"My parents used to work for the city lord." Controlling his emotions, Lucius began to speak as his eyes seemed to be in a daze, perhaps reminiscent of the older times.
"You know, I wasn't old, but I still remember it clearly.
After working throughout the day, they would come back home dead tired and still instead of resting, would take me to the market, buying me sweets and all other things."
The more he spoke, the hoarser his voice got, as if he was trying to suppress his emotions.
"Everything was perfect and I thought it would last forever."
"But we can't always have what we wish for, right?"
With a short pause, he continued.
"One day, they didn't come back.
I waited... And waited... And waited... But they never came back.
Throughout the night, I kept waiting for them, but they never came back.
And the next day... A law enforcer came to my house with the news that my parents died fighting the beasts."
A long silence enveloped the two of them as even the noises in the distance seemed to be buried under his grief.
Eldric didn't know how to console him or what words to say. He just sat there in silence in the darkness of the night, thinking about the scene of a child waiting for his parents who were never going to arrive.
He opened his mouth to console Lucius but found himself at a loss for words.
"At that time, I didn't understand what they were talking about.
How could I? I was but a child. I didn't even know what the word 'Died' meant. I just thought it was something impressive. So, I smiled and waited... But they never came back."
"Just a day later, the law enforcers appointed a caretaker for me. A woman who was supposed to take care of me."
Speaking till here, he let out a mocking laugh as if it was the funniest thing he ever experienced.
Eldric on the other hand stayed silent, quietly listening to his story.
"The woman... Even though she was supposed to take care of me, she didn't. Instead, she brought her husband and son to the house.
All the household work that was her duty fell upon me. She made me work from morning till night.
You know, I cried and refused in the beginning, but the more I cried and the more I refused, the more she beat me up. Oftentimes, she wouldn't even give me food."
There seemed to be anger on his face as he recalled those days.
"I tried running away, but the so-called law enforcers would catch me up and throw me back into that hell.
I tried talking to them, telling them what she does with me, but they never listened. On the contrary, they would gloat in my misfortune."
"Days passed and I waited for my parents to show up... I thought that if I waited enough, they would definitely come and beat those bad people.
I waited... and waited... and waited.... and one day I realized they weren't going to come back ever again."
Speaking till here, Lucius stopped as a drop of tear rolled down his cheek. His heartbroken appearance along with the ascending darkness made him look tragic.
"This hell stopped when I reached the age of twelve. That day, I got admitted to the school.
Throughout the years, I worked hard. I kept thinking that if one day I managed to get into university, I might change things for the better. But after the trials... Hehe"
Laughing at himself for failing the trials and being unable to get into a university, Lucius shook his head. Even if he thought about it, there wasn't anything that he could do now.
"You know when I came back, I wanted to teach them a lesson, I wanted to get back what was originally once mine.
So, I went back home. And there I saw..."
Speaking these words, Lucius clenched his fists as his eyes turned red with anger.
"The house that my parents built, the house that was my childhood, has now changed beyond recognition.
Those bastards... They took the house, the money, and everything that was mine. It wasn't just a house, it was the only good memory that I had. And they even took it away from me."
"I went to the law enforcers once again. I thought that after learning so many things in the school, I might be able to convince them and get everything back.
Alas! I was too naive."
"Turns out, the so-called justice and code of conduct that they teach in the school are nothing but mere ideals in the real world. They are only taught in the school so that those teachers can pat themselves on the back and tell themselves what a wonderful job they have done.
Their so-called ideal society doesn't exist. The so-called law and order doesn't exist.
Unless you are someone influential, no one will ever listen to you."
"Heh." Looking at Eldric he let out a desolate laugh and asked his question.
"Tell me again, how decent this city is."
Listening to Lucius, Eldric took a deep breath. He never realized that the usually calm Lucius would have such a life experience. Even in his past life, such stories were rare and seldom happened.
But here... Thinking about it, he never tried to understand this world. In his eyes, since it looked like a decent place, it might as well be. He thought that because the world was similar to the modern world along with schools, it might have similar laws.
But looking at Lucius beside him, he couldn't help but think about how wrong he was.
"Is this why you joined the City Lord's castle?" Eldric was slowly beginning to understand Lucius' thought process. Perhaps he wanted to work as a law enforcer and get himself justice. And sure enough, Lucius' next words confirmed his guess.
"I joined it because I thought I might be able to get my house back.
And I didn't have any money and a place to stay after leaving the school."
With these words, both of them went silent.
.
.
This silence lasted for a while before Lucius looked at the starry sky above him and let out a sigh.
"You know, Eldric." This was the first time he called Eldric by his name.
"I don't think I will be able to join the law enforcers or get my house back."
After speaking this sentence, Lucius suddenly let out a laugh. And anyone who listened to it couldn't help but feel sadness in their heart.
.
.
After listening to Lucius' story, Eldric was in deep thought. He didn't know whether to console him or to motivate him. On one hand, he sympathized with him due to what he went through, while on the other hand, he was annoyed by the lack of any action against those people.
Thinking for a while, Eldric finally took a deep breath and began to speak softly.
"You know, I am not originally from this city." As he said those words, a scene of the modern world flashed before his eyes.
"Compared to yours, my childhood was rather simple. Since a young age, I was a troublemaker. Constantly getting into fights and arguments.
And unlike yours, my parents never really cared about me. They were usually busy throughout the day doing business... Trying to make as much money as possible; And for them, pride and face were everything.
That's why from a young age, I was strictly told not to do anything that would bring shame to the family. And that included getting into fights or arguments."
Pausing for a moment, Eldric smiled and continued his story.
"To them, I was but a burden. The so-called familial love... I never knew what it was.
They were so engrossed in making money, that they never noticed the increasing bruises on their son due to all that bullying in the school."
With a short pause, Eldric seemed to see the figure of a young boy aged ten, trying to talk to his parents, only to be shunned.
"At first, I fought, but the moment I fought back, my own parents were the first to blame me for everything. They made me apologize to the very people who were bullying me.
And after this event, there wasn't much I could do. If I fought back, I would be scolded and punished and if I didn't they would keep on harassing and bullying me.
I tried talking with the so-called teachers too. But other than laughing at it, dismissing it as children's play, they never did anything."
Taking a deep breath, Eldric's body trembled as those scenes kept replaying inside his head.
"The situation kept on getting worse.
At first, it was just one or two boys, and later, this number increased to more than twenty people.
Basically, the entire class was taking part in it.
Sometimes they would through shoes at the food I was eating, sometimes they would throw dirty water and when they ran out of ideas, they just used to hit me with punches and kicks all over my body."
.
.
Throughout his story, Lucius stays silent. He didn't think the boy opposite to him would have such a backstory. For a moment, Lucius felt a sense of intimacy, it was as if he had finally found a friend.
"I still remember it was Friday." Eldric's eyes seemed lost as he began to narrate the events.
"I had a big argument at home. I don't know what it was about, but it made me pretty angry.
And when I reached school, those bastards there had thought of something new.
They wanted to strip me naked and parade me there. They wanted to make an example out of me so that no one messes with them.
Apparently, they had a fight with juniors a day before and wanted to use me as an example to deter them."
"You know, I tried to run... I even looked at the other classmates for help... But they looked at me like they were looking at an animal.
They just stepped back and laughed... THEY LAUGHED AS IF THERE WAS SOMETHING FUNNY GOING ON."
Eldric's body began to tremble as his voice was filled with anger. Thinking about that day made his blood boil.
"It was then, that something inside me snapped.
The rage that I have been suppressing my entire life erupted at that moment.
I closed the doors of the classroom first and then picked up the metal rod from the corner of the class.
I then raised the rod and smashed it on the nearest person's face.
I kept on smashing the rod on anyone in my sight.
A few tried taking it away, trying to overpower me. But I tore off their ears with my teeth. And then I kept on smashing the rod at their hands and at their fingers.
It didn't matter whether they were a boy or a girl. As long as I saw them, I hit them and kept on hitting them until they were lying bloodied on the floor."
"I don't remember much. But by the time I got back to my senses, I was being escorted out of the class forcefully by two policemen, and behind me was the classroom filled with mangled flesh and blood of the injured classmates."
As Eldric finished recalling the events of that day, his expression returned to normal and his voice regained its clarity.
"As no one died, I didn't get into too much trouble.
My parents closed everyone's mouth shut with money and I was forced to leave that school and go to a completely different place."
Speaking till here, Eldric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The gentle cold air seemed to have cooled his head a little and suppressed the raging emotions. It wasn't until a few more minutes passed that Eldric asked his question.
"Do you know why I am telling you this, Lucius?"
Hearing Eldric's question, Lucius' body trembled for a moment. He knew what it meant, but he didn't reply.
"When those classmates were admitted into the hospital, my so-called parent took me there.
They wanted me to see the misery I had caused. They wanted me to question myself whether this was an act of a human or a beast."
"Their goal was to make me repent and in a way they succeed.
Watching them cry in pain and looking at their ruined faces and bodies, I felt scared of what I had done."
"And yet..." There was a smile on Eldric's face.
"And yet, I felt relieved...
For the very first time in my life, I felt like I was free. I no longer had to suppress myself and be something that I wasn't. For the first time, I felt alive."
"Lucius..." Speaking his name softly, Eldric spoke further.
"I am telling you this because your situation is the same as mine.
There isn't going to be a savior coming to save you. And things won't magically change according to your wishes.
Sometimes, the only person you can depend upon is yourself.
So, don't run... Fight and regain what you have lost."
With these words, Eldric stood up, stretched his body, and walked away from there.
It was already night, and he still had to buy dinner for Aria and himself.
.
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After Eldric left, Lucius didn't walk away immediately but kept on sitting on the bench. His eyes would occasionally shine as he thought about his childhood and all the hardships that he went through.
Thinking about his conversation with Eldric, Lucius stood up, patted his clothes, and began to slowly make his way toward his house.
After fifteen minutes of twists and turns, Lucius was standing in front of an old dilapidated house. Looking at the old house, Lucius could feel the overwhelming emotions. He even had an illusion of seeing his parents standing there, smiling at him.
Slowly, a smile formed on his face as he took a step forward and entered the house. He didn't enter through the front door but walked around the house before reaching the back and entering through a window.
Even though it was pitch-black inside, Lucius didn't need light to show him the way.
After a few turns, Lucius stood in front of a door. Slowly opening it, he entered the room and stood in front of the bed, looking at the middle-aged couple snoring there peacefully.
Looking at them he couldn't help but clench his fists. This was his parent's room which was now occupied by these dogs.
Reaching inside his robe, Lucius pulled out a dagger and slowly walked towards them.
With a wide grin on his face that made him look particularly evil under the dim light of the stars, Lucius raised his dagger and wiped it at the man's neck.
"PUFF..."
Feeling the excruciating pain in his neck, the man who was sleeping soundly a moment ago opened his eyes and looked at Lucius in disbelief. Grabbing his neck with both his hands, he wanted to stop the bleeding and shout for help.
But to his despair, he couldn't do anything. The only thing he could do was to see his life slowly slip away.
This sudden movement caused the woman to wake up too. But before she could process what just happened, she saw Lucius waving his hand, stunning her and making her lose consciousness.
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By the time she regained consciousness, Lucius was already standing in front of her with a smile, and beside him was a young boy almost his age, bound to the chair with eyes filled with despair.
"You... You... You..." The woman opened her mouth to scream, but to her horror, Lucius had covered her mouth with cloth. Now the only thing she could do was to look in front of her.
"It is about time I pay you back for everything that you did to me." Stabbing the boy in his thigh, Lucius let out a grin.
"UMMMMMMMM..." The boy wanted to scream in pain, but just like his mother, his voice too was muffled by the piece of cloth covering his mouth.
Looking at him struggling like a fish out of water, Lucius laughed and stabbed him in the arm.
The middle-aged woman lying on the ground kept on looking at the scene of her being tortured with an ashen face and tears in her eyes. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine the boy to do something so drastic.
For a moment, she was even regretting why she didn't remove him when she had the chance throughout the years.
Lucius didn't know what was going through her head and even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
So, throughout the night, the seemingly old and dilapidated house was filled with maddening laughter and muffled screams.
It wasn't until morning that all the laughter stopped and the doors to the house opened as a figure covered in blood slowly walked out before standing in front of the house.
Dropping the knife on the ground, he fell to his knees and grabbed the soil beneath him before raising his head towards the rising sun and letting out a heartfelt laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA..."