Warning: Self-harm, almost suicidal character depression, character mind not completely sane.
Arthur washed his hands for the twentieth time, but still saw full of blood. Something that doesn't make sense, after all, he killed Elena with a gun and not with a dagger or his own fists. He was disgusted, looking at the reflection in the mirror he punched it. Pieces of glass tore his hands and blood dripped on the white floor, he laughed, laughed and laughed, the pain in his hands could not be compared to the pain in his chest.
"What a disgusting face." He stared at the broken mirror. "Did you kill her, you know? The one who really cared about you, the one who spent the worst days of your life with you , whom you promised to protect for eternity. What did it do? What did it do?"
The man sat on the bathroom floor and ran his hand over the face, he didn't seem to feel the broken glass sticking his skin on his face and hands. Tears streamed from his glassy eyes.
"What did it do? What did the money do? Wasn't it to offer her a better life?"
He talked to himself for hours, like a crazy man. His mind continued to re-play scenes from his life.
----
It was Elena's 17th birthday, they had officially met a year ago, she was wearing a light blue dress with few ornaments. He saved for three months to buy it, but it was all worth it when he saw her smile.
"Arthur!" She exclaimed and turned so he could see how she was doing. "It's beautiful, thank you! But you shouldn't have done that, I still haven't removed the label, we can return it to the store, with the money we'll have enough for a few weeks."
"El, don't worry, the aunt from the store gave me a very good discount." He lied. "And this is my gift to you, don't give it back."
"Don't lie to me, we all know that she is a vixen, just not demand more for it, is already very good." She gave a small smile.
"She also said that one of the seamstresses will be giving birth this week, she will need a replacement for two weeks. She offered it to you."
"With the money we can even buy some meat!" Elena said happily.
----
They were 18 years old, Arthur had a sooty face, the factory work was tiring and he coughed all the time. As 10pm his shift ended, he came home and saw Elena making some automatic birds to sell at the port the next day.
"Art, I got some corn bread with meat from Old Dan. They were made a few days ago and he wouldn't sell them anymore." Elena looked at him for a moment and went back to making the feathers with the scrap on the table.
"El, I'm sorry." He knelt on the floor and tried to not cough.
Amazed Elena asked him "Sorry for what Art?"
"When I asked for your hand, I promised you a better life. But the money we now earn can barely support us. Even the food we eat is just a little while before it is no longer edible."
"Arthur, raise your head." She sat on the floor in front of him. "Two years ago, I would have died if it weren't for you. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know anything about anything, days passed and I didn't even have anything to eat. You shared with me what you had, with a stranger, someone who might as well betray you. What I feel for you is not because of gratitude, or because of how much you have, it's because of what we live together, it's because of your personality, your character. I love you and i will be by your side until mine or your last breath. "
Arthur cried and hugged, he felt that his last breath was not far away, his cough had gotten worse in the last few days and he felt more and more tired. Everyone knows that those with similar symptoms are sent to a capital, of course, he could quit his job, but how would they support themselves? And the family of those sent to the capital get good compensation, he has already registered Elena at the factory as if were his wife. With the amount of compensation she could open a small store in a smaller city.
They kissed ...
Little did Arthur know, that this was the last day of his 'peaceful years'.
The next day, around 2 pm, on his lunch hour, Elena appeared and she smiled with real happiness.
"Art, I got a job for both of us on a merchant ship. Kitchen assistants!"
---
Now with 19 years old their lives were completely different, Arthur learned from Vincent and Arnoggs what was a real mechanic, building tanks, ships and airships was now like child's play for him. Elena had learned to fight with the ship's pirates, yes pirates, the merchant ship was actually a front for their real business, piracy.
Elena became a great swordswoman. Both were nothing like their old selves from the past, they took care of a good deal of foreign trade, giving the captain more time for whatever he did
"Art! We received a commission from the king of Mialand! His daughter, Clara, was taken hostage by the empire! He wants us to rescue her." Elena ran like a hurricane into his personal laboratory.
"El, wait a moment." He gave her a small smile and looked with the magnifying glass at what was in his hand. He was making a pair of earrings for Elena, a few days ago he received emeralds as a reward and decided to make her a real engagement gift.
---
Arthur continued to remember scenes from his life, his biggest regret was having gone to that ship. If he knew ... knew how tortuous the paths he would have to go, after that day, would have been, he would have chosen to go to the capital, become whatever they become there and give Elena a truly peaceful life with his indemnity .
Someone like him, who killed the one he loved, deserved nothing. He didn't deserve to be alive, he got up off the floor and left the bathroom. He walked quickly to the kitchen and took out a cleaver, held it tightly with his left hand and looked at his bloody right hand.
"I still have to take my revenge. I promise , I will find you in the postmortem world Elena, but first I have unfinished business to settle here." He held the cleaver over his head and lowered it in his right hand, which was over the table. "However, I don't need the hand that killed her."