Broken Promises | Owari no Seraph

Prologue: The Promise of That Spring

When I was a child, I had one wish: to be always together with the ones I held dear. 

If they liked me as well, we could be happy with each other.

I thought it was that simple—that they would never leave my side as long as I held onto them.

Even if something came between us, there'd be a solution within my reach. 

I took it as given.

But I was too naïve.

✿ ✿ ✿

"Say, Guren-kun, Mā-chan." A five-year-old brunette called her friends of her same age.

A boy with black hair just hummed in response.

"What is it, Mī-chan?" The girl who was called "Mā-chan" asked with her mellow voice.

"Do you like being together with me?" The brunette asked while playing with her red ribbon that was tied on the left side of her hair.

"Of course!" By her right side, the ashen-haired girl replied with a sweet smile as always.

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't." The boy answered from her left side, as if it was something obvious.

"Then, if the three of us could always spend time together like this, wouldn't that be the happiest thing?" The brunette asked with a grin as she watched the blue sky.

"That would be wonderful." The ashen-haired girl answered with a soft expression.

"I know, right?" The brunette said as she waved her hands with enthusiasm.

"...But the main house won't allow this. You and I are from the lowest branch families after all." He stated as he stared down.

"Then, I just have to kidnap Mā-chan!" She said with a fist pump. On the right, her friend seemed a bit amused at her response.

"I look forward to that." The ashen-haired girl said.

"No, no, that's impossible..." The boy sweat-dropped.

"If you don't try, you won't know!" The brunette insisted.

"You see, I love Guren-kun and Mā-chan soooo much that I want us to be together. That's why, I'll do everything I can to make that possible!" She beamed with happiness, as their eyes widen at her confession.

"What about you both? Do you love me?" 

"I like Mī-chan. I love you~." Her female friend sang in joy. "Of course, Guren too."

At that, the brunette was ecstatic and turned her gaze towards the boy. She had sparkling eyes when she leaned over to him, expecting a similar reply. He averted his purple eyes from her as she was a bit close.

"...I'm not going to say it." The black-haired boy mumbled in monotone with a slight blush.

"Eeehhh, but I wanna hear Guren-kun saying it!" The brunette whined, puffing her cheeks.

"Guren is just too embarrassed to say it, Mī-chan." The other girl chuckled.

"I'm not embarrassed!" He denied it with his cheeks reddening, now making the blush visible.

"Aaah! Guren-kun is blushing!" She exclaimed, pointing at the boy.

"Ha?! Who is blushing?!" The blush deepened even more and the girls laughed together at his expression.

Basking in the sunlight, the children simply watched the vast sky in silence.

"Hey." It was the brunette again. "Let's pinky-promise to each other! To be together in the future like this."

"That's too sudden." The black-haired boy said.

"Why not? Let's make one!" The brunette lifted her pinky. "It'd be nice if we could be together, no matter our status or houses."

"Impossible."

"Jeez, impossible this, impossible that! You always say that, Guren-kun!" She pouted.

"And you say things that are hard to keep." He frowned.

"It's fine! I'll be strong enough to keep it! Right, Mā-chan?"

"Mm-hmm." The ashen-haired girl smiled as she showed her pinky. "Let's become stronger."

Both girls turned to look at the boy, who sighed.

"...It's not very convincing, but fine by me." He said, raising his pinky, and they joined their fingers together.

"It's a promise!" The brunette announced and looked at her friends, before embracing them tightly in her arms.

✿ ✿ ✿

Our promised future might have been nothing more than wishful thinking, but I really thought I could achieve it.

For those days, where we could just be ourselves and be happy together.

It wasn't until much later that I realized......

That those peaceful days...would never come again.