Sitting by a campfire, surrounded by a forest, Gabriel sharpened his knife. Across from him, a young boy with black hair and green eyes watched him intently, as if trying to learn. The fire crackled.
A calm, melancholic, and weary voice broke the silence: "That is not how you will learn!"
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
"No need to be nervous, I'm not going to kill you... But tell me, why did you enter this world?"
"Huh!" The young man seemed surprised by the question. "Well..." Looking away, he continued, "... I was forced to enter... And you?"
Gabriel remained silent for a while, merely watching the knife being sharpened from one side to the other. Then he stopped, looked directly into the poor boy's eyes, and said: "I had no choice."
The boy simply furrowed his brows. "How so?"
Gabriel just looked at the fire in front of him. "Debts!"
The sound of the stone chipping returned. The boy smiled.
"So that was why? Many people... enter this world because of that. My reason seems... silly, right?"
Stopping again and observing the blade closely, he said: "Yeah, it does."
After a long period of tranquility, the young man said: "Can I call you Master?"
Gabriel just remained silent.
"I'll take that as a yes!" he said with a smile. "My name is Aren. It's a pleasure to meet you, Master."
"..."
Then Gabriel closed his eyes.
Feeling where he was lying... a bit soft?! Opening his eyes, he saw Lillith. She was smiling as she watched him sleep.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
Jay stared at her for a while.
"..."
She quickly blushed, putting her hands to her face and looking away. "W-what is it? Is there something on my face?"
"..."
Inflating her cheeks. "Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why... did you help me?"
Lillith furrowed her brows, incredulous at the question. "Because you are my frien—"
"Why didn't you leave me there on the ground, fallen in the mud, with insects crawling on my face, so I... so I could pay for my sins?" Jay grit his teeth. "WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT?!"
Lillith slapped Jay across the face.
"Because I care about you!" she said as tears formed in her black eyes.
Jay simply covered his eyes with his elbow. 'Again, again I am beside a good person, just like that time.' Jay clicked his tongue.
Lillith began to calmly stroke Jay's black hair; for some reason, it calmed his heart. It was as if he had always wanted this but didn't know it. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered: "You deserve this rest."
Jay's heart... ached.
Tears tried to escape his eyes but couldn't. Jay just accepted it; he lay there for hours. From the sunrise until the midday sun, he remained lying down.
At the top of the wall, observing everything, was Benjamin with his improvised fire roasting meat. Benjamin watched it all with a genuine smile, as if he were reading a romance novel.
"Hum, it seems... it is beginning. You cannot prevent this, Goddess of Darkness Lillith. When he starts, it will be too late, and that was my mistake and my success."
...
Like a reader, he was anxious for what would happen and afraid—not for what would happen to him, but for her. Raising his head to the blue sky, he said: "What will your choice be, Jay!"
The sound of the trees swaying, the roars of battles, and the light touch on his hair were all Jay could hear and feel. Besides the constant smell of rain and iron.
Then, getting up from Lillith's lap, he looked around and began to stretch. The Goddess of Darkness stood up, watching everything he did in silence.
When he took a step forward, she took his face, looked into his eyes and said: "I will be watching you, Jay, and I will always support you!"
The boy looked at her, embarrassed and awkward, while she slowly disappeared, waving her hand with a gentle smile. Waving back, Jay returned his attention to his journey.
Walking through the dense forest, he began to notice that the roars were becoming increasingly... more agonizing and desperate. 'Well, that must be normal... here.'
Time passed, and something remained stuck in his head.
Night fell. Jay built a campfire; even though the day had passed, he hadn't hunted anything or even fought. The meat of the colossus he had killed had been eaten by other animals, vultures, and crows.
Watching the fire while feeling a lack of something. A familiar voice—no, an extremely familiar voice—a sarcastic, cold, and irritating voice.
"Do you miss her, Jay?" asked Roh.
Jay frowned. "Her? Who?"
Roh let out a sigh. "Who else? The only woman you loved, who slept with you, hugged you and kissed you..." Staying silent for a moment, Roh spoke again. "...Do I really need to say who it is?"
"..."
He didn't need to say it; he already knew who it was. His own silence proved what Roh was saying. She, the person he loved and... who is still trapped in his heart. Besides his family, she was the only one he loves and loved, the only one he loves and hates at the same time.
"Silence can be comfortable now, but what about tomorrow? Jay!" Roh said, his icy pupils shining with pleasure.
"You enjoy reveling in my chaos."
Roh nodded. "But of course. If I didn't revel in your chaos, would that even be me?"
'Me, right?'
The two began to argue, while in a more distant place, on a rainy night in a dark noble room, with a candle by her side reflecting her silver hair, with pointed ears, dressed in pure white clothes while reading a book. A hard-cover book in the color blue.
Knock! Knock! Knocks at the door pulled her from her immersion. Taking a deep breath, she closed her book, got out of bed, picked up the candlestick, and headed toward the door.
Opening the door, she saw her mother with silver hair mixed with black, pointed ears, in red pajamas, with an expression of concern.
Clarice just took a deep breath before saying in a somewhat melancholic tone: "What is it, mother?"
The mother took a step forward. "Daughter... may I come in?"
Clarice nodded her head. "Yes, come in."
Clearing the way, her mother entered. She looked at everything with admiration and sat on the bed; as she sat, she noticed the book on top of the bed.
"Oh... isn't that the book you brought with you, Clarice?" the mother asked with mischief in her ruby-colored eyes.
"..."
Clarice remained silent while closing the door.
The mother lowered her head, looked to the side and said with a voice of concern: "Was he someone important to you, Clarice?"
"Who?" Clarice said, turning around with a furrowed brow, pursing her lips, her ruby-red eyes tearing up.
"The boy who gave you that book. After all, you don't even let your own mother touch it," she replied with a smile of satisfaction. Soon after, she looked downcast. "It's a shame that he... didn't go to Kotei County," she continued. "I'm sorry, daughter..."
...
"He didn't die!" Clarice said with confidence in her eyes, believing he hadn't left her. "HE WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!"
She immediately fell to her knees. On the floor, she cried while whispering: "He wouldn't break... his promise."
Her mother quickly hugged her. "It's alright, my daughter. I believe the same." Pressing her lips to her daughter's silver hair.
And so the night passed.
Clarice woke up, opening her eyes with the curtains blocking most of the light. She looked to the side. Her mother was there, observing her, leaning on her arm.
"Daughter, I have news!"
"What is it, mother?"
Closing her eyes and getting out of bed, she said: "Come, the news is downstairs."
The two went down the stairs. The mother went down holding the dark wood railing, Clarice followed behind. There were some paintings from when she was younger with her family. In all the paintings, she expressed happiness.
As they descended, a man with familiar black hair, but with a more robust body, dressed in armor, even from the back—a patchy beard still growing and he did not have pointed ears.
He was a human.
When they fully descended the stairs, the man stood up, turning toward the two elven ladies. Clarice's eyes widened. He was extremely familiar, but seemed like another person.
"L-Luis?!" Clarice said, incredulous.