"Your name... is?"

A morning glow colors trailing white clouds
They calmly come flowing, signal and
Run through the heavens

"My name is..."

Sounds of wind play awakening
Woods of a forest. Then woods shine, shake and sing
The song of arrival

Snow fell from the sky, the colorful lights reflecting from the surface was brilliant, and the sky was as dark as always. Eternal darkness covered the harshest winter in the north of Atlas, sometimes, no sunlight ever graced the land.

Everything is black and white.

Such a gloomy and lifeless place, why did people decide to live here?

Mist clouded the window, and so, the pale white hands of the young heiress wiped it with contempt. The scene remains the same, no matter how many times she looked at it.

She hated it.

Sometimes, she dreamed of the past. The hazy memories from her childhood, back when she had nothing to worry about. Back when she didn't realize that she was neither beloved nor revered for being her own person.

Such innocence, one might long for it. Even she, for her realization of the curse placed upon her name, oftentimes escaped to the land of dreams, where she would forget all of her hatred.

Dream of the past, where beautiful grassland spanned as far as the eye could go.

What was this place again?

[SHINE IN MEDIOCRITY]

The Story of Atlas Hunter Academy

By

ValiantX3

Interlude 01 - Monochrome Prison

As she closed her eyes, the image become slightly clearer. The light of the sun bathed the land through the thick leaves of the forest, giving everything underneath a tinge of gentle green colors. She looked at her own pale white palm, it's all green.

And then, she laughed. She wondered why.

Wind blew loudly, whistling through the gaps between the trees. The leaves danced and rustled in response, and bird chirped in concert as they left the trees. The young heiress ran through the woods, toward the place where wind blew the strongest.

The singing voices of greens that breathe vibrate and the earth glows
Making the permanent life root and spinning out endless time
The light which lights heavens goes round and enriches
The voices of many generations

She closed her eyes on reflex, as dust and pollen ravaged her face. However, as the wind became calmer, she began to open her eyes slowly.

He stood there, looked at her with curiosity. A blue scarf coiled around his neck, fluttering in the wind like waves on the ocean. His pale blond hair shone underneath the sunny sky, giving a contrast to the green meadow and blue sky behind him.

In hindsight, it was kind of strange.

"You're alone?"

They asked simultaneously.

And then they laughed.

Then they become clear and now, lament, rejoice and shout
The dreams of past days
In a blink went by

And so, the boy and the girl traveled across the peaceful land. Through the whispering bushes and gigantic pillars of nature, they did nothing but laugh. There were so many new things to discover.

The world never felt so beautiful.

"I love this so much." She said, "Everything is so white back home, it's always snow everywhere."

"Snow?"

"It's like... uh, monochrome, yeah. Everything is black and white."

The heiress pointed, as if she was trying to be sophisticated.

"Monochrome huh." The boy muttered, "It's really hot back in my home, and everything is so wet and muddy. And I'm not allowed to go to the forest because monsters are here."

"There's no snow there?"

"There isn't."

The boy laughed, "I wish I can see real snow for once."

"But it's really boring you know." The heiress pouted.

"Nah, I bet it's as pretty as your hair." He nonchalantly uttered.

It was so innocent, if someone said that to her now, the heiress would think he's being flirty. The heiress back then just shrugged it off with a little flush on her cheek. Far too many people always praised her beautiful, silvery white hair.

And by now, she was sick of it.

They spent all day walking around, and occasionally, a couple of butlers would call them not to go too far.

They shared a lunch.

The heiress wondered if that was the best lunch she ever had in her entire life.

As the sky turned orange, the weather become slightly warmer as the wind subdued. Her silvery white hair reflected the color, indeed, and so did her white dress. His blue eyes, just like the sky, soon followed.

As the sky became darker, a haze began to engulf the entire woods, and they were forced to leave.

Just a little more, two of them.

Light sparkled, filled the air with blinking lights. Moving, dancing, the fireflies woke up.

"It's a little cold isn't it?" She rubbed her hands.

"Your dress was too thin."

Ah yes, the bluntness of a preteen boy, none can match it's rude innocence.

He took his scarf, far too long for his own, and then he pulled a knife out.

A slice in the center, the scarf now cut in two.

"Poor scarf." She pouted, "Why would you do that?"

A half of which ended in the girl's hand.

"Because you need it. Duh."

"But..."

"You can have it."

He grinned again carelessly, "Now both of us are warm."

She can't help but laugh. And then, in yet another display of obliviousness, he gave her his hand. "My hand's still cold."

And she reached for it, and held it firmly. "Not anymore."

The Heiress woke up from the dream of her hazy past. She could barely remember him anymore, only that... the scarf was still there. He held it, its blue dye washed out by constant use and cleaning.

And now, years had passed, its color became ugly white.

She checked her computer to see what the alarm was about, a bombing attack on the police station nearby...

She chided herself and reached for her coat.

She looked at the scarf, again, and smiled.

Cavalry blade in her hand, she went to the balcony beyond the window. Her eyes were no longer that of a nostalgic princess, but a determined fighter. Ice cold blue eyes set ablaze by aura, she clenched the half scarf and shoved it down her coat.

And then she jumped off the balcony.

Maybe someday, she could meet him again.

But for now, she's caged in this monochrome prison. Unable to set herself free.