"I have no use of you anymore, child. You disappointed me." The Black Mage coldly looked down at her as she was struggling to fight for her life. She wasn't the star child that the Black Mage was trying to find for all his years of tyranny. But it was just me all along.

"P-please... spare her life... I'll do anything you want!" I struggled to shout those words for the Black Mage to hear as my blood flows to the ground.

Yet my words never did anything to save their lives.

Flashback

I decided to visit Lucia near Henesys again. She has been feeling sick for the past few days. I told her that we should a physician but she declined. I was clueless as to why she wouldn't want to.

"Lucia, are you still feeling unwell?" I asked her as I sat beside her. She didn't respond immediately but she leaned her face on my hand as I caressed her cheeks.

"Luminous... I told you to always close a door whenever you come in. You'll never know when a mushroom comes in looting." Her house wasn't huge but it was huge enough for her alone. It didn't have a room. Her kitchen, bathroom, dining tables, and bed were all in one place.

"Don't be silly." We smiled at each other and closed the door. Instead of sitting beside her again, I laid down at the bed and shared the same blanket. It was big enough for the both of us. I changed my position after a few minutes of silence. I placed my knee bent on one side on her and rested my head on my hand for me to gaze on her face.

"You're so heavy..." She said.

"No, I'm not." I replied and chuckled at her.

"What's so funny?" She pouted and her eyebrows nearly met.

"Nothing. You just look beautiful even when you're sick." She faintly smiled and her cheeks were already turning pink.

"Luminous..."

"Yes?"

"Do you want to have your own family one day?"

"Yes." Although I became curious why she asked such questions, I still answered without any hesitations. My friends and the people from Aurora were the only family I knew. I was happy even if I never knew where I came from... thinking it was pointless to look for the people who abandoned me.

"Then promise me..."

"Promise you what?" I asked her.

She became silent. My curiosity began to grow and became uneasy. She turned to me and rose from her bed. She looked down on me with a smile and said...

"That you will be a great and kind father to this child I am carrying now."

"NO!" I screamed. It was a nightmare. My heart was pounding, trying to catch my breath. After a few moments, I finally calmed myself. I realized that I was confined in one of the rooms in the Aurora headquarters. The sun was starting to rise... I tried standing up from my bed but was unable to do so. There was a huge pain in my body that I couldn't tolerate.

"Lucia…"

My torso, my forehead, and my right arm has been covered in bandages. Trying to make sense of all that has happened, the physical pain that I was feeling couldn't equal to the pain of that nightmare has inflicted in my soul. I felt so... angry... despaired… it was a nightmare that was real.

"She's gone." Vieren was there.

"Master…!" I didn't notice his presence. My mind has been too occupied of the terrible events that has happened.

"You have to rest more, Luminous. I have already communicated with Afrien about your situation. He will be arriving in an hour to heal your wounds so you can recover faster. The Black Mage is still—"

"SHE'S GONE!" I interrupted him.

"WHY DO I STILL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THESE PEOPLE? FOR THE MAPLE WORLD? LUCIA IS GONE! MURDERED!" the pain was too unbearable for me to control myself. The Light within me was starting to fade. All I could feel was hatred. Yet feeling that kind of emotion couldn't help. I wanted to just die.

Vieren kept silent.

"…the very reason for my being is gone. But what else can I do? I am just a mere child of the Light. The discarded Light. It is all my fault, Master…" the tears started to crawl down my cheeks. I couldn't contain my tears any longer. I clenched both of my fists as I kept sobbing.