I Was Kind (2)

A feeling of having already experienced the present.

Is this what they call Deja vu?

'No….that can't be it,' I touch my reflection in the mirror, unable to comprehend my current situation.

Did I travel back in time?

But how could something like that be possible?

As my mind was elsewhere, I didn't notice a young child entering the room in a hurry, she pounced on me before I could retaliate.

"Bwother!!", the child screamed, refusing to let go of me.

After much effort I managed to get the child off me, seeing her face my mind went blank.

"G-grace….is it really you?"

My dead sister raised her brows in confusion as she nodded her head while wiping away her tears on me.

'This can't be happening.'

I saw her corpse with my own eyes but she's alive now and young as well. Have I really traveled back in time?

But how is something as absurd as time travel even possible?

...…

No, none of that matters. I'm here now. I can save my family.

"Bwother Ai?" Grace asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Where's Vivi and father?" I asked, ignoring her concerned gaze.

"They're comwming right now bwother, I was so worried that you would die bwother-" Grace babbled on sniffling like a cute dog. I half-heartedly listened to her while staring at myself in the mirror.

My face was free of bruises and scars, and my black eyes and hair that I used to resent seemed to sparkle under the drizzle of the sunlight. Looking at myself it hit me again, I'm back.

I'm really back.

****

As I waited for the rest of my family to arrive, I questioned Grace about the time period I was in. It was the year 1400 in the Marx calendar and I was six years old. I remember almost drowning in a river when I was six, It was an assassination attempt that went unresolved.

At the time, I had regained consciousness quickly. But according to Grace, I had been lying on my bed with a fever for almost two weeks. The doctors had given up, unable to identify the reason why I wasn't waking up.

The only reason they could think of was that I had been 'cursed'.

"Sigh"

My head slightly ached from the non-stop barrage of knowledge, I decided to turn off my brain for a moment and took in my sister's face.

"Bwother?"

If I was six right now, Grace was probably just three years old. I smiled unconsciously hearing her voice, she had almost mastered the art of speaking by the age of two. She was a prodigy through and through.

I remember being jealous of her talent, she was not only intelligent but talented with the sword as well. Compared to me, who was average in all aspects…she was a gem that I couldn't protect.

The image of her lifeless body riddled with wounds overlapped with her face.

I won't let that happen….ever again.

"B-bwother….you're hwurting me.", Grace said, wincing in pain as I had unconsciously strengthened my hold on her.

"Ah." I let her down on the bed, "I'm sorry…"

"It's owkay brother, I'll forgive you twhis one time." Grace said, consoling me while patting my shoulder with her tiny hand.

"A-aiden?"

I turn to the door to find the rest of my family, looking at me with disbelief.

****

After a lot of hugging and crying, all of us finally settled down.

"I'll go and inform the doctors that you've woken up." My elder sister, Vivilian Kerian said unable to hide her excitement.

I nodded and reciprocated her smile, glad to see her again.

"We were so worried!!", my mother exclaimed while hugging me tightly. "Y-yeah, we were!!" my father, the king said….also hugging me. I felt a little suffocated by their affection as it felt alien to me….since it had been so long since I felt it. Nevertheless, I hugged them back tightly.

I had missed my father dearly, he might not have been the most competent king but he was a good father. He passed on his ideals to me when I was young, 'always be kind and just.'

A rather simple ideology, but one I practiced regularly to appease my father. I wanted him to be proud of me…after he died, I made it my way of life since I wanted to- I don't know.

I wanted to protect his legacy….if that makes any sense, because of that everyone I cared about died….

I don't want to think about this right now. Right now…I just want to be with my family.

My parents continued to sob and embrace me, though it felt good. I couldn't meet my mother's eyes. Even hugging her made me feel uncomfortable.

How could I look at her when I...-

.

.

.

.

.

- I killed her with my bare hands.

****