"...F...father?"

Evans' throat quickly dried up as he stared at his father's cold eyes. The memories of the pain that he felt as his father abused and molested him all resurfaced in his mind.

​​

His vision blurred as he felt it harder and harder to breathe. It was as if he could hear the voices in his memories, shouting and screaming from pain.

"Where… did you go?"

His father's breath filled the entire house. Evans winced at the strong smell of alcohol that pierced his nose.

"Are you… leaving me?"

His father slowly approached him. Evans wanted nothing more but to escape from his father, but now that he was in front of him, it was as if his whole body was frozen. He could only hold his shaking breath and close his eyes as his father walked nearer and nearer to him.

He gritted his teeth, waiting for the pain that would follow.

...But it didn't come. Instead, the strong smell of alcohol grew stronger and he felt a warm embrace enveloping him. He then slowly heard the sound of a cry.

"You… you are leaving me as well, aren't you?", his father cried.

"...Father?", Evans was confused.

"Please, please don't leave me alone here", his father's embrace grew tighter as tears fell down from his face, "I will die if you leave me alone. You are all I have left in this world"

"Father...I--", Evans didn't really know what to say. This was the first time his father ever hugged him like this. This kind of warmth from a parent… this was the first time he was feeling it.

"Please...please stay"

Hearing his father's sincere cries. Evans could not help but also tear up, his hand slowly reached for his father.

Maybe… just maybe… They still had the chance to become a family?

But before his hands could even embrace his father's back, he felt his vision shift as his father pushed him towards the bed.

"!!!"

He then coughed up blood as his father proceeded to kick him on the face as soon as he landed on the bed.

"You're going to leave me!?", his father screamed, "How dare you!"

"I fed you, I clothed you, and you dare leave me alone!?"

His father's crazed screams pierced Evans' ears.

"Oh…", Evans muttered as his father continued to kick him all over his body. Although he was still feeling a stinging pain from his father's kicks, his face was blank.

A fool. He thought himself a fool for even thinking that his father would change. He thought himself a fool for even having hope that they could actually be a family.

The feeling of fear, the feeling of restlessness that he was feeling… it was suddenly gone. As if a candle was extinguished inside of him, the memories of his father's eternal abuse slowly shattered. His father's face, replaced by a blur. And the screams from his memories were slowly drowned out by a static noise.

His father…

The thing called a father... no longer existed inside of him.

He then stared straight towards his father's eyes. Evans' eyes were dead and cold as if looking at a stranger-- no, as if he was looking at no one at all.

"Y...you!", seeing the weird gaze that his son was giving him, "You think because you survived 2 days out there without me, you can look at me like that, you ungrateful retard!?"

His father then immediately stopped kicking him and quickly pulled down his pants, "Let me show you your place again!"

His expression was twisted as he slowly approached Evans on the bed. But before he could even get within a foot from Evans, he stopped.

No, perhaps it was more appropriate to say that he slowed down, almost to the point that he was not moving, his hair very slowly waving in the air.

[Time Perception Lv. 1]

A loud and painful ringing reverberated inside Evans' head as he stood up from the bed. Evans stared at his father, whose tongue was currently stuck out and licking his own lips. He looked…

"...disgusting", Evans whispered. The loud ringing in his mind grew stronger and stronger as his nose started to bleed profusely.

But he did not seem to mind as his gaze did not falter. And then, his hand slowly crept up to his father's face, grabbing it whole.

Evans' then leaned closer to his father, whispering something in his ears.

"..."

And that was the last thing he remembered before he completely blacked out.

"Evans… be… right!"

"Almost… healer… wait"

"Safe… father"

Evans felt his consciousness come and go, but he could still hear a familiar voice as he felt himself being dragged away as if he was floating in the air.

And then… complete darkness.

…

…

…

*Gasp!*

A loud gasp came from Evans as he suddenly sat up from the bed.

"Evans, you're awake!"

Evans' mind was still clouded, but he felt an arm wrap around him. He blinked a couple of times as he looked around the unfamiliar place.

"This…", he whispered weakly. This was not his house. The bed, the ceiling, and the walls were made of bricks and stones. There was also the scent of something sweet, but also bitter. A scent you would not find in his neighborhood.

"Miss… Andrea?", he called for the woman that was hugging him, "What… happened?"

Hearing Evans' words, Andrea gently released Evans from her embrace as she let out a sorrowful sigh.

"Your father…", Andrea let out a weak voice, "He is-- No... they… will tell you what happened"

"...They?", Evans' squinted his eyes in confusion.

Andrea nodded. She then stood up and quickly exited the room, calling for people that seemed to be waiting outside.

After a while, Andrea returned, behind her were three people, two were wearing armor, and one was a woman wearing what seemed to be a scholar's robe.

"Hello there, mister Evans", the woman spoke, "Are you comfortable here?"

"Who…?", Evans' face was full of confusion. Where exactly is he and who were these people?

"Ah, we are from the Explorer's association…", the woman sat on the chair beside Evans' bed, "First… we would like to offer our sincerest apologies", the woman then slightly bowed her head.

"A...apologies?", Evans awkwardly beckoned for the woman to stop bowing her head, "What… for?"

"Your father…", the woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes,

"Your father... is dead"