As Haruka slept soundly on his lap, Eugen began to feel his eyelids grow heavy. The quiet murmurs of the bustling street and the faint rustling of leaves in the park pulled him into a light slumber.
As Eugen drifted deeper into sleep, the world around him faded into the same dark void as before. Unlike the previous dream, this time the voices sounded closer, as though he was standing amidst a group of people he couldn't see. They weren't speaking to him, but to one another.
A soft, trembling voice—warm and familiar—spoke first. "I'm so sorry... I never wanted this for him. To bear such a heavy burden at such a young age..."
A deeper voice replied, steady and unwavering, "You knew the risks. The God Hand chooses its wielder. This is beyond any of us."
"But he's just a child!" the first voice cried, breaking with sorrow. "How can he endure it? How can I expect him to survive this?"
Another voice, cold and analytical, interjected, "The God Hand does not care for age or circumstance. It adapts. The boy will master it."
Eugen stood frozen in the darkness, his fists clenched as he listened. He wanted to speak, to shout, but his voice wouldn't come.
A new voice joined the conversation, one that sounded old and wise, filled with both authority and regret. "The God Hand is both a gift and a curse. It grants unparalleled power, such power gonna be needed when the Four Deva appeared and the Left Hand manifested. There is no avoiding this."
The familiar voice trembled as it replied, "I never asked for this! I only wanted him to have a chance—a future filled with happiness, not endless battles!"
The cold voice responded harshly, "Happiness? Foolish sentiment. The God Hand brings power, not peace. The boy will face enemies beyond imagining, as is his destiny."
"Destiny?" the woman snapped, her voice rising. "What kind of destiny forces a child to fight for his life over and over? He didn't choose this!"
The wise voice spoke again, calm yet firm, "None who bear the God Hand choose it. He has the potential to master it. You know this."
The woman voice broke again, laced with despair. "I don't care about legends! He's my son... my little boy. All I ever wanted was to protect him..."
The steady, deep voice returned, gentler now. "It is because of your love that he has the strength to endure. Do not underestimate him. The God Hand adapts to its wielder, and so too will he adapt to it."
Silence followed for a moment before his mother whispered, barely audible, "Then I hope... I pray... that his future will be brighter than this."
The wise voice concluded solemnly, "That will depend on him. The God Hand grants power, but it is the heart of its wielder that decides how it is used."
As the voices began to fade, Eugen felt the warmth in his right arm return, growing stronger until it became almost unbearable. He clutched his arm tightly, still unable to speak, and watched as the faint glow of golden light from his right arm flickered through the darkness.
The last thing he heard before the void dissolved was his mother's voice, soft and full of love, whispering, "Stay strong, my baby. I'll always be with you."
Eugen woke with his breath shaky and his forehead damp with sweat. The heat in his right arm was still faintly present..
Haruka stirred slightly on his lap but remained asleep, her peaceful expression contrasting sharply with the turmoil inside him. Eugen looked down at his arm, his hand trembling as he whispered to himself,
"God Hand..?"
He kept staring at his right hand, still tightly wrapped in bandages. He didn't fully understand what the dream meant, but at least now he knew the name of this hand.
Time passed as Eugen remained seated, Haruka still sleeping peacefully on his lap. His body ached from sitting in the same position for so long, but he didn't want to disturb her rest. The bench they had chosen was shaded under a large tree, offering them protection from the sun as it climbed higher into the sky.
Haruka stirred, her small movements drawing his attention.
"Umm..." she mumbled, slowly opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was Eugen, his gaze fixed on the tree leaves swaying gently above them.
"Eugen... how long have I been asleep?" Haruka asked, rubbing her eyes groggily.
"I'm not sure, but probably for a while," he replied simply.
"For a while..." Her memory suddenly caught up with her, and she realized her position—her head on Eugen's lap.
"!?" She immediately sat up, her cheeks slightly flushed, and turned to look at him. He hadn't moved an inch, remaining in the same posture so she could rest comfortably.
"Is your body okay? Sitting like that for so long can't be good!" Haruka said, concern lacing her voice as she began checking him for any signs of discomfort.
"I'm fine... just a little sore, but really, I'm fine," Eugen assured her.
Still unconvinced, Haruka continued inspecting him until she was satisfied.
"Sorry... I only meant to nap for a little while, but I ended up sleeping for hours," she said, guilt evident in her tone.
"It's okay. At least you got some rest. Are you hungry? Let's find something to eat—it's already past noon." Eugen stood up, but his legs felt stiff from sitting too long, causing him to nearly stumble.
Haruka quickly grabbed his arm to steady him. "Are you okay? This is my fault—you're all stiff now!"
"No, no, I'm fine. I just need to stretch a bit."
Haruka decided to help him stretch, giggling occasionally as Eugen winced at his sore muscles. But their moment was interrupted by a voice.
"You look pretty bad there, kid," a man called out casually.
Both Eugen and Haruka turned to see the source of the voice—a man with a snakeskin jacket, black leather pants, a gold chain, and an eyepatch over his left eye. He walked toward them with a grin.
[IMAGE]
"Why are two kids wandering around Kamurocho without any parents or guardians? Where are they?" the man asked, stopping in front of them.
Eugen instinctively stepped in front of Haruka, shielding her with his body. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the man's intimidating appearance.
"Who are you?" Eugen demanded, glancing around for potential escape routes.
"Whoa, easy there, kid. I'm not here to kidnap you two. But I like the way you're protecting your girl—good instincts." The man smirked before continuing. "Name's Goro. Uncle Goro, if you like."
Eugen didn't let his guard down, his gaze steady and untrusting. After a moment of hesitation, he finally answered. "We're looking for someone... and for a bar called Ares."
At the mention of Ares, Goro's grin faded, his expression turning serious.
"That place isn't for kids. You're better off going back home," he said firmly.
"No, we won't stop," Haruka retorted, stepping out from behind Eugen. Her determination was evident. "I want to find my mother and understand why she left me in the orphanage. I need answers."
The man studied the two of them for a moment. Their sharp, unwavering gazes told him they weren't going to back down.
"Kids these days, so stubborn..." Goro muttered, shaking his head.
"And stop calling us 'kids.' We have names!" Haruka snapped. "I'm Haruka, and he's Eugen."
"Haruka and Eugen," Goro said, his tone change slightly. Then his voice shifted, suddenly darker and more foreboding. "Listen, you two. Here's a piece of advice from Uncle Goro."
His sharp glare sent a chill through them.
"Kamurocho isn't a playground. This place is full of mugging, violence, and even murder. Bad things happen here all the time, and no one bats an eye. So my advice? Make sure you're home before nightfall."
He began to walk away, but after a few steps, he stopped and turned back.
"There's a bar called Bacchus near Millennium Tower. If you're set on finding Ares, start there. But listen to me—find your mother and get out of this district. It's for your own good."
With that, Goro walked away, disappearing into the bustling streets of Kamurocho.
--------
After hearing that information, both of them decided to head to Bacchus bar for information about Ares.
"That uncle looked really suspicious, huh," Haruka said, walking beside Eugen.
"Yeah... And he also felt really dangerous. I can tell that uncle isn't a normal person."
"Hehe, of course, he's not normal. Even his appearance is really unique."
"I'm not talking about his appearance—his aura and the knife hidden behind his back, under his clothes."
"Knife?"
"Yeah, there was something sticking out behind him. It could be anything, but I'm sure it was a knife," Eugen said with certainty.
"I see. Let's just listen to what he said and be careful while we're here," Haruka replied.
The two of them kept walking hand in hand until they finally arrived at the place.
"Bacchus," Eugen murmured, reading the name hanging in front of the establishment.
"Let's go," Haruka said, reaching out to open the door.
But just as she was about to push it open, Eugen's instincts went haywire, and he immediately stopped her.
"What's wrong?" Haruka asked, confused.
"I have a really bad feeling about this place," he said quietly.
"Bad feeling?"
Haruka believed him immediately. Eugen always had sharp instincts, especially during that time they had gone shopping for the orphanage and avoided danger because of his warnings.
"Let me open it," Eugen said, carefully opening the door slowly.
But the moment he opened it, both of them were met with a scene they could hardly believe.
Three dead bodies lay inside the bar: the bartender and two customers. All of them had the same wound—a gunshot.
"Haruka!" Eugen immediately tried to cover her eyes to stop her from seeing it.
But it was too late. She had already seen the grisly sight, and her face turned pale before she—
"Hoeeek!" She began to retch, but since she hadn't eaten anything since morning, nothing came out.
"Haruka!" Eugen hugged her tightly, trying to comfort her.
He wanted to vomit as well after seeing the scene, but he needed to focus on Haruka and ensure she was okay.
Then, behind them, the door suddenly shut.
"Shh, calm down, Haruka. Calm down," he whispered, trying to ease her panic.
Before they could do anything else, they heard someone outside the door.
Thinking it might be the culprit who killed those people returning, Eugen quickly dragged Haruka behind the counter to hide.
Not long after, they heard the sound of the door creaking open.
"Shh, don't make a sound," Eugen whispered to Haruka, who was still trembling.
Footsteps echoed as someone entered, drawing closer and closer to them.
Both of them tried hard to stay silent, unaware that Eugen's right arm had begun to glow faintly from the tension.
As the footsteps approached, Eugen quickly looked around, searching for something to use as a weapon, hoping to at least buy them enough time to escape.
The steps stopped right beside them. Eugen, unable to hold back any longer, leaped up with his glowing right hand.
"Haaaaah!" he shouted, attempting to punch the figure and then make a run for it with Haruka.
The man caught Eugen's fist effortlessly.
Eugen immediately shifted his attack, aiming a kick at the man's knee, but the man evaded it easily, jumping backward.
"Calm down, kid. I'm not with whoever did this," the man said urgently.
[IMAGE]
Eugen got a good look at him: a muscular man in a light gray two-piece suit, a maroon dress shirt with a popped collar, and a short, slicked-back yet slightly messy pompadour hairstyle.