Selene and Gustave Marose sat in the sitting room together, discussing the village. They were noblemen — the most important ones in their whole town. Nearly every decision regarding trade, crops, and anything else the village needed was almost certain to go through them at one point or another.
That's when their maid, Anaya, walked in. Her face was pale, her eyes bulged like she'd seen a ghost.
"What's the matter?" Selene asked, her voice rather husky.
The maid shook her head. "It's nothing, Lady Marose... um, you two have a visitor?"
"A visitor?" Gustave spoke up. "This early?"
Anaya nodded.
Gustave sighed. "Well, if they came all this way, I'm sure it's something important. Let them in."
Selene nodded in agreement.
Anaya bowed her head and exited the room, the door gently closing behind her. Gustave turned to his wife. "Who do you suppose it is?"
Selene smiled. "Perhaps it's our foolish daughter. Only thing that'd explain the ghastly expression on Anaya's face."
Gustave chuckled—just as the door swung open...
****
Kald carefully opened the door. There they were: the two people who resented him most. The ones whose daughter he had "taken"... and made into an adventurer.
Immediately, their faces, at first soft with levity twisted into ones of pure disgust and rage.
"What are you doing here!?" Selene snapped.
Gustave stood and pointed toward the door, his face red with fury. "GET OUT! We have nothing to say to you!"
Kald flinched. Every part of him wanted to obey—gods, he wanted to.
I can't run away… Kald thought, straightening himself.
Selene slammed her hands on the table. "Don't just stand there! LEAVE! Wasn't polluting our daughter's brain enough!?"
Kald took a deep breath, then finally looked up—meeting their furious stares.
"I'll leave… right after I finish what I came to say."
He pulled his pack around, unzipped it, and took out a bundle.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Gustave barked.
Kald didn't respond. His hands trembled, tears started to form in his eyes but he held them back.
I can't do this, I—
"I'm sorry," he whispered."I'm so very sorry."
It was then that the two parents attitudes shifted.
"W-What's in the bundle?" Selene asked so quiet it came off as a whisper.
Kald gritted his teeth. He could hear them grinding in his head.
"This was all that was left..."
Gustave shook his head, then rushed forward and snatched the bundle from Kald's arms.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SHIT!"
"Wait—!" Kald exclaimed.
But it was too late. Gustave ripped off the cloth—and froze.
"W-What the... I—no. WHAT IS THIS!?" Spit flew from his mouth as his eyes welled with tears, his face was red. "SAY SOMETHING, YOU BASTARD!!!"
Kald winced.
"WHAT'S IN THE BUNDLE!?" Selene screamed, hurrying over.
Why... Kald thought.
"WAGHHHHH!" Selene let out a cry of pure horror and anguish.
Gustave just stared down at the hand in the bundle, shaking his head. Tears poured down his cheeks. He looked empty — almost like a corpse.
Selene, tears rolling, ran to Kald and grabbed him by the collar.
"HOW!? WHY!?"
Kald cringed.
Why…
"She died… while saving me. I'm sor—"
Kald was interupted by a slap across his face.
Why did I ever bring her with me…
Kald thought back to the day she'd escaped the mansion with him — he had never forget the smile on her face as they lept from the gate hand in hand.
Selene looked up at him, her eyes red.
"It was you...It's your fault!"
She began pounding her fists into Kald's chest.
"You killed her, you killed her, YOU KILLED HER!"
Over and over again.
"I know... I'm so sorry," Kald muttered, fighting back his tears.
Another slap...
"Sorry!? YOU'RE SORRY!?"
She shook her head. "No... You need to die. DIE! KILL YOURSELF! DIE! BRING HER BACK!"
"BRING HER..." Selene trailed off as she fell to her knees, her voice fading to a whisper. "Back..."
Kald watched her, he could say nothing more.
Just then, Anaya stepped into the room. She was crying too, her face twisted with grief and anger.
"You've said what you had to. Leave."
Kald nodded faintly and walked out.
The sobs of Erina's parents faded behind the closing door.
Kald walked the same path he'd come, exiting the front door and heading for the gate, where Aron and Coin were waiting.
He took Coin from Aron and mounted, readjusting himself in the saddle.
Aron opened the gate and looked up at him. "Did ya get to say what you wanted to?"
Kald nodded, but as he turned to leave, Aron spoke again.
"Is she gone?"
Kald paused... then nodded.
Aron did the same, as if accepting it his eyes were glossy. Then he closed the gate. "You're no hero. You're just a killer."
With that the gate closed shut with a clink.
Kald stayed there for a moment, frozen.
Then he flicked Coin's reins.
"HYAH!"
Coin took off.
Kald looked up, tears flew from his eyes, carried away by the wind.
"RAHHHHHHHH!!!!"
He rode through the village, then out the gate, crying all the way.
****
Kald sat in front of a small fire he'd started. Earlier, he had ridden aimlessly for what felt like hours until he found himself lost. The sun was beginning to set, and now here he was — out in the middle of nowhere.
He stared at the flames, then stood, untied Coin and removed his saddle. Finally giving the horse a gentle pat. "You're free now, boy."
Instead of leaving, Coin licked his face.
Kald shook his head and pushed him gently away, giving him a firmer pat on the backside. Still, the horse didn't run.
Kald sighed and sat back down. "Suit yourself."
He reached into his sack and pulled out a short dagger, then pressed the steel to his wrist.
Looking up at the stars overhead, he sighed and closed his eyes.
There's nothing left for me to do, he thought.
I can finally—
The blade dug slightly into his skin. Blood began to trickle down his wrist.
finally—
Then something flashed in his mind.
Erina's face and the last expression that had been on it...
He stopped the blade.
I can't kill myself. If I do… her sacrifice meant nothing.
He dropped the dagger. It hit the ground with a soft thump. Dirt stuck to the blood on the blade.
Then he remembered what the demon had said before vanishing…
"King... soon... return..."
What did that mean? It could've just been a lie. But what if it wasn't?
Kald grabbed a handful of dirt and tossed it over the fire, extinguishing it.
He turned to Coin and readjusted the saddle again, giving him a soft pat.
"Thanks for not leaving me, bud."
Then he mounted the horse and took the reins.
He knew now what he had to do.
It wasn't himself he had to kill... It was the demons.
I won't let your deaths be in vain, Kald thought. I swear it.
He flicked the reins, And with that, he was off.
(And thus, Kald's adventure continues...)