"I guess he didn't want to answer my question then…" Aiden sighed, deciding to save the question for another time.
"Hm, so what should I do now? I wonder if any citizens survived this human slaughter?" He wondered; he rubbed his chin with his hand.
"I completely forgot my actual goal here!" He thought to himself, starting to run towards the throne room.
He opened the double massive doors.
What stood before him shocked him.
The king's dead body lay on the throne's chair.
The two siblings were sprawled on the ground, holding each other's hands.
Aiden just stood there frozen, his face expressing sadness.
Footsteps rang through the room as Aiden walked towards the deceased.
Crouching near his dead sister, he closed her eyes with his hands. "Rest in peace…"
Recollections of her echoed in his head.
He picked her up on his shoulders and walked towards the others.
Carrying them both on his back, he leaped through the broken window.
Landing on the ruined training ground.
He laid them down on the floor. A golden shovel materialized in his palms.
He gripped it tightly, starting to dig the ground.
Golden tears fell on the dirt, sprouting sunflowers in an instant.
He carried his sister on his arms and dropped her on the dug-out spot.
"There, you won't suffer anymore…" He whispered as he buried her with dirt.
A few minutes later, the remaining deceased were also buried in a different spot.
Not just the royal family, but the citizens also.
"What's the shame in burying the peasants with the royal family? Heh heh…" Sweat rolled down his face, tingling his nose.
The shovel vanished from his hand.
RING!
[System]
Mana 1/25
"Couldn't have made my day worse…" He mumbled, staring at the floating system window, his eyes puffy with tears.
He turned his back on the buried. "Farewell, Second and last family."
DING!
[System]
Temporary Skill [Swiftness Of Lightning] Has Been Used.
Remaining Time Until Reusage.
23:59:58
His body vanished, replaced by lightning.
Meanwhile, somewhere beyond the void, a presence known as Ryker stirred.
"This always successfully makes me dizzy." He thought to himself, standing up.
Before him stood a steady hut made of wood.
A voice came from within.
"Brother, you're back!" A young girl stepped out with her arms spread wide.
She tripped on a rock as she ran through the snow-filled ground.
Ryker, shocked by her tripping, ran straight at her, his eyes wide open in worry.
Her head emerged from the snow. A sweet smile expressed her emotion. "I'm okay!"
Ryker sighed, resting his hand on his chest.
"Big brother! I'm hungry!" She muttered, rubbing her stomach with her hands.
Ryker's hand scrambled through his pouch, pulling out a dead rabbit. "Look here! A rabbit magically appeared in my pouch!" He announced with a smile on his face.
The kid's lips curled into disgust, covering her nose with her hands. "It seems like a rotten rabbit manifested itself in your pouch instead of a fresh one." She proclaimed, stepping back.
Ryker's smile turned into sadness. Expressing disappointment in his self. "Come on in, I'll be cooking dinner…" He walked with his head down towards the door.
"I'm not coming anywhere near that rotten thing!" She shouted, a tooth was missing in her mouth, probably fallen out.
"Fineee." He mumbled, burying the rabbit in the snow.
His sister finally walked in, closing the door behind her.
"Sooo what are we eating today?" Her eyes expressed anticipation, and saliva drooled out of her mouth.
"It's a surprise, just close your eyes for a second until I tell you to open them." He declared, washing his hands in a bucket of water.
He stepped closer to his sister, waving his hand in front of her.
He walked slowly towards the door, opening it gently. Jumping out of the hut, his hands landed on the snow.
He abruptly started to dig it.
"Where is it! Where is it!!" He whispered.
"There it is!" His hands scrambled through the snow, reaching for a small foot.
He pulled out a certain rabbit.
It is the same one that he threw earlier.
"I'm sure she won't notice this." He thought to himself, a mischievous smile shaping his face.
He stepped into the hut once again, closing the door with extra caution.
A sudden voice shocked him, leading him to drop the rabbit on the ground.
"Brother! Can you hurry? I'm starving!" She shouted, lying on the mat.
"U-h, ah, yes, yes!" He stuttered, searching for a suitable response in his mind.
He kneeled, picking up the rabbit. Walking towards the fireplace, I pulled out a handmade metal bowl.
He poured oil from a bottle he found in the wilderness, and dropped the rabbit in it.
Awkwardly, he slid the bowl into the fire.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he mumbled. "This is gonna be a hard day."
SNIFF-SNIFF
His sister started sniffing the air..
"What are you making, brother? This aroma is so pleasant! How are you doing this?!" She said with an expected smile.
Her hands are reaching for the air.
"Uh-uh, but it's a secret. Secrets cannot be shared!" He said with a grin on his face. Opening the windows to calm the fire.
After a couple of minutes.
The rabbit has finally been cooked.
The rumbling in the girl's stomach was the only sound present in the air.
"Are you done yet..?" She muttered in a low voice, embracing her stomach with her hands.
"Yes! It's finally done, you can open your eyes!" He mumbled, gently sliding the plate onto the table.
The girl's eyes fluttered open in anticipation.
Her smile slowly faded, replaced by a grim expression. "What is this, brother? I told you I'm not coming anywhere near that!" She shouted, rolling in the opposite direction.
"Wha-? No, it isn't! SIGH… Yes, it is… But what's the harm in eating it anyway?
"You want to know what are the cons of eating a rotten rabbit? Alright, I'll tell you."
A while passed, with the girl still spouting about its cons.
"Alright! Alright! I understand!" Ryker shouted, his eyes drooping in boredom.