In the mystical Sylph Forest, the moon's gentle glow barely penetrated the thick canopy, casting an eerie shadow over the towering trees. This once vibrant woodland, now shrouded in darkness, stood as a solemn sentinel around the remnants of Ezlea village.

I venture deeper into this haunting abyss, a dark, reddish hue still clung to the horizon behind me. It was a painful reminder of the flames that had consumed my home and the love I had lost. My steps were heavy, my body drained of energy by the weight of sorrow and grief.

With each step, the forest seemed to swallow me whole, its ancient trees whispering secrets of forgotten times. The burdens I carried, the anguish of losing everything I held dear, weighed me down. But still, I pressed on, dragging myself in order to find solace and a brief of hope in the heart of this mysterious forest.

As I walked further into the unknown, my consciousness began to slip away, like a wisp of fog fading into the night.

…

"Hey, there's someone else alive out here!"

The voice faintly reaches my ears just as I collapse.

The night wind slowly fades away, replaced by silence.

...

Several hours pass before I slowly open my eyes, finding myself propped against a tree, wrapped in a tattered brown coat.

As my vision clears, I take in my surroundings. There are about fourteen... No, fifteen survivors present.

Some of them embrace each other, shedding tears while offering words of encouragement.

Eventually, a familiar man with sunken eyes and a pale expression makes his way toward me.

Tall and middle-aged, with a beard and short brown hair, he gazes intensely at me, his trembling fists clenched.

"You... You're awake..."

Recognition dawns on me.

"Where's... My daughter...? Wasn't she... always with you?" His words hang heavily in the air, and I can't find the strength to respond.

In his anguish, he seizes my collar, pulling me up forcefully, desperation etched on his face. "Where's my daughter!? Where's Amy!?"

Tears well up in my eyes, but I fight to keep them at bay. His anger boils over, and he accuses me of the unthinkable. "YOU FUCKING MURDERER!!" His fist lands on my face, driving my head back into a nearby tree.

His rage is uncontainable. "How dare you sacrifice her and survive!? Why the hell did you do it!?"

Another blow lands, and I can hardly bear it. "Don't you know that—HEY, LOOK AT ME!!" He forces my tear-filled eyes to meet his gaze, his grip on my hair unyielding.

"You're the one who should have fucking died! Not her!! NOT my daughter!!"

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I can't take it any longer.

The pain and guilt within me reach their breaking point. Tears stream down my face as I clutch his fists tightly, summoning every ounce of strength left in me. With all my might, I deliver a punch to his face.

"I KNOW!! SHE WAS THE ONE WHO PROTECTED ME, DAD!! I KNOW I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO DIE, LIKE YOU SAID!!"

All eyes in the vicinity are fixed on us. Their eyes fixed on the emotional storm raging between us.

We fall silent.

I can barely hear a whisper of wind.

"What... Did you just call me...?"

"I love her, dad! I truly do..."

My cries echo through the dark forest, a desperate release of the immense pain I carry. The weight of losing Amy and our village, my once-comfortable home, threatens to consume me.

After that punch, The man's anger seems to transform into something else. He pulls me close, embracing me tightly, as if trying to shield me from the overwhelming sorrow. In that moment, he finally seems to understand the depth of my suffering, and the harsh reality of what I've endured.

"Forgive me..."

…

Nodding solemnly, the man pull himself out, and walk into the direction of the survivors, sitting and gazing at the abyss beneath the wood. Then, the red-clad swordsman which we met at the inn back then, approaches me from the other side, out of notice. His gaze filled with understanding and sympathy.

My gaze, however, remains shrouded in darkness as I confront him with a burning question. "Why... didn't you save her..."

"I'm sorry, Rai. There was nothing I could do."

… Wait…

Did he, just call me ‘Rai’?

I open my eyes and put my gaze at him. The overflowing memories are gradually coming, my childhood memories. All my senses are telling me that it is "him".

!!!

I snap out of my daze and focus on his face.

"You... You're Alpha, right?"

image [https://gdurl.com/Fmhm]

The swordsman discards his hat while putting his gaze away.

"As I suspected, you don't even recognize me anymore."

“Alpha…!!!” I scream and rush toward him, embracing him tightly for a brief moment before pulling back and striking his chest with my bloodied hand. My tears continue to flow, a testament to the torrent of emotions unleashed by the events that have unfolded.

"I thought I'd never see you again..."

"Likewise, crybaby," he mocks in a cold tone.

"Shut up, will you...?" I retort, my voice a mixture of relief and irritation.

…

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, somehow. It's been an eventful day. I can't even—"

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend from before. I couldn't save her," Alpha says, seemingly reading my thoughts.

"No, she wasn't my... and maybe she never would be..."

Alpha shakes his head and then quietly makes his way to where the survivors are gathered around the comforting warmth of a bonfire, savoring their meals. He returns to me with a stick of fried meat, a small gesture of comfort. I devour it without a second thought.

I feel a mix of happiness and sadness.

I'm happy because I have finally reunited with my childhood friend.

And I'm sad because I've lost my hometown and the person I loved.

#

End of Chapter 3