Chapter 6: Crimson Gleam
Desolate is the only word that can describe the scenery of the place that rift took me. Towering ivory trees dot the terrain, growing from dark black sand. The colors of the white trees and black sand mix together into a dark grey that extends for miles. This monotonous view has only served to drive me mad in the time that I have been here. It is hard to judge time here as the sun seems to be forever blocked by dark clouds that loom overhead.
As I have been walking aimlessly through the cold sand, I go over the events of before in my head. Every so often I summon my wings and Winged Edge to prove to myself that everything wasn't just a strange dream. I named my two black daggers Featherfall. Who are Noctral and Carmella exactly? Did they want to kill me or just send me to wherever this hellhole is? My determination to find out the answers is what keeps me going.
After an amount of time that I couldn't even begin to measure, I see the silhouette of a person by the next closest tree. I immediately start running in that direction. I would welcome the company of ANYONE at this point. The closer I get, the clearer the outline becomes. He must be a tall muscular man by the shape I see. When I get just a few feet from him, I see the man clearly and gasp.
"Seth?!" I exclaim. He turns around and rubs his eyes. Seth was my father's best friend before all this happened. I was taken care of by him whenever my dad was busy with work. He and I were really close when I was small, but we drifted apart when I got into my teenage years. Ever since I wound up in that desert nearly a year ago, I had always been worried of what happened to Seth and my father.
"Rose? It sure is great to see a familiar face around here," Seth says. He wraps his huge arms around me for a quick hug and looks around. "This place sure is creepy, huh? Where have you been all this time?"
I sum up the events of starting up the village of Shirou as concisely as I can. I bite my lip and trail off, thinking about whether I should try to explain what happened in that building in the tornado or not. Seth must sense my hesitation, because he pats my head and gives me a smile.
"I can tell you must've been through some crazy shit, little one. For now, let's try to find a way out of this place." His baratone voice is brimming with joy.
"I'm an adult now, you know. You can't call someone my age 'little one.'" I puff out my cheeks and laugh. After what I've been through, it's nice to meet someone I truly know.
We start walking together at a brisk pace. Seth explains that he has been wandering this dark desert since that bright light flashed and changed the world. He says that he hasn't had to eat or drink since he has been here. That statement worries me. Back in Shirou, I got hungry and thirsty like normal. Why hasn't Seth in this place?
"Speaking of strange things, Rose, why has one of your clear blue eyes turned red?"
Seth's tone turns dead serious. I ask him what he means, so he hands me a piece of glass he had found earlier. I look at my reflection and see that the coloring my right eye has turned red. The sight shocks me. I throw the piece of glass to the ground forcefully. More than just the unnatural color, the eye shines with a malicious light that shakes me. I'm amazed that Seth could wait so long to mention it.
"I had no idea. It wasn't like this before. Why is this happening?"
Before Seth can give his thoughts, the ground shakes violently. I feel myself sinking into the sand at an alarming rate. I reach up towards Seth. He tries to grab my hand but misses by an inch. My head is soon submerged into the sand, blocking out my vision and hearing. I sink deeper and deeper. Struggling wastes too much energy, so I eventually just stop and let it take me.
Just as I get carried under completely, I hear Seth's voice faintly. He must be speaking in an old language that I don't understand. He grew up in Egypt, so it might be a language spoken in the area he grew up in. No matter, his voice gets fainter the further down I get. Soon his voice is but a whisper. I am then enveloped in true darkness and silence that lasts for what feels like hours.