It took three days before I could actually start moving again. Andres and his brothers had gotten me more casual clothing to replace my blood-stained suit. Surprisingly, the clothes felt more comfortable. I thought that in a fantasy world, casual clothing would be uncomfortable.
When I woke up, the sun was beginning to set. The brothers were eating together, joking around, and laughing. Beside me was the bowl of soup that they had prepared me earlier in the day. They were so kind, going out of their way to help me like this.
I took a deep breath as I got up. The sharp pain that I had been used to was lessened, but it was still there. Thinking about it now, I should try to develop a painkiller. Those would sell for so much.
I took the bowl I had eaten out of over to the sink and began washing it. Gotta do my fair share of the work. When I finished, I walked over to their table and cleared my throat.
"I, again, want to thank you three for taking care of me. I'll be on my way right now," I said, having a sincere smile.
"So, is this goodbye forever?" Andres asked.
I shook my head. "I'll still come to town, and visit you here often."
Andres nodded his head and got up to hug me. He forgot that my ribs were still broken, but I tolerated the pain for him.
"Goodbye Sergio and Daniel," I said, smiling at them too.
"Bye richie," Sergio said with a wave.
"Bye Zack, nice knowing you if I don't see you again," Daniel said.
I nodded my head and walked outside the door and towards the lobby. I want to take care of one thing before I have to inevitably go back home.
The lady's eyes widened when she saw me. She got in front of me and went onto her knees. "Sir Zephyr, I humbly apologize for what transpired on Friday night."
"No need for formalities. I'm not mad at you," I said, dismissing the gesture. "I understand that you couldn't control their actions and that it wasn't your fault. I also have to thank you for giving me my money back."
"Thank you for your forgiveness, sir," She said as she got back up.
"Moving on," I began as I took a gold coin out of my bag. "I'd like to pay for room 107."
"Mr. Angelo's room?" The lady said in confusion.
"Yes. They helped me in my recovery," I said as I took another gold coin and gave it to her. "And this is for helping me."
Her eyes widened as tears started forming and streaming down. "Thank you, sir," She said passionately. I simply nodded and began walking away, heading towards home.
———————————————————————————————————————
I arrived at the front of my house, and as expected of a noble property, there were guards at the entrance. They were sitting down; after all, who comes to the house at midnight?
I had just walked up the stairs before the guards got up. "Halt! State your name and business!"
"Relax, I'm just coming back home," I nonchalantly said, raising my hand as they slowly became visible.
"Z-Zack," The soldiers said, dropping their weapons and bowing. "Forgive us, we didn't know it was you."
"It's all right," I said, putting my hands down. The guards ran to the gate and started opening it.
"Shall I inform your parents?" The guard asked.
"No, I shall inform them in the morning," I said, formally. I needed to start practicing, otherwise, I'd have more targets on my back.
"Yes sir!" They knelt down to me as I began walking towards our mansion. All the lights towards the right wing were off, meaning my family was all sleeping. The pain had gotten exponentially better, but it still hurt. I was tired from walking here and decided to get all the medicinal herbs in the morning.
I silently opened the door to the mansion and walked in, heading towards my room. My footsteps echoed through the dark and silent hallway, giving me an ominous feeling.
I put my hands on the handle and opened my door. When I walked in, I threw my jacket on the floor and walked towards my bed. My eyelids were starting to close as I flopped down on something hard. The pain in my ribs flared up, but my exhaustion won that battle in my mind.
Wait, why is my bed hard?
…
…
The thing under me started squirming.
"The fuck?!" I exclaimed as I moved back from my bed and pulled my blanket off. That's when I discovered the thing squirming.
It was a person.
It was my brother Alex.
"Why did you do that?" Alex got up from the bed and started rubbing his back.
"Why are you in my room?" I asked, rubbing my ribs. "That hurt like hell."
Alex's eyes lit up, "Wait, you're back!" He started running towards me and gave me a bear hug, squeezing extra tight.
My eyes shot open. "You're killing my broken ribs," I said quickly, pushing him away slowly so that he could still enjoy the hug.
"Broken ribs?" He asked as I lay down on my bed to rest. "Where did you go? What did you do?"
"Long story involving theft, some gold coins, gambling, and a group of hunters," I grumbled, closing my eyes.
"Oh," He said. "Do you want to tell me?"
"Maybe some other day," I said. "But better question, what are you doing in my room? Last I checked, our mansion has more than enough rooms," I opened my eyes and turned my head to read him.
Alex flinched back and started to sweat. "I just … missed you. Being in your room made me feel closer."
I continued to stare at him, pondering what he said. It touched my heart. I smiled as I sat up on the bed. I motioned for him to come, and he sat down next to me apprehensively.
"I know you feel guilty, but you know I'm not mad at you right?"
"You aren't?" Alex asked softly.
"Well, I know you still believed in me, but you were scared of our siblings. In your position, I would've done the same thing, and I don't want you to make your future harder for a lost cause."
Alex gulped and tears formed in his eyes. "I-I felt that it was my fault that you left. I-if I stood up, I thought you would've stayed. Thank you."
I wiped the tears off his cheek. "I'd tell you if I would leave forever."
Alex turned his head to face me and put on a small smile. "Do you want to hear a song?"
"Y-yeah," He said, nodding his head.
I took a deep breath and began to sing softly, my voice gentle and soothing.
"We'll meet again,
Don't know where, Don't know when,
But we'll meet again some sunny day."
Alex's eyes glistened and he began to relax his hand on the bed.
"Keep smiling through,
Just like you always do," I sang in a more hopeful voice as I poked him on the cheek.
"'Til the clear blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.
So will you please say 'Hello' to the folk that I know,
Tell them, I won't be long,
They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go,
I was singing this song."
When I finished, Alex started to clap. "Did you just make that up?"
"No, it was tau-" I said before stopping myself. It was taught to me by my grandfather, whose friend taught it to him. I almost slipped up. "Nevermind."
"I'll remember that song," Alex said, lying down on the bed. "Can I sleep here tonight?"
"Yeah," I told him. "I'm just going to move to the couch."
"Okay," He said wearily. "You know, you seem older and more mature ever since that night."
"I'll take it as a compliment," I said cheekily. Alex just mumbled something before falling asleep. I fell asleep shortly after.
———————————————————————————————————————
I was greeted with a scene that was like a worm in my brain. The eve of my ninth birthday.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the backyard of my house. Eight-year-old me was standing near the wooden swing set, staring at the gravel driveway.
"Mom, Dad, you promised you'd be here for my birthday," My voice trembled with disappointment as I looked up at my parents, suitcases in hand.
"Oh, sweetheart, we're so sorry. An emergency has come up, and we have to leave immediately. We didn't want to miss your birthday, but we have no choice," Her voice was filled with fake sincerity. As she finished her sentence, they entered the car and drove away.
Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. I stood there in a catatonic-like state. "But you promised..."
As I watched the car leave the driveway, a sturdy figure started walking towards me. It was an old man in his nineties. His hair was white, and his eyes were sharp and perceptive, holding a lifetime of stories.
It was my grandfather, Pietro.
My younger self turned to him, tears streaming down. "T-they left me. Like they always do."
"Zack, my boy," Pietro spoke in his deep, no-nonsense voice, placing a firm hand on my younger self's shoulder. "I understand you're upset, and it's alright to feel that way. But let me tell you something I learned fighting in war."
My watery gaze met my grandfather's, confusion mingling with sadness.
Pietro's gaze narrowed, his face etched with seriousness. "You're smart enough to understand this. People, Zack, they are typically evil and disappointing. They will disappoint you, make promises they can't keep, they let you down when you least expect it. And they'll do it while justifying what they do. It's a harsh reality, one you'll encounter many times in your life."
I blinked, unsure of where this was heading.
"I fought in the war, Zack," Pietro's voice grew solemn. "I fought for my country, for freedom. And there were birthdays and celebrations I missed, important moments with loved ones that slipped away. But I didn't dwell on it. I didn't let it consume me. I focused on what I could control, on being strong and resilient."
"When I was with the partisans, I witnessed betrayals and tragedy. But I also made lifelong friends. You and I have the rare gift of reading people. A gift that'll help you determine if a person is wicked. Life will kick you in the balls and give you two choices. To quit or to suck it up. So what will you choose?"
The tears in my eyes had slowed down, and a more optimistic look appeared in my amber eyes. "I'll keep moving on!"
Pietro finally smiled as he patted my shoulder. "If you choose that, I want you to remember that you should never settle for mediocracy. If you don't try your best, more often than not you'll end up in the same place."
I nodded as I wiped my tears and smiled back.
Pietro took his hands off my shoulders. "There's a song that an old friend of mine used to sing. It's called We'll Meet Again."
Pietro loved to sing songs, and I took up my hobby of music from him. My younger self lit up with excitement upon hearing that he'd sing.
He began singing.
While my younger self was feeling better and happy, my current self had another feeling.
Mourning.
"Rest in peace Nonno," I whispered.
"They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go,
I was singing this song," We both sang out.