Ariel Nyx
The sounds of Argent had always been deafening. It wasn't just the big corporations that had to fight for their share in the market, because even the simple man could make a wildly successful business here.
Though, that was not everyone.
A majority of the noise came from the poorer streets. Hawkers hawked, and store owners haggled. But they didn't have to be so loud.
Not unless they were trying to hide what Argent really was.
Argent had a layout that was very much like a circle. It had four sectors, and the middle sector was where the rich lived. There were four main roads that connected each of the gateways of Argent to the middle sector.
But one couldn't enter it easily. Not with the huge walls that separated it from the rest of Argent.
The main roads were wide and had a multitude of buildings and shops by the side. That was where most of the businesses were located, after all. But Argent was more than just the middle sector and the four roads.
Anywhere that wasn't the main road was considered an alleyway, and the alleyways were where most of Argent's people lived. And it wasn't that it didn't have enough space for accommodation.
Still, the sound of my shoes hitting the pavement of the main road was audible, even through the noise. That's because there was no noise anymore. Not when they were looking at me.
My fingers reached up to touch my silvery-white strands. Perhaps I hadn't hidden them well enough. I drew my cloak over my head, or at least tried to. There was only so much it could do.
I walked into a bakery, one that I hadn't been to before. It had a couple of people inside it. The jingle of the door brought the owner's attention to me, and upon seeing me, his already thick eyebrows knit together.
"I was wonderin' why it got quiet," he muttered. "How may I help you?"
"I would like bread, please," I said as I put my hood down. Was there really a point in hiding it anymore?
"I'm sorry, but no."
"And why, might I ask?"
"We all know what you do with what we sell. Why waste good food like that?"
"I'm not going to waste it. I was going to use it for myself." I eyed the loaves that were just sitting on the display.
"Everyone in Argent believes those words," he said with a huff. He sat back down by the counter.
But a sudden smash and the cracking of glass brought us away from our conversation.
"Gods damn those fools," he muttered as he walked over to the mess.
I reached into the display and grabbed a loaf. I then reached into my pocket and tossed a coin, one that was worth twice as much as the loaf itself, and ran out.
Perhaps he knew that I had left, but I wouldn't know. He did not chase after me.
Only when I rounded three corners did I stop running. I pulled my cloak back over my head and walked deeper into the alleyway.
There, I saw three children sitting idly against a wall. Even through their tattered rags could I see their bones. Their eyes were sunken and their mouths were held open.
I could only imagine how tired they were, especially since the government stopped giving rations and allowing leftovers to be given to the poor.
But once they saw me, they shot up and ran over. Each of them wore shaky smiles, and if they could, they'd shed a tear or two. Their eyes were just red, though.
"Hello," I said with a smile. "Would you like some?"
They all nodded fervently and lightly pulled at my cloak. I broke the loaf into three and handed one to each of them. "Don't steal any, and don't share it," I told them.
Before they could stuff their mouths, I turned and walked away. Their faces, so hopeful, were my one true joy.
But they were also my fear.
I looked up to see lilac in the sky, and started walking faster. At this time, the main road was barely occupied, so it was a quick jog to the middle sector.
The gates opened for me, and I gave a small wave to the guard who handled it. He nodded in return.
Argent at night was never roamed by the common sir. That was because of the lack of lighting.
It wasn't that Argent couldn't afford it. The main roads were lit very well. It was likely to protect its citizens.
Why would you want to see spilled red when you could already smell it?
Argent was likely the only place of its size where the population was steady. The police force here was definitely capable, too. Not a single gang ever managed to grab a good hold of Argent for an extended period in its history.
But they rarely arrested anyone.
Criminals were evicted out of their homes and thrown into the streets. Prison was mercy to people in Argent, after all.
But none of these dangers applied here. The pavement of the main roads was now a pristine dark brick, one that matched my own mansion well. I glanced around at the large estates and statues, all as huge as could be.
But my eyes went upwards, to the more interesting sky. I hadn't noticed the clouds starting to gather.
It didn't take long to reach my own home. The gateway was already open, so they were likely expecting father at some point in the night. I walked through the gardens and straight into the mansion.
It was likely the biggest house in Argent, at least in terms of volume. A majority of that came from the library at the top floor. History, fiction, journals, everything we could want was there. But it was rarely used. Not until I frequented it.
There was a grand staircase that led up to it. I took my cloak off and handed it to a butler passing by. "Thank you," I muttered with a smile.
The workers of the mansion treated me with the majority of smiles I'd seen in my life. They often bowed for me, though I suspect it was out of pity.
As I took a step up, I heard a voice. One that I had associated with everything wrong.
"So you've come back, Ariel?" Milea sneered. "You could have spent more time there."
I turned to face her. "Why? Because you want me to spend less time in my own house?"
Milea shook her head. "Of course not. I just want to see you be with your kind more." She faked a pleading look. "Is that so wrong, daughter?"
"My kind…? What in darkness' name does that mean?"
"You spend so much time in the library, so why don't you tell me? And are you heading there now?"
I simply nodded.
"How fitting it is," she mocked, "the only child of the head of the Nyx bloodline decides to spend all her time either reading or trying to interact with trash."
"If that's all, I'll-"
"No, that is not all, Ariel!" Milea boomed. "Are you even one of us? Even after your reflection, you couldn't use your ability! Did you lose your will?! Are you even one of us Nyx?!"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, mother, but you aren't even one of us. Your hair is not silver."
She touched her pale blue hair with a scowl, though her smile remained. "Oh my. Are you trying to taunt me, despite knowing how they think of me?"
"Respect?" I laughed. "That's like giving candy to a crying baby. It's just pity. Had you not married father, where would you be?"
Milea took a step forward. "Now you insult your mother? I try to protect you from everything, and yet all you do is treat me with animosity."
"Pretect me?!" I repeated incredulously. "From what? My own shadow?"
"From trash, Ariel. We are not like them. We are pure, and they are not. But then again, you aren't one of us."
"You mean the people who helped you build your wealth?! How are they trash?! You employ them as your maids who do your work, butlers who manage the estate, and knights who execute your orders without protest! How dare you say-"
"Look around you, Ariel," Milea cooed as her eyes landed on the crowd behind her. "All of our staff is here. Why don't I ask them?" She pointed at a maid. "Are you trash?"
The maid squeaked, taking a step back. "Compared to you, my lady, I am nothing!" It was clear that she was new.
Milea pointed to a butler. "Then am I trash?"
"You are not, my lady," he replied slowly, bowing as he did so.
"Then either you are lying, or that maid is. One of us has to be trash, no? That's what our dear Ariel said."
"I didn't-" I started, but was cut off by Milea's hand being raised.
"You," she pointed at a knight. "That lowly maid has decided to call me trash. Is that right?"
The guard stiffened. "I… yes?" He said quietly.
"Then dispose of her. This city, no, this world does not need trash like her. Do what you must."
"But…" He took a deep breath. "Yes, My lady!" he barked, grabbing hold of the maid's arm and dragging her out of the door.
"Stop! I order you to put her down! You can not kill her!' I pleaded. I expected Milea to cancel her order and force the guard to continue, but she just smirked.
"What's this?" Milea drawled. "I merely said he had to do what he must. Not to kill her. Isn't it strange how you jumped to assume I wanted her head? What would I even do with such an unsightly thing? Or are you implying…" She took a step closer. "That I am a bad person?"
"You said she didn't belong-!"
"And she doesn't! You are a noble in name, and yet, you weep for nobodies! Even the adopted daughters of rival families are more like noblewomen than you are."
"Why can I not help them?! What have they done to you?!"
Milea took a few steps forward, and now, she was face to face with Ariel, though Ariel was a little taller since she was on the stairs. "They turned my dear daughter…" she cupped my cheeks. "Into this. Day after day I wonder why I bothered pulling strings for you. Do you know how much work it was to get the government to stop giving leftovers away?"
My eyes widened. What… what was this woman?! "What does that mean?"
"I thought you were smart," she sighed. "You were talking to those scum too much, so I rallied the other families to change the law. Is that so hard to understand?"
"You… You are a monster!" Ariel slapped her mother's hands away from her cheeks. "You did that?! I thought it was a rumour meant to alienate us-!"
"'Us'? Who is that? You are not a member of the Nyx family. You never were."
I took a deep breath. I couldn't do this while being agitated. Stir the water and catch the fish was a saying, after all. "So… you decided to kill countless people… just to make them hate me?"
"I'm impressed, Ariel," Milea clapped. "You read between my lines. Why couldn't you always be this smart?"
"Do you even know why I go there daily?"
"I don't care. But do you think other families don't take watch of our actions? That was the only way… and yet, it didn't work."
I looked at the staff. All were looking at me with pity, as always. "Do you not see how terrible she is?! She is killing people just to stroke her ego!"
And yet, no one responded. No one dared question their lady.
"Are you all well?! How do you not protest this?! You build our wealth and get treated like this?!"
Still, no one responded. But strangely, I noticed how the worker's eyes had all gone unfocused, even cloudy, while Milea stared into space.
And it hit me then.
I never knew Milea's ability, but I did know that she was a master at changing people's minds. She, apparently, was good enough to rally rival families to protest against a human right. So what if that was her ability?
"You are worse than I am, mother. Maybe I am a failure to my family, but you are a failure to your species, no, to the gods that created you."
Milea leaned forward. "My only failure was raising you."
And that was all it took.
"You!" I screeched. "You are not my mother! You never loved me!"
"No one has loved you, Ariel. Not even your father. No… not anymore. By order of I, the Lady of the Nyx family, you, Ariel, have been excommunicated."
I could not speak. Not even when the guards who saw me grow up grabbed me and dragged me out.
"I have waited sixteen years for this, Ariel," Milea said as the main doors of my own, no, the Nyx mansion started to close. "I hope we meet again."
I looked up at their faces, which were hard. It was clear that they didn't want to show any emotion.
I was taken out of the estate and thrown onto the brick road. They stayed there for a moment, before closing the gates on me. They simply walked away.
I stayed there for a moment. A drop of water landed on my face. Then another, and another. Those were not just my tears.
The sound of the pattering rain going harder brought me out of my blank daze, and I rose to my feet. I ran a hand through my hair and gripped it tight.
How many times have these strands hurt me?
I let go once I saw that the entire ground was wet. What else could I do, but walk?
I saw a car coming straight for me, but I didn't stop walking. It slowed down and went by me.
I made it to the gateway, where my lilac eyes landed on the guard. He frowned, but did not comment. He just let me pass.
I went down the main road and kept going.
How strange it was… Everything, all around me seemed so… bright. So vibrant, and ecstatic. I didn't even know the colours I was seeing.
The rain was coming down much harder now. Honestly, I could barely hear my own footsteps.
Nothing disturbed me. Not a person came in my way, and not a fly touched me.
I kept going.
I kept going until I reached an 'attraction' of Argent. A giant ravine. I had been here once before. It was with my father. He had commented on how beautiful it was.
I held onto the railing and looked down. The platform I was on gave me a good glimpse of it, one that I didn't have to share, since I was alone.
The vibrant colours turned blinding, and strangely comforting. Shades of blue, pink, violet, and red blotted much of my vision.
Glowing stones lined the floor of the ravine. It was well and truly deep. Deeper now that I knew what I wanted.
What more had I left?
What had I even done in my life?
Was I really just this much?
My hair, envied by so many here, was the reason I wanted this.
I looked at the raining sky. Was it crying for me?
Would they cry too?
My parents?
The people I'd fed?
The gods?
I truly wished they would, even if I wasn't worth as much.
But I was worth something.
A smile crossed my face.
I had nothing.
Nothing to do.
Nothing with me.
Nothing to think of.
Not even the thunder I could barely hear.
The world around me turned dark… Too dark. I was getting used to the vibrancy.
But through the rain, I heard a voice.
"I do not know why you're doing this," he said, "but I want you to wait. Just five minutes is enough."