Retribution

IX - princeps

Chapter Nine - Princeps

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It's quiet, so quiet it felt as if time had stopped. I opened my eyes to an empty world shrouded by a pitch-black atmosphere. I shifted my hands to rub my eyes, to erase the darkness, but I couldn't. I tried looking down, yet there was nothing! I closed my eyes and tried to feel for my body, but I couldn't touch it! I couldn't feel anything! Slowly I reopened my eyes, and even though the landscape didn't change, I tried to move again. It was as if my body didn't exist, I was in a dark plane of nothingness and became a part of it.

My ears rang as the silence around me became deafening. It grew louder and louder- painfully loud. Then, something switched on in my body. It felt hot, hotter than hell itself. The heat crawled through my veins, muscles, and skin- it was eating at me, biting every inch, tearing at my soul. The heat rose to my head, making it pound and throb excruciatingly. What was this place!? What was this heat!?

In a flash, I could feel my body. I could touch the ground! I quickly opened my eyes though the burning sensation in my head grew the instant I peeked into this unknown world. On command, I closed my eyes and stifled a cry of pain. The ringing, the heat, all of it was too much! It hurt! It all hurts!! I only wanted to take a walk before work! Why? Why did this have to happen!?

My body crumbled to the ground as I gripped my head, cradling myself to ease the pain. There were memories from my past life and the present bombarding my mind as if I was a child trying to put toys in an overstuffed bag. Through the ringing and the pain, I heard my whimpers- ugh, everything was spinning.

Then it stopped. I let out a soft gasp as the shock riddled my body. A feeling of ice engulfed my wrist as it was grasped by someone, forcing my hand away. Instinctively I lifted my head and opened my eyes, groaning in pain. "Careful now." His voice was deep and calm, but his tone made me uneasy. "That which lies ahead... does not yet exist." My eyebrows pinched together as my eyes narrowed in confusion. This man standing in front of me wasn't human. The sharp eyes he possessed seemed sculped with ice as his pupils slanted like a cat. His gaze sent shivers down my spine, ironic considering his icy touch.

"Who..?" I glanced at his gloved hand. Even the glove couldn't hide his long slender fingers. "Who are you?" I shifted my gaze between his hand and his eyes, trying to ease my hand away from his hold. The stranger seemed to read my mind and pulled his hand away. He stood confidently, his blue eyes staring straight into my soul. "A puppeteer." He answered, confusing me even more. "A pu‐ Hugh!" I gasped as the throbbing in my head appeared again. This time, pain traveled down my body, clawing till nothing was left.

A second gasp left my mouth as I jumped up, my eyes darting around searching for that man, but I could not find him. All I discovered was the quiet environment of my dorm. What? When did I? Was I dreaming..? As I collected my thoughts, I heard my heavy breaths and looked down, immediately trying to calm them. I could tell it was still rather late at night; the lights were off, and the sky was dark. Luckily it wasn't like that freaky dream. This time the moon was bright enough to give me some vision. Who was that man? His cat eyes and long silver hair were stunning, but his presence was almost suffocating. "Shit..." I let out a deep sigh and covered my face with my hands, giving myself a moment to breathe.

"I need a drink," I muttered quietly, shuffling out of bed... how did I get here anyway? Wasn't I- oh, right, Kamai had carried me back to the room after my freak out. I felt my cheeks blush as I thought about my actions when the man had held me. I may be 18 in this body, but I'm still, mentally, a 28-year-old man! After sulking, I stood up and noticed that the center of my abdomen felt heavy: like I was being squeezed. But I ignored it and made my way out of the dorm.

I exited the dorm building, hiding beneath a hooded cloak and common-looking shoes. I've watched those animes where the cloaked guy effortlessly gets a beer, so this will be easy! I hope.

I felt overwhelmed by all the lights and people when I walked into the city. Who knew a school town would be this busy? When I reached the central district, lights of all colors shone brightly at storefronts, street vendors yelled out their specials, and people wandered around; some were drunk, some were simply taking a walk, and others were looking for something to steal. It was like my home world, where I grew up, minus the magic and half-human beings. Most of it reminded me of home. I desperately need a drink. I refocused and looked for a suitable bar. Sure enough, I found one bustling with people of all types. The loud music and even louder crowd wasn't quite what I was looking for, so I moved on, searching for another building that supplied alcohol.

My walk was long, and the air was crisp and fresh- it nearly made me lose the urge for a drink- but I had a mission, and I wasn't going to quit now. Just as I declared my mission, I spied a moderately busy bar, it was a bit run down, but I could tell they sold quality stuff. I walked closer, and soon enough, I was inside. I gained a few suspicious stares as I approached the counter. Gently, I set down one gold coin, speaking up. "Straight whiskey." The people around me went quiet. "Or... just whiskey?" I said after a moment of unbearable silence.

The bartender's gaze was relentless. "Sir... are you aware this is way too much for a drink, especially a whiskey."

I looked at the man, his body freezing. Oh yeah, red eyes equals scariness. "I know." I lied before pulling out three more coins. "I'll pay for everyone's tab if I can have my drink." I could tell the bartender was alarmed, all I did was lower my voice and his eyes got as large as moons!

"Yes, sir! My apologies-" He stuttered before quickly pouring me a drink and handing it to me. The moment I received the drink I sat down at the bar and took a long gulp. The warm liquid rolled down my throat, the alcohol quickly tingling my senses. Without a second thought, I gulped down the rest and shifted my glass back toward the bartender. By this time, conversations had started to arise again. Although some were still very suspicious of me, they kept to themselves.

My glass was filled once more before I stopped and got up from my seat. Those who had gotten comfortable grew uneasy and quieted down, watching me. "Have a good night, sir!" The bartender said kindly, pulling out his most professional smile. I only nodded and made my way to the door. I had school in the morning, and drinking too much would give me a headache. One worse than what I was expecting, so I stopped for the night. As I stepped out of the bar, a group of men circled me. I knew the night was too quiet to simply get a drink and go home. But this was too much...

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A/N: Please do not drink if you are under the legal age! This is a fictional story where the main character is (mentally) old enough to drink, so don't try to be cool! Drinking isn't always as fun as it seems lol

UPDATED 03/2023