“Pipi~”

“Pipipi!”

Zooming back to the world of Neiero, the kingdom of Tordge peacefully stood there, surrounded by the defending stone walls, bricks after bricks layered above one another.

The happy chirps of the flocking birds were heard in the air. The soft winds blew east, the leaves of the nearby trees flapped gracefully. The fluffy clouds above slowly moved across the morning sky.

The sun slowly peeked above the horizon, painting the ground with a beautiful gradient of orange and yellow light. The skies above painted in a mix of orange and red.

Since Jake’s and his group’s return to the now devastated castle, a whole day had passed by. The people still blind to what had truly occurred to the main castle of the kingdom.

But as they say, bliss is peace…or something like that?

I think it’s called blissful ignorance, if I’m not wrong.

Either ways, inside one of the rooms, within the corridors built and prepared for the now missing heroes, a young boy slowly moved out of his bed. His messy almond coloured hair flapped from the sudden motion. The warm feeling of the blanket he slept in slowly faded away as it fell onto the cold stone floor.

Rubbing his dark golden eyes, he looked around to the room he was brought into. Not having any memory of how and why he was put here, a pile of questions cropped up immediately as a sense of distress began to bud. But with a single look to the one window in the room, his cheeks loosened as he came to know that this was Tordge.

“Uaah…”

Stretching his hands far into the air, he let out a long yawn as he left his bed. Standing on his two legs, he turned towards the one mirror in his room. From the looks of it, it seems like he was in a good condition, if not slightly tired.

“What…did I do yesterday?”

Every time he tried to look back, all he would see was a faint and fuzzy memory of what he had done in the past few days. There would be some small glimpses from time to time, but he couldn’t grasp the full picture.

Did something happen?

Where’s Charlotte? Zed? Marie?

How much time has passed?

Even more questions began to crop up as a sense of fear and distress overtook his heart. Whatever has happened in these past few days, he at least needed to find out the safety of his friends!

And…Maybe find Alex too.

He showed a small frown as he was reminded of his best friend, Damian Alexander. A boy who he befriended, and admired at the same time. The one student that has gone missing, leaving him to wonder where he truly is.

Thankfully, he had confirmed that he was indeed alive, but Zed was unable to determine his location.

If he could, he would’ve ran away from this place to find him, but he didn’t know where to go.

So, he was stuck, here, waiting in wonder and suspense as he awaits his return.

“……”

Staring intently at his reflection upon the mirror, his heart began to question if he truly was capable to find him, or even if he was needed at all. From Zed’s happiness when he spoke about him, it simply indicated that he was surviving on his own.

If so…was he needed?

That question sent a rainstorm of fear into his heart.

“No…”

Seeing this pitiful sight, he quickly wiped his eyes and ran out, slamming the door when he left. The thumping sound of the wood crashing against the stone echoed across the silent halls.

With his eyes cast down, he didn’t bother to look around and ran further through the empty halls. A sense of loneliness seeped into him as he recalled the once bustling halls, filled with maids and soldiers.

Where had these people gone too?

Gritting his teeth, he shook away these foul thoughts and continued running through the halls. His steps echoed against the stone walls, making its way back to his ears. A creeping feeling of dread creeped into his heart.

“W-What’s wrong with me today…?”

He silently questioned himself as odd thoughts began to appear in his mind. Along with his fuzzy and blurry memories, he finally realised how weird he has been acting this morning.

Something didn’t feel right…

W-Why was he…?

W-Where…

“Oh Jake…Why did you even leave me to begin with?”

“?!”

In shock, he turned around to see the source of such a mocking voice. But once his eyes fell upon the person who said it, he was shaken.

“If only you followed me on that day…hah…What was I expecting?”

“A-A-Al…ex…?”

“Good morning…’Friend’.”

The way he emphasized the word ‘Friend’ shook him to his core. His eyes swam around in both fear and confusion.

Why…Why was he here?

Wasn’t he…

“Missing?”

“?!”

“Don’t even bother…Not like I bothered anyways.”

“W-What do you…?”

“Say…You don’t actually care about me, do you?”

“O-Of course I do! You’re my best friend after all!”

“Ho?”

With a face as if he was ready to burst into laughter at any second, he placed his hand over his face and grinned. This time, with a much darker and more malicious tone, he spoke to him.

“You have many friends, don’t you? Why bother hanging with me? Why bother come to me?”

“I-It’s…because-“

“Sshh…Don’t need to say it. I know it all…You’re…alone…aren’t you?”

“w-what…do…?”

By instinct, he began backing away from his friend. But ‘Alex’ easily noticed his attempt, and walked up to him in an instant. His face only inches away from his. His maddening smile was carved into his mind.

“Don’t even lie…You’ve always been such a pussy, you know that?”

“H-Hey!”

“I find it cute sometimes…especially after you learned the truth about me…”

“…!”

His eyes grew wide open, hearing those words coming from his mouth. Seeing him like this, he displayed a mocking grin and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He tried to struggle free, but his oddly strong grip prevented any movement.

When had he gotten so strong?

“Every time, you would try to cheer me up…try to talk to me…”

“U-Ugh…”

“But, really, what can a pussy like you do? You’re just a little bitch, thinking that simply coming to me with a smile will change anything. Ha! What can you even change?!”

“I-I…”

With tears now leaking from his eyes, he tried to form words to speak, but his mouth failed to follow. Weakly, he tried to break his grip, but instead, ‘Alex’ tightened his grip around his neck.

And then, he finally heard the words he didn’t want to ever hear.

“I don’t need you.”

“?!”

“You have many other friends…Why don’t you find another ‘Best Friend’?”

So, with the largest grin he has ever seen him make, Alex put his other hand on his head, and with one motion,

*Krak!*

Alex broke his neck.

“Huha?!”

“Jake! You’re finally awake!”

But to his surprise, he was still alive, and very much so. Putting his hand over his chest, he felt his heart beating irregularly, the sounds of his pounding heart reached his ears. Beads of sweat rolled down his pale face.

W-Was all that a dream…?

If so…Why did he…say such painful words…?

W-Why…?

“Jake? You’re…crying.”

“h-huh…?”

Pressing hand onto his face, he felt his hands getting wet. Realising this pitiful act, he quickly tried to cover himself and wipe away those tears, but more kept on coming.

“I-I was j-just…”

“Do…you want me to leave you?”

When she said those words, his ears perked up instantly, and his heart immediately recalled the words that ‘Alex’ said to him.

“Don’t need to say it. I know it all…You’re…alone…aren’t you?”

In fear, his body moved on its own, and he called out to her.

“W-Wait!”

“Huh?”

“I-I…”

Seeing this oddly sad and terrified Jake, Charlotte became incredibly surprised, but she did well to keep her cool act. Seeing him vulnerable like this, she finally recalled her job back at her school, and what was the appropriate action she must do now.

With a caring smile, she took a chair and sat down next to him. Putting her hand over his, she calmly asked him.

“What’s wrong, Jake?”

-1 hour later-

“I-I can’t believe it…”

“I’m…quite surprised myself.”

On the opposite side of the castle, which was on the west side, by the way, the conversation between a man and a woman played out. The woman sounded quite shocked, with the man sounding just as surprised.

Seeing the man revived, she put her hand over her chest and sighed. Straightening her posture, she displayed a warm smile to the man she served under, also known as the King of Tordge!

And the woman who stood before him, was Saya!

Having the title as a ‘Priestess’, she had the task of serving and aiding the king in his time of need. And at this moment, the King very much needed her aid.

“But…To think we suffered this much casualties…”

“Your Majesty…”

Recalling the report Arthur gave him, he sighed softly. Never in his life would he ever expect such a devastating event to occur, especially not after the summoning of the heroes.

And to add more troubling news to the already distressed king, the heroes, all 400 of them, had disappeared. Luckily, he heard that two of them managed to return with the aid of an old friend, but still, where were the rest?

Lifting his uninjured left hand, he placed it over his missing left eye, the one he had given up to protect his son. In a moment of silence, he looked over to his other missing body part, his lost right leg, now gone from sight.

Sometimes, he would feel phantom limb pains coming from his right leg, but after the treatment he had received, the effects have been reduced, but not terminated completely.

“Hah…How’s Aurum?”

“Your Majesty’s son? Umm…He should be doing fine…”

“…I see.”

To Saya’s surprise, the King began to move out of his bed. Using a walking stick placed next to his bed, he stood straight up.

“Y-You shouldn’t move yet, your majesty!”

“I’m fine.”

Moving past the worried priestess, he opened the door and left the room. Outside, just like expected, the halls were completely empty. The signs of life previously inhabiting this castle has disappeared as such.

It was his failure as a king.

From the thousands of soldiers he had under his command, the surviving was only about a couple hundreds. And to know such a fact, truly spoke as to how bad the attack had been. This was the worst attack they had suffered.

And he was unable to do anything.

With his pent-up anger taking over, he moved his injured right hand, and hit the stone wall beside him. A surge of pain came running through, but his anger negated such petty feelings.

With the help of his wooden walking stick, he walked through the empty hallways. The cold unfeeling stone surrounded him, but he was used to such emptiness.

This was the aftermath of a war, and he knew it all too well.

Not bothering to view the reconstructions happening around the castle, he continued to make his way to his room, and to the room where his only son was sleeping in.

But to his surprise, half-way through his walk, he encountered someone he didn’t expect.

“M-My King?!”

“Ho…Zed, huh…You’ve grown.”

Upon seeing the pitiful sight of the king walking with only one leg, Zed displayed a pained frown, but quickly returned a smile to the king.

“I’m…quite surprised to see you here, my king.”

“I could say the same…Zed.”

The two stared at each other in silence. They both looked at each other without any words, as if their thoughts were connected.

With a slightly tired expression, the king sighed deeply and spoke.

“…So…What made you come back here?”

“I have met an intriguing individual, my king.”

“Hmm? And who might that be…?”

Zed stayed silent for a moment, thinking as to what to say to this man he owed his life to. For the first time in a while, he answered vaguely.

“A red-haired young man.”

“Hmm?”

Hearing those words, the king raised his eye brows in curiosity. He knew, as a fact, that this man was someone who did not consider others as much as he may make it out to be, but for him to be interested in someone else, especially a young man, as he puts it, truly surprised him.

He wanted to know more. But looking at his somewhat complex expression, he withdrew himself from making any comments regarding him and quickly shifted the conversation.

“Either ways, I must sincerely thank you for bringing back those two.”

“Those two…Ah, you’re talking about Young Jake and Charlotte, are you not?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

“I see…It is my pleasure to do so.”

With a faint smile on his face, Zed exchanged a hand shake with the king, who displayed a similar faint smile. After several seconds, the king bid him farewell and left him.

As he watched the king slowly leave, a voice called out to him from behind.

“I’m surprised.”

“In what way might that be, Arthur?”

“To think you managed to stand straight in a conversation with your majesty is truly shocking.”

“…I’ll interpret that as a compliment.”

“Go ahead.”

Letting out a soft laugh, Zed turned to face Arthur. The blonde-haired man stood there with no expressions displayed upon his face. He seems to be off duty today, inherent by the fact that his armour and his proud sword was nowhere in sight. He also seems to be slightly relaxed.

Both of his arms were covered in bandages, and although he couldn’t see it, he could tell that his chest was bandaged completely. He was lucky enough to not have been turned into a mummy.

Ara…He seems slightly angry now.

“Did you just think of something?”

“N-Nothing.”

Narrowing his gaze dangerously, Arthur glared at him for a couple seconds, before letting it go. Zed sighed in relief after that.

And then, out of nowhere, he decided to ask.

“So, mind to follow me to find some food?”

“I do mind, thank you.”

And he was instantly rejected.