COLORS OF SIN CHAPTER 4

Read previous chapter, Read chapter 2 here

We're continuing our journey and passing through uneven terrain. Along the way, we met several merchants and travelers. After another two hours of walking, we rest again for a while. Both Eris and Rowan try not to bring back previous arguments because of me. They realize that they had gone too far and made me angry. This time Eris asks a bit about us, about Cordville and how men in the Dallas district live. We share some stories with her and so does she. It's interesting to know that there are so many differences between our customs, yet we also do something similar. After 20 minutes of rest, we continue our journey again.

We're now almost arrived on the outskirt of Cordville, probably in another 3-4 hours of walking. The weather has changed to cloudy, which indicates that it will rain soon. And sure enough, it didn't take long for it to drizzle. We keep walking ahead wearing our coats in the drizzle, the roads became wet, making the journey even more difficult and dangerous. If I am not careful, I can fall and hurt myself. The drizzle becomes rain and the rain is getting heavier by minutes. We are forced to stop and decide to postpone our journey. We're planning to continue it to the next day as the rain looks like it will last a long time. Rowan creates a camp for us so we can sleep tonight. He also prepares something to celebrate my birthday today, he put some cookies together, turned them into a birthday cake, and lit candles for me to blow. Eris also congratulated me when she found out that today is my birthday. She said that in better condition, she will prepare me a beautifully crafted gift from clays as the present, a charm to evoke evil spirits and bad luck. It's the custom that has been done in her village. We're chatting through the night and somehow we become a friend. Traveling together indeed can make you get closer to someone else. The rain was getting heavier, the weather is humid and cool, the perfect situation to make you fall asleep. Eris who hasn't gotten any sleep these past days decides to sleep early. She enters the camp and prepares to sleep, while Rowan asked me to help him do something with him before the day passes. It seems there is something that he wants to ask me and has bugged him since yesterday.

"Well, I don't think I will ever ask you this, but since yesterday... There is something in my mind that I can't brush aside." Said Rowan.

"What is it?"

"Your eyes.... your reaction... it's just like... I don't know.... how could I explain it...."

".... I have never seen you so interested with anyone else before." continue Rowan.

"What do you mean? Who do you mention about?" Asked me.

"Do you like Eris?"

That night Rowan asked me about his hunch that if I was interested in Eris. While I should answer that ridiculous question right away, but the fact that I couldn't answer surprises me even more. I don't know whether it's just my curiosity or something else that makes me care about Eris and try to help her.

My reaction and hesitation also surprise Rowan. Eventually, my silence answers both of us. I might indeed like Eris romantically. Rowan asked if I had been "bewitched" by Eris unknowingly. If that was the case, then he would try to find a cure. I said to him that there is no way Eris can do that kind of magic. If she could, Rowan should be charmed as well and she will have no trouble getting out of cordville without our help. I guessed he will hate me since he always detests this kind of anomaly before. Yet, Rowan also said that even if I couldn't be cured, he would still consider me as his friend, no matter how "strange" I am. Rowan is my true friend, he still accepts me although I might not be the norm.

Meanwhile, this discovery made me realize about myself more, is this the reason why I haven't fallen in love with anyone else this entire time? Because I have different preferences than many other males?

The situation becomes awkward and stiff as we have a lot of thoughts in our minds.

"I think we both need to get asleep." Said Rowan closing our conversation.

"Yea let's go to sleep."

It takes time for us to digest everything that has happened, both of us need time to accept the revelation.

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In a small shack, there is a child who listens carefully to an ancient history told by her mother.

A long long time ago, mankind was still prosperous and the world government system was still functioning as it should to protect and control society. The era when a human "male" and a human "female" were still living together in the same city. Although they weren't interested in each other, they're living in harmony and covering each other gender shortcomings. Soon after, when the gaps became too wide between the high class and civilians, the system collapsed. Basic needs along with living expenses escalated while minimum wage couldn't catch up on the rise. It created an uproar and in the long run, productivity was declining and daily goods became scarce. This desolate was worsened by the fact a political situation heats up between "Elyphian" and "Mortan".

Elyphian is a society that relies on magic or spiritual elements in their daily life, while Mortan uses technology and a huge population to prevail. Humanity has fallen to a new low when the world government system could no longer avoid the clash. The biggest world war in history erupted, the clash began to spread through the entire world leaving only 20% population of the world. This event was known by the next generation as "The Great War". Historians said that many Elyphians is murdered during the war and were almost extinct. The remaining Elyphians went to a faraway land and hide theme selves away from civilization. It was told and written in Mortan history that they won The Great War.

The remaining Mortan try to live their lives with the limited resource that they can collect from what’s remaining after the war, but find themselves only left with nuclear radiation and expansive dead land.

The mother continues the story to her little daughter:

Don't know exactly when and why, but mortan starts to have numbered birthmarks on their bodies soon after The Great War ended. Many people said it's the curse bestowed by Elyphians. The birthmark warns us about our past sins and the consequences of what we will do in the future. Our soul will be left the body when the birthmark went down to zero, in other words, we died. Our Central Government conveys that there are 10 commandments to follow so we could be saved from sins. The top 3 commandments are:

1. Thou shalt not against heavenly principle (Central Government). Penalty: Death

2. Thou shalt not have sex with the opposite sex. Moreover, give birth to new Sins. Penalty: Death.

3. Honour thy ruler, remember to report every Holy Sunday. Penalty: -1 point for each negligence.

A heresy from the orphanage said that Elyphian cast a spell and cursed us with our numbered birthmark. They put their seeds to Mortan's future generation, seeking revenge and revival of Elyphians. When the forbidden relationship gave birth to a child, an elyphian will be born. That Elyphian baby will bring chaos to Mortan, causing havoc with their wicked magic. After all, all newborn Mortan should come from holy storks. The storks found babies in the soul stream. The source of a soul stream may be a lake, a marsh, a spring, a glacier, or a collection of headwaters. Later, the babies would then be given to an orphanage, so they will be nurtured into adulthood. They will become an adult on their 15th birthday.

Every adult mortan, both male and female should contribute to central government if they want to live. Every contribution counts will be added to the birthmark, but each day at 00.00 AM, it will lose one of its amounts. The first Sunday of a month will be a Holy Sunday, where mortan report their existence to Central Government through the orphanage. Everyone still needs to get some real money for daily goods and meals, or even use their hard earning money to fill up their birthmarks.

Well, dear, my beloved daughter... As the child of a historian, I hope you can remember what happened in the past, so you can learn from it. Let yourself have your critical thinking and always try to determine the authenticity of any historical events. The daughter who is previously looked sleepy now had fallen asleep listening to her mother's story. The mother then wrapped her with a warm blanket and leave the bedroom.

This is what Eris dreams when she is asleep, thinking about the day when her parents were still alive.

On the next day, we are ready to continue our journey after a good night's sleep. Eris seems to be more energetic and lively while Rowan seems like he barely sleep yesterday. It becomes a bit awkward between me and Rowan but he is trying his best not to make me feel offended or uncomfortable.

"I've been thinking a whole night about this... this is not like my usual self, but I begin to think there is no wrong to like someone else. You just..... like her. It isn't a big deal." Said Rowan in secrecy to me.

"Well..... I'm sorry that it might affect you. You don't need to force yourself to change your belief."

"I don't. I admit that previously, I hated those immoral people since they are "different" and I think why couldn't they be like anybody else? But when someone close to me becomes one of them, I'm starting to think whether I've been thinking too narrowly all this time. How about you? Asked Rowan.

"I am fine. There are no other things to do except accepting myself the way it is."

"I'm wondering if you ever think to like any man in the future? I mean there is no future for you and Eris to be together. Noone gonna accept it. You're a good man, Ilios, you mustn't destroy your life for a momentary emotion." Asked Rowan.

"It isn't like I don't want to like some male, but more like I can't. Anyway, Eris doesn't even like me to begin with... I think I will never be in a relationship." Complain me.

" Maybe there is no need to be romantic. Hmm, you should probably be more aware of the people around you first." Said Rowan.

After several hours of walking on a muddy road, we finally arrive at the Cordville entrance gate. We're waiting in line to enter the city. Suddenly, someone in a cloak signals me to come closer. The stranger came from the opposite direction, it seems that he was in a hurry to exit the city and will move out of Cordville. He brings a lot of luggage along with him.

"Have you seen Benedict?" Said the stranger.

"Benedict? Why are you asking about him?"

"It's me... Timothy. I know that you're his roommate. " said Timothy.

"Timothy?! Why are you wearing this camouflage? I barely even recognize you. Sorry, I don't know where Benedict is."

"Were you not in town when the incident happened? Goodness sake, you shouldn't come back!" Said, Timothy.

"What incident?" Asked Rowan.

"It's a long story. You should immediately stop to enter the city and follow me. I will tell you everything." Order Timothy. Rowan and I decided to postpone our plan to get the suit in the principal office and follow Timothy. Eris also follows us behind.

"So what's happened? Why do you look so furious?"

"That night, out of sudden, an official came to our orphanage.... along with all his soldiers, they went rampage and destroyed our orphanage." Said, Timothy. This news caught us by surprise.

"Why?"

"Is anyone safe?" Where are they now?" Asked Rowan.

"I barely survive! I don't know... I'm sorry..... it's just so sudden....it's dark..... I'm so sorry.... they massacred everyone there....it's a riot...l ...we're running for our lives. Some of us get caught..... I am sorry." Said Timothy while trembling. He is still in trauma for anything that happened back then.

"Please calm down and take your time. We're listening patiently. Please tell me everything you know about that night." Asked Rowan.