"We need to find out what he sacrificed,"
said the man wearing a flannel shirt and a green hooded jacket. I tilted my head; it was obvious to everyone. "We've only ever seen him use his powers once—how on earth can we know?"
Robin, hearing that, groaned before letting out a long sigh; a prolonged silence filled this eerie room. He stole a glance in my direction as though he wanted to ask something but was hesitant to do so, and he made it abundantly clear. "If there's anything you want to say, you'd better just say it."
"Wow, you can tell? Do you have mind-reading powers as well?"
"Of course not, I can sense a person's intentions and also when their eyes glance in my direction."
"Your senses are far greater than mine..." He muttered almost to himself; he then seemed unsure of how to begin, so rather than looking like a fool, he just asked, "…What did you sacrifice after becoming a Fable?"
So that's what he wanted to ask, huh?
After becoming Fables, we were forced to sacrifice one thing as payment for having survived death and been blessed with an Everafter.
"My eyes," I replied, and hearing that made Robin look surprised and glance at the fringe covering my left eye. "Why? Do you think I wear my hair like this because I like it?"
He turned his face away, not daring to make eye contact. "Sorry, I thought it was because you wanted to look cool..." He felt guilty for assuming such a thing.
"It is."
"Huh?"
"Although I don't like it, it does make me look cool, don't you think?" I said with a smile; he was already feeling a bit awkward because I resembled his ex-fiancée—I didn't want to make things any more awkward.
His dark eyes met my red ones; before long, he let out a little laugh. "Yeah, you're right, it does make you look like a badass," he complimented, and I accepted the compliment graciously.
"What about you? What did you sacrifice?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. At that, Robin's smile—which had started out amused—turned to a sad one.
Robin fell silent for a moment before finally answering, "My love story." Hearing this startled me—not everything sacrificed was physical like Alice's; what she had sacrificed was her ability to maintain her sanity—she could lose her mind over the slightest thing.
But this was news to me—what he had sacrificed was part of his life story. "All my love stories will end in painful failure—that's what Mother told me." Hearing that, I realised she's now carrying Marian's death on her shoulders.
I'm not good at talking to people, let alone comforting them when they're down, "I heard from Alice that sharing your feelings and story can make you feel better" the words slipped out of my mouth unintentionally.
Hearing that, he turned towards me, smiled and nodded. "Well, I don't see any harm in it—might as well pass the time whilst I'm at it." he said, as we couldn't find any way to make a break for it.
"Two decades ago, in a small village called Loxley, a young boy was born—he was the son of the village headman and a descendant of the man who founded the village," the man in the green beanie began his tale.
As he was the village chief's son, everyone there knew him, and this meant he was surrounded by many friends who were good to him.
But amongst his friends was one girl who caught his interest; her name was Marian Fitzwalter. As a baby, Marian had been found in a basket adrift in the river until she was discovered by a childless couple.
They all lived their lives full of laughter and joy, just like any other children, until they all grew into teenagers. Robin finally plucked up the courage to confess his feelings, and was happily accepted by Marian.
They spent five years sharing happy and romantic moments, as well as the ups and downs of life, together. On a green meadow bathed in a beautiful orange sky, Robin knelt before Marian—he had never imagined he would reach this moment.
Robin opened the small box in his hand, and inside lay a ring made of precious gems—unthinkably expensive for villagers like them. Robin had travelled through the forest and all the way to the city just to buy this ring for her.
That was the moment a promise to live together forever was made—a promise between childhood friends who loved one another.
However, just one month after that unforgettable moment, a day arrived that the people of the village never imagined would come.
That day was never forgotten by Robin.