'"Beep , Woosh
'"Knock , knock
"Young master? It's time to wake up."
Mary spoke in a clear voice, her tone was soft and gentle as it echoed through my room. She entered the room and opened the curtains, letting in the warmth of the early sun. Opening the window to allow some fresh air in, she came to my bed and rubbed my head.
I stretched and sleepily opened my eyes and looked at her.
"Mary..? What time is it?"
I asked while looking outside, the sun had barely come up and most birds were barely even making noise.
"It's dawn, the master has ordered for you to be woken up early from today onwards."
Mary spoke with a gentle smile as she stood up and grabbed a spare set of clothes from desk, and I got out of bed and stretched.
"Here are your clothes, I've already prepared a bath for you. I woke you up an hour early so that you could take your time."
I nodded and walked away to the bathroom to take my bath. Once I got into the bath, the water wasn't too hot or cold, it was perfect. I quickly sunk into the water and allowed my body to warm up.
'Todays the start of my training huh?'
'"Sigh
'Now's a good time to look at my "gift" from Erebyul…'
"There's a mark and.."
"System..? What's that?"
'"Ding
I heard a strange chirp in my head and then in front of my eyes appeared a blue screen.
'Ah, this must be.. like in those video games kids used to talk about.'
'"Ding
"Hello dear user, I am Nu! A precious gift given to you by Erebyul. I'll be helping you grow from now on."
'Helping me grow..? How could this system help me grow?'
"How could you help me?"
I spoke out loud and Mary knocked on the door and spoke.
"Young master? Did you say something?"
I frowned, I forgot that I had been taking a bath and that Mary had been in my room probably preparing to help me down to the main room.
"No, It's nothing Mary."
Mary waited a second before responding.
"I see, then.. I'll go back to what I was doing young master, please continue your bath."
At my words, Mary left to continue on with her own work and I sighed lightly.
'"Ding
"You don't have to speak to me out loud you know? (;; •~•) Master made me really special so I can help you even if you don't say it. Just think about it and I'll know! (^-^*) "
'I see.. and what about..-'
"Nope. (^-^)"
'What- but.. I didn't even ask yet..'
"(•^•) I just answered what I figured you would ask. People usually have the same concerns. So let me just say it bluntly for you.. I can't read all of your thought, just ones aimed at me, Erebyul is a lot more thoughtful than other gods, he doesn't like invading privacy, nor does he like his privacy being invaded so.. unfortunately that means I can't tell you anything about him that you aren't already finding out on your own.. or that he tells you specifically. -_/(•~•)\_/- I also can't be seen by others, unless they're like a god or something… maybe even then they aren't guaranteed to see me. Out of all of the gods Erebyul is the best at hiding their presence, so if I'm a gift from them then you probably won't have to worry about me being spotted, just don't fall for any stupid tricks that someone may play in the future, if they really could see me that would mean they'd have to be at least on 'his' level.. I don't think there's anyone on his level though •^• my master is the strongest eve- %€ @@/0" ?!@-) (;;0~o) oh… I can't tell you.. I guess you don't know that yet.."
'I see.. then now that I have a basic idea of what you can't do.. what can you do?'
"Depends.. :^ if you were stronger my abilities would be stronger but since you're weak the only thing I can really do is display your stats.. kinda.."
'What do you mean by "kinda"? '
"Well, take a look! \(^-^ )
Name: Yuri Leonheart
Age: 5
Height: 123cm (4'2)
Sex: Male
Strength: F
Agility: D
Mana: C-
Charm: B
Stamina: E+
Followers: 1
Skills: Umbral Covenant, ?!)/[ , Sc/(7289 R6$2ui0!
Extra info.
Blessed and chosen by the God of *-$&@9;?! as the prophet. Bears the Mark of the Covenant
- Umbral Covenant: The sole proof of the ultimate authority. When this skill is active, the chosen target may not disobey. Can only be used in those the same level or weaker.
• Skill can only be activated 3 times (Effects permanent)
- Sc/(7289 R6$2ui0!: information not available.
• Level up to unlock hidden information."
'Woah.. what..'
"To be honest.. your skills aren't even subpar.. they're just plain bad. Though I suppose if you were to only take into account your stamina and mana then it would be pretty good. For a normal person at least..(;~_~)"
'"Sigh, splash
Disappointed, I sighed deeply and splashed in the water a bit. I soon got out of the bath and got dressed, I had been on for too long.
"Don't be discouraged Yuri, leveling up isn't going to be hard, not now at least (;;^~^)"
'So you're saying it will be hard in the future though.'
"W-well.. Anyways! Luckily for you, you'll see what I mean sooner rather than later. I'll come back later!:D"
***
Nothing interesting happened after Nu left. I got dressed in a white buttoned blouse and black trousers, my hair was combed back slickly and neatly. Mary took me to the main hall but after arriving there Mary was ordered by my father to leave. As part of my training I'm no longer allowed to be carried. Part of me felt relieved by that news but after seeing how dejected Mary looked, part of me felt guilty for being happy.
'"Sigh
'Still.. My body is small and I'm especially weak.. even with my stamina it seems that walking from the main hall to the training grounds is an impossible feat for me.. my legs are so short that even if I take 10 strides I barely can get a couple of feet.'
My legs were sore and I felt out of breath and couldn't move, even my hands were trembling.
'So this is what being a toddler is like in this world too..'
Well, there was pain and discomfort but it wasn't half as bad as it was in my past life. So with a deep sigh and a lot of breaks, I eventually made my way to the training grounds which took 30 minutes.. that's after I had already been walked some of the way by Mary.
'I'll have to start waking up 2 hours early just to get to the training grounds on time from now on..'
'"Huff, huff
"I-I made it.."
I nearly collapsed to my feet as I finally set my foot on the training ground.
Waiting there dressed with a bored expression on their face was my father and my older brother Kieran sighed deeply before walking over to me and handing me a handkerchief to wipe my sweat, he patted my head briefly and then father spoke.
"You're late, if you are serious about training then you need to be on time from now on. I won't forgive this mistake a second time."
With those words his sharp gaze stabbed daggers into me, I nodded and bowed my head.
'As suffocating as always.. so scary..'
"Thank you father."
I felt a cold sweat fall from my forehead and I wiped it.
"Now, run around the court until I tell you to stop. If you slack off I'll make you run longer."
My father didn't waste any time and immediately told us what to do. I stood confused for a second.
"I- I thought-"
My words were cut off by Kieran who grabbed my wrist and pulled it slightly.
"Let's go."
Seemingly unphased by the order, Kieran had started making his way around the court. Still confused, I followed along but fell several steps behind him as he began moving.
'Dang these short legs.. when will I grow.. and why are we running?!'
'"Tsk
I clicked my tongue and increased my speed, running as fast as I could to catch up to my brother.
'"Huff , huff
"Bi-big brother.. wha-what's going on?"
I was already out of breath and tired from the long walk to get to the training grounds so to suddenly be thrown into a workout without any break, it's no surprise that I would be tired and out of sorts already. As I spoke to my brother I noticed a sour expression on his face. He spoke in a strict manner, not even bothering to slow down, he glared at me from the side as he spoke.
"We're training, get used to it quickly. Oh.. and stop running next to me. "
With those words he sped up a bit and increased the distance between us.
'"Tak , Tak
'" huff, huff , hufggh
My throat was dry and burning, my saliva was dry, what was left of it, and my head was pounding.
'S-system..'
'"My name is Nu! (-~- *) "
The system, no.. Nu spoke in a noticeably more agitated tone than before which surprised me. Nonetheless, I felt as though I couldn't take it anymore. My body felt like lead and my mouth felt fuzzy and my throat burned.
'Please.. do something..'
"…."
For a moment, Nu didn't respond as if contemplating whether or not to help me. Then, Nu finally responded.
"Fine, just this once since you've technically done a good job.. and master has allowed it.. (-3- )"
'"Ding
"Congratulations! You have levelled up! You have completed all of the steps required to unlock the levelling system!
• The levelling system: to increase your stats, you must complete quests/missions. After doing so you will levell up and earn +5 points. You may choose to use those points or save them.
• Points: to use your points, you simply need to tell me which stats to level up and how much. If you are unsure about which stat to levell up then you may request a brief summary of the skill.
•Levelling up: as you level up more and more, the amount of time it takes to levell up will become longer. The points you gain will not increase or decrease for the time being, but the higher or stronger the skills are the more points they may require. This also depends on the level. (Ex: level 1 - F class stamina --> E- (+1) vs Level 5 - L class Umbral Covenant → M class(+1000) L being legendary and M being Mystic (^-^*) )
You have gained +5 points after levelling up, would you like to use them?"
'Do you even need to ask.. yes. '
'"Ding
"Great! Please choose which stats to upgrade and if you are done say 'finished' and the stats will be upgraded."
'Add 2 points to stamina, 2 to strength and the remaining one to agility. Finished.'
'"Ding
"Orders received! Upgrades complete, please wait a moment for your status to update. Oh.. and my apologies (^-^)"
'What? Why ar..e.. y-you..'
The world around me began to sway and my sight went black. Before I knew it, I had felt two things. The feeling of the weight that had been on my body lifted noticeably, and the sensation of my body falling through the air. I didn't feel my body hit the ground but I'm sure I must have since it seemed as though I were falling.
'C-curse you.. n-Nu..'
"…"
***
"U-ugh.."
I slowly opened my eyes while sitting up. My body moved slowly and I felt lightheaded for a moment, the feeling slowly went away as I finally fully woke up. Next to me, my older brother sat by my bedside, my hand held in his as his top half of his torso slumped over my stomach. He was asleep, I tried to slip away my hand but his grip was firm. Too tight to free myself but too light to complain so I just sighed softly and shook my head. I couldn't move either so I layed back down.
'So heavy..no wonder it was so hard to move.'
'"Sigh
I sighed lightly and scratched the back of my head lightly as I suddenly remembered something.
'Now.. Nu, I know you're there.'
I waited for a response from Nu who usually responds immediately but this time I was only met with silence.
"…"
Rolling my eyes I grit my teeth.
A hint of annoyance swelled inside of me as Nu tried to ignore me after pulling that stunt earlier.
'If you don't answer, I'll tell Erebyul.'
'"Ding
Immediately after being threatened, Nu responded.
'Figures.'
"Ehem, before you say anything.. I would like to apologize. :c so please don't tell master. They'll delete me for sure!"
'Why shouldn't I? After what you did..'
"I will repent for my actions! (0~o please forgive me! I'll explain everything properly this time.."
Seeing Nu so panicked was surprising since I didn't expect the system to act like.. a child. Albeit a sneaky one.
'Honestly.. "master".. they're very scary.. I could see why even Nu would be afraid.'
Just thinking about my last encounter with him made my body tremble and break out into a cold sweat.
'"Sigh , huuuuu
I took a deep breath and calmed my thoughts before continuing my conversation with Nu.
'Fine then, explain. What happened back there on the training ground. If I feel like you are hiding anything—'
My words were cut short by Nu as they eagerly responded.
"N-no! No..need.. I won't withhold any information.. it's not much, I just thought..(;; >~>) n-Nevermind.. I'll just tell you. When stats are upgraded, it takes a physical toll on your body. So when you upgraded your physical strength and stamina, your body had to be…adjusted.. to meet the requirements for those kinds of stats. If you noticed.. your body should feel a lot lighter and easier to move now, and your movements should feel smoother. The more you upgrade and level up a skill or stat, the more you will… Ehem, feel.. it. It's the same thing for your mental stats too, not that you have to worry about that for now but let's just say.. you want to be smarter you may have to deal with the pain a bit, it's all for a good cause anyways.(;;^-^)*"
Listening to nu's explanation, I sighed lightly and brought my free hand up to my chin and held it gently. Trying to comprehend the new information.
'So… if I wanted to be the strongest human being in existence.. I'd have to become some big musclehead..and I can be as strong and smart as I want as long as I can somehow survive the pain?'
"Pfft-"
When Nu let out a stifled laugh, I felt a vein in my forehead twitch. I scoffed and grit my teeth.
'Mind sharing the joke Nu? Or do you wanna just keep laughing to yourself?'
As if noticing my sarcasm and agitation, Nu went silent again.
"…"
After a few seconds as if thinking about something however, Nu spoke again.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh."
They didn't include any faces like normal so I assumed that they must've been being serious.
'Then explain.'
I said, to be honest.. I was being impatient. I felt a burning curiosity to know what I didn't understand. I felt a burning desire overall to learn that which I do not know. Afterall, I read the entire novel more times than I can count and I never read about something like this. I've heard of systems from the conversations of other kids when I went to school, but having never read about them I only know a small amount about them, and apparently all systems though similar, are not the same.
"Your body changes, you got that right. However, you can't become the "strongest being in existence." Not with my help at least, Erebyul would have to help you with that directly.. and I doubt they would make you as strong as they are.. and, your body won't morph uncontrollably. You will only have 'slight' changes, and after a while you won't be able to do it anymore. Since your body and genetic build isn't really.. built.. to be a musclehead, even if you were max strength you wouldn't become a musclehead. You can basically only be as strong, physically, as you can be, in your frame. Similar to a vase, but instead of a vase.. I suppose your body would be more like a balloon. It's not easy to blow up a brand new balloon, but if you keep blowing, eventually it will fill with air. However, if you blow in too much more air than the balloon is built to hold, then even if it stretches out more, it will eventually explode. The same is pretty much accurate to your body. Therefore the simple and less graphic answer would be, no, you will not have to worry about becoming a muscleheaded pig (*^_^)"
Not long after our conversation did I notice the feeling of my brother moving as he began to stir awake.
His eyes shot open and his grip on my hand tightened. I felt my heart begin to beat faster as I waited for him to speak. Watching as his black hair swayed with every move. I didn't have to wait long, once he looked over to my face and noticed that I had been sitting up slightly against the headrest of my bed, he spoke in a quiet voice.
"Yo-you're awake..I'm so glad you're okay."
His eyes showed that he was genuinely relieved and I felt confused.
'What's with him..? Does he hate me or not?'
' One moment he is glaring at me, the next he is looking at me affectionately. '
'"Clench
As I thought about his behaviour, I subconsciously ended up tightening my grip on his hand. As if reading my mind he finally spoke in response.
"I'm sure you're confused—and upset."
His steady, gentle voice only made his words sting more.
"I'm glad you're okay.. you had everyone worried.."
'"Sigh
He sighed lightly and smiled gently at me while caressing my hand with his fingers.
The room was silent for what felt like forever, the only sounds that could be heard were the light sound of breathing and a few chirps from birds outside of the window.
'I need to ask him.. this is getting confusing and frustrating.'
'"Gulp
I swallowed dryly, looking into my older brother's eyes, I knew I wanted to ask about his inconsistencies but when I opened my mouth no words came out.
'I…I'm scared..'
No matter how annoyed I may get when I can't understand him, I don't hate him.
'That's why..'
The thought of asking him.. scares me.
'What if he really does say he hates or hated me?'
I can't endure being hated again—not by him, not by my family.
'Nu.. what do I do..'
'"Ding
"You should ask what you want to ask. Being honest is the first and most important step to strengthening and maintaining any relationship!"
I couldn't disagree. I felt the same way after listening to Nu.
'I see.. then regardless of what happens or what he says.. I'll be honest.'
I felt the corner of my mouth twitch as I mustered the strength to speak.
"Brother…"
***
My mind was a mess.
"Damn it!"
'"Clench
Looking at my baby brother laying in bed, pale and unmoving was one of the worst feelings I've ever experienced.
My hand moved unconsciously towards his face as I moved his hair away from it. He had overworked himself yet again.
"Why.. why do you always.."
I felt a pool of emotions inside of me. I was frustrated and angry but not at him.
'If I were stronger.. if I could take your burdens away..'
"Damn it.. I'm pathetic."
The room was filled with the sound of faint breathing and a tense stillness in the air as I sat at the bedside waiting for my brother to wake up.
'This manor.. it's silent..eerily so, as if in mourning.'
'"Tsk
"Please… wake up, Yuri."
I watched over my sleeping baby brother until the sun was replaced by the soft cold glow of the moon. I did my best to stay awake until yuri woke up but ended up falling asleep while holding his small hand in mine.
'" Shuuu , fwoosh
The sound of the wind blowing firmly as it whistles through what sounds like an empty building. With a slight grimace, I opened my eyes and was shocked by the sight that greeted me.
'" Shaaa , plop
***
All around, Kieran could see that the damp, dark, abandoned building he had woken up in was actually a church. The church is immense, with towering arched ceilings that seem to scrape the heavens. The once-pristine stained glass windows now feature jagged, broken edges. Shards of colorful glass remain in some panels, catching what little light seeps in and scattering faint, distorted rainbows on the dusty floor. Time has turned the church's stone walls into a mosaic of cracks, moss, and creeping ivy.
As he pushed himself up from one of the chipped wooden pews, he began to walk, the sound of his feet tapping the marble floor as he walked made him realise that this was truly more than just a dream. The cold damp air around him that continued to blow as he walked also helped to confirm his suspicions.
'" Tap , Tap
The pews are overturned, splintered, and coated in a thick layer of dust, suggesting years of abandonment. Some are piled near the walls, as though someone—or something—had barricaded the space. The podium dominates the altar area. It's a massive, ornate structure made of dark wood, heavily carved with patterns of stars, now weathered and warped by time. Behind it stands an altar made of black stone, streaked with veins of white resembling the night sky. The floor is a mix of cracked marble and loose stone. Debris, such as fallen beams and broken candles, lies scattered across the ground. Faint traces of old footsteps can still be seen in the layers of dust, leading to the podium as though it's a place of significance.
Kieran felt an eerie unsettling feeling in his body. His heartbeat quickened and his stomach felt knotted.
"What the… where am I and how did I get here..?"
He decided to leave the church and went to the huge dark oak door, with some effort he managed to push the huge door open and as he did it made a loud noise, it's cold wood scraping the ground beneath it as he pushed it open.
'"Creeeek , Thump , Thud
Kieran felt his shoulders jump when the huge heavy wooden door detached from its hinges and thudded down onto the ground with a loud thud and a layer of dust smoke came out from around the door as it did. With a slight cough he slowly made his way outside and the cold air greeted him.
He looked back at the church, still standing in the doorway. The church felt frozen in time, eerily silent save for the occasional creak of the wooden beams or the faint whistle of the wind through shattered windows. The air is heavy, and carries a faint, metallic scent.
He turned his head back in front of him and saw an unsettling view. The forest seems to stretch endlessly, a labyrinth of towering, gnarled trees. Their bark is blackened and cracked, almost like charred remains, and their twisted branches reach out like skeletal fingers against the dark sky.
The boy looked up to see that the sky is almost entirely black, save for a faint silver glow from the moon, which peeks through breaks in the heavy clouds. The moon appears unnaturally large, casting a cold, eerie light that feels more watchful than comforting. The ground is uneven, with tall, brittle grass that crunches underfoot. The grass is ashy gray, save for patches of exposed soil that seem to pulse faintly as though alive. Vines and roots snake across the ground, intertwining into a path all pointing towards a single view. Kieran followed the vines with slow uncertain movements as his heavy legs that felt like led slowly stepped over the vines and he followed them further into the forest until he saw a single beam of moonlight that pierced through the oppressive darkness, shining down on a small clearing. The light cut through the gloom like a divine spotlight, creating an ethereal glow around the area which seemed to be the only living thing amongst everything he had seen thus far. The light had been glowing on a sword, it was long and shining faintly. The sword lies embedded in the ground, half-buried. Its blade is long and impossibly sharp, gleaming faintly with a silver light that seems to ripple across its surface, as if the moonlight itself were dancing on it. The hilt is ornate, wrapped in silver vines and adorned with a glowing crescent moon symbol at its pommel. The grip was a dark sky blue colour and made of a strong high quality leather. The sword blade itself was made of a cold shiny iron that glowed and shimmered under the intense glow of the moon. The blade is entangled by vines, moss, and bark, as though the forest itself is clinging to it in desperation, trying to conceal it from sight. Small flowers bloom along the vines, glowing faintly blue as if infused with mana.
"Woah… what- Ah!"
Kieran had instinctively reached out to touch the sword but the moment he tried to grab the hilt of the sword, a barrier was the only thing his fingers could reach, it rippled as his hand retracted, and he watched as the vines and branches seemed to come alive as they further embraced the sword. He looked at his hand and saw that the skin had burned from the tips of his fingers as if he had placed his hand over a fire and let it burn for a bit, thin white smoke rising from his fingers as he held his injured hand close to his chest with his other hand. He looked around when he heard the sound of footsteps.
'"Tak , Tap
He turned around to see a tall figure, a gorgeous deity that he had seen once before. Erebyul. They appeared as of every step they took left behind some kind of "water of life" because behind Erebyul, the grass and soil that was once dead and dry was now beginning to come alive, it's once grey and brown grass and black tree roots turned a beautiful almost turquoise green colour, and the tree roots seemed as if they were slowly turning a beautiful dark brown and withering away like dust in the wind. Only the areas that he walked were changing though, mimicking his footsteps as if creating a path. He stopped only when he stood a few feet away from Kieran and the sword. The sword on Erebyul's right and Kieran on his left, he slowly turned his gaze from the sword which had repelled Kieran moments prior and then to Kieran who had fallen to the ground in surprise and was still clutching his hand while looking up at him. Then he spoke.
"So you can't do it afterall.."
Kieran looked at the deity in front of him in confusion. His body trembling as he felt Erebyul's gaze sweeping over his small body. Everything seemed to be frozen in place. Not as if time had stopped but as if everything in the forest had been "holding" its breath around Erebyul. His gaze was silent but intense and his blank unchanged expression and calm voice felt more frightening than everything in the forest. The deity in front of Kieran hadn't even done anything except speak a few words and it felt like his heart would burst just by being near Erebyul. Nonetheless, Kieran couldn't stop himself from speaking as if his body had responded on some sort of autopilot.
"Lord Erebyul, what do you mean by that? Why are you here and where am I?"
In response to Kieran's questions, Erebyul only stared down at the boy with cold sharp unfeeling eyes for what felt like an eternity before slowly turning and gesturing to the sword.
"I brought you here to test you.. but you failed."
He spoke with an almost disappointed tone but his expression felt dismissive and bored as if he had expected the outcome already. Then he pointed a finger towards Kieran and a small white light formed at the top of his finger about the size of a small dot, the white light began enveloping everything around Kieran who spoke up in a panicked voice.
"W-wait what do you mean "I failed" and what happens now? Where am I? Why am I—"
Kieran once again tried to ask questions but Erebyul ignored his barrage of questions and responded only with his eyes closing and his back turning to Kieran as the light devoured Kieran. When the light had finally disappeared and Kieran opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of his younger brother Yuri looking at him with a disgruntled expression as if trying to come up with something to say but not being able to properly articulate the thoughts and feelings yet. Kieran felt the tightness in his heart disappear when he realised that he had woken up from a dream and he held yuri's hand a bit firmer, his thumb drawing small circles on the back of yuri's hand as he began to speak.
***
Seeing yuri, I felt my worries fade away. My heart was still pounding and the stinging in my hand was still prevalent but I felt immensely relieved when I saw that my precious baby brother was here and awake and well.
"Yuri.."
I began speaking to him but before I knew it, his gaze had changed and became more determined. He cut me off and spoke.
"You.. Why do you hate me?"
His words were genuine and I could tell that he had truly wanted some sort of explanation. I felt my heart break as I looked into his big white eyes and spoke.
"What are you talking about.. why would I hate you?"
At my words, yuri seemed to wince for a moment and then his usually blank stoic expression softened and he tilted his head slightly. It was only at times like this where he truly seemed like a kid, the look of confusion on his face was like a small pup looking up at someone in confusion as if not being able to understand their words. Then he spoke again and this time his voice was slightly softer and more uncertain.
"You.. always oppose me whenever I say I want to train to be stronger, and during training today you told me not to talk to you and ignored me..why?"
Looking at him as he spoke I felt like a new weight had been placed, on my heart this time and not my body.. I shook my head and placed a hand on yuri's head, when I moved my hand towards his head, he winced which made my heart hurt.
'Does he think I'd hit him?'
Gently, I placed my hand on his head, his black hair felt even more silky and smooth than it looked and it was softer too.
"I'm sorry yuri. I never intended for it to seem that way."
***
"I'm sorry yuri. I never intended for it to seem that way."
I looked up at my brother, I had thought that he hated me but uncertainty began swarming in my heart and mind, when he moved suddenly I had thought that he would hit me. Even though I've never been hot since being born here 4 years ago.
'Stupid.. I'm not… I'm Yuri now.. Yuri Leonheart.' I inwardly reminded myself of who and where I am when I noticed my brother's icey blue eyes staring at me with a soft, saddened gaze. He spoke to me while patting my head. His voice was soft and broke softly.
"Yuri.. I have never.. hated you, and I never will."
His words were genuine, anyone can tell from looking at him and hearing his voice, completely devoid of any malice or disgust. He spoke with love in every word.
"I.. I wanted to protect you from harm."
He began speaking again as he sighed softly and then smiled faintly.
"I don't want you to live a similar life as me, you're a kid yuri.. kids play and enjoy life without worrying about getting stronger or the future. They only care about the present and how it affects what they want at the moment.."
He sighed again and ruffled my hair, I listened and watched him, not wanting to interrupt and wanting to hear him out.
'For some reason..listening to him speak right now makes me feel like I'm at peace..?'
I felt confused at first but the more I thought about it the more I realised that maybe I had been truly misunderstanding him. His intentions..
'Maybe… he is like dad. Horrible at expressing his emotions.. only..'
I looked at my brother who was still speaking.
"I was afraid that you would get hurt if you tried to take the same path as us. I wanted you to do something else, anything else. You're smart and hardworking, you're more than good enough to get a tutor or more than one, to grow up and start a life anywhere you want to. So I.."
His words were still genuine and devoid of any Ill emotions, his eyes were full of emotions like vulnerability and sadness as well as something else.
'He's telling the truth. He doesn't hate me.. in fact I think this may be one of if not the first time I've seen someone who loves me so much..'
I felt a chill run over my body and let out a chuckle. Which in turn caused Kieran to jump slightly in surprise, and then it was his turn to look confused. His icey blue eyes looked like they were holding back tears and he had a small frown.
'If he had dog ears and a tail..'
'" pfft
"Then.. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have assumed that you were acting that way without speaking to you first. You're my older brother and I should trust you more and listen."
I wasn't just saying those words because they were "the right thing" to say. Honestly, I'm not sure about that.. I couldn't care less what was right or wrong, I simply spoke my truth. In the past.. I never had anyone. If my mother was loving to me, I couldn't remember, especially now after all of these years I can only remember her hate.. but since coming here I've been surrounded by nothing but warm, kind, loving, family. Even if they look really intense and even if they are cold to others.. they were never that way with me. That's why I truly believed that there was no reason for me to believe that they would hate me. That my brother who from the moment we first met would sneak into my room to give me snacks and tell me stories and secrets and teach me what he learned..
'To believe that he would ever hate me.. I was truly paranoid.'
'"Pfft , bahaha
Unable to hold back my laughter at the realisation of my foolish insecurities, I laughed and smiled brightly. For the first time ever, I smiled and didn't have to fear being judged or scolded for being happy.
In return, Kieran also laughed and looked relieved and happy.
The both of us ended up hugging, talking to eachother without worry and eventually got caught by Mary and scolded. Kieran insisted on staying and so the two of us ended up falling asleep together in the same bed.
'Honestly, I think that this… everything. It ended pretty well, right Nu?'
'"Ding
"(T^T) Yeah, it was so wholesome and heartfelt, gahh.. If I could cry I'd be sobbing. Good job making up with your brother—"
I tried to listen to Nu but my eyes fell shut and my consciousness drifted off. The stress had been lifted and I was exhausted.