"My dad died that day… but a Lowborn like you is alive?"
It should be said that even though the Explorer Academy near Old York was far and away from the city, the Explorer Association building was dab smack right in the center of the city, just a few walks from the central park.
And suffice it to say, it had beco so sort of tourist spot for locals and foreigners alike; waiting for a chance to et soone famous.
In short, a lot of people are gathered in front of the building, enough that the association actually had to put up guards that are specifically ordered to keep the tourists away.
And now, all of them were slowly turning their eyes and ears toward a crying boy, who was pointing at a tall man with black hair.
"You shouldn't have that!" The boy pointed at the card Rhys was holding, "My dad died so he could have that, why would soone like you have it!?"
"Greg, that's… that''s enough!" Her mother quickly lowered her son's hand and hugged him, covering him from Rhys and everyone's view. Not fast enough, however, as the crowd were already gathering and looking at them.
"No!" The boy raised his voice even further as he struggled to get away from his mother, "He should have died instead! Why… why does it have to be dad!? It should have just been him! His life is worthless!"
"..." And as Rhys heard this, the only thing he could really do was hide his licence and sigh. The boy shouldn't even be 10 years old, and yet his view of Lowborns have already reached such state — no doubt a reflection of his parents. Rhys then turned to look at the mother, who was just staring, no, glaring at him.
She wasn't saying anything, but it was clear she shared her son's sentint.
Rhys then quickly turned to look at the thickening crowd, slightly nervous as he tried to find soone holding their phone. But as taking photos and videos are strictly prohibited in the association's grounds, unless permitted, no one could really record what was happening.
This gave Rhys a sense of relief, as he crouched down so he and the boy could see each other's eyes without looking up or down.
"I am going to teach you sothing, since it looks like your mother hasn't bothered teaching this to you yet…" Rhys whispered as he looked the boy in the eyes, "...Your father did not die as a Commoner. Your status, it ans absolutely nothing down in the Underworld."
"It's unfair!"
"It is fair," Rhys shook his head, "Your father did not have to die. He probably wasn't weak at all, he reached the final part of the exam. You should be proud of that instead."
"..."
"No, no…" Rhys smiled and lowered his voice even further, "...Your father died because he was a coward."
"That's… that's a lie!"
"Like the rest of the people that died that day, I saw him run in fear. He didn't die fighting a monster, he died running, probably tripped and drowned himself like the rest of them. He—"
"I think that's enough, Rhys."
And before Rhys could finish his words, he felt a familiar warmth touching his shoulder; trying to forcefully pull him up, but failing all the sa. But as soon as Rhys saw who it was, he just allowed himself to be pulled up in the end.
"Lina… what are you doing here?"
"Originally giving you a ride ho," Lina's eyebrows were slightly raised as she looked Rhys in the eyes, before turning to glance at the crying boy. She seed to want to say sothing, but ended up just sighing and shaking her head, before just pushing Rhys away until they were far from everyone's eyes.
"What the heck, Rhys?" And as soon as they reached the association's parking lot, Lina imdiately grabbed Rhys's arm tight,
"Why would you say that to a grieving child?"
"...Say what?" Rhys seed visibly confused that Lina was getting mad at him, "He wanted to hear why his dad is not here, I told him the truth."
"No, you smacked him with it, and then so," Lina scoffed as she looked away, "That's… that's not cool at all."
"Is… what I did wrong?" Rhys's eyebrows began to lower.
"Seriously, Rhys…?" Lina let out a long groan as she looked up into the sky, "I can't understand you sotis. It's a child."
"Should… I apologize to him, then?" Rhys blinked a couple of tis as he looked at where they ca from.
"What were you even thinking in the first place?"
"That he deserved to know the truth," Rhys looked Lina in the eyes, "The sa as I did when my mother died."
"Rhys…" Any trace of anger and annoyance on Lina's face almost instantly lted away as her shoulders lowered.
"They told the truth back then too," Rhys let out a deep breath, "That I was just… unlucky that I was a Lowborn. And that's the reason why my family was targeted — Because of . The boy deserves to know the truth…
…Look at , I turned out well."
"Rhys…" Lina could really only blink a couple of tis as she looked at Rhys from head to toe.
She loves him, truly, without a doubt. But she would be lying to herself if she said that Rhys… turned out well.
Physically, he might as well be the father of the gods… but he is broken.
He is broken, perhaps more so than any other man living in this world. When he was serving in the Underworld Corps, she and Katarina beca close, and she learned more about Rhys from her.
What he went through as a child, the horrible things that were done to him as a teenager and everyone just… watched.
By all ans, the man that should be standing in front of her right now should be a very different man.
Katarina explained to her that most n that have gone through even half the things Rhys have gone through are all either dead, in jail, or locked in a ntal institution — and she even presented data to prove it.
Rhys wasn't fragile, not at all… because he is already broken.
"I'm… sorry, Rhys," Lina then very gently held Rhys's face with both her hands, "I would… I would turn back ti and hug you if I could. But Rhys… there is sothing wrong with you."
"..." Rhys could really only blink as Lina started crying and smiling at him at the sa ti.
"But I want you to know, that whether you are fractured into a billion pieces…
…I would love each part of you equally, and I accept them. I accept you for what you are, Rhys Wilder."
And with those words, Lina very gently lifted herself up using her wind abilities, letting her lips reach Rhys as she kissed her without caring about anything else.
"I am madly… and truly in love with you."
"..."
And while Lina's lips were resting upon Rhys's, a familiar silhouette was actually watching them from inside a car — Katarina.
She was smiling at first as they looked at them. But soon, her eyes failed to hide the sadness she felt as she looked away.
"You are happy. You're happy… that's all that matters," Katarina tried her best to breathe normally, but all that ca out were stutters, "I'm… I'm happy… as long as you're happy, my little Rhys."
"You do know that is creepy, correct?"
"!!!" Katarina could not help but instinctively pressed the horn of her car, causing Rhys and Lina to look in her direction. And of course, she hid before they could even get a glimpse of her. She then turned to look at her rear view mirror, only to see Hannah sitting at the backseat of her car,
"What are you doing here…?"
"That how you greet an old friend?" Hannah blew the gum from her mouth, before just letting it pop as she looked Katarina in the eyes, "And also… you're the one who called . I wouldn't have gone if it was anybody else. But color surprise…
…everyone's related to the Lowborn wonder. Are you and Dad up to sothing I don't know about?"
"That's… not really any of your concern." And once again, Katarina's gentle eyes which were just gazing at Rhys were now completely gone; her voice, cold, "Do you have the files I wanted?"
"No," Hannah shrugged, "Because the 5 were not listed as examinees in the first place. What were you planning once you get their files anyway? They are confird dead already, or missing."
"They were obviously targeting Rhys…" Katarina's eyes began to tremble as her pupils beca extrely dilated; her teeth, biting her nails as her voice beca even colder, "...I need to find out who did it…
…and make them and their families suffer for even thinking of harming my Rhys."
"Gods…
…you're still such a psycho."
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