Spring is the season of new beginnings. Flower blooms, Seed sprout, and leaves begin to regrow. But for something to begin, one must end.

“Mom, Look! I drew you and dad!” (Eliot)

“…” (Mother)

“Teacher told us to draw our family! You and dad have been working so hard so I thought I should give you this as a gift! Thank you for everything you do Mom!” (Eliot)

I grinned from ear to ear after presenting my drawing to my mom. At the time I remembered working hard just to draw that, it required me many tries until I got to something I was satisfied with. I really anticipated her reply. To me, I wanted to see my mom be happy.

“If you’re gonna waste your time making nonsense then you should’ve just been put to a public school instead.” (Mother)

“Mom?” (Eliot)

She crumpled the piece of paper I gave her and threw it in the trash. I didn’t understand why she did that. Is my drawing ugly? Did she want a different design? Should I have used a different color? How could I make her happier?

“Mom? Should I remake my drawing? What color do you want me to use–“ (Eliot)

“Just shut up. Looking at you disgusts me.” (Mother)

“ !!! “ (Eliot)

At the time I never knew the real meaning behind it. I always assumed it was my fault. I am her son afterall, so why would she be disgusted of me? I just wished the answer was less complicated.

My mother left me there and went to her room. I heard a loud bang as she closed the door, my heart jump as I stood there frozen. I could feel my sweat running down my face, it was enough to soak my shirt.

“Ah, I see Mother is having a bad day… maybe she’ll be better tomorrow…” (Eliot)

I turned my head to the drawing she threw into the trash. Slowly, I walked towards it. As I dug through the trash right then I realized, it wasn’t sweat.

Make sure you have umbrellas ready during spring, it tends to rain from time to time.

[Day 4]

At the break of dawn, I woke up, my body ached all over as I tried to get up. I realized that my right leg was broken. Moving it was impossible, since the moment I even try to lift myself up I just collapse to the ground.

So, losing my fingers is not a dream huh…

Rumble

I was hungry again. I guess that was expected since I have not eaten anything since yesterday. Checking the palm of my hand, only one berry was saved. Droplets fell from my cheeks. As I looked up it was raining.

“Ah, I’m tired… Sniff… Sniff… Eh…? I’m crying?” (Eliot)

A wailed while lying on the ground. An emotion I have long forgotten resurfaced. Yet, I was not able to understand the reasoning behind it. Sadness? So, this is how it felt to be sad huh…

“I just wanted to live! I just wanted to be with my family! I just wanted to be happy! Why are you doing this to me?!” (Eliot)

I cried and cried as my emotion just started to flow out. My exhaustion and the pain, amplified my emotions, making me, for the first time in my life feel sorrow.

I was disappointed with myself. If I didn’t help that girl I would still be alive in my old world! If I did not try to save that girl I would not have been bullied! If I didn’t exist… maybe my mother would’ve loved me…

‘You know why I hate you?! You know why I wish you didn’t exist?! You are the son of that disgusting man! The son of a rapist and a criminal! You should’ve never existed!’

Those words were spoken by my mother on my 8th Birthday. She was drunk. The moment she saw me, she cried and told me the truth. In front of all my ‘friends’. After that day they stopped playing with me. That day was the catalyst that made my father beat me up every day.

I calmed down after a few minutes. My throat was so dry after crying so I decided to drink the rain. I had thoughts of ending myself, but I denied myself that opportunity.

“I shouldn’t blame anyone… Like me they’ve suffered too…” I said as I felt disgusted for even thinking of blaming others.

Hungry, alone, weak, and broken; all the odds were against me. But I want to live. I want to fight. I can’t die here, I can’t die! Not yet!

I got some twigs that were lying around me, picking the ones that are most straight, using the dull knife I had, I’ve cut some cloth from the rag clothing me and used it as a rope to fasten the twigs around my injured leg. I covered my hand to make sure I minimize the bleeding. I winced the moment I felt a sharp pain ran through my spine

“No, this is nothing. If I stay here longer, I will surely die here.” (Eliot)

I downplayed the pain by imagining how worse my situation would be if my father was the one beating me up. At the moment, the rain is hiding my smell but if it stops, other predators might notice. It’s a wonder how I managed to survive this long since I was practically passed out for hours before I woke up in this place.

I began to drag myself back to the cave to ensure my safety from the outside world. I grabbed as much weed or herb looking things, I found, in hopes that atleast one of them is edible.

As I dragged myself, I stumbled upon some crushed herbs with weird smell encircling the place I was at. It looked like someone deliberately place them, which made me anxious.

Not knowing what to do with it I just ignored it and retreated to the cave.

[Day 5]

Good morning world! Ya know, as someone with an IQ of 20, I just feel obligated to tell you a new lesson my genius mind just learned last night. It is the obligation of the smart people to teach you lower beings!

First of all, edible grass taste awful. I suggest sticking to lettuce or something, also did you know lettuce is like 95% water!? God just scammed you guys like you’re basically just buying the 5% of lettuce for christsake such a scam. Second, some mushrooms (basically everything I found) was poisonous! And finally… I am currently paralyzed after eating a yellow-colored herb I found near the mushroom. They looked pretty so I thought they’d be edible. I miss McDonalds…

After a few hours I was able to move again, but after the paralyzing effects wore off the pain on my leg returned. There I had the idea to take the yellow herb and put it on my wounds and leg. After a few minutes the pain subsided. Standing was still impossible but I could atleast think properly now. The excruciating pain that once distracted me was now gone, well… for now.

I realized that I was severely unarmed, I need a weapon I can use for long range.

“The next time I go out I need to get some sticks again.” (Eliot)

The more pressing problem right now is my hunger. Now that I’m like this getting food will be more difficult. Food was essential for me, especially now that I was injured. All the ‘meat’ around me was already consumed or rotten. I might need to crawl my way out of this place to save my ass.

As I was thinking that I noticed a basket near the cave’s entrance… It had bread in it, including some herbs. Someone might’ve found me! My heart raced as I felt scared of what that might imply, if that armored guy found out that he missed one of my kind he might kill me!

No, panicking will do nothing. I crawled to the food and ate it. The herb tasted very bitter but I just ate it as is. I felt drowsy after eating and dozed of afterwards.

I woke up on the cold stone floor, the rays of light that once lit the room are almost gone now. But I noticed something, my leg and wounds… they no longer hurt… I tried touching my wounds but they’ve all dried up. My once broken leg no longer hurts. I tried standing up and it was as if it wasn’t injured at all.

I remembered the bitter herb that was given to me… There was a possibility that that might be the cause of this… I felt alive… Hope… that’s what I felt… whoever that person is, they shall be my goddess!

[Molly POV]

[Fall, Year 896 in the Imperial Calendar]

“Hurry up! We need to find that person!”

“Priestess, many of our troops are injured from that attack earlier please slow down.” (Paladin)

“So slow, tsk”

I am a Priestess of the Church. I was born from a humble farming family, it was simple, humble, and I HATED IT! By the time I reached my 6th birthday I remembered my past life! I’m not used to this life! My father was a prosecutor so we lived in luxury. Before I reincarnated that is… I had everything! God why are you so cruel! It’s my sister’s fault, isn’t it?! That bitch if she didn’t try to leak that her molester was innocent, I would’ve been reincarnated to a better place!

Here I was enjoying my morning because that guy killed himself! Damn, just when I thought the guy was silenced. It was his fault that after the truth of that incident was found, I always lived in the edge! My reputation would be ruined if he revealed that my father tried to hide the truth!

But on my 7th birthday, my family brought me to the church. There, I was blessed and my gift was revealed.

“Light Magic…! You’re a light magic user!” (Priest)

Afterwards the priest called my father and mother, where the priest shouted at them as they shook their head left and right and bowed. At first, I didn’t think anything of it but later that night my family was killed by men wearing dark clothing. Only I survived that incident because right after that, men wearing white armor came to my house.

“Lady, we are the paladins, it’s alright you can come with us. They can’t hurt you anymore.” (Paladin)

They swoop in and killed all the bad guys. I was brought to the same church as I was blessed, where the priest welcomed me. As the nuns took me inside, I saw the priest handing some coins to the paladins. There, I was trained to be a priestess, each and every day was filled with lessons but… It was worth it! I saw people kneeling infront of me and giving me praises. I was able to get what I want regardless of what it was!

After a while I found out that I was not alone, on the banquet held by the imperial family, I met the prince who I found out to be my Kyle my classmate. It seems almost our entire class was reincarnated in this world too. I just wondered, is there a possibility that that guy would be here too? I ignored it as he died before that explosion happened.

After 8 years, I was chosen to be a candidate for Sainthood. This is due to my light magic rivaling that of the bishops and growing.

“I am sending you to the Demonic Forest where you are tasked to find the Witch of the South.” The bishop told me as I kneeled infront of the altar.

“Elicia Fonterra Celestia, priestess and a Saint Candidate. I the Bishop of the Church of Centurion hereby orders you to find the Witch of the South and bring her to me!” (Bishop)

“I Elicia will not fail you!”

Cheers could be heard as the people celebrated the announcement of the capture of the witch of the south. The Devil’s Lover.