Project Lumina

The new day arrived, and Abell woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges the day might throw his way. The campsite Hugo and he had set up the night before was near the old, rundown village, and strange noises echoed from within.

"Finally, you're up. I was about to leave you here," Hugo sighed, leaning against a nearby tree. "C'mon, we've got about a week's worth of travel to Hallion from here."

"Tch, whatever," Abell grumbled, a grin spreading across his face. "As long as there's battles to fight, I'm in." He paused, hearing the noise. "Hey, before we go, what's that noise about?"

Hugo groaned, rubbing his temples. "Honestly, I don't know. They've been going at it since I woke up." He waved a hand, dismissing it. "Let's just keep moving toward Hallion."

"Aren't you curious?" Abell asked, already running toward the commotion. "I'm not leaving without finding out."

"Hey, kid! Come back! I didn't give you permission to go," Hugo called after him, but there was a smirk on his face. Watching Abell run off reminded him of his younger self. "The kid is finally opening up a bit."

Abell made his way toward the village, his eyes drawn to the familiar sight of the old man from the day before. He was arguing with two knights, both wearing an insignia of an owl. They seemed to be interrogating him, their postures stiff and commanding.

"I told you, I don't have no sols! Now get lost, you greedy bastards!" The old man's voice cracked with frustration.

One of the knights, his tone cold and authoritative, replied, "Listen, sir, we're here to collect sols on behalf of the Benedict family. You know this is a monthly tax collection."

"Yeah," the other added with a sneer, "We don't want things to get even worse for your village."

The old man's face twisted in anger. "You see our village? We're struggling as it is. We don't have the sols. Go ask the guy in the estate."

The bulky knight, clearly losing patience, grabbed the old man by the throat, lifting him off the ground with ease. "We're here to collect, and Master Cedris expects every village, town, and city in the Western region to hold their weight. Disrespect will not be tolerated."

Abell's fists clenched as he watched the scene unfold. His blood began to boil. These were the people who were supposed to protect others? How could they treat someone like this? Confusion mixed with anger, and his body tensed with the urge to act. He'd had enough.

"You should be fighting Malignants, not people!" Abell shouted, stepping forward.

The bulky knight barely acknowledged him, still focused on the old man. "Hey, kid, get lost. This is official business," one of the knights barked, his eyes narrowing.

"Kids these days so noisy," the other muttered, sneering at Abell.

Abell's patience snapped. He'd never met adults like these—rude, dismissive, treating others like they were beneath them. "I've never fought humans seriously before, but today might be the day," he thought, remembering his mother's voice: "Stay calm and think before you act."

One of the knights, noticing Abell's stance, gave him a mocking look. "What's this?" The knight reached for the hilt of Abell's sister's broken sword, his fingers brushing against it.

That was the last straw for Abell.

Hugo arrived at the scene, spotting Abell near the three knights, the old man still in the bulky knight's grip. Recognizing their insignia, he smirked. "Hmm, should I intervene yet?" he mused. "Let's see how this plays out."

Abell slapped the bulky knight's hand away. "Let the old man go!"

"Hahaha, or what?" the knight sneered. "We're here to collect sols. Once we get them, we'll leave."

Abell's patience snapped. Realizing there was no reasoning with them, he lunged forward, grabbing his sister's hilt but it was the other two knights who moved first.

They stepped forward, weapons drawn, and the air crackled with tension.

The knight with the spear lunged, aiming for Abell's chest. Abell sidestepped just in time, feeling the spear brush against his arm. Before he could counter, the second knight, stockier and quicker, swung his sword. Abell barely raised his sister's hilt to block the blow, but the weight of it pushed him back. His legs buckled, and the hilt flew from his hands, skidding across the dirt.

"Damn!" Abell scrambled to grab it, but the spear knight was already coming at him again.

Abell rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the spear's thrust. He sprang to his feet, but the sword-wielding knight was already swinging again. The blow whistled through the air, just missing his head. This wasn't just a fight—it was turning into a test of survival.

"Get up, kid!" Hugo's voice rang out, but Abell's focus was razor-sharp.

The spear knight lunged again, but this time, Abell stepped in, using the knight's momentum to knock him off balance. Abell twisted the spear from his grasp, shoving the knight back with a grunt.

The second knight, now unarmed, reached for a dagger, but Abell was faster. He kicked the dagger away, sending it skittering across the ground. With one quick move, Abell drove the knight to the dirt with a firm shove to his chest.

Breathing heavily, Abell stepped back, chest heaving as he surveyed the two knights sprawled on the ground. They were stunned, still trying to regain their footing, but he wasn't about to give them a chance.

The bulky knight finally moved, charging at him with a powerful swing. But before the blow could land, Hugo intercepted it with one hand, effortlessly stopping the punch.

"Okay, don't you think that's enough now?" Hugo said, a grin tugging at his lips.

Wait is that, him?" one of the knights asked, glancing nervously at Hugo.

"Wait, check his pupils," the other knight stammered, voice shaking. "It's him! Look, the star-shaped pupils! What's he doing here?"

The bulky knight's eyes narrowed. "Hugo Creed. What are you doing in the Western Region? Master Cedris didn't know you were here—but now he will."

"Welp, there goes my cover. Thanks, Abell," Hugo said sarcastically, crossing his arms. "Go tell your boss I'll be in Hallion soon. Here, take some sols and leave this village alone."

The bulky knight scoffed, "Master Cedris will appreciate the sols, but you two won't be coming back with me."

"Sir, what do you mean—?" The thuggish knight began, but was cut off as the bulky knight swung his fist with terrifying force, the air cracking with the blow. The knight flew into a nearby hut, crashing hard into the wall.

The remaining knight trembled and bolted, running as fast as he could from the village.

Hugo watched as the bulky knight turned away, completely unfazed. "Well, that was easy."

"Serves you bastards right!" the old man yelled. "Now get out of my village!"

Abell, still fuming, shot back, "We just saved your village! What's your problem?"

"C'mon, Abell, it's alright. We've caused enough trouble," Hugo said, smiling, despite the chaos.

"But you paid the stupid tax for him!" Abell grumbled.

"I said, let's go, Abell," Hugo said, still grinning.

"Whatever, I'm ready," Abell muttered, annoyed.

As they walked away, a child's voice rang out. "I guess not all Luminaries are bad! Thanks, angry guy!"

Abell couldn't help but smile a little, but Hugo glanced at him and shook his head. "Don't say anything, Abell," he grumbled.

As Abell and Hugo continued their path toward Hallion, the figure in the window remained still, a silent observer in the distance. Neither spoke of it, but both knew the journey ahead was bound to be anything but simple."