“Wow… I didn’t know there were more people with this color skin…”

The girl with red hair stared closely at my arm while lifting my sleeve carefully, just as Ian instructed. 

A different kid held my other arm up in the same way and looked closely with the others.

It must have been a funny sight because I could hear the adults giggling from afar.

’That’s strange. My hearing wasn’t this good when I was young…’

I didn’t realize it at first but my hearing and smelling senses were as good as when I couldn’t see. A skill I shouldn’t have in this timeline, somehow followed me back to the past.

I thought about how this was possible, but shook my head. There was no way for me to figure any of it out right now.

I put aside my thoughts and looked at the girl with red hair. 

I remembered her too. Her name was Lia and she was 9 years old. 

Unlike my relationship with Ian, whom I ended up close with as adults, I never got close with her.

When we were young she didn’t like me because of how I treated Ian, and later as adults she didn’t like me because I got into a fight with her brother.

“My name’s Lia. What’s yours?”

Her red eyes shined like rubies as they met mine.

”I’m Abel.”

The other kids also introduced themselves and I remembered them as well. I didn’t know much about their personalities but there was one thing I knew about each of them. 

When and how they died.

‘The only ones who survived till the end were Ian, Lia and I. Although I couldn't meet either of them before I died, I'm sure they were alive somewhere."

That's what I wanted to believe.

“Lia, What are you doing?”

We all looked towards the three kids who were approaching us. They looked like they were older than us. The one in the middle was the tallest, at least a head taller than me. He had short hair and a rough looking face and his eyes were looking straight at me. 

He looked unhappy about something and I realized his eyes were actually looking at Lia’s hand holding my sleeve.

‘So that’s why this kid always bullied Ian…’

In the past I often saw Ian getting dragged off to the alleys by the three of them. They next day Ian would always show up with a new bruise or cut on his face.

I didn’t understand why they were bullying him then, but now I knew it was because he was close to Lia.

“Marco? What are you doing here…”

On the other hand, Lia didn’t seem to like him very much. Her eyes turned cold when looking at him.

“Of course, I’m here to see you! But first, who’s this kid?”

Marco came up to me and grabbed me by the collar.

I could’ve avoided it if I wanted to, but I wanted to test something instead.  

“You shouldn’t touch a kid with skin like this. Who knows what kind of diseases you’ll catch from him.” 

“Let him go, Marco!”

“Yeah, let him go!”

Lia and the other kids yelled at him, but it only made his grip on me stronger.

It was getting hard to breathe. Even a kid like him had the same physical strength as a grown man in the Midlands. I wouldn’t stand a chance against him normally. 

I raised my hand and grabbed his wrist.

I concentrated my senses on the flow of mana around me, and it slowly flowed into my body. It wrapped itself around my heart. 

'The most important thing to remember when it comes to using magic, is belief and imagination.'

I believed with all my heart and pictured it happening in my mind.

Nothing big, just something to startle him.

I let out a deep breath and whispered the chanting words.

[Spark]

The mana flowed through my arm to my fingertips and changed into what I imagined.

“ZZSST!”

“Ow!”

I heard a snapping sound and Marco released his grip. He took two steps backwards and looked at me with shock.

“Don’t bully my friend, you jerk!!”

While Marco was still shaken up from the spark, Ian tackled him with his whole body. He has his eyes closed in fear, but he still moved his legs forward. 

Normally, it would be easy for Macro to push him aside but the side effects of spark made it hard for him to move.

The two collided and fell to the ground.

“Ow…”

Ian rubbed the top of his head in pain and Lia quickly went to him. 

“Are you okay? You idiot… why’d you do that?”

She looked through Ian’s hair to make sure he was okay.

Marco was on the ground shaking furiously. His face turned completely red from the embarrassment. 

“Why you…!”

Marco lifted his fist, ready to land a full blow on Ian. He had lost his mind to anger, not even considering that Lia was also there.

‘I won’t let you..!’

I moved my mana to cast another spell, when a hand suddenly grabbed Marco's shirt from behind and lifted him into the air.

“What do you think you’re doing to my sister?”

We all looked up at the tall man. He was probably twice the size of Marco. His red hair and red eyes looked like flames in the sunlight.

It was my second time meeting him in this timeline.

“It’s Eli!”

“Run!”

Marco’s two friends ran away at the sight of the man. Marco’s face turned pale as he looked up at Eli.

“E-Eli… You’ve got it wrong. I wasn’t trying to hit Lia. You know I’d never do that.”

“It doesn’t matter who you were trying to hit. You were about to swing your fist in front of my sister.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Marco’s eyes watered up like he was about to cry.

I felt all the tension leave my body at the sight.

In the end, Marco was also just a kid.

Perhaps Eli had the same thought as me, because he put him back down and let him go.

After we watched Marco run away, Eli looked at me.

To the others his face may seem emotionless, which was normal for Eli, but I knew he was looking at me with colder eyes than usual.

He didn’t like me and I knew why.

The day we first met in the forest, I probably looked at him with horror. If it was anyone else, I would have apologized by now. The same way I did with Mrs. Silrose.

But I won’t apologize to him. I can’t. I hate him.

I met his eyes and glared back at him.

The other kids looked at us, confused. 

“Eli, what’s wrong?”

It was Lia who broke the tension, because she also noticed the unusual coldness in her brother’s eyes.

Only then did Eli look away from me and carefully patted Lia’s head.

“Don’t worry. Let’s go home now, mom’s waiting.”

The kids waved at each other goodbye, as we watched Lia and Eli leave the square.

I had my eyes focused on Eli till I couldn’t see him anymore.

‘This time… I won’t let you hide the truth from me. I’m going to find out exactly how my teacher died, and I'll prevent it when you couldn’t.

***

I think it started when I turned 15. By that age I was able to pull my own weight as a mage and be of more help to my teacher. I was happy to finally be of use. I thought I could finally pay the old man back for everything.

But suddenly my teacher started acting strangely.

He didn't have the same energy as before and would be in a daze for long periods of time. Sometimes I'd catch him staring at the sky for hours, or sitting outside in the rain. He started talking about a future when he wouldn't be around, when I'd be alone.

I knew mages live for much longer lives than regular people, so I couldn't understand why he was talking like he was going to die.

At first I thought maybe he was just tired. So I told him I'll do more. I let him rest at home while I went to fight off the monsters alone. I was finally strong enough to.

I didn't know that would be my biggest mistake. That I would later return to a home where he was gone.

It didn't take me long after to find out that the last person who saw him was Eli. So I confronted him about it and all he said was one thing.

"Master Kin is dead."

No matter how many times I asked what happened, he refused to tell me anything else. That was the first day I fought with all my strength. Eli lost an arm that day and a few days later he left the village with Lia.

I never found out what happened to them after that.

***

"Did you have fun today?"

I returned home after saying goodbye to the others. My teacher was waiting for me with dinner ready on the table.

I ran up and hugged the old man with my face in his shirt. Seeing Eli again brought back memories I didn't want to remember. 

"Hahaha I thought you were too mature for your age, but I guess you are just a kid afterall."

My teacher's warm hand touched my head softly.