"... just like that, the hero managed to defeat the villain, save his wife and save the world. They loved each other and lived happily ever after. The end."

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Nox."

"Why does the hero always win?"

His mother sighed, "Because the hero is a good guy and good guys always win in the end."

Nox frowned. That didn't make sense. If good people always win, why did some even try to do bad? He snorted in disbelief, they must be really dumb.

His mother gently covered Nox with his bedsheet and –to his relief– gave him a distanced goodnight kiss. She then walked toward his bedroom door.

"Mommy?"

"Yes..."

"What does love mean?"

"Nox... you know the rule about late-night questions. We have a big day tomorrow at the farm."

Nox looked at his mother with big puppy eyes, "Pleeease, this is the last one."

His mother sighed but gave him a side smile, "Fine, but this is the very last one. After you sleep."

Seeing his nod, she answered, "There are multiple kinds of love, but in general love means a person cares a lot about the well-being of someone else, so much so that they are ready to sacrifice their own for the other. Now go to sleep young man."

Seeing his mother leaving his bedroom, Nox asked, "Mom, do you love me?"

His mother, who was about to close the door, quickly reopened it and said, "Of course, I love you Nox. Now go back to sleep. Love you." She then closed the door and Nox heard her footsteps go toward his brother's bedroom.

"Love you too." Nox answered back, as usual.

Wait.

With wide eyes, Nox came to the realization. THAT’S what those words meant. He slapped himself on the forehead. Now he had to give his favorite toy to his mother...

At the thought of seeing his mother play with Mr.X, his eyes were welling up. Now he had to sacrifice his favorite toy just to make his mother happy. This 'love' thing really sucks.

It all made sense when he thought about it. His mother kept giving him stuff she liked too, like cuddles and kisses.

Nox saw his entire 5 years of life flash before his eyes, all those happy memories about his time with Mr.X, his stuffed horse, finished. It was all over. All because of this 'love' thing.

No. This couldn't be it, he must have misunderstood something. Life would be too cruel. Yes, in the story they said that they lived happily, so they must have found a way to stop this 'love' thing.

With red eyes, Nox stood up and walked toward the door. As he was about to open the door, his mother's words resounded in his head, " ...this is the very last one. After, you sleep."

He reluctantly returned to bed. Tonight was going to be a long night. Tomorrow he must ask his mother how to end this cursed thing.

Nox tried to sleep while cuddling Mr.X like it was their last time together, ever.

...

Finally, morning came, it was about time because there was no way he was going to give her Mr.X.

Coming out of his room, he turned and walked down the small passage leading to the living room and the kitchen. Scanning the room, he saw his target in the kitchen behind the counter. With firm steps, Nox rushed to her with Mr.X in his arms.

His mom was still wearing her white nightgown and her long black hair was everywhere. She was breaking eggs in a bowl and the room smelled bacon.

"Mom, is it possible to stop this love thing?"

"Hello to you too, Nox." With a frown, she turned to face him. "And of course it's possible, you can stop it as soon as you decide to. More importantly, why do you ask?"

Nox breathed out in relief, "I take back what I said yesterday, I don't love you." He then sat at the table with a big smile on his face.

They were saved. He and Mr.X won't have to get separated. His mother was truly the best, she knew everything. Nox didn't know what he would do without her, he couldn't wait for the day he became like her and knew everything too.

He heard a deep laugh coming from his parent’s bedroom and soon after his father walked into the room. He was wearing an old white shirt and brown trousers. He had short brown hair and a huge beard that really didn't fit his skinny but fit frame.

"Livia, what did you do to him again? Last week, he wouldn't eat because you told him you cooked the pig he named Mr.pink. And today he said he doesn't love you. Poor thing. Nox come to dad, dad won't be mean to you like your mother." He crouched and opened his arm toward Nox.

Seeing the greed in his father's eyes when he looked toward Mr.X, Nox squeezed the stuffed horse in his arm and quickly added, "I don't love you too."

It was his mother's turn to chuckle, "Don't forget that it was your fault. You forgot to tell him what the animals he is now taking care of are used for."

Hearing about Mr.Pink, Nox tuned out of his parent's back and forth. His mother kept reminding him that animals were just food and that they don't have feelings, but... But he had seen Mr.Pink being happy when he rubbed his belly and sad when he was going away. But he knew that his mother was right, she was always right. What did he know, after all, the food must have tricked him.

Seeing the plate of food in front of him, he snapped out of his disillusion. Why was he questioning the truth? If he wanted to one day be like his mother, he needed to stop wasting time on his useless observation. He picked up his fork and started eating, promising himself to never doubt his mother again.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Now that everyone was seated at the table, eating, Livia yelled, "Max! Wake up!"

Only some faint grunts came out of his older brother's bedroom.

"Nero, do something," she said glaring at him. When she saw that he was still reading his journal, she kicked his foot under the table.

When Nero looked up from his paper and saw her cold glare, he jumped and sat straight before shouting, "Maximilius Evergreen! Get your ass over here!"

Nox winced when he heard his brother's full name. He knew by experience that when their parents used their full name it was never good news.

It wasn't long before— after much noise coming from Max's room —a boy with disheveled brown hair looking like a young version of his father appeared in the room.

Nox shot a grin at his brother, he loved when his brother was punished. It always meant that he had more free time.

Max responded by giving him a hateful look. He sat at the table at his usual spot beside his father, gulping.

"10 years old and you aren't able to wake up by yourself... What are we going to do with you?" Nero said.

Before Max had the chance to answer, Livia added, "Even Nox doesn't need us to wake up anymore and he is only 5 years old."

Hearing that, Nox puffed his chest and shot his brother a wider grin.

"Sorry?" Max attempted.

"Anyway," Livia sighed. "I hope—for your own good— that the backpack for your first day of school is ready for this afternoon." She looked at Max with her predatory look.

Max sheepishly nodded, "It's ready, but why do I even need to go to school? Why can't I just stay here and help at the farm? A bunch of my friends said that they won't go and their parents seem ok with it."

Nox nearly choked on his food when he heard that. His brother was finally able to go to school, but just said no? What's more, he wanted to work at the farm instead, willingly!? His mother once said it was because of school that she knew so much, Nox highly doubted that this school knew more than his mother, but still, they were supposed to teach you things you didn't even know to ask for. The dream!

This was the perfect opportunity, before his mother had the chance to answer, Nox said, "I want to switch with him, let me go to school in his place."

As his mother was about to speak, Max quickly said, "Yes! Let's do that, Nox can go instead."

Nox looked at his brother with wide eyes, gaping. This was the first time he felt something like that. There was a weird feeling in his gut. He... he almost wanted to give his brother a hug. Almost...

But thankfully, that feeling quickly vanished when his mother snapped at them, "No. To both of you. You—" she pointed at Max. "—You will go to school. And you—" she pointed at Nox, "—stop trying to escape your chores."

Both boys looked down and nodded in unison, to their mother's approval.

The rest of breakfast went by without a word. Soon after, they each went to do their morning chore and in a blink, it was already early in the afternoon.

Back at the table, Nox watched his mother checking Max's school bag for what had to be the tenth time.

"You remember the road to the school?"

Max rolled his eyes, "Yes, mom. I'm ready."

"You will listen to the teachers?"

"Yes..."

"You—"

"I know the way back as well. I know that I need to come back home right after school to keep an eye on Nox while you two are away. I know that I need to lock the door and not open it to anyone. I know that you two will be back late in the evening and that as an exception, we can stay awake late until you two come back."

Nox heard his father laugh in front of him at the table, they had just finished eating lunch.

"Honey, I think he is ready."

Livia sighed, "You're right, I'm just stressed about leaving them alone. Do you really think that I need to come with you to the chief's meeting?"

"Liv, It's been 10 years since the last time you came, some people are starting to think I'm a widower," Nero joked. "And last year I told them that you would come along next time."

"Fine," she said with a mocking smile. "I guess they are old enough to take care of themselves for a night."

Nox almost jumped out of his seat to make a fist pump, but quickly caught himself and tried to hide his excitement. Looking up, he must have slipped up, because his mother looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Luckily, she didn't say anything and restarted reading the school list.

It was going to be the first time he had the house to himself. Not for long, his brother would come back home from school soon after his parents left, but half an hour was more than he ever had. And he was going to make it count.

Finally, he was going to be able to access the room of his everlasting fantasy, the room he was denied access to because it was "too dangerous" or because he was too "young". As if he was still a stupid baby...

The Attic.

"Mom, if I don't go now, I will be late." Max was pacing back and forth.

Checking the pendulum on the side of the room, Livia's eyes grew wide. She quickly repackaged everything and shoved the backpack in Max's arms. Nox was pretty sure that Max flew all the way to the front door at the speed his mother was dragging him.

"Be careful on the road, Love you."

The door closed with a loud *bang* and just like that his brother was gone. His father's laugh was the only sound left in the room.

Ending his outburst with a loud clap of his hand, Nero said, "Well, let's get started on the farm work, shall we? We need to leave before the sun sets and we still have much to do. Nox, since your brother is in school, you will inherit part of his usual chores."

Nox knew it was coming, but still loudly grunted, to the renewed amusement of his father.

After a long afternoon of feeding and cleaning—since it had to fall on that day— both the pigs' and chickens' sections of the barn, Nox took a short but well-deserved bath and was now seated in the living room waiting for his parents to leave.

Although his parents said they were in a hurry to depart, they were currently in quite a loud back and forth concerning his mother's attire.

She was wearing... He didn't know what it was, but it looked like a mix between her white nightgown and a blue blanket stuck together by the biggest and weirdest belt he has ever seen. The belt was so large, that it covered her entire torso.

"You're not fat, darling. It's the dress that shrank," his father said, trying to hide his chuckle. He was wearing the same costume he wore every time he went to the village; a clean brown tunic, brown pants, and a round black hat.

"I swear 10 years ago the corset wasn't that tight. Anyway," —she turned to face Nox while adjusting her big blue hat—"Max should be on his way home now, he is in charge for the night and you will listen to him. Understood?"

Had he listened, Nox probably would have nodded, but now he was gone.

She was a princess! Nox blinked to make sure. His mom was dressed exactly like the princess described in the story she read to him. She was beautiful, she—

"Understood?" she repeated with a defying tone.

Not sure why, but understanding the urgency of her tone, Nox quickly nodded.

His parents reached the door and Nox saw their horse carriage ready to go outside. With a seemingly unending wave of goodbyes and instructions, his father finally managed to drag his mother out of the house. The door closed and soon after his father's laugh faded as well.

This would be the last time Nox ever heard his father’s laugh.