Brandish POV
X777, this was a year of a rollercoaster of emotions for me. The despair of losing my only family, the loneliness it brought, a new beginning and a new entry into my life.
My name is Brandish Myu. This year in which I turned ten years old has been really eventful. Some, I wish never happened and then there were those that I welcomed with open arms. Me and mother were living in a small village and quite frankly it was very boring. Mother was mostly out doing jobs to put food on the table so I didn’t have anyone to play with.
That all changed when I became five years old. Mother summoned a spirit named Aquarius to play with me. Although she was mad at this and yelled at mother and I, she was actually very kind and played with me despite her complaints.
Apart from that event, nothing really stood out in the next five years. I played with Aquarius, spent time with mother when she returns from her work and just eat and sleep. But when I turned ten, mother heard news about Layla Heartfilier. Mother talked about her a lot and deeply admired her. So when the news came that Layla-san was dying, mother broke down in tears and left to meet her. She told me to stay and watch the house and as I didn’t want to trouble mother during this time I reluctantly agreed.
Even after mother left, I spent my days well. I didn’t have anyone to talk to as mother had taken Aquarius with her but I still managed to live by. As days went by, I started to miss the days mother, Aquarius and I spent time together and I started getting lonely. But I held on, hoping to see them soon once again.
But it never happened. Instead, I received the news of the death of mother. It was said that her body was found near the Heartfilier mansion and that it was probably them who took mother from me. At that time a really strong hatred started to take shape inside me against Layla and the rest of her family. But more than that, the sadness of losing mother and never being able to be with her ever again came crashing down.
I locked myself inside my house and didn’t take a single step outside. I spent inside the room looking at mother and my picture on the bedside and cried. I cried for so long that my tears had long dried and I didn’t even realize it.
For over a month, I just sat there in a daze. I didn’t eat or sleep. I just sat there as if I lost my soul. And then, the hatred that started inside me that day came back. I swore, I swore that I will have my revenge by killing every single member of that Heartfilier family. At that moment, I was almost engulfed in my hatred. It felt like I was going to lose everything and get swallowed by the darkness. And that is when he appeared.
As I was being swallowed by my own darkness, there was knocking on the front door of the house. I was scared. No one ever comes to find mother and I. I was scared that this maybe people sent by Layla Heartfilier. I didn’t want to die yet. Not until I took my revenge.
I made my way towards the window next to the door slowly without making any sound which was heard considering my legs were trembling and I was gasping for breath since I had no energy at all. I looked outside through the window and saw that it was a boy my age who looked very handsome. But this made me even more confused. Is this the person they sent to kill me or am I just misunderstanding things?
After around ten minutes of knocking I finally opened the door, albeit slightly. I was able to actually get a good look at him and as I thought, he was really handsome. Probably the most handsome boy ever. As I was looking at him, he was doing the same. Although he was only looking at my eyes since that is the only part of my body that I showed him.
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He introduced himself as Ray Cross and he said that he was asked by mother to take care of me before she was killed by those people. This made me suspicious about him since he just happened to come after mother was killed and I never saw him with mother before so he might be lying.
It seems he realizes himself that it was suspicious because he then went on to explain that he goes around challenging people and he met mother while she was going to Fiore to meet that ungrateful witch and that he had challenged mother to a fight. And after the fight she was asked by mother to take care of me should anything happen to her.
I thought about it for a while but still decided to let him inside. If he is lying, then I just have to run away after faking my death and if he is telling the truth then he can make me stronger. And that way I can get revenge. I will become strong, so that I never become sad like that ever again.
As I observed him looking around, he turned to me and said to clean myself while he prepared food. I nod and head inside the bathroom thinking to myself that I must do as he says because he is the only one who can make me strong right now.
After taking a bath I came out to a very nice smell of food. I sat at the table and I was hesitating to eat it as it might be poisoned. But the smell it was giving off was making it hard for me who hasn’t had anything to eat for over a month now. So I started to eat at a very fast pace after hesitating for a while. It was delicious. Considering that I didn’t go out to buy any groceries, this must have been made from the ones we already had. And that already produced food this good, if he had fresh ingredients I wonder how good it will be.
After eating, we sat down in the living room and he started telling me the plan he has come up with to make me stronger. He will be training me physically and he also said that I would be learning about human body and basic medicine from the village doctor. Although I don’t know if learning about the body will be useful, knowing basic medicine can be very useful in the future if ever get hurt.
“My name is Brandish Myu. Please make me stronger so that I never become sad again.”
After agreeing to his arrangements, I finally said something to him and he smiled and once again introduced himself. After that I went to bed and I was thinking of how I will take my revenge and after that maybe help out those without strength like me, just like how Ray is helping me.
Next morning, I woke up to a heavenly smell which dragged me down to the dining table where Ray served me the source of the smell, breakfast. After getting the taste of it, I was like an addict. I wanted more saw I pleaded Ray for more and his face turned red for some reason and went to the kitchen, from where he brought my second serving. He then dashed to the bathroom but I was focused on the food by then which didn’t last long.
As I was in a daze once again, I saw Ray’s plate. At that moment I started a war inside my head. I was contemplating whether to take his food or not. But without even realizing when, I had already ate it and I was licking it. At the same moment as I regained clarity for myself, Ray came back to the sight of me licking his plate.
While I was calm on the outside, I was panicking on the inside. I had very quickly decided to run away at that moment so I put the plate down on the table, stood up from my chair and dashed outside at full speed.
“Come back here Brandiiishh.”
I heard Ray’s shout just as I exited the house and I ran even faster. I kept running and running around the village trying to lose him but I was caught in the end and brought back home. Once we reached home he put me down on the couch and stood in front of me with arms crossed and a smirk which made me shudder in fear that he will hit me.
At that point I froze so I didn’t exactly hear what he said but by instinct I covered my head when I saw him raise his arms with a wider smirk than before. But the pain didn’t come as he started to tickle me instead. I had forgotten when I had last laughed and he had managed to once again make me laugh. Although forced.
Seeing him dusting his hands and walking off towards the kitchen, I don’t know why but I felt like I could rely on him and that he would never hurt me. I felt like, even if I didn’t manage to get my revenge, he would be there for me to fall back to. With those thoughts in mind, I waited for him as I started my life and training with Ray.