Hey all, time for chapter 7! This one took me slightly longer than expected, but its finally done. Couldn't have done it without your support! C:
I would like to give a big shout out to Kinok for following, thank you so much! :D
Feedback is always welcome!
Now, shall we move onto the next chapter~?
Brother...
Aren...why are you doing this...?
At this rate, you and those demons shall completely destroy Fahrmann...our home!
Just what happened? Why did you suddenly become one of them...? The ones we are sworn to fight against for the sake of our Moon Stone...how could you forget your duty so easily...? Training so intensely everyday, ever since you were little, to become the Defence Captain of Fahrmann's capital...did all of that mean nothing to you?
He kicks me in the stomach, I try to block it with my spear but fail, I fall back-first onto the floor. The cold, hard floor. What is this room I've collapsed into...? I've never been to this room before. To my side I see a cracked, dusty hairpin...those patterns on it...I'm sure I've seen it before.
Aren...he strides towards me. An bored, uninterested expression on him. He doesn't care for this fight, he doesn't even that the person he's trying to kill is his own sister.
"Aren!" I cough.
He walks a little closer before stopping.
"How many more times are you going to call me by that name?" He whispers.
"What...happened to you...Aren? Why are you doing this?"
He emits a small shockwave from his body, I smack against a wall. Even when I'm down...he's hurting me so much...
"Shut up. Stop acting like we know each other, its extremely irritating. This place has already succumbed to our forces. Fahrmann and its people are dead. All that's left is you.
"N-no..." I speak in disbelief.
They're...they're all dead...? All of them...? I'm...the only one left...
"Stay in denial if you want to, it doesn't matter. You won't be in this world for much longer." He smiles.
"You're...you're going to kill me?"
"Yes...I could have just easily let one of my forces kill you quickly...but since I've decided to become someone new...I must destroy everything from my past life with my own hands. That's why...you shall die by me."
No...no...Aren...how could you...? Not only are you going to take the Moon Stone away from this city...but you're going to kill me too? You're...not the Aren Haan...that I know and love. Even if you kill me, I cannot allow you to take that stone away.
"...Oh...? Is that so? Then perhaps you'll want some extra help?" A voice whispers in my head.
What...who just spoke to me?
"That doesn't matter right now, your older brother is about to kill you, you know. I can help, of course." The voice speaks again.
I look at Aren as he unsheathes his black sword. He's going to end me...without hesitation...though...it seems he hasn't heard the voice just now...
"Hey...you know he's going to kill you any second now...right?" The voice questions.
Okay...I understand...I don't know who you are...but I do need help. I can't let Aren do this.
"Good. Then grab that hairpin."
The hairpin...why...?
"This isn't the time for questions...do it now!" It shouts at me as Aren strikes down his black, aura-covered sword.
I have no choice...I have to trust the voice...!
I do as the voice requested, reach for the hairpin and hold it tight. At the same instant everything glows white...I can feel my body getting stronger...it stands up and blocks Aren's attack easily. It gets into a confident, ready position for counterattacking...this is so...strange...I have no control over anything happening...why...? How have I recovered so quickly...and why is my body moving on its own...?
"W-what...?" He says to himself, startled.
My head turns to Aren and smiles by itself. My mouth...its moving...how is it moving...?
"Be honest-
A different voice, from my mouth, says smugly to Aren. I involuntarily brush my now-white hair and curl it behind my ears.
"-you've been waiting for this kind of fight...haven't you?" The voice finishes.
Yes. He's getting even stronger. Wonderful. Everything is going exactly as I predicted. The uncontrollable child with white hair...he has already escaped from his prison. I knew he could do it. Yes...keep going down your path, young one. Your ultimate rise to power shall soon happen...
"Amnesia...?"
The tall, young man with short hair looks at me. I cannot tell if he seems worried or confused about me. He's fiddling with the side of his sleek, black jacket...fiddling with something when in deep thought...that seems...somehow...familiar...
"Yes. That's what I think...I can't recall anything that happened before waking up here." I reply.
"You seem to be taking this very easily..."
"Worrying frantically won't solve anything, right?" I shrug.
"Heh...you're definitely more mature than most children your age." He smiles.
I look him in the eyes. His stare, his hard expression. Its unsettling...but at some moments..when he smiles to me... showing a bit of emotion...I think I like those moments...
"I must admit though, you are absolutely adorable..." He says, looking slightly dazed.
"Hm?"
His eyes widen. He quickly scratches his head and turns his head away.
"Err...sorry...didn't know what I was saying...p-please ignore whatever I just said!"
"S-sure..." I say slowly.
'Adorable'...? I'm adorable? He had barely showed much emotion until he said that I was adorable...perhaps...he has a weakness to cute things.
I look down at myself. I'm wearing a small, simple white dress. My hands and feet are so small...so fragile...for some reason...it doesn't feel right. I pat my head feel the top of it...strange...I feel as though something should be there...on my head.
"Is there...anything you can remember? Anything at all?" He asks once his face is no longer red.
I close my eyes and search through my thoughts...somewhere...my memories are there...far yet close...I...I can't reach them properly.
"Chains." I say eventually.
The man tilts his head and gives me an unsure face.
"...Chains?" He repeats.
"Yes...I remember chains...a lot of them..."
"Is that all you remember...?"
"Yes."
He strokes and plays with his hair.
"That's no good. You should remember more than that. We need to find your family." He says to me.
Family...? A family...do I have one...I'm not sure...
A family...people you're close around...people you've known for a long time. People that genuinely care for you...people that take care of you when you're sick...people that are always by your side...no matter what...a family...please tell me I have one...I want one so bad...
I hardly notice the tears in my eyes, I try to blink them away but fail...they roll down my face...the man...he frowns. He's now upset too. I rub my cheeks to try to dry my face of my tears.
"A family...I want one..." I whimper...
My small tears down into proper ones, I begin to wail...I dig my face into the blanket on me and let out my tears...it feels like its been forever since I've cried. It feels like something I've been holding back for so long...
What...
What is this...warm feeling around me...?
The man...his arms are around me. His warmth comforting me...I can't help but hug him back. I bury my head into his chest and cry some more...I can't control my emotions any longer...a family...I'll do anything for something like that...
"...Its going to okay. We'll find your family, you'll get your memories back...I'll...I'll fix all of this." He whispers while softly brushing my hair with his big hand.
"You...you promise?"
He breaks our hug and stares at me. A certain, confident look on his face.
"I promise." He tells me.
Suddenly I no longer feel like crying...I don't know why...but he makes me feel like everything will turn out alright. We'll find my family. I'll be reunited with them...everything will be alright.
"Sorry for being such a burden to you. Losing my memories...bothering you by staying at your place..." I apologize.
He waves his hand dismissively.
"Don't mention it. Kids in this village are messing around and getting lost everyday. Its nothing new." He says blankly.
Eh...? His hard, cold expression is back...hm...it was nice while it lasted, I suppose.
"So we'll go around the village and search for my family tomorrow?" I ask.
"That's the plan."
"Oh...! I forgot to ask..." I suddenly say to myself.
"What?"
"Um...well...I never asked your name since I woke up..." I say, lowering my head.
How could I be so stupid...? He's giving me shelter and everything and I didn't ask his name...
I look up at him, greeted with his rare smile again. He pats my head.
"Call me...Ciel." He sighs coolly.
I see...so they have already met now. That was sooner than I anticipated...no...its no problem...I've already seen what happens to the two of them. They'll be dead in the next few days...looking for a family...so the Demon Lord has lost her memories of before...interesting...you know what? I think I'll watch what'll happen next to them for a while. This could be...entertaining...
