This was a simple voice, pure and flawless, as melodious as a lute's song. But this voice shouldn't have been here; shouldn't have emerged from this miasma of filth.
Before Raiden could fully process the sound, a rough voice followed immediately, shouting,
"Hurry up and move!"
"Thud."
The sound of something hitting the ground.
Raiden quickly lay down and peered through the small opening below, but there was nothing there—no, wait, a piece of candy had fallen to the ground.
Raiden reached out and picked up the candy... It was the sweetest candy he had ever tasted.
Later, Raiden learned from the guards that it belonged to the daughter of a scientist imprisoned here. The scientist was stubborn, refusing to do anything they demanded.
But there was one thing only he could do, so they had captured his wife, daughter, and brother. His daughter was only eight years old.
What a pity.
What luck.
The pity was what the guards thought; the luck was Raiden blessing for the girl.
......
"Hello! Hello! Hi there."
One day, Raiden suddenly heard someone speaking. The voice was soft, tender... adorable, and familiar!
Raiden quickly pressed his ear against the wall, searching for the source of the sound. Finally, he found it—a small hole, about the width of a finger, hidden behind a crevice in the rock. He poked at it a few times, and some sand and gravel fell away.
"Hello, what's your name? I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you," the voice from the other side of the wall continued.
"You know what? My mom, dad, and I are all locked in this little cave. Oh, and my uncle too. The men outside are so mean, so scary... Lisa... Lisa is really scared." As she spoke, the innocent voice began to sob softly, though it was clear she was trying hard to hold back her tears.
Raiden finally understood. The scientist's family was living next to him, and the scientist's wall... or more accurately, she was confiding in it, pouring her heart out to the cold, damp stone.
Just as Raiden was about to speak to comfort the girl, another voice came from the other side of the wall—the girl's mother.
"Lisa, are you crying? Oh, my darling, it's Mommy... Mommy and Daddy didn't protect you well enough." The woman voice was also choked with emotion.
"No, Mommy. Lisa isn't crying. Lisa is just talking to the rock uncle," the girl replied, her voice now devoid of tears, filled instead with a forced cheerfulness.
Raiden heard the sound of light footsteps, soft and quick. It must have been the sensible little girl running over to comfort her mother.
"It's okay, it's okay, Anna. Don't cry. Look, our little Lisa isn't crying. We have to be brave to believe in Tucker. He'll protect you, and so will I."
"Thank you, brother. I'm sorry. If it weren't for protecting us... you wouldn't have been captured either."
"How could I let anyone take my sister and my dear little Lisa away right in front of us?"
It was a gentle voice, the kind that was rare among foreigners.
Raiden lowered his head and smiled helplessly. Tucker, that must be the scientist, right? But you, a prisoner; and you, a tool... how could you possibly protect them? It's nothing but a pipe dream.
After all, that scientist wasn't the first one in this cave. Raiden had already seen at least two others here, and none of them had made it out alive.
This was a place filled with death and suffering. Perhaps in a couple of days, this family would realize that. Maybe they'd even realize it tonight, because the agonized cries would remind them constantly.
Night fell.
Ugh, you might wonder how Raiden could tell it was night in this sunless cave? Because the ghostly wails, like those of tortured spirits, always arrived without fail every night.
This had been going on for over a year, at least since the day Raiden was imprisoned here. Night after night, he had heard the sounds of those who had been captured, their voices filled with pain and torment.
Those wretched cries were like knives, cutting into your heart slice after slice, shattering your mental defenses, and driving you to collapse in fear.
But to Raiden surprise, the neighboring cave was quiet—unnaturally quiet. There were no fearful sobs, no desperate screams... Perhaps they were huddled in a corner, trembling.
At that thought, Raiden tightened the tattered cloth around him. Shivering? It was so cold!
"I'm... so scared... I don't dare... to say... I don't want... to worry... them..."
In his sleep, Raiden heard a soft voice.
It was like the whisper of an angel, gentle and sweet. It should have given Raiden pleasant dreams, but instead, he dreamt of a world where even the gods were being hunted.
The world was shattered, all beauty consumed by flames. The guardians of humanity, their bodies were no match for the spears of the destroyers.
A shadow loomed over the world from the clouds, its massive wings beating, sending blades of wind that swept across the land, drenching it in blood... And the girl with the angelic voice lay on the blood-soaked ground, weeping softly.
Perhaps someone should step forward... this world... needs...
In the nightmare where everything was ending, Raiden jolted awake, his heart trembling.
A dream?
A nightmare?
How long had it been since that last happened?
Raiden placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding fiercely... Even in the endless years, even when facing Alduin, he had never been this terrified.
Crying?
Was it the crying from the dream?
No, it was real crying, coming from beyond the wall.
Raiden carefully crawled toward the wall, the sound of his clothes scraping against the ground making a soft "shasha" noise. He gently pressed his ear against the wall. On the other side, a girl was crying... It was the same crying he had heard in his dream.
Raiden slowly shifted his position, sitting down on the ground with his back against the wall, carefully listening to the sobs filled with fear and sorrow. Gradually, a desire arose within him—he wanted to make this voice happy, he wanted to hear the laughter of an angel.
Time passed, and he couldn't tell how long it had been. The crying gradually softened, followed by a rustling sound, and then the neighboring cave fell into complete silence.
And Raiden, leaning against the wall, fell asleep just like that.
From that day on, every night, Raiden could always hear the girl's voice—sometimes crying, sometimes confiding.
Slowly, the crying became less frequent, and more often, it was the girl's confessions. She spoke of her inner fears and expressed her longing for something beautiful.
But the girl never lost hope, even in this hellish place. No matter what, she always held onto fantasies of the future—beautiful fantasies, fantasies of leaving this place alive with her family.
Perhaps it was because the girl was too naive? She was only eight years old.
Yet she always acted mature, never showing her fear in front of her mother. She always appeared strong, propping up her mother's faltering spirit.
Two months passed like this. During those two months, Raiden was like a thief, stealing hope from the girl every night... Because her confessions, her voice, were the most beautiful things Raiden had ever experienced.
And Raiden never tried to reveal his presence to the girl. He always hid in the corner, listening to her dreams of the future, until one day arrived, until everything changed drastically.