Side story: A world without me Part 2

Rei sat inside his small tent, its canvas fluttering faintly from the passing breeze. Outside, the twilight bathed the sky in a sea of orange and purple hues, while the forest beyond whispered secrets he couldn't understand. He hugged his knees, eyes staring blankly at the dim glow of the campfire outside. He was waiting.

Waiting for a girl named Lyla.

A small, almost bitter smile flickered on his lips. "Would the real Rei have done the same?" he whispered to himself.

But somewhere far away, in a world untouched by this version of events, the real Rei—the one who had been banished from his village just after completing the Naming Ceremony—was already on his own path.

That Rei walked alone, the shadow of trees dancing across his body as he tread through an unfamiliar forest. The sun was high, yet it brought no warmth to his heart. He didn't know where he was going—only that he had nowhere to return to.

But fate was rarely kind.

Without warning, rustling sounds broke through the silence, followed by crude laughter. Shadows emerged from behind the trees—six, no, seven men, dirty and grinning with crooked teeth. Bandits.

Rei reached for his sword instinctively. "Stay away!" he warned, though his voice trembled.

The lead bandit, a burly man with a scar over one eye, merely chuckled. He stepped forward with casual arrogance, lifted his blade, and with a single, effortless motion, slashed. Rei's sword was flung from his grip, crashing against a tree before falling into the underbrush.

Rei froze, dread blooming in his chest. His body refused to move as the bandits closed in.

"Bind him," the leader ordered.

Rough hands grabbed Rei, tying his arms and legs like he was nothing more than a sack of grain. He was tossed into a wooden cart already filled with sacks of stolen goods. The wheels creaked as it began to move toward a destination unknown to him.

The hours turned to days.

They offered him no food. No water. He was treated as a package, a product—not a person. His throat cracked from thirst, and hunger gnawed at his insides. Only when the cart arrived at a shady marketplace in the depths of the forest did they finally let him out.

There, amid whispering trees and tents made from beast hides, the place came alive with a cruel kind of commerce. Rei blinked against the light. His hands were chained, and his legs wobbled beneath him. A bandit poured a cup of stale water down his throat. Rei coughed and gasped but couldn't refuse.

As he lifted his head, his vision cleared.

Cages.

Dozens of them, lined up like livestock pens. Within them, people—men, women, even children. Some looked up with eyes full of dread. Others no longer even blinked. It was a slave market.

The bandits pushed Rei forward.

A tall merchant with oily hair approached, his beady eyes scanning Rei's form. His words were muffled, but Rei saw the bandit leader pass him a small box. Coin, perhaps. Whatever it was, it sealed Rei's fate.

Then, without ceremony, the merchant grabbed Rei's shirt and tore it off.

"What… what are you—?" Rei croaked.

But his voice was ignored.

He struggled, but his strength had long since left him. A collar was fastened tightly around his neck, followed by a leash like he was a pet. When he tried to pull away, the merchant yanked the leash so hard Rei fell to his knees.

"No… Please," Rei begged. "Please, I'll do anything… Don't…"

The merchant didn't respond. He picked up a red-hot iron from the nearby fire.

Rei's eyes widened, and sheer terror overtook him.

"No! No! Stop it!! I beg you!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face.

The burning metal pressed against his chest.

Pain—searing, unimaginable pain—ripped through his body.

His screams echoed through the camp as the other slaves turned away, remembering their own brands. The smell of burnt flesh clung to the air.

When it was over, Rei collapsed, sobbing. His chest throbbed with the mark of ownership—his identity now reduced to a number.

They dressed him in rags and shoved him into one of the cages. Days passed. Then weeks. Then months.

Rei forgot what sunlight felt like. His world was metal bars, stale bread, bruises, and chains. Sometimes, he was pulled out for display. He was beaten to make him move, forced to walk and show that he was 'healthy'.

But his eyes were empty.

None of the buyers cared.

Eventually, a noble with heavy rings on his fingers bought him like one might buy a dog. Rei was dragged to a grand mansion in a faraway city. He didn't resist. Resistance had left him long ago.

The noble threw a cloth toward him.

"Wash the floor," he said.

Rei took the cloth. No emotion. No thought. He simply obeyed.

Meanwhile, in a city named Gazai, a very different fate unfolded.

Beneath a dark cloak and thin blanket, a young man darted through alleys. He was Prince Ben, though he hid his identity well.

Turning a corner, he spotted a warehouse where shady figures moved in the shadows.

Ben didn't hesitate.

He returned to fetch his personal guard—a seasoned fighter—and together, they stormed the warehouse.

The battle was quick. Efficient.

The bodyguard handled most of the resistance. Ben himself, though inexperienced, fought with determination. He cut down two bandits, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Then he saw it—caged near the corner of the warehouse.

A creature unlike any other.

It looked like a fox, but larger. Sleek white fur shimmered under the torchlight, and its eyes burned with a cunning intelligence.

A Navarion.

Ben knelt by the cage and opened it.

The beast didn't flee. It simply stared.

"If I let you go, you'll be hunted. But if you come with me, I won't cage you. I won't chain you. I promise."

The Navarion barked softly.

"Let's call you… Reynard. Do you like it?"

The beast barked again, leaping gracefully to Ben's shoulder.

Ben smiled.

In the days that followed, Ben and Reynard trained together. The prince grew sharper, faster. Stronger. He was beginning to feel like a warrior of worth.

But peace is a fragile thing.

One morning, as his bodyguard went to fetch water, Ben stood by the clearing with Reynard when the earth trembled.

Hooves.

A lone rider emerged from the woods, sword raised high and eyes burning with bloodlust.

Ben ran.

The horseman followed.

Downhill, Ben tried to lure him toward a fall, but before he could act, the enemy struck, slashing Ben's arm. Pain erupted, and Ben stumbled, losing his footing. Rider, horse, and prince all tumbled down a slope, crashing violently.

Ben's body hit the river, and the world went dark.

A girl by the river, drawing water, screamed as she saw the splash.

Two figures floated—Ben, unconscious and bleeding… and the loyal Navarion clinging to his side.

Far away, inside a mansion, the broken Rei continued scrubbing marble floors with shaking hands.

His eyes, dull and lifeless, stared into nothing.

And yet… the world kept turning.

The present Rei, unaware of this fate, sat in his tent, still waiting for Lyla, wondering if the real Rei had it easier.

But destiny… had never been so cruel.