Memories 02.

Yuto pushed open his father's office door, which felt strangely heavy, and stepped inside, gazing at the large, neatly arranged room.

The office desk stood at the far end, with an open window behind it that let in fresh air and a gentle breeze that brushed his skin.

In the middle of the room were two sofas facing each other. Dahlia sat on one of them near the desk, holding a piece of paper in her hand before placing it on the rectangular table before her.

"It's been a while, Dahlia."

His voice was slightly strained, but upon seeing the woman across from him glance his way and smile, all his worries melted like a heated candle.

"Sit down, Elias."

Dahlia pointed to the sofa opposite her and straightened her posture, glancing at the paper in front of her.

"Alright."

Elias sank his tired body into the soft sofa, a result of being too tense around his father's house lately.

Once he was seated, Elias looked forward and found Dahlia also gazing into his eyes with a serious expression.

'As always, Dahlia is so beautiful.'

Her wide emerald eyes were filled with warmth, and her long lashes fluttered as she tucked her cream-colored hair behind her ear.

Her face was sculpted as if by the hand of God, and her proportionate figure could melt any man's heart, Elias included.

Once again, he felt grateful to be the man chosen by their families to be her fiancé.

Not only had they known each other since childhood, but their similar social status also made their relationship widely accepted.

Elias swallowed and adjusted his posture, his fingers unconsciously curling on top of his thighs.

"So, where's my father? I heard he called me..."

"Elias."

Dahlia cut him off sharply, and with a long exhalation, her smooth lips began to spill out the words she had held in her heart.

"I'll be blunt, for I don't have much time."

"...Dahlia?"

"I want to cancel our engagement right now."

The atmosphere froze, as did Elias, who turned to stone, his eyes wide.

The silence deepened; even the whistling wind could not push away the ice that weighed down the room.

Elias's thread of consciousness wavered, and he could see a slight tear in it, blurring his eyes with tears.

His tense mouth tried to force words from his throat; he gaped but was cut off by the princess.

"You're probably asking why, right?"

Elias looked down, unable to meet the gaze of the woman who was also finally abandoning him due to his trash talent.

Silence prevailed, and Dahlia broke it with a voice slightly shrill and forced.

"Our kingdom values strength above all else, you must already know that, right?"

"..."

"Unfortunately, the talent you awakened is not what our kingdom desires."

Dahlia took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"You are the child of a Duke, so I hope you can understand why I am making this decision."

"..."

Elias couldn't speak; every sentence thrown by the princess was like a sharp sword slowly eroding his consciousness, plunging his soul into an abyss of emptiness.

Furthermore, the tone and words from her made Elias's ears numb. He murmured to himself.

'...In the end, you'll also leave me.'

At that moment, all the princess's words vanished from his mind as he continued to sink into the bottom of the abyss of despair.

"Is there nothing you want to say, Elias?"

Dahlia's loud voice struck Elias like lightning coursing through his body.

Elias remained silent.

"..."

"..."

The wind blew warm air into the room, but it only made the boy's body shiver from the emptiness.

The gaping void in his heart grew, spilling out various negative emotions he had never felt in his life.

His body was cold, but Elias felt his heart pounding fiercely, filled with a raging black flame.

The black flame slowly consumed all emotions within its host, transforming Elias into a lifeless, empty shell.

"Elias?"

Dahlia asked, trying to extend her right hand to reach out to him, but stopped midway.

Seeing the boy's unresponsive state, she bit her lip and murmured softly.

"...So this is how it ends. Let's finish this."

Without waiting for Elias, Dahlia abruptly stood up from her seat, barely holding back the tears welling in her large eyes..

Bam

The loud thud of the door echoed in the room, but it didn't make Elias flinch in the slightest.

Time passed, and the golden sunlight had turned orange, casting an ethereal glow from the distant horizon.

Elias still sat alone in his father's office when someone entered.

"Elias."

A deep voice brought a little light back to Elias's dim eyes.

He lifted his gaze and saw his father's figure, with slicked-back blonde hair and sharp red eyes.

"...Father."

Elias's soft tone made Duke Falcon's brow twitch with displeasure, as hearing someone as disgraced as him call him father was a bitter irony.

"Follow me!"

After speaking those words, Duke Falcon stopped at the door, waiting for Elias, who stared blankly.

Elias saw his father's eyes narrow in a dangerous way. He rose from the sofa and followed his seemingly displeased father.

They stopped in front of the mansion entrance. Elias saw a simple carriage and a coachman bowing to his father.

"All preparations are ready."

"Good."

Elias saw his father carrying a sack and throwing it on the ground before him with a clinking sound like coins.

"Take that! From now on, I'm exiling you from this family."

"Eh?"

Elias's eyes widened, and his legs began to soften, almost hitting the ground.

"Leave this house! I will not let this family's name be stained any further by the presence of a disgrace like you."

"F-Father, wait!"

Elias tried to grab his father's hand, but a heavy force shook his body.

His body was thrown back, and he had to kiss the hard cobblestone, making him unable to hold back his sobs while enduring the humiliation.

"Hmph, take him!"

"Understood, my lord."

The boy could only watch his father's back growing distant. Then, confined in a small space, he was rocked around like a lost ship at sea.

Inside the cramped, stuffy room, filled with the pungent smell of mold. The jolts from the road tore Elias' body apart. 

Elias sank into despair.

He fell asleep on the hard floor, even ignoring his screaming body inside out. 

'Why do I have to feel this suffering?'

A thunderous crash shook the entire carriage, accompanied by the shriek of startled horses and the last scream from the man who held the reins.

'What happened?'

Clutching his head, which had been knocked, his blurry vision caught the light from the open carriage door and saw a dark shadow approaching.

"There you are."

He felt his body being lifted as he looked closely at the person carrying him.

"Who?"

Elias asked in confusion, realizing that the person in front of him was dressed all in black with their face covered.

"Hehe, you don't need to know."

The mysterious man drew his dagger. Its sharp silver blade reflected Elias's terrified image.

Dread washed over the blood in his face. Elias's body shivered from the chill that spread down his spine.

'No, no, I don't want to die.'

His mind moved quickly, and his survival instinct realized he was being held loosely, perhaps because the assassin thought this was an easy job.

Immediately, his body tensed, and he broke free from the man's grip, running with all his might.

"Hee, so, you want to play a bit? Fine. I will become a hunter."

The soft but deadly voice of the assassin entered Elias's ears like a whisper of death.

His heart pounded, and each step he took felt like being trapped in a swamp.

Heavy, and felt like black hands ensnaring his legs, preventing him from escaping all of this.

The moon shone brightly above, but around him was a dark forest with thick canopies blocking the light from reaching the ground.

Elias continued deeper, without knowing the direction. Only one thing was on his mind: to survive.

His breath came in gasps, and each inhale set his lungs on fire.

However, he persisted until he finally saw moonlight piercing through the forest wilderness, accompanied by the gentle sound of a water current.

'A river? With that, at least I can escape by being carried by the current...'

This was his biggest gamble, even though he knew that throwing himself into the river also could kill him.

'Oh, god please help me with this...'

"Hello, my little rabbit."

"What!?"

Thud

A cold, sharp object plunged into his heart, spurting red blood like a fountain, defiling the ground below.

Before him, the assassin's eyes narrowed happily as he carried Elias's body.

Elias's body was propped against a tall tree, and his blurry vision turned to his chest.

Heat stayed in his chest while the chills spread throughout his body, gnawing at the strength in his limbs.

A shadow loomed over him, crouching before the dying kid.

"I will leave that dagger, let's just say it's a gift from me to you."

"Who, blurgh!" ("You?")

Elias vomited blood, causing the man in front of him to rub his chin and nod.

"You want to ask who sent me?"

Although it missed what he wanted to ask, the man's statement piqued Elias's interest.

The man smirked and revealed his client's identity.

"Blame your family, they're the one who sent me."

Shocked by the news from the man, Elias coughed, spitting out a lot of blood, and his consciousness was slowly flickering.

His eyelids grew heavier as time passed, and without him realizing it, tears streamed from his eyes, asking why he had to bear this cruel fate.

'Why is this happening to me?'

…

*****

Yuto jolted awake and sat up, clutching his head, which felt like it was about to burst from the information overload he had experienced.

"Aaaakh!"

Several seconds passed that felt like hours; Yuto lay on the ground, facing the dark canvas adorned with glittering stars and a full moon.

He reached for his left chest, exactly where the dagger had been moments ago.

"So, you too were abandoned by the world, just like me."

Yuto closed his eyes for a moment, engraving the name and the humiliation he had received into his heart.

With a new life and the pain he carried from two worlds, Yuto gritted his teeth and spoke with a determined tone.

"I will take care of the life you give me, Elias."

Slowly, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I will avenge you, No, I will avenge our life."

Alone in the silent wilderness, the words Yuto uttered echoed from a surge of raw emotion that had been awoken from its dormant state.

Filled with resentment and resolve to move forward as a new entity in a new world.