Winter Everlasting

4

Twenty years...?

The fact that she had to endure torture for twenty years was insane. The fact that she had to endure it for the sake of her becoming the ultimate weapon, while also living in the memory-less slumber was worse..

"Twenty years.. did she really not know a thing of all the torture she underwent..?" he asked with a soft voice. His voice was soft because he felt so bad for her. The thought of her enduring all that torture made him feel so angry. His voice tightened slightly due to this anger.

"No, and she shouldn't remember it... if she does, then she would go rampage. The entire purpose of sealing her memories was to make her believe the good in everything, trust her subjects and even humans like you and then the king will unseal her memories of 20 years of torture so she can go out of control." The servant said so seriously and his voice got darker and grim.

The servant was right. If she were to remember all the things she endured for those twenty years.. the things she felt and the things she experienced, she probably wouldn't be so friendly. She would become a totally different person. The thought of her potentially becoming some type of monster was terrifying..

"So the king used her kindness and trusting nature against her... just to unleash a monster?" He said, the anger beginning to creep up inside of him. The fact that her father used her in such a way pissed him off greatly.

"It was the only way to release her purpose, destroying her from her core, letting her remember everything once she trusts and has faith in the goodness of the world. Shattering her from within." The servant explains her calm and gentle nature and then her sudden aggression underneath because of bodily trauma when she got shot by a bullet a few weeks ago, it was because of the hidden aggression she wasn't aware of.

"Please do not mention anything to her once she wakes up, I only told you this so that you're aware of what she might become one day and to prevent it," The servant says before disappearing into the shadows. The sudden disappearance of the servant left him alone with her, who was still sleeping peacefully in his lap. The anger and irritation started to disappear from him as he saw how peaceful and serene she looked as she was sleeping. He wondered what she was dreaming about when she was asleep.

"So this is what you are.." He said, gently stroking your hair. "An innocent and kind girl... who went through such a dark past and who has the potential to become a monster."

The demon hunter realized that he was thinking twice about his promise now that he knew about the grim past she has gone through. Her father is the one responsible for all of her suffering, the one who decided that she would become the ultimate weapon, all of it because she was born weak.

The thought of having to be the one to kill her... after all the things she has gone through, after all the pain she has experienced, if she ever becomes a monster.

He was having second thoughts too.

Her eyes fluttered open and a view of his face made her smile the moment she woke up. "Hello Mister" Aneira greeted softly.

The moment she woke up, he found himself relieved. Her soft eyes staring up at him with the gentle smile upon her lips soothed him a bit.

"Hello, princess.." He greeted back, still stroking her hair gently. The thought of having to kill her if she ever went rampage had been bothering him and made him feel heavy, but seeing how peaceful she looked was making him feel a bit lighter. He decided to set that thought aside for the moment, and just focused on the here and now.

"Mister, I had a nice dream." She says cheerfully as she lifts her head from his lap and cling onto his neck.

His heart thumps when she clings onto him. The sight of her clinging on his neck made him feel warm and it made him smile. He gently held her closer to him.

"..You did?.." He asked in a soft and gentle voice. He couldn't help but feel concerned about the 'nice dream' that she just had. Was it the same dream that gave her the premonition that might come true in the future..?

"It's a dream where Mister and I are playing in the snow at a playground." Such an innocent and pure dream that no one would ever guess that this girl's fate is tied to a darker path. She was so innocent.. it made him feel a bit guilty to know about her past. The fact that she dreamed about him and herself playing in the snow showed just how innocent and naive she was.

"...You dreamed about playing in the snow?" He asked, continuing to stroke her hair gently. The innocent way of talking was really soothing to hear. His fingers gently brushed against her hair, and his eyes looked fondly at her.

"It was a nice dream." Aneira muttered softly, making a snowman on my palm and gave it to him.

"I sense you're a bit stressed, smile more Mister."

He was stressed, yes... but she didn't need to know the real reason. She was innocent and pure, and he didn't want her to worry about it. He smiled and accepted the snowman she gave him.

"It's a nice snowman." He said genuinely, and smiled a bit more.

"I like your smile, Noe" She says sincerely and softly, staring at his face, his eyes and his smile.

Her sincere and gentle words made him feel a bit more at ease. His eyes looked at hers, and his lips curved up. A part of him wondered why he was even having thoughts about killing her. He also liked the way she said his name.

"I like your smile too." He replied back just as sincerely and softly as she was. He was staring at her too, starting at her lips, before slowly making his way up to her eyes.

"Mister, can you close your eyes?" Aneira asked politely, waiting for a response. The sudden way she asked him to close his eyes made him feel intrigued... he did notice how she was staring at him, and when he realized that she hadn't blinked, he decided to do what she wanted.

"Okay. My eyes are closed now, princess." He said, waiting and watching as to what she was going to do next. He couldn't help but to feel curious.

"Thank you again Mister, I'll see you again."
Aneira muttered before inching close to his face and kissed him. She disappeared in nothingness before he opened his eyes.

The moment the feeling of her kissing him was what made him open his eyes. The softness and the warmth of her lips on his caused him to feel that his heartbeat had started to race up.

When he opened his eyes, he didn't see her anymore. But he definitely knew that she had disappeared. He touched his lips, slightly shocked that she had kissed him. He then realized that she had asked him to close his eyes before she kissed him.

"She kissed me..." He mumbled to himself, blushing slightly.