Chapter 3: The Only One Who Cares
'Hehe, perfect. I am too perfect. I nailed it,' Anos thought with a satisfied grin, his steps steady and confident as he walked away from the group. The chaos he had just unleashed behind him felt strangely liberating.
'A hero doesn't look back after causing a mess,' he mused, chuckling softly.
But his triumphant smirk faltered when he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around him from behind. Warmth spread across his back, accompanied by the soft press of his aunt's embrace. His cheeks flushed slightly at the unexpected closeness, but he quickly regained his composure.
A pained, calm smile graced his lips as he spoke softly, "I'm okay, Aunt."
Her voice, however, trembled with emotion. "No, you're not," she said, her words choked with guilt. "I shouldn't have left you. I shouldn't have turned my back on you."
Her grip tightened as if trying to hold him together, as if her embrace could shield him from the scars of the past.
"I knew how they treated you," she continued, her voice breaking. "And I didn't do anything. I should have—"
Anos cut her off, his tone gentle but firm. "It's not that you didn't do anything. It's that I didn't let you."
He pulled away slightly to turn and face her, his dark eyes meeting her tear-filled ones. "You asked me to come with you," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "You told me to leave that house behind, but I refused. I kept holding on, hoping for love that I thought was mine, that I thought I deserved."
His voice cracked, and he took a deep breath, steadying himself. Then, surprising both her and himself, he pulled her into a proper embrace. His arms wrapped around her slender frame as he held her close, his face buried against her shoulder.
Her fragrance washed over him, sweet and intoxicating, and he closed his eyes, savoring the moment. It was strange—comforting yet overwhelming.
"Now I know," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Now I know that in this world, only you care for me. Only you love me."
His words came out raw, unfiltered, carrying the weight of years of neglect and longing.
"My aunt," he whispered, the words hanging in the air like a solemn vow.
She froze in his arms, her body trembling slightly. But before she could respond, Anos leaned closer, his lips near her ear.
"When I was about to be engulfed by that fire, I closed my eyes, ready to face death," he said, his voice cracking under the weight of his confession. "And in that moment, there was only one face in my mind—yours."
She gasped softly, but he continued, his tone trembling. "Your eyes, always looking at me with tenderness. Your smile, filled with affection. The way you care about me, like I'm your only priority."
He pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her gaze again. His hands rested on her shoulders, trembling as he fought to keep his emotions in check.
"My memories were filled with nothing but you—your kindness, your love, your unwavering presence. At that moment, I realized something…"
He paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I realized the only regret I had in my life."
Her eyes searched his, glistening with unshed tears. "And what was that regret?" she asked softly, her voice breaking.
His lips trembled as he forced the words out. "My regret was that I… I never told you how much I care for you. How much I appreciate you. How much I—" His voice broke entirely, and he buried his face against her shoulder once more.
"—thank you," he finished, his words muffled but no less heartfelt.
For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade away. The battlefield, the chaos, the lingering presence of his mother—they all disappeared. There was only the two of them, standing together in the midst of it all, holding on to each other like lifelines.
Suddenly, a familiar metallic sound echoed in his mind.
[Ding.]
[Completion reward: Nagastra. Do you accept?]
The system's message cut through the haze of emotions, bringing him back to the present.
Anos closed his eyes and replied in his mind, Yes.
The moment he accepted, a warm glow enveloped him, and a strange energy coursed through his body. But the sensation was fleeting, and before he could even process what had happened, the dizziness returned—stronger this time.
His vision blurred, and his legs gave out beneath him. His aunt caught him immediately, cradling him in her arms as he fell unconscious.
"Anos?" she called out, her voice laced with panic.
But he didn't respond. His body had gone limp, his face pale. Yet even in his unconscious state, there was a faint smile on his lips, as if he had found peace at last.
She held him close, brushing his hair away from his face with trembling hands. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll never leave you again. I promise."
Her voice broke, and she tightened her hold on him, her heart aching with a mixture of guilt and relief.
In the distance, the battlefield had quieted, and the skies above them began to clear. But for her, the storm inside her heart raged on.
Anos, oblivious to the world around him, rested in the arms of the only person who had truly cared for him.
The chapter closed, but their story was only beginning.