12 A little bit of anguish and resolve
"Knock, knock, knock, knock"
A knock came from the door, waking up Nolamine who was feeling somewhat down and still tired from the events of the day before.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The knocks turned into bangs as they jolted him out of bed. He woke up and went to see who it was. He opened the door and a face with glasses greeted him.
"What the, you still alive?"
Son-join said, acting disappointed.
"You ass! That's how you greet a friend who has gone to the witch's den and managed to survive?"
He said as he let him in. Son-join laughed and let out his hand for a fist pump, Nolamine did the same.
"Good to see you alive and well, my man. I was worried all night."
He said, making Nolamine smile, but it was forced. The thoughts of yesterday were eating away at any good or happy feelings he had.
"We are late. Did you forget it's Friday? We have school today."
"Nah, I can't go with all that happened yesterday. I need some time to process everything that happened to me."
He said, sitting down on one of the chairs in the corner of the room that was next to another and a small table in between. He opened the TV that was next to the bed.
"Then I am staying with you."
"No, please, I think I just need some time alone for a bit."
He said in a somber tone. Son-join was a happy-go-lucky but he could read the room. It was clear that even though he had just woken up, something was eating at him. It was the first time he saw him that way. He took a long breath then exhaled.
"Ok, I've got to give Ara my answer anyway. Do not get eaten by any monster, or dragged away by old wrinkled soulmates while I'm away, ok."
He said as he stood up. The words made Nolamine laugh a little, which was what he wanted to see. He left thereafter.
Nolamine looked at the TV as he was left alone, it was talking about the storm, how it was so different and devastating, together with the distraction that happened to some buildings like monsters were fighting, them referencing it to something that happened in the 19s
Once they mentioned the part about buildings being destroyed, all the memories of yesterday came flooding in, but one stayed with him as it was vivid and he could not help but think of it.
It was the portrayal of his father by the smoke, him all alone, doing nothing but looking to the sky, both alive and dead, while rain fell on him.
A tear came falling down from his left eye. He touched the watery line it made as it fell and then looked at his wet finger.
'A tear?'
He thought. He had no memories of himself ever crying. Another fell down but from his right eye. He touched it again and his finger was even wetter.
'Am I crying?'
He thought he never had felt that feeling before but his memories were betraying him as his body remembered. His emotions gave in as a flood of tears came rushing down.
He cried.
Some in school would go on to say that he had no emotions when they were growing up, him going through the years never showing any signs of his venerable side.
He cried.
The thought of almost dying, the thought of making a decision that almost killed him after almost dying, the thought of finding that such tragedy happened to his family.
He finally cried after all those years of being strong.
The anguish he felt for everything that happened and found out that day came out with each tear that he shed.
After a while, he stopped. He went and laid down on his bed as he looked at the ceiling. He was finally feeling like himself again. His mind was blank as he thought about nothing. After a while, he could hear the sound of the TV again and he finally had a thought.
"FUCK."
He said as he smiled.
"I'm just too young for this hell I have stepped into."
He said, but contrary to what he was saying, resolve sprouted out from the seed of anguish laid down by the events of the other day.
It now did not matter if he was stepping into a hellish world or not, whether he was too young or not, for there were many children out there who grew up in a war zone. Who was he to cry over one day of despair? The seed of resolve that had started sprouting grew instantly and it was about to bear fruit, but it was dwarfed by a tree so enormous it looked like a world tree. It was the tree of courage, one that had taken root the day he was born.
He stood up and took action. He grabbed a pen and a booklet and started writing.
The day went by so fast he thought it was cheating him. A knock came from the door and Son-join came in. The kitchen was a mess. It seemed at some point Nolamine had cooked up a storm. He looked around and saw nothing was left for him.
"Guzzler!"
He yelled.
"You stingy little earthworm."
He said as he went to the sitting room. Nolamine laughed. It was just what he needed after writing and collecting his thoughts all day.
"Before you continue with your rambling, put down your bag and stand right there for me."
He said as he took one of the papers next to him on the table. Son-join, who was happy to see that he was back to his old self after seeing him complied. He was then handed the paper and told to read it.
Not knowing what was up, he first skimmed through it.
'Son-join woo. Innate cursing skill, has the ability to curse... Has been cursing me since I was nine years old... also...'
He was so confused that he stopped skimming through it and looked at Nolamine.
"Read through it properly and stop skimming through it like you always do. It's very important for what comes next."
'What comes next?'
Son-join was still confused but he calmed himself and read through the notes properly.
"Wait, what the hell is this?"
He asked, even more confused. Nolamine let out his hand, suggesting that he give him the paper back, and he did.
"Put your guard up."
He said after putting it on the table. Son-join was beyond confused, but saw he was serious.
"You bastard. I do not know what that is but if you finally want to fight me, then come at me. You do know that I am a level 100 demon class warrior, right? If you want to die, take a swing at me."
He said as he tried his best to mimic a boxing stance. Nolamine laughed inwardly as he used his gaming states to compare his real-life fighting ability.
Without saying anything, he stepped in and faked a jab at his right side, Son-join dogging it perfectly to his own surprise, so much so that he fainted while on that state of bliss.
He had lined up perfectly for an uppercut. The punch launched him off the floor like a mermaid launching itself out of water , flipping backward. He dropped down on the bed and with his lights out.
Nolamine kissed his fist for a job well done and went to fetch ice from the fridge. After a while, Son-join woke up with ice on his chin.
"I fucked you up, didn't I?"
It was the first thing he said even though he was the one laying down in pain.
"Yes buddy, for our first-ever fight, you landed one on me that still hurts."
With him getting up, they both laughed as he went to sit at the table.
"So, care to tell me what's all this is about? Me being able to curse?"
After explaining everything that happened with the old witch, Nolamine then gave him all the notes he had written down that day that included everything he thought to be important.
