The City of Ionia

I ran, not knowing how far or where I was going. I ran with a guilty conscience.

Was death following me? I glanced over my shoulder. Nothing. It was like running from a ghost.

I slowed down and collapsed with my face staring at the gray clouds, announcing rain’s arrival. I laid my arm flat, the burn still present. My ribs were bruised pretty severely, but the pain didn’t bother me. Besides my arm, which was tucked in a poorly made cast, the pain felt like a normal day in the cells.

The cells.

Those days of non-stop physical labor and torture were so long ago. I wonder how everyone was doing there. Not that I cared, but that thought popped into the back of my head for some reason.

However, it was the same place where I met Rapthalia for the first time and said “goodbye” to her for the last time. She sheltered me, took care of me, changed my life for the better, and gave me a purpose to continue living—all because of a stupid accident I made back then.

It's funny how everything worked.

If I didn’t drop that vase, would I be collapsed on the grass right now? Would Raphtalia ever become my cellmate? Would I make it to the outside world with the desire to unite two distinct groups?

Would I ever meet Ruby, Harley, Jeremy, and everyone from the Bariac Cult? Probably not.

Oh, that’s right.

“Ruby…”

Guilt engulfed my body. I shouldn’t have left her there, alone. Especially after what the SCAR agent did. Did she get up and fight? Flee, maybe? She couldn’t have died, so there was no need to worry.

“I guess I’ll wait for her here.”

Time passed.

I wasn’t sure how long it had been, but the rain hadn’t started. I found that odd. Surely, the clouds would burst anytime soon, and I was surprised it hadn't happened already.

While pondering, I heard a familiar noise—a galloping horse. Oh, so Ruby was alright after all. A sigh of relief soothed my head.

The horse halted nearby. I turned my head to my left, only to see a weird surprise.

“Nadia?”

The ground shook with every step she took, like an enraged giant marking its territory. Her fist was balled, ready for a fight, and her gaze was sharper than a blade.

I stood. My ribs pinched a bit, but it wasn’t anything crazy.

“I’m surprised you—!”

Just like that, I was on the ground. A single punch wouldn’t lay me out, but this one caught me off-guard. My right cheek sizzled as a wave of confusion crashed into my head.

“Nadia?!”

She pinned me on the ground. Unable to use an arm, fighting back was a challenge. She sat on top of me with watery eyes. They were as wide as ever. There was more fire in her eyes than any bonfire back at camp.

Before I could get another word off, she punched me in the face, impaling me to the ground.

She punched again. Again. And again.

Filled with wrath, she screamed each punch. Her hair flopped around, and spit flew onto my face.

The blows came mercilessly, each one taking a breath out of my body. I couldn’t do anything with one working arm. With each strike, a flash of white-hot pain pierced my face. Then, a quick wave of darkness rushed to take its place. Each punch was unavoidable, like a tsunami slamming against the coast. My consciousness began to dwindle. My nose and lip bled, and the pain of each hit grew. It was like being in an inescapable nightmare.

That was until the barrage of attacks ended.

She pulled a knife from her waist and held it high with both hands. A downward motion would result in a stab to my throat. She breathed heavily enough for her chest to inflate and deflate.

Her attack came down. I sheltered my face with both of my hands, hoping not to die.

But the attack never came. Using every ounce of her vocal cords, she screamed in distress and stabbed the ground beside my ear. I slowly separated my hands, revealing my face. I never should’ve done that since it left a perfect opportunity for her to strike me again with her fist.

And she did.

I saw stars. Weird. How can stars peek through the clouds?

Struggling to breathe, I tried to get up. It was like fighting a war between my body and mind. My body wanted to collapse and rest, while my mind desperately wanted to stand. I was on my threes with my left arm still tucked. I was almost there.

But I fell short. Or should I say, Nadia caused me to fall short.

She kicked me in the stomach—a nail in the coffin. I crumpled into a ball, spitting out crimson red.

“Don’t ever come back to the Bariac Cult again.” Her voice was broken into tiny shards of glass.

I reached out with a weak arm. “Na…dia.”

She kicked my hand out of the way. “You have the nerve to utter my name after what happened. You disgust me.”

“What… What happened?”

“You dare ask that knowing what happened? Are you trying to make me kill you?”

Blood oozed through my mouth and nose. I didn’t know what I did to deserve a beating. It reminded me of my time in the cells before I was granted freedom.

But this was different. It wasn’t some miscommunication or something. Her punches carried violence and wrath, almost the same wrath I displayed when using the parasite.

“What are you talking about?” I somehow managed to say those words without fumbling over the pomegranate juice that leaked through my teeth.

“You are actually oblivious?”

“Meaning?”

She kicked me in the stomach again. “You don’t care at all. It’s all about your stupid dream.”

Curled into a tight ball, I struggled to breathe. Adding my arm, ribs, and bloody face didn’t do me any better.

But I still didn’t understand her.

“What—are—you trying to say?”

That’s when she broke the news.

“Ruby is dead.”

“Huh?”

“Did you not hear me? I said Ruby is dead.”

“No.”

I shook my head, using whatever strength I had to get up. My body burned, and my limbs were numb. Along with the fiery sensation, the pain circulating my face grew. My nose didn’t feel right, and my eyes felt heavy, almost like they were holding two bags filled with stone.

“That’s impossible,” I said.

Nadia's veins popped through her forehead, her head shaking. Her eyes darted vertically.

“How are you standing?”

“Is she really dead?”

Nadia loomed over my hunched body. My knees were slightly bent, and my right arm held my lower thigh for support. I thought she would throw another punch, but I guess she had enough of that.

“Your dream kills. It killed the boy you originally came with, and it killed Ruby. When will you learn to abandon it? How many more people will die because of your ignorance?”

I hung my head low. Nadia wouldn’t lie like this. It must be true. Ruby had to be dead. I could vomit a puddle of tears, kick, and scream till my voice died. She died because of me. She wanted to save me because she couldn’t save the closest ones with her.

Did she die in peace, unlike Harley? I could only beg that she did.

Even though I questioned myself, I wanted to believe her death was peaceful. Even though the fight with the SCAR agent was brutal, I hoped she saw me run away. Maybe that gave her something to smile about.

“I think… I think Ruby…”

“What? Speak up.”

“I think she was happy,” I said with a smile.

I took another punch to the face. And with that, I lay on the grass. The clouds began to drizzle.

Oh, I guess I would be in the rain for a bit.

My eyes closed. Drowsiness fogged my brain. Everything felt heavy.

I guess I’ll take a nap…

From offering to join the cult to going on trips to different cities to raiding bandit bases, she taught me more than I’d ever know. She gave me a new life. Words couldn’t describe how happy I was with you—with everyone.

Ruby…

I hope saving me gave you the salvation you sought for.