It’s cold… and dark.

Where am I? Who am I? 

What is my name? I can’t… remember…

Am I dead? If I am dead... then why is it so cold? 

I don’t know what happens after death, but the only thing that comes to mind is what people call ‘Eternal Peace’.

I didn’t imagine ‘Eternal Peace’ would feel so… lonely. 

Maybe I'm not in ‘Eternal Peace’ but instead I'm a damned soul. Destined to be in the dark forever.

I can’t see, but I feel like I am floating on water. Wave after wave… up then down… repeating over….and over. It feels a bit calming. 

Try to remember…

How did I die? What is my name? Who am I… Think..

I somewhat remember being in a war, fighting against a grown man with a sword on a dirt path, surrounded by an ominous, blood tainted forest. 

He said something about a son of a Traitor, but I don’t remember exactly what he said. I mostly remember that smirk he gave me, saying he’d avenge his prince.

He came at me with his sword held high, I was lucky enough to be able to block in time. It almost knocked me off my feet, even if I could fight, I was still only twelve years old.

I was so scared and no match for the other man’s experience in combat.

So I ran away as fast as I could into the forest to get away from him and keep my life. I was so small, even for my age, but I had a lot of stamina.

I ran until I couldn't hear anyone following me anymore. into a small dirt patch surrounded by trees. I stopped and bent down, trying to catch my breath as my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest.

I was too naive and I shouldn't have stopped. It's a war, not a playground. You can’t stop to catch a breath. 

I heard rustling leaves behind me and before I could react I felt a piercing pain in my lower back and looked down to see a large arrow that was sticking out of my stomach. I put my hand on my stomach and then looked at it, blood.

I fell to my knees and then to the ground.

"From behind…?" I whimpered in confusion.

This is it huh? After all that I had gone through, all of the bullying and the death threats, I die from my own carelessness…

I hear footsteps running through the forest towards me. I think it was the man I was fighting. He was breathing heavily, and let out a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t the one who shot me through, he couldn’t have been, he was too far behind me.

“Ha. You know, you gave me a hard time there for a second kid.” He said while trying to catch his breath.

I could hear another set of footsteps coming out of the forest beside him.

“S-sir Rosette!? So you are the one who shot him?” The man said in a nervously excited tone. “Amazing aim, I could barely even keep up with him.”

Rosette? I’ve heard that somewhere before, but I can’t seem to place it in my mind.

“Don’t sound so excited, he is still just a kid. He shouldn’t even be here.” he said in a scolding tone.

“Ah, yes sir…. My apologies.” 

“Did your squad complete your mission?”

“Yes, Sir. We’ve taken care of the enemy party.”

“Good, now go back. I will take care of this.”

“Yes Sir.” 

I heard his footsteps leave, while I was shaking uncontrollably from the pain.

The archer walked towards me and his shadow towered over me. 

He got down on one knee and turned me over to face him.

When my eyes met his, I saw he had a shocked and also serious expression in his green eyes.

“What’s your name?”

What does it matter what my name is, I will just be considered a no name orphan that was a casualty of war.

Although, for some reason I wanted to answer him.

“K.. Koi….” I painfully said with a shaky voice.

It shouldn’t matter to him what my name is, I am the prey that he caught in his trap. The enemy.

He was quiet for a moment and then sighed.

“How old are you?” He said with a surprisingly sad expression.

It looked like he was holding back tears in his eyes.

As I said, he shouldn’t care. Kids like me being in this meaningless war is nothing new, we are just cannon fodder. People use us as decoys and aren’t expected to even know how to fight.

“T….T…welve…” It is getting even harder to speak, and I don’t understand what the 20 questions are for.

He went silent for a bit and just looked into my eyes. Nobody has looked me directly in the eye like this for a very long time. Well, other than Sally, my best friend.

Everyone always tells me that my eyes are a sign of death and are terrifying, so I spent most of my life looking at the ground so as not to make people upset with me.

And yet, this man will look me directly in the eye and just look so calm, there is fear in his eyes but it isn't directed towards me but rather for me.

Now that I look at him, I can see his short, gray-ish, coral pink hair, he looks to be in his 50s.

Is this just sympathy for a dying kid?

“I see.” He sighs again and lowers his head.

“I am sorry you got caught up in adult affairs…” He reaches into his side satchel and brings out a knife. “A kid like you should've been playing with your friends… not doing this.” I must be dreaming, it looks like his eyes are starting to tear up. 

At this point, I can’t even feel the pain anymore. It is a sure sign that I am on the verge of death.

I couldn’t speak, even if he asked me another question.

“You look a lot like your mother.”

My mother? All of a sudden he is bringing up my mother? How does he know who my mother is, but… he is a part of the opposing Kingdom.

It is a death sentence on either side just stepping foot over the border.

I don’t even remember what my mother looks like either. Maybe, he is thinking of someone else.

“I’m sorry to keep you in such a state, but I needed to know.” He reaches his right hand out and puts it under my head to pull my head to his shoulder.

I can barely move, but I weakly grab his shirt with my hand.

I can hear his heart beating, it is oddly calming, I am getting very tired.

His hand moves from the back of my head to my upper back, adjusting me upwards slightly.

“Koi, I shall release you from your suffering. May the Guardians smile upon you.” He sounds like he is on the verge of crying.

I’ve given up trying to understand what this man is thinking.

I feel a sudden sharpness right under the back of my skull.

It was only painful for a moment, but I no longer felt scared, as I had for my entire life.

I felt my heart slowly stop beating as my eyelids fell halfway closed and my arm dropped.

I let go of my last breath as he pulled back the knife out of my head.

That was the moment I died, but… I can remember things that happened after that moment.

People think it all goes black at that moment, but really you just lose control of your body.

You keep on seeing and hearing for a while after.

He sat there in silence for a few minutes then stood up slowly.

My legs sway back and forth limply. I feel like a toy doll that the girls would play with at the orphanage.

It was like I was just there for the ride and could hear and see everything going on but couldn’t move. 

I suddenly remembered where I heard that name, ‘Rosette’. They are The Kingdom’s best and brightest.

Masters came out of that house, masters in swordsmanship, archery, and even Magic.

That is the name of the most famous Heroes of The Kingdom. They are second only to the Royal Family.

I remember hearing from a passing merchant that they would be in this war as well, and if I remember correctly, the current head of the family is named Abel, and he was a master in Archery.

This must be him… but I heard that he was merciless in war. If that is true then why is he getting so caught up on one person? Is it because I'm still a child?

‘Abel’ I’ll remember that name.