As I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. "Another unfamiliar ceiling…" I mumbled, as I smiled.
It's kinda reassuring to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Ah! You finally woke up!!!" The twins stated as they happily jumped at me. "Ugh!" I groaned.
"Hey, you two! What will you do if that lad never gets to move anymore?" Christophe scolded them. "Sorry…" They said, as they got off me and left the room.
"Are you alright, son?" He asked. I nodded. "I'm sorry about those kids" He bowed. "I-it's fine..!" I stated, as I slowly remembered everything that happened before I fainted.
Christophe smiled. "I was surprised, I didn't realize that I will let my guard down like that easily" He chuckled. I stayed silent.
"I always listened to Heldrad brag about his little brother. Like I told you, it built my interest on you.
But at the same time, I didn't expect much from you.
Heldrad is known for his exaggeration, especially when it comes to the things he like. His little brother wouldn't be an exception, right?" He stated.
"That's why I was really surprised when you defeated me like that. Still, that was reckless of you.
You approached the enemy, even though you knew that your chances of losing are larger than the chances of you winning" He scolded me. "I-I am sorry!" I apologized.
"Well, thank you for accompanying this old man's pride!" He stated, as he bowed his head to me.
I stayed silent, unable to think of any words to tell the old man bowing down to me, right now. "You're welcome…" I smiled.
After our conversation, we started to stock our bags that were already prepared, two days ago.
"Are you already gonna leave?" Mr. Christophe asked. "Yes, it isn't any better if we delay our trip" Gino said. "I see. Well, send Heldrad my regards, Edward" He waved.
"Roger!" I said, as we rode the wagon.
"Next is Forthenor, right?" Russell asked. "Yeah…" Gino stated. "Father…" Forth mumbled, as he looked down.
We had reached the Forthenor Kingdom's Capital, City of Claudius. As if a déjà vu, this time Forth was the one hiding behind me.
"Stop, you're creepy" I complained. "Sorry…" he mumbled. "Stop it, I can't bear seeing you like that" I added.
Some people who passed by glared at us.
It was different with Sernathe. There, the people's eyes were filled with fear, but here it is filled with…
Discriminations
…
We went over Forth's house. There were no maids, butlers or knights, at all. And his father seemed to be absent.
He showed us around, and we saw some pictures showing Forth, his Father, a woman and 3 other kids.
"Forth" I called, as I tapped his shoulder. "Can I ask who these kids are?" Forth looked at the picture I was looking at.
Forth spoke, "They're my siblings"
"This girl is my elder sister, Beth who is 3 years older than me. This little girl is Clarice and this little boy is Clark, they're my twin younger siblings" He stated.
Forth looked at the woman, "And this is my Mom, Annete"
I gulped. There was no need for us to ask where they are. After all, the massacre that left Forth and his father alone is a well-known fact.
…
"Hmm, you know. Yeah, your room's pretty tidy, but if you properly look at it, it is more empty than tidy…" Gino stated, as we entered Forth's room.
Forth tilted his head to the side. "Do you think so?" he asked. "But, well. Some of my books that I left here is at the library room downstairs, and my other things are at the dorm"
"Still, isn't this room empty?" Gino mumbled to himself.
The topic died and silence filled our surroundings. Everyone looks like they're trying to search for a topic but nothing comes on mind.
I sighed, and went in front of Forth.
"Forth, should we go ahead and reach for our next destination?" I asked him. "That way, we won't have to worry about passing by your dad"
The others remained silent, and waited for hiss answer. Forth looked so hesitant to answer my question.
He then smiled at me. "No, I'm fine. Father won't be back today, after all, today is…" he mumbled.
"Today is what?" Reina asked. "An important day for him, that's all" Forth stated, with a slight sad smiled.
…
I can't sleep…
Sheesh, I really need to stop myself getting succumbed by my own curiosity. I know that, but there really are things that you can't just leave alone.
I left the room, which I shared with Kirt, and went downstairs to go outside and catch some air.
"Hmm?" I mumbled, as I saw a light coming out from a room with its door opened a bit. "Is someone there?" I looked inside the room.
No one was there at all.
Some papers and newspapers that had the article about the Torthen family massacre on it covered the ground and the window was slight opened.
I mumbled, "Just what are these papers?" as I crouched and picked one of the paper.
"Failure is not allowed" was written on it. It was also written at some places of the other papers.
A slight gust of wind entered the room from the slightly opened window, and I heard a paper rustle on the top of the desk, in my front.
I went near the desk and took the paper. "There are no ways…" was written largely on the top of the paper.
From the look of it and the smell of the ink, this is newly written. And the way the letter s isn't made halfway looks like the one who wrote this noticed something out of a sudden.
I looked at the slightly opened window, and looked back at the door. "Was someone here before me..?" I mumbled to myself.
Well, there's that to worry, but. Just what does it mean by there are no ways? And just where is the failure not allowed for?
"Ed?" I heard a familiar voice call me. Slowly, I turned my head. "Forth…" I mumbled, as I saw him at the door.
He looked down the ground, and looked back at me.
"Ah, this is…" I panicked. "I couldn't sleep, so I was thinking of going outside and catch some air. Then, I found this room had light and was opened a bit, so…"
Forth spoke, "This is Father's office"
"Yeah, I…know" I nodded, as I slowly looked down. "Ed" he called my name. "What is it?" I looked back at him.
Forth looked at me with sad eyes. "If it is you, can you understand just what these things mean?" he asked.
Just what these things mean..?
He's talking about the papers on the ground and this paper on my hand, and about the reason why there are some newspapers with the Torthen family massacre article on it, right?
I looked at the paper on my hand. "Yes, I do. Is what I want to say but, unfortunately, I don't" I shook my head.
"Hmm…" Forth turned his back against me. "That is really unfortunate…" he mumbled, before he tried to go off.
I went a bit near to him, "Ah, wai-!" I tried to grab his hand. Forth turned to look at me, it made me stop.
He slowly looked down, "You know. When I was young, back when my siblings and mother was still here, I was very happy"
"I had a very kind Mother, a bit tease sister and cute little siblings. My father was very kind and smart" Forth stated.
He continued, "He is a bit weak when it comes to sword fighting, but he is very good at magic and I admired him for that"
"Father was very kind. Very, very kind…" Tears flowed from his eyes.
Forth sobbed, "Yet. Because that kind of thing happened, he became cold hearted and had focused more on doing something with magic"
"Since the day Mom and my siblings died, he started to push things to me" Forth wiped his tears.
I mumbled, "Forth…"
"All of it made me happy. I thought that he was trusted me, that's why he didn't hesitate to push his dreams to me" Forth looked down. "But, I guess it was nothing but a wishful thinking"
He clenched his fists, "I was nothing but a useless son. There haven't been a time that I managed to answer his expectations without a failure..!"
"Y-you're not useless, Forth!" I shouted. Forth scoffed, and looked at me. "I wish I was as great as you. Ed" he looked at me with a painful looking smile.
"Eh?" I uttered.
Forth turned his back against me, "If I was. Maybe I managed to answer all of my Father's expectations, and maybe exceed it"
"Maybe he had come to love me, and even smile at me" He walked ahead a bit.
I grabbed his hand. "What the heck are you saying, Forth?" He shoved my hand away, "I envy you"
Unable to reach him with my words, unable to stop him, unable to understand his pain, I kept on looking at his back as he walked away from me.
I suddenly remember the dream I saw before Russell and Forth's fight that day.
The dream with a Father telling his son, "I have never acknowledge you as something more than a guinea pig, more less as a son…"
I clenched my fists. "Really, I don't get it..!" I grunted.
Just why are you wishing for attention and affection from such person? Is it because he is your Father, because he is your only family?
Still, that isn't an enough reason to wish for affection from a person like him! From a person who prioritized his work more than his son.
I don't get it at all, damn it..!