Chapter 69: Crumbs of What's Begun
The group traveled around the edges of the large crystal clear lake, shimmering under the milky vista of sparkling stars and streams of space dust. The night sky was clear, the moon's luminance bathed the lands, and wildlife was approaching their time for slumber.
The wanderers noticed the breeze from the flowing winds was a lot tamer than in Dreamtoe Cliff. It's as if it was glistening under the moonlight. As they strolled across the grass-smeared trail, Aletha walked next to Sally and Asahi, then commented.
"The moon shines bright like the sun, and the winds whistle along the peaceful hills as if it was extinguishing the flames from before."
Drimi squinted at her and asked with a curious tone.
"What're you talking about? Are you some sort of poet or something?"
Aletha shook her head and lightly chuckled, remembering all her moments with reading books in other worlds. Though Asahi and Aletha's native language was Gincad's, she had a truth that she simply couldn't ignore.
"Oh… of course not. Actually, a long time ago… while I was being born, my mother blessed Asahi and me with an ability to easily understand every language by the touch of our fingers."
Drimi's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
Belial turned to Aletha.
"Oh, really? Well… that's quite… interesting. Are you two world-travelers as well?"
Appreciatively, Aletha tilted her head away from Belial and slowly nodded her head. Her breathing gradually grew slim while smelling the lingering scent from the fresh springs scattered across the marsh of Pladtioa.
"Yes. We were forced to be world-travelers ever since the calamity. However, I don't remember much about the worlds we traveled before the calamity."
Asahi nodded his head, pointed to the starlight, and added.
"But we do remember every single smidge and memory of every world where we visited."
Phthonus interrupted, tilted his head toward Asahi, and asked.
"Oh… do you have an example of a world that gave you the most conflict and problems?"
Traversing through the fields, the group approached an unavoidable state of exhaustion. Most were drenched with sweat, and others were distracted from the breath-taking vista of the breeze-bathed plains surrounding their presences.
The wanderers almost avoided the question. The group discovered altars spreading out throughout the desolate lands, spewing out essences that fume and purify the once tarnished lands in footsteps and mud from the previous, ongoing rainstorm. As before, Belial asked the question again.
"Is there a world that makes you weaker and almost impossible to escape in…?"
Before they could tread any further, with one word, both Asahi and Aletha answered with a deep, grudging tone.
"Auguya."
The delivery of the mysterious name of the land shocked Belial, Phthonus, Drimi, and Sally. They muttered confusingly.
"Aug…uya…?"
Asahi gripped his fingers and turned toward the sky. The group halted near the entrance of the smaller forest and glared at him.
As the wind silently blew against his hair and his flaps dangling around his chest, Asahi raised his arm and snapped his fingers. His fierce gray eyes peered straight through the souls of the group.
"A deceptive world that heeded no mercy to humans. We barely escaped after accidentally falling into it. The regions were absolutely sweltering, a war sprawled out, monsters were everywhere trying to go after our guts, and we created many conflicts, like encountering a demon lord who had the power to freeze time. Oh, it was chaotic. The only thing we left was an earring I wore and a compass near some sort of tower.."
He turned to the ground and clenched his fists.
"We were just mere seconds away from getting killed after escaping—
Asahi hastily stepped forward and pulled Aletha away from the group.
"The memory from that world left a scar in our minds. I can remember it as clearly as the day of our world's calamity. I never would have believed it, but I saw other people just like us getting killed as well. We tried to save them, but we were too late."
Aletha interrupted Asahi by stepping forward and clearing her throat.
"L-Let's not speak anymore about that place. That world is long gone and abandoned from us for now. I'm just glad that we made it home safe after all the dangerous worlds we explored."
Drimi and Belial raised their voices.
"You explored multiple worlds?! How are you..."
At that moment, Asahi just wanted to abandon the thoughts and memories of the hostile worlds that he and Aletha visited. The wanderers and the rest of the group continued to travel drowsy.
By stepping out of the grass fields and the thick shrubbery of the forest, the glittering fragrant moonlight shimmered and sparkled on their dark attire.
The stars sprinkled across the horizon, with fireflies dancing left and right over the grass patches. The wanderers were exhausted, and so was the rest of the group… so as they reached Phthonus' building, they decided to take a rest and prepare for the next day.
* * * * * * * *
Asahi and Aletha still had a deep grudge toward The Kitsune. Never would they think that such a creature could unleash such chaos. Almost all night, they couldn't get any sleep in thanks to the nightmares that followed from Dreamtoe Cliff. They were most paranoid about the three silhouettes. In some way, they looked like the figures and shapes of their family.
The tallest one was the father, the smallest was Aiyana, and the one who turned away from the other two shadows was…
Before they could notice it, the last memory of the silhouette was wiped away from their minds.
While Asahi pulled the bed covers over his chest, he turned his head to the ceiling and sighed. A warm glaze of orange shone on his face from the insuperable luminance of the light. He turned to Aletha, who was on the other side of the room and hollered.
"Sis, can you turn off the light?"
Aletha, who had her bangs untied and covering both her two eyes drearily groaned, lifted her head up and reached for the metal chain dangling from the light. Silently, she flicked the switch, clicked the lamp, and the orange luminance faded from reach.
Aletha then slammed her body back against the floor, pulled her fluffy blankets over her head, and turned back to the fireplace.
"Not even a good night?" Asahi asked quietly.
Aletha lifted a thumbs up, pulled her blankets over her head, and faintly mumbled.
"Good night."
* * * * * * * *
The following day, Phthonus decided to wake everybody up and head outside. He wanted to warn them because he had a particular plan lingering inside his mind the other night.
They were all outside the door, with their things and luggage packed up and ready for the next trip.
The warm yellow glaze of the sunlight mixed with the vibrant hues of the forest made the moment a little more bearable, the birds started to sing their tiny tunes, and wildlife sprawled back into life from the faint morning mist resonating within the ground. Drimi said as she crossed her arms and stared at Phthonus with her drowsy eyes.
"What made you all so hyper this morning, dude? Do you have some sort of itch up your back or something?"
It was clear that she was still inside her masculine personality, mainly because the current situation wasn't as severe as what it was in Dreamtoe.
After all, the magic she and the others used made them exhausted, and almost all their energy was depleted. Even Asahi and Aletha looked drowsy and tired. Despite rubbing their eyes and yawning, Belial was the only other individual wide awake. As he walked out of the front door of the cabin, Belial held three steaming croissants in his hand.
They were steaming, with the crusty and flaky texture of it pressed against his soft skin.
His emerald eyes shined brighter than the others.
"I see that most of you are exhausted, despite getting enough rest. Perhaps it was the energy of The Soil that led our stamina to deplete from the constant fights that beast unleashed on us? No matter, I have a solution for your exhaustion…."
Belial cheerfully stepped forward and peered his glistening emerald eyes toward the group.
"When my parents were still around, back in the past when I dwelled within a small brown shack within the rough whistling sands of Zomrack, my mother always taught me how to bake these wonderful delights made from the resources that resided within the Cocoa Forest of Zomrack…."
As he continued to explain, Belial gave everyone in the group one large, steamy patisserie. He lifted his own croissant into the air, cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. Even his voice was inflated and accelerated as if there were continuous bursts of energy bouncing in his head.
The group didn't even question what was inside the treat; they just stared at it.
"Inside those croissants is a special ingredient that forces your mind to accelerate, thus unleashing blossoming amounts of energy through your body. All the seeds of the cocoa plants, the sugar, and a secret magical element that only my family possessed would all get mushed together inside of the core of the patisserie. We would cover it with a coating of flaky buttermilk breading and toss it into the oven. As a result, Spurini Croissant was made and given across many individuals using it as a primary source for a long-lasting stimulant that would last for almost an entire day."
As Asahi, Aletha, Sally, and Drimi tossed the treat into their mouths, munching and devouring the crispy buttermilk patisserie, Belial lightly chuckled and smiled.
"I wish I could tell all of you this. I kept this secret for so long. I am technically one of the owners of the Stimulant Business. I don't think Pladtioa had a building with Spurni Croissants, mainly because it's secluded and far from Zomrack. But on the other side of the world, in the continent of Vehemat, there are buildings scattered all over the place."
As the wind brushed against Belial's long dark hair, he turned to Drimi and inquired.
"If we can obtain our weapons, and if Drimi can sail us through the diverting sea, maybe I can tour the wanderers and the rest of the group around the Spurni Building in Linuxinia City? I haven't been in Vehemat for a long time, so I have no idea how business is doing…."
Most of the group was shocked and flabbergasted when hearing Belial's secret. Even the most likable person with a strong connection with Belial was surprised. When the warm, savory treat slithered down everyone's throats, bursts of energy fumed, pulsated, and coursed in their bodies like a flashing light.
Each function and organ in the group's bodies got stimulated, accelerating their duties like drinking a warm cup of uncondensed coffee.
Almost immediately, the drowsy fog within all their eyes faded into a shimmering, warm, awakened sense of nourishment and wakefulness.
Asahi and Aletha commented while hastily turning their heads in all directions.
"I feel… energized. As if I was put into the state prior to The Kitsune fight."
Aletha swiftly jumped up and pushed Asahi to the side. She was overwhelmed with the constant rushes of energy bursting into a massive plume of wakefulness.
"I feel a lot more refreshed after I ate that! Wow, I feel… so… hyper! Do you have another supply of this so my brother and I can eat this every morning?"
Belial's emerald eyes widened; he backed away and scratched his head nervously.
"Well… of course. I actually have the ability where... I can freely create Spurni Croissants at my fingertips. However, it takes most of my stamina and energy to make those; and at moments, the creation process might not work."
Phthonus slowly nodded his head, placed his hand over his hips, and quickly gulped the last chunk of the croissant down.
In the dark empty plain inside Phthonus' mind, an explosion of pure energy spread through each corner inside him, forcing him to jump and shiver out of wakefulness. He quickly remembered why he was out there and raised his voice.
"Now, all of you wonder why I swiftly forced you to get outside of my building. Well, it wasn't because I was drowsy, angry, or envious among any of you, but it was at the fault of…
As he was explaining, Phthonus hastily pulled out a small prismatic white crystal from one of his long gray pockets. It glistened and shimmered under the light, with the sun tracing each of the gem's pointed corners.
"This gem--
Phthonus hastily got interrupted by Sally, whose hair was messed up.
"What is it?"
He gritted his teeth, shut his eyes, and took an exaggerated sigh. Drimi hastily turned to Sally and softly slapped the back of her head. She whispered to her in a lenient, masculine voice.
"Well, if you could let the poor man speak, maybe he would reveal to all of us what the gem does."
Sally's face tainted into a bright pink. She slowly nodded her head and nervously answered.
"O-Okay…"
Phthonus lowered the crystal and took a deep breath. Though he was energetic and relaxed, slight hints of aggravation waited to spark inside him. Belial nervously chuckled and turned to Phthonus' hand.
"They won't interrupt you anymore."
Phthonus nodded his head and smiled under his scarf. He stepped forward on a patch of fallen green leaves, took a deep breath, and explained to the group in a vibrant and active tone.
"This gem is an Adcrystal, an object capable of fabricating the holder's dreams into a reality. Its energy and power are said to be connected to The Prism of Creation; The Core source of energy in the world."
He tilted his body toward the large cabin, smiled, and nodded his head.
"As you can see, this building looks to be just a normal building. However, believe it or not, the entirety of this cabin was created from the projection of my dream building using the power of just one small crystal. This crystal!"
He pointed his arms toward the front door of the building, grasped onto the shimmering white crystal tightly, and slowly closed his eyes. As the group quietly watched Phthonus, the ground around the building began to release faint tremors, then strong trembles.
The group heard the bookshelves, the plates, and the furniture trembling and moving inside the building. Large sparks and zaps emitted from the tip of the crystal, releasing a vibrant ray of pink light that raced up and down the walls.
While the wanderers and the others tried to remain balanced from the quakes, the Adcrystal released a high-pitched chime, and suddenly, all of the building shrunk and faded into sparkling purple and magenta dust. Phthonus released a relieved sigh and yelled.
"And so… the process is finished."
He walked toward the group and revealed to everyone the glowing Adcrystal.
It was imbued in bright colors, with a snapshot of the building glittering inside the sealed Adcrystal. All four of the group's eyes sparkled in awe, unable to believe what occurred. Aletha raised her voice and jumped.
"T-That's the building?!"
Phthonus scratched his head, took a deep breath, and scratched his eye. Though he had no hatred for Aletha, Phthonus was irritated and eager to travel to Milmoor Village thanks to Belial's energy-giving croissant. The group was keen, so in a rush, Phthonus replied to Aletha with a speedy tone.
"Yes, it is. I can't believe you two are so fascinated by this crystal. It's scattered all over the place in Vehemat. Mainly underground. And by underground, I mean most of them are by The Depths."
The wanderers scratched their heads.
"The Depths…?"
Phthonus had a shivering feeling when mentioning the mysterious region.
Drimi, Belial, and Sally were terrified that Phthonus decided to mention that name. Sally faintly whispered as the sun got covered in clouds.
"Phthonus… you know the laws. Please, don't take the risk. I don't want to see you hurt. Let's just return to Milmoor for all of our sake. Before we get intruded upon by monsters."
"Eh?"
Asahi and Aletha were evidently confused about what the group meant by 'laws.' They never had any smidge of memory of having constructed 'laws' in their world.
Phthonus rushed outside the sun's light and to the tree's shadows as they were about to discuss. He didn't even realize that the others were following him.
"I have no choice. Asahi, Aletha, I know you two are the gods of our world. I can't fully describe the place since I have never had a memory of traveling there, but I had heard that it contains the remnants of the ancient era of Gincad, before even your previous world existed. The first incarna—
Before Phthonus could even mention it, his Adcrystal slipped from the grip of his hands and flew toward the dirt.
"—ACK!"
His body was forced to the ground by an invisible force, almost crushing his skull against the soil. Blue and cyan sparkles shimmered on his back.
"I can't…."
It felt to him that there was an invisible weight crushing against all of his bones. He could not breathe, his eyes were almost pushed out, and his arms slowly stretched.
"Phthonus!" The wanderers cried.
They turned their heads, only to see that the others didn't move or breathe.
"Sally?"
Most were paused in space, even the skies.
.
.
.
As blue sparkles continued to flow, rise, and drown the atmosphere, unexpectedly shimmering white petals encircled the area. The cluster of energy released a massive black shockwave that swept through the forest.
Asahi and Aletha's bodies flew into the air, their arms flailed, and they were tossed through the bottoms of trees. A loud ringing sounded in their ears, and their vision flashed to darkness.
Not much time later... the wanderers arose from the tree. Asahi scratched his head, turned to Aletha, and asked her while the others ran toward the impact site to find where they both were.
"Do you have a memory of what just happened?"
Aletha replied as she pulled herself up and rubbed her eyes.
"Yeah..."
She was lost, confused, and afraid. Aletha scratched her head, turned toward the bushes, made a thoughtful stance, and hypothesized.
"Perhaps it was just a natural thing that occurred from the forest? Or maybe some sort of side effect to our broken magic? We still have minimal knowledge of our present world-- anything could happen."
Despite the horrific event, none mentioned the incident. Phthonus, the one affected, acted confused as if the sparkles were just a natural thing that occurred or as if it never happened. He lifted his body from the ground and dashed across the grass with the others.
. . .
As the group raced through the bushes to find the wanderers, Asahi clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and speculated.
"I… don't understand. Phthonus was right on the ground seconds ago, and now he stands up as if nothing happened at all. Was this what they meant when they mentioned 'laws' in our world?"
Aletha shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't remember there being certain 'laws' in the past. I say we should get to Milmoor as fast as we can before--"
"Asahi, Aletha!"
Phthonus scrambled to Asahi, scratched his head, and placed his black scarf over his mouth. His eyes were at the same vibrance, his body seemed uninjured, and his Adcrystal was tightly caressed on his fingertips. Excessive sweat slid down his face, with his eyes bulging out in shock. Phthonus stammered.
"Where did you two go? A massive shockwave appeared out of nowhere."
Drimi and Sally pushed out through the thick bushes and raced outside.
"Are you two alright? What was that?!"
Sally, who was more lenient, calm, and gentle about the situation, released a deep sigh, fixed her hair, and recited.
"After Phthonus revealed to us his special crystal, all of a sudden, a shockwave appeared out of nowhere, and I saw both of you fly into the air."
It was difficult for Drimi to hide her giggle. Thankfully, her mask was on. As her long silky dark hair flew to the side, Drimi stated.
"Hm-hm. It's so… random. I haven't experienced anything like it. Anyways, I think it's about time for us to travel to Milmoor. By my understanding from the last time we were here, I say that we have about…."
Drimi paused. The birds chirped, and shuffling footsteps were heard. Everyone turned around and saw Belial charge through the bushes, with his eyes engulfed in green and his claws piercing the leaves, screaming as if a monster was nearby.
"Get away from the--
Sally hastily stepped forward and blocked Belial from moving forward. He backed up, scratched his head, and asked.
"What just happened? I saw a shockwave and then saw the wanderers fly into the air."
Drimi slapped Belial on the back of his head and deeply chuckled.
"There weren't any monsters there, silly Bebe. It was just some sort of random occurrence that happened."
She paused, turned toward the opening of the forest, and continued.
"Now… as I was saying. From here to Milmoor Village, the distance is about one thousand five hundred meters. If we want to grab our weapons back, and if the wanderers want to go to Linuxinia, we have to travel to Milmoor as soon as we can."
The group nodded their heads and smiled. But the wanderers couldn't wash that thought into mind.
They realized that whatever happened to Phthonus was a punishment for breaking the 'law' of their world, serving almost as a warning if it were ever to be broken.
However, there wasn't an established order before the calamity. Whatever might have happened in the past might have led to the current state of this world.
If anything, it made Asahi and Aletha more curious about what happened when they were gone.
. . .
A loud silence formed, with everyone senselessly staring at each other.
The birds chirped, the insects hummed, and the leaves flew as new dawn emerged from the horizon. The events that happened in Dreamtoe were finally over. The wanderers and the rest of the group can now toss their memories and move on to the next. But before they all set to embark on their continuing journeys, one was still stressed about something.
"Belial, do you still have The Fruit with you?" Drimi asked as she pushed her bangs over her eyes.
The group turned to him and crossed their arms. Phthonus took a deep sigh and walked toward Belial, who was panicked on searching for it. All of them felt like time was spilling away each moment they stood in the tranquil forest.
Removing the heavenly thought in mind, Drimi shook her head, began gritting her teeth, and clenched her fists.
"Don't tell me you lost it…."
His friends knew that Belial was entirely responsible for the passing years, but Belial faintly whispered.
"Where… is…"
Before he could touch it, Phthonus hastily snagged the sparkling object and lifted it into the air. He raised his voice as the light from it shined down on his face.
"I have found it!
Everyone turned to Phthonus and saw a glittering object caressed on both his hands. It was sparkling and shimmering under a white luminance, like a crystal or a star. They all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew. For a minute there, I thought Belial had lost it. But of course, I know he wouldn't do such a thing because I always remembered he was responsible."
Drimi advanced through the bushes and hollered to the rest of the group.
"Alright! Now let's go! We still have a lot to do today, so I advise that we travel toward Milmoor now."
Sally, Asahi, Aletha, Phthonus, and Belial nodded and agreed. They stepped out of the bushes, took a deep breath, and advanced further along the trail.
* * * * * * * *
The day dawned crisp and clear. Drimi hollered as their figures emerged from the opening of the small forest.
"We made it!"
The sudden gust of fresh air and warm breeze welcomed them. The group saw the beautiful morning sky above their heads. White puffy clouds drifted over the seemingly endless horizon, reflecting the bright blue sea of tranquility and the hiding moon.
Fluorescent scents flowed across groups of flora. The smell of fresh mint and berries raised up to their tingling nostrils, delighting them with a fresh aroma.
As they advanced over a steep downward drop of a cliff, they turned to their right and saw the towering silhouette of Pladtioa mountain piercing through the blanket of clouds, with flocks of birds circumventing the top the square-shaped highlands.
Belial commented as he walked near Phthonus.
"The flock of birds… always encircle that same area every year. It must be a tradition of some sort."
Asahi nodded his head and turned toward the peaceful plains.
"Well, at least we are finally back. I kind of miss the peaceful plains in Pladtioa."
Aletha smiled and lightly giggled.
"I'm relieved that we're here too. Hey, do you see that?"
Not too far in the distance, atop another steep cliff, they see the quiet, peaceful town of Milmoor bathing under the warm sunlight. The tall pine trees danced with the gentle gusts, grass waves back and forth under the rising sun, and saw crystal blue fireflies wander around the meadows. When the wanderers saw the silhouette of the village, they raced across the vibrant green hills, shuffled their feet over fallen twigs and leaves, and passed through a sea of dandelions.
As the wanderers parted further from the group, Phthonus screamed from a distance.
"Hey? Where are you two going?!"
Drimi lightly chuckled and patted Phthonus' back. Though they were running away, Drimi didn't mind letting the wanderers smile every now and then. She faintly whispered to Phthonus with a bright smile underneath her mask.
"I, too, feel that this town eclipses the sun and watches over the entire nation. Oh, how I wish to witness what this nation was like at its prime."
Phthonus' orange and amber eyes lowered to the ground, seeing damp wetlands and stinky swaps replacing the view of the fresh and clean breeze-bathed plains. As he stared into space, Drimi snapped her fingers.
"Are you okay?"
Phthonus hastily shook his head and washed the past sight of the swamps away from his mind. Though he wanted to reveal it to Drimi, he was too afraid of dropping The Fruit.
"N-Nothing. It was just… a vision… That's all."
The fresh, fertile temperate flatlands of the expansive green meadows now eclipsed the repugnant state of what the nation indeed was in the past.
But like any other moment, you must move on.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Sunny_Shad0w
Sunny_Shad0w If you enjoy this novel and are interested in future Arcs, please keep or add this novel to your collections to help me grow and continue to keep on writing this novel.
After all, all of this is done individually by the author. (me.)
(I have to remove the references in this chapter for reasons.)
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone