The light flashed and disappeared the next second. My eyes regained their function, I soon found myself in an unfamiliar land.

I wanted to look around, but the pain in my left and torso took my attention.

My eyes, however, once again lost their function after some sort of liquid escaped from its corners. This only served to heighten my need to let out uncontrollable and incomprehensible words that even I did not understand.

*"Waaa!"* as the pain became unbearable the louder the blasting noise was. The liquid flowed without signs of stopping.

There was no buzz to guide me. I was at a lost. I failed to understand what’s happening.

My heart began to beat wildly, as I sunk deeper into the depths of darkness where the fear of the unknown grabbed my heel.

The harshness of this foreign environment threatened to cull my life away. My body curled as a breathing became course from all the shouting I have done.

Cold sensation ran through my body as if the hands of the abyss was running its fingertips all over.

The more I yelled, the harder it became to breathe.

Footsteps coming my way echoed in my ears. Something made a creaking sound.

I desperately opened my eyes, to see there were signs of life. A man dressed in white entered my hazy view. I grew calmer by the second… but the pain reminded me of my predicament, thus erasing said calmness.

The man was surprised to see my presence. He turned his head left and right, looking for something.

Finding no one but me, he showed a kind of emotion known as disappointment and picked me up from the ground.

Was it by accident or not? But nonetheless, pressure was applied around the area where I was in pain. Was this what they call torture?

*”Wah!”* I screamed even louder than before.

Even I did not know why I was yelling such a word. But it managed to encapsulate my emotion, so I didn't really care. It got the job done.

This pain could only be shown through this single word, and I had now mastered it. I suppose this was how expression works.

Confusing...PAINFUL...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!

He noticed something was wrong. He checked my sides and saw the mark even I could not see. Shocked, he hurriedly turned around, "Oh Poleaca Crea, how can such a little being koaste burns?"

The man entered a doorway with me in hand, he placed me in some soft surfaced before turning to my general direction.

I then watched him draw a golden light in the air using nothing but his index finger.

The line was wobbly...

Funny.

Weaving the thread of golden light to form a string, the man redirected it to my chest, "Kul" the man uttered this word with elegance, and the thread of light entered my body.

I could feel my left arm and torso lose most of the pain, I grew calmer, and my mind that had been in too much stress became relieved.

My eyelids grew heavier, and even when I wanted to keep my eyes open, they were too heavy. I lost the fight, and fell asleep.

But before I did so, I heard the man utter a few words different from the rest.

*"Sleep, for now, Lethias' child."*

That was the first time I completely understood words. I confirmed it was not the words he previously spoke. It was something I knew.

Familiar

With curiosity plaguing my mind, I inadvertently fell asleep.

By the time I opened my eyes, my surrounding was already brightly lit. The pain was now gone and my mind was clear of any distractions.’*

I had my back on something soft, so I reckoned I was laying down. It was comfortable sensation. Warmth and fluffiness invaded my senses.

This feels nic…NO! Fight the urge.

It was so good on the feel that I almost got deceived by this magnificently built trap.

But I fought the urge and won the bloody fight. It was hard-fought, but it was clear who came up on top — me.

Yay. I celebrated by tossing my arms to the air.

With my victory over sleepiness, the next thing I sought to conquer was my limited field of vision. The only thing I could identify was the ceiling and now that I was out of container, I find it most interesting and efficient to check my surroundings.

It would be best to get a better grasp of my current position.

So, I tried to move about.

But first, I need to check something. Raising both hands I confirmed it was still there.

Phew.

After confirming both my hands were intact, I was relieved and let out a sigh. But I noticed something weird. My skin was originally white but my left arm was now different.

My right arm remained the same boring color of white, it didn’t experience any change. But it could not be said for the left.

My left arm was now slightly darker in color. It appears to have shriveled up and lost some of its moisture.

Interesting

I was fascinated by the change. I wondered what it was, but even after raising a question time and time again, no buzz came.

That surreal ability had vanished. It had now become a lot harder to properly gather knowledge and learn.

I feel — uncomfortable but more defined and noticeable.

I didn't know what emotions I am currently feeling. Back when I was contained, I never felt such a thing, so I am clueless as to what it was.

It was weird, my heart kept beating, it was weird but oddly satisfying. It was not pain, but something else, it made my blood circulate faster.

I want to know what this means. I want to understand this.

Forgetting my original goal of reconnaissance, I heard footsteps coming from somewhere.

I frantically looked around to see who it was.

A shadow was then casting upon me, and the smiling face of a man peeked over from above. He was the same person who helped me.

I tried to move about and get up, but before I could do anything, he picked me up and raised me above.

I looked at him — he was different from before.

My head tilted as I noticed something different from the man. He now had a red face, and my nose twitched as I found him unpleasant.

This was a first for me. I tried not to breathe, so my nose would stop twitching, but that didn't work, and I found it painful.

Note: do not stop breathing.

On his left hand was some kind of container releasing the same smell as him.

He brought me closer to his face that reeked of the same intoxicating scent which assaulted my nose.

My nose twitched even more.

I do not want this!

I pushed him away, at least I tried to, but my arms had no strength to succeed. It was a losing battle!

Should I deploy the word of “UWA!?”

No, it’s still too early. Compelling it may be, but that should be my last resort.

But then, the man initiated another form of assault, he rubbed his face against me, saying, = "Oh child fa Lethias, quiossa mun sa korso!" =

I could not understand him, and I did not like what he was doing. His face was prickly, and it was undesirable.

I knew that I needed to get my thoughts over to him. So I tried pushing him away combined with sounds I knew how to produce, "Aaah, aaa, sttt!"

I tried uttering words, but nothing right came out. And the more I tried to speak, the more this man brought me towards his face.

It only brought him more joy. Utter failure.

I need to stop him soon.

Attempting to push him away with strength did not work, so I did the next best thing I could do.

Pah!

My palms hit him in the eye as I tried to speak using the words that I did know *"Stap!"*

The man did indeed stop what he was doing, and his hazy eyes became clear.

I succeeded!

Although my nose continued twitching, at the very least, he stopped shoving my face into his. This was a victory.

Yay! I raised my arms.

Is this my power? Perhaps my strength?

My left hand was still in his eyes, and I expected the man to quickly shake it off. I knew that was a painful experience.

How, you ask?

I did that myself that one time and the said experience was no laughing matter.

Now that I remember the incident, I silently waaaaaa’d that one time.

But the man didn't immediately respond the way I expected him to. Instead, he looked at me with an eye filled with confusion.

He opened his mouth as he slowly took my hands away from his eye.

Opening his mouth, he asked with a shaky voice, * "I-if you can understand my words, C-can you say that again?" *

Finally, someone's words that I could understand were uttered.

I uttered words clearer than before, *"Stop!?"*

I saw his eyes widened. He must have been impressed by my improved pronunciation. It appears I can still learn without the water.

The man had his eyes widened as he said, "Lethias, what have you garshiso?"

Oh, I understood most of that too.

I raised my arms — Yay.

Proud