I SWEAR

This may not be my world, but I have a mission to finish...

It was a noisy night, in the restaurant, where some people were discussing, others were celebrating, and even some were quarreling. I was the only one sitting in a corner of the restaurant, observing.

I watched Kyle as he reflected in my eyes...his spiky blond hair and crimson eyes sharp as a knife, while I was silent, my mind was not.

The voice of the man who summoned me to this world echoed in my mind, as if my thoughts were reminding me of what I had to do.

"Save Kyle."

The man said to me in his majestic, luxurious voice. I slowly placed my glass on the table while tightening my grip on it and said resolutely:

"I swear I will save you... Kyle."

I stood up from my place, catching a glimpse of Kyle's quiet laugh despite his sharp appearance for the last time before heading to pay for my drink.

...

The blue sky was a source of joy, with its white clouds reflecting the sunlight in a warm scene... I live with my family in a city that coexists side-by-side with nature.

Here, you may rarely see traffic jams, and you might wake up to the sounds of birds flying... It's a peaceful place, where the air has a taste and scent, and where the trees have vibrant colors.

I stood there, contemplating their warmth, examining those small details, hoping that I would receive the warmth of the light like the clouds...

"Arin?"

My little sister tugged at my black pants in annoyance, raising her face to speak to me.

"We're going to be late..!"

She said in a childish, angry tone.

I smiled gently at her while patting her long, wavy black hair and laughed before apologizing.

"Let's go."

I removed my hand after messing up her hair a little. As I moved, the house door opened slowly, revealing my sick mother leaning against the wall, wishing us well. My mother, Tiana, looked at me before advising me.

"Take care of Mary, Arin."

She said in a tired tone, her breath carrying the scent of medicine.

"Send my regards to Mard (the father)..." she added with a glimmer of nostalgia and a hint of sadness in her voice. I nodded to her before leaving.

"I'm off."

On the way to the hospital, where my father was being taken care of in a desperate attempt to extend his life by a few more days, my sister Mary spoke to me about her latest projects and what she had learned about devices and mechanics. She explained with her face glowing with hope—those smiles that might shatter due to our parents' critical condition. I smiled at her, pitying a future that had already decided to erase her dreams.

"In this entire world, I'm sure I won't find another girl who loves mechanics and programming as much as you, haha."

We laughed until we reached the hospital gates.

There, we sat by my exhausted father, reminiscing about the good old days and unfulfilled dreams. We had to lie and fake our laughter just to talk naturally.

"Arin."

My father looked at me with pity, with his tired smile that barely held the faint wrinkles.

He paused for a moment before adding in a calm tone:

"In the future, take good care of Mary, you know how stubborn she can be..."

Why is he saying this in such a way...it makes me feel uneasy.

I reached out my hand to place it on my father's hand, who smiled gently to comfort me.

I understood what he wanted to say, but I will not accept it...

"Father, you will get better...!"

Firmly...no, angrily I said to my father who smiled at me with pity...Am I the one to be pitied now?

The visiting time ended after a while. Mary, who had exhausted her energy from this trip, seemed to stagger as she walked, tired from this long day.

By sunset, we arrived home, a small house with three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen connected to the living room, and a front and back yard. In the past, this house was more lively, but now...

"I'll beat you!"

Mary raced ahead of me and opened the house door, rushing into my mother's embrace.

With my first step, I clearly noticed the change in the air's scent. The jasmine fragrance throughout the house calmed anyone who entered, as if the house was asking for quiet.

"Welcome, welcome. You're late... The electricity went out just as you left the house."

I... froze in my place as soon as I comprehended what I heard. My mother was sitting on a couch in front of a turned-off TV, with medicine bottles bearing complicated names next to her. My mother had stayed alone... in the darkness, waiting for us silently on the couch.

"Mother..."

A burning sensation filled my throat as if I were crying from deep inside while scolding my eyes not to tear up.

She chuckled slightly, saying:

"It's okay, I didn't notice the time."

No.

I didn't understand what she said in words, but I understood her wrinkles... the dark circles under her eyes and her reddened eyes from crying... I understood the family album on the table before her... I understood her smile... and how she was lying to us.

Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, I forced a smile and walked over, gently moving Mary's legs, who had fallen asleep on my mother's lap, to sit beside her as well.

And so, the house resonated with our laughter and conversations...

...

<11:30 PM, after the family gathering>

"Phew..."

It was a long, peaceful day in every sense of the word.

"Finally."

Forgetting all my worries, I grabbed my favorite novel from the bookshelf.

Kyle Among the Shadows.

A book where Kyle, a warrior raised by a southern family, seeks revenge against a secret organization that wiped out his entire village. His powers awakened as he watched his loved ones die... and he was forced to flee into the forests.

Yes~, the story is a bit cliché, but honestly... it's good. Kyle has such a unique and deep character that. His philosophy reflects the personality he shows to others:

"Peace won't be achieved with mere friends and happy connections. History has written strength as the only key to the door of a happy ending."

"Today is the last day..."

I'm not sure how I feel. This novel, which has been with me since my early university days, has always overshadowed my loneliness. In it, I saw the people I always wished I could be among... Today, I'll read its ending.

With the room darkened, I walked over, pulled out a rough wooden chair, and sat on it. I turned on the desk lamp, sighed, and opened the final chapter.

I read until I was exhausted, but my passion wouldn't allow me to close my eyes even for a second. I repeated its final words, which would imprint on my soul until I perished:

{Kyle stood alone at the edge of the fading world... staring into the white void that consumed everything, with a gentle breeze... the last breeze of this world, Kyle looked around at the dead armies... all those corpses and all those tragedies... strength was of no use in the end.

"Is this the end I was heading for?"

Kyle stands drenched in the blood of his enemies, his worn-out sword barely holding up in his trembling hands. As he falls to his knees, he looks up at the gray sky, wondering how many souls he has taken, how many tears have fallen, and all for nothing. He realizes that his hope was a mirage, and that the world does not change by the sword, and Kyle faded to the last of him...

This was an artistic painting, a painting of a bird in a large, beautiful cage... A painting to the flames.}

I was silent for a moment in that darkness, staring at the last lines...my black hair fell over my face, revealing my disappointment.

"Strength was not the key in the end."

I repeated my last words before my eyelids began to close themselves, forcing me to sleep. That passion that had prevented me for years from sleeping despite my drowsiness, I no longer have it.