Ersia: Raven Dawn

The candle's flame shines brilliantly in its meandering flicker. Although its gentle light cannot best the chilling wind nor the looming darkness in the farthest corners of the room, each of its sparkles sparks another spark within the little girl's eyes. The pomegranate eyes glow as Randia shows her a glimpse of the vast world of magic when he lights up the candle.

"Wow! Is that magic?! Or is it just a trick?"

"Both. Since magic is a way for the gods to trick those who seek what they should not."

Not fond of Randia's perplexing words, Viena raised her brows.

"Eh? Alright, sooo . . . what other tricks can you show me?"

"I don't know. What other things about yourself you can tell me?"

Viena's smile turned sour as she tousled her hair peevishly. She really doesn't understand Randia, how can someone enjoy speaking and acting as he did? She started to think of Randia as a thousand pieces of jigsaws given a soul.

"Why are you answering my question with another question?!"

"You just did the same."

"Ugh! You are so annoying. . .! Tsk. well, whatever. I will talk if you want me to. But If you ask me such a question out of nowhere, I can't really decide where to start."

"Your parents will be a good start."

The little girl rests her back on her bed's planking. The unkind past surges her mind. It feels distant but also seemingly always lurking around. Everything has been difficult for her since she lost her only family, and it has never gotten any easier with each passing day. At least until today.

"Mama passed away three winters ago. And I've never seen her husband."

"Did she have the same eyes as yours?"

"No, she didn't. Hers were brown as the clay of Kailan Plains . . . or so she said. I've never been there myself."

"What about your father? Did she tell you anything?"

"Mama did leave me with something about HER HUSBAND."

It doesn't take a genius nor the most sensitive of hearts to notice the clear sign of poorly held-back anger in Viena's voice. Her strong refusal to recognize her father as her father makes it crystal clear regarding the essence of Randia's question. As for her resentment, they are justified considering the abandonment by her biological father that she had gone through.

"If it wasn't for her wish, I would've gotten rid of his stupid face long ago. I will never understand why she insisted on making such a dying wish."

Viena took something from her pocket and tossed it to the floor right before Randia angrily. It was a locket of a sort. He then took it to his hands and tried to open it. Inside, he found a photo of a proud man and his wife. The man was no stranger to Randia, for he exists amongst many pages of his old book.

"What's with that look? Do you know them?" Viena asked Randia.

Randia gives the pendant back to Viena without saying a word. How can he speak more of the matter when he himself is the one who made the girl live a fatherless life?

"No . . . No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm, just because," she shrugged her shoulder.

Randia stood up and made his bed before laying himself on top of it. He rolled over facing the wall, leaving Viena alone on her own thought.

"Sleep now."

"Eh? But aren't you going to help me with the pain in my stomach?"

"I did."

"Wha - How? When did you-"

"The food."

Annoyed, the little girl jumps into Randia's bed and tweaks his ear. She also punched Randia's shoulder repeatedly, forbidding Randia to leave her alone in her wakefulness.

"Hey! Explain! What do you mean by that?! Also, how can someone sleep this early?! Aren't you an adult?! Adults are supposed to stay awake until midnight! Wake up now! And tell me everything I want to know!"

Randia somehow understands that Viena longs for a company. He can understand that someone as minor as her having to taste the bitterness of being alone for years must have left her yearning for a lot of things. Thus, he did nothing but let the little one do as she pleased.

"Don't ignore me! Answer me, Raaan!"

Accidentally, Viena and her tantrum accidentally pulled out the cloth that Randia wrapped around his hair. Hence, the shine of his pure white hair gleams brightly in the dimness of the room. Viena was taken aback, while Randia quickly got up and sat by the bed covering his hair.

"You little-!"

When Randia is about to get furious, the mesmerized face of Viena holds him back from doing so. The way she just sat upon Randia's legs with her pupils wide open had made Randia frozen still.

"So pretty."

Viena could not contain her curiosity. She touches his hair and strokes it gently with her little hands. The emotion is somehow reciprocated as Randia feels a pleasant feeling with each of the little girl's strokes. That was until Randia regained himself, shoved Viena away, and quickly wrapped his hair back with the cloth.

"N-No! Why are you hiding it?"

"I told you to behave!"

Randia snapped a little, and it startled Viena. Only when he realized that he should not have done that, he lift Viena up from his bed and put her on the floor.

"My hair is afflicted with an infectious disease. You shouldn't get too close. No one should."

"B-But your hair is so beautiful!"

"Things with beauty often kill more than the ones without. Now, go back to your bed."

". . . I'm sorry, Ran."

Viena obeyed Randia quietly and she crawled back onto her bed. On the other side, Randia is quite relieved that she somehow fails to recognize him. Yet, it also makes him sad at the same time. Because those who had trouble filling their plates had nothing to care about besides the grumble of their stomach. If Viena wasn't someone from the street, Randia's identity might've already been compromised.

Still, the feeling is not entirely unpleasant for Randia. Because for the first time in decades, someone finally saw him as he is. Someone who sees beauty in his hair, instead of hope for salvation which burdened him so much that he often thought about slicing his head off.

Randia's frown softened a little as he turned the candles unlit with a flick of his fingers.

***

The dawn is present and Randia is already awake. Last night was his best sleep in ages since he was somehow not haunted by any vision of the past that he always had.

He was about to head for the pitcher pump downstairs to wash his face when Viena made noises in her sleep. The little girl cried, longing for her mother. Thinking that Viena might have an unwell rest because of him, Randia feels more guilty than he expected himself to be.

"Cadhran au vindecar."

Randia whispered a spell as he stroked Viena's hair, trying to be as gentle as she did for him. It might not be much, but it's the least he can do.

The man cannot see the path of the future, nor what fate - his enemy - has in store. Randia understands that death is like a shadow to him. They are lurking around him and always taking everything without mercy. Truthfully, he is not expecting much from this random encounter just as he believes that Viena might be another one of many that have come before her. Yet, despite that, he chooses to do what he did, nonetheless.

"For the sake of children . . . and a brighter dawn," Randia speaks to himself, remembering the last words of his brother.

The deed is nothing more than an act of defiance against the cursed fate, nothing more than that. At least, that's what Randia tried to believe.