"Have you no shame?" Dark ripples formed around an elderly man, as if they were a horde of bees swarming over honey. "You've failed miserably!"
The old man just lowered his head. His sky blue eyes looking dull and lifeless. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to do my duty and help you and your kind. I won't make any excuses. I really wanted to be the one to save you all. But I suppose…I'm just another failure."
"You most certainly are." The mix of female and male voices came together, echoing inside the man's mind. How many times has it been now? How many more years must we wait? For our hero to arrive?"
"I'm sure you'll find them eventually. We just need to be a bit more patient. Then, perhaps you all can be saved."
"No." A harsh rejection without hesitation. The elderly man couldn't help but wince at how blunt and direct that was. "We have grown weary of waiting. This time will be different. This world of yours…is full of too many other problems. And it's affected you as well. You must be born into our world. Raised by our society. And without any memories of this life."
The man gasped. "What are you trying to say here?"
"What we are saying is the tide has changed. It is time…to start anew. We will begin again from zero. Al of us."
"But I've still got a while to go before my time is up."
The dark ripples began to close in on the man, morphing into shadowy hands. "No. This is the end." The hands wrapped around his throat and slowly choked the life out of him."
"This is the end. Owen Rose."
***
"You're nothing but scum!" His classmate leered down at him. Eyes full of hatred and unadulterated rage. The rain fell over the teenager's sleek brown hair as he continued to scowl. "Demon spawn."
Owen looked down at the dirt underneath him. Some ants scurried across the ground as he clenched his fist, his breathing growing ever harsher by the second. "I'm not…a demon." His nose crinkled as he rose to his feet and raised his fist. ""Don't you dare try and tell me what I am!"
The brunette teen grimaced. "Did I say you could get back up?" He grabbed Own by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. "I know what you are. You're the son of that rotten criminal. The one responsible for the Solus Island Tragedy! You have that man's blood in your veins."
He brought Owen's face closer to his until they were inches apart. "You are the spawn of a demon."
Owen was thrown to the ground like a rag doll. A sharp kick to gut caused Own to double over in pain. "If it wasn't for your father…my mother would still be alive!"
"Agh!" Owen cried out and began to start coughing up blood as his classmate continued to kick him.
"Why don't you just die already?" The boy's black eyes were cold and soulless as he stared down at Owen.
Those eyes…Owen knew them all too well at this point. After all, he had spent several years going through this kind of abuse. Due to his father's infamous legacy as a member of The Shade, he was beaten up like this all the time. And no matter, how hard he tried to defend himself, he just wasn't strong enough.
He wanted to fight back…He wanted to make them all pay for ridiculing him like this. But deep down, he knew that he didn't have what it takes.
It was a lost cause. Even so…even so, he wanted so badly to show them…That he wasn't his father's son he wanted to prove it to them all.
However, it wasn't so easy to simply make them forget about all the pain and suffering they've endured due to his father's actions. Hatred can't be washed away so easily.
And since Owen's father was no longer around, Owen himself ended up being the biggest reminder of that hatred. The spawn of a demon.
"You bastard. How does it feel, huh?" The classmate continued to beat on Owen, over and over again. Owen coughed up some more blood as his spine exploded in pain. "Just stay there in the dirt where you belong!"
"GYRA!" An older man stepped in between the two students, folding his arms. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
"Instructor Reinhardt…" Gyra looked down at Owen, whose face was now a bloody mess. He averted his eyes from his teacher. "I was just teaching him a lesson is all."
"Oh, is that so? And what lesson might that be, Gyra?"
"Tch."
Reinhardt nodded in understanding and let out a small sigh. "Honestly, we've been over this so many times it's starting to give me a headache. You can't blame Owen for his father's crimes. He may be a Mooncrest. But he's also your classmate. You'd do well to remember that."
"But, Instructor Reinhardt, he…"
"No buts," Reinhardt said, holding his hand in front of Gyra's face. "Now, go to my office. I'll be with you in a minute."
Gyra glared down at Owen once more. "Yes, sir," he said with a nod and reluctantly left.
Reinhardt turned around and held out his hand. "Need some help?"
Owen looked at his teacher's hand. He wanted to reach out and grab it, but his fingers twitched and stopped him. Feeling of hesitation welled up in his gut.
"I promise it's clean. I just washed it." He gave Owen a kind and warmhearted smile.
Owen looked at Reinhardt's face. It always seemed so open and genuine. Compared to all of his classmates and neighbors, this man truly was a real treasure. Acknowledging that, Owen couldn't help but smile and return and take the man's hand.
"There ya go." Reinhardt lifted him off the ground and pulled him into an embrace, shocking Owen. "I know things may seem tough now. But I promise you, they will get better. You just have to have faith. In the world and in yourself."
Owen felt a warm sensation coat the inside of his body as his teacher consoled him. They were words that were idealistic and frankly, completely unrealistic.
Have faith in the world? As if Owen could ever do that. He's given up on that long ago. After all, the world had already given up on him from the start. Yet, in spite of all that, he felt maybe…those words could be worth fighting for.
Resting his head on the man's shoulder, Owen was able to muster out a few words as some tears leaked out of his eyes. "Thank you, Instructor Reinhardt."
***
A wooden house sat atop a small grassy mountain hill. It was round almost like a little hut and head a chimney in the shape of mushroom. Owen walked up to the house, holding the strap of his backpack with a smile on his face.
"Finally back home," he said as the bright warm sun beat down on his face. He walked into his house only to be greeted by a thump to his chest.
"Owen! You're back!"
He looked down at the sapphire haired girl before him. This girl who had her face buried in his chest was Owen's childhood friend, Emelia. "You do this every time I come from school. I'm not even gone for that long."
Emelia pulled her head away and crossed her arms. "Oh, so what? I'm not allowed to miss you?"
"I never said that." Owen rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. "It's just not that big of a deal, ya know?" Owen made a light gasp as he brought his hand up to his chest.
"What's wrong, Owen?"
"It's my bracelet. It's…gone." Owen held his bare wrist tightly, biting his lower lip as he did so. That bracelet was an all too precious treasure to him. He always made sure to take good care of it, and now suddenly, it was gone.
"The bracelet that your mother gave you?"
"Yeah," he said with a nod. His lips curled as he clenched his fist. "I bet that bastard took it from me when I wasn't looking."
Emelia raised an eyebrow. "Who're you talking about?
"Gyra. He's a classmate of mine. We got in a fight earlier today."
"Oh no!" She clasped her hands over her mouth. "Are you okay? Nothing's broken, is it?"
Owen just made a half-hearted chuckle. "Don't worry, Emelia. I'm fine. This happens all the time after all."
Emelia ran a hand through her long wavy brown hair. Her gaze fell to the floor. "Is it because of your father?" she muttered softly.
"Always is." Owen smiled brightly as he walked past his childhood friend. "Don't worry. I'll make them all see soon enough. I'll show them all the kind of person I am."
He kept walking through the house until he reached the dorm to his room. "They're all going to regret having shunned me for his crimes. I'll make damn sure of it."
Then, as he opened up the door to his room, his smile faltered. "They're all going to pay." He walked into his room and flipped the light switch on. His room is a haphazard mess, but he care in the slightest. It was easier to find everything he needed this way. And besides, it reminded him of the home he grew up in back when his mother was still alive.
Owen rubbed his chin as he scoured throughout his room. "Let's see, I think I put it right over here…"
He walked towards his closet where a pile of old books and training weapons lied. He reached into the pile and picked up a rusty wooden sword. "Here it is. Alyclysa. I'm going to need your help. To get my bracelet back."