{ AHT }

I trudge through the forest with Ki in mind... I'm a goner now. She chooses me? That puts a last charge into my heart.

I'll fall for her one day if I keep seeing her. Aside from her sinful behaviour, her wisdom, compassion yet ruthlessness, and merriment are dragging me. Who knows what's more to her that will make me fall deeper? But if Ki reciprocates, I'm not 'spirit' enough to be with her. If I run away, not only my heart will break, she'll lose a friend too. Ugghh I'm stuck here.

I look up to the starry sky for any sort of guidance, peeking behind the thick trees. They hate me... Although I remain hopeful that They will forgive me.

"Books! Get her books."

Talking to myself like a madman for the entire journey to stay sane. The trail from here is at least familiar now.

____________________

The town is brightly lit in my view, bustling with too many people. It's not a happy atmosphere because they are either busy preparing for war, affected by war, gossiping about war, or all three. Never changed since I was last taken here. I huff, step on the pavement, and pace towards the nearest bar.

I hope the forties will end already.

The bar had been refurbished. Different since I last entered here. Clean wooden beams and ceilings and smooth grey walls, which are littered with liquor bottles and pictures of American soldiers. What surprises me is that the bar owner added dead animals' heads on those walls. When did he have the time to hunt?

"Chatterbox! Long time— What the hell happened to you?" Vivian fucking shouts.

My eyes bulge, motioning at her to keep it down! Her voice is raucous all the way to the door, where I just duck and enter and gain attention from bar patrons. I nod at them apologetically while heading straight to the counter, sensing their judgemental looks.

Gritting my teeth at Vivian, I warn, "Can you keep it down?"

"Thrive on the attention! Water as usual?"

She must be kidding me. When did I ever want attention from this town? Especially the way I look? Before this haggard appearance, however. "Yes, and stop calling me chatterbox."

"Can't promise you."

"Whatever." One time I rambled, and she calls me chatterbox ever since. I hate it.

Came across this town when I was on the way to Alaska. Bad time to travel, but I heard long-lost books were found over there and I couldn't wait around. Because of my bloody impatience, I was captured by corrupted socialites. Slaved to mine for whatever metals they had for three months—I counted the days—in a faraway place.

With Theodore as an exception, Vivian is the only friendly person around here, even though I know she acts like one because she wants to bed me. Because I'm an exotic thrill to her. She called me as this had put the final nail in the coffin to be my friend.

She's pretty and all and men fawn over her, though I don't get her appeal. Her moral values and mine are worlds apart anyway. She has a husband and a few kids, a happy family despite these trying times. I can't imagine why she would throw it all away for a short thrill.

Honestly, I have no friends where I can be as I am. Maybe Theo... I'd been trying in this bar with several patrons and they were intimidated. Some were defensive. If not for loneliness, I wouldn't visit this stupid bar. I don't even like alcohol. But do I regret coming to this ignorant town? Did I regret being stupid and letting my guard down and getting captured?

No. Because I would not have met Ki then.

"What happened? I can help you with it. I'll throw in a special treatment." Vivian struts toward here without shame.

Your Highness, give me strength. I can't punch a certain woman since the rules don't apply to me anymore. What if I changed into a woman before? Would my life be easier after? Soldiers might leave me alone from their dick-measuring contest... No, that's a foolish thought. Women still suffer.

"Got hurt. Nothing usual."

She sulks, on the verge of crying. "Why do you always talk to others but not to me?" Her crocodile tears need work.

"Because others don't want to sleep with me."

"Your problem is you're too stiff. You have never experienced a woman's touch, right?"

After a harsh exhale, I grumble, "Perhaps. Just don't want it from yours."

Her teeth clench together, and she trots away to other patrons. I sigh, drinking my water. I look around to see anyone capable of handling a conversation, to distract my mind away from Ki...

A group of young, rowdy people is cheering with drinks. Probably adolescents. This town doesn't give a hoot about their youngsters drinking, huh? I take a deep breath, muster myself up, and walk up to them.

They stop when they see me. Wary of me. I can't fully blame them. America is in a deep cesspool with Japan, and my Asian appearance is bound to be suspicious despite I'm not Japanese at all. Leaning more to the South Eastern.

I greet, "Can I uh... join you all?"

"Wow, you speak English. Never thought a chin—"

"Shut up, Jacob!" a redhead cuts in before the snot-nosed kid finishes his insult.

"Don't tell me you want to get fucked by this Japanese scum, Angeline. Why else you accepted him so easily?"

Oh you fucked up piece of shit! Son of a bitch. Aish, barely tamp down my curse out loud. I take a deep inhale and smile. This happened too many times with paranoid geezers, arrogant soldiers, and rejected women—men too, I suspect. I don't need this from a boy in a suit.

"I'm not Japanese," I clarify. "I want to talk. If that ruffles your feathers so much, I'll be on my way out."

"You didn't ruffle anything."

"Could've fooled me."

Jacob boy shoots up and sends his chair flying. "You pig!"

Whoops.

He throws a punch which I easily sidestep, causing him to trip and crash on the floor. He's too drunk. Wasted my time enough. I sigh exasperatedly, put my glass on their table, and exit the bar.

Take a deep breath of crispy air on October night. I stretch, cracking my joints and rolling my shoulders as my head tilts upward. I gently roll my ankle and there's a tad ache. It's getting better. Plenty of judgemental passers-by remain and I don't give a damn. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are up there... Only now do I realise that I'm truly free from those mines.

When I was imprisoned, it wasn't totally horrible. Sure, I got punched, kicked, and forced to starve whenever I was too defiant. Besides that? A huge bore. God, the bore was torture. So much so that I ran, even when my neck was sliced. Not all the way, thankfully.

"Sorry about that. He was often... normal."

I turn around to see where Angeline's voice comes from. She and her friends are standing a few metres behind me and appear interested. Ah young people.

"Define normal." Aw heck, I'm taking in Ki's type of statement now. I'm going too fast.

"Haha! He's like most people nowadays. I'm Michael by the way." A slightly portly kid gives a friendly wave. These kids... Hope isn't lost on their generation.

"How unfortunate."

"Yes, right. Erm... Are you alright?" Poor Angeline will be red like her hair if she keeps worrying over me. "Your shirt's torn apart and your neck—"

"I'm fine, thank you. Can you tell me where I can buy a first-aid kit? I forgot a little about this town's map."

"We will walk with you."

"What about your friend at the bar?"

"Oh, he can handle himself. The bartender is his sister," Michael chuckles.

Hah I see it now. My ankle is sore but not as painful. "Come on then."

We talk all the way, even when I'm buying the kit. These kids question me like no other, heavily interested in my life. I can't give away a lot of it so, I either leave out details or don't answer them at all. They're disappointed at times but keep trying by spouting different questions.

I reach in front of an inn. "This is my stop, thank you. All of you."

"No problem, we're only a street away. If you want to eat with us, don't hesitate."

"I'll keep that in mind, Michael. A question?" My head tips toward the distant forest. "Do you know why no one has ever entered that forest?"

"Ooh! Because of this town's legend."

"Legend?"

"Legend says there were Native Americans who used to live there. Until one day, they moved to another settlement," Angeline states matter-of-factly. Under her doll-like appearance, I know she's more mature than the rest.

"Why?"

Michael inhales long. "The chief once said, a majestic goddess lives on the other side of the forest; powerful and kind. They respected her and left her alone for her peace. If anyone dares to disturb her, she'll turn them to blood or dust." He exhales proudly. Haha! I think he does this to all newcomers in the town.

All of those checked out, though. Majestic? Check. Powerful? Check. Kind... Check. Turn victims to blood or dust? I saw no blood but heck, check. "Interesting. Thanks for the info."

Angeline beams. "We're off to bed! Good night, Mr...?"

They're a good bunch, mainly her, who defended me from the very first moment we met. No point in hiding my identity. I want more people to remember my name. Less lonely.

"Aht."

"Er... Just Aht?"

"Yes. Good night, kids."

I laugh to myself, entering the rustic inn when they complain loudly that they're grown-ups.

They are probably seventeen, reaching eighteen I'm sure, but the wars regress people's maturity in handling conflicts like bumbling babies... Newer generations might be better than their predecessors, I suppose, though they still have so much to learn. When kids are sent to fight on battlefields, whether out there or in this town, their forced maturity will be a double-edged sword in the long run.

Then again, it's the same cycle for thousands of eras.

Pushing away the bleak thoughts, I duck under the door frame and look around. The lobby is empty except for the sound of rustling paper. Theo stands up behind the desk and snaps his eyes on me. He gapes.

"Mr Aht?? You're here?"

"Hello, Theo. Fancy seeing you," I greet nonchalantly. Or attempt to. I hope he won't question my appearance.

The young innkeeper at the shy age of eighteen, Theodore, is a very dear gentleman. Too mature for his age. Possesses a quite lanky stature, black hair that rivals mine and is combed to the side, and personable features where they have no ounce of fatigue—from the outside anyway. His dreamy self matching his fair skin had me nicknamed him Snow White. He wasn't too against it.

Even though as dreamy as this boy is, he was cautious of me when I first walked into his family inn. From the first conversation we had, I knew it wasn't about my race. He had people out for his neck because he's... different. I don't let him know where I came from because it would put him more in danger. The townspeople already gossiped about Theo accepting black people into his inn and his whole family were foreigners from Europe.

"What happened to you? I thought you went travelling again without a word; it was weird you left your things behind. Then you're here"—his hands gesture my way wildly—"all bloody!"

Not wrong to hope. "You're the third person to ask that," I chuckle, dead tired.

He reprimands me while searching for the key to my new room. "As we should! There are people who care about you."

"Only you. Or do you count Vivian?"

"Hmph! The bitch doesn't count because of her ridiculous ulterior motive. Make it two people."

"Theodore!" I gasp dramatically. "Equating a married woman to a bitch. Scandalous!"

Our laughter explodes. I wish he's my close friend, but I have to keep him at arm's length because of what I am. He doesn't know it but he senses it, and the fact he respects my wishes creates more ache in my heart.

Shaking my head, I then clear my throat. "I was abducted."

His hand, where it holds the key, stops midair. "What?"

"Harrison and his associates needed more people to work in their mines."

"You mean slaves?"

...It felt different, saying it to Ki than Theo saying it back. I shouldn't feel weak and it wasn't my fault. My past duty was too ingrained within my head, it remains strange that I'm vulnerable in front of his kind now. I bet Esj, Wuni, and others will say 'I told you so' if they ever see me again.

Why am I thinking about them? They can go suck some horse's arse or whatever.

"Fuck it, I became a slave," I sigh.

"God... That explains why you're like this. How did you get out?"

"Sheer luck. I found a pin, unlocked the cuffs, and ran like there was no tomorrow." Those criminals were particular about leaving nothing on the ground, only dirt and stones were lying around. It's a miracle I found a pin right under my work section. I'd like to think They helped me, maybe forgiven me by now.

Ha. That's too much hope.

"Funny matter is, Harrison chased me through the forest."

His palm slaps down the desk. "Terrifying, not funny! And a very long chase. Do you know about the legend?"

"I do and it's true."

His eyes go wide like a couple of carriage wheels. Mysticism is his interest, even though his whole family is religious. Because religion and mysticism aren't separated in their beliefs. Truly, these people are a different kind of bunch.

He leans over the counter and whispers, "How are you still alive?"

"She... She made me her friend after killing Harrison. A higher spirit by the way, not a goddess."

His jaw drops as he absorbs this information. I should refrain from telling that I had my first oral sex with this breathtaking being too since it was extreme. Even for me.

"She saved you."

My mouth quirks up at that. A tad. "She did."

"Ohhh I see now. You like her."

Maybe I am. "You're being ridiculous."

"You have this soft smile when you talk about her."

"No, I don't!" Oh bother, a smile? Do I?

"It's sweet since you often acted like there was a chip on your shoulder."

Do I?? "I am not—! You should—!"

"Mhmmm?"

"She is a spirit. I am a human."

"You must've read about Greek myths."

For my heart's sake, I can't handle him now. My cheeks are burning while he's still sniggering. I snatch the room key from him and stomp my way up the stairs, which is a baaaad move because my ankle is crying.

"You brat! You'll wake up other guests!"

____________________

Uuuggghhhh.

Lying on this tremendously comfortable bed, I remain restless after a shower and bandaging my neck. Theo moved my things to this room during my absence. I'll thank him with a meal later.

I look out through the window, where the moon is as bright as ever. I wonder what Ki is thinking. What is she doing. What she is deciding. She must have felt really lonely. It's okay to be alone, that was where I found myself the most. Loneliness is different. Lonely, even when friends are around? It must be frustrating. I know the feeling all too well, Ki.

For the whole night, her vivid, silvery voice rings in my mind.

"I choose you."