Arriving at Hilith, the quiet village tucked beneath a towering mountain, Ravindra and Rangief began weaving through the narrow dirt paths, searching for a particular individual.
"Who exactly are we looking for? You haven't given me much information at all..." Rangief muttered.
"We're looking for an old man named Henson," Ravindra replied. "Back in my hometown, the villagers said he used to be a member of the World Disciplinary Committee—the WDC. And as you already know, in this world, you can't really talk to anyone from the WDC. They never answer questions, not even under force. It's like they're programmed robots made for one single purpose."
Rangief sighed. "You do realize most of them are robots... right? That's probably why we're searching for this random old man. He's one of the only members of the WDC who's an actual living, breathing person. And he's probably the least violent one. The rest? They won't speak because they're terrified of getting themselves—or their families—executed for answering a question related to politics or the upper authority."
"Oh really? Good to know," Ravindra responded casually.
Rangief continued, "As far as I know, there are only about twelve real people in all of the WDC. And they're all high ranks too despite being part of that force. And if you didn't know, the WDC's job is to make sure the world follows... well, 'the plan.' We know who's behind it, but also... we don't."
Their conversation carried on as they strolled deeper into the village, until they noticed a woman tending to a small farm. She was feeding animals yet oddly dressed in battle-ready gear. Intrigued, Ravindra and Rangief approached the fence.
"Hey! Excuse me!" Ravindra called out. "We're looking for Mr. Henson. Do you know where he lives?"
The woman turned toward them, eyebrows raised, then walked over.
"Mr. Henson, huh? He lives up on Mount Parvudhi—that giant mountain behind the village," she explained. "He's been hiding there. Doesn't want people getting close to him and getting him killed."
"Oh, really? Good to know. I'm Ravindra, and this is Rangief." Ravindra responded.
"Wellsley," she introduced herself with a nod. "But I'm curious—why are you looking for Mr. Henson? The guy's a forme—"
Ravindra cut her off bluntly. "Yeah, I know. He's a former WDC member. But here's the thing—like I've said before, I'm not living under oppression. Especially not under someone we don't even know. I'm going to dig until I find out who's behind all this. At the very least. I've set that as my life goal in this world."
Wellsley lets out a short laugh. "Well, you two are crazy. The craziest I've ever heard of, honestly. Not once have I met anyone who traveled this far with a goal like that. But you know what? I like it. Maybe I'll tag along."
"Then be our guest," Ravindra replied. "Let's go find the old man."
"I'll lead the way," Wellsley offered, already stepping ahead.
As they made their way up the mountain, Wellsley struck up another conversation.
"You know... I'm actually a former member of the Special Combat and Rescue Forces—SCARF, for short," she stated.
YOU ARE READING
The Beginning after the Last
FantasyThe Beginning After the Last, or "TBaL," is a story I began shaping when I was around twelve or thirteen. My name is Liam, though I write as Author Avictus. I've carried this world with me for years, always hoping to one day share it with others. No...
