ECHOES OF THE PAST

It was late at night. Hero walked down the empty street, his footsteps quiet against the cold pavement.Ahead, he saw a bus stop. Someone sat there, hunched over, their face hidden by their hands. As he got closer, the figure became clearer, and hero recognized her—his mother.

He stopped in his tracks, watching her for a moment. She was sitting there, still, her hands covering her face. He couldn't tell if she was crying, but the way she held herself made it clear she was in distress."I searched everywhere for him," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I called the school... no one knows where he went. Where could he be?"Suddenly, she seemed to feel his presence. She slowly lifted her head and saw him standing right in front of her.

"Ken…" Her voice wavered with disbelief. "You're here. Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."

The hero stood quietly, his expression unchanged.

"Mom," he asked softly, "Why are you here?"Without another word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

As she hugged him, her voice trembled. "Where did you go? I searched for you everywhere, do you know? Why don't you care about how I feel? How others feel?" Her words were filled with emotion, and her tears began to fall.

The hero stood still, his face unchanged, but his mind was in turmoil. Why is she coming this far for me?.he thought. Even after everything that happened, why is she going this far? Even though she knows everything, why is she still doing this for me?His heart tightened as he realized something deep within himself. Yes, that's right. I don't know why, but she's the only one who loves me...Who's the only one? he thought again, his emotions swirling. The only one who's always with me? The only one who's always like this?

As the hero's hands moved to embrace her, his arms hovered halfway, frozen in place. Suddenly, a flash of memory hit him like a wave. He saw his mom's in the center of a dark room, blood dripping from her fingertips, each drop falling .The room was eerily dark, and blood spread across the floor, slowly, flowing like a river in the stillness.Another flash came.....,Then, a sudden image of Red Evil's Eyes flashed in his mind, freezing him completely. His hands remained motionless, suspended in the air, as the memory overwhelmed him.

His mom, sensing the change, slowly lifted her eyes to him. She saw him, not with shock on his face, but in his stillness, his hands frozen in place. She asked "Ken... Ken?" Her voice trembled with concern. She gently asked, "Are you feeling okay? You seem like you're lost in your thoughts. Did something happen?"

The hero, snapping out of his trance, slowly responded, "No, I'm fine."

His mom looked at him with soft eyes, but her worry didn't fade. "Then why didn't you tell me where you were going? Why didn't you let me know?"

The hero replied calmly, "I just went to a park."

"A park?" she repeated, her confusion growing. "Why didn't you stay there for a while? You had so much time... Why did you spend so much time at the park?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.

He looked away, not showing much emotion, and said, "I just lost track of time."

She stared at him, slightly frustrated. "Lost track of time? Do you think that's a good enough reason? Do you know how much I've worried about you?" Her voice wavered with emotion, but she quickly softened.

The hero, a bit more understanding, spoke with quiet sincerity, "Next time, I won't do this, mom."

His mom gave him a pointed look, her concern evident in her voice. "I'm glad you said you won't do it again, but today, you did it. Why?"

The hero paused, considering his words carefully. "I already said I won't do it again," he replied, his tone calm and firm.

She sighed, her voice softening but still filled with worry. "As you said, next time, please don't do it again, okay?"

The hero nodded, "Yes, I will."

She looked at him, a faint trace of frustration lingering. "And what would I have to do if you do this again next time?"

Without hesitation, he responded, "I'll do what you say that time."

"You mean, the thing you don't like?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Yes," he replied, unflinchingly.

She paused, then sighed again, her concern mixing with a sense of acceptance. "Alright, then. It's okay. But it's already late. Can we go home now?"

He nodded again, his voice simple, "Okay."

Without another word, he began to walk, his footsteps steady and quiet.

As they walked side by side, the quiet of the night enveloping them, his mom suddenly broke the silence.

"You know," she began softly, her voice laced with nostalgia, "we didn't talk like this before. It's been so many years... We haven't had a conversation like this in such a long time." She paused, looking down at the ground as she walked. "Back then, we used to talk all the time. But after all these years, this is the first time we're really having a conversation like this."

The hero didn't respond, just walking silently beside her.

She continued, her voice a little sad but filled with warmth. "You know, I remember when you used to run around the house, and I'd be the one struggling to keep things in order... Those memories are stuck in my mind. But these days… we hardly talk anymore."

He remained silent, his gaze forward, not saying a word.

She sighed, but her voice softened again. "But, you've changed a lot lately. We can't even have a good conversation anymore, can we? But I just want you to know one thing—if you ever have something on your mind, something nobody else believes, I will always believe in you. Even if everyone else says you've done something wrong, I will trust you. I will stand by you, no matter what. Because, for me, no matter what happens, you're my son. You're the only one for me."

There was a brief silence as the words hung in the air. The hero walked, his mind swirling with her words, and after a moment, he spoke up softly, his voice quiet but sincere. "Yeah, I know."

His mom looked at him, surprised by his response, her eyes softening. "Oh… okay. I'm glad," she said, her voice warm, though a bit surprised.

As they approached the house, his mom spoke softly, her voice low and careful. "I know when we enter the house, just try not to make too much noise, okay? I'm just letting you know… your father is sleeping. He's had a long day, you know how angry he can get if someone wakes him up while he's resting." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Don't think that he doesn't love you. He's just so tired, working hard for all of us."

The hero didn't respond, his gaze focused on the path ahead as they reached the door.

They entered the house quietly, slipping inside. His mom moved to the kitchen and flicked on the light. As she glanced at him, she asked, "Have you eaten? You must be hungry, right? I made dinner for you." She gestured to the table where food was prepared, now cooled down and less appetizing than it had been when first cooked. "It's a little colder now, but if you want something fresh, I'll make you something else."

The hero shook his head. "No, I ate outside. I'm just going to take a rest. I'll be upstairs."

She nodded, understanding. "Oh, okay. Take your rest then. Tomorrow's your day off, right?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Oh, that's good. I just wanted to make sure. Alright, take care." She smiled softly as he turned and started heading upstairs. As he left the kitchen, she watched him quietly, a soft but bittersweet smile on her face.

But once he was out of sight, her expression faltered. The smile slowly faded, and she felt a pang of sadness in her chest. I thought he had changed... She stood still for a moment, the weight of her thoughts pressing on her. "But after talking to him... it feels like he's the same. He's still struggling with something, but he doesn't say anything about it to me."

Her thoughts grew heavier as she stood in the kitchen, staring down at the table. "This is all because of your father, isn't it? If he didn't do this, you wouldn't be struggling like this. You could have a better life, like everyone else… But because of him, you're suffering..."

Her voice wavered, the emotion rising in her chest." If I could just protect you from all of this... but I can't. As your mom, seeing you suffer like this... it's so hard. It breaks my heart."

She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She stood by the dining table, her hand covering her mouth as the sadness overwhelmed her. She was alone in that moment, the tears falling quietly as she tried to hold back the sorrow.

As he just heard everything from outside, he didn't go completely up. He silently stood there, hearing his mom cry. He was moved and upset. After a moment, he walked back to his room, locked the door, threw his bag on the bed, and sat down. He felt upset.

In the darkness, the reddish eyes appeared in the corner of his room. He stared at them and said, "So, you're here. Are you happy now? You've done more things lately, right?"

The devil's voice, with authority and a twisted amusement, replied, "That was too much fun for me. I definitely enjoyed every single moment of your struggle. But, what's unlucky for me is that you defeated me in that place. It's hard to accept, but I have to. If you'd hugged her completely, she would definitely be dead by now. But somehow, you figured it out, and you stopped it. That's a sinful defeat for me. I won't think like that again. Next time, I'll just kill her. Don't I?"

The hero, frustrated and confused, asked, "Why are you targeting her?.

The devil replied, "Because she loves you. More than you love her. How could I leave someone who loves you alive? As long as she's alive, you'll never end your life. I'll kill everyone you love, one by one, until you destroy yourself."

The devil's voice slithered from the shadows, dripping with malice and darkness.

"You still don't get it, do you? All of this, every bit of pain, is happening because of you. Why don't you just end it? If you take your life, everyone you care about will live in peace. Why keep fighting this? Even after knowing the truth, you still cling to this pathetic existence. You're so weak, trusting that old fool. You're just a pawn in this game, and you don't even see it. It's laughable, truly. I feel nothing but disgust for your foolishness."

The hero took a deep breath, his voice quiet but resolute, "I won't let you go out like that."

A low, menacing chuckle filled the room as the devil's eyes glowed brighter, the words dripping with venom. "You think you can stop me? You really believe you can stop this? Very well, then. If that's your wish, I'll grant it. I'll make sure no one stays close to you-no one. I will slowly kill anyone who dares to come near. Everyone who tries to get close to you will meet their end, one by one. I'll enjoy watching them suffer, feel their blood stain your hands. I won't rest until you're completely alone, nothing left but your miserable self."

The hero didn't speak, his expression hollow as he collapsed onto the bed, his phone in hand. He let the music play, as though trying to drown out the devil's words.

In the corner, the devil's eyes burned with fury, but as the song played on, they slowly dimmed, fading into the shadows. One final, chilling whisper lingered in the air: "I won't kill everyone... not yet. But I will make you regret it."

The next morning, the hero slowly opens his eyes and stares up at the ceiling. He shifts his head slightly and notices his phone beside him on the bed. Reaching for it, he sees the time displayed clearly—10:29 AM

With a slight groan, he slowly sits up and checks his phone again. He notices 9 missed calls from an unknown number, but after a moment, he sets the phone down.

He gets up, heads downstairs, and comes back up about 30 minutes later, freshly bathed and feeling more awake. Just as he steps into his room, his phone rings again. He picks it up, sees the same unknown number, and after a brief pause, answers it.

A female voice greets him, "Hello? Are you Ken? I'm the girl you saved yesterday. Do you remember me?"