"How is the sausage?"
"It's good."
"Then why don't you have it for tonight, sister? I will wait for you," the boy said to the girl sitting in front of him.
Annu Winslow, sitting across from her younger brother, narrowed her red eyes. "Arun… why do I feel like you're saying something weird? And I already told you—you're on your own from now on."
Hearing this, the black-haired, red-eyed teenager placed his fork down and leaned back in his chair
"Is it necessary? We are living here just fine, aren't we? Why do you have to go to the capital?"
She sighed. "We talked about this, didn't we? The capital ordered all nobles—big shots and small fry alike—to come. Every family member has to go. You're the only one refusing."
Arun's lips curled into a mocking smirk. "I think you just want to get rid of the family heir. You're planning to take advantage of my naivity and steal my place, hoping to gobble up all the property, right?"
Annu rolled her eyes. "Then why don't you come with me?"
But Arun ignored her and continued, "Oh, don't tell me—you got a boyfriend and plan to abandon me for him."
Annu slammed the dining table.
"What the fuck is wrong with you… weirdo…"
She had planned to have a normal, conflict-free dinner before leaving, but this idiot…
"Annu Winslow," Arun said solemnly, "you just ruined a perfectly fine dining table. And the mood of a healthy family dinner."
Annu exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples before sitting back down. She carefully adjusted her plate, scooped up a spoonful of rice, and took a slow bite. Then, in a much calmer voice, she said:
"This is your last chance. I know you'll refuse, but seriously—you have to consider it. There might be huge opportunities out there, just waiting for someone to seize them. You've had an entire month to think about the way things are shifting. Don't you feel it? Something big is happening… but you still refuse to go. Tell me, Arun—why?"
Arun spread his arms dramatically.
"Yeah, yeah, something big is happening. Let me guess—it's the Second Cataclysm, isn't it? Another disaster is coming. And this time, humanity won't stand a chance. Something like that..."
He picked up his plate and went toward the kitchen.
"Even if it does come… we've already experienced it once, haven't we? We've lived in the post-apocalypse for a century. Surely, we will get through it somehow…"
Annu followed, stacking the leftovers neatly in the fridge. The kitchen's dim light reflected in her crimson eyes.
"Whatever. I will transfer some credits into your account. I'll stay in the capital for a year or two and see if our relics do good business."
Arun smirked. "Good luck. Just don't overdo it. Last time you were locked up like a criminal."
"I was the one who took someone under custody. It was the thief next door."
"Who knows? You might be the one who went there to steal, and when the poor man caught you, you viciously threw the blame on him. After all, Our business has been struggling lately. Who knows what desperate measures you've taken?"
Their playful bickering continued as they reached the front gate of their small bungalow. Arun stood outside while Annu adjusted her seatbelt in the driver's seat.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Arun glanced up at the sky, while Annu checked the car's systems. Finally, satisfied, she turned to him.
"Be careful. And don't mess around.There is a wave of Dark Days pulling people into random trials. If you are chosen, survive well, and after that, go for counseling, okay?"
"Come on, I long passed the age of trials. Do you really think the spell would pull an eighteen-year-old like me instead of a teenager?"
"Well, the selection age is sixteen to eighteen....Okay, I'm off. Keep your comms on. I'll call you when I'm in the capital. Bye-bye."
Arun watched the car disappear down the road. He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. The house suddenly felt too quiet.
"Hell yeah—freedom at last!" Arun grinned, his voice cutting through the silence. But the moment the words left his lips, the house still felt too empty
He walked inside each step reminding him
About the conversation with his sister brought out some old memory.
It had been ninety years since the Cataclysm—when the world collapsed, and the first Dark Days arrived.
Dark Days weren't literal black nights. They were events where people were dragged into supernatural trials by an omnipotent force called Maya Spell.
At the beginning of the Cataclysm, countless humans were chosen for these trials. Those who survived awakened with supernatural powers. Those who failed… turned into mindless, monstrous abominations.
And then
The chaos shattered everything—law, order, morality, and compassion. Or so they said.
Arun took out an antique wired headphone, said to be popular before the Cataclysm, and turned on some music.
"Damn. People back then really knew how to make music…"
It was a song in which two lovers talked about how they would be with each other even if the world ended.
Vibing to the rhythm, Arun decided to read a book called 'Always with You' on his tablet.
As he read, he lost himself in the world of bittersweet romance. The wholesomeness gave him a sense of peace and tranquility.
As he progressed through the story, his vision began to blur, and the surroundings started to dim. Arun was so intensely focused on the screen that the words appear jumbled up—
Finally.
Arun slipped into a deep slumber.
And then, in darkness, a faint voice echoed.
[Aspirant, welcome to Maya Spell. Prepare for your First Trial.]
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