Liebesleid.

"Oi, did you say something? Village boy." The man pushed ahead and stood in front of the bed.

"Tch." I stepped over the food that burned my foot and walked right through the door and right at them. Even so, because of the size of the room, they were metres away.

'What am I supposed to do with these emotions inside? What do I do with this anger?'

"I- it was for us Elyan! I did this for us!" She guarded putting her hand up. Hah, why was she like this? Did I ever hit her- no… Did I ever even hurt her with words before?! Hell! I was a civilian. I couldn't hurt a saint even if I wanted to.

All I did was love her unconditionally. And this was where it got me.

"Stop lying Luno, it wasn't for this chump. You know we had our thing." The man snickered proudly while throwing the pipe from his mouth.

"Fuck off." I pushed the man aside when he tried to guard her. Nothing would stop me, not until I alleviated this boulder weighing me down.

I grabbed Luno's arms up and pinned them in with the wall after kicking the nightstand away that she was doing it on. Her face was right in front of mine getting lit up by the large window behind her. So they did it out for the world to see too, huh?

I saw my reflection. Only at this distance did I realise that my anger wasn't directed towards her but myself.

But still- she wasn't free of anything. I ripped the ring off her finger and threw it.

"Eeek!" Even now. Looking at the face I wanted to see for so long only made my mind tear apart it only made me question what I was hoping to do in the first place.

Hell, I wanted to know what I could even do after being driven to a corner like this!

"Why?" Was the only measly word that left my mouth.

"I-It just no- I can explain..."

"THEN EXPLAIN LUNO!" Don't remind me of our time together.

"Please calm down, El."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT YOU PIG! Just tell me!"

"I can't explain now. This is too sudden. Give me some room to breathe! Stop suffocating me! I said that I'll tell you everything!" She shouted defensively.

'Was I the villain now?'

"I think she told you to give her some space. It was your fault for letting your woman go away like that." The man came back and grabbed my shoulder. I shook him off again.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

How convenient! Putting this on me?! What was I supposed to do?! Tell her to fuck off and stop dreaming about being a saint?! The world could screw itself over if we stay together? Go on the crusade as a farmer.

I didn't do a single fucking thing wrong.

Of course, I didn't. It was her dream. It was all she wanted since she was three. I had no right to stop her... Not if that brought her happiness. Her happiness was supposed to be my happiness.

Our happiness was only 2 years away.

'BUT MAKING HER HAPPY DIDN'T MEAN THAT I HAD TO TEAR MYSELF APART!'

I felt so much rage, but I still didn't resort to any violence.

'What else was I supposed to do? How do I get rid of this?'

"This fucker. Pushing me just because he's a little big. You should have just stayed at your farm and let things continue." The man pulled my shoulder back again.

'How dare he?' After doing this to me. I left her wrists and stepped back. Luno fell to her knees.

"Just shut u-!" Before I could finish telling him to stop, a punch dug right into my gut. "ARGG!"

"Elyan!" Luno shouted.

My eyes remained stuck to that man as my hand grabbed his wrist. His hand was still in my gut.

"You s-shitty twig."

"No- Stop! Elyan don't provoke him! It was only a couple of times okay? I still like you. Just end this here." It was only a couple of times? Still like me? How could she say that so lightly? Does she know how many times she pushed me away for this?

Honestly, I didn't mind. I was supportive through all of that. I was understanding.

And this was how she betrayed me?

"Haha still glaring at me, huh? Even though I held back. This kid doesn't know his place."

"No, Rok stop. You have your hero's reputation!" She came in front of me. Her intentions became clear. She cared more about his reputation than she did about me.

"Luno, you were the one who said you would end it with him after the crusade."

"I will."

How fickle. Just how many times was she willing to break me today? Rok pushed her aside and grabbed my shoulder again. And kneed my face.

A crack straight at my nose. My teeth broke.

"Ack." I guarded my face and tried to stand up but my legs gave in against his grip. He did have the Hero's strength. I was kneeling in front of the two I abhorred most.

How pathetic.

I spat my tooth out on his foot.

A hero? Fuck him. Using his strength to bully the people he was supposed to save. A saint who failed to remain pure to the Deity. What a vile party.

"Still didn't give up, huh? Guess that's that. Let's take this outside. I have other plans for later in this room." He grabbed my collar and brutally threw me through the window. The shattered pieces of glass dug through me.

Amidst the colourful poppies, I was lying on my side. Concussed from the blow to my face.

"Rok, stop now." Luno got up.

"Get lost." He pushed her aside again and jumped through the window. "How did that skill go again?"

Light started to wrap around his foot. I tried to get up as he slowly walked towards me. "Tch too much mana."

As soon as he got near me, without second consideration, with a smile on his face, Rok pulled his foot back and hit me.

Or at least he thought it did. I put my palms in front of my torso to stop him.

My muscles were built for days of tilling away. I was stronger than an average man. My body was huge, I could handle myself in a fight against hoodlums.

But my palm shattered instantly. All the bones in both of my arms broke simultaneously.

His boot dug into my chest. My ribs shattered. Bones dug into my lungs.

It felt like I got hit by the highest class of magic. In that one instance, I felt like my eyes would pop out of my socket. In that one instance, I coughed up all the blood that was inside my torso. In that one instance, I felt all the bones in my body break.

'So, this was how the Hero used his strength.'

Finally, as I felt every bit of that pain, my body got launched backwards.

"NOOO!" Luno yelled from inside.

I tumbled through the woods, broke through trees… Everything hurt so bad, that it felt like nothing hurt anymore. My blood was flying around with me.

I dug my hand into the mud to stop myself… But gave up as my nails got ripped off.

'How did such a small guy have so much power? What did he have over me? Sure he looked slightly better… He was a hero… And had strength befitting that title.

But was he not also a murderer? He hit me without any hesitation. Was I insufficient? Was I just weak?'

I couldn't care anymore. I didn't have the life to care anymore either.

'Just let this pain end.'

My head collided with the ground one more time as I felt my neck break, the next second I flew over the cliff.

It was the end. Surely. It was the end as soon as I gave up. I was weak, admittedly. Not just physically, my mind was weak too. I couldn't do what I should have done at that moment. I wasn't prepared for the action or the consequence.

I was weak because I never needed to be strong. What was strength really good for anyway? My entire life I thought of strength as a way to boost your ego and I never entertained any other thought.

But in my last moment, when I had nothing I could change anymore- I did start to wonder what I would do if I had the strength to fight back.

My eyes finally closed mid-air.

Would I use my strength to save myself? Would I finally be able to escape this world of hurt?

Or

.

.

.

Would I just use it to tear this world down?