"Noah?"
Valentine squinted his eyes at the bright sunlight flooding his vision.
He was gripping the armour unconsciously, not knowing what had just transpired.
His head ached, as if a hard stone had struck him straight over his temple.
The blue knight looked him over, holding onto the boy's hand with his cold steel gloves.
"Oh Victoria, thank goodness you made it."
He sounded relieved, slowly helping Valentine to his feet while the boy, still dazed, tried to look around.
"Made... what? Where am I?"
Noah stood up on his feet, holding Val's arm around his solid shoulder.
"You survived the selection." He spoke from the side with a faint smile touching his lips. "I know you are tired, but bear with it a while longer. The hardest part is over now."
It sounded as if the knight was trying to make himself sound comforting, keeping Val company the moment he came back from that strange place.
Though it looked like not everything was gone, with the thick smell of charred flesh lingering in the air to the point he barely held himself back from gagging.
He did not see where the smell came from, but he felt it all across the skin as the warmth of something burning nearby made him sweat.
Goddamit.
Valentine rubbed his eyes, feeling himself curse more and more in this world.
The strange feeling that appeared inside him was gone the moment his perspective changed, but he could still sense an unfamiliar coldness deep inside his chest that saved him from losing his life.
Was that the goddess Victoria?
He thought of the person who saved his life earlier, the strange white dress that spoke to him before dissipating into light.
It all seemed like a fever dream, but he could still hear that gentle whisper in his ears, telling him those kind words.
...
He rubbed his eyes again, trying to get a sense of anything that was happening around him in the moment.
Why is everything so bright now? I feel like I'm going to turn blind soon...
Around them, a circle of crackling light was surrounding the pair, quietly humming in Valentine's ringing ears. It looked like a row of lightbulbs to him, but brighter and made of pure light.
Where is everyone?
Val staggered forward as Noah moved without a warning, guiding him through the familiar yet different place.
His arm ached while he was pulled along, making him wince and grimace at it.
"S-Slow down, man." Valentine yelped as he almost tripped on a stone.
"Oh... right."
Noah nodded quietly, adjusting his pace to the barely conscious boy who was still trying to regain his senses.
This guy...
Valentine let out a pent-up sigh, taking in the scent of the fresh city around him.
It was the monochrome street he had passed not that long ago, except now, it was full of life and colors. The grey houses were now white and red, built of wood and brick with black tiles over the roofs.
Everything looked like from the nineteenth century, or maybe the eighteenth?
He mused, registering every new plant he noticed on the stone balconies.
In the square windows above, he could see people staring down at him with interest, watching Noah carry him through the empty street.
Valentine tried to focus his gaze further on the surroundings, but whenever he tried to look, thin glowing trails of what seemed to be sparks were obscuring every living being on his path.
Including the knight, who was covered entirely in a veil of azure sparks.
The boy tried to look away from him, but there was nowhere else to stare, and he was carried by him anyway, so that did not matter anyway.
"Hey, Noah?"
"Yes?"
"It's you... right?"
"Of course, who else would it be?"
Noah tilted his head back, followed by the azure sparks in Valentine's vision that did the same.
"So you've gained the vision." He mused. "That's quite useful."
Valentine grimaced.
"...can you explain?"
Noah smiled.
"Sorry." He stopped walking for a moment, helped Valentine stand upright, and continued the stroll. "That's not a topic I'm well-versed in, so my explanation will be useless for you."
Uh-huh... Valentine smirked in his mind.
The little time they spent together, helped him understand the knight's mindset to a certain extent. He liked to share with others. His genuine expression as he fell into thought was clearly imprinted in Valentine's head.
Even below the veil of sparks, he saw it as clear as day.
"But!" Knew it.
A corner of his lips curled up.
"What you're currently seeing is the result of you not being used to your blessing yet."
He started explaining like usual; it looked like he enjoyed it too.
"You would normally get them at birth or with prayer, but someone who has been touched by her holy flames cannot receive them until finishing their selection."
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"I apologise for it once more; to force you into taking a risk like this was a mistake."
Valentine's eyes lit up.
"Wait... then can I control flames like you now?"
Noah, amused by the sudden enthusiasm in the boy's tone, laughed heartily.
"Of course you can! You earned it yourself for living through the selection."
Val grinned inside his mind.
Finally! I can enjoy this place for once!
The countless possibilities of how he could use his flames started forming in his mind, though quite limited since he's only seen three examples of that.
So now I can heal myself, control lightning, and create giant suns?
That was beyond what he could have asked for in his entire lifetime.
With this... he could even be a god!
Would I be able to defeat that anglerfish now?
Using fire? Most likely. The monster was mostly made up of shadows whose greatest enemy is light.
He could only imagine the look on its ugly face when he would walk up to it and burn it to ashes.
Noticing the look on Valentine's face, he coughed awkwardly, shattering the boy's expectations with his next sentence.
"However, you have the blessing of vision."
"Even if you tried to, you would not be able to use blessings like mine."
The boy furrowed his brows.
"Then what can I do?"
Noah shrugged.
"I don't know; in all honesty, I've never really spoken to someone who has thevision."
"People like this usually act alone or don't at all, mainly because of how they perceive the world."
The cluster of sparks on his face turned to Valentine.
"Would you care for a meal?"
***
Amidst the sound of carriages being drawn by horses and vendors' vibrant voices mixing into an incomprehensible noise that polluted the crowded streets, Valentine looked down at the familiar fruit stand in front of him.
It was full of color, with vibrant red wood making up the frame and bright signs pointing at it.
It looked strange, but the colors fit its nature as the young owner was laughing heartily with another person on the side.
He looked down at the fruit he tasted in the colorless world, the one that looked like a mix of a pear and an orange and tasted as sour as a lemon.
It was yellow this time.
Valentine took one of them, fitting it inside his palm and sniffing its fresh, moist surface.
Would it taste the same?
He thought to himself silently, feeling the weight of the three coins in his pocket.
He didn't know how the currency in this world would work, but going by logic, gold was the most expensive thing he could own.
As far as he knew, people used bronze coins to buy food and other simple supplies; perhaps he wouldn't have as much trouble adjusting to it as he thought.
But...
He put the fruit down with a sigh.
It was better to learn about it first. People would not pass up on trying to scam a clueless kid out of his money, and he knew that way too well.
He was scammed quite a few times back home, always making mistakes that regular people would point out for him.
"What are you looking at?"
Noah appeared out of nowhere, or rather, tried to.
Valentine had sensed him walking up a few seconds ago since no matter how noisy it was, the distinct sound of heavy armour made the man stand out.
Valentine looked up at the smiling knight, pointing at the fruit stand.
"I'm just checking out the stands. You said it yourself that it's better to explore on my own."
"I did indeed, so? Haven't you gotten hungry since then?"
Val put his hands in his pockets, grumbling under his nose.
"I haven't eaten for almost two days, and you're asking if I'm hungry?"
Noah blinked once, sounding uncertain.
"So... did you?"
"Of course I did..." Dumbass
The knight let out a long breath before reaching for something behind him.
"Do you want this fruit then? It's on me." A slick leather wallet came out from behind him, making Valentine rub his eyes out of astonishment.
Where the hell did he pull it out from?!
He hadn't noticed anything like a pocket in the armour, and he could clearly see that there was nowhere for him to carry anything besides his sword.
I don't think I want to ask...
Swallowing his words, he took the same fruit he held earlier and showed it to Noah.
"Can I have this then?"
"It's called... quince? Sure, take one." The knight shrugged, pulling out a single bronze coin from his wallet.
So I can afford it after all.
Although the prices were written on the little signs above fruits, he was unsure whether or not it meant what he actually thought.
The money was tight, and he would rather keep it to himself rather than waste it on useless delicacies.
Though it is different when it's someone else buying it.
While Noah was paying the owner, Valentine carefully looked over the said quince fruit, tracing his fingers across its soft surface.
Here goes nothing...
Closing his eyes, he bit into it, tasting the fruit's dry flesh.
It felt strange on the tongue, but after a few seconds of chewing, he managed to bear it with a sour expression.
Noah, after paying for it, came up to Valentine with his wallet hidden somewhere.
"How is it?" He seemed to have smiled. "Can I have a taste?"
Valentine handed him the fruit quite willingly, putting his hands in his pockets while watching Noah look over the quince fruit and take a bite out of the untouched side.
The next moment...
Pfft!
Whatever entered his mouth was spitten out on the ground as soon as it touched his tongue.
The sparks covering his face twisted in different ways, changing shape but keeping the same spherical structure that obscured his head.
He looked up at Valentine, who was looking down at him, hunched down with saliva dripping at the corner of his mouth.
"H-how did you-"
"Did what?"
Val shrugged with a smile, clutching at the piece of quince in his pocket.
Wiping his mouth, Noah stood up, breathing heavily.
"That was... interesting."
Just say that it tastes like garbage.
It seems that becoming a knight meant giving up on expressing your emotions in the open, though his posture betrayed his current feelings.
After gathering himself, they checked out a few more stands.
However, unlike before, Noah wasn't as eager to share food with Valentine, instead choosing to buy only what he was familiar with.
Valentine's hunger was satiated for now, but it wouldn't do much, as what he ate so far could be considered 'junk food' of this era.
Walking side by side on the street, Noah suddenly spoke to him.
"How do you feel?"
Valentine, without missing a step, asked back.
"What do you mean?"
"When you woke up, were there any noticeable changes?"
Thinking for a moment, Valentine placed his free hand on his chest, somewhere where he thought his heart would be.
"Like... here? It feels cooler than usual."
"Cold?" Noah mumbled, sounding surprised. He slowly looked back at the road, turning left. "Is that why she chose you instead of the rest?"
"She?"
He looked at Valentine briefly before shaking his head.
"Forget what I said. Let's get going now."
"...where exactly?"
"You'll see."
Noah became quiet after that.
For some reason, he stopped trying to share more information with Valentine for 'personal' reasons. It was obvious there was some reason he didn't want to talk, but Val chose to stay quiet and try to get used to his new sight.
Contrary to how strange it was, he somewhat managed to grasp what that so-called vision showed him.
Every living, breathing being was seen as a cluster of bright sparks, always of one individual color. The color the person is seen in is most likely the shade of their flames they manifested, while regular people were of the usual orange glow.
It helped him understand them a bit more, since, knowing himself, he would need a long time to learn how to use them.
***
With time, the tall buildings became scarce, replaced by old ruins and collapsed buildings that looked like regular houses.
The road changed a while later, gradually turning from paved stone to a dirt path filled with gravel.
Even the air changed, tinged with a natural smell of green grass.
Valentine felt somewhat relaxed, but also uneasy.
Where are we going?
This was clearly no place to live in; the lack of any stable structures was enough for him to understand this was something even beyond the outskirts he'd been in.
Then, after some more walking, the two stopped in front of a collapsed chapel.
Noah looked at Valentine with pity.
"We're here." He said, gazing at the cracked walls of the old chapel. "I can't believe someone can live in a place like this."
Val raised his brow.
"Someone lives here?"
He stared at the building that had seen better days with a sour face.
Wouldn't going homeless be a better idea?
The white concrete walls were littered with cracks from top to bottom, looking ready to crash down at a moment's notice on anyone who walked inside.
Half of its dark slate roof was gone, collapsed into the chapel with nothing to hold the rest of it from falling through.
It had some windows, but the glass was shattered all over the grass below, glistening under the sunny sky.
The boy looked at the knight, or rather at the sparks that made him up.
His armor was still on top of it, perhaps because it was not a living being or a part of him.
"So..." Val scratched the back of his head. "Why exactly did you bring me here?"
The knight stiffened for a moment, not knowing what to do. He thought about explaining it slowly at first, but that approach would not work on someone like Valentine.
He just knew that.
Noah gave him a meek smile, trying to sound as apologetic as he could before leaving.
"Well... that's because you're going to live here from now on."