[: Daniel POV :]
“Fara, no!” Tears streamed down my cheeks, the grief a raw ache in my chest.
“Please, no, don’t…leave me.”
The pain was like a knife that had stabbed my heart, twisting and turning.
“Come back…Fara…please, come back.”
I begged, hoping for a miracle to appear as I held her corpse closed.
But deep inside my heart, I knew she was beyond reach.
She had already left this world.
“I can’t do this without you.”
It was a truth that I couldn’t accept and a
a wound I couldn’t heal.
I realized how powerless and weak I was that I couldn’t even protect her.
I was a brat who didn’t know anything and kept relying on the people around me and look where it got me.
“You promised you would never leave me.”
I couldn’t stop myself and I kept screaming and shouting, cursing the world and the monster that had taken her away from me.
In the end, the tears could no longer hold and I fell to the ground, crying, screaming, and shouting helplessly.
I wonder why this happened.
I was in a mess and nothing could ease the pain and the grief, the loss and the sorrow. I was feeling.
It was a wild ride of emotions that was tearing me apart mercilessly.
The memories of Fara’s death were cleared and I remembered all of those emotions.
I didn’t know how long had passed, but by the time I had realized, the night had fallen and the moon was the only witness of my suffering and grieving.
Even though I was still crying, my tears had run out and my voice could no longer utter any words let alone sounds.
I had lost everything and I was alone again.
Why?
Why? Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Why did this have to happen?
At that point, something inside me had broken.
It felt as if, there was a click on my mind and only then did I realize what I had to do.
“I…will kill every single…one last of your kind!”
I gathered the last energy I had and screamed with eyes that were full of hatred and vengeance.
I swore in the name of all the gods that no monsters would escape from my wrath.
I will hunt and kill every single being that had a connection and hand in the death of my loved ones.
This was the decisive moment on the path that I had taken for vengeance.
“Hm? Is there something on my face Daniel? You’ve been gazing at me since the beginning…or is there something else that you want…?” Fara teased.
Hearing her words, I finally realized that I had flashbacks of the alternate future, and now, looking at Fara who was still alive, I couldn’t help but clenched my fist.
“Nothing, I just couldn’t help but think how beautiful you were” I complimented with a smile.
I was glad that I had returned to the past and now, I’m not going to let you suffer Fara, and at least this time, let me treat you right.
“Oh? Aren’t you a sweet talker” She smiled widely.
“No, that’s just the truth,” I said honestly.
I know and I am aware of just what kind of person Fara was and what kind of things she had done.
She was an enchantress, someone who would seduce men for her benefits or missions and she’d do anything to achieve her goal.
She was the kind of person who would have 10 relationships in a day and another new one on the next day.
But even then, despite her actions, my feelings of familial love for her were not affected.
I had seen what she would and could have done for me.
She might not be the perfect choice for a partner, but she was someone whom I could rely on.
And I’m not going to let her disappear and I would do anything to make sure of it.
“So, how about a kiss for my sweet talking?”
She teased and I knew that she was expecting me to back off or feel awkward.
However, instead, I just pulled her face and placed a kiss on her cheek.
For me, there was not much of a meaning other than a kiss to prove how much she meant to me.
She was like my 2nd mother, nothing more and nothing less.
“T-This is…”
Fara’s face was dyed with a dark shade of red, while everyone around us, including the Branch Leaders, was shocked and had their jaws dropped.
“There’s no way he would do such a thing”
They couldn’t help but question their own eyes and reality.
“I guess I’ll have to pay attention and watch you closely, Daniel”
Fara winked as she touched the cheek where I had kissed.
“It seems like our little young master is growing up healthy,” She said with a soft smile.
“Daniel, you should spend some time with me!”
Right by her side, Areia was looking for me enthusiastically like an overprotective elder sister.
Now that I was seeing Areia once more, tears almost filled my eyes.
If Fara was like my second mother then, she was like my overprotective Elder Sister.
The Branch Leaders had been taking care of me together and when Fara died, she became my Elder sister.
However, just like Fara…she died while protecting me.
“Areia! Why did you protect me? You could have just run away!”
I screamed and shouted as I held her body which was in a dire state.
Her left limb had been bitten off by a monster and her right eye had been burnt.
She was bleeding profusely and blood was all over her body and on the ground around us, there were corpses of humans.
This was because of the monster wave that had invaded the place we were attacked and because of the overwhelming numbers of monsters, we lost.
But I had asked her to run with me, but she refused.
“If…I…had…run…the monsters…would have caught…with…you…” She said as she vomited blood.
“Don’t speak anymore! I-I will find you a potion!”
I desperately looked for a potion and at this moment, I couldn’t help but feel a moment of deja vu.
Didn’t something like this happen before?
“No…potions won’t work on me…I can feel my time…running” She said.
“W-What are you talking about!? We still have time!”
I didn’t want to hear any more words from her as I felt, it was similar to when Fara had died on me.
And I refused to believe that it was the same for her.
I had become stronger and I even had a class…so why is she dying?
Why is Areia dying on me?
Is it because I was still too weak?
As I tried finding potions on my back, she touched my cheek with her right hand and caressed it.
“Daniel…” She called out with a gentle voice.
But my mind was focused on finding the potion, and she called me once more.
“Daniel!” She called out to me louder.
Once my gaze was on her, she continued, “Don’t waste your time and listen to me”
“B-But” I wanted to refuse as I was denying the reality of the situation.
“Please…can…you…listen to my request once last time…?” She had tears forming in her eyes.
I could no longer refuse it and only then did I realize that her time was limited.
Even though I wanted to scream, shout, and even cry, I couldn’t do it at least not until she gave me her last request.
“Promise me that you’ll always take care of yourself…make sure yo eat right, spend more time with others…and don’t always train hard to the point you forget to rest and sleep…”
She said and I couldn’t help but cry with tears streaming down my face because she had been paying attention to my needs and had always taken care of me like an Elder Sister.
“And…can you deliver my message to the others that I’m thankful for all of the things they had done…and I’m also thankful that I had a little brother like you…”
She petted my head and caressed my hair like she always does, and it has always calmed me down.
But this time, it was making me even more emotional.
“I-I will…”
Her breath was getting weaker and the life within her body was soon fading out.
“Then…can you deliver my message to Lye…that I had always…loved that muscle-headed guy…”
She smiled widely and I replied, “E-Everyone had always known that both of you had a crush on each other…” I said.
“I…see…so it has been that obvious huh…” She chuckled.
“Daniel…”
“Yes…?”
“Are you there…?”
“Yes I am…and I will always be…”
“I see…then…I’m glad I’m not alone…”
Just like that, she had died in my arms and only then, did I release all of my emotions out.
