“You!!! Come back here!!! I will be the one to kill you!!”

A young boy and a young girl running in the field, his girl more alive than ever, Hithindil never thought he would witness such a day again. After his son got kidnapped and was never returned, he lost his spark and became an empty shell that Seraphin tried to maintain alive as best as she could, but it was hard. It was really hard.

But right now, he is relieved. no, he is happy. His daughter has a smile that reminded him of his dead wife so he is happy, he knows that everything would be alright for her.

***

“I think it is time for introductions.” Hithindil looks at the half-beaten face of Lekas. Seraphin didn’t hold back at all even though he was already severely wounded. Well, his daughter was never one to restrain so there is nothing he can really do about it.

‘Poor fellow.’

“Yes, it is. And you better tell us everything.” Seraphin is sitting next to her father, pouting with anger. Her cheeks are just like a hamster.

“Yes, yes, I will.” The stranger is massaging his cheek which got swollen due to Seraphin’s punch. Unlike the other time, her punch did wound him, or so it looks like.

The wounds on the stranger have already disappeared. His arm has stopped bleeding as well. If not for the blood everywhere on him and his ragged clothes, nobody would believe them if they said that man was covered in wounds and on the brink of death.

“My name is Lekas Valahal. I am-”

“WHAT?!!!” Seraphin shoots up from her seat. She actually stood right up without using her hands or anything. “You are from those wretches?!! Ah, I see, I understand now. You did all this for the smithy, isn’t it?!! BAS-”

“Enough!” Hithindil couldn’t bear the attitude of his daughter toward their savior and shut her up.

“But, daddy, they-“

“I SAID. ENOUGH.” The look he gives is more frightening than any other she had seen in her entire life. Seraphin sits back down, trembling like a leaf.

“I apologize for my daughter’s rudeness. It seems my education was lacking in manners.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Daddy!”

Another glare at Seraphin seals her mouth for good this time. If Seraphin always had a very good intuition, she lacked the self-control to handle them. Her father, however, knew about diplomacy and how to handle situations calmly.

“Also, if I may. I happen to notice that you said Lekas. But I never heard of such name among the VALAHAL family.”

“Oh, that’s because I was imprisoned and hidden away since birth.”

“What?”

“What?!!”

Hithindil and Seraphin both have a dubious expression at Lekas’s words. He was imprisoned since birth? Why?

“I am, just like your daughter, cursed by gods. Wait, if I am cursed then it is different since she was blessed, right? Anyway, I was cursed since birth, sort of.”

“I see.” Hithindil finally understands why he was always feeling uncomfortable around him. Even though he saved them, there is always this feeling of hatred that is deep inside his heart. Now he knows why. “I am sorry to learn that.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not to the point where it has killed me so far so…”

If anybody had seen him one year ago, they would otherwise for sure. But right now, Lekas is looking good, too good for somebody who had been imprisoned since birth. Was he lying? Hithindil thought so for a moment but the fact he didn’t know about him even though he knew all of the VALAHAL family members erased his doubts.

‘He could be a bastard child as well but by the feeling of the curse he is talking about, he must be telling the truth.’ Hithindil scratches his head a little while thinking. This situation is clearly not normal after all.

“Once again, Lekas. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving us. Thanks to you, my daughter can smile again.” He starts patting his daughter's head for a while then turns towards Lekas again and starts lowering his head while speaking. “That is a treasure nobody could buy even if he proposed the whole world. I swear that I will repay this debt my whole life, until the day I die.”

Hithindil’s forehead is touching the ground at the end of his speech. Even though, he is already kneeling, he manages to make his forehead touch the ground. One could easily imagine the pain that was going through his back right now. Especially for an old man.

“You don’t need to do that.” Lekas touches his shoulder. “I did it because I wanted to so you don’t have to thank me.”

“That’s right, dad. There is no need to thank a lip’s thief.” Seraphin is clearly not going to do it.

“No, I have to. It is my duty as a father.”

“I understand. But please, stand up.”

“Anyway, I, too, have a question. If you were imprisoned since birth. How did you know me? We have never seen each other. At least, I have never seen you before.”

“Destiny.”

“What?” Lekas's answer slaps Seraphin like a log. After all, destiny had been nothing but cruel to her for the past few days.

“I simply knew. That you were the one I was longing for, the one who I needed the most.”

“W-What rubbidh a-are y…” Seraphin gets so worked up that she reddens up to her ears. She has even bitten her tongue trying to speak.

“Anyway, I can’t tell you an honest answer for now. But I want you to know that it is because of a wish. A wish that couldn’t be granted. And in the end, turned out into a curse.”

“I-I see.” Hithindil who finally got up, is perplexed by Lekas’s facial expression. He had never seen somebody so sad before. He knew about sadness and loneliness. But this, this was a whole other level. “I suppose you have your own circumstances. We won’t ask any further.”

“Eh…But I still had-“

“…”

“Yes, dad. I understand. No more questions.”

“Now, it is our turn. My name is Hithindil Zargot. My family has produced blacksmiths for centuries and I intend to keep it that way.”

“Tch. Seraphin Zargot.”

Seraphin, unlike her father has little to no desire to tell the guy who stole her first kiss under the pretense of dying her name.

***

‘What can I do now? What should I do?’

The next morning, Seraphin is looking at the sunrise on the field, sitting on the grass. She woke up earlier than her father and slipped from the bear’s fur that Lekas gave to them the night before. As she is looking at the sun, she wonders about what she could do. Her life has completely changed in a few days and now, she doesn’t even know if she is a fugitive or not. Could she go back to her old hometown? Could she regain her old friends back?

“You can do whatever you want.”

“What?”

As she was pondering, Lekas’s voice comes like a whisper to her ears. She turns around, finding him walking to her, half naked and sweating.

“What do you-“

“Going back to your hometown or moving elsewhere. Fighting to become stronger or living a peaceful and quiet life. You can choose whatever you want and do as you wish. I will make sure it becomes a reality.”

“N-no, what are you talking about?”

“I know what you thinking right now and there is only one answer: follow your heart.”

“But what if-“

“Whatever happens, I will be there. For you.” Lekas takes her hand and she could feel it. Seraphin, at that moment, felt the smooth and gentle pulse of his blood circulating in his body. It instantly made her feel at ease.