The City of Ionia

Behind the bars was a girl around the same age as us. Her ginger hair covered her face. Raphtalia probably thought she didn’t hear her, so she repeated what she said earlier. The girl's head jolted up. It was safe to say she heard Raphtalia.

“Hey,” Raphtalia said as if speaking to a baby anime, “What’s your name?”

The girl sat there with her knees curled in, her fingers in her mouth. She mumbled something, but it was too soft for us to hear clearly.

Raphtalia reassured the girl. “Don’t be shy. We aren’t one of them.”

I tugged on Raphtalia’s arm, hoping to get her moving.

We couldn’t waste time like this. The thought of leaving Raphtalia surfaced in my mind. I shook those dreadful thoughts away. I would not do this alone. Either I did this with her or didn’t do it at all.

The girl used her arms to push herself up. She took her sweet time to walk over like we weren’t in a hurry. She wore a baggy brown shirt that almost looked as if the sleeves were ripped off. The tip of her ears poked out through her tangled hair. She had unique eyes that were the color of ash.

“M-My name… is… Sylvia.”

Raphtalia leaned her head as far as the bars allowed her to. “Hey Sylvia, my name’s Raphtalia. This is my friend Jill.”

I kept quiet. Why was Raphtalia not focused on the task at hand? Why try doing something helpful to another if they’ll drag us down? What could Sylvia do for us? She appeared malnourished, which we all were, but she was a special case. All she would do is become a burden for us.

“Sylvia,” she whispered, “Do you have a dream? If you do, do you mind sharing it?”

I saw where this was going.

She faintly nodded. “I want to see…… the… outside world.”

Raphtalia gave her a genuine smile, and with a hint of joy, she said, “In that case, would you like to join us? We’re heading to the outside world right now.”

Sylvia’s face lit up like a torch. This time, she repeatedly nodded her head. Her reaction simulated a prayer coming true. Her eyes were on the verge of tears again, but it was relief instead of agony. This new feeling of hope overwhelmed her.

Hope in which a new pathway had opened up. It may be painful to walk on. There could be sorrow and despair along the way. But she didn’t seem to care. She wanted this chance to seek the light in hopes that one day, she could finally catch a glimpse of it.

“Great, give me one second.” She patted her pockets, mumbling, “Where did I put this thing?”

“If you’re searching for the pick, it’s back in the cell.”

Raphtalia looked at me with her face slumped. She turned to Sylvia, who grabbed the bars as her finger tapped the metal.

“I’m… I’m going to go back and grab it.”

I firmly grabbed Raphtalia’s arm, ensuring she didn't break free this time. “Are you stupid? You want to risk this entire thing for a stranger? Get a grip, and let's move.”

“But… but I want to help her. I want to help them all.” Her fragile voice poked a hole in my heart.

Sylvia’s face grew pale. Her happiness vanished. Everything was gone. The false hope was stripped away from her. Her face was riddled with a thousand wounds. She could hardly keep herself together.

It pissed me off. When would Sylvia realize we weren’t born to achieve great things or find our place in this world? We could struggle daily to get what we wanted, but it would be futile. The road to freedom was minimal. If it wasn’t meant for you, then that’s a shame. One day, though, it’ll be your turn. One day, the bells of liberty will grant you the freedom you desire. But for now, all you’ll hear is the melody of despair.

Raphtalia gave one last look at Sylvia, who collapsed onto her knees. She let out a roaring scream, where the birds would scatter away from terror.

This was the worst-case scenario. We bolted as fast as our little legs would take us. We reached the end of the hall. Towards our left, we saw what we hoped to see. My muscles froze. My heartbeat was slamming against my ears at an unfamiliar pace. My grip was so tight that her veins could’ve exploded at any second. The moonlight warmly greeted us from the exit. Still holding onto her arm, I led the way, sprinting towards the light. We’re so close. So close. Just a little longer.

Out of nowhere, resistance came from Raphtalia. My legs stopped, and I turned around to see the reason. She was on the ground, holding her stomach as blood leaked through her shirt.

Her mouth coughed up blood, spilling it over the floor.

Blood.

All over the floor.

Blood.

Her blood.

She wasn’t in tears, but her face screamed in agony.

“R-Raph…talia…?”

Behind her, a guard held a spear. Blood dripped from its tip. The guard had a familiar-looking scar near his eyes. He carried a smile that abandoned any innocence. There was joy in what he did.

Without caring for my safety, I crouched over to her, cradling her body in my arms.

“... ll”. She was still alive, desperately trying to speak. I held her close, stroking her hair like I always did. Her breathing was weak. It was too weak for comfort.

Tears fell on her sweaty face. I shouldn’t be crying yet. She’s still alive. Why were there tears? I ignored my surroundings. I ignored the fact that the armed man carried my fate. All I focused on was Raphtalia. Her body felt so gentle.

“...ve… live… dream… promise… live.”

I couldn’t respond. All I could do was nod my head with a faint smile—a smile filled with a prayer. But my quivering lips interrupted that smile. Did my body know the truth that my heart refused to accept?

The pain, fear, and cold must’ve been difficult to bear. I embraced her with everything I could offer. I held onto her, sharing my love and comfort.

I took her hand and placed it on my face, looking into those black eyes. When I first met those eyes, they felt so comfortable. They’ve always been. I got lost in comfort whenever I admired those gems. Never once did I think those eyes would be anything but comforting.

The corner of her lips curled up. If someone weren’t paying close attention, they wouldn’t have realized her attempt at a smile. She blinked and blinked and blinked again.

This time, when she closed her eyes, she never reopened them. There was no strength in her arm.

I erupted with cries. Tears stormed down my cheek like a tsunami as I vomited a few coughs. I cradled her lifeless body. Till the end, I couldn’t protect her.

The man stood still, looking down at me. I was vulnerable to an attack, so why didn’t he end me? Did he want to savor the moment? Did my suffering cause him joy?

A rough voice traveled from the hall. “What’s all the ruckus for!?” A few moments later, two people were staring down at me. “Oh… so this is what occurred.”

Next to the man with the spear was someone wearing an oversized black cloak. His thorny beard and large width told me everything. He was the king. Why was he here?

The man holding the spear filled the king in. I partially listened, with my primary focus being on Raphtalia.

“Ahhh… how unfortunate,” he said, turning towards me. “Young child, tell me your name.”

There was a moment of silence, but eventually, I responded as my voice trembled.

“Well then, Jill, you were running to the outside world, so you must have some desire. Tell me, what is it?”

My desire? I wanted to escape this hell. I wanted a peaceful life outside. That was all. Raphtalia also had a dream, but hers was less selfish than mine. Not only did she want to live in the City of Ionia, but she also wanted to combine outsiders and Ionians. A world where the concept of inequality is long forgotten. That’s what she wanted.

But… she’s not here… anymore.

She wouldn’t be able to achieve her dream. So that meant… I had to fill in her shoes. Forget my desire. Once the outsiders and Ionians lived together, I could peacefully live in Ionia.

Right… that’s perfect.

“I… I want… I want outsiders and Ionians… to live together. So then… we can all live peacefully.”

He squatted down at my eye level. “Is that what you truly want?”

“My initial dream is to simply…escape. But she… she wanted… something more. She wanted outsiders… and Ionians… to unite as one. But she won’t be able… to. So… So… So I’ll do it for her.”

“So you’re going to live for another person’s dream?”

I nodded. There was no choice but to live for her dream. She was no more. So it’s my responsibility to see it through.

The king chuckled. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll grant you freedom to the outside world, but in return, you must follow my one request. Ten years from now, you must attend the Walisburg event. There, we’ll speak about your dream and what you’ve done. And what you’ve done with the freedom I’ve granted you. That is if you haven’t found a way into the city. But my people will know if you did or not. You probably don’t know the event, but you have ten years to figure it out.”

Walisburg event ten years from now?

“Now go!” I jumped and fell onto my forearm. His gravelly voice bounced off the stone walls. I moved her lifeless body off my lap and made my way towards the stars. “Jill,” said the king, “Live for your dream and not another’s.”

I didn’t look back. I kept going until I was out of the dark hallway and underneath the stars, which warmly greeted my eyes. I walked through the gloomy forest’s dirt-brown trees. Could there be animals devouring meat and gnawing on bones? It was a random thought, but one that kept me awake.

It was difficult to breathe the musty air. It was tough to breathe in general. I looked behind me, my shadow nowhere to be found.

I stopped to take a moment. My palms covered my face. After my heart crumbled and my eyes bled an ocean, my soul felt on the verge of disappearing. My bones shook out of my skin, though it wasn’t cold. This type of pain made me puke up all my regrets.

If I hadn’t allowed the conversation to be dragged out, if I planned our escape more efficiently, none of this would've happened. The feeling of grief passed throughout my body.

I’ll never feel the warmth of her life. The fond memories of her smile and laugh would never be the same without her. She was the only one—the only one who showed me any warmth. Everyone else didn’t matter. She was the one I couldn’t lose. No one cared for me like she did.

This was my own lamentable curse. I lived in a sinful place beyond retribution.

And the wish she clung onto was promised to be fulfilled by this sullied soul. Mark those words on the moon.

I stood underneath the branches. I couldn’t help but scream. I screamed so loud that this pathetic, defiled world knew how I felt.

Worthless as it was, I dropped onto my knees, praying for a future for the two of us.

Worthless as it was, I prayed for one more day together.

Worthless as it was, I couldn’t help but pray for one more moment together.

But no prayer would probably reach… so what should I do?