The next day, Emelia arrived at the house as usual.
The moment she saw Xiver, her chest tightened.
His eyes looked empty.
Dark circles hung beneath them like shadows that refused to leave. His skin looked pale, almost sickly, and his eyelids drooped as if he hadn't slept at all.
He looked like a child who had aged years overnight.
Emelia felt a sharp pang of guilt.
But today she had promised him something.
Papyrus cake.
So she forced a smile.
"Hey, Xiver. Ready to go?"
He didn't answer.
Still, he followed her.
They stepped outside the house together.
The streets of the dark neighborhood were quiet again.
Every step echoed softly on the cracked road.
People watched them from windows and alleyways, but said nothing.
The deeper they walked, the more the environment changed.
Broken houses slowly turned into real homes.
Dirty streets turned into busy roads.
Eventually the lifeless neighborhood faded behind them.
Life returned to the city.
Merchants shouted.
Children ran past them laughing.
Xiver didn't react to any of it.
Emelia talked the entire walk.
He didn't respond once.
Not a word.
Her smile slowly faded.
They entered the café.
The same place near the window.
Emelia ordered coffee.
Xiver ordered milk and the papyrus cake he had wanted so badly yesterday.
He slowly took a bite.
Cream and strawberry filled his mouth.
But his face stayed blank.
Emelia rested her arm on the chair and tried talking.
"How was your day?"
…
"How are your studies going?"
…
"Are you still mad about yesterday?"
…
"Are you mad at me… or Alexander?"
…
"You're really going to stay silent the whole time?"
…
She sighed and leaned back.
"Fine. Suit yourself."
After finishing their food, they walked to the park.
Still nothing.
No reaction.
No words.
Just silence.
Then Emelia suddenly remembered something Alexander had said yesterday.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh right!"
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a strange device.
A Signal.
In this world, it worked like a phone, except its power never ran out and it never lost connection.
Instead of saying "call me," people said:
"Signal me."
Emelia quickly contacted Alexander.
After a short wait they sat beside a fountain in the park.
Xiver stared briefly at a mother playing with her young son nearby.
Then he lowered his gaze again.
Soon a vehicle arrived.
Alexander's ride.
Xiver barely looked at it.
He simply followed Emelia as she guided him inside.
The ride to the city took forty-five minutes.
When they arrived, Emelia smiled brightly.
"Oh! We're here, Xiver! Let's get you something!"
Xiver said nothing.
She forced another smile.
"Come on."
They entered a shop.
It was a magic shop, right beside a perfume store.
Behind the counter stood a large man with a massive brown beard.
His hair flowed down his back, and deep scars marked his left eye and right arm.
A smoking pipe rested between his teeth.
"Griffith," Emelia said cheerfully. "This is Xiver."
Griffith looked down at the boy.
"Kid looks miserable," he muttered.
Emelia rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.
She led Xiver toward a shelf filled with magic sticks.
"Maybe these can help you control your magic," she said.
Griffith laughed.
"So you're sad because you can't control magic?"
He puffed smoke from his pipe.
"That's nothing to cry about."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You could always become a sword wielder."
He grinned.
"Who knows? Maybe you'll become the next Aizen."
Emelia glanced at Xiver, hoping for any reaction.
Nothing.
Still staring at the ground.
She started showing him different sticks.
"Maybe this one?"
"Or this one?"
"This one looks awesome."
She grabbed another.
"…Okay this one fucking sucks."
"Hey!" Griffith barked. "If you don't like it, leave my shop!"
Emelia ignored him.
Finally she grabbed a simple brown wand about thirty centimeters long.
"Fine. This one."
They left the shop.
While walking through the city, they passed a man screaming loudly in the street.
"The end is near! The end is near!"
"Aizen has abandoned the weak!"
"We must suffer as he suffered!"
"He is our savior!"
People immediately started shouting at him.
"Shut up!"
"Don't disrespect Aizen!"
"Get out of here!"
Someone threw a rock.
The man ran away while people cursed him.
Emelia sighed.
"That guy must be drunk."
She grabbed Xiver's arm.
"Let's go home."
They entered the carriage again.
Two strange creatures pulled it.
They looked like massive horses with black skin, red eyes, and long lizard tails.
Inside, Xiver rested his head against the window.
The sun slowly began to set.
Finally he spoke.
"What was the stick for?"
Emelia blinked in surprise.
Then she smiled gently.
"It's your birthday present."
"You're six now, kiddo."
Xiver didn't react.
His face stayed blank.
But then…
Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.
Emelia immediately moved closer and hugged him.
His body shook as he cried.
"I can't keep everything inside anymore," he whispered.
"I keep trying… but I can't."
"I want to die."
Emelia froze.
"I can't live like this anymore."
"I hate this life."
"I hate the people."
"I hate Elizabeth and Alexander."
"I hate the food, the smell, everything in this world."
"And I can't even use magic…"
"I miss my old par—"
Emelia interrupted him gently.
"So this is about magic?"
Xiver shook his head violently.
"No! Those aren't my parents!"
"I miss my real ones!"
Emelia stroked his arm.
"I'm sorry, Xiver… but they are your parents."
"Even if you don't feel that way."
"Elizabeth is your mother. Alexander is your father."
"You can't pretend they're not."
Xiver bit his lip until it bled.
"Why does nobody understand me?"
"Why can't anyone listen?"
"Why does nobody care about me?"
"Am I less than other people?"
Silence filled the carriage.
After a moment, Emelia spoke softly.
"When I was young… my father forced me to join the Adventurer's Guild."
Xiver frowned.
"Why are you changing the subject?"
She laughed lightly.
"I'm not."
"When I was your age, I had incredible magic talent."
"I was the best divine magic user in my school."
She smiled faintly.
"Do you know why it's called Divine Magic?"
"Because people used to worship Aizen like a god."
"There are even churches for him."
She continued.
"My family was rich."
"My mother worked for the royal family."
"My sister was a maid for nobles."
"But my father…"
Her smile disappeared.
"He was nothing."
"He was always drunk."
"He forced me to become an adventurer so he could take the money."
"I hated him."
"I hated him so much."
"But when he died…"
Her voice softened.
"I missed him."
Xiver said nothing.
But he slowly tightened his grip around the wand she bought him.
When they finally returned to the house, Xiver stepped out of the carriage.
Only then did he notice the creatures pulling it.
Giant horses with reptile tails.
He stared at them for a moment.
Then quietly walked inside.
Emelia smiled softly.
"Thanks for today, Xiver."
He paused.
"Will I see you tomorrow?"
She smiled.
"Don't you remember?"
"I'll always be on your side."