"'Mother!' 'Father!'" I cried out as I witnessed my parents falling. Tears welled up in my eyes while the person responsible seemed lost in his own world, continuing to talk about gods and such.
Suddenly, my hand was grabbed by my brother, who hurriedly led us outside through a small hole we had dug in the back of our house for fun.
As we ran together, I could hear the screams of my parents, and anger surged within me. "Why? Why? Why?" I questioned, frustrated by the suffering we had endured. All we wanted was to live in peace, but it seemed like the world despised us.
Time passed, and we ran for so long that we lost track of time. Night was about to fall, but we didn't stop running. When exhaustion overcame me, my brother carried me on his back, continuing onward. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
The next day, I woke up on my brother's back, and to my surprise, he was still walking towards a destination. "B-brother," I called out to him with concern, but he didn't turn his face and continued in silence.
I tried to look at his face and noticed dried snot and tears. However, what surprised me the most was his eyes. I couldn't quite grasp it, but they seemed filled with determination.
Just as I was about to say something, we both noticed a town gate ahead of us. My brother breathed a sigh of relief and quickened his pace. As we approached the gate, a guard noticed us and walked towards us, but my brother suddenly collapsed and fell.
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Days passed, yet our lives didn't improve. This town was apparently flooded with villagers from a nearby village that had been attacked by a mysterious group dressed in black.
We were forced to move to the slum area, where we slept on the dirty streets. My brother was constantly injured by other children, as everyone struggled to scavenge trash for food. Fights would break out whenever even a half-blackened bread was discovered.
Then, one day, a group of guards arrived in the slums alongside a noble carriage. A couple dressed in luxurious clothes emerged from the carriage, with the man being almost middle-aged and the most handsome person I had ever seen in my short life. The woman wore a black gown and a veil covering her face.
"Honey, we should leave this place. The empire troops are moving into the surrounding territories. It seems our project for this place will be destroyed. No matter how profitable it is, our lives are more important," the handsome man expressed his concern to the veiled lady.
Though I couldn't see her face, I could tell she was not conventionally attractive, perhaps explaining why she concealed herself with a veil.
"Alex, I know, but there is one thing I need to do before leaving."
Suddenly, the lady approached me and my brother. The surrounding guards became alert, warning the lady about the unsafe surroundings.
"Countess Spina, this place isn't exactly safe. You shouldn't wander too far," one of the guards cautioned.
However, the lady ignored the guard's warning and fixed her gaze upon me.
"Child, do you wish to change your destiny?" Her gentle voice resonated within me, and I noticed the same look from my brother.
As the lady extended her hand, she asked again, "Take this hand if you do."
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in our minds, but one thing was certain: if we let go of this opportunity, we would likely regret it in the future. Both my brother and I reached out our hands towards hers, as if it were the most natural thing to do.
"Good choice," the lady smiled behind her veil, and that marked our first contact with the Count Spina Family.
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Inside the carriage, Count Alex Spina and his wife engaged in a conversation.
"Honey, why did you want those two kids?" Alex asked curiously.
"Well, you could say ... it's to assist our son in the future," the countess replied in a mysterious tone.
Alex scratched his head, pondering her response. "Whatever you say always seems to come true, so I'll trust you on this one as well. But what kind of assistance are you referring to?"
Yet, the countess remained silent, her gaze fixed on the dark, looming sky outside the carriage window.