Promotional Prologue A: Innocence Lost
As soon as sleep beckons, these foul images tease it back and jolt me awake again. I didn’t witness the moment, but I came back home before Jesse cleaned up my parents’ bodies. The holes, blood and chunks of flesh grossed me out in a way that eludes me. The whole time, my heart broke, but I remained calm otherwise, yet afterward, the memories haunted me.
I tense, trying to force myself to sleep, so as to not wake Liberty. She whimpers next to me, hiding under the blankets. I peel them back, brush her light brown hair out of her face and kiss her forehead.
She giggles between her hushed moans. “You can’t sleep either, Ammy?”
“No.”
“Just ignore me. They were your parents, so I have no right to expect you to comfort and console me. I should be helping you feel better.”
“You are.” I kiss her forehead again. “Having someone who understands what I’m going through is giving me something to cling to.”
“Are we going through the same thing?” She asks. “I feel cursed. I lost Mom and now, after they took me in, I lost your parents. Am I going to lose you too? I am. I’m just going to end up alone; I know it... and I’m scared.”
“I feel alone too. Apart from you, I have no one left. Jesse said he’d take care of us, but he’s not my mom or dad. Liberty, I promise you as best friends, whatever it takes, I will always keep you safe. You’re never going to be alone again.”
She scoots closer and wraps her little legs around my thighs. “You promise?”
“Yes, I’m going to get serious learning the sword from tomorrow on and I’ll always be at your side.”
“I feel like a baby cuddling you again; I’m almost 9 now... but I feel calmer.” She sighs, then blurts, “Don’t tell anyone; nobody can know I’m still such a kid.”
“It’ll be our secret.” I chuckle at her saying such a childish thing so sincerely. “You’re my little buddy; I love you, Liberty.”
“I love you too, Ammy.” She fell right to sleep and I eventually did as well.
As the months passed, those traumatic memories slipped away like the days that took them, yet, those nightmares also snatched away bits from my other, comfy, memories of my parents. Sometimes, I wonder if I somehow dreamt them up and I can only imagine what Liberty feels. I barely remember Edward, her father, or meeting her for the first time, but I was always excited to hear she was coming over to play. She was a delicate, gentle and otherworldly girl, like the moon on a hazy night or a soft, twilit snow, and the only other kid near my age.
Under Jesse’s protection, our days consist of me reading to Liberty for a few hours from the textbooks Logos saved before Maelia destroyed 21st-century society 100 years ago. Learning comes natural to her, so we share the same assignments anymore. After our studies, we often watch anime about sword fighting. I practice the moves and dodges while she curls up under a blanket and focuses on the storylines.
I was forced to learn my limits after collapsing from my first few training sessions. Liberty screamed and Jesse came running and lectured me about overexerting myself. With a few days of spare time, I think of what to call my beam sword and christen it Dominus.
