Enigmas

"She sacrificed herself, to save all of us." Hilia said to Yoan, who was digging graves for the deaths of the villagers. Many of them were killed and only a few survived, the ones who survived were also helping to dig the graves while Hilia held dozens of flowers in her arms, placing it on the graves.

Yoan paused, placing the shovel on the ground as he turned to look at Hilia.

"Sacrificed herself?"

Hilia nodded, a sad smile on her face and she inhaled in a shaky breath, starting to explain everything to Yoan.

"She performed a forbidden ceremony, which was used in the past to end wars. It can only be performed by skilled priestesses and grandmother was one of them."

Yoan frowned at her words, not understanding something about her sentence. "Why is it forbidden?"

"Because, in exchange of performing the ceremony, the priestess uses her whole life force to summon the goddess to eliminate the opposing force."

"Eliminating them doesn't mean it should be forbidden."

Hilia shook her head at Yoan's words, staring at him with a grim look on her face.

"It's forbidden because it kills the opposing force without mercy. Whoever who wrongs the priestess will be dead, the goddess that takes over her will eliminate them without a second thought. So, if an entire nation is her enemy, millions of lives would be lost."

Yoan's eyes widened considerably at her horrific words.

"Do you know how to use it?" Yoan asked cautiously.

"No, grandmother never taught me about it, she never wanted me to learn about it. I wasn't even allowed to mention anything related to it." Hilia held a small, sad smile on her face.

Yoan knew talking about their grandmother would dampen Hilia's mood further.

"Let's continue, shall we?" Yoan grinned, continuing his shoveling and Hilia nodded, placing another flower onto a grave. She knew the large gaping hole in her heart would never disappear, after all she was alone, in this enormous world.

She glanced towards Yoan, on the verge of breaking down again.

Yoan must have felt this way, when he realised his whole family was dead.

She sniffed quietly, rubbing her eyes and Yoan noticed it but he didn't say anything, she had the right to cry after all.

Alone…

Hilia inhaled in a shaky breath, placing the flower on top of the next grave, a tear dropping down onto her trembling hand.

***

Hilia and Yoan, along with the surviving villagers stood at the entrance of the village, staring at the bleak scenery in front of them. The once beautiful village now resembled a desolate dry plains. The buildings were charred and there were numerous amount of graves in the middle of the village, flowers placed on all of them.

"What are you all planning to do now?" Yoan asked the villagers and Hilia was silent the entire exchange, her face expression unfathomable.

"We are heading to the neighbouring village to inform them about the attack, it's too dangerous to stay near here. We all have to head to the main town." One of the villager said, a depressed look on his face. The rest of the villagers agreed with him, heart-broken.

"Alright, please be careful."

"What are the two of you planning to do?" The villager questioned Yoan back, and he glanced towards Hilia that was staring the wooden staff in her hands, not uttering a word.

"We'll think of that later, the both of us wishes all of you a safe journey."

The villagers bowed, along with Yoan and they walked off, Yoan turning around to face Hilia.

"Hilia…"

"One day."

"Huh?"

"Let me stay here for a day, just…for a day." Hilia implored and Yoan forced a small smile on his face, walking up to her and his height towered over her.

"It's alright, you can stay here for as long as you want." Yoan ruffled her hair and she continued staring at the staff, not reacting to his actions.

She slowly lifted her head up at him, a teary smile on her face. "Thank you."

"Idiot, what's there to thank for? She's my grandmother too you know, I loved her just as much as you do."

She let out a short chuckle. "You're right."