-O-O-O-

“That man, Nolua...the bandits with him? They didn’t matter. THAT TRAITOR WAS THE REAL THREAT!” The man shouted, bringing his hands closer to his face. “My nephew...do you know the things he said he was going to do to him? The things that he did to him when he was ONLY TEN!? All of this…” Agan waved his hands around. “He made a situation where I'd be forced out of taking care of my brother’s son. Even if it meant dealing with bandits, even if it meant dealing with me, and EVEN IF IT MEANT FOOLING THE VILLAGE CHIEF HIMSELF!”

Agan’s chest heaved. The familiarity of the situation struck the doctor’s mind. As she realized the true depths of the words Agan just spat, a dark sadness loomed over her.

“This Nolua, he sounds like a very dishonest man. Even if he had some sort of justification for what he did, the way he went about it is hard to understand or forgive. How can someone be so cruel to another human?” She spoke these words with genuine sadness. “Were you unable to do anything to stop what Nolua did? Or…were your attempts to help your nephew just ignored?”

Agan balled his fists hard. “His overwhelming love for my nephew...who was only ten. Nolua...that fucker told me ALL the things he had planned for him. The way he was going to drug him–and, and–the WAY HE WAS–” The man seethed in his seat. “Doctor he was going to rape him in his sleep. THIS SKINNY FUCKER WAS GOING TO DRUG HIM—RAPE HIM—AND THEN CALL IT LOVE. THIS FUCKING BASTARD! And I had to watch it all happen. Inside that prison, the one where I was always caged, he’d come in and tell me stories of his…progress.” Although he was angry, he held a bitter expression.

“...That’s…that’s just horrible.” She breathed in deeply, but it wasn’t a calm breath of air. Although she knew it from the prior session, it didn’t help ease her mind. “...It's heartbreaking to believe that someone could be so despicable, and to act on it in such an atrocious way is even more awful. Was Nolua ever caught for his crimes? Is there any justice for what he did?”

She had to know the answer. Jaffy was definitely away from him now, but if he was still loose and on the run…the doctor didn’t even want to imagine it.

“…I don’t know. I thought everyone in the village had died, but…” Agan thought back to Jaffy. “…now, I’m not so sure. He might be dead for all I know.”

Those words did not ease the doctor’s worry for Jaffy. If anything, it had worsened.

“…It would definitely be a better world if he were dead. Someone like that is too harmful to be left alive.” Her dark words surprised Agan, but she continued peacefully. “In the time since then, have you ever managed to find a new source of happiness or purpose, to help forget about everything that's happened? Are there any other people who you really care about, and any who care about you?” The doctor laid back on her chair, waiting for Agan’s answer.

“Ugh…I don’t know. I just set it aside. I managed to get a job as a small merchant since then, but it’s not really too big of a deal. Does help to keep me distracted.” Agan said. He leaned back on the furniture, and he looked at the doctor’s aura. It was the same as ever. The man then blinked, and he thought about Doctor Jones' last question. “…Well, there is one person I care about now. She also cares about me too, I think, since she helped me recover from the bandits. Good person.”

The doctor smiled. “That’s a very good thing. Are the two of you close? What makes her so special, apart from helping you out after the bandit situation? And…” She crossed her hands, and stopped smiling. “…Does she know about what's happened with Nolua?”

“Hmm…well, I wouldn’t call her family, but I can at least say we’re good friends.” Agan sighed, closing his eyes. “The girl helped me escape from the bandits, yes, but she doesn’t know about that bastard. Honestly, it was quite the ordeal of events. I still think about how lucky I was…” The man covered his eyes. “…Of course, however, she wasn’t the only accomplice to my escape.”

Doctor Jones nodded. It made sense for this to be the case; if her imagination was correct, there must have been many bandits guarding the cave. It would be difficult to get through a situation even with two people.

“Who were the other people who helped you escape?” The doctor asked, a concerning feeling entering her heart. Even if he was right here in front of her, she was still worried about what happened to Agan. “How did you manage to get away from such a dire situation? It seems like a very dangerous situation to be stuck in, especially one with such a cruel and untrustworthy person at its center.”

“How should I say this…” Agan rubbed his cheek. “My nephew...he wasn't the only victim. That son of a bitch...before Nolua went after my brother's son, Nolua went after his OWN brother, one who was only slightly older than my nephew was. And…” The man sighed, remembering a few certain details. “That kid helped me escape. I thought I had understood why at the time, but…well, it was something very unexpected.”

-O-O-O-

It was another dark day inside the caverns. The torches burned ever brightly, and they were the only source of light. Sometimes however, they’d go out, and he would have to wait for someone to relight them…and annoyingly for him, this was one of those days. Laying his back on the cold, hard wall, the man groaned. Agan had grown tired of constantly sitting, but there was nothing he could do about it. One of his arms was chained to the floor, and his right leg was shackled ever since he broke the prison bars. He just hoped they wouldn’t forget his food again this time.

As usual, the man started to drift off. Not being able to do anything without anybody to talk to–besides that fucker every now and then–made him go insane. Sleeping was a good way to pass the time. However…in the darkness, right before his eyes truly closed, Agan saw an aura…

…and its strength showed that it wasn’t a bandit’s.

Immediately, the metals of his side of the room clanged as he instinctively dashed forward in anger. Obviously however, the chains prevented him from even touching the bars. Agan seethed, growling like the very beasts he used to hunt.

The prisoner’s eyes hurt by looking at the sudden increase of light, but he glared at the hallway anyway. The light was growing stronger.

‘Nolua…what the fuck did you do this time!?’ Agan thought, a frown emitting from his expression.

He would have screamed at him, but last time he did, the bandits starved him for a day once the man was gone. As the footsteps prowled closer, Agan’s eyes grew angrier, and the chains started to feel pressure. However…

Agan sat down in shock at the very sight. The force radiating from him diminished, and in the hallway with a small lantern was a young child. His jaw widened.

“I…what?” Agan spoke dumbfoundedly, and the kid walked up to the bars silently. He appeared to be a boy, but both his feminine movements and mannerisms seemed to contradict that idea. “...Don’t just ignore me. Who in the world are you, kid?” Agan asked in the village’s language, so as to test if this person was truly one of his kind.

“...That doesn’t matter,” they said. The man decided to think about the kid’s gender later. The child put down their lantern on the floor, and they sat in a peculiar manner. “All that matters is…” The kid hesitated, and Agan wondered why. “...is that I need your help, and that you need mine.”

Agan studied the child before talking. They seemed to sit with both of their legs parallel together, and each leg touched the other. It was, for some reason, the kind of sitting position one would expect from a servant. It was too humble, and it seemed like the kid didn’t realize that. However, their offer did certainly interest him.

Agan stared straight at the kid. Surprisingly, they weren’t intimidated. With a quick readjustment in position, the man started to speak. “And how do I know this deal is good for me, kid?”

They appeared to blank out for a moment…did they seriously not think of this beforehand? Such a thing would have made Agan chuckle in his younger years, but the events that had happened to him ever since made him steely.

“Well…that’s…” With a sigh far too mature for their age, the kid glared at Agan. “...I’ll let you escape. It might take me some time, but I can free you.”

The prisoner’s posture straightened. “Really now? And just how would this benefit you? There are only disadvantages for you in helping me.” The man would have crossed his arms, but the chain on his left arm prevented him from doing so. He had to settle with putting his hands on his knees as he sat criss-crossed.

After a few seconds of tense silence, the kid suddenly spoke up in confusion.

“...I’m sorry, but–what does ’disadvantages’ mean?”

Agan tried facepalming, but both his shackle and heart stopped him from doing so. “It’s like…ugh–Like you only got bad things going for you if you help me. Speaking of that, why? There’s no real point, is there?” The man looked at the kid as if they were inexperienced. “I don’t see anything good for you out of this deal.”

“...That’s because I want you to…” The kid’s face distorted with disgust, making Agan concentrate. “...No. I need you to save that…cursed child–”

“Do NOT call him by that name.” Agan said, blood starting to boil.

Although they weren’t intimidated before, the kid noticeably flinched at Agan’s harsh tone…and perhaps his aura. Agan couldn’t move very far, but he could still project his aura towards the kid. However, after calming down a bit, he stopped. A bead of sweat dropped down the child’s chin.

“...Okay. Fine. Just–listen to me, okay?” Agan sat straight up at the sentence. “You want to escape. I–” The kid put their right hand on their chest, staring right into the prisoner’s brown eyes. “–also want you to escape. I need you to take…whoever that child is away from my brother–”

“Nolua is your brother?”

Agan stared dead straight into the kid’s eyes. His aura was starting to flare involuntarily, and his eyes went red for but a split second. The memories of that bastard’s wicked stories were starting to surge through his head, and this kid…the man calmed himself down slightly with the aid of a stinging pain inside his eyes. This kid might also be a victim…

Well, I’m a bit worried about what they could be doing together. The kid looked a bit scared, so they might be doing something dangerous…

He sighed, and the kid mustered up the courage to reply back.

“Yes,” he confirmed, giving enough detail to realize he was Nolua’s little brother, “he is my brother, and I know what he…did to both you and that…child.” The kid barely held themselves back from saying the ‘C’ word. “I won’t tell you my reasons, but I want to get him out of that situation. Okay? And I need you to do it for me, because I can’t.”

The prisoner gazed at him with a bored look on his face. He held up his arm’s shackle.

“And just how are you going to get me out of here? Look kid, I do want to get out of here, and I want to pummel that fucker’s face on my way out, but the odds are all against you. Those bars–they don’t even have a door, just a small opening for plates of food to slide in.” Agan stared straight at him, sighing, and the kid responded with an equally tense gaze. “It doesn’t matter what you or me want. All that matters is how you’re gonna do it, and there is no way you can.” With his small hopes diminished, the man leaned back against the wall.

“...”

The kid grit their teeth in annoyance, but Agan was too far onto the wall to notice. As if representing the mood of the room, the lantern dimmed, but it didn’t stop lighting the room.

“...Don’t worry. I know a way to get you out. It’s…I just don’t know where it is in this room. Believe me, Warrior Leader.”

“...Mhm. Do you now?” Agan couldn’t be bothered to correct the title. “You sound like you’re lying to yourself, kid…just—give up on whatever you’re trying to do. It’s not gonna work like this…as much as I want to get out, it’s impossible for you to do it. Impossible. You aren’t strong enough.” The man closed his eyes, forcing himself to drift off.

It took a moment for the kid to process exactly just what the prisoner said, but when he did, his anger flared throughout the room.

“You’re just–you’re going to give up, JUST LIKE THAT?!?” The kid seemed offended for him, but Agan could care less. It was impossible for him to do anything at this point, anyway–constant sitting had made his legs numb, and the bare minimum of food he was given did nothing to help. Even if Agan could escape, he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to walk for a while afterwards.

The prisoner held a bitter expression.

“...Yes. I’m giving up. I can get angry all I want, but—I can’t actually do anything other than maybe scare Nolua once or twice. How could you expect me not to–kid, do you even know what he does in here? To me?” He would have pointed to himself for emphasis, but he was too tired to do so. The dark lighting of the cave only further illuminated this decision.

The kid, still in the same sitting position, sighed heavily. “Yes, yes, I know what he does to you–”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Agan interrupted, startling the kid, “I’m asking if you even know what the effects of those are. It’s not as simple as being–” The man shook his chain. “–caged here, or that fucker telling me stories.”

“Then…” The child’s lantern grew brighter. “...if I find it right here, right now, would you help me and take that child away?”

“You won’t be able to, kid.”

Defying the man’s pessimism, the child stood up anyway, taking his lantern with him. Agan would have stopped him, but as he looked at their aura, he could’ve sworn it changed color. Even if it was only for a split second, he–of all people—could recognize that color anywhere, even if it had only appeared in front of him twice.

Both his eyes and aura were purple.

A spark of hope grew in the man. Agan would have urged the kid to go on, but he decided to wait and see what would happen. The child was rubbing the walls all over with their hands, and he searched for something in them.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

‘…He said they knew a way to get me out of here, and based on what he said, it’s in this room…yet he didn’t know where it was? How confusing…’ Agan mused to himself, watching the child look for the way in. ‘Not that it matters. He’s still going to have to somehow free me from these chains and get me up at the same time. I may be skin and bones now, but a young child like that…there’s just no way.’ With his gaze attached to the kid’s face, Agan reminisced. ‘How odd. He kind of reminds me of Jaffy…’

The kid smiled. “Found it,” they said, “I should be able to get across those bars now.” They smirked at the prisoner, as if saying ‘I told you so.’

Agan scoffed. “And how are you going to do it?” Although he spoke in a harsh tone, the man was waiting to see what he’d do, especially since the purple was now gone.

“Watch…” The kid phased through the wall, making the prisoner’s jaw drop, “…and learn.” The walls giggled, and the man was astonished. He could barely hear the footsteps in there, but he was still able to tell that they were coming over to his side. Agan might really have a chance. “Aha! I see you!”

The kid, yet again, phased through the wall; however, this time the wall was on his side of the cell. Starting to recover from the sight, the man regained control of his body.

“…Well. I didn’t think you’d actually find a way. I am impressed.” Agan stared at the kid, who had a deeply satisfied look on his face. He would have grown annoyed at him, but the scenario was just too much to bear.

He had a chance.

He had an opportunity…

…for revenge.

Unknowingly, Agan smiled.

“So, Warrior Leader,” the kid said, towering above the man’s sitting height, “do we have a deal? I let you escape and save your child, and both of you will finally be out of our lives. It’s a win-win for the both of us, Warrior Leader.” Audibly, the kid smirked.

The soon-to-be free man looked at him with both disbelief and happiness.

“…Are you kidding me?” A bead of sweat dropped down the kid’s face at Agan’s tone, but the man’s next sentence reassured him. “Of course I’m accepting this!”

-O-O-O-

“...I will admit though, we did have a rocky start with each other.” Agan said casually.

The doctor chuckled at the sentence, but the darkness of the situation stopped her from going too far. She started her usual routine, asking the man, “So, was this other victim someone you were close with as well, Agan? Is there anything you feel okay with sharing about why this other person decided to help you? I would imagine that it would take quite a bit of courage to risk doing something that Nolua wouldn't like, especially if these people were close to him.” Her gaze saddened, for she knew how hard it was to go against one’s abusers. “It must have been very difficult.”

“I mean…I wouldn't say he was too close to me. It was mainly a mutually beneficial relationship for the both of us. However, I didn’t understand why it was so good for him back then, either. Honestly…” The man leaned back again, indulging once again in its comfort. “I'll never forget why he decided to do it…I'm grateful for his help, but I hope that nobody, nobody will ever become like him–especially my nephew.”

Before continuing on with her questions, Doctor Jones decided to focus on his previous statement first. “That makes sense–people do have to look out for themselves, especially in these kinds of situations.” Her mind involuntarily crossed over to Jaffy’s session, but she pushed it away. Agan noticed her aura fluctuated slightly; however, it was nowhere near the level of someone who was lying.

“How did he help you? What did he do to get you out of there? This must have been a very dangerous and precarious situation, and I'm curious to know how you two managed to get out of there.” The doctor held a bitter expression, and she waited for the man to answer.

The man waited for a brief moment before speaking. He was starting to become entangled in the memories.

“...While I was imprisoned, the kid managed to release me after a week or two. It was hard to tell the time there with no sun…I was probably there for a few weeks before he decided to come for me. It was very tense; we had to think up of a way to get me out of there undetected. Dozens of bandits were constantly outside according to him...and…” Agan sighed, feeling regret from the situation–or perhaps, was it guilt? He didn’t know. “Only I escaped...and, that wasn't because I left him behind or anything–that kid, he–” Agan stopped himself hesitantly.

The doctor took a deep breath before replying to that dark sentence. “That sounds like an incredibly dangerous, not to mention stressful, mission to accomplish. It must have been hard to feel alone and know that your companion was still stuck in there. I'm sorry that you had to have that experience.” She waited for a short time before continuing the conversation, letting the man have a breather. “When you escaped, what did you end up doing after getting out of there? Are you safe to be wherever you are right now, or would you still be in danger from Nolua or the other bandits?”

The man leaned back on the furniture.

“Well, I know I'm safe right now. It'd be difficult to do anything to me in Emia. Hundreds of police mages patrol the city streets constantly...I ended up recuperating for a while afterwards, and then I tried being a merchant. Surprisingly, it worked–but, well, not without the help of my friend, Kamae. However…” The man sat straight up. “...Don't worry too much about my companion, though. He wanted to stay…” Agan sighed, feeling a lingering guilt, “...because...gah! I feel like I should say it, but it's a little surreal at the same time…”

“Well, I'm glad that you're safe now. It always helps to have a safe, comfortable environment to feel at home in.” The doctor said, her eyes weighing down. “Did your companion give you any reason why he wanted to stay behind? It’s…” Unbeknownst to the man, Doctor Jones gripped her armrests. “That’s a very brave course of action to take, which is why I can understand that it might feel odd to share his reasoning behind that decision.”

Agan did a few cycles of breathing to calm his nerves before slowly saying, “...I told you before that the kid was also one of Nolua's victims, right? He was his brother, too.”

“Yes…” Once again, the doctor’s gaze saddened, and she wondered why such a terrible person could have existed. “It changes things quite a bit. Did he explain why he thought this was something he still needed to do?” Doctor Jones leaned forward. “Did he know what sort of fate would await him if the bandits caught up to him again?”

“He knew, Doctor. It’s—“ Agan grimaced. “Listen—Doctor, on the day we escaped, I was going to go back to the village with haste. But that kid, THAT POOR KID—he stopped me, and he betrayed me…”

Agan’s heart underwent an angry turmoil; both regret and guilt attacked his emotions. He shouldn’t have trusted him. Even if it wasn’t the kid’s fault for doing that, but Nolua’s.

“…all to stop me from going to murder that fucker.”

-O-O-O-

“I’m sorry, kid,” Agan apologized, “you shouldn’t have to help me out like this.”

After weeks of chipping away at his chains, the child had successfully broken him out; however, they weren’t out of danger yet. If even one person on Nolua’s side caught them slipping away, the two of them would immediately be faced with dire consequences. Death wasn’t excluded from them, either. Both of them knew that they waged their lives on this deal, but they also knew that they wouldn’t back down as well.

Most importantly, Agan had a burning desire for revenge. He wasn’t going to let something like this stop him before he paid back Nolua in full…with his fists.

The kid jolted him from his dark thoughts.

“You’ve been stuck sitting in a cave for weeks.” The child grunted as he helped the man walk. Just a few minutes before they’d reach their destination. “Of course you’d need my help, old man. Don’t worry too much about it…” Although he said that, Agan could clearly see him sweating.

Lifting the burden off the kid slightly–even if it hurt him more–the man walked straighter. The green scenery was a great marvel for his eyes; the man hadn’t seen any color besides stone gray in the cavern for weeks. The only bad part about finally being outside was that his eyes stung for minutes.

Once he felt that they were a safe distance away from the camp, Agan asked the child a question.

“Just how far away are we going, Lamen?” The kid perked up at his name. “If I remember correctly, you told me that you…found some people to help us?” Agan felt dubious, but he’d take the help.

“Yeah! In fact, we’re almost there.” Lamen said. He seemed to be a little more excited than usual. “See that path?” The kid pointed to it.

It wasn’t too far away, but the distance felt like it would take seasons to get across. Agan’s back held a waterfall of sweat at the sight. It seems like spring had changed to summer throughout the time he was imprisoned. Slowly, the man nodded, confirming that he could see it.

The duo walked silently towards the path.

The trees of the forest were brimming with growth, and the view paralyzed him. The path reminded him all too much of his golden days. The days where he would hunt with the noble warriors of the village…with Jutan…and come back with a feast. The man felt a tinge of regret.

Just how did things become this way?

It didn’t matter anymore. He had to focus on saving Jaffy for now, even if he’d like to crush Nolua’s skull at this very moment.

“So, Lamen…I don’t exactly see any people out here to help us.” The kid was silent as Agan chuckled soft-heartedly. His expectations weren’t high, anyway. “Who were you expecting to come here?”

No response. Agan turned his head back.

“Lamen?”

The boy stayed still as if contemplating something. Agan grew slightly concerned. Perhaps he had tired him out too much? Maybe. It was hard to tell due to his own rapid breathing; as they had been walking for a while, Agan’s own legs were very tired, let alone Lamen’s. He had been helping him walk all this time, after all.

“...Lamen, is something wrong–”

Suddenly, the man saw the child dash forward at him, and his back was pushed onto a tree.

“AGH!” Agan grunted at hitting the tree, and his back ached from receiving the brunt of the force. “Lamen, WHAT THE–” All of a sudden, a magical noise flowed through the area, and he felt an all too familiar feeling on his arm. And legs. All of them.

The setting was different, but he was imprisoned again. Metal was replaced by magic. Agan sweated at the situation, for this time he had no real way to get out. He looked at the young child with a mixture of horror, betrayal, and anger. Lamen had deliberately pushed him onto the tree, where there was most likely a magic spell put in place to trap him.

“...I’m sorry, Warrior Leader,” Lamen looked at him with a small guilt, only serving to anger Agan further, “but…I just don’t need you anymore.”

Agan tried standing up in a rush, but the chains connected to the tree he was pushed onto stopped him.

“YOU—“ Agan grunted, and his limbs hurt from resisting the shackles. With difficulty, he calmed himself down before speaking. “...Lamen, why. This isn’t a joke, is it? What do you mean by that? This…this wasn’t part of the deal, kid.”

“It’s exactly like I’ve said. I don’t need you anymore. Besides…” He seemed to hesitate, but Agan was too hung up on what had just happened to notice. “…even if I didn’t have someone else to replace you, I probably would have done this anyway.” Despite that eerie sentence, Lamen seemed perfectly fine with the idea.

Agan stared at the “innocent” child with a wide jaw. He could not believe what the boy just said; however, the chains that bound his hands and feet forced him to accept the truth.

“You…what? But—“ Agan looked at him with an indignant confusion. “But WHY?!? You didn’t have to do all of this!”

Suddenly, the tables of the conversation flipped entirely. It was now Lamen’s turn to look at him with an open jaw.

The boy stared off into the distance. “Yeah…I could have done that.” He looked at Agan with an emotionless gaze, and then sighed. “But it’s too late now.”

“Answer my question.” Agan commanded.

“Isn’t the reason obvious, though?” Lamen asked. Agan looked back confusedly at the response. “It’s because…” Suddenly, the child leaned in onto the man’s face. Agan was reminded of Nolua. “…you want to kill my brother. And I don’t want that.” The man grew even more confused.

The newly prisoned man thought to himself for a moment.

‘Why would he not want his brother’s death? He, too, was assaulted by that man…’ Agan couldn’t piece together the odd puzzle. ‘...Well, it could be because they are family; however, it feels like there’s something else…’

“...That doesn’t make sense at all.” Even though he spoke calmly, Lamen could see the hidden anger buried inside of him; however, Agan didn’t want to lash out at a child–especially because of the Village Chief–Lonyu. “Don’t you hate that–CAN YOU EVEN CALL HIM YOUR BROTHER AT THIS POINT?! That piece of shit doesn’t even know how to cherish family…you know what, Lamen?”

The kid stepped back as Agan’s eyes stung slightly. He did not grunt in pain, however.

“Lamen…I heard what he did to Jaffy. I literally SAW what he did to Jaffy,” Agan said, tiring the kid. He already knew. “And…if Nolua, that fucker, that so-called brother of yours did all of that to my brother’s son…”

Agan moved his head forward, trying not to suffer from the chains.

“...then what the fuck did he do to you?”

The brat started to glare at him. He continued regardless.

“How can you still call him your brother–”

“That DOESN’T matter.” Lamen interrupted angrily. Noticeably, Agan had hit a sore spot, and it wasn’t with his fists. “Now that he’s here, I can finally have Jaffy out of his grasp. He will die–” Agan’s eyes sparked red, but the brat didn’t back down. “–like the cursed child he is. Cut down by that traveling swordsman’s blade.”

Agan forcefully swallowed back an angry retort. He needed answers, not an even worse situation than before. “...Just what is with your hatred for this boy!?” His eyes started to scald in a burning frenzy. Unconsciously, Lamen stepped back. “I thought you were trying to help him, but I guess not. You don’t make sense.”

All of a sudden, the kid dashed forward and gripped Agan’s rags. The man grunted slightly in pain, but it wasn’t enough to truly injure him.

“THAT’S BECAUSE–”

-O-O-O-

Agan forcibly stopped himself from remembering, and he shook his head. He didn’t need to remember, and he certainly didn’t want to remember. Not for now.

The doctor sat silently in response.

“...That was all for the same person who had trapped me in a cave. The same fucker who had done all of these things to my nephew. The SAME person who had shown and told me EVERYTHING he did to Jaffy. Nolua. He betrayed me for him, Doctor.” Agan grit his teeth, and the noise it made covered the room entirely. “That poor kid didn't want his brother to die, and the reason why that was the case...is the same reason I hope, if that boy is still alive somewhere out there, that my nephew never becomes like that child.”

The man cast a dark shadow down on the floor.

“What a terrible experience this person must’ve been through…” The doctor didn’t know exactly what had happened, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t give her condolences. “It sounds like he was willing to sacrifice his own life for his brother, and it's clear from what you've shared even just now that this was a painful and awful situation for him to be in.”

Agan didn’t show any signs of agreeing or disagreeing.

With sympathy, Doctor Jones asked, “How did you feel when he took this action? Did you try to understand where he was coming from, or did you feel more like you wanted to see justice served and for Nolua to be punished by any means possible?” She wouldn’t mind either answer.

“...Doctor, I wanted that man DEAD, so you can only imagine when the kid blocked me from doing so…” Agan avoided Doctor Jones’ gaze as he told his story. “...I was nearly going to murder him, too. However, in his betrayal, he managed to throw me into a magical trap. As such, I was unable to do anything to him at the time, and it was only after I calmed down did I manage to make him tell me his reasons for doing so…” The man covered his eyes and grimaced. “At that time, all of my anger vanished the moment he did...for it was replaced with horror.”

In surprise, the doctor asked him, “What did he say that prompted you to have such a stark change of heart? In my experience, it can be very hard to forgive and understand a situation which is so unfair and hurtful.” Agan nodded at that. “But–clearly, this person had a big impact on your feelings and the way you saw this situation. Just what was it about what he shared with you that affected you so strongly?”

“Doctor...what he told me–” Blankly, Agan stared at the other person in the comforting room, “–Are you really sure you want to hear it?”

“I'm ready to listen if you're ready to share–I think it could be helpful, especially as it could have a big impact on your journey onwards. But…” Doctor Jones stared back at the man’s face with concern and sympathy. “...only share what you're comfortable with, and only if you want to. I'm happy to listen if you want someone to listen to your story, but make sure you do it in a way that’s comfortable to you, okay?”

Agan shook for a moment. This time, he truly contemplated those words, even if he had heard them a few times during the course of this session. Then, after a minute or two, the doctor heard him speak.

“...Yeah. Yeah, that's true. I'm sorry, but–” The man sighed, covering his eyes. His voice was a little shaky. “...I don't think I can talk about it right now. Do you mind if I can come at a later time?”

“No need to be sorry–we all have our good and bad days, and clearly this is bringing up some difficult feelings for you. You're not under any obligation to share if you're not yet ready, Agan.” Her aura, although hard to tell, stayed very calm as she said that. The doctor didn’t lie as usual. Agan felt the pressure lifting off of him as she reassured him. “Whenever you want to come back and share your story, I'll be here to listen, so please don't hesitate to re-contact me whenever you need it.” Doctor Jones smiled.

“Alright. Then, hmm…what's a good time for you for the next time I can visit?” The man scratched his hair awkwardly. “There's nothing much I'm really doing for now, so…”

“I have a fairly open schedule, so I can pretty much make any time work.” Doctor Jones stated, pulling out a notebook from the table near her. “If you'd like, we can set a time, or perhaps it would be better to leave it more casually so that you can contact me whenever you feel like it. Do what feels best for you.”

“Can I have it in three days, then? I'm not sure what time, but—“ Agan fumbled his hands around, trying to explain his point. “I'll try to come in the morning, if that's alright with you.”

Doctor Jones nodded. “Three days seems good to me. I would imagine that morning is good because it helps to have the whole day ahead of you to think about other things once you're done with the call–am I right on that?”

“Yeah…” Agan stood up slowly, and his heart felt a little less heavy. “Thank you for your time. Even if telling some of these things were stressful, I'm grateful that I could tell them to you. It feels like a burden has been lifted…”

“I'm glad that you were able to open up today. I'm sure that talking about this couldn't have been easy, but you're right, this will help you on your road to recovery from this experience.” She stopped writing in her notebook, and she put it away where it was before. “It's been a pleasure talking with you today–and please, don't hesitate to get in touch again if there's anything else you would like to share.”

The doctor herself got up, and she opened the door outside. Agan walked through, but only after realizing she was letting him go first. She chuckled at the stiff sight.

Agan felt sad about losing his seat, but he knew that sooner or later, he’d come back to it…