Stephen was feeling conflicted towards himself. The emotions he felt at himself was not eaten by Mood Festival as decided for it to not to. He wanted to deal with the aftermath by himself, to prepare for the future which about to come.

Numbness and indifference are what can be around within himself for what he have done. This went against the teaching he was brought up as he was raised in morally upright family. Some say that as a human, empathy defined humanity but indifferent mindset which tempted someone to focus solely on one desires and goals removed one's value and denied one's humanity.

He lives according to his family teaching, abiding the rule of society as he considered it as the right thing to do. Society deemed that killing in self defense was justified, something he agreed with as he would choose his life over his aggressors. But If this was his previous life, he wouldn't kill someone who was already incapacitated and unconscious as he would left them to proper authorities.

It brought conflict within him as Stephen decided to went against the teaching he held close in remembrance to his previous life. He denied Liam of the chance of salvation if even there is a chance for him to turned over new leaf. However, the possibility of Liam continuing his business in trafficking was high if he's been in this industry for a long time. It's hard to turn back from the underworld, be it because of wealth or even threat.

Stephen based his decision with logic over morality as he killed Liam with a stab at the head through his eyes. In doing so he removed Liam's chance to continue his business, sparing his future victims from what would've befallen them. Some would even say that in denying Liam's chance and humanity, he betrayed his own.

If there's a chance of him going back, he didn't want them to see him right now; assuming before confirming that he was fighting a traffickers, killing them, and then desecrating their corpses for loot.

Currently, Stephen walked in somber silence toward Kuroyuri with mud-covered sackcloth that he made from his enemies wardrobe. Later he sneak in at night as he didn't want people to question the sack or even realizing that the mud was covering a bloodstains.

Maroon looked at Stephen silent form during their lunch. It's almost been a day and finally getting on his nerve. No banter, no ridiculing remarks, and no strange thing that Stephen usually did. Perpetual frown replaced his usually plain face that screams boredom.

It could be chalked off to brainstorming mode that Stephen have once in awhile but Maroon know better. Maroon didn't know what happen during his unusual stroll in the forest but it gnawed on Stephen. Setting him aside from the usual antics that he'd do.

"Do you want to talk about it or do you want to keep sulking and wait for it to blow up?" Maroon didn't mince his words, which made Stephen looked at him dryly. "Do you really talked like that with troubled children at my age?"

Maroon scoffed before he took a gulp from his mug. "Children at your age? I don't think that you're a children at all. You're more like a goblin prancing around acting like human children." Maroon looked at Stephen mug and empty bowl before he met Stephen in the eyes.

"With lunch out of the way we can finally talked about what happened to you." Maroon squinted his eyes at Stephen small form. "Did you do something you regret yesterday?"

"No," Stephen averted his eyes toward his hand. "I don't really regret what I did." He paused with a sigh before he continue. "It's just.. I'm.. feeling conflicted for it."

Maroon looked at Stephen with surprise in his eyes. Stephen was a kid that don't regret and in fact relishing with scaring children not far above his age with those abominations he can summons.

"How do I put this," Stephen paused to mulled over his words. "I remembers a bit about my family not long ago. Mostly the things that they teach, few moment here and then, and how they brought me up." Maroon didn't interrupt as Stephen talks.

"It's just.. those are things to cherish right? Especially if I can't reached out to them. But.. what I did yesterday was going against what they teach to me, in fact I don't even think I can met them without being ashamed of myself."

Maroon saw grimaced face of Stephen before opened his mouth. "Will you do that again? The thing that you did?" Maroon was never good with talking and counseling someone else so he wouldn't and couldn't mince his words.

"Yeah, I think it's bound to happen again." Maroon just stare at Stephen without breaking eye contact for awhile before he asked again. "Does it.. harm anyone? Someone innocent?"

Maybe. It's not like people he will kill in the future is hundred percent evil. Maybe they're being blackmailed, have their family taken, or many other circumstances. In killing those people, he could indirectly harmed innocent.

"Possibly, I wouldn't know all the time." Maroon leaned heavily on his chair at Stephen's answer. "I did what I did to people who deserve it."

Only few things came up within Maroon's mind. Either Stephen stole something, scammed someone, or seriously harmed someone. The first two was ruled out as Stephen dislike the first and he already did the second week ago. As for the last.. he doesn't know what could make Stephen hurt someone and how much harmed he caused that he started to felt conflicted.

"I don't think you want to tell me what it is but I think I get the gist of what you did and.. in my whole life, if it's necessary and there is no other way then do it." God knows how much harmed he did to other people like those bandit that attacked Kuroyuri years ago. "Just remember that.. you need to cherish life. I won't talk about the sanctity of it as I don't even sanctify it. Hell I did bad towards people who harmed other and.. I'm not proud of it. I don't know much harm you inflict but as long as you stay it out of innocent then it's fine.

And if you remembered your family then will you hurt people who hurt them? I'm sure as hell will and probably go out of the line but I won't hurt their family."

Stephen could only blankly stared at Maroon as he deliver his speech. Stephen then smiled and thanked Maroon.

"Necessity but stayed it out of innocent huh? Yeah I think you're right. Thanks gramps. I'll remember your words." Maroon gave him a grin and slapped him on the shoulder from across the table. "Damn right you will son."

Maroon then stood up and went toward the doors. "Since we're done with that, come with me." Maroon acted as if there is no serious and bonding moment a moment ago.

"Where are we going?" Stephen stood up and followed Maroon to the door. "We're not bringing anything." Maroon doesn't carry his bow and quiver, He doesn't even brought small bag that he wears on his waist. He only clad in a plain red and blue checkered shirt with leather jacket covering it as top, worn out grey pant, and weary brown old boots.

"Fletcher's workshop." He opened the door and looked at Stephen in the eyes. "I'll probably spent a lot for this." Grumbled Maroon.

"Wait, Fletcher got a workshop?" Stephen stood up and went with Maroon. "So he really did make arrows?"

Maroon laughed for a bit. "One of many things that he crafted and you, will learn his craft."

"I never went to many workshop before but I think calling this workshop is insult to other workshops."

Messy arrangements of tools, scattered woodchips and sawdust that gets everywhere, leftover off failed carpentry products that piled up in the corner of the room, and many more. Messy workshop does not cover what laid in front of Maroon and Stephen. Ship wreckage is more likely fit.

The owner of this so called workshop appeared to be making something with laser focus with his back on them with headphone sticking to his ears. Fletcher's table which he was using appeared to be the cleanest in this place. Maroon then nudged Stephen to walked closer and watched Fletcher's work.

As they got closer after being careful of scattered tools in it, Stephen could see rough outline of what appeared to be unbend bow. The design was still plain with no hint of personal touch or anything that added flair to it.

Only when they're close enough that Fletcher realized their presence in the room. He turned to look behind and put off his headphone after be saw who came to his workshop.

"Grumpy old man and his madlad. What do you want from me? It's unusual for you to brought him along to here." He places the unfinished product aside before he crossed his arms. "Are you finally going to give him a bow?"

"No," Maroon then pushed Stephen forward towards Fletcher. "The kid will learn how to do that from you."

"And what's in for me?"

"Clean and neatly arrange workshop, a helping hand, pupil to share your knowledge and a some lien sounds good enough?" Maroon stated his bargain, which got Stephen attention. Especially the first two.

"Wait, wait, I need to clean AND arrange this place too? That probably took more time than learning from him!" His complaint was ignored as Maroon and Fletcher discuss the agreement.

"Do we have a deal?" Fletcher weight it for a bit. "It's a good term but still not enough."

"Not enough? What made it enough? Cook and cleaned your lawn every week?" Stephen mumbled under his breath. Something that was heard by both older man in the workshop.

"That sounds good enough?" Grinned Maroon, something that Fletcher shared. "Yeah, sounds good."

Stephen eyes twitched as irritation filled him. "You bastards are cahoots. Does my input really unneeded?"

"No." both exclaimed at the same times which Stephen responded with middle fingers at both of them.

'Hope you two enjoys night filled with my Nen beasts.'

--To be continue.

AN: Welp, emotional moment are hard. Especially if it about taking someone's life and counseling someone whose did it. From personal experience of people I knew, some are filled with guilt and remorse, other was jaded through their experience and upbringing or even mental condition.

In this case, Stephen was the later. At the first part he believed that his empathy as a proper human being was something that being taught into instead of something he had since the beginning but in actuality it's not. There is more to it as he was killed and then stuck in the Void then floated for who knows how long. Before he kinda made a peace with it as stated in previous chapter, he thought that the world could not know of his suffering or else some action would be taken.

He felt the insignificant of his existence, he felt abandoned and forgotten. Through it he felt the sting of indifference, something he carried after he got out. That is why he clung into his past teaching as remembrance of who he is, someone who has a family and has a meaning no matter how small it is. Killing and the feeling of indifference that came with it, is going against what he believes in (his previous life).

Then again I'm not psychologist, I probably got it wrong but eh, hope I did good writing it and conveyed his character.

Leave your thoughts or even meme. Maybe some review.