Welcome to Amaryllium

He ran through the woods, his bare feet hitting the dirt. They were covered in blood, and not just his own. He couldn’t shake the faces of his parents and sister as they stared at him with those dead eyes. He felt like he could still feel their blood, as chilling as it was when it first pooled around his feet.

‘Why is this happening to me?’

He threw a look behind him. The shadows were still chasing him. He looked ahead and tripped over a root that snuck up out of nowhere. He rolled for a few seconds before slamming into a tree with a loud thud and a crack.

“AHHH!!!”

He grabbed at his arm. A bone protruded through his shirt covering his elbow, turning dark from the blood. He couldn’t get away anymore.

Shadows emerged from the trees and loomed over him. There were at least eight of them. They were all wearing black coveralls and he couldn’t see their eyes. Out of the thicket ahead of him walked out a figure that was not dressed like the others. Instead, he wore elegant clothes of a royal that matched his own.

When he locked stares with those red eyes, he still couldn’t believe it was him. “Herold. Why do this to your own family?” He asked in a trembling voice.

Harold let out a laugh. “Come on, Karl. You’re still persistently calling those fucks your family? After everything they did?”

“You can’t choose your family, Harold.” Karl responded with a cough.

Harold spit on the ground. “Bullshit. Everything is a choice, you’re just too much of a dumb shit to figure it out.”

He walked over to him and took out his sword, pointing it at Karl. The golden lion on the handle stared at Karl with those ruby eyes, gleaming in the moonlight.

Karl looked up, tears streaming down his face. “I thought it would be different this time. I really did.”

Harold shook his head. “No, Karl. You wanted it to be different. There’s a difference between want and need. It’s time you face reality. No one has ever cared for you. And now, no one ever will.”

“But father promised that he would change!” Karl replied with a cry.

“Empty promises, Karl. That’s all that your life has ever been. When will you ever learn? Well, I guess you never will.” Harold leaned over him and thrust the sword into his stomach.

Karl let out a yell. “Please...give me a chance...” He was bagging at this point.

Harold sighed. “How many chances have I given you? Too many, Karl. It’s too late now.”

Karl looked down at the sword sticking out of his stomach. The blood glimmered in the light of the blade and formed a pool on the ground around him.

Harold removed the sword and raised it above his head, splashing the blood across the tree. “Farewell, little brother.” He swung the blade.

Karl closed his eyes as he felt the coldness of the blade on his neck.

“AHHH!!” He bolted up, his breathing hard. He looked down at his hands, confusion filling his mind. He felt his chest where the sword had made a whole.

Nothing.

When he thought about it, he couldn’t recall how he had gotten to this place to begin with. He looked around.

He was in a small room that didn’t have anything impressive. Everything was made of wood that had a resemblance to...what was it...oak? On the right wall was a window that let in daylight and on the left wall was a wooden door. He sat on a small bed and there was a dresser against the wall across from him. A mirror hung above the dresser.

A man with golden hair looked back.

That’s not what Karl remembered looking like. He was sure he had charcoal hair and brown eyes, and there was no way that this handsome looking man was him. And he looked a lot older, too. Maybe in his early twenties? Karl had just turned seventeen.

Karl got out of bed and stumbled slightly when he stood up. This body was taller and bigger in size. He’ll have to get used to it. He slowly and awkwardly started walking around the room until he felt like his legs wouldn’t betray him anymore.

He had stopped in front of the mirror, so he admired himself closer. His new golden hair flowed over his shoulders and matching, golden eyes shined brightly. He was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, with x stitch patterns forming a v around his neck. His bottom half was covered with brown pants and brown shoes over his feet, both made of an animal’s hide he didn’t have the knowledge to identify. He had always worn fancy, over-the-top clothes so this new change was welcoming.

He looked around once again and saw the window. Looking out, he saw a vast grass field spread as far as he could see. A few trees sprouted once in a while and a mountain loomed in the distance.

Everything looked so peaceful.

He turned about and headed for the door. When he swung it open, he entered another room.

There was a window immediately to his right with another door next to it. To his left were a few cabinets and a metal sink lined against the wall. At the end of the room was a window with a square wooden table accompanied by a single wooden chair. Atop the table was a cup and a bowl that gave off steam.

He gave some thought about why an already prepared meal was waiting for him when he couldn’t see anyone else in the house. Those thoughts vanished when his stomach growled and he made his way to the table. Sitting down, he picked up the spoon next to the bowl and scooped the stew like dish. Expecting something bitter, he was surprised when it tasted really good. He finished the dish, his stomach feeling a little happier as food entered it after who knows how long. He took the cup and drank it, the feeling of fresh and cold water hitting his throat. He let out a sigh as he put the cup down.

As he let the food settle, he noticed that there was what looked like a sword resting against the side of the cabinets. The scabbard appeared to be made of wood and laced with leather. After he sat there for about another five minutes, Karl approached the sword.

Picking it up, he unsheathed it and admired the blade. He had a small amount of experience with working in a forge, so he could tell that the blade was made with quality steel and the leather wrapping the handle set nicely in his hand.

He swung the blade a few times. It was a little heavy but he could still use it without too much trouble. He had spent a good amount of his younger years attempting to learn swordsmanship, but he was never really good at it, never advancing past the basics.

He found a belt where the sword had been and wrapped it around his waist, sheathing the sword where it rested perfectly balanced.

After doing another search around, he couldn’t find anything of value, although he didn’t really know what he was looking for. As he headed for the door, he swung it open and a blast of grassy air hit his nostrils.

He let out a sigh. He didn’t know where he was, but he was alive. He didn’t know how but he didn’t want to dwell on it too much. He looked at the sky as the white clouds cast shadows and closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the sun and the cool of the breeze smother his face. “How far away from home am I?”

‘Come with me, Karl.’ Harold’s voice spoke in his head as he remembered a conversation that happened at least a year ago.

He was in the flower garden that his mother was growing. It was nighttime, the moon smiling down on them.

Harold had his hand stretched out as he set atop a black steed. ‘Leave this forsaken place and live a life you can look back on with pride. They don’t give a shit about you. Get that through your thick skull already.’

Karl stared at him with determined eyes. ‘This is my home, I can’t abandon them like that.’

Harold scuffed. ‘Don’t be stubborn and listen to me this one time. If you don’t leave now, I can’t guarantee your safety in the future.’

Karl shook his head. ‘I won’t go with you.’

Harold turned the steed around and looked back one last time. ‘I hope you look back at this moment and finally figure something out one day. The only one that can care for you is you, little brother.’ He disappeared into the night, the galloping fading.

Maybe Harold was right, after all. As he looked back at his memories, he slowly started to understand what his brother had been saying. Everything that his family did was only to fulfill their own selfish needs or attempts to get rid of him.

Every sword training session with father left him sore and bruised, his father laughing the whole time. He now understood that he was taking out his anger and frustration and anger out on him.

Every shopping trip with his mother would end with her leaving and him walking back to the house. He now understood the shame she must’ve felt with him around.

The townsfolk were no better as they called him all sorts of names.

His sister was the worst as she’d bully him nonstop, even her friends joining the fun at times.

Even the guards at home would treat him like a plaything.

Now that he thought about it, he never once heard his family tell him they loved him or were ever proud.

Everyone treated him like trash, and in the end it might as well have turned out to be true. If he wasn’t dead and all that was some sort of illusion, then he was a deserter and would be labeled a traitor of the state.

However, if he was indeed dead, then this was a second chance that he had asked Harold for. He was certain that it wasn’t ultimately his brother’s doing, but he was grateful, nonetheless.

He let out a slight laugh. “Maybe I was stubborn after all. I’ll make the most of this new chance that I’ve been granted.”

He looked ahead at the dirt path that made its way down a hill. In the distance, he saw an arch like shape in the distance. Was it a town? He started walking down the road in high spirits. He was about to enter the first town in this new life. Many questions filled his mind.

What kind of people live there? What kind of town was it? Could he make friends? He felt like a child that had opened its eyes for the first time, staring at a world full of possibilities.

After about fifteen minutes, he stopped before the arch.

It appeared to be made of stone and a piece of metal hung from chains, a single large word engraved in the sign.

‘Perch’

Karl put on a smile on his face and walked through the gate. As soon as his foot reached the entrance, he heard a BZZT and found himself on the ground.

“What the hell just happened?”

He had noticed that his clothes were steaming slightly. He got up and patted himself down until the steaming stopped.

He looked at the gate and cautiously approached it, his hands raised and palms out. When he reached the entrances, his fingertips started to tingle as the arch suddenly erupted, sending dust flying.

When the dust cleared, Karl saw something that made no sense.

The gate was blocked by what appeared to be a red, see-through screen, lighting sparks bursting here and there. When his hand got within a foot of it, an arc zapped his hand.

“Ow!” He recoiled back.

As he was staring at the screen, trying to figure out what it all meant, something appeared out of thin air in front of him.

A black box. It was see through enough to where what he was looking at wasn’t distorted. On the box were two blue words.

[Access denied]