Revelation IV

There I was, on the ground with a sore left cheek.

"Enough of your nonsense, look at me! If you only got to this continent about a week ago, that means you had to have received my letters!" Lync walked over to me who still laid flat on the ground.

From lying down flat, I took a sitting position. That punch did more harm than I'd like to admit. I didn't receive any of his letters, so why did he make a big deal out of it. My silence was the preferred action, I had to keep my emotions in check.

"Answer me?! Stop playing dumb!"

My outburst was unexpected, "I told you! I didn't get your letters!" I sprang off my buttocks and immediately attempted to punch Lync. Given my small stature the highest my fist could reach was his thorax.

At the last second, Lync evaded by shifting in the direction opposite to the swing of my fist. He casually wanted to sweep my legs like I wasn't so easy to best when it came to close quarters.

I did a quick step over his intended leg sweep and attempted another punch, he planned to dodge again but this was a feint. Simply to confuse him from dodging my next attack.

Using [Gale of End] wind surged in my left palm, swinging this arm upward projected violent winds toward him. This forceful wind not only pushed away the table and chairs we once sat upon, but it also sent Lync flying by a meter.

They were all surprised, "That kid just used magic without any chants.." a random customer remarked.

I didn't let Lync recover, immediately I rushed for him and pinned him to the ground. Sitting on his abdomen I had direct access to his face.

I wasn't proud of my next actions.

"What do you want from me?!" I reigned punches down on his face over and over again. Each time blood drenched my knuckles and still I hadn't stopped. "I did my best you bastard! You don't know how it feels to be me! I didn't have anyone to relate with or talk to for most of my life! And somehow I managed to overcome those obstacles! And you'd dare call me selfish?!"

As it stood, I'd struck him on the face at least twelve times.

My fists were soaked in blood, and Lyncʼs face was a train wreck.

Dvena observed some few spaces away, bereft of words.

"Y... You could've done more than that, you could've done better. Don't deny it.."

Lync still stood by his words, although he wasn't as audible as he previously was.

Unexpectedly, a young girl pushed me off him. It was to my surprise but she'd come to support Lync.

She looked no older than five, with a hair color similar to saw dust. "Leave him alone!" were her first words.

Why did she have to see me this way, blood dripping from my fist and a face of rage that I'd never unleashed before.

Maybe I'd gone too far, "H-Hey little gi-" she didn't even let me speak. "Stop hitting my daddy you monster!" the way she looked at me was worse heartbreaking, she was disgusted and scared of me at the same time.

Every other person within the bar stared at me the same way.

I'm the monster? "That's great.." was all I could say, I wore a sorrowful smile, it was funny that they'd call me a monster for what I did.

When I was bullied, alienated and ostracized by a third of every person that walked into my life no one cared to call them monsters.

But they have no problems saying it because it was me.

I decided to take my leave, it didn't matter anymore. Nothing did.

I walked lifelessly past the black and blue Lync and his supposed daughter.

'Forget it. This is a waste of time, I'll just wait for Gallus and Hermoine so we can leave here...'

I was finally at the door, their stares were like blades.

"The Black Pendant guild is associated with an even darker force, if you didn't know then there's a name going around... Frankenstein Du Rachim, people are hailing him as the greatest mage, he doesn't exist. He's no more than an illusion cast by Lord Spriggan." Lync assumed a sitting position, blood trickled down his nose and water oozed out of his eyes.

For now he didn't know the reason why this figure had cast the spell but one thing was noteworthy. An illusion spell that could affect cities? This could explain why Hermoine didn't know what he looked like nor did any of the townsfolk we encountered.

"What did you say...?" I spoke with a subtle voice as I came to a halt. The person I'd been looking for all this time didn't even exist.

"I sent anonymous messages to your school, the Headmaster should've called your attention to it." It made sense that I wouldn't get the letters, the Headmaster was also under the control of this Lord Spriggan.

"While you were off studying... people died!" Lyncʼs anger was groomed by sorrow. It looked like he wasn't actually at fault.

My tightened fists stained with blood loosened, "I-I didn't know.." I couldn't even express shock at this point, because so much information was dumped on me I lost every visible feeling.

"Figures you wouldn't, I tried to inform you, so we could team up and see what information we could gather. If you read my letters then you'd have know... Fushuʼs dead." the old man was gone? And I made fun of him just a few minutes ago? Maybe I was a monster.

I should've known, all the time he wasn't here I just thought he was on a different assignment.

"I'm sorry to hear that.." I uttered.

It turns out they weren't even abducting children, those were the ones they had to take by force. Children who were coerced into slavery had to be forcefully liberated.

Lync and his party had been traveling the continent and doing their best to perform any good deed possible, keep the people safe and keep them aware of what was coming.

No wonder they didn't violently assault the child back at the storage room, instead they fed him and asked how he was feeling. But I completely misunderstood what I saw.

"I was so sure you'd discovered something on them and started working towards helping however you could... they know about you, Vania Croft saw the power you displayed against us and knew you could potentially be trouble for them... I was worried they'd killed you when you didn't return any of my letters." that explains why he said he was glad to see I was alive.

There were so many questions I had, but the way they all looked at me was distasteful. 

I just couldn't take it.

.

.

.

Now, I was back at the inn. It was quiet for the most part seeing as I was the only one in the room.

"We're back Nyx!" I heard Hermioneʼs voice just before she pushed open the door. She had news to tell me, but she withheld it the moment she noticed my despondent mood. The room was cold and dark, seated on the bed my head was faced down.

She immediately reacted, "What happened to you?!" she rushed within a few centimeters distance of sat.

"It's nothing.." was all I could muster, my crestfallen state was proof that it definitely wasn't nothing.

Gallus who then stepped in noticed my mood, "Sir Nyx! What's wrong?!" he was just as worried as Hermoine.

"Really guys..." my voice sounded like someone with a sprained throat, "I just ran into someone. That's all.." definitely that wasn't all but I didn't plan on pouring out all my problems on them.

Hermoine was unhappy with my current state, "That someone was certainly no friend, look at your face!" she noticed the bruise from Lync's punch even with how dark the room was. But I didn't put it beyond her.

"Did they say something to you? What really occurred?" Gallus wanted to know, as my personal guard it was his duty to ensure I was safe. So asking questions like these is just his way of performing his duties.

She didn't even know who it was and she'd already made up her mind to deal with whomever did it. She walked with long, regular strides as a soldier does "I'll make sure they never mess with you again!" stopped in her tracks by Gallus, he told her "If it's something personal, then you shouldn't get involved Miss..."

Gallus was aware of my choice of silence, he knew I had a reason for choosing not to talk. Maybe personal problems or something I had to do on my own in order correct things I may have let go south.

It was one of the many things a man had to do in order to earn their name. Depending on others isn't a crime, but being able to identify the fine line between overdependency and independence.

"But it isn't fair, he's been working so hard to learn a lot, a well-mannered person like him doesn't deserve to be miserable.." she sympathized with me, as expected.

"Then if he is, why not cheer him up instead.."

It took some time for her to muster the courage to sit next to me. She wasn't good at these things so she didn't know how to relate with me.

But when she finally did sit in close proximity to me, she slowly extended her hand, awkwardly, until she was able to place my head on her bosom and stroke my black hair gently. She did her best to comfort me.

"Everything's going to be fine.. Nyxie.." she'd used a different means to address me.

In the corner, Gallus polished his blade as he wore a mild smile. They may not have found any answers about the non-existent Frankenstein, but at he found something more beautiful today. Looking at them almost made water pool out of his eyes.

I didn't say a word, but I smiled in a sorrowful manner; with sorrow and regret. With her arms wrapped around me, teardrops rolled down my cheeks as I weakly uttered, "Thank you... Hermoine."