Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ingvarr's chambers had a dark atmosphere to them. No prisoner could find the good in their situation, there was no "bright side". Of the minority religious population in the kingdom, those who were imprisoned spent their days in prayer and repentance.

The in sync steps of the guards was ruined by a young boy no older than five. He looked down at the floor in fear, almost as if he were being taken into custody. Prisoners stared, yet the guards never looked down to check on the kid.

Months ago, Manon and André Rottewange were finally caught, and arrested for their constant crime of thievery. As the people expected, they received the death penalty. Of the letters they sent out to government officials, they never asked for forgiveness, a lighter sentence, or any threats. They didn't eat in protest until they had confirmation that their request was answered. All they wished for before passing was to see their son one last time.

The day of execution finally arrived. As the guards opened their cell door, the couple didn't even attempt to escape as their son came rushing towards them. His mom enveloped him in a hug, his father soon joined in as well.

"Oh, my baby." She spoke softly. "My sweet, sweet baby. I love you so much."

"Mommy, what's happening?" The kid asked, looking up at his mother. "Why are you and daddy surrounded by all these scary people?"

"Your daddy and I did some very bad things, Hugo. This is just punishment for that, honey. We're okay." Despite all that was about to happen, she smiled down at her son.

"When can we go home?" Hugo asked. "They put me in some place, and called me an orphan; said I didn't have a mom or dad, but you're right here!"

His father looked over at his wife, unsure of how to answer. There was no false narrative they could give. Their family was part of the majority of citizens in Ingvarr who held no religious or spiritual beliefs - they couldn't preach that home was where God is. They couldn't say some stereotypical life lesson like "home is where the heart is", because that wouldn't do anything for the young boy. Was telling the truth really necessary?

The man sighed, brushing his son's hair with his fingers. "I'm not sure, kid. I...I don't know. Everything will be alright. Mommy and daddy are safe. We'll be okay." Hugo nodded at his father, teary eyed. His father always told the truth, after all. Even if it was vague.

His mother took something out of her shirt, placing it around the neck of her son. A necklace with a key dangled on the chain. "Here, mommy wants you to have this. It was from my mother as well. Don't let anyone take this from you, sweetheart."

Hugo held the key as he looked down at the necklace. He looked up at his mother, and nodded his head. "I won't let anyone take it. I promise, mommy."

His father laughed. "You always looked just like your mother. The resemblance is almost uncanny."

"Oh, don't even." His mother replied. "He acts just like you. Just as stubborn as his father. Maybe even more than you."

"Well, that'll be a problem for his future, won't it?"

"Oh, it certainly will. I can't wait to see it." Her voice got softer as she spoke, and it really hit her then.

This was the last time she'd ever see her child. She'd never get to watch him grow up, get in trouble, struggle in school, and fall in love. She'll never learn about her son's strengths and weaknesses. In essence, she was abandoning him, forcing a little kid out into a terrifying world.

Sensing her spiral, her husband put his hand on her shoulder. "Hugo, you're a bright young kid. I know you'll achieve amazing things. People like us, our family...they don't have good fates." He ruffled his son's hair, earning a laugh from him. "In you, I see a light waiting to shine. I see a boy who could take on the seven kingdoms and beyond if he wanted."

The woman next to him nodded her head. "You'll make it, Hugo, I know you will." She forced him in a hug once again. His father joined in on the hug, tightening it. The guards were approaching, and their time was running out. "I will always be proud of you, no matter where life takes you."

"Mommy and daddy love you so much, Hugo." His father said, kissing his forehead. "Never forget that."

The guards unlocked the cell, walking up to the family. "Times up. It's time to go, kid." The guard that spoke put his hand on Hugo's shoulder, forcing him away from the hug.

"Mommy?" He said, timid. The guards continued to pull him away, and he only continued to cry out for his parents. "Daddy? Come back! Please!"

Watching her son be pushed away from her, Manon could only sob. André hugged his wife, as a few tears shed from his eyes as well.

Contrary to what a lot of people thought, a life without parents sucked.

Sure, there was nobody to get into arguments with. Nobody to look over your shoulder 24/7, and nobody to force you to do things you don't want; but that also means nobody to love you. Hugo can't remember the last time he felt the casual warmth and love of his parents. The love parents give you because you're their child. It was foreign, terrifying even.

Hugo liked to think he was doing well on his own. Thirteen years after the death of his parents, and he taught himself everything he knew. How to cook, how to clean, how to create robotic yet sentient pets, how to steal, hell, even a second language. When you're on the streets, life can get pretty boring at times.

Alleyways became his best friend. Dangerous, yes, but he was always a light sleeper. Although nowadays, he preferred being out in the forest outside of his small town.

It was hard, but to him, it was better than any foster family could provide. People like him never lasted long, anyways. He may as well make the most of it.

"Get back here you rascal!"

"All this for some fruit and water? Seems dramatic." Hugo mumbled to himself. Putting his hood up, he ran down the street. He cursed under his breath as he heard footsteps in his direction.

"You won't get away so easily!" One of them yelled. Right, Hugo can avoid law enforcement easily. Most people in Ingvarr, however, held the same silent yet unanimous agreement that the police were trash at their jobs.

"This is not easy." Olivia held on tight as Hugo continued to run. More men seemed to try and catch him as it went on, attempting to outsmart him at his own game.

At one point, they had. One of the men had him pinned against the wall in an alley, about to take off his hood, before Olivia snuck up on him. He screeched when he felt the pusedo mouse climb up him, and walked backwards like a fool when she used his hat to blind him.

"Good girl, 'Liv." Hugo said as she jumped onto his shoulder. He ran down the alley quickly, adrenaline running through his system.

The man groaned as he fixed his hat. He walked further down the alley, attempting to find him. Once he deemed him gone, he huffed and went the other way.

Hugo sighed in relief once he left, climbing his way down the wall. "Good work there, Olivia. Reliable as always." The mouse just made beeping noises, causing Hugo to sigh. "I definitely have to get you a voice box one day."

Carefully, he walked out of the alley, having ensured those men weren't following him anymore. He ran in the same direction, not looking before bumping into a much bigger man. His hood fell, and he briefly heard the man utter an apology before rushing off.

'Odd.' He thought. As he put his hood back on, he noticed two journals on the ground, likely having fallen from the crash. Hugo picked them up, looking at them closely. Clearly, they were made in Corona - not just from the label, but from the large sun design on the cover, which happened to be the symbol of the kingdom.

He almost felt bad. Corona was on the other side of the continent. That guy must've gone a long way to get those journals. He turned around to see if he could catch up to the guy (he had more than enough paper and journals at "home", thank you very little), before he saw the guy he was previously running from. Before he could spot him, Hugo ran off. Getting chased was not his favorite part of the day.

Chapter Text

A perk of living out in the woods was that it was easy to run and hide. Climb and cross some trees, and you're good to go. It was also easy, Hugo realized, to not be homeless anymore. Nobody cares about who owns the property of some abandoned shed ten miles out from town, and nobody bothered to check.

Is it illegal? Sure; but so is stealing. Beggars can't be choosers, and Hugo wasn't willing to go another day on the streets if he had a choice.

As Hugo shut the door, he leaned over to catch his breath. Once the adrenaline wore off, he felt like he couldn't breathe after running over ten miles without a break. He walked over to a makeshift table, and placed the bag of fruits and bottles of water onto it. He also dropped the journals as well, and took his hood off. The most people had on his identity was that he wore glasses and probably had green eyes, but that's not too descriptive, is it?

The shed was, as expected, one tiny room. The sheer amount of stuff that Hugo had in there would've made anybody with claustrophobia triggered. Underneath the table he put what he stole on, was books and a bunch of stuff for alchemy. A safety hazard, most certainly, but the details didn't matter.

As Hugo sipped some of the water he had stolen, he decided to open the journals. To his shock, the pages weren't blank. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Each page was colorful, with detailed illustrations, and close attention to detail. The first page in one of the journals was in English, stating a background on the author's goal.

The eternal library was exactly as it sounded. Never ending information on anything and everything someone could want. Allegedly created by Demanitus, he created seven trials across the seven kingdoms to ensure that the library would be founded only by the smartest and most capable, and that it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

Hugo checked the other journal, which held no background. Instead, it seemed to be written in another language. Perhaps code? Either way, it showed that there was a chronological order to the journals.

Turning his attention back to the first journal, Hugo flipped the page and came across vivid drawings, as well as more code; although as he compared the two journals, he came to realize that it was in code rather than an established language, and whoever wrote this definitely switched the code up. He looked at the drawings, and felt a small gasp escape him.

"Olivia, come look at this." His mechanical mouse came over and looked at the journal. Hugo pointed to a specific drawing, one of a large castle. The architecture, however, was not Coronian or Ingvarrian. "Doesn't that look like the castle of Koto?"

Olivia nodded her head, and Hugo smiled. "A library of eternal knowledge, huh? I mean, think about it. If it meant that much to the guy, he wouldn't have lost them so easily."

It was pointless. Dumb, even. If the guy he stole this from didn't notice it was gone, the eternal library probably isn't real. Maybe it's a social experiment to see what a dumb eighteen year old will do with it once he gets his hands on it.

Which is exactly why he's where is now. At a house where two friends - more like acquaintances, if he was being honest - lived, and threw rocks at their window. Mentally, Hugo prayed to the Gods he doesn't believe in that he got the right window. He would rather die slowly and painfully of starvation and dehydration than ever come face to face with their mother again.

An older man with dark brown hair appeared in the window, and Hugo dropped the rocks. The man opened the window, and Hugo began to climb up the wall and through the window.

In the room, a woman who looked to be the same age as Hugo with black hair stepped up. "You have got to find a better way to come in."

"And, pray tell, Natalya, what should I do?" Hugo asked as he shut the window he came through.

"Maybe walk through the door like any other person?"

"Fuck no."

"Oh my God."

"That's going in your prayers tonight."

"Okay!" Natalya said, clapping her hands. "What brings our wonderful friend here on this fine night?"

"Oh, right." Hugo went through his bag, pulling out the journals. "I might be leaving for a bit."

"Did you finally get caught by the police?"

"Ivan, if that were the case, I would not spend three minutes throwing rocks at your window, but instead, running."

Ivan laughed a little, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Just a question."

"Well, why are you leaving?" Natalya asked.

"It has to do with these." Hugo held up the journals. He went over to a small desk in their room and turned on the lamp for light. "These journals...they were allegedly written by somebody who found the eternal library. By the looks of it, it couldn't have been more than two decades since these were written."

"What's the eternal library?"

"What do you think it is?"

"Holy shit you two never shut up." Hugo sighed. "Look, these journals hold the key to the library. I've already managed to decode a good chunk of the code. Apparently you have to go through like, these trials to get totems which will eventually help you get into the library. Which y'know, has an infinite amount of knowledge."

"How do you even know this is real?" The other man asked.

"I uh...don't."

"Then why go?"

"Are you kidding? An infinite amount of knowledge-"

"So it's nerd shit?"

"No! Just...think about it. This kingdom has an awful class divide. If this is true, then I could fix this. I could make this kingdom a better place."

The three of them got very little sleep that night. Natalya and Ivan, determined to help their friend (?), created a bag full of essentials. Most of the pantry was gone now, but they needed to go shopping anyways.

"So how did you find these journals?" Ivan asked as he packed a bag for Hugo.

"On the streets."

"You stole them, didn't you?"

"Definitely."

Natalya sighed, finishing her handmade first aid kit. She attached it to the bag and handed it to Hugo. "Stay safe out there, okay? Don't make this be the last time I see."

Hugo smiled, and took the bag from her. "It won't be, don't worry. You can't get rid of me that easily."

In the capital of Ingvarr, a man slid a drawing of another to a woman across from her desk. She looked down, before she glared at the man.

"Really, Cyrus? This is the man who stole the journals? He's shaped like a twig! Probably homeless!! How on earth did he take them?"

"I've told you a million times Donnie. He bumped into me, the journals fell, and by the time I realized, he was gone!"

Donella sighed, rubbing her temples in annoyance. "I'm putting out as many posters as I can. I have a new job for you, Cyrus."

Chapter Text

The trip to Koto was exhausting.

Hugo walked - yes, walked - for four goddamn months to get there. Four fucking months of his life that he will never get back. He was no stranger to rationing, but he felt like he was starving. The constant movement didn't help either.

Also, it was really boring. Sure, he had Olivia, but he didn't have the time to add in her voice box. Therefore, his only company was a mechanic mouse. He loved Olivia, but humans thrived with connection from their own species, not an invention of a different one.

Eventually, Hugo reached a routine. Every week, he'd find a place and set up a genuine camp, always near a clean water source. He'd bathe, he'd eat, and for once in his life, relax.

Leaning against a tree, he sighs. He watched as the fire danced, much more energetic due to the wind. Olivia was perched up on his shoulder, seemingly "asleep". She was oddly sentient for something he made when he was seven, yes, but she was still an invention. She didn't need to eat or sleep like Hugo did.

He looked down at the journal. He had cracked enough of the code to get a good understanding. He could use context clues to understand the rest. It felt a lot like learning a different language - using only what you understood to get the general jist of the text. As ambitious as Hugo is, he's glad his thirst for linguistic knowledge ended at biliteracy. Emphasis on the bi, meaning two.

The journals weren't just a guide to the trials, but a diary as well. Through this, he had learned about the person who had this journal before him.

Her name was Ulla, a woman from Neserdnia who moved to Corona after the fall of the Dark Kingdom, with the hope that she'd be able to confirm the kingdom of the sun holding the location to the library. There, she fell in love with one of the members of the Brotherhood, Quirin, and they began a quiet life in Old Corona. They even had a son, Varian.

Ulla had given up on finding the library. Well, more like taking a break. She has a family now. However, her research partner, Donella, had figured out the key to the trials, and Ulla gave in, leaving her family behind.

He doesn't know how the story ended. Ulla seemed to have switched the code every now and then. A small part of him really does wish she made it back to her son and husband.

Another thing Hugo learned was that the Eternal Library wasn't in one specific location. It was in a different astral plane. Hypothetically, he could complete the trials, build what he needed, and have his first visit be in twenty years. Well, that implied he'd live to see thirty eight. He's not even sure he'll make it to twenty.

He yawned, once again securing the journals as the fire died out. That was his final moment of relaxation before the air trial (or so the journal called it). At this rate, it'll take over two years to finish these trials, but maybe, it'll be worth it.

As Hugo laid down to sleep, he smiled when he saw Olivia curled up next to him. With a blanket wrapped around him, he held the necklace he always wore, and went to sleep.

Entering Koto was an experience unlike any other. Not because it was so amazing he has a different view on life now, but because it should've done that, and it wasn't.

Koto was a rich kingdom, and Hugo could only assume it was like Ingvarr, with a god awful class system that ruined others lives. The architecture certainly implied that. It was absolutely gorgeous, he'll admit. If you're going to treat lower class citizens like trash, at least make your architecture so gorgeous they become patriotic just by looking at it. Official buildings had stained glass windows, statues had so much detail it made Hugo's head hurt, and even the walkways felt like they took years to create just because of the complex designs.

It was also very empty.

At first, he thought it was because he was in the outer parts of the kingdom. He didn't live in the capital of Ingvarr, but he had traveled there. Just about everywhere, the capital was the most crowded, with the other towns being a whole different world of its own.

Granted, Ingvarr has a long history of cultural diffusion. It's how the kingdom came to be, actually. While the overall culture was similar no matter where you went, some towns did things differently due to geographic location. It was unlikely this would be the case for Koto, which took tradition so seriously their policy of immigration made tourists turn away.

The point still stood though. The kingdom looked perfectly intact and running, but even as he got closer to the capital, there were barely any citizens walking around. Last time Hugo checked, Koto wasn't at risk for their monarchy being overthrown, or the monarchy even being authoritarian. Then again, a lot could change in four months, especially since Hugo only briefly skimmed the news in his town.

It was odd. Why was there little to no people? There were guards all around, so the kingdom is still running. Made no sense, if you asked him.

Although, maybe this was normal? The journal had mentioned a similar confusion, but he couldn't remember why off the top of his head. Perhaps it played a role in the trial?

Unsure, Hugo sat down on a bench and began to look through his bag. Just as he had gotten the first journal out, a woman appeared right in front of him.

"Excuse me, sir," the woman said. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. "You're not from here, are you?"

Hugo just blinked a couple of times, attempting to process what he had just been asked. "I'm sorry?"

A look of realization came across her face, and she panicked, flailing her hands around. "No, no! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Well, kinda? It's about the meteor's. Nearly everybody has evacuated due to them."

"Meteors?" Hugo flipped through the journal, and yup! Meteors!

"From what I've heard, Koto was a thriving nation. One of pristine, and perfection. Donnie rolls her eyes whenever I say that, but that's what I was told my entire life. Although, I don't exactly understand why there's, well, nobody here. It's not like you can have a nation solely made up of lower or higher class citizens.

"Don has an idea or two for why this is. Apparently, Koto's amazing meteor showers are only amazing from afar. The reason the kingdom goes on lockdown post meteor shower is due to the meteors destroying their houses, and having to rebuild. She claims that they believe they're "too good" to have all of the seven kingdoms become aware of this problem they have.

"Apparently, it was true. At least, the meteors were. When we arrived, the kingdom was in ruins, and people were beginning to come back. I witnessed people’s homes in ruin. I felt awful for them, and I think I even saw a glint of sympathy in Donella’s eyes.

“Despite her complaints, I forced her to stay. We rebuilt the homes of the people, and I got to know them all. I especially bonded with a family of three, with a child around that age. They reminded me of my own husband and son.

“I wish I could recall the exact thing we did in order to pass the trial. We had helped a good bit on the outer sides of the kingdom, before finding the totem in a tree branch. Perhaps someone else was after it? My partner says that’s unlikely, because they definitely would’ve noticed its disappearance.”

Hugo cursed under his breath. It was too much of a coincidence for his taste that he arrived at around the same time that the person who wrote this did.

“You should get out of here.” The woman said. “It’s dangerous, and they’re predicted to arrive tonight.”

‘Oh, that’s just great!’ He thought to himself. ‘The moment I arrive, I have to leave.’

While he didn’t doubt the woman’s words (Koto was quite famous for their meteors, and he was blindly following a journal that may or may not have been a real journey written who knows how many years ago. He can’t really sit there and think about the validity of the woman’s claims), her actions didn’t align with her words. She was visibly anxious, yes, but it seemed more due to the interaction, not her impending doom. Anyone with half a brain would think to leave before the meteors are just about to hit, meaning this woman was either as dumb as rocks (he didn’t know any statistics about Koto’s educational system and its success - although Hugo himself didn’t have a formal education at all), or something else was going on.

“And why haven’t you left?” He asked, shutting the journal. “If it’s hitting tonight, most citizens would think to escape.”

She didn’t turn her head, but she looked behind her to see a building. A large building, at that. Nothing impressive like a mansion, but it didn’t seem like a home, but more so her workplace.

Is that what she was worried about? Work? Her own boss probably escaped long before her, and didn’t give her a look back.

“I work at an orphanage,” Hugo suddenly took back everything he just thought, that was reasonable, “and the children can’t deal with this alone. We’re severely understaffed, and I’m the only one who stayed. I can’t explain this to them. They’ll be terrified and traumatized. I have no choice.”

“So, you’re staying in the capital of a nation that’s about to be destroyed, because you’re worried about the children?”

“Of course! They’re orphans. I’m their only caretaker at the moment. I can’t manage them all, or this disaster.”

In most cases, Hugo would’ve let it be. It was a dumb mindset to have. Was she just going to pray to God (he never had an interest in Kotoian religion, but with the amount of religious buildings, he could make an assumption that she likely is) and hope the meteor doesn’t destroy them, nor traumatize those children who don’t have parents? It was almost laughable.

Almost.

He placed the journal in his bag, and stood up. “I’ll help you get out.”

It was incredibly out of character for him. In Ingvarr, it was every man for himself. That logic should’ve easily applied here. It’s what he’s done all his life!

It was almost as if the woman was able to sense this, as she had a look of shock. “No, no, you can’t.” She protested. “I just met you, you just met me, I can’t burden you with this.”

She was right. Hugo knew she was right. He should’ve been running in the other direction by now. However, the necklace under his shirt felt heavy suddenly; as if it were a reminder of what he was just ten years ago. Hugo never relied on consciousness and empathy. It got him nowhere in his small town; but he’s not in his small town anymore, and survival seems to follow a different pattern here.

“I’m an orphan.” He admitted. “Those children are traumatized no matter what you do. You’re right, you can’t get them all out right now, but I can help.”

Hopefully.

Koto’s castle was large, and gorgeous. Engineers marveled at the small yet important details in its design, while architects admired its beauty. Royalty used to praise the Gods they worshipped for keeping them safe, although this time around, there weren’t as many thanks, rather than a prayer for safety.

Ten years ago, the meteors had come again. The period in between each event seemed to lessen as time went on, and the royal family hadn’t caught on until it was too late.

In the middle of building a safety base, the meteors began to fall. The king, selfless as always, went out in order to help families who were unable to evacuate. As most would expect, it was a dangerous act. He never returned back to the castle, and was found in the remains of a house, cradling a young child in his arms.

Ever since, the family hadn’t been the same. To the public, they mourned bravely, moving on for the sake of their kingdom. Nothing was different in private, where a standard for perfection stayed as strict as in public.

The bunker was long since finished by this point, as well as the royal family's group prayers. Their mother, the queen, didn't feel all too satisfied with that, and continued to pray regardless. She had probably prayed using the prayer beads a hundred times throughout the week leading up to the meteors.

Her daughter sat in the corner, resting her head on her knees. She was distressed, and didn't exactly know what to do. As heir to the throne, she had conflicting duties. She had to stay alive - especially since her mother refused to remarry, but she knew there were still people in danger.  It wasn't even duty, but worry.

The image of her father curled up with another child in his arms haunted her nightmares. It was terrifying to remember that was the last time she had ever seen him, yet she always admired him for that. After all, he had comforted a lone child, lost without their family during a terrible event.

Her mother always argued that it was his own child he should've been protecting, not a random womans.

Still, it felt wrong to just sit there. It was for her safety, yes, but at the expense of her citizens? The people she would one day rule?

She got up and stretched, before she headed to the door. Her mother looked up from her beads, her grip so tight she could’ve broken it into pieces. The queen's eyes had a look of exhaustion in her eyes, and she sighed.

“Nuru, dear, what are you doing?” She asked.

By all means, she should’ve stayed. She should’ve comforted her mother, who never shows her distress like she is now. She knows what her mother would say, that she was being reckless, and irresponsible. That she’s basically committing suicide. By Nuru’s logic, however, what her mother didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

“I think I forgot something in my room. I’ll be right back.”

Her mother didn’t get the chance to respond, witnessing her daughter leaving quickly. She was comforted, believing that maybe Nuru was just forgetful in the midst of all the stress, and she would be back quickly. Perhaps she was just double checking. A part of her still doubted her daughter and her honesty.

Nuru rushed through the castle up to her room, looking out the windows as she moved. It was quiet, and empty, with workers having evacuated the night before. She ran into her room and leaned against the wall. She took a moment to catch her breath, before looking around, trying to find something to take back with her. She opted to change her clothes into something more comfortable, but not as fancy as the dress she currently wore. It was her favorite, gifted to her by her mother.

She grabbed a random stuffed animal from her floor. She didn't find much joy in them nowadays, but whenever she was in need of comfort, that's what she chose every time.

Nuru looked down at the stuffed animal with a look of melancholy. It was the second meteor shower she'd ever experienced, the first without her father. There were probably people from all over the seven kingdoms lined up on some hill, far away from Koto, waiting for the sun to finally set for the show. She wouldn't blame them - the comets are beautiful when they aren't destroying the entirety of her kingdom.

She glanced outside her window, the orange sky shining light into her room. She let out a small gasp, dropped her stuffed animal, and rushed toward the window.

A short woman with brown hair in a ponytail, a much taller man with blond hair, and a whole bunch of children, who she recognized from the capital orphanage. It was clear they were trying to escape. The woman was trying to comfort and get all the children to cooperate, while the man was leading them all while simultaneously holding a baby.

Nuru didn't even think twice before sprinting out of her room and into the palace. She's glad she didn't make any promises to her mother.

Hopefully whatever the queen prayed would end up working.

Getting the children to come with the two of them was surprisingly easy.

Most of the children there were either too old to argue back, or too young to even understand what was going on. When the orphanage worker brought Hugo, and he told them that they had ten minutes to pack anything important, they listened. The kids that were old enough to comprehend that they were alive didn’t take long, and sped up the process by helping the little kids pack their blankets and toys. The infant, hypothetically, wouldn’t need much, but they were humbled very quickly.

Getting them to go was easy, knowing where to go was much harder.

Hugo ended up leading the crowd through the way he went. There was one single pro to leaving last minute, which was that the streets were empty, and therefore, less people to bother them.

It was almost shocking to Hugo to see how the orphans reacted to it all. The older children were doing an amazing job helping the younger. When he was younger and in the orphanage, that would’ve never happened. Then again, that was Ingvarr, and this is Koto.

The nameless woman from earlier took a couple more quick steps to reach him. A little boy was holding her right hand, he couldn’t have been more than seven. “Are you sure we’ll escape in time?”

Hugo kept his eyes on the road ahead, adjusting his hold on the infant. “I don’t know, but it’d be dumb to go back now.”

The woman nodded, and took a deep breath. “Maybe luck will be on our side?”

Yeah, because luck will guarantee survival in the face of certain death.

“Maybe.”

Hugo prided himself in many things. He was an expert in clockwork, loved everything science and alchemy, and considered himself a reasonable person, maybe even a genius. If anyone needed proof, he’d just point to Olivia, who he, once again, made when he was seven and somehow gained sentience.

Living on the streets for basically his entire life had pros and cons. One of the pros was that he could sniff out danger from miles away, and things similar to danger.

As the sun continued to set, the wind began picking up. The orange sky illuminated their path forward. It was a beautiful sight, really, but definitely not his main focus. If he wasn’t carrying a literal infant, and holding the responsibility of about fifty children, he’d run so fast he leaves the kingdom within half an hour, but sadly, it’s hard to do that when carrying an infant.

Despite the many footsteps right behind him, Hugo could hear the sound of someone running from right behind him. It was panicked, frantic, someone was definitely sprinting. He stopped, looking right behind him. The others stopped as well, and looked back. Unlike Hugo, though, they all seemed to recognize this mysterious woman.

“Princess!” The worker said.

The princess took a moment to catch her breath, leaning against a wall. “What are you all doing? It’s dangerous outside.”

“It’s dangerous everywhere.” Hugo responded. “We’re just trying to get these guys to safety, ourselves as well.”

Nuru straightened up, looking much more like royalty. “Allow me to be of assistance, then.”

“Excuse me-”

“Princess Nuru, you really shouldn’t. You should get back to safety.” Did this woman just have an awful habit of shaking off help when it was offered right to her face?

The princess shook her head. “I insist. We don’t know when the meteors will come, except for the fact that it’ll be a few hours until they’re supposed to hit. I know the quickest way out.”

Hugo wanted to roll his eyes. A royal, helping an orphanage, during an impending natural disaster? He never thought he’d see the day.

He wasn’t in Ingvarr anymore, no, but some things were universal. Oxygen is necessary for human life, genetics determine your traits, and the upper class does not help the lower without an ulterior motive.

However, common sense still overruled. Either the princess is suicidal and wants her entire kingdom gone, or she genuinely knows a faster route. A major gamble, really, but there are better ways to go about the former option.

Besides, majority rules. Everybody wanted the princess with them, so Hugo could learn to suck it up.

Hugo could not learn to suck it up.

The conversation right next to him was slowly driving him crazy. He genuinely does not know how those two can just talk and talk all damn day. That, along with the children beginning to complain when they were only on hour three of this whole thing. The sun had long since set by this point, he was getting tired, and the only thing keeping him from telling everybody off was Olivia, who had returned from the children to his shoulder.

“Say, I never got your name.” The princess said, turning over to Hugo. He does not think he will get through another two hours of this. “I’m Nuru, princess of Koto and heir to the throne.”

Regardless, he was in her kingdom, and having his head severed from his body was not something he was interested in. “Uh, Hugo.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around the kingdom before.”

“This is my first time visiting, so that probably explains it.”

She hummed, nodding her head. Hugo had an off feeling about her. Maybe it was just the royalty aspect of Nuru’s life, but it seemed like she wasn’t being genuine, or as honest as she could be.

"Oh, where are you from?"

"Ingvarr."

“Well, I’m very sorry you had to come during such an unpleasant time. I hope you’ll be able to enjoy it next time.”

“Let’s hope.”

“Say, do you need me to carry her? You’ve been with her for a bit, you deserve a break.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” He felt his eye twitch. “Besides, she’s asleep. Wouldn’t wanna wake her up.”

That similar back and forth continued for a few more minutes - Nuru attempting to make some type of conversation, and Hugo shutting it down right away. Making connections didn’t matter, never did, in Hugo’s eyes. Sure, Ivan and Natalya…existed, but their “friendship” was one of convenience. They only see each other during festivals, especially the founding festival in the summer.

To him, those connections only held him back. His stay here was temporary, in and out. From that, he’d continue on, and likely wouldn’t come back. Why would he try when he knows it won’t work out?

Even if developing a relationship with the princess, worker, and all the children was worth it, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stand them, especially the princess.

Really, it’s for their own good.

It’d also be for their own good if they hurried up before the meteorites struck.

For a meteor to get past earth's atmosphere, it has to be at least twenty five meters, or else it’ll burn up in the atmosphere. According to Nuru, the meteorites tend to be about seventy five meters. It killed people, but it wasn’t earth shattering.

They were on the outer edges of the kingdom when the meteors came down.

Despite Olivia being mechanical, she had gone quiet along with the other animals. The air went still, and there was a metallic smell in the air. It all felt wrong.

Nuru, especially, was worried. She felt like someone or something was watching her from above. The princess looked up, and the sky was gorgeous. Stars filled the dark canvas above, and for a small second, all felt normal.

A light in the distance began to move across the sky, giving the illusion that it was getting bigger. In an instant, the sky was filled with a glowing blue as the meteor came falling.

Their moment of awe was cut short. Small bits of debris, almost like rain, came falling down. Nuru could've sworn she felt the impact in her entire body before it truly happened.

Miles behind her, a loud crash could be heard. The air was no longer just still, but also hot.

The children screamed, beginning to panic. The baby Hugo held in his arms woke up, screaming and sobbing. More comets came down, the sky staying a vibrant blue as they did. Nuru was frozen in fear.

It was unlikely, but comets have hit the outer parts of the kingdom before in the past.

Hugo, despite his rising annoyance, looked around. Freezing wouldn't do any good for them. His eyes were naturally drawn to Nuru's dress, decorated with constellations, which seemed to glow.

"Princess, your dress."

She looked down, grabbing onto the edges in shock.

"What the..."

"Your dress is magical?!"

"Apparently!"

They had to scream at each other in order to hear their own words, much less each other's. Hugo cringed as the infant cried even more, holding her tightly.

"What's the change for?"

"I...I don't know!"

Hugo looked up, seeing that exact constellation in the sky, quite close to their location. It would only be about a five minute walk. An idea came through his head, an idea that wasn't guaranteed to work. He never really believed in magic, but after hearing what happened in Corona about a year and a half ago, his mind was changed. Especially considering he just saw a dress transform into a constellation in the sky.

"A safe haven, maybe?" He suggested. Nuru looked back, watching as a distant meteor made its way down into the kingdom, destroying everything in its path. It was a massive gamble, but that was the only thing they had currently.

"Keep moving!" Hugo yelled out over the cries of everybody else.

Despite the roars from behind, many were able to keep going, with Hugo and Nuru leading the way.

"What'll we do if this doesn't work out?" Nuru asked, looking scared.

"Just do what we did before, run." Hugo replied. He looked behind him, before stopping in his tracks.

A smaller meteor was heading right behind them, and fast. A little kid fell on a rock, and was bawling his eyes out. Of course nobody noticed, there was too much chaos already.

Hugo felt as if he was working on auto pilot. "Hold her." He gave the infant to Nuru, who seemed to cry more as Hugo gave her away. He took out Olivia, and gave her to the crying child, who seemed to lighten up, seeing Olivia as a cute toy. She giggled as Olivia started to move around.

Hugo ran in the opposite direction, sprinting as if he was being chased. "Hugo? Hugo!" Nuru could only watch in horror as Hugo made his way towards the young boy.

It was ridiculous. Completely, and utterly ridiculous. There was no way to get the kid away from the meteor. He should've just looked away. Death was something he was used to.

He got down to the child's level, and hugged him tightly. "Close your eyes," he told him, "I've got you. I won't let it hurt you."

Hugo shut his own eyes tight, prepared to feel the meteor come crashing down onto him.

Instead, he felt a cool air on his back. He dared to open his eyes, making a noise of surprise at the sight.

The constellation on Nuru's dress was right above him. The meteors ceased to fall, and in their place, a pink dust fell around the kingdom. His eyes fell on Nuru, surrounded by the dust. No, not just that, it looked as if the dust was coming from her.

The little boy continued to cry, clinging onto Hugo. Hesitantly, he tightened his own hug. "See? I told you. You're alright."

Something hit Hugo's head, causing him to let go of the kid a little. He grabbed it, almost as if it weren't real, and then laughed.

Of course a near death experience is what it took to get the totem.

Chapter Text

Hugo had an expectation for how the aftermath of each trial was supposed to go. Simply put, it was to leave as soon as he could. He knew he’d meet people on this journey, which he could easily manage. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s how humanity survived and dominated before they started to advance technologically. Why hunt alone and risk not coming back, when you could hunt with others and have not only a better chance of success, find more food, and kill potential predators?

However, Hugo preferred to do things alone. He got by for ten years by doing that, what’s stopping him from surviving another two like this?

Apparently, a princess.

After the meteorites, Hugo stayed a little longer to help manage the children, no longer than a week. During that week, Nuru only dug deeper into his motivations for coming to Koto during its most catastrophic event. Having figured that she can’t really sabotage him now, as he already had their totem, he told her about the journals.

Eternal knowledge is a very tempting price for anybody. Hugo didn’t know what he’d do once he discovered the library, if it was real. He always assumed that he’d fix Ingvarr’s class system, make the gap between the lower class and upper class smaller. Then again, is it truly possible to fix the system from the inside? He wasn’t sure. It was wishful thinking, he certainly knew that.

As it turns out, eternal knowledge is a temptation for anybody, including Princess Nuru. After a lot of persuasion, for both Hugo and the queen, and Hugo experiencing something that was too close to shovel talk for his comfort, Nuru decided to come along on Hugo’s journey. She claimed it was so that she could handle the meteorites better, and maybe even stop them altogether.

Like everything, there were benefits. Nuru’s very existence had political ties. He doubted that every kingdom would go through some terrible astral event, so sneaking in would be now more illegal, and much harder. With Nuru, that wouldn’t be much of an issue.

She also had money, which could buy food. While they would definitely have to scavenge in the woods, they’d have to do that less, and likely wouldn’t have to stay in the streets while visiting other kingdoms, or at anybody who offered. No longer being beggars, they could now choose.

The trip also proved to be much quicker. The original trip to Corona would’ve taken over half a year by foot, Thanks to Nuru having actual supplies, such as a caravan and horses, they’d been able to cut their trip down by three months, something Hugo was not going to complain about.

That’s where the good things stop.

Hugo had his eyes on the map as he sat at the front of the caravan. It was Nuru’s turn to take control of the ride, and all was quiet. The ride was probably Hugo’s favorite part, as both sides were too concentrated on whatever they were doing to really talk about whatever came to mind.

“Hey, are we going the right way?” Hugo asked, looking over at his travel partner.

“Of course we are. I just looked at the map and guided you for six hours. I know my way.” Nuru replied with a smile. She almost looked proud of herself.

“Really? Because we’re heading towards a spot where thieves frequent.”

“What? No we’re not.”

“Yes, we are. I think I’d know what I’m talking about.”

“I really doubt it.”

“How are you doubting the thief on where popular thieving spots are?”

“You’re a thief?” She asked, looking over.

“Uh, yeah? I literally told you I was raised in Ingvarr and poor.”

“I thought that was just a stereotype!”

“Not all poor people there are thieves, but every thief sure is poor. Well, unless we’re talking about the government. They definitely aren’t poor.”

“Ingvarr’s government wouldn’t do that.”

“What, have you met them personally?”

“Yes, actually! Their queen is a sweetheart.”

“I said personally, not for your little royal political meetings.”

“I don’t need to meet her to know she wouldn’t do that.”

“You haven’t seen the taxes then. There’s a big difference between the taxes the lower and middle class gets, versus the upper.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“I’ve lived there my entire life. Never left until recently.”

“If you never left until now, how do you know this is a thieving spot?”

“Let’s see, it’s starting to get dark out, this is a shortcut through kingdoms, there’s trees everywhere, all of these make it a good spot to find unaware victims and hide before striking.”

“You sound crazy.”

“And you don’t?”

The noise the two were making had distracted them from their surroundings, unable to notice what began to lurk behind them.

“Yes, actually. Pittsford doesn’t have a thieving problem.” Nuru replied back.

“I’d love to see where you pulled those statistics.”

A woman suddenly jumped in front of the caravan, forcing them to come to a stop. She pulled out a dagger from her side, smiling as she spoke. “Well well well, what do we have here? The Princess of Koto and…some guy.”

Hugo looked offended for a moment, before he stood up and entered the caravan. “Hugo? What are you doing?!” Nuru asked. It was extremely unlikely that he’d be able to just conveniently have something to save the day.

When he opened the door, he saw two other thieves, going through their things. They looked young, and if he thinks back to the other woman, she did as well. A bunch of beginners, essentially. Pulling out his own weapon from his boots, the man didn’t have to do much to scare them off. Just yell a lot and throw some threats, and he was good. They ran as quickly as they came.

Hugo sighed as he sat back down at the front. Nuru just stared at him in shock. “How’d you know to do that?”

“It’s a popular technique among thieves.” He started. “If you’re in a group, you basically split up when you find a caravan. One part distracts, the others go through everything. The problem is, they weren’t experienced, so scaring them off was easy.”

“What gave away the lack of experience?”

“They looked like they couldn’t have been older than sixteen. Age is a dead giveaway sometimes.”

“Aren’t you eighteen?

“Just drive the damn caravan, stars.”

“Let’s stop here.” Hugo suggested. They were on the edge of Pittsford currently, having gotten through the previous shortcut safely. Needless to say, they didn’t take any more shortcuts after that. “It’s going to get dark sooner or later.”

“We should still have about an hour or two until that happens. We can keep going.” Nuru’s words fell on deaf ears, as Hugo was the driver currently, and got out.

“And? If we just go all day, we’ll tire ourselves out. Plus, there’s a water source about a mile from here. I don’t see why we’d stop.”

“You do this like, every week. We go all day, but on one specific day, we stop an hour or two earlier.”

“How is this an issue, exactly?” Hugo asked, rubbing his temples in annoyance. “For someone who complained all damn day at the beginning of this, you certainly don’t like the idea of being clean.”

The princess rolled her eyes. “I have a time limit for this, you know. Those meteors don’t follow a pattern, and are only becoming more and more frequent each time. These are hours that we may not be able to take back!”

“We also can’t succeed in this if we’re tired, hungry, and not well rested, nor can we finish this if we don’t even know what to do. Do you think I can read a map, or guide the caravan, and decode this journal? I’ll answer it for you, I can’t!”

It was a weekly occurrence at minimum. Hugo stops a little early, they argue and make the same points each time, one of them storms off, and they don’t talk for the rest of the night, save for a goodnight.

During those moments, they both had small, unofficial routines. Neither left each other's side in the fire, even if they’re mad at each other and sitting on opposite ends of the fire. Nuru just stares up at the sky, while Hugo focuses on decoding the journals. Their petty arguments were common, but it wasn’t any less taxing.

Nuru looked down at the map she held in her hands. It would take another month to get through Banganyor, which was where they’d go after they finished the second trial in Corona.

Did the eternal library even exist?

It’s not pessimistic to wonder. It almost seemed too good to be true. A library of endless, eternal knowledge? It didn’t make sense to her. Then again, hadn’t a totem fallen on Hugo after he survived the meteorites? By that logic, it could be real, or the Gods are playing a huge joke on them.

She looked to the side to look at Hugo, who seemed almost invested in his work to translate the journals. How’d he even get them? He claimed that he had never left Ingvarr, but those journals were clearly Coronian. Did Hugo steal the journals?

“What’re you working on?” Nuru asked.

Hugo stayed silent for a moment. Nuru’s question broke their usual routine of silence until the morning. “Nothing too important, honestly. This part of the journal just seems to be more of a diary than a guide.”

Nuru furrowed her eyebrows at that. “Do you even know who wrote this?”

“A woman named Ulla. She lived in Neserdnia until adulthood. Immigrated to Corona with her husband. It’s actually really interesting, her husband was-”

“So, you took this from a poor old woman?”

Hugo’s eyes flicked up, looking at the girl in front of him. “I’m sorry?”

“And you lied to me about never having left the country.”

“Nuru, what are you talking about?”

“I’m saying you’re a liar! What is this trip even for? Where is this place even located?”

“I am very confident I’ve explained this to you.”

“And there’s another thing. You don’t care. You never do!” By this point, Nuru had gotten up and started pacing. “You’re only out for yourself. You only care because it affects you.”

“Well, yeah.” Hugo admitted. “I probably wouldn’t be on some quest for eternal knowledge if I already had limitless knowledge on every subject imaginable.”

“You’re insufferable! I don’t know why I came here with you.”

“Yeah, why did you do that?”

Nuru’s eyes twitched. Hugo's lack of care and complete and utter apathy had long since gotten on her nerves. “I really don’t know.”

Late at night, Nuru sat close to the river they had settled near. She played with a rock in her hands, turning it around, throwing it up and down; she didn’t even have a purpose, just did it for the sake of doing something.

She didn’t register somebody coming towards her, only noticing their presence when she heard a very, very bad attempt at skipping rocks.

“That’s sad,” Hugo muttered. “It was a good rock too.”

“What are you doing here?” She asked, looking away as soon as she noticed him.

“I wasn’t making much progress on the translations. It was getting late and you weren’t back, so I came to check in. Being a princess and running off in the beginning of the night wasn’t your smartest choice.”

“Are you just here to chastise me?”

“Maybe.” Hugo shrugged his shoulders, looking down in the river. The water was a beautiful blue during the day, and the reflection of the celestial bodies in the sky was gorgeous. It wasn’t a view he’d normally get to see in Ingvarr.

He sat down, although the two were still separated by a few feet. “I’m sorry.” Nuru looked up at him, who was just staring at the lake. “I’ve never been a good team player. Probably never will be. Focusing only on myself and my needs is what kept me alive, so it’s hard to not fall back on that habit.”

Nuru just stared in awe for a second. “Hugo, I-”

“If you’re gonna say some shit about how I shouldn’t make excuses, just save it. I know I’m not the easiest to work with, neither of us are, if I’m being honest.”

“Well, that’s not what I was going to say.”

“It seems in character for you to say it.”

“Yeah, well, let's ignore that part.” Hugo looked over at Nuru. “I mean, I haven’t really given you a reason to think that I won’t weigh you down. Of course, I can’t know unless you tell me, but the truth still stays, no matter what was or wasn’t communicated.”

Hugo nodded, and Nuru looked away, having gone back to just playing with the rock. The silence, unlike before, wasn’t a sign of hostility and annoyance like before.

“So, how can I change?” Nuru’s head snapped over to the blond. “I mean, we can share tragic backstories all day, I can’t change unless I really know how.”

Nuru bit the inside of her mouth, trying to think. “I mean, I know I can’t make you care, but maybe at least trying to be more aware of the other side. Survival isn’t just an individual thing, anymore. It depends on both of our actions.”

“I’ll try, then.”

Nuru smiled at him. “And that’s all I can ask.”

The walk back to the caravan wasn’t exactly relaxing. They both left it alone, and nobody is scared of a mechanical mouse unless they have a phobia of mice.

They slammed the door open and began looking around. Nothing looked out of place, but Hugo was insistent on double checking everything.

Seeing that everything was normal and nothing was taken, Nuru sighed in relief. “Oh, thank the Gods.”

“Yes, lots of praise.” Hugo said, flipping through the pages of the first journal.

Nuru walked over and looked at the pages. Hugo had said it before, but this definitely confirmed his claim that it was code. A very, very inconsistent code that got switched up after each trial. “Hey, uh, didn’t you say there was something interesting about that Ulla girl's husband?”

Hugo nodded his head, flipping to a specific page. “Do you know about the Brotherhood?” She shook her head no. “The dark kingdom?”

“Oh, well yeah, obviously. They recently started rebuilding.”

“Yeah. Well, before it even got abandoned, they had this thing called the Brotherhood. They were knights whose loyalty wasn’t just to the kingdom, but to the moonstone that built the kingdom.

“The moonstone was made for destruction, a complete opposite to the sundrop, which healed. The king was angered by the destruction it was beginning to cause, yet failed to stop it. Everyone in the kingdom, including the Brotherhood, were forced to leave. Ulla married one of those knights, Quirin.”

“That’s a fun story.” She said.

“Very.”

Chapter Text

All Hugo knows about Corona is that their heir to the throne was kidnapped, came back when she was eighteen, and was born with magical hair that grew back during her coronation, which is now gone. In the world of politics, Hugo only knew theory, and that was just the stuff that interested him. That’s when Nuru naturally took over.

It was almost scary. Over the course of a month, they slowly started getting along more. He learned about Kotoian traditions, and what life as a royal was like. The stress of being an heir, and the reality of your existence being so heavily political. Who he had grown to know, while annoying and a bit of a prick, was not like this normally. She was professional and polite, knowing what to say and when.

It was due to Nuru’s political life that their time in Corona was vastly different from any other nation. Their overly friendly princess had heard that they were coming, and offered to give them a tour of everything.

Hugo was so bored he thought this was part of the next trial. A trial of patience and virtue. He swears he’s about to fail.

Although, he knew how detrimental it would’ve been for everyone involved, so he just shut his mouth for now.

Rapunzel insisted on showing them every single room, except personal rooms, but they hadn’t even made it to that area yet. The first thing Hugo bothered to say that wasn’t just for pleasantries was about a room they had passed without second thought.

“Oh, that’s just the dungeon for prisoners.” Rapunzel said, waving it off. “Nothing I don’t think you’d be too interested in seeing.”

“You keep a dungeon full of prisoners in your castle?” Hugo asked, a bit bewildered by the thought. That absolutely was a recipe for disaster.

“I don’t know why that choice was made either, honestly.” Rapunzel replied, laughing a little. “It’s worked so far, though! We can’t fix what’s not broken.”

“So, what brought you two to Corona?” The princess asked. They were heading towards their rooms, as she had so graciously provided them with a place to stay in the palace.

“We’re on a mission to find the eternal library.” Nuru explained. “Allegedly, if all seven of its trials are completed, we’ll be able to have access to unlimited knowledge.”

Rapunzel, despite not being on the quest herself, seemed to brighten at the idea. “That sounds like so much fun! I’m guessing the next one is here?”

Hugo nodded his head. “It is. We just need to find it.”

“Well, I don’t think I can be of any help, but I think I know someone who will.”

The two adventurers walked through the capital. To their surprise, it wasn’t as crowded as they expected. It must’ve been because it was just a normal day, rather than a festival. That isn’t to say there wasn’t an abundance of people in the streets, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as expected. Not that they were complaining. Even for someone like Nuru, who was used to large crowds, it’s never something she wishes for.

They walked into a building to where they had been directed to, a blacksmith. Hugo had grown not to question anything at this point, while Nuru was definitely a bit more skeptical. Regardless, the two walked in.

“Um, hello?” Hugo said upon walking in. A man, who he could only assume was Xavier, the person Rapunzel was talking about, looked up from what he was doing. “Hi, we were wondering if you could help us with something really important.”

Xavier put his things down and walked over to the two. “Of course, I’d be glad to help.” Hugo went through his bag and placed two journals down. Before either of them could speak, Xavier had already beat them to it. “I recognize those journals.”

“Well, yeah. They were made in Corona. Of course you’d recognize them.”

“No, no.” Xavier insisted. “Those aren’t sold anymore. Where did you find these?”

“On the streets.” Hugo said. “Do you know what’s in here?”

“Not exactly, but I know who they belonged to.”

“Ulla?”

“Quirin’s wife, yes. How did-”

“She’s mentioned herself in these numerous times, along with that Quirin guy.”

“Ah, I remember Ulla. She was a bright young woman who loved adventure. Her attitude when she came was the exact same as when she left. Quirin spoke very highly of her.” Xavier picked up the journals, examining them. “When they were stolen, he was devastated. It was one of the last reminders of his family.”

“What about his son?” Nuru asked. “We’ve been working on decoding it-”

“I have.”

“Yes, blondie here has - and it says that they had a child together. I mean, neither journals are translated to full.”

“Varian…he was just like his mother. It was almost shocking. She was only around for so long, yet he became strikingly similar.”

Nuru and Hugo looked at each other. Xavier seemed to talk about the kid like he was dead. His mother as well.

“Is he okay?” The princess asked.

“As okay as he can be.”

'Holy shit, this guy is vague.’ Hugo thought.

“So he’s alive.” The blond stated. “Why does he need such an extreme reminder of family instead of just his wife?”

“Don’t you know what he did?”

“Clearly not. Neither of us are really from here.”

“Oh!” Nuru said, realization suddenly coming to her. “Is he the kid that nearly took over the kingdom three years ago?” Hugo whipped his head around to look at Nuru. A child, nearly taking over a kingdom? Hilarious. He could laugh.

“He is.” Apparently not. “During a terrible snowstorm three years ago, an accident happened in their house. His father got encased in amber, and our princess was unable to help. Her parents were out, and she was put in charge of the kingdom for the time being. Not only that, but she never checked in on Varian the following months. Varian, filled with anger, concocted a plan that spanned over the next few months to destroy Corona and all those who had doubted him, which included kidnapping the royal family. It was due to the magic of the black rocks, controlled by the moonstone, that stopped him.”

Hugo blinked a few times at the story he had just been told. A little kid nearly took over the kingdom, and the thing that stopped him was magic?

God, the rumors were true. Corona’s security was awful.

Nuru seemed to be a lot more empathetic towards the fact that the kingdom was nearly taken over. “I’m so sorry that happened. It seems like Corona’s been able to rebuild itself quite well.”

“That it has.” Xavier nodded. “Corona is a nation filled with headstrong people. I like to believe our spirit is what has kept this kingdom running for generations.”

“So, is he…dead?” Nuru slapped Hugo's shoulder. “What? In Ingvarr, the kid would’ve been executed on the spot without a trial. So sorry for asking a question.”

“Well,” Xavier answered, “he didn’t have a proper trial due to the fact that he’s a minor. However, his birthday is said to be coming up in a few months, and he’ll turn eighteen. Once he turns eighteen, his case will be brought before a judge.”

Hugo almost felt bad for him. Three years in prison without a trial, and once he got a trial…well, it was clear what his fate would become.

“All we know about his verdict is that he’ll be deemed guilty for sure, but it’s unlikely he’ll get capital punishment.” Nevermind. “You seem shocked by that.”

“I mean, yeah.” Hugo said. “The guy tried to take over. Probably planned to kill a guy or two. Most people would be put to death for that, not the guarantee for the other way around.”

“Many were shocked as well, but his father is close to the king and begged for him to take mercy on his son. He also didn’t have a trial, and when the Separationists of Saporia took over, Varian rejected the offer to work for them. It’s the small things that’ll likely reduce his sentence.”

“Separationists of- y’know what, nevermind.” Hugo cut himself off. This was going way off topic. They did not come here to learn about a tragic family. “That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to discover the Eternal Library, and one of the trials is in this kingdom. We’re here to ask if you know anything about it.”

“The eternal library, yes, Ulla mentioned it many times. You’ll go out into the forest, long past Old Corona. All you need as you enter is intention. There, you’ll be led by the feu follet, who will cast an illusion throughout the forest. They will lead you through, however, the forest will look different for anyone who enters. Once you do, you’ll be met with memories that you may have forgotten, and visions of your deepest desires. Some don’t make it out alive.”

“What is it with these trials and life or death scenarios?” Hugo mumbled under his breath.

“Well, we thank you for your help, sir.” Nuru bowed in appreciation, while Hugo just repeated a similar thanks.

“It was my pleasure. Good luck on your discoveries. You’ll need it.”

‘That’s not creepy at all.’ Hugo thought as they left.

"I swear, I've seen you from somewhere." Eugene said as they bgan down the hallway.

Tomorrow, Nuru and Hugo would go through the trial. They were set to leave the day after. Really, they should've been preparing, but no. Nuru had been tossed around all day by professionals and servants, thinking she was there for political purposes. If you looked at it from a certain angle, she was, but not the reasons they thought.

Regardless, Hugo had extra time, and a sentient yet mechanical mouse that can't talk can only keep a man entertained for so long. Therefore, he was onto the next best thing - the brotherhood.

The journals didn't provide much information. They existed to protect the world from the moonstone, the king wanted it gone, they had to evacuate because of that dumb decision to try and get rid of it. That's it! Hugo wasn't buying it, though. There was more to this secret society thing, and he knew that part of it had to do with that crazy guy Xavier mentioned.

"I swear you have not." With the princess being busy, Hugo was being led by Eugene to the meeting area. Allegedly, his father would come every week, no matter what.

"You're way too familiar. Hold on.." They were right in front of the door. While the room was soundproof, each meeting only allowed five minutes. Hugo had five minutes to satisfy his curiosity.

"Not important. See you in five, Rider."

“Hu- hold on now-”

Hugo walked into the room to see a boy around his age. He had black hair with a blue stripe that had to be natural. Not only because no prison would let their prisoners change their appearance for self expression, but also because it wasn’t a good choice. Seriously, a single, vibrant blue strand? Genetics were odd. His eyes seemed to be the same color as that odd strand, just a different shade. More light and soft. Emphasized the eye bags under them.

Hugo took a seat on the other side of the table, all while the kid was just staring at him. Hugo couldn’t blame the guy, really. He either wasn’t expecting a visit at all, or he was expecting his father.

The blond cleared his throat, before he began to speak. “Okay, listen, I don’t really know you, and you certainly don’t know me. However, I was wondering if you could help me with something revolving around your father.” Varian's attention seemed to pique at that, although Hugo couldn’t tell if it was because of his father, or being asked for help himself.

“Starting off, my name is Hugo. I’m assuming you’re Varian?” Varian nodded his head. Not much of a talker, it seems. “Perfect. I don't think they'd fuck up their own security system, but I have a small feeling they might've already.”

That small comment led to a small laugh from Varian. “Tell me about it.”

’Well, I suppose if anybody would have experience, it's him.’ Hugo thought.

“Well, I don't think you'll spill such deep dark secrets, without understanding the motivation. I, alongside Princess Nuru of Koto, are on a journey to discover the Eternal Library. This is said to exist in a different astral realm, requiring full completion of seven trials across the seven kingdoms. The guide we're following was written by your mother.”

Hugo revealed the first journal, although he still had the second, and opened it up. “This is all written in an odd code, but I was able to decipher it. Within it, the story of your parents is written down. Your father was a knight for the Dark Kingdom, specifically part of the Brotherhood, which was a secret society type of thing. All this gives me is the basics, and nothing else. Do you know anything about it?”

Varian shook his head. “I don't. My father never told me…anything. I know nothing about my mother, honestly. He hid a lot of stuff, even now.”

Hugo could only hum in confirmation. “Well, thanks for your time either way. That was all I needed.”

Hugo stood up to leave, before Varian stopped him. “Where'd you even find that journal?” Hugo's shocked. He didn't know Varian could actually initiate conversation!

It's also the second time he got asked that question today alone. “On the streets. The guy disappeared before I could give it back. Curiosity killed the cat, and I looked through.”

“What does it say about…either of them?”

Varian looked hesitant, almost scared. Emotions were never Hugo's thing, so he couldn't really understand. Did this guy not nearly take over the kingdom at fourteen?

“Well…” Hugo thought over what the journal had said in specific. “Your mother was from Neserdnia, and as established before, your father from the Dark Kingdom.

“Your dad was one of the best knights that kingdom had ever seen, he was very serious and stoic. He was probably very type A. He assisted your mother and her research partner during their final trial. By then, they were married and had you. Your father put the kings orders above all, but he valued common sense more. According to this, he was the one to discourage King Edmund from destroying the moonstone.

“Your mother was quite the opposite. Bubbly and friendly, type B to a tee, but very intelligent. She dedicated her life to these trials, after all. She was empathetic to all, but had a tendency to say things at the wrong time.”

Varian just nodded his head. Ulla was always a non acceptable topic to his dad for a reason he can comprehend. Nobody really wants to be reminded of their dead wife constantly from their son.

“Thank you.” Varian said quietly. “I…never knew her.”

It was quiet for a few moments. Hugo was tempted to leave, but he spoke. “I never knew my parents either. Unlike you, I don't have some journal to tell me all about them. Just a final memory where I was told about how I'm just like my father, and look just like my mother.” He looked over at Varian, and while he couldn't force a comforting smile, he could words. “Your mom would've been amazing, I'm sure.”

Varian just smiled and said thanks again.

“...not to imply that your father did a bad job, of course. I'm sure he did great with what he could.”

“No, no. He was…great.” It was silent, again. “If you ever want answers, you could always ask my father himself. He should be visiting in three days, if you'll still be here.”

“I won't be gere, but I'll see if I can catch him.”

“Onto the next trial, I'm guessing?”

“Yup. We don't have much time to spare. Time is an illusion, yet we only have so much of it. Crazy thing.”

“Yeah..I hope you enjoy it. A library filled with limitless knowledge feels like a dream.”

“Why else do you think I'm doing this?”

Varian shrugged his shoulders. “Money?”

“Like, sell the information in there?”

“I guess.”

“Hell no. I'll use the information there to make money, sure, but I'm not selling the key to the library. It's been about six months since this all started, and it'll definitely take longer. I'm not giving away my hard work like that.”

“That's understandable. I wish I was able to see something like that.”

“Why don't you? You're not guaranteed a death sentence, y'know.”

“That's only a rumor. I don't think someone like me would be let out freely. I either die by the kings hand, or by my own after this trial. None of them seem enjoyable to me.”

“The legal options.”

Varian's eyes met Hugo's for the first time in that conversation. “What?”

“Just…break out. Don't get caught, and you're free.”

“No, no, I can't do that. I'd die either way.”

“Not if you're with a group.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying I'd be willing to break you out.”

“Why? You don't even know me.”

“I don't, but I know you're intelligent, and you don't seem annoying. Add that with an explicit interest, and that adds up to an easier time on the road.”

Varian blinked a few times. Complete and utter freedom was something he denied once because he knew it wouldn't work. If he gets caught, any mercy towards him would be thrown out the window.

But what if he passed this down? Rot in prison for the rest of his life, that's what.

“Alright. I'll…trust you on this.”

“Good. I'll uh…come up with something.”

All Hugo has learned on this journey so far is that he is way too impulsive.

“I'll trust you on that.”

“You're not the only once who faces consequences if caught, stripes. I'm not trying to get arrested. I'm on a nineteen year streak.”

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

“So you've never been to prison is what you're saying.”

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“..keep it that way. Prison sucks.”

“I'd assume so. All of my family died in it. So far, I'm the only one who hasn't done that.”

“Yikes.”

“Yikes indeed. I'd say I've done a pretty good job at not going to jail.”

“By not breaking the law?”

“By not getting caught when committing a crime.

“Oh. I mean, that works too.”

“It does. It's a very effective method as well. You should try it.”

“Apparently, I dont have a choice in that.”

“Wonderful.”

“What'd you even do?”

“I've had to steal my entire life.”

“I thought you like, killed a man.”

“Nah. I saw someone die once though! Not very fun.”

“I'd assume so…”

Eugene opened the door, signalling to Hugo that his time was up. The blond grabbed the journal and left, but not before waving goodbye to his future companion.

“You’re the one who dropped a piano on my head, aren't you?”

Sometimes, Hugo wonders why he took on this quest when he had all the free will in the world to just…not.

Chapter Text

The walk from the palace to Old Corona took about two hours, having decided to keep the caravan and all else on royal property to ensure they weren’t destroyed. The only personal belonging any of them brought was Olivia, with Hugo claiming that she would help if Xavier’s claim was true. A forest that’ll mess with their mind, and a Nixie that’ll try to kill them most likely won’t be able to get the mechanical mouse, therefore helping the two to ground themselves in the situation. They had also brought the first journal to get through.

They stood outside the entrance of the forest, just behind Old Corona. Hugo looked down at the map provided in the journal. Hypothetically, if they’re able to follow the map, they should be in and out easily. Nothing more than just a stroll in the forest.

Nuru looked over at Hugo, a determined look on her face. “You ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.” He replied, nodding.

With that, the two walked into the forest, beginning the second trial.

The second trial was proving to be really boring.

Hugo had reread each entry the night before, redid his entire code. He got about four hours of sleep prior to this trial. He knows that they should’ve gotten the right place. Despite that, it had been, what, an hour, and nothing thus far had happened.

“Are you sure you got the right place?” Nuru asked.

“Confident. We’ve been following the map to a tee.” Hugo said. He flipped the page, and reread those entries for the hundredth time. Nothing about getting the wrong place. It even had sources cited to prove Ulla was correct in her assumptions, and a very detailed description of what she had gone through.

Flipping back to the map, he put his finger about a third of the way through the trail. “We should be right here.” The trail they were on was in the shape of an upside down U, so they were about to reach a curve.

“You know, I thought this would be more, I don’t know, adventurous? Dangerous? We had to risk our lives to get that, and it was just the first. I assumed it would get more challenging as we moved on.”

“Maybe this really is a test of patience like I originally thought.”

“Then we’re failing. Miserably. How’d you even get that original idea?”

“I was really bored when the princess did her whole tour of the palace. Please tell me that I won’t have to do that for every kingdom.”

“Most likely not. Corona is known for its friendliness-”

“And God awful monarchy.”

“- so it’s only natural that their heir to the throne would be similar to the people. Haven’t you heard about her first eighteen years of life?”

“Yes yes yes. Kidnapped, locked in a tower, Flynn Rider saves her, all is good and happy.”

“I mean…good enough.”

A similar act continued for the next ten minutes. A random idea would pop into their heads, they’d briefly discuss it, and go forth with their trail.

“I can’t take this anymore.” Nuru said. “We’re not getting anywhere like this. The map is literally telling us to go in circles!”

“Now, don’t say that. We just need to distract ourselves with something!”

“Like what? We’ve been doing that, and I’m not telling campfire stories.”

“This is not worth snapping at me for.”

“It’s your fault we’re lost.”

“How is it my fault? We’re not even lost!”

As they argued, it provided a distraction for their minds, although they never stopped following the map. As they walked, they didn’t notice the small shifts in the forest. It became more dull and gray, as the clouds began to cover the sun.. The trees became thinner and had less leaves, but it became replaced by an abundance of trees to make up for it. The dirt underneath became less rich, and more dry.

In the corner of Nuru’s eyes, she saw a blue, flickering light. She turned her focus to the light of what was seemingly a spirit - it certainly looked like one. At her sudden quiet, Hugo glanced over at once. Their attention grabbed, more spirits began to appear on the trail, seemingly leading them.

“So, we’re lost?” Hugo said with a smug face, mocking her previous complaints.

“Apparently not. This forest could’ve fooled me though.”

The duo looked around, the setting unfamiliar to only Nuru. Hugo approached a tree, with Olivia popping up out of his pocket, squeaking in confusion. Somehow, the forest had changed into the one just by Hugo’s hometown, just about where he lived.

“That’s…odd.” Hugo questioned. “How did this just happen?”

Nuru shrugged her shoulders, turning her attention back to the spirits that illuminated their trail. “I don’t know, but I’d like to get out of here as soon as possible.” Hugo nodded in agreement, going back onto the trail and following the spirits.

For every few steps they had taken, a small noise would be heard in the distance. It wasn’t a squeak like a mouse, or a fallen branch, but instead a noise of disturbance.

Ever since they began following those spirits, Nuru had been tormented with the sounds of her mother screaming, and citizens calling out for help. The forest became more humid, reminding her of how her kingdom felt before the meteors would come and crash

Hugo, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine; because he was. The spirits they followed led him in the same direction he’d take while home, going from town to that little shed he stayed in illegally. He couldn’t feel the humidity, and certainly didn’t hear the screams of any loved ones.

The walk was quiet, each party member stuck in their own head. Nuru of paranoia, and Hugo of security.

The quiet was eventually interrupted, the sound of a violin playing in the distance. The spirits began to flicker repeatedly, as if they were running out of battery. The violin had only gotten louder as they continued, only shocking Nuru more, and pulling Hugo further into his original trance.

As they approached a small lake, the spirits dimmed out. Hugo looked over at the lake, which was the source of the violin playing.

A man with short brown hair and enlarged, pointy ears sat on a large rock in the very middle of the pond. The music he played was loud and eccentric, looking as if he enjoyed himself. His eyes were closed, as if there were nobody but him in the forest.

Nuru wasn’t as mesmerized by the man. She shoved Hugo’s shoulder softly, her body too consumed with worry to put in extra force. “Hugo, we should get going now. We’ve still got another third of the forest to get through.”

Hugo blinked, snapping out of whatever trance he had been put in. He looked over at Nuru, staring for a second or two before her words fully comprehended in his mind. “Right, uh, right. Let’s get going.”

At the noise from the other two, the mysterious man opened his eyes and looked over at the two. Smiling, he waved to them and began to play again, this time, the song was different. It sounded more melancholic and bittersweet than exciting and upbeat like the previous song.

Instead of moving along like he had agreed to, Hugo stayed put in place. Nuru will admit, the song was mesmerizing, but not worth staying in place over.

“Hugo? Come on, let's get going.” This time, no amount of shoves or tugs could break him out of the trance he was seemingly put under. “Seriously, this isn't funny.”

Unable to comprehend her pleas, Hugo was essentially cast under the nixie’s spell. Instead of moving away, he moved towards the water slowly, unable to take his eyes off of the lake in which he was approaching.

Nuru wasn’t able to physically hold him back. She was either too weak, or he was too determined to go into the water. The nixie's smile widened as he saw the two come gradually towards the water.

Hugo's eyes looked nearly lifeless, as if he had lost consciousness and wasn't thinking. Nuru is quite confident that was the case here.

Without even looking back, Hugo walked into the water, and didn't stop until his entire body was submerged. Nuru ran in as well, but felt her body grow weaker as she went deeper. Her vision grew blurry, and she started seeing spots all over, before falling unconscious head first into the water.

Nuru felt as if she were in a dream - a very, very vivid dream. When her eyes finally opened, she was back in her room in Koto. She slowly sat up, looking around. Nothing was destroyed, or even moved around. As she got out of bed, she checked her windows as well. The capital looked perfectly fine.

This confused her immensely. Was she not just out? The human mind can’t create faces, and Hugo certainly wasn’t someone she’d just see in her day to day life. No, this definitely had to be fake. An odd dream, a way to cope with her situation.

The door opened, and one of her maids came in. She bowed, greeted Nuru, before rushing her to get ready.

“We have to hurry, your highness. You have a lot to do today.” By this point, Nuru was used to the routine, even if it had been two months since it last happened.

As the maid did her hair, she continued to explain. “First, you have a meeting with the governor of a town by the border. Concerns about water supply and such. Afterwards, the royal astronomer wants your opinion on his recent calculations and discoveries. Both of those meetings will take at least two hours, but luckily, the governor has offered to come to you rather than the other way around. Your presence was requested for the grand opening of a new café in the capital, so you’ll be spending lunch there.”

“All that before lunch? I’m assuming there’s more.”

“Correct. In between these meetings, you’ll have to answer some of the people’s requests and complaints. Your mother is becoming more strict on preparing you for rule, so these will be a bit more serious than before. You and your mother will then begin preparations to travel to a nearby kingdom for the annual seven kingdoms committee meeting.”

“She’s letting me go?” Nuru turned her head in excitement.

“Ma’am, please don’t move as I do this. I’m almost done.”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

“But yes, she has decided to respond positively to your request to join her. Again, she wants to prepare you for rule.”

The maid went over to her closet after completing her hair, looking for a few seconds before pulling out a dark blue, knee length dress with the material being made out of a rich satin. She mindlessly grabbed white gloves that would go up to Nuru’s elbows, and kneeled down. She chose short, white heels to complete the outfit, placing all but the shoes on her bed.

“I’ll be outside,” she said. “Let me know when you’re finished so I can complete your makeup. Be quick.” The maid bowed and left the room, leaving Nuru alone with her thoughts.

Nuru sat by her vanity for a few moments before standing up, and heading towards her bed. Before, her mother would refuse to give her serious assignments. She always enjoyed her power, after all. To most, this may seem like a blessing. Even without doing much, Nuru still felt as if she held the weight of the world on her shoulders due to her status as a princess. Regardless, Nuru couldn’t help but smile at her situation. She was given a chance to help her kingdom, her people. Not only that, but working on the international stage.

It had to be a dream, but as she picked up her dress and felt the fabric, she began to think otherwise. 

Hugo was placed in a similar position upon opening his eyes, but unlike Nuru, he didn’t recognize where he was.

The room was small, yet decorated nicely. As Hugo began to fully wake up, he noticed more differences in his location.

First and foremost, an actual bed. It had white pillows with cotton pillowcases, and a fluffy blanket. A small table next to his bed with his glasses on top of a book, both being next to a basic lamp. He grabbed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, as he looked around the room.

The walls were as white as his pillows. A work desk was pushed up against the wall with a spinny chair pushed in. The work desk was a mess, filled to the brim with papers and textbooks. The room looked as if it had been cluttered and then cleaned, but not to perfection, as other pieces of paper and a few books were scattered around. For his preferences, however, it was definitely good enough. A suitcase and backpack were packed and placed right next to the door.

As Nuru was, he was incredibly confused. Unlike Nuru, he couldn’t recall why though. It was as if all memory of his previous venture was wiped from his mind, and all he was left with was a sharp headache and feeling of unwell.

Standing up, he continued to look around. Rather than a dresser or closet, Hugo seemed to have a rack of his everyday clothing, and another, smaller for sleepwear. Next to those two was an empty laundry hamper.

Walking up to the desk, he looked at  something that was pinned to the wall, which was a calendar. Another calendar was on his desk, which stated that the date was the twenty-third.

Mindlessly, Hugo got dressed, simply attempting to forget the coincidence at hand. It almost felt odd wearing such normal clothes, despite his instinct telling him that things were completely normal.

He walked out of the door to see a slightly larger room, seemingly accounting as both a living room and a kitchen at the same time. Everything looked nice, and in place. It was certainly less messy than his own living space. Another door was right in front of his on the other side of the shared room. Walking up to it, he was met with a note.

“Decided it wasn’t fair for you to abandon me and leave me behind, so I’m taking my own trip back home! I’ll be back in about five days.

“ - Agnar, 23/3”

Hugo blinked once more as the headache seemed to resurface. Right, that’s what he had to do today. He had to go back home for his sister's birthday. Granted, he missed the actual date due to a long series of exams he had to prepare for, but who’s going over the difference? His sister, while spoiled to death, was willing to wait a little longer for his return.

He stepped into the kitchen part of his dorm, taking out some bread and placing it in the toaster. While waiting, he got a glass of water. He had no idea what was up with him this morning. It was as if he had forgotten his entire life the moment he woke up. He’d definitely have to bring this up with his roommate, who was a pre-med major.

Honestly, making an engineering and pre-med major share a dorm was just a recipe for disaster. Sleep depravation and such. Hugo could only be glad they didn’t have a law student with them.

Thank the maker for modern day technology. History taught him many things, but the most important was that he’d hate to live in a different century.

The ride to his hometown took about a day. If he was being honest, Hugo slept most of the day. He’s 99% sure he packed work to do so he’s not too far behind in his classes, but who has time for that? Luckily, he was awake by the time he had gotten there.

Nobody seemed to really notice him, nor did it seem like they cared. It wasn’t something that he could complain about, he’d much rather not have some huge welcoming ceremony and whatnot.

The walk to his house was quiet, the blond stuck in his own head. Despite having them for his entire life, a part of him both warmed at and blocked out the idea of actually having a proper family. His mother would probably demand to know everything - how his roommate is, his grades, if he’s hiding a secret boyfriend, dumb stuff like that. She just wanted to be involved in her son's life. His father wouldn’t fret like his wife, but he’d show a silent form of approval. His sister is fourteen, so she’d just be glad to see him. She’ll definitely bully him for something though, leading to a threat of never visiting again, but they all knew that threat was empty.

His parents sacrificed everything for him, successfully breaking a cycle of generational struggle to provide their children with the best life possible. For that, Hugo will always be grateful.

He approached their house, which was actually quite big considering the area they lived in. He dug out his key and walked into the house, loudly announcing his presence as he did.

A small puppy immediately barked at him, jumping all over him in excitement. Hugo laughed as he kneeled down and pet her, immediately calming the dog down.

Footsteps could be heard coming towards him. The quiet, warm voice of his mother welcoming him back. Hugo looked up, the words forming to greet her, before he froze.

Unlike the faces in his town, his mothers wasn’t visible. It was all blurred, not a single detail he was able to make up. She had blonde hair and green eyes, just like him, but the extra details, he couldn’t tell. He couldn’t see the length of her hair, or the way her face was structured.

“Hugo, dear? What’s wrong? You’ve just arrived home!”

Hugo looked down at the puppy, who was looking up at him excitedly. “Uh, sorry. I’m just a bit tired. That’s all.”

His father came over, and it was almost the exact same as his mother. He couldn’t tell if his hair was light or dark, he was unable to tell what clothing he was wearing. He looked human, he was human, but he couldn’t see a single human feature on him. “Is something wrong over here?”

Hugo just stared at his father, his thoughts unable to tell anything. He stood up and walked past them, going over to an old family photo, back to when his sister was just a baby. Her face was generic; so generic, he couldn’t be sure if she even looked related to his family. His parents looked the exact same in the photo. The only one he could make out was the face of his younger self, who looked so much happier than he did.

‘Happier than I did?’

Hugo whipped his head around, the realization settling in.

None of this was real. Not even close to his true reality and life.

“You’re not real.” He whispered under his breath.

“Hugo, honey, what are you talking about?” His mother asked, her worry seemingly growing.

“You’re an illusion.” He said, a little more loud. “None of this is truly reality.”

“Hugo, son, you’re not making any sense.” His father even talked with the same sentence structure as his mother did.

“No.” Hugo stepped back. He could hear the sound of harsh rain coming down from outside. “You’re not real! My real parents died.”

He attempted to walk outside, but his mother grabbed his shoulder. He wanted to say there was a look of worry and concern for her child, but his inability to make out her face didn’t help. “Hugo, are you okay? We can talk about this. You know if you’re struggling, we’ll be here for you.”

He shoved her away, causing her to fall down. He grabbed his bags and slammed the door to the house, the rain coming down on him hard.

As he walked away from the house, his parents didn’t try to chase after him, nor his “sister”. He can barely remember their appearance, let alone their personality.

As he walked, his vision became blurry. He couldn’t make his lungs work, and he couldn't feel his legs as he walked. Consciousness slowly left him, and as he leaned against the wall to a random shop he forgot existed, he lost consciousness.

Rain belted down as Nuru ate at the café. A simple sandwich and some tea, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Outside, children ran out in the rain, their parents chasing them so they didn't get sick. Small laughs could be heard throughout the newly opened café, the owner smiling widely as they saw what looked to be the start of a great success.

The ticking of the clock right above her was consistent, a reminder that she was on a time crunch. The woman who had been with her previously had left temporarily to do her own thing, leaving the princess to keep track of time herself.

It couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes by this point. Nuru still had a lot to do. Even after she hurried and finished her lunch, she looked up at the clock, which continued to make a ticking sound, yet never moved a hand. According to the clock, not a second at all had passed. While it didn’t make sense, Nuru didn’t spend an extra second on it, and decided to leave and be on her way out. Perhaps the hands were just broken.

Exiting the café, the wind began to pick up tremendously, nearly blowing younger children over. The rain began to get harder, and citizens rushed into their nearest building. The meteorologist never said anything about such an intense storm coming their way, instead claiming the opposite of sunny days ahead. Rain poured down over the princess, and even within the five seconds she had been outside, she was now soaking wet.

Nuru, among the crowd, began to run all around, panic flooding over them. What seemed to be a Godly amount of water poured down onto the ground, the roads below no longer had space taken up by puddles, rather, the water began to rise exponentially.

Despite the danger, Nuru ran through the crowd of people, all concerned primarily for themselves. Getting back to the palace was likely the best option. Even though the room for protection against the meteors wasn’t high up at all, the palace still had other safe rooms, considering how large it was.

At the thought of the meteors, a small headache came across her. That dream last night was too vivid for her liking. Koto didn’t have meteors, and Nuru would like to keep it that way, thank you very much.

From under her, a small shake was felt. People screamed and began panicking further, either running around like crazy, or freezing where they stood. The foreshock was small, only having small shakes every two minutes or so, but it further extended the chaos among the large crowd in the capital caused by the water.

Ten minutes passed, and Nuru had officially given up on returning to the palace for shelter. The people in the streets were too much for her, she was soaking wet, uncomfortable, and the water had reached her knees by now. Instead, she ran (as best she could as the water began to submerge her) into a large building, mentally apologizing as the floor got even more wet due to the water that got in.

Noticing the stairs, she quickly ran up. The way rain poured down was unrealistic at best, devastating at worst. How could such intense rain even happen, let alone trigger an earthquake? Usually, floods progress for hours, not a few minutes!

More shaking could be felt, far more intense than the foreshock outside, causing Nuru to fall down. She crawled over to a pillar connected to the roof to hold onto for stability.

The mainshock lasted for just a few minutes, luckily. The screams from the outside got louder and more intense despite the earthquake's end.. A rush of water was audible from inside the building, and, against her better judgement, Nuru got up and went to look out the window.

From underneath the water, Nuru was able to see a crack in the road, likely caused by the earthquake, which seemed to cause even more water to shoot out from the ground which…wasn’t right.

Even as she backed away in disbelief, Nuru was getting a terrible headache. She sat back down and rested on the pillar she used previously for support. None of this made much sense at all. All of it was too fast, too unrealistic.

Nothing this damaging happens this fast. At the very least, it’s a few hours in between. Not five minutes. Meaning that either her kingdom was having a natural disaster so terrible it was going to challenge the seven kingdoms (and likely beyond) understanding of environmental science. That, or none of this was truly real. Another dream, maybe?

At that, the headache got worse, nearly unbearable. She held her head in her hands, hearing the water slowly rise from outside, and even inside the building. By the stars, the water had gotten inside the building!

Despite the speculation that this was all just a dream, and nothing more, what Nuru was feeling felt way too real to blame on dreams. Her headache was real, the sounds she was feeling were real, everything was real.

However, the timeline didn’t make sense. Scientific inaccuracies aside, where even was the maid who escorted her everywhere now at the moment, anyways? It was her job to watch over her, and she didn’t. She had never failed prior to this, and it has to be a very conscious decision to just up and leave, rather than just staying and waiting for the day to end. Normally, if she wanted to leave, she’d just urge Nuru to hurry up and get going.

Koto was no stranger to natural disasters, she knew. Something in her mind told her that this wasn’t the worst her people had gone through. What happened to her people's resilience, anyways? Her previous dreams had been as vivid as this, and felt truly real, along with the timeline that went with it. Her people had rebuilt their kingdom from scratch again and again. It seemed like that society disappeared here. It wasn’t how she remembered it. Perhaps, it’s not what happened at all.

Maybe, this was the illusion, and what she thought was false was actually true.

Her eyes began to feel heavy, her body relaxing despite the ever rising water.

Nuru gasped and coughed up the water in her lungs upon waking up. She felt cold, undoubtedly from the freezing water she was just in. Her chest hurt, and she felt a strong urge to vomit. Hugo was right above her, looking as if he had been panicking.

“Oh my gosh, I thought you were dead.” He said, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her back and forth. Nuru had to make a sign to stop, due to her nausea, to which he quickly backed away. Her breathing was shallow as she tried to fully come back.

“What was that?” She asked, looking up at Hugo.

“I have no clue. Some odd magic thing, I guess?”

“Wow, that’s so helpful.” She said, her face completely blank.

“I should’ve let you drown.” Hugo grabbed the journal, which he had dropped earlier while getting into the water. “This didn’t get damaged, but doesn’t have much information on it. Not really an experience you wanna remember.”

“Definitely not.” Nuru tried to get up, having to hold onto Hugo for support. “Can we just leave and get this over with?”

“Happily.”

The walk back was quiet, the forest having shifted back to its original state. Nuru nearly tripped over the second totem as they left.