"A long time ago, there was a man called The Hero," Matthew read aloud, his eyes tracing the faded ink of the old book. "He was the strongest person alive. Some feared him, some followed him. He was also known as the strongest human to ever live. Some say he killed 70% of monsters; others say 80%. But one thing every human agreed on at that time: he was dangerous. That man was Arthur the Hero."
"You really do love that book, huh?"Matthew, asked his younger sister with a playful tilt of his head.
Emily looked up and smiled. "Yes, I do. It talks a lot about our history and the great hero—how strong he was in his time."
"You do know that he doesn't exist, right?" Emily countered, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Yes, I know that," Matthew replied, "but it's still a good story. Am I lying?"
"Nah, you're not," she giggled. "I wonder when Dad is coming back, though."
Before he could answer, a voice drifted from the kitchen. "Kids! Come and eat!"
"OKAY, MOM!" they shouted in unison.
Years passed, and the childhood wonder of legends began to fade into the harsh light of reality. At seventeen, Matthew found himself struggling. The "good old days" were gone; now, he was just a young man trying to find a way to help his family survive.
He was deep in thought when a familiar voice broke his trance. "Hey, Matthew!"
"Huh? Oh, it's Emma and Jayden," Matthew said, shaking off his melancholy.
"How are you?" Emma asked.
"Good. And you guys?"
"We're good," Jayden replied, though he looked at Matthew curiously. "What were you doing?"
Matthew sighed. "Thinking of ways to help my family out."
"Really? Things must be bad at your home," Jayden remarked.
"Not really," Matthew said quickly, defensive of his pride.
Emma stepped closer. "So, have you decided on what you're going to do in the near future? Or right now?"
Matthew looked at his hands. "I was thinking of joining the Knights or a Swordsmanship school. But... I'm not strong. My family doesn't have the money to take me to that type of school, and my parents would refuse the idea of me being a Knight anyway. They say it's dangerous. Just look at how my father is right now because of that job."
"I see," Jayden murmured.
Suddenly, a man's voice echoed through the town square, raw with excitement. "THE KNIGHTS ARE BACK! THE KNIGHTS ARE BACK!"
"Let's go see them," Emma urged. "Your dad is probably there."
"Sure, no problem," Matthew agreed.
The Return of the Fallen
As they walked toward the town gates, the atmosphere changed. The crowd began to murmur, and Matthew felt the weight of their stares.
"Those people are at it again," Emma hissed, her eyes darting toward the whispering townspeople.
"It's him," a woman whispered loudly. "The son of Adrian."
"You mean the careless child?" another replied.
"Yes. I heard he's pretty weak. So weak that even the weakest monsters could kill him."
Emma's face flushed with anger. "Those people are at it again!"
"Just ignore them," Jayden said firmly, though his jaw was set.
"Are you okay, Matthew?" Emma asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me," Matthew said, though the words felt hollow.
"If you say so," Jayden muttered.
"Look, they're coming!" Emma cried, pointing toward the horizon.
A hush fell over the crowd as the unit of Knights limped into view. Two bystanders near Matthew shook their heads. "Look at their condition," one whispered. "They must have been through a tough battle."
"The only one who looks fine is Adrian," the other noted.
Matthew watched his father, Adrian, leading the battered group. His mind raced with the grim statistics of the profession. They were tasked with a mission to kill 20 Orcs and 10 Goblins, Matthew thought bitterly. A team of 40 Knights... and only 15 came back. I see why my parents don't want me to be a Knight.
"Big brother!"
Emily came running through the crowd, her face lighting up at the sight of them.
"Hi, Emily," Emma greeted her.
"Hi, Emma and Jayden!" Emily turned to Matthew, her eyes wide. "Is Dad here?"
"Yes, he is," Matthew said, gesturing toward the weary line of men.
Emily looked toward the battered soldiers, her excitement flickering with worry. "I wonder if he's okay..."
Matthew placed a hand on her shoulder. "By the looks of it, he is fine."
"Let's go to him!" Emily insisted, grabbing Matthew's hand.
"Okay," Matthew said. He turned back to his friends. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, then."
"Sure, no problem," Jayden said.
"Bye!" Emma called out as the siblings disappeared into the crowd to welcome their father home from another day of surviving the impossible