The air is covered in darkness. Raindrops fall on Xavier, drop by drop. The wind was relentless on Xavier. At least it added to his pain. Xavier's dull eyes were locked on his father's grave. His black, straight hair was like a curtain in front of his eyes. He was looking at his father's grave and his hand in bandages. What he dwelt on most about his hand was, of course, the fingers he had lost. He had lost his ring and pinkie fingers. Was it worth it? Did it mean something? For nothing. He had lost his fingers for nothing. And his father? His father was murdered. Brutally, brutally murdered in the street by cult members. As far as he learned from the doctors, his father was killed with his blood by an alchemist who controlled blood. A logo was drawn on the ground with his blood and his body was crucified. Xavier's memories of his father flashed before his eyes, and for a while, he was detached from reality and watched the memories as if they were a movie. In the process, he kept asking himself questions. Would he end up like his father? He was weak, he could only defeat those close to him with certain tricks. Weaker than his father. He had lost his fingers from his first mission, he was crippled. He didn't want it to be like this, he didn't want it to end like this. Under the influence of these thoughts, Xavier began to bite his lower lip with his right canine tooth, biting so hard that it bled. His eyes squinted slightly and the tips of his eyebrows arched upwards. But despite his best efforts, the young man could not stop himself. A few drops fell to the ground, not because of the wind-driven clouds, but because of Xavier's eyes, which were still reeling from what he had just experienced. His knees gave way and he knelt in front of his father's grave. He could not keep his body upright, his upper body had freed itself forward. Xavier's forehead touched the earth, his hands clenched into fists and placed in front of his head. His arms covered his sides, close enough to touch his head. "It's not fair," Xavier said first, his voice shaky, barely above a whisper. "Why my father? Why my mom? Why me?" he asked himself one question after another, not afraid to let out the thoughts that were bothering him, overwhelming him, causing him pain. Xavier released not only his thoughts but also his emotions. His eyes were no longer producing just a few drops, but a dozen, and he released his clenched teeth and began to cry aloud. Was it a power that made us superior, or a curse that punished us? Xavier was sure. It was a curse, a great curse. He wanted to study at a university like the boys, to work in simple jobs, to live a normal life on a fixed income. Not to be a paid dog of the state that could be thrown away at any moment.
Xavier was so far removed from reality that he didn't realize that the rain was picking up speed and taking him prisoner. As the rain poured down with great force, Xavier's clothes were sinking. A white-haired state alchemist, aware of Xavier's condition, approached him. He leaned to Xavier's right side, grasped his shoulders gently, and, saying nothing, led him to the house next to the cemetery. Xavier's body was empty and he could not resist. He made Xavier change and sat him next to the warm stove.
"You're going to be sick. You must take care of yourself."
The woman standing opposite Xavier said in a gentle voice. She had a sincere, warm smile on her face. She was a fit woman in her late twenties, about 5'6" tall, with shoulder-length blonde hair and smooth features. She was considered too "pretty" for the general taste of society. She had a simple black eye patch over her left eye. It was obvious that she had lost her eye. It was also clear why she lost it. Xavier said nothing in response to what she said. She looked like a spirit, like a dead person. There was no movement in her body and her face and eyes were completely frozen. She was almost lost in thought as she stared into the fire. The fire he focused on reminded him of the man he had burned to death. He thought of people who attack and kill each other without knowing why. Why did that man want to kill him? Why did he have to kill that man? As the burning of the man flashed before her eyes, she was shaken by a sudden startle. The woman was worried about Xavier's startle, and this concern was reflected in her behavior.
"Are you okay? Do you want some water?" she asked a simple question as she took a few steps closer to Xavier.
There was a note of concern in her tone, after all, this was someone who had been through a lot for a 17-year-old. Xavier turned his glazed eyes on her.
"Why are we doing this? Why did my father have to die?" he asked her questions that sounded strange as if he wanted to get an answer from her that would satisfy him.
His voice was shaky and his tone was full of fear. The dullness of his eyes slowly gave way to anger and his pupils dilated slightly. Her brow was furrowed and her jaw muscles were showing as her teeth pressed together. Before she could respond, Xavier continued his questions in a slightly louder voice.
"Why did I have to be cursed? Why did my family have to be cursed?" Xavier said, clearly filled with a great deal of anger.
He was slowly letting go of his sadness and giving in to anger and revenge. The woman, on the other hand, reacted with a maturity appropriate to her age, remaining silent and understanding. Her smile, which had disappeared due to anxiety, returned.
"I'll make some coffee," she said in a comforting tone.
When she left the room, Xavier was left alone. Although he didn't deny it, coffee didn't interest him personally. To be honest, in this situation, not only coffee but nothing interested him. There was only a fire burning inside him, a fire that could burn his enemies to ashes. The source of this fire was anger and pain, and this anger and pain fed his desire for revenge. He knew who had killed his father, who had made him experience this intense pain. The Order of the Sun. Xavier vowed to root them out. He would do it no matter what.
Olivia (the name of the blonde-haired woman) is an Alch-level state alchemist. A user of healing alchemy, specializing in healing wounds. Olivia took out two cups and started making filter coffee. As the coffee dripped, her eyes fell on an elderly woman coming down from upstairs. Olivia's mother, Emilia, is a retired alchemist. Emilia is a retired alchemist of the Chem rank. Emilia was also a healing alchemist. She retired after losing both her hands with the alchemical seal during a war. The old woman arrived in the kitchen and took a corner, Olivia did not support Emilia's actions, which the old woman considered an insult. The first thing Emilia noticed was the number of cups.
"Do we have a guest, my beautiful girl?" Emilia said with a charming smile and a friendly voice.
Olivia responded with a smile to her smile.
"Yes, mommy, a boy. He just lost his father."
Emilia took her eyes off the cups and locked them on the floor. Her voice had become a little more calm.
"It must be hard for him. I was very sad when I lost your father too. But you get over it in time. Life is not the stories of those who leave, but of those who stay."
Olivia walked in with two cups in her hand.
"I'm back. I added milk, I hope you don't mind."
Olivia couldn't see Xavier when she walked in.
"Xa- Xavier!"
In her excitement and panic, Olivia dropped and broke the cups she was holding. As the coffee spilled and spread across the floor, some of it reached Olivia's foot and she quickly pulled it back because of the heat she felt. Hearing the voices, Ms. Emilia came to Olivia with concern and curiosity. She calmly picked up the cleaning supplies and began to clean the broken cup and then the coffee.
"It's okay, girl. It's okay to drop it. Any unintentional mistake can be forgiven."
Olivia, on the other hand, did not pay attention to Emilia's cleaning, but moved to the window and looked outside closely. The rain hadn't relented, and Olivia felt a pang of anxiety.
"Xavier, you didn't leave in the rain, did you?"
Olivia said. Emilia, after finishing her work, approached her daughter at the window and she looked out.
"This rain doesn't seem to be letting up."
Xavier ran towards his house, braving the pouring rain. When he got to the front door, he couldn't find his keys, and each time he looked for them, his anger grew exponentially, until finally, in a rage, he punched the wooden door. With a few punches, he broke the wooden door sufficiently, put his hand, which was bleeding from his fists, through the crack, opened the door, and entered. He began to breathe deeply for a while, trying to keep his breathing under control. Inside Xavier, anger now dominated more than pain. He wanted revenge. He wanted revenge on everyone and everything. He climbed the stairs two at a time and noisily thanks to the length of his legs. When he reached his room, he looked around, his eyes locked on a photograph. It was a family photo. A photo was taken when Xavier was a baby, in his mother's arms. Xavier started stuffing the items he could get his hands on into a duffel bag, especially the photo. He had given up controlling his breathing and his movements were rapid. He no longer wanted to take orders from the state and become its dog, nor did he want to live under this curse. The only thing he desired was revenge, and whatever he had to do to get it was permissible to him. Before leaving, he drew a huge amulet on the ground. He looked at his right hand. Although his fingers would never come back, the burn wound had largely healed, and this no longer prevented him from using alchemy. After leaving the house, he walked a few meters away, turned his body towards the house, and snapped the index and thumb of his right hand together. The snap triggered the huge amulet he had drawn on the floor of the house and it burst into flames. Xavier watched the house burn for a while, feeling mixed emotions as the flames dazzled his eyes. Finally, Xavier began to move forward without looking back. The rain was weakening, slowing down, stopping. Only the rain stopped. And Xavier's worries were being resolved. He now knew what he wanted. He would never give in and he would get his revenge. No matter what it cost him.
When Emilia saw that the rain had stopped, she smiled and looked at Olivia.
"There are fires that even the rain can't put out, Olivia. Don't burn yourself."