Aftermath (3)

Underneath the shimmering moonlight—Elena could be perceived bathing herself in the river all alone. Her orange hair cascading down her back—concealing most of the scars adorned on her body as she washed herself.

Nonetheless, there was something different about her at the moment. Her face did not bear the usual impassive look—but rather had a melancholic expression plastered on it. Although tears did not trickle down her neck—those eyes of hers seemed to have lost the last bit of light they had held within them.

It was as if she lost her original purpose. Nevertheless, despite the state she was currently in—she made a vow to protect Tain and Alice. Until then, she will not allow herself to be seen as miserable…at least not in his eyes.

As she finished cleansing herself—her curiosity piqued as she extended her arm outward. The water trembled as a soft, yellowish glow encompassed her entire arm—only to abruptly shattered into a million pieces as the particles were swept away by the river's current.

'...Am I…still hurt?' She pondered.

Aura—achieved only when a person has undergone numerous traumatic events yet is still able to maintain their indomitable willpower and sanity—it is truly a unique power. But for Elena—deemed as the strongest, and most versatile aura user in all of history—would be shunned and berated if people were to discover her inability to utilize aura.

In order for one to use aura, they need to have a completely serene mind—absence of any thoughts, any emotions, and any humanity. They essentially become a blank sheet of paper, while their aura is their pen. With each stroke they make, they are able to prove their existence to the entire world—get rid of their doubts and show them what an aura user is capable of.

'Again…I must train once more to ensure my oath will not break.'

…

"I beg your pardon?"

"Please train me again, teacher!" Tain shouted. Having felt like a burden after everything he had experienced—Tain desperately yearned to become stronger and no longer rely on someone's shoulder.

"Tain. I respect that you wish to learn once more. However, are you certain that you are in an excellent condition to spar?"

"I-I think I am. Even if I'm not, I don't want to drag you down anymore, teacher…"

"...Alright. We shall spar one time, and if you are able to endure it, I will train you until I have taught you everything I know."

Tain's face lit up like that of a firework as he nodded enthusiastically and uttered "Thank you, teacher!"

Soon enough, they started sparring using only their hands and feet. While Elena clearly had the upper hand with the tremendous amount of experience she had gathered throughout her entire life, Tain still gave it his all to achieve her acknowledgement.

However, in the spur of the moment—a petrifying memory suddenly resurfaced in his mind. His movement halted as his stability dwindled. His eyes became pale as he begins gasping for air. The scene of the death of his dearest brother replaying over and over again endlessly—each time becoming more and more detailed until he stumbled on his knees.

Hurriedly, Elena wasted no time as she sprinted towards Tain. Her indifferent facade shattered as her concerns overcame her calm demeanor.

"Tain! Are you alright!?" She screamed. Her voice filled with undiluted emotions—the ones that would only come out when her defenses were down.

"T-teacher…" Tain muttered faintly. He barely had any strength as he desperately tried to suppress that traumatizing point of his life.

"It's alright. Everything will be fine. I will make sure it is." Elena said as she began comforting Tain. Tears formed within her eyes and a few droplets dribbled onto his air. But it did not matter. As long as Tain's pain can be reduced—to show a moment of weakness was but a small price to pay.

…

"Is he alright?" Alice inquired. A few hours had passed since the incident, and Tain is presently sleeping peacefully. From the outside—Tain seems to be in a much better state. But deep down, his mind was still in turmoil—battling to chain down and repress that singular piece of knowledge.

"...I am…unsure. Please check after him for the time being…and inform your father once he comes back with food."

"Okay."

Afterwards, Elena headed behind the abandoned shed and tumbled onto the ground. Now alone, she let herself loose as tears streamed down her cheeks—albeit still being inaudible for Alice to hear.

She then rummaged through her pockets and took out a small, damaged wooden box. The contents of the box was a singular silver ring with the name "Regreis" engraved on it.

"...Father…I know you said I am not supposed to show weakness…but I am tired…I do not know how much longer I can hold on…I made a vow to be strong, but I already broke it…if you can hear me…please…pray for me just once…that is all I will ask from you."

…

"Whoa! You can even take down a horde of orcs, old man!? Just how strong are you?" A young man exclaimed in excitement.

"Gerald! I told you to be respectful towards elderly!" An older woman carrying a staff scolded him.

"Hahaha! Oh, please. I'd like to be young again, so no need to treat me like any other old folk. And as to answer your question, my highest record was around 17 hordes of orcs. Each horde was somewhere around 15 to 18 orcs…you do the math. I'm not feeling like it."

"Math?"

"Ah, sorry. I mean you can do the calculations."

"You can say some strange things, old man. Well…getting stuck in a dungeon for over 20 years must've messed up your brain one way or another. No wonder you also smell funny."

"Gerald!"

"It's okay, it's okay. He's right. I smell a bit funny. So, we are near the surface, right?"

"Yeah. Just another year or two, and we can finally escape from this hellhole! I can't wait to go to see those women again…!"

"...I give up scolding you. Go and spend your life savings away if you want to. But I will never join you on another adventure, Gerald!"

"Yeah, yeah. No need to yell, Christine. I heard that sentence so many times already…By the way, old man. I know we already spent time together for about a month but you never really told us your name. Is it a taboo or something?"

"Not at all. I was just cautious in the beginning, that's all. Do you really want to know my name that badly?"

"Hell yeah! A badass old man like you, carrying a giant broadsword that looks more like a hunk of iron, and is incredibly muscular, must have a badass name too!"

"Haha. You praise me too much, Gerald... The name's Regreis. Regreis Befallen Tiars."

…