After removing all the chains from my body, the knight carried me on his back when he realized I couldn't walk. He ran for what felt like a few moments, until I felt the sun on my skin. It had been forever since I felt its warmth.

"AHHHH!!"

"DIE!!!"

"You monster!!!"

I flinched and turned my head towards the screams.

The word 'monster' was what the Midlanders called me and the Northerners. I calmed my racing heart to not show any emotion through my voice.

"...Who is fighting out there? Who... were my captors?"

After a few moments the knight answered while he continued to run.

"...We don't know either. At first, we all thought they were Ghosts... but these things are worse. Those aren't even human... it can't be human... their whole bodies were made of curses and their eyes... were nothing but white."

The knight mumbled his words. His voice was filled with fear. 

'I thought the knights weren't afraid of anything...' I thought.

I was relieved that my people weren't involved, but nothing was making sense.

Till now I thought my captor was the kingdom. They've been wanting to kill me ever since teacher passed away, in order to wipe out the Northerners.

But if what the knight said was true, then a third party captured and confined me all this time.

'Who could it be? And for what reason...?' 

I asked the Knight another question. The most important one.

"Hey... tell me. What happened to the Northerners?"

"...."

I knew my question could sound suspiciously to a knight, but I didn't have time to worry about that.

The knight finally stopped running and let me down on the ground. We had come far away from the cursed monsters, so we were safe for now.

"The kingdom has been at war with the Northerners for the past month... We were finally achieving the last command left for us by the late king."

I gripped my fist so tight I could feel my nails cut into my skin. My worst fears had come true.

"But none of it will matter if we die to these cursed monsters. Stay here, I'll be back."

The knight unsheathed his sword and ran back towards the way we came. 

I still couldn't feel my legs. Moving around on my own would be impossible.

But I knew I had to move. I had to go back home and find out what happened to everyone.

'This life... isn't going to last much longer anyway...'

I raised my right hand over my chest and slowly moved my mana.

Out of all the spells my teacher taught me, he told me one I should only use when it's worth dying for.

I ran as fast as I could. My weak legs from before were now strengthened with the overflowing mana from inside me. The mana that was being created at the cost of my life.

I couldn't do anything about my sight, so I spread out my mana all around me, allowing me to sense everything even without seeing. 

'Please... be safe...!'

I ran through one forest and another, finding my way to the edge that I once stood on with my teacher.

When I reached the edge, I looked down. Just a few year ago, this village was filled with laughing children, women and men. 

Now I couldn't sense anyone. Just a burning heat against my skin and the smell of ash and smoke. I needed to go down to check the other houses for survivors, but my feet were stuck to the ground. 

'What if... What if they're all dead?' 

'How will I face my teacher then?'

'They were all depending on me.'

'I failed them.'

'It's all my fault.'

"AHHHH!"

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the screaming of a young boy and jumped down the edge. I had never succeeded in flight magic before, but I could imitate it now with the amount of mana I had. I flew through the air towards the sound of the scream and saw a young Northerner boy getting kicked by three adult men. They looked like mercenaries from the Midland. 

"Just die already, you monster!"

"Your kind should never have been born!"

"Should've done this years ago! All because of that stupid treaty... we let them get away for too long."

"Now you can finally learn your place."

[Air Cutter!]

"SLICE!"

"AHHHHH!!!!"

"MY-MY LEG!!"

"A-AHHHHH!"

The three men cried in pain as my wind magic cut through their legs. The ground drenched in their blood. I quickly landed and reached for the boy.

"Who are you?!"

"Hey, there's another one!"

"Mal! Connie! Sam! What happened to you guys?!"

Before I could check on the boy, the other mercenaries walked out from the houses. I could smell the iron stench of blood on their bodies.

But, it wasn't their blood.

My mind went blank. Maybe it was the smell, or the overuse of mana, but I couldn't control my actions. I remember slicing off a finger, and then a hand, and then an arm. A toe, a foot, and a leg.

Slowly. Little by little, I used spell after spell until blood started to spill out from my eyes, ears and nose.

I wanted them to feel pain. More pain than what my people must have felt before they died.

By the time I snapped out of it, the whole village smelled of blood. 

I was on my knees, holding the Northerner boy's cold body in my arms. His body was bruised all over from the ruthless kicking.

"I'm here..."

I could feel my mana running out as my life was ending. I sat still until I could no longer hear nor smell the blood.

'I'm sorry... teacher. I couldn't keep my promise.'

My life ended with nothing but regret. 

***

"Abel, I know you're in shock but will you come out please?"

"I promise I wasn't trying to trick you or anything."

Hm..? Teacher?

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Creeeak

'This smell... it really is him. Am I dreaming again...? One last dream before I die... to think my insanity is doing something good for once.'

I could hear the footsteps grow closer as the old man sat down on the corner of the bed. I was crawled up and hiding under the sheets.

'...I remember now. This was right after I met Eli for the first time... I had nowhere to go so I followed teacher to their village but once we got here, I immediately hid in this room. Sigh... how young and childish I was then.'

I felt a soft hand tapping on my back over the sheets. 

I felt my chest squeeze and my eyes water from the warm touch on my back.

"I'm sorry boy... I'll explain everything if you'll give me a chance. No one is going to hurt you here. It's a bit complicated but the Northerners, they're not all bad like they say."

'I know, teacher.'

These dreams... they were always so vivid, so real. If only it was real. I want to go back.

I pulled down the sheets and got up. The past me stayed in this room for days without talking to my teacher, but I wouldn't make that mistake again. Not when I have so little time.

"Abel...!"

I looked at my teacher's face. His eyes were smiling with relief. When I first met him, I suspected this kindness of his. Why would he be kind to someone like me, who he had just met? But I knew now, that's just who he was. It was all genuine. I don't know how it was possible, but he truly cared for me. 

Why did it take me this long to feel the same way?

Unable to control my emotions, the tears came flowing down. My teacher's face grew pale with worry.

"A-are you alright? Are you still mad? I'm sorry, really, really sorry."

He softly tapped my shoulder in a light hug.

I cried. I think more than the day I was abandoned by my parents.

I must have passed out after crying, because it was morning again when I woke up. The stress that had built up inside me since my capture and escape had finally been released. 

I crawled out of bed and walked over to the window. I looked down at the village.

There were people walking around, buying snacks from the vendors, sitting by the fountain, and lying on the fields. A sight that I saw everyday during the 14 years I lived here.

10 years with my teacher... and 4 years alone.

'But just like I thought... this feels a bit different from my usual dreams.'

I've never experienced a full night of sleep in my dreams. They usually skipped over them and showed me the 'important' parts. I was also never aware that I was dreaming until I woke up...

'Is it just different... this time? Or could it be...'

"Come down and eat breakfast!"

It was my teacher's voice.

'If this is real... and I've truly returned... I won't mess up this time.'

'This time, I'll protect everyone.'