"I have to go out for a while."
Now, 16 years later, her son, who had always been quiet and preferred to stay at home, suddenly said he was going out.
He had been showing "atypical" behavior ever since the day his mark flashed, and he started talking. As his mother, she knew better than anyone that her son had changed. However, she thought it might just be a side effect of what happened.
"Mom? Going to follow the crazy one?" Sophie asked.
"Obviously. Even if he's in disguise, it could be dangerous, and don't call your brother crazy," Scarlett replied.
"Mom, let's lay our cards on the table here. Hasn't he changed? I mean, isn't he acting strange?" Sophie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not strange, just a bit... 'different.'"
"Strange and different are the same to me."
"Even if I think it's just a side effect—he said he doesn't remember much. I love him no matter what, but seeing him happier, even wanting to go out, fills me with joy," Scarlett declared with a satisfied smile, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
------
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!
"After talking to that gossip, he's banging like a maniac. What's wrong with him?" Sophie asked, shaking her head in disbelief.
"There's nothing wrong with him; he must be in a hurry," Scarlett replied.
"BASTARD! Can't you see there's no one home? Stop making noise!"
"Who is that filthy person raising their voice at my baby?"
"Calm down, Mom, why are you reaching for your sword? What he did is normal; even I would say that."
"Oh my Venerated, darling! His hands are bleeding!"
"You crazy bastard! You're scaring my women! Darling, don't cry, I'm here!"
"So now you're waking up to reality, Mom? There really is something wrong with him!"
"My baby's hand must be hurting."
"Mom! WAKE UP!"
"No wonder your brother complains—you talk too loudly! Do you want him to notice us?"
"Darling!"
"AHHHHH!"
"Darling!"
"PUHAHAHA! In a situation like this, calling me darling?! It was just a blow to the head... It's been a while since I felt this liberating sensation!"
"Crazy! And I didn't call you darling! Crazy! Help!"
"You bitch! Don't scream! You'll attract attention, damn it! Why act so rashly?!"
"I-I didn't want to say this, Mom, but... I think this isn't the same Milts as before… He's even cursing now, and look at what he's done," Sophie said, stuttering, clearly shocked.
"Of course he's cursing, and of course he did that because they yelled at him," Scarlett replied. Although she said that, her widened eyes said something else.
"Stop making excuses for all his actions, Mom!"
They kept watching until...
"AHHHH!"
"One."
Craaaaa!
"AHHHH!"
"Two."
Craaaaa!
"AHHHH!"
"Three."
Craaaaaa!
"AHHHHHH."
"Four."
"No, Sophie!"
Scarlett stopped Sophie, who was already about to run to Milts.
"W-we can't. I really, really want to go and kill that bastard and that filthy person, but we can't. Someone might see us, it could go wrong, and as a result, they could take Milts away or, worse, kill him. We can only go if he's really at risk. I really, really want to go…"
After saying that, Scarlett bit her lips so hard they bled. Seeing this, Sophie could only stay silent.
-------
"She don't give a fuck, oh, she don't give a fuck, oh, she knows I love her, but she don't give a fuck-"
"I'm not saying he's crazy anymore because that's now a FACT, but isn't he going overboard? What the hell is he singing? Did that other lunatic dump him?"
"It doesn't matter what he's singing; what matters is that his voice is wonderful! Oh, speaking of that girl… Even though she killed two people who could harm my baby, I think she overdid it. She shouldn't show such cruelty to someone as pure as he is; it could traumatize him."
"Yes, yes. He's so traumatized that he came home thrilled, even singing in the bathroom. And didn't you kill the people who tried to kill him that day? Isn't it the same?"
Hearing Sophie, Scarlett tilted her head as if confused and said:
"Is it the same? Wasn't it a bit different?"
Scarlett and Sophie agreed it would be best to avoid talking about what they had seen and to carry on as if nothing had happened, but... for how long?