A Promise

Humanity at its most fundamental form couldn't truly change, even by the strongest of wills.

Even by the most wishiful and childest of dreams.

The only way for humanity as a whole to change, is for them to persist and be willing to change entirely...

To change for the better...

Or for the worse.

-A simple note left by ---------

...

The sun had barely risen above the horizon of trees. The birds chirped, the bugs buzzed, and the tree leaves dropped leftover rainwater onto the damp ground. Below the trees, footsteps and chatter were heard, sometimes with a few hints of laughter, as several people walked here and there.

𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘱. 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘱.

Inside a house, the black haired boy was lifting bags once again, but this time at his neighbor's house. To pass the time and test a few things, Tacitus walked around and talked to people. Conveniently enough, a neighbor asked him for help, and so he decided to help them.

It was a good start.

From his experiments, the people he talked to responded normally. Not only that, his interactions with them furthered his suspicions.

Next, magic. He could barely interact with the mana within himself, and he couldn't even circulate it properly. It was as if he was in a child's body.

'Which is a good reason for why I, of all people, started arguing against her. Puberty, even at this age, is truly a disaster.'

At the thought, Tacitus felt an urge to simply just fall into a ditch and wait till the remaining time was up. Speaking of time, he can feel it. His soul, as if wrapped in chains, grew lighter and lighter each passing time.

By simple calculations and experience, Tacitus concluded that this is the last day. At midnight, when the moon is at its highest point, the dream ends.

That was all that he had gained from the theories and hypotheses he had made.

Two days have passed, and it's the final day. During the time Tacitus was here, he kept Rin company, doing as many things as he can before he inevitably leaves. He didn't see Charmeine during that time, and that made him feel even more apprehension.

Huffing, he grabbed the last bag, before heading out into the cool slightly foggy morning.

'Curse this child body. And curse that girl, for me owing her a favor.'

Other than that, the only problem was that this was the final day where he'll spend time with Rin. He'll make sure of that. Afterwards, he will awaken from the dream, and hatch out of the cocoon as a butterfly. Freely spreading his wings, Tacitus shal finally be free.

Before the dream ends, he'll spend his remaining time with Rin. So to do that, he'll need to do something that'll give him the excuse to leave early.

Tacitus did the one thing a person can do to escape doing chores. He went outside, walked to a nearby tree, and with a grunt, he swung his left arm as hard as he can against the tree trunk.

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬!

A cracking noise rang throughout the forest.

"What the-!"

Feeling surprised, Tacitus turned around, and saw the neighbor that he was suppose to be helping drop his bags in surprise.

"I'm sorry, my arm just broke..." Tacitus muttered blandly, raising up his arm. It looked convincingly broken. Although it looks bad, it would be easily fixed if properly done right.

The neighbor's chin dropped to the floor.

"Uhh..."

"I can't help you today, but maybe next time I can. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah..yeah. Yeah, sure..."

The villager's brain was still malfunctioning even minutes after Tacitus walked away. While he walked away, he looked at his broken arm.

'Another theory confirmed. I do feel any physical pain.'

While walking, he forcefully readjusted his arm just a 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 bit. When Tacitus broke his arm, he made sure that it would be easily fixed, but still look bad enough to gain permission.

'This is uncomfortable,' the boy thought, shaking his arm. It flapped here and there, and his insides feel tingly.

Just because he knows how to break an arm doesn't mean it doesn't feel weird or painful. As long as he spends time with Rin on this final day, nothing else matters.

...

Moving swiftly and quietly through the village, he found Rin, who seemed to be already finished with her chores, waiting at the front of their house. His excitement turned around when the missing girl for two days was also there, keeping Rin company.

"...Charmeine, what are you doing here?"

"I am also on break, as my arm seems to have been broken as well..." Charmeine smiled sadly, lifting up her arm, which was bandaged.

"..."

Tacitus only gave her a glance, before looking at her arm, and made a strange face. She doesn't even look bothered by the fact that her arm broke at all.

"Did...you really break your arm?"

"Of course I did, otherwise I wouldn't have lied," Charmeine said, gesturing with her free arm at her bandaged arm. "I would also like to ask you the same question. I've heard one of the neighbors saying you broke your arm in an accident. Did you break your arm as well?"

'That fast?' he thought.

"...I did break my arm. Look how it flops here and there. Oh how it hurts so much."

Saying that, Tacitus pitifully shaked it, and his left arm flopped about convincingly. Charmeine's face turned to one of worry.

"How unfortunate, it must have been sorely painful."

"...it was painful indeed. Anyways, I promised Rin that I'll spend time with her today."

Rin, the bystander, looked at him, blinking. Her eyes silently asked him a question.

'You promised me when?'

"Why are you in such a hurry?" the blonde girl asked. "You'll see her tonight, and then there's tomorrow, right?"

Tacitus quietly shook his head, beckoning Rin to follow him.

He walked away, with the confused Rin in tow. Charmeine only watched as the two disappeared into the trees. After the both of them were gone, she smiled sadly.

"That's just like you."

...

"Big brother, what are we doing today?" Rin asked. The little girl was still befuddled by the thought of her older brother making a promise she didn't know.

The both of them had just arrived at the same golden field of wheat, with the lonesome tree in the distance on a hill.

"We're going to play today," Tacitus said, turning around, and for the first time in Rin's life, smiled. A pure, genuine smile.

Rin only looked at him in disbelief. She knew something was up. From his strange turn of attitude that day on the hill, and when he talked with Charmeine. However, when she saw that he was dead serious, her insides started tingling, and her dark brown eyes started sparkling.

A big smile grew on her face, and she quickly turned around, racing for the hill.

"Come catch me, big brother you slowpoke! Hehehehehe!"

Rin ran through the field of flowers, jumping and spinning around in them. Her dark auburn hair flutters around, like the shining waves glinted by the sun from the ocean. Her smile, brightening the already sunny world around her.

Tacitus couldn't help but smile, and silently fixed his left arm, putting it in its original place with a 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘱. Then, he began running after her.

This was the reality Tacitus always wanted, even in his dreams.

That day, laughter rang throughout the golden sea as they ran through the fields of wheat. The little girl's head was barely above the height of the wheat as she ran through it. Later they picked the flowers from nearby, then wrapping them and putting them onto each other's heads. Afterwards, they rolled around and simply running up and down the hill. It was just the simple activity of playing around.

Of having fun.

At this moment, the two seemed to have experienced the happiest and freest moments of their lives.

If only reality was like this, would there ever be despair? Would there ever be a reason to dream?

The little girl only knew to have fun, not knowing they were simply making memories.

...

Sadly, like all things in life, it always ends. The sun began to set, setting the once blue sky aglow with shades of orange and shades of purple. The siblings laid on the hill, in the shade of the tree, relaxing while staring up at the sky.

After a while, and figuring it was time to go back home, Tacitus sat up. Following his example, Rin also sat up. Just before he had the chance to speak, Rin turned to look at him. Then, something bad tingled inside him when he saw the little girl making an uncomfortable face.

"Big brother, are you going somewhere?"

"What do you mean going somewhere?" Tacitus asked curiously, turning his head to the left. His right hand, hidden, gripped into a fist.

'How did she know? Was this intuition, or-'

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling you're leaving me one day," Rin shook her head. "But that's impossible, right?You'll stay with me, just like you always have?"

His little sister looked up at him with her big, dark brown eyes.

If a girl were to make these eyes that were supposed to inspire hesitance and cuteness, then Tacitus will feel absolutely nothing. If it was a guy...

'...punishment to those who dare commit heresy.'

Still, if there was one thing he would feel, it would be discomfort. A lot of discomfort. Unless if it was his little sister Rin, his granddaughter Anna, or C-

"Since you're not leaving, do you pinky promise?" Rin asked sweetly, and Tacitus pulled his cursed thoughts back into the void. The little girl showed her right hand pinky to Tacitus.

"Making a pinky promise means you'll have to keep that promise, unless you want the punishment!"

Tacitus looked at the pinky for a few seconds, and smiled, before also raising his own pinky. He then slowly shook it with hers.

"...I pinky promise."

As he said that, Rin smiled so brightly, Tacitus almost flinched from it. He truly wanted to bask in her happiness, he truly did! But then, at the same time, he wanted to look away. To turn away from it.

Because he knows that he'll break the promise.

A promise with her that he'll break.

Again.

...

It was deep in the night, and Tacitus was wide awake, sitting on the side of the bed. He watched the figure of a small sleeping girl next to him, her breath slowly inhaling and exhaling. Estimating the time, it seemed on average that there was only thirty minutes left till the next day arrived. Till midnight ends.

Thirty minutes before this dream ends.

Tacitus looked up at the ceiling. Then, he heard someone walking through the hallway.

The boy slowly, yet carefully listening to the weight of each floor creaked. Living in the house for a couple of days, even with how old his memories are, he can already tell who or what is walking through the hallway.

One thing for sure, and that these unfamiliar footsteps were not his blood parents.

From the bed, the boy slowly got up, carefully trying to be quiet. Then, he readied himself looking at the door. As he was timing the moment to catch the intruder by surprise, the intruder abruptly, yet quietly opened the door. Tacitus was about to jump...only to be stopped by the identity of who the intruder was.

He also noticed that the person's arm wasn't bandaged from earlier, nor did it look like it was broken.

A blonde girl quietly walked through the door, and asked a question that Tacitus had feared the whole time he was here.

"The favor you owe me. You remember it, right?"