Pente Kingdom- Shetpal village
At the outskirts of Shetpal Village stood the Bernard estate, the property of Baron Bernard, who died a year ago. The once grande mansion became rundown, devoid of servants, leaving violet as the sole caretaker responsible for both the household chores and the well-being of her two sons.
The mansion was passed on to her as the sole heir to the baron and she lived in it with her family, aftre her husband descended further into debts and alcohol and sold their former mansion, his former esteem a distant memory.
Stewart Pov :
( Birds voices).
I first discovered my gift when I was six years old. Scenes would abruptly unfold before my eyes, offering glimpses of the future. If I managed to snap out of my daze before the vision concluded, those premonitions would manifest seconds later.
As I fluttered my eyes open after the sun light caressed them, I saw myself and Big brother lying peicefuly in the mat, it our first sleep in two days.
From the corner of my eye I could see mother asleep on the chair near the fire, 'Ah, she must have kept watch for us' , I nuzzeled closer to my brother and he ruffeled my hair, as I was about to say something, the door suddenly burst open, I was filled with dread as my brother jolted standing before me and my mother got up running toward us.
It was our father, or more precisly brother's father, I saw him approach us with anger filling his eyes and he yanked my brother from his wrist before reaching to mine, mother hurried to stop him but was ruthlessly shoved to the floor, the vision ended abruptly as I felt pain in my wrist.
I hurriedly turned to bother and urged him to wake up, I was hyperventilating at this point, my brother must have understood me somehow because he quickly assumed a standing position before as if to shield me from father, his husly voice called out to mother to wake up, and after she opened her eyes she rushed to my side.
Big brother was standing on the bed, his tiny and skinny body seemed like a sturdy wall from my view but I knew that the moment the door opened what I saw would unfold as predicted, and and all I could do was watch in helplessness.
Father dragged us outside the village, the distance was really far, and we still had to walk all the way to the big city, it seemed father had business there today, 'He was probably kicked out from the local bar'.
It was our first time going there, and it was so different from our quiet house on the edge of the village.
Mother had always told us that we hailed from a baron's family, and that father once held a prominent position. However, his descent into alcoholism had eroded any semblance of respect or recognition among the villagers. Our house reeked of the vile substance, and empty bottles were strewn haphazardly in every corner. I had secretly tasted it once, driven by curiosity to understand the source of Father's obsession. I couldn't fathom why Brother's father would subject us to relentless beatings over this toxic drink. It seemed unjust that we had to toil in various odd jobs to sustain this habit of his, which only exacerbated his misery.
I harbored a profound resentment toward him and his addiction, despising the fear that gripped Brother and Mother whenever he returned home. I found solace in the knowledge that I had no blood ties to this man.
Once we reached the city, Father went off to a bar, so we sat down in a corner by the road. The city was unlike anything we'd seen in our little village! There were carriages all over the place, and so many shops with big windows made of glass! In our village, there was only one shop like that. I'd never seen it myself, but Mother had told me about it. She said she went there to buy dresses in the past.
Izaya's Pov :
As I woke up today, I felt surprisingly good. I haven't had this much sleep in a long time. Every day has been tough because of Father and his drinking addiction. It's been getting worse this past year, and both Mom and I are suffering because of it.
I felt a gentle tug to my left and realized that Oliver wanted to get closer. I pulled him into a hug and gently patted his head. My little brother... I feel sorry for him every time I look at him. He's so thin and small for his age. I try my best to shower him with love and keep my frustration to myself, it's not his fault, or Mom's either. But love can't fill our stomachs, especially on cold winter nights.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Oliver jolted at my side. His face showed a mix of worry and fear as he gestured for me to get up. I quickly understood and got to my feet, positioning myself to shield him from whatever was about to happen. I then called out to Mom, who was sleeping in a chair. She opened her eyes and seemed to realize something was wrong before rushing to Oliver's side and holding his hand.
In the past few months, Oliver had been right about his gut feelings every time. Whenever he mentioned something about Father appearing or something bad happening, it always turned out to be true. He would often tell me he had a "funny feeling," but I never quite understood it. There was something I wasn't aware of, and it seemed like Mom was in on the secret too. But I trusted Oliver to let me know when the time was right. After all, I had my own secret to keep.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Father stormed in, his face filled with anger. He was there to drag me and Oliver with him, and we had no idea where he was taking us. I watched in silence as he pushed Mom to the ground, not daring to make things more difficult for her, I resigned myself and put my focus on Oliver, to make sure he was okay.
Father came back wobbling, he was clearly tipsy, he came to my side and grabed me from the back of neck, his calloused and cold fingers duge to my skin but I didn't protest. Instead, I quikly jestured for Oliver to come by my side so that father wouldn't grab him too, a few minutes later I regreted my decision as I thought I would loose my little brother forever.
Stewart's POV:
Father suddenly brought us to a stop by the side of the road. I couldn't quite figure out what we were doing here. The street was bustling with activity, and I noticed some stalls where people were selling things. I thought that maybe Father wanted to do the same. But it didn't make sense; we didn't have anything to sell, and even if we did, it wouldn't explain why we had come all the way to the city. It would have been fine to do so in the village.
Suddenly, the world before me stopped. I saw Father grinning maniacally as a carriage approached. He pushed my brother Izaya in front of it. I was horrified as the horse didn't stop in time and walked through my brother. I couldn't do anything, not breathe nor scream. I could only watch the limp figure on the road that used to be my brother. I saw my father walk up to the driver. 'Haha, so this was it? He was demanding ransom?' I touched my face and felt that it was damp. I was crying.
Turning my gaze to the right, I saw my big brother again, and Father was about to push him toward another approaching carriage. Without thinking, I jumped forward and found myself in front of the same carriage I had seen just moments ago. Time seemed to slow down. I saw the horse jump on me, and in that strange moment, I heard my own voice saying, 'I am gonna die,' before I closed my eyes tightly.
"Oliver!!"