The Sin of Humanity

On the morning of the festival, the sounds of the city's bells rose from the early hours, announcing the beginning of an exceptional day in the kingdom. The streets were in their finest appearance, glittering with colorful lanterns despite the shining sun, as if the light doubled their sparkle. Balloons floated in the sky, and clowns filled the roads, surrounded by children and people from all directions. The atmosphere was saturated with joy, and the city pulsed with life.

At the center of the city, a towering structure rose — the tallest in the entire kingdom. At its peak stood a massive clock ringing beneath the grand banner of the Union of Nations. Its chime echoed throughout the city, officially declaring the start of the festival.

At the grand gate, Felix stood along with several soldiers, waiting for an important guest whose arrival had been delayed. A man wearing an elegant suit and a gray tie, with blond hair and sharp features — it was Mr. Lebran, the representative of the Kingdom of Dron.

Felix said with a formal smile:

"Welcome, Mr. Lebran. You look very elegant, as always."

Lebran replied with a smile:

"What a compliment from you, Mr. Felix. You look more elegant than I do," he said, laughing.

Then they left together, leaving the large gate behind them, exchanging conversations about the festival arrangements and laughing out loud.

On the other side, near the palace, a girl of captivating beauty and glowing red hair stepped out of one of the luxurious houses. It was Dorana, followed by a group of her followers. Suddenly, one of them broke the silence:

"Dorana, I don't understand why we came to this place. There doesn't seem to be anything worthwhile... I know festivals don't interest you, so why are we here?"

She answered in a calm tone:

"I came to see someone from my family."

The followers looked at her in astonishment.

One of the girls asked:

"Which family member are you talking about?"

Another said:

"I think the whole family resides in the Archipelago Continent, so why would they come here?"

Dorana answered:

"I don't know if he is really here… but this festival is held annually, and people come from all corners of the kingdom… he might be here, and I hope he is."

A third man asked her in surprise:

"Which family member do you mean?"

She smiled and said:

"I have never seen him before… but in the future, he will be a member of my family."

Silence fell again, and confusion appeared on their faces.

One of them said:

"Can you explain more? We didn't understand what you meant."

She did not answer, but said calmly:

"Where is the headquarters of the kingdom's knights? I want to check on something before we go to the arena."

One of them replied:

"My lady, it will be empty now, because all the knights are near the arena waiting for the king."

She said reproachfully:

"Didn't I tell you to erase the word 'my lady' from your mouths?"

The man apologized with a smile:

"Sorry, Dorana."

She drifted off for a moment, then said:

"Let's go… let's see the knights first before entering the arena."

One of them asked her in a low tone:

"Is the one you are looking for among the knights?"

She said:

"I'm not sure… but we'll find out now."

After minutes, Dorana and her companions arrived at the grand arena. The knights' rows were lined up regularly, seven rows, each containing ten knights, led by a leader for each row, and all of them followed Felix, the commander of the knights, who was standing before them waiting for the king's arrival.

When Felix saw Durana approaching, he turned to the soldiers and shouted:

"Knights… salute!"

Everyone knelt firmly and placed their hands on their hearts… all of them, except one. He remained standing at the end of one of the rows.

Felix did not notice him, as his eyes were following Durana's approach. Then, one of her followers said with a mocking smile:

"Sir Felix, it seems that one of your followers was not well raised."

Felix quickly turned, and saw the young man standing at the end of one of the rows, so he recognized him immediately:

Yes, it was Ames with his black hair and calm blue eyes, standing upright.

Felix said angrily:

"Ames! You scoundrel… why didn't you salute?"

Ames' row leader whispered to himself:

"You are such a troublemaker…"

Ames looked at Felix, then said calmly:

"I didn't salute even the king… so how could I salute this girl?"

Dorana smiled and said:

"No need to exaggerate, Felix. I came just to ask you about someone."

Due to Ames' status, Felix did not prolong the argument. Then he said:

"We will talk later, after the festival."

He then turned to Dorana and asked her:

"Who are you asking about?"

She said:

"About someone called the Reaper of Souls. I heard he is one of the kingdom's knights… is he here?"

Felix was surprised, exchanged looks with some knights, then turned and pointed with his hand to Ames:

"Do you mean… that scoundrel over there?"

Durana's eyes widened in surprise, then she began walking slowly toward Ames. Shock was evident on her face, as if she was facing a possibility she wasn't prepared for.

She reached him, looked directly into his eyes, scrutinizing his features carefully.

Then she whispered:

"Is… your real name Ames?"

Ames was silent for a moment, then answered:

"Yes. Why?"

Dorana sighed and whispered in a barely audible voice:

"It seems this journey will be in vain… but it's alright."

She raised her eyes to him and said:

"Forget that I asked you."

Then she turned and went back to Felix:

"It seems to be a misunderstanding… forget it. We will meet at the arena."

Then she started to leave, followed by her companions, while Ames remained standing, not understanding anything.