Journey to Utopia

08: The Evil's Desire

VIII.

The night was peaceful and dark

In your eyes, there was a spark

That little light brightened you

And my long hair darkened me

My brain said you were the clue

For a new life where I am free

***

I DID not wait for Jacob to remind me of lunch. At quarter to 12 NN, I went to the dining area by myself. I am so hungry!

"Where have you been, Amara?!" Naomi was the first to approach me. I just gave her a little smile and sat down on the chair.

My body stopped for a second when I realized who's sitting in front of me now.

"Hey, answer me!" Naomi insisted. "Everyone is curious!"

I let a deep breath, now getting uncomfortable because of his smirk. So he's back, huh.

I felt a hand on my shoulder so I looked at Naomi. "Don't worry about it. I was just... tasked to do something." I hope that alibi works.

"What task?" She still doesn't wanna stop!

"Painting," that's the first thing that came to my mind. And she nodded. Thank goodness. She even complimented me that I surely am a great artist despite not seeing my works... but I'm not.

It wasn't long until the food came. I secretly looked at Blue, who is serving the other table. His blue hair looked better today.

Ocean... I think he might be the ocean mentioned by the masked man. I realized that days ago, after I discovered that Dave is the Son in Power. That's why I will keep an eye on Blue every meal.

But he really doesn't do anything weird or suspicious. He just simply serves food. I don't know what might be his contribution to whatever is going on in Utopium.

I finished the food quickly since I was really hungry. And I wanted to leave earlier than Ivan.

But things did not go as I've wanted. As soon as I opened the door of my room, I saw him. s**t. How did he know my new room?!

My blood is running cold but I still managed to get into the room and close the door. It's been a while since we last talked.

This time, he is not smirking. He looks mad. His black eyes turned red.

"You are a f*****g loser!"

I was so shocked when he suddenly slapped me. What the hell?! But I didn't answer. I don't know why. I just don't wanna speak.

"You lost the room! You lost the f*****g room! I knew it! You're dumb as f**k!"

I just sighed and closed my eyes while he is raging in anger.

"It's me. I'm the one who's truly deserving. Not you, dumb cursed girl!"

What the hell is he so angry about? So what if the room is not mine anymore? It doesn't concern him!

"Why aren't you answering?! Speak up, you dumb!"

I opened my eyes and gave him a glare. "Leave," I simply said.

He scoffed. "You're confident now? Is it because of your... teammates? Dumb teammates. They will betray you... soon."

"Shut up and leave." I don't want him to be stronger than me. I should act tough.

He grabbed my hair, obviously didn't like what I said. Damn! Slap and hair grab! Is he from a drama?!

I also grabbed his hair.

Okay, it's a hair fight! I'll make you bald! I will make fire in your damn head and remove all your hair!

He immediately moved away from me when he felt heat on his head. "What the f--" He looked at me with wide eyes.

I furrowed my brows sarcastically like I'm curious why he suddenly stopped the fight. I was actually laughing inside. But then he started to breathe heavily, repeatedly hitting his head.

"No... no... no!" He said that over and over again like he was tremendously worried or shocked about something.

He suddenly approached me and grabbed my neck. What the hell! He reminds me of the masked man!

"You... How did you... Do you now remember... everything..." He was still breathing heavily.

I applied heat to his arm so that he could let me go. But he grabbed me again.

"Stop using that! Stop! Stooop!" He said dramatically, freaking out. "Your power... f**k! I'll kill you!"

He knows about my power?! I didn't care that much about that thought. My focus now is to get away from this crazy Ivan!

I ran out of the room but he followed me and grabbed my hair aggressively. s**t! I am the only one who has a room in this hallway! No one would help me!

I thought of making fire and burn Ivan but my mind is not stable right now. I need to focus! And the fire will certainly spread and burn this place! I still don't know how to stop my own fire!

A bit of hope entered me when I saw someone at the end of the next hallway. I did not hesitate to call for help. That someone turned his head in my direction. My eyes were wide open when I saw his face and realized he's Blue!

My hope increased when Blue started to run towards me too. I did not look behind anymore. Looking at Ivan is just a distraction.

I inhaled and exhaled at ease when I'm finally with Blue. I looked behind to see Ivan, who is just a meter away.

His eyes... his damn eyes turned red!

He really reminds me of the masked man! But no way! I have a strong feeling that they're not the same person!

"Who's that?" Blue asked.

What?! he can see Ivan?!

"He is... I d-don't know. I don't who he is," I lied.

"Then why is he chasing you?"

I didn't answer that question. I just looked again at Ivan who he still standing there with red eyes.

"Who are you?" Blue asked Ivan instead.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Ivan answered. "None of your business... mister blue hair, blue eyes."

See?! He didn't call him Ocean! Ivan is not the masked man!

Blue raised a brow, probably did not expect what Ivan called him. But he ended up with a sigh and put a phone out.

Wait, what? They have phone here?! What the...

He clicked something and put the phone to his ear. "I need a knight here..... I said a knight..... You know where I am."

He put the phone down and smiled at Ivan. "Please cooperate with us. Don't be angry... mister black hair, red eyes."

That was lowkey funny...

But the little fun in my mind was gone when Ivan cursed Blue and then... disappeared.

For sure, Blue now knows that Ivan isn't human.

I thought he'll be shocked or ask me questions, but he just sighed and called someone again. "No need for a knight."

"Are you okay?" He looked at me.

"Yeah..." I nodded. "Thank you."

"But why are you here? This is not where humans stay..." He looked confused.

"Uh... they said my old room... is cursed." That is not a lie. Sarah really told me that a while ago.

"Cursed?" He chuckled a little. "I mean, that's most likely impossible. Is that really the reason?"

I just smiled and nodded. I thanked him again before starting to walk back to my room. I hope Ivan is not there anymore.

"Wait," Blue called so I stopped waking and looked back at him. "I just noticed... you ate lunch in like, less than five minutes."

Wait, was he observing me?

"Are you perhaps... hungry?" he added.

Goodness. I think he will offer me food! Wow, what a blessing!

"Actually, yeah..." I smiled. "Am I allowed to have... another meal?"

"No, I was just curious if you're hungry."

"Oh, haha!" I awkwardly laughed. Damn, I thought he'll give me food! He wasted my hope. "Then, I'm gonna go back now."

He smiled widely, almost close to laughing. "I was joking. Of course, you can have another meal."

"Really? Thank you!" Wow! He's so nice!

"I THOUGHT you're snub and cold," Blue said.

We are now in the kitchen. It looks nice! I'm eating while he is just sitting in front of me.

"Well, sometimes... But I'm talkative when I'm curious, and it feels good to talk with nice people like you. I don't wanna be cold to anyone who's warm-hearted."

"That's good to know," he smiled.

"By the way, if you don't mind. I'm really curious about... your hair. Is it naturally blue?"

He nodded. "Yes, and my eyes too. I don't wear contact lenses."

My brain stopped processing for a second. "Contact lenses...? Isn't that a thing for... humans?"

"Well, we in Utopium know almost every single thing in the human world."

"Oh..." I don't know what to say. That was unexpected. I thought they'll be like medieval people who don't really know a lot about the modern technology.

"Why? You thought we don't know those stuff? If that's the case, let me tell you one thing." His voice became serious. "There are a lot you don't know about Utopium. And if you stay clueless, you'd be in trouble."

THIS NIGHTMARE looks different. I'm not in a forest, but in a wide flat area. I looked around and that's when I realized this isn't just a plain field.

Meters away is a big golden... palace?

I stared at it for a few seconds as I realized where I am. Utopium. Does this mean that my nightmares are gonna be normal like the other humans? Would I still be able to meet the masked man?

With the fast beats of ny heart, I walked towards the palace. I can already see flying dragon despite being meters away.

"Utopium..." I told myself. I looked at the right side where there is a forest. I think that was where my past nightmares happened.

I looked around, thinking of what to do. But what I'm seeing right now feels different from the Utopium I'm used to.

And why do I see some people in the garden...?

I was stunned when realizations entered my mind.

Golden palace in the middle. Forest on the right. Garden on the left with people having fun. Dark sky with dragons.

Now I just have to see someone to confirm my thoughts.

I focused my eyes on the garden and there I saw a little girl looking up.

I am in... The Evil's Desire.

This is still Utopium but what's on the painting is exactly what I see right now!

I was hesitant but my curiosity won. I ran towards the little girl to talk to her but as soon as I got in front of her, she disappeared!

That little girl... she might be the key to everything! But now she's gone!

I tried to talk to other people in the garden. Surprisingly, they can hear and see me!

"Did you see a little girl with long black hair? She was standing there!" I pointed her position earlier. I hope they know who she is!

"Lady, there are a lot of long black-haired girls here... and we have a feast, so put a smile on your beautiful face."

I asked other people but they were saying the same thing, which is to focus on the feast.

"Everyone!" I lost patience. "You shouldn't be celebrating right now! Can't you see the dragons in the sky?!"

If the little girl does not want to tell them about the danger, I do.

"Lady, do not ruin the feast. Put a smile on your face." It was the first woman I asked earlier. She keeps telling me to smile!

"How can I smile? Can't you see the sky?! It's so dark! We should help each--"

Another woman cut me off. "The sky is bright, lady. The weather is really fine. Stop ruining the feast."

"No, you really--" Before I could even finish, two guards held my arms and pulled me out of the garden.

I thought they were going to take me to prison but instead, we went to a room with a lot of artworks and some books.

"There is a feast so you won't be in prison, lady. If you are bored, just make paintings for the palace," one of the guards said before leaving.

This is not bad because there are a lot of paintings here. I bet most of these will help me with my investigation. If those people don't wanna listen to me, then fine. But I will still do my best to find something... or someone.

I looked at every painting in this room which I suppose is the Art Room. There are two paintings that really caught my mind and attention. The first one is a Phoenix, and the second one is a still a Phoenix but in a cage.

When I saw fire on the birds' body, I remembered my newly-discovered ability. I believe that it is not a coincidence nor a random superpower. I think there is something more behind it which I need to know.

I looked through the books. Thankfully, they are in English so i can understand. I found an ancient-looking book titled Tales with Wings. There are drawings of Phoenix and other birds on its cover so it's definitely eye-catching. I traveled through the pages and finally, I found Phoenix, the Fire Bird on page XCVII.

I read the beginning and the end quickly, just to know if it is the same story grandma told me and yes, it is. However, the story on the book is longer and more detailed.

"Did you miss me?" There was suddenly a voice from behind and I already know who it is. I slowly turned around and was not shocked seeing his mask.

"I'll be gone again after this night. Why not spend the time with me, Corvina?"

"I would like to, but the things is..." What should I say?!

"The thing is you're not Corvina." He suddenly pointed a g*n at me.

I swallowed hard. This is not the meeting I expected with him tonight! But after all, he's a killer.

His eyes turned red and because of the good lightning, it was bright red. He slowly walked forwards while my heart quickly beats.

"Didn't you bring any weapon? My dragons would kill you as soon as I order them..."

"Give them your order, then. I don't mind." This is right. Act strong. Don't be scared.

He scoffed. "Stop acting tough. Give up, you're dumb. Be scared, you're weak."

"Fear would be the last thing a Phoenix would have," I stared at him confidently. "If you wanna kill me, go on. But you can't, because you're the one who's weak here."

Damn. I don't know where do I get the words I say.

"Your criminal father tried to kill you several times. Your mother left you for an affair. And I killed your grandma. So who's the loser?"

He is triggering me! This can't be! My inner self should not be attacked right now or else I won't be able to fight.

"I don't care... I c-can't change the past anyway." I defended.

"What if I tell you that your mother is about to die tonight. Clue, your father--"

"Stop!" A tear came out of my eye. I can't control my feelings anymore. I really am a loser.

"Your father will kill her. Good luck." He swiftly snapped his fingers and then here I am, in a forest... full of dragons. The hell! Why did he have to finish that damn sentence!

I guess I have no other choice now but to fight. But how can I fight if I'm trembling?

I used all my energy to set aside everything and just focus on creating fire.

But the fire I made was nothing compared to the fire from the mouths of the aggressive dragons. They consecutively fired at me and for some unknown reason, I am fortunately still not burned. I am doing my best to avoid them but a bit of the fire touches a bit of my skin, causing a slight to moderate pain.

It's so hard to fight against the dragons because they can fly and release a big fire quickly. All I can do is to hide. And I can feel it. My end is near. I don't even know why I'm still not giving up, despite knowing the fact that the dragons are far more powerful than me.

I'm starting to have difficulty in breathing. I can't fight anymore. I am damaged physically and emotionally.

Whatever happens in this nightmare, whether I escape or not, my life is still cruel.

I just said that in my mind over and over again to not feel too bad about my end.

Just when I was about to completely give up, I suddenly felt something warm in my chest that seemed to give me a bit of hope and comfort in spite of the mixed and intense emotions.

But I still continued hiding behind the trees. These are my only protection right now.

Suddenly, everything got quiet. I thought it was a trap so I waited for a couple of minutes.

"What are you doing here, young lady?"

I slowly looked up when I heard a voice and saw an old lady. I furrowed my brows and stood up to see the dragons but they were gone! What the hell happened?! Is that even possible?!

"You should rest, young lady. You've been through a lot," she smiled.

I awkwardly smiled back, confused at why the dragons were suddenly gone and what an old lady is doing here in my nightmare.

Don't tell me she...

I cleared my throat. "I will be straightforward, ma'am. Are you a human... or someone supernatural? Do you have a... superpower?"

She smiled even more. "I think you should ask those questions to yourself."

Then she left me dumbfounded. I was speechless.

"Ma'am, wait!" I called her as soon as I came back to my senses. "Did you... uhm... defeated the dragons? But that was so fast! And what do you mean by I should ask myself--"

"Calm down, young lady." Her smile is elegant. "Go back... and fight."

In a snap, I'm back again in front of the golden palace. I blinked rapidly and slapped myself just to make sure I'm not hallucinating.

What... is... happening...

I already have a lot in mind but new questions and mysteries keep on coming to me everyday!

That old lady! She is so powerful!

I need to know who she is, why she helped me, and how she defeated the dragons. But I am completely clueless about here. I don't even know her name. I want to meet her... again. Please.

I was just standing in front of the palace, thinking of her, until I decided to go back to the Art Room. I was expecting to see the masked man there but he was not. I picked up the Tales with Wings on the floor. It is opened on a different page, most likely because of the wind coming from the four open windows.

The Ultimate Tale. Page CCCLXXIV.

This is the last tale in the book so this must be very special.

The Ultimate Tale

by Unknown

What is your ultimate goal? Do you think you can achieve that? Do you think you are deserving?

Many want a perfect world. Many hate problems. Many hope for things they do not deserve.

Creatures in the supernatural realm are no different. They want a world that would always go according to their will. Humans are much worse, though. They already have a nearly perfect planet but they are destroying it.

If you look closely, living things matter the most. But if living things do not care for their for their own world, what's the sense of life?

This is where it goes dark...

Wings are powerful, that's why a group consisting of a Phoenix, Griffin, Pterosaur, Dragon, Wyvern, and Adarna was made. They are among the most powerful winged beings. They have one ultimate goal. Create a perfect world above the Earth.

They had traveled a lot for half a decade, finding the best witch ever. Until finally, their efforts became worth-it. They found the witch they've always wanted.

The project was going on well. High-ranking officials started to take a look at the project too and they were amazed by the progress made each day. They felt they were close to perfection.

However, their friendship of the six was not perfect. The Pterosaur was found dead after an argument with the Wyvern and Dragon. The Griffin and Adarna were nowhere to be seen. The Phoenix, on the other hand, was just with the witch all day, everyday. They were really close.

Because of the death of a prominent winged creature, the Court of Wings took this issue to the next level. All the five remaining groupmates were guilty without any investigation. The Wyvern, Dragon, and Phoenix were all tortured at the same time thrice a week.

The Griffin was soon found dead in one of the oldest mountains. It was believed that its death was connected with the death of the Pterosaur.

Only four were left guilty. The Griffin was considered innocent.

A few days passed, the Adarna was found dead in a hidden house on a hill. Everyone believed it was hiding there and eventually committed su*cide due to the guilt of killing two of its friends.

Four were still guilty but only three were alive.

Those three later on died as well at the same time on a cold night. They had a lot of wounds and bruises because of the t*****e. They suffered and died together.

But the problem is all of the six winged creatures were innocent. They were framed and killed by the officials. Why? Because they wanted to get the perfect world made by those six creatures.

The Evil prevailed in this part. The officials did not even feel a bit of mercy. Justice was not served because the justice system was s**t.

The officials were so happy, not knowing that the witch was the one who created everything for the perfect world. The only contributions of the winged creatures were their superpowers and investigations.

Filled with anger, the witch destroyed the perfect world they had been working hard on for how many years. All the efforts were in vain. She also cast extreme spells on the officials so that they'd be cursed forever.

After all that happened, the witch realized that even if she finished the perfect world and did not destroy it, she still could not live there. Why? Because she knows she's not deserving. And she did not completely believe that a perfect world could really exist. Therefore, before leaving this cruel world, she left a note saying:

Chasing perfection is like chasing nothing. But if there really is a perfect world, do we deserve it?

Woah... that's so deep.

Now I'm starting to doubt too. Am I really just chasing nothing? Do I deserve perfection?

But aside from those 'perfection' and 'deserving' doubts, what really hit me is the part where the officials killed all those six innocent winged creatures. Does Utopia have cruel leaders too?

I sighed as I turned to the next page. There are no stories anymore. But there is a small grey paper which was attached to an empty page of the book.

I gently detached it. It actually looks like magic because there is no glue or anything! I immediately got intrigued when I realized there are letters on the other side. It was written using red ink, or maybe... blood? No, I'm just overthinking.

The paper says...

Chasing perfection is like chasing nothing. But if there really is a perfect world, do we deserve it?

My mind was in complete chaos as I realized what was written on the paper.

***