PART 22 :-
IT'S HARD TO BREATHE
MC perspective :-
[Lemon telling everyone about the incident.]
"I can't believe Emi… He is so strong… How can a single person outsmart fifteen guards…?" People around here have a hot topic to talk about now.
"So you were able to escape because he sacrificed his life!!!"
"No, I made it out because the leader let me."
"What!!!!??? He is not their leader!!!??? Then who is it!!??"
"I didn't see him. I just felt his presence. When the shadow's hand was trying to kill me, chains appeared out of nowhere.
They bent the shadow easily and did something we hadn't been able to do for a long time.
It didn't matter whether the shadow was laughing or crying, but there wasn't a single moment when fear appeared in those dark red eyes.
But the moment he felt that person's presence, he started begging for his life. He said that death was alright, but not at Hell's hands."
"Hell!!!???"
"Yeah, maybe that's his name. I ran away after getting the chance, but…"
"But what!!!??"
[Lemon's past memories.]
I finally got out of that place…
[Chains wrapped around his feet, dragging him to the ground.]
"Get away, get away, get away, get away, get away, get away, get away, get away, get awayyyyy from me."
[The chains wrapped around his hands and body as well.]
"What's your name!!!?"
"Whose voice is that!!??"
"Just answer me, boy."
"Lemon…"
"I presume you come from a very important and royal clan. The fact that your leader sacrificed his life for you makes that clear to me."
"What do you want!!!??"
What is this presence I'm feeling!!! It's like staring death in the face!!!
"First of all, you're alive because I want you to be. Otherwise, you would be dead by now. I realise you didn't hear me clearly before.
The reason I let you live is that I want you to tell the others what's coming for them.
Their worst nightmare.
Tell your king that when the barrier is broken, no one will be able to stop me.
Not your God, nor your faith.
The wolf's hunt will begin soon."
[The chains disappeared along with his voice.]
[At the present time.]
"The barrier you mentioned. I thought they created it to protect themselves."
"No, it's not there to protect them from being hunted by others. It was created to stop them from hunting others."
"Sagurd!!!! When did you enter here?"
I saw the old geezer standing there.
"You know, Valen, it's not a big deal for me."
"What are you saying!!??"
"Aahhhaa… Scar!!! It's been so long since I last saw that ugly face of yours."
"That barrier!!??"
"Yeah, yeah, that was created by Chiron. He has his own reasons. I don't know what they are.
And tell your king not to interact with them.
And most importantly, you guys aren't going to get Lemon. This is Chiron's matter, and he doesn't want you guys getting involved."
Juha did that!!!!
"Who the hell are you to tell me that!!?"
The old geezer grabbed his collar.
"Have you forgotten my status!!?? Leave. There's nothing for you to do here. If your king asks why, just use Chiron's name. I guess that's enough for him."
He hesitated but finally left the place.
"Everyone, I'm sorry for the disturbance. I'm sorry, but I think the party is over. Iri, take Emi's wife and daughter out of here.
I'm sorry, Minidra. Your birthday party is over."
"What are you talking about!!!??"
"Valen, you should go with Iri. Haven't you noticed that she's been in shock from the very beginning…?"
Mini's father left with Aunty as well.
"Bright, the time has come…"
I realised that Juha was allowing me to tell the others.
It feels suffocating now.
There were fifteen of them, and they died fighting a single person. He wasn't even in his physical form. And he wasn't even the leader who was after me.
Was my decision right!!!!????????
...…..
PART 23 :-
LIVING COMES WITH A BURDEN
MC perspective :-
[After some time, Bright finally came out of the palace.
He stood in the garden, watching the reflection of the full moon in the waterfall.
White flowers bloomed all around, making the place even more beautiful. Their sweet fragrance filled the air, but it brought no comfort to the people present there.]
[Bright past memories.]
[In the forest, a master and his student sat together, eating their food while having a conversation.]
"Hey, do you know why people hate you even more than other cursed people!!??"
"Not really. I first heard about it from others at the market, and even Dex told me what he knew—that I had killed so many innocent people."
"Innocent people!!??"
"When I was a baby, I burned hundreds of people, including my parents and Dex's parents. It happened because I'm cursed. A blue flame burned everything it touched. I was the only survivor of that incident."
"That was your Azuron. Now that you know about it, what do you think!!??"
"I lost my emotions back then, didn't I!!!??? That flame took control of my emotions… If only I had never lost control…"
"You were just a baby back then. Do you want to know why you lost your emotions!!!??"
"It doesn't matter. The fact that I killed innocent people will never change. Is knowing the reason going to change that fact!!??"
"No. What you know now is true. You killed so many people that night."
[In present time.]
"Bright…" I heard Mini's voice from behind me.
I turned around and saw everyone standing behind me. Bond, Dex, the old geezer, Aunty… everyone.
"I'm sorry. I ruined your day."
"No, it's not you…"
"It's because of me… I'm the reason behind everything that's happening.
Today's incident with those guards, what happened at the ritual… I'm the reason behind it all…
Even though my name is Bright, I only bring darkness into everyone's lives.
I'm living with the burden of an unwanted power. A power that can kill anyone, whether I want it to or not. A power that has already killed hundreds of innocent people.
A power I can't control. A power known as the Mythos Core.
I have the power of Azuron. A blue flame that can burn anything it wants."
"So the Doomwalkers are after your Mythos Core!!!??" Dex asked me.
"Yeah… The Doomwalkers are after me… or, more precisely, they're after my soul.
Because my soul has the power to grant immortality to whoever consumes it."
"Immortality!!??" Bond asked me.
"In simple words, in our world, some people possess strange powers within their souls. Some have the ability to gain infinite power, infinite knowledge, or even eternal life.
They might be after his soul because it can grant immortality to whoever consumes it. If they kill him and obtain his soul, they could even challenge beings as powerful as the gods.
It's a complicated concept for you kids to understand. Perhaps you'll understand it when you're all grown up," the old geezer explained to us.
[A sudden silence fell over the group.]
"The Doomwalkers are after me, not you. They'll come after everyone who stays by my side.
I can't bear to see any of you die… I don't want any of you to die…
I'm nothing but a burden on everyone's lives…"
[Mini hugged him before he could finish his words. No matter how dark the night may be, as long as there is a moo, there is shining.]
...…..
PART 24 :-
AM I ALONE!!!?
Minidra perspective :-
[At the party, while Lemon was recounting the incident to everyone, a sudden announcement interrupted the dance.]
"Uncle Emi got killed!!!!!!"
"What!!!!??? What's going on!!!?? Why is everyone frozen!!!!???"
"Bright!!!!???" I called out to him, but he didn't respond.
"Hey there, beautiful girl."
I saw Chiron standing right in front of me.
When did he get here!!!!????
"First of all, happy birthday to you. And you might be wondering what's going on!!!?? So, in simple words, I've stopped time for everyone except you and me."
"You can do something like that!!!!???"
"Well, there are a lot of things I can do. But let's not get into that. Just don't tell anyone about this. It's complicated. You should know why I stopped time, though!!!???"
"To tell me something that no one else should know."
"Hmm… clever… You're ninety percent correct. But the thing is, I didn't come here to tell you something. I came here to find something out.
How much do you love that idiot!!!??"
"Haaa…" My face turned red.
"Don't be embarrassed. If you truly love him, you should be proud of it. Love is something like respect. We should be proud of the person we love."
"What do you mean by 'how much'!!??"
"Like, do you intend to love him even if he becomes a monster in the future? Or are you going to choose the world over him?"
"The world!!!?? He is my world. What's the point of living in a world where he won't be there…"
"Thank you… I understand your feelings now. Judging by your heartbeat, you're telling the truth.
I'm glad my stupid disciple has a girl who's way out of his league.
There's something I want to tell you, but I think it would be better if you learned it from him.
I have nothing more to say to you. But here's a piece of advice from me: he needs you more than ever right now. He needs a kind of comfort that neither I nor Bond can give him.
The comfort of finally being loved by someone."
[Time resumed as if nothing had happened.]
Am I daydreaming!!!???
[Bright left the palace. Mini watched him as he walked away.
Iras returned to her side.]
"My lady, go. He needs you more than ever."
———
"The Doomwalkers are after me, not you. They'll come after everyone who stays by my side.
I can't bear to see any of you die… I don't want any of you to die…
I'm nothing but a burden on everyone's lives…"
I couldn't take it anymore. He had been suffering from within for so long, yet he always kept smiling and trying to make other people laugh.
Why couldn't he understand? A world without him was not worth living in for me.
I just couldn't take it anymore. I rushed forward and hugged him. The best thing I could do was make sure he never had to suffer alone again.
"I've heard hundreds of stories about people killing and betraying each other, yet they don't even feel sorry for what they've done. And here you are, carrying the burden of something you did when you didn't even have the sense to understand what was happening!!!
Do you know something? A person isn't defined by their past or by what their future holds. They're defined by who they are in the present, by the choices they make and the kindness they show, even when life gives them every reason to become someone else.
And you… you're the kindest person I've ever met. I don't care what you've done in the past or what mistakes you might make in the future. None of that changes the person I see standing before me right now.
So, please, don't let your past convince you that you don't deserve to be loved, or let your fears about the future make you forget the goodness you carry within you."
"But if you stay… you're all going to die…"
"Who cares!!!!??? Have you forgotten what you said to me in the fire!!!??? And what I said to you!!!??
I told you that I'd be there for you even if death itself came for us. I don't care who the hell the Doomwalkers are."
[Tears streamed down his face. Tears of someone who was finally beginning to understand what it meant to be accepted by others. Tears of someone who had finally found someone who would choose him, even when death stood at the door.]
[Mini gently cupped his face in her soft hands.]
"You aren't alone anymore. There are people who care about you now."
"You idiot, have you forgotten what I told you before? I chose to stay with you even knowing the consequences. Do I look like someone who would betray you?
I know what happened back then. I even blamed you for it. But despite knowing what you did, you're still trying to make things right. That alone makes you a better person than me," Dex said.
"Have you forgotten? I wouldn't be alive today, and I might still be a test subject, if you didn't exist. No matter what I do, I could never repay you for everything you've done for me. Not even if I sacrificed my life for you," Bond said.
Iras approached him and gently placed her hand on his head.
"Don't you dare call me Aunty anymore. That alone makes you part of my family. And family members don't abandon each other out of fear of death. They stay together and fight through everything."
"I'm not alone!!!!…"
[The words of acceptance finally awaken something which is hiding beneath his emotions. The fear of getting all alone is gone. Finally a boy becomes the man it's needed.]
[A light blue started to emarge from his chest. A light so bright that can make a night feel like midday.]
"Krkk…"
[A breaking sound come and the light disappear.
Bright standing there and a circular ring appear on his both hands.]
...…..