Some days ago...
Before the brutal death of Divine Slayer...
Click!
The sound of the door opening followed as the white wooden door creaked open, and a sandals-wearing foot stepped out of the room.
"Careful, there is the door's threshold ahead,"
A gentle voice warned and the young man who had just stepped out of the room immediately came into view.
He was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.
The shirt was plain white and the pants were faded blue.
He was wearing a pair of sandals and while one of his hands was in the pocket of his shorts, the other was holding someone's hand.
It was a pale white hand with slender fingers and soft palms.
It was a girl's hand, and it belonged to the person who was standing at the other side of the door.
Her name was Ember, and she was wearing the same dress she was wearing yesterday, the one Nell had bought for her.
"Hmm," She nodded and raised her right foot, stepping out of the threshold.
Today is the first day she is walking without her cane.
And, the person who was walking beside her was her husband, Nellas.
It was also the first day of their marriage.
And, they were planning to spend it together.
They didn't have any specific destination or plan, but, they wanted to spend the day outside.
Nell wanted to take Ember to a place where she had never been, a place she didn't know, a place where she would have fun and would be able to enjoy herself.
The weather was warm and pleasant, the sky was clear and blue, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.
The wind was blowing softly, and the air was fresh.
'First of all, we should go and get new clothes for her,' Nell thought, as his eyes wandered to the girl standing beside him.
'She can't keep wearing the same dress, and, the one she is wearing now, is a little dirty,'
'We should buy some clothes for her.'
As soon as the last thought exited his mind, he felt a light tug on his hand.
"Nell," Ember said, her voice was soft, and she had a slightly embarrassed look on her face.
"U-um, my dress, it seems it has gotten stuck on something," She explained, and her face was flushed red.
"O-oh, I see," Nell said, realizing that his wife was having a difficult time getting out of the room.
He moved his eyes, scanning the dress, and noticed that the hem of the dress was entangled in something.
'It must be that nail, huh?' He thought, noticing the small protruding nail that had snagged her dress.
This nail was hammered there even before he came to the house for the first time.
It was part of the original structure and was left there, as no one bothered to remove it.
And, it had now managed to tear the dress.
"It's okay, let me help you," Nell said, his hands moved, and grabbed the nail.
Then, with a swift motion, he pulled it out.
"There,"
He was able to remove the nail, both from the wall and the dress.
"Thank you," She mumbled and smiled at him.
"No problem," Nell replied, as his eyes roamed over her beautiful face, "Now, come out."
He held her hand and gently pulled her forward.
"Okay,"
With her hand in his, Ember moved her legs and stepped forward, and walked out of the threshold.
Her steps were slow and cautious, and her hand was tightly holding onto Nell's hand as she brought her other feet forward.
'One more step,' She thought, as her feet left the floor.
However, the moment her foot left the floor, a strong gust of wind blew past her, causing her hair to flow in the air.
The sudden movement startled her, and she was completely caught off guard.
"Wahhhh," Her surprised yelp filled the air, and because she was wearing high heels her balance was lost.
She began to fall backward, but, Nell was quick to react, and he immediately reached out his hands and grabbed her.
"I've got you,"
His arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her close.
"It's okay,"
He whispered, his voice was soothing and gentle.
"You are safe,"
Ember was surprised by what had just happened, but, Nell was there, and his comforting and reassuring words calmed her.
"Mm-hmm," She nodded and rested her head against his chest.
"Thanks,"
She felt safe in his embrace, and a feeling of security and warmth spread through her body.
'I wish the time could stop,'
'Just for a moment,'
Her mind was full of these thoughts, and she couldn't help but wish that the time could stop.
'Even if for a little while,'
However, time didn't stop, and her wish didn't come true.
Instead, the moment was broken by the sound of Nell's phone.
Ring!
'Who could be calling me?' Nell thought, wondering who would call him at this hour.
He reached out and took the mobile, which was vibrating and ringing loudly, out of his pocket.
His head creased, and his brow furrowed as he saw the caller's name on the screen.
With a fast and instinctive swipe of his thumb, he accepted the call and brought the phone close to his ear.
"Yeah," He spoke, his voice was low, and his eyes were fixed on the girl who was resting her head on his chest.
And he was also curious as to why the person on the other end of the call had called him.
"What happened?" He asked, and after that he went silent for a moment, listening to the other person's reply.
"Alright, come to the Galaxy Mall," Nell said, and the call ended.
"Ember," He called her, as he placed the mobile back into his pocket.
"Are you ready?"
"Mm-hmm," The girl nodded and smiled.
"Let's go,"
And with that, the two of them began to move, walking toward the Galaxy Mall where they would buy new clothes.
'What is so important that she wants to meet me urgently?' Nell couldn't help but wonder, as he walked side by side with Ember.
'Could it be related to Divine Slayer or the Mr. Knight?'
He didn't know why Nell was called by her, but, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going to happen.
'Or is it just my imagination?'
With these thoughts, Nell and Ember walked out of the building and made their way to the mall.