Tower of Paradise

REINHARDT'S POV

The first time I felt the teleportation spell, it was an experience I had never lived before. It was like being trapped in the middle of a movie playing at full speed, where everything around me became a blur of colors while unbearable pain threatened to tear apart every part of my body. When I finally managed to open my eyes, I could only emit a broken and dry sound.

My head throbbed with an incessant buzzing in my ears, and the drops of water falling on my skin only intensified my discomfort. Each breath brought with it a stab in my chest that turned my stomach. I tried to orient myself, turning my head slightly to examine my surroundings.

—This is...

I muttered to myself, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

The darkness was almost total; I could barely distinguish what was at arm's length. I found myself in a damp and gloomy alley, where a nauseating smell permeated the air. When I touched the ground beneath my body, I felt the hardness and roughness of the rock, which had left me with a sore back and lower body.

Despite the pain and disorientation, a realization hit me: we had made it. We were alive and, more importantly, we were free. Freedom brought with it the responsibility of surviving in an outside world that was completely foreign to us. No home, no food, no knowledge of the society in which we now had to integrate. This would be our new reality, where everything would depend on ourselves.

I perceived other presences nearby; if I concentrated, I could hear their soft breathing: my brothers, but I was frightened after seeing Arceus collapsed on the ground, trembling intermittently. I remembered that in our eagerness to escape as quickly as possible, I hadn't treated his wound.

—A-are you okay?

I crawled to where he was and took a deep breath when I discovered his current state. I wasn't sure what had hit him, but a large amount of blood was flowing from somewhere beneath the upper part of his torso.

My thoughts reached that point and, instead of running out of ideas, I decided to act. I had to do something, anything, rather than standing stunned.

First, I dragged his trembling body. Then, very carefully, I placed my hands on the site of the hemorrhage while oozing a crimson fire. The heat sprouted from my palms, and the smell of burnt flesh made me nauseous. Arceus stirred, a choked moan escaping from his lips.

I was a mage, and although most of the time I hadn't been very useful due to my low level, at least I could cauterize serious wounds by burning the tissue to close the wound and stop the bleeding.

Magic was a structured method that followed a framework of laws and principles to shape the world with the help of stellar energy through equivalent exchange.

A mage's ability was determined by the degree to which he could minimize and omit these components to make his abilities more efficient.

—Arceus, I need you to listen to me.

Next, I firmly but gently grabbed his head with both hands and looked him directly in the eyes. Seeing that he wasn't waking up, I did what any friend would do in my position. I gave him three good slaps to awaken his senses.

In a short time, Arceus reacted.

I saw how he opened his eyelids and his vision was blurry and confused. I could notice that he felt dizzy, as if dark and white things were dancing at the edges of his eyes.

In the end, he closed his eyes again.

Somehow, clinging to the thin fabric of wavering consciousness, Arceus woke up, only for his expression to crumble in an instant of pain. Even though I had closed the wound, it didn't mean he didn't feel pain.

—R-Reinhardt...

He stuttered, trying to sit up. I held him by the shoulders, noticing how he trembled.

—Stay still. The wound is closed, but you lost a lot of blood.

He nodded, cold sweat sliding down his temple. His crimson eyes were fixed on the children lying around, some beginning to move.

—The others?

He asked with a hoarse voice.

—Alive. Now I need you to get up. We can't stay here.

—Yes.

His immediate response reassured me.

—Where are we?@@novelbin@@

—Who knows...

Suddenly, more voices joined the conversation, it seemed that some of the younger children had begun to wake up, their voices mixing with expressions of confusion and relief.

—Where will we go?

Arceus's question was tentative, but I could detect the underlying confidence in my judgment.

Taking control of the situation, as I knew I had to do, I gave my first order:

—Guys, wake up the children on the ground.

I stood up as I spoke, and looked for Cassie. I knew the only one who could carry her would be myself as one of the older children. This was based on the fact that in case any unexpected situation occurred, the only one who could put up a fight would be Arceus.

Arceus immediately began organizing the children into orderly columns, instructing them to maintain formation as they followed him. As the strongest, he took the lead.

As we advanced, I began to notice details of our environment: dim lights filtering through closed doors and windows, signs of life behind those barriers. A young man passed by on the sidewalk, his head lowered but his eyes revealing a barely disguised fear upon seeing us. I wondered if he feared we might harm him, although the irony of his fear did not escape me, considering our own vulnerability at that moment.

The sadness of the place was palpable, and as I observed the people we crossed paths with, my mind catalogued every detail, every possible threat or opportunity while carrying Cassie on my back. It was then that I saw them: five men approaching in the distance.

I assessed them instantly. Their way of moving, their posture, their developed muscles... everything screamed "danger." They weren't simple passersby; they were trained fighters, and by the way they scrutinized the environment, their intentions were anything but benevolent.

—Look, what do we have here?

The hoarse voice of one of them broke the silence. His accent was slightly different from the underground language, but the general difference wasn't much.

—Where did so many good-looking brats come from?

Asked one of them, a man with a long scar on his cheek who clicked his tongue with disdain.

—Do they breed them like rabbits, or what?

Added another, stroking his thick chin while smiling maliciously.

I saw Arceus exhale with tiredness, though not surprised. I knew why: in reality, we had been expecting something like this. I knew that a place like this wouldn't welcome us without more; we would have to earn our place, probably by force.

With a silent gesture, Arceus indicated that I should pull the group back. I responded immediately, organizing the younger children and ordering them to remain calm. Arceus observed with approval how I kept calm, although he noticed in my eyes the frustration at not being able to help in this situation. My lack of concern for his safety didn't surprise him; after all, I knew his capabilities well.