Very short chapter. This is like the prologue of this arc.
***
It was dawn. The sun had not risen yet, but a little boy found himself unable to continue sleeping.
He got off his bed, hugged a pillow, and ran toward the room of his mother.
The door opened easily. The boy knew that his mother liked to leave the door open so he could enter the room when he had nightmares.
He found his mother still asleep. The boy hesitated briefly, before deciding to climb on the bed and lie beside her.
His mother felt his movements and woke up.
"… My little hero? You came to see Mommy very early." She rubbed her honey-colored eyes sleepily.
The boy nodded and hugged her tightly.
"Did anything happen? Another nightmare?"
"… Mm."
"I see. Was my little hero scared?"
The boy nodded, putting his face against her chest.
The woman giggled and hugged him, her long white hair falling over the boy's cheeks and tickling him.
"Can you tell Mommy about your dream?"
"… I don't wanna."
"Mm? But you always tell Mommy your dreams, right? Do you not love mommy anymore?"
The boy shook his head and lifted his face, his black eyes looking at his mother anxiously.
"I love Mommy a lot."
"Then, why don't you want to tell me your dream?"
"It was a very bad bad dream."
"Is it so?" She stroked his head gently, slowly soothing his emotions. "Tell Mommy. She will help you to not be scared anymore."
The boy hesitated briefly and nodded.
"… Something happened to Mommy in the dream."
"Really?"
"Mm… The bad guys came and fought Mommy. I was scared and told them to stop, but they did not."
"… That is a very scary dream."
"Mommy was bleeding a lot. I ran toward you and called your name, but you did not open your eyes."
"I see." The woman sighed softly. "Really, it was a very bad dream."
"Mommy, will the bad guys come?"
"Of course not, my little hero. It was just a dream. And even if they come, I won't be scared."
"Why?"
"Because I have a little hero that will protect me." The woman pinched his cheek with the gentlest smile the boy had ever seen. "You will protect me, right?"
The boy nodded with a shining gaze.
"Mm. I'll protect mommy."
"Right? My brave little hero won't just watch if he knows something bad is happening." The woman chuckled and hugged him tightly. "Mommy doesn't need to be afraid."
The boy smiled widely and buried his head in his mother's chest, his earlier gloom completely vanishing.
"I'll definitively protect Mommy." He swore as sleepiness again struck him.
The woman watched him with a soft gaze, stroking his head softly as the boy fell asleep.
Before his eyes closed, the boy saw his mother's lips move.
"I love you, my little hero. Sleep well. Mommy will be with you when you wake up."
The boy smiled and closed his eyes.
But when he opened them again, his mother was not with him.
***
Opening my eyes, I gazed blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.
My body felt heavy and my mind hazy. Perhaps because I had overworked myself the day before.
Outside, the sky was still dark. Only a bit of moonlight entered through the window.
I lay immobile on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
For several minutes, I stayed like that.
Finally, a bitter smile appeared on my lips.
"What a shitty dream."
It was the worst way to start the day.