Celest POV
I stumbled through the debris of my burning home, my breaths ragged and my heart racing. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with ash and soot as I ran. I can't believe this is happening. It's like a nightmare, but I can't wake up. The smoke choked the air, making it hard to see, but I knew I had to keep moving. I couldn't stay there amidst the wreckage.As I emerged from the devastation, the sight before me sent a wave of horror through my veins. My parents' lifeless bodies lay on the ground, their clothes torn, and their skin charred. A cry of pain and anguish escaped my lips, lost in the roar of the flames and the pouring rain. The tears on my face mixed with raindrops, as if the sky itself wept for their loss.I fell to my knees, my body trembling with grief. "Why did they have to die?" I cried out, my voice echoing into the desolation. "Why did they have to leave me all alone?" The weight of their absence pressed down on me, threatening to crush my spiritThe rain continued to fall, drenching me, cleansing the world around me. It felt like a cruel irony, the storm washing away the evidence of the fire that had consumed my life. But even in the midst of my pain, a spark of determination flickered within me. I couldn't let their deaths be in vain. I had to find a way to survive, to honor their memory.As I stumbled through the rain-soaked streets, my thoughts raced, searching for answers, for justice. Why did their concepts have to be so powerful? Why did it draw the attention of those ruthless nobles? Anger swelled within me, fueling my determination. They won't get away with this. I will make them pay for what they've done to my family. But I had to be cautious, had to stay hidden, stay aliveIn the darkness and the downpour, doubts crept into my mind. What if I don't unlock a powerful concept? What if I don't unlock one at all? Fear threatened to swallow me whole, to extinguish the fire within me. But a memory of my parents' words emerged, their voices gentle yet firm. "You are our little star, Celest," they had told me. "The sky will always shine, whether in the day or night." I closed my eyes, clinging to their love and guidance. I am their legacy. Their light lives on within me. Even if I don't unlock a powerful concept, it won't define me. I will find my own strength. I have to believe in myself I stumbled through the debris of my burning home, my breaths ragged and my heart racing. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with ash and soot as I ran. I can't believe this is happening. It's like a nightmare, but I can't wake up. The smoke choked the air, making it hard to see, but I knew I had to keep moving. I couldn't stay there amidst the wreckage.As I emerged from the devastation, the sight before me sent a wave of horror through my veins. My parents' lifeless bodies lay on the ground, their clothes torn, and their skin charred. A cry of pain and anguish escaped my lips, lost in the roar of the flames and the pouring rain. The tears on my face mixed with raindrops, as if the sky itself wept for their loss.I fell to my knees, my body trembling with grief. "Why did they have to die?" I cried out, my voice echoing into the desolation. "Why did they have to leave me all alone?" The weight of their absence pressed down on me, threatening to crush my spirit.The rain continued to fall, drenching me, cleansing the world around me. It felt like a cruel irony, the storm washing away the evidence of the fire that had consumed my life. But even in the midst of my pain, a spark of determination flickered within me. I couldn't let their deaths be in vain. I had to find a way to survive, to honor their memory.As I stumbled through the rain-soaked streets, my thoughts raced, searching for answers, for justice. Why did their concepts have to be so powerful? Why did it draw the attention of those ruthless nobles? Anger swelled within me, fueling my determination. They won't get away with this. I will make them pay for what they've done to my family. But I had to be cautious, had to stay hidden, stay alive>In the darkness and the downpour, doubts crept into my mind. What if I don't unlock a powerful concept? What if I don't unlock one at all? Fear threatened to swallow me whole, to extinguish the fire within me. But a memory of my parents' words emerged, their voices gentle yet firm. "You are our little star, Celest, you're our sky . The sky will always shine , whether in the day or night, whether the darkest storm hails, you can always be sure the stars are shining beneath it all. I believe in you ,you just have to believe in yourself ."I closed my eyes, clinging to their love and guidance. I am their legacy. Their light lives on within me. Even if I don't unlock a powerful concept, it won't define me. I will find my own strength. I have to believe in myself.I nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "I won't let you down, Dad," she said, her voice strong and resolute. "I'll make them pay for what they did to you and Mom."She wiped the tears from her face, trying to focus on the task at hand. She needed to get as far away from the scene of the attack as possible. She knew that the noble family responsible for her parents' deaths would be looking for her, and she needed to stay hidden if she had any hope of surviving.As she ran through the streets, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The rain pounded against her skin, but she hardly felt it. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of her parents and the life that she had lost. She couldn't believe that they were permanently gone from her life.Despite the darkness that surrounded her, Celest felt a glimmer of hope. She felt that she will inherit one of her parents' powerful concepts, and that they would guide her on her journey to avenge their deaths. With a determined look on her face, she set off into the night, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.For a while, Celest laid low in the forest, hiding among the trees and surviving on whatever she could scavenge. She didn't know where to go or what to do next, her mind clouded with pain and confusion. As the days passed, she found herself growing stronger and more determined to seek revenge against the noble family responsible for her parents' death.Celest sighed, feeling overwhelmed by it all. She missed her parents, missed their guidance and support. She had always relied on them to help her navigate the world of concepts, and now she was on her own.A pang of hunger hit her, and she realized that she hadn't eaten all day. She glanced around, looking for a place to get some food.Celest sighed again, feeling even more hopeless. She was hungry, tired, and alone in a world that didn't understand her. She wanted to curl up somewhere and cry, to let out all the fear and frustration that had been building up inside her.
But she couldn't. She had to keep moving, had to keep searching for a way forward. She had to be strong, for herself and for her parents' memory.As she walked, Celest realized that she was headed towards the outskirts of the forest. Maybe there was a way out of the forest, a way to escape the chaos and find some peaceShe quickened her pace, her heart beating faster with hope. Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up.As Celest stumbled into the village, her energy was drained and her stomach was growling with hunger. She was more focused on finding food than worrying about the potential dangers of being caught by the nobles.She saw an elderly woman sitting outside her small cottage, and she approached her timidly. The woman looked up and noticed the tears on Celest's face and the exhaustion in her eyes."Are you alright, child?" the woman asked in a gentle voice.Celest hesitated for a moment before nodding and admitting, "No, I'm not. I need help...please.""Oh you poor thing, come with me." she said with a warm look on her face.The woman quickly stood up and took Celest's hand, leading her inside. She prepared a hot meal for Celest and offered her a bed to rest in."Thank you so so much, thank you so much" she said with a whisper ,almost inaudible.As Celest ate, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the kindness of this stranger. She had been on her own for what felt like ages, and the warmth and comfort of the woman's home was a welcome change.As Celest gratefully ate the food offered to her by the kind old woman, she suddenly began to feel dizzy. The last thing she remembered was the room spinning around her before everything went black.When she woke up, she found herself in a small cage alongside several other children. She could tell they were all younger than her, and none of them had unlocked their concepts yet. Celest tried to stand up, but the cage was too small, and she hit her head on the top."Ouch," she muttered, rubbing her head. "Where am I?"One of the younger children looked up at her with low eyes. "We don't know," he said, his voice trembling. "We were all brought here together. They said they were going to sell us to the nobles."
Celest's heart sank. She knew what that meant. The nobles were mostly the only ones who could use concepts, and they often used children who had not yet unlocked their powers as servants or even as experiments. She had heard horror stories of what they did to those poor kids she just never knew she'd face the same.The cage was small and cramped, barely enough space for the children to move around. It was made of rusted metal bars, with sharp edges that could easily cut through skin. There were around ten children in the cage, all huddled together for warmth. They were all under the age of ten, with dirty faces and ragged clothes. Their hair was unkempt and their eyes were filled with fear and confusion. Some of them had bruises on their faces, suggesting that they had been mistreated. Celest could see that they were all scared. Granny: "I have a few children for sale. They are all in good condition and can be trained to work hard."Seller: "What ages are they?Granny: "They're all under 10. The youngest is 5 and the oldest is 9."Seller: "What about their concepts? Have any of the kids unlocked them yet?"Granny: "No, not yet. They're all still too young ,concepts unlock at 14dumbass."Seller: "*cough* I see. Well, I'm interested. How much are you asking for them?"Granny: "I was thinking around 50 gold coins for each of them. They're healthy and should be able to work hard."Seller: "Hmm, that's a bit steep. How about 30 coins each?"Granny: "I can't go that low. I have to make a profit too, you know."Seller: "Fine, 40 coins each. But only if they're as healthy as you say they are."Granny: "You won't be disappointed. These kids are strong and will be perfect for your needs."Celest listens to the conversation with growing horror and fear, realizing that she and the other children are nothing more than commodities to be sold for profit.She was lost in thought for a while ,she couldn't see what time it was ,the room was just dark"I feel so stupid for letting my guard down. I should have known better than to trust her so easily." she thought. "No I was just not thinking , I was just so hungry" she said as if trying to come up with an excuse for herself. Suddenly she got mad. She started to dig in her nails I her palm."It's not just that she lied to me. It's the way she did it, so casually, like it was no big deal. How can I trust anyone if there are monsters who lie with such warm expressions? Why do people lie. Why are there people that lie knowing it's wrong."She then chuckled ,"HAHA, Maybe I'm just too naïve. Maybe everyone lies and I'm the only one who doesn't realize it. I used to think that if I could just find the right people to be friends with, everything would be okay. But now I'm starting to wonder if there are any trustworthy people out there at all."Little by little she didn't even realize it that she was losing her faith in humanity.