Black Gem on the Hill

Catastrophe

On the way, the horse-drawn carriage that they were riding derailed to the side of the ravine, Yume suddenly threw Gamiroku's body with all his might onto the edge before the carriage actually fell.

"Keep walking Gami...then you will live....!!!" yume yelled with sobs and a heartwarming smile, then it fell down with Yume and a man inside.

"Now!!!!!! Mommy!!!!" shouted Gamiroku, he could only cry while staring at the bottomless abyss.

"No.." she was down, her tears were unceasingly flowing from her two beautiful eyes.

The rain subsided and the earthquake stopped, leaving a bad memory for the Silvercast kingdom. People who lost their families were crying beside the destroyed buildings.

As well as Gamiroku, Yume is the only family he has. Now all the memories that the mother left behind will always be stored in her heart.

Slowly he got up with trembling legs and an empty gaze, the boy was still shocked by what was in his nature. He walked without a direction to climb the mountain across the forest towards the border.

His eyes became puffy because he continued to cry, for days he walked without direction, climbed hills, crossed rivers, without food and drink until his body became thin.

At one point, Gamiroku walked towards an area in the middle of the forest.

The area is inhabited by only a few people, mostly children. Then one of the occupants saw Gamiroku walking towards him in shabby clothes and an exhausted face.

"Hey, you see that?" ask a woman while grinning.

"Yes, he is a great fit" replied the man next to him.

They both approached Gamiroku, and offered to spend the night at their home. "You must be tired, how about spending the night in our house? Oh yeah what's your name?" ask the woman.

"Gami....Gamiroku" he answered softly.

"Well, Gamiroku. It's getting dark, you need to get in before any beasts eat you" the man took Gamiroku to his house in a hurry.

They realized that there was an oddity in Gamiroku's body, on his forehead there were two lumps, also his eyes are different colors. So they took him to a dark room.

"Your room is here" said the woman, then she shut the door tightly and locked it from the outside.

The boy just fell silent, slowly he sat down and came back crying without a sound. There was a groaning sound from the darkness in front of him, immediately Gamiroku realized it then wiped all his tears while standing up.

"Who?" ask Gamiroku doubtfully.

"Don't approach me! I'm monster!" replied the figure, her voice was very cute and soft.

"I don't know if you're a monster or not, it's dark. I can't see you clearly" Gamiroku said.

"If you see me, will you be afraid?"

"I don't know"

"Stay away from me! Don't bother me!" apparently, a curious Gamiroku also tried to approach the figure.

"Say don't come any closer!" he continued to warn, but Gamiroku continued to approach.

He squinted his eyes, then he saw a large, sturdy wing hiding his tiny body. "I told you not to come any closer!" he screamed and turned his body.

Gamiroku's eyes were perfectly rounded, the figure turned out to be a winged eagle girl, her hair curly and her fingernails slightly long.

"You.." - Gamiroku.

"I told you I'm a monster" the girl looked down with her pretty eyes.

Slowly Gamiroku sat back down and leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. His tears flowed back, he still had not forgotten the incident.

"Why are you crying?" tanyakanya.

"Let's go, it feels painful" Gamiroku replied.

"Are you not afraid of me?"

"For what?" Gamiroku looked at him for a moment.

"People who meet me will usually run away or faint. I was one of my parents' victims of witchcraft" he said, handing over his body next to Gamiroku.

"There's nothing scary about losing someone we care about. I lost my mother and it was very painful." - Gamiroku.

"What's your name?" ask Gamiroku.

"Sohana.....Your name?"

"Gamiroku"

"Your eyes...why are the colors different? And why do you only have one hand?" sohana asked, she noticed Gamiroku's face fixedly.

"My mom said I was a special kid...."

"Well, if anyone had told me that..... Your mother must love you so much, right?"

"Of course"

"I've always wished I had parents who loved me, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen, right?" Sohana chuckled while shedding tears.

"Where are your parents?" ask Gamiroku.

"They sold me to this place"

"What?!"

"You don't know yet? The children here will be sold to rich people, usually they are told to do adult work" Sohana explained.

"So those kids are out there...." Gamiroku peeked out the window.

"Yes, those children will be sold, those with weak bodies will be removed for torture" he replied.

"They have no heart!" gamiroku said furious when he saw the children who were being whipped. Sohana went up and lit the candle.

When the room became bright, Gamiroku could see the paintings made by Sohana. The painting shows a harmonious and warm family.

But in the painting, there was a child who was alone, he was hugging his knees, his eyes were soft, but his lips were smiling happily.

"This is what I do" Sohana pointed to the lonely child's painting proudly.

"Why are his lips smiling?" ask Gamiroku.

"Yes, no one else can see my sadness, other than myself. They just want to know but don't care" he said.

"With you here, I'll paint you too" Sohana continued, jumping up and down in excitement.

"You painted me? How's it?"

"I pluck out one of my wing feathers, and then I'll start with this paint, draw the eye line here and there" he replied.

Sohana chatted with Gamiroku while drawing it, he used some paint that was no longer used. Then they painted the whole room enthusiastically.

The children who were whipped were then put in a horse-drawn carriage and sent to the city center. Human trafficking still occurs in the territory of the Rhombus kingdom as well as the Silvercast.

Their faces were so pitiful, as if nothing could make them happy. The world is so cruel, even their childhoods are taken for granted.

Moreover, some girls become victims of sexual harassment and gratification for the delinquents. This is often the case in the Silvercast kingdom which he said upholds women's rights, but in reality there are still many women who are victims of rape.

"I was planning to run away and look for my brother" Sohana said, his face covered in paint.

"You got a sister?" ask Gamiroku who is applying paint on the wall.

"Yes, my brother and his name is Gyosana. A few months ago, my brother was sold to no one"

"Why are you still here?"

"Who would buy a curse like me? My brother's normal, so he's sold"

"Then what's your plan?"

"I'll come out after I finish making a hole in the roof" Sohana pointed at the slightly hollowed-out roof while grinning.