My eyes widened as I heard his words.
Death...
I stared at the floorboards between the table and the couch I sat on,
I knew it.
"But I can't even feel any essence in Kage?" I lifted my gaze just high enough to see the table that separated us.
"...." I couldn't read his tone, with the table being the only thing in my sight.
"Don't worry, you'll find out later."
Later? I lifted my gaze up towards him,
"Let's go down again." His light-hearted tone returned, flashing a smile on his face,
"We can't let a kid and an adult stay in a room together for too long, what would they think downstairs~" He held both of his cheeks with his hands,
"Not that they would care..." He held a smile, while lowering his arms back.
But I still felt a shiver down my spine as he spoke, holding myself back from taking hold of my sword.
"Don't go all scary on me, young Tjer." He lifted his hands up in the air as he spoke.
I'm like an ant to him...
He lifted his head up, holding his chin, he said,
"So, where did we leave off again... ah right! The Kludd absorbing essence."
"Do you know why?"
"I have my guesses." I tilted my head as I spoke,
He knows I can't understand right...?
"It absorbs it to become stronger, to ..."
"Tell me how much could you hear?"
"Only the first part, because the second form was stronger than the first one..."
"What was the second one like? Its appearance for example." He leaned forward.
I brought my hand to my chin,
"Uhm... it was a winged wolf."
"So what do you see that as, wasn't that an evolution?"
"Yes?"
"So you can understand that, it wants to evolve."
"But why?"
He grinned as I asked him.
"Because ....."
I just shook my head after he spoke.
"Hahaha, I thought so. We have spoken enough then, right?" His eyes narrowed.
"Yes, I want to rest up as well." I lifted my body up as I spoke.
And before my legs could lock, I sat back down again,
"I have one more question. The others were surprised to see it, but why? Does it normally not appear there?"
He shook his head, saying one word,
"Time."
"Time...? Did they come out at the wrong time...?"
He just lifted his arms and said,
"It's getting late, but don't forget—" He brought his face even closer,
"Don't lie on your report again, please." And he clapped his hands together.
"Okay... it won't happen again." I nodded as I spoke.
"Perfect!" He stood up and walked over to the door, with me right behind him.
He opened it for me, and said,
"I'll see you soon." He waved me goodbye with a broad smile on his face.
"See you soon." I lowered my head as I passed him.
Why did he say it like that? I wondered, while walking down the hallway.
As I reached the stairs, heavy steps sounded on the wooden floor behind me.
I turned around, and saw Eden coming at a jog, carrying something in his hands, alongside the hefty purse,
"You did save me quite some troubles, so thank you."
He handed me the pouch—one filled to the rim with marks, topping it off with one seal.
So is this what our lives are worth?
"Thank—"
He brought his other hand forward, giving me the package he held,
"Please take this as well—consider it additional payment. This way you won't have to buy new clothes, or freeze to death otherwise."
"Thank you very much, I will go look at them tomorrow." I glanced away as I spoke.
Winter is coming already.
As I turned back, his words themselves held me back,
"Good luck tomorrow!" His eyes went past me once again.
I nodded back at him, and walked down the stairs.
As the lower floor came into sight, it became clear how much time had passed already—only three tables were left occupied, with the outside being pitch black.
I hoped to get home before evening, he kept talking for too long...
I pulled the doors open, bringing my leg into the open air—shivers ran down my back, spreading through my entire body.
I couldn't feel the cold when I had left the forest, but it had been made clear now,
I need new clothes.
I sped my steps up, and entered the second alleyway on the right opposite side of the guildhouse.
Between the tight walls, and the thick air, the cold had started to lessen.
And with each turn inward, the air became more unbearable—thicker than before, filled with the stench of death, and the garbage thrown about.
Not even light could carry this deep inwards—the only thing that caught light in here were the flocks of hair I carried.
I evaded the vermin that fed on everything around—from humans to one another, nothing was out of their reach.
With each step I took another jumped out.
"Please.... help.... she needs it... my child." A coarse female voice sounded through the alleyway, holding an unmoving child in her arms.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, and turned my head away and continued walking.
It was impossible to differentiate the corpses from the living—there was no differentiating between the corpses, and those who had thrown their humanity aside in desperation to survive.
As I took the final turn, I arrived at a street that was broader than the others.
I am finally here...
But even here—a place people lived—the air stayed as foul. Even smoke was more breathable.
No one alive walked the streets, only corpses filled the empty street I walked on.
And kept an eye on all my surroundings—even the sky wasn't safe,
Debris might fall down.
All houses were the same.
Wooden houses—all on the brink of ruin.
They varied in colors, going from black all the way to pink—but the original colors were no longer visible.
Light spread through the holes in the walls and the broken down windows, helping me look at each nameplate separating the houses from one another.
It's too dark to read.
The only light source were some of the houses that still had a light burning inside them.
I was able to read most plates, most had never changed.
Sir Ewan. I snickered as I read it, still holding a straight face.
I lifted the door before pushing it.
It creaked as it slowly opened, revealing three people sitting before me.
An older man and woman in their thirties, shadows of their former selves.
All of them turned towards me.
I closed my eyes and said,
"Good evening sir, and mother." And I bent my head slightly to them.
As I opened my eyes again, a haze passed between the lights that reached my eyes, feeling my body get pushed back as something hit my stomach.
I lowered my gaze as a girl's voice sounded,
"Big brother!!"
A blonde little girl had appeared, looking up at me, with a smile big enough to cover her entire face, revealing the small hole between her teeth.
"Mim!! I missed you so much!" I said, crouching down to her height.
She distanced herself, crossing her arms as she said,
"Don't leave me alone for so long anymore!"
"Sorry, sorry. You know I sadly have to," I said, glancing over her shoulder at the people sitting behind her.
"Yes... but I don't like it! Take me with you next time!" She pouted while staring me in the eyes.
"Maybe next time then~" I raised my shoulders, and escaped her gaze.
"You said it last time as well! And now you went away for so long..." Her gaze lowered with each word.
I held her face and said,
"You're too smart—honestly..." I pinched both of her cheeks.
She looked up again, with a smile on her face,
"Let go!!"
I let her go, after seeing that face again.
I slowly lifted my gaze past her shoulders, matching that of my parents.
As soon as we locked eyes, they moved theirs away.
Even after all these years—it's still the same... A slight smile appeared as my eyes shifted down at my clenched, trembling fists.
I could hear them stand up, walking over to their room,
I am like a disturbance to them...
I followed their steps with my eyes, when two arms took my gaze over.
I looked down, and saw Mim lift her arms up—jumping as high as she could.
Like always...
No words were exchanged as I brought my hands to her armpits and picked her up.
Did she lose weight? She is lighter than ever.
"Yeeyy I'm flying!!" She screamed my ears out as I lifted her through the air onto my shoulders.
"Shhh—you are going to wake people up."
She covered her mouth with both hands, and mumbled,
"Oops... sorry..."
"Uhm, I was just joking..."
No one who is still conscious would care anyway.
"Stupid!" She covered my eyes with both hands.
"Stop, stop I can't see anything now." I walked through the room, evading the holes in the floorboard, along the trash that was spread around.
"This is not fun... you know where to walk!" She pouted, while removing her hands from my face.
"I can finally see again!" I smiled as I hung my blade on the wall.
We made one more round through the room, before we entered our bedroom.
"Big brother is really tired okay? So let's go to sleep now."
"No, no—not yet! I want to talk and play, and uhhhh... everything else with big brother!"
"...For at least seven days long!"
As I brought her back down to the floor, I brought my face close to her, and whispered,
"But big brother wants to go outside with you tomorrow, imagine we oversleep..."
"Really are we going out?!"
I nodded,
"Yes, we are going to have a great day. So let's sleep now, okay?"
She dove onto the covers like a fox at its prey,
"Augh!" Feeling the solid floor she jumped on, only covered by a layer of blankets.
"It's a promise!" She added, pulling the blanket over her and closing her eyes.
I laid my bed out close to hers, following her lead, I laid on top of them, and covered myself with a blanket, closing my eyes.
I could slowly feel my consciousness drown away on the solid floor underneath me, with the cold air whistling past the wooden boards that covered the holes in the wall.
But I got pulled back again, hearing a voice,
"Can I sleep next to you tonight...?" She asked me, hugging her blanket tightly.
"Okay, for tonight only..." I opened my blanket up for her to join in.
She dragged her covers over and pressed them right against mine—though she laid mostly on my side.
She hugged me with her eyes closed, and with a hoarse voice she muttered,
"I love you big brother... please don't leave me behind anymore..."
I put my hand on her head and said,
"I love you too Mim." Followed by her snoring as she fell asleep.
There was absolute silence around me—I couldn't hear anything as I closed my eyes—eyes hidden away by my right arm curling over them.
Sorry Mim... I won't leave you behind. Never again.
Those were the thoughts I wished to never forget.
We will find a better life—somewhere better for us.
It's a promise—from me to you.
The promise kept repeating into the deepest of night.
Until sleep finally took me in its embrace.
Shivers ran down my spine.
My throat burned.
Followed by the cold wind that passed right past my body.
Why am I not covered?!
I opened my eyes, and understood it.
I'm back home...
I looked over at Mim, who was stretched into a shape that claimed every inch of space around us—only her head remained near mine.
One arm across my body, a leg thrown over me, the other side spread wide—and yet each corner of her body was completely wrapped in blanket.
I did promise her...
"Mim, wake up..."
"Just a little longer..."
"No, we should go before it gets dark, don't you think?" I started pulling her blanket.
"No... just a bit more. Please..." She fell back to sleep, holding onto the cover as if it was a part of her.
"Okay I am going alone, you can stay here then." I stood up and turned away.
She immediately sat straight up, trying to force herself to balance,
"Please don't leave me, let me come with you—please!!"
I couldn't hold my smirk back, bringing my hand to my face.
She jumped up after she saw it, and started hitting my stomach,
"P-lease s-top—" I couldn't hold the laughter back as she dug into my sides.
"I-f you st-op, I'll b-uy you s-om-ethi-ng."
"Okay~! Let's go now!" She pulled her hands away from me.
While I put my boots on—cold air passed through my clothing,
I need clothes... what did Eden give me yesterday?
I turned to the corner of the room, where his package sat, alongside a bag,
Would the food still be good... I should have given it to her yesterday...
But what did Eden give me? I opened the package he gave me.
There were clothes inside,
I have never seen these types of clothes before, it looks strange... It was clothing with multiple layers—it even had a cloak in it.
Uhm... what shall I do with it—
It will save me money. I raised my shoulders and took it out.
I tried it on, and turned to Mim, asking her,
"What do you think?"
"It looks really nice big brother!" She raised both thumbs in front of her.
"Are you sure about it? Does it look normal?" I moved my shoulders around,
It feels amazing...
"Yes really, it's perfect for you!" She nodded with her entire body.
Can I trust her? She knows even less about this than me...
I've never even seen people wear this before... but I don't have another option anyway. I looked down at the pile of threads laying on the ground.
I stepped out of the room,
I'll believe it...
"Good morning sir, and mother." I walked into the middle room, and saw my parents who were sat on exactly the same spot as yesterday.
I glanced over at my dad, and I lifted his sword off the wall.
Silence.
Even when I strapped it to my side—nothing.
I took Mim's right hand, holding her on the same side as my sword.
"Close your eyes," I said, and opened the door.
The sunrays reached even inside, illuminating all the darkness around.
And we took our first step outside—
Together.