Rekindle The Light

Chapter 6: Deep History

Solgard.

One of the three human kingdoms. It is known for its military strength, and the Hyperions are a prime example.

The Hyperions are the kingdom's royal family and are no short of martial geniuses. They're characterized by their brown hair and bright orange eyes,

For generations, the greatest martial artists have been produced by the family. Some believe it's genetics; some believe it's a gift from the gods. While those could be true, part is undoubtedly attributed to the Raikkonen.

The Raikkonen is a long-standing tradition in the household. Once a child is old enough, they leave the palace to prove themselves worthy. Whether defeating a great beast or leading an army to victory, the children perfect their skills in actual battle, and the child who achieves this feat first gets succession to the throne.

Alice's Raikkonen had been stagnant for a while. She struggled to find anything worthy of the challenge, but this case might be it. Whatever created that orb was powerful if it could control a beastman.

Even though she wasn't fond of the idea, she had to try to use Nagano to find more clues.

She sighed softly. It has been a strange couple of days—

A branch cracked in the distance, pulling Alice out of her thoughts. She saw Nagano emerging from the forest, carrying an Elitha.

"Woah, nice catch!" She exclaimed as she examined the creature closer. "What kind of trap did you set up?"

Nagano looked at her blankly. "Trap? I just threw my dagger at it." He said casually. He handed her the creature and grabbed some firewood to build a fire.

He what? Elitha are notorious for their agile speeds and fast reaction times, making them extremely difficult to catch. She laughed slightly. There was a lot to learn about this beastman.

***

The campfire offered Alice comforting warmth. They were silent, but the awkwardness from before had seemed to start lessening. It was dark, and she couldn't see anything past the first few trees around her.

She stared at the cooked Elitha meat. Nagano had skinned and cooked the creature by himself. It would be rude not to eat it... but it was nothing like the food she usually ate. It was much more primitive. However, the emptiness in her stomach convinced her to ignore her hesitation.

As she bit down, the meat was tender. It had a slightly gamey taste, but it was delicious nonetheless. She chowed down without reserve, only to pause when she noticed Nagano's amused look.

"W-what..." she murmured as she wiped their mouth clean of juices. She felt a subtle heat rising to her face out of embarrassment.

Nagano shook his head. "It's nothing... You just remind me of someone."

"Well, the food is good. Where did you learn to cook?"

Something flickered in Nagano's expression. Sadness, Regret? Alice didn't know, but she was sure she saw it.

"I used to cook food with my mother. Eventually, I also began to cook in my free time, especially for my little sister."

"Your sister?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Yumi. She loved everything I used to make. Or at least that's what she would say." He chuckled slightly, but there was a sadness behind it.

"Loved?" Alice was silent for a moment, and it dawned on her. "Oh, Nagano..."

He shook his head. "No, don't worry about it."

They were silent for a long time before he spoke up again. "I'm going to sleep, " he said and turned away from her, heading to the makeshift bed he had constructed earlier that day. Alice wanted to apologize for bringing it up, but she knew anything she said would only worsen things.

She stared into the fire. The heat was almost overwhelming now. She rose from the ground and put the fire out before getting ready to sleep.

▬▬ι|═══════ﺤ

Crimson. The color of Love. The color of Anger. The color of Blood. The color on my hands and clothes, Dad's wound, Yumi's sun dress. All covered in blood. Their blood. The rain poured down, washing away the pooling red beneath them. This can't be happening, please. I held onto Yumi tightly. Her pulse was only getting weaker. Dad was already gone; his breathing had stopped long ago, and Yumi was fading fast, too. Please let me at least save her. I heard the faint cry of sirens far in the distance, but I knew I was too late. I desperately tried to cover her wound, but the blood just seeped through my fingers. Yumi looked up at me. She had that smile on again. She always smiled. Whenever it was raining or when I failed a test or when I had problems with kids in school or when I was scared or—or when she was dying in my grasp.

"Yumi." I sobbed, and she just held me close. I should be comforting her; she shouldn't be comforting me.

"It's okay, Nagi," she assured, but her voice was weak—softer than usual. Her voice was always comforting, and I always found it soothing when I was frustrated.

"Please don't go; you can't leave me alone. Im sorry, I'm so sorry. For everything. For those times when I teased you. For those times I-"

"Shh," she whispered and placed a comforting hand on my cheek. Her soft hand sharply contrasted with the harsh world I was in. "I forgive you. Just remember, it's not your fault," she insisted.

I wanted to believe her, but how could I? I led her and Dad into this. It's my fault. My fault, my fault, my–

Yumi's hand went limp and fell off my cheek. The remaining warmth of her body was gone. The cold downpour was the only reminder that this was real. The only thing he felt.

An eternity passed by the time the ambulance arrived. They pulled me off of Yumi. I wanted to resist, to stay by her side, but I didn't have the energy for that. I watched as they carried Yumi and Dad's lifeless bodies away. Mom got there soon after and rushed over to me, but when she saw Yumi and Dad, she looked at me with a strange expression–one I had never seen her wear. Resentment? I'm not sure anymore. I just wanted to go to sleep. I felt so tired. I wanted it all to end.

_______________

Nagano gasped as he sat up. His hands trembled, but he was relieved when no blood was on them. He looked around, and he was back in the forest. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the moon was starting to hide away behind the horizon. Nagano wiped his cheeks, which were damp from tears. That dream again... He glanced over at Alice, who was still fast asleep.

Nagano stood up. He headed over to a nearby stream, further in the forest, and crouched beside it. He splashed his face, the cool water waking him up and returning him to reality. He stared into his reflection in the stream. It was all so surreal to him, yet at the same time, he felt little about it. The only noticeable feeling was the dull pain, the weight in his heart after the dream last night.

The leaves rustled behind him, making him jolt slightly—Alice. She came over to him and crouched down beside him.

"Good morning, " she said softly, with a subtle smile. Something in her tone seemed more reserved than normal. Nagano nodded in silent acknowledgment. They sat in silence for a moment before she spoke up again.

"I know we just met, but if you ever need someone to vent to, I'm all ears." She had that teasing smile on, but beneath it was a genuine expression.

Nagano thought about accepting the offer, but honestly, he was scared. He had been hurt and gotten hurt by others one too many times now.

"Thank you, but I'm alright." He looked up from the stream at Alice, and she nodded, reassuringly squeezing his arm. "Alright, well, you know where to find me." She replied as she stood up, stretching widely. "Shall we get going? We should be able to get into town by noon if we hurry." She turned around and began walking away. "Last one, there is a rotten egg!" She teased.

Nagano stood up and felt a subtle smile playing on his lips at her childish banter. It had been a long time since someone had acted like this with him—like a friend. Nagano followed after her.