adventurer's Encyclopedia.

I'd been pouring over it for days, trying to piece together what had happened after my death. In this world, where power and money often dictated everything, knowledge was my strength. I needed to know what had become of the world I once knew. The familiar pages told me a story I couldn't quite believe, and yet, I kept reading, hoping for some kind of clarity.

According to the some books, Yuui, my old comrade, had won the battle against the forces that threatened the Kingdom of Alkia. She was hailed as a hero, and the kingdom was saved. But that was where the story took a strange turn. After the victory, the goddess granted Yuui a wish and then disappeared. What happened to Yuui after that was shrouded in mystery. Some stories claimed she had returned to her original world, vanishing without a trace. Others said she had journeyed to another world, continuing her role as a savior. But I wasn't buying it.

Something doesn't add up, I thought, flipping the page, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the text. The goddess Uranas… She's not the type to keep her promises so easily. If she was involved, there was always a catch. She wouldn't just grant a wish and disappear. That wasn't her style. Once her work was done, she'd discard people or worse, eliminate them if they were no longer useful to her.

There had to be more to the story, something that wasn't being told. My gut twisted as I remembered the kind of goddess she was—deceptive, manipulative, always playing games with people's fates. I couldn't shake the feeling that Yuui's story, as it was written, was incomplete. Did she really get what she wanted, or was she used like a pawn, like so many before her?

I needed more information, and I knew exactly where to get it. The High Priest at the church might have records or insight that I couldn't find in any book. They had access to ancient texts and knowledge passed down through generations. If anyone could tell me the truth about what happened to Yuui, it would be them.

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft, familiar voice behind me.

"Orion, what are you doing up here?"

I turned to see Morgana standing at the doorway, her arms crossed, but her expression gentle. She had probably come looking for me, wondering why I'd wandered off instead of playing with Elara and Aria.

"Just… reading," I said, trying to keep my voice casual. I didn't want to explain everything, not yet. "I like the quiet up here."

She stepped into the room, glancing at the book in my hands. "Adventurer's Encyclopedia, huh? You've been reading that one a lot lately."

I nodded, flipping the page, pretending to be more focused on the book than I actually was. "Yeah, it's interesting. I'm learning a lot about… old legends."

Morgana raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. She took a few steps closer and sat down beside me, her skirt fanning out around her. "You're a curious one, aren't you? Most kids your age wouldn't be able to sit still long enough to read through these old books."

I didn't answer, and for a moment, we sat there in silence, the sound of distant voices drifting up from downstairs. Morgana's gaze softened, and she placed a hand gently on my shoulder.

"You know, if there's something you want to know, you can always ask," she said, her voice low, almost as if she was afraid someone might overhear. "The church keeps many secrets, but there are ways to learn them… if you ask the right questions."

I looked at her, surprised. Did she know something? There was a glint in her eyes, a hint of something deeper, a knowledge that went beyond what I'd expected. For a moment, I felt a strange sense of hope. Maybe I wasn't as alone in this as I thought.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart pounding a little faster.

Morgana smiled, a small, knowing smile. "Just… be careful, Orion. The truth isn't always what it seems. Sometimes it's hidden in plain sight, but sometimes… it's hidden because it's dangerous."

And with that, she stood up, smoothing her dress, and headed for the door. "Now, come on. If you're done with your books, your uncle's waiting for you. You know how he gets if he thinks you're avoiding him."

I closed the book and stood up, my mind buzzing with questions. Dangerous truths… Maybe she was right. But I needed to know. For Yuui. For myself. For whatever lay ahead.