CH II: CHAINS OF CHOICE

Was this...freedom?

He had already spread his wings and was ready to fly when he noticed that his wings were bound. Freedom had never been the absence of constraints or escaping from them, but rather the realization that the restraints you wear are of your own making. Noah had imposed these chains upon himself. If he had resisted from the start and not tried to escape, he wouldn't have ended up like this. He would not be freed this way. The freedom he sought was the courage to face these constraints and choose to break them.

Once he grasped this, life filled Noah's eyes, and it was filled with hope. He smiled broadly—not a smile of mockery or disdain, but one of true happiness. As soon as he stepped out of his deep thoughts, Noah found himself at a dead-end, surrounded by the group, and Blake had finally caught up to them. "Finally! There's no escape for you now, you bastard!!" Blake yelled, extremely angry and frustrated, but seeing Noah smile so widely in front of them made him even angrier. His veins were bulging on his forehead. "This bastard!!... Kill him!!" Blake screamed, ordering his companions, while Liam stood silently in the back, watching nervously. Why was he feeling nervous? Was he really feeling regret after everything? Why now? He didn't want to intervene, but the sense of unease in his heart didn't lie. His body, mind, and heart were all screaming at him to move, but something seemed to be stopping him. If he were to name it, it would probably be "fate." Noah's fate was that no one would help him, and his end would be here. Liam thought to himself, "Are you kidding me? What fate is this?! Shouldn't the gods help the needy?! Then do something before it gets worse!..."

Was this a prayer to the gods? Was this really his only way to help? A prayer?

Liam gritted his teeth, biting down hard, and took a step forward. "I... won't let fate or the gods decide my friend's fate!" He thought to himself, feeling the chains binding his body break, and he quickly moved to stand between Noah and the others. "Stop—..." Before Liam could finish his sentence, a girl fell from the sky, separating them all. She had long pink hair and shining pink eyes, and she carried an aura around her that suggested glamour and joy, with cherry blossoms swirling around her. The girl looked at the group. "What were you trying to do to this boy?"

Her voice indicated annoyance and displeasure, though it was still calm and soft.

Blake and his companions felt a strange sensation—fear. Their instincts urged them to flee. It was as though they were looking at a mighty beast capable of erasing them from existence. This was no longer a joke. They would truly die if they didn't choose their words carefully. "W-We attacked first, so we chased him..." Before blake could finish his sentence, the girl interrupted him. "Are you saying that someone as weak as this attacked you, and you're completely innocent?"

Her voice was no longer calm; she had abandoned the formalities and politeness one would expect from a lady, her tone now carrying a hint of anger and threat. Blake remained silent for a while. He was smart enough to value his life over hitting a weakling he could deal with tomorrow. So he decided to back off—for now at least.

"We... won't bother him again. We apologize." Blake and his group turned and left, while Liam looked at Noah before leaving. He tried to say something, anything, but stopped himself because of the lady who was next to Noah. So, he left with them.

"Kids today have nothing better to do than harass the weak. Tch." The lady turned to Noah and asked, "Boy, is your home nearby?"

"...Yes," Noah answered. He still felt the chains around him. He had not fully freed himself yet, but there were still opportunities ahead of him. His story was not over yet.

"Let's go. I'll accompany you there."

Noah stood there surprised but didn't ask any questions. He started walking towards his home with the lady following him. They didn't say anything for a few moments until the lady broke the awkward silence she just realized that she is walking someone to his home without knowing his name so she asked Noah curiously, "By the way, boy, what's your name?"

"Noah Grace... and you?" Noah replied, naturally asking for her name.

"Elara Bloom," the girl answered simply, adding, "Tell me, why were they bullying you?"

She asked out of curiosity while looking at the distant horizon. The sun was almost setting.

"How did you know I was being bullied?" Noah asked nervously. This was the first time he had met this girl, so it was strange that she knew he was being bullied. All she had seen was just a scene without evidence.

"There are many bruises on your body. I could easily notice them. These bruises seem like injuries aimed at vital areas. That indicates bullying." The girl answered calmly, then added, "Anyway, don't try to avoid the question. Tell me, why were they bullying you? You seem handsome, so I think you're popular with the girls, and you don't look stupid, so it's strange that you're being bullied."

Elara explained her curiosity, eagerly waiting for Noah's response.

Noah looked down for a moment before answering her question. His heart raced with fear. He was afraid that this girl would feel disgusted by him and might try to bully him too yet he still answer her question "because i don't have a skill"

"You don't have a skill?" the girl asked, genuinely curious and shocked. "How is it possible for someone to not have a skill? Mana fills the air, so this is almost impossible. How much must the gods hate this boy to make him skill-less in a world where power is everything?"

Noah paused for a moment, reflecting on the question, as his mind usually swirled with scattered thoughts. He settled into a rare stillness before he began to speak.

"Why am I being bullied?" The question echoed in his mouth before he answered, as though the words were more for himself than for a direct reply. "Maybe because I'm a reminder of the flaws in this world. They try to elevate themselves by pushing others down, as if flaws can be erased through mockery. But what if the flaw isn't in me, but in the foundation of this world itself? A world that values power, skill, and ability... and I have none of that."

He stopped, his eyes distant, as if contemplating something deeper than the current situation. "Maybe... I'm just a reflection of their insecurity. Even flaws only exist when there's a standard of perfection. What does that say about a world that can't accept what it deems 'imperfect'?"

Finally, his eyes met hers with a calm challenge in them. "I'm being bullied because I don't fit their definition of worth. But who are they to define that? And who am I to accept it? Can you answer my question?"

Elara's pupils widened, surprised by his answer. She had thought he would give a gloomy response filled with despair, but this was different... This boy was asking about the meaning of his existence. She smiled briefly before replying to Noah.

"Flaws aren't a burden we carry because of the world. They're part of our human nature. Nothing in us is perfect, and every flaw holds a trace of weakness, but that doesn't mean we should surrender to it. Flaws aren't something to blame the world for. They're what reveal the truth of who we are. We don't live in a perfect world, but flaws are the beginning—of awareness, change, and moving forward."

That was all Elara could offer as an answer. She wasn't the type of person to think deeply, and naturally, she didn't know the answer to the meaning of existence. She hoped her answer had satisfied him.

"You avoided my question," Noah said, almost as if he were mocking her.

"you did the same thing earlier, so I consider it a draw." Noah chuckled softly and smiled at the girl. "This is really ridiculous"

Then Noah and Elara both started laughing together. A new friendship had formed, perhaps due to chance, or maybe fate.

After a while, Elara escorted Noah to his home. He waved to her as he entered, and she responded before leaving. Noah entered his house, and Elara walked away.