[DROP] ✧Identity V✧ Imprisoned [ Hermit x Reader ]

10. A letter from an old friend

To my beloved,

I apologize for this belated reply. I have received many letters from you, but I didn't have the courage to do the same. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to help but run to take you away.

Like you, I was in great pain. At some point, I really hated Alva, blaming him for stealing the person I loved. But that was stupid, because my good friend didn't know anything. I didn't lose you because of Alva, I lost you because of my uselessness. I had many opportunities to take you away, but I hesitated, and let everything slip away. If I had been stronger, things wouldn't have turned out like this. All this time, I've been chasing my dreams, without worrying about the future. We used to think that if our love was big enough, it would touch your parents. But that was a big mistake. Reality is more cruel than we think. On the contrary, Alva is both trying to fulfill his dream and trying to gain a foothold in society. The boy used the best way to have your hand in marriage. He deserves everything he got today.

As for Alva, I hope you can forgive him. Alva didn't take you away, he saved you. Everything he does comes from his love for you. If it were me, I would have caused more trouble.

We can't blame anyone. This is partly because we were too naive.

Although our love didn't end the way we wanted it to, it will always remain a precious memory to me. I will cherish it for the rest of my life. With all sincerity, I hope you will stop writing to me. Now we must learn to accept reality. I will move on, and I hope you will too. I wish you all the best.

From your friend with love,
Merlin.

[Y/n] POV

I don't know which is worse. The fact that this letter was delivered to me too late, or that Merlin had thrown away our love.

No, this is partly his fault.

If I hadn't met him, things wouldn't have turned out like this.

Lorentz, you damn brat !
YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED !
YOU SHOULD HAVE ROTTED IN HELL !!!
YOU DON'T DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE !

I got mad, couldn't help but smashed things.

[Y/n]: ASSHOLE ! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING ! ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU ! I HATE YOU !

If it weren't because of him, we would...
We...
Ugh, who am I kidding. There is no "we" now.
It hurt !
My heart hurt...

I fell asleep on the floor, next to the mess I just made. The next day, I continued to participate in matches as usual. Sometimes I would be matched with Alva, and he would still hunt me down the same way he did the others. Although the way he picked me up was gentler and more polite. We kept our distance, and pretended we didn't know each other. It was a peaceful time.

Five months later, at the survivor's mansion.

Fiona: IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, I WOULD HAVE KEPT THE HUNTER A LITTLE LONGER.
Vera: I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP !
Fiona: WHO ASKED FOR YOUR HELP !?
Melly: Fiona, calm down. Please !
Luchino.D: It's okay, we can get the point back next time. There's no need to be that angry.
Fiona: ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, WAS TO STAY STILL AND DECODE. NOT GETTING YOUR ASS NEAR THE HUNTER TO GET HIT.

I came back from the game and found my friends screaming at each other. According to Eli's explanation: Fiona, Vera, Melly and Luchino.D participated in a ranked match, the hunter was clerk Keigan. After the three ciphers were completed, Fiona had only half blood left. Vera ran after Fiona to block the hunter's attack. Even though Fiona told Vera to stay away and focus on decoding, Vera stubbornly followed. After Vera took two hits for Fiona, she accidentally overturned the pallet before Fiona could pass, causing her to be knocked down by Clerk before she could climb over. Vera was going to save Fiona, but Clerk arbitrarily activated the last cipher machine before she could. Vera didn't have time to react and was knocked down by the hunter with a single blow. The other two decided to leave Fiona and Vera because their location was too far from the gate. They didn't expect the hunter to teleport to them. The match ended and only Melly managed to escape.