Of the Endor morning, I am awake. As daughter of the king, Donzou the Second of the Golden Keep, I, Rit, shall make him proud today as I will be at the university of World Insight for graduation. I have achieved my natural physics degree, and I will go to experiment and study the universe around me, adding to our database for the Endor kingdom.

At the downtown main street, citizens are selling goods to the people, restaurants get ready for the summer night. Children play around with play balls and toys, guards knights with steel armor, clothed with red and carrying polearms to keep the city safe.

The blue sky clear with some clouds, the city’s aroma with scent of bread and proteins, the crowds was happy and cheery. The air was a little daunting but moist and smooth as there was little winds.

It’s a statement of civilization of the industrial urbanscape of Endor. We have reshaped the crude jungles and rigid mountains with the compound of tan brick and red banner housing, stores, tall towering complexes, castle and recently as a technological statement, factories. While polluted in the inside, the amount of goods they produce in such short time is truly a milestone in our species, the Onen. None other can truly compete with our use of mechanisms and arcane.

My red clothing with golden highlight went well with my Onenian form. My elegant limbs, my perfect stern face, and smooth, orange skin, it is beauty that only few can achieve.

A teal Pok, the round, sliver bottom, two fingered limbs, talking animal, gets kicked out a restaurant on my right. Two male guards come out and the right one spoke, “Stand back, this one is a thief.”.

I said as I have my right hand at the right side of the hip, presenting myself as dominate, the teal Pok look at me with fear, as it should, while getting up, I spoke, “It doesn’t matter, we don’t want this thing slimming up our roads with its woods.”.

The Pok blurted with its mouth, “No! That was mine!”.

The left guard smack the creature with his pole, then picks it up by its left limb as it struggles.

The right guard spoke, “Sorry, Rit of the Golden Kingdom. You shall proceed with your daily quest.”.

I spoke, “Thank you, military unit, you are a great service of the state.”.

The guard replied, “Thank you.”.

I continue my graceful walk towards the university of World Insight.

*

Crowds of people gather as the students stand up and receive their degrees at the school’s central park, surround by the apricot brick walls of the university.

I stand on the royal platform in the center of it all. To make my speech, gradating the class.

I announce, “Students of the university of World Insight, as daughter of the king, Donzou the Second of the Golden Keep, I proudly announce that you have earned your way to succeed forward the progress of the Golden Kingdom, as I too have earn the way to excess the grasp of the natural world, our mastery increases this day.”.

The crowd cheered, my teacher, professor Orial, of orange, spike hair, pale skin, boney frame, average height, and emerald eyes, came up to me.

Professor Orial said, “Great talk there my pupil, but don’t you think it’s a bit pretentious of you to have ask the monarchy to allow you to give the speech?”.

I made my point, “Non-sense, I had a great grading, and as the daughter…”.

The professor Orial interrupted me, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don’t have to be so formal, but it’s just… you know, you aren’t no better than these students in terms of actually academic positioning. You didn’t even win any rewards.”.

I spoke with vice, “Don’t speak over me, that is not polite.”.

Professor Orial apologizes, “Sorry, my royalty.”.

I look at him with irritation, with that, I said, “Just try to not do it again.”.

I walk down the platform and head to the dinner court, an array of food displays and kitchens, with servings of the best chefs in the city.

Grab a plate and gathered my favorite, baked Obliate, a soft, tan fruit with brownish skin that invokes the flavor of a sweet spice.

Walking up to a group of physicians, I greet, “Greetings, my follow students.”.

Darik, a black-haired male, great build and a stiff face. Best of all, he has a very small bottom, covered by his shirt, it’s a great display of formality, spoke in, “Greetings… I am not interested in royal pleading.”.

I said, “No, it’s okay, I want to ask if you are willing to corporate together in study? I plan to write up on the runic arcane and its effects on gravity and vice versa.”.

Darik reply, “Thanks for the offer, but I am assuming you are going to be patron of the royal family.”.

I spoke in pride, “Of course, their funding will be a high advantage for the science, we will be the next Orla Kendor.”.

Darik said, “No thanks, I am planning to create my new guild, independent of any governmental body.”.

I question, “Are you sure? The benefits that my family can bring will amaze you.”.

Darik said, “Look, Rit. You are a great thinker, certainly someone who can see things that others cannot, but I think you can be a little… of a down looker.”.

I remark, “Down looker?”.

Darik said, “It means that you tend to put yourself in a higher platform, heck, you literally did put yourself to a higher platform, fact is, I really don’t care about your fancy image, I just care about science.”.

I said, “Well, it’s your loss, but if you ever rearrange your thoughts, you can speak to me.”.

Darik said, “Very well, goodbye Rit.”.

The group leave me be. While I do have friends, recently I have felt a little detached from them, maybe its due to their search of working in the sciences and none have come to me. I can do this alone as I tend to prefer working alone but having alliances would be a great boost to my image.

*

At the large, golden strive dining room of the castle, I and my family, my mother of amber hair and blues eyes, Tafik, sits with my father, the king, at the left of him. I sit between from left to right, my younger brother Yot, a playful and athletic adult who is getting into the top tier sports of physical test, and my older brother, Zillik, a military office working, maintaining the order of the kingdom arms, at the right side of the table the king sit at. Both have black hair and blue eyes, the rest of my family are uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews. We enjoy our dinner at a long, rectangle table.

Donzou stand up and announce, “Everyone, may I have your attention, as we all may know, we are here for the period of graduation and this period, my daughter, Rit, have gotten her diploma on the study of natural physics from the university of the World Insight. May we congrats with a string of finger snapping.”.

One young child, Zif, shout, “World Insight? That is where I will be studying.”.

The mother beside the child, Mondora, spout, “Quite! It’s not polite to scream when we are honoring.”.

Everyone finger snap for me, I stand in pride and bow, speaking out, “Thank you, thank you, it’s an honor for your snaps.”.

I stand then sit, my father the king asks of me, “Rit, now with your education over, will you be inviting any student to the royal labs?”.

I answer, “I’m searching, but many are making guilds, joining services and other independent studies.”.

My father the king said to my mother, “It seem the civilians aren’t interested in quick funding.”.

Tafik put forth, “That’s what I have been speaking about, now the middle class have basically three sub classes, the upper of the middle are just able to fund their own businesses. They have been discussion of changing the government body to be an oligarchy.”.

Donzou spoke with a mili of timidness, “Oligarchy? That should be later. At the current political climate, it wouldn’t be wise to have such a reform.”.

Tafik said, “What do you mean? With all the expanding industries and wealth accumulating, having more parties and bureaucrats would be a great benefit to the administrate control of the state.”.

Donzou said, “Let’s not get political with our relatives and just enjoy ourselves.”.

Zillik whisper to me, “I think father is arrogant to think he could run the nation just by his will.”.

I gave my thought, “I’m certain he knows what he is doing. The position of hierarchy is a prestige place that requires the greatest of the society and having multiple hierarchs may conduct chaos.”.

Zillik said, “The administration is slow. Soldiers at Konroth keep are still waiting for the new lightning pikes. With more bodies, we could have just one work on that while father continues with what he is at now.”.

Yot laughs and squeak, “And I need sponsorship.”. Then laughs.

Zillik ask, “Why couldn’t you do something… respectable, rather than play in the mutt?”.

Yot said, “Hey, I do what I want, it’s my life. If you want to do paperwork then you can do that, but I will play in the mutt.”.

I finish my plate and put it on the middle. I stand up and said, “Thank you everyone for the dinner tonight and those that came, I will be resting now to relief of today. Farewell and good night.”.

The family said their goodbyes, I left the room and got onto the balcony of the castle at its second floor, just above the roof of the city architectures.

Of the clear night, with the mood 1/4 lit, the stars shine, the wind breezes, the city makes its noise of citizens walking.

Footsteps clumber the rooftops, strangely sound near to me. I look around the rooftops, I don’t see anything. As I search, I run across a standing mirror, seeing my beautiful form. I took the time to make my stances. Perking my hips, placing my hand to support my hand, invoking confidence.

Then I hear a jump on the store’s roof, right of the passage which I came, it was a petty dark cloaked thief but… they have the prism core of arcane! A dodecahedron crystal that can capture a form of arcane and split it to different, sub spectrums of arcane. They cannot have that great use of an artifact. I can’t call the guards as they won’t be able to catch the escaping thief as there is too little time. I must chase them!

I start running towards them, the thief looked at me with… red glowing eyes, they voiced in a tone of concern, “Please, don’t chase me, it’s for the greater good, I swear my royalty.”.

I shout, “You will not gain sympathy from me, criminal, that artifact is of the royal family.”.

The thief starts running away from me and jump to the other house. I stop on the balcony and jump onto the roof they once occupied.

Landed with an athletic roll, I stand and shout, “Halt!”.

Chasing them, we jump roof to roof, we travel through the city to the north edge of the city. The city jumps to the road and step down to an under alley.

I scream, “Thief!”.

I jump down to the road and go chase them down the under alley. There are no door ways as this was between old houses of grey stone and hay roofs, before the golden revolution.

The thief stopped at a black wall dead end at a left turn, as the thief lay their hand on the left side of the wall, the thief looks at me with those strange red eyes, but with care.

The thief said with sincere care, “I’m sorry, but you can’t come here, once you see it, you will…”.

They may be convincing, but I can’t help but think they legitimate care about my wellbeing, I shout, “Look, give me the prism and we can leave here with no charges.”.

The wall behind opens from the upward position, yet there were no gear noises, just a smoothing slide. Must be some sort of arcanic lift but seem excessive.

He is getting away to the dark room, I ran towards him, roll in. The door closes behind me. I get up and is face to face with the furtive.

The thief spoke with great sadness, “You shouldn’t have come here.”.

They back away a bit. The walls are… strange. The door seems to have no mechanisms or signs of arcanum. The walls are budging with bumps, looking like they are supporting the ceiling of this underground facility. On the edges of the walls are glowing blue highlights, which seem to be flowing through a tunnel system due to pressure… but from were.

The thief starts running towards the depth of the complex. I follow them.

I shout, “Come back!”. I run and run, the thief makes a left turn within the tunnel system to a large hall way that leads to a staircase up to a double door.

The thief ran towards the door, I ran then the floor below me opens downward! I start falling, I felt dread as I have it creep in my body. Frustration on how I could have let that thug get that prism!

I fell to a pool of water, deep, I swim up, looking up, the dim lighting of hallway above disappears. What is this place?

Its very dark, with lighting only from the walls and… underwater!? I dive and see glasses in the walls, inside them is lit but it doesn’t look like fire, spark flies or a lighting runic.

I swim up and find a shore, once I have, I get up. Wet, I got furious. These people will pay greatly for thief and this embarrassment.

Looking for an exit, the air starts to be thinned. Breathing is starting to become a chore, like the oxygen is being removed by force.

I start to panic, yelling, “Hello!?”.

No… keep it together… I’m fine… I just need to… fine the door!

I feel the walls, looking for a handle but… there is nothing… nothing!

The air soon… disappear… the pressure… lighter… I can breathe… anything… despise… trying!

I… am… so… angry… I… fell… down… kneeling… a… door… opens… something… slimey… grabbed… me…

*

Sight… I see nothing. I am… strangely breathing, but I smell… metal and this weird… wet, rotten meaty smell. My breath feels like the air is being fed to me.

I try to get up, but I wasn’t laying down. I was suspended in the air. Held by… metal? I can’t tell because I am so numb. It all seems… floaty, but I didn’t like this. I am tense, yet I’m also curious. This is such a violation, but I was also curious. This all just seem to absurd to exist.

The metal started to vibrate, which I felt that it is impaled to my skin and it is cause extreme pain! I need to scream but couldn’t, all I just felt was like my body being liberated by thousands of tiny blades.

My insides started to have a burning sensation, the acid of my stomach quickly left my mouth and… other area. I released all my wastes, like the interior of my body was getting cleansed.

Movement was the only thing I want to do. No matter how strong I try, nothing, just the cutting sting of the metal and the burning of my insides. I want it to end… but it doesn’t.

Soon after, the pain becomes simply sore, the burning dies out…