CHAPTER 10(Side Story): Keep My Promise

--Tiffany’s POV—

Sometimes I wonder if life would have been better, if I wasn’t who I am today.

I’ve always been a failure… Even after years of practice, training, and honing my skills, delving inside many dungeons together with the members of Ashadow I still couldn’t be the perfect person everyone expected me to be… even after becoming the Grand Sorcerer.

I was never proud of being the strongest mage, didn’t feel accomplished after securing the title Grand Sorcerer for myself.

I was the strongest mage, the Grand Sorcerer, a title only given to those who are worthy, the one who has the most mana in the world, the most skilled in the magical arts… but when it mattered the most… I failed.

I failed Ashadow… the people who respected me the most… the people who mattered to me the most…

I failed Aegir who died because of my limited mana pool… if it wasn’t for my competitive behavior and stupidity he would still be alive.

Ever since Aegir’s death, I’ve been blaming myself… though no one in Ashadow blamed me for my foolishness instead, they pointed their fingers at one other, condemning those who should’ve done more…

I might not have been the leader of the group, I might not have been the shield of Ashadow but I should’ve been the wisest, to have told them to escape as soon as the Demons showed up on that accursed island.

How should I have known that there would be an endless amount of demonic creatures residing in that place? who could’ve foreseen the events that would happen during the 7 days that we were stranded fighting those creatures from morning till night?

Aegir still haunts my dreams, pointing his rugged fingers at me, reproaching me for the weakling that I am.

There were days that my heart felt light, competing with everyone in Ashadow, proving who’s the strongest in the group, laughing together like nothing else mattered… Those were the days…

I remember the times when my little brother would storm out of the mansion because our parents strongly disapprove of his choice to be a Duelist. Our noble lineage was always famous for providing the best mages, the whole Kingdom of LouwenDale could offer, so you could only imagine how furious my parents were at my brother when he finally found the courage to tell them…

While my parents were so proud of me, I couldn’t say the same for Griffin who was scorned after his announcement, suffocated by the atmosphere our parents gave, all he could do to avoid our parents was to leave the mansion early with his best friend Luke to train.

Luke Cloud, Griffin’s best friend, the only child of the noble Cloud family, a family similar to mine who also despised their son’s life decisions.

The day came when the head of the Cloud family disowned Luke and replaced him with Cherrie, an orphan boy who’s almost as gifted in the magical arts like me. That was the day when both Luke and Griffin disappeared from LouwenDale, leaving their prestigious life and family behind.

I plead for my parents to let me go with both of them, for me to be able to protect them. They only agreed on the condition that I would never abandon my responsibilities to the kingdom and to one day catch up and replace my father, to be the next Grand Sorcerer. I never doubted my abilities, I knew that one day I’ll be strong enough to be appointed by the King of LouwenDale but my brother was more important to me than any flimsy title, so I accepted their condition, shackled to serve LouwenDale, for the rest of my life.

I got their permission to leave the academy and the kingdom and immediately found my little troublemakers, knowing a certain ‘hiding place’ we built long ago. We trained every day, me minding my own business since I do not know swordsmanship or martial arts.

One day Griffin started a competition, something that stayed with us for many years. Its main purpose was for us to monitor our growth. I kept giggling, laughing at them whenever I kill every monster we come across, not letting them get anything in their ‘scoreboard’. I guess they got fed up because one day they went on their own and brought back a girl, a demi-human named Ophelia who vouched that the boys were slowly catching up.

I could only be proud when Ophelia told me that my little troublemakers were able to protect her from a pack of wolves led by a Lyquican, a monster that I was not confident I could win against at the time. After that our adventuring days began, it didn’t take long for me to acquire the title of Grand Sorcerer, and little by little our group got bigger and became famous.

After the demon incident, I was forced to go back to LouwenDale to attend to a mountain of responsibilities that shouldn’t be allowed to be handled by a single person, days I spent locked inside a room filled with paperwork.

Then one day, one winter night, the Demons began their attack and for 2 weeks straight they slowly chipped my mana away, bothered by the fatigue of slaying countless Demons. Many died during their attack, structures were destroyed, our walls crumble, the fire from their spells raged on, devouring many innocent lives that lived in LouwenDale. Everyone tried to escape including the King and Queen, wagons of different sizes and design ran over panicking citizens that got in their way, only caring for their own lives.

I again failed to protect those important to me when a seemingly unlimited amount of demons surrounded me, keeping me away from my captured parents.

I never liked Mother and Father the same way they liked me, they abandoned my brother Griffin so early in life, never giving him a chance to prove himself, only thinking about ‘not damaging the family name‘ and look at him now, he grew up on my watch, spent his years struggling to get strong, and now he’s an A-rank Weapon God.

Never a day passed by that I didn’t feel proud of the man he became, the little crybaby I lulled to sleep during his infancy, now a man of power respected by his peers.

[You should see what Griffin is capable of now, dad. The little boy both of you abandoned all those years ago is now one of the best fighters on the continent.]

I was lost in thought, looking at my captured parents who were about to be killed, their usual proud demeanor, nowhere to be seen.

“Tell Griffin that he proved us wrong…”

“We’re proud... of both of you…”

“We love both of you.” my wrinkled parents both said, eyes moist, their usually raised chin now leveled with mine, lips trembling.

Even though we were meters away, I understood the words coming from their mouths before they were ravaged by those creatures.

My heart grew weaker as my mind went berserk, unable to think clearly, I unleashed Eruption, abandoning my thoughts about the fleeing citizens and my already low Mana pool.

The very earth crumbled before my power, the heavens above opened to try to quell my anger, lava erupted from the ground, exploding violently towards the demons surrounding me. I didn’t stop, I couldn’t stop, I raged on, deforming the very landscape where I stood.

Sure I didn’t like my parents all that much, but they supported me throughout my life, proud of the woman I’ve become but the words they muttered before they died, cut deeper than any discouragement they’ve said towards my brother all those years ago.

I can only feel sad now that they haven’t reconciled even after the years that went by.

I annihilated everything in my surroundings, demons, houses, buildings, plants, pets, wagons, citizens, the royals I was supposed to protect all reduced to ashes. I lost my consciousness, feeling the emptiness of my Mana pool and my heart. I don’t have anything in mind as my vision started to blur.

[Whatever happens, happens I guess…]

Opening my eyes, I saw a little ‘midget’ version of my brother, surprised, I sprung sitting up, and scanned my surroundings to see if I somehow traveled back in time but got disappointed when I saw Luke’s old unfamiliar face. I immediately pieced everything together and knew that the brat was Griffin’s son.

[So this is your son… I can only imagine how much you’ve grown, little brother. I just wished I could’ve been there at your wedding… how many years has it been since we parted.]

I explained what happened on my end and after I finished, Luke told me a story I never wanted to hear in my life.

[what?]

[did I hear it correctly?]

[my… brother…]

“Griffin’s…”

I couldn’t describe the emotions that tormented my heart as the world around me crumble to dust, the void enveloped me drowning me inside an endless darkness, overwhelming me even more than the expectations everyone had for me. I couldn’t hide the tears that escaped my eyes. The brother I’ve sworn to protect ever since he had been born from a different mother, the baby brother that I held in my arms, the little boy that chased his dreams, the man who I saw grow up before my eyes… now gone…

I see…

[ I really am worthless…]

“Who knew… that my stubborn younger brother would bite the dust before I do… that idiot… I was even planning on visiting him and Mary…”

The conversation went on, but all I could think of was how lonely my brother would’ve felt during the final moments of his life. I should’ve been there by his side then maybe I could’ve prevented his demise.

Why did I even study so much, for what purpose did I even work so hard if I couldn’t even protect the most important person in my life?

[will you blame me too, brother?]

[will you also curse my existence in this cruel world?]

[I don’t know anymore… My entire purpose in life was to protect you…]

I don’t know what to do… I don’t know where to go… I’m lost. The road I was following throughout my life darkened as the light guiding me faded away, leaving me alone in the darkness.

I felt so sorry for the family he left behind, his son looking worse than I am. I can only imagine the sight he had seen… the horror of watching your parents killed…

[I know what you feel brat…]

I caress the hair of Griffin’s son as he slept inside the worn-out wagon, it’s already night and both kids were fast asleep, his eyes were baggy, his body skinny, trembling slightly as he sleeps. He looked more vulnerable than my brother ever was…

[will you trust me to protect your son brother? I’ve failed you once before… but I will redeem myself… because I don’t know how to face you in heaven when I fail once again… I will protect your son even if it cost my life] I wrapped my arms around Sura, placing his tiny head on my chest. I thought to myself that what he needs now is the feeling of safety.

[This time… I will redeem myself. I will keep my promise. I swear.] The little ‘midget’ finally stopped trembling.