Aegis: Pandora's Box

A Suspicious Invitation

SHHHHHK!

I pulled my body away to evade the raging flames coming towards me, and all of a sudden, I feel my right side ache. It was a dream, I am back in my room.

While trying to make out what happened, I feel so sweaty all of a sudden and realized that I bathe in my sweat while sleeping.

“HUFF! HUFF! HUFF! What the hell? I saw that place again?” I immediately take off my shirt as it is dripping wet from my sweat and change into a new one. “Why did that place appear again?”

As if I almost felt its connection, I turn to look at the Aegis and see that the runes are arranged differently this time, it is a bit less chaotic than the first time I saw it.

“When did this change?....” almost instantly, I remember what the old man told me, ‘Let its power flow within you’ I wonder if this is a part of the change that he was referring to but pondering about it too much will not give me any result, so I decided to leave it for now and observe if things continue to change.

Seeing that the was already high in the sky, I realize that I might have slept too much, and I race downstairs hoping that mother will not scold me. Right upon opening the door, I feel a sudden breeze that somewhat feel refreshing.

Stunned, I stand in front of my room speechless of what just happened, “Okay, another strange thing happening to me.” I tell myself as I finally get the energy to walk down the stairs.

“Good thing you’re awake. I was about to go there and wake you up myself.” Mother says as she prepares my breakfast, “Good morning, mother.” I greeted, and she smiles in response.

“You have to be ready for later. Your father and I just got a sudden message, we are invited to Sir Leone’s party later. You need to dress well, okay?” that was a lot to take it and I just stand there with my mouth wide open.

“Invited? But why? Sir Leones don’t invite from our town, like never. How come he is inviting us now?” I take a seat and express my disbelief, “I know, but since this is the first time. We should at least answer, don’t you think?”

My mother par my shoulder and gave me a smile, “This might be the only time when we are invited in an occasion, but your father wants to establish a fact about our town.” The gentle smile on my mother’s face cools my head down.

Just by gazing at her gentle expression, the sudden boiling blood in my head go cold.

“Mother really is different.” I say to myself, “Okay. For the town. I will do it.” Right after giving my confirmation to join, mother smiles and pat my shoulders, “That’s my good boy. After you finish eating, just leave the dishes on the sink. I will be busy picking what clothes I should wear.”

I have never seen mother that excited in a long time, “Perhaps they want to be invited all along?”

Right after eating, instead of putting the dishes to the sink. I washed them and left, “Seeing as how excited mother is. I don’t think she will notice the time.” I said to myself as I leave the house, “I’ll be back.”

I walk in the streets of our town, wandering mindlessly to kill time while thinking about the things that the old man told me, “I never thought that the Aegis can do so many things? Not only that, but I am the fourth holder after a long time. Does that mean I am special?”

Because of what I have experienced so far, the word ‘special’ pops up in my mind as it can explain why I am experiencing such things and an artifact even chose me,

“If that is the special then, I don’t know what it is.”

While wandering about things, I did not notice Fernan approaching me until he taps my shoulder, “You’re in a daze there. Did something happen?” he asked and sits beside me, “Something indeed happened.” Right before I can tell him what it is, he cuts in.

“Wait, is it about the invite from Sir Leones?” I was surprised. It's not that I want our family to be the only ones to be invited, that also means other families are invited as well, “Wai-…. Is your family invited too?” Fernan nod his head in response.

“That message arrived earlier at dawn, so it's surprising that you did not learn about it until maybe your mother told you, but that is the talk of the town right now.”

What Fernan says makes sense that I can’t even argue with him on that one, “But what makes me curious is the sudden invite. They don’t do that in the past.” The look that Fernan gave me affirms that he also have the same feeling towards the invitation.

“I knew you’d find it strange, so did I and the rest of the town. But this is the first time that we invited, so the adults are thinking to leave a good impression.” With that, Fernan and I talk about what we feel about the invitation that lasted for a few hours.

And as humans, our talk went off-course, and we ended up talking about the past. Before we knew it, it was already noon, “Shoot! We got too absorbed in our talk that we did not notice the time!” Fernan exclaims as we see people wearing fancy clothes walking past us.

“We are dead.” I mutter in defeat as we race back to our houses without any second thought. And just as expected, I got an earful from father who had already finished their preparation.

It was only me who was left looking like a rag, “Go change now, Ibis. We will be late!”

____________________________________

A few hours later,

“What are you trying to do? Can’t you see that you are in my house! Do you want to die?!” A spoiled says while I pin him down to the floor.

I don’t know what came over me. All of a sudden, I feel a strange sensation in my left arm, a stinging sensation. I look at my arm and see that runes are starting to appear on my skin.

“What the hell is this?” I say to myself. Those are not the same runes that I see on engraved on Aegis, it is far more different and foreign.