Forgetting his thoughts, Levi pressed onward, making his way to the place where he had spent most of his life—his slum house.
As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the eyes of the people around him, their gazes lingering on him with a mix of curiosity and longing. The residents wore torn clothes, their weary eyes reflecting a hunger that went beyond just food. It was as if the weight of their existence had exhausted them to the point of resignation.
Levi recognized those eyes. They were the sa eyes he had seen in the mirror just a month ago. Back then, he had shared their struggle, feeling the sa gnawing emptiness.
Now, dressed in neat, high-quality clothes purchased with the credits he had earned, he appeared to them as a noble, an outsider who no longer belonged in the slums. Their gazes felt like silent pleas, a collective yearning for help that hung heavy in the air.
So might assu that Levi may feel pity for them, but he didn't.
Why would he?
Just days ago, he had been in their position, grappling with desperation.
Nothing had co easily to him. He had clawed his way through hell to reach a better place, each step fraught with danger.
The only reason he was back in the slums was to visit a friend who had once treated him kindly in this harsh environnt.
He wondered if he might have been inclined to help them if they had helped him back then, but the thought felt too harsh, too unrealistic.
Would he have shared his hard-earned money with a stranger?
Would he have shared his bread, the only piece he would have on a day with soone else?
The answer was clear - Absolutely Not!
why would he?
Deep down, he acknowledged a truth about himself—He was selfish.
He was also delusional to expect help from others.
Yet, that was just who he was.
He was no saint, nor a hero.
He was simply a narrow-minded boy who had learned to accept that fact without sha.
He felt no obligation to carry the burdens of others when he had barely managed to shoulder his own.
For he was the Forsaken!
***
High in the mountains, nestled among the peaks, stood a sprawling mansion built in the traditional Japanese style. The mansion, with its sweeping roofs and intricate woodwork, was the adobe of the Makalani family.
Inside its serene walls, however, tension brewed. Kai stood in front of a corridor, his body had just recovered from the humiliating defeat he had suffered two days prior.
But today, the weight of his failure pressed heavily on him, for he had been summoned by the patriarch of the family - his Father!
As he made his way through the ornate hallways, each step felt heavier than the last. Kai's heart raced, and his palms were slick with sweat.
He knew he had brought sha upon their family na, and the consequences would not be light.
With fear gripping his heart - he walked.
Finally, he reached the heavy wooden door of his father's study. Taking a deep breath, he knocked softly. "Father, it's , Kai."
"Enter," ca the reply, laced with authority.
With a trembling hand, Kai pushed open the door. Inside, the patriarch sat behind an expansive desk littered with docunts and scrolls. The imposing figure of his father, with fiery red hair cascading like a mane, radiated the essence of their god, the Fire Dancer. His presence filled the room with an intensity that made Kai's stomach churn.
Withstanding it, Kai walked in and stood still, not daring to utter a word.
There was silence for a mont and then a voice echoed.
"Do you know what your mistake is?" the patriarch asked, his voice low and dangerous, still focused on the papers before him as if uninterested by anything.
That was far from the truth!
Kai swallowed hard, flinching at the question.
"I do, father. I have shad the na of our family by picking a fight with a commoner. I apologize."
His voice wavered, betraying his fear.
At that mont, flas burst forth from the patriarch, a wave of heat that pushed Kai back.
"You fool!" he roared, the room shaking with the force of his anger. "You don't even know your mistake!"
Kai stumbled, falling onto his backside. He could feel the heat radiating from his father as he struggled to compose himself.
The patriarch's eyes blazed with fury. "It is not that you picked a fight. Your mistake is that you lost! If you pick a fight, you should win—that's the way of the Makalani!"
Kai's heart sank further, and he nodded, tears stinging his eyes.
"You need to understand what it ans to carry our na," his father continued his voice a mix of disappointnt and rage.
"Every challenge is an opportunity to prove yourself. Instead, you allowed a re boy to humiliate you."
Kai bowed his head imdiately, ashad. "I will do better, father. I swear it."
But he didn't seem convinced.
"Go into seclusion. Train hard. I do not want to see your face until you have improved significantly," the patriarch commanded, his voice brokering no argunt.
While Kai imdiately got up and turned to leave.
His shoulders slumped in defeat as he walked out, there was an emotion that blazed in his heart at this mont - Hate!
As he controlled his tears and made his way back - the hate for Levi in his heart grew - so much so that he gritted his teeth and dug his fingers deep into his palm.
This sha - he would rember it.
***
Silence descended the study room as Kai left and a second later, the patriarch's voice cut through the air.
"Kaizer."
A figure materialized in the room as if born from the fire itself, his form flickering with embers. He stood with a stoic expression and a slight bow.
"Where is the boy now?" the patriarch inquired, his tone chilling.
"He is rcenary Federation, they are giving him quite a lot of security," Kaizer answered, his voice steady.
The patriarch's eyes narrowed, flas flickering in their depths. "Can you bring him to ?"
Kaizer shook his head.
"I apologize, patriarch. While I am more than capable, it would be too obvious. If sothing were to happen to the boy now - the Malakani family would be blad - there were too many spectators after all and even the rcenary Federation would not sit still. It would be best to wait until he enters Paradise again."
Silence fell over the room, heavy with tension.
The patriarch's face hardened as he contemplated his options. Then after a brief silence, he spoke again.
"Make sure he pays for laying his hands on the Makalani's heir."
Kaizer looked at the patriarch and bowed slightly, his deanor unwavering.
"Understood."
---***---
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