Inside a run-down room near the classroom, where Hector had just studied, he gently rested his cane on a student’s desk and looked around with pale, vacant eyes as he slowly sat down.
At that mont, sunlight stread through the glass door, casting light on his face and revealing pale skin and the dark circles under his eyes — the marks of sleepless nights filled with nightmares.
His body was gaunt, to the point where much of his muscle had wasted away, exposing his collarbones beneath the thin uniform.
"Where are we going?" Hector asked softly, giving Violet a blank, distant look.
Seeing Hector in such a ruined state, Violet’s eyes welled up with tears. She whimpered, her voice trembling with worry and care.
"W-What happened to you? Y-Your eyes... and your whole state?"
She tried to hold back a wave of emotion. If she hadn’t, she probably would’ve thrown her arms around him like a child right then.
"Nothing..." Hector whispered, shaking his head lightly. He slowly reached his hand out to her. At first, it only touched her hair — he couldn’t quite place her exact position. But then, he paused, surprised.
It was long and soft, clearly well cared for. It might that was still be dark hair as before, yet it was really different as at this mont, her more than half hair was silver as snow.
Then suddenly, an invisible pull guided his hand to her cheek as if she intentionally wanted him to touch on it more and more. It was soft — like a baby’s skin. He gently caressed it and felt warm tears rolling down her cheek onto his hand.
He could feel Violet’s sadness at this ti.
A wave of emotion washed over him. For once, Hector didn’t push her away. He just... let it be. He barely had any emotional rejection like before.
He thought, "After a year, she seems to have grown a lot. If I saw her, maybe I would’ve gone insane. She really looks like that child I... killed."
His fate was actually harsh as God gave him a chance to et her again, but he didn’t want to et her, so that was why he always had a certain resistance each ti he saw her, but now, he rembered everything, he barely had any reason to discomfort her presence as before.
Hector gave Violet a faint, bitter smile and turned back his hand.
"Since when... did we end up with this kind of relationship? You’re a daughter of a Mythic- Rank Individual. You should cut off any dirty hands that touch you.’’
Imdiately, the emotional atmosphere was shattered with Hector’s harsh words.
"E-Even you?" Violet’s voice caught in her throat before she finally managed to ask.
Hector just smiled faintly and gave a slight nod.
"Yes. Even . I’m just trash. A commoner. I don’t deserve anything from you."
He slowly glanced down at his hand, even though he couldn’t see it — and grimaced in anger.
"My hands are already soaked in the filthiest things in the world. I feel sick just thinking about it."
...
" W-What really happened to you?"
Hector’s voice turned stern as he clenched his fists tightly.
"I’ve got nothing to say to you! Everything I’ve suffered is the price of my own foolish innocence."
"Nooo!" Violet suddenly burst into sobs and threw her arms around him before he could react.
Hector’s exhalation jagged for a while before Violet’s sudden action.
Feeling the warmth of her hug and the quiet sounds of her crying, Hector let out a long, bitter breath. He tried to return the hug, just like she did... but he couldn’t. His body stayed cold, distant. Instead, he whispered:
"My Lady , please...just forget . You can’t be this soft. We barely know each other for long enough, don’t we?"
But Violet buried her face deeper into his chest, shouting through her sobs:
"No! I don’t know! But... I’ve had a dream!"
Hector sighed again. To him, it sounded like the naive dream of a child... until her next words made his expression freeze.
"Ever since I t you, I’ve been dreaming. There’s always soone in white, and I’m lying in a bed with weird chanical tools... and I see soone they call ’Doctor.’ That man... he feels strangely familiar to . Like you. I don’t understand it, but I want to see him again and again. I tried to forget, but the more I try, the more I miss him. And my hair... more than half of it turned white after that."
"I believe that..."
"STOP!" Hector suddenly shouted, cutting off Violet’s words before it went too far.
"We don’t owe each other anything anymore! It’s over — and I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense. Don’t talk to about a child’s dream! Start acting like soone of your status!"
Despite saying that, he was clearly struggling to keep himself together. Every ti he thought about Violet’s words, his head throbbed in pain.
His breathing grew ragged. He staggered, grabbing onto the edge of a table, then suddenly shoved her away from him.
"You see? She’s your weakness."
A voice with no source echoed through the air.
"Shut up! Why don’t you just disappear?!" Hector yelled in rage, the voice ringing inside his head.
"Disappear? Why the hell should I? Huh? You thieving bastard. At least have so manners when you’re using my body."
Bit by bit, a figure began to form — rising from the blur of an unclear illusion in front of Hector.
It was a young man with sharp features and blue hair, arms crossed, staring down at Hector. He looked like him — but stronger, healthier, more in control.
The figure glanced sideways at Violet, who was trying to help Hector to his feet.
"I’d handle this body much better if you’d just let go."
"You’re just an illusion," Hector growled, eyes locked on the air.
Violet, confused and worried, asked gently from beside him as Hector spouted the nonsensical words into the void as a ntally ill patient.
"Are you okay?"
Hector winced, clearly uncomfortable. He pulled his hand away from her.
Then, the strange voice returned.
"I’m not an illusion. I’ve told you that again and again. If you’d just give it back to , I’d be more than happy to repay your pain — I’d kill every last one of them who hurt you."
"Tch... What could a hallucination even do?" Hector muttered as he sank down, trying to collect himself, ignoring Violet completely.
"You’ve really forgotten, haven’t you? How do you think you slaughtered a thousand prisoners without the elite martial art of my clan? You didn’t even hesitate or feel guilty ... Because it was my body moving then."
"Just let go already. I’ll take care of everything."
Hector sat there, lost in thought, exhausted. His mind was a ss. Everything he had suffered, every ounce of guilt — it all ca crashing down. For a split second, his eyes showed hesitation.
"I get you!"
The figure lunged toward him.
Hector crashed to the floor, groaning in pain as his body trembled. He clawed at the ground, barely holding on.
"Uncle!" Violet scread in panic, rushing to his side — but Hector lifted a trembling hand, stopping her.
"C-Call Tyrone... He’s in my classroom... Hurry..."
His fist slamd into the floor, cracking it, the impact sending a shockwave across the room.
"NOW!!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)