A few moments before disaster struck—
A blind boy walked carefully along the path, clutching food in his arms. His steps were steady despite his sightless eyes, his head tilted slightly as though listening to the whispers of the wind. Suddenly, a group of children blocked his way. Their faces twisted with cruel amusement.
"Look, it's Kyras the Cursed again," one of them jeered.
"The witch of darkness, Lilith, marked him. That's why he doesn't have eyes," another sneered. "Half his hair's already black, soon his whole body will rot like a veylith's."
Their voices rose, cruel and mocking.
"Don't touch him, or you'll catch the Curse of Kyras!"
They shoved him to the ground, the food scattering across the dirt. Kyras only bit his lip and remained silent, though tears welled at the corners of his ruined eyes.
"Drag him into the forest!" one bully barked. "Let's see if the monsters eat him first!"
They kicked him while he curled in pain, enduring each blow without protest.
Then—
Rustle.
From the shadows, a small creature hopped forward. Round body, fluffy ears, glimmering eyes—deceptively adorable. A Nibblefang.
The bullies froze, captivated.
"Woah… it's so cute."
"Let's catch it!"
Kyras's trembling voice broke the spell.
"No… don't get close. It's dangerous…"
"Shut up, Kyras the Cursed!" they spat. "You're the real monster here!"
The Nibblefang tilted its head, almost smirking. Then its lips peeled back, revealing razor fangs. With a blur of speed, it lunged—
Swoosh!
Kaien erupted from the treeline, dagger flashing. His strike split the Nibblefang mid-lunge, saving the nearest bully in a blink.
He landed hard, panting, hands trembling from the strain of his magic.
"I… made it," Kaien thought, breath ragged.
But before he could speak, the children froze again—not with relief, but with dread.
"P-pitch black hair…" one whispered.
"A cursed one… another cursed one!"
They screamed and scattered, abandoning Kyras and Kaien.
Kaien stared at the boy lying on the ground.
The sight of his blind eyes, his calm silence despite the cruelty, struck something deep inside him.
Suddenly—
Memories surged.
The stench of the slums.
The chatter of distant voices.
The metallic scent of blood and rain.
Takeda, still young, walked down a narrow alley, drawn by the sound of fists hitting flesh and cruel laughter echoing off the walls.
He thought, at first, it might be another street brawl—an opportunity to learn, to steal, or maybe to prove his strength again.
But what he found was different.
A boy—about his age—lay on the ground, arms shielding his head as a group of older kids kicked him mercilessly. His eyes… clouded and empty. He was blind.
"Pathetic," one of the bullies spat, raising his foot again.
Before he even realized it, Takeda had moved.
His fist connected with the bully's jaw—once, twice—sending him crashing to the dirt. The others scattered in panic as Takeda stood over the fallen boy, chest heaving, anger boiling in his veins.
The blind boy trembled, then tilted his head toward the sound of Takeda's breathing.
"…Thank you," he whispered softly.
Takeda blinked, taken aback. "Tch. I didn't save you or anything. I just wanted to punch someone."
He turned to leave—but that wasn't the end.
A weak voice called out behind him.
"W-wait… I dropped my cane."
He sighed, glancing back. The stick lay a few steps away from the boy.
"Tch. Can't you get it yourself?"
Akihiro smiled faintly. "If I could, I wouldn't have asked."
Takeda grumbled but picked it up anyway, handing it over.
When Akihiro reached for it, his hand missed completely—grabbing Takeda's instead.
"H-hey!" Takeda jerked, startled.
Akihiro froze, embarrassed. "S-sorry, I misjudged…"
For a moment, Takeda just stared. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed—a short, awkward sound.
"Idiot. Come on, get up before they come back."
Akihiro stood, wobbling slightly. As they started walking, he tripped over a stone and nearly fell again. Takeda caught him by the arm, muttering under his breath.
"You're hopeless."
"Maybe. But you didn't let me fall."
"Don't push your luck."
And yet, despite his words, Takeda slowed his pace, letting Akihiro follow beside him.
From that day on, that clumsy walk through the slums became the first of many. their paths kept crossing—by coincidence, or maybe by something more.
Sometimes they'd argue, sometimes stumble, but somehow, they always kept walking together.
The blind boy's name was Akihiro.
Even as years passed, Akihiro never changed. Despite his blindness, he had a strange talent for appearing out of nowhere.
No matter how sharp Takeda's senses became, no matter how alert he was, Akihiro always managed to sneak up behind him and smack him lightly on the head.
"Got you again," he'd laugh.
And Takeda could never understand how.
Everyone else who tried to sneak up on him, he sensed instantly. But Akihiro… Akihiro was different.
A small, genuine smile tugged at Kaien's lips as the memory dissolved into the present.
"Yes… that really did happen," he thought, eyes stinging with faint tears.
He reached down and offered a hand to the boy.
"Are you alright?"
The boy nodded silently and began to walk away. Kaien watched him with quiet confusion. No stick…? Even Haruto needed one, even when he knew the streets of the slum like the back of his hand.
Lost in thought, Kaien suddenly noticed the sky pale light was creeping into the horizon. Dawn. He clenched his jaw. I need to get back.
On the path home, Kaien replayed the scene in his head.
Lyra's gonna kill me… and probably Garrick too.Though that kid had part of his hair black... ah! I forgot to ask his name.
He shook the thought away as he reached the door of his home.
"I'm back—"
But before he could finish, Lyra was standing there, arms crossed, her face dark as storm clouds.
Kaien's heart sank. Ah… I'm dead.
---
That night—
The house had grown quiet, but Garrick was calm. While Lyra, on the other hand, was busy scolding Kaien.
Then-
Garrick stirred in his seat.
His eyes snapped open as he sensed it.
Multiple presences.
Outside.
The sound of footsteps. Voices swelling. Then shouts.
"Bring out the cursed one!"
"He'll bring disaster upon the town!"
"Kill him before it's too late!"
The cries of the villagers echoed through the night, filled with fear and fury, as torches lit up the darkness outside their home.
Kaien froze inside, staring at the window. His heart hammered. "What the hell is happening out there?
---End of Chapter 13---