Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage Vol 2- Descent of Darkness

Episode 92: Familiar Face

*Silas*

I gasped as I stared at the young man standing before. He looked so much like Dante...

"B-brother?" I said, reaching a hand out.

"H-huh?" he asked, looking at me funny. "Bro-brother?"

I lowered my head and hand. This guy wasn't him... his eyes, they were a give away. The Dan I knew had red eyes, not golden eyes. Yet, part of me still wished it were him. The brother I had lost years ago.

"Hey, brother, are you alright? I told you to be careful," a boy yelled as he emerged from an alley. He ran up to the Dan-look-alike and glanced over at me. "Can I help you, sir?"

I turned away. "No, it's nothing..."

I walked away slowly. I clenched my chest. I came to a stop and leaned against the stone wall of the building next to the hotel. 

My heart felt like it had been shattered all over again. Would the day ever come in which I could see him again? Or was he truly lost forever to the sea of darkness?

I wanted to say sorry... to apologize for having hurt him. I wanted to go back, back to when I was a kid. Back to that time when I still looked up to him, before I choose my fake friends over my true friend and brother.

"Silas?" a voice called out. "Is everything alright?"

I glanced up and saw that it was Marina. "What are you doing here?" I asked, wiping my eyes with my sleeves before she could notice that they were watery. "Why did you return?"

She furrowed her brow. "I noticed that you had fallen far behind, so I figured something was wrong."

I smiled. She truly did know me well.

I sighed. "You should've continued on ahead."

She directed her eyes straight into mine and placed her hands on my shoulders. "I won't do that to a friend. I rather see that he's fine than to win a stupid game."

I averted my gaze. "You're a good friend, Mari..." What did I do to deserve having someone like her? Someone like me deserved to have no friends instead. Yet, that wasn't the case. If anyone, it should've been Dan here... while I should've been in that dark world...

"Sy," Marina said, pressing her head against my chest.

"Huh? M-Marina, what are you doing?" I asked as my heart felt like it would leap out my chest.

"I'm hugging you of course. You look like you could use a hug," she said, continuing to hold me tightly.

I laughed. "You really are the best friend a person can ask for."

Marina glanced up at me. She had a beaming smile on her face. "There's that chuckle I love!"

I gulped. "L-love?"

"Yeah, I love it when you laugh, Sy!" she said, slowly letting go of me.

My heart fluttered even more than it already had been. 

"I... I see," I said, continuing to look away.

She took my hand. "Come on, let's go! I want to see you swimming!"

"Huh? W-wait, Mari, I..."

Marina grinned. "What? You aren't going to tell me that you were lying back in the hotel, are you?"

I bit my lip. "Ah... of course not! I'll have you know that I swim like a fish!"

"Really? Now I'm even more excited!" she said, giggling.